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#once upon an advent
sqadvent · 4 days
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Does your Swan Queen fic or art need A Place In This World? SQACC Might be just that! Sign ups open in 11 days!
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papering-the-wall · 9 months
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Happy 22nd of DEPPcember! 
(Johnny Depp) (22/31) 
(Once Upon a Time in Mexico) [2003]
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mermaidsirennikita · 9 months
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🎄Romance Advent🎄 Day 13: Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole
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One-sentence summary: Blood-maddened vampire assassin Conrad is taken to an old mansion to detox, only to realize that the beautiful dancer he sees (and can speak to) is not a hallucination, but a ghost.
Why read it: I mean, aside from that insane summary, this is a great entry point to Immortals After Dark, and has a hero who is, by IAD standards, baby? I mean, he can and will kill anyone who touches his woman and, again, is clinically insane, but Conrad is allso so wounded and so sweet at his core, and also, much to his eternal embarrassment, a vIRGIN (something his brother loudly points out in front of his ghost girlfriend). And Neomi, our heroine, makes it even better. She's funny, she's angry, she's flirty, and Conrad's brokenness calls to her own in a way that's just gorgeous.
Lives in my brain rent-free: Conrad is in the shower, really determined to ignore the Sexy Ghost Lady because SURELY she's in his head, right? And Neomi, rather determined to get him to break and a former burlesque performer, begins doing an elaborate striptease with lines like "Does Conrad want to see my panties?" (He does. As previously mentioned, Conrad is a 300-year old-virgin.) GOLD. QUEEN SHIT.
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goteique · 1 month
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| PAPRIKA + UMEMIYA HAJIME .
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+cw. — fem!reader x prince!umemiya hajime, undertones of smut, angst, and fluff & strangers to lovers. | +wc. — 1k | +syn.— a tryst just before his big day and that was all it took to for him to be fearless. | +notes. — i do wanna write more. . .maybe continue it as mini series but lets see if the stars align or not! | redirect to blog navigation.
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“Nobody needs to know about this,” Umemiya rasps against your shaky lips by breaking his tantalizingly lazy yet turbulent kiss.
“Yeah.” You breathe out a whisper, running your hands over his palms that rest on your cheeks. 
“Right.  . . Nobody.” His lips dash on yours again as his hands slowly travel down to your shoulders, deft hands, gnarly fingers slipping underneath the hem of your robe, little by little, peeling the robe off you. His Imperial Mantle conceals your body, always has been; since the day he laid his eyes on you. Even if the weight of it is too heavy to bear it alone sometimes, Umemiya believed that it was a little less when he was with you, when he saved you on that fierce stormy starless night. But even without it the high golden curtains and the pillar would provide both of you enough time to flee if anyone were to come, which is why Hiragi is standing at the advent of this gigantic hallway.
You feel the cold of the air grace one of your shoulders with goosebumps. Umemiya’s face is buried in the nook of your neck, one of his limbs holding the back of your nape keeping you in your place. still. The tip of his tongue licks your collarbones once before he flattens his tongue which travels from the head of your collarbone to the back of your ear lobes while his other limb follows the same trail from your waist up to your breast. His teeth nip your ear lobes at the same time as his hand squeezes your breasts making you stand on your tippy toes and then, you moan; the roused sigh flowing right into his ear making him recoil from this ravishing reality being reminded of his status as well as the consequences of his actions: that with such personage there come responsibilities followed by certain boundaries with it not leaving behind a promising morbidity either. You have always known that the tragedy that comes with the throne, and it never leaves you. It is epoxized to one fate and blood as if the other side of a coin thereby running from it was foolish, fighting against it is nothing but a pity so all you can do is to stand beside it.
Any pitchier than that, your voice would have echoed through the corridors. You have become exceptionally good at controlling your voice with the passage of time. His facial muscles squeeze at the thought of how cruel time it is that it passes. If only he could stop the time. . .
“We shouldn't do this,” Umemiya mumbled with a moan laced underneath, devouring desire palpable oozing from his breath. He skids away from you, saunting straight towards his inner chambers. Those fingers that have held a thousand swords, sparred day and night, fought battles that shook heaven and hell once refused to have the valor to disrobe you. Were you supposed to believe that? Your breath ceases at the bottom of your throat as you stand with your back glued against the wall in that gigantic empty corridor. There is a sound in the air. You can hear it; but no one is talking, neither walking or even taking a breath. You look at the end of the corridor only to see royal guard Hiragi standing just like before, a bronze statue except this time his palms are at the valley of his torso are twitching upon each other. 
You walk into his chambers finding him sitting at the edge of the bed with the crown of the prince in his hand, eyes scrutinizing it as if he could see the fate it holds once it finds its next rightful place since it has to find a new head to burden with a glorious purpose; since Umemiya would not be bearing the weight of such a burden anymore, after all, he is going to be appointed as the king today— a crown of heavier in status, weight, power and tragedy than before.
“Well, my knight, do you wish to save it after the coronation ceremony?”
Umemiya nods. . . simply nods, like six times in a row as if he did not expect such a question from you.  A crescent curve along your lips appears as you mumble to yourself, “Such a puppy.”
You two have not gotten to that stage yet. Umemiya stands up straightening his spine as you walk towards him. You take one good look at him, the knight you met that night before you fix his robe. You tie the knot of the laces of his dress shirt that has been undone by those same fingers not so long ago. Then, you move on to tying his coronation mantle. Umemiya looks at you as you take your time preparing him for his coronation ceremony. He thinks it is an act of galore valor that you can take responsibility for the things you mess up. 
“Are you nervous Haji?” 
“A little,” He says grabbing your palm, ceasing your movements as you were just about to deprive him from the touch of your hands. 
You look up. His eyes are as dark as the ocean. Your fingers clamp around his wrist pulling it on your chest. “Here.” You place your other hand on the left side of his chest. “No matter what or who turns their back to you I will never.” His eyebrows pinch ever so slightly that it is barely pinnable. The sincerity you have in those sparkling eyes, the loyalty that courses through your veins whenever you are around him, the devotion you have when you touch him is too much for him. It scares him. It scares his sanity to think what if . . . he loses you or something much worse . . .
“I know, my love.” He chimes leaning down. “I know.” His voice is now a weak whisper, a prayer as it says your name. His forehead touches yours as his free hand rests on yours which is still on his chest.
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carpkoinobori · 1 month
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[†] thursday girl — giselle x reader
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[𖤐] 1/1 [please be aware this is all fiction! none of this is real and idols behavior is not accurately represented.]
song(s): abbey - mitski | wife - mitski | goodbye, my danish sweetheart - mitski | circle - mitski | shame - mitski | once more to see you - mitski | thursday girl - mitski | pink in the night - mitski |
summary: you debut in SM’s newest girl group. The industry isn’t what you thought it’d be. It’ll be fine, right? or , more accurately: a girl’s guide to breaking all ten commandments.
pairing: giselle x aespa member!reader
to be honest the dynamic is more like the apple x the snake x eve
tags: angst, happy and open ending, literally just angst though, reader is raised catholic
wc: 7.3k
cw: dieting, eating disorders, religious trauma, catholic guilt, homophobia, internalized homophobia, comphet, mild implied sexual content, creepy variety show hosts and fans mentioned, the mortifying ordeal of being a girl
ex: not beta read, reader is third oldest/youngest - middle of five. reader’s stage name is Eve.
a/n: leaving this warning here. I was raised catholic. if you find negative mentions of organized religion upsetting, this one isn’t for you. NOT BETA READ ONCE AGAIN
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psalm 32:1-5 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him, and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’— and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
——————————————————————————————————— debut.
that’s what you’ve been working towards your entire life, what you hungered for, what you wanted.
since your early teen years, you’ve dreamed of debuting. You loved to perform, to sing, to dance— that’s why you were in your church’s choir group. The advent show, the way of the cross, everything— you were there.
did your parents approve of you being an idol? Absolutely not. They tried to convince you to settle down with one of the nice churchboys, the son of one of their friends. He was.. nice, okay looking. But you just didn’t like him. You dreamt of falling in love, being swept off your feet into happily ever after— but for most of your life, you had never even had a real crush! You must just not have found the right guy yet. It only counted when it was with a boy.
you auditioned for SM, and miraculously, you got in. Your days were spent training, dancing, weighing, singing, dancing, showcasing, singing, training, dancing, weighing— a cycle, really.
you met Yu Jimin and Kim Minjeong pretty early on, and you got along great with Jimin. She was catholic, and so were you! She wasn’t as dedicated as you, of course, but it was nice to have something in common.
you all didn’t get the chance to talk with Ning Yizhou a whole lot, even if she did share a dorm with minjeong. You dormed with jimin, but there was an empty bed.
that bed would be filled by one Aeri Uchinaga.
and from that day, your life would also be filled by aeri uchinaga.
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The five of you were called to a meeting. You were a little worried, of course, clutching your silver cross chain and pressing the tip of it into your chest. A nervous habit.
“Hello girls,” the man began, the five of you sitting and fidgeting nervously.
“I have good news for you all. You five will be debuting as SM’s newest girl group, Aespa. Congratulations,” he smiled, and it felt like your world had just crumbled and rebuilt itself, three times over.
“We’ll begin thinking of your stage names soon, so feel free to give us some ideas. We’ll be waiting,” the man continued, and like that, the meeting ended.
you all had to celebrate, right?
The five of you met in your dorm, as minjeong didn’t want to bother the other trainee living there. You all begin thinking of stage names, and your eyes drifted to the figurine of Mary that sat on your nightstand. Jimin was thinking of using Katarina, her baptismal name, anyway! Your confirmation name could also work, but you weren’t sure.
“What if I used Mary?” You thought out loud, the other four girls turning their heads to glance at you, and the figure just behind you.
“Mary?” Jimin began. “Like, the Virgin Mary? Our Lady of Naju?” She questioned.
“Yes, I quite like the idea, don’t you?” The other girls knew you spoke a little formally, never really speaking in slang or impolitely in the slightest. It was your parents, after all. You had grown up in a secluded, small town in America, but your parents had taught you Korean, along with your own interest, reading books to perfect grammar. Sadly, that didn’t really teach you many informal words— not that your parents would allow that. You had to be a lady, of course.
“It seems a bit.. outdated, doesn’t it?” Aeri voiced, tentatively, and the other girls agreed with her. They began giving suggestions.
“What about Lily?” Jimin offered.
“Eden— no, maybe Eve?” minjeong hummed.
“Lilith!” Ning exclaimed, much to the amusement of the other girls.
“Ning, that’s similar to Lily, though, isn’t it?” Minjeong gave an amused half-smile.
“I guess so,” she sighed.
“I like Eve,” Aeri voiced, and the other girls all mostly agreed, although more name suggestions were given out, for everyone.
You debuted with the names Karina, Giselle, Eve, Winter, and Ningning.
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you said a prayer every morning and every night, with the rosary that was around the figurine. A small Our Father, a Hail Mary, an Act of Contrition— no matter what, you never missed your morning and nightly prayers, no matter how small. You attended mass on Sunday, and while you usually couldn’t go in person, you’d try to listen to it in the morning, before it was time for practice, or at night, before bed— it didn’t matter how much sleep you gave up for it.
You were moved into a group dorms a bit after debut, Black Mamba being a sensational hit. You dormed with aeri, while ning and minjeong dormed together, karina having pulled the leader and oldest card to secure the single-room.
You and aeri weren’t exactly close. There was no animosity, of course, you two just never really got the chance to talk. It was definitely by chance. Not because she made your heart beat just a little faster, your steps a little more uncoordinated, your words fail. It wasn’t that. It wasn’t that at all.
you just admired the other girl. It didn’t help that you two had more than one language in common— aeri had gone to an international school, you were raised in america. You just hadn't gotten the chance to approach her, that was all.
well, the first night before the debut stage, you couldn’t sleep. You tossed and turned, finally sitting up, when—
“Can’t sleep?” aeri’s voice was low with sleep, and she was speaking in english. You felt an uncomfortable skip in your heart.
“Oh, yes, I’m just a bit restless,” you laughed, definitely not nervously. “I am, too. Just a little,” she replied, making a pinching gesture with her fingers, and a smile.
“Why?” You asked, even if it was kind of a dumb question.
aeri was silent, for a beat. At one point, you started to wonder if she was even going to respond.
“I’m just kind of.. scared,” she admitted. “We’re gonna be on display to the whole world, and who knows what’ll happen?” She chuckled, throwing her arms up just a bit. “I’m just.. worried. And.. I mean obviously, I miss home,” she added.
you looked at her, slightly, turning your head just to glance at the dark haired girl. “I know,” you murmured. “I miss home too, even if it wasn’t.. the most exciting place. I just miss it,” you continued. You were just a little afraid you were speaking too quickly in english, but aeri seemed fine. “I mean, I understand. I miss my parents,” she agreed.
you wished you could say the same. It’s not that you didn’t love your parents, but they were a little.. much. They didn’t like the fact you hadn’t found a guy yet. They’d ask you if you.. liked girls. You denied it, you didn’t! You were steadfast in your faith, dedicated, you didn’t like girls. You couldn’t.
“I miss my friends, you know. Sometimes I worry I’ll forget english,” you admitted.
“Well,” aeri gave a grin. “I’ll talk to you in english all you want if you promise to talk to me in japanese,”
you didn’t even speak japanese, but for her? you’d learn.
You smiled. “Of course,”
the two of you tried your best to sleep, after that, but it was mostly you two continuing to talk about anything and everything.
You could tell aeri was going to be one of your best friends. A reminder of home, if anything.
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the debut showcase went great, the song was a hit, everything was good.
you and aeri spoke before going to sleep every night— you’d even bought a book about japanese grammar, how to read, write and speak it. You tried your best, but aeri had a nice time correcting you. It was.. nice. You always loved to learn languages, and for some reason, having someone who spoke it already help you was.. a bit comforting, in a way.
you still prayed every night, and aeri would sometimes give you a look, but she never said anything.
everything was going great.
until the hate began
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Every little thing you or your group did was criticized, nitpicked, blown out of proportion— and the stress was getting to you.
you had never handled stress very well. You didn’t have a reason to. There was really nothing for you to ever stress about— other than following god, of course, but that wasn’t stressful to you. You had no reason to be stressed about something like that! You were a good person, you hadn’t ever wanted to sin.
some of the comments were about your appearance. It started to chip away at you. The company was always happy when you lost weight, so why not just a little more? It’s not like it would kill you. you were three months into an eating disorder that you called a diet.
the second you got up, you’d pray as your sustenance, head to practice, do your schedules— the other girls would order lunch, you’d ask for a salad. No dressing, of course, you didn’t like the taste. then, as you’d all get to the dorm, again, if there was even an hour of free time, you’d head to the company gym. Sometimes, when you were just in a waiting room, or you couldn’t work out— you’d pace. Anything to keep moving, you just couldn’t sit still. It was taking over your mind.
you couldn’t even eat normally. Any food given to you on a variety show, any drink, anything— mentally, you were counting. You liked to be in the negatives, you liked to skip meals, anything to be better. This was for yourself, so people couldn’t comment on you. You started to come up with even more elaborate ways to prove you were okay, to be better, you practiced more, you stayed late, you slept in the practice room, at times. You begged the vocal coaches to tell you whether or not you were actually good, and as much as they said you were, you just couldn’t believe them.
it was starting to destroy you.
“y/n?” Aeri called, as you prayed right before bed. She stood by the open room door, looking at you with a concerned expression. Why would she be concerned?
“Yes?” You answered, setting down the rosary, putting it back around the statue of Mary that watched over you so carefully. Sometimes, you wondered if you’d made her proud. Maybe if you said the suffering was in the name of god, he’d forgive you. He’d forgive you for the things you had thought and done and wanted to do. He’d forgive you. You could punish yourself, already. You could pray for him to fix you quickly, maybe you could give up eating for lent entirely—
“You.. haven’t been sleeping here, lately. We haven’t gotten.. to talk,” aeri began, sitting down next to you, looking down at you from where she had sat on your bed, right next to where you knelt.
you had completely forgotten your promise. It had just slipped your mind, you never really were awake enough for it, lately, and—
“Are you okay? You’re kind of.. pale, and you have dark circles, and-“
“Oh, I’m fine,” you smiled, quickly. “It’s just.. lent,” you lied, quickly. “All catholics fast and give something up for lent, don’t worry,” you assured, waving a hand dismissively. While it was true, it didn’t call for someone to starve themselves. You were lying. That’s a sin. But it’s just a white lie, so they won’t worry, right? It’s okay, you told yourself.
“We’re worried about you,” aeri frowned, putting a hand on your shoulder, the weight making you go from a kneeling position to sitting with your legs crossed. “I’m worried about you,”
god damn aeri, and her kind personality, and her need to care for others, and she was just so good- she was such a good person, and here you were, about to ruin her, damn her to hell. You were a horrible, filthy, disgusting person. For some reason, your eyes grew hot, but you couldn’t cry. You simply stared at her, with wide eyes, like seeing god’s light, it blinded you. You wished she didn’t care about you. You wouldn’t blame her. Vaguely, you remembered the first commandment.
the first commandment. Exodus 20:1 I am the Lord your God.  You shall not have other gods beside me. You shall not make for yourself an idol or a likeness of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or serve them. For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God
“Aeri, I-” your voice cracked, and you were so determined not to cry, but you could feel your resolve breaking, because you were weak, you were weak to your vices and weak to aeri, you were so pathetic. The older girl let out a small sigh, sinking down onto the floor next to you, taking you into her arms. She was silent, for a bit, while you choked out words that were mostly incomprehensible. She ran a hand through your hair, and was a bit unsettled to feel how cold you were to the touch, but she pointedly ignored it.
“Y/n, you can’t let the words of those people get to you.. they won’t do you any good, and.. I know that’s hypocritical of me, I’m learning to ignore it too, but.. you can’t let it kill you like this,” she continued, voice soft. It made you sick how much you liked her comforting you. What would she do if she knew that you were so disgusting. You wanted aeri, you realized as you held her shirt, with some sense of finality hitting you. You didn’t want her to leave. You wanted her to hold you, and she wasn’t even aware of what you felt towards her. You were taking advantage of her. You were so disgusting.
“I’m sorry,” you croaked out, voice a little choked as you bit the inside of your cheek, trying not to cry. “I’m so sorry,” “It’s okay,” she said, a little confused on why you were apologizing, look of worry on her face. Not that you could see it. You had your head in the crook of her neck.
that’s why you were apologizing, really.
you were sorry that you loved her. You were sorry she wanted to help you. You she couldn’t fix you, no one could. you were defective, and wrong, and oh so selfish. Aeri was such a good person.
the presence of the statue on your nightstand caught your eye from the corner. You turned away. She shouldn’t have to see this.
you could feel the tears stinging at your eyes, the shame, the guilt, the hate— it was all too much. You needed to push aeri away, to get as far away from her as possible, to save what little integrity and goodness you had left—
but you didn’t.
you clutched her shirt tighter, breathed her in desperately, and let out a choked sound. You wanted to cry, but you screwed your eyes shut and bit your lip. The blood was heavy and sharp in your mouth.
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You woke up the next day beyond exhausted, but in your bed and off the floor. You surmised that aeri had put you there. You held your head, and got down on your knees in front of your bed. You prayed.
“Mary, mother of God, please guide me away from sin, as you have for so many others. Help me to continue being steadfast in my faith, and to follow all commandments well. Allow me to be worthy of your son, and continue to protect me from sin. These thoughts have been given to me by the devil, as a challenge of my faith. Guide me out of temptation, and forgive my actions, in the Lord’s name, I ask for this mercy,”
you stood up. Your knees ached. Aeri was up, sitting cross legged on her bed, watching you with a concerned expression. “Why are you praying to Mary?” aeri asked, voice light but expression still a bit worried, if not a tad curious.
“Catholics pray to saints as well. Especially depending on their patronage— I mean, if I lose something, I usually pray to Saint Anthony,” you chuckled, explaining the concept.
“What’s Mary the patron Saint of?” aeri asked, softly, curiously.
“Many different things, depending on which version of her you choose to pray to. Our Lady of Lourdes is Mary, but when she appeared in Lourdes. She’s the patron saint of the sick. There’s Our Lady of Loreto, the patron Saint of pilots,”
“Which one do you have, then?”
“Our Lady of Sorrows,” you murmured, glancing towards the figure on your nightstand. The rosary was draped around her carefully. Her downcast, frowning face, her hands clasped together, the feeling of her porcelain eyes boring into your back nearly burned.
“What’s she the patron Saint of?”
“Sinners,”
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the second commandment. Exodus 20:1-7 You shall not invoke the name of the Lord, your God, in vain. For the Lord will not leave unpunished anyone who invokes his name in vain.
practice that day went on for a long while. You were all practicing for next level. At one point, you took a small break, drinking water— your heart had been beating quite fast, that day, and your throat had been dry the entire practice.
during the beat change, it was nearly impossible for you to keep your eyes off aeri- or should you start calling her giselle, now? maybe it would be best to separate the two.
you shouldn’t be looking at aeri like that— but giselle was an idol. giselle was not your friend— she was someone untouchable, unattainable. It was okay to like her, to find her pretty, to want- no, no. You didn’t. You just envied her appearance, was all.
Your eyes were glued to her, the way she moved, her expression, everything, it was-
“Oh my God,” you mumbled, eyes locked onto her movements, before you heard the instructor call for you to get up and were immediately snapped out of your haze. You didn’t even remember the event before you went to sleep.
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the third commandment. Exodus 20:1-11 Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God.  You shall not do any work.  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
It was Sunday. It was always a toss-up whether or not you’d have a schedule that day, and today you did not. You watched the six a.m. mass, while aeri slept a few feet away. You knelt when they knelt, stood when they stood, prayed when they prayed.
but you did not sing, no. That would wake aeri.
the girls usually used their rest days to sleep. You always woke up early. You were restless. You hated to sleep. In your dreams you’d see images of a life you could never live, of things you shouldn’t— couldn’t— do. You’d see aeri. No, not aeri— giselle. Aeri didn’t look your way on the stage, hold your gaze for a moment too long, send a wink. The company didn’t order aeri to hold you closer, smile at you more, intertwine your hands.
aeri would never look at you that way.
but giselle would.
you went to the practice room after you prayed. You rehearsed until you felt the world spin, your skin too hot- until you forgot about aeri, and giselle, and the figurine on your nightstand, and the pastor’s homilies, and the way your parents would never love you the same because of what you had done. You danced until your vision became blurry, so you couldn’t see your hands, so whatever or whoever you touched wasn’t your fault, so you couldn’t see their face. More likely, so you couldn’t see yourself, and the body you lived in. You danced until your ears rang, so you wouldn’t have to listen to the sounds, to how your members pleaded with you to stop doing this to yourself. Till you couldn’t hear the people telling you it wasn’t enough.
till you couldn’t hear yourself telling you it wasn’t enough.
till you couldn’t hear your parents words resounding in your head, the endless comments of it being unnatural, of being sent straight to the hellfire, to how it was the most hideous thing in the world.
till you didn’t hear the way fans leered after you, and your members— the stares they’d give you, as you walked, the way they’d clamber for you, so many hands reaching, reaching for you, to touch, to take. it ate you up inside, how badly you wanted to be pure. and how you knew, through it all, you never could be. they could imagine you any way, salivate, draw, take, write it in comments. They even had the confidence to say it out loud, passing comments on variety shows.
you danced till you could forget their words, their looks, what you knew so well that they thought, you danced till you thought your body would give out—
or, conversely, till the leader and main vocalist of red velvet opened the practice room door and rushed over to the the shaking body of their junior, nearly unable to breath, head in her hands and knees to her chest in the farthest corner of the room, brightly illuminated.
you wanted to assure them you were fine, but the cross chain you wore was too tight on your neck, the silver feeling like hot iron burning your throat. You swore if you looked down it would be burning into your skin, leaving a brand.
each breath felt like swallowing glass, and your eyes were unfocused, and your ears were ringing, and your body was screaming in protest of each movement, and your eyesight was blurring—
but you got up, bowed, apologized, assured them you were okay, thanked them, and left.
you had been lying a lot, lately. To your members, about how you were— to your managers, your staff, to your seniors, now. Lying was a sin. but you could excuse it, couldn’t you?
you hoped they wouldn’t mention it to your members.
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the fourth commandment. Exodus 20:1-12 Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
you rarely talked to your parents. You should call them, more. Or, more accurately, you should pick up their calls, more. Except, it was maddening. You hated talking to them. No matter how much you tried to convince yourself you didn’t, that they were your parents, and what they said was gospel, you couldn’t stand it. Their prying questions, asking how being an idol was, if you kept up with your faith, asking why the media would report on how “close” you were with your members— with Aeri. Asking why you had gotten so thin, and that you needed to gain weight. They would pick and pry at every little thing. You couldn’t stand it, you couldn’t-
the phone rang. Again. You picked up.
“Finally, you answer the phone, y/n,” the voice of your mother crackled, thousands of miles away.
“I’m sorry,” you respond, robotically, like a reflex. “I was in practice. We’re busy, since we’re preparing for a comeback,”
“You always have some excuse for us, don’t you? You can’t just talk to your parents? What a daughter, you are. We’re your parents, y/n, you should actually listen to us, more. I told you being an idol wouldn’t be good for you, and look at you now! Barely any respect for your parents, how horrible is that? I can’t believe you,” she ranted, going on and on about this and that and every failure and everything you should’ve done better.
“This is why I didn’t want you going away, I knew what it’d do to you.. we tried to fix you, but you are a sick, sick little girl,” she spat, accusingly. “You know what you did, you know what you did to this family— that I have to live with a daughter who’s-”
click.
You hung up.
her voice was so grating.
Your mother loved to spout silly little ideas, didn’t she? She was wrong. You didn’t do anything. You weren’t gay. You didn’t like girls, or a girl. They had just been confused. The reason you became an idol was because you loved to perform, not because it was your only way out— after they saw you with her. It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t kiss her. You didn’t, you’d never-
the truth was that you had left your hometown because of an incident. Yes, you loved to perform, and being an idol was always on your mind. But you never thought you’d do it, how could you leave?
You soon found out what it was like to live outcasted, alone, treated like something wrong and filthy and horrible. Your parents didn’t help. So, you did what anyone would do— you ran away, off to Korea, off to the harsh idol system
because anything
anything
would be better than living with the guilt and shame, with the knowing eyes and hateful stares. anything would be better than being stuck in that suffocating smalll town, where everyone knew everyone, and all your secrets were magnified.
she had moved away, anyway. Her parents protected her. you protected yourself. You had to run.
so you did.
you had to kill that part of yourself, bury her more than six feet deep, deep enough so that the world would never find her.
You died the day your parents opened your bedroom door and found you with the daughter of a deacon, who helped at the church, who your parents had invited over for dinner, who they had been invited by for dinner. When they found you with the daughter of their friends.
they didn’t know whether to say if she corrupted you or you corrupted her.
they chose the latter, of course, they got to it first. They drove them out of town, blaming that girl for your transgressions. For your sin.
she kissed you, after all.
you just sat there and took it.
it wasn’t your fault, they said to the town. It was hers. You’re just too trusting and naïve.
if only they knew, the rest of the people. Your parents certainly did.
they forbid you from having any friends that were girls over, again.
and you understood. You knew. And you took it.
You killed that part of yourself, that day. Buried her, and tried to forget. But there’s dirt and blood on your hands and you’re still hollow. There’s nothing left of you, from before. Bright smiles and eyes, a cheery demeanor, giggling in secret with her- there’s none of that left.
You’re not a little kid anymore, a teenager with a crush, no.
You grew up. You had to.
and that little girl is dead.
dead and buried, underground.
you wished Aeri knew you when you were younger.
she would’ve loved the softer you.
the fifth commandment. Exodus 20:1-13 You shall not kill.
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You know, there’s a reason priests and nuns can’t get married.
it’s because, allegedly, they’re married to god.
so, in that case, is it wrong for you, married to god since birth, by your parents— that anything, anyone other than a boy, was wrong?
you tried to understand, but you couldn’t. What was the consensus?
you knew, deep down. What you were was wrong.
and yet, you couldn’t stop. You tried. But you were weak, at heart. A sinner, with no control.
that was your downfall, you thought.
or maybe salvation.
You and Aeri were the last two in the practice room— you were near obsessive with your need to perfect choreography, and Aeri asked you for help, so— you were here. You had already released Next Level, but the practicing never stopped, obviously. You had to perfect it, make it yours, make it the best— so that’s where you were, right now.
it was late, honestly. Already dark out, and your other three members had long since left. You regretted saying yes to Aeri— you knew the choreography for next level, obviously, you knew the way Giselle moved made you feel something wrong, something dark and wanting. You tried to push it down, though— you ran through the moves together, you fixed some posturing and some other small timing issues, really, it was nothing major. You watched her run through those parts, and clenched your jaw.
you felt hot, and your hands itched to reach out and touch her. You couldn’t be making this up, could you? She was looking at you through the mirror, your flushed face barely visible from the darker corner you were sitting at. You swore you could see a smirk on Giselle’s face, for a split second, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
you hated it, hated how Giselle made you feel out of control, made you feel wanting, made that dark thing in you, shoved deep down, squirm and claw. You felt sick. You wanted her.
“I’ll be back,” you said, abruptly standing up and turning the door of the practice room, practically scrambling out. “Bathroom,” was what you supplied as reasoning, before you got out the door, rushing through the empty halls. They were weirdly eerie, at night.
you walked into the bathroom, the sound of your shoes clicking on the ground far too loud, the yellowed glow of the SM building’s bathrooms surrounding you. You gripped the sink, turning on the water and splashing some on your face. You felt dirty, and wrong. Your skin crawled in the suffocating space, the sound of running water driving you insane, the sound of your breathing almost too much. It seems you were in there for longer than you thought, though, as you stated into the mirror, lost in thought, knuckles turning white with the bruising grip you kept on the sink counter.
“Y/n?” Aeri called, opening the door.
You snapped your head to her— she was wearing just some white tanktop and sweatpants, with a black sports bra, but god.
Giselle walked over to you, with a concerned expression. “Are you okay? You’re breathing pretty hard,” she asked, walking closer, putting a hand on your hip, other hand touching your arm.
your composure snapped. You moved your hands to her face, holding it in them, looking at her with wide eyes. “Giselle, I-”
“Why are you calling me Giselle? That’s my stage name, y/n, just call me Aeri?” she said, a little confused and a little irritated. Why the hell were you calling her by her stage name?
you held her face a little tighter, taking in a sharp breath, mouth suddenly feeling dry.
“Aeri,” you murmured, voice low. You leaned in, and her eyes widened, slightly. She didn’t push you away, in fact, she met you in the middle, holding you tighter, moving her other hand to your waist, squeezing your hip, where she could feel the outline of your hipbone. You hated how much you needed her, the kiss messy and desperate, filled with an underlying sense of want and need.
“G- Aeri,” you mumbled, out of breath, panting against her mouth. You couldn’t reconcile the two, easily. Giselle was the one who was making you do this, right? Not Aeri, you didn’t like Aeri, right?
no, that wasn’t true. You liked Aeri. A lot more than you’d admit. You wanted her. You needed her. You couldn’t stop, now.
“Aeri, please-” you murmured, between kisses. They were more desperate, now, wanting, as she pushed you against the cold bathroom wall, the light flickering once. Twice. Three times.
“Yeah? What do you want?” She asked, lowly, eyes dark and pupils blown wide as she looked down at you.
“Lock the door,” you muttered, grabbing her wrist, tightly, and moving her hand upwards.
the sixth commandment. Exodus 20:1-14 You shall not commit adultery.
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you and aeri never spoke about it.
but it became a thing, now.
you needed her like a drug, constantly wanting and waiting for the next time you could have her.
you and giselle shared a room, after all. you were pretty sure everyone knew. and by everyone you meant your members, of course. the public could never know, they’d ruin both your career and hers, and you couldn’t do that to her. you weren’t evil, just weak. just horrible, but not evil. you could never hurt her. you loved her, didn’t you? the way a friend doesn’t hurt a friend.
deep down, you knew. It was so much worse than that.
they couldn’t know the way you put concealer on, before practice. the way you were strangely hot and cold, terrified of her touch, but how the both of you would disappear into your room, or somewhere, together, always appearing back, more than a few minutes later, though the tension was always still there.
the way you had become a shell.
you were ashamed, really.
you felt so disgusting, all the time. here you were, dirty, filthy, robbing someone else, sullying them, damning her, all for your own selfish needs, desires, wants.
you had always wanted, too much.
giselle was your temptation and aeri was the sin, the collateral to the damage.
it’s not like she protested, either, the way giselle’s hands lingered, a beat too longer to be friendly. the way her fists would clench on those stupid variety shows, when the hosts mentioned your appearance, saying you were so pretty.
she hated how they’d look at you.
but you couldn’t see that, really.
you hated yourself, and you had stolen aeri’s sanctity.
it was giselle’s fault, though, you would think, sometimes.
but deep down, you knew the truth.
it was your doing. Your fault. You ruined everything you touched, everything you wanted would die and burn because you were a sinner. All because you couldn’t control yourself.
eve ate the apple, too, you’d think. but maybe, the snake wasn’t just the creature, no, but the whispers of lilith, beckoning her away, promising her everything she’d wanted. forbidden knowledge, godhood, becoming better— and maybe, even herself.
was biting the apple an act of naivety, of greed?
or the blind, blissful ignorance of trust? of love?
someone you loved wouldn’t damn you, would they?
but oh, you knew better. You knew.
you had stolen both of your chances of sanctity and holiness.
out of blind, ignorant, nearly all encompassing love.
it was love.
the seventh commandment. Exodus 20:1-15   You shall not steal.
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The weeks went by, in this strange commitment.
you had just arrived back from yet another variety show, and Giselle was obviously annoyed at something. It was late, and everyone wanted to sleep. You made your way back to your room, the door open a crack—
giselle was changing into some sleep clothes. You didn’t really care which. the glimpse of her back, of skin, made you nearly feel ill. You shut the door, quickly, feeling like you couldn’t breathe. It made you feel sick.
you entered about a minute later, to see her scrolling on her phone, with a bored expression. You, instead, went and knelt in front of the small Mary statue you kept.
“Mary, mother of God, please hear my prayer. I’m asking you to give me the strength to-”
your breath hitched as you felt giselle put her hands on your shoulders, leaning into your back, feeling her smirk press against your neck.
“y/n,” she called, a mischievous lilt to her voice like this was a fucking game.
“y-yes?” was the reply.
Her hands moved, pressing along your collarbone.
“You know, I hate variety shows, sometimes,” she hummed, voice so unbelievably distracting. “I don’t like the way they talk about you,” she continued.
“I- I agree, I do, it’s quite-”
her blunt nails dug into your shoulder, slightly, as she pulled you back, just a bit, your back pressed to her front. Her head craned forward, to murmur into your ear. “It pisses me off,” she added.
of course, you tended to her anger. You had to, as penance.
later, when you were laying beside her, panting with tears in your eyes, saying anything that came to mind—
“I love you,” you choked out, reverently, like a prayer.
god never responded to those, usually. aeri didn’t love you back.
there’s no way god loved you. and aeri didn’t, either.
the eighth commandment Exodus 20:1-16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
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“Tell me not to,” you begged, clutching onto giselle like a lifeline, holding her arms. “Tell me no, tell me not to love you. I can’t, I shouldn’t, I don’t want-”
girls never hungered. They never want, like a boy.
“And what if it’s what I want!” She spat back, acidly, pushing you off. “I love you, and I don’t know why you can’t accept that! I love you, not like a friend, or coworker, or whatever else you think! I’m in love with you, why can’t you get that!?” she asked, sharply, voice far too loud.
you didn’t know how to explain that you loved her, too, that you wished you could love her. You always wanted, so badly, to like a boy, and to love him, so you could hold his hand in public, and kiss him, and introduce him to your parents and they wouldn’t say a word, to be able to love him without just that fact being controversial, to love someone without it absolutely ruining your career. Idols couldn’t date, yes, but they’d survive if they were rumored to be with a man.
god forbid it was a girl.
you couldn’t ruin her career, or yours. You couldn’t damn her more, you couldn’t ruin everything, like you always did-
“I can’t,” you cried, desperately. “I’ll ruin everything, I’ll ruin you, I’d-”
“I don’t care!” she retorted. “I don’t care! I want you, and I love you. Is it that you can’t, or you won’t? You’re just scared,” she accused, rightly so.
“I am,” you admitted, pathetically. “I’m scared.”
She scoffed, clenching her fists. She turned, sharply, turning the door handle, wiping her eyes and slamming the room’s door.
You were alone.
god abandoned you, long ago.
you don’t know why it hurt more the second time.
the ninth commandment Exodus 20:1-17 You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
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it was a few days later, at night after an off day. You had been hiding in your room most of the day. Cowardly, yes, but the other members weren’t exactly thrilled with you. You couldn’t blame them. You were currently pretending to be asleep.
you heard aeri enter the room. She laid down, to sleep. The lights were off. It was dead silent. You turned.
“aeri,” you called. No response.
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry,” you continued, after surmising she was asleep. “I love you. I really do. I’m just so, so scared. I don’t know how to let myself love you. I feel wrong. I’m sorry. I want to. I don’t know how to love you how you deserve, I don’t even know how to love myself. Im weak and pathetic, really. If you knew the real me, I think you’d hate me,” you chuckled, without humor. “As long as you’re happy, though. I’ll be okay,” you murmured, finally.
“Im not happy, actually,” she informed, suddenly, and you felt your heart leap into your throat. “I love you, y/n. I don’t care if it’ll make everything more difficult, or if you think I’ll hate you. I won’t, by the way,”
you didn’t know how to respond. aeri did it, for you.
she got up, walked over to your bed, and made you sit up.
“so can you stop being scared? I love you, and-“
you cut her off.
you clutched her face, and kissed her, desperately. You felt tears well in your eyes, and this time, they fell. You pulled back.
“aeri, I love you, I love you so much. I love you, please forgive me. I’ll try, I swear. Please, just-”
she kissed you, again. nothing was completely fixed, yet, but you both loved each other. You were still scared, of course, but aeri had seen you at your worst, already, and was still here. so maybe, it was okay.
the tenth commandment. Genesis 1:1-Revelation 22:21 Love thy neighbor as I have loved you.
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The last few weeks had been.. different.
You had started eating again, or, more frequently, was a better way to put it.
it was mostly because aeri had taken up cooking, and you could never say no to her, and it was kind of nice, really, to see her happy when you told her you liked the food.
you started to ignore the comments online, not even bothering to read them most of the time. You called your parents less, if that was even possible, and started talking with aeri and your members more.
it was nice, to have friends. To have people that you knew cared about you. It was nice to know that people didn’t view you as disgusting, or filthy, or wrong.
you had a hard time viewing yourself, differently, but if someone like aeri, someone so good, could stand you, then maybe, you weren’t as bad as your parents said you were. They were wrong about a lot, you’d come to learn.
on one of your breaks, you had found another statue.
it was of Saint Maria.
you put it next to the statue of Our Lady. You thought it fit, in a way.
you didn’t attend sunday mass, or hear it. You didn’t pray much, anymore, either. but you kept the statues as a reminder, of sorts.
aespa had been doing very well, as well, and you didn’t practice late into the night, as much, anymore.
all of you were currently deciding what takeout to order, and trying to pick a move. no one could really come to a final decision, and you watched the bickering amusedly. You got up, heading to the kitchen, filling a glass with water. Aeri appeared behind you, a sly smile on her face as she wrapped her arms around your waist. “Hey, y/n,” she hummed.
“Yeah?” you replied, turning your head. she had a smirk on her face.
“I got you somethinggg,” she grinned, tilting her head, a mischievous expression on her face, her hands clasped behind her back.
“what is it?”
she handed you a gold necklace, with rose quartz in the shape of a heart at the end, a bashful expression beginning to take place at your silence. “I didn’t know if you would like it, but it reminded me of you, so-”
“It’s perfect,” you interrupted, a genuine smile on your face. “Can you put it on for me?”
aeri removed the silver cross necklace you had worn for years, and years, placing it on the counter. She clasped the new necklace, the gold sitting pleasantly on your skin.
you turned to her, holding her face before kissing her, smiling into it. You left the chain on the counter, a smile plastered near permanently your face. “It’s beautiful, aeri, thank you,”
“Of course,” she replied, with a very self-satisfied grin on her face.
“I love you,” you added, wrapping your arms around her waist.
“I love you too, you sap,” she rolled her eyes, good naturedly, but still held you, too. “Come on, let’s go back— i’m not letting them watch a disney movie for the millionth time,”
“So what, you can watch Deadpool?” You teased, with a grin.
“Maybe,” she replied.
it was definitely certain, now, with the silver chain thrown in the garbage, easily.
you loved aeri uchinaga
and you hoped, prayed, even, that the rest of your life would be filled by aeri uchinaga.
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A/N: hi guys… so I love aeri uchinaga btw. uhmm so basically the catholic version of the Ten Commandments the ninth commandment is separated into nine “don’t covet your neighbors wife” and ten “don’t covet your neighbors goods” but technically all Ten Commandments can be followed by following the one big rule which is “love thy neighbor as I have loved you” and basically symbolism forever eve breaks all nine commandments but follows the one big one which is like love everyone which means she never actually sinned she just thought she did because she is doomed yuri ☝️🤓
I LOVE TOXIC YURI AND DOOMED YURI FOREVERR pleek send asks+reqs btw I need ideas
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dollcieee · 2 months
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Beside you
Advent Children Cloud Strife x fem! reader
<3 Just another normal day in Midgar
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Cloud has been delivering packages all day outside of Midgar, the sunlight burning through his skin. The motorcycle roared to life as Cloud straddled the smooth machine, his gloved hands gripping the handlebars with a firm yet phlegmatic grasp.
He just really wants to go home, back to you. All this work has drained the energy out of him and he needs to recharge. He already thought of what he's going to do first once he gets back. Take a shower, talk to you, eat lunch with you, watch some news with you, take a nap with you, cuddle with you, or perhaps...
Lost in thought, Cloud sees ahead of him the sight of the domineering power-base that is Midgar. With a twist of the throttle, Cloud unleashed the motorcycle's potential, propelling forward with an exhilarating burst of speed. The wind whipped through his blonde spiky hair, his mako colored eyes focused on the road, as he leaned into his ride home.
⋅˚₊‧ ୨🧁୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅
After parking Fenrir to the side of the small cottage house, he walks back to the front door to be greeted by a small cute sign that reads 'Cloud &Y/n's house', going inside, he's greeted by the smell of sweet pastries, the smell overwhelms his nose in a good way.
'Y/n must've made those blueberry muffins again..'
Walking over to the kitchen, he meets the perpetrator of the creations of blueberry muffins, his sweet and amazing girlfriend, Y/n.
"Welcome back! You're just in time, the muffins are all good to eat" y/n places the tray of muffins to the table, walking back to the near kitchen counter to take off her frilly apron, folding it neatly and putting it inside the drawer.
"So..how was your day?" They both sat down at the table facing each other, Cloud took a muffin and looked at it. The muffin boasted a golden-brown crust with tantalizing cracks, revealing pockets of juicy blueberries nestled within., "it was okay..nothing much going on" he takes a bite of the muffin as he chewed, Cloud savored the harmonious blend of moistness and density, relishing the interplay between the muffin's rich buttery notes and the bursts of tangy sweetness from the plump blueberries.
"You?" Cloud asked, "Oh me? Just selling some bread and helping Tifa out at the bar" she replied, taking a bite out of her muffin.
They quietly eat their muffin. By the time they're finished, Cloud washes the dishes while Y/n dries them, leaving the two in a comfortable silence.
It would always be like this, moments of complete silence but it never bothered the two. To them each other's presence was enough, Cloud wasn't really the type to express his feelings much, but Y/n understands and knows Cloud loves her very much just like how she loves him as well.
⋅˚₊‧ ୨🧁୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅
"I'm gonna take a shower, wanna join me?" Cloud grabs his towel in a rack and gazes upon his girlfriend scrolling through her phone, "I'm good, just showered earlier" she quickly smiles at him and back at her phone.
"Okay, I'll be quick.." he walks upstairs, leaving Y/n downstairs. Cloud walked into the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind him. He turned on the shower, feeling the water gradually warm up as it slides down from his hair to his back and down to his feet. He lets the soothing stream cascade over their body, washing away the day's stress. The steam filled the room, creating a tranquil and comforting atmosphere, enveloping Cloud in a peaceful embrace.
⋅˚₊‧ ୨🧁୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅
"So many brownie recipes.." She kept scrolling up on her phone. She's been planning on making brownies and giving them to Marlene as a thank you for helping her clean the bar.
Y/n adores Marlene. Whenever she sees Marlene doing something like reading a book or playing outside of Seventh Heaven with her friends, she imagines herself taking care of her own child. The thought of being a mother warms Y/n's heart.
She wonders if Cloud liked the idea of creating a family of their own someday.
"A family with Cloud.." she whispers, looking at the window in front of her blankly.
"What's that?"
"OH- Cloud you scared me" Y/n places a hand to her chest, shocked by the presence of her boyfriend behind her "Well that was quick" she laughed, checking Cloud out, he went from his everyday clothes to a black t-shirt and some gray sweatpants to go along with it.
"I told you I'd be quick" he grabs a chair and sits down beside Y/n, his head resting on her left shoulder. Y/n tries to act cool as possible, she continues to scroll through her phone searching for a good brownie recipe. Hoping Cloud didn't hear what she said just now.
Cloud looks at Y/n her eyes focused on her phone. He wanted her to talk about their day again. He felt that the conversation they had earlier was too short. But it seems like Y/n has other things to do, he could start the conversation but..
'Y/n might think I'm clingy.. I'm not clingy!'
'But Y/n might think I don't want to talk to her..'
'...'
'I'll just look at what she's doing' Cloud sighs softly. Looking down at her phone, he sees numerous links to brownie recipes.
"What's that?" Cloud asked, Y/n has the tendency to talk a lot when it comes to baking. He doesn't understand most of it, but it got his girl all happy and talking, so he just nods along, happy that Y/n can share the things she likes with him.
"Oh, it's just these past few weeks Marlene has been helping me with cleaning the bar at night. I just wanna make her some brownies as a 'thank you', and also if she wants, she could share some with her friends if she wants to" Y/n clicks a link, reading its contents while still talking to Cloud, "I've also been wanting to learn how to make brownies, they don't really sell brownies down here so it's hard to find such sweet delicacy." Cloud hums in agreement, reading through her phone as well, "And when I make Brownies, I wanna put small cute toppings like marshmallows...or peanuts!" she smiled at the thought of sweet tasty brownies, "Hey, when you go outside tomorrow can I join you? I'll buy some ingredients for the brownies and also stock up our fridge. It's kinda getting empty now hehe.." she giggled wholeheartedly.
Cloud wraps his arms around her waist, pulling Y/n closer to him. He raises his head up and kisses her on the temple, then snuggles his face into the side of her neck.
"Of course...I'll go with you, because.." Cloud pauses for a moment "because I wanna spend some time with you..."
"We're gonna have a long date at the supermarket then" she laughs, and he just smiles, hugging her close to him.
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hymnsofheresy · 9 months
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Recentering Christ in Christmas
(original post on my Instagram)
"Keep Christ in Christmas" is often lauded by reactionaries in their crusade in the so-called culture war. There is a fear amongst them that Jesus Christ can somehow be removed from the very essence of Christmas. And that the only way to "protect" Jesus is for the mainstream culture to be blatantly Christian and the corporate world to sell us a specifically religious Christmas.
Christians should not be concerned with such worldly matters. Capitalism and its systemic nature of greed, consumption, and waste should not be the center of our Christmas.
We should have no desire to align Jesus Christ with the worldly powers of capital. Rather, this is an encouragement for centering religious practice and embodiment.
It has become profoundly clear that more people are becoming disillusioned by capitalism. There has been a long critique of the festive consumerism that has been a part of Christmas for hundreds of years... and has only gotten more extreme in the past century. So consider this an invitation into the spiritual root of Christmas.
Let us talk about the birth of Jesus Christ. More specifically, recognizing the Christ that is all around us.
Christmas is not a story without suffering. Christmas is a story surrounded by darkness and despair.
The world Jesus was born into was far from ideal, both historically and mythologically. Christ was born from an unwed mother who was forcibly displaced along with her fiancé. The people of this land were living under the Roman occupation and were coerced into obeying the laws of this empire.
After being born, Christ was placed into a lowly manger, since the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph were only able to take shelter along with the animals.
This is where God chose to be born.
Throughout the Gospel, Jesus identifies Himself as literally being the poor, the foreigner, the infirm, the prisoner, and the hungry. It is clear why Christ was born in that manger in destitution, and not amongst the wealthy who were happily aligned with the state.
The Logos (the pre-existent Jesus Christ) was intentional in where They would manifest themselves in this world.
When upon approaching the liturgical calendar, it is important to note that Advent and then Christmas mark the cycle of rebirth of Jesus Christ. For Christ is not born just once, but again and again perpetually.
This Advent and Christmas, I encourage you to look around you and seek out the Christ child (He is closer, and more relevant, than you might expect). Meditate on the True Peace that comes from Liberation and allow that Peace to be your guide. And find time to rest in the Hope of God's promise to us: we belong to Love.
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mysticstronomy · 5 months
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WHY IS PLUTO NOT A PLANET ANYMORE??
Blog#399
Wednesday, May 8th, 2024.
Welcome back,
Textbooks had to be rewritten. Members of the public were outraged. Our understanding of the solar system itself was forever changed on Aug. 24, 2006, when researchers at the International Astronomical Union (IAU) voted to reclassify Pluto, changing its status from a planet to a dwarf planet — a relegation that was largely seen as a demotion and which continues to have reverberations to this day.
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Today, the debate about Pluto exposes difficulties in the definition of "planet." The IAU defines a planet as a celestial body orbiting the sun, with a nearly spherical appearance, and that has (for the most part) cleared debris from its orbital neighborhood. But even this set of metrics is not universally agreed upon.
Earth, and even Jupiter, have not cleared many asteroids from their orbital regions despite their large size. Moreover, there are small worlds that are circular and that orbit the sun and yet are not considered planets, such as Ceres.
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Pluto's so-called demotion from planetary status raises larger issues about how to define any object in the solar system, or even in space more generally. It shows that science cannot, sometimes, slot objects into easy categories. Because if the definition of a planet once again widens, it is unclear how to assess the numerous non-circular objects that circle our sun. This may even put the asteroid belt into question, referring to the huge band of small objects between Mars and Jupiter. Or what happens if a planet is somehow broken up into pieces?
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All the same, as the Pluto debate took place almost 20 years ago, many still don't quite understand all the fuss, nor why Pluto was knocked from its planetary position. But the solar system's transformation from nine planets to eight (at least by the standard IAU definition) was a long time in the making and helps encapsulate one of the greatest strengths of science — the ability to alter seemingly steadfast definitions in light of new evidence.
The word planet (in English) stretches back to antiquity, deriving from the Greek word "planetes," which means "wandering star."
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The five classical planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — are visible to the naked eye and can be seen shifting in strange pathways across the sky compared with the more distant background stars.
After the advent of telescopes, astronomers discovered two new planets, Uranus and Neptune, which are too faint to spot with the naked eye
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(Note that this definition of "planet" is following the Greco-Roman tradition on which the International Astronomical Union or IAU's community definitions are based. The names of planets vary by culture and the naked-eye planets were observed around the world during antiquity.)
When astronomers discovered Ceres (today considered a dwarf planet), they initially categorized it as a "planet" among scientific communities of the day. But that began to change as further measurements showed it was smaller than other planets ever seen at the time. Eventually, Ceres was lumped into a group of rocky bodies, called "asteroids", of which we now know of hundreds of thousands of these in the asteroid belt alone.
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Pluto was found and classified as a planet in 1930 (note the IAU was formed in 1919) when astronomer Clyde Tombaugh of the Lowell Observatory in Arizona compared photographic plates of the sky on separate nights and noticed a tiny dot that drifted back and forth against the backdrop of stars. Right away, the solar system's newest candidate was considered an oddball, however. Its orbit is so eccentric, or far from circular, that it actually gets closer to the sun than Neptune for 20 of its 248-years-long trip. It also is tilted to the ecliptic, which is the plane upon which the other solar system planets orbit.
Originally published on www.space.com
COMING UP!!
(Saturday, May 11th, 2024)
"THE UNIVERSE COULD BE FILLED WITH ULTRALIGHT BLACK HOLES THAT CAN'T DIE??"
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lbcreations-blog · 7 months
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Lilith x reader part 1
Masterlist
Pt 2
The ocean is so nice
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Flap. Flap. Flap. Your wings went as you explored the less inhabited parts of heaven.
Everything was beautiful. You saw a jungle, some nice-looking wetlands, some tundras, grasslands, and some other lovely looking ecosystems.
After a while, you started flying over an ocean, a beautiful one at that. After a few minutes of flying over the ocean, you started getting tired, so seeing that the shore was coming up, you decided to rest there, which was perfect because you loved the look of the beach, especially this one.
Once landing on the beach, your wings slowed down. Flap. Flap.. Flap... Flap... your feet slowly rested against the soft, warm, sand. It felt... peaceful.
You walked for a tiny bit until you saw a woman in the distance. It seemed that she was lounging on a sunlounger.
You decided to walk closer until you were only 6 feet away. You then sat down on the sand and looked at the sea. The woman said nothing as she watched the waves, her beautiful blonde hair swaying with the wind. After a minute or two, you spoke.
"Do you enjoy the waves?" You asked the woman. Silence... "yes its peaceful... do you?" The woman asked. "Of course I enjoy it. It's calming it helps me forget my past, " you answered the woman.
A few seconds of silence passed again, and only the ocean waves made noise. "It also helps me forget mine," the woman told you. A few more seconds passed again until you spoke, "For my past, it was being forced to be with someone I didn't like," you told the woman feeling that you should tell her some lore about yourself for some reason.
Silence again.
"Toché" the woman said. Silence fell upon you two once again. After a good half an hour to an hour of sitting there on the beach, you decided to head back home so you could rest and sleep for the next days advents.
Once standing up, you told her you were leaving and why, but before flying off, you asked her one last question.
"What is your name, stranger?"
"Lilith"
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I know we have not seen her majesty yet, but I love her, so I made this fic
Should I make a pt 2 for this and maybe some headcanons? Tell me what you think.
Otherwise goodnight/day
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Taglist request section here
-L.B Creations
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sqadvent · 1 day
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Since discovering Swan Queen, Everything Has Changed. We know it All Too Well! Join SQACC and let the fun Begin Again! Sign ups open in eight days!
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angelwhisp3rs · 7 months
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༺♥༻ royals
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Pairing: re4r!leon x fem!reader
Summary: A regency era tale of two enemies lovers brought by a legend of the royal bluebell flower.
Tags: fluff; smut; p in v; fingering; leon is an asshole but just a bit.
This is the third part of my valentines advent! Check it out for the next couple of days for more stories!
Notes: I ALMOST DIED BUT IM FINE, feeling fresh after sh**ting and v**iting for two days!!! ALSO THIS WAS BASED ON A C.AI BOT AND I LOVE HIM
Those balls were all too pretentious, way too classy, and filled with people who pretended to like one another but, in reality, they were just hateful. It didn’t help that the event was being held in her enemy's territory: the Kennedy family.
The family was very prestigious and quite well known all around the realm, but they had a long-lasting feud with Ihelia, her family's kingdom - something about riches and lands centuries ago, but no one is quite sure. For now, they still didn’t see eye to eye for another reason: they were just way too snobbish.
God, especially the oldest, Leon. In a rare occurrence, the man was blonde with blue eyes - while some had one characteristic, this little asshole had both. To make matters worse, he was built like a freaking hero, his sparring abilities being renowned in all the kingdom. So yeah, the man was way too handsome and way too competent. To say he was egotistical was an understatement.
Her parents always told her she had to fulfill her duties as a princess to be wed, attending parties and mingling with the royals. Oh gods, how much did she hate it.
She was almost beginning to give up on keeping appearances as a nice old lady, the former queen of the Luterra kingdom - the one ruled by the Kennedys now. She was always known for her kindness, also being the one responsible for the truce period of Luterra and Ihelia. Doing a proper courtesy, she smiled at the queen mother. 
“Your majesty. It's a pleasure to attend such a beautiful event” Oh, how fake she was
“Oh honey, no need to keep up appearances. I always thought my son was way too obnoxious with his parties” she laughed, offering a welcoming pat on her shoulders.
The princess smiled relieved, looking at the former queen with the utmost respect. Gosh, what a wise woman. “I thought the lions were quite artistic. '' The princess jokes, as the queen mother laughs in agreement.
“So, you entered the age of finding suitors. Someone charmed you yet?”
“Not yet, your majesty. My father is busy telling me I should focus on the strategic side of relationships, while my mother just wants me to focus on a wealthy man”
“Oh dear, what about love?”
“Don’t think it is in the cards for me” the princess smiled apologetically.
“Of course it is. It's for everyone! Have you ever heard of the tale of the royal bluebell flower?”
The princess shook her head, curious about the queen's words.
“It’s a known tale in Luterra. Once in a lifetime, if destiny smiles upon you, you will be able to find a royal bluebell flower in the castle. Once you find it, the flower will guide you to your one true love if you still haven’t found it.”
“That sounds magical, your highness. Maybe I should roam around the gardens then” she joked.
For some reason, the queen gave the girl a knowing smile. The woman was wise beyond her years after all. “Don’t worry. Luterra lands are quite magical. They will lead you anywhere you are”
'•.¸♡ ♡¸.•'︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵'•.¸♡ ♡¸.•'
Roaming the party his dad threw, Leon almost seethed as he watched his beloved grandmother talk to one of the lowlifes in Ihelia. He never understood her high morals of talking to the people who tried to steal their money and land. They weren’t to be trusted - they tried to steal once, which could guarantee they wouldn’t do it again.
He approached them, gearing himself with a knowing smirk, looking dashing in his red and gold ornamental suit.  
“Didn’t know our parties could be accessed by anyone. I think I’ll talk to dad to reinforce security next time”
The princess rolled her eyes, while the queen just snickered. She quickly excused herself, giving Leon a warning look to “behave”. As the young royals were alone, his nice facade dropped - he didn’t want to appear like a complete jackass in front of his beloved grandma, after all. 
“Genuely, why are you even here?”
“I was invited, idiot. If I could, I wouldn't have come here even if I was threatened”
“I forgot how my dad invited even the most needed ones. Such a charitable man”
“If he was charitable he wouldn’t have brought to Earth a menace like yourself”
Before he could answer, the orchestra began playing a more romantic and slow song. Finding it as another opportunity to tease her, he asked for her hand, knowing that she would look distasteful if she ever wanted to refuse his hand.
“My lady. Do you accept this dance?”
If possible, that was the pivotal moment that she almost killed the bachelor. Forcing a smile to not drop her etiquette, she nodded and held his hand, letting him guide her to the dance floor. 
By destiny's irony, they fit like perfect puzzles, his big and calloused hand wrapping against her delicate gloved one. Their bodies moved in synchrony, and the dance wasn’t as awkward as it was between other bachelors.
“I’m surprised you know how to dance at all, it looks like even in poverty lands they appreciate culture”
“Your grandma is so sweet, how are you even related to her?”
“Grandma is too kind, she always respects those in need. She doesn’t see the scumm your family is” he said in a cruel smirk.
She maintained the appearance, giving him a forced smile. “It amazes how you call yourself smart and yet still hold a grudge - that isn't yours - after centuries.”
“Ha, is that the best you could say to me?”
“Honestly, no. The way you act is so beneath me that I don't think it is worth it to spend so much energy on you”.
As I'd on cue, the orchestra stopped the song, and she did another courtesy and left the dance floor.
However, she failed to watch Leon pale, but for reasons she would be none the wiser for a long time.
'•.¸♡ ♡¸.•'︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵'•.¸♡ ♡¸.•'
“Honey, the ball in Luterra must've been quite exciting”
“Ah, not much. Why do you say that?” The princess asks her father curiously.
“Because the oldest of the Kennedys just asked for your hand in marriage”
“HE WHAT?”
It was quite comical how her voice resonated in the castle, looking confused. 
“I know you might not like it, but it is a perfect marriage for you. It would solve the rift between the kingdoms and it would secure both households in influence”
The princess looked angrily at her dad, as he told the most absurd thing she ever heard, with even worse reasons.
“Do any of my feelings matter at all?”
“They do, but we have to be strategic. I'm sorry, honey, but I already accepted it”.
She lost her grounding, looking desolated at her father's words. It didn't matter what she felt or what she said, at the end of the day, she was a pawn to serve her father's wishes.
'•.¸♡ ♡¸.•'︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵'•.¸♡ ♡¸.•'
The change into his castle was even more terrifying. But what she could never count was the complete change in Leon's behavior. Although he still wasn't overly friendly, he was much kinder - he was the one who started that lunacy after all.
They still slept in separate rooms until the wedding happened, but he made an effort to spend at least a part of the day with her. Whenever she asked him for his reasons for wanting to marry her, he always gave her the same answer.
“Please ask me after our wedding”
After some weeks of curiosity, the ceremony happened, and it was perfect. To everyone watching, it was a wedding to be remembered for years. Hell, even she felt like a true princess.
She warmed up to Luterra, especially the castle and its staff. Her assigned maid was absolutely lovely, and she honestly considered the woman a friend. 
Still, she vehemently ignored her family in the ceremony. If they traded her like a pawn, they can play that game by themselves, she doesn't want to be a part of it.
By the end of the night, Leon and she were finally sharing a room. She looked nervous, sitting up in bed with him. He was the first one to break the ice.
“You looked beautiful today. You always do, but you shined even more today”
“Thank you. And thank you for being at my side the entire day. I'm glad I didn't feel alone”
“I would never. I will always choose you”
Some moments passed, and she bit the bullet.
“Leon… why me?” 
He was a coveted bachelor, every woman would want him. Why his enemy?
He smiled, and looked down at the sheets, as if he was embarrassed.
“Your hair ornament at the day of the ball”
“What? Just because?” I asked giggling.
“No. It was a royal bluebell. That's when I knew”
She looked at him surprised. Just the tale his grandmother told her at the party. That's why she looked so cunning, she must've realized the flower she had on her hair.
“But Leon, anyone could've worn something with the flower-”
“No. I didn't want to attend the event, but I heard a staff member talking about destiny's surprises. I was already late to the event, and you were the first woman I saw.”
“Jeez, you take these things seriously. You honestly think I'm your soulmate”
“Wholeheartedly. And if you don't, I'll spend the rest of my life proving it to you”
She was taken aback by his words. So moved, she pressed a kiss to his lips, surprising both at the spontaneity. Leon didn't waste any time and got over her - it was their honeymoon, after all.
In a mess of limbs and eagerness, both were naked as they explored each other's bodies, breathless and excited. Leon maintained eye contact and lifted her thighs to his waist, offering his fingers to her and letting her mouth soak them. Then, they moved down to her clit, circling and rubbing it slowly, drinking in the soft gasps of pleasure.
“So soft, baby… gonna make this pretty pussy love me just as much as you do”
As she was wet enough, one finger gently entered her needy hole, finding her g spot and rubbing it slowly, her entrance clenching around him.
His movements were slow but deliberate, and soon his pretty princess fell apart on his fingers. No time to waste, his other hand lifted her other thigh to his hips, giving easy access to her.
His hand pinched and circled her nipples, kissing her deeply as his tip began to slide in, causing both to moan in unity.
“Fuck, Leon… too much”
“You can take it, you are my good girl”
She clenched at the praise, making him smirk. He kept praising her, till she was ready to take cock. 
“My baby, gonna take care of you forever”
“Doing so good, just taking me so deep”
“Pussy made to be fucked by me
As he felt her more comfortable and turned on, he moved his hips at a consistent pace, the angled head of his cock hitting her spot just nicely. 
She scratched his arms and back, guaranteeing he henot be able to be shirtless in front of people for quite a while, but he didn't mind. He would take every mark she gave in, that's how much he loved her.
He moaned as his cock was swallowed by her gummy walls, her wetness granting a white creamy circle at the base of his manhood.
He positioned himself again, throwing her legs over his arms and bending her in half, letting him hit it deeper, making his wife tear up - in pleasure, of course.
“God, if you keep clenching I won't be able to hold back, baby”
“Please, please, just want you to cum. Please fill me up, husband”
Jesus, how could he resist? He was only a man after all. As his hips pistoned in her, he felt her contracting her walls and cumming all around him, triggering his orgasm.
She whined as she felt filled up, her body shaky as her orgasm just threw her on cloud 9. She smiled as he kissed her face as he came down too, appreciating and worshiping the body of his soulmate.
“Isn't that enough proof that you are my destiny?”
“Hmm, don't know that… maybe you should try again” She said smirking.
Leon didn't oppose her. After all, he had all eternity to prove his love.
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acquired-stardust · 14 days
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Game Spotlight #16: Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories (2000)
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Just in time to celebrate its upcoming release as part of Yu-Gi-Oh! The Early Years compilation, Ash takes a look at the very first title in the series released in the west with Dark Duel Stories, a quirky little game that remains surprisingly playable to this day. Come take a quick look at the game to know what you're in for when The Early Years releases later this year!
Yu-Gi-Oh! is a series that Larsa and I have a lot of affection and nostalgia for. Once upon a time we were even avid players of the physical card game (Larsa to much greater competitive success than I), and we've kept up with the series in all its various forms for most of our lives now. Binging the notoriously campy and hilarious English dub of the anime together was one of the first things we did as a couple, and when we started Acquired-Stardust it was a no-brainer to create some content in tribute to the series. That content even went on to become some of our most popular posts, so the series holds a special place in our hearts as well as in the history of the blog.
It's a fascinating series that has taken on a lot of different forms throughout the years and you might be surprised to learn that the iconic physical card game, now mostly known for its incredibly long first-turn combo plays that determine who wins and loses before you're even able to do much playing, wasn't even the original hook of the series. Yu-Gi-Oh! began life as a manga by the late Kazuki Takahashi, the story of a high school boy possessed by an ancient spirit that would punish Domino City's many bullies and thugs through the power of Shadow Games, dishing out Twilight Zone-esque ironic punishments to them, with the signature card game the series is so synonymous with only being played a total of twice in the first 60 chapters before becoming the main focus with the Duelest Kingdom arc which the anime most western fans are familiar is based on. It was a shockingly dark and violent manga especially compared to the camp that the series is more well known for.
Just as well, the physical real-world card game itself has undergone radical shifts in mechanics and formats over the years since its 1999 introduction, and the result is a series that means something different to everyone. If you poll a hundred people, odds are they'll all have a different bit of the franchise as their favorite and consider a different era to be its peak. Larsa and I are personally most fond of the early years of the series, and so playing some of the video games set in that awkward 'wild west, anything goes' time when they were learning and experimenting with exactly what they wanted the card game to be was a pretty intriguing prospect.
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And make no mistake about it - Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories is very much in that early feeling-out period. So early in fact it released a mere two days before the Playstation classic Forbidden Memories and eleven days after the debut of the physical card game in America. Dark Duel Stories may have been the first Yu-Gi-Oh! game released in the west, but it's actually the third game in a Gameboy-specific series of Yu-Gi-Oh! titles (and has had its name swapped with its predecessor - whereas Dark Duel Stories is the name of the second title in Japan, this game was originally titled Tri-Holy God Advent in Japan). This series follows what I'll be calling the Gameboy Format for the game for the purpose of this piece, and for the most part it faithfully recreates the base mechanics of the physical card game (which we're assuming you have at least some level of familiarity with, but if not actually playing Dark Duel Stories yourself is a fine way to learn) with a number of key differences.
The first important difference in the Gameboy Format is its de-emphasis, but not total elimination, of Effect Monsters, Traps and Magic cards. Decks consist of a mandatory total of 40 cards, each with their own cost and level limit associated with them. Monster cards will make up the bulk of decks due to their low costs compared to the very costly Magic and Trap cards, necessitating clever usage of the game's largely weak lineup of Monster cards. Facilitating this is the biggest key difference between the traditional physical card game and the Gameboy Format in the much larger emphasis it places on the elemental typing of Monster cards, more inspired by the original manga's version of the card game. Each monster card in the game has an element associated with it (a total of eleven elements exist in the game), with the elements following a rock-paper-scissors sort of mechanic not unlike Pokemon that sees elements strong against one another (such as Water being strong against Fire) be able to inflict increased damage on their opposing element. Unlike Pokemon however, Yu-Gi-Oh's Gameboy Format sees Monster cards of an element weak to its diametrically opposed element outright destroyed before inflicting any potential lifepoint damage to players.
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While this can (and will) lead to asinine scenarios in which the iconic Blue Eyes White Dragon card is destroyed by the meager Kuriboh, it adds an interesting layer of strategy to the game that goes beyond simply loading decks with the most powerful cards obtainable. It also stands in stark contrast to the physical card game in which setting up unbeatable scenarios with very little counterplay outside of hyper-specific scenarios on the first turn has become a hallmark.
Another aspect of the Gameboy Format that differs from the physical card game is the lack of Polymerization, a Magic card that enables the fusion of Monsters into a new and more powerful creature. While the Polymerization card is missing the fusion mechanic itself remains, relegated to an entirely unexplained process in which the player can attempt to combine any two monsters to potentially result in a successful fusion with getting the formula incorrect resulting in the first card being replaced by the second. It's small touches like this and the unique elemental system that promote a lot of experimentation and make sure that every Monster card has a potential use regardless of how weak they are statistically.
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Players are given a deck of cards to start with and tasked with defeating three tiers of opponents, all of whom being an iconic characters from the manga and anime, five times each. Defeating opponents will earn the player more cards and card parts (more on this in a moment), as well as raising the deck level and cost limitations imposed on the player slowly but surely. There are a total of 800 obtainable cards in the game which can also be acquired through the usage of the Password system that allows players to add one of each card to their collection through entering the corresponding password associated with them. The Password system also allows players to unlock the game's hidden bosses as well as enabling additional post-duel drops indefinitely.
The game's main hook is its allowing of the player to create custom cards through combination of obtained card parts, with players able to combine top and bottom halves of original Monster cards in all sorts of ways that change their attack and defense values, elements, names and appearances. It's a small gimmick that the player is not necessarily required to interact with by any means but does help immerse you in the series by allowing you to create your own unique signature cards.
The end result of Dark Duel Stories' gameplay loop and format is a game that is perfectly suited for its handheld platform in all the best and worst ways. Its small, almost bite-sized duels go by rather quickly and painlessly but obtaining cards without the use of Passwords is a grind-heavy experience that leaves the player completely at the mercy of random chance. The costs associated with constructing decks can feel stifling at first but forces you to engage with the game and appreciate some of its eccentricities like the elemental system, and makes finally being able to include higher-value cards feel like the major upgrade in power that it really is.
It's a perfect fit with the Gameboy Color that allows you to sink however much time you want into it, grinding away to raise your level and cost limits or obtain cards on long road trips or just spending a few minutes beating Joey Wheeler or Seto Kaiba one more time.
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Another strong aspect of the game is its art, faithfully adapting 800 cards from the game's early era to the Gameboy Color with a lot of success. Opposing duelists are also particularly strongly adapted, including a lot of (but unfortunately not all) the iconic characters one would expect to find in the game in impressive detail all without an over-reliance on digitizing existing artwork from the manga's original artist. The beautiful pixel art splash screens after selecting an opponent hold up extremely well and have my vote for some of the best visuals on the platform.
Not quite as strong is the sound, with songs being inoffensive and not super memorable but certainly serviceable - you won't be muting the game to protect your ears or anything, but turning on your own music instead might help with some of the grind if you're wanting to invest bigger chunks of time into obtaining Dark Duel Stories' large amount of cards or raising the limits imposed on your deck.
A small touch I greatly appreciated was the lack of manual saving, with Dark Duel Stories featuring a reliable autosave that happens after every duel, making rematching or putting the game down both a painless experience. One particular annoyance is the lack of a search function in the card library, so it's helpful to keep a guide on hand to reference individual card numbers you might be looking for rather than having to scroll through 800 cards manually.
While it's not a perfect game by any means, Dark Duel Stories remains a very fun and addictive time capsule of an era of the game now decades past and comes at an extremely early point in the existence of the physical card game and series at large. There's a lot of charm and a deceptive amount of depth to hook new and old players alike, and the gameplay remains smooth and fast all these years later despite obvious platform limitations.
It even allows players to link two Gameboy systems to duel or trade, though this will be less attractive a feature to people playing the game via emulation on PC which typically lacks the capabilities necessary for multiplayer functions. Original manga author Kazuki Takahashi constantly designed little games that appeared in the backs of compiled volumes of the manga, most often played with dice, and it's not surprising that he'd also come up with a very fun card game too even if this wasn't exactly the format we'd come to know in the years after the release of Dark Duel Stories.
A gem hidden among the stones, Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories is undoubtedly stardust.
-- Ash
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blog-name-idk · 2 years
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The Plot Twist | 01
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Summary: Once upon a time you would have jumped at the chance to live the idol girlfriend life. The cameras, the action, the whirlwind romance. But what was once a dream has now become your worst nightmare, and you fully intend to fight the universe as it repeatedly conspires to set you up with your seven perfectly good soulmates from Bangtan Sonyeondan.
In which we punt Y/N into all the fanfiction tropes and you do your feral best to subvert the love story.
Because nani the fuck, you are The Plot Twist.
Pairing: OT7 X Fem!Reader
Genre: Soulmate!AU, crack, humor, idol!AU, light angst, slow burn, romantic comedy, just a fun silly old time
Rating: 18+
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AN: Hello all!
This is a fic that is being co-written by @blog-name-idk and @eserethriddle (who also has their own crack/soulmate subversion AU which is INCREDIBLE and HILARIOUS go read it). The inspiration for this fic was that one meme about the anime protagonist avoiding their fate, and then it became a monster. We are having a great time writing this and we hope you enjoy it as well!
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Chapter 1: "What are soulmates, even?"
A prevailing belief amongst the aging population of overbearing parents is that an unattached woman, of average birth and social standing, professionally situated in one of the high-rise buildings in modern-day Seoul, must be in natural want of three things the very morning she turns twenty-five: an envelope of birthday money, a spa coupon, and a blind date prospect. Society’s elders allege that the advent of the twenty-fifth age prompts the rightful transition of the child-minded miss into a full woman, the barest hints of her girlish whims to be cast aside for her foray into the next, imperative stage of life.
Ha! Whatever the hell that next stage is, you have absolutely no care, no inclination to find out. Altruistic as they pretend to be, those very same elders are possibly bored, amateur matchmakers, or worse: aspiring grandparents.
You have your own priorities. You're living the good, simple life of binge-eating all the snacks you can now afford, buying questionable decorations for your single-bedroom loft, and, with undeniable consistency, sleeping in and gaming at ambiguous hours. Half-baked attempts at health fads and investments in miracle under-eye creams notwithstanding, you're barely halfway through your twenties but already living the dream!
Whatever that happens to you after this point? Unimportant. You have all the time in the world and your inner child to appease.
Heavy footfalls thump across the wooden floor of your bedroom, abruptly pulling you from the safehaven of your subconscious. The shrill, scraping noise of your floor-to-ceiling curtains being pulled open flag your internal alarm, but the matronly scolding that greets your senses, voiced in a too-familiar hometown dialect, subdues it just as quickly as it comes.
Burying your face into your pillow with a weak groan, you resign yourself to the loss of another wonderful morning spent in bed.
You should have known this would happen. As long as this woman breathes you will never know true peace.
“Eomma.” You scowl, throwing your blanket to the side as you sit upright on the bed. “This is exactly why I moved out.”
“Bah! Look at you!” your mother scoffs as she takes in your bedraggled appearance. “I booked you an appointment at The Deluxe and instead you want to waste it?” Busying herself all over the room, bending over and picking up litter – the remains of your night's valiant efforts – she crows, “And all these junk food wrappers on the floor! You pigged out, playing those games all night again!”
Well… yes, there was no denying that. It had taken you until early hours of the dawn (and three much needed, middle-of-the-night, rage-reducing convenience store trips) to reach your current savepoint in-game. Although it seems highly unlikely that your mother would be impressed by your latest feat at Super Mario – Kaizo, because somewhere inside you rests an unlovable, masochistic monster – you still cannot find it in yourself to want to change the way you had spent the previous night given half the chance.
Your mother, bless her old-fashioned heart, is simply predisposed to worry about your dubious gamer-slash-working-girl lifestyle, which, not only being within her rights, is also completely understandable! So as long as you kept up visible effort at maintaining the “beauty sleep and charm regimen” she swore by, she usually fell somewhere between unbothered and complacent.
But no. Not today.
"What did you threaten the landlord with to get the key this time?" you query under your breath, too quiet for her to hear. Sleep-addled as you are, you still have some sense of self-preservation.
It just… doesn’t help that your whole face looks as puffy as it feels. Judging by the tight set of your mother’s mouth also reflected by your bedside mirror, her slanted eyes pinned on you, you're sure she’s set to try and advertise the benefits of gua sha within the next minute.
Clearly, getting your own apartment had afforded you more freedom, but not the complete detachment you had been hoping for. And that was fine – every so often you do have the solo-living blues and miss her grapevine chitchat – it just isn’t apparent to you now in your half-comatose state, berated even before you have a chance to obtain caffeine.
Sighing in defeat, you move up and lean against the headboard. Your swollen eyes try to peek past the door frame, to no success. There’s an undeniably hopeful lilt to your voice when you ask, “So appa’s here, too?”
“Ha! That man drank himself silly, crying all night long!” At the mention of your father, your mother’s tone transitions from frenzied to fond, soft mirth dancing in the brown of her eyes. “‘Starting tomorrow she won’t be my girl no more,’ he’d said! It was a right mess! Your uncles had to help me carry him home…” she prattles.
Rounding the bed as she makes her way to you, she pulls you close to her chest, surrounding you with the comforting, familiar scent of her – and your – favorite laundry detergent and the faint smell of the kimchi she had for breakfast. She places a doting kiss on the top of your head then assures you in a rather soft murmur, “Sorry, sweetheart. He’s not here. He was so down he couldn’t even get out of bed, but he’ll call you later when he feels better, I’m sure.”
“Alright,” you concede, melting into her embrace and choosing to let her love bloom in your chest instead. Sometimes you complain about her lightning-fast mood changes from holy terror to loving mother, but after twenty-five years of being your appa’s girl, you figure you can give her this one morning. You snuggle into her. “Thanks for coming over, eomma. I can already smell the seaweed soup.”
“Of course, dear. I heated it up. Happy birthday.” She angles your face upward and pinches your cheeks.
You groan and paw at her to fight her off, but the playful moment is broken when she holds your face hostage and threatens very seriously, “If you don’t make it to the appointment, I’ll drive you to that speed-dating event in Hannam myself. I know for a fact they’re taking walk-ins tonight.”
“But eomma…” you whine, feeling like a fool for letting her motherly love lull you into a false sense of security, “I’m the birthday girl! Shouldn’t I get to decide my itinera–”
A familiar gleam flashes in her eyes and you immediately pinch your lips shut.
You may have gotten your father’s dimpled smile, but the stubborn fire in your spirit, the fierce glow of your gaze… These are the attributes that make you a famed corporate demon and Nintendo speedrunner.
These traits are also definitely, absolutely, undeniably from your mother. And alas, she has had more years and recognition in perfecting her technique.
With the Hyundai car keys twirling around her index finger, you just know she’ll make good on her threat. Your mother, dramatic as she can be, is bull-headed enough to follow through on every ridiculous warning she makes.
Another quality you yourself have inherited.
Glancing at the clock, you scramble off your mess of sheets and pillows and hastily set your feet onto the hardwood floor. Chuckling nervously as you avoid the course of consoles and controllers strewn about the room, you wonder aloud, for no reason at all, “The appointment has a fifteen-minute grace period… right?”
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You don’t know what happened after stepping into The Deluxe, not exactly. Scrambling past the morning rush on foot, desperate to avoid all kinds of traffic in your anxious, sleep-deprived state, you barely even recall getting to the spa’s reception area in time.
Upon confirming your appointment, a chic lady handed you a satin robe and ushered you into a private room, pointing you to your assigned spa bed with a gentle, amicable smile. Hypnotizing oils and calming tones sang to your senses, beckoning you to slumber with the promise of warmth and safety. The moment the lights dimmed and the massage therapist placed her hands on you, kneading your stiff shoulders, total exhaustion had taken over and you’d blacked out. An instant, indisputable K.O.
When you woke up it felt like you had re-spawned. Misplaced and mistakenly rearranged, put back together in a whole different body. You weren’t even sure if a body spa was all that had happened… You wonder for a moment if you might have been secretly brainwashed and implanted with a trigger command to kill an unsuspecting prime minister somewhere down the line, but you figure the gods have something else planned for a plain shut-in like you. Surely something less cinematic?
Seeing your reflection in the mirror, your split ends gone and your hair somehow now highlighting your best features, your face made up… Well, now it's clear that a lot more had happened to you. Your skin feels creamy to the touch and smells like rich patchouli, your nails are trimmed and painted ballet pink. You doubt their in-house aestheticians had taken one look at you – dehydrated and soulless to the brim – and voluntarily offered their services… Perhaps your mother did splurge and book you the full blowout package.
In that case, considering the luxurious upkeep of The Deluxe, you send your mother a heartfelt message of thanks followed by a cheerful selfie before finally stepping out to stroll through the nearby streets of Yongsan.
Unlike your usual self, you actually feel good. Very, very good. Beautiful, and rested.
Who wouldn’t love turning twenty-five if this was all it entailed?
As you make your way across the uptown plaza, the phone in your tote bag vibrates suddenly, chiming its innocent, dulcet tones. You stop, retrieve the gadget, and stare at the institution-registered number on the display screen of your phone before clicking to accept the call.
“Hello?” you answer tentatively, hoping you're not about to get called for jury duty.
“Good day. Is this L/N F/N?”
“Yes, but who…?”
“I am Junior Liaison Officer Choi Mijin from the Ministry of Korean Domestic Affairs. I understand you turned twenty-five today, L/N F/N-ssi. In accordance with Republic Act 134340 promulgated January of this year, this is your mandatory communication from the Soulmate Registry Department. May I proceed with the orientation, or is this a bad time?”
“Huh?”
Did she just say soulmate…?
You blink once. Just ten meters from where you stood, a squealing toddler startles and chases away a flock of unsuspecting pigeons perched on the brickstone plaza, wings fluttering against air and cobble. The cacophony washes over you in a raucous echo.
You blink again, stupefied. “Sorry, what?”
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“I understand this must be confusing for you. Although our record here indicates that your parents are soulmates, L/N F/N-ssi?”
“M-My parents?” you stammer. There was that word again!
Despite your obvious bewilderment, Junior Liaison Officer Choi Mijin remains unfazed. Not missing a beat, she draws in a quick breath and launches into a clearly scripted monologue: “Historically speaking, the Soulmate Phenomenon was first observed to affect a significant percentage of the adult human population by sociological groups and academic societies. Throughout the years, in tandem with the discoveries of international research institutes and medical community programs based locally, the national government has authorized a domestic agency to advise the public on matters that directly concern their health, relationships, and cosmological well-being. The current research consensus theorizes this phenomenon to be amplified by genetics, meaning that those with parents who are soulmates are highly likely to experience the phenomenon themselves. On these grounds, to offer you a better civilian life, we at the Soulmate Registry Department would like to confirm if you, L/N F/N-ssi, have been experiencing symptoms relating to this phenomenon…?”
You don't reply, locked in a cage of dumbfounded silence. Junior Liaison Officer Choi Mijin simply continues as response, “If so, I am pleased to report that cosmic interference will now rise to thirty-eight percent, with a ten percent margin of error per day, per soulmate–”
“Cosmic interference?” you interrupt, still quite lost in disbelief. "Per soulmate? What?”
"It's possible to have more than one soulmate," replies the desk worker, matter-of-fact. In rehearsed evenness, she elaborates, "It is the department's official advice for soulmates to initiate friendship at first introduction. Otherwise, aggravated cosmic interference can be expected, and may even escalate to public duress."
“Aggravated…? Duress? Uh, give me a second.” You pinch the flesh of your arm. “Ow.”
Eventually, after getting some of your thoughts in order, you manage to ask, "But what if I answered that I wasn't experiencing any of the symptoms? That I don't have a… soul-mate?" The word slides weird and heavy off your tongue.
"Ah. In such cases, please do not be alarmed. The natural implication is that you may continue to live life as usual," the girl's tinny voice reassures. "If you do not have a soulmate then you will not be subjected to visual, somatic, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, or gustatory anomalies. This kind of life is plain, but also advantageous, in its own way."
…Too much. This is just too much.
“But what if I do? What if I do have a soulmate, but I don't want to acknowledge it? What if I want to keep my life as it is?"
Choi Mijin pauses, not having a prepared response for the first time.
"Hm? Let me look that up." After audible typing noises and the near-infinite scrolling of her computer mouse carrying over, she finally speaks again. "Hmm. Nah. Nope. Not in our F.A.Q.’s. I wouldn’t not advise against that, no.”
Those were so many negatives you don’t even know what had been implied in the first place.
“I could forward the call to my supervisor," Mijin suggests, trying to be helpful. “The average standby time is one hour and forty minutes. Do you want me to?”
Massaging your temple with your free hand, you attempt to ignore the blooming headache ruining your prior good mood. "I… guess not? I’m not experiencing anything, Choi Mijin-ssi. That just means I don’t have… a soulmate… right?”
Mijin makes a grunt of assent. "Correct. If you did have a soulmate, you’d have to submit forms DR-2a and FS-3c to our main office in Hongdae. There are housing subsidies, minimal tax deductions, and life insurance programs that can be applied for.”
You do not know what else to say. Of course bureaucracy would somehow be involved in the systematization of the soulmate phenomena. You clear your throat and settle for, “Ah.”
“For now, L/N F/N-ssi, your status with us is PR - Pending Registry. Please confirm your status with us in person within the year, else the aforementioned benefits are considered irredeemable. Late registration is prohibited by the Ministry of Korean Domestic Affairs. This is only to ensure civilian and public safety, you understand?”
“Um.”
You look down, stare at your sandaled feet.
You can feel your toes, yes. You're alive, yes. You look at your hands and see all five fingers.
This is real life, yes.
“Yeah, okay. I understand… I think. Hmm. Yes.”
“Great. And, ah, happy birthday. I guess. Twenty-five sure is… something.” Ever since the beginning of the conversation, it is only at this moment that the liaison officer’s tone betrays her professional disposition. Despite your inner turmoil, you do feel for the girl on telephone duty as she sighs and says, “I’m really not paid enough for this.”
The line goes dead, and you’re left to pretend your world has not just shot off its axis.
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Kim Namjoon loves the chaos that is his fucking life.
It’s just. He constantly struggles to be the pillar of peace in the middle of it all.
"What are soulmates, even," whines Namjoon. "People who share the same taste in music? People who finish each other's–"
"–sandwiches?" Jeon Jungkook suggests, throwing a hopeful look at the snack in Namjoon’s hand.
Namjoon sighs in defeat and tosses the gremlin his sandwich. It’s gone in seconds.
No, really. Namjoon loves his life. Despite the near-chronic muscle ache and subtle paranoia that comes with baring his artistic, musical persona at a global scale on the daily, Namjoon still truly believes his life is wonderful. It’s meaningful, it’s spontaneous, and he never feels stuck. In fact, he gets to wake up assured that the world has something new planned for him. He gets to navigate life with a profound sense of purpose each day because he gets to rise from bed, head to the bathroom, take a look in the mirror and complain, “Which one of you did this bullshit?!” in countless, exasperated variations.
Because he is truly, utterly blessed.
Namjoon collapses against the plush armchair and rests his legs on the coffee table (yes, like a neanderthal), reinvestigating the faint bruising he’d found this morning on his limbs. Reaching over, he presses on his blemished skin and feels nothing.
“Taehyung’s been practicing cartwheels again,” he realizes.
The entirety of it had overwhelmed Namjoon, at first. Despite his height, he’d acted like a giddy kid about it, because nobody else in his family had – or even seriously regarded the concept of – soulmates. The library books he’d consulted said he was unlikely to experience the phenomena for himself, and so he’d thought what was happening to him was some type of ghost experience, shamanistic punishment, or hallucination that accompanied the grievances of becoming older. That his mind had finally reached its breaking point. Since he was, after all, for the past ten years, what people would refer to as, overworked.
Mm-hmm. Indeed.
From Ilsan to Seoul, desperate only to chase his dream and share his love for the written cadence, he’d found six of the most precious, talented, hardworking, beautiful people he would be happy to maim and kill each godforsaken already-late-for-our-schedule morning instead. It had been a running joke amongst the staff that the group only survived their initial years in the industry through their unmatched chemistry, but once the youngest of them all – Jungkook – turned twenty-five? Everything clicked.
The team wasn’t just a team.
Namjoon still thinks about it a lot. The evolutionary metaphysical logistics of it all. How, upon turning twenty-five, the human “cosmologically matures,” and with the prefrontal cortex of the human brain fully developed, its high cognitive reflex for recognizing patterns in daily life is traded for identifying patterns in the amalgamation of the universal consciousness instead.
It’s some high-level, fucked-up, oddly wholesome matrix shit.
Along with its regulations, the national registry for soulmates had only been established earlier this year. And though Namjoon would have appreciated any primer on the shared experiences he’d soldiered through with the boys, it was nothing short of a miracle that they had all met, grown, and gotten this far together since the beginning. In place of scars they had anecdotes of each other, kept and cherished all the same. Mountains of memories, good times and bad…
A decade. Ten years since they had shared their first greetings at a rundown garage, bright-eyed with the single aspiration of producing heartfelt, healing music.
Ten whole years.
The matter at hand is what happens now. With their original ten-year contract fulfilled, all the shows and radio stations only seem capable of talking about (read: dissing on) Bangtan Sonyeondan. So-called “experts” and industry seniors hinging on their disbandment. Like the seven of them had made it to the top, and now was high-time to let the accolades go and freefall.
Namjoon wants to scream and curse and tell them all off and yet…
All seven of them are at a standstill. One wrong move could push all seven of them off the ledge, off the pedestal of their own making. Their contracts are hybridized now, solo and group opportunities taken into serious consideration. Clauses had been inserted for mixed agency projects, brand endorsements, business ventures, and, most importantly, well-earned rest.
The immense physical and emotional battery of being in an idol boyband, the relentless media scrutiny, the hardship of being isolated and away from home – none of them wanted another ten-year repeat. The legal discussion of it had been fruitful, but in the aftermath the grueling effort had sucked the – bear with him on this – soul out of them.
And it wasn’t just Namjoon. At the latest dinner everyone had admitted to feeling… off. Petty bickering had been frequent lately, uneasy afternoons as well as uncharacteristic detachment. Moodiness. Namjoon’s afraid to put a name on it, but it doesn’t make it any less true.
Could depression be shared through their soulmate bond? God, Namjoon hopes not. So many things could happen, and this time, no amount of planning makes it seem possible to control. It feels like something else. Something familiar but new and oddly foreboding.
Well. Whatever the hell it is, Namjoon doesn’t like it. He doesn’t like it one bit.
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Instead of attending the blind date event for dinner, you find yourself standing at the porch of your parents’ diner instead.
Your father hurriedly shuffles to the doorway to usher you in, struggling to hide his excitement with the bogus scowl he plasters on his face.
“Young lady, why are you here?” he admonishes. Deciding to act preoccupied, he starts wiping down the tabletops, grumbling all the while, “Shouldn’t you be at that event in Hannam? Your mother said you wouldn’t have the time…”
You want to march over and hug your appa. You know what he’s really asking, why he’s glancing nervously past your shoulder. You’re here? Does that mean you’ve met the one who will replace me as your most important person? The government people nagged us about registering and they said in the future you might find yourself in this soulmate business too and you’re my little girl but… are you still?
You playfully nudge him by the shoulders with a bump of your own. “Naw, but don’t tell eomma I skipped it.”
Your father's lips twitch but then settle into a secretive smile. You both know that The Madame would drag you back by the scruff of your neck if she knew. And possibly send your father to the doghouse.
For some reason you can’t fathom, it frightens your mother to see you living the bachelorette life so well. Despite their being soulmates, her opinion is at complete odds with your father's, who basks in the joy of being the most important man in your life. And while you can kind of understand where your mother is coming from, chasing after boys… filling your heart with sweet nothings and butterflies… You’re not thirteen anymore. You're past that phase now. You know better than to put all of your romantic hopes and dreams into something that will inevitably let you down.
“Maybe that kind of thing isn’t for me, appa.” you admit. “You and eomma found each other, that’s good enough for me.”
Your father glances at you as he flips the store sign from open to closed, and says, solemnly, “Wildflower, you never know what the universe has planned.”
You take a deep breath, shoulders pinched. “But…”
“But what? But you don’t want love?”
“Appa…”
Your mother walks in through the backdoor. When she sees you next to your appa, her eyes shine with happiness.
They’re your eyes, too.
Your father hums. “Look at you. The best of both of us.”
Because It’s fine. You’re fine. You don’t need a soulmate. Your happiness couldn’t possibly be dictated by a cosmic phenomenon. Your life is beautiful, and simple, and enough. The things that you have, the love around you – they’re already more than what you deserve.
You pluck off a spare apron and help out with the rest of closing. Your father brings out his special blend of makgeolli and leaves you in-charge of hotpot prep for dinner. Drunk in just two bottles of soju, your parents compete about who had cooked the better seaweed soup, crooning absurd versions of the happy birthday song until you yield and promise to stay the night.
Chatting with them, laughing yourself to tears, you completely miss the double-decker bus that passes out front.
Unlike most city buses, this one has its exterior gorgeously laminated in purple, black, and gold. The vehicle is sleekly rendered with congratulatory greetings for the tenth anniversary of an all-male idol group, along with well-wishes of their fans upon the announcement of their individual pursuits as artists.
Your mother squints quizzically at the fan-made bus as it passes, an arm lifting to point it out to you. In her drunken haze though, she barely manages a garbled whine before her head bows and drops onto the table with a soft thunk.
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In the backseat of his custom-interior Palisade, Park Jimin groans, letting his face fall into his palms.
How is it even possible to get stood up at a speed-dating event? When he’d gotten there, everyone had already been paired up, and sure, work had held him up and made him late, but weren’t people supposed to turn up no matter what? Damn. Maybe the organizers were right. Maybe he is at the age and status nobody wants to be matched with anymore.
God, Taehyung is going to make so much fun of him for this.
The only silver lining is that this means Namjoon and Sejin can't chew him out for being "irresponsible" and "putting himself in danger." But come on, no one would believe that a member of BTS would have to resort to a speed-dating event. When he's bare-faced the worst that could happen would be for someone to say he kind of resembles Park Jimin. Probably.
Yes, he has six great soulmates he loves with all his heart. But he loves five of them like brothers. He does want something more, and it's gotten to the point where seeing an old man pushing his wife's wheelchair brought him to tears. Or as Jungkook would say – he wants a soulmate that makes his privates happy, not just his heart.
Is it that so much to ask for? He knows he’s already lucky. So lucky, far luckier than most of the world. He's blessed to have one soulmate, let alone six. The success of BTS wouldn't have been possible without everyone's hard work, but there are many groups that work just as hard and never see the light of day.
Maybe he just needs space. Maybe he should get his own apartment, spend some time outside of the house he shares with his six partners in crime. Somewhere he can just be Park Jimin, a boy looking for love, and not Jimin of BTS.
With a renewed sense of purpose, he grabs his phone and starts looking at listings.
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Masterlist | Next
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twistedchatterbox · 1 year
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Halloween Collab 2023 - 17/31 ; open !
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Why hello there, loyal customer; Today I'm here to announce a collab for everyone's favorite holiday which starts on august and lasts 'till the end of October; spooky season!
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Accepting collaborators 22nd-30th of September; This Halloween collab will be an advent that focuses on canon x reader/viewer content; you can join as an author/artist, with a minimum of 300~ words and no upper limit. -if you're interested, take a seat.
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Here is how it'll work;
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Everyone who participates in this collab will pick a prompt, and post their work on the day corresponding to the prompts number; it is mainly centered around writing, though artwork can be included !
Here are a few other things you should keep in mind v
To join the collab you have to reblog this post + choose a prompt! + You can ask to pick your prompt through replies instead, if you'd like that; as long as you reblog the post afterwards!
Remember to tag me on the post so that I can see it ; All the entries for the advent will be reblogged on @/jade-s-nymph and added to the masterlist !
One prompt per person; each person can only claim one prompt *
No Dead Dove: Don't Eat content !
All entries have a minimum of 300 words but no upper limit ; + Artwork can be entered as long as it is accompanied by writing ! + Your writing can be formatted however you'd like as long as it meets the minimum word count, just have fun with it !
Tag your works properly ! including but not limited to; if there are references to how the reader looks or is described, content warnings, phobia-specific warnings (ex. blood, cramped spaces)
Even though event mainly centers around canon x reader content Original Characters are very welcome to join in; whether it be Fanon x reader / Fanon & reader or just to make a cameo! Take the wheel and see where it leads you. ^^
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Prompts that are taken/claimed by someone will be crossed out in text (like this) ; followed by the @ of the author/artist(s) who will post their work(s) on the prompt's day !
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First Halloween - @magicluckystars
Sweetness
Tricked (or is it a treat..?)
Pumpkin(s)
Makeup - @cupids-chamber
Secret invitation - @savanaclaw1996
Decor
Love at first fright - @cyn-write
Undead(?)
Fangs - @rendy-a
Bewitched - @cecilebutcher
(Love) potion - @bunnwich
Phantom Thief - @yume-yuurei
Opera - @fungifanart
Knight
Sleeping Beauty - @siren-serenity
Haunted House - @leonistic
Graveyard - @galra-empress-dowager
Hunting - @snappit-the-snek
Full Moon
Siren's Song - @/twistedchatterbox ie.@/Jade-s-nymph
Yokai - @ginruko
Bandages
Angelic
Detective - @fate-muse-club-house
Dress-up (together) - @linawritestwst
Possessed - @darling-in-wonderland
Devilish - @da-birb-writes-sometimes
Cerberus
Red Hood - @juno-of-wonderland
"Once upon a time.." - @whatevermywpis
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Ps. if you'd like to collab with someone on a prompt, you can! * ex. Two authors writing a 2-part fic together or writing 2 separate fics that reference each other / An author writing a fic and an artist making an illustration to go along with it. -Just remember to post the entries on the correct day, yeah?
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Everyone who joins can tag their work with the tag #Spooky Chattering 2023 .
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-Once again, before i finish this post; please Reblog this post so that more people can see and join, even if you don't intend to join in yourself- a collab this size needs a lot of people, after all ^^'' ...
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minewtweek · 2 months
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Minewt week 2024!
Hello! ^_^ A year has passed, and now Minewt week is close by once more. This time around, if you have any doubts about the event, please contact @kestis-advent with any of your questions and thanks to @its-tea-time-darling for passing the torch to me this time around.
Now as for the prompts this year, we have a Bingo for you guys:
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Rules:
Pick a prompt out of the two from each square at your leisure until you get the Bingo!
Combining prompts is allowed and will count as filling multiple squares. (eg: Magic shop and "I know your little secret.")
Post your submissions to Tumblr during the days of the event!
When posting tag this blog, and add the tag “minewtweek2024”
Please let us know what prompts are being used when you post.
Any type of submission (art edit fic podfic and more) welcome
You are welcome to post your submissions to the ao3 collection.
No minimum word count for fic.
Ot3s are allowed! Eg minho/newt/alby or any other ot3 with minewt you can think of
Collaborations are welcome
Can be combined with other ongoing events!
Explicit submissions are only allowed from adults
Any rating + topic allowed—but tag appropriately! in doubt err on the side of caution. submissions where tumblr community warnings apply (eg explicit content) will be marked with that warning upon reblogging.
Ao3 specific: needlessy negative comments are to be deleted without reply. this rule is non-negotiable, we will not give negativity our time of day 🤍
If you're not in the mood for potential downers in the comments you can, under "Who can comment on this work ?" click "Only registered users can comment".
I'll be reposting all the work submitted during the week of the 22nd to the 28th of August.
That is all, have fun guys and I hope you are excited about this year's event!
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storiumemporium · 1 year
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Into The Dawn
Aegon II Targaryen/Reader
| Word Count - 3.6k | Smut 🔞 | Oral sex (M receiving), dry humping, foreplay (F receiving), slight Somnophilia |
I shoulda known what y'all horny bitches want, and I've got it right here for you 😭 C'MERE AND GET IT
Fair warning, it ends on a mean cliffhanger 😌
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It’s strange, just what love could do to a person.
Not that it fundamentally shifts you, or any of the grandiose platitudes Westeros’ great poets might put forth about how love was all powerful. It wasn’t, and it didn’t, and it couldn’t. Love did not make you something completely different from what you already were.
But it did… for example… make you start to enjoy early mornings, where once you’d hated it the most.
Because now, tucked beneath a heavy silk cover, you turn against the cresting dawn just beginning to wake- and you see your husband in his most pure.
He’s lovely like this, deep set eyes heavily closed against the world, pale lashes fluttering every once in awhile as dreams carry him through the motions. The sun is reaching it’s fingers for him, hazy gray and not fully out yet- so early as to remain dark- but even this is enough to bring him awash. His skin milky and smooth within this gentle scene… Even his hair, so startling white that at times you found yourself dumbfounded by it, has in some way been softened, the impact reduced.
Aegon is just drifting there beside you.
He’s always been like this, from the very earliest that you’ve known him. A late and heavy sleeper, wound up in his threads and puffing quiet, wine-soaked breaths. A child only then, despite what others might say about him and his… past habits. The wine has faded with the advent of a nagging wife to gently pull him back from his vices, but the deep and difficult to disturb rest has not.
The distance feels impossible when affection comes knocking against the ribs beneath your skin. To not feel him and know that he is real and yours could send you sprawling after too long. And so, careful as to not tug your shared blankets away from him and wake him from this blissful and sacred little moment that you and you alone were allowed the chance to covet, you encroach upon his space. Once you hover over him, the scenes seem to change and invoke more firmly the vulnerability of the moment. The equality of laying side by side is thrown like curtains to let in the sunlight, and you can see precisely the pattern with which his choppy hair splays around him, the softness of large arms that do not flex or strain- have no idea of the weight looming so close by. He’s helpless before you, oblivious of all the ways his body is being picked apart beneath twinkling eyes.
None the rest in his world ever seemed inclined to see him, to understand the gentleness beyond the cynicism and the biting wit. None but you, and you hoped above all else that you could prove to him just how special you knew it was. Just how much you cherished this allowance. Just as you cherished every little smile that he spared you, more and more common as the days rolled past and he realized that you would not change, would not grow to finally be disappointed by him.
That he could smile and he would not, eventually, inevitably, be swatted away.
Fingers lift with the weightlessness of an idea- well, more a whimsy that has come to you. So soft, so sweet. So unaware. Fingers gentling across his jawline, feathered against the edge until you tap digits against his chin, thumb smoothing softly against the place where a divot sometimes forms as he talks and smiles and laughs. Little in response, Aegon sighs softly and stretches into his comforts, seeming only to sink deeper within the deceptively soft confines of his favored pillows. It’s a soft little motion that sets your heart on fire, smile curling away at the edges of your mouth in spite of yourself.
You could giggle like a child. In fact, you might have, but who was here to notice?
Like you’ve been given permission, you go on an journey, your little adventure across your husband’s sleeping form. He’s as oblivious as ever in his gentle rest, body reacting only of it’s own volition when you ghost over the dip in his throat, palm splaying over his chest. Just a moment, just a moment. Just long enough to feel the heavy and healthy and slow beating drum in his chest. Each time it presses defiantly against you is a pang of affection in your own. Good and strong, you carry back on with the urges of your flesh.
He’s a bit deceptive, your Aegon. He’s not all the hard lines and harsh edges of his younger, taller brother who prides himself on displaying his superiority in every fashion. He has a bit of softness to him, deceptive. Deceptive. Just the faintest bit to blur the expanse of his belly, but not so much that when he buckles over you and fucks you with the sort of singleminded intent you thought only belonged to a vengeful man, you can’t see the planes of corded muscle beneath.
Oh yes, he’s strong. Very strong. Enough that his stockier stature allows him to haul and throw you as he pleases- and it does please him. His favorite when he has nothing but salacious thoughts on his wicked brain. It inspires something indescribable behind normally leisurely violet eyes- you suppose the Dragon which all the Lords and Ladies of Kings’ Landing like to proclaim the Targaryen’s are possessed of. A predatory thing bred into their bloodline, whatever Valyrian magic threaded them inextricably with their fabled mounts. It shines through like embers might on charcoaled wood when he splays his hands over you and knows you could not move even if you so desired. Those muscles, those strong binding things he’s possessed of, they tense and show themselves for the briefest of seconds when you tickle your fingers over them. Finally, his face winces slightly- you pause- and then relaxes after your heart gives two thundering beats within your ears.
Getting too eager, now. Jumping ahead of yourself and forgetting what the idea was all about, the fancy that caught you to begin with. Eyes trace patterns over his face for any signs of awareness. But by some great fortune they do not come, and he allows you your second grace.
Close enough to feel the warmth gently radiate from his skin, to bloom out across your skin, you move to nearly straddle Aegon. It’s a shock of sensations, the motion making voids in this heavy cloth where the frigid air not yet warmed by the sun eagerly fills- rocketing over your legs and back to send shiver-flesh all across your skin, to pebble your nipples in that way that Aegon likes. It’s teeters on that disorienting precipice of pleasant-unpleasant, wanting to shy from the cold into the perpetual burn of your Lord-husband. An action that requires some work on your part, lining up to slowly and so, so meticulously lay yourself atop his slumbering frame. Not enough that he bears your weight, but enough that your cunt throbs at every inch of desperately desired contact between the two of you.
It’s good, it’s cathartic.
Still he does not wake- making little noncommittal grunts in his sleep that inspire your imagination. You try to fill out his dreams for him, unsure that he would even recall them upon waking. Perhaps he was speaking to someone, to a Princess? To you? To some divine woman upon a lake? A pleasant dream, one he would like to chase come the next night.
You start where your fingers had in the minutes passed. Mouth dipping to not quite kiss- rather a gentle brush of your mouth down and over his jaw, his chin, across his throat, over his collarbones. Your mouth makes sure contact only when you feel the feathered thump of his pulse in his throat- you’re captivated by this carnal urge, unsure for the briefest moment if you wanted to taste him like your lover, or taste him like your prey. Perhaps you truly were his bride, and slowly those animalistic, Valyrian urges have begun to hatch.
Your lips stay there a moment, thum, thum, thum against your relaxed lips. He groans, softly then. So quiet, distant still. Awareness is beginning to form along the crevices of your affection. His mind pooling at the peaks with the fundamental understanding that he’s being loved, and it is you doing it. To awaken and respond. Not quite, not quite. Your sleepy, tired boy. So you continue your loving, delicate descent across this body you’re so incredibly fond of. To his belly, where your ability to have restraint meets it’s match. No, indeed, you completely shirk the attempt to be discreet once the softened flesh that covers his abs meet your mouth- yawning open to take in bits of flesh here and there, to suckle and lick the faint salt of sweat. The skin here is softer than, say, the expanse of his chest, thicker than that on his throat. Nothing compares to his mouth, however. Divine, that is.
No, nothing compares, and those lips, rosy- floral pink, soft like blush, so pale and delicate, part in the morning light and greet you with peaks of his perfect, pale teeth. He’s made of something else, you’re sure of it. Your mind twists like wool on a loom, attempting to understand what it is precisely that Aegon reminds you of- snow, or porcelain maybe- as your tongue dips teasingly into his bellybutton on the way further south.
When you reach the expanse between one hip and the other, that’s where things grow sensitive. It’s one of the few places where Aegon has hair, whispy soft curls of fine white hair that just nearly disappears against his skin. Tickling over your mouth as you press more kisses, mouth hovering to feel the warmth soak in. Aegon’s thigh twitches when you kiss a vein, and finally- too fast and yet too slow at once, you stare down at the gift you’ve been blessed with.
Well endowed would be the simple man’s term for it.
You were never the most well-behaved girl, and where the fright of your parents’ wrath kept you from fucking any boy who caught your youthful fancy, it didn’t mean you couldn’t look. And look you had, sneaky little eyes skittering between cracks in the walls- greedy as you watched the boys and men, some close to your age, some far older, undress. Greedy, innocent little eyes drinking up all the cocks you had seen and after long enough began to compare.
And Aegon? His cock is fucking thick.
It had frightened you, the first time you saw it. Hadn’t realized that he’d been pining so eagerly after you, the stories told of a man incapable of resisting his urges. That he’d have lied and cheated and stolen his way to you long before your wedding day had he been interested in you like that. Instead, you were met with the sort of sheer girth and shape you simply hadn’t seen in spite of your sinful curiosity. His cockhead an aggravated red, leaking precum with the urgency to have you, bulbous and veiny at the center and ever so slightly curved- not even partially hidden by the hair he has, soft and white where it gathered.
Even now, soft with sleep, you’re sure he could intimidate an experienced whore.
Without the urgent desire to stuff your cunt, he’s not so red. His cock is pretty, even. As far as a mans’ bits could be considered so. Pale like the rest of him and with the same brilliant, powdery pink at the head- not yet exposed by arousal.
You let spit begin to pool in your mouth, gathering steadily until you could lap at it with your tongue- then, slowly, you drag your spit soaked tongue up the expanse of Aegon’s cock in a long, slow stripe.
It’s all it takes, you can hear Aegon inhale heavily as you go. The feeling of his skin is soft against your tongue, ever so faintly salty- and this action alone beckons the first hefty throb of his cock. Finally waking up. Breath escapes him in a heave and you pepper kisses all the way back down, ceasing only once you find yourself nestled into the hair at the base of his shaft.
“Fuck…” It’s a groan, voice completely roughened by sleep. You can watch him clearly when you look up from where you give kitten licks that creep closer and closer to that sensitive little spot just beneath his cockhead. He’s blinking, confused, disarmed as his body shoots to awareness long before his mind manages it.
“Good morning, love.” You murmur softly, sweetly the way you would if you were kissing his cheek and petting his hair while he finally stirs against your chest. Then, without warning, you begin to take him into your mouth.
It’s taken a great deal of patience on his part, and practice on yours- and even still up to this very moment it is incredibly difficult take him completely. The saliva is a necessary aid, drooling out around around him in all the places your mouth is simply too shallow to hold, and your hand reaches out to take the rest. You only just manage to fit your fingers completely, humming with satisfaction now that you have him.
Aegon is breathing more shallowly now, the world twisting disorientingly from the dullness and dark of sleep to the overwhelmingly sharp sensation of your soft little mouth around him. He’s still not entirely sure what happened, knocked off his perch by the suddenness of everything that’s transpiring. But he can feel the soft, wet texture of your tongue wriggle against the underside of his cock, and the back of your throat constrict valiantly around his head- and all attempts at reason are thrown to the wind in favor of how his stomach drops, gut tightens and thighs lock with lightning. Head thumping heavily back against his pillow to let out a breathy ‘oh…’
It’s a reward like no other, his cock twitching heavily the moment you’d swallowed around him. One of his thighs flex beneath the steadying grip of your palm and eagerly you wonder if he’ll keep still like a good boy, or fuck your mouth like a whore. It matters not either way, you intend to take his seed into your mouth by the end of it. You intend to have him all wrung out, stones as empty as his pretty head before he even steps out the door of your shared chambers. More eagerly you bob, starting to pull yourself along him with a guttural, thick smacking noise. The taste is getting headier, saltier, your lips and his cock wetter when his own glistening pre-cum begins to contribute to your heavily salivating mouth.
“My- my girl… My pretty girl- ffff- what i-is this for, hm?” Aegon manages to choke the words past his lips, and you feel his fingers thread gently into your hair, cradling the back of your head as his breath dips from labored to shallow pants. He wasn’t prepared for this, and his end comes careening all the faster for it. No chance to exert control over himself, to draw himself out so he could fuck you good and proper like he likes.
You’d caught him by surprise, and all he can do is let out a horrible, wounded whimper when you whine around him and the vibrations make his head jerk back without his control, chin tipping up toward the sky. It’s straining his throat, tensing his belly so hard that the musculature can be seen. That tongue, pink pink pink like everything else about him, darts free to lick frantically across his lips. Wincing as you twist your own this way and that, suck deep, squeeze his base firmly.
“Hah… You’re- I’m- love I’m close, I’m so-”And as if you set out to fucking kill the man, you throw back the remaining covers, the only modesty that hides from him what you’ve been doing.
Can’t see it the way he’d like, no. But that does nothing to deter the way his arousal pools desperately with the pleasure you’ve already built up in him, captured by the sight of your hips moving frantic and shallow. He can imagine the wet stain beneath you, the way you’re trying so hard- his sweet babe- to chase after some sort of relief or friction on the mattress between his legs. Spread as wide as you can get in your position in the hopes that your clit could fetch against the sheets and zing with the pleasure you give him so readily.
When your palm slides down just a touch further, groping and massaging at his stones, it’s the final strand that breaks. He gives a strangled- desperate noise. A whiny high pitched moan that might pass as some attempt at warning you. And then his world glazes over as that contradictory awful-wonderful sensation absolutely ravages all of his nerves and all possibility to do anything except exist and writhe for you. Mouth squeezing around him, cheeks hollowing, eager licks as the distinct taste of his seed spills into your mouth.
It’s too much for you to get it all, paired with the size of him, and little droplets of pearly white spill out from the corners of your mouth when you pull away- letting him and his cock go slack against the bed. He’s watching you, half lidded and breathing in heavy puffs. Your gaze does not tear away, does not so much as waver when you wipe his seed up from your face with your fingers, sucking it off before you crawl to take your rightful place tucked against him.
His face is beyond flushed, desperately ruddy, eyes glassy and pupils shot. And he watches you with a holy sort of reverence, the kind of thing he never once spared for the Seven.
“Good morning.” He finally gets to say, voice still a bit hefty with sleep- gravelly for entirely different reasons. Your mouth parts with a curling smile reserved just for him- eager to greet him and pepper his face with kisses, and all that comes free is a whine.
His fingers, big and calloused, have taken their place against your clit. There’s no build up, nor tease. He rubs steady little circles there and smiles at the way the bud throbs. He knows he could lean back, see your cute little cunt clench and glisten. It already was, by the wet-spot he is unsurprised to see on the bed- but he wants to work you until it drips in crystalline threads down his arm.
Your brows furrow, he’s getting quicker with it now. The sensations of course, no less immediate than what you’d afforded him- just as raw and overwhelming. The difference is, Aegon has no struggle handling you the way you do him. No, not at all. You’ve a delicate little cunt, just for him. And Aegon is a man who has had women in spades- a man who has played instruments against the immense distaste of his mother his whole life. He had the sort of silver fingers that could make a whore pay him.
Yes, indeed. And you rock your hips into it. Starting to press harder now, starting to change patterns and directions- he seeks you out cleverly and unrelentingly. Trying to find that precise combination that makes you feel it in your teats, makes you tingle and writhe. Makes you try to escape him for the overwhelm of it. Those were the ones he likes, the orgasms where you’d cry from how painfully good it was, how overwhelming.
It makes you all too aware of how empty you are, now. Unfortunate though you do not regret the taste of him on your tongue, nor do you regret the way he’s looking at you- equal parts infatuation and a sort of predatory hunger.
“Did you dream of me, hm?” He says then, voice beginning to turn over as full awareness clears his eyes. “Well? My beautiful wife? Did you dream of taking your husband’s cock all night? Did you dream it would overwhelm you? That you would plead with him to stop because it was too much? That you couldn’t take another release? That you were sure it would kill you?
Is it this that got my wife from her slumber so cursedly early? Is this what drives her to suckle on her husband’s cock like the good girl she is?”
He drives his fingers inward then, groans appreciatively not only at the way you moan for him- you spread the leg you’re not supporting yourself on, open yourself submissively to him and let him see all the more vividly the way your now unattended bud is throbbing and throbbing for it. The pleasure accumulating and running tracks to your nipples, to your clit, the insides of your thighs. It burns and is cold all at once, punctuated by the way that his fingers- just two of them, are so much longer and so much thicker than your own. You could play with yourself like this for hours and simply be frustrated to tears, never reaching as deep as he does right now, fingers curling in such a way that you stammer a pleasured noise and sway into him. Overwhelmed.
“I hope that this is the reason you decided to reward me so lovingly, my dove. Because that’s what’s going to happen, now. I’m going to fuck you senseless.”
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