#Some scenes are more based on something I wanted to draw than write.... you can probs tell lol. Maybe it goes hand in hand idk | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cheesiedomino · 2 months

Text

RentABoyfriend.com ꙳ ੭ * ‧

synopsis: you’re tired of being single so you to take an unusual route in helping with that— but what happens when you start catching real romantic feelings for your rental boyfriend?

genre: seo changbin x fem!reader | fake relationship/dating au wc: 5.1k tags/warnings: fluff, v minor angst, mild cursing, (kinda) nerdy changbin, use of pet names, mentions of alcohol usage, just overall very cute story dw <33

[this is part of my valentine’s series where i write a short story for each member surrounding themes of love, newfound romance, relationship hardships & more.]

“I have a date tomorrow guys.”

Everyone’s head instantly lifts up from their phones at this sudden announcement, collectively drawing their attention at you. You weren’t expecting all of them to gasp and swap such looks of genuine confusion. It’s starting to make you think maybe this situation was a lot more serious than you’ve bargained it out to be.

You couldn’t fathom it either honestly, the realization of you going out with someone probably won’t settle in until you’re physically on the date. Based on their initial responses though, you might regret everything you’re about to say, but it’s far too late to retract any of your statements now.

“No way.. with who??” Danielle is the first out of everyone to ask.

Taehyung chimes in as well, “Yeah, who’s the lucky person? They’ve gotta be something seriously special to be talking to you.”

Well, you suppose you could put it that way.

You already have a preconceived notion of what they’re going to think of this “idea”. Mentally preparing yourself to receive a flood of questions and critique from your close friends.

“Actually… I rented him. For the week.”

Now they’re all looking at you like you’ve officially lost it. The room got scarily quiet, no one wanted to be the first to speak. You should’ve anticipated on their reactions being like this, it isn’t everyday someone just openly admits to buying a partner online. Nowadays there’s a lucrative market for just about anything, when you stumbled upon an ad for this service called ‘RentABoyfriend.com’ you didn’t think much of it. You laughed the concept off at first, thinking how lonely people must be to buy someone else’s time.

But the ads kept popping up, they wouldn’t stop showing in almost every YouTube video you were watching— even one of your favorite YouTubers promoted them before! So one day you finally decided to check this website out, you wanted to see what the hype’s all about so you signed up just for shits and giggles. You weren’t expecting to actually be somewhat interested in trying this thing out, but after going through a couple different profiles and reading hundreds of positive reviews you were practically sold.

“You rented out a boyfriend..? Seriously ___? I mean, I’m not judging but you’re a gorgeous girl you can easily get a boyfriend without paying for someone’s companionship, I don’t see why you need to rent one.” Mark bluntly expressed his opinion, he was probably the most outspoken out of all of you guys.

Taehyung and Danielle both agreed in unison, it’s practically 3 against 1 at this point. You knew you should’ve waited to tell them but you weren’t anticipating on them being this judgmental about it. You were hoping for a little more support, as they’re all way more experienced than you in the dating scene and could lend some helpful advice about your first date, ever.

See, the thing is you’ve never tried dating before so you wouldn’t know the first thing about it or what to expect from your future partner. You’ve never had a boyfriend, let alone held hands or kissed someone of the opposite sex. Being in your twenties it’s kind of embarrassing to say you’ve never done those things, but you thought what better way to try it out than renting a full-on experience that can give you just that? Well minus the kissing part, but you can make it work.

You were skeptical of doing this whole ‘rent-a-boyfriend’ thing at first because you didn’t think there’d be anyone you’d find suitable enough. A big part of the reason that you’re still single is because you’re extremely picky, you want to date a guy who’s so perfect that he must’ve came straight out of an indie romance film. Your friends would tease you for having such unrealistic standards when it came to dating but you were the all-or-nothing type, you’ll be single with fifty cats before you settle for less. Renting a boyfriend is definitely an unconventional idea of easing into dating but you thought it might be worth a try anyway.

What’s the worse that could happen?

( 1 day earlier )

Hovering your cursor over the bold red text of the website, you read over the main rules before going on to select the person you want for your date.

‘The rules are simple:

You are allowed to see only ONE person at a time, if you want to switch boyfriends you’ll have to pay a $50 fee.

MUST be over 18 to rent a boyfriend, we have implemented an age verification system before the date as we do not tolerate anyone under this age to use our services.

NO kissing, or sexual intimacy allowed. If this is found out later on by our agency we will terminate your contract and ban you from using our services in the future.

Remember to have fun !! ^_^ Our services are great for people who are new to dating or have never been in a relationship. We provide the ~ultimate~ boyfriend experience to all our clients. Customer satisfaction is 100% guaranteed ! (NO REFUNDS)’

Well jeez… they seemed a bit strict but you can deal with those rules and restrictions for the most part.

After hours of skimming through hundreds of profiles, you have a hard time choosing which you like most. Did you want an artsy, shy kind of guy? The tattooed, bad boy aesthetic type? You really couldn’t pick one until you stumble upon a particular profile that catches your eye almost immediately.

SEO CHANGBIN | 168 CM | PART-TIME LIFEGUARD | 24 | *POPULAR ↝

5 Facts About Me: I’ve traveled to over 50+ different countries and counting (ask me which my favorites are), I can speak 4 languages (working on my fifth), love to sing and used to have a rap trio with my buddies from college, I can & will easily lift you up ;) also have a secret talent for cooking, there’s nothing I can’t do!

Why Choose Me? First of all, why not choose me? I’m the best candidate for whatever kind of date you need, something casual, social gatherings, weddings, you name it! I’m very social and can make most people laugh (unless they’re the literal Grinch reincarnated), I’m able to get along well with anyone and just love to have a good time. I hope we can get to know each other and make great memories in the future :)

Going through his pictures you couldn’t believe someone was capable of being this humanely attractive. Don’t even get started on those impeccable muscles either… He really had to sport them in every other one of his photos, wearing the tightest shirts to show the outline of his insanely sculpted frame. You might have just been mesmerized from his godlike visuals alone. They even had a Valentine’s Day deluxe package that comes with seven dates in total for half the price, which they specified was for a limited time only.

$600 later you’ve got a full week of dates lined up with the hottest guy you’ve ever seen in all your years of living. You should’ve definitely went shopping before considering all this because now you actually have a reason to get dolled up for someone.

You were so nervous about going on this date you almost cancelled last minute out of fear. Typing out several different elaborate paragraphs to Changbin on why you couldn’t make it. You didn’t have his real phone number, it was all through an app facilitated by the rental company that was included in the package. Even though you were feeling overwhelmed and practically shaking with anxiety about meeting up with a guy, you still forced yourself to go anyway. You didn’t just dish out all that money just to not show up and waste his time on top of all that.

Your rental boyfriend texted you the location to meet at, it was near a train station so you both could see each other out in a public open space. The outfit you wore was fairly simple, a black mini skirt with warm tights underneath and a cropped turtleneck sweater. You accessorized the look with some dainty jewelry, a thin scarf, and knee high boots to pull everything together. It wasn’t something you usually wore but you had certain clothes you saved for a special occasion like this.

Upon your arrival, you notice him standing near a vending machine and waves over at you with the biggest smile plastered on his face. You awkwardly wave back, giving a soft smile as you slowly walk up to him. He looks even better in person, you don’t even feel adequate enough to be in such a gorgeous man’s presence. No wonder he’s so popular on the site, he’s practically unreal.

“Hi, you must be ___. It’s so nice to finally meet you, might I add you look really beautiful today, I think you’re making my heart race just by looking at you. Happy Valentine’s Day!” Changbin introduces himself, buttering you up with some sweet compliments before handing you the most insane bouquet of roses you’ve ever seen.

You take the flowers and almost stumble backwards from how heavy they were, “Wow, thank you!” Changbin prevents you from falling, quickly coming up behind you to get your balance back.

“Careful honey, can’t have you injured on our first date!” He voices with concern, “I hope you love the idea I came up with, I’ve only been to this place once before but I’m sure it’s still as fun as I remember it, let’s go!” Eagerly grabbing your hand to begin the journey, he turns around again to examine your body language.

“You seem a little tense babe? Do you need a massage?” He asks in a concerned tone again, this is all really beginning to freak you out. You know this is what you signed up for but this was all starting to feel a bit too personal, all the nicknames and sweet talk he’s giving is just something you aren’t used to.

“Uh, no! It’s o-okay.” You shook your head, denying anything suspicious going on. Truth be told you were barely able to contain your composure right now.

Changbin keeps on insisting, “The massage is included in the package so you don’t have to worry about getting charged extra.”

“N-no it’s okay, really. I’m just nervous that’s all, sorry I just don’t meet up with guys…” you shyly admit, finding it hard to look him in the eye.

He nods in understanding, “No need to be nervous with me sweetheart. I’m here to make you feel as comfortable as possible.” The smile he flashes at you instantly makes you warm on the inside, he seems like a genuine, caring person. You think things might go well for you after all.

The rest of the night was full of only good vibes and laughter by the end of it all. Changbin took you to an adult arcade that had old video games like Pac-Man, Super Mario, and Space Invaders, the other side was a bar where people could sit, drink, and socialize. He bought all your drinks that night, let you use up most of his tokens and overall had the most fun you could’ve ever had with someone. He was so easygoing but also knew when to act super caring and would be all lovey dovey with you. He was gentle, nurturing, and could have conversations about anything. You loved that he’d randomly drop some interesting fact you never knew about, or talked about a certain niche topic that he’d go on multiple rants over. It didn’t feel like you were renting someone out to date you, it felt natural— like you’ve known him for longer than a couple hours. Changbin walked you home and held your hand the entire time, along with the flowers he provided a teddy bear and a heart shaped box of chocolates. If that didn’t scream boyfriend goals then you don’t know what does.

The next day you wake up to Changbin blowing your phone up this morning. You had over 26 messages from him, which was pretty excessive in your humble opinion. The first thing he said was good morning then he goes on to express how fun yesterday was and he can’t wait to do it again. He even sent a couple mirror selfies of him at the gym, ‘conceited much?’ You thought. But then again, if you were Seo Changbin you’d probably be full of yourself too.

For today’s date you wore a pretty red sundress that made your skin glow in the sunlight. It’ll definitely get him to compliment you even more— which you secretly love when he does. Changbin calls you before he heads out to the date, letting you know how excited he is to see you again. You couldn’t stop smiling like an idiot on the train as you made your way to the destination, thinking about what he’s planned for you two next. This time you’ll be meeting up at a park but you still have no clue what you’re doing.

Changbin texts you where exactly he is in the park, it was pretty huge so it took you a while to get to him. As you get closer you see him sitting on a large blanket by the lake, on top of it were a bunch of different foods and snacks scattered all around that came out of a huge picnic basket. You were speed walking at this point trying to get to him. His arms opened out for a hug and you lean right into him, what you didn’t expect was for him to suddenly stand up and lift you in his arms to swing around you like a doll.

“Put me down I’m scared of heights!” You squeal out in fear of being too high up in the air. Maybe you really should’ve taken the bio on his profile more seriously when he mentioned certain things.

Finally putting you down after minutes go by of you protesting, Changbin sits you back onto the blanket. He brought an assortment of breads, cheese, fruits, lemonade that he made himself and a couple seltzers. You’ve never seen anyone put such time and effort into a date before, even being here with him is like living in a daydream. He was definitely succeeding in making you feel comfortable, which is something you never thought was possible with men. He actually took his time getting to know you and didn’t sound arrogant whenever he talked about himself, Changbin was so different than other guys who’ve tried hitting on you in the past. He was actually respectful, intelligent, and could easily carry a conversation without long, awkward pauses.

He was literally everything you’re looking for in a guy. But you’ll be seeing him for this week only then it’s bye bye forever. That revelation makes you a little upset, but you try pushing those thoughts in the back of your mind. It’s irrelevant and unnecessary to think about. Yet you can’t help but wonder about certain things though, wanting to know more about his job and what it’s like on a daily basis for him.

“Can I ask you something? I need you to answer it honestly.” You say out of nowhere, hoping that didn’t come out as weird as you thought.

Changbin nods, “of course, shoot.”

“How many clients do you usually get?”

This question definitely catches him off guard, he’s never really been asked this before and he’s debating on if he should as it might be a breach of privacy.

“I don’t think I can answer that, sorry.” He responds in the nicest way possible, but deep down he wants to know why you’d want to know how many other people he sees a day.

You were going to push him a bit more to try and get an answer but you decide to let it go and just enjoy the rest of the picnic. You didn’t want to bring the mood down with your odd questions and/or end up making him feel so uncomfortable that he won’t want to see you anymore. It was definitely something you shouldn’t have asked but you were curious to know anyway. Overall besides that small incident, you had another wonderful time with Changbin and couldn’t wait for tomorrow to come any faster.

Changbin had a foolproof way of getting you to blush like a giddy high school teen whenever he texted you. He’d always refer to you as ‘pretty girl’ or ‘princess’ which gave you insane amount of butterflies. You loved how clingy he could get and would double text when you don’t reply fast enough, always needing constant attention from you which you never minded giving.

He texted you at around three in the afternoon, proposing his next plan for today’s date.

‘Let’s go out for drinks tonight, it’s all on me ;)’

You liked his message, replying that you’ll be there and put a series of hearts at the end. Speaking of hearts, yours is fluttering at high altitudes from the way you can’t stop thinking about your “boyfriend” Changbin. This has been better than anything you could’ve expected, you never want this week to come to an end. It’s only been three days but you’ve begun to grow feelings for him, they weren’t too strong just yet but they were most definitely there. You couldn’t let that halt you from having a good time tonight, you’ll have to accept it soon enough he’s not your actual boyfriend. He’s doing this because you paid him to, if it wasn’t for your money he wouldn’t be here right now.

‘This relationship is purely transactional’ you unfortunately keep reminding yourself of the reality you’re in. Psyching yourself out of this sudden somber mood that’s consuming you, distracting your pessimism by raiding your closet for some cute clothes to wear tonight’s date. After what seemed like hours of tearing your entire room apart, you decide to settle on this sparkly black mini tube dress, pairing it with a leather jacket and more platform shoes because you’re obsessed with feeling tall. Once it’s 7 PM you head out to the bar you’re seeing Changbin at, he was already waiting for you inside the place. Eyes instantly lighting up when he sees you coming towards him, just like he always does he motions for a hug, pulling you in tightly like he hasn’t seen you in years.

His hugs felt so cozy, like sitting in front of the fireplace on a crisp, snowy winter’s evening. You never wanted to escape the warmth of his arms, it was one of those forms of physical touch that felt so overly personal to you. The thought of him hugging someone the same way he hugs you slightly enrages something in your spirit but again, it isn’t your place to get genuinely upset over him doing his job. You’re not entitled to him exclusively, but you feel like if you keep this up feelings will only continue to develop. This wasn’t something you considered when going into this and now you feel like you’ve just made a huge mistake.

“You okay babe?” Changbin notices you acting a bit strange, choosing not to pursue it after telling him you’re fine. He knows something’s wrong but doesn’t want to mess up the flow of the date, instead he orders a drink for the both of you and switches on to a lighter subject. “Let’s go shopping tomorrow at that new centre that just opened last week. I need to buy some new AirPods, I accidentally lost one of them in a taxi..”

“Sure,” you nod at his suggestion, in desperate need of some new clothes anyway. “Sorry about your AirPods, that sucks!”

He takes a sip of his bubbly drink that’s now on the table, “Eh, it’s okay this is probably the fourth time this has happened so far.” This has pretty much become a regular occurrence for him by now.

As the date progresses, things continue getting better. You’re both laughing, engaging in much deeper conversation than ever before. You definitely had more than enough alcohol in your system by now, feeling congested and claustrophobic as more people came into the bar. Changbin takes note of your discomfort and asks if you want to get some fresh air outside, you wasted absolutely no time to agree.

While you two were outside continuing your chat about some wild conspiracy he read about online, Changbin’s attention was soon drawn to a different building nearby. Gazing up in confusion at his sudden outburst of excitement, you wonder where he could be leading you next.

“Noraebang!” He shouts loud enough anyone miles away could’ve heard that, he’s now grabbing your hand to frantically drag you along with him.

You were never one to carry a tune but Changbin was actually very good at karaoke and singing in general, he had such a lovely voice. You could seriously listen to him sing all night— which you basically did since you kept begging for an encore until it hit 4 am. That’s when you both decided to finally call it a night, you wanted to pay for the Uber since he’s paid for all the drinks and every other expenses for today. You felt bad because you were the one renting him to be your boyfriend yet he’s constantly shelling out money left and right. He still insisted on paying and ultimately won the whole debacle, making you swallow your pride and get into the Uber with him. Changbin’s definitely not just someone you’re going to forget about after this week is over. You dread the day this all comes to an end, wishing there was a way to relive these moments again and again.

“I’m a little under the weather today, sorry I can’t make it Binnie.” Your voice is hoarse from coughing and unbearable throat pain. You’ve already consumed half a bag of cough drops, throat lozenges, and random cold medicine you’ve found in your cabinets.

He sounds mildly disappointed, but springs back up with a new proposal, “I can come over and bring some soup if you’d like!”

You appreciate his gesture but still refuse, you know he’s only saying all this because he has to, not because he wants to. “N-no you don’t have to, I’m sure you can go see other clients today. One less person to worry about right?”

The call went silent for a minute, he wasn’t quite sure how to respond to such a deprecating comment.

“I don’t want to see other clients, I want to see you ___.” He sighs, unwilling to give up so easily, “I’ll be at your place soon, m’kay?” He hangs up before you could even respond or say no again.

You had no choice but to wait for Changbin to show up now. Before you got sick, the last two dates you went on were debatably the best so far. You had gone out shopping together, accidentally wearing almost the same kind of outfit. Changbin was wearing a white graphic tee with blue baggy jeans and you wore something practically identical. The two of you looked like a real, official couple and people would stare as you walked hand in hand, it really did seem like the perfect relationship on the outside.

You got even closer when he came over the following day, resulting in you two cuddling while watching movies and baking cookies. He’s expressed that he’s never been to another client’s home before but it wasn’t “technically” against any rules. The more you kept hanging out together, the harder it was coming to terms with the fact you’re actually falling for Changbin. He made every experience with you more exciting than the last, which he did exactly that night. When the cookies were done you fed a piece to him, making little airplane sounds as you do it, he eagerly takes a bite of the chewy treat and compliments both your efforts.

“These taste way better than I thought, oh my god they literally melt in your mouth. Try it!” He takes another cookie from the tray and feeds it to you this time.

There was something so overly domestic about that moment you couldn’t shake the feelings of wanting to kiss him right then and there. But you can’t. If you did such a thing you’d never be allowed to see him again, plus you don’t want to be known as that one creepy client who just couldn’t keep their hands to themselves. As you were cuddling on the couch though, things may have taken a turn for the better… or worse?

Changbin would “yawn” at the movie and subtly wrap his arm around you, he’d subconsciously pull you in closer and it didn’t make it any better that you were under the same blanket. You weren’t complaining at any of this though, you were pretty much in heaven. It took everything in you not to look up and stare, gluing your eyes to the movie that was displayed on the TV. But as the night progressed you were practically snuggling up with him like he was your real boyfriend. The way he’d run his fingers gently down your back, soothing you in a way that could lull you asleep. His touch was the most relaxing thing ever, you were so calm with him and loved how he brought a side of you that’s never been shown. After this encounter you can no longer deny the way you feel— you are officially falling deeply in love your rental boyfriend, Seo Changbin.

The sound of your doorbell ringing alarms you of a new visitor, who was none other than your “boyfriend” waiting patiently outside the door for you. You feel and look like death itself, coming downstairs to answer the door still in your PJ’s and hair a disheveled mess. Every five seconds was interrupted with you coughing your lungs out, barely able to speak above a whisper. Changbin looks thrilled as ever to see you, even when you clearly don’t look your best he’s still coming up to hug you tightly. His hugs are always blocking off your airways from the way his muscles squeeze you, it’s even worse when you’re sick— practically gasping for air.

“Sorry babyy, I just missed you so much. I couldn’t stop thinking about you all day and soon as you said you’re sick I dropped everything to go make you this soup. It’s a specialty I make whenever my friends are sick, the perfect remedy to cure my princess.” He goes into your kitchen to heat up the soup in your microwave, making you wait patiently on the couch as you’re wrapped up in multiple blankets.

Your body feels like it’s -2 degrees, you were freezing. The crazy thing is your thermostat was set to 80 degrees, it was definitely you that was the problem. He propped your feet up on the table, rested a tray in your lap and set the bowl of soup on top. Brushing a couple strands of hair out your face he looks at you intently, examining your symptoms as if he’s a doctor.

“It’ll be okay soon love, I’m here to nurse you back to health again. Can’t see my pretty baby sick like this, makes me all sad.” He pouts, giving you a soft head pat like you’re a delicate kitten.

He takes a spoonful of the hot soup, slightly blowing on it before telling you to open up so you can eat. You don’t know what’s gotten into you but you feel like he’s gone too far with all this. It’s not fair for you to continue on if it’s just become torture now. He’s practically dangling in your face that you’ll never have a partner as perfect as him in your life.

“I- I can’t do this anymore Changbin..” you say lowly, refusing to eat the soup he made.

“What do you mean? I’m just feeding you soup, it’s my duty as your boyfriend to-”

“This isn’t real… none of it is. I’m stupid for even doing this but I was lonely.. I’m sorry but I’d prefer something that isn’t temporary.” You cut him off to express your pent up frustrations, ready to be let down and rejected by him as gently as possible.

“Then let’s make it real,” he proposes without any hesitation, “honestly I stopped faking it around our third date, it was all me after that. I never said anything because well… this is my job and I’ve never fallen for a client before so this is still all very new to me..”

You’d be screaming right now if you weren’t sick, instead you’re internally freaking out at this confession, it feels like your hearts doing cartwheels and somersaults.

“Seriously?” Eyes widening as you look at him, suddenly your body heat rises and you know it’s not because of the soup or the layers of blankets that’s covering you.

He nods, “I thought it was kinda obvious when we kissed yesterday..”

Oh yeah… you forgot that did happen. You thought it was another fever dream you might’ve just made up in your head. You shared your first kiss with someone you deemed so special and important to you, someone you never would’ve guessed could come into your life and shift the entirety of your world like magic. There was no one else in existence you wanted more than Changbin.

“Doesn’t that mean you’ll have to quit your job? I don’t want to be the reason you stop making such good income.. I’ll feel so bad.” You knew deep down you didn’t feel that badly about him quitting to date you instead. It was just the thought of him leaving something he’s been doing for years behind all for some girl he’s known for simply a week.

He shrugs at your comment, “I’ll be just fine, I was planning on finding a new job soon anyway. It gets kinda old after a while, I felt like I was on autopilot most of the time. You were able to get me to open up and show my true self, I could never thank you enough for that ___.” Changbin couldn’t resist the urge to plant a kiss to your forehead.

After everything that’s been said and done. What you’ve come to understand is that love is learned, a development that takes time to grow and blossom into something extraordinary. Just like learning a new language or a musical instrument, we learn love from society and cultures we’re raised in, it’s a beautiful thing once we know how to cherish it. Your newfound romance with Changbin is something you’ll learn to cherish forever and ever.

[End <3].

#skz fluff #skz x reader #changbin fluff #seo changbin fluff #stray kids imagines #skz drabbles #changbin x reader #changbin skz #changbin x female reader #seo changbin x reader #stray kids fluff #changbin scenarios #changbin drabbles #changbin imagines #skz au #skz scenarios #stray kids scenarios #stray kids drabbles #skz imagines

805 notes · View notes

howtofightwrite · 3 months

Note

For a character that virtually can’t die and regenerates in order to keep living, how do you make action interesting? Emphasize they still feel pain, why they’re doing it?

I'm actually going to step back a bit from this question first, and complement it. This is a very honest question, and something most writers who include violence in their work, should really think about. Even if you don't think you have characters like this, you do.

Now, I'm going to dunk on Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw for a moment. Ages ago (I think it was in one of his Resistance reviews), Yahtzee described, “threatening to blow up the world,” as the laziest form of raising the stakes. Because, “hey, I live on a world.” He's mostly correct. Threatening your protagonist's life is even lazier. In the vast majority of cases, your audience knows you won't go through with it. That you won't kill off your protagonists.

With that in mind, when you decide your protagonist is completely immortal, that changes less about how you write them than you might expect. The biggest difference is simply that they're directly aware of their plot armor, rather than them engaging in faux indecision based on their perceived mortality. Again, this is something that every writer who uses violence should think about, at least a bit. It is natural for a character to fear for their life, and have reservations about risking their life, but making the part where your character's lives are on the line isn't automatically suspenseful. In a lot of cases (consciously or not), your audience will call your bluff, when you threaten to kill off a major character.

If you think back to major character deaths where something drops them without warning, part of what makes those scenes work is the lack of (apparent) setup. The writer didn't spend pages teasing you with the idea, they just went for the throat and ended that character on the spot. This is more respectful of your audience, because you're not telling them, “well, I might kill this character, or I might not.”

To be clear, I'm not saying that there's no place for teasing your audience with a character's impending demise, just pointing out that in a lot of cases, this won't generate the kind of suspense you'd hope for.

So, to get back on topic, how do you make it interesting? Remember that while this character can't die, the same is not true for the characters around them. Depending on the tone you're going for, you could create an absolutely brutal crucible effect, where everyone around your immortal gets burned off, sooner or later. Whether that's literal, or figurative, is up to you. Even if your character can't die, watching people they care about suffer and die is going to have an effect on them.

You probably don't need to draw special attention to the physical pain they experience, but you do want to be aware of it. Especially in the context of how pain affects the victim's behavior. Beyond that, there is probably an element of pain being far more annoying to the immortal than it would be to a normal person. They know it's not telling them anything meaningful, but it is distracting.

Long-term, both of these can easily result in personality shifts. And, legitimately, this is a scenario where a character may be immortal, but they would still experience significant changes over time, and with the growing emotional pain, could have very adverse effects on your personality. This does have some very real, “live long enough to see yourself become the villain,” potential. How many friends can you lose before you stop caring? How many funerals can you attend before you start taking the phrase, “you're either part of the solution or part of the problem,” a little too far? How many times can you pick yourself up off the pavement a blood-covered alleyway, surrounded by corpses, before you start to forget what made you human in the first place?

And, that's not the only option. The simplest answer for maintaining tension when one of your characters is immortal is keeping your eye on what they're trying to accomplish. Keep track of their objectives, because I guarantee they can fail those. Even just keeping their own nature concealed from the mortal world is probably fairly important, because of the idea that men in hazmat suits will drag them away to some research lab and poke them until they figure out how to replicate their immortality, is a classic (and potentially plausible) threat. (Bonus points, if you're wanting to loop in something like the medieval inquisitions, or some other secret societies that could pose this kind of a threat.)

So, what do you do? To dig out an old cliché threat, “there are fates worse than death,” and it's probably worth exploring them. This also opens up new possibilities for threats. Finally, it's worth remembering that immortality does not guarantee success. If your character is hoping for that, it might be time to give them a very harsh lesson.

-Starke

This blog is supported through Patreon. Patrons get access to new posts three days early, and direct access to us through Discord. If you’re already a Patron, thank you. If you’d like to support us, please consider becoming a Patron.

#writing reference #writing advice #writing tips #how to fight write #starke answers

516 notes · View notes

ohimsummer · 5 months

Note

Based on jjk, can you write a oneshot featuring Gojo and a female reader in an Aladdin AU with humiliation please? In the fic, Gojo and the reader are a prince and princess who are organizing a royal party. But the reader fondles Gojo throughout the party which leads to him orgasming in his pants. So now he has to continue attending the party while trying and failing to hide his cum stain. What do you think?

okay I changed this up a little, hope u enjoy it regardless! :3

— minors dni, prince! satoru x princess! reader, exhibitionism, royal! au, satoru x reader, fondling/groping, handjob, gojo cums in his pants lol

Gojo doesn’t know what’s worse: what you just put him through, or the utter embarrassment afterwards.

He finds his hand lingering over the stain in the crotch of his pants. Even if it’s not that noticeable, it feels like everyone is looking. Every time he catches your eye, you give him some cheeky, innocent smile and the tips of his ears start burning all over again. He’s certain you’re enjoying this, watching him obviously try to hide something so humiliating from so many people.

It's more than a little amusing watching guests of different status inquire about the wet patch on his pants. You can only imagine the excuses Satoru come up with, but no one's caused a scene over his display or cast you any strange looks yet, so you assume he's got things under wraps. You don't regularly take joy in watching your prince of a boyfriend squirm and flounder, but consider it payback for all the times he's done the same thing to you.

It started out as a small caress of his thigh under the table, you working back a grin at the way Satoru side-eyes you in the middle of his conversation. He discreetly shoves your wandering hand away, but that only eggs you on further. It’s only a couple minutes before you’re fully massaging his cock through his slacks, your own pussy growing wet at the feel of the hardening bulge beneath your palm. And it’s just your luck that there’s a crowd sitting at the table waiting to talk to you both. Satoru is stuck there with you toying with him, muttering filthy nonsense under your breath that only he can hear. “I’m so wet right now.,” you basically whine in his ear. “Really want you to touch me, Satoru.” All this between snippets of casual dialogue with other people. It’s all so exciting, especially when you accidentally edge him because his best friend, Geto comes from behind for some small talk. Gojo’s dick twitches against your hand, now placed on his thigh because of course neither of you want his friend to suspect anything, right? And the second Geto turns his back, you return to rubbing Satoru’s painfully aching cock, thoroughly satisfied at the way he can’t stop the occasional moan from slipping into his conversations.

“No, I’m alright.,” he reassures someone again. “It’s just the heat, p-pretty warm in here. Hope I'm not getting, u-uh, sick.” You begin jerking him off through his pants, and Satoru’s fist clenches so tight, you think the glass in his hand might break. “I- I might need to go change actually–“

There’s a celebratory commotion nearby that draws everyone's attention, and Satoru is grateful their heads turn right as he messily shoots cum into the fabric of his underwear. A long groan regains the some of their attention, and they stare at him with wide eyes.

Satoru interrupts before they can ask him yet again if he’s okay. “This heat is really gettin’ to me, I’m gonna go outside for a couple minutes.”

You softly grasp at Satoru's sleeve as he moves to get up, savoring the way he tenses beneath your gentle touch. "Everything okay, Satoru?"

Your boyfriend hesitates, letting out a shaky gasp, before slowly turning his head towards you. "Yup. Fine."

Head tilting, you smile gracefully at him, as if you're not the cause of his current stress. "You don't look fine, should I accompany you?"

He lowers himself to your level so that his mouth brushes your ear. Before he speaks, Satoru glances around just to be sure there's no one within earshot for what he's about to say.

" 'm so gonna fuck you up later.," he mutters in your ear.

“Sure you will, love.,” you taunt, totally nonchalant and swirling the red liquid in your glass.

“And you’re damn right I will.,” he hisses immediately through clenched teeth, before straightening his back and heading through the crowd to the direction of your shared bedoom. You know it’s a promise, but you also choose not to worry about it right now. It was definitely worth the fun.

#satoru gojo x reader smut #satoru gojo x reader #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x reader #satoru gojo smut #jjk x reader #jjk smut #gojo satoru x you #satoru gojo x you #gojo satoru smut

199 notes · View notes

genshinemblem564 · 8 months

Text

Genshin Isekai Headcanons

These can be sagau, but they don't have to be.

• Xinyan is stoked that you love her music, and is excited when you offer to play her some music from your world, but she's confused by some of the lyrics. She understands metaphorical lyrics, like the person described in the song isn't actually a rocket, but some of them don't make sense or feel like they were added just to fill a void. Aside from that, she kinda wants to perform some of these songs, now if only she had some band members.

• Tartaglia doesn't have much to say about the guns of your world. The pyro and hydro fatui agents already use guns of some kind, and the cryo fatui agent uses, um. What would you call an ice based flamethrower? No, what he's interested in is the immense amount of new weapons that Teyvat doesn't have, or they probably do, and we just don't hear about them. Like chain blades, I don't know what else to call them, essentially a flail, but instead of a mace, it's blade. I would write something about axes, but I feel like saving that for my crossover series. A scythe is often seen as a special lance, but you tell him that it's much more complicated than that specifically pointing out the blade, and depending on your own skill, you give him a demonstration. He is way too excited to learn all of these new weapons, like a kid excited about a new toy, you can't help but smile.

• Baizhu is perplexed when he first prescribes medicine to you, as you give him a list of allergies, if any, and are more than willing to go through proper examination to learn how resistant your body is to certain toxins. He's even more surprised when you tell him that his unique practice is actually common in your world, so that's why you don't bat an eye at potentially poisonous ingredients.

• Bennett is rather surprised. When you hang out, his bad luck seems to go away. It's actually just you using a bit of foresight, like checking the date on a flyer before rushing to a sale that had already ended, but seeing that glimmer in his eyes, you decide to let his imagination roam.

• You and Cyno are reference lords. You two reference everything, Cyno, his favorite book or book series, and you, your favorite media source. Now, if only people actually understood them, and yes, you do quote Yu-Gi-Oh when playing Genius Invokation.

• If you're an artist, then you quickly catch Albedo's attention. When he sees your drawings, he is quick to ask what you used as a muse, and your answer will have great impact on his reaction. If you point to an object or animal, his response will be normal. If you draw from memory though, he is astounded, especially if what you drew was a scene of some kind, with people, animals, or what have you. Drawing all that from memory is incredible. If you say it's something you made up, he'll compare it to when he's commissioned for his own art.

• Depending on your own interests, you'll be interacting with several different characters. I can't think of anything in depth for these few, so here's a general basis. Barbara is relieved that you're so open to different views. She knows how cruel people can be when they're closed-minded, and she's happy to teach you about the Church of Favonius and Barbatos. Noelle was lamenting not being a knight yet, which led you to bring up the seven chivalric virtues. Yae Miko and Xingqiu are very interested in the stories of your world. Xingqiu hoping to learn more about your worlds code of chivalry, but he ends up learning about justice's different forms. Yae is simply searching for new inspiration. She often calls on you when her old nemesis, writers block, appears. Nahida takes interest in you right away, wanting to gain knowledge from your world, and you seem fun. She knows better than anyone how dangerous knowledge can be, so she asks you to omit potentially dangerous subjects.

• Mona was shocked when you said that you only wanted to know the bad stuff coming your way, not that she could help you, with you being an outworlder and all. When she asked why, you told her "It's best to be prepared for all the bad coming your way, and if you know all the good coming your way, it takes away from life's natural wonder." Which was promptly followed by you asking "Where did that come from?"

___________________________________________

I'm thinking making more of that last one, like " Characters reaction to reader who is randomly philosophical" might need to work on the title a bit. Also, as stated above, these can be sagau, but can also be normal isekai, so I'll use both tags so they can be found more easily

#genshin impact #isekai #sagau #genshin headcanons #xinyan #tartaglia #childe #genshin bennett #baizhu #cyno #albedo #mona megistus

256 notes · View notes

mint-yooxgi · 1 year

Text

{15} - Hotel California - Yandere!Demonic Entities!Ateez X Reader

Yandere AU & Demon AU - Based off of This ask and Hotel California by Eagles

Genre: Mature, Horror, Angst, Fluff, Slight Humor

Pairing: Ateez X Reader (Focus on Hongjoong)

Words: 8,068

Warnings: Insecurities, violent thoughts/comments, uncertainty. This is a Yandere story, it will contain themes such as stalking, violence, obsession, possessive natures, and just general overall creepiness and swearing. You have been warned.

A/n: So, I totally didn’t expect this scene with Hongjoong to be as long as it was, but you know what, he deserves it. I really enjoyed writing it, so I hope you’ll all enjoy reading it. Also, smut next chapter hehehe (probably). As always, feedback is greatly appreciated! Enjoy~

Main Story - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven - Part Eight - Part Nine - Part Ten - Part Eleven - Part Twelve - Part Thirteen - Part Fourteen - Mini Masterlist

“I thought I would find you here,” the gentle hum of a voice draws your attention to the open doorway of the garden, where you can see Hongjoong slowly beginning to make his way over to you.

Currently, you sit comfortably on one of the benches off to the left of the fountain, watching the water gently trickle and ripple out as the scent of all of your favourite flowers surrounds you. It’s been exactly three days since that night you’ve shared with Mingi, and you just really needed some fresh air. Not that you’re in a horrible mood, or anything, you’ve just had too much time to think.

One habit of yours that you’ve never been able to break is overthinking things. Sure, it may not be as bad now as it was at the start of this whole fiasco, but still, sometimes you cannot help but get caught up in your own head.

It also just seems to be one of those days. A day of which you just feel more down on yourself than usual. Luckily, it hasn’t happened for a little while, but still, it occurs more than you’d like to admit.

“May I sit with you?” He stands a mere two feet away from the bench, hands clasped behind his back as a soft look rests on his features.

A nod of your head is all the confirmation he receives.

Keeping his movements light, Hongjoong slowly takes a seat on the opposite side of the bench that you’re sitting on. His hands rest in his lap as he folds them over one another, extending his legs out in front of him so that his ankles are crossed.

A minute passes in silence. Then another, and another, with you still staring intently at that fountain. That is, until Hongjoong’s gentle voice calling out to you manages to pull you out of your thoughts once more.

“What seems to be on your mind, My Love?”

A long sigh escapes your nose as you exhale, chest deflating with your breath as your thumbs begin to run over each other slowly. You notice you have his complete and utter attention as he turns slightly to face you, the concern clear in his eyes.

“I just-“ you let out another sigh, seemingly searching for the right words. Your lips part, before closing again, until you finally settle on what it is that you want to say. “I am overwhelmed.”

Immediately, he’s sitting upright, worry clear on his features as he reaches out for you. Only, he stops himself halfway, unsure of whether or not you would want his touch comforting you, or even if you would let him.

“Have we done something to upset you?” The question is posed in a concerned tone, Hongjoong needing to know what’s wrong, and how he can fix it as soon as possible.

“No, no,” you shake your head. “Please, do not misunderstand. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in my entire life.”

Slowly, carefully, Hongjoong reaches over to place a caring hand on top of your own, which haven’t seemed to stop nervously toying with each other since before he arrived. You freeze slightly, but do not shy away from his touch as you finally look up to meet his gaze.

“Then, what could be bothering you so greatly, My Love?” His voice is soft, the thumb of his one hand tracing over the skin of your own.

Once more, you avert your gaze to your lap, staring intently at his hand resting over your own. At the way he seems to halt his movement of his thumb over the skin of the back of your hand, you can tell that he’s probably about to pull away from you. Only, you seem to surprise both him, and yourself, as you turn your hand to place your palm directly against his own, fingers intertwining as you practically cling onto him for support.

Then, as if confessing to the greatest sin of your life, you speak, voice barely above a whisper.

“Do I really deserve all of this?” Your eyes briefly glance up at the garden around you, before turning to meet his gaze. Hongjoong feels as if you are boring a hole right through his very soul at the intensity he can see shining behind them. “Do I really deserve all of you?”

There’s a hint of fear in your voice, a sort of sadness that he does not quite understand for the moment. That is, until the flash of your shared memory from the other week paints his mind.

He smiles sorrowfully, eyes drooping slightly as he feels that all too familiar painful tug on his heart.

“Of course you do, My Love.” He replies, voice a mere whisper on his lips. “Why would you ever think that you are unworthy of all of this? Of all of our love?”

“You’ve all done so much for me, and I’ve done nothing to earn it.” The admission has shame washing over you, your shoulders slumping as you curl forwards and in on yourself. “I’m still only human. I don’t understand what literal gods would want with me.”

“You exist.” Comes his blunt response, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. At the way Hongjoong can see your brow furrow in confusion, he lets out a small chuckle before continuing.

“My Love, you make us feel things that we have not felt in centuries. You make us feel alive.” He says, giving your hand a gentle squeeze. “Every day, we fall a little bit harder for you with each and every new discovery you present to us. At least, I know I do. There is nothing about you that does not sing to my very soul in some way. Your intelligence is unrivalled; your dignity, your charm, your kindness. The way you care for those which you hold dear and cherish most, portrays a thoughtfulness that we have always held in high regard for each other throughout our lives.”

“You evoke emotions in us that we have not felt in millennia, nor experienced before in all of our long years of living.” He continues, staring deeply into your eyes as he notices tears begin to gather in your own. His heart pangs for a completely different reason now. “Your passions rival our own; your integrity, your determination, and your wit. We are more alike than you realize, which could not make you a better fit for us, nor make us desire you more than we already do. You are perfect in every way: mind, body, and soul.”

Hongjoong shifts the slightest bit closer to you as a soft smile graces his features. In the next moment, he gives your hand another gentle squeeze, reassuring you through both his actions, and his words how honest he is being with you right now. How sincere.

Though, it’s his next admission that truly knocks the wind right out of you.

“It is us that do not deserve you.”

“Hongjoong,” the whisper of his name on your lips is synonymous with the first tear that spills down the side of your cheek.

“You have showed us a kindness - a benevolence - that we did not deserve. You chose to trust us, despite everything we - despite everything I - have done. You have shared parts of yourself with us that we have only ever dreamed of being revealed to us, much sooner than we probably deserve.” He raises his free hand, turning even more into you so he can cup the side of your face tenderly in his palm. “There is no greater gift, no higher honour that you could give to us, than allowing us the opportunity to enter your heart in the same ways you have entered ours. Please, never forget that.”

Your eyelids flutter closed as you lean into his touch, feeling his thumb beginning to brush over the skin of your cheek as he caresses you tenderly. Another tear falls, and he’s quick to brush it away.

“Please, do not cry, My Love,” his voice is gentle as he holds you in his embrace like this. His heart squeezes painfully at knowing that you’ve been sitting here, alone, feeling like this for who knows how long, trapped in your own thoughts. “Do not ever doubt for one second that you do not deserve everything that we have to offer, and so much more. We would not hesitate to give you entire galaxies if that is what you so desire. You need simply only ask for something, and we will do everything in our power to grant your every wish. You are our entire world. Our light. Our life. We- I hope you never doubt that again.”

You take a deep, albeit shaky breath in as a moment of stillness passes between the both of you. Your eyes remain closed as you revel in his touch, your whole body feeling as if it’s humming with life as he holds your cheek in the palm of his hand. Then, slowly, you begin to nod softly.

“Thank you,” your voice is but a whisper as you breathe out, eyes blinking open to meet his own. “Thank you, Hongjoong, I really needed to hear that.”

“Of course, My Love,” he smiles tenderly at you, giving your cheek a final brush with his thumb before slowly pulling his hand away. “I am just glad I could offer you comfort during this time. I care about you more than you’ll ever know.”

Wiping at the rest of your lingering tears with the back of your free hand, you notice his one arm now stretched along the back of the bench. Shifting slightly, you lean into him, much to Hongjoong’s pleasant surprise. You give his hand still held in yours a small squeeze.

“Will you sit with me for a while longer?” An offer extended to him which makes his heart leap into his throat for all of the right reasons.

“I would love nothing more,” he replies, shifting slightly closer into you and noticing how your lips quirk the slightest bit upwards as he does so.

Oh, so badly does Hongjoong want to roar in happiness. How long has he dreamt of moments like this, shared with you while you rest in each other’s embrace? Finally, it seems as if his dreams are all coming true.

A few minutes of silence wash over the both of you, but this time, they are not filled with the same heaviness as before. The only sound that fills the space is the trickling of water from the fountain. A soft breeze brushes past.

Hongjoong smiles, fully relaxing into this moment with you. He absolutely adores how you have yet to release his hand, nor move away from his touch yet. If he’s being honest with himself, he could spend hours sitting like this with you. That is, if you let him. The cherry on top is the smile he notices that begins to paint your features as he makes another slight breeze drift by, the scent from the flowers filling your lungs with every breath you take.

Still, he cannot help the way worry tugs at the back of his mind at the mood he walked in on you in.

“My Love?” His voice pulls you back to reality as you hum in acknowledgement. “I do not wish to pry, and you do not have to answer me if you aren’t ready. However, I am simply wondering why you felt unworthy of all of this just now.”

You purse your lips slightly in thought, contemplating how best to respond. Taking a calming breath in, you begin to speak.

“I have gone through my whole life with people always expecting something from me. Whether it was in return for something they did, performance wise, or other, people were never just content with the parts I was willing to give. They always had to take something in return. It’s so engrained in me to always give more than I want to, or have to now, and to not receive anything back, that it just feels weird when someone else does things for me without expectations.” You explain, your eyes falling to your lap once more. “So, when that does happen, I feel like I’m cheating others. It’s the whole, ‘I’ve done nothing to deserve what I’m being given, so why are they giving it to me?’ mentality.”

“I’m scared, Hongjoong." You admit, sparing a glance up into his eyes and noticing how his breath catches in his throat when you do so. “You have all done so much for me, and I just feel like I haven’t done anything in return. What if I’m not who you think I am? What if, when I finally give myself to all of you, I am no longer what you want? What will happen when you all grow tired of me, and I’m of no more importance to you that a spec of dirt? Will you no longer want me when I do give you what you finally want?”

You take another shaky breath in, clinging onto his hand for dear life as a fear unlike anything he’s seen from you before swirls within your eyes.

“I’m scared, Hongjoong,” you repeat, voice much more hushed than it was a moment ago, as if confessing to your own thoughts is the biggest crime you could ever commit. “I’m scared because I-“ you swallow, “I really like living with you guys. It’s like I said before, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in my entire life, and that’s all because of you. I love how none of you expect more from me than what I’m willing to give, and you have never expected more of me than that. I appreciate every minuscule detail you each put into our home, and that you literally went above and beyond anything I could have ever imagined.”

“I care about you all in my own ways, and I just-“ you let out a sigh, staring at your intertwined hands as you brush your own thumb over the skin on the back of his own. “I don’t ever want to lose this. I don’t ever want to lose you.”

Hongjoong has to swallow the sudden dryness in his throat, tears now springing to his own eyes as a warmth unlike any other spreads through his chest at your final confession. Though, he still worries about your own fears. Fears of which are untrue, and have no reason to be consuming your every thought. Only, before any words of reassurance can escape him, you are continuing.

“I know,” you chuckle dryly, “it’s incredibly selfish of me, isn’t it? To not want to give up anything. I just-“ you sigh once more, “I can’t help it. For the first time in my life, I finally know what it feels like to be someone’s first choice. For the first time in my life, I know what it feels like to have someone be in love with me, and actually mean it. Which is why your words earlier are everything to me. You all make me feel so incredibly special, that I never want it to stop.”

“And it never will,” he assures you, meeting your gaze once more as he stares deeply into your eyes. “My Love, we will never not want you. You are so ingrained in our very souls, that to leave you would be like leaving a part of ourselves behind. We- I am so deeply in love with you, that I would never stop trying to make you fall for me in the same ways that I’ve fallen for you. Were you no longer in my life, I do not know if I would be able to go on. I do not know if any of us would. You are everything to us - to me, that we- I will never stop wanting to give you everything that you’ve always deserved, and so much more.”

You smile faintly, bringing your free hand up to caress the side of his face with your palm, noticing how he leans into your touch almost immediately. His eyelids flutter closed as he once again revels in this very moment here with you.

“Hongjoong,” his name is but a whisper on your lips, and you can just tell that he can hear how your heart thunders away in your chest. “I believe you.”

He mirrors your smile, eyes remaining shut as he rests in the palm of your hand.

“Good,” he squeezes your hand still held tightly in his own. “I’m glad.”

“Your words have reassured me more than you know,” you breathe. “I really didn’t know how badly I needed to hear them until now. Though, your actions tend to speak for themselves.”

You finish with a small chuckle, and when Hongjoong opens his eyes, he notices your gaze trailing around the garden once more.

“It’s like I’ve said, My Love,” he turns his head to place a soft kiss onto the palm of your hand, his lips tickling your skin as he speaks into you, eyes still locked onto your own, “you deserve everything that we have to offer, and so much more.”

Your lips part as if you want to say something more, but you stop yourself, brow furrowing slightly in worry. As if what you have to say is a worse admission than everything that has come before.

Hongjoong blinks, eyes searching your face incase anything about your expression gives way to what you’re thinking right now. At the way his breath hitches slightly, he thinks he’s beginning to understand.

“My Love, you are enough.” At the way he feels your whole body still before him, he knows his words have struck true. “You are always more than enough for us. All we have ever wanted, all we have ever desired, is you. Your happiness, your affection, your love. That is all we ask: simply be you.”

“But I haven’t-“

“You don’t need to do anything to deserve our love and affection,” Hongjoong cuts you off, noticing much to his discontent how your hand falls from his face and back to your lap for the moment. “We are in love with you, not anything you could possibly provide for us. Actions and words are simply extensions of who we are; you do not need to provide more than you’re willing to give. Just let us take care of you.”

“I-“ you blink, taking a deep breath in to steady your nerves. Your head begins to throb. “There are parts of me that none of you know about yet, and I just cannot help but fear that once you do know, you will never look at me the same way again.”

“We are more alike than you think,” Hongjoong observes, shifting his attention back to the fountain in front of you. “Not a day goes by where I do not think of everything that I’ve done that could scare you away again in the blink of an eye, if you knew of the various sins that I have committed.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sound like I’m invalidating your own feelings.” You mutter, voice barely above a whisper as you look down at your lap yet again.

“Do not worry, My Love, I never thought that for one second.” He gives your hand still held in his another reassuring squeeze. “What I’m trying to say is this: it’s normal to have these sorts of fears. Yet, that’s love, is it not? Revealing yourself fully; stripping yourself bare to the one that holds your heart in the palm of their hands and giving them the power to either cradle it gently, or tear it apart in the blink of an eye.”

“Yes, I suppose it is,” you chuckle slightly, lips quirking in the corner. “Though, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a love like this before.”

“Can I let you in on a little secret?” He leans in slightly, head gently resting against your own as he draws you in closer.

You hum, shifting your gaze slightly to spare him a glance out of the corner of your eyes.

“Neither have I,” his confession is a mere whisper against the skin of your ear, causing a shiver to run down your spine. “In all of my long years of life, I have never referred to anyone as I do you.”

“You mean you’ve never…?” You trail off, and Hongjoong gladly fills in the rest for you.

“Called anyone ‘My Love’ before?” He chuckles at the way you pull away slightly to gaze at him with wide eyes. “No, I have not.”

You blink, that familiar tug of curiosity shining within your eyes. “Why?”

“Because I have never found anyone worthy enough to call them as such.” He replies, a subtle smile tugging at his lips. “I have never felt so strongly about anyone as I do you. All the other times I have experienced love in my life feel like child’s play compared to this. You have shown me what being in love truly feels like, and means. I have finally found a piece of me that I did not realize I had been longing for all these long years.”

“Hongjoong,” your heart positively flutters at his confession, fingers tightening around his own as your opposite hand comes to rest on top of your intertwined ones.

“Do you think we’d call just anyone Our Queen?” He chuckles, nudging your knee with his own affectionately.

“No,” you smile softly, “I suppose not.”

“So, please, My Love, do not let these thoughts consume you any longer.” He meets your gaze once more. “Whenever you need me, whenever you need us, we will be right there to help calm you down, and assure you that they have no truth to them. Ever. You are everything to us. You, and you alone.”

For a moment, a silence settles around the both of you as you let his words sink in. The corners of your lips tug upwards faintly as you reach out to him once more, the palm of your hand caressing the side of his face. In the next moment, you’re leaning in, placing a tender kiss onto the skin of his opposite cheek.

“Thank you, Hongjoong,” you pull away, noticing how the tips of his ears begin to turn bright red as you lean into him, resting your head upon his shoulder. “You have eased the worry in both my heart, and my mind, more than you will ever know. I appreciate everything that you do for me, and have done for me. I appreciate you.”

“I will always be here for you, My Love,” his chest rumbles in content as he wraps his arm fully around your shoulders, pulling you closer into himself for the moment. “In anyway that I can.”

“Thank you, Hongjoong,” your heart warms as you allow your eyes to flutter closed, revelling in such a tender moment shared with him. “I don’t know why my thoughts got the better of me today.”

“We all have off days,” he comments with a hum, thumb back to brushing over the skin on the back of your hand.

You nod once more, continuing to rest your head against his shoulder for the time being. Again, Hongjoong creates a gentle breeze which flits through the garden, caressing both you and him as the scents of the flowers surround you both.

“Hongjoong?” Your voice pulls him back into this moment here in time.

“Yes, My Love?”

“May I ask you something?” You seem somewhat nervous despite the curiosity lingering in your tone.

“Of course, My Love,” comes his immediate response. “Ask me anything you desire, and I will answer to the best of my abilities.”

You smile faintly as you curl in closer to his side. A fact which warms his heart more than you’ll ever know.

“You do not have to answer if you don’t want to, but I was wondering,” you take a deep breath in, “can you tell me more about your relationship with Miyeon?”

Even though it’s slight, you can still feel the way his whole body tenses beneath you, clearly caught off guard by your question. That is, until he’s relaxing once more.

“What would you like to know?”

“You said you didn’t love her, yet you are one of the four counted in a relationship with her. Why?” You tilt your head slightly upwards to look at him, all the while continuing to rest against his shoulder.

“There are many different types of relationships other than just romantic, My Love,” he begins. “Sure, it may not have been your typical one, but we were still in agreement with one another. There’s just one thing I need you to understand: we both used each other for our own gains, and nothing more. She used me to get herself off, just as I-“ he sighs, voice lowering slightly in what you believe to be shame, “I used her. There was no love involved. At least, on my end.”

“She started to fall for you?” You ask, tone soft as you continue to gaze up at him.

“To this day I still do not know if she actually did, or if it was all apart of her game of trying to lure us all into her trap,” he sighs, leaning further back into the bench. “Though, I was never willing to give her more than I did. I didn’t want her love, and I felt as if she didn’t deserve mine. What she did to Yunho only confirmed it.”

“There’s a few pointed things I would like to do to her for what she did to him,” a frown pulls at your features as clear venom coats your words. “To what she did to all of you.”

“Oh?” Hongjoong quirks his brow, curiosity shining in his gaze as his heart begins to pound beneath his chest. “Care to share, My Love?”

Your eyes briefly meet his own before drifting to stare intently at the fountain in front of you. You shift slightly in your seat, crossing your one leg over the other as you pull his hand further into your lap.

“I think tearing out her heart after cracking open her ribs one by one for easier access is a good start,” you reply, seemingly nonchalantly with a shrug.

The growl that escapes him is nothing short of pleased as a shiver runs down his spine.

“My Love,” he practically moans out the name, “you can’t just say something like that and not realize the effect you’ll have on me.”

You shrug once more, “you asked.”

“See, yet another reason I fall deeper in love with you each day,” he chuckles, and at the way your brow quirks at him, he smirks, leaning in closer to you as his voice drops to a mere whisper, “you’re always full of pleasant surprises, My Love.”

You giggle, and Hongjoong swears that it’s the most melodic sound he’s ever heard in his life.

“More violent than you were expecting?” You joke, another giggle escaping your lips.

“Unbelievably so,” he sighs, dreamily.

“You’d be surprised by the types of thoughts I can have,” you reply. “Or perhaps you all just bring out the best in me.”

“Not the worst?” This time, it’s his turn to quirk a brow at your choice in words.

“I think after being so passive for so long in my life I can have a little violence,” you hum. “As a treat.”

Hongjoong laughs, squeezing your hand in his as he feels your shoulders shaking along with his.

“You can have as much violence as you desire, My Love,” he grins, his eyes tinting with that all too familiar darkness as a happiness unlike anything he’s ever felt before swirls within. “I look forward to discovering all of your more violent thoughts in that pretty little head of yours. Always.”

“Perhaps you won’t have to wait much longer to find out,” you smirk, a teasing lilt to your voice.

Another pleased growl escapes him, and you feel him pull you closer into him, causing you to sit upright once more as he turns his head to look at you.

“That’s a very dangerous admission, My Love,” his voice is low as his eyes flick down to your lips, tongue darting out to wet his own in the next second. “Are you sure you want to tempt me like this?”

You lean into him then, free hand coming up to cradle the back of his neck. Your fingers tangle in his locks as you do so, and you do not fail to notice the pleased rumble that echoes throughout his chest and reverberates through your own.

“What am I, if not tempting?” You grin, a seductive pull of your lips as your grip tightens in his hair.

“You are the greatest temptation I have ever known,” his admission is but a whisper against your own lips as he leans in that much closer to you, yet never so far as to make you uncomfortable.

“Then, how sweet it will be when I finally let you indulge,” the smirk that pulls onto your features is deadly, voice low as your own gaze darts down to his lips for the briefest of moments.

However, before Hongjoong can even so much as pose the question that he has always wanted to ask you, you’re pulling away. A knowing look graces your features in a smug pull of your lips upwards as you turn to face the fountain once more. Your hand releases its grip on his hair to reach across and pat at his knee.

“All in due time, Joong,” you hum. “All in due time.”

Despite the feeling swirling in his chest at not being able to kiss you quite yet, there is a glimmer of hope shining behind his eyes. Already, you have allowed him to hold you like this for much longer than he could have ever imagined, your hand still being firmly held in his own. Plus, your words serve as a promise to him of what is still yet to come. A fact of which could not make him any happier than he is in this moment here in time with you.

“May I be honest with you?” Your voice pulls him out of his own thoughts of leaning in to place a tender kiss onto your cheek.

“I would love nothing more, My Love,” comes his gentle reply.

“When you first told me about Miyeon, and how you never cared for her, I was worried,” you sigh, diverting your gaze to the ground as the words fall from your lips. “I feared that you were playing me for a fool, and only making me believe that you were in love with me for some ulterior motive.”

“My Love, I would never-“

“Please, Hongjoong,” you cut him off as you look back up to meet his gaze once more. Nothing but a soft fondness shines there, and it eases a tension from his shoulders that he hasn’t realized he’s been holding onto this entire time. “Let me finish.”

He nods his head, waiting patiently for you to continue.

“I couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out what that might be. You had already assured me you weren’t after my soul, and you vowed that you would never force yourself on me.” You tilt your head slightly as if contemplating your previous thoughts once more now. “You have never done anything which would warrant my immediate discomfort, and you went out of your way to make me feel comfortable. Anything and everything I could ever want or need, you provided, even if I was being stubborn or I didn’t deserve it.”

You can see him about to protest yet again, but you shush him by placing a finger of your free hand against his lips.

“Your actions alone spoke for themselves,” you continue, and you watch him blink once at you. You lower your hand. “No one in their right mind would bother to put on such a dedicated act for so long. I can always feel the sincerity of your words every time you speak to me, and this past hour alone with you has just confirmed what I’ve already known. Please believe me when I say that I believe you. To me, you do not seem like the type to lead someone on, nor take more than what you yourself are willing to give. I think that’s one of the things I appreciate most about you. Your integrity has never made me doubt your intentions for one second.”

“My Love,” his eyes shine with that all too familiar fondness you are so used to seeing from him.

“I can tell just from the way you look at me that you have never been dishonest with your emotions,” once more, your hand comes up to cradle the side of his face, thumb gently stroking the skin right below his one eye. “You cannot fake that.”

“Never,” he breathes, gaze locked onto your own as his eyes search for any signs of hesitance or discomfort from you. He finds none. “Not to you. Never you.”

“You have spent every day since I got here proving your love for me, and I will never forget that,” you say, voice a mere whisper on the wind as you look at him with such tenderness in your eyes, that he cannot help the way his breath hitches in his throat. “I may not be able to say the words you long to hear from me quite yet, but I can tell you this,” Hongjoong holds his breath as you meet his gaze, “I am starting to fall for you, Hongjoong, and it most certainly is not a bad thing.”

It’s as if his entire world has stopped, a warmth flooding his veins as this moment here in time washes over the both of you. Your words have him recalling the very last thing you said to him when you both were previously in the garden together, and he cannot help the way tears begin to spring to his eyes once more. You have just made him so incredibly happy, that Hongjoong feels as if he could let out a roar that would shake the very foundations of the earth. This shared moment with you is so intimate to him, reassuring him in the best of ways, and giving him such hope, that he wants to revel in this feeling forever.

Hongjoong doesn’t even realized he’s moved to caress the back of your neck until his eyes are refocusing on the scene before him. The way he can see you staring at him, eyes full of affection as a soft smile paints your features, sets his heart racing inside his chest. That all too familiar warmth blossoms within him, spreading outwards until he can feel the tips of his very fingers tingling at your slightest touch.

His eyes glance down at your lips.

“My Love,” his voice is rough, raw from the pure emotions running through his very being as this moment washes over him and settles deep within the core of his soul. “Thank you-“ his breath hitches once more in his throat as he pulls your intertwined hands to his chest so you can feel how his heart is pounding inside his chest. For you, and you alone. “There are not enough words in all of the tongues of this universe to describe to you what this means to me, what you mean to me.”

“You don’t have to,” you squeeze his hand, the fingers you have cradling his cheek pressing against him the slightest bit more. “I understand, Hongjoong. You have made me believe.”

“My Love,” his words are strained, throat tightening as his emotions consume his very soul. He swallows, tongue darting out to wet his lips as he glances down at your own, heartbeat ringing in his ears. “Can I-“ he breathes, voice low as he leans in that much closer to you. “May I-“

Hongjoong struggles to get the words out, partially due to the emotions swirling inside of him this very instant, but also due to the fear of you possibly pulling away from him if he’s pushing things too fast. He doesn’t want to scare you away again.

“Do you want to kiss me, Captain?” There’s a hint of a teasing lilt to your voice as the corner of your lips quirk upwards.

“Yes, please,” he practically moans out, a shudder running throughout his entire body at the significance behind this moment. Not to mention your very words, of which have him tingling with a desperation for you unlike ever before. “More than anything.”

“Then, kiss me, My King,”

His lips are on yours before you even finish getting the words out, and you can feel the way his pleased growl reverberates against your skin as he pulls you in closer. His grip is desperate as his hand supports the back of your neck, cradling you to him gently as he holds you carefully in his grip. Everything that he is, everything that he feels, he pours into this kiss, loving the way he can hear your breath hitch as he deepens it.

His whole body begins to tingle. Hongjoong can feel the heat from your hand on his cheek, as well as the way your grip tightens around his own as he holds your intertwined hands against his chest. His heart is beating erratically as he feels your fingers move to tangle in his hair, pulling him even closer into you as you let out the sweetest of whimpers into his mouth. A sound which he greedily swallows, wanting to hear even more, and all just for him.

This is everything he could have ever wanted, and so much more as he feels his chest rumble with another pleased growl. He knows his eyes have long since bled black beneath his lids as he holds you to him, revelling in this moment for as long as he can. The way your lips feel pressed against his own, tongue languidly stroking against his, has a heat unlike anything he’s ever felt before flooding his entire being.

All too soon, you’re pulling away from him. Only, now, Hongjoong craves more. Taking this opportunity, he places a tender kiss to the corner of your mouth, moving to trail his lips down your jawline before beginning to nip at the skin of your neck. The way you seem to tilt your head back the slightest to give him easier access has another pleased rumble building in his chest.

More. More. Hongjoong wants more. He craves it. That all too familiar beast begins to snarl within him, begging him to claim you like he’s long since desired, to make you his in every possible way that he knows how. At the way you hum as he bites down on a particularly sensitive spot on your neck, he finds it even harder to control himself at this very moment in time.

The feeling of your fingers gently tugging at the hair on the back of his neck pulls his attention away from you just long enough for you to part his lips from your skin. A giggle escapes you as he meets your gaze, eyes swirling with that all too familiar darkness you’ve become so used to from him as a soft pout tugs at his lips.

“How about we save that for later, yeah?” You chuckle, a grin painting your features as you watch his eyes shine.

“As you wish, My Queen,” he hums, words but a growl on his lips.

Slowly, your hand moves back to cradling his face in your palm, thumb gently stroking along his cheek as he leans into your touch once more. Hongjoong’s own hand releases his hold on the back of your neck in order to rest along the top of the bench once more, fingers dancing lightly along the skin of your shoulders. His eyelids flutter closed.

“I love you,” he breathes, turning his head once more to place a kiss onto the skin of your open palm.

You smile as his eyes flutter open to meet your own, “I believe you.”

Another comfortable silence settles around the both of you as you bask in each other’s presence. You shift yourself so that you’re leaning against his side yet again, his arm wrapped securely around your shoulders as you rest your head on his. Nothing could make you both happier than you are right now.

For an hour, the two of you sit like this, chatting idly while keeping your voices low. Neither of you want to disturb the moment you have created here together, perfectly content to stay wrapped up in each other’s embrace like this for as long as the other will allow.

You don’t quite remember when he started, but Hongjoong has begun to play with your fingers, threading them through his own and tracing patterns into the skin on the back of your hand. It’s quite calming, and you can feel tingles shooting up your arms wherever he touches. A pleasant, albeit new sensation to you. One which you could very much get used to without a second thought.

“We have another council meeting coming up in a few days,” he says after a brief moment of silence. “Are you going to be okay on your own again, given everything going on?”

“More than okay,” you smile, turning your head to place a gentle kiss onto his jawline. “Thank you for asking.”

“Nothing can get passed our wards, regardless,” he assures you.

“I believe you,” you chuckle, settling deeper into his side. “Though, I’m curious what this one will be about.”

“Probably more complaints about issues that could solve themselves,” he mirrors your chuckle, an overdramatic sigh escaping him in the next moment. “You’d be surprised at how many of our subjects cannot make their own decisions.”

“Sounds like every other person I know,” you join in on the teasing. “Though I can’t imagine the shit you all have to deal with.”

“It does get repetitive at times,” he admits. “Though, I think the worst is when certain demons ask if they can plant crops on their own lands.”

You blank as you look up at him. “You’re kidding.”

“I wish I were,” he sighs, an exasperated chuckle escaping him in the next second. “Though, with how the last meeting went, I’m sure the clans have found the rest of the traitors, and just want us to condemn them.”

“Traitors?” You quirk a brow.

“The reason there was blood on the floor that one morning after we returned,” he replies, and he notices the way you nod slightly in response.

“Wait, you mean you guys didn’t kill them all?” Your brow furrows as you push yourself the slightest bit away to look up at him.

“We could have,” he shrugs, “but then we wouldn’t have any left to condemn and make an example out of when the time is right.”

“Fair enough,” you hum, resting your head back onto his shoulder. “As long as you’ve destroyed their leader, and haven’t made them into a martyr, the cause should be lost.”

He’s silent for a moment, and you can just tell he’s contemplating your words.

“You have destroyed their leader, haven’t you?” Your eyebrows raise considerably as you wait for his response.

“If I’m honest, My Love, we never even bothered to learn who it was,” he replies. “We wouldn’t be able to tell you if we killed them or not when we slaughtered the majority of them that one night.”

“Okay, well,” you tighten your grip on him slightly, “just be careful. I don’t want to see any of you get hurt. Especially not when we have Miyeon to deal with.” Then, as if realizing something, a worry takes over your features. “She won’t be there, will she?”

“No, no, of course not.” He’s quick to assure you. “Her clan knows what will happen to her and them if she so much as dares to show her face to us at a council again.”

“Ah,” relief washes over you, even if he can still sense that wisp of fear lingering in your grip, “I see.”

“Your concern for us all means more than you’ll ever know, My Love,” he hums, eyes shining affectionately as he looks over at you still resting against his shoulder.

“I care about you guys,” you repeat your words from earlier in the day, noticing how his throat bobs as he swallows his emotions for the time being. “I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“I promise that we will all return to you safe and sound,” Hongjoong smiles softly, bringing your intertwined hands up to his lips to place a gentle kiss onto the back of yours.

“You better,” you grin teasingly. “Otherwise, I’ll gut you myself.”

A pleasant shiver races down his spine as his eyes shine. “Is that a promise, My Love?”

“Violent thoughts, remember?” You flick a brow at him, amusement shining in your eyes as you see him mirror your grin.

“But of course,” he leans in to rest his forehead against your own. “How could I ever forget such delightful fantasies of yours?”

“You don’t know the half of it,” the smirk that tugs at the corner of your lips is deadly, and Hongjoong can feel another shiver of pleasure racing down his spine.

“I look forward to the day you allow me to indulge in them with you,” his words are but a gentle caress against your skin, despite the darker undertones of such a lingering promise.

“All in due time, Joong,” you breathe. “All in due time.”

Another hour is spent together conversing softly between each other in the garden, and simply basking in one another’s presence. As soon as the sun begins to set, a calm washes over the both of you, though Hongjoong is a bit disappointed your time together has to end. Still, the fact that you allow him to walk you to your room, hand still held firmly in his own has a feeling unlike any other spreading throughout his entire body.

You do not invite him to stay with you, but you do place another lingering kiss to his cheek as you bid him a goodnight. You do seem slightly more tired than usual, so he doesn’t want to push you any further than you’ve already gone today. You’ve opened yourself up to him in ways he’s only ever dreamed about, and for that, he could not be more grateful, or fall any more in love with you than he already is.

Placing a gentle kiss onto the skin of your knuckles, Hongjoong slowly and reluctantly lets go of your hand. He watches as you retreat into your bedroom for the evening, sending him a final soft smile as you shut the door behind you.

Soon. He tells himself as he begins to make his way back down the hallway and to his own room for the evening. You’ll be falling asleep in his own arms soon.

Hongjoong simply cannot wait for that day to come, and he knows that once it does, it will be all the more sweeter. Today already went better than he could have ever hoped, and the fact that he was able to ease your worries like he did makes him so unbelievably happy. You admitted to him yourself that you’re already starting to fall for him. Now, all there’s left to do is wait, and Hongjoong is more than happy to do so. After all, once you fall, he will be there to catch you with open arms, that all too familiar loving smile on his face when you do.

The skin of his lips begins to tingle as he recalls the feeling of your own pressed against his.

Soon. You will be his soon. He’ll make sure of it, even it it’s the last thing he ever does.

688 notes · View notes

softspeirs · 1 month

Text

The Major and the Nurse (4): Rosie Rosenthal x OC

A/N: You mean I was supposed to watch ep 7 and Rosie run towards a recently landed B-17 all heroically and not write something where he helps with the wounded? *laughs maniacally*

four (loss & grief)

Heads tilted upwards, every stood-down pilot, crew member, and civilian on base counts the number of planes coming in.

It's always fewer than they expect.

The 100th is taking so many losses at this point in the war, Rosie is not surprised when two planes barely make the runway. Red-red flares, wounded aboard. Landing gear screeching, holes in wings smoking, and he's moving before he can even think about what he's doing.

The hatch is open and a slew of bullet casings come tumbling out, a crew member not far behind, dazed. Rosie reaches for him out of instinct, gripping his elbow to keep him upright.

"You're all right, son." He says, but the Captain either doesn't hear him, or hasn't processed it. Rosie lets go.

His attention is drawn, as it tends to be, to the arrival of Lieutenant Grace Fleming. Her face is pale, but set in grim determination.

She meets his eyes for a split second. If she’s surprised to see him there, she doesn’t show it, instead she focuses on the man in front of her, fallen to his knees. His breath comes in fits and spurts.

“Captain—“ She barks, eyes flicking up to Rosie’s once more. “A hand.”

It’s not a request. If he’s here, he has to make himself useful. Another nurse on her left, they’re lowering the man to the ground.

“Need him on a litter right away.”

“Count of three.” Rosie confirms, another member of the medical corps arriving at their side with a stretcher.

“Nurse—“ the man stutters, blood seeping from between his chattering teeth. “Miss Grace, please.”

Grace freezes for only a moment, but it’s enough for Rosie to see. Her jaw clenches. “I’m here, you’re alright. Try to slow your breathing for me, okay?” Her hands are gentle as she clasps his. She presses their interlocked hands to the man’s chest, leaning over him. “You’ve got a bad leg wound and some shrapnel elsewhere, we’re going to get you inside and take care of you.”

“Please,” he begs again. “Grace, I don’t want to die.”

Rosie is relieved when Grace looks at him, nodding once. “Count of three.” She says.

One, two, three, and they’re lifting. Into the ambulance the young Lieutenant goes, and Grace is right behind. Rosie helps her in, hands gripping around her waist and hoisting her inside before he can second guess touching her like that.

“Later.” She says to him quietly before shutting the door.

It didn’t need to be said - their sunset meetings on the hard stand have been a staple for the both of them since he came back from the flak house.

He turns back to the chaotic scene behind him, wanting to help. Scenes like this are becoming more and more common. It makes alarm bells ring in his head. Somehow, though, it makes him more sure about his next move.

He waits around on the hard stand for a half hour before a feeling in his gut has him turning back towards the barracks.

He goes to the women's hut first. Shaking his head at his sudden nervousness, he raps his knuckles on the door. Entering uninvited seems wrong, and when the door is opened in front of him, he hastily whips off his hat and clutches it between his fingers.

"Captain!" The woman says, and Rosie is embarrassed to admit to himself that he doesn't know her name.

"I'm looking for--"

"Grace?" Word has gotten around, then. "She hasn't been here. Still at the hospital as far as I know. She missed dinner."

Rosie frowns. That's not like her.

Following his gut, he thanks the woman at the door and turns on his heels, heading in the opposite direction. Not for the first time, he wishes he had a jeep or a bike at his disposal - he knows he could find someone to give him a lift, but he doesn't want to draw any more attention to his meeting with Grace than he apparently already has.

The hospital is eerily silent. He forces himself inside - he still hates the smell and the way everything is so blindingly white.

A few men he recognizes from the landing earlier are in bed, most asleep. Their wounds range from what appear to be minor to a man who is bandaged nearly from head to toe.

There is still blood on the floor.

He steps carefully past the last bed. Still no sign of Grace.

Water runs in a small room to his left, and he makes his footfalls a little heavier in hopes that he doesn't startle her if she is indeed still here, preparing to leave for the day.

He peers around the corner to see her, hands deep in the washing basin. She is scrubbing at her hands so hard, she sounds out of breath. A sick, sinking feeling hits him in the gut.

"Grace." He says her name softly. It comes out hoarse. He takes a few steps closer when she doesn't react. "Grace?"

She's still scrubbing at her hands. When he gets close enough, he can see the color of her skin - bright pink, the water so hot steam is rising from the tap. The soap running from her fingers is clean, not a tinge of any color that shouldn't be there running down the drain.

Her hands are shaking.

Without saying anything else, he reaches for the tap and shuts it off. She doesn't stop rubbing at her hands, her knuckles, her fingernails.

"Grace." His voice is firmer this time. His hands settle over hers. He almost pulls away because of how hot her touch is, but the shaking only gets worse in her long fingers, and he grips her tighter out of instinct.

"He didn't make it." She says, voice like he's never heard it before. Flat. Emotionless. "The Lieutenant from--" She stops, and it's not really a cry, but more of a strangled noise that leaves her throat. "His plane was called Borrowed Time."

Rosie's throat is tight as he watches her. He gently guides her away from the sink, hands still tight around hers. "Come on, sit down for a second."

"I can't-- I have to get the blood off."

"Gracie, you're clean, okay?"

"He-- he begged me." She looks at him then. There are tears in her eyes, but he knows her well enough to know she won't let them fall. "He didn't call for his mother, or for God. He begged me."

Rosie throws all caution to the wind. He pulls her sideways so she's half in his lap. His arms go around her, tugging her close, her head finding purchase on his shoulder. Her breathing is strangled, and he knows she's trying not to break.

"You did everything you could." He assures her. "I know you did everything you could."

"You don't know that. Not for sure."

He's shaking his head before she can even finish her sentence. "Yes, I do. There's no one better than you, Grace."

She's quiet for a long time before she pulls away from him. His arms open automatically, and he clears his throat as a sudden awkwardness lands between them like an anvil. "I need to get out of here." She whispers.

"Come on." He says, holding his hand out to her. It feels like an eternity waiting to see if she'll take it.

She does.

Lemmons appears at some point to hand over a hastily wrapped parcel of sandwiches and sodas. Rosie looks up at him gratefully, even more grateful when Ken doesn't say anything - he's gotten used to seeing Rosie and Grace out here together.

Grace's face is a mask of stoicism, but Rosie knows better by now. He can see the crease in between her eyebrows that only shows up when she's tired or worried.

He can see the way her shoulders slump downward, her posture normally ramrod straight from years of being shouted at by her parents.

When they're alone again, he watches her carefully for signs that she's knitting herself back together. He doesn't know if his more-than-forward touch in the hospital was wanted, so he doesn't try again, though his fingers itch with the urge to take her hand or pull her close so he can feel her warmth.

"Your twenty-fifth is coming soon." She says suddenly.

He frowns at her. "Why are you thinking about that?"

"You have to go home, Rosie." Her voice trembles.

He takes a step backward. "What? I--"

"Captain Rosenthal, so help me, if you go up there again, you're going to end up in a hospital bed, and if you make me have to tend to you like that, I'll never speak to you again."

His hands go to his hips as he weighs his words. He doesn't want to upset her, he doesn't want to pretend that everything is going to be fine -- hell, he might not make it back at all, let alone without a scratch.

"I can't promise you that."

She stares at him. "You're going to re-up after twenty five." It's not a question.

"The thought has crossed my mind."

She wraps her arms around herself, and he sees it for what it is, shielding herself for what she sees as an unavoidable blow coming her way.

He takes a few steps closer to her, unable to stand the distance any longer. "I'm going to come back." His voice is firm, full of the conviction he feels because he trusts himself, he trusts his men, and because he has something to come back for. He's tired of pretending that's not the case. "I'm going to come back, and I swear I won't have more than minor mending for you to do, all right?"

She looks up at him, the slight widening of her eyes the only indication that he's standing closer than she thought he was. But she doesn't back away.

Her arms fall from around her waist, and reach for him instead. He lets out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Her touch moves from grasping his hand up to his elbow, and then she's tugging him closer, folding him into an embrace. This time it's him who finds a spot for his forehead on her shoulder, inhaling as he feels her grip him tight.

"Thank you." She whispers. Whether it's for the promise of coming back or for pulling her back from the brink today, he wants to tell her that she doesn't need to thank him, that he would be the one to pull her back a hundred times over if it meant he'd get to have these moments with her.

When they pull apart, arms still around each other, he watches the fading sunlight in her eyes and thinks he's never wanted to kiss someone so badly in his entire life.

How he restrains himself, he has no idea.

They walk back to the barracks hand in hand after he stares her down, laughing when she rolls her eyes at him demanding she eat some food in his presence before she goes to sleep.

At the door, he watches her shoulders straighten and hears her take a big, deep breath. He recognizes the motions because he does them too, every time before he hauls himself through the hatch again.

Once more unto the breach.

He's so proud of her. For fighting her way through the hardest day of the war for her so far, for getting up each day and finding a way to be a comforting touch, a healing hand, and a smiling face for these men. He wonders if she has any idea how many lives she's saved, and not just from medicine.

One day he'll have the courage to put into words what she means to him, too.

Today, though, he raises his hand in a farewell as he takes a few steps backward, and laughs under his breath as she blushes just a little.

Her smile plays on a loop over and over again as he falls asleep that night.

#rosie rosenthal x oc #softspeirs mota fanfiction #masters of the air fanfiction #mota fanfiction #masters of the air fanfic #would this happen? probably not #but who cares #just another reason for rosie and grace to be in emotionally vulnerable situations :)#oc: grace fleming

71 notes · View notes

ackerfics · 8 months

Text

i carry your heart with me (i carry it with my heart): gojo satoru

— i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)

gojo satoru x reader

notes: first time writing for jjk and it's for our pretty boy !! based on that one b-99 scene between jake and amy

being on the same year level with gojo satoru means having to put up with the spontaneity of his man-child tendencies. while it is true that he is the pinnacle of the entirety of the jujutsu society from his first wail to the world --- a god amongst mortals; tipping the equilibrium with his very existence, there are moments embroidered in between his rambunctious nature that makes him almost human. key word being almost. such as betting on the most random missions to prove a point like regular teenagers.

"am i going to regret this bet, suguru?" you ask the person yaga assigned to be your pair in capturing the rest of the 2nd-grade curses loitering around the area, with the possibility of a 1st-grade intermingling with them, which puts the entire chase into a total of nine curses. you two are in one of the more desolated areas of tokyo, having split up from the usual group of four your school boasted since the start of first year.

before starting the circle of exorcism your group is about to unleash on these curses, satoru used this opportunity to dangle a proposition between you two, a tradition before embarking on a mission.

it goes this way this time: if he exorcised more curses than you, you're going to do anything he wants (nothing sexual, but judging from the grin on his face, you nearly shivered). he emphasized his words with those black sunglasses of his reflecting your astounded face. you instantly felt the world cave, because your life is on the line. why would you ever date such a person who has no regard to safety and is always known to be obnoxious to the point that you wished you were never a jujutsu sorcerer in the first place? however, if you win this round (which you never won since the first time you two started this whole charade), he's going to be a bit more honest with you. for other people, your condition is as simple as letting impulsivity carry on their choices; but for satoru, it's a moment of weakness. you were left stunned when you saw the tiniest budge of hesitation flicker on his face, almost as if he knew what you meant in your conditions, but just as quickly as you saw it, it vanished. so, he wears false confidence like a second skin and accepts the bet with a handshake, partnering up with shoko instead of suguru. he said something along the lines that you need all the help you can get and that because he's so good, he's going to give suguru to you to at least even out the two parties. what an asshole. he doesn't even give you a chance to utter a rebuttal because he vanished in thin air with shoko waving and pumping her fist at you.

"well," suguru draws out the word.

you throw him a look. "oh, come on, i know that tone --- i'm going to lose my monthly allowance, right? i know he's going to ask me to buy anything sweet he can find on our next mission."

suguru hums with that smile of his, never dimming, never fading, and always warm to the touch. he takes out one hand from his pocket and pats you on the crown of your head. "i'm with you on this one."

you look up at him. "what?"

"i want to see satoru stop all this dancing around he's been doing with you. i mean, the rest of us are even confused if he really does hold feelings for you or not. i think it will do him some good for once in his life."

you look down on the gravel, your hair doing its job covering your features.

ever since you introduced yourself to the other first years in the tokyo branch of jujutsu high, satoru has always sparked this inexplicable interest surrounding you. you like to think it's because of your upbringing, being from one of the more noble jujutsu families who bears the technique of forming contracts with curses, very much like how suguru goes about his technique. the difference between you and suguru lies in the fact that most of the curses your family has made a contract with are special grade, embodiments of the japanese folklore rather than the regular blobs and flies; and that everything is consensual between the sorcerer and the curse. so, stepping inside the room housing three other teenagers like yourself, the flare of your cursed energy captures their attention, one of which possessing the legendary six eyes, having sparkled like no other the moment he placed them on your figure. this rather random fascination of you he had since day one morphed into something that of courting, as yaga once called it (quite so done with it actually), since the boy started calling all the most absurd adjectives and phrases and attached them to your name. beautiful, pretty, heavenly, utterly graceful, stealer of my heart, owner of my attention ... darling, honey, kikufuku, mochi ... anything exhausting really. everything was so abrupt and out-of-the-blue that you had no time dwelling on when this all started.

you now want it to stop.

it doesn't do well because it's blurring all the lines you've drawn between you and your classmates. you don't even have the time to think about the number of times a passerby remarks how wonderful of a couple you two look (any elderly people really) and gojo would boast that yes, my girlfriend is so beautiful and i am lucky enough to have her, ma'am; we started dating last year; it was love at first sight --- you just want to punch him.

then comes the unexpected, lingering touches he brushes against your skin; a pinky finger intertwined with yours, his hand lightly hovering at the small of your back, his knuckles caressing your face and remarking how you look nice for the day, an invading hand tucking a stray bundle of hair behind your ear, nearing his face so that you can whisper something to his ear without any difficulty, and anything that sets your heart ablaze. not to mention he looks at you with something indescribable; eyes reflecting you and only you and sunglasses sliding from the bridge of his nose. it's all softness, no rough edges like how he is with suguru or shoko, and he treats you as such. he once mentioned you are his haven, the only person he doesn't mind turning his infinity off for and the only person to touch him without having the need to let him know.

"i think it won't be good for him if he tells you how he really feel," suguru's voice takes you away from contemplation. "at most, you would benefit from it as well." you turn to him and he wraps an arm around you for good measure. "i want my friends to find solace in our bleak part of the world. and hey, if you two do get together, i will be so proud!"

"yeah, right."

"i would!"

your two groups are tied.

the last curse is right at the end of the intersecting alleyway and what sets your blood pumping is the figure of gojo running from the opposite entrance, shoko cheering for him at the back. great, he managed to convince shoko that his conditions are worth supporting. you grit your teeth and you push forward with more speed that you ever did in a physical activity. god, you're definitely going to feel the repercussions of pushing yourself too hard after this.

feeling the taut connection of your contracted curse, you summon her, "amanozako, go."

the image of a beastly woman slithered from within you, hungry to satisfy her cravings of lesser curses. you watch with narrowed eyes as gojo laughs, teleporting himself closer to the last curse you four have on the list.

then, the most bizarre thing happens.

you somehow reach the curse first than him, leading to your contracted curse to swallow the target in one swoop. she disappears from view and you can only see him --- standing there with a huge grin on his face, the sky of his eyes shining brighter than a beacon.

you blink, breath shuddering from all the running. "w-why--?"

gojo shrugs. "you have it first."

"but you're faster."

he glances behind shoko, who knowingly nods her head. his eyes flicker back at you. "i like you."

all air seems to escape you. everything is silent and all you can hear is the thudding rhythm of your heartbeat. you're pretty sure you look like an imbecile with your mouth open in shock but with the way gojo stares at you from over his sunglasses, one will think he's staring at the most pulchritudinous being he has ever laid his eyes on --- the first blossoming of spring in april. because even with the others lingering in the background, gojo has his six eyes focused on you. you can't even manage to utter a word when he repeats those three goddamn words that will haunt your daydreams.

"i like you, [name]. i'm willing to lose against you if that's what it takes to say my feelings. figured this is the better route compared to the cowardly one i wanted."

"thank me, you idiot!"

"ignore her," gojo casually says after hearing shoko's words, his steps taking him closer to you with his hands snug inside the pockets of his slacks. once he stops in front of you, he takes one of his hands from his pants and brushes the back of his knuckles over your cheek. butterflies seem to bloom on the areas where he leaves behind his wordless declarations. "so, what do you say, sweetheart? wanna give this a shot?"

#— rory's passages 🌼#jjk x reader #jjk gojo #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #jujustsu kaisen x reader #gojo x reader #gojo satoru #gojo x you #gojo x y/n #jjk x you

139 notes · View notes

cochineal-leviat · 10 months

Text

Anniversary A Royal Visit.

Last year I uploaded the first chapter of A Royal Visit, and to celebrate its anniversary and, coincidentally, also my birthday - I wanted to draw something special to thank everyone who supported me throughout its run. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much. This fic is what made me fall in love with writing again, and I have everyone who read it and commented on it to thank for that. Even now, I am happy that although it has been a year, people still enjoy reading it. Writing this fic was so much fun, and I have a lot of fond memories from it. So this is kind of like a birthday present from me to you guys.

I made two versions as I first started on the gijnka version to get the positions right and then the puffball version. I like both of them. They have their own charm to them. Especially as I can show off my design for gijnka Water Kirby. Surf's up, my dude.

For everyone who does not know what this is about, please go check out the fic these drawings are based on.

Art rant under Keep reading

So, I started on this piece right before A Royal Visit was finished. But I got stuck in the background. I could have just posted Kirby and Fluff smooching with a grey background or a gradient, but that didn't feel right. I wanted to capture the grandiosity and vibrancy of the finale. So I stuck to my guns to draw a background. It was horrendous. The very thought of showing it to compare the two gives me hives. I was stuck for a whole year on what to do for it, which is why if you have seen my other art gijnka Kirby and Fluff looks a little different than how I usually finish my art.

There is something funny about taking a year to finish the Gijnka version but then to complete the version with everyone's canon appearance in a week. Sure, I burrowed some of the background aspects of the Gijnka one, but it ended up being more work getting the perspective right and painting extra houses. I'm sick of architecture for the moment. I love how the houses look but also, ugh.

The water shading was the most fun to paint. I almost went overboard with it and had to tone it down. I look forward to doing more pieces with water in them, as I am a sucker for water and the ocean. (And, of course, Water Kirby)

I wanted to add more characters, but I also know that the rest of the characters that appear in the last chapter come in later in the day and that the ones on the scene, like Taranza, Magolor, Susie and Marx, would realistically not join the crowd and cheer for Kirby and Fluff. They are sitting behind the crowd, watching the spectacle.

I put the most effort into gijnka King Dedede's design, but unfortunately, the crowd covers up most of it. What a shame. Oh well, I hope everyone reading this has a wonderful day further.

254 notes · View notes

dice-wizard · 1 year

Text

Hello everyone looking for a new fantasy tabletop game!

As it nears backer release, there's never been a better time to pre-order Exalted: Essence

Pre-ordering gets you access to the beta document and the early release backer pdf.

What's Exalted you ask?

Exalted is an epic fantasy TTRPG where players play the titular Exalted - humans elevated to superhuman/demigod status - in a wild and unique setting that draws inspiration from the ancient world rather than medieval Europe. Creation (the setting) draws key inspirations from the entire world. If you're used to having to make yourself visible on your own in other fantasy, there's probably some representation in Exalted.

It has explicit queer and trans themes about finding your people, creating your own identity, and having the power to punch back at the people who hate you. This isn't incidental. The writing staff is queer as hell. You can hear me break this down more here.

Curious to learn all you can? Well you can get a detailed overview of the entire game on the podcast Systematic Understanding of Everything hosted by myself, @presidentofbirds and @phillycuriosity

If I'm used to D&D 5e why should I pick this up?

Well, I presume if you're reading this post you're already interested in trying something new, so:

The entire game in one book. Exalted: Essence is self contained, character types, equipment, enemies and all!

An exciting style of fantasy that's different than classic D&D but like, textually gay, and very easy to have scenes like ballroom fights, epic galas, and touching homoerotic healing scenes - no house rules required.

But also, tactical depth and combat you can really sink your teeth into if fighting monsters and villains is your bag.

An excuse to use all your d10s at once

Character building and advancement mechanics designed to be familiar to a 5e audience. Characters "level up" based on story beats, and have Advantages, which are functionally similar to class and race features.

A world welcoming to most heroic archetypes, so it's easy to convert your favorite OC.

Extremely kissable dragons, demons, gods, elementals, ghosts, faeries, and unnamed ancient horrors

I'm a fan of a previous edition, what's Essence got for me?

Design focused on alleviating some of the previous versions' missteps

Virtues are back, baby

2e fans will find it an improvement from second edition's mechanical strengths - it's pretty easy to convert all your favorite 2e Charms to XS.

Streamlined versions of familiar rules to make it painless to introduce new friends to the game we love.

The Cliff's notes on Ex3's new Exalt types.

Did I mention it's all of Exalted in one book?

How does it play?

d10 dice pool looking for 7,8,9 as successes. 10s count as two successes, which can lead to explosive, heroic outcomes

Combat system designed to keep all players engaged the entire time - even characters who aren't focused on fighting at all.

Combat also narrows the gap between experienced and new players and players who want to win at RPGs and players who just wanna vibe so GMs aren't tearing their hair out trying to balance encounters.

Social system designed to resolve in a single roll so you can be immersed in role play and not interrupt it with constant rolling - without sacrificing a variety of social approaches

"Ventures" system for characters working on long term projects from traveling across the world to crafting magical wonders to building communities without forcing this to be "downtime" activity

Characters have access to Charms - exception-based special powers that make them extremely good at whatever they focus on.

It's easily my favorite game (and the project I developed that I'm the proudest of), so I'm excited for everyone to try it out.

677 notes · View notes

breannasfluff · 2 months

Text

Follower Milestone: Finish the Prompt-LU Style!

I have three scenarios I've written, based around triple threat. One is Angst, one Fluff, and one Crack! Pick one and finish off the story! (You can paste my writing in for context). Feel free to add other characters and make it as long or as short as your want. More than one is fine, too.

Tag it #lu ftp and feel free to tag me; I'll do my best to reblog all of them! If you are an artist instead of a writer, draw what scene happens next!

Angst

The crack of an open palm on a face has Wild whipping around. Legend clutches his cheek, already blooming red, and Hyrule lets his hand fall. His fists are balled to his side and his chest heaves.

The two were in an argument before this that was rapidly growing more heated, but what could have led to this? Hyrule usually comes across as meek compared to the others on the Chain.

Yet Legend is shrinking into himself, like something the traveler said hurt him more than the slap.

“What happened?” Wild asks as he joins them. What could Legend have done to make Hyrule so upset?

Fluff

Hyrule wipes his forehead and turns to Wild with hopeful eyes. “So? How did I do?”

Wild’s face does this funny thing where it goes through too many emotions at once and ends up scrunched. “Well…six fires in just three hours is your personal best! The only problem is that we’re making fruit salad…”

“I need to cook the fruit!”

“Well, about that...”

“And then there’s that sauce you wanted me to add to it.”

“Which is…warmed in a pan.”

“And don’t get me started on the whipped cream!”

They both turn to look at the jar which once held cream and now holds…chuchu jelly. And maybe some butter.

It’s at this moment that Legend walks in and freezes, sniffing the air. “Do I even want to know?”

“Ledge!” Hyrule grabs a spoonful of something from his bowl and holds it out. “Taste this and tell me what you think!”

The veteran is dubious, but at a nod from Wild, accepts the spoon. Then his face scrunches up because it tastes–

Crack

“All hail the banana overlord!”

Hyrule looks over his newest minions–the yiga clan–with a devious grin. Yes, overthrowing Konga and banishing him to be a banana mascot was an excellent decision. Legend’s suggestion of dousing him in banana perfume and Wild’s to let him eat only apples–his most hated fruit–was the cherry on the proverbial cake.

Speaking of cake…it was a team effort to replace all the bananas with cakes that looked like bananas. The yiga had yet to notice.

“Overlord!” One of the yiga waves for Hyrule’s attention. “We found an intruder!”

In his grip is Four, whose eyes are blown wide. Either with confusion or terror. Maybe amazement.

“Kneel before your banana overlord!” shouts the yiga, pushing Four to his knees. “What should we do with him?”

Hyrule looks down at his fellow hero with a growing grin. He trades glances with Wild and Legend, standing on either side, and they nod. “You should–”

#lu ftp #finish the prompt #reblogs appreciated! love to see lots of participants #linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu triple threat #lu time #lu sky #lu warriors #lu twilight #lu wild #lu legend #lu hyrule #lu four #lu wind #breannasfluff #lu fanfiction #lu fanart

52 notes · View notes

grandmother-goblin · 8 months

Text

Okay, I’m gonna share some thoughts about Astarion in regards to sex and sexuality now that the full game is out and I’ve played through his romance twice at the time of posting this!

Now, I will say this as a preface: THIS IS MY OPINION ABOUT A FICTIONAL CHARACTER! My own experience colors my interpretation of the character, just like your experiences colors your interpretation. I’m not saying any interpretation is wrong or right, and if you happen to disagree with me, that’s fine! I’m not fighting you. I just wanted to share my thoughts because I enjoy this character and I enjoy writing him in fanfiction!

First, to me, Astarion is pansexual. The voice actor and game developers have confirmed this from what I know, and I’m not about to disagree with them. With all the attention to detail that the developers and writers put into the story, if Astarion was meant to be anything other than pansexual, he would be. I firmly believe that. He expresses interest in men and women both in game, so to me, he’s pansexual.

This is probably just a personal ick for me, but it feels pretty bad when someone says they are (or in this case, a character is) bisexual or pansexual and others respond with “We know what you really are 😏.” Yeah? People have literally been told and taken it upon themselves to draw another conclusion than the one given. I feel like it’s dismissive and it makes me sad that I see it all over the place.

On to his attitude towards sex in general, I’ve seen a popular post saying that he is “sex-adverse”. I don’t agree with that. At least, not with the definition I’m working with which puts “sex-adverse” on the same spectrum as asexuality such that it’s just a trait someone has rather than a state of being. Someone can not want to have sex, or not want to have sex for a long time, without being sex-adverse. (Now, my definition might be wrong, Google may have lied to me, and if that is the case I am very sorry. I’m not a smart woman but I try my best lol)

I think sex is something he used to enjoy, and it’s something that he wants to enjoy again, but it was tainted after everything he went through. I think he craves the emotional intimacy/closeness that can come with it rather than just the purely physical sensations. With what he had to do for Cazador, separating his feelings from what he physically did seems to have become second nature to him. I think this is apparent when the narrator or Tav noticed that he’s “not all there” when it comes to intimate scenes. It’s something he had to do, and the ramifications of being forced into something like that is not something that can be undone overnight.

He wants to take some time to figure out how to reconnect physical intimacy with his emotions. He needs time to build a relationship with a partner and know for certain that it’s not based on sex alone. Of course he’s gonna want to step on the breaks for a bit. It makes sense. If Tav really wants him, Tav won’t push it. This is confirmed when Tav pressures him into sex after he confesses his feelings towards it, Astarion decides immediately afterwards that Tav only wants him for “the one thing he’s good at” and breaks things off with them.

Astarion craves a romantic relationship built on something more than just the physical. But he just doesn’t know how to go about that anymore! Feeling close to someone, or showing genuine compassion or care for someone, is something that was turned against him in the past. The fact that he feels anything at all for Tav is probably terrifying to him!

Is Tav the first person to genuinely care for him since he became a vampire? I don’t think so. Not by a long shot. But I think Tav is the first person that he got to spend enough time with that he realized that they cared. I’m sure plenty of his victims actually cared for him, but he couldn’t open himself to care back. He needed to kill them anyway, so what was the point?

Tav is potentially the first friend he’s had in centuries. I am of the odd opinion that he actually kind of liked Tav by the time he first tried to seduce them, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t manipulating them. After the bite scene, especially if Tav lets him feed on them, it has to register to him that Tav can be more than just another one of his victims. He can use Tav, and ally himself to Tav for protection so they don’t turn on him, but he also has an opportunity that he hasn’t had in a long time: the chance to actually get to know someone.

And once he gets to know a Tav who actually has his best interests at heart, and he realizes this, Astarion doesn’t know how to act. He was used for his body for centuries, so surely that has to be all Tav is after as well, right? I think this ties in with his confession and what I said earlier really nicely. If Tav still wants him for him after he confesses that he was trying to manipulate them, if Tav forgives him and still wants a relationship regardless of whether or not they have sex, then he knows for certain, for the first time in centuries, that someone isn’t using him for his body.

That probably needs time to sink in. Not only that, but taking a break from sex altogether would help reaffirm to him that Tav likes him for him. Now, this is where the Halsin/polyamory thing kind of bugs me. If Tav hooks up with Halsin, and asks Astarion’s permission, he gives permission but also says something like “is this because we haven’t done it in a while?” IT IS STILL ON HIS MIND! That’s why the polyamory route with Astarion bugs me because Tav hooking up with someone else, especially when he’s in such a vulnerable state, probably just tells him “well, we stopped having sex and now I’m not enough for them.” Now, I think Astarion is perfectly capable of having a healthy polyamorous relationship, but I think he would have to be close with everyone involved in order not to feel like he did something wrong.

I can probably keep talking about this topic for a while, but I’m gonna leave it here. Again, these are just my opinions about a fictional character! Your opinions may differ and that’s totally fine! Don’t yell at me, I'm fragile.

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #astarion #grandmother goblin grumbles #bg3 spoilers #baldur’s gate 3 spoilers

115 notes · View notes

desidarling123 · 8 months

Text

SAB Scene Breakdown: Inej's Hallucination

OK, so I had actually been meaning to write and publish some meta on this particular scene (and just tons of SAB S2 meta, in general) in the weeks after the second season of the show came out. But life has been crazy recently, so I truly never found the time.

However, I reblogged a certain gifset a few days/weeks ago, slapped some tags on it, and realized there might indeed be some interest in some more #detailed thoughts.

The analysis that follows is at a pretty minute level of detail (and all of course based on MY views) so... take that with a grain of salt.

Also - fair warning - it's long as hell 😂 but entertaining, I hope!

I find this whole sequence in general super fascinating - it's one of my favorite scenes in the second season, and one that's also arguably subject to the absolute worst takes in fandom (iykyk... and if you don't, well, you're about to find out.)

So, let's get into it:

We start off strong with a very specific choice, made early on: it's not Inej seducing Kaz; rather, it's Kaz who's drawing Inej into this vision.

I get a bit more into the broader implications of that a bit later, but it's definitely important that it's done this way, rather than the other way around.

It's also, very notably, an inverse of this scene from a few episodes earlier:

What's unique about that previous scene is that in that moment, he's deliberately pushing her away (for reasons, mind you, that she's not entirely privy to, but definitely hurt her regardless - even if she pretends not to care about it to his face later on).

This is different. Instead of pushing her away, he is asking her to stay.

The choice of words is specific too: the word 'disappear' most obviously references her status as his spider. But it might also be an apt description of her own personal trappings, of 'disappearing' when in the throes of trauma-induced pressure.

Some atmospheric details I love:

Their IRL confrontation was in his office-cum-bedroom (👀shutup), a tiny, crammed space that matched the tension of that scene. This is the opposite of that - the room has a more open layout, imbuing the whole sequence with a more relaxed vibe. We can even see his cane chilling on the table behind him, just in reaching distance.

The DeKappel painting which they jointly stole in the books (and presumably on the show as well) is behind them.

Fire burning as a symbol for latent passion is not exactly groundbreaking imagery, but don't fix what ain't broke, amirite? :P

Malina, very notably, gets the same fire imagery treatment in their own love scene as well:

Will it show up again in a future season for kanej? Between that and, well, the recurring church imagery, we're in for a tossup, folks

But anyways. Back to the scene at hand.

You'll notice Inej goes back to a formal stance, hands behind her back, like she's preparing for a debrief or for an assignment. It's for a few seconds, if that, but it shows that she's grasping at some semblance of normalcy in this decidedly not-normal vision.

That facade lasts for all of, two seconds, tops, when he does this:

It's sexy! It's intimate! There's knives involved!

Okay, but seriously, for the sake of time I actually will not get into a deeper discussion of the ~implications~ because I'm sure it's been done a zilllion times before and it's also fairly obvious lol

Now, the one thing I *do* want to pivot to here is that by this point, both Inej and the audience understand that there is something very subtly yet fundamentally different about hallucination!Kaz.

But what is it?

Speaking on this scene, Freddy Carter had a quote (that I cannot be arsed to find rn) where he basically said that he deferred to Amita when playing hallucination!Kaz because "she (Amita) knows better (than I do) what it is that Inej likes about Kaz"

And what is it, exactly, that she likes about him? The next few gifs tell all, using actions rather than words.

This is her reaction to him pulling her knives from her. And what I find so interesting is that she is so (rightfully) startled....

But that is absolutely NOT the expression on his face at all.

In fact, he's remarkably self-assured.

And THAT, I think, is the crux of 'what it is she likes about him', as Frreddy said.

She likes his decisiveness, the single-minded precision with which he operates.

She's seen him apply it to every last scheme, every seemingly-hopeless situation... to damn near everything in the world, really, but her.

But here, in the depths of her hallucination, he does.

There are none of his usual hangups, none of their typically frustrating back-and-forths.

No. Here, he doesn't hesitate. He wants her, and he makes it known.

Striking, sexy stuff, to say least.

Let's go on:

Nothing to add here except that I'm obsessed with the way their heads turn at the same time here.

It's funny, because for all their personal hang-ups when it comes to physical intimacy, these two are SURPRISINGLY physically attuned to each other.

Goes to show, really, how much both of their problems are in their heads (obviously) -- and how, when they're actually ready to heal, relying on their intuition may be a better approach than getting too cerebral about it.

Again, Kaz does not break eye contact with her here, and it's such a contrast to what he might have instead done if this were happening in real life - in fact, does happen, in real life, though I'd argue that isn't exactly his fault.

I love that we get a moment where Inej looks down and sees his hand hovering near her waist, just so that it's made explicitly clear what he's asking for and what the ~implications~ are.

And then, she says yes! Enthusiastically, I might add.

Not but seriously the sheer want, the little touch of eagerness on her face kills me here. She's never had this experience before - has only ever known men violating her in the most horrible way possible - and yet this tiny little thing, of Kaz asking her for consent, means so much.

Oh my God Kaz is so sexy here sorry no words anyway carrying on.

Now even after she said yes you can see this sudden little beat of hesitation on her face, like she's maybe not sure what's going to happen or if Kaz is going to do what she asked. For her it's a moment of incredible vulnerability, even though Kaz is the one sort of making the advances on her - because this one time, she actually gets to say yes.

I think that shot of his arm going around her waist is so gorgeous and so sensual - but as we pan up we can see that maybe all isn't well.

Now, Amita also really does a fantastic job at portraying the turbulence of Inej's emotions -- she goes from clearly wanting it and saying 'yes', to visibly panicking once he acts on it. We see her shift around in his grip and even swallow nervously, blink-blink-blinking herself back into the moment.

Her response is reminiscent of this passage from the books:

But what might have happened if he'd spoken that night? If he had willingly offered her some part of his heart? What if he had come to her, laid his gloves aside, drawn her to him, kissed her mouth? Would she have pulled him closer, kissed him back? Could she have been herself in such a moment, or would she have broken apart and vanished, a doll in his arms, a girl who could never quite be whole?

You can see the very beginning of that sort of panic start to set in, here. This is completely uncharted territory for Inej - her own desire, the shame and baggage that comes with it, is all getting uncovered for the first time in what is arguably the 'safest' way possible - within the confines of her own mind - and yet, she's still panicking.

More on that in a bit. Let's keep going.

Anyways well Freddy's got a huge hand sorry anyway

I love the way she closes her eyes here. And you can see again it's not without effort - like there's still conflict within her, you can see all of those different emotions warring within her - but she is trying to let herself have this moment. She's trying to take comfort in this touch that she so desperately wants and yet hasn't had any sort of good connotations with in recent history.

She also opens her eyes just as he starts to lean in and I think that was a great, deliberate choice on Amita and Freddy's part.

It's that precise moment, really, when it becomes super super clear to her what's about to happen.

No notes, I just really love this forehead lean, it's that little bit of tenderness and intimacy that she's been subconsciously craving.

Again, it's fascinating to me that we can see all of Inej's nervous tics coming into play here, but for hallucination!Kaz there's absolutely no hesitation at any point whatsoever.

It looks like, for all intents and purposes, he is going to kiss her.

And then at the very very last second you see him move back, ever-so-slightly --

and then she moves all the way back and delivers her line:

Ouch. Like a punch to the gut. True, but still ouch.

Now one could probably ask, in hypotheticals: why didn't he actually kiss her at this moment? And the answer to that simply is: this is her hallucination, you know? Even though she's not conscious of it (she's dying lol), she's the one with all the power, here.

And truthfully, whether she knows it or not, nothing is going to happen in her hallucination if she doesn't want it to.

But wait, you might say. Doesn't she want to kiss Kaz?

Like that original excerpt from the book indicates, it's complicated. Everything pertaining to desire generally will be, for her.

Not that her subconscious doesn't put up a good ol' fight. Hallucination!Kaz, you have to remember, isn't so much Kaz as he is a very precise amalgamation of her own memories and desires.

And boy, does he make a good argument:

The word want, again, spoken so directly here - it's that sort of straightforward speech that neither party is actually really capable of (at this point) in their arcs, not when it comes to each other.

Again, Kaz is behaving perfectly in the prescribed character of his hallucination persona - direct, confident, not rattled in the slightest.

It's interesting also that he doesn't say: this is real. He isn't able to lie to her in her own fantasy, but he does instead tell her exactly what she wants to hear, which is arguably even more dangerous.

And what I feel so terrible about is you can see this tiny little spark this little bit of hope on her face that she has.

She wants to believe this so so badly. She wants it, damn it!

So this time, she actually moves closer, crosses that distance between them.

You can't see it super well in this gif, but you can see a little tiny muscle twitch in her jaw, a nervous swallow as she's bracing for him to kiss her the second time. And once again, Kaz isn't hesitating, there isn't any note of that discordant thing that they have in real life from his end.

Now another thing that drives me crazy is people claiming that they did kiss in the scene like bro. Bro. Freddy and Amita did not shoot this scene at no less three separate angles for you to tell us that they kissed!! They didn't kiss, they make it incredibly obvious that they did not kiss, and if you're the one person on planet Earth whose definition of a kiss is front lips brushing for .0000000002 seconds then I'm sorry, you belong to a different category, okay?

And again, that was on purpose! It totally would have defeated the purpose of this particular sequence if they had (and would've given detractors of this scene a real leg to stand on - again, more on that at the very end.)

But as it stands, they don't kiss, and that's also kind of critically why this isn't just a sexy scene to watch back.

AND THEN (I'm out of allowed images HAHA) she pulls away. And she says the words that end it all - This isn't real. This is the poison.

The premise of the hallucination is completely shattered, and she looks so heartbroken, but she's finally able to articulate what she's really known this whole time, and that is that nothing she's seeing is real. It is a lie being fed to her by her poison-addled brain as her body slowly succumbs and dies (dark).

But you know, she does get out of it through sheer willpower, and we love her for that - but oh man but what cost?

This particular sequence is definitely a catalyst for her changed behavior going forward. I do actually wish it had been a little better handled in the show (as in, better supported by dialogue in scenes before and after this one) but regardless - this scene is a Big Tipping Point and starts what is essentially a pseudo-regression arc for Inej (paraphrasing Amita directly, bc that's truly the most apt description of Inej's behavior for the rest of the season.)

It's really bad timing, unfortunately, because it happens just as Kaz is starting to open up like never before. He's starting to see the world in a completely different light while she's doing the exact opposite -- she is shutting down her own dreams and desires when it comes to him, because she's come to the conclusion that it's simply not going to happen.

And you know what, she's not entirely wrong for that assumption, but I do have beef with some of the particulars of how it was executed in the show. But that's a discussion for another day.

Now, onto a brief rant that I alluded to at the very start of this post - my single biggest grievance with fandom is that someone on the internet decided that this scene somehow ‘erased’ Inej’s trauma, when in fact that exact trauma is what underpins the whole damn thing.

The fact that this scene more or less parallels the passage from the books beat for beat, shows, in my opinion, that book fans who make these claims of 'erasure' must have deliberately chosen to ignore this passage from the books, or never even read it in the first place.

Because frankly? Once you take that passage into consideration, the intent of this sequence couldn't have been more obvious!

Just to underscore my point, I want to ask anyone who's reading this to please compare and contrast Inej’s hallucination with Matthias’ dream. If the intent, as many so often like to claim, was simply to make this moment in Inej’s mind a sexy, titillating scene, well then, it would have been shot a lot more closely to the way Matthias’ dream was shot: there's no lack of kissing and even implied penetration (!) which is crazy, because of course, Matthias and Nina have gotten nowhere near that in real life.

There's a sexual aspect to her dream, for sure, but it's not a stereotypically-passionate 'sex dream' so much as it is a thinly-veiled reading into her own desires and the inner turmoil that comes with it.

There's also a very subtle undercurrent here that I picked up on and explore in my ongoing fic , which is that Kaz, in these fantasies, is really always the one taking the lead, so to speak. Inej is not pulling him close or asking to kiss him - and we see that even when she consents to the act, she looks like she's bracing herself for it, rather than excited that it'll happen.

That is fueled no doubt by 1) her realizing it isn't real but also 2) the fact that she is still very much in the middle of her own trauma (having been freed like what? mere days ago? if that?)

Any concept of her own independent desire is still saddled with IMMENSE baggage - and this sequence showcases it perfectly.

I think after the fact, she's consciously aware of 1) but not yet aware of 2) which is beating around in her subconscious and is probably gonna cause her WAYY more problems going forward lol

TLDR; Inej doesn't know it just yet, but she's got loads of her own issues to work through, and until she does, she's going to be stuck in this weird purgatory of being a voyeur to/of her own desires.

#kanej #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #sab #shadow and bone #my meta

102 notes · View notes

fluentmoviequoter · 9 months

Note

can ypu please do Dalton L. and number 8? 🫶🏻

Thanks for the request! I wrote this one with Dalton saying the prompt, since I already have some stories of the reader helping him. Let me know what you think! Enjoy! :)

Warnings: canon-typical violence, loosely based on the scene in The Red Door where Chris gets attacked, reader gets attacked and receives CPR, panic attack, some fluff at the end. 0.5k+ words

A/N: Blurbs are really hard for me because I want to keep writing.😭

Join the 100 Follower Celebration!

Prompt 8: "Just breathe, ok?"

“Dalton?” you ask, gently poking his arm. “I guess you’re projecting. Godspeed, traveler.”

Now that Dalton is gone, you lean back in the chair and look around his dorm, wondering what exactly he’s looking for in the Further. He said something about a soul that lived on the campus that might have answers, but you don’t understand how exactly his gift works.

A loud crash sounds in the hallway, drawing you from your thoughts, so you walk toward the door.

“Dalton?” you whisper, your hand hovering over the doorknob.

Your yank your hand back as the door flies open, and a hand reaches out from the darkness. The hand wraps around your throat, and you try to fight it off you. You look over at Dalton’s body as your vision begins to blur. With one last push to the creature above you, everything goes dark, and you distantly wonder if this is how Dalton feels when he projects.

“Come on!” Someone yells as you gasp and sit up.

Your chest aches, and you realize someone gave you CPR. Hearing Dalton move, you look over as he opens his eyes and stands. He moves toward you, then stops suddenly. The door closes, and you’re alone with Dalton again.

“I’m so sorry,” he says quietly. “You should get that checked out. I’ll, uh- call me, maybe?”

He starts walking again, trying to keep distance between you in the small room.

“Dalton, please don’t leave me. I’m scared, and I don’t know what to do,” you ramble, grabbing his arm to prevent him from leaving.

Dalton says your name and pulls your hand from his arm, holding it between his hands instead. His eyes widen as you registers your shallow breaths and the panic in your eyes. He kneels in front of you and holds both your hands between his. “Just breathe, ok?”

You nod and take a shaky breath, watching Dalton's chest steadily rise and fall as you attempt to match your breathing to his.

“I’m sorry.” You look down at your hands, in Dalton’s.

“For what?”

“Making you stay. Panicking.”

“Hey, look at me.” He removes one of his hands from yours and uses it to raise your chin toward his face. “I should be apologizing. I didn’t know anything could happen to you. You got hurt because of me, the least I can do it stay.”

“It’s not your fault. I’m just really scared, and don’t want to be alone.”

“And you’ll never have to be. I’ll stay as long as you need me to.”

You relax slightly and lean against him. His thumb rubs circles on the back of your hand.

“Are you ok? I’m sorry I didn’t ask before.”

“I’m completely fine. I was more worried about you than anything,” Dalton answers.

“Now what?”

“I don’t know yet.” Dalton shrugs before looking at you to add, “But no matter what, I won’t let anything else happen to you. Nothing in the dark will be able to reach you as long as I’m here.”

"And what if you're not here?'

Dalton smiles as your personality begins to shine through the fading panic. "Try to get rid of me."

#100 followers celebration #dalton lambert x reader #dalton lambert fic #dalton lambert fluff #dalton lambert #insidious #insidious the red door #requests

75 notes · View notes

pastafossa · 1 year

Text

Using Tarot To Help You Write

Right ok, so I’ve wanted to do this for a bit - there are vague references to tarot in my story TRT and I’ve answered a few questions about how I use the RWS-style tarot to write but now I have a little bit of time while I wait for my laundry to dry. So let’s get into it.

If you’re looking for another tool in your writer’s kit, you could strongly consider adding a box of tarot cards to the bag. Set aside, for a minute, what you’ve heard about it. Set aside any spiritual aspect, telling the future, the ‘OoOOOooOOh evil’, or even the ‘DRAW DEATH MEANS DEATH’ you see in movies. Instead, strip it down to its base.

Tarot is about telling a story.

(Below: Oak, Ash, & Thorn Tarot)

From a storytelling perspective, the first 18 cards of the RWS style tarot, known as the Major Arcana, essentially tell the Hero’s Journey as the Hero sets out on an adventure and searches for knowledge. There’s disaster, love, temptation, and wise people they meet along the way before eventually finding enlightenment at the end of their journey. The Major Arcana contains major archetypes and themes present through so many stories. When you add in the rest of the cards in the Minor Arcana - the other 56 cards, encompassing a variety of emotions, archetypes, figures, and various life events you might run into - you’ve got something perfect when you want to introduce new elements to your story. I keep a small deck on my desk and use it frequently when creating random OCs, plotlines, or problems for characters to solve.

And before you go, holy shit Pasta that’s a lot to take in, using tarot for your story doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need to have 20 years of tarot experiences, you don’t need to be an expert, you don’t need A Great Gift. You don’t have to know about tarot at all, really. You just need one thing:

The right storytelling deck.

More below the cut.

Look, there are a million styles out there, some that focus heavily on storytelling imagery and some that focus more on symbols; some that feature animals or nature, and some that focus on people. I generally lean towards animal-based decks since I’m more familiar with animal/nature imagery, body language, and symbolism, but in reality the best deck to use for writing is simply the one you’ll actually use. If you’re drawn to one, go for it. That being said, if you’re looking for something to use without needing to get into all the symbolism of each card, I generally recommend using a deck in which all cards, including the Minor Arcana, depict a scene you can examine - aka, one that plays up a story rather than a straight up symbol. Let me show you an example with three decks.

Left: Mystical Cats tarot; Middle: Oriens tarot; Right: Children of Litha tarot

These all depict the same card: the Seven of Swords, meant to depict deceit, theft, betrayal, lies, and trickery. The middle card relies a little more heavily on symbolic meaning (the black widow spider, which ‘betrays’ when mating and uses a sticky web - symbolizing a potential trap), whereas the other two cards show an active scene (Card 1: OH NO HE’S GONNA STEAL YER MOUSE WHILE YOU’RE NOT LOOKING; Card 3: YOU LOVESTRUCK DIPSHITS, TURN AROUND, THE SNAKE’S EATING YOUR EGGS). I’ve found cards like Card 1 and Card 3 are faster and more convenient for storytelling, because you’re basically presented with a scenario/characters/a situation right off the bat, whereas a symbolic card is more open-ended and might require some digging unless you’re already fairly familiar with the symbolism. If you’re going to get a deck that depicts people instead, I recommend looking for a deck that’s diverse. Humans come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and having a deck that reflects that (something like the Modern Witch tarot) is valuable for storytelling. So if you’re picking a deck to help you write, look for:

Decks that use scenes/storytelling imagery for all cards

Decks with imagery/body language you can easily read at a glance

If you’re looking for a deck with people - decks with a diverse range of body types, ethnicities, sexualities, and genders

A deck with imagery you actually like, otherwise you won’t want to use it

‘Ok, so let’s say I’ve found a deck, or I already have one. What does using tarot for fic even look like?’

Let’s do two quick readings for two writing scenarios you might use this for! This will also show you can be as complex or as simple as you need to be. These are also the two scenarios I use tarot for most when writing - character construction, and plotline construction. First I’ll use the Children of Litha tarot, which uses a moderate amount of storytelling imagery. Then I’ll use the Mystical Cats tarot, which is probably the most story-heavy deck I have, imagery-wise. That way, you can see how construction gets a bit easier depending on how scene-heavy a deck is.

Scenario: I need an original character for this chapter or scene! Quick, draw three cards!

Quick reading: she’s very gentle but there are also two tigers inside her and one of them wants to kill you, especially if you fuck with her pet birds

More complex reading - Personality, Flaw, Backstory:

Card 1 - Personality: This character is someone who’s unafraid and bold in their kindness even when faced with danger, and they know when a gentle touch is needed. They believe strength is found not in being cruel or violent but in responding with love. This usually works out for them, to the point that even Scary People (TM) seek this character out, knowing they’ll find love and affection. Alternatively, this character is one half of the Brooding Rough One Loves The Gentle Soft One trope. Whatever works for you!

Card 2 - Flaw: Despite all that, the gentle character’s got a temper, and it exists in direct conflict to what they believe about strength, thus producing cognitive dissonance. This is someone who’ll dodge conflict to avoid showing their temper, but eventually that repression’s going to blow up into a real fight and it’ll be messy.

Card 3 - backstory: This temper and conflict avoidance is due to some tragic incident in their past that left them deeply wounded. It’s one reason they’re so gentle, but there’s a lot of lingering anger and trauma. These wounds are not healed, and if you look deep enough, you’re going to find blood.

Depending on how important this character is, you could add even more: a card for a strength, a card for a challenge they need to overcome to grow as a person, their family dynamic, etc. Again, you can make it as detailed or as simple as you need.

PASTA NOW I NEED A LITTLE PLOTLINE FOR CHARACTERS TO SOLVE. Quick, draw four!

Quick reading: holy SHIT your characters gotta move fast, cause there’s a pissed off dude out there who wants revenge NOW and is ready to fuck up a *shuffles cards and draws* religious temple of peaceful cat loving monks, one of whom is the one that fucked up Angry Dude in the first place WHEN HE WAS A BABY WITH HIS MAMA, PLOT TWIST OH NO, IT’S PROBABLY THAT ASSHOLE STEVE IN THE BACK OF THE THIRD CARD, LOOK AT HIM LOOKING OFF INTO THE DISTANCE.

More complex reading - Theme, Problem, Setting, Solution:

Card 1 - Theme: As you can tell from our cat with zoomies, your protagonists are on a clock. The theme here is urgency, it’s speed. Things will start off with a bang and they won’t have much time to slow down. This’d be good for a one shot or a chapter.

Card 2 - Problem: look at that cat, they’re so ANGRY, they are PISSED, someone did them dirty and they’ve been stewing over it for a while. They can’t stop feeling that betrayal no matter how much they try to lick it off shake it off forget about it. They want REVENGE for what was done to them and they’re gonna cut someone up.

Card 3 - Setting: Ah, a peaceful, sunny place where everyone’s just chilling. Everyone’s happy. Maybe a religious place, say, a church or a convent or hell, a nudist retreat. Either way, no one knows what’s coming. Except (and this is why scene cards are so fun)... for STEVE there in the back. Look at him. Everyone’s relaxing in the sun but he’s staring out into the distance. He knows. And just like that, Steve’s the In Hiding person who betrayed our Problem - Steve the Asshole isn’t a part of the Sun card’s meaning, but a storytelling scene card lets you stretch like this and have fun.

Card 4 - solution: Clearly the only person who can stop Bad Person... is their MAMA (or potentially his siblings). Maybe a character goes to find the Problem’s mother and brings her to the church to talk the Problem into giving up. Maybe the protagonists desperately tell the Problem that your family wouldn’t have wanted this, even if that family was hurt - the Empress is generally very nurturing and loving, so that’s a fair bet. Either way, the solution to the Problem is their family.

Once you get the hang of this, you’ll start to find other ways you can use it. I’ve used it for creating quick or more complex or more randomized characters, for creating plotlines and character arcs, for a few of Jane’s cases in TRT. You can use it for backstories, for settings, for problems and solutions, for deeper themes to explore with your characters. Hell, if you want some practice, you could literally go through the Major Arcana and write one-shots dealing with each card’s theme. Ultimately the possibilities are endless, whether you want to construct a detailed plotline or if you just have a new character you want to randomize or flesh out a bit.

In short: go get yourself a deck and have some fun!

#tarot #writing #writing advice #fanfic advice #fanfic #fic advice #writing tips #fic tips #tarot for writing #basically look for a deck that tells a good story and then you won't have to to know anything about tarot for it to work #you can just go 'oh cat has zoomies in this card so this character is a hyperactive wild child always on the move and is amusing'#you can make it as deep or as hilarious or as shallow as you want #decks used here: oriens tarot - children of litha tarot - mystical cats tarot - oak ash and thorn tarot #honestly the mystical cats tarot is prime storytelling material

130 notes · View notes