#like with the hesitant found family trope he has with the boys and all that its so ejejenenwjsbsn

[zarameraki]

♡₊˚🥀₊✧ 𝘀𝘂𝗸𝘂𝗻𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝘂𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗲 ♡₊˚🥀₊✧

: ̗̀➛ tropes: fem! reader 𖥔 minors do not interact 𖥔 king x concubine 𖥔 lots of plot with porn 𖥔 mentions of abuse 𖥔 mentions of sexual assault 𖥔 normal form sukuna (sorry yall but next time ill do his big boy one) 𖥔 he only has eyes for you 𖥔 you're his darling 𖥔 he would kill for you 𖥔 breeding (!!!!) 𖥔 alternate universe 𖥔 nsfw 𖥔 smut

: ̗̀➛ words: 8.8k

: ̗̀➛ notes: this took a whole WEEK to edit. im so obsessed with this story. it's my favourite thing ive written because i love period movies and dramas and really got to challenge my writing skills to give it more a fantasy-esque element. if you have any requests, don’t hesitate to send them. pls follow, reblog, like, comment—whatever you want! okay love you and enjoy.

The diligent hands of Lord Sukuna Ryomen’s palace attendants scrubbed away the grime that clung to every inch of your weary form. There were no traces of tears in your eyes, despite the discomfort of the cleansing process.

Perhaps it was the residue of gratitude for an escape from a foster family who saw fit to barter you away for a pittance to fuel their vices.

The water surrounding you had transformed into a murky haze, carrying away the evidence of your former life's hardships.

Yet, amidst this cleansing ritual, you couldn’t shake the puzzling thought of why the guards had singled you out from the other young women within the household. Uraume, the overseer of palace affairs, had arrived alongside them, their presence looming over the proceedings with an air of mystery.

That morning, you were subjected to abuse in front of everyone at the central market, longing for someone to stand up for you. And someone did. They offered you an escape from that hellhole and into a world of luxury.

You weren’t going to complain now that you had accepted this new fate of yours.

“Ya’ got too many scars, girl,” remarked one of the elderly attendants, gently assisting you out of the steaming bath, her hands wrapping a towel around your shivering form. “Our powders will struggle to conceal ’em all. How did ya’ come by such marks?”

“From my foster family,” you murmured, gaze fixed upon your toes as if they held the weight of your past. The plush carpet beneath your feet offered a small comfort, a luxury unfamiliar to your upbringing.

Memories of their harsh discipline flooded back—the blistering gravel underfoot as punishment for daring to voice dissent. It was a brutal introduction to a world where obedience was paramount.

“A wretched lot,” the attendant muttered sympathetically.

Enveloped in a silk robe, she led you into a chamber shared by a cohort of women, a realm far removed from the confines of your previous abode. Here, space was ample—the expanse excessive, with beds lining the walls and a high ceiling adorned with a single chandelier.

As you entered, a symphony of pretty faces and inquisitive gazes greeted you. Women of all colours and shapes reclined luxuriously in plain robes, their hair intricately braided or cascading freely down their backs. Conversations paused, curiosity piqued by your arrival, as all eyes turned to welcome you into their midst.

Beneath the weight of their scrutinising stares, you found yourself shrinking. These women, draped in silk and adorned with jewels, were the king's favoured concubines, a fact repeatedly emphasised during your journey to the palace and even in the fragrant confines of the bathhouse.

Every instinct urged you to rebel, to refuse to be just another ornament in the king’s harem, but you understood the value placed on purity by the monarch.

Unfortunately, your innocence had been cruelly stolen from you by your foster father, leaving you tarnished in body and spirit. Lord Sukuna would have no use for a damaged flower in his garden of perfection.

In truth, you couldn’t even imagine an image of his face in your mind. His Lordship remained a mystery to those beyond the palace walls.

“Here ya’ are.” The attendant guided you to your bed. “That vanity there’s yours to use.” She gestured toward the communal area by the window, where two other young women were preparing themselves. “Once your hair dries, one of my girls will assist ya’ in preparin’ for your audience with His Lordship.” Her touch was gentle as she caressed your cheek. “Rest assured, dear, ya’ safe now.”

You attempted a smile, though the effort seemed Herculean amidst your weariness.

As the attendant departed, her scolding to the rowdy girls fading into the background, you nestled into the comforting embrace of your soft bedding, ignoring the hushed criticisms trailing in your wake.

She’s feeble.

Her hair lacks refinement.

The king would never entertain a lowly pauper.

She’ll be gone by tomorrow.

Their words, like venomous serpents, slithered through the air.

Amidst their degradation, you succumbed to exhaustion.

But your slumber was interrupted by the bustling commotion of handmaidens assembling around you.

Disoriented and scarcely given a moment to collect your thoughts, you found yourself swiftly escorted to the vanity, where the clamour of girls jostling for space filled the air.

They manipulated your locks, weaving intricate patterns into your hair, fashioning a crown braid atop your head while allowing the remaining tresses to cascade freely down your back.

Meanwhile, other attendants removed your robe, their hands moving with practised efficiency as they anointed your skin with fragrant oils, infusing it with the delicate essence of lavender.

Between the flurry of activity, the whispers of your fellow concubines hung in the air like a veil of awe and trepidation. Their eyes were drawn to the scars marring your skin, as they speculated about how the king would perceive your imperfections as repulsive.

Good.

You craved precisely that outcome.

If the king recoiled at your sight, it meant he wouldn’t desire you to bear his heir. If the tales circulating in the town about his monstrous nature held any truth, then he’d likely offer you death as a reprieve—and you’d welcome it with open arms.

Before facing the king, you stole a glance at your reflection, the final moments of solitude before your fate was decided. The powder concealed the imperfections of your skin, rendering it smooth and flawless. Your cheeks and lips bore a muted hue reminiscent of crushed cherries. Delicate white blossoms adorned your hair, woven into your braids by nimble fingers.

As you stood, the other women adorned you in a robe of silky fabric, its floral pattern draping over your form, cinched at the waist to accentuate your curves. Barefoot, you followed them out, the chill of the floor beneath your feet a stark contrast to the warmth of anticipation and trepidation swirling within you.

“Good luck, pauper,” taunted one of the concubines, her voice dripping with disdain, echoed by a cacophony of mocking laughter.

Palms clammy with nerves, you shifted your gaze to the opulence of the palace corridors. Adorned with countless chandeliers and swathes of velvet drapery, they offered a stark contrast to the blooming back garden. Memories of tending to the earth and nurturing life back at your foster family’s home flooded your mind.

“Quickly now,” one of the maids urged, her voice tinged with urgency. “His Lordship detests tardiness.”

“I apologise.” You hastened your steps to keep pace with the group of attendants.

She halted before a grand set of double doors, guarded by imposing sentinels clad in formidable armour. With a flick of her wrist, the guards swung the doors open. She gently nudged you forward, and only as you crossed the threshold did the doors seal shut behind you.

You blinked, adjusting to the dimness within, scanning the chamber until your gaze alighted upon a pair of crimson glimmers opposite you. “My Lord?” You inclined your head and took hesitant steps toward the source of those fiery eyes.

“Come closer,” his command echoed through the chamber, sending a shiver down your spine. The low resonance of His Highness Sukuna Ryomen’s voice was unexpectedly rich and velvety. You had envisioned a voice tinged with age, but instead, it possessed a rough texture that awoken something within you.

With hesitant steps, you approached until you stood at the edge of his bed, your fingertips grazing the diaphanous curtains that enveloped him in a cocoon of privacy.

“Closer,” he urged, coaxing you to unveil the enigma lying beyond the veil.

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you obeyed, parting the curtains and gracefully crawled onto the mattress. The silkiness of the sheets were a blatant contrast to the roughness of your foster house’s. A pang of guilt tugged at your conscience as you realized the irony of finding solace in this luxurious confinement of being his concubine.

“Enough.” His abrupt order halted your thoughts, drawing your attention back to the present moment.

As commanded, you obediently settled into your posture, folding your legs beneath you in the dimness. Within his shadowed realm, only the luminous crimson irises pierced through the gloom, studying you with an intensity that made your belly churn. Despite the curiosity burning within you, you restrained the impulse to voice your questions. Instead, you settled in the tranquillity that crowded the space between you.

“What is your name?” His inquiry cut through the hushed air.

“Y/N, my Lord.”

As your name slipped from your lips, he captured it delicately, repeating it like a sacred prayer. Each syllable danced on his tongue, imprinting itself upon the very essence of his being. In that moment, you observed a subtle shift—the shadows that had cloaked the chamber seemed to dissipate.

A soft, golden luminescence filtered through the parted curtains, cascading across half of Sukuna’s face.

You blinked in astonishment.

He appeared . . . young?

The age difference between you and him was not a chasm of decades, but rather a modest gap of no less than five years.

Physically, at least.

His appearance was striking, with locks of hair dyed a subdued pink hue, contrasting with a streak of darker shade beneath. His hair was styled into rugged spikes, lending an air of defiance. Intricate black markings adorned his features, tracing a path from his cheekbones down to his chin, while similar patterns wove across his strong shoulder, cascading over his defined pectoral muscles and sculpted abdomen.

As your eyes fell upon him, your heart quickened its pace, each beat a vicious drumming against your ribs. Gone was the expectation of a lord showing the signs of wisdom, with wrinkles upon his brow and a body marked by the passage of time. Instead, before you sat a vision of breathtaking beauty, defying your preconceived notions and leaving you breathless in awe.

With a graceful gesture, he swept aside the curtains, allowing them to unveil his entirety.

The same markings mirrored the other side of his face and cascaded down the length of his body, a mesmerising display of symmetry. Dark bands encircled his wrists, and his nails bore the same deep hue.

Poised against the headboard, he reclined with an air of effortless elegance, one knee raised as his elbow found a comfortable perch, while the other leg extended out. Though he was unclothed, a veil of silk sheets cloaked the lower half of his form.

“Remarkable,” you unknowingly whispered. Your hand clapped over your mouth. “I apologise, my Lord.”

Sukuna’s lips curved into a sinister grin, his flawless teeth gleaming in the golden light. While many would flee at the sight, you remained rooted in place, unable to tear your gaze away. A delicate flush spread across your cheeks, betraying the undeniable attraction simmering between your legs. He was absolutely divine, and the path of being his concubine suddenly didn’t seem so terrible.

Yet, the reality of sharing Sukuna with ten other women loomed over your thoughts like a shadow. The thought of him spreading his affections among so many others kindled a small flame of jealousy within you, mingled with confusion. Why hadn’t he impregnated at least one of them with the promise of an heir?

“Have you not been schooled in the art of lowering your gaze in the presence of nobility, Y/N?”

Your lashes fluttered as you registered your lapse in decorum, hastily averting your gaze. “Forgive me, my Lord, if my oversight has caused offence.” Surely, he wouldn’t punish you for a momentary lapse of admiration.

Would he?

A gentle touch beneath your chin guided your face upward. His fingers spread across your cheek, the warmth nearly forcing you to curve into his touch. Despite the temptation, your eyes remained obediently downward.

“Look at me.”

Your gaze lingered on him, tracing the delicate patterns etched over his cheek, the fiery hue of his irises, the elegant contour of his nose, and the soft curvature of his lips. Never before had you felt such a rousing desire towards any man. Yet fate had chosen to ensnare your heart with the one most forbidden to you.

“You bear a sadness that weighs heavily in your eyes,” he noted softly, his hand descending to the curve of your neck, his thumb caressing the frantic rhythm of your pulse. A low, melodic sound produced from his throat. “Tell me, my love, does the face before you stir fear within your heart?”

“It does not, my Lord. The fear of your appearance holds no dominion over me,” you declared with quiet resolve. “You’re quite . . . beautiful.”

Sukuna’s gaze sparked with a mixture of surprise and intrigue at your response.

Suppressing a nervous gulp, you silently reprimanded yourself for speaking so boldly to one of noble rank. Back in the confines of your former life, such defiance would have earned you swift punishment, yet here, in the presence of royalty, it could lead to your demise.

As you prepared to avert your gaze, ready to accept whatever consequences may come, Sukuna’s voice cut through the tense air before you could retreat.

“Don’t.”

In that moment, you found yourself questioning your instincts.

Why did you not cower in fear? Why did your body not tremble in the presence of a man who had slaughtered the lives of his enemies without hesitation? And most perplexing of all, how could you maintain unwavering eye contact with a figure of such formidable power?

“Remove your robe.” His grip remained firm around your throat, his thumb delicately tracing your pulse. “And do not stray your gaze elsewhere.”

“Yes, my Lord.” Your fingers loosened the fabric’s bindings, allowing it to cascade down your frame, and revealing the soft curvature of your form beneath. As it pooled around your lap, your breasts stood exposed to his scrutiny.

A shiver danced across your skin as his eyes traced the contours of your body, a faint smirk teasing his lips.

He brushed back strands of your hair, his touch trailing down your vertebrate. His eyes narrowed into thin slits, brows knitted together in contemplation, fingers repeatedly tracing the ridges of your scars.

“Turn around.”

The dreaded discovery that sent ripples of revulsion through the concubines had finally come to pass. Your scars lay exposed before the gaze of a powerful lord. Not only would he slit your throat, but also those of the maids who had tended to your needs, and perhaps even Uruame, who had brokered your purchase from the bastards responsible for your imperfections.

“Never before have I been compelled to repeat myself for a concubine.” His voice carried a lethal edge as he increased his grip around your throat. “Turn the fuck around.”

Your compliance came in slow, measured movements as you turned away, presenting your back to him in a gesture of submission. His hands gathered the strands of your hair, lifting them aside to reveal the raw truth etched into your skin. His fingers traced the jagged remnants of whip lashes, the seared imprints of cigars, and the cruel reminders of knife wounds inflicted by a foster father turned tormentor.

Silent tears traced a path down your cheeks, as you sat in a state of numbness, your gaze fixed upon the closed door of Sukuna’s chamber.

A tender sensation, soft and moist, grazed your back, prompting a reflexive twitch in your left shoulder.

Turning slightly, you beheld Sukuna pressing his lips against the scar that marred your shoulder blades.

“My Lord—”

“I did not ask you to speak,” he murmured over your skin, sending a tremor through your frame. “Rise onto your knees.”

Obeying his command, you ascended onto your knees, feeling the weight of his hands settle upon your waist. His lips trailed a path of reverence, bestowing kisses upon each mark that scarred your skin, from your marrow to your nape.

Your breath caught in a delicate dance of exhales, a whispered symphony escaping your parted lips. The wet caress of his tongue sent ripples of sensation coursing through your being.

His arm circled your waist, drawing you into the sanctuary of his embrace. A fleeting kiss graced the nape of your neck, followed by the suction of his lips upon the tender side of your neck. His soft hands possessively held the curve of your breasts, cradling their weight.

Your head reclined against his strong shoulder.

With his gaze fixed upon you, his lips glistened with a hint of moisture, while his crimson eyes locked onto your own human-like ones. You dared not divert your gaze as he previously ordered. His fingers pinched and pulled at your nipples, sending lightning strikes through your frame.

Unlike the non-consensual encounter of the past, there was no hint of agony; only a tantalising blend of pleasure that left you breathless, without a protest or helpless whimper. Instead, a sigh of pure rapture escaped your lips, encompassing your body in an embrace.

Sukuna’s gaze narrowed, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as if he had stumbled upon a long-sought treasure.

His fingertips skated down your torso, gliding toward your centre. You captured your bottom lip between your teeth. Holding his gaze became a daunting challenge as he skillfully teased your sensitive nub, causing your breath to quicken and your chest to rise and fall with each exhilarating sensation.

Sukuna slid his middle finger into you. “You’re incredibly drawn, Sad Eyes,” he murmured, the endearment he had bestowed upon you almost provoking a smile. His lips grazed your ear as he continued. “Perhaps I should stretch you out”—he pushed in his ring finger, forcing a sharp gasp to tear from your throat and an involuntary arch of your body against his chest—“so that your cunt is able to welcome my cock.”

You stifled the knot rising in your throat as Sukuna plunged his fingers into you. Such profound bliss seemed inconceivable with mere digits alone.

“My Lord.” Your breath caught as he increased his tempo. “My—” Each thrust intensified the knot in your stomach, threatening to unravel you entirely. You teetered on the brink, dangerously close to staining his fingers with your release. A sharp gasp choked out of you as he struck a wondrous chord deep within. “Please, my Lord. I beg of you— I will soil your hand if you persist—” But your plea dissolved into a cry of ecstasy before you could utter another word.

Sukuna’s laughter danced teasingly in the hollow of your ear, leaving you utterly spellbound.

You were overheated, overstimulated, overridden by the explosive undoing from his fingers. Breathless and consumed by lust, your world spun as he seized your jaw and crushed his lips to yours.

In that electrifying moment, his tongue invaded your mouth, initially startling you, yet you surrendered to the rhythm.

Sukuna leaned back slightly after planting a tender peck on your lips. Exhaling softly, he threaded his fingers through your hair, his touch sending shivers down your spine. As his lips met yours once more, gentler this time, your hand ventured to trace the contours of his adorned chest.

“You are quite the vixen.” A playful glint danced in his eyes. “How valiant of you to seduce a lord into bestowing kisses upon his concubine.” A broad smile graced his lips, leaving you uncertain whether his words were playful jest or genuine admiration.

“Do you not bestow your kisses upon all your concubines, my Lord?”

“I do not pleasure their cunts, either.”

His speech carried the brashness of a tempest, a departure from the expected decorum one associated with royalty. Sukuna Ryomen defied conventions. It was a trait uncommon among lords, yet one that intrigued you deeply. His demeanour, both in battle and in the intimate confines of the bedchamber, lacked the softening. But you found yourself drawn to his unfiltered honesty, appreciating the absence of cryptic notions.

As you sat before him, considering your next words carefully, a surge of courage emboldened you to reveal your truth.

“My Lord,” you began, your voice quivering with uncertainty, “I . . . I am not pure.”

“Given the sounds you were drawing out,” he quipped with a chuckle, “I wouldn’t have surmised otherwise.” He assisted you in rising from where you rested against his chest, positioning you before him. Observing your solemn expression, he arched an eyebrow in curiosity. “Was your satisfaction not fulfilled?”

“Indeed, my Lord, it surpassed any expectation,” you confessed, worrying your lip as he sighed impatiently. “But I must disclose . . . I am not chaste.”

Sukuna’s response was subdued, save for the faint twitch in his jaw. He averted his gaze from yours momentarily, reaching for the decanter on his bedside table and pouring himself a measure of spirits.

“Speak,” he instructed, his tone clipped.

“It occurred before I reached maturity,” you murmured softly, your arms wrapped protectively around yourself. “My foster father—” Your words faltered as Sukuna raised a hand, a silent acknowledgment of his comprehension of your unspoken anguish.

“I need not hear more.” He swiftly consumed the crimson liquid in a single gulp. “You are dismissed for the night.”

“But my Lord’s desires remain unmet—”

“Leave,” he commanded, his tone final and unwavering.

With a gulp, you hastily gathered your robe around your form, delicately extricating yourself from his expansive bed.

Just as you thought to retreat, a firm hand seized your wrist, drawing you back into Sukuna’s embrace. His lips melded with yours in an intoxicating kiss, causing both your gazes to flutter open when he pulled away. A faint smirk played upon his lips as he adjusted the robe over your shoulder.

“Next time,” he murmured, plucking a flower from the adornments in your hair and placing it upon his bedside, “you shall grace my chambers without such distracting embellishments upon yourself.”

“As you wish, my Lord,” you replied with a respectful bow of your head, awaiting his dismissal until he gestured for you to depart with a casual wave of his hand.

In the shared chambers, your fellow concubines swirled around your bed, eager to hear of your inaugural encounter with Lord Sukuna.

Each girl shared their own vivid tales, painting scenes of ecstasy under the cloak of darkness, where the king’s touch invoked sensations akin to celestial bodies colliding, or where unfamiliar pleasures erased the boundaries of their throat—whatever that latter entailed.

Though a twinge of jealousy flickered within you, it was swiftly overshadowed by a swell of pride. The concubines pleasured Sukuna in darkness, the same darkness you had willingly entered, before his touch had set ablaze a world of gold for you.

They were merely beautiful means of physical gratification for their lord, devoid of the intimacy you shared—his fingers delving deep into your core. And never had any of them spoken of kisses exchanged. Sukuna had spoken true when you questioned if others received similar treatment.

But why you?

Why, after a mere span of ten hours within the palace walls, did you find yourself, dare you entertain the notion, as his favoured? What magic did you possess that drew him to you, and how had you managed to seduce his lips, his fingers, to meet yours in such an intimate embrace?

“Did he spend himself inside you?” one of the girls whispered, prodding your knee to rouse you from your silence.

“No.”

“Aye, he never does,” remarked a golden-haired girl with a resigned sigh. “He sees to it that we consume some berries afterward, claiming they prevent conception. Strange, isn’t it? Especially if he’s so eager for an heir.”

Another girl hushed her, leaning in with a conspiratorial tone. “Did he take you from behind? That’s his favoured position, you know. He’s had us all that way.”

You stumbled over your words, unsure how to respond.

“And did you savour his taste?” came the next question. “It’s quite rich in sodium—”

“Girls!” A booming voice echoed from the doorway of the bedroom, startling you and the other concubines into immediate attention. You caught sight of the elderly attendant who oversaw your care, hands planted firmly on her hips as she observed the chaotic scene before her.

With a disapproving huff, she pivoted sharply on her heel and departed, leaving a lingering sense of reprimand in her wake.

As the frenzied chatter about Sukuna’s body attributes gradually dissolved into the quietude of sleep, morning arrived with its routine of communal showerings.

Throughout the shared bath, you silently scrubbed away the remnants of the night, indulging your fellow concubines about your previous life in town.

Upon drying off and exiting the bathing chamber, you were met with an unexpected sight: a gathering of the girls clustered around your bed.

Navigating through the throng, you reached your space to discover a resplendent scarlet silk robe embroidered with intricate black floral patterns.

Gingerly lifting the note placed atop the fabric, you read Sukuna’s precise handwriting. Curious glances from the other concubines peered over your shoulders in anticipation.

No distracting embellishments, Sad Eyes.

“What does that mean?” a curious whisper floated through the air, followed by murmurs of intrigue from the other girls. “Why does he call you ‘sad eyes’?”

You clutched the letter to your chest, suppressing a grin as you ignored the questions, the mockery, and the jostling of bodies around you. Your attention was fixated on the magnificent robe gifted to you by His Lordship.

For the remainder of the evening, you slept without any interruptions, seeking to compensate for the countless nights spent battling insomnia within the confines of your foster home.

You observed with a keen eye that none of the other girls were ushered to Sukuna’s chambers; their time seemed to veer toward strolls in the back garden or spent in the dormitory, indulging in wine-fueled scandals about the palace staff, as was their custom.

As the clock struck eight in the evening, a troupe of maids entered the chamber bearing dinner trays. A wave of anticipation swept through the room as the other girls eagerly accepted their meals and accompanying pitchers of water. Your own stomach rumbled in hunger, awaiting your own turn.

But that moment never arrived.

Instead, the maid bypassed your bed entirely, moving on to the next. A surge of apprehension rippled through you as a handmaiden approached, guiding you away from the mattress and toward the vanity.

“What about my dinner?” you asked as the attendants groomed your hair.

“His Lordship has extended an invitation for you to dine with him tonight,” came the reply.

The room fell into a sudden hush.

Dine with him?

The notion sent a flurry of thoughts racing through your mind.

Before you could process further, you found yourself pulled upright, your garments removed to be replaced by the scarlet robe.

Envy flickered in the eyes of the other concubines as they observed, their resentment palpable as they stabbed at their food with exaggerated aggression. It wasn’t your doing that Sukuna had taken an unexpected interest in you.

With no adornments save for a dab of crushed cherry paste upon your lips, you were escorted to Sukuna’s chambers.

Once more, the imposing doors swung open, and you found yourself gently ushered into the chamber. As they sealed shut behind you, the room was flooded with light. Sukuna’s figure stared out at the moonlit gardens outside, clad in a billowing white silk robe.

“My Lord,” you greeted respectfully, inclining your head in deference.

“Draw near.”

Complying with his directive, you approached and stood at his side. His presence loomed over you, his stature commanding and formidable, capable of engulfing you entirely with a single embrace. Not that such thoughts dared to linger in your mind.

“Why is your face flushed?” he asked, his gaze penetrating.

You blinked, attempting to dismiss the telltale warmth creeping up your cheeks. “It’s nothing, my Lo—”

Before you could finish, Sukuna turned your chin towards him, his palm coming to rest against your forehead. A nervous swallow traced its way down your throat at his touch, his eyes trailing down your form, a knowing smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as they settled upon you in your robe.

“Thank you for your gracious gift,” you murmured, feeling the warmth rise to your cheeks.

His fingers trailed through your hair, a mischievous glimmer dancing in his eyes. “I anticipate nothing less than thoroughly enjoying the privilege of removing it off of you.”

You blushed deeper at his statement.

“Come now. I’ve brought a surprise for you.” He took your hand in his with a tug, guiding you towards a doorway. With a simple flick of his fingers, the door parted, revealing a dimly lit hallway beyond.

Your gaze widened in astonishment. “How did you do that, my Lord?”

“Do what?”

“You opened the door without laying a hand on it.”

Sukuna’s striking blood-coloured eyes cut to you. “There is much about me that will be unveiled in due course, my love. What you perceive is but a guise for my true nature.” His smile, oddly childlike, sent a chill down your spine.

Was he some sort of sorcerer? You’d only heard whispers of human anomalies lurking beneath the earth’s surface or sealed within vessels, but historical accounts weren't exactly your cup of tea.

“I ventured into town today,” he said.

“Oh.” You swallowed hard, recovering from his previous statement. “I hope it was a fruitful trip.”

“Indeed, quite fruitful.”

In the soft glow of the distant hallway, Sukuna’s face came into view, casting a spell of trepidation upon your heart. His features were drawn into a mask of stoicism, his eyes devoid of warmth, and his lips pressed into a firm line, jaw rigid with tension.

Parting the curtains, Sukuna drew you near, his arm sweeping out to reveal a horrifying sight: your foster father, bound to a chair with chains, wearing the cruel marks of torture.

His face marred by countless wounds, an eye absent, and teeth scattered at his feet. His dignity stripped away, his vulnerability laid bare in his nakedness, and his manhood amputated.

The sickening lurch in your stomach threatened to betray your composure. “F-Forgive my intrusion, my Lord, but is he . . . is he dead?”

Sukuna’s response was a gilded dagger from within his robe, its handle decorated with a jewel reminiscent of your own captivating eyes. Nestled within the hilt was the very flower he had plucked from your hair. Upon the blade, your name was inscribed.

“Do as you wish, my beloved,” he whispered, his voice stained with dark fascination, offering you the instrument of your foster father’s fate with a chilling sense of detachment.

You couldn’t possibly bring yourself to commit such a heinous act.

Despite the unspeakable cruelties inflicted upon you by the bastard, the idea of taking another’s life filled you with a trembling dread.

Yet, the itch to end the torment, to rid the world of such a vile presence, simmered just beneath the surface as you stood before him, his life slipping away.

A hand trailed down the back of your head, guiding your trembling fingers to grasp the dagger tightly.

Looking up, you met Sukuna’s gaze, his expression hollow, his features obscured by shadows. This was the face of the Devil that cursed his enemies on their knees and had them willingly submit to death.

With a push from behind, you stumbled forward, drawing closer to your step-father’s prone form.

Glancing back at Sukuna, you were met with an incongruously bright smile. Quite a twisted paradox, His Lordship.

Your step-father sat unconscious, the stench of his bodily fluids assaulting your senses. His wounds oozed with a sickening mixture of blood and pus, his laboured breaths the only indication of life remaining within him. The scene was painfully familiar, a mirror image of the torment you had endured countless times before.

But now, someone had intervened, offering you a chance at liberation, a chance to end the cycle of abuse once and for all.

You glanced back again.

Until Sukuna.

Your gaze reluctantly returned to the true embodiment of cruelty before you. With a steady hand, you raised your arm, wielding the dagger with purpose.

It found its mark in your foster-father’s chest, a chilling silence punctuated only by the sound of steel meeting flesh. Ignoring the strangled cry that erupted from him, you withdrew the blade, then drove it back into his heart.

Out.

In.

Out.

In.

His lifeblood painted your face and stained your pristine garments, mingling with the fabric in a macabre dance of crimson. To the untrained eye, it could easily be mistaken for a mere splash of vibrant colour upon your robe.

No one would dare suspect the truth.

No one would dare come near if they knew of your sin.

No one, except Sukuna.

Once the monster over your bed was consigned to the depths of hell, his guts spilling onto the floor around your bare feet, you allowed yourself a moment of grim satisfaction.

With a contemptuous snarl, you spat upon him, a visceral response to the years of degradation he had inflicted upon you for every misstep.

A comforting warmth touched your back.

Startled by the sudden contact, you tensed before easing at the sight of Sukuna’s faint smile.

As he reached to caress your cheek, you instinctively recoiled, lowering your gaze in deference.

“Forgive me, my Lord,” you murmured, “but I cannot permit you to spoil your hands with the blood of this man.”

Sukuna’s shoes entered your line of sight as he tilted your chin upward, his moon-white sleeve wiping away the traces of blood from your mouth and its vicinity. “You appear rather exquisite painted in blood, Sad Eyes. Perhaps I ought to designate you as my prized assassin instead of a mere concubine.”

“I beg your pardon, my Lord, but I cannot partake in killing . . . again.”

“You need not worry,” he whispered, his breath warm against your ear as he drew near. “I will defend you from any who cast their gaze upon you, let alone lay a hand upon your delicate form. Those who dare cross that line will face my wrath, their very existence extinguished before your eyes. Not a single tear shall stain your cheeks.” His lips brushed against yours. “From this moment forward, fear shall not reside within you. By my side, you shall command fear itself, my love.”

That night, Sukuna bathed you in the sanctuary of his chambers, washing away the traces of blood from your skin as you gazed at him with a sense of wonder. It wasn’t the superficial admiration the other concubines whispered about—it was a profound affection blossoming within you, nurtured by power and protection.

He draped you in the luxurious folds of one of his silk robes, summoning servants to prepare dinner. Seated upon his lap, he fed you spoonfuls of rice and chicken, even as your stomach protested its fullness. Soft kisses peppered your neck like a sweet dessert, culminating in one upon your lips before he reluctantly released you to retire to your dormitory.

In the ensuing weeks, Sukuna would consistently send a crafted robe ahead of each meeting—in the serene seclusion of his chambers, where the flickering candlelight cast shadows upon the walls as you dined together.

Over the course of these intimate dinners, he eagerly absorbed your musings, whether they revolved around the narratives of books discovered within the palace library or your adeptness with herbs and plants, nurtured by your profound knowledge.

On occasion, as the first light of dawn painted the sky with hues of pink and gold, Sukuna would summon you for a stroll in the haven of the back garden. Woven between the fragrant blooms, you’d dance about with childlike enthusiasm, identifying various flowers and tracing their lineage.

Ever the attentive listener, Sukuna trailed behind you, his gaze fixed upon your animated figure. He would only speak when you fell silent, demanding you to continue sharing the familial ties between apples, plums, and the roses they stemmed from.

Within the crevice of your soul, the once withered garden of affection had flourished into a lush wilderness, blossoming with untamed wildflowers and clouds that spelled out his name.

Sukuna inhabited your every waking thought, his intoxicating mouth that worshipped your body left you giggling in delight behind your hands.

Yet, each encounter with a fellow concubine, flushed and eager with tales of their rendezvous with him, felt like thorns piercing your tender heart. Jealousy, like ivy creeping upon stone, entwined itself around your every plagued thought. Your gaze often strayed to the bedside drawer where the dagger lay dormant. The mere mention of his physique by the other women tormented your soul relentlessly.

Why hadn’t Sukuna taken you as he had with every other concubine? You had grown accustomed to his presence, even eager to reciprocate the pleasure he gifted you every evening. You had offered yourself willingly, aching for the intimacy that would bind you even closer to him. But he had not claimed you in the same manner, not entered you fully, not seeded his legacy within you.

Did he question your worthiness? Did he see you merely as a transient pleasure? Were you destined to remain just a concubine, forever denied the honour of carrying his child?

“Why do you remain silent?” Sukuna asked, turning the pages of the book you had suggested to him; he was already half-way through.

You were seated snugly between his legs upon the bed, your back rested against his chest, fingers idly toying with the strands of your hair. “I find myself devoid of words this evening.”

“Hmm.” Sukuna took a leisurely sip of his drink before placing it aside. “Surely you can conjure something. You know well enough that I cannot endure your silence.”

With an exasperated sigh, you rolled your eyes. “Well, I apologise for failing to provide you with amusement, my Lord.”

Sukuna snapped the book shut.

You instinctively pressed your lips together, silently chiding yourself for the unintended sharpness in your voice.

With a heavy sigh, you resigned yourself to maintaining your composure, forcing yourself to take slow, steady breaths. Deep down, you believed that he wouldn’t inflict harm upon you or cast you out of his chambers. But the nagging thought chewed at you.

This was Sukuna Ryomen, and you . . . well, you were merely a shadow in comparison.

“If you crave my touch,” he breathed softly into your ear, “all you need to do is utter the request.”

With a determined resolve, you turned to face him, settling yourself upon his lap. Sukuna regarded you with a quirked eyebrow, a quiet acknowledgment of your unconventional audacity.

“I do crave your touch, my Lord,” you confessed, your voice a hushed plea, “but not only with your hands or lips. I long to feel you in a different manner.” Your gaze drifted down to his pelvis, the unspoken appetite evident in your eyes. “I crave that.”

Sukuna exhaled heavily, his gaze piercing as he addressed you. “So, you’ve been withholding your words simply because I haven’t fed you my cock?"

Heat rose to your cheeks at his blunt proclamation, though you had grown accustomed to his coarse mannerisms over time.

“Yes, my . . . Lord.” Your voice carried a mixture of embarrassment. “I’ve endured three long months of anticipation, patiently waiting to share in the pleasures enjoyed by your other consorts. Yet, with the arrival of autumn, I find myself still untouched by the experiences they so openly boast about.”

His lips curled into a smirk. “Are you asking me to bed you merely for the purpose of becoming a notch in your bragging rights?”

“Never, my Lord!” you protested vehemently, a hint of hurt flickering in your eyes. “I would never demean you with such vulgar talk in public. I’ve spun tales to the others, concealing the truth of our encounters. They remain oblivious to the pleasures you’ve granted me.” Your fingers traced the intricate markings on his chiselled abdominal muscles. “If my spoiled state displeases you, if I am deemed unworthy of your touch, pray, inform me now. Regardless, my sole wish is to fulfil His Lordship’s needs.”

Sukuna disentangled your hands from his chest, a gesture that caused a fissure to form within your heart, forcing your body to instinctively withdraw from his touch.

Just as you began to pull away, he swiftly encircled his arm around your waist, tugging you back onto his lap with a firm grip. Before you could utter a single word, his lips descended upon yours, silencing any protest with a passionate kiss.

With a purposeful touch, he skillfully divested you of your robe, revealing the curves of your form beneath. His hands, warm and adept, began to massage your supple breasts, kindling soft gasps from your lips. His own trailed a wet path downward, leaving a bridge of feverish kisses along the expanse of your throat, lingering over the rapid pulse beneath your skin.

As his lips found purchase on the tender flesh of your neck, his actions became more urgent, his touch more demanding. A pinch at your pebbled nipples sent a shiver of sensation coursing through you, followed by the heat of an open-mouthed kiss.

Your gaze drifted downwards, enchanted by the sight of his tongue encircling the sensitive spots, suckling on the swollen buds like a babe. Already, heat was building within the depths of your being, igniting a flame that spread between your legs.

Sukuna laid you back, relishing the delicate flavour of your lips as his fingers skillfully sought out your throbbing clit, stimulating it with unhurried circles.

With practised ease, he slipped two fingers inside you, quickening his rhythm without preamble. Your hand instinctively traced down to his chest, undoing the fastenings of his robe.

“Take it,” he whispered against your mouth, his breath mingling with yours. “Satisfy your lord, my love.”

Your fingers curled around his pulsating cock, the very object of desire that the other girls had passionately recounted. The knowledge of their previous intimacies with him only stoked the flames of envy within you, spurring you to intensify your ministrations.

With a surge of determination, you quickened the pace of your caresses, applying pressure with your thumb upon his sensitive tip while fondling his sacs.

Sukuna’s grin widened against your lips as he reciprocated with equal zeal, slipping a third finger into your slick heat until he was fully engulfed by your swollen core.

Together, you sailed upon the waves of raw carnal desire, locked in a lecherous race to reach your climax, each vying to be the first to cross the finish line—

Sukuna’s low, guttural moans resonated throughout the chamber.

You had achieved victory.

His essence spilled forth into your waiting hands, his cock convulsing with the intensity of his release. Moments later, you succumbed to your own climax, a soft cry escaping your lips.

With care, Sukuna withdrew his hand from your centre, and you instinctively examined your palm, noting the striking resemblance of his essence to your own.

You tentatively brought your fingers to your lips, savouring the taste of him.

“I did not instruct you to do that,” he growled, his gaze blazing as you tasted him. “But I suppose I’ll permit it.”

“It is salty,” you murmured, almost absentmindedly.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, are you women incapable of discussing anything besides my cock?” he exclaimed, frustration evident in his tone.

You couldn’t help but laugh, the tension dissipating as he cleaned his fingers with his tongue before tenderly cradling the back of your head, drawing you to sit upon his lap. Your laughter softened into chuckles, a smile playing upon your lips.

“Did I please you, my Lo—”

“Sukuna,” he interrupted firmly. “Only you may address me by my given name.”

“My L—”

“I command it.” His tone left no room for argument.

You affirmed your agreement with a nod.

He was Sukuna.

Your Sukuna.

“Very well, Sukuna.” You felt a subtle shift in the air between you. His chuckle rumbled softly. “Shall I turn around for you?”

“And why do you deem such an unnecessary act necessary?”

“Because—” You suppressed the urge to divulge the whispers of the other concubines regarding his favoured position. “Never mind. How would you prefer me to present myself to you?”

“As you are,” Sukuna answered, his grip tightening around himself. “How you managed to have me spend by your hand in under five minutes is a marvel beyond my comprehension.”

Internally, you gave yourself a congratulatory pat on the back.

“Now, my love,” he said, inclining his chin towards his erection, “will you do my cock the honour of sitting on it?”

Licking the grin of your lips, you nodded, rising to your knees. With nimble fingers, you positioned his hardened length at your entrance, gradually lowering yourself onto him.

A sharp intake of breath escaped Sukuna’s lips, his hands instinctively grasping your hips. You bit down on the inside of your cheek, enduring the initial sting of penetration. Perhaps every touch of his fingers had been a meticulous groundwork for this pinnacle moment.

As you settled into your seat upon him, you granted yourself a minute to acclimate to the sheer magnitude of him stretching and filling your tight, supple walls.

Sukuna tilted his head back, impatience evident in his eyes. “Will you begin moving at a pace befitting this century, Sad Eyes?”

“Just a moment,” you retorted, your tone tinged with irritation.

“Unfortunately, the sight of your leaking cunt is testing my patience,” he remarked, his gaze lingering provocatively on your flushed form.

Collecting yourself, you affirmed your resolve with a nod before subtly adjusting your position, and swaying your hips forward. His strong hands guided you, aiding your movements as you sought a rhythm. “Gods, you’re— You’re quite large. It’s rather discomforting.”

“Ah, where has the enthusiasm to please your lord vanished, my love?” His laughter echoes through the chamber as he leaned back, amused by your scowl. “I must confess, your defiance is perhaps your most alluring trait. It has crossed my mind more than once during moments of handling myself in the bath.”

Your brow furrowed in dismay.

It was evident that the other concubines possessed far greater expertise in pleasuring him than you ever could. All you could manage was to feign enthusiasm, your movements faltering and disjointed, as you struggled to produce even a fraction of the satisfaction they effortlessly blessed him with. His laughter, which wasn’t helping your cause, bore an uncanny resemblance to the mocking tones of the girls who had taunted you in the past.

You no longer wished to endure this charade.

You halted in your tracks, unable to muster the courage to meet his gaze, your eyes fixated instead on his throat. “It appears . . . that I may not be adequately versed in fulfilling your needs. I shall endeavour to educate myself further before making another attempt. For now, I request permission to retire for the evening, my Lord.”

Sukuna’s grip tightened as he seized your jaw, compelling you to meet his gaze. “You dare to defy my command to address me by my given name?” His smile remained wicked as he drew your face closer to his own. “Remember, my love, there is a boundary to which I tolerate your rebellion. Do not allow my affections to cloud your judgement. I remain your Lord, above all else. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” you managed to gasp out.

“Yes what?”

“Yes, Sukuna,” you replied, your voice trembling with uncertainty.

With a swift motion, he released your sore jaw, and before you could even consider easing the ache, his lips crashed against yours.

In that moment, control slipped from your grasp entirely. His hands gripped the flesh of your buttocks possessively, guiding your movements as he claimed you with a primal savageness that left you shaking in his embrace.

“Does it pain you, my beloved?” Sukuna growled, his fingers curling around your nape possessively. “Do you feel the strain of my cock as I breach your tender walls?”

You whimpered softly, your head nodding against the curve of his neck.

“Fear not, my darling. I will diligently train this cunt of yours to accommodate every inch of me, dusk, dawn, and twilight. Your throat, too, shall be honed to fulfil my every whim, wherever and whenever I demand.” With a swift motion, he tugged your hair, forcing you to meet his glare. “And should you dare to entertain thoughts of defiance with any other man beyond the confines of my chamber, rest assured, there will be consequences.”

“Sukuna,” was all you gasped, eyes rolling back as his tip probed the depths of your womb. His tongue traced the delicate curve of your throat before shoving into your mouth, drawing out your own to suckle on. In the heat of the moment, your hands roamed aimlessly, torn between grasping at his waist, clutching his shoulders, or caressing his cheeks.

“Oh, how I love the sight of your breasts greeting me in my face.” Sukuna tightened his hold on each of them with a deadly grasp, savouring the melodious cry that escaped your lips. He lowered his head and teethed each nipple, drawing it out and relishing in the masochism of your sharp nails clawing down his back. “Deeper, my darling. You alone hold the privilege of marking my flesh. Let my scars mirror yours.”

With caution, you shifted your hands to rest upon his firm pectoral muscles before you could accidentally claw out his spinal cord.

Sukuna’s touch drifted from your bruised breasts to cradle your face, guiding your gaze to meet his crimson one.

Encouraged by his comforting presence, you arched your hips forward with newfound confidence. His fingers swept through your hair, pushing it away as he offered reassuring nods.

Now, the reins rested firmly within your grasp.

“Fuck . . .” Leaning back against the headboard, he released soft sighs. Warm breaths escaped his parted lips as you continued increasing your ministrations. Your gaze momentarily flickered to your favourite book resting on his bedside table before returning to his face.

Suddenly seized by an impulse, you leaned forward to plant a tender kiss upon his lips, trailing upward to gently brush against his cheekbones, tracing the intricate markings lining his skin.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Someone must play the role of the tender one between us, Sukuna,” you answered, mirroring the attention he had given your scars during your initial encounter. With each kiss, you felt his eyes tracing your movements, following the path of your lips as they journeyed across his face, landing upon his nose or the pulse of his neck.

“My beloved,” Sukuna’s voice caressed your ears, drawing your focus entirely to him, “listen closely to my words.”

You halted your movements, a curious expression dancing in your eyes. “What troubles you?”

With a deliberate motion, he guided your hips forward, his gaze unwavering. “Throughout the night, I will fill your womb ceaselessly, and in mere weeks, you shall carry my legacy within you.” Your heart leaped into your throat, fluttering with an overwhelming rush of emotion. “Peril will shadow your every step. Those who oppose us will stop at nothing to eliminate your life and the life of our child. Do you comprehend the gravity of our situation?”

You blinked back the tears, resigning yourself to the inevitable.

“But I vow upon my honour, such an atrocity shall never come to pass. I will sever entire bloodlines if even a single strand of your precious hair were harmed.” His movements quickened as he thrusted into you.

Your grip tightened on his shoulders again, gasping for breath between erratic pants.

“At dawn’s light, all concubines shall be reassigned to palace duties. You need only point out those who have dared to trouble you, though their transgressions are already known to me.” His motions became more intense as he pressed you onto your back, pinning your arms above your head. “And when the sun graces the horizon, you, my beloved, shall be proclaimed as my queen.”

Your voice wailed through the chamber as you cried out his name, drowning in the waves of scorching pleasure never before experienced.

Instead of seeing celestial bodies colliding, your gaze met the deep crimson of his irises, those same eyes that had captivated you on that very first night.

“Sukuna . . . ”

With a smile mirroring his own, you tilted your head upward, silently beckoning him to seal the moment with a kiss. As he obliged, his cock pulsed within you, filling you with his warmth until every fibre of your being was tethered with his.

But he didn’t withdraw. Just as he had promised, he intended to keep you close throughout the night, to claim you as his own.

And in that moment, as you laid with him, you welcomed the dawn of a new chapter standing beside him, prepared to reign as Sukuna Ryomen’s queen.

[salsakiyoomi]

OMG YOURE WATCHING SUPERNATURAL WHAT SEASON ARE YOU ON WHAT DO YOU THINK?? Supernatural is my to go and too favorite 😭 😭

hi 😭 the uhh, description thing is from a LONG time ago 😭 but i watched up till season 15 like, im still stuck on episode six ever since last march and havent moved on since 😭😭 i LOVE supernatrual, fav seasons were definitely from 4-6 they were at their peak, season eight's finale still does something to me from the way all the angels were falling from the sky, i! love! crowley! LIKE HIS DYNAMIC WITH THEM IS LITERALLY EVERYTHING TO ME, so sad he died him and rowena, rip to bobby, best father figure out there, his death was literally so sad but i really loved season 7 too, also im a dean girl 😭 miss him when he was still a baby in season 1 but man aged like fine wine and i'm down bad for him, castiel is my child like actually, i love him, my cat is named after misha collins bcz my mom loves misha collins

[soobnny]

summer strike — hyunjin (teaser)

trope. strangers to lovers. comfort fic. found family. heavily inspired by the kdrama

synopsis. having had enough of your life in the big city, you head to a small town where you meet a local librarian who feels a lot like love

estimated word count. 23k words

release date. next week

warnings. drinking alcohol, curse words, mentions of feeling so alone, more to add

taglist. send an ask if u wanna be tagged when it drops :)

note. i’m so so excited for this one so i hope you’ll look forward to reading it !!

“Do you… repair all the books yourself?” You ask, looking down at the multitude of pages he’s tending to and the stack of books waiting to be repaired in a trolley parked at the side of his table.

“Yes.” He smiles upon answering, and it’s one that radiates pride in the work he does.

Your lips quaver slightly, trying to find words to say to him. You wonder if it’d be okay with him if you wanted to help out. The work looks interesting, and a little soothing. Would that make him uncomfortable?

Fiddling with the ends of your shirt, you stab your hesitance straight in the chest. “Can I try too?”

His mouth falls agape, and then he’s nodding his head, gesturing for you to take the seat adjacent to him. Hyunjin grabs an extra spatula, passing it to you before smiling shyly down at the books and pages.

“You take the spatula, and spread the glue evenly.” Hyunjin looks up at you before grabbing a page and his own spatula so you can mimic his gestures. “Then, you place the page at its original location.”

He closes up the book he’s working on, patting down at the spine so the glue sticks well. “That’s it.”

“Oh.” You look at his work with fascination, smiling as he sets the book aside. “You’re kind of like a doctor. It’s like you’re applying medicine to the books.”

He grins at your words, eyes averting from your eye contact as he shyly grins. You know he has pure love for what he does, and it warms your heart. It’s a sentiment you wish you had for your job back then.

“I think…” You fix your gaze to your hands that are propped on the table, intertwining your fingers together. “I’m in love.”

Hyunjin’s inability to look you in the eyes seem to falter the moment you speak. His mouth falls back into an ‘o’, and the tip of his ears are awfully red.

“Wait, sorry. What I mean is… I think I’m in love with the process of fixing up old things.” With slightly widened eyes, you gesture at the book he had just fixed cartoonishly, chewing on your lips a little embarrassedly.

The boy in front of you nods, fingers pausing over his task; you turn to look at him, and you’re relieved to see his smile returning.

“I see.” He chuckles, grabbing onto the pages that still need to be glued and grouping them together, tapping them lightly on the table so they align.

“Let me help you.” You reach out to the remaining pages, and Hyunjin looks at you with an expression you don’t quite recognize, but you know has no ill-intent. He always looks this way. Always natural, never forced.

As you quietly work on the task, Hyunjin can’t stop himself from looking at you from time to time. He thinks it’s to monitor your work, but does that excuse the way he stares at the small smile tugging on your lips?

“Has anyone told you how you resemble Aphrodite?”

“Me?” He asks, eyes darting you and the book he’s working on. You grin at him, nodding your head.

“Yes. Goddess of Beauty in Greek Mythology. You know her, right?”

“I do.” He smiles back easily, willing the blush that’s obviously creeping on his cheeks away.

“When I first met you, that character came to mind.” You mumble as you stare at the page in your hands, furrowing your eyebrows as you try to match it to its proper book. You pause, catching yourself before you can misplace the page, and Hyunjin looks up at the sudden silence.

“Which one was this again?” Sheepish. You think you’ve embarrassed yourself more times than none in this library.

You don’t notice Hyunjin leaving his seat, sauntering over to where you’re seated so he can peer at the page and at the books in front of you. “May I?”

His tone is kind, and it didn’t seem as if he were upset that you didn’t know where to put the page. On the contrary, he made you feel as if it was okay that you didn’t know. Quick to reassure.

“I don’t memorize all of these either. I only remember the names and places in the books, and I like drawing to keep an imagine of them in my head too..” He’s arranging the pages now, putting the corresponding paper atop the book they belong to. “Why don’t you try this one?” The way he says it is so full of expectation, leaning down to hand you a page and you can only smile up at him.

“I’ll give it a try.” You sputter out for words to say, taking the page from him gratefully.

Seungmin watches from a distance, lifting an eyebrow in curiosity as he observes his usually quiet friend speak more words than usual. Though, the observation makes his heartstrings contract.

It goes on like this for a while, silence engulfing the pair of you as you worked to repair the books together. Hyunjin showed no signs of you being a bother to him, even reaching out to help most of the time—appreciative of your time. No sound follows, just the beating of your hearts and the rustling of paper.

[yourpenpaldee]

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ WHEN ART TALKS: THE INTRO

When a girl meets a boy who sees the world as his playground, and she has to learn how to let others in her space.

if you would like to be tagged, please let me know! frequent updates will be coming soon after the character intros are up :) this is quite a lengthy post, but i hope you'll enjoy if you choose to stick around until the end.

BASIC OVERVIEW

GENRE: — romance

POV: — first person, present tense

STATUS: — rough first draft in progress

TROPES: — friends to lovers, opposites attract, slowburn, forgiveness

WORD COUNT: — making a last minute decision to (somewhat) start fresh because why not. starting at 0. will update this everyday :)

WARNINGS: — smoking. will update this along the way.

SUMMARY:

Aniyah Hope is a wishful thinker who wants more than what she has. As a reserved poet, she has documented her most inner personal thoughts and feelings inside her poem journals. Her poetry contains the most critical parts of herself, and exposing that to a world beyond her own is not a risk she’s often willing to take. So when Aniyah meets Noah Ford, an outspoken musician who proudly wears his heart on his sleeve, around the same time her journal goes missing, she initially hides further in her shell. What she doesn’t expect is how quickly she comes out of that shell, and the unexpected comfort she finds from what she usually shields herself from.

CHARACTERS, SNIPPET, PLAYLIST, AND MOODBOARD UNDER THE CUT!

CHARACTERS

ANIYAH HOPE has always kept to herself, finding more comfort in poetry than she ever has in people. She never wanted to cruise through life in the shadows, but she couldn't take another rejection of friendship due to superficial judgments. When she discovered poetry, she found the safe haven she needed to explore every little piece of herself. Because she couldn't connect with others as easily as she hoped, she'd put the pen to paper and write down all the things she wished she could say. Aniyah’s heart desires nothing more than to have these words spoken through a microphone. Unlike the boy who sees the world as his playground, she just isn't ready to let her guard down.

NOAH FORD has been on a mission to prove his parents wrong ever since he’s gone off to college to pursue music. His father always expected him to follow in his footsteps of becoming a well-respected lawyer, despite the countless times Noah emphasized his fiery passion for music. Instead of supporting his dreams, his parents brushed it off as a silly little phase he would eventually grow out of. It’s been a year since he’s gone no contact, his uncle and younger sister being the only familial support system. College provides him the freedom to make noise, to be reckless, and to meet a girl who has yet to experience the spotlight’s glow.

JACQUELINE TRẦN has never been the type to back down easily. She’s always up for a challenge, which often makes her appear intimidating to those on the outside looking in. Everyone in her life knows the opposite to be true, as she’s the kind of person everyone wants to have around them. Jackie is self-assured, loyal, supportive, and will be the first to defend those she cares about against any and all wrongdoings. However, taking advantage of her genuine kindness results in getting cut off with no hesitation. Now that she has her core group of people she knows she can rely on just as much as they rely on her, she pushes them to thrive and win, even if it means going beyond the safety net.

NADIA "EVIE" LOUIS has a curious mind that is eager to seek knowledge everywhere she goes. She isn’t afraid to let her curiosity take direction and lead, especially when a new opportunity presents itself at her front door. The world has too many offers for it to remain unexplored. As much as she enjoys diving into the unknown, she still needs some sort of certainty when it comes to her personal life. She has her future mapped out down to the last detail. With her ambitious nature, she puts in the work to show up on time for every milestone with ease. But not every meticulous plan is meant to be rigid when unexpected curveballs exist. When she can’t find the answers to her own crisis, she doesn’t shy away from finding help from others.

ELENA FORD is one year away from starting a new chapter in her life as a college student. She’s a go-getter that knows what she wants, and will find a way to make it happen. Ever since her parents have cut Noah off, she's made it her duty to sway their minds. She's had no success with it, and it bothers her a great deal. Ellie is used to getting her way— and in a timely manner— without having to suffer any consequences. Her persistence on the issue came with the cost of her relationship with her parents, which has left a strain that might never be repaired. Even though Noah has accepted the fact that he won't ever get his parents' support, Ellie continues her attempt to be the voice of reason for her brother and his future.

(VERY ROUGH) SNIPPET

Another silence falls upon us, and I come to the conclusion that our silence isn't an indication of the end, but rather an ellipses. It's a momentary pause for us to gather our individual thoughts and feelings. A continuation of savoring the moment without forcing ourselves to speak when it doesn't feel natural. The silence catches all of our spoken and unspoken words when they fall and speaks for us until we are ready to talk again.

PLAYLIST

Here's the playlist on YouTube for those who don't use Spotify.

MOODBOARD (coming soon!)

TAGS: @pixies-love-envy @honeybewrites ♡

[redcracklestan]

Redcrackle ship analysis pt.1

As you can guess, i ship Redcrackle, and often, many people told me that I shouldn’t ship them for some reason.

Here I’m going to explain why it is totally ok to ship them (and why it is my favourite copule in the show).

What people told me about them is that they see each other as siblings, their age gap is too much, and that they never actually flirted with each other.

Like i did for carulia I’m gonna show y’all what i think of each of those topics.

They see each other as siblings

I think that it was oblivious that they SAW each other as siblings when they were still both at VILE, not anymore. You can clearly see this simply by the way they look at each other

I have a brother, and we don’t look at each other like that, yk?

While they were still at VILE, they looked at each other very differently

That is a brotherly look, while they were younger, but then you can clearly see that their dynamic changed, because they grew up, they changed and their feelings for each other changed too, it’s normal that way, and it’s always been that way. Their trope is really complicated, but their feelings for each other went like from best friends to lovers, and it’s not “problematic” as someone says, instead they have chemistry, they bonded as friends and they proceeded seeing each other as the sibling figure they never had since they were both orphans, and they ended up developing some romantics feeling once they both matured and aged.

Plus I realised reading some fics and just scrolling on the internet, that prolly Carmen only saw Gray as a big brother figure because she only had the “family” kind of love in her life since that moment. Maybe she had stronger feelings for him that she couldn’t classify because the only love she ever felt was for the faculty, which was more like a family to her, no romantic feelings involved. Then Graham came and she saw him as a big brother, as her found family, because it was the only love she was surrounded with for her whole life, and that then, she realised that she had some romantics feelings for him, once she grew up and experienced more in her life.

Their age gap is too much

Ok, in this fandom, there are people from all over the world, so everybody has a different opinion on this (for example, where i live, there are such bigger age gaps)

But you have to consider that they are only 2 years apart (Carmen is 20 and Gray is 22), and they’re both adults and consenting, so I can’t really see any problems with that.

They never actually flirted with each other

Apart from the fact that they, in fact, have flirted but people say that they didn’t because one of them was brainwashed during it, as we saw they showed their love for each other multiple times, in multiple scenes, in many different way (flirting is not the only way to show love).

Bro risked his life to SAVE HER (I can’t put every time he did it because of the image limit)

Bro was willing to be locked up in JAIL just to make sure that his gf got his memories back

Bro was willing to never see her again just to give her the opportunity to start a new life.

Not mentioning the fact that when he was brainwashed, he went all way to New Zealand to help someone he barely knew, just to have a cup of coffee with her.

And I strongly believe that he hesitated on purpose on that train to Paris, he didn’t wanted to kill her, he knew damn well how to defend himself from someone holding a weapon on him (as we see in the scene with Devineaux when he got his memories back and he beats his ass) + he also knew very well that she couldn’t use the weapon because of the fingerprints activation, he had no reasons to hesitate like that, except one, the boy was so in love.

Also all the things that carmen did for him, every time she said goodbye to him for his own well-being (at the coffee, on the Himalayas), every time she saved him (at Dr.Bellum’s place, on the Himalayas).

Plus, they are literally red and blue lovers.

LOOK! She is the literal definition of red. He is the literal definition of blue. If that is not a sign, guys, idk what it is.

Other than that, think about when they opened to each other about their pasts, when he told her that he didn’t wanted to hurt her even though they were enemies and basically any interaction they have, and like I said before, their eyes can talk 100%, it’s so clear. They are so cute. I love them. No one can change my mind.

They just have so much chemistry, parallels, and everything.

Concluding I wanna drop a bomb.

I honestly believe that if Gray was a girl, everyone would love him and the ship. They as a copule would be seen better from everybody on this fandom.

Ok, in the end, I only did 1 part, but maybe I’m gonna do some more? Idk, really. Anyway, sorry if i did any grammatical errors, but English isn’t my first language so…

I hope you enjoyed this “analysis” If we can call it that way, see you soon!

[lizardboy66]

im deeply bored so here are all of my gay 911 thoughts for your entertainment.

OKAY SO

Idk about 911 being queerbait guys...i dont think it ever was. I think we have entered a new era of fanservice. Usually with queerbait, the creators and people involved in the show are quite vicious to shippers and queer fans generally, and any easter egg or "moment" feels like crumbs to keep us hooked enough.

911 acknowledged the shipping very very early. Like second half of season 2, and there has never ONCE been a joke at the expense of the concept of being gay, or about buck or eddie being queer. It was simply a nod, like "hey, we get it, you want it, thats all good."

Its not 2010 anymore, gay people are accepted and visible in a way that has never been a reality in the past. In fact, gay people, especially gay men, have come to be understood as a fantastic marketing tool.

This is where i get jaded and cynical, but listen the outcome is the same so stick with me here. Gay pairings and relationships = money is not a groundbreaking concept. It's why they did queerbait. But with stuff like supernatural, it seemed like a far greater risk to make the repressed men kiss than to piss of the queer fanbase. But times have changed. But since the age of queerbait, there has been a rise in gay romance content being made, and being made FOR the fangirls, boys and theys. Think Red, White and Royal Blue, or Heartstopper, or Young Royals, or Our Flag Means Death, or Good Omens. Gay isn't a risk anymore, its a marketing category with a level of guaranteed success. And not just in the global north, Boys Love content has been booming in places like Japan, Thailand, Korea for decades, but never more than now. TV companies in these places figured out very quickly that producing fluffy, comforting gay love stories earns them billions, and have not hesitated to seize this opportunity. My point being, gay dudes sell as fuck.

911 got cancelled and had to move networks. The budget is too high and they need to pull viewership and quick. I think their answer is canonise that ship! I couldn't tell you if that was there original intent, but i do believe that it would be far less lucrative to fuck over their viewer base. I could be wrong, this could be a crazy long game to make the fans trust the show, then pull the rug from under them. But i truly think we are past that point with shows like this.

911 is pure fluff! No one ever dies, if someone is hurt they recover quickly and with no complications, conflict is tame and easily resolvable, and everyone is a sickeningly good person. And the show is also about family, found family, unconventional families. I think originally, the unconventionality of the eddie, buck and chris family dynamic was that it is two men who are not together or married raising a child as coparents and friends. Which is a great story, but even better fanfiction fodder.

I think they are going to do it like the fanfiction. It's the easiest way to bridge the epistemic gap between the current cannon and the reality of both buck and eddie being queer and having feelings for each other. they could try and explain it in their own way, but the fans have already done it, and have clearly agreed on some elements of how this love story plays out, so i think that will be the route they go down. Currently my evidence is that Buck is now canonically bisexual. For some reason a lot of the ships people have have one bisexual and one gay, so the trope is being realised. My next piece of evidence is the catholic thing for eddie. This has literally never come up, its a fan invention, and its in the show now. The eddie and marisol plot line is slightly bizzare, but i think the reason for that is that it is eddie making sense of why he struggles so much to commit to the women he dates. Or its just a bad storyline and isnt very coherent. I guess we will see. My next evidence is the whole set up of Tommy. He is so clearly a way to push eddie and buck together in my opinion. From his introduction, he acts as a wedge between the two that neither of them can make sense of. Very love triangle energy. And my last evidence is all of those goddamn interviews. It seems no one can shut up about these fire fighters getting it on with each other. I feel if they weren't doing it, there would be more effort to shut down the clowning gently, as they have done previously.

In conclusion, i too am a clown. My theory has rocky foundations, a rocky middle and an equally rocky conclusion. I am so tired and delulu right now. I'm with you girlies, this is stressful.

[dramalets]

2024 Watch List pt3

Takura-kun & Amagi-kun - This has lots of the Japanese traits that I don’t always love but I did find myself warmed by it. It’s basically two boys being teenage and idiotic whilst learning how to love and be loved. I really liked the two besties in this. 3/5 (13/3/24)

Although I love you, and you? - Apparently this is wildly different from the manga so people were hating on it but, with zero knowledge of the manga, I have to say I enjoyed it. Very silly but had a nice emotional depth to it and Sakae & Soga made for interesting leads. Also loved the little found family of friends and bar regulars. 3 ½/5 (15/3/24)

One Room Angel - This could really only be Japanese. Beautiful, bittersweet and healing this does come with a lot of trigger warnings but if you can stomach it’s darker elements it’s really worth the journey. 4/5 (26/3/24)

Love is science (BL cut) - Just about an hour on YouTube this was delightful. Undoubtedly would not have enjoyed all the different het storylines but these two should have been a show on their own. Just lush. (No rate because it’s a cut. 28/3/24)

Senpai this can’t be love - Errm. Elements I really liked, and I don’t think it’s anywhere near as bad as some make it out to be, but it did have a very naff ending and they deserved a better kiss. These two were cute but probably not one I’ll reach to rewatch. 3/5 (30/3/24)

WaterBoyy - I really only watched this because I’m a dumbass with completionist tendencies. It’s a show? The story and script are absolutely insane. There is so much het nonsense, which I entirely skipped, weird dated language and extremely 2017 dubcon. I can give a lot of old shows a pass for being of their time but this is bad even by 2017 standards. I’ll give it a half point for being moderately well acted. But that’s it. 1/2 (1/4/24)

Our Dating Sim - Very cute. Packed a surprising amount of story into a short time frame. Also delivered some nice kisses. 3/5 (2/4/24)

Jun & Jun - Enjoyed most of this. Episodes 5 & 6 felt a little redundant. Great kisses, much higher heat than standard for a K BL. Would have loved more from the manager & idol pairing, they had an interesting history and I’d like to have seen them a little more developed. I could understand why no man could resist Lee Jun’s face, a 100% cutie. 3/5 (3/4/24)

Love is better the second time around - Much to love about this one. The acting all round was stunning, Aloha as Senpai’s bitchy assistant was hilarious and I need him in a main BL role again soon, the leads were able to tell whole stories in subtle facial expressions. I think the end was satisfying but I did feel like it could have used 8 episodes instead of 6. 4/5 (10/4/24)

Unknown - Quite the surprise. I’m a little hesitant with the pseudo incest, brother lover whatever the hell you want to call it trope. But this was done beautifully well. A mild melodrama with slice of life and found family at its core this is wholly worth your time and I loved it a lot. 5/5 (20/4/24)

We Best Love (1) - I definitely did enjoy this but it also didn’t overly wow me. Shu Yi is my perfect brand of arrogant stupidity wrapped up in a pissed off little cat package so he was an easy and delightful sell for me. Also obsessed with the cousin doctor. Sam Lin and Yu have extremely good chemistry and I’m excited to watch the second series. 3 ½/5 (29/4/24)

Two Worlds - This was silly and pulpy from the get go and stayed that way. The holes have holes in this and the ending was very expected but, having said all this, I still very much enjoyed myself. Wandee knows that mindless pulp & MaxNat are a great combo and truly it is. Would make an easy, delicious spam. 3/5 (16/5/24)

Boys be brave - This felt more Japanese than Korean in some parts? Lots of character examination and broken boys being stubborn. (100% more so in the secondary pairing which really never got explored enough for my tastes.) Overall I found this very enjoyable and it didn’t entirely fluff its ending up. 3 ½/5 (16/5/24)

23.5 - I don’t think this is without its issues but the things it did well I feel it did really well. The teens in this were authentically stupid and all their problems were also accurately teen. Ignore reviews telling you the writing is bad, it isn’t, it’s just extremely specifically teen. None of the problems the girls have are relatable for adults honestly but if you’re someone who never outgrew your teen angst or is just able to remember that period well you’ll enjoy this. Milk & Love were superb as was the entire cast. I’d love more light GL stories like this one and less melodrama and sadness. 3 ½/5 (24/5/24)

[two-raccoons-in-a-trench-coat]

Bleach has sucked me in once more.

And since I can't find the very specific found family trope I want to read about, I decided to write it myself.

Where Gin gets turned into a child and Aizen becomes Rosa from that one B99 episode. ------

Out of all the possible outcomes Aizen had calculated when the Hougyoku had suddenly activated, finding Gin sitting in a pool of his now oversized clothes blinking at him in complete confusion had not been one of them.

Nor for Gin to turn to him and look at him without a single flicker of recognition. Aizen would be impressed by the Hougyoku’s considerable power and thoroughness if it hadn’t happened to Gin.

Oh, he knew the boy was planning on killing him (or at least, attempt to), but the fact that Gin hides it so well… well, it’s impressive. Aizen can really only admire him for it—and after all these long years Aizen really has become quite fond of the boy. A part of him has been dreading the day Gin will turn on him because no matter how fond, Aizen will cut him down without any hesitation if he stands in his way.

But now that calculating look on that grinning face is gone. Almost like he doesn’t know him at all.

How far back did the Hougyoku de-age him? Aizen frowns thoughtfully, thankful that his Espada keep well out of the way of this place unless he summons them here. Gin looked spooked enough as it was.

He kneels down with Gin still half a room away and smiles in that soft, comforting way that used soothe Hinamori-kun, and once upon time, Gin (not that the boy would ever admit to needing comfort).

But the Gin before him now only looks at him dubiously. And remains pointedly silent. Smart boy, even as a flicker of anger licks at Aizen’s heart because someone so young shouldn’t have such hollowed, suspicious look on their face when confronted with nothing more than a smile.

The unfairness of it makes something in his chest bristle.

Soon that unfairness will be confronted, Aizen promises himself (promises Gin, who is still watching him carefully).

“Hello little one,” he says softly, “do you know where you are?”

“No.” Gin cocks his head at him. “Should I?”

Aizen can’t help but smile at the borderline belligerent tone—even small, and alone, and lost somewhere so unfamiliar, it seems Gin will always have that bite to him.

Who taught you that? He wonders. Who wounded you so much that even the slightest hint of kindness inspires such suspicion in you? Because he would dearly like to tear that person apart.

“I suppose not,” he replies mildly. “Would you like me to tell you?”

Gin’s whole posture changes, his reiatsu flaring much like a pup trying to bare its milk teeth; it would be amusing if Aizen knew what had caused such a reaction. He frowns, concern creeping like weeds through his ribcage—his reiatsu is bristling with fear.

“I ain’t suckin’ yer cock. Ain’t nuthin’ ya can tell me that I can’t find out on my own,” Gin snarls at him.

And Aizen—Aizen feels like he’s been punched through the chest, disgust coiling hot and then cold in his stomach as he suddenly understood what made someone so young look at the world with such distrust.

And Aizen doubts that Gin has even hit his thirtieth year (if he were human he would be no older than seven)—the fact that he knows what “sucking a cock” even means… just the thought of it turns Aizen’s stomach.

He wills his reiatsu under control and forces his anger away. Now is not the time to lose his temper. Later. When he has space and Gin is safely tucked away he’ll find a few thousand ants to crush, and maybe a mountain or two.

But now Gin doesn’t need his anger, it would only frighten him—he needs kindness that doesn’t come with strings attached, and most importantly he needs patience.

Aizen breathes out, tucking his anger away as he carefully brushes against Gin’s prickly reiatsu with his own. The boy stills. Aizen knows his own reiatsu is sharp, like touching shattered glass—he can soften it of course, make it warm and soft like he did for Hinamori-kun, but Gin needs to trust him and even for as young as he is, Aizen can’t risk him sensing something off about his reiatsu and trying to flee.

That would only lead to disaster.

So Aizen lets Gin feel him out, lets his young, untrained reiatsu poke at him curiously like he’s trying to find his measure. Clever boy. Aizen hides a smirk, no wonder Gin was hailed as a genius—there were fully grown shinigami who couldn’t use their reiatsu like this.

It was truly remarkable to see it one so young.

“May I know your name, little one?” Aizen tries again.

This time his question isn’t met with a towering wall of suspicion, but Gin’s bare shoulders were still hunched defensively. It was a long moment before he answered.

“Gin,” he said quietly, “Ichimaru Gin.”

“Gin. It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Aizen Souske.” He lets his reiatsu tangle more firmly in Gin’s, allowing the boy to truly feel his intentions when he speaks because if Gin believes nothing else, he needs him to believe this. “And you’re safe here, I promise.”

“I…” Gin looks at him, startled, “believe ya. Why do I believe ya?” He asks almost to himself.

Aizen smiles at him fondly. “You can feel my reiatsu, right? Well, reiatsu can’t lie,” it was why he got so good at masking it, “when you can feel someone’s reiatsu—if you’re good at it—you can feel those persons intentions, whether they’re lying for instance.”

“And ya ain’t…lying?” Gin asks, sounding so painfully hopeful it makes something in Aizen’s chest twinge.

What an odd feeling. He pushes it away with a reassuring smile. “I’m not.”

He watches Gin twitch when he feels the truth of his words resonate through his reiatsu. And it is the truth, untainted by pretty, empty words—he will slaughter anyone, even Tousen, if he dares to lay a hand on Gin with the intent to hurt him.

“And ya’ ain’t gonna ask me too—”

“No.” Anger slams through his reiatsu before he can stop it and Gin whimpers beneath the weight of it (a sound that stabs Aizen through his ribs like a hot blade) before he manages to reign himself in.

“No,” he says more gently, “never. No one will ever ask you for,” he can’t even bring himself to say it, “that.”

And anyone who does won’t live long enough to regret it.

He sees Gin swallow hard, a mixture of hope and fear on his face.

He doesn’t move from his kneeling position as he holds out his hand. “Come Gin, you will never know fear or hunger again.” You will never again suffer under the uncaring cruelty of the Soul Society.

Gin doesn’t move for one long moment, but suddenly his reiatsu is tangling with his as Gin gets shakily to his feet, naked as the day as he was born and reaches for him. Aizen has him in his arms in a flash, Gin’s adult haori wrapped around him like a blanket. He cradles Gin tight against his chest and some distant part of him feels something click into place though he has no name for it or the sudden feeling of rightness that flows through him.

[always-a-joyful-note]

So because I want to record my progression of where I am in the story, I'm posting my impressions of the units so far. (Disclaimer: I haven't read many of the stories, and about half the knowledge I have is from osmosis and spoilers. The other half is actually reading wiki entries and the actual stories. So if these takes are inaccurate, that is probably the point XD)

Without further ado....

fine - unit of 2 rich kids who are sort of trying to be slightly less evil but kind of still are evil, one (1) theatre kid who is just there for the ride and his crush, and a butler with the face of an angel and the threatening aura of a ezekiel-accurate angel in disguise. Also another impression I had of it was one chronically ill idol stan with three of his idol crushes. But they're solid, if slightly flowery; not exactly my style but their songs are good.

Trickstar - literally my sons. Traumatised idiots who choose to continue to see the bright side with a slice of anarchy. They're all so dumb. Their leader looks straight laced but is more insane than his co-leader who is perpetually wearing the ^u^ expression (except when trauma slapped). The other two members are a camera-phobic gamer boy who is also a model and a guy who exudes reliability and sanity but is also kind of an insane workaholic with inferiority issues. I'm adopting them all and their songs are like…both generic but SO sincere you can't hate it.

Ryuseitai - Me when first meeting them: Awww! A power ranger themed unit! So cute! Me, after hearing stuff about the two senior members' lore and how they recruited their youngsters: (clutching my heart, trying not to sob/lose my mind) Aww! A power ranger themed unit! S-so cute! I would die for literally all of them…WHY. Such silly happy sincere tunes sung by such silly, devastating characters??? Found family, to me

Alkaloid - everyone here believes they are holding everyone else back with their psychological problems (Mayoi), disability problems (Tatsumi), ability problems (Aira), or culture shock problems (Hiiro). And yet they're the unit whose songs have mostly all been ones I absolutely loved. Which means the assembly machine factory idols Eichi's got going on are working and idk how I feel about that

Eden - A bunch of guys with severe family issues who probably have never read the bible (well, maybe Nagisa has). So, like, tw inaccurate depictions of the bible? Anyway, deranged quartet of a softie obsessed with cool rocks but really he has sort of a god complex, a guy with a perpetual :D who is as smart as he thinks he is but is also kind of oblivious to all of his other skills and flaws (and thus is a combo of terrifying snake and kind of someone you're sort of humouring because he's funny), a spoiled princess who might have a bit of a savior complex, and a dude who kinda just got swept along for the ride but is actually really fond of them. And it shows in their music.

Valkyrie - Just….theatre kids, who put the drama in dramatic and the intense in intensity (that's definitely not how the expression is used). They also have a very strange thing going on even though they're trying to be healthier, but I'm too afraid to ask. Unfortunately, though, they have some killer compositions and so many references to Classics and Things, not to mention their songs are genuinely good for those who want that quick theatrical vibe

2wink - Adorable twins that I was lured into thinking were the normal mischief twin duo trope but what in the actual ensemble were the writers DOING? They deserve at least half the cw/tw tags. Also, one of them is kinda like Trickstar (just wants to make things brighter) while the other one has schemes and will not hesitate to destroy you while giggling, yes. All that angst but they have such cheery tunes. Like, boys please….

Crazy:B - I mean, with a name like that….listen. You think it's the guy with the metabolism-related medical condition who has a dad implied to be accused of cannibalism and his freeloader who is a literal prince but also constantly broke that would be the most insane. But, no, we also have a fifteen year old assassin who has definitely killed and a guy who is literally both committing identity theft AND helping in witness protection. But, yes, their songs are fun, as is their dynamic. Also…Amagi brothers. Ough.

Undead - This is just…four urban fantasy love interests thrown into a unit. I'm not exactly sure what urban fantasy race Adonis and Kaoru are (though sometimes I'm inclined to think adonis is the protagonist who just kinda got swept along for the ride except he does have the vibe sometimes (aka casually kidnapping HiMERU)) but a vampire and werewolf are very obviously there. Really do love their rock and roll style, like come on (though I sometimes do think it'd be cool if they let Rei's love for jazz into their songs)

Ra*bits - Look. I love them. It really is just a single dad with one of the most messed up backstories doing his best. But like, also, leave them alone please?? The writers really just made them the damsel in distress character that makes Subaru go "oh, I have to take this revolution stuff seriously" and that's not even mentioning all the other stuff they seem to go through??? Like they do not belong in whatever genre Enstars is going for but they make it work but….let them rest. Songs not my style but they fit their vibe of "smile and spread joy" which works cause I do feel joy. Like Trickstar without the revolutionary goals.

Akatsuki - TBH, I'm still kind of wondering why these three (a warrior, a mangaka, and a tailor who used to be a delinquent) are still idols. I mean, they do have talent and traditional aesthetic is fire, and they're definitely sort of found family, but why still idols guys? That said, again, songs not my style but they definitely capture their aesthetic and vibe and that's always cool to me. Also, one of the members was raised in a Buddhist temple and helped with funerals, and I do not know enough about Buddhism enough to say if they portray a Buddhist accurately but given how they portray everyone else's quirks, it probably still has a giant dose of deranged on it.

Knights - HAHAHAHAHA. They're all insane. But they have talent and earned their place in the big three. But that does not make them less insane. That's all because I will go a bit barmy if I think about them too much. Silly, insane knights who enjoy hobbies like kidnapping (affectionate) and dancing/singing (will kill you in a duel)

Switch - Look….at heart, I can't hate these fantasy game isekai themed group. I enjoy their music because I do like the electropop remix/edm thing they have going on. And it DOES kill me that the only two 3-people units (Akatsuki and Switch) both have the dynamic of "a couple of parents and their beloved and most treasured cinnamon roll of a chaotic son." But like Valkyrie, I don't know what's going on with the senior members and am too afraid to ask, especially since they seem fine with it while their son with synesthesia cheers them on.

MaM - He is literally a cowboy. I - is there a thing with Japan and cowboys? And did someone at the writer's table see that samurai, Victorian thief, cowboys, and pirates post? Because somehow, the only member of this unit is all of them. A very stark contrast against his weirdly cheerleader/mom friend songs. I know he has mommy issues (mafia thing, I think) but.....son, are you okay?

Double Face - Yeah, okay, I love them. They might be the murder unit and I still have no clue to their formation but I love it. Put the Victorian cowboy thief samurai pirate and the child assassin together and you get secret agent type music that sounds like it could be in an old spy flick? How can you not love it?

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Behind Blue Eyes (I was the only witness)

by GioTanner It was futile to talk and explain, Tim considered. Batman would take Robin away soon, yet Tim couldn't shake the feeling of wrongness and injustice in letting this man go to Blackgate. How could he escort the Talon to prison after he had been abused and controlled by the Court? "Can you lean on me?" The Talon looked up, his expression surprised, guarded, but not malicious. "You're just a boy. You shouldn't be taking care of me." Robin hesitated for a moment, carefully weighing his words. "Don't call me a boy; you know my name," he said finally, his voice sincere. "And I want to help you. It's what I do. It's what Robin does." - - - - - - - Robin was a mask, a symbol, a name. Talon owed everything to him Or: how a Talon decides that his new brother is Robin and how this can change the course of events. Words: 3503, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types, Gotham Knights (Video Game 2022) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: Gen Characters: Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne Relationships: Tim Drake & Dick Grayson, Tim Drake & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne Additional Tags: Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Dick Grayson is a Talon, Dick Grayson Gets a Hug, Tim Drake-centric, Tim Drake is Robin, Good Sibling Tim Drake, Protective Dick Grayson, Court of Owls, Good Parent Bruce Wayne, we live like Dick Grayson and not like The Court of Owls: I HAVE A BETA READER, this is the most found family trope possibly, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Implied/Referenced Torture, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dick Grayson has yellow eyes, Art, dick grayson and tim drake DRAWINGS via https://ift.tt/2rpuOEZ

[redrose-arrow]

my [shared account’s] spotify wrapped, except it’s only the songs that i listened to exclusively because they remind me of RA

#8: Serenade by BANNERS: the biggest Will and Maddie song, if ever there was one. 

#12 It’s Gonna Be OK by BANNERS: hi yes so this was the designated song for George telling Maddie It’s Gonna Be OK after everyone’s died in my Heroes get remembered, but legends never die killing spree. 

#15 Missing You by All Time Low: Gilan being a big bro to Will will forever have a special place in my heart 

#16 Someone To You by BANNERS: at this point I just love this song, but way back when it was one of many Willyss anthems. 

#17 Venus Fly Trap by MARINA: Maddie Maddie Maddie Maddie Maddie Maddie Maddi-

#18 On And On by The Score: hahahahahahahhahaa yes so this was the song I chose for Crowley’s death. anyways. 

#21 Viva La Vida by Coldplay: do I even need to explain myself? okay I will- it’s Halt and Ferris and the crown of Clonmel. 

#22 Where Do You Run by The Score: I don’t fully remember how and why, but I just got Will vibes. 

#24 Home Without A Heart by Blanks: Willyss without me being able to explain why. I just have a vivid memory of thinking about them when I first heard the song. 

#25 Half Light by BANNERS: uhhhhh yea so that’s the song I associate with Halt being deathbed sick. 

#30 Going Home by The Score: the special task force coming home. I wish we’d seen more of that. 

#39 Where The Shadow Ends by BANNERS: look, I just went though a songfic period this spring, and I used this one to write about Cassandra helping Will face his trauma. 

#41 Centuries by Fall Out Boy: an oldie but goldie, but like, look me in the eyes and tell me that most of the RA characters do not embody this song. you can’t. 

#43 Coming Home by Sheppard: I will not apologise for loving the “coming home” trope so much and using it every. single. chance. I have. 

#55 Unsteady by X Ambassadors: ok, I will apologise for the killing spree, but this song was for Will learning of Alyss’s death. I have never been less okay. 

#56 Symphony by Sheppard: WILLYSS WILLYSS WILLYSS WILLYSS I’d literally die for them. 

#58 Young Volcanoes by Fall Out Boy: my friend once suggested this song for “the wards changing and saving the world” and she’s right. 

#61 Ghosts by Banners: will you kill me if I remind you that this song was for Pauline after Halt’s death? because that’s how it ended up here. 

#65 Quarter Past Midnight by Bastille: always thinking of the Redmont wards when I hear this. 

#68 Got It In You by BANNERS: this one I also used for writing Cassandra telling Will that he’s more than his trauma. 

#69 The Anchor by Bastille: Horace trying to help Will, but sometimes it’s awfully hard for Will to believe he can be helped. 

#73 Brother by NEEDTOBREATHE and Gavin DeGraw: I am so in love with the found family in RA, istg. 

#82 Superheroes by The Script: this has been an appreciation song for Will and Alyss as separate characters and as a couple for literally as long as I can remember. 

#86 For the First Time by The Script: remember my whole AU about Alyss going to Gallica with Keren and Will getting her back but they have to built their relationshp from scratch? yeah.

#92 Let Her Go by Passenger: this was one of the first songs I every associated with RA and of course it’s TRR. how could it not be? 

#93 Before I Go by Guy Sebastian: I’m a little hesitant to admit that this one is also from my killing spree, but it was the David/Rodney/Arald returning from retirement to save Araluen again which leads to all of their deaths song. 

#97 Die Young by Sheppard: life is hard and dangerous but they’re still having fun. you only live once, right? 

[a30somethingslookatpopculture]

Top 10 “90’s” Sitcoms

For this one, I am excluding sitcoms mainly aimed at children (like Nickelodeon stuff. That will be or is already its own list. I am excluding animated stuff for the same reason. And I am focusing on shows that began in the 90s. It is ok if they went on into the 2000s.

1. Friends

Sorry, not sorry. It’s timeless, and is my go-to for holiday specials or any time I need cheering up. I will never hesitate to flip to Friends reruns if i see it playing and I don’t know what I want to watch. Most of us see ourselves in one or more of these characters, know someone like them, or have faced some of the same real-world problems they have. It's heart-warming, funny, and endlessly quotable!

2. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

This is another one that I will flip to anytime I see it on. The cast of this show made it so special, and I especially love how real it got at times. And who doesn't know all of the words to the theme song still?

3. Home Improvement

Tim “the tool man” Taylor is an every man. Not particularly skilled, but knows his way around a tool bench. I love the humor in this show (both vocal and physical). It is somewhat of a nod to classic comedy, with many of the old tropes. The supporting cast is really great as well. I can just feel the 90s oozing from this one every time I watch it. Everything about it screams 90s! And there’s LOTS of plaid, too! I love all of that. I love being reminded of my life growing up a 90s kid!

4. The King Of Queens

This one also takes me back to the late 90s and early 2000s. I crack up so much watching it. Doug is relatable in so many ways, Arthur is a loveable nut, and Carrie’s wit is the best! I especially like seeing who will guest star in each episode. I mean, Lou freaking Ferrigno is their neighbor!!!

5. Boy Meets World

There's not much I can say about this one that hasn't been echoed by 90s kids all over the internet. It's the quintessential show of our generation! Cory and Shawn are friendship goals. Cory and Topanga are among the top couples of our time. Eric's, well, Eric! And Mr. Feeny is the absolute best!

6. Sabrina The Teenage Witch

I have always had an interest in witches and the supernatural. Seeing that in a sitcom was fun! Bewitched did it for the elder generations, but STTW was the one for 90s kids. Melissa Joan Hart just had IT. And Salem is the king of shade and sarcasm!

7. That 70’s Show

The 70s (decade) has always kind of been "meh" to me. But That 70s Show made it seems cooler somehow. I think most of the credit goes to great acting and fun storylines. I found parts of myself in many of the characters. And I absolutely adore all of the pop culture references!

8. Everybody Loves Raymond

I've been slow binging this one for a while now. I always enjoyed it, but binging through it has made me appreciate it that much more. There's not one single person in the Barone family that I don't LOVE. I even find myself struggling to decide who my "favorite" is. They're all so great! It's not too often that you get a show where the entire cast is equal parts witty and sarcastic! The crossovers with The King of Queens are great, too.

9. The Nanny

Nanny Fine has the voice of an angel...just kidding, it’s the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard! But I enjoy the character otherwise. I love that she doesn’t follow rules and does whatever she wants to do. The Will they wont they with her and Max goes on for forever, but it's a fun ride. I like the supporting cast as well. Particularly Niles. He's always on hand with a great insult!

10. Martin

A show where Martin Lawrence plays the titular character? Yes, please! Martin Payne is every bit witty as he is filter-less! Nothing beats him picking on Pam in nearly every episode. Or oftentimes even hurling insults at his best friend, Tommy. And who could forget Tisha Campbell as Gina? She's the perfect counterpart to Martin.

[hiraya-rawr]

Genshin Characters School!AU - Liyue Edition (old work)

masterlist

Can be read alone but somewhat supported by this trope: Xiao found family trope

Ganyu (SC President)

I considered Zhongli as an SC president before but naah 🤪 Ganyu might be a lot timid for a student body president, she has more of a follower than a leader vibe, but I think she fits the part well.

Definitely overworks. She got nominated mainly because everyone already knew her as the girl to that would help anyone.

Not much to say but soft president Ganyu is the only president I need.

Keqing (SC Vice President)

The one to keep Ganyu from overworking. Keqing is the voice of the student council despite Ganyu being president.

Would not hesitate to snap at anyone who gives their extra work to poor Ganyu, although she tends to overwork a lot too.

Straightforward and efficient. She could've been president but people felt a bit intimidated.

One of the girls to really like their history professor / facilitator.

If she opens up to you, you'd see her unexpected cute side. Has a lot of plushies at home, especially one of a brown dragon plushie.

Also part of some kendo / taekwondo / sports club.

"What is it? Don't waste my time. I have a lot to do. Oh, you need tutoring help? Fine, how about after school tomorrow? See you then."

Yanfei (Disciplinary Head Officer)

I can't help but see her as someone from a political family?? Her dream is to go to law school and she prolly already memorizes all the necessary laws

10/10 also really good at her job. Would definitely catch smokers at the back of the school and bullying issues, never afraid to jump in the moment and report to a teacher.

Probably dragged a random bully to court once (the school board was LIVID, high school drama with bullying is insane)

Since then, school has been peaceful.

Although she's the disciplinary head, she doesn't call out girls for small dress code faults and definitely gives leeway to things she think aren't necessary rules.

"If it doesn't hurt anyone or affect the peace in our school, then it's fine! Just take care, alright?"

Ningguang (SC Treasurer)

Ganyu and Keqing might be the heads of the council, but Ningguang definitely holds a lot of influence.

Probably gained a lot of popularity due to her financial planning skills, giving clubs and student organizations waaay more than their regular budget.

Sports team needs new equipment? Got it. Drama club needs a venue to perform? Rented out the best local auditorium. The school board needs a bigger budget for the sports festival? Fundraising ended up earning three times more than the initial goal.

Clubs worship her. Teachers praise her intellect. Might definitely graduate and rule the nation in politics.

Despite all that, she keeps to herself. Definitely a rags to riches story, she eats quick simple meals and only does what's absolutely necessary for herself.

Her family may be poor, but using school as her business platform, she's now pretty cash rich. People can only fear what more she's capable of once she uses the whole nation as her platform.

Imagine doing audits with Ningguang though: going to malls and stores to check on prices to calculate for the upcoming school festival. (Definitely one of my favorite activities as a former high school treasurer myself!)

"The school board owes me more than the tuition I pay to be in this school. I might as well be a scholarship student." (definitely got herself granted for a full scholarship).

Chongyun (Hockey Team)

Joined randomly because he likes the cold but finds out he's really good at it and now he's the club president??

Would take breaks when practice works him up, he goes to the library for air conditioning (the ice rink is okay too but libraries are calming).

His team mates found him intimidating at first but he's actually just an oblivious, diligent soft boy.

He's the first person in the canteen during recess and lunch to buy a popsicle. Would offer anyone popsicles if he thinks he's offended them by his cold, quick replies.

Chongyun would but you and him popsicles after school as a routine. You probably wait with Xingqiu, and sometimes Xiangling while he's finishing up hockey practice.

Xingqiu (Library Club President)

That one student that wins every essay competition and probably went Nationals for spelling bee or something.

Chongyun likes to rest in the library when the hockey team takes breaks. Xingqiu definitely keeps a few protein bars and popsicles to feed the hungry hockey boi.

Would always remind you on your library book due dates, but wouldn't really mind if you're a bit late for returns.

Probably did a book signing already. He may be an amateur author, but even the literature professors rush to buy his work.

Xiangling (Cooking Club President)

Guoba is a round eared dog that can eat anything. Xiangling probably sneaks him in school to eat leftovers in the club.

Also the type to bring anything she makes in club to the classroom. If you're her classmate then bless your stomachs, you'll never go hungry.

The cooking club somehow turned into a public food pantry: anyone hungry stops by for a snack and Xiangling would gladly feed you.

She sees everyone like hungry stray puppies

Works part time at her family's restaurant. Students who miss her cooking over the summer would always stop by and she's happy to offer a free drink if you're friends with her too.

[margarethx]

I honestly believe that almost every trope that commonly appears in Sambucky stories gets better or at least more intriguing if you switch the roles when you decide who does what.

The most obvious example: “Sam takes care of Bucky”. Like... yeah. It can be nice and it’s in character for Sam to be very caring or protective. Sure. But also: no one ever took care of Sam throughout his entire MCU career and he’s not the type of person who would even ask for that help in the first place. Meanwhile Bucky is also known for being very helpful, so he should easily notice that Sam has a problem and do everything to fix it. That way you give Bucky some more agency so he’s not a helpless emo boi who can barely exist on his own... And you give Sam some love and caring affection he deserves after the last four+ years of his life. (Ideally they’d both put the equal amount of effort into making their partner feel happy, but I'm not sure everyone is ready for this revolutionary concept...)

Another example: “Bucky really wants to adopt a cat, but Sam doesn’t let him”. As if Sam Wilson wouldn’t just come back home bringing another injured bird every week. As if! You cannot convince me that Sam doesn’t help some helpless crows recover in his garage, trying to sneak behind Bucky’s back, because Bucky had enough of finding feathers in his cereal. So obviously Sam could be the first one to casually come home with Figaro and be like: “well... since you don’t like birds I have this little guy :)”. (Give Bucky a month or two and he’ll not only learn to love their new cat, but also go get Alpine without hesitation.)

Also: “Bucky cannot sleep and he has nightmares”. I mean... he still has them, but I feel like a lot of people forget that his entire life changed for the better during tfatws. He found new family and actual partner he trusts. He has home, he made amends, he can make his own choices without constantly feeling like he’s tethered to the past. He still has issues, for sure, but it’s a steady way upwards. Meanwhile Sam’s life has been getting more and more complicated since 2014. In just four years he went from a normal citizen to an Avenger, to a prisoner, to a fugative, to being dead. He lost Steve and seven years he could have spent with his family. I don’t mean to say that Bucky being more used to getting hurt makes his suffering less relevant, but he already hit the rock bottom and is now on his way to heal and be really happy. But Sam just cannot get a break to deal with all of that. Especially now that he’s Captain America. So I really believe he would have a lot of trouble with sleeping without nightmares after all the loss and stress he went through. What I mean is that... Bucky already reached the point where he can (in theory) get better and e.g. get a full night of sleep. But Sam is still on his way there.

I can go on. Bucky really misses Steve? How about: he doesn’t care, because they weren’t even that close after 1940s, but Sam misses Steve a lot since they’ve spent most of their time together (especially after 2016). Sam is the confident one, who’ll always make the first step? How about: Bucky is not that insecure and he’s actualy the more brave one in the relationship, so he’ll take a risk and confess. Etc, etc...

--- ----- ---

Anyway... I know that part of the appeal of fanfiction is that you can go over your favourite tropes and just re-read the same thing over and over again even if you always know what will happen next. But I would love to see more people at least trying to change things up a little bit sometimes. But not in a “make these characters completely different people” way. But more in a “what else can I do with these characters and do I care about them equally?” way.

To be clear: there’s nothing wrong with using popular tropes. At all. But most of the time these tropes are designed for Bucky’s benefit. And for people who actually like Sam it can get kind of... boring.

(The bonus for you, as an author, is that your story will stand out and be more memorable once you ditch the most obvious solutions everyone chooses. There is a reason why many of the most recognizable Sambucky writers are the ones who love both characters equally.)

[ravenadottir]

I am wanting to write a love story about Lucas and mc but I have never written anything before. Any advice?

hi there!

thank you so much for this ask, it's so cool you want my advice 🥺

alright, about writing lucas in a love story scenario... and a few other tips about him as a character.

just a reminder: these are not restrictive, it's just suggestions. you don't have to write him as a certain trope or in a certain type of story just because i said it fits him.

◌ story tropes that would fit with him perfectly: enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, friends with benefits that turns into love, meet cute that they agree on just sex but it turns into love (long but i don't have a name for it lol).

◌ tropes that fit him really well: jealousy, soft or hard dom!lucas, afraid of falling in love, afraid of commitment, "playboy" with a heart of gold.

◌ lucas has many layers to be explored, so i would definitely write him as a stereotype at first, so you can have a clear outline of how to work his depths later.

for example: his entrance could imply he's a stuck up, and later on he reveals he's afraid of first impressions because he's terrible at them, "i always look boastful but it's really not the case... most of the times anyway."

◌ he loves teasing whoever he likes/loves.

◌ sarcasm is of the essence, he doesn't live without it.

◌ his love language is to banter with someone. it's also a turn-on.

◌ definitely make him hesitant to trust your main character on a romantic level.

◌ trusting of friendships at first.

◌ lucas' mind travels miles at times, most of those it goes to a bad place of insecurity and sense of not deserving good things, so i would explore that.

◌ romantically speaking he's very dedicated... who am i kidding, he's dedicated in every aspect of a relationship. he's the type to fall into it so deep he might lose the sense of what it means to be with someone.

◌ the type to like space and time to himself. it doesn't mean he would push your main character away, just that sometimes he needs time by himself to think.

◌ loves travelling and sharing those places with someone special.

◌ he definitely has a found family he trusts and relies on more than his actual parents.

◌ he's an older brother to henrik so he would feel too vulnerable to confide in him, still, he would do it because lucas trusts that boy so much.

◌ dialogues with him (at least when i write him) get lengthy because he likes everything on the table, he hates misunderstandings and unspoken feelings, so you might have fun with that.

◌ direct language, objective words and clean conversations. it's not him being cold... it's mostly about how he hates wasting time with flourishing when you can actually have a real conversation.

◌ immediately he affirms your main character can be honest with him at all times. he would rather have the hard and cold truth than imagining what's going on "which can get so much worse in my head".

◌ during dialogues (again, how i write him) he doesn't move his legs much, i mostly focus on his hands and wrists. when he's nervous he fiddles a lot with his watch and necklace.

◌ his presence is really important during the dialogues because it's so imposing. he's the type of person that commands the room without saying anything. for instance, when he walks into a room he never turns his back to close the door, he does it behind his own back.

◌ a song that reminds me of him so much: play with fire, by sam yinnesz feat. yacht money. these lyrics i believe mostly express his personality in a nutshell, especially about how vindictive he can be if someone crosses him.

◌ a song that sets the tone of how he acts on *clears throat* certain circumstances: 강박 (red lights), by bang chan and hyunjin. the lyrics REALLY tell you everything you need to know how he feels when he's in love with someone.

◌ lucas' masterlist (individual posts) ◌

i write him in every ask i receive here so if you're looking for specific situations i'm pretty sure you'll find it here lol

i think that's it. there's lots of headcanon lists on his masterlist (the link above) where you can find a lot of different prompts. there's also a really long character sheet i wrote for him here.

also, so sorry anon! i put this on queue on accident, before finishing the tips. they continue down here!

● when you write anything remotely long it's important to have an outline, basically a list of things you want to happen in your story (events, dialogues, situations, encounters, new characters and when those events happen).

● when you have an idea of what you want to do i highly advise you to have a plan for each chapter. you don't have to know exactly what's gonna happen but it's nice to have a guide made by you at the beginning. that guide can come in handy if you hit a block.

● starting a chapter. don't worry about how you're gonna hook your reader to stay reading. plenty of people always say it's important that the first page is perfect, or even the first sentence. DON'T LISTEN TO THAT, it's not real and it adds way more pressure into your creative process. you'll know what sentence to start with when you finish editing the chapter and what direction it's going.

● worry about the consistency in the characters' actions and personality, those are essential for a good story. mostly of what i call bad or lazy writing are based on the way the author didn't keep up with what they presented on the first few chapters.

● one thing i do the most is ask myself "would real people talk like this, or divulge information like this?" and if the answer is 'no' i rarely use it.

● info dump is necessary, otherwise how are you gonna inform your reader about certain things? the one advice about this is to take your time and not rush with it. dialogues can be the key to your story, more than narration. when hitting a wall on what to do, keep this in mind "if this conversation was between two real people, would they talk like this? or ask things in this way?" and if the answer is no, you should change it, because it sounds more like you're conveying information and that can be distracting to the reader.

● some mistakes made in writing break the immersion, such as the author telling instead of showing. i want to take conclusions on my own instead of having them handed to me by the author.

example: mary was angry at her brother because he broke her toy and demanded explanations.

instead, try "mary walked into the room with wide eyes after hearing a thud, her fingers hidden in a fist as she looked down on the floor, a small part of what she knew was from her favorite toy. she almost stepped on the remaining pieces when advancing towards her brother, cheeks reddening with each step. before she could stop herself, mary growled intensely, pulling her brother's shirt with a wild motion of her hand. "why did you do that?!" she said, staring at him pointedly.

the first one should be your outline, not your dialogue.

● writing is subjective, what is good for me might not be good for you, so even though technique is important, feeling comes neck and neck with it.

● research, research, research! whatever you want to talk about, whether is a place, clothes, mannerisms, a certain culture, never guess! doing research is a huge part of writing and in my opinion really fun.

● any time you think you're done with a chapter but there's a little doubt on the back of your head, leave it alone for a couple of days. work on other things and then come back and revise it. because while you're constantly reading the same thing sometimes it means you're losing track of what you want to happen there and it makes editing impossible.

● word count means nothing. it doesn't matter if you have a long or short word count, if the story is concise and good nobody cares about how lengthy or brief it is.

● stay true to what you like. sometimes you might catch yourself thinking you didn't do a good job because your story might not have as many hits as you would hope. IF YOU WERE HAPPY ABOUT IT WHEN IT WAS ON YOUR DOCS WHY WOULD THAT CHANGE AFTER IT WAS POSTED? numbers don't mean quality.

[kidflashimpulse]

Thank you for the food. It was delicious. I’m excited to see how Jay reacts to Bart not being with Ed haha!

Can I ask if you have any headcanons you haven’t yet talked about between them (Jay and Bart)? I’m a sucker for those (almost?) ‘found family’ tropes 🥲

so glad u enjoyed it  ( ∩ˇωˇ∩)♡  haha thank u for sharing ur thoughts with me <3  I have the chapter with Jays reaction drafted, I wonder if it will be like wat everyone might be thinking so far sdfghjkl we will have to wait and see 

AND OMG YES I HAVE SO MANY, some of which I have included in the draft and don't want to spoil so I can't mention those, but I will do my best to share some rn

ik u asked about what I haven't mentioned so far but I think ill take the opportunity to flesh out this one that I have mentioned in AAIT, to discuss the specific details. I definitely think they both have a very much father-son kind of relationship, not entirely in the traditional sense but Jay IS the closest/most consistent thing to a father Bart has ever had (since I HC that both Don and Dawn died in his original timeline when he was about 4/5).

Jay definitely views Barry/Wally as family, in Outsiders he mentioned that Wally was like a grandson to him (which very much makes sense, especially age wise) and having known Barry for so long he can easily see him as his son too (which weirdly kinda makes Bart and Barry brothers in the eyes of Jay which is somehow the funniest sht ever but lets not get into that). The thing is he didn't directly raise Barry or Wally and hasn't been responsible for them as a guardian, which is very different to his involvement in Barts life. So I think its very reasonable for him to also feel like Bart is his son.

In comics, Jay and Joan can't conceive so it was revealed they actually adopted an infant boy who just a couple weeks later passed away cause of pneumonia. It was very traumatising so thats why they very much embraced the whole hero mentor aspect of things and easily forming parental bonds to the younger generations of heroes like Barry. 

But because Bart is legally under his care and lives in the same household and all, Jay experiences a different aspect of what it means to be a father which is closer to the traditional sense compared to what hes used to with Barry. 

For instance, the man now has school responsibilities that hes gotta attend to for Bart. He tries his best to fill in the role of what is expected of a father, so he takes things like Barts school responsibilities seriously (lol). 

Since Jay and Joan are literally in their 90s when Bart comes into their lives (wild) they must've been mentally dead-set on thinking they'd never have the responsibility of taking care of an actual kid, so I like to think Jay at the very least (cause Joan is cool like that) is wholly unprepared with all the responsibilities of being a guardian so he tries his best to research what hes got to do lol. 

As mentioned in AAIT, hes hesitant to outwardly tell Bart about seeing him as his son and making it known, for a bunch of reasons (the never ending nuanced depths between found family aside) and one of them I do think is also cause 1. Barts dad literally exists in the timeline, Bart literally calls Don dad lmfao  2. Barry

Whilst Bart and Barry if anything have the equivalent of a really close Uncle/Nephew - Mentor/Mentee borderline parental relationship (with their issues lol), I doubt Bart particularly views Barry as a father figure and vice versa, especially since hes being raised by Jay. But because of the age factor (Barry being closer age wise as a father to Bart than Jay who viewed Wally as his grandson partially because of this) and their literal blood relation, especially with how mentor/mentee relationships can be borderline parental, Jay obviously wouldn't want to take that away from Barry, so he might feel conflicted to take on the label of being a father to Bart. 

Of course, at the end of the day its all just anxiety and Jay and Bart are very much found family father/son, at least, in my HC and understanding of YJA lol

this might not be what u had in mind, but I hope I answered ur question :) Thank u again <3