#it's a flipping cliffhanger. he put us on a cliffhanger

[q-starhalo]

...... BadBoyHalo. When I catch you. WHEN I CATCH YOU.

[changisworld]

“Just don’t tell her”

Stepdad!Binnie x reader

Word count:6,809

Summary: You don’t get along with your mom since her & your fathers divorce since she cheated on him but luckily you got an easy escape when college rolled around. It’s now summer break & you head home, mostly to gather a few more of your things but also to use the pool in your childhood home’s backyard but you got more than you bargained for when you seen your moms new, younger boyfriend.

MDNI, 18+ only, smut warnings below the cut.

©ANY translation, copy & paste, posting of my work is strictly forbidden for ANY posts/ writing i post.

main masterlist here

SMUT WARNINGS; Age gap (27 & 20), infidelity, bulge kink, size kink, manhandling, slightly public groping, praise, oral (69),ball sucking, nipple play, spit, cumming on ass, marking, fingering, sweet binnie, soft sex tbh, multiple orgasms,binnie is TTTHIIICCKKK, fluffy/ cliffhanger ending??

You drop the suitcase in front of your childhood home's front door & sigh as you stretch, feeling 30lbs lighter since you're no longer lugging around half your wardrobe. You grumble randomly to yourself as you dig through your handbag & get your key out of the zip up pocket & unlocking the door. You swing the heavy door open & you're immediately welcomed by the same smell you've always remembered. You push your suitcase into the main hallway & you dump it on the floor before shutting the door, letting out a sigh of relief. You step over it as you kick off your shoes as you scurry to the kitchen almost instantly to get a drink, feeling as dry as sand from the heat & the absolute workout you just did.

You gulp down a glass of water & you hiccup as you finish it. You take a look around the kitchen, looking at the slight differences since last time you were here. You admire the room as you slowly walk around it, looking at some new pictures that you noticed your mom has put up. You touch the frames as you walk pas them, most of them being photos of you but one catches your eye.. A guy.. with his arm around your mom?? Your eyebrows frown as you take it off the wall, getting a better look at it. "Mom? Where the hell are you?" You shout across the house, waving the photo frame in your hand. You hear the patio doors open behind you & you flip around, already word vomiting. "Are you serious? who the fu" You cut yourself off as you see that the person who has just opened the glass door isn't your mom, but instead, the guy in the picture.

"Ah, your mom is at some sort of meeting right now, she won't be back till later, guessing you're her daughter?" The guy says, seeming un-phased, resting his muscular arm on the doorframe in just his swimming trunks, having a slight smell of sunscreen on his body which you can't help but admire a bit. "Eh yeah? not to be rude or anything but who the hell are you n why are you on the walls n at my pool?" you ask, eyes moving back to the picture as you hold it out for him to see, eyebrows raised. "Ooooh, I'm Changbin, your moms new boyfriend, nice to mee'cha" he gives you a cute smile which would make you melt if he hadn't just said the words he said. You stumble over yourself for a few seconds, trying to understand what he just said to you. 'Him? Your moms boyfriend? How the hell did she manage that? How old is this guy?' are all things that almost slip from your lips. "Boyfriend? How old even are you? You look my age?" You question him, all the sass in your voice now gone, confusion being all that's now left. He laughs at the look on your face as he walks over to you & gently takes the photoframe out of your hands before walking to where you took it off the wall & placing it back in its original place. "That's a compliment i won't forget seeing since you're.. what, twenty or something? I'm twenty seven. The age gap is a bit crazy since your mom is fifty one soon but we just clicked. You home for summer vacation or something? She didn't mention you were coming home." He asks, still having a warm smile on his face. You just stare at him for a moment, not even knowing if you should bother asking him anymore questions. “y-yeah.. I’m here for two weeks, I’ll just eh, leave you to whatever it was you were doing n take my stuff upstairs.” you state, your tone of voice for some reason not sounding convincing despite it being the truth. Changbin let’s out a small scoff before walking past you into the main entrance. “Don’t be stupid, two weeks of stuff is heavy, i’ll take it for you.” He shouts from the other room. You follow him out, beginning to protest, insisting you can do it yourself but he has already picked up the suitcase you could barley drag into the house with one arm before carrying it up the stairs. He turns around & urges his head up the stairs, hinting for you to come with him. You just smile & follow him, giving a small sigh as you do so. He keeps walking, suitcase in hand & you swear you see him looking at the collar of your shirt.. looking at your tits..? you brush the thought away, thinking you were being stupid but you definitely keep it in mind.

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You open your bedroom door to save Changbin the harmless struggle of doing it himself & he thanks you before wasting no time & walking into your room as if it’s his own. “Cute room, like it.” He states as he puts your suitcase down & looks around. You give him a slight smile before looking around the room yourself, partly because you’ve not been there in a long while but also partly because the man in front of you is still only wearing swimming trunks & you don’t wanna be admiring someone you shouldn’t.. or should you..? “Thanks, mom wouldn’t let me redecorate it since i was leaving a few months later but it’s not too bad, thank you for helping me with my suitcase, i woulda been still on the third step trying to get it here.” you try to joke, deciding to be a bit more friendly to the hot guy who just helped you. “Sorry if this is rude to ask but do you like.. even know how much of a bitch my mom is..? She’s no doubt just putting a mask on for you, between me n you, go through her phone n check she’s not cheating on you too.” you tell him, not keeping eye contact & picking up random things on your shelves & drawers to try feel less tension in the room. The man behind you giggles & you can’t help but turn around, shocked by his reaction. ‘he’s definitely gonna snitch’ pops into your head instantly as you just stare at him, still holding the mini fake cactus plant in your hand. "She was surprisingly open about what she did to your dad but thanks for telling me anyways. Why snitch so openly? You don't get along with her or something?" He questions, voice raising at the end. "She always said you both get along quite well." You scoff at this. "Clearly not open about everything then. We don't get along whatsoever. Only even came back here since it's hot n we have a pool here." He hums in response, both of you sitting in a kinda uncomfortable silence. You let out another sigh before turning away from him, breaking the eye contact you were both holding. Changbin takes a breath in "Speaking of pools i'ma go back outside, i'm stinking your room out with sunscreen. You can come by n sit with me if you feel like it! Nice shorts by the way, You suit denim." He flashes you another smile before leaving your bedroom, closing the door behind you. You take in the compliment before walking to where you can see your reflection & looking at the shorts, blushing a tiny bit at the compliment.

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You unpack your suitcase & make yourself feel as at home as you can despite the circumstances. You update your friend, Karina that you made it back home somehow in one piece & you obviously can't help but tell her about the hottest man you've ever seen now living with your mom.

K: Are you serious?? OMG u needa get with him y/n! opportunites

You: Don't be stupid rina, he's like 28?? he's my moms bf lol

K:So? u can just get away with it hehe, fuck him n then come back to college, just keep it secret! he complimented ur shorts, he wanttssss uuuuu

You: OKAY ur maybe right, lets just see hehehe

K:If u dont do it u will regret it, the cow cheated on ur dad anyway, perfect revenge

You chuckle before turning your phone off but don't have much time to think or do anything before you hear your moms car pulling into the driveway. You let out a displeased grunt as you hear the front door open.

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You end up eating dinner with your mom & Changbin & nothing eventful ends up happening surprisingly. Your mom makes a few backhanded comments but you bite your tongue for the sake of Changbin, you would just feel embarrassed letting him watch you both argue especially since this is your first time meeting him. Changbin takes the dishes back to the kitchen & you help him since your mom decided that a few phone calls was worth it more than the five minutes it would have taken her.

"Thanking for helping y/n, so respectful for your age." He says as you are drying the dishes as he washes them, turning his head towards you for a split second to smile again. "You have a permanent smile on your face, I'm convinced. Is she always like this with you?" "pretty much, I understand her work is important though so It's understandable. I get a bit lonely during the day since I can work from home but It'll pass hopefully. Got you to keep me company now though for a little while, hmm?" He says, letting out a small sigh, voice raising a bit at the end, trying to hide his disappointment but also joking with you at the same time despite you both wanting it to be not much of a joke secretly. "Yeah I'll keep ya company, my mom just doesn't respect others time. Don't know how you deal with it." You reply as you finish drying the dishes & placing them in the cupboards. You both just chuckle as he dries his hands. "Well I'ma go n watch a movie, you should get dressed for bed It's late n you're still wearing denim y/nnie." He scoots past you & as he does he puts his hands on your waist & you can't help but tense up a bit. You nod & you smile at each other as he leaves. You take in a deep breath as soon as you are alone, trying not to let your skeleton jump out of your skin.

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You get back to your bedroom & start instantly digging through your drawers trying to find something to wear, trying to convince yourself that you're wanting to wear the shortest sleep shorts you can possibly find simply because of the heat & not because of the man downstairs. You end up wearing some grey flowy shorts & a matching grey vest top. You take a picture & send it to Karina before spam texting her.

You: RINA OMFG HE TOUCHED MY WAIST I SWEAR BDFHVVH

You:N THEN SAID IM RESPECTFUL N EVERYTHING i swear is it bad to be in love with my moms bf? girl u need to see him hes so toned n big istg

You:he watching film probs with my mom but ima go n sit with him heheh ill update later

You decide to put your phone on charge & leave it there as you take one last look in the mirror before opening your door & basically throwing yourself down the stairs before you can talk yourself out of it.

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You walk into the livingroom & see your mom & her boyfriend sitting together watching a random thing they found on netflix, his arm that you so desperately wanna be thrown around by, wrapped around your moms shoulder, stroking her hair, both under a blanket. You internally vomit before hopping onto the couch on the other side of Changbin, not saying anything. Your mom readjusts the blanket so you can also get under & you begin watching along with them.

Thirty minutes or so into the movie your mom has already fallen asleep & it's just you & changbin watching. You decide to be bold & lean sideways, your head now resting against his shoulder. Your heart is beating out of your chest & you swallow, too loud for your liking. "You shy hm? what of? Sit up for a second." He whispers to you & your cheeks instantly go red as you listen to him without saying another word. You tense up as he moves his arm & wraps it around the bottom of your waist & slightly pulling you towards him, initiating for you to put your head back where it was, which you do. You both sit in a silence, not so comfortable though since you don't think you've ever actually been this nervous before yet the person next to you seems to be completely un-phased.

You both stay like this for the rest of the movie, not really saying anything other than random small jokes & comments about what you're both watching, during this time you end up cuddling into him more subconsciously & your fingers end up lightly scratching over his abs on top of his shirt, trying to play it off while still trying to feel them at the same time.

The movie finishes & your mom wakes up & drags herself to bed, not even realising the position you & her boyfriend were in as you spring up uncomfortably as she flinches awake & ends up leaving the wine glasses & bottle the two of them were drinking from on the floor. Changbin takes her to their shared bedroom as you grumble about the crumbs on the couch & the smell of the wine as you take them to the kitchen as you take a few swigs out of the practically empty wine bottle, finishing it off before putting it on the counter. As you do this, you hear footsteps come into the room, beginning to recognise the sound of it. You turn around & unsurprisingly but happy at who it is in front of you, changbin is in front of you, curly hair on show & now in a loose white tank top & some baggy black shorts & you need to make a genuine effort to not drool all over yourself. "Look at us, matchy matchy." you tease as you touch his strap of his top, you both let out a small chuckle. "Yup, got the inspo from you, think you wore it better than me though. You cold, hmm? Shoulda took the blanket with you." He teases back, making you look down & you see that your nipples are poking through your shirt, extremely noticeable. Your cheeks go cherry coloured as you look back at him. "Why you staring hm? Mom wouldn't be happy." He scoffs, hand reaching out to play with the ends of your hair, twirling it in his fingers, the silence a lot more comfortable than earlier despite the contact being a lot more intimate. "Hey! Don't blame me, who wouldn't look hmm? so p- don't act as if you didn't do it on purpose." he says, voice low & deep. "what were you gonna sayyy? What if I wanted you to see? Never said this before but your arms are so big, holy shit." you smirk as you prodd at his left arm, softly grabbing & touching at it which gives him goosebumps. "Was just g'na call em perky is all. Imagine your mom heard you talking to her boyfriend like this." You roll your eyes, trying to not to show the affect he has on your words. "Imagine my mom hearing you talking to her daughter like this.. Afraid you chosen the wrong one hmm? Incase you somehow haven't caught on, I personally, would do anything to make her miserable." You have no idea where the confidence has came from but you don't second guess what you're saying. Your fingers leave his arm as you let your fingers trail up past his jaw & up to his hair, playing with it, at the same time Changbin pulls you in closer by the waist, sharing breath. "Never knew I could only make one choice.. Could correct myself one day but what would you offer me, y/n?" he says to you, a different look in his eyes than what was there earlier in the day. "Would need to just find out now, wouldn't you?" You snap back, leaning in just enough to wiggle your nose against his, not breaking eye contact. As you do this you hear footsteps upstairs & the bathroom door opening & closing which makes you both semi permanently snap out of it. He sighs before looking at the direction of the door then turning back to you, hands not moving. "We can finish this conversation later mkay? Wanna gimme a teaser though before I need to go?" he whispers to you & before you can stop yourself, you lean in & kiss him. It only lasts a few seconds but you know you can both feel some sort of weird connection between you both & you can't help but think & admire how soft his lips are, like mini cushions against your own. You both break away at the same time & he playfully ruffles your hair, messing it up before stepping away from you. "Goodnight, y/n." He says nonchalantly despite his cheeks & ears blushing like crazy before leaving the room, leaving you standing there, taking in what just hapened.

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You wake up the next day practically jumping out of bed, not being tired at all despite ringing Karina non stop until she woke up just so you could see her reaction to what you had just done. You look out your window & almost begin screaming at the fact your moms at work, her car not being in the driveway. 'literally feel like a fourteen year old girl what the hell am i doing' you can't help but think to yourself as you brush your teeth. You open the window & stick your hand out & test the temperature. You put on a pink bikini & put some sunscreen on before getting a drink & making your way out to the pool. You lay down & put some headphones on before shutting your eyes to soak in the sun.

You don't even know how long you've been sitting there when you hear the chair next to you being pulled out over the noise of your music. You take off your sunglasses & turn your head & to no surprise Changbin is lying on the chair next to you, resting his head on his arms as he stretches himself out. "You not meant to be working or something?" You question him while shutting your eyes again. "Swear I told you I worked from home? I have an hour break so why not sit in the sun. Could you do me a favour n but sunscreen on my back for me, pretty pleaase." He asks you as he reaches & takes your wrist, pulling it playfully as he already rolls himself over. You don't say anything but sigh as you sit up & get off the chair you're sitting on & grab the sunscreen from the space between you both & straddle the back part of his thighs as you squirt some directly onto his back, making him hiss & yell playfully.

You begin to massage it into his back, not missing the chance to look at the insane amount of muscles there. You finish rubbing it in but don't stop your motions, now practically massaging him since you have the chance to do so. You do this for a few minutes, Changbin letting out small sighs as you do so. You karate chop his back a few times which makes him yelp playfully. "Cmon, since I did it for you you can return the favour." Changbin sighs & mumbles to himself as you plop yourself back down on where you were sitting earlier, moving your hair out of the way to give him access. He follows quick behind & positions himself so your back is facing his chest as his legs wrap around the sides of you.

He decides to spare you the mini torture you put him through & puts the sunscreen on his hands & rubbing it slightly to warm it up before massaging it into your back. You soak in the sun on your face at the same time as you soak in his touch, knowing which one you like more & it stays like this for a few minutes, Changbin quietly singing a random song behind you which makes you 'shush' him which makes him tut. You feel him going over your bikini strap that's tied behind your back multiple times before he opens his mouth. "Your strap is in my way & it's annoying me, can IIIII untie it?" He questions, leaning forward to rest his chin on your shoulder. "If you want to get in my pants just say so, jeez. Fine." You grumble as he tuts & rolls his eyes but enthusiastically pulls on the bottom parts of the bow tying it together, letting it come undone. You hold onto your tits so the fabric so you're still covered. He keeps massaging you for a few minutes longer than needed before lying backwards, taking your original place. "Hey! You took my place, move!" you yell, hitting his leg lightly. "No! I'm comfy here now, just lay here because I'm not movin." he snaps back. You grumble & whinge as you throw yourself backwards, still holding your bikini to your chest, just to annoy him.

You forgot you even had your headphones on your head until he decides to nab them off your head. You protest instantly & sit up to steal them back but in the process, accidentally let go of the bikini shirt & you instantly grab it back to your chest but it goes noticed by you both. "n you said I wanted to get into your pants yet you're the one doing shit like this, hmm?" he teases before chucking your headphones to the side as he pulls you back to him, back against chest. "Why are your cheeks the same colour as your lack of top? Don't be so shy!" he says as he pinches your cheeks playfully which makes you want to explode deep down. "Pinks my favourite colour, yours?" he asks another question, trying to soothe you a bit if you are feeling embarrassed as his fingers now trail over your collarbones. "Don't have one, I like blue n pink though, green too." You respond, hands grazing over his, pretty much just hoping no wind quite literally blows your top away.

You both end up talking about everything & anything, ranging from college, work, childhood pets & least favourite foods. During this time you're pretty much holding his hands as you have almost accidentally guided his hands so his fingers are now on top of your boobs, over the fabric as he lightly fondles them. "Your hands are so cold despite it being so hot, whys that." you ask, trying to wrap your own around his hands as you speak. "Hands get a bit cold when I'm nervous, no idea why. Always been like that." he murmurs back, only half listening. You think for a moment before lightly pulling his hands so now they are touching your tits, completely skin to skin. You get goosebumps not just from the coldness of his hands touching your nipples but also from nerves. Changbins breath hitches in his throat but tries to play it off by gently massaging them. "You're so bold for someone who's doing this with someone who could basically be your stepdad." "Ew, don't say it like that, creeps me out. You're closer to my age than my moms by a landslide." You both let out a chuckle as you get more comfortable laying against his broad chest as he fondles your nipples & lightly squeezes your boobs, making you need to hold back light moans. He pinches your nipples which makes you gasp & you subconsciously twitch, before sitting up. "Don't do that unless you plan on finishing the job! You don't know what that does to a girl, jeez! I'm going inside before i burn through the sunblock. You can take my empty cup inside since you're such a gem." you loosely tie your top back together as you stretch your arms out, slightly pushing your ass out just as a tease. "Yah! Who do you think you are? I do know what happens, just wanted.. to experiment okay?! & who said i wasn't coming." He obviously still picks up your empty cup before toddling behind you as your hips sway as you walk inside, his hands wrapping themselves around them.

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You have no idea how it happened but you both end up in your bedroom, your back against your mattress as you're both making out. Your hands are ruffled in his curly hair as his thigh is in between your two legs, which you obviously can't help but grind against but the friction isn't completely all there due to the bikini bottoms. Changbin realises this from your small huffy groans & his fingers trail down to them, playing with the hem. "Can I?" he whispers to you after breaking the kiss, noses basically touching. You nod & he does just that. You chase ever so slightly after his lips again & you poke your tongue over his lips which he gladly accepts. As you are both swapping a bit of spit, his fingers resume what they were doing & he traces over your folds which makes you shudder. "You sure you wanna do this? It's a bit crazy, don't feel pressured." he assures you as he looks into your eyes, full of lust. "I do want it, pinky swear. My mom deserves it, just don't tell her." you reply, fingers still playing with his poodle hair as your other hand rests over his bulge, trying to show your sincerity, which works. He gives you his cute little smirk. He kisses the tip of your nose before he flips you both over, you now straddling him. He discards the rest of your top as he takes your nipple into his mouth as you stretch downwards so you can push his swimming trunks down just enough to free his cock. You can't see it due to his lips suctioned around your tit restricting you but it only takes a few seconds before he effortlessly manoeuvres you so your cunt is hovering above his face.

You let out a small squeal as he pulls your hips down, making you sit on his face. He wastes absolutely no time as his tongue begins to lick every crevice from top to bottom, using his teeth just the right amount. Your eyes roll to the back of your head as his hands begin grabbing at your ass, kneading it in his hands which you know will bruise you slightly later on. You can't help but grind against his tongue as he is suckling on your small button & you throw yourself forward so you are now face to face with his cock & you gasp, not just from what the man below you is giving you but because this man is thick. You now see why your mom is obsessed with this man. You take a hold of his cock & your fingers barely even connect around the base as you let a glob of spit hit directly on the tip which makes his hips jolt. Your eyes scrunch over as his tongue slithers its way inside you, making your legs tremble on each side of his head. You jerk him off as you are moaning above him, thrusting your hips back & forth, your juices coating his face along with his own spit as you use your own spit as lube.

You finally build up enough courage to begin kitten licking the tip & then after watching him try chase your tongue, you put the tip in your mouth. You slowly open your mouth up as you take more of his cock in our mouth, surprised it even fit at all. You use the tongue to the best of your ability, drool now getting caught in hi pubes. You feel his tongue leave your hole but you don't have a millisecond to complain before two fingers take its place. You can't stop letting out whines at the pleasure as your shaky hand comes & fingers graze over his balls. He lets out a louder whine than what you've heard from him make this whole time. At the same time, your orgasm begins approaching so you struggle but manage to pop yourself off his cock. "g--gna cum, d-don't stop" you whine & he lets out a deep growl noise as he keeps feasting & drinking away at you as if he was never gonna taste anything ever again. Your fingers don't stop playing with his balls as your orgasm washes over you, your legs shaking as your arms give out, flopping down as much as you possibly can while Changbins big arms are keeping you up by your ass cheeks as he keeps your pussy grounded.

He breaks his lips away from your cunt & as you are getting your breath back & takes this time to now massage your ass, giving it some relief after the bear grip he has had on it for so long. You come back down to earth & remember he hasn't cum just like what he let you do.. & you don't like this. "yyou're so big for no r-reason, I swear." you say to him as you pick up his cock again, jerking it slowly, admiring how shiny it is because of your spit & precum alone. "too big for you? You can take it bunny, just suckle on my balls if your throat is sore, mkay y/nnie?" You instantly blush at the small nickname & you would be stupid to turn down the offer. "who woulda ever thought you are into that." you comment & he shakes his legs as he starts whining, putting his hand into your hair to As he grazes his fingers on the inside of your thighs & playing with your flaps lightly, taking into account about overstimulation while helping keep you grounded, you take his balls into your mouth. you suck lightly as your fingers also play with them, making sure to coat it in spit as your tongue swirls over them.

He instantly lets our a hiss as he sucks his breath in through his teeth, trying as hard as he can to not squirm around too much. You allow spit to drip down from past your lips as you slobber all over them, still slowly jerking him in your other hand, his higher pitched noises making you turned on even more than you already are, leaking even more juices onto his fingers. You switch over onto the other side before suckling on the rest of his balls & you're honestly surprised the neighbours haven't already came knocking telling you to both shut up by how loud he's being, making your stomach do flips as his fingers stay wrapped in his fingers.

All of a sudden you are pulled off of his balls completely, lips disconnecting with a 'pop' noise as the suction breaks. You are tossed onto your back & you spread your legs instantly, almost vibrating with excitement. You look into his eyes as his own are glued onto your cunt, shining with your juices as he pumps his cock slowly, completely covered in your spit, heavy breathing & his face red, still got your juices on it. He slots it on your pussy & thrusts upwards slightly, making you twitch & bite back a small moan as it catches on your puffy clit. "Stop playing, put it in, dyin' for it, pretty please." you whine out, voice more blown out than you wanted it to be. Changbin smirks as he lines himself up to your hole. "You sure you wanna do it bunny? It'll be a big stretch, we can stop now & pretend it never happened if you're having second thoughts." he replies, the hand not touching his third leg caressing your thigh, giving you a small smile. "Does it look like I'm sure? Please, just wanna fe-" you're cut off as he begins to push himself inside slowly as you suck in a deep breath, feeling as if you're being quite literally ripped open but in the most delicious way possible. He finally buries himself to the hilt & lets out a groan, throwing his head back. You can't help but clench multiple times & he takes this time to lean forward & nuzzle his face in your neck, licking & nibbling at it, not moving in order to let you adjust.

You tilt your head so you can kiss the side of his head as your fingers scratch lightly on his arms, leaving marks that none of you could care less about at this moment. "'m ready, please move, please." you whimper out, face flushed red. He hums before doing an experimental thrust, knocking the air out of both of you. He stands upright before holding onto your thighs & putting your legs on his shoulders before slowly picking up the pace.

You let out a moan that bounces off the walls & they don't stop coming. 'shit' 'binnie' 'fuck' 'so good' & 'uhs' splutter out of both of your mouths every three seconds. "s-so tight, can lit-literally see it" He whines out as he takes your hand & guides it to your lower belly & your eyes widen as you feel his cock poking through your lower stomach. You both look down at the sight in front of you & you wrap your hand around his as it's holding it down against your belly. "so good for me, aren'cha, taking it s-so well, creaming my cock hunny." he groans to you, making eye contact with one another. "so-so deep, so f-f-full." you basically scream back, your eyes watering from the pleasure, hair sticking to the sides of your face.

Your legs begin to shake & he pulls out & you begin to protest but as your tongue moves to begin yelling at him, he tosses you over so you're on your stomach before pulling on your hips so your face down & ass is up. He holds onto your hips as he sinks himself back into your creaming hole & continues his pace, making your mind numb. "Need you to hold out to cum, mkay? can c-cum together." you can't help but blush at what he's saying to you as he is holding you in place, fondling your ass with one hand as the other is on your hips, eyes glued to his cock sinking into you. He hits a way deeper spot in this position & you shriek before jolting yourself forward but it's short lived before he has pulled you back by the hips, leaving bruises by how much he is gripping onto you. "Don't run, you can take it, so good for me, hmm?so wet for me," He questions as he leans forward so his chest is resting on your back, his hips not slowing. "g-gna cum Changbin, so d-deep, f-f-fuck." your voice grainy as Changbin moves your hair from the side of your neck to begin kissing it again, squelching & smacking noises filling out the room & no doubt the rest of the house too. "Cum baby, so beautiful, aren'cha." he groans back to you quietly, voice shaky & hair stuck to his forehead.

It bubbles up so quickly you don't even have time to tell him before you're spasming underneath him, legs giving out & arousal squirting out of you & clenching so hard he pulls himself out to finish himself off. You're still riding out the rest of your orgasm & he pumps himself in his hand at a good pace & a few seconds later, his own release spurts out & resting onto the skin of your ass & lower back. You can hear his orgasm before you can feel it landing on you, his groans making you clench almost as much as you just were.

You both catch your breath for a few seconds before he leans over you again & pushes your head lightly so you're facing him, cheek smushed against the duvet. He gives you a peck on your lips & then nose & smiles at you, taking deep, quick breaths , you doing the same. "So pretty, even with your cherry cheeks, gimme a minute to clean you up." He whispers to you before standing up & grabbing a random item of clothing off your floor before walking to the bathroom & wetting it with warm water before returning & cleaning it off of you.

He helps you rest your head on the pillows as he brings you a bottle of water before coming to lie next to you, letting you rest your head on his chest. "S-swear you had work to do? It's been more than one hour, dummy." he chuckles as he plays with a strand of your hair. "Was more worth it though, wouldn't you say?" you hum in response. He readjusts himself & as he does this, he gasps a little bit. "Y/n i've eh, left a hickey on accident." You look at him for a second to see if he is joking but when it's clear he's not, you sigh before pulling him back onto you. "Nothing concealer can't fix. Might just let my mom see just to subtly hint." He tsks to you & rolls his eyes playfully. "That's a conversation for a way later date. On a negative though, I do actually need to go back to work n your mom is actually home soon so I'ma leave you here hunny mkay? I'll come n see you later, pretty pretty." He gives you one more kiss before you move so he can get up & he takes your swimwear out of the room with him, both of you still naked.

"We are gonna talk more about this later alright? There's no way we can go back to normal after this!" you shout as he is walking down the corridor & he shouts back: "Obviously not only friends!I now know I did choose the wrong one so we can fix it eventually!" You can't help but let a smile spread on your face slightly. You let your body calm down for a moment & then grab a towel & your phone before heading towards the shower, the spot between your legs raw & achey. Just before you get into the shower you obviously need to pull your phone out & text your friend what the hell just happened.

You: Can't promise I won't be sucking it up & driving all the way to & from college every single day from now on.

[littlemissmiller]

Bad Press (part 1)

Pairing: dark!toxic!coriolanus snow x fem!reader, slight sejanus x fem!reader

Summary: (au) after avoiding getting caught cheating in the games, a hopeful presidential candidate snow is fed up with your slanderous reporting, so he decides put you in your place

Warning: 21+ (drinking), eventually smut, blackmail, threats, dom!snow, sub!reader, slight jealousy, slight misogyny, obsession, power imbalance, porn with a plot

Word count: 2k

A/N: hi :) this is my very first public fanfic soooo please cut me some slack if it sucks, but if it doesn’t i have many many more in the vault so I appreciate the constructive feedback. this first part is just spicy build up which i could have posted as all one story, but it makes more sense to split it up (plus i love a good cliffhanger) anyways enjoy! part 2 is coming soon here

Coriolanus is unsatisfied as he turns today’s papers. Today’s headline are insulting.

Presidential candidate’s poll numbers fall like Snow.

He reads the byline and is not surprised. You always write these nasty articles about him. You seem to be no fan of his, article after article all he reads is about how poor his politics are or criticizing his work. In the summer times, when the Hunger Games roll around, you always have something to write about. How boring they are or how as gamemaker, lacks the proper skills to keep the games entertaining. None of which was true, but that’s not what bothers Coriolanus. What bothers him is when people truly think they know more than they do. When they think they are smarter than they are. It’s pathetic and that’s what truly, truly bothers him. The arrogance. He flips the page and clicks his tongue, as he reads the next headline,

Plinth Presidential Potential?

He checks the byline, it’s you, your article. Again. Is this a game to you? A funny joke to be such a fantastic moron as to write such defamation? Once he was president, press would not be so careless in their writing. He sips his tea squinting at the article and the black and white photo of his longtime classmate and friend, Sejanus Plinth. He didn’t even want to run for president, he didn’t care for the privileges of his life. He would much rather be back in the reaping bowl if he could have his way. Nothing more than a little district brat according to Coriolanus. He folds the paper up, rises from his seat, and tucks the paper under his arm. As he leaves the dining room, he tosses the paper into the fireplace, not bothering to watch as the ink melts and the print is reduced to ashes. He storms to his bedroom to finish getting ready before another day at the lab with Dr. Gaul working on new mutants for next years games.

Coriolanus stands in front of his mirror, slicking back his hair, he tries not to let the headlines bother him. He couldn’t let you keep getting away with this slanderous behavior. Then it dawns on him. He knows exactly how to keep you in line. Later that week was The Candidate Gala which, despite the latest publication, Coriolanus would attend with pride and have his poll numbers even higher than they already are. He would…charm you. That’s a nice way to think of it. He would make sure to get you nice and wrapped around his finger then you’d behave. He realizes he’ll to need get leverage with you, use his connections to Dr. Gaul as a scare tactic perhaps? He thinks of what to do as he leaves his penthouse for the lab.

The Gala comes around quickly and Coriolanus was more than ready to attend. On the drive there, he thought about you. He knew you’d be there of course. The Candidate Gala always had invited reporters and he knew you, given your contrarian reporting recently, you would be an attending guest. The car pulls up and Coriolanus exits. He walks into the venue and immediately heads turn. He fakes a few smiles and waves to some familiar faces, but as he stalks the crowd, his eyes only search for your face. He looks around and then, there you are. Your long, silky, black hair as straight as an arrow as it grazes just above the small of your back. And your red dress, which hugs you just right, is hard not to notice as you stand there looking coy and annoyingly sweet. You casually hold a flute of champagne in your hand, it dangles from your fingertips as if it is about to slip out. You’re immersed in conversation with, who Coriolanus recognizes as another journalist. You flip your hair past your shoulder and laugh. You don’t seem to notice him as he stalks towards you. You don’t notice him at all and as he announces himself to you, you flinch slightly.

“Mr. Snow. It’s good to finally make your acquaintance.” You shake his hand

“That’s funny you say that given you seem to have me figured out don’t you?” Coriolanus sneers

At that comment, your friend steps away, excusing herself by acting like she sees someone she knows. You give her a knowing look, then turn your attention back to the handsome young blonde, who you allegedly despise.

“Look Snow, it’s nothing personal, I write fair.” You give him an innocent look, touching your hand delicately to your chest, causing his eyes to glance at the valley of your breasts. He flashes his eyes back at you, rolling them and huffing out a sigh of disgust.

“And your readers really believe Sejanus Plinth wants to announce his run for presidency? This late in the game?”

You shrug your shoulders knowingly.

“Well you never know. I felt that piece wasn’t too unrealistic. I laid out a pretty good case for a President Plinth.” She smirks putting extra emphasis on her P’s as she speaks.

Snow smirks back at you as you bite down on your red stained lip.

“You think you’re such a clever girl don’t you. What’s your game darling?”

“No game.” You shake your head, batting your eyes.

Snow’s eyes dart across the room, making eye contact with the same lost, lonely little boy who you have deemed as the next candidate for president. Sejanus notices and smiles at him, but Snow quickly turns his attention back to you. He leans in close, towering over you.

“You know the press wasn’t always so careless with their stories.” He starts, taking a glass of posca from a waiter as they pass by.

“There was a time where truth and facts held importance. Before the war, then journalists started speaking out of term. Writing lies, slander against their great Capitol.” He nods. You raise an eyebrow at him, beginning to wonder what is point is.

“A lot of scholars would agree that the immense amount of freedom of press is what led to the Rebellion. All the rumors floating around. No one knew what was true, what was merely a tall tale created by some journalist who just wanted to stir things up. You don’t want journalism to divest into some sorta fraud again right? That would be a real shame.” Snow recounts, emphasizing the few last words.

You realize how close he’s standing to you and take a small step back, your eyes never leaving his. You temper your breath, hoping he can’t hear your heartbeat as it races in your chest. His pretty, blue eyes pierce your own, poking at you to respond to him. He gives you a look as if he has just asked you if you like his suit or think the color looks nice on him. You feel caught off guard and slightly threatened. You sip your champagne and gather a newfound confidence.

“Be that as it may, I’m sure that people have learned their lesson. Besides, Capitol news doesn’t even make it to the districts anymore so if anything happens, and you don’t become president…” you pause, pouting at him slightly.

“…well, no one would know you there. Private Snow instead of President Snow would be the greater shame. Don’t you think?” You smirk, touching his shoulder briefly. You bid him a sarcastic farewell and go off to find your friend.

Coriolanus is left alone, his cheeks red hot and his breathing becomes laborious. He’s fuming and will not be made a fool of so easily. He hasn’t felt this small and out of place in a long time. Just then, Sejanus walks towards him with a goofy, unknowing smile.

“Chatting it up?” He asks nervously

“Not really…” Coriolanus huffs

“Oh well that’s a relief.” Sejanus smiles letting out a breathy chuckle.

“Why?” Coriolanus inquires

“Well..” Sejanus leans in “I’ve kinda been seeing her…I thought I should tell you” he whispers

“Oh? Is that why you’re Panem’s next president according to her.” Coriolanus scoffs, hoping to sound sarcastic

Sejanus blushes slightly and rolls his eyes.

“I know. I had no idea until this week, but finding out was..ha..k-kinda a funny story actually...” he starts to stutter.

“I met her at one of my Dad’s business partner’s dinners. I hit it off with her, took her home. S-she had uh spent the night with me and was teasing me the all night, and well I thought it was teasing, anyways she was saying that I would make a good president and then I told her I wouldn’t want to take my chances away from you. Then the next morning she calls me…” Sejanus continues to recall, a goofy boyish smile spreading across his face.

“And I thought that, I mean I thought she was just being sweet you know, after staying over. Well she called me to tell me to look at the papers and yeah…”

Coriolanus soaks the new revelation in, inhaling deeply, trying to remain calm at his friend who had just confessed to him that he’s sleeping with the same journalist that writes absolutely lies and malarkey about him.

“Did you know it was her?”

“You know I didn’t pay attention to the news that much. I didn’t even realize she was the same journalist you complain about until that next morning.”

Coriolanus thought for a moment. Senjanus wouldn’t lie about that. After all he really doesn’t pay any attention to the news and politics which could only mean one thing.

“She’s trying to get to me..” Coriolanus declares. “She knew we were friends and is trying to pit us against each other? Why?” he whispers

“Damn. I need to drop her for sure now. That sucks because she was…I mean…” Sejanus sighs, a slight lustful longing in his eyes

The gears turn in Coriolanus head. Yes! This is the exact leverage he needs with you. And he knows exactly how to charm you now.

“Don’t worry about it” Coriolanus smiles deceitfully patting Sejanus on the shoulder.

As the evening goes on, Coriolanus chats up a few old classmates and a few Senators. All the while, he kept his eye on you, waiting for the perfect moment to give you the attention you apparently seek. Then, he catches you departing. You make your away alone out of the venue and Coriolanus pushes through the crowd to get to you. Once he catches up to you, he slides his fingers around your wrist and tugs. He calls you by your last name, slightly out of breath.

“What do you want Snow?” You scoff, trying to tug your hand away, but he pulls you closer. His breath fans your face and you turn away. “Let go…” you grumble. He shakes his head and clicks his tongue.

“And let you go write another one of your little stories. I don’t think so princess.”

“Are you threatening a member of the press?”

“No. I want to set the record straight though. Why don’t you interview me?” He smirks

“What? Interview you?”

“Yes, don’t act like you don’t want an interview from me. After all, you seem to be a big fan of mine no? Always writing about me aren’t you? Why don’t you get it straight from the source this time?”

“Well…” you start “it would boost the paper’s rating so…fine. Call our secretary and set up a time with me later this-“ you rush then unexpectedly, he pulls against his chest, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear.

“Come home with me” he whispers, grazing his forefinger and thumb across your chin. Your heart flutters slightly. You’re beginning to be charmed by him, you want to resist, but deep down this is what you have been after. His attention. You pout your lips and squint at him.

“What is your game Snow?”

“No game.” He smirks

“Well I’m done drinking for the night so…” you breathe

“I have tea” Coriolanus cuts in and before you know it you’re walking up the steps to the building of his lavish penthouse.

꧁❧✽☙꧂

Part 2

[ladykailitha]

Star Child Part 13

I told you I wouldn’t leave you hanging. In fact, I made sure I had the resolution to the cliffhanger WRITTEN before posting the last chapter. So here we go! Also a hint at future Buckingham...;)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12  

***

Tears ran down Eddie’s face. “You think that killing him will bind me to you?”

Creel smiled and touched his cheek softly. “Because if you don’t, you’ll be arrested for the murder Steve Harrington. One word from me and they’ll plant evidence that you killed him.”

“You can take my body,” Eddie said. “But you can’t have my heart or my soul. Steve had both. The band, too. My uncle. That’s what real love looks like. Something you’ll never understand. Everyone is below you and you think you can own every little thing. But you can’t. You’ll never own me.”

“We’ll see,” Creel said leaning closer to kiss him.

Suddenly the all the doors in the hotel room burst open, revealing the FBI and Hellfire Security all with guns drawn. Max and Lucas stood in front of a very much alive Steve Harrington.

Creel whipped around and then looked back at Eddie. “How?!”

Eddie took a step back with a grin. He flipped up his leather jacket’s lapel to reveal a wireless mic. “We knew you’d sweep the room. We also thought that you would search us, but you didn’t do that.”

“We knew you liked brute force,” Steve said from behind his security. “So we knew that you would try to kill me. If you had tried in the bathroom, it might have actually worked because it was harder to get agents in there after you swept the hotel suite. But you went cliche. So thanks for that.”

“What was the gun shot?” Eddie asked, his voice cracking.

Max’s lip curled in distaste. “Pollock over here went for his gun and I had to shoot at his foot as warning.”

Eddie looked down and sure enough one of the goons had a bleeding foot. He looked back up at Steve. “I thought I had lost you, babe.”

Creel grunted from the handcuffs being put on him and said, “You think you’ve won, but this isn’t the last you’ll see of me.”

“Oh it certainly is,” Steve said. “We have you for conspiracy to commit murder, blackmail, and breaking and entering. And that’s just for this conversation. That’s not including the case these boys have been building for years.”

“How did someone like you beat me?” Creel snarled.

“Everyone thinks I’m just a pretty face,” Steve said with a smile. “It makes people underestimate me. A lot.”

Creel struggled to lunge at Steve in anger, but the two agents that held him, kept him in place.

The agents started listing off Creel’s Miranda rights as they led him away. More agents led Castor and Pollock away.

A beat.

Eddie launched himself at Steve and it took every ounce of strength to keep them both on their feet.

“I’m sorry, sunshine,” Steve murmured over and over as he rubbed circles into Eddie’s back. “I’m so sorry. But it worked, baby. We’re safe. We’ll never have to look over our shoulders ever again. You’re safe, baby. You’re safe.”

Max turned to Lucas. “Fine. I’ll marry you.”

Lucas’s jaw dropped. “Wait, are you serious?”

Max rolled her eyes. “Yes. I was watching them and was insanely jealous, wanting what they had for all of two seconds before I realized that I did. With you. So yes, I’ll marry you.”

Lucas let out a breathless laugh and the picked her up, spinning her around. He kiss her soundly and then let her down slowly.

Janice shook her head fondly. “All right, you lovebirds. Let’s get Eddie and Steve to his room. And we’ll reconvene with the band there.”

They all nodded.

Janice led the way with Eddie and Steve in the middle and Lucas and Max bringing up the rear. Eddie and Steve’s hands were clasped tightly together as they made their way through the halls of the hotel to Steve’s room. Janice keyed in her security badge and opened the door to a concerned Corroded Coffin.

“Everyone okay?” Jeff asked, leaping to his feet.

Gareth and Brian were on their feet in moments, too. Suddenly Eddie and Steve were getting dog piled by the band as they all sobbed in relief.

Janice called up her team in LA. “Marty, Vince how goes the lovely ladies?”

Vince, a rather large Pacific Islander who answered her video call, smiled. “They’re doing fine. Right now they’re painting each other’s nails.” He turned the screen so she could see the two women on Steve’s sofa painting each other’s nails.

“Miss Cunningham, Miss Buckley,” he called out behind him. “Janice is on the line, come on over.”

Both women were on their feet in an instant.

“Is Steve okay?”

“How about the boys, are they okay, too?” Chrissy asked as they both tried to crowd Vince out of the frame of the video.

“Everyone is fine,” Janice assured them. “Well, except one goon. He has a newly minted hole in his foot for pissing Max off. But other than that, not so much as a single scratch on the clients.”

Everyone in LA let out a sigh of relief.

“Can we see them?” Robin asked, chewing on her bottom lip.

Janice smiled and turned the phone to show all five men laughing and crying.

“Dingus!” Robin called.

Steve startled at her voice. “Robs?” He made his way over to Janice and peered into her phone. “Robin!”

Robin waved. “I made a new friend!” She waved her hands at Chrissy.

Steve waved back. “Don’t worry, Chrissy. I took good care of your boys. They’re safe and sound.”

Chrissy giggled. “Good job. You treat Eddie right, you hear?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Steve said. He took the phone from Janice, who squawked at its removal from her possession.

He ignored her as he brought the phone to where all four Corroded Coffin members were huddled together.

“See?” Steve said as leaned back into Eddie so Chrissy could see all five of them. “I kept them safe,” he whispered.

Chrissy teared up. “You did so good, Stevie. You did good.”

Janice walked over to them. “I have a private plane on standby. So tomorrow morning, we’ll swap Steve for Chrissy. Chrissy, you’ll meet them in Vegas for their next show. And Steve you have to be back for meeting with the record label. Erica called this morning excited about how well your coming out did for her case.”

Every murmured their agreements.

“Good,” Janice said. “I think the boys have a couple of hours before the sound check and will want to be left alone.”

Eddie and Steve blushed while everyone else gave confused noises.

Jeff rolled his eyes when he finally got it. “Don’t fuck too loud, I’m in the room next to yours.”

Eddie and Steve hid in each others shoulders from the sheer embarrassment of it all.

Robin’s mouth formed a soundless, “Oh.”

And suddenly everyone was finding places they had to be. Janice hung with the LA crew and turned to remaining four.

“Max and Lucas will still have to remain outside your door,” Janice reminded them. “So for their sake and Jeff’s, please keep it down.” She waggled her eyebrows at them suggestively.

Steve was mortified and Eddie was subdued. The three security guards exited the room, leaving the two men behind.

Eddie looked around the room to avoid having to look Steve in the eye after that embarrassing display.

“Not a bad room, Stevie,” Eddie said. “Not what I would have chosen, but it’s nice.”

Steve scratched his cheek ruefully. “I don’t usually go for this nice, if I’m honest. I’m too used to the label and my parents bugging it to make sure I didn’t step out of line. I would book a place like this and then go stay a Motel 6 or something.”

Eddie’s expression softened. “I’m sorry, babe. But I’m sure Janice made sure the room was clean before she let you stay here.”

Steve nodded. He had even watched her, but there was still a part of his mind that worried.

“Come here, darlin’,” Eddie cooed, holding out his arms. “We don’t have to do anything right now. Because I don’t think I want to do anything right now but hold you until it’s time for the sound check.”

Steve slumped into his arms as if he was a puppet whose strings had been cut.

They made it to the bed and tumbled into it. They lay there in each other’s arms until it was time for the concert.

*

Steve paused in front of his suitcase. He could wear his usual disguise that he wore to Corroded Coffin concerts, or he could go out and be himself for once.

He chewed his lip nervously before deciding on half of a “disguise”. He pulled out the skin-tight leather pants and chunky boots. He put on a band t-shirt that had the sleeves cut off and the sides hollowed out so that you could see his ribs when he lifted his arms.

He ditched the hat that hid his signature hair and the dark sunglasses. He stepped out of his room with a leather jacket in his hand. He smiled at a passing maid and hopped into the elevator, Max and Lucas trailing behind.

“Is this how you’ve been going their concerts dressed as?” Lucas asked as the elevator took them to the lobby.

Steve nodded. “I cover my hair and keep my head down, and no one has spotted me once.”

Max laughed. “I bet someone did but couldn’t believe pop star Steve Harrington would even like metal so it couldn’t be you.”

Steve grinned. “I’m about to blow my disguise though.”

Lucas laughed. “Yeah, but people think you’re dating Eddie Munson and expect you to be there tonight.”

“And I can’t wait,” Steve said with a wink.

***

Part 14 Part 15  Part 16

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[autistook]

DAISIES - pt 12

Merry Brandybuck x fem!hobbit!reader / soft oc

Words: 4.4k

Summary: You are missing your brother's birthday, and Merry has gone to help him move. It's taking him quite long, and you begin to wonder if everything is okay.

AN: A shoutout to this fic for inspiring the hot butter and salve part, and for providing me with the word "swatting" and how to write dodging it. Overall a shoutout and a thank you for a few parts of this chapter!

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

---

You were sitting on the grass, rustling and colorful leaves around you, and a book in your hands. The air smelled sweet, and you were wearing a dark-red cloak to keep you warm; the weather was getting chilly again.

You turned the page in a fully captivated state, the book swallowing your whole attention. Every twist and turn in the story made your toes curl, and the biggest twists made you gasp out loud. 

There was quiet crinkling as your fingers rubbed the dry brown leaves on the ground and turned them into dust. There was guilt lingering in your body, for it was your brother's birthday the next day, and you would not make it.

A few days ago when you got the work schedule from the Brandybucks, you smiled and thanked them, but internally a wave of disappointment rode through you. The day of Frodo's birthday and several days after that, you were assigned more tasks at work than usual; even preparations for another celebration thrown by Esmeralda Brandybuck was put on your shoulders. You were to plan most of it, decorations and all. It was still a few weeks away, but she wanted the planning to be done as quickly as possible.

You were not thrilled to miss the quiet birthday celebration of your beloved brother, and you had desperately craved to see Bag End one last time before the Sackville-Bagginses got their nasty fingers on it. But it was no use; you had work to do. 

Merry had let Frodo know you would not be able to make it, and the word soon got to you that your brother was not angry, but you still felt guilty; he must have been at least a little disappointed.

The book ended on a cliffhanger so intense, you almost choked on your own spit when you saw that there were no more words left, no matter how many times you went through the last pages in hopes of finding more.

You were still sitting on the grass when Merry sat down next to you and grabbed the book out of your hands.

"Hey!" you yelled playfully, your heart warming up at the sight of him.

Merry smiled at you, and started flipping through the pages. He read some words here and there, before he handed the book back to you.

"That seems interesting," he said in a teasing tone; clearly he found the book ridiculous.

"It is quite adventurous, actually, so yes, it is interesting!" you huffed, gently swatting at him with the book. Merry chuckled and tried to dodge your swatting.

"I haven't really seen you today," said Merry, resting his chin on your shoulder and looking at you with admiration. You felt his gaze piercing you, but you just smiled and looked forward into the horizon.

"I just wanted to enjoy a good book before the heavy lifting started," you responded with a sigh.

"Do you really have that much work ahead of you?" Merry asked.

"Unfortunately," you said, disappointed. "I really wanted to see Frodo."

"I know," Merry responded and gave your back a gentle rub. "But he understood."

You nodded, not believing his words entirely. You gently rested your head on his, which pressed his chin deep into your shoulder, making your face flinch a little, but you didn't mind the uncomfortable pressure; it was from Merry being close to you, after all.

"How about you?" you asked, and Merry took his head off your shoulder, but he was still leaning close to you as the two of you sat there. 

"What about me?"

"What are you going to do when you get to Bag End?" you asked.

"I am thinking of stealing the gift you have for him and giving it to him," he smirked. "And claim it's my own!"

"Don't you dare!" you cried in a loud giggle. Merry put his arm around you and pulled you closer, laughing with you.

"In all seriousness, I am going to take a pony and the carriage. I promised him I would help him move."

"Will it take long?" you asked, still leaning against him in his arms. You had butterflies in your stomach, and they were fluttering their wings so aggressively you felt like you might throw up on Merry.

"A few days, I suppose," he answered. "I will start bringing some of the furniture to Buckland as soon as possible, and there's bound to be a few trips there and back."

"Are you going there tomorrow?" you asked, and Merry shook his head.

"I'm actually going to go over there tonight," he said. "Frodo celebrates tomorrow, but I have promised to help him arrange some last minute things."

"I see," you said and smiled against his collar. "You're a great friend."

Merry took a deep breath and started slowly stroking your hair. Merry's aura was sad, but at that moment you figured it must have been because Merry would not see Frodo and Sam for a while either when they were to go on their adventure, and follow Bilbo for a while.

"Merry?"

"Yes?"

"When do you have to leave?" you asked quietly. His fingers were brushing through your hair in soft movements, and his heartbeat close to your ear was calming and making your head fuzzy.

"Not for a moment," he said quietly, taking deep breaths. You looked up at him, and he smiled down at you, but his eyes were sad.

"Is everything alright?" you asked him.

"Everything is alright."

You nodded and smiled, before wrapping your arms around his waist and holding him more tightly. He pressed his chin on the top of your head as he looked to the distance, and as you were filled with warmth, he was feeling suffocated by his own guilt and sadness; although you didn't notice.

You sat there with him for a few hours, talking about everything between the grass you were on, to the sun in the sky. 

You both laughed so hard that tears fell from your eyes, when you looked back at the time you were baking bread together and got into a fight over the only good measuring cup. You were both covered in flour, throwing it at each other like you were at war. The memory of it made both of you feel at ease and your hearts swell with happiness.

The sun started to go down, making the sky a gradient of pink and orange. The clouds looked like they were painted in the sky, and the colors were so vibrant you could not take your eyes off of it. Merry was not staring at the sky, but at you. He was looking at your ears, your chin and your eyes.

His eyes were tracing your jawline, and his heart was beating fast as he admired your smile and lips. The child-like giggle you let out when you pointed at the cloud shaped like a pumpkin made his heart drop to his stomach, and the way your eyes were sparkling when you admired the sky made him smile faintly; but apathy was still slowly taking over him.

"I need to go now," he said, and slowly stood up, brushing the grass and bits of leaves off his trousers. You stood up after him, and picked up some grass out of your hair.

"Let me know when you get back, alright?" you said to him. Merry gave you a faint nod, and wrapped his arms around you.

He lingered there for a while, and you were slightly taken aback by how long he hugged you. His face was buried in your neck, and his heart was beating against you. He breathed in your scent in silence and without you noticing, and he swallowed his sadness and put on a weak smile. He pulled away from you, his gaze traveling across the features of your face. 

"I hope you don't have a rough day at work tomorrow," he said with a quiet chuckle. 

"I hope so too," you laughed. "I should go to bed. Are you coming inside before you leave?"

"No, I really should go. I have a pony waiting for me."

"Alright," you responded, smiling with your teeth as you could no longer hide how happy it made you when his eyes were on you.

"I hope you sleep well," he said, his hands in his coat pockets.

"I hope so too," you smiled. "I could use a good night's sleep. Good night, Merry."

"Good night," he responded, and the two of you started walking in opposite directions. You to your room, and Merry to where he was keeping the pony and carriage that he was to take to Bag End.

You stopped by Merry's door and knocked on it in hopes that he had already returned. There was no answer, but despite that, you opened the door. It was relatively dark, but some of the last rays of sunshine were still lighting up corners of the room. His bed was made, and it seemed like he had taken some of his personal stuff with him for the stay at Frodo's.

You decided to go into his room despite him not being there. Slowly closing the door, you made your way in. There were some maps lying around, and the birthday present you had for Frodo was gone. It had been two days already, and you couldn't help but wonder what took him so long. He had said it would take a few days, but he also said there would be back and forth movements; why had he not visited his home at all? 

Your brother's birthday was the day before, and you were trying to figure out if they just needed a few days to settle into Crickhollow. In hopes of seeing him coming back on his pony, you peeked outside the window; but there was nothing, except some trees and a patch of dried flowers. With a deep sigh, you exited his room and got back to work. You still had plenty of things to do, and you wanted to get the list of chores done as fast as possible.

You were watering the flowers in the hallway, when you heard a few Brandybucks talk about Merry. Your ears perked up, and you tried to be discreet with your eavesdropping.

"Why did he take so many ponies?" asked the other Hobbit, slightly taller than the other, with dark brown curls and striking green eyes. The smaller Hobbit shrugged his shoulders.

"Merry just said he needed them for something, and I didn't ask many questions," he responded. Your gaze narrowed, and you glanced at their direction.

"Probably as a gift to Frodo Baggins," chuckled the other. Both nodded in agreement, clearly making fun of your brother, adding to the rumors of him running out of money. "He needs some aid at this point. Poor fellow had to sell Bag End and everything."

Warmth spread in your body, and you felt an urge to snap at them. You wanted to yell at them for saying such things, but your mind was buzzing, and you could not stop wondering; why on earth did Merry take so many ponies with him? And when he had returned for a moment, why did he not come say hello?

The next morning was cold, and the first thing you did was check up if the ponies and Merry had returned yet. They were still seemingly at Frodo's new house, much to your disappointment. 

The outside was foggy, and you could not see far ahead. The few ponies that were left at the stable looked almost mystical in the smoke-like fog around them, but somehow the surroundings that morning felt threatening, and not being able to see properly ahead was making you feel uneasy. You fed the horses, and made your way back inside as quickly as possible. It felt like there were eyes on you where you could not see them.

Inside you watered some flowers which you did not have time to water the day before, and couldn't help but notice one of the prettiest orchids had withered. You pouted slightly at the sight, and carried the dead plant outside to the compost before you went back in the house, as the weather outside was still making you nervous.

You were mixing the pancake batter quite furiously. The spatula made a loud noise as it hit the edges of the bowl, as your growing nervousness was making you anxious. You heated up the stove, and poured some of the batter on the hot pan. 

As you baked one pancake after the other, your increasing anxiety made you pour the last patch a little too strongly, and some hot, melted butter splashed on the kitchen surface and your arm. With a small grunt you finished the last pancake, and soon afterwards dunked your arm into a bowl of cold water. As you sat there waiting for the burning sensation to stop and the pancakes to cool down, you thought of your brother and how much you were going to miss him. You weren't sure if he had already left, but judging by Merry's absence, he must have not made his way out of Crickhollow yet.

The pancakes were quickly consumed by the little Hobbits you had prepared all the food for, and one of the youngest girls thanked you by hugging you so tightly you felt like you might run out of air. You lifted her in your arms, and smiled at her fondly.

"Thank you for the pancakes, Miss!" she said again with a cheerful smile.

"You're most welcome. Now go play," you said, tickling her from her side. She giggled loudly, the beautiful and innocent laugh echoing around the small kitchen. You couldn't help but smile, and put her down from your arms and gently pushed her to the direction of the other small Hobbits who were now running out of the kitchen, cheering and laughing. 

The innocent nature of them made your heart feel full, and you hoped they would stay that way forever. You still had some child-like wonder and innocence in your heart, but growing up had of course taken some of it away. You hoped you could stay like that forever.

Your arm was no longer stinging as much, as you had applied a salve on it that Merry's mother provided you with when she visited the kitchen to see how you were holding up.

Your hands were deep in the warm, soapy water as you tried to wrap the slimy wet food between your fingers. You scrunched your nose, disgusted at the sight of a soaked piece of moldy bread. With a small gag you threw it in the trash can next to you and kept doing the dishes. 

You kept thinking about Merry, and a smile lingered on your face for long. Now that a few days had gone by without his presence, you realized just how deeply you felt for him. You decided to finally gather your courage and tell him how you really felt, hoping he would return your feelings. Just the thought of wrapping your arms around Merry again filled your belly with butterflies, and the image of his face in your head was making you blush as you scrubbed the plate in your hands.

"Are you doing alright sweetie?" asked Esmeralda, snapping you out of your dream-like state.

"Yes, thank you," you responded, not aware of just how wide you were smiling and how red your face was. Esmeralda smiled knowingly, and walked beside you to help with the dishes.

"I appreciate all the work you have done these past few days," she said warmly, rinsing the plates and cutlery you had put aside.

"It's no trouble," you said, though still upset about not being able to see Frodo for his birthday. "I do like my work here a lot."

Esmeralda smiled, and in silence you kept doing the dishes. Merry's mother broke the silence after a while when she glanced at the burn mark on your arm.

"Did the salve help?" she asked. "It's a recipe that has run in my family for generations, and for me it has always worked wonders."

"Oh, it helped plenty," you answered, a plate dropping back into the water from your slippery hands. You picked it up and checked for any cracks in it. Luckily it was not damaged, and you kept scrubbing it.

"That's good," she said and took the plate from you gently, rinsing it and drying it with a kitchen towel. "You know, I have to say that I was very surprised with the amount of work you have already done. I feared it might be too much."

"It has been quite a lot, but not at all too much."

"I was just surprised that you did not want to attend your brother's birthday."

You stopped everything for a moment. Her words confused you. They were not true at all, and the idea that she might have started to lose her memory crossed your mind.

"What do you mean?" you asked, puzzled.

"Oh, don't get me wrong dear!" she said, still actively washing the dishes before she noticed you had stopped. "It's just that when Meriadoc told me that you wanted to be busy with work for a few days, I was surprised, that's all. I understand if you are mad at your brother for selling your home, but I do hope that it is not the reason you wanted to miss his birthday party."

"What?" you asked, filled with confusion. Why had Merry said something like that?

"I didn't mean to offend you, dear. I just-"

"Oh! You did not offend me at all," you interrupted, and softly put your hand on her shoulder. You hid your confusion behind a confident, reassuring smile. And so you lied: "It just felt like a lot. I'm sure I'll be seeing Frodo soon."

Esmeralda smiled fondly, and the two of you did dishes quietly for thirty more minutes before you moved to other tasks.

You could not focus on your work properly. Mopping the floors felt like an exhausting exercise as your mind was overwhelmed with so many questions of Merry's intentions. The worry inside you grew; why did he want to keep you so occupied?

After mopping the floors you went to Merry's mother, and claimed to have a throbbing headache. She put her palm on your forehead to check your temperature, and despite the fact that you were lying, she was convinced you were running a fever. She told you it was alright to end work early and go get some rest. And so you did.

You were laying in your bed restlessly, tossing and turning, eyes wide open and your breathing unsteady. You kept fiddling with your pillow, hugging it tightly and stretching the fabric of it in anxiety. You tried to come up with a reason for Merry's lies, and a hundred different scenarios were running through your mind; maybe he was tired of you? Maybe there was someone else and your feelings were one-sided? Maybe he was ill and didn't tell anyone?

You stood up from your bed while taking deep, calming breaths. You exhaled shakily, and took your red cloak from the chair beside your desk where you had tossed it that morning. It was like a warm, comforting blanket wrapping around you, and so you made your way outside.

It was already dark, and you were walking through the small field, admiring the stars. You had heard of strange folk walking near the Shire for the past few days, and you feared Merry might have come across someone who could have hurt him. You tried to shake these thoughts off, when you heard some rustling of leaves. Your heart began to pound, and you wondered if it was the same pressuring gaze approaching you that you had felt through the fog.

But to your relief, Merry approached you from the dark. You skipped over to him and wrapped your arms around his neck.

"Well that took you long enough!" you chuckled, relieved and filled with happiness. It felt like everything in the world would be alright, and his warmth made your fears wash away; for a moment. He hugged you, but not as tightly as he normally did. You pulled away from the hug, and looked at him with concern. You could tell he was not feeling alright. "Is everything alright?"

Merry did not answer immediately, and your heart sank with fear. Did he have someone else? Was something wrong with Frodo?

"I'm sorry I didn't come here earlier," he said in a low voice, looking at you with pity.

"You're here now, that's what's important," you said, smiling. Your smile faded away quickly as you saw that he was clearly struggling with something. Your fear grew again. "Merry, what's wrong? Is Frodo alright?"

Merry did not answer immediately. He took your hands in his gently, looking down at them quietly. His thumbs were brushing the backs of your hands tenderly, and he was struggling to get the words out of his mouth.

"Frodo is alright," he said, a small relief washing over you. "But I need to go. We need to go. Pippin, Fatty and I."

"Go where?" you asked, and the relief in your heart was replaced with dread.

"With Frodo and Sam," he said hesitantly, squeezing your hands softly, not looking at you.

You felt a wave of sadness. Merry was leaving for a few months to go after Bilbo, and you felt offended he had not asked you to come with him and Pippin.

"Oh," you responded, disappointed. "When are you coming back?"

Merry did not answer. He swallowed, still avoiding your gaze. He held your hands tightly, taking heavy breaths. His hands started to tremble. Your heart began pounding. You softly called his name two times before he answered.

"I'm not sure if I'll be coming back," he said with a shaky voice. Your heart dropped. "I'm not sure if... if any of us..."

"Merry, you're scaring me."

Merry's eyes were watering, but he was trying not to fall apart. He swallowed his tears and finally looked you in the eyes, still caressing your hands with his thumbs.

"We have planned to go with Frodo for some time, and all of this has turned out to be more dangerous than we thought. He needs me. He needs us with him, and..."

"Wait, I don't understand," you said, confused and voice trembling. "Frodo and Sam are going to follow Bilbo for a while. Why would that be dangerous?"

Merry didn't answer. You stared at him in silence, hands shaking as you waited for him to answer you.

"That's not exactly the whole truth."

"Then what is the truth, Merry?" you asked, and Merry went quiet again, avoiding your gaze. "Please, Merry. He's my brother and... I need to know if there's more going on."

"I can't tell you."

"What do you mean you can't tell me?" you asked, irritated by his secretive behavior.

"It's too dangerous, and I have made a promise to not say anything. I just wanted to see you before I left. I couldn't leave without saying goodbye.”

Your heart was beating so rapidly you were barely hearing what he was saying. He really was planning on leaving, and seemed like he was not going to ask you to come with him; but that was not alright with you.

"You were going to leave without saying goodbye? No. And I'm coming with you."

"No. I promised Frodo I would keep you safe. And the best way to keep you unharmed, is to tell you as little as I can and to keep you here. Buckland and the Shire are the safest places for you, and-"

Your legs felt weak and it felt like you were going to explode from anger, confusion and grief.

"I'm coming with you," you repeated, voice trembling, ears heating up. "I don't care what it's about. You can't leave me. Not when I was just about to…"

Merry looked at you again, his heart filled with sorrow. Tears were in his eyes, and he was doing everything to hold them back again. He was shaking more as he held your hands in his.

"I'm so sorry. You're my best friend, and I-"

"Stop with the bullshit, Merry. We both know this is more than that!" you cried angrily. He had to know this was more than friendship. He was not allowed to leave; not now when you had just decided to tell him how you felt.

Merry kept quiet, your words deeply impacting him. His guilt was starting to overwhelm him, and the grief of leaving you behind was breaking his heart in a million pieces.

"I have to go. I'm sorry."

"Merry, please," you cried, tears in your eyes, your voice breaking. "Tell me you're going to come back. Promise me."

Merry swallowed his tears once again, his hands trembling as he loosened his grip.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice cracking as he let go of your hands and turned away.

You lost all control and tears started flowing out of your eyes as you clung onto his arms.

"Merry, please don't go," you sobbed desperately. He said nothing, and did not look back, holding his pain inside. He was still doing everything in his might to keep himself together, and not give in and take you with him. After a moment he was already walking away and you were no longer holding onto him; you were standing where he left you, begging for him not to leave. "Merry, please.  Don't leave me. I need you here. You can't leave me behind. Please, don't go!"

But Merry walked away. He disappeared from your view into the darkness, and you fell on your knees. You held onto your stomach as it felt like you were going to vomit from the pain and heartache. Your heart had been ripped out of your chest and all of your friends were gone. Your brother was gone. More than that, Merry was gone too and you did not know if he was ever going to come back. You didn't know if you were ever going to see him again.

There you stayed, crying. You sobbed uncontrollably, panic and fear taking over your body. You were left there on your hands and knees, begging for him to not go. But Merry was long gone, and so was your brother and all of your friends.

And you were left behind.

-----

NEXT CHAPTER

@chatteringfox @shiinata-library @ahobbitsjourney23 @mayo-advance @datglutengoblin @mourntheantagonist @channiesbedbug

[hypaalicious]

Why I think Nocturne is way better than the OG Castlevania series

Sorry, when I try to shut up about this show I be like

so here’s my unsolicited, highly biased word vomit that will contain spoilers at the end (but those will be under a cut) so read at your own risk! Okay, leggo

It’s actually diverse.

One thing about high fantasy is that it’s almost always Eurocentric. Even if it’s not set in Europe, the characters are gonna inexplicably have British accents because we associate that with high fantasy. We’re gonna have European style “old” clothing choices. And if everyone isn’t white, they might as well be because they’ll only throw in a couple ambiguously brown side characters and call it a day. Or if they make a main character a POC then best believe everyone around them will be white.

Nocturne, tho? Oh, you can tell it’s made with more than just a sprinkle of representation. They didn’t just make Olrox indigenous, they tied his Aztec lineage in beautifully. Annette was a slave but it’s not flattening her character because of it. Drolta came to slay but even she has her authentic background. Which leads me to my next point!

The Black characters especially are done tastefully.

Like… don’t get me wrong. I love Isaac. He was the only reason I stayed tuned into Castlevania past season 1, LMAO! But his backstory felt like straight trauma porn cooked up by a non-Black person who wanted an excuse to see a Black man whipped for character development.

Zodwa Nyoni wrote some episodes for Nocturne and she put her FOOT in it. When it came to addressing Annette’s time as a slave, her connection to the Orisha through her bloodline… I was gobsmacked at how accurate everything was and now I know why LOL! Like, for me, it’s always gonna be hard to see slavery in fiction but I can’t say shit bad about how it was tied into everything in this show. Annette’s ancestors play such a huge part in her growth and it just warmed my heart to see a Black girl whoop some colonizer ass without it feeling hamfisted. 🥹

The token relationship is the cishet one, everyone else is gay asf

I love that trope flipped on it’s head, ngl LMAO! I, by default, HC everyone as bi anyway but MAN was it nice to see Olrox and Mizrak speedrun enemies to lovers and a hint of Drolta’s devotion/gayness to Erzsebet.

I know the majority of my fictional character thirsting leans male but don’t get it twisted; I jump for JOY for gay shit in media 😂 The only reason I don’t thirst as hard for female characters is because I prefer my men fictional but my women real.

That being said, this series sent me into bi panic and I’d like to be manhandled in a room by Drolta and Olrox.

Nocturne’s first season plays out neater than the OG’s first season.

Like… okay. My main beef with the OG series was that after they defeated Dracula, the rest of the show felt like a meandering fanfic. Sure, there were a few badass moments, but the energy kinda faltered for me and I was bored with a lot of it. I hope they don’t do the same with Nocturne; they left off at a nice cliffhanger which builds anticipation for the next season and… idk it feels more cohesive already? They coulda speedran kicking Erzsebet’s face in like the OG trio did to Dracula but I’m so glad they left us a lil something to look forward to.

Alucard’s glow up >>>>>

I’m chronically online but I’m so glad I went into this series blind because the way I GASPEDT when he showed up at the end

Like damn for the past fifty-leven years he was in that castle by himself going “do I wanna talk to Sypha and Trevor plushies again or do I wanna make myself even more of a bad bitch?” Then he chose the latter, went to the salon, got his hair bleached platinum along with some sew in extensions for volume, beat his face with Fenty, and said “sorry Drolta but there can be only one vampire baddie on this earth and hunny I’m TAKIN IT”

He looks more like his video game design this way too, which I love! I hate that he took out Cuntress McSlay tho 😔 Drolta I will always love you!!

Mmkay. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to start a cult to Olrox real quick. Erzsebet ain’t the only god walking the earth and I feel he just needs good marketing!

[bexfangirlforlife]

First rewatch of the new Spatort episode. So gonna put all my notes in one post (under the cut). Let's go!

Oh hello lake scene. Here we go again. Let's hurt a little.

I think I already have to rewind. Needed to watch that whole scene through once but had multiple thoughts during it.

Leo is all of us during kde talking about Adam carrying around the Geldtasche

"Vielleicht ist es Blutgeld, ja. Aber ich hab auch geblutet, meine ganze Kindheit lang." - Why is that such a good line? Or is that just me?

Very serious angsty scene and then "Gibs mir" makes me chuckle again.

Tell me you don't actually hear the music playing while you dance, without actually telling me...

Oh the old lady was Kiwi! I missed that yesterday, but saw posts mentioning Kiwi and I was like what?

Nooo. Now I have to watch the dead Omi part again 🥺

Mein erster Gedanke wär vermutlich verhaftet gewesen, aber dann auch direkt tot. Dabei hätts auch einfach Handy verloren sein können. I mean yeah she was in the car, but it's hours later (it's all the way dark rn)

I'm headcanoning that Esther purposefully uses "bff" to get one of them to burst out "if you mean boyfriend then yes" one day.

Home office... what exactly does he do there? Paper work? I mean we know he does Gartenarbeit, but would anybody believe he's gonna go do paper work?

Ah hello hallu!Adam. We should have gotten more of him. Like why not commit?

Why does the name "Jens Jens" sound so much cooler than just "Jens"? Or is it only because I heard that so much yesterday? 😅

Die Taubenwette ist einfach so krass bescheuert 😆

Als Pfand für was? Dafür dass sie warten? Why do you need Pfand for that? Just leave if he's not back after an hour.

Leo Leo Leo... beim fahren telefonieren, also wirklich

Adam's soft "Was ist los, Leo?"

I can't quite decide what exactly Adam looks like in his tank top look... but it's certainly something

Wenn Jens Jens mal nich stehengeblieben wär, hätt ers Wettrennen vlt gewonnen.

"What the fu-" very true Adam.

The fact they didn't notice Adam even slightly once is wild to me.

Leo searching Luisa's bathroom would have been a good opportunity for another hallu!Adam

Does this make 4 on the Adam fck count? If I count the wt fu- I mean... (i counted one Leo fck later on top. But maybe someone paid more attention to these counts?)

Worrying Adam my beloved. Guter Ansatz. Let's take it a step further next ep...

"Woher hast du das ganze Geld?" Vom boyfriend, next question.

Time for Spatenflashback

I want Flips

"Yes, sir"

Proud Adam smirk 😏

Niemand darf mit geschlossenen Augen fahren, Leo! Egal ob Führerschein oder nich.

Another smirk. Und der Blickkontakt 😏

"Aber wenns schief läuft bist du da." Cute. Though I gotta say I liked the moment before a bit better. You know when Adam puts Leo's phone back into his pocket and looks at him. Idk that got me all 🥰

Wait. Wie ist Betty jetzt direkt zu Pia durchgekommen? Hat sie ihre Nummer? What?

"Pisshaargenau" truly is a wild word.

Adam: "schüttel das ab, Leo" - Me: 🎶 shake it off, shake it off... 🎶 (I'm sorry)

24 seconds of touch. 22 of them face cradling. Yes I stopped the time. I'm fine.

"Wir brauchen dich hier" ... again got destiel flashback we need you. I need you

Glauben die eigentlich echt er heißt "Jens Jens"?

I'm sorry but I really liked Leo's entrance with his Schulterholster and little Heftchen. ... "Jens Jens, wusst ichs doch"

Den Prozess will ich sehen. "Warum war Herr Hölzer unangemeldet auf eigene Faust als verdeckter Ermittler tätig? Und was für ein Deckname ist bitte Jens Jens?"

Immernoch kinda weirdes Ende. Idk obs der fehlende Cliffhanger ist oder obs dann am Schluss einfach alles zu schnell ging so der dritte Akt felt kinda rushed as a whole.

[lover-of-mine]

https://www.tumblr.com/lover-of-mine/748975070622400512/if-i-take-my-drown-buck-speculations-say-flip-it okey but you cannot leave it at that give me moreee (I’m attached to the down buck but as long as someone drowns I think I’m on board lol)

me: *walks in after weeks to discuss this*

Okay, sooooooo, we are all familiar with my drown Buck 2024 spec that came to me from the voices in my head, BUT the pattern could apply to both of them. I still think that the repetition of people around Buck being late could play into the idea that he will drown, Eddie being too late by definition is part of my justification for this spec. But let's assume Eddie is in mortal danger. With 706/707 info, the idea of both of them getting injured together is kinda out the window for now (since the whole reason I kept saying car crash was the newlyweds from Buck, Actually maybe it's a conflict for freshly together buddie? it's not like they ever known peace lol) considering that Eddie is gonna feel isolated and they seem to be repeating triggers from s4, and the drowning idea for me played off a lot from the idea of repeating the shooting since I think they would need a trigger like that for some feelings realization, you can have Eddie in a similar situation as the well to play off with past trauma the way the shooting does and have Eddie be trapped somewhere that's slowly or not so slowly flooding. I think you could have Buck in there and just have Buck being mad at Eddie but this could work better if they are separated by something and Eddie can't hear Buck because it doesn't matter how pissed Buck might be, he would never leave Eddie behind, BUT if we play off Eddie's brand of abandonment issues and the way those feelings will be fresh in his head with however they are dealing with Shannon and make him think no one is coming that could be interesting. And you can have something that would mash the shooting and the well together for Buck because it seems like the show is moving towards making buddie canon on Buck's side, and to put Buck in that situation again would awake some feelings, there's no way he would lose his shit the way he does when Eddie gets hurt and not be like "oh fuck" so we can have the late thing surrounding people adjacent to Buck mean that Buck is the one who's gonna be too late. Maybe it takes him too long to realize Eddie is missing, maybe he can't break into where Eddie is fast enough, same principle as the version of the specs that we had surrounding the cruise, because I kinda think that the show will parallel that bathena trapped scene somehow, but the thing is, the well is about Eddie saving himself, but the season has a theme of you can't do it alone going on, that would take the save yourself away, especially depending on Eddie's mental state. I still think we spent way too many seasons escaping from season cliffhangers and ABC really likes them so there's no way we are escaping one now, so this could be a cliffhanger, Eddie trapped, thinking no one is coming, playing into last season "we have time" and "we are all gonna die alone" thing he had going that made us think the bridge was gonna be worse than it was, he doesn't have a radio, his phone is dead, I don't know, there's water involved, we can kill electronics real easy, while Buck is going berserker on the other side of the wall trying to get to him but only getting in once Eddie is fully submerged. This could actually be an interesting way to give one or both of them an explicit feelings realization moment, but delaying the conversation because *i hope* it would force them to address their personal and shared trauma before going the romance route. But, yeah, drowning Eddie also works. But this all works with Eddie pinned by something, maybe losing too much blood, hit to the head, I just can't let go of the drowning thing.

[swaps55]

SWAPS that horizon chapter was SO good. all of mezzo has been an amazing emotional rollercoaster and the buildup to this chapter was SO worth the wait!! i do think you're mean for leaving us with another cliffhanger though (pendergrass???? is she ok?? she's totally fine in one of those pods garrus and mordin came across right? RIGHT???)

THANK YOU!!! I have been waiting SO long to write Horizon. That scene has been stuck in my craw since 2010, and I finally have it on the page the way I want it.

Is Pendergrass ok? WE WILL FIND OUT.

And I do apologize for the cliffhanger, and to make it up to you, here is proof of life that there is indeed more written, and I just need time to get my ducks in a row for the next few chapters.

~

“Sit,” Karin says, guiding Shepard to a bed, and he does like she’d issued an order, though he kneads his fingers on his thigh plates, gaze unable to settle on any one thing. Her medical scanner is already out and running. Heartrate high. No internal bleeding. No broken bones. Electrolyte and glucose levels in flux but not at dangerous levels. She puts a hand on his shoulder. He’s so tense he might snap. “Take a deep breath.”

To his credit, he tries.

“Shepard. What happened?”

“I need to know what Cerberus put in my head. I need to know what they did.”

“Your implant is a fully functional L.5n,” she says gently. “I’ve seen the implantation procedure notes. I’ve seen the scans. Operative Lawson did flawless work.”

His voice drops to a harsh whisper. “Then what did they do to me.”

The knot in her gut tightens. “I’m afraid I need you to be more specific.”

A helpless, hopeless laugh slips from his throat. “I’m not me.”

The medbay door swishes open, with Yeoman Chambers on the other side. Like someone flipped a switch, Shepard’s spine straightens, shoulders square, his unfocused gaze snapping onto a target like a laser sight. Chambers hesitates only a moment.

“Commander. The Illusive Man is on the QEC for a debrief.”

“Tell him to go fuck himself.”

She hesitates, but holds her ground. “Sir, he insists.”

“Shepard,” Karin says in a soft voice. “He can wait.” But Shepard stares Chambers down like a hawk with a mouse pinned beneath his talon. Then he shoves off the bed and strides out of the medbay without a word.

[eriexplosion]

Okay I'm only one episode away from finishing this rewatch so I cannot put it off anymore. Plan 99.

Again cannot emphasize enough how if Tech is dead for real we took this side trip just to kill him because nothing else has been accomplished.

"At least we're not hanging under the car" OOF

I admit that I'm not super impressed with the idea of OHHHH THEY WENT UP AGAINST TARKIN HE"LL OUTSMART THEM because Tarkin didn't.... do.... anything. He ordered air support to go shoot them down super offhandedly and that's it.

Yeah sure he let them shoot their own men, 95% of Imperials would do that, Rampart would do that, I guarantee it.

Omega pointing out how she can't see ships that are practically right in front of them, underlining how we won't be able to see Tech fall for THAT LONG

The music for the fall is still very intense, very good, but like... this just doesn't feel permanent to me at all on a rewatch? It's not the climax, it's literally 5 minutes into the episode, and it literally accomplished n o t h i n g of value. They didn't fall off there instead they crash and fall literally 20-30 seconds later for what is presumably a shorter fall but we don't know because we don't see how far he falls.

He still looks like he intentionally flips over while falling to me, the roll of his shoulders looks intentional anyways.

There's something weirdly impersonal about this scenario if I'm honest, it doesn't feel fully tailored to Tech? In that any of them, had they fallen, hanging from a line, they would have made the same choice. And honestly, it bugs me that this doesn't close out anything for Tech, which is what makes it feel Not Permanent.

Look at Kanan for example, when he died he 1. actually accomplished something 2. was a fitting end to a very long term character arc, where from the beginning Kanan didn't feel like a worthy master, didn't feel like a real Jedi, didn't feel like he was enough, but he died in the most Jedi way possible to protect his family, the woman he loved, his apprentice. He protected them in a way that only he could have done. It had to be him.

In contrast, Tech falls because he was unlucky, and he shoots out the connector because it's what any clone would have done. Which comes back to how DBB talks about it - how any clone would want a heroic finish that lets their squad carry on the mission, and which just clicked together what bugs me about this as a goodbye to Tech. It's not one. It doesn't engage with who Tech is as a person, it doesn't engage with anything he's learned or any way that he's grown, it tells us nothing new about him. It's a trained in choice, a lifelong devaluing of himself as a person and not just a part of a squad. He's a clone, and it's what any clone would have done. As if that's the only thing he is? The only thing any of them are?

What could make it personal, and could make it feel like it really, really connects to Tech, is if he survives. Any clone would have made that choice to save his squad, but not just anyone would have survived it. It's the only thing that could make it Have To Be Him. Anyone else would have died.

Just, in my opinion this works really well as a between season cliffhanger, my godawful constant nausea aside, but if it's the last we see of Tech it's a scenario that literally does not engage with him as a person AT ALL and that is a big big issue.

They could have fudged the details and made this Tech if they wanted to show a body, I'm tempted to count down the missed opportunities to actually show him as dead for real (this but we get a clear enough shot to know it's Tech and we see one of the boys kneel down to get a pulse and have to run when they don't find one)

the POV shot of Omega getting rescued is fucking fantastic though, I LOVE the POV shots.

It's the way that Tech's sacrifice isn't narratively about saving them, it's a plot device to get Omega hurt and them on Ord Mantell in order to be betrayed.

Omega's first instinct being "We have to go back, what if he's hurt? He needs us. We can't just leave him!" is a very reasonable reaction for a kid her age but it's also one that 100% is going to be what the younger audience connects to, and she never explicitly takes it back.

Like how I connect with this as an adult, seeing a child insisting that her big brother can't be gone, is very different from how I would have connected with this as a child Omega's age. I would think she was right. (And if the interview spoilers mean anything, there's STRONG REASONS TO THINK SHE IS)

"I always liked him." "Yeah... me too."

This exchange does break my heart, same as Echo in the Marauder looking at the seat. These moments are personal, but they're also just a few seconds each before the plot begins to kick into high gear again.

Cid looking guilty and sick about what she's about to do, to the point that Wrecker spots it and asks about it.

Wrecker taking multiple stun shots to go down though, AHHHH.

"I already lost Tech, I'm not gonna lose them too." This is the closest she gets to saying Tech's dead, but 'lost' gets used for Echo too, any time her family isn't with her she's lost them.

"who knew clones are so paternal" everyone with EYES Hemlock

"I'm afraid this is all I could salvage. Consider it a gift." That explicit lack of a body, where all we know is that he salvaged the goggles from the wreck. Could be that his body was mostly destroyed (and all his armor, conveniently?) or that there wasn't one there, and because Hemlock is a manipulative fuck I'm leaning towards the second.

I'm counting this as opportunity two to be more definitive about Tech's death in two different ways: 1. Have Hemlock explicitly say that he found and has the body, but they can have his goggles as a gift (Hemlock has no need of them) 2. Use Tech's equally distinctive helmet, damaged in a way so as to be obviously fatal, plus tap into the history of using clone helmets as death signals.

Again, Tech's death is used as a plot device. It happens to get Omega injured, and it's used to manipulate Hunter. It's still not about Tech, narratively. Which you could use for some deaths, but for a self sacrifice that's supposed to mean something?

Why'd they have to use Scorch to stun Omega like that, my poor boy the Empire's done a number on you :C

Echo hijacking a walker is FANTASTIC though.

"Echo?" "Gotta be Echo."

Them taking Omega is the climax of the episode, the big bad thing, the thing that makes the music kick in even harder than Tech's fall, are you telling me that his death is fully secondary to a kidnapping, I am biting at your fucking walls I am snapping at the air like a dog

Opportunity number three to be more definitive: show anything of Tech's in Hemlock's lab. A body under a sheet with one hand out, one of Tech's distinctive gloves showing. His helmet sat on the desk, badly damaged. Make sure Omega sees and reacts to it.

Note these are the opportunities that could have been taken with extremely little change there are multiple ways to make slightly more significant changes that avoid the ambiguity.

Emerie why does the sister thing matter so much more than your multiple brothers lying all around you

Extremely funny to me that Star Wars social media did absolutely nothing with this or with Omega being captured for several months it was literally all Tech all the time.

Anyway if Tech is dead for real I will be extremely mad about how he was reduced to a plot device to make the gears turn on harming and capturing his own family tbh (plus the insane and blatant stringing along) but if they show him to me any time in season 3 all will be forgiven.

[fitzs-trained-monkey]

How TVD Could Have Been 10,000 Times Better:

(Some Creative Writing Disguised as an Essay)

Look, I think we're all aware that TVD sucks. But that doesn't mean it had to be that way. The CW ruined plenty of shows; SPN, TVD, TO, Legacies, Arrow - I could go on. In spite of weak plot or disappointing endings, these shows had some excellent character concepts and could have been so much better if someone had put just a touch of creative thought into them.

Now, I can't pretend to know much about acting or the world of production, and I can't say I could actually direct anything effectively, but I do have something of an artistic eye. So if I had been the one to direct something like TVD, then I can guarantee that at least the cinematography and music choice would have been ten times better.

Allow me to demonstrate.

Example One:

Do y'all remember the scene where Klaus breaks his curse? (Of course you do.) Let's face it, there are plenty of very cheap, practical tricks that could have made that scene feel ten times as natural and formidable. But, for now, let's just focus on camera and music. The ending to that particular episode with that big, frightening cliffhanger was alright. But you know what could have made it that much better?

Some gosh darn cinematography. So, picture this, if you will:

The full moon has passed it's apex and now sets over the tops of the trees - the forest beyond is black as night. On the edge of the trees, a lone wolf - wild and fierce - is seen prowling into the woods and the camera spins, flipping upside down and you realize... The moon isn't going down at all, it's only just begun to rise. The eerie howls of a wolf pack can be heard in the distance as Feelin' Good by Michael Buble plays full blast....

Significantly better, right? Let's have another.

Example Two:

In season 4, Kol (aka the love of my life) slaughters a bar full of freshly turned vampires. Such would have been an excellent opportunity to exploit the show's TV-14 rating for use of gore, and seeing as vampires aren't technically human, that gives a show a little extra leniency with its gore total. (TVD rarely used gore to it's fullest potential, just a little bit of set dressing and makeup can really drive a scene home. Just watch The Originals: The Awakening web series. That was well used gore.)

Now, even after all the show did to dismiss him, Kol is still a reasonably intimidating character. However, that extra carnage allotment could have been used to create a truly terrifying antagonist. Instead, the show chose to reduce a one-thousand-year-old being's massacre of a dozen or more relatively innocent people to some vague off-screen unfortunate mishap. This was - pardon my French - AN ABSOLUTE PUSSY MOVE!

They could have shown the kills and brought all the horror, without breaking the season's gore total. How? Why like this of course...

The woods are quite dark, but not black. The old pine trees lining a well-traveled dirt road are individually discernable but only just, lit in tones of grey. It's just barely sunrise, yet shadowy figures seem to flit through the dim light. The camera angle is set on the ground, like a person lying in the dirt.

An early morning fog creeps along, pooling in the clearing provided by the path as it carves its way through these forboding woods. The fog rolls and shifts - you're unsure if something or someone has disturbed it. You wait - another moment, another heartbeat - and then you see it: A tall, shadowed silhouette appears through the fog - small and faint at first but growing clearer, stronger as he approaches, much like the music that begins to play - heard by the viewers through the dark figure's headphones. The terrible stranger stalks closer and closer, seeming to grow larger than life, thanks to the camera angle which changes as he passes. The camera moves with him, circling around him once in one continuous shot before settling just a short distance behind. The song heard in his headphones is Stayin' Alive by Bee Gees' and he sways to the beat - casually, carelessly - as he walks toward that absolute dump of a bar.

The figure opens the door and the music becomes just a bit muffled as the door swings shut behind him. The song continues for a moment - just a second or three - calm and ordinary as one would expect and then

BAM!

BLOOD SPRAYS ACROSS A WINDOW!

Suddenly, the audio is no longer confined to those headphones; it expands outward, and now intertwined with the music, the audience hears the screams, the pleas, and the tortured cries of those poor souls as they're slaughtered like pigs. One by one, the screams cut off until it's once again only the music. Then, just as you thought it was all finally over, there's a loud crash - the door opens with a bang and you see a pair of hands latch onto the doorframe. They scrabble and scratch, burning under the faintest touch of sunlight. Something tugs at them, drawing them back inside, but they fight! Then, with a spray of blood across the camera, the hands go slack and are yanked back inside.

The screen goes black and the music stops...

See what I mean?

With just a little bit of camera creativity and a dash of practical effects, TVD could have been so much better, right?

[whiskey-tango-matcha]

A Cup of Tea and Paracetamol (Part 1/?)

Hi friends, I heard a hot scenario in the normal world and now I must make my characters miserable because of it. Elijah & Greyson are venturing out of the restaurant for this one! Not sure how many parts, and there’s limited sneezing in this first part (also this first part is kind of short but I have to leave my house so you get a cliffhanger lmao) but I promise more is coming. 

Enjoy!!

CW: male, colds, contagion

A Cup of Tea and Paracetamol

“You’re never going to believe what is in this email.”

Greyson raised an eyebrow at his boss and took his best shot. “Is it a letter from the queen of England bestowing upon you the dukehood you always knew was your lifeblood?”

Elijah turned fully to face the chef with a look of bemusement. “The queen of England is dead, Grey.”

Greyson gasped in such mock horror that half his staff turned to see what was happening in the office. “The queen is DEAD? WHEN? HOW?”

Elijah rolled his eyes and pushed Greyson lightly, playfully. “You did get one thing right, though,” he said, expanding the email so Greyson could read it over his shoulder. “It’s the Epcot World Tour event in England,” he said as Greyson scanned the email. “They invited us to participate.”

Greyson took Elijah’s shoulders in his hands and shook him from behind. “What the fuuuuck man! That’s fuckin wild! I want to go! Can we go?”

Elijah held his hands out, palms up, as if to say ‘I don’t know’. “I mean,” he said, “I don’t think we can say no to something like this. We’re probably going to have to close the restaurant for the week that we’re there, but the publicity for doing this kind of thing… I mean, it’s unparalleled. We couldn’t pay for that kind of press.”

Greyson punched the air. “Oh, HELL yeah!” he said, smacking Elijah on the back excitedly. “We’re going to England, baby!”

***

The event was on a Saturday, which was stressing Elijah out so much that Greyson almost wanted to throw his hands up in the airport security line like a fed-up father and say ‘That’s it, turn around, we’re going home’. Almost.

“Lij,” Greyson said, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration as Elijah crunched the numbers on his phone for the millionth time. “It’s ONE weekend. We’re literally going to be gone not even five days. I need you to relax.”

“I’m relaxed, I’m just worried about -”

“If you’re worried about something, you’re not relaxed,” Greyson interrupted. “Look, dude, this is going to be so good for the restaurant. It’s going to bring so many people in. Five days closed isn’t going to take us down, okay? I promise.”

Elijah attempted a smile and put his phone back in his pocket. “Alright,” he said, sighing. They made their way through security in silence, and once they were through Elijah finally spoke again: “Where’s the bar in this joint? I need a drink.”

“It’s seven in the morning,” Greyson laughed, and Elijah shrugged.

“Airport rules,” he said, a statement that Greyson couldn’t find an argument for. They found a bar near their gate and flopped their things down before ordering two overpriced bloody mary’s.

“You’re sure the contact got all our ingredients?” Greyson asked as he sipped his drink. Elijah snorted.

“Now who’s the worrywart?”

Greyson flipped him off. “I think that’s a valid thing to be worried about. I mean, I have no idea what they even have available in England. Are there real grocery stores if we need to pick something up? Or is it more of a stand-on-the-side-of-the-road kind of deal? Or is it like back in the 1600s where every store only sells one item and all the stores close at  three pm?”

Elijah gave Greyson a look of incredulity as he sucked down his drink. “Grey,” he said. “It’s England. We’re traveling across the ocean, not across space and time. They’re going to have grocery stores.”

The bartender came by then and asked if they’d like another round, which Elijah responded to by shaking his head and handing her a credit card. “Thanks, boss,” Greyson said as Elijah signed the check, which he responded to by waving the chef off.

“Don’t mention it,” Elijah said. “Let’s get to our plane.”

***

Elijah had been holding his breath as everyone boarded the plane, begging whatever god there may be that no one would be sitting in the seat next to him.

When they had booked the tickets, Elijah had assumed he and Greyson would sit in the same row, but it turned out that was a pipe dream.

“I’ll take the aisle,” they said at the same time when Elijah found them an empty row. Greyson had laughed and said, “Jinx.” Turned out neither of them could stand the thought of being trapped at the window for seven hours, so instead Elijah booked them across from each other and hoped he wasn’t trapped next to someone who smelled – or worse yet, talked to him the whole flight.

He really thought that he’d somehow beat the system when the last few people had trickled onto the plane and no one had sat in the middle seat yet. Even Greyson gave him an eyebrows-raised look of, ‘congrats, you won the airplane lottery’; that is, until the very last person stumbled onto the plane.

To say that the man who was barreling down the aisle and towards the seat next to Elijah looked terrible would’ve been a massive understatement.  He was a good enough looking man – in his 30s, probably around Elijah’s 35, and, also like Elijah, covered in tattoos from the neck down – but clearly he wasn’t...well.

“Excuse mbe – huhhITTZSCHUE!”

Oh, you had to be absolutely fucking joking, Elijah thought as he let the man past him and into the tiny seat next to him. The man sat down and tried to make himself as small and unobtrusive as was possible, but that seemed to be impossible, given his situation.

“Oh fuckigg hell – hehITSZHUE! ITSSHHHUE! Huhh...huh…”

This had to be a joke. He had to be getting punked. The flight hadn’t even taken off yet, and Elijah could already feel a stranger’s cold seeping into his pores, as if it had been specifically chosen for him. He looked over at Greyson, who was clearly biting his own cheek to keep from laughing. Elijah subtly flipped the chef off, and Greyson covered his mouth so as not to let the guffaw escape.

I’m sorry, Greyson mouthed when he had finally composed himself.

Fuck you, Elijah mouthed back, and Greyson once again collapsed into silent laughter. Behind him, Elijah felt the ill man tap his shoulder.

“Pardond mbe,” the man said, his English accent and his cold making him nearly impossible for Elijah to understand. “You wouldn’t happen to have a paracetamol ond you, would you?”

“I’m sorry,” Elijah said. “I don’t have anything.” What the fuck was paracetamol?

“That’s alright,” the man said, coughing lightly. “I’mb so sorry about...all this,” he gestured to his entire presence, and Elijah attempted a smile.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “And bless you, by the way.” “Much thangks, mbate – huhhITSZCHUE! HUHISHHUE!” The man folded himself in half to try and sneeze away from Elijah and their other seatmate – a woman so asleep Elijah thought she may be dead. The man in the middle coughed harshly into his lap, and Elijah winced.

It was going to be a very long flight.

[mdhwrites]

My Adventures With Superman Episode 3 Review: A Welcome Chance to Breathe

Non-Spoiler short version: If the first two episodes were a bit rushed and bursting at the seams, this one takes a couple steps back, takes a deep breath in and then strides into right where it should be with confidence. The humor is on point, characterization continues to be really strong, the foreshadowing is good for what’s coming later and the final line has SO MANY IMPLICATIONS that have me excited for where it might go. Also, if anyone was worried the romance wasn’t going to matter, well, I would say this episode puts it to bed that they understand that good romance also plays into character growth and the like and means a push and pull in things which has me increasingly excited to see more of Lois and Clark. Both as individuals and together. Also, has the best Superman fight yet so far I’d say so just very good all around.

Now time for the spoilers!

I’m actually going to work backwards from the ending because it’s a cliffhanger to me that really helps explain how Lois behaves in this episode. After all, I kept going “LOIS NO!” as I watched. Not in a bad way but in a comedic “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” fashion. After all, she lies, steals and tricks even Clark during this episode which does mean she’s having a push and pull with the lesson she learned in the first episode but...

Well, the major goal for the team in this episode is to get an interview with Superman. Even when they technically swap cases to the ‘Inter-Gang’ one, the villains for this episode, Lois is actually using it to just get put in danger so Superman will come rescue them and she can spring an interview on him. She didn’t let Clark in on the plan, though neither told Jimmy. She also never actually gets in the way of the investigation or the like and is doing good work, just for questionable reasons. Also, when this is revealed and Jimmy says it was what they did with Livewire (I also love the idea that Jimmy is going to probably end up naming like at least 50% of the Rogue’s Gallery), we get the great line out of Clark of “THAT WAS ON PURPOSE!?” Poor... Poor Clark.

And potentially poor Lois. Her last line, the last major line in the episode, is “He’s a liar.” She gets her interview after all and Clark is honest. He’s figuring himself out, figuring out his powers, etc. like that. The closest to a lie is not being willing to give a name but she technically didn’t ask for one. Then he says he’s just here to help the people of Metropolis and asks “Isn’t that what matters?”

Well... The first episode brought up whether or not Lois was doing these cases for the people... or for herself. Well, the Superman case is technically not useful to the people. They may want more information but aren’t the crimes going on more pressing if your focus is actually on the people? That’s what makes the first episode justified. It’s kind of what makes her lying and stealing justified too... But not so much the fact that she’s still trying to trap Superman who’s just doing good. Like she pointed out in the first episode: “He wouldn’t have helped me otherwise! Not like he did with the lady and the bib... Or with me and Flip... Or when he brought donuts for everyone!”

It’s starting to build the impression that Lois’ real point of contrast with Clark is that if Clark is optimistic and will always save everyone... Lois is pessimistic but will do what she can anyways. She expects people to be selfish. To look out for themselves. To do whatever they have to to get ahead. She’s taking this same mindset to journalism and it’s blinding her from the people in front of her who are genuinely just good.

But this doesn’t mean she’s a bad person and a little gray morality next to Clark’s white morality is a good thing. She still won’t hurt people and Superman actually states that why he was willing to do the interview was that when he told Lois and Jimmy to go, they stuck around and helped people because Lois’ true nature is still good. She still puts others in front of her... But she’s willing to bend the rules if she thinks it won’t hurt anyone and will help her. That’s not terrible but she needs to be doing it for the right reasons and it’ll be interesting to see the push and pull on this.

If it seems like I’m spending a lot of time on this, it’s actually not because the rest of the episode isn’t interesting but that it’s what matters most to me. I LIVE for characters and interesting hooks like these are my lifeblood. But that doesn’t mean just a good cast playing well off of each other doesn’t work well too, such as the Inter-Gang.

Inter-Gang is three people, Roughhouse, Mist and... I never quite caught their leaders codename and I can’t remember her actual name. They’re good low level criminals though to show that the stolen tech that Livewire got sent to the rest of the thieves in Metropolis is going to be a major player in the problems being caused, at least for now. They use each others real names when doing crimes, they’re generally not good at what they do but they’re also tired of being mocked which makes them prime tinder to misuse and abuse experimental tech, such as the freeze ray they use that then jams and then goes into hyper drive when they smash it with strength gauntlets.

Edit: The leader is the apparently the eventual super villain “Silver Banshee” and thank you to the person who let me know!

And while I got it wrong, I thought he was gaining X-Ray vision this episode, the foreshadowing to Superman’s heat vision and that being what saves the day is done well. His powers are developing now that he’s actually using them and embracing them so he keeps having moments where his eyes go blue and then red, first the color connected to his adrenaline state and then specifically the laser eyes. This gives him a headache and he stumbles a bit but then it moves on until he’s almost frozen, the leader of the gang screams for help after her tech won’t save her and BAM! LASER EYES!

It’s keeping to the show’s formula so far, including having a vision at the same time like when he saved Livewire, but that’s okay for now. We’re still in the early days and the addition of new powers will help keep solutions fresh. Frankly, if this is how the show is going to be in general... Cool. I’m here for it. It’s a good start to what to expect the majority of the season to probably look like and it’s funny, exciting and smooth.

And that includes the animation. There was maybe one time I thought something looked a little clunky but it came off as a deliberate choice for the moment, rather than a mistake or something that needed another pass. Otherwise, the animation was nice and clean and the fight against the Inter-Gang was still short, not as short as Supes versus Livewire though, but satisfying and looked really good, putting one of my big fears from the first two episodes to rest: That this animation studio was going to struggle to do Superman fights well. We already know they can do stuff like Slade versus Livewire well, this is the same team that did Korra after all, but Superman and his flight, and his brute strength, is a very different beast to tackle.

But I have been given good reason to trust in the animation team now just as much as I’m trusting the writers so I’m definitely looking forward to next week.

===========

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead, If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

And finally a Twitter you can follow too!

[butlersxbirdy]

You Light My Morning Sky

Part 7: What Would You Do If I...

Break free and leave us in ruins?

Took this dagger in me and removed it?

Gain the weight of you then lose it?

Believe Me, I Could Do It

Here we go dear readers! I'm not sorry for the long chapter title, this angst killed me to write. I'm sorry for this pain and the cliffhanger.

It's been a hellish week coming back to work after your weeks of bliss with Austin. Coping with your new notoriety has been a struggle to say the least, even inside the walls of your safe haven home. You had started packing after you picked the 2 story luxury loft apartment as your new home. You and Austin had fallen in love with it and couldn't wait to officially live together... or so you thought.

You've barely been home except to sleep and eat one meal, and it's taken a toll. Austin has been working too, although mostly to distract himself. What's more, the day you got found out by paparazzi had signaled a shift in Austin's behavior. His nature as a switch was in full force; he would be dominant during sex and then immediately cling to you, sucking on your soft skin and needing care and loving dominance. He'll be submissive during sex and then flip immediately after, calling himself Daddy and petting you until you beg. It's been a lot for the both of you, and his gratitude toward you for rolling with the punches was immense, but he knew he hadn't been the best at expressing it. His head was swirling constantly with images; you standing over him while he begged, you crying at Elvis's grave at Graceland, your eyes when you gave him the blanket, the feeling of sinking into you and knowing you belonged to him. All these memories and more fill his head and push him toward the line between submitting to you completely and letting you make it better, and dominating and protecting you, keeping you filled up and sheltered from others in his bed.

Despite his confusion, Austin misses you terribly, and gets an idea to come and surprise you with your favorite coffee at your work. He wants to try to break up the tension building between you, to get back some of the magic of the Memphis trip. You've barely had time to plan the wedding, which weighs on him. He's trying not to believe the voice in his head telling him you don't want to plan the wedding, and he figures this will help. When he walks off the elevator, coffee in hand, he looks around for you, and when he sees you, his chest feels cold. His mama is sitting on someone else's desk, laughing. He recognizes the face from the company photo; the man you're chatting with, and laughing with, is Nicky. It looks innocent enough except, Austin realizes upon hearing that beautiful sound, you haven't laughed with him in days. He's about to come over and ask for some attention, but then you put your hand on Nicky's arm. He swallows thickly, and leaves your coffee on your desk with a note:

"See you at home.

I miss you.

Love,

Kitten"

And then he leaves quickly. He gets out of the building, heart pounding and hands shaking, and he picks up the phone.

"Olivia, are you in town? I.. I need you."

"Thank you for coming," he says awkwardly, surrounded by the boxes you've been packing together to move into your new shared place. Olivia sits on the couch and looks at him, feeling very worried.

"Austin, what's going on?" She asks. "Why couldn't you call Ashley? I mean, I'm flattered, and happy to be here, but this feels like Ashley territory," she says softly. He lays down on her, and she lays back, rubbing his shoulders gently.

"Ashley would talk me down," he shakes his head. "I don't wanna be talked down, I wanna feel better," he groans. "You made me feel better in Australia, you were such a good friend. And I needed the kind of friend I had before I had a Mama," he says quietly, looking at her nervously.

"But Aus, you... you have a Mama," she says softly. "Did you break up? Or... am I helping you break her heart?"

"I'm heartbroken," he admits. "Honestly, Liv, I think she's done with me. She's so happy to be working with Nicky, she's never here, she hasn't been excited at all about planning our wedding," he rants, head on her stomach and hands fiddling with his rings. "My mama doesn't love me anymore," he whispers, and saying it out loud breaks his heart even more. Olivia gives in, and lets him cuddle close. She loves you both, and she knows there's two sides to every story, but he really seems in a bad way. "But I have a way to get her attention."

"Austin, I'm sure that's not true," she reasons with him, but he looks so down. "Her life blew up. Spectacularly. And don't push too hard just to get her to notice you, She's getting paparazzi attention, hate from her coworkers, and this new assistant-"

"Who she seems to be best buddies with. She touched his arm. I want her to touch me," Austin pouts and Olivia sighs.

"Talk to her, Austin. She loves you."

You, meanwhile, were having an awful day. You got back to your desk after a mercifully short meeting with Nicky while you pretended to be nice to him, and Austin had left you a coffee but hadn't stayed to spend time with you. Ever since asking you to marry him, Austin had been acting very strangely. He was always on his phone when you were home, and then would get upset with you for not being home more. You wanted to ask about the wedding planning but you hadn't because you were honestly afraid he'd tell you he changed his mind. You could no longer know with certainty that waiting for him at home in lingerie bent over and dripping, or ready to put him on his knees wearing nothing but a robe and a domineering smirk was the way to satisfy him. You wanted to go home and cry, but you knew tears wouldn't help now. You had to just talk to Austin, even if it was over. You were losing your baby boy. Your kitten. It was too awful to consider.

You walk in expecting silence. What you see is so much worse. Your worst fear is right in front of you and you can't even breathe.

Austin is on the couch, cuddling with Olivia. His head is on her stomach and his hand is playing with her hair.

"Hey," he says softly, voice thick with unshed tears.

"Hey?" You whisper, incredulously. "Austin. Red." You whimper and burst into tears. Olivia looks confused but Austin sits up immediately. He thought his plan was foolproof, but clearly it had backfired. You weren't jealous, you were heartbroken.

"I...oh no... okay, Mama. Okay," he runs up to you, and hugs you. You lean into the touch but don't hug him back. Olivia gracefully leaves, but not before turning to Austin and reminding him,

"Remember what I said."

You frown and pull away from his embrace and you cross your arms.

"What the fuck is going on, Austin? This is my worst fear. You know that," you sniffle. "You and Olivia, together, has been dangled in front of me since the paps clocked us. You can't seriously think that was okay, after the coffee thing?"

"The coffee thing?" He interrupts harshly. "You mean when I came to see my fiancé at her work, because she won't come home, and bring her coffee because I miss her, and I find her all over her assistant who's calls she kept taking during our romantic vacation where I proposed?" He snaps. Your cheeks instantly flame with rage and you turn away from him.

"All that talk about trust, and this is what I get? You laid down on Olivia, Austin. On her. Like you do with me. Without asking. I can't believe you did that. Were you trying to hurt me?"

"Maybe I was. I've been miserable these past few days, and you haven't been here. Maybe I was trying to see if you still cared," he retorts.

"I love you so much Austin," you shout. "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone and you don't even talk to me before inviting Olivia here to lick your wounds."

"She actually told me to talk to you, she told me you love me still, and not to do anything stupid," he snorts. "Great advice. Maybe I should have fucked her. It would be about the only shot I have at a little affection. You're pulling away from me. I feel like I don't have a Mama anymore. Maybe I'll ask Nicky if you're letting him submit to you," he says bitterly.

You run into your room, slam the door, and pack a bag. You can't feel anything but rage and shock. Whoever that was that talked to you like that, he wasn't your Austin. When you walk out, you head for the door.

"Go ahead Austin. Fuck whoever you want. I need some space."

When you get into your car, the tears come with a vengeance. You scream at the top of your lungs until you're hoarse and when you can wipe your eyes enough to see, you drive in the direction of the hotel you and Austin stayed at when you got back before you could go home. You grab your bag after you park, and you walk through the spacious lobby.

"I need a room," you say stiffly to the check in desk, and you hand over your credit card.

"Y/N?" A quiet voice says and you put your head in your hands as the desk clerk hands you a key.

"Olivia," you sigh in defeat, crying again. "Of course you're staying at this hotel. Bet Austin recommended it to you," you snort and she rolls her eyes.

"Okay, that stops now. Y/N, we were friends. All of us. You know I've been waiting for him to propose to you since I knew you existed, since before he even asked you out. Come on, lets get your stuff upstairs and we'll grab a drink, but you have to promise me that you've got it through your head that Austin and I have not, and will not ever, be together." You feel properly shamed. Turning on Olivia was not fair, and you know how good a friend she had been to you and Austin.

"Okay," you squeak nervously, and nod. "I Promise!"

"Good. Now come on."

Austin sits on the floor of your apartment, unable to think straight. He was so stupid. How could he have been so blind to think you'd leave him? He'd never leave you, he knew that.

He thought back to what you said to Gladys and Elvis at Graceland, that you love him so much that you were scared it would break you. He looks down at the ring on his finger, and he panics. You had bought him a ring. You wanted to marry him. And he threw your love away like it was nothing, by trying to make you jealous. Now, not only had he hurt your feelings, he also craved your touch in a way he was unfamiliar with. His skin itched and ached where he wished your hands were, and his heartbeat sped up as his panic at being left by himself increases. He looks up at the ceiling so he doesn't have to look at the pictures of the two of you, so happy together. He thinks of the one person he wants to talk to right now other than you, and he curls up with the blanket you had given him.

"I fucked up, Mom..." he whispers and he cries, eventually dragging himself to the bed he's supposed to be sharing with you, and he sobs himself to sleep, clinging to the pillows that still have your scent.

"Can I ask you something?" Olivia asks after you each knock back a shot. You're in a secluded part of the bar so you can talk freely and drink.

"What's up?" You ask, ordering another drink.

"You said Red. What's red?" She asks and you clam up.

"Well... what has Austin told you about our sex life?" You ask, treading carefully so as to protect Austin.

"He says you're the best Mama he's ever had. Gentle, kind," she smiles. "Why?" She asks, biting her lip in puzzlement.

"Red is a part of that, I can't out him. Even if I'm pissed as hell right now, Mamas don't do that. No dom does that. So I had to check how much you knew," you explain. "Red is our safe word. Color system is helpful, Green is go go go, yellow is go but go slow, and red is-"

"Everything stops. Got it. I've heard of this before but only sexually."

"That's only the second time it's been used between us in a nonsexual manner. I didn't know why he was with you, I had no idea why we'd been distant lately. Saying red was the only way I could think of to tell him everything needed to stop. Not just him. Everything," you tell her. She nods.

"Austin only called me because he thinks you're the one pulling away, he thinks you don't wanna marry him," Olivia explains. Your eyes widen in shock. "And who the fuck is Nicky?" She asks.

"Oh my god, this again," you groan. "Nicky is my assistant. He likes me, I can't do anything about that, I'd never cheat on Austin. He's the love of my life," you take another shot. "And what about you? Did you fly here all the way from Australia because my fiancé called?" You ask bitterly. She shakes her head.

"I was here already. Modeling gig," she shows me the booking and you give her an incredulous look.

"Some friend you are, way to tell me you're doing a spread for McQueen," you grin. She blushes and puts her phone away.

"Tell me something," she changes the subject. "Have you been working more since the Paparazzi found you guys to prove you the world, and maybe yourself, that you have the job you love because of your own power, not because of Austin?" She asks, and you look at her.

"Wow, Liv. Uh. Yeah, partially. I also feel awful that I couldn't prevent it, and I also feel awkward that I won't be able to split the cost of that house he bought us if I don't work more, and we're moving into a new place," you ramble. "I love him more than anything. All my work is meant to do is make it so he can have an amazing life with me," you say softly and you do another shot. The tears are falling again. You miss him desperately.

"Come on. Let's go up to your room," she says with a smile. You follow her blindly, and when you're on the elevator you look at her.

"I'm sorry. I said some horrible things about you. You're a really good friend, and I'm historically against women turning on each other for a man," you say with an apologetic smile. She grins at you.

"I know. I also know how it looked when you came home, and I'm sorry for that. I know people have used me to get to you and upset you, and I'm sorry, I would never do that to you. Best revenge is we hang out together all the time, which drama aside feels like a win win," she says matter of factly, and you can't help but hug her.

"Good deal," you manage a tearful giggle and when you get to your room, she hands you your pajama set.

"Get changed," she commands and she hurries to her room to get changed herself. When she comes back, she orders pizza for you both and sits on the bed.

"What are you doing?" You ask and she pats the bed.

"Sleepover. Come on, time to dish," she says happily. "You can't fix anything with him tonight, so come on. Relax. Tell me how you got together," she smiles.

"Liv, you know this!" You laugh weakly. You couldn't do this. The lighthearted laughter. The gossiping. Your body was aching to wrap your arms around your baby boy and tell him you love him. And yet... no other options had presented themselves. Being alone was certainly not on the table. So maybe it was time to talk.

"We were getting coffee, and we got to talking..."

"Yeah, that's how you met. It took a few years for you to get together, tell meee!" She begs, and you can't help but smile as you think about the first time you got to really love Austin Robert Butler.

[theultimatenonbinarynerd]

Doctor Who: No More Lies Review

Introduction

No More Lies was a very interesting listen I went from confused, to emotional, to heartbroken to shocked all in the span of a whole hour. It's a very dark but heartfelt story at the same time. Out of all of the stories I've listened to this is one that managed to cut really deep. When it all came together I thought it was super clever.

My journey into Big Finish has been an interesting one and Series 1 of the 8th Doctor Adventures has really shown me what Big Finish has to offer in terms of story telling. I'm completely sold. My heart is overjoyed at how much Paul MacGann and the rest of the writers team at Big Finish have really been able to develop the character of the 8th Doctor and help form his own era. This is all cannon to me even though I know cannon is a very lose term in the Whoniverse.

No More Lies as a story was a superb action packed treat. It was a welcome but unexpected suprise that the action was super immersive and worked really well in the audio format. It stands out very much from the other stories I've listened to in the way it plays with the format and makes you dive head first into the thick of things. I love it when stories break away from their format and this one definitely does that. This story was great and its another one I might come back to in the far future.

What I Liked

I really struggled with this story at the beginning but once it got going I instantly fell in love with it. Its another fun concept with very unique villians. You think Zimmerman is the bad guy but then the story flips on itself and it becomes super surprising. The performances were once again top tier and the side characters were very memorable. Your definitely going to get a lot out of listening to this story I promise you.

There's so much to praise about this audio drama but to nail it down I want to highlight the incredible sound design and editing. No More Lies has to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing Big Finish Stories that I have ever listened to. From the sound of the soft footsteps of characters walking about to The Doctor taking part in some fun action, every sound effect really immersed me to the point I felt like I was watching a TV episode, it was an absolute delight to listen too. It was also so well edited and designed and that made it super immersive. Tim Sutton also scored great music which really suited the timey whimey tone and aesthetic of the story. The ending really hit me hard on an emotional level, it gave me full chills and goosebumps. The composition style is very much similar to the new series and its great. Gareth Jenkins really put his hat into the sound editing and made it fabulous. I promise you that this audio is worth it for the sound editing and score alone.

Next the character development of Lucie and The Doctor. This is the story that got me really attached to this tardis team. The Doctor and Lucie as a pair really shine in this story and work well together, you can tell that they're both use to each other and ready to save the day. The opening moments of the story show how well Lucie and The Doctor have gotten to know and understand each other. Sheridan Smith and Paul MacGanns performances are wonderful and together they perfectly portray and action packed tardis team ready to solve the mystery in the story. If you've listened to the other audios prepare for a dramatic cliffhanger ending that effects their dynamic even more. I also love how due to how much The Doctor trusts Lucie he's willing to break his typical companion rules. I'm really excited to listen to more of this duo in the future when I can.

Finally I have to praise the incredible writing. Paul Sutton writes in a very unique and conventional way that's not often done on Doctor Who. It was truly an amazing story. No More Lies is a truly emotional wibbly wobbly time loop story with twists that punch you in the gut. Every story beat with time pays off really well but in the end it makes you sad. Time loop stories are often boring and very stereotypical but No More Lies uses it in a way that makes it a unique listening experience that has you on the edge of your seat deeply wondering what's causing the loop and why Zimmerman is so determined to keep it closed. The stakes also get added when you have the Tar-Modowks trying to break through. All I can say is that the time plot beats our ones that pay off immensely and create a forfilling listen.

It's just all at the end of the day brilliant absolutely brilliant. No spoilers but this story really does pay off.

What I Disliked

As much as I think it was nesscary for Lucie and The Doctors character development I really struggled to engage with the opening of the story before Lucie and Doc enter the mysterious garden party time loop.

The pacing is what's preventing this story from being top tier. It was pretty minor but the more I listened to the story and we got to the really good garden party bits the more it bothered me. There was absolutely no set up and it felt very difficult to know what was happening. I appreciate that I'm a new listener to Big Finish so it might just be me but if Season 1 of the 8th Doctor Adventures are a jumping point for listeners it might feel very alienating and I think it's important to be noted.

It all felt very random and out of place. I feel like diving straight into the action on audio doesn't work considering that the listener can't visually see what's happening. Until we got to the krux of the story it was very hard process and understanding what was going on. Without any spoilers I feel like the character dynamics would have been more polished if the beginning set up had been longer. Its one of those things where I feel like it should have been a two parter or at least twenty minutes longer.

Apart from that I really did enjoy the story and it's very creative nature.

Conclusion

Overall another emotional and fun adventure with Lucie and The Doctor. Its a really strong inventive timeloop story, with incredible sound design, amazing performances, fun monsters, high stakes and a well developed tardis team. It also perfectly develops on from the other stories in the series. I absolutely recommended to any 8th Doctor fans out there. All of the 8th Doctor Adventures Series 1 are free on Spotify so it's definitely worth checking it out.

My overall rating would be:

It's very good and so worth it checking it out. No More Lies is such a brilliant story and I very much admire it. I've noticed throughout this series of adventures love is often a strong theme through out. We've had Forbidden lovers, lovers in peril danger and lovers wanting to protect each other. I'm not a very romantic person but it's been very interesting to see different types of relationships and how understanding The Doctor has been about it. I'll be interesting to listen to S2 and see if that has similar themes.

Big Finish has blown me away with it's extensive and creative storytelling. It's set the standard for any other audio stories I might listen and has also inspired me as a writer. I'm seriously glad they've used their licence to expand on each incarnation of The Doctor and create new fun and orginal stories as I agree with Mum in saying that apart from Tom Baker each incarnation of The Doctor doesn't get enough stories.

Bonus:

It might be very controversial as discussed on the Big Finish podcast but I'm logging all my Big Finish listens on my reading tracker apps. Since it's my very first year getting into Big Finish I decided to make a reading challenge on The Storygraph with prompts to follow.

Each prompt fulfils or matches with the Big Finish stories I'm going to be checking out in 2024. As said all Doctors 5-12 are included excluding 10 and War. I'm very excited to dig into the thick of things and I wanted other people to join me so the offer is always open.

Apart from The Eighth Doctor Adventures Series 1 I also plan to check out some short trips, a bit of the main range, a few of the Destiny Of The Doctor installments and most importantly the infamous Charley arc so this challenge is all tailored to that. So in future reviews you absolutely see the prompt chart fill up.

-Melody-

They/Them

[annkous]

Who's an airhead? Me! With the event going on I didn't think they'd release Lesson 12, but joke's on me, because they did. Not only that, but for some astral alineation, I completely missed anyone talking about it in both twitter and tumblr. I only realized it was out when I went to jump chapters on the normal mode this morning and saw "Lesson 12: 0/12-13-14 some number I forgot" on the list and then flipped my shit. I have the notifications on for the official account as well, but I somehow missed it too. Whoops.

Anyways it's an emotional galore and Solmare sure likes its cliffhangers, again.

Lesson 11 suffering

Look! Nightbringer decides to grace us with his invisible presence! And ngl I'm terrified of the options they gave us when asked what we thought of this world:

I chose I wanted to go home, and a bitch decided to guilt trip me with "don't you like the brothers as they are now?" man I do but I don't belong here!! I don't mind helping them because I love them but I can't leave the present brothers as it is!

Anyways they also drop this and I am terrified of Nightbringer now.

Not ominous at all. They also fully confirm he's a demon, and that both mc and them want the same thing.

Edit: but, however, we should know better than to trust his word for it don't be like me kids. Again, still-a-morosexual-help brings good points about Nightbringer's identity.

Anyways after we fucked up big time in the Reaper's cave, we fall into a coma, or deep sleep because of the Rules right in front of the present brothers, Solomon and Thirteen. Thirteen can't do anything as she wasn't the one who put that rule in particular, and the last person we hear before passing out due to the curse is Mammon.

This whole lesson is about the brothers visiting us and talking to us as we sleep, and I loved it a lot. Well, we are asleep, sort of, but we can still hear them. Even if we try to reply to them, we can't. Our body is comatose, but we're aware of our surroundings. That's the best way I can put it, I suppose.

First one was Levi, who also says this and gives me whiplash about Solomon.

For me to be convinced that Solomon wanted us fully on his side without caring for our input, he'd have to pull something like "bring them to Cocytus Hall instead" but no, he sends us home, to the house full with our demon family. Deep down he must know how mc loves all of them, so the "choose humanity" thing just... What's he thinking, I wonder? We'll probably have a talk when we wake about it but not now as we're knocked out.

We find out form Levi that Diavolo forgave Beel. They probably looked into what drove him berserk. They don't tell us any specifics yet.

Anyways, we get a heart to sleeping heart with Levi. They're going for the throat of us who easily get teary-eyed. He's not one of my favs, but I like him anyways, especially here. He just wants to hang out with a friend. Or a date, depending on how you prefer to see it.

Next up is Satan. My man. I love him so much. He's reading to us, and he's reading "The Tale of Princess Kaguya", out of all the damn things to read.

He's also pretty honest about finding out we were human, because he missed the Great Revelation Moment. In Lesson 11 and the hard mode, we see him with Simeon and Luke and they decide to make dinner for everyone when they came back from the castle.

Apparently, he would've been really mad. But just like Luci (I suspect), he's mad about us lying, that there was a side that we kept to ourselves.

Just like the other brothers, he begs us to wake up, and I had a hard time not pressing the "I love you" option back, because I want to try going down Solo-Luci route, but Satan makes it hard for me as he's also my favourite, and here is where we see him at his most vulnerable. Anyhow, whoever is cutting onions needs to fucking stop. He just asks us to wake up.

Next brother to visit us is Beel, and you can tell it's him because:

Yup.

He tells us about the gifts and food the other brothers left on us on the bed. Asmo brought some cupcakes, Mammon some chocolate coins, Levi some choco figurines and Beel brought some buns. God I love them so much and I didn't forget we still didn't have our moment with Beel about his Falling, just like with the rest of the brothers, so I was ready for him to talk a bit about it, or at least hint about it happening soon.

There it is jdhgadsf he says not yet, though. Our favourite gentle giant says how he's always starving, that doesn't matter how much he eats, that it never goes away, that he can use our advice about this big secret of his. When we try to reply, he thinks he sees mc smile.

Next up is Mammon, who's running in to hide from some pandemonium going on outside caused by his brothers.

He's mad that we're asleep lol but that's his coping, I suppose. I can't help but wonder if they're all the same way back in the present.

And then, because the onion cutter has me on their hit list and knows my weakness, Mammon drops this shit:

Mammon says that with us, he feels like he can accomplish what he puts his mind into, like the Cerberus thing, and that he needs us, so if we decide to run off to the human world, he'll follow us up there.

Asmo's up next, and just like the rest of the brothers, he opens his heart a bit to mc as we sleep, telling the reason he paints his brothers' nails is so everyone can tell they're brothers. This is where I knew I'd fight any Asmo hater on sight.

Going the opposite of Mammon, Asmo says that after we wake up, if we want to go back, that he'll do everything to help us.

This is all after asking if we were like him after he arrived to the Devildom, if we secretly wanted to go back to the place we came from, and if we were sad, scared or lonely.

Y'ALL NEED TO STOP.

Then came Belphie, which was a surprise because I was not expecting him just yet...

He apologizes, you can tell it's hard on him. Despite how we started in og!OM I adore Belphie, so my mc would forgive him in a heartbeat.

Then he drops a bit of lore bit about Lilith, and how she thought both Angels and Demons looking to guide humans felt insulting to them. I shit you not. Lilith had the same thoughts as Solomon.

Belphie says that he thought her way of thinking was strange, but after hearing we gave back the grimoire to them, that he gets Lilith a little bit more. That humans aren't exactly helpless.

That 180 turn came faster than I expected it, but I'm not complaining. It's also the fact that he wasn't locked into the attic, so his anger didn't fester as much as it did in the og one, plus this time we did something greater that proved we were on their side.

Then Belphie falls asleep holding our hand.

Last, but not least, comes Luci. Just like Levi, he's stroking mc's hair. I actually confused them at first, I thought Luci was first in there hah.

He pulls a Mammon at first, pretending to be angry at us, the sleeping attendant who should be doing their job and has plenty of secrets, like us possessing his ring, but it falls off quickly as he starts talking about his own secrets instead, and it's one we know: that Lilith is still alive as a human, and it weighs on him that he can't tell his brothers.

He also talks a bit more about Lilith, which I appreciate. How she didn't listen to him (lol) and was pretty emotional and expressive. Plus, when he asked her about her love for a human trying to stop her, she told him he'd fall for someone one day and he'd understand her then. Ouch.

Also this.

Sweats in Simeon. Please, he's one of my favourites. Can't wait for shit to go down in present time about this, because my fav ending would be with Luci+Satan+Simeon. Simoen is actually human there though, so maybe they'll use that to skirt about the issue. I just like drama and angst anyways and I yearn to fight the whole Celestial Realm over our found family if needed.

Luci goes on a bit on how he believed love was beautiful, so he didn't exactly understand why their Father gave Lilith the biggest punishment (being casted out with no chance of being reborn/salvation), and by questioning Him, he brought disgrace upon his brothers.

Just like Asmo, he wonders if us keeping our humanity from them was a weight just as heavy as his own secret to his brothers.

Lucifer then gives mc a kiss, and here is when I wasn't sure if it was because I didn't choose the other brothers instead, or if he does it anyways and it's a free interpretation of where he places it. Could be in the forehead if you're feeling platonic. They didn't even give me an option, unlike with the other brothers. In all the previous visits, you could tell them that you loved them, or choose a more platonic option. I went full platonic with all of them because I wanted to choose the "I love you" option with Luci, but he just fucking skipped it and went for the kiss instead lmfao. I like him, so I can't complain, but for someone who prefers a more friendly option... well, I suppose it's why they didn't describe what he did, so it's a free interpretation. Like I said, could be a forehead kiss if you feel more like it.

Then the ring glows and here there be another cliffhanger. See you in 10 days (9 now lol), I suppose. Seems to be the pattern.

The extra lesson is about Beel going to talk to Belphie in their room, trying to get him to visit mc and apologize. I love the twins so much.

Since I was already late I also went and did hard mode, thinking it'd be about Solomon searching for a way to break the curse (Leviathan comments on it during his visit, but Solomon never comes over), but instead it's about Simeon, Luke and Satan watching as the demon brothers run home carrying a comatose mc in a panic. Oh joy.

Solomon nearly slips, too, almost calling the guest room "MC's room-". Simeon neutralizes the curse, but is unable to remove it. The brothers and Solomon vow to find a way to dispel it, "even if it means doing the impossible", I quote Solomon.

Luke, being the literal angel that he is when he's not hating demons, tries to lift the crestfallen mood by saying they got dinner ready with Satan. They all thank him, which I found adorable, but decides to stay with mc saying he "wants to talk". I assume it's the beginning before his visit, and it stops there.

o(-< I'm dead man. I loved the brothers telling us bits about themselves. At least this cliffhanger was a bit more bearable lmao....... and I'm in for the suffering, at least a little bit. Just a sprinkle.

I was a bit sad we didn't get a visit from the other side charas, but I'm confident we'll have our moment eventually. For now I wonder how we'll dodge the questions of where the fuck did we come from, and why do we have the ring? What did Solomon tell Simeon and "counted on him" back when leaving the house? o(-< WHO KNOWS??? "good luck finding out too" -solmare, probably.

Edit: LESSON 13 IS OOOOUUUUUUUUT