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radiowallet · 1 year

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Meant to Be - Part 1

The Arrangement

Pairing: Oberyn Martell x Ellaria Sand, Eventual Oberyn Martell x Fem!OC (nameless, third person) Summary: Preparations for Oberyn's future are made. WC: 4.7K Warnings: 18+ MDNI Canon-typical violence, grief, death, political intrigue, arragned marriage, drinking, mentions of food, allusions to vaginal sex, Oberyn being a sexy little shit. Oberyn Martell comes with his own warning.

A/N: Hello besties! Welcome to my first foray into a multi-chapter GoT fic. Before we dive in, a few things to keep in mind: This is an alternate universe that takes place after the main events of the show. Bran is still king of Westeros. Sansa is still queen of the north. Oberyn lives. Doran never had any children. Our Fem!OC is from Winterfell, but she is not a Stark and is a blank canvas physically. I'm excited to play around with two tropes I don't write (arranged marriages and soulmates) and try something different! Thank you for joining me on this little journey!

Masterlist II Series Masterlist

>>> Part 2

Arrange yourself for my heart

Plan for it, in all its splendor

Prepare and shape and mold yourself

To me, For me, With me

---------------

Oberyn had always considered Dorne to be the center of Westeros. The thought was born out of bias, his love for his home and his people always tilting the scales in a way most would deem unfair. But it was more than just a loyalty birthed from love that tied his heart to the southernmost part of the map. Dorne was beautiful - hills of sand, a burning sun, and two seas with water so blue and waves so deep. The fruit was sweeter, the wine stronger, the days dipped in languid honey gold.

With the war over and justice delivered in more ways than one, Oberyn had thought there would be no better feeling than his return to the sandy shores of Sunspear. Even with his heartbeat muted with grief for a beloved sister lost, he still felt a soft swell of peace when his feet touched those first sandy dunes, the sound of crashing waves filling his head, the sun-soaked air coating his lungs.

Oberyn did not think it possible for that peace to be so easily taken.

“Marriage?”

“Yes, brother. Marriage.”

Funny how one word can skew the direction of one’s life so quickly. How the prospect of something that most would easily agree to, perhaps even take joy in, could shake and shatter an easy landing.

Doran says the word so matter of factly, leaning back in his wheelchair, regarding Oberyn across the long width of the table, his studious gaze more piercing than it has any right to be. A full breakfast is spread out between them — berries and cheese and honey-glazed breads sweeter than sin — meant as a welcome home in honor of the second-born prince, a celebration for his triumph over The Mountain. Tonight there would be a feast, one to mark the end of the war and the Lannister’s reign; a newly crowned King of Westeros to toast to.

Oberyn had been looking forward to the pomp and circumstance, if only to give him a chance to drown himself in Dornish wine, the promise of sleeping off the effects in Ellaria’s arms in his own bed a tempting reward for his troubles. He had expected a lecture of some sort from his brother in the between of it all; a request he take a seat on some council or maybe a post within the city watch. He would have even entertained an encouragement to begin the search anew for his soulmate.

But now he sees his brother’s ploy for what it truly is.

A trick.

A game.

An arrangement.

Tension stretches out between the two men, years of twisted perception coloring their opinions of one another, all manner of things unsaid mixed amongst the decadent feast that now lies untouched.

“I have never entertained the idea of a wife. Not once. I hardly see why you think I would now, my Lord.” Oberyn lets the last word drip from his lips with utter disdain, refusing to acknowledge the propriety of station when his brother has tried to trick him so. One of the many benefits of being second born was the lack of obligation on his part, and he had exploited the fact in excess, happy to allow his brother all the privilege of a crown.

A privilege, it seemed in his brother’s mind, had run its due course.

“Because, Prince Oberyn,” Doran starts, his words spoken with a careful pace, “you are to be named my heir.”

The ground falls out from beneath his chair, every single sound within the great hall expanding and focusing in on him; every color too bright, every noise too loud. The crash of the waves against the palace walls is suddenly overwhelming, a sound that once reminded him of his home now a painful cacophony in his ears.

Before he knows what he’s doing, Oberyn is standing, one word heavy on the tip of his tongue, and yet it will not come.

Doran, ever patient, continues on. “You will be Lord of Sunspear, Oberyn, as is your right by birth and by decree.”

“And if I refuse?” He murmurs, eyes trained on the grainy wood of the table below. “The marriage? Your throne?”

His eyes flit to the other man just in time to see his reaction. Doran, for his part, looks surprised, the sentiment pulling a chuckle from deep within Oberyn’s chest. Could his brother really be so obtuse? So set in his own ways? Was he truly incapable of accepting that some may not long for power?

At the sound of his laughter, the older man scowls, dark eyes set upon him with barely cloaked anger. For a moment, Oberyn thinks he sees his brother move to stand, a pained look stealing across his features briefly before settles back further into his seat and speaks again.

“Have you no sense of honor left, my brother? Did your battle with The Mountain steal the last of your love for your family away? Or perhaps justice was the only thing keeping you tethered to us?”

“I avenged our sister–”

“Who is gone! She is gone, Oberyn,” Doran urges, one finger pushing down onto the table, emphasizing his point with practiced precision. “And it is us who remain! To carry on, just the same as those who came before. It is our right! Our duty! We need an heir. A legitimate hei–”

“My daughters are legitimate!” The interruption is roared, the scream of his voice echoing up into the wide open ceilings, coated in an anger he had thought he left to die beneath the suffocating rubble of the Red Keep. The fury leaves him as fast as it came, and in its wake there seems to be only one option left.

He turns away abruptly, icy cold spite bleeding out between the brothers with every step he takes away.

---------------

The charcoal in her hand smells of smoke, earthy and bitter, a scent that will cling to her fingers long after the day is done. It’s a perfect bedfellow to the fire crackling in the far corner of the room, the bright blend of reds and yellows giving just the barest illusion of warmth.

Winterfell was named well. Even with winter fading into the pages of the history books, the north still carried a bitter cold, one she feared she would never be fond of.

Her entire lifetime had been spent between the cold stone, searching for moments of warmth beneath her mother’s skirts or father’s arms. They were stolen, like bits of bread or cheese when the cooks had their backs turned, a tiny treat to melt on her tongue when nothing else in the frigid halls of Winterfell could.

Her parents were gone now, casualties of time and its ever pressing need to march forward. She counts the smallest of blessings that they were gone before the Walkers came, thankful at least that they were spared the heartache of war.

They passed quietly, together in their bed, hands intertwined, palms pressed tightly; soulmates destined to walk those last steps together. A strange twinge dips down low in her belly; something like jealousy, she thinks, that her parents found each other so easily. They moved together with such certainty. A confidence given by fate or the Gods or whatever it was that made the world exist as it did.

And in contrast, she had decided long ago, that she would gladly trade the suredness of a match to her soul if it meant she got a say in the outcome of her life.

Still – did her life look any different now than it did back then? Perhaps in the grandest of schemes. But…

Her father had been in charge of the stables, her mother a close companion to Lady Stark. And now she held a similar seat, sitting near the side of Sansa Stark, once her childhood playmate, grown into the Queen of the North. School lessons and daydreaming exchanged for talks of trade agreements and wall management. If she closed her eyes it would be easy to imagine two young girls in thick dresses and fur lined coats giggling over future soulmates and happily ever afters.

For the smallest moment in time, Sansa had hoped her soul’s match to be Joffrey, waxing poetic about true love and blonde haired babies. Though there had been endless heartache surrounding the truth, it had been a day she celebrated when the raven arrived from King’s Landing, Sansa’s elegant handwriting informing her that she and Joffrey were not to be wed.

So many things never came to pass, for either of them. Soulmates and love stories set aside in the name of survival, and through it all, she watched as the younger girl grew to hold the weight of a crown she was born to wear. And she was content to live the rest of her days honoring the Starks the same as her parents did, ever aware of all she has to thank them for.

A roof over her head and a job to do – a noblewoman by the queen’s decree – she helped uphold House Stark at Sansa’s behest and in return, was given the freedom to do as she pleases within the confines of Winterfell’s stone walls. Council meetings littered with talks of policy and procedures sitting neatly between walks through the woods and time spent fireside, her fingers stained black, her dresses soaked with snow, her head swimming with negotiations. Lineage and duty tied her to this cold place, history and love filled it with warmth.

She considers the scrap of parchment in her lap, the blacks blended into varied shades of grey, a picture of an empty chair staring back at her. She traces the shape of it, a regal rendering, more throne than chair, but it looked lonely in the bleak streaks of black and white. Something missing that she couldn’t put a name to.

The image had come to her in a dream, the compulsion to sketch it following quickly after. When the queen had dismissed her for the day, she retreated quickly and quietly to the main sitting room, fingers itching for the warmth of charcoal, for the smooth feel of parchment, the empty chair sitting heavy at the back of her dream.

Perhaps if she could see it, hold it, in more than just her mind’s eye, then its purpose would present itself.

The only answer she’s given is the snap of the fire at the far end of the room.

---------------

Oberyn has no desire to make mention of Doran’s plans to Ellaria. Upon his arrival to his quarters he sends for her, the servant given the task in a venomous tongue that he’ll remind himself to apologize for later. For now he kicks off his boots and strips down to his trousers, pacing the room from end to end, the monotony doing nothing to contain his frustrations.

He considers the how and the why and the who of his current situation, anxious for someone to blame, desperate for a way out. He snaps his jaw and bites his teeth, sinking deeper into memories as he stalks about his quarters; marriage, to whatever end, never seemed as advantageous as most made it out to be. He had learned a whole lifetime’s history on the subject within the walls of the citadel, his own familial experiences confirming what books had taught him.

A sister wed to a dragon in the name of peace —dead. A brother betrothed to his soul’s true match — alone.

And now he…

No.

Oberyn refuses to even consider the ridiculous notion coming to fruition.

He leaves the very idea of weddings and brides and political good-will behind him, moving to the open terrace just off of his sitting room, intent to sulk in silence beneath the late morning sun. He throws himself down onto the nearest chaise, pouring himself a full glass of wine, and then a second, urging the sweet liquid to wash away the bitter taste of breakfast. His eyes close, the crash of the waves lulling him into a restless sleep, the heat of Dorne burning the backs of his eyelids as he ignores the reality of his brother’s sensible voice.

A different voice of reason is what drags him back from the flames.

“Something troubles you.”

Ellaria Sand has always been too clever for Oberyn’s own good. She watches him with a calculating eye, a patience that matches his impetuous nature in more ways than he could bother to count, and in many ways she is his perfect match. There was no one better to lead his fledglings, his sandsnakes, his family. Even now, after years of sharing in each other, bending and curving to match their hearts together over time. They know what makes the other moan, cry, beg, and he is more than confident in his affections for her.

But oh, how she vexes him so.

“The only thing that troubles me is that it has been too long since I felt the curve of your body beneath my own.”

She smiles, her lips yielding sweetly to him, but something curls at the back of her dark eyes, some sort of secret that he’s certain he should already know but cannot remember. He will not ask and she does not speak it. Neither would dare in the state that he’s in. Instead she steps between his spread legs, thin fingers loosening the sash that barely holds her dress to her skin, revealing herself to the Dornish sun above.

Oberyn sits up, large palms smoothing around the dip of Ellaria’s hips to cup her backside and pull her forward until the weight of her settles in his lap. She fits to him, molds herself around his body, hard edges and soft curves matched in a way he knows and loves and craves more than words allow, the hard length of his cock fitting deep inside her warmth.

His lips find her skin, mapping a steady path up the column of her neck until finally they meet in a long overdue kiss. Their lips slant together, a soft press at first, just enough to remind him that she is here before he dips his tongue, eager to remind himself of her taste. She’s spiced honey and burning smoke, biting at the corners of his mouth, and Oberyn would gladly suffocate on her if given the chance.

When he breaks away, it’s with a broken sob masked behind a curse, his forehead falling to her own. A wish neither of them would ever dare to say out loud hangs like a cloud above them, blocking out the heat of the sun. But it does not stop Oberyn from pressing himself to every inch of Ellaria’s skin, hoping against his own foolish heart that this is the day their match is revealed.

---------------

Sansa Stark strikes an imposing figure. Her red hair and piercing blue eyes burn bright against the soft greys of Winterfell and yet she does not seem out of place. She moved through the halls with purpose, each step taken with intent, each decision made with a warm heart. She cared for her birthright with both her hands, holding it in a way so much like her father but in other ways not.

She was born for it. Then bred for it.

And still, it exhausted her.

Sansa sits before her now, boots kicked off, wiggling her stocking-covered toes just out of reach of the fire, her head tipped back and her eyes closed, content in what must be her first moment’s peace since she walked into the great hall this morning.

“I’ve had a taxing day, and I’m not sure where to start.”

“Can I suggest the beginning?”

A sharp glare peeks out between long lashes before a crooked smile and the poke of a tongue are pointed her way. She can’t help but tease the queen. Their companionship has always bordered on familiarity, a shared affection between them born from a childhood raised together, a lifelong friendship cemented in the hours of war. Most nights were spent in a manner such as this, idle chit chat fractured between the complaints of leadership while the scratch of charcoal and the crack of the fire kept cadence with both women’s words. Tonight was no different, save for the topic at hand.

“Prince Doran has made a request of me.”

“A request?”

It was not unheard of but still strange to hear from so far south, especially in a time of peace.

“A lady for a betrothal to his younger brother.”

“The Red Viper?”

Sansa sits up, then nods, eyes trained on the fire, the flames seemingly giving her the strength to carry on. She makes no mention of her time at King’s Landing or her brief passing with the second-born son of Sunspear, her bottom lip caught between the uncomfortable snare of her teeth. If there is a statement to be made on him, on his character or his choices, the queen does not share it, instead watching as the shades of reds and yellows dance before her.

“I’m surprised he hasn’t found his soulmate yet. If the rumors are even considered to be half true, the numbers should be in his favor.”

Girlish snickers ring up high into rafters, the pair of them moving down to the floor, knees folded beneath them, goblets of wine tipping but not spilling in the process. They scoot forward, just enough to feel the warmth of the fire staining their cheeks, sneaky smiles shared between sips of wine.

“Were they asking after Arya?”

Sansa snorts with a roll of her eyes. “I think the entirety of Westeros knows what a fool’s errand that would be.”

“You, then?”

Her old friend tracks her gaze from the side of her eyes and they both smile and laugh. A fool's errand, indeed.

“Truthfully, Doran did not ask for anyone specific. I think he would be fine if I sent one of our mules as long as Oberyn is wed before summer arrives. No…the decision has fallen to me and my council.”

There is something Sansa is not saying, an annoyance left unspoken, digging a trench between the two women. Finally, with a huff and a laugh, she says what the queen is unable to.

“The council suggested I make the journey south and accept the Prince’s hand.”

The truth is what finally steals Sansa’s attention from the fireplace, and suddenly she is turning, grasping her hands and speaking with conviction. “I cannot make you. I would never. I…I know the agony of a forced nuptial.”

And then, softly, “But yes. Your name was the first.”

“I am not surprised,” she smiles despite herself. “I do vex the council so.”

“A woman of your nature, unmarried and unmatched, allowed to sit at your station is difficult for them to understand. But they forget that it is not their role to object to your presence.”

For a moment’s time neither woman speaks, choosing instead to sit together in silence, fingers tangled, the smell of charcoal and cherry wine permeating the air between them. A life of quiet snow and solid stone is considered, matched to the steady steps of duty and honor mixed with memories of love. She remembers her parents, the love they had for each other, and the love they held for Winterfell and the Starks. She matches it to her own heart, her own dedication, a life promised in honor of the north and to the woman sitting right beside her.

The only answer possible presents itself clearly.

“I will go.”

---------------

The knock on the door is insistent, dragging Oberyn from sleep in a way he vows revenge for. He had been ignoring it the best he could, burying his face in the curve of Ellaria’s breast, lips finding the pulse of her heart, taking comfort in the beat of it. He’d be content to lay here, his cock hard between his legs, his lips shifting lower to capture the swell of her tit, but the knocking has yet to stop and it isn’t long before she’s pushing on his shoulder, telling him to take care of his business and hurry back to her.

He drags himself from the bed with a curse and a grunt, a cursory glance spared towards the open windows. The violet bursts coloring the sky tell him that dusk is fast approaching, and he can only assume it is a servant on the other side of the door to alert him that the celebrations will be starting soon. He makes the calculated decision to leave his robe on the floor, hoping to either scare whoever it is back to the kitchens or perhaps to tempt them inside to his bed.

Oberyn strokes himself slowly, his cock heavy in his hand, still slick with Ellaria’s arousal. He flings the door wide with an exaggerated flourish, a cheeky greeting dancing on the tip of his tongue.

“You can tell my brother I will be dining here tonight, but you’re welcome to jo-”

He stops short at the sight of Doran, dressed head to toe in regal shades of gold, seeming so tall when it’s Oberyn who stands and the Lord of Sunspear sits, his wheelchair pushed to the threshold of his little brother’s sanctuary.

“I’m quite alright, thank you. My tastes do match that of Dornish tradition but I’ll stop short of laying with my brother. We’ll leave that sort of thing to lions and dragons, yes?”

There is suddenly the weight of a robe around Oberyn’s shoulders and warm breath in his ear, Ellaria greeting Doran with a nod and a smile.

“It is good to see you, Prince Doran.”

“And you as well, my dear. How fare the girls?”

“Growing like weeds and twice a thorn in my side. They take after their father that way.”

“The best of us do. Speaking of, do you mind if I borrow your dearest paramour? I promise to only take a moment of his time from you.”

Oberyn watches the exchange through a frowned pout, arms crossed in a petulance he’s been wearing since this morning. The pair of them speak as if he isn’t even present, and before he has a chance to object to any of it, Ellaria is pushing him out into the hallway as he hastily ties his robe closed.

“I can only assume you are here to promise me that all plans of weddings and succession are done with. Perhaps even an apology to go along with this vow?”

“I think you know that I am decidedly not.”

“Well then you will be disappointed, dearest brother, to find that my stance on the matter has not changed.”

Doran sighs, his forehead falling to his hand, the years more apparent to Oberyn now than ever before. He thinks of maybe lightening the blow, an apology or an offer to sit at his right hand, to alleviate the sting of his refusal, but the words die on his tongue, his brother finding his voice first.

“You were given much leeway, Oberyn. Freedom. Mother and Father framed it beneath the guise of looking for your soulmate. A part of me had foolishly hoped, dearest brother, that you were doing just that.”

Oberyn wants to laugh, tries to, knocking his knuckles against the wall with a forced chuckle. But the sound breaks too soon and he looks away, considering the high arches and wide open space of his childhood home. How strange that all of sudden it feels entirely too small for his liking. When he finally turns back to Doran, he smiles.

“Who’s to say I wasn’t, brother? Skin to skin contact to find the true match to your heart. Is that not what the ancient tomes say?”

“You treat it like some game,” his older brother hisses, what sounds like a sneer chasing after his words. “But you do not know what it feels like. To find the other half of your heart, your soulmate. The whole world falls away. It’s a feeling unlike any other and you dismiss it, as if it is this fleeting thing you are too good for.”

Doran’s voice trails off, his eyes misting over in a way that Oberyn has only seen once before. He knows his older brother is thinking of his own love, his own loss; lucky enough to find his soulmate early on, unfortunate enough to lose her not long after. The pain had stolen the light from his brother’s life, any and all joy relegated to the back of his heart. Even the idea of taking a second wife in the name of duty had been too much for Doran to bear.

Oberyn was sick for the thought of it.

It hadn’t been hard for him to decide there and then that his love would never hold such rigid definitions

“But you do not know,” Doran keeps going, his voice crushed in frustration. “You run around with that Sand girl—“

“I love her.”

The admission rings out loud in the empty hallway, and Oberyn reveals in it, satisfied in his honesty, no matter the cost.

“I have no doubt,” Doran agrees quietly. “But if you had found your soulmate, whether they be in the brothels or the beaches, what then? Could you bring yourself to choose?”

He refuses to look away, mournful eyes tracing Oberyn from top to bottom, and for a hair of a second he feels himself so small. Merely a lad desperate to ask his older brother what choice he should make. But the moment passes, impetuous frustration filling up the space between them yet again, his words boiling over the curve of his lips.

“Why?” Oberyn hisses, bending down until he and Doran are nose to nose, as level a playing field as he can give himself. “Why now? When peace has finally found its way to us?”

“I am dying.”

He forgets how to breathe.

His vision blurs as his face goes numb. His fingers clench around empty air, fingernails digging deep enough to scar the skin of his palm. His skin pulls too tight. His blood burns too hot.

He stumbles back, can’t help but, another punch to his overwrought gut, his bare feet tripping as he tries and fails to find his footing.

“No…n-no. It is…you are…” He is muttering, mumbling in disbelief, unable to comprehend this one final truth laid down at his feet. His brother, the one he loves so dearly but resents more than he knows how to say…dying? Taken away? No.

“No.”

“The maesters have done all that they can, and still I grow weaker every day. There is no measure of time they can predict for me, but something in my bones tells me that any day marked as past is a gift that brings me closer to Mellario.”

“And you…have no heir,” Oberyn breathes out, the actuality of his brother’s request finally bearing witness before his eyes.

“I do, little brother.”

Oberyn clenches his jaw and turns away, ignoring the sting of tears in favor of facing the solution head on. There was no way about it now – he would become Lord of Sunspear – or risk allowing the decisions of Dorne’s leadership to fall to the new, and still so very young, king. And though he has no desire to play the game of thrones, it is not lost on him the rules that follow.

Marriage.

Children.

This will fall to him now.

“Tell me about the girl.”

Doran gives a name; the same given by Sansa Stark, sent by raven only a few nights prior.

“From the North?” He can’t help the incredulous sound of his voice, and he cringes inwardly at his own knee-jerk assumptions.

“Did your conquest of The Mountain and the end of the Lannister reign not appease you, little brother? Are you still carrying that thirst for vengeance inside you?

Oberyn scoffs. “Certainly not. The Starks were a victim of circumstance, same as most of us. I am just surprised. I thought they named the eldest girl their queen.”

“They did,” Doran confirms, his stance as steady as his answer.

“I did not think she was a fan of forced marriage, what with her messy history with them.”

“She was a little girl then. She is a queen now. Though if it helps alleviate your own feelings towards this particular arrangement, the lady took it upon herself to volunteer. Perhaps a desperation to hold on to her own agency. Not unlike someone else I know.”

“Volunteer? She has agreed to this? Then surely you will call her what she is, Doran – a crown-chasing child.”

“I can assure you she is neither. She is a woman grown and it is her allegiance to the north and her queen that has her agreeing to this arrangement. Nothing more.”

“Then she’s more fool than I feared,” Oberyn murmurs, touching his thumb to his bottom lip.

“Well then, you’ll be two fools in matrimony. Rest well, my lord. Your bride arrives within the month.”

---------------

Dedications:

Biggest hugest thanks to @jazzelsaur and @astroboots and one poorly timed apple watch notification that inspired this fever dream insanity of a story. If not for the truly unhinged and chaotic nature of our DM's, this fic would never have been borne. Also shout-out to these two hoes for listening to me prattle on about GoT lore, soulmates, and all manner of "giving characters agency" discussion. I love you both a not normal amount.

Follow @radiowallet-writes and turn on notifications for fic updates.

#oberyn martell #oberyn martell fic #oberyn x ellaria #oberyn martell x fem!oc #pedro pascal characters #radiowallet writes

403 notes · View notes

sona-verse01 · 1 year

Text

❄️🩵 TXT 🩵❄️

💠💎 Types of BF 💎💠

Pairing: bf!TXT x reader

Genre: fluff!

Warning: none!

Requested: No!

Disclaimer:

For entertainment purpose only. Don't take it seriously.

Images are downloaded from internet.

This imagine doesn't define TXT members personality. It is my own imagination.

Don't copy/steal/translate my work.

English is not my first language.

Request is OPEN.

🔷💙🔷💙🔷💙🔷💙🔷💙🔷💙🔷

Soobin:

~ Caring/Gentle BF

Dates in cute cafes, & bakeries.

Sometimes baking together tasty breads at home. (Basically you baking, & him playing with flour)

Out of habit, buys your favourite snack for you, whenever he visits convience store.

Trying to calm his hyper active members alongside him.

Waking him up with kisses.

Glancing at each other shyly.

Future planning while cuddling.

Calling each other Jagiya.

Lots of back hugging.

Quality time as his love language.

Being an idol, it's difficult to spend time with each other. So, he trys to spend as much time as possible with you.

Yeonjun:

~ Flirty/Jealous BF

Dates in amusement park. Also, shopping dates.

Choosing outfits for each other.

Out of habit, keeping his hands on your thighs or your waist.

Cooking together for other members, when you visit their dorm.

Saying pick-up lines.

Back hugging him whenever you get a chance.

Singing for you while cuddling.

Calling each other Baby

Lots of flirting.

Acts of service as love language.

Whenever he visits your home, he makes sure to cook for you, & store some in refrigerator for next day. (He knows you are lazy to do it everyday.)

Beomgyu:

~ Chaotic/Funny BF

Dates in park, ice-cream dates.

Dressing each other in odd ways.

Out of habit, sending good morning & good night messages.

Winning against other members in video games.

Throwing flour at each other.

Pranking each other everyday.

Telling you jokes while cuddling.

Calling each other Sweetheart.

Lots of smiling.

Gift giving as his love language.

We all know, this dude is a hopeless romantic case. He will remember every important date, & will make sure to give you something that will show his love for you.

Taehyun:

{My bias 🥹}

~ Smart/Savage BF

Dates in libraries, and star gazing on rooftop.

Shopping & cooking & working out together.

Out of habit, ordering each other's favourite drink/dessert in cafe.

Discussing random topics in front of other members (just to annoy them by so much knowledge🤭).

Good morning kiss before you wake up & good night kiss after you sleep.

Buying matching clothes & accessories

(he acts like you are forcing him to wear them, but secretly loves to match everything with you).

Asking about each other's day while cuddling.

Calling each other Kitten (he->you) & Bae (you->him).

Lots of shy kisses.

Physical touch as his love language.

I know, not many moas agree on this. But, have you seen him clinging onto his members. Throwing his members on floor. Yeah that's physical touch love language. (Not me, thinking about him manhandling me 🫣)

Huening Kai:

~ Cute/Fluffy BF

Candle light dinner, movie night dates at home.

Playing video games & collecting plushies 🤭 together.

Out of habit, sending memes to each other.

Shouting and running everywhere, with other member running behind you.

Joking whenever and wherever you can.

Buying snacks with the money, Yeonjun gave both of you to buy groceries.

Kissing while cuddling.

he is shy to do it any other time.

Calling each other Oppa/Noona (ok sorry) Honey.

Lots of belly rubs.

Words of affirmation as his love language.

We all know, Hyuka can express himself very well to the person, he is close to. Have you seen him praising his members.

^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

I'm planning on making a taglist. Send an ask if you want to be added.

Tell me who is your bias by reblogging or in reply.

Like and Reblog if you like it.

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datwheatleyboi · 5 months

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Orbo in Nirmata

Oh yep gotta make this a thing now because I thought it would be an interesting topic to look into. I wanted to address right away that I am a big Orbo enjoyer. I love the character and do not consider him an antagonist towards Scarab or anyone. PLUS this is also an excuse to talk about how much I loved writing and exploring each character in Nirmata. For now I will bring 3 major points in understanding Orbo's role in Nirmata. A quick warning I will be spoiling chapter 1, 2, 4, 8, 9 of Nirmata, so read at your own risk.

As I said in one of my earlier replies, no character in Nirmata is good or bad. There is no antagonist in the books and I hope this can be clearly seen these many chapters deep into the fanfic. Every character is flawed at their core. Some are more flawed than others but that's what makes the story even more interesting. I want to uncover the truth behind Orbo just because he is a character that has less screentime in Nirmata, therefore his character is hard to be deduced from his actions. 1. Nirmata is mostly a Scarab POV story.

Scarab is undoubtably the main character of the story. We experience Nirmta mostly through his perspective, therefore it is important to understand that Scarab's perspective towards Orbo can be extremely biased, especially from his view of the world and constant victimizing of himself in each situation. The periods where we receive a different POV Orbo was never referred to as a bad boss or bad character. The only thing he is to blame for is the wings and antenna incident. One of example's of Scarab's bias in perception of the situation is in this scene in chapter 4 (here's a snippet from it):

Scarab looks at the attached clocks to his and Prismo's wrists and thinks of them as a threat. As a doomsday watch leading to his and Prismo's downfall. It is constantly emphasized throughout the story that Scarab clearly takes this situation too seriously. He thinks of the watch not just as a helpful tool in understanding the passage of time with the Time Giants being destroyed, but also as a ticking timebomb. This is Scarab's POV and analysis of the situation. Keep an eye on what Orbo says in chapter 2 about the watches:

This is just the first analogy about Scarab's biased POV that we see throughout the fanfic. There are many more examples of how his interpretation of a situation contradicts to what is actually happening but if we're talking about Orbo in this post, than here is an example with my big boy. I think of Nirmata as a story, where you have to pay close attention to what the characters say, rather than deduce their motivations from Scarab's POV. 2. Orbo is also a living being.

Imagine you're the right hand of the Boss, just hanging around, doing your job, when suddenly time stops existing. And then BOOM! all the multiverse starts getting consumed by a supermassive blackhole. Anyone will be scared from that and Orbo is no exception. He stabilizes the multiverse knowing that he won't be able to hold it together for a longer period of time. This makes him stressed out and more on his nerves and Orbo acts accordingly. His actions, his words, his overall attitude and behavior. The poor guy has so much pressure on his shoulders that he even confronts Prismo for being incompetent in preserving the Time Core from potential nasty guys. And no threats or pressure solely towards Scarab. Here are several examples of showing signs of this clearly stressed behavior:

Despite being referred to as the right hand of the Boss in the fanfic, his reaction to the situation can be understandable. Despite the whole future of the multiverse being questioned, Orbo does not let the emotions get the best of him. He listens to Scarab's suggestion and agrees with it, regardless of this duo not being the most effective when put together. 3. Orbo is an understanding being. As I said in the end of my last point, Orbo offered Prismo and Scarab a chance to redeem themselves and gave them 3 days to find the hammer despite the multiverse clearly barely keeping itself together. He entrusted Scarab and Prismo with the most important mission ever, while literally seeing them claw at each other's throats 5 minutes ago. That is some insane level of faith my guy got. Or probably because he just doesn't want them to be fired from their positions. Here's him accepting Scarab's suggestion, while still having his doubts about the successful completion of this mission:

Also, later he provides the two cosmic entities with even more information in regards to the ongoing search for Betty and the Hammer, despite not being obligated to do so. He really wanted our favorite roommates to succeed in their mission and, if it weren't for Betty's interference with the order of her world, they would have received even more tips and reports of the alterations in the fabric of space and time. This is emphasized in chapter 9 when instead of receiving threats about the couples and the Hammer's whereabouts, Orbo just provided Scarab the coordinates of 2 other signals of reality altercation. Although it was never specifically stated that my bro Orbo was the one who sent the messages about the signals, it is heavily implied throughout the plot that Scarab has no way of locating new signals without "multiversal interference". 4. The Wings. But what about Scarab's wings and antennas? Didn't Orbo rip them out of him? Yes, but it was done a very-very long time ago when the poor guy still was learning about his capabilities and limits to his powers, and Orbo clearly experiences guilt from committing such a terrible act on one of his most productive workers. This is seen in Prismo's speech in chapter 9 and given that he and Orbo are good friends, this is probably true and not an attempt at trying to justify Orbo's evil nature:

To further prove the point of Orbo ripping Scarab's wings not out of pure hatred towards the bug, it was hinted way back in chapter 1. We know that from reading chapter 8, Orbo was terrified of someone betraying the company or starting a revolution. He had a hard time understanding how to properly run a company, so it was logical he would be on the verge of panic when a strange moth decided to nuke a great chunk of the multiverse and resided in one of the destroyed worlds. Yes, it was never implied that Maura was a real being and not always a disguised fire elemental, but back in my analysis for chapter 8 I did hint at this being the case.

Anyways, this is the end of my character analysis of Orbo. Since this is a hot topic in the pwish fanfic community, I wanted to toss my own interpretation of Orbo's character in Nirmata. I might have left out some key points since I am still very sick, but I hope this makes sense. I'm always open for your ideas and speculations on Orbo's character but otherwise...

As a famous thinker once said:

youtube

leaves some crumbs and runs away

#orbo fionna and cake #character analysis #prohibitedwish #nirmata #fanfic #my work #orbo #we love orbo #my thoughts #big thanks to Bri for proofreading this

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chasingmidnights · 3 months

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An Offshore Love - Part Four (Last Part)

Title: Till Forever Falls Apart

Summary: Your job at The Jupiter is coming to an end and your life becomes uncertain, for once, you’re unsure of the future.

A/N: This is the final part of An Offshore Love. I hope you’ve enjoyed this little mini series as I’ve had fun writing it! Feedback is much appreciated with a comment or reblog!

Warnings: First, this is 18+, minor DNI!! Warnings are included but not limited too: a bit more angst in this part; minor cursing; Lee being a bit of a prick; Ari Levinson (he’s a warning, okay!); mentions of broken bones; and I think that’s everything. I apologize if I missed anything but you are responsible for what you read and your own media consumption. I do not claim to be a professional writer, any and all mistakes are my own; nothing is beta read.

Wordcount: 1,651

It didn’t take long for word to go around that you and Ari were a thing after you openly kissed him in the med bay. The next day, you found yourself in Bodecker’s office on a conference call with your boss, Carter Baizen and to say Lee was irate, was understatement. You couldn’t help but feel like a child who had been sent to the principal’s office. Lee’s nostrils flared as he sat in his plush office chair and glared at you from across the desk. You could hear the disappointment in Carter’s voice as he spoke.

“I understand your concern, but technically, Baizen Oil Industries doesn’t have a policy against dating.” Carter said after Lee had just given him an earful.

“Well, I still want her gone and off of my rig, she’s a distraction and her judgment has been clouded.” Lee barked back as he continued to glare at you.

“If I may, my judgment hasn’t been clouded and besides my one small infraction, I have been nothing but professional amongst these men here.” You said as you tried to defend yourself, Lee scoffed at your statement and rolled his eyes.

You did your best to remain neutral even though you would love nothing better than to slap this horrible man right now.

“I assure you, you have one of our best at The Jupiter right now and she has helped several rigs under Baizen Oil Industries get back into tip top shape. Surely, you’re not threatened by her being there, are you Mr. Bodecker?” Carter inquired as his voice came through the speaker phone.

You had to keep your mouth from dropping as you heard your boss practically defending you to Lee, and not just that, but calling Lee out on his bullshit. You could tell just by the look on Lee’s face that he was not pleased that Carter didn’t agree with him.

“Look, how about this, I’ll send in all of my notes and I’ll even let Mr. Bodecker look over them as well. If either of you see any kind of biased opinion or favoritism, you can scratch all of it and start all over again with a new person.” You tried to offer as a compromise, hoping it would help. “And I’ll even throw in my resignation if there’s any bias found.”

“I think that sounds fair, although I really don’t think a resignation is necessary.” Carter said after a brief moment of heavy silence.

“Fine.” Lee grumbled as he adjusted in his chair. “But don’t think for a second I’m gonna take it easy either. I’ll be going through everything with a fine-tooth comb, no cuttin’ corners.” Lee barked before he reached for a piece of candy from his candy jar and started to unwrap it.

“Then for now, this is settled, but I’ll make the final call.” Carter said in response and before anyone could say anything else, he hung up the call.

A thick, heavy silence filled Lee’s office as the two of you sat there and stared at each other. More like glaring at each other, but either way, you couldn’t wait to prove this man right and show him that there was no biased opinion in any of your notes.

“I want your notes as soon as possible.” Lee snapped as he popped the piece of candy into his mouth and started to suck on it. “You can go.”

You didn’t say anything to him as you got up and left his office. When you got to the hallway, you were greeted by an anxious Jake.

“God, what happened? We’ve been sacked, haven’t we?” Jake bombarded you with questions as he pushed himself off of the wall to greet you.

“Not exactly, at least, not yet.” You said as the two of you started walking towards the mess hall.

When you got to the mess hall, you and Jake got some food before finding a table to sit at. As you walked through the cafeteria, you could feel people staring at you and heard them starting to whisper. You did your best to ignore them, after all, you did nothing wrong. When you found a table, you explained the situation to Jake and the more you talked about it, the more it gave you a headache. You were honestly just ready for this to be over and done with. Once you were done explaining, you let out a heavy sigh and took a long drink of your tea.

“Suck a fuckin’ prick. There’s no way that they’ll find any sort of biased opinion or whatever bullshit that they’re going on about.” Jake shook his head with frustration. “Well, I’ll help in any way that I can.”

“Thanks Jake, I appreciate that.” You said with a small smile, you welcomed Jake’s support and you were glad that he was willing to help you.

After you turned in your notes to Bodecker and your boss, you didn’t realize that it was going to take days for them to decide. Sure, Lee had said that he was going to go through it with a fine-tooth comb, but you thought he was just being dramatic. Boy, were you wrong. During those days, your duties were put on hold, so you found other ways to keep busy; which mainly consisted of working out at the gym that the rig provided. Jake tried multiple times to persuade Lee during those days, but he struck out each time, which didn’t really surprise you. Lee was a stubborn and hard headed man. You couldn’t help but appreciate Jake’s efforts and how he had your back during this whole debacle. During the days that you waited for Lee and Carter to make up their minds, you found yourself missing Ari and a lot. Ari had been put on temporary leave because of his broken arm from the incident and was sent back home to recover. You wished that he was still here, he would probably be able to put your mind at ease through all of this.

A lot of times, you found yourself lost in thought about how everything turned, but honestly, you wouldn’t change a thing. Even if you lost your job, meeting Ari was worth it in your opinion and being his simply felt right to you. And even if things didn’t work out between the two of you, you wouldn’t change a damn thing. So, when you found yourself back in Lee’s office, you had your mind made up. Lee and Carter had been going back and forth for at least a good fifteen minutes, going over everything. Every time you tried to interject, they would either talk over you or completely dismiss you.The longer you sat there, the more frustrated you became and you couldn’t do it any more.

“I quit!” You exclaimed during a short pause between Lee and Carter.

“Excuse me?” Carter asked and you could hear the confusion in his voice.

Lee looked a bit stunned but that slowly turned into a pleased, smug look on his face.

“I quit. You can call for a boat, or a helicopter, or hell, I’ll swim back to shore, but I quit.” You repeat yourself, a bit fed up at this point.

“I’m sure that’s not necessary, but if you’re ready to leave The Jupiter, we can certainly arrange that for you.” Carter responded, you were unsure but it almost sounded like he was worried.

“Certainly, just tell me when you’re ready to leave and I’ll call for a boat.” Lee agreed, a smirk plastered on his face.

“Great.” You said before getting up and leaving Lee’s office.

Your journey home seemed a lot quicker than when you were trying to get to The Jupiter. You thought about how everything was about to change in your life and for once, it was all uncertain. Jake tried to offer you words of encouragement, but they didn’t really help. On the journey home, you thought about Ari a lot and how you were so glad that you had gotten to meet him. Not just to meet him, but you were glad that you were able to hold him in your arms as often as you were able to. Even if things didn’t work out between the two of you, you couldn’t help but be grateful for the time you had with him. During that brief moment, he was yours and you were his. You wouldn’t want to spend a minute loving anybody else.

Before you knew it, you were walking out of Baizen Oil Industries headquarters with a smile on your face and a weight lifted off of your shoulders. You stopped in your tracks though at the sight of a familiar face. It took a moment before your brain started to function again and you started to walk towards Ari, butterflies formed in your stomach with each step.

“I don’t - I mean, what are you doing here?” You asked, still in disbelief that he was here.

As he took a step forward, you noticed that his arm was still in a cast and sling. “I heard you quit.”

You looked up at Ari, so happy to see those ocean blue eyes once again. “You heard correctly.”

“Good, because so did I.” Ari said with a smirk.

“Well, good riddance then.” You replied, a sense of hope rising inside of you. “What now?”

“Only time will tell, Rogue.” Ari replied before he leaned down to kiss you.

You wrapped your arms around Ari’s neck as you kissed him back, you had missed the way his lips felt against yours. Sure, the future may be uncertain right now, but it seems that at least one thing was certain and that was Ari Levinson. With Ari by your side, you knew that you had each other and you swore to yourself that you’ll be his forever.

#an offshore love #an offshore love mini series #mini series #last part #ari levinson mini series #ari levinson #ari levinson fanfiction #ari levinson au #roughneck!ari levinson x female reader #roughneck!ari levinson x reader #roughneck!ari levinson #ari levinson fandom #ari levinson series #chris evans characters #chris evans fandom #chris evans

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ghastlybin · 1 year

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Can I request an angsty DC 8th member fic. I just need to read more 8th member au's and I love angst

Word, thank you for the request!!! Your wish is my command <3 =)) By the way, anyone else reading this, PLEASE READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS FIRST! I BEG YOU.

Pairing: Dreamcatcher + 8th member! GN reader.

Word count: 2k

Genre/contents: Dreamcatcher’s 8th member! AU, Angst, heavy topics.

TW: Depictions of depression and anxiety. Kinda heavyish on imposter syndrome, insecurites, not feeling good enough, etc. The Y/N struggles with mental health and imposter syndrome, for short.

Note: I think I suck at being happy but I did attempt a happy-ish ending but I also didn’t want to be like “hey, depression. Now y/n is cured!1!1” Because that’s not how it works, sadly. But I at least tried to imply baby steps to managing the readers mental health better in the future rather than hold it all in kinda? I hope? Also the dialogue at the end that isn’t spoken by the Y/N is up to your interpretation. Could be any member you feel would say it or even your bias. Up to you. Anyways, enough stalling, thank you again, ily, and I hope you enjoy despite the topics depicted. (I really don’t know how else to word that- I am so sorry but yk what I mean though I hope lmao) I ALSO DON’T MEAN TO OFFEND ANYONE if I do :(( I tried not to be offensive here.

Ignore the fact that I couldn’t find a gif lol goodnight/morning/afternoon it is currently 5am so I’m gonna dip but ily!!

It wasn’t supposed to be like this, the idol life.

You worked hard for years and finally got to debut as the eighth member of Dreamcatcher, putting music out that you’ve worked years to be able to put out.

But this? The self-doubt, the imposter syndrome, your insecurities that are constantly being picked out and called out by critics and antis.

You were always in a constant battle with your own mind, each word playing on repeat as you began to pick yourself apart and wishing you worked just a little bit harder to be as perfect as your fellow members.

Every day, every comeback, every waking moment, you worked harder and harder to fit in with the girls.

No matter what you did, you still felt less than others.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

You were supposed to be happy, enthusiastic, and in love with music— And you were.

You were happy. Happy you got to debut. Happy you were in a group full of wonderful women who were by your side every step of the way.

You were enthusiastic. Enthusiastic about performing. Enthusiastic about always putting in the most effort you could manage.

Of course, you were in love with music. Making music, singing, performing, and even producing it.

With each comeback, you recieved so much love from fans, dreamcatcher, and even staff, treating everyone kindly and respectfully and hoping they didn’t face the same feelings you felt deep inside.

But even with so much support, you still felt alone.

The loneliness was as intense as a monster that wanted nothing more than to eat away at your soul day by day.

And you would’ve let it, the pain inside debilitating your will to stay strong day by day.

You would’ve allowed yourself to drown completely, had it not been for your members there to keep your head above water and your passion for making music— Which was very much still there and still stronger than any demon eating away at you.

Handong was the first to see through to your emotional pain. The existential dread of never being enough.

You were seated beside her at a restaurant during dinner with the girls after a successful show.

The shaking of your hands, your heart beating through your chest, each vein pulsating with each beat.

Did I mess up the show?

You remembered how your mind raced with questions that you know you’d never believe the answers to.

Did anyone cheer for me during my parts?

Handong could feel something was off about you. Maybe it was the way you smiled without any feeling behind it. Maybe you were shaking too much for it to just be post-performance adrenaline.

Whatever it was, she realized the pain you were in. How it wasn’t something you could slap a band-aid on and be done with.

She saw you cry that same night, the pent-up emotions you had kept hidden from your group.

You wanted to be like them. Perfect, cool, and an amazing performer. You wanted them to think you were perfect, cool, and just as amazing as they were.

Instead, you cried, wishing to wake up as the perfect idol.

You remembered how tight Handong held you, listening to your wordless cries for as long as you needed.

And it hurt more, with as much love and support you received, all it took was for one negative comment to twist your day upside down.

You hated the power that had over you. How it altered your mind for the worst.

And Handong held you tightly in her arms as you sobbed until you were numb and with no more tears left.

“How long has this been going on?”

Her voice was soothing to your ears. Words you never thought you’d hear.

Finally, you thought. Someone willing to listen.

And you told her everything. Every painful feeling and thought you had bottled inside of you for so long. You trust her, of course. And she trusts you, grateful that you felt safe enough to open up to her.

The wars you waged in your mind had come to a ceasefire, even if only temporarily.

Minji was the next of the girls to have noticed.

Only this time, you were on a walk together, enjoying the day off while the others had other plans.

It was at a time you felt the most at peace with yourself. You itched to practice and perfect your skills, but at the same time, it felt good to be able to unwind and not have to worry about anything eating you up.

Minji didn’t know certain questions caused you pain.

“What are your goals for this year?”

It was a simple question. Albeit, a question that took some thought, but was meant to be harmless. She was excited about the future of the group, being the leader.

But it gave you a nauseous chill that caused you to stop all movement, clenching your jaw in an attempt to stop the feeling from pouring out of you.

“What’s wrong?” Minji asked, shortly before you began to shake, becoming short of breath and lightheaded.

It wasn’t a spontaneous reaction that caused you to spiral. You did think about your answer.

I have to be perfect. I have to work harder. I can’t take a break or I will have to start all over again.

You were on your day off, alongside Minji.

I have to start all over again.

“Y/N? Talk to me, please. I want to help you.” Minji thought about her words, only then, did she realize the emotional pain you experienced that began to externalize physically.

I may never be good enough.

You yelped, holding your chest as your heart picked up at an unnatural speed.

I will never be good enough, will I?

You were hyperventilating, shaking violently, sweat collected on your palms, and the world around you spun out of control.

Am I dying?

Minji immediately cut the walk short and brought you to the dorms and out of the eye of the public.

At the dorm, after Minji consoled you out of your inconsolable state, you didn’t remember the walk back to the dorm. How Minji worried for you every step of the way, hoping— Praying that you wouldn’t hyperventilate yourself into passing out on the street.

Your eyes were red and puffy from crying, which you also had no recollection of. You were a swirling pit of your own negative thoughts.

Yoobin was the third to notice.

She noticed you had been more distant than usual the day after your most recent comeback. While the girls were celebrating and well prepared for the promotion period, you had distanced yourself, picturing the ridiculing comments already, even as an endless sea of encouraging and adoring comments poured in, you could only seem to focus on the few negative ones.

Though the positive outweighed the negative, it was still enough to drown you and that was all it took.

“I’m fine.” A common excuse used by people bottling their feelings to avoid those around them from worrying.

Nothing is wrong with me.

I am perfectly fine.

I am perfect.

I am far from fine.

It was crazy how the weather seemed to align with your feelings.

Clouds burst into droplets to downpours of rain when they got too full.

Crazy how accurate it was to how you would bottle your feelings up so full that they would burst at the seams when it got too much.

You were surrounded by the bottled-up feelings that the sky held. Each cloud representing a different fear, insecurity— Anything that ate away at you bit by bit.

The cold rain drenched you the longer you sat outside, letting it wash over you just enough to simulate drowning, but never enough to actually drown you.

“Hey! You’re going to catch a cold out here!” Yoobin had run toward you with an umbrella, holding it over you, blocking any more drops from touching you.

The thing was, you were already cold. Even inside the heated building, the icy numbness blankets you.

“Are you okay?” Yoobin asked. You both shared the umbrella, the rain pouring down. Only then, did she realize you were crying.

“When will it stop?” The question came out in a mutter that Yoobin had barely heard.

“The rain?” She asked with a shrug.

Only later, did she understand what you truly meant.

When Siyeon noticed your pain, she walked past the bathroom door in the dorm, hearing the sounds of your crying.

It worried her and she wondered why you were crying.

It was just a bad day and you wanted to be alone rather than cry in your room where any of the girls could walk in at any given moment.

Siyeon knocked on the door, unaware you intended to be left alone. Even then, you were crying and she cared about you.

She’d have knocked anyway, even if it meant getting snapped at.

But you didn’t snap at her, only ceasing your tears as you sat on the floor of the bathroom, wiping your tears.

“Are you crying? Is there someone I need to beat up for you?” Siyeon asked, acknowledging that the door was locked, and instead sat beside the door to speak to you.

You cracked a smile, small, yet enough to slightly ease the pain in your chest.

“I’m fine, thank you.”

But you weren’t. You were far from fine.

Why do I feel like this?

A question that may never be answered no matter how many answers it all pointed to.

“You don’t sound fine. Tell me about it. Was it someone? Or something?” Siyeon didn’t want to overstep your boundaries, but she knew something was off.

It wasn’t every day that you burst into tears inside the dorm’s bathroom.

When you didn’t answer— Lacking the words to sum up your feelings, Siyeon’s voice seeped through the door again.

“I will be here when you’re ready. Whether your reason for crying is tiny or catastrophic, if it’s something that makes you cry, it’s never silly if it’s hurting you, so please don’t feel silly.”

Siyeon sat on the other side of the door as you covered your mouth, begging yourself not to cry anymore.

Within a few minutes, you gathered the courage to open the door and talk to Siyeon, who listened and tried her best to reassure you.

Even though you were grateful and felt a lot better in the end, you still had a massive lump in your throat that would take a while to overcome.

You just worried that it would take an eternity.

It was one in the morning when Yoohyeon found you wide awake, yet exhausted at the same time, sitting on the steps outside.

At first, she thought you were crazy being outside this late at night, her reasoning for being up as well was originally to go and get a glass of water.

That’s when she noticed you outside through one of the windows, sitting and watching the stars in silence and alone with your thoughts.

It was something you had done relatively often, only this was the first time Yoohyeon caught you. She sat beside you, following your gaze toward the sky.

“You’re still awake?” You asked, never taking your eyes off the night sky.

“Got thirsty. What’s your excuse?” She yawned. You smiled, finally looking at her.

“I can’t sleep.”

“Hm… Do we snore too loud or-“ Yoohyeon meant it as a joke, but she stopped herself when she noticed the water accumulating in your eyes, yet hadn’t spilled out.

And thankfully for you, they never did.

“I haven’t been able to sleep for a while.” You confessed, a heavy, shaky breath leaving your lips. “It’s hard to sleep when my mind is constantly telling me to do better.”

Yoohyeon listened to every word you said, with sincerity and concern on her expression as you continued to pour your heart out.

It embarrassed you too, admitting to her how vulnerable you really were. You wanted to be strong.

Perfect. Cool. Amazing.

It hurt as your mind contradicted your wishes.

But she listened. She cared.

Yet, you still felt the pain all the same.

You continuously messed up the choreography, exhausted and shaking all over from hours of practicing one part of the dance for the group's comeback.

You previously got it right, every step. But today was different and you weren’t sure why when you had done it perfectly just the day before.

It frustrated you have perfection seemed to come and go whenever it saw fit. It frustrated you how perfection lead you on, only to sink you deeper into the hole you felt stuck in.

Bora and Gahyeon stuck behind with you long after the other girls had left to take care of other obligations or simply just to return to the dorms.

Both girls remaining had opted to help you out, Bora spotting the steps you continuously missed or botched altogether, and took it slower, step by step as Gahyeon offered tips here and there— Which you took heed of, but for some reason, you just could not get the steps right.

How am I going to be perfect if I can’t get this down?

The thoughts came racing back again.

Gahyeon noticed your frustrations with yourself tearing away at you.

Then Bora noticed too when you stumbled backward and fell to the ground from the mental and physical exhaustion.

“Woah! Let’s take a break… Maybe pick up again tomorrow, what do you say?” Bora kneeled beside you, glancing at Gahyeon, who rushed to bring you a water bottle.

“Yes. We can go eat and call it a day.” Gahyeon agreed as you shakily held the bottle, drinking the refreshing water.

“I can’t. I’m not good enough for this.” You gripped the bottle as water sloshed out. On top of that, your voice cracked as the lump in your throat attempted to block your voice from leaving your throat.

“Where is this coming from? You are good enough. You’re more than enough!” Bora frowned, concerned.

Gahyeon took the liberty to hold your hand as you began to cry.

“I’m trying, I promise!” Your cries turned into sobs, the bottled-up emotions spilling out again since the previous time.

Over and over again, like a cloud, filling up until it bursts.

“I know you are. You’ve worked hard enough already. Let’s call it a night. Me, you, and Gahyeon- maybe the others if they are free- All of us go out to eat. You’ve more than earned it.” Bora attempted to soothe you as Gahyeon continued to hold onto your hand.

“And if you want, you can vent to me. I will listen.” Bora spoke with such sincerity that you cried harder.

“Me too. Whatever you need, I— We got you covered.” Gahyeon inputs, caressing the back of your hand with her thumb.

Putting your feelings into words was hard. You never knew where to start and sometimes it got jumbled, lost in translation, and incomprehensible.

And still, you tried. A weight simultaneously lifting off your shoulder while also weighing you down more.

The support you had received around you opened your eyes more and the loneliness you felt inside felt like an odd thing to feel, knowing you were surrounded by people who loved and cared for you.

You were anxious. It was the day of the comeback and you had listened to Bora and Gahyeon about picking back up the next day.

When the next day came, you were able to do the choreography again without any mistakes. Day after day, each practice before the promotion period, you nailed the dance flawlessly as a group and individually.

Your hands shook and your heart raced. All of this time chasing perfection, you weren’t sure why you hadn’t reached it yet.

“We’re next!” Gahyeon excitedly announced backstage as the group before you started to finish up their stage.

You took a deep breath, trying to calm your nerves, fearing you would mess up or that your nerves would show through.

“Are you going to be okay?”

“I’m fine… Thank you.”

A common excuse, but you actually began to mean it, even if slightly.

And you were fine. Every doubt you had, every worry, every thought, they were internal. No one else thought you were as flawed as you thought.

Nothing was wrong with you. You were perfect. You had a ton of support and love from family, friends, and fans who —In their eyes— Saw you as perfect.

You were just fine. You were cool. You were amazing.

You weren’t perfect.

You were perfectly imperfect. Everyone was.

And that was okay.

Even in the hole you felt stuck in, pulling yourself out seemed like an actual possibility with the support system you had discovered that had been there all along, patiently by your side until you see yourself the way those around you did.

“Remember, you’ll do just fine. You always have.”

“Thank you. I won’t fail you!” You replied, adjusting your in-ear.

The girls fondly smiled at you, feeling a sense of pride toward you.

“You never have.”

You were cool, amazing, and your own kind of perfect, even if it will take some time for you to accept.

#dreamcatcher x reader #dreamcatcher imagines #dreamcatcher au #dreamcatcher #dreamcatcher fics #dreamcatcher jiu #dreamcatcher sua #dreamcatcher handong #dreamcatcher siyeon #dreamcatcher yoohyeon #dreamcatcher dami #dreamcatcher gahyeon

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septembersghost · 1 year

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Do you think harry is scared(its not the right word but it's the closest) of loosing his 'shine' like taylor? In 2019 Taylor said that lover could be her last main stream success(how wrong she was). Music for sushi restaurant mv really shows his paranoia. Does he think his fanbase only like him for being 'hot' and 'entertaining' and not music?

Totally unrelated but I saw on reddit about how harry won't have much longevity because of his teen fanbase and is unoriginal or not creative enough. He will also face into obscurity post 30s because he is another popstar filling 'hot boy' shoes. What do you think abt his longevity ?

i think everyone in the entertainment industry naturally worries about that because it's so brutal and fickle, and "popularity" can turn so quickly. the video for sushi restaurant is legitimately so disturbing that it took me a couple of weeks to even be able to listen to the song again (that should've had a warning of some kind in front of it lmao i'm serious, it made me slightly ill), and it speaks for sure to that concern and to the ever-present feeling of being a commodity, and the business not caring at all about an artist's humanity to the point where they'll destroy and consume that themselves if it benefits them, even using people's own qualities and uniqueness against them to strip them for parts. it's not quite the same as taylor addressing the inherent misogyny where women are expected to be shiny and new and beautiful and interesting (but never too much), and to reinvent themselves at every turn (but never too much!), but it's definitely related. i'm not sure he worries about it as much with fans themselves - whenever he thanks fans for staying with him, changing his life, sharing that space with him, he really radiates and embraces that energy - but feeling pressure and paranoia in regards to the industry and even thinking about a legacy and how much time they'll let him have is understandable. that's what's so scary about reaching a height - there is inevitable comedown, and you just have to try your best to make that a gentle fall and not a fiery crash.

reddit hates him for no discernible reason, this is not new, they are so unbearably annoying (i blame reddit for some of the beyond inane queerbaiting discourse), but...not to say this yet again when i literally made this post last night - anyone who dismisses an artist's success because teenage girls like them is at best a boring fool and at worst a pretentious sexist. teen girls were the first fans of sinatra and elvis and the beatles (among countless other iconic acts). teen girls drove record and single sales. when men decided to lay claim on those artists and suddenly deem them "cool," they pretended like they'd never dismissed them as anything less than genius, but the record shows that all of them were embraced by teen girls first, made big and successful by them, and that those girls, as they grew into women, often remained the most loyal audience and would pass that music down. (we've seen this with taylor too.) fuck everyone who diminishes teenage girls, imagine how tired we are of this rhetoric!!!!!! teenage girls are the most enthusiastic audiences, they are the tastemakers and they are the future!

moreover, i in my thirties (cries) and my mom at seventy (cries again) both love harry's music, so age is no metric! you are never too old to enjoy and love things! the people who think that are not to be trusted.

the "not creative enough" criticism is wild to me because he's just out there being himself and doing his thing? what more do they want from him? and if they're not saying he's uncreative, they're saying he's trying too hard. it can't be both! (some of this is an insidious bias showing itself but i'm going to avoid saying it). limiting this to current white male soloists only, he's distinguished himself critically for a reason. his success, at least, is indisputable, he's been making music for over a decade, has released three solo albums that all went to #1 and lasted on the charts for a considerable time, and on his third he had the biggest song in the world last year. longevity is impossible to predict, and quite often can only really be measured in hindsight, but we've seen that taylor has learned if she keeps passionately creating, people will show up to listen. if harry keeps growing and showing that authenticity, people are going to engage with that and his music, and that will keep expanding his base and artistry and foundation.

#elvis didn't think he'd be remembered and saved critical reviews many of which are crueler than you'd ever expect #yet in pop culture he'll never be known as anything less than the king #and then of course there are plenty of male artists still touring and writing successfully many many decades into their careers!#harry has so much potential ahead of him and has already achieved quite a bit so hopefully we'll see!#harry styles #anonymous #letterbox

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uno-writing · 2 years

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@queer-verse's ask about ep 248!!! 🍿🥤🍭🍬🍫🧋

!!!!!WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW!!!!! !!!!!READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!!

✨ep 248✨

Spoilers, proceed with caution

- god i hate terrance so much

- it started with this fuckin evil smirk

- every time i see him a go into max rage for 2 seconds b4 calming down

- God bless sera for calling out johns god awful disguise

- lmao she saw through his plot armor this time

- the way my boi covered his stalking was smooth af

- and omg their friendship? precious

- the best in the whole comic, fight me

- they know eachother so damn well

- my heart broke when John saw sera turning into seraphina

- but the difference this time is she cares for him sm

- "loosen up, itll be good for you" 😭

- they are eachother's biggest mom friend

- arlo is just the poor dude whis stck w them bc he has no other friends

- and omg seeing their competitiveness come back was a gift

- my heart rate went up when the ferris wheel showed up again like no sir can u plz not

- but im so glad they had this talk

- i have a feeling the ferris wheel is gonna be the setting of a few other important scenes as well

- john was trying so hard to cheer her up 😭

- and plz Arlo getting mad at him was adorable

- he was so worried lmao

- the beginning of mom arlo

- is it fuckin karma that Holden showed after i said that he appeared in like 5 episode and he wasn't important

- IS HOLDEN A PART OF SCEPTER NOOOOOOO

- WAS THAT EVEN HOLDEN???? I HOPE NOT

- Terrence is so full of bullshit theyre all so full of bullshit

- "we are sorry" who tf r u to speak for the whole organization??

- like actually how important is Terrance?

- was his speech an act he was told to say or legit authority?

- not closed off to the idea that we've been mislead about how bad spectre actually is

- its just way more likely that theyre trying to get her guard down by playing nice guys

- her sister warned her for a reason

- thankfully sera seems well aware of this lol. she aint falling for it

- and why do they want sera a highschool student, abeit a powerful and rich one, so badly by their side?

- like shes a literal kid. and she cant be manipulated into becoming a spectre extremist (for a lack of a better word) at this age

- surely they must know this. either they actually want her for an experiment or something (? throwing ideas at the wind here lol) or its ya dystopia plotholes

- like spectre is whole organization, possibly connected to the government, wtf do they want to do with a teen. then again they have other highschool students as literal spy agents so

- it's prolly just cuz shes super poweful. or was

- anyway I thought the ep was gon be John sera wholesome time followed by John Arlo wholesome time but I was lied too

- Boba anon 🧋

----

*See, I was really annoyed by Terrence but he’s starting to do what John does and make the full circle from hatred to loving in my mind

*Even with Sera calling out the disguise, I have no doubts that John’s gonna use it in the future still. He’s already gotten too much confirmation bias from when he followed Sera

*I love them so much. I think Dumbass Trio is still my fav friendship, but this episode shot John and Sera in a really close second (also John's sunshine face when he convinces Sera to have fun oh my god he's such a cutie pie when he's not being bloodthirsty)

*Sass Squad is just a circle of friends who are all the mom friend but all act like they aren’t

*I just rewatched the Fantastic Four movies from the early 2000’s and all I can think of when it comes to the UnO ferris wheel is this scene. Like, to be fair, it’d be pretty rad if this happens and someone has to catch it or stop it (cough arlo’s barrier is really similar to sue storm’s power cough). I don’t think uru-chan’s gonna do it, but idk, something’s definitely gonna happen with that ferris wheel. It’s had 3 of its own shots. Any more and it’s gonna have more screentime than my boy Holden😫

*I got such a kick out of Arlo scolding John (also Dumbass Trio my beloved on the carousel in the background)

*Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s Holden. That dude’s hair looks more slicked back than up like Holden has his hair. But can you imagine?? Like Holden’s just been a background character that’s been insanely loyal to Arlo and he just ends up becoming an important character bc of SPECTRE??? Like that’s an interesting storyline lmao

*Maybe Terrence is talking like that bc he’s like Sera’s manager and then there’s his bosses? Idk, I know some of my past managers kinda talked for the company just bc they’re the ones who were in charge over me?? Idk, I think he’s getting a power kick from having Sera on a metaphorical leash or he’s trying to win her over for SPECTRE.

*I’m assuming it’s bc of her power, maybe even her connection to Leilah. It seems like Leilah is maybe starting to doubt SPECTRE so maybe they’re trying to use Sera to keep one of their lead scientists and Sera’s power is just a benefit? Idk. *It seems like they’ve done this before so maybe they know how to bring Sera around to their side. Like I doubt anyone they’ve recruited in the same way they did Sera went along with it willingly at the beginning. I mean, I wouldn’t. I’d probably be petty and deal without my ability.

#unordinary #spoilers #berriwords #bobaanon

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thoughts-on-bangtan · 3 years

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“Let’s BTS” asks about “I like you the most” and Jin’s reaction

by Admin 2

First of all, I want to wish you all, far away in the world of Vmin and BTS, a healthy and peaceful Easter, if you celebrate it, and a nice weekend for those who don’t! Since Admin 1 is quite busy right now and currently also participating in Camp NaNoWriMo, I (Admin 2) will take over our blog for a little while though Admin 1 will still be lurking and checking comments etc. I want to emphasize right away (you will probably notice it anyway) that I have no literary talent compared to Admin 1. I'll try to worthily “replace” Admin 1 for the time being and talk to you about Vmin and more.

Unlike Admin 1, I am not so careful with shipping discussions (and I even like them) as long as everything is done respectfully and we’re all sticking to the truth about the BTS members. I don't like criticizing other shippers because I understand that other fans may love their favorite members and ships just as much as we love Vmin or Namjin, but sometimes it’s inevitable that I have to say something.

So, I invite you to a discussion. I am open to discussion.

We got two interesting questions about “Let’s BTS” and specifically Jin’s reaction to vmin and I want to discuss them.

From anon: Hi, just wanted to see what you made of Jin’s reaction to Tae’s message to Jimin on the Let’s BTS show. I’ve seen some people say he looks so done and even annoyed with it. I can understand him looking apprehensive at first because Tae is a bit of a loose canon, but everyone’s reaction after is to laugh and smile and shout but Jin is very stoic. I’m kinda new and wondering whether he isn’t a fan of Vmin’s brand of declaring their love on national TV. Although when I think of how he behaves with Joon - I’d struggle to wonder why he doesn’t like it. Any thoughts?

From anon: Hi, I cannot believe what I’m reading about Tae on some platforms. What is wrong with people? Anyways I wanted to ask you what you thought of Jin’s reaction to Tae’s message for Jimin? I’ve started seeing people saying that Jin hates the fact they’re close that’s why his reaction was weird. I’m a vmin shipper but Jin is my bias and I can’t get my head around the fact that Jin doesn’t love them both dearly. He did look “apprehensive” perhaps but I’d say with Tae being Tae; that isn’t surprising.

In order to answer these two questions and to form my opinion on the matter, I’ve looked at the situation with regard to Jin and other members several times.

I admit that I’m surprised myself that Taehyung went this far. Actually, it's not even about the content of his words, but about the whole circumstance and the atmosphere that he created around his "confession". I don't know who added the music, whether it was a Taehyung hint or simply something the editors and PD thought of, but the whole situation and phrase gained even more "meaning" and "seriousness" through it.

I seemed as though the background music was supposed to make the moment remind everyone almost of a scene from a K-Drama (or one of vmin’s playful roleplays), but it only added to the effect of this being a serious, sincere and weighty moment instead.

Taehyung joked around by turning the table and pretending the envelope was not intended for Jimin, but this just led to an increase in the tension displayed by the members and the moment itself, and yet still Jimin was immediately convinced that he was the one for whom the envelope would be. Everyone was acting (which makes it sound like they were faking it which isn’t what I mean) like they were curious, but you could clearly see everyone's tension and nervousness, especially when looking at Jimin. Taehyung added that the contents of the card within the envelope were for Jimin's eyes only, emphasizing the seriousness and intimacy of what he was about to say. As a result, Jimin’s reaction led to uncertainty, nervousness, and at the same time an awareness of the sincerity and seriousness of Taehyung's words.

The words "I like you the most" are (on a superficial surface level) nothing big when compared to "I love you", but they still had the biggest reaction. Jimin wrote "I love you" to Suga and absolutely no one reacted nervously, everyone joined in on the declaration, and the situation was relaxed and even funny. Why did Taehyung’s words cause such reactions then? Why?

My thought is this: When the envelope was revealed to be for Jimin, it was met with tension by both members and Jimin. We all know that Taehyung can be a bit of a loose cannon sometimes, even on national television, when it comes to Jimin.

Jungkook immediately commented that "it’s about friendship", Suga laughed nervously and loudly, as if he wanted to end the situation quickly, and Jin had a serious face that didn’t seem all too positive or eager about what would happen next.I'm not going to go into Jimin's reaction here, but rather Jin’s, since that’s what the anons were wondering about.

In my opinion, Jin doesn't like situations that slip into seemingly too private matters. He is definitely the kind of person who gives up the least private information. The situation with Vmin clearly didn't suit him. And not because Jin doesn't like Vmin (because that’s simply not true), but because he knew this program would be broadcast nationally and streamed worldwide, that it would be debated, that every word would be analyzed, and most importantly, because the team that recorded the show wasn’t their own but one that belonged to KBS. Jin doesn't want anyone to have access to BTS's private life, after all he even asked the You Quiz editors to cut what he saw as too sad/depressing about his answers so clearly he thinks about and considers many such things. I think Taehyung didn't care all that much, but Jin did care.

Perhaps I will go too far in my analysis and imagination here, but let's not forget that in the near future Jin is going to have to leave for his military enlistment in the highly conservative Korean army, which holds very homophobic views. Any shadow cast on any of the BTS members (even if some of them are already suspected to be queer) can endanger Jin or make it even more difficult for him to perform his service well and safely. The suspicion that two of the members might be in a relationship with each other would make Jin an accomplice, since they belong to the same group and would lead to him also being suspected of being queer, guilty by associating basically. This is my opinion at least.

Jin is the oldest and feels responsible for BTS, much the way Namjoon does as leader, for everyone including Taehyung, because Jin is aware of the wave of hatred that will be/is poured onto Taehyung across sns after such a public statement. According to Jin, in my humble opinion, this is neither the time nor the place to take such a step in such serious manner. As long as everything was done in form of jokes and witty answers, Jin was joining in and having fun, but when it was Tae's turn his face became serious, as if to warn Taehyung. Jin knew that "Taehyung's atmosphere" could/would fluster Jimin and the entire team, and could become the subject of rumors spread by the staff that isn’t their own.

So no, Jin’s reaction wasn’t because he hates vmin or anything like that, because that’s not true on any level, but because Taehyung’s words about liking Jimin the most were perhaps too sincere for the setting they were in, raising too many brows, and that’s potentially why he reacted the way he did. After all, if you watch the 5th Muster concerts, and especially the one in Seoul, when vmin stand at the very end together, Jin approaches them and throws water at them as though to pull them out of their bubble and back into reality. All in good fun and because he simply cares a lot about them.

Also, an alternative and even more simple answer could be that Jin’s face has no relation to anything I just said and doesn’t tell us anything about what he thought about Taehyung’s words. After all in some interviews he also just sits there quietly and watches/listens to the other members and that doesn’t mean anything at all, or at least nothing negative. But since you asked for my thoughts, here they are, though they don’t have to be right.

I actually have no idea what the reactions are to this show in Korea and among the general public, but I've seen the reactions to Tae’s words across various sns, which one of the anons also mentioned so I’d like to talk about those for a moment as well.

My hair stood on end when I read some of the responses/posts about Taehyung. I never thought that people who call themselves ARMY or fans of BTS would have such opinions about any of the members. A wave of hatred literally flooded Taehyung, like Admin 1 previously mentioned in their answer to an ask.

I just wanted to cry. It shocked me how far shipping can go (literally playing with actual, living people with no regard to their own words and thoughts) that it can cause such extreme emotions in "fans". It's hard to say which is more negative and alarming for some, Taehyung potentially really having (romantic and reciprocated) feelings for Jimin, Taehyung's feelings not being for the “right” person, or the mere fact that Taehyung's feelings are for a person of the same gender.

It’s also interesting to see how deceptive some are. I don’t even mean that “Taehyung and Jimin like each other most” is ignored, which it is, but rather that those mutual feelings were manipulated to twist them into a completely different direction and to another person, or turned into mere jokes or sarcasm. As if all of this simply never happened.

On the other hand, the fact that Jungkook unbuttoned his shirt before going on stage for “My Time”, as opposed to him not doing so during rehearsals, has become very important and an example of J*k*ok being in a relationship, how that’s now even clearer than ever before and is an indisputable fact, according to shippers. Apparently, J*k*ok were flirting with each other throughout the entire segment and show and only had eyes for each other. Somehow Jungkook imitating Jimin is the final piece of evidence to prove everything shippers ever claimed and thus, according to them, everyone must now see that they love each other romantically.

I've carefully watched this show three times, this particular segment and everything else too, and frankly I haven't seen anything that could be called anything even close to flirting when it comes to the two main ML ships. I'm mature and I think I know what flirting is and I can “read” the simplest human behavior, but I really couldn’t see any of it. In my opinion, Jungkook imitating Jimin is clear and open and not a secret. I fully understand Jungkook, I would also follow Jimin in his place :-) Jimin's dancing and looks, as well as his professional work ethic, are truly breathtaking, inspiring and worth imitating. However, this has absolutely nothing to do with romantic affection or a romantic relationship between them, in my opinion.

Hence, I fail to understand these behaviors which in turn lead to a wave of hatred against Taehyung and the, repeated, disregard, belittlement and erasure of Jimin’s and Taehyung’s friendship and relationship bond, and even some going as far as pretending anything vmin was simply not there at all just to make their ship seem more real, booo.

#BTS #vmin #Jimin #Taehyung #Seokjin #Let's BTS #answered ask #answered by admin 2

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skarsgard-daydreams · 3 years

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I really like the snippets of the SVMs that you post, but I can’t help but think about how by the end of the series Charlaine Harris just decided to destroy the character of Eric. I read those last few novels and just fumed with anger. Were you happy with how they turned out?

You are absolutely correct, anon. Was I happy with how they turned out? Absolutely not. I have a lot of bones to pick with Charlaine Harris about what she did to Eric Northman, but more importantly, I have a lot of bones to pick with Sookie.

Initially, I thought that the problem in the latter books was that Harris got lazy with everyone's characterization when she was contracted to write three more novels and started writing these characters in ways that were inconsistent. Certainly, there are a few instances where Eric is portrayed in a manner inconsistent with earlier books. (He loses a lot of his humor and charm and suddenly has a very different perspective on the possibility of turning Sookie, which I attribute to bad writing.) But as I went back in the series to compile these quotes, I noticed that the problems I had with Sookie's character in the latter books manifested much earlier. I have been trying so desperately to wrap my head around her behavior, and I have come to the following conclusions about Book Sookie, which are not necessarily applicable to TV Sookie...

(major spoilers and an unedited 4,000 word essay ahead)

Sookie's mind-reading abilities have stunted her ability to read and empathize with others without the use of her powers.

The magical bond that is formed when she and Eric exchange blood circumvents this while it is active, enabling Sookie to feel Eric’s emotions rolling off him at the time. She knows he is terrified when his maker arrives in book 10, and she is even able to identify precisely why he is frightened: he doesn’t want to be under someone else’s control. But after she severs their bond in book 11, her ability to read him fails her. She has spent her entire life reading people’s minds, which has served as a crutch. Rather than developing the intuitive ability to read a person’s body language and read between the lines of what they are saying that most of us learn, Sookie relies on her abilities, which don’t work on vampires. As a result, their motives are often mysteries to her. She notes how stony-faced they are, how carefully controlled they are in expression, but she misses a lot of cues that convey their repressed feelings. This is particularly bad for Eric, who, like many men, shields himself with anger when he is feeling hurt. His anger is not excessive or violent—in fact it is often very well controlled—but it masks the tender feelings that hide under the surface. It is telling that Sookie never acknowledges the incredible pain and betrayal that Eric must feel when she severs their blood bond, or when she ultimately refuses to save him from being taken away from her. The only time she feels sympathy toward him in that respect is in one line at the very end of the series where she considers how lonely he will be—and then she purposefully smothers that thought, refusing to dwell on it further.

Sookie's trauma from her formative relationship with Bill renders her suspicious of the motives of others and unable to trust her future partners.

Bill is the first man she ever dated, fell in love with, or had sex with, and it is revealed to her through Eric’s intervention that their entire relationship was premised on a lie. This plot point is the same in the book as it is in the TV show. Once Sookie and Eric are together, there are numerous instances where she suspects his motives. She maintains the firm belief that Eric never does anything unless it would be beneficial to himself, which is probably true up to a point, but even after he has shown that he is deeply in love with her and that he has borne the personal cost of this love, she still doubts him. In fact, Sookie believes that the love they seemingly share is only the result of the magical blood bond between them, which renders it false. Eric repeatedly states that he does not care why he loves her, only that he does, but this is a problem that Sookie cannot get past. It results in her severing their bond without warning. Once the bond is severed, she insists that she does still love him “all on her own” but her love quickly begins to erode without the understanding that the bond created as they are besieged by numerous calamities. When the final obstacle to their love presents itself—a contract negotiated by Eric’s maker that would force him to marry the vampire Queen of Oklahoma against his will—Sookie is so blinded by her inability to trust him that she doubts every word he says about wanting to stay with her. He never expresses a desire to leave her for the queen, but remains stalwart in his insistence that he cannot escape the contract despite seeking every possible loophole. Yet Sookie believes he is attracted to the queen and the power that she possesses and attributes his insistence that he is trapped in the contract to a clever lie designed to dupe her. In the final days of their relationship, Eric reveals that he knows Sookie could save him with a magical object that grants her one wish, and repeatedly insists that she could stop him from being taken from her if she wanted to. He does not ask her to do it, nor does he mention the object explicitly, or ask where it is. His statements read like a man who is wounded by his lover’s unwillingness to save him, but one who perhaps has too much dignity to resort to begging her to intervene. Presumably he believes that he should not have to beg the woman who says she loves him to save him from “cushy slavery,” as Sookie calls it. Once Sookie realizes that Eric knows about her magical deus ex machina, she starts to wonder if he really just wants to take it from her, or use it for himself. She even entertains the possibility that maybe he orchestrated the entire dilemma in order to get his hands on it. When the thought enters her head, she admits that she never would have considered such a thing if it weren’t for Bill’s betrayal of her.

Sookie's affection for Eric is conditional upon his usefulness to her (including as a sexual object), and she never develops an appreciation or understanding for who he is as a person.

Perhaps this is the fatal flaw in their relationship from the very beginning. Sookie does not express an interest in Eric other than the fact that he is physically attractive until his numerous favors to her and the many instances where he has saved her life or protected her begin to add up. The blood bond between them is formed when he prevents a vampire who has authority over him from forcing blood on an unwilling Sookie, instead offering his own blood as a substitute. Their marriage was orchestrated by Eric when another vampire wanted to take Sookie away from her own against her will, and it allows Eric to serve as a barrier to any other vampire who would try to harm her. Once their romantic relationship is formed in earnest, it quickly becomes evident that it is lopsided. Eric praises Sookie for her beauty, but also for how brave she is and how hard she works and countless other virtues that are not physical in nature. In return, Sookie feels obligated to pay him a compliment, and all she can manage is that he has a nice body and is good in bed. She often deflects from serious conversations with him to have sex instead. Sookie clearly doesn’t believe Eric is a good person, expressing her own doubts about his moral code when he doesn’t display enough outward moral repugnance for her liking. When Eric tells her how his boss tortured and killed a human woman to punish a vampire, she asks him how the story made him feel. His answer—that it made him fearful it could happen to Sookie—is not good enough for her because he does not also express remorse for the woman in question. (It should be noted that he doesn’t revel in her pain either; he is merely concerned with applying the moral of the story to his own circumstances and the woman that he loves.) Sookie does not seem to acknowledge the good that other people attribute to Eric, such as when his new bartender tells her she requested to come work for him. Sookie cannot imagine why anyone would want to work for Eric, but the vampire explains that he is a good master to serve because he treats his people well, specifically pointing out that he doesn’t ask for sexual favors from his female subordinates like other sheriffs do. Sookie is not interested in his life, his business, or his world. When he attempts to explain the elaborate hierarchy of vampire politics to her in an effort to include her more in his affairs, she outwardly expresses so much disinterest that Eric takes offense. Their relationship treads water for a while, until Sookie is kidnapped and tortured by fairies and Eric is prevented from rescuing her. While she is being tortured, Sookie is certain that Eric will show up at any moment, but she doesn’t know that he has been forbidden from intervening by his boss. The other vampires bind Eric in silver chains to keep him from going to save her. He later tells her how anguished he was that he could feel her pain and do nothing to protect her, shedding tears as he talks about it, but she doesn’t want to hear it. That moment marks a turning point in their relationship. Sookie repeatedly affirms that she believes Eric is so big and strong and capable of handling anything, and any time he is not able to deliver on her expectations, she loses even more love for him.

Sookie's prejudice against vampires leads to her treating them as though they are not people.

Although Sookie does not express her prejudice explicitly as some characters do, she still exhibits a bias against vampires throughout the books and expresses a clear preference for humans or shapeshifters. She is disgusted, for example, by Eric’s suggestion that she should come work at Fangtasia, saying that she would hate to watch the fangbangers seek the attention of the undead among them. She believes that they do not feel emotions or possess empathy in any comparable measure to humans. (The thought that not all humans share the same depth of emotion or empathy does not seem to occur to her.) She also discounts their physical pain or suffering because they possess the ability to heal themselves. This happens numerous times when Eric is wounded, often while trying to protect her. In one case, Eric shoves himself in front of a car window and takes a bullet intended for her point blank. While he is injured, he fights off the werewolf who was trying to kill Sookie. Then he gets back in the car and drives her home with the bullet still lodged inside his chest. When they arrive back at her house, he asks her for blood, saying explicitly that he is in pain as his body pushes the bullet out of his chest. She tells him he’ll be fine and if he really needs it, he should stop at Merlotte’s and get some True Blood on his way home. Another time, Sookie comes upon Eric after he has been badly beaten and bound with silver. His arm is broken and his hands, she notes, look gruesome, because the silver was wrapped around them. As soon as she frees him, he springs into action and decapitates the vampire who had attacked him before said vampire can go for Sookie, who gets faint at the sight. (She is not injured.) Eric picks her up even though his arm is broken, and she takes the opportunity to internally romanticize the moment, imagining that she is Scarlet O’Hara. But a short while later, she asks Sam to drive her home without thinking about offering Eric a bottle of True Blood even though they’re right in front of the bar. The most egregious example of this phenomenon occurs when Eric’s vampire brother has massacred all of the staff at his home. Sookie arrives to find several vampires and humans slaughtered on the premises while Eric is desolate and in excruciating pain with his ribs ripped through his chest. He tells her that he needs her to push his ribs back into place and that Pam was there as well, and Sookie proceeds to chastise him for not springing into action to go after his brother. When tears form in his eyes, she grows impatient and questions why he hasn’t called someone to come clean up yet. It isn’t until midway through the conversation that she tells Jason to push Eric’s ribs in so he can heal, and it is only on accident that Jason happens to find Pam, who is thankfully not dead.

Sookie's system of morals is so rigid that, when she participates in violence, she suppresses her own personal responsibility and projects blame on the people around her in order to continue believing that she is a good person.

After the massacre referenced in the paragraph above, Eric and Sookie must fight his crazed brother and several fairies at her house, slaying his maker in the process. When they are victorious, Sookie is immediately revolted by the bloodshed. Eric, meanwhile, is flooded with relief that he is free of his maker, who subjected him to hundreds of years of rape and slavery when he was first turned into a vampire. Sookie knows this, and in fact can feel the emotions radiating from him, but she seems to despise Eric for feeling anything but repugnance in that moment. This appears to be her coping strategy any time she participates in violence—she negates her own culpability and creates moral distance between herself and Eric by judging his reaction to be grotesque. The same thing happens when they are able to kill the brutally cruel vampire regent who was actively trying to ruin Eric and was responsible for attempts on Sookie’s life and who refused permission for Pam to turn her human lover into a vampire before she died. Eric and Pam are joyous that they have won and that the regent cannot torment them any longer. Sookie, who helped plan the attack and in fact dealt part of the killing blow to the regent, is abruptly disgusted when Eric embraces her and kisses her. It does not occur to her that he might be relieved that she was unharmed in the battle and that the constant threat to them all has been eliminated. Instead, she assumes that he’s trying to have sex with her and tells him she’s not interested in a manner that clearly conveys her revulsion. Eric does not handle the conflict gracefully, and bites her harshly to drink from her after he tells her she’s being a hypocrite, which only gives her more reason to push her guilt away and project it onto him.

Sookie’s youth and inexperience serves as a barrier to navigating the turbulent waters of a real relationship.

Sookie had never been in a relationship before Bill, and she only has one other relationship between breaking up with Bill and getting together with Eric. While she enjoys the ‘honeymoon’ phase of her relationships, she flounders when it comes time to address communication issues or outside pressures. Neither Sookie nor Eric find it easy to establish an open channel of communication, but Sookie actively seeks to end serious conversations early or avoid them altogether, while being stunned that Eric initiates conversations about their relationship, something that she thinks all men avoid. At one point, she tells Eric that they need to talk and then starts discussing what she refers to as their “irreconcilable differences.” The conversation seems to be veering into breakup territory, and they’re deeply involved in it when someone knocks on her door. She immediately invites her unexpected guests in and is relieved by the excuse to terminate the conversation abruptly even though Eric is still trying to figure out what’s going on. At other times, she observes that she loves Eric, but she’s not feeling the same lust or excitement when she thinks about him anymore. Anyone who has ever been in a long-term relationship knows that passions often wax and wane, and that it also takes work to sustain and strengthen a relationship over time. Sookie is unwilling to put in the work or even have an honest discussion about the things they need to work on. She talks about romance novels a lot, and it seems to me that she has an idealized concept of love where she believes that they should be effortless and that passions should always be as hot as they were at the beginning. There are also times when she behaves in an extremely childish manner in the midst of conflict. After she severs the magical bond between her and Eric, he comes to her house and her main concern is whether or not he’s mad, while he asks her if she still loves him. She stubbornly insists he has to answer her question first even though she’s the one who broke the bond. On another occasion, Eric’s king comes into town and he is required to be at the monarch’s beck and call. Sookie gets mad at him and tells him she doesn’t want to see him one day, then is even more irritated that he isn’t calling her the next. Soon after, Eric is dealing with an endless litany of personal disasters that he can’t control, and he is short with her. Sookie listens to him confide in her about his problems and then responds with sharp-edged, sarcastic contempt, telling him that she has information that might have helped him with his problems and she might have told him if he wasn’t neglecting her.

Sookie’s limited understand of cultures that are unlike her own leads to misguided assumptions and fatal misunderstandings.

As the books progress, Sookie’s knowledge about vampire culture and governance grows incrementally, but she never approaches their customs with the same open-mindedness that she uses when it comes to werewolves or shapeshifters and their customs. This proves to be a major problem in her relationship with Eric, where there are two unfamiliar cultures at play—the modern culture of vampires, and the ancient culture of Eric’s human life. Sookie often refers to Eric as her “big Viking,” but she never gleans any insight about the culture in which he was raised. She seems to believe that he does not have much respect for women and projects American pre-Women's liberation attitudes on him even though he does not express those beliefs. When he offers to have her come live with him, she assumes that he wants her to be a housewife who cooks and cleans for him. She takes offense, and Eric is confused by her response. As Sookie’s situation becomes more perilous and she is injured multiple times in attacks at Merlotte’s, Eric asks her repeatedly to come live with him and/or work at Fangtasia so that he can protect her. She rebuffs these proposals, believing that they are rooted in misogyny. Sookie is also disinterested in understanding vampire culture, tuning Eric out when he explains things to her and refusing to accept that their rules and customs are different from her own when they inconvenience her. In particular, she never seems to understand the feudal system of governance under which the vampires live. When Eric is obliged to obey his maker or wait on his king or queen, Sookie is consistently irritated that he is not paying enough attention to her. She either does not understand or will not accept that vampires are not free to do whatever they want. This becomes a huge problem in the latter three books after a king from another state annexes Louisiana and kills every sheriff except Eric, putting him in a precarious position. Backed into a corner, he must maneuver very carefully to protect himself and everyone who is loyal to him. At the same time, he learns that his maker entered into a contract to marry him to the vampire Queen of Oklahoma against his will. Sookie refuses to believe Eric when he tells her that there is no way out of the contract, repeatedly insisting that if he loved her enough, he would just refuse to honor it. She holds him to the standards of her own culture, remaining willfully ignorant of the horrible consequences that could befall them both if Eric were to disobey. When she learns she can intervene and save Eric from his fate, she refuses, adamant in her belief that he will find his own escape clause if he truly wants to. The end result of her refusal is that Eric is forced into 200 years of “cushy slavery,” as Sookie calls it, a fate that does not inspire any guilt or pity in her, presumably because she still sees herself as a jilted lover.

At the end of the day, Eric deserved a lot better than Sookie.

He also deserved a lot better from the author, and a lot of people were justifiably outraged with the ending that Charlaine Harris gave to him. Harris, by way of Sookie, repeatedly reminds the reader that the Queen of Oklahoma is a very attractive woman, and it seems that this is intended to excuse the fact that Eric would be contractually obligated to have sex with her whether he wanted to or not. Eric expresses no desire for the queen, constantly asserting his commitment to and love for Sookie. When he admits that he would be required to consummate the relationship with the queen, he seems discomforted and ashamed at the idea. (Harris specifically uses the word “abashed.”) It is revealed to Sookie that the queen conspired to put Eric in this predicament specifically because she knew he valued his independence too much to ever agree to it willingly. Sookie knows that Eric was forced to service his maker sexually against his will, and that what he hates above all else is to be subjugated. She also knows that he will not be a monarch if he marries the queen; he will be her consort, a position that carries with it no inherent power or authority unless the queen gives it to him, and he will not be able to ever succeed her. Even despite all of this, Sookie is completely unsympathetic toward Eric. The author never acknowledges that this ending for Eric essentially means that he will be raped. What astounds me is that I don’t think she would have made his choice for a female character, or if she did, she would not have framed it in the same way. Sookie’s casual dismissal of Eric being sold into “cushy slavery” implies that male rape is no big deal, which is incredibly harmful. It is astounding that she would subject the primary love interest of the entire series to such a fate, and it’s the final nail in the coffin for Sookie Stackhouse for me, at least in her book incarnation. If any of her other love interests had been put in similar circumstances, I can’t imagine what she would not do to try to save them. But because it was Eric—her big, strong Viking who she believes is incapable of feeling emotions or pain and must be invincible in order to be valued by her—Sookie thinks nothing of it. Nothing at all.

@grimeundglow @stevesharrlngtons @scxrsgxrd @grandpa-sweaters

#I have been waiting to say all of this for weeks #thank you for putting up with my quote spam #TV Sookie is fine #TV Sookie can be with Eric if she wants #Eric Northman #Southern Vampire Mysteries #Southern Vampire Mysteries Spoilers #English Major Rants #The Longest Rant She Ever Ranted

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gabelish · 2 years

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WoF: The Dragonet Prophecy (Books 1-5) Review

Note: I will be judging these books as what they are (i.e. a book series for 8-12 year olds) and not for what they aren't.

Warning for spoilers (obviously).

Praise:

My biggest praise is that the story flipped the "chosen one" trope. Though it took four books, we learn that the prophecy is all made-up. No one is special. And yet, they complete the prophecy anyway. They end the war even though they aren't destined to because they try and I really like that message for kids--that you don't have to be special or "chosen" to change the world.

I also really liked that there was an in-world explanation for the prophecy. A lot of stories will just toss a prophecy in from an old book or a legend and leave it at that. But the explanation that NightWings have the gift of prophecy (which is sorta true i.e. Darkstalker + Moon Rising, which I haven't finished) allowed me to enjoy it much more. I normally won't touch any "chosen one" stories because it always seems to me like the author is saying "I have no idea why you should care about my protagonist other than You're Supposed To".

I also loved that there was a political and underhanded reason for the prophecy. The story repeatedly shows how the different dragon tribes have their own motivations behind their actions, including who they decide to back in the war. It's a great way to explore that concept.

I love that the societies are matriarchal. You rarely see that in fantasy and for a kids book I love it. Its so refreshing.

It was great that the gender split with the main cast was 3-2 female-male; normally it is overbalanced in favor of males so that was nice.

(More Below Cut)

In the beginning of each book, the species guide is specifically "A NightWing's Guide" which deliberately includes false information (that all/most NightWings have telepathy and can see the future) and excludes known/little-known information (that RainWings are venomous). I like the narrative explanation for misleading the readers. And, maybe it's too subtle for kids to fully comprehend, but it plays on the idea of bias in research, especially with the five dragonets reading scrolls which were mostly written by NightWings and therefore exaggerate their own powers and downplay RainWings for their own political reasons. I definitely think the target audience will pick up on at least some of that.

I liked that none of the dragonets wound up getting the blood families they wanted. Clay doesn't even really have parents but he has a bunch of siblings, and Glory found a brother and a great-something grandmother; Starlight is probably the worst off with his dad basically being a Nazi scientist and having a dead mom; Sunny probably got the best deal with a kickass mom and a dad that is still alive and very nice if depressed and lost. I like that the dragonets chose to stay together after they "fulfill" the prophecy. That's what families do.

I love the different societies, customs, and social structures in the different dragon tribes. I am very endeared to the MudWings having sibling-based families w/o parents. Though I am uninterested in the militarism, I still like it because its different. No one culture felt like a carbon copy of the other.

I'm pretty soft for the crushes/budding romances the dragonets have, even if I have certain issues with them. But I definitely really like Tsunami/Riptide; it's a very complex relationship and I love the class difference; I'm also soft for the drama of Clay/Peril, with him being one of (if not the only) dragon who can touch her without dying; I also like that, at this moment at least, it appears Clay isn't aware he has any feelings for her, or doesn't have any at all.

I am a big fan of the canon one-sided Starflight/Sunny because Sunny takes the majority of her own book to decide how she feels about it and tells him she does not reciprocate. I love that he finally gets the courage to tell her, and she eventually rejects him, and they still stay friends. He accepts that she doesn't feel that way about him, and sure it hurts him, but that's okay. I love that not every relationship in this story is reciprocated and that it shows kids they can still be friends with someone that rejects them/they reject.

I do like that the characters make their crushes their last priority. Yeah, Tsunami likes Riptide, but she 15 million things she needs to worry about, several of which involve death. The characters never lose sight of their goals and the story doesn't derail into their crushes.

Criticism:

(So far) Sunny is the only main character who does not have a potential partner she is being shipped with in canon, and half of her book was still about a potential relationship w/ Starflight. I am endeared to most of these budding romances but I really wish not every main character had to have a romantic element to their story.

I am somewhat soft to Glory/Deathbringer but I do dislike how rudely she talks to him. That's my only real complaint. I love that he's a smartass and couldn't go through with killing her but I think she's too rude to him and it's treated like a joke too much.

This is only half criticism but some of these deaths are very violent. But the reviews are all great for the book on Amazon and I don't hear teachers or parents trying to ban these books for violence so maybe this is an acceptable level of violence for this reading group. Obviously as an adult I don't care but every time a dragon had their throat ripped open or their head cut off I was just baffled that this is a kids' book. But, if it was truly such an issue, I'm sure the publisher would have toned the death scenes down. So that's why its only half a criticism.

I thought it was a bit repetitive that all three female dragonets wound up either inheriting a throne or becoming in-line to inherit a throne.

I understand there's a particular level of nuance to many of the Queens, but I really wish Queen Coral's eugenicist ideology was criticized more? (It was a very minor detail; she offhandedly mentioned one of her stories that's a "metaphor about class differences and genetic superiority". If they're not going to acknowledge it, and keep on having Tsunami defend her mom ("stupid SeaWings, already having a good Queen" when complaining that Glory needed to overthrow the inept RainWing Queens), then it shouldn't have been included. You can't drop something that gross without confronting it. Maybe they do later, I don't know.

Related, I wish the books would criticize monarchy. Maybe in the later books they do, but all they do is criticize the individual monarch and not the system itself. Sunny could've made the SandWings elect their new leader (not that I don't love Queen Thorn) but instead she perpetuated the system of inherited power.

I know this is stupid, and its simply a pet peeve, but RainWings aren't really venomous. They don't sink their fangs into dragons and inject them like snakes would; they spit a substance at them that melts their fucking scales and eats their flesh which would be acid. It just reminds me of that "if it bites you and you die, its venomous; if you bite it and you die, it's poisonous" meme. If it spits on you and you die, its acid. I want kids to know the difference between poison, acid, and venom.

Feel free to comment in the tags/replies what you loved/hated the most! I really want to discuss the first five books with other people.

#wings of fire #wof #the dragonet prophecy #wof spoilers #wof 1-5 #wof the dragonet prophecy #spoilers #book reviews

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bbnibini · 3 years

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Hi! I really love your works but it gotten me curious if you also read fanfics? Do you have any fanfic recommendations?

Thank you, anon! That's really kind of you. 🥺💕 I do read fanfics, but not as much anymore. I'm assuming this ask is for Obey Me fics? But if not, I will include some of my absolute favourites in a future post. Fair warning: I gushed. A LOT hahaha. Please support the authors and their works! I included the fics in the hyperlinks~

NSFW fics are marked appropriately, so please click the links at your own discretion (some of them are in my public bookmarks in AO3).

Elle's Obey Me Fic Recommendations

🌸Your Coal by Angrish(LettuceBean)

Truth be told, I belong to the "forgive but don't forget camp" in lieu of what happened in Chapter 16; reading Angrish's YC and how their MC coped with the aftermath(+ how others coped along with them) felt really powerful, raw and so so emotional. It made me think and really think about how I processed the whole thing that happened. While it didn't really change my outlook on how I have forgiven Belphie for what he had done, Angrish shedding light to the unanswered questions and lingering doubts the main story have left most of its readers was done in such a thoughtful and poetic way that I found myself binge reading the whole thing.

Given that I read this whole coping with a lot of stuff as well (and may have contributed with sympathising a lot more to the vindictiveness of the MC), reading what Angrish had written was really cathartic. Their writing style is also beautiful--the way the words string together, simple, elegant, yet impactful really made MC's emotions a lot...tangible, real and sometimes, frustrating (in a good way, mind you). I also liked how they had fleshed out the other characters, especially Belphegor, Satan and the Purgatory Hall members.

🌸You'll Have to Ask Your Dad by DefenestrationProtestration

I remembered clicking on this fic because of the author's punny name, stayed for the pretty writing and reread a few several times for the characterisation and THE WRITING. I'm pretty sure I left a litany of praises and incomprehensible gushing on the comments section because of how much I've devoured this piece of art.

Even as I'm typing this review, I can't seem to organise my thoughts haha. You can tell by the writing style that the author had a lot of fun writing their prose; it permeates through the screeen...my "screen" of imagination at least. I am not joking--the writing is so pretty and vivid that I literally saw it as a movie in my head lol. I chatted with them a bit on the comments and they said the prose is more of something they had written subconsciously; it reminded me of James Joyce and how he had masterfully perfected the same technique. Of course, their writing styles differ a lot from each other, but I can see what they meant.

...as I'm typing this, I didn't realise how I haven't talked about the plot of the fic at all soz. This piece is the author's character study of Lucifer. It talks about how he was before, during and after the fall. He is a bit of an unreliable narrator, which I'm not sure if the author intended, but he has all these presumptions that miss the mark so so much, particularly at how his brothers, Lord Diavolo and the others perceive him--but reading the whole thing would make you understand why he had gotten to that kind of self-perception in the first place. And honestly? It really, really hurt to read. But was it bad? The total opposite of that, in fact! I loved how they had written the angst in this piece. So many things in the fic are "show, rather than tell" and I really really appreciate that.

Most of my brainrot about this fic is better to be explored on your own. Overall, 10/10: a definite, recommended read.

🌸Fairy Tales for the Fallen by indiavolowetrust

I haven't fully devoured all of the stories in the collection yet, but the ones I've read (Her Name Was Thousand Eyes is my favourite) was such a really good spin on dark fairy tales (Obey Me style!). It reminded me of my childhood Little Mermaid picture book for some reason. Probably the writing style(the author's writing reads a lot like a storybook) The one I had was Hans Christian Andersen's (aka the OG) version and the ending was rather...dark for a 5 year old lol. It was a big part of my life though and was probably the precursor for my affinity with sad stories haha.

🌸TieGuanYin by Taciturn

Like tea on a tiring day, Taciturn's writing style feels very homey, cozy and familiar. I love rereading this oneshot when I'm having a shitty day and imagining myself having tea with Barbatos haha. Ever had pieces of art or literature that just...relaxes you when you consume it? This one is one of my, as the youngsters say, "comfort fic" haha.

🌸glass half empty; glass half full by unagis

I love unagis' fics.♡ I also love her Childe fics. The concepts she comes up with, as well as how she delivers it is *chef kiss*. Admittedly, I read this one when I was still a Satan stan, with all the suspicions and doubts about Solomon's intentions still rampant within me. Reading him blush and become flustered is CUTE and aaaaa this whole fic is just really cute.🥺♡

🌸The Eternal Storm by @sondepoch

Sondepoch's Satan oneshot was the very first fic I read in the OM fandom so it has a special place in my heart~ I remembered how awkward it was to skim through the Satan filters, looking for a gen fic/SFW fic because around that time, most OM fics are smut (no shade on smut ofc, I'm just super uncomfortable reading them unless the writing is really pretty or there's something else going on in the story). Finding GEN AND A WELL-WRITTEN CHARACTER STUDY about my (former) favourite OM character was like I hit the jackpot. I remembered that feeling really well haha. My bias with one of my favourite forms of fic (char. study) aside, Sondepoch's writing is easy on the eyes and is definitely a great entry for anyone who wants to be in the OM fandom.

🌸Read Me by GENE515

One of my more recent reads and definitely worth a mention!♡ Read Me was a beautifully written, heartfelt two-shot about Lucifer's love, which he tried his best to express in penned words. Probably because of my own love letter-themed OM series, this one really stuck to me haha. The author is also really sweet. :3

🌸Schrodinger by fickleminder

I read this one around Halloween and it definitely fit the occasion. Schrodinger was such a great thriller/horror fic with how it set its unsettling atmosphere from the very beginning--the way fickleminder's writing just sucks you in and makes you bystand the whole ordeal between Belphegor and MC was just...so suspenseful? Nail biting? Creepy (in a good way ofc)? I won't spoil the ending, but the process and way they tackled it was a lot scarier than what I was initially bracing myself for.

🌸Siberia by @polandspringz

Seeing another Obey Me mystery in AO3 really hyped me up! Polandspringz did a spectacular job in writing this series and I can relate so much with their experiences in writing for mystery. Their writing style is easy on the eyes--I also really liked how they characterised the OM characters I have read on their series so far. There's still quite a lot of stuff left in speculation (from my most recent reading at least), and I really look forward to see how everything unfolds!

🌸Tetris Syndrome by apocketfulofposies (NSFW)

I am very very uncomfortable with smut content, so the smut I've read can be counted on one hand. ;; That is to say, TS is one of the few smut that I really, really enjoyed. First of all, Levi's characterisation is on point. It was really really interesting to get in his head and read about his thought process. What is envy? And how much does the sin of envy really define him?

I really enjoyed Levi's internalisations, as well as the author's writing style. If you want smut with a brooding, jealous otaku boy, I really recommend this one!

#obey me #obey me fic #fic recommendation

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glenrocklibraryteens · 2 years

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LIST: 10 BOOKS FOR TEEN GIRLS

curated by: anonymous Spotify Playlist, inspired by this list

My Body - Emily Ratajkowski In this collection of essays, supermodel Emily Ratajkowski discusses her experiences in the industry, her conflicts with profiting off of being objectified, and learning to take back control of herself from the predatory people she is surrounded by. This book shows young women that being unapologetic and standing up for yourself is nothing to be ashamed of.

Everything I Know About Love - Dolly Alderton In this memoir, Alderton writes about her experiences with and observations of love in friendships and relationships. Teens can connect to Alderton’s themes including self sabotage, uncertainty of the future, and struggling to understand relationships with others, and help them realize that they are not alone in these often isolating struggles.

Being Lolita - Alisson Wood Alisson Wood recounts her time in high school as a depressed and lonely young girl, in what she feels is a secret but special and intimate relationship. Later, in graduate school, Wood is able to fully come to terms with the fact that she was groomed by an adult celebrated by the community. While dark, Wood teaches young women the warning signs of abuse and helps them understand the dark nature of power in relationships.

Girlhood - Melissa Febos In a collection of stories from her adolescence, Febos examines the way young women are conditioned to behave and coerced into saying anything but no. Through reading this book, teenage girls can learn how to start living up to their own expectations and standards, and not others’.

Just Kids - Patti Smith Patti Smith’s love story with Robert Mapplethorpe demonstrates how friendships and relationships change with age, and most importantly: the importance and reward of living in the moment. This memoir can help teenage girls, who find themselves confused about relationships and anxious about the trajectory of their lives, focus on the important parts of life that they may be missing.

Know My Name - Chanel Miller In Know My Name, Chanel Miller takes back her identity; one that had been twisted and defamed during the trial of her assaulter. Know My Name brings the world’s harmful bias against victims to the stage and shows young women that they are not alone in their inner conflict.

Crying in H-Mart - Michelle Zauner While Crying In H-Mart is mainly about loss, one of its sub themes is the relationship between teen girls and their mothers. The cycle of frustration, conflict, and guilt is something that many teen girls go through with their mothers. Daughters, in their teenage years, can sometimes feel isolated from their parents. Through her examination of her and her mothers relationship, from her birth to her mother’s death, Zauner helps readers realize that parental love can never be broken or disconnected, and that it is always on the other side of rough times,

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous - Ocean Vuong In this recount of his youth and how his mother impacts it, Vuong shows the strain and damage of generational and cultural beliefs on a parent-child relationship. Though this may not will them to forgive their parents for the pains they have caused, this novel can certainly help readers understand their parents intentions.

The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls This memoir tells the story of Jeanette Walls’ poverty stricken and nomadic childhood. Though Walls has plenty of reasons to resent her parents, she holds an unconditional love for them. This memoir shows the definition of unconditional love to its fullest extent. However, I think that the most powerful idea of this memoir is how to use your troubles and hardships as motivation to build a bright future.

Someone Who Will Love You In All Your Damaged Glory - Raphael Bob-Waksberg More lighthearted than my previous recommendations, this collection of short stories touch on all parts of love: friendship, romantic, toxic, bittersweet and unconditional. Important lessons are delivered to readers through creative and lighthearted stories, and their takeaways can help readers understand important parts of any relationship they find themselves in.

More about the playlist:

Vienna - Billy Joel Vienna delivers a powerful message: embrace growing up. In a time when life feels like it is moving too fast, this song helps teens find comfort in growing up, not dread.

Nothing New - Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers This song tells the story of a young girl who feels so secure and in place in the world, and as she ages, grows more confused about it. Swift and Bridgers perfectly capture the feeling that many teens face as they grow up and into the real, unprotected world.

Softcore - The Neighbourhood This song is about feeling scared and conflicted about sharing your feelings with someone else. I feel that it is a very relatable song for teens who might feel uncomfortable or unsure about opening up.

This is Me Trying - Taylor Swift Touching on self esteem, dismissal and regret, Swift conveys an important message to readers: any effort of self improvement matters.

The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani This is an enjoyable and lighthearted song about escapism and daydreaming. Teen girls will find this relatable and can help them overcome their worries about mistakes they have made in the past.

4EVER - Clairo Worrying about whether these feelings of dread, anxiety, and insecurity will ever go away makes this song very relatable for teens going through the highschool to college transition and can help them feel less alone.

Lust for Life - Lana Del Rey Del Rey finds beauty in her life, and how finding these beauties keeps her going. The empowering message of being the “master of your own fate” is a comforting and empowering message for young women.

Pink in the Night - Mitski Mitski worries about whether or not she is being noticed and yearning for someone who understands her. Themes in this song are very similar to the ones of adolescence and wanting to be understood.

Silk Chiffon - MUNA and Phoebe Bridgers Lightening up this playlist, Silk Chiffon highlights the preciousness of being a teen girl, and the things that make life special.

Soundtrack 2 My Life - Kid Cudi Though the themes of this song including inner conflict and struggling to find purpose are dark, the upbeat tempo make this song seem hopeful, and shows readers how to turn their inner struggles into something inspirational.

#books for teen girls #book list #reading recommendations #glen rock teens #glen rock library #glen rock nj #spotify

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magioftheseas · 3 years

Text

Sonia & Yasuke

Summary: Sonia Nevermind’s FTEs in the SDR2 Protagonist Matsuda Yasuke AU. FUCK YES. A slightly divergent take on the originals.

Rating: PG

Warnings: Language. Brief discussions of cults and kidnapping.

Notes: Sonia was neck and neck with Tanaka for the poll and I was going to do hers soon anyway, so I just went ahead. Sometimes, life just shakes out that way. I really do love Sonia so much. The bias is strongest for Sonia, so I really hope I did her justice. Only the best for our kween. (Btw, the formatting for this couldn’t fully carry through so some stylistic choices on Ao3 are absent here.)

Read this fic among others HERE

Main story is HERE

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He supposed he had been in an antsier mood than usual. In one hand, he read his manga. In the other, he played with and twirled around a pen. He’s practiced enough that he doesn’t need to look. It’s just something for his other hand to do. Something that would, ideally, work off some jitters.

He had almost been too worked up to read. Unfortunately, he’s still having a hard time trying to get into the book. He can’t tell if it’s because the story is dragging itself or because he’s just not in the right headspace. What a nuisance.

He catches the pen between his knuckles, tapping the end against the table. A surprised gasp. A round of applause. Matsuda glances over his book to meet the beaming face of a certain princess. Even in a hotel this cafeteria this tacky, she shone like a precious jewel.

What a nuisance. Except—

“So impressive, Matsuda-san!” she squealed. “You truly have fury skillz, yo!”

I guess of all the people here, she’s the most tolerable.

“Impressive, huh,” he mused. “I could probably twirl a scalpel, too.”

“Ooh!” Sonia clasped her hands. “Matsuda-san! Will you perform?!”

“No.” He shook his head. “I’m not going to risk cutting my fingers just to show off. I’ll twirl the pen some more.”

“Oh, I understand...” Quieting, Sonia still watched him twirl with intent eyes. It’s like he’s center stage at an opera house. Sonia hums and her fingers even twitch along. “Matsuda-san, such talented fingers... I truly do applaud you.”

Matsuda flipped the pen, catching it before it fell to the ground. Sonia let out another gasp and clapped some more, giggling.

“Bravo, bravo!”

Jeez. She’s so likable that it’s sickening.

It’s almost like he wouldn’t have a choice in the matter should the two of them become friends.

I guess...there are worse relationships to be forced into. Even if I already have a headache.

Still, the mood couldn’t help but be lightened whenever Sonia laughed. Scary.

His fingers were a bit aching, and holding a cold drink alleviated some of the stinging. Sonia, ever the prim and proper young lady with her mouth shut, simply sipped tea from across the table. The picture of elegance. Even in a cafeteria this tacky.

But it’s not like any location short of the azure sky and sapphire ocean could do someone like her justice.

“This island truly is sublime,” Sonia hummed. “The weather is always so serene, and the ocean is as blue as it is endless! Truly! It’s a perfect resort, wouldn’t you say, Matsuda-san?”

“I don’t know if I’d go as far as to say perfect,” he replied. “There’s a little too much fucking walking. I’m not big on sweating.”

Even if big hospitals had fancier equipment, I still hated having to rush back and forth.

“To be more contained can have its benefits,” Sonia agreed good-naturedly. “Still, I must say I am quite happy with what we have.”

Matsuda hummed right back.

Happy...

“Situation could be better,” he said. “Would really fucking love if we weren’t being held hostage by a homicidal fucking bear.”

“Indeed,” Sonia agreed solemnly. “Quite regrettable.”

Matsuda waited for her to continue, but she merely took another elegant sip. Still the picture of calm. Sonia’s eyes do flicker open and it’s then that Matsuda takes notice of the color. They’re a clear, soft green. It’s a unique shade. One he thinks he’s only seen in...

“As long as no murders take place, everything will be alright,” Sonia spoke with conviction. “What happens next...will depend on our own inclinations and choices.”

I shouldn’t compare them too much.

“That’s a reductive way of looking at it,” he said. “Even if we have the resolve, I don’t doubt that our hands are going to be forced.”

Sonia slammed her cup onto the table. It cracked just the slightest bit.

“Then, we should cooperate with one another so that we can return home as quickly as we can,” she said sunnily. “Matsuda-san, I trust you to tell me any ideas you may come up with. I shall do what I can.”

“Well...” Matsuda directed his stare towards one of the security cameras. “We’d first have to come up with something to do about those.”

“If we simply shattered them, we would get punished severely,” Sonia recalled, lamenting as she did. “We would have to act... And perhaps...”

She dropped into lower mumbles that Matsuda couldn’t make out. Perhaps out of precaution, in case they were being recorded. Matsuda watches her sink deeper and deeper into thought.

Even she can’t be serene and optimistic all the time. She’s still managing better than anyone else here.

“Do you understand, Matsuda-san?” she asked, tone serious. “Or must I repeat myself?”

“If you did, it’d have to be a little louder, so it’d be better if you could write it down discretely and pass it to me later,” he said, sighing. “It’s a little too risky discussing anything out in the open.”

Sonia clapped with glee.

“A handsome remark! This is why I know I can rely on your intelligence and wit, Matsuda-san.” She gave a few nods of approval. “It might be better for our moral to chat amiably for now.” With a dazzling smile, she then inquired, “Is there anything you’d like to ask of me?”

Matsuda blinked at her.

“Not really.” I am curious about one thing. Given the circumstances, it’s best to hold off on that. “What about you?”

“There is something! That I AM quite curious about!” Sonia exclaimed, suddenly excited. “Who has captured your heart? And who do you plan to settle on?!”

Matsuda stared.

“...?”

His head tilted in confusion, so Sonia went on to explain.

“This situation—it is similar to The Summer Story of Seven Men and Seven Women, wouldn’t you say?! The standard practice, then, is to start wavering and swapping partners!”

“The...J-drama?” he asked, no less confused but Sonia was more incited regardless.

“No just the J-drama, the legendary J-drama! The original trendsetter! Starting with an upbeat tone... Before shifting to surprisingly serious!” she swooned. “I couldn’t believe my eyes, and yet I couldn’t look away! Momoko’s feelings...! Wow, so intense!”

“Uh-huh...” Matsuda’s eyes rolled back. “Well... I’m not sleeping with anyone on this stupid fucking island, so it’s not going to be that similar. That, and there are more guys here than girls to begin with...”

“That is true!” Sonia gasped. “Someone will have to be unlucky! I wonder... Who it will be...?”

Didn’t I just say I wasn’t going to...? Not to mention some of the guys flat-out wouldn’t be interested. Although I don’t think that’ll keep someone from being unlucky, huh...

It looked like he wouldn’t get in another word in edgewise.

This still isn’t going to fix the declining birthrate.

At least Sonia seemed to be having a hella time theorizing. Matsuda just let her...do that.

“I managed to find a couple of books on Novoselic,” he said, setting the stack of books on the table before a sparkly-eyed Sonia. “Since we don’t have the internet, this was the best I could scrounge up and even then I don’t know if they’re all that accurate.”

“Oh, Matsuda-san, I would have told you anything you needed to know!” She does take one of the books. “That said, I recognize this author. You can trust them! Oh, but this one...” She takes another, frowning. “If I recall... No. You should not trust this one at all. In fact, I would burn every copy of this book.”

“I could kind of tell from the tone,” Matsuda hummed, setting it apart and pushing it far away. Sonia’s frown was still a deep mar on her face. “So, these books are accurate?”

“As I have said, Matsuda-san, I do not mind telling you about my country,” she said, smiling again. “Or! Is this courting? I’m afraid I will have to sadly decline, much as this feels like something out of a J-drama...”

She says while looking disappointed in herself...

“It’s more that I thought you should know what other people are writing about your country,” he said. He paused. “Ah, I guess that was pretty presumptuous of me.”

“Not at all!” Sonia shook her head. “Awareness and control of the media are essential! Not to mention you have informed me of quite the pressed issue! I will have to take care of it when I return...is what a responsible, attentive ruler would say.” She sighed. “Sadly, I will have to inform others and hope for the best.”

She has said in the past that she’s more of a figurehead than a leader.

“That’s a part of being young,” he remarked. “Don’t let it get you down too much. Just prepare for the future to the best of your ability.”

Sonia does giggle at that.

“Matsuda-san... Sometimes, you remind me of the male lead in a J-drama.”

“No comment.”

She laughs again. “In my humblest opinion, the best J-dramas are the ones aimed at women between the ages of 20 to 34. Just before Japan’s economic bubble burst! You would not believe how many times I have seen I Will Arrest Your Eyes! Why, when I first arrived in Japan, the first thing I did was run across the Spain-zaka!”

As fascinating as that all is, what gets my attention is...

“Hold it. Were you calling me mature or were you suggesting that I speak like an old man?”

“You certainly do have a worldly weariness to you, Matsuda-san,” Sonia went on to sigh. “Broody and broken down by life... While it would be attractive on the screen, it is worrisome and exhausting in person.” She perked right back up. “But have no fear! For a fairly dreamy maniac will someday come into your life! And the two of you can partake in the ritual entrapped within the blizzard!”

“I hate the cold,” is Matsuda’s only reply to whatever the fuck all of that was.

“Then when will you cuddle under a blanket in the nude?!” Sonia gasped, aghast. “Will you do so at a different temperature?! Is the blizzard not necessary after all?!”

“First off, you’re referring to a cliché rather than a ritual,” Matsuda said, waving his hand. “Shouldn’t the fact that it was happening during a damn blizzard tipped you off? Not every couple is going to go to the fucking mountains.”

“So...” Sonia quieted. “It is not like the Makango?”

The Makango? Matsuda remembered. Ah, the Makango.

“We don’t have anything like that as far as I’m aware,” he said. “Mind you, I’m...not aware of much...”

Thinking about this gives me a headache. Actually, it really, really fucking hurts right now.

“I see...” Sonia pursed her lips. “So peculiar. Oh!” She blinked, realizing. “Matsuda-san, you look pale.”

“Sorry,” he mumbles, rubbing his forehead with a wince. “I think... I’m gonna check out.”

“You should check out what’s wrong with you!” she exclaimed. “Do better for yourself, Matsuda-san!”

“...right.”

On that note, there wasn’t anything else to do but stumble out.

It’s another calm day at the library. Sonia, however, snaps up immediately when Matsuda walks inside. It’s scary how alert the princess is, but that was probably a good thing considering her situation. Matsuda sighed, waving and taking in how she lit up and eagerly saluted him.

He also takes notice of the book that Sonia had been reading. The cover—looks quite gruesome.

“How are you feeling?” Sonia asked kindly. “You are not in pain, yes? Matsuda-san?”

“I’m doing fine,” he said, stretching as he makes his way over. “I’ve been dealing with headache after headache since I got here, so I’ve gotten used to them.”

“I see,” Sonia murmured, downcast and sympathetic. “I will trust you to your own mechanics.”

“Devices,” Matsuda corrected without thinking as he seated himself. “Anyway, I’ll be reading. Don’t mind me.”

He does pull out a manga he brought with him—the library was just a better environment for reading than the cafeteria hence him making the trip. He cracks it open, but he doesn’t get very long to enjoy it. He gets maybe five minutes before there’s a nudge at his side.

He ignores it, but Sonia elbows him with enough force that he nearly yelps. With a now throbbing side, his gaze drops to see a folded-up piece of paper tucked between Sonia’s delicate fingers. Her nails are perfectly manicured yet polished to give off the illusion of natural beauty.

Hm.

He takes the paper, unfolding it and—

What do you know about the occult?

Sonia is feigning innocence. She’s scarily good at it. If not for the flicker of her intense stare to his, he wouldn’t have suspected a thing. That...and his side still...stings. Seriously the princess had a bony fucking elbow.

“Princess. What the hell is this?”

“Shush!” she ordered and he dutifully shut his mouth without a second thought. Sonia looked around discretely, lowering her voice as she leaned in to whisper into his ear. “Any information you have on cults would also be appreciated, Matsuda-san.”

No, seriously, what the fuck?

He does try to make sense of it. If Sonia felt the need to convey these questions inconspicuously, then, maybe—?

He takes out a pen and writes down his response. He hands it under the table for Sonia to read.

Do you think our kidnappers are part of a cult?

“Oh!” Sonia gasped. “I never thought of that! What a fascinating theory!”

Guuuuuuess not.

“If it just interests you, you don’t have to be so fucking secretive,” he griped. “Just ask me outright like a normal fucking person.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she apologized quickly. “I truly didn’t think the way I was conducting myself was...regal. They pass notes like so in the dramas. Is that not normal behavior, Matsuda-san?”

Oh.

“I...no, actually...” Matsuda shrugged helplessly. “I...guess that is in fact a way high schoolers communicate sometimes...”

I haven’t gone to a normal high school...or a normal middle school for that matter.

“It is quite—unheard of if not prohibited for a princess to have such interests,” Sonia sighed. “But even if it is forbidden, my heart still longs for more when it comes to the subject of Freemasonry! Oh, but it’s purely academic!” She looks quite serious as she insists, “I could never dream of conspiring against the government.”

“A lot of people do find that stuff interesting,” Matsuda said. Sonia lit up only to deflate when he added, “I don’t think it’s that deep.”

“No?” Her head tilted. “You think it...kiddy?”

“In a way,” he admitted. “Cultism comes about through societal failings and instability. Political turmoil, lack of education, paranoia, peer pressure... People long for a sense of community by nature and they’re drawn to a charismatic figure who knows how to prey on the insecure and vulnerable. People just want someone else to tell them what to do, what to think, like fucking children and obviously, obviously, they get taken advantage of by the worst fucking types...”

Sonia’s eyes were wide.

“Oh! Matsuda-san, have you been in a cult before?!”

Matsuda immediately jolted. For some reason, he broke into a sweat. For another, his head hurt so much that he wanted to shut down then and there.

“...Matsuda-san?”

He needed to grip his hand and will them to stop shaking.

“...I... No.” He shook his head firmly, digging his nails into his arm, would’ve raked them through the flesh if not for the sleeve of his coat. “It’s, uh, just something I read one time.”

“You are looking quite pale,” Sonia remarked worriedly. “I apologize, Matsuda-san. I—think we should drop the subject for now. I do not wish to cause you untoward pain any longer.”

She draws back from him as if he’s too fragile to be near. It’s seriously annoying, especially when not only does Sonia look stricken with guilt, she also looks lonely.

“I...” He swallowed. “While I don’t think much of it, I do think it’s important to understand. It isn’t productive to just...dismiss it wholesale.”

Sonia does perk up.

“I agree,” she says, albeit tentative as she does. “To dismiss a different sense of values due to ignorance is foolish. Such ignorance leads to bloodshed. And—it is important for a member of the royal to expand one’s knowledge.”

He nods.

“I just...” He wants to bite his tongue clean off. “I guess it’s a sore subject for me...”

But w̴̟̹̠͐̿̋ḧ̶̟́y̷̘͓͛?

“I understand.” Sonia nodded back. “I apologize.”

“It’s fine,” he said. “Just...do what you can to guide your people right.”

With that, he gets up.

“Sorry,” he said, acting on autopilot now. “I need to go.”

He doesn’t look back.

“Oh, Matsuda-san!”

As usual, Sonia looked delighted to see him.

“What a pleasant surprise!” she exclaimed, every word dripping with sincerity. “Come, come! Sit with me! There is much I wish to discuss with you!”

“Yeah?” The closer he comes, the more she can see her stack of books. Quite a few of them have been shoved away, but the other titles—there actually seemed to be a couple of romance novels and recognizable manga. “What about...?”

Those are titles that have been adapted into TV dramas.

“The friendship between men and women as depicted in Turn On The Heart,” she explained. “If you do not know that title, then will a different J-drama suffice? Perhaps one of these?”

She offers one of the manga. Her intentions are clear, and he truly appreciates the gesture—but he’s read that title. It was one of the worst fucking things he ever skipped through. The love interest in it was just scary. And he was a spoiled rich brat. Urgh.

But the princess really isn’t that bad. She’s really trying to get along with me. Not a lot of people have done that unless they wanted in my pants or something.

He’s not so fucking full of himself that he’d assumed a goddamn princess would be interested. That, and he’s conscientious of that shit to begin with. Sonia was just friendly, not flirty.

“I do mostly read manga,” he said. “I guess I could recommend a title or two that’s been adapted?”

I haven’t watched a lot of dramas actually. I’ve had them going on in the background, but that’s...

His sharp eyes do notice the titles that Sonia had pushed away. They were various studies on cults throughout history. And an anthology on ghost stories.

“Matsuda-san.” When Sonia spoke, her tone was low. She stood up and bowed, making him jump. “I wish to sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart! If I could, I’d throw myself at your feet! Alas, it’s improper for a princess...! I’m so fucking sorry!”

“Wow.” He didn’t even know how to respond. “If this is about what happened last time, it’s fine. It’s water under the bridge. I...”

I actually—don’t remember what happened. I ended up taking a lot more pills than I should’ve.

“Still!” Sonia exclaimed, shaking her head. “I asked you a very inappropriate question! It was quite uncouth! Thus—I wish to make out with you for it!”

“You don’t have to do that,” he said, meaning it figuratively and literally. “It’s fine.”

“Are you sure?!” Sonia’s frown deepened. “I... Despite my status, here I would like to be equals, Matsuda-san. Is that not possible?”

Equals, huh.

“When I came to Japan, I thought I could be considered a normal girl,” she said, and it sounded like a confession. “Perhaps...that had been...immature of me.”

It is immature, Matsuda agreed with as he bit his tongue. It’s beyond fucking immature. Even if you learn the language and go along with trends, you live in a fucking castle, Sonia. That’s not normal at all. Normal people are one bad fucking month away from losing everything they care about. It’ll take more than a damn month for a monarchy to topple. Especially one that’s absolute.

“If you insist so much, can I ask you a question?” He studied the way she perked up. How annoyingly eager she was to hear it. And how he—“It’s not going to be a pleasant one.”

“As long as it is about my personal inclinations or government secrets, I am willing to speak about it,” she told him, smiling sweetly.

She really was so painfully sweet sometimes.

Ä̷̮̖͇́̅̅͝ ̷̬̎̽c̴̨̛̥̳̙̔̈̊ͅo̵͕̤͠ṃ̵̻̒ͅp̸̭͕̽͝l̸͍͈͎̀è̶̛̝̫̒͗͝t̸̗͒̂̐e̴̛̳͔̾͐ ̵̧̼̐ô̸̞͇̖͋̽̀́ͅp̵͉̘͗̅̍͝p̴̖̙͑̊̒̆o̸̧͙̹̘̠͂s̴͈̀̕ị̶͇̅͛͝t̶͉͊e̴̲͈̩̫͠ ̴͔̺͔̙͗́̓̓̋f̶̺͂̚͘r̴̛̘̾͝o̶͍̭̯̖͐̐̓͛m̶��̳̋—̷̱̘̩͙͓̇͒̏̋̉

“This isn’t your first time being kidnapped.”

It hadn’t been a question, despite himself. But a statement. A statement that drained all that sweetness from Sonia’s face, leaving behind calm stoicism. She looks so at ease and unshakeable that Matsuda could draw several conclusions if he wanted to.

But it seems tacky to make assumptions about what were traumatic experiences, regardless of those involved.

“I’ve read up on your country and there were reports of the royal family being abducted by insurgents,” he said, keeping his voice level. “It hadn’t mentioned those affected by name...but you were among them, weren’t you?”

“Yes,” Sonia spoke as if she were untouchable. “I was.”

“No wonder you’re so damn calm about all this,” Matsuda went to remark. “It’s not your first time. And...quite fucking frankly, this is literally the Bahamas of hostage situations.”

“Haha, I do not think we are in the Bahamas, Matsuda-san,” she replied, casual—but still with that flaring distance. “I believe we are in the middle of the Pacific, rather.”

...hah.

“That’s not important,” he snapped. “What was important was... Clearing the air, so to speak.”

“I see.” Sonia agreed with him like he’d kill her if she didn’t. “Then, have I been to your satisfaction, Matsuda-san?”

Matsuda stared at her. He reached out, and she didn’t even flinch. Not even when he snapped his fingers in front of her. Impressive, honestly.

She’s completely shut down.

“Do you want to talk about dramas? I kind of enjoyed Hana-Kimi.”

Sonia blinked, and it was like nothing happened at all. Especially with how she went back to smiling as she always did, dazzlingly open and amicable.

“I haven’t heard of it! Please tell me all about it!”

“If I remember correctly there were like, four adaptations, the first Taiwanese and the most recent a K-drama, actually, so...”

The two of them chat lightly like this for a while. Like a normal pair of high schoolers.

“Greetings, Matsuda-san! I have read the illustrious Hana-Kimi! And! I enjoyed it!”

“Good to hear...”

“There is much I wish to discuss about it!” Sonia exclaimed, but there was something strange. Her smile was so wide it looked strained. She was wearing more makeup than usual, especially on her cheeks and around the eyes. “I would also like to hear more recommendations, so...”

“Rough night?” Matsuda asked, and Sonia shut her mouth.

For a second, Sonia looked lost before she gave a weak laugh.

“Ahaha, I should’ve known that Matsuda-san would not be fooled. You’re quite sharp, after all. It’s one of the reasons I admire you.”

“Did you want me to pretend nothing was wrong?” Matsuda huffed. “I’d rather you not have to force yourself around me. With how shitty my attitude is, I’d be a hypocrite if I expected everyone on their best behavior....especially in this situation.”

“Truth be told, I do not mind it,” Sonia murmured. “In a way... I find it refreshing. Around Matsuda-san, I can just scream at the top of my lungs—Jesus Fucking Christ Bastard Of A Fuckity Fuck Bitch! And you wouldn’t bat a tongue-lash!” She took a deep breath. “That said...if we are to discuss further. I’d prefer we do so in my cottage.”

“Fine by me,” was Matsuda’s immediate response. That was all there was to it.

Without another word, he followed Sonia to her cottage. She led him inside, and the interior was so fancy that he felt like he’d be stoned if he didn’t remove his shoes right away.

Polished floors, elegant rugs, ivory silk sheets, and plush furniture—even a damn chandelier hanging about them... It at least looked like the inside of a high-end hotel suite. Even the way plants were arranged from the ones hanging from the wall to the potted plant in the corner and the vase on the table by a wide-screen television felt so prestigious and artful.

“Would you like a seat?” Sonia asked, indicating a loveseat that definitely costed more than he could get selling his ass on the street for a week. He sits down on it anyway. It’s annoying supple, and he can’t help but relax. Sonia is giggling at him, “I apologize for any messes. I am still getting a handle on cleaning as it were. And the shower.”

The rug had been a little damp under his feet. She must’ve accidentally flooded the floor. He should probably help her wash it so that it didn’t contract mold, but... There were more pressing matters.

Sonia clearly wanted to speak to him, but she was just standing there. Fidgeting and wavering.

“Nightmare?” he guessed. “Homesickness?”

“Both,” Sonia replied, chuckling a little. “As well as—that conversation we had earlier...weighing on my mind...”

Matsuda clicked his tongue but said nothing. Gave Sonia the time to take a deep breath.

“Back then, I was not permitted to show fear for my people’s sakes,” she recounted. “I was, after all, a princess before a person. But here... I do not know what I should do. Must I wait in silence for rescue? Shall I allow myself to scream and cry?” She was fidgeting. No, she was trying to distract herself from how badly her hands were shaking. “Say, Matsuda-san... You are...quite intelligent. And you never—you do not sweet talk. Tell me...what I should do.”

Matsuda stared at her. She kept her head bowed.

“Fuck if I know.” Matsuda sighed loudly. “Like holy shit, why you think I’ll know what to do? That’s illogical as fuck. You’re just being a coward by forcing someone else to make the decisions, princess.”

“I am aware,” she whispered.

“I’m not Togami,” he said. “I’m not going to seize control and tell everyone that it’s going to be fine. I’m...”

...not going to lie about that shit.

“I thought not.” Sonia laughs again. It’s almost an ugly sound. Scratchy and unbalanced, completely unbefitting and yet—perfect in this situation. “Matsuda-san, you may have the signals of a legendary hero... But, in reality, your scowling face is too remarkable.”

...

What the fuck did that even mean?

“The legendary hero of legend,” Sonia reiterated with the utmost seriousness. “The only fault with that—is your face, Matsuda-san! It’s not just remarkable, it’s beautiful!”

What the FUCK is she talking about?

“I would still like to take you with me to my kingdom, once we escape from here,” Sonia went on. “Even if you are not a destined one, you would make for a wonderful advisor and companion. I wish to continue our conversations—and even if it is cowardly, I also wish to look towards you in times of need.”

What the fuck is going on?!

“I...” He’s confused. He’s so hopelessly confused. And yet... And yet... “I heard the medical practice in your country is nothing to sneeze at...so I can’t deny being interested.”

“Splendid! Then—let us continue working together, Matsuda-san!” Sonia clapped her hands. Another dazzling smile, an even more radiant laugh. Just like that, she was back at peak princess. “Ho, ho, hey!”

“Hey, hey, ho...”

Despite that, there’s a lot unsaid. We haven’t really talked, either. We’re just pushing on with forced optimism, filling our heads with empty reassurances and promises in the hope that it’ll be enough to carry us through.

It could very well be. In a situation like this, keeping ahold of one’s morale was pretty fucking prudent. Even if he and Sonia knew shit all about how to lead, they had no choice but to keep stumbling and scrambling. Hoping for the best.

Sometimes... That’s all we really need.

#sdr2 #sonia nevermind #yasuke matsuda #matsuda yasuke #dr0 #Magi fics #Protag Matsun

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thepixelelf · 3 years

Note

Hi there, wanna give it a shot since it looks interesting!

send me a picture of your bias (or anyone you want a drabble about) and I’ll write a blurb based on it

[taste of fate] Doyoung is beyond relieved he had a vision last night of you coming over today. It was only a quick flash -- the image of you pointing at one of his picture frames -- but it was enough to warn him to clean up his room. Imagine if you’d barged in and seen all his laundry in a pile on his bed.

He stands in the doorway of his own room, arms crossed as he watches you marvel at all the stuff on his shelves. “Remind me why we’re in my room again? We could easily do the project at the table.”

You turn to look at him, your hand paused on top of his dresser. “A person’s room says a lot about them,” you explain. “This is me getting to know you.”

Doyoung blinks. He first met you two years ago at some orientation event, when he’d had a vision just a few hours before of something lighting on fire -- whose bright idea was it to hold a candle-light welcome ceremony with drunk university students? You’d looked at him like he was a madman when he put out the small fire with an extinguisher he grabbed along the way, and you’d actually asked him how he reacted so quickly. Of course, he couldn’t tell you he’d seen the future. He’s never told anyone about his strange ability.

Over the past two years, though, he hadn’t spoken to you again until you were paired for a project together. You didn’t bring up the fire incident, so he assumed you forgot about the entire thing -- or maybe just that he was the one who did it.

He clears his throat, not used to the forwardness you’re exuding. “Yeah, well, show’s over. Let’s get to work.”

“Oh, come on, Doyoung.” The way you say his name with a smile makes him feel funny. “Just a few more minutes. You’ve got so much cool stuff; is this a mini projector...?”

Your voice fades away. His vision flashes white.

Everything is warbled and dizzy, but Doyoung can tell he’s still in his room. When he pulls himself together, he sees the future you on the floor, curled up with your eyes closed. Doyoung watches himself scramble to your side. He can hear the panic in his own voice -- in the way he shouts your name. Before the vision disappears, he looks over the digital clock on his beside table. This is only a few seconds from now.

“Where’d you get it? I wish I had something like this.”

Doyoung shakes himself out of his daze. He only has a couple seconds before--

You sway on your feet, and instinctively, he rushes towards you. He puts an arm around your back, his other hand grabbing your elbow to keep you steady. Your eyes flutter closed, and you lean a bit of your weight on him.

“Sorry,” you say, a bit breathless. “I get dizzy sometimes.”

This isn’t how it’s supposed to happen. You’re supposed to be on the floor. He’s supposed to come later.

What just happened?

Your eyes blink open, and you meet his gaze with a look of awe. Doyoung can’t react -- you’re too close.

Gasping, you put both hands on his shoulders, slightly pushing him away to get a good look at his face.

“No way...” Your eyes widen. “You’re a fateseer, aren’t you?”

Doyoung’s mouth opens slightly. He’s never heard the word “fateseer” before, but he knows that’s what he is. It has to be.

“How did you--”

“I need your help,” you interrupt.

“What... what kind of help?”

“I need you to look at my fate. It keeps changing.”

#nct scenarios #nct imagines #doyoung imagines #doyoung scenaris #doyoung x reader #nct 127 scenarios #nct 127 imagines #nct x reader #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines

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dragonologist-in-the-making · 4 years

Text

More than a disease

Pairing: Remus x reader

Request: Hi! So i had this idea with remus x reader where they're learning about werewolves and some kids make rude comment about them being monster and she gets really heated up saying that it's not like people choose to become a werewolf cause they've got nothing better to do, they're turned against their will and you can't judge people for things they can't control? And remus goes up to her after the class and they start spending time together and develop feelings and remus feels nice knowing that when he is ready to tell her about himself she will take it well?sorry it's so long also change whatever you want you're the writer

A/N: I don’t know if anyone who’s reading this watches Supercarlinbrothers on youtube but they have this theory that once Dumbledore became the headmaster if they couldn’t find a DADA teacher for a year he would fill in (because let’s be real, how many people do you think are applying for a job which they know will only last a year. For 50 years? He’s going to have to fill in sometimes), so I’ve rolled with that here.

Wordcount: 1.5k

Warnings: I don’t think there are any, just some fluff here!

Remus couldn’t help but watch the (y/h/c) girl as she walked to her desk, chatting animatedly to her friend about something he couldn’t hear, but wished he could. Anything she could talk about with that much passion had to be worth listening to, even if it was something as mundane as cauldron sizes. He’d been trying to work up the courage to ask her out for a while now, they shared a few classes together and always had the most interesting conversations, talking about anything which was on their minds. There was just one thing stopping him, and that was his monthly transformation.

“It’s page 394 in your textbooks today.” Dumbledore smiled as he walked through the classroom. This would have been about the only thing which could have broken Remus’ thoughts. 394. He knew that page, he had memorised that number, hoping the day would never come. Today was the day the class learned about werewolves, and he was hoping to god that nobody would make the connection to him. He quickly flipped open his book, pretending to study the page with fascination, although of course none of the information was new to him, or to his three best friends, who were currently all trying to do the same as him.

The lesson was going as smoothly as Remus could imagine it being, the class silently taking down notes from the textbook and from what Dumbledore was saying, as he described the signs of spotting a werewolf and more. The lesson went smoothly, until near the end.

“As of yet, there is no potion or remedy to the symptoms of lycanthropy, to help the human turned wolf retain some of their own mind during the transformation. Because of this, there is a strong prejudice against werewolves in the wizarding world, which I encourage you all to consider yourselves, and decide whether this is fair.” Remus winced slightly at Dumbledore’s words, he appreciated them and the kind sentiment they contained, but he knew how easily they could trigger a conflict in the class. And just as he predicted, this was exactly what happened.

“Yeah, we should just let these dangerous monsters walk among us.” Severus Snape spoke up from the other side of the classroom, a smile on his face. Remus threw a warning glance to his friends, begging them not to do anything and draw attention to him, that was the last thing he needed. It seemed his friends weren’t the people he needed to worry about arguing against Snape, as a voice he would recognise anywhere piped up hotly.

“Hey, do you think they chose this life?” She shot back at him, rising from her seat with her hands balled into fists. “Do you think they volunteered to never be able to find a job, to have everyone not even give them a chance? To not be trusted? This is a horrible thing they’ve had to go through, a tragedy thrust upon them without permission.” Her voice was rising with every sentence, and all heads were turned to her, mostly in shock. Sure, she wasn’t the type to sit silently in the back of the class but this was definitely out of the ordinary. “It’s people like you, people who just write them off as if they’re nothing more than a disease, you’re the problem. I would rather spend my life with a whole pack of werewolves than one second in your company.” You spat, chest rising rapidly with your heavy breathing from the agitated state you had worked yourself into.

Remus couldn’t help the hope that flooded into his chest as he took her words in. She understood him, she didn’t think that he was a monster. If she ever knew, she would see past his disease to the person that he was. He desperately tried to fight the smile which was edging onto his face, but failed miserably, tilting his head down to try and hide it, but a newfound confidence surging through him.

“Thank you, Miss (y/l/n).” Dumbledore spoke calmly, gesturing for you to take your seat. You did so, blushing a little but still with a determined glint in your eyes. “And it seems we’ve arrived at the end of the lesson.” He was quick to assign you homework before everyone gathered their belongings and started to leave the classroom. Remus told the boys to go ahead and that he would meet them there, as he hovered outside the classroom waiting for her to exit. She did so a couple of minutes later, a guilty smile on her face as she spotted him.

“Detention.” She shrugged lightly as they started to walk to lunch together. “Couldn’t have expected less, really, I did start shouting in a classroom. I think he agreed with me though, because it’s a detention with Hagrid, which means it can’t be anything too harsh and he probably is just doing it to try and show he has no bias, which is completely fair. Besides, I would spend all night doing manual labour for Filch if I had to, some things are more important, you know? I’m glad I said that, I think it needed to be said. Don’t you agree?” She finished her monologue looking up at the boy, hopeful expression on her face as she asked him the question.

“Go on a date with me.” He blurted out, unable to stop himself from asking after she literally stood unbeknownst next to a werewolf and went on a tirade about how any punishment was worth her defending them. Her eyes widened slightly, but so did her smile.

“I would love to, Remus.” She replied, hesitantly leaning up on her tiptoes and pressing a delicate kiss to his cheek, giggling at the goofy smile this left on his face.

Since that moment, the months had flown by, filled with many dates between them as autumn turned into winter and the pair had grown inseparable. Although it was extremely irritating when they tried to steal her away to spend time with them instead, Remus was incredibly glad that his friends got along with her, too, and even in the time they had spent apart over Christmas, an owl arrived at his window every day with a new letter from her. Now, January was drawing to a close, and he knew that he was ready to tell her his secret.

They had borrowed James’ invisibility cloak, to sneak out to the grounds and find a secluded spot where they wouldn’t be found, to just lie and look at the stars. She was currently pointing out different constellations to him, and although he already knew them he felt like he was learning all over again listening to the information coming from your mouth. “And that’s the star that Sirius is named after.” She said, pointing to a star slightly to their left, which shone brighter than the rest. They were silent for a few minutes, laying comfortably in each other’s company before she spoke up again. “What do you want to do when we leave here?” She asked, a question that seemed to come out of nowhere. He turned his head towards her, propping himself up on his elbow to be able to see her face better.

“Why do you ask?

“I don’t know, I think we’ve just been asked to think about our futures a lot, lately, haven’t we? Being in our last few years here.” She spoke, the stars shining in the reflection of her eyes. “I think I want to work for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.” She mused, and Remus felt his heart flutter slightly, that same care that had encouraged him to ask her out all those months ago showing itself as it so often did. “I think that’s where I can help people the most. What about you? Any ideas?”

“I… don’t think I have much of a career to plan.” Remus admitted, taking a breath and knowing this was the time to tell her. As she predictably asked why, he spoke into the cool night air. “I’m a werewolf, (y/n). I know you know how hard it is for us to find any job, let alone a full career.” He barely even had time to worry about her reaction before she had quelled it, a bright smile lighting her face.

“I wish other people could see past this disease, Rem, because you’re so much more than that.” She reassured him, scooting closer to him and resting her face in his neck, pressing a soft kiss to his collarbone. “You’re much too smart to be overlooked because of a choice you were never given.” He could hear her sighing faintly, wishing that she could change everything, to give him the life that he deserved, to make people see him for who he was, not what he turned into. “Well, I guess this just means that I’m going to have to do really well in my job, to help the boy I love.” Their laughs mixed together in the darkness around them. Together, she would help him through the tough times, the rejections, and she would always fight her hardest to help him and others like him. But more importantly than that, he knew that she would always love him, and would see him as more than his condition.

#request #harry potter #harry potter fic #marauders #marauders era #remus lupin #remus lupin x reader #young remus lupin #moony #remus x reader #young remus lupin x reader #young remus x reader #reader insert

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