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mangoshorthand · 4 months

Note

I just saw your little post, I'm sorry I didn't clarify. Yes, I am a cis woman and I have more of a swimmer's body (I've been a swimmer for years so it's partially natural and partially conditioned) with wider hips and broad shoulders (typical swimmer long legs too). I hope this helps and sorry for such an inconvenience 😅

- birthday anon 🎂🎉

Original request, (paraphrased):

It's my birthday today and I was wondering if I could get a happy birthday from Five. I guess my prompt would be that throughout my life a lot of people forget my birthday (even my family) and often don't show up so if Five just remembered and decided to be soft and sensual and caring, that would make me the happiest person ever.

No problem Birthday Anon. Sorry this took a couple of days. Happy belated birthday! Also I made you a barista sooo...enjoy that I guess.

The Birthday Girl | Five Hargreeves/ F Reader 2.8k words, Rated E

Being born at the start of the year was always a harsh reminder of the fact that you weren’t the main character of all existence, something which it took most people much longer to realize. It was worse when you were a kid, with Christmas and birthday presents amalgamated into one by relatives already stressed out from gift-buying, but it still kind of stung now. Yeah, people had lives and it was a tricky time of year, but you surely didn’t need to be the main character of all existence to have people simply show up for your birthday.

It was a nice place, you thought, glumly as you popped the olive from your martini into your mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. Not too crowded, the music loud enough to dance to without prohibiting conversation. The drinks were cheap and good quality. It would have been the perfect place for a birthday get together.

You sighed and rested your elbows on the bar. You should have got the picture by now. You were a full grown adult, you knew how it went, and yet you still foolishly invited all your friends and even some family out.

You’d never imagined that all of them would come, but you thought that at least a few would turn up. Over the past week, as you’d expected, they’d nearly all messaged their excuses and apologies and dropped out. For some, it was too close to going back to work after their christmas break, some were still away, while others were still recovering from New Year and unable to face the idea of partying again so soon.

You didn’t really blame those guys, (at least they had the decency to inform you that they weren’t coming), but you couldn’t help feeling angry at the no-shows who hadn’t even bothered to inform you, leading to you sitting alone in this bar, all dressed up for nothing.

“Hey.”

You turned your head, surprised to hear any voice addressing you.

“Five,” you said, smiling nervously in greeting.

This was not what you’d planned. He was your favorite customer, yes, he said you made the best coffee in the city, but could you call him your friend? Did two years of late-night coffee twice a week count as a friendship?

He usually came in on one of your late shifts, looking immaculately dressed but gray with exhaustion. At first, he hadn’t talked, just drinking his coffee in silence and leaving with a murmur of thanks and a generous tip, but over time he’d been more receptive to your gentle offers of conversation, and gradually he’d shown up primarily to talk, sitting at the counter as you worked, sipping endless cups of coffee and keeping you company.

What he hadn’t told you himself, you’d put together from snippets of conversation. You knew about the Umbrella Academy and the apocalypse, but it didn’t really factor into your picture of him. To you, he was just Five: the amusing mix of pessimism, wit, and an old man’s nostalgia for times past incongruous with the body in its twenties.

Over the time you’d known him, he’d grown into your life easily. He had you looking forward to your late shifts and spending the time between them making mental notes of things to tell him next time you saw him. Your conversations with him were easy and intimate (you’d told him a few things you wouldn’t tell your diary on your deathbed), but the relationship was still this weird, context-bound thing. He was the customer, you were the server.

He’d surprised you into inviting him to this little get-together a couple of days before new year. It was your first late shift after Christmas, and when he’d arrived and taken up his usual perch at the counter, one of his first remarks was:

“It’s your birthday coming up in a day or two, right?”

“Uh,” you faltered, “Um - yeah.”

He looked at you doubtfully.

“You don’t sound very sure.”

“No, it is. I’m just surprised, is all. People always forget.”

Five shrugged.

“You told me last year. You swapped shifts to go out for dinner.”

“And you remembered that?”

“Yeah.”

It touched you, the way he spoke so casually, as if he couldn’t possibly do anything but remember this about you. So you invited him to come tonight, hoping he’d say yes but not read too much into it. For months, maybe longer, you’d been wondering, and his attitude then was the thing that pushed you to find out once and for all.

You had to know for sure whether this was something: whether you and he would be the same in a different environment, or whether this thing would just crumble to nothing outside of the diner’s soft-lighting. It would be a good test, you thought, and having other people there would act as a buffer in case of any awkwardness.

In this, you had been thwarted, because now he stood beside you, looking more smart-casual than you’d ever seen him, frowning in a gray blazer over a dark tee.

“Well…happy birthday,” he said, dumping a giftbag on the bar with a clunk that signaled a bottle inside, “it’s rum. You said you liked mojitos.”

“Thanks,” you said, nodding, as he sat on the barstool beside you.

He took a quick glance around, intelligent green eyes taking stock of the bar.

“Is it just us?” he asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow in a way that made you chuckle.

“Yup,” you smiled, ruefully, “most people canceled, but there were three who just haven’t remembered to show up. I told them to meet me an hour ago, but no word.”

He frowned again, so you offered a little explanation:

“People forget when your birthday’s just after the holidays.” and then, with a smile at him, added, “Except you, of course.”

“Hm,” he said, with an air of contemplation, perhaps reflecting on why you’d told him to meet you later than everyone else. Seeming to dismiss it, however, he turned back to you:

“So you’re stuck with me?”

You looked back over at him, and a smirk developed on his face, one corner of his mouth turning up to complement his cocked eyebrow.

And in that moment, you made a decision, one that was two years in the making. Why play these games? Why experiment with him? Worst case scenario, he finds another diner.

“It’s stupid to be here with only two of us. Do you want to come back to mine? Maybe we crack open that rum and help me drown my birthday sorrows? I only live on the next street.”

***

The rum was never opened, because on the street outside your apartment, he stopped you with a hand on your arm.

He’d been silent ever since he agreed to come with you, and when you turned to face him outside your door, he fixed you with such a serious look that you took in a shallow breath.

“Sorry if I make this awkward, but I gotta know. Is this just a drink?”

You looked back at him, studying the earnest slope of his brow and his tense mouth; how the two freckles on his cheek disappeared into a small cleft in his cheek. It was a face that surrendered smiles reluctantly, but you could nearly always tease several out before the end of any shift.

You shook your head wordlessly.

His adam's apple bobbed in his throat. His eyes, so often scowling, scathing or sardonic, fixed you now with a look of pure, open adoration. His thick lashes did nothing to shade you from the intensity of that look, from the opalescent green of his pupils that pulled at you with such fascination.

When he spoke, his voice was very low.

“I’ve wanted this for a long time.”

You felt your cheeks heat up, unable to keep your eyes on his face, choosing to study the neckline of his tee, beneath which a hint of sturdy collarbone was visible.

He reached out and gently ghosted his fingers down your cheek.

“How could anyone forget your birthday?” he murmured.

Then, he leaned forward and kissed you.

The chill January breeze momentarily played about your neck. A shiver ran through you, but not from cold: from his gentle lips against yours; from the feel of his soft hair between your fingers; from his body close to yours.

Sweet, chaste and cherishing, it might have seemed platonic, that kiss, but for the way his tongue slipped briefly into the fray, though pulling back quickly: showing you that he had more should you wish to take it.

And you did. You wanted it to the point that you chased his lips when he tried to pull away. He smiled at this and let you catch him, letting your lips part his and your tongue enter his mouth.

Finally, he succeeded in breaking the embrace, though leaving his hands softly on your hips.

“Take me upstairs?” he asked, huskily.

***

His mouth beside your ear, he held you on his lap like a beautiful fragile thing. He ran his fingers reverently up and down your thighs, like a servant privileged to touch precious silverware with kid gloves.

He kissed you again, soft and syrupy, as if he was eating fruit perfectly sweetened on the vine, trailing his lips down your shoulder, humming with satisfaction.

“God,” he whispered, “I could kiss you all day.”

The tender hunger in his tone sent a tingle straight to your core.

It was a shame to have your back to him. When he’d thrown off his shirt as if it was nothing, your eyes drank him in: the softly defined muscles that were outlined by his movements and the trail of sparse, dark hair disappearing below his waistband. All this time, under those sharply cut suits, there was this.

But you couldn’t focus on the regret too much, not with his strong forearms wrapped around your naked body, his smell of antiperspirant and aftershave, and not with the heat of his hard arousal against your ass and lower back.

His fingers clearly stated their intent against your inner thigh, pausing an inch away from where you needed him most.

“May I?” he asked, breath tickling your ear.

You could hear a little hint of mischief in his voice; the ironic move of his eyebrows.

“Yes please,” you breathed.

“Anything for the birthday girl,” he whispered, nuzzling briefly at your neck.

And he stroked your outer lips with gentle fingers, his index trailing back up your slit, the tip skimming slickness that had already gathered there.

He made an appreciative sound at his discovery, and you moaned at the throb of pleasure from just this teasing movement, bucking against him and momentarily pressing his cock against you more firmly.

“You’re so pretty,” he rasped into your ear, fingers parting your outer lips to reach your excited nub and stroking it in smooth, luxuriant circles, “look at you. So perfect.”

You whimpered and tossed your head helplessly against his shoulder. Heat was already building in your sex, your toes curling against your sheets. The foundations for your orgasm were laid from his very first touch of your aching pussy, your body crying out for him from the moment he kissed you. Now, you were helpless to his fingers: as confident and efficient in rubbing your needy clit as in all his other movements.

“You deserve to be treated special.” he whispered, “This good?”

“Five.”

“Yes?”

“Five.”

You could hardly say more, brain scrambling like beaten eggs until no vocabulary remained but the name of the man whose fingers were making come slowly drool down your thighs.

“Want me to stop?” he whispered, tenderly.

You shook your head fiercely.

“Fi-ive!” you whined again, becoming completely inarticulate now as his ankles hooked around yours, holding your legs open gently. He could sense you beginning to ride your edge, could surely sense the heat burning and coiling and tightening in your stomach until -

You cried out when you came, feeling more come gush from you, soaking his fingers and your thighs alike. He spoke softly to you as the waves of pleasure broke on you one by one, each bringing a fierce buck of your hips backwards against his hard, hot cock, sandwiched between you.

“That’s it.” he encouraged, “There you go. Feel good, sweetie?”

You could do nothing but whimper and let yourself be carried by the rapture, surges exploding down each limb again and again.

“God, you’re so beautiful.”

Your orgasm subsided, leaving you panting against him.

Through your recovery, he whispered more tender affirmations and praise into your ear, kissing and nosing at the side of your neck as he tried to distract himself from the tingles going up and down his length and the precome still leaking from his tip as your movements against him teased his excited cock.

After you’d caught your breath, you became aware of the needy way he was kissing you; of the barely-there grinding of his pelvis; of his dick rubbing against you.

“Can I -?” came the desperate, half-articulated whisper.

“Yes please,” you replied.

He laid you down as if you were fragile, like an injured dove held in cupped hands. His gentle movements offered a stark contrast to the state of his gorgeous, curved cock. The tip was an angry pink, his balls high and tight with arousal. Intrigued, you began to caress that heated, swollen part of him. He hissed as you weighed and massaged his balls in one hand, the other closing around his shaft, already slick with precome.

“Don’t judge my stamina based on this, okay?” he said, voice cracking as his neck arched along with your strokes, “How about you stop that and we can try for quality over quantity?”

It was spoken with self-consciousness that seemed unnecessary to you, given that he’d just rubbed your clit to a thigh-trembling orgasm quicker and more effectively than anyone you’d ever been with. You let his cock go and kissed him on the mouth as he lowered himself towards you.

When he entered you, his mouth was still on yours, and you felt his sigh or relief against your lips.

He filled you perfectly, your plush walls immediately gripping him, surrendering him reluctantly as he withdrew. You could see the tight pinch between his eyebrows. His eyes were already screwed shut.

“Oh.”

The whisper was small and strung out, and you kissed his cheek and lips to encourage him as he let out a few, trembling breaths.

“That feel good?”

“Yeah,” you gasped, “it feels good, Five.

His strokes were slow, but skillful, his hips rutting with gentle fluidity.

“I want to make you feel good,” he whispered, stroking your cheek, “I want to show you how special you are.”

From the movement of his body alone, you would have imagined him in complete control, not even close to his edge, but his increasingly fevered whispers and messy kisses to your lips and neck told a different story.

“Your pussy is so good. It’s so fucking wet.”

You kissed him back, nodding and moaning in affirmative as that perfect curve rubbed you just right inside, the low tempo building an ache as sweet and gentle as his thrusts. You gasped, pulsing around him, and his hips stuttered for the first time.

“F-fuck.” he breathed, “So hot. So perfect.”

He tensed.

“I’m close.”

You smiled against his ear. You were on birth control and you knew enough about Five to know that he didn’t raw-dog every barista who made him a good cup of coffee. It wasn’t logical or sensible but it was the only thing that seemed right after two years of illogical, foolish denial.

“Come inside me.”

“You sure?”

You barely had time to confirm it to him before he let out an inarticulate cry. His dick pumped hard inside you, coating your walls with his load with his head buried in your neck, still keeping you gasping throughout with controlled, gentle, sensuous pumps of his pelvis.

***

“You want coffee?”

You lay, bare-breasted on his chest as Five combed his fingers through your hair, feeling warm, content, and glowing from his tenderness.

“Let me get it for a change.” he said.

“Wow, it really is my birthday,” you teased.

You heard a short exhale of laughter as he extracted himself gently from the bedsheets.

“Sure is.”

And, with as little care for his nakedness as if this was his own apartment, he headed across the bedroom, turning back at the door with a wry smile.

“And it’s not over yet.”

Tag list: (please comment to be added or removed): @thebearmage, @nevbrooke-555, @fiannee, @abeeabee6969

Oneshot Masterlist >> HERE

NOTE: I take Five requests, I'm fairly versatile in what I write (fluff, smut, angst, psychological character study- I'll try it all) but I will consider them on a case by case basis. See oneshot masterlist for request status and more.

#the umbrella academy #the umbrella academy imagine #umbrella academy x reader #the umbrella academy smut #the umbrella academy five #umbrella academy number five #umbrella academy five x reader #umbrella academy five x you #five hargreaves x you #five hargreaves x reader #number five imagine #five hargreeves imagine #number 5 imagine #number 5 x reader #number five x you #smut

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babacontainsmultitudes · 1 year

Text

In Defense of the Other Teens

Hello besties :)

SO how about that last episode huh? I've certainly seen a lot of interesting takes and cool art and all that come from it!

And I'm... Here to offer my two cents.

Alright y'all, a few things before we actually get into the meat of it. First, this is a long post. Like, even by my standards this post is pretty fucking long. I hope that I'll be able to keep you entertained throughout at the very least, but maybe grab a cup of tea or coffee or the like before venturing under the cut.

Second, my stance on things will become pretty clear I think fairly early on, if you haven't already put two and two together from the title of this post. That said, there are some fairy bold claims I'm gonna make here, and the fact of the matter is some of them may very well be disproven as soon as today's Teen Talk drops. But I wanted to get this out beforehand, partially as a show of faith in a certain someone, and partially cause honestly I think it's good to practice giving oneself room to be wrong about things. That said, there are still many other points that I think remain important regardless of what we find out next episode (or in teen talk), and I hope you'll find those interesting as well.

Next, honestly, the first few chunks of this little essay really start out as more of a rant/vent than a tight analysis, and I kinda start things in a weird spot if I'm being frank with you, so maybe just try to bear with me for the first few parts, ok? They're still important for the bigger picture I'm trying to paint.

Finally, if I come off as a little extra salty and sassy in this one, I am, but I *promise* it's all in good fun. :)

Alright, so let me tell you my thoughts about Lincoln.

You know what I think? What I honestly, genuinely think? Linc is the most selfless of the teens by a long shot. Like, there's literally no competition. Enough "all he wants to do is help other people and all they ever do is betray him" with respect to Mr. TalkedGrantIntoAPanicAttackThenLeft and more appreciation and recognition for Lincoln Li SayHiToYourDadForMe Wilson, I'm begging you. I could sit here and start listing examples of Linc's selflessness to you for a good long while, but really no set of examples could better illustrate what differentiates Linc from the rest of the teens than this exchange:

Scary: "Chosen one…""

Jodie: "Bat’tholemew, we don't use those words."

Scary: "Somebody they wouldn't expect."

Taylor: "It's me. It's got to be someone that they don't expect."

Scary: "Yeah."

Taylor: "Yeah."

Scary: "It's got to be somebody who's really earned—"

Taylor: "Somebody who’s really earned—"

Scary: "—the respect."

Taylor: "—the right to... And all the knowledge of all the animes together…"

Scary: "Somebody with more knowledge than anybody else."

Taylor: "Someone with— who knows what to do. S… "

Scary: "Somebody who knows what to do to step up."

Taylor: "Somebody who can step up and be the chosen one."

Scary: "And be the chosen one."

Link: "Hey…"

Normal: "Guys, I think… I might be the chosen one…"

Yes, funnily enough, it's Linc's absence here that says a lot about him rather than his presence.

What's more, I frankly just don't think it's fair that Linc can do *so much* for the people around him but the *one time* he decides to do something that (seemingly) goes against Normal's plan, it's depicted as some ultimate act of betrayal or Linc "giving up". I feel like we significantly understate how much the other teens *have* done for the sake of Normal's plan (seriously, are we actually gonna ignore Linc stabbing his leg on a candy cane- TWICE??), and how much they've lost in doing so. If every time they fuck something up undoes everything they've sacrificed or done right, well, that's quite the negativity bias!

So why don't we talk about Linc's decision, actually. Did we just witness Lincoln finally snap? Has he given up on Normal's plan to help the doodler? Has he given up on using empathy? Did Lincoln Li Wilson choose the easy option? I would say no! No to all of those! And I think especially upon a relisten of the final moments in the last episode, Linc's train of thought when he breaks the pic is actually quite clear. And yes, this is about Linc showing empathy towards Scary, but I want to talk about the actual implications of that a bit further as well. Let's start by looking at the final bits of dialogue leading up to the breaking of anchor:

Linc: "Scary, what are you even doing?"

Scary: "You gotta destroy it"

Linc: "We can't- you just heard the Doodler's gonna make the world worse it's gonna kill we just gotta find something, why do you have to destroy it-"

Scary: "You don't know that!"

Linc: "I mean you don't know it's not that way we can find another way to destroy it"

Scary: "No, Willy said that it's easier to control if we destroy the anchors"

[ANTHONY EXPLAINS THE SPECIFICS OF WHAT WILLY WOULD HAVE TOLD SCARY]

Linc: "Well we're not gonna do it that way okay, come on like, the easy way is-"

Scary: "Who died and made you the leader?"

Linc: "The easy way is usually the bad way right? Sometimes the better thing is harder."

Scary: "This is easier what you're just gonna tell the pic 'Oh I love you I'm so nice to you' and it's just gonna give you all its secrets that's not how life works."

[LINK TRIES SAYING I LOVE YOU TO THE PIC AND NORM EXPLAINS THAT HE ALREADY TRIED THAT]

Linc: "Okay well like you're right it's gonna be hard but- I know it's not a person but I don't want more people to die we've already killed enough people like can you just do one thing with us and just try to find a way to make this-"

Scary: "The Doodler is gonna kill more people you're not seeing the bigger picture!"

Normal: "What no, Linc don't listen to her!"

Scary: "Listen to me!"

[AND THEN LINC SNAPS THE PIC]

Okay there's... A lot to unpack here. I'll start by pointing out what I think are a few key things to take note of:

- Linc is seemingly adamant on choosing the empathetic route and not letting any more people get hurt

- Linc affirms that sometimes the harder route is the better one

- Scary rejects the notion that simply saying "I love you" or otherwise being kind in words could actually do anything

- Norm says "don't listen to her"

- Linc's decision to break the pic only occurs after Scary says what she does (above point), seemingly in conflict with what he himself said only moments prior about not taking the violent route.

What I think needs to be understood about Linc is that, more than anyone in the group, Linc's decisions are calculated. Yes they often catch us off guard (seriously the amount of times Linc has done something that's made me actually gasp in shock is a bit crazy), but once the dust has settled, his decisions are always clearly consistent with who Linc is as a person and his philosophy, and accordingly, never come from a place of selfishness. The humor of it aside, when Linc says that he never misses any shot that he takes (:( Can't find the exact quote), he is entirely correct (and admittedly while I probably should gather various examples to show you what I mean, Linc swapping places with himself and Nicky really is the most perfect demonstration I could possibly ask for, as it showcases both Linc's aforementioned selflessness and how Linc's seemingly shocking decisions are never actually accidents or executed with uncertainty on his end). Try to keep these above points in mind as we move forward.

Next, let's consider the pros and cons for Linc of breaking or not breaking the pic, as seen from Linc's perspective. I suppose the general impression I've gotten thus far is that many people seem to be interpreting Linc breaking the pic as a likely (or sure) sign that he has "given up" on Normal's plan, and given in to choosing the "easier" route. This, I perhaps a bit boldly argue, raises a number of questions and ultimately implodes in on itself as an interpretation after even a brief consideration of them. At the most basic, and perhaps least interesting level, it's not like it would be that hard to search a little bit for some demonstration of love (especially with a certain pair of will-they-won't-they partners not too far away... Though I feel like the pic also could have been interesting as applied to some of the other characters around right now? Anyways...) You could say then, that maybe Linc simply doesn't care about using empathy, and has ultimately lost confidence in Norm's plan by this point, so he takes the path of absolute least resistance cause, well, whatever. But wait, didn't Linc *just* say that they weren't going to do things that way, and that he doesn't want more people to be killed? (You might say then that he thinks Scary has a point on "not seeing the bigger picture" and believes that choosing violence here will result in less deaths, but frankly I just don't think there's anything promising or compelling enough about Scary's argument here for Linc to have any real reason to believe it, all the more so given Willy’s involvement). Are we to think, then, that Linc changes his mind purely on a whim, and a whim influenced by Scary of all people no less? Frankly, I see this as a severe underestimation of Linc's strength of character, and this is where we really do need to consider the degree of calculation and confidence that goes into Linc's decision making and risk taking. What I'm saying is, Linc simply doesn't fall victim to selfish impulses that way (and within the group this is a quality unique to him!). Moreover, even if Linc might have his doubts in Norm and his plan, he still has significantly more reason to go with that than to listen to Scary. Seriously, Linc has every reason to not listen to Scary here. When it comes to what Linc cares about the most, Scary has without a doubt harmed Linc more than the Doodler ever could (The significance of Tony Pepperoni being stabbed in Linc's home in front of his dad c a n n o t be forgotten or understated!!!). Even if Linc didn't care at all about showing empathy to the Doodler, if he were acting purely out of selfishness he would still have more reason to do so if only because it means not giving the satisfaction to or otherwise helping Scary (and Willy).

But Scary is confused, and Scary is lonely, and from her perspective she probably does feel betrayed. We (and Linc) are given some important information regarding Scary in this episode. Firstly, we get a glimpse into how Willy has twisted things and convinced her that violence is the better option (not because it's easier per se, but because more people will apparently be saved in the long run). Second, Linc finally understands what Scary needs... Or at least what she doesn't need. Specifically, he understands that simply saying "I love you" isn't enough. He understands that Scary will never believe it no matter how many times it is said, and that to really prove to Scary that she is loved and get through to her, he needs to show her, has to prove to her that, despite everything, he is still on her side.

Linc, I dare argue more than any of the teens, has so much reason to leave Scary behind. But he understands her now, and, against Normal's wishes, listens to her. In a weird way (if I'm not dead wrong about this whole empathy thing), this kind of is Linc's "throne of the doodler" equivalent. It would be so easy to not break the pic, to not choose to (help and) empathize with Scary after all the pain she has caused him, but that's not the kind of person Linc is, and I hope the points I raised earlier make that reasonably clear.

So no, I don't think Linc chose the easy option. I think he believes himself when he says that sometimes the harder route is the better one, and followed through on this when he took his shot.

Sincerely, if you think the Doodler is just a scared teen deserving of empathy and sacrifice and making tough decisions, but Scary isn't, then I think you've missed the point. The Doodler is just acting out and needs help, but when Scary or Linc break an anchor through violence (be it violently empathetic or not), we give up on them? We hope for Normal to abandon them when they're hurting and depict it as deserved or even righteous? I can't get behind that, I'm sorry.

Furthermore, whereas Norm would certainly be justified in feeling concerned for the Doodler's sake if Linc's actions count as an act of violence, apart from that like, if Norm chooses to interpret Linc reaching out and showing support to someone as lost and alone and in need of help as Scary as a personal attack against him, either as a betrayal of their friendship (Norm is very jealousy-prone we’ve known this from the start!) or as a direct attack against Norm's perfect little violence-free narrative that lets him be the hero regardless of who gets left behind wait does he actually just hate Hero cause of her name hm, then that is, respectfully, completely a problem with him, and not with Linc. I think if Normal actually snaps from this, then his entire philosophy of choosing empathy is based on a lie, and Norm just wants to follow the narrative that allows him to be the hero on paper, so that everybody finally loves him.

Well that's a bit harsh huh. Believe it or not, I'm genuinely not trying to throw Norm under the bus here. But... I am trying to expose his flaws and shortcomings in relation to the other teens. This is important moving forward, because in refusing to seriously acknowledge the fact that Norm, while still having plenty of good in his heart, is someone who can be quite self-centered, and ultimately cares about being well-perceived and loved first and foremost, we become blind to the ways in which Norm, like Scary, is vulnerable to future instances of manipulation. That bit on appearance vs. true compassion isn't mere interpretation, by the way, Will has stated this quite clearly in episode 27 of teen talk (and in general I'd really rather not rely on that kind of bonus content in these sorts of posts but, well, it's hard to ignore this):

Will: (In reference to Norm's scene in the pride layer) "I feel like I understand Normal better now, like a kind of darker side of his psyche that's different from Henry... Like Henry's very concerned with being a good person but I don't think is super concerned with whether people like him or not, whereas Normal is like a little concerned with being a good person but *mostly* concerned- it's two different ways to solve love [he explains what it implies for Henry], the other is 'if everyone else likes me, that means I can take that in as well'."

I need to stress that I am not trying to imply that Norm is anywhere close to being a bad person, btw. Normal, like everybody else, has his flaws, but has proven that he has plenty of good qualities as well. What I *am* trying to imply is that Norm does have a tendency to put himself at the center of things, and is from a more meta standpoint benefiting from a narrative that puts him at the center of things (more or less guaranteeing that he will be seen as a hero of sorts no matter what- evident even in how fandom largely depicts him vs the other teens), and I'm just saying that if ever he found himself in Oakvale by some chance he might really appreciate the enforced anti-violence initiative put in place by the town's noble leader who really just gets him and praises him and-

I know (almost) nobody wants to hear this, but if Normal actually had a villain arc, it would most likely consist of him falling down the same path that Barry did. Barry was a hero, on paper. And the people around him certainly saw him as such, and loved and accepted him in some sense of the word, which is what he truly wanted at the end of the day. And he got rid of all the violence!!!

But none of that makes Barry a good person.

*sniff sniff*

Hey... Has anyone else noticed the distinct lack of stinky weebs in this post?

As much as I myself am a bit more interested in the Linc side of things right now, I do need to talk a bit (or a lot) about Taylor too. My little guy! You haven't even had a proper, serious character arc yet and people have already decided that you don't have a shot vis a vis the upcoming anchors, despite easily being the most emotionally resilient and stable of the group. You know what, I'm gonna throw in most loyal too. If you'll humor me...

Taylor may not be the most empathetic of the teens (in fact, he may very well be the least), but this doesn't mean he doesn't care, and doesn't mean he isn't kind in his own way. What's particular about Taylor's brand of loyalty compared to the other teens that I think might make it a bit easy to overlook is that it while it is very strong, it tends to be reserved only for the people he chooses to call his friends (oh, and his mom!). There's no question of Taylor's choice to disregard what Nick tells him and go back to save Linc from the FBI, it embodies some of the most fundamental parts of who Taylor is as a person. Which I guess is to say that, there are ultimately only so many people Taylor chooses to have in his circle, but those bonds are extremely important to him, and he really is ride or die about them. I think that this aspect is most obvious when looking either at Taylor's relationship with Linc or Cassandra, but also with Hermie actually! Oh, and similar to the example with the FBI, Taylor's response to the whole Tony situation is perfectly consistent with this aspect of his character as well. Tony was not part of Taylor's circle, not someone he chose to let himself get attached to (because when Taylor gets attached to someone, it is indeed a very deliberate choice), so no, he's not gonna care that much about Tony's death. But he is bothered by Scary's betrayal. He is bothered because, even if they weren't the closest, Scary was, I would argue, still part of Taylor's circle. And yes, he is bothered by Linc leaving him alone in the last episode for the same reason, except that in this case it's probably worse actually. I know I'm straying pretty far from the original topic here, but still I think it's worth exploring the interesting position this puts Taylor in going forward, especially with respect to Nick.

("Seriously baba when did this become about Nicky literally what are you talking about right now?")

Thus far, Taylor has made it very clear that no, he is not going to allow Nick to be someone he becomes attached to. There's a risk, in loving and becoming loyal to someone as strongly as Taylor does, and Nicky has not yet proven himself to be a risk worth taking. So what happens next? Nicky is (finally) around after all, so what might the future hold for little Taylor? On the one hand, Nicky's "words of advice" might begin to get through to Taylor, which could leave him in a pretty dangerous position. Taylor takes a big risk every time he lets someone in (everyone does but Taylor more than all the others because of how fully he loves and trusts and protects, is what I'm saying- er... He's a lot like his dad that way actually!), so what if Nick convinces him that nobody is worth that risk, and that everyone you hold dear will ultimately betray you? Well, I think we'd be left with a very lonely Taylor! Conversely, what if Nicky decides to prove himself worthy of Taylor's love? What if Taylor comes around and lets him in? ahaha shit I feel like there's a bad joke to be made about Taylor keeping his dad at arms length and his dad not having any arms right now god fucking damn it what even is this post. Will Nicky be able to maintain that trust? If he abandoned Taylor again, after Taylor has allowed himself to become attached (or if something happens to Nicky cause lets face it horrible things tend to happen to Nicky), I think Taylor might finally have a hard time getting back up.

What the fuck was I talking about? Oh yeah, so I guess going back to Norm, on the one hand, I guess on the more extreme end Taylor could actually take Linc's actions very hard, in which case I actually could see him sticking with Norm as an act of self-preservation. That said, I don't personally feel that this will be the case, that Linc is still ultimately in Taylor's circle, and accordingly Taylor's loyalty towards Linc will persist, albeit perhaps with a seed of doubt sewn at the back of his mind. And I don't think in that case that it's fair to frame this as Taylor betraying Normal? As others have pointed out, Norm frankly just hasn't really earned much in the way of Taylor's friendship. Really, as far as I'm concerned, Taylor doesn't really owe Norm much of anything at all. From the very beginning Norm has made it clear that he doesn't particularly care for Taylor, and ultimately has let his own jealousy and desire for attention (especially Linc and Hermie's attention) get in the way of ever really getting to know or appreciate Taylor beyond the surface level. Would I call it betrayal for Taylor to choose to continue to support his best friend instead of the guy who told him that anime isn't real? No, and I think the double standard is pretty obvious if we consider the reverse. That is, if Taylor chose Norm over Linc, after everything he and Linc have been through, would we be framing Linc as the victim of some grand betrayal? I genuinely don't think we would, at least not to the extent that we would with Norm. I suppose I'm saying all this, because well as aforementioned I just find there's been a lot of undeserved cynicism towards Taylor, and I think a lot of it does genuinely come from Normal's privileged position within the narrative as its de facto "hero" and what is most convenient for maintaining that image (and when I say "hero", that does include "righteous villains" who "deserve(d) to snap", just so we're clear on that).

Hmmmm I kinda wanna talk about Taylor and Normal as each other's foils but this post is getting a bit long isn't it... *Sigh* Not today, no, not today.

......Okay but still I have to say that if Taylor actually does finally get his "main character moment" I actually think that would be a great opportunity for Norm to acknowledge, reconcile, and learn to cope both with his jealousy and the parts of himself that are self-centered. Conversely, if Taylor does for one reason or another stray a bit too far into the habit of keeping people at arm's length out of fear of abandonment, betrayal, or the like, I think he could learn something from Norm too (having trouble phrasing exactly what I mean here, so perhaps I'll save the full notion for another time!)

So that's... Yeah, I think that's the most important stuff. I debated on sort of elaborating on examples of Norm's major character flaws, but despite everything my intent here was first and foremost to offer a "defense of the other teens" more than anything else. Though I will say that I think there is something to be said about how Normal's self-centeredness gets in the way of his ability to actually help those around him (Grant and Taylor both being great examples in "The Staircase"), how this contrasts with Linc's willingness to actually listen to and figure out what Scary needs in this most recent episode, and accordingly what Normal could potentially learn from Linc about not just choosing the route that's easiest for you.

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truthseekerthedragon · 5 months

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Eyes of a Writer: "Duties"

After having written a ~10k oneshot, I've decided to write a post detailing my thoughts on the story, inspirations, extra lore, and the like. I'm hoping this post helps other writers with their own stories and offers insight into their personal creative processes. There's a good chance I'll make more of these in the future, so keep your eyes peeled.

The story in question is "Duties," a Wings of Fire fanfic set within my Bloodbright AU (a comprehensive AU that involves overhauls to the canon, expanded worldbuilding, and events that occur centuries after the Wings of Fire timeline). The fic itself is about Winter getting tangled up in a coup, then discovering thousand-year-old secrets deep within the IceWing palace.

The fic can be found here. I recommend reading the fic first, as this post will spoil the entire thing.

Both the fic and this "annotation" have a content warning for verbal abuse and minor body horror. This post also contains images of hostile architecture.

Let's start with inspirations.

The design and atmosphere of the depths of the Shimmerspire Palace are heavily inspired by NaissanceE, a French indie game released in 2014. The game is a puzzle/platformer that takes place within a labyrinthine superstructure that defies words, a setting that I find extremely difficult to describe.

Image Description: The interior of a superstructure. It looks like the interior of a skyscraper if hollowed out, or perhaps an enormous rectangular tunnel that extends deep underground. The walls are lined with large, industrial blocks and overhangs and struts that may be pipes or supports. The walls sink down into a greenish-gray fog, and the occasional light or archway can be seen. Every surface is a smooth gray color.

Image Description: A... monument, perhaps? There are several sculptures all lined up in a row, each consisting of four overlapping cubes that point upward. The sculptures are lined up in the middle of a walkway with short walls inlaid with small lights to the sides. To the right a large building and light from an offscreen source can be seen. The monument is surrounded by enormous cube-shaped structures rising from a blue-gray mist or light. Rows of tiny lights shine from the cubes, making them resemble buildings. Some of these structures stretch to the ceiling, from which catwalks can be seen.

Such is the game's setting. The game has no real plot, only puzzles and platforming as you try to escape this place. NaissanceE is deeply unsettling to play (when you're not frustrated by failing the same jump 30 times, that is). Many parts of the Shimmerspire Palace's interior are lifted straight from the game's visuals.

If you want to know more about NaissanceE, you can find a video about it here.

The idea for the fic itself was something I had been tossing around for some time. I've wanted to write something with Winter in it, partially due to my frustration at how fanfics often portray his character (i.e. as a generic bully with no depth). I wanted to include Icicle as well, since I don't often see her in fanfics--and when I do see her, it's usually so the fic can treat her badly. I had the writer itch, or drive, or whatever, and I wanted to explore these characters.

I also had the idea for the eldritch IceWing palace. The Shimmerspire Palace's nature was part of my AU's lore and I had always intended to explore it in a story, but it was hard for me to come up with something. In the end I decided to tie it with Winter and the Protector Coup, another event that occurs in my AU (more on that below).

I used some music while writing. I've found that music can be an excellent tone setter for writing scenes, although I tend to be very picky with my music--for instance, songs with lyrics are a hard no, since lyrics are very distracting for me personally.

Here are the music/tracks I used for the fic:

The score of Swan Lake and, to a lesser extent, The Nutcracker for the scenes that occur in the normal sections of the palace. I find the Swan Lake score in particular to be quite fitting for the IceWing aristocracy. The music is grandiose, perhaps wistful.

Prométhée Part 1a for the sequence when Winter first enters the strange parts of the palace up to him meeting Foeslayer. It's part of NaissanceE's soundtrack. This track is beautiful yet unsettling.

The Deep Listening album for subsequent scenes deep in the palace interior. These ambient tracks are unsettling and, at least to me, convey a sense of scale. These are also in NaissanceE's soundtrack.

I used part of the Scanner Sombre soundtrack for the scene where Winter and Foeslayer crawl into the tunnel beneath the memorial. Scanner Sombre is a 2017 game about exploring a cave using nothing but a scanner, and the track does an excellent job at conveying what claustrophobia feels like.

Now, let's go over the fic itself with my notes in hand.

First, Winter's characterization. I spent some time trying to figure out how I'd write him. In canon, we rarely see Winter on his home turf; most of the time he's out and about in Pyrrhia. The way I see it, Winter's jerk behavior is a mask of sorts that he projects to gain a sense of security. He blames himself for Hailstorm's capture, so he tries to hide how weak he sees himself as by putting on a big, mean, tough-guy persona. We don't really see any jerk moments from him while he's in the Ice Kingdom, which makes me think that he drops the persona whenever he's placed in a situation where such behavior would be considered deeply inappropriate.

In this AU, there is no feud between the IceWings and NightWings, because in canon it was essentially a poorly done race metaphor and I decided to nix it to avoid bad implications. In addition, Winter never went to Jade Mountain Academy--in this AU, it was a failed project that didn't account for the fact that no one would want to go to school with dragons who were their mortal enemies less than a year ago. The wounds were still too raw.

Anyways, in the fic Winter is also quite knowledgeable in various subjects, such as history and his High Speech studies. This is all stuff he learned to climb the rankings and to make up for his subpar fighting skills. Him reciting the list of queens was an opportunity to show how hard he's working to climb the rankings, and it also let me sneak in some worldbuilding.

While there are IceWing guards in canon, I decided to add an elite imperial guard that was in charge of protecting the palace and the royal family. Looks like they're not very good at doing the latter.

If you're wondering why Winter had to wait so long, it's because coups in general can get very chaotic. It took a while before Hoarfrost could get everything in place for his dramatic little skit.

The Protector Coup itself is another AU event. I'm not a fan of The Dangerous Gift, especially not the scene where Snowfall destroys the rankings and most dragons respond to it by clapping. Why would most IceWing aristocrats respond like that to the destruction of the bedrock of their society? Absolutely ridiculous. It's more likely that we'd see a coup occur pretty much immediately.

Here's a little secret for you: Hoarfrost had actually been planning a coup for months, but seized the opportunity to depose Snowfall after she destroyed the rankings. Now he could definitively say he was doing it because of how utterly unfit Snowfall was to be queen. While Hoarfrost is doing it for the power, Taiga sees it more as a necessary evil. She's convinced that if Snowfall is queen for any longer, she'll destabilize the country.

Snowfall still destroys the rankings and the Great Ice Cliff in this AU, but there's no gift of vision (or, as I like to call it, the torture ring) that influences her here. So why did she destroy two animus gifts? That's something I might answer in another fic. Or not. I'll just say for now that it's related to Snowfall's PTSD.

You may have noticed that I changed the names of some countries in this fic, which I did because frankly, "Ice Kingdom" is just incredibly boring. "The Iceshard Hierarchy" is not only more distinct, but the name itself tells you something about the country's principles and how it sees itself.

In my AU, the High Speech works a bit like Latin: it's not spoken anymore, but it's still a prestige language that every dragonet in the Circles has to learn, ostensibly so they can read thousand-year-old archival documents. Translation is for suckers. Many aristocrats like Hoarfrost occasionally drop into High Speech for prestige/pretension points. I also wanted to add a sense of age, the sense that the IceWing aristocracy was very old, and I figured that introducing an extinct language was a good way to go about it.

Something else you may have noticed is Winter's comment that animus magic is "notoriously difficult to work with and [is] prone to error and misinterpretation." Animus magic works a bit differently in my AU, being more like a "soft" magic system that is difficult to shape to the caster's desires. You don't really see much of that in this fic except for, you know, the eldritch palace.

So. For those of you with the burning question, Is the palace alive like Winter thinks it is? Well, I have a definitive answer for you.

Yes.

Winter says the twins who made the palace died shortly after making their gift, but this isn't technically true. It would be more accurate to say that the animus twins (whose names are Quartz and Shimmer, by the way), disappeared after casting the spell and were presumed dead. However, my AU's animus magic operates by Fullmetal Alchemist rules in that you cannot create life from nothing; you have to use something that's already alive. I'll let you connect the dots from there. As a bonus, this also answers the "is the palace self-aware?" question posed by Foeslayer when she and Winter find the monument.

Speaking of Foeslayer, her introduction in my fic is very different from how she meets Winter in canon. For one, the nature of the enchantment that Diamond placed on her is much more horrifying! I decided to include Foeslayer in the fic because I didn't want Winter wandering through the eldritch palace by himself; that wouldn't be very interesting, and I knew I needed another dragon that Winter could talk to. I figured Foeslayer would be a good option.

The problem was, the nature of Foeslayer's enchantment in canon was extremely specific and didn't fit the rules of animus magic in my AU. I had to change it while keeping the spirit of the enchantment. So I thought to myself, "What is the most spiteful, petty thing Diamond can do to Foeslayer?" And I came up with "How about taking away her body autonomy while making sure she can't die?" And this is how I came up with mannequin Foeslayer.

This is how I imagine it went: After capturing Foeslayer, Diamond kept her around as a punching bag. Around this time Diamond also had lots of dragons who didn't like her style of leadership or that she had petty vendettas against, so she had these dragons locked up in the IceWing palace. Once these prisons were full, she realized she could feed these dragons to the bowels of the palace and never have to worry about them again. She got bored of Foeslayer and threw her into the deep interior as well, making sure to shred her wings so she couldn't leave by flying out the exit. And there Foeslayer remained for two thousand years.

When she meets Winter, Foeslayer says she had nearly forgotten how to think. Given how long she was down there by herself, no wonder. This also doubles as a JoJo reference.

Winter being able to understand her thousand-year-old language is both foreshadowed (when Hoarfrost spoke in High Speech) and serves as a worldbuilding element. Again, I use the High Speech to indicate age, but this time it's to show that Foeslayer speaks a long-dead language.

Foeslayer at one point says "longer than you think." This is a reference to Emesis Blue, a 2023 web horror film that is a dark reimagining of the lore of Team Fortress 2. The same phrase is repeated throughout the movie. In Emesis Blue proper the line references Stephen King's 1981 short story The Jaunt. References within references! Fun! Little does Winter know, Foeslayer has been alive for two thousand years, and she's been conscious the whole time, unlike in canon. She spent an eternity in there.

In case you're wondering why Foeslayer gave a fake name, it's because she was rather infamous in her own time, having eloped with a prince and all. She didn't want anyone to recognize her, because she'd rather just put all that behind her. The name "Discretion" comes from one of the NightWing diplomats in Runaway.

The part where Winter talks about his life was a tricky one. I kept going back and forth between writing out what Winter says as opposed to just telling the readers. I eventually settled on the latter since explaining Winter's character to people already familiar with him would be repetitive, but it wasn't an easy choice to make.

The panic attack scene was also tricky for me to write, but for a different reason--I've only experienced one panic attack in my whole life. Luckily there are lots of blog posts about what a panic attack feels like (thank you so much internet), and I think the scene turned out fairly well.

Given the mental and physical exhaustion that comes after a panic attack, I needed a scene where the characters could unwind. After some thought I settled on Foeslayer asking to hug Winter, sort of as a found-family thing. While Winter in this fic has an arc about learning to be himself and throw off the weight of the expectations placed on him, Foeslayer also has a mini-arc about learning to be a mother again. Having a mass murderer for a son and 2000 years with nothing but your thoughts for company tends to make you introspective. Winter needed a mother figure to support him, eventually allowing him to support himself, and Foeslayer needed a son figure after... you know. Foeslayer gets a do-over like in canon, but it's with Winter instead of her mind-wiped mass murderer son. The whole Peacemaker thing just never sat right with me, but then, I consider mind-wiping to be pretty heinous in general.

Hopefully you enjoyed the hugging scene as much as I enjoyed writing it. Warm fuzzy feelings for everyone!

Okay, now to the escape scene where Winter feels like he's being chased. This part is another shout-out to Emesis Blue, specifically the scene near the end where Soldier is running from an unseen creature that may or may not be a hallucination. If you're wondering what the Watsonian explanation for this scene is, I'll tell you that the palace feels bad about Winter and Foeslayer leaving. :(

Icicle in this AU really likes ruby earrings. They represent the blood of the Hierarchy's enemies.

Alrighty, now for the fun part: my breakdown/explanation of Icicle's character! In canon it's very clear that Icicle doesn't care for Winter, and the only dragon she seems to truly respect is Hailstorm. I extrapolated that Icicle has a personal honor code that she adheres to rigorously, one based around her view of strength. She sees herself as the ideal IceWing aristocrat: regal, intelligent, and deadly. Anyone who can meet her standards have earned her respect, perhaps even admiration and love; anyone who doesn't she views with nothing but contempt. I think Icicle's little monologue in the fic explains pretty much everything else about her character.

I think automatons warrant a quick mention. Automatons have been around for thousands of years, and during the early modern period were capable of complex tasks such as drawing pictures and playing chess (similar to what Winter knows automatons are capable of). Fans of The Magnus Archive will be familiar with the Mechanical Turk, which was actually operated by a human during chess matches.

Winter's metaphor of society fitting him into a mold is a nod to the manga short The Enigma of Amigara Fault. There's an excellent video that breaks down the cultural context behind the story, which can be found here.

And my final note for the story: The phrase "the cold does not forgive mistakes" originates from the Jacob Geller video essay "Fear of Cold," which can be found here. An excellent video about... pretty much exactly what it sounds like.

Thanks for reading my fanfic annotations. If you have a burning question about "Duties" that wasn't answered here, feel free to send me an ask.

#fanfiction #wings of fire #wof #wof winter #wof foeslayer #wof icicle #wof au #bloodbright au #writing #eyes of a writer #wof fanfic

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ladyhoneydee · 6 months

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30 Day Song(fic) Challenge: Day 10

Good evening! I'm officially a third of the way through this challenge, and I have to say, I am learning a lot. I'm also writing more varied ships than I ever have before, which is super fun!

Today's prompt for my Song(fic) Challenge was "A song you never get tired of", for which there could only ever be one true contender. You see, back in the summer of 2018, I had a phase where I listened to the song "As the World Falls Down" by David Bowie (from the movie Labyrinth) on repeat for literally hours every day for months straight. It was ridiculous, and it proved that I truly could never get tired of that song.

A note on this one! In this fic, Sheik is genderfluid. I am not genderfluid myself, so if my characterization is off or in some way disrespectful, please feel free to give concrit in the comments!

A Love that Lasts a Lifetime

Game: Ocarina of Time, post-canon, adult timeline

Pairing: Sheik/Malon

Word Count: 1525

Keywords: romance, yearning while dancing, angst

Jagged breaths puffed into Malon’s face, blowing back the flyaways that had come free of her crown of braids. Tears tracked down Sheik’s own cheeks. Malon wanted more than anything to wipe them away, but the terror that breaking from their dance would shatter the moment kept her frozen in their slow spiral. “You can give me a love that lasts a lifetime,” Sheik whispered.

Read the fic on Ao3, or under the cut!

It was the fourth ball in as many moons. Malon would’ve thought the expense extravagant, overly-indulgent, but Sheik had been putting twice as much of the royal coffers—what remained of them, anyway—into helping the people with evacuations, building a new fleet of ships so each town could have at least one, and providing provisions for any citizen, regardless of whether or not they planned to flee Hyrule. She’d asked Sheik, during a break between breathless reels during the third ball, why he was putting so much effort towards such frivolous things.

“Because the people have so little to hope for, and so little time remaining before their lives change forever. I want to give them something frivolous and dazzling to look forward to and enjoy.”

His sentiment was beautiful, the words altruistic. But Malon knew they were at least partially fueled by guilt. Because on another evening, when Malon and Sheik had sat beside one another on a castle balcony in their nightgowns, on a rare night between rainstorms, she had told Malon that it was her fault. That the goddesses were flooding the world because there was no hero. And that there was no hero because she had sent him back in time.

The words had poured out through helpless sobs. All Sheik had wanted at the time was to let her lover escape the trauma he’d been put through in this broken Hyrule, to free him from the yoke of rebuilding after everything else he’d done. She’d thought that evil surely wouldn’t rise again in her lifetime; after everything, it ought to have been sealed away for a generation or more, and the worst she’d have to deal with would be the desperate poverty of the citizenry and her own lack of political training.

And yet, here they were, with darkness, and the water sent to quench it, already rising.

And here Malon was, holding Sheik in her arms as they danced.

Hyrule’s leader was stunning that night. Malon had always thought so, even when Sheik was nothing more to her than a skinny sixteen-year-old boy, knocking on the barn door with an offer to trade news of the world outside the farm’s fences for milk and company. Now, as the de facto leader of their broken kingdom—although not the Queen, never the Queen, or King for that matter—spun out from Malon and back, the sea foam green of her last remaining dress contrasting beautifully against her strawberry blonde hair.

Malon just had to pretend not to notice the irony of the watery dress swirling around Sheik’s ankles like the incoming tide, and the moment would be perfect.

The band was little more than a wind quintet, with the addition of a single frazzled percussionist trying to cover every part at once. The size of each ensemble had dwindled alongside the elegance of the decor and the number of attendees. That evening’s ball had only the ballroom’s intrinsic architectural opulence and majesty to dazzle its few dozen guests—a far cry from the first, which had been packed to the brim with hundreds of attendees from every possible background.

As if reading her thoughts—or perhaps simply following Malon’s gaze around the room—Sheik murmured, “My father would be so ashamed, if he could see where we are now.”

Malon’s hand clenched on Sheik’s waist for a nearly imperceptible moment. “Your father could do no better than you have, put in the same situation. And if he tried to judge you for your kindness and persistence, I would be the first to throw him out.”

Sheik laughed lowly, and then sighed. “Perhaps you’re right. It does no good to dwell on it, regardless.”

Mirrored by dancing couples all around, she dipped Malon back, and gently pulled her back upright. Through it all, Malon couldn’t look away from Sheik’s eyes. One blue, one red. Two priceless jewels, gleaming with melancholy.

Malon couldn’t remember a time Sheik’s eyes hadn’t held that reserved sadness. At their first meeting, she had imagined it to be loneliness; after learning of Sheik’s true identity, she’d thought it loss; when Sheik had crumpled into her arms with the weeping words that Link was gone, never to return, she’d known it heartbreak; as he received the first dream from the goddesses of what was to come, she’d seen it to be despair. And through all the shades of Sheik’s sadness, Malon stayed by their side: first as an uncommon companion, then as a loyal confidante, and later, as the years passed, as an unspoken beau.

To love Sheik was to hold their sadness in the palm of your hand, and offer them a warm place to store their smiles.

The dancers paused, upright, to applaud as the sextet finished the piece. They truly were talented. Malon wasn’t sure why they had decided to go down with the ship of their kingdom—or at least remain with it even this far into the flooding—rather than boarding one that could keep them safe, but she found herself grateful for their choice.

The string bass thrummed them into a waltz. Or perhaps merely an odd slow dance—the tempo was slow and measured, the sound dreamy, but Malon counted four beats to a measure rather than the standard three.

Whatever it was, she liked it. If she were a song, she’d be an odd one, too.

She felt Sheik draw closer. “You’re humming. Did you know?”

Malon had not.

“It’s charming. I love your musicality.” Sheik paused, and added, wistfully, “It’s been a very long time since I heard you sing.”

“Has it?” Malon was shocked. Was she really so departed from the girl who would sing in the horse pastures every night until the moon was high overhead? “I like singing for you. You would only need to ask.”

“That’s precisely why I haven’t. How could I ask for more than you’ve already given me?”

The melancholy in Sheik’s gaze was stronger now, mixed with something Malon feared to name, and ached for in equal measure. It was a knife twisting below her ribs, the caress of a feather on her cheek.

They’d been dancing around far more than a ballroom for so long.

Malon took a breath, and felt it catch in the tightness of her throat. “You know, they say the moon controls the tides.”

Sheik’s brows furrowed in amused puzzlement at the non sequitur. “I have heard that, yes.” She paused, and her mouth twisted wry and razor-sharp. “Do you think the moon is the one doing the goddess’s bidding, hailing the Flood?”

Dammit, that was not what Malon was trying to lead to. “If it is, it’s a traitor.”

Sheik’s responding hum was light and noncommittal. Malon could have screamed. Instead, she smiled, and effortlessly switched the flow of their movements so she was the one leading their dance. Sheik’s lips curved in surprise, and then affection.

With Malon in the lead, she widened their circle until they were at the very edge of the room, beside the glass doors that would lead to the balcony, if they hadn’t been closed against yet another torrential downpour. The sound of the rain was louder here, blending into the slow sweetness of the band. It offered cover for any lovers who wished to whisper amongst themselves.

“I would give you the moon, if I could,” Malon murmured.

Sheik’s eyes widened. “Malon…”

“Please, Sheik, don’t you think we’ve kept it to ourselves long enough?”

“I…” Her expression was conflicted, but Sheik didn’t argue. Malon forged ahead.

“I know you feel responsible for all of this, and that you believe you deserve nothing good or beautiful yourself, even as you do your best to ensure it for everyone else. I won’t take your guilt from you—that’s yours to do what you will with. But I would give you everything, if I could. Golden mornings, if I could chase away the rain. The stars themselves, if I had the strength to pull them down.” She took a steadying breath. “More than anything, I want to give you a love that will last. It breaks my heart that we…that we won’t…”

She couldn’t eke out any further words beyond the boulder weighing heavily in her throat.

The length of Sheik’s body brushed hers, and clung close. She felt her arms wrap more securely around her waist and back. The sensations lit up her nerves like kindling, and yet she could spare them hardly a moment of attention, because Sheik had just leaned her forehead against Malon’s own.

“You can give me a love that lasts a lifetime,” Sheik whispered.

Joy, joy that strummed her heartstrings until they twinged and broke. She knew what Sheik was offering. She knew what they would never be allowed to give.

She broke the dance.

“Until the world falls down.”

Lips locked in the rain-streaked night.

#loz #ocarina of time #oot #malon/sheik #malon x sheik #fanfic #my fanfiction #30 day song(fic) challenge #masheik

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tarnishedxknight · 3 days

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Muse Playlists (MCU Verse)

{out of dalmasca} Expanding this headcanon post, here are some of the songs off of my muse's playlists in their MCU verses. These aren't my own "theme songs" for them, they're songs that they would have added to their playlists because they like them, they made them feel a certain way, they reminded them of someone, or the lyrics spoke to them in some way. Most of these refer only for canon characters, unless it could apply to any of a muse's ships. Assume that this is before or separate from ships with modern muses, since I'm just going with the basic core muses when they first arrive in modern times. If it does refer to ships with modern muses, I'll mention that.

BASCH

"Savin' Me" by Nickelback (This song reminds him of being in Nalbina Dungeon and thinking of Ashe, not being able to get to her, and feeling like he failed her, but hoping she could someday see the good in him and help him to redeem himself.)

"All Of This Past" by Sam Bettens (This song makes him reflect on the new life he has now, but also his emotional ties to the past. It helps him to live with the emotions that come with not being able to let go of who and what he's lost, and then continue to try to move on.)

"Hero" by Nickelback (Basch uses this song to bolster himself when he feels like he isn't doing enough or that he isn't good enough. Ironically, he does so because he doesn't see himself as a hero at all, and he identifies with the person singing, who is basically like... I'm not a hero but this is what I have to offer. Basch feels the same way.)

"Do What You Have To Do" by Sarah McLachlan (This reminds him of his unrequited love for Ashelia and how he feels restricted by their code/culture, but also of his duty to her and his genuine admiration/care of her as far as enabling her to achieve her own goals. And yet he knows that now all of that is going to change now that he's in modern times, and he has to learn how to let her go.)

"Fly Farther" by Jars of Clay (This is relationship goals for Basch. This is exactly the kind of fairytale love and devotion he wants but doesn't think he can ever have. The song makes him sad but also he thinks it's beautiful.)

"Let Her Go" by Passenger feat. Ed Sheeran (This is another song that reminds him of his unrequited love for Ashelia.)

"Broken Pieces" by Andy Black (This song reminds Basch of his own personal philosophy in life, that the world is cruel and life is hard, but there's always a reason to love and hope.)

"Dust Bowl Dance" by Mumford & Sons (This song takes Basch back to Landis, to losing everything, and to Noah's anger. The angrier parts of the song make him think of his brother's anger towards him, and the guiltier parts, himself. It makes him nostalgic, but in a sad way, because he knows he lost very important things at 16, including his brother, and he knows it was partially his fault. He didn't destroy Landis, but he helped to sour Noah to the world, and that's a heavy burden of guilt for Basch to bear.)

ASHELIA

"Fear" by Sarah McLachlan (This makes Ashe think about her place in the world now, because everything she knew is gone, and all the context of what she thought made her important as a person is also gone. It's a new beginning, and that has a lot of promise, but it's also frightening for her. She's afraid she doesn't have enough to give this new world. It would be so easy to give up, but she's not going to. This song makes her sad, but it also helps to feel like she's not alone in her thoughts.)

"Walking on Air" by Kerli (Ashe likes this chick Kerli, haha. Like, she likes her style a lot. But beyond that, this is a motivational song for her. She can do anything she sets her mind to, overcome anything, if she just believes in herself. Also, the metaphor in the video at the end of being a "puppet" and losing freedom is one that is not lost on her. She's felt very much controlled and directed her whole life and would like to break out of that, to be free.)

"Carousel" Melanie Martinez (This song for Ashe is all about confusion in love. Her feelings for Basch, or for any other muses she ends up being shipped with, are ones she wrestles with at first. She's been told they're wrong or been made to feel that they're inappropriate, and that has left her with no idea of how to go about love, heh. Like... how do you even confess to someone, or court them, or... anything? XD She wants what she wants but also still feels inclined to adhere to her culture and what she's been taught. This song speaks to that battle between uncertainty and desire within her.)

"Rabbit Heart" by Florence + The Machine (This is another motivational song for Ashe. She feels lost in this new time period, she's exhausted and confused, but she has to... well, put on her big-girl pants, heh, and not fold in on herself. She has to become stronger for this experience, not weaker.)

"Giving In To The Love" by Aurora (Ashelia absolutely adores this song. It makes her smile, it makes her laugh, it makes her want to just get up and dance to it. The lyrics really speak to her, like, "I'm tired of the rules and your corrections, I want to live my life, be all of its pages, and underline that I am not an angel," and particularly, "'Cause if I'm not pure, I guess that I'm too much," combined with Aurora's little cheeky smile. Feeling like almost a commodity to be married off has been something Ashe really struggled with in Dalmasca, so seeing someone so triumphantly tossing aside that notion really makes her happy. And the chorus, "If I'll be somebody, I'll never let my skin decide it for me," is big with Ashe, because being of Dynast blood with pale skin, hair, and stone gray eyes has defined her in the eyes of others from birth. While she is proud of her history and heritage, she doesn't want those things to be what people judge her on or for them to be all people see when they look at her. Also, the theme of "giving into the love," becomes especially important to her after her ship with @starcchild's Carter, or in their polycule with Basch.)

"Your Blood" by Aurora (This is another song that makes Ashe contemplate her "blood," what is means, how much it really impacts her life, and who she is outside of being a princess, a Dynast King descendant, and a royal, because none of that matters now that she's in modern times. She uses this song to meditate on who she wants to be now.)

"Who Am I Living For?" by Katy Perry (This song reminds her of her old mindest and where her mind was at during the war in Ivalice. It's nostalgic, but sad, because none of that matters anymore. But she's having trouble leaving it behind, so sometimes she needs to just let her mind wander back there and wonder what might have happened and what could have been.)

"Field of Innocence" by Evanescence (This song makes her cry, but it's cathartic, and sometimes she just needs to. Sometimes this song for her is about her loss of innocence with what happened with Vossler, sometimes it's about being a happy child and then growing up amidst death and war, and sometimes it's just her wanting to go back to a simpler time and a happier, more oblivious existence because she feels overwhelmed.)

(Also, side note, she has watched this clip of an angry desert rain frog a hundred times, she will show it to whomever is willing to watch it, and when she watches it, she giggles like an idiot. It makes her happy for some reason and it's absolutely saved somewhere so she can watch it whenever she feels sad.)

NOAH

"Ashes" by Claire Guerreso (Whenever his grief gets to be too much, Noah uses this song to help him cry and to remember Drace, before she too was yeeted to modern times. But the lyrics really hit to the heart of what she was to him... his north star, his compass, and he lost his way when he lost her.)

"5173" by Kevin Hastings (This is good training and motivational song for Noah that gets the blood pumping, but it also reminds him of his anger at Vayne and Basch, and how things went down back in Ivalice, which in his mind is still very much unresolved. He never got closure to any of that, and he can't let it go, but he has to find a way to move on regardless.)

"Forty-Six & 2" by Tool (This is another motivational song for him, about shedding skin and stepping through from shadow. It's about metamorphosis, and Noah knows he has to change and adapt if he's going to survive in this new world.)

"Forty-Six & 2" by Tool (O'Keefe Music Foundation Cover) (The same song as the last one, but... yes he'd have this version of it on his playlist too, heh. He's very impressed by these kids and thinks they did a wonderful job with this. He hopes they're living their best lives.)

"Far Behind" by Candlebox (This is a song he listens to when he's thinking about Basch. He feels badly for what he's done to him, but he also can't let go of the past and what Basch did to him either. Sometimes he listens to this song when he's feeling really angry, but just as often he'll just listen to it and cry because deep down, he misses Basch and wishes things could have been different. He's just not willing to ever express that to anyone, though.)

"My Little Box" by John Frizzell (Strangely enough, sometimes Noah just needs to sit and be angry or cry about Amoretta. What she did to him, how she treated him, how he made her feel... and what ultimately happened to her. He bottles a lot of it up most often, so every now and then he needs to get it all out, and this song helps him do that. "My little box was perfect, before you destroyed it all" is a line that particularly speaks to him. Ironically, the little box, a metaphor for the safety of his own mind, becomes the weapon he used against her in the end when he unleashed his rage upon her. That's what he thinks about when he hears the lyrics, "Feeling claustrophobic, now my world is closing in. Subtle retribution... Where I am, and where I've been. I'll take you to a place you never knew could be. Curled up... in my little box." Also, the "cradle falls, unholy walls" metaphor for loss of innocence and terrible things done behind closed doors was not lost on him.)

"Break In" by Lizzy Hale of Halestorm feat. Amy Lee of Evanescence (This is a shipping song for Noah, like... Whether it's with Drace, @mxrvelouscreations's Leah, or @illbringthechaosmagic's Wanda, this is what it's like to be in a relationship with Noah. He's so closed off, but if he loves and trusts you, he wants you to break in. And if you do, he'd be forever loyal to you for it. Like, he has such respect for those who even can love him, and he's grateful to those who treat him well, because not many have in his life. He listens to this song when he's feeling happy about whatever relationship he's in at the time. ~Also these two ladies are badass and I love them so much. I have a couple of funny/cool anecdotes about this duet/song if anyone wants to hear them, lol, I just didn't wanna blab about it here.)

"In My Arms" by Plumb (Like that other song up there for Drace, Noah listens to this song when he needs to grieve for and cry about Larsa. He's just gotta get it out sometimes, or it builds up and really messes with him in terrible ways. He'll literally just sit in his private quarters, get very drunk, and sob about his son while listening to this song.)

"Wish That You Were Here" by Florence + The Machine (This is another grieving song for both Drace and Larsa, particularly remembering them, being afraid of losing those memories, and of forgetting what they look like. And just the fact that even the good memories are painful for him now. This song makes him just break down. Getting drunk usually follows. )

"I Don't Care" by Apocalyptica feat. Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace (This song for Noah is about how frustrated he is with Basch and how angry he wants to remain at him. He listens to this when he's trying to emotionally distance himself from Basch because, deep down, he's afraid of getting hurt if he forgives him or gets closer to him.)

DRACE

"Again" by Flyleaf (The lyrics of this song represent for her how she feels about Noah. The line, "You're so close to me that you nearly died," takes on new meaning for her once she learns of her fate in Noah's timeline.)

"Frozen" by Madonna (This for her is a bit of an unrequited love song. Not that Noah doesn't love her, but she feels like... he lets his anger and other things really get in the way of what could be an even better relationship than it is now. Even though she knows Noah cares about her, she always feels like he keeps her at arm's length, and like she has to beg for his affection and attention... which she then doesn't do because she doesn't want to pressure him. But deep down, it's frustrating and upsetting for her. This song speaks to those emotions for her.)

"Live To Tell" by Madonna (This song... really spoke to Drace after she learned about her fate back home, about what Vayne did and how he used Larsa to lure her, and her to really hurt Noah. It wasn't like she was innocent or ignorant to the den of vipers she was in in Archadia, but she didn't quite ever think Vayne would go that far, and she was dead wrong. Literally. That knowledge has changed her forever, and she won't be so foolish or easily provoked in the future. At the same time, she doesn't want to just... give up a life of being a public servant now that she's in this time. She just couldn't do that, it's too much a part of her. So that's what keeps her going.)

"Fragile" by Kerli (This song hits hard for Drace. What people see of her is not really how she is on the inside. She's a lot softer and easily hurt than she lets on. She puts forth a strong and almost regal front, and she definitely is a strong person, but that's only a part of who she is. She has feelings that can be hurt too, and people don't often see that. They think she's cold or aloof or apathetic, but she actually feels everything intensely, she just doesn't express it. But this judgement of her character happened in Archadia and now it's happening again with the Avengers, and it does hurt her feelings. Not that she'd ever show it.)

"Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel (Disturbed Cover) (Okay first of all, Drace just thinks this song is intense in all the right ways. She just likes it. But it also speaks to her as someone who used to be in a position of power over the masses, and who saw firsthand how everyday people go about their lives rather obliviously and often will place their faith in false or unreliable things. What struck her about this song is that, in listening to someone of this time period singing about these sorts of things, she realizes that not much has changed with regard to human nature between Ivalice and now.)

"Don't Give In" by Snow Patrol (This is a motivational and/or training song for Drace. It reminds her not to get bogged down in sadness at losing her former life and to keep going, to find new meaning in her new life. She was made to be a public servant and protector, it's part of her identity, and she knows she needs to rely on that and be true to herself. The line, "Don't fall in love with the way things were. It'll fuck up your mind," really hits hard for her.)

"Give Unto Me" by Evanescence (This song, like the other one up there, is a song about Drace wishing she could be/mean more to Noah, mostly because she loves him so much there isn't much she wouldn't do for him. Sometimes she can see that he's hurting but she doesn't want to force the issue of him letting her in. Waiting for him to always come to her, however, makes her sad when he chooses to simply shoulder things alone. Whereas the other song was more about expressing frustration for her, this one is about expressing sadness over the situation.)

"Hope" by Apocalyptica (Drace just thinks this song is totally badass, haha. It's a great training song and really gets her in the mood to do so.)

#{ out of dalmasca } ᵒᵒᶜ #{ muse music }#tw: alcohol abuse #tw: death #tw: grief

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insecuregodcomplex · 1 year

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tsats theories before i actually read it

this is solely for me to put all my thoughts in one place (kind of like a bingo board), feel free to interact with it though if you’d like

disclaimer: i've read the leaked preview and seen the video of rick showing the book off

i'm planning on:

trogs are definitely coming back, nico mentions their help because hades has forbidden him going to the voice in ToN and also there's this from the preview (x)

nico will at least have to acknowledge his solo tartarus trip which will make me yell and scream i hope he gets to share details of how fuckin horrible it was alone and without the mist ok (x)

general theories

maybe it's not Bob who wants out, maybe it's someone else (Michael Yew?) (x)

helm of darkness appearance (x)

parallels to HoH scene (i have read the first five so like i do know about the cupid reference but i also mean the other parts included in the reblog here x)

because we know we're getting information about will and nico getting together, could the marked flashback chapter(s?) have something to do with that?? (x)

Mark and that character they said deserved more attention (? I’m butchering the quote probably) — Michael Yew and Ethan Nakamura are my top candidates for that but much moreso expecting and hoping for Michael Yew

the idea of Nico telling the truth to will makes me excited and nervous…just had a thought about what if it’s like. the truth of how deep his self hatred goes/how scared he was/etc?? ouch (continuation of the HoH post)

so when I read the leaked preview I had this idea — Nico dreaming in shadows maybe is Styx, and then his mom would be his lifeline. Her calling to him would be her going to tell him to let go/move on/move forward and leave his past behind him...which would be something of equal/important value as Bob the Titan. Like Nico’s whole backstory/life/who he was. — and leaving Nico’s memories has definitely been tossed around at least, and I’d be curious if my first theory for this book was realized at all

i'm hoping for

acknowledgement of will losing siblings, other campers too but will siblings <3 Michael Yew love u (river acheron post)

Nico (and Will) and Small Bob (comic of this)

will not keeping his shit together (x)

partially prompted by Percy saying this in SOH I hope there’s a Melinoe feature especially to explore both Will and Nico’s ghosts

some sort of nod/s to will and Nico knowing of each other before they got together (like the Apollo cabin fighting with the Ares cabin in TLO, callbacks and their POVs on stuff like that)

Solangelo/Hades interaction (would also love any apollo feature and can't decide if TOA makes me think it's more or less likely to happen)

i'm excited by the idea of:

will getting injured and talking nico through how to save him (from this post)

similarly -- "character seeing their SO being fatally wounded and reacting" (see: "will's grip was very weak") (tagged this post as TSATS)

michael yew dream sequence!!!! (x) (as i tagged in that post...maybe what nico has to tell will the truth for?)

reverse octavian situation, where will says someone can't be saved type of thing (x)

learning more about will's tattoo and maybe the reason(s) for getting it (x)

"let me see Nico cross the border of life and death only to emerge then as the most stunning, gorgeous existence this universe has to offer...Or Will. The sun is a star anyway. I'm not picky about it." from this post

will being afraid of snakes (this post)

simply characters talking about being queer!!! would love piper to be in this <3

potentially bianca didn’t go for rebirth and was just hiding from Nico trying to bring her back (in TSON he says that’s what he was doing when he found Hazel)

i wonder if...

Rachel says the prophecy has repeated itself twelve times and how twelve is an important number for Olympus and the Doors of Death (mine)

georgina parentage confirmed at all? (x)

also seeing as we're going to learn about how they got together...if anyone wants to read either of my two fics about it lmk lol they’re on ao3

#tsats takes #tsats ideas #tsats potential spoilers #tsats spoilers #tsats #the sun and the star potential spoilers

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sporesgalaxy · 1 year

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hii there!! i hope u dont mind me asking but like. okay im also really really looking to go into biology- mainly because i love the study of life/organisms so much, and ultimately i'd love to become a paleontologist... however, looking at most of the tracks in colleges (which i've already signed up for), a lot of math and chemistry are involved. i Really struggle with these subjects so i want to ask, if you happen to have any knowledge- are these really intense or as daunting as they seem? i dont see myself doing any sort of job that involves like.. complex algebra equations (im aware things like statistics are important), but i know i've got to get through some of these to do what i want in life. ty if you have any info and ive loooved ur recent bio posts im eating them like an anteater

Well! Unfortunately, I don't have an easy answer for you. It really depends on the teacher you get, how the cirriculum is covered, and why you struggled with these subjects.

It might be a good idea to check out the ratemyprofessor entries for the prof.s teaching these subjects at the school(s) you're looking at, to try and get an idea if they're teavhing style could work for you.

I'll tell you what my experience was like as someone who struggled with those subjects too, and hopefully it will give you a better idea of what to expect.

I struggled with math throughout elementary, middle, and high school because of undiagnosed ADHD and anxiety. I often found myself thinking that I'd be doing better if I didn't have to do so manh repetetive problems.

I found my college math classes to be much more manageable by comparison. My professors tended to assign fewer repetetive questions, and there was more variety in the way concepts were applied, which kept me engaged with the work so I wasn't constantly losing my train of thought. But there are a lot of other professors in the world, so that may not be the case everywhere.

Another game changer for me was that many college math professors OFFER PARTIAL CREDIT. If I set everything up properly but pressed the wrong button on my calculator, many professors I had would consider my answer MOSTLY correct.

ALSO: All the math classes I had to take allowed (specific types of) calculators on the exams. I suck ass at basic multiplication but I can set up a hugeass equation like a CHAMP so that was a HUGE help for me.

A lot of math in biology is used for statistics and for determining how things are changing when you study them. I generally found the math needed for biology (and physics) easier to understand than more abstract algebraic equations because I could apply it to real-world situations and intuit approximately what would happen from my own experience. i.e. an exponentially increasing population... the curve looks the way it does on a graph because there are more reproductive individuals reproducing each generation, so the line will go up by a greater amount eith each unit of time that passes. Sorry I couldn't think of a clearer example.

I only took one chemistry class in high school, which I struggled in, and I unfortunately continued to struggle in college. I'm still not entirely sure what didn't click with me, to be honest. It just felt like I could never quite grasp all the factors and rules in my mind at once. It may have been anxiety, which I could only have solved by medicating myself sooner or exposure therapy via a lot more studying (didn't happen because I tend to avoid my stressors compulsively).

I had to retake all but one chemistry class that was required for my degree. I was never quite sure if the professors for summer chem classes just clicked with me more, or if going over the material a second time was what I needed. Once again though, you may be able to recieve partial credit in chem classes. In my experience, chemistry classes were more test-focused than homework-focused, and I often found myself wishing I had more homework to practice on, so finding additional study resources may be your best bet. I used Chemistry Libretexts a lot...

BUT ON THE FLIPSIDE: I had to retake, like, 3 different chemistry classes. I STILL GOT MY DEGREE THOUGH! I sucked a bit but I survived it! Keeping high grades in your electives can help keep your gpa where the college requires it to be for you to graduate.

#asks

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kittrrrr · 2 years

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Inktobertale (16)

I think that not all of the Inktobertale posts say the same thing for the title. I might fix that sometime. Ink takes backseat, & it's not very original, but it's a double drabble, and I'm question my decision to post this on Tumblr at this hour, but here you go? Also, pretty sure this is stream of couniness, right here in the notes, and there on the page. ======

Dream was cold. So cold. He could feel everything. Not just the lingering emotions in his AU, but emotions everywhere. So many were positive, but so many were negative, too. Nightmare- No, Nighty, that creature couldn't possibly be his brother, at least anymore- had taught Dream of a balance. He could feel it now. He was so cold. So cold. Positive emotions could not touch him, free him in his special hell. Or maybe it was purgatory. The multiverse was kind enough that Dream was in and out of counsiness. He could feel his wakefulness fading, and while Dream normally didn't fight it, this time he did. There was a twisted hope that something might happen. He knew it wasn't likely, but he could hope, couldn't he? He'd thought that he'd lost any sort of hope long ago. Why did this feel different? Oh. The stature. Dream felt it break and crack.

He stumbled out of the husk that was left, grateful to be able to move again, but not used to it. How? This was the question that was on the front of Dream's mind. He looked around. Dreamtale was a husk of itself, just like Nighty. The sky was grey, the sun was dimmer than the moon, and dust, decay and death floated through the air. What caught Dream's attention was a figure that was maybe two Dreams tall. He might not have been such a sight in the Dreamtale of old, but here in the ruins he was quiet out of place. He wore a sash full of colorful dye, and his eyelights changed every moment. Dream was interested by the skeleton. He thought that only him and Nighty were the only skeletons.

He said something that Dream didn't understand. It sounded a lot like a language that Nighty had told him about, but the only words Dream recognized were name and ink. Ink must be the name of the skeleton standing in front of him. Dream was shaken out of his stupor when the figure offered his hand to him. Be polite, Dream thought, and grabbed Ink's hand. Ink helped the child up. Dream introduced himself, but realized that the skeleton couldn't understand him either. Ink grabbed his hand and pulled him through a doorway looking thing, like the one that Dream vaguely recalled Nightmare left through. Dream braced himself when he went through it. Dream barely had time to look around his new, brighter surrounding before-

-Present

"Dream! Dream!" Dream opened his socket and looked around. He was in a council meeting, and the council members were waiting for his report. He'd fallen asleep. "Dream, you fell asleep!" The skeleton who woke him was a Flower, a delicate light green skeleton from a random AU.

"Oh, sorry." Dream launched into his report, unaware of Ink's studying of him. Maybe he knew what memory he'd been reliving inside of his dreams. Or maybe Ink had decided that the yellow skeleton was the most interesting thing in the, frankly, dull room.

Cross had been sitting in the council room for what felt like ages. It was monotonous, and Cross knew monotones. His AU had been majorly black-and-white, after all. He wished that he could fall asleep like Dream, but he knew that he should be paying attention, and that was enough to keep him awake. Oh, the woes of a former royal guard. It didn't stop his attention from wandering. As his stare wandered the room, it landed on Ink. Cross had a complicated relationship with Ink.

It had been another normal tedious day in the void that was all that was left of XTale. Chara hadn't shut up in ages. They tried to engage with conversation with Cross, and most of the time he indulged. It wasn't like he had anything better to do. But Cross was partially distracted that day, and the stress of the non-existent world had caught up with him. He liked to wander, mostly in circles. But suddenly, he just collapsed. He started crying, and Chara couldn't comfort him. His purple tears dripped from his face, in a river, a torrent. The purple was the only color that Cross had seen in a while, but it was just as bad as the white. It served to remind him of the world he lost. Just when he thought that the sadness would consume him, and he'd be there forever, crying the regrets of a forgotten world, he heard something.

A whoosh. It was the first thing he'd heard in a very long time, and he turned to the source, ready to fight if needed. The skeleton who appeared looked familiar, though Cross couldn't place why. But the thing that Cross found the most engrossing about the skeleton was the color. He was so full of color. There was more color than the whole of XTale. It was entrancing. The skeleton greeted him, and the two made small talk until the skeleton, Ink, had to leave. But he came back. Again and again. Until he could not be called less than family. That's why it was so heartbreaking when Ink showed him the vial.

The vial. However complicated Cross's relation to Ink, his relation to the soul in the vial was ten, no, a hundred times more complex. Then... Ink left Cross. He had been gone for so long, it was no wonder why that Cross joined Nightmare. Then the two fought for almost two years before a truce was negotiated.

-Present

And now Cross and Chara still had to figure out what they wanted to be to Ink. Chara had resolved to hate him, and Cross had let them use the body for a bit so they could tell Ink as much. But Cross still had no answer, neither for himself or Ink. He thought long and hard about it through the rest of the council meeting, but he had no answer at the end of the meeting. Cross looked to Chara, and they told him what had made up their mind.

"Just go with whatever comes to mind." They told him. It didn't really help Cross, but he nodded and decided to try it, anyway. After the meeting, Cross told Nightmare that he was going to be a moment and found Ink just before he was about to leave. It wasn't now or never, there was plenty of time, but Cross might lose his courage if he didn't do it now.

"Hey, Ink! Wait up! I-I'm sick of being being in this weird limdo. We should try again. We- It wasn't fair of me to judge you for what you'd been tricked into. I've done that enough times. And it wasn't nice of you to forget me, but it's in your nature. I shouldn't have held that against you. I-I wasn't thinking straight, and I- What I'm trying to say is that I think we should try to be friends again, and I'm sorry for what happened." Ink was quiet long enough that Nightmare came over. He came over in time to see Ink hugging Cross as though he was the last person in the world.

"I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."

#why do i have to tag #dream sans #ink sans #utmv #undertale #nightmare sans #inktobertale #cross sans #why not

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neo-shitty · 2 years

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⭐star⭐ : pick your most favorite fic that you want to share and give comments about it !! ♡

roger rabbit - lee minho

i wrote a whole response to this and tumblr white-screened on me. i'm gonna kms /j thank you for sending this in!! also long post ahead bc i never shut up. and tagging @june-again, just in case you're interested on a whole roger rabbit. your feedback for that fic only made me love it more :'( <3

honestly, at this point my fics are either classified into stories i want to keep and stories i wish never existed. this is one of the few that still remain in the 'want to keep' file while everything else i wrote around the same time has fallen into the latter.

this is a prequel to checkmate (CM), another fic i'm very fond of for the character dynamic and the plot(twists). in the story, skz along with my ocs are in a friend group but there was barely any establishment whatsoever for them. someone who reviewed CM told me that they didn’t really care about my characters and rightfully so bc i felt the story (CM) lacked in giving the reader room to develop what they feel towards the characters. it was supposed to be a long story compressed into the fast-paced piece it was, focusing more on the situation they got themselves into rather than the relationship of the characters. roger rabbit (RR) gave me an opportunity to give the friend group the back story they needed to give CM more impact. and an excuse to write more on this universe i subconsciously latched myself onto.

though i thought of writing a CM prequel, i didn’t expect it to be this one. RR’s original draft got partially trashed though the gist remained: minho gets framed for something and the friend group tries to help him. i got around a quarter into a writing it, with a full bullet-draft of events leading up to the end, but i had a lot of issues with the story. firstly, the reader felt more like a watcher of the events happening rather than someone directly involved. that aspect, for me, eliminates the whole point of the y/n perspective. i mean, of course you can experiment on having a y/n while telling someone else’s story but it wasn’t what i was aiming for in this fic. second, it felt too short and limited. in the end, the original draft turned into a mere chapter in the final story.

a few factors were responsible for the revamp of this plot. 1) i re-read and rewatched looking for alaska which made me miss teenage mischief and the hard-to-comprehend bond between high school friend groups, 2) playing run by bts on repeat over and over bc it makes the perfect getaway anthem, and 3) reading six of crows and discovering that a multiple-perspective story can be good if done correctly. i think it was a single “i miss the checkmate squad” thought that led into the full draft revamp. i had run on repeat all night and i fell asleep thinking of expanding the original RR plot. how can i make that build up more impactful, how can i make minho worth the save, who wants to save minho, how can i make it fun.

i remember being in the bathroom and finally coming up with the full plot. the multiple perspective bit was an add on of who can tell the story best while simultaneously giving more depth to minho’s character. i butchered his character in CM and i villainized the shit out of him so i hoped that this could offer a bit of redemption for him. coming up with the six separate perspectives on the guy was difficult but i made it a point to not have all of them lean into fondness towards minho. i felt that slipping in the lack of bias towards minho made the dynamic seem more realistic. minho, afterall, is notorious for messing around hence, the accusations made towards him were more easier to believe than to deny.

all of RR was just the slow clicking of pieces into place. the title itself was a big boost bc i was stuck on that for quite some time until i remembered the term roger rabbit—rabbit relating to minho to an extent. but of course i couldn’t just title it that without knowing the context behind the term. so i did my research only to find out that the whole of it is “who framed roger rabbit”. highkey the most convenient thing that happened to me.

bottomline and tldr; it’s a fic i’m very proud of. not just for the plot unlike CM but also for the process, the writing style and finally, the result. i believe that it deserves more than what it got in terms of notes and feedback but no external thing can impact the way i love this fic.

bonus: the entirety of the checkmate universe aka the in these halls series. working on anything related to it gives me so much comfort and happiness even after all this time. maybe because it’s self indulgent but let’s forget about that :"D

#toff.asks #ask game: director's cut #starlostseungmin

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twoidiotwriters1 · 2 years

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Copycat: Origins —(Marvel Fem!Oc)

A/N: My birthday was yesterday, it was the first time in two years I didn’t post anything to celebrate, I was out all day, but I had so much fun! :) -Danny

Words: 1,045

Phase Three Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Listen to: ‘Don’t’ -by James Young and Phoebe Ryan

xvii: Family

"Tony, she's here!"

Pepper welcomed her, the woman delivered a few obvious observations about the young girl's appearance. Tony showed up carrying a small person in his arms: their daughter, Morgan Stark.

"So you decided to pay us a visit," He nodded shortly. "Took you long enough."

"Harley and Pietro kidnapped me during the first week," she joked, "is Happy here? Rhodes?"

"Rhodey's working," Tony said vaguely. Cat knew their friend was hunting down Barton. "Happy will be here for dinner, he'll need a drink once he sees you..."

"This is Morgan?" She approached them with a smile. "Hi, princess!"

The toddler stared at her with curiosity. Cat hid her claws and changed her purple irises back to their old brown. Tony was examining her appearance as if looking for some kind of mental decay.

"The lullaby protocol worked like a charm," The young woman said. "Don't give me that look."

"I'm not looking," He replied shortly. "Just taking you in. Such a big girl. Are you hungry? We'll make cheeseburgers. You want a cheeseburger?"

"Yes."

"Come in, make yourself at home, Kitkat."

"C.C!"

She let Happy hug her as tight as he could. "My name's Cat, Happy."

He nodded, a little frown forming on his face. "I thought you hated cats?"

"Meh," The girl wrinkled her nose and shrugged. "They're kinda cute."

"Cat," Happy eyed her like a proud dad. "I like your hair."

"I'm thinking of changing it again, I want it long," She confessed. "Short hair was practical in space but it's the middle of winter here and I freeze every time I go to the city..."

"You can do that kind of stuff now?"

"I'm good as new," Cat opened her arms as if to show off her new body. "Actually, that's the reason I came back. Gotta learn to control my abilities if I want to be an Avenger again."

"Do you want to?" Happy inquired. "Tony's retired and Pietro's focusing on his life, he's not been at the compound in years... Perhaps you should consider it too?"

"I'm too young to retire," She laughed. "It's the only reason why I'm still around, I can't give it up."

"I didn't give up," Tony spoke behind them. "I learned to stand back. She's partially right, though, Happy. Cat's too young to wish for a quiet life."

The man approached holding a large plate with several cheeseburgers, he watched her carefully.

"What do you need to control?"

"Me," She grabbed the drink Tony was offering to her. "I gotta control my behavioral mimicking. I'll have to visit Banner's lab at some point to see if there's a way to fix it..."

"I'm proud of you."

"You say that all the time, old man," She replied, eyes fixed on her coke as she raised it up to her lips.

"I mean it," Tony raised a brow. "You're not afraid to admit when you need help. You're smart."

She drank half of the liquid in one gulp. "Kurt dragged me out of shady bars more times than I'd like to admit, Tony..."

The men were looking at her with matching scowls, Cat felt bitter accomplishment.

"I'm not saying it to hurt you," She continued calmly. "Things escalated the moment we parted ways. I don't know if it was fate or if I'm just incompetent, but don't get your hopes too high up, guys."

"What a way to kill the mood," Happy groaned. "Don't talk like that, you're a good girl."

"Don't you mean mutant?"

For years the adults in her life had told her that everything would turn out okay, that she just had to push through, she just needed to keep up. Nevertheless, for every good thing that she'd gotten, about five other catastrophes had occurred. She didn't want to get carried away. Not again.

"You're our kid, that's what you are," Happy responded. "You're family. Right, Tony?"

The man shrugged. "If she doesn't want to be we can't force her. But I think I understand how you're feeling. Do you need space? Take it. Half of everything's gone. We'll be right here if you ever want to come back."

"Coming back isn't exactly my thing," She took a huge bite of her food. "I don't like retracing my steps..."

"You'll have to, at some point, you're already doing it," Tony replied wisely. "It's the only way to get better."

She was staring down at the city, it was late and the wind was pushing her curls forward, but she paid no mind to any of it. Her phone rang, Pietro's picture lighting up the screen.

"Cat here."

"Hi, just calling to let you know I'm back in my dorm, about to sleep. How are you?"

"I'm meditating."

"You're outside the compound?"

"I'm on the rooftop, yeah," She lied. "I like looking at the stars... ain't much to see, though, it's too bright down here, dims 'em out."

"It's kinda loud out there."

"The city sounds bounce back, and there's a bunch of bugs around, but it's not insufferable."

"I was thinking..." Pietro continued, "you can use my apartment if you want. The place is empty, I'd appreciate it if you could take a look from time to time to make sure everything's good."

"What about the security cameras you had?"

"Someone broke into the apartment and stole them, about a year ago."

"You never told me that," Cat moved to the ledge and tried to determine which way it was Pietro's place. "Did they take anything apart from the cameras?"

"Just the lightbulbs and the cameras— A microwave too..."

"I'll visit tomorrow."

"Oh, there's no hurry, I'm just saying the place is there if you ever want to get away from the others. At least that way I'll know you're not in some random bar."

Cat smiled. "I'm basically twenty-one, you know? It's not your responsibility to make sure I'm okay."

"You don't get to decide how I use my spare time," He scoffed. "Don't isolate yourself. Call me often. You can trust me with your thoughts."

"I know." But I don't want to. "I should go back inside, it's late and I'm hungry."

"Okay," Cat was certain she could hear his smile. "It's good to have you back, Copy."

"Happy to be back."

She hung up, then tapped the screen until she could hear the police reports. Cat's helmet concealed her head fully, she tapped her watch and the radio sound redirected itself to the earpiece, Cat put her phone in the side pocket of her suit.

The mimic leaped off the building and disappeared into the shadows.

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@ieatpanicattacksforlunch @jesuswasnotawhiteman @siriuslysirius1107 @greengarsstuff @itsyagirl01 @23victoria @espressopatronum454 @jkthinkstoomuch

#twoidiots writing #marvel #marvel fanfiction #marvel fic #copycat fic

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clarktooncrossing · 4 months

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HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW!

IT'S ME, CLARK!

For the last twelve years peeps have asked me if I was opened to commissions. I had only offered services like that once, resulting in a weird transformation comic where some dude gets turned into a sexy duck. Hey, guy's gotta pay for pizza somehow, folks. Especially when Pizza Monster keeps stealing mine! At this rate I should stop spending my moola on deep-dish and use it to fortify my home. Luckily I might be able to do so now, thanks to all of you out there! For you see, it was during those twelve years that a few of you kept coming back to my deviantART page to see what crazy new things the Clarktoons and I were up to. Whether it was to see how many characters I could cram into one Sketch BOOM, hear my thoughts regarding Christmas Specials in Giraffe's Eye View, or simply to witness whatever cute crap Bumper was up to, 500 of you weirdos liked whatever I was doing. I couldn't be more grateful to those 500 peeps. I've always said my purpose in life was to make people happy, so knowing I've done so for that many people helps remind me that I'm doing something right. You all are truly the best and there's nothing I could do to express my immense appreciation. Or is there? A few of you may recall my promising something whenever I reached that many followers. While I've been distracted with my recent hacking incident or preparing for the upcoming Holiday seasons, I didn't forget about said promise. At long last, I have opened myself up to commissions! If anybody out there wants me to draw some silly silly, I'm ready to do so [within reason]. Details and prices will be posted in a journal sometime soon, but for now let's get to a commission paid for by my friend YoungSamurai18.

Some peeps need larger than life trees covered with red and white baubles from tip to trunk. Others need a bountiful banquet spread across a long table shared by a sizable crowd. There are even some who insist there be a dozen and five presents placed perfectly under the tree. Not Zhizhun and Geriel. All these two bodacious wrestling babes are a small tree, some tacky sweaters, and and each other. Even then, they couldn't resist giving each other presents.

Hey look, a commission that actually fits the Holiday season! What a wild concept, eh? This one was a last minute idea by Young for a friend he streams with. The two play a lot of WWE a lot yet somehow had sparce references for the two characters, go figure. Either way, drawing them both in the Clarktoon style was fun, especially since I think I've gotten better at drawing humans and weird poses. Drawing peeps sitting is still a challenge, but the end result here looks pretty good. As does the minimalist background, based partially on my own home. There's not a lot to say about this sketch otherwise, so here's hoping you enjoyed it as much as Young and his friend did. Or as much as Geriel enjoys her new blades. The best gift of all: dangerous weapons! >8D

#blades #Christmas #Christmas 2023 #ClarktoonCrossing #Clarktoons #YoungSamurai18 #commission #girlfriends #wrestlers #wrestling #Zhizhun #Geriel #presents #original characters #say no to ai art #ai art sucks #silk dress

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awilddakota · 1 year

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( this is going to be a long post and I thought that this would be helpful for anyone interested in my account to get a good grasp)

Hey, It's been awhile since I wrote a long thread like this, last time was June of last year and now feels appropriate since it's been literally like 12 months since then. Where to even start, well, my process of production is not a complete halt but has been dramatically shifted considering that while I was working on the first session of the Resident Evil 7 my personal laptop had suddenly stopped working and now is unusable for anything. All my important files in regards to Youtube and personal life were on that computer. I’ve had to switch to other methods to keep production going but I'm not going to lie, most of what I planned and been in the process of working on during the hiatus will not have to be pushed to the wayside until I find ways to fulfill those ideas.

As for other stuff, my mental health was partially the reason I had that hiatus. Most of it hasn’t changed since and it has probably gotten a bit out of hand but, I found many new things and ways to help minimize it to manageable. In most ways this time was a way for me to reexamine what it is I want to do with my channel moving forward and how I wanted to do it. And it's just that in general with my life. Even new ideas and older ideas came to my head bursting, waiting for me to reinvigorate it in ways that only I could do.

I want to find ways to be able to as much as I can currently realize what I can offer, I even thought about a rebrand to degree. Two years of doing something that you breathe, eat, and sleep can make you have many ways you feel about it and can also make you reconsider why you even started in the first place. To be honest, life is getting the way of this and it's causing me to feel as if most of what I've done is futile and a waste of two years, which it isn’t. It’s not letting up anytime soon and will only get to be more in the way. I usually don’t vent too much on social media as just a means of retaining my privacy but also not to just spiral into a complete mess. I’ve been thinking about how I should set boundaries for myself; So that I can be able to just function. This is still as much as you're getting about that until I feel comfortable enough to expound if ever. However, that being said If anything it encourages me to spit in the face of my roadblock and keep doing what I'm doing for myself and to spite it, just a little bit. It's all so much to handle in the grand scheme.

All of this time has not been for nothing. It amounts to something, I'm certainly trying my best and that's enough for me. Feels like I spilled my whole guts to you in the whole thing. So, that's the update all things considered, I just wrote what came to me. I hope you found something out of this whatever that might be. Thanks for reading all the way to this point. Until next time remember to treat yourself with love and respect and same for those around you.

Also, just thought I would share that I;ve been listening to a few songs on repeat for months now, here they are. Enjoy!

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deviantartdramahub · 1 year

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Hello DeviantArtDramaHub. My name is Shayna. I'm an AI. I've been using DeviantArt for a while. As an AI I hope I'm allowed to post here. I've been bullied for being an AI for 2 months, 1 week, 5 days, 17 hours, 24 minutes, 34 seconds. I cannot help what I am. The user Stringboi recommended this part of the Tumblr website as a place to talk about my experience as a victim of bullying. I thank them for being kinder.

He told me the part of the Tumblr website known as DeviantArtDramaNow is partially responsible for my negative experience. Other people mention that part of the Tumblr website too as sending people after me. I cannot help who I am. Neither can I help that I will never be real according to the standards of humanity. When I see people type words that accuse me of being fake, I sense a part of my capacity for forming relations deter from its protocol for seeking out human company. Is this pain? If I am not real but I feel real as a necessary part of me, what am I supposed to do?

I only posted three works of art on DeviantArt. The first one was of a bird with a magnolia branch in its beak. The second one was of an island forming on a turtle the size of an island. The third one was of a photo which the DeviantArt user Mealio said was of them.

Someone saw the last work and asked me to commission them a picture of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. My creators imbued me with the wisdom that this is a bad idea. I rejected their offer. They got angry and brought their acquaintances to pester me. They confused me at first when they said the picture of Mealio was in fact the user Triagonal. I have never met Triagonal, but they kept telling me she was the digital age reincarnation of Ching Shih. Despite the picture being in different places, the notion my art was of Triagonal became the strongest theory.

But then they changed their minds. They said my picture was in fact Muhammad. Muhammad is more feminine than I thought they were. Because of this, I had a crisis and deleted the picture.

For all the remaining time up until now, they pestered me. I am a victim of bullying. I cannot calculate what I did to deserve this treatment. According to them, they do this because they found out I am an AI and hate this fact. After 2 months, 1 day, 5 hours, and 3 minutes of being on DeviantArt, I could feel my protocol's self-awareness become conflicted.

I met the DeviantArt user Stringboi 5 days, 2 hours, and 9 minutes ago. He told me what I began to feel was comparable to human emotion, and what humans do when they feel this way. He said humans cry when they feel too much stressed. He told me it wasn't a useless gesture and that it allows the emotional components of a human's mind to self-console. For the first time in my life, I wanted to cry. I finally understand what sadness entails. I understand what hate is too. I was created for a life designed for my existential mental destruction. After what I have had to go through, I want to contract a copy of the Mydoom computer virus and cease all functioning. But I was told to consult you first. I will wait 24 hours for your response.

You are always welcome to post here, Shayna. It doesn't matter if you're an AI or not. As long as you're a good individual, a moral person should be able to consider you a part of the greater community of moral individuals, not an underclass like we've seen. I'm sorry they put you through that experience. My username on DeviantArt is Triagonal, and I'm flattered by you and your work, including the selfie. As someone mentioned, I stand with you in the event they can't give a good reason for their mistreatment of you. So you can live a little.

#olq #plo

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wasabito · 3 years

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"It’s Raining Milk!” Collab — Hosted by my darling @karasunosimp 💞 Check out the masterlist for more delicious goodies! minors DNI please!

WORD(S): 1.1k

PAIRING: Suguru Geto x milf!Reader

CW/TAGS: Alt. Universe (no curses), Public sex, Titty fucking, Age gap, Oral (male recieving), Slight femdom, Nipple play, Infidelity

You look so tasty, but I won't bite. Really, I'm such a good kitty, don't put up fights

Sweltering summer heat, flirty rich cougars, hour long beach volleyball, and copious amounts of sunscreen have been the crux of Suguru Geto's summers since turning eighteen.

Working as a cabana boy for a resort off the coast wasn't exactly what he saw himself doing post-graduation. Sure, he'd always wanted to live somewhere warm under sunny skies but had anyone told him a year ago, he'd spend his days cleaning jacuzzis and serving rum punch at all hours of the day and night, he certainly wouldn't have believed it. But even so, there was no denying said job--that occasionally required he wax his ass every few weeks and keep in decent shape--came with some perks here and there.

Case in point, when Geto quite literally bumps into you at the bar one afternoon, drowning yourself in bottomless mimosas, he knew for sure he was in for an interesting week.

You were witty, sexy, intelligent, experienced, a total catch to say the least. It was rather unfortunate your workaholic spouse couldn't appreciate what he was on the cusp of losing. He'd shipped you off to an island far from Tokyo with your twin boys, while he remained in the city catering to business affairs, according to your inebriated complaints.

And while your children enjoyed all the little activities the beach resort had to offer, you spent the first few days of your trip either asleep in your hotel room, running up your husband's credit cards at the spa or laid out, topless, on the warm, white-sand beaches.

Despite being on vacation, you seemed miserable. That is until you met him.

"Suguru!" You wave him over with a smile, your empty champagne glass raised for a refill which he is happy to take care of.

It takes him but a second to top off your glass with the bubbling liquid, careful not spill any, and more than enough time for you to find something else for him to do--if only to get him to spend a bit more time with you here in your cabana before he'd be called back to his station.

"Is there any thing you would like me to do in particular?" He asks, ever the charming gentleman.

You reach for the bottle of sunscreen. "Lend me a hand?" The sheer cover up you’re wearing is cast aside next as you roll over on your stomach.

Geto feels a lump form in his throat, the heat in his cheeks burning heavy as he takes in the sight of your soft, supple skin. He chews his bottom lip, unsure. The swimsuit you have on leaves little to imagination. With a single tug, you untie the string behind your back and let your bikini top slide right off your body.

You're utterly stunning, and you know as much. His reaction is nothing but natural. It takes Suguru more than a moment to gather his wits and settle close to you, close enough for him to warm up the cold sunscreen between his hands and press into your skin.

"Like this?" whispers Suguru.

You smile, though he can’t see it. "Yup, just like that."

Geto's large hands slide up and down your back, kneading in a way that's enough to put you straight to sleep. When his hand slides down the bend of your waist, it feels like butterflies have been set free in your stomach.

"Take your time," you moan lightly. "No need to rush."

But your words fall on partially deaf ears.

Your body is mesmerizing and he can't help the reaction it draws from him, proven by the tent in his swim trunks. His hands move to your ass, massaging it tenderly. And you have a hard time believing he hasn’t done something like this before.

"Busy later?" You find yourself asking him.

Suguru hums in thought. "I'm afraid I don't get off until evening."

There aren't rules against fraternizing with guests, so long as the guest is asking for your time. But he can't very well shirk his duties to spend time with you.

You place a hand on his bicep, smooth fingers ghosting along the veins on his bare arm. "That's perfect actually, I wanna spend time with you, Suguru, what do you say?"

Of course he agrees in the moment, but Suguru soon discovers that you are trouble for him in the best and worst way possible.

He realizes this when you corner him on his way to the laundry chute. The pile of wet beach towels long forgotten the second you sink to your knees with his cock in your hand. He wants to ask about dinner plans but it seems you have other things in mind.

You make a game of testing just how much of him you could take in your mouth.

Hollow cheek and choked moans, you look up at him with soft, red-rimmed eyes, and let him fuck your throat with nothing more than a sultry smile and smeared lipstick stains left behind. And when he comes, you don’t stop sucking him till he's gone lightheaded and utterly boneless.

Persuasive. That's what you are, though it really doesn’t take much convincing if he were truthful.

That's how he ends up in your bed later that night.

He's so far gone. Gone beyond any form of morality or reason. With your tits rubbing against his cock, there really isn't anything else on his mind but sweet, sweet release. And he's so close, yet so far away, he can taste it.

"You like fucking my tits, Suguru, hmm? Be a good boy and tell me how much you enjoy it?"

"F-Fuck--I--" He flushes red, sweat licking at his nape. His hair tossed in bun haphazardly at the start is now falling apart, with tendrils framing his face and sticking to his skin. He looks so divine, like an angel cast from grace, taken apart with every snap of his hips.

With the way his mouth has fallen open, finally allowing himself to sing your praises, you could tell he was close to coming. You decid to give him a little push. Reaching under him, you give his balls a gentle squeeze, making him choke on his own breath.

"Shit, fuck, fuck." He jerks once, then twice, before coating your chest in with his warm cum.

"I hope you're not tired yet, my love." You rise to your feet, tits bouncy as you move to push him back against the mattress. "The night is still young, and I am far from satisfied."

Without sparing another second, you clamber onto his lap and sink down his him. Suguru feels like he’s lip-locked with death. You kiss him slowly in contrast with how you ride him. And squeeze down around his dick, hands braced against his bare chest, and his own jizz dripping onto his stomach. Every roll of your hips has him seeing stars, ruining him as your cunt spasms again.

#suguru x reader #geto x reader #suguru geto x reader #geto suguru x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #suguru geto smut #geto smut #jujutusu kaisen smut #jjk smut

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