#we can’t really expect perfect connection immediately

[bitchlessdino]

another request because ofc!!! reader finds out seokmin is a virgin and wants to change that 🤭 bonus points if it starts out of pity because they actually don’t like each other but turns into actual desire 💃🏼 mwah

Pairing: virgin!seokmin x afab!reader

Genre: smut

Word count: 2.6k

tags: mention of alcohol, manhandling, oral (reader giving), pet names for seokmin, dry humping, heavy dirty talk, unprotected sex, swallowing

author note: hi mitchieeee, i hope you enjoy hehe

Tag: @shiningstar-byulxx @misssugarlips @tommolex @hoeforhao @homerunhansol @dkakapizzaboy @junhui-recs @svtup @buffhoshi @meowmeowminnie @caratochan @lovebot4han @6969lilithcat @wonuhour @camisun93 @emmmui @toruro @jeonride @novalpha

“Wait, you’re a what?”

“Please don’t make a big deal out of this,” Seokmin whines seeing how hard you try to hold back your laughter.

“I can’t believe you’re a virgin. Wow, at your grown age.” You wipe away your unshed tears before setting a hand on his shoulder in a kinly manner. “Oh baby boy Minnie, you cannot just lay this on me and expect me not to do anything.”

“In my defense, I wasn’t trying to let you know.”

“Well, we’re going out tonight.”

You hadn’t known Seokmin for long, but as far as you can tell, he’s as good as these guys can get. It shouldn’t have surprised you as much as it did, but it was very hard to believe considering what a good guy he is. He’s such a textbook good guy that you had a hard time believing it. No one was that nice. He had you convinced he was two-faced at one point, but nope. Seokmin is merely just Seokmin. And maybe that was his problem.

“How about her?” you ask subtly nodding at a girl from across the bar.

“Are we really doing this?”

You tsk at the young man before asking sizing the girl up. Acting no better than a man, you pick apart mentally why she’d be a potential candidate. Eventually, you shake your head the moment you see she is being tended to by what looks to be a girlfriend of her own before you move on to the next available person with a heartbeat.

“Oh my god, wait, her! She’s perfect.” You clap to yourself momentarily and push him in her direction, reminding him what you’ve taught him. “Go, go. Compliment her shoes, or ask what she’s drinking!”

A look of discomfort is apparent on his face but he goes off in that direction anyway, stalking the target as you leisurely sipped your cosmo. It seemed to go well for a while–watching a smile on her face as they talk–but that mood takes a turn when she gets up to leave and not alongside Seokmin. When he returns to you, he’s unsure what went wrong but you reassure him the night is still young and there are plenty of opportunities for him to make a connection.

Encounter after encounter, drink after drink, none have stuck around and in the end, he retreats back to you all the same. You expel an exaggerated sigh as you cross your arms seeing him strike out a sixth time in a row. Even after all the rejection, he doesn’t seem too offended by it, leisurely sipping his watered-down cocktail. You narrow your eyes back at him, seeing him blink back like a lost lamb. “You’re not trying, are you?”

“I don’t want to even be here.”

You shake your head, pinching the skin between your eyebrows as you took a deep sigh. “I thought you wanted to know what it felt like.”

“Of course I do, but this isn’t it.” He pulls his stool from underneath him closer to you. He set his finished drink aside for the bartender to take and slouches his shoulders. “Let’s just go home. This is no way to do this.”

And like that, a lightbulb flickered in your head until it bursts with endless luminosity. “We should go home. Because you’re gonna do it with me.”

You drag him by the wrist and immediately go hail a taxi, flailing your arms like a psychopath until one was desperate enough for cash to take you.

“Are you drunk?” Seokmin asks in bemusement. “Why the hell would we of all people do that?”

“Why the hell not? I’m flexible. I can take my leg all the way up to my shoulder.”

Seokmin’s jaw slightly drops upon hearing that, picturing that, before shaking out the words from his head and realizing too late he’s joining you in a cab. “Not the point. Why are you willing to help me by going that far?”

You look at him with a stern face before shushing him with your free hand and turning to the driver with your address. You finally arrive back at your apartment, paying the driver before getting out of the car and dragging him up the flights of stairs. 

“You still haven’t answered me,” his voice echoes in the building fixtures, booming louder than usual. “And slow down, will you?”

“Walk faster.”

Entering your apartment, you realize this is the first time he’s been in here. You realize it’s the first time anyone’s been in here. You toss your keys aside and offer Seokmin a drink. He sounds off a decline and takes in the gravity of this situation as he’s scanning your residence. “Your place is nice.”

You grin, tugging him to your side again, and drag him to the couch to immediately straddle his lap abruptly. “Thank you. I like to think I’m settled in by now.”

“Are we actually doing this?”

You smooth your pal over his shoulders, your smile picking up from one side. “You don’t seem entirely against it.” You press down on the grown erection under you, a soft groan leaving his lips.

“Of course not, little Seokmin barely has a mind of his own—“

You squint. “You call him little Seokmin—“

“Besides the point, don’t listen to him. He’s only thinking of one thing.”

“Sounds like me and him are on the same page, now all we need is you. Tell me why we shouldn’t, Seokmin,” You say as you start grinding down on his toned, firm thigh. You watch his face contort in interest, submission, succumbing to your advances. Your hand trails over his cheek, noting how his breath hitches when your fingertips tap against his neck. “While I give every reason why we should.”

He shakes his head, almost in disbelief. “Y/n—shit, this is such a b-bad idea.”

“That’s not a reason, Seokmin.”

“I could do something wrong.”

“Which is why I’d teach you, baby.”

He blinks back at you frantically, his cock straining in his pants until it hurts. He looks so pliable and pretty, it takes everything in you to keep the pace slow. At a moment’s notice, your hand thread through his hair and pulls his head back. He softly whimpers, eyes struggling to stay on you as your lips made their way down his jaw, then his neck, before closing your lips around his adam’s apple. 

Seokmin holds down his pants to keep from poking you, and uses his shallows breath to distract him from your lewd gestures. He realizes how ineffective as your hips dip into his, pushing against his cock, and a groan leaves his lips like live pornography. It physically moves you to the point you’re determined to hear more.

“Tell me, Seok. What can I do to convince you?”

“Apparently, not much,” he mumbles with a harsh blush against his cheeks and ears, struggling underneath you, “Why do you want this?”

“Me?” You push his head back up to meet his eyes. “I just had a sudden hankering for virgin pretty boys. Is that a good enough reason?”

“...Ok, I-I think so–” and your lips meet his, pressing into his body and letting it naturally melt around him.

His hands claim home reluctantly around your body, feeling the soft texture of your back over your shirt before caressing it tenderly. His other arm loops around your hips, discovering how perfectly it hugs your body close to his as follows your languid movement in the kiss. It scratches a part of his brain to hear you moan the way you did, he feels himself kissing you deeper, needier. 

Seokmin’s body slouches underneath yours, gripping your thighs until he was squished at his waist and gradually his hips move on their own against you. His cock bumps against your throbbing cunt repeatedly until he’s practically drilling against you. Your voice, sultry yet delicate, burns in his ears, turning them a vibrant scarlet and suddenly he’s lifting you with your body tightly wound to him and pushed into the cushions of the couch.

You let out a startled gasp, not having predicted such action and his body is relentlessly against yours against you, digging into you, taunting you, ruining you. “You, t-tease.”

Seokmin acts as if he doesn’t hear, as if he can only focus on how good it feels for his cock to rub against you right now. His body rolls against you enough that you can feel the friction of the zipper on your clit, making you writhe underneath him.  His kisses grow hungrier, tongue traveling inside you like he’s starved for every morsel. It’s pure animal instinct. So pure and primal, he’s convinced he’ll cum right then and there, but practices self-restraint. If he’s learned one thing from satisfying his own urges, it’s patience. 

Your legs wrap around him, pushing him closer, the sensual noises you make only make him fall deeper, making him weaker.

“Put it in me…” you cry, “I want your cock fuck so deep inside me. Please, Seokmin…”

Seokmin finds the word “no” to be impossible at this point, but he can’t help but still feel anxious at the idea of it happening. “Hold on.” He procures his wallet from his back pocket before taking out the condom you planted earlier in there for him and sets it aside on the coffee table. “I’m sure you want your clothes off, yeah?”

His hand comes at the hem of his long sleeve before it over and off his body, revealing a body you’ve only ever seen in sports catalogs. You’re so stunned at the clear concaves and curves of his abs and pecs, you barely grasp that he’s helping you with your shirt off. His hand smooths over your frame as he’s kissing over your chest, moving against you again to distract you from your request moments ago.

He slips your pants between your bodies, hearing it hit the ground, and replicates that movement with his own pants, now only the barrier of your underwear stopping you. He swallows noticing the giant stain right where the center of your core is. “It’s so…wet.”

“Yeah, it’s what you’ve been doing to me.”

He ravels you like it's a delicate process, slipping down the sides of your panties until over your legs and off your body to have your bare pussy, glossy from all the arousal, twitching at the sight. It fuels something in him. “Shit…”

“Do it…put it in me…”

He swallows again, knowing his little Seokmin badly wants what you want, so what is he stalling for? He shut his eyes, taking in deep breaths. “Okay…”

“Don’t be scared…I’ll only bite if you want me to. Take out your cock for me.”

Just as slowly as he has done you, his briefs come down achingly slow, but reveal the perfectly big cock ready for the taking it. You marvel at it, drool forming at the corner of your lips, your clench and unclench your fist before darting for his girth. However, you are prevented from doing so by Seokmin himself, feeling the tremble in his hands. “I-I’ll do it. I just–”

“You don’t have to be nervous, Seokmin. It’s just me.”

“That’s exactly why I am nervous.”

“But why–ah, ah, shit.”

You feel him ease into you, the stretch of his cock was deafening with every mouth-watering inch. He takes light strokes as a test, plunging his fat cock into you like nothing while you bite your bottom lip, eyes flicking to the back of your skull. 

“Wait, shit, the condom.”

You shake your head. “Don’t bother. I rather we didn’t anyway. Fuck, you’re so big.”

“Am I?” He asks pumping in you in a concise rhythm. “That feel good? Am I doing it right?”

You softly moan, clenching around him as you absorb the soft, careful tone in his words. “Yes, Minnie, but deep for me, please. Do what feels natural. Use me like your toy.”

“O-okay.”

He takes your advice and down pushes in deeper, groaning at the sensation as he picks up the speed. “Fuck…”

“Shit, that’s unreal.” You whine, “Faster, Seok. I said to use me.”

He listens as he’s fucking you faster, harder. He clutches the flesh of your ass cheeks, spreading you open. Your body stiffens, hands over his knuckles as you follow him. “Yes, like that. Fuck.”

He’s barely comprehensible in his grunts, truly seeing you as a thing to fuck that he just knows will make him insufferable. “Your. Pussy’s. So. Good.”

“Yeah, you like that Minnie? You like splitting my raw pussy open with your fat fucking cock?”

He nods gingerly.“Yes. I. Do. Shit. Pussy’s. So. Wet. Good. Around. Cock.” He folds into you, pressing his chest against yours and kissing your lips to swallow your moans. “That. Feel. Good?”

“So good, baby. Give it to me more, baby.”

“More? More?”

He pounds you harder, biting your lips as his hand roams down to find your clit. You moan like a stupid slut at that but take a moment of bemusement to wonder where the hell that came from. “W-where? How?”

“Porn.”

He makes it so that you can move even an inch away from him, feeling your sweat mixes into each other until you don’t know where you start or he ends. He rubs your moisture around your clit while his thrusts remain an enigma, once so timid and careful, now leaving you breathless with every generous jerk every waking second. 

Eager to experiment more, Seokmin pulls you up from the couch and pressed your chest against the cool wooden coffee table, pulling your ass in the air. His cock reenters you from behind, now the sound of your ass slapping against his lap is so delectably wet and delicious, that everything else feels numb. 

You grip the edge of the table, legs elevated with curled toes. “Yes, fill me up please…you fuck me so fucking good…oh, Seokmin…a fucking natural…”

He finds your clit once more, going at it for what feels like forever, and enjoys you as if it's the last. He revels in your entirety contracting against him and he knows his patience can only take so much at this point.

“Seok, I’m cumming. I’m cumming. Just like that, please.”

He knows it's the beginning of the end the moment you open that dirty mouth of yours. He holds himself together, letting you come apart around him before he’s announcing he’s close with much trepidation. You nod back knowingly, a wide smile breaking out on your face. “Pull out, and put it in my mouth.”

He quickly obliges, seeing you getting on your knees and grasping at his shaft. You angle him at your lips, the slick force from your fingers milk every built-up tension from his cock and bursting it in your mouth in milky white. He memorializes how it hits your tongue, how big your smile is before you lick up every bit of it and suck his cock clean, and how much relief and pleasure he’s gotten from the whole ordeal. He’s overcome with a sense of gratitude.

“That was good. The student learns fast.”

“That was good,” he repeats.

“Amazing, actually.”

“Okay.” At this point, it was understandable to his brain had become mush, but he never knew it come to this extent.

You chuckle. “Your first time good?”

“Very.”

“Good, now I’m gonna teach you a little thing about aftercare. Lords knows how many guys go out fucking without knowing what is.” 

Before you begin getting up he pushes you back down, a fierce look of determination from his eyes. “Can I eat you out first?”

Your eyes shoot open in pleasant surprise, quickly maneuvering yourself to sit back on the coffee table with spread legs. “Looks like someone’s been doing his homework.”

That night you learn he wasn’t only natural with his dick he was a natural with his mouth too. it helped to have his pretty nose.

Part of my 3K Follower StayCation!!!

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[rainbow-femme]

Rewatching the animated Beauty and the Beast

-Right off the bat the thing in the opening that gets me is not the possible age implication but the fact that this prince is opening his own doors and to people he’s not expecting. You’re lucky it was just an enchantress looking to test the purity of your heart and not an assassin. Just power posing with the door fully open, no guards, going “Oh hey it’s someone I don’t know! I’m going to have a conversation with them alone” before god and everybody. Of course you got cursed, your guards should have rugby tackled her before she could get her wand out

-I never liked Maurice as a kid and I still don’t. Like he’s not bad he’s just annoying to me every time he’s on screen. The wind blows and he’s dying on the side of a cliff somewhere

-It is never not funny to me that Belle promises to stay in the castle forever and then just leaves three hours later

-I love Gaston having his whole “I’m going to get Belle’s father locked up so she marries me” scheme and then she’s fully just not remotely near the town. He’s living in a high stakes drama and she’s clapping along to dancing tea cups

-Hey when Maurice goes to look for Belle he grabs a bunch of rolled up pieces of paper and protractor. Is the idea that he’s just gonna invent and build something while actively walking? Sir you spent 6 hours in a dungeon and nearly died of being in a dungeon disease, you can’t help yourself out of a wet paper bag much less get your daughter out of anywhere with an invention you made out of rocks and sticks while clawing your way through the woods because you’re dying again

-But it is funny to imagine this revolving door of Maurice and Belle trading themselves for the other until the beast is just like “hey if I let you both leave will you promise to never come back”

-Belle is such a dick at the beginning it’s so funny. “Oh there’s one place in this giant castle I can’t go? I bet he’s hiding all the really cool stuff in there and I’m going to ignore his wishes and that of the staff. Oh no, consequences, the guy who said not to come here is upset I came here! Who could have foreseen this!”

-Like it’s not bad writing, it’s her character arc that she was mainly focused on herself and her interests and pretty judgemental of people who weren’t like her, so her disrespecting someone’s boundaries because she want to sets up something she grows from, and she learns to connect with someone else on their level even if that person is different from her and she learns that people are more than their surface appearance and even an angry beast has depths if you actually get to know them and see their view of the world, and connecting with people who are different from you enriches your life. Which is why when the townsfolk later try to kill the beast because he’s different we see she’s now understood the danger of that way of thinking and is horrified

-But that’s such a funny thing to do just immediately upon entering a castle owned by a big scary beast. Day one hour one she’s like “oh boy I know where I wanna go!”

-I don’t want to be a CinemaSins and point out how improbable it is that Belle got a giant unconscious beast onto her horse when he would be hundreds of pounds. But I do want to see the scene of her doing it. I’m picturing the horse sorta laying down and the beast is on the ground like a sack of potatoes and Belle has her back against him and is pushing with her legs to try and roll him over. Or she’s got her shoulder against him and is trying to push that way but her feet keep slipping in the snow

-Oh my god I forgot they told her about the library before the beast “gives” it to her. She was already allowed to go in there and knew it existed, “giving” someone a room they had full knowledge of and access to is very funny

-But you know what if he’s the kind of guy who thinks that will work and she’s the kind of girl it works on then they’re perfect for each other. Just two people with zero social skills bumbling around a castle together, making weird decisions and the other is like “wow they’re so cute and normal”

-I love the sweeping faux crane shot during the ballroom dance. Over 30 years later and that shit still slaps, more animated movies need to act like they’re being shot and edited like live action

-Maurice really can find a way to immediately die in any situation. When he’s at home he’s fine but the second he leaves the town border he develops tuberculosis and begins losing all function in his limbs

-I’m going to be honest with you guys, I’ve seen various versions of Beauty and the Beast and every time it’s the letting Belle go scene I have the same thought: I absolutely would not have read that social interaction correctly, I would have been fully under the impression we were all aware I was running an errand and coming back later. Because if I’m Belle, and I can live in the cool castle with a friend and people who are nice to me or a town I specifically stated not liking filled with a guy who is pushy and makes me uncomfortable and people who are mean to me and zero friends, I would not have been like “oh thank god I can finally go back!”

-“You should go to him. I release you, you are no longer my prisoner” See to me that reads “We are friends and I am removing this technicality between us so you can go run out and do something that is clearly important to you.” I would not have picked up on everyone in the castle thinking I was leaving forever. I’d just show up two hours later like “boy, it’s been a day, huh?” and the beast is just laying face down on the floor in his room listening to a sad boy playlist

-But the beast is clearly part dog so I guess it’s a normal reaction for him to have

-I don’t want to victim blame, but if you have a sick dad and are equidistant between “castle where everyone likes you” and “town where everyone is mean to you” and your dying father can be cured by a nap, I feel like it’s a bit on you if bad things continue to happen in the Bad Things Happen To Me town

-Not saying she should have anticipated a mob coming to incarcerate her father but I do feel like it would be expected that the people who have been mean to you and your dad would continue to be mean to you and your dad in the Everyone Is Mean To You and Your Dad town

-Because if the forced incarceration hadn’t been an issue, they would have gone to town the next day and someone would go “Hey Belle, your dad said you were kidnapped by a beast.” And everyone would point and laugh and he’d start waving his arms and going “It was the biggest beast you ever saw! 18 feet tall and claws bigger than my head!” and people would probably suggest that the guy they all call Crazy Old Maurice may be crazy and Belle would need to prove he wasn’t. I just don’t think we would have ended up with much of a different situation in any timeline that involves going back to the town

-Ok. So. If I live in a town. And I find out there is a beast within walking distance that is sentient enough to take villagers prisoner. And this guy is like “yeah he took me and my daughter prisoner, he’s terrifying!” I’m not saying I would have been part of the mob but I do think I would be worried about there being a beast and two people he previously kept prisoner living next door. And her saying “no he’s actually very sweet” would sound like those people with exotic pets who get their faces eaten by their pet tiger. Like yes they’re wrong but Belle also thought he was scary and violent until she’d been there a number of hours. I feel like if instead of giving herself up she went to town and asked for help and they created a mob to get her father back she would not have been against the idea so it’s not wholly their fault for having the same idea

-“Is it dangerous?” “No, no, he’d never hurt anyone” Every owner of a dog who wants to bite you so so bad

-So when Belle and her father are alone she is clearly telling him that the beast let her go and is kind. When asked about the beast by the town, Maurice starts yelling about how he’s the most terrifying monster in the world. Belle has to show the beast to back up her father’s claims to try and save him for the second? third? time. And then they’re locked up and she says “this is all my fault” and this man does not for a second contradict her or take blame at all. “Yeah I can’t believe you specifically caused this mess.”

“We won’t rest until he’s good and deceased.” I know there are only so many words that rhyme with beast but that’s such a funny line in a bloodlust song. I will not rest until this animal has been declared legally dead by the state

-“We will fight even though the danger just increased” I’m obsessed with all the words they had to use to rhyme with beast

-It’s so funny that this is canonically France and he is canonically a prince. They didn’t make him a duke or a lord he is directly related to the royal family and in the line of succession. Likely not the dauphin because they wouldn’t have sent him to run a castle in the countryside away from the center of politics so probably a younger son but still, this guy is part of the royal family. They didn’t have to explicitly state this is France but they do, and they reference the baroque period so it’s after the construction of Versailles. The beast is actively being stabbed to death while sentient furniture watches and at the same time his family are canonically pissing on the walls and floors of their own home

-Oh my god the beast is brooding on a chaise. Did he drag it over to the window just so he could dramatically sit on his chaise and stare longingly out at the rain? Absolute break up mood

-He’s also in a different outfit that isn’t the fancy one or his every day one, he went and changed into a breakup outfit. Important to note the breakup outfit includes a cape and what he was previously wearing did not. He chose to put on a cape as part of his breakup outfit

-So Gaston points his arrow at the beast. The beast acknowledges it then looks away. Gaston then fires and hits him and he reacts all surprised and angry that it hurt like my dude you let him shoot you with an arrow, what did you think that experience would be

-It is so wild that Gaston assumes the beast is in love with Belle. Like yeah he’s right but what a wild assumption to make when you’re not even sure this thing comprehends human speech. Again my thought would be he’s attached to her like a dog is attached to its owner, I would not see a big furry animal and be like “this thing is fully sentient and feels romantic attraction to human women”. Yeah he’s wearing clothes but still that feels like a leap. Pointing at a dog in a sweater following its owner and yelling “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

-The beast’s arc is partly him controlling his temper, and we see him want to kill Gaston but controls himself and lets him go, immediately resulting in his own death. Gotta be honest I feel like less self control would have been helpful in that specific scenario

-I didn’t remember the blood spray after the beast is stabbed followed by the stab wound bleeding a good amount of blood. Are there other Disney princess movies with onscreen blood? I think in Mulan we see blood oozing out through clothes from an injury but that’s the only other one I can think of. Eugene gets pretty bloodlessly stabbed

-Best scene in the movie: The beast floats up in the air, actively transforms into a human in front of Belle, stands up, says “Belle, it’s me!” She then squints at him, touches his hair a bit, squints at his face, and when she recognizes his eyes she goes “It is you!” Ma’am what the hell else did you think was happening. If you didn’t recognize his eyes would you have just been like “Hmmm I dunno…”

-Ok so at the end there is an entire royal court watching them dance. Again I don’t want to be a CinemaSins I just want to see the missing scene. Like did he explain what happened to him? If yes then again I want to see that conversation of him explaining to his family how he was literally transformed into a literal beast for the last ten years and they had no idea this was happening to their family member. If no, imagine just going back to being a prince after 10 years as a beast and you just have to pretend like everything has been normal this whole time. I want a sequel that’s just the human beast reintegrating not only back into society but French royal society, which was notorious for having some of the most intricate and complicated social etiquette in all of Europe

-The final shot is a stained glass window of them with a prominent rose. Now in the original he had a whole rose garden he was very attached to, so that makes sense. But I feel like this beast specifically would have only negative connotations with roses and that window would probably be seen as a little tasteless given the circumstances. “It’s a rose! You know, the physical manifestation of a curse that was clearly quite upsetting for you for nine years and roughly 360 days, reminding you daily of your flaws! Isn’t that fun?”

“Original score by Alan Menken” Look up his IMDB, if you live in at least the US this man has written the score to your entire life

#long post #I’ve been called out for being long winded so here is your warning #beauty and the beast #disney

[dirtysvthoughts]

𝓟 𝓡 𝓘 𝓥 𝓐 𝓣 𝓔 𝓓 𝓐 𝓝 𝓒 𝓔 𝓡 - THE TEASERS

“i’m your private dancer, watch me toes my touch, let’s get freaky, let’s get nasty, kitty by your nose…”

sʏɴᴘᴏsɪs: ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴀ sᴛʀɪᴘᴘᴇʀ ʜᴀs ɪᴛs ᴜᴘ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴡɴs, ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ғᴏʀɢᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇғғᴇᴄᴛ 13 ʜᴀɴᴅsᴏᴍᴇ ᴄᴜsᴛᴏᴍᴇʀs ʜᴀᴅ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ᴘᴀsᴛ ғᴇᴡ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜs.

general tags/warnings: smut, pwp, female! reader, stripper! things, mentions to partial or full nudity, warnings and tags will vary per chapter, chapters aren’t really connected with each other, think of this as 13 separate stories with you as the main character ✨

notes: DIRTYSVTHOUGHTS HITS 500! y’all i’m so excited to put out this series! it’s the first one for this account and y’all have seemed to like the other stripper! reader works i’ve written! i hope y’all enjoy these teasers!

teaser 1:

“god, how are you so perfect?” wonwoo groans as he palms himself over his suit pants as you slowly go into a middle split, ass right in front of him. you body roll up to land on your knees, adding in a few waves, your hips and waist moving like a river. you crawl towards him, your eyes never leaving each other’s. you can feel your panties getting wetter the way he stared at you, practically devouring you.

when you reach him, you spread his legs open a little and you nuzzle your head into his right leg. “i could ask you the same thing, mr. jeon… i can’t believe i get to see you as often as i do,” you smirk as you come up off the floor, sitting down on his lap, back facing his chest. you take his arms to guide them to your chest, feeling up your breasts in your bra that revealed most of your goods. he immediately fondles your body, hands running up and down your thighs as you grind onto him.

you turn your body to kiss his cheek, then you run your fingers through his hair. “can we take this further, mr. jeon?”

teaser 2:

you never expected to see him here of all places, much less ever again.

“mingyu, w-what,” you sigh in frustration as you place your hand on your forehead. “what are you even doing here? i thought we were done the last time we spoke.” he can’t even respond, too many conflicting emotions going on his brain. yes, you working at this club was one of the reasons he wanted to break up with you. but seeing you after all these months - you still looked insanely gorgeous, your neon green bodysuit giving him a "problem" he didn't want to deal with right now.

“i- just really wanted to see you again.. i’ve been thinking about you a lot lately,” he tries to reach for your hand, but you move it away, clearly annoyed at the fact he had the audacity to show up. “and you decided to come here? mingyu, you could’ve contacted me and we could’ve talked privately, but meeting me at my job while I’m working?” you scoff and shake your head. “you know what, i don’t have time for this… one of my regulars is here and i’m wasting my time with you.”

“but, wait!” mingyu calls out to you as you walk away from him.

“forget it, mingyu!” you shout back, heading back into the loud, hazy atmosphere.

#seventeen smut #svt smut #seventeen imagines #seventeen imagine #seventeen ot13 smut #svt imagines #svt imagine #seventeen x reader #svt x reader #seungcheol smut #jeonghan smut #joshua smut #jun smut #hoshi smut #wonwoo smut #woozi smut #dk smut #minghao smut #mingyu smut #seungkwan smut #vernon smut #dino smut #dsvtt: kenny’s works #dsvtt: private dancer

[shakemeetsworld]

I saw this and had a lot of thoughts and feelings about it, so I decided to write something up.

Ok yes, I completely agree with the female side of this. They were not looking for love and marriage but something greater than themselves and the small worlds they occupied.  I think Cinderella was open to marriage and love to get out of her miserable existence, and wanted to go to the ball not only to get out of the house, but because every eligible maiden in the kingdom was to attend.  And she’s a rule follower, clearly, since she obeys her stepmother and stepsister’s every command. (Granted if she didn’t she’d be thrown out probably.)

The men on the other hand, I’m not convinced all of these men wanted marriage, or only wanted marriage.  The Beast basically wanted to be left alone.  He knew he had to find love to break the curse but by the time Belle came along he seemed pretty resigned to that never happening.  While his staff clearly wanted Belle around to hopefully break the spell, I don’t think the Beast agreed to trade her for her father for that reason.  He was scared of the outside world and its judgment of him, and found Maurice’s intrusion threatening.  And by that point had become so beastly that all he knew was anger and violence.  (A great metaphor for the only acceptable masculine emotions and actions.)  So he kept him and then her as a prisoner until his staff said, maybe this could do something and he gave in to them.

With Prince Eric and Prince Charming, I think marriage was what was expected of them because of their titles and the time periods.  Eric seemed much more interested in adventure and exploration than in romance and marriage.  And when he thought he’d found the woman that saved his life it was just the thing to do to marry her.  And the King was the one pushing Charming to get married and set up the ball for that purpose.  We don’t really get much personality from him so I can’t say he didn’t want that but we don’t get a sense that that’s his sole goal.

I completely understand that Disney and fairy tales give people unrealistic expectations of love.  And yes to us now it’s ridiculous to “fall in love” almost instantly.  But we forget that most of these tales come from a time when your options were limited or decided for you.  And marriage wasn’t about love necessarily, it was procreation and expectation, and for the woman security.  Eric found a girl who cared enough to save him so of course marrying her makes sense.  Then when he finds out it's also the girl who also seemed to enjoy adventure like him and captivated him for the last few days, well win-win. Charming found a woman he could stand for more than 10 minutes after meeting all the women in the kingdom, so sure she’ll do.  The Beast and Belle are more realistic because it’s clear they got to know each other over a longer period of time.  It feels like months have probably passed.  And they found similar interests with the library.  That being said, they all waited until they found someone they genuinely liked, even if they knew immediately.  The timeline is unrealistic and so is the image of perfection that’s created with these romances.  Things in reality won’t be perfect and the connection won’t be immediate.  But I also feel like these stories of “true love” also gave me a desire not to settle.

I understand the point that this post is trying to make, and it is a good one.  There is much to be said about most things being shown through the male gaze and patriarchy.  And yes, as a society we forget/don’t care about the wants of women.  But I honestly feel like using these fairy tales as an example of that misses the point of many of these stories.  Sure Ariel married Eric, but a life on land and then a life with him was what she wanted in the story.  The whole story is about what she wanted.  And how she had to give up her voice to be heard.  And yes Belle was kept as a prisoner at first, and her story can be likened to Stockholm Syndrome of course.  Though once the Beast learned to love her he let her go and she chose to return. As a little girl growing up with these stories, sure I learned that love and marriage is the goal.  But I also learned from Belle that it’s ok to be different, to want more for your life than what you’ve been given, and to fight for what you believe in.  First she fought for her father’s wellbeing and then stood up to the town to defend the Beast.  I learned from Ariel that curiosity can take you to great places, that there’s always more to learn, and that we don’t need to be afraid of what we don’t know. Cinderella taught me that even when life is unfair or hard, to try to have a positive attitude and hope for a better future, and to ask for what you want.  She asked to go to the ball and tried so hard to make that happen even when the odds were stacked against her.

And honestly these men taught me things too.  The Beast taught me that people can change when given support.  Prince Charming and Prince Eric taught me to never give up searching for your dreams.

We absolutely need to talk more about the wants and desires of women.  And we need to stop putting marriage as the end goal for everyone.  But let’s not put these fairy tales in an anti-feminist box without exploring the nuances.  And maybe let’s use more real world examples of how patriarchy erases the desires of women and makes them into objects for the purposes of men and their desires.  Because there are plenty of those, and by using real examples we give kids (and adults) more practical and tangible problems to be aware of.

#disney prinesses #ariel #belle #cinderella #little mermaid #beauty and the beast #disney #feminism #marriage #women's desires #fairy tales #ariel x eric #ariel x prince eric #belle x beast #belle x adam #cinderella x prince charming

[shewrotesomething]

The Day He Realized He Wanted to Marry You (Zen)

Despite his confident demeanor, Zen had plenty of insecurities about his looks. After all, years of verbal abuse won’t disappear overnight. 

No matter how many times he would tell everyone he was perfection embodied, a little snake in his head would always tell him he’s just fooling himself. That all along, his parents had been right and he was on the wrong path. 

These fears will never be voiced, especially not in front of you. 

Even on the days he would ask you, “Jagiya, isn’t your boyfriend especially beautiful today?” and you’d look at him with a delighted smile, that snake would come slithering into his head a few moments later.

There was a day, however, when that voice… Well, it wasn’t silenced completely, but at the very least, it gave him a foothold for bad days.

He still remembered that morning. It was a particularly warm day. He had rehearsals for a movie, and you were off to meet with an old classmate.

“I mean, do you really have to go?” he asked.

You were in the mirror, fixing your hair. “Hyun, it’s not a date. It’s business. He has a fiance for crying out loud!” you shouted with a chuckle.

“You can never tell until the knot is tied… and even if it is you can’t.”

You looked over to him with half a glare. “Our party is in a month and he has excellent connections. Connections that will make excellent guests.”

That was exactly why he felt uneasy about it. If he had excellent connections, he’s probably a rich businessman who’s got a way with words.

“It’s going to be an hour tops and then I’ll drop by your set. We can have dinner together.”

“Promise?”

“Absolutely,” you said, sealing the promise with a kiss on his cheek.

And so, you two went off to your own businesses. 

It was strange though. He knew it would take you more than an hour to get to the set, but he didn’t expect you to be 3 hours late. Besides, whenever you were going to be late for anything, you never failed to update him.

The director called a wrap and so he called you. You didn't answer. He called and called and called. Each time that your phone went into voicemail, he was growing more paranoid. 

What if… you enjoyed your childhood friend company too much?

All those promises he said after the incident. That he’d protect you. That you were the most important thing to him. That he wanted nothing more than to be with you. That his biggest fear would be for you to disappear… What if that was coming true today?

Stay calm. Your phone could be faulty, out of battery, you could be at home.

He was about to rush home when one of his co-star’s personal assistant’s stopped him.

“Thank goodness I caught you.”

“I’m kind of busy, what is it?” he asked, a bit too harshly.

“The hospital called us, they said MC was in an accident, they’ve been trying to reach you but they don’t exactly know how.”

He took a cab to the hospital immediately fearing the worst. Hating himself even more to even consider that you were off having fun with someone else.

“Ah yes. There’s no need to worry. There was a collision with a biker and resulting in a dislocated kneecap but the doctors were able to fix it with no problem. The anesthesia is wearing off so go ahead.”

And he did. There you laid on the bed talking to one of the nurses. The nurse had a smile on her face.

“All I’m saying is… like… you know like fruit? Yeah�� like, if fruit takes like...like... more than 2... if it takes a lot of steps for you to do the thing, what do you do?”

“You eat it?” asked the nurse.

“Yeah yeah yeah yeah. That. If it takes more than like… yeah 2 steps to get to good stuff. Not fruit… It's bad fruit.

The nurse spotted him. “I think someone is here to see you,” she walked towards him. “Just a heads up. Anesthesia has a way of making people a bit too honest,” she warned before leaving.

“Thank goodness you're okay,” he told you with a sigh of relief.

Your eyes squinted to look at him. Your hands stretched out your hands and he held out his own, but you swept them away. Instead, you gestured for his face to come closer. 

Zen knelt down to do as you wished. With both hands cupping his face, your eyes lit up in recognition. “Ah… I know you.” 

He chuckled. “I certainly hope you do.”

You nodded to yourself. Pleased. “Uh-huh, you’re my beautiful boyfriend. My beautiful boyfriend is here.”

His heart melted at that. “I’m here.” Placing his hand over your own, he found the absence of a ring an issue to be remedied. 

#mystic messenger zen #mystic messenger fanfic #mystic messenger #mystic messenger hyun #mystic messenger mc #mystic messenger reader #zen x mc #reader insert

[veronicaleighauthor]

Barbara Howard

I’m a huge fan of Abbott Elementary. For those who may not be familiar with it, here’s a brief description:

A workplace comedy centered around a group of dedicated teachers – and an oblivious principal – in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life.

I started watching it not long after the show started, but recently I did a binge watch of it before Season 3 started and fell in love with it. One of the things I really appreciate about the show it’s character, Barbara Howard (portrayed by the brilliant Sheryl Lee Ralph). A veteran kindergarten teacher of over thirty years, you immediately fall in love with her. When we’re introduced to her, she declares she’s a “woman of God.” She’s a Christian and not ashamed of being so. Unlike other portrayals of Christians on comedy shows, even when Barbara says something comical or faith related, we’re never really laughing at her. As opposed to Glenn Sturgis on Superstore, who we laugh at all the time. Now I love Superstore and Glenn Sturgis and I enjoy laughing at him. And it’s perfectly fine for a Christian character to be ditzy, or hypocritical, or the villain; I’ve done it enough in my own stories. But Barbara Howard is one of the few positive portrayals of Christians out there.

The other characters on Abbott Elementary, Janine especially, highly respect Barbara and look to her for guidance since she’s one of the veteran teachers. She’s not perfect, but she’s never hypocritical, or cruel, or vicious. She is very open about her faith, yet she is never abrasive or judgmental. She never attempts to evangelize her coworkers. Others don’t share her beliefs, but they listen and understand her Christian beliefs are part of who she is. Ava, who is her polar opposite in personality and behavior, has referenced church and discussed beliefs and has even given Barbara some much needed advice, which Barbara took. Her closest friend is Melissa Schemmenti, who has some shady connections. Over the years she’s mentored the younger teachers, Janine, Gregory, and Jacob. Her students adore her and more than one has returned to tell her how much of an impact she’s made on their lives.

:: Spoilers from a Recent Episode ::

The recent episode of Abbott Elementary is fantastic. The school’s auditorium is lent out for Barbara’s choir group to sing in. Since Barbara is a talented singer, Ava encourages her to try out for the program. And Barbara does; it’s her wish to sing “Shackles” from MaryMary since in the past it inspired her. We see though that the church ladies don’t really like Barbara. We eventually find out they consider Barbara too “modern” for their tastes. They think she wears too much makeup; that she has too many piercings; that when she goes on cruises, she becomes Sea Barbara who is different from Land Barbara; they also object to her friendships with the more “colorful” teachers of the school.

Barbara isn’t accepted amongst those who are her brothers and sisters in Christ because in their eyes, she is “different.” She may never find acceptance in her church family. However, Abbott Elementary rallies around her and reminds her she will always have a place in their family.

:: Spoilers over ::

Anyway, the whole episode really inspired me because I’ve been struggling with some stuff. And in all honesty, I’ve drifted from God. He’s drawn me back, as He has in the past. But I was able to relate to Barbara and what she was going through – no matter how devout you are in your faith, there will always be another who thinks you aren’t truly living for Him. In the end, we’re only accountable to God and it’s His opinion that matters – not that person in your life giving you the side-eye for you not living up their expectations.

So, if you haven’t already, try Abbott Elementary. You’ll enjoy it, I swear! I can’t wait for tonight’s special episode.

#abbott elementary #barbara howard #faith #christianity #god #jesus

[seradyn]

Ruvik, Karl and the daemon bastard husband Ardyn 😂💙

YES MY BOIS 👏💕👏

Gonna go in the order you listed 😉

Was gonna add video clips of my favorite moments, but you can only do one per post, so the rest are gifs 😭😭

Ruvik

First impression: Woah, who is this guy, and why is he so powerful? Is he a demon? A vengeful spirit? I am very intrigued.

Impression now: Oh god he’s tragic. OH GOD HE’S TRAGIC.

Favorite moment: In the first Kidman DLC, The Assignment, Ruvik has some absolutely spectacular dialogue with her and Leslie at the very end, after cornering them in the church. It gives me chills every time and the delivery is perfect.

“We’re all their pawns, eventual victims.

They killed me! They ripped me apart, and took what they needed.

I will destroy what they wish to control.”

The elevator scene with Sebastian is also great, but man this one is just sublime in every way.

Idea for a story: I’ve been playing with the idea for a x Reader fic with him, one in which they essentially kill him with kindness. He hasn’t experienced kindness or affection since the accident, so I’m excited to explore his character dealing with someone who doesn’t immediately find him repulsive or isn’t intimidated by him. There will also be lots of bumbling on his end, cause even though he’s smart af, he doesn’t know the first thing about relationships 😂

Unpopular opinion: He deserves compassion, and hating him is extremely shortsighted. Yes, he did terrible things, no one is debating that, but choosing to ignore the broken pieces of his humanity left in the game is being deliberately obtuse. Not saying you shouldn’t or can’t hate him, but it shouldn’t be without acknowledging his trauma. And putting others down for not hating him is downright juvenile.

Favorite relationship: I’m all about that self ship, which is probably his best bet at getting any romance, based on being…well, a serial killer. Some of my friends have shown me Ruvik x Stefano though, and that relationship would be interesting to say the least 😆

Favorite head cannon: Touch starved af and craves affection. Although touch starved is basically cannon, I think he also deeply craves some kind of connection with someone. He lost everyone he cared about; his sister died in the fire, his parents locked him in a basement, his research partner betrayed him, which lead to his death (the one he’s discussing in the above quote). I head cannon he longs for someone he can trust, really trust, and anguishes over his loneliness.

Moving on…

Karl Heisenberg

First impression: I hadn’t played the game, but I’d seen pictures of him. For some reason I thought he was the main villain, and was working with Chris to make the main character help him (no fucking clue how I arrived here 🤣🤣). Thought he was some big, gruff man who didn’t talk much and smiled even less. Why does he look like Ardyn?

Impression now: LMAOOO THIS DUDE IS A MASSIVE TROLL AND I AM SO HERE FOR IT 😂😂😂 I could not have been more wrong about him (or the plot, still not sure how I got there). He’s funny and I love his smile, and how much of a tool he is. I must say, I did not expect his voice to sound the way it does, but I’m not complaining 🥰

Favorite moment: Why isn’t there more of him why isn’t there more WHY ISN’T THERE MORE??? Anyway, probably when he tries to convince Ethan to work with him.

“Neither did I! But here we are.

And I’m next in line, right? Kill me, move up the chain!

Well, fuck that!”

He’s so animated here, I love it 🥰

Idea for a story: I’ve already mentioned I got something cookin in the old noggin, but I have more details on what I want to happen now, so I’ll be happy to share them! Surprise surprise, it’s x Reader, where they’re a botanist sent to survey the remote mountains of Romania. Collect data on the plants there for the university they work at, along with two colleagues who are cartographers, going to update outdated maps of the area. They get captured and typical RE shenanigans ensue, but I also want reader to be connected to Umbrella somehow, which I hope you can help me with. I want Miranda to know too, so she starts sending reader to all the Lords to see what happens. Little does she know reader starts to osmose some of all their powers, turning into something far more dangerous than she could’ve imagined.

That’s all I got for now, no more spoilers! Unless you want them 😉

Unpopular opinion: He has more respect for his partners than some of you seem to think. I’ve read plenty of stories where Karl is super hands on with his partner, slapping their ass and manhandling them all the time, sometimes hours after meeting them. Not my fuckin Heisenberg. He keeps his hands to himself, unless he has explicitly gotten permission to do any touching. Honestly wish some of y’all would tag your stories when you make him all grabby, it’s kinda triggering for me.

Favorite relationship: My first answer is going to be x Reader for all of these, I’m a sucker for the stuff. Although Karl x Ethan sounds endlessly amusing to me. Karl would be the puppy bouncing around everywhere while Ethan would brood in a corner 😂

Favorite head cannon: Extremely sensitive to trauma responses, and is good at comforting, due to the things Miranda did to him. He doesn’t want anyone he likes to know what that helplessness or fear feelings like.

Last, but the farthest thing from least…

Ardyn Izunia Lucis Caelum

First impression: I knew he was the villain before I started the game, but that’s all I knew. Thought he was funny as I actually got into the game, and why the hell is he everywhere??

Impression now: GREEK PLAY LEVEL TRAGIC HERO AND MY HEART ETERNALLY ACHES FOR HIM. Seriously, they did NOT need to fuck Ardyn up so much, there’s plenty of shit that happened to him that could make someone a villain by itself. But the gods and Squenix said ‘fuck this guy in particular’. I thought y’all called him ‘trash Jesus’ cause he looks like the guy, but NOOOOO there’s actually fucking parallels between the two. The healer, the betrayal, the crucifixion…not exactly subtle when you take the time to look. Aside from all that, I still love how funny he is, he always makes me laugh (when he’s not making me cry), and he’s super smart. Plus, I will always admire how he made it so he wins no matter what happens in the end. That takes some galaxy brain level planning.

Favorite moment: Imma let it speak for itself;

“You think ten years is a long time? It is nothing to me!

I have lived in darkness for AGES!”

God, the fucking level of emotion absolutely dripping from that last word kills me very time. Darin de Paul did excellently with Ardyn’s lines up until that point, but this one hits differently. The sheer anguish and sorrow you can hear in his voice is breathtaking. Made worse when you realize he’s being literal…he has spent actual ages locked in a dark cell. Words can’t properly give it credit.

Idea for a story: yall chapter 11 of ADCT is gonna be like 10k+ words 😂😂 Not done yet and it’s already at 7k lol. Hope that makes up for the 6 month hiatus 😵‍💫 Aside from that though, I have another idea for a long fic, albeit a shorter one. Where reader gets washed up on Angelgard before Verstael, and is horrified to find Ardyn strung up on the island. After freeing him, they have to work together to try to survive, figuring out how to get food, water, and fight off hypothermia. Verstael eventually arrives, and takes both of them back to Niflehiem.

Unpopular opinion: Most handsome character in FFXV by a long shot. He’s in space.

Favorite relationship: Apart from x Reader, I’m boring for this one. Ardyn x Aera, they’re so sweet and cute together. Forever bitter Ardyn didn’t get to reunite with her at the end. I know some people dig Ardyn x Gilgamesh, but meh, it’s just not for me. Hope y’all who do like it have fun with it though 😁

Favorite head cannon: Absolute teddy bear with his SOs, fucking bastard troll man with everyone else. Dynamic is super fun and amusing to me, I love the thought of him being a bean one moment then turning around and roasting Ravus with political talk the next. Oh, I also love the thought that he has a massive sweet tooth. Since his hair didn’t grow at all during his time on Angelgard, I like to think his body is in some kind of stasis, that it can’t be changed, and Ardyn takes full advantage of that. He’s got at least three different types of cake in his fridge, and several pints of ice cream in the freezer. He also keeps candy bars in his desk.

Thank you so much for this ask, it was a ton of fun to write! 😁😁

#asks #ruvik #ruben victoriano #ruben ruvik victoriano #ruvik x reader #karl heisenberg #heisenberg #heisenberg x reader #karl heisenberg x reader #ardyn #ardyn izunia #ardyn lucis caelum #ardyn x reader #ardyn izunia x reader #my clips #my gifs

[bi-lullaby]

So I really loved the PJO show. I wish we get a second season, and a fourth and so on all the way through heroes of olympus because it’s just so good. If you feel like reading my (NOT spoiler free) rambles:

- Percy’s loyalty and dedication to his mom is just so integral to his character and they RESPECT THAT.

- I really like what I’ve seen mentioned about how both casting wise and storyline changes wise there have been some adaptations that were less “lol lets change it” and more to connect better with today’s audience and cultural paradigm. Like Annabeth being blonde because of the stereotype of “the dumb blonde” that was so prevalent in the era the books were released versus her being Black showcasing the extreme undermining Black women go through instead, or Luke being less 00s/10s boyband boy looking and more tiktok softboy looking now, but also Sally being less 100% perfect and more active in the story and upbringing of Percy as both a hero and a demigod and Luke being less cool and detached and more… Sweet? Emotional?

- I did feel pretty meh about a few changes: Zeus immediately accepting that Kronos is scheming and is a threat (Ik they couldn’t know if they’ll get that far but it cuts the stakes of the third book by a lot if there’s no pressing time limit to get Artemis back to Olympus to convince the Gods into action if they’ve been Doing Stuff for two years now, and even the second book loses a little in regards to the behind-the-scenes political climate that leas to it being what it was). Luke going to every length not to kill Percy is such a 180° from the books it was a little jarring and I feel it cuts out how much of a Menace he was and how bitter/jealous he was of Percy. Like we could have seen their bonding and even Luke trying to recruit him but I’d still have liked to see the scorpion scene so the betrayal and anger and wariness Percy feels is that much deeper and bitter and personal like in the books.

- I’m of two minds about the entire Gabe arch. Like on one hand I do understand toning him down (including his demise) for the public’s intended audience, I even think it kinda goes along the adapting to new times by showing that the useless, insensitive, disrespectful aspect of a bad husband is harmful just as the “darker”, more explicitly abusive/exploitative and mean drunk book version, but on the other I feel like he had such an impact on Percy in the books (he’s literally the Oracle’s “mirage” for his prophecy, he thinks of his smell in tartarus), and I really had loved the line “you’ll fail to save what matters most in the end” coming true because Sally saves herself - although the post I’ve seen about his fate showcasing how his lack of respect was his doom did make me appreciate it a little more.

- The only castings (or maybe it was the directing and styling of them more so) that I can’t really get behind are Hades and Hephaestus. Hades felt like they were going for the Disney’s Hercules comedic relief one in a slightly toned down costume. None of the gravitas and intimidation, he didn’t feel like a god at any point. And Hephaestus was just… So different. He’s supposed to be a deeply secluded, antisocial, gruffy mechanic who’s self sequestered by his inventions and forges. The show version looked like an eccentric professor more than anything imo. Which I feel could be one modern retelling of Hephaestus in another series, but isn’t the one we had and, imo, doesn’t go as well with the rest of the vibe. Which is a shame bc I do feel like Timothy could have been used in a way that would work fantastically for those vibes.

- Lin Manuel Miranda’s, acting actually shocked me. I never really had a Hamilton phase but I am on tumblr so I was expecting something cringe and honestly, I thought it was good (and to bring it back to Hades: Hermes in sweats and a hoodie actually gave me the feeling of “this is merely a cover to a deep well of power” than Hades in his suit and dark colors ever did)

- Meanwhile, perfect Ares casting. Yes this man is beefing with (and losing to) 12yos but he’s also an ancient force that revels in bloodshed and carnage.

- Annabeth from the show encapsulates the character so well while also bringing her own notes to it. Like as time went on back in my peak pjo days I felt she got “Hermionified” by the fandom too much? And I lost sight of how fond I was of her but the show (and having reread the books) really rekindled that and made me remember why she is a force to be reckoned with and also someone that must be protected at all costs. I cannot express enough how much my fondness was reignited.

- Like I feel this could be a whole post but basically I feel the books showcase the “ideal” characteristics the gods and their kids could have versus how they wind up twisted into something else (Percy’s sea-like indomitable spirit vs several of his brethren’s ruthlessness and disregard for what’s good) and Annabeth feels like, beyond amassing knowledge for it’s sake… She wants to actually Learn, and in the show maybe even to a deeper degree than in the books and it is endearing and very enthralling.

- On that note, Leah, Walker… This is supposed to be a SLOWburn goddamit. Like in the books you can see where it’s headed but in the show they have such silly crushes I can barelyy stand it. My children.

- Speaking of Walker that kid IS Percy like you cannot convince me otherwise. Disney farmed him for this role.

- I actually really loved Poseidon having a british accent? Idk, something about england and nautical exploration and it feeling older and more… Powerful? Like the ocean

- And Zeus had all the “I’m the god amongst kings and king amongst gods” that I’d have expected from him. He was crackling with power and that was beautiful to see. What a tragic loss.

- Grover is my precious child (although I do wish we had gotten the silly, goat like details of him like eating cans and making the bleating noises). And since the last book I finished rereading was the Battle of the Labyrinth (where I cried like a baby at Pan’s death) watching this sweetheart getting all excited with his literal flower searches license? Made me wanna weep.

- Overall most of my criticisms that came to mind besides the alterations I cited came from being hushed because of too few eps and those being too short. Really really hope the next season (fingers crossed) we’ll get like, 15+ eps (and/or at least longer eps) so we can really sink into the meat and potatoes of it all.

#percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #pjo #pjo show #my thoughts #text #spoilers #pjo spoilers

[astroluvr]

a/n: this isn’t a much, but I do hope you enjoy! this was a request for teen!dad jack, so here we have it!

***

"Y/N L/N.” your heart pounded when you heard your name called across the stage.

It felt like a long time coming to reach your senior graduation. Most of your plans were thrown off course when you found out about April at the beginning of summer. You and Jack sat down and devised a plan that led to you to your small apartment in the nick of time for her birth. Nothing was perfect, it wasn’t easy to try and stay up late feeding a baby and studying for exams, but you did it and you were proud of yourself.

You didn’t miss the stares that came when you walked the halls with a swollen stomach and you certainly didn’t miss them when you walked across the stage in front of people who didn’t think you, or Jack would make it. None of that mattered, though, when you saw the pair of eyes you’d been looking for. For the first time in a long time, she had both eyes open in observance and they seemed to light up when she saw her mother.

“Congratulations, Ms. Y/L/N. You’re doing great things.” your principal told you softly as she gripped your hand.

“Thank you.” you said sincerely before taking your diploma and holding it up just enough for a picture.

At the end of the all-too long ceremony, you found Jack and stood next to him, clutching his hand through the instructions to move your cords to the left. Jack watched you with adoration, no more than five months after having a baby were you moving your cord in celebration.

“Move your cord, baby!” you practically bounced in excitement, but Jack was much happier that it was over.

“You can do it. You did everything else for me.”

“This is an honor, you know.” you took a step closer and shifted his cord to the left as you connected your lips in celebration while everyone around you threw their caps in the air. “Congratulations!”

“Congratulations!” he yelled back, pulling you against him as tight as he could in a hug. “Let’s find April.”

You and Jack rushed through the crowd of happy graduates with smiles on your faces. You two eventually found April near the car in front of nice spot to take pictures. April’s eyes widened when she you two, her tiny fist waving up and down and tugging at the graduation cap shaped balloon in her hand.

“Hi, my baby!” you reached for her and Maggie took her son in her arms as your family did the same.

“All of us are really proud of you two. Especially Ms. April.” she squealed when her grandmother poked at her tummy.

“Thank you. Jack and I truly owe so much of it to you. I’m sure this is... much different than you expected, but we appreciate your support.”

“Y/N, you’re family. Don’t have to thank us at all. Jack wouldn’t have passed without you.”

“That I know.” you turned to Jack who had taken off his cap to reveal his long curls.

“Stop hating and hand me my baby.” April immediately responded to Jack’s outstretched arms, squirming in yours in anticipation for her father.

She smiled happily when Jack put his cap on her and looked into the camera you had aimed on her.

“My beautiful girl.” you cooed, kissing her cheek before stepping back.

“Mama!” she babbled, kicking her feet and you and Jack both froze.

“What’d she say?” Jack’s mother asked from behind and you chuckled in disbelief.

“Please don’t tell me that was her first word.” Jack murmured and you swatted his chest before stooping down to her eye level.

“Did you say Mama?”

She babbled more incoherently and you let go of the hope she’d say it again, but it didn’t take away the pride. You looked up at Jack smugly who just rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Next time it’ll be Daddy, so savor it.”

“Oh, I am. You can’t change her first word, Jack.”

“She’s still a daddy’s girl. Isn’t that right, April?” he lifted her in the air above his head and you stood next to Jack’s shoulder to see her smile.

The cameras went up to capture the glow of all three of you. Your hand was outstretched to tickle her belly and Jack was puckering his lips at her to make her laugh and her dimples were as deep as ever as the balloon she had an iron grip on flew behind you all.

Even though it wasn’t easy to get where you were, the Kodak moments could never reveal the stress and overwhelm you and Jack faced. While there was still a long way to go, this was enough for now. It was a perfect marker of how far you had come.

#jack harlow #fan fiction #jack harlow x reader #jack harlow blurb #bf!jack #jack harlow fanfiction #dad!jack #jack harlow fluff

[avengerscompound]

Small Gods: Little Traditions - 4

Little Traditions: A Sam Wilson Fanfic

Little Traditions Masterlist | More Small Gods PREVIOUS //

Buy me a ☕ Character Pairing:  Sam Wilson x F!Reader

Rating: E

Word Count: 2371

Warnings: nothing really

Synopsis: Since the blip and Steve Rogers giving up the mantle of Captain America, Sam’s life has been chaotic.  It’s not enough that the world has moved on in the five years he’d gone, and that he’d missed so much, now he has to live with everything it means to be Captain America.  He feels like he’s losing all the things that make him him.  A venture to the supermarket to recreate one of his parents famous recipes brings him to you.

Chapter 4

Sam was quite excited about his date with you.  He had always been good at reading people.  He trusted his instincts and it was rare that he was wrong.  It was why he’d formed such a strong bond with Riley.  It was why he immediately formed a connection with Steve.  He was good at reading people - he’d been trained to read people.  He knew when people were hiding things from him and when they were just nervous or shy.  He knew when he was being manipulated.  He could tell when someone was annoying but ultimately good, and when someone was charming and ultimately bad.  He could even tell very early on if someone would never become closer to him than acquaintances and when they would be actual friends.  He trusted his feelings when he liked someone and he really liked you.

There had been a lot of talk about tradition, and so Sam decided to go with a traditional date, only with his own Wilson spin on it.

“So where are you taking me?” you asked as you sat beside him in his truck.  He’d picked you up.  He’d realized it was a risky move - he was taking you into New Orleans after all, and it wasn’t a short drive.  If things didn’t go well, then there was no way for either of you to escape the forty-five-minute trip back together. He had faith though, and what kind of date would he be, if he expected you to drive an hour and a half each way just to see him?

“We’re heading to a jazz club for dinner and then if you feel like a change of venue there’s an outdoor movie festival on.  They’re playing different vampire movies every night.  Tonight it’s Vampires in Brooklyn followed by Bram Stoker’s Dracula.” 

“That sounds like a nice twist on dinner and a movie,” you said, shifting in your seat so you were looking at him more.

He smiled, happy that you didn’t think it was cliché.  “Yeah, well you seemed to like the idea of tradition, but I wanted to make it ours.”

“It’s a perfect idea,” you said.  “And who knows, maybe we can even do some dancing.”

“Another classic,” Sam said.  “I do have some sweet moves.”

“I hope I get to see them,” you said.

“Well, if not tonight, another night,” he said.  “We definitely can’t go too long before tearing it up.”

You laughed and smiled softly at him.  “Not to jump into labelling us yet, but I do like the idea of finding the thing that is ours.  I think every couple needs that.”

“I agree,” he said.  “The special little things that you share with the people who are important to you are the best.”

Your smile grew and you nodded enthusiastically.  “I totally agree.”

“So,” Sam said, as he pulled up at a set of traffic lights.  “We have forty-five minutes to kill.  Maybe we should get to know each other better.  Are you a Louisiana native?”

“No.  I’m a transplant,” you said.  “But I have been here for a while.”

“So what brought you here?  Work?” he asked.

You seemed to think about the question for a moment.  There was a soft expression on your face as you considered it.  “I guess in a way you could say that.  I have always been attracted to places that have developed their own pockets of culture that are separate from everything around them.  There is nothing like Louisiana for that.  Yes, in Italy you will have one town telling you to use white wine in a pasta sauce and the next town will say it has to be red, but here, it’s like everyone just came here and blended their foods and culture and beliefs and it’s just its own thing now. There are so many factors that made it, you know?”

Sam nodded in understanding.  “It’s a special place,” he said.

“You grew up here, right?” you asked.

“That’s right,” he said.  “My parents had a fishing boat.  I mean - we still have the fishing boat.  The crawfish boil was a little tradition my parents started back in the day to celebrate the first good haul of them for the season.  It was something I loved doing as a kid and I wanted to bring it back again.”

“Yes!” you said.  “You see this is what I mean.  Look at that dish from the start.  The crawfish are from here.  They’re easy to come by, so people would fish for them, but they didn’t have the perfect way to cook them.  They tried the traditional rich French ways of cooking lobster because a lot of French immigrated here early on.  But it didn’t go with the small crustacean.  So they modified the recipes and cooking techniques and added their own Creole touch - which is a blend of so many cultures.  Then people took that dish, and make it an event.  You don’t just cook a few bugs.  You have your friends around.  You do your version of the recipes.  More cultures come and do their takes on it.  It’s a living organism that changes from family to family and yet it’s so important to the people involved.  It’s an event like going to church but just about sharing with your chosen people.  And here in New Orleans, there’s so much of that.  The music, the parties, the food, the burial practices, the people.  It makes this place so special.”

Sam couldn’t help but smile as you spoke.  He got caught up in your enthusiasm and passion for the topic.  Something he’d never really taken the time to fully appreciate.  He knew most of the things you’d said, and he was proud of his heritage.  These were his people and he was who he was today because of them.  It was different hearing it from you.  Almost like the things he knew deep down in his core were being named, and being named by someone who seemed to be an expert on the topic.

“It is special,” he agreed.  “My heart has always been here.”  He looked at you out of the corner of his eye, taking you in for a moment as he cruised down the highway.  “You seem so passionate about it.  Are you an anthropologist?”

You laughed and shook your head.  “No.  Though I do love Anthropos.”  You paused and chewed your bottom lip like you were considering telling him something more.  Sam glanced over at you again.  He could tell you had something on your mind that was troubling you, but he also knew he was way too early into the relationship to try and pry secrets out of you.  He still felt good about you and the potential for an actual relationship growing out of this.  Whatever it was that was troubling you, he didn't think it would be a deal breaker.

“So what is it you do?” he said.  “You sound like an expert.”

You took a deep breath and looked up at the roof of the car.  “You know Thor, don't you?”

The sudden change of topic was almost enough to give Sam whiplash.  He choked on surprised laughter and shook his head as his thoughts tried to catch up to the abrupt topic change.  “Yeah.  I know him.  He's a good guy.  He was more Steve’s friend than mine though so I wouldn't say that we’re close.  I wasn't officially an Avenger when he was on the team, and by the time I joined he'd gone back to Asgard or whatever.  Then I got blipped.  So you probably know as much as I do about the rest of it.  But yeah, we've met.  Partied together, fought in a few fights on the same side.”

“So, you know a god, and your friends or at least friendly acquaintances.  You accept that as a normal thing, his divinity and immortality, and his love for mortals both as friends and even romantically.  I mean he was pretty publically dating doctor Jane Foster.”

If Sam hadn't been on the highway, he would have pulled the car over.  As it was his eyebrows shot up and he looked at you out of the corner of his eye as he tried to figure out where this conversation was heading.

“Uhhh… yes.  That's accurate,” he said.  “I mean, some people debate the god thing and just say he's a guy who lives longer than us and has a superpower and humans just saw him as a god.  But yeah, I mean we grew up learning Norse mythology.  And he is here. But at the same time, even with the flowery prose and powers, he's a guy.  It's hard to think ‘god’ when you're just sharing a beer with a guy.  Why?  What's all this about?”

“Well,” you said, wrinkling your nose.  “You asked what I did.  And the answer is godly things?”

Sam nearly slammed on the breaks.  It took every ounce of self-control to keep the car driving straight.  “I’m sorry - what?”

“I’m a god.  Well, goddess if you’re hung up on gendered language, though I’ve never been a fan of it.  Sure there are gods of differing power levels, but their gender expression is irrelevant to that,” you explained.

Sam couldn’t quite process what was happening, and he couldn’t quite figure out why.  There was nothing about the way you were speaking that made him think you were lying.  Going off every piece of body language he understood, he could tell at the very least you believed you were telling the truth.  If this little bomb had been dropped before Loki had destroyed half of New York, he’d have just assumed you were delusional and tried to talk you into getting some mental health care.

This was not that world, and while the idea that you were some kind of god still sounded ludicrous, it wasn’t impossible.

“You don’t believe me,” you said.  “That’s okay, even in a world where half the population disappeared and then reappeared five years later people still don’t expect to meet the divine.  What’s funny is, you probably do it way more regularly than you think.  There are a lot of us.”

“You mean all the gods are real?” Sam asked, not even sure if the question came from skepticism or shock.

“Yeah, and some,” you answered.  “Some are beings that came here and humans worshiped because they saw an immortal being who can control the tides must be a god.  But the world is full of magic and when a lot of energy is placed into one thing, it creates a focal point, and sometimes - what pops out is what you’d call a god.”

Sam raised an eyebrow.  “I don’t quite follow.”

“Well,” she said.  “Say, you have a society that’s terrified of losing their things when they die.  So they create a whole story about how a hippo will come and weigh your heart and if you’re good, you can go spend eternity with all your stuff in paradise?  And so the whole society starts worshiping that hippo.  Well - if they really believe it and pray to it, their focus creates that being.”

“So you’re saying that humans have created gods by simply believing they exist,” Sam asked.

“That’s right,” you said.  “But it’s even more than that, have you ever gotten stuck in traffic and just prayed for it to get moving?  Or have you ever lost your keys and wandered around looking for them praying to find them because you had an appointment to get to only to find them in the pocket you’d already checked five times?  Those are things that millions and millions of people pray for every day, and from those prayers, a god is born.”

Sam blinked and shook his head.  “This sounds both completely crazy and completely plausible,” he said.  “I don’t know how to process it.  So you’re a god?  What god are you?  Persephone?”

“No, she’s one of the ones that visited.  That’s why there’s a Roman version and a Greek version of her name,” you answered.  “I’m just me.  I haven’t lied to you.”

“I’ve never heard of you before,” he said.  “What do you do?”

You laughed.  “You wouldn’t have,” you said.  “I’ve come from gaps between magic and religion.  Where people gather to celebrate things just for the joy of celebration and sharing with their family and friends.  I come from the traditions people have that aren’t attached to anything.”

Sam was more confused than ever.  “But what do you do?”

“Not all gods go around answering prayers.  Loki doesn’t go around answering people’s prayers for mischief.  He just causes mischief,” you said.  “But I do have some magic in me.  You saw it.  I didn’t suggest lime by coincidence.” 

“You knew?” Sam asked.

“I knew,” you said.  “I do live around here.  I was in the supermarket coincidentally, but I could feel how badly you wanted your old family traditions back, and I knew what it was you needed.  But imagine how crazed I’d come off if I said; oh what you’re looking for is the finger limes off the tree in your yard.”

Sam shook his head in disbelief.  “So how old are you?”

“I’ve lost count,” you said.  “Younger than civilization.  Older than Thor.  I existed before there were named gods and we were all just nexus points of desire and celebration.  We do come and go.  What people want now isn’t always the same as what they wanted thousands of years ago.”

“Damn,” Sam said.  “And you said yes to going on a date with me.”

“Well, you love so much of what I love, Sam,” you said.  “Plus - you are kind of amazing.  Amazing in ways gods wish they could be.  How could I say no?  The question is, knowing all this, do you still want to go out with me?”

He smiled and laughed.  “I like to think I can read people, and I like you.  So yeah, if you want to have a shot at a mundane life for a little while, I’d love to take you out.”

“Oh, Sam,” you said.  “You are anything but mundane.”

// NEXT

#marvel #avengers #sam wilson #sam wilson x reader #falcon #falcon fanfic #captain america fanfic #marvel fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #reader insert #small gods #little traditions

[clericofshadows]

big place!

Description: Kaidan, Ashley, and Regis take in the Ctiadel's sights, and Ashley ends up gaining some interesting information about her new crew.

Paring: Regis Shepard/Kaidan Alenko

“Big place!” Kaidan exclaimed, looking out over the nebula view of the Citadel.

Regis smiled, standing behind him and Williams, watching the traffic go by.  Never change, Kaidan.

Williams turned her head to look over at Kaidan.  “That your… professional opinion, sir?”

Regis coughed to hide his snort, but given the glance Kaidan gave him, he didn’t do a very good job of it.  “I don’t see how they can keep tabs on all this.  The Presidium might as well be on another planet.”

“There is definitely a gap between their presentation and what’s here,” Kaidan observed.  “Tracking arrivals must be a nightmare.”

“This makes Jump Zero look like a porta-john, and it’s the largest deep space station the Alliance has,” Williams chimed in, looking around.

“Jump Zero was big, but this is a whole nother scale. Look at those ward arms!  How do they keep all that mass from flying apart?” Kaidan leaned in closer against the railing.

“I’d love to find out, honestly,” Regis said, crossing his arms behind his back.  “But you won’t catch me living here anytime soon.  I imagine they’re careful with newcomers.”

“I don’t think it’s for me, either, but you can’t deny the allure.  They probably just want to keep everything running,” Kaidan replied.  “It has to be hard keeping all these cultures working together.”

“Or maybe they just don’t like humans,” Williams muttered.  Ah, interesting.

He knew there was a reason he liked her, but now he had a more tangible reason.  Someone more skeptical of the council, willing to speak up against the common opinion, not immediately staying quiet.  Good.

But Regis had to play with her a bit.  “Why not?  We’ve got oceans, beautiful men, this emotion called love…” He glanced at Kaidan.  “According to the old vids, we have everything they want.”

“Wait, beautiful men?” Williams turned around so she was facing him, leaning against the barrier.  “Well damn, I didn’t expect you to be so open out in the field.”

Regis shrugged.  “Not really a secret to me.  Couldn’t resist.”

“And when you put it that way, there’s no reason why they wouldn’t like you,” Kaidan said, moving to stand closer to Regis.  Not quite touching, but not exactly far enough apart to call it friendly.  Testing the waters. 

A bold move from Kaidan, but also not unlike him. Kaidan wasn't afraid to be open about their relationship, but it still surprised Regis a bit to see him toe the fraternization line.

Williams tilted her head to the side, looking at the two of them with narrowed eyes.  “Hold on, I’m missing something here.”

Regis pressed a finger to his lips and winked.  “You’re smart, Chief.  You can figure it out.”

“Damn!  Mighty bold of you two,” she said, giving them an appraising look.  Not one of judgment, but rather one of approval.  “With a mission like this, how the hell did you keep it under wraps?  The way you two fought together on Eden Prime, I figured you had years of service history.”

No words spoken between them on Eden Prime, a quiet colony turned battlefield in a blink of an eye.  A connection gained by years of learning each other through biotics, testing new mnemonics and stretching the limits of what the gravity well can do.    Combining skills to break through the walls of geth, tech hacks breaking down shields before blasting them away with a Throw.  Singularities formed by Kaidan’s strong control were wrecked apart by Regis’s powerful Warps.  Kaidan’s Pulls making perfect targets for Regis’s sniper. Williams was a great asset to have on the field, and her marksman skills blended well with their biotics.  But this was an opportunity that the lovers hadn’t had yet in their Alliance career beyond shore leaves and rare moments training together, choosing to forge their own paths apart in the service. Knowing each other beyond just years of understanding, beyond shared experiences and many intimate moments, exploring each other’s lives and bodies.  A connection only biotics can share.  The biotic corona burns brightly on the battlefield, and with it, it tells a story.   Kaidan and Regis wrote their own story within the mnemonics they share, an understanding of how the other moves, casts, and fights.   Regis’s violet and Kaidan’s blue, creating a beautifully brutal vision.   The trust they share is unbreakable. 

Kaidan and Regis shared a look.  “Actually,” Kaidan said, rubbing the back of his neck.  “This is the first time we’ve been able to serve together.  Shepard—” he nudged Regis in the shoulder— “prefers solo missions and spending his time teaching N recruits.”

After Torfan, he had the pick of any ship, any tour, any position by Captains and Admirals alike who wanted someone who could get the job done at any cost.  Regis willingly embraced the title the Alliance gave, the whispers at his presence, the worried and shocked looks from some green cadets who saw him appear as a biotic instructor.  

But that didn’t mean he wanted to give them what they wanted out of him. 

Choosing to teach and stay solo was his own form of rebellion.  These were his terms.

The Spectre nomination was a similar situation for him.  He didn’t necessarily like the idea of being their candidate knowing damn well what power the Spectres had and what they could get away with.  

Yet another title he has to embrace for the Allinace.  Turning it down would be a career suicide.

If this recent tribunal with the Council wasn’t already one…  He will find a way to pin Saren for what he did on Eden Prime.

Regis nodded.  “Yes, it’s true.  I call it biotic intuition.”

“Mmm hmm…” Williams didn’t seem convinced, rolling her eyes, but Regis wasn’t quite ready to spill his whole history to her yet. “Either way, I could definitely learn from the both of you.  I haven’t had the chance to work with many biotics.”

“We’d be happy to train with you,” Kaidan said.  “Show you how we prefer to fight and how you can adapt. And how we can adapt to you."

“I’ll take you up on that, LT.  Say, and you can tell me off for asking, but does the Captain know about… this?” She asked, gesturing between them.

“Anderson and I have history, and he reluctantly let the both of us on board knowing what Alenko and I share.  He couldn’t exactly pass up the chance to have two well decorated biotics at his disposal, and I’m picky who I work with.  I almost didn’t accept the Normandy position, but I figured it was about damn time I worked on a ship with a team again.”  Regis explained.

Not exactly true.  Anderson more or less told him that the Alliance wanted Regis on board the Normandy due to his Torfan history and that his talents were wasted otherwise, and that any objections of his were likely going to be ignored.  Regis personally disagreed with that assessment, as he was part of the key to getting more biotics into specialized positions in the N program and that many covert operations were successful because of his skills.

It was obviously a political move, and he wasn’t exactly fond of being the one they chose for that.  Knowing now that they wanted him to be the first Human Spectre didn’t exactly make him any happier about their move.

However, he wasn’t lying about Anderson’s reluctance to keep Kaidan as the head of marine detail.  Fraternization will always be an issue in the Alliance, and even if they had tied the knot, it was unlikely they would’ve been allowed to serve together on such a vessel.  

The only reason he let them both aboard was due to their biotic skills, and he knew Regis would make it part of his terms for accepting the position.  Anderson was well aware of their history at BAaT, which also meant he didn’t have to deal with Regis getting bitchy with a green L3 who wouldn’t be able to read his unique mnemonics or freak out about when Regis inevitably explodes his barrier on command.

Speaking from experience, of course.  

“Clearly it doesn’t stop you two from working well together.  Maybe if you do end up getting the Spectre position, you can make an authorization to allow your relationship on the Normandy.” She smiled.  “I’m joking, of course.”

Regis raised an eyebrow.  “I didn’t even think of that.  You’re a goddamn genius, Williams.”

“Wait, you’re serious?” She asked, breaking out into a laugh at the end of her question.  

Kaidan sighed.  “I’m afraid he is.”

“What do you mean, Alenko?  Think about it.” Regis said, egging him on.  

“I am.” Kaidan leaned against the railing.  “But unlike you, I can be professional about it.”

“So, you agree that it is a good idea?”

“All I’m saying is I wouldn’t stop you.  I’m just imagining what the response from the brass would be.”

“How the hell did I not notice something between the two of you sooner?” Williams asked, shaking her head, stopping what would easily become a long "argument" between them.  

“Trust me, we’ll be back to being good little Alliance soldiers once onboard the ship.  You just got a taste of what we’re really like,” Regis said.  “Let’s move out.  We’ve spent long enough here.” “What’s the plan, Shepard?” Kaidan asked, standing up straight, waiting for orders.  Williams mirrored him.

“Let’s check out the lead given by Barla Von first.  Seemed to be the most interesting to me,” Regis ordered.  

He could see Williams working well with his crew, with some time to get used to his style of command and combat.  She had great skills, but for whatever reason, her career in the Alliance seemed stagnant according to her files.  Multiple opportunities for advancement were denied for no apparent reason.

Something to look into after he gets more information about the Saren situation.  

Maybe also something he could use his Spectre authorization on, if it comes to it.

#mass effect #kaidan alenko #ashley williams #mshenko #shenko #mass effect fanfiction #cleric's writing #i can't stop writing me1 stuff send help #it's my fave game and i just love them #which does mean i do have to figure out what the hell i'm going to do about virmire at some point #but for now i refuse #regis shepard

[nightingaleatdawnwrites]

Finding Yourself

Finding yourself means finding your purpose in life (all of us definitely have a purpose). Sometimes, you come to a point in your life wherein you get to ask yourself – why am I here? What is my purpose? Questions that needed much deeper thinking as these are the kinds of questions that no one could answer for you.

Knowing oneself is a journey, a long journey for some perhaps as it takes them years to finally truly find themselves. And once you’ve found yourself, then you could say – I have lived my life.

Here’s a quote by Henry David Thoreau that I love, “Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.”

Many of us I could say, seem to be lost and want to find the right direction. Lost in the sense that we deem that our lives have no direction. Experiencing such feelings of losing direction more often leads to consequences that we sometimes could have avoided if we are in the right direction.

How does one find himself after being lost? Well, below are several tips on how to do this.

Accept yourself above all.

Make peace with who you are as how can you expect others to like you if you don’t like or love yourself? Accept yourself above all insecurities so that your authentic self-shines. Accept yourself with all your flaws and imperfections. Only then will you draw people to like and see the real you.

Perfect is not real.

There’s no such thing as a perfect person. Nobody is. Someone trying to be perfect tend to discourage people from liking them. Show your flaws and imperfections as these may be endearing to some people. Let the real you lead the way.

Accept everything.

Stop judging. Accept all that comes your way, whether good or bad, and accept people for who they are. Good things do make us happy however, bad things should be a challenge for us. Remember, beneath these challenges is a blessing or life-learned lesson that will teach us something that we would definitely be able to use in the future.

Be selfish.

Try to have 50% selfishness and 50% selflessness. Balance the two. Have “me-time” as often as you could. Remember, true joy comes from being able to realize that only you could create your own happiness. Figure out what makes you happy, energizes you, and connects with yourself. It is alright to be selfish sometimes as you can’t always try to help people who in the end, really don’t need your help or are ingrateful to any help that you provide to them.

Your core is your stabilizer – physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Whenever you feel worn out or feel negative thoughts creeping in, draw your stomach in, and hold it, then take some deep breaths and you will immediately center yourself in a powerful way. It’s a very simple, life-changing tool.

Know the value of friendship.

We do not choose the family we are born into, but often, we assume that this family defines who we are. During childhood, our family affects everything about us. Towards adulthood, we get to meet people who would play a huge part in our lives. They will make us happy, support us whenever we need it from them, and inspire us to be passionate about our lives. Choose your friends wisely as these friends affect us in seeing what the world has to offer.

Once lost can ALWAYS be found, remember that!

#blog #blogger #blogging #life #finding yourself #self #inspirational words #motivational words #lost and found #motivational quotes #thoughts #deep thoughts #find your way

[wii-brains]

Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 3 Review

‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️SPOILERS BELOW‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

This is not a simple overall review. It has specifics. If you haven’t watched the movie or don’t want to know what happens in it do not read this post.

—————

Originally, I thought I was going to be obsessed with Gamora in this movie. Just the idea that Gamora from 2014 is in 2025. Unsurprisingly, I was right. I loved Gamora’s storyline. Her finding a family with the Ravagers was unexpected but endearing. However, I didn’t really like how they kept insisting that she was the same person. I know Quill acknowledges it at the end quoting Rocket and everything but it didn’t feel that genuine. Probably because they ignored her every time she told them she was someone else and Quill’s apology was more about him saying goodbye then offending Gamora.

Nebula is one of my favorite Guardians and she was perfect in this movie. I was not expecting her to fight with Drax and Mantis as much as she did but it does make sense. Nebula only joined them on Titan and then spent five years with Rocket before the others came back. And while Peter and Nebula bonded over loosing Gamora, Mantis and Drax had nothing to connect them to Nebula. They are essentially new acquaintances/team members so Nebula doesn’t really know them and vice versa.

Speaking of Drax and Mantis, them acknowledging what they mean to each other at the end had me teary eyed. They are more like brother and sister than Peter and Mantis. But I guess in Peter’s defense he was more focused on Gamora and Yondu.

I couldn’t wait to see Adam. I didn’t think he was going to be the sweet goofball that he is but it’s great. I mean he’s essentially a grade schooler so. Something unexpected was the character change for Adam’s mom, the High Priestess. I wish they would have specified more the pressure they were under and their love for each other. It was present and clear but i think they could have added one more quick scene between them. The day before I watched the movie I saw a review where a person said that they thought Adam was a worthless character and if they removed him and changed the ending the movie would be the same. When i first watched this my immediate thought was “okay then Adam must add emotional plot” and I was right. I figured that was the situation simply because the creator of that video is male and sadly many people driven by the male gaze don’t register emotional plot (See all the people who shit talk Black Widow). I’m excited to see Adam’s story continue with the Guardians.

I literally gasped when Lylla said the story has always been about Rocket and when he did the whole “my name is” to the High Evolutionary.

I don’t know if the writers and James intended for this but Rockets childhood was so reflective of parental abuse it was crazy. I’m sure it was on purpose because it’s so obvious. The parent only wanting you to be prefect and only seeing you as an extension of their greatness. The drunken nights when they stumble into your room to talk about your future and success you’ll bring to them. And the physical fighting with the youngest sibling screaming on the sidelines. Crazy. So amazing really to see that showcased in cinema. Especially since Marvel likes to omit character childhood trauma. And if it is shown it’s usually glazed over. (See Tony Stark. Actually that scene where the High Evolutionary tells Rocket that they were never meant for the new world reminded me so much of Howard and Tony)

Honestly do not really care about seeing Quill again. To me he is the least interesting Guardian but I’m assuming that since he is now back on earth and he’s definitely not going to a nine-to-five that he’ll be on the new Avengers team and we’ll see him in Secret Wars (or Kang Dynasty, i can’t remember which is next). So there’s that.

To all the people giving Volume 3 a bad review simply because the tone was too serious, my one question is, what did you expect? We left these people just recovering from saving the world after 5 years of grief, one died but a “clone-like” version of them is walking around, and the story focuses on a member who was tortured and experimented into full existence. You should have known. Also i’d like to say it isn’t even like Love and Thunder where the serious and humor tones are unbalanced. They are both perfectly shown and timed in this movie. The humor is not at all missing.

Overall, beautifully shot and smooth cgi. Fight scenes were great, especially the one where they all entered the High Evolutionary’s Ship together. The music score was of course A-MAZ-ING! but they always kill it. I am definitely buying this record when it comes out so it can be with it’s siblings.

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#marvel #fan thoughts #avengers #movie review #guardians of the galaxy #guardians vol 3 #peter quill #gamora #nebula #rocket raccoon #groot #drax the destroyer #drax the dad #mantis #knowhere #Layla Floor Teefs #mcu spoilers #Rocket is the main character

[zhansww]

I really really like the TLOU show so far. I can’t not notice how they’re making changes to Ellie’s character (presumably to make her seem less ooc when they get to the nonsensical plot of part 2) so I’m basically just waiting for it to inevitably fall apart (and yeet outta here when it does) but for now, I am trying to enjoy the show for what it is, and it’s only been getting better with every episode. The production looks amazing, it’s so cool to see so many of the sets we’ve seen in the game come to life. The performances are strong all around. And the writing is blessedly close to the game whenever it needs to but also different enough to make it special and new to watch for those of us who played the game and already know what’s happening. Episode 3 was so damn good. This show keeps raising my expectations >.< I think anyone who played the game liked Bill and it’s sad that we don’t actually get to see him in the present day with Joel and Ellie but giving him that ending.... it was heartbreaking and perfect and honestly, a better ending for his character than what he got in the game. I also really liked how they tied his and Frank’s story to Joel and Ellie. Well, the way I understood it at least. “There was one person worth saving and that’s what I did - That’s why men like you and me are here and God help any motherfuckers who stand in our way” — we’re meant to connect that to Joel and Tess but tbh, I immediately thought of what Joel does at the end of the game; saving the only person he thinks is worth saving in that shitty world.

#the last of us #the last of us hbo #joel & ellie #text

[zorua-gaming]

Chapters Twenty Four through Twenty Six

We’ve made it to the end! (Also I cry a lot.)

Wait what? How is red Alear here as well?

Was NOT expecting time travel to be part of this.

Hold on, need to write down these details for my Engage dragon fam headcanons (and I guess ocs). So, one older brother drowned; one older sister burned alive; little sister and little brother torn apart by the Corrupted.

Also HOLY FUCK THAT ONE. That must be why the Corrupted unnerve Alear.

More siblings that died in the war? GIVE ME A NUMBER PLEASE, I MUST KNOW FOR THE SAKE OF MAKING OCS OF THEM!!

I love the way red Alear is talking. Idk how exactly to describe it, but you can tell they’re traumatized from what happened to their siblings and trying to prove themselves to Sombron and that they’re trying to hide their emotions.

Ooooh, red Alear red Marth duo!

Alear, why are you shocked to see Zephia? You just deduced that we were in the past.

Oh XD are we about to have Marth on Marth?

Red Alear can just cause avalanches without meaning to? Does this mean ice powers? ADD THIS TO THE LORE/POTENTIAL HC&OC PILE!!

Also forgot to mention that this is the first time this game that we’ve had a lose condition based on how many turns have passed.

God, those battle dialogues between past Alear & Alear, as well as past Alear & Veyle, ARE SO *gestures wildly*!!!

PAST LUMERA!!! 💖💖💖

NOT THE FUCKING PINKY PROMISE AGAIN!! 😭😭😭

Okay, but since those feels kinda paradoxy right now, how would it be that the shard is intact again when past Alear eventually becomes present Alear? Maybe I’m thinking too hard about this…

Veyle, what are you hiding?

Wait what? LUMERA?!

THESE ARE HER SAME LINES FROM THEIR REUNION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE GAME!!

Okay, but I thought only Veyle could make Corrupted as perfect as this, so wtf is going on here?

Love it when I have a question and then the game immediately answers it.

OH SHIT THIS LUMERA VEYLE CUTSCENE IS RAW AS HELL!! LOVE IT

Damn, Lumera kinda theatric here; neat that she has hobbies even in death /j

I’m literally in tears rn, they make me so emotional

YO WHAT IS THIS HYPE-ASS MUSIC RN?!

Don’t mind me; gotta go cry over that cutscene. The parallels, THE PARALLELS!!

Damn, did Alear and Marth just get married? They promised to protect Elyos together forever.

Wait, what do you mean you can’t stay and help us build a peaceful world? Marth, you just promised forever!

Final battle time!

AY YO WTF

What about if all the Emblems are engaged with someone when the portal closes?

Wtf is Zero Emblem? (He’s probably gonna tell me in a second.)

Cool story, bro. You’re still an asshole who kills your own children if you see them as defective.

Also just gonna make a note that he called it the Emblem of Foundations.

How did the Emblem just leave the ring? Did this bitch really in all this time never try to resummon Emblem Zero?

Love this hype-ass Emblem role call.

OOOOH NEW ONE FOR THE LIST!! “Connect us, Fire Emblem!”

AND THIS HYPE-ASS OPENING INSTUMENTAL IN THE BACKGROUND!!

Love that Sombron was like “patricide, really?” and Alear shot back with “filicide, really?”

Why does the model for Sombron’s dragon form get so up in your face when you attack him? It’s kinda funny.

COBRAI KAIJU IS DOWN!!

YES EXACTLY!! DID YOU NEVER ONCE TRY TO CALL THEM BY THEIR INVOCATION AGAIN AFTER THEY LEFT?? YOU DUMBASS!!

Okay, so he DID try to resummon this Emblem.

Gonna add “Burn us, Emblem of Foundations.” to the list too.

Well, if Marth is about to disappear, then we gotta make out before he does.

“I hope you make an Arcadia of this land.” ROY 🥺🥺🥺

Alear and Chloé got so many MVPs. Truly a power couple.

Also shout-out to that one time Clanne got MVP.

Why does the beginning of this music sound like Lost in Thoughts All Alone? Is it gonna be a remix of past FE songs?

EXCUSE ME WHAT

Angsty Queen Céline fics when?

BOUCHERON’S PASSAGE, THAT’S SO CUTE

ALPACA MASTER

POTATO GODDESS LAPIS

Dang, Ivy is still remembered even after Alear has passed on? That’s gotta be a LONG fucking time.

Teacher Goldmary fics when?

😂😂😂 HOWLING BECOMES A PRAYER TO THE DIVINE DRAGON MONARCH!!

Ooooh, Gradlon Queen Veyle!!

ALEAR IN LUMERA’S OUTFIT!! 😭😭😭

Love this ending song. It’s the same tune as the opening, but different words. Gonna have to listen to it again later to catch all the lyrics.

MARNI REINCARNATED?!

Okay, so we still have the rings. Good.

What did the end of that cutscene mean? ARE THE EMBLEMS BACK?!

#fe17 #gameplay #engage spoilers

[dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram]

Hey Ralph, do you have any tips on not taking things personally when it comes to work? I don’t have tons of experience. I’m early on in my career working part time in a nonprofit, and I make a couple dollars more than the minimum wage in my city.

I also grew up really poor and was taught that I needed to work hard and make a lot of money so that I wouldn’t be poor forever. I always felt so pressured to succeed in school and to get positions that would make it easier for me to “get ahead”. I’m always super anxious about work and feel that the slightest mistake will result in me being fired and suddenly having no income. I try to be perfect and when I can’t deliver perfectly I immediately feel like I’m going to lose everything. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about my future career and whether I’ll make enough money to support myself.

I’m an anxious person in general, but this career-specific anxiety even transcends in conversations that have literally nothing to do with me. For example, I’ve been helping to conduct panel interviews for the equivalent of my role but in a different department. We had a debrief and one of the interviewers on the panel said that between the final few candidates, one wasn’t as mature as another and relied on verbal crutches, but was a solid B candidate.

I immediately felt a sense of dread. How did they speak about me when I was hired? Was I a solid b? I couldn’t bear to be a “solid b candidate”. I also struggle to articulate myself well, so did they notice that about me? I’m sure they notice it now. All of these flaws that I am hyper aware of, the ones that I try to mask, are eventually going to catch up to me and I’m going to be fired, right? I know it’s ridiculous but that’s where my mind goes. It’s becoming a big problem for me because I’d like to move on from this position, but I feel like I’ll stay just so I don’t have to apply or interview anywhere else. I’ve always been terrified of applying and interviewing, but that anxiety just keeps growing as I get more experience. I have a mentor but I don’t feel comfortable sharing these anxieties with her. She kinda just looks at my resume and says it looks good, and she keeps encouraging me to take unpaid roles.

Do you have any tips?

So I've got bad and good news anon.

The bad news is that anxiety about work, particularly that which stems from your experiences of oppression, is a life long project, not something that can be solved with tips.

The good news, is that you've already done a really important part of the work, by identifying that anxiety is the problem and looking to address your anxiety, rather than trying to outrun it by always being better. You sound very aware and wise in this anon - and that is a really good place to be starting from.

First of all, I'd see if you can access therapy. It might not be possible, in lots of places therapy isn't accessible for those who are paid a little more than minimum wage. But there may be low-cost services. If they work for you (and they might not) it can make a real difference to give yourself space to work through your feelings.

Second, I would turn to your peers, rather than expecting the sort of support that will be useful from those who are more powerful than you (who ultimately benefit from your insecurity). You probably know I'm going to suggest joining a union if you can (in some places it's not possible to join a union as an individual). But the best protection against being fired isn't perfection, but collective power.

There are other ways you can get support for your peers as well. Right now it may seem like everyone It may seem to you that everyone else is confident and knows exactly what they're doing and you're the only one who is anxious. I promise you that's not the case. Even if other people come from more well off backgrounds, and don't have your particular fears, lots of people are really driven by anxiety in the workplace. It can help to connect with other people so you don't feel alone.

It's can also be really useful to use other people to remind yourself that your anxiety is lying to you. We're really well trained in anxiety driven comparison - telling yourself that if you're not better than everyone else you're invalid. But you can also seek reassurance from other people. Solidarity - seeing yourself as part of a whole rather than in competition to each other - is a good antidote to anxiety. Being generous towards other people, can help you be generous towards yourself. I worked with someone with a lot of caring responsibilities in my last job and when I got really anxious that I wasn't doing enough, I'd remind myself that I wouldn't want there to be too much pressure on them, and the work they were doing is fine and so was mine.

Finally, in the long term, I think it's useful to try and undo the story you have been told and are telling. I absolutely understand why you got the message: "to work hard and make a lot of money so that I wouldn’t be poor forever." But it's not true - luck will pay a huge part in your future. You could work really hard and be unlucky and still be poor. You could work less hard, be lucky and end up very comfortable by the end of your life. The truth is you are someone with agency in an unfair system with lots of randomness - and your own actions will not control what happens.

Security is super important, but what else do you want? Let yourself have other dreams and desire. Letting yourself want other things will help you build the life that you want, and move away from an anxiety driven quest for security into a genuine secure place in the world. I'm side-eyeing your mentor, suggesting that you take up unpaid roles, which is investing more and more in your career. I would encourage you to see it as an option, not the only option.

Look around you at people you know, who are twenty years older. Who has the sort of life that you want? What do you know about how they got there? Can you listen to their stories? Can that help you dream of a wholelife.

#Much love anon #and come back any time with thoguhts and experiences #it sounds like you're doing amazing #and I'm sorry that youalso have ot try an unprogramme #the harm capitalism has done to your brain