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st4rymoon · 5 months

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✭ 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 ✭

𝟏𝟖+ | 𝐒𝐦𝐮𝐭 | 𝐀𝐜𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬 | 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫-𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐎'𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: a long read btw, arguing, impact play, academic rivals, slow burn, rough sex, hate sex, language, p in v, make out sesh, unprotected sex, annoying Miguel, reader has some anger issues on the low, breath play, teasing, sexual tension, semi-mean dom, after care

・Part two! Part Three!

“WHAT?” You yelled, both your professor and Miguel looking at you in shock after your professor asked you for a one on one with the both of you.

You could scoff at the way Miguel’s lips curled up into a satisfied smile “Well you and Miguel are my best students, so it would only make sense for the both of you to do a presentation together. I can only imagine the things the both of you will come up with!” Your annoyingly sweet professor clapped.

“ wouldn’t it be better if both of us did our own? We coul-“ You tried to negotiate “Ah ah! I said group project! Now Miguel, do you have anything to say about this? Any complaints like this one over here?”

You sighed as Miguel spoke “Nope, I’d be happy to work with someone in the same range as me” he cockily spoke “Very funny, now since we’ve got this all sorted, go and talk” she smiled, shooing you and Miguel out of the classroom.

You scoffed as you pushed past Miguel “Aww come on sweetheart, you hate me that much?” He cooed following close behind you.

“Shut it” you huffed. Getting paired with Miguel was possibly the worst thing to happen since your high school prom. Miguel was the bane of your existence since the first year of college.

Of course, his good looks and brains were attractive but sooner or later you realized he was going to be a pain in your ass for the next few months of class. You met him in your first biology class, everything was going well until the first exam of the class.

Your professor said the class average was low B’s and high C’s but out of the whole class, two people got perfect scores. Could you guess who the two were?

You and Miguel.

Both of you looked at each other from across the class with the same look in your eyes saying ‘Someone beat me?’. Of course, you both got the same 100% grade but both of you were so used to being the only one on top of the class that this was more than just a score. But your egos.

You both were fully aware to not be in each other's way, only seeing each other when studying at the same place or in class. All was going well for the next 2 exams, but the 3rd one came and you couldn’t believe it.

You got a 98% and Miguel has a perfect 100%. You could see him smile at the results and you hated the professor right now. Why the hell would he show the class? It’s embarrassing, to say the least.

Miguel gave you a wink as you looked his way ever so slightly. Bursting out of the class, you could feel him behind you “2 points down” he chuckled. You wish you would’ve punched him.

And ever since then, he’s made it his life mission to ruin your day. You never got anything other than 100% again, you busted your ass studying just so he couldn’t rub it in.

“I’ll make sure you can’t get us two points down” Miguel hummed as he kept up at your pace. You could feel your blood boiling, god he’s such an asshole. “I’ll email you if I need help” you scoffed.

“Can I get your number? I won’t get the email since my inbox is always spamming” Miguel lied with a smile “fine” you muttered out your number and walked off before he could stop you.

‘Real classy, I wasn’t done talking’ popped up on your screen “Well I am” you messaged back. You were well aware it was Miguel and you didn’t need him to piss you off more than usual.

The second you stepped into your apartment you let out a relieved sigh. Oh, how you missed this place in these insufferable hours. You put on some comfy panties and an oversized hoodie.

You were laid in your living room, soft carpet under you as you finished up some of the slides for your presentation. The knock at your door was the last thing you needed, you groaned in agony as you hated the thought of getting up from your warm spot.

The knocking grew and so did your patience’s “IM COMING!” You yelled. You pulled the door open and lo and behold, Miguel. “For fuck sake man” you whined.

“Glad to see you too!” He smiled as he pushed past you with books in hand. Miguel was born with the talent of hiding his emotions, that talent was most useful here.

He took a deep breath as you opened the door. Your pretty thighs glowing under the baggy hoodie, hair a slight mess and the satisfying look of anger on your face could’ve made him harm.

“Excuse you” you hissed.

He plotted down next to your things and got straight to work. You stood in shock, did he just walk in like this was his house? “Well go ahead and get comfortable” you mocked as you slammed the door in annoyance.

“I am” he sighed as he stretched and leaned onto your couch.

The both of you bickered and sneered at each other the whole time you both worked but even then, the quality was always top-notch.

He didn’t like the way you formatted the information and you didn’t like how he took up a whole slide for a few sentences but both of you compromised. After a few hours, things were less tense, and both of you got used to each other.

“So what do you plan on doing with your major?” You asked, legs crossed and some candy in your mouth as you questioned him “Biochemist” he nodded “It’s always been a passion of mine”

“You sure do have the brains for it” you chuckled. “You don’t with the 98%” he teased. You rolled your eyes, your mood now soured as you remembered his shenanigans.

“Don’t start” you scoff as you get up to get some drinks “Hey hey I’m joking” he laughs, his hand stopping you from leaving as he holds your wrist “I know Sherlock, I’m going to get some drinks for us” you mutter with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah,” he laughed awkwardly, his eyes watching as you grabbed two glasses of water. “So what about you?” Miguel asked “What are you doing with a chemistry major”

“Probably chemical engineering, I’m not sure yet” You shrugged as you handed him the cup. He nodded and watched you sit next to him. Miguel scooted a little closer making you stiffen, sure he was a pain in the ass but he’s sadly one of the most gorgeous guys you’ve seen.

You tried to ignore your thoughts each time he’d stretch and groan, his moans making you think about how he’d sound if it were from pleasure. He’d be vocal you thought.

“Let’s watch something on the TV” you awkwardly smiled as you grabbed the remote and turned on your TV, you laid on your stomach, forgetting you only had panties and a hoodie.

Miguel’s eyes watched you kick your feet up, your glowy legs looking perfect as you looked through whatever you were putting on.

He noticed the pink panties you had on, his tongue instinctively licking his bottom lip as he thought about how good you’d look on top of him. He can imagine it, tits in his face and pussy sleeving his cock as he fucked you full.

He was going to give himself a boner if he kept it up. He focused his eyes on the screen and sighed in relief as you sat back up. You put on your favorite show and sat next to Miguel “We’re almost done with the assignment which is good, how about a few more minutes of break and we get back to work?” You smiled. “Sure”

You felt his hand move behind you, his arm resting above the couch as he let out yet again another ‘stretch’ while his eyes looked at you through his peripheral, you chuckled. How cliche.

You smiled as you decided to make your cliche move. It was obvious there was tension between you two, whether that be anger or sexual, it didn’t matter. “Let me get more gummies” you hummed as you turned to the table beside you and arched your back slightly, an audible moan coming from behind you as your ass was on perfect display.

You sat back beside him, gummies in hand and an innocent look on your face as you offered him some. He scoffed, shaking his head and looking back at the TV. Your eyes widened as you noticed the thick bulge straining against his pants.

“Eyes up” Miguel cockily cooed as he watched your eyes closely. “I- I wasn’t-“You made a pathetic attempt to save yourself but he cut you off “Uh huh uh huh, I know” he mocked.

He smiled down at you with accomplishment, he finally made you shut up for once. “Not going to give me a snarky comeback?” He cooed. “Shut up already God, stop it” you hissed, your eyes rolling as you moved away from him.

“No no” Miguel’s voice made you shiver as his hand held your thigh “I’m playing” he pouted as he glared down at you. You could punch him right but instead, you did something you thought you’d never do.

You pushed him on the couch and slammed your lips on his. Miguel’s hands immediately wrapped around your waist, a loud moan spilling into your mouth as he finally tasted you.

It seemed like Miguel was waiting for you to do this, his hands ran up your thighs hungrily before he flipped you onto your back. You gasped as he spread your legs around his waist.

His behemoth of a body spread your legs wide as he buried his face into the crook of your neck. You tangled your fingers into his hair as both of you hungrily kissed each other.

The kisses were messy and rough, teeth nipping at skin and tongues lapping at each other like two animals in heat. None of you even said a word, just heavy breaths, moans, and pure lust.

Suddenly Miguel pulled back from your lips, his eyes glaring into yours as he hovered above you. You could feel yourself getting ready for some snarky comment as you watched his lips curve into a smile.

“You kissed me first”

You groaned as you pushed him off, his hands still on your hips as he flipped you back onto his lap “hey I’m not complaining, It’s just funny since I piss you of so much” he sighed. His palm moved up to your jaw, face brushing against his hand as you took in his warmth.

He watched you lean into his palm like a cat, his body heating up as he realized how small you look in his lap. Your thighs small compared to his but still plump and pretty.

“Can I kiss you again” you shyly asked slightly afraid that he’s reject. “You don’t have to ask me, just do it” Miguel hummed as he pulled you into a kiss.

The kisses were now more sensual and soft, both of you now grinding into each other. His hand curled onto the back of your neck; the other palm pinned behind your spine.

You were glued onto his chest as Miguel’s warmth filled your senses. You’ve never been so warm in your life, the feeling making you tingly as he held you as close as possible. It felt like nothing in the world could hurt you, you felt safe.

“Please” you whispered onto his lips. He tried to not make you mad but he loved seeing you angry “Please what?” He taunts, his lips hovering over your jaw and neck but never touching you.

“Mig don’t tease” you whined as you hit his chest lightly “I’m not, I just don’t know what you’re saying please for” his arms clinging around your waist as he takes in your sweet scent.

You decided to play your games “I want you inside me mig, want to show you how much I need you” you cooed, your hand running down his abdomen and stopping just above his bulge. His breath hitched at your words, he didn’t know if you were fucking with him or not.

“Oh yeah?” Miguel watched you with focused eyes, his hands running up the sides of your thighs and squeezing your ass “You want me to fuck some manners into you? That loud fucking mouth of yours is always pissing me off” he cooed.

Loud fucking mouth? Your hand went up to smack his face in anger but he caught your wrist before you could “Don’t even try it muñeca.” He sternly said “You won’t like what comes with that”

You angrily kissed him as he pressed you flush against his aching cock, his hands pull the baggy hoodie off your body leaving you in your matching panties and bra.

“Fuck” he whispered, hands on your waist as he took in the view he’s been dreaming of since the day he met you. The amount of times he’d imagine fucking your mouth until you shut up was concerning.

You pulled his shirt off in need, throwing it behind you as you ran your hands up his thick muscular chest. He hummed at your soft hands running up his skin.

“Sit up for me?” He mumbled against your skin as he kicked off his sweats. He smiled at how obediently you did as he said “You look prettier when you do as I say” Miguel mocked.

You could care less about his words as his calloused hands pulled your panties off in need “Just shut up and fuck me” you panted. Miguel smiled as he felt your lips pepper all over his jaw and onto his lips, he could see you were just as eager for him as he was for you.

“Beg” he blurted. You ignored him as you rubbed his cock between your folds, both of you letting out moans as you felt each other's warmth. Miguel seethed, arms pinning you up to his chest “Listen”

You hated that you got turned on by the fact that he now had you restricted with just one hand as the other held your jaw up “you want the guy you despise to fuck you? You tell me you hate me every time you see me but look so eager to fuck me”

You were tired of his teasing, you let out a desperate whine, you could see his cock spring up and his tip leaking precum. But like always, Miguel likes to rile you up.

“Beg” he repeated. “Please mig please, just stop teasing ok” you cried. “All you needed to listen to was this?” He purred, hands moving onto your hips as he thrusts into you.

Miguel let out a gruntled moan as he felt your warm wet walls hug him tight, his head falling back onto the couch as he finally felt your pussy squeeze him.

He watched your eyes squeeze shut while you let out the prettiest moans “f- fuck!” You cried, the stretch making you clench even tighter around him as he held you down to his lap.

His cock was fully buried inside you in one go, he’s the biggest you’ve had in every way. It was overwhelming feeling how full you were, you could feel his curves and the tip of his cock nudging at your cervix.

“Breath chula, r- relax” he sighed. Your nails dug into his shoulders as you nodded, you took a deep breath allowing you to make it easier for him to move. “That’s it” he hummed onto your shoulder.

It only took Miguel a few seconds for him to start fucking you onto his lap, your body shaping into his hands, allowing him to use your pussy like a flesh light.

“O- Mig mi-“ you whined out, you couldn’t explain what you were feeling. Your whole body was tingling in pleasure as he rammed into you with pure force. Maybe you did piss him off a lot.

“What? You c- can’t take it? Such a big fucking mouth but can’t take my dick?” He seethed. You let out a pathetic whine at his words, your mind completely fogged in pleasure as you took all of him.

Miguel’s eyes couldn’t leave your pussy, his eyebrows scrunched and his mouth agar as he watched your pussy struggling to take his size. He hissed as you pushed him onto the couch, using his shoulders for support as you bounced onto his lap.

Your pretty moans filled his ears as you took control. Miguel let you take control for a bit, he loved watching how eager you rode him. Your body bounces on his lap, wet sounds of skin slapping echoing into the room.

“Making such a fucking mess” he huffed with a smile on his face, although he was loving this, he wanted to see you completely vulnerable. He thought maybe he was a little sick for wanting to see someone who hated him so much completely ruined under him but he loved it.

You gasped as Miguel lifted you onto the ground, your back hit the soft carpet under you as he stayed buried inside you. “Gotta fuck that stupid little attitude out honey, always disrespecting me. You’re the only one who tries to push my buttons. I love it” he cooed.

Miguel’s calloused hands bend your legs to the side, giving him full access to your tight cunt. “Go- god shi- fuck!” Miguel panted, he was a complete fucking mess.

Sure Miguel’s fucked a few people in his life, but he had no idea if it was just the thought of fucking the life out of you or how perfect your body was for him. He convinced himself it was both.

You clawed and scratched at his chest, your eyes full of tears as he brutally pounded into your “m- Mig I-“You were even more fucked out than him. How couldn’t you?

You had no clue where he got his stamina from, it felt like he’d been fucking you for hours. “Can’t believe you tried to slap me, should I return the favor?” Miguel hissed.

You nodded to his surprise “Please” you whined. “You want me to hit you?” He was surprised by your plead. He knew you’d be a freak in the sheets but you were always so aggressive with him that he expected you to hit him for even suggesting it.

“You’re always a pain in my ass but you just want to be taken care of huh?… What? You need me to pound your pretty pussy out for you to treat me with some respect?”

You nodded eagerly, if you were being honest you couldn’t even take in his words. Your pussy clenched and throbbed around his fat cock in agony but you were taken by surprise when a slap landed on your face “Use your words” he hissed.

Almost immediately you cried “Yes yes! Miguel please I nee- need it, f- fuck ah!”

Miguel chuckled, his hips angled a bit higher which allowed him to hit the perfect stop. His hand flew around your throat, his hips pounding you onto the floor as he let out animalistic moans.

“M- Mig- ah fff- fuckk!” You cried. The restriction of your breathing mixed with his rough pounds caused orgasm hit you hard as your pussy throbbed around him, the tip of his cock nudging at your sweet spot continuously.

Miguel’s eyes rolled back as he felt your nails claw at his arms, your small hand wrapped around his wrist as he fucked you balls deep. His cock plunged into your messy cunt as his balls slapped onto you. “That’s I- that’s-“ he hissed.

He thought about pulling out for both of your sakes but he’d rather just buy you a plan B. “C- can I- inside?” He seethed his eyes burning into yours as you bounced to his thrusts.

You couldn’t get a word out but your legs wrapping around his waist and your nails digging into his back to pull him closer gave him the answer. His lips crashed onto yours as he spilled inside you, his moans spilling into your mouth as his fingers dug into your hips.

He’s never had an orgasm that hard, he was sweating and out of breath as he stilled inside you. The both of you cling onto each other in fear of either of you leaving but that was on the last of your minds.

Miguel lay beside you, his arms pulling you into his as he pressed a kiss onto your forehead. “Was I too rough?” He questioned with concern as he now fully took in how fucked out you looked. “No, it was perfect” you weakly muttered as you nuzzled into his chest.

Miguel sighed in relief as your sweaty body was pinned into his. “Where’s your bedroom?” He hummed as he began to lift you into his arms “left” you sighed as he carried you into your bedroom.

“Let me clean us up and then we can rest yeah? Unless you want me to leav-“

You cut him off before he couldn’t finish “Don’t leave. Please?.” You hummed a bit worried you sounded a little pathetic.

“Wasn’t planning on it love”

#smut #marvel smut #kinktober #miguel o'hara #miguel o’hara imagines #miguel ohara #miguel o hara x reader #miguel x reader #moon knight smut #miguel o’hara smut #miguel o’hara x reader #miguel x you #miguel smut #miguel o hara #academic rivals

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incorrectbatfam · 5 months

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Do the batfamily members ever get too into their undercover work? (Undercover in an office and theyre worried about spreadsheets, working in a warehouse and coming home complaining about missing parts)

Bruce: Status updates on your undercover missions. Dick, you first. What have you got down at the docks?

Dick: I haven't confirmed the Killer Croc sightings yet, but more importantly, our catch hasn't been measuring up to last year's. Tuna we're doing okay on, but the salmon population seems to be on the low end. I've contacted the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries but it'll be another 3-5 business days before they can come down and check it out.

Bruce: At least you're doing something to help. Jason?

Jason: Class was okay. I think the kids are warming up to me as their substitute while Mrs. Maloney is out on maternity leave. The average on the last vocabulary quiz was 83.53% so either I'm doing my job right or they need to be challenged. I'm worried about Tristan Lancy, though. He's normally a good student but his grades have been dropping recently and his parents don't seem like safe people to tell. I'll talk to him tomorrow and try to pair him up with a peer tutor if he needs it.

Bruce: Also see if he has any alternate contacts besides his parents. Tim, any updates at the chemical plant?

Tim: If by updates you mean OSHA violations, I could go on all week. We got a batch of new recruits today and they were just thrown into the work—no PPE, no safety training, nothing. This is what happens when you place production over employee well-being. I'm gonna file a complaint after this meeting. Also, I think the union will have something to say about the manager cutting people's lunch breaks short.

Bruce: I see. Damian? Please tell me you found something volunteering at the zoo.

Damian: Depends on how you define "found." While I have not obtained evidence of a mutant larvae black market, I did help some of the animals at the sanctuary make progress with their recovery. Bobo the monkey is healing from his broken arms and we're gradually getting him re-acclimated to climbing higher surfaces. Suzie the black bear was born a little prematurely but seems to be catching up to her peers in terms of growth. Lastly, we got a grant for additional wildcat research and enrichment. As an aside, we are having an educational seminar on European mountain goats this Friday at 3:30 and I expect all of you to be there.

Bruce: I'll put that on our calendars. Steph?

Steph: It's not really undercover work for me, just work. Anyway, yes the newest Batburger location is being used for money laundering. But I really need to vent about the customers for a sec. We don't open until 10 and at 9:30 this morning some moron was banging on our door demanding Jokerized cheese fries. Then right in the middle of the lunch rush, Janie got sick so I had to fill in as the cashier and it was hell. After that, I had to step in between a fight at the drive-thru because the customer claimed we only gave him nine pieces of his ten-piece Robin nuggets and tried to beat up the kid who took his order. And to top it all off, an entire high school hockey team came in five minutes before closing.

Bruce: Cass?

Cass, blowing balloons: Can't talk. Arranging bat mitzvah.

Bruce: Duke, you're my last hope.

Duke: Margie's bringing a peanut butter chocolate cake to the bake sale. I swiped her recipe and we can easily beat her. Her ganache is way too watery and just runs off the top of the cake, which isn't even leveled. She's also trying to do something with a raspberry filling that isn't working at all. It's like she couldn't decide on what to bring. The bake sale committee also asked if we can bring some apple pies because the original baker has to go out of town for a family emergency. I think we'll win if we bring them with some ice cream and a touch of caramel, even though this isn't a contest.

Bruce: Thank you. At least our most critical case has been taken care of.

Barbara: ...I'll save my book launch for later.

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transformation4life · 6 months

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Army, Man

Juan was your average guy before his life was changed forever. Decent grades at his dream college, but no friends to speak of. So when he received a letter to join the US army in his assigned mailbox Juan was very confused. "The army? They must joking." Juan spoke as he looked at the recruitment flyer in his dorm room.

Juan and being enlisted in the army sounded like a twisted joke to him. He was scrawny and could barely do one pushup in gym class. Either way, Juan noticed a number at the bottom of the flyer in big bold letters and some voice in his head was nagging at him to call it.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt. Maybe it'll be fun! Who knows!" So Juan grabbed his phone and dialed the number.

Some rings later and it sounded like a guy picked a phone. "Hey there, Name's Gruff, I'm assuming you're calling cause of the flyer you got in the mail, yeah?" Gruff's was deep and masculine. Definitely Juan's type but I bet he was straight.

"Y-Yeah! I thought I'd give it a shot since it's not like I got anything better to do!"

"That's the spirit man! Our army count has been real low due to... events so even one guy joining is great! But first I just need to ask you a few questions..." "A-Alright. Go on ahead..." Juan had to wonder what they would ask. "First question! Are you sure you want to join the army?" Gruff's tone was dead serious on this one and it shook Juan up a bit. "U-Uh... Yeah!" Juan was too far in to quit now at least that was his reasoning.

"Wonderful! Next question. How muscular are you?"

Juan frowned. As mentioned before, he barely had muscle and never went to the gym. Still, he felt the need to answer honestly.

"N-Not really sir. Sorry." "Haha don't worry about it! Alright that's all see you soon!" Gruff hung up before Juan could even say bye.

Juan was a bit shaken but that wasn't too bad. Juan pondered the interaction and something hit him. "Wait... I didn't tell him my address and he said he'll see me soo-" A wave of pain immediately hit Juan and he fell to the floor.

It wasn't before long Juan's body began to grow and get more muscular. Juan's arms became much beefier as his biceps were the size of sports balls. Six perfect abs popped onto Juan's stomach as his nonexistent chest began to inflate and become thick poppable pecs as his back expanded to support his new musculature making his tshirt real tight. Soon after, Juan's neck got thicker as his adam's apple was now ever more prominent than before as he gained some facial hair around his mouth. Juan's legs were next to grow as his thighs became much larger and his legs more defined as feet increased some sizes. Luckily Juan wasn't wearing any shoes but Juan's socks definitely didn't survive the growth. Some more minor changes appeared like a bigger dick and Juan's body aging physically. It's a miracle none of Juan's clothes ripped apart but it's not like it mattered anyway as Juan's apparel began to change.

Juan's graphic tee became more tough material and more generic as it became a dark green. It was still tight around Juan's figure though. Next up was Juan's pants as it gained a camouflage pattern and became cargo pants. A belt magically appeared and looped around the belt holes of his news pants as well as an army hat wrapping around Juan's head. Juan's socks were stitched back together and went a dark black and suddenly army boots were now being worn by Juan. The last change was an army tag appearing around Juan's neck saying "Juan Graham". Juan was now the definition of a buff army man.

Once the pain subsided and Juan regained his bearings he readjusted his glasses and looked at the mirror nearby. "What the- WHAT THE FU- Oh god, my voice... my EVERYTHING!" Juan was amazed but also scared. He gained muscles in seconds but how?

And before Juan could question things further, Juan's phone rang once again. Juan saw that it was the army recruit number. He concluded they must be involved so he answered the call.

"Hey Juan, ready for your first day?" It was Gruff again "First day? You did this to me, didn't you?"

"Not sure what you mean, but you agreed to join the army and we need you now." "But I don't even know anything about how to do anythin-" One more sound of pain hit Juan as memories of years of military training and gym workouts filled his mind. Everything he could ever need to be in the army was now in his brain. Juan now much more confident started a new sentence. "Nevermind. When does the car get here?"

"That's our Juan! Should be there soon. You can walk out and wait already." "Perfect. See you soon." Juan hung up and left his dorm and old life behind. It was probably for the best anyway. He much preferred being a beefcake army man than some twink in college.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Apologies for not posting for a couple months. I got major writer's block but here's a story for you guys hope you like it!

#muscle tf #male tf #mind change #muscle transformation #military tf

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mahboimahboi · 8 months

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TEACHER'S PET x M!Reader (featuring Actor Mackenyu)

Smut (⚠️)

"Yo, our P.E Teacher is so fucking capital H-O-T. Do you think he's married?" You nudged your seatmate, eyes lingering towards the instructor who was standing at the front while he wrote some very important notes on the whiteboard. 'Damn, even the marker look so small in his hand', you thought to yourself, too lost in your thought. It was never your intention to especially fall in love with a teacher, let alone someone who's really strict, but it was the way how he looks so above average than the rest of the teachers in the school. He's so out of this world and looked as though he came straight out of a comic book. Oh, and let's not forget the biceps and the strong arms. He's just so ethereal.

"That's what I've heard," You got snapped out of your trance and looked at your classmate confused. She sighs and stops from listening to the lesson for a minute and turns to you, knowing you were once again daydreaming about the instructor who's literally a whole lotta years older than you. "I mean, I've heard that he's a married man and has a child. So, if i were you, I'd stop sending heart eyes to him, unless you want to get fucking obliterated by his wife." She deadpanned.

"Oh, well—"

"Mr. L/N. Yes, I'd really be glad if you'd come visit me in my office after our class." Your instrutor said, fixing the glasses he had on, before he looks towards you and eyes you. "Don't think I haven't caught you not paying any attention to my class. All you did is disturb your classmate. I can't tolerate that." He let out with a deep, authoritative voice. It sent shivers down your spine and you swore you felt yourself go pale at the sight of his tiger eyes eyeing you down with anger.

"Y-Yes, sir Maeda." You stammered, not even daring to look at his eyes. With all the times he taught the class, this is the only time he called your attention out for not listening to the class. You are finally at the last strike. Only for this specific teacher, you wanted to be seen as a good student. One who studies and does well in class to impress your instructor, but all you ever did so far was to irritate the male. So much for a good impression. Embarrassed, you buried your head in your arms, wanting to just vanish.

Later, after your class session with Mr. Maeda ended, the instructor gestures with his eyes for you to follow him to his office. You did as you are told, hanging your head low, ashamed of yourself. Usually, Mr. Maeda would talk to you about important stuff, but now it is rather silent and... awkward. The rest of the walk was quiet, too much that it was deafening.

Once you both arrive at his office, he lets you in first, looking up at him only to see him raise a brow at you. You squeaked in fear and entered the room quickly, scared with what he had in plan for you. "Mr. L/N. Your attitude in class is getting out of hand." Mr. Maeda starts, his voice low as he puts his books on his table before sitting down his swivel chair. "It's quite disrespectful staring at your teacher with so much going on inside your head." Hearing those words, you hesitantly look up to see the adult male with a smirk on his handsome face. He tilts his head to the side, then stands up from his seat and slowly starts striding his way towards you. "Tell me, what goes on in your head during my class... Y/N?" His voice came out like a slither, a spell from a book that entranced you.

You swallowed the huge lump that formed in your throat, looking away from the male. The male scoffs, leaning on the edge of his table, now stood in front of you, crossing his arms. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, Y/N. Haven't I taught you proper respect enough?" You stayed silent, but you could already feel yourself start to get hard. You subtly moved your hands to cover your erection that made an obvious tent on your pants. "Well, look who got excited." He mocked. "Y/N. While I'm asking nicely, answer me."

"I-It's... too absurd." You answered him, but the other male was unfazed.

"Well, I don't care how absurd it is." But then, a bright idea flickers in his head and a soft chuckle moves past his lips. "Alright, if you're afraid to tell me," He trailed off, moving towards you. He sat down beside you, enticingly spreading his legs open and whispering to your ear. "Why don't you show me?" His smirk grows wider, when he notices the red color on your face.

You covered your ears and moved away as far as you can from him. "S-Sir. I mustn't. You have a child and a wife. I can't simply—"

"Who told you that?" He asks you, his voice stern and sounded frustrated. You didn't say a word. "Y/N, I'm starting to get fucking bored." You started to think about it, whether or not you'd take the opportunity, but the fact that he never confirmed whether or not what you heard is true, scares you and it isn't just right.

In the end, it only took one forceful and lust-filled kiss that was initiated by Mackenyu who had one hand behind your neck. At first, shock was the only thing you felt, before the male started to feel you up and down your waist. This wasn't right. It didn't feel right at all, but why did it feel so good at the same time? You, soon melt into the kiss and start kissing him back lavishly, following the same rhythm.

Much to the male's surprise, he didn't know you were that easy of a prey and he was a predator, ready to eat the result of his hunt. Too high in the clouds and your head filled with lust, you made your way to ride on his thighs, being careful not to break the kiss. Mackenyu notices how you still looked a little hesitant. Wanting to help, he pulls away and puts his hands on both sides of your hips. "Listen, Y/N. Don't believe everything you've heard about me. You're getting too stiff for me to handle." You blushed at his words, then nodded your head in reply. "That's a good boy." He commented, before pushing his lips back to yours.

Your bottom felt a slight poke, catching your attention. You pulled away from the other male, watching you start to stroke him. "Whatever you want, doll." He smirks.

You got down to your knees, feeling the warmth he gave off. Hurriedly, you unzip the zipper to his pants only to realize that he wore no under garments underneath, turning you on even more. Due to his tight pants and the girth of his cock, the button pops off, almost hitting you on the forehead. "Oh my, sir. I've always imagined just how big you are." You stated, smirking proudly to yourself now that you've finally made a dream come true.

The male groans and puts his hand on top of your head as you desperately wrap your lips around his cock. Mackenyu lets out a breathy moan, pushing his head back as he lets you do your own thing. It felt good to know a person is very skilled with their mouth. "Fuck, doll. You're making me feel so good." He hums in pure bliss, standing up as he takes a hold of your head and starts fucking your mouth out with his dick, surprising you. Fortunately, you have trained yourself enough to get through a rough mouth-fucking, but the taller male's size is a lot larger than what you've thought. You took it good, though and it was enough for Mackenyu who looked like he was having the time of his life. "Holy shit. Fuck." He grunts, biting on his lip.

This went on for a few minutes, before his thrusts started to get sloppy, indicating that he was near his climax. He doesn't say a word or heads up, only shocking you when he buries his thick cock in your throat and finishes. "FUCK!" He moans out with his mouth left hanging open, convulsing in place.

He gives your mouth a few more thrusts to ride out his high, before pulling out and taking out spare pants from his drawer. "Haven't felt that good for so long, no rather, at all." He told you, yet you are still in a daze with what just happened, smiling to yourself. "I don't think you'd want this to be the first and last, right, Y/N?" He asks you in a sultry voice.

"No, sir." You let out making the teacher smirk in success. You pass out in his office room and the male lifts you into his arms and puts you down on a bench near his desk where you can rest comfortably.

"Good pet." He laughs softly, before he goes out of his office and moves to his next class.

#bottom male reader #tiktok #tiktoker #smut #male reader #mackenyu x male reader #actor x male reader #mackenyu #x male reader #male reader smut

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spacebarbarianweird · 2 months

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Astarion Pre-Vampirism Headcanons

Our collaboration with @themadlu

Masterlist

Headcanons

I have a very weird idea about Astarion's origin but bear with me.

What if Astarion, a High Elf himself, was born to half-elven parents?

Look, he doesn't look like a Forgotten Realms elf. He is pretty tall - 5.9 is above average for a Tel'Quessira. His body type is also too masculine since male elves tend to be very slender. His name is "baby" meaning ("Little Star") but adult in form (elven baby names are usually monosyllabic). Besides, there are almost no elves in Baldur's Gate, let alone, upper-class ones.

But there are plenty of half-elves.

Let's say, genetics work in Forgotten Realms the same way it works in the real world.

Half elves are of mixed race - so, a pair of half elves can have a human or an elf. And this is a very sad scenario, given the difference in life expectancy. Humans born to half elves grow old and die while their parents are still relatively young, and the elf is completely cut out of elven culture and never fits in with their kin.

And it explains why no one was looking for Astarion. Because his family is long-dead.

Two hundred years ago the Ancunins became parents.

They are half-elves in their third generation and none of them have ever seen a pure-blood Tel'Quessira let alone knowing details about their culture.

They name the newborn boy Astarion - the name elven in form but human in meaning.

He is indeed their "little star" - half-elves inherit their ancestors' low fertility and children are seen as gifts from gods rather than a burden.

The Ancunins notice their son has long ears and it seems like he doesn't sleep - instead, Astarion lies motionless for a few hours and then starts talking about places and people his family has no idea about.

Astarion is a High Elf.

The human ancestry doesn't manifest in him - though, he still grows taller than elves are supposed to.

And hells, he is ambitious.

He knows he has centuries of life ahead - and he doesn't want to spend them in his hometown.

Astarion dreams of Baldur's Gate - a huge city on the Sword Coast.

His parents reluctantly let him go. They are 150 years old and don't have much time left.

Besides, if he spends thirty or forty years beside them it will change nothing. He is an elf. He has all the time in the world.

But Astarion can't even make himself spend another day in that wretched hole of a place.

He leaves to never return.

Despite the lack of money and connections, he manages to become a magistrate.

Unfortunately, you can't make a career like that without making enemies.

The Gurs, a nomadic tribe, are notorious trouble makers and the citizens demand the authorities to get rid of them.

Astarion doesn't pay much attention to the matter and he fails to realize other magistrates want him to do the dirty job.

The Gurs live up to their traditions. Whoever makes them go will become their enemy.

Astarion becomes one in their eyes.

Lying in the empty street, bleeding to death, he remembers his hometown and his elderly parents.

He would do everything to return, to survive, to live.

And when a dark figure approaches him and makes an offer, Astarion agrees.

He doesn't know the price of his survival yet.

And what is yours HCs on Astarion's origin? Reblog and write your own ideas!

#astarion #astarion headcanon #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate #bg3 astarion #astarion bg3 #bg3 #spacebarbarian headcanon #half elf Astarion #baldurs gate 3 astarion #astarion romance #astarion headcanons #astarion ancunin #astarion brainrot #astarion origin

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wonyowonyo · 10 months

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Revenge (K. Chaewon x M! Reader)

Y/n's Pov

My name is Y/n L/n, a student at Joongdong High School which is located in Seoul. I'm an average student who's neither good nor bad at what I do. I've had my fair share of highs and lows, but overall I'm never really the kind of person to stand out. I'm a substitute for the school's baseball club, and placed at the middle of the school rankings.

I fell in love with Kim Minjeong, the Madonna of our class. She was the picture perfect girl. Beauty, smarts, money, personality, talent, she has it all. Everyone's swooning over her and trying to get into her good side, and that means everyone, girls and boys.

I couldn't hold my feelings for her anymore, and before I knew it, I had sent out a love letter for the one and only, Kim Minjeong...

"Yah.

Minjeongie said these types of things trouble her." A short petite girl with a bob cut said while holding the love letter that I wrote.

...The next day, I was rejected by Minjeong's friend.

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The class ended 10 minutes ago and everyone has already left the classroom. However I stayed behind and laid my head unto my desk as I sighed, still sulking and pondering about the previous rejection.

'...Well, I knew this was gonna happen didn't I?'

Feeling uncomfortable with pressing my head against the desk, I'd slip my arm to act as a cushion while I continued sulking.

'She's the class Madonna and me... well I'm just a background character and a substitute for the baseball team.'

I suddenly heard faint sounds of feminine laughs and chatters which made me raise my head and look at the window on the side of my chair.

'I wasn't thinking that she would pay attention to me, but, even then...'

As I peeked out, I immediately saw the girl that I've been pondering about the entire day. I saw Minjeong walking with her friends as they chatted about a certain topic that I don't know. She was laughing so brightly, yet here I am, completely down in the dumps. It's like comparing hell to heaven. But who was I kidding, it was bound to be this way, our lives were so different from each other after all.

Slightly tearing up, I weakly exhaled.

'Minjeong....'

"Hey!"

TUGHK!

Suddenly, I felt something hit my head which snapped out from my trance.

"Don't stare at my friends with those teary eyes, Y/n." A high pitched voice suddenly spoke-out, with a hint of brattiness in her tone. I didn't even need to turn around to see who it was.

"Why don't you just give up gracefully since you were rejected? Even though I already gave you the rejection, you're so effeminate... How lame!"

Closing my eyes to contain myself, I sat in silence and let her do what she usually does. Retracting the rolled notebook that she used to smack my head, she'd follow it up with her bratty stare.

"How long are you gonna falter like an idiot!"

Turning around, I'd come face to face with Kim Chaewon, Kim Minjeong's bratty best friend. She and Minjeong had been friends since the day they were born. Their mothers were childhood best friends and naturally they both became one too.

They're both called the 'Kim Twins' due to them always being together and having the same last name. It's still a mystery how they became so close considering that they're polar opposites. While Minjeong is reserved, elegant, and polite. Chaewon on the other hand was bratty, blunt, and rowdy. But I guess as they all say, Opposites attract.

"I know that, Chaewon." I spoke sullenly, quickly staring at her before standing up from my chair and taking my bag as I slung it onto my shoulder.

"Don't worry I won't bother her.... Well if you'll excuse me, I think it's time for me to go home." Sliding my chair back under the desk, I'd turn around and head to the door as my shoulders slumped, expressing my sense of defeat.

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3RD PERSON POV

Chaewon intently looked at the slumped boy while pursing her lips as she's thinking about something.

"H-hey! You, wait up!"

...Was what Chaewon said, as they soon arrived at the School's vending machine spot. Chaewon picked her 2 drinks up from the port before walking back to Y/n who is currently sitting at the bench, his head hung low and his hands clasped against each other. She'd hand the juice over to Y/n who quietly took it.

Chaewon would open her drink before taking a sip from it, earning a delighted sound from her. She'd then look at the slumped Y/n.

"...To begin with, sending a love letter is too girly. If you really want to get a girl's heart, you should at least grab her and hug her from behind." Chaewon boldly claimed.

Y/n side-eyed Chaewon as his nose wrinkled, clearly showing dislike and disagreement over Chaewon's tips.

"If I do that, I'll get arrested. And besides I put a lot of effort writing that love letter..." Y/n tried to argue, defending his side.

Chaewon jeered. "Ha! Yet, she didn't even read that letter. The point is that you're completely out of consideration. If you keep thinking that way, wouldn't it be easier for you to move on?"

Y/n sighed as he looked at the floor. "It's not as easy as you say. But... you're right." He'd look at the juice, seeing his reflection. He'd suddenly turn his head to Chaewon's direction. "But what's so wrong about me?"

Returning the gaze, Chaewon looked at Y/n before pondering for a second and putting down her drink.

"Well first off....

...Iᴛ's ᴘʀᴏʙᴀʙʟʏ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴀɪʀsᴛʏʟᴇ? ᴄᴜᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ɪᴛ.

Yᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏғ ʙɪɢ ɪɴ sᴛᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ's ᴋɪɴᴅᴀ sᴄᴀʀʏ.

Yᴏᴜ ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ɴᴜᴍᴇʀᴏᴜs ᴛɪᴍᴇ, ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ?

Tʜᴇ ᴇxᴄᴜsᴇs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇᴀᴄʜᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴛᴏᴏ ʟᴏɴɢ.

Yᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀɴ ʜᴏʀʀɪʙʟᴇ sᴇɴsᴇ ɪɴ ғᴀsʜɪᴏɴ. Wʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴀɴʏᴡᴀʏ? Dɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛs ʙᴜʏ ᴛʜᴇᴍ?

Yᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴄʟᴇᴀɴɪɴɢ.

Jᴜsᴛ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ sᴘᴏʀᴛs ᴄʟᴜʙ, ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴇᴛ ᴛᴏᴏ ᴇxᴄɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ sᴘᴏʀᴛs ғᴇsᴛɪᴠᴀʟs. Aɴᴅ ʏᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴇɴᴅ ᴛᴏ sᴋɪᴘ ᴄʟᴜʙ-ᴀᴄᴛɪᴠɪᴛɪᴇs? Yᴏᴜ ᴛʀɪᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ ᴀs ᴡᴇʟʟ.

Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀɴᴅʟᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙᴀɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄᴀʀᴇ?

Yᴏᴜ'ʟʟ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴏғғ ᴀ ʙᴀᴅ ɪᴍᴘʀᴇssɪᴏɴ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ sʟᴇᴇᴘ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴄʟᴀss ғʀᴏᴍ ᴀ ɢɪʀʟ's ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ᴏғ ᴠɪᴇᴡ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ?

Tʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇs ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ sᴜᴅᴅᴇɴʟʏ sʜᴜᴛ ᴜᴘ, ᴡʜᴀᴛ's ᴜᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ?

Nᴇᴀᴛʟʏ ғᴀᴄᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ sʜᴏᴇs ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴏғғ.

I ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ʙᴏᴏᴋs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴡᴏʀᴅs ᴏɴᴄᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ.

Yᴏᴜ ʙʟᴀᴛᴀɴᴛʟʏ ᴀᴄᴛ sᴜsᴘɪᴄɪᴏᴜs ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴄᴜᴛᴇ ɢɪʀʟs!

Iᴛ's sᴏ ᴍᴇssʏ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴇsᴋ. Aᴛ ʟᴇᴀsᴛ ʙʀɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴛᴇxᴛʙᴏᴏᴋs ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴏᴍᴇ.

I ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ғɪx ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴏʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄʜᴏᴘsᴛɪᴄᴋs, ɪᴛ's ᴜɴɴᴇʀᴠɪɴɢ.

...Aɴᴅ ɪᴛ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ᴛᴏᴏ ʟᴀᴛᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs, ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ғɪɴᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴀ ɢɪʀʟ ʙᴜʏ ᴊᴜɪᴄᴇ?"

Y/n who was about to take a sip suddenly froze in his place. His eyes bugging out as he'd make a face, clearly taken aback by Chaewon's endless rants and rambles about him.

Chaewon would Feel a little awkward because of Y/n's reaction and the sudden realization that she might've been too harsh on him. "Er... Hm? So what were we talking about..? Er... anyways... It's completely natural that you get rejected, so you don't have to worry at all."

Y/n slightly shook, as if struck by lighting. Beads of sweat would form on the side of Chaewon's head, still feeling a little awkward.

''Hm...

𝐀 𝐆 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇 𝐇

𝐖 𝐇 𝐘 𝐃 𝐎 𝐘 𝐎 𝐔 𝐇 𝐀 𝐕 𝐄 𝐓 𝐎 𝐆 𝐎 𝐓 𝐇 𝐀 𝐓 𝐅 𝐀 𝐑 ! ! ! !"

Chaewon flinched at Y/n's sudden outburst, clearly oblivious that her 'encouragement' had an opposite impact on him. "Wha- Even though I was trying to cheer you up! 'You anger easily' I should add that to the list!" Chaewon huffs. "I felt responsible since I got mixed up in this whole situation."

"...It's just that it can't be helped that she won't read my letter. But even then..." Y/n balled up his fists in frustration while looking at the pavement. "She didn't have to ask her friend to reject me. If she's going to reject me... I wish she could've at least done it properly." Y/n gulped as tears would well up in his eyes.

Chaewon averted her gaze from the crying boy, 'Crying again.... so annoying.' She exhaled as she felt pity and partly responsible for this poor boy. "Look, if you're that frustrated, then triumph over Minjeong."

"Eh?" Y/n turned his head to Chaewon, confused by what she said. 'Triumph over? What the hell is she implying?'

"I. Am. Saying. That you should make Minjeong go 'Woah! I should've accepted his letter back then!' and make her regret rejecting you!"

Chaewon loudly exclaimed as she pointed at Y/n who was processing what she just said. Her high-pitched voice boomed around the area and if there was someone passing by, her voice would definitely cause them to turn their head around.

Y/n sniffled as he wiped the tears around his eyes. "...B-but just how am I gonna do that...?" He asked, hoping for a clarification and possibly another advice from Chaewon.

"Why should I go that far Idiot!" A classic Chaewon response. Chaewon crumpled the empty juice container before throwing it at the garbage bin and started walking away.

Y/n stood dejected, his eyes would follow Chaewon's moving figure before she suddenly halted, turning her head around and looking back at Y/n. "...I dunno, you're in the baseball club aren't you? Why don't you try harder in that area?"

She'd now completely turn around as her figure faced Y/n. "Everyone goes to cheer for the baseball team at our school plus Minjeong likes jocks, so why don't you show her your cool side there?"

"B-..but even though I'm on the team, I'm just a substitute. And like you said, I tend to skip..." Y/n quickly hesitates on actually doing Chaewon's advice. After all, even though as much as he is a member of the baseball club, he's nothing but a substitute to fill the dugout. Hell his teammates barely know him at all. "Plus working hard to get revenge on someone is kinda..."

"I don't care! Then you go spend your whole life like that! A cowardly uncool guy!" Chaewon glowered at Y/n, her eyes furrowing. She was angry at the fact that Y/n was second-guessing in bettering himself as a person. If there's people she absolutely loathes, it's those who are gutless.

"...It's true that Minjeong was insincere to you...

...But even I'd think it wouldn't be worth it to properly reject someone with no guts like you...

... How Uncool!" Chaewon slightly annoyed as she walked away from Y/n, a moment of hesitation wrapped her figure before completely leaving a frozen Y/n alone.

Y/n stood frozen as he watched Chaewon's figure disappear as she turned into a corner. Lowering his head and sighing, he contemplated what Chaewon said. And as hard as Y/n finds it, she was absolutely right.

The reason Y/n remains stagnant and average was the fact that he didn't give enough effort. Looking back, the reason his teammates barely knew him was because he occasionally skipped practice. His inferiority complex has held him back from trying his hardest and kept him from being this gutless and uncool guy.

He wasn't anything exceptional because he couldn't, it's because he didn't. He didn't do anything to change himself.

Y/n clenched his fist as his once teary eyes were replaced by flames of determination. A burning desire to prove himself, a burning desire... for revenge.

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W O O O S H ! !

A loud sound of the metal bat pushing through the air echoed around the baseball field, catching the attention of the baseball club members.

"108.. 109..."

The origin of the sound surprisingly came from someone they did not expect. A member would even whistle in amusement. "What a sound." He commented.

The one producing the sound was none other than Y/n, who after having that talk with Chaewon, gained the boost to start training harder.

"Why is he practicing so hard... Who is he again?" A member asked. "I dunno... but he used to be really mediocre." The captain stared intently at Y/n who was consistently swinging his bat like his life depended on it. He'd then notice the look in his face, burning determination was oozing just from his eyes. The captain chuckled in amusement, causing the members to look at him confusedly. "It almost as if... He has someone he wants to get revenge on."

He'd clasp his hand to catch the attention of the members watching Y/n. "Well it looks like our subs have started to show their intention to replace us. We better practice harder now that our positions as starters are being challenged." The captain's comment seemed to ignite flames in the members as they energetically got back into training.

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"135...136..."

Y/n muttered under his breath, his sweat dripping from his chin and landing onto the field. He was doing the usual training, but taking it to the extreme. And today, he's doing push-ups while under the blazing heat of the sun.

"Hey where are those extra balls? We had a few right?" A member yelled, asking his other teammates.

"Yeah we had, but Y/n demolished them all during his training." Another responded. "Y/n? So that's the name of the guy who's always practicing like a madman."

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PSSHHH

The rain continuously poured out heavily, The joint training was paused momentarily because the coach deemed the field unfit for training. And so all the baseball club members were all chilling at the dug-out, resting their bodies. Everyone, except one.

"He's still running?" A member asked in disbelief as the team watched Y/n jog through the field while dragging a tire that was wrapped in his waist. Even under such extreme weather conditions, Y/n still pushed through.

"Y/n sure has guts." "Well we don't know how long he'll keep that up."

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Y/n sat alone at the shed, cleaning the balls he had demolished during his usual batting training. He also decided to clean other balls because he had nothing else to do.

Other teammates would stop by and steal a glance at Y/n, noticing his sudden growth. Everyone was surprised by how much Y/n has changed, from a mediocre substitute to a promising roster contender.

Days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months. During this period of time, Y/n's determination has never wavered and he consistently pumped out sweat and tears into training as hard as he can.

"Hey I always thought Y/n was capable, he's doing exactly what I taught him." "He showed results during that recent match too." " We should put him up for pinch hitter!" Y/n can hear his sunbaes chattering about him. Y/n slightly smiled as he heard praises from his upperclassmen, an event that has never really happened to him before. Yet here he is, slowly but surely, he's now becoming a better person than who he was before. And all of it was thanks to a certain someone...

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"1! 2! 1! 2!"

The sound of collective shouts from the baseball team boomed throughout the entire field and even at the school grounds. The entire club was warming up by running around the entire field. A certain person can be seen outside the baseball field, watching the club from the baseball fences.

Chaewon fixed her bag slings as she intently looked at the baseball club who was busy training. Her eyes would land at a particular person. Y/n was also jogging along the team, his demeanour and posture has massively changed. The once downcast posture and aura was nowhere to be found, and taking its place was a firm and charismatic figure.

Y/n's baseball career wasn't the only that changed throughout the months. Him and Chaewon had managed to form an unlikely friendship and occasionally can be seen hanging out with each other.

Chaewon watched Y/n train for a little bit. Seeing his growth from an insecure boy into a proud athlete was a sight to see for Chaewon and unknowingly a small smile would form from the corner of her lips as she continued to watch Y/n. Her eyes would suddenly grow wide from realization as she quickly stopped smiling. Covering her mouth she quickly walked away while scolding herself. Did she really see Y/n in a different light just now? 'Control yourself Chaewon... he likes your friend...'

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T H W A A N G ! ! ! !

The sound of the metal bat contacting the ball boomed throughout the stadium. The ball flew upward, travelling at unbelievable speed and height. The clouds parted and the sun shone brightly, as if the ball had just pierced the clear sky.

Thump!

The ball would fly up over the stadium, seemingly disappearing into nothingness. Y/n stood frozen at the batter's box, surprised at the play he just did. In just a mere second, he turned the tied game into a 3 run lead in their favour in the final inning. The whole crowd went silent for a second before erupting into cheers.

"WOAHHHH! A 3 RUN HOMERUN WINNING PLAY BY Y/N L/N! HE COMPLETELY TURNED THE GAME AROUND WITH THAT MONSTROUS HIT!!" The commentators were stunned beyond belief as they too erupted into cheers after Y/n's incredible play.

Everyone immediately stood up as they cheered and shouted for Y/n's team. Everyone, including Minjeong who was shouting Y/n's name and pointing at him. Chaewon on the other hand was quiet while freezing on her spot. She too was captivated by Y/n's play as she was greeted by a surge of mixed feelings.

Y/n would jog his way through the bases and finally at the home plate, as he basked in his glory. He'd face the crowd in front of him as he grinned widely.

"YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

Y/n screamed with all of his might, an action that would be reciprocated by the crowd as they'd once again erupt into cheers. His teammate would run up to him before lifting him up and throwing him into the air.

"SPECTACULAR PLAYING Y/N! YOU'RE THE MVP OF TODAY'S FINALS! WE FINALLY AVENGED OUR LAST YEAR LOST AT THE FINALS! AND IT WAS ALL THANKS TO YOU!" The captain exclaimed while crying tears of joy. At last, Joongdong High has won the finals.

Y/n can only smile widely as he took in the moment. His mind would wander back from the moment he was rejected, to the talk with Chaewon, to his countless training sessions, and at last to this very moment. Finally, he had proven himself. He was no longer the gutless Y/n from before, and this was the final piece to finalize it. A sudden thought would pop up from his mind.

"Thank you captain! But sorry, the person I want to get revenge on is..."

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"Here, this is from Minjeong."

Chaewon would bring out a pink colored letter from her pocket before handing it to Y/n, who has his jaw dropped from surprise. Both of them were facing each other, as they're back at the exact place where Y/n was rejected months ago. Though this time, things were more different...

"It's more of a fan letter than a love letter though... Good for you Y/n!" Chaewon smiled brightly at Y/n before suddenly teasing him as she gave him a playful stare. "Do you feel better now that you've completed your goal and avenged yourself?"

Y/n just absently stared at her.

Chaewon was slightly confused by Y/n's lack of response from her questions which caused her to raise her eyebrow. "What are you gonna do? If you want me to, I'll take your rejection to her. There are a lot of girls who like you anyway."

Chaewon clasped her hand and tilted her head. "Thanks to all of your hard work, you're finally in the position to pick who you want, Mr. Popular."

After winning the Finals MVP, Y/n's social life immediately rose to heavens. He quickly joined the ranks of popular students in the school, he gained admirers not only from his school but also from other schools. Y/n also became more outgoing and charismatic from before, he also decided to cut his hair shorter.

"Mr. Popular... t-that... wasn't why I worked so hard." Y/n scratched the back of his head as beads of sweat formed on his forehead while he quickly denied Chaewon's claims.

"AHAHA! What are you saying!" Chaewon went closer to Y/n jeering, as she playfully slapped him multiple times like she's teasing him. "You can't fool me! It was all for getting revenge on Minjeong right? I know that!"

Again, Y/n just stared at her blankly, tight-lipped.

Taking that as a cue to leave, Chaewon turned around and decided to walk away from Y/n. "Well, whether you're gonna go out with her or not, you should at least wait a few days." She'd close her eyes before smiling somewhat bitterly. "But don't ever convey your reply with a letter. Like I told you before, act like a man and-"

As if time would stop, Chaewon would be suddenly cut off from her rambling as she'd feel her body being pulled before feeling a warm and tight feeling embracing her. Y/n had pulled her and hugged her from behind tightly, not letting the petite girl go.

Chaewon's eyes would widen, unable to come up with a response to this situation. Her face would immediately become red as she looked away, trying to avoid the piercing gaze of Y/n. "...Idiot, you got the wrong person." She mumbled, melting under Y/n's tight embrace.

"No, I don't. The only person I wanted to get revenge on was you!" Y/n exclaimed, pouring out his feelings as he confessed to Chaewon. This time, there were no letters involved.

"..." Chaewon would put her hand on Y/n's forearms as she tried to break free from Y/n's grasp. Her head was tilted down, and her expression was unreadable. "Let me go, Y/n."

"I don't want to! I won't let go until you tell me I'm cool, Chaewon." Y/n was not yielding to Chaewon's orders as he stubbornly kept on hugging her, not letting her go anywhere.

Chaewon was still trying to break herself free, before suddenly stopping which caught Y/n off guard. "Stop messing and just let go... If you dont..."

"If you don't, I won't be able to turn around and kiss you, right?"

Suddenly, Chaewon would turn her head around to face Y/n before tipping her toes to press her lips against Y/n's. They'd both pause for a solid minute, as they both cherish each other's first kiss. Kissing Chaewon was an out of this world moment for Y/n, her lips were sweet like a strawberry and addicting like chocolate, and Y/n knew at this moment that he was hooked on this beautiful woman.

Chaewon would land on her foot after she'd tippy-toes her way to Y/n's lips. Both of them would catch their breath after the kiss. Looking at each other, love immediately filled the air around them as Chaewon smiled at Y/n sweetly. "Ah-ah. I think I just lost a friend."

Chaewon would step back from Y/n as she placed her index finger under her pouty lips while sending him a playful and teasing glare. "You shouldn't let a girl kiss you first."

"How uncool!"

You turned around and your smile was too bright... I was defeated again. Revenge unsuccessful!

End.

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3.8k words for this one, coolio. Anyways this turned out messier than what I had envisioned but it is what it is. I'll catch y'all on the next one.

#kpop gg #kpop fanfic #kpop girls #kpop imagines #chaewon #lesserafim #kim chaewon fluff #kpop #kim chaewon x reader #fluff #chaewon fluff

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autistic-duck · 11 months

Text

(Very long post, sorry.)

I had an experience with a college professor last semester that really got me thinking about academics and ableism, specifically in college writing.

A few months ago, my class was having an open discussion, and I brought up an opinion that had been on my mind for a while.

I basically said, "There's a gap between college-level writing and the average person's reading level that we need to fill. Nobody should need to look up words every three seconds to understand a study that could affect their life, so we either need more people to rewrite these studies for the general public to understand, or these studies, in general, should be published with language that isn't so complicated."

My professor responded by saying something like, "Sure, that's a good goal. However, wouldn't a better goal be to raise the average person's reading level so that everyone can understand college-level writing?"

I (in my frantic and confused way) tried to bring up the fact that there are people born at a disadvantage in life. In fact, getting everyone to a perfect college reading level isn't a realistic goal. It certainly isn't for me, and I don't want it to have to be for other people. In fact, the professor who told me this also struggled to understand the chapters we were assigned to read in that class.

Really, it all comes down to this: college-level language is inaccessible.

Even more importantly, many people will never be able to understand most of the huge words thrown around in college writing.

At school, I am constantly told my writing style is "simple" and "easy to understand." This is something my classmates have told me isn't "bad" but just "different." However, I'm still insecure whenever someone mentions it because it is always pointed out. I use a smaller vocabulary, they seem to say, but don't worry. It's just a preferred writing style, they reassure me. They think the simple language is a choice I could stop at any time.

Well, what if it isn't just a "style"? What if I struggle to expand my vocabulary? Learning one new word takes me ages because I need to see it in all kinds of contexts. Even then, oftentimes "context clues" are no help, and I completely misinterpret the meaning of a word for years because it seems like every other native English speaker knew what it meant without needing to say it. A lot of the time I'll read the definition of a new word and instantly forget it after finishing the sentence it was in.

So yeah, I'll say it with pride: Simple words are powerful. Simple words are beautiful. And most importantly, simple words are not inferior in any way to words like "quintessential" or "expedient." (I have no idea what either of those words mean even though I've looked them up plenty of times and used them accurately in essays before.)

Simplicity is why I like shows meant for all ages better than shows meant only for adults. Because in shows that are written with children in mind, there aren't confusing messages you have to spend energy untangling. There aren't unnecessary analogies or feelings that are "implied" but never said. The characters' facial expressions and emotions are easy to read and the moments where I am confused are rare.

Now, this is all coming from an autistic person with low support needs. My reading comprehension score is considered slightly above average, and so is my problem-solving abilities which means I am lucky and I can understand a lot of what I read in college. The main point of this little "essay" was to point out a common conversation I despise hearing in college, the one about simple language and its implied inferiority.

Because guess what? Language is not accessible to everybody. Many of us, even those with high reading comprehension, struggle.

Our goal should never be to make everyone capable of reading college-level books and studies. That is asking for those who need accommodations to accommodate themselves, something I'm sure other disabled people are tired of having to do. Instead, the goal should be making college language more accessible, making knowledge accessible. After all, the reader is only a fragment of the conversation. The writer is the majority of it.

TLDR; Everyone deserves access to language and knowledge that makes sense, and bigger words never mean they are better.

#actually autistic #ableism #autism pride #autism awareness #actuallyautistic #autism #asd #learning disability #accessibility #disability #college #academics #university #student #autistic spectrum #autistic #autism spectrum disorder #autism spectrum #tw ableism

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illuminatedquill · 3 months

Text

Princess Lenora and The Starboy

A Sabine Wren & Ezra Bridger Fairytale

Story Summary: A younger Sabine listens to an old fairytale told by her father, Alrich Wren.

~ the Princess ~

"Sabine, please do be careful up here. The steps are treacherous," called Alrich Wren to his daughter. The mountain path was relatively easy for the average Mandalorian, having been scouted and paved generations prior, but Alrich was not from the warrior class - and he was feeling that fact more and more with every step up the mountain.

It feels like someone poured sand into my joints, he thought grimly as he clambered over another low rock. By the Force was he thankful that Ursa was not here to witness this. She'd never let him live it down.

Sabine, all of eight years old, turned around and rolled her eyes at him. Her hair was cut short, similar to how her mother styled it, barely brushing past the nape of her neck and dyed a striking magenta color (much to her mother's disapproval). She wore a gray combat suit tailored to her scrawny frame, sans the armor plating that was custom to Mandalorian warriors. Sabine was not yet of age to receive her birthright, as was customary to all Mandalorian younglings, but it was coming soon.

"I think you should be worried more about yourself, Father," replied Sabine. "I'm doing just fine by myself."

Alrich wiped the sweat from his brow. The weather on Krownest was at its warmest for this season which, honestly, didn't mean much to anyone who lived here. It just meant that the cold was less biting than usual. "Remind me why you're here again," he said, throwing a stern look at his daughter.

Sabine shrugged. "For moral support, of course," she said with a cheerful smile.

"Uh-huh," he said dryly. "And not because you want to skip out on your studies again."

She crossed her arms - a gesture that reminded him violently of his wife. Sabine was more like her mother than either were willing to admit, which probably explained why they butted heads often. Alrich couldn't help but smile at her.

"Studies are boring," Sabine complained. "I'm going to ace it all, anyway."

Alrich sighed. It was true, of course. Sabine was a child prodigy, blessed with intelligence and aptitude towards any subject she put her mind to. The problem wasn't with her mind, her parents noted. It was with her attitude and rebellious demeanor.

In these dark times, it meant trouble.

"That's not the point of your studies, Sabine," he said. "It's a matter of discipline."

"Discipline is also boring," she countered.

This was not an argument he was going to win. Alrich shook his head and kept hiking forward until he finally caught up with his daughter. With an exasperated sigh, he fondly ruffled Sabine's hair.

"Father," she whined. "Don't mess up my hair, please."

Alrich grinned and began to put more vigor into his ruffling when he spotted something from the corner of his eye: a patch of white flowers, bursting up from the frost.

"A-ha," he said. "We've found it."

Sabine frowned and turned to follow his gaze. "Flowers? That's what we came all this way for?"

Alrich stepped forward, his footfalls crunching heavily in the snow. "Not just any flower, Sabine," he said. "Come, get a closer look."

She did and her eyes widened in recognition. "Lenora flowers," she said. "From the fairytale? These are real?"

"Of course they're real," said Alrich. "And unique to Krownest. These flowers don't grow anywhere else in the entire galaxy."

Sabine sat down to study them more closely. Her brown eyes sparkled with interest. "What makes them so special?"

Alrich sat next to her, grateful for the momentary rest. "Lenora flowers can grow in the adverse conditions of Krownest. Even during the harshest of winters, they continue to thrive. To our people, they are symbolic of unwavering loyalty and perseverance."

Sabine glanced at him. "And love?"

He nodded. "Yes. That is why they're your mother's favorite. I gift these to her every anniversary."

The look his daughter gave him turned sly. "And whenever you upset her, I gather. Because today is not your anniversary."

Alrich coughed to hide his embarrassment. "That's nonsense," he replied. "I was just feeling in the mood."

She grinned at him. "Your secret is safe with me, Father."

He patted her on the knee. "Good girl."

Alrich turned his attention back to the patch of flowers. "Do you remember the fairytale, Sabine? Princess Lenora and the Starboy?"

Sabine scrunched her face, thinking. "Vaguely. Were there star whales involved?"

Alrich smiled, pleased. It had been some time since she had last heard the fairytale. "Yes, there was. Would you like to hear the whole story again? We have time to spare before we need to head back."

His daughter gave him a knowing look. "And you want to rest your knees some more, too."

He laughed. "Ah, Sabine. Sharp as always."

She smiled at him. "Go on, then. Tell me the story."

~ a long time ago ~

As you know, Sabine, Lenora flowers are named after our distant ancestor, Princess Lenora. Legends say that she was the first leader of Clan Wren, and our family are descended directly from her line.

A long time ago, however, Princess Lenora and her people were not living on Krownest - they were fleeing a heavy conflict from another world, seeking a new home. That conflict had devastated their home world to the point that it could no longer sustain life and, fearing for the future of her clan, the Princess gathered the remaining survivors and they fled to the stars.

A few ten thousand souls were all that remained and their lives were in the young Princess' hands. She was strong, brave, and fierce - a running theme in all Clan Wren women, I've noted - but the galaxy tested her and her people to their limits.

No world would accept them. They could find no refuge anywhere. What little valuables they had taken with them were bargained away for food and water and fuel. And, with enough time passed, those began to run out.

Her people starving, homeless, and beginning to lose hope, caused the Princess to grow dispirited. One late night, after hearing the crying of her people, she called out to the stars - begging, pleading for anyone or anything to help.

And the Starboy answered.

Those born from the stars, Sabine, are special; their hearts are made from pure kyber. But they could be fickle folk, too, prone to pranks, thievery, and other mischievous acts. Dealing with them meant that one had to be careful. They were tricksters, capable of performing great feats of magick.

The Princess knew this. Making a deal with the Starboy was an act of pure desperation and could lead to disaster down the line - but her people were in need of salvation.

"I will help you, dear Princess," offered the Starboy. "I can find your people a new home. But you must offer me something in return to match the value of my talent."

"We have no valuables left to bargain with," the Princess replied. "What would you have of us?"

The Starboy thought about this for a while. He had no interest in physical possessions - but he was very lonely. There were very few of his people left; he could not recall the last time he had seen another starborne.

He realized what he desired from the Princess: companionship. Someone to stay by his side, always.

So, the Starboy made his offer. "I would ask for your friendship, in exchange for my help."

Surprised, the Princess nevertheless reached out her hand. "I accept," she said.

And henceforth, the duo journeyed together with her people amongst the stars to find a new home.

The Starboy knew that the deal struck between him and the Princess would end the moment they found a suitable planet for her people, so he sought to delay the ending as much as possible. Using his magick to keep feeding her people and fueling their ships, the Princess didn't mind - and even grew to love the Starboy, despite his antics.

The adventures they had all over the galaxy were the stuff of legend, Sabine: they saw planets made of smoke and song; met various aliens of indescribable beauty and absurdity; sailed through fields of endless ice and light. The Starboy delighted in showing the Princess and her people the endless wonders of the galaxy.

One day, they came across a pod of star whales, stuck in a vast maze of shifting star dust. With the Starboy's magick and the Princess' ingenuity, they led the lost star whales out to safety.

Grateful, they pledged to return the favor one day, should they ever ask. But, to the Starboy, they left a warning: a great Witch had arrived from the deep space beyond their galaxy and sought the Starboy for his power. Someday, they warned, the Witch would find him and destroy all he held dear in order to obtain his power.

After the star whales departed the Starboy grieved, for he knew that his time with the Princess and her people was soon nearing its end. With a heavy heart, he delayed no longer and led them to a new world - one that, in time, would be known as Krownest.

The Princess and her people were overjoyed at the sight of their new home. They thanked the Starboy for his help with celebrations of song and food. But the Starboy could not accept their gratitude, as he was too burdened with sadness at his imminent departure.

Their deal was concluded - and danger was coming. The Starboy had fallen in love with the Princess and her people. To keep them safe, he decided to leave quietly in the dead of night.

But Princess Lenora stopped him. "Do not go," she said. "Stay with us. This is your home, too."

"Our deal is finished," replied the Starboy. "I have done as requested. You have no need of me anymore. And the Witch is coming."

The Princess reached out and grasped his hand. "Then make a new deal with me. Stay with us. We will defeat this Witch together. And when we do so, you must give something to me."

"I have no personal possessions," said the Starboy, smiling. "No valuables on my person. What would you have of me?"

"Give me your heart, Starboy," replied the Princess. "And stay by my side, forevermore."

She reached out her hand. Instead, however, the Starboy gave her a hug, glad to have a companion at last.

But it was not meant to be, Sabine. For the Witch arrived the very next day and brought war with her.

Princess Lenora and her people were the finest Mandalorians the galaxy had ever seen. They fought with everything they had for three days and three nights. The surface of Krownest became battle-scarred and burned; the Witch's magick brought about an endless frost that still plagues our home to this day.

Despite the bravery of Princess Lenora and her clan, they could not win the battle. The Starboy, his heart breaking at their courage despite the overwhelming odds, concocted a final plan to trick the Witch.

On the fourth day, the Starboy offered himself up to the Witch. Eager to devour his heart and obtain the source of his power, she ripped open his chest -

Only to find it empty.

"Where is it?" she hissed at him, furious to be deprived of her prize. "Where is your heart, Starboy?"

"I have given it to another, Witch!" yelled the Starboy in response. "It will never be yours!"

The Witch howled in fury and began to reach for her magick to punish Princess Lenora and her people -

With a final effort of magick, the Starboy called to the star whales -

And they came to his side in a flash of starlight. "We have come to repay the favor," they said.

"Take this Witch back to whence she came!" said the Starboy.

"It shall be done," the star whales answered. And they surrounded the Witch, their arms reaching around her, tightening and tightening. From the ground below, the people cheered - except for Princess Lenora. She leapt into a ship and flew out to meet the Starboy, still clutched in the Witch's grasp.

"Come home with me!" she cried out. "You promised to stay with me, Starboy!"

But the Starboy looked at his beloved Princess and shook his head. "I must go and see this through, Princess. I have to make sure the Witch never comes back to hurt your people."

The star whales began to glow with a fearsome light, signaling their departure into the deep reaches beyond our galaxy. The Witch howled and struggled but could not escape their grip.

The Princess cried out one last time: "You must promise to come back. I will wait for you; do you hear me?"

The Starboy smiled at her, possibly for the last time. "I accept this deal, Princess. A part of me will always be with you, until I return."

With a final burst of dazzling light, the star whales vanished into space, leaving behind a trail of stardust. And with them, the Starboy and the Witch.

In the years to come, the Princess waited patiently for her beloved Starboy to return. His heart, given to her as per their deal, was buried on a distant mountain top to keep safe. Every night, she travelled to the spot where his heart lay and sat down, looking up at the night sky.

She watched the stars wheel endlessly above. Every now and then, one of them twinkled at her; the Princess wondered sadly if that was the Starboy, letting her know that he was still out there.

When many years had passed, and she began to lose hope, the Princess wandered up to where the Starboy's heart was buried and found a patch of beautiful flowers growing there. Upon seeing them, she made a vow: that as long as the flowers bloomed on Krownest, the love she shared with the Starboy would never die - and that one day, they would be reunited, forevermore.

~ the Princess, revisited ~

Alrich watched his daughter carefully, gauging her reaction to the story's end.

Sabine stared at the flowers, seemingly lost in thought. He chanced a glance at his chrono - the hour was growing late. They needed to head back soon.

Finally, after a few long moments, Sabine spoke. "Lenora was stupid," she remarked.

He blinked at her, shocked at her response. "What?" he asked.

Sabine stood up and wiped angrily at her legs, clearing off loose snow and dirt. "You heard me. She was stupid."

Alrich quirked an eyebrow at her. "How so?"

"She waited. Like an idiot. I wouldn't have waited."

"Ah," said Alrich, understanding dawning on him. "I see. You would have gone to find the Starboy."

Sabine reached down to the patch and plucked one of the Lenora flowers. She handed it over to Alrich, who accepted it with a nod of thanks. "Obviously. She loved him! Why wait?"

He stroked at his beard and gently placed the flower into a pouch on his belt; later, he would press it into a bookmark for Ursa. "Hmmm. You raise a fair point, Sabine."

His daughter shook her head. "I can't believe that's how the story ends."

Alrich smiled at his daughter. "That's the wonderful thing about stories, you know? When you tell it, you can decide how the story ends."

Sabine looked at him, blinking in astonishment. "Really?"

"Certainly. That's how the story was told to me. But you can change the ending, if you want." He stood up, swiping at his legs to clean them. Once finished, he beckoned to her and started walking down the mountain path leading back to home.

Sabine was quiet for the next few minutes, thinking it over. "I think I know how I want the story to end," she said as they walked.

Alrich glanced at her, curious. "Tell me, then. Tell me how your story ends."

Smiling slightly, Sabine began to speak. "One day, a wise and powerful wizard brings a map to the Princess . . ."

Epilogue (many years later)

~ the Starboy, found ~

The Noti convoy moved slowly under the bleak Peridea sky. It was a scene that Ezra Bridger had become accustomed to over the past few years but there was a significant difference to this time.

Sabine Wren, his longtime friend, had come to find him at last. After double-checking the instrument panel on the Noti hover-dome to ensure everything was working properly, he snuck another glance at Sabine just to ensure that she was actually there.

Ezra had lost count the number of times he had dreamed this exact scenario: Sabine Wren, coming to save him, like some avenging Mandalorian angel.

But it wasn't a dream this time. She was real. Her head was leaned back, eyes closed, arms crossed, boots propped up on the dome's surface - it was almost like back in the old days, lounging on the Ghost during the Rebellion.

He felt a soft smile grow on his face at the sight of her. How much he had missed her company.

Sensing his stare, Sabine popped open an eye and smiled back at him. "Thinking happy thoughts?" she asked.

"Hard not to," he replied. "They're all about you."

Her smile widened. "Ah, flattery. You're a flirt now, Ezra Bridger?"

Ezra's cheeks flushed. "Oh, well - no. Not very many people to flirt - well, talk, really with here on Peridea."

Sabine chuckled. "The Noti seem nice."

"They are," agreed Ezra. "But not exactly the most interesting species to hold a conversation with."

"Well," remarked Sabine, "it's nice to know that I'm good for something. Other than rescuing helpless Jedi."

Ezra snorted. "Oh, I've missed you."

Sabine grinned at him. "Back at you, goober."

Rolling his eyes, Ezra reached down and rummaged through his pack. After a brief moment of searching, he found what he was looking for: an old storybook.

With a grin, he plopped it on Sabine's lap. "Found this, by the way."

She let out a breath of surprise. "'Princess Lenora and the Starboy?'" she asked. "Where in the stars did you find this?"

"Thrawn had it. Long story, but I stole it from his office. Part of his weird museum of collectibles."

Sabine snorted and flipped through the pages. "It's still your favorite, right?" asked Ezra.

"Yeah," she replied softly. "Never dreamed that I'd actually meet real life star whales. Or travel to another galaxy, even."

"We've had pretty crazy lives, now that I think about it," Ezra observed.

"Yeah, no kidding," said Sabine. A pang of melancholy went through her as she read through the story; her father reading this to her, late at night, flashed vividly in her memories.

"Didn’t like the ending," said Ezra. "We never did find out if the Princess and the Starboy ever reunited."

Sabine closed the book. "They did reunite," she said. "That's how I told the story."

Ezra looked at her. "Is that so?"

She nodded. "My father told me that if you don't like the story's ending, then just change it. So that's what I did."

Ezra shook his head and smiled at her. "That's so very . . . you, Sabine."

Sabine shrugged. "Who else am I supposed to be?"

He laughed. "True. I wouldn't have it any other way."

She grinned and leaned back in her seat. "You're not getting it any other way, Ezra. I'm afraid you're stuck with me."

"Oh, good," he replied dryly. After a brief pause, he added quietly, "Thanks for finding me, Princess."

For a moment, he thought Sabine hadn't heard him. Then, just as quietly, Ezra heard her answer.

"Anything for you, Starboy."

#sabezra #sabine wren #ezra bridger #alrich wren #star wars rebels #star wars #ahsoka #ahsoka show #sabezra fanfiction #natasha liu bordizzo #eman esfandi

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dagwolf · 1 year

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Recent viral images of Southwest agents getting yelled at and crying have resurfaced a valuable lesson about the nature of our economic system that’s worth examining this holiday season: the deliberate, built-in ways corporate “customer service” is set up to not only shield those on the top of the ladder—executives, vice presidents, large shareholders—but pit low-wage workers against each other in an inherently antagonistic relationship marked by powerlessness and frustration. It’s a dynamic we discussed in “Episode 118: The Snitch Economy—How Rating Apps and Tipping Pit Working People Against Each Other,” of the Citations Needed podcast I co-host, but I feel ought to be expanded on in light of recent events. Watching video after video, reading tweet after tweet, describing frustrated stranded holiday travelers yelling at Southwest Airlines workers, and hearing, in turn, accounts of airline workers and airport staff breaking down crying, is a good opportunity to talk about how none of this is natural or inevitable. It is a choice, both in corporate policy and government regulation.

There are three main ways capital pits workers against each other in the relationship we call “customer service”:

1. Snitch economy. As discussed in Citations Needed Ep. 118, we are provided with more and more apps, websites, and customer surveys to effectively do the job of managing for management—free of charge, of course. Under the auspices of “empowering” the consumer, we are told to spy on our low-wage servants and gauge the quality of their servitude with stars, tips, and reviews. Uber, DoorDash, Fiver, Grubhub—a new “gig economy” has emerged that not only misclassifies workers as freelancers to pay them less, but hands over the reins of management to the consumer directly. This necessarily increases the antagonism between working-class consumers and the workers they are snitching on.

2. Automation. Increasingly, even getting to the bottom rung employee to yell at is difficult. Under the thin pretense of Covid, increased labor power has exploded the use of automated technology that creates a frustrating maze to get a simple problem solved or task accomplished. Don’t go to the register, instead download the app and order. Scan the QR code, don’t wait on hold, go to our website and engage a series of automated prompts and maybe you can solve your problem. More and more consumers are being pushed away from humans onto automated systems we are told will “save us time,” but instead exist solely to save the corporation labor costs. So, by the time the average consumer does finally work their way to seeing a human, they are annoyed, frustrated, and angry at this faceless entity and more willing to take it out on someone making $13 an hour.

One recent visit to Houston’s George H.W. Bush airport portended our obnoxious “automated” future. To cut down on unionized airport labor, all the restaurants use QR codes and require you to order food and drinks for yourself. Per usual, it’s sold as an exciting new technology that’s somehow good for consumers, but really the basic technology is 30 years old. It’s just a screen—the same ones restaurants have had for decades. The only thing that’s changed is the social conditioning of having you do all your own ordering and menu navigation. The waiter hasn’t been replaced by an iPad, they’ve been replaced by you. Invariably, it’s clunky and annoying and reduces the union jobs that airport construction is said to provide to justify soliciting public dollars. The only winner is a faceless corporation with a Delaware LLC and its shareholders living in a few counties in Connecticut and Texas.

Automation not only annoys and adds labor burdens to the customer, there is also evidence that it is a significant contributor to income inequality. A November 2022 study published in the journal Econometrica looked at the significantly widening income gap between lesser and more educated workers over the past 40 years. It found that “automation accounts for more than half of that increase,” as summarized by MIT News. “This single one variable … explains 50 to 70 percent of the changes or variation between group inequality from 1980 to about 2016,” said MIT economist Daron Acemoglu, co-author of the study. Whether or not, under a different economic system, automation could be a force for good is a debate for another day. But what is clear is that, while both consumers and workers are harmed by this trend, there is a significant want of solidarity between them.

3. Deliberate understaffing. This is a major culprit in this week’s Southwest Airlines meltdown. In parallel with the increased use of forced automation, cost-cutting corporations, facing increased labor power, are gutting staffing to its bare bones and hoping their corporate competitors doing the same will lead to a shift in consumer’s willingness to put up with substandard service and conditions, and overall bullshit. “We apologize for the wait,” the automated phone prompt tells us. Of course a machine cannot be contrite, so the effect is both surreal and grating: You’re not fucking sorry, you don’t exist. You're a recording. But now, who am I yelling at?

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