#so I'm pushing my boundaries!! and I got to practice with some of your favorite people (specifically jacob <3)

[jwooyoung]

free serotonin part 2: ending fairies - for @taeminblr

[solarmorrigan]

For the angst prompt thing: Steddie and "Don't fucking touch me."

Hello! Thank you very much for sending a prompt, I'm sorry it took me so long to post, but I do think this one is my favorite out of all the fills I've done for this prompt list <3

[No warnings; Unnamed Freak (who apparently got a name in the most recent novel, but I didn't know that at the time) is named Oliver]

Angsty-ish Prompt List

-

“I’m gonna step outside for a minute,” Steve leans in to murmur in Eddie’s ear, even though the music isn’t that loud.

“Yeah, sounds good.” Eddie nods, and only just keeps himself from turning to catch Steve’s mouth in a kiss when he feels the brush of his lips against his ear; it’s not his fault he’s developed some kind of Pavlovian association between having Steve’s mouth anywhere near his skin and receiving kisses – but they do have company.

Said company is just Gareth, Jeff, and Oliver, but still. Eddie has some decorum.

Steve stands from the couch and the arm he’d had slung around Eddie’s shoulders slides away slowly, his hand brushing warm and heavy over the back of Eddie’s neck, thumb stroking once, familiarly, along the side of his throat before disappearing entirely as Steve moves towards the front door. He doesn’t do so great with groups of people in small spaces anymore; the noise gets to him, and the heat generated by so many bodies in close proximity tends to give him a headache, so he takes breaks now and then, just to give his brain a few minutes to unbend.

The door swings open on silent hinges (Steve had attacked it with a can of WD-40 and a look of determination earlier today, insisting he couldn’t stand the squeaking anymore; he’s always doing things like that around the house – little repairs, organizing, picking things up, even though Eddie insists he doesn’t have to. He says he wants to, the endearing little weirdo) and Steve steps out into the cool evening, leaving Eddie and the boys behind in the warm light of the trailer’s main room.

“So,” Jeff says, looking up from his spot on the floor and gesturing vaguely at Eddie with his beer can, “how’s that going for you guys?”

Eddie blinks at him. “How’s what going?”

“The whole thing between you two,” Jeff clarifies, and Eddie raises a skeptical brow at him.

“You wanna talk about me and Steve having sex?” Eddie asks.

Jeff’s nose scrunches in distaste. “What? No.”

“Not ever,” Gareth jumps in.

“I mean…” Oliver says with a shrug, flinching when Gareth pelts him with a balled-up napkin.

“No,” Gareth reiterates.

“I refuse to apologize for simple curiosity,” Oliver sniffs, and Eddie, seated next to him on the couch, gives him a shove.

He’s glad his friends are accepting – supportive, even (he’d like to say he wouldn’t hang out with them if they weren’t, but let’s be real: nerds could be hard to come by in their neck of the woods, and as long as they were the quiet type of homophobic, Eddie would probably still play D&D with them. But he’s glad they’re not), but he does have some boundaries.

Like, one or two, maybe.

“I just meant the whole… dating thing,” Jeff says, taking a sip from his beer. “Because I’ll be honest, I really didn’t see it at first, but it actually seems to be working out.”

“Dating?” Eddie parrots blankly.

“Yeah. You guys are in, like, some kind of never-ending honeymoon phase or some shit,” Gareth says. “Hasn’t it been over two months?”

“Uhhh, no, I think you gentlemen are confused,” Eddie drawls. “Steve and I are not dating.”

This declaration is met with a moment of silence.

“Seriously?” Oliver finally says.

“Yep,” Eddie replies easily. “No relationship shit here. Strictly a friends-with-benefits-type deal.”

“Seriously,” Olver says again, flatly this time.

“Yes, Oliver, seriously,” Eddie huffs, reaching over to give him another shove, only to have his hand pushed away.

“Eddie, he was practically sitting in your lap just now,” Jeff says. “You two are all over each other.”

“Constantly,” Gareth adds.

Eddie shrugs. “It’s not like this is a big couch; we gotta squish. Anyway, Steve’s just a touchy kind of guy.”

“He doesn’t sit like that with any of us,” Gareth points out.

“Yeah, well, you guys aren’t the ones receiving benefits,” Eddie says. “You want him to sit on your lap? You could ask.”

Gareth lets his head hang back with a noise of frustration. “That’s not the point, and you know it.”

“Don’t you two go on dates?” Jeff asks. “I’ve seen you at the movies. You talk about going out to eat, doing other shit…”

“Yeah, see, that’s the friends part of friends with benefits,” Eddie snarks. “Friends hang out sometimes, I’ve been told. We are all, in fact, hanging out right now, but that doesn’t mean I’m dating any of you.”

“You don’t see the way he looks at you?” Oliver asks, and Eddie can’t help but scoff.

He appreciates the fact that Oliver is passionate about pretty much anything he does, but it also means he’s given to romanticizing. He doesn’t usually manage to drag Jeff or Gareth in with him, though.

“Pretty sure he looks at me like a friend, because that’s what we are.” Eddie rolls his eyes before offering a smarmy little grin. “I mean, I’m sure he looks at me as an exceptionally attractive friend, but that’s it.”

“Genuinely can’t tell if you’re fucking with us, man,” Jeff says, rolling his eyes.

“Genuinely, I am not,” Eddie promises, taking the last viable swallow from his beer before getting up and heading for the kitchen, wiggling his empty can at the others with a raised eyebrow in question. Gareth raises his own near-empty can with a shrug and Eddie nods. “Look,” he says as he ducks towards the fridge, “Steve isn’t the kinda guy you have a relationship with, anyway, you know?”

Eddie doesn’t mean this in a negative way, just as a matter of fact. Steve just doesn’t seem to be a relationship kind of guy. Nancy had been something of an outlier, in how long she and Steve had lasted, and it had become clear after the dust from the Upside Down had settled that he really doesn’t have any interest in pursuing her further. Just the other day, he’d mentioned to Eddie how difficult relationships can be, and about how glad he is they have their thing together instead.

“Being with you is just… easy,” Steve had said; he hadn’t been looking at Eddie at the time, his face instead pillowed on Eddie’s chest, hair sticking to his naked skin where the sweat was still cooling from their last round, but Eddie could see the edge of a smile on his lips.

And Eddie doesn’t have much experience with relationships himself, but he knows that being friends with Steve is easy and that the sex feels equally easy and that the way he’d agreed with Steve and carded his fingers through his hair had sent Steve right to sleep with that same smile still in place.

Easy.

Now, Eddie shoves his head into the fridge and reaches for the beers that have somehow gotten pushed to the back. “It’s nothing major, okay?” he calls back towards the living room.

“Eddie…” Gareth calls back, an edge to his voice.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m on it.” Eddie waves vaguely, making sure to grab a second beer. “Anyway, Steve’s a good friend, and he’s really hot, and we’re just having fun.”

The bang of the front door against the frame startles Eddie so badly he nearly smacks his head on the underside of the freezer as he stands, a beer clutched in each hand like he might be able to use them as projectiles.

There is no threat, though – just Steve, who had apparently failed to catch the screen door before it had shut too quickly behind him. He doesn’t seem to have noticed; he’s just standing there, staring at Eddie, color rising high in his cheeks, eyes wide and shocked, like he’s just been slapped.

Concern wells up from Eddie’s gut, and he opens to his mouth to ask what’s wrong when Steve finally speaks.

“Yeah,” he croaks, “I’m not having fun.”

Eddie’s brows furrow in confusion, the beginnings of cold dread trickling into his veins well ahead of any conscious thought.

“I think I– I think I should go,” Steve says.

He grabs his keys from the side table by the door, where they’ve lived next to Eddie’s and Wayne’s for the last few months whenever he’s been at the house, and then he’s gone again, the screen door banging shut once more behind him.

And Eddie has no idea what just happened, but he knows it wasn’t good. He drops the beers on the counter and bolts out the door after Steve.

Steve is nearly to his car by the time Eddie scrambles down the front steps, and he’s paying absolutely no attention when Eddie calls after him.

“Steve,” Eddie tries again, stumbling to a stop right behind him as he jams his keys into the driver’s side lock. “Steve, for fuck’s sake, what–” he reaches out, wrapping one hand around Steve’s bicep, and Steve jerks out of his grip.

“Don’t fucking touch me,” Steve snaps.

Eddie pulls his hand back, but doesn’t step away, entirely baffled by the sudden turn the evening has taken. “What the hell happened back there?”

Steve goes still, grip going lax on his keys. “I heard what you said, Eddie.”

“About – about what? Are you mad I was talking to them about us sleeping together? Because, Steve, they already knew,” Eddie insists, a little incredulous. “You said you were fine with them knowing! You were practically feeling me up in front of them!”

“I don’t give a shit if they know we’re having sex!” Steve hisses, finally whirling around to look at Eddie. “I meant the rest. About how I’m not the kind of guy you have a relationship with.”

Eddie’s stomach sinks. He hadn’t realized that was such a sensitive subject. “I – shit, I wasn’t trying to hurt your feelings, I just didn’t think you wanted–”

“About how we’re just having fun,” Steve cuts in, and if he’d sounded raw before, his voice is practically ground down to nothing now.

That brings Eddie up short. “…aren’t we?” he asks after a moment.

Steve says nothing.

“I mean, shit, Steve, it’s not like we’re in a relationship,” Eddie says, offering a little laugh, because even Steve would have to admit that the idea is a little silly.

Except.

Except Steve just glances away, staring at the ground beside Eddie’s feet, and – oh, shit.

“Oh, shit.”

Steve is still unnervingly silent, one arm curled around his middle while the other hand comes up to pinch briefly at the bridge of his nose. He still won’t look at Eddie.

“You… you thought we were,” Eddie says dumbly, and Steve shrugs.

“Can you blame me? We spend all our time together, Eddie. I’m here more than I’m at my own house, I think I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve slept in my own bed in the last month. We go out and do things together, I try to keep things nice around the house because I want Wayne to like me, we have, like, a lot of sex, and– we… I mean, we kiss and touch and just – do shit like that even when it doesn’t lead anywhere.” Steve shrugs helplessly, finally looking up. “I mean, Christ, Eddie, what did you think we were doing?”

“I thought we were friends!” Eddie insists. Steve throws him an incredulous look and Eddie amends, “With benefits!”

“Right.” Steve’s expression flattens back out, going cold and hard and unlike anything Eddie’s become used to from him. “Because I’m not the kind of guy you’d want to have a relationship with.”

“I said that because I thought you didn’t want to be in a relationship!” Eddie snaps. “It’s not like you stay with anyone for very long, so I just assumed you didn’t want to be with anyone.”

Some of the ice retreats from Steve’s face, leaving a watering kind of hurt in its stead. “Do you listen to me at all when I talk?”

“What? Of course I do!” Eddie might have gotten turned around in certain respects, but he will not have his merits as a friend called into question; of course he listens to Steve.

“Are you sure? Because I talk about you an awful lot. I talk about doing things with you, about doing things in the future with you,” Steve says pointedly, “about how I want to stay with you.”

And Eddie had wanted Steve to stay with him, too. He’s just been thinking – well, he’d thought it was because they get along so well, that Steve had wanted to stick around. That it had only made sense.

“We never talked about… being anything else,” Eddie says, the protest a little weak even to his own ears. “I’m pretty sure I’d remember that.”

Steve pulls a sharp breath in, pinching at the bridge of his nose again; he leaves his hand there this time, eyes scrunched shut. “Just a few days ago, I told you how much I liked being with you. How good and how easy it felt compared to anyone else I’ve ever been with,” he says, barely more than a rough whisper. “And you said…”

I like being with you, too.

Eddie had said that.

He’d meant that he likes being around Steve, likes being his friend, definitely likes having sex with him, but he’d said it while combing his fingers through Steve’s hair, while cuddled up with him in bed, and – okay, yes, he can see the mixed signals there. He can see where Steve might have gotten the idea that they didn’t have an arrangement, that they were just together.

“I– I didn’t mean–”

“Obviously,” Steve snaps, dropping his hand from his face and turning back towards his car.

Eddie tsks, frustrated, and reaches out to grab Steve’s wrist – not pulling, just trying to keep his attention.

“Don’t,” Steve warns him, pulling back from his grasp for a second time.

“I didn’t mean to lead you on,” Eddie tries desperately. “I really… I really didn’t.”

“Yeah. I can see that. But Eddie…” Steve is quiet for a moment, posture so tense and still that Eddie suspects he’s not even breathing. “I’m probably the best-qualified asshole around to tell you that you really have to fucking think about how what you’re doing affects the people around you.”

Somehow, that stings more than any screamed insult Steve could have thrown at him.

“Steve…”

“I’ll come get my shit out of your place tomorrow,” Steve says, low and sharp, before getting into his car and slamming the door behind him.

After that, Eddie has no choice but to step back or get run over, and he watches until Steve’s taillights are no longer visible.

He can hear the hissing of some whispered conversation just beyond the door as he trudges back up the front steps, but his friends fall conspicuously quiet the moment he steps inside.

“…hey,” Gareth finally ventures after several seconds of awkward, sticky silence.

“Hey,” Eddie says flatly.

“Do you… want us to stay?” Jeff asks.

Slowly, Eddie shakes his head. “I think I should… I need to– think about shit.”

The boys all nod, throwing him variously sympathetic glances and clapping him on the shoulder on their way out. Oliver pauses, as if he’s going to say something, but Gareth gives him a shove and gets him out the door before he has the chance. Probably for the best.

Eddie feels numb as he trudges back towards his room, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.

He flops down on his bed, face landing in a pillow that smells entirely too much like Steve’s shampoo. Probably because it’s on the side of the bed that Steve always takes. Next to the nightstand with the small stack of sports magazines that definitely aren’t Eddie’s. And the spare pair of glasses that also isn’t Eddie’s.

With a low tug in his gut, Eddie realizes how much of Steve’s stuff has crept into his room, into the trailer, into his life – how much Steve has become a part of his life, how much of Eddie’s day has been built around him, how much he’s come to lean on his presence, has come to want him there.

And Steve is going to take it all back sometime soon. Take all of his things away before he removes himself from Eddie’s life, too, because Eddie hadn’t been thinking and he hadn’t been careful and he hadn’t realized–

Eddie’s pretty sure he just broke up with Steve.

He’s also pretty sure he hadn’t wanted to.

His main consolation, as he curls up on his side, nose still buried in Steve’s pillow, is that as soon as Robin hears what happened (and she will hear, he has no doubt), she’ll probably come murder him.

At least he won’t have to wallow for long.

Part 2

[pinguwrites]

Cillian meets a fan (not the crazy kind, just someone who appreciates his movies) who has a boyfriend, but it doesn’t stop him from flirting with her because he thinks her stuttering and blushes are cute, plus he’s determined to have her.

Bro if Cillian did that to me I would fold instantly

Drabble: your favorite actor flirts with you

Pairing -> (hints of) cillian murphy x reader

Warnings: cillian being a little pushy, hints of emotional cheating sort of cause reader has a boyfriend

Disclaimer: This is not a reflection of Cillian Murphy's actual life. This is completely separate and is not intended to harm him or his family in any way. DNI if you're a Yvonne hater. This is only fanfiction and this is just for fun.

"I absolutely loved this," you said softly, motioning to leave, despite every instinct of yours telling you to stay. You were sure he could see it on your face, but, priorities first, and you really did have to get home. "But I gotta go. My boyfriend's waiting for me back home and, well," you gave a nervous chuckle, "I promised I would run some errands and it's practically night out, so . . ."

Cillian Murphy, the Cillian Murphy, a fact you could hardly believe, just laughed. "No, don't go. I'm sure whoever your boyfriend is will understand," he said, with a dissmisive wave of his hand. “I’ve enjoyed this evening together.”

You did, too. You were on your way to the supermarket when you noticed him getting out of his car. Your blood had pumped with excitement once you realized who it was, but you kept calm. That was, until he called you over and asked you to help him with his bags.

After a quick conversation and thanks, you revealed to Cillian that you were actually a fan, and that you just loved his movies. You hoped you hadn’t come off as obsessive, you knew how some people could get, and you didn’t want to push any boundaries. To your relief, he just smiled and asked you to sit down with him on the nearby picnic bench, to which you engaged in length discussions about work and family and simple getting-to-know-you talks.

“I have as well,” you said, trying not to look into his eyes. “But I really need to go. It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Murphy—”

“—Cillian,” he corrected.

“Cillian. It’s been a pleasure,” you repeated.

Cillian rubbed his fingers over his lips, as if in thought. Then, he grabbed his phone and handed it to you. “Put your number in. I’ll call you, and we can set up a date.”

You unconsciously bit your lower lip, but did as he asked. “You’d want to do that? With me?”

“Why not? You’re my age, funny, intelligent . . . attractive.”

You were surely going to faint. Cillian Murphy had just called you attractive. If you didn’t have a boyfriend you would have leapt into his arms and put a ring on it.

But you did, you reminded yourself. And he was probably waiting for you back at home. You were sure he wouldn’t mind your brief encounter with your celebrity crush.

“A-attractive?” you stuttered. You didn’t want to sound like you had low confidence. “Yeah, I mean. Thank you. You’re attractive, too — genuinely. Like, you’re gorgeous, actually.”

You winced at your choice of wording. Why did you have to be so awkward?

Cillian chuckled and leaned in closer. “You’re cute when you’re all flustered. You shuffle your body and part your lips. Did you notice that?”

You hadn’t noticed.

“I, um . . .”

“See, you’re doing it now.” He glanced down at your lips for a moment, then relented. “Alright, alright. I’ll let you go. I’ll be in touch soon.”

You nodded, grateful. You were sure if Cillian had pushed a little harder, he would have convinced you to stay — which wasn’t something you should be doing.

“Have a nice day, Cillian. I look forward to seeing you again.”

You both got into your cars and drove off in opposite directions, though you did look back, just briefly, with longing. The thought that you could get to know him even better made you so happy. He was just a person, but you were sure he’d be as sweet and lovely as he’d been so far.

You finally pulled into your driveway, but before you could get out your phone buzzed. Heart beating in anticipation, you picked it up and read the text:

Unknown: It’s Cillian. How about lunch next Saturday? I’ll pick you up at twelve.

You hesitated. You didn’t want to make it seem like you were interested in anything more, given your current situation, but, well, it was only just lunch. Like friends get all the time. There was no harm in that . . . right?

Taglist:

@henrywintersdearestgirl @shroombloom-rry @meetmeatyourworst @nela-cutie @madnessandobsession @mrkdvidal1989 @bernelflo @slut4thebroken @qqquartz7

[postal-ech]

Okay, I'm back at it with more metroid hyperfixations.

One of the biggest things I love about metroid is its horror factor, but less so in the blatant sense and more so in its tasteful inclusion.

Metroid has always been a series of isolation, of exploration and pushing through the boundaries of the environment, and focused less on an up-front narrative and more so environmental storytelling. Personally though, it's also been about some really fascinating concepts of horror - biological weapons running out of control, their biological rivals that can Mimic their hosts down to the specific memories they carried in life, a sentient radioactive substance with eldritch origins, strange entities that have wiped out entire civilizations assimilating their technology and likeness to its advantage...

When I was a kid growing up in the early 2000s, the earliest exposure to the horror element of metroid I got was from the Phazon Mines. Imagine if you will, if you were in Samus' shoes: you drop down into the cavernous depths of the mines and find this volatile substance infesting a large majority of the caves, mutant fungi rising up from cracks and crevacises and metroids have mutated to such a degree they can now latch onto you from distance. It's dark, and all you hear is the electrifying, alien hum of phazon below you, knowing that if you fall into it, you will certainly die - or at the very least, suffer as great amount of damage.

Phazon really latched on to my mind as this strange, malicious entity that had a variety of practical uses if handled correctly, but you could clearly tell it took influences from such media as Lovecraft's The Color from Space. It's a poisonous substance that degenerates the mind, slowly turning you into a violent creature that craves more phazon like a drug, eventually either dying out right from its deadly radiation, or mutating into something stronger, faster, deadly and animalistic - you sacrifice your mind for power, in that instance.

Pictured here is Red Phazon, an extremely deadly variant of phazon found in the impact crater. It's only ever seen once throughout the trilogy, but it's still eerie to travel through it compared to Phaaze if you ask me. Instead of the ethereal and supernatural environmental soundtrack you get while traveling through Phaaze, the Impact Crater has this harsh, alien synth that's reminiscent of warped electricity, like something bubbling upwards to consume the planet whole.

https://youtu.be/AtSX2LGMgdE

The blaring alarms that fade in and out of the background even put you in the mindset that this is a VERY dangerous place that you don't want to be in forever

The second thing that really awoke the love of Metroid's horror was everyone's second favorite doppelganger right before Dark Samus,

The SA-X

I want you to imagine the first time you ever saw this.

For some reading this blog, it may be the first time they've ever seen thr SA-X sprite originally

You're playing Fusion on your Gameboy Advance/SP and as you're going down the elevator, you see something rip a fucking hole in the wall and march out

And it's...Samus' Varia Suit?

But then it looks at the camera

And you see that close up, followed by the stringer

This alone is more god damn terrifying than the Moon in Majora's Mask if you ask me. It's such effective horror especially as you learn more and more what the X Parasites are capable of and what the Varia Suit is like.

You are the hunted, the Metroid running from the Hunter.

Now the downside of course is that as a hardcore metroid fan, you'll lose out on the horror as you learn how scripted the SA-X's appearances were. It doesn't really show up dynamically or even in specified zones like the EMMI in Dread, which diminishes the horror over time upon various replays, but the concept is still there

It's Samus, without the Soul. Without the beating heart in the armor. Whereas Dark Samus is an animalistic beast that evolves into a malicious and tenacious leader, the SA-X is cold, emotionless, and runs purely on X-derived instinct: to reproduce, multiply across the cosmos, and destroy its biological predator by any means necessary to preserve the species.

It retains only the memories of Samus, the knowledge of how to effectively kill a Metroid, and if given the chance it could very well evolve past its mere limitations to become something that could of driven the entire galaxy into extinction.

The X as a whole are just as interesting to me as Phazon too, as Metroid always wears its influences on its sleeve - at least with the Japanese anyways, some influences of Phazon's design are still a bit unknown to yours truly, but with the X they take influence from John Carpenter's The Thing to a T (literally), as they are parasites that infect the host and either replace it entirely as a Mimic, or consume the host's body in its entirety, using its DNA to enhance other mimicries as an instinctive drive to combat the Metroid in what is essentially a biological arms race.

Dread shows that especially well pre- and post-quarenteen break, where you see just how drastically X-infected animals are mutated with designs reminiscent of their uninfected selves, mutated with dangerous additions.

God, I wish I could explore these concepts more. Phazon especially given it has its own variants IE Red, Black and Blue Phazon and even its own biosphere in the form of Phaaze and the creatures that inhabit it. Much like a certain Sonic Comic writer Ian Flynn, I want to explore every single god damn nook and cranny of this franchise, flesh it out in ways fans could truly enjoy, and not only that but get them thinking on their own interpretations of this stuff - the idea of the X-parasites evolving into something beyond its mere instincts into something that could prove even MORE dangerous than it once was, how Metroids could look depending on the planet they're inhabiting, if Phazon could even exist far beyond the Galactic rim (yes we know the director said that it was erraticated wholly from the galaxy, but I call bullshit on that when it's clear enough Phaaze has been reproducing well over millenia, well before the Chozo or even the Feds discovered it.) And more...

I really hope Prime 4 explores these concepts of Metroid Horror more, especially in relation to the Mochtroid and how far those experiments can go.

[supercantaloupe]

Genuinely curious, why is Beethoven's 8th Symphony your favorite? It's a fun pick for favorite Beethoven symphony so I'm interested to hear :D

okay so i can't deny that a strong influence on how much i like a symphony comes from personal experience with it, to wit, i played beethoven 8 in my freshman year of college right before the pandemic lockdowns hit. not every symphony that i love is something i've played before but admittedly most of my favorites are. but i do think that practicing a specific piece for weeks in preparation for a performance is part of what leads me to enjoying them so much -- it forces me to live with a piece for a long time getting to know its ins and outs and intricacies, and i can appreciate it on that much deeper a level as a result

anyway. i find beethoven 8 deeply charming. i think it's underrated as far as beethoven symphonies go, especially since it doesn't fit some kind of perceived model of continuous innovation. what i mean is that 5, 6, 7, and 9 in their own ways have all been cited as massively innovative and influential on the symphony as a genre, and present a (nearly) unbroken string of progress leading up to the apotheosis of form that is 9. i regret that i can't find the source for this right now but i remember in class before discussing how wagner considered himself to be beethoven's true successor and that his symphonies paved the way for his own music dramas by developing instrumental music and combining with other forms of art into the ultimate gesamptkuntswerk: 5 includes that all-important recurring motif in every movement, 6 incorporates the drama of a program, 7 incorporates dance, and 9 finally brings in voice.

now as usual i think wagner was talking a small load of shit. for one thing opera had included all these elements across europe for two at least centuries prior to beethoven, and beethoven himself famously flopped at writing opera. i also think calling symphony 7 some kind of innovative dance symphony a real stretch; it's got dancelike rhythms, sure, but so do...most symphonies? and he completely skips over 8 like it doesn't exist. because it doesn't fit the romantic idea of progress and innovation and artistic genius, i suppose. it's definitely the least romantic and most classical of beethoven's late symphonies, for sure. but i don't think that's a bad thing at all.

it sticks very closely to the conventional symphonic structure. it has a lightness and a cheerfulness that makes it sound almost more at home among beethoven's earlier periods. but it's still got the compositional maturity of his late career as well! it uses contrasting themes and dynamics expertly. it's got some of my personal favorite counterpoint in all of beethoven's orchestral output. it's just so...playful and joyful and bright. the first movement is so bright, the second movement feels like it was copied directly from haydn's playbook, the trio of the third has probably the most gorgeous horn and clarinet duet ever written,and then the finale is just this great bow to tie the whole thing up in, it's like the exact perfect middle point between haydn and mendelssohn somehow...

now, i am biased because the late 18th/early 19th century is my very favorite era for orchestral music. i am a classical era bitch more than any other, but that grey area at the tail end when the romantics began to push on the boundaries and expand them and explore what's possible, that's the sweet spot for me. and i think beethoven 8 really encapsulates that perfectly because it's smack dab in the middle of that point in time, just on the cusp of the romantic era. it's pushing forward as always in its own ways. but it's also still so cognizant of and grateful towards the galant style that shaped it, the classical giants on whose shoulders it was built. it's just about everything i want out of a symphony.

beethoven himself referred to it endearingly as his "little symphony in f", differentiating it from his much larger and more ambitious/innovative symphony no. 6 "pastoral" in the same key. he even liked it better than 7, despite 7 being more popular with audiences. well, who am i to disagree with the man himself?

[ask meme]

[kinkymilfgal]

Thank you!

Feel free to ask, although I'm still some way behind you in this journey, so my answers may not be as interesting.

I'd say my favourite one is probably the following. It may come across as rather vanilla, relatively speaking, but when it happened, it had such an effect on me (a good effect!) and what resulted from it works so well with my service kink.

I'd been told to cook a fancy dinner, enough for a couple of people, although I was told it was only for my Superior. Who was I to question that? So in typical attire (or mostly lack thereof, as per usual) I did as ordered.

When it came to serving dinner suddenly two more people were there. Two friends who, until then, I only knew in a vanilla context. I hadn't even expected them to be into any kink. I practically froze on the spot, almost dropped the food on the floor. Until that moment, we'd never involved anyone else.

It definitely pushed some boundaries that existed at the time with that surprise being sprung on me, but simultaneously it was such a turn-on. I served dinner as ordered whilst only being allowed the simplest of dinners myself. Served in a dog bowl, of course, under the table at which they all sat. They made it perfectly clear where my place was.

Afterwards they stayed round for the rest of the evening. In a way not much happened, other than me making sure they were catered for and them constantly reminding me of my place. And yet, it was powerful because it established a new hierarchy. A few hours earlier I didn't even know they were into kink and suddenly I was less than them.

When they got ready to leave at the end of the night, I had to go down onto my knees to thank them and formally acknowledge them as being superior to me. Only a few words but it meant our relationship would never be the same again.

What I love about the relationship with them is actually that it's relatively mild and subtle at times (at least for now). No bondage, spankings or anything like that. That's for my Superior. It turns me on in different, but still good way.

Since that first night, they've been over for many more dinners. When at the pub, it's always me who has to get up and get the drinks (in public they're creative with enforcing the hierarchy so it's only obvious to us, not innocent others). When my Superior has no use for me, I'm lend out to them as their servant, doing their groceries or cleaning their home. And I better thank them for that privilege because otherwise I'm in trouble when I get home.

Part of me likes things as they are with them. Part of me wonders how things might evolve. It's a good thing I don't get to decide. I simply do as told.

What would you describe as your favourite experience?

Thank you for sharing!

I really love that.

I love when real life subtly blends in or becomes a part of it.

Oh, I’m not sure my favorite haha. I think one thing I deviously liked not with me as a submissive was seeing my mom get her mouth washed out with soap haha

That was a punishment. I always hated growing up and it was definitely some fun revenge to see her get it. Haha

[teruel-a-witch]

Saw you wanted some asks and I love your thoughts so here you go! I picked #22 and #8 you can do both or your favorite or whatever😊 Picked them mainly because I thought they could be interesting but also because a lot of the questions were obvious for Steve or Danny. One of the best parts of having a 10 season show is that we learned so much about the characters and their mannerisms/ habits that it's easy to know how they would react in hypothetical situations. In mcdanno's case its usually because we've seen them together in similar situations before 😅

aw, i'm flattered you find my ramblings interesting, and I totally agree, it does seem like a lot of the answers would be obvious because we have so much data (although there are always ways to twist a typical trope)

22. takes pranks too far.

okay so this one is tricky because my first instinct is to say steve because he is a tall child who enjoys being a little shit and annoying danny because rattled danny is extra adorable. plus, he was in the navy and the pranks military boys play on each other can be brutal. i'm sure steve and his seal buddies got to some pretty crazy stuff together (which could also be how they got their nicknames). one of the funniest stories my dad told me from his compulsory military service was when he and 3 of his buddies got back at their roommate for the crime of snoring by lifting his bed with him in it and carrying it to the communal toilets, where he was discovered in the morning by the squadron commander still sleeping. and i'm sure it's tame in comparison to what steve could have gotten up to.

but the thing is danny isn't just one of the guys, steve actually wants danny to like him, and pulling on his metaphorical pigtails is one thing, but doing something that would make danny so pissed he stops talking to him is another entirely. except maybe in the beginning where he doesn't know what the limits are he could go too far, but as he learns the boundaries of their relationship i think there will be lines he won't cross.

danny is more of a sarcasm/making fun guy than a practical joke guy (salting the cake that one time was OOC enough for him that steve didn't expect it), but even he obviously feels kinda bad when steve thinks he's genuine, so i don't think either of them will deliberately hurt each other. there's just so much love between them, the gentle kind, that i don't see them pulling deliberately cruel pranks on each other.

it would be fun if they got into an all out prank war, tho. although, potentially with disastrous consequences because they are so competitive, so i guess the only way it could get too far if they are both pushing each other's limits.

8. makes the other late for work.

before they are a couple it honestly can be a number of mundane things but that's not what we are here for 😏 after they get together, well, i'm gonna answer with a graphic

it's gotta be steve, who can't resist danny and danny can't resist him

people get murdered in oahu almost every day, but they still got years to make up for, the dead can wait :p

which one of your OTP ask game

[welcometogrouchland]

for the character ask, Willow and Amity!!!

Willow!

favorite thing about them: I love a lot of things about her! But for now I'll be a bit general and say her arc of continuing to get back up and prove people wrong. I wanna call it perseverance or strength, but it's more like stubbornness lmao. In the early episodes she's prone to defeatism and that's such a far cry from who she is now. She gained hope and belief in herself and leant into the righteous anger she felt watching people she loves be treated like dirt! AUGH I love her

least favorite thing about them: ooh not sure. Maybe that early episode defeatism? Both in an encouraging way where I want her to get back up but also in the sense of "GIRL THIS ISN'T YOUR FAULT NOR THE END OF THE WORLD. TALK TO SOMEONE ABT THINGS!!!" You can see it a bit in for the future too where she interprets hunters ambiguous response ("I don't know") as negative. It's the warped self perception for me /j

favorite line: GRRR THAT'S HARD!! I'm not in encyclopedia mode rn but rn I'm thinking of some lines from Understanding Willow ("you said I was hurting Willow? I was just finishing what you started!" And "it's...a start"). uhh there's also "not if I never look down!" and "it'll be 52 weeks before Caleb's next day off"

brOTP: JUST ONE??? SHE HAS SO MANY GOOD FRIENDSHIPS MAN!!! But either her and Luz or her and Gus

OTP: sigh. Huntlow (I am predictable)

nOTP: her and Boscha. I wasn't in the fandom much during season 1 but I really never got it even back then. That is not a girl who's mean bc she likes you that is a highschool war criminal

random headcanon: OUGH I'VE HAD SO MANY OVER TIME AND NOW I'M BLANKING! Uhh would like magical girl anime (cardcaptor sakura and sailor moon specifically I think). Likes hyperpop and riot grrrl bc it releases her repressed rage and scratches her brain

Unpopular opinion: OKAY I get it. I also want willow to go apeshit, to have her catharsis and maim and kill. But some people characterize Willow as a lot more bitter than she is to compensate for this and I personally don't care for it, lol. It's Awful or anything it's just Not My Girl. She would not fucking say that

song i associate with them: CRIES. SO MANY!! Mona Lisa my mxmtoon

favorite picture of them:

^ this Dana pic!! There's more but I don't wanna make this any longer

Amity!

favorite thing about them: probably how far she's come from being a lonely, image obsessed girl who lashed out at others to a pretty silly but ultimately very emotionally mature person. She takes care of people more often now, while still having learned her lesson about respect and boundaries from labyrinth runners. Also her design/aesthetic

least favorite thing about them: bit wishy washy but a lot of the early season 1 scenes of her bullying Willow, Luz and Co are like. Hard for me to watch sometimes lol. Same with her and Willow in labyrinth runners. Mean girls just hit too close to home sometimes lol.

favorite line: ECLIPSE LAKE SPEECH HANDS DOWN!!! "There are people out there who won't make you feel worthless" SO PROUD OF HER. CRYING RN

brOTP: probably her and Willow since they have the most developed platonic relationship! But also her moments with Matt in for the future lmao (also Gus and Raine. In my head)

OTP: sigh. Lumity (I am predictable. Again)

nOTP: ooh I'm not sure I really have one! At least one that's based in personal squicks/opinions and not stuff like. Shipping her with men. If that's the case though, Amity/Hunter. Gag

random headcanon: she used to play piano as a kid! Was decent at it too even if she only got to play classical. But when she committed to abominations her mom cut her off of her lessons and pushed her away from it since there was no "practical use" for it anymore, not like Amity was going into the bard track. She gets back into it post-canon though :] would also like to jump off that starting point and play bass

unpopular opinion: hhh okay. While I think they could've made things more explicit/dwelled upon/whatever in order to communicate more clearly to the audience, I'm overall fine with the direction they took in Amity's "redemption arc". Bc like. She's just a highschool bully who's already being punished by her family when the audience can't see her. The solution to this would not be to punish her more. Maybe she should've gotten to talk things out more, somebody once pointed out that, in the main big redemption arcs in TOH, nobody really says sorry (ON SCREEN. Apologies are very much implied), just makes a gesture and does better, which I understand but also I like apologies they give closure. But overall I prefer them just giving her the chance to follow through on her promises.

song i associate with them: Babyface by fresh maybe?

favorite picture of them: I DONT HAVE IT RN BUT THE FACE SHE MAKES WHEN BOSCHA GETS DOWN ON ONE KNEE IN FOR THE FUTURE AND SHE GOES "heh????" IT'S SO FUNNY

[bengiyo]

HIStory5: Love in the Future Ep 3 Stray Thoughts

Last week we once again succumbed to side couple supremacy with Lin Wynn and Liang Vincent. Lin Wynn saved Bo-wei from jumping to his death, but commentary from the summoner implies that Bo-wei would have gone home. I'm absolutely obsessed with Tony and want to study him. Bo-wei is turning the warehouse into a domicile, and we learned a little bit more about how much of sad Hai Yi is. We ended on Bo-wei running into the rain to get electrocuted.

I feel like I say this every week, but why are the Taiwan actors always the prettiest.

Hai Yi just pulled what looked like a practiced restraint maneuver on Bo-wei.

Curious if there will be any supernatural consequences for revealing that he's a time traveler.

Interesting: Hai Yi is afraid of the dark.

Oh my. Looks like Once Again isn't alone now in playing with time travel, romance, and age.

Tony's current suit is sending me into orbit!!!

Would you look at that Wynn Lin stood up for himself and we got to hear our favorite simp's internal cheering.

I like the way everyone says "Dai Johnny." Wynn Lin is probably my favorite character. I like how he keeps trying to do nice things for Bo-wei.

This is a new evolution of the pratfall kiss: Let me lean in too close to brush his hair, and then fall onto his mouth when he wakes up suddenly and instinctively pushes my hand away.

This man is going to have a heart attack from all the excitement.

I'm kind of enjoying this inversion of fake dating. Bonding over your failed attempts to seduce a woman is classic mlm behavior.

Si-Chi knows how to handle swagless men who won't back off.

Lin Wynn's confusion is understandable. He accidentally crossed a boundary with his superior and doesn't know where he stands.

Damn, Bo-wei is getting his ass beat!

I was hoping Hai Yi might show up as Bo-wei's hero instead. Any time people start talking about being someone's hero, I am always taken back to my Make It Right era.

The instinctive intimacy between Lin Wynn and Liang Vincent is making me feral. However, this doesn't seem to be much of a massage?

I like that no one interrupted that moment of intimacy.

Meanwhile, back at the warehouse, Dai Johnny begins to recover from his injuries. Hopefully we get some wound tending.

At least Hai Yi appreciates the physical danger he inflicted upon Bo-wei.

Si-Chi definitely trying to get with Vincent. I don't know about this, and I'm glad Bo-wei happened by.

Liang is rather impressive if he skipped school and is now upper management of this department store.

I also want to study Hai Yi. Clearly he's self-sufficient, so is he pretending he's not to entertain Bo-wei?

Oh no, it's my greatest fear: Bo-wei has actually taken over someone else's life, and now I have to think about what happened to Johnny.

[nemossubmarine]

✨, 💫, 🦋, 🎀, 🕯️, 🎙️?

✨What's a fic you've posted you wish you could breathe life into again and have people talking about it? (or simply a fic you wish got more credit) Oh I'm quite content with the amount of notice people have given my past fics, though I've contemplated on transfering some of my Yugioh fics (those that I still like, so like, 7 of them) over to Ao3. I've no idea how popping Yugioh fandom is, mostly I just think it would be neat to have all my stuff under one profile. And editing some of my old stuff might be good practice. (and though I'm more than happy about the amount of notice my big bang fic got I won't say no to more :P it took so damn long to make)

💫what is your favorite kind of comment/feedback? The one that lives in my head rent-free was someone telling me that the way I wrote a character changed the way they viewed the character in canon. 11/10

🦋what are you most insecure about when you post a fic? I'm always worried that I somehow got the characterization so wrong. I think it's especially because in fandoms people are so attached to the characters, and I love the characters too! I'm worried my headcanons seem OOC to others.

🎀give yourself a compliment about your own writing I got some neat images in my head that I can put out on the paper in an evocative way and my dialogue is snappy and fun.

🕯️was there a fic that was really hard on you to write, or took you to a place you didn't think it would take you? Well the Big Bang just for the mere size of it really took a toll. Also I have never published anything even approaching smut before so that was a new one, but I felt that considering the themes of the piece it had a place and I'm glad I got around to it. Idk if I'll ever get around to writing anything actually hot, might be too out of my wheelhouse. :P But at least I got the confidence if I feel a story would be well suited by some smut, I can work one out.

🎙️which one of your fics would you like someone to make a pod-fic of? I have one pod-fic! (Pushing Boundaries, my most popular fic by far of course) I might have listened to it, I can't quite recall. I find listening to my own work from someone else's mouth difficult (you notice so many mistakes). That said, I had this one Yugioh fic called Cracks where I really focused on the rhythm of the language so that might be nice.

[eurynome827-fic-roulette]

Head Start

This is for my darling @buckyownsmylife and her 2k breeding kink challenge! Eyre, you're a gift. Thank you for your friendship.

My character is Steve Rogers and my AU prompt was Roommate.

Warnings: breeding kink, obviously, so smut (vague of course and this is really soft) - my blogs are 18+ spaces always. I do not give permission to translate or repost my work on other sites.

Steve Rogers was the best roommate.

Yes, even when he woke up at 5am every day to go for a run. Sure, sometimes the activity in the apartment would wake you up, but the coffee was always hot and ready for you when you woke up.

Steve was always doing little thoughtful things like that for you. Buying two kinds of milk so you always had your favorite in the fridge. Carrying your laundry bags down to the machine in the basement so you didn't have to. He had to have a sixth sense for it because he always knew when you needed a movie night, junk food and cuddles. Steve was better than all of your previous boyfriends combined...but he was only your roommate.

Unless...maybe he wasn't only your roommate.

"Steve?"

"Yeah, sweetheart?" He angled his head to catch your eye, as you looked up from where you were snuggled against his chest.

"Do you think it's weird that we always cuddle when we watch tv?"

Steve frowned, cute little lines digging into his forehead and you wanted to smooth them out with your finger. "No...why, do you not like it?"

"No, no, I do," you reassured him, "but when you get a girlfriend...or I get a boyfriend," the frown lines grew deeper, "they may not like it."

"Well, that's unacceptable. I'm always going to need cuddles from my best girl."

His best girl. How long had it been since Steve had brought someone home? He had that girlfriend when you'd moved in, and that hadn't lasted long. You'd been single since you moved in.

Why would you look for a man when you had Steve Rogers making you coffee in the morning and cuddling you on the couch in front of the TV at night?

Steve's watching some documentary about choosing the right preschools, and you're bored out of your mind. "Why are we watching this?"

Steve shrugs. "I thought it was interesting."

"It's only interesting if you have kids."

"I'm gonna have kids some day!"

"Yeah but you have to get out of here and find the woman to have the kids with first!"

Your voice was joking, but the deafening silence in the room choked off your air. You're almost too nervous to lift your head from his chest and look at his face, but you do and it's just as bad as you thought.

Steve is looking down at you like he got his hand stuck in the cookie jar. It's all over his face - he hasn't been having a hard time finding a girl, he's been deliberately not looking.

"Oh."

It's all you can think to say. It's a surprise but also there's a big part of you that's been unconsciously doing the same thing - not wanting to find someone to interrupt you playing house with Steve Rogers.

Steve Rogers, who is now staring at you like he's afraid you're going to get up and run away. But you don't.

You climb into his lap and kiss him, hard.

He's stunned for a moment until his hands find your waist, pulling you closer against him as you open up to him, letting him find what he's been seeking. You kiss until you're out of breath and then you pull away, your eyes opening slowly to find his staring back at you.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I was trying to figure out how..."

You try to shush him, kissing him again quickly. "It's okay, Steve."

"You're asking me why I'm not out trying to find a girl, and it's because I had the perfect one here with me at home."

Your heart melts down in your chest, reforged into a shape that belongs to Steve only. Grabbing his shoulders and pulling him closer, you kiss the breath from him and whisper, "take me to bed, Steve."

He almost chokes on air. "Are - are you sure?"

"Yes. Please. I want to be yours," you look into his eyes, "your best girl."

Steve stands up from the couch, carrying you to his room. "My best girl," he echos you, "mine."

"Yes," you answer breathlessly, and he lays you down carefully on his bed.

You've seen Steve without his shirt countless times, wandering around the apartment in just sweatpants. Sometimes, in just a towel fresh from the shower. He's seen you in your tiny bathrobe and your little sleep shorts, tank tops with no bra on underneath. Still, this is first time you've taken off everything and you're both moving slowly and admiring, and in Steve's case he's practically worshipping. Greeting all of your newly exposed skin with soft kisses and sweet praises and you've never felt so adored.

"Are you sure?" He asks you, hovering above you, poised to cross this boundary forever.

"Yes," you answer, feeling him hard at your entrance. "I'm yours."

You're home. You're with him, completely, soft words and kisses between you as he makes you his. You're watching how he's holding himself back, how the veins are popping out in his neck and along his arms as he holds his body up over yours. And then you remember - "you want to give me a baby, Steve?"

His eyes widen. "Sweetheart, what are you saying?"

"That's what you want, right?" You coo, running your hands over his arms and massaging his shoulders. "You want to see me all round with your baby - tell everyone that I'm yours and full of you, that we made something beautiful together."

"Oh honey," he closes his eyes a moment, his hips stuttering against yours, "yeah, yeah that's what I want."

"Then do it, Steve," your voice is low but steady, the pleading edge creeping in the closer you get to your own peak. "Take me, own me...breed me."

It's like something snaps - Steve lowers himself so he's only held up by his elbows, pressing to you more urgently everywhere. His mouth to yours, his skin to yours and especially the way he's finally let go so passionately for you, pushing inside you with purpose and making every inch of your body sing for him. You finish first, with a cry of his name, and he follows soon after with a shout, emptying himself inside you.

You're both wrapped around each other completely, reluctant to move. Steve presses his forehead to yours, holding you tightly in his arms. "I want to build our life together."

"Well, we've had a great head start."

[igotathingforvampires]

Anon Ask | Caius Volturi x F!Witch Reader: Punishments

Canon Divergent Dora is true mated to Renata because I <3 Renata Fight Me

Reader is a Witch.

You are a human. Who managed because of a latent heritage of being a Witch to wander past Heidi into the Throne Room thinking it’s a tour.

You’re not stupid, you walk right in and get near the dais and look around and realize that this is not just a tour.

Sighing, you glance around and face palm. “Ahhhhhh Fuck My Life.”

The Kings of Volterra are eyeing you with amusement.

You sigh, and glare UP at the throne of a very, very gorgeous almost elfin, platinum haired King who’s GLARING back at you with a raised brow and a scowl.

“So ah do I get to pick who offs me?”

All vampires just PAUSE.

“Because okay, if I’m gonna die.” You point at Caius. “That one. You. You’ve got dibs Sir.”

Caius is Shooketh.

This little human has got some guts.

He hates humans. HATES humans.

So why when he snatches you up and you just look at him with those big eyes, and a small smile “just make it quick hm?”

You wait, eyes closed.

Caius pauses, growling and suddenly NOPE you’re picked up and ZOOM.

Aro: The fuck just happened?

You’re tucked away in his inner sanctuary of his rooms, sat down on a chair. “Sit RIGHT here human. If you move I shall be displeased, you won’t like what happens if you make me angry.”

“Uhhhhhh kay.”

Caius goes and feeds and after he sits amongst his brothers. “I’m keeping it.” He growls

Turns out he can keep you because you’re not human! YAY!

“So am I like a bunny.”

“Less than a Rabbit you’re human.” Caius would growl at you.

“Mmmkay.”

How things Go:

You are the chillest bitch to ever chill. Life has not been great, in fact it’s been a horror show, Aro of course sees this and he scolds Caius for treating you like a piece of furniture rather than a person.

Aro knows you’re just feeling Caius out, watching because there are moments— the very few moments— when he is oh so gentle.

You shiver, a blanket is flung at your face. “My luck you’d catch pneumonia.”

Your tummy rumbles, the chef brings a five star meal. “I don’t need you dying.”

You’re bored, suddenly you’re in front of the TV and given access to ALL the shows. “You’re being a pest.”

Aro also knows your temper is starting to appear the more Caius pushes you away.

Caius isn’t sure what to even do with you— he is FEELING things, things he’s never even felt with Dora. And Dora is berating him alongside Marcus for being an utter nitwit.

“Cai for all your brilliance for strategy you’re an idiot in romance.” Dora says.

He knows it’s true. He’s an asshole.

And angry.

All the time. But when you’re around he’s not angry anymore.

But at one point you’re still fidgeting with your hands. “What is the problem now.”

“Ah…well…” you fidget some more, “c-can I have some water colors?”

Caius freezes. “You paint?” He seems curious.

You nod. “I do digital art but I like canvas art too!” You show him your phone of photoshop collages, watercolor, digital paintings and such.

“You do this on a computer?” He tilts his head. He hates technology. So seeing that one can create art this way is astounding to him.

“Yeah I had to sell my iPad a while ago so sadly I can’t do much right now but if I have some water colors that would be a good start!” You bounce on your feet.

You have the a massive iMac, a Wacom Cintiq 24”, an entire selection of Derwent colors and crazy amounts of canvases and anything else you might need that an artist can think of.

Caius is utterly stunned when you tackle him and kiss his cheek thanking him.

His heart explodes into confetti.

Art is how Caius communicates his gentler side. His art is beautiful, evoking deep emotions, and his hand is gentle and fluid enough in motion to capture even the most minute details.

You both grow exceptionally close, till Marcus one day pulls him aside to inform him of the Mate Bond that is between you two.

The Kiss:

You’re modeling for Caius, it’s a random request and you feel utterly embarrassed dressed in flowing robes and sprawled on a chaise lounge half hanging off, your hair spilling onto the marble floor.

You can’t quite help but notice how his gaze is pitch black and devouring you.

“M-Master Caius?”

“Caius.” He grumbles.

“Huh?”

“I think it’s about time you can call me Caius y/n.”

He can hear your heart thump an erratic beat as magic swirls in your eyes. It’s slowly been coming back to you, being cared for, like a plant long neglected, your magic has begun to grow under the tender albeit aloof care of the vampire King you’re so utterly in love with.

But you know it’s silly, there’s no way it’d work—

He’s suddenly next to you, hovering nose to nose, pulling you towards him, “you consume me.”

It’s the last thing he says for a long while as you both end up staying on that lounge for a— ahem lengthy amount of time.

Punishments:

Caius is a sadist.

But he’s a loving sadist.

He has so many kinks he doesn’t know what to do with them. And luckily for him— surprise surprise you’re kinky too.

But you tend to be mouthy. And Caius does not like when he is disobeyed. “Be a good pet and go sit.”

“But—“

“1.”

When Aro counts it’s for orgasms.

When Caius counts it’s for paddling or the crop.

Or it’s for forced orgasms and overstimulation.

The dynamic between you is quite lovely, boundaries are discussed whenever needed, although Caius can come across as gruff and uncaring, at one point during punishment play you had said your safe word rather quickly, and everything stopped. Oils, bath, rub down, talks, blankets, snuggles, and so many kisses to the forehead. “Bunny, oh my little bunny what happened?”

As someone who does not cry.

Ever.

Aro has attested to this.

It astounds Caius that you’d trust him enough to do so.

He realizes that he’s earned a trust that has not been earned by anyone in a long long time, knowing that feeling, he would never break it by overdoing things or going past your boundaries.

Punishments are talked out. Explained. Rules are fairly discussed and you ALWAYS have a say in vetoing or staying off for another day.

If it’s a topic that has yet to be discussed it is tabled, and discussed for what an appropriate response should be.

Punishments include:

Caning

Paddle

Crop (your favorite)

Being suspended and teased.

Leashed. Yes he will have you walk behind him with a leash and collar. And yes he will sit in the Library with you on a leash and your head in his lap. “Good Bunny.”

You are a very good bunny.

Caius has only had only lost his temper with you once. And never will again.

It was due to negligence on your part, you had disobeyed him when it was imperative for you to listen, not aware of the danger of a local coven’s very out of control member. “But Cai why—“

They had heard your blood sing to them.

Caius had torn the individual to pieces in a fit of utter rage before turning on you with a shout, “I told you NEVER to disobey me.” he roared at you, the energy coming off him practically feral as his eyes were murderous.

Seeing you shrink back; the fear in your gaze at him almost broke his heart when the dread kicked in as to what he had done. He had frightened you.

He was supposed to be your comfort and safety.

of course you wouldn't understand vampire's ways of doing things.

or what a singer was...you were a witch...

But before he could even think to reach for you...

You had fled.

Hidden away in Dora’s rooms you tucked yourself away in her bathroom in the tub with a blanket curled up and wept.

Dora and Sulpricia beat the shit out of Caius.

He had sat outside the door pleading with you for hours.

He knew he had utterly fucked up.

He had a horrid temper, he knew it, and the idea of you being drained dry right in front of him had been far too much for him to think of. “Y/n please talk to me. I'm so sorry please forgive me.”

You had unlocked the door with magic…. And he had merely crawled into the tub with you, curled around you underneath the blanket and held you while you cried into him and smacked at his chest. “Don’t do that ever again!!!”

“I know, I know bunny I know. Never again. I'm a bastard I know.”

You calmed down and glared at him.

“Would you like to delve out a punishment?”

You blinked, confused and then realized what he was offering.

“Yes.”

And that is how you ended up quite happy with your vampire begrudgingly, and amused sitting at your feet in your shared rooms with GOOD BOY on a thick leather collar.

Turns out Caius likes being punished too.

“Also a masochist hm?” You laugh at him and grip him by his hair.

“So it seems.” He muses kissing your knee and nudging your legs apart. “But the reward is worth it isn’t it bunny?”

[imagine-your-love-story]

I have a practical questions. It might be easy to take as very critical but I know that u Penny won't read it in bad faith: I'm asking as a person who in the past used daydreaming etc to the point it had negative impact on my life and brief delusions. That's why I'm a bit... well, not concerned but wary? My point is compassion to ppl who also might have tendencies like me in the past: So: What are healthy boundaries to self shipping? When would be it going to far? When would encouragment be enabling? NOTE: I know asking this might be a little tone deaf after the person who want to marry their f/o wondered about heathiness of it all so I wanna make it clear: ANON I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU! I do not think AT ALL you take it out of healthy zone and I am wishing you best :D Have fun and make so much good memories with your spouse :D (haha I was thinking of making my bf into a trophy husband myself ;D)

this is a super good question, anon! and a really important one!

I think it's important to keep in mind that YOU as a physical, flesh and blood living human being, are still rooted in reality. Learning how to recognize and employ healthy boundaries is a constant work in progress and that's okay!

You can still allow yourself to enjoy the attention of a fictional character. You can envision yourself interacting with them, etc. Just as long as you continue to go about your own life.

Daydreaming is okay in moderation of course. And envisioning yourself in a loving relationship, interacting with a character who cares about you can have a tremendous positive impact on your confidence and your emotional and mental health!

It's like that line: "Fake it 'til you make it".

That line doesn't sit well with me. It feels...well...fake. Like I can't grasp it. It feels like plastic in my mouth when I say it.

But imagining my favorite character looking me in the eyes and saying, "I'm proud of you" and "You're strong, you're capable, you've got this"???? That works WONDERS for me!

So in that respect, daydreaming is perfectly okay (and there are a few articles about how imagining a positive outcome is good for your mental health here and here)

For people like you, dear anon, who are a bit more cautious and careful because of the impact daydreaming has had in your life, I think it's important to always employ a level of self-awareness in self-shipping.

If you notice that the quality of your life is slipping because every waking moment is spent daydreaming about fictional characters to the point that you're not eating, you're not socializing, you're not taking care of yourself, then of course that's a problem and I would not encourage daydreaming at that point. I would encourage seeking professional help.

So make sure you check in with yourself and that you know your limits! ♥♥♥

Encouragement that enables you would be ignoring the red flags and telling you to do it anyway. But there's a difference between ignoring red flags and pushing back against negative internalized speech.

Red flags tell you: "There is something seriously wrong with your mental, emotional, and/or physical health. This is a warning sign. Heed it."

Hallucinations/delusions/etc. are a warning sign. If you send me a message and tell me that you're hallucinating your favorite character taking you out to dinner, I will (gently, kindly) pester you to seek professional help.

Negative internalized speech tells you: "You have been fed inaccurate perceptions of your identity that perpetuate a cycle of self-hatred and self-loathing that is damaging your mental health and you need to learn how to reframe that script to say something positive."

If I get a message from you like, "I don't deserve to be loved by my favorite character", I will (gently, kindly) pester you to rewrite this negative self talk with the positive words the fictional character is representing to you.

If someone encourages you to ignore a red flag, RUN (in some cases, the person doesn't recognize it either and they're well-meaning, which is why you gotta check up on yourself!)

If someone encourages you to push back against negative internalized speech, keep that person close because they don't want you to hurt anymore.

Chances are really, really good that someone online won't be able to tell what is a red flag for you. That's why you need to keep checking in with yourself and get help if you think something is wrong!

This kind of got a little long winded and I don't know if I've answered your question(s) or not??? Overall, please look after yourself and if the self-ship community is hitting some sensitive areas for you, please do whatever is best for your well-being and take a break! ♥

(I also want to make a note here that I am not a medical professional and I do not have experience in this field so I can only speak from a general point of view!)

[sugurus-slxt]

Haay, congrats for 100 bestie! I wanted to join the new event so I would like a personality match up with jjk

I am 5'4 [164cm] and I'm Omniromantic and Asexual. I'm an ENTP and my pronouns are she/they also I'm a female lol

gemini sun Capricorn rising and Aquarius moon for the zodiacs

Personality: Pretty obvious, people tend to tell me that I'm either very mature or very childish like bro it depends on the situation I'm in 😰

I also kinda scare people at first but once they get to know me better and become friends they tell me I'm pretty chill lmao can't argue on that but I still am the friend with tons of energy sksksk

My music taste is literally all kinds no matter the beat so I'm not that picky. I'm an artist and an archer so ig those are my two hobbies.

I dislike children, summer and sports even if I eat out of boredom my body looks pretty much decent

I absolutely love Coffee, gaming, drawing, jewelry and ferrets! [and arson but we won't talk about it.]

My aesthetic is like,, pretty dark. I wear techwear or just cargo pants. I love the fit ok?? I mostly care about what I'm wearing than how my room looks like

I don't have a favorite movie or stuff like that but I'm currently in the jjk fandom if that counts lmfao

I don't even know if I have a type, I like my food both introverted and extroverted ig ✋🙄 My love language would be definitely physical touch because I'm touch starved as shit 💀

Probably the last thing here will be my appearance so uh,, I'm pale and I have naturally short black hair. I've got dark blue eyes and honestly I wear a lot of rings and jewelry because I just love accessories.

That was all, HAVE FUN READING THIS WHOLE ASS TEXT AND HAVE A NICE DAY👍💞

Personality Matchup

One 𝑅𝓊𝒷𝓎 coming right up

A/Note: Hey anon thank you so very much for visiting THE VAULT. I will admit I thought about this for a while before I decided but I see this working out pretty well. I hope you like your match up :) Love <3 ~ Sar-chan

I match you with...

Runner Up: Itadori Yūji

Here are some HCs:

I think the first time he meets you because you come off scary at first; it encourages him to want to know you more. When he gets to the more chill side and energetic side of you, he instantly wants to spend more time with you. I think your energies seem like they would match really well.

Gojo can be the same really mature or childish and I think that works well together. I definitely see that you guys can be a chaotic pair but also lots of fun. There would never be a dull moment.

Because your music taste is pretty much in a wide range he will have you listening to new songs all the time. If you reject his offer he’ll get all pouty and beg you, “y/n-chan, please. Just try it.” Cue the puppy dog eyes.

Gojo has most definitely asked you to draw him once. I’m sure he’d be like, “Draw me like one of your French girls.” He’d be all dramatic that it’s impossible not to laugh. Cue pouty Gojo again.

Don’t get me started n if you say no. This man will bother you for weeks and when you do finally get annoyed and say yes he will hug you so frickin tight you almost suffocate and then run off to tell the first person he sees. If it’s Nanami I’m sorry for him but if he tells Yuji he is going to come and tell you that you’re so cool.

Will doodle on your page or canvas just to annoy you.

When he finds out you’re an archer he’s most definitely intrigued. He’ll like to watch you practice but he’ll never push you physically to try more. He admires your form and the amount of focus you have. Gojo will have a little fun and compete with you but he isn’t amazing because he’s never done it too often, he just knows the basics.

I think Gojo can draw and he will sketch you and show you after, smirking of course. He’ll feel a sense of pride from seeing you smile but he won’t let you see the blush of happiness that dusts his cheeks.

Gojo is a teacher so he doesn’t have a particular dislike towards kids but he will get a good laugh out of seeing you be annoyed by them. He’ll give you a million apologies but he can’t stop laughing thinking about it.

I think Gojo definitely wants to try out your style and will come to find it pretty comfortable. Matching outfits whenever you go out. He definitely wants to pick some outfits for you to try though.

Gojo likes sweets so if he drinks coffee with you it’s overpowered with sugar. Once he accidentally gave you his cup and he ended up with yours that had way less, he gagged and coughed. If you laugh at him he will get you back like the little mischievous shit he is.

He’ll definitely game with you he gets super competitive, always has a bet on the line.

I’m telling you Gojo will commit arson with you for fun. *silently me too if you’d like*

Gojo brings you back new jewelry all the time for you to try. Thanks to him every week you get something new but he tries to always get something he thinks you’ll wear. Won’t tell you but he’s totally called Nanami and Shoko to ask if you’d like it.

Since you don’t have a favorite movie Gojo is determined to help you find one. Movie marathon every weekend but don’t worry he has snacks, all your favorites.

Gojo is very touchy but he will not ever overstep your boundaries, as reckless as he may seem he thinks about other people’s feelings especially yours. He likes giving you headpats the most. I think he totally makes times for sessions of just being close to one another, He likes laying in silence with you a lot; it’s sort of a break from him. It’s nice to feel calm; he will fall asleep if you run your hands through his hair. He just feels better with you because he gets to know you’re safer with him. Being the strongest sorcerer comes with a lot of weight but he forgets that when he’s with you.

Lastly, for appearance, I think that both contrast well; in height, dark and light hair plus the contrast of your shades in eye color is just chefs kiss to me.

EXTRA:

I hope you liked it :)

[heresathreebee]

Garrote part 4

[Starz Power Diego Jimenez X Jazmine Mann (Black!OC)]

Warning(s): Mature (+17), sexual tension, graphic violence and language. Previous Masterlist Next

Word Count: 2.3k words

AN: Surprise bitches! I'm an impatient bastard and couldn't wait anymore. This picture is finally appropriate (speaking of, assume all photos for this series are not created by me unless specifically stated otherwise). 

@nicke0115 @1zashreena1 @mental-bycatch

Something Nice turned out to be a dress Jazmine bought two years ago. A floral print with white petals she was sure a guy like Diego would laugh at. He still hadn't told her what he wanted with her, so she brought a change of shoes depending on the occasion. He got caught up in some work stuff, so the meeting had to wait until the morning. When he texted her the address, she wheezed. When she rolled up into the lobby, she gasped. It screamed elitist big money in every way from the high ceiling to the marble floors. A man who worked for the Jimenez's led her to the elevator, punching in a code for the right floor and stood silent as a statue. A dangerous, beefy, ranch-smelling statue. 

It's impossible to say why she expected anything less than the secure ritzy elevator to open straight into the home like a front door. There were voices in the room that the bodyguard led her away from, taking her up the stairs and planting her square in front of a door at the end of a hall. 

"Stay here." 

Jazmine did not enjoy waiting. She tapped her foot until her leg cramped, she stretched, she tried the door (locked), and she tried to guess what year the paintings on the wall were made. It was probably pay back. When Diego did show his face, he had the audacity to look surprised to see her. 

"What kept you?" 

"Just business," he said smiling. Bastard. "Inside." 

He let her enter first and it wasn't a bedroom like she had anticipated. There were large picture windows on the northwest corner of the room and a grand piano, other furniture suggesting a kind of study like a bookshelf and an armored cash (she knew a weapons locker when she saw one). Diego's hand slotted itself on her waist as he locked the door behind them. 

"Want to take some pictures," he said by way of explanation. 

"What kind of pictures?" 

Diego smiled cryptically. Jazmine did not miss the way he appraised her form, fingering the soft fabric of her dress before backing up. He pulled his phone from his pocket and snapped a candid before she could stop him. He turned the screen her way, showing her own face in the amazing lighting and quality. 

"Nice, right? Sit down." 

He waited until she was situated on the piano bench before he took a seat of his own. She watched him set the picture as his home screen and shook her head. "We can do better than that." 

She missed the big, cocky smile he pulled when he said, "what do you have in mind?" 

"A guy like you? With a picture of a clothed woman in your phone? Unlikely." 

Diego hummed playfully. "I don't think your clothes are the problem." 

There was a huge plush bean bag next to the smaller book stand under the window. An odd choice for such high class taste, but it didn't look like this room got much use anyways. Diego plopped down on top of it like he had just come home from a long day at work. He looked up at her from between his legs, and beckoned her with a crooked finger. 

"Right here," he patted the inside of his thigh. Jazmine wasn't sure if he wanted her to sit in his lap or... but then he said, "on your knees," and she fell easily into position. "You look pretty like that. Haven't asked me what the pictures are for yet." 

Jazmine shrugged, picking up his phone and snapping a picture of him for herself. "I've already got ten ideas for how to use these. My back up plans have back up plans, but I usually go with the flow. It's saved my ass this long…" 

He hummed, motioned for the phone. "You trust me?" 

Jazmine tensed up immediately. "Yeah." 

His movements were slow as he reached up for the back of her head. Gently, he pulled her down until her cheek rested against his clothed thigh, her chin practically inches from his zipper. He watched her gulp but she didn't pull away and he let her go free. 

"That's a good one. Come here." He pulled her up into a wet kiss and she melted into it. He licked his way into her mouth and swirled his tongue around her plush lips until he was satisfied with how shiny and swollen they became. Jazmine settled back instantly into position, proper her hands on his thighs for support as she posed. If his pants were loose, the sight would be obscene. As it happened, he tried not to move too much as the space in his pants became too tight. Diego snapped a couple of pictures, frustrated he couldn't get far enough to get the framing right. She watched him lean his head back to get it right and she couldn't help but laugh. 

"Alright, alright. We done?" 

"One more." Oh, the way she crawled up his body should not have felt so good. She sat her plump rump right over the button of his jeans and he bit his lip to stop from groaning. Jazmine sat up on her knees, sinking into the bag and snapping the perfect picture. "There." 

He could tell she was doing something, her fingers flashed over the screen and he resisted the urge to snatch it from her hands. Her eyes lit up as a notification sounded and just as quickly her eyes averted. He saw as he took the phone she had her contact open, sending herself her favorite pictures (the first and the last), and he also saw that Alicia needed him. 

"I gotta go," Jazmine announced as she headed for the door. 

"Don't get lost." She did a double take at the sudden turn in his demeanor. It sounded like a threat. Diego’s verbal threat paled in comparison to the ice cold, regal look a woman gave her on her way out. That was how Jazmine got her first look at Alicia Jimenez. 

~

Bored at work, Jazmine let her mind drift back to the morning. She couldn’t get it out of her head, the way his hands absentmindedly twirled the fabric in her skirt between his fingers when he could have easily done so and felt her up. It was intoxicatingly soft, especially for how cheap it was. She slapped some pants underneath it and wished she’d taken out her earrings before her shift– they itched now but if she put them in her pocket she’d never see them again. 

The flow of customers was that of a leaky drainage pipe. They often rolled in and out without so much as a look at her eyes or her name tag, some even going out of their way not to touch her and to turn their bodies sideways as if her existence offended them. Pricks. 

This last guy was acting extra suspicious. Young man with a hat, sunglasses, and a hood drawn up. He was wearing loose basketball shorts in the middle of winter and had his head on a constant swivel. Definitely going to rob the place. Snatch and runs were commonplace, but they hardly looked like this. He was too old not to know you needed a crew for the best haul. But then that means… 

Fucking kid had a gun on him and he was pointing it in Jazmine's face. The chips he had thrown down on the counter were forgotten in favor of the cash in the register– all the cash. He seemed like he was looking for the thrill rather than the kill, but the way he was waving his piece around, he hadn't had much gun safety training. She wasn't dumb enough to try and correct his form right now. Every second he took his eyes off her to scan the area and the barrel of the gun drifted away from her person, she was able to breathe. He ran out the back door. 

Now came the real worst part. Yeah, almost getting shot over $87 wasn't the worst part– calling her boss was. He didn't like his employee's making reports to the police, they had to go through him. Jazmine knew he was into some shady shit, she never felt curious enough to have a look. She barely even registered how long the grown man had been screaming in her face when she heard the door open. 

"Sir we're temporarily closed--"she started to say until she turned to see Diego standing there. 

"What," Frank huffed, "no we are not closed– sir, take as much time as you need, we'll be with you in just a moment." 

Jazmine rolled her eyes. 'We' really meant 'she'. She didn't know how he expected to make change if we didn't have cash, but then something strange happened. 

"This guy bothering you, baby?" Jazmine did a double take. Diego was leaning dangerously over the counter and had locked eyes with Frank. Her boss actually gulped. Taking control of the situation, Jazmine pulled Frank's ass around the counter. Diego followed closely, mirroring their every step with an uncontrollable itch in his fingers. It was beginning to make her nervous. 

Frank turned to snap at Jazmine, "who the hell is this guy" when he came nose to nose with Diego himself. He looked like a panther baring his teeth, and Jazmine watched his hand disappear behind his back. She snatched his wrist, pushing him back to get between the two men. 

"Don't," she hissed in Diego's face. The cool metal of his gun sent tingles up her fingers. "Just my boyfriend, Frank. I asked him to take me home." 

"OK," Frank still sounded confused. Diego's hand slipped away from the gold plated handle of his gun and Jazmine stepped away to gather her bag and wrestle the vest from her shoulders. "Hold on– I didn't say you could go!" 

"Yes you did," she affirmed with a lie. Diego caught the bag thrown at him with a huff, and she fisted his shirt to push him backwards towards the alley exit. 

"No I didn't!" 

"Sure you did! I'll see you tomorrow." 

She knew Diego was pissed. But so was she. As soon as they were free from prying eyes, Jazmine stupidly punched the drug king in the arm. 

"You need to learn about something called boundaries!," she yelled. "From now on, there's gonna be rules about when and where you show up, and who you're allowed to shoot." 

"Eres loco?!" Diego's hand fisted in the collar of her dress and dragged up to look up at him. He pressed the barrel of his gun into her neck and crowded her into the wall of the building. "You think you can tell me what I can and can't do, little girl? Do you know who the fuck I am?" 

He put the gun down so he could slam her into the wall, harder this time until her eyes spun with stars. "You're fucking nothing, cabrona. Todo nada. Do you know how many drugs go through my organization into this city alone? How much money I make?" Jazmine's eyes screwed shut and she let out a loud and regrettable sound. "Are you really shushing me right now?!" 

Diego was about to put a bullet in her head when her hands flew up in surrender. The blow to the head had rocked her– if he wasn't holding her up, she would have fallen to her knees already. 

"I don't want to know about any of that stuff," she said. "I-I can't, Diego. You can't say shit like that around me." 

The man was at a loss. She truly amazed him with her audacity. He let her go as soon as holding her no longer interested him and she slid onto her butt to catch her breath. One hand clung to her throat and the other came up as if to protect her head from a bullet. He considered it, then put his piece away. Alicia would be furious if their deal with Healy fell through like this. For Porsche. 

Cooler heads prevailed. Diego only helped her stand so she would be easier to get into the car, and they drove in silence the whole way to her apartment. Not once did she look him in the eye or apologize, nor did he take his ferocious stare off of her person. Jazmine sighed in relief when the car finally stopped, but as she was climbing out, Diego caught her by the throat one more time and pulled her ear close. 

"I'm not your fucking boyfriend, Jazmine. We are not friends. Don't forget that, querida." 

~

Healy was waiting for her in her living room. His eyes drifted straight to the red marks rising at her pulse points and the soul crushing exhaustion in her eyes. He offered her a plate of pasta and let her eat in peace for a while. 

"I'm sorry, Jazmine. Really, I am." Healy kept his hands to himself, but he did offer Hercules a treat to keep her busy. "I'll have a talk with los Hermanos Jimenez so you don't have to be on the receiving end of another tantrum like that. The next time you see them, they'll be more careful about what they say around you." 

Tired and beaten, Jazmine merely nodded. 

"Make sure you charge your device. I can't help you if I can't hear you, sweetheart." He left in a moment and for once, she was so glad to be alone. 

[detectiveran]

Please write a lemon-y ShinRan! 💛 I have read all of your lemons in FFNet and I'm craving for more!

I can do quasi-lemon. Full on isn’t my forte, I’m sorry, anon.

Sexual attraction wasn’t new to either Ran or Shinichi. While Ran was better at hiding her reactions, Shinichi particularly didn’t care for it. He was with the girl that he had always dreamed about and being in a relationship meant that some of the boundaries they had were slowly dissolving. They were still careful though. They were good at talking to each other. The only time he did fail was when the whole Conan fiasco happened, though to his credit he did try to tell her the truth many times but after being warned multiple times by multiple people how the Organization would hunt down anyone who they thought was associated with those who escaped them, Shinichi had taken up to lying to Ran, which he never had done. 

It truly pained him to lie to Ran but for her safety, he was willing to take on anything, even Ran’s hatred. It would mean that she was alive, at least. Thankfully, Ran understood his point of view, albeit after fights and silent treatments and avoidance. Shinichi was just glad that Ran was alive to fight with him, the rest was background noise as far as he was concerned. He had faith in his relationship with Ran, he knew that they would be alright. And if Ran was reluctant to talk to him, he would give her space and let her come to him. They had been friends for far too long to let his fuck up created by fear ruin them.

Once they had a proper talk, with both of them laying out everything in the open, things had been hazy between them. They were is a relationship prior to Conan reveal, but now were they still in a relationship? Did Ran still feel the same? Did she love him but was hesitant to be with him? Shinichi didn’t dare ask at first. He was just happy that Ran was beside him but slowly it started to chew at him. 

Things between them were going well, too well if he were to be asked. Ran would happily chat with him, visit places with him whenever he asked, would come to his house whenever he asked. Things she used to do before he turned into Conan. It was almost like they were back to being friends. But they weren’t friends, dammit. He loved her. And he knew Ran loved him. They had sorted everything out. So, why didn’t they do all the things other couples did?

So with that burning question on the tip of his tongue, he confronted Ran on the Detective Agency’s doorstep, who promptly turned red and answered his question, “I- I didn’t think you’d be interested. I mean, you stayed with us as Conan for so long. I thought that you’d be-you know- tired of being together or something...” She trailed off when she saw Shinichi’s blank expression.

Girls were stupid, in Shinichi’s humble opinion. He crouched a little to stare at Ran’s red face and looked into her eyes, a plethora of things he wanted to say but for some reason, he couldn’t form a single sentence. Well, it wasn’t ‘some reason’. It was Ran. She looked so beautiful, with her blue eyes widened with hope, her lips parted and blush on her cheeks. 

Everything blurred around him, his heart beating a symphony, time seemed to slow down while their faces got closer but before their lips could meet, he looked up to her eyes in a quick glance, wanting to confirm it was what she wanted. When Ran closed her eyes and leaned in, Shinichi was done for. The moment their lips touched, his shoulders relaxed. His hand came up to cup her chin and Ran tilted her head to deepen the kiss. His mind was empty, too overcome with sensory overload. He loved the way she smelled, loved the way she tasted, he knew that he would never get enough of kissing her. 

Ran needed to catch her breath, so she leaned back a little, too dazed to comprehend anything but the moment she moved away, Shinichi’s lips followed hers and not even a second later, they were back to kissing. Neither of them noticed when they moved but once Ran’s back hit the door and she had something to support her back, she snaked her hand into Shinichi’s hair and tugged. He bucked and groaned, a shiver running up his spine and Ran had never felt more powerful. 

Feeling bold, she nipped his bottom lip and Shinichi gasped and she took this opportunity to brush her tongue against his lips. Shinichi leaned his bead back a little and closed his eyes, wanting to grab his bearings. This girl was making him lose his mind. He didn’t plan to take it this far. He just wanted to say that he loved her and wanted to be in a relationship. He wasn’t complaining though, as far as he was concerned, kissing Ran was going to be on top of the list of his favorite things to do.

With the intention of confirming their relationship status, he opened his eyes, only to be met with Ran’s hooded ones. His legs felt weak, and he let his head fall on the crook of her shoulders, his hands travelling from her neck to her waist. He breathed her in, which was a huge mistake in hindsight. He wanted to calm down, not get himself turned on. So, when he heard Kogorou’s heavy footsteps, he pushed himself away from Ran, who was still looking at him hazily. 

Shinichi groaned to himself, this relationship was going to kill him.

Thankfully, before Ran could do anything, Kogorou’s grumblings started and both of them, meaning Ran, were aware that they weren’t alone. Shinichi stepped back, not wanting her father to notice that something was amiss. He wasn’t exactly in Kogorou’s buddies list, especially after he came to know that Shinichi had been living as Conan with them. 

“Hello-” he cleared his throat, noticing how hoarse his voice had become, “Hello, Mouri-tantei.” 

Kogorou harrumphed in response, blindly going inside, to grab a can of beer. When silence met his ears, he looked up to notice his daughter being fidgety. He narrowed his eyes. By now, Ran would surely have started to berate him for drinking in the afternoon. But the way she was standing and sneaking glances at the detective boy, he knew something was amiss. What was worse was how the boy was reacting. He was blatantly staring at his daughter with stars in his eyes. He looked between the two of them and how they were standing with two feet distance between them. He knew that distance. He and Eri had done this multiple times when they were young.

And he would be damned if the detective boy was going to lay his hands on his daughter.

But as were creative teenagers were inclined to, Shinichi and Ran found time to sneak in kisses whenever they could. Slowly, things started to heat up between them. Their touches lingering longer than they used to, hands looking for unexplored places. They stayed above clothes though. Neither of them were ready to take in the plunge of going under clothes. Well, they wanted to but nervousness got the better of them. 

Gradually, that barrier lifted up. Wandering hands weren’t enough. Shinichi wanted to feel Ran’s skin under his fingertips and so did Ran. Shinichi’s house had become their place but they didn’t dare to touch any beds. Who knew how far they would go if that temptation was presented before them. They stayed on the couch, knowing it was the lesser of two evils. With his heart thundering in his ears, his tongue in her mouth and his hand quivering, he let them slide inside Ran’s shirt. 

The moment his slightly cooler finger tips touched Ran’s overheated skin, they groaned, shivers running down their spine. His knee separated her legs and he circled them around his waist. Ran broke away from the kiss, gasping for breath and Shinichi took the opportunity to trail kisses down her neck. Ran whined, wanting to feel his skin too and pushed herself up, tugging at his shirt. Shinichi understood what she wanted and helped her in taking his shirt off.

Ran was in awe while she looked at Shinichi’s bare chest. She always knew he was toned, having practiced football for years and keeping himself in shape but she didn’t know he was this... this beautiful. Before she could stop himself, her hands glided up his naked chest and Shinichi’s lips descended on hers. His hands tugging on her shirt now, asking whether it was alright for him to take her shirt off. Ran leaned back a bit and took her top off, letting her hair fall around her face. As much as she wanted this, she was embarrassed too.

“It’s good you’re wearing a sturdy bra,” he blurted out. Ran quickly looked up at Shinichi, noticing how red his face looked and let out a slightly giddy laugh. So, he remembered that phone conversation they had about bras. Shinichi relaxed as well, happy that she wasn’t hiding her face anymore. 

“Yeah, well, someone seemed very concerned about them, so I decided to take good care of my breasts,” Ran joked and Shinichi felt his face burst into flames. Why were they talking about her breasts when they were both shirtless? Didn’t they need to get back to more touching? 

“Yeah, yeah. Be thankful they look as amazing as they do right now.” No! What was he doing! He was making this situation even weirder. He wished someone would shut his mouth up. Oh! He should have just kissed her, instead of letting his mouth form words. That would have definitely been better but he didn’t want to make feel Ran uncomfortable. And now they were talking about her breasts, instead of him touching them. Sometimes he could be such a moron.

“Why, thank you,” she said with a cheeky smile on her face. “Would you like to touch them or just talk about them?”