#so like. I didn't really know better I guess

[animehideout]

Could you please do who falls first and who falls harder with jjk men - and how they would deal with falling in love? Like what would they be like. Sorry if that's too specific

JJK men, who falls first and who falls harder.

A/n: Thank you sweetheart for this cute reaction, I hope you enjoy it 💙

Characters: Gojo Satoru - Toji Fushiguro - Ryomen Sukuna - Nanami Kento - Itadori Yuji

Gojo Satoru : Falls harder.

You'd be the first to fall in love with him, considering how gorgeous he is anyone would definitely develop a crush on him, including you. But you fell not only for his looks but also his teasing and goofy personality. But man would fall harder for you, the thing is he doesn't realize it..yet. I think Satoru would be confused and lost as hell.

He's not used to falling in love with someone, he's only used to people/ women going crazy over him. So him experiencing love and strong feelings for someone would throw him off shore, and the thought of you would consumer his mind. He'd try had to avoid the thought of you, to get you off his mind. Tries to convince himself that love isn't for him, and that those feelings are just shallow and would fade away. He'd think that he wouldn't be a good partner and that he's got more important things to deal with , like his job since he's the strongest. But the more he fights his feelings back, the more they grow stronger. He'd uncontrollably get jealous when another guy gets near you. He'll catch himself getting really angry if a man makes you laugh. Sometimes, he'll catch himself smiling like a dork over your messages, pictures or simply when he sees you doing the smallest daily things, like breathing. He'd get a very strong urge to protect you and keep you safe. He's good at hiding his feelings though, you wouldn't guess that he loves you back.

Even though he's an overly confident guy, he'd be like a lost puppy and seeks help from no other than Geto. He truly suck at facing his feelings, so Suguru will help him realize and accept them, he will also hel him through the whole thing like how to properly confess without making it awkward or messing it up.

Toji Fushiguro: Falls harder.

He wouldn't notice you at first, but once you started proving yourself and flirting with him since you have the fattest crush on him, man would become obsessed with you. He's into strong and confident women, so the fact that you took the initiative and shown you're into him, he'd fall hard for you too.

Even though both of you didn't fully and officially confess yet, he'd act as if you're dating. He'd become overprotective, very possessive of you and gets jealous easily. He'd start physical fights with guys who get near you. Toji would be very touchy with you, gives you your daily dose of pick up lines, compliments, random winks and delicate touches. He has no problem accepting his feelings for you, and he's always ready to get into a relationship as long as you're a real and the right one. I feel like despite his flirty nature, he's take his time and tries to get to know you better, on a deep level. He believes that the spark and sexual tension that comes from flirting is 100% necessary to keep both of you interested and to make things entertaining and spicy.

When he's 100% sure you're the right one, he'd casually ask you out , he's very confident at it, especially that he knows you're the one who started it at first.

Ryomen Sukuna: Falls first.

If Sukuna wants something, he'll get it no matter what. One look is enough for him to claim you. It's love at first sight, well more like obsession at first sight. If you smile at him or show him the slightest and smallest interest ( not necessarily ), he'll consider it as a green light to own you. You basically belong to him but you don't know yet. He'd kill anyone who dares to touch you in a way he doesn't approve of. He doesn't really think that he might scare you away, because he believes you have nowhere to hide or run away from him. He's a yandere when he's in love, a toxic one to be specific. He wouldn't hurt you physically but man would hurt those who are close to you. He wouldn't beg for your love but he aspires to make you beg for him. He wants you, he wants to have you and make you need him, as if your whole existence depends on him.

Sukuna knows how to play, he's got them plans. He knows how to drive you willingly to his web, to make you crawl to him as if he casted a love spell on you. He surely falls first but makes you fall x10 for him.

Nanami Kento: Falls first.

100% knows how to handle falling in love with someone. His heart would start beating fast yes but he wouldn't get nervous or panic around you. He wouldn't scare you away. He'd know how to treat you. Nanami doesn't have any intentions to make you fall for him, he believes that love shouldn't be forced so he'd admire you and love you respectfully and gently, but you'd end up falling in love with him any way, I mean who wouldn't?.

He's got natural, inviting charms, that make anyone crave to be with him. He's so calm around you, treats you with extra care and softness. He'd offer to help you even with the smallest and easiest tasks, he'd protect you, offers his jacket when the weather gets cold, walks you home late at night, and respects your boundaries. You wouldn't notice he's in love with you because he's a natural gentleman.

He'd shoot his shot though, patiently waits for the perfect moment to confess his emotions towards you, without pressuring you. He would make the whole environment, place, time, and the way he talks, comfortable as much as possible. Nanami would be surprised when you don't reject his feelings and tell him that feeling is mutual, he's a humble man. When you start dating, nothing would change, he's so mature and knows well how to treat you, and asks for consent first before doing anything.

Itadori Yuji: Falls first + falls harder.

No matter how much you love Yuji, he'll always love you more. He's a ball of joy, his feelings would start with a small crush, but he lets it grow into stronger feelings without realizing it untill he's drowning in your love. He'd be nervous at first, then starts getting really excited when he embraced the fact that he's a lover boy. He got more comfortable, acts extra friendly to you, makes sure to take a really good care of you, brings you your favorite snacks.

His cute actions, stimulated something in you, and made you fall in love with him. Yuji doubles and triples texts, call you randomly just to hear your voice and make sure you're fine. He cares too much, and isn't afraid to show his feelings even in front of others. He gets super energetic around you, makes you laugh all the time, and he ia there for you whenever you need him. You would be the one to ask him out first, cutie baby would be over the moon, the happiest man alive. He couldn't believe it at first, he'll look at you in confusion, literally stunned. Yuji Got no filter, he isn't shy or ashamed to let his feelings control his actions, if he feels a certain way, then he'll let it show. Yuji is definitely boyfriend material, he'll make you really happy and his love for you would grow more powerful day by day.

[extasiswings]

Okay, SO! In the category of "I think it's possible that Eddie has a brain tumor/is sick in some way":

Eddie is acting weird. Eddie has been acting weird from the beginning of the season, and I know there has been discourse about "it's just that we haven't seen him so happy before" but I respectfully submit that multiple things can be true at the same time. Eddie can be happy AND it can be out of character for him to impulsively drop everything to take a helicopter ride with his new friend he met two seconds ago to see a fight in Vegas (the last time we saw Eddie be truly impulsive I'd argue was S3, buying a truck while in the midst of a serious crisis). Eddie can be happy AND it can be out of character for him to ask his girlfriend of five minutes to move in (and I recognize that we were given an explanation from Eddie in the episode, but Eddie is an unreliable narrator and his explanation also doesn't totally square with what we've seen previously - him rushing introducing her to Christopher tracks, him jumping into moving her into his house without knowing basic information about her life does not).

Then there are the Eddie-coded calls. The guy with the alien hand who is all about rigid self control and being the master of yourself - his body turning against him not because the control failed but because of a blood clot in his brain. And now the guy with encephalitis (the same condition that ultimately caused Chim to hallucinate dead people), who has amnesia and has forgotten the marriage that ended in divorce but recalls the happy time before that when his wife was just his fiancee, the guy who was experiencing chest pains that he thought was a heart attack only for Chim to say he was having a panic attack. They had Eddie be so open about his own experiences with panic attacks and coping mechanisms in 7x01 for a reason - he's genuinely doing better with his own mental health and isn't ashamed or afraid of talking about his mental health struggles. But looking at these two calls, the underlying reason for the call (alien hand, amnesiac/presumed stalker in vent) theoretically could have had mental health explanations, but instead both resulted from physical ailments in the brain. [Tangent: I also think there's something really interesting in the potential callback to S5 and the way Eddie and Maddie were sort of mirrors - Eddie with a seemingly physical problem that was caused by a mental health issue, Maddie with a seemingly mental health issue that turned out to at least in part be the result of a physical problem]

Then there is whatever they're doing with ghosts. Shannon's ghost has lingered over the narrative and was actively put on screen in 7x01. For Chim in 7x06, the ghosts were hallucinations because there was something wrong with his brain. For Bobby, I'm guessing his arc with the burn unit nurse from his past will be more of a metaphorical haunting, bringing up any number of old ghosts (but I'm also going to guess his wife will be one). For Eddie...unclear. Ryan was filming with Devin (ostensibly for 7x09 but if they're doing anything with Shanon's ghost I'd be shocked if it wasn't introduced in 7x07, "Ghost of a Second Chance"), but she didn't exactly look like Shannon. Is she supposed to be Shannon? A dream or hallucination of a different or older her? Is she a real woman who just happens to look like her? If Eddie is hallucinating, then something is clearly very wrong. If it's a random woman and he's, idk, pursuing her in some way because he's drawn to her/the fact that she looks like his dead wife, that's still another point in the "Eddie is acting weird" column (because Eddie is a bad boyfriend and wasn't the greatest husband, but what he has never been is a cheater, even when he and Shannon were separated).

And then of course there's the will of it all. The will that Buck and Eddie haven't talked about since the shooting. Now, it's no secret I love the potential of a trapped dads experience circling back to the will, but I also think there is an argument to be made for a callback to "You're the guy who likes to fix things, maybe this isn't something you can fix." Because usually, when Eddie is in danger, Buck can do something about it, take some actionable step even if a futile one - he can dig through mud, he can drag Eddie's body out of the line of fire and into an ambulance and keep him alive. And for someone who, I would guess, still thinks of himself and the will as a backup plan/contingency, who if put in a trapped dads situation may not be able to stop himself from trying to save Eddie or, if necessary, sacrificing himself to do so, because in his mind, Eddie is Christopher's dad/who Christopher needs most, it is deeply compelling to imagine what happens if Eddie is in danger from something Buck can't fix, can't fight, can't save him from. And Eddie being sick in some capacity does that.

Anyway...I just think it would be Neat.

[goldenempyrean]

for your drabbles request, i was thinking something like this:

W: “Do you not see how pale you are right now?”     

R: “Can you just shut up for a second?”

W: "You can’t drive home in your condition.”  

with sick!reader and caretaker!wanda, kinda angsty but with a happy ending if possible :)

Second Opinion

〚 Notes - Just a drabble....whole story? Potato potatah? Wanda's a major bitch at the start of this but we'll look over it because she redeems herself <3 Sorry this took a while, I got sent home from work sick so finally had the time to finish this :,) 〛

〚 Pairing - Wanda Maximoff x Reader 〛

〚 Summary - Your camping trip doesn't go to plan. Wanda isn't exactly helping you feel better. 〛

〚 Wordcount - 1530 〛

〘 Check Out My Masterlist! 〙

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“I knew you didn’t check the weather.” Wanda grumbled from the under the small shelter you’d both huddled beneath, shaking out her soaked hair and scrunching up her damp curls before shooting you an annoyed look. 

“I didnt realise it was going to rain!” You threw your hands up defensively, the action had sent the water droplets on your arms splashing in every direction, “I’m just as soaked as you are! How was I meant to know the tent wasn’t waterproof?” 

The pair of you loved to camp, it was always fun to get out into nature, switch off your electronics and unwind. It was something you did every year. Unfortunately you’d forgotten to check the weather before rushing off for a weekend away. It had rained heavily throughout the night and much to Wanda’s horror, had made the tragic discovery that the tent you’d been sleeping in was definitely not waterproof. 

You’d both woken up to find yourselves soaked to the bone,  laying in freezing cold water… Not the greatest way to wake up. 

Wanda sighed, rubbing her arms for warmth. "Well, what do we do now? We can't stay here in this soggy mess." 

“We can pack up everything into the boot, there should be a tarp in there so it wont ruin the interior. Then I guess we just head home?”  You sniffled, as a chill rolled up your arms. 

Wanda grumbled as she helped gather up the soggy camping gear, shooting you occasional glares that seemed to say, "This is all your fault." Meanwhile, you couldn't shake off the chill that had settled deep into your bones. The feeling of your damp clothes sticking to you only added to your discomfort. 

But as you packed up, Wanda's annoyance seemed to intensify with every wet item she handled. "I can't believe this," She muttered, shaking out a drenched sleeping bag. "We should have checked the weather. This is just typical of you! You’re so unprepared!” 

You tried to muster a defense, but your voice came out weak and raspy. "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean for this to happen." You cringed a little at the sound of your voice. You’d had a cold for the past week however you’d started feeling better for the last few days but you’d supposed that waking up shivering and soaked would make anyone feel ill again. 

As Wanda continued to grumble, you couldn't help but sneeze, the action sent had you stumbling forward a little and you really hadn’t been able to cover your mouth in time… 

"Ugh, seriously?" she snapped, wiping at her dampened clothes with annoyance. "First, the weather, and now you're sneezing on me? Could this day get any worse?" 

You winced, feeling guilty for both the sneeze and the situation as a whole. "I-I'm sorry," you stammered, reaching for a tissue to cover your mouth. "It's this stupid cold. I can't help it." 

Wanda rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed.  

“Go wait in the car,” She gave you a stern look, the kind she had when she wouldn’t take no for an answer and pointed to the vehicle. “You better take those soaked clothes off as well, I need you getting pneumonia.” 

You sniffled, not bothering to argue any longer. The corners of your temples had started to ache and you couldn’t deal with her attitude. 

“Fine!” You climbed into the driver’s side and closed the door with a slam. 

As Wanda continued packing up the camping gear, her frustration seemed to grow with each soggy item she handled. She muttered under her breath, shooting occasional glances towards the car where you were waiting. 

“Are you even able to drive safely?” Wanda mumbled under her breath as she clambered into the passenger seat only ten minutes later. You sent her an unimpressed glare. “I’m being serious, I mean do you not see how pale you are right now? What if you fall asleep while driving?” 

"Can you just shut up for a second?" You snapped back, feeling the throbbing ache in your temples intensify with each passing moment. You weren’t in the mood to argue from the second she’d gotten in the car. 

Wanda sighed heavily, her frustration mixing with genuine worry. "You can't drive home in your condition." 

You leaned back in the seat, the cold seeping into your bones and sapping what little energy you had left. "I'll manage," you muttered stubbornly, though the idea of driving in your current state filled you with dread. 

Her eyes narrowed, a distinct crease forming in her brow, “No you won’t manage! Just let me drive, Y/N, for gods sake!” 

You knew she was right; driving in your current state was a recipe for disaster. Reluctantly, you handed over the keys, feeling defeated and utterly drained. 

Wanda wasted no time taking charge, starting the car and adjusting the mirrors before pulling out of the campsite. You slumped in the passenger seat, feeling the chill of your soaked clothes seep deeper into your bones. Every bump in the road sent a jolt of pain through your head, and you squeezed your eyes shut, hoping to ease the throbbing. 

You sniffled, trying to stifle the tickle in your nose, but it persisted, building with each passing moment until you couldn't help but let out a series of harsh, miserable sneezes. 

Wanda glanced over at you, her annoyance fading into concern as she saw the way you huddled in on yourself. "You okay?" she asked, her voice a little softer now. 

You mustered a weak nod, but the look on your face betrayed the truth. Your cheeks flushed with fever, and your skin felt clammy to the touch. It was clear you were far from okay. 

“Don’t lie to me.” She mumbled, her hand coming to rest on your forehead, “You’ve got a fever again.” She sighed, her hand coming down for cup your cheek for a moment, and you found yourself sinking into her touch, craving the comfort it brought. 

You still were reluctant to fully give in, “I’m fine Wands. Just leave it… please?” You added, expecting her to argue back but she just looked at you with sympathy instead and murmured under her breath.

"I think you need a second opinion on that."

As the car hummed along the roads, the combination of exhaustion and illness weighed heavily on you. Despite your best efforts to stay awake and alert, the steady rhythm of the car and the warmth from the heater lulled you into a drowsy haze. 

Your eyelids grew heavy, and before you knew it, you had succumbed to the pull of sleep. Your head lolled to the side, resting against the window as raspy breaths and intermittent coughs escaped your lips. Wanda glanced over at you, her expression softening at the sight of you. 

The guilt weighed heavily on her as she watched you sleep, your face flushed with fever, your body shivering involuntarily despite the warmth of the car. She pulled the car over to quickly reach into the back, pulling up the blanket you usually kept in the backseats before gently laying it over you, tucking it in at the sides. Wanda sighed in remorse, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had been too harsh on you earlier.  

She replayed the events of the morning in her mind, feeling a pang of regret with each memory. Maybe she should have been more understanding, more patient. She hadn’t slept well and was overtired and she had taken it out on you. After all, you didn't intentionally get sick or forget to check the weather. It was just an unfortunate series of events.  

Eventually, the familiar sight of your home came into view, and Wanda felt a sense of relief wash over her. She carefully parked the car and turned off the engine, reaching over to gently shake your shoulder. 

"Hey, we're home," she murmured softly, her voice laced with concern. "Let's get you inside and warmed up." 

With Wanda's help, you groggily stumbled out of the car and into the warmth of your home. She guided you to the couch, before hurrying off to your bedroom, quickly returning with a thick hoodie for you to wear and you could hear the distance hum of running water. 

"I'm sorry for snapping earlier," Wanda murmured, her voice filled with sincerity. "I shouldn't have been so harsh on you. I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen. I was way out of line.” 

“I’ve started a bath for you if you want it?” 

Wanda's apology hangs in the air, melting away any lingering tension. With a soft smile, you reach out and grasp her hand’ “Thank you, baby," you replied, your voice still hoarse. "I appreciate it. And a bath sounds wonderful after all this.” You paused, watching as she fidgeted with her fingers - clearly still feeling guilty. 

“Do you want to join me? You got soaked too y’know.” 

She blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting that response. She hesitated for a moment before nodding, “If you’ll have me?” Her eyes softened as she nodded, her lips curling into a relieved smile. 

"I'd love to." 

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[itsmealaiah]

"good enough"

TW: p in v sex, profanity, porn recording, she/her pronouns, AFAB reader, sex tape, doggystyle fucking

my mum is making some beans and they stanking 🤢

Request: 2007 bill tells the reader that if they are comfortable doing the position doggystyle for the first time with the reader, and bill records it while fucking the reader.

Rating: mature themes incoming, mdni!

WC: 0.8k

Making a sex tape was not on your bingo card for this year, but for bill? you bet your ass it was.

You however, didn't really like the idea of your intimate time with bill being recorded. It didn't seem very appealing, you liked the privacy you had behind closed doors.

bill and you were lying on your bed together, watching a show as his arms were wrapped around your waist, your back laid on his chest as his thumbs drew small circles on your skin, drawing out the stress of your day.

he brought his arms up to your breasts, testing the waters between loving and lustful. He was trying to get you in the mood, so it'd be easier to ask you.

"billy? what're you doing?" you asked, your head tilting down, seeing his hands right below your boobs.

he cursed under his breath, you could read him like an open book. this wasn't going to be as easy as he would've liked.

"nothing honey, just getting comfortable" he lied through his teeth, kissing your shoulder as you nodded. "okay" you smiled.

how was he going to convince you? you weren't easy to trick in the slightest, so he knew he had to be very subtle.

he kissed your neck, hands caressing your boobs as you moaned. jackpot.

"you can scream as loud as you want honey, just gotta do a little something for me first" he had you where he wanted.

"wha-what's that?" "let me record it baby, it'll be good for both of us." he asked sweetly, flipping you over so you were beneath him, arms surrounding your head as he towered over you.

"i-i don't know" you murmured, but he shushed you. "i promise, i'll make you feel so good honey" he begged, kissing your lips softly.

"i gue-guess" you shrugged. he smiled, lifting up your arms. "was that so hard?" he asked sweetly, kissing your neck.

he slipped off your shirt, your perky boobs now exposed as he gently licked the bud, swirling it around his tongue as you whined. "fuc-fuck" your eyes were already reeling, pussy getting wetter for him as he continued the act, before moving his head down. he kissed your clit gently, and stood up, shoving his pants and boxers down, grabbing his camera.

he got back onto the bed, and quickly tore down your shorts and panties, grinning at your wet folds.

"ready baby? it's just you and me, no one else is gonna see, i promise" he assured you, putting all your fears to bed with this one statement.

he turned on the camera app, positioning his cock up to your hole as he focused the screen on it.

must've been some weird-ass kink of his. you didn't like it, but you wanted to make him happy. you wanted to cum, so you let him do his thing. he pushed in with a gasp from you, hips thrusting back and forth as his penis entered and left you.

"ohmyfuckinggod!" you squealed, legs wrapping around his waist as he pounded relentlessy into your messy cunt. "that's it - ohh - that's a good girl, showing me how good you are."

he rubbed your clit harshly, making your hips jerk up as you moaned, his camera now focused on your boobs as they bounced all around, his free hand coming to roll one between his fingers.

your face was even better, eyes directly lying on your gaping mouth, showing how good he was fucking you. he pointed the camera upwards, seeing your face and eyes, clearly shut in bliss.

who knew you were such a slut? he usually had his head in the curve of your neck as his hips met yours, but this time was better, a thousand times better.

he was now obsessed with this side of you, and leaned into it. "gonna cum on this cock soon babygirl? gonna make me feel good?" "yesyesyesyes!" your moans were now babbles, brain turned to mush from the harsh fucking as you took it.

this video was going to be so good, especially when he was on tour.

"go on, be a pretty little angel" he commanded, teasing your clit more as you screamed, camera capturing every bit of it as you came, releasing on his cock. he thrust deeper, seeking his own release, hitting that gummy spot in you as your walls gripped him, his balls now heavy as he groaned, fucking his cum deeper into you.

he pulled out, panting and flipped to the side, looking at the recording time. 2:37.

not bad.

just enough time he needs to cum on his own.

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[thegoldencontracts]

Secrets

Summary: You find Azul talking about you behind your back. It doesn't go the way you think.

Notes: Despite the summary this is literally the fluffiest shit known to mankind don't be fooled I am nigh incapable of angst (that is not true in the slightest I love angst), fem!reader

You'd been dating Azul for a while now. And in that time, he'd been the perfect boyfriend. The perfect gentleman.

But, at the same time, you couldn't help but feel like he hadn't been Azul. That he hadn't been quite as genuine with you as you had with him, quite as vulnerable.

Then, one day, you heard him talking about you to Jade and Floyd.

It was a lovely afternoon. You were supposed to come to the VIP room at 5 PM, but you came a bit early, and you couldn't help but try and listen in on what was going on in there.

"Hey, Azul," Floyd said. "You look-"

"Nervous," Jade said.

"Your face is sooo red!"

Azul sputtered in indignation.

"I- er- well-" he started. "Shut it."

Floyd just snickered, and though Jade remained silent, you knew he was probably getting a kick out of this all too.

"The little grouperfish won't mind if you stutter a bit," Floyd said. Ever since you and Azul got together, he changed your nickname to grouperfish. Something, something, symbiotic relationships with octopodes.

"She will, I'm certain," Azul replied. You could only imagine how red he was right now. God, he probably looked so cute. If only you could break down the stupid door and see his face. "And, regardless-"

He trailed off, likely in embarrassment.

"Doesn't my darling deserve the best?"

Was it getting really warm in here all of a sudden, and was it just you? Whatever. You just felt your heart pounding. Azul hadn't ever said something so heartfelt, something so completely removed from the business filter of his.

After a while of nothing but the sound of you own heartbeat, Floyd finally spoke up.

"Pfft- that sounds so stupid, Azul!"

Floyd was awesome and all, but right now, you needed him to stop talking.

"Indeed." Et tu, Jade? Come on! Azul was being genuine for once! "Though I don't believe your little angelfish will entirely mind it."

Azul sighed.

"Anyone would find themselves repulsed by such a foolish declaration," he said. "If she ever found out I said that, I'm certain she'd never be able to look at me the same."

Well, you did know he said that, and you loved it!

"Come on," Floyd said. "Now you're just bein-"

You slipped, and pushed the door open. Oops. Guess it wasn't locked after all.

Azul's eyes widened, and he scrambled to recompose himself.

"Ah, darling!" He said, before his eyes narrowed as the realization hit him. "...Just how much have you heard?"

"Everything!" You chirped. And just when you thought Azul's face couldn't get any more red, it somehow did.

Floyd laughed.

"She's lookin' at you the same, isn't she?"

"Shut up, Floyd."

"If it makes you feel any better," you said. "I liked hearing your thoughts without a filter! It was a nice change of pace."

Jade flashed Azul an 'I-told-you-so' look. Azul, however, couldn't see it, because his face was buried in his hands.

And at that moment, it hit you.

He'd probably been made fun of a lot for being sentimental. He was clearly insecure about this, used to rejection.

"Hey, Azul," you said softly. Floyd looked at you in curiosity.

Azul, however, didn't respond, caught up in his own whirlwind of embarrassment. That was okay.

You just pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. The effect was instant. He looked up at you, eyes wide and face red.

"W-What is this?"

"I really did appreciate that," you said. 'What you said."

Azul stared at you with that slack-jawed look for a bit, before swatting you away.

"Get out," he said, face flushed. "A-All three of you."

"But weren't we supposed to hang out-"

"Re-enter later!" He shrieked, looking more mortified than anything. "You've bore witness to my humiliating state for far too long!"

Floyd snickered. Jade-

Come to think of it, where had Jade gone in the midst of all of this?

"And scene," you heard, seemingly out of nowhere. Jade had been recording this?

"Jade, I-" Azul cut himself off, already aware of the fact that Jade was probably going to use this as blackmail material. "Just leave already!"

"Fine, fine."

And as you shuffled our of the VIP room, you couldn't help the grin that crossed your face.

Azul was pretty cute when he was genuine.

[thecrowsart]

people: omg we finally get to see hyper! me: omg we finally get to see more angles of kusuriuri's clothes! observations and (A LOT OF) ranting under the cut:

1.)

The inside sleeve design has been revealed! It's pretty similar to the outside design but instead of that four-petal design, it's a gold circle. Also, it looks like the large eye is shared by both sides, but based on how the sleeve looks in other images, it must be really really big..... I guess they can get away with it lol. Like, if you laid out the sleeve fabric, I think it would look like this:

2.)

THE BACK OF HIS OBI. What the hell kinda knot is this actually... like, does anyone here know about obimusubi because I'm not very good at knots but if it comes down to it I will learn how this works. I already thought this based on the promo art but it seems like his obi fabric is double-sided, with purple on one side and the check pattern on the other, with a red trim. That lighter salmon color in the knot seems to be a different fabric, maybe an obiage? It's not tucked into the front so I'm not sure if that's the right term, but in any case it's some kind of extra fabric. If the purple and check are really one piece of fabric, then the knot is like... a hitch? It's some kind of one-loop bow, and it's quite bulky so he might have an obimakura in there. Whatever it is, it's considerably more elaborate than OG Kusuriuri's obi, which was that red brocade just tied into a large crooked bow. Who is helping movie Kusuriuri get dressed in the morning? (I'm sure he can do it himself and I commend him for the dedication to the aesthetic lol).

3.)

His mirror is now kept looped around this thick cord that kind of comes out of nowhere and disappears into his obi. First of all, how is the mirror staying up like that since the string is only looped once. Second, the thick white cord looks the same as the one that comes out of the left side of his obi and loops around his back, but I'm not sure how they would connect. Logically, they probably are the same cord and it goes through his obimusubi somehow. 4.)

This one was actually noticeable in the very first trailer as you can tell, since the second screenshot is from that trailer, but I somehow never noticed it until now. Kusuriuri has neck markings now! In a different frame I caught a glimpse of the part that goes into his collar, it looks like a circle, though it's not visible in either of these screenshots. But from the first screenshot and some other frames I saw, it looks somewhat off-center. I wasn't sure if it was just a weird frame at first, but it looks consistent the few other times (time?) that part of his neck is visible. It looks like the strip of red that leads down to the circle curves off to the left rather than going straight down the center. I didn't realize this before but his neck is actually concealed in most of the promo images.

5.)

A better look at the back of his socks, plus two things that were visible this whole time but I didn't notice: first, his black leggings have this folded layer you can probably see on top. I'm not sure how to describe it and I don't know exactly how it works. It seems weird to me that he would have three sock layers (outer black, inner black, white), so I think the two black layers are probably still part of the same sock. I'm just not sure exactly what's up with it. Secondly, his geta have metal corners on the teeth! I don't think I've seen that on real geta, so maybe it's just a random detail, but if it's a thing on some real geta, I wonder if it's to keep the wood from wearing away there. Also another think I'm just noticing, there's a reinforcing wedge of wood under the front part of his geta that overhand the front tooth. You can see it a little in the second image.

Overall, that's all the new design stuff I noticed. Since I just drew him twice and spent like all day thinking about this, I've realized his design is way more elaborate than the original one. He has a bunch of little doodads, like the ties around his ankle or that decorative tie that comes out of his ohashori:

which still bothers me because I've never seen the back of it. Where are those strings going. And how is it secured in the first place? is it tied or pinned underneath his ohashori, like on the tie under the obi (not sure if there's a name for it)? What is it? Why does he have this here?

These details as well as things like the corners and wedge on his geta, the red trim on the obi and the check pattern, and his elaborate eye make up are all design elements that could never really have worked for a tv show. It's impressive to me even that OG Kusuriuri had that hand drawn brocade texture and the designs on his kimono that he did. It's the type of thing animators usually avoid, lol.

I like the movie design visually, but my god is it a pain in the ass to draw. Due to the aforementioned details of course and the wider variety of colors. Oh yeah, my last (for real) observation is that this Kusuriuri looks a lot less human than our OG friend. His skin is entirely whitish-grey, and he has that white/purple and red hair, and now he has markings on his neck instead of just on his face. (Unrelated but I feel like they made his lip tattoo less prominent and it makes me sad because it's one of my favorite things about Kusuriuri's design). But Hyper, from that very small glimpse we caught of him, looks more mundane than the original. I think it's the combination of his black hair and his markings being red instead of gold. I wonder what the rest of him will look like.... It was interesting to me that his face is drawn differently from Kusuriuri. In the TV anime, they have the same face shape and features, but their hair and coloring is different. And OG Hyper had a slightly different version of Kusuriuri's clothes. We can't see this new Hyper's clothes, but his face is more square looking. He looks like a different person... interesting lore implications.

Okay, I really must stop there.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Thailand surprised me

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

May 2024 Wk 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

My Stand-In (Thai Fri iQIYI) ep 2 of 12 eps - I love love love Sol! Pink-haired baby idol blast from the past nursing a crush = absolute catnip for me. This is def my favorite Thai BL currently airing. And it’s probably because it has a sort of odd queer authenticity to both its gayness and its rep of the film industry. I mean, of course it’s sanitized into BL fantasy-landia, but there’s an underpinning of something real, for lack of a better word. Normally I prefer the fantasy of my dumb BL worldview, but in this one I’m kind of liking a little chew and grit.

All of which is to say: this is very fucked up messy gay, which normally I’m not wild about, but for some reason I’m really enjoying this version.

On the other side of the BL coin we have:

Wandee Godday (Sat YT) ep 1 of 12 - And I like it a lot. It’s fun and I’m enjoying it (possibly more than it deserves). I like how it’s a little absurdist. I like that it starts with a one night stand. I like all of the side characters. I love the asexual representation. Bonus LUBE! It’s a fun show. More FUN that GMMTV usually goes for.  

Two Worlds (Thurs iQIYI) ep 8 of 10 - The sketching in the cave scene was v sexy. And I’m enjoying this BL, but not for any other reason than MaxNat being MaxNatty all over my screen. 

1000 Years Old (Thurs iQIYI) ep 12fin - I don’t know what I feel about this one. Mostly just indifferent. It was meant to be the paranormal Thai BL pulp about vampires that we were all waiting for, and it ended up just being boring. Frankly, I'd rather be pissed off than bored. 6/10

Only Boo! (Sun YouTube) ep 4 of 12 - I truly love the naked lust on our side couple's pining friend's face. Usually only Japan get this thirsty.

Book is perfectly cast as Moo's older bro. They even look a bit alike but it might have been a mistake, because he’s so damn charismatic. Stole all the breath from the show for a bit. 

We Are (Weds iQIYI) ep 5 of 16 - No report until next week. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Unknown (Taiwan Tues YouTube & Viki) ep 11 of 12 - What a fantastic ep. This show really is killing it. I’m so happy with Taiwan right now. 

Carry on.

Blue Boys (Korea YouTube) 3 of ? - It remains lovely and I remain enjoying it immensely. It’s very Strongberry feeling. That's always a welcome sensation.

Living With Him AKA Kare no Iru Seikatsu (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 4 of 10 - They are so cute and pretty much just boyfriends already regardless of what they each think. I'm scared that next week is the final episode, it doesn’t feel like it’s gone very far.

At 25:00 in Akasaka AKA 25 Ji Akasaka de (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 3 of 10 - I liked it a little better this week. I guess I’m warming up to this one?

Boys Be Brave AKA Roommates (Korea Thurs Viki) ep 3-4 of 8 - Ah poor lonely neglected child. They are all such weirdos. I don’t understand any of these characters or their motivations except they are strange kind of cartoons of... something.

Love is like a Cat (Korea Mon Viki) eps 9-10 of 12 - The guy who plays the vet should be playing a vampire. That's it. That's all I have to say. 

It's airing but...

Lady Boy Friends (Thai WeTV grey) 16 eps - reminds me a bit too much of Diary of Tootsies only high school. Not my thing. DNF unless it turns a corner and is truly amazing.

Memory in the Letter (Thai WeTV) - 6 eps, when it's done, tell me if I should bother?

You Made My Day (Thai YT) ep 1 of 5 - supposed to have started on Friday but I couldn't find it, I also didn't try very hard.

In case you missed it

GMMTV announced the second half of their 2024 line up. I got excited and picked my favorites, details + trailers here.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

May Releases

5/10 A Balloon's Landing (Taiwan movie) trailer - A frustrated Hong Kong writer, Tian Yu, meets a Taipei street gangster, Xiang (Fandy Fan from HIStory2: Crossing the Line), and the two of them embark on a journey to find the Bay of Vanishing Whales. Along the way, they discover unexpected twists and turns and close bonds, which brings out the message that "there is always someone like you in this world who is waiting for you.

5/16 Blossom Campus (Korea Thurs Gaga & iQIYI) ep 1 of 6 - Strongberry doing classic BL! Weeee!

5/19 OMG Vampire (Thai Sun ????) ep 1 of 10 - LeeFrank are back - not unlike the undead (as it were). But how do we feel about it? Unsure given their track record.

5/25 The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer - HoTae & DongHee are back but unfortunately not in a cinema near me. Side couple from Unintentional Love Story, same actors, same character names. I love them. I NEED TO SEE THIS.

5/28 My Biker 2 (Thai movie YT?) - trailer

5/31 The Time of Huannan (Taiwan movie) - May not be BL

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

I love a shrimp peeling moment in my Thai BL. (Only Boo)

Unquestionably the best moment in BL this year. FIGHT ME. (Unknown)

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire

If ya wanna be tagged each week leave a comment and I will add you to the template. Easy peesy.

[lucy-ghoul]

why are you, as an adult in 2024, still hung up on reylo. why are you still mocking the shippers. why do you believe yourself to be superior only because you dislike a stupid ship from a fucking space fairytale. girl (gnc) get a grip

[phyrestartr]

Divine Favour | Sukuna x Kitsune!Reader (Pt.2) NSFW

W/C: 3.2k #NSFW, THEY FUCKIN', mild yuuji/reader, yuuji and gang are v early 20s, heian sukuna, male reader, typical kitsune shapeshifting, canon typical violence, morally grey reader, sukuna ignores feelings through the force of sheer willpower, unhealthy relationships, power imbalance, dubcon elements, blood as lube (SORRY), Sukuna unhinged horknee, ABO elements

A/N: I wanted to make this include more parts, but I am so flabbergasted and in awe of the response to this fic that I feel the need to feed y'all feral creatures LMAO. JKJK but 👀 Thank you for all the feedback and support! It really gives me the motivation to continue writing and to interact with the JJK community. I'm having a lot of fun!

tags: @kamote-kuneho @kamote-kuneho @nyanwko @kamote-kuneho @better-imagination-9 @3zae-zae3 @chibiduck @kiiyoooo @lukaijah

“What the fuck is this?” Sukuna drawled, an intense fury simmering through his being. His gaze couldn't tear free from you, not even to size up the blindfolded weirdo watching him intently. 

He shattered the coffin, freeing you from the makeshift cursed bath some freak had forced you into. He smoothed damp hair from your sickly face and searched for sparks of life somewhere in the cold stillness that'd overtaken you. And there was something. He found it, a little glimmer of vitality in the smallest, shakiest inhale. 

“Good,” he praised, brushing your hair back more and more to get a better look at your face. You looked like the frail little thing he saved all those decades ago.

“You know,” Gojo interrupted, but Sukuna paid him no mind, “If I didn't know any better, I'd think you actually cared about that kitsune.” 

“Then you don't know what this is,” Sukuna decided blandly. “Figures.” Kenjaku kept him off the record, huh? Guess that's a bonus.

“Oh? Do you wanna enlighten me before Yuuji comes back?” Gojo smiled, as if he really expected Sukuna to play nice and be honest with him. “Come on, come on, it's your chance to be vulnerable~” 

“Tch. Pretty damn sure the fox'll be the one to tell you.” His hand smoothed over your stomach and rubbed slow, gentle circles against your skin as reverse technique sought to bring you all back to him. “He yaps about as much as your insufferable ass does. Granted, he talks a lot nicer.” 

“Wow, rude.” Gojo sighed and clapped twice as if clapping on a light. “Okay! I've had enough bullying. Yuuji–” 

“Brat, don't you fucking dare–” 

Yuuji inhaled sharply. He blinked owlishly at your calmed expression, your eyes now closed and breathing now steadied thanks to Sukuna's aid. 

Aid. That wasn't something the king did. 

“Sensei,” Yuuji managed, voice quivering under the weight of memories’ emotion. “Can you fix this?”

Somehow, you were stuck in the throes of flirtation with the malevolent king of curses. 

“It may be courtship,” Uraume guessed, soft smile brightening their cold exterior. 

(They'd been smiling more recently, actually, ever since you completed that overcoat and presented it to them. Nary a day went by when they did not don the sentimental garb.)

But you weren't so sure; the event of courtship was serious business across all lucid creatures. Animals and creatures of primal existence sought out partners with favorable genes and strong constitution, whereas humans and the like yearned for merit or love in their coupling. You didn't quite grasp the way humans thought. Not yet. 

Well, save for flirting. You decided it was a sort of pre-courtship where nothing became serious and nothing was on the line, but frivolous touches and haughty words of praise ran rampant when those concerned crossed paths. 

Much like today.

(Much like the days before and after.)

You walked along the stone-paved path most mornings, lost in thoughts and mumbling to yourself bits and pieces of poems. Most were unfinished, but in their own time, verses would find one another and complete the incomplete. 

A groggy yawn hummed from the palace entrance. And moments later, Ryoumen Sukuna fell into step with you, grumbling and mumbling complaints about the nippy Spring morning while he tucked his arms away into his sleeves. 

He followed you, idly looking around the expansive space you'd helped curate and maintain when you weren't busying yourself with the girls or decorating clothing. The gardens weren't a mess before, not at all, but now they had a certain taste–trees and flowers were planted with specificity, stones were moved, paths reworked. You took the outside over completely. The king didn't mind. 

“Sukuna-sama,” you said, voice melting in kind with the morning frost. “I'll need to leave for a short while.” 

Sukuna quirked a brow and looked at you. You gazed upon the large, thick koi flashing their beautiful scales and ornate patterns of orange and white as they swam and followed you. Tch. How come even the fish were drawn to you? 

“And how do you think you'll accomplish that?” Sukuna tossed a rock into the koi pond, making the fish scatter. “Getting away from me isn't something you can do.”

You huffed and looked at him. “I understand. I simply seek your permission.” 

“Denied.”

“Ah.” You deadpanned. “Why?”

“You're mine; I decide where you go, how you breathe, if you eat. Or are you forgetting that?” 

You sighed and let your ears droop sadly with your tails. “Surely you jest.” 

“Are you laughing?”

You whined like a sad, sad street pup before cozying up to him, slipping your hands up his stomach and chest like you were supposed to. “Please?” 

“No.” 

You chittered and pressed your face against him, but didn't protest and complain much more. 

Sukuna’s thoughts whirled. The show was amusing, sure, but you didn't do anything without reason, especially when it had to do with breaking character and acting out like this out of–

Oh? 

Sukuna leaned down and sniffed you, searching for the intriguing coil of flowery citrus he nearly missed on the warming breeze. It was so, so faint, but decadent and alluring in a way that made the master of toxins cautious–most poisons tasted sweet, after all. 

You pulled your head back, shrinking down the slightest bit with your ears flattened against your skull. Your eyes, wide as a full moon, stared up at him, expectant. The touch of your hands on him never left, though.

“Brassavola nadosa.” Sukuna tilted his head. “You smell like it.” 

You blinked curiously, relaxing. “Is that so?” 

We don't have that orchid in the garden. Sukuna hummed and lifted a lock of your hair, catching another weak waft of the flower's faint scent. 

It's coming from him, then. Hm. 

“Tell me again why you want to leave the palace?” Sukuna asked on a hunch.

And that hunch doubled down when you fidgeted with the cloth of his haori and looked aside. 

“I wish to bear children," you admitted, shy and quiet. "To try, at the very least. Perhaps find a mate, too.” 

Children. You wanted children. After everything those sorcerers put you through for who knows how many years, you still wanted to mother a runt of your own. And you were willing to run off into the wild to, what, let some random man knock you up? Fill you with seed of unknown origin, unknown value, unknown potential?

Sukuna's ego flared. He leaned down to you, tilting your chin up to make you look him in the eyes regardless how small you felt in that moment. He deserved to witness you. You deserved to witness him. 

“You're not leaving,” he breathed, and he swore he could hear your heart break. “If you want a brat, you'll get a brat–only if you stay here 'n give up on those shitty thoughts of finding a sire out there.”

Your eyes scanned his face, tracing over serious lines and honest creases. Clearly, you searched for an answer–

“How?” 

–one that Sukuna didn’t have. Or maybe he did. Perhaps he just couldn't find the words for it. 

He scoffed and ruffled up your hair, unable to answer you. “You're not leaving. Not unless I say so.” 

The first time he let you go, he left scars. 

He found you in your chambers come early evening. Your tails swished and flicked as you sat amidst a nest of his robes and the missing linens from his chambers while you futzed over the embroidery of another haori, this time adorning the plain thing with the darkest scarlet one could find. Sukuna could already guess why. 

Your being burns as wildfires do. Lively. Emphatically. Devouring more and more so long as the earth lets you. Yet where you do not lay ruin, you grant warmth and light in a divine way. Wildfires are not such horrible things if one stays a respectable ways away. 

Your poetic nonsense irritated him to no end, but he fell enamored all the same; you spoke to honor him with every utterance of his name. You didn't try to kiss his feet nor did you bask him in compliments–you only spoke into existence that which hummed through your mind, unprovoked. It just so happened to be everything Sukuna liked to hear. 

So when he found you secluded away, beckoning so sweetly with intoxicating scents of citrus and gardenia, what choice did he have but to lay claim, to give you the brat you so sorely yearned for?  

You sensed him. Your gaze flicked to him, stoic and unmoved as ever, as the energy in the room built into suffocating silence, something like tectonic plates caught in deadlock, holding their disastrous energy, waiting for the right moment to devastate the world with a single, cataclysmic shift.

And of course, it was the impatient predator that moved first, setting a catastrophe into motion. 

The hours blurred together. 

Every minute of the chase was thrilling, invigorating, surprising–you were filled with tricks and traps, never slowing down for a second to think or doubt as the beast of a sorcerer pursued you through his palace, through the city below, and now into the looming forest in the mountains. 

Admittedly, he'd gotten carried away. He lost himself in the rush of it all, the adrenaline and pure, destructive desire pushed his self-control into unraveling just the slightest bit; honest attacks tore through space and time, hoping to maim and cripple you if they were to hit. And, honestly, the way you avoided his attempts to strike you down enthralled him as much as it enraged him–he was seconds away from unleashing his domain until a less-than-satisfying ripple of cursed energy tore across your thigh and put you down.

It was then, walking up to you, to his prey, that Sukuna remembered you weren't a sorcerer. Most would be able to stand and walk it off, maybe even heal with reverse technique, but you could only grasp at your weeping wound and grimace. Because you were not a sorcerer, you were a kitsune: a trickster, a creature full of mischief and void of cursed energy. 

Yokai. Not a human. Not a curse. Not like the rest of the boring souls wandering his earth. 

Sukuna pinned you the second you tried to make a break for it. Fangs and claws gnashed and tore into him while his hands strained to keep you down and rip those damn clothes free from your burning skin. 

Mating's never a pretty thing when it comes to nature. Humans like you made it something more.

Sukuna clasped a hand over your mouth and forced his weight onto you, ripping reedy yowls from your core as you twisted and turned, primal mind urging you to run, run, run, don't make this easy, make him prove his worth–

Rip.

Ribbons of what were once your robes fluttered to the ground, useless and unsalvageable. They were plain black, so unlike what you usually wore. You wouldn't miss them. 

“Make this as difficult as you want, pet,” Sukuna whispered as he loomed over you. His hand slid from your mouth to your throat when you stilled.  

“You know how this ends.” 

His pants were pulled down while another hand wiped slippery blood against your pliant entrance–and that was the only warning you got before he pushed into you. 

Where you should have screamed, you instead sighed. Your back arched off the ground like a work of art. Two hands gave up on holding you down in favour of gripping your waist and hips, pulling you closer to him, forcing you flush against his body. 

He noticed it then: a litany of old scars and discoloured marks shining against your skin. Marks left by those who did not deserve to taste such a delicacy. 

Unsightly.

Blood painted the grass. Cleaves and slashes ate away at those tainted scars, painting over the ugliness left hidden for too long–now, his marks would decorate you. Now, those hidden scars would mean something. They’d mean everything. 

Yet Sukuna's selfish maiming wasn't fitting the bill, and your antsy-ness was proof of it. You tried for the last time to pull from him, but his grip tightened around your throat. You gazed at him, then, eyes so wide and hungry, eager to fight or fuck–whichever came first. 

He braced over you and nearly winced as he dragged out of your suffocating heat. A sharp snap back inside loosened you, the glide of blood and slick aiding him. 

“I'll take you the way you need it,” he drawled as he built the pace quickly, already feeling his own obsession and excitement reverberating through his body, filling every fibre of muscle with electricity.

“Then,” he growled, leaning closer to your face. “I'll fuck you the way you want it.”

“More,” you sighed, digging your nails into the pillow you had your face buried in while the beast fucked you from behind. Sukuna groaned in compliance and lanced into your guts deeper, harder, faster than before–you were the only one that could handle the brutal way he let loose, and he was more than willing to indulge in that privilege. 

The hands all over you rose to the occasion, too; one had your tails fisted in his ruthless grasp, rudely holding you still and pulling you back against his hips; another rested on the curve of your ass, only moving to give a sharp slap or to knead your soft, perfect skin; the last two held your hips in a crushing force, his calloused fingers digging into your plush sides and sharp hip bones like you might disappear at any second. 

A sharp, sweet whine signaled the beginning of the end, as did the restless fidgeting and shifting in the king's grasp. Seeing you, a poised, powerful, mischievous being, come undone beneath him came to be one of Sukuna’s favourite sights, especially knowing it could only be because of him--only him. 

He leaned over you, his heavy chest pressing into your back as one hand released your waist in favour of fisting in your hair and tugging your head back and out of the futon you so desperately clung to. 

“Ah-ah,” he scolded breathily. “No hiding.” It was a familiar sentiment, one he had no problem reminding you of now and again. You had a horrible habit of trying to vanish when overwhelmed, after all. 

“Terrible beast,” you snapped back, scoffing indignantly when the deep bassy laugh of the man rolled through your body. “Horrible.” 

“You love it,” Sukuna growled back, grinning through every word. 

Something about it clearly struck a chord with you, judging by how fast you choked on your voice and came undone, legs trembling and body tightening around the too-big intrusion. The king groaned and bit at your neck, licking whatever blood beaded at the surface in between rushed, hushed words of praise for you and your efforts–most, if they heard the things he said, would call it out of character for the beast. Most didn't get to see beyond his raw power and crippling cruelty, however. 

Sukuna grunted and spilled inside you, pulling you back by your hair, hips and tail to ensure he forced every bit of his offerings deep into your core. Your body rocked and twitched against his, accepting all he had to offer you at the end of yet another coupling, before he let go of your locks and let you collapse face-first into the futon. 

He pulled out slowly, watching as every inch slipped from your abused hole before popping free and uncorking a dribble of whiteness from inside. He tutted and scooped it up with two fingers before stuffing it back in. 

“Oi, oi, are you even trying to keep it in?” He teased, smirking as you huffed. 

“You've exhausted me. I have no energy to attempt the impossible,” you lamented, nuzzling your nose further into the soft sheets smelling of cedar and fresh blooms–something so uniquely Sukuna. 

Your king sighed and gave your ass a firm few pats. “Guess I'll have to spoil you even more.” He settled onto his back and easily pulled you onto him, yanking you up to straddle his waist right where that second mouth laid open and eager to taste you. 

“This is uncouth,” you sighed. But you rocked back against the thick, heavy tongue pressing into your pliant heat, licking deep into you with a mind and hunger of its own. 

“Seems couth enough for you,” he commented, watching you ride his centre with rapt attention. “Little harlot's getting off on this, hey? Such a needy little brat.” 

His hands smoothed up and down your legs and sides as you shamelessly chased a second high. Your hands clasped over his as he took you into his hand and stroked you back to ample stiffness, the soreness of too many rounds of fucking making you far too sensitive to touch. 

“S-Sukuna-sama,” you stammered. “I can't–”

Sukuna's head tilted with a pleased smirk. “Ho? I thought you wanted to bear children? Are my offerings not enough for you?” 

You scrunched your face up into something of a prissy glare, but the shine clinging to your lashes and the shuddering of your body against his betrayed your crumbling demeanor. Of course, he was impressed with how his fox was fairing considering everything he put you through. 

He maneuvered you onto your back, grinning as you growled and weakly struggled against him. You looked perfect–stomach swollen, hair fanned out behind you, eyes teary but unable to tear away from the creature that’d tormented you for hours upon hours with no desire to give you a break. 

“Greedy god,” Sukuna lamented. One hand came to rest on your bruised neck again, fitting around so perfectly. “Nothing’s ever fucking good enough for you.” 

“You are.” 

That gave Sukuna pause. He stared down at you, all eyes looking over you with rapt attention as he tried to think. Tried to understand. Tried to parse those words and uncover what exactly you tried to convey. 

But it didn't click. 

“Tch. You're lucky I'm a generous god,” he scolded, releasing you from your torment in favour of collapsing down beside you for some much-needed rest. Not only did your beautiful body wear him out (not that he'd admit it), but your whimsical words wore his sanity thin. The worst part was you didn't even intend to damage him so. 

“I am truly honoured to merely be in your presence,” Your voice, light and dreamy as petals fluttering, laughed, and Sukuna's soul did something odd. 

He stared at the ceiling as you shuffled beside him, quickly returning to his side, donned in one of his haori and determined to make a comfortable nest of blankets and clothes around you both for the rest of the night–ah, morning? Huh. What an ordeal. 

You curled up next to him, shoving your back firmly against his side the way you often did when resting as a fox, and Sukuna huffed. 

“Turn to me,” he commanded, and you obeyed. 

He, too, turned to face you to envelope your lithe form with invincible arms and divine protection. Your soft purrs rolled through him, settling his wild spirit into a lazy tempo of an early morning stroll through a garden filled with one sort of white orchid: 

Brassavola nadosa. “Lady of the Night.” Your calling card. Your divine essence.

"Brassavola nodosa (Lady of the Night) is a medium-sized epiphytic or lithophytic orchid species boasting extremely fragrant flowers throughout the year. The blossoms, 4 in. across (10 cm), emit a citrus fragrance at night. Each flower features long, slender, pale green or creamy-white sepals and petals and a large, heart-shaped lip sometimes adorned with purple or dark red spotting." - gardenia.net

[paradiseprincesss]

Omg hi!!! I absolutely LOVED espresso it's so cute!! Would you be open to doing some major fluff with Jim (delinquent season)? Thanks so much!!!!

CPR - jim (delinquent season) x reader

hello lovely anon! THANK YOU! that means so much to me i appreciate your kind words! and yes, of course, we love love LOVE jim over here - he is criminally underrated. he's dreamy.

song: CPR by summer walker

summary: after a shitty, messy, and rough divorce, jim is hesitant to love again - but he falls for a younger woman who changes his mind, and teaches him how to love again.

warnings: so there is a large age gap (everyone is of legal age, jim is in his mid forties, reader is just described as 'in college,' so take that how you will), kissing, swearing, divorce, jim's employed as a professor but the reader isn't his student! other than that, no warnings just fluff lol

we don't chose who we fall in love with - at least, that's what jim always thought, and that's what he told himself.

jim never pictured himself to be the type of guy to date a younger woman, he always thought it was a little strange actually because what would someone his age have in common with someone roughly 20 years younger than him?

well, more than he thought.

he didn't intend on falling in love with you. he just...did. jim met you through a friend of his, weirdly enough. he had just finalized his divorce with his ex-wife, which was messy and screwed his perception of love up quite a bit - anyone would feel that way after finding out that their spouse of over a decade was having an affair.

so yeah, jim had some issues revolving around love.

with that being said, when an old college buddy of his (who he talked to a few times a year at most through facebook or text, and occasionally over the phone) had rung him up about how he had moved back to ireland and was having some old friends over for dinner just for old times sake, he figured sure, he'd go since he had nothing better to do.

fast forward to a week later, he showed up in his usual attire - casual slacks and sweater - and was greeted by a handful of his old college friends. jim couldn't lie - it was nostalgic, and frankly, kind of refreshing to be out socializing and living life again after his divorce. it had been a good 6 months since the divorce, and he was honestly feeling good for once.

"jim, hey!" his old college roommate, dan, greeted him at the door. "come on in, we're just having some beers in the living room, the games gonna be on soon."

the night went well, jim got to catch up with his old buddies from his college days, and they spent the evening drinking beers and fussing over the game on tv.

"so, i heard 'bout the ex-wife. hey, i'm sorry, man." another old acquaintance of his, ryan, had said to him.

jim laughed lightly, "s'alright. shit happens, i guess." to which all the other men just murmured and agreed with.

the conversations flowed well, and honestly - it felt good to rant about his ex-wife with some old buddies, and openly talk about his divorce like this - what she did was fucked up. he felt like he needed to and should be able to vent, too.

as the men were busy shouting at the tv, beers in hand, a softer voice called out, "dad?" and jim's buddy dan looked over his shoulder to see his daughter, standing in the doorway of the living room with a small smile.

jim looked away from the game momentarily, out of curiosity - and good god did his heart stop when he did. he was aware that dan had a daughter in college and he knew of her name, but he didn't realize how beautiful she was. the two of them locked eyes for a split second, and he looked away slightly embarrassed.

he didn't really know why he was embarrassed, it's not like he was doing anything shameful or wrong - but finding your friends daughter who was still a college student when he was in his forties was definitely wrong in a sense, well- to a certain degree.

"oh, hey sweetie, i didn't even realize you were still up." dan says to his daughter.

"it's only..." you pause, checking your phone, "half past eight, dad. plus, i'm stuck on this stupid essay my professor assigned to us yesterday." you laugh softly - lightheartedly, and jim felt his heart skip a few beats.

"oh, that's no good," dan says, "jim's a professor, i'm sure he won't mind if you asked him a few questions - maybe he can help you." your dad shrugs, looking at jim and then focusing back on the game.

you blush slightly, and you knew your dad was just being friendly and trying to be helpful - but suggesting you get his older (and really attractive!) friend who just so happened to be a professor to help you with your essay seemed...well, it was like one of those storylines you'd see in a movie, or a book...or something.

"um, dad, i'm sure jim doesn't want to step away from watching the game to help with homework-" you start to say, but in a moment of confidence (and a little alcohol), jim cut you off with a gentle tone.

"no- no, it's no worries, really. i was going to get up and grab another pint anyways." he says, getting up to go to the kitchen. you just walk with him into the kitchen, somewhat at a loss for words.

you get a better look at him under the dimmed kitchen lights, and you could already feel yourself getting nervous in his presence. you never found any of your dads friends attractive before - but jim, well, he was different.

the salt and pepper hair was...really hot. and god, those eyes. those glacier coloured eyes; you barely had a chance to even meet the man and somehow he had you in a chokehold before you spoke more than just a few sentences to each other.

"so," he broke the silence, "watcha studying?"

you quietly told him what you were majoring in, and he nodded, smiling at you softly, "well, i don't teach that particular subject or major - but i'll try and help you out regardless."

you retuned the small smile, "y-yeah, okay. cool."

for the next hour or so, the two of you sat closely next to one another at the dining table, your textbooks and papers sprawled out in front of you, with the doc you were writing open on your laptop. he helped you structure your essay and the two of you were about 80% done with it - that was until he requested that you turn back the page of your textbook.

"wait, go back to page 116 i think it says something about that at the bottom of the page." he tells you, reaching out to turn the pages back in the textbook. however, you also reached to turn the page back - causing the both of your hands to touch, to swiftly brush against each other.

with a small blush, you quickly pull back, still nervous. "sorry."

he laughs softly, shaking his head, "no need to be sorry."

taking a deep breath, you respond, "sorry- sorry, i keep saying sorry-"

"you okay?" he offers a gentle smile, and you felt your heart start racing a million miles per minute. you weren't one to get easily flustered like this - you never got this nervous, certainly not around guys your own age, at least.

jim didn't know why - but he felt the same way. however, he tried to play it cool. he had been on a few dates with a few different women here and there post divorce, but all of them were dead ends. however, with you, it almost felt like he had known you for a lifetime even though he had only just met you.

"yeah, just..." you trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words again. he looked at you with an expression that you couldn't quite read, and his gaze flickered to your lips - then back to your face. "just what?" he whispers to you, and you felt yourself drowning in his impossibly blue eyes.

suddenly, you felt his gentle hand on your thigh, and your breath hitched as he whispered to you again. "just what?"

"just kiss me." you whisper back, and with that, his hands were gently coming up to cup your face, and he kissed you softly.

you'd never kissed someone so much older than you before, and the thought of it made your head dizzy. after a moment, the both of you pulled away from the kiss, but his hand remained on your face.

"is it...is it strange if i ask you if i could take you out to dinner sometime?" he asks quietly, and you felt your cheeks heat up at the question.

"not at all, i'd love that." you smile at him.

again, falling in love wasn't part of the plan, but jim didn't really have a choice when it came to you. it just happened so naturally.

"sweetheart?' you hear his voice call out softly and the sound of the door closing, and you turn around to see him coming home from work - god, you loved when he wore his little sweaters with the sleeves rolled up half way - it really got you going.

"baby, hi." you greet him softly, bundled up in a blanket on the couch of his living room. "how was work?"

he slumps down beside you, pulling you into him softly with a sigh, kissing the top of your head. "it was alright, finished teaching my lecture earlier than expected so that was good." he tells you, voice gentle and tone loving.

"mm, well i'm glad to have you home early." you tell him sweetly, pulling him into a chaste kiss.

"what would you like for dinner, sweetheart?" he asks you, and you shrug, "jim, you worked all day, you don't have to make dinner it's fine." to which he shook his head and insisted, "how about some pasta?"

"jim," you whine softly, "you're so cute, i love you."

"i love you too, honey." he says, kissing you again.

after the date you two had, things just seemed to flow effortlessly. you'd never been with an older man before - and he was so very attentive to your every need, every want, every boundary you had - he took things slow with you, never ever pressuring you into anything.

now, six months later, you and jim had been dating for a few months, while you were still adjusting to dating someone roughly 20 years your senior - it was something you wouldn't change.

jim felt the same way - things were different with you. being with a younger woman was fun, it was new. you taught him things as much as he taught you things. with his ex-wife, there was no trust. no real love. no meaning to life, even though the two of them had kids together, it didn't change the fact that he always felt like he was married to someone he didn't know - a stranger.

you weren't a stranger, though - no, you were quite the opposite to him. you made him feel at home, you were his home. he often found himself wondering where he'd be if you weren't by his side. probably gone, he thinks.

after dinner and a steamy shower together, the two of you laid in his bed together, your head on his chest and his arms holding you in a warm embrace.

"...i want you to meet my kids." he suddenly tells you, and you turn your head to look up at him with love in your eyes, "yeah?" you whisper, causing him to whisper back a quiet "yeah" back to you.

he softly takes your hand and intertwines it with his own, a content sigh leaving his lips. "would you ever want to get married again?" you ask quietly - not even sure why you felt the sudden urge to ask that, but you did anyway.

he was quiet for a moment.

jim never thought he would re-marry, in fact, he didn't even think he'd ever find someone that he would want to marry after his ex-wife. but that was before he found you.

"i wouldn't ask you to meet my kids if i didn't plan on marrying you." he finally says, pulling you even closer. your breath hitched when he confessed that, and you felt yourself blushing a little too. "you mean that?" you ask him, to which he squeezed your hand.

"you made me love again - i sound corny, but i'm dead serious. i was at the end, then you came into my life... you made me feel like there was life worth living."

"oh, jim," you whisper, a little breathless at his continuous admissions about how much he loved you, "you're my everything."

he looked at you with admiration, and smiled softly at you. you were his everything, too. he often wondered if you knew that. if you knew how much he adored you. in a world where he felt like nobody understood him - you did. you were the only one he ever confided in.

your love fixed all his pain, your love fixed his heart - and you didn't even know. you didn't even know how much you were fixing a heart that you didn't break.

he felt like he was revived in a sense - brought back to life from the dead. brought back from his inevitable death of a marriage that had minced his heart. but now, things were different because he had you.

and you - you were the only thing that could jumpstart his flatlining heart again - like CPR.

[penkura]

knowing [2/8]

Summary: Sanji knew you were the one the moment he met you.

Pairing: Sanji x Reader

Warnings: None really. Normal One Piece stuff I guess.

Note: uhhhh chapter two hype I guess lol.

Nami noticed something weird after you all left Skypiea. You and Sanji being weirder than normal. She was constantly trying to push you two together, she wanted to see a romance on the Going Merry, and the two of you were her best bet, if anything ever happened

Which she thought never would because you acted so shyly and Sanji acted like he didn't know what he was doing anymore around you. It was painful to watch, and she tried to get Robin in on it, but the older woman just smiled and said she should let potential love take its time. Nami hated that she was right, but every time you all approached a new island, she would do her best to pair you and Sanji up as buddies. Whenever it worked, you'd come back for a girl's night and be swooning over what a gentleman Sanji was, how he wouldn't let you carry a single bag or buy anything yourself, he did everything. You swore up and down he must've done that or would do that for any girl, but it didn't make you feel any less special.

In fact, once you arrived on Skypiea, Sanji had found flowers to give you three girls. Nami and Robin both received red ones, you were the lucky one to get a blue flower, which you later gushed to Nami that it matched his eyes. You were so gross with how head over heels you were for Sanji, but she really wanted to see you two together.

That's why Nami found it odd that you and Sanji seemed to spend more time apart after your return to solid ground, er…to the water anyway. You still would help him with cooking when Sanji let you, and he'd hang around you some evenings on the deck while everyone relaxed, but Nami didn't think anything much was happening outside of that.

Zoro, however, knew differently. He'd noticed real differences in how you and Sanji were around each other after leaving Alabasta. You had seemed slightly nervous when Robin ended up joining your crew, especially when Sanji was all too eager to welcome her, commenting briefly on how beautiful she was. Zoro watched you hover around while Usopp interrogated her, like you were just as suspicious of Robin, but for different reasons, and he thought you were being a bit ridiculous about it.

It's not like you and Sanji were together, right? He could do as he pleases and flirt all he wanted, you'd just have to suck it up and deal with it despite your feelings.

Well he thought so, until that evening when he heard you on the lower deck with Sanji after everyone else had gone to bed.

"Gosh, I felt stupid, I wanted to just hug you and tell Robin you're mine."

He heard Sanji laugh, Zoro thinking you were just messing around or possibly drunk. It really wasn't like you to say something like that when you were sober and in the right mind.

"You could have. I don't think anyone would have believed you."

"Nah, Zoro would have. You forget he's the one who's known me the longest."

"Hmm, that's true. You are the one who said to keep the flirting up though."

Hearing you sigh loudly and say that was true, Zoro could only assume you fell backwards on the deck or were leaning back to look at the stars. He heard Sanji offer to take you back to the girls bunks, but you mentioned you were next on night watch so you'd just stay, it wasn't long until you and Zoro had to swap anyway.

Not hearing anything more from either of you, Zoro leaned over the crow's nest just enough to see why you'd both become silent, catching you leaning into Sanji's shoulder with his arm around your waist.

So that's why she acted so jealous.

Zoro never said a word, having figured out you and Sanji were keeping your new relationship a secret for now, likely in case you decided it'd be better to stay friends.

Skypiea almost seemed like a test for the two of you. After landing and finding the beach where Sanji gifted you girls flowers, you ended up separated due to the laws of the place, Sanji with Luffy and Usopp while you were with everyone else. You weren't too worried, even as you stayed behind on the Merry with Chopper while Zoro, Robin, and Nami went exploring. The two of you were attacked of course, and until Chopper sounded the whistle for Ganfal to come help, you'd be able to keep your enemy back despite the damage Merry suffered. You ended up with a stab wound through the shoulder from Shura's Ordeal of String and burned your hand while trying to put out the fire on Merry, Chopper nearly in tears helping you with your injuries after he helped Ganfal too.

Sanji was just glad to see you were all right when he, Usopp, and Luffy finally reunited with the rest of you. He took note of the bandages on your shoulder and hand, pulling you aside while everyone was preoccupied with other things, asking you what happened if you were really all right. You told him what happened and reassured him you were perfectly fine, giving him a smile while he lightly hugged you and said he was glad, stealing a quick kiss and leaving you a blushing mess while he went to work on dinner again.

The next day you ended up following Zoro through the forest, Sanji demanding he watch you closely and Zoro just rolled his eyes before telling you to hurry up. He kept you safe while he fought the enemies he did, and once he and Robin had been injured by Eneru's attacks, you did your best to protect them while Nami went with the false god in her attempts to stop him.

You didn't know what happened with Sanji until Usopp jumped down from the giant gold ship with him, and you were shocked by how injured he was, he looked like he'd been electrocuted more than once and it terrified you.

Once you all were safe with the Skypieans and Shandians, once Sanji was awake and had Chopper replace his bandages, you did the same as he had before and pulled him away from everyone to make sure he was really okay. You asked him multiple times, your voice getting a bit more strained each time even when he said he was fine, you were trying so hard not to break down crying to him.

"I'm sure I'm fine, trust me. I'm standing aren't I?"

There was a soft smile on his face while Sanji watched you fight back tears. He'd not seen you cry before, and hated it would be his fault for having gotten injured, but he knew you were just worried about him.

"I…I know, I just…you're absolutely–"

"I'm sure, [Y/N]-chan, I promise."

Sanji pulled you into a hug, which you returned as you couldn't hold back anymore and started sobbing into his bandages (you'd have to apologize to Chopper later). While you cried, Sanji quietly hushed you, saying everything was all right and he was definitely okay. He stroked your hair and apologized for worrying you, explaining he was protecting Nami and Usopp though you didn't need an explanation, you just somehow knew already that he'd been trying to protect your crewmates.

Zoro didn't mean to overhear your crying and Sanji quieting you, but he'd been sent by Nami to the exact spot she saw you drag the blond off to in order to bring you both back to prepare to leave soon. When he'd walked over, you'd just started sobbing and Zoro thought for a second Sanji did something to hurt you, he was ready to skewer the blond, until he heard him shushing you and explaining what had happened.

"It's okay, shh. I'm sorry I made you worry."

"I'm just…just g-glad you're all r-right!"

"Shh, I know. You need to calm down now, okay? Don't want anyone thinking I did something to make you cry."

Zoro heard you agree, and you started to breathe a little easier and your sobs went away soon after. He didn't have time to get far enough away before he heard Sanji say you two should rejoin everyone, so he stayed in place. Once you both stepped back out from behind your hiding place, the three of you stared at each other, you and Sanji holding hands while Zoro almost set a glare on him.

"A-ah um, Zoro what are…when did…why…"

"Nami sent me to get you two," he looked at your hands again before going back to glaring at Sanji, "We're leaving soon."

You nodded and now both boys were glaring at each other, it stayed like that a few minutes more before Sanji spoke up.

"Listen, moss head. If you tell anyone about us, I'll–"

"I'm not gonna say anything unless you hurt her. She's like my sister, so you better be good to her."

Turning to leave, Zoro didn't miss how shocked you and Sanji were, you'd half expected him to tell you that you needed to tell the rest of your crew sooner rather than later, but he didn't even do that. Just told Sanji not to hurt you or he'd basically be dead before he knew it. Sanji expected more of a fight, so he was even more shocked when Zoro just walked away, telling the two of you to hurry up or you'd become the newest residents of Skypiea.

Even after you left he kept his word, he didn't tell a single person, even as Zoro watched Nami try to pair you and Sanji up again and again.

He wondered how she was missing the obvious signs you two were together.

+!+

Robin was the next to find out about you and Sanji being an item. She didn't mean to, but it was after you all had saved her from the World Government, after you toppled Enies Lobby and brought your dear friend and archeologist back home to your little family. When you all had separated at Water 7, when Robin had been taken in by the government, Sanji took the lead on trying to get her back, eventually you all were together again at Enies Lobby, entering several battles to bring her home.

While Sanji and the others took on CP9 members, you again took to taking down lower members, this time Navy Men with the help of Galley-La and Franky's comrades. Those same groups helped you get back to your crewmates, to the Merry who had come to save you all, before you tearfully bid farewell to the ship that had been your home the last couple of months.

Once you made it back to Water 7, while you had to wait for a new ship to be built, you all took time recovering from your battle wounds and exploring the city a little more. Most of your time was spent with Zoro and Nami during the day, trying to help the former find a new sword and Nami taking you and Robin sometimes shopping for various items. You tried a few times to check in on Usopp, wanting him to return to you all, but every time you did so, he either had disappeared from the spot you saw him or you'd back down from talking to him. At least knowing he was alive was enough for you for the time being.

You absolutely would have spent more of your time with Sanji, but the two of you agreed to wait until a few days later, to keep suspicions off you from the rest of your crew. Eventually the two of you ventured out to the city on your own, you both left the rest of your crew for the day at separate times, meeting up elsewhere to throw them off.

Unfortunately for you, although it worked to start, Robin caught sight of you and Sanji when she was entering a shop with Nami. She didn't think too much of it until she noticed the two of you holding hands and the lovesick smiles you gave each other as you walked through the market.

Oh, I see then.

Robin decided she would keep what she saw to herself, at least that was her plan, until she heard Nami say "I knew it" when she saw you two herself.

Luckily you didn't hear her, and Nami suggested she and Robin quietly follow you to see what was going on. Robin wasn't going to agree to it, but Nami grabbed her by the arm too quickly.

She hoped you'd forgive them.

+!+

"Here, this is for you, mon cheri."

"You shouldn't spend your money on me, Sanji."

Giving you a smile, Sanji shook his head, telling you that he wanted to get this little gift for you, it wasn't a lot, but he thought you'd like it. While you were going through the marketplace, he ended up pulling you down an empty alley and giving you a small box. You really didn't want him to spend any of the money Nami gave him on you, you had your own, but it was still sweet of him to think of you!

You opened the box after a bit of back and forth with yourself about Sanji spending money on you already, but you let those thoughts go once you saw it was a simple little heart shaped charm on a silver chain. You smiled softly while Sanji blushed about it scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I just…I thought you'd like it so I bought it…you don't have to wear it or anything, it's no–"

You cut Sanji off by throwing your arms around his shoulders in a hug, which he returned with his around your waist, though he was a bit confused until you looked up at him with a smile still.

"You're the sweetest thing in the world, I don't deserve you."

That comment and your sweet smile got to Sanji in an instant; eyes turning to hearts, face bright red with a grin, while he snuggled his face up against yours.

"Don't say that!! I'm the one who doesn't deserve you!!"

Giggling, you pulled Sanji even closer to you and kissed him, only stopping when you heard a voice yell "We caught you!"

For a moment you thought it was Marines and they were going to chase you and Sanji through Water 7, until you realized you knew that voice all too well, and you both looked to see Nami and Robin at the other end of the alleyway.

"When did this start?!"

"Uh…"

"And why didn't you," Nami pointed a finger at you, while you hid your face in Sanji's shoulder, "tell me?!"

"Nami," Robin placed a hand on the younger girl's shoulder with a smile, "Let's give them a moment and maybe they can explain things to us."

The two stepped away with Nami saying you had better not run because she wanted every detail possible about when and how this happened. You didn't move a muscle, still hiding your face in Sanji's shoulder while he kept you close and stroked your hair to keep you calm. Eventually, he laughed a bit and it made you look up at him.

"What?" "Guess our secret's out," Sanji gave you a smile while you pouted a bit, tucking a bit of hair behind your ear before kissing you, "Let's go talk to Nami and Robin then, all right?"

[utilitycaster]

I don't know how you feel about it, but I was extremely frustrated last night when I found out that break was called after around 3 hours. I just felt that at that point they should have just made it a Crown Keepers episode instead of promising that BH would be back and then them barely being in the episode. I don't know, I'm usually really go with the flow with CRs creative choices, but this was just a real big swing and a miss for me. I wish this had all just been its own episode

So here's my feelings:

My thoughts on EXU Prime, and later Kymal, were that I love the player characters and their relationships and much of the worldbuilding (notably all of Niirdal-Poc and the Qoniira Tetrarchy) and I liked many of Aabria's NPCs but there were some pretty big gaps left in "what the fuck is going on" that left me feeling as though I wouldn't mind seeing the characters again but I didn't feel strongly about continuing the story in-world, if that makes sense. The Aevilux reveal, for example, was sort of what the main plot of EXU Prime hinged upon (ie, that was Myr'atta Niselor's motivation; that was what the deal with Ted was) and so the fact that didn't come out for over 2.5 years irl after it ended meant I'd just kind of said "well, some weirdo from Syngorn really wanted to do shit to Opal for some reason related to her sister, who is also her patron, and we don't know why either of these things is the case, and I guess that's what happened" and made my peace with it. Similarly, I don't know what the Nameless Ones want, and never have (other than, at one point, the circlet of barbed vision, and I don't know why they want it). I made a joke that Myr'atta, Poska, and Otohan are all kind of the same and honestly that is the thing: if you don't know why a villain is doing something - even if the reason is "because I love to be evil and terrible!" it's hard to care, and if those are only villains, it's hard to be invested in the story about the heroes either, even if you like the heroes as characters.

When I say I like how this ended, I mean it - I think it could have gone only a few ways, but I like that Morrighan and Opal have both become divine champions, Morrighan willingly and Opal less so (this is yet another case of "the gods don't do take-backsies on oaths", but also, I do feel for Opal despite it all because of Aimee's excellent work throughout). I mentioned how I felt about the exact details of Cyrus's death but I don't mind that he's dead. Fy'ra was a highlight throughout, as she frequently is, and I think she was faced with two extremely unpleasant choices and made a fascinating decision. But I'd have preferred to see this as a flashback (see next paragraph) or like. Just decide what happened. If I'm being extremely honest a lot of my issues with the Crown Keepers portion is that it felt like there was a very specific desired ending (Opal's complete corruption and Cyrus's death); I also said at some point well before that you can only do so much with the Crown Keepers while Dariax is there because Matt does, even if he's turning his brain off to play our Charisma-only kinda short king, know all the cheat codes for the main campaign. It's kind of like why how, even if the DM will control an absent player during RP, they usually have another player control in combat.

I don't mind that the Bells Hells portion was short. I think the choice to break where they did makes sense given everything else that went on. But I think that, criticism of the actual Crown Keepers portion aside, while you might have lost some of your audience for a Crown Keepers-only episode on the main feed, you would have preserved the drama of FCG's death better and gotten people more excited for the Crown Keepers if you had essentially run things exactly as done here but then just cut the two episodes together, which, as a pre-taped medium, they can now do! Hindsight is again 20-20 but: Run the first half of 92 as is. Break and tape a full Crown Keepers episode. Return to Bells Hells and narrate the message back from Dorian saying he'll be there, play out the rest of Bells Hells in the camp dealing with FCG's death, and then have Dorian arrive at the very end of that episode and end the episode when the party asks him what's been going on with him, then reveal there will be a Crown Keepers episode. Air your full Crown Keepers episode as episode 93, and then return to the main campaign with 94. It would have been better balanced in terms of time, people who wanted the Crown Keepers to return would have gotten hyped up, and people who dislike them or are neutral would have at least known what to expect and frankly if they skip the episode that's their choice to make. Hell, since there were 2 weeks? Could have even been like "hey, we'll do a Crown Keepers Marathon on Twitch and Youtube on some random weekday" to build up some hype!

So overall my answer is that I agree this wasn't a great creative choice. I don't think this means they shouldn't take big swings! But some will be misses and this was, while not an entire miss for me, at best a walk.

[kerubimcrepin]

Live-Read: The Remington Comic [PART 3]

TOME 12

What is this... thing? This is some very strange magic. We need to have a closer look. Do you really think you can escape that easily? Admit that... it's not like you can escape down there easy and avoid all the traps.

Joris's first reaction to this is literally "i NEED to know what the fuck that is. and if i have to take these two injured people there, so be it."

Also, yes, Ush's tower has a lot of traps. Love how Joris went up here with no plan of how to go down. I guess he really believes in his luck... just like an ecaflip.

When I saw a little guy climb the wall, I was… stunned. But to leave this place with a wounded man and a battered eniripsa, that's another matter. I know, but what do you propose? To fight? You saw me come in, and you didn't raise the alarm, which is quite unusual… I can still do it. Getting out of here before everything collapses would be better… for all of us. Obviously, the urgency of the situation benefits you. But we'll deal with that later. Just follow me!

"if you wanted to beat the shit out of me, you would have done it already." Never change, Joris.

These panels go out to my Ush enjoyer readers. Also: this comic takes place around 2 years before Wakfu the Animated Series. Ush is 7-9yo at best by the time of the OVA, and 10 by seasons 3-4. This might point to the fact that Ecaflip demigods age faster on their next lives.

That, or it might point to Ankama not giving a shit.

But he does look like a (tall) child in the OVA, and like a teen by time of S3-4

He has his muscular years in the future. Also I guess his cat lovers don't give a shit, but eh, there's bigger ethical concerns about their relationship than the age of his physical body.

Anyway, now onto what is the most important Joris moment of this comic, to me:

We must hurry. A terrible danger threatens bonta. It can't be worse than letting you escape.

Yeah, sure, lady. Joris and 2 criminals are a bigger danger to Bonta than a giant kaiju. Now, read closely, because this moment here has some fascinating Joris lines:

If Ush scares you so much, maybe it's time to run away with us. Yeah… no. It's not that simple. You're in love with him. That's why you can't leave your master. What?! No… but… you're crazy! It's okay to be in love. But I'm not in love with him!

(putting on tinfoil hat) Geez Joris, it almost sounds like you yourself have ecaflip issues. Like you've been unable to leave someone for centuries because you love someone too much, despite their flaws, and the way they may have hurt you. It almost sounds like you made peace with that. "It's okay to be in love", huh?

Context for the next scenes: After some time, they try to kill the kaiju, but it backfires, and Ush gets hurt instead.

nothing will stop it now… let's run. Opus, you're an eniripsa. Save him. Yes… Have mercy… Save him! After all the harm he's done me? What's the point? Please… A restorative word should give him back some energy… but I doubt he'll escape unscathed. Beating heart… You were right here. It's the best I can do… he'll last a few hours, but he'll… die of his burns. So maybe it's time for beating heart to be used.

Joris's expressions here are so beautiful... He doesn't seem too bothered by seeing Ush's burned, dying body. It's pretty funny.

You can wear Beating Heart around your neck, and it will give you all which you desire the most. Ahh… everything… that I desire? Or you can use it to annihilate this monster. If it swallows this object… then the power of it should stop it. I can do that, I'd rather die in glory than live through a defeat. I'm going to save Bonta! and nothing can stop me now, not even death. beating heart… beating heart… out of sight… out of mind… will you give your soul the time? beating heart… beating heart… will you give your time the soul? Ush... No...

@dullard and I have talked a lot about the relationship between Ush and Joris, despite how little of it is shown. (he is the Ush enjoyers I was mentioning. all the Ush screencaps are meant for him. hi.)

In those convos we came to the next thoughts: Ush probably views Joris as Kerubim's weird little son, or Kerubim and Atcham's pet. But also, despite Ush viewing Joris in a bit of a low light, he is much smarter and cooler than Kerubim and Atcham — truly the best thing to come from his cringe brothers. He likes toying with him more than he likes toying with Kerubim and Atcham — because Joris doesn't react easily, which makes his reactions more satisfying.

Despite that, they both care for Bonta, and being "a good person", in their own unique ways. So, it is easy for them to put aside their differences, for the most part.

I personally find it fascinating how subtle Joris is about suggesting Ush to sacrifice himself. As subtle as a wrecking ball.

You should never have stolen it from me. Yes… but thanks to us, it was used to save Bonta. And me… who will save me from the curse now that Ush is gone? You must seek the wisdom that remains in you, not the instinct that dominates you. this wisdom will one day overcome your curse.

[always sunny in philadelphia music begins playing] Grany stays a cat for at least the next 10 years, maybe longer, maybe forever.

...Joris has too much hope in these two.

Also, small personal comment: Joris is so pretty on the second image... Very cute head shape. You can just see his baby-ish cheeks, lmaoo.

Beating heart, beating heart… erase the weapons, bide your time.

This is like a renaissance painting. Some guys celebrating. Grany disgusted by Remington making out with his Opus (who seems to have left him by Wakfu series' time LMAOO), somewhere off-screen, there's a crying woman because Ush is fucking dead and Joris didn't bother telling her something like "Don't worry he'll remember you. Dying isn't much of an issue for him." Instead, Joris is going away, hands behind his back, reciting poetry again.

Beautiful.

Yes, master... Your meal just arrived. Nine lives... And I remain as devoted as ever to each of your reincarnations. You need a new name for this new life. (Hoping he won't be as bad-tempered as before.)

Bad news, bestie: he will be. His previous deaths hadn't fixed this either.

Tell me, young lady... You seem very sad. Oh... it's a long story. A love story? Great stories... are always love stories.

I kind of hate Joris for giving her the wonderful idea of wasting her mortal life on some immortal guy who might never love her back. But also. He did give advice based on first-hand experience. To him, spending your entire life with a demigod is both noble and awesome and fulfilling.

Except that's his family, he's also immortal like his family, and he kind of hates everyone else in the world who ISN'T his family, so I'll be real, I think he's biased.

[babygirl-diaz]

Adventures Of A Drunk Dumbass and His Done Omega (Omegaverse Mpreg)

Tommy arrived at the bar and tried not to let the smell of alcohol mixed with the old tavern smell make him puke. Tommy didn't know what to expect when he arrived at the bar. He spotted Evan pretty quickly as he was near the bar, chugging down a beer while his friends cheered him on. The bartender looked less than enthused, though, and Tommy stepped in before things could get out of hand.

"Evan!" Tommy called out when he approached the bar.

Evan stopped chugging and turned around to look at him. His eyes widened slightly and he hiccuped as he said, "Hi there, handsome." It was obvious that he was trying to appear charming by putting on a seductive smile, but it just came off as goofy.

"Hi," Tommy said, confused. "You okay?"

Evan swayed on his feet and took another sip of the beer that was still in his hand. "Better now that you're here." He winked at him or at least tried to, but ended up closing both eyes.

"Um... Okay?" Tommy was suddenly even more confused. "Ready to go home?"

"Whoa, let me buy you dinner first, babyboy," Evan replied and stepped closer to him. "And then you can take me home and let me make your night."

Tommy raised an eyebrow at him and almost burst out laughing. "What?"

"Buck becomes Buck 1.0 when he's drunk," Hen chimed in.

"He doesn't remember who you are," Chimney added.

Tommy's eyebrows shot up and his hand protectively went on his belly. "Evan, do you know who I am?"

"My next boyfriend?" Evan smirked.

"No, I'm your-"

"Wait, you're mated?!" Evan cried out. "How could you be mated?"

"Yeah, I'm mated and three months pregnant with our first pup," Tommy informed him.

"Nooooooooo!" Evan whined loudly and went to legitimately cry on Chimney's shoulder. "You were supposed to be my soulmate!"

"Evan-"

"There, there, it's okay, Buck," Chimney said, patting Buck's shoulder.

Tommy watched them in amusement. "Evan, do you really not remember who I am?"

"You were supposed to be the love of my life," Evan replied in between his sobs.

He sobbed for a while before it died down and then he wiped his tears and came back to Tommy. His eyes flashed golden and there was an indecipherable look on his face. "Who is your mate?" He asked with a low growl.

Evan's voice sent shivers down Tommy's spine but not out of fear. He could never fear Evan. "Why does it matter who my mate is?"

"It does!" Evan growled again. "And do they treat you right? Because if they don't then I would like to have a word with them! No, I'd like to fight them!"

"I don't think you'll win if you fought against my alpha. He's powerful," Tommy informed him.

"I don't care." Evan's eyes flashed gold again. "I will fight him for you. Where is he?"

Tommy's heart was bursting with all the love in the world for this lovable idiot. He couldn't help but chuckle at how silly his mate was being.

"I can't let you fight him. I love him too much," Tommy told him, playing along.

Evan pouted at him in return. "Does he at least treat you well? He's not mean to you, is he?"

"He treats me like a king," Tommy replied and sat down on an empty stool.

Evan sat down beside him, still pouting, and wiped away fresh tears. "You deserve to be treated like a princess, though."

Tommy chuckled and shook his head. "I guess he treats me like a princess, too."

"Why did you have to be so perfect and not mine?" Evan whined turned around in his seat, going back to cry on Chimney's shoulder.

Chimney took out his phone and started recording Evan. "It's okay, brother-in-law, we'll find you another omega."

"I don't want another omega. I want him," Buck said pointing over at Tommy.

"But I'm sure we can find you a different omega. How about that one?"

Tommy looked over to where Hen was pointing and burst out laughing. "Pretty sure that's a wooden pole."

"Don't you call Buck's future omega a wooden pole!" Hen huffed.

"No, that's a literal wooden pole you're pointing at. How drunk are you people?" Tommy asked. "Eddie looks like he's passed out over there."

"Oh no, he isn't passed out. He's crying because he doesn't have an alpha," Chimney informed him.

That tugged at Tommy's heart. He got off his stool and went over to Eddie. "Hey, buddy, you okay there?"

Eddie looked up and a huge grin spread across his lips, although his cheeks were tear-stained. "Tommy!"

Tommy cupped the back of Eddie's head and smiled at him. "You okay?"

"No! I want an alpha, Tommy. I am very lonely," Eddie replied, pouting at him.

"We'll find you, someone, Eddie!" Hen chimed in. "How about that one?"

"That's still a wooden pole, Hen," Tommy sighed.

"Don't call Eddie's future alpha a wooden pole!" Hen chastised him again.

Eddie shrugged at that. "I'll take a wooden pole at this point."

"WAIT! EDDIE! YOU'RE MATED TO MY BEST FRIEND?!" Evan practically yelled and jumped off the stool to come stand next to them. "I can't fight him!"

"Eddie's an omega, Evan, and I am mated to an alpha. I am mated to you, you dumbass," Tommy informed him and rolled his eyes. He kept running his fingers through Eddie's hair.

"What?" Evan's face softened and his blue eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes," Tommy replied and shook his head.

Evan's eyes filled with tears again and he went over to Chimney and started crying. "Tommy's my omega! How did I get so lucky? I mean, he's so pretty and sweet, and everything I never thought I would get. I don't deserve him."

Tommy's heart hurt a little hearing that. "Evan," he sighed and moved away from Eddie. He went over to Evan and pulled him up. Cupping Evan's cheeks, he looked him in the eyes and said, "You deserve the world and more, Evan Buckley."

Evan sniffled and threw his arms around Tommy, pulling him into a hug. "You're perfect, Tommy, and I can't believe you're mine."

"Well, you better believe it," Tommy chuckled and hugged him back. "I love you, you lovable dumbass."

"So you're having my baby?" Evan asked pulling away from the hug.

Tommy took Evan's hand and put it on his stomach. "Yes, I am. And I will never let you live down the fact that you forgot me and our baby."

Evan pouted at him. "I don't expect you to."

Tommy leaned in and pecked Evan on the nose and then on the lips. "Good."

[i-guess-im-into-this-now]

The Apothecary Diaries

S1E23 First Watch

Here's where I watch The Apothecary Diaries for the first time and give my thoughts, analysis, predictions, and occasionally I stumble into a joke.

If you want to start at the beginning:

Episode 1

My character/location cheat sheet

Fengxian: Maomao's courtesan mother

The show opens on Maomao's mother, who is in the late stages of her illness, delusional, softly singing a lullaby while moving around some Go pieces. Is she thinking of the past? The lover that she lost, or the baby that she had?

So the box that Maomao requested was a game. The English dub just calls it Chess, but I think it's called Shogi or the Chinese equivalent. Please correct me if I'm wrong. She challenges Lakan to a competition, who is giddy with delight. They will play best out of 5, no handicaps, and they call their prize before they begin.

Lakan: If I manage to best you. I want you to come and live with me.

Jinshi does NOT like that. Gaoshun reminds him that he promised not to interfere, but Lakan can't take his girl! Don't worry yet Jinshi, Maomao wouldn't be so bold if she didn't think she could win this bet. Have faith!

Lakan learns that Maomao is still under contract to work for Jinshi, and he makes a rude implication that has Jinshi grinding his molars.

And I think this is kind of weird. Just what does Lakan think or feel about his daughter? I don't know if he truly believes that there is something amorous going on between Maomao and Jinshi, but he's totally fine with implying that there is. They are talking about her contract here, and the implication that is being made is that Jinshi bought out Maomao's courtesan contract so that he could bring her to his house to service him solely. We the viewer know it's not true, and Lakan may have been able to pick up enough clues to realize it's not true, but still his joke is a weird one for a father to make. Is it just to get under Jinshi's skin? Or is it possible that he believes his daughter is truly acting as a courtesan? We know that Lakan has had dealings with courtesans in the past, and I'm glad he doesn't seem to have any prejudice against them and the work they do. Yet. I kind of thought maybe his whole reason for wanting to get Maomao to come live with him, was that he was trying to protect her from that work. Am I missing something here? Because it seems that's not the case. So if he doesn't want Maomao for her own sake, then he wants her for his own purposes. Which are??? Use her as another piece to maneuver? That doesn't seem quite right either, since she is the only one he doesn't see as a game piece. I don't know what this indecipherable man wants.

Maomao on the other hand wants Lakan to buy out an aging courtesan from the Verdigris House. Her delirious mother I assume. If that's her goal... is it really a good idea to put Maomao's mother into Lakan's care? Is he going to take care of her? It seems like if he intended to take care of her, he would have already stepped forward to do so. I know Maomao doesn't care about her mother, but she does take care of her when she visits the Verdigris House. Surely she wouldn't entrust any person to Lakan if she thought he would be a neglectful caregiver. I guess I just have to trust that Maomao knows these people better than I do, because this to me seems like a bad idea all the way around.

Maomao also adds a drinking element to the game, that includes poison. Also, if someone quits for any reason, they lose.

Lakan and Maomao are relaxed as they play, but Jinshi is worried. He doesn't like the terms or the rules of this game. Maomao loses the first round and is forced to drink, and Jinshi is the one sweating it. When she loses the second match, Jinshi starts to panic.

Lakan doesn't want to risk that Maomao might be poisoned by drinking a third cup, so he throws a game to drink one. If he drinks one that contains poison than he will know that Maomao is safe to lose her third game.

The cup that Lakan drinks from is poisoned, and he is not tolerating it well. Actually, the alcohol is far worse for Lakan than any medicine that Maomao may have added. Lakan famously abstains, and has no tolerance for alcohol. It's why he carries fruit juice with him everywhere.

So did Lakan know it was alcohol when he decided to drink it or did he think it tasted bad because of the medicine Maomao added? Either way, he agreed to the terms of the game and he has now lost the bet. Maomao never had to beat him at chess, she only had to risk drinking poison with a straight face which is an everyday activity for Maomao. Lakan lost the moment he agreed to play by Maomao's rules.

The show takes us back to see a young Lakan. He has hardcore face blindness, which makes for some very disturbing animation. Since he couldn't connect with people he devoted his time to playing Go and Chess. His uncle encourages him to identify people as chess pieces. His family name gets him a military position and Lakan tells us the following.

Lakan: Of all the games I've played. Chess with human pieces was the most fun I've ever had.

Chilling.

Lakan's inability to view people's humanity is frightening. Dangerous. A person without empathy. It's no wonder Maomao wants nothing to do with this man.

I do understand that Lakan's inability to recognize faces affects his ability to connect with other people, but wow, that's a whole lot different than viewing them as pawns you can manipulate for fun. I'm sure he was a brilliant strategist for the military, but the fact that he delighted in it, demonstrates his lack of humanity.

We learn that a courtesan named Fengxian from Verdigris House easily trounced Lakan in a game of Go. Finally he can see a human face. For years they played Go or Chess, slowly getting to know one another while they play.

Fengxian: A woman did give birth to me, but I have no mother. Because in the Pleasure District, a woman can never be a mother.

A pretty clear description of Fengxian's views on motherhood. If she maintained this view when she had her own daughter, then we can understand just what Maomao might have been dealing with. Also, didn't Maomao say something similar when she described Fengxian as the woman who birthed her?

Maomao: Maybe it's love. But if that's the case. It's not a rabbit hole I want to delve into. That's an emotion I'm sure I left behind. Back in the womb of the woman who birthed me. (Episode 18)

At the time I wrote that comment off to be because Maomao had experienced neglect, abuse or abandonment from her mother, which I do think is likely, however, Maomao's view of motherhood is perhaps not too different than Fengxian's. That a woman can never be a mother in the Pleasure District may be a common belief, but it isn't universal, because we saw the princesses, Pairin in particular, step up to fill the mother's role for Maomao.

Maomao has trash parents, but lovely found family.

Lakan tells us that Fengxian's price increased as she became more in demand. From then Lakan could rarely afford to meet with Fengxian.

Upon one visit Lakan learns that someone has bought out Fengxian's contract. She seems disappointed that she won't be able to meet with Lakan again. She makes a bet with him, with the highest stakes possible. Whoever wins, can take whatever they want from the other.

Lakan: Quite suddenly, a terrible thought crossed my mind.

He's thinking about that notorious way to lower the value of a courtesan isn't he? Just what is it that Fengxian wants from Lakan, I wonder? She has to know that he can't afford her contract. Could it be that she also wants to lower her value to avoid being bought out by someone else?

Lakan chooses to play Go, which we remember from an earlier episode that he could never defeat her in. Did he do this to give her the chance to ask something of him? To prevent himself from following through on that terrible thought that crossed his mind?

He does recognize that it's not right to impregnant a woman to lower her value. Is this because he has real feelings for Fengxian or that he simply acknowledges that it's manipulative? Does he think it's terrible because he would have to take responsibility for a child that is born this way? Or is it just terrible because time in bed would be a waste when they could be playing board games?

They never make it to the end of the game. Instead they sleep with each other and Fengxian tells Lakan that she wants to keep playing Go. She, like Lakan, likely has trouble connecting with other people. That they are well matched in intellect is like seeing another human for the first time. Everyone else is beneath them, not even human.

I'm convinced now that this was a tactical move from both of them. After all, Fengxian dismissed Meimei before they even started playing. Win or lose she was counting on sleeping with Lakan.

Lakan: There were no sweet words offered from Fengxian, nor from me for that matter. So in a way you could say we had similar natures.

Do these two care about each other at all or is it just that they don't express it? I have my doubts.

As Lakan is drifting off to sleep Fengxian sings a song, which I can only assume is the same one she tried to hum the day Maomao was in the annex to care for her. It is the same song from earlier in this episode where we see her in the present day playing with Go pieces on her bed. So her present day delusions are all about returning to this time which was the best period of her life. Before she had a baby, Before she cause syphilis, and everything fell apart.

But what is with singing the song in the past? I dipped into the Japanese with English sub to check the faithfulness of the translation:

Sleep, my baby, sleep. Where is she? She cries. Little birds are so innocent. Off they fly to somewhere far.

I'm not the best at interpreting poetry, so maybe someone else can help me with these lyrics. On it's surface it seems like a typical lullaby, but it could be taken as being about a loss of innocence since the innocent little birds fly away. Or perhaps since the birds leave, it could be about a desire for freedom? Both meanings could apply to Fengxian in this moment.

Wow. Okay. So Luomen is Lakan's uncle. I didn't see that coming. So there are blood ties between Maomao and Luomen.

In a fit of embarrassment and anger at Luomen's exile, Lakan's father also sends Lakan abroad. Fengxian's contract fell through and she made sure to alert Lakan, but it's not something he can deal with before his trip. It seems he intended to return to her, but it took three years before he could finally come back. He is greeted by a pile of letters. And a desiccated severed finger. A way to curse someone apparently. And there are two fingers there, a tiny one as well. What the fuck did Fengxian do? I suppose that this explains the nightmare Maomao had when she saw her mother with a knife. Does this have something to do with Maomao's twisted little finger? Did her finger get chopped off and reattached?

Fengxian took a chance when she decided to sleep with Lakan, and it destroyed her life. She ended up pregnant, which may have been okay, if Lakan had been there to buy her out when her value crashed. She was counting on him, and he wasn't there. It wasn't his fault, I think he would have bought her out if he was there, but the timing of everything was catastrophic for Fengxian. I suppose she didn't know he was out of the country, and her hatred grew, hence the finger severing curse. With that level of hatred I suppose it means she must have cared about Lakan, or perhaps she's just pissed that her plan fell through.

Lakan feels like a dumbass, which for a narcissist like him, is really saying something. He was so focused on playing Go and Chess that he didn't try to think of other ways to solve Fengxian and his problems, like impregnating her. Huh? Okay, I had that pegged wrong earlier. So then he must have thought his one night together with Fengxian was something special.

We get to see granny beating Lakan with a broom. She accuses him of not caring about a worthless courtesan and tells him that she's gone. She lost all of her value after being pregnant, and her actions hurt the reputation of the brothel. She had to take clients like a streetwalker where she contracted syphilis.

Lakan is too late to get what he wants from Fengxian. His fantasy with the high class courtesan ended when she lost her value and reputation. Now she is in a dire state, disgraced, diseased. So Lakan is distressed, but... fuck this guy.

l get that things fell apart while he was gone, but Fengxian is still alive at this point. She has a disease, but presumably she won't lose her mental capabilities until later down the line. He could still play Go with her. And even if she had lost her mind, fuck this guy! Does he really not care at all about her because of the things that have happened to her? He has zero capacity for actual love, like a psychopath. Many people become caregivers to the people they love when they become incapacitated. Only the shittiest walk away. Fengxian lost her reputation, her value, and her health, and Lakan is upset that she no longer fits into the perfect vision he had of her. Like seriously. FUCK. THIS. GUY!

I realize this is a HOT TAKE. And I stand ready to be corrected. But based on all I have seen thus far, Lakan is still a pretty shitty dude. I saw someone mention in a comment on one of these blogs about Lakan stans. At the time I thought to myself how the hell are there Lakan stans? It made me think that there was probably more to his story than I had seen up to that point. Well here is more, but it wasn't enough to make me like this character.

I could probably be convinced that he had real feelings for Fengxian, but then where the hell has he been all these years? Is it that Fengxian hated him and didn't want to see him? That she sent him severed fingers in an attempt to curse him would support that.

My opinion on Lakan still stands, even if Lakan loves Fengxian, and Maomao, and has been doing all he can to get back to them, he's still a shitty guy that seems to lack basic empathy. Like, he will only treat someone as a person if he is personally invested? I can't like a person like that.

Back to the present time, Lakan wakes up in Verdigris House and Meimei kindly tends to him. Apparently after he forfeited his game with Maomao by blacking out drunk, he was deposited here to fulfill his end of the bargain.

Is the fact that Fengxian's illness has progressed to delusions now allowed her to forget about her hatred of Lakan? She was seen tying to play Go and singing an old lullaby in the beginning; is she thinking fondly of old times? Does Maomao think now that Fengxian is more out of her mind, she would be willing to see Lakan? Regardless, she's about to end up with him now.

Maomao concocted a bitter beverage for Lakan and gifts him a dried blue rose. Maomao's message: leave the people I care about alone.

After all, Lakan requested blue roses from Jinshi, a nearly impossible thing for him to procure. Maomao made it happen because she didn't want to let Lakan get away with trying to manipulate Jinshi. The roses were all a ploy to draw Maomao out, which it did, but only for her to defend Jinshi and send a message to Lakan to back off.

The rose Maomao left for Lakan is dried. From an earlier time perhaps. Maybe blue roses were a tradition at Verdigris House or something that Fengxian knew the secret to. Perhaps the the blue rose simply represents Fengxian, and Maomao gifts it to Lakan to represent the meaning behind her bet, I'm giving Fengxian to you. There is a secondary meaning here that I don't know the meaning of. But Lakan does.

Cut to Maomao riding in a carriage with the always cheery Basan, where she pulls out a blue rose bud. Is this the bud she helped grow and create for the Garden Party or a dried one from the past? Is she thinking about whatever connection the blue rose has to her mother or is she thinking about what she did to grow these roses for Jinshi? Is she hoping that her message to Lakan will be enough to protect Jinshi and anyone else he may target? Enough to get Lakan out of her life?

I truly hope that this is the last episode with Lakan's POV. I hope to never see these faceless animations ever again.

If you want to read these from the beginning:

Episode 1

Next episode:

Episode 24

[blairrwaldorfs]

Juliette Ferrars.

So, I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to fuel more drama in this fandom, but I think it's time for me to voice out my side of the story because I had enough. I cannot get peace around here without someone coming to me and letting me know that some people have been badmouthing me.

I honestly don't really care what you all think or do, but the fact that I can't seem to enjoy the things that I like, I think it's time for me to come in here and review the issues that has been going on.

I. Issues II. Bullying and Accusations III. Communication IV. Conclusion

I. Issues:

Cosplay/Face Claims. Cosplaying has been a part of my life for the last couple of years. Mostly, I do Marvel cosplay due to the fact that I am mostly in that fandom before. Since recently, I have found my Shatter Me Book from high school. Let me remind you, this book has existed in my high school life since I was 17. I am 27 now. That's 10 years I have known this series. This series were the only series I truly enjoyed. I actually never read any other book series but this one, only also because I'm not really a reader. I'm more into writing my own stories and expressing that art through photography.

So, let me be the one to clear this to you all: my Juliette Ferrars cosplay/face claim is not copied by anyone here in tumblr. This character has been a better part of my life since I was 17 and since I have been cosplaying other Marvel characters, I have decided to add Juliette into my list. (See figure 1, 2. and 3)

(figure 1) me as Yelena Belova. (figure 2) me as Wanda Maximoff

Fandom. I usually don't interact much in the Shatter Me fandom before but ever since I have met a few people because of the Aaron Warner fics I have been publishing, I have gotten to know this fandom a little better.

If everyone is so offended of me dressing up as Juliette and try to cosplay/face model as her character, then obviously you all don't know what cosplay is. (See figure 4). I do not have to give credit to anyone for me dressing up as Juliette Ferrars because one, no one invented that character but Tahereh Mafi herself. If I would give credit to anyone here, it would be the author herself. Two, face claiming/cosplaying/roleplaying a character has been around a long time in different fandoms.

Unless you have a copyright proof of owning the character or owning "cosplay," I do not owe anyone a credit. Just because you dress up as Juliette and roleplay/face claim as her, doesn't mean that you are the only who can do that. It also doesn't mean that you invented that. That is like saying no one can cosplay/face claim as Captain America because some man had done it first, or because they don't look like Chris Evans.

STOP policing the fandom and STOP acting like you're the only who can do it. You can literally check TikTok for people dressing up as Juliette and making videos. (see figure 3).

Also, I'm not the only one who has experienced this type of harassment. I know a few people who have received a message saying they're "copying" someone when all they literally do is dress up as the character from a book.

That is not a crime.

That is not yours to decide to take credit for because you didn't invented that in the first place. (see figure 5).

(figure 4).

(figure 5).

II. Bullying and Accusations:

Groupchat. A few people have come up to me saying there's a group chat that was made and certain people were talking vile things about me. Honestly, I don't really care about what you all do or say but really? Are you all really wasting your energy on one person that you all hate? Wasting your energy aiming posts about me? Is that what you like to do in your spare time? I guess if it helps you sleep at night....

Bullying. Stalking my account after I have blocked you is honestly a waste of energy but it's your choice what to do with your time. That's one thing, but body shaming me and taking it too far is something that's vile, disgusting and unacceptable.

I don't condone any form of bullying. I know my own insecurities and my own body and mind. The opinion of others doesn't define me and is not my business. However, as a reminder, I hope you all know that you may think you are having fun talking inadequate words about someone you literally don't know but at the end of the day, I hope you all know that your words reflects the person that you are.

Validation. This connects to the bullying on the above point. I am being accused of seeking validation because I decided to cosplay Juliette. From the beginning, I never expected anyone to even like my posts on instagram nor my tiktok videos. That's not in my control what other people do with their own accounts. I think that some of you need to start trying to figure out what that word actually means because from my end, I never try to stop anyone or judge anyone from dressing up as a character and face claim them (see figure 6). Again, this isn't the first time that someone has dressed up as a book/movie/tv/comic book character and face claims them.

Stalking my account after I have blocked you nor have I voiced out my concerns from the constant harassment and aimed posts... Who do you think is more insecure and need validation? Me or you?

(figure 6).

III. Communication.

Social Media. Online bullying isn't new in social media anymore. It has been going on for a while now and the toxic environment tend to fuel others to join just to feel validated and be on "trend." However, bullying and stalking someone, especially after you have been blocked is not "cool." It doesn't make you any better nor make you feel better on the inside. At the end of the day, you will be the one who will be left in your own thoughts and think about your actions you have made. Will this be really relevant in your life five to ten years from now? What is your end goal with this?

If you have a problem with me, message me privately and talk to me like a grown adult. Don't accuse and jump into conclusions with no solid proof on your end because that doesn't prove your justification of someone copying you or hating on someone that decided to cosplay Juliette.

IV. Conclusion.

Despite the fact that I hate fueling this drama more and having to say something, I don't have the bandwidth to still focus my attention to others who will hate on me. This is the first and last time I will talk about this. There is a block button that exists if you don't like my posts. There are many options for you to opt me out on your tl or for you page. If you have a problem with me, then reach out and talk to me normally like a grown adult instead of lashing out and stalking my account and pick on every little thing about me.

This blog isn't going to condone any bullying and harassment. I'm not going to deal with high school drama nor want to waste my time on it.

Thank you for taking your time to read this. Again, this is the first and last time I will talk about this. Anyone who comes up and says something to me in an adverse manner, I will block you immediately.

V. Appendix

Additions for Figure 1: - ig: yelenas.belova

Figure 3: list of people I know that also cosplay/uses their own face as Juliette. 1. mondaymermaids 2. dreamanddagger 3. emmelie.cosplays 4. analullabby 5. evenfall.court

Definitions:

Cosplay - the practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, book, or video game.

Seeking Validation - The desire to have someone else's approval or agreement with what you say, believe, or do.

Bullying - The repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power.

Perceived Superiority - A belief that your abilities or accomplishments are somehow dramatically better than other people's.