#m a sucker for family tropes and themes

[emimii]

not a drawing ask but since you just drew him, what are your thoughts on the ‘plato as Macavity’s son’ headcanon? :3

honestly ive never thought about it tbh

i’ve only ever really thought of jemima as macavity’s daughter but i think if i let the plato one simmer i could end up enjoying it cause i like the hc of them being half-siblings :3c

i also think it’d be an interesting way to propose ideas on why plato’s never there when macavity attacks lore-wise cause i also would NOT wanna be there when my evil dad is attacking and terrorizing my community and friends

i dunno i tend to have a lotta macavity head-canons cause he’s usually the one with the least info but the thought plato could also be his kid never occurred to me

#i do think its a fun headcanon #m a sucker for family tropes and themes #from wholesome to doomed ones #mmmmm family #cats the musical #emi’s asks

[prpfs]

✩ 🍐 ₊.🐚⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

hello!

I’m relatively new to using tumblr as a site to find roleplayers as I was an avid writer for many years on wattpad – I’ve since then taken a break for a few years due to drama and loss of interest ;-; before considering me for anything feel free to check out my AO3 account to see my writing style to see if I suit your writing style and such! 🤗

> https://archiveofourown.org/users/daiysu/profile <

I’m a literate/novella roleplayer on discord that is open to fandom/fandomless prompts and settings. If you have a certain setting that I am not familiar with, I will research it thoroughly and do my best! Also, I can adjust to your paragraph length and reply time if it is helpful! I am fairly quick with responses, but not rapid as I am quite busy with my work and other means – within a day I can deliver five lengthy responses minimum, but I’m a night owl so…we’ll see.

I have my own range of oc’s that I can adjust to your needs and the story setting! I’m looking for partners that are active ooc also, I want to make friends and new connections here; I want to create a positive and safe experience for us! This is meant to be fun! Please communicate your boundaries to me, as well 🤍

I am open to M/M, F/F, M/F, and M/X, F/X pairings: I would love to get into gritty, dark, and unsettling themes as I think it adds spice to the story, and I am also a sucker for fluff and soft themes too! I will do oc x character, and character x character, oc x oc can be discussed depending on the fandom :) Here are some fandoms that I’m interested in:

Stranger Things.

All for the game.

Dark Academia literature.

Peaky Blinders.

Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon.

Southpark.

Marvel.

DC.

The Walking Dead.

Pathologic.

The Lord of the Rings.

The Grishaverse.

The Hunger Games.

My Hero Academia.

The Magnus Archives.

Sherlock.

Red Dead Redemption.

Shameless.

And many more!

I’m really into non-fandom roleplays too, of which we could possibly flesh out together! Here are some themes I am interested in:

Bands, Detectives, Witches/Wizards, Vampires, Werewolves, Prisoners, Mystery, Hurt/Comfort, Cowboys, Ancient periods, Cyperpunk, Steampunk, Noir, Pirates, General historical period roleplays, Sexuality, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Realistic, Highschool settings, 80s/70s/90s/00s, Modern, Supernatural, Horror, Comedy, Smut, Drama, Violence, WW2, WW1, Mafia, Medieval, Anime settings, Graphic content, Angst, Religious themes, Domestic settings, Body horror, Guns/Knives/Torture/Injury/Blood, Trauma, Found family, Tropes, Dead dove, Paranormal, Slice of life, etc!

I’m an 18+ (F) roleplayer so please interact if you are above 18! Adult themes will occur, please no minors!

Please interact if interested! (ps I’m desperate 🥹) 🤍

like or dm

#stranger things rp #all for the game rp #peaky blinders rp #game of thrones rp #house of the dragon rp #south park rp #marvel rp #dc rp #the walking dead rp #pathologic rp #the lord of the rings rp #hunger games rp #hunger games roleplay #my hero academia rp #the magnus archives rp #sherlock rp #red dead redemption roleplay #shameless rp #oc roleplay #oc rp #fandom rp #fandom roleplay

[xenon-demon]

💝: fave trope w/ rec

This isn’t from the list, just offering it up to give you the chance to talk about it if you’d like—no pressure!

HHHHHHHH IM VIBRATING EXCITEDLY THIS IS SUCH A CUTE IDEA, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!

ok. so. It’s very hard to pick an ULTIMATE fave trope buuuuut a very strong contender for the title is time travel fics. More specifically, time LOOP fics. (What can I say, Doctor Who had some significant effects on my preteen brain chemistry.) I love a good time loop fic because it lets you hit a lot of my favourite things all in one: timey wimey nonsense, getting to Fix whatever canon bullshit you need to, having all these little character moments where you can explore different dynamics and do character studies - especially if people other than the looping character start to change/remember things as the loops go on??? MAN. I EAT THAT SHIT UP. Also the potential for calling back to previous events or repeating an event with a subtle twist to it each time, it’s suuuuuuch good shit. I also find stories about the importance of trying - even when it’s difficult, even when you don’t want to anymore, even when it may not actually change anything - really resonate with me. Which is major time loop vibes, yknow? I am a certified Time Loop Enjoyer™.

I know there’s a lot of good time loop fics out there in the ST fandom (especially steddie fandom), which, duh, Steve and Eddie and the events of season 4 are practically BUILT for a time loop. Because of that (and because the fic I really wanna rec for this trope is A Lot and Not For Everyone), I’m going to rec TWO time loop fics for you.

1: echo by CaptainHoney (~30k words, rated E)

Warning - READ THE GODDAMN TAGS. CHECK THE ARCHIVE WARNINGS. I AM NOT KIDDING. This fic starts out going full tilt balls-to-the-walls and it does not stop once. It’s emotionally intense (lots of angst), the events of the fic are intense, it’s a heavier take on time loops than a lot of other fics in this fandom, and you Will feel like you’ve been put through an emotional blender by the end. But there is a happy ending (I’m a sucker for happy endings, I can’t read anything more than ~5k without one), and like I mentioned above this is a story about Trying. Trying even when it’s hard, even when you don’t want to anymore, is such a powerful story theme for me and I really like the way it’s explored in echo. Plus, it’s a love story of course, and a damn fucking good one - both the love between Eddie & Steve, and the love their whole extended found family have for each other.

ALSO. I’m a feral creature for fun narrative choices and echo is told both non-linearly AND from multiple POVs (don’t let that scare you, it’s always really clear who and when we’re dealing with. You’ll see if you read the fic). It’s absolutely fucking delicious. I don’t see this fic talked about much (literally ever, actually) and I think that’s a SHAME. That being said, I do recognise this fic is Very intense and not for everyone, which is perfectly fine! Take care of yourselves, and don’t read something that you’re worried might put you in a bad spot mentally just because I’m hyping it up here. 💙

2: you are young and life is long (and there is time to kill today) by heartofwinterfell (~70k, rated M)

This is a fun one. This is technically a series, with the first fic being ~18k from Eddie’s POV as he goes through the loops, and the second is ~52k from Steve’s POV as he lives in the time loop without knowing it’s a time loop. Yeah. I really love that perspective, you don’t often see a time loop fic from the perspective of the other character, and it’s done really well here. PLUS the second chapter of Steve’s fic goes into time loop aftermath and recovery, which is one of my favourite things to explore that often doesn’t get addressed in great detail.

Thanks so much for the ask, anon, I really loved getting the chance to ramble a bit 💙

Ask me for a fic rec!

#ask game #steddie #steddie fic recs #steddie time loop au #I realise I’ve given you two fics with Eddie as the one in the time loop and I am Not Sorry <3 #also honourable mention to the lathe which to me is the trope codifier of time loop steddie #it’s just so popular that I doubt anyone who enjoys this trope wouldn’t have read it by now #but if somehow that’s you - go read it!!!!!! the lathe by palmviolet on ao3!!!! it’s fantastic!!!!!

[leefics]

bts scenarios | popular boy au

pairing | individual college student!bts members x college student!reader

genre | angst, fluff, slightly cliché themes

warning/s | mentions of drinking, partying, minor swearing 

word count | 9.58k words (someone needs to stop me PLEASE)

lee’s notes | as much as I hate to admit it, I’m a sucker for the high school cliché trope LMAO. but to switch it up a bit, i decided to put a little spin on the regular popular boy au! so for the next couple of scenarios, each bts member actually represents a different ~popular~ persona in college; from the ridiculously good looking senior to the mysteriously attractive student government president (because don’t we all??)

go to | home / m. list / faq

— k. seokjin (the tycoon’s son)

“Hi (Y/N) dear, could you do me a favor?” The librarian, Ms. Han, asks as you approach her desk.

“Of course, Ms. Han. Where do you need me?” You reply with a smile, the librarian giving you a thankful one in return.

When you became a sophomore, you decided to work part-time at the library. Not because of the salary (which—wasn’t really much anyways), but more so due to the love that you had for the place. From the smell of books to the overall ambience, the library was definitely your safe space.

Ms. Han sighs and looks behind you before nodding towards a certain direction.

“There’s a nice young man over there. I think he needs some help finding a book.” Ms. Han replies, and you nod in understanding.

You follow Ms. Han’s gaze and your eyes widen when they land on a familiar face. It was none other than Kim Seokjin—the well-known son of business tycoon Kim Seokhyung, one of the richest men in Korea. He was a pretty popular guy in your college, not only because of his family background but also because of his good looks. However, the only reason you were familiar with him was because you were both in the same biology class. 

You glance at him and look back to Ms. Han. before giving her a reassuring smile.

“No problem, Ms. Han. I’ll go to him now.” You say, putting down some books on her table.

“Thank you, dear.” Ms. Han replies, getting the pile of books from you.

You walk up to Seokjin and gently tap his shoulder.

“Uhm—hello?” You say, making Seokjin look your way.

“Oh, hi.” Seokjin replies, blinking.

He must not recognize me. You think, scratching the back of your head sheepishly before giving him a small smile.

“Ms. Han said you needed help finding a book?” You ask, and his eyes widen in realization.

“Oh.” Seokjin says, clearing his throat before taking a note out of his pocket.

“Sorry, uhm—here, this is the name and author of the book I’m looking for?” He says, handing you the piece of paper.

Upon reading its contents, you suddenly perk up. 

The Catcher in the Rye. J.D. Salinger.

“Oh! Is this for literature?” You ask, and he seems taken aback as he nods.

“Yeah, I’m taking Mr. Lee’s class. How’d you know?” He replies as you chuckle sheepishly.

“Ah, I had him last school year. Had to borrow the book here too.” You say with a smile before motioning him to follow you as you begin to lead him to the literature shelf.

“That’s cool, how was he?” Seokjin asks, making you hum.

“He was alright, gave good grades. You just have to make sure you know what he’s talking about.” You reply, Seokjin nodding.

“Oh, and a pro-tip, always take notes. I think he favors students more if he sees that they’re paying attention.” You add as you 2 walk into an aisle.

“Thanks, I could probably use that tip. I’m not exactly the best literature student.” Seokjin says with a slightly embarrassed smile, making you laugh.

“No worries, I wasn’t exactly fond of the subject either. Not until I met Ms. Han at least.” You say with a small smile, Seokjin nodding.

“Have you been volunteering here for a long time?” Seokjin asks, making you hum and think about it.

“I think I’ve been here for about a year? I started when I became a sophomore.” You reply.

“Oh, so right around the time we had bio together?” He asks, making your eyes widen as you look at him in surprise.

“I’m surprised you recall.” You say with a chuckle, making Seokjin shrug with a small smile.

“Well, I can’t really forget anything about that bio class after that frog dissection we did.” Seokjin says, his nose crinkling in disgust.

“Ah, that’s true.” You say, shaking your head with a small laugh.

After a few more steps, you stop and scan the shelf on your left. As you try to look for the book, you don’t notice Seokjin staring at you with a slight amusement in his eyes upon seeing how focused you were.

“Ah! Here it is.” You say with a triumphant smile, pulling the book out of the shelf and replacing it with a wooden block so the other books wouldn’t fall.

You turn to Seokjin and hand the book to him. He gives you a grateful smile in return and lifts his hand to get the book from you. But when he gets the book, his hand accidentally brushes against yours.

You both blush at the sudden contact and immediately separate your hands. After a few seconds, you clear your throat and look back at him.

“Let’s go back to the front? I can uh—” You say before pausing suddenly as your mind goes blank.

“—put it on my library card?” Seokjin asks with a chuckle, the amusement clear in his tone.

You quickly flush and chuckle sheepishly as you look down the the floor.

“Yeah, that.” You mumble before quickly walking out of the aisle to return to the front desk.

Seokjin chuckles at your flustered state and follows behind you, skimming through the book in his hand on the way back.

Once you’re back near the front desk, you lead Seokjin to a small table where a big box was located. You pick up the box marked Kim and skim through all the cards before pausing at the name Kim Seokjin. You pick up the card and write down the date and time before handing it to Seokjin.

“Here, just write the name of the book and sign at the bottom.” You say, Seokjin nodding and placing the card on the desk to start filling it up.

As he writes, you secretly steal glances at him, thinking he didn’t notice. But after a few moments, he turns to you and chuckles.

“You’re puzzled, aren’t you?” He says, making you tilt your head to the side.

“What do you mean?” You ask, making him shrug.

“You’re confused. Probably as to why someone with a family like mine is here in a library borrowing a book when I can easily have someone buy a copy for me.” Seokjin states bluntly, and you look at him in disbelief before chuckling.

“Well, regardless of what I’m feeling, it’s not exactly my business to ask.” You respond, Seokjin letting out a small smile at your remark.

“That’s refreshing to hear. Unfortunately, not everyone is usually as considerate as you are.” Seokjin says, making you sigh as you look at him with sympathy in your eyes.

“I’m sorry about that.” You say with a frown, Seokjin shaking his head at you.

“No, please don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.” Seokjin says, smiling at you before looking back down to continue filling up his library card. 

“How about this, then. Would you do what I’m doing right now if you were in a position like mine?” He asks, looking at you expectantly.

“Honestly? I think I probably would, for 2 specific reasons.” You reply and he nods at you to continue.

“Firstly, I would love Ms. Han too much to quit my job.” You say, making him chuckle at you in amusement.

“Okay, fair. How about the other reason?” Seokjin says, making you huff as you try to figure out how to explain it.

“I can’t really explain it but—I just love this library so much. I love the peace and quiet, the mixed scent of coffee and books, and the fact that everyone’s too busy burying their noses into their books to even spare a glance at you. And, if I were in a position like yours, I think that’s exactly what I would need.” You explain, looking at Seokjin to read his expression.

Instead of replying, he just looks at you and nods, giving you a small smile before giving the library card back to you.

“Are you a psychology major?” He asks, making you laugh and shake your head.

“I’m a science major.” You reply, Seokjin nodding with a smile.

“Well, whatever major you have, I honestly think you just took the words right out of my mouth.” Seokjin says with a sad chuckle.

You look at Seokjin and bite your lip before saying something you never thought you’d ever say to him.

“You know, Ms. Han is always looking for an extra hand. I’m sure she’d love to have you help around as well.” You say, Seokjin nodding.

“You’ll get paid too! I mean, not that you’ll...” You say before your voice trails off, Seokjin letting out an amused laugh.

He looks at you and nods, giving you a smile. But before he could say anything, he feels a tap on his shoulder and turns around, only to be met with the biggest party boy on campus, Jung Hoseok.

“Hyung, are you still riding along with me? The party’s at 6.” Hoseok says, Seokjin nodding before turning to you.

“I should get going but, thanks for this.” He says, giving you a grateful smile while holding up the book.

“No problem.” You reply, giving both him and Hoseok a polite smile as you put his library card back into the box.

“Oh, and about your offer,” He says, turning around one last time.

You raise your eyebrows at him, waiting for him to continue. But instead of giving you a definite answer, he just sends you a smile.

“I’ll think about it.” He replies, despite already being quite certain of his answer.

— m. yoongi (the mysterious senior jock)

“Number 2 goes for a three, and he shoots! The score is now 100 to 86, in favor of Hanyang University!” The commentator says, making the crowd go wild.

The boys were currently playing at a basketball game, representing Hanyang for a certain tournament. As they played, you, a member of the Hanyang journalism club, were standing on the sidelines taking photos for the school paper.

After scoring, Yoongi laughs and high-fives Jungkook and Jimin. They both pat him on the shoulder as the coach of the opposing team calls for a time-out.

“Nice one, hyung!” Jungkook exclaims, Yoongi just grinning at him as they ran back to the bench.

You snapped a few photos of them, intrigued at how different the basketball captain was on and off the court. 

In the classes that you had together, Yoongi was almost stoic. He never spoke unless he was asked a question, and he almost never smiled unless his friends made him laugh.

However, whenever he’d play basketball, it was as if he was suddenly a different person. He’d be helping their coach instruct the other players during the game, and would cheer and laugh with his teammates with the biggest smile on this face whenever they’d score a point.

You were a great witness of this, as you knew Yoongi both from your classes together and from his games, with you always needing to be there to take pictures.

After a few moments, you’re snapped out of your thoughts as the game continues. You look to the bench and see Jimin get subbed for Mark who jumps up before looking your way.

“Let’s go! (Y/N), my left side is my good side, alright?“ He jokes, making you laugh as you nod.

The game starts, and they continue to score points.

Suddenly, as you continue to look around the court with the viewfinder, you notice that the ball was nowhere to be found. Before you could find it—however, you suddenly get hit hard with the ball, right on the top of your head.

You stumble from the impact and fall backwards onto the floor, a throbbing pain now all you can feel as you wince.

“(Y/N)!” Some of the players on the bench exclaim, looking at you worriedly as some of them call for a nurse.

“Time-out!” Yoongi shouts, signing to the referee before jogging towards you, Jungkook following behind him.

“(Y/N), are you okay?“ Jungkook asks, looking at you worriedly as he and Yoongi help you sit up.

“I’m fine, j-just a bit dizzy.” You reply, now wincing and biting your lip as you try to hold back your tears from the pain.

Yoongi sees this and sighs, looking around for any sign of the nurse.

“Aish, where’s the medic?” Yoongi exclaims, looking once more around the court before shaking his head and sighing.

“This won’t do. Jungkook, tell coach to bench me for the rest of the game. I’ll bring (Y/N) to the clinic downstairs.” Yoongi says, causing Jungkook’s eyes to widen.

“Hyung, we can’t play without you.” Jungkook says, Yoongi chuckling and shaking his head.

“There’s only a few minutes left, Kook. Besides, we’re pretty far from them anyways. Just tell Coach not to sub me with Yugyeom and you guys should be fine. That kid is clearly still hungover from Jimin’s party.” Yoongi says to Jungkook while gently, wrapping his arm around your waist to help you stand up.

You flush and lean onto Yoongi as you stand up, immediately stumbling once you get on your feet.

“(Y/N), is it okay if we leave your camera with Namjoon?” Yoongi asks, and you nod before letting him remove the camera strap from your neck.

He hands it to Namjoon, who happened to be sitting front row in the audience area. You mumble a thanks to both of them before Yoongi starts walking you out of the gym.

“You don’t have to hold in your tears, you know. I’ve gotten hit by a basketball before too and it’s not exactly the best feeling.” Yoongi says after a few minutes of silence as you both walk to the clinic, making you chuckle.

“I know, I guess I was just kind of embarrassed. Despite always going to your guys’ games, I was never really the center of attention until today.” You say sheepishly, Yoongi shaking his head with a small grin.

“You’re really naïve, you know that?” He says, confusing you.

“Why do you think we always insist that someone from the team has to accompany you wherever you go when we visit other schools? Or why we’re always so willing to lend you our varsity jackets while we play?” Yoongi asks, making you furrow your eyebrows as you think.

Yoongi laughs in amusement and shakes his head again, opening the door to the clinic and helping you walk in. As he sits you down on the bed, he opens a drawer and gets out a hot pack.

“A lot of the players we compete with have a crush on you, (Y/N). At this point, it’s not even surprising anymore for someone to come up to us asking if you’re single or have a boyfriend.” Yoongi explains, making your eyes widen.

“You’re kidding.” You say in disbelief as Yoongi walks towards you with an amused grin.

“You really never suspected anything?” He asks, taking a seat next to the bed.

You frown and shake your head as he places the hot pack onto the top of your head, making you sigh in relief at the feeling.

“Well, maybe it’s better that way. Some of them weren’t really that nice anyways.” Yoongi mumbles, shrugging.

You just give him a sheepish smile and chuckle as your cheeks turn pink at his remark. Then, you hold onto the hot pack on your head so he could let go of it. As he sees you grasp it, he puts his hand down and grabs his phone.

“I mean, it’s not like I would have given them the chance anyways. I’m not exactly looking for a relationship right now.” You reply, Yoongi nodding.

“Well, now you know at least.” Yoongi says with a shrug, the two of you chuckling.

The two of you chat some more when all of a sudden, Yoongi gets a text message. He looks at his phone and a big smile suddenly forms on his face.

“Why? Did they win?” You ask, Yoongi only smiling and nodding at you.

“Jungkook’s so happy. Apparently he took over captain when I left.” Yoongi says, a proud smile on his face as he types a message on his phone and sends it. 

“Well, congrats! You should go celebrate with them!” You exclaim, making him chuckle and look at you.

“They just texted me right now, said they want you back upstairs too. Are you feeling a bit better?” Yoongi asks and you nod in response, slowly getting off the bed.

As soon as you stand up, you stumble back a bit, grabbing Yoongi’s hand instinctively as you quickly sit back onto the bed. You both freeze and look at each other, a light tint of pink on both your faces.

After a moment, you clear your throat and stand up again. As you try to pull your hand away; however, Yoongi doesn’t let go.

“You know what, I think I’ll just keep it here. In case you stumble again.” Yoongi says with a shrug, making you laugh in amusement as you get more flustered.

“Alright, then.” You mumble, Yoongi not being able to take the smile off his face as he leads you out of the clinic and back to the court.

— j. hoseok (the party boy)

“You have no idea how pumped I am right now!” Hoseok exclaims as he, Namjoon, and Seokjin walk into Jimin’s house and get hit by the sudden flashing lights and loud music.

Hoseok immediately shouts, everyone cheering once they see him walk in. Namjoon can only roll his eyes at his friend’s actions as he was already so used to the guy’s energy.

“Trust me, we can tell you’re excited. Especially since you were so adamant to leave campus that you went to the library fifteen minutes before I asked you to.” Seokjin responds, making Hoseok shrug.

“Well sorry, I didn’t exactly know there was a girl involved.” Hoseok says, Namjoon also laughing while Seokjin scoffs.

“Just go and find us drinks, please. I’d rather get drunk than talk about anything remotely serious with you.” Seokjin replies, making Hoseok laugh as he pats his friends’ shoulder.

“That’s the spirit! I’ll go get us some drinks. Go and find the others or something.” Hoseok says, Seokjin and Namjoon nodding before walking away.

“Light beer for me, please. I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon.” Namjoon says, calling after Hoseok.

“Got it, Mr. President!” Hoseok teases with a salute, making Namjoon roll his eyes before they go their separate ways.

Once Seokjin and Namjoon leave, Hoseok begins to walk through the crowd, trying to look for the drinks table. But on the way there, he ends up greets everyone he knew first, this being practically everyone at the party.

If there was one thing Jung Hoseok was known for apart from being a party boy, it was that he was also a huge social butterfly. He knew almost everyone at his college and in the same way, almost everyone knew him.

Meanwhile, you were by the drinks bar, a frown etched onto your face as you looked for your friend. It was your first college party, and possibly your last as well if you didn’t find her anytime soon.

As you continued searching for your friend, you bump into a girl who looks surprisingly as lost as you. The two of you make eye contact for a few moments before giggling at each other awkwardly.

“First party?” You ask her, and she shyly nods in response.

“Taehyung invited me. Although, I’m not exactly sure where he is at the moment.” The girl says with a small frown, you nodding in understanding.

“Looks like we’re on the same boat, then! I’m actually looking for my friend too.” You say and she chuckles.

The two of you start conversing with one another and make light out of the situation you were both in. All of a sudden, she looks behind you and her face suddenly relaxes in relief.

Before you could ask her what was wrong, you hear a familiar voice behind you.

“Hey! Sorry, I got a bit lost.” Taehyung exclaims, coming your direction to hug the friend you were speaking to.

The girl and Taehyung begin to catch up before he whisks her away with his arm on her shoulder. She smiles at you apologetically and you wave at her, reassuring her that you were fine.

“You know, I’ve never seen Taehyung so attached to a girl before.” Someone suddenly says, making you turn around in surprise. 

“Oh. Well, I don’t really know the guy so..” You reply, giving Hoseok a sheepish smile as he chuckles at your response.

“I’ve never also never seen you around before. Is this your first party?” Hoseok asks and you nod at him.

“Ah, is it that obvious? My friend actually invited me. But, I kinda lost her.” You say with a chuckle, Hoseok frowning.

“Damn. Well, that actually happens quite a lot. Unfortunately, if your friend is like anyone I know, you probably won’t be seeing her again ‘til tomorrow morning.” He says apologetically, making you sigh.

“Yeah, I kinda expected that.” You mumble, toying with the drink in your hand.

“Well, if it makes it any better, it’s a chance to make new friends.” Hoseok suggests, making you wince.

“I’m not exactly really good at the whole socializing thing.” You reply, Hoseok laughing in response.

“You seem to be doing just fine right now, though?” Hoseok says, making you crack a small smile.

Hoseok smiles at this and opens his mouth to say something else. But then, he gets cut off.

“Hoseok! Come sit with us!” Jimin shouts from afar, making you both look his way.

"Alright, I’ll just get a drink!” Hoseok shouts in response.

You frown at this, thinking that he’d leave you and join his friends. As he turns around to reply to Jimin, you turn on your phone and start looking for a nearby Uber.

“Sorry about him.” He says to you whilst giving you an apologetic smile, making you look back at him and shake your head.

“Don’t worry, it’s alright. I think I might head home soon anyways.” You say, forcing a smile.

Upon hearing this, Hoseok’s face immediately falls and he shakes his head.

“What? You seem like a really fun person though!" Hoseok says, making you laugh and shake your head.

“Like I said earlier, I’m not as good as you when it comes to initiating conversations.” You say, making Hoseok let out a disappointing frown before his face suddenly brightens again.

“Why don’t you come join my table? You can meet some of my friends!” Hoseok suggests, making your eyes widen as you shake your head.

“Oh! Well, I’d hate to interrupt—” You start before he lets out a disapproving noise in response.

“Look, if there’s anything my friends have taught me, it’s to never waste a good party. You’re not interrupting anything, (Y/N), don’t worry.” Hoseok says, making you chuckle as your ears turn pink.

“Besides, I honestly think you’d get along really well with some of my friends! It’d be a shame to see you go.” Hoseok adds, making you purse your lips into a line.

“Okay fine.” You say with a sigh after a few moments, Hoseok rejoicing at your response.

“That’s the spirit! Here, let me just pour myself a drink and then we can go and chat some more at Jimin’s table.” Hoseok says, you nodding in response.

Hoseok grabs a beer and cracks it open before taking a big sip. Then, he turns to you and offers you his arm.

“Shall we?” He asks, a big smile on his face. You giggle and nod, hesitantly linking your arm in his.

“We shall.”

— k. namjoon (the student government president)

You walk onto campus, a lost expression on your face as you attempt to look for the admin’s office. 

You were a new transfer at Hanyang, only recently moving to Seoul after staying at the province for practically your entire life. So far, everything seemed to be going smoothly, except for the fact that Hanyang was almost thrice the size of your former campus.

You sigh and look around, trying to search for someone you could approach and ask for directions from. Finally, you make eye contact with a man wearing a varsity jacket, a duffel bag on his shoulder.

You quickly jog towards him, giving him an apologetic smile.

“Hi, are you from here?” You ask, and he nods at you with a polite smile.

“Yeah, I’m a senior.” He responds, and you sigh in relief.

“Thank god. Uh—Hi I’m (Y/N). I transferred here as a junior and it’s my first day today. I can’t seem to find the admin’s office though?” You reply, and his mouth makes an “o” shape as he nods in understanding.

“Ah, understandable. The campus is pretty big. Oh, and I’m Yoongi, by the way.” He says, both of you letting out a chuckle.

Suddenly, his phone buzzes and he looks at the message with wide eyes before turning to you with apologetic eyes as he lets out a sigh.

“Listen, I’m really sorry but I have to go so I can’t really direct you there myself.” He says, making your smile fade.

“But! I have a friend who’s coming in awhile and he’ll definitely be more than willing to help you get there.” Yoongi says, surprising you.

“Oh, I’d hate to hassle you. It’s okay, I can just ask someone else.” You say, making Yoongi shake his head as he points behind you.

“No worries, he’s actually already coming here now.” Yoongi says with a sheepish smile.

You turn around and see a rather tall man walking towards you guys, a manila envelope in his hand. He waves at you guys as he approaches, giving you a polite smile.

“Joon!” Yoongi says, grinning at his friend as they greet each other.

“This is (Y/N), she’s new and needs help getting to the admin. I need to run and get to practice but would you be able to help her get there?” Yoongi asks, you only giving the man a sheepish smile.

“Only if you don’t mind.” You add, and Yoongi looks at you and laughs.

“Don’t worry, (Y/N). Namjoon’s the student gov president. He does this all the time anyways.” Yoongi says, causing your eyes to widen as you look at the guy in front of you.

Namjoon chuckles and brings his hand out to you to shake.

“Hi, I’m Kim Namjoon.” He says, and you smile and shake his hand.

“Nice to meet you. I’m (Y/N) (L/N).” You reply.

Yoongi glances at the two of you with a triumphant smile before patting his friend on the back.

“Alright, I have to run. It was nice meeting you, (Y/N)!” He exclaims, smiling at you before rushing towards the nearest elevator.

“Yoongi’s the basketball captain. So, he’s usually at practice.” Namjoon explains, you nodding in response.

“Anyways, let’s start walking?” Namjoon asks, and you smile and nod before following him.

The two of you begin to walk towards a stoned path, Namjoon occasionally greeting some people they knew as they walked past the two of you.

“So, what brings you to Hanyang?” Namjoon asks, trying to break the awkward tension between the two of you.

“The province life was getting a bit suffocating, so i decided to move out for the rest of my college years.” You reply, surprising Namjoon.

“Oh, what province are you from?” Namjoon asks, making you smile as you recall your hometown.

“I’m from Pohang, it’s very near to Daegu.” You reply, making Namjoon nod.

“That’s cool! I have a few friends that are from Daegu too. I’m sure they’d love to meet you.” Namjoon says, making you chuckle.

“I’d appreciate that. I’m not exactly the best at making friends.” You reply, making Namjoon smile.

“Don’t worry, I was like that too. But students here are usually really nice so as long as you spend time with the right circle of people, you should be fine.” Namjoon says, you nodding in response.

The two of you converse more as you walk to the admin, surprised as you both realize you had more in common than you guys initially thought.

“I can’t believe we both like the same book!” You exclaim, Namjoon laughing and nodding.

“Trust me, I’m just as surprised.” He replies, grinning at you.

Then, Namjoon suddenly stops walking. You pause as well, looking ahead of you in surprise as you see the admin office right in front of you.

“We’re here!” Namjoon exclaims, making you smile as you thank him.

“Thank you so much for accompanying me. I had a really great time getting to know you.” You say, and Namjoon gives you a smile in return.

“The feeling’s mutual. Here, uhm—please feel free to just send me a message if you need any other help. I’d be more than willing to do so.” Namjoon says, bringing out a piece of paper from his bag to write his number on.

As he hands it to you, you input it onto your phone and ring the number, smiling when you see Namjoon’s phone ring.

“Will do.” You say with a thankful smile.

As Namjoon turns around to leave, you quickly grab onto his sleeve, causing him to turn back towards you.

“Wait, uh—” You say, stuttering as you chuckle at him.

“The movie adaptation of Dune is coming out next week and I hear it’s really good. Would you wanna come with me sometime to watch it?” You ask, and Namjoon smiles at you amused.

“Are you asking me out?” He teases, and you laugh and shrug, your cheeks turning pink.

“Maybe, but I also just want to return the favor for the help you lent me today.” You say, and Namjoon smiles at you and laughs as well.

“How about next Saturday, 6PM?” Namjoon offers, and you grin.

“Sure!” You exclaim, and you both smile at one another.

— p. jimin (the campus flirt)

“Oh my god.” You mumble, huffing as you watch the bus drive away.

You just missed your only ride to campus, which meant that you would either need to catch a cab or walk to get there. It wasn’t that far of a walk, but it would just take you slightly longer than you anticipated. That, and you weren’t exactly prepared to walk a few kilometers in extremely cold weather.

You sigh and put your hands in your pants’ pockets before you begin walking. You put on some music and continue your walk, making a mental note to bring a hot pack next time in case this happens again.

About 10 minutes past, you suddenly hear a car horn honk next to you, causing you to jump and look to your left. You’re startled when you see a familiar black car, and your eyebrows furrow in confusion when the window rolls down and reveals Park Jimin, your seatmate in chemistry.

“(Y/N)? Why are you walking when it’s this cold?” Jimin shouts from inside his car, making you chuckle as you look at him.

Park Jimin was best known around college as the campus flirt. He’d always be seen waving and smiling to girls all over university and had never really been seen with the same girl for too long of a time. 

Because you two didn’t really belong to the same social circle, you never really got too close despite being seatmates with one another for an entire semester. However, this didn’t stop you both from exchanging words (and maybe some answers) here and there during your classes.

Before you continue speaking to Jimin, you walk a bit closer to his car and crouch down towards his window.

“I missed my bus.” You reply, making Jimin frown.

“Hop in! I’m on my way there anyways.” Jimin says, the door automatically opening.

You move away from the door as it opens and debate going in for a few moments before doing so anyways, thinking that you didn’t have anything to lose. As you get into the front seat, Jimin gives you a small grin before pushing a button on his car, the door automatically closing.

“Thank you so much.” You say with a sigh in relief, Jimin chuckling.

He cranks up the heater and rolls the window back up before beginning to drive again.

“No problem, (Y/N). Are you feeling really cold? I think I have a jacket in the back.” Jimin says, making you smile at him sheepishly.

“Sorry, is it okay if I borrow it?” You ask shyly.

Jimin gives you a comforting smile before reaching backwards and getting his denim jacket, quickly pulling back to place it on your lap before he puts his hand back on the wheel.

“You are a saint.” You say with a sigh, making Jimin laugh and shake his head.

You put on the denim jacket, the sleeves going slightly past your hands. As you reach into the pockets to keep your hands warm, your startled when you feel a piece of paper in one of the pockets. Confused, you bring it out and look at its contents before letting out a chuckle.

call me! XXXX-XXX-XXXX

Jimin hears your chuckle and quickly looks at what you were holding before his eyes turn back to the road. He lets out a sheepish chuckle as his ears turn slightly pink.

“Ah, I’m sorry about that. The last time I used that jacket, I was at a dinner with some mutual friends. Someone must’ve slipped it into my pocket before I left.” Jimin says, making you look at him in disbelief.

“Wow, just like that?” You tease, making Jimin groan in embarrassment.

“I promise it’s not what it seems, (Y/N).” Jimin says, causing you to let out a laugh.

“I’m serious! I don’t know, I guess it’s just kind of become a habit? But sometimes, people will just suddenly approach me thinking I was flirting with them when I was really just being friendly.” Jimin explains, letting out a huff.

“Yikes.” You say, sending him a sympathetic smile.

“It’s fine, I guess. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I kind of built this reputation because of my own actions. I guess it just gets a bit overbearing at times.” He says, you nodding in understanding.

After a few moments of silence, Jimin clears his throat before pointing his hand to the paper bag beside your feet.

“Sorry about that, by the way. I’m hosting a party later tonight and I went and bought some Clorox wipes from the store. You know, in preparation for all the cleaning I’m probably going to do tomorrow.” Jimin says, causing you to wince at the thought.

“Well, good luck with that.” You say, both of you letting out a laugh.

All of a sudden, Jimin’s phone rings through the car speaker. He looks at you apologetically before tapping his car’s screen to answer it.

“Speaking of parties.” He mumbles to you, making you stifle your laugh as Hoseok begins to speak.

“Jimin! Yoongi just called me and he said the food hasn’t been picked up yet?” Hoseok asks, making Jimin’s eyes widen.

“What? Taehyung was supposed to bring those to my place an hour ago.” Jimin says, Hoseok sighing from the other line.

“Everything’s still in the mall, Jimin. Taehyung hasn’t picked up anything.” Hoseok replies.

Jimin groans in frustration and lets out an audible sigh, ruffling his hair before looking at the car screen.

“Alright, just give me a sec to call Tae. Thanks, hyung.” Jimin says, Hoseok thanking him back before they hang up.

“Sorry about that. Would you mind if I gave Tae a call real quick?” Jimin asks you.

“Of course! I don’t mind at all, no worries.” You reply, Jimin sending you a thankful smile before tapping a few buttons on the car.

After a moment, the speaker begins to ring. Jimin taps his hand on the wheel, waiting for his friend to pick up.

“Hello?” Taehyung finally says, Jimin sighing in relief.

“Tae, where are you? Are you still going to the party?” Jimin asks, Taehyung inhaling sharply from the other line.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry I lost track of time. I was walking Yeontan and I got a bit sidetracked.” Taehyung says, making Jimin groan.

You listen into the conversation, beginning to feel kind of bad for Jimin and the amount of stress his friends seemed to be putting him in.

“So you still haven’t picked up any of the things for the party?” Jimin asks in disbelief.

“I’m really sorry, man.” Taehyung says, Jimin sighing again.

“It’s okay, I’ll take care of it. Just make sure to be there, please!” Jimin exclaims.

“Yes, of course, Jimin.” Taehyung says before hanging up.

Jimin purses his lips in frustration, looking at the time before sending an apologetic glance your way.

“Sorry, this party has just been stressing me out. The only reason I agreed to have it at my place was so that I wouldn’t need to take care of any of the preparation stuff.” Jimin says, causing you to frown.

“Would it be okay if I just dropped you off at the entrance? I’ll need to leave right away to go grocery shopping and buy some food.” Jimin says, almost shuddering at the idea of shopping.

You chuckle at this and ponder for a few seconds before suddenly getting an idea.

“Hey, how about I accompany you instead? I’m not really doing anything for the rest of the day anyways and I do need to get some things from the grocery too.” You say, surprising Jimin.

“Really, you’d be okay with joining me?” Jimin asks.

“Of course! I love grocery shopping. And besides, I think you’ll be needing the company anyways. You look like you’re about to go insane.” You reply, Jimin letting out a laugh.

“Thank you so much.” Jimin says to you before U-turning at the next slot to drive to the nearest grocery.

...

You and Jimin were currently roaming around the grocery, your cart filled with chips, beer, and solo cups. As you look for the cheapest brand of dip, you suddenly hear Jimin chuckle behind you.

“Why?” You ask, looking back at Jimin with a smile.

He looks at you amused and shrugs.

“I don’t know, I guess this is just kind of new. I’ve gone on all sorts of dates and yet I’ve never gone grocery shopping with a girl before.” Jimin says, causing you to chuckle at him.

“Is Jimin finally turning domestic?” You tease, making Jimin roll his eyes and shake his head as he grabs another case of beer from the shelf.

“Well, I have to say, it’s surprisingly not that bad.” Jimin says with another shrug, surprising you.

“Maybe all you need is to find the perfect person to do it with.” You say with a smile, Jimin smiling back at you.

Maybe he already has.

— k. taehyung (the ridiculously good-looking)

“Duck! Come over here!” You exclaim towards your puppy with a big smile on your face, causing him to run towards you.

“Good boy!” You praise, rubbing Duck’s tummy as he lays in the grass.

Since today was your day-off, you decided to spend it with your dog, Duck at the campus park. Duck was a Corgi puppy that you decided to adopt soon after enrolling in college. You found him as you were passing by a dog shelter and you just immediately fell in love.

You named him duck because one of your baby cousins whom you’d meet often would always call the Corgi a duck, and the habit eventually spilled over to you as well. 

You smiled at the fond memory, the smile widening when you see Duck perk up at the sight of dog treats.

“Ah, you want one? Give me a turn, first!” You exclaim, making a circle motion with your hand.

Duck sees this and quickly twirls around, causing you to giggle and pet him on the head. You give him the treat and he enjoys it thoroughly, happily barking as he ate it. After quickly devouring his first treat, he quickly barks as if though he was asking you for another one.

“Maybe in awhile, Duck. We’re eating lunch soon.” You say, giving Duck belly rubs and giggling.

All of a sudden, you hear a shout from a distance.

“Shit—Yeontan, come back!” Someone shouts, making you look behind you.

Your eyes widen when you see a dog suddenly rush toward you, jumping onto your lap. You laugh in amusement and carefully pat the dog’s head, watching as the dog quickly warms up to you. Then, the dog abruptly sits up, sniffing your bag.

“Ah, you’re looking for a treat, aren’t you?” You say with a chuckle, bringing the treats out of your bag.

The dog quickly barks, Duck now also on high-alert as they both eye the treat bag. You sigh and stand up, unable to say no to either one of them. So you grab one treat and break it in half, giving each one to each puppy.

Once they get their treats, they both calm down and munch on them, making you smile as you begin patting both their heads. Then, you hear a panting noise behind you.

“Yeontan...I’m...Sorry...” The guy says while trying to catch his breath.

Upon hearing this, the dog in front of you perks up and runs behind you, causing you to also turn around and see who its owner was. Your eyes quickly widen when you come face to face with Kim Taehyung.

Kim Taehyung was pretty well-known around campus for being extremely good-looking and friendly. His name would constantly be uttered by girls all over the place like a celebrity whenever he’d post a new photo on his social media. And he’d always represent the school when it came to certain events which made him well-known even to those outside the university.

You have never personally encountered him, at least not until today.

“H-Hi.” You stutter out, blinking at the man in front of you.

Once Taehyung catches his breath, he sends you a quick smile before scratching the back of his head.

“Hi, I’m so sorry about my dog.” Taehyung says, causing you shake your head in response.

“Oh no, please don’t apologize! Your dog didn’t hassle me at all.” You say politely, making Taehyung smile in relief.

“That’s nice to hear. He can get a little rowdy sometimes.” Taehyung replies, making you smile as you crouch down towards his dog and pet it.

“His name’s Yeontan, by the way.” Taehyung says, making you chuckle.

“You have a very cute name, Yeontan.” You say while rubbing Yeontan’s tummy, Taehyung staring at you guys with a smile on your face.

“Oh—and it’s Taehyung. Sorry.” Taehyung says, making you look up at him confusedly.

“I meant my name’s Taehyung.” He stammers, causing you to laugh as you stand up.

“It’s nice to meet you, Taehyung. My name’s (Y/N).” You say with a grin, bringing out your hand.

Taehyung smiles and shakes your hand, looking behind you when his eyes suddenly wide.

“Wait—our dogs!” Taehyung exclaims, making you turn around as well.

Your eyes soon widen as well when you see that Yeontan and Duck both seem to have disappeared. You both look around and spot them running at the far edge of the park. You both quickly start running after Yeontan and Duck who seemed to be rushing towards the fountain, something that was never a good sign. 

“Got them!” Taehyung exclaims, grabbing onto both the dogs right on time before they would have jumped into the water.

You catch up to him and start panting, trying to catch your breath from all the running you just did. Taehyung chuckles at you while also trying to steady his breathing, handing you Duck.

“I think..we both need..to buy leashes...” Taehyung says while catching his breath, making you laugh.

“I agree.” You reply with a smile, sighing loudly before getting some water from your bag to drink. 

Taehyung does the same thing and almost finishes all the contents of his water bottle before he puts it back in his backpack, looking at you with a grin.

“Well, I guess that was one way to break the ice.” Taehyung says, both of you laughing at his remark.

“I’m quite surprised, honestly. Duck has never run that far from me before.” You reply, making Taehyung chuckle and look at you with a guilty smile.

“Must be Yeontan then. He can be a bit of a bad influence at times.” Taehyung says as he pats his dog’s head.

You smile at this and nod, looking at the dog with amusement in your eyes.

“I can see that.” You joke, Taehyung grinning at you.

“Although, I have to say. He only warms up really easily to my friends or to really pretty girls.” Taehyung says, making you laugh.

“Well, I guess I’m the exception then?” You reply, making Taehyung’s eyebrows raise as he smiles at you.

“I wasn’t saying that.” Taehyung says, and you chuckle in disbelief, your cheeks turning pink.

Was Kim Taehyung flirting with you?

“Okay wait, before we continue, did you just call your dog Duck?” Taehyung asks, and it’s your turn to chuckle and grin at him.

“I think that’s a story for another day.” You say, Taehyung laughing and nodding.

Out of the blue, Taehyung gets a call from his cell phone, smiling at you apologetically. You shake your head and motion for him to take it. He sends you a grateful smile before turning around and answering his call.

“Hello?” Taehyung says, Jimin sighing from the other line.

“Tae, where are you? Are you still going to the party?” Jimin asks, making Taehyung inhale sharply and look at his watch.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry I lost track of time. I was walking Yeontan and I got a bit sidetracked.” Taehyung says, making Jimin groan.

“So you still haven’t picked up any of the things for the party?” Jimin asks in disbelief, making Taehyung frown.

“I’m really sorry, man.” Taehyung says, Jimin sighing again.

“It’s okay, I’ll take care of it. Just make sure to be there, please!” Jimin says, Taehyung assuring him before hanging up.

He turns back to you, disappointment evident in his eyes as he puts his phone back in his pocket.

“Sorry, that was my friend. I should probably get going soon.” Taehyung says, making you frown a bit as well in disappointment.

Taehyung sees this and thinks for a few seconds before he suddenly brightens up again.

“Hey, are you doing anything for the rest of today?” Taehyung asks, confusing you as you slowly shake your head.

“No, why do you ask?” You reply, and Taehyung quickly smiles at this.

“Do you wanna go with me to a party? My friend Jimin is hosting.” Taehyung asks, and your expression quickly drops into an unsure one.

“I don’t know Taehyung, I’m not the biggest fan of parties.” You say, and Taehyung suddenly pouts and looks at you with pleading eyes.

“Come on, (Y/N), please. We barely got to talk and I really want to get to know you more.” Taehyung says, making you huff.

"Besides, we can go and buy our dogs leashes on the way there! It’ll be like hitting two birds with one stone!” Taehyung adds.

You sigh and look at him for a few seconds before hesitantly nodding.

“Fine.” You mumble, and Taehyung perks up and laughs playfully dancing with Yeontan.

“(Y/N)’s going to the party!” Taehyung says in a sing-song voice, making you laugh and roll your eyes.

— j. jeongguk (the young bachelor)

Beep. Beep. Beep. Your alarm rings, making you groan as you slowly wake up to close it. You wince at the bright sun and immediately close the blinds, rubbing your eyes awake.

Beep. Beep. Beep. It continues ringing, causing you to sigh as you grab the clock to close it. As you look at the time; however, your eyes immediately widen. 

11:40 AM. It said. Which meant that you only had 20 minutes to run across campus and submit your painting before your teacher would mark it late.

“Shit.” You mumble, quickly standing up and tying your hair up with a clip. Then you quickly grab your phone and your canvas (which conveniently, happened to be more than half your height) before running out of your dorm room.

You quickly sprint across campus, mumbling excuse me to the people in front of you. About halfway there, you check your phone to see what time it is and your eyes widen.

11:43 AM. It said. You quickly sigh and run faster, almost bumping into some people on the way. Finally, you make it to the building and swiftly run to the elevator. 

Once again, you check your phone and you almost cry at what you see on the screen.

11:49 AM. It said, making you huff as you quickly wait for the elevator to come up to the ground floor from the basement. There was no way you could run up the stairs since your professor’s office just had to be located on the highest floor in the building.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, you finally hear the familiar ding. You quickly look up and get ready to enter, your face falling when you see that there’s only room for exactly 2 more people.

But as you take a step to go inside, you see in your peripheral behind you 2 people. You turn around and your eyes widen at the sight of a professor in a wheelchair with his TA standing behind him. He looks at you apologetically and you give him a polite smile in response as you bow.

“Ah, I apologize, sir. Please feel free to go first. I don’t think my canvas will fit inside anyways.” You say, the professor giving you a grateful smile as his TA wheels him in.

“Thank you so much. Students like you are truly such a blessing.” He says and you force out a smile and chuckle, thanking him for his compliment.

As soon as the door closes, your smile slowly fades and you huff in defeat before checking your phone one last time.

11:51. It says, and tears begin to pool at the bottom of your eyes. This is it, you think. This is how I fail my art class. 

You huff and look at the stairs, thinking that if you were already here, you might as well try your best to make it. As you take your first step; however, you almost bump into someone.

“(Y/N)?” Jungkook asks, looking at you confused as he sees the painting your holding.

Now, what were the odds that one of the top basketball players of Hanyang would happen to be right in front of you just as you needed to run up five flights of stairs as fast as you could? Little to none, you realized.

So you bite your lip and stare at him for a few moments, blinking before doing something you never thought you’d do.

“Jeon, I have a favor to ask.”

...

You wait patiently at the bottom floor, tapping your foot on the floor in anxiety as you wait for Jungkook to come back. You had a small pack of banana milk in one hand and his bag in the other. On your head was his baseball cap, something he hurriedly placed on you before sprinting up the stairs with your painting.

You huff and look at your phone, still tapping your foot on the stairs when you hear the elevator ding. You quickly rush in front of it and sigh in relief when you see Jungkook leaning on the handrail, grinning and holding his thumb up.

“You have no idea how big of a save that was just now.” You exclaim, Jungkook chuckling as he comes out of the elevator.

He grabs his bag from you and puts it on his shoulder before staring at the pack of banana milk in your hand.

“I don’t remember you having a whole pack of banana milk when I went up.” Jungkook says in amusement, making you grin as you hand it to him.

“It’s a thank you gift, for both running up that many stairs for me and also for saving my degree.” You reply, making Jungkook laugh and shake his head.

“As flattered as I am, you really didn’t have to, (Y/N). Coach has us run up these stairs at least 3 times a week for training. So, it wasn’t really that hard for me to do.” Jungkook says, making you shake your head as you hand it to him.

“I’ll still feel bad though. Can’t you just take it?” You say with a small frown, Jungkook sighing and getting the pack.

“Fine, but you have to take at least one. I’ll feel bad if I get the whole pack.” Jungkook negotiates and you nod in agreement.

He opens up the plastic and grabs one from the bag before poking a straw into it and handing it to you. He does the same thing with the other one before placing it into his bag.

“Thanks.” You mumble, taking a sip.

“Walk me to my next class? I’m pretty sure Namjoon wanted to give you something anyways. He’ll be in there.” Jungkook offers, making you nod in response.

Namjoon had been asking you to design the posters for the next student government event for awhile. He’s been meaning to send you the info and some pegs for the event but the 2 of you couldn’t find the time to meet. So, might as well take this opportunity, you thought to yourself.

As you and Jungkook walk together, you start engaging in conversation with one another, occasionally laughing at Jungkook’s witty jokes. You’re both so engrossed in your conversation that you don’t notice people were actually staring at the 2 of you, surprised that Jungkook was alone with a girl.

He had quite a reputation around your college, with most people knowing him as the young bachelor of his friend group. This was because unlike Taehyung, Jimin, and Hoseok, Jungkook wasn’t one to socialize despite his many talents. Many students knew about him because of his good looks and charm; but no one actually knew if he had gone on a date or had a girlfriend before.

Hence, most people were taken aback when they saw the 2 of you together, smiling and laughing as if you guys were really close. Most of them had never seen Jungkook alone with a girl, let alone looking as happy as he did.

“I still can’t believe art students don’t actually hire random students as nude models. That’s just not acceptable!” Jungkook exclaims, making you laugh out loud.

“It wouldn’t be that ethical to just pick a random, Jungkook. Besides, I don’t think it’s exactly allowed around here either.” (Y/N) responds, making Jungkook shake his head in disbelief and laugh.

Before they knew it, they were in front of Jungkook’s next class. Namjoon, who happened to be waiting outside, jogs towards you guys with a manila envelope.

“Took you guys long enough!” He says, making Jungkook rolls his eyes as he chuckles at his friend’s remark.

“Anyways, here you go, (Y/N). Feel free to just email me the drafts when you finish them.” Namjoon says, handing the envelope to you.

“Email? Hyung, you’re so old-fashioned.” Jungkook teases, making Namjoon scoff and hit his friend’s shoulder.

“At least I’m not late for my class. You should count yourself lucky that I told Mr. Jung to excuse you because you helped me get supplies for the event.” Namjoon says, the last part being said in a tone that was almost mocking, making Jungkook grin.

“You’re the best, hyung.” He says, making you chuckle and shake your head in amusement.

“Well, I guess I should go now.” You say, and Jungkook looks your way before giving you a grateful smile.

“Thanks for accompanying me. I had a fun time.” Jungkook says, making you smile.

“I think I should be the one thanking you.” You say with a laugh, making Jungkook smile.

You wave at him and turn around to leave, but he suddenly calls for you again.

“Wait—(Y/N)!” Jungkook exclaims, making you turn towards him expectantly.

“Yes?” You ask, making him smile at you as he grabs his water bottle and slightly wets his sleeve. He walks towards you and holds onto your left cheek before gently using his sleeve to wipe your right cheek.

“What are you doing?” You ask with a laugh, making him chuckle as he shows you his sleeve that now has a green stain.

“Wha—I had paint on my cheek the entire time and you didn’t tell me?” You say in disbelief, making Jungkook laugh.

He shrugs with a grin and puts his water bottle back in his backpack before walking backwards.

“You looked cute, okay?” Jungkook teases, making you flush as you turn around to leave, Jungkook laughing at your reaction.

“Oh, and one more thing!” Jungkook shouts, making you turn around again.

“What?” You say with a laugh, making Jungkook grin.

“Keep the hat. It looks better on you anyways.” He says, winking at you before jogging to his class.

You stare at him in disbelief, biting your lip and chuckling as your cheeks turn red at his words.

#bts #bts x reader #bts x female reader #taehyung x reader #hoseok x reader #jungkook x reader #namjoon x reader #jin x reader #yoongi x reader #jimin x reader #bts scenarios #bts imagines #bts reactions #bts college au #bts popular au #popular boy au #bts x shy reader #bts au

[writefightandflightclub]

Somebody to love (PART 2/2): (Richard Alonso Muñoz x fem!reader)

Summary: PART ONE IS HERE. Whilst your neighbour, Richard, is in love with love, you are a little more commitment averse. When he performs a small act of kindness though, your feelings start to unravel, and you wonder if you may have found somebody to love - right next-door all along.

Richard is a sweet, gentle man, and so I hoped to create a sweet, gentle story. I hope you enjoy spending some time in it!

I HAVE POSTED THIS IN TWO PARTS, ONLY BECAUSE OF LENGTH. WHILST YOU COULD PROBABLY(?) READ EITHER PART AS A STANDLONE, THEY ARE MEANT TO WORK TOGETHER.

Genre / tropes: pining, friends to lovers (sort of - neighbours to lovers), getting together, domesticity, fluff, smut, nothing bad happens, ends happily, quite a slow burn for a one-shot, I guess?

Author’s note: This is part of my friends to lovers event, prompt requested by @foxilayde​  who I adore and you should too. Prompt was: he does something utterly mundane which shows how well he knows you, and your feelings hit you. I took some liberties with the prompt, and there is zero pressure to read this - IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A BLURB! :P More of these requests in pinned post!

Tags: (will add tomorrow)

Warnings/ Ratings:

PART ONE (Mature, 18+ ONLY):  swearing; sexual themes (erotic poetry, thirsty internal monologue, sexual tension); food themes inc. mentions/ consumption; family mentions - reader has nieces but they need not be biological; brief mentions of the prison system - Richard is a Corrections Officer; exceedingly brief mention of the Holocaust in context of a non-fiction book Richard is reading (I believe this is a canon read but may be wrong); loneliness (theme, not too angsty); self-esteem issues if you squint.

PART TWO: (Explicit, 18+ ONLY): swearing; explicit sex, including - oral m + f receiving; unprotected vaginal sex; creampie; f squirting (first time doing so); well-endowed man, ahem.

Word count: 10k for part 1, 9k for part 2.

The date has been flawless. The best date you’ve had.

Richard is amazing to talk to and appealing to look at. He makes you feel safe and secure, yet also ignited and pleasantly destabilised. His laugh is music. His smile is sunshine. He is at times serious and in other moments delightfully playful. His gentle, quiet nature suckers you in to him, and once you are in the circumference of his warmth, you simply don’t want to leave.

You want to treat this special man to all the love he deserves.

You reflect, as you walk together towards your street, hand-in-hand, that it feels as though you’ve known him for years - and, of course, you have. You simply hadn’t been paying adequate attention. It is evident that Richard has, however. That he already knows you and understands you better than you could have imagined.

So, now, as you step up on to your porch, Richard stands a couple of steps below you, his cola-coloured eyes big and gentle and sparkling as he looks up at you. You loop your arms so that they rest on his shoulders, your fingers dipping into the glorious manicured curls at the nape of his neck. You had hoped that Richard might respond by winding his arms around your waist -or perhaps gripping your hips or your ass, to be quite honest- but instead, he stands there, taut with nerves, and yet his arms hung limply by his sides.

He seems so responsive; so receptive to every small touch you give him, the man humming lightly as you stroke his soft skin, and yet, he hasn’t returned the favour. You wish he would touch you, but, in resignation, you smile softly, guessing that if Richard won’t take the initiative, you will simply have to. After all, you’ve been desperate to kiss the man all evening. So, with a gentle smile and a search of his eyes, you shift one hand to cup his shapely chin, tipping his face up towards you.

“I want to kiss you, Richard. Is that okay with you?”

Keenly, he lets out a half-strangled affirmation, the weight of his plea creasing the space between his brows. “Please.”

And so, you pick up his unsure arms and you guide them around your waist, until his hands tentatively settle, polite but also firm and broad and warm around you, and you rehoop your arms around his neck, readying to move in for the kill.

Dipping your head down, you inch yourself closer and closer towards Richard’s lips, and you wonder if his heart is hammering the way yours is. You take in the beautiful sight of his eyes fanning closed and chin tilting up eagerly towards you, before your own eyes follow suit, your noses bumping awkwardly as you tilt around each other. The first sensation you feel is his moustache, the thick brush of it tickling your lips and causing you to faintly moan as you feel this small indication of his closeness. This breathy, broken sound from you causes Richard’s hands to tighten around your waist, finally, and with either a surge of bravery or a collapsing of his resolve -perhaps both- it is he who closes the remaining distance, his warm lips keenly meeting yours.

At first, it is a chaste, closed-lipped kiss that, even so, makes your legs tremble almost immediately. His soft lips are so moreish that when you break from him, leaning your forehead against Richard’s -both your chests heaving and your breaths practically one- you immediately sink back again to his lips, needing to taste him again.

You smile into the kiss as you become accustomed to the sensation of that glorious moustache, scraping lightly against your upper lip and cheek and nose, and you feel desire sink all the way through the pit of you like a stone as Richard’s tongue delves gently into your mouth. This surge of his kiss is like nothing you have felt before, and whilst Richard may seem timid, and while his ministrations may be gentle and slow, you could swear you have never felt a more assured tongue in your life.

“Do you want to come inside?” you ask urgently, your voice a broken, breathy thing, the air for your words ripped from his lips.

“Yes. Yes, I’d like to, very much,” Richard answers just as quickly, his eyes dancing with a delicious brewing heat as you take his hand and lead him into your home.

Your lips find him again as shoes and jackets are shrugged off, strewn haphazardly in the hallway, his kisses slow-moving and deliciously sweet, sending a cloying desire like warmed syrup sinking to the pit of you. Your stomach flips each time you feel his tongue against yours, as though your core intends to mirror the languid circling of his tongue, and suddenly you are already throbbing there, thinking of where these burgeoning kisses might be leading.

“You’re so beautiful,” Richard breathes, sinking on to your lips again, and your legs weakening beneath you.

You lead Richard deeper inside your home, and you vaguely consider your options, but with this hazy, hungry heat all around you, dragging him to your bedroom by the hand seems like the only viable course of action. 

“Do you... want to come to my bed with me?” you ask, voice levelled with need and stomach buzzing with the pleasant thrum of nerves.

He answers affirmatively and you waste no time, until you are both seated on the edge of your bed, continuing your slow, sensual make-out session, bodies twisted towards each other. Richard kisses you deeply, opening your mouth up to him, until he breaks from you with a wracked groan, squirming with slight discomfort and apology as he adjusts himself, to better accommodate the growing bulge between his legs.

When he spreads his denim-clad thighs, like that, they look so sturdy and appealing that you want to climb him. Want to straddle his lap and writhe your heat right over his tenting arousal.

Still, you hesitate. He’s eager, you know that much; and God, so are you. However, he still seems nervous about reaching out to you or taking the lead. His hands never stray far from zones he may consider more polite or more comfortable, despite the fact he has happily allowed your hand to inch up and up his clothed thigh and towards that tenting crotch of his, his pretty, wracked moans spurring you on.

So, as he breaks from you, momentarily, you pull back to search his eyes.

“Would you… Would you like to touch me, Richard?” you suspire, wanting to progress this further, but only if he’s comfortable. 

As you regard him, you note that you have never seen a man look quite so dishevelled with need - both literally and figuratively. Your hands have upset his perfectly fixed curls, mussed tendrils now draping over his forehead. His kiss-plumped lips are parted to accommodate his now ragged breaths, and he looks almost forlorn - pained with it, as though he might end if he isn’t kissing you again within moments. “Yes. Please.”

“Where?”

“Everywhere,” he responds, brow furrowed with weighty desire and eyes searching yours.

The tone with which he responds to you, sunken with need, has a hard swallow trailing down your throat. An immediate and impossible ache building between your legs.

“How about… here?”, you say tentatively, gingerly taking his hand, and moving it beneath the fabric of your dress until his warm fingers meet the bare flesh of your thighs. His thumb instantly sinks in to knead you as he works his hand up further, inching towards your core, exactly where you need him. 

“God, you’re so soft. You feel so good.”

“C-can I touch you?” you ask, as he inches higher, and it comes out as a plea. You need to. Need to touch him. Everywhere. You need to feel him under your hand - feel him all over you. On you. Against you. Buried in you. Fuck, you need him.

With your question though, Richard’s hungry eyes are momentarily clouded by apprehension, and so, you take a moment to rein in your snowballing desire; to properly check-in with him.

“Let’s talk for a minute. Can I do anything to make you feel more comfortable?” your voice soft and soothing, your hand smoothing over his thigh.

Richard flutters his eyelashes and looks down at his lap, withdrawing his hand from under your dress. Your skin shivers, instantly cold with the loss of him. He nods, slowly, soberly, his face set and moustache downturned. Then, when his words come, his voice is small and sad. “I asked my buddy at work for advice. Said I had a date with someone out of my league. Somebody so perfect, and that I didn’t want to mess it up.”

Your eyebrows knit together. You shake your head in disbelief. Your one single desire now, is to set his misapprehension to rest. “Fuck that. I’m not out of your league, Richard. You’re gorgeous. You’re perfect.” You cup his cheek again, planting a kiss on that now familiar spot, right on the tip of his cheekbone, a spot perfectly contoured to your lips.

His eyes flick back up to yours, shining with gratitude, but he still looks unsure.

“Perfect,” you repeat, dipping to press a kiss to his opposite cheek. “Gorgeous.” To the tip of his nose. “Sexy.” To the corner of his lips. “Handsome.” To the column of his neck. Meanwhile, smoothing your hand over his thigh and arm and chest, keeping your desire stoked but mainly aiming to offer him comfort, and to bolster his wavering confidence. 

A smile claims Richards eyes, at least, if not his lips, and he brings his hand to your face, caressing you gently in gratitude. You pull up to search his eyes and his expression says it all.

You are beautiful.

And, despite his nervousness, his timidness, when Richard next speaks, there is no hint of self-consciousness in his voice. Not an ounce, his kind eyes backlit with lust. With that now familiar, gentle, nuanced heat. “He said… Said that I should eat you out like a man starved.”

To your credit, you try to speak. You really do, your mouth opening and closing again wordlessly, but all of a sudden, you have lost language. You can barely breathe. Can barely form a coherent thought. Barely an incoherent one. Barely a -

“Would you like it? If I did that, bonita?”

You whimper. You actually whimper, as he sits there, coolly holding your face in his broad palm, caressing you with the pad of his thumb. Behaving as though he’s an innocent thing and yet making you feel like this.

“I would not be. Opposed to. That,” you muddle out, barely, your voice trembling with need. An insistent pulse between your legs, causing you to press them tightly up against one another, just for a morsel of relief. “But… you. Ohhh.” His thumb brushes over your cheek. Towards your mouth. “Y-you don’t have to. Um.” Skims your lower lip. “Ahhh. Do. Anything you. Uh. Don’t want. To.” The pad of his thumb pushes inside, just deep enough for the tip of your tongue to meet it as he grazes over you. “Uhhh.”

Richard nods in understanding, and when your tongue fleets out to taste the tip of him, his eyes darken deliciously, pupils lust-blown.

You, meanwhile, are vapour. Your breath is ragged. Your arousal is soaking through your dress. You can feel it.  Feel your own slick, a mess on your thighs.

And yet, you can tell there is more he wants to say, so you encourage him to go on. “Richard?” you plead.

“I... I want it to be perfect for you. You’re so perfect. But I...” his moustache twitches as he sucks his own lips between his teeth. His hands drop dejectedly into his lap, and he can’t meet your eyes, fixing his gaze on a spot of carpet. “I want to. So much. I‘m aching for you.”

Then what? You search his beautiful big eyes, reaching up to gently tuck a cute, hanging strand of curls away from his eyes and urging him to go on.

He reaches behind his head, to self-consciously stroke the nape of his neck. “The last woman I was with... It wasn’t... She didn’t like the moustache. And she... she said I was... too big.”

Fuck.

Your hand drops from his face into your lap, and your jaw slackens in shock as you let his words sink in. Meanwhile, his face becomes tinged again with that undertone of crimson you’re becoming rather familiar with.

Too big?

“Fuck, Richard,” you breathe -or, rather, can barely breathe- as he looks up at you from beneath his lashes, nervously, humbly awaiting your reaction. He really has no idea what he’s doing to you, does he? How perfect he is? You can feel the heavy pulse of desire throbbing between your legs once more - even more so now. A slow-crawling heat under your skin.

Can he really be so... endowed?

Can he really be so shy and so hot at the same time? (Yes, apparently, he can.)

You gulp. You take in a breath to speak and then literally say nothing. You consider, so help you, burying your face in the mattress and silently screaming. But, somehow, you hold it together.

“That’s. Wow. Well, we can definitely figure that out. Together, Richard. Can work around… That,” you reassure, your blood rushing in your ears, your hand slowly trailing back up his thigh. “Will you… will you let me take care of you?”

Looking reassured, he nods. He smiles softly. His eyes ardent as he looks at you.

You reinstate your hand on to his sturdy thigh, and you begin your slow, languorous crawl up towards his crotch, following the seam of his pants like a trailing spark along a fuse line. As you inch further, his eyes flutter shut and he groans when you reach the junction of his legs, lightly ghosting your fingers along his straining zipper.

“Can I... see?” you purr. “Are you hard for me, sweet man? Can I take you out of your pants?” 

“Yes,” he nods. “Yes. Please.”

You proceed when Richard eagerly shifts position for you, parting his thighs for you and leaning back on his hands so that you’re able to unbuckle his belt, and to slowly release his zipper.

You’re playing really well at having any shred of self-control left, for his sake, but in reality, you’re a trembling, wet mess, overtaken by a furious, barrelling need. You simply can’t take this. Shit, you wonder if you will actually, very literally, be able to take this. Take him. Still, you certainly don’t want to stop, and so, with Richard’s cooperation you tug his jeans and his boxers down on his hips, and, biting down on your lip, you release his proud length.  

“Fuck,” you say, almost inaudibly as you drink the sight of him in.

He wasn’t exaggerating. He is big. He’s long, but perhaps not the longest you’ve ever had – a fact you are honestly thankful for. He certainly is thick too – especially thick, his contoured head ruddy and gleaming for you. Launched on an urgent breath, you ask if you can touch him, and when he encourages you, you wrap your fingers around his shaft, his length warm and heavy in your hand. He fills the circumference of you in such a pleasing way, hard and velvety and thickly veined. He eagerly strains against you; engorging even further against your touch.

“What do you think?” he asks shyly, intently watching your fingers tease and skim and squeeze him. “Can you work with this?”

“You’re perfect. Fuck, Richard. This is the most beautiful cock I’ve ever seen.”

“You mean it?” he asks, modest as ever.

“Every inch of you is perfect, sweet man.” You want to prove it to him. And you know exactly how. “D-do you… Do you want to feel how wet you’ve made me? How much I want you, Richard?”

“Please,” he begs hoarsely, his voice quaking, desire knotting his brows, and, you stretch out on the bed beside his already half-reclined form, the mattress dipping beneath you. Eagerly, you return his hand to your thigh, where his girthy fingers resume their slow path towards your core. This time though, Richard doesn’t stop. Positioning himself, propped on one elbow, he turns on to his side, his other hand travelling under your dress - inching, achingly slow, all the way up your thigh. He traces a warm, steady, torturously slow pressure along your clothed slit, over your aching nub, until he reaches the top hem of your panties -silly, silky little things- and then, he pushes the elastic hem aside, dipping his two, thick middle fingers down into your folds, gliding effortlessly through your slick until he curls towards your entrance.

You shudder from his touch, submitting an open-mouthed moan to him already as he skims through your wetness, his half-bared cock twitching against his soft, rounded stomach in response to the feel of you. The sound of you.

He pulses and swirls his fingers up and down over your heat, simply gathering and playing with your arousal, and you can imagine what he is feeling beneath his fingers. You can hear your own wetness, your sweet nectar aiming to sucker him in.

It works.

“Please. Can I taste you?” he asks, in that wrecked voice again- the one which ends you.

Your eyes traverse him, hungrily. His mouth tipped open, needy breaths circling beneath that flourishing facial hair. His forearm exposed and veins popping as he works his fingers against you. His cock. Fuck. His delicious cock looks so hard and ruddy, the head of him practically crimson -fit to burst already- and the man must need some relief, and yet all he can think of is sinking his mouth to you? Not that you’re complaining, mind you.

What most gets you though – still – are his eyes. Those gentle, heat-infused, heavy-lidded, lust-laden, adoring, cola-coloured eyes.

Still, you throw your head back, as his fingertips continue to haphazardly explore your folds, your hips bucking and writhing readily, messily against his fingers. “You… ohhhh. You don’t have to do what your buddy said, you know? Only if you want.”

“I want to. I want to taste you, please. Hermosa. Please.”

Fuck, those beautiful brown eyes.

You never imagined you would end the evening with this handsome man begging to eat you out, and you don’t have it in you to resist, not even for a moment. Instead, you nod eagerly, scrambling to spread your thighs for him and hitching your dress up over your hips, opening for him with slick and eager hinges. Richard’s exposed member gleams for you, peeking out from his jeans, and each item of his clothing now looks like it is an impediment; however, he wastes no time on that. Instead, he simply begins a slow, deliberate peel of your panties down to your ankles, and, as you expel a string of affirmatives and pleas into the air, he sinks his face towards your heat.

You weren’t ready for it. You weren’t ready for the feel of his supple, eager tongue writhing against you, nor the feel of his lips engulfing you, his moustache scraping your sensitive skin ever so slightly as he munches over your clit. You weren’t wrong either - he is definitely, unequivocally not afraid to make a mess of himself. At all. In fact, you wonder if he has forgotten this is for you, as he truly does seem intent on tasting you, drinking from you as though he’s slurping on a milkshake, or relishing a cherry sucker. You think he might drink you dry. Or, you would think so, except you are getting wetter, as his assured, quietly confident tongue laps and probes and licks at everywhere it counts.

“Unnng. Dulce. Como duraznos en almíbar,” he praises into your heat.

Sweet. Like peaches in syrup.

You mewl for him. You writhe yourself desperately, embarrassingly, but this man moans eagerly into your heat as if he’s gaining as much pleasure from this as you are. That can’t possibly be true, however. It can’t be true because you are positively alight with ecstasy. You are experiencing such an abundance of it that you can scarce handle it, pleasure both balling and knotting tightly at your centre, and zipping out to every extremity. Your body bows and bucks under the weight of it and at the same time soars, weightless, to another plane.

When you think you couldn’t possibly take any more, Richard’s thumb begins a slow circle of your entrance, tracing around you. Dipping in to you. When his thumb slips in to fully puncture your heat, your juices spill over him, like you truly are a ruined peach, your fists clenching wildly in the sheets. You are his fruit. His ruined, ravaged fruit, existing and perishing only on his tongue. Coming to life and ending when he tastes you.

“Fuck, Richard!” you exclaim, as your peak threatens to overtake you so soon, and you worry that the sound was too weak for him to hear it; however, the man is apparently attentive as ever, even when he’s lost in between your thighs. He stops immediately, lifting his pretty eyes to yours, running his hands up and down along your quivering legs, trailing his fingers reverently over your mound and your patch of hair.

“You’re shaking, bonita,” he says, sounding awed.

“F-feels too good. But I want you inside me. I need you. Please. Will you – W-will you undress and lie down for me?”

It’s all you want. He is all you want. And you can’t explain why, but when you do fall apart for him, you need it to be together. Perhaps, so that when you unravel, you can bind yourself to him. You will tie those knots so tightly, you think, that they will not come undone.

In response to your request, Richard looks positively wrecked with need -and still a little nervous- but he obliges you, and your eyes keenly watch him as he slowly relinquishes his clothes. First his lower half, jeans kicked off to the floor. Then his shirt. He hesitates, when it comes to his white undervest. He looks so appealing in it that you wouldn’t mind if he kept it on; and yet, you are endlessly pleased when he peels it over his head, revealing his smooth chest and stomach and arms to you, your hungry eyes wandering over his form.

“Mmm. Gorgeous man,” you praise, rolling onto all fours with a surging, tidal wave of desire, trailing kisses and skimming your hot, wet mouth all the way down his bared torso as he kneels on the bed. He tastes faintly of sweat; salt on your tongue.

“Tell me what you want, Richard.”

“I… I need to feel your skin. Feel all of you,” he pleads hoarsely, and so, you follow his lead, tugging your dress over your head, and, with a ravenous, seductive stare, slowly releasing yourself from your bra. Richard’s jaw actually goes slack as he takes in the sight of all of you, entirely bared for him, the word “wow” gently suspiring from the pillow of his lips.

You smile as you guide him on to his back, and, tucking your body into his side, propped on one elbow, your hand smooths over his chest as you kiss him deeply. You taste yourself on him, a sweet, heady musk lingering on his moustache; and then, your hand traverses his chest and soft stomach, inching closer to where you crave. His body shivers under your hand as your fingertips stroke him at a spot where he’s evidently a little ticklish. He half-giggles, but the sound transforms quickly into a stuttered moan as your reach his arousal, a single finger circling the head of him.

Your fingers have barely so much as grazed him there and his cock is twitching, his hips bucking in search of your hand and his shapely chin tilted up towards the sky.

“Fuck. Are you sensitive there, baby?” you purr, and, as your fingers curl gently around him again, he nods vigorously – desperately- his expression almost tortured and his arms pinned by his sides.

“Yes, Ma’am. It feels so good when you touch me. Please. Please don’t stop.”

He shivers again -in a whole new way- as your thumb swirls, gingerly, spreading the glistening pearl of precum around the head of him.

You believe the man – that you make him feel good. He expels a breathy, gasping moan, or a tortured half-chuckle every time you so much as brush him. His might even be the most sensitive cock you’ve had, you think, and you watch, enraptured, as his pleasure plays out over his face, his hands fisting into the sheets at his sides as his body writhes for you. Still, you want more. You are greedy for him. Want to feel him everywhere.

“Can I take you in my mouth, Richard?”

“Do you want to?” he asks, and you nod, slinking cat-like down the bed, until you are in position, your mouth settling over his cock.

“You look delicious,” you purr, and when he pleads with you, you dip your head, your tongue laving out to encircle him in a wet, writhing embrace. He’s moreish here too, and so, you sink your lips down around his straining mass. He’s big, and he stretches your capabilities. You can’t even take all of him right away, but you give it your best effort as he moans beneath you.

“Unngg. No-one has ever fit so much,” he praises in disbelief as you take him deeper, humming around him, your head bobbing languorously over his shaft. Richard bucks his hips up ever so gently into your mouth - very careful not to drive into you further than you can take him. His hands come to rest tenderly on your head too, and his fingers smooth so delicately over your hair - reverently even. He doesn’t make any move to grab you to push you down on him- even if you might like that, or he might like that, at a later stage. Right now, you are more than content with this rare, unparalleled gentleness. This delicate, tender joy.

With relish, you continue. He makes such pretty sounds when you have him under your tongue, and yet, for how sensitive he is you are certainly impressed with his stamina. After a particularly deep bob down on to him, you surge off his length, using your hand to rub your slick into him as you look up at him, finding you have him transfixed.

“Need you inside of me, Richard. Can I get on top of you?”

This ache between your legs is becoming untenable.

“Unngg. Want to be inside of you so badly, bonita. Are you ready for me?”

Indicating your readiness, you shift yourself to straddle his hips, your core practically dripping over him as you settle your arousal over his. You writhe him along your folds, coating him in your juices, before rising up on your knees. You have to rise a little higher than you’re used to, to reach the tip of him, and eagerly you settle the blunt pressure of his ruddy, gleaming head at your entrance. You can barely steady yourself in position as your thighs and core tremble for him, in mere anticipation of him filling you. You are grateful when Richard’s hands come to lightly grip the meat of your hips -steadying you, supporting you a little- thumbs caressing your soft spots.

You tug in a breath as you prepare to spear yourself on him, the air faltering in your lungs as you pause where you are, just for a moment, Richard looking up adoringly from under you.

“Soñé contigo por tanto tiempo,” Richard whispers, barely audible. I have dreamed of you for so long. You’re not sure whether it is his sincere, heartfelt words igniting this pleasure within you or the slow inch and drag of your wet heat down his thick, veined shaft. Likely both, but either way, you know you want more.

“Uhhh. Slow. Slow, bonita,” he groans, as you begin to sink all the way down on him, his steady hands guiding you, now cupping your ass, staccato breaths escaping his parted lips as you engulf him. You take him, slowly, gradually, feeling him inch by inch as his girth and his length stretch you open. As you take him to his base, all the way, the full weight of you settling on his hips, Richard’s eyes practically roll back into his head. “God, it feels so good inside you. Can you take me like this?”

Your teeth clamp down on your bottom lip and you nod, stilling as you adjust to his size. He’s a lot, but it’s a pleasant kind of pressure as he strains against your walls and all your sweet spots. “Can you… take a little bit more, hermosa?” Fuck, how does he have even more to give?

“Say stop if it’s too much,” Richard pleads. “Promise?” When you nod, Richard slowly plants his hands on your hips and pulls you down on to him, just a little, as he bucks his hips up, ever so gently. You cry out, your face contorting in disbelief and your head arcing to the sky as Richard fills you to your limit. Meanwhile, Richard is studying your face with gentle concern, feeling it out, checking you are comfortable, letting you slowly reconfigure your insides to the shape of his girth and length. He’d never hurt you. He’d simply never.

And, even though he has filled you all the way up, it feels so good.

Richard stills under you, until you are ready. His fingers trail tenderly over your thighs and belly and breasts. Over the mound of you. Your legs are shaking, folded and clamped down around his hips, and you’re not sure that your weakened limbs have the strength to allow you to rise on his length. But damn it, you will give it a valiant try.

“I need to move,” you beg, even though you are in the position of control, and Richard looks up at you with big pretty eyes, and God, he’s buried in you that you can feel him all the way in your guts. You gasp, whimper, as, gingerly, you rise up, feeling the fullness and drag of him against your walls as you start working and undulating against him, feeling out all the angles which feel best and…

Fuck there are no bad angles.

As you melt, become molten, Richard is your stiffness and he gives form to your boneless, bodiless flesh. You are full, all the way up. You are so full and it could feel urgent and dirty, having his cock deep in you like this, but it… doesn’t. It feels… Fuck. It just feels…. right. You can only describe it as a caress, as he comes to be held safely and tightly inside you, and you begin to move slowly, wanting -somehow- to imbue each drag of him over your walls with the care and affection you feel for him. The adoration you feel so deeply; as deeply as he’s buried in you. Deeper.

“Richard,” you plead, and you hinge forward at the hips, until your chest sinks down to his, your lips on to his lips, and as you undulate on his body you cling to him. Bury your face and your tongue and your hopes and your dreams in him, as though, if you plant them deep enough you can take root and call him home. As if you are a fruit and you need his ground to grow.

In turn, he holds you, arms wrapped around you, fingers caressing your back, moustache scraping against your cheek, your lips, your neck as speaks honey into your skin, nourishing you with sweet, wholesome praises. And, when he’s content that you can take him, when you’ve shown him how you can, Richard starts moving too, working in tandem with you as your bodies roll and heave together.

You show him not only that you can, but how much you enjoy taking him. There are sounds of pulverised fruit, leaking over him, his cock pushing your juices out of you, as though there is no room inside you for anything else but him. And, as your tightness surrounds him, his arms surrounding you in turn, he bestows you with simple yet jewelled praises, calling you all the beautiful names under the sun in both of his tongues.

It’s sweet, and it’s slow, and you both embody tenderness, all caressing fingers and lips and sugary, grateful noises. Clutching hands and arms, drawing the other closer, deeper into this tangle. As he stokes you, you can barely stand these sensations. You can barely comprehend something so pure and so perfect.

He glides into you now, your slick everywhere, your sex increasingly loud and obscene as his beautiful cock is suckered into your wet, liquid heat. As you quicken your pace, Richard’s mouth settles over your shoulder, teeth lightly gripping your flesh as he stifles a moan into your skin. Then, his breaths are billowing gusts fanning over you, and you can guess that he is trying to bring his approaching release under control.

By this stage, you are overwhelmed, your legs spent and tremoring, and you can barely rise and sink on his length anymore for shaking. You have become weak for him, practically liquid from this slow, torturous build. You need Richard to be your stiffness and your joints. You need to be a fluid thing beneath him, or else, you think, you will perish.

“Lie down for me, bonita?” Richard whispers sweetly, so attuned to you, and, seeing, as you flounder with need, your full weight almost limp on top of him, that a change of position is in order.

He draws out of you with a shudder and rolls you, carefully, his own body following and chasing yours. Richard’s weight settles pleasantly on top of you this time, and, as you fumble into position you spread your legs for him, wrapping your thighs and arms tightly around him. You hold him close to you, your hands cradling his head, fumbling through his grizzled curls, now mussed wild tendrils falling around his face. Then, ever so gently, dipping to kiss you sweetly with that assured tongue, Richard re-sheaths himself, sliding easily inside you now with a divine caress of skin. He feels overwhelmingly good. He feels like heaven reaching inside you to kiss your soul and you pray out loud, your moans greeting his kiss.

The angle and the pressure like this is something else, the press of Richard’s soft stomach and hips and the driving of his cock pushing you pleasantly down into the mattress, your body given a little bounce from the springs which helps you set a perfect rhythm together. You are moments away from unravelling, already, as Richard pistons in and out of you, over and over, a glorious pressure building as you are wrapped up safely in the warmth and scent and sound of your sweet, perfect man. You are lost in the feel of him, both of you clammy and breathy and sheening with sweat as you writhe and combine; and fuck, you want to unravel. You need to.

You want to unravel so you can bind yourself to him with more than this ephemeral tangle of limbs. You want to get lost in him, in a way that makes you feel found.

“I’m going to lose it for you, Richard. It feels too good. I... can’t take it. I… It’s too much. I’m… Harder. Deeper. Please.”

Richard is spurred on by your praises, his pace becoming quickened, his thrusts slightly harder. He sinks into you with vigour, though not with any need to dominate or take from you, you think. Simply as an expression of the overwhelming need to be closer. Deeper. More held by you. To hold you in return. It’s not close enough, even as you hold him tightly in your arms. You are so greedy for him that you don’t think you could ever get enough, even as it’s all too much.

You moan. You moan like a sob. Like a plea. Like a prayer. And he shushes you. Soothes you. He shushes you while he’s buried so deep in you -burying himself so deep in you- that you are fucked wide open. There’s something so pure and yet so wicked about the contradiction of his gentleness and this huge, undeniable force in your centre. You feel that he has crawled so deep up in you that he can never leave; and you want it that way.

“Can you take a little more, hermosa?

Fuck. No. Can you? But, yes. Please, yes. God yes.

“Yes. Please, Richard. Give me everything. I want all of you inside me. Need you.”

He thrusts his hips forward. He’s been holding out on you.

“Ohhhh, just like that,” you plead, voice ragged and your moans escalating, both your bodies slick with sweat now as you tangle together. “Right there. Don’t stop. Don’t stop, Richard! I need. Unnggg. Fuck. Need you deep inside me, just like that. Please don’t stop. Don’t stop!” You plead desperately with him -as if you even need to bargain- your teeth clamping down on your bottom lip and your hands reaching for him, tugging him closer to you as he drives his length into you over and over, pressing you harder into the mattress as you sucker him into your tightness.

His lips sink to the column of your neck, that moustache grazing you there, his own rich sounds of pleasure reverberating against your skin, his voice humming so close it sinks into your bones.

“N-never want to stop,” he gushes hoarsely into your skin. “Always want to be inside you- feel you wrapped around me, preciosa.”

His words are sincere. Earnest. And, with his words, and the repeated drag of his perfect cock, and his warmth enveloping you, you finally cry out, omitting a wracked, disbelieving moan as your pleasure pulses through you; toes curling, head thrown back, body jerking and spasming beneath him. This is an orgasm which keeps on giving, deep and strong; waves of bliss rolling through you whole body. A star bursting out from your centre. A flood. Quite literally a flood, intense and urgent and everywhere, and you look down at yourself. This is something else. Something more. A bigger heaven. You hear a new sound even, and you look down, realising that Richard’s cock has you squirting all over him, your release gushing and sloshing wet between your bodies as he continues to thrust into you, coaxing you through your peak and deepening your earth-shaking orgasm with every single movement.

“Ohhhh fuck... Richard-” you cry out, in what can only be described as awe, almost sobbing with ecstasy, your legs violently twitching and trembling as they wrap more tightly around him “-no-one’s ever made me do that before!”

Despite his gentleness, his control, this flood seems to overcome Richard too, and his thrusts become sloppy, as though he can barely stave off his release long enough to keep going, his body going near limp over you for a moment. You even swear he gets harder and bigger and deeper -if that was even possible- when he realises exactly what he made you do. When he realises that you soaked him. Flooded him. Your liquid and your juices shining on his stomach and coursing down his sturdy thighs.

You worry for a moment- you wonder whether he minds or if he likes it, as your release coats his skin and the tangle of sheets, but you needn’t worry for anything more than a moment. In response to your deluge, Richard looks at you as though you are a divine being, and, if you thought he seemed dishevelled with need earlier, this is something else. He’s undeniably into it. Indeed, as he takes in the sight of you below him, bared and writhing in ecstasy amidst a tangle of wet sheets, he stutters moans into the air, his thrusts become more determined, his cock pumping into you with refreshed vigour.

“N- never done that b-before?”

“No, Richard. Fuck. You made me-”

“-I’m going to make you do it again,” he purrs, and it is not a command at all. He never loses his characteristic gentleness. It is half a plea and half a promise, his sincere as ever. “Do it for me again, Bonita,” he coaxes, and he sounds thoroughly levelled by you. He sounds like he can’t get enough of you.

Fuck. You don’t know if you can...

“You can do it, baby. Please. Soak me again.”

You don’t think you can, until Richard is talking to you like that, with profuse, sugared pleas, and until he is hitting you exactly where you need, how you need, all over again.

You practically scream with it, weep with it, curse with it, sending a hoarse, high-pitched crescendo into the air, the keen punctuated by quickened, spent grunts Richard expels into the air with each deep, thick, purposeful thrust into you. You don’t think you’ve ever felt a more assured cock.

You don’t think you can, until-

When you gush over him a second time you are more prepared for it. Prepared enough to watch as you spill over him. Prepared enough to catch the positively awed, sunken expression which spreads over Richard’s face. To appreciate the sound of your release squirting over him and sloshing, wet in-between your bodies, liquid slapping against the roundness of his soft stomach as he thrusts into you faster; more urgently. This time -how can he help it- Richard comes undone with you; and, suddenly it seems everything is liquid, like a flood.

You can feel him fill you up, can feel his hot seed pulsing all the way from the base of him and coating your walls with thick ropes of cum as his hips stutter, burying his length into your heat as deep as he can go. He goes practically limp on top of you, hips collapsing into yours, and you feel him filling you -once again- to your limit, as the motion drives him just a little deeper, just a little closer. Meanwhile, you twitch and shudder and writhe and clench through your aftershocks with Richard still balls deep inside of you, barely able to comprehend the new heights of pleasure you have reached together. Awed, by the way your bodies are speaking like they’ve known each other for years too - despite that this is their first encounter.

There’s this wetness. This wetness everywhere; inside you, on you, under you, and for several moments you feel you too could be liquid, melting and pooling and coursing from the bed. Becoming vapour and evaporating from his hot, sweat-slickened skin. You might, if it wasn’t for Richard - his weight settled on top of you in a pleasing crush. His head settling in the crook of your neck, his length still inside you, his tongue laving to bury itself in your mouth too in a desperate, haphazard motion. He means to bury himself in all ways he can, you think, and you let him. You let him become your stone heart, as you are nothing but boneless, bodiless flesh; an oiled thing beneath him like pulverised, spent fruit - all your juices squeezed out.

You coil your limbs fluidly around him, and you engulf his sturdy form with your softness, holding him at the centre of you. Still buried -softening too- in your centre. Held in this intimate circle of your arms. Becoming the centre of your universe.

You bind yourself to him. You become his. His fruit.

Still panting, spent, hot, Richard rolls off you then, his stiffness gone and his body boneless now too, his stomach and his thighs sheening with a concoction of wetness. His smooth, hairless chest slick with sweat. He collapses beside you, but he immediately reaches for your hand and presses his body to your side. Immediately checks that you’re alright, as you truly become corporeal again, flitting down from heaven and into his arms; a conduit of heaven too, you think.

Now, what the… hold up a damn second. What did this sweet man just-

You gush. You gush for him in words now that the old relic of language and (almost) coherent thought has returned to you, your voice still breathy and discombobulated. “Richard. Richard? Richard! Fuck me. That was... I need you to know that was... Fuck. Phenomenal. I’ve never. In my life. I’ve never done that before. I’ve never... Oh my God. I can’t feel my face. Was that... good for you? Was it...? Fuck. Sweet man.”

Richard chuckles fondly at your near-incoherent babble of words, drawing you into his chest and cradling you like you are a precious thing – the most precious thing.

“It was perfect,” he whispers, satin soft, through a disbelieving breath, and his words make your heart flutter and your stomach tumble pleasantly. Richard’s soft sounds continue, as he whispers sweet names and gentle praises into your hair, kissing everywhere he can reach to punctuate his words, and smoothing his fingers in nonsense shapes over your skin. Hermosa. Bonita. Preciosa. “Everything was perfect. You’re so perfect. I’ve never... I’ve never had someone take care of me so well, princesa. Thank you.”

You can hear it - the flood of emotion in his voice, and, at his admission, his praises, the rush, tears pool in your eyes. It seems he has yet more water to drain from you as a patter of tears course over the bridge of your nose and settle in the hollow of his chest. However, it is not sadness, but joy, you realise. You are thoroughly overwhelmed by how held you feel. By how happy you feel. However, when your eyes brim over and you sniffle, Richard cranes his head down towards you, pulling you up from him so your eyes can meet his.

He looks momentarily devastated. “What’s wrong? Please tell me I didn’t hurt you.”

“No, sweet man. Not at all. It was perfect for me too,” you are quick to reassure, and, as you shuffle on to your stomach, propping yourself up to gaze into his eyes, Richard runs a solitary thumb across your cheek. You ache with the tenderness of his touch. “Just... I’ve never had anyone take care of me like that either,” you admit, and his eyes shine gently at you, misting over with pure, unadulterated adoration. “I’ve never felt so-”

Loved.

Loved, you realise you want to say, but that would be ridiculous, right? This is your first date.

Who said anything about love?

Still, you realise that is the truth of things. That is exactly how he made you feel. Richard was so tender with you, so present, so sensual, so connected. So… right. Had you made him feel this way too? Will he let you take care of him again?

You want to. You so desperately want to. Want to protect him, care for him, laugh with him. Rest your head on the soft pillow of his stomach as he holds you close to him.

He has taken care of you so well, and you don’t want him to stop.

Please. Don’t stop.

Still, as you silently contemplate all of this, Richard simply bundles you firmly into his chest. if you are unable to find the right words, at least he is able to find the gesture. And so, the need to clean up forgotten, the cloying wetness of your skin and the sheets seemingly not bothering him, you languish against him, safe and warm and held.

“Did it feel good?” he asks, after a few moments of comfortable silence. “When you… um…?”

“Squirted all over your cock? Hell yes.” You interject, able to find the words for that at least, filling in the blank for him and laughing gently against his skin. You weren’t able to turn the act into poetry, not yet, your words clumsy and crude, but you didn’t exactly need to. The whole act felt like poetry already. Poetry written on your bones. Etched into your heart.

When he flooded you.

“Maybe you can write about it,” he suggests, and you can hear the cheeky, playful smile dancing on his lips.

“Richard Alonso Muñoz,” you scold, teasingly, your fingers dancing equally playfully over his smooth chest. “Is that what you want me for? You want to be immortalised in poetry? I don’t think you’re as innocent as you let on, are you?”

“I’m not?” he chuckles warmly.

“You read erotic poetry and trashy romance novels… and you fuck like that.”

Make love, like that.

You still cannot move beyond crude words, but in your heart, he makes the words come easily.

“Truthfully, it’s... not always like that,” Richard admits. “It’s… only like that with you.”

Once again, his sincerity has you speechless, and it is all you can do to hold him close to you, as tightly as you can, your eyes squeezing closed and a soft smile tipping your lips. He holds you in return. Holds you in this perfect moment.

“It really did feel good though. It was… I can’t even describe it. My body feels likes a… fucking… limp, wet noodle.”

The laugh he emits at your words is music. “Wet noodle? Aren’t you supposed to be a poet, darling?” Oh, he’s teasing you now? This sweet man is teasing you?

You gasp, mock affronted, and jab him playfully in the stomach with your finger, in the spots you remember he is ticklish. “Rude!” you exclaim, and he jiggles joyously against you. When the laugh dissipates, leaving only smiling, appled cheeks, silence once again enfolds you like a warm, comfortable blanket.

“I was thinking,” he begins softly, after a few moments of laying together. “We could go to the farmer’s market tomorrow. The one with the cider donuts. We could take Lady.”

You can’t answer right away, can’t find the words, and it is all you can do to tug in a slow breath. Your hesitation evidently has Richard worrying again, and he rushes to fill in the blank space with his own insecurities. “I’m sorry,” he says, voice brittle. “I assumed... because I want to, but... but maybe you’re not thinking that you want to see me again...”

You pull back. Urgently moving so that you are face-to-face with him on the pillow, his body following yours on to his side too, like a magnet. You cup his face again, with your tender, open hand. You look him in the eyes. Those sweet, expressive, cola-coloured eyes. Your heart is shining for him, and it feels rubbed until it gleams.

You examine his tentatively hopeful expression. You get the sense that this man falls hard. Falls quickly. He’s in love with love, after all. You, on the other hand, love slow. And so, even as it breaks your heart that you can’t yet say the words aloud, you deflect. “You want to know what I’m thinking, Richard?” He nods. “I’m still thinking about how you turned me into a wet noodle. You should be the smuggest Adonis this side of Midtown - how on earth are you playing that one so cool?”

Richard’s face pinches a little, his gaze dropping from yours, lashes fluttering.

“It was perfect,” he agrees, in a small voice. “But, I guess, I’m not as… surprised as you are.” You shake your head slightly, in mild confusion. Wanting him to elaborate. “I always imagined you would be perfect.” He blinks shyly, and attempts a masking smile. “I don’t know if you thought the same way about me.”

A terrible lump swells in your throat. Your chest tightens.

It’s time to speak. To make your words a little more like poetry.

But it’s scary. It’s hard. You know that now.

“That’s not quite it, sweet man,” you begin. Realisation sinking heavily through you, drawing your brow down with it. Richard searches your face, encouraging you to go on, expression open; pretty eyes big. And, although the words are hard to say, they are easier. The words are easier around him. “Honestly, Richard? I think, you’ve always been perfect. I just didn’t want to realise it. I didn’t want to notice you,” you confess, your voice cracking with emotion.

“Why?” Richard encourages, a knot in his brow now too as he smooths his thumb earnestly over your cheek, breath bated. His touch is like the path of a match against its counterpart box; it is a little thing, which threatens to ignite something far larger.

“I…” you sigh out some of your tension and nerves with a billowing exhale. “I suppose… because I knew. That as soon as I saw you, there would be no going back. I must have known deep-down, that if I saw you, that I… I could love you so quickly.”

Richard swallows. “Is that… not something you want? Love?”

“It didn’t used to be. I… didn’t used to believe I deserved it,” you reveal, tears balling in your eyes as all of your deepest fears and secrets loosen and rattle inside your chest, gradually being shed and needing to find their exit.

“And now, preciosa?” Richard asks, gingerly smoothing a hand over the crown of your head, dipping a moustached kiss to the centre of your forehead. “What do you believe?”

Now? Now, it is different, and a cautious smile slowly claims your lips - even as your cheeks are wet by tears.

“I’m thinking, Richard Alonso Muñoz, that… That nothing would give me greater pleasure than accompanying you to the farmer’s market.”

Your words sound flippant, perhaps insignificant, but you can tell, from the way Richard’s eyes pool with a subtle, brewing joy, that your true meaning is abundantly clear to him. So, in mutual celebration your lips press together in a crush, smile lines radiating across his face. When he pulls back though, a gentle, playful heat seemingly overtakes him. “Are you sure about that, bonita?” he asks in a fond, teasing tone. As his chest shakes in a rich, gleeful chuckle, you perfectly catch his meaning too.

“Okay, okay,” you concede, with a giggle, as he slants his hips forward, pressing his already hardening length against your thigh. “Maybe there is one thing that could give me more pleasure.” You tick-up a suggestive eyebrow. “Want to remind me?”

“Please,” he purrs, just as broken with need as before. “My beautiful, wet little noodle.”

At his ridiculous new pet name -which you only have yourself to blame for, honestly- you squeal brightly, expelling musical peals of laughter into his open-mouth as he surges to kiss you, the act imbued with deep affection. He kisses you until the laughter pleasantly dissipates, your bodies suffusing with a resurgent heat, as you tangle together all over again.

As Richard holds you, every so tenderly, you are overcome. Your loneliness? It has never felt so far away. You hadn’t realised how much you needed somebody to love. You hadn’t realised that someone was him. You hadn’t wanted to admit it. But, oh, you are realising it now. And, you are never going to forget it.

“Kiss me again,” you plead into the air.

“Where?”

“Everywhere.”

Everywhere.

Everywhere.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he responds, affirmatively, and with relish, you feel his moustache graze the column of your neck. Somehow, you don’t think you’ll ever tire of that feeling.

As his lips crush to your again, you note how he tastes. A combination of your sweet, nectar-like juices, and the subtle tang of sweat he has kissed from your sex-flushed skin. He tastes like a salted peach. He is pure poetry, you think. You’ve never tasted anything quite as sweet, and you’ve never experienced such a flood. And, now that your deluge of joy is through -your happiness instead streaming steadily- it no longer feels heavy. It no longer weighs you down.

You want to love him, and be loved; and, you will.

What’s more. You deserve every bit of it.

It’s the little things. One by one. And then, suddenly, there it is. There’s everything; in your arms.

#Richard Alonso Muñoz #richard alonso munoz x reader #the letter room #Richard Alonso Muñoz x reader #Oscar Isaac

[caesarflickermans]

G,I,M,R,S,T!

[fanfic ask game]

hellluuuu :)

G: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write the scenes out of order?

start to finish the whole way! i go back and edit, such as putting some hints into previous chapters, but overall i stick to the plot points i summarised. there's chapters that i am planning to write and heavily thinking about--including specific wording--but it seems almost odd to jump ahead. for the story now with V, she obviously develops throughout, and it would make it much harder if i were to jump about and would have to remind myself at what kind of point in her development she is.

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?

angst, though a good ending is usually preferred.

found families.

character A (friend, love interest, doesn't matter) appears in character Bs life and refuses to leave. character B slowly realises that they are actually really glad about A being there.

unplanned pregnancies because i don't know what family planning is (yes, there's also an au for my girl Virgilia)

forbidden love stories. also, being oblivious to the other's feelings. not brid ,;gerton level. that drives me nuts, sorry to any fans out there.

i'm a sucker for high school aus. characters are naive and idiotic sometimes, but mostly because it forces conflict due to not being able to just walk away from those that produce conflict (bullies, odd love relationships). it's like being stuck-into-a-cabin-due-to-snow, but with people that actively want to ruin other character's time. and it's still low stakes; high school sucks, but the social ladder in school is a visible obstacle that can be overcome individually or on a system-based level (dating the cheerleader as a nerd stereotypes). but your character isn't going to overthrow the social class fabric of the adult world.

somehow i like to see one part of the ship die and think about how the other copes with that. yes, yes, i am a horrible person, i know.

i really like to give my characters a daemon (from his dark materials). thinking about what kind of animal they represent is pretty cool.

zombie aus; more specifically, tlou aus.

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you’d care to share?

once i finish p&v, i want to go back to caesar and try again at his broader life story + rebellion story (with plutarch as a side kick). then i have this dual POV idea of the dark days that i've always said would have made for a great prequel. but miss collins decided against that so i will do it: one kid from the district rebellion opposed to one kid from the capitol. ideally it is gay, ideally they kiss and run away together or die tragic deaths.

R: Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider an influence?

[see here]

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist?

not that well versed in thg tropes tbh, but i really quite like the horror and bleakness that this fandom naturally has. it's fictional but it's also close to real life and despite the series being ya, i think it leaves a lot of room to discuss and reflect upon more mature themes.

also lol i know i am writing romance right now, but i really like gen stuff, too. there's just something so nice about those; whether expanding upon a character or following the live events of a new one.

T: Any fandom tropes you can’t stand?

i kinda… don't care about the arena and tributes, sorry! i'm sure there's good ones out there, but i also don't really care about the pubg fighting elements and the tendency of inexperienced writers to not properly portray them as brutal oppression.

most... ships, actually? i like everla - rk on a meta level because they make sense, but i wouldn't actively go seek out content. i used to ship haymitch and effie, but the colonial undertones are never addressed in their on-screen romance. i dunno how the fan writers work with this most of the time because i tend to just not engage with the content a lot anymore, though, so it might be better.

#inbox #districtunrest #thank youuu ! :)

[omegaverserping]

Name: Cee URL: https://inventorschild.tumblr.com/ Age: 19+ Preferred Way of RPing: Discord! Interact and I'll reach out here on Tumblr to send you my handle! :) Time Zone: CET, and just a head's up: I'm most active in the evenings! :) First, Second, or Third Person point of view?: Third only! Preferred Role: Alpha, but willing to try my hand at everything, really! Preferred Pairing: M/M, eventually M/NB Do you prefer to RP with OCs, Fandom, or both?: Definitely canon characters! Fandoms: Riordanverse, so Percy Jackson and the Olympians as well as Heroes of Olympus! I'd love to play Will Solace (α) against Nico di Angelo (Ω),  or I'd also be open to rarepairs that include Jason (α) and another male character, maybe Leo, Nico, or Percy! Also, I'm open to switching all secondary genders up if you'd prefer that, and I have nothing against Alpha x Alpha and Omega x Omega ships either! Triggers: I can send you my F-List to discuss that! Preferred length when replying: I'm a literate to novella player, so at least 3 paragraphs, sky's the limit! :) How long would you like to RP for?: Not really sure, depends on our engagement, the chemistry, and the plot! Would you be willing to brainstorm a prompt?: Of course! I love musing with my partners!! I have a few budding ideas and a little background lore in my noggin but I'm open for everything! :) Omegaverse tropes that you DO NOT like to use: Extreme power inbalances between Alphas and Omegas, toxic possessiveness/controlling behaviour Omegaverse tropes that you DO enjoy using often and would like to use in your RP: Nesting, mating cycles, pack dynamics (platonic and/or romantic), deep bonds, slight possessive- and protectiveness from both sides without it becoming toxic, scents, courtship, marking, knotting, pregnancy - the whole package! :) Anything else that you would like to mention or say?: I know that this is the longest shot ever because I haven't encountered any real active Riordanverse fans in such a long time now, but I refuse to give up hope! :') I don't have that many tropes that I don't enjoy and even those I have are more a chore to write for me than real triggers, so I am also open to darker themes (not necessarily ABO related), but also a sucker for that domestic bliss, teenage romance, idiots in love, and family building! Super flexible when it comes to response times, so absolutely don't worry if you don't manage to reply for a day or two if something's important coming up! I love to chat and exchange ideas, headcanon, fanart, songs, thoughts, and what-ifs for our roleplay! :)

#available rper #omegaverse #omegaverse rp #a/b/o #a/b/o verse #a/b/o rp #a/b/o verse rp #alpha/beta/omega #alpha/beta/omega rp #alpha/beta/omega verse #alpha/beta/omega verse rp #pairing rper: m/m #submission

[calliecat93]

O now that I’ve watched Raya twice and a months part to let it settle, here is my opinion. It’s a good movie! Not great, but good! I’’m not gonna do a full-on review here, I may do so in the future, but here’s some thoughts.

The Good

THE ANIMATION! Oh my God, this film is fantastic in the visuals department! The characters all look good (yes even Sisu, I REALLY don’t get the complains... and even then one meh character design doesn’t justify hating the whole thing), the settings all look amazing the water effects just look gorgeous, and the fight scenes? This may be the closest Disney gets to being a martial arts film, and they knocked it out of the park~! I love it~!!!

I love Raya! Most Disney heroines are very optimistic and hopeful. Raya, while not devoid of humor or light-heartedness, is more cynical and hardened than other heroines, even the non-Princess ones. It makes since considering she’s been betrayed, lost her father and home, and saw/keep seeing the worst in people first-hand. She has to learn to trust again and see the good in others, event he ones who betrayed her before. Her character arc is really well done and Kelly Marie Tran does a lovely job voicing her~! Plus she’s an utter badass warrior and that is always appreciated~!

Namaari is a pretty good antagonist. While she’s very much at fault for her actions that lead the world to disaster, she’s not evil. She cares about her people, is intelligent, and does regret her choices that lead to the current outcome. She’s scared, but remains committed to her course until she sees Sisu. Her arc isn’t as in focus as Raya, but I’m lad that we had an antagonist who isn’t pure evil (even fi I love my pure evil Disney villains) especially since it works better with the themes in the film. The final act where Raya and her companions leave their fates in her hands... damn, that was powerful.

The companions (Boun, Noi, Tong) are all pretty good. Very least likable and very much useful. Plus I’m a sucker for Found Family and they very much feel like one at the end. Tong and Noi are especially just adorable~! You can also sympathize with all of them who lost their families and struggled to survive all alone,but now they found a family that lasts even after everyone is un-petrified. Ah Found Family trope you never fail me~!

There’s no real villain in the film, or there’s no villain figure. The villain is a literal plague called The Druun. One created from human discord and turns people into Stone. Only the Dragon Gem an keep it back and when it’s shattered, it spreads over the world again. While it substitutes death, it doesn’t hold punches at all on how devastating this is. Children are left orphaned. Parents lost their children. nations are left in disarray. All of Raya’s companions have lost someone to

Admittedly the trust theme IS pretty heavy-handed in the film. But I can’t say that the message is unwarranted, especially in the current times. After seeing 2020 bring out the worst in people and me losing respect and admiration for so many and even further back during the #MeToo movement and such things, trust feels so much harder to give or receive. Even if heavy-handed, the message of trust, unity, and working to make a better world is still relevant. It’s not an easy thing to accomplish, but it’s done well enough for kids to understand and it’s hopefully something that resonates with those kids when they become adults. Heck I’m an adult, and I needed the reminder.

Like I said, the ending was VERY powerful. IDT we’ve had the heroine essentially sacrifice herself and dying to save the world. It was the perfect culmination of everything and it ended happily. Raya reuniting with her father and the nations at last reuniting to form Kumandra was beautiful.

The Not As Good

Sisu is... hit or miss. I liked her more on the second watchthrough and she does have good moments. Like describing the Druun and showing Raya the Dragons/telling her of how she and her siblings truly created the Dragon Gem. Plus her naive, trusting nature serves as a good contrast to Raya. Int he end they didn’t need her to restore the Gem, they needed her to teach them to trust again. But... most of her humor doesn’t work and comes off more as them tryin WAAAY too hard to replicate The Genie or Mushu. No offense to Awkwafina, she did her best, but I REALLY wish that they toned it down because it was more distracting than funny and really contrasted with the serious tone at times.

While seeing the different nations was cool, we really only spend time in a few of them. It’s a movie, thee’s only os much time that can be devoted and the glimpses we got were really cool. But I really wish that we had more to help the world. Also I will say that those accusing it of being an A:TLA ripoff... it’s only similarity is using Southeastern culture. That’s not a ripoff the same way that Coco wasn’t copying The Book fo Life because both were about Dia De Los Muertos. Still it doesn’t compare to A:TLA’s world-building.

The pacing can feel a little off. They have a LOT that they have to go through, and it shows. We do have SOME breathing room, but not a lot so it can feel like we’re rushing form point to point. I’ve seen worst but it does feel like we’re not being given time to take everything in.

Overall, if I was going to rank the film I’d give it a 7/10 and it would likely land in my Top 15 or 20 Disney films. It’s not the greatest due to pacing, missed opportunities, some me character decisions, and just not being as good as others. But this is still a really good film! The action and animation are amazing, the characters are likable and Raya is a fantastic heroine, the acting is good, the world is a good setting, and I loved seeing the culture. And yes the theme CAN veer into being a bit preachy, but it’s still extremely relevant especially now. I very much recommend it to any animation fans, Disney fans, and fans of badass women like me XD I hope that Encanto is this good~!

#raya spoilers

[accio-victuuri]

M/M Recommendations Part VI

Title : Professor Blood ( Ironwrought Book 2)

Author : Anna Wineheart

I don’t really have an explanation on why I sometimes jump to book 2 in a series. But when the trend is it’s a different person’s book, then I guess it’s less confusing. I read this first because of the Vampire/Hunter trope that ALWAYS GETS ME. You have “Professor Blood” , Quinn who is trying to find a way to make a version of Blood that will allow Vampires to not needs human as food source anymore. In his class, he gets a student named Brandon who is a hunter and naturally finds out his secret. What I like about this is Brandon overcoming his prejudice towards Vampires ; realizing that not all of them are murderers and that they were once humans. This one is a quick read and not hard to get into 💙.

Title : Forbidden ( Siren Cove Book 1)

Author : Claire Cullen

This is the first time I’ve read a book where a Siren is the main character. Add a werewolf to that and it’s really something else. Jonah lives alone in their family home, a surviving part of a dying breed of creatures. He works as a vet and is just enjoying his quiet life alone — Then comes Nate, an alpha of a pack seeking refuge. They meet and their lives change. There is something about this story that just got to me. How Jonah was so convinced that he will just be alone but gains a family c/o the pack and especially Nate. I also like the Siren aspect and how their powers were used in that final confrontation. Plus, there is also Mpreg, just a warning if you don’t like that kind of thing.

Title : P.S I Spook You ( Spectral Files 1 )

Author : S.E Harmon

My first S.E Harmon book and It was a delicious treat. This person writes explicit scenes on a different level. AMEN. 🙏🏻 We have ex-boyfriends Rain and Danny who are working on a cold case together. Add some ghosts in there, mystery and lots of feelings. It’s just one of those stories that flows so well and had no “boring” page at all. I really am a sucker for Paranormal themes so if you are too, give this one a go. This description I gave is so poor for a books this good- just please read it. 😂

Title : Badlands ( Badlands Book 1 )

Author : Morgan Brice

This whole series ( 3 books and 4 novellas ) is without a doubt my Favorite M/M Romance with a paranormal theme. 💜 I’ve always been weak for a psychic/medium MC and pair them up with a cop — then top it all off with a good Mystery. So this one starts with Simon who is a medium/clairvoyant living his life and being a badass on his own who meets Vic who is a cop, desperate to find a lead in a serial killer case. I love Simon as a character— his power, his interesting little shop and his group of “superheroes”. AAAAARRGGHHH! There is just so much to love about these books : The Mystery and how they solve the cases. How the supernatural aspect is involved and all the side characters are just lovely. The domesticity of the main pairing and the right amount of fluff/angst. These two are really just the definition of OTP.

Title : Finding Alexander ( Lost Treasures #1 )

Author : Pandora Pine

If you like your characters going on a quest and sort of solving a mystery then this one is for you. A indiana-jones type of plot, where the main characters are looking for lost treasure in Egypt. The story itself though is more focused on the relationship rather than the historical bits. This one starts with Cairo Vanderbilt whose family legacy is to head an expedition that will lead them to treasure. It’s now his turn to fulfill that legacy and he’s brought Dillinger DeCosta with him. Dillinger is a professor and owns a blog who comes along to document the dig and share it with the world. Their relationship just made me so giddy. 😭 I could not wait for them to get together ; their chemistry was just jumping off the page from their first meeting. There is some good conflict and a nice dose of angst & hurt/comfort along the way too.

Title : Hug It Out ( Haven Heart Universe #2)

Author : Davidson King

I picked this up cause it’s one of those Fanfic tropes where Person A hires a professional hugger. That’s it. Riordan Darcy is an assassin who is recovering from a job gone wrong. In comes Teddy, a TLC provider and tries to provide companionship and “touch” to the Assassin’s life. The Conflict on this one is there is a Mole in Riordan’s organization, figuring that out and Teddy suddenly in the midst of of it all. This one was a welcome surprise and one that I did enjoy very much. It banked on the relationship but also introduced a lot of interesting characters that moved the plot forward The ending may be a bit cheesy for some but yeah, I really liked this story.

Enjoy! ✌🏼

#m/m book recommendations #m/m book recs #m/m books #m/m romance #m/m fiction #professor blood #anna wineheart #ps i spook you #se harmon #badlands #morgan brice #hug it out #davidson king #claire cullen #forbidden love #siren cove #finding alexander #pandora pine #m/m #m/m pairings

[slccplessnights]

This blog is still kinda new so this might not show up, but... I’m really in the mood for some 1x1 rps (preferably on discord), if anyone’s interested! I’m a full time student so I get a little busy for replies sometimes, but I am always on for hcs, plotting and all that fun stuff! Gonna add all the info down below because I have a tendency to ramble so I’m sorry it’s a lot lmao.

general info about me: 

I’m 23, so I’d prefer my partners to be at least 18+. GMT+5 timezone, but almost always online and replying on discord because insomnia lmao. 

As mentioned above, I am a full time student and have classes mon - fri with my busy days mostly being tuesdays and wednesdays. 

I write all pairings m/m, f/f, m/f, nb, etc. My personal preference is m/m or m/f. 

I’m pretty open with the kinds of plots I do, let me know and we can talk! I’m a sucker for cliche tropes. Good with nsfw content, darker themes and smut, but the last bit isn’t the most important thing for me so if you’d rather not i’m 100% good with that too. 

Only faceclaims I won’t write with are deceased fcs, underaged, or ones with abuse, racist, etc histories. 

things I really want to do: 

lets start with fandom pairings: 

Buddie from 9-1-1. I love them so much, friends to lovers trope??? THE BEST. and who doesn’t love hot firefighters? I’m down for literally anything with them, canon, aus, etc. just gimme. I can play either of ‘em but my preference lies with playing Buck. 

Reddie from IT. Another pairing I love with all my heart, I’d be down for any au with these two as well. All the tropes, all the aus, fix-it timeline? Lets go. I play Richie, but I could try my hand at Eddie. 

Justin/anyone (OCs included) from 13 Reasons Why. I just love Justin Foley so much, and I wanna rp him against someone, please? I’d give you anything you want lmao. 

other fandoms include: Teen Wolf, GoT, Stranger Things (Byler, Lumax, Elmax, Stancy mostly, possibly Mileven or Jancy), The 100 (I play Murphy).

non fandom plot ideas: 

alright, so like one specifically for m/m would be frat bros. They sneak around and hook up and it’s all “no homo lol” until they realize that it’s actually very “yes homo” and no matter what they say that it’s just sex, deep down they know it’s not and it leads to complications and frustrations, even jealousy mayhaps? bad explanation but we can talk and i can explain my thoughts better lmao. Could have joined the frat together in freshman year and are best friends that start hooking up, or one muse could be a pledge or new initiate, the other is a slightly older member. for the latter I wouldn’t mind playing either muse. 

this one’s for f/m and I’d prefer the f, but could def do m too! The idea here is that f was never in a serious relationship because she was always busy and focused on her goals, but she started dating m and he understood her priorities and supported her. they had a good, strong relationship and before either of them knew it they’d been together for 2-3 years and that made f panic because she felt trapped even though she loves him and ends up sabotaging their relationship and sleeping with someone else. She tells him and he breaks up with her but they’re both still very much in love and maybe trying to work through it as friends? But can they remain just friends? lets find out! he may also be trying to make her jealous but that’s neither here nor there. 

an idea for f/f. One’s a popular cheerleader and the other’s a little nerdy and unpopular. They’re either best friends that grew up together and both harbor secret feelings for each other but never acted on it, or they’re even already dating and we have the cutest relationship where they’re just in love and so fucking soft. Or they could hate each other’s guts but there’s always this sexual tension under that both are refusing to admit until it spills over and a heated argument leads to another kind of passion. 

m/m, f/f, m/f, m/nb, f/nb, nb/nb, any. And they were roommates!! They’re pretty good friends and roommates, but there’s always been a spark of something. Neither acted on it, but they’re also super domestic and get mistaken as a couple by people that don’t know them at parties or friends’ get togethers. Always side by side at those occasions, getting each other drinks. Muse A gets tired and walks over to Muse B who’s having a conversation with someone else, just tugs on their sleeve and Muse B knows it’s time to go home, excusing themself from the conversation to grab their coats and go home. Just super cute domestic stuff, it starts platonic but grows to more. Lets throw some jealousy in there if one time Muse B doesn’t wanna leave and decides to stay and flirt with the person they’re with so jealousy and angst! 

m/m. where muse A, closeted and in denial, calls a phone sex line on a dare expecting to talk to a girl but gets muse B instead, a shockingly sultry-voiced dude who just laughs at the mistake and keeps on flirting with muse A until he gives in and lets muse B talk him into one of the best orgasms he’s ever had — and after that he can’t seem to stop calling back, be it for sex talks or regular talks, eventually getting weirdly close with a guy he’s never seen and who’s never seen him, but who already might know him just a little bit better than most of the people who are actually in his life do. ( I got this from @softhvnds but the blog doesn’t exist anymore so i can’t credit them! ) 

f/m, m/m, m/nb. This one’s probably like a politician’s adult child (maybe a college student, etc) and their surly bodyguard, because I just love that cliche okay? The politician’s kid is kinda spoiled and maybe kind of a wild child, always partying and sneaking away, and the bodyguard always has to track them down and drag them back or go with them and make sure they don’t get too messy. just anything and everything about that lol. 

m/m, f/f. They’re kids of super rich rival business/magazine owners, politicians, etc, idk something like that. Basically just enemies, feuding families and they’re always trash talking each other every time they see each other as well. both spoiled and used to getting their own ways, probably go to school/college together and share a lot of classes, get paired up and hate every moment. See each other at social events too, always bicker, but maybe one day the bickering and arguing leads to a heated make out sessions and now they’re sneaking around to hook up and they totally don’t like each other, it’s JUST sex, nothing more, nope not at all. They’re both lying to themselves about that. 

#discord rp #1x1 #1x1 rp #reddie rp #buddie rp #wishlist

[mr-meekers]

January Book Reviews

Hopefully, once a month, towards the end of the month, I’ll sit down to type out little reviews for all the books I’ve read this month. It’s my goal this year to read more, and, equally as important, finish more books (even if I don’t like them.)

So let’s get started!

1. Loveboat, Taipei by Wen

I initially started reading this book to participate in a book club coming up in February. I didn’t think I’d like it much as it lies pretty far out of my wheelhouse being not only contemporary fiction but also a teen romance. Now, I can definitely get into these things, but my problem with those genres is that they fall so so so easily into the usual tropes that are, honestly, just very annoying. Like, love triangles and love at first sight and “there was a misunderstanding that occurred that one small conversation could clear up but I’m gonna stew about it for the rest of the book” kinda tropes. I’m just tired of them and can’t stand them anymore and I know the genre can do better.

Loveboat does. It really does. I’m still surprised I liked it so much.

Basically, the story centers around Ever, who is the eldest daughter of Chinese immigrants. Typical story ensues- her parents want her to be a doctor, and basically guilt her into following their life plan for her while never really giving her a choice and making all her decisions for her. But Ever wants to dance and this is what sets up the main conflict in the story: what Ever wants vs. what her parents want for her, and all the hard choices and consequences that come from such a conflict. The majority of the story takes place at a summer school in Taipei where a bunch of fancy, high achieving Asian kids go to not only make connections, but make connections~~~ if you catch my drift. Ever is convinced she’ll hate it- her parents forced her to go, signed up for all her classes for her, and even snuck a bio textbook into her luggage with a not so subtle hint to study. So, our main conflict begins. Ever decided to break every ridiculous rule her parents ever set for her. And the plot unfold from there.

Yes, there are two love interests. I’ll hive ya that. But the relationships in this book aren’t based in convenience. They feel real and well thought out and genuine. A lot of great themes are explored, from the good ol’ “finding yourself” meme to the different kinds of burdens our families can put on us, and whether or not we decide to carry them forever. The characters felt deep and by the end, I was truly happy for them. Loveboat, Taipei gets a 4 out of 5 from. Definite recommendation.

2. The Guinevere Deception by White

A new take on the Arthurian legend has us following Guinevere instead of the Once and Future King. I’ m not a fan of Kiersten White’s other books and stopped reading them before I could finish them, I did thoroughly enjoy this one. I’m a sucker for a good fantasy with a strong female lead and this is just that. We all kinda know the legend of King Arthur already, and White does a good job of adding in elements from the original story but then twisting them to make them her own. Despite the lack of romance (something else I also thoroughly enjoy) for most of the book, I still found myself hooked on the plot and guessing and wondering what would happen next.

The plotline starts pretty simply, but with a major twist. We start with Guinevere being escorted to Camelot to wed Arthur. But, it is soon revealed that this is not the real Guinevere. The true princess is dead and buried (I forget the CoD) and this girl, the daughter of Merlin, has been disguised to take her place. No one can know who she is, for magic is banned in Camelot, and she is a witch herself. Merlin has sent her to Arthur’s side to protect him from a mysterious magical threat he sees coming. But that’s all he will tell her about it. Now, Guinevere must protect a king and his city and so much more. I can’t say much more without spoiling it, but even if it may seems a little bit dull at first, I did truly enjoy myself by the end. I’m excited for the second book.

Again, I give this a 4 out of 5. Certainly worth picking up.

3. The Rogue King by Owen

This is a fantasy romance I picked up for shits and giggles. I am of the opinion that most fantasy romances are cringey, tropey, and just downright awkward. I have a very, very difficult time finding ones with actual plots and characters that feel more like people that convenient transportable genitalia. But, I must say, Abigail Owen’s Rogue King was none of those things... for the most part.

The story centers around Kasia, a phoenix shape shifter, and Brand, a dragon shape shifter. Now, there’s a lot of shifter politics to unpack, but the basics are that dragons and phoenixes usually mate because they both revolve around fire. Phoenixes then bless their mate’s clan and make that dragon the king of all kings and clans. It’s, like, a big deal. So Brand is out for revenge against the reigning High King and if he delivers Kasia to the Blue Clan king, he can finally have his revenge. And we go from there.

The thing I liked about this book was that it did have an actual plot. There were things going on besides focusing on the two leads going at it and falling in love. I mean, they still do, but there’s stuff in between that matters this time. In fact, the love making was the thing I mostly had a problem with. Kasia and Brand’s relationship felt too forced. It’s played off as “they’re mates and it’s destiny” but it just feels rushed and awkward and at times, random.

The second book comes out later this year, but I’m not sure I’ll pick it up. Still, it gets a 3 from me. Not the worst thing I’ve ever read.

4. The Wallflower Wager by Dare

Too cute. It was too cute. Yes, it was your typical 1800s London high society “fall in love with this duke and pretend you know what the word “rake” means” kinda story but still! It was good!!

We follow Penny, a young woman who has taken to caring for stray animals that no one seems to want, including (but not limited to) a dog with no back legs, a goat that is definitely certainly entirely not pregnant she assures you, and a parrot from a whore house that says “Fancy a fuck, love?” all the time and is genuinely funny. Her new neighbor, the notorious Gabriel, is renovating his new house to sell for profit and having a menagerie next door is not helping his property value. The two must work together to find suitable homes for all of Penny’s beloved creatures before the month is up, or else she’ll be forced to move out.

Obviously, they fall madly in love in this month. And their romance does seem natural and heart warming and the sex is fantastic. The ending made me tear up it was too gosh darn sweet. I can’t spoil it for you, but know that it was wholesome AF. It gets a solid 4 from me. I desperately wish there was more.

5. The Merciful Crow by Owen

Just my cup of tea. A good fantasy story with a strong female lead and wonderful romantic interest. The not so subtle themes of classism, racism, and the way the privileged avoid holding themselves accountable are very topical for the day, but also timeless in their application. Other themes like the cost of selflessness, going after what you want, balancing your needs with those of others, and being the first to strike change are all heavily applied, as well, and beautiful done.

The story follows Fie, a Crow girl destined to be beaten down by her own countrymen for the simple act of existing. Crows are the only caste in the country of Sabor immune to the Sinner’s Plague and thus are the ones who deal with the bodies. For a price. When Fie and her clan collect two dead lordlings from the palace, she certainly didn’t expect them to still be alive. Turns out, the prince is on the run from a queen who wants him dead. If the Crows can deliver him to his allies, he swears a Covenant Oath to grant them protection from the Oldeanders, not-so-subtle references to the KKK in their white sheets and nightly raids on Crow camps, killing as many of them as they can before dawn. It’s a deal too good to pass up, so Fie’s Pa, their chief, agrees.

This story is just... so many things. Before I forget, though, I want to congratulate Margaret Owen for the fantastic LGBT representation. Within the first few chapters, we already have non-binary/gender non-conforming character in Madcap, who uses they/them pronouns. The prince is gay. Tavin, his bodyguard, is bisexual. The kingdom’s master general is not only pansexual but polygamous. Fie is the only character of importance who seems straight, but even then we don’t really know as there are no other women her age around (there are other women, but Crows mingle only with Crows, and their bands are small). The romance here, while some may say is too hasty, I say felt just right. It’d been building and building and building and then finally happened and it was like letting out a breath. But even more satisfying was Fie’s character arc, and the Prince’s too, maybe even more so. So much happens and there is so much growth that I really just need you all to read it for yourselves and see.

5 out of 5 for me.

Thanks for reading this far! Hopefully there will be more reviews up in another month!

#book reviews #ya fantasy #ya romance #romance #fantasy #loveboat taipei #the guinevere deception #the merciful crow #the rogue king #the wallflower wager #Tessa dare #Abigail owen #Margaret owen #books #teen books #meekers

[themagiciansreccenter]

Author Spotlight: @under-the-shady-tree

Every week we are going to be interviewing a writer from The Magicians fandom. If you would like to be interviewed or you want to nominate a writer, get in touch via our ask box.

First things first, tell us a little about yourself.

Well, my name is Lauren, I live in Indianapolis and groom dogs for a living. I have a very tight-knit family so I spend pretty much all my time hanging out with them and having fun being the “cool” aunt.

How long have you been writing for?

Since I learned how to write. My parents gave me a diary for my 6th birthday and from that moment on, I was writing all the time. I used to write stories about me and my friends and reading my stories during recess became a thing. I moved onto fanfiction once the internet came around and still continue to journal and write original fiction.

What inspired you to start writing for The Magicians?

A Life in the Day. I hadn’t written anything for almost two years. Life got rocky for a bit and I just couldn’t do it. I would get ideas for stuff, even The Magicians, but nothing would come of it. But that episode got whatever was blocked in my brain knocked out and it’s been non-stop since then.

Who is/are your favourite character(s) to write? What it is about them that makes them your favourite?

Quentin. I just relate to him so much and understand how that brain could work. He comes really easy to me. Eliot also is one of my favorites, I find so much emotion and love buried under his persona and that is so much fun. Writing them together is just a joy. I also really like writing Margo and that one surprised me because I am so different from her, but like Eliot I’ve found what’s underneath all of her bravado to be so interesting to write.

Do you have a preference for a particular season/point in time to write about?

I guess season 3 since it’s the most I have written about, but I’ll write where ever the inspiration takes me.

Are you working on anything right now? Care to give us an idea about it?

Right now my time is pretty much all focused on my timeline 23 fic, We Will All Be Changed, it’s kind of a monster of a story for me so it’s got most of my attention. But I have a few things brewing. More of the mosaic lifetime, kind of examining how Quentin, Eliot and Arielle worked as parenting team and how they dealt with her death. I’m also dying to write teenage Rupert!

How long is your “to do list”?

Too long!

What is your favourite fic that you’ve written for The Magicians? Why?

That’s hard, I always hate picking favorites. I lean more toward Destiny Is Bullshit I think because it was my first big one and it’s what really got me going into writing again. I really found Quentin and Eliot’s voices working on it and found that I actually could write Margo. The response I got from it was so positive as well and it really gave me a confidence boost that I never had before. It also inspired more than just that one story (now 8 in the series) and gave me a way to fill in the blanks for the rest of the season and for their mosaic lifetime.

Many writers have a fic that they are passionate about that doesn’t get the reception from the fandom that they hoped for. Do you have a fic you would like more people to read and appreciate?

I would have to say my fic All That Remains is Love. It’s a 5+1 story dealing with death so it might be too depressing, but it’s all of my favorite things. It’s missing scenes we didn’t get to see, angst and Queliot falling in love very slowly. I also worked non stop on it once the idea hit me and it drove me a little insane until it was done. It emotionally drained me writing it so I just want to shove it at everyone and be like “LOVE THIS!!!”

What is your writing process like? Do you have any traditions or superstitions that you like to stick to when you’re writing?

It depends on the length of what I’m writing. For the shorter fics I usually have more of an abstract idea and a few lines of dialogue or a surprise ending in mind. I have a few playlists for certain moods. (I’m a little obsessed about having a soundtrack to everything I do in my life, not just writing) Then I just start working it out line by line.

For longer ones, it’s a much bigger process because I like to plan. I don’t even consider starting a multi-chapter fic unless I’ve worked out the beginning, middle and end and what the conflict is. I create a playlist that goes to that particular fic and that always sets a good tone for me. Then I break it down chapter by chapter and start writing. I get the bare bones out, like the dialogue and where they are. Then I add the inner thoughts and actions and emotions and just kind iron it all out.

Sometimes it changes a lot while I write, sometimes it sticks close to what I thought.

Do you write while the seasons are airing or do you prefer to wait for hiatus? How does the ongoing development of the canon influence and inspire your writing process?

I’ve only been writing since midway through season 3 and haven’t stopped so I see myself just writing during both pretty consistently. As far as what will happen, it will only inspire more. I have a series that sticks very close to canon so I can get all my added scenes and further in-depth peek into the show. So that will only help that grow. And ideas that fit out of that bubble come along too and I just go with it.

I think it would be kind of fun to continue some of my season 4 speculation stuff right into au territory because I’m sure what I wrote won’t happen, so who knows.

What has been the most challenging fic for you to write?

Of fics that are finished, The Mess We Made. It was hard because I realized early on that I was writing a younger Quentin and Eliot than who they were in Destiny is Bullshit. I kind of struggled with getting them to fight, because I just spent months writing them with a lifetime together under their belt and a deep understanding of each other. The Mess We Made was them a few years into that lifetime so they were still learning things about each other and experiencing things for the first time. I ended up kind of leaning into that difficulty with getting them to fight and tried to amp up the fighting to a few big blow-ups.

My timeline 23 fic is quickly becoming my most challenging though, it’s basically 3 or 4 full-length fics that sometimes crossover and then all end up mashed together. It’s pretty challenging.

Are there any themes or tropes that you particularly like to explore in your writing?

Angst, angst and more angst, lol. I am also a sucker for deep connections between people, be it romantic or otherwise, and really expose the good, the bad and the ugly about those relationships. So you know, more angst. But happy endings are my favorite too.

Are there any writers that inspire your work? Fanfiction or otherwise?

I’m always inspired by all the other Magicians fanfiction writers (honestly, Magicians fanfiction is really the only fanfic I read right now)

Alice Sebold is probably my favorite writer. She has a way of writing emotion in a way that feels really real and honest to an almost uncomfortable degree. It’s almost too real. Also the authors of my youth, Ann M. Martin and Judy Blume, I wanted to write because of them.

What are you currently reading? Fanfiction or otherwise?

I am reading “Written in Blood” It’s a book looking into the death of Kathleen Peterson of Stairway fame. (I love true crime) Also, I’m actually reading The Magician King. My sister is reading the Magician’s books for the first time so I’m reading along with her so we can discuss. I also am keeping up on whatever comes up on AO3!

What is the most valuable piece of writing advice you’ve ever been given?

Keep writing, whether it’s good or bad, just get it out and you can build on it later but it needs to be out there to fix.

Cringe time:

Are there any words or phrases you worry about over using in your work?

Oh man, I don’t know, I sometimes think everything I write is just a repeat of the last thing lol. Looked, people are always looking at each other and it’s hard to come up with different ways to express that.

What was the first fanfic that you wrote? Do you still have access to it?

I wrote an American Girl fanfic. My best friend and I traveled back in time to 1774 and went on an adventure with Felicity! I still have it, in a notebook in a box in my closet. I have two boxes (not huge boxes or anything) of old diaries, journals and notebooks full of my writing. My parents didn’t want to throw that away growing up.

Rapid Fire Round:

Self-edit or Beta? Self-edit

Comments or Kudos/Reblogs or Likes? All of the above!

Smut, Fluff or Angst? angst!!

Quick & Dirty or Slow Burn? Slow burn, the slower the better

Favourite season? 3

Favourite episode? A life in the day

Favourite book(The Magicians books)? The Magician King

Three favourite words? Triskaidekaphobia, Loquacious, Fuck

Want to be interviewed for our author spotlight? Get in touch here.

#the magicians rec center #author spotlight #author: rays/under the shady tree

[thatginchygal]

ginchy’s Star Wars fanfic list

My dear @ta-dala tagged me!!

You’ve been tagged in the Star Wars Creator meme! Pick 1 - 10 works you’ve created (fic, art, gifsets, aesthetics, videos, playlists, etc) & tell us why you’re proud of them! Then tag your friends!

Echoes of Always   Rated: M

I believe this will always be the fic I am most proud of.  It took me FIVE years to gather the courage to write it, three months to write and edit, and several weeks to post.  This is my ‘love letter’ to Luke/Mara, sort of a goodbye in a way, because we’ll never have that L/M fandom and time back the way it once was.  I look at this fic now and think that there’s more that I could have done with it, but on the whole I’m still really pleased and proud of it, especially the three interludes, the family dynamics, and the epilogue.  

A Thin Veil   Rated G

This link takes you to the TFN Fanfic Archive. I remember working so hard with the wonderful Jedi Trace to get this story in that archive.  I’m proud of that hard work, but also this look at an elderly Mara and how it deals with a timeless love (that ending still gets me, even to this day!).  I even like my OC, Metarie.  I still have ideas for one-shots in this universe, but the’ve never come to fruition.  Besides “Echoes’” this might be the fic I am most proud of overall.  

The rest I’ve placed under a cut...

ginchy’s gambit  Rated PG

This is a set of 100 drabbles written for a 20 week drabble challenge back in 2006 or 2007.  I was so proud of myself for finishing it and for trying new and different things (for me!) with the drabbles.  My favorite sets include ‘Critters’, ‘The Force’,  ‘Childhood’s End’, and ‘A Flicked Switch’.  I also did a sort of ‘behind the scenes’ reel and posted several ‘rejected’ drabbles. That was a lot of fun!  (The link here is from the now inactive SWFF: Star Wars Fanfic site.  Most of my older fics were lost to truncation on TFN but luckily I have some on my hard-drive and some on random sites across the web.)  I entitled it ‘ginchy’s gambit’ because I wasn’t sure I’d finish all 100 drabbles, but I did!  

Green-Eyed and Territorial   Rated PG

This was just plain fun to write. Jealous!Mara, who could ask for more?  People really responded to it and it gets favorited often on FFnet.  I’m proud of it because it was such a twist to the challenge and because it uses my favorite trope of ‘secret relationship revealed’!

Proficient   Rated M (NC-17)

This was also fun to write and just so silly. I’m proud of it because it’s so silly and takes a look at The Force that you  might not expect.  The last bit still makes me laugh.  (Also linked through the old, and now inactive, SWFF.)

ginchy-shine   Rated R through M (NC-17)

If you knew me between 2005 and 2009 you know that I wrote a ton of ‘ginchy-shine’ which was basically my writing smut scenes for other authors’ fade-to-black implied smut.  In this SWFF thread there are several examples.  I’m proud of the ‘shine’ because it became such a thing that people clamored for, but also because it allowed me to work with so many great authors and to play in their fics!  (That being said, I haven’t read a lot of these in YEARS so they may be awful and if they are, I do apologize!!)

Daddy’s Secret Vice  Rated PG 

I loved writing this. I can still remember sitting and coming up with the idea.  I’m proud of this because it launched my OC “Preeni Pi” the holiday fairy. Others have used her in such wonderful and creative ways (I’m looking at you @jadelotusflower!)  I can’t resist tiny Ben Skywalker (and neither can his parents!).  Just good holiday fun. I used to write a holiday fic every year.  I’m such a sucker for holiday themed fanfic!

In the Flesh  Rated G

This was written originally in 2006 and almost lost to TFN’s truncation. Luckily someone had block quoted a good chunk of it so I was able to recreate it and repost it in 2013.  I am proud of this fic because I took some inspiration from my own life (the fact that I never knew my father until I was an adult) to look at Mara’s thoughts on Ben and her own unknown family.  

Number Six  Rated PG-13 (Violence) 

It’s scary. I’m proud of myself for going there with something so twisted. Poor Mara.

That Old Black Magic  Rated M (NC-17)

I may be tooting my own horn here but I LOVE THIS FIC.  I mean, it’s so ridiculous, the idea of Luke wearing the tragic blue undies that Mark Hamill dons in Black Magic Woman, but there you have it. Luke in undies and L/M smut. That’s all you really need, right???

I think ta-dala got most of the people I would have tagged for this meme, as it’s SW specific... ooh I know! I’ll tag @whoswhatsitwhich and anyone else who would like to do this. It’s been fun to reflect on the fic. I can’t believe how much L/M fic I actually wrote!!

#my fanfic #ginchy #ginchy-amanda #ginchy shine #Luke Skywalker #Mara Jade #mara jade skywalker #sw legends eu fanfic #those were the days #about me fanfic meme

[deadlysentence]

a (very) small list of lgbt teen fiction!!

as a quick disclaimer i’d like to say that i haven’t personally read all of these books, but did my best going off of reviews, authors, and summaries to choose books that seemed suitable. if any of you find any faults with these books, feel free to lmk so i can remove them from the list!

WLW centric novels

Not Your Sidekick by C.B Lee is set in a world where superheroes and superpowers are the norm and features a girl who doesnt have superpowers, but does have a crush on the mysterious girl shes interning with

Saving Amy by Sarah Natalia Lee is a vampire themed lesbian novel

Ten Things I Can See from Here by Carrie Mac is about mentally ill Maeve, who falls in love with a girl who helps her to feel happier

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy is about a girl who questions her sexuality, which seems to fluctuate between bisexual and lesbian

When Women were Warriors by Catherine M. Wilson is a story about a woman who strives to be an excellent swordswoman

MLM centric novels

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell is about a boy who is “the chosen one” and the vampire he begins to fall in love with. this is a personal fav bc im a sucker for vamps

At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson is about a boy who loves boys, and is also trying to find out the current mysteries of the shrinking universe

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáetz tells the story of two mexican american teenagers and their struggles with sexuality, ethnicity, and family matters

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan takes the trope of “boy meets girl, struggles, and gets girl in the end” and tells it instead as a romance between two boys. A very, very lgbt friendly book with a satisfying relationship set in an extremely accepting community. Levithan has other lgbt books as well!

Trans centric books

Not Your Supervillain by CB Lee is a story about a trans boy teenager thats actually set to release this october (2017). Its written by an lgbt author and looks very promising imo

Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin details the life of a teenager named Riley who happens to be genderfluid, and what its like to identify as a boy one day and a girl the next

When the Moon was Ours by Anna Marie Milemon is described by Barnes and Nobles’ as a romance between “a queer Latina and a trans desi boy”

Dreadnought by April Daniels is the story of a trans woman superhero who follows in the footsteps of the famous hero Dreadnought after his death

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kristin Cronn Mills is a story about a trans boy named Gabe who strives to show the world who he really is, not what everyone wants him to be

i hope to add onto this in the future!

#rb this if you want? This is mostly for personal use but!!! i figured id share #mlm #wlw #trans #lgbt #i hope this is helpful to someone!

[westfallingforchaol]

Fantasy (more specifically high fantasy) is one of those genres that I can never have enough of. Whether it’s television, the big screen, or books, fantasy is the one thing I always return to when I’m feeling uninspired or slump-y. And because I’m such a big fan of such a vast genre, I obviously have favorite tropes that I always turn towards. I’m pretty much always looking for fantasy books with these tropes, and most of my favorite books utilize them brilliantly. So, let’s get into it.

Royals living away from their homes; whether it’s because they’re hiding, in exile, or leaving voluntarily, this trope results in fantastic development & characterization.

Whether it’s because of an arranged marriage they’re trying to flee, or because their parents died in suspicious circumstances so they’re running to save themselves, royals leaving their homes and luxuries behind is one of my favorite tropes. Mainly because there are a myriad of discussions that can be had if this is the case. For one, leaders living sheltered lives behind the walls of their castles can never truly be good leaders; more often than not, the trope uses the opportunity to disguise said royal as a commoner. The royal lives amongst laypeople, makes acquaintances, begins to understand the struggles that they never would have had they stayed holed up in their previous life. This trope directly results in a well-rounded character, who – if or when they take back their home – can be a leader for the people.

A good example here is Jon Snow from A Song of Ice & Fire. Despite not being a royal, he’s still lived his entire life as the child of one of the most powerful people in the kingdom. He has a nice room in a big castle, people who listen to him; he has luxuries, teachers, trainers, a family, a home. But he has a very skewed understanding of honor, responsibility and leadership until he joins the Night’s Watch and gets to know people from all over the Seven Kingdoms. He’d thought he would be surrounded by brave men full of honor, but is instead forced to call criminals his brothers. He learns about the conditions that lead poverty-stricken people to commit crimes, like stealing food or money, and comes to understand that there are different types of bravery, different types of honor. This genuine understanding of the plight of common folk, their wants, needs, and the things he saw while living away from luxury are what give him the upper hand in becoming a good ruler. He’s developed from the first book – from a kind, generous young man who was mostly sheltered and ignorant, to a kind, generous young man who knows more, who’s understood more, who can become the leader for the people instead of a leader because of blood.

E X A M P L E S

Schools. Give me all the schools in fantasy books. I don’t care if you’re studying about how fast horses decompose- just give it to me.

I love fantasy schools, and Hogwarts is obviously the greatest school of all-time, but its existence seems to be detrimental to other fantasy series with schools. Mainly because no matter how different the school is, every new fantasy series that contains one is automatically compared to Harry Potter. Which is awful, because fantasy leaves so much room for so many different types of schools.

There could be schools that teach magic, obviously, or there could be schools that teach history. What about schools that teach etiquette? Schools that teach royals how to behave royally? Law? Politics? What about assassin schools (those are always awesome, let’s be real).

A Song of Ice & Fire has the Citadel where maesters learn several crafts to become learned; The Seven Realms series has Oden’s Ford, that teaches etiquette, magic, and several other trades. Like I said, there is infinite wiggle room when it comes to schooling in fantasy. It doesn’t have to be a traditional school setting either – it could be training, or tournaments where lessons are taught, or tutoring in history. Just give me more schools in fantasy! And for the love of God – while you’re at it – stop comparing every book with a school to Harry Potter!

E X A M P L E S

Politics and civil war. Don’t know what side to root for? That’s a great fantasy.

World-building in its materialistic form is fantastic. I love maps as much as the next person; I enjoy reading about different continents, cultures, peoples, moral values, governing systems, etcetera. Magic building is wonderful, as well, but what makes a fantasy truly great? To me, it’s politics. For a fantasy to immediately capture my attention, it has to have people on all sides that I am rooting for, even if there is a clear good and bad dynamic. I want to see people lurking in the shadows, vying for power; I want to see nobles’ deceiving their lieges because they want more political influence. Politics has made and broken our world since the dawn of time, and fantasy books without a political system in place seem incomplete.

Civil war is an extension of this political aspect; when politics plays a huge role in a fantasy series, when the players of the game are well-developed and interesting, war is inevitable. But war is never pleasant. It’s confusing, and muddled, and very rarely is it as binary as “This side is good, this side is bad.” Well written war, and well-written politics has innocent people dying on both sides. There are people you can root for and understand on both sides, which is why the situation is so tense and gripping.

The series that does this best is obviously A Song of Ice & Fire. Despite there being lines within your mind about who the good guy is, and who the bad guy is, you’re still rooting for characters on both sides of the spectrum. The political aspect of hegemony, imperialism, revolution and rebellion, of monarchy, usurping, treaties and deceits and reward and punishment? That’s what makes the series so fantastic. Politics and complicated, grey dynamics are realistic and complex, and give storytelling a layer that nothing else possibly can.

E X A M P L E S

Tournaments and Competitions. Characters showcasing their skills in a fully competitive setting? Yes, please.

Tournaments have become a cliché now, but I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t the biggest sucker for tournaments. There’s so many things a writer can do while writing tournaments, from showcasing characters’ skillsets, their personalities under stress and pressure, seeing them learn from their mistakes, and get up after they’ve been pushed down, to showcasing magic systems, the cultures and practices of other peoples if it’s a nationwide tournament. The tournaments could serve as a backdrop for politics and scheming, or they could just be plain old fun.

Perhaps the most legendary tournament for me is the Triwizard Tournament from Harry Potter, because Rowling utilized it perfectly by mixing themes of first love and coming-of-age with Harry’s first real encounter of darkness, death, war and politics. But there was a lot more to it – the world-building was expanded greatly as we got to see what was under the waters around Hogwarts, we got to encounter different species (merpeople, dragons), as well as different plants. We got to see our characters use their skills under grueling conditions, but we were also given glimpses into the properties of fame, of celebrity. The tournament tested friendships, and loyalties, and it broke relationships while it made others. For me, tournaments – apart from being a hell of a fun time – are perfect backdrops to explore world-building, politics and characterization.

E X A M P L E S

The anti-hero. They do things that are morally ambiguous, and it’s sometimes difficult to root for them, but they’re some of the best characters you’ve ever read.

Anti-heroes and anti-villains are my favorite types of characters, in any genre, period. But in fantasy, they hold a special place in my heart, simply because there’s a lot more they can experiment with and get away with in fantasy stories (using magic, honor, war, etcetera). There’s nothing quite as satisfying as reading a good anti-hero. Heroes bore me; you already know you’re supposed to root for them, no matter what they do, because they’re ultimately the good guy.

Anti-heroes make you doubt yourself, they make you doubt the author’s intentions, the story, the other characters, what’s good and what’s evil, and this quality of thought-provoking characterization is my absolute favorite thing in writing. Morally complicated characters who don’t fit neatly into boxes are the fucking best, man. They keep you on your feet, and if they ever undergo a redemption arc, you’re left amazed at how meticulously the writer built up a certain character, naturally tore them down, and built them back up – better and stronger. There’s so much literary power in anti-heroes that I will devour most every book that has one as its main character.

E X A M P L E S

That’s all for my favorite fantasy tropes! I’m thinking of making another post that talks about tropes that are less fantasy-specific, so let me know if you’d be interested in that. Also tell me – do you enjoy these tropes? What other tropes do you like? And definitely give me recommendations!

5 Fantasy Tropes I Love Fantasy (more specifically high fantasy) is one of those genres that I can never have enough of.

#books #fantasy #Tropes

[entamewitchlulu]

Homura’s Top 15 Zexal Characters

Once again, under the cut due to length!!!  Time to talk about Zexal babies <3

15. Kaito Tenjo

I have always felt like the odd one out of Zexal fans with him being so low on my list, but that’s definitely not to say that I dislike him!  In fact, I’ve actually been becoming a lot more interested in him since his back story started to basically take over my Zexal rewrite haha.  Kaito is a little like Kaiba for me in that I feel like he’s a very interestingly complex character.  He has a lot of factors in his life that make him what he is, and that gives him layers to dig through and explore to really figure out the core of what he is.  I love that he’s one of the first rivals to legitimately terrify the protagonist with his power, but he has his own brand of awkward softness to him too even with people other than Haruto once he’s free of the duty of being a Numbers Hunter.  He’s a single-minded and really fucking determined and although he’s not super high on my list, I do have to appreciate him.

14. Ena

Okay but for real Ena is here because I’m gay, and also, the second they appeared I was like !!!!!! i smell fics 

Anyway, I know they have like no fucking character at all, but I love them anyway.  Their design is fascinating and I’m still 80% positive they were supposed to be related to Mirai somehow.  I love what we do get out of them, like, they’re one of the only people actively standing up to Eliphas and going behind his back to help Yuma and Astral out of the entire Astral people, and that’s kind of badass tbh

13. Mizael

God, look at him.  Just...just look at him.  It should be illegal to be this fucking pretty.  Beyond his a m a z i n g character design though, Mizael is just a really fascinating character.  He’s the only one of the Barian who doesn’t seem to really hold any hatred or grudge; he has no actual animosity towards the others except to just think he’s superior to humans.  He’s just really out to test his skills and prove himself as a dragon tamer rather than having any real devotion to the Barian cause, and I think that’s fascinating.

12. Mirai Tsukumo

Shoutout to the first real onscreen Yu-Gi-Oh mom; I know she, too, doesn’t really have any character or screen time, but I love that she was set up to be an adventurer just like Kazuma, and we get to see that she was involved with a lot of his adventures and stuff.  She’s just...interesting to me, I guess.

11. Number 96 / Dark Mist

I just think ze’s a really fascinating antagonist.  I loved zir introduction scene so much, like, that’s still one of my favorite Zexal episodes.  Ze’s a legitimately frightening, looming sort of villain that’s in it for the shits and giggles, which is one of my guilty indulgences.  Ze just wants to watch the world burn and honestly I can respect that in a villain.

10. Vector

God, this asshole.  I love him but I hate him but I love him???  He’s an absolute shitstain but I can’t help but be entertained by him.  He’s one of the most conniving villains in all of Yu-Gi-Oh, and I wish that I hadn’t been spoiled about his identity before it happened because I feel like I would have really been shocked by the turn around.  And yet, all the tells are there, even from the beginning; they try to divert your attention by fooling you with the Barian police officer shit, but in the end, after a second rewatch it’s easy to see where he’s going with his plans, and you just have to sit there and be impressed with the writing of his character and his set up.  He’s a shitlord who laughs at suffering but he’s incredibly interesting for the way he does it and his willingness to play the long-game; not to mention he is fucking hilarious and every scene he’s in is legitimately amazing.

9. Alit

Look at him, he’s fucking precious??  Not only do I heavily appreciate his basically canon bisexuality, but his character is so endearing.  He’s an antagonist, but you can’t help but love him for how straightforward he is.  He’s a fun-loving, punchy guy who just really wants to cross fists with someone and really throw his all into a good fight, and he’s honestly just so pure despite being technically a villain for a good chunk of the story.

8. Rio Kamishiro / Merag

Idk I’m just a sucker for the ladies I guess.  Rio has just a great personality imo; I love how sassy and uptight she can be and how she just excels at everything.  She knows how cool she is and she acts like she does; she won’t put herself down for anybody, and hse’s also a great and supportive friend to the people she does let in close.  I like how even though she’s presented with an ice theme, she’s never once characterize as the “ice queen” trope, she’s a legitimately caring person and she doesn’t try to hide that.

7. Astral

GOD look at zir?????????? Astral is the most precious alien bby ever, like holy fuck I love zir.  Astral is so cute.  I love how ze slowly learns more about the world, turning from someone incredibly analytical and afraid of failure to someone who’s not afraid to take risks.  I love how ze’s influenced by Yuma and Astral’s entire character arc is so precious.  And anyway just look at zir cute face???

6. Ryoga Kamishiro / Nasch

first i mean just...look at his smile??????? how Pure???  Ryoga is just...he’s a good boy, okay?  I love his story and his character development so much.  He starts out as such an asshole, but just one encounter with Yuma reawakens the part of him that’s legitimately a good person who cares about people and wants to take care of them.  Ryoga is just a very natural leader imo, something that carried over from his time as Nasch.  He’s good at leading but god he doesn’t want to, and I think that’s why he tries to be such a loner, because part of him is afraid of people relying on him again.  He’s a much softer heart than he pretends to be, and he doesn’t want to hurt people.  I still remember his tears when he remembered he was a Barian and he realized that was going to put him at odds with Yuma and Kaito and everyone, but he couldn’t abandon the others either.  He’s the kind of person who really understands responsibility, but while he’ll take it on, he also fears it?  And that’s just...honestly real relatable for me.  He’s a good kid, and I think it’s really fascinating in that he’s an antagonist in the end, but he’s not a villain.  He and Yuma are both fundamentally good people who are forced to fight due to poor circumstances, and a lot of real life is gray like that, so it was really cool to see it shown in the series.  Sometimes, no one is the bad guy, but fights still happen.  Ryoga is a great example of this.

5. Kotori Mizuki

What a precious child....honestly, I love Kotori so much; she’s cheerful, supportive, and she never lets herself lose hope.  She works hard and she’s more than willing to jump up to the plate if she has to, but she’s also content standing back and letting other people handle things, which I honestly relate to a lot.  She’s a bright light for a lot of her friends and I think that’s inspiring.

4. Durbe

LOOK AT MY NERD HE IS SOFT AND PRECIOUS!!!!  Durbe is just so good.  He’s another one of those antagonists who’s not a villain, he’s just on the other side for reasons that no one can really control.  I love how devoted he is to Nasch and Merag, how he’s so willing to follow them and protect them that he’s called the White Shield of Barian.  I’m also a sucker for megane characters tbh.

3. Akari Tsukumo

God I love her.  She’s who i project onto in this series tbh, as an older sister myself.  My lil bro might not be anything like Yuma, and we might get along a little better than Akari and Yuma do, but Akari just resonates with me in a deep way because at the heart of it all, she really cares about Yuma and wants to do right by him.  We don’t get to see much about her, but she has a lot of hidden threads that I find really interesting to look into; like if you think about it, she’s the sole provider for the Tsukumo household now with the parents gone.  I don’t think grandma works.  What kind of stress must that put on her, especially with her parents having disappeared right when she was getting out of high school?  Thinking about that puts a lot of her actions in perspective to me, and I find her honestly relatable in that regard.  What if it was me that was suddenly the sole provider for my little brother?  It strikes me a lot, especially when I watch scenes with Akari, and I think she’s a great character that I feel comfortable projecting onto.

2. Michael Arclight

Look at my husband, he is pure and good.  I love Michael a lot because honestly?? I relate to him immensely.  He’s a really good person who gets excited about the things that interest him, and will talk your ear off about them if you let him.  He gives everything for the sake of his family, and I honestly couldn’t blame him for going to the lengths he did, because I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same for my own family.  And even after all of that, he realized what he had done wrong and was willing to do what it took to atone for that mistake.  He knew what he had done was wrong and never stopped trying to make up for it--I cried a little when he showed up to protect Yuma and said he would be his sword and shield, it was so pure???

1. Yuma Tsukumo

God blessed me when he let this child exist.  Yuma is everything that I want to be; he’s enthusiastic, confident in himself, never gives up, and always gets back up in the end.  He just feels real to me in a way that some characters don’t.  He feels like an actual child, like his actual age.  He acts like a lot of thirteen year olds I actually know, and he reminds me a lot of some of my cousins, so I was almost immediately drawn to him when I finally started watching Zexal; I wanted to protect him and take care of him.

I love him for his emotions, for being able to cry in front of others and really feel things.  I love him for his outgoing nature and his unwillingness to give up on anything or anyone.  I love him for his forgiveness, which is so much wider and broader than anything I can do myself, and I wish sometimes that I could have as much kindness and innocence in my heart as him.  He’s a shining light and I wear his necklace on the days that I need extra confidence for things.  I’m so glad that I let go of my initial dislike of his character design because he’s one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

#yugioh zexal #lulu talks #tbu