#like they are so not the same vibe i get that the main storyline of the main couple is pretty similar (i mean idk i'm only 2 eps in lol)

[1-49]

송은석 : Tell the cameraman there’s no good side, they’re both attractive.

❝ your ace, your king, your double diamond. your jack of all trades, your 100 and one shades.

ᴘᴀʀɪɴɢ: actor! song eunseok × actress f!reader.

ɢᴇɴʀᴇ: romance. on set / gambling undertones as far as the film storyline goes. w.c 5k

two actors fatally ‘meet’ at a ‘casino.’ with the narrative centering round the ‘value of the moment,’ as the story advances, the ‘love on set’ becomes more evident thru the cameras. as the director realizes this early on, all of his retakes serve as both the actors’ main obstacle and unifying force in achieving their individual & character’s goals.

ᴛᴀɢꜱ: slight mutual pinning (?) both are kinda confused; mixed signals, ofc flirting. makeout :) i had MMA Eunseok on mind while writing this... the gloves and all.

ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀꜱ ɴᴏᴛᴇ: why i feel like everyones on sum Eunseok current rn? as if we re collectively riding that wave? am i not right? am i not!? it’s like homeboy was only getting comfortable up until now. or elsee y are his contents as of lately sooo attacking? idk why, but i feel like this type of situation goes so well w him?

this goes back and forth between the film’s plot and the real* on set setting. hope it’s not confusing

It feels like you’re wearing your seductive velvet dress just to let him down one more time. The never-ending takes of filming this movie and wearing the same clothes don’t help Eunseok at all; in fact, your attire has made him even more confused and hell crazed.

Drama, slash thriller, slash…

“Romance is for the weak,”

reads one of the script’s lines. Of course, there is nothing romantic about the way he has to portray the charismatic rival who must rob the same kingpin as you. You both need to be like loaded guns to figure out who will outsmart who. Without a doubt, this isn’t a game for the weak of heart.

Side from the fact that long shoots and endless days blur together, his constant presence both on and off set also distorts your perception and wounds your judgment. Though you know for a fact that it’s a waste of your time to catch vibes.

As you’re getting started & Eunseok is an A-list hitter, it is also completely out of the question. Moreover, even now, you find it surprising how you were cast for this role, but that was exactly what spurred you on to continue & demonstrate your abilities.

Though the weeks of filming went smoothly, as you 2 approach ‘a’ scene, tension is mounting.

But, now that you’re here, you’re reshooting and pacing around the same set of scenes, over and over. There is a clear build-up in tension and skin ship as the film goes. The way his hands would sometimes tighten around your waist, it seems like an old game. Practically, it’s the same same daily. 

It’s as if you have been thrown into a loop for a week. Monday through Saturday, which seems excessively intense because you have to look into his big eyes and act unaffected, just like your character. To pretend that you’re razor-sharp when you two touch and to act as though nothing is happening.

The latest take you took was three hours ago, before your lunch. Venue: the casino.

The casino set is unique in that it has distinct widths and depths, & it’s a character unto itself.

You’re shooting at a real place—a candid gambling place with walls painted in every hue imaginable, which is the main ‘bait’ factor. Nevertheless, the place’s real undercurrent is that it has the power to literally tear apart a person. Here, time and space are merely ideas, and much like love, everyone in the plot keeps playing in the hopes of hitting a jackpot. 

On the periphery are the people who have come here to escape reality, vibrant lights, music, drinks, and all things magnetic.

However, the more people indulge in these casino games, the more they immerse themselves in sin. The games have a concentric hierarchy, and the degree of wickedness increases gradually until it reaches the heart of the casino, where the money is kept in bondage and bound with a bloody ribbon.

In essence, the characters you and Eunseok play dance and mingle in the depths of hell.

As you both keep colliding in the games you play, what begins as an individual hunt becomes more focused. It’s the way that your objective in this round is to win jointly by lying. Still, at some point in the round, Eunseok’s character betrays you, but that is currently irrelevant, as you’re currently sitting on his lap.

And doing so, you scan the players in front of you. There are eight of them in total, some of whom have girls sitting on their laps as well. Some kiss, some clink their glasses, and some flirt with the person across. A ton of chips, cards, and cash are spread out across the poker table. 

Your character remains silent, just like Eunseok’s does. Distraction is something that neither of you wants. However, the fact that you’re sitting on his lap makes this already a deranged situation.

Players sling remarks about your character around the table in an attempt to break Eunseok’s character’s nerve.

“When will it be our turn to have our round with her, at last, exactly when?” Gesturing you both, one of the group members says, perched on the edge of the poker table. “Hm? We may need to take some action because you don’t really share your food here. We may need to bring bad luck to attract her.” The actor laughs narratively, but there is seriousness in the corners of his bright eyes that makes it seem like he is really after you, and there is nothing Eunseok can do about that. It is an amazing acting delivery from him.

And while his remarks are only meant to irritate Eunseok’s character, why does it feel like they also irritate the real Eunseok? Because his leg begins to twitch uncontrollably under you.

In order to stop letting his emotions show and to keep his mind to the job in hand, he needs to snap back into character quickly. He remains to cage you in a respectful manner, though, as his arms aren’t in contact with you because they’re both on the table.

So you have no choice but to put up with the sensation of his breath tickling the back of your neck, and the heat that seeps from his thighs and settles into you.

You feel imprisoned in his cage... On this set.

And, you start to appreciate the little things, like the thicker material covering your flesh, since it seems like your skin is getting uncomfortably slippery under your dress. 

Your back is glued to his chest, and his calm demeanor calms you down from the words and deeds of everyone around you—including the real extras from the close-up tables that swarm the set, adding realism to the scene and heightening the atmosphere.

You feel him place his hand on your thigh, something he has never done in previous takes of the scene, but he immediately lifts it. And as he moves his hand, the smooth surface of your dress wrinkles at the drag, making your heart want to leap out of your rib cage.

You lean forward until your elbows rest on the table in an attempt to escape the heat transfer that is becoming too strong between your bodies. More than that, there seems to be an off-energy between you two today that you can’t quite put your finger on. In either case, you’re unable to escape as his hand wraps around your waist and draws you back toward him. Simultaneously, it feels like his cold breath is making love to your throat as it swoops around your neck.

And so, you stay like this… in his arm... until he decides it’s enough, but Eunseok isn’t one to give up easily, so things continue this way. You simply can’t protest because that would ruin the scene.

However, even after going over the same scene several times, it didn’t stick, so the director agreed to let you unwind for the next few hours so that you could focus on the following scene.

And as absurd as it sounds, you might need to expend all of your energy on the next scene. You’ve become tired not just from your long work hours and endlessly repeated dialog lines, but also from being in too much close contact with him. And not to mention that the scene that follows is—

A loud “Action!” comes from somewhere across the room, past the cameras. You’re even deprived of the opportunity to summon all your bravery and take a deep breath. There is nothing you can do about the scene that is already in motion except follow your sync with Eunseok wherever it leads.

This time, the location is a 2nd floor room inside the casino with a glassed view of the floor below where all the ‘magic’ happens. In technical terms, the space you’re in right now is referred to as a ‘control room.’  

Control…..

With just the two yellow-toned lamps—one in the corner and one on the metal desk—the room is completely soundproof and somewhat dim. Additionally, the window glass also only sees out but not in, which promises that all intimacy will be trapped inside and not let out. 

…. If only you were allowed the right amount of privacy, 

but this is a film set, so naturally there are people inside who practically monitor every move you and Eunseok make in great detail.

They… Control…..

His suit jacket, which he had on earlier in the casino, is now draped across the brown leather couch, giving you more intimate time together and expanding his range of motion. And it’s all done purposefully. Everything is a part of the plan, as he’s deliciously in tune with your dress, too. 

His glistening velvet suit with diamond motifs fits the ‘rival notion,’ making him an ideal opponent—a fierce equal match for you. This is also reflected in the movie’s concept, which is to give the impression that this is a ‘pair game’ in which both of you are lying in order to get to the big ‘price.’

And all it takes to get there is for you to hurt each other in the process. There are jokes exchanged, teasing remarks, some lighter, some harsher, some even more vulgar, and swear words are thrown around, but neither of your characters ever lets up their confident façade. For they would be falling behind and losing the game if that were to occur.

As you gaze out the window, Eunseok is leisurely leaning against the desk, moving a silver-foil Ace of Hearts card between his black leather-gloved fingers and watching you. 

The games themselves give an adrenaline rush, and the lavish, spacious hall downstairs draws in gamblers, but the whole point of the script for him is that you’re a thrill sight and his object of desire. For someone made of steel, your whole sense of appeal lies in the fact that you steal his breath. 

The sleek black strapless velvet dress you’re wearing seems to be romanticized by the fake diamonds around the base of your neck. Your smoked eyes and glossed lips are your core points. You don’t long to impress. Your power lies in your strength and independence, but it’s also in elegance, solace, and trance. Another line says, ‘Simplicity is a killer,’ and you certainly are.

However, beneath it all, only you’re aware of how much of a mess you are because he is currently examining you.

... Still, it’s only acting. Eunseok is merely performing in his role as an actor. And, when acting, one can’t really let one’s true self show. As a result, cameras won’t be able to capture how hot you really feel inside or how confused; all you can hope for is that you don’t mess up your next set of lines.

And it’s that scene in the script where everything has built to a climax, and nothing is held back!

When neither of you can decide what brought you together—your shared dislike or your shared goal—and neither of you can explain the bad cues and inexplicable tension.  

Where your personal schemes about who will get the ‘shiny stones’ first are screwed by your shared greed and cynicism. 

When you two almost simultaneously blow up each other’s plans. 

And wherein, in order to make this work for at least one of you, you have selected a room to talk about the remaining options. In this case, the smarter one will really only be the meaner one.

This finally concludes the exchange of hurtful comments; there will be no more!

The door is the most attractive option, and the room is perfectly silent. However, it simply indicates that the first person out has raised the white flag and signed their lost. It’s impossible for either of you to succumb so easily.

Simultaneously, your character is the first to break the dense silence.

“Do you know where we’re going?”

With a rephrased and pointed question, “Where are you going with this?,” you look up at him then, looking a little disappointed and angry at the same time.

Coolly, Eunseok teases, “I’m trying to figure out if I should call it quits.” 

As an actor would, his hair is styled to perfection, and the two hair strands that fall into his eyes and give him a luscious appearance are actually just the result of the tireless efforts of the hair and makeup artists who never stop running after him. 

You find yourself ‘out of set’ for a split second, wondering what he’s like by himself. How he appears when he wakes up in the morning, how his hair looks after taking a shower, and how his body is dressed in a baggy, worn-out shirt rather than rich pajamas. However, that’s rather a ‘faraway’ Eunseok.

But the present, Eunseok, does he read you?

“You’re only saying that. But I won’t take the bait from you.” Your character is merely attempting to remind his of how he deceived you during the previous poker round. “In fact, I wish you saw you from my view. You ain’t all that, you know?”

Eunseok’s cool and calm demeanor remains unshaken. In fact, he just keeps on getting cocky. Given that you’re affecting him in ways he doesn’t understand, it’s in his character's self-defense mechanism as a means of continuing to taunt your character.

“Really,” he responds, crossing his gloved hands. His vest lifts at his tiny waist, and he tilts his head to one side in a seductive manner. The tone of his voice has been pre-calculated; every syllable has been worked on in detail. His precision in looking at you, moving, and facial expressions is unparalleled. 

“See, I’m good for the ego,” his words come across as too sultry, even though he’s the most soft-spoken he has ever been, “but I’m bad for the soul.”

If you two weren’t in front of the cameras, you’d have closed your eyes and allowed his words to give you goosebumps all over your body, but now isn’t the time to do that.

Not that they aren’t doing it already, either...

They’re actually doing that in real time. His voice, his eyes, and his tongue that digs and crawls at the inside of his cheek.

Just a cold-blooded actor. With every take, this terrifyingly skilled individual sends chills down your spine. You almost get the impression that he’s seriously flirting with you because of how excellently he is delivering his role. Nevertheless, the line is exceedingly thin, and the narrative is already in the script. Is it not?

You protest, looking frustrated, saying, “Your games are endless,” yet still simultaneously approaching him more closely to show that you aren’t afraid of him.

Actually, you and him are on the same level. And to add spice to the situation, you say, “However, this time, we both know that you’re going to lose.”

Waving the metallic Ace of Hearts card in your face, his quick silver tongue catches your attention as it runs along his lips. In an attempt to look impressive and put an end to the questions, Eunseok nonchalantly admits, “I like the games I play.” 

Although you must maintain your image and stay in character, all you really want is for all of this to end. You can’t take this and him anymore, like the weeks of filming together have reached a breaking point. You want to scream, ‘Cut!’ to put an end to this suffering, but you can’t fail your dream or let your character down either.

It’s as though you’re developing feelings for someone who isn’t even real. As though you are losing all feeling of reality as you observe him from up close. And because you know what is coming up next, you’re damn sure that Eunseok will take a piece of you with him when the lights go out and the cameras stop rolling, and everything is said and done.

Trouble…

It’s in his perfectly lethal-hued dark eyes. In the way the lamp light hits his eyes that makes him look so enticing, like a glass of whiskey on a thirsty day of never being enough. Intoxicating. Mysterious. Dangerous. A glass of trouble, really, and you’re fastly becoming a growing alcoholic. 

The narrative he tells you hurts as his words continuously fall from his gorgeous lips and seep into your thoughts and emotions like melted wax.

“The truth is, you can’t get enough of me.” Eunseok’s same eye-level with you decreases as he straightens up from the desk and now gazes a little down at you, imposing a slight dominance. He lifts his gloves, causing some veins in his arms to bulge between where the gloves end and his white rolled dress shirt begins. 

Without consent, his gloved fingers begin to crawl upward the inside part of your naked arm, waking goosebumps on their way. The trace is slow and faint, but that is exactly what he wants—for you to disintegrate bit by bit.

“Admit it,” he prompts.

He’s being pretty sadistic and adamant by insisting that you know that he knows how you feel about him; which is precisely the situation, and it leaves you feeling so exposed.

And it’s as if his proximity, presence, and dominance have completely eroded you, your character ‘breaks character’ as it succumbs to his dark charms.

You two are so close that you can understand each other perfectly, even in whispers right now. So you fire back in a private voice, “If I cared more about the truth,” miserable and defeated, “I’d be too aware of who was using who.”

In response, all he does is smirk,

and after making his way to your shoulders, he subtly brushes his thumb along your collarbone. Heat is generated by the tiny friction, and much like a fire match is struck, it ignites sparks in the air.

His hand then moves to brush some hairs away from your face and tuck them behind your ear. The black leather of his glove begins to skim first, then caress your delicate skin and the left side of your face. 

His eyes pierce your soul like a knife, so you look from them to his lips, breaking eye-contact. They lust for touch and have a unique, attractive shape.

“Stop!” You voice out in shock at what he’s doing, but do nothing. His gloved fingertips continue to graze your face. 

“Wonderfull,” he comments silently.

Your brain is fried...

And while in a daze, you notice that his tie is a little loose around his collar.

For some reason, this makes you feel compelled to tighten it, sealing the last bit of separation between the two of you. Eunseok’s brows furrow in concern as he realizes that this isn’t at all included in the script. Although this is blatant improvisation, the performance must continue as long as the director doesn’t yell cut.

You can understand why his free hand, which lends on your waist, is gripping you so tightly and nervously. He kind of breaks his neck shyly smiling away from you before turning back to face you...

Again, something the scene steps don’t cover.

“It was out of pl—” 

‘ace,’ it’s what you attempt to offer as an explanation while the camera is rolling, but you don’t finish saying it... Your mouth stays agape in contrast.

You opened it with an intention, got distracted, and now you hold it open with a fresh thought.

...Him.

Your lip gloss is a mirror of his tiny diamond-studded vest’s sparkle, as are his eyes, which reflect your phoney diamond necklace. 

‘How’d you get so pretty?’ Your mind stutters and your body shudders, yet the line is plain to see as it’s painted on your lips—ready to perform, ready to be spoken. How do you allow yourself to say it, though? 

But for real, when did his lips become this pretty?

It’s challenging to discern which aspect of yourself feels and which acts. There is a messed-up intersection where your character throbs with the need to kiss his character, and you throb with the need to kiss him.

Can he feel it? Are you obvious? Does anyone in the room have the ability to see right through you, as though you’re a transparent bottle filled with all these bottled wicked wants and needs?

Under the necklace, the skin on your neck contracts, relaxes, and contracts once more.

Your lips begin to quiver as the cold leather finally slides beneath your chin. Lifting it, your eyes are drawn back to meet his. You’re painfully aware that it’ll only take a single kiss to weaken a million truths.

“Fuck,” he utters as he begins to brush your lips, causing the leather to become sticky from the shiny gloss. 

Taking back his hand, he starts to rub and then separate his thumb and index finger, examining the degree of stickiness between them. He sighs, “You’re making me want to suggest that we steal those stones together.”

“I’m not stealing any stones with y—”

“I know, I know,” he says, interrupting. “But almost…” 

Eunseok looks directly at you and presses his tacky gloved thumb to his lips.....

The flawless pair of strands that get in the way of his eyes symbolize his seriousness while his tongue begins to pick up and taste any bits of whatever is still on his lips…

The intimacy is revolting, but you aren’t even given a chance to die from all the obscenities he’s doing as he continues.

“You are,” his voice becomes quieter as he speaks, “almost making me want to do it.” 

His lips draw nearer. His breath is what you inhale.

“Almo—” 

As soon as his lips touch yours, the rest of the sentence disappears. Just as your glittery, dark eyeshadow is captured in perfect detail on camera, his splattered letters perfectly entangle in your mouth.

Unsurprisingly, he gives you a desperate kiss with hands that dig into your waist.

The greatest corruption imaginable is a kiss that says, “If you aren’t mine, then I’m making you mine!” A kiss that puts your life and breath in danger. A kiss that tears through the façade and the acting mask, growing ever more dangerously real. 

What’s worse is that having spent so much time with him, it’s so evident when he’s unable to pretend. And currently, he surely cannot! 

He cannot act as though his lips aren’t needy or that his skin isn’t becoming hotter. Or that when he pulls your body more into his and presses his tongue deeper inside your mouth, his body isn’t trembling just a little bit.

Your hands slip off his shoulders and latch onto this vest, tugging on it just a little bit, even hanging on to it desperately for the life he’s stealing from you. 

His heart is pounding beneath your hand, which is hard to comprehend considering that an actor with his level of training shouldn’t even flinch when filming a kissing scene. More so than anyone else, Eunseok exudes an air of magnetism despite being largely composed of steel. The fact that you’re seeing him partially fall apart for the first time is mind-boggling. 

It’s truly insane what only a kiss can reveal. And of anything, it isn’t fast. For this is something that you should feel, just as the audience should when it’s their turn. 

You whine his character’s name in between kisses, only slightly conscious that you’re still in the heat of filming this scene. However, he just hushes you, nuzzles your nose gently against his, and continues. His low, pretty pants and foul moans layer at your throat, just as yours in his.

Given how far out of script you two are at this point, you’re certain the director has had enough by now and will call it quits at any moment, but that never happens.

It’s gross how much of Eunseok’s tongue encircles yours while his cute nose wrinkles and brushes against yours. It all makes you want him even more. For the worst part, he smiles through it. It’s quite vile since he knows exactly what he’s doing.

You can feel his lips burn from the constant, wild collisions. And his scent seeps into your nostrils. That much is certain: it’ll be difficult to forget this—to forget him.

“Do you—Do you?” he stammers, pressing his lips to yours as he breathes heavily and squeezes your waist so forcefully that you fear his hands will split you in two. 

Since it’s an entirely improvised line, he eventually comes up with the right combination of words. “Have you indulged in this fantasy before? Have you—Have you ever thought about kissing me?” 

Even though Eunseok’s words are already weighing heavily on your heart and lips, he adds even more bitterness by saying, “You definitely have.” He answers his own question by not even giving you an opportunity to respond.

But then, is it untrue? 

Of course not, as you feel the weakness in your knees. You find it somewhat unfair that he has granted himself a space where he’s fusing reality and fiction.

You fight, “It’s—” while making an effort to escape and resist his lips, “It’s just this time,” but it’s mediocre at best.

As you step back away from him, his hands hopelessly slip off your waist and slide back to his side. They appear empty-looking, as though they don’t own anything of value, like something was snatched from their possession.

Now, empty handed, Eunseok is back gripping the metal of the desk. It isn’t like it’s just you who is feeling the effects of those frenzied kisses; he has definitely lost his breath too. His lips are pretty roused and ‘used-looking’, much like after an intense makeout, while the tips of his ears throb as they peek out from under his dark hair.

He somewhat manages to come up with another line even though his fairly strong defensive system is down.

“Then perhaps it’s just been my imagination all those times I thought I felt you thinking about me.”

Your mouth drops open at the same time as the director cries out,

“CUT! Beautiful! Beautiful!” He waves his hands in all directions proudly. “That take was spot-on perfect; we’re done here. I got everything I want here”, he says, tapping the big camera that some other guy is holding, and also exclaiming, “One take. It only took one take!” with excitement. “Excellent improvisation! Reshooting would only sour the spark.” He then successfully clasps his hands and says, “That’s a wrap, everyone!”

You’re left standing in front of Eunseok, glassy-eyed, quite sensitive, and shocked, but optimistic that what the two of you just did is still partially justified by your acting profession.

It looks like he’s blinking more than normal; and blinking is undoubtedly one of the patterns Eunseok exhibits when he’s nervous, which you’ve noticed throughout the months that you’ve been working with him. He also seems to be in denial, with confused lines painted on his temple.

Both him and you stay motionless while looking at each other as the director talks about the scene with a different staff member, his voice only sounding faint and far away in your ear.

“I like a good chase in a scene. To me, that’s everything. The actors must have a compelling chemistry and be aware of their roles. They must have trust in each other and their actions, because making a film is similar to a construction site, it must be built. It’s more than a camera, lights, and action.” Taking off his baseball cap, he gives himself a head stretch. “Trust me… what these two have is lethal.”

The longer the director keeps making observations, the more of the ‘real’ Eunseok is in your presence. Adorable, nervous smiles, head turns, and motions; knitted brows that enlarge his eyes even more. It’s as if he has softened his human side, opened his heart, and ‘thrown his metallic armour away.’

Finally, after hearing the comments, he sort of hisses with a ‘Really?’ while tilting his head to the side and putting on a cute, sarcastic look of suspicion.

“Are you okay?” You ask him in a gentle tone, concerned because it appears he’s thinking through and repeating every step of the scene.

He nods, but his face still wears that expression of shock mixed with denial, and a slight, but still noticeable, shy spark in the far back of his ever so silver persona. It seems like he’s coming to terms with everything that just happened, and he’s still quite riding out the wave.

Now that he has had a taste of how you kiss, it’s quite impeccable how you can bite down like an enemy and later be tender to all of those marks like a friend. 

You’re high-key giving him so much more to think about—so many more thoughts to deal with than what the sight of you in your dress had already done for him up to this point.

‘Romance’ slash ‘No Control’ slash ‘Trouble!’

So many twists and turns until the conclusion, but the scene is now over. 

The drama is done. The ‘acting’? 

Done! 

You’ll be taking off your makeup and dressing down, but the characters you just played will still exist within the both of you. That despite the fact that it seems like you two will be avoiding dealing with this for the time being, you’re both actors, and currently, the cost of your acting is your sanity. 

Starting today, heartthrob actor Eunseok won’t only continue to cause headaches to the millions of girlies who have his posters hung above their beds, but to you as well.

‘.....Nice.’

© 𝟭-𝟰𝟵. do not copy, translate, repost, and modify my works.

[thechekhov]

Hello! Just wanted to say I love all your content but I wanted to ask if you had any advice/tips for running curse of strahd? I'm working on getting ready to run it with some friends/my partner and while I've run a fair amount of homebrew stuff this is my real first attempt at a legit module so I was curious if you could share anything since I believe you also are running/had run that module as well?

Thanks for asking! This is a very fun question!

I have indeed run Curse of Strahd. It was my first foray into long-term DMing and my team and I finished that campaign a little under a year ago. It was awesome, and I'm always excited to talk about it. Curse of Strahd had be a great game if everyone is on the same page!

First of all, I'm gonna say

Having Experience with Homebrew will be a huge boon

When I ran CoS, I followed the actual module about... 60% of the time. It was good... as a baseline/blueprint. But the reality is that I changed up a lot of the details. Either because I didn't like the vibes of the story, or because the plot points were antithetical to my team's goals. I changed up an entire floor of Ravenloft. I threw away a whole storyline for a major NPC because I felt it was too boring.

I think most people who run Curse of Strahd do this, actually. I've heard countless tales of how others Homebrewed their own meat onto the skeleton, and still came out of the campaign with an awesome, Strahd flavored experience. So don't worry about that part.

Here's my advice:

1. Everyone should vibe with what Strahd IS as a game.

Strahd can be a lot of things - you can Homebrew your own motivations into him, or make him a her, or change the history of his castle if need be. But if there's one thing Curse of Strahd is... it is DARK.

The Venn Diagram of Parties Who Understand That Suffering Can Be Fun To Roleplay and Parties Who Had A Good Time Doing CoS is probably a circle. You cannot do this adventure with a group of people who just want to hit monsters a whole bunch. It's an inherently 'oh my god this SUCKS' adventure. That's the main theme. Your players need to be able to enjoy that sort of game, otherwise they will just be miserable.

One of my players, upon arriving in Barovia, immediately said 'I hate it here' and then continued to say it for the rest of the campaign. That is kind of the catchphrase of CoS. Your players need to be comfortable with that sort of bleak horror and overall misery. It makes the end and the potential to finally end Strahd worth it.

That being said, Strahd can also just be... a lot. It has death and torture and psychological horror in there. KIDS DIE. Please discuss this stuff with your table, and remove elements if they guarantee a bad experience for everyone!

(Yes, you can trim down some of the viscera if you need to, that's fine. But keep in mind it will still be tragic. It SHOULD still be tragic. I set some boundaries for myself, but I also killed a whole town in an avalanche. It happened to be the only town my players had grown to like. It was a dick move. It was exactly what you would expect to happen.)

2. Read ahead - A LOT AHEAD.

For a self-contained world, Barovia isn't actually that big. It's a very small map, compared to some that span continents. That means you have the ability to flesh it out, as it were.

To add to that... some areas are... severely underdeveloped plot-wise. Sometimes there are places your players will go where it FEELS like it should link up to another point in the game but it just... doesn't. There is room to expand there. Use your Homebrew skills to connect the dots that the module doesn't!

I greatly recommend taking the time to either read through the whole adventure OR listen through some video-essays. There IS some cool stuff that comes in in the later game that you can grab and put down breadcrumbs for from day one. Or add to your own story twists.

My recommended resource for this is the Curse of Strahd DM's Guide video series.

...and to that end...

3. Start living in Ravenloft Castle WAY before your players get there.

Listen..........listen. look.

Look at this, and suffer as all GMs have suffered.

Castle Ravenloft is unarguably the biggest, stupidest, most architecturally ludicrous hurdle when it comes to GMing CoS. And I am here to tell you - IT IS DOABLE.

You can understand the castle, you can grow comfortable with it. But you need to start early. Hell, I think I began to set up Ravenloft maps before my players even knew it existed. Then I stopped, because I was scared.. but then I went back, and I.... roleplayed SOLO on my off-days! I set up little scenes between Strahd and others and imagined him setting traps, and doing other things. It helped me understand which staircase led to where, and what floors were accessible from which angles.

A part of me actually thinks that there should be a mini GMs-only class where a more experienced Strahd GM takes some time with other GMs to guide them through a map of the castle. A CoS Learning Oneshot, if you will.

There's also a LOT of talented mapmakers that create beautiful, digital CoS maps! Here's one:

Even if you are playing analogue, at a physical table, I greatly encourage you to check it out for reference. The official CoS maps are bleak and a little bit more... rustic? Than they are gothic.

Anyway, in order to avoid talking your ear off, I will end it here.

My last bit of advice is... to have fun!

Yes I know I just said that Strahd is an inherently bad-vibes game. But it's actually GOOD to let your players goof off now and then. Don't be afraid to let them do shenanigans. It builds character, and allows them to regain the energy they need to role-play properly heavy elements later.

My group did a whole bunch of funny stuff. They felt so bad about losing Ireena that when they saw Ismark, instead of explaining themselves to him they cast Darkness and tried to scramble away. There was a running joke that the cleric was too good to know about sex, so they used the euphemism 'play cards' around her, much to everyone's amusement. They got kicked by a walking house once and never forgot nor forgave. And finally, they defeated some Flame Skulls by putting them into a bag of holding.

Anyway, the point is... have fun! I wish you and your party the best of luck. :)

[chemzee]

Alright! Tier list of how likely are hpma characters of becoming dateable ( if we ever get the romance option)

Ok so here´s the list in question and my absolutely undenyable scientific reasonings behind each placement. ( /j, I understand my logic ain´t perfect so feel free to disagree)

IT´S GONNA BE VERY LONG SO BEWARE

Very likely tier

aka these characters are pretty much guaranteed to become an option or at least have a really high chance (85-100%)

Daniel: I think this one is like,,,out of question lmao. It´s pretty obvious that if you could date somebody in this game, he would be an option. First and foremost, he´s the only male companion available in the game rn, making him the most fitting male character for this role and you can´t make a romance option with no boys like cmon. Second, he´s one of the most prominent characters in a storyline and is pretty much considered to be one of mc´s closest friends along with Ivy and y´know how it goes. Also, we can take into consideration the "favoritism advantage", as in it´s pretty obvious he along with Cass is the most beloved character by the fandom and I believe it is something you as a dev should take into consideration when making a romance option.

Ivy: pretty much many of the same logic used for Daniel is applied here. She´s tecnically our first friend in the game, she´s one of mc´s closest friends and she is one of the more prominent characters in the story (she, mc and Daniel are at this point the "main trio" of the game), making her the most likely female character to be available as an option. I would say she doesn´t have a really strong "favoritism advantage" as there are less fans liking her than Daniel and Cassandra, but there are some people who seem to like and favor her and tbh I feel like it wouldn´t really affect the decision behind making her an option.

Cassandra: as much as she is supposed to be our "rival" in the game, first of all, Merula from HPHM exists. Second, we still have like, 5 more years (well, 4 tecnically, but you get the point), so there could be a possible chance of her either redeeming herself to some degree or just becoming less antagonistic towards mc. And it´s not like she hates the mc either, I feel like she actually kinda enjoys their company, just has troubles admitting her liking to us. Plus it´s not like dating a "rival character" is something new. But even if we forget about the whole "she´s supposed to be our rival" shtick, she is just a really good option for the romance. AS MUCH AS I HATE GOING OFF VIBES, she really does give of the dateable vibe, sorry. Not to mention the "favoritism advantage" not only from the fans but the developers as well. I would say that given everything, she most likely would be a lot harder to rizz up than Daniel and Ivy, in a sense that it would probably be more time consuming to get her to date us, but I feel like it would be a rather rewarding in the end of a day.

Pretty likely

aka there´s a possibility they won´t be available as an option, but given everything they have a high chance of actually being one (60-84%)

Lottie: I feel like out of the rest of the cast we have, Lottie is the most likely to be dateable, although she´s only availbale as a dancing companion at this moment (hope they fix that fr). The chances are a lot less than the three characters from above, with her not being a very prominent character in the story besides Year 2 and her not having a lot of fans but I feel like she does have a certain probability of being chosen for the role, especially since the more option there are the better. Right??? (she deserves more love btw)

Uhh

aka I have no idea at this point, it really depends (50%)

Colby and Fischer aka Frey twins: I´m gonna be real with you, when I first made this tier list, I had put them in a "unlikely" tier, below Kevin and Robyn, because I felt like given everything the chances were very low. They are not available as companions, they are highly implied to have some of crush on Cassandra and they don´t have a strong "favoritism advantage" even from the devs themselves (this mostly applies to japanese and korean twitter accounts for the game, which "forgot" to post their character cards (you probably know which ones I´m talking about) which contained character description, concept art and voice actors listed (as I do know that along with character from "very likely" tier they were the only ones who had their character description uploaded to the official site, at least in english,so perhaps this point is sorta weak in that regard). But the more I though about it, the more I realised they do have certain probability. Or shall I say, one of them. Yes, I feel like there´s a chance that we could potentially date one of the twins,as in only one of them. Which one is most likely to be dateable? At this point I have no idea, but my bet´s on Colby. That being said, the only possible logical explanation I could give is "we need more than one male option available" and Kevin isn´t likely to be one, so the Freys, especially Colby are the most likely contendants for it. But other than that, it´s just a vibe and gut feeling thing, which is not a very good argument material.

Most likely not

aka the chances are below 50%. It´s not completely out of the question, but I´d say the chances are very low albeit not non existent.

Robyn: in spite of her being a companion character for every game mode except dancing and having certain favoritism advantage, let´s be real here, the affection system behind her is probably only designed to buff her specific character desks. But yeah, girl´s got a crush on Kevin, pretty obvious one at that, so she probably won´t be a dating option. Also a gut feeling moment, I feel like at some point in the story Robyn and Kevin will date eventually, but again, it is a gut feeling, so it´s not an argument material, but yeah.

Kevin: same logic as behind Robyn except he´s not even a companion character so the chances are even lower kfdvjhkfdvjkhl

and that´s the list and my reasons behind each placement

IF YOU REACHED IT THIS FAR THANK U SM FOR READING THIS LIKE FOR REAL YOU GUYS R AWESOME FOR MANAGING TO READ ALL OF THIS!!!

[muffin-man-marq-lynch]

I keep seeing people trying to help others get into AEW TV shows when they're trying to figure out which to watch, and it's always a variation on the same thing:

"So Dynamite's the Main Show, a Wednesday version of Monday Night Raw, the prestige title. Two hours of all the biggest storylines and names, and if you want more story than pure ring focus that's your spot. If you only watch one show that's the one."

"So then your Friday Night Smackdown is Friday night's Rampage?"

"Nah, it's Collision!"

This is where I see the break down. There is a universal (correct) agreement that Rampage is a fun, optional, one-hour palate cleanser, and Collision is the #2 Show in the company. But this is where comparison with the WWE kills us: Rampage isn't just 'the workrate show'. It isn't Smackdown, but it's fun for tag teams and other matches and has its own vibe. But Collision? Collision is another level.

Collision got pitched to me as 'the show where AEW has the less prestigious younger talent practice and work their way up the card' and Oh Man that may be Technically True but does that Feel Incorrect.

The vibe Collision gives me more than anything is 'Love Letter to the Golden Age of Saturday Morning Cartoons'. I mean the era after we've evolved past cheap product placements like G.I.Joe and Transformers.

I'm talking X-Men '97, Thundercats, Gargoyles, Johnny Bravo, and of course: Batman the Animated Series. The shows where the colors are bright and fun and engaging, things move smooth and quickly and you have to pay attention to keep up, the characters are all a bit too over the top and larger than life, but things still get complex, dark, and violent Real Quick. No one will question the mood when Danhausen shows up to curse people every so often, and I tune in every Saturday because it's Nigel o'clock: time for him to run two hours of commentary gloriously simping for his favorite heels, make Shiavone's and the TV censors lives hell, and ultimately bring everything back to the framed image of Bryan Danielson he strokes on his pillow at night to remind himself of how ugly he is.

The entire show's vibe is summed up in the character of Christian Cage: a lone black turtleneck in a colorful sea, spouting diatribes that are always 12% more emotionally devastating and fucked up than expected to his gaslit dinosaur son while Nigel McGuiness composes odes to his biceps.

Also sometimes there are matches that are real fun.

You should watch Collision.

[notafragilething]

Late Night Buck & Tommy Rambles Bonus Content: My First Theory of the Year!

If you missed it, I posted my first ramble of the season here where I went over Tim's most recent interviews and some predictions based on those vibes.

But I have also developed a theory. One that is probably wrong but makes sense in my brain based on this behind-the-scenes clip from a few weeks back along with everything I talked about in the main post.

And I need to share this and get other people's opinions because it's been consuming my thoughts all day.

Basically in that clip you see Chimney and Buck run down the stairs and Eddie take the fireman's pole while lights are going off indicating an emergency. However, instead of running to the truck you see Buck run in the opposite direction (past Chimney and Eddie) who stand there looking confused for a moment before running to the trucks. The emergency vehicles than all proceed to leave without Buck.

The only way I could see Buck taking off like that during an active emergency is if someone important to him was in danger. Removing everyone actively working at the 118 during this scene, that basically leaves Christopher, Bobby, Maddie, Jee-Yun or Tommy.

I'm immediately ruling out Christopher both because he's not in town and no way would Eddie stay behind. He'd be out the door before Buck. I'm also ruling out Maddie and Jee-Yun for the same reasons because that same can be said for Chimney in this scene. He wouldn't be sticking around either. I also feel like if Bobby was in danger you'd see a bigger reaction form ALL of the 118. Which leaves the most logical choice being Tommy.

There's a lot of ways it could play out where Tommy gets hurt, is in danger or Buck simply thinks he is (we know the 217 responds to an emergency with the 118, it seems like there will be an airplane emergency so a helicopter crash isn't out of the realm of possibilities either, etc.) That part isn't important but the outcome is.

So here is how I think the Buck and Tommy storyline may potentially play out in the first three episodes of the seasons based on the previous stated interviews and this scene (with my assumption that Tommy is a likely person he's rushing off for).

I think the season will start with Buck and Tommy being together but less defined. They're happy together and a couple but things haven't got serious yet. They're just happy and into each other.

Cue, at some point in the opening arc, Tommy getting hurt or Buck thinking that happened. He's already having a rough time with Gerrard but now Tommy's hurt or in danger. I 100% could see Buck taking off for Tommy because narratively that would just add fuel to the fire with the conflict between him and Gerrard (and would give Gerrard a valid reason to penalize Buck because taking off during an active emergency is probably frowned upon).

But Buck picks going after Tommy because of course he does. He wouldn't be Buck if he wasn't reckless and put others in front of himself.

Tommy obviously ends up being okay but I could see this being the catalyst for Buck realizing oh shit I have big feelings for this man. Like omg I'm falling in love with him feelings. Which, narratively, works to progress their relationship into a more serious one that the audience will now be invested in because we saw this big, grand moment.

It would also have the writers showing, not telling us that the two had progressed from the more casual dating / early rom-com relationship they had in season 7 into something more long-term and serious.

So, what do you think? Am I onto something here or did I just come up with a good fic idea?

[appleciderjulie]

OK ITS TIME FOR ME TO YAP ABOUT WHAT I WANT IN THE NEXT GAME TO COPE WITH SPLATOON 3 ENDING

ok so first of all, congrats team past!! y’all fought hard (hard enough for me to ragequit at one point actually,,,)

im gonna be completely honest, i reallyyyyy dont want a great turf war/legends-arceus-but-splatoon game, or for that at least to be the entire game, anyway. that would put the main story on pause for around 5 years, and bring us back to the main conflict between the inklings and octolings, and im gonna be honest, im so done with that. and plus, the weapon roster would have to be narrowed significantly in order to fit in with the plot.

what i think would be absolutely AMAZING would be for the main city to be have an 80’s retro vibe, similar to the aesthetic of the octo expansion. we can all agree that octo expansions aesthetic was on point, yeah?? i feel like that could be an awesome main city.

now, getting to the story mode/dlcs,,, i think it would be really really cool to have a time-travel based game. for the main story mode we could travel back to the past, maybe to the great turf war, but also maybe to other important events in splatoon lore, like stuff going back to the human extinction.

for the dlcs (plural, i hope and pray) we could have one take place in the present, im not entirely sure what the storyline of that would be… i haven’t thought about it a bunch… but continuing the theme of time travel, we could travel into the future for the next dlc. i think that’d be so cool.

im gonna be kinda honest- im not entirely sure i want a new agent. i think a cool feature could be a 4-player mode in the solo campaigns could be maybe picking your agent, and then playing as them maybe?? im not really sure how that would work out, but i was talking about it with my little brother today and i thought that was a fun idea. not sure how realistic it is, but all the same.

ok yap session over, did i cook chat

[hisunshiine]

—cinema | kth

→ posted: jan 1, 2023 → pairing: kim taehyung x reader → genre/au: strangers2lovers, camboy!au, angst, fluff, smut → chapter rating: +18 / M for Mature → wc: 2,672 → warnings: very minor angst is introduced, taehyung is forever hot, misreading a situation, reader is jealous, use of pet names, light sexual punishment and praise, explicit sex, multiple orgasms, begging, if you squint there’s daddy/brattybabygirl vibes, aftercare, recording sex. → credits: biggest thanks to sunkissedwriter, you are the best for the most perfect ‘destroyer of the delulu’ plot issue. @moonleeai @downbad4yoongi​ and whippedbywonho1 for beta reading this for me! → taglist: @bts-ruu @missxmarisa @1-in-abillion @yourtmblrgirlfriend @fairy-jaykay → summary: i guess we’re in time, if you’re getting yourself wet for me. KTH is your favorite camboy, & after winning a contest, the two of you have grown closer and gotten to know each other after a one-on-one session. After realizing you live in the same city, he asks to meet you—IRL.

part 1 | part 2 | series masterlist

“YN…would you be interested in meeting up with me, in real life? I’d love to get to know you more, without a screen in the way.”

You never expected to be gearing up for meeting the camboy of your dreams in person, and it feels silly to you because he’s not a real celebrity, or atleast, not one you can tell your parents about. He’s just a person like you, and yet, he’s been the main star of your fantasies for months now and somehow, he’s also interested in you. 

Or so you think. From the text messages the two of you have been trading back and forth for the past 2 weeks since the one-on-one session you had, not to mention the few times that the two of you used the synced toys while he was camming (not that other subscribers knew he had it paired to you), he’s shown an interest in you that you can’t help but return. 

He promoted the toys at the beginning as a paid advertisement, utilizing them in the storylines, but those sessions were different from the others with the way he behaved during them, with themes of established relationships, with plenty of praise for how tight your pussy was and small slip ups that only you would notice, mentioning things specific to conversations you had with him. 

He would tease the toy he had, knowing you would feel it, and you got him back a few times, clamping down at the end of a session before he removed himself from it, causing him to stutter and almost scold you by name before he caught himself. 

But lately, messages continued to not be solely sexual in nature, with him asking about your career, your likes and dislikes, and it feels like the two of you are actually getting to know each other on a level that can lead to something…more.

Approaching the cafe you planned to meet at, you feel silly to think you’re someone special.

You stare at the messages, unsure of what to say. You agreed to meet up at 5:15, and here it was 5:35 and you can’t bring yourself to walk in. Your feet keep you grounded, eyes focused on the man of your actual dreams sitting at the small table in the cafe. 

You’ve been watching him since you caught sight of him, and as soon as you finished your pep talk, ready to walk in and meet face to face, you see a gorgeous woman approach him as if she knew him, talking and smiling with familiarity as she touched his bicep and he smiled back at her just the same. 

And you wouldn’t have minded, would have walked in there despite this, if he hadn’t motioned to one of the two seats at the table nearest them, asking her to join him. The two of them continued chatting, as if he wasn’t waiting for you for your first date. Maybe it wasn’t a date…after all, neither of you called it one. 

You look down at your new outfit, bought just for today, hating that it wasn’t as cute as the one that girl was wearing. You hate the thoughts that enter your head, you don’t like to think of yourself as someone who dislikes another girl just because the guy you like is interested in them, but it’s hard to stop the green-eyed monster from appearing in your ear, whispering hateful comments that tear both the other girl and your own confidence down.  

Watching the two of them talk, you see the moment he texts you checking in, but a part of you is miffed that it took him 20 minutes to realize you were late. What if you were hurt, attacked, or hit by a car? He would be 19 minutes too late. All because he was distracted by this bitch who can’t keep her hands to herself. 

So instead of walking in and meeting Taehyung for the first time face-to-face, you let the green eyed monster convince you to walk back the way you came, typing out a lame excuse for why you couldn’t make it.

Taehyung stares at his phone, unsure of how to feel. All day he’s been excited, full of restless energy at the thought of meeting you finally, just for you to cancel on him. It doesn’t make any sense to him, because you said you were on your way, and then all of a sudden you couldn’t make it. 

He shakes his black hair out of his eyesight as he looks up from his phone, giving a small smile to the woman who had approached him.

“Looks like my friend isn’t going to make it. It was nice meeting you!” He stands up as the woman nods, smiling widely at him.

“No, thank you! My boyfriend just got here, so thank you for keeping me company until then! That man at the counter was being a real creep, so I appreciate you. Plus, it’s not everyday you meet a local celebrity!”

“Don’t let my mother hear you say that!” he jokes, but the smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes as he takes his iced frappacino to exit the bustling cafe. 

Pausing at the bus stop near the cafe, you look at your phone to see if Taehyung read your message. 

You hate that he’s so sweet about it. Now that you’ve walked to the bus stop and calmed down a bit from the scene you saw, the negative thoughts have vanished, instead, leaving you with a feeling of self-disappointment. A second buzz from your phone has your heart clenching once more. 

His offer makes you feel like you’ve misread everything earlier. He still wanted to see you. He left the cafe. You feel even dumber sitting at the bus stop knowing you walked away from Taehyung and you were so close to meeting him. You begin to type out a reply. 

“YN?”

You startle, standing up quickly from the bench seating. You find yourself looking up at deep brown eyes staring at you. Taehyung’s face is full of confusion, lips poking out in thought as his full eyebrows pinch together above his narrow nose bridge. In person, this close to him, you almost swoon at how handsome he actually is, and you want nothing more than to soothe the wrinkles of confusion off his face.

“Hi…”

“I thought—you said—I’m confused.”

You worry the corner of your bottom lip between your teeth unsure of what to say.

“I, um…I guess I just got nervous.” It’s not necessarily a lie, though it definitely isn’t the whole truth. The way that Taehyung is looking down into your soul has you feeling that he is aware of this fact. 

“So you showed up to the cafe?” he asks, walking back through the events that just played out. It’s just the two of you at the bus stop, and you can’t bring yourself to move away from how close the two of you are standing. 

“Yes. I was outside for a bit…I was worried about meeting for the first time.” You look down at your feet, unable to maintain eye contact.

“Mmm,” Taehyung nods as if deep in thought. “And let me guess,” a sly grin grows on his face, “you saw me talking to that girl who was waiting for her boyfriend to show up?”

That bit of information snaps your face back up to his like a cracking whip. “Her boyfriend?”

“Yes, she was being hit on by some creep so she approached me to help save her. I sat with her since I was waiting for you, and she left once her boyfriend showed up. Funnily enough, it was seconds after you texted me that you couldn’t meet. If you had waited just one more minute, you might have been brave enough to go inside.”

Feeling stupid, you can’t help the way heat rushes to your face, burning you up with embarrassment. 

“I feel really dumb right now. I’m so sorry I flaked on you.”

“I’m sorry too, I would’ve loved showing you off…you look amazing.”

Your cheeks stay warm, but this time for a different reason.

“You do too, Tae.”

The two of you stand there looking at each other like a couple of fools infatuated with each other before Taehyung has the smart sense to break the silence.

“So, if you aren’t actually busy, did you want to head over to Yoojung Sikdang and grab an early dinner?” 

He holds his large hand out to you, and unable to think of a reason against the idea, you find yourself nodding your head with a sappy grin on your face as you place your hand in his. It felt nice. Giddy with excitement, the two of you head off in the direction of the restaurant with you feeling more and more relaxed the more time you spend in each other’s company.

“Fuck, Taehyung…I can’t…”

“You can baby, you’ve always been so good for me.”

You keen in response, back arching away from his chest where he has you sat between his legs, his calves wrapped around your shins to hold your legs open for him. He’s in just his boxers, chest warm against your shoulder blades as his arms encase you.

“But…it’s so intense!” you moan out, and he chuckles softly.

“Look down baby, look at how wet you are.”

You try hard to keep your eyes open, gaze trailing down his veiny forearms to where his hands are in the apex of your thighs, two fingers on his right hand spreading you open as his left hand holds your bullet vibrator to your clit. The relentless pressure is dizzying as you buck in his arms from stimulation. It feels too good to be legal.

You get a moment of reprieve when he pulls the toy away from you, your slick dripping down to the end before oozing onto the sheets beneath you, clear arousal connecting your bed to the toy in a lewd display of just how wet Taehyung makes you. 

In an act so debaucherous, your eyes can’t help but to follow the movement of the toy as it continues towards the man behind you. You turn your neck to continue the path, watching with hooded desire as Taehyung’s lengthy tongue curls around the small silver vibrator and laps up the rest of the evidence of this session.

The low moan he lets out as he tastes you makes your toes curl, and you’re almost unaware as he shifts from behind you to hover over you. He noses at your neck so you wrap your arms around his torso as his lips lightly drag along your skin, continuing to tease you as he has been for the last half hour. 

“You take your punishment so well, baby.”

Pouting, you look into his eyes, no longer afraid of the man before you.

“I said I was sorry, Tae…I was just a little insecure.” 

He pecks at your bottom lip still poking out in defiance of his taunting touches. You know what he’s waiting for you to do and at this point you’re not above begging.

“Please Taehyung, I need you. I need all of you.”

He smiles, grin lighting up your heart as his lips drop to yours and begin to devour you in a rushed kiss. His hips thrust forward and you can feel how badly he’s been waiting for you to give in. Your punishment was just as hard for him as it was for you. You didn’t know it, but he was seconds away from giving you what you wanted without pleading for it.

It was torture, having you in his arms, so wet and wanton for him as you let him tease your folds until your pussy was swollen in need for release. He had to sit behind you for your punishment, or else he would have given in after five minutes instead of thirty. But it was worth it.

Now you lay beneath him, body pliant as he hitches your leg up by the knee to wrap around his hips. Moving his hand from your knee to the waistband of his boxers, he’s rough as he pulls his length free, four fingers then running along your spread center before giving himself a couple of strokes with the erotic sounds of you coating his cock with each tug filling the room.

“Breathe in for me, baby girl,” he huffs out as his tip teases your entrance, circling around as he waits for you to follow directions. “Good girl.”

You preen under his praise, and when he instructs you to let out your breath slowly, you feel him surging into you, swollen walls pushing back against the intrusion despite how good it feels to become full of him. 

“Tae, it feels so good,” you coo, and he feels goosebumps travel along his arms and his spine from how salacious you sound, his dick growing impossibly harder as he begins to piston his hips, thighs slapping against the backs of yours as he drops his face to the crook of your neck. Fingers lacing through the curls at the nape of his neck, you use this for leverage to take him deeper, his hand widening your bent leg for a better angle to bury himself into you.

“Fuck baby, tell me it’s all mine.”

“It’s yours, Tae, all yours.”

“What’s all mine, baby?”

“My pussy, me, whatever you want,” you promise him, and it sends him reeling. You feel so right to him, the way you move with him, as if the two of you were practiced dancers wrapped in each other's arms.  

Your moans are pornagraphic, loud and breathy as he brings you to climax, your limbs trembling from the intensity of the orgasm spurring him on. Unable to stop the way your walls quiver, clenching sporadically around his cock with every stroke leads him to fill you up, cum spurting in hot ropes from his sensitive tip. 

You hold him to your chest as he collapses onto you, his hips still gyrating slowly as he releases every last drop inside of you.

“Oh, fuck, that’s my good girl,” his deep voice speaks to your core, and he peppers kisses to your chest as you cockwarm his softening length.

Slowly, he extracts himself from you, careful not to spill too much onto your sheets, but it was a fool’s errand. Reaching for his phone, he stops recording so he can get up and get a wet washcloth to clean you up. You lay there, spent, enjoying the hazy delirium that comes with the post sex euphoria until you’re as clean as a washcloth can get you and curled up in Taehyung’s arms. 

“I wanna see the video,” you say sleepily, voice muffled against his chest where you lay. His fingers smooth down your hair and he laughs at your request; you were about to pass out, there was no way he would be able to show you the playback of your session without wanting to bury himself inside of you again.

“You will, baby. Get some sleep first.”

“Why?” you whine, despite your eyes having shut several minutes ago in a “long blink”.

“Because you’re gonna need your energy for what happens after we watch it.”

thank you for reading! feedback is greatly appreciated!! please let me know what you think of this last part! happy new year!

© hisunshiine 2023. All rights reserved.

[usertoxicyaoi]

no bc. like. the eighth sense is getting EVERYTHING right.

it's compelling. like. you feel like you KNOW where the storyline is going, what's going to happen next, and then BHAM! NO! something entirely different happens. its never boring. and it makes the wait for the next episode jittery and anxious and it leaves you on tenterhooks BUT THAT'S THE POINT! its meant to leave you guessing. its got this "impending sense of doom" vibe to it that i referred to in a previous post, but that describes the current vibe of jaewon and jihyun's relationship and the atmosphere surrounding it: its thrilling.

characters can breathe!!! and we can breathe with them! jaewon and jihyun are allowed to have scenes where its just them alone, immersed in a hobby that THEY like, and you're there with them! they get to have scenes with so many other people that aren't just with each other. they get to form real relationships with their boss, their therapist, their new and old friends. and each relationship and dynamic brings something new, each dynamic formed between jaewon or jihyun and the people around them is made to allow a certain type of conversation to be had for jaewon and jihyun that they can't really have with someone who isn't that character, for example jihyun can only really openly speak to his boss in the same way jaewon can to yoonwon or his therapist. jihyun can't talk in that same manner to anyone else, nor can jaewon. at the same time, it also soooo BEAUTIFULLY illustrates how performative we can become in certain relationships and situations and around certain people, and how unhealthy and detrimental that can be for us - look at jaewon and taehyung, who are meant to be best friends, but are anything but it.

its such a QUEER show. it takes the small little scenes you'd normally see in a white western heterosexual movie, like the two love interests linking their pinky fingers together to then clasping each other's hands and smiling shyly to the side, to sitting opposite one another on a train and just gazing and gazing and gazing at one another, to calling a taxi after your not-a-date-but-its-so-a-date to go home in and the taxi is literally stood right there waiting but you can't let each other go ..... its taken all those cliche scenes and made them feel so ... new and fresh and vibrant and so so QUEER and any queer person watching the show FEELS those butterflies in their stomach.

oh to see a main character who is asian and queer actually GO TO therapy, and imply that jaewon has been going for 10 whole years to therapy. to have his mental illness be given a name (depression!), to have him talk about his issues so openly!!, to discuss what the struggles of being in your mid-twenties feel like!! to see him talk about how burdensome he finds it being "nice" to everyone and wearing a mask all the time and ultimately his therapist telling him straight that, "in fact, in life, you don't need to be loved by everyone." or when jihyun's boss stood up for him and fought eunji over how she treated him bc she KNOWS jihyun would never bc he isnt a confrontational person, but jihyun's boss did not stand for it, and how she continues to just give him the correct life advice as and when he needs it.

the romance. the chemistry. the way jaewon and jihyun pull you into their bubble. the way you feel the excitement and joy and apprehension and tension and heartache and disappointment between the two of them. YOU feel it. and thats all down to the way the show has been shot and the muuuuusic (oh my god the muuuuusic) and the way the camera is used. it makes it feel personal. in first person. not you watching them, but rather, you BEING them. the way you can FEEL how nervous and anxious jihyun gets when he is in ANY kind of social situation. how you can FEEL the quiet anger and the exhaustion from being so performative and the lack of patience in jaewon like a ticking timebomb when he's around taehyung. you do, you just FEEL it.

anyway. the eighth sense might just be (who am i kidding, it already is) on its way to claim the title for the best bl of 2023, and its only april.

[sandraharissa]

To me the core theme of arcane is this specific type of conflict that repeats over and over again in all the main aspects of the story that centers around 'sibling relationships'.

Starting with the two cities. We have Piltover and the bad side of Piltover. Technically they're supposed to be one and the same but one is the 'golden privileged child' while the other is disadvantaged and needs to rely on the rich side of Piltover for support, they can't do it by themselves. And then the rich side of Piltover fails in its duties of taking care of/protecting/supporting/whatever the poorer side and a split happens. Zaun is created and it becomes so dangerous and volatile, it becomes a menace and an active threat to itself/the outside and there's no going back. It's the monster Piltover created and even tho the Undercity suffered unfairly at this point it has become so monstrous there may be no improvement/redemption for it.

And obvs that's the exact same thing that happens with Vander/Silco and Vi/Jinx. However it's also imo completely applicable to Jayce/Viktor and even Heimer/Singed. Jayce and Viktor will only reach their break-up era in future seasons but it's a given this will happen but I know I obvs need to explain the Heimer/Singed example.

Based on what we know about them Heimer is just naturally immortal/long-living, how lucky for him, and completely lacks any ability to relate to beings who from his perspective live short life-spans. Meanwhile Singed is just a human and on top of that he had a 10yo child who died from some kind of disease(maybe?). Currently he is obsessed with discovering immortality: experimenting on ppl, mutating them, resurrecting corpses etc. possibly in an attempt to find a way to heal/resurrect his daughter. And we know him and Heimer were partners and that Heimer didn't help him and threw him out of the university or smth for his research. So the exact same dynamic as the other pairs.

So notice how we've got the cities, and then each city has its storyline, and each storyline has a pair of protags who reflect the conflict between the cities, and then each pair also has the pair that preceded them which also reflects the same conflict. In Zaun all these connections are about family ties: brothers, sisters, fathers/daughters, with inherited political/social roles like the Piltover sympathizer and criminal/revolutionary. Meanwhile Piltover storyline connections are about 'progress': science buddies, mentors and students, with Jayce succeeding Heimer as the barely-scientist-moreso-a-politician and Singed/Viktor being mad scientists. We've even got zaunite 'older siblings' associating with Piltover and piltovan 'younger siblings' being from/associating with Zaun.

Just really nice parallels all around.

But I actually have an honorable mention to add here at the end lol.

Mylo and Claggor. Obvs they don't quite fit cos they never develop into this kinda dynamic and they were never meant to but I can't help but notice the similarities. Claggor being the pure hearted hero archetype, looking like Vander, naturally good fighter, seemingly lacking insecurities, seems like the 'second in command' after Vi (second best with the fighting machine, Vander speaks to him second to get info about what happened), meanwhile Mylo giving off 3rd child vibes, full of insecurities and needing to prove himself, physically looks like a stick bug, a bit of a bully, "weird" lock-picking talents that he struggles with and isn't respected for (like Singed/Viktor's science, Powder's bombs or Silco's dream) that are actually super useful and impressive (like he could have been robbing millions from Piltover banks if he got adopted by Silco instead lol).

[tenspontaneite]

you mention you read a lot in a recent ask about your interests - do you have any particularly cherished favorites? rare gems? genres or tropes you enjoy?

The majority of what I read is fanfic, but if I recced fanfics I'd be here for years and frankly I cannot be bothered. I do have a lot of book recs too though. I'll just do a few of the main ones that come to mind rn.

Most recent fave: Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir. Same author as The Martian, again with a storyline that I would describe more as PvE than PvP, which I personally really enjoy and can never find enough of. I only bought this book like a month ago but have already reread it three times. I want a hundred more books with the same kind of alien first contact and interaction and mutual problem solving that this book has. The premise: the sun has a space algae problem, and this is going to result in the death of everyone on Earth in a few decades if a solution isn't found. Also looking for a solution: at least one other alien species whose sun, similarly, has a space algae problem. To quote, "Astrophage on my star. Bad, bad, bad."

Overall fave author: M.C.A Hogarth. Most of their work is for an overarching universe called the Peltedverse, which comprises multiple series. These are extremely queer sci-fi series involving humans, aliens, and human engineered furry races. Dreamhealers is the best series to start with, but my favourite of the Peltedverse series is Prince's Game (warning: challenging content). There's also separate series like the Stone Moon trilogy (warning: challenging content), which I also adore but only recommend if you like things that rip out your heart and stamp on it. Overall Hogarth has probably been the biggest influence on my writing style in the last decade, and I love what they do with characters.

Last rec of the day: the Scholomance Trilogy, Naomi Novik. Novik is a pretty well known name in fandom for a lot of reasons, but I feel like fewer people are aware of this series than the Temeraire series. This book is about what if there was magic but being magical was so heinously dangerous due to all the things trying to eat you that people end up doing really fucked up things to survive and that's now the foundation of magical society, and also shoving all your kids into a hell school full of monsters is legitimately the best way of getting them to adulthood uneaten. I find Scholomance has a vibe which makes it unusually rereadable, so I have read it more times than I have most book series. All three are good books but mostly first and third imo, sometimes when I'm doing a full reread I skip some or most of the second one.

[echobx]

Jiara has done nothing for JJ or Kie's character development. It has actually caused character regression. JJ was a bad friend to Pope last season and he didn't even apologize for the way he handled the whole Kiara situation. Pope deserved better than that. Idc what anyone says their friendship is not the same due to this. It doesn't matter that Pope and Cleo are a couple now. If I was Pope, JJ would be kept at arms length.

As for Kiara, she has a different personality each season so that's why her development is all over the place. The only thing consistent is her loyalty to the Pogues. She deserves a better storyline than just trying to "fix" JJ while he pushes her away until she gets kidnapped. Free my girl from the fans who only see her as their self-insert to ship with the overrated white boys, especially Rafe the Rat!

yeah, JJ didn't feel like himself and more like a bad copy of who he was in the seasons before in like 90% of s3, the only time he was the same as always was ep7-8 when he was with JB.

I don't know if I would say he was a bad friend to Pope, but he was obviously less of a friend to him, and Pope decided to balance it out by spending time with Cleo (which tbh was the one good thing that season) and for selfish reasons I want JJ and Pope to reconcile and go back to being lovesick fools for each other (I'm never gonna let jjpope die. idc about the haters)

the only way I can think of s3 in terms of jiara, is by looking at all of it as sibling vibes (bc that's all they ever had, there was never any romance) and just ignore that kiss that both actors visibly didn't put any work in to make it look like they actually care about the ship.

honest to god, i feel like both Madison and Rudy are probably the biggest jiara haters out there.

concerning Kie, I will always defend her against the writers, bc s1 I actually thought she had such great potential, but then fans wanted her with Pope, so that happened, and then fans wanted her with JJ, and it happened again. wanting a poc woman to be with a white man so hard that you pressure the writers into doing it feels sinister to me. at least she and pope had a tiny bit of chemistry.

but then again, her whole arc is heavily queercoded. and Madison (an actual queer woman) knows this and wants to embrace it, but they won't let her. and I can't even imagine how it must feel to play a character and hope for them to get good character development just for them to fuck you over every new season. s1!Kie was very much a "pick me" girl already, and they could've easily gotten her a great arc and away from this pick me behavior, but instead they leaned into it even more, and then they made her into a bitch who plays with her best friends feelings. her development is literally nonexistent. she stays the same rather shallow girl all the way through.

I watched s1 and hoped to see Kie evolve into a real girls girl, someone who doesn't repeat her dumb hurtful mistakes. but they destroyed it all bc as we have also seen with Sarah, they don't know how to write women.

and I sometimes even question her loyalty to the pogues bc if she was really all in, why would she ask JB to pick her over Sarah. like, I know it makes sense for her as a pick me girl to do that, but i still hate it. and it also seems like most of the time she treats being a pogue like a hobby instead of actual reality and the lives of her best friends. (which is one of the main reasons why her and jj will never work even if they had chemistry)

on Rafe, i do hope they keep Sofia as his gf (even tho RafeBarry is just so much fun) but as much as I hope that they don't pull the "he fixed himself to be with her" I just know that they don't have enough brains to actually know not to do this.

[doodlingaway]

Bridgerton S3 Thoughts So Far

I have approximately a million thoughts. They are not terribly well organized, but here we go.

(Spoilers ahead, obv)

I am obsessed with the Kanthony snippets. They have ruined me. Words cannot describe my joy and just the amount of flailing that I have done. THESE TWOOOOO I LOVE THEMMMM 🥰🫠

Specifically obsessed with the idea that they are just too horny to function and that's why they're not in most of the episodes. Go off, you sluts. ❤️‍🔥

THEIR HAND OBSESSION I CANNOT. Toying with a fic idea about this, I love it so much.

We knew this about Anthony, but love that they've solidified him as a man obsessed with eating out his wife, thank youuuuuu

Colin and Pen are so cute! I love them and am really digging how they adapted RMB so far. And THE CARRIAGE SCENE HOLY HELL 🥵

(But also RIP my dreams of virgin!Colin, what a hoe)

I low key love Lord Debling, he's so sweet. Not for Penelope at the expense of Colin, but like, I love him and kinda want him as a practical match for Cressida so she can escape her dumb family.

Speaking of Cressida, who else got queer vibes off the Eloise/Cressida friendship??? Granted I am not an objective observer, I have been stanning for a queer Eloise story since like day fucking one of this series, but like, come on. I don't love her and Eloise as a long-term match, but if this is how I can get my bb Eloise out of the closet, I am fully on board.

Penelope and Eloise!! 🥺 It hurts so much I just want them to be friends again! Tbh, this friendship rift feels like as much of a beating emotional heart of this season as the main Polin story, and I am HERE FOR IT. All for anything that shows that platonic love between friends can be equally important/impactful/heartbreaking/fulfilling as romantic love!

JOHN AND FRANCESCA!!! 🥰🥹🥺😭 Honestly, how dare they make me love them as a pair so much when we know what happens to him?? But I love what Hannah Dodd is doing with Fran and this makes me SO EXCITED (but scared) for her eventual season.

These storylines that I loved aside, there are TOO MANY UNNECESSARY STORYLINES. I like Will and Alice as characters, but I didn't need their storyline. The whole "Featherington sisters don't know how to fuck" was funny once or twice for comic relief, but I do not need a whole thing of it. I ADORE Ben, but like, what are we doing here with Lady Arnold? I fully support Violet getting some action and am intrigued by whatever the deal is with Lady D and her brother, but I could take or leave most of the Marcus Anderson stuff at this point. I just wish that they had cut a few of these and spent more time with Colin and Pen and/or Pen and Eloise (or I would never complain about more Kanthony, but I can acknowledge that they're not the focus of the season, so fine).

I'm super glad they took the note on season 2 not being horny enough and were like WE'RE DIALING IT UP TO 10 🔥 Everybody get you some action this season, we love to see it.

All of this said, I'm super enjoying it so far and DYING THAT WE HAVE TO WAIT A WHOLE MONTH FOR THE SECOND HALF! 🫠 Excited/terrified to see how they handle the Whistledown (wo)manhunt, and forever grateful for the romance genre where you know it ends in an HEA.

I'm off to write some fic to cope (and I hope you all do the same so I can enjoy yours!). And I would love to know others' thoughts - I've been loving to see everyone's reactions, even where they're different from mine!

[bennett-mikealson]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3arAh1DNiPM

Kat even mentions in this video how close her and Claire was. So it's just down right cruel to utilize that on-screen. Also about her and Paul, them being a trio in season 4 would have been iconic and make that season way less garbage.

Exactly, why try to focus pointless friendships between Rebekah and Caroline or Rebekah and Elena when you already establish that Caroline and Elena didn’t like Rebekah instead of giving us bonbekah moments.

This reminds me of the same thing that happened with Klonnie. Before Joseph was given a love interest on the show him and Kat made it know that they got along well behind the scenes. Kat even talked about how she caught Joseph watching a Klonnie shipping video (making it know that they both were aware that people were shipping their characters together). They both even supported the idea of Klonnie having more scenes together. Then all of a sudden Joseph is being paired with Candice for klaroline when their characters had no interactions. It’s funny bc even tho klaroline became a pair Joseph still publicly vouched for Klonnie. 

It’s like the writers purposely pushed Kat away from any well loved characters to sideline Bonnie/Kat even more than they already did in and outside the show. Like a big slap in the face; I don’t respect or like you so I’ll make your character suffer as well.

The same thing happened with Paul bc in season one Bonnie and Stefan had so many good scenes together and people would ship Bonnie and Stefan given Paul and Kat’s Chemistry. Then suddenly Caroline and Stefan are getting more screen time together and are now besties even tho Stefan barely acknowledged Caroline in season 1 nor cared for her. Bonnie was the one he would go out of his way to be friends with and care for. Stans always use that time Kat said she couldn’t focus around Paul bc they would laugh and joke around as a way to explain why Bonnie and Stefan began to have less screen time together but I think it’s simply bc the writers didn’t want Bonnie having any shine. Especially with the main character who are the viewers loved.

When it comes to Bonnie, Stefan and Rebekah being a trio I can see it. To go deeper since season 4 Bonnie was “dark” and was obviously struggling dealing with Shane’s/Silas’s mind manipulation, understanding expression and balancing family issues with her mother and father being around Stefan and Rebekah being friends to her would of been fresh and nice to see. Especially when Bonnie already seen the dark side of Stefan (ripper side) and in season 3 Bonnie work with a dark side of Stefan (no humanity) it would of been cool if the writers make Bonnie a source of light, hope or peace for Stefan at that time he was going through things then turn around in do the same with Stefan for Bonnie. Then adding in Rebekah as a fresh face bringing in her good vibes would have been fun as well. Imagine Rebekah taking 2 of the most serious and reserved characters in the show loosing them up and having a good time. That would of been good to see. And since both Stefan and Rebekah both knew Bonnie’s ancestors (Ayana and Grams) them sitting around, chillin and telling Bonnie stories about their time with her ancestors would have been such sweet moments for Bonnie. Especially since she was going through her dark time and rarely got any Intel on her ancestors.

The amazing storylines that could of came from Bonnie were endless. It annoyed me so make hearing that the writers excuse for not writing Bonnie better was them just not knowing what to do with her when it was obvious that they could but didn’t want to. You claim you don’t know what to do with Bonnie or how to write her but when you need a quick fix Bonnie’s there for you. They would even add onto Bonnie’s family dynamics to push forward other storylines while making it have no true connection back to Bonnie nor caring how it affected her negatively. So when you need to push the plot all of a sudden you know how to write for Bonnie but when it comes to caring for Bonnie’s character in general then it’s “oh we don’t know what to do”.

Seems fishy to me. 🤔

[oliver-quick-ens-my-pulse]

Is it too late?

Sebastian x reader

Summary - Anon request for “

Sebastian teaches you Crucio (he offers himself first, maybe to be manly) but try as you might, you can’t cast it on him. All attempts fail. You switch roles, and Sebastian casts Crucio on you instead and gets it right on the first try. After the events of the game’s main storyline, your relationship with Seb is understandably strained. One day, you have a heart-to-heart talk about your relationship (we used to be friends, we used to be close). You go over a myriad of topics: the regrets you both have over what happened, the feelings of guilt (since you were a bad influence, Ominus has always been right), sadness over Anne’s situation (losing both her family) etc. etc. and you end up asking him about Crucio. You also still wonder why Seb was able to effortlessly cast Crucio on you. It meant he had to mean it? Did he secretly resent you? But the real reason why was he imagined you with another guy and he harnessed his jealously and rage to cast Crucio on you. Angsty, hurt/comfort vibe :))”

Word Count - 2,567

Warnings - angst, mentions of violence

You and Sebastian exchanged looks of distress when you realized what you were going to have to do to get out of the locked scriptorium. Ominis was clearly in a panic, but the only thing you could focus on was the sound of your own blood rushing in your ears.

For either of you to cast crucio on Ominis or even ask him to cast it would be wildly insensitive. You knew it was going to have to be you or Sebastian and you didn't know what you feared more.

You swallowed hard, looking at Sebastian, but avoiding his eyes, "Teach it to me."

His mouth fell open a bit, but he nodded. He was willing to take the curse if that meant not dying in her as Noctua did. You of course knew what to say so he showed you the correct motions with your wand. You mimicked him a few times before he declared that he was ready.

Ominis covered his ears, pacing in fear several feet behind the two of you. Sebastian closed his eyes and spread his arms out to make himself as easy a target as possible.

Your voice was shaking with emotion when you took your stance and shouted, "Crucio!" Sparks shot out from your wand and even as you winced alongside Sebastian, they died out before reaching his figure. You were breathing heavily, looking at him in confusion.

Ominis chimed in since he'd heard the whole ordeal and realized Sebastian wasn't in pain. "You have to mean it. It's not going to work if you don't," his words were soft and somber.

You looked back and forth from him to Sebastian, "I — I mean it for the sake of us not being trapped. What more can I do?"

The frantic way in which Ominis had been milling about had rubbed off on you. Were you doomed to be stuck since you couldn't truly mean the curse? Ominis is the only one of you that had successfully done it before, but you know he wasn't strong enough to ever survive the guilt if he tried to do it again.

And Sebastian, surely he was in the same boat as you were. It was impossible to ever really wish such pain upon each other. You felt soft hands on your shoulder. You noticed the freckled fingers as you tried to control your breathing.

"Y/N...I think I can do it if you can take it."

At that moment you had no idea how to feel. Part of you was relieved that all hope may not be lost, but how could he mean it? Had you ever done something so awful to him to warrant those feelings? You got lost in your thoughts while more protests came from Ominis. When you snapped back to the reality of the situation you turned around to face Sebastian, "Okay. I'm ready."

You kept your eyes on him the entire time, so many things going through your mind. If he was really going to cast it on you there was a morbid part of you that had to see it. You had to see the look on his face when he did such a thing.

It felt like slow motion when you heard the words from his lips. You caught the glare on his face as he directed his wand toward you. Then you were just on the ground. It felt like your veins were on fire, you heard screaming, but couldn't even register that it was coming from your own mouth.

As quickly as it began, the flames that seemed to lick at you from the inside out dissipated, but the pain lingered. You groaned and clutched at your sides as you felt a body kneel down beside you. You cried out for Sebastian but it was Ominis who wrapped an arm around your shoulders., muttering words that you couldn't make out.

All you were aware of was the shudders wracking your body while you watched Sebastian walk right through the door which had opened up.

Now it was your seventh year at Hogwarts. So much had changed in the short years that you had been attending the school. In some ways, it seemed like it went too fast. The way your friendship with Sebastian was so strong and seemed unbreakable. The way you could go to class and visit Professor Fig with little worry. All of those things seemed like they were gone much too soon.

Unthinkable things happened. You lost Sebastian to the darkness that you had led him toward; you had supported his misguided attempts to help Anne. You lost Professor Fig trying to finish his wife's research. You were trying to protect the ancient magic and along the way had to put a stop to an entire rebellion.

You had gotten too many of the things that weren't suited for your young age and instead lost all the things you should have been able to enjoy and take for granted.

It had been some time since you had been in the Undercroft. It felt different than it used to. Much colder and lonelier. You were waiting to meet Sebastian. You'd requested to see him late at night. You weren't able to hold onto these burdens any longer. Many of them were just as much his as yours and he needed to be held accountable.

You felt goosebumps pop up over your arms when you heard another set of footsteps arrive. The clock door could be heard closing and you used every bit of strength you had to turn around and face Sebastian. You hadn't completely ignored one another, but everything was surface-level. It hadn't been much of a friendship in quite some time.

You took in his hair and the way it had grown out into soft waves around his face. A faint red stubble appeared across his upper lip and his eyes looked at you with so many questions. Now that he was here and in this location with you, you were at a loss for words.

He spoke up first, "I, er, I got your owl. I hope I'm not late."

You creased your brows at him, giving him a wry smile. "I mean. You're a little overdue for having a meaningful conversation with me."

You crossed your arms and he let out a long breath, cautiously taking a few steps towards you. His chocolate eyes were glued to yours, even if it killed him to hear what you had to say, he was determined to listen.

"I'm sorry for all the things I did. I'm sorry for leaving things so messy between us. I just assumed you would be off the way Ominis and Anne are and want nothing to do with a disgrace like me. It's bad enough you're all harboring my worst secret.

"I should have done more when I heard the news about your mentor and...and about the whole ordeal with Ranrok. I just didn't think I had a place in your life. I think for me to offer you any of my own pity would be insulting when you're so much more valuable than me."

He searched your expression for any hint of emotion. You couldn't conceal the tears that were blurring your vision that you fought so hard to contain.

"Sebastian, you're mad!" you waved your arms around, laughing nervously as you started to walk and talk, "We we're friends. We were nearly more than that, at least, that was what I had thought. Nothing was ever the same after the scriptorium. That day something changed you. Using that bloody curse changed you."

You kept your back to him to hide how heated your face was with the hot tears across your cheeks, "And it's my fault. If I could have just wielded it, I could've handled it. I — I've wielded so much magic. So much strong magic that you can't even fathom. But I failed you. I wasn't strong enough that day and it ruined you. It ruined us.

"You didn't even check on me after you cast the curse. Did you know that?" you laughed bitterly, feeling his presence looming behind you, "Ominis sat with me. He stayed up late nights with me while I tried to make sense of it all and recover from such a thing. All you cared about was Salazar Slytherin. And it didn't even have a good ending. Of course, it didn't, you were dealing with some imperialistic founder that never had good intentions."

You took a few moments to breathe after having lashed out at Sebastian. It was two years' worth of pain and guilt that had been eating at you. It had eaten away at you so much, the keepers weren't even sure you could do the job they had in store for you.

Sebastian moved to place a hand on your shoulder, to turn you to face him. When you did you just looked up at him angrily and jabbed your fists into his chest.

"How could you do it? How could you ruin everything and then abandon me?" You felt helpless as you screamed at him, collapsing against him where he held your end. This isn't how you wanted things to go. You didn't want him to see any more of your weaknesses to use against you, but it was beyond your control now. He had to see what his actions had done and how they had made him feel.

When you had a moment to wipe your eyes, you looked up at him more clearly. You could see the pain and regret written on his face. You could see the tears threatening to fall from his own eyes, but he knew that he didn't deserve anything good from you. He deserved every minute of a beatdown you were willing to give him if only it would put him out of his own misery.

You watched him struggle for words for the first time in your life. He stuttered. He started and stopped his sentences many times, searching for the right thing to say.

"You're right. Ominis was right. I did things that are worse than unspeakable. I abandoned everything for what? Anne never wanted to be cured in the way I was trying to make it happen. Even if she had she would have never forgiven me for the things I had done to myself. I've lost her anyways now. And who knows when something happens to her, when she succumbs if anyone will even tell me.

I lost Ominis. I chewed him up and spit him out as badly as I did you. He trusted me and I couldn't ever extend that courtesy to him, I couldn't...." his words trailed off and he slammed a fist into the wall behind you.

"I couldn't just listen to anybody. I just had to do what I wanted to do. I let the darkness take hold and I couldn't stop. It just consumed me. But you...Y/N...I never wanted to hurt you.

"When I...when I cast the curse to get us out of the scriptorium, I hated it. And I was immature and dumb and thought that if I walked away from what I caused it would relieve me of my own guilt, but it didn't. Do you know what had to think of just to harm you?

I made up my own ridiculous narrative in my head as if you and I were ever an item. Though I wanted it to be so. And I imagined if that were the case how I'd feel to see Garreth or Prewett or some other sod all over you."

He turned away from you now, causing you to stumble forward from where he'd been holding you up. You stared at the back of his robes as his shoulders shook.

"I ran away and ruined everything with you because I was able to make up some stupid story to help us escape with our lives. It would have been better if we all just perished, that's what I think now anyways. Of course, it would have been all my fault and you and Ominis would have never deserved it, but none of you would have had to hurt that way."

You were in shock at the number of confessions he had just made, but he probably felt the same finally hearing your feelings as well, even if they could have been presumed.

Some of the anger seeped out of your body when you realized just how badly he'd been hurting this whole time. You had thought he simply turned to ice, was practicing the dark arts now, and stopped caring. But you could see that was never the case.

You had no words for the situation at hand. You both had exhausted everything you had. You did decide to walk forward and tentatively place your hands around his waist in a much-needed embrace.

You felt him crumble beneath your touch, staggering to stand as loud sobs came from him. He covered your hands with his and held on so tightly you thought that they might fall off. He dropped to his knees, slipping through your grasp. You got down on the floor next time, forcing him to lean on you.

"Y/N...I don't deserve to even still be in this world. I — I wish you would put me out of my misery. There's nobody to miss me. No family is waiting at home for me. And I can accept it if you need to torture me or get your revenge. It wouldn't be wrong at all, but please. I can't take this. I can't live with everything I've done."

He whimpered as he spoke his last few words. You could see him clutching his own arms, fingers turning white from where he tried digging into his own skin through his cloaks. You couldn't bare to see him like this. As much as he made you mad and sad and everything in between, you couldn't take it.

You shifted to where you were in front of him and leaned your forehead against his. You used a gentle hand to wipe some of the wetness from his cheeks and slip a hand beneath his own so he would loosen his grip.

"Sebastian I'm not going to...to kill you. You're still a special person to me, even after everything. Even if you have made a lot of wrong choices. Let's see if we can fix things together, okay?" Your voice wavered slightly, but you meant what you said.

You did want to help him through this, imagining the scale of his pain to be far more severe than your own.

He shook his head against yours, mumbling about how he didn't deserve it and he wasn't worth it. You decided it might be best to let him cry it out and come to terms with his own feelings for a while and it gave you the chance to think about your own as well.

You sat down on the floor with your legs spread open and pulled his limp form against your shoulder. You wrapped warm arms around him and felt him grabbing at your robes, desperate to hold on.

"We'll figure this out," you whispered. You weren't really sure if you were talking to him or yourself.

[mothsgotghosts]

This is for such a niche audience I'm sure but GUYS. D20 and MK1 Fans. Please. I hope you all find this. NEVER STOP BLOWING UP AU. okay. Okay hear me out. I'm gonna yap about this idea bc I have no friends who like mortal kombat. Probably nobody will find this but OH WELL. Nsbu spoilers for sure btw

Ok so this is like a. No outworld au I guess. Idk how else to describe it tbh. So like, Raiden, Kung Lao, Johnny, Kenshi, Tomas, and Syzoth all work at a video rental store that is going out of business. Its owned by like. Shang Tsung I guess. I haven't fully thought that part through tbh-

Anyway they have their little going out of business party after calling some guy to come like pay his late fees for this video tape. The guy shows up and it's Liu Kang yayyy. Then he like yk. Rewinds the tape and they all get sucked in‼️

Raiden ends up as the Kingskin character

Kung Lao is the Vic Ethenol

Johnny is the Jennifer Drips

Tomas is the Jack Manhattan

Syzoth is the G13

And Kenshi is actually. Not a Greg Stocks character, but instead an FBI agent. Also he's a girl too j cuz

Shang Tsung is unfortunately the president j like Dave

And Lui Kang is like. Kinda similar to Damien Bane but not really

I should warn you all I am. A johnshi shipper and that's gonna be obvious in this so if u don't like them u should go 😔. I also ship railao and symas but as of rn those aren't nearly as prevalent to the plot.

ANYWAY. The storylines of the nsbu chatacters they reflect are different from the actual show bc I'm not copying the characters exactly, but the movie plot is relatively the same

I don't have much in the way of an actual plot but here's some silly little ideas I have yayyy:

Syzoth does get hacked by his character similar to Usha, they DO bring him back thankfully but it's WILD

Syzoth is also the G13 character bc he's the only one of the six who in canon is not from Earthrealm and I thought it'd be funny if this guy is just Bad at technology for literally no reason

I chose the six people that I did bc four of them are the champions of Earthrealm and the other two are just silly billies. That's my main reasoning tbh

Liu Kang is not as. Unhinged? As Barsimion for the record, he's a lot chiller and acts like himself if he was just like. A tiny bit crazy and full of whimsy

Johnny and Kenshi's characters plots are intertwined I think. A spy and an FBI agent constantly at each other throats, it's also Super Gay (just like them 😁)

Raiden is the Kingskin character because I truly feel like someone should tell this man he's allowed to be selfish sometimes. Someone please let him know that occasionally he can be a bit selfish.

Tomas is the Jack Manhattan because I feel like he would act a lot like Paula does at times. Just like freaking out and saying insane shit. That's the main reason. ALSO BC HIM BEING A GRIZZLED LOOSE CANON DETECTIVE WOULD BE FUNNY

Johnny was definitely a little jealous of Tomas bc he got to be the detective guy, he learns to like his character tho I swear

Kung Lao is the Vic Ethenol bc like. Honestly Vibes.

Shang Tsung is literally gonna explode the world and start so many wars just like Dave bro cannot be chill

And that's all I got yayyy. I love you if you read this whole thing and if u have more ideas PLEASE lmk. Okay byeee

[trikis-turntables]

Out of morbid curiosity i went to look at the new story in Dislyte with Sachiko and holy shit. Which fucken hack wrote this? I'm not spoiler tagging this cause really, it's not worth the effort.

I kind of???????Man.

It felt like someone read the original story and wrote a petty rewrite that blatantly shows their biases for and against certain characters.

Like the biggest issue was defo the Gaius plot twist he got actually done dirty?? Idk i feel like its a problem with the isekai/transmigration genre as a whole but you don't innovate by subverting subversions. You just end up going back to stereotypes. OG!Gaius was a subversion of the whole "Stoic Highly Decorated Man in Position of Power that doesn't look like he belongs" and then he proves time and time again that he's approachable and loves and cares for people so deeply that he'd maintain an image of himself (his display of medals--that garners negative comments about his character being prideful, mind you) just on the rare occasion that it could provide some comfort to the people he's helping. He lives eVERYDAY, trying to live up to Hannah's memory. This is a man that misses burnt peach pie because his wife made it for him. In the new storyline..he's just a transcendent obsessed, power hungry bastard. None of the character nuance.

And then Abigail and Alexa. I hate that they're not allowed to just be morally grey characters. New update makes them "acceptably" morally grey which IMO just flattens their characters. "Yes, a female character can be morally grey if they are your allies." Like fuck right off lmao. What's that??? The central intrigue of Abigail's personality is her ruthlessness contrasted with her softness for the few (few) people she actually cares about. It's literally her song. Roses in the snow.

And ugh. I hate the new "human"-ist moral of the Unknown Story. The fun part of the original Dislyte story was that people *dont know* what to think about Esper powers. Like Miracles are Dangerous, that's been established. Miramons are unknown beings that tend to cause mayhem and destruction. But on the espers' side? We run the gamut of characters seeing their powers as a source of good-- that because they gained powers they can better help and protect others (Tang Xuan, Li Ling, Ahmed, Bardon etc); to characters that hate their transformation because it turned them into monsters or changed their appearance in such a way to cause them great discomfort and body dysphoria (Nu Xi, Brewster, Heng Yue) and so many more that are ambivalent or have other things to worry about. And the central interest of their humanity *was* that contrast of perspectives. Shadow Decree was interesting as a unit because their mission statement was "Esper Acceptance" and that can mean both "we should understand how espers works so we should research it" to "live and let live" to "Esper Supremacy". Like remember when the story used to show the dichotomy of the glitz and glam of the Esper Union against the backdrop that many common folk and non powerful espers discriminated against Espers? That's the subversion. To flatten the message to "we must save the humans!!" and "esperification unilaterally corrupts and makes people go power hungry" is a 12 year old's idea of writing and nuance because it /ignores/ that people can have different perspectives over the same thing.

And haaaah. Like if anything that dislyte is good at, its in making characters that at least a few people will care about even if theyre mentioned shortly. That's just how strong the personalities are in this game. But it's kind of telling that I've seen no fanart or writing of Sachiko at all. Berenice, for how much I did not vibe with her or care about her in the story is beloved by even more people than I can count. (Also just petty sidenote: when a 'soft' female character gets 'corrupted' by power, and also the trope of female character having to be "saved" by ...getting mcfucken murdered by the masc main character)

But I think it's just sad that they cared so little for the new story that they couldn't even come up with a name for the Miracle. Unknown Miracle? You didn't even want to know your own story, man.