#it is going to be most people's first source...

[mssishipi]

taste of indulgence - sjy, pjs

CHAPTER 5 - TOO SWEET

They say three’s a crowd, but for Jay, Jake, and you—it’s starting to feel something closer to home. Love was never meant to be this simple, this natural, but with them, it’s loud in the best ways, a little chaotic, deeply tender, and a little too sweet to ever let go.

content tags: slice of life, established relationship, mc backstory, jayke backstory, fluff, fluff and little bit of angst, then fluff. timeskip, this chapter is corny but at least it's happy ending. and! take time to read my note at the end pls.

explicit content (smut): vaginal and anal fingering, cunnilingus, rimming, unprotected sex, threesome (dom jake, dom jay x sub reader) somnophilia, blowjob, slightly dub con, double penetration, unprotected anal sex (fxm), mxm scenes, multiple sex position. MDNI. WC: 18.2K

want a taste?

4 YEARS AGO

JAKE grinned ear to ear, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as his gaze swept over the crowd. The music was loud, the lights erratic, and people were already spilling drinks and laughing too loud but Jake loved it.

This was exactly what he pictured college to be.

"Baby, are you excited for the first day of school?" he asked brightly, turning to face his boyfriend. Jay stood beside him with a disinterested scowl, arms loosely crossed, his eyes scanning the mass of dancing bodies with veiled judgment.

Jake bumped his shoulder playfully, trying to coax a smile out of him. "Come on. Parties like this existed in high school too. Don't act like you've never seen drunk teenagers twerking to bad remixes."

Jay raised an eyebrow at him, deadpan. "I didn't attend parties. This is my first time."

Jake blinked, surprised. "Wait, seriously?"

Jay nodded, then glanced back toward the crowd with a look of mild disgust. "And it's gross."

Jake laughed, slinging an arm over his shoulder. "You're such a grandpa. Come on, just pretend you're having fun."

Jay sighed but didn't resist when Jake intertwined their fingers, pulling him gently through the throng of sweaty bodies and flashing lights. His grip tightened protectively as people bumped into them left and right.

Then came the chant from the far end of the room, loud and synchronized over the music: "Go, bad bitch, go bad bitch go! Go, bad bitch, go bad bitch go!"

Jake's eyes lit up immediately, he grinned, tugging Jay toward the source of the chaos. Jay hesitated for a split second, but followed.

The crowd had formed a loose circle around the center of the living room. Phones were out, people laughing and cheering, hyping up whoever was in the spotlight. And there, in the middle—was you.

You were lying flat on a makeshift bar table, skin glowing under the colored lights, a lime wedge resting between your lips. Two other girls leaned in, each on either side of you. One was licking a trail of salt up from your stomach, the other from the base of your neck. The moment the salt was gone, they dove in, mouths finding yours together to take the lime between their teeth.

The crowd erupted. Phones flashed. Drunken hollers echoed. Someone near Jay screamed, "Holy fuck, she's wild!"

Jake whooped, clapping his hands. Jay, on the other hand, just stood there, his mouth slightly ajar. And neither of them looked away.

The rest of the party blurred by after that. And somehow, Jake stayed surprisingly clear-headed. His tolerance had always been higher than most. Jay kept his hands shoved in his pockets, back pressed to the wall, his usual role as Jake's quiet shadow. He didn't like parties, but he stayed—for Jake.

Later that night, as the house began to quiet and bodies thinned, a senior stumbled down the hallway, trying to prop you up in his arms. You were clearly out of it—eyes half-lidded, mumbling incoherently, limbs too loose.

"Please," the senior slurred, gesturing to the others with one hand while the other barely kept you upright. "Her dorm's just across from the school. My car's full. I can't take her."

Jay narrowed his eyes instantly. Then another guy tried to step in. "Hey! I don't trust my best friend with some stranger. You're dumb as hell. I'll take her." His hand slid around your waist but missed its mark as he nearly toppled over himself.

Jake was already moving. "Alright," he said smoothly, stepping between you and the two drunks. "We've got her."

"Don't worry about it," Jay said flatly, already reaching for your arm.

Jake crouched in front of you, grinning softly. "Hey there, party queen. Time to go, yeah?" You blinked slowly, confused, but didn't resist when Jake turned and let you slump over his back. He hooked his arms under your thighs, carrying you.

Sunoo appeared around the corner at that exact moment, also tipsy and clinging to Jay's shoulder for balance. "H-hey! Don't forget about me, you assholes," he slurred, his cheek pressed to Jay's arm.

Jay sighed, feeling Sunoo's weight. He looked at Jake, who was now adjusting you more securely onto his back.

"This is not how I thought tonight would go," Jay muttered, earning a soft laugh from Jake.

But still, neither of them complained.

"That was you?!"

Your eyes widened in disbelief as you stared at Jake, who was casually popping a marshmallow into his mouth, already mid-laugh.

"Yup!" he said, chewing with a grin. "I didn't even remember it until Jay brought it up again. He was the one who recognized you."

You let out a breathless laugh, pointing at him with an accusing finger. "Oh my God—that's so weird! There's a name for that, right? When something connects later, after the fact..."

Jake raised an eyebrow, still grinning. "You mean fate?"

"No, no, not fate. Like... a theory. Something about timing, or patterns—ugh, what is it called?" You tapped your temple, your brows furrowed as you struggled to catch the slippery thought.

Jay, who had been quietly lounging nearby, finally spoke up in his usual calm, dry tone. "Red string theory?"

You turned toward him, eyes lighting up. "Yes! That! The one about people being connected by an invisible red string, right? No matter the time, place, or circumstances."

Jake raised an eyebrow, smirking around the marshmallow he was chewing. "Wow, look at Jay getting all romantic."

Jay rolled his eyes but didn't deny it. "Just answering the question."

You grinned, leaning back on your hands as the warmth from the fire flickered across your face. "Kind of wild, though. Like... what are the chances that it was you two who carried me back that night? I didn't even remember your faces."

Jake let out a laugh, tossing another marshmallow into his mouth. "Yeah, but that's so corny."

You whipped your head toward him, offended. "Excuse me? The nerve of you to even say the word corny to me!"

Jake only grinned wider, catching you in one of his spontaneous bear hugs, nuzzling his cold nose against your cheek. A habit of his.

It had been two months now since you'd made it official—the three of you. A real relationship. And it still felt surreal sometimes, like you were walking through someone else's dream. But the dream never burst. It just kept unfolding, piece by piece.

Unlike the early days, you had begun to notice more. More about them.

Jake always nuzzled his nose against your cheek when he was especially happy or needy. It was his way of grounding himself. He still clung like a koala in his sleep, and the more affectionate he was during the day, the more clingy he became at night.

Jay, on the other hand, didn't smother. But he paid attention. He remembered the flavor of non-coffee drink you liked without asking. Always gave you the last bite. Always checked if your charger was plugged in or if you had your meds in your bag. He wouldn't say sweet words often, but it showed in the quietest ways—like warming your side of the bed when you went to shower, or silently making your favorite coffee just the way you liked it without a word.

Though you still lived separately, your things had slowly begun to gather in their apartment—spare clothes folded in their drawers, your skincare beside the sink. Most of your nights ended there, tangled in the sheets of Jay's bed, wrapped between the two of them.

Finals were over. You were technically on break now, waiting for your internship assignments to be announced. It gave you more time with them.

Polyamory still wasn't something you felt fully comfortable sharing publicly. People had opinions. Judgments. And while you weren't ashamed of your relationship, you weren't ready to offer it up for scrutiny either. But Jake and Jay—God, they made sure you never had to feel small or hidden.

If you held Jake's hand in public, Jay held your other. If someone stared too long, Jay would narrow his eyes and Jake would kiss your cheek just to spite them. They protected you from the outside world in quiet ways. And somehow, that made it easier to keep going.

Because every relationship needs communication.

But yours needed more than that.

You were the type of girl who overthought everything. The kind who cried over imaginary scenarios at 2 a.m., the kind who spiraled in her head over a misread emoji. But Jay and Jake had never once made you feel like a third wheel—never once made you question if you were wanted.

If anything, they had a way of anchoring you when your own mind started pulling you under.

Jake was always the first to notice. He'd tilt his head, study your face for a few seconds, and then, without saying a word, climb into your lap, wrap himself around you, and whisper something stupid like, "You look like you're thinking evil thoughts again." And somehow, his playful teasing would melt the anxiety before it could take root.

Jay's approach was different. He didn't ask what was wrong. He'd just pull you to his side, rest your head on his chest, and let his fingers stroke your hair until the noise in your brain dulled to a hum. He wouldn't pry, but if you started to talk, he'd listen. Not interrupt. Not dismiss. Just... listen.

That's how it worked, somehow.

Jake was sunshine, so warm, chaotic, and always moving.

Jay was moonlight, so quiet, steady, and always present.

And you... you were still trying to understand how two people like that had managed to wrap themselves around your life so effortlessly.

It wasn't always easy. Sometimes, you panicked over little things—if they spent too much time alone without you, if they didn't text back fast enough, if Jake seemed too tired or Jay seemed too distant.

But then Jake would crawl into your lap during movie night and demand kisses like a spoiled puppy, or Jay would press a coffee into your hands in the morning and quietly say, "It's been steeped for five minutes. I know you like it stronger," and all the doubt would dissolve.

They never made you ask for love. They just gave it. In ways you were still learning how to receive without guilt.

Sometimes you would lie in bed between them, one of Jake's arms draped across your waist, Jay's fingers brushing the curve of your thigh, and you'd just stare at the ceiling and wonder how the hell this became your life.

How the hell you went from crying alone in your dorm bed, convinced love wasn't something that came easily for girls like you... to waking up between two people who made you feel like the sun never set when you were around.

In your relationship, solo moments with each of them were fine—you'd communicated that early on. Sometimes, it was just you and Jay, or just you and Jake. But what you loved most was when the three of you were together. That's when it felt the most whole. The most right.

Sex was inevitable, of course. Desire had long since stopped being subtle between the three of you. But you preferred it when it was all of you, when they were both there, touching you, watching each other, and you.

You were sprawled across Jay's mattress, your breath catching as you blinked up at the ceiling. Sweat clung to your skin, the aftershocks of your orgasm still tingling through your limbs. Jake lay beside you, flushed and grinning, his chest rising and falling in slow rhythm.

"Huh? We're not going to do another round?" you asked breathlessly, lifting your head as your arm flopped over Jake's chest. "I still have energy..."

Jay, who was already standing by the bed, glanced over his shoulder with a raised brow. "You say that now, but you were shaking ten minutes ago."

"I always shake after!" you countered, voice pitching up into a whine. "I can go again. Please?"

Jay shook his head with an amused exhale, grabbing a towel and returning to the bed. He knelt beside you, gently guiding you to lie on your back. "You got diagnosed with low blood sugar last month, remember?" he murmured, dabbing sweat from your brow. "We're not pushing it. Not tonight."

"But I'm not even that tired," you pouted, reaching out to tug at his wrist as he wiped you down. Your eyes flicked toward Jake, who just burst out laughing.

"She's doing it again," Jake chuckled, brushing your hair back from your face. "Trying to act all bratty after coming twice."

You stuck your tongue out at him, still sulking. "It's not bratty if I mean it. I'm literally telling you what I want."

"Yeah?" Jay leaned down, lips brushing your temple. "Well, I want you to stop being hardheaded."

You huffed. "That's unfair."

In those times, you noticed how Jay and Jake would always bicker over the smallest things. At first, you thought Jay was too mature to even entertain those petty arguments. He always carried himself with such calm, measured detachment. But that image of him shifted entirely the day they started fighting over a Lego set you had randomly bought for fun.

It was supposed to be a relaxing evening, just the three of you lounging around the apartment after dinner. You pulled out the box with a grin, half-joking when you said, "Let's see if we can finish this without throwing hands."  You had no idea you were basically handing them a fuse and a match.

Jake immediately dived into the pieces like an overexcited child, sorting bricks. "We're starting with the base," he declared, laying out the instructions.

"No, we should build the smaller sections first," Jay countered, already pulling pieces aside, ignoring Jake entirely.

"Jay," Jake said slowly, narrowing his eyes, "you always do this. We follow my lead, and the thing turns out perfect."

"Says the guy who made the Millennium Falcon with an upside-down cockpit," Jay replied dryly, not even looking up.

You sat back on the floor, biting your lip to stifle a laugh as they bickered like a married couple over Lego.

Jay's brows were furrowed in intense concentration, silently studying the instruction manual. Meanwhile, Jake grew more animated by the second, gesturing with tiny plastic bricks in his hand.

"That piece doesn't go there," Jay said flatly, not looking up.

Jake scoffed. "It's a spaceship. We can be creative."

"This isn't abstract expressionism, it's an architectural set. You can't just freestyle a spaceship onto a French café."

"It's called innovation," Jake replied, sticking the rogue brick in anyway with a triumphant grin.

You sipped your drink, amused, watching the war unfold.

But it didn't end with Lego. No, their domestic chaos knew no bounds.

Take cooking, for example.

It always started with innocent intentions—"Let's cook dinner together," Jake would chirp, and you'd foolishly think it was a good idea.

Until Jay started cutting the vegetables.

"You're cutting it wrong," Jake muttered one time, hovering behind him.

Jay paused, knife halfway through a carrot. "There's a wrong way to cut something into cubes?"

"Yeah," Jake said, grabbing another knife. "You're not respecting the angles. Look—like this."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "It's dinner,"

You tried to offer a diplomatic smile as both of them now had knives and were demonstrating their cutting styles with increasing passive-aggression. Jake's "angles" turned into tiny artistic cubes. Jay's "efficiency" turned into thick slices. And somehow, in the end, you were the one cleaning up carrot peels from the floor while both of them stood back, arms crossed, debating culinary theory.

They fought like cats in a paper bag over the most ridiculous things but it was all in good fun. It never lasted. The bickering always ended with Jay rolling his eyes, Jake kissing his cheek with an exaggerated mwah, and you sandwiched between the two of them, watching it all.

You loved it. You loved the chaos, the noise, the warmth of it all. And maybe, you thought, that's what love looked like for the three of you.

A little loud. A little messy. And just right.

Well, in every relationship, there comes a time when a little space becomes necessary. A moment to breathe, to realize that even when you move as a unit, sometimes individual paths need to unfold.

You hadn't realized how tightly the three of you had wound yourselves together, how naturally it had become "we" instead of "I" until now.

"You're not going to continue the internship?" you asked, blinking in surprise, staring at Jake.

Jake adjusted his glasses nervously, avoiding your gaze. You turned toward Jay, who stood silently halfway up the stairs, one hand braced on the railing. He met your gaze with a resigned shrug, as if he didn't have the right words either.

"You passed the exam," you said gently, trying to piece it together. "Jay's the only one assigned to a different clinic. Why, baby? Is something bothering you?"

Jake exhaled a long breath, his shoulders drooping. Without a word, he plopped onto the sofa, his lips pressing into a tight pout. Behind his glasses, you saw the familiar shimmer of tears. He was trying to keep it together, but his emotions betrayed him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, voice cracking at the edges.

Your heart clenched painfully. You quickly sat down next to him, your hand instinctively reaching for his.

"Fifteen to twenty hours per week," you said softly, squeezing his hand. "We can do that. Are you... are you getting anxious again?"

You knew Jake's history with his own self-doubt, how sometimes he spiraled into believing he wasn't good enough no matter what he did. How the pressure to "keep up" gnawed at him until he felt hollow.

He hesitated for a long moment before finally speaking. "I don't think I like Psychology anymore," he admitted, his voice so small it barely made it to your ears.

"But Jake, it's only one year left—" The words stumbled out automatically, and the moment they left your mouth, you wished you could snatch them back.

Jake's face crumpled slightly, and you mentally slapped yourself. God, stupid. He doesn't need pressure. He needs understanding.

You exhaled shakily, leaning your forehead against his shoulder. "I'm sorry," you whispered. "I didn't mean that. You're allowed to change your mind. You're allowed to choose what's right for you."

Jay came down the stairs slowly, sitting on Jake's other side without a word. Jake sniffled, rubbing the sleeve of his hoodie against his nose. "I just feel like... like I'm failing," he mumbled.

"You're not failing," Jay said. "You're just being honest with yourself. That's a hell of a lot braver than forcing yourself to stay somewhere you don't belong."

You nodded against Jake's shoulder, feeling the truth of Jay's words settle deep in your chest.

Jake hiccupped a little laugh through his tears, shaking his head. His hands twisted nervously in the hem of his hoodie, and you hated the way he looked so small in that moment, like a boy trying too hard to be okay.

"I'm sorry," Jake whispered, his voice breaking again. "I know we planned everything. We talked about graduating together. About celebrating at the beach after..." His words trailed off, his eyes glossing over with more tears that slipped freely down his cheeks.

Without thinking, you reached up, adjusting his glasses with careful fingers, brushing the tears from his face. Your thumb swiped under his eyes gently.

"We can still do that," you said firmly, giving him the softest smile. "Graduation. The beach. All of it. Nothing has to change just because your path does."

Jake blinked at you, as if the possibility of still being loved, still being included, hadn't even crossed his mind. "You're not leaving us behind," you added, a little choked up yourself. "We're still doing everything, together. Always."

Jake let out a shaky breath, finally tipping forward, burying his face into the crook of your neck. His arms came around you tightly. Jay shifted closer, one large hand resting between Jake's shoulder blades, his other hand found yours where it rested against Jake's back, linking your fingers together.

You closed your eyes for a moment, overwhelmed by the swell in your chest. "I love you," you whispered, so quietly you weren't sure at first if they heard it.

Jake pulled back instantly, his eyes wide and stunned, still glistening with tears that clung stubbornly to his lashes.

"D-Did you just say you love me?!" he burst out, his voice wobbling, a new kind of shine lighting up his whole face.

You blinked at him, your own tears slipping down freely now. "Why?" you sniffed, wiping your nose clumsily. "Did I never say those words before?"

Jake immediately turned his head toward Jay, still clutching your hand, his whole body practically vibrating with emotion. "No! She never said it! Right, babe?"

Jay, who usually kept his emotions tucked neatly behind a cool exterior, looked just as rattled. He gave a small, stunned nod, his lips parting like he couldn't believe it either.

"Say it again!" Jake begged, bouncing a little in place. You laughed through your tears, your heart swelling, cracking wide open as you threw your arms around both of them.

"I love you!" you shouted, your voice ringing out.

Jake made a choked sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh, tackling you backward onto the couch, peppering kisses all over your cheeks, forehead, anywhere he could reach.

Jay leaned over you both, quieter but smiling that rare, soft smile you loved so much. He cupped your jaw, tilting your face up to meet his gaze.

"I love you too," he murmured, his thumb brushing tenderly across your cheek. "Both of you."

You had gotten so used to the three of you moving along the same path—same direction, same goals—that it almost felt foreign now to see it change.

But love wasn't about charging toward the same finish line at the same speed. It wasn't a race. It was about adjusting your pace, slowing down when someone needed more time, waiting without resentment, walking forward together even when the road split for a while.

And that was okay.

"So, he's planning on taking Physics now?" Sunoo mumbled around a mouthful of sandwich, crumbs spilling onto his sleeve as you walked together across the campus avenue, the late afternoon sun dipping low behind the buildings.

"Technically, he's not exactly back to being a first-year," Wonyoung pointed out, sipping on her milk tea as she balanced her phone in her other hand. "Most of his minor subjects are credited. He just has to take the major ones now."

"Irregular student life," Sunghoon grumbled beside Sunoo, gnawing on his chicken skewer. He squinted up at the sky like the very thought of coursework exhausted him. "He'll do fine though. He looks like the quiet, hardworking type."

Sunoo turned his head with a dramatic blink. "Silent? Who are you even talking about?"

"Jake? One of her boyfriends," Sunghoon said casually, waving his skewer toward you. "The one with the birthmark on his neck?"

You opened your mouth to correct him but Sunoo beat you to it, rolling his eyes so hard. "That's Jay, dumbass. Jake's the one who won't shut up about fucking Pokémon."

Wonyoung snorted into her drink, while you just laughed. They were teasing, sure. But there was something grounding about it, too. Like your relationship, no matter how unconventional, It was accepted without any weirdness among your closest friends.

Maybe that's what love looked like too. Not just inside the relationship, but outside of it—the way it wove itself into the spaces between you and the people you cared about.

You exhaled, a small, breathless laugh escaping you. "Sigh, I can't believe we're graduating," you said, shifting the strap higher on your shoulder as the four of you—Sunoo, Wonyoung, Sunghoon, and you—strolled toward the parking lot.

"I can't believe I survived without strangling a professor," Sunoo deadpanned, earning a chuckle from Wonyoung.

It was surreal. You still remembered crying in a ramen aisle. That version of you felt so far away now, like someone else entirely. Not because things were magically easy, but because you'd made it through, with them.

Time passed. Like it always does. Jay and you dove into your internships, different clinics, and long hours. Meanwhile, Jake transferred universities and somehow made himself busier, picking up part-time hours at a convenience store near campus, despite not needing the money.

"For experience," he'd said with a casual shrug when you asked. Then ruffled your hair and kissed your forehead before slipping out the door.

On a rainy Wednesday, you found yourself in Jay's apartment, the air filled with the scent of steak that he cooked and the faint hum of your laptop fan. You were standing behind him, your thumbs digging into his shoulders as he sat at the edge of the bed, posture slouched, brows drawn tight in pure exhaustion.

"Where are you even assigned?" you asked with your voice soft. "You look like you've been carrying the entire hospital on your back."

Jay groaned low in his throat as you hit a particularly stiff knot. His eyes fluttered closed, and he tilted his head slightly to the side. "Intake assessments and psych evaluations," he muttered. "A couple of the psychologists are already hinting they want me on the team."

You raised a brow, intrigued. "So... master's track?"

He tilted his chin up just enough to meet your gaze. "I don't know," he admitted. "Honestly? I only took psychology in the first place because I wanted to follow Jake. I never really had a plan past that."

Your hands slowed, thumbs stilling on his skin as you searched for the right words. Vulnerability wasn't something Jay handed out freely and it made this moment feel heavier, more fragile.

"You don't have to decide now," you said softly, stepping closer so your chest touched his back. "Let's just take the licensure exam together first. You can figure the rest out after."

Jay didn't say anything at first, but his hand reached up to find yours, his fingers lacing through yours in a quiet thank you. It was one of those moments where everything felt deeper than words.

You rested your cheek against his shoulder, wrapping your arms fully around him in a warm back hug. "It's been a while since we let ourselves just rest," you whispered, nuzzling gently into the curve of his neck. "Let's take it slow today."

Jay hummed in agreement, leaning into your touch. "We can go shopping tomorrow," he said after a beat. "Jake doesn't have class, and I noticed your skincare stash is pretty much empty."

You smiled against his skin, the corners of your mouth lifting. "I still have a few things left at the dorm."

"But not the good stuff," he teased, and you could hear the soft smile in his voice.

The next few months followed the same rhythm—routine, steady, exhausting. Your days blurred together in a cycle of early mornings and late shifts, and while your body pushed forward, it was starting to show the weight of everything. The kind of tired that sleep couldn't fix began to settle into your bones.

But at the end of every long day, there they were.

Jake stood at the edge of the sidewalk in his uniform, his name tag slightly crooked, his smile brighter than the streetlights flickering on around him. Jay leaned beside him in his white clinical coat.

Jake spotted you first, as always, and waved with both hands like he hadn't seen you in years.

And just like that, the heavy tiredness cracked open.

You smiled without even realizing it, quickening your pace as you crossed the street. Your bag slipped from your shoulder as your arms went around both of their necks, pulling them in close. You stood on your tiptoes, pressing your face into the space between their shoulders, breathing them in—Jake's warm scent of citrus and soap, Jay's subtle cologne and hospital linen.

Their arms wrapped around you instantly. You felt Jake press a kiss into your hair, heard Jay sigh softly as he pulled you in tighter.

"I missed you," Jake whispered, like he hadn't already texted you seventeen times that day.

You loved them. With every piece of your heart.

And finally. After everything, the sleepless nights, the breakdowns, the internships, and all the moments you wanted to quit—you stood here.

Your hair had grown down to your neck again, long enough for Sunoo to curl it into loose mermaid waves that bounced as you moved. You adjusted your toga, smoothing the fabric over your shoulders, and reapplied a layer of lip gloss while the ceremony rolled on in the background.

You glanced over your shoulder, eyes scanning the rows until they landed on him.

Jay was seated a few rows behind you, already in his cap and gown, his posture perfect as always. But when he noticed you looking, his expression softened. A small smile tugged at his lips, and he gave you a gentle wave. You couldn't help but grin back, lifting your hand to blow him a subtle, playful kiss. His ears turned pink almost instantly.

It still didn't feel real—graduation. But the weight of the cap on your head, the neat fold of the sash across your chest, and the buzzing excitement in the air around you made it sink in slowly. You did it. All of you did.

You'd earned Latin honors, your name printed in gold in the program. And Jay, unsurprisingly graduated as Magna Cum Laude, plus extra recognition for his work with a mental health advocacy organization.

The moment his name was called, the crowd burst into polite applause but that was completely drowned out by a very loud, very familiar voice near the back.

"THAT'S MY BOYFRIEND!!" Jake yelled, hands cupped around his mouth. Several heads turned. You laughed as you lifted your phone to capture the moment, zooming in to record Jay's furrowed brows and flushed ears as he made his way across the stage with practiced composure, pretending not to hear Jake's scream.

When the ceremony ended, you barely made it a few feet outside the venue before you were tackled into a tight, warm hug.

"Congrats, my lovers!!!" Jake beamed, pulling both you and Jay into his arms. He squeezed tightly before finally pulling back and grinning from ear to ear.

"Tadaaa!" he sang, revealing a bouquet in each hand—peonies and sunflowers for you, and a crisp arrangement of white roses and eucalyptus for Jay.

Jay shook his head with a small laugh, eyes fond as he accepted the flowers. You blinked against the sting of happy tears, clutching yours to your chest.

"Thank you, I love you," you sobbed, planting a loud kiss on his cheek.

"I love you more," he whined, hugging you back and forth.

"Sunoo! Take a picture of us!" Jake shouted, still hugging you.

A few steps ahead, Sunoo didn't even turn around—his face crumpled with exasperation as he raised a middle finger in your direction. Jake was still clinging to you, and Jay was trying to untangle himself from the three-way hug without knocking anyone over.

"Sunoo, please!" you called between giggles, clutching your bouquet in one hand and trying to shove Jake off with the other. "Come on, just one picture!"

Sunoo finally turned around, his expression the perfect blend of annoyance and affection. "You're all disgusting," he muttered, but he was already pulling his phone from his pocket, lining up the shot.

"Okay! Say 'I wasted my youth on a degree I'll never use!'"

You laughed and tugged Jake into the middle. Jay slid an arm around Jake's shoulder while you leaned in from the other side, flashing a peace sign and pouting your lips just in time for the shutter.

For the next pose, Jake was the one to yank you into the center. You wrapped your arms around both of them, grinning at the camera. Right as the second flash went off, they leaned in at the same time, planting kisses on both of your cheeks.

Sunoo made a dramatic gagging noise behind the camera, but you were too caught off guard to react—until a wide smile broke across your face. You lifted your hands, cupping their jaws gently, holding them there as if to say: stay. Stay in this moment.

Just like they'd plan for your upcoming anniversary, Jay and Jake had organized a trip to the beach.

And, of course, Sunoo was coming too.

"Bitch, I am not going to sit with you," Sunoo scoffed, rolling his eyes as he hauled his tote bag into the car.

"Well, Jay's driving, and I'm more of a backseat guy anyway," Jake said with a lazy grin, already adjusting his neck pillow. "If you want the front so bad, go ahead."

"No way, dude!" Sunoo scrunched his nose, then reached forward to tug your hair playfully as you buckled yourself into the passenger seat.

"Please, sit beside me!" he whined dramatically.

Jay leaned over to adjust your seatbelt, giving it a final click before gently brushing his fingers over your shoulder. You tilted your head to glance at the two of them in the backseat.

"It's only a three-hour drive," you said gently. "You'll survive."

Sunoo leaned back in the seat with a sigh, arms crossed, his face scrunched up. "Three hours in a moving tin can with him?" he muttered, jabbing a thumb toward Jake. "Barely."

Jay started the engine with a quiet sigh, already bracing himself. The soft murmur of the playlist filled the car as you pulled onto the open road, the city gradually melting into stretches of sun-washed highway and scattered trees.

For a few blissful minutes, the car was calm. Then, predictably, Jake opened his mouth.

"So," he began, sitting up a little straighter. "Did you guys know that if you accelerate fast enough, time literally moves slower for you? Like, time dilation."

You looked over your shoulder with raised brows. "Here we go."

"No, no—listen! Think about it. If Jay drives fast enough, like, close to the speed of light fast—then technically this three-hour trip would feel way shorter for him than for us."

"Except we'd all be dead because we'd vaporize before hitting Mach 1," Sunoo muttered under his breath, pulling his hoodie up over his head. "God, why are you like this?"

"But just imagine," Jake went on, eyes sparkling. "If we had a car that could do that. Like, space road trips. Time gets all wibbly. Three hours for us could be ten years for someone else. We could be out here vibing to music and come back to Earth and everything's changed."

Jay stared forward in silence, his grip on the wheel tightening fractionally.

"Jake," he said, voice low. "Please stop talking about bending time while I'm trying to figure out which exit to take."

You bit your lip, trying not to laugh. "Is this your subtle way of saying we should be grateful Jay drives us through time and space at a safe 90 kilometers an hour?"

"Exactly!" Jake said brightly. "He's basically our chauffeur and a physics miracle."

Jay let out a long, slow exhale. "If I start accelerating at light speed, it's going to be straight into a wall."

Jake gasped. "That's momentum, babe."

Sunoo groaned louder this time, slapping a hand over his face.

When the three of you finally arrived at the beachside hotel, the sun was already dipping low on the horizon, casting streaks of amber and rose across the ocean.

You'd booked a one-room suite that came with a connected layout—two separate bedrooms, one shared living space, and a wide balcony overlooking the waves.

Without hesitation, you decided to bunk with Sunoo. After all, you were the one who insisted he come along in the first place. You didn't want him feeling like a fourth wheel. Jake had whined dramatically when you made the decision, slumping onto the couch with his arms flung over his face.

But the moment Sunoo turned to glare at him, Jake shut up immediately.

"Wow," Sunoo gasped as he threw his overnight bag onto the nearest bed. "How much did you spend on this? This is fucking luxurious!"

He flopped down like a satisfied cat, legs in the air, starfish-style, bouncing on the mattress.

You dropped your backpack near the dresser and laughed. "I don't know. I tried to give Jay money for it, but he just told me not to worry about it. Said he'd take care of everything."

Sunoo sat up, his expression half-impressed, half-scandalized. "I know he's rich—but this rich?"

You walked over to the vanity and opened one of the drawers, expecting it to be empty. It wasn't. It was stocked with complimentary skincare in glass jars that looked expensive. You didn't even recognize the brand.

"Yeah," you muttered with a shake of your head. "He's always been kind of... low-key about it."

And it was true. Jay never talked much about money, or his family, or what exactly his parents did. You knew it was something in finance, he'd mentioned it in passing once, but never with any detail. Not that you pried. That wasn't really your thing, and he always had this quiet way of changing the subject that made it clear there were lines he didn't want to cross.

You'd only met his father twice. Once at some formal dinner event where you weren't even introduced as his girlfriend—just as Jay's "close friend," which, at the time, didn't bother you as much as it probably should have. The second time had been more casual, a short visit when his father was in town.

You knew Jake's family ran a business too—something equally stable, equally well-off. Money had never been a problem for either of them. You'd met Jake's mother once, and she'd been warm and lively, like him.  His older brother, you'd spoken with more than a few times—he went to the same university as you, and was easy to talk to, open in a way that made Jake's background feel a little less distant.

You opened the sliding door to the balcony, just to breathe in the sea air. Below, people were still wandering the shoreline, some with towels slung over their shoulders, others in flip-flops with dripping ice cream cones.

You leaned your forearms on the railing and exhaled, breathing deep, your thoughts drifted somewhere you usually avoided: your family.

You trusted them. They weren't conservative. Not in a way that would ever make you feel unsafe. But still... you couldn't help but wonder how it would go. Really go.

Introducing Jay and Jake as both of your boyfriend? Something about that still made your stomach twist, not because it felt wrong, but because it was different. Not a lie. Just not the kind of story your parents would expect to hear over dinner.

You imagined it. Sitting across the table. Your mom would probably ask how school was, then what Jay was majoring in, then what Jake was doing after graduation. Then maybe, when the moment came, you'd say it—"they're both my boyfriends."

You winced at the thought, fingers tightening slightly on the railing. It wasn't shame, it wasn't even fear, not really. It was that strange vulnerability, the kind that comes when you love something so much, you're terrified to watch someone else misunderstand it.

You closed your eyes for a moment, letting the wind thread through your hair. Maybe not now. Maybe not yet. But eventually, you'd have to tell them. Eventually, you'd have to share this part of your world.

"Hey."

Your eyes fluttered open at the familiar voice. You turned your head to find Jay standing just inside the doorway, backlit by the warm light of the room. Behind him, you caught a glimpse of Jake barging in, already diving onto the bed with zero regard for personal space, promptly tugging at Sunoo's legs and earning a dramatic scream in return.

You smiled, the kind that bloomed slow and soft, turning back toward the sea. "Hey," you echoed.

You felt Jay step closer, then, warm arms circled your waist from behind. His chin came to rest lightly on top of your head, and you leaned back into his chest without thinking

"Are you okay?" he murmured, soft enough for just you to hear. "Do you like it?"

"Of course," you said with a small laugh, tilting your head slightly to brush against him. "I love it, Jay. Thank you."

His nose nudging gently into your hair before his lips pressed the lightest kiss to your temple. The kind that made everything pause for just a second. The kind that left your heart fluttering.

Even now—after a year of being with them—this feeling hadn't faded.

That sweet, silly rush in your stomach. It was all still there. Still new, still dizzying in the best way.

Jay held you a little closer, his thumbs stroking slow circles against your sides. Behind you, Jake's cackling echoed through the room as Sunoo threatened to throw him off the balcony.

A minute later, Jake came barreling out onto the balcony, full of loud energy and bright eyes. Without warning, he wrapped you in a rough, bouncing hug and started peppering kisses all over your face—forehead, cheek, nose, chin, each one louder and messier than the last.

You squealed in protest through your laughter, half-heartedly trying to push him away, but Jake only grinned wider. Jay let out a small chuckle and pulled him in too, arms closing around both of you. He kissed the top of Jake's head, then yours. And just barely, beneath the breath of the breeze and the rustle of waves below, you heard him whisper:

"I love you. Both of you."

Since the sun was already beginning its slow descent, the four of you decided to wander the local beach town and hunt down some fresh seafood. It should've been easy, but nothing ever was when it came to your group.

It was, well—how would you describe it? Chaotic. Definitely chaotic.

Because somehow, none of you knew how to properly eat lobster. Except Jay. Of course Jay did. He sat there effortlessly cracking shells and separating the meat for the three of you. Meanwhile, Jake had nearly launched half his shrimp into Sunoo's lap.

By the end of the night, your table was covered in seafood scraps, crumpled napkins, and three different sauces spilled onto your pants. You wouldn't have changed a thing.

The next morning arrived, you'd planned this day from the start—beach time.

Down by the shore, the sun was still soft in the sky, the sand warm beneath bare feet. Sunoo and Jake were already out on a big inflatable air bed, lazily drifting in the shallows, drinks in hand and sunglasses slightly too big for their faces.

Jay had volunteered to stay on the beach, a towel draped over his lap, focused on a portable grill he'd set up in the shade of a beach umbrella. He was flipping skewers of marinated meat and pineapple slices.

You had your body half in the water, arms hooked over the edge of the air bed, letting yourself float lazily beside it. The sun warmed your back, and you listened with half a smile to the conversation between the two clowns above you.

"I still don't understand how you can't swim," Sunoo said, voice shaded with judgment.

"I can swim," Jake replied. "I just... choose not to, for safety reasons."

"You panic the moment your feet don't touch sand!"

"Which is a valid fear, Sunoo! Ever heard of deep sea creatures?"

You rolled your eyes fondly and, with a quiet grin, began gently pushing the air bed farther out from the shore with your arms. Inch by inch. They didn't notice at first.

"H-Huh? Where are you taking us?!" Sunoo suddenly sat up, eyes darting to the now noticeably deeper blue beneath him. "I can't see clear water anymore!"

Jake peeked over the edge, alarm rising in his voice. "H-Hey! T-This isn't funny!"

You couldn't help but laugh, water sloshing against your shoulders. "Relax, we're still like twenty feet from the shore."

"Twenty feet too many!" Sunoo snapped. "Turn this raft around or I'm throwing Jake into the sea and sacrificing him to Poseidon."

"Excuse me?!" Jake gasped. "We made friendship bracelets yesterday!"

"I've already cut mine off," Sunoo declared with no hesitation.

You snorted, pulling the float gently back toward the beach as Jake and Sunoo continued bickering above you.

The rest of the day passed in a soft, golden blur. Jake and Sunoo spent most of it constructing a ridiculous, over-the-top sandcastle complete with seashell gates and a moat that kept getting trampled by passing kids. You stuck close to Jay, helping him with the food, handing him skewers and snacks while sneaking bites every time he wasn't looking.

Since Jake and Sunoo both flat-out refused to venture into deeper water, you and Jay decided to try something a little more thrilling: the banana boat.

Your heart pounded with excitement as you slathered sunscreen across Jay's back, he stood still beneath your touch. You gave his shoulder a playful squeeze before pulling your hands away and practically bouncing toward the dock, already grinning.

Clad in your two-piece swimsuit and secured in a bright life jacket, you tugged off your beach shorts and tossed them into the pile of bags before climbing onto the giant inflatable banana, you gripped the side handles for balance.

Jay climbed on right behind you. You felt the boat shift under his weight as he settled into place and then, as expected, his arms slipped around your waist, tugging you flush against him.

You turned your head just enough to catch his face over your shoulder, raising a brow. "Hey," you said, teasing. "Your hands should be on the boat, not on me."

Jay gave you that infuriatingly soft, crooked grin of his. "They'll get there," he murmured, but his hands lingered a second longer—fingers trailing gently along your ribs, dangerously close to your chest—before finally letting go and grabbing the side handles.

You gave a dramatic sigh, rolling your eyes, but you couldn't stop the smile that tugged at your lips.

The instructor gave a thumbs-up from the front, and moments later, the speedboat roared to life, tugging the banana boat forward in a sudden burst. You shrieked with laughter as the inflatable jerked forward, bouncing across the waves like a bucking bronco.

Salt spray hit your face. The wind whipped past your ears. Behind you, Jay's laughter rang out, arms tightening around your waist every time you caught air.

The boat twisted, turned sharply, and for a moment you were sure you'd fly off. But Jay held on, and you did too, screaming and laughing.

By the time it slowed, you were breathless, soaked to the bone, and still grinning like a fool. You turned slightly, cheeks flushed, and met Jay's gaze. His hair was plastered to his forehead, and his eyes were shining.

"I want to go again," he said, already leaning in to kiss your cheek.

You smacked him lightly on the arm. "Hands on the boat, remember?"

He just laughed.

Later that evening, with dinner long over and the sky outside dark, you ended up sprawled in the other room with Jake, watching a random thriller movie on TV.

Jake's head rested comfortably on your chest, his arms lazily wrapped around your waist. Your fingers combed idly through his hair as your eyes stayed fixed on the screen.

"The fuck?! So he's the killer all along?!" Jake sat up a little, his voice loud.

You barely bit back a laugh, already expecting the outburst. "It was all in his head," you said calmly, brushing a stray strand of hair away from his face. "He's addicted to propofol. It's one of those unreliable narrator things."

Jake groaned like the world betrayed him. "This movie is a scam. We wasted two hours for a hallucination ending?"

"You watched it on hotel cable," you pointed out.

But Jake didn't respond. A few minutes later, you realized his breathing had evened out, and soft snores were puffing against your shirt. You looked down to find him completely passed out, you smiled softly.

The bathroom door clicked open, and Jay stepped out, hair damp and towel slung over his shoulder. He paused at the doorway, eyes softening when he saw the scene on the bed. Then he crossed the room, leaned over, and pressed a kiss to your lips.

"I think I need to join Sunoo," you whispered, careful not to disturb the sleeping Jake.

Jay's hand slipped around your waist as he climbed into bed beside you. "Can you stay a little longer?" he murmured, pulling you close without even shifting Jake.

You chuckled, forehead resting briefly against his. "I'm already tired. Why? You're acting needy today, hmm?"

He smiled faintly, shaking his head, and leaned in to kiss your neck. His lips traced a path up toward your jaw, each kiss a little more lingering than the last.

"Not needy," he said softly. "Just... wanting to hold you both a little longer."

Eventually, after a long minute of coaxing and playful protest, Jay finally let you go but not before you caught the way his gaze lingered as you slipped out the door, like he was already thinking about pulling you right back in. Jay was usually calm, it was Jake who would've actually pouted and clung to your arm if denied his nightly cuddles.

You quietly padded across the hall and slipped into the other room. Sunoo was already passed out on the bed, one leg kicked free from the blanket, a silky eye mask perfectly in place despite his softly parted lips and gentle snores.

With a quiet sigh, you crawled into bed next to him and let the weight of the day sink into the mattress. The room was cool and quiet, and eventually, your eyes fluttered shut.

But somewhere in the blur between dreams and the gentle pull of sleep, you felt the bed shift behind you.

An arm slid around your waist, pulling you gently back against a solid chest.

You hummed softly, eyes still half-lidded as you turned your head slightly, blinking against the dim glow from the room.

"Jay?" you whispered, voice scratchy with sleep.

Jay pressed closer, nuzzling into the curve of your neck. His hand drifted over your waist and down to your stomach, fingers brushing the hem of your shirt before slipping underneath.

"What's wrong?" you murmured, trying to sound stern, but your voice was too soft. You risked a glance toward Sunoo, still blissfully asleep and completely unaware. Then your gaze returned to Jay, whose lips now grazed your shoulder.

"Nothing," he said quietly.

But his hand told a different story. It moved slowly beneath your shirt, calloused fingertips gliding across the bare skin of your stomach, tracing idle shapes.

You exhaled a quiet breath, lips parting slightly. "Jay..." you warned.

"Sorry," he murmured, but the apology was quickly eclipsed by the press of his lips to your neck. His mouth moved, grazing the sensitive skin just below your ear. Then his hand shifted upward. You sucked in a quiet gasp when his palm brushed over your breast, fingers curling to cup it gently.

"Jay, s-stop," you whispered again, glancing anxiously toward Sunoo. He had turned in his sleep, now facing away, the soft rise and fall of his breathing steady and undisturbed.

Jay's hand didn't still. "I miss you," he breathed, thumb teasing over your nipple in a slow, deliberate flick that made your back subtly arch against him. His other hand tightened around your waist, pulling you closer until you could feel him pressed against you, the firm outline in his sweatpants grinding lightly against your hips.

"It's been so long," he murmured.

And it had. Between the internships, late-night assignments, and Jake's nonstop academic grind, the three of you had barely touched each other in weeks.

But you hadn't expected Jay to be the one like this tonight. He was always the composed one, the patient one. Jake was usually the one who gave in first, always craving touch, always clinging. Jay had control.

Usually.

"Jay, wait..." you whispered, your voice a rushed hush as you felt his other hand slipping lower, beneath the waistband of your shorts. His fingers moved slow, grazing over your folds, teasing the delicate skin. A low breath escaped him the moment he felt how wet you already were.

You swallowed, pulse quickening.

"I've been so horny all day thinking 'bout you," he whispered. That quiet, whiny edge in his tone made your core clench instinctively

Maybe it was the softness of his voice, or the fact that it was Jay who is usually so composed, now whispering filthy truths into your ear.

His fingers traced the seam of your labia, before one slowly pushed inside. You whimpered at the stretch, your walls clenching around him as your body instinctively responded. Despite the risky position, your legs parted a little wider under the sheets, silently begging for more.

"Please," he whispered, voice tinged with that desperate, breathy edge that made your heart race.

You tilted your head, meeting his mouth with yours, pressing your lips to his. He moaned against you, his mouth parting eagerly to deepen the kiss. His tongue slid past your lips matching the rhythm of his finger as it began to move—slowly thrusting in and out, curling just enough to make you shiver.

The kiss grew messier as his hand worked between your thighs. Your breaths tangled. Every quiet sound you made, he swallowed with his mouth.

Jay pressed closer against your back, his body molding to yours, breath hot against your cheek. Then he broke the kiss, slowly pulling his finger from your core, his eyes locked on yours the entire time. You whimpered when you saw him bring it to his lips, slipping it into his mouth.

He exhaled, clearly it wasn't enough. Then, without a word, he sat up and carefully lifted you into his arms.

You instinctively wrapped your arms around his neck, legs curling slightly as he carried you out of the room.

By the time he stepped into the other room, Jake was still sound asleep—sprawled out, one arm flung across the pillow.

Jay laid you down gently on the bed, his hands lingering on your sides. "Been thinking about eating this pussy ever since you wore that damn swimsuit," he whispered.

Before you could reply, he was already tugging your shorts down, exposing the heat between your thighs. The rush of cool air on your skin made your back arch, a soft gasp slipping from your lips.

"I think we're gonna wake Jake up," you whispered, voice breathless.

Jay was already on his knees. He hooked your legs over his shoulders, fingers curling around your thighs to keep them parted. Slowly, he leaned in and licked a long, slow stripe up your folds.

Your hips jerked at the contact, a moan slipping from your mouth. You reached down, fingers sinking into his hair, holding on as he buried himself deeper between your legs.

"Missed eating this pretty pussy," Jay groaned into you, he tilted his head slightly, adjusting the angle as he dragged his tongue in slow circles, then pushed it inside, the wet heat of it driving you mad.

You clung to him, biting your lip hard to stifle the sounds threatening to escape, but it was getting harder—impossible, even. Your body trembled beneath his mouth, hips shifting uncontrollably as Jay devoured you without pause.

He alternated between slow, languid licks and deep, greedy sucks, lapping up every bit of your arousal, then going back to swirling his tongue.

You tried to stay still, but it was too much. You couldn't stop moving, hips jerking. Every time you gasped, every time your legs twitched, Jay just held on tighter.

At your side, Jake stirred slightly in his sleep, mumbling something incoherent as he shifted. You froze for a beat, heart pounding then another sharp flick of Jay's tongue made your hips buck again.

"I'm cumming," you breathed out in a desperate whisper, thighs shaking. Your hands gripped the sheets as your hips tried to rise off the bed, but Jay only pressed you down harder, his palms firm on your waist, pinning you in place as he buried his face deeper into your cunt.

"Jay—Jay, I'm cumming, I'm cumming—" you sobbed, unable to stop the way your body trembled violently beneath him. He groaned at your words, grinding his nose against your clit, tongue plunging and swirling until the pressure snapped all at once.

Your back arched, eyes rolling back as your orgasm surged through you. The scream that left your lips was silent, lost somewhere in your chest, trapped between needing release and needing to stay quiet.

Jay didn't stop. Even as your thighs trembled and your whole body clenched around the pleasure, he kept licking, drinking you in, chasing every last drop while your limbs went slack around him.

"J-Jay... stop," you whimpered, voice cracking from the overstimulation. "Stop for a minute, p-please..."

You could barely breathe. The pleasure had gone white-hot, your body sensitive, twitching with every flick of his tongue.

Finally, he slowed. His mouth softened, his tongue easing into gentle strokes until he stilled completely.

He pressed one last kiss to your inner thigh before rising slowly, crawling up your body. His hands pushed your shirt up to your collarbone, and his lips followed, kissing along your stomach, trailing upward until he reached your chest.

He caught your nipple between his lips, tongue flicking softly as he sucked. Your fingers tangled weakly in his hair, still dazed.

Then his mouth moved higher, brushing along your collarbone, up the line of your throat, until he finally captured your lips.

You taste yourself while kissing him, tongue desparately shoving down to yours, only adding to the intensity as his tongue moved with yours.

Without breaking the kiss, he shifted your position, gently guiding you onto your side. Now spooning you from behind, he pressed flush against you, the heat of him seeping into your skin as his thigh tucked between yours.

You glanced at Jake who was still fast asleep.

Jay exhaled against your neck, then reached down with one hand to push his sweatpants just low enough to free himself. You felt him, hot and hard, nudging against your backside. A shiver ran through you as his hand slid along your inner thigh, coaxing it forward, lifting just enough to open you to him. You instinctively pressed your hips back, the thick weight of his cock nestling against your folds.

"Jay," you breathed, tilting your head. Your foreheads touched, noses brushing as his hand slid up to cup your breast, thumb brushing over your nipple in slow, teasing circles.

"Keep your eyes on me, baby," he whispered. Your lashes fluttered as he ground his cock slowly against your center, dragging it along your slit without entering.

"We're gonna wake Jake up," you repeated, forehead still pressed to his, breath mingling.

Jay just smiled, the curve of his lips brushing your cheek as he whispered back, "It's okay... he can join anyway."

Before you could respond, his hips shifted and the thick head of his cock pressed into your entrance. Your mouth fell open, a gasp escaping as he filled you in one smooth, unhurried thrust. The stretch was full. You dug your nails into his forearm where it wrapped around your waist

He kissed you again, catching your breath with his mouth as he began to move, slow at first, each roll of his hips drawing a quiet moan from your throat. His hand never left your breast, kneading gently, thumb circling and flicking your sensitive peak in rhythm with his thrusts.

You broke the kiss, eyes half-lidded, both of you breathing heavily now, sharing the same air, bodies locked together as his pace gradually built.

He pulled out until only his tip remained, then pushed back in harder, hips snapping forward with more pressure.

"Ahhh!"

"Wanna go rough," he muttered against your neck. His eyes fluttered shut for a second, his grip tightening. "Can I? You'd like that, right, baby? Right?"

You nodded, unable to form words.

A low, needy moan left his throat as he picked up the pace, his thrusts turns faster and deeper. The soft mattress bounced beneath you with every movement, muffling the sound but not the intensity. You gripped the sheets, trying to stay quiet, but the way he filled you, the way his cock dragged perfectly along every inch of your walls—it was too much.

"Fuck," he groaned, burying his face in your shoulder.

"Jaaay..." you gasped out his name, drawing it long and needy as pleasure pulsed through you.

His grip on your thigh shifted, releasing only to find your hand, fingers lacing with yours as he gently pushed your upper body forward, angling your hips just right. You followed without resistance, the motion letting him reach even deeper.

Then he hit it—that spot—and your mouth fell open in a silent cry.

Your eyes fluttered shut, lip caught between your teeth as your body clenched around him. You could hear the sharp breath he sucked in behind you, the tremble in his exhale as you tightened.

He was getting close. You could feel it in the way his rhythm faltered for a second.

"Good, baby?" he whispered against your ear, that soft, breathy tone he only used when he was holding back.

You smiled through another moan, the sound catching in your throat as you tilted your head slightly to find his lips. The kiss was short, a sweet, heated peck that melted into a soft whimper as he thrust into you again.

"Yes," you breathed, barely able to get the words out. "So good—haah—so deep..."

Jay rested his forehead against the back of your head, lips brushing your hair as he kept moving.

Jay pulled out. Your brows knit in confusion, lips parting, but Jay was already grabbing your hips, repositioning you. He dragged you to the edge of the bed, bending you forward as he laid you across Jake's sleeping form. Your back arched instinctively as your body adjusted to the shift.

"Wake him," Jay murmured as he settled behind you again, his hands spreading your cheeks.

You fumbled with Jake's pajama waistband, tugging both the fabric and his boxers down until his cock— still soft but stirring was exposed to the cool air.

Jay's fingers brushed against your rim. "You clean here?" he asked, his thumb circling the sensitive entrance.

A soft, involuntary whimper left your lips, your hips twitching backward toward his touch. You leaned down, pressing a trail of kisses along the length of Jake's cock, feeling it twitch beneath your lips.

"Answer me, baby," Jay said, punctuating the demand with a slap to your ass. The sharp sting made you flinch.

"Yes! I—I clean every day," you gasped.

Jay groaned in frustration. "Fuck. No lube."

You glanced over your shoulder to see him already sinking to his knees behind you.

He didn't hesitate—his tongue found your rim and began working. You moaned, body trembling as your knees weakened under the heat of his mouth.

You returned your attention to Jake, licking along the underside of his shaft up to the tip. He shifted slightly beneath you, a quiet sound escaping him, not yet fully awake but already growing hard in your mouth.

Jay's tongue pressed in deeper, spit slicking your rim as he worked you open. You groaned around Jake's cock, the vibration sending a jolt through him. His hips jerked upward instinctively, pushing his now-hard length deeper past your lips.

You took him in greedily, eyes fluttering shut as you pushed your ass back into Jay's face.

Jay stood suddenly, spreading your cheeks wide and guiding himself into your slick pussy with one firm thrust.

"Hmmph!" Your body jolted, a strangled moan escaping around Jake's cock. Jay grabbed your hips again, this time angling your body forward just enough to press your mouth deeper onto Jake's shaft, brushing the back of your throat.

Jake stirred fully now, groggy eyes blinking open.

He felt it first—the wet heat of your mouth wrapped around his cock and then he saw it.

Jay was behind you, fucking you, your body sandwiched between them, head bobbing in his lap.

Jake's stomach tightened at the sight. Jay looked up at him and grinned.

"Hey, baby," he said smoothly, driving in harder, making you moan louder and push yourself down even further on Jake's cock.

Jake reached out, still dazed but growing harder by the second, brushing a hand through your hair as your moans vibrated around him.

"G'evening...?" he mumbled, voice hoarse with confusion and arousal. He gently tugged you off his cock, watching a thin strand of saliva stretch from your lips to his tip.

Behind you, Jay didn't stop. He bent lower, lips brushing the back of your shoulder as he licked his middle finger, eyes locked on the tight ring of muscle between your cheeks. Slowly, he pressed his finger to your rim, circling once before slipping inside.

You jolted at the intrusion, hips twitching against him, a gasp escaping your lips. Jay didn't stop thrusting—he just matched the rhythm of his cock with the push of his finger, stretching you gradually, his free hand gripping your waist to hold you in place as you writhed beneath them both.

Jake shifted on the bed, pushing himself upright onto his knees, positioning himself in front of you. His hand wrapped around his cock, pumping slowly as he brought it back to your mouth.

"You want it back, sweetheart?" Jake asked softly, he tapped the head of his cock against your lips, smearing pre-cum along your mouth.

You opened willingly, tongue flicking out to taste him, your moan muffled as he slid back in. Jake groaned, hips twitching as your lips sealed around him again.

Jay curled his finger inside you, pushing deeper, and your whole body tensed at the double sensation — your throat filled with Jake's cock, your ass stretching slowly around Jay's finger as he fucked you with deep, rolling thrusts.

Jake leaned forward, hands gripping the curve of your ass as he spread you open wider, eyes fixed on the way you pulsed around Jay's fingers. He exhaled a shaky breath, mouth slightly parted.

Jay slipped a second finger inside you, the added stretch pulling a sharp gasp from your lips. It burned just enough to make your eyes sting but you didn't ask them to stop.

Because you missed this. Missed the ache, the fullness, the way they both used your body for their pleasure.

Moans overlapped in the room, Jay's soft growls as he felt you tighten around his fingers, Jake's ragged gasps as your mouth moved faster, your head bobbing on his cock.

You arched deeper, forcing yourself further onto Jake's length, the wet sounds of your mouth and their breathing tangled with the slap of skin and the creak of the bed. Your throat flexed as you took him in, your tongue working along the underside of his shaft, matching the pace of Jay's fingers stretching you open.

Jay slowed his thrusts behind you, his breath hitching as he reached the edge again, hips grinding into your ass with just enough pressure to keep himself teetering. Edging on purpose.

He looked up, meeting Jake's eyes over the curve of your back. Jake leaned forward, their mouths crashing together in a kiss that was anything but gentle. Teeth and tongue crashing.

Their bodies moved in tandem—Jay driving into you again and each push sent you forward, impaling your mouth on Jake's cock.

Jay's fingers slid out just as his cock pushed deeper inside. Jake's hand cupped the back of your head, guiding your rhythm, his hips snapping forward in short bursts, each one pushing into the tight heat of your throat.

"Ahh, fuck. Jay," Jake groaned, breaking the kiss. His breath fanned across Jay's cheek as he leaned in, trailing kisses down the side of Jay's neck. His lips found skin, then teeth followed, scraping lightly before soothing with his tongue.

Your lungs screamed for air. The pressure at the back of your throat blurred into dizzying deprivation, your nails scraped down Jake's thigh to signal him.

Jake pulled back in an instant, your lips slipping from his cock with a wet gasp. He leaned down, catching your mouth in a kiss. His hand cradled your jaw, wiping a trail of drool from your chin with his thumb.

Your chest heaved against the mattress, breath coming in stuttering bursts. Your vision swam, lashes heavy, lips swollen. You could feel your body moving but your mind floated, clinging to the feeling rather than the shape of it.

Jay groaned, breath shuddering as he pulled out, only to grip your hips hard enough to bruise—and drive himself into your ass with one single, brutal thrust.

"Ahhhh! Fuck!" Your scream tore through the room, your body convulsing under the intrusion.

Jay groaned loudly behind you. Your legs trembled, toes curling tight as pain bloomed through your spine. Tears spilled without permission, streaking hot down your cheeks.

"Hey... still with us?" Jake's voice broke through the haze.

He knelt beside you, brushing your hair out of your face, his lips soft against the damp trail of your tears. He kissed you again, slower this time, anchoring you as you shook beneath them both.

Jay bent over you, his chest pressed to your back. He nuzzled into the crook of your neck, lips peppering kisses across your skin, his cock twitching deep inside your ass. His breath was ragged.

"Sorry, baby," he whispered, moving one hand up from your hip to your breast, cupping it gently. His thumb circled your nipple while the other hand steadied you. "Shhh... I got you. Just breathe."

But your lips trembled, a sob slipping through as you buried your face in the sheets. It hurt. Your body throbbed from the stretch, the shock of how deep he was, how sudden. Jake caught your hand, holding it gently, kissing the back of your palm.

"Talk to me," he said softly. "Does it hurt?"

You nodded, tears still falling, throat too tight to speak.

Jay froze. "I'm sorry," he whispered again. His hands softened, his hips still. He leaned back a little, pulling out carefully, guilt etched in every line of his body.

"No!" your voice cracked out, panicked, reaching blindly behind you. Your fingers curled around his hip, clutching. "D-Don't stop... I... I can take it."

Jake's brows furrowed, watching your face closely. "You sure?" he murmured, his thumb brushing along your wrist, eyes locked to yours.

You nodded, swallowing down the ache. "Please."

Jay didn't move yet. He stayed pressed close, his forehead resting against your spine, just breathing with you. Slowly, he guided his cock back, sliding just the tip inside before pausing. His hand smoothed over your side, your ribs, your hip.

"Okay," he breathed. "We go slow this time."

And when he pushed back in, it was careful, patient—his hands trembling with restraint as you stretched around him again.

And despite the sting, the burn, your body opened for him.

Jake leaned in and kissed you, his tongue teased your bottom lip, then slid past it. His hand cradled your jaw, tilting your face just the way he liked it, deepening the kiss as your mouth opened willingly for him.

Behind you, Jay didn't stop moving. His hips kept a slow, steady rhythm as he fucked into your ass, stretching you open all over again. You didn't expect the sudden shift not when he slipped free and thrust himself into your soaked pussy without warning. Your whole body jolted at the change, a moan catching in your throat, only to be swallowed by Jake's mouth.

Jay didn't stay there. He pulled out, slick with your arousal, and pushed back into your ass. You cried out into Jake's mouth, fingers digging into his shoulders as Jay started alternating between your holes, back and forth.

His groans grew louder with each pass, his cock coated with your slickness making the transitions smooth. Every thrust into your ass felt deeper now,  and once he was satisfied with the slickness, he stayed there—burying himself fully and starting to fuck you.

Your moans were helplessly muffled against Jake's lips. You clung to him as your body rocked from the force of Jay's pace, the bed creaking under the rhythm of their bodies working in sync.

Then Jay moved. His arms wrapped around your torso, lifting you effortlessly off Jake, carrying you as though you weighed nothing.

Jake fell back onto the bed, cock still hard and slick between his thighs, stroking himself as he watched Jay position you above him. Your body trembled in Jay's grip, your breath coming in fast, erratic gasps, eyes glassy and unfocused.

"Still with us?" Jake asked. His gaze locked onto your flushed face as he slowly fisted his cock, watching your lips part in a silent moan.

You tried to nod but squealed instead as Jay shifted behind you—straightening your spine, pulling you tight to his chest. And then Jake pressed the tip of his cock into your entrance, pushing into your dripping pussy.

Your hands were caught behind your back in Jay's grip, leaving you fully exposed, you gasped as Jake bottomed out inside you.

"God, so tight," Jake groaned as his hands slid up your belly, caressing the trembling muscles beneath your skin.

Jay held you steady, arms firm around your waist, as Jake began moving—rocking into you, using your slick heat to guide each stroke. Your hips rolled with his rhythm, your moans turning to desperate little gasps as you felt yourself being tugged and used like a doll between them.

Jay hissed behind you, resting his forehead against your shoulder. "Missed this," he growled, though he stopped his hips, letting Jake take over the motion for now, letting himself feel you clench around both of them with every bounce of your body.

Your head lolled back onto Jay's shoulder, mouth open in a silent scream as Jake's cock drove up into you from below, and Jay's cock filled your ass to the hilt.

And then Jay started again. He let go of your bound hands only to slide his arms around your chest, cupping your breasts, holding you in place as he started thrusting again. Faster and rougher.

Your mind spun. Your body thrashed. The friction, the pressure, your pussy squeezing Jake while your ass clung to Jay, was too much.

The bubbling heat in your stomach snapped. You came hard, your whole body seizing as the orgasm ripped through you, crying out shamelessly between them. Your walls clamped down, legs twitching.

"Shhh, Sunoo's sleeping." Jake moaned as he held your hips, anchoring you as he fucked up into you faster. Jay grunted, his arms tightening as his pace grew erratic, cock pulsing inside you as he pounded into your ass.

Behind you, Jay's control was unraveling. His rhythm stuttered, breath ragged in your ear. His arms tightened around you, holding you in place as his cock throbbed. "C-Close," he ground out before pushing you forward into Jake's chest, hands flattening against your back to hold you still as he drove in harder.

The pressure built again, your vision blurring at the edges. You could barely distinguish the sounds around you anymore—Jake's sharp gasps near your ear, the slap of skin, the wet drag of their cocks inside you, your own breathless moans.

And then Jay came. You felt the twitch, the sudden warmth deep inside as he groaned, head dropping to your shoulder. His teeth grazed your skin as he rode out his release, fingers digging into your sides.

Jay pulled out, only for Jake to shift suddenly beneath you. He flipped your body over, and before you could even register the new position, he was pushing into your ass.

You cried out, your voice raw from earlier but still rising to meet the intensity. Your senses were waterlogged, every drag of skin, every shift of their bodies, blurred into one endless stream of stimulation.

You writhed, helpless beneath Jake, your ass clenched tight around him as he buried himself deep, grinding his hips, gritting his teeth at the feel of you.

And then, in the haze of it all, you saw Jay again—on his knees, eyes glazed over as he wrapped his lips around Jake's cock the moment it slipped free, tongue tracing the length, savoring the taste of you and him mixed together.

Your mouth fell open, but no words came. They moved you again, bodies switching places.

Jay lifted your legs over his shoulders while Jake held your wrists above your head, mouths exploring. Jay's teeth found your shoulder, your neck, your ribs—sharp nips that left heat in their wake. Jake's hands were everywhere—palming your breasts, your hips, one hand buried in your hair, tugging just enough to make your breath hitch.

Your throat was raw from screaming, your voice reduced to ragged whimpers. Your body is so overstimulated, so far past the edge—moved only because they moved you.

They shifted you again.

Your body was gently rolled onto its side, limbs trembling, eyes fluttering as they adjusted your position.  Jay pressed against your back, he curled one arm beneath your body. In front of you, Jake wrapped your leg over his shoulder, one hand cupping the back of your knee, the other guiding his cock back into your swollen cunt.

Jay pushed into your ass again at the same moment Jake slid inside you.

You made a broken sound, your fingers curled uselessly into the sheets as they moved in sync—slow at first, as though they both knew you were at your limit, then gradually picking up pace, chasing their own pleasure while coaxing the last shreds of sensation from your spent body.

"Almost there, baby... just stay with us..."

"So good for us. Always take us so well..."

Their hands didn't stop. They kept touching, even when you could no longer respond—Jake's fingers tracing lazy lines down your thigh, Jay's palm sliding up to cradle your breast, thumbing your nipple with the barest pressure, just enough to make your hips twitch.

You didn't know how long they kept going—minutes or hours?

When they came for the fourth time,  their moans were strained, filled with relief and release. Jay's hips stuttered as he emptied himself inside you once more, while Jake buried himself, his breath hitching as his cum spilled into your cunt.

They stayed still afterward, breathing heavy, their bodies wrapped around you. You whimpered softly, every part of you drenched in sweat and cum, your holes leaking, your thighs trembling.

Jake was the first to move. He brushed damp hair away from your face and kissed you. "Happy anniversary, baby," he whispered against your mouth, "I love you."

Jay nuzzled into your neck from behind, his hand still splayed over your stomach. "I love you," he whisper to your ear.

A soft smile lingered on your lips as sleep began to pull you under, your body finally giving in to exhaustion. Jay noticed the way your breathing slowed, the way your hand slackened in his. Panic flickered across his face for a second, concerned he might've pushed you too far, been too much.

But then he heard your first soft snore.

He let out a quiet sigh of relief, brushing a few strands of hair from your face before pulling the blanket gently over your body. His lips pressed to your shoulder in a tender kiss, before kissing also Jake whispering "I love you," before he allowed himself to relax.

You became the unintentional reason why the long-planned island hopping trip was canceled the next day.

You'd barely moved from the bed.

At some point, Sunoo had burst into the room, sunglasses still on despite being indoors, holding a half-eaten banana and a very dramatic frown.

"You've got to be kidding me," he said, hands on his hips. "One night, one night of freedom, and the three of you manage to destroy my entire itinerary."

You groaned from under the sheets, your face buried in a pillow.  Everything hurt.

Jay offered an apologetic look from the other side of the room, while Jake just laughed into his juice box.

"She's not going anywhere today," Jake said cheerfully, lounging at the foot of the bed. "She couldn't even walk straight coming out of the bathroom."

"Stop talking," you mumbled into the pillow, smacking Jake's thigh without lifting your head.

Sunoo threw his arms up. "I planned a whole route! A cute lunch spot! Coordinated swimwear! And now my best friend is basically bedridden and you two—" he pointed accusingly at Jay and Jake, "—have the audacity to sit there like you're innocent!"

Jake ended up tagging along with Sunoo that afternoon, following him through local shops as he hunted for souvenirs and spent half the time helping him find the perfect lighting for his Instagram shots. You'd seen the selfies later, Sunoo in oversized sunglasses, Jake photobombing with goofy peace signs, and couldn't help but smile.

When you returned from the vacation, back to reality, back to the hum of city life, you decided to take a breath and visit your hometown. Your family.

The first night home, you found yourself seated at the dinner table, the scent of home-cooked food familiar but somehow distant. Your mother passed you the rice bowl before sitting back in her seat with a sigh.

"We're sorry we couldn't come to your graduation," she said, not looking directly at you. "Your sister had her moving-up ceremony too, and I couldn't leave your brother alone."

You just smiled.

"So... what's next for you?"

You shifted in your seat, pushing the rice around your plate with your spoon. "I'm reviewing for the psychometrician licensure exam," you said calmly. "If I pass, I want to work in hospitals—maybe start looking into master's programs too."

"That's good," she replied, then went quiet.

The conversation ended there, just like that. The sound of utensils against plates took over the room. You weren't sure if they didn't know what to say... or if they simply didn't care enough to ask more.

Your parents had always been like this, distant and distracted. Your older brother had been a handful since childhood, always in trouble, always needing someone to clean up after him. The second eldest was the star: awards, medals, top of the class. Then your little sister came along, the one your mom adored, who got praised for even the smallest thing. And you... you were somewhere in the middle.

Never a problem. Never the pride. Just quietly capable. They assumed you could handle things. And you did. But being the one who always "figured it out" left you invisible more often than not.

You looked up from your plate, watching your mother refill your father's glass. He hadn't said much beyond a grunt of acknowledgment when you walked in earlier. You thought about what it would take to pierce the silence.

"I have boyfriends," you wanted to say.

Jake, who lights up every room and kisses your face. Jay whose love is in every thoughtful gesture, every look. You wanted to say it. You wanted to say they make you feel seen in a way your own family never did.

Your father might freak out. Or not. He might just wave it off the way he always did, tucked into his chair and his silence. Your mother might purse her lips, ask questions with careful tones and measured words.

You didn't expect celebration. So why was it so hard to say?

Your hands stilled on the table, spoon resting against your plate. The words sat on your tongue, but somehow they wouldn't come out.

Moving back in with Jay and Jake should've felt like comfort after being away too long. And in some ways, it did.

But the train of thought that had started back home refused to leave.

You couldn't shake it. Not even after unpacking. Not even after lying on the couch with the TV on and your phone buzzing somewhere out of reach. You stared at the screen blankly, not really watching, your mind circling around the same thought like it had nowhere else to go.

You'd missed your chance.

That window—that perfect, ordinary moment at dinner—you let it pass. And now it would be a long time before you saw them again. Maybe longer than you'd like to admit.

You'd wanted to share your life. The love you had. The people who saw you fully. But instead, you played your part again, the reliable one, the good daughter, the girl who doesn't ask for much.

You didn't hear the door open or close. Only the soft thud of a backpack hitting the floor pulled you from your thoughts.

"Hey."

Jake's voice snapped you gently out of your spiral, and you blinked to find him standing there in a rumpled hoodie and jeans, casual as ever, a tired smile on his face. He dropped his bag by the table and made his way to you.

You stood automatically, meeting him halfway to press a quick kiss to his lips before sinking back into the couch.

"Where's Jay?" he asked, dropping down beside you with a long, theatrical sigh. He leaned over without hesitation, wrapping an arm around your waist before settling his head in your lap.

"Helping his dad with something for the business," you murmured, threading your fingers through his hair.

Jake huffed, and you chuckled softly.

"Tired?" you asked, even though the answer was already clear.

He nodded into your thigh, lips pouty. "I want you two to cuddle me. Physics is actually killing me."

You smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead. He hummed contentedly, his hand lightly rubbing circles into your hip as the quiet returned between you. But then, softly, Jake asked. "Are you okay?"

You blinked, and looked down at him. His eyes were still closed, lashes brushing his cheeks.

You didn't know what to say. You looked away from him, eyes drifting back to the glowing TV screen you hadn't been watching at all.

"I..." you started quietly. Jake opened his eyes, turning his face slightly against your lap to really look at you now.

You drew in a shaky breath. "I just realized... it's really hard for me to share my life with others. Even with people I love. Even with you two."

Jake didn't rush you, just let his hand smooth down along your waist in slow strokes, thumb tracing small circles like he was quietly urging you to go on.

"I know you and Jay... you'd introduce me to your families tomorrow if I asked. Like it's nothing. Like it's natural," you said. "But I couldn't stop thinking about it when I went home. I sat there at dinner, thinking about how I wanted to tell them. Tell them about you. About Jay. About us. And I didn't." You laughed softly.

Jake's hand stilled for a moment on your waist, then continued its gentle motion.

"I guess," you swallowed, "I started thinking that maybe... maybe I'm the one who doesn't belong here. That I shouldn't be in this. That, you know, three's a crowd."

Jake shifted, just a little, enough to slide his other arm around your hips so he could hold you properly now, his head still in your lap but his gaze completely focused on you. He took a long breath, then shifted again—just enough to sit up, turning his body to face you properly. One hand reached for yours, the other cupped your cheek.

"Baby," he murmured, "you're not taking up space. Okay? You belong here."

You looked at him, your throat tight, vision already beginning to blur at the edges. His eyes didn't waver, and before you could blink away the sting behind your lashes, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead.

"We love you," he continued softly, "because of who you are. Not because of what you do, or how easy it is to explain you to other people. You don't owe anyone your story until you're ready to share it."

A single tear slipped down your cheek. Jake caught it with his thumb, brushing it away without a word.

"And I don't care how long it takes," he whispered. "You've already shared yourself with us. That's more than enough."

You let out a shaky breath, one hand still clinging to his. "I know this relationship isn't... normal," you said after a moment, your eyes dropping to your lap. "Not the way people expect love to look. I watch other couples making plans—talking about weddings, houses, kids. And I wonder if we'll ever get to have that, or if people like us... always have to fight just to be happy."

Jake didn't interrupt. He just listened, his thumb now gently stroking the back of your hand.

You kept going, because once it started, it felt impossible to stop. "I think about the future, and how there's this path laid out—what everyone thinks is the right way. And I wonder if we even can fit into it. Or if one day... you'll both get tired of trying. Because we'll always be the ones people don't understand." Your voice cracked slightly at the end.

Jake leaned forward, his brow pressing gently against yours. "You're right," he said. "This isn't the kind of relationship most people are used to. It's different. But that doesn't make it less real. It doesn't make it less ours."

He pulled back just enough to look at you. "We want all of that too," he said. "The commitment. The life. The forever kind of thing. We just get to write the rules together. And yeah, it's scary sometimes. But it's also kind of beautiful, don't you think?"

You nodded slowly, a tear sliding silently down your cheek. Jake caught that one too.

"We've been together for a year, baby," he said quietly. "We don't have to follow anyone else's path. We get to make our own. Just us."

You nodded again, letting your head rest against his shoulder. Jake leaned his head against yours too.

"Jay's planning to start his master's soon. You are too," he said softly. "Once I graduate, I'm gonna become an engineer. Then we'll buy a big house."

You let out a breath of a laugh, the smallest smile tugging at your lips. "Oh, yeah?"

He grinned, proud of himself. "Huge backyard. Real quiet neighborhood. Sunoo will live next door, but we won't tell him that's not a coincidence."

You chuckled, and Jake grinned wider, encouraged.

"We'll get dogs—three, no, five. You can name them. And then..." He paused dramatically. "How many kids do you want? Seven? I can give you that."

You pulled back just enough to look at him, eyebrows raised. "Seven? Are you out of your mind?"

He shrugged, mock serious. "I'm just saying. I have range."

You laughed properly then, the sound shaking loose the last of the heaviness in your chest. Jake's smile softened, eyes crinkling at the corners as he watched you.

"I don't care how many," you said eventually. "As long as it's with you. With Jay."

He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to your forehead, then one to your cheek. Jake wrapped his arms tighter around you.

You rested there for a while, wrapped up in each other. The future still felt uncertain, but it didn't feel so scary anymore. Not when you knew love could be quiet and messy and not look like anyone else's—and still be yours.

You and Jay passed the licensure exam. Together.

Sunoo had passed too, his proud shriek over the group call still echoed in your memory. Sunghoon aced the nursing boards, and Wonyoung, unsurprisingly, had done the same. There'd been celebratory dinners, messy group selfies, and a lot of ugly crying—Sunoo's, mostly.

Jake, meanwhile, was still deep in the trenches of college life. Balancing lectures, labs, and papers while hopping between part-time jobs, and on top of that, helping with his family's business whenever he could. It was exhausting just watching him move but somehow, he made it work, flashing his usual grin with "I'm just built different."

Jay, of course, had offers left and right. Hospitals, clinics, even research institutions. The kind of attention you weren't surprised by. You, on the other hand, didn't have a waiting line of clinics calling your name. And that was okay. You never expected to be him. You started where you could—sending out resumes, attending interviews, building your confidence one step at a time.

Still, it stung a little when you didn't get placed with him. Again.

You kicked the gravel beneath your feet, hugging yourself closer to Jay as the two of you walked side by side outside the exam center where you'd just finalized your paperwork.

"We're on different clinics. Again," you muttered, leaning into him dramatically.

Jay chuckled, wrapping an arm around your shoulder and pulling you in. "It's not the end of the world."

"It's the end of our synchronized lunch breaks," you huffed, resting your head against his chest.

"You just want to steal my snacks."

"You have better snacks," you mumbled. "And hotter coworkers. It's not fair."

He laughed quietly, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. "You're the only one I flirt with at work, you know that."

You looked up at him. "Oh, so you do flirt at work?"

Jay smiled. That crooked, boyish smile he only gave when he knew he was pushing your buttons on purpose.

You rolled your eyes, but your grin betrayed you. The wind tugged at your hair, but Jay's hand reached up to tuck a strand behind your ear.

"I know it sucks," he said quietly. "Starting from different places. But it doesn't mean we're going in different directions."

You looked at him, heart softening.

"I want you to take your time," he continued. "Find a clinic that feels right for you. Not just the one that happens to be next to mine."

You bit the inside of your cheek. "I guess I just... wanted to keep walking this part with you. Like we did before."

"You still are," he said, his thumb brushing over your knuckles. "Just on your own lane. Doesn't mean you're not right beside me."

You leaned into his touch, warmth settling in your chest.

"And hey," he added with a gentle nudge. "At least now we'll have stories to share over dinner."

"Only if you bring the snacks."

"I'll bring you the whole damn pantry."

EPILOGUE

You learn a lot as you grow older.

Not just the kind of learning that comes from books or exams or degrees but the quiet kind. The kind that sneaks up on you in the middle of doing laundry, or while you're watching someone you love stir sugar into your tea exactly the way you like it.

As someone who graduated in the field of Psychology, you'd always known the theories—Maslow, Erikson, Skinner, all the frameworks for understanding behavior, emotion, trauma. But living it? That was a different education.

And love, in its realest form, had taught you as much as any textbook ever could.

Jay taught you patience not the kind that's passive, but the kind that waits with intention. He showed you how to pause, breathe, and choose your words instead of reacting. How to say "I'm sorry" without defensiveness. How to sit in silence when you needed to, and how that silence could say, I'm here. You don't have to rush.

Jake taught you joy. Not just happiness, but real joy, the kind that dances around a room with no music and makes jokes even when things are hard. He reminded you that you didn't have to be polished or perfect to be worthy of love. That vulnerability wasn't a flaw. That laughter could be healing in a way few things could.

And you... you learned that your role wasn't to be the center or the glue, but the space between—the breath before the storm, the bridge between Jay's quiet logic and Jake's loud, chaotic warmth. A stabilizer. A mirror. Over time, you stopped wondering where you belonged because you realized you weren't just part of it.

You were what made it whole.

The three of you sat on the floor that evening, legs tangled in blankets, surrounded by the half-unpacked mess of your shared apartment. A movie was playing quietly in the background.

"Do you remember when Jay used to get all sour around you?" Jake laughed suddenly, tossing a marshmallow in the air and catching it in his mouth.

From the kitchen, Jay's voice rang out. "Stop bringing that up!"

Jake only laughed harder.

You grinned, poking a marshmallow onto a stick before lowering it into the tiny tabletop burner you were using like a makeshift campfire.

"And what about our first big fight?" Jake continued, more softly this time. "When Jay and I got into it, and you tried to step in, and we just... turned it on you. God, we were assholes."

You nodded, laughing a little under your breath at the memory. It wasn't a good fight—messy words, hurt feelings, doors closed a little too hard. But it taught you something.

Jake leaned closer, wrapping his arm around your shoulder and resting his chin on top of your head. "You didn't get mad at us," he said. "Even after all that. We said stuff that wasn't fair. But you never yelled. Why?"

You looked at him, brows raised in mock offense. "You think I didn't want to throw both of you into the hallway?"

He grinned, but waited for the real answer. You sighed softly, looking down at the marshmallow as it turned golden in the firelight.

"I had a part in it," you said. "I confronted you both at the wrong time. Too soon. When emotions were still too high."

You glanced over at Jay, who had now joined you on the floor.

"We learned this in school, remember?" you said, the corners of your mouth lifting. "It's in our nature, when we're overstimulated, emotionally hijacked—our brains go into fight or flight. Logic takes a back seat. We say things we don't mean because we're trying to protect something inside ourselves."

Jay reached out and brushed his thumb over your hand.

"And I realized," you continued, "it's not about avoiding conflict. It's about knowing when to approach it. Timing matters. So does tone. So does intention."

Jake hummed in agreement, then shot a look at Jay, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Even though Jay's taking his master's, sometimes he forgets he's not a robot."

Jay looked up from where he was refolding a blanket, unimpressed. "Excuse me?"

Jake grinned. "You isolate your feelings like you're submitting them for peer review."

You laughed, tugging both of them closer until their shoulders bumped yours on either side. The warmth of being between them never got old.

"It's true, though," you added, resting your chin briefly on Jay's shoulder. "When Jay bottles things up, it builds. So when he does get upset, it's like—boom."

Jay rolled his eyes, but the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth gave him away.

You slipped your arm around his waist, squeezing gently. "But he's working on it. Right, baby? Remember our promise?"

Jay didn't say anything at first, but the glance he gave you was soft. Then he sighed dramatically, leaning into your side with mock defeat.

"I remember," he muttered. "Self-awareness and emotional regulation.

Jake gave him a proud pat on the back.

Love isn't perfect. People aren't either. But love doesn't require perfection. Only presence and growth. The choice to stay and try again, even when things get hard.

It was Jake's graduation day.

You were in the shower when he opened the door without warning—completely naked, grinning.

"I'm going to wash your back," he said, stepping in, water misting his skin. "And you can wash mine too." He wrapped his arms around you from behind, pressing a soft kiss to your shoulder.

Before long, your bodies were tangled together, steam rising as he thrust into you, your legs wrapped tightly around his waist. The sound of your moans echoed against the bathroom, mixing with the splash of water and heavy breathing.

A knock at the door snapped the spell.

"Jake! You're gonna be late to your own damn graduation!" Jay's voice came through.

Jake sighed, forehead resting against yours. "I'll be quick."

Later, as you stood in front of the mirror doing the final touches on your makeup, Jay appeared behind you. His hands found your hips, and he leaned down, brushing his lips against your neck.

"You're glowing," he murmured.

You turned to face him, teasing, "You're just horny."

He smirked, guiding your mouth to his. The kiss deepened fast, he lifted you onto the counter and soon enough, you were breathless all over again.

By the time you arrived at the ceremony, your legs still trembled faintly under your dress. Jake found you in the crowd and grabbed your hand.

"Hey," he said, eyes hopeful. "Is it okay... if I introduce you to Mom? As my girlfriend?"

Your heart skipped. It had been three years of your relationship, you'd spoken to his parents plenty of times at their family shop, but never like this.

"S-sure," you said, then quickly added, "Unless you're not ready—"

"I'm ready if you are," Jake said softly.

You smiled, interlacing your fingers with his. "Tell them I'm yours."

As you walked toward his family, your chest tightened. Jay stood beside you, his palm smoothing over your lower back in a calming, familiar gesture.

"Congratulations, my boy!" Jake's mother exclaimed, kissing his cheek. She greeted both you and Jay with cheek-to-cheek kisses.

"Engineer Sim Jaeyun. Sounds official," Jake's brother said, fist-bumping him.

Conversation buzzed around, full of laughter and pride. Jake pulled you closer, one hand resting on your waist.

"Mom," he said clearly. "This is my girlfriend."

The group went quiet. Your mind rushed with a thousand thoughts. They'll judge you. They'll think you're a slut. They'll ask why both sons are wrapped around one girl.

Jake's mother looked down, eyes catching both Jake's and Jay's hands on you. "We know," she said gently. "Even Jay's father knows."

Both boys froze.

Her gaze turned to you. "Thank you for taking good care of my sons," she said, reaching up to tuck a damp strand of hair behind your ear.

Emotion caught in your throat. Your eyes stung. "I-I..." you tried to laugh. "They're the ones taking care of me, ma'am."

"You silly girl," she laughed, pulling you into a light embrace. "I know the stress of managing two men back and forth."

Her voice was teasing, but kind. And in that moment, the tightness in your chest, the quiet anxiety that had been sitting there all day finally softened.

You let yourself lean into the hug, if only for a second, and thought about your own family.

Would they react like this? With ease, with lightness? With kindness, even if they didn't understand?

You didn't know. Because you hadn't tried.

And maybe you weren't ready yet. Not today. Maybe not for a while.

But that was okay. Some truths take time. Some stories need space. And when you're ready, you'll tell it in your own way, on your own terms.

Until then, love doesn't stop growing just because it's quiet.

Jake’s family had invited the three of you to a formal dinner. You sat between Jake and Jay at the long table, surrounded by his parents, a few cousins, and an uncle who occasionally asked the waiter for another bottle of wine.

It wasn’t long before the discussion shifted to futures—careers, plans, and everything in between.

Jay was answering questions about his master’s program, explaining something about clinical data and research work. Jake jumped in right after, talking about his final year, his capstone project, and his tentative plans to help expand his family’s business once he had more experience under his belt.

“And then,” Jake added, grinning, “we’re thinking about buying a house, one with a good view, and I want a big yard.”

“A home for the three of you?” his cousin asked, a little curious. Jake just smiled. “Eventually.”

There was laughter, clinking glasses, someone said something about property taxes, and the conversation flowed easily.

Then Jake’s mother turned her gaze toward you with a warm smile. “And what about you, dear? You’re not taking your master’s yet?”

You smiled politely, meeting her eyes for a second before looking back down at your plate. You cut into your steak,  giving yourself a breath before answering.  “Maybe soon, ma’am,” you said gently. “But I’ve changed plans.”

“Oh?” she asked, curious but kind.

You nodded, glancing toward Jay and Jake, then back to her. “I want to teach.”

“I thought a lot about continuing on the clinical side,” you explained, “but lately, I’ve been drawn to education. To helping students find their footing the way I was helped. I think... there’s something powerful about shaping understanding, especially in psychology."

Jake’s mother’s expression softened, her hand folding neatly over her napkin.

“Well,” she said, “that sounds like exactly the kind of voice students need.”

You felt Jay’s fingers brush lightly against yours under the table. Jake, already proud, leaned back in his chair with a smug little grin, like your answer had personally earned him points.

“And who knows,” you added, a bit more lightheartedly now, “maybe I’ll take my master’s once I’ve had a classroom full of teenagers to humble me.”

There was soft laughter around the table, and the conversation moved on—back to housing prices, travel plans, the dessert menu. 

“I want to order something sweet,” Jake whispered, leaning over to you. You were still staring at the dessert menu, half-reading, half-dreaming. Jay leaned in on your other side, his curiosity piqued as he peered over your shoulder.

“There’s no corn there,” Jake teased, bumping Jay’s arm.

You giggled. Jay, unamused but barely hiding his smirk, reached over to pinch Jake’s shoulder.

You pointed at the menu: Strawberry cake.

Jake sighed with awe. “You’re such a softie.”

“You’ll thank me later,” you replied.

And he would. He always did.

The night ended softly.

The three of you returned to the apartment in quiet contentment, no one talked much. You changed out of your formal clothes, brushing your teeth half-asleep, moving in sync the way people who know each other too well do.

And when you finally collapsed into bed. You just lay there, all of you staring up at the star stickers you’d stubbornly stuck to the ceiling months ago. Most had stayed. A few had fallen. The glow had faded, but not completely. It was faint, but still there.

“I love the both of you,” you said, voice soft. 

Jay shifted first, curling closer, his arm wrapping gently around your waist. Jake, as usual, flopped without ceremony, resting his head on your chest and letting out a content sigh.

There was a long pause.

“…Did the dessert have something in it?” Jake asked suddenly.

You snorted and tugged lightly at his hair in warning. He laughed, Jay did too, muffled against your side.

They say love is supposed to follow a pattern. Meet someone, fall, build a life. A straight line—clear and recognizable. Love that fits neatly inside boxes, easy to explain, easier to accept.

But your story was never built that way.

They say love like this shouldn’t last. That it’s too unconventional, too complicated, too much to hold. But you’ve learned that the best things in life rarely follow a script. 

"We don't have to follow anyone else's path."

It stuck with you. And he was right. This love—yours, Jay’s, and Jake’s—it was never meant to fit into the lines drawn by someone else.

Love, you’ve learned, is not about being easy. It’s about being worth it.

And this—this messy, gentle, beautifully unexpected life you’ve built—is more than just worth it.

Unwritten. Unconventional. Undeniably full.

And maybe, just maybe… too sweet.

NOTE:

Here’s a quick but important sex ed reminder:

This is fiction. That means some of the things the characters do aren’t meant to be copied in real life. One important example: going from anal sex to vaginal sex without cleaning in between is not safe.

Why? Because the anus and the vagina have totally different bacteria. The rectum naturally contains bacteria like E. coli, which, while usually harmless in the gut, can cause infections if they get into the vagina. This can lead to issues like bacterial vaginosis, urinary tract infections (UTIs), or even more serious complications.

So in real life, always clean up before switching between anal and vaginal sex — either by using a new condom or thoroughly washing first. Always, always practice safe sex.

[coralquill]

I read your witch mc headcannon and lemme say, I love it. I have anotheR supernatural request if you don't mind. I wanted to request a vampire MC who drinks blood of others except the boy's bc she doesn't want to hurt them and what they're reaction would be to that and maybe how they'd ask her to drink theirs. KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK 👏

ahoy, thank you for requesting! thank you for the kind words and im glad you enjoyed the witch reader hcs! this was also a fun piece to write i love writing requests out of what im used to. hope you enjoy!

pairings: xavier x reader || zayne x reader || rafayel x reader || sylus x reader || caleb x reader

contents: vampire reader, blood mention, biting, comedy, suggestive || wc.1221

— XAVIER

It was well known that Xavier cooks, (ahem, cough,) and he used garlic in most of his dishes to enhance the flavors. So after hours of slaving at the stove, he'd invite you to have a late lunch with him, and you accepted. Though on the table, you'd avoid eating anything garlic, having just the salad, the appetizers, and the fresh juices.

From his observations later on, he discovered you were a vampire—no garlic, avoiding silver and the sun, and a shifted sleep schedule.

Xavier would make adjustments to accommodate you, from banning garlic from his apartment to throwing away all silverware, making you feel more welcome in his world. Though, whenever the two of you shared a meal together, he always wondered, do vampires not need to drink blood to keep them alive and going? Human meals surely didn't fill up your daily energy quota, and he never saw you draw any blood from any source.

On finding out you fed on other people, he'd straddle you, keeping you in place and demanding you to feed on him, and only him.

And you could only accept, as the angry pout he had was working against you and making it hard to refuse.

— ZAYNE

Zayne would notice that something was up with you with how you were acting around certain shiny metal and certain aromatic dishes whenever he went out with you. His theories about you being a vampire were soon confirmed when you came to him late at night with a nasty burn on your hand.

You affirmed that you were indeed a vampire and were in dire need of immediate medical attention, and Zayne would tend to your burn at the best of his medical knowledge—at least, as much as it could apply to vampires.

Zayne wouldn't prefer you drinking blood from strangers as it could hold diseases and illnesses. He'd offer his blood to you, and he'd make sure he always stayed clean of anything, keeping his blood healthy.

Zayne would suggest packing you a fresh pint of his blood whenever you needed to part ways for a while. "Here take this with you." He slipped the bag into your backpack. He added ice cubes from his Evol to keep it cool and fresh for longer. "Drink it when you need to."

The smell of his blood wafted in the air, and it smelled so good. Your pupils dilated, grinning cheekily, "You think I could resist drinking your blood in the first hours of my trip?"

Zayne smiled and leaned in for a kiss, but you leaned in further to kiss the mark you had left on his neck.

— RAFAYEL

The first thing Rafayel would notice was that you didn't have reflections whenever you passed the mirrors of the studio—was it a Wanderer's curse? An Evol's effect perhaps?

He then noticed that whenever he got papercuts or small cuts from using sharp tools, your head would whip around, eyes zeroing in on the cut every, single time—okay, you were definitely a blood-sucking creature.

"So you're a vampire." He'd point out casually, hands busy with the tools he crafted with.

You nodded. "I am."

"You never asked me to drink my blood. Kind of rude." He pouted. "How did you survive?"

"I went after random others. Didn't want to hurt you."

Rafayel scoffed, clearly offended that you drank blood from strangers rather than him.

Rafayel would make it his mission to seduce you by wearing wide, open collar shirts and sitting under open windows, allowing the sun to hit his skin in the most enticing angles—and it was working.

He was a temptation like no other.

You pounced and sank your canines into his neck.

Rafayel grinned at first, happy to be the victor in this little game he played, but moments after, his expression faltered at the delicious sting he felt.

"Oh."

You needed to be careful with your intakes as Lemurian blood was addicting, and you wouldn't want your little fishy to dry up!

— SYLUS

Sylus hoards shiny things. Gems, gold, and silver. Most of his kitchenware and utensils were made of silver: the water goblets he drank from, the plates he ate from, and the forks he took bites with. But when you told him you couldn't eat from them because you were a vampire and they'd burn you, he'd taken them out and locked them in a vault away from you to ensure you never crossed paths with what hurts you.

Sylus would keep you company at night, both of you having a common enemy—The Sun. Sylus and you would go on late night escapades and spread mischief in your wakes; brooding atop the tallest skyscrapers at the end of a well-spent night was a must.

Upon learning that you satiate your quench for blood by drinking from others, he wouldn't allow it again.

"But I don't want to hurt you," you said, worry clouding your eyes.

Sylus's eyes softened. "You don't have to worry about that." He reassured you he could self-heal and that whatever skin rips and marks you'd leave on him, he'd patch them up with his Evol.

Sylus would pull you into his lap and offer his neck, silently inviting you to drink as much as you needed.

After you were done drinking, all the blood that dripped would dissipate with swirls of his energy Evol, but the two canine punctures stayed. You had left your mark on him, and he was proudly wearing it.

— CALEB

[Notes: Things Pip-squeak avoids:]

No silver—check.

Caleb would get rid of all silver tools in his house when he saw you avoid touching them.

No garlic—check.

Once Caleb noticed a recurring pattern of you not eating garlic-flavored meals, he substituted all the garlic spices and stopped cooking recipes centered around garlic altogether.

No sunlight—check.

Caleb would cover the windows of his house with films to block the sun but were translucent enough to allow the light to brighten the rooms. He'd hang umbrellas next to all the doors for you to use whenever you left the house.

With days passing, Caleb would notice more unusual things you avoided or did. He noted your shift in sleep schedule. You usually slept through daylight and woke up in the late hours of the night. So naturally, Caleb opened up his notes app to add this tidbit about you.

Shifted sleep schedule—check.

Caleb read through the points he had written over time, and, oh—those weren't just points about quirks specific to you, but rather Caleb's accidental discovery that you were a vampire.

He'd obliquely market his blood to you, indirectly telling you to feed on him. He cooked his own meals, ate healthy, trained regularly, and was active most of the days of the week, and that was enough to keep his body pumping healthy blood.

But if that wasn't enough to get you to drink from his blood, he'd tell you flat out that he wanted you to need him and use him for your bloody needs. The mark you'd leave on him would be on the left side of his neck where his good arm was to ensure there'd be the most blood flow for you, (and he wanted to feel your bite every time.)

likes and reblogs will always be appreciated ♡ let me know what you think!

— until next tide, thanks for docking by ｡𖦹°‧𓇼

© coralquill 2025 – do not copy, steal, or translate my work.

[korrasera]

Tangent:

I've been trying to research the etymology of CAMAB and CAFAB to confirm what @plaidos is saying and, while it's hard to find definitive answers, everything I've found supports what she's saying above.

Publications going back to at least the 1950s talk about the role of assigning sex and gender as it relates to intersex people and trans people, but without coining these terms.

The terms CAMAB and CAFAB were coined sometime prior to 2000, as I found an article from 2002 published in Trans Torah talking about it.

Community discussions cite CAMAB as being coined by a trans woman to talk about the way society violently forces a male gender onto trans women, hence why she chose the word coercively to describe it.

Following the adoption of CAMAB, trans men started using CAFAB to describe their experiences.

Sometime after that, these terms were adopted by the intersex community.

So, somewhere likely 25-30 years ago, a trans woman coined the term CAMAB, it was adopted first by the wider trans community and then by the intersex community. Most of what I read suggested that this was a positive development for both communities, trans people and intersex folks alike, because of the close ties and overlap between the two.

Solidarity, in other words.

At the same time, going back at least 13 years in the sources I'm about to cite, intersex people and trans people were talking about transphobic voices attempting to use these terms to attack trans women and trans folks in general.

I found several examples of intersex people talking about transphobic cis intersex people attempting to redefine these terms, using the discussion attack trans people. That means we've had intersex people working to push back on this transphobia the entire time as well.

I've got a bunch of sources, so I'm going to put them under a cut for anyone interested in reading further.

Publications

1948 - The Ciba Collection of Medical Illustrations - Discussion of assigned sex. [source]

1965 - Encyclopedia of Social Work - References to the way sex is assigned to both intersex and trans individuals. [source]

2002 - Trans Torah - Trans Etiquette/Respect/Support 101 - This article talks about how CAMAB/CAFAB was coined by trans people. [pdf]

2021 - Cosmopolitan - An article in Cosmopolitan that briefly explains the origins of AMAB and AFAB, citing therapist Claudia Johnson. [source]

Tumblr

2012 - Tumblr user freedominwickedness talking about transphobic voices in the intersex community trying to redefine CAMAB/CAFAB as terms only intersex people could use. She cites the way that these terms originated in the trans community and the intentional harm being done by transphobic voices trying to redefine these terms. [source]

2011 - Tumblr user thatswhatkentsaid demonstrating the kind of rhetoric being used to attack trans people by appealing to the idea that trans people using these terms erases the experience of intersex individuals. Of note is the way that this point is made by erasing the experiences of trans people by claiming that we aren't subjected to the violence implied by the word coercively. [source]

2015 - Tumblr user toycarousel talking about the way attempting to redefine CAMAB/CAFAB as exclusively intersex terms is an attempt to harm trans people. [source]

2016 - Tumblr user sootonthecarpet talking about how the intersex specific terms are IA_AB and FA_AB, to refer to intersex assigned at birth and forcibly assigned at birth, and that CAMAB/CAFAB was coined by a trans women and was never an intersex exclusive term. [source]

2017 - Tumblr user realtransfacts reblogging a post talking about both the sharing of these terms between the trans and intersex community. In particular, tumblr user widdershinsgirl highlighted how a minority of intersex people started using this as a way to attack trans people by attempting to redefine the terms to refer exclusively to intersex people. [source]

i can't believe we're still having to correct this obviously verifiably false claim ten years later, but this isn't true. the c in "cafab" and "camab" has always stood for coercive & was created by trans women. it actually predates "amab/afab" which came later after people started dropping the C. you can argue all you want about the C being redundant but it wasn't added by intersex activists -- trans women created the terms to describe our experiences, and intersex people were like "hey this feels like it should apply to us too" and the trans women who created the term agreed.

i think it should go without saying, but anybody who is desperately trying to redefine well-established & well-known trans history into divisive revisionism should be not taken at face value

[bie-tch]

To celebrate my return from break (and to release my pent-up thoughts), I proudly present: Bie's ninja headcanons! 1 silly, 1 angsty LEZGO

Kai first!! (Because fucking duh have you seen my blog)

– Has a separate bathroom for all his skincare and haircare stuff. The team makes fun of him for it regularly, but whenever there's another time crunch mission or something extremely stressful in general, he always looks the best. Maybe some eyebags here and there, but other than that, he's glowing.

– His coping mechanism is self blame. Team falls apart? His fault. Mission accident? His fault. Ninja captured? His fault. Innocents hurt? His fault. His friends in actual fatal danger? HIS FAULT. He used to lash out at others because of this mindset, but now he just sits with himself while anxiously waiting for someone to tell him what to do (in fear of messing up things even more) it's what drove him to the sidelines during planning and battle, he's afraid his "reckless" attitude will jeopardize everything. (He doesn't acknowledge that he's gotten better. He doesn't acknowledge that most of his hotheadedness is a farce. He won't acknowledge that his fears are irrational.)

Zane aww the baby the dude the little awww

– Has been betrothed to Pixal for YEARS already. Like, shortly after s10. He saw Jays proposal, saw Pixal have a physical body, and it just clicked in his head that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with his other half. He was so touched that he spent hours sourcing the perfect yinyang pendant, planning everything to the tiniest, most insignificant detail, only for her to be the one to get down on one knee. He cried a little (a lot)

– Was so genuinely hurt and upset at the administration calling him "equipment." When he got back to the Monastery he instinctively tried to find his safe place (Pix), only for him to be absolutely crushed when he realized that she simply wasn't there. He drowned himself in analytics and background work simply because if he thought about it too much he'd have a breakdown. But he can't have that. He needs to find pixal, right?

Cole ceo of goober town

– Is an actual god at cooking now. Seriously, he can make anything taste Michelin quality with a handful of ingredients. He prefers baking, though, for obvious reasons.

– Was isolated from his peers while he was in school, solely because he fought a lot. Kids would run away from him, spread rumors, or try to avert his path on a daily basis. Faculty tried to contact his father whenever things would escalate, but he was too busy drowning in alcohol to pay attention to his sons education.

Nya!!!!

– Contrary to popular belief, Nya is absolutely a bigger hothead than Kai. On a bad day, you can sniffle, and she'd just go off on how unhygienic the monastery was and start spite-cleaning only for the others to offer to help out of pure fear. This is her way of getting out of chores. Kai is onto her but finds it so funny how everyone scrambles to keep her from exploding.

– Her first word was "Hungry." She knows this. When she asked Kai what her first word was out of curiosity, he lied and said it was "mom." She went to ignacia for a simple errand and that was when she found out. An old shopkeeper said he remembered a barely 4 year old girl with sunken cheeks point at his produce and babble "hnngry.. unggry." Now, when people ask what her first word was, she'll still say "Mom."

The Master of jig (Jay)

– LOVESSS his parents but hates to admit it. Not because he finds it embarrassing, but because his folks will not shut up about it even after months. He'll go, "Yknow I love you a lot, right ma, pa?" And they will throw a legitimate PARTY FOR IT. When the ninja found out about it, the teasing lasted for exactly 7 months.

– The only thing he remembers after the merge are calloused, wrinkly hands holding him like he's the most precious thing in the world. He doesn't know who, or why, but he's determined to find out.

Laloyd

– The softest, shiniest, bounciest hair you will ever feel. He has never touched a single hair product in his LIFE. It's been Kai's mission to ruffle that hair atleast twice a week ever since he did it back when they were younger.

– Has burned every single photo of him and his father together after the events of s10. Every time he's reminded of how much he aspired to be like him when he was younger he gets physically sick. He could never idolize someone like that. Who views lives like collateral damage. Never. Never again.

[hillbillyoracle]

🚩 Free/Cheap Ways to Prep 🚩

I see the misconception that it takes a lot of money to prep all the time. Which has always confused me. I got into prepping when I was completely broke. I started by slowly getting a 72 hour kit put together, buying a little extra pantry food each grocery trip, and taking classes when I could.

Below I've compiled a bunch of ways you can prep for free. Most of it is information oriented but a few are apps you can download and actions you can take to make an emergency situation a lot easier. This is US focused but many of these resources are accessible by and relevant to those outside of the US.

Heads up it's a long post. Pick whatever you're most interested in to start with. Get through what you can. No pressure.

Skywarn Training

Search for your local NWS station here then look for their Skywarn section.

I think Skywarn training is a great place for people to start. I've noticed most NWS stations have a version of Skywarn that can be taken online. The course teaches you about the major weather threats in your region, how to identify them, how to relay the information to your station if you can safely do so, and how to interpret information that your office puts out such as watches and warnings. It's really helpful. I just retook it recently and it was a great refresher course.

Unfortunately as budgets get cut, there's a possibility that this resource might go away so consider saving a copy for your reference and to give to others if you know how to do that (beyond the scope of what I can cover here).

Bonus: Establish your household's safe spots and evacuation plans and make sure everyone you live with knows them. If you live in a trailer, you should have a safe spot outside the trailer if you're able to get there and one in the trailer if you aren't able to leave in time (with the first being preferred). If you live in an apartment, find out what public storm shelters are available to you. If EF2+ tornadoes are possible, take cover in the most substantial shelter you can safely get to. If you're in a dorm or structured living environment, make sure you know their plans.

Stop the Bleed Course

Free course here

While having some equipment on hand can help, even responding to a person who's just gotten shot or suffered a deep wound with what you have on you is far far better than nothing at all. This course will take you through the basics of responding to bleeding and shock emergencies so you can improve a person's (including your own) chances of surviving. Super important course.

KIWIX - Offline Wikis

Website

Older tutorial

Newer tutorial

KIWIX is probably best known as the program that lets you store and access a fully offline copy of wikipedia for free. There are so many reasons you might want to do this; wikipedia has a bunch of well sourced medical and botanical and weather reference information that could be useful to you in an emergency or just when the internet has gone down.

But the nifty thing I like about it is that there are also other databases you can use with it as well like an iFixit one for repairing your devices.

Bonus: Collect resources for your phone and ereader as well. Here's a collection you can download for free but if you are inclined to sail the high seas, the world is your oyster in that regard. In addition to survival or informational resources, consider making sure you have some morale materials too. Having a comfort read or a comfort show in an emergency situation can be exceedingly helpful for staying calm. For high quality public domain ebooks check out Standard Ebooks.

Download Briar (Android Only)

Overview here

Briar is a peer-to-peer encrypted messenger that can be used completely offline. It is especially good for activists and those living under hostile surveillance but it's also a fantastic backup messaging app for emergencies - with a little set up required.

Why would you want something like this? There are a lot of use cases. Before we upgraded to Meshtastics, this was my nesting partner and my backup texting app for when the internet went down - which is does frequently where we live. If you have contacts set up before internet and/or cell signal goes down, this can be a way to communicate with those contacts.

Please keep in mind range matters. If they aren't very close by it will take substantially longer to get messages to and from people. But if they're reasonably close by, this can be a great Alternate or Contingency communication method in your PACE plan (short intro, longer intro).

Bonus: Learn more about what you can do to make your phone more private and secure. While most options are geared toward the Android ecosystem, there are things Apple users can do as well.

Download Offline Maps

Tutorial here

I would recommend Osmand for this. While Google Maps can store some offline maps, Osmand give you greater control. You can also use topographical and other maps with it as well.

Bonus: You can also get topo maps to download onto your laptop or phone without necessarily using them with another program. I suggest this if you decide to go with Google Maps for your offline maps as a backup. They can be a good thing to have digital and hard copies of.

Print a Reference Sheet

Reference sheet in video description here

Not much to say about this one. I have these printed in my various kits just as a back up. I have pulled them out and used them (mostly the sections on knots and first aid) a few times over the years but hopefully I'll never need to rely on them.

Compile and Print Out Your Contacts

Again, this one is pretty straight forward.

Go through your phone and anywhere else you keep contacts and list out their phone numbers at a minimum. Can be hand written or types up in a spreadsheet. Consider adding their email addresses and mailing addresses as well. I'd keep a copy in my wallet, behind my phone, in my car - really any place I can safely keep a piece of paper to reference.

In case this is found on you in an emergency where you're unresponsive, I'd consider also notating your basic medical information (allergies, medications, conditions, primary and secondary in-case-of-emergency contacts, primary doctor, etc) as well.

Note: if you're worried about getting detained and this info being used to hurt people you care about, I'd be careful about this one. Don't include addresses. Consider using symbols instead of names. Agree on security phrases with your contacts so anyone contacting them on your behalf can prove they're doing so with your permission.

Bonus: Get together with friends and family to come up with a PACE communication plan (short intro, longer intro). Include a copy of it with everyone's contact information in multiple place (hard copy and digital). Also, try to have digital and hard copies of recent photos of your family, friends, and pets in the event that you need to establish a search for them.

Take an Insurance Video

If you have renter's, home, or car insurance, make sure you update your insurance videos/photos at least once or twice a year.

I'm having some trouble finding a decent tutorial of it, but basically you want to have some proof of what you own and what condition it is in in the event you need to file a claim on in of it. The easiest way to do this in a home is to turn on your phone camera and slowly walk around the home trying to make sure you capture as much of it as possible and then walk in through the front door and video each room, making sure you have video proof of some of the larger purchases like TVs, laptops, phones, kitchen equipment, washer/dryer, etc. The same basic principle applies to your car.

No all insurance claims will require it but it's very nice to have in the event you need it and doesn't take much time to make and save in a few spots.

Digitize and Encrypt Important Documents

Info here

Not something I've finished doing yet but it is absolutely worth doing. Fires can burn up original copies. Having some way to prove you are who you are is really important, especially for receiving service after a disaster. Encrypting it is so key though so I wouldn't put this together without that component personally.

Learn Some Skills with What You Have

or ask on your freecycle/mutual aid group; or pick it up cheap

There's really too many of these to list but here are some places to start:

Learn to mend you clothes

Learn to tie some helpful knots

Make a penny stove with a aluminum can

Learn some basic first aid

Learn how to use a map and compass

Free ham radio exam study materials

Take some FEMA classes

Bookmark Helpful Websites

Some of these websites are less useful than they used to be given interference from the current administration but they are, at present, better than nothing.

Your local NWS station

Storm Prediction Center - Convective Outlook

Storm Prediction Center - Mesoscale Discussions

AIrNow - AQI monitoring

USGS - Latest Earthquakes

NOAA - Tsunami Warnings

NIFC - Wildfire Monitoring

WHO - Health Emergency Dashboard

CDC - Outbreak Information

US Food Recalls

PMC19 - Weekly COVID Monitoring*

Bonus: consider following your NWS station's IEM bot on Twitter, Bluesky, or Mastodon (use Ctrl+F then type your three letter station code). An NWS bot is also available for Discord servers (works best in regional or private discord servers).

*Quick note: Since solid info on protecting yourself from and treating COVID can be hard to find I'm including some here. Get to know the five pillars of prevention here. Instructions for cheap(ish) DIY air purifier here. If you need masks, check out r/Masks4All for recommendations/where to buy them and maskbloc.org if you need free ones. Info on to what you can do to protect yourself even if others in your house aren't COVIDing is here. Info on what to do if you catch COVID here.

I think I'm going to cut myself off there for now. There are so many more ways you can prep for free or cheap too so maybe I'll do a part two some time. I hope this gives you a jumping off point. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do what I can to help!

[beeari]

Talking about platonic Jalph!!

The human is, as many animals are, a social creature. Since the beginning of humanity we have worked in groups to ensure survival. Even to the most introverted people establishing connections with other people is primordial, and to a child that is in a stage when is developing a sense of identity on its own having it’s fundamental for the normative development of said child's psyche.

Both Ralph and Jack are at their age in a stage classified as early teenagehood. A stage where kids start to gain a sense of identity and start drifting from their families and prioritizing their relationships with their equals.

The first time they meet Ralph takes a very judgmental approach towards Jack, calling him ugly. This is interesting cause it’s common for individuals to attribute bad qualities to people we consider unattractive and not want to associate with them, however since the beginning Ralph seems interested in Jack, most likely because he sees how Jack has power over the choir and, in the context, he has similar power, it’s only natural that people with similar status to want to associate with one another and that’s how their relationship starts, as two kids that have power above the rest.

This dynamic however seems to change when they climb the mountain together they already start forming a friendship, as kids of the age are more likely to consider better friends those who they do most activities with, and it seems that what i’m guessing are the first few weeks it could be theorized the time they aren’t tending to their duties they spend a fair amount of it together. Using the example of the scene where before Jack hunts the first pig, when coming back to the tribe, goes to talk to Ralph, check how the shelter building is going. This scene follows the two having a conversation, and while it is normal for the two kids that have taken the role of leaders to discuss the problems they are having regarding issues that affect them all, Is curious how the very first thing Jack does is go talk to Ralph.

Ralph's admiration towards Jack is no secret if you’ve read the book, but is it reciprocated? Does Jack hold him to at least a similar standard? The most common reason why two kids get into a conflict is because of issues of power in a group, feeling like he has the right to more power was what mainly led Jack to drifting from Ralph's tribe.

But just desiring a higher status than Ralph is not motivation enough for wanting him dead, and you could argue that at this point Jack was probably reaching some level of disconnection from reality, and while that could be true, there’s something else that could be a determining factor on the pure hatred he develops towards Ralph.

“Favour piggy like you always do”

There are studies show that the feeling of being left out can lead to conduct of aggression, and feeling rejected by a close friend is something that for a twelve year old that doesn’t know about emotional regulation is devastating, “like you always do” implies that in Jacks eyes to Ralph Piggy is a bigger priority, that he is going to prefer Piggy, someone he deems as inferior, over him.

We don’t get enough time of these two alone to really determine how deep the platonic connection this they had, but for what we can see they at least seemed to garner an admiration towards each other, and it’s a shame they never get to actually talk their issues without one of them being almost hunted..

Golding has absolutely no idea about how a child's mind actually works, so this falls flat as he probably wrote the scenes of those two without considering the psychological implications. I’m no expert on the topic either and it's been a while since the last time I read the book but child social development is one topic that fascinates me and all my claims are backed with sources that I can provide if anyone wants me to.

I'm sorry if this is messy and probably doesn't make much sense but I we all agree someone needs to bring the topic to the table.

[icar-x]

imagine being someone who has repressed himself all his life, someone who never had a safe space to BE himself, someone who could never feel.

you become a father at 19, you enlist to the military, go on a tour, come back and find out that your son needs medical attention and you can’t afford it so you reenlist and your wife gets rightfully angry that you didn’t tell her. on the second tour, you get shot and you get honorably discharged, go back home to your son. you try to make it work with tour wife but too much time has passed and you don’t know each other anymore. she leaves. you’re left raising your son alone for years.

you make an impromptu decision to move to California. you move there, pass the firefighter academy, and meet the people who you’ll start to call your family. your “chosen family.”

but apart from everything else, you meet a Buck. a Buck who’s going to be there for every single thing that happens and who will take care of you and your son like it’s his only salvation. you meet a Buck and you instantly become each other’s person. you have saved each other too many times for you to be just best friends.

you put Buck in your will so that if something happens to you, he takes guardianship of your son, because “there’s no one in the world you trust with your son more than Buck.”

years later, life happens and you have to move back to your origin—to your enemy. you have to say goodbye to everything you have loved and go away for your son.

month’s later, you and your son still in El Paso, everything else you love in LA.

one night you get a call at the middle of the night that your captain, someone you grew to love like a father, one of the most important people in your life—has died. you muffle your screams and cries so your son doesn’t get traumatized again and you break. your survivors guilt already crawling itself back into you.

you go back to LA for the funeral and your Buck comes to get you at the airport. the funeral is done but you just can’t leave again because you haven’t managed to reach Buck yet. for the first time in 7 years, Buck is unreachable. and you want to reach him—you want to grieve together. you want Buck to have your back again, but more than anything, you’re worried Buck doesn’t have his own back anymore.

you want comfort from Buck but you don’t know how to ask for it so you retort to being mean and hoping he will react; Buck does the same thing. you say things you don’t mean, but alas, Buck isn’t there. for the first time in 7 years, you feel alone.

but you also know that just like you, Buck is grieving a loss so big he doesn’t know where to put himself. so you call your son in the middle of the night and tell him to come back to LA. not to apologize to Buck, but to let him know that you ARE there. you have been waiting for Buck. you know Buck misses having a family, so you order your own and enlist them to make Buck realize he is a part of your family.

you want to tell your Buck ��I needed you. I still need you. I will continue needing you,” but you have never known how to make it easier for yourself so you shut up and hope Buck gets it. because Buck has always gotten it up until now, but now, things have changed. and that scares you shitless.

imagine all that. imagine how it would feel to realize you’re losing your only source of safety, of selfish love, of devotion.

would you not act out? would you not try to grab him by the shoulders and hope he understands from your eyes that you need him? after you have lost so much, so constantly, would you also not get terrified of being alone in the world and losing your Buck even before the ground swallows him? because I would.

[angelic-oath]

(referencing this: https://www.tumblr.com/angelic-oath/783494139338768384/hey-so-if-you-think-its-fair-to-spread-disrespect?source=share)

lmao templates are a resource, hate comments are not

apologies for not getting to this sooner, it got drowned out with all the requests

i agree! templates are a resource, one of which many people use. i don't see the point in gatekeeping resources, especially since a lot of the time you'll find heaps of templates that look similar. it's just a waste of time, honestly. how are you going to enforce it? most of the time they don't even know when an endo uses their resources.

hell, i've used anti-endo resources, because they're exactly that. RESOURCES.

i may get hate again for this but antis, think first before you tell a teenager online they're fat and a slur. it's basic human decency i fear 👍 i don't owe you shit, it's not my job to prove my existence to you

[fishymom-art]

HELLO!! tis wonderful to be in the ask box with an oc design again :]

this is Rose Water Cookie!! the other holder of Sanctified Powder's (Celestial Powder but corrupt) Soul Jam. His kingdom is on the coast, so I wanted to go with some lighter clothing, and some sandals, since he'd be around sand a lot. I got the idea from my friends in vc when i was banging my head against the wall to go for a swimsuit-esque look, so I think I'll be doing that for the normal citizens and such. It'd be really neat for them to just have their own themed swimsuits, like some have butterfly themed ones, some have flower themed ones, some have plain ones, etc. Someone on the Discord server also gave me the idea to give him bioluminescent hair like some oceans at nighttime!! Anyways, his character! Hes the Holder of Redemption, believing that anyone and everyone can change if they truly desire it, and truly try to achieve it. He first learned of this philosophy when one of his biggest bullies in school became one of his lifelong friends, the first citizen of his kingdom, and his first captain. (He's passed on by now, but its fiiiine, Rose is fine :]) I don't know how he got his Soul Jam yet, but I'd like to think that it had something to do with some sort of threat to Crispia, and he continuously tried to reach out to said source of danger, offering friendship, not stifling them in redemption. Just friendship. Not wanting them to think that he saw them as a project or anything. No matter if others told him that it was dangerous, or that he shouldn't be doing something so pointless. He kept on going. Eventually, this plan worked, and the threat was neutralized. He's kind of like PV in the sense that he Has No Enemies. Someone who once tried to usurp his throne is now his most loyal advisor, and royal wizard. (And crush,,, Peppercorn,,,) He's very kind, gentle, and will always listen if you need an ear. But he's also not weak, being a decently powerful summoner in the support class, and not being naive, either. He'll be able to tell if your lying to him, or just being fake. He also has a bad habit of overworking himself, especially nowadays after his story chapters, mainly out of guilt. The other Ancients, and Peppercorn, have tried to get him out of this habit, but to no avail.

Speaking of story chapters! Very proud of this story. Basically, after PV seemed to sacrifice himself, Rose crashed out. Especially after hearing about everything else going on in the world, and everything with his dearest friends. He couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone else. So, he devised a plan. He threw a celebration one day, and everyone was invited. Everyone got a day off. Some were confused as to why he was throwing a celebration Now of all times, but didn't question it. Everyone was happy, everyone was joyous. And so, that's when he cast a spell that put the kingdom in a bubble, and into a timeloop of that day. Of that one, joyous day. (I was originally gonna bs something about him finding a spell to do it, but then I realized that Golden Cheese literally made an Entire virtual city with the power of her Soul Jam, so I. kinda thought that wasn't necessary. /silly) And he himself, he replaced with a body double, who was essentially an empty puppet that just acted like him, and was put into an almost eternal slumber, reliving his happiest memories.

To make a long story short, the puppet was told to do anything at all to keep this time loop going and keep people none the wiser, but Peppercorn immediately caught on that this puppet wasn't Rose, no, he knew him too well. (fruity,,,) But the puppet kicked Peppercorn out of the loop, sending him out to the world in the middle of the war. Peppercorn is really strong, and damn stubborn, so he managed to survive. He also found an amulet that allowed him to stay crispy, and not die of old age, so he could find a way to save Rose, and the kingdom. He eventually got in contact with Pure Vanilla when he found out he was Back and Alive, and so after some shenanigans, PV, DC, GC, and Hollyberry got Rose and the kingdom out of the loop. Many were bitter, of course, but were thankful to not be in the war anymore, and knew he had good intentions. Some left the kingdom, which he would never blame them for, but he's working towards making the kingdom better, safer, and reinstating it in this era. But he will never, ever get over the guilt of what he did, no matter his intentions. The Paragon of Redemption still doesn't see Himself worthy of redemption. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this essay on my ancient oc!! I also have some stuff on his Beast Yeast chapter, like Powder literally just using global warming on his kingdom to get him to come to Beast Yeast, and putting him on trial for everything he's done, but he learns to move on from what he did when he awakens. I'm not sure who I'll be working on yet, maybe Peppercorn or one of the Cherry's? But I hope you enjoy this for now :] (It took a lot of banging my head against the wall /pf)

YIPPEEEEEEEEE ELAUEHDLGIAUEHLGIAUEHLGIAUE I LOVE IT!!!!!

[ckret2]

Ooh, these are some good points.

I discounted the gods that took out the black mass because we don't know enough about how they did what they did. Is their ability to destroy the mass inherent in their weapons, or is it from them and channeled through the weapons? If the gods are the source of the power, then even if Bill stole their weapons, it wouldn't help him against Aku.

(And I tend to think Bill isn't on the power level of a ~*GOD*~ god, but that's honestly speculation. All we know for certain is that in a competition against Time Baby, Bill's 1 win, 1 loss; and as far as we see he never tries to take on the Axolotl. We don't know how how any of them measure up against "traditional" human gods like Odin or Rama.)

I feel like "Bill threatens the multiverse, Aku threatens Earth" is a better reflection of their ambitions than their abilities. Bill threatens the multiverse because he happens to live in a nexus between universes where he's capable of peeking into different universes and bullying/manipulating people—and because he wants to do that. But from that nexus his influence is limited to what he can accomplish with charisma and possession (and we don't know how high-tier an entity he can mind control. We know he can't mind control Time Baby).

Within the Nightmare Realm... even with his ability to alter reality, it's possible for the cops to arrest him while he's drunk. And once he's arrested, he can't break out until the Henchmaniacs come for him.

My personal belief is that it's the unique conditions he set up for Weirdmageddon that somehow gave Bill nigh-omnipotence within Gravity Falls; within the Nightmare Realm, while powerful, perhaps god-tier powerful, he's not omnipotent. (He's not powerful enough to just open a portal by himself.)

I tend to think that when Bill boasts about what he can do, he's inclined to brag about the most extreme, outer limits of his capabilities when everything lines up perfectly and he gets lucky as hell.

Like, he claims he's eaten gods, as if that means he's more powerful than gods—but also Ford's said that one time he accidentally ate a planet thinking it was a sandwich, so who knows what kind of circumstances let Bill eat a god? So when Bill makes big claims we can't really tell how much we've actually learned about his potential without the full context.

Aku, on the other hand—honestly I think he's a threat to only Earth because he only wants to be a threat to Earth. When the dogs talk about Earth's history, they describe Aku trying to get the rest of the galaxy's riches by opening Earth's borders and waiting for them to come in—rather than going out to conquer other places. He seems like he spends 99% of his time in his fortress. Dude's a total homebody. We have no idea how far he could spread his influence if he wanted to spread his influence. All we really know about his upper limit of power is that, whatever it is, it doesn't include the power to remotely pop Jack's head like a grape. or beat up elemental guardians lmao.

So we can't compare their power based on their areas of influence.

Using it to compare their drive is valid though. You're right, Bill's ambitious and tenacious and stubborn as hell and Aku goes "ah, whatever, I'm going to bed and hoping my foe dies while I'm asleep." I voted Aku as the winner on the assumption that this is a scenario where they have to fight until one of them is rendered incapable of continuing to fight. But if there's a "you can run home like a little bitch but it means you lose" option, then as soon as Bill gets sufficiently annoying, Aku's going "¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I'm a little bitch, byeee"

Now, this—

#honestly it would probably come down to who's feeling the stupidest and egotistical that day

This is the truest thing lmao this is what's really gonna determine the fight. Which one of these arrogant idiots got too cocky first.

since my original argument was in the tags i should post it again here for reference:

#(contemplating this very goddamn question is what made my hyperfixation switch from gravity falls to samurai jack RIP) #(my vote is aku for this reason: bill is utterly incapable of wielding the one thing able to defeat aku for good.) #(bill's kill condition is also complicated BUT it involves a weapon that doesn't do a morality check before firing.) #(plus other weapons can potentially take him out & there's a variety of magical & science fictional ways to banish/contain him.) #(aku? if you don't have the sword or aren't good enough to wield it then the best you can do is hope the gods pity you and beat him for you #(there ARE other things that can defeat aku—although not keep him down—but like... they can't STOP him.) #(given their respective power sets i feel like the winner wouldn't be decided by trading blows but by a magical arms race—) #(—to find an artifact or ritual or whatever that can take the other out before the other finds a way to counter it.) #(they each have to find a way around the powers/invulnerabilities that come from being a 'being of pure energy'/'being of pure evil') #(and if it comes to a magical arms race: i feel like aku's got the edge again.) #(bill takes longer to pick up new tricks or identify personal vulnerabilities he needs to compensate for.) #(hex him so he can't enter your town and he's BANISHED. on the other hand the first thing we learn about aku is he's called a 'wizard'.) #(he's proactive about eliminating threats. not proactive ENOUGH where jack is concerned but more proactive than bill is.) #(but the real factor that decides who would win is: is this crossover comic being written by a disney writer or a cartoon network writer?) #(kong beats godzilla in a japanese movie and godzilla beats kong in an american movie. that's just courteous.)

[teardropsonmyheartstrings]

I Think Fortnight Is About To Ruin Our Lives…

Hello, lovely people!

I come to you with a possible solution for the recent This Love mystery!

If you've been following this at all...

... you will remember, that there's some funny business going on with the song This Love, featured on the default playlist of the Stationhead app's official Swifties channel. It's usually truncated, but very occasionally plays in full, which can be considered a special, perhaps even meaningful event.

Very recently, this happened:

On April 24th (ET), the full version of This Love played 6 times, before the short version took over again. 

On April 28th (ET)--a Monday, btw-- an alternating pattern between short and long versions began, which would last for a FORTNIGHT (=14 days).

I’m not sure, If I’ve fully solved the riddle, but I’ve found an angle, that I find most compelling, especially in light of other evidence I sourced from this very same playlist. 

6 x Long on April 24th

6 x Long, with short versions in between, which I’m currently ignoring

9 x Long in a row, interrupted by 6x Short, followed by 6 x Long

6 x Long with short versions in between, which I’m also ignoring

My main takeaways...

9 and 6 in the "middle" stand out as the longest Long streaks by far.

The number 6 is very important. It may indicate June (which also is pride month), but may also link to Reputation TV, OR TS 12, if you add up the 6 accumulated Ls on both sides of the "main event". I’M NOT CLAIMING either. I’m just observing.  

If you look up “Taylor Swift, September 6th”, you won’t find much. On the other hand, if you look up June 9th… Oh, boy!

The most significant find: Surprise songs. 

-> June 9th 2023, Detroit:

Haunted & I Almost Do

-> June 9th 2024, Edinburgh:

It’s Nice To Have Dorothea & Haunted/ Exile

Let me dissect that further:

It’s Nice To Have Dorothea is about as gay as it gets

Haunted was played on BOTH June 9th occasions, the second time as a mashup with Exile.

Haunted was also mashed up with Exile in Sydney (February 25th)

These all seem to be very significant songs.

Looking at the playlist itself...

This is only a small section of the 3hr 3min, 47 song playlist, but it seems the most interesting part.

Fortnight

May or may not be the first song of the playlist, but I’m looking at this section as starting with Fortnight. Please bear with me…

Fortnight = 14 days

The transmission of the main part of the This Love code lasted a FORTNIGHT.

It concluded a FORTNIGHT before the AMAs on May 26th.

The June 9th date I suggested here, is a FORTNIGHT after the AMAs.

All Mondays, btw... Could that be related to the Fortnight lyrics?

Guilty as Sin?

Track 9 on TTPD

Runtime 4:41 = 9

6th song in this section

Bad Blood

Was on Eras set list, BUT Feat. Kendrick is the MV version… we all know what that looked like…

Florida!!!

3 x ! ! ! —> 3s seem important on here (~3hr run time of playlist, etc)

Do I really have to spell out how IMPORTANT this song feels for what's to come?! Maybe thats why it has exclamation marks in the name!!!

Enchanted 

Track 14 on this section of the playlist -> maybe a Fortnight reference?

Track 9 on Speak Now

3 tracks after Florida with the three ! ! ! 

Lavender Haze

I don’t need to tell you how brutally gay this song is…

22

Always seemed the odd one out to me, but let's look at it this way:

Track 6 on Red

6th track after Florida!!!

Look at the Spotify clip. It’s the reverse portion of the end of the I Bet You Think About Me music video. Which makes NO sense with the context of the song. But makes quite a bit more sense when you look at the evidence presented here.

Gorgeous

One of our gay anthems 

Runtime 3:29 (3x2= 6 & 9)

This Love

Immediately after Gorgeous with the 6 and 9 reference in the runtime

9th track after Enchanted

Usually skips after a few seconds (ca. 38sec)

Has been fluctuating between shortened and full version, which was the main giveaway that something is fishy here 

Fearless

Runtime 4:01

Same numerals as This Love with 4:10

OG/SV version, which makes you stop and question

OG version reminds me of the “We Are Fearless” mirror incident  

ICDIWABH

Runtime 3:38

Angel imagery in end pose, also used on single cover, and the single cover is the one used on Stationhead

14 (Fortnight reference?) tracks after Florida!!!

seven

very gay coded

could be about failed coming out (“I peaked at seven"—> Lover album, when Taylor might have been closest to coming out)

There’s a lot more to say about almost each and every song on this playlist, but I’ll leave it at this, before it gets all too confusing and the actual point gets lost. Only one last thing:

Just to be thorough...

This is the complete default playlist. Since it loops, we can't be certain of the actual beginning, but I found Fortnight to be a compelling starting point.

Which makes me think...

IF Fortnight really is the first track… then You’re Losing Me is the very last song. Let’s hope what all we stand to lose is the persona, the farce, the perfect girl—all in exchange for a happier, more authentic Taylor. 

[ongreenergrasses]

hey I hope you're having a good day! I really enjoyed the latest chapter of Serafina and it's made me wonder how you imagine Career training in d4 to work? Like what does that process look like, and what aspects of the Career mindset felt most important to include while writing?

I feel like we don't get a lot of info in canon on why the Careers volunteer/why those programs exist (besides Katniss's basic explanation of honor and fame) so do you have any thoughts on why d4 trains kids to begin with?

loving the story! <3

hi!! day is going well, new chapter is up so I felt it was a good time to hit this ask 💜 thank you for your kind words and I’m so glad you’re enjoying!

I think for me the most important thing to include in terms of the mindset was that these kids believe they’re protecting the less fortunate with their volunteering, and they don’t see that as a sacrifice, necessarily. they see this as them supporting and helping their district by removing such an oppressive source of fear and having better odds for a win which will make sure the district’s fed and as comfortable as they can be for another year. the terms they’re fed around it are duty, honor, and service, which is why those come up a lot when the kids talk about it, but that’s what’s the underlying feeling and motivation. they justify everything they do by seeing it as protecting their people, who they see as inherently vulnerable, and simultaneously doing a service to their country (especially when it comes to their sacking/murdering “criminals” as part of training). so the propaganda element and mindset was to me the most important part, that was why I pulled out specific events that showed Annie’s interiority and the depth of her indoctrination in the last chapter.

In terms of why 4 trains kids to begin with, I think they approach it from a much more service oriented mindset than 1 and 2 do. I hc 4 to have a more collectivist culture, and while I think the desire for glory and representing the district well absolutely comes into it, I think training by the time Finnick and Annie come around is based in that idea to protect and serve their people. (yes, this is very akin to the mentality in the military. that was intentional.) as for how training started, I’m sure that the goal was to just keep kids alive. I think it started to take on a life of its own and become more grounded in moral ideals sometime around the first Quell, after the atrocity that was having those kids voted in. I think that Quell was very eye opening and the trainers in 4 would’ve seen the fact of the other districts probably sending in the weakest kids, as opposed to 4 sending in prepared kids, as an indication of how 4 protects its people and they would start to spin that as an honorable thing - because in a twisted way, it is.

(Fun fact. In my head, Robin, Annie’s mentor, is the victor of the first Quell.)

I would talk about the process of training but this ask would get enormously long if I did, so maybe I’ll make a separate post about it, lol. thank you for reading!

[dearmyloveleys]

Ever since it was confirmed that Si-eun and Su-ho were actually in love, reactions online — especially on TikTok — have been really mixed. Some people are happy about it, while others seem disappointed or try to downplay it, saying their bond was just platonic or a strong friendship. I even saw someone say it was “stupid” and just fanservice.I’m honestly confused. Didn’t the director say something about them playing it like a melodrama? it’s been years since I first watched the series. Back then, I shipped them so hard, and I was so excited when Season 2 came out.Now that I’ve rewatched it ( as i got older), I’ve started noticing all the subtle queer undertones — like that moment when Su-ho was in the hospital after he got hurt. He said, “What is this feeling?” and then added something like, “The way you talk, move, your face — it makes me cringe.”. It felt like he was overwhelmed by feelings he didn’t quite understand. Or " were we married "The way the camera focuses on Si-eun watching Su-ho with so much quiet attention… it felt intimate. Romantic, even. Like a quiet kind of awe.And then that last scene where he opens the door before saying " see you tommorow. It didn't feel platonic at all Sorry, I’m rambling. I’m just trying to make sense of all these😭

Hihi~ No worries we're all not normal about shse in this house HA 🙂‍↕️ (lmao im gonna answer you like an essay review dont mind me)

Online reactions to SHSE being canon: Yes i've seen a fair bit of online public being upset over it too. I'm afraid this is a very common reaction to any queer ships in fandoms these days (wenclair from Wednesday, jayvik from Arcane etc). When aziracrow from Good Omens was confirmed canon in the show with a whole kiss scene, a lot of first reactions were downright hateful. The public had the same reaction to SHSE being canon: Why did they have to make them gay/queer? Can't they remain close friends? The source material did not dictate this -> All of these were said even though the co-author of the Good Omens novel and showrunner of the series, Neil Gaiman (bleugh another story) greenlit aziracrow's relationship being romantic. Sounds familiar? Bet.

Back to WHC, whatever the public's reasons are, we cannot dispute words said by the cast and directors. We can read a lot of their interviews as ambiguous, but what the director says in the WHC2 play-by-play review "(수호) 시은이의 첫사랑", literally and simply means, "(Suho) is Sieun's first love". I cannot make this shit up and I have a conversant grasp of Korean. I've gotten used to and tired of to this portion of public, which in turn is pretty fucking tiring as a queer.

Queer undertones in WHC: BET. Queer overtones, in fact. I think everyone who watches it and feels that SHSE are more than friends, have different interpretations of how they came to be. The most important aspect is that all paths still lead to the conclusion that they love each other romantically and platonically. The parts you point out, they are valid evidence! So valid they're used in every SHSE edit out there. Though, I especially agree with you on the "see you tomorrow" sequence. There is just too much tension in the air to wave it off. The way they're looking at each other is so contradicted with pain and sacrifice specific to the flavour of love, all for the sake of protecting each other.

Conclusion:

We can't ship fictional characters anymore because we're making them gay even if the directorial board says they'll start tonguing each other in the next episode. Homophobia and allergic to fun, really.

And wrt fanservice, as someone online that's snarkier than I am said in a response/comment: Yes and I'm the fan being serviced. Keep this party going.

Amen 🙏

[ihaznoclue]

Ellen Joe , Grace howard, and Koleda belabog with a boyfriend who's clumsy and hyperactive. Though, he switches up when it comes to either fighting or keeping his girlfriend safe. Then he's weirdly hyper competent and dangerously fast. The thing is, he's got no idea he's doing it that and thinks it's normal or just the power of love lol

Pairings -> Ellen Joe x Male Reader, Grace Howard x Male Reader, Koleda Belobog x Male Reader

Warnings -> None

Note -> Reader is clumsy and hyperactive but switches side when trying to fight or keep his girlfriend safe from danger

Genre -> Fluff

ELLEN JOE

Ellen is quiet and mysterious but you are respectfully the opposite of her in the best way

She often find your mid chaos moments as you try to balance a plate on your head causing Lycaon to scold you for breaking it

Your hyper enegery makes her blink slowly as she watches something confusing but entertaining

She would sometimes record you

Yout ripped over your own shoelace after her saying so many times to tie it up

But when she saw you the first time going to full combat stance in front of her

You were protecting her even though she can take care of herself

But you were so fast she couldn't keep up with you

Until you were beside her once again and you acted like nothing happened as you then went back to adjusting your shirt and asked if she was cold in her maid outfit

She is still trying to process as she says nothing but later on, when you two are alone she is still trying to think about what the fuck happened back there

GRACE HOWARD

Grace can be the same , so two chaos people together can cause so much thing to happen in one sitting

But she did think you were just a bouncy, goofy guy she met

You broke three of her machines which was impossible for her to brake

You even asked if you could help but broke it even more

But once your on a mission in a hollow, you change instantly

You moved with such movement that made her more impressed with you

And you used a wrench as a weapon that you took for her

then you were done as you went back to Grace, dusting off yourself as you said 'That thing was massive, you okay gracey?'

Her thought of you flipped, you confused her so much

Now she tries to study you and your combat skills

KOLEDA BELOBOG

Koleda is tough and passionate about her stuff but doesn't really have much patience for nonsense which makes you both her biggest headache and her favourite source of entertainment when she bored

You tried to impress her many times but failed, landing yourself on the floor as you faceplant

Koleda would just huff calling you a 'clown' sometimes of how clumsy you were at times

You get hurt in the most stupidest ways 'How the hell did you sprain your wrist while peeling an orange!?'

But you snap into fight mode when there's danger and she is stunned

During a mission that has gone sideways, you fought with an Ethereal making it collapse

She's obsessed with you more now and she thinks your badass when fighting

She also gives you the nickname of 'kill switcher' playfully though

-A<3

[sparkletastic-cookiedough]

The worst part about polling is that I’m rarely able to answer simple questions with simple answers. Hence why I wrote an entire essay about your question instead.

This post has some vague spoilers for Yellowjackets Season 1, but it’s honestly so vague I’d struggle to call it a spoiler. I list a few examples of media where people die, but I do it in such vague terms that nothing is actually said.

My reaction to death in media really depends. A lot of my favorite fics are all very comedic, and would use an unexpected death as a source for a lot of jokes. Macabre humor, very Addams family style. I wouldn’t care much, and the character might even come back as a ghost later in the story.

I don’t think that’s quite what you’re asking about.

Death is a complicated thing when it comes to writing. It’s the ultimate tragedy, it’s the ending of a character’s journey.

Written poorly, death feels arbitrary. It feels like something that happened because the author ran out of ideas.

(I have to confess to using death to cut a story short, but that was for a class project that had a due date. I simply couldn’t spend another fifty hours working on the project, there wasn’t time for that).

Used well, death feels purposeful. It can wreck you emotionally. A death can be the entire point of the work, written into fate from the moment the characters were first on the page.

Sometimes, though, a death isn’t the best option for dramatic effect. There are many tales of tragedy or horror that end on fates far worse than death. Orpheus doesn’t die at the end of Hadestown, but I am still wrecked by his fate. Some of the most haunting episodes of Twilight Zone end in a purgatory of endless suffering.

When it comes to Ao3, I don’t usually go for longer works that focus on slow-burn drama. That’s not my cup of tea. For my beloved handful of longer dramatic pieces I am subscribed to, the death of a major supporting character would be a step of growth for the main character. I’d be intrigued on how the author intends to write through the process of grief.

It feels almost instinctual for a writer to place a death at the end of a story- death can be more interesting placed at the beginning or somewhere in the middle. Does a characters death mark raising stakes (Yellowjackets S1E10 does this really well, but it’s also a plot point in most slasher horror films.)? Perhaps it’s the inciting incident for a revenge plot (I’m pretty sure this is the plot of John Wick, but I haven’t seen it). Perhaps it’s the death of the home they once knew, giving them no choice but to journey in a different direction (Star Wars, Lion King). Perhaps the death of a companion is the consequence of a main characters foolishness, a permanent reminder to not make the same mistakes again (this is in a book about wizards, I just can’t remember what it’s called right now. It’s also Yellowjackets S1E10). That last one is a bit delicate. The entire point is that the death is preventable, which might be aggravating for people.

Naturally, some people may not like media that features death. Some people might not like intense dramatic stakes. I’m one of these people sometimes. After a long day at work, I don’t want the emotional stress of being absolutely wrecked by tragedy.

If I’m in that mood, I don’t seek out content that would come near featuring death. I read fluffy comedies. It would be a massive tone shift to have a death played seriously in any sort of fluffy comedy piece- imagine if Phineas and Ferb had Candice die. That would break the plot. The piece would probably have to shift forever, no longer able to continue like those deaths didn’t happen. It would take a lot of good writing to return to a fluffy comedy after a death. It’s possible- the Simpsons has had multiple deaths- but it would be nearly impossible if it’s a major character (which is why they can’t kill off Homer Simpson).

No one is paying you to write fanfiction. You don’t have to conform to any sort of expectations. If you want to kill off every character to make a point, then do it. Who cares what your audience thinks? You’re making art. Sometimes the purpose isnt just to make people happy. Sometimes, characters have to die. Sacrifice your characters for the art.

[loveletterworm]

Why does the deltarune wiki not have any kind of transcript or at least gallery for the spamton qna answers from the sweepstakes...Those are trapped on twitter and not clearly archived on a site that should logically archive them in some manner...because its a wiki...