#prepping to kick the plot in gear

[dronebiscuitbat]

Oil is Thicker Then Blood (Part 9)

Uzi was in the snow, V lie dead, nanite tail pierced through her neck. And sword buried in her chest. N lay in her arms, core quickly fading into nothingness. His visor looking betrayed, oil leaking from his split open chassis. His eyelights and visor were dim, growing dimmer.

“No no no no!, I didn't, N please hold on!” She was trying helplessly to put him back together, trying to hold him together herself using her tail, but the damage was too great, his vents began to cycle down, his core stuttering in his chest.

“Fuck! No! Please! I need you!” She cried, but the dying drone in her arms just smiled, taking her cheek and running this thumb over the bottom crease of her visor.

“You'll be okay.”

His system lurched, and a cascading error flashed on his face accompanied by the loud, horrible screech of his audio devices failing, oil spewed from his mouth as he choked on his last breath.

Then it was over, he laid limp and cold, like any other burned out machine on Copper-9.

“N…V…” She choked out before sobbing into her best freinds hat, her entire body shaking with every heavy heave. She didn't mean to, she didn't...

“Uzi?” She heard his voice from behind her, but that wasn't right… he was dead, dead and never coming back and she'd never gotten to tell him how much he meant to her.

“I'm right here Zi.” She felt arms wrapping around her middle from behind her, she could feel his warmth, but she was still holding his cold body, how…?

“It's okay, I'm okay.” She let out a whimper, the oil stained her hands and body, her teeth glistened with it, she felt bile rise in her throat as she realized it was his oil that stained her mouth, that tasted like heaven on earth.

“Hey, look at me.” The N gently hugging her from behind forced her to look at him with his finger, an action that seemed a bit too aggressive for him, but it did the trick. She ripped her gaze away from the N in her arms.

“It's okay, it's not real, I'm real, I'm right here.” He took her cheek in his hand, denting the soft silicone as his fingers traced the same line as the other N had.

Eventually the dead N in her arms faded away, and the one holding her caressed her cheek, looking at her oh so sweetly, she buried herself into him, not quite believing he was real.

The oil staining her body seemed to evaporate, the fuzziness in her head seemed to slowly clear, although it left her head slightly tender.

“I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…” She whimpered out, she'd lost control, she'd begun to overheat and this time nothing had brought her out of it until both N and V lay lifeless in the snow.

“I'm here, it's okay.” She felt his tail wrap around hers and hold her there, his hand on her back and pushing her into his chest where she could hear his core-beat. He was alive, he had to be, she knew that sound as if it were her own.

“I…need help, I'm scared N.”

“I know, it's gonna be okay. We'll figure it out, together.” He took both of her hands into his own, holding them tightly, all but forcing her to look into those honeyed eyes.

“Please… don't leave me…” one of his hands moved to her cheek, pulling her visor into his, their foreheads met with a light tap from the glass.

“Never.” He purred, sqeezing her hand and pulling it into his chest, where she could still feel his core humming away, grounding her. They remained like that for a long time, until her breathing evened out and her logical thinking returned to her.

“This is a dream… isn't it?” She asked N, and at first he didn't respond, but then his eyes opened and he looked at her with a small smile.

“You're always so smart Zi.” He hummed, still holding her, still pressing his visor against hers. He was so warm.

“You're not the real N either.”

“Yes… No? I'm a real as you want me to be.” His voice went slightly deeper, a blush covering his visor, eyelights heavy in an expression not unlike the one he wore in the nursery.

“Ugh… cliche.” She rolled her eyes but still found herself smiling, this was a much nicer dream, even if this still wasn't the real N. Although it was weird that she couldn't force herself to wake up after she figured out it was a dream.

“But it made you laugh.” He grinned, before his expression changed again, back to sweet, back to loving. Back to making her core flutter with how he was looking at her.

“You want me to kiss you, right?” He asked, cocking his head like it was a completely normal question and not asking about a kiss. She felt her entire artificial nervous system alight.

“I… No. I don't.” She lied terribly, something dream N caught onto immediately, somehow pressing them closer without closing what little gap there was between their visors.

“You're a terrible lair Zi.” He whispered, sending chills up her back as his expression changed again into something she'd never seen on his face before. Longing.

“Even if I do, you aren't the real N.” She hissed, feeling too soft and falling back onto being prickly, all he did was laugh though, much like the real N whenever she fell back into habit with him.

“Then tell the real N. Or stop pretending you don't want this and kiss me.” He said simply, which sounded more like something that would come out of V’s mouth than N’s, but Uzi couldn't bring herself to argue. Instead finding herself drawn in by how… forward he was being.

She looked away, still feeling his warmth, his core humming, his hand caressing her face like she was the most precious thing in the world to him. Well… this was just a dream, it's not like anyone would know.

And so she looked back, nervously smiling leaning in closer.

He did the same, his hand falling to her hip as he closed the gap…

And she snapped awake.

“Agh… huh?” It felt as though she was slapped by a wet peice of meat, her head groggy and limbs feeling fuzzy.

Most of all though, she felt warm. Which could only mean that the real N was the one that was radiating that warmth, and his core-beat humming gently next to her head.

She squeaked, blushing so hot she felt it burn her neck. She was as close to him as she could possibly get, legs tangled in his, hands gripping the fur of his jacket, and tail wound tightly around his.

Thank Robo-God he was asleep, otherwise she may have overheated and died right there and then. What a way to go.

His hat had been jostled off, revealing more of his platinum blonde hair, he was snoring lightly, and his tail twitched a little, followed by an incomprehensible mumble.

He looked adorable.

She went over her memories of the night before, the events being foggy, at best. Only to find her blush getting larger as she realized how out of it she'd been.

She'd called him a bird! Please bury her in the corpse spire where she'd never be found.

But it wasn't entirely her fault, her dreams had been so… vivid lately, even the one she'd just awoken from had been rather tame, nothing compared to the lovecraftian horrors she'd normally had to face. She never seemed to get much sleep.

She checked her charge, surprised to see that the first time in a long time, she was fully charged.

“Huh… thanks N.” She mumbled, slowly unwinding herself from his rather tight grip. Putting her tail away and looking around, trying to find her beanie, only to find it lodged in N's grip.

She leaned forward and pulled it gently, trying to snatch in back, only for his grip to immediately tighten, and a small growl escape from his chassis.

Well that was new.

“N, it's me, gimme my beanie.” She said flatly, pulling a little harder.

At the sound of her voice his growl immediately died, and his grip loosened allowing her to pull it out of his grasp.

“Zi…” He mumbled, causing a violet blush to invade her visor, immediately reminded of her dream, she wasn't sure what drew her in with that nickname.

“Yeah, I'm here goober.” She replied back, putting on her beanie and fixing her hair, which was much less tangled than usual. Weird.

She stood up, looking around N's nest, it was filled with salvaged blankets, pillows, and plush animals, covering up the macabre walls of the corpse spire with as much as possible.

She wondered how this effected him, sleeping in a structure made of his past victims, not all of them were his doing sure, but many were. Would he want to move into the bunker? Move out of this giant reminder of his pain?

She'd have to ask.

She stretched, letting out her wings and tail again to stretch them up and out as well before scrambling up the spire using the hands on her wings to check up on it's other inhabitant.

Only to find V was gone, her near empty nest vacant. Only a strip of paper laid on the edge, ripped straight from a notebook.

Lissy’s

Was the only thing written in loopy, cursive handwriting, Uzi couldn't help but smile a little bit. For a drone hellbent on murder, she sure had a soft spot for the popular drone.

While there wasn't a lot in V's nest, there were some personal items, namely a pair of glasses, a digital makeup set, her prom dress, and a knife sharpener. Because of course, it was V.

There was also a singular plush, an old ratted one that looked ancient. It was a dog, more specifically a golden retriever. With a once white, now yellow, bone in it's mouth.

Uzi felt her core pang with a split second of jealousy, even though she shouldn't and it was wildly out of place. V had a soft spot for N, they'd been… close, for lack of a better word. And Uzi knew that, she'd seen both their memories, and she also knew V had changed a lot since then, if she still harbored feelings, she didn't show them very well.

After jealousy, she felt happy that maybe they'd be able to rekindle some sort of friendship out of whatever mess they had going on right now. They both deserved that, even if V would fight like hell rather than ever admit that was something she would want.

They were rather alike in that way.

She shook it off, put the note back where it was and flew further up the spire into J’s nest, which was completely empty. Save for one item. A framed picture of a young human girl, with the insignia Tessa.

That and a shit ton of JCJenson pens, all stacked neatly in the corner. Good old OCD.

She let out a sigh before letting herself glide down back to edge of N's nest, where he'd fallen over, curling around his own hat that he was gripping tightly. His nanite canister next to his head.

It was still light out, although the sun was getting rather low in sky, beginning to tint the sky a pastel pink.

So she sat watching it go down, a hand on N's back, and swiped through her playlist, oh wait…

She'd forgotten she'd added Eternal Dream to her playlist, and she'd seen he'd saved it to his own system, a blush made it's way to her face, happy he liked it but embarrassed he'd heard it.

She'd listened to it on repeat the entire week after prom, committing the entire thing to permanent memory, it was sappy as hell and she'd never admit it, but it was one of the only songs she'd ever sung; In the privacy of her room of course.

Still, she set it to play as her fingers found their way into his hair, untangling the strands, she felt him relax, a low purr coming from his chassis.

And she smiled.

Next ->

[goldenpeng]

I finally kicked my ass into gear and finished some prep work. In celebration, I place down a little plotting/starter call! Please specify muse(s) if you're a multi. I'll message you for plotting should you request it or in the case that I struggle to come up with an appropriate scenario for our muses.

Also, feel free to ask for a starter for any of my other muses on @yunarise should you prefer them over Xiao! (casual promo -makes pspsps noises at you-)

[seaofthethives]

Sea of Thieves on PS5: A Vibrant and Accessible Adventure

Sea of Thieves has finally anchored on PS5, bringing along years of content updates, quality of life tweaks, and some of the best-looking water in any game. But is this ex-Xbox exclusive still worth playing six years after its debut? And how friendly is it for newbies like us? After sailing with a crew on PS5, Sea of Thieves proves to be one of the most accessible live service games out there, and we’re hyped to see it grow on PlayStation. We’ve always had a low-key crush on Sea of Thieves. With its vibrant art style and meme-worthy viral clips over the years, it always looked like a blast with friends. And just a few hours in, it’s clear that Sea of Thieves is exactly the kind of fun we hoped for—and even more.

Sea of Thieves: Seamless Cross-Platform Play

This open seas online adventure has you and up to three friends tackling navigation, storms, and naval combat while loading your ship with treasure—and maybe taking a break to buy Xbox games. That's pretty much the core gameplay loop of Sea of Thieves, but it’s what makes it so fun. Developer Rare has created one of the most user-friendly live service games we've ever played. This game isn’t about grinding levels or perfecting builds. Instead, it's all about crafting fun, action-packed adventures for you and your crew. By doing treasure hunts and bounties, you rank up in one of the game’s three factions, unlocking more rewarding missions. However, the real rewards are purely cosmetic, changing the game’s structure fundamentally. “Levelling up” here means getting better knowledge and tactics to play more effectively. This setup means us PS5 newbies can jump in with Xbox veterans without having to catch up. Sure, there's stuff to learn and meta aspects to uncover, but there won't be any level gaps between you and your team. After falling behind in games like Destiny 2 and Diablo 4, it’s super refreshing to find a live service game that lets you play at your own pace.

Sea of Thieves: Dynamic Team Combat

Once you get the hang of the game, what’s the actual gameplay like? Unsurprisingly, navigation is a huge part of Sea of Thieves, whether you're charting your course through stormy waters or taking a moment to buy PS5 games while plotting your next adventure. Whether you're sailing a Sloop, Brigantine, or Galleon, you and your crew need to work together to reach your destination. You’ve got to use the lower deck map, angle the sails to catch the wind, steer at the helm, and even spot dangers from the crow’s nest. Everyone's got a role, keeping you engaged with the game and your crew. With no map markers, you need to pay attention to the world and in-game navigation tools, making the sea travel feel super immersive. But navigating your ship is just the beginning of your adventures, as the seas are full of other players. Player-operated ships aren’t marked by gamer tags unless seen through a spyglass, which means you’ll be constantly on the lookout for threats from the crow’s nest. The world is so vast that you’ll be guessing the intentions of distant ships based on their sail positioning and movement alone. Realizing a bigger ship is chasing you is a thrilling experience that kicks your crew into high gear. The constant game of cat and mouse is a blast as you load cannons, prep for quick turns, and change tactics on the fly. Combat itself is a team effort: one person steers, another fires, and someone else bails water and repairs the ship. There’s a chaotic flexibility to the fights, where retreating is as viable as launching a crewmate via cannon onto the enemy ship to drop their anchor. Sinking an enemy ship, even if it means losing your own, brings a euphoric sense of victory, like outsmarting your foe in a watery chess match.

Embracing Pirate Adventures in Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves is an absolute blast when you’re rolling with your crew. With its focus on customizing your pirate's look, we dove into the pirate life easily—even after six years of updates and seasonal changes. Its natural and immersive sailing mechanics make it a sandbox on the high seas that’s definitely worth exploring. Plus, the game’s emphasis on cosmetics over hardcore loot grinding means you can chill and play at your own pace. Getting the hang of the game’s mechanics, whether it’s outsmarting rivals or selling your plunder efficiently, is a real joy. It might not have the intense grind of other live service games, but there’s endless pirate antics to enjoy here. We’re stoked that PlayStation players can finally hop aboard and join the swashbuckling madness.

[joeschrader]

Fall Hiking: My Prep for Hunting Season

As I walked through a hardwood forest, each step crunching on dead leaves, my shoulders began to relax. The breeze that blew through spoke of fall as it made the leaves tremble. The shaking leaves made shadows dance across the ground and the sun that slanted through the branches was a golden sun, an autumn sun. The crisp, fresh air felt good as it hit my lungs.

Each step took my mind farther and farther from the stress and the hardship of the real world. I wanted to disappear into the early fall woods forever. I wanted to disappear into the approaching world of beautiful colors, cool temperatures, fragrant woodsmoke and deer hunting.

The thought of deer hunting stirred up an excitement that pulled my mind back to the present. It reminded me of the reason I was out there in the first place. The extra weight that rode in my backpack was my true purpose for being on the hill. As much as I loved the walk, I had come to set up my trail camera.

For anybody that doesn’t know, a trail camera is a device that is left out in the forest with the hopes of capturing a picture while you are not around. They carry a sensor that, when something moves in front of the camera, it will take a picture or even a video. They can have many uses, but I use mine to catch pictures of deer that I hope to shoot later on in the season. There are many different kinds of cameras, including those that will send pictures directly to your phone. Mine, however, is a simple model made by Stealth Cam. It has an infrared light that allows it to take pictures at night and different settings that allow it to take a single picture, a video or a three image burst. It does not send them to my phone, rather it has an sd card that I had to retrieve to view the pictures.

I chose to set it in a reliable location where I had, during previous years, caught a lot of pictures. If you are hoping to catch pictures of game, the most success will come from setting it in a location that will attract a lot of game. Whether that is a trail, a food plot or even a natural attraction for the animal. Across a four wheeler path from my camera is a natural spring with an apple tree growing next to it. Deer are attracted to the apples and to the water.

As hunting season drew nearer, setting my camera was not the only preparation that I had begun to make. Even as I tightened the strap on my camera I could feel the weariness in my arm from drawing back my bow string. The best way to make sure that you make a good shot is by practicing until a good shot becomes natural. If you are hoping to have a successful hunt, that is the safest and most reliable way. Along with practice, I had also begun to gather my gear, so when opening weekend came I would be ready to hunt.

Bow season would begin on October first, kicking off my favorite part of the year. While I will also hunt during rifle, bow season is my favorite time to be out. DuringOctober, I carry a left handed Mission bow with nothing fancy attached to it. It has, roughly, a sixty-five pound draw with a simple whisker biscuit rest and a peep site paired with a three pin airming system.

I grew up reading a lot of fantasy so carrying a bow in the woods is a pleasure for me. It gives me an opportunity to feel like one of the heroes I idolized as a kid. But, aside from that, October is a beautiful time to be in the forest. Hear, in Upstate New York, October is a month filled with colorful foliage, refreshing temperature and incredible weather. While the possibility of a successful hunt is its own motivation, the foliage alone is enough to shake me out of bed at four in the morning. It is more then enough for me to wrap myself in wool and fleece so I can battle the cold and enjoy the foliage.

After hanging my camera, my descent off the hill allowed me to sink back into my own head. Once again I began to dream of hiking in a world of orange, yellow and red. As fall and hunting season approach, I grow more and more excited. I cannot wait to be back up on the hill in a couple weeks, this time with a bow in my hand.

[ailtrahq]

Ethereum’s developers launched a new testnet that’s being touted as a promising alternative to the aging Goerli network. Dubbed “Holešky,” the testnet was designed to facilitate staking, infrastructure, and protocol development. Ethereum preps for future Ethereum, the blockchain powering the world’s second-largest crypto by market cap, is continually evolving to meet the demands of a rapidly growing blockchain ecosystem. To keep pace with the ambitious roadmap, Ethereum developers have introduced a new testnet called “Holešky.”  At the core of the Holešky testnet launch is its unprecedented initial supply of 1.6 billion Holešky testnet Ether (HETH). This substantial allocation is provided to validators on Holešky’s inaugural day to kick start network operations. In contrast, it’s worth noting that this token amount is ten times more than what the main Ethereum network currently holds. Ethereum developer Tim Beiko justified this allocation, stating that “devnets [are] regularly using 10B supply.” This move ensures that Holešky has ample resources to support the development and testing of new features. Retiring the Goerli testnet Before Holešky emerged, the Goerli testnet was Ethereum’s primary platform for testing new staking, infrastructure, and protocol developments. Concerns began to surface in October when developers voiced their reservations about Goerli’s insufficient supply of Goerli ETH to meet testing requirements. Holešky’s generous HETH supply is expected to address this issue effectively. In tandem with Holešky’s launch, Ethereum developers have been encouraging application developers to migrate from Goerli to Sepolia, a move that leaves only protocol developers on the old network. The Ethereum team has set its sights on deprecating Goerli in January 2024. Following deprecation, Goerli will receive another year of maintenance before being permanently shut down, as outlined in official documentation. The advent of Holešky marks a critical juncture in Ethereum’s journey. The platform is poised to implement a slew of transformative features, including proto-danksharding, danksharding, and Verkle trees. These innovations reduce transaction fees and make running a node more cost-effective. To ensure seamless integration into the mainnet, each feature will undergo rigorous testing on Holešky, underscoring the testnet’s pivotal role in Ethereum’s development pipeline. Relentless development  Ethereum’s commitment to innovation remains unwavering. Recent upgrades, including the Shanghai upgrade, have already introduced substantial scalability, security, and functionality improvements. Ethereum researcher Christine Kim affirms that Ethereum’s development community is far from complacent and is already plotting the next wave of enhancements. The blockchain’s execution layer (EL) and consensus layer (CL) are the focal points of these upcoming code changes. While Holešky gears up for pivotal infrastructure and protocol testing, Ethereum has also made strides in simplifying the process of launching tokens on its blockchain.  Ethereum developer Aram Mughalyan recently revealed a groundbreaking development. Using the OpenZeppelin Contract Wizard, Mughalyan demonstrated how anyone can create a new token on the Ethereum blockchain in under one minute. This streamlined process allows broader token innovation within the Ethereum ecosystem. Ether price analysis According to data from CoinGecko, the price of Ethereum (ETH) stands at $1,628; over the past seven days, the token has recorded a 0.07% increase. Ethereum’s market capitalization stands at more than $195 billion. On Sept. 11, ETH witnessed a dip to $1,530 before rebounding to its current valuation. The introduction of the Holešky testnet and the simplification of token launches on Ethereum demonstrate the blockchain’s commitment to staying at the forefront of Web3 innovation. These developments pave the way for a more robust and accessible Ethereum ecosystem with exciting prospects. 

[venusiangguk]

gold rush pt. 3 | jjk (m)

>>pairing: jungkook x reader

>>genre: pwp, v little plot, smut, kinda fluffy, college au (kinda), established relationship

>>word count: 9.9k um?

>>warnings: pegging!!!, butt stuff!!!, sexy anal!!!, sub jk, soft dom oc, crying why do i always make everyone cry, fingering (m), strap on, dildos, vibrators, sex toys, sex shop adventures, explicit sex, like so explicit this bitch is basically 10k, mutual masturbation, coming untouched, kisses, aftercare in the form of snacks, titty squeezing, dirty talk, excessive use of pet names, yoongi exists

>>notes: i wasn’t gonna write this bc ur girl does not know the first thing about pegging, but jk sucking the strap came to me in a dream and i had to do it. it was highly requested so i hope u like it! i wrote and poorly edited this whole thing today so im sorry for any mistakes !! 

>>summary: jk wants the strap, and jk gets what he wants !!

pt.1 | pt. 2 | pt. 3

The sun is shining, and there’s just the perfect amount of breeze to cool Jeongguk as sweat runs down his temple. The soccer pitch just got cut, making the ball much easier to control, and therefore much easier to aim at Jimin’s ass. It’s cool-down time, so the team is in groups of three, idly kicking the ball between each other, for the last few minutes of practice. All in all, a great day to talk about getting pegged with his best friends.

Jeongguk glances around the field, making sure the other groups are far enough away from him and his friends before clearing his throat. “So… do you guys like… get pegged?”

When Taehyung passes the ball to Jimin, Jimin completely misses it due to the fact that he is looking at Jeongguk like he is the most pitiful human on the planet. Jeongguk adjusts his shin guard to avoid the scrutiny.

“Gguk… honey… are you dumb?”

Taehyung’s jogging back after retrieving the ball that ran astray. “No, Mini. He’s straight.” He kicks the ball to Jeongguk. “If by ‘pegged’ you mean fucked in the ass by a real dick, then yeah. We do.”

Jeongguk receives the ball with a ‘rainbow’ and juggles it from his thigh to his laces, balancing the ball for a second before kicking it to Jimin. He nods, contemplative. “Nice.”

“Okay ace.” He passes to Taehyung, before throwing Jeongguk a teasing look. “You thinking about taking it up the ass, Gukkie?”

“Perhaps I’m contemplating.” He sniffs nose in the air.

Taehyung laughs. “Got your button milked once and now you wanna take a phallic shaped object? Proud of you.” He places his hand over his heart, like the mere thought of Jeongguk getting railed makes his heart warm.

A whistle blows, and Jeongguk kicks the ball up to his arm, tucking it into the curve of his trim waist. “Why does everyone call it a button? And it hasn’t only been once.” He sounds exasperated and so so tired.

His friends jog to bump shoulders with him as they make their way to the locker rooms. “Hey, jokes aside, I think it’s cool you’re like comfortable enough, or whatever, with __ to explore the things you like.” Taehyung says.

Jeongguk rolls his eyes. “Okay Dad.”

“No seriously!” Jimin insists, holding the locker room door open for them. Fuck the rest of the team. “She seems good for you. Babys you like you need.” Jimin laughs.

Jeongguk’s shirt gets caught on his head as he squawks. “I don’t just like being babied, fuck you.”

“Okay so she also entertains your sadistic side. She’s the full package.”

Jeongguk looks down with a blush. He shrugs his shoulders lightly before bending over to get out of his gear. “She’s pretty cool I guess.”

Taehyung knees him while he’s still bent over making him stumble a bit. “Awe, Jeonggukkie is in love.”

“Shut up.” Jeongguk smacks him in the face with his smelly sock.

“When you gonna do it?” Jimin asks, buttoning his new pants. 

Apparently they aren’t showering today. Jeongguk will just have to stop at his dorm before heading to yours to help you study. That reminds him that you have a test on Friday, but are free this weekend. He just so happens to be free as well. The team they were supposed to play had to forfeit because their coach got caught sleeping with one of the cheerleaders. Sucks, but good for Jeongguk and his little asshole.

“Maybe this weekend.” With their backpacks on, they start the trek back to the dorms. It’s nearing night now, the sun just starting to set in the sky. Jeongguk pulls out his phone to tell you he’s stopping by his place before heading to you. You reply quickly.

baby🥺💘😏🧠🙄👊🏻:

okie

wanna have sex instead of helping me study 

me:

yeah but im not gonna 

just think about how good the sex will be when u get an a 

baby🥺💘😏🧠🙄👊🏻:

🙄

When Jeongguk pockets his phone, Taehyung speaks up.

“You think she’ll be down?”

Jeongguk doesn’t hesitate. “Yeah, probably.”

Ever since the first time you made him cum untouched, butt stuff has been a moderately regular occurrence for you both as a long-term, healthy, pro-ass eating couple. Honestly it was mostly him getting his butt played with, but he supposed it made sense. Like Jimin explained to his once naïve self, it was just biological- or something. Whatever. He wonders if three fingers will be enough to fit a fake dick in his ass. He asks his friends.

“Eh…” Jimin starts, looking up like he’s thinking. “Maybe, but you might wanna try to get to four, maybe five if you're using hers, since she’s tiny.”

Jeongguk’s mouth falls open and he pales. Taehyung notices and laughs.

“Don’t get scared. It’s just better to over-prep than under-prep. And like obviously you work up to it, she’s not just gonna shove her fist or her cock up your ass.”

Her cock. A little tingle settles in Jeongguk’s lower belly at the statement. He’s been thinking about this for a while, looking at porn in his free time. Seeing the way the guys moan on their girls’ strap always gets him hard. Seeing how hard their cocks get when the toy hits them just right. He throbs when he sees the guys cum just from the strap, no hands. Maybe he should fuck you when he gets to your dorm instead of helping you study. His cock is feeling a little plump.

“Alright well… Bye, thanks for being gay and answering my anal questions!”

As he’s pressing the button to his elevator, they lived on opposite sides of the athlete dorm and there were different elevators for each of the wings, Jimin chirps, “Don’t forget to empty your asshole really well, and don’t eat the day of! Also buy extra lube and put a spare blanket down!”

Jeongguk winces. Valuable information indeed, information he mentally pockets, but did he need to yell it in the dorm common room?

“Noted!” He yells back at the elevator dings and opens up. Jeongguk pretends like he doesn’t meet the curious, kind of confused gaze of one of his teammates. He must have walked in while Jimin was yelling and only caught the end of the conversation while waiting for the same elevator. Jeongguk gets in and immediately closes the doors. He can catch the next lift.

~~~

Jeongguk’s got his head in your lap and you’re running your fingers through his long, silky hair. He showered today, so waves of his aromatherapy lavender shampoo are wafting up to you. Sweet boy. He seems sidetracked, occasionally sighing and subtly twisting, but is still more or less purring on your thigh, feet tucked up onto the cushion of the couch. Netflix is on the small tv that was left by the last person who lived there, you’re mac book connected via HDMI. You’re not really paying attention. Mind kind of tired from all the studying you had done this week. Jeongguk fidgets a tiny bit again, wiggling like he’s trying to get comfortable. He huffs a sigh.

“Hey,” You say softly, getting his attention.

His body curves at the waist, causing his t-shirt to bunch up and show off the dip of his hip bone. He looks up at you with wide eyes. He seems surprisingly awake. Must have some busy little bees buzzing around his mind. He makes a little questioning noise.

“You okay? You’re kinda fussy.” You murmur.

He groans. “I-  am just thinking.”

“About?” You drag the word out in a singsong-y manner.

The way Jeongguk’s face flushes is so pretty, you have to stop yourself from cooing. 

He moves himself from your lap and sits facing you. He looks like he's thinking about what to say, or how to say what he’s thinking so hard about. 

Eloquently he states, “I’m horny.”

You glance at his cock. Not quite hard, but a little happy and excited. You chuckle, leaning towards him, giving him a playfully sexy look. “Okay, let’s fuck baby.”

Jeongguk blushes even more, cheeks tinted red, while he leans away from you.

You pout. “What?”

Again he pauses, a small pout on his lips. He seems to be in a soft, needy, difficult mood. You’re probably going to have to pry what he wants to say out of his mouth.

With another uncalled for exasperated huff, Jeongguk rolls his eyes and moves closer to you before catching you by surprise and swinging a leg over your lap. He’s facing you while he straddles your thighs. His arms are looped around your neck, he’s playing with a little bit of your hair, twirling the long length around his fingers. You smile up at him, gently. Your palms squeeze at his narrow hips encouragingly.

“I want to try something new…” He says. He sounds nervous and looks at you the same.

“Mhmm.” You say, fighting a smile. 

“Really bad. Like I want it really bad.” His hips roll, probably unconsciously from the way he closes his eyes to ground himself. 

You peek at his lap, and his cock is bulging, the fabric of his sweatpants doing nothing to help hide it. You bring your hand to it, and massage him through his pants.

He whines and pushes against your palm before a hand comes down and grabs your wrist, stopping the movement. “Quit it, I’m trying to talk.” He’s so petulant and whiny.

You move your hand away and place it back on his hip, giggling a little. “Well spit it out, then.”

He scowls. You reach up and smooth the wrinkle in his brow before trailing it down and cupping his cheek. He softens immediately, melts like butter in your hands. His eyes close and he lets out a soft sigh, body relaxing a little.

He’s whispering, kinda giggling out of embarrassment, when he says, “I want you to fuck me.” He pauses, peeking at you through his lashes. “Like for real.”

Almost instantly a little spark ignites in your belly, and you feel your pussy get that telltale heartbeat. You didn’t want to push Jeongguk into anything, but you’ve been thinking about taking the ‘next step’ with your… ass-plorations for some time. But you figured he would get to the same point on his own, and would come to you when he was ready. Turns out you know him as well as you thought you did.

“Yeah?” You rub your free hand up his side. 

He nods quickly, eagerly. You pinch his cheek lightly, and he retaliates by trying to bite at it. To avoid the attack it finds his way back to his waist.

“When did you want to? Tonight?”

He wiggles impossibly closer to you. Kisses you quick before nodding again. “Yeah. I um. I already like prepped… mostly. I prepped what I could by myself.” He pauses with a cute thinking face. “You will probably have to help me a little. But yeah. I got ready for you just in case.” He nods.

You hum, glancing at the old clock on the wall, another gift from the prior tenant. 11:52 pm. 

“If we hurry, we can make it to a sex shop? They don’t usually close until 2 or 3 in the morning.” You suggest.

Jeongguk bites his lip, smiling excitedly. “Really? Can we?”

You roll your eyes playfully. “Yeah, duh.” You lean up and give him a speedy, but thorough kiss, smiling into it. “Been wanting to peg you for so long.” 

His face scrunches endearingly. “Don’t call it that.”

He hops off your lap, and goes to grab the keys, wasting no time. He stands by the door expectantly. His cock is, extremely obviously, sticking out. Someone didn’t wear his briefs today.

“Can you like… kill that?” You’re laughing as you tug on some sweats of your own, having only been lounging in your panties and one of his shirts. Your usual at home attire.

He looks down, and has a smug grin on his face when he looks at you again. “It’ll go down in the car. Hurry up!”

~~~

A dildo looks so much bigger when one is looking at it knowing that it will be inside of them within the next few hours. And there are so many options and colors. Some vibrate, some have fake pubic hair on them. Some have balls that are squishy and feel eerily… accurate.

Jeongguk isn’t having second thoughts, no. But he is having thoughts. Very overwhelming thoughts. 

You’re next to your boyfriend, glancing between him and the varying selection of fake cocks displayed in front of you both, trying to gauge his reaction. He looks a little pale, but tentatively excited. Curious at the very least.

“Which one do you want?” You ask.

“No idea.” He responds, eyes wide.

Like most store clerks, one shows up, almost like they have a built in ‘customer needs help and has no idea which dildo to get to peg her super hot boyfriend’ radar. 

“You guys need help?” He is a small man, with a monotone voice. He looks like he would rather be anywhere else at 12:30am on a Saturday night. 

“NO!” Jeongguk says quickly and loudly. Very loudly.

Both you and the store clerk flinch, looking at him shocked.

Jeongguk shifts on his feet. “No.” He says in a more socially acceptable tone. “No- I’m sorry. But we’re uh-” He grabs your arm and pulls you closer. “We’re good, thanks.”

The clerk looks between you and Jeongguk and the dildos. “Um… Alright.” He starts to walk away before he turns back around. “Well if you change your mind, I’m Yoongi and I’ll be at the counter. If your toy is electric I’ll test it in the back before you leave… We uh- provide batteries with your purchase if needed…” With one last glance, a very judgmental one in Jeongguk’s opinion, Yoongi takes his place at said counter. His eyes flicker to you guys every once in a while.

“Baby,” You grab Jeongguk’s face between your palms and make him look at you. You squeeze and his lips poke out making him look like a guppy. He blinks. “I know you’re nervous, but it’s going to be okay.”

He rolls his eyes, guppy face and all. “Well obviously. I just- We don’t need help.” He wiggles out of your grip, much like a… guppy.

You grin, trying not to laugh, and just be the supportive girlfriend you are. “Okay, did you decide which one you want?”

A side glance. “Not yet…”

You walk up and go to grab a pink sparkly one.

“Uh, not that one.”

You quirk an eyebrow and move your hand to a larger one.

“No.”

You play a little game of dildo hot or cold until you have a better idea of what Jeongguk wants. His preference seems to be skin tone, close to his own, with a more realistic feel. Normal balls though, not squishy. Also no faux hair. You thank him for that. If you actually had a penis it would surely be waxed. Bless Jeongguk for doing the same. As for size, he leaned more towards a very normal, moderate size. Maybe 5 or 6 inches at most, not too thick. Smaller than himself. One last option.

“Do you want it to vibrate?” You ask, holding one in your hand testing the numerous different settings.

He shakes his head, answering quick. “No.”

He pauses.

“Wait.” He thinks. “Maybe. Should we? You could use it too?” 

Sweet, kind, considerate angel. Always thinking about you and your pleasure. Couples who share the strap last the longest.

You shrug, pointing out, “I could use one that doesn’t vibrate too.”

He looks offended and sounds snotty. “Uh, you don’t need to.”

“Whatever. Why don’t we get both?”

You had a point. He pretends to ponder it, before nodding, already persuaded. “Okay.” 

“We need the harness now.”

You begin the harness hunt, walking through the store, coming across many a things, but for some reason you both keep missing them. They’re nowhere to be found. 

“Maybe they’re sold out?” He tries.

“Doubt it. Let’s go ask.” You grab him by his pinky and try to drag him to the counter. He resists. 

“Let’s not.”

“Koo.” You say giving him a look.

He whines, throwing his head back. Borderline throwing a fit. You hold your ground, smiling.

He’s easy to give in. Being a brat just on principle. “Fine but you’re talking.”

You stand on your tiptoes and kiss his cheek. “Of course, baby.” With his pinky in hand, you make your way to the counter.

The store clerk, Yoongi, if you remember correctly, is sitting behind the counter hunched over smiling at his phone. He doesn’t seem to notice you’re there.

You clear your throat gently, “Excuse me?”

Yoongi jumps, almost throwing his phone. “Fuck!” He exclaims. His fists come up ready to fight before he sees it’s you and Jeongguk. He then places his hand over his heart. “Shit, you scared me.” He chuckles, recovering quickly. “How can I help you?”

You stare at him for a moment longer before speaking up. “Um yeah, I was just wondering where your harnesses are?”

He leans on the counter, head in his hand looking kinda bored. “Hanresses? What kind? Hanging harness? Body harness?”

You glance at Jeongguk and he looks like he’s going to die.

“The um- strap on harnesses?” Your voice goes to a whisper when you say it, despite it just being you guys in the store.

Yoongi sits up, and looks at you, and then looks at Jeongguk. A look of understanding comes over his face along with an amused smile. He nods to himself, while getting up to help you. “Nice. Follow me.”

Jeongguk gapes at the ‘nice’ and looks at you in disbelief. You pat his butt telling him to get going. 

With some help from Yoongi you pick out a harness that looks supportive and comfortable, the ring that holds the dildo, compatible with both the ones that you plan on getting. It’s a simple adjustable black one. Yoongi recommended wearing something under it if the straps dig into you and irritate. He seems bored, but he’s actually very good at his job, and very knowledgeable.  

Finally you’re at the counter. You place all the items in Yoongi’s reach and he’s just about to tell you the total when Jeongguk perks up.

“Wait!” He says before scurrying off.

It’s quiet for a split second. Before the clerk speaks up.

“He’s cute.”

You smile, “Thanks, he’s mine.”

Yoongi laughs, small little fish teeth and gums on display. Must be a Pisces. You know Pisces teeth. “Does he have any cute friends?”

You nod. “Yeah, but they are dating.”

He shrugs. “Don’t care.”

“Uh… I can give you their Instagrams?”

He pulls out his phone, and follows them right there after a quick glance at their pages. Confidence is nice.

There’s a short lull in the conversation. And Jeongguk seems to be taking his sweet time getting something you guys must have forgotten. Or the poor things lost. It’s a big store. You speak up this time.

“Do you have like a manager I could leave a review for? You were really helpful, and seemed like you really knew what you were talking about.”

He shakes his head. “Nah, I own the place. You think I would be here on a Saturday night if it wasn’t obligatory? Thanks, though.”

“Oh.” You say. That was pretty impressive. The store was quite successful based on the reviews. You would make sure to let Jimin and Taehyung know Yoongi was a business man.

“Okay, I’m back.” Jeongguk announces. “Sorry I forgot where it was.”

He places 2 (two) large bottles of lube on the counter. You cough out a laugh.

“Baby, we have lube at home.”

“But do we have enough?”

“I think maybe one more would be more than enough.”

He ignores you, looking Yoongi in the eyes for the first time tonight. “Add both please.”

Yoongi nods, looking a little scared of Jeongguk’s seriousness, and does as he’s ordered.

After Jeongguk pays, and you both are making your way to the exit, Yoongi calls out, “Good luck, tell your friends to follow me back!”

“Uh- Okay?” Jeongguk yells back. When you’re in the parking lot, he asks, “What the heck was that about?”

You shake your head, laughing to yourself. “Don’t worry about it.”

~~~

As soon as you get back to your dorm, the atmosphere is thick, full of tension and nervous anticipation. Jeongguk’s fidgety, eager to get started. You’re not far off, but contain yourself a little more. Need to keep control of the situation in case Jeongguk gets deep into his mood.

You guys are in the bathroom now, each one washing a toy before you use it. You make sure to unwrap the harness and the lube as well, both at Jeongguk’s insistent request, ensuring you don’t have to stop and deal with it later. 

“Let’s just get undressed in here, it’s where my hamper is.” You say already tugging your shirt over your head, tits bouncing freely. Jeongguk went without briefs today, and you went without a bra.

Jeongguk quietly follows suit, and you don’t miss the way his hands are trembling a little in anticipation. When you’re both naked he kisses you quickly, and jiggles your boobs a little just because they are there and because he can, before saying, “Okay, lets go.” He’s out the bathroom before you can even respond. You laugh to yourself and gather the stuff he forgot in his excitement.

When you walk out with your hands full, you see Jeongguk spreading out a blanket over your comforter.

“Whatcha doin?” You ask curiously, placing the items on the nightstand.

“Gets messy. Wanna save your bedding.” He states.

You squawk, grabbing the blanket he set up on your bed. “Not my baby blanket you monster.”

He laughs, abs tensing. You notice he’s already hanging a little heavy between his thighs. “Sorry. Was the first one I saw.” He walks over to the couch and replaces the blanket that’s hanging over the back with your baby blanket and resets up. “Better?” he asks, extended his arm towards your bed to show off his work.

You nod, and take the few steps needed to close the space between you both. Your hand runs down his belly, and you feel his muscles jump, and you see little goosebumps sprout all over. His hands come up to cup your tits. You kiss softly where his heart is. You look up at him.

“I love you.” You smile.

He blushes. “Love you.” He whispers, before he leans down and slots your lips together.

It’s eager from the start. Your bodies press together, as your hands roam. When he takes a breath and surges back in, your teeth click together is his haste, before his tongue slips into your mouth. He groans into you, his hand going down to cup your ass, squeezing and pulling you impossibly closer. 

You feel his cock against your belly, almost fully hard already. You reach down to wrap a hand around him, wanting to help him get there before you get started. He hisses, thrusting forward instinctively before pulling away. He looks like he hates that he does.

“No- I,” He’s already short of breath, chest rising and falling a little bit faster than normal. “I wanna watch you cum. With the toy.” He reaches around you, grabbing the vibrating dildo. “Please?” He asks. His eyes are fervent.

You take the toy in your hand, and kiss him again softly. “Yeah, baby. Whatever you. It’s all about you tonight.”

He shakes his head. “Always about you too.” 

Your heart beats, happy in your chest. You thought about it earlier in the night, but Jeongguk really was the best lover. He always, always made sure you were taken care of, before, during, and after sex. He was so vocal and communicative, genuinely wanting you to know it was always about both of you, even if one was receiving more attention. He was caring like that in and out of the bedroom. You were so lucky to be his.

“You’re too good to me,” You laugh, climbing onto the bed. You settle back against your pillows, propping some behind you so you can see him, and watch him while you get off. He takes his place in front of you, looking at you expectantly.

He’s impatient, placing his hands on your knees, spreading you open so he can see your cunt. You let him get you into position before saying, “Keep your hands to yourself now, okay?”

He nods, eyes never leaving your pussy. He licks his lips. “Okay.” It’s said in a distracted kind of far away tone.

You hum as you bring the toy to your mouth, getting it wet. You wouldn’t need any lube, you would be dripping in no time. You don’t waste any time putting your free hand down between your legs and spreading your pussy lips, so your clit and the pretty pink center of your cunt are displayed for Jeongguk. You glance at him through your lashes, when you hear a small gasp fall from his lips. He’s already got a hand around himself. Just the tips of his fingers stroking his length, at a leisurely pace. 

“She’s so pretty… You’re so pretty.” His eye flick to your face before zeroing in on your center again.

“Tell me how to do it baby. Tell me what you want to see.” You say, voice salacious and soft. You circle your finger slowly around your nub, dipping inside just a bit to spread your slick around.

When he swallows, it’s audible, his Adam's apple jumping. “I want you to turn it on low, and put it on your clit. I want you to feel good.”

You smile, and drag the tip of it down your body to just above your clit, turning it on the lowest setting before making contact with your sensitive nub. Your legs jolt, almost closing when you feel the vibrations. Even the lowest setting was strong. Your head falls back, and your legs spread more for him once you get used to the strength of the toy. “Fuck…” You breathe.

“Does it feel good?” He asks, greedy for your pleasure.

You nod, eyes still closed, focusing. You move the vibrator in small circles over your clit. You can hear Jeongguk’s breaths speed up.

“Turn it up.” His voice gives away that he’s speeded up his hand on his cock too.

You do as he says, looking at him as you do. He’s sin personified. He’s on his knees, sitting back on his feet, so his thighs are flexed and bulging. His abs tense when his palm twists under the crown of his cock. His eyes almost look black, pupils blown so wide, lust taking over his face. He’s got his plump bottom lip drawn between his teeth. He looks up from your pussy and catches you staring. He smiles shyly.

You keep your eyes on him as you bring the toy back down to your core. A short high pitched moan falls from your lips, as your brows knit together, before your eyes roll back. He groans, your expression enough to make his cock start to leak.

“Feels so good, Jeongguk.” You moan. The vibrator is right where it feels best, pulsing against your clit, causing pleasure to bleed into your veins. 

“Yeah, baby?” He asks, he’s breathless, sounds like he’s in love. With you, your cunt. “Tell me.”

“‘S just right Koo, could make me cum just like this…” 

He curses, and you open your eyes just in time to see him grip the base of his cock, keeping himself in check. “Not yet, baby. Little longer, please.” Still so polite and good for you, even when he’s the one telling you what to do.

He has you keep the vibe there, for a while longer, right in the spot that’s gonna make you lose it. He watches as a tiny clear drop leaks from you pink little pussy. It looks like it’s heavy and about to drip down to the blanket under you. He doesn’t notice your legs shaking until you’re gasping, “Koo, I’m almost- I’m gonna-”

“No!” He says quickly, his hand reaches out to pull the vibrator from your cunt just before you get your high. Your pussy aches and throbs, wanting to cum so bad. 

Your chest is heaving when you ask, “Are… are you edging me?”

He shakes his head, even though your eyes are closed, trying to catch your breath. “No, no! I just. I got distracted.” He looks at that small drop of slick again. Fuck, he wants to lick it up and drink you down. “You’re leaking.” He states.

You laugh, breathing getting back to normal. “Yeah?” You reach your hand down to collect the distracting little droplet and bring it in front of you. You press the sticky finger to your thumb and then pull them apart to see the clear strings stay connected even as you pull. You hum, before offering your hand to Jeongguk. He sucks in a breath.

“Want some?” 

He’s quick as he crawls between you legs, cock fully hard now. He watches you as he sucks your fingers into his mouth, tongue swirling around getting every last bit, before he sucks off with a pop!

He crawls farther up your body to kiss you deep, wanting you to get a taste of yourself too. He pulls back just a bit, and whispers against your lips, “I want you to fuck yourself with it, okay? Just for a little bit, then you can cum?” He’s phrasing it as a question, knowing he really doesn't have the final say, not tonight. But his voice is shaking from how turned on he is, how could you ever say no?

“Sit back.” Is all you respond. He does as he’s told.

You buzz the toy over your clit again, just because you can. Wanting to see how long Jeongguk can be good before begging. Turns out it’s not long at all. 

“Put it in…” He moans. You look at him and his mouth is parted, and his eyes heavy as he watches you. His hand is moving fast over his cock, sticking straight up to his tummy. “Please.”

You drag the toy down to your slit, and tease it there before just barely pushing it in just a fraction of the length. Jeongguk whines, high and desperate. Apparently you’re moving to slow for him.

“More,” He begs. 

You sigh, “You’re so needy tonight, baby.” He nods, agreeable.

When the toy sinks inside of you all the way to the hilt, you and Jeongguk both moan a quiet, “Fuck.” simultaneously. You’re coherent enough to laugh a little at the jinx, but he seems to barely notice, too focused on watching the toy sink into you, and then come back out to vibrate your clit again. You keep up this teasing pattern, again waiting to be told what to do by him, waiting to see how long he makes it this time.

“Harder, do it harder,” He’s panting. Moaning every word that leaves his lips.

You do as he says, and finally push the toy in at a pace that gets you climbing to being close again. You won’t be able to come like this though, and he knows that. Knows that you can only cum from penetration with him. He leans over and grabs the other toy from the end table, spitting on it and spreading it around until it's covered well.

“Use them both, want you to cum for me.”

With two toys in your hands, one in your cunt, filling you up, and one on your clit, making your legs shake, you do your best to make yourself cum. But it’s not enough. A soft whine falls from your lips, you’re so close, but you need more. More than you can give yourself.

“Faster baby, faster. You’re so close.” He whispers. He got both hands working now too, one stroking and one down tugging on his balls. 

You whimper, “I can’t my arm hurts. It’s tired.”

Immediately he stops pleasing himself and gets right to pleasing you. Your pleasure taking priority. “Shh, don’t worry, I’ll help you baby.”

Jeongguk sits between your legs, and takes over the toy fucking into you, and turns up the one on your clit. With him pushing the toy in at a pace that you couldn’t do yourself, and the other toy vibing your clit incessantly, it takes barely any time at all for you to cum. You were so close already, just needed him to push you over. 

Your legs are shaking and your toes are curling, when you cry out, “Baby, I’m gonna cum.”

“Do it, baby. Wanna watch.” He’s quiet, paying close attention to your body and the reactions he’s helping pull from it. He’s part of the reason why your face looks so pornographic as you finish. He’s part of the reason why your back is arching off of the bed. He’s part of the reason why your toes are curling, and why your legs are shaking, and why your pussy is contracting over the toy he’s still thrusting inside of you, working you through every last second of your orgasm. He reads your body cues, and slows down and pulls it out when you start to come down. You look blissed out, and you bring a hand to your hair and fluff it a little before laughing.

“That was good.” You sigh smiling, and when you look at him an image forms in your head, and you have every intention of making him carry it out.

Right before your eyes, Jeongguk wraps his lips around the toy that is going to be inside of him in just a short while, sucking off your slick. He laps his tongue around it trying to get it all. He’s obscene. 

“Gimme,” You say sitting up with an extended hand. 

He pouts at being interrupted, but does as he’s told. He takes your spot on the bed, and you head to the bathroom, stopping by your dresser on the way.

When you get to the bathroom, you close the door and get to cleaning the toys once again. After, you get to the stuff you grabbed from the wardrobe. A lacy pair of black panties, and sheer black thigh highs with matching lace adorning the tops. You slip into them, and then move on to the strap on. You hold it in front of you and try to make sense of which part goes where, and which holes your legs go into. It takes a second, but you get into it, adjusting it so it's nice and snug. Your outfit probably won’t help much with protecting your thighs, but at least the little part above your pussy will be safe. You look at yourself in the mirror. Not too weird or scary yet. You glance at the dildo on the counter.

It’s not too big so hopefully it’s not too… jarring when you see yourself with it. You get to work, slipping the suction base of the non-vibrating toy into the ring that’s meant to hold it in place. You look at it sticking out from your crotch and take a deep breath before turning to the mirror.

You gasp, before cackling quietly. You knew it was going to be weird. Like you knew. But actually seeing yourself with the whole get up is funny. Right now at least. You know it’s going to be sexy, once you get used to it and into the moment and inside of Jeongguk. You wonder how he’s going to react. Only one way to find out.

While you're walking to your bedroom from the bathroom, the dildo bobs, and you're giggling distractedly until you lift your eyes to let your boyfriend know you're ready. Again you’re met with a scene so indecent it belongs in a porno.

Jeongguk’s eyes are closed and soft moans are falling from his lips as he strokes his cock. He’s got three fingers in his ass, opening himself up for you, for your cock. Such a good good boy. He was so patient and productive while you got ready for him.

“You’re so good baby,” You murmur softly.

Jeongguk blinks his eyes open slowly, and rolls his head to the side to look at you. He doesn’t even falter in his movements at all, hand still moving, fingers still thrusting. He smiles a little when he sees you, but his eyes are hazy and he sounds lust drunk when he simply says, “You look sexy.”

You blush and a fond smile graces your lips, any embarrassment or self consciousness you were feeling prior to seeing him spread out for you on your bed, quickly vanishing.

You settle on the bed between his legs and watch for a moment as his hole takes his long fingers in. “Want me to help?” You ask quietly.

“Mhmm,” He nods, eyes closed still, tongue peeking out from between his lips. He doesn’t take his fingers out, though.

You grab the lube next to him, and flip it open. “You gonna get out so I can get in?” 

He shakes his head. “Nuh uh. Put one in with mine.”

Something about that makes your body tingle. Inside of him with him. Opening him up. You can’t explain it, because you don’t really even get it yourself, but it makes you buzz and feel almost high.

You slick up your middle finger, and drizzle some more on his for good measure. He jumps slightly, and then giggles softly.

“Cold.” He says.

“Sorry,” You say distractedly. Your finger is lined up with his now.

“I’ve never done 4 before so you… have to go slow…” He pauses as he speaks, letting himself moan freely when his fingers graze over that secret spot that he’s grown to love so much.

“Tell me to stop if you need to.”

He doesn’t reply, just stops his fingers so you can wiggle yours in next to his. At the first push against his hole, there’s resistance. Very much expected. He’s quiet, teeth gritted, but he never says stop, knowing his body wants it, and knowing it will accommodate what he wants. After the second knuckle, your finger sinks in, almost gets sucked in, by his hole.

He lets out a shaky breath.

“You okay, baby?” You check in.

“Yeah just… full.” He moans when you wiggle your finger experimentally. “”S good. Move it some more.”

You do, and his start to move with yours. You can feel his fingers curl inside of himself to reach his prostate, and it’s pleasant in an out of body way, knowing when his face is going to contort in pleasure, and when he’s going to cry out, when you never really knew before. You’ve milked him before, of course, but feeling him do it to himself from the inside? It’s kind of thrilling.

“Pull, stretch me out.” He moans, voice impatient and needy.

He gets kinda slutty when something’s up his ass.

He swears when you do, his finger rubbing insistent circles on his prostate to distract himself from the minor sting of the stretch. His moans, start to raise in pitch and his hand that’s on his cock, still jerking it, starts to speed up. You can tell he’s close. He clenches against your finger that’s still stretching him open.

“Fuck,” He says, on a breathless giggle, “Take them out. Or I’m gonna cum.” He’s still stroking his cock, like he doesn’t wanna stop.

“You c-” 

“No. Out.” He demands, hand finally pulling away from his cock, and his fingers inside stop. You gently ease out of him.

When Jeongguk’s fingers slip out, you gasp. His little pink hole is clenching on nothing, still open just the tiniest bit, thoroughly stretched.

“You know how you always say my pussy is pretty?” You ask, fingers tracing around the puffy stretched rim.

He makes an affirmative noise, watching you with hooded, lazy eyes as you touch him. He even spreads farther so you can touch and see better. You marvel at the difference between the embarrassed boy you made cum untouched a couple months ago, and the one in front of you now, so comfortable and relaxed. It makes you happy.

“Well, your butthole is pretty.”

He snorts, and kicks you lightly. He smiles at you, soft and sluggish. “Just fuck me.” 

He sounds so wistful and just ready.

But you’re not.

You grip the base of your cock, and stand up. You walk to the head of the bed, next to his confused face. You stay there waiting for him to get it. He doesn’t.

“You want me inside of you right baby?” You ask, voice gentle.

He nods, eyes no longer hazy, but wide and confused. He looks between you and your cock.

“I think that means you have to get me ready. Get me nice and wet, right?”

You can physically see when Jeongguk gets it. When it clicks for him. His eyes darken, and he licks his lips. “Yeah… You’re right. I should… help you.” He whispers, sitting up. You back up enough for him to have a place on the floor.

Jeongguk on his knees for you isn’t a new sight. He’s eaten your pussy like this before, you either grinding onto his face, or him holding you still and making quick work of your clit. But Jeongguk on his knees for you to suck your cock? New, and lewd. 

He looks nervous, kind of hesitant. A hand is raised midway, like he isn't sure if he should grab it. 

“Lick it, baby.” You encourage.

He glances at you, doe eyes seeking approval as he leans forward and gives a kitten lick to the tip. You nod, letting him know he’s doing well. His hand comes up and replaces yours at the base and he opens his mouth enough to wrap his lips around the head, and he swirls his tongue.

He pops off, and strokes up to where his mouth was and spreads the little bit of spit. The silicone is still dry though, so he spits on it more, straight from his mouth. You suck in a breath.

“Fuck, you’re so hot baby.” You whisper a breathy moan as his hands move up and down your cock. He adds his mouth again.

He hums a little, before backing up and looking at you again. “Does that feel good?” He asks.

You laugh lightly, in pure awe of him. He’s so sexy, and so sweet, and so incredibly lust inducing. Your pussy aches behind your cock. “Feels so good, baby. You’re doing so good.”

He hums, still stroking you off. “I really want it inside me…” He says, hinting that he’s ready.

You have mercy on him, having fulfilled your newfound personal fantasy enough for the night. Maybe you could revisit it another time. But now it was time to fulfill a mutual fantasy.

“On the bed, hands and knees.” You tell him.

Excitedly he hops back onto the bed, and gets into position, his hole on display for you. His back is arched and you can see the plush swell where his lower back meets the top of his cheeks. You settle behind him, and his shoulder to waist to hip ratio, is sinful. He’s always had the daintiest waist, strong, but still so small. But at this angle, it’s cinched and the way his legs are spread makes his hips look wider, accentuating the dip at his middle. You rub your hands over the narrow curve, all the way to his cheeks, grabbing handfuls of the muscle. There’s a slight give when you squeeze your hands.

Jeongguk’s head drops, and he lets out a shuddering sigh, he’s got the chills again, and he’s got a constant thrum coursing through his body. “Please…” He moans, so quietly, so desperately.

You kiss the small of his back before grabbing the lube left abandoned on the bed. You lather 2 of your fingers, and push them into Jeongguk’s hole making sure he’s nice and slick. There’s no resistance at all, hole loose and ready enough for them to slip right in. Then you lather your cock, probably with too much lube, honestly, but you wanted to be so sure that he didn’t feel any more pain than absolutely necessary. You knew the first initial push in would be the worst, but you were hopeful you both had stretched him out enough to at least minimize or diminish it altogether. 

You grab the base of your cock and line it up with his hole. It flutters, when you barely press against his rim.

“Ready?” You ask, giving a heads up.

“Yeah.” He says softly.

He’s tight. His hole sinks in with the tip of your cock before the rim gives and swallows around it. Jeongguk tenses and his hands grip the blanket under you. 

“Shit…” He groans. He sounds like he’s clenching his teeth.

You rub soothingly at his lower back, fingers dipping when you run them over the dimples at the bottom of his spine. “You’re doing so good baby.” You tell him.

“Doesn’t really hurt, I’m just stretching.” He says through his teeth. “I can take it though, keep going.”

You grab the lube and drizzle more directly onto his hole. He doesn’t mention the cold this time, too focused on taking your cock. You push against him, and feel yourself sink deeper into him. It’s like after the tip was in, his body knew what to do to take the rest. The slide wasn’t a swift, fast stroke, but it was a smooth and slow glide. When you bottom out Jeongguk’s arms give out from under him, his face going to the bed. 

“Holy fuck.” He keens, resting his head on his arms. Your hands are constantly on him, soothing him in any way that you can.

“Tell me when.” You whisper patiently. He nods. With his head turned to the side and pillowed on his arms, you can see his eyes are squeezed shut. The inhales and exhales you can see in the expanding of his ribcage, tell you that he’s taking deep breaths working through the stretch, getting himself used to it.

“Okay… Ready.” He murmurs.

You pull out just a bit before pushing back in. Jeongguk moans softly. Spreads his legs even wider, arches his back even deeper. He’s pushing his ass out for you, his body begging you to make it feel good.

You keep a slow pace, kind of nervous to speed up. 

“You can go faster, feels nice.” He says. He’s been puffing out little gasps of air every time you bottom out with your slow pace.

With his consent, you grab at his hips and pull out to just the tip, before swiftly pushing back in, fast and hard. His cheeks bounce on the impact. You grab one and jiggle it a little, thrusting into him again, drinking down the whines that slip out.

“You’ve got such a bubble butt, I never noticed before. But it like… bounces.” You say, wonder in your tone. 

“Thanks, can you like tell me about it later?” He asks, voice strained.

Point taken. 

Your thrust game is kind of shitty, in reality. It’s hard to find a rhythm, your hips not used to moving this way. But Jeongguk is moaning freely underneath you, just happy to have something inside of him after thinking about it all week. So you keep going, and eventually, the pattern comes to you, still kind of messy, but now you’ve got him cursing beneath you. You’ve got one hand on his ass, the other braced on his arched spine.

A particularly good thrust has Jeongguk burying his face into the bed, teeth biting at the bedding. “Yeah fuck-” He groans with his mouth full of blanket. With his hands now free, he brings them behind him and settles them on his cheeks and spreads.

You watch clearly as your cock sinks into Jeongguk’s ass. You’re out of breath, but you make sure to tell him how good he looks, how pretty his hole looks swallowing your cock, like it was made to take it.

“Wanna ride you.” He says. His voice is pitifully wrecked and he sounds so thoroughly fucked, you feel a little proud. Still, you’re grateful for a break. You don’t know how he fucks you like he does. ‘Topping’ is tiring. You pull out of him, and realize that when you were in awe of his hole at taking your fingers, it was premature. Jeongguk’s hole after he takes your cock is vulgar. It’s properly gaped now. Not huge, but around a fingers width.

He rolls over, and settles on his back like he just needs a moment. His chest is heaving, similar to yours. You hop off the bed, and a needy keen comes from him. You glance back at him, and he looks like he’s going to get up and follow you, but you hush him gently.

“I’m just getting some water, baby. I’ll be right back.” 

He huffs flopping back onto his back. “Hurry please.” He whines.

You get back as soon as possible with a glass of water for you both to share. He sits up onto one elbow and makes a grabby hand for the cup after you’ve had your share. You swat his hand away and hold the cup to his lips. He hums, gulping the water down. He’s happy to be coddled and taken care of. When he finishes with a cute little gasp, you place the cup to the side, and brush your hand through his sweaty hair. 

He butts his head against your palm and laughs. His eyes shut, and crinkled at the corners. His water break seems to have perked him up. His cock hasn’t deflated one bit. Rock hard and red, throbbing against his tummy. It’s messy and wet too.

You’re about to ask if he touched himself while you were inside of him, but before you can, you’re getting manhandled until he’s on top of you. He’s got your hands pinned above your head, and he smiles at you playfully, before leaning down to kiss you, deep and slow. He sucks on your lip, and slowly grinds his cock onto your belly, soft whines spilling from his tongue. He brushes his nose against yours as he sighs into your mouth, finally allowing himself the pleasure of paying attention to his cock. 

He doesn’t allow himself relief for long, however. He’s sitting up and looking from side to side for the lube before finally spotting it. His movements are quick and hectic, like he’s too excited and overly eager.

You rub your hands over his strong thighs. “Hey, slow down. You don’t have to rush. We have all night.”

He sighs at your touch, and nods softly. He whispers. “Yeah… okay. I love you.”

The little affection makes you swoon, absolutely smitten. “I love you.” You squeeze at his legs, tenderly.

He hums. “Gonna ride you now.” He opens the lube and continues with eager actions, almost like you didn’t even slow him down just a moment ago. You smile fondly to yourself. Jeongguk’s too busy slicking up your cock again to notice the mushy look.

He’s got a hand reaching behind him and he’s gripping your cock to line it up with his hole. He wiggles to get into the right position before slowly starting to sink down. His eyebrows are pinched, and his mouth falls open. But his eyes roll back when he bottoms out. His hands are braced on your stomach.

“Oh, I love it like this.” He whimpers. His legs tense at your sides, almost like he’s trying to close his legs at the pleasure he feels from your cock being tucked inside of him, hitting all the right places. He starts to grind on your cock, soft pleasured little mewls just tumbling off his tongue.

He looks so good, whining, grinding on you with his weeping cock displayed. But you wanna see him lose it on your cock. See him fall apart at how good it feels, not watch him bask in it.

“Bounce on it.” You say, voice sounding almost as fucked out as his. You know your panties are soaked through at this point, pussy pulsing and neglected, tucked away behind the strap.

Jeongguk nods. “Yeah, wanna.” 

He’s lifting himself off your cock to the tip before sliding down on it again, hard and fast. It punches a sharp gasp from his lungs. He finds a pace he likes and keeps it up, his thighs tensing, and his abs flexing as he tests his stamina, chasing that euphoric feeling he wants so so badly. He’s so strong and fit, bouncing up and down on your cock as loud unabashed moans fill the room. 

The force of him riding you makes your tits jiggle, bouncing around until they catch his attention. He groans before his hands find them, squeezing hard, using them as leverage as he pulls and drags his hips over yours. Your cock must be rubbing over his prostate because he’s losing his mind. All kinds of noises leave his mouth, and the expressions he makes are filthy.

“Fuck baby. You make me feel so good. The best- I-” He eyes squeeze shut and his mouth opens in a silent moan, overwhelmed, before a guttural groan sounds from deep within his chest. “God. Wanna cum on your cock, baby. Fuck me-”

You laugh, wonderstruck, and kind of deliriously high on the satisfaction and fulfillment you get from seeing Jeongguk feel so just…. Good. “Yeah baby? You’re gonna cum for me? All over my cock?”

He whimpers and nods as he gets back to bouncing, a desperation to his movements that wasn’t there before. His cock is slapping against both of your stomachs with nasty wet noises due to his precum getting everywhere. You feel some fly and hit your neck, his cock just dripping, weeping and begging to cum. 

It won’t be long though, before he cums. You feel the way his thighs tense, and he gets that confused look on his face, and he’s got that puzzled pitch to his moans. It’s the way he always gets when he cums untouched, always in awe that he can do it himself, without a hand around his cock. His whole body is flushed and hot to the touch, sweat making him glow in the soft light of your bedroom lamp.

He throws his head back, neck extended, and veins bulging, before looking down at his bouncing cock. “Fuck, I’m gonna cum.” He’s so whiny and noisy when he moans.

“Yeah?” You ask again, “Do it baby, show me how. You can do it, cum for me.” 

He’s nodding frantically, “Yeah- I’m gonna... Fuck, yes- Yeah, I’m-” He bounces a few more times, silent aside from the obscene squelching noises of your skin meeting, before his body tenses one last time before that string in him snaps. “Cumming-” He chokes it out. His moans don’t stop the whole time his cock shoots out his load, landing on your tummy. The moans even turn into cries, actual tears filling his eyes and falling down his cheeks. His body jerks and twitches with his orgasm. But still, he’s grinding on you, your cock still rubbing that spot inside of him, it’s like he never wants the feeling to end, even if it’s devastating, bordering on too much to handle.

You smooth your hands all over his sweaty body, before firmly placing them on his hips, stopping him. “Hey. You’re good, you did so good baby, you don’t have to keep going.”

Jeongguk’s cries are quiet, and he takes a few deep stuttering breaths to try and calm himself down, nodding with your soothing words. He rubs the back of his hand at his eyes, trying to dry them. It doesn’t help much, he’s calmed himself some but a few silent tears still make their way out, along with some soft hiccupping breaths.

“Lay down, and wait for me, hmm?” You whisper gently. He nods and lifts himself slowly, wincing at the sore ache in his hole. It’s more prevalent now that the pleasure has subsided. He all but collapses onto your pillow. 

“I’m gonna get some more water, and a towel okay?”

He grunts in response.

Before you go, you strip out of the gear, just tossing it on the ground, eager to get back to Jeongguk after getting the things you need.

When you get back, he is in the same exact position, and you laugh lightly. 

“Baby?” You ask, making sure he didn’t fall asleep.

Another grunt.

Good, he would hate you in the morning if you left him to sleep being so messy.

“Sit up, I have water and snacks and cleaning supplies.”

His head pops up. “Snacks?” His hair is sticking up on one side.

You laugh, endeared. He’s not crying anymore either, a good sign that he will be okay in just a little while after some kisses and love.

“Yeah, I got some of those seaweed chips you like, and some water.”

He sits up, leaning back on the pillows knowing the drill for after butt stuff. You hand him the water and the chips. He eats first.

“You hungry?” You ask, fitting yourself between his legs with the warm washcloth. He opens easily, munching away. You both are far past after sex shyness.

He talks with his mouth full. “Yeah. Jimin said not to eat the day off.”

You hum curiously, but don’t question it. Jimin partakes in butt stuff much more than you both. 

You’ve got all the lube cleaned off his thighs and cheeks, now all that’s left is his hole. You do it as gently as you can, knowing he’s sore just from how red and swollen and puffy it is.  But he still winces.

“How bad is it?” He mumbles.

You hesitate. “Um… You’re gonna be a little sore.” You tell him simply.

He groans, before downing his water. When he’s done, he says, “Practice is going to suck.”

You nod in agreement. It was. You wrap the used cloth in the blanket you used to protect your sheets, once again just tossing the bundle to the floor.

“Worth it though,” He smiles, pleased.

You chuckle as you find your place by him. He’s set his refreshments aside and lets you curl against him. His body sags with exhaustion when he feels your warmth press into him. You plant kisses on every inch of skin you can reach. He purrs.

“Why’d you keep going?” You ask, between smooches.

“I don’t know… it just felt so good. I guess I didn’t want it to stop.” He’s quiet, and his words are said on a sigh.

You nod, your kisses making your way to his lips. You just kiss him, slow and easy, for a few minutes until he yawns into it. He giggles.

“I’m so tired man.”

“I bet man.” You tease.

He kisses you one more time before asking, “Will you tickle my back until I fall asleep?” It’s hopeful and so sugary sweet.

“Yeah roll over.”

It’s barely a few minutes before you're met with his soft snores. You kiss his shoulder blade, before following right behind him.

~~~~

you ask for pegging and you shall receive :] i hope you liked it and that it met ur pegging standards askdkhjd as always, comments and feedback and asks and notes are loved and appreciated. thank you for reading friends ily :* 

[thebadbatch]

Hey hey! Could I get an Echo x Male reader one?! But with prompts 3 & 13 from the romance section?! But could it be more fluffy and platonic..?? Like they’re best friends and reader just wants echo to come back alive and safe?? And reader has a habit of patting echo on his head a lot after successful missions?? And stuff?? And eventually tells echo why?? Because he just wants him safe and stuff?? I’m bad at explaining sorry :(( but thank you!!

A/N: I hope this is okay!!!! I really hope its what you were looking for! Echo is an absolute angel among us. Love you👉🏻👈🏻 (The person requesting is my boyfriend and I made him an Echo simp👀) 

Echo x Male!Reader

Plot: Echo gets sent on a mission disguised as a droid once again. Things don't exactly turn out the way as planned so you have to go and save your best friend. 

Warnings: None! Just a little violence. 

-------------------------

Successful Mission. 

"You do realise the risks of the mission don't you?" Echos stern voice spoke, his hands leaning against the side as his eyes stayed locked upon you. "It's a solo-mission, you've never done one before." You just rolled your eyes and lightly shoved him, he was always logical and followed the rules but this is one of the many times you had come up with a plan he doesn't necessarily agree with.

"Look it'll be fine and I know what i'm doing!" Tech passed you the holo map as you spoke, "I need to start somewhere and this is it." You gave a big smile to Echo before being passed any necessary gear by Hunter who was pretty wary of his brother right now. Tech soon took the holomap from you and re-examining it before speaking.

"Actually I think Echo's correct, there's too much resting on this mission." You instantly turned to face him and glared Practical daggers into his eyes.

"Be very careful with your next words." Echo just grinned and pushed you a little, an ongoing best friend thing between both of you. Tech gathered everybody back around the map, typing into his datapad. 

"It's not that you don't have the skills because you do, but due to Echo being half droid he has a sixty-percent chance of being undetected throughout the entire duration of the mission." Tilting your head you attempted to read over Tech's shoulder at the information he was reading.

"What does being part droid have to do with the mission?" Hunter chimed in, eyes still glued on the holomap before him.

"This facility seems to be lenient to droids, so if Echo disguises as one then he will get in without fuss and retrieve the information we need." Echo just smiled at you with a smug look sprawled across his face.

"I guess that i've won then, huh?" With a light laugh he agreed to Tech's newer plan before moving away to grab the same droid disguise he had used on a previous mission. Tech had since moved to pilot the Marauder and lower us down to the correct coordinates to ensure a hidden entrance for Echo. Softly walking toward him you shared a light smile,

"You'll be safe, yeah?" He simply nodded as he closed the helmet over his face, standing and Prepping any necessities for the mission.

"I'll be fine, you know that." Pushing him gently you both shared a laugh as you walked him to the ramp, ready to say goodbye for the time being.

"Alright then, mission stealer." The ship finally landed causing the ramp to open revealing the misty planet and sand filled floors. Hunter soon appeared again, passing him a certain cdata device.

"Grab that information with the least fuss possible then get the heck out of there." He paused for a moment as the wind began to kick up resulting in the sand swirling in the air. "Remember to contact us if there are any issues, we'll be prepared to get you outta there." With a light nod he moved back and onto the sandy floor, gradually leaving your sight. The ramp soon closed and blocked out any source of light from the planet, Echo now completely on his own until he called for your help. Those were the parts of missions you dreaded, the looming thought of if he'd return or not. The stress was sometimes overbearing but it was going to be alright. He'd make it home safely just as he always does.

Echo had soon arrived, though dust coated his body, and he had made it in un-detected despite all of the storm troopers locking around. Upon arrival he was treated as terribly as the other droids under the Empire's watch but he was granted pretty quick access to the halls and rooms. Walking through the hallways he ensured he was alone before activating the previous holomap Tech had given him and viewed the room he needed to get to for the information. There were rumours that information of well wanted bounty hunters were kept here, something worth thousands of credits which was something the batch desperately needed. Sighing gently he couldn't help but mutter under his breath, he hated everything to do with the Empire so this wasn't exactly the most delightful mission he could be on. Usually he could just blast his way out, but not this time. Walking down and into the correct room, he applied his data chip into the console and began to type away everything Tech had instructed to do so. This was a simple in and out, that's all it was supposed to be. 

"Ah, I didn't realize that we granted access to droids?" A voice spoke, a click of a gun causing Echo to flinch a little. "Now tell me, who might you be?" Sighing gently he pressed the final button and tried to grab the chip as sneakily as possible, turning around and putting his hands into the air. 

"I'm C8-05, I was assigned to ensure systems were running correctly and make any needed repairs." He chuckled lightly, walking toward him. 

"Is that so? I'm sure the admiral would love to hear this, don't you think?" Before you could say a word, the person grabbed Echo and began to push him toward the exit with the blaster trained against him. Clicking his wrist, he sent a rapid signal to the bad batch that he had been captured. This definitely wasn't turning out the way he had expected.

The signal rang through you like a blaster shot to the chest, it had gone wrong somewhere and somehow along the lines. You told him, you asked him if he could handle it but that persistent clone never gave up did he? Grabbing your blaster you turned to face the others, 

"Are we all going in?" Hunter was the first to nod, grabbing his weapon and placing his helmet on him. 

"Tech, stay here and guard the ship - prepare for take off at any given moment and if I say to leave then you leave." He simply nodded and ensured the systems were online and functional before allowing the rest of you to go on your way, Wrecker and Crosshair on alert behind you both. Upon arrival, you simply blasted your way through the wall of storm troopers. They could never blast with any accuracy anyway, so it wasn't really a bother. Crosshair moved forward, blasting those on higher ground until you managed to enter the hallway and rush through it with Wrecker blasting anything and anyone that stood in your way. 

"What are the current coordinates of his position?" You panted whilst crouching behind the wall to avoid the rapid blaster fire. Hunter gazed at his comm device, signalling to Tech for the coordinates. 

"Down the hallway, straight into the fifth cell - it's interrogation so let's move." Nodding quickly, you rushed through the hallways and straight into the correct cell, overly grateful for the batches' cover fire. When you first saw Echos face you couldn't help but smile at your best friend, thrilled to see him okay. That was until you heard a familiar click of a blaster against your head and Echos angry expression. This really wasn't going too well at all, was it? A swift blast made you flinch, but luckily it was Crosshair who had gently pushed past you after his kill equally as glad to see Echo okay. 

"That was pretty awesome Cross!" Wreckers booming laugh interjected the painful and worried silence as you walked over to Echo and stood him up. Patting his head softly you couldn't help but spot his smile. 

"Nice to see you too, y/n." He smiled but you only frowned back at him whilst still patting his head, a pout clearly on your face. "What?" You just shook your head and removed your hand, crossing your arms after returning your blaster against your thigh. 

"I'm upset with you, you got yourself into danger. I need you here with me, what if I woke up one day and you were no longer here?" You paused to allow him to soak in your upset, "You can't keep being reckless." He just smiled gently and pulled you into a hug. 

"I'm alright now, don't panic - I won't go anywhere." He laughed which made you smile and pat his head again once you pulled away. 

"Why do you always pat my head?" He asked, confusion crossing his tone. Sighing softly you kept your gaze trained on Echo as you spoke, 

"Well it's just nice to know you're actually here after our successful missions and knowing that you're safe. Just a habit to confirm that I suppose." He nodded, smiling at your sweet answer. Crosshair soon pushed between you both which made you lightly shove him. 

"Hate to break it up but we should get moving unless you want this to be an unsuccessful mission." You just nodded and laughed at Echos' pout, trailing after the others to return to the Marauder. 

Once you had returned to the attack shuttle and left the rather unpleasant planet things were a lot calmer. Your best friend, Echo, had lingered by you and had patted your head gently. 

"Successful mission right?" He smiled at you which just made you laugh and nod. 

"Another successful mission." You confirmed as you both proceeded to join the other batchers with the information to give back to Cid. Everything had worked out just as intended. 

[shadowsong26fic]

Coming Attractions

I feel like it’s been A While since I did one of these, haha...

As always, along with the Coming Attractions, we’ll do an Open Question Night! My askbox is always open, but tonight I’ll be keeping at least a semi-active eye on it, answering questions. Any fandom I’ve posted about here or on AO3 is fair game; questions about writing in general; etc.

Also, my writing discord does exist! It’s a pretty quiet place, but it’s at least intended to be a slightly more interactive extension of this blog.

A fairly short update this month; I don’t have all that much to report, unfortunately...

Star Wars:

Big bang has been completed and posted at last! I don’t know that it’s my best work, but I am proud of how the fight scenes turned out, at least.

It was kind of like pulling teeth all season to get this one done, though. Hopefully next year will be easier! I don’t really have a solid plan, other than vague notions of doing a BSG crossover, since that’s where a lot of my brain is now, lol.

Protectors and Preludes updates are coming, I swear, it’s just been slow. Hoping the Obi-Wan show will kick my butt into gear, even though I’m well past that point in my timeline!

Castlevania:

I finally actually started posting Incinctus! It’s a fun piece, and while I do have at least one other plot thread floating in my mind for future writing, we’ll see how this one goes first. My plan is to update weekly, on Mondays. This plan will probably hold up until I run out of steam and pre-written material XD ((There’s a little bit of an Easter Egg in this week’s chapter that I found amusing; we’ll see if anyone actually picks up on it.))

Battlestar Galactica:

I have started my rewatch at last! I’ve powered through S1 (and put my notes, apart from the fic-related stuff, up on my personal tumblr if you’re curious XD); I may skip around after the Pegasus arc and get Razor in then. I’ve been note-taking both for my personal delight and for plot purposes for The Other Battlestar (which does need a better name...the only thing I’ve come up with so far, though, is a play on Bellerophon which I like even less, lol). The biggest plotholes I have so far are outing Doral and the tylium mine episode; I think I have a workaround for the mine, but I’m still playing with it. I’d forgotten how much Outright BSing was involved in flagging Doral as a Cylon...

((If y’all haven’t been following these, The Other Battlestar is an AU where Baltar ends up on Pegasus instead of Galactica; in order for the main fleet to be in roughly the same position when things reconnect after six months, I have two OCs filling in for his canon role. The politics stuff is easy, I just need to finish building the character in question. Some of the science stuff is...a little shakier, lol. I’m also having fun fleshing out a few additional Pegasus crew members to talk to, and considering where to line up Key Events for Maximum Impact, but that might change depending on how much of a concrete timeline Razor gives me.))

Anyway, I’ll probably start posting that this summer, once I have a decent amount of text prepped and also have figured out how I want to structure it (there’s miniseries stuff I do need to cover, but how much time do I want to spend on that; how do I balance between the Galactica and Pegasus threads, etc.)

Other Fandom Stuff:

I signed up for pod_together again! I had a lot of fun last year, and I’m hoping I get a good partner again this year! We’ll see how that goes--matches are sent out this weekend, I think.

Original Stuff:

Nothing really to report on this end other than I really do need to get back to actual Writing again...and also I keep buying miscellaneous Arthuriana things at library booksales but not actually sitting down to read them to plot out that one Arthuriana story I want to tell. And there’s a couple historical fiction pieces, one of which has been in the works for a solid fifteen years but I keep wandering away from the research for it, lol...

Anyway, Hopefully I’ll have a more “I Did Stuff!” update next month! But that’s about where things stand for me now.

What about you guys? What are you working on? And, again, Open Question Night--I’d love to hear from you! What’s on your mind?

[fallingtowers]

btvs season 6 episodes ranked

a lot of people don’t like season 6, but it occupies a special place in my heart. imo, even despite the fact that s6 is noticeably shakier than s5, together they represent btvs at its best. i totally understand why some people might not enjoy it, though. there are a few moments that cross a couple lines, and one of them—tara’s death—stands out as the biggest fumble in the history of the show. still, apart from those moments, i think the bleaker tone not only works, but also directly leads to a few of the most affecting beats in the series. it’s a good season with a couple of really glaring flaws! i’ve ranked its episodes! click through to check out the list!

21. episode 12, “doublemeat palace”: not only is this episode stupid, it’s also dumb.

20. episode 6, “all the way”: one of those episodes i found myself struggling to care about. nothing particularly riveting happens in it. sorry dawn for dunking on your big moment in the spotlight.

19. episode 4, “flooded”: my main issue with this episode is that the “buffy needs money” plot doesn’t make any sense. so the watchers’ council can pay its myriad employees livable wages but you’re telling me there’s not like, a stipend or something for The Actual Slayer? dumb. anyway shoutout to giles for being this episode’s saving grace. i think if giles called me a “rank, arrogant amateur” i’d die on the spot.

18. episode 5, “life serial”: the way the nerd trio is written is like, super grating. it gets a little better as the season goes on; it’s pretty bad here. a lot of the stuff they do in this episode also doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. the time loop is a ton of fun though, and the scene where buffy and spike hang out is great too.

17. episode 15, “as you were”: get out of here, riley!!! begone from me, vile man!!!

16. episode 19, “seeing red”: i debated where to rank this one. it’s not so much that it’s a bad episode—it’s well-written and everything—it’s just that the content is so uncomfortable. this is like THE episode that gives s6 a bad name i think.

15. episode 14, “older and far away”: in which xander and anya try to set buffy up with a slice of plain white bread with the crusts cut off. the best part is that buffy totally deserves it after setting the tone with riley.

14. episode 11, “gone”: a firmly middling episode. the invisible buffy stuff is a lot of fun, though.

13. episode 13, “dead things”: this is where the trio starts to get really interesting—although, to be fair, i GUESS all the goofy shit that came before this was necessary too in order to set the tone. buffy asking tara to confirm that she came back wrong is great; the ending scene is an all-time classic.

12. episode 16, “hell’s bells”: the whole wedding prep storyline is kind of a slog, but it kicks into gear and actually gets pretty fun in this episode, when all the relatives and demons start showing up. a lot of people don’t like the ending of this one, but imo it makes perfect sense for xander’s character. poor guy.

11. episode 9, “smashed”: there’s a lot of fun stuff in this one. willow slips further into her addiction, and buffy and spike finally fuck. the reveal that spike’s chip doesn’t work for buffy specifically is some big brain shit on the writers’ part.

10. episode 3, “after life”: the thing about this one is that the haunting stuff starts out so fucking baller and then it gets progressively lamer until, by the end of the episode, buffy is killing a ghost from a haunted house attraction with an axe. i gotta rate it pretty highly for a few scenes though: the apparition of buffy visiting willow and tara, spike seeing buffy again, and buffy’s reveal that she was in heaven.

9. episode 10, “wrecked”: poor willow :( the most heavy-handed of the heavy-handed metaphor episodes. still kinda hits though, mostly thanks to the strength of the acting.

8. episode 1, “bargaining (part 1)” & episode 2, “bargaining (part 2)”: poor buffy :( the ritual magic stuff is great. willow has never been sexier than when she’s vomiting up a snake while covered in blood. also, shoutout to the title of these episodes. episode? does this count as one episode or two? well, anyway, “bargaining” is a really good title.

7. episode 18, “entropy”: whoof!! rough stuff!! this one is really well-written. the way two plotlines collide and both come to a head because of it—that’s the good shit.

6. episode 17, “normal again”: whoof again!! what is up with the fuckin ending of this one??? it’s so scary. like ok maybe the plot of this one is a little dated, a little ableist, idk. i still think it’s a candidate for scariest episode of btvs.

5. episode 20, “villains”: god dark willow is fucking sexy.

4. episode 8, “tabula rasa”: this is such a classic. it’s like THE quintessential “spell gone awry” btvs episode. it also features what is probably the most memorable demon design in the entire series. the emotional beats hit so nice even though they are slightly undercut by tara’s absolute mess of a hairstyle in the final scene. what the fuck were we all thinking in 2001.

3. episode 21, “two to go”: GOD dark willow is fucking sexy.

2. episode 22, “grave”: god, what a fucking banger. this one’s got everything. giles coming back, xander saving willow… the scene where giles and buffy laugh about how much everything’s fucking sucked in his absence. a really excellent season finale. did i mentioned how fucking sexy dark willow is?

1. episode 7, “once more, with feeling”: okay, look, listen, i know i’m the most annoying person in the world for giving the musical episode the #1 spot, but i’m willing to die on this hill. this episode is so fucking good. it works on every level—the lyrics are clever, the music is good, the gimmick is a genius way to bring every plot thread to a head and put everybody’s secrets out in the open.

[dirtydobrik]

fractured ankle - j.w.

plot: you break your ankle while on a hike with your boyfriend jeff and he wants to take care of you

word count: 1830

author’s note: sorry for not posting lately, i’ve had such bad writer’s block and didn’t like anything i was writing about david, so i decided to try something new and write about jeff! 

masterlist

“Baby, get up,” Jeff whispered, nudging you softly. He was standing over you, already dressed for the hike he wanted to take you on.

It was still dark outside and you blinked rapidly as your eyes adjusted to the light of the bedside lamp Jeff had just turned on. You gave him a quick kiss and got out of bed, heading into the bathroom to get ready. You splashed cold water on your face to wake yourself up since you were never up this early, and the only reason you were was because Jeff had been begging you to come on an early morning hike to see the see the sunrise for a while now.

You brushed your teeth and changed into leggings and a sports bra before meeting Jeff in the kitchen. He was filling water bottles and gave you a small smile before tossing you a protein bar to eat before leaving. Jeff tossed the water bottles and a few other snacks into his backpack before glancing at the time on his phone and insisting that you had to leave in the next few minutes. You sat on the floor near the front door and tightly tied the laces of your sneakers, reaching your hand up for Jeff to help you up. He rolled his eyes at you, but took your hand in his and pulled you up.

You followed him downstairs and hopped into the passenger seat of his SUV. The roads were empty as darkness still covered the city. Jeff placed his hand on the gear shift and you rested yours on top of his. The stillness of the city was something you hardly ever saw, but it was comforting.

After a short drive, you pulled into the parking lot of the trail Jeff wanted to take you on. You got out of the car and followed Jeff's instructions of basic stretches to do to warm up before hiking.

Much to your dismay, the hike was a lot harder and steeper than Jeff had promised it would be. The path was windy and the plants were overgrown, leaving it narrow and difficult to navigate in the dim light.

Jeff was walking in front of you, and you carefully followed his steps. The steep dirt path had many large rocks that seemed to appear out of nowhere. You tried to focus on following Jeff's exact steps to avoid the rocks, but you lost your footing trying to avoid one. You stumbled backwards and fell over the large rock you had tried to avoid a few moments ago. Your left ankle got caught underneath you and you heard a loud snap as all of your body weight landed on your ankle. You yelped in agony as you tried to stand up before collapsing back on to the ground and grabbing your ankle in pain. Jeff was a few feet in front of you, but your screams gained his attention.

“Baby, are you alright?” Jeff asked, concerned as he sprinted over to you. His face went pale as he noticed the swelling around your foot. You clutched your ankle, sobbing from the immense pain.

“It hurts,” you whined, tears streaming down your face. "It really hurts."

“It’ll be okay,” Jeff promised, untying your sneaker and pulling it off. He pushed the hem of your leggings up to expose the ankle. You took in a sharp breath and felt nauseous looking at the bruising around your foot.  

He searched through his backpack for an ice pack or an elastic bandage in his first aid kit, but had neither. He handed you a water bottle that had ice cubes in it and told you to take them out and wrap them in his t-shirt to hold against the swelling.

“Do you think you can walk?” he asked, even though he knew it was most likely broken. You shook your head, knowing you couldn’t, or shouldn't, put any weight on it.

Jeff paced back and forth, wondering what to do. You were nearly to the top of the hill, and the path was too steep for him to carry you down and too narrow for him to help hold you up as you hopped down.

It was still early so the trails weren't busy, meaning you probably wouldn't run into another hiker to help you out. Jeff picked you up and moved you off of the path, so you wouldn't be in the way if someone did happen to come up.

After half an hour and many failed calls from the lack of reception, Jeff decided he was going to have to carry you down. He had you put his backpack on and you managed to climb on to his back. You clung tightly to him, scared that he was going to drop you. When it got too steep, he had you stand on your good ankle and he would lift you from one clear spot to another.

You eventually made it back to the parking lot, and Jeff had you sit in the backseat to elevate your ankle. He drove you to the nearest hospital, stopping at a CVS to pick up some painkillers since you didn’t know how long you’d be waiting to see a doctor.

You draped your arm over his shoulder and hopped into the ER. Jeff helped you sit down before going to check in with the front desk. He returned with a clipboard of paperwork for you to fill out and a cup of coffee.

"You doing okay, baby?" Jeff asked, kissing your forehead. You nodded, even though the pain was insufferable.

After about an hour of waiting, you were brought over to an empty bed. The nurse checked all of your vitals and a little while later, the doctor came in.

"Well, it's definitely broken," the doctor said, pointing to the clean break in your bone on the scans. "You'll need surgery to realign the bone," he continued, and Jeff reached over to hold your hand as the surgery was explained to you.

Jeff promised he wouldn't go anywhere and kissed the top of your head before a team of nurses wheeled you off to prep you for surgery.

You woke up in a hospital bed a few hours later and Jeff was sitting by your side. Your leg was elevated and you had a cast around your ankle. A nurse came in to check on you a couple of times before the doctor came in to say they wanted to keep you overnight to monitor you post-op.

A few days after you were able to leave the hospital, you and Jeff were cuddling in his bed in his apartment. The contents of the suitcase you were now living out of were scattered across the floor of his bedroom. Jeff had insisted that you stayed with him, at least until you were confident using the stairs with crutches, since your apartment was on the fourth floor and your building didn't have an elevator.

“What are you doing?” you asked as Jeff pulled away from cuddling your to riffle through the drawer of his bedside table. A few moments later, Jeff revealed a thick black sharpie. He uncapped it and motioned for you to move the blanket so he could draw on your cast.

Your rolled your eyes at his childish behavior, but pulled the blanket off. You positioned yourself to be propped up against the headboard, placing a pillow under your cast. Jeff was on the other end of the bed, hoovering over your foot as he doodled mindlessly on the plaster.

You took your phone out to capture this moment, adding the picture to your Instagram story to let everyone know that you were in good hands with Jeff.

After a while, your cast was covered in small pictures and short notes. There was little room let for anyone else to write on it, but Jeff was pleased with his work.

 You were restless all night, constantly tossing and turning, hardly able to get any sleep. Even though it was still early, you were wide awake and decided to try to make yourself breakfast. You swung your legs down, using the nightstand for support as you balanced on one foot. You reached for your crutches, determined to master using them today. You were tired of relying on Jeff for everything and wanted to be able to do things on your own. Your goal was to get from the bedroom to the kitchen without getting caught on anything or stumbling.

You let out a frustrated groan and threw one of your crutches on to the ground after the bottom of the crutch stuck to the wooden floor and you pushed yourself forward without having the support following you.

“What’s goin on, baby?” Jeff asked, stumbling out of the bedroom, still half asleep. He was holding a white t-shirt in his hands and was only wearing the pair of boxers he had slept in.

You were standing on one foot, the other kicked up behind you, holding on to the counter top for stability.

“Nothing,” you muttered, turning around and attempting to hop to the fridge so you wouldn't have to put any weight onto your ankle. Jeff sighed, knowing you were lying. He swung the fridge door open and took out the carton of eggs he knew you were reaching for. “I don’t need you to do everything for me,” you snapped, not realizing how aggressive or angry you sounded. Jeff’s eyes widening at your remarks.

“I’m just trying to help out,” Jeff said quietly. You really did appreciate his efforts, but he was driving you crazy. He was constantly around and practically refused to let you do anything by yourself.

"I know you are, but I don't need to be babied, Jeff," you insisted, and he nodded. He understood where you were coming from, but that didn't stop him from leaning down to pick up the crutch you had thrown on top the floor. You shot him a death glare since you easily could've picked it up yourself, but you still took it from him.

"I'm not babying you. I'm just taking care of you. You should be focused on physical therapy and walking with the crutches, you shouldn't have to worry about anything else."

"But how am I supposed to do that when you hardly ever let me get out of bed?" you argued, making a point. Jeff didn’t have a comeback, instead he just apologized for being overbearing and overprotective, promising to let you do more from now on. "It's okay, Jeff. I love you anyways," you smiled, watching Jeff's face beam at the words you had just said. It was the first time either of you had said them aloud, even though you had both been feeling it for a while.

"I love you, too," he grinned, wrapping his arms around your waist and giving you a soft kiss.

[kisstheashes]

When you say "start in the middle" how do you know where exactly to start and how not to infobomb a bunch of readers?

This is going to be long. Just a warning.

"Start in the middle" doesn't have a set meaning. For me, starting in the middle means to start where there's a turning point in my MC's life and where the story plot really kicks into gear. It's a sort of SAW-esque method.

If you've never seen SAW or don't remember the plot past the torture, let me give you a rundown of how those films work: they catapult their audience into the characters being held captive, and throughout the course of the movie they work backwards to figure out why they were selected as victims and what lessons they were supposed to learn from the traps.

My method involves a lot of flashbacks and clues for how the characters work and their dynamics and why the plot is playing out as it is. But this isn't the only method of start in the middle.

Start in the middle really only means to start where you find the story hits it's most interesting point, without missing any major events.

Harry Potter does this, on a less extreme level. We start the story with the day or day before Harry gets his acceptance letter to Hogwarts, and we are told both point blank and through inferences what Harry's backstory is.

Hunger Games does this, albeit the backstory is heavy handed. We start with prep for the Hunger Games, rather than say, Katniss' childhood or when she lost her dad.

So to finish answering the first part of your question: Start right when the main plot of your story is about to begin. Don't give us the "wake up, get dressed, and off to school" shit that readers will sleep through. Maybe start with them in class, or fixating on someone who will be important, or maybe skipping school because their new special powers are making them sick and they don't know why. Make it interesting. Make it insightful. Start with an interesting thought, action, or something else that's just out of ordinary enough for readers to take notice.

Now for the second part of your question: How do you not infobomb?

This takes practice. It really, really does. You remember those Wattpad fics where a brother and sister would wake up and someone would be like "man I wish our dead mom who died in a car crash by a drunk driver was here"?

Don't do that XD It's so disingenuous and fake and laughable.

This ties in with "show not tell." Don't tell the readers about the backstory. Show it. And by this I mean: Don't just state "Character A lost her father in a crash, it still devastates them." Instead, do it like this: "Character A ghosted their fingers across a picture of their late father, heart sinking more every single second they stared at his face." Essentially: give us some emotion!

And in order to not infobomb, only give this information when it is relevant. You do not need to give a whole backstory at the beginning. Pick and choose when you tell your readers things.

This ensures that your readers aren't infobombed, while also ensuring they get the information when they need it. I make sure I do this by keeping track of my characters, and why or how they react to certain things. If a sick parent joke is made and they don't find it funny, there's backstory. If you need to give more backstory at once than a few little facts, that's okay! Because it's relevant, and your readers will be lost without it.

Now let me give you a few examples of starting in the middle:

Character A wasn’t sure why he was put in these classes. He sucked at math. It was calculus to be precise.

Crowded in by drunks and drunk college kids...not the ideal atmosphere. Char A drummed his nails against his glass of whiskey, debating leaving.

It was self defense, he kept telling himself. There hadn't been another option. He hadn't wanted to kill him. He didn't mean to.

And my personal favorite "start in the middle" example:

Heavy chains scraped against the ground. The air was heavy with mildew and decay. Eyes opened and saw nothing. Breathing momentarily stopped, until a gasp was heard as lungs burned. Wrists and ankles were weighted, a small chink noise heard with every movement. Still groggy, head filled with toxins. Deep, panting breaths taken as his head cleared. His hands rose to touch the mask still on his face, slightly relieved.

I hope this helps!!

[beccasissy69]

This will be a blessedly short update with maybe my most tenuous picture to date! I’m in the middle of prepping for my weekend assignment (which may well be a long post), my nails are drying and a picture of short nails seems appropriate.

I don’t know if it’s my body or something else, but I finally seem to be getting over been busy all the time. It may have something to do with the pinup videos Goddess had me watch but suddenly I keep thinking about how my life is currently set up and seeing ways to free up more time to dedicate to my training...maybe it’s because I keep coming across things that I want to learn more about and master but whatever the reason, things are starting to loosen up and I’m hoping it will pay dividends in the future.

For my training, Goddess had me reading a story from Literotica. A trans girl got kicked out of her house and after a little time on the streets, she got picked up and taken to a manor where she was trained to serve men. The start was a little slow, but when her mother started dressing her it kicked into a much higher gear and from that point on, it was really hot (her training and then her service) until the ending which veered a little too much into the plot and was quite abrupt. Still, it was a really enjoyable read.

next up I was watching vintage TG porn and it was just *WOW*. I can remember how surprising it was when Goddess had me watch Genderella, that this was been made 40+ years ago and even better, that it’s crazy sexy. The scenes were so simple, two girls, no real props beyond a chair and no talking. The first one I watched, both girls looked super cheap (which is a positive! I love that look).

The second was a bit more vintage looking but one of the girls had a huge c*ck, but she also had huge boobs and long, red nails and acted super femme. It ended with an amazing 10 minute BJ that was super soft and intimate and I adored it.

Finally, Goddess gave me a movie night. I got dressed and watched 80′s classic Fame (or most of it, it’s 2 hours long!) with a drink and appropriate snacks. I’d never seen it but I know some of the songs. I finished it up on Saturday and it was a nice, relaxing end to the week.

[irwinkitten]

knockout round | a.i

(gif credit to @asht0ns-world )

pairing: reader x boxer!ashton notes: so the who do you love video lowkey inspired this. even tho the majority of the video is lowkey pointless, the looks that ashton was giving the camera gave me such a boxer!ash vibe and lets be real i’m a hoe for possessive and jealous ash. thank u to @asht0ns-world @singledadharrington, @gorgeouslygrace, @sugarcoated-pain and @5sosnsfw for letting me throw out my ideas of this and killing you all with the potential plot ideas. also thank u christa for being the best cheerleader, i love u angel. and massive thank u to lena for finding the gif bc my laptop has issues warnings: violence, smut word count: 3.1k!! 

---

Boxing had always been apart of Ashton’s life. He’d never really known a part of his life without it.

As a child, his temperament was always short. Teachers called him the problem child and people never wanted to be his friend. But he still managed to find three friends and forge a tight bond with them that people often called them brothers without even realising there was no familial resemblance to the quartet.

When his mother had enrolled him into boxing classes, after expressing an interest in the programs that he watched with his parents, they soon realised that with the lessons that he went to, his anger simmered down and his fuse seemed to get longer with each passing year.

By the time that Ashton had reached his late teens, he was the lightweight champion of the area. As he continued to grow, put on the muscle, and move up in the divisions, he was making a name for himself. He was one that wasn’t to be messed with.

As his name gained traction with the media, so did stories of his childhood, his anger. And he was a lot more honest about his childhood than most boxers.

“I had a good environment. But I have anger issues and I know that I have them. It’s taken years of hard work to get to where I am today, but I know that the driving force has always been my anger. It’s both a blessing and a curse.”

His competitors could never find his achilles heel. His love life was never a subject that he talked or posted about, and despite a few competitors going below the belt and making remarks about his mother that would’ve angered any man, he’d held his cool and then thoroughly beaten them the next day.

When she came into his life, it was steady. She’d just come from a bad relationship, her heart in tatters and the two of them shopping late night. He’d been running for last minute prep and she’d decided to drown her sorrows in alcohol and ice cream. She knew his name, knew his title that he held in the boxing world.

But she didn’t care. All she cared about was he’d picked up the last tub of her favourite ice cream and just at her absolutely defeated look, it prompted him to offer her a deal.

“Let me at least take you out somewhere for the day where we can be kids again. I’ve got some days off coming up anyway.”

His words had prompted the smallest of smiles as she accepted his offer as he handed her the ice cream and she gave him her number, under the stipulation that he wouldn’t be creepy about it.

And despite giving her a mock offended look, he understood her wariness of giving her number to someone who was essentially a complete stranger.

From then on, she became a rock in his life who seemed to have his back regardless. His three friends from childhood who’d all become apart of his management team as he gained status with his boxing, noticed how he was always in better moods, he stuck to the plans before fights and before long the friendship blossomed into a relationship that he was protective of.

But of course, whilst in the media spotlight, he knew that keeping such a relationship quiet was always going to be impossible.

But the day that it’d been announced that he was against her ex, the very one who left her a broken woman in the ice cream aisle, he knew that this fight was going to be important, whether she acknowledged it or not, this was payback for hurting the beautiful woman he was resolutely in love with.

He’d never been so revved for a match before.

Ashton knew that she was worried, that her bottom lip would be shredded beyond belief from her teeth. But he wasn’t.

Dean Martin has gone the wrong way to rile him up, to use his girl as verbal bait. And hearing the derogatory terms, Ashton wasn’t too sure if he was grateful that Calum’s hand on his bicep reminded him where he was, or if he was still annoyed over it.

He was certainly annoyed that the hand turned into a restraining arm when Martin had made a comment of bedding his girl, with or without her permission. He’d seen red and as rage flooded his body, his muscles locked up, ready to pound the fucker down.

Calum had hastily pulled Ashton away from his opponent, opting to keep the distance between them so that Ashton wouldn’t be tempted to knock Martin out before the match.

The headlines went wild with those shots and the look of undiluted rage on Ashton’s features. People were very quickly realising that even he has his limits and Dean Martin had managed to break those limits clean.

Being with her before the match, his hands were firmly around her waist as she stood between his legs. Despite his trainer telling him no distractions, she was never a distraction. Only an anchor. And right now he needed to ground himself because the last thing he wanted to do was lose this fight to someone like Dean Martin.

“Baby, you’ve got this fight in the bag.” She hummed softly, her lips ghosting across his cheek. Ashton sighed.

“I hate the fact that it’s your ex I’m fighting.” He finally admitted and she sighed, her fingers running through his hair. His eyes fell shut of their own accord, her touch soothing the rage that was bubbling under the surface. Martin’s comments still rang in his ears.

“He wasn’t a good man. You’re the better man, better partner.” The words were soft, almost caressing his soul and he felt reassured.

“Only because of you, sweet girl. I’m better because of you.” Her lips curved up into a wry grin as she leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

“I’m proud of you Ash. You’ve got this fight in the bag, and if that boy tries what he did for the weigh in, I won’t be angry or upset. Lord knows you’ve told me time and again that anyone disrespecting me within earshot of you will earn them either a verbal lashing or a physical one depending on their words.” Her tone was teasing, reminding him that she wouldn’t be angry with him.

It’d been an issue at first, his verbal and physical responses to people being either disrespectful or derogatory about his girl. But only when he told her his reasons, how he was raised to respect a woman, regardless of any kinds of relationship, she understood that it was something that he could tone down but not necessarily control.

And they compromised on it. He tried to keep it to verbal smackdowns, and only if someone threw the first punch, did he defend himself. His reputation grew within months and soon when they’d been together for two years, he was at the top of his career.

“Irwin, ten minutes. Your girl needs to go.” Calum had re-entered the locker room, giving her a brief smile. “Seats for you are close to ringside. He’s on the blue corner.” She nodded, pressing another gentle kiss to his forehead before making her way, ruffling Calum’s hair as she did.

Ashton laughed at the disgruntled look on Calum’s face and he could feel his body begin to gear as he did the last minute stretches.

“Martin’s going to hit hard and fast. You need to be swift. Don’t use everything you have until he starts to wear down.” Ashton nodded, focusing on the aspect of the fight, rather than who he was fighting. He couldn’t let his anger cloud his judgement or moves, not so early on into the match.

Calum was soon hustling him to the entrance corner, both of them knocking fists together before he rushed ahead to prep his area. As the music began playing, he pulled the silk robe on, the hood falling just over his eyes as he made his way out, loud screams causing a smirk to slip on his features as he began the walk through, Luke and Michael following behind at this point and keeping people on the floor seats from mobbing him.

Martin was stood scowling, doing a last minute stretch as his gloves were being put on. Once Ashton was in the ring, Calum was there, pulling the robe off and getting the gloves onto his wrapped up hands.

“Remember, you might be fucking angry with him, but I swear to god Irwin, if you let this fucker beat you, I’ll kick your ass myself.” This caused Ashton to crack a smile before Calum put the mouth guard in and Ashton went and met the ref in the middle. He and Martin touched gloves before the bell went and the first swing came from Martin, aiming for the jaw, causing Ashton to bend backwards to avoid getting clocked.

The noise was deafening and Ashton knew his focus was slipping as Martin landed in some good punches. It was getting close and he could feel himself dropping as he lost the round, his lip bloody and a cut on his cheek, half staggering back to Calum who seemed to be trying his best not to berate him.

But then she was there beside Calum, her hands on his cheeks once he’d been checked over.

“Do me proud, Ashton Fletcher. I know you can beat him.” And his second wind came as the next round got ready.

“Gonna let your bitch lean over for me later when I win? It’s all she ever really was good for.” The comment was crass, but the fuse was lit.

“Irwin, don’t let anger cloud your judgement here.” Calum snapped harshly. The last thing they needed was his focus to be lost, but if anything, his focus was sharpening. And he could feel the anger bubble under his skin.

“C’mon Irwin. Make sure to share the spoils. I mean, she’s second hand goods, surely you’re not still with her?” Ashton’s eyes caught hers and he could see she’d heard his calls. His fuse seemingly got shorter as he gave her a reassuring smile, taking the offered water and taking a few seconds to calm his racing heart.

“How about this, I share her with some buddies and drop her back to you. She might be in reasonable condition if she doesn’t fight like she used to. Always feisty until I got her to see sense, if you catch my drift.” The smirk on Martin’s lips as the words left his mouth snapped something inside of Ashton and the anger that had been bubbling, flooded.

And he was furious.

The bell went and Ashton immediately had Martin on his back foot, unable to even get close for a hit as Ashton’s fists repeatedly went for him, reminding himself to not murder his opponent.

It didn’t take long before there became a real look of fear in Martin’s eyes and Ashton felt no ounce of sympathy as he landed a knockout and the crowd roared in approval. It didn’t take long before the last round was won and his arm was being raised, a bruised rib protesting as he was handed the belt and his lips curved into the widest smirk.

Martin was lucky to get away with the injuries that he got. Two visible black eyes, a few cuts and Ashton was almost certain he managed to at least fracture a rib with the force of his hit at one point. Part of him wished that he broke something clean but he’d take what he could get in this fight. Knowing that he’d gotten what he deserved, settled the anger to a simmer, the adrenaline still flooding his body.

As he exited the ring, he couldn’t stop himself from pulling his girl into his side, his lips meeting hers in a soft, sweet kiss, ignoring the disappointed noises. Once he pulled away, his gaze moved to Martin, staring at him out, his grip only getting marginally tighter until he left the opposite side.

Ashton retreated back to his side, his arms still firmly around her as the medic double checked the rib to make sure it was only bruised and not broken, before clearing him to go and get cleaned up.

She didn’t protest as he pulled her with, her back pressed against the cold tiles as his lips met her neck, the hot water beating down on his back.

“All mine to care for, to love on.” He murmured against her skin, lips and teeth gently pulling at the skin. Her fingers lifted up to run through his hair, gripping the damp strands gently.

“All yours.” She whispered in return, a sharp gasp escaping as his lips had moved to her breasts, his teeth pulling on one nipple carefully as his hand worked the other. She was whining softly, his name escaping occasionally.

His lips moved from her breasts, trailing down as he got to his knees, a whine escaping her lips.

“Shouldn’t it be me rewarding you, handsome?” He shook his head at her words, moving her fingers back to his hair.

“All about you tonight, doll.” She was about to argue, but his tongue licked a stripe up her folds, a startled noise escaping her instead as she gripped his hair, his lips attaching to her clit. He worked two fingers inside of her as he nipped and sucked on her clit, the noises were somewhat beautiful sounds to his ears as she got closer to her orgasm.

Her fingers got tighter around his hair as she called out his name, his lips immediately beginning a journey back up her body slowly sliding his fingers out as he stood up, lifting his fingers to her lips, tapping them gently.

They parted under his touch and her tongue swirled around his digits, a groan escaping his lips as she cleaned them. He wasted no time as he pulled them free, his lips meeting hers as he lined up against her entrance.

“You’re far too good to me, princess.” He groaned as he slid in, her legs lifting off the ground to wrap around his waist. His hands immediately moved to cup her ass as his hips began to move against hers, moans escaping the both of them.

He knew that he wasn’t going to last too long, not with the protesting rib, so one hand slid from her ass, moving to her clit as he picked up his pace. Her words were half begging, incoherent as he brought her closer and closer to the edge.

As she came, her eyes falling shut, his head dropped to her shoulder as he reached his own orgasm, her name tumbling from his lips like a prayer, her fingers still working through his hair, their breathing heavy as he pressed gentle kisses on the marks he’d left on her skin.

“I love it when you mark me like that. I know I’m always yours, but seeing them, just sets my insides on fire.” She murmured as he pulled out from her, finally allowing her under the stream of hot water. She kept her hair from the stream of the water as she allowed it to hit her skin.

“Just as I’m yours, sweet girl. I’m sorry if I hurt you though.” His fingers ghosted across the red marks left by his fingers, and she shook her head at him.

“You of all people know that I love seeing them.” She murmured as she reached over, taking the shampoo and working it into his hair. His eyes fell shut at her ministrations and didn’t argue with her. She always told him she loved seeing the marks, but sometimes it didn’t stop the guilt flooding him.

He worked the shower gel along her body as she conditioned his hair. They worked in silence until she’d gotten the suds of the shower gel off his body. His hands switched the water off as her lips slowly moved across from his shoulder, along his collarbone before finding the junction of his neck and shoulder, trailing her lips along the column of his throat.

A soft noise escaped his lips as she reached his jaw, before her lips reached his once more, her hands taking a hold of his head, her palms firmly planted against his cheeks. He knew better than to look away from her when she was this determined.

“I love you, Ashton Irwin, and that won’t ever change. We have words for a reason, and you know I use them. Please don’t beat yourself up, sweetheart.” His lips met hers briefly before a sigh escaped.

“Sorry angel.”

“Your forgiven. Now, we need to get ready and head back home. I know that the boys will want to at least spend a quiet night in celebrating with you.” Her voice held amusement, knowing that despite her want for the two of them to continue their own celebrations, the other three would deliberately ruin that.

Ashton laughed.

“They’re too frightened to cross you, y’know. If you said that you were taking me home, they wouldn’t argue.” He commented as the two stepped from the shower and dried off. She lifted her shoulders into a shrug as she got re-dressed.

“I know, but I don't want them bitching at me, because I want days with you, not just a few hours. So they get the few hours and then I get days. And they know better than to show up unannounced after a match.” The grin that she wore made him laugh as he got dressed.

Once they were ready, his hand slid into hers, fingers interlacing as they headed out back to the waiting cars to get the two of them home. Michael was the first to throw his arm across Ashton’s shoulders as they trio caught up with the two.

“So, we’re drinking at yours then?” She raised an eyebrow pointedly at Ashton, Michael’s words simply proving her point. He rolled his eyes before grinning.

“Of course. M’lookin’ forward to the headlines that are gonna come out from this fight.” Calum laughed as he threw his own arm around her shoulders.

“They’re gonna point out how no one can seemingly knock you down. You’re like a rock.” Luke teased and Ashton rolled his eye as Michael moved his arm from his friends shoulders.

Once they reached his place, the other three didn’t protest as she helped check him over before all but ordering him to put his feet up. The others were about to make a comment, but one look stopped the thoughts dead in their tracks and she received sheepish smiles in return as she finally settled into his good side.

It was worth it all in her eyes.

---

tag list: @cals-babylons , @glitterprincelu , @calumspeachy , @wrappedaroundcal , @cosmocalum , @monsteramongmikey , @talkfastfletcher , @hereforlukescruff , @astroashtonio , @catchinqcalum , @5saucewho , @dontstopisagoodsongchangemymind , @therainydays4 , @asht0ns-world , @silverchainbee , @hidd3nfangirl , @doodleasouarus , @empathycth , @mylovehes , @songforhema , @kinglyhood , @youngblood199456 , @makecoffeenotwars , @sunny-sos , @negative-love , @softboycal , @kinglycalum , @you-of-ghost , @meetyoutheremgc , @lmao5sosimagines , @lietoash , @aw-hawkeye , @drummerboy794 , @itjustkindahappenedreally, @mycollectionofnuts, @abitloudforanaccousticset, @boytoynamedcalum , @teampreator , @dukehoods , @dweebluke , @calumculture , @lashtoncurls , @wildhearthood , @gigglyirwin , @blue-skies-are-alright , @hearts-to-the-sky , @tiddlerrr , @all-i-want-is2b-loved-by-you , @zooniah , @cakeassx-blog , @paqueretteash , @rotten-kandy , @vipclifford , @musiclover1263 , @rosecoloredash , @jpgluke , @cathartichaoss , @5secondssofssummer , @cozyfivesos , @balsamichood , @cliffordstxngue , @lukesbellas , @myloverboyash , @cxddlyash  , @gabiatthedisco , @rosesfromcth , @gorgeouslygrace , @calumsssparkle , @valentinelrh , @meetashthere , @softforcal , @cakesunflower , @hotmessmichael , @fangirlforever0704 , @caswinchester2000 , @long-termplanwithshort-termfixes , @josierosie , @ashtoniwir , @raabiac , @burncrashbromance , @killerlukesqueen , @angelbabylu , 

[moonlit-imagines]

Like Father, Like Daughter

Bellamy Blake x Kane!reader

warnings:

a/n:

prompt: @everydayimfangirling: “Can I request another Bellamy Blake imagine set in s6, where the reader is Kane's daughter? Like she's a total badass fighter and engineer and she's bffs with Raven? I have no plot ideas though, lol sorry. I have total faith in you! Tysm. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤”

You were woken up by Bellamy, he stood above you smiling as your eyes fluttered open.

“Bellamy?” You shuffled to sit up in your open pod.

“Come with me, this is big.” He extended his hand for you and helped you down. You made your way over to the main bridge of the ship and reunited with all of your friends.

“Raven!” You ran into her arms and she held you close.

“Hey there, bed head.” You both chuckled as you ruffled your hair a bit. Bellamy stood next to you and you took his hand.

“So, what’s the deal?” You asked the group. “Is Earth safe again?” Your gaze turned to a man you’ve never seen before. “And...who’s that?”

“I’m Jordan!” He told you, walking over to the shudder button. They folded up to reveal a colorful planet. “And this is Planet Alpha, our new home.”

“He’s...um,” Bellamy whispered, “he’s Monty and Harper’s son.” You’re eyes went wide immediately.

“What?!” You shouted, drawing some attention. “They never went to sleep, did they? How long have we been asleep?” Bellamy stroked your arm in an effort to calm you.

“One hundred twenty five years.” He answered you. Without a word, you left the room and went back to the pods, searching for your father. He had been sitting in this pod for 125 years, and it was only to avoid death. You rested your hand on the glass and sighed.

Part of you wished that Abby would have just let him go. The other part understood why she wouldn’t, you didn’t want to lose him just as much as she didn’t, but you didn’t know how long you could keep him in there. You were no doctor, but you knew that once he thawed, he was a goner.

Raven walked up from behind you and grabbed your hand.

“Abby will save him, she always finds a way.” Raven said softly.

“I don’t want to talk about her.” You blinked back tears.

“Yeah, me neither.” Raven rubbed her neck. “Come with me, let’s get something to eat.”

—————

You geared up and got onto the ship with Clarke, Bellamy, and the rest of the crew.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay up here with your dad?” Bellamy asked.

“I’m sure,” You took him by the hand, “we need a home and I want to help get one.” Bellamy nodded and took you aboard. You began your descent to Alpha, once you landed, you hopped off the spacecraft while the rest of them were hoping for breathable air.

“Y/N, slow down!” Murphy shouted.

“She’s not gonna slow down, Murphy.” Bellamy sighed.

“I know, but I had to try.”

—————

You found yourself in a kingdom-like village, the people perfectly nice and hospitable. You were able to stay in a cute little bar, the owners meeting your every need. It was almost like a dream. After your earlier encounter with a rotten eclipse, you decided that you needed some rest.

You walked upstairs and found a cot that looked comfortable enough. It was just to your liking, you kicked off your boots and fell into it. Honestly, it was the most comfortable thing you’d ever laid on. Despite the amount of comfort, you still had a lot of trouble sleeping. After staring out into space for a while, observing the people of this society, and planning your uncertain future, you gained a visitor.

“You okay?” Bellamy sat at the edge of the cot, breaking you from your daze. You hummed a “yes” and closed your eyes, then Bellamy moved farther upwards to lay down next to you. He wrapped his arm around you and stared into the night sky. “Why’d you come out here?”

“Just for some peace and quiet. And to look at the stars.” You turned onto your side and rested your head on Bellamy’s chest. You draped your arm across his torso and let the rhythm of his breathing take over. You slowly drifted off and dreamed of simpler times. Who knew you would miss the Ark.

Bellamy shook you awake.

“Hey, come here. They made us breakfast.” He said softly. You rubbed your eyes in an attempt to wake yourself up, then followed him to the tables downstairs.

“Morning, Princess.” Murphy greeted and you sat beside him. Bellamy sat across from you and a loaded plate of breakfast foods was set in front of you. You thanked Delilah and began to dig in.

“Do we know when we can bring everyone else down?” You asked. Clarke shook her head.

“No, not yet.” She sighed. “I’m supposed to go to the palace tonight, they’ll decide if we can stay or not.”

“Great, ‘cause I’m starting to miss Raven.” You chuckled and took another bite of your breakfast.

“And my mom will be able to save your dad.” Clarke added. You nodded, but stayed silent. Anxiety built inside you as you thought of all the possibilities that came with the situation. You were barely keeping it together, just enough for everyone to believe you were as stable as ever.

—————

They took you back up the the Eligius ship, demanding this and that so that you could turn their “nulls” into nightbloods. Abby was attempting to put your father into a new body. You protested with all your might while Raven calmly took you away. She returned to the lab to speak to Abby about her plan.

“Are you serious, Abby? You’re really going to put Kane in another body?” Raven crossed her arms disapprovingly.

“It’s the only way.” Abby told her, prepping the experiment. “Marcus will die if I don’t do this.”

“Is this what he would have wanted?” Abby stopped at this question. “It’s sure as hell not what his daughter wants. His own flesh and blood. She’s pissed.” Raven told her. “His fight is over.”

“No!” She slammed her fists down. “No, it’s not. Get out, Raven. Before you get removed.” Raven bit her tongue and left to go find you. My, my, were you upset with Abby. She was turning your father into an experiment and you knew deep down that it wouldn’t end well.

“Are you okay?” Raven sat down near where you were pacing.

“Not at all.” You told her. She reached her hand out for you and sat you down next to her. “When will life be simple?”

“Never.” You leaned on her shoulder. “But maybe it’ll be easier some day.”

“We can only hope.” You sighed and shut your eyes.

“Let’s change the subject: Whats going on with you and Bellamy?” Raven asked and you chuckled.

“No comment.” You told her and she cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t know!” You laughed and shook your head.

“You two would make a cute couple, seriously.” She nodded to herself and then frowned.

“I’m...I’m sorry about Shaw.” You took her hand.

“Me too.” She replied. Then the door opened and in came a man, the null that Abby turned into a nightblood. But it was no longer him, it was your father. He stared at you and slowly approached.

“Dad?” You stood up and walked to him, and he brought you into a strong hug.

“I’ve missed you.” He whispered. Your father then proceeded to tell you of his plan to accept his fate. You reluctantly agreed to do as he said, fighting tears of a loss that hadn’t quite come yet. Raven worked to stop Abby from seeing his tragic end, but she cracked and ran to the air lock. You stood there beside Indra, staring at a man that wasn’t quite your father through the glass.

“I love you, dad.” You placed your hand on the glass. He did the same.

“I love you, too, y/n. I’m so, so proud of you.” Tears fell from both sides of the glass, you backed up and silently sobbed until Raven and Abby ran near. Raven and you watched Abby as she said her own goodbyes. Indra spoke your people’s farewell prayer and as she finished, pressed the button to the airlock. You screamed and sobbed, Raven grabbed you tightly as you cried into her shoulder.

“At least I got to say goodbye...”

—————

You went back to the ground of Alpha, back into Sanctum. Bellamy met you in the midst of chaos, you hadn’t yet told him the news of your father’s passing. There was too much to take care of. But he knew better than that, he could read you better than anyone else could. Besides maybe Raven.

“Y/N, are you alright?” He asked you, putting his arm around your shoulders. You nodded silently and gave him a fake smile. “Please don’t hide anything from me. You know I’ll find out.” You bit your lip and closed your eyes. “Y/N?”

“My dad is dead.” You mumbled. His jaw dropped slightly.

“Oh, my god. Y/N, I’m so sorry.” He pulled you into a hug as you cried. His hugs were always comforting, you felt safe and warm.

“Abby put him into another body, so he floated himself as I watched.” You cried into his chest. He didn’t know what to say. You just kept crying. It had been a long, long time since he had seen you like this.

“Hey, shh, shhh.” He stroked your hair, running his fingers through it and rocking you back and forth slightly. “I’m here for you, y/n. Everything is going to be alright. I won’t leave your side.” He hummed a little song Clarke had taught him and let you cry yourself out, he kissed the top of your head, hushing and humming. It killed him to see you like this.

[allthefilmsiveseenforfree]

Knives Out

I’ve been vibrating with anticipation from the moment I saw the first trailer for Knives Out, a star-studded classic whodunnit from Rian Johnson. The premise is simple - Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer in peak jovial grandpa mode) has made his fortune writing murder mystery novels that the world loves, and is the patriarch of a sniping, backbiting family who all feel entitled to a piece of that fortune. The morning after Harlan’s 85th birthday party, he is found dead in an apparent suicide - but his nurse and best friend Marta (Ana de Armas, who steals the show) knows there is more to the story. A private investigator named Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) has been hired to unravel the mystery of the case, and in the course of his investigation he discovers that everyone in the family is a suspect.

 I love a good murder mystery, and this one had lots of elements that looked like they would add up to a rollicking good time - Chris Evans playing against type as a trust fund asshole; Daniel Craig doing his best Belles, Bourbon, and Bullets murder mystery dinner theater accent; two massive and Very Good German Shepherds; and more twists and turns than a pretzel on a rollercoaster. Plus there’s that thing where it has a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 94% audience rating. All that adds up to some sky-high expectations for this pulpy mystery to give you a couple of hours of respite from your most aggravating relatives over a long Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Does it actually deliver on what it promises? Well...

This is one of the rare cases this year where my expectations were this high and were still exceeded. Johnson’s script is tight, the actors are all having the time of their lives, and the mystery is clever and even manages to retain a sense of real human emotion and tragedy at its core. Do not miss out on the chance to see this one in theaters with a live audience that gasps and laughs and, like my theater, even applauds when it’s all over. 

Some thoughts:

So often the victim at the center of a murder mystery is just a means to an end, or an asshole that you don’t really feel that sad about. But one of the best decisions made in this script is to make Harlan feel like a real person with real relationships. His friendship with Marta is sweet and feels like it’s built on genuine respect and love. In spite of their age difference, you feel a true kinship between them - the rest of the family goes on and on about how they consider Marta family and will “take care of her” with Harlan’s money, but Harlan is the only one who treats her like a real person. You feel his loss acutely at the center of the film, and it makes solving the mystery feel all the more urgent.

That being said, Harlan’s sense of decor in the house is fucking terrifying, all these dolls and figurines are made of straight up nightmares.

Ana de Armas is really the center of the whole film, and her performance here is off-the-charts. She’s vulnerable, earnest, conniving, put-upon, terrified, and resolute in equal measure, and just a real delight to watch onscreen. And her character’s incredible plot device of never being able to tell a lie without puking is inspired. 

Keep that in mind - if you are sensitive to vomit, please be warned there is quite a bit of it in the film and it can get REALLY gross in places.

Marta’s other main purpose is to act as a counterpoint to all the WASPy awfulness of this rich, entitled family. If you have to spend any time around racist relatives this holiday weekend (and I specifically mean the casual microaggression type of racism) you’ll definitely empathize with Marta as each member of the Thrombey family says some variation of “You’re from ___, right?” and lists a different country.

The film’s greatest asset is the cast - you don’t get better ensembles than this. Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, Riki Lindhome, and Toni Collette are the adult generation, squabbling over their pieces of the Thrombey publishing empire and shit-talking each other’s kids. Then there’s Chris Evans, Jaeden Martell, and Katherine Langford as the younger generation, each their own brand of insufferable - one’s a trust fund layabout in a Beemer, one’s an alt-right prep school punk, and one’s a bra-burning Sarah Lawrence peak white feminist. Each and every one of these actors is given a distinct, interesting piece of the mystery to sink their teeth into, and each character brings something new and different to the table. The first sequence of questioning from Blanc feels like a ballet, with each character lying and flashbacks revealing the truth in an elegant, twisting dance. The sum is so much greater than the parts, and it helps that everyone looks like they’re really having fun. 

None more so than Chris Evans though, who doesn’t show up until about 45 minutes in, but when he does, things really kick into high gear. His delivery of scathing sarcastic retorts is downright gleeful, and I would like to petition the universe to always ensure that he is wearing this kind of New England chic with thick wooly sweaters and camel driving coats and intricately patterned scarves. That’s one Boston boy who can wear the HELL out of a cable knit, and it’s a joy (for many reasons) to watch.

Even with a cast this great, the movie only works because the script is tight and the mystery is interesting. There are lots of fun little call-backs and payoffs to earlier lines - this is one of the few movies this year I actually want to go see twice in the theaters just to catch things that I may have missed the first time. 

Did I Cry? I did not, but I felt a definite sadness every time Marta looked at the large portrait of Harlan, because I could feel her missing him. 

This movie is seriously a goddamn delight. Go see it immediately and just let yourself be taken on the ride - there are few films this year I’ve flat-out enjoyed more.

If you liked this review, please consider reblogging or subscribing to my Patreon! For as low as $1, you can access bonus content and movie reviews, or even request that I review any movie of your choice.

[unfortunate-stranger-losers]

Six Baudelaires AU, Part Two: Reference Guide

A quick guide for everything I intentionally referenced in The Six Siblings, Part Two: This Tale is All Sorrows and Woes.

{ao3} {tumblr} {part one reference guide} 

MAJOR SPOILER WARNING - the plot twists from this section of the fanfiction will be discussed at length. 

Without further ado…

Chapter One / Prologue - in which Lilac has to Older Sister

“Release Nick, you fiend!” Violet tackled Klaus to the ground, as both of her brothers burst into giggles. “Never! Nick’s my prisoner of war!” Klaus said, trying (and failing) to push her off.

Nick being the “captive” in the childrens’ game throughout the chapter is a bit of an obvious foreshadow to his captivity from Chapters 12-20... which meant it was really fun when none of you noticed until then and then tried to kill me. XD

A full reference of the books namedropped in the childrens’ game:

Violet and Nick’s kingdom, Terabithia, is from Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. Their original characters, either Susan/Lucy and Peter/Edmund, are a reference to The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis. 

Lilac and Klaus’s kingdom, Gwyntystorm, and their characters, Irene and Curdie, are from The Princess and the Goblin and its sequel, The Princess and Curdie, by George MacDonald. 

Lilac says she thought Nick was Eragon, from The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, and Klaus says he was Aragorn, from The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. Nick’s suggestion for a new name, Glaedr, is also a character from The Inheritance Cycle. Nick finally decides to be Peter Pan, obviously from Peter Pan by JM Barrie. 

“Naw, they definitely are.” Nick nodded. “When a new baby is born, one of the other children has to die. Everyone knows it.” [...] “Now, since it’s a girl maybe, they could take out one of them,” he gestured towards Violet and Lilac, “But you’re the most useless, Klaus, so-” [...] “But yeah. Babies suck and we should totally throw our sister off the roof.” 

Direct reference to Addams Family Values (1993)

“Watch me.” Nick’s eyes lit up. “Wait, no, better plan. You guys remember Moses-”

Reference to the story of Moses, who was placed in a basket in a river as an infant. 

Lilac quickly answered the phone, saying, “Baudelaire residence. This is Lilac Emily. To whom am I presently speaking?” 

Lilac’s middle name is taken from her actress, Emily Browning. 

“We’re sensible and proper!” Nick added.

A reference to S Theodora Markson’s catchphrase in All the Wrong Questions. 

“What was that, Dad? No, no real ropes. Yeah, promise. We’ll go to bed on time, too. But you’ll all be back in the morning? Yeah, I know. Don’t open the windows.”

The Baudelaire parents don’t want to risk their children getting recruited. 

“He said we have a new sister.” Lilac reported. “Solitude Theodora Baudelaire.”

A direct reference to S Theodora Markson. 

“Can we make a blanket fort?” Klaus asked. “Like we used to?”

Much like the last prologue, this is a reference to the scene from the 2004 film. 

Rest of the fic under the cut. 

Chapter Two - in which the Baudelaires move into a nice Shack

As he stood, Nick turned to look at his brother, and after a second, he realized something. “Wait a minute.” he said. “Are you… taller than me?”

A reference to Louis Hynes’s growth spurt inbetween TMM and TAA in the Netflix series. (Though, fun fact, at this moment in time, Liam Aiken is currently taller than Louis Hynes, so I guess Nick eventually does end up taller.) 

Violet groaned and stood, and Solitude said, “Winnie,” which meant, “We could have Babbitt judge; they’re good with numbers!”

A reference to the main character of Babbitt’s namesake, Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. 

After a moment, Nick said, “I’ll give you a tip.” “Yes?” Nick smiled slightly. “There’s a book, about the mother of a girl who reminds me a lot of you, in that everyone thinks she is adorable and perfect. The mother gets scared when the girl’s classmate drowns on a field trip and her daughter steals something shiny off of him, and she then finds out that she has a very suspicious genealogy.”

Nick giving tips in the form of book recommendations is a reference to Lemony’s habit of doing the same thing to Pip and Squeak in All the Wrong Questions. This is a double reference, as Liam Aiken, Nick’s actor, read the audiobooks for ATWQ. 

The book he is referencing is The Bad Seed by William March. 

“Gah-ahc.” said Solitude, which meant, “Let’s sleep outside.”

One of Soli’s lines in the 2004 film. 

Chapter Three - in which the Baudelaires make new friends 

Sunny narrowed her eyes. “Armoracia,” she muttered, which meant something like, “That doesn’t sound right. Apples and Horseradish taste very differently.”

Early foreshadowing for Sunny’s cooking interest. 

“I can get the windows,” Lilac said, “Should be an ordinary-enough pin-tumbler lock.”

The phase “ordinary enough pin-tumbler lock” is repeated a lot, as a reference to the second All the Wrong Questions book, When Did You See Her Last? 

“Yeah, there’s no locks.” Duncan said. “Bonnie said that they fell off a few years ago and never got replaced.”

A reference to a main character from The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken. 

Chapter Four - in which Duncan and Isadora break into a Library 

“See? Researcher. Like Klaus.” Nick said. Klaus narrowed his eyes at his twin, trying to figure out what Nick was on about. “Is that… really important?” “Yes.” Nick said, and failed to elaborate. [...] “I think Klaus and Duncan should take the fungus.” Violet said, sharing a look with Nick. “The rest of us can keep an eye out for that book.” “Why should we take the fungus?” Violet held back a smile and shrugged, but Klaus quickly figured out what was going on. His face went red, and he glared at her, but Duncan said, “I’m fine with that,” so all he could do was shrug and keep shooting his siblings dark looks.

Violet and Nick are trying to set Duncan and Klaus up, much to Lilac’s horror. 

“Like a little cat.” Duncan said. “One of those feral ones that are super tiny.”

A reference to the world’s smallest cat, the Rusty-spotted cat. 

“That doesn’t sound right, but I really don’t give a shit.” Nick shrugged. “We’ll find it, won’t we, Soli?”

A reference to a line from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode 5x03, “The Great Recession”, which later became a meme - “That doesn’t sound right, but I don’t know enough about stars to dispute it.” 

Chapter Five - in which the children run amok at Prufrock Prep 

“You’re lucky.” Isadora said, sitting on the edge of the roof and kicking her legs as she looked down at the dying grass fields. “Our parents’ estate’s executor doesn’t give a fuck until orphans are ‘in’, whatever the hell that means.”

As revealed in The Slippery Slope book, Esme was left in charge of the Quagmires’ estate. 

Lilac giggled. “Yeah. Mom used to have [a necklace] just like it, except instead of these gear patterns, it had her initials. I always thought it was pretty, but she never let me wear it, so I learned how to make my own. She was… so proud.”

2004 Film Violet does indeed have a necklace throughout the entire film; I just added a backstory. 

“Nick Liam Baudelaire, what the hell is that?” Lilac shouted.

Nick’s middle name is in reference to his actor, Liam Aiken. 

“Marbeau,” said Sunny, meaning, “Maybe they’ve finally opened a daycare or toddler school.”

A reference to Firmin Marbeau, who pioneered a forerunner of modern daycare. 

Chapter Six - in which the Baudelaires have Gym Class 

“Tik,” said Sunny, meaning, “No! Typing and stapling is so hard when we’re tired!”

“Tik” spelled backwards is “Kit”, which, no, is not a reference to Kit Snicket, but Kit Kittredge, who famously carries a typewriter. 

“Say goodbye to Nick, Solitude.” Lilac said, grabbing the toddler’s hand and dragging her to her feet.

Another bit of foreshadowing for Nick’s capture. 

“Olil.” Sunny groaned. “Leave me alone to die.”

“Olil” spelled backwards is “Lilo”, as Sunny is directly quoting a line from Lilo & Stitch (2002). 

“Speaking of which,” Carmelita said, “As this is the second message I gave you, I really deserve a tip at this point.” “There’s a book about what happens when you let a bunch of schoolchildren run around unsupervised,” Klaus said, “And it features a pig’s head on a stick.”

Once again, the book recommendation instead of a tip is an All the Wrong Questions reference. 

Klaus is recommending Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

Chapter Seven - in which Nick gets them all in Even More Trouble 

“I’m just telling you what I was told to tell you.” Carmelita giggled. “And since this is my eleventh message, you’re overdue eleven tips.” “We gave you our tips.” Nick said, glaring at her. “But here’s today’s; there’s a book that was made into a popular film that is about a hound dog and a fox. In the book, at the end, the hound kills the fox.”

Once again, ATWQ reference with the tips. 

The book he’s recommending is The Fox and the Hound by Daniel P Mannix; and, yes, that IS how the book ends. The Hound dies, too. You’re welcome for ruining your childhood. 

“Klaus?” he sounded very uncharacteristically terrified. “Klaus? Are you okay?” Klaus, startled, quickly stumbled out, “Y-yeah, I’m fine…” as Lilac and Violet also jumped up, grabbing the infants, and the Quagmires hurried to their feet. “Did your glasses break?” “No, I’m-” “Are you hurt?” Nick pulled away from his slightly, his eyes moving fast as he scanned his brother.

While Nick’s PTSD worsens much later, the first signs of it start showing here; he’s still traumatized from Klaus’s hypnotism, which was always kicked off with him getting tripped and his glasses breaking. 

“I wouldn’t say that.” said Nick, glaring down at the floor. He hadn’t looked anybody in the eye since he’d attacked Carmelita.

Nick isn’t ashamed of attacking Carmelita; he’s ashamed that he “overreacted” to something so minor. He doesn’t like admitting he needs help, which becomes a problem after his capture. 

“We know what homeschooling is.” Violet said. “We were-”

In this continuity, the Baudelaires were homeschooled before the fire. 

“Halloween, age nine,” Isadora said, “Was when we wanted to go as a certain family of six children. The problem being that there’re only three of us.”

A reference to The Brady Bunch. 

“We know you’re not asking.” Isadora said, smiling. “We’re volunteering.”

whelp. 

Chapter Eight - in which Lilac Snaps 

No major references in this chapter. 

Chapter Nine - in which the Baudelaires are given Fashion Lessons 

They fell silent again, and then quietly, Lilac started to sing. She sang a song that was normally played very loud and energetic, but she gave it a slower melody, quietly soothing Sunny as they walked up and up the large staircase. It was a song about how everybody’s looking for something, and as they walked, listening to Lilac’s soft voice, they all really hoped that whoever was looking for the Quagmires would find them quickly.

A reference to “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” by Eurythmics, but more specifically, a reference to Emily Browning’s cover version.

“Ah, you’re very adventurous!” Jerome said. “Just like your mother. We were friends a ways back. We hiked up Mount Fraught with some friends- gosh, it must have been twenty years ago-” [...] “Hmm? Oh, no, just the Snickets and that Markson boy.” Lilac narrowed her eyes. “Who?”

“That Markson boy” is a reference to the theory that Bertrand Baudelaire was adopted by S Theodora Markson’s family. Lilac’s recognition is not of her father’s maiden name, but of “Snicket”, which she vaguely remembers from her childhood. 

Chapter Ten - in which the In Auction is planned 

Currently, the Baudelaires were spread out in the living room. Nick and Klaus were trying to read through a book on Emily Dickinson that they’d bought the other day, while Violet and Lilac were going through the newspaper, trying to find something interesting, or some news on the search for Count Olaf.

The Baudelaires miss the Quagmires so much they’ve accidentally picked up their habits; Emily Dickinson is a famous poet, and Violet and Lilac are reading the newspaper. 

“She seems like the kind of person who’d try to set me up with some rich kid.” Nick said. “And I’m never getting married, not even when I’m older. I’m gonna live alone in the woods, and the only one who can come visit me is Soli.”

Nick is aromantic. 

“Ihering!” Soli said, which meant something like, “I’ll live with you and we can raise reptiles in the woods!”

A reference to Hermann von Ihering, a zoologist. 

The waiter nodded. “I didn’t realize this was a sad occasion.” [...] “Did you say-?” Lilac began.

The waiter is a VFD agent; once again, Lilac vaguely recognizes the code phrase. 

Chapter Eleven - in which Klaus finds an Ersatz Elevator 

“I’m not going to let us chase red herrings!” Lilac shouted back, hurt.

Dark foreshadowing to the red herring statue. 

“Solitude is,” Nick said, moving past him to find a pencil and paper, “Sunny is the albatross that curses us.” “Doom!” Sunny cheered.

A reference to The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. 

“It worked.” Violet smiled. “We never expected otherwise.” Klaus said.

A reference to the line from “The Bad Beginning: Part One” in the Netflix series. 

Chapter Twelve - in which the Baudelaires fall 

“Not so bad.” Solitude muttered. Then, she said, “Radec,” which meant, “Just think of it as a ride, instead of an actual fall.”

“Radec” spelled backwards is “Cedar”; a lowkey reference to Cedar Point. 

“No, we’re going to make a lockpick.” Lilac said. “Flamethrower’s too volatile. Besides, I don’t trust you with it.”

“Too volatile” is a reference to the phrase being used in The Grim Grotto. 

She spun on her heel, exiting out a door behind them. As she did, Nick said, “Should I go after her and tell her the kitchen was out the other door?”

Esme went to call Olaf and the henchpeople, instead of going to the kitchen. 

“Yeet Babbitt.” Solitude suggested.

A reference to the vine/meme. 

They had to walk through a parlor to get to the door, and as they did, Nick stopped a moment, glancing at the phone. It didn’t look broken. “Hey, guys?” he called, but they didn’t hear him, so he started to run to catch up.

Nick started to run to catch up; he never did, because that’s when one of Olaf’s henchpeople grabs him. 

And then, with a swish, there was a thump, thump, thump, and the Baudelaires stopped falling.

Only three thumps- because Klaus and Lilac were carrying the toddlers, and Nick didn’t fall, only three kids hit the net. 

“Nhojnod!” Sunny shouted. “You bastard!”

“Njohnod” is “Don John” spelled backwards, a reference to the character from Much Ado About Nothing, who is a bastard in both the legal and ethical use of the term. 

Chapter Thirteen - in which Sunny crawls up an elevator shaft 

“Sunday Theodora Baudelaire!” Lilac shouted. “You get back down here right now!”

Sunny’s middle name, “Theodora”, is once again a reference to S Theodora Markson; even after her death, she’s still confusing people about what the S stood for. 

Sunny sighed and turned slightly towards them, calling out, “Salvo!” which probably meant something like, “I’m going to go get us some rope and see if I can find Nick! I’ll be back soon!”

“Salvo” is a Latin verb, meaning “to save.” 

Sunny bit her lip and shook her head. “Appentier,” she said, meaning, “He’s not in the penthouse, at least from what I saw.”

“Appentier” is a french word from which “penthouse apartment” is derived. 

“Kim?” Sunny asked, meaning, “Wait, we get leeway for being kidnapped?”

“Kim” is the name of the girl who is kidnapped in the film Taken (2008). 

Solitude glanced at her in confusion. “Greywater?” “Yes, Soli,” Violet said, “A word which here means, ‘basically piss and shit.’”

A reference to a line from IT: Chapter One (2017). 

Chapter Fourteen - in which Some Children are sold at auction 

“You’d be surprised what’s legal and what’s not, actually.” Esme said. “For instance, in our society, cannibalism is legal, but religiously frowned upon-” 

A reference to the only ASOUE canon that matters, the Real-Time Fandub. (part one, part two) 

“Very interesting.” Olaf said. “And I suppose you think that your dear sister Lilac will take care of you then?”

Olaf is taunting Nick here, as he’s about to drop quite a lot of secrets to him, but mainly that Lilac is his half-sister. 

Notably, Nick is the only Baudelaire not present in this header image. 

Chapter Fifteen - in which Nobody’s having a good time 

No major references in this chapter. 

Chapter Sixteen - in which Lilac has a bad plan 

For sapphires and fortunes we are held in here. Only you can end our fear.

Isadora’s poems are ever-so-slightly different in this AU, due to Nick’s presence. 

The addition of and fortunes indicates that Nick is still with them.

Until dawn comes, we cannot speak speak. No voices come from this sad beak.

“voices” is more specific than “words can”; Nick has already started to go nonverbal due to his trauma, and Duncan and Isadora are unable to yell through the statue. 

Chapter Seventeen - in which the Village makes a Big Mistake 

But as she passed the Baudelaires, her hand slipped, and the man turned and met Lilac’s eyes. He stared for a moment, as if he realized with a shock he recognized her from somewhere. Then, he said, very quietly, “The world is quiet here.”

Jacques is realizing that Lilac has Lemony’s eyes; if he hadn’t realized before she was his niece, he does now. He tries to signal her with a VFD codephrase. 

“Now,” Lilac said, “We will need full access to all your inventing materials.” “And I’ll need blueprints of the uptown jail.” Klaus said. “Dead fly.” said Solitude.

While this is an obvious reference to Soli wanting to feed Babbitt, it is also a reference to a similar request made by Wednesday Addams in the 1964 sitcom The Addams Family, episode 1x10, “Wednesday Leaves Home.” 

The first thing you read contains our clues: An initial way to speak to you.

“Our clues”, once again, signals that Nick is still with the Quagmires. 

Chapter Eighteen - in which Count Olaf was not murdered 

No major references in this chapter. 

Chapter Nineteen - in which the Twins get a Birthday Present 

“You won’t keep Nick.” Lilac added. “He’ll get away from you, and the Quagmires, too! We’re never going to give up, and neither are they!” “Baudelaires don’t give up!” Solitude shouted. Olaf just smiled. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”

Nick’s trauma has already caused him to shut down completely, and Olaf knows this. 

Inside these letters the eye will see Nearby are your loved ones and the VFD

Nick and the Quagmires are still together. 

Chapter Twenty - in which Sunny drives a Firetruck 

“Nick, hey.” Isadora slowly pulled away from Violet and Lilac and stepped closer to the fountain, her voice very soft. “Your siblings found us. We were right. They found us.”

The Quagmires aren’t as traumatized as Nick; they’ve learned how to avoid the wrath of their captors, and have complete faith that the Baudelaires will save them. Nick’s been tortured and told quite a lot of things that temporarily broke him.

Duncan and Isadora shared a glance, and to the Baudelaires’ surprise, Nick flinched and also shared the triplets’ look. “Well, that’s not a surprise.” Duncan said. “He was the brother of a man who-”

Duncan, Isadora and Nick all know about Jacques Snicket, his relationship to Lemony, and Lemony’s relationship to Lilac. 

Nick was backing away from the fence, eyes wide, gripping onto Solitude so hard his knuckles were white. Isadora ran forwards, and Lilac realized then that he was shaking uncontrollably. “Nick, Nick, it’s okay!” Isadora said. She reached forwards, grabbing his face. “Look at me! Look at me! Duncan-” Duncan ran over, putting a hand on Nick’s shoulder, as Nick said, “They’re going to find us. They’re going to catch us. They’re going to find us-”

A lot of Nick’s trauma came from punishments after he attempted to escape, so he goes into a panic whenever they’re about to be caught. 

At that moment, Solitude pushed Babbitt onto Nick’s shoulder and said, “Hold this!” She immediately started running, jumping over Lilac and crawling through the window and onto the seat beside Sunny. Then she slid to the floor and jumped on the gas pedal, causing them to take off again.

A reference to Pip and Squeak from All the Wrong Questions, who drove their taxi in a similar way. 

Klaus stared back, and then his gaze hardened, and his siblings had never seen him look so furious. “I’m going to kill them.” Klaus vowed, and he meant it. “I’m going to kill them, Nick.” Nick’s eyes widened, and for several seconds, he looked like he physically could not process what his brother had just said.

A running joke up to this point was that Nick would suggest murder and Klaus would remind him that was illegal; after seeing his brother in such a state of shock and fear, this gag drops as Klaus decides Olaf and his troupe have to die. 

Chapter Twenty-One - in which Nick is not feeling great 

Meanwhile, Klaus was leaning against the wall, with Nick leaning onto his shoulder, curled up so he could be as close to his brother as possible. He had his eyes shut, but Lilac knew he wasn’t asleep; she didn’t think he’d slept at all. 

A symptom of severe trauma is the loss of sleep, either because of nightmares, or fear of what could happen while in such a defenseless position. This will be explored in Part Three. 

Nick bit his lip, and then nodded and said, “I-I’m sorry-”

Nick’s gotten over the initial shock of his rescue, and he’s starting to regret breaking down and starting to hate being so obviously traumatized. 

“Wait, Li…” Nick paused. “Can I… can I talk to you?” “Of course.” Lilac said softly. Nick glanced from Klaus to Violet to the toddlers. “Alone?”

Nick has decided it’s Lilac’s right to know she has a different (possibly living?) biological dad than the rest of them, but he also knows it’s her decision who else she wants to know, hence why he wants to tell her alone. 

Nick looked up at Klaus, and said, “I-I…” he shut his eyes. “I thought I heard… no, no, I must’ve… I thought I heard her, but… I had to… she wouldn’t… have found us this fast…”

Esme and Olaf were Nick’s main tormentors; they trigger his panic attacks more than the presence of the rest of the troupe. 

“No! No, don’t leave!” Nick shouted, leaping forwards and grabbing Klaus’s arm.

Nick is absolutely terrified of isolation/abandonment, especially in enclosed spaces. 

“Never!” Klaus pushed Nick farther, incredibly terrified by just how quiet his brother was.

Nick was punished a lot for “backtalking” his captors, so when he’s around Olaf and Esme, he almost never speaks. 

Chapter Twenty-Two - in which the Baudelaires break into a Hospital 

“Dimidium,” Sunny said, which meant, “Well, it’s only half a hospital.”

“Dimidium” is a Latin noun, meaning “half.” 

“We could kick down the door.” Lilac suggested. Then, she gave Nick a small smile. “Remember, Nick? When you were locked in the closet and wanted Mom to kick down the door?”

A reference to a previous one-shot for the Six Baudelaires AU. 

“Do you think that’ll have the information we need?” Violet asked. Nick flinched again, and then he said, “Um-”

Nick heard the word “Snicket”, and immediately assumes the worst- that it’ll out Lilac to the rest of their siblings. 

Chapter Twenty-Three - in which Solitude steals some shit 

Nick still didn’t respond, and Violet’s voice broke. “You have to remember. You couldn’t have been younger than… six or seven. Mother and Father were so mad, when they found us I thought they were going to explode… but you weren’t even upset, I cried but you just said you’d… you’d heard some kind of animal cry, and you thought it might need help, and I was the only one awake to help you… they got even madder, told you you should’ve stayed with them, but you didn’t see anything wrong, and… Nick, please tell me you remember that…”

An animal cry is a signal from VFD recruiters to prompt the children to say the codephrase that begins recruitment. The Baudelaire parents don’t want their children recruited, and were terrified to wake up and find their children gone on a night that they could have been kidnapped. 

Violet carefully pulled the scraps from her pocket, spreading them out in front of her, while Klaus turned to Nick. “Did they tell you anything?” he asked. “While you were… with them? About VFD, or this whole ‘Snicket’ thing, or Olaf?” Nick didn’t look anyone in the eye. “There wasn’t… much time to chat. I only… Lilac, can we talk?”

Pretty much all of Nick’s pleas for Lilac to talk to her are brought on when Snicket is mentioned. 

Nick pulled away, scratching at his arm, “That’s not…”

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: IMPLIED SELF HARM

Nick’s arm scratches are a tic he picked up during his captivity; he starts to scratch whenever his captors are mentioned, to keep himself alert. This will be discussed and resolved in Part Three. 

Nick looked sharply up at her and said, “Mom stole from Esme. She wouldn’t give a shit.”

Nick knows about the theft of the sugar bowl, as well as the Opera Night. (which are separate incidents, fuck you Netflix.) He’s very pissed at his parents for keeping vital information from them. 

Chapter Twenty-Four - in which Violet makes a decision 

They went to the Js. Then, quietly, Nick said, “Can we go to the L cabinets?” “Why?” Lilac asked. Nick glanced towards his siblings, and then away. “Just a guess.” Lilac shrugged directed them to the Ls, and Nick flipped through one drawer, eyes narrowed. Then he shook his head. “Nothing here.”

He’s looking under both “Lemony” and “Lilac.” 

Nick paused. “I mean… we don’t have to- to watch it right away.”  [...] “Li, please,” he said, “Can we talk? Just outside, just the two of us, there’s something-”

Nick wants to be able to tell Lilac about the whole “Lemony Snicket” thing before they can risk having her find out from the file. 

“I did.” Jacques nodded. “I managed to contact-”

He managed to contact Quigley.

“We’ll find them.” Lilac swore. “Are you okay?” “Yeah.” “Are you scared?” “I’m scared you won’t let me make a flamethrower and turn it on that bitch.”

A reference to this incorrect quote, which is, of itself, a reference to a line from the television show Brooklyn Nine-Nine, episode 3x10, “Yippie Kayak.” 

Still no response. Lilac looked around in terror, her hand flying to her necklace. “Violet Malina Baudelaire! You get the fuck out here!”

Violet’s middle name is taken from her actress, Malina Weissman. 

Chapter Twenty-Five - in which Lilac breaks down 

“I’m not…” Lilac sniffled. “I’m not like you.” Nick froze. “What does that mean?” “You all are so close.” Lilac shut her eyes. “You and Solitude, you and Klaus, you and Violet, Violet and Klaus, Klaus and Sunny, Solitude and Sunny… all of you. You’re all each others’ best friends. None of you care about me like that. [...] I just… feel like… like there’s this wall between us. That we can’t see, but we can’t cross. And I can see you all… you all together. And I just… can’t be like that. Cause I have to be responsible? Cause I’m the oldest? Cause… cause I just can’t be loved?” “Li!” Nick put a hand on her cheek, turning her towards him. “Li, we do love you. You’re our big sister! You’re our sister! You are our family! Sure, we pick on you, but not because we hate you! We all love you, too!”

This is why Nick doesn’t take the opportunity to tell her about her heritage; he wants to wait for a moment where the information won’t give her more anxiety, or make her think she’s somehow less family. 

Nick paused a moment, and then he leaned his head on her shoulder, shut his eyes, and said, “They fuck you up, your Mom and Dad. [...] They may not mean to, but they do. They fill you with the faults they had, then add some extra, just for you.” Lilac stiffened for a second, and then carefully put an arm around Nick. “Where… where’d you learn that?” “The Library.” Nick lied.

Nick is quoting “This Be the Verse” by Philip Larkin, which is later quoted by Olaf in “The End.” He learned the poem during his captivity. 

“Nick.” Lilac wiped her eyes, and then put her hands on his. “It’s okay to… to talk about what happened to you.” Nick bit his lip. “That’s…” “I’ve been busy, yes, but I’ve also been scared. Scared that I’ll… I’ll hear something that makes everything worse.” Lilac’s eyes darted to the ground a moment, before going back up to Nick. “But I’ll listen. I want to hear you. I want you to tell me.”

TRIGGER WARNING: CSA MENTION

Lilac has been avoiding Nick in fear that he’ll explain what he suffered under Olaf. While she knows learning the details can help her better protect her brother, she is terrified that she won’t be able to handle it, and she’s completely terrified he might have been sexually assaulted, seeing as Olaf threatened to do that to Violet specifically to punish Lilac, and he had Nick under his control for a while. 

Nick smiled at her. “You can do anything, sis.”

Nick knows she’s biologically his half-sister, but he wants to make completely sure she knows he will always consider her his sister and his family, and nothing can change that. 

Chapter Twenty-Six - in which Klaus impersonates a Doctor 

Nick flinched. “You want to be like him?”

Something to note: After his capture, Nick never refers to Olaf or Esme by their names; just him��or her. 

Nick took a deep breath. “These vents are a lot bigger than I thought, but, um… they’re still pretty cramped.” Solitude shrugged. Of course it didn’t seem cramped to her, she was only a little over two feet tall. “I was just… I’m not sure I like how small it is.”

Nick’s claustrophobia, gained from being trapped in a red herring, a statue, and possibly other small spaces inbetween, is starting up. 

“Doctor Howser.” Lilac said in an austrailian accent, thinking very fast. “We’re going to perform surgery soon.”

A reference to Doogie Howser, MD, which starred a young Neil Patrick Harris, who played Olaf in the Netflix series. 

“Since when could you do an Austrailian accent?” “You don’t know everything about me.” Lilac scanned the list.

Lilac’s actress, Emily Browning, is Australian. 

Chapter Twenty-Seven - in which the Baudelaires jump out a window 

Nick had placed Solitude onto the ground and now held Violet by the shoulders, shaking her slightly as he shouted. “What did they do to you, Vi? Vi, what did they do?”

Nick knows exactly what could have happened to Violet in captivity, so he’s completely and utterly panicked. 

“I’m with Klaus.” Nick said shakily. “We go together or not at all.”

A reference to the track “Together or Not at All” from Doctor Who, by Murray Gold. 

Chapter Twenty-Eight - in which the Baudelaires visit a Carnival 

No major references in this chapter. 

Chapter Twenty-Nine - in which Solitude finally morphs into a reptile 

“Well, if they…” Nick shut his eyes. “We just… better get there before they drink too much, that’s all.”

Nick has had experience with the troupe while drunk, and would rather attempt to speak with them before it goes too far. 

“Well, then,” Lulu said, stepping forwards and looking a bit confused, “What exactly are you, please?” “You can call me Babydoll.” Lilac said.

A very clear reference to the character that Emily Browning played in Sucker Punch (2011). 

Surprisingly, the henchpeople looked a little startled at that, as did Lulu, but Esme laughed. “Sounds like my kind of girl!” she said. “I drowned an ex once. So did you, dear, right?” Olaf was taking another swig of wine, so they couldn’t exactly see his reaction. 

Olaf “drowning an ex” is a reference to the Netflix show canon, where he left Georgina Orwell under a bridge to drown. 

His reaction being hidden is because, for obvious reasons, he doesn’t quite want to talk about murdered parents. 

“Well, I’m Elliot,” Klaus said, “And this is my other head, Janus.”

Janus was a Roman god with two faces. 

“And that down there,” Lilac said, pointing her thumb at Solitude, “Is our little pet gorgon. We call ‘er Euryale, cause her actual name is just a buncha hisses.”

Euryale was one of Medusa’s sisters in Greek Mythology. 

Chapter Thirty - in which the Baudelaires put on a show 

But as they started to leave, they heard a low rumble, and Nick immediately grabbed onto Klaus’s arm and let out a nervous gasp that was, thankfully, missed in the noise.

Nick recognizes the sound of Olaf’s car. 

Chapter Thirty-One - in which the Baudelaires play fortune teller 

“Or maybe,” Nick said, very quietly, keeping his eyes shut tight, “They were told not to find us.”

Nick learned a lot about VFD during his captivity, including their recruitment. He’s worried that their surviving parent may be ready to give them up to the organization. 

Nick grabbed a selection of paper, staring curiously, and then he quickly tried to shove it back, but Klaus’s eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of it, and he grabbed it from his brother. 

Nick, once again, sees the name “Snicket” and assumes the worst. 

Chapter Thirty-Two - in which the Baudelaires are asked to murder 

“No, thank you.” Esme said, looking down a Sunny and frowning. “I’m afraid I don’t like cinnamon in chocolate anymore, the woman who introduced it to me recently perished in a fire. But it’s very kind of you to offer.”

The Baudelaires received their taste for cinnamon in hot chocolate from their mother. 

“Sounds good.” Kevin said. “I’ve committed crimes before. Why, when I was no older than Elliot and Janus-” 

A reference to the theory that Kevin from ASOUE is the same as Kevin Old from File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents, who committed vandalism and thievery. 

Chapter Thirty-Three - in which someone is pushed to the lions 

“I’m sure you are.” Olaf smirked, and he reached forwards and put a cold hand on Nick’s cheek. Nick tried very hard not to cry, but he wasn’t succeeding very well. “Now go jump into that pit. We want to see you devoured by lions.”

Olaf, who knows that the freaks are the Baudelaires, specifically picked Klaus and Nick to sacrifice to the lions specifically to torment Nick more; he knows what effect he has on him, and is relishing it. Once the boys are gone, they can grab the rest of the Baudelaires and escape. 

“I wish we had a cartographer with us.” Violet sighed. 

A reference to the next book, where Violet will have a relationship with Quigley, a cartographer. 

Chapter Thirty-Four / Epilogue - in which they should have said something

“Come on.” Bertrand said, taking Violet’s hands and spinning her as she giggled. “It’s Duke Ellington. That’s your fav, Li.”

A reference to All the Wrong Questions. 

“What song is this?” Violet asked. Beatrice smiled over at Soli, who was curled up on Nick’s lap, biting his sweater. “It’s got a very special name, isn’t that right, dear?” Solitude giggled. 

“Solitude”, by Duke Ellington, likely Ellington’s song in All the Wrong Questions. 

“Dashiell if it’s a boy,” Bertrand replied, “Sunny if it’s a girl.” 

“Dashiell” after Dashiell Qwerty from All the Wrong Questions. 

“We could adopt one of the outdoors animals.” Nick suggested. Beatrice and Bertrand turned to look at him. “The what?” Bertrand asked. “I keep hearing animals outside my window, every now and again.” Nick shrugged. “Howling or yipping or sometimes breaking a branch. Maybe if we brought them into the house, they wouldn’t get in so much trouble.” 

Recruitment attempts that have not been working, because Beatrice and Bertrand refuse to let their children join VFD. 

She turned to a selection of beach photos, slowly pulling out a small picture of baby Lilac, sitting on Briny Beach. It hadn’t been the first time she’d seen the ocean, but she’d still been so excited to splash in the water. 

Since Lilac was born eleven months before Violet, it’s likely she was born on the island.