#so busy with animal crossing forgot to post this

[stuckfixated]

Happy New Year! 🎆 Animal Crossing fireworks (New Leaf and Wild Word)

#animal crossing #games #forgot to post this earlier #I was busy hanging out with a friend so!

[gimmethatagustd]

venor (5) | kth + jjk

The barista at the university’s café keeps telling Jungkook not to come back, but Jungkook is too busy daydreaming about kissing the beauty marks on his face to be paying attention to his warnings.

○ Pairing: Tiger!Taehyung x Bunny!Jungkook

○ Rating: Explicit/18+

○ Genre: Hybrids, predator/prey, college au, strangers to lovers, slow burn, fluff, light angst, eventual smut

○ Word Count: 4,917

○ Warnings: None

○ Notes: Sorry I forgot to schedule this to post yesterday y'all. We're not having a great time but it's okay!! Min Yoongi said we'll bloom after all our hardships yknow.

○ Post Date: March 4, 2024

○ Masterlist | AO3 Cross-Post

○ What was Jai listening to? The series playlist

Series Masterlist

Convincing Yoongi to join Jungkook at the on-campus fitness center isn’t as tricky as Jungkook expects. All it takes is the promise that Jungkook won’t leave Yoongi alone in the weight room with all the confusing weightlifting equipment and the intimidating gym bros — because, as Yoongi quickly learns, even the prey fitness center has gym bros.

Luckily, Jungkook isn’t one of them.

“You’re a gym bunny,” Yoongi snickers as the two cross the fitness center’s parking lot, nearly getting hit by a car driven by a lamb hybrid cutting through the lot.

“Isn’t that term only for girls?” Jungkook asks with a scrunch of his nose. He must drag Yoongi by the long sleeve of his dri-fit shirt to avoid getting run over by more cars.

“You’re literally a rabbit.”

“Not literally.”

“You’re half-rabbit.”

“I guess.”

Yoongi rolls his eyes and pushes the front door of the rec center open for Jungkook. His statement still isn’t entirely true, though understanding hybrids is difficult. They’re not quite half-human, half-animal, but something entirely separate.

The most disappointing part of being what they are, in Jungkook’s opinion, is that they can’t shapeshift. What is the point of having animal features if Jungkook can’t fully turn into a rabbit? It seems lame.

After scanning their student IDs at the information desk at the entrance of the fitness center, Jungkook leads Yoongi down a long hallway leading to the weight room. They pass the doors to the indoor pool and a few gymnasiums lined with bleachers. Most rooms are occupied by varsity athletes or students just there to have some casual fun with friends. Jungkook has made friends with other students who like working out; there usually isn’t a ton in the weight room. He supposes the stereotypes about prey not being particularly muscular prevent many from exploring the weightlifting world. It’s unfortunate; Jungkook doesn’t believe in letting societal norms dictate what he does with his body.

“They offer fitness classes?” Yoongi peers at a corkboard with announcements and class fliers tacked to it. The board is mounted on the wall just outside the weight room door.

“Yup! Yoga, different dance genres, martial arts, even some unique sports like archery and fencing,” Jungkook explains as he digs to the bottom of his backpack.

“Fencing sounds sick.” Yoongi jabs into the air like he’s holding a weapon, his sleek black tail vigorously flicking behind him.

Just inside the weight room entrance are a few rows of small lockers against the wall. Jungkook shoves his backpack inside one of them after taking out a combination lock and two insulated sports water bottles — one for himself and one for Yoongi (since Jungkook knew Yoongi would forget to bring his own).

“You should sign up for a class!” Jungkook hands Yoongi one of the bottles and gives him an encouraging smile. “I can go with you if you want, so you won’t be alone.”

Yoongi seems to contemplate the idea but quickly gets distracted by a group of domestic cat hybrids stepping past them to reach the half of the room that holds all the cardio equipment. That’s likely where Yoongi should begin his workout journey, but he has been insistent on learning how to lift weights. To get swole or whatever. Jungkook tries not to laugh.

“Let’s go this way,” Jungkook gently steers Yoongi toward the other side of the large room.

There are fewer workout machines on this side of the room, which is fine. Jungkook wants to teach Yoongi some basics about exercises he can do with his body weight and smaller weights he can hold without a spotter. For now, their gym sessions are about ensuring Yoongi feels confident and comfortable with what Jungkook has planned for him. The more intense exercises will come later.

Jungkook begins by showing Yoongi the correct posture for simple exercises like arm curls and squats. It doesn’t allow Jungkook to get much working out in, but he finds that he enjoys teaching Yoongi just as much as he enjoys working out on his own.

“Keep your toes pointed like this,” Jungkook demonstrates the correct way to squat, gesturing at his feet, “And angle your back like this,” he then gestures to the mirror wall in front of them to show Yoongi his form.

“How do you even know how to do all this?” Yoongi grunts as he picks up one of the weights and holds it while slowly easing into a standing squat.

“Youtube, mostly. And after a while, my kickboxing instructor helped with the stuff I didn’t pick up on my own. It just takes time to figure things out.”

Yoongi shakes his head slowly.

“You’re so different, Jungkook-ah. It’s good, though. Really good.”

Jungkook shrugs and pauses for a moment to have a sip of water. It’s pretty early on a Saturday morning, so few people are working out. Jungkook prefers to get his workouts in early so he has the rest of the day to do other things.

On most Saturday mornings, Jungkook doesn’t have much to do besides hanging out with friends or finishing homework since he doesn’t work his library shifts on the weekends. This morning is far different than most Saturday mornings, though. Jungkook has actual plans for the rest of the day, plans that make his stomach flutter just thinking about them.

Jungkook and Yoongi spend an hour in the weight room before Yoongi eventually taps out. He manages to last twice as long as Jungkook had expected, much to Jungkook’s excitement. Working out may seem simple, boring even, but something about being strong makes Jungkook feel euphoric. Perhaps it’s the endorphins, but he thinks it can’t just be that.

Regardless of the exact reason, he feels on top of the world as he drags Yoongi to the communal bathroom. He’s overcome with a slap-happy kind of energy he gains after pushing his body to its limit.

Quickly, he shows Yoongi how to work the showers and exchanges their sweaty workout clothes for the clean clothes they packed together before leaving their dorm. Yoongi only minimally complains about having to use a shower other people have used, and Jungkook manages not to spend an eternity shampooing his ears.

“I feel like I’m going to die,” Yoongi complains once they’re back in the fitness center lobby. He grips his water bottle like a lifeline and glares at Jungkook.

“What?” Jungkook grins as he scans their student IDs to notify the security system that they’re leaving the center. “You did such a good job! Now you can load up on some protein and take a nap.”

“I guess that sounds nice…” Yoongi mutters, taking his ID back from Jungkook and pulling the long sleeves of his sweater over his hands to protect them from the chilly autumn breeze when they step outside.

The morning sun is finally poking through the clouds. Jungkook flips the hood of his hoodie over his head and tightens the strings slightly, making the fabric scrunch around his face. Wet hair and a cool breeze are never a comfortable combination in autumn.

“Are you coming back home?” Yoongi asks as the two cut through the parking lot toward the west side of campus, where the prey dorms are.

Jungkook shakes his head and adjusts the straps on his backpack. Once they meet a fork in the road, Yoongi heads left while Jungkook twists to the right.

“I’m going to study at Venor…” Jungkook mumbles, eyes cast downward. When Yoongi doesn’t respond immediately, Jungkook peeks at him through his wet bangs.

Yoongi rolls his eyes, but his smile is genuine.

“Like a lovesick puppy, I swear to god.”

“Hyung!” Jungkook whines, kicking at a loose chunk of sidewalk with the toe of his Nikes.

“I’m just pointing out the obvious!”

With an exaggerated sigh, Jungkook throws his head back and stares at the sunrays muted by milky clouds.

“I’ll be home after, okay? You have to help me plan my project, anyway.”

Grumbling a reluctant agreement that isn’t as hesitant as he plays it off to be, Yoongi waves Jungkook away and heads toward the dormitories. Jungkook watches him go with fondness warming his chest even as the breeze springs up goosebumps along his skin.

Now that he’s alone, Jungkook takes his phone from the pocket of his hoodie. His stomach grumbles as he walks across campus, but he knows food will be waiting for him at the cafe. He opens his text conversation with Taehyung, rereading the last few texts they shared the night before.

vante95 did you fucking fall asleep on me bun damn it’s like that huh making me quadruple-text you like a loser see you tomorrow bun sweet dreams 🐇

Smiling like an idiot, Jungkook nearly runs into a light pole when he veers to the right on the sidewalk. He’s saved by a stranger grabbing his arm and yanking him back on track.

“Oh, thank you,” Jungkook gasps, but the person is already walking away, shaking their head at his foolishness.

Maybe he is a lovesick puppy. He can barely keep himself together.

It only worsens as Jungkook approaches Venor Cafe, and his stomach falls slightly when he notices the lights are off inside and the sign hanging on the front door is still flipped to closed . Checking his phone, Jungkook frowns at the time. Taehyung opens the cafe at ten o’clock on Saturday mornings. It’s currently fifteen minutes past ten.

Taehyung is always on time.

Well, he was late to class that one time, but that was it! Otherwise, Taehyung is always early. Jungkook is the late one, always meandering even when he knows where he’s going, usually lost in some daydream he’s crafted that makes him lose himself in the clouds. Over the past few months, Jungkook has learned that Taehyung is firmly grounded, responsible and reliable.

Everything is fine, Jungkook tells himself as he waits at the corner of the cafe. There’s no need to jump to terrible conclusions about Taehyung’s welfare. He likely slept in.

With that thought in mind, Jungkook decides to call Taehyung. If he has overslept, perhaps a phone call will wake him up. Jungkook wouldn’t want him to get in trouble for being late.

Nerves make Jungkook tap his foot against the cracked sidewalk while the phone rings. Each ring’s tone reverberates through Jungkook’s body, zapping his nerves even more. When the automated voice message announces that Taehyung is unavailable, Jungkook feels like his entire body will vibrate off the side of the building.

“Hi, Tae. I’m at Venor, um, I can hang out for a bit, but I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Can you call me or text me…”

Jungkook trails off, and the automatic voicemail system eventually saves his message and hangs up due to inactivity. He doesn’t notice; his attention is on the two individuals approaching from the neighborhood's east side.

It takes everything in Jungkook’s power to stop himself from tapping his foot faster. He goes as far as stepping on one foot with the other, terrified of letting the predators notice how distressed he is.

“Well, look who it is,” Byungchul smirks as he speaks, his mouth pinching with ugly amusement that doesn’t reach his cold, dark eyes. “Our little bun.”

The snake hybrid beside Byungchul laughs, the sound nasally, more of a hiss than what Jungkook would recognize as genuine laughter. At first, Jungkook thinks the hybrid is Hoseok, but when the snake turns to him, Jungkook realizes he doesn’t recognize who he is.

There’s a war inside of Jungkook, one he was unaware of until he moved to Seoul. The independent, confident part of him wants to stand up to these predator bullies. He wants to snap at Byungchul, to tell him not to call him a nickname only Taehyung has ever used. He wants to tell Byungchul that he doesn’t care about whatever rude things he has to say.

Instincts, however, tell Jungkook to flee.

His mouth goes dry, and the euphoria he’d felt earlier drains from his system as every muscle in his body weakens. He thinks of Yoongi’s warnings about the aggressive behavior of predators and Suyun’s insistence that not all of them are bad.

“Byungchul has something wrong with him.”

Suyun’s voice echoes in Jungkook’s head as Byungchul advances, his silky wolf’s tail swaying side to side. It might be cute on someone else, but Jungkook’s automatic response is to flinch at the behavior.

“What’s wrong, bun?” Byungchul asks with a mocking pout. “Don’t tell me the cat’s got your tongue.”

The snake hybrid hisses again, scaly hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket. He glitters red in the weak sunlight.

“I’m shocked Taehyung hasn’t torn him to pieces yet,” the snake’s voice slices through the breeze, sharp and clear.

“Same,” Byungchul turns to look at his friend when he talks. Jungkook doesn’t get much relief, Byungchul’s mean stare returning just as quickly as it left. “Our hyung should be careful. Unclaimed prey are fair game, aren’t they, Minsu?”

Unclaimed prey. 

Jungkook doesn’t know what that means, but his body stiffens when Byungchul speaks. It sounds violent and possessive. Jungkook’s eyes fall on Byungchul’s sharp canines, and the cold floods his veins when he realizes Taehyung isn’t coming.

Jungkook will never tell anyone, but he runs.

The fear of being chased by Byungchul and his friend doesn’t leave a sweet taste of longing on his tongue like when he lets his mind wander to the strange desire for Taehyung to chase him. Instead, the fear tightens Jungkook’s chest until he has to stop running and bend at the waist, heaving as cold air freezes his lungs, making breathing painful. He grasps at his chest and rips his hood from his head to get rid of the claustrophobic feeling suffocating him.

When he closes his eyes, all he sees is Byungchul’s face shadowed by contempt. 

-

vante95 aw shit i forgot to set my alarm sorry you still there? gimme like 10 min hey if you still wanna hang im here now or we can meet up after my shift? lmk hey bun where do you want to meet? im done now fuck im sorry i was late but i still want to go with you today are you ok?

Jungkook tosses his phone on the coffee table and snuggles deeper into the blankets he has wrapped around himself on the couch. Yoongi stares at him from the other end of the couch with a suspicious look, but he doesn’t push Jungkook to explain what has gotten him so shaken up, and for that, Jungkook is grateful.

“Can I do anything for you, Jungkookie?”

Yoongi’s tail swats the back of the couch in a steady rhythm that Jungkook finds strangely comforting.

“No.”

“Nothing at all?”

Jungkook shakes his head.

With a sigh, Yoongi stands up. He gives Jungkook a look that is both frustrated and endeared. Jungkook is sure it’s an expression only Yoongi could master.

“Can I at least feed you? I was thinking of making fried chicken in the air fryer.” Yoongi waits, not discouraged when Jungkook stares off into space. “It’ll be really crispy.”

Jungkook sighs like Yoongi had. His gaze slides from the blank TV screen to Yoongi’s soft expression.

“Yes, hyung. That would be nice.”

Pleased to have a purpose, Yoongi heads to their small kitchen to prepare the chicken. He calls out if Jungkook also wants rice or noodles, and Jungkook can’t say no to carbs, no matter how upset he is.

It isn’t just that Byungchul encroached on Jungkook’s personal space and clearly tried to intimidate him. What has Jungkook more disturbed is what Byungchul said about Taehyung. The two predators are friends. Wouldn’t Byungchul know Taehyung well? So what is all this talk about Taehyung being, well, a predator?

Jungkook may have spent significant time with Taehyung in class and at Venor, but today was supposed to be the first time they hung out alone. Taehyung had agreed to go to the art museum with him since Suyun is busy. Now, Jungkook isn’t sure if he feels like he wants to. He’s not sure if he can.

A knock on their front door startles Jungkook out of his stupor. His voice is weak when he calls out to Yoongi, “Hyung, is that for you?”

Yoongi’s head pops out of the kitchen doorway to look at Jungkook, who is still sitting in the living room.

“Jungkook, I have, like, two friends, and you’re one of them.”

“Okay, but same,” Jungkook admits, nose scrunching with confusion. The knock at the door could be Suyun, but she’s with Jackson and his family this weekend. Besides, she would have texted Jungkook if she planned to come over.

“Can you get it for me?” Yoongi shouts from the kitchen.

Part of Jungkook thinks Yoongi probably could get the door himself, but instead, he’s forcing Jungkook to get off the couch. It’s fine. Jungkook does what his hyung wants, even if he keeps a blanket wrapped around his body as he drags his feet to the door. For a brief moment, he wonders if it might be Byungchul. The thought sets Jungkook’s heart into overdrive, thumping in his chest like his foot wants to thump against the floor.

A predator stands on the other side of the door, but it isn’t Byungchul.

“Bun, what happened?” Taehyung rushes to speak before Jungkook has a chance to say anything. “I called and texted you.”

Taehyung looks disheveled. His curls are frizzy and sitting a bit higher than usual on his head, as if a gust of wind had hit him and he didn’t try to smooth his hair back down. His white t-shirt is wrinkled beneath the light blue jean jacket he has on, one sleeve pushed up while the other hangs down at his wrist. Jungkook tries not to stare at how long his legs look in his skinny jeans or how cute his leather boots are — an outfit so different than Taehyung’s usual look. He’s dressed like he’s planning to go out, and technically, he is.

Jungkook drops his chin to stare at his own body, loose sweatpants and a baggy sweatshirt hanging on his frame in a rather unflattering way underneath his blanket. He was supposed to be dressed to go out, too.

“Byungchul said I’m unclaimed prey,” Jungkook blurts out. His voice wobbles, and he turns away when Taehyung’s eyes narrow. The look is scary and makes Jungkook feel like he’s done something wrong.

“He said what ?”

Taehyung’s voice is gravelly, nearly a growl. The sound of it makes Jungkook’s skin prickle and draws goosebumps up his arms. Behind a twinge of fear, a tiny bit of heat stirs in Jungkook’s stomach.

“Hey, what the fuck is going on here?” Yoongi appears behind Jungkook, brandishing a pair of greasy tongs.

Jungkook isn’t sure if Yoongi is holding the tongs simply because he forgot to put them down or if he’s planning to use them as a weapon. It’s silly either way.

Yoongi’s question reminds Jungkook that predators aren’t allowed to be on the prey’s side of campus and they definitely aren’t allowed in prey dormitories. It’s one of the highest offenses a predator student can make.

“Come on, before someone sees you,” Jungkook urges, grabbing Taehyung by the arm to pull him inside.

It’s strange having Taehyung in his dorm. He looks too big, an oppressive presence barely contained by the tight space of the entryway. Yoongi stares at Taehyung with suspicion, still clutching the tongs. Taehyung eyes them, and Jungkook is shocked to see Yoongi’s cheeks flush.

“I’m making fried chicken…” Yoongi mumbles, quickly looking away from Taehyung to stare at Jungkook with wide eyes.

“Oh, um, this is Yoongi, my roommate,” Jungkook gestures toward the cat hybrid, “And this is Taehyung. Uh, you know.”

Perhaps if the situation wasn’t so tense, Taehyung would have used this as an opportunity to tease Jungkook. Instead, Taehyung stares at Jungkook with a heavy gaze that weighs on Jungkook almost worse than the stress of confronting Byungchul alone.

“What happened, Jungkook?” Taehyung asks quietly. The question is deceptively calm.

Sensing their stress, Yoongi slowly inches toward the kitchen.

“I’m… going to finish… cooking…” Yoongi mumbles before disappearing through the door. Neither Jungkook nor Taehyung pays him any mind.

“I was waiting for you,” Jungkook doesn’t mean to sound accusatory, but his tone comes out that way regardless. “He was there with one of his friends and said…”

Wrapping the blanket tighter around himself, Jungkook takes a deep breath. To his credit, Taehyung stands with his hands in his pockets and waits patiently despite the anger simmering just below the surface of his relaxed demeanor.

“Well, first his friend said you would, you would…”

“I would what?” Taehyung’s nostrils flare, but he keeps his mouth shut beyond the probing question.

“His friend said you’d tear me apart,” Jungkook whispers, “And then Byungchul said you needed to be careful because I’m unclaimed prey.”

Taehyung barks a cruel laugh, loud with an edge that makes Jungkook’s body tingle. His ears fall flat, and his tail flicks much like Yoongi’s when he’s irritated.

“The son of a bitch.”

“What does it mean?”

Taehyung shakes his head, and his gaze falls to stare at the space between them.

“It doesn’t matter what it means.”

Stomping his foot, Jungkook lets out a tiny, frustrated growl. It’s not intimidating in the least bit, even though Jungkook thinks he seems tough. Despite being furious, the corners of Taehyung’s mouth twitch in amusement.

“It does matter. They were talking about me, so I deserve to know what they were saying.”

With a sigh, Taehyung rolls his shoulders and lets his arms hang limply at his sides. After taking a deep breath, the hard lines of his face soften until he looks much calmer.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with them,” Taehyung begins, holding up his hand when Jungkook starts to protest, “And I want to make it very clear that I would never do anything to hurt you. I swear on my life, bun. I am not like that.”

Jungkook nods. Instinctually, he wants to burrow in his blankets and hide from this conversation, but he knows he needs to have it to decide if he can trust Taehyung in the future. He wants to believe that Taehyung won’t hurt him, but nothing makes sense anymore. Honestly, nothing made sense even before. 

“Unclaimed prey…” Taehyung inhales sharply, his tone deepening when he spits out, “God, Byungchul is such a bitch.”

“Taehyung…” Jungkook calls out softly.

“Sorry,” Taehyung nods, eyes never leaving Jungkook’s. “Some predators who grow… fond of certain prey like to… claim them as their own, so other predators know not to pursue them, I guess you could say.”

Jungkook shifts on his feet, eyes dropping because he’s finding it too difficult to look Taehyung in the face. This conversation is making him uneasy, but not in the way Taehyung likely thinks.

“I’m really sorry, bun,” Taehyung takes a step forward and slowly holds out his hands as though he’s afraid Jungkook will run away if he moves too quickly. “I wish I had been there. I would have—”

“It’s not your fault.”

Jungkook lets Taehyung rest his hands on his shoulders and lightly squeeze them. It isn’t the hug Jungkook wants, but he has a feeling that this is a lot for Taehyung, who seems far more reserved than all of Jungkook’s other friends.

“How do predators…”

“They scent them, usually,” Taehyung answers so Jungkook doesn’t have to finish asking.

His hands are hot, the warmth bleeding through Jungkook’s blanket and shirt enough that Jungkook can feel it on his skin. It’s comforting, especially when Taehyung is close enough for Jungkook to breathe in his scent, even though it’s spiked and bitter with anger.

Jungkook stares up at Taehyung with wide eyes and tries to ignore the heat building in his body.

“Will you scent me?”

Taehyung’s fingers flex around Jungkook’s shoulders, and he inhales sharply. His feline eyes search Jungkook’s face like he’s waiting for there to be more to Jungkook’s question. When nothing else comes, he wets his lips and squeezes Jungkook again.

“I don’t think you fully understand what you’re asking of me.”

“I understand enough,” Jungkook challenges, brows furrowed and nose scrunched.

Taehyung stares at Jungkook for a bit longer. Jungkook is about to snap at him for acting as though he’s stupid when Taehyung slips his fingers around the edge of the blanket and slowly pulls it away from Jungkook’s shoulders. The soft fabric pools around Jungkook’s elbows, exposing the top half of his torso. Despite his sweatshirt, Jungkook shivers from the exposure.

With gentle, intentional movements, Taehyung reaches up to cradle the side of Jungkook’s face. His fingers brush against Jungkook’s floppy bunny ears and Jungkook has to bite his bottom lip so he won’t make noise. Keeping quiet becomes more difficult when Taehyung leans in, tilting his face down while angling Jungkook’s head up and to the side. Using his other hand, Taehyung curls his fingers around the collar of Jungkook’s sweater and pulls it back while dragging his nose up the length of Jungkook’s neck.

Jungkook inhales sharply, letting go of his blanket to grab the lapels of Taehyung’s jacket instead. His skin tingles as Taehyung repeatedly nuzzles his neck, each time starting at his collarbone and trailing up to the edge of his jaw. After a few agonizing seconds, Taehyung presses a light kiss on the soft spot just below Jungkook’s ear.

Before Jungkook can speak, Taehyung lifts Jungkook’s head back to nuzzle the front of Jungkook’s throat, then swipes around to repeat the scenting process on the other side of Jungkook’s neck.

Taehyung finishes scenting that side of Jungkook’s neck with a kiss, too, and Jungkook’s stomach swoops so severely that his body trembles.

“How do you feel?” Taehyung asks quietly, pulling back far enough for them to look each other in the eyes. He doesn’t move his hands from the side of Jungkook’s neck and the back of his head.

“G-Good.”

Taehyung’s dark eyes drop to Jungkook’s mouth where Jungkook has bitten his bottom lip.

“I need to scent you every time you come to Venor, okay?” It’s a question, but Taehyung speaks it like a command. Jungkook is more than willing to accept it.

“And I’ll scent you, too,” Jungkook says, gently tugging at Taehyung’s jacket lapels, only just realizing he’s still got an iron grip on them.

Taehyung’s eyes widen, and he steps back, making Jungkook stumble forward against his chest.

“You, it’s, the scenting is to protect you,” Taehyung sputters.

It’s the first time Jungkook has seen Taehyung so shy and unsure of himself. It’s cute, and it makes Jungkook feel a little cocky to know he’s the cause of it.

“But I want to do it, too,” Jungkook tugs on Taehyung’s lapels again, “And it’s not fair that your scent is on me, but mine isn’t on you, is it?”

There’s no way for Taehyung to argue against that logic. Silent, he nods and holds still when Jungkook grabs his shoulders to balance himself as he stands on his tiptoes to reach Taehyung’s neck more easily.

Taehyung’s skin is soft against Jungkook’s lips. Scenting doesn’t go as smoothly when Jungkook does it compared to Taehyung. Jungkook is slightly clumsy as he nuzzles Taehyung, his movements not as sure. A twinge of jealousy pierces Jungkook’s chest when he realizes Taehyung must be good at scenting because he’s scented someone else in the past. 

Chasing that thought away, Jungkook focuses on the smell of Taehyung’s skin. It must not matter that he doesn’t know what he’s doing because Taehyung’s breath hitches when Jungkook kisses the corner of his jaw. His large hands fall on Jungkook’s waist to help hold him steady when he switches sides. It feels nice to have the pressure and warmth of Taehyung against his body. Jungkook tries to avoid getting lost in it. Finished, he forces himself to finally step back, letting his arms fall as Taehyung’s do.

“There,” Jungkook says with a smile, that fuzzy euphoric feeling he had earlier in the day returning to him.

Taehyung clears his throat and looks off to the side, “Yeah.”

If it weren’t for the pink blush spreading across Taehyung’s cheeks and the way his tail swishes behind him, Jungkook would think the tiger was angry.

“Do you still want to go to the art museum?” Jungkook asks as he gathers his blanket from the floor. He keeps his face neutral when Taehyung clears his throat again, but inside, he’s a mess of butterflies and somersaults.

“Sure, I’m down.”

“Okay! I just need to get dressed. You can wait in the living room.”

“Cool, cool.” Taehyung nods a few times and awkwardly follows Jungkook down the hall, plopping onto the couch that Jungkook gestures for him to sit on.

Jungkook hides the bottom half of his face in his bunched-up blanket, so Taehyung can’t see him smile, and spins around to scurry to his bedroom. This time, the nerves making his body tremble are from excitement, not fear.

As Jungkook strips his clothes and looks for something cute to wear, he can’t help but notice that his own natural floral scent smells lovely mixed with Taehyung’s. He wonders if Taehyung thinks so, too.

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Disclaimer: All my writing is fictional and for entertainment purposes only. None of these characters are meant to actually represent the real people mentioned in the stories. 

All rights reserved © @gimmethatagustd​ - Do not copy, repost, modify, or translate any of my writing. Do not use my writing for any AI purposes whatsoever. Do not use my fics for anything aside from reading and commenting on them. My fics will only be posted on this Tumblr and on AO3 (gimmethatagustd &daddytaehyungie). Request an AO3 account here.

#taekook #taehyung x jungkook #bts fanfic #taehyung fanfic #jungkook fanfic #bts smut #bts fluff #jungkook smut #taehyung smut #jungkook fluff #taehyung fluff #venor #jai writes #gimmethatagustd

[pigeonwhumps]

In-BBU media

BBU Community Days: Day 10

@bbu-on-the-side

I have been looking forward to this prompt since Sara announced it! This is, predictably, the first of several posts today.

A pet lib magazine article featuring an interview with Anita, Theo and Lea. Transcript is below the cut.

Edit: Agh forgot the taglist. I think half of you at least have seen it already so apologies for this but anyway: @littlespacecastle @whumpymirages @flowersarefreetherapy @painful-pooch

CWs: BBU, pet whump, PTSD, amnesia, implications of BBU, rape, dehumanisation, torture, conditioned whumpees, ableism. Nothing graphic

Feature interview

The Life of a Pet

Hugo and Mia, two so-called pets, talk to us briefly about their lives, both while currently being looked after by Sandip, and while under contract with WRU. All names are pseudonyms for protection. This article contains descriptions of legal torture, rape, conditioning, and dehumanisation.

Hugo and Mia kneel in front of the sofa where Sandip sits, feet crossed under herself. We’ve both tried multiple times to get them to sit on the sofa with Sandip, but neither will. Sandip confided in me that she believes they were trained not to sit on furniture, “like some people train their animals”.

Hugo has been with Sandip for seven years, and with his previous owners for seven years before that. Mia, meanwhile, has been with Sandip for only five years, and eight with her previous owners, with a period of retraining in between. They have both been in the pet system for fifteen years, originally trained as a combined Domestic/Platonic bonded pair, although Mia was later retrained as a Romantic before ending up with Sandip. As you possibly know, there are multiple companies that deal with the business of buying, selling and training pets, but both Hugo and Mia were traded by WRU, the UK’s largest pet trading company, not to mention one of the country’s largest employers overall — that is, if you call pets employees and not what they really are: slaves.

The interview was clearly very distressing for our interviewees, and although we offered to stop at multiple points, all three declined. A brave trait when dealing with a subject of this nature, and even I, with little direct experience of the WRU's worst features, felt ill at times.

WRU wipes the memories of everyone they turn into pets, to prevent them from remembering their families or even realising they're people who can have a life outside of slavery. Hugo no longer remembers his family, or what his life was like before becoming a pet. This creates a system ripe for abuse, where victims can receive no recourse – there are numerous accusations of people being turned into pets against their will, something they’re unlikely to remember. The Drip, as the memory-wipe technology is colloquially known, would serve as a handy tool to wipe witnesses’ minds of the criminal’s activities, or for an abuser to get rid of their victim, to name but two horrific uses that are not, and never have been, well legislated against.

Mia’s memory has been wiped twice, and although some may see this as an indication that her story is untrustworthy, we at Liberation believe it demonstrates the sheer cruelty of WRU workers, to wipe her loved ones from her mind not once but twice. She has photos now, which she shows me proudly – her and her family, her friends, new and old, some she’s found more than once – photos that look like they could be from any normal holiday or day trip, if you ignore the shadows in the former pets’ eyes, or the collar around Hugo’s neck that he wears for the feeling of security it apparently provides.

Hugo doesn’t remember being recruited, although there are photos and articles describing his recruitment during the WRU’s first disability inclusion drive, proving that his involvement, at least, started out as voluntary. But it didn’t stay that way. It turned into fear, and brutal punishment, at the hands of people who didn’t seem to care about his well-being, beyond his usefulness. After his memory was wiped too, of course.

“The first thing I remember is having my barcode tattooed. It was scary. I wasn’t alone for long, but I was alone for that. The training was harsh, I remember that. The handlers had electrified black batons and shock collars to punish us with, among other tools. No scarring. And then once Mia came along, they punished both of us if one of us messed up, because we were bonded. So even though sometimes it didn’t seem important what happened to me, I didn’t want to get Mia hurt."

Mia nods in agreement. “I– I don’t remember my first training exactly, but I– but I remember the feeling of– of not wanting Hugo to get– to get hurt. He was all I– all I had.”

The WRU, if we were to ask, would not even be able to pretend that Mia’s acquisition was voluntary. Between Sandip, Mia, and Mia’s former partner Olu, they’ve put the pieces of her acquisition together — and it isn’t pretty.

“We– we think I was taken on the– on the way home from orchestra practice,” says Mia quietly. “My Romantic handler used to– used to boast about using– using me first. I think– I think he kidnapped me. And then– and then raped me, before my– my memory was wiped. Hugo says I– I defended him from– from a different handler, before we officially met, but I don’t– I don’t remember that.”

And therein lies the problem: Drip-induced amnesia. Although involuntary acquisitions and rape of non-Romantic pets are illegal, without the pet’s memory, who will be there as witness to prosecute? Even if the pet remembers, their legal status is such that they simply can't prosecute for themself.

“It’s not always too bad,” says Hugo. “Our first primary handler, he was fairer. Didn’t give us punishments if we behaved. But he was still scary. He still hurt Mia, just because she was a pet. Mistress tries to help, but we haven’t had control over our lives for fifteen years.”

We couldn’t contact the initial handler for comment, who seems to have disappeared since blowing the whistle on some of WRU’s worst practices (see previous edition for details), but fear’s rampant within those in the community trying to do their best for pets within the confines of such an unjust system. Sandip is one of them, and has already been arrested for her actions.

“Twice. We’ve been arrested twice. Hugo was almost sent to a retraining centre for fighting back after the police caught him unawares while trying to protect me, and nearly killed him through anaphylactic shock. They’ve hated us ever since, and last year I was arrested for suspected terrorism via pet lib offences. I was raped and assaulted by a WRU handler in police custody, and subjected to strip and intimate searches by cops.” Sandip takes a shaky breath and scratches Hugo’s scalp, which seems to calm them both. “They wanted to scare me into confessing to crimes. And poor Hugo was an easy target the first time.”

Pet-related miscarriages of justice are a situation many of us are familiar with after adespeaks’s viral speech on his YouTube channel last month spurred an ongoing deluge of accusations, although an analysis is too long for this interview — see page 7 for details. For now, we will continue with Hugo and Mia’s story. We pick up as they get sent to a new home, fully trained and ready to be an influencer couple’s pets.

“You know boxies are transported in crates, but you maybe don’t realise how rough the couriers are. My box was left upside down on my new owners’ doorstep. I was there for hours while they sorted out cameras, and I couldn’t hear anything obviously, or see anything, I didn’t know where Mia was at all. Anything could’ve happened to her.”

“It wasn’t too bad with our first owners, just a little exposed and humiliating, I suppose, not until the divorce. Mia doesn’t remember it. We were split up, and I ended up with Master. He didn’t want me, they only bought me to look good anyway, because I’m profoundly deaf and they’d get sympathy and virtue points, that’s what he said, and he wasn’t kind or safe at all. I should’ve been safe wearing a collar but I wasn’t. He just hurt and starved me until he got rid of me. He used whips and belts and left me outside to freeze. He made me into an ashtray, and used me as a punching bag, and forgot to feed me and give me water constantly. The scar on my cheek is from him, but earlier. Once, Mia had to wear a tightly-laced corset because she was coughing too much, and she passed out. That was earlier too.” He pauses, seemingly thinking hard. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to give so much detail, it’s supposed to be confidential. I was so scared. He could’ve killed me.”

“I was horrified by all the scars,” interjects Sundip. Hugo nods. It seems that despite the propaganda, becoming a pet doesn’t guarantee you a safe and loving home. Not even during transportation, where you’d expect them to want them to arrive wholly intact at least, are they treated with a modicum of decency.

Mia squeezes Hugo’s hand tightly, looking a little ill, her face pinched as if holding back a headache. “And– and I shouldn’t remember the– the second trip, back to the training centre, but I– but I do now. I– I don’t know why, the therapist says– says my remembering was triggered by trauma. I was– I was thrown around inside my box, and– and not upright, and people were– were screaming, and I– I was raped. Again. And I– I tried to escape, along with another– another pet, but they just– just caught and– and punished me and– and wiped my memory. I didn’t– didn’t remember him until– until recently, let alone know what– what happened to him. Or– or me. It still hurts my head to– to think about.”

It’s a harrowing story, and we have to pause there for Mia to compose herself. Sandip rubs her back soothingly.

“I was caring for Hugo by this point. He came to me by accident, but I wasn't leaving him. We were looking for Mia, Hugo missed her, and when she came up as refurbished on the WRU website we had to buy her. It’s been a tricky few years, I didn't do as well as I should have early on and we discovered an illegal hysterectomy was performed on Mia by WRU surgeons (see page 12 for a full exposé on this horrifyingly widespread practice), but it's been getting better. Mia and Hugo are doing so well.”

Mia and Hugo are a bonded pair, and it’s well-known that splitting up bonded pairs can cause lasting mental damage. Luckily, in their case it doesn’t seem to have been too bad, in large part due to the determination of the ex-pets and those who care for them. And a part of that lies too in Mia’s retraining, or ‘refurbishment’, as WRU calls it, eight years after her original sale.

I ask Mia if she can tell me any more about her training as a Romantic, and she nods, head in Hugo’s lap now.

"My– my handler raped me every day. Sometimes– sometimes multiple times a day, especially– especially early on. He also– also used sensory deprivation to make– to make me more affectionate. I’m not– I’m not sure what’s originally me and what’s– what’s training anymore. His sister raped– raped me too, when he took me home for– home for Christmas. For the– the situational trials as part of– of training. And then I– I wanted to have sex with– with Sandip so she’d– she’d want me. I wasn't– wasn't wanted if I wasn't useful. But it wasn't– wasn't true. It wasn't true. It wasn't true."

Mia repeats that to herself as Hugo pulls her into a tight hug, Sandip’s hand on her shoulder.

Both Mia and Hugo have been through hell together, and although they're getting through it with the help of Sandip and other friends, family and local organisations, gaining independence and discovering who they are, there are thousands out there still suffering, who need our help. These two show that although a recovery isn’t easy, it can be possible, with the right care.

And as for our trio here, any last words and hopes?

“I'd like to go a night without a nightmare,” says Hugo. “Just once.”

“Animals are treated better in law than human pets. And until that changes, any so-called improvements will be nothing but a smokescreen. But they give hope, and sometimes, hope is what’s needed most.”

“I– I never want to lose Hugo or Olu again. No– no part of them. Never again. No-one should– should have to lose someone they love like– like that. And you can– you can help, you don’t have to– have to participate in a system that hurts people, please. No matter your– your past, or who– who you are. You can– you can still help.”

#bbucommunity #day10 #sanctuary pigeonwhumps #anita oc #theo oc #785 oc #whump #whump writing #whump art #whump design #whumpee and caretaker #bbu #pet whump #box boy universe #box boy #box babe #multiple whumpees #lol its just gone midnight #you can tell ive been looking forward to this #man theo is so much more confident here than early on #and obv they edited the interview a bit but still #is it normal to be proud of your own ocs? #eh dont care i am anyway

[nine-of-diamonds]

this post is mildly late bc i was Busy yesterday but!! new CTHL installment :)) — this one's a 4+1 style oneshot of four times an aurecove citizen meets a mer, and one time a meris hollow citizen meets a land person!

you can maybe read it without context from chasing the horizon line but i highly highly suggest reading the that fic first since that's the order it's meant to be read in lol

preview under the cut!

1 (2009, 10 Years Pre-CTHL)

Sunlight glittered across the ocean's surface, the arhythmic crashing of waves providing a chorus to the creaking steps of two travelers along the docks. They were dressed similarly, both in simple retail work uniforms.

The gift shop was an easy, brisk walk ahead—nestled comfortably between two stores, one a dollar store and the other for selling antiques—but the men chose to take their morning trek slow. A good reminder to relish in the beauty of nature, Joe decided, though he knew Bdubs had other reasons, displayed openly as the other man affixed his eyes to the open water.

"Still keepin' an eye out for interesting fish?" Joe questioned.

"Of course," Bdubs replied, punctuating his statement with an animated wave. "If I take my eyes off it for one second I might miss something!"

"You've been saying the same thing for years now—doesn't it seem like the right time to, y'know, change tactics?"

"And risk not—no, I'm going to be patient." Bdubs crossed his arms. "Mama didn't raise no quitter."

"Did she raise someone who sticks with ideas that're not working?" Joe pressed, his lighthearted amusement coming through in an upward inflection. "Maybe if you don't, like, look so hard, luck will just find you."

"As if anyone's just that lucky," Bdubs scoffed, a disbelieving laugh behind it. He shook his head, a glance made to his watch—out of habit more than anything, Joe knew. His expression shifted, though, and he grumbled, "Oh, shoot."

"What is it?"

"I just—I forgot I said I'd help Tango with a thing today."

Joe shot him a curious look. "Can't that wait 'til later?"

With a shake of his head, his coworker insisted, "I need to sleep after work, so no." He plastered on a smile, adding, "But it won't take long! Bdubs perfect redstone never fails."

Joe wondered, knowing Tango, what kind of guinea pig situation his friend had signed himself up for. He'd need to ask about that later, certainly, but for now he just offered back a smile. "See ya at work then, Bdubs. Have fun."

In parting, Bdubs called out, "Yep!"

His company having scampered back toward the main residential area, Joe gave one last smiling pass over the horizon before—scratch that. Near the docks, a humanoid form blatantly stuck out from the water—a teenage boy, it looked like. He tilted his head curiously but didn't otherwise move, to Joe's surprise.

"Howdy there," said Joe.

Only silence answered him for a long moment before the boy forced out, "Um. Hi." 

#hermitcraft fic #fanfic #trafficblr #ao3 #there are some gems of moments in here lol #and some Fun Teasers for where we're going with this au #:)) #cthl

[fakesurprise]

Most things break without being noticed. This is as true for ideas as much as objects. Most people claim to know when a vehicle breaks down, in much the same way they can know when a heart breaks if they are the cause of it. Noticing when a world breaks takes a different kind of skill, at least some of the time. I know of magicians who didn’t know how to, though that is one reason why I consider them in the past tense. The breaking of the world is a sharp, discordant hum at once concealed almost the moment it happens. As animals hide their pain, so does a world and for the same reasons one suspects. 

In this case, it isn’t quite a predator. I pause mid-step and keep walking as other people move about me without realising it. Being a magician has some benefits. 

Some. 

“Jay.” I don’t raise my voice. I do when angry, because sometimes he doesn’t get anger, or at least not why we’d ever be angry with him. But he definitely hears his name and appears beside me. People don’t notice that, because they know that eleven year old boys don’t appear out of thin air. 

“Hi, Honcho! I’m kind busy with an adventure,” he begins.

“Jay.”

He lets out a sigh he would describe as hugey. When you’re from far Outside the universe, you get to call things many names. “You totally have a face on but! I didn’t do an oops at all!!”

“What did you do?” I ask. 

He scratches his head, thinking. “Well, this morning I had two breakfasts with Charlie and then hugged an earth elemental and gave a dragon scritches and then got scratches but they were tickles cuz I’m tough like a Jay and then I had a jaysome snack before a snacking which is totally a secret do you don’t know about it,” he says. 

“I meant less than two minutes ago,” I say, forcing a pause, and words into it. 

“Uhms.”

“Kiddo.”

“I maybe got some extra hugs on tumblr because! not enough people are liking jaysome posts,” he wails. 

I count to twenty. “And where are these hugs from?”

“Oh! I forgot to ask them!” He vanishes. 

The world snaps back together. Even fewer people notice when things get better. Charlie says that’s the reality of being human; some days I almost agree. 

Jay reappears, eyes wide in shock. “They tried to eat things they shouldn’t, Honcho!! Like like like if you eat a Mars bar that’s not the same as eating Mars. And! I told them that and they got all cross and squamous, which is being cross but also being hugey and put into a blender. Which they didn’t even know but they’re kinda gone now so it’s alllll OK now!”

He grins proudly. Everyone on the street notices that, and is punched by innocence and jaysome and wonder without ever being hurt by it. A hug by any other name is still a hug, and Jay means many things by hug. Because Jay doesn’t hurt friends, and the universe is definitely also his friend. 

I suggest a hot chocolate to celebrate and he dashes excitedly into a shop. And into another adventure as the shop grumbles and stands up. I reach out with the magic. Need. Desire. Will. No one notices the impossible, or at least is polite enough not to stare. 

The shop clears an entire postal code in a single bounce. I begin to walk after, seemingly calm. It probably won’t do anything terrible, at least not quite yet. 

Some days that is all one can ask for.

#writing #prose #magician series

[dk-wren]

Buddy Daddies Finale Theory

I can't say what I'm really basing these thoughts on. I also am not sure if this is an actual theory or just my hopes/musings. But here we go:

Kazuki, Rei, and Miri will all make it. Kazuki or Rei might get injured, but nobody in this sweet, little family is dying on me!

However, I do think there is going to be a loss and after the end of Ep. 8, my bet is on Kyutaro (though I hope I am wrong!)

For a variety of reasons, all of which are valid, Rei, and perhaps Kazuki too, are gonna go after Shigeki and Ogino. If not outright killing them (perhaps symbolizing that Rei and Kazuki have changed and are different from them), they will somehow be out of the picture, leaving Rei as the head of the Suwa family/organization

Rei and Kazuki will continue to stay in that world or business, possibly to try and change the practices of the Suwa organization or still feeling too tied to it. So, Rei will step up to become the head of the Suwa organization, except he's doing things a little differently from his father. Rei will be handling that during the day while Miri is at school. During the same time, Kazuki will somewhat retire from missions and instead take over Yadorigi from Kyutaro, maintaining the place as both a cafe and location to exchange/gather intel. (Just let this man cook and be appreciated for his food/drinks)

Like Rei said in Ep. 8, his home is the apartment where he, Kazuki, and Miri live. And that's gonna stay the same. Their apartment will continue to be their home. Nobody is going to move to the Suwa manor and that place will instead become like an office or workspace for Rei. While they may all somewhat spend their day apart from each other, this little family always comes together at night in the apartment for dinner and family time.

.

.

.

Not fully related to the above, but also just wanted to throw my two cents into the conversation about this: I don't think we've crossed over into the present yet (or, we're still in the flashback). I feel it would explicitly be said when the show jumps back to the present or there would be overlapping events that clearly allude to the merging of the two timelines. I haven't watched a whole lot of anime, so I do not know if this is a common story technique or not and if there is like a trope or narrative device used in these situations.

I do agree, given Rei's growth and development in the relationship he has with Miri, going back and rewatching that first scene, Rei's reaction seems a little out of character now (like he still does not really care about Miri). But, and I saw a post about this earlier (sorry I forgot your @), if it's not actually Miss Anna calling, and instead Kyutaro or someone else with the voice changer, this could explain Rei's response. If this call is being made to lure Kazuki and Rei into a trap, and Miri does not actually have a runny nose or fever (I kinda forgot the specifics), then Rei's seemingly unfazed or uncaring reaction could be him simply trying to appease Kazuki's overprotective papa dramatics. Rei's "I guess" could be he truly didn't notice anything wrong with Miri because nothing is, she's just being used as bait. Regardless of the how the organization gets its info on Kazuki and Miri, they will know how much she means to both of them and what they are willing to do for her. That is why calling them and saying Miri is not in outright trouble or danger, but simply needs the love and help of her papas will quickly draw them to wherever the organization wants them.

I could be completely wrong, but just some of my thoughts about how the rest of the season may play out. I think the wait for next week's episode is gonna be a lot harder for me than previous waits.

#buddy daddies #buddy daddies theory #buddy daddies potential spoilers? #kazuki kurusu #rei suwa #miri unasaka #too many incoherent thoughts #might write some more later #late night babblings #might delete later

[partially-controlled-chaos]

I was asked by both @beardedladyqueen and @thoughts-of-bear about 5 things that make me happy and my dumbass completely forgot these were in my inbox so I’m so sorry for the delay in actually answering. BUT with that being said, I finally have answers! Thank you both so much for the ask! ❤️

1. Spooky shit. I LOVE spooky shit. Halloween. Horror movies. Ghost stories. The paranormal. Graveyards. The occult. Everything. I was absolutely watching horror movies I should NOT have been watching at like 5 years old and “Friday Night Scary Movie Night” was a staple in my household. Popcorn, really poorly made B rated horror movie, staying up late, and trying to not get scared was a weekly thing and I miss having those movie nights. But because of that my love for anything spooky has bled into my adult life and now it’s just a way of life. So if you ever want to swap ghost stories I’ll be your best friend. 👻

2. Early mornings. I mean like that wonderfully quiet time between 3am and 5:30am. If it’s staying up that late or waking up that early (exception being when I have to wake up at that time for work), I love that time of night/early morning. Things are usually quiet and peaceful and it’s just a really nice time to kind of just exist without the hustle of daily life. As given by my username, my life can be absolutely chaotic at times so it’s nice to be able to have moments to just kind of be. And in relation to the above point, late nights mean spooky times. And as a side note, that time of morning in Animal Crossing New Horizons is amazing.

3. Relaxing in spring/fall weather. Kind of related to the above topic, but when I can’t be up in the super early mornings, I love sitting outside when it’s nice weather in spring or fall and just unwind. I don’t do it as much now because I don’t have a yard, but when I was a kid I loved just laying out in a hammock in nice weather and either take a nap or read. I could get a hammock for my back porch but if I did that I’d have to fight off a horde of spiders and I would just rather not.

4. Playing nostalgic (to me) games. So in addition to spooky movie nights, playing video games was HUGE in my house. My mom started playing Crash Bandicoot on PS1 in the ye olden days of 1996 so I grew up playing that and Spryo the Dragon mostly. So now when I have down time between other games I play or am super stressed, I’ll replay the hell out of those games. I was overjoyed when they did the trilogies of both games for PS4 so now I can play them whenever I want and it’s fantastic. My PS2 and all my games were stolen so for a long time I didn’t have the ability to play my favorite games, so when they were remastered for a system I owed it was the happiest day of my life. Also grew up on the Sly Cooper series that became an absolute obsession for me for a solid decade so when they remastered it for the PS3 I was in absolute heaven.

5. Writing fan fiction. So this is not something new for me, but it’s something I’ve rediscovered (thank you Baldur’s Gate 3). I wrote fan fiction yearsssss ago when I was in high school, so like…2011-2016 I think is when I stopped? Really I think I stopped in 2014 but according to the trusty fanfiction account I posted one thing in 2016? Anyway, not important. I stopped writing when I got into college because things because more hectic, I was busy, life was absolutely kicking my ass, and the fandom I wrote for was dying down so eventually I just lost the desire to write. But now that I’ve gotten settled as an adult and thanks to the glory that is BG3, I’ve regained the desire and want to write again and it’s honestly so, so nice. I can’t write as frequently as I did when I was in high school, but damn do I enjoy it. I’ve found it’s a way I can express myself in ways that I actually feel confident in what I do. I can’t draw to save my life, but I do feel that writing is where I can be creative and feel good about it. May not always be the best work, but I have fun doing it. I also love reading fan fiction. Reading how people take genres and reimagine them or completely twist it is always so fun so look into. Creativity for the win, my dudes.

Anyway, thank you again for asking me and I’m sorry it took so long to actually post this!

#ask #get to know #I have the memory span of a gnat and if I don’t see the little notification I forget things exist

[faeparrish]

I feel like Maggie literally totally forgot about Matthew in the last few chapters I mean *greywaren spoilers*

She literally made everyone think he was DEAD and then just … didn’t bring him back till the last chapter and had no resolution at all?? It’s as if she was so busy trying to wrap up everyone’s else’s story she just forgot about him lmao 😭

don’t get me started… matthew’s arc had SO much potential. like here is a character who had his autonomy ripped from him, his entire personhood questioned and denied, and his agency and freewill taken away — and the people doing this to him were the people who were supposed to care about him the most!

my absolute favourite concept in fiction is characters who appear to be human, but aren’t actually “human” in the sense that they were created, not born. because it then becomes a question of what we consider human life to be. these kinds of stories tend to explore what happens when the definition of humanity is questioned, because the existence of these characters challenges everything. when a society is restricting “nonhuman” characters’ autonomy and dignity, but these characters behave and think and feel in the same way humans do, where is the line? when is it crossed? it tends to be a theme that lives in science fiction. channel 4’s humans did this really well; the girl with all the gifts also covered it in a really interesting way, and so did jeff vandermeer’s borne; ex-machina and westworld are also good examples.

so based on how the foundation of matthew’s arc had been laid out in cdth, i was really excited to see the concept explored in this series. most stories that cover this topic place these characters in robots, so i was really interested to see how this would play into characters that are organic; living and breathing people. dreamt people are created not born, and yet for all that, they still exist as people; they eat, they feel, they bleed, they cry. the only thing that puts their humanity into question is how they were brought into existence, and their continued dependence on their dreamer. to what extent are they just an extension of their dreamer? how much of their mind is their own? matthew was essentially created by ronan to serve a function (being the “perfect” brother) but when he finds out he was dreamt, something shifts in him. he behaves in a way that neither ronan nor declan recognises; he becomes aware of his built in behaviours and he begins to challenge them (it was a similar journey for jordan although her arc leans more into the idea of her separating herself from hennessy, which is a whole other post).

the moment he switched from this version of himself, the moment he “woke up” was the point where i got really invested in his arc, because this was supposed to change everything for him. as soon as that moment happened, declan stopped pretending to treat him like a human. he stops humouring matthew, he doesn’t hide the fact that he views matthew as a burden, he doesn’t try to protect him emotionally in the way matthew had grown accustomed to. matthew spent the last two books being treated like an object or an animal. and because declan was matthew’s legal guardian, matthew’s life became dependent on a person who, despite loving another dream and accepting her as real, still didn’t see or treat him as such. whether he’s conscious or not is decided by declan, his emotions are ignored or brushed aside, he’s left to lie stagnant on a bed for days and is then switched on again as if nothing happened. the part where he realises he hadn’t been taken care of while asleep is so heartbreaking; his teeth hadn’t even been brushed, he was still wearing the same clothes.

and then after ALL that, his only moment of pushing back is punching declan and taking the car. and then everyone just believes him to be dead for the rest of the book until he walks home at the end. and he was too afraid to call!because even after everything that happened, he still believed declan would just be angry at him. after EVERYTHING, the main takeaway for his character was that he still believed he wasn’t worth worrying about. he got no resolution. the reality of how he had been treated by his family was never explored or challenged in a way that felt deserving of his character. he got so unbelievably sidelined at the end of this series.

#greywaren spoilers #matthew lynch #ask #anon #sorry i got carried away. i looked back at my old posts about how excited i was for matthews arc back then and i got sad :( #long post

[beileil]

OPPAI Calling Card - Final

So it occurs to me that I never actually posted a calling card for OPM Bingo once the Monster Arc was officially over...which was what, two months ago? Whatever, here it is now.

The bingo cards came out on June 20th, so this covers everything from Chapter 165 on. That's not a lot of chapters to work with, so we're going to be uh...a little liberal on some of these so that you can cross off more spaces. I'd still be kinda surprised if anyone got a bingo. (But please let me know if you did! And please post your final cards if you like!)

Thanks again to @scary-senpai and everyone who submitted suggestions! This was a ton of fun!

Canon

Yet another character ends up naked

Tsundere Garou

A Really Gay Moment™ (a couple SaiGenos and one of Tanktop Al Dente looking respectfully at Zombieman, as pointed out by @no1monstersimp)

Something BAD™ happens to Genos' core or skull (WHO SUGGESTED THIS ONE. I'm not mad. I just want to know.)

Garou's physical body collapses because he's exceeded the Recommended Daily Amount of Enlightenment (gotta be honest, wasn't expecting to be able to cross this one off!)

Metal Bat vouches for Garou

God takes Garou's power away and Garou fucking DIES

Blast and the Interdimensional Justice League show up

Zombiedad being protective of Isamu

Black Sperm is up to no good. Again. *

Pig God uses a Special Attack *

Rover lends an unexpected assist * (Rover also lends an unexpected assist to my mental health with these panels)

*Happened in the aftermath of the MA Arc in Chapter 171 or 172, not in the arc itself, but screw it, we need a win.

Arguably Canon

BDSM if you squint (I didn't know which panel to link here. I just feel in my heart of hearts that a lot of the Saitama and Garou fight gave off vibes. But if you prefer, here's a shot of Strange Binding Shell hiding out by Bomb. Surely his entire existence counts as BDSM!)

Saitama does/says something controversial yet again (Take your pick.)

Tank Toppers band together to do a special Tank Top Attack

Metal Knight shows up, takes some data, leaves. (Didn't say he couldn't take everyone with him!)

Someone shows up with a magic radiation cure (bonus: it’s bananas) (Science is magic, right?)

Amai Mask tries to kill Manako again (It's not a proper attempt, but he would have if Flashy hadn't stepped in)

It's a stretch, but whatever

Amai Mask spotted in Monster Mode (same panel as the last. do the neck veins count as "Monster Mode"?)

“Are you there, God? It’s me, [Blorbo].” (Probably not the original intention of whoever suggested this one, but here's Bang screaming at God to give Garou back.)

King says/does something clever that buys the heroes some time

???

God rage quits the arc

God takes Garou's power away and Garou survives because he's just That Cool (God did take Garou's power away, and Garou did survive, but it certainly was not because he was cool!)

Psykos shows back up and everyone admits they completely forgot about her

Look, you can't prove it's not canon

King has the power of God (no ID) and anime on his side

Jossed

Yet another character loses an arm (Zombieman doesn't count)

Iaian gets his face stomped on

A single panel of Watchdog Man minding his own business in City Q

BDSM if you *don't* squint

Murata breaks the fourth wall to explain the re-draws

Sonic comes out of the bathroom

Garou kicks Genos (just because)

Psykos tries to take a hostage

God (no ID) takes something Psykos can't afford to lose

Metal Bat and Tareo have a moment

Mizuki pole vaults over something

Flashy Flash uses the Sun Blade

Saitama offers Garou a banana

Bang advertises his dojo

Garou gets a hug

Somebody speaks to God's manager

Garou copies The King Engine

Mumen Rider attacks Garou…with forgiveness! (And definitely not his bike.)

Sekingar calls his wife and/or she shows up to the battlefield

Kama and Bushidrill flirt again, Iaian deadpans in the corner

Tank Top Master and Mumen Rider pine for one another

Badd tells Zenko that it was just a really long bathroom break and she hits him again

The Blizzard Group protects Tatsumaki

Atomic Samurai's disciples protect him

Someone uses an impractical household object as a weapon

Fubuki + Psykos = Lesbians

Charanko shows up late

#opm bingo #manga spoilers

[theharrowing]

Association Ask Game: I associate you with dark flowers, like black velvet petunias, for whatever reason? lol 🖤🌺

AHHHH VIOLET!!!! 💜

i love thissss!!! i really like black flowers a lot. there was a time when my animal crossing island was all blue, purple, and black. 💙🖤 these are so pretty and now i want to plant them. but i cannot keep flowers alive, for the life of me.

lol @ how i posted the association thing and then got busy and forgot.

#violetsiren90 #i love my moots #especially the lovely violet #ask game #you've got mail 💌

[kittiecrossing]

༶•┈┈୨02/26/23୧┈┈•༶

animal crossing date😳

whoops, I forgot to post yesterday. i was busy with a cute boy in my life. why is this relevant? cuz mans got a switch yesterday and now I can teach him how to play animal crossing! just look at his cute lil noob character.

as you can see, my character has been going through some changes lately. mabel came to my island the other day, but I also learned how to do custom design clothing on new horizons with the Nintendo app n stuff (wayyy more complicated than new leaf for no reason). i also purchased two of the hairstyle sets from the nook miles redemption shop. i have cuter clothes still stuck on my friend’s island, but this will do for now.

all the housing plots are finished and ready to become houses. punchy moved in, while Goldie (YAY!) and some other villager I can’t remember are moving in next.

alsooo redd is here lolz. idk how many paintings are supposed to be real compared to older games (like in new leaf only one painting is real), but comparing to pictures all the paintings looked like the real deal😭 but I purchased moody painting because apparently it is always real, so just being safe. so hopefully blathers will accept it lol.

things have been pretty chill this weekend, just enjoying time on my island while doing some development.

gonna be kinda busy this week but I’ll try to keep posting at least a few times <3

#acnh #animal crossing #animal crossing new horizons #nintendo #switch #gaming #my posts #celestica

[orchestralcollage]

NAME: Gaddiel

NICKNAMES: Gad

FACE CLAIM: Skylar Astin

AGE: Unknown

SPECIES: Psychic

GENDER/PRONOUNS: Cis Male ; He/Him

SEXUALITY: Pansexual (Polyamorous)

ALLEGIANCE: Supporter

OCCUPATION: Musician ; Private Investigator

SCARS: None

TRAITS: Passionate ; Charming ; Observant ; Pedantic ; Indecisive ; Forgetful

Last Season on Faerune:

Gaddiel is one of the older living psychics that there is. He was born in the mortal realm the son of a witch and a vampire. His parents had fallen in love when his father was still human and had a daughter, Gaddiel’s older sister who has long been dead. From a young age he showed an affinity to music and as he grew older he lived life and made his wages as a bard. He concealed his psychic abilities, along with his mother and sister hiding the fact that they were witches, and his father a vampire.

He was in his early 20s when he came to the fae realm. A member of the unseelie had crossed over into the mortal world, and after hearing him sing she had become infatuated with him. She wanted to keep him, so she brought him back with her to the fae realm, and since it wasn’t as easy to travel between the two back then, Gaddiel just got stuck, the Unseelie fae eventually abandoning him. He remained with the Unseelie for some time after, until finally the heartache became too much and he went to live in the feywild, and eventually where the Seelie court was.

As time went on he completely forgot the details of his former life, including his last name as it was something never used in the fae realm, and at one time almost completely forgot his native tongue.

When the intruders came, Gaddiel did his best to get anyone that he could to safety, and while not a fighter, did his best to defend the people and land that had taken him in all those many centuries ago. He then lived in various smaller fae towns for sometime, before eventually moving to Faerune.

Throughout all of his time, and even presently, Gaddiel never truly abandoned his bardic beginnings. He is a singer and writer, though not a famous one or known in the mortal realm, and his psychic gift of psychometry heavily influences his writing. Most of his writing/songs are based on actual history and lore, and because he is fluent in it, a number of them are in the old fae language, or incorporate elements of the old fae in them.

However, seeing as he has bills to pay, Gaddiel utilized his ability in another way and decades ago opened up a private investigation type operation. He isn’t here to solve murders, not one to get involved in actual police work, but he will help you figure out if your partner is cheating on you, or locate your lost cat.

This Season on Faerune:

Gaddiel has always been a supporter of the fae returning to power, even if originally he'd thought it would be the Seelie to do so. As someone who spent a couple hundred years under the rule of the Unseelie queen and king before the invasion, Gaddiel has a different viewpoint when it comes to the takeover versus those who have only lived in a post-invasion Faerune. There are some things he doesn't agree with, he's not a blind follower, but for the most part he is a supporter.

He has continued with both his private investigator business as well as playing at local establishments, and sometimes even being hired as the musical entertainment for some Opal's parties. He has started to give private music lessons as well. While he can play a number of instruments he tends to stick to piano for lessons.

With more and more Unseelie arriving over the year Gaddiel is growing more and more anxious to see if his former lover will show up too.

The Psychic of It All:

Gaddiel has the gift of psychometry and can sense the past of an object, animal, or person (living or dead) by touching it. it flashes through his mind like a memory and he experiences sensations of all five senses attached to these. (ex: he could touch a pot and be able to see and smell the last dish that was cooked inside of it.) the longer he holds onto something the further back these memories will go. In the past he used to have to cover his hands to keep this from happening, but with age he has learned to control this and can trigger it when he wants to.

While he typically only experiences the 5 senses, if there’s high enough emotions (from the memories) those will seep in. also it depends on what kind of state Gaddiel is in himself, ex: if he is in a distressed emotional state, he is more likely to feel the emotions of the other person.

When he touches objects he sees/experiences things in third person, like he’s watching it. The only time this is different is if he is holding something that is personal. However, when he uses it on a person or animal he experiences it through a first person perspective, as if he is experiencing it through their eyes/memories.

In addition to experiencing it through first person perspective, he can still feel his own emotions at the same time.(sometimes these are extremely conflicting emotions from what the subject is feeling) Essentially once he has started going into someone’s past he is trapped inside of someone else’s memories for as long as there’s contact, or until someone can bring him back to reality.

A major downside to his ability is that some memories stick with him, and it sometimes becomes hard for him to distinguish others’ memories from his own. Oftentimes when he sleeps he doesn’t dream, rather it’s memories that he’s seeing.

#season 2 intro #gaddiel season 2

[my-tourettes-journey]

TS awareness month prompts!!

as tourette's awareness month starts, i'm gonna start answering some prompts every day! i know im a bit late but honestly i've been really busy lately so i kinda forgot.

here's the list of prompts (the ones i missed will be crossed out). feel free to answer them too if you want! here’s the link to the instagram post i got these from.

1. Your diagnosis story

2. The biggest challenge of living with tourette's

3. A list of your favorite TS creators

4. Your funniest tic(s)

5. Your worst tic(s)

6. Your favorite tic(s)

7. What advice would you give to someone newly diagnosed?

8. How would you describe how your tics feel?

9. What do you think the biggest misconception about tourette's is?

10. The worst reaction someone's had to your tics

11. Do you have any other health conditions?

12. What was your experience of education with tics like? (school, college, uni)

13. Do you have coprolalia, and if so what is your experience like?

14. Things that help calm your tics

15. Do you have tic attacks? if so what do they look like for you?

16. Can you suppress your tics? what is this like?

17. Do you take medication for your tics?

18. The worst situation you've experienced because of your tourette's

19. The best situation you've experienced because of your tourette's

20. How do you like people to react to your tics?

21. What are your thoughts on how TS is presented in the media?

22. How old were you when you were diagnosed?

23. Have your tics changed over time?

24. How long did it take you to get a diagnosis?

25. Has TS ever stopped you from doing something you wanted to do?

26. What are your biggest tic triggers?

27. What are your tics like around animals?

28. Does what you eat have an impact on your tics?

29. Have your tics impacted your friendships/relationships?

30. Do you tic in your dreams?

31. One thing you've learned from tourette's awareness month

#tourettes awareness month #tourettes #tourette syndrome #tics #tic disorder #cw tics #ts awareness month #sky's old blog

[abroadchangedme69]

Innsbruck -> Zurich -> Interlaken -> Geneva. I’m in France now but I’ll save that for the next post. Here’s the recap of my speedrun of Switzerland (and Innsbruck).

I stayed in Innsbruck for two nights. I didn’t get a chance to go on any hikes but it’s a nice small city at the foot of some impressive mountains. Some highlights were walking along the (exceptionally clean) river and having hot chocolate and journaling at a cafe bar. I do that a lot. I didn’t meet anybody in Innsbruck but I wasn’t particularly in the mood to either. If you’ve been keeping up with this blog you’ll know that I like to spend a lot of time alone.

After Innsbruck I spent one night in Zurich, a stop on my way to Interlaken. Zurich seems like a nice city but I don’t think there are many big attractions. The train ride there was a bit of a mess. The 3 hour train ride became a 6 hour train ride after some “technical difficulties” and a bunch of armed cops asking for passports. Once I was there I made some friends at the hostel. I had some nice conversations with a 22-year-old Italian girl named Flavia. She grew up in Rome but doesn’t like the city, she feels that she was born in the wrong place. So she’s traveling around Europe trying to figure out where she’d like to live next. She also showed me some of her photography. The title of her project was some Italian word or phrase that I forgot but her mother was the subject and the theme was how she had assumed both maternal and paternal roles in raising Flavia because the father was out of the picture. I got to know a lot about Flavia in the short time we spent together and would’ve liked to learn more, but I was only passing through. She invited me to get drinks with her and someone else from the hostel but I declined because I was exhausted and I wanted to eat chocolate and watch anime instead. After she left I talked to a 30-year-old Norwegian girl who was also staying in the room. She was cool, we talked about Greek life in the US and data stuff since she’s get a master’s in business analytics. I always get excited when I can talk about R with another person.

I took a train to Interlaken the next morning which was my favorite stop in Switzerland. I went on a hike to Harder Kulm. There’s a tram that goes all the way up the mountain so I got to skip the hard part. It was a bit cloudy though so after I hiked up a little more I was pretty much inside a cloud and couldn’t see anything. I also wasn’t prepared for a long hike so I only spent a few hours up there. But it was nice to get out and see some mountains, to be in nature for a while. Late Fall isn’t the best time to visit Switzerland so I’d like to come back in the summer or winter to better appreciate the country. I wanted to go to Lauterbrunnen next but it was cold and rainy for the next couple days so I decided to keep moving west instead. So Geneva was next. Another quick stop, I only spent two nights there. I didn’t get up to too much, I mostly just walked around the city. I went to the museum of the Red Cross which was quite dark. I also went to the Patek Philippe museum which had a lot of very pretty watches. It did feel a bit ridiculous though, maybe somewhat pretentious.

Overall my stay in Switzerland was interesting but fairly incomplete. I didn’t want to stay long because it’s so expensive and it’s not a great time to visit, so I wasn’t really able to soak in what the country had to offer. I was already exhausted from the pace that I’ve been traveling so I felt like I was kind of powering through, which isn’t the most enjoyable way to travel. But I planned to slow down in France, and I did. My time in France so far has been much more relaxing.

[detectivenightwing]

Favourite DC covers from the April 2020 solicits.

#dcedit #comicedit #batman beyond #aquaman #the terrifics #superboy #edits edits and more edits #comiccoversmonthly #so busy with animal crossing forgot to post this

[furubaycrossing]

kiki’s home renovation 🌿

#her new exterior and interior!!!! #also don’t mind the pink bunny hat #I upgraded to a family nintendo account so my niece was finally able to come and visit my island and she gave it to me as a gift 🥺 #I promised her I would keep it on until she gave me her next gift #she’s a cutie #I also just noticed the busy standee that I forgot to pick up lol oops #bush** #my post #acnh #furubaycrossing #animal crossing #animal crossing new horizons #new horizons #acnh community #acnh screenshots #acnh screencap #acnh scenery #acnh kiki #acnh spoilers #acnh 2.0