#and i think these make me an interesting human yanno

[starpros-sunshine]

Turtleneck sweater with an embroidery that says "I think about vampirism a normal amount of thought"

#my friends always say that that borders into insanity but I think they just don't get it #it's not my fault I'm a genuis smh #but seriously there's so many things to think about #if anyone's interested I can tell them about my vampire economy theory #it's called that cause I'm bad at English and also don't knoe what else I'd call it #and then there's the aspect of how one even turns into a vampire #like is it just the exchange of bodily fluids in general or do you need a blood transfusion specifically #and how exactly does blood sucking work #I mean I get the basics you bite and then you slurp #but wouldn't the canines get into the way?? #they just seem a little inconvenient is all #and do vampires really burn in the sun or do they just get sunburns way quicker than your usual just some guy #so many thoughts about something that nobody except me wants to hear about #oh and would any blood be fine or is it human blood specifically #and if so then what makes the difference #just stuff like that yanno

[petrichor-idyllic]

Hi cutie <3, I would like to request headcanons for the maze runner boys on how would they flirt with you.

Wooo more headcanons. This one should be fun.

HOW THEY (ATTEMPT TO) FLIRT

MASTERLIST | MULTI-CHARACTER MASTERLIST

SUMMARY: See above. Gender neutral! Reader x All main boys.

WARNINGS: Inappropriate language, terrible flirting from teenagers, suggestive jokes.

THOMAS

Thomas wouldn't be great at flirting.

He spends half the time talking to Newt or Minho, and he spends the other half of his time talking about the Maze.

He's either bouncing off of the Walls or obsessing over them.

It'd probably take a bit for him to even notice you properly.

But once he does- he'd spend every opportunity trying to talk to you.

He'd definitely be an awkward flirt.

Yanno, the type to try casually leaning on something, only to trip and fall.

Compliments would not come easily, and when they do, it'd be... something.

"Hey, (Y/N), you, uh, have you- I think you- your face, is uh, your face is good today."

Truly a poetic man.

That being said, he'd also be the protective and assistive type.

Shielding you from Grievers, arguing with Gally on your behalf and helping you with work are pretty common occurrences.

It's not Thomas's words that are his strong point of expressing his feelings (no matter how hard he'd try), but his actions.

The way he'd act and how passionate he is would definitely be more seductive than his failed flirting.

Though, that would still be cute.

NEWT

Newt would be a kind of casual, sarcastic flirt.

It'd be subtle.

Often more in passing looks and soft smirks, maybe even the odd friendly nudge.

He's not the type to straight up say anything, but when he does, compliments and comments roll off of his tongue like it's nothing.

Something that would probably leave you stunned before he'd swiftly move on.

"Those jeans look shuckin' good on you."

"What?"

"Nothin'."

This means you'd see a more playful side to him.

It's not like Newt is a cold or stoic guy. He's friendly and open, but the extra attention he'd give to you is what sets his feelings for you apart from everyone else's.

It'd be subtle, but if you know what you're looking for- it's not hard to tell.

MINHO

Minho would be a weird mix of Newt and Thomas- but twice as obvious.

Minho has no time for subtleties, nor does he care for it.

He's hitting on you.

And you're gonna know about it.

He'd be smooth with it as well.

Minho is confident and impatient, which makes for an interesting mix when he's hunting for someone's attention.

Though, it comes across as more of a joke than anything else.

His sarcasm (and fear of rejection) would lead into a more joking relationship where he'd end up in too deep to back out and admit that his attractions are genuine.

He'd still be smooth though.

Resulting in a flirtationship, that's actually just a joke, that's actually a flirtationship because Minho has smooth-talked himself into a corner.

"Yo, (Y/N), lookin' good today."

"Aren't I always?"

"Of course."

Definitely an amusing watch for the rest of the Glade.

GALLY

Gally would straight up just be bad at flirting.

He's too proud to give compliments or admit that he actually has human feelings.

So, his "flirting" ends up becoming bullying.

He'd just tease you, and think it would be playful and funny but he'd just fully be insulting you.

"Oi, shuck-face, watch it."

How he thinks this'll work is beyond me.

????

Strange behaviour.

But Gally isn't exactly known for his intelligence and good choices.

Though, he'd never admit his feelings, or even express them in a healthy way.

So, this is about as good as you're gonna get until he sucks it up and confesses.

FRYPAN

The man is a flirting GOD.

I will not be taking criticism on this.

(Might be biased 'cause Fry is a personal favourite of mine but shhhhh)

Frypan would absolutely shower you in compliments.

Kind of like how Minho would, except he is clearly genuinely earnest.

"You look lovely today, (Y/N)."

Would absolutely give you little treats and sneak you snacks.

Would give you the best food and put extra effort to make sure you're always satisfied with your meals.

It is his speciality, after all.

There's not much to say for him.

He'd just do everything possible to make you smile

ALBY

He wouldn't.

He would not flirt, he would just tell you he likes you and that would be it.

He does not have time for flirting.

You can make your decision about what to do about that.

But he will not flirt.

Sorry.

Okay, another piece done. I've got a lot of requests to get through so yall are gonna have to bear with me.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these dumb headcanons as much as I like writing them lol :))

#🌿 petri writes tmr #🌿 petri writes #🍃 petri tmr #tmr fanfiction #tmr minho #minho tmr #minho the maze runner #minho tmr x reader #tmr imagines #minho maze runner #tmr thomas #tmr gally #tmr fandom #tmr #thomas the maze runner #newt the maze runner #the maze runner

[finniestoncrane]

Yanno what id love to ask this purely for self indulgent reasons. What do you think of arkham eddie with an SO who's also autistic since we all are pretty damn sure he is? Like does the connection between them happen faster due to similar communication styles, how does he feel about parallel play, etc

YOU ARE JUST PREACHING TO ME THIS IS URGH and it made me feel so soft and warm. i'm going to try and NOT make this about my self-insert oc, but this is literally her and eddie, they are autistic 4 autistic/bisexual 4 bisexual love

but yeah, this is my daydreams literally written out 💚

i figure eddie would never have been diagnosed. he's old enough to not have been identified as anything other than "gifted" at school and i think his parents seem like the type who would avoid diagnosis out of ~shame~ so he'd be misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all (until batman comes along with his non-degree and decides eddie is an obsessive compulsive narcissist. which yeah, fair. but also hello pot, this is the kettle speaking????)

anyway i think he would avoid all long-term relationships out of trust and a need to prove himself as above human needs and completely elf-sufficient, but it'd be easiest for him to get on with someone who is also autistic, even if they had very different communication styles. and i bet that would confuse him at first like "why does this idiot not bother me as much as all the other idiots"

a lot of the "bonding" would be done in silence, and would probably come from a place of blunt honesty, where eddie realised he could trust his new friend because they're either not afraid enough to lie to him or are too honest to know better. and he'd relish the ability to turn to someone and say "you are making my space crowded with your existance and i need you to leave" without them getting all moody, because they'd understand immediately

there might be a point where he picks up on things that make his new buddy a lil bit different, but i think he'd recognise them as brilliance before he thought of them as something "wrong" with them. mostly, because he'd see himself reflected back. hyperfixations and obsessions with certain acts/scenarios/things, an either intense focus or a complete lack of it, prone to sensory overload (which eddie doesn't know the name of before he meets his friend, he just assumes he has anger issues and is bad for going into tantrums), and there's bound to be a point where they both come to the realisation that neither of them understands other people's emotions or morals (cue a shared conversation about how people think batman is acceptable but not eddie)

going back to the bonding in silence thing, he's 100% given the key to life when he realises parralell play works for him. like you're telling him that you can be in the same room with someone and do your own thing completely, but they're there if you think of a stupid pun or you want to walk over to them to say "look what i made" have them go "wow!" and then turn around and go back to work???? where has this BEEN all his life (although now that he thinks about it, he did enjoy quietly reading amongst the other inmates at arkham)

anyway, i think at a certain point he'd find the bravery to tell his new friend that he thinks they're soulmates. maybe he'd follow that up with a confusion about romantic intent or interest, maybe he'd request a formal recognition of their friendship. and no doubt his lil buddy would be confused until eddie says "we're soulmates because we are literally the same person. we do all the same things. we think the same way." and his friend is like "that's sweet, eddie. and yeah, we might be soulmates. but i think a lot of that is because we're both autistic"

and eddie is like

"we're both what? so you're? and i'm? OH!!!!!!!"

and then everything falls into place, like he's just solved a complex riddle he didn't even know he was working through and he's stuck standing there for a while like:

#finnie hc #finnie writes #so tenuously though #arkham riddler #riddler #friends being friends

[alphabetboyluvr]

bad decisions - jjk | twelve

You take a second to breathe. Let your cheeks plumpen as air exhales from your lips. "Alright. Let's try it. The bird that fell today, let's try it, and see how it goes? If it's too weird"— "We can back out," he nods. "No harm, no foul." "You got anywhere to be? Wanna wait with me while I finish up and then..." The beat of your heart is so rapid that you think you might have a heart attack—but as Jungkook makes his way up the stairs, it seems to settle. This is fine. "And then?" "Then we'll do the damn bird."

Bad Decision #12 - An Agreement

warnings: THE BALL IS ROLLING! solo masturbation that is, on a technicality, mutual masturbation (soulmate behaviour!). plot is also plotting! artist!tae is doing thingggssss. jk is getting bold! and sexy!

soundtrack: fuxxin' love (2019) - OoOo

wc: 7.4k

bd total wc: 370k (on-going)

minors dni | wattpad | series masterlist |

There's a lingering silence as Jungkook sits across from you on his bed. 

You're both crossed-legged, looking at the unfolded bird between you. His back is perfectly straight, posture pristine as always, but yours is a little more slumped. In all honesty, you just want to stop looking at the words written down on the paper, but it's like watching a car crash in slow motion. You can't look away.

His curtains are drawn shut. It's a change to his normal set-up - but the sun has already risen. If either of you stand any chance of sleeping, they need to be closed. The lamp on his bedside table currently illuminates you both, a warm glow only adding to the intoxicated haze you're still looking at the world through.

"Okay, so I think our birds are quite different," Jungkook finally says. His voice is contemplative, but then he laughs. The lamplight catches in his eyes. He's serene. "Byeol, what the fuck?"

You groan and flop down onto his bed, nose nestling into his ever-freshly laundered sheets. "I didn't know we'd ever be reading them!"

Since the first bird fell, you've known that agreeing to share them was a mistake, but you had also forgotten just how many of your birds had been plagued by your desire for a sex life that didn't feel so tragic these days. 

Jungkook leans a little forward, outstretching his arm to ruffle at your freshly bleached hair. He still hasn't mentioned it, and you find it odd. Had expected at least a remark regarding the fact it had changed, but instead he's simply acting as if that's how it's always been.

Anyone who does mention it has their compliments dismissed, with you insisting on pointing out just how patchy it is, so at least it saves making even more self-deprecating comments.

"I think we should veto it," you mumble into his duvet.

Frankly, Jungkook is amused by it all.  He's also still got some of those tequila slammers in his bloodstream, which makes him throw caution to the wind a little more than usual. "Your choice, Byeol."

You huff, forcing yourself back up to face him. The origami paper stares at you. Is screaming. 

It's partially your fault for choosing to write your birds in full capital letters. Jungkook had written his like a normal human being, and they feel far less confrontational. 

"It's an interesting one," he notes, before reading it out loud: "Mutual masturbation. The four exclamation points really add a certain... je ne sais quoi."

"Oh my god, shut up," you whine. "I was just thinking of the most intimate things you could do with a person, yanno?"

"And you chose mutual masturbation?" Jungkook holds back a laugh. Doesn't hold it very well. Splutters one out regardless.

"Well, yeah?" You furrow your brows together, confused by the fact he doesn't deem it to be the height of intimacy. You think it's potentially the most vulnerable you can be with another person. "Getting off is so... personal. Doing exactly what you like... I don't think anyone's ever seen me... yanno?"

"No, I don't know," Jungkook taunts, a cocky smirk gracing his pretty lips. You decide that alcohol is the worst thing to have ever happened to him. "No one has ever seen you what, Byeol?"

"You know what."

"No, I don't," he shrugs. "I don't know how you touch yourself."

You bury your head back into his duvet. "Oh my god, shut the fuck up. This one - this bird - is vetoed. We're not doing it. You never saw it."

Your ears are as pink as your cheeks, embarrassment taking hold of your features. It's really not like you to be bothered about such things, but the fact that Jungkook's birds are all so.... innocent has you feeling a little mortified.

"Since when have you been such a prude, Byeol?!"

"I'm not! You're just... you." The way you say it - with such disgust - is exactly why he's winding you up. He doesn't expect the bird to be carried out. It's just funny to watch you squirm. "I'm not discussing my vagina with you."

"Is that not what friends are for?"

"No."

"Bet you'd discuss it with Danbi."

"Yeah, because I can trust her not to get a boner," you huff, sitting back up to face him. He's got the stupidest grin on his face, and even though you're trying to seem annoyed, he can tell that you're fighting one too. It's in the way your lips are twitching ever so slightly, brows easing from their furrowed state.

"I'm very capable of not getting a boner," he protests, but you don't care.  Just tell him to go to bed. You've got shit to do in the morning after you've slept the alcohol off. A job to get to in the afternoon. Can't be up all night.

He laughs to himself for a little while in the sanctuary of his pillow swamp. You tell him to shut up, and throw one of his pillows at him. Jungkook just simply tosses it back up to you. Tells you goodnight and settles into a comfortable position. 

'Because I can trust her not to get a boner'.

Now that he's thinking about it, he's a little offended. He quite literally showered with you earlier and showed not even a hint of getting a hard-on. 

Then again, he wasn't actually facing you. Had refused to let himself think of what you'd look like half-naked under a stream of running water. Had focused his mind entirely on the grout between the tiles, considering whether or not it would look better grey instead of white.

Truth be told, he probably wouldn't have gotten hard anyways. Was too nervous. Scared of doing or saying the wrong thing. Scared that you'd reject his offer. It's not like he was getting anything out of it - it really had been to help ease you into the idea of sharing a shower not being absolutely terrifying to you - but rejection is never nice in any capacity. 

You shuffle beneath his sheets and sigh in such a way that he's almost positive you're asleep. Strange enigma of a woman, he thinks as he smiles to himself. You're so mild-mannered and peaceful in one moment, then causing chaos in the next.

He's glad to have you around. Glad that Jimin was a little crap in bed. Glad that you didn't want to hang out with Jimin all the time instead of him. Glad. Just glad.

But then his mind starts to wonder. Starts thinking about what could have happened if he had gotten a boner. Would you really be that repulsed?

He shakes his head. Tries to rid himself of the thought. It's completely inappropriate. The time spent together beneath the cascading water of his shower had been such a vulnerable moment for you. He's thinking about it as his cock is getting hard. It's so wrong. He feels like a shitty friend. 

Palming at his crotch, Jungkook tries to stop the chain reaction that is happening. It's fruitless though.  The contact only makes it worse.

Jungkook says nothing as he gets to his feet and excuses himself from his room. He can't think straight. Decides the alcohol is at fault - but as he looks in his bathroom mirror, he can't help but curse.

There's no denying how hard he is. Not even a little firm. He's solid.

"Fuck," he groans, resting his palms on the counter, hanging his head between his shoulders. He shakes it. Knows that his current predicament is just circumstantial.

It's not that he actively thinks about you in that capacity, but the conversation you'd been engaged in has his mind wondering. Has him thinking about what the realities of the vetoed bird could look like. The way you'd close your eyes. The way you'd moan. The movements of your body; the squirm of your hips. The scent. The taste.

One of his hands drops from the counter. Palms at his crotch. Dips into the waistband of his boxers. "Shit."

He can't picture anything. Not really. He's never seen you in that capacity, so it's a little hard to imagine it - but he can seem to imagine the sensation seeing it would make him feel. How he'd get a little breathless. How he'd watch you as you watched him. He thinks about your eyes. Thinks about your glitter. Thinks about how it would shine with every movement of your body.

He untucks from his boxers, and strokes gently. Once, twice. "Fuck." Three times. A fourth.

There's a tightening in his chest, as if his logical mind is trying to make him stop. He pulls at his cock, bringing himself closer and closer to release. Once he cums, it will be fine. Just pent-up frustration. He wouldn't even be thinking about you like this if he wasn't clearly horny. He probably could have gotten laid tonight had he not drawn himself away from the girl in the club. 

That's it, he decides. That's what this is. Just a misplaced need for release.

It's a shame he doesn't know how restless you are beneath his sheets. How your hand crept down your body the moment he left the room; mind plagued with the idea of getting off with him. How you toy with your exposed pussy, wearing only his shirt.

You know you shouldn't. You're in Jungkook's bed. He has to sleep in here. His sheets smell like him. 

Yet as you tell yourself no, it's the reasons why you should stop that seem to spur you on more. It does smell like Jungkook. Smells like safety. If that isn't the best environment to get yourself off in, then what is?

You think about his back, and then you think about his arms wrapped around you and—"fuck"— it's not even the idea of him that's getting you wet; it's the idea of safety. Yes, it was his arms, but it's not the fact they're his which have you feeling this way; it's the fact you know they wouldn't drop you. And even if they did? You'd not be falling from some great height.

Realigning your mind, you let your mind wander to where it usually does in the early hours of the morning; Seokjin's kitchen, and the time he took you from behind when you'd been making dinner. 

It's your failsafe. Always gets you off remembering it. You think of his hands - strong, wide - and how they'd gripped at your waist. You think of his lips - soft, plump - against your throat. You're thinking of the view across the city from his apartment. Thinking about the way he'd turned you round; carried you to it. 

His apartment had been in a high-rise in the heart of the city. Not too far from Jungkook's, actually. The windows spanned the entire wall, and you'd always been envious of the fact he got to wake up to it on the daily. 

He'd put you down; turned you back around to face it. Had stripped you of your clothes. Pressed you against the window. Fucked his cock into you with such aggression that it almost seemed as if he wanted the glass to break. Fucked you so well that when you came, it felt like you were freefalling, even with the glass intact.

It's thinking about that orgasm that always gets your pussy clenching around your toys at home - but you're without them, and your hands just aren't doing the trick. Your brain jumps from thought to thought. Lands on the reason why you don't have your toys: you're at Jungkook's place. And then, because it's just as annoying as you are,  your head is just ribbiting his name at you. 

"Go away," you whine, but continue to play with your clit regardless. You're so close. "Just let me finish."

And it's funny, 'cause Jungkook's in his bathroom looking at the mess in the sink with a face of pure disgust. It's not the fact he got himself off that bothers him. Not the fact he whined a little too loud when he did so. Nothing like that at all.

It's that he'd been trying to think about the kiss he'd had that evening—the smell of her perfume, the softness of her lips—wanting it to be in his head when he came. He grew closer, and closer, and then—"oh, fuck"—why are you there? Why is he thinking about your gaze from the bar? And why is it that his brain always locks into one singular thought whenever he cums?

He just really hopes you didn't hear him curse out your name as he did so.

But you didn't. Were too busy having your own dilemma—one of which you're only just coming back down from when Jungkook re-enters the room. You wonder if he'll know. Wonder if he'll be able to smell your arousal. Wonder if he'll even figure out that's what the scent is.

Neither of you greets the other. He just gets back into his little pile of pillows. It's kind of funny. If weren't so paranoid about him knowing, you'd make a joke of it. Doesn't feel very funny, now.

Silence consumes the room. You don't even know if he knows you're awake. It's so awkward you quite literally wanted to shrivel up and die.

Okay, so you're being dramatic, but it really does feel that catastrophic to you. As if irrevocable damage has been done. As if you've ruined the friendship all by yourself - but then it has you thinking. He'd been gone for just the right amount of time for you to draw a release from yourself. It wasn't long, but it wasn't entirely speedy, either.

Jungkook shuffles. Lies on his back. Hands linked over his stomach.

"Kook..." Your voice whispers into the darkness.

"Mhmm?"

He sounds sleepy. Sounds well spent. You know you'll regret it, but you just kind of have to know.

"Did you... just..."

He pauses. Takes a deep breath. Finishes your sentence for you. "Get myself off?"

"Mhmm."

There's silence. It lasts no longer than a few seconds, but it feels like a lifetime to you.

"You want me to lie?" He asks, clearly wanting to avoid the truth.

"Depends on what the lie would be."

Silence resumes. Is broken with a sigh.

"No," he says - and then he clarifies. "'No' would be the lie."

You nod, understanding exactly what he means, crown of your head patting against his pillow.

And yet still, you push. You want a clear answer.

"In that case," you say a little shakily. "I'd like the truth."

"Okay," he replies, voice much stronger than yours. " Ask me again. Full-sentence. None of that trailing-off bullshit you do. If you want a direct answer, give me a direct question."

And so you do.

"Did you just get yourself off?"

"Yes."

Fuck.

"Me too."

He laughs. Feels a weight ease. Can't fight the smile that's beaming even in a dark room. What a fucking relief. "Did we just... do your bird?"

And then you're laughing too at how fucking ridiculous the situation is. "In a way."

A peaceful quietness settles over the pair of you. Calmness. Contentedness. You're on a level playing field.

"Hey Kook," you say after a moment.

"What now?" He moans, but you know he's smiling.

"What were you thinking about?"

And then rather suddenly he decides, "That's enough of this conversation. Night, Byeol."

"Oh my god, no," you protest, sitting up in his bed to look in his direction. The low-light level obscures him, but it doesn't matter. "What were you thinking about?"

"Byeol," he scolds. 

Although, in a way, it's kind of the answer.

"Jungkook," you scold right back.

"Wasn't thinking about anything. Go to sleep."

His denial is a silent scream. You think you know. Think it's fucking hilarious.

"Were you thinking about me?"

"No," he lies. "It'd make me go soft—hey!" Jungkook laughs as one of the pillows from his bed smacks against his face. "Well, were you thinking about me?" He banters back.

You laugh. "You forget I've fucked your housemate."

"OUCH."

You smile, all rather pleased with yourself, knowing it will play on his mind. Good. Serve him right for being a petulant little shit. "Night, Kook."

"Have nightmares," he says, and you just continue grinning as you snuggle up in his sheets.

"Already living one."

You don't discuss the night before when you're getting ready to leave a few hours later. You've work in the afternoon, and really want a proper shower at your own place before you rock up with blue poster paint still down your neck.

Jungkook feigns a hangover worse than it actually is. Says shit like, "I barely remember it," just so that you won't ask questions about why exactly he felt the need to excuse himself to the bathroom. 

He's not even really entirely sure why he did it. Obviously, he knows it's because he got himself too excited, just not why he got so excited. Just knows that he needs to figure out what's going on himself before he can breach the topic of conversation with you again.

You tell him you had a good night, and he says the same. It was nice for him to be out with you for once, instead of being an outsider looking in.

When you arrive at work that afternoon, Hoseok is tapping at his wrist. "What time do you call this?"

You roll your eyes, but your smile is warm. "Time you got a watch. How many painters we got in?"

"Full house," he says. "Only a few more prebooks for the rest of the day, though. No one booked in after eight, at least."

You ask him about his day, and let him babble on as you set about cleaning up the palettes he left for you to clear. He's been in work since midday, so has had to work through the heavy flow of customers coming in and out. Still wet, the chalky alkaline scent of the paint takes you back to the night before.

Has you thinking about Jungkook; his toned back, and the rivulet of green-tainted water you'd watched run down it. Funny, how he'd been hues of blue—cerulean strands of hair, emerald caught under the ridge of his jaw—whereas you'd been a peachy daydream, pinks on your skin to match your lips.

The palettes turn the sink water a murky brown. Looks a little like dirt. You wonder if that's what the hues of you and Jungkook would make together. Decide it's a good job you'll never find out.

But daisies push through dirt, you consider. There could be growth there. 

You let the water drain out, and rinse the boards off a final time, before you get to work on the brushes. Hosoek is greeting customers—"I love it. That shade of blue? Perfect. Come again soon!"—leaving you to your own devices, until a deep voice pulls your attention from the canvases you're organising. 

"I'm actually here to enquire about using the gallery space for a sho- oh. Hey," the owner of the voice says as he spots your eyes on him. 

Talk, dark and handsome, Kim Taehyung looks even better in the daylight. 

Dressed down in a white shirt and a pair of slacks, he's unassuming, but a frame like his commands attention. How Danbi is able to resist, you'll never know. Half think that maybe it would've been better if he'd been the one to have first caught your eye in Dionysus - but you're sure if Jimin was here instead, you'd be marvelling at how you'd landed someone as ethereal as him. The curse of attractive boys.

"Hey," you smile as you wipe your hands on a slightly paint-stained cloth. You whip it over your shoulder, and Taheyung smiles back. He wonders if that was something you did before you met Jungkook, or if he's rubbing off on you. "Watcha doin' here?"

"Bit of a strange request, actually," he prefaces. "I'm looking for gallery space."

"Gallery space?" You question, reaching over for the thick diary kept behind the desk. You keep your eyes on his as he awkwardly begins to explain, pulling the diary pencil from the pages it's currently lodged between.

"Yeah. I'm looking to exhibit some of my work—a few artists' works, actually. All local." He holds up a black folder and taps it. You reach out your hand to receive it, and pass the diary over to Hoseok. "It's all in here. Concepts, artists, pieces. Even pre-written a press release for you."

You flick through the pages of the folder. It's typical of artists who request to use the space to provide you with something like this, but you can really see the care put into it. It's a collection he's curated, with the intent of finally getting his name out there in the art world.

The title page is a singular word: Requited.

"It's a study on the conflicting meanings of the word," Taehyung explains, and you can see what he means instantly. Many of the pieces photographed in the exhibition pre-guide are dark - reds, deep browns. Passionate. "To avenge; to love."

You nod, flicking through the pages, still. It's an impressive collection, and you recognise one of the art styles from an account you follow on Instagram. "Why here?"

Taehyung grits his teeth together in a way that you just know means a lie is coming. "We want our work to be shown in a place that emulates the feeling of creation - we could host workshops during the exhibition period. Runs promotions with you, help"—

"Cut the bullshit," you grin. "C'mon. This is a solid collection. Solid pitch. The folder, at least, your delivery could use a little work-"

"Hey, I'm only acting relaxed 'cause I know what you look like after one too many drinks."

"You want to exhibit here or not?" You tease.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He laughs, holding his hands out, but not reaching over to touch you. "Honestly? The bigger galleries have dismissed us. I think they're holding out for bigger collections, and the smaller galleries are booked up till Christmas."

"You're trying to get in before the end of the year?"

"Ideally, yeah," Taehyung nods, a little apprehensively as Hoseok hands you back the diary. You swap, and he flicks through Taehyung's folder, nodding in appreciation. "End of October, start of November."

"Hoping for holiday sales?" You ask, to which he nods again.

"If we're at the start of the season, hopefully we'll be the one that buyers come back to," he explains. "And I meant what I said about the workshops. Your peak must be the winter months, right? People looking for something to do indoors?"

You nod. You've actively been enjoying the summer lull. Aren't looking forward to the upcoming season - at work, at least. You love autumn in your own time.

"We could host events," Taheyung suggests. "Charge a little more than usual for guided workshops. You could get a nice Christmas bonus."

It's not a bad idea by any stretch of the imagination, and if the boss agrees to it, it could actually make the upcoming busy season a lot more bearable for you if it's more structured. 

"If it were up to me, I'd say yes," you tell him. His eyes light up like embers from a smoking fire, but they simmer quickly. He knows it isn't up to you. "Is it okay if we hold onto your folder? See what the boss says?"

He nods like one of those dog figurines your grandfather used to keep on his windowsills. His enthusiasm is sweet, and you hope that your boss is just as keen as you are.

"How long until you know, do you think?"

"Give us a week, maybe?" You say. "There's space in the diary between events at the start of November. Hopefully if I structure a plan, make it easy for my boss, there'll be no reason to say no."

"You're a legend," he beams.

"Don't speak too soon," you remind him. "Still gotta get approval first."

"I know, I know," he nods. "You guys are the first place that's actually given us a look in, though. When Jungkook suggested here, I kind"—

"He suggested this place?" You smile a little bemused.

"Yeah," Tae confirms. "Didn't say you worked here, though."

"Well," you say with a scrunch of your nose. "I do. Surprise."

The biggest surprise, you think, is that Jungkook remembers.

"I'm glad you do, though. Feels like the collection will be in safe hands."

You know that he's mostly glad because it means the chances of Danbi coming to the exhibition will rise quite significantly, but you're not well-acquainted enough yet to tease him like that, so you just smile.

"I'll let you know, okay? I can give the folder back to Jungkook for him to pass on if I don't see you before the end of next week."

Taehyung doesn't question it, but Hoseok glances over, eyes a little narrow. He knows there's something going on there. Just isn't sure what.

"Legend," Taehyung says again despite your previous protests. "You're the best, Disco Ball."

"Stop calling me that!" You call after him to no avail. 

He just waves back and heads out the door, into the afternoon sun. You tuck the folder beneath the diary and put it into the desk organiser that the boss always checks, before scribbling out a post-it note to explain. 

Their presence in the cafe is so infrequent that you never know when they'll next be in, and you worry that you'll miss it. Sure, you could just leave it in the hands of Hoseok, but you don't entirely trust him to relay all the important information.

He clocks out just after seven, leaving you to deal with the wind-down of the day shift. It's been quiet, only a handful of customers coming in throughout the evening. The last couple in— teenagers on a first date, by the look of things—leave at nine. 

It's perfect timing, as the last entry is also at nine, meaning you don't have to worry about any latecomers staying till eleven. You can close up early, which is always a dream—especially on the shifts after a night out. The sooner you can snuggle into your own bed, the better.

It's not that you don't like Jungkook's bed. His mattress is perfectly firm, and his pillows really are to die for. It's just that nothing compares to home.

The closing routine is more work than you really care for. Restocking, cleaning, making sure everything is operational for an easy opening in the morning. 

Occasionally, you'll work a morning shift and spend the entire time finishing off jobs that staff from the night before neglected to do. It pisses you off. You've been known to leave passive-aggressive post-it notes on occasion. Always signed with a  smiley face and a kiss. Hoseok tells you that one of the other girls is gonna bitch slap you one day. You tell him good—would like to see her try. But what's a shitty job without a little drama?

It's as you're thinking about this potential conflict that your very real source of contention shows up at the door. He's dressed down, wearing a jacket that looks big enough to fit his entire friendship group within it, and a black baseball cap to hide the fact he hasn't styled his hair. 

There's something nice about seeing him like this—you so often get him in the gym, or at work— that it's pleasant to see Jeon Jungkook as a normal person. See him as other people do.

You won't clue him in on this, though.

"Last entry was twenty minutes ago, Jeon."

The grin on his face as he leans against the door frame is something he's unable to hide—and why would he? There's no need to play games. Not here. Not with you. "Ouch, last name basis? What have I done?"

"Nothing," you say and smile back. He really hasn't—you're just trying to create distance. Reinstate boundaries that had been made a little blurry. "What brings you here?"

As he walks into the room—uninvited, may you add—he looks thoughtful, eyes all wide and inquisitive. He's never visited your place of work before. You've seen his workplace what feels like a hundred times over, so it's nice for him to finally have a visual of yours. 

He won't mention that Taehyung talking about your workplace had made him curious.

It's not what he expected. For starters, he imagined there'd be far more mess—though he does notice the cleaning cloth in your hand, and how it's saturated in all shades of acrylic, so perhaps you're just diligent. 

Up two flights of stairs, the cafe occupies the top unit of a commercial building. There's a hairdresser on the floor below and a deli on the floor below that, so the entryway normally either smells like peroxide or pepperoni - no in between. Occasionally it smells like paint, too, but it's a far less intrusive scent. 

The walls are covered in canvases - ones left by customers, prints of famous works, offerings by local artists. Easels are scattered around the room, set up in pairs with small tables for the art supplies between them. Jungkook decides very quickly which spot he likes most - the easels by the window in the far corner. Thinks if he ever took a girl here on a date, that's where he'd like to sit.

Then again, he won't be doing that anytime soon - not unless one of those damn birds tells him to.

You follow his gaze to the window seats and smile. 

It's your favourite spot. S'why there's a cushion on the chair. It's for you. You sit there on your break with a book when it's quiet.

"Nothing," he says, but pulls a piece of carefully folded paper from his back pocket and tosses it down onto the counter. You glance down at it. Another fucking bird. Can see the wings don't line up. Say nothing, but slowly look back up at him. "Well, this has something to do with it. Fell while I was at the gym. Was waiting for me when I got home."

You nod. Run your tongue along your teeth as your lips purse. It's barely been half a day since the last. Hardly fair.

"Have you read it?" You ask, moving behind the counter. You're creating distance all over again. Jungkook notices. Creates his own by retreating to one of the waiting room stools, where he takes a perch.

It's gotta be a big one. He wouldn't be here if he wasn't.

He sits, hands between his legs. Seems a little agitated. Doesn't seem quite himself. "One of yours." 

But then his posture eases. He sighs. Pulls a second bird from his jacket pocket, and holds it up. "One of mine..." he opens it. Bites his bottom lip as a laugh exhales, his eyes skimming over it. With a shake of his head, he reads it aloud: "Suggest an idea you know will get rejected."

He lingers on the final syllable, but then casts his eyes up to yours. The way he stares, so piercing and domineering is an absolute head fuck. He can be so soft and gentle in one moment, then completely unrecognisable in the next. It's what has your voice so quiet as you finally give a reply.

"And have you?"

Wouldn't be here if he had, you think. Stupid question.

He confirms this.

"I'm about to."

And for some reason, it has you smirking. Heartbeat racing. 

That's the thing about Jungkook: he's unpredictable. 

You had heard from Yoongi the night before that he's started acting out of character, though in a way, it's apparently reminiscent of his 'old self'. You can't say definitely because you never knew him before he was broken, but it feels like perhaps he's healing.

"I'm intrigued," you tell him, which doesn't earn the smile you think it will.

In fact, he looks deadly serious as he says, "Promise me something?"

You're tepid as you nod. It's a no-brainer—of course you'll make a promise with him—but you can't help but be fearful of why you'd need to promise anything ahead of time. Does he not trust you?

He looks to his feet, where the toes of his right foot are perched up on the toes of his left. He's in his hightops again following a stint at the laundrette to tumble dry them. Behind the counter, so are you. "You'll hear me out first?"

"Of course I will."

"You and I..." he begins slowly. "Our friendship is good, right?"

You nod. Stupid question. "Right."

"And it's just friendship, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah?" You half-laugh. Still haven't discussed the events of last night yet.

And then almost out of the blue, Jungkook decides to really reinforce the broken boundaries.

"You fucked Jimin."

The way you cringe is borderline insane; face all scrunched up, cheeks flaming red. It was just sex. You don't know why Jungkook mentioning it seems to bother you so much. 

"Thanks for the reminder, yep," you say through gritted teeth. "I did fuck Jimin."

Still, it's not like it's the worst fuck you've ever had. There's just room for improvement. Maybe he'll redeem himself one day.

"And we're both completely emotionally unavailable?"

"Speak for yourself."

"Byeol," he smirks, amused by how often you seem to talk out of your ass. Conversations are never straightforward with you. Not entirely.

"Okay, okay!" You relent with a firm roll of your eyes. "I'm a little emotionally unavailable."

"Thanks for admitting it," he says, choosing not the question the 'a little'. You both know it should be 'completely'. "I have a question. A question before I make my suggestion."

"Go on.." you hesitate. 

"The birds. Are the birds helping?"

"With?"

"Your intimacy issues. Like say you hooked up with a randomer tomorrow, would you be able to think clearly if they suggested a shower?"

It's a good question. One that you really don't know the answer to. 

"Maybe?" you say, voice a little higher than typical. "My heart rate definitely feels a lot lower than it normally does when I consider it."

It's not a lie. Normally your hands would feel a little itchy, but you've barely broken a sweat.  You are, admittedly, thinking about the shower with Jungkook, and how platonic it had been - but maybe that's exactly it. Maybe equating these big moments to nothing scarier than friendship is what helped.

"Okay, that's good," he replies before taking a second to gather his thoughts. "The birds... They're helping me. I never would have gotten that girl's number without them. Without you."

"You're welcome, Cassanova."

"And I'm thankful," he smiles, and you can almost feel his sincerity. "I really am. Been chasing my tail for far too long."

This admission silently delights you. It's rewarding to help someone through their healing process, no matter how large or small. To be included at all is an honour.

"So?" You lean your elbows on the counter. "Your suggestion?"

He sighs. As uncomplicated as he finds your company, he still doesn't find any of this easy. There's a massive mental hurdle for him to overcome.

You get it. You really do. Even though your troubles are different, they still come from the same place. They're matters of the heart, and they're by far the hardest things to untangle yourself from. Seokjin's still got a grasp on your puppet strings, and Jungkook's former fling still has a hold on his, it would seem.

"Hey," you smile. Jungkook thinks you look warm. Homely. "Nothing to be scared of. Just me. Just us."

His brows furrow and ease all within the same second. He knows those words. Knows he used similar ones on you the night before. Perhaps he really should start listening to his own advice, because it's just what he needed to hear.

"I think... I think maybe we should just...," he pauses. Looks to his hands and then back up to you. "Say fuck it?"

You grin, bemused. "Fuck it?"

It's not an instant yes. Jungkook can't blame you for it - but it just reminds him that he has to be specific. He'd grated you about that last night, too. He can't be a hypocrite now.

"Okay, so... The birds, right?" He asks, but he isn't really asking anything. Just forming his words. Still, you nod. Encourage him to go on. "Whenever they fall, we're always like 'oh fuck,' right?"

 Again, you nod. 

"I just... I think the only reason we're hesitant to do your birds is 'cause we think we shouldn't do them. Like we think it will be a recipe for disaster... But... why? It's not like there are any confused feelings or ulterior motives. If I did your birds with you, I wouldn't be doing anything for like... my own gain? Just like you aren't with mine."

You stop yourself from interrupting. He's clearly struggling to form the words, eyes darting to his hands every time he catches your gaze.

"I know, I know," he rambles on. "You shouldn't fuck your friends. Shouldn't shit where you eat. But it's not fucking for the sake of fucking - and like, honestly, I don't actually know if any of your birds include fucking-"

"They do."

"Okay, brilliant, so they do," he laughs. Somehow a weight seems to ease. If anything, that admission should add more pressure. "It doesn't matter. Look all I'm saying is that I'm okay to do your birds, no matter how obscure they get. If that means me getting you used to sharing a shower with someone, so be it. It doesn't have to be sexual, even if the end goal will be used in that capacity."

You understand the sentiment, but there's one undeniable; your birds are all about sex.

"Kook, I wrote some pretty..." You pause. It's your turn to struggle, now. "How do I say this? ...Intimate things on my birds."

"Fear of intimacy," he nods, and then he smirks. "I know. I'm not naive to what that entails. I know I'm a boy, but give me some credit, Byeol."

"Sorry."

The smiles you exchange are delightfully insolent, just like the make-believe fairies you imagine are dancing around you right now, tickling at your skin with miniature wee pinches just to get you giggling. So childish of the pair of you to behave this way in such a serious conversation.

"What I mean is that it's being done with a purpose. It's not just sex for the sake of sex, or whatever it may be," he says. "Like if I'm fucking you, it's not fucking. It'd be like... therapy?"

"I think you'd get fired if you were my therapist," you grin. "It's so weird hearing you talk about sex knowing that you're talking about having sex with me." 

It really is all a bit strange.

"But that's the beauty of it. The stakes are at zero. There's no worry of disappointment, no worry of getting heartbroken, no worry of anything that could go wrong - the birds tell us what to do, we do it," he explains, finally able to get his words out. "And look - I won't lie - I've been out of practice for a while, so it'd probably help with my confidence, too."

You scrunch your nose a little. "That doesn't fill me with hope for your skills."

He rolls his eyes. "It's not about my skill level, Byeol. That's beyond the point. It's about your association with sex and intimacy. If we can separate your association with certain sexual acts from intimacy, then they'll seem a lot less daunting in future relationships. Like, call me crazy, but I really think this could work."

"Okay, so you are crazy... but," you begin. He laughs, knowing that you're never able to resist the role of devil's advocate. "Hypothetically speaking- we get you a date. We get you a girl you're really interested in, but there are still a fuck tonne of birds? Then what?"

"Well, by that point hopefully we'll have worked through enough of our respective issues. I'm not gonna magically become a lothario overnight, am I? It will take time," he emphasises. "By the time I'm ready for that, I'm pretty sure you'll also be ready to explore this shit with someone you actually care about."

It's funny. You do care about him. Wouldn't even be considering this if you didn't.

"I'm not convinced," you say. It's a nice idea, but there's no way your timelines will be linear. Your breakup is far fresher - but you don't realise just how deep his wounds go. Perhaps it will take him just as much time.

He nods. Appreciates your honesty. Rereads his bird. "Suggest an idea you know will be rejected. I didn't come here thinking you'd agree, Byeol, but I also don't think it's a bad idea."

"And if I do agree?"

"There's a bird already waiting," he gestures towards the one on the countertop. It's sitting, untouched by you, in a very sorry state. You really are terrible at origami. 

"Can I... have some time to think?"

His proposition is a big ask. Jungkook knows this. So far, you've been dancing around the notion of a somewhat unconventional friendship, but escalating things will really cement it. There'll likely be no going back.

And so he says, "I have a lot of trust in our friendship, Byeol. I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't think we could handle it. I know it's a lot though, and I've already wasted enough of your time tonight, so I'll leave you be, okay?" He gets to his feet, and places his bird down on the counter. It's yours now. He's set it free. "Text me when you get home? Not for like, anything in particular, I don't need an answer now. Just so that I know you're home safe."

"Okay," you nod as he walks to the door. "Bye, Kook."

He glances over his shoulder and presses his lips together, his silver lip ring flipping ever so slightly. "Bye, Byeol."

There's a shift as he leaves. The air feels colder; the light dimmer. You're left with your thought and nothing but a little regret simmering in your stomach. The feeling of safety that comes with Jungkook leaves when he does. You don't like it. Want it back.

"Shit," you curse, tossing your own bird down onto the counter. Running for the door, You call after him. "Hey! Kook, wait!

By the foot of the stairs, Jungkook turns. Take a single step back up. Stops himself from walking the full distance. 

"You gotta promise me one thing," you say, but it's posed more as a question.

He'll promise you whatever you ask - within reason. "What?"

"If we do this, it won't fuck up your friendship with Jimin?"

"Why would—Ohhh," he snorts. "'Cause you fucked him."

"Yes, again, thank you for the reminder. I'm sure the entire building needs to know that."

"Shut up, there's like no one else here."

"It's the principle."

"The Jimin thing is fine," he says. He wouldn't have suggested this if he thought it would impact anything within his existing friendships. He cares about Jimin probably more than he cares for you. It's in slightly different capacities, admittedly, but that doesn't matter. "No offence, but he doesn't sit there lamenting the way you left him that night."

"Yes he does," you challenge, knowing Jungkook is absolutely correct. "Don't lie."

"Will it make you feel better if I pretend he does?"

"Yes."

"Okay, fine, he stares and the door and pines for your return like a lovesick puppy—happy?"

It's funny, 'cause it's probably what Jimin would actually say about Jungkook instead. Always a little mopier after his time spent with you is finished.

"Much happier," you grin. "But I'm serious. I don't wanna cause you issues."

"I'd be causing myself issues," he insists. "It wouldn't be your fault. But no, it'll be fine."

You take a second to breathe. Let your cheeks plumpen as air exhales from your lips. "Alright. Let's try it. The bird that fell today, let's try it, and see how it goes? If it's too weird"—

"We can back out," he nods. "No harm, no foul."

"You got anywhere to be? Wanna wait with me while I finish up and then..."

The beat of your heart is so rapid that you think you might have a heart attack—but as Jungkook makes his way up the stairs, it seems to settle. This is fine.

"And then?"

"Then we'll do the damn bird."

minors dni | wattpad | series masterlist |

#jungkook fanfiction #jungkook angst #jungkook smut #jungkook ff #jk ff #jungkook masterlist #jungkook fic #jungkook x reader #jungkook x you #jungkook x oc #jeon jungkook smut #bts fanfic #byholly #angst #smut #jungkook x y/n #college!jungkook #bartender!jk #jungkook fluff #bd #bad decisions #bd!jk #bts

[sparkles-and-trash]

dabihawks suggestive fluff and bird instincts!🐤♥️

It’s not easy for any big pro to date, this is just a known fact.

Between weeding out the people who’s just in it for the status or money, the actual crazy stalkers, and the people willing to sell you as a story to the press?

Yeah, it’d be like having a second job, which he is way too busy for.

That’s the excuse Keigo usually go with, and so far, it have worked swell.

Well, up until this moment, it had. Now it was all falling apart, and it was falling fast.

Now, there were big, warm hands running trough his sensitive wings, mismatched lips that had been a leading role in Keigo’s dreams for a long time were kissing and biting his neck and shoulder, and electric blue eyes are looking at him like he’s something to be loved and desired.

All of it would have been perfect if it weren’t for the other part of the dating question Keigo was so often confronted with.

The answer he didn’t give out to anyone, ever.

Because besides the whole hero thing, there was the whole bird thing.

To be fair, how could anyone sit down the person they have any sort of feelings for and explain that, because of your quirk, the whole dating and mating process is more complicated than anyone would expect?

That it takes a long time for romantic interest to start, because most big birds, unlike humans, mate for life.

Keigo’s brain telling him that for any romantic and sexual to occur, he needs to know all he can about this potential mate.

He needs to be sure.

Which is ironic, considering the person his instincts finally decided to let in is the one of the most dangerous villains in the country.

At least, that’s what said villain wants everyone to think.

Keigo knows it’s more complicated than that.

But right now, Keigo has other things on his mind.

Like those hands moving from his wings to his ass, and those mismatched lips presses against Keigo’s own, their tounges dancing eagerly against each other, making the winged man whine into the arsonists’ mouth.

«Dabs, wait-» Keigo gasps as they pull apart, and Dabi hums curiously as he moves to press kisses to Keigo’s jaw.

«I- I need to, ah fuck, right there…»

Dabi contuine to nibble and suck a hickey right under Keigo’s ear, before he stops and pulls back.

«You need to what, pretty Bird?» he asks, hands slowly running up and down Keigo’s bare sides.

Keigo blinket, trying to clear his head.

«I, uhm, just, I need to know if this is just, heh, yanno, if…»

He trailed off and felt his face heat up.

Fuck, why was this so hard?! Talking was usually one of his strong suits.

But Dabi just hums deeply, and as he leans forward to press a quick kiss to Keigo’s lips, before he leans his forhead against Keigo’s.

«If this is just about the fucking for me?» he finishes off Keigo’s awkward rambling, and to his horror Keigo hears himself let out an embarrased chirp as he nods quickly and draws back a little.

«There’s nothin’ wrong with that of course, I just, my whole chemestry is a bit different, and it’s not something I can change, and I’m not sure how I’d deal if this wasn’t meaning the same to you?» he finally admits, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, avoiding Dabi’s eyes.

Dabi doesn’t reply right away, instead he gently but firmly grabs Keigo’s chin and make him look at him again, and Keigo’s heart flutters embarrasingly when he sees that the healthy parts of Dabi’s face is tinted pink, and how heavy his eyes are.

«Do you think I make a habit of sleeping with heroes?» he asks with a smirk.

Keigo rolls his eyes a little, but feels a smil tug at his lips.

«I don’t know what you’re up to in your spare time,» he quips back, and Dabi laughs in that lovely deep way he does.

«Well, I don’t,» he says before he leans in and kisses the hero deeply, moving his hands back towards his waist.

«So no, this is not just a random fuck to me, either,» he says when they break apart again.

Keigo just nods frantically, desperate to have those hands back all over him.

«Okay, yeah, good,» he gasps as Dabi’s hands moves to help guide Keigo’s hips against his own.

«Good,» Dabi repeats with a smirk and heavy eyes.

«Now, let’s get to the main act, shall we?»

#dabihawks #Hawks #Dabi #Dabi x Hawks #Hawks x Dabi #toukei #hotwings #touya todoroki #keigo takami #Keigo x Touya #Touya x Keigo #dabihawks fluff #mha #bnha #my hero academia #boku no hero academia

[lullaebies]

What do you honestly think of Aegon's character in the show?

i mean they made him pretty damn unlikable - i didn't like aegon ii on my first watch and really only really started enjoying his character when i added some book!aegon context as well as started to criticize the show on my own. i don't think show!aegon is a flat character but he's certainly not a well-written one, he kinda gives the horse the has been beaten dead by the showrunners.

i think he COULD make for a very interesting character, even in his current state there is some potential but like my dude really was robbed of a lot of opportunities to humanize him already and the way things are they would have very little time to explore him in season 2 - and he would likely really only return to the fray in the last season so like. 💀

i like the way tom glynn carney acts him out however, i feel like there were moments that were interesting with him, and his dumbass can be more entertaining to watch than plenty other characters (his interactions with his family are very emotion filled and interesting and also he's just hilarious to watch - him running through the streets takes me out to this day and his expressions at any given moment are reaction meme worthy). show!aegon knows he's kinda the worst person alive and i like the awareness from him but he really didn't have to be all of that so yeah. i feel like we really need to glean his potential from tgc's heavy lifting of his character so its kinda sad. I genuinely feel like we got more context on his character from moments where Aegon stood there silent and Tom just did his thing with his very expressive face.

at the end of the day i think the show did not take his character or the political conflict seriously enough to write him well. it ignores his trauma in many things like his marriage and the political sphere he has been put in as a kid, ignore his drinking issues he had since he was a kid, ignored things he cares about like sunfyre and his kids just so they can amp up that he only likes whoring and drinking... and yanno maybe if he wasn't based on a book character who had reasonable motivations to care to take up the crown that would work but. he is significantly less understandable than his book!counterpart. who is written as an historical figure. without an actual look into his thoughts. it's really impressive they managed to that actually 😭

#basically. there is a reason why everyone say fanon aegon is better #he had potential and he still sorta has potential but ugh most of it is dragged through the dirt rn imo #answered #hotd critical

[chaifighter]

Ok but what if I really want to hear your Orson Scott Card rant?

...You asked for this.

This is definitely harder to deliver in text format than verbally, but I'll do my best.

Ender's Game is a seminal science fiction novel from the mid 80's about a space war between Earth and an insectoid alien species referred to as "buggers" (they have an actual name I think but I don't remember it). The war has been raging for years, Earth has effectively united to fight it, and particularly intelligent children are taken by the military to train at an orbital boot camp to be the next generation of soldiers. Our protagonist Ender Wiggin, a genius to end all geniuses, is taken to this space station to begin this training. (Ender is a usually-illegal third child who the government gave his parents special permission to produce, since their first two children were both unaccountably brilliant but too violent (Peter) or too gentle (Valentine) to be good child soldiers, which is uhhhh pretty eugenicist BUT THAT'S NOT THE SUBJECT OF THIS PARTICULAR TED TALK-)

The main body of the book covers Ender's time at battle school and is pretty solidly entertaining, with some genuinely interesting thought experiments on zero-g battles and psychological management and manipulation of a young fighting force (though it's, yanno, undercut by the full-page out of nowhere antisemitic raving. I'm not fucking kidding, there's slurs and everything, it's. Fucking wild.) but the really important stuff comes at the end of the book, when Ender and his trusted group of friends are put through a grueling series of simulations designed as a graduation test. Through this series of simulations, Ender, gifted and cursed with an incredible depth of empathy, begins to understand the buggers in a way that no one has before, and by understanding them, knows how to end them. To quote directly:

"In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it's impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves."

Through this understanding, he realizes that the buggers are a hive mind, and that by destroying the center of that hive mind, he can win. So he does, and the simulation ends. And then they tell him he just won the war. He has given real orders to real soldiers, and he has exterminated the buggers. He has loved his enemy, and he has destroyed them.

Compassion is the key theme of Ender's Game. It is what makes Ender and what breaks him when it is exploited. Empathy and understanding for someone deeply, incomprehensibly different from you.

So then we come to Orson Scott Card, great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, a virulent homophobe, a racist (called Obama "a black man who talks like a white man" as an explanation of his success in politics) and antisemite (looking at that FUCKING page again). He wrote this entire book that hinges on empathy, but either refuses or abjectly fails to apply that notion to his own life. It is genuinely remarkable to me that someone can craft a narrative so explicitly about the one trait they seem to lack entirely and not allow it to open some window of understanding into their own shortcomings.

But we're not quite done yet. Let's talk about Xenocide.

Xenocide is the first of 3 sequels to Ender's Game, set some hundreds/thousands (can't remember, it's a long fuckin time) of years after the events of the first book. Humanity has spread across the universe and settled other planets. The book tells the story of a small human community on a planet predominantly inhabited by the pequeninos, a race of piglike sentients with whom human contact is limited to two specific researchers. The researchers' interactions with the pequeninos are going well -- until one day the body of one of the humans is found vivisected by the pequeninos. Later in the book, it happens to the other researcher as well. All this, very understandably, threatens to spark a war.

Then the discovery is made -- the late life cycle stage of a pequenino is to transition from one of the piglike creatures into a tree, which is the form that is actually capable of reproduction. This transition, bestowed upon members of the species who have done something significant or remarkable, is done by vivisection, after which the body sprouts. The pequeninos believed they were bestowing an honor upon the researchers they killed, and were confused when they did not proceed into the next stage of life. When they learn that they in fact killed them, they mourn.

I am so genuinely fascinated by this story as a work of science fiction. I read this book pretty young, but this is all from memory, it stuck with me that vividly. When two species so utterly alien to each other begin to interact, a simple assumption of similarity can end in tragedy, even during acts of respect or good will. It's juicy! It's thought-provoking! The pequeninos are convincingly alien and the scenario makes sense. And the key thing is that they are people, they cared, they wanted to show their respect for the humans they admired. Empathy, speaking with them and understanding their view of the situation, was the only way to move forward in a constructive way, to avoid war and prevent further tragedy.

Another fascinating thing in this book: the concept of a Speaker for the Dead. Through the time-distorting effects of intergalactic travel, Ender is in his mid-30's in Xenocide, having spent the intervening centuries as a Speaker for the Dead, a position named after the role he assumed in writing his own book about the buggers as a species, laying out their story postmortem. The job of a Speaker is to tell the story of a life as the person viewed themselves -- returning once again to empathy, this time as an almost ritualized practice, as a Speaker arrives to a place where they have been requested and has to piece together the life of the deceased in order to tell the tale. (A friend of mine once promised to be my Speaker if I died first, if I'd promise the same. I think that promise still holds, though I somehow doubt both our capabilities toward the task as writ.)

Orson Scott Card loves empathy. It's one of his main themes. He keeps coming back to it, keeps emphasizing it in new and varied ways. And then he turns around and is a fucking asshole in real life. And you can't help but wonder - does he think he's succeeded? Does he think that he's managed to interact with the world in a kind and empathetic way? Does he somehow believe that he truly understands all these groups he seems to actively disdain, to campaign against, to view as alien? Does he think he loves them the way they love themselves?

After 71 spiteful little years on this planet, I somehow don't think change is in the cards for this man before he shuffles off the mortal coil. And yet I can't help thinking... he could stand to read his own books sometime. He might learn something.

#orson scott card #ender's game #xenocide #asks #there's a LOT more to say about the various other Bad Stuff in these books #the eugenics gets worse in the bean novels for one thing #and i'm sure there's all sorts of wack shit with russia that sailed straight over my head when i was 13 #but this is the main rant the ask was about #so the rest of that is for some other person on some other day #anyway thanks for coming to my ted talk have a wonderful day #anon i hope you're happy

[fateinthestars]

Must be time to do another SCM Ramble/ Review post and to go with yesterday's two White Day special story sets here is the other one! This post contains:

White Day Treats for a Crimson-Lipped Goddess

The stories in this are set after the Valentine's Day 'To the Victor Goes the Spoils' stories and as such this set features stories for: Leon, Scorpio, Huedhaut, Zyglavis, and Aigonorus.

Spoilers under cut. Oh and maybe some gushing, cos Zyglavis' and Aigo's stories in this set? 🥰 (Hue? 🤦‍♀️ )

Leon: Flowers of Love Bloom in the Sky

I can't quite believe that from his POV chapter in this that it was technically Ichthys who planted the idea in his head to actually use his powers for once...

Anyway, Leon is actually internally very contemplative and trying his hardest to understand why human holidays matter so much. His internal monologue even admits he's just learnt something from Partheno of all people. Leon is still learning and growing and once again this story shows why it's so important to have these stories from their point of view.

One thing that did stand out to me when re-reading this is that Karno's gift in this is technically the same thing as he uses in the Victor goes the Spoils - presumably untampered with this time. No-one brings that up though... I wonder whether that's just Karno deliberately reminding Leon about Valentine's to make sure things run smoothly?

As to Leon's eventual gift in this one? It's really touching and thoughtful and calls back very nicely to Leon's main story.

Scorpio: Your Colour

Oh sweet Scorpio. Your vague questions in order to be really touching always seem to end up backfiring somewhat and you don't think before snapping if something unexpected throws a spanner in the works. Though, MC? I know you forgot it was White Day the following day but when the others mentioned that, could you maybe not have... yanno... put two and two together that maybe just maybe that was why Scorpio was suddenly interested in your makeup?

Oh gosh the stuff Scorpio blurts out to the sales assistant 🥰 I know you Scorpio you are not the angry irritated God you project there's far more to you than that. Also, talking about his POV chapter he actually makes it clear here that he's decided him and cooking don't mix. So I guess in my cooking post that moves him down a little (only a very little mind, his stuff you could still eat...)

Huedhaut: Tones of your Future

Oh Hue! Hue please!!!!!!!

I am going to forbid you from putting your forehead against MC's at this rate.

I mean honestly, Hue: You see she's crying in the future but you don't know why, or what, or whether it was definitely even you who caused it (though you seem to think it was)? Yeah you letting it slip to the other Gods and their comments probably didn't help your brooding but your conclusion as to what to do was to stay away from MC for a while? HUE!

No wonder Teo scolded him later. Yes it's Teo that gets Hue out of this funk, his actions seemingly shocking both Hue and later MC when Hue tells her who snapped him out of it.

Hue's actual White Day gift is really moving and no wonder MC cried. This story probably shows more than most why Hue's divine power is not one you want. He must be so stressed all the time.

Though... Hue? As it turns out that you ended where your vision was and it actually wasn't a bad thing at all, you could have actually had your White Day date as well.

Thank you for pushing him to go see MC, Teo. Though I think the wish he'd received also made him realise what an idiot he was being.

Hue you really are a worrier aren't you? In an attempt to make sure you kept MC happy and avoided anything potentially negative you actually made things worse.

Oh Hue... *hugs him tightly*

Zyglavis: Love Cannot be Planned

A massive change in tone here and oh my word this story. This story! It's not just one of my favourite Zyglavis stories, it's one of my favourite stories featuring Ichthys that isn't in his own route.

Ichthys hasn't forgotten about the Valentine's Day Punishment and now he's come up with A PLAN. A plan that all the others are trying to tell him not to be foolhardy about and don't even try it but nope Ichthys here is on a mission!

That mission appears to MC & Zig to be a battle of who can give the best White Day present but no... this is actually Ichthys trying to humiliate Zyglavis in front of all the others.

I can't help but feel having read this story that Ichthys is a million years too early to be able to get the upper hand on Zyglavis. Of course Zyglavis is so suspicious about what is actually going on he looks further into things.

Everything Zyglavis does here is wonderful. And even he admits because of Ichthys' ridiculous present battle he thought more about what to give MC and is happier with what he chose as a result.

Everything about this is PERFECT. This... this is everything I need from an SCM story. 🥰

Aigonorus: A Sweet Trap

Oh Aigo, I really do adore him. I wish Aigo had more content because he's so sweet, loveable, cuddly, and determined once he gets a clear idea in mind.

I love how once MC has explained White Day so he understands, he immediately drags her off to get her to pick something out. Aigo is so impulsive and impatient sometimes but in a really sweet way.

I'm also gonna have to include this screenshot from his point of view story when he's first trying to make what he finally decides on giving MC as a White Day gift because 🤣 :-

If anything shows how pure and kind hearted he is though is what happens after he sees an article saying that his gift has negative connotations and thus refuses to give it to MC even though he spent many days perfecting it...

Cos what he was gonna give her was what she has given him in the past and here he never once thinks that what she gave him could have been negative in any way. And yet he still worries that his would be taken negatively.

Aigo really is one of the kindest, sweetest, most caring of all the Zodiac Gods. And I hope in the routes other than his own he finds love from somewhere and realises that that Goddess was just a jerk. Aigo deserves the world.

Ranking attempt then? Oh gosh...

Zyglavis

Aigonorus

Scorpio

Leon

Huedhaut

#scm #star crossed myth #scm ramble #star crossed myth character review/rambling #star crossed myth spoilers #scm leon #scm scorpio #scm huedhaut #scm zyglavis #scm aigonorus

[palialaina]

I honestly don't know who I need to smack with a pillow more; Uncle B for telling Reth the joke, or Reth for telling me the joke.

Reth decided I was doing good enough at cooking to try making berry pie. Huzzah! Except. Yanno. The only name I can remember for myself is Berry.

Maybe I should make them both a pie (whenever Uncle B finally admits he has blueberry seeds for me. I know he does!) and then smush it in their faces!

Ugh.

Now I'm the one being petty.

So, I had to tell Jel that Tish's request meant I wouldn't be able to see him every day. He looked very depressed about it, but said he'd try not to mope around that much. He also asked if I thought Tish was being petty, and I just kind of shrugged.

I mean, it's kind of comforting if she is. She's so... she's always happy, in a way that I guess could be natural, but also feels kind of creepy. So if this is her being petty because Jel and I are feeling out a romantic relationship, it makes her seem more... Well, human, I guess? Or at least more like a real person who feels more than just bright and sunny all the time.

Anyways, I promised Jel that I didn't mind, and honestly, I don't. I mean, I mind not getting to see him every day, obviously, but I don't mind helping Tish. Though I think she's got more faith in my ability to improvise than I do, that's for sure.

This trip out to Bahari was weird but... fruitful too. I found way more Palium than I thought I would (ironically I was hunting iron) and a few things that made me either curious or smile. Like, that little bluff there, it looks like a face!

I also want to know what this says, as well as what it's for. It looks like a shrine, like one in the Remembrance Garden, but whose?

This was in the cave with the two geysers, above where the weird shrine thing is. I don't know what it's doing there, but it was an interesting find, that's for sure.

I did end up hunting for some books for Caleri too. That was... eventful. But it also led me to something else, some sort of artifact that I think is supposed to be for Jina, but I can't figure it out. I'll hold onto it for a bit... maybe it's water damaged and useless, but maybe it'll fix itself if I keep it dry and safe.

Oh, and Lark sent me another letter!

Heya hey, Thanks for the steak dinner the other day (and for teaching me how to make it). And good news! I have an oven now! And I even didn't burn too many things, go me.

I was reading in the library the other day about ancient shape-shifting trickster spirits that like to play pranks on people. And y'know, something weird has been happening lately. I've been seeing this abandoned glider around in random places. Sometimes it's just sitting in weird spots. Sometimes it's… kind of floating. In the air, without moving. I think I might be being followed around by a tanuki?

[a few ink splotches and crossed out words] You know…. I'm not sure why I said that just now. The thought just kind of came to me in the moment. Pretty weird to know what a tanuki is when I don't even know what my name used to be, huh? Feels a little unsettling. …Does this kind of stuff happen to you too?

In lighter news, today Elouisa asked me what my favorite cryptid was, to which I replied "me!" (I'm technically not wrong, yeah?), leaving her quite baffled to my great satisfaction, and after a moment she conceded my point. Heh.

By the way, Jel's been acting… weird. In a good way, but he's like weirdly chipper. Then while we were chatting I mentioned something about you and he turned bright red (or, well, purple). What'd you do to him? (I'm kidding. It's not really my business either. …buuut I am really curious though). Okay, letter's getting long now so I'll leave it here for today.

Eyeing my glider suspiciously and hoping it's not a raccoon dog, -Ya pal Lark

There's a lot to tell them in person, honestly. But it's... it's really comforting to know that I'm not the only one who does weird memory things. Like. I know what a tankui is (I've actually seen the weird floating glider myself...), but I don't know how I know it. And I know Berry isn't actually my name, but it makes me happy when people call me that, so that's my name now, and...

I've tried asking at the phoenix shrine, and also the dragon shrine, but all they do is make me feel like I have more energy. I really don't think this religious stuff is for me, but it's harder to ignore if it's... well, if it's really real?

Mn. I don't know how to describe it...

I think I'm just going in circles now, so I'll call it here, go fall into bed, and then bug Jel first thing tomorrow!

....after I take care of my crops.

Oh! And make my kitchen/dining area!

Poor Jel! But hopefully he'll understand and be happy to see me anyways, even if I am late.

#palia #palia online #singularity 6 #berry plays palia #palia game #palia journaling #palia journey #palia mmo #Palia Roleplaying

[greenhappyseed]

BNHA Ch. 364 - Review, parallels & comparisons

Piping hot take: It’s possible that Edgeshot, Mirko, and Bakugo will live, as we’ve still got multiple characters in play (Eri, Overhaul, Twice) that have powers capable of rewinding/reviving the dead. Or, events that take 25 chapters could be unfolding over minutes in-universe, making permadeath less likely. E.g., time seemed to stop during the war arc’s vestige battle. Honestly, I really don’t think there’s much more to say on this, as I personally try not to get super worked up every single week when Best Jeanist calls a time of death.

This chapter is called “Why We Wield Power,” and it’s an interesting theme that runs throughout the 3 featured storylines. Structurally, we once again have an AFO sandwich, this time with US beef between the AFO buns (of the Gunga and UA variety). Each of the 3 parts explores a character’s “why,” reminding me of the question All Might asked Endeavor during the remedial arc: What purpose does our strength serve? All Might thought the answer was simple, and in Ch. 357 Endeavor finally confirmed it’s securing a bright future for the next generation.

Original Recipe AFO also thinks his worldview is simple — the world should be “me” and “not me,” with none of the tints or tones that Izuku discussed with Lady Nagant; certainly none of the moral grey area that heroes like Hawks exist within. I wish there was more between AFO and Hawks here because AFO managed to extract concessions of weakness from both All Might (agreeing he wasn’t a very good teacher) and Endeavor (agreeing his hands ruined Toya’s future, which in turn led to “so many stolen futures”). I’d like to see if AFO can break through Hawks’s shell when his full attention is on Hawks. The discussion about “what counts as ‘bad stuff’” is a great start because, yanno, he murdered Twice. Oh, and Hawks is completely wrong that the answer is “villains do bad stuff;” Midoriya expressly said the opposite to Aoyama. Doing wrong does NOT make you a villain for life.

But, as a stalling tactic, Hawks’s choice is fantastic. AFO has long questioned what makes a “villain” and denied that it has anything to do with a legal label. He loves to wax poetic about this. FWIW, I wrote about the definition of “villain” vs criminal in this ask here during the traitor reveal so I won’t go off on it now.

There is a bit of melancholy for AFO here too. As much as he wants to be the Demon Lord from his comics, this body will never transcend its human limits. Even with hatred in AFO’s heart, he will never truly steal OFA, because he cannot have “emotions so strong, they’re too much for one person to bear.” Moreover, AFO only had enough power for one Rewind based on Ujiko’s vial, so if he’s wounded in the future, he’s done for. (I speculated that this would happen back in 357, because Rewind is like AFO or OFA — they’re “blank,” hollow quirks that require a power source. AFO may have drained some of his other powers to use Rewind.) AFO is back to prime condition, but he’s vulnerable to take damage. His hope for immortality rests with TomurAFO. Or, at least that’s what he wants us to believe. I have doubts that AFO is heading to UA to “rescue” Tomura because…has he EVER rescued Tomura?? Do we really think the guy who took longevity quirks and used Rewind on himself wants to secure a bright future for TomurAFO?

That takes us to the United States, with the President and Agpar. Apparently this is how the Japanese imagine post-apocalyptic Washington, DC, and honestly the senseless gun violence tracks (even though the tall buildings are so not DC):

The US is a “half step” into the red zone with Star & Stripe dead, and they’re now saying the quiet part out loud: TomurAFO can’t be stopped through conventional fighting tactics. His body, with or without quirks, is a perfect monster. Therefore, instead of trying to kill him, developed nations are racing to appease him and let him rule. Why? To secure a bright future for the next generation.

“Cool motive, still enabling a Demon Lord,” says Agpar. He thinks appeasing TomurAFO means no future for anyone (and he’s the more accurate of the two). Agpar continues to challenge the President, saying Star and Stripe was following in her idol’s footsteps because she observed All Might as a child. “Adults, in turn, support the children as they pass it forward…and so on…to the next generation. Heroes have always wielded their power in the name of that cause!” The art is beautiful, but it bothers me so I’m not posting it (hey, it’s my blog).

The thing is, All Might didn’t exactly support what Star & Stripe did. He asked for international support, and she took off on her own with a small squad. She then engaged TomurAFO entirely on her own with her squad. It doesn’t even seem like All Might got a chance to speak to Star & Stripe, let alone meet her.

I’m uncomfortable that Agpar is positioning Star as All Might’s successor, passing on All Might’s heroism to the next generation when (1) THE MAN IS ALIVE AND CAN SPEAK FOR HIMSELF THANK YOU VERY MUCH TIM; (2) All Might has an actual hand-picked and trained successor in Izuku; and (3) All Might pledged his support behind Class 1-A, wherever their heroic flame leads them.

If the Americans once again fly to Japan, I just wanna see Koichi Haimawari show up. :)

#bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #mha #bnha #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #bnha 364 #mha 364 #all might #afo #all for one #toshinori yagi #tomura shigaraki #hawks #mha hawks #koichi haimawari

[infernal-amadeus]

I'm having thoughts about Temen-Ni-Gru lads might there be canon information that contradicts this ? Yes! Possibly a lot!! But i have thoughts and i don't feel like checking the wiki so fuck it At least as far as i remember there's no explanation given for how in the flip flappin floop doopin FUCK those boss enemies got in there (Cerberus, Agni and Rudra, Nevan, Beowulf yanno them) And we know Temen-ni-gru was like, a giant hellgate that Sparda sealed off, presuuuuuuumably the first/most significant ? but i cannot. remember that fully so i might be wrong there moreso than with the rest of this, idk But anyways imagine if there was actually something to the specific boss monsters that're there Beowulf is sealed in one of the uppermost parts, seemingly confined to the fucked up lava torture cage room and surrounding areas (who knows maybe that hole in the ceiling he flies through is new) Imagine he's the First of the demons Mundus sent to stop Sparda, a last-ditch attempt to stop the man who held hell's armies at bay, from closing the doors permanently The demon was summarily defeated, blinded in one eye, his hatred of the bloodline would last centuries. The next was the temptress Nevan, perhaps if strength would not call the dark knight back, temptation would, ..... Mundus underestimated how much of a smooth motherfucker Sparda was YTFVGBH and, much to his no doubt chagrin, the demoness was charmed into staying as a tower guard, in an auditorium of her own, she would remark much later to how much of a 'handsome devil' that Sparda was In rage, Mundus sent the twin terrors, Agni and Rudra, sure the swordsmen would not be beaten or swayed They were, in fact, both! Impressed by Sparda's swordsmanship and won to his side (imagine Sparda dual wielding Yamato and Rebellion. think of how much of a glorious shitshow that could be. think of how this bastard would manage to make something so comical in concept look so fucking cool SXDCFV), they agreed to guard the doors no matter the time it took, and took an interest in the human world in the meanwhile They later tried to treat their 'guests' well, uuuuntil it came time to fight, of course. And the last, but not least, was the pup Cerberus This beast was not sent by Mundus Nah Cerberus is just a runt cerberus pup Sparda carried out of hell, entrusting it to guard the gates behind him (no, seriously, picture Sparda carrying this little three-headed runt puppy under his arm for half the trip and the other half its nipping at his heels with one'a those heads, tell me that's not the cutest shit you've seen you cannot)

#AmadeusRambles #devil may cry #dmc #sparda dmc #they all talk about sparda like he's a fairy tale in the games #i want him to do some weird fucked up fun fairytale shit #make him more like an old fairytale protagonist challenge #and i mean OLD old fairytale DCFV #it is at the end of writing this i realize i think they said sparda like #fought all the guardians of the tower aka the bosses to seal it #but i don't care i like my idea better/hj GFCVGB #idk i think this is fun #no need to take it too seriously and all that SXDCF

[justfor2am]

THE NEW CAHPTER IS SO????!???$?$!$!$!-$;$+$ HOLY SHTI!!!!!!!!!!!!! i have missed this au soso much omg the entire bit at the beginning between scar n pearl :(((( plspls the way that they're both trying to get the other to accept the things that got fucked w their appearance while they cant accept their own n how their existence as androids is so similar yet so different (smt ab scar being the first of his kind w others that look like him yet nobody knows him vs pearl being the last of her kind n everyone knowing what she looks like its complete opposites but yet.... ough im losing it) AND THENNNNNN GRIANNNNNNNNNNNNN of COURSE they would send another android .man i feel bad for him but also 😭 my guy.. acting like he's human isn't going to be a great solution LMAO i feel like this will go terribly but i am SO excited to see how it goes anyways!!!!!! AND ALSO. THE LAST LINES. IM SO ...WHAT THE FUCK SHAKING YOU SO HARD my dog is staring at me she has been this whole time i both read the chapter and wrote this what the fuck frankie ANYWAYSSSSSSS its very good im totally normal about this

HELLO KING TY AS ALWAYS

i really wanna develop pearl and scar's relationship because not only do i think it's the most interesting combo between the deviants atm, it really digs into the thought of "what makes a deviant a deviant," because they both come from polar opposite living conditions.

the GT line that scar is a part of is already an exclusive model, and he was the first one in proper working order. custom made on top of that! he has all the latest tech upgrades and parts, the highest quality operating systems, but none of that prevented his deviancy.

pearl meanwhile was a run of the mill generic model, one of the first to go out to the public, and riddled with lazy errors. she's a face among a million, ancient compared to scar's model, and falling apart at the seams. (for reasons that will be revealed.)

yet here they both are, in the same predicament.

also grian simply cannot catch a break and i intend to make him suffer. :)

also also, i couldn't NOT throw impulse in there, we gotta have all of boatem chillin yanno? but i'm sure grian playing the denial route is gonna go perfectly fine, mhm, yup, zero chance for error there.

frankie has impeccable spelling then omg

sooooo glad ur normal about this chapter tho because this was pretty much just a warm up. like, the end of act one i guess :)

[the fic in question!]

#justfor2am #justfor2talks

[blood-bound]

2, 10, 26, 33 for mr mark!!

Im gonna put this under a readmore because the last question made me go Insane and it Got Long

2. Can your oc play any instruments? Have they ever wanted to learn how to play any? Why?

hell no mark has no rhythm. fucking nerd. ez. next question.

10. How open is your oc to trying new things? Are they the adventurous sort, or would they rather stay in their comfort zone? Why?

You know you'd actually be surprised, he does have a lil adventurous streak in him. citations: Street Racing in high school; earlier dates with sampson where they actually did interesting things; being willing to investigate Dangerous Places that he was specifically told to avoid

As for why? Well uhm he is a curious person ! I think it stems from that. He's very dedicated to whatever his focus is though, and so it is more like he's open to doing these things rather than seeks them out.

26. How stylistically fancy is your oc? Or would they rather go for comfort and plainness instead?

Mark recognizes he's a nerd and so dresses as such. He embraces the professor aesthetic. Honestly though his fashion sense is very intentionally crafted because of the image he wants to project, but it has been so long its hard to tell where his Intentionality ends and actual preference begins! Kinda sad. Embrace some Slay Gay Looks Mark, cmon. The most stylish thing he has is a handbook that, if you are looking for it, might be considered, perhaps, a lil fruity.

33. How does your oc’s own perception of themselves compare to how other people see them? Is your oc aware that other people see them differently (if it’s different)?

SOOOO THIS QUETSION MADE ME REALIZE MARK DEFINITELY HAS LIKE. ISSUES WITH SELF PERCEPTION.

Like he worked so hard to project this image of a put-together, unassuming but driven person, and still does work to project that image, so much so that I think he's started to perceive himself that way even if he is not. He's NOT put together he's hanging shit together by Fucking Threads and Resolve and it could all go horribly wrong very easily. He's NOT unassuming he has a LOT of shit going on and a very powerful sire who is invested in Mark. Ok he actually is driven so he has that at least.

The point is is that there is discrepancies between How Mark Is, How He Sees Himself, and How Others See Him. I feel like most other kindred who are not close to him see him as suspicious as hell, awkward, and still a lil too soft generally, as well as perhaps intelligent due to his quick learning of blood sorcery. They also do see him as surprisingly competent, someone to avoid under estimating, and a threat due to his sire. But lmao overall 'what a fucking loser, this guy won't last 4 years,' is prob the perception. His coterie mates probably see him as again, competent, a little sus but whatever, but also a decent guy overall yanno? They're literally all fledglings just trying to stay decent people and make the best of things T_T which is accurate.

To continue. Mark does hide his convictions pretty deeply so in that sense, none would think him a romantic person or someone who loves humanity. But that is true. He himself is aware of his romanticism, so that is a way his self-perception is different than others. But it's On Purpose. The only person who would be aware of the romantic parts are his ex Sampson; and only Dr. Armatto (faculty advisor in grad school and another touchstone), would be aware of the love for humanity/knowledge (and prob sampson too but he doesn't Get It you know).

As for if Mark is aware of this discrepancy, I'd say, yes he very much is aware of it. Some parts of it, as stated, are curated. In some ways he considers it a good thing - the convictions for example - and in others bad - kindred thinking lowly of you makes you a target and that is Scary and he does really want to work to change the perception of himself as insecure and struggling (even if that part is TRUE he believes it is NOT because he is in DENIAL AUGH).

#mark vtm oc

[evanthefunky]

I watched Aquaman (2018) two weeks ago and I am STILL thinking about how. *gestures as if to try and decide*... how inconsistent? it is. And I honestly don't know what to call it.

On the one hand, I do love that Arthur is reluctant and not interested in being king. He doesn't want power, hes got enough. Ultimately, he becomes king because he wants to save his world (in context its clear he means the Surface, human world) and sure ok if that means saving Atlantis, ok.

Problem is, beside the drama of "who deserves to be king"... is Orm even doing a bad job? Why does he NOW want to become king and Ocean Master? Atlantis wasn't any more on the verge of being discovered than when people first realized Arthur might be part Atlantean. Sure, someone has to be a villain, and being denied confirmation that he is the "true heir" because he didnt have uh Atlan's trident is a doozy but its been centuries since anyone has had it? So he was feeling threatened by... his older half-brother who.... *checks notes* didnt fucking want to be king.

Ok, so Orm was the villain because (for whatever reason) he Just Now Decided to culminate all his plans to force the title Ocean Master unto himself. As far as we know, (although movie 2 will hopefully touch on this) Orm had not been looking for the trident. If Arthur and Mera found it in like 2 days, how did Orm not find it in yanno at least two decades?

"Well," you say, "it was because Vulko and Mera didn't find the hologram recording thing until Just Now."

So why didn't they give it to Orm? Because he... "isn't the true heir"? Who is deciding that? If Orm doesn't even get to TRY to get the trident, because he doesnt know where it is, because he doesnt have the hologram message from Atlan... how could anyone possibly know Arthur is the "true" heir? He's 100% Atlantean, second son of the last (previous) queen of Atlantis. Sure, hes the second son, but hes the first 100% Atlantean son.

(I'm not gonna go into the absolute BULLSHIT that is Atlan's message... its so fucking stupid im so 😤 about it. Its stupid. Not to be on the side of cinemasins bc they're assholes but if they had a monolog about it and gave it more than 1 "sin" I say rightly so! If they didnt... not surprised bc that channel is lame and yet I still think of them. Sigh. I digress.)

So then we look at Vulko and Mera. What would they know about Arthur that he (or anyone else) doesn't know? Maybe that he... saved the world with the Justice League? That he can speak to aquatic animals unlike any other Atlantean (was Atlan able to? Methinks he was, so was he half-human, half-Atlantean, too? More on that... another time) can? That Vulko made a promise to Atlanna that he would protect Arthur? And Mera had NO reason to go with Arthur, no reason to betray her nation and family, no reason to forsake her betrothal beside the fact that... uh. *checks notes again* Arthur is... hot, and that we have to have a romantic coupling by the end of this movie.

And I dont know if its Amber Heard or the writing, but I have written better romances at the age of thirteen than the writers did for this movie. They brush hands once, he catches her when she stumbles from the statue thing (I think??), I guess we can count her betraying her home just for a hot dude (can't relate) as a romantic gesture... but he doesn't do anything for her.

Which is funny. Especially when you look at the times she kisses him, she initiates both times. Or maybe just the one time? I remember two, but one is dramatic (cinematic, even?) underwater and another is shorter and above water, and he seems surprised by both. Which makes me uncomfortable, especially his surprise. We obviously don't have a lot to go on to see how he acts around women, beside Wonder Woman, and I can't remember what he says to her in Justice League (beside some probably bad jokes and stuff bc its ... well. Anyway.) so like for all we know hes suave and charming etc or a complete dummy and Just Gets Lucky.

But like. The romance doesn't make any sense. Shes interested in him, hes fine (?) with it, but is that enough to betray your world's previous tranquility? We don't really get to see what Orm got up to, so we don't know what kind of king he is.

(Sidenote: its interesting to see what they considered pros and cons for Orm and Arthur, and how they didn't know Arthur helped stop uh. Whats-his-face from destroying the planet. BUT who controls the pros/cons list and maybe they didn't want anyone in the audience to know he was a world-saving ☆hero☆.)

So Vulko. The one who knew both Arthur and Orm, made a promise to Atlanna about Arthur but potentially not about Orm. Not to look at Wilem Defoe and say "man only plays betrayers and villains, I dont trust him" only to be surprised that Vulko did in fact stay true to the protagonist of the story. Vulko effectively chose who the "true" heir was out of Atlanna's sons.

Why?

No idea. Beside Arthur being the first-born.

So they should have made Arthur the second-born son. Not only would his half status be more of a "disadvantage", but it would make Arthur's reluctance more sensible and Orm's confidence more concrete, more clearly defining why they were doing what they were doing. Orm defending his birthright as first-born would have been more interesting than second-born grasping for it, where Arthur being second-born but reluctantly being pushed to claim the older brother's right as his own more controversial and dangerous. ALSO it would have made more sense for Atlanna to be condemned to the Trench because she first of all was wounded (?) on the shore near Tom's lighthouse and so I dont think she meant to be there, but is she really to be punished by falling in love with someone who rescued her and helped her heal? Is it really her fault to have a child with the person who evidently helped her learn about humanity as something not inferior but equal in a different way than expected (a potential reach but let me live). Is it so bad that she had her firstborn as a half human?

But I guess there is the crux of the problem, which ultimately is on patriarchal bullshit than on her "fault". She did choose that her first child was half-human. And why didn't she just return to Atlantis after being healed/nursed back to health? Why did she stay? Was there something that made her reluctant? Who did the condemning? Also, who the fuck is Orm's father? Where was he in the story?

Atlanna wasn't interested in returning to Atlantis, at least not until Arthur was older so that he could learn to be the prince and heir of the nation. I think she did mean to return when he was older. She called him a king of his people, agreed to name him after a strong and good (according to legend) king. (Arthur was also the name of a storm which hello hello so sexy I wanna write another paragraph on that but not Right Now.) She planned to bring Arthur to Atlantis to unite the Surface and Ocean nations. Was that so much a crime to cast her into the Trench, after, of course, bearing another son to take the throne?

Why was Arthur the true heir, according to the movie? The story's universe? Who decided this, or what? Why? Why not Orm? Because Arthur had a hero's reluctance, which is often apparently a good thing, (it is, it so fucking is, to see a hero reluctant to be a victor because of the necessary sacrifices. A selfish hero who wins is better than an arrogant hero who wins for self-gain and power.) over his brother's expectations of being king because he's 100% Atlantean?

I dont get it. Leaves me with suspicions and doubts and questions.

I dont trust Vulko or Mera. The Mera and Arthur romance is suspicious and I dont trust it, either.

Im excited for the second movie to see if any of this is clarified, or if its just going to be moved past and I'm gonna be floundering asking "hey what the fuck" as I get more information but No Answers.

#aquaman #aquaman 2018 #ive been thinking of this movie a lot #i literally have no idea about the mera/arthur thing. it doesnt make any sense. i wish we could have had them kiss in their second movir #after establishing more of a relationship??? #maybe im just spoiled by the past few big and good movies ive seen having like no romance subplot #its soooooo 2010s haha im gonna cry im not even that old #this movie came out four years ago and while i didnt see it in theaters then i am certain i will be asking these questions and more until #aquaman 2 and even then i wont get answers :D #fuck !!! #anywho #arthur curry #if you get lost in this idk what to tell you. its pretty coherent. to me. :)

[ducknotinarow]

[2k12]

“Mikey yer can’t be serious!” Casey exclaimed, clearly fed up with this entire thing, “How is this test of yer’s supposed t’ tell me anythin’.”

He had come to see Raphael, yanno, his boyfriend, but Mikey had got to him first. They insisted that Casey takes this ‘totally accurate’ relationship test, you know, to make sure he’s going to be a good boyfriend to his brother or whatever. Honestly, Casey saw no point in it, but he’d rather not deal with Mikey being a pain in the ass. Well...more of a pain in the ass, so Casey opted to placate them.

Boy did he regret that! 

“Mikey, these dumb lil’ teen magazine tests aint gonna mean anythin’, it’s not like fate or whatever,” Casey tries to speak sense, having done enough of these with Angel to know what they’re like, “This is so fuckin' dumb...”

He slumps on the couch with a huff, arms crossing over his chest. He feels Mikey’s gaze on him though, and Casey groans, face beginning to warm with a blush, Casey finally relenting as he answers the question,

“Urg, fine, ‘C’, my favourite shade of lip gloss is ‘fiery red’."

He rolls his eyes, aware that Mikey was enjoying this. He didn't understand why they had to get involved in his relationships. Doesn't help that Casey's patience is already running thin,

“Can I go see my actual boyfrien’ now, or d’ I gotta answer more of this stupid quiz?” 

| Muse interaction Mikey personally? found the concept of dating and such just interesting. Was a bit of sap for romance over all he loved stories with outlandish romance plot lines. Even if some could be annoying he did often drift into stuff that was around it alone. So much so he decided this made him an expect in all areas of love, likely helped he was far more open compared to his brother on the whole emotional side of anything in truth. Buuut the chances of him or hell any of them ever getting into a relationship? seemed well near impossible! So Mikey just had to get by with fake romances on tv shows and such well that was till some interesting things starting going on. Donnie and April actually got together! So he could start bugging Donnie all about that, course he was a bit lame at times not wanting to answer everything Mikey could think to ask. But then luck struck again when Casey after dipping out to the woods came back with a turtle only to run to Rap and dramatically ask him to go out with him! okay yeah Mikey was pretty away Raph had a thing for Casey but still! and this was a whole different relationship to get invested in. Let him learn about dating boys, Casey counted right? Cause like it's Casey and most of them were pretty sure he was the least closest to being human out of them all most days. But even if Raph and Casey were a thing and had a son, his nephew Young Savage, didn't mean Casey got a whole free pass. Not on Mikey's terms nope he had to make sure Casey and Raphael were a good match. And there was only one true fire way to go about that.

“Mikey yer can’t be serious!”

Mikey Peered over the magazine he was currently reading over, yes this was what he meant. On many trips out finding lost treasures and such Mikey grew a love for these stupid girly magazine. And clearly the tests in here knew what they were talking about. Casey was just being as uncooperative as Raph had been when he made him go through this too. Glancing down he was pretty sure a question addressed that he could just check it off for them right away,

“How is this test of yer’s supposed t’ tell me anythin’.”

"Wha? How is not gonna show you anything dude?" Mikey was quick to counter with. "Are you telling me that you doubt the great Ashley Stellas and her clearly well put together quizzes? these are well researched and thought out they can't print stuff with out any facts to stand on dude that be like illegal." None of that was remotely true but it's not like either of them were gonna know that.

"Mikey, these dumb lil’ teen magazine tests aint gonna mean anythin’, it’s not like fate or whatever,”

Mikey huffed and started to roll the magazine up into a tight tube as Casey kept going as if they knew anything, if they did they wouldn't have bomb with April now would he. Hmm than again then he and Raph wouldn't be dating? And Raph would have to watch the boy he like be with someone else! oh that thought was so tragic to think about. NO he needed to make Casey sit here and take this test he wouldn't let Raph get his heart broken!

“This is so fuckin' dumb...”

Mikey was ready to swat at Casey as he stared at them in a rare moment of seriousness from him mister party guy. Jeez it was a simply question pick your favorite shade of lip gloss, basically favorite color out of the four choices. Sun flower yellow, Berry Blue, Zesty orange, Jet black, fiery red, and last comic purple. He had no idea why they were so worked up over simple gloss colors. Luckily seemed like he didn't have come through he threat and beat them with the magazine.

“Urg, fine, ‘C’, my favourite shade of lip gloss is ‘fiery red’."

Smiling bright as he let the tube unroll and went about marking down their answer, since he jumped ahead as well he went and began to tally up the points. "jeez was it that hard to just answer don't be a baby about it." If Casey thought throwing a fit would effect Mikey jokes on him he grew up with the prince of sulking. Happily humming as he went to look over the results, clearly wearing out the last bit of patience Casey manged to keep hold of through out all of this.

“Can I go see my actual boyfrien’ now, or d’ I gotta answer more of this stupid quiz?” 

Results counted Mikey moved from his side of the couch near landing in against the human as he settled beside them so he could share the expert results.

"Shush Dr. Love is talking now" so to make sure he kept quite Mikey slapped a hand over their mouth to keep any more protest. "Now after consulting with the amazing Ashley Stellas" as if he had spoke to the women himself "It would see your result on is 'Is he worth keeping or time to dump in the bin' it seems you and Raph B T Wd's" happily reminding Casey Raph had suffered this as well and took the test which Mikey used to coax Casey with in the first place. "You are indeed a keep for mist green and mean" he paused cause that might confuse Casey "I mean Raph by the way." Lifting the magazine up "look how cute you guys are a lot of your answers were the same! and when we add those points up cause it a couple quiz to make sure your girlfriend ain't dating no chump" Mikey happily quoted from the test description "That sets you guys here fated to be so whose the idiot now uh that's right you got school by my lady Ashley son!" Mikey was happy to throw into Casey's face. Lowering his hand now clearly happy to let Casey take off to see Raph like they had planned to do when getting to the lair, Mikey was a bit surprised Raph hadn't popped out to check and see where Casey was the whole time. Smirking a bit now "Ya known I bet I could get Raph to wear that Fiery red lip gloss you picked," he was kidding there was no fucking way Raph ever would...well maybe under force? "that why you got all red uh picked it cause it Raph color didn't ya Case?" he was just poking at the bear now. near rolling off the couch trying to avoid any punches Casey may go for. As he laughed and started mimicking kissing sounds at Casey's expense "Gross Casey thinking 'bout making out with Raph wooo some has it bad for Raphie! best go to him he's waiting for you! don't wanna die from not being near your boo now do ya?" If he was being annoying Casey should see it as a good thing, it was only cause to Mikey Casey was basically his brother now too.

#muse| hamato michelangelo #madamkezzie #aflockofffeathers #[ rokin and heads a rollin’ aflockoffeathers] #muse interacction #ic reply #((yeah Mikey just gonna get worse Casey XDD))

[kmclaude]

You deserve to have a bit of an ego tbh, you make incredible work that resonates with people AND you're chill when so much Online is very not AND you give great advice AND you deserve nice things on basis of being a human. I know you struggle with self worth sometimes and that's normal but it always makes me so happy when you post about how proud of your work you are. ❤️ not that that defines your worth! As a person you are introspective and kind and laidback and that's just as important.

thanks ♥ o(*￣▽￣*)ブ

i try to not have too much of an ego but i am truly very proud of my work -- art is the only thing i find i am both good at AND have a constant interest in, so it's natural to want to like....smash it in people's faces. not in a 'rub it in' sort of way, more a...aggressive kindergartener hyperfixated kinda way. a lookit what i made!!!!! which i think is a human thing to want....

(and much like my kindergarten experience the reaction is "ew why are you so weird" which yanno you'd think that'd prepare one better for....*gestures*...anyway wow again at it with being dark and depressing, sorry!)

anyway! yeah! thank you! maybe after i'm dead i'll be famous which will suck for me because i'll be dead and can't enjoy it but it'll be great for the handful of people who bought my zines and can sell them on ebay lmao which i guess would be kinda cool. put your kids through college from your weirdo lewd zine collection. now if only my comics could put me through college

chill existentialism vibes out here ayyyyyy

#october is a difficult month for me and halloween is no longer fun for me so i am a touch more out of it and also i spent this evening #refactoring code and also no longe rsleep well havent slept well for over a year so uh yeah yeah i really wish i could art more im so sorry #i really appreciate the kind message thank you sorry i'm giving weird answers #kmclaudereplies