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#big art day for me today but this is the biggest thing to come out of it by far. sleepyhida :)

zeenimf · 2 months

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Phei of the Wind | Draft 3 Complete

Hiya all~ It's been a while, but today I've finished the third draft of my fantasy novel Phei of the Wind. As many of you know I've been working on this novel for more than twelve years now, and this is the most definitive version I've ever made. It's still going to be revised and worked upon, of course, but most story beats have now been completed. It's composed of 29 chapters with a hefty 109000 words. I'm writing my thesis this semester, and I realised that I was so close to finishing that I couldn't think about anything else. So I went burn-out mode and wrote some 20000 words these two weeks, and now while I'm sitting in my eco-literature class (which is very interesting but my brain is too obsessed to stop writing), I've typed up the last few words.

So for those who have somehow missed me talking about this, it's a story about Phei, a halfling-harpy who lives in a world above the clouds. She is a priestess of sorts, and she notices that the world is slowly growing pale and empty. When she learns of a possible cause she runs away to the world below the clouds, the world where her people exiled themselves from. There she travels across the lands, figuring out not just what's happening to the world, but what happened to her people as well while meeting a cast of eccentric characters.

As in regards to the third draft, the biggest change is the endpoint. The previous draft ended at a point that made sense for a single novel, but would require another novel to tell the whole story. This new draft doesn't stop there. I shuffled around a lot of things and added some 40k words after that point. I wanted Phei's story to be composed of one big book. It doesn't mean that don't want to tell other stories in this world, but Phei's story is done when this book is done.

So what's next? I'm going to go through the entire book once, since I have a pile of notes that I thought of when writing this draft. And then I want to send the book out to a handful of beta readers. I'll send a post out for that tonight or tomorrow, so keep your eyes peeled if you're interested in that!

And lastly I'd like to thank you all for your nice comments and support! Every time someone commented something nice about the story it kept me going, so I think it may have taken a lot longer without all of you. <3

I'll leave you with a snippet (picking something that has no spoilers was haaaard), and hope you will all have a wonderful day!

The wind causes Phei to lose her grip on time. Hours blow past as Phei glides, effortless. She knows of birds being able to sleep in the sky, and wonders if her people used to glide in their sleep too. Her dream quickly fades when she dashes to the right again, a sliver of upwards current catching her attention. Agile, yet absent-minded, she crosses past the forests until she can see the sands of Iekin edge towards the mountains, there where the narrow peaks and pillars of Sunde come into view. Without the stormy clouds Phei is able to take in the mountain in its entirety. It is a lonely mountain, imprisoned by the hundreds of spikes surrounding it. The evening sun shines over it, making the golden chains draping down all around the mountain glitter in sinful light. Glistering like that, Phei imagines the mountain as almost peaceful. It shows no sign of the great horrors that have been committed at its feet. It is like a passive observer, nothing more, nothing less.

Taglist, let me know if you want to be added / removed!

#gust #writelbr #fantasy #wip #spilled ink

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prettyboybillyhargrove · 1 year

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Dacre Montgomery is ready to work

There’s a famous audition tape of Dacre Montgomery’s online. Maybe you’ve seen it; some 18 million people have. And it’s captivating to watch, not just because of Montgomery’s intensity, but because of the clear control that he has at such a young age. That steady ferocity cuts right through the screen, even though he’s just ‘running lines’ against a plain blue backdrop. It also cut through the sea of other actors gunning for a role in Stranger Things and made him Billy Hargrove, the resident bad guy on the sci-fi drama that broke Netflix viewership records on its way to becoming one of the biggest shows in TV history.

It’s been almost six years since that audition made Montgomery a global star, but the man sitting in front of me has lost none of that vigour. Reclining in a side room at a studio in Sydney before the photoshoot accompanying this article, the now 28-year-old looks casual. He’s wearing a plain black T-shirt, white shorts and one of those non-descript navy caps movie stars wear when they want to be incognito. The outfit is a simple one, designed to avoid attention—a far cry from the red carpet fashion that Montgomery favours. But as he starts talking about the thing he loves most—movies and the process of making them—that same intensity takes over; a passion that has him on the edge of his seat.

“When I was in my early teens, all I did was stay in my room and watch movies. And I fell in love with everything,” he says. The reverence, the obsession, is what drives Montgomery, and not just when it comes to acting. On set for today’s shoot, Montgomery—who was recently named the face of Politix’s new autumn/winter “The Gentle Man” campaign—is completely locked in. Unlike some who see an ambassador role as an opportunity to make a quick buck, Montgomery has signed on because he’s excited about the brand’s refreshed look and new chapter. “I don't just rock up on time. I rock up 10 minutes early,” he told me, “I don't just give one idea, I give 10 ideas because I don't engage with anything unless I'm authentically interested in it.”

He’s not kidding. After each burst of shots, he pores over them like he’s the creative director, rather than the subject—not out of vanity, but to see if the images are challenging enough. At one point, he grabs a mirror from the corner of the room. “Let’s just try it”, he tells the crew, and proceeds to work it straight into the shoot.

This dedication to perfection hasn’t always been easy for him or the people around him. After Stranger Things, the search for the next perfect role was almost paralysing. “Before I felt like, ‘look, I'm not going to take anything unless I'm 150 per cent invested’,” he says, and eventually, that attitude led to Montgomery parting ways with his team—his management, agents, everyone.

During that period, which he describes as a creative hole, Montgomery tried anything and everything. He wrote poetry (which was released as a book by publisher Andrews McMeel under the title DKMH and turned into a spoken word podcast of the same name), made short films, and dedicated himself to learning the arts of cinematography and screenwriting—at some points, he was watching three films a day, “morning, noon, night”, just like he did as a teenager.

Part of the fear that drove him into that lull was the looming presence of being typecast. When there are roles being offered to you left, right and centre, which one is the ‘perfect’ next step to take? This year, he has started climbing out of that hole, engaging more filmmakers as well as taking on roles like the one with Politix. But, there is still a sense of wariness.

For example, as news broke that Hugh Jackman wouldn’t be returning as Wolverine—a decision that he has since reversed—rumours swirled that Montgomery might step into the role. But for him, it’s about the filmmakers rather than any big-name character. “It’s just finding filmmakers that I'm really interested in working with and going from there as opposed to it being like, ‘oh, I've always wantedto play Wolverine or Bane’,” he says, “but also, I’m feeling a little bit of Marvel fatigue. I’m not really interested in it in the same way that I was.”

Montgomery isn’t alone in his ‘Marvel fatigue’, plenty of moviegoers aren’t as interested as they once were—just look at the recent box office figures—but it’s another example of how he’s a film fan first, and an actor second. He can thank his parents for that.

“My dad started taking me to films that I shouldn't have been seeing when I was a kid,” Montgomery says, “but he worked in the film industry and he would explain to me the process of everything.” From the very beginning, he was exposed to not just the definitive films of the time, but also how they were made. His mother and father would take him to the sets they were working on and show him the ins and outs. “It was like, ‘here’s the unadulterated version of the world and the industry and here are all the ins and the outs of how movies are made.”

For some actors, fame, as much as the films that inspire them, is a driver. And it’s only if they reach a level of success that they really see how the sausage is made—which is not always pretty, especially if they aren’t backed by a huge studio. Thanks to his parents, Montgomery is a rare actor who has always known about the gritty reality of making low-budget films—the long days, the repetition, the egos—but that’s what he fell in love with. “I'm not here for money or notoriety or anything like that,” he says, “I really care about the work and that's what I'm there for.”

But it’s that moment when he actually steps in front of the camera and it’s time to perform that has always had Montgomery hooked. “When you’re on set, I don't try to take up too much space and I wait until it’s my time to go in front of the camera and do my little thing. But when I do that… It's ecstasy. There’s nothing but that moment, do you know what I mean?”

Though it’s been a few years since Montgomery has had those moments and shared them with the world—Elvis, in which he was a scene-stealer, was largely filmed in 2020—he’s getting back to work. “I am climbing out of that [hole] and what that looks like is me engaging with more filmmakers,” he says. Of the three filmmakers he has agreed to work with—at least publicly—one thing is clear: they aren’t interested in making simple, sugar-coated work.

The first film we are likely to see in Montgomery’s next chapter is Spider & Jesse, directed by Dan Kay, which dives into the far-reaching consequences of addiction. “It’s about two girls that find their mother dead in the first scene and they bury her in the backyard so they don't have to go into the foster care system,” Montgomery explains, “I play the mum’s ex-boyfriend that was dealing her the drugs.”

It’s an unglamorous role with limited screen time, but that didn’t bother Montgomery because it was clear the film, and the people behind it, had something vital to say. “I realised they were on a mission to give insight into the people that are affected by addiction—family, friends, and people they're associated with rather than shedding light on the addicts themselves.”

Filming on Spider & Jesse, which took place in Florida, has already wrapped, but Montgomery’s other two projects are yet to begin production. Both are ambitious, and both defy simple explanation. The first, titled Went Up That Hill, comes from Samuel Van Grinsven, a New Zealand-born, Sydney-based director who became a festival circuit favourite with his feature debut Sequin in a Blue Room.

In essence, Montgomery says the film is an assessment of abuse and how trauma lingers from our childhoods. Beyond the message of the film though, it’s the challenging acting work—he’s heading to Berlin to work with co-star Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread, Old), Van Grinsven and a movement coach to prepare for the complex role—that has attracted him.

The same goes for Faces of Death, the other project Montgomery has been linked to, which is a remake of a 1978 American mondo horror film notoriously banned for years in countries across the world, including Australia, due to its graphic depictions of death. “I have a really interesting co-star [Euphoria’s Barbie Ferreira] who I love, and the character is a serial killer, and for me, it was like, ‘what’s the thing that’s going to scare me so much about creating this character?’” he says of the film, “So I rang the director and I was like, ‘I want to go visit a serial killer in a state penitentiary in the state of California when I'm back because it scares the shit out of me’.”

After these films wrap up, Montgomery plans to start his journey into directing. “I want to direct my first movie and right now I'm in the process of working on the script with my writer and then I'm going to go on the process of trying to put the movie together,” he says, and he won’t give much more than that away, but if there’s anything we’d wager on, it’s that the movie will be challenging—both to make and in concept.

If these types of films don’t sound like they’ll be box office smashes or Oscar bait, Montgomery isn’t worried. “To me, the success of the movie is in the making of the movie,” he says. “And the outcome of the movie looks like a cathartic experience making [it], as opposed to some other thing like, ‘Oh, I want to get into this film festival and I want the film to have a 4.0 on Letterboxd.’ That's not what I'm doing it for.”

The same attitude goes for his partnership with Politix. Beyond filmmaking, Montgomery is passionate about the way that fashion allows him to control his direct experience. “I suffer from incredibly bad OCD,” he shares, “And I have always found comfort in controlling my surroundings, and that is fabric. My mood is very affected by what I have on my skin and what I have in my space and what I can smell and all that sort of stuff bleeds into my personal life aside from fashion.”

As with his project selection in cinema, the aesthetics are one thing, but for Montgomery to come on board he has to believe in the direction of the project.

“I'm interested in [Politix’s] reworking of the company and what they’re doing to reshape it for 2023 and onwards. But what I was genuinely interested in is that sensitivity of masculinity because that really is me. I am a very sensitive person. I'm very sensitive to my space and to interactions in my life. And I think this whole campaign is really about unpacking what is that.”

Once Montgomery signed on with Politix to become its new face, as with his films, he was all in. From the campaign direction to the execution of the advertising, Montgomery has been instrumental. He’s not just arriving, taking some photos and leaving—as with the photoshoot accompanying this shoot, he’s trying to make it the best he can.

“I want the product to be good, just as good as they want the product to be and not hopefully from a narcissistic point of view, from a point of view of I want it to be good,” he says, “That's more important to me than the paycheck or how many people see it or how successful the campaign is. That's the through line for me.”

It’s this sheer dedication to craft and passion for the work that has seen Montgomery through to where he is today. It’s what made that Stranger Things audition tape so arresting and, if he pulls off his big swings, may just make him one of the most memorable actors Australia has produced. Whether those ambitious punches land or not, there’s no doubt about one thing: Montgomery is ready to do the work.

PRODUCTION CREDITS:

Words by Charlie Calver

Photography by Jesse Lizotte

Styling by Miguel Urbina Tan

Fashion assisting by Isabella Mamas

Grooming by Joel Foreman

Production by Jade Carp

Dacre Montgomery wears Politix throughout; politix.com.au

#dacre montgomery #billy hargrove #stranger things #gq #gq australia #politix #spider & jesse #went up that hill #faces of death

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oddinary4bts · 1 year

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The Forgotten Spaces | ch 5 (jjk)

☆summary: you've been dancing on the same dance crew since your teenage years, and you finally have an important role in it. It feels like life is taunting you when your rival comes back after disappearing for a year, ready to tease you every chance he gets. Will the teasing turn into more, or are you going to take him down with you?

☆pairing: photographer and dancer!Jungkook x dancer!female reader

☆rating: 18+ (minors DNI)

☆genre: slow (SLOW) burn enemies to lovers, college!au, slice of life!au, angst (oop), smut and fluff

☆warnings: a cancer joke about eating a burned marshmallow, mentions about Jungkook's injury/scars, alcohol, curses, a hot tub, a game of Truth or Dare; explicit content: hickeys, grinding, fingering, jerking off, big dick!Jungkook, unprotected sex (please don't be stupid), choking; angst

☆word count: 15.7k (oop)

☆series masterpost here

☆a/n: SMUT IS HERE EVERYONE. I hope you enjoy reading this one!! Thank you to @moonleeai for her beta reading on this fic, I won't ever thank you enough, you're the best <3

☆Read What Was Hidden here, the fic that inspired this whole story, written by @daechwitatamic, one of my fav human beings on this app <3 It follows the story of Jo and Taehyung before The Forgotten Spaces

☆☆☆☆☆

For this meeting of our end of the world

It's with you that I want to sing

On the threshold of the memories the dead of today

Them that breathe for us

The forgotten spaces

Je t'écris - Gaston Miron (rough translation by me)

☆☆☆☆☆

Friday, July 6th

It’s a strange thing, how when you’ve been working on something for months, the concretisation of it passes so quickly it’s like it never happened. The auditions were like that: you barely remember yesterday. All you remember is the moment you stepped out of the scene, breath ragged, and Jungkook high-fived the whole crew.

You don’t remember listening to the results. You remember the bubbling excitement as the name of the crew wasn’t said until the very last. But you don’t remember hearing the mention you got. The highest of every crew that auditioned from your state.

Because auditions for nationals are also a competition in and of itself. An innerstate competition, and you still can’t believe you got the highest mention of your level. It’s like a dream, and everything has been moving too slow, or too fast, for you to interpret.

Yesterday was a fever dream indeed. And the whole crew knows that it’s thanks to Jungkook. He refuses every congratulation you’ve all offered him, but it’s him. You wouldn’t have gotten the diamond mention without him.

Diamond… a perfect score. You landed a perfect score on your auditions to nationals.

You will get ripped up to pieces at nationals, won’t you? It makes you anxious, but then again, you’re not sure if it’s because you will have to perform at the top of your art in a few months, or because you’re sitting between Jungkook and Heather on the backseat of Hobi’s car.

Probably the latter.

You’re lucky. You were able to rent a cottage an hour and a half outside of the city, next to a small artificial lake. It was previously rented by another group, but they cancelled a few days ago, which let you have the cottage for the whole weekend.

But you don’t think you’re lucky to be sitting between Jungkook and Heather. Though both of them have been dozing off for a while.

You’ve just been clutching your phone for dear life, because Jungkook’s head lolled to the side until he found your shoulder to be a pillow. It’s not that you mind it. You mostly mind the way Jiho’s been looking at you with the biggest shit-eating grin on her lips. She’s already taken pictures, and you’ve been planning her murder for the last fifteen minutes.

[2:37 pm] Jiho❣️: attached photo [2:37 pm] Jiho❣️: u’re so mad lmao [2:38 pm] You: delete this picture immediately or i’ll end ur miserable life [2:38 pm] Jiho❣️: 😘😘😘😘😘 [2:38 pm] You: 😤😤😤😤😤 [2:38 pm] You: and Scottie deciding not to come???? Even worse [2:38 pm] You: he’s a traitor😩 [2:39 pm] Jiho❣️: u’re just mad bc now u and jk are the only single people attending [2:39 pm] You: last i checked heather and bridget weren’t official official🙄

Jiho snorts on the front passenger seat, and Hobi throws her a curious look. She shakes her head to indicate that it’s nothing, and you watch as she types her reply.

[2:40 pm] Jiho❣️: bitch plz😂 [2:40 pm] You: besides u’re gonna share a room with me🥺

Jiho laughs out loud this time, and you wonder if the glare you bore into her profile has any effect at all. She just glances at you, an eyebrow cocked prettily. You know what that means: no. No she won’t be sleeping with you. You’re going to have to sleep on the couch, because couples get the rooms. Lance made that rule, and even though you were desperate to not let it take effect, everyone but Jungkook was against you.

You’re not usually in agreement with Jungkook. But for that you were, and you hoped the others would take it into account. You’re stupid for thinking that they would.

Jungkook sighs in his sleep, readjusting himself until he’s even closer to you. You gulp, glancing at him with a scared look on your features. You want to push him away, but he looks so peaceful you just let him be.

[2:44 pm] You: why is he sleeping on me tho [2:45 pm] Jiho❣️: i’d sleep on u too [2:45 pm] You: u can if we share a room👉🏼👈🏼 [2:45 pm] Jiho❣️: nice try but no😇

You whine, and Jiho chuckles.

“What’s up with you two?” Hobi asks, and you meet his gaze in the rear view mirror.

Jiho shrugs. “Y/n is just mad that she’s going to sleep on the couch.

“I can let her sleep with you,” Hobi says, ever so the pacifist and kind man that he is.

“Yes!” you burst out.

It gains you a whine from Jungkook and a glare from Heather, before she rests her head back against the window and dozes off again.

“No,” Jiho refuses. “I want my sexy time.”

Hobi burns bright red as you let out, “Ew”.

Jiho winks at you over her shoulder, and then you all fall silent again. The cottage is still at least fifty minutes away, so you steel yourself as Jungkook shifts again. He mumbles in his sleep and you almost let out a startled yelp when his hand moves on your thigh. He’s not holding you, just resting his closed fist on the top of your thigh. But it’s still way too much touching for your comfort, so you push him away.

He frowns but doesn’t wake up, resting his head against the window with a sigh instead. His mouth falls open a little, and you keep a laugh in. He looks stupidly cute like that. It’s a disgusting thought – Jeon Jungkook is anything but cute – but you let it slide for today. Maybe because you can’t bring yourself to care.

You eventually fall asleep, the low music Jiho’s been playing lulling you to sleep. It’s much deserved sleep after all the anxiety of yesterday, and you only wake when the car comes to a full stop, and car doors slam shut.

You wake up with a start, ready to fight whoever made the noises, and you realize you’re alone in the car. With Jungkook, who has a tight-lipped smile on his lips when your gazes meet.

“You drool when you sleep,” he tells you, and you furrow your brow as you wipe your cheek.

Sure enough, you were drooling. It takes you a few seconds to realize he’s got a wet spot on his shoulder, and you reckon you woke up with your head rested against something. Something that suspiciously felt like Jungkook’s shoulders.

“Mmh,” you sleepily let out. “Sorry.”

He smiles. Sweetly. It starts with his eyes, as you’ve realized it usually happens when he smiles genuinely. “It’s all good. You looked peaceful, I didn’t want to wake you up.”

You echo his smile, nodding your head once before stretching your arms. It makes you yawn, which in turn makes him laugh. “What?” you ask.

“You slept like thirty minutes and you’re still tired.”

You glare at him. “I’m always tired.”

“Right.”

It’s a weird conversation, and it’s even weirder that you’re still sitting in the car. So you motion towards the door as you unbuckle your seatbelt, and Jungkook has a light tint on his cheeks as he nods and opens the door before stepping out. He stretches when he’s outside, and you scooch out of the car, imitating him as soon as your feet touch the ground.

“Gosh,” you let out, and he laughs.

“Yeah.”

You glance at him, and then your gaze slides to the landscape surrounding you. To the picturesque cottage that looks even better than what you had pictured, all made of logs. It looks straight out of a fairy tale. It’s cozied up in a little forest, and the wind that picked up earlier today still makes the leaves dance. It’s loud, like the sound of waves at sea, but it’s more constant. It doesn’t recede, and it creates a background soundtrack to the summer afternoon. The sun is still high in the sky, shining bright with not even a single cloud in sight. The air smell of the woods, and bugs fly around aimlessly, or following an aim only they know. The car is parked in the shadows, but you still feel the heat, and you’re glad there’s a breeze.

You take it all in with a bright smile on your lips, and it only grows wider when Jiho and Hobi rush out of the cottage.

“This is heaven,” Jiho declares. “I’m never leaving this place.”

“She says that because she saw the hot tub from the balcony,” Hobi says as he motions over his shoulder to the cottage.

It makes you laugh, and it turns into a giggle as Jiho grabs your hand and pulls you behind her. “While you men unpack the car we’re going to take a walk to the lake.”

“How is that fair?” Jungkook complains, but he’s grinning when you meet his gaze over your shoulder. You offer him an apologetic shrug of your shoulders, and he just chuckles before turning towards the car.

Lance’s car is pulling up the dirt road when you turn on the side of the house. You wave at Chaeyeon and him, but they don’t notice you as Jiho only keeps pulling you behind her.

“Look at this!” she says giddily as you walk to the back of the house. “It’s so pretty.”

It really is. The house is nestled right next to a small lake, with a few trees separating the building and the water. There’s a hot tub on the right, and a small rock path that leads to a quay in the water. You notice a fireplace area, though it’s not a circle of rocks like you had imagined, but an actual metal fireplace with a door that’s currently swinging on its hinges in the wind. Logs are piled beside it, just waiting for someone to ignite a fire.

Jiho’s giddiness is contagious, and you find yourself giggling as she pulls you towards the lake. There’s a small shed down by the lake, and a look through the window shows you two kayaks. It makes you even giddier, and you clap your hands before turning towards the quay.

The quay moves as you step on it. Fortunately, the water is not very deep and the lake is relatively calm even with the wind. You’re able to make it to the end of it without it shaking too much, and Jiho closes her eyes as she tilts her head back. “We should come here every weekend.”

You laugh. “As fun as that sounds like, we can’t skip practice every weekend.”

“We can practice here,” she points out, shrugging.

She’s not wrong, so you just smile and nod before imitating her, taking in the sun. But you feel a little bad for those inside that are setting up the house, so it’s not even a minute later when you say, “We should go help the others”.

Jiho whines, and she opens one eye to look at you. You cock an eyebrow and she rolls her eyes. “Fine.”

You walk back up the little slope until you reach the cottage. When you make it to the front, you see that a third car has arrived: Jin, Valeria, Taehyung, Jo and Bridget are all stretching outside of it. Jo notices you and waves happily.

You think it’s funny that she is here. It’s weird to think that even though she isn’t part of the dance crew, she’s still made her way into the friend group. Like Jin, Valeria and Taehyung, you reckon. Though you barely know Jin and Valeria. But you needed more people to rent this cottage, and considering it was the only one available, you didn’t really have a choice.

You move to their group to greet them, and then you help them unpack the car. You also help Lance, who was the one in charge with food and speakers for music. It takes a moment, but soon enough everything is settled. You’re all already hungry though, so you prepare the first meal of the weekend.

Well, you watch Jungkook, Jin, Valeria and Heather prepare it. You’re on washing dishes duty though, but you’ll only do that after you eat.

It’s fun. Cheerful. A little bubble outside of the seriousness of practice and nationals and auditions that you really can’t remember, can you? The light atmosphere is much needed, and you drink as you eat, and drink some more after washing the dishes. Then you all set out to explore outside, and Lance and Jin have a fire running by the time Jungkook figures out how to get the hot tub working. It’s still hot outside though, so you decide to wait before going into the tub, but Bridget, Heather, Chaeyeon and Jo all move to it. You stay with Jiho and the others by the fire, listening to the cracking of the logs as you talk and talk and talk.

There’s laughter. A lot of it. Laughter that turns more drunk as the evening unfolds, and the sun has set by the time you get up from your spot to go pee inside. The girls have come out of the tub, and they’re taking turns in the shower upstairs, so you head to the downstairs bathroom. You’re on the way out when Jo stops you.

She says your name, offering you a bright smile. “Are you in for some shots before we head outside? I’m taking some with the others.”

Sure enough, Chaeyeon, Bridget and Heather all look at you expectantly, and you don’t hesitate even a second before agreeing. You go outside with Jo and Chaeyeon after, as you all laugh when Bridget and Heather say they’ll take a shower together. You figure it’s better to let them have the house for a time, and you all join the rest of the group by the fire.

They’ve started playing some music and singing over it, and you laugh as Hobi belts a tune as if his life depends on it. Jungkook joins him and your eyes widen a little as you hear his voice.

Jungkook can sing. His voice is melodious, clear and full and round. It’s beautiful, the voice of an angel. You feel struck as you watch him, and he bursts out laughing when Hobi messes up the lyrics next to him.

You’ve stopped walking. And Jungkook meets your gaze, offering you a small smile before returning to the action around him. It strikes you, in a weird kind of way. It makes a weird feeling form in your chest, that same feeling you felt last week when you saved his number in your phone.

It’s not a feeling you like. So you push it aside as you join Jiho in her chair, sitting on her lap and stealing the bottle of soju she’s been drinking from. You need more alcohol in your blood, and soon.

It’s night by the time the group moves again. Some of them decide to go to the lake, but you stay by the fire as Valeria and Jin bring marshmallows out. Heather and Bridget never came out after their shower, and you don’t quite feel like going inside to find them.

Instead, you start roasting marshmallows, and soon enough you’re the elected marshmallow roaster, because you’re the only one who’s managed to not make them catch fire. You make some for everyone, before roasting one for yourself.

Since Jungkook has been the one feeding the fire for the last hour, it also makes it so you’re sitting next to him. The conversation is lively around you, but you’ve noticed he’s silent. He’s just staring at the fire, and it casts a dancing glow on his features.

He notices you looking at him, and his features soften as he turns to look at you. And then he bursts out laughing, and you do too as you notice your marshmallow has caught fire.

“Oops,” you mumble.

“I know I’m pretty but you should focus on the job at hand,” he teases you.

You punch him in the shoulder, before blowing on the fire until it dies. “Still edible if you ask me,” you say as you eye the burned thing on the branch you’ve been using since you started roasting marshmallows.

“Oh, clearly,” he agrees. “If you want to get cancer, that is.”

You glare at him, and he only laughs. “What’s life without a little risk?”

“Boring,” he answers wisely, face falling serious, though he only manages to keep the serious look for a few seconds before he’s breaking into yet another fit of laughter. One you echo before taking a bite of the marshmallow. You hum in delight, and Jungkook says, “What the fuck was that?”

You have the decency to blush. “What?”

“You’re not really the kind of person that moans when they eat good food?”

“I wasn’t moaning,” you let out outrageously.

It gains everybody’s attention around the fire, and Jungkook laughs at you. You shove him in the shoulder again, but he annoyingly barely moves in his chair.

“Who’s moaning?” Lance asks.

Both you and Jungkook look startled for a time, and you glare at him. “No one, Jeon’s just being a little shit.”

“What’s new?” Jiho jokes, and everyone laughs.

The trio that went to the lake comes back – Taehyung, Jo and Hobi. Jo scans the people around the fire, brows knitting together.

“Where are Bridget and Heather?”

The whole group laughs. “They never came out,” Chaeyeon admits. “I’d advise to not go looking for them.”

Jo snorts. “Oof yeah, that’s a no for me.”

It’s not even that funny, yet everyone laughs as the trio settles around the fireplace. Hobi and Jiho share a chair, and you realize there’s no chair for Jo and Taehyung. You’re about to offer yours when they just sit directly in the grass, giggling like the two idiots in love that they are. They lie down after a few seconds, and Jo points up at the sky.

It makes you look up, and you suddenly feel very small, under the immensity of the night sky. It sobers you up, just a little, and you sit back in the chair to get a good look. You admire the stars and constellations, searching for those you know. It leads to everyone doing so, and it also creates a calmer atmosphere, until half the group is dozing off in their chair.

Someone changed the music to softer tunes, and you really listen to the night sounds now, as the melody entwines with the cracking of the logs. Soon enough, Jin and Valeria decide to go to bed. Jungkook immediately teases the older guy, saying that only elderly people go to bed so early. Jin just throws a marshmallow at Jungkook, who receives it right on the forehead. He looks stunned, and he raises his middle finger at Jin as he just laughs where he’s leading Valeria inside. Chaeyeon and Lance are the next to go, and your gaze trails them until they stop to kiss. You give them privacy then, focusing on the fire instead.

It leaves only you, Jungkook, Jo, Taehyung, Jiho and Hobi by the fire, and you sigh in content as Jungkook throws another log into the fire.

“Last one, I assume?” he lets out.

The group mumbles in agreement.

“We’ll party harder tomorrow,” Jiho promises before yawning.

It makes everyone yawn, and you laugh tired laughs as you watch the flames licking up the log.

“We should set up a beer pong table,” you suggest.

Taehyung seems to spark to life at the idea. “I’m so in for some beer pong.”

“What about a tournament?” Jungkook proposes. “Losers have to jump in the lake.”

Jiho winces. “I hope Hobi’s good because there’s no way in hell I’m jumping in the lake.”

“I got you, babe.”

You notice them exchanging a long look. It’s filled with love, grossly so, and you roll your eyes before settling your gaze on the stars above once more. You let out a happy yelp when a shooting star crosses the sky.

“Oh my God!”

Jo is just as happy as you are. “Oh shit!” she echoes. “We have to make a wish.”

You laugh, nodding your head repeatedly. The four others just look at you curiously, before Jo explains that there was a shooting star.

Everyone’s eyes are back on the night sky in no time, and you reckon you might fall asleep like this.

Stargazing, and wishing that you’ll find your own person soon enough.

Saturday, July 7th

“I’ll kill you.”

Jungkook smiles, and the breeze of the afternoon catches in his hair, making a strand fall in his eyes. He pushes his hair back. “I’d like to see you try.”

Something changed. He knows something changed between the two of you. It’s exciting, in a childish kind of way. He feels young next to you, and he’s been following you around all day, claiming that he wants to avoid the couples. Which is not entirely a lie, but he mostly wants to be around you.

It’s a new feeling. Or almost entirely new, because he felt like that around you once before. The night after he told you about his accident. He’s pushed that away since then, but it seems being here, at this cottage in the middle of nature, brings it out.

He’s been failing at pushing it away since last night, and he reckons he doesn’t even want to try anymore.

You put your hands on your hips, tilting your head to the side. Your hair sways in the wind, and he wants to brush it behind your shoulder. He resists, because he’s pretty sure you’ll bite his head off if he does.

“You’re the one that suggested kayaking.”

He did. But throwing you in the water seems like twice the fun, so he’s been teasing you about it as you stand next to the shed.

“Maybe it was just a trap?” he says, winking at you. He takes a step towards you, and you immediately take a step back.

Jo and Taehyung are sitting on the quay, watching the water and talking in hushed tones. Jungkook feels Jo’s gaze on him, and he resists glancing at her.

He knows what she thinks. She’s made it pretty clear in the last week. Maybe it’s contributed to the softness in him whenever he watches you.

Maybe.

“You’re annoying.”

“But yet you came with me?”

You squint your eyes, shaking your head. “Not with you. I came to kayak.”

“Right.”

“I swear.”

He bursts out laughing, and it’s his turn to shake his head. “Of course, of course.”

“Why are you…” you start before letting out a strangled sound. “I’m going back to the house.”

“No!” he immediately says, a little louder than necessary. This time, both Taehyung and Jo look at you two. “I’m just teasing, let me bring the kayak out.”

He’s blushing. He feels it coming up slowly from deep within his chest, so he quickly turns towards the shed and goes in. A few spiders are hiding in their webs, and he swats one away from the first kayak. He almost hesitates to leave it in just to spook you, but he doesn’t really want to spook you right now. Not when his heart is beating just a little quicker.

He doesn’t know if he likes it. But he’ll roll with it for the rest of the weekend, because he doesn’t think he’ll have the opportunity to do so after that.

He brings out the two kayaks before going back for the paddles, and a moment later he’s helping you to sit in yours, holding your hand while you step in it before sitting. Jo and Taehyung are watching now, barely even talking, and Jungkook can’t wait until you’ve moved away from the quay.

He hates the way the couple has been watching you both. It feels like he’s under pressure, and he knows he doesn’t do well under pressure. Except when it came to dance, but that’s long gone now.

He gets into his own kayak as you’re already starting to move away.

“Bye losers,” you say towards Taehyung and Jo.

“Try not to drown,” Jo replies as she waves you off.

You laugh, a crystal clear laugh that makes Jungkook very aware of how Taehyung is looking at him. He catches his older friend’s gaze, furrowing his brow.

Taehyung glances down at Jungkook’s attire – a pair of pants. He looks like he wants to say something, and Jungkook knows what.

He’s not going to wear shorts. Not when it’d put his scar on display to the whole crew. He hasn’t gotten the courage to tell everyone yet, and he doesn’t want to be forced to explain anything. He just wants to focus on being in the present, because he hasn’t done that in a while.

So he glares at Taehyung, clenching his jaw. Taehyung sighs before looking away. Just like that the moment passes, and Jungkook settles in his kayak before quickly following you.

“Is it a race or something?” he asks as he moves closer.

You look at him over your shoulder, a bright smile on your lips that turns mischievous as soon as your gaze finds his. “It is and you’re losing.”

Now, bringing out his competitive side is a bad idea, but that’s who you are, isn’t it?

Jungkook pushes the paddle in the water harder, accelerating his rhythm. It makes you screech, and you quickly do the same. Your lean arms are nothing against his though, and he’s caught up to you in no time. Unable to resist, he splashes water on you.

“Jungkook!” you scream. “I’m trying not to wet my hair!”

“Oh are you?” He does it again, this time purposefully aiming for your head. You dodge but to no avail.

“I’ll murder you,” you threaten, and you send water flying his way.

He barely gets any on himself, and he cocks an eyebrow arrogantly. “Is that the best you can do?”

It pisses you off. He sees it in the way resolve fills your face, and he’s not surprised he’s thoroughly drenched by the time you finally stop. He’s just accepted defeat and let you splash him as he laughs. You laugh too, and he reckons it’s his favourite thing about you.

The way you laugh when you’re being a brat. It’s endearing.

He’s endeared by you. That’s what the feeling is. He’s been trying to put words on it since last night. Last night it was struck. He was struck as you spoke to him with that soft edge to you. And then it turned to endearment.

He reckons he missed you, while he was hiding from all of the crew because of his accident. He really did. Something about you was missing from his life.

He pushes the thoughts away as you stop splashing him.

“Oops,” you say when he meets your gaze.

His hair is wet, and he puts the paddle down to push it back. He doesn’t miss the way your eyes follow his motion, and the furrow of your brows before you frustratingly look away.

“I’m debating making you fall in the water,” he teases, pursing his lips before playing with his piercing.

Your gaze widens. “You wouldn’t dare.”

He moves his paddle in the water to get closer to you, and you quickly move away.

“I would definitely dare,” he tells you. “I’m all wet because of you.”

His brows knit together as he realizes what he just said sounded suspicious. Of course you burst out laughing, before saying, “That’s what she said”.

He rolls his head to the back of his head. “Lame.”

“You’re lame,” you counter-back.

It’s like that for the rest of the time you spend on the water. Even though he threatened to throw you in the water many times today, Jungkook doesn’t really want to do it. He likes the peace between the two of you: he’s not going to do something to fuck it up.

You eventually get bored of kayaking, and you switch places with Chaeyeon and Bridget when the two of you return to the quay. Jo and Taehyung have gone back to the house, but Lance, Heather, Jin and Valeria are there, and you sit with them for a while, just talking.

Mindlessly, Jungkook pulls his shirt up to dry his face from the last of the water you splashed on him before getting out of the water.

He realizes his mistake only when the shirt falls back in place, and Lance is watching him with round eyes.

“What’s that scar?”

Jungkook stills. Unmoving, barely even able to breathe. The air is suddenly less warm, and he can almost see the snow again. His heart constricts in his chest, and he just stares back at Lance as if he’s a doe caught in headlights.

“You don’t just ask people why they have scars, Lance,” you grumble.

It surprises Jungkook that you said something. But then again you’re not the type to back down from a fight.

Lance seems startled by the tone of your voice. He frowns as his gaze slides to you. “It was just a question?”

“It could make people uncomfortable?”

Jin is looking at Jungkook. He’s got a careful expression on his features, and he looks between you and Jungkook a couple of times. As if this moment matters, and truthfully it does matter to Jungkook, because you’re bickering with Lance and it entirely shifted the attention away from him.

Jungkook manages to shrug his shoulders at Jin, who offers him a no-bullshit look. Valeria punches him in the arm, and Jin lets out a startled sound that has everyone looking at him.

The moment passes, and it’s dinner time when Lance moves closer to Jungkook, clearly having waited until you aren’t around to actually approach him. Jungkook steels himself for the questioning, but Lance only says, “Whatever happened, I’m glad you’re okay, bro”.

It renders Jungkook speechless, and all he can do is nod his head at Lance. Lance claps him on the shoulder, and he immediately walks away, as if his job here is done.

And maybe it is, and all he wanted to do was prove that he’s Jungkook’s friend. It makes Jungkook appreciate him ten times more, and then he takes a moment to really look at everyone. The girls are all laughing about a story Jin is telling, and Taehyung is just shaking his head in disbelief where he’s grilling the meat for dinner. Lance moves towards Taehyung to offer help, and Jungkook just stays alone for a moment, enjoying the scene.

The sun is setting, the air is warm and the light breeze from today has fallen. But the air is not still, and it smells of the rich soil of the forest, and of the meat Taehyung is grilling. The sky is still void of any clouds, and it’s turned to a rich golden glow from the setting sun.

Jungkook is stricken, once again, by the fact that he is alive. He’s alive and breathing and even though his leg hurts, he’s standing. He’s standing and walking and yes he can’t dance anymore, but there’s so much more to life than dance, isn’t there?

His eyes slide to you as he thinks the thought. You’re looking at Jin with a little smirk, the one he knows you use when you’re judging someone. But you feel his eyes on you and your gaze meets his. The smirk falls into a small, secretive smile, and Jungkook breathes in sharply.

His heart is beating a little louder, and this time he does push it away. He does try not to think of it, but it’s hard when you look at him like that. With that soft edge he saw yesterday. It fills him with wonder, the same wonder he got from watching the night sky the day before.

You’re like a star in a bleary night. It’s hard to look away from you, and he only does so when Taehyung says the meat is ready. It’s like someone cut the string between you and him, and he almost stumbles forward as he glances to Taehyung.

He gulps, taking a deep, steadying breath before he moves to help Taehyung bring the food to the table. Lance helps too, and the three of them together make quick work of filling everyone’s plate, and Jungkook soon settles down in a chair next to you, right in front of Jo.

Dinner is fun. Cheery, with lots of laughter. Everyone is already a little tipsy from the day-drinking you’ve all done, and Jungkook feels like there’s more than alcohol in his blood this evening. There are feelings, joy and happiness to be here in this moment.

He should live in the moment more often.

“Hey JK,” Jo says, and he raises his eyes from his plate.

His fork is halfway to his mouth when he lets out, “Uh?”

“How is it going with Laura?”

Everything inside of him stills, like it did earlier today with Lance but for a completely different reason this time. He freezes, and he doesn’t miss the way your head immediately snaps towards him at Jo’s question.

Jo has an insufferable smile on her lips, and Jungkook just can’t move.

Laura. She’s a girl from his class that started texting him a few weeks ago. He’s seen her once, just because she said she had questions about her camera and it would be easier if Jungkook answered in person. Laura is a sweet girl. Pretty too, but Jungkook doesn’t know if their talking will lead anywhere. He doesn’t feel like he’s ready to jump headfirst into a relationship.

Especially not as he feels your expectant gaze on his profile.

“Laura?” he repeats.

“Didn’t you go on a date with her?” Jo asks.

Jungkook frowns, shaking his head. “It wasn’t a date,” he points out. “She needed help with her new camera.”

About that. Jungkook brought a camera with him this weekend. He’s been taking pictures once in a while, mostly of nature. Because he’s always been more of a landscape photographer. Maybe because landscapes tend to change less than people. They feel unbreakable, immovable, and it’s reassuring in some way.

“That sounds like the lamest start of a porno,” Lance jokes.

Everyone laughs. Everyone but you and Jungkook. Jungkook only shrugs, before saying, “I didn’t sleep with her”.

You scoff next to him. It aggravates him, something you haven’t made him feel in a while now. His brows knit together as he turns his head toward you.

“You want us to believe you didn’t sleep with her?” you let out.

It’s bitter. And you seem to realize it quite at the same time as he does, because you flush red, and you look away from him to glance down at your half-empty plate on the table.

Jungkook’s features relax, and a smile even tugs at the corners of his lips. He knows what Jo is doing. Especially as he sees the knowing smirk on her lips.

She dared him to find a way to make you jealous earlier this week, when he invited her and Taehyung to the cottage. As if making you jealous is a good idea.

He now sees what she meant. Because you’re playing with your food, a look of confusion creased into your features. It’s cute, and it makes the same feeling arise in him.

Everyone starts talking again, but Jungkook feels the weight of Taehyung and Jin’s gazes on him. He avoids them like the plague, focusing on trying to keep his smile in. He doesn’t want to infuriate you by making a comment.

Especially not when you’ve been forced to team up for the beer pong tournament. Which, turns out you’re a lot better than he thought you would be. Than you said you were, because you make it to the final round, getting beaten by Bridget and Heather out of all people. The two girls celebrate to the sounds of everyone whooping and cheering, and Jungkook can’t keep his smile in.

Tonight promises to be quite the party. And it is. With lots of drinking, and Chaeyeon and Lance having to jump into the lake because they were last in the tournament. It’s funny, but it leads to them deciding to go to bed early, saying something about being cold from the lake.

Jungkook knows exactly what they have in mind when he sees them staring at each other the way that they are. Like they’re alone in the universe, and maybe to them they really are.

He’s surprised when the rest of the group starts to follow Chaeyeon and Lance. The night is younger than it was yesterday when it came to an end, but there’s something in the air. It brings the couples closer together, makes them exchange secretive glances and stolen touches. Jungkook finds Taehyung and Jo making out outside of the bathroom when he goes in to pee, and they never come out after that. Jin and Valeria move in not even five minutes later, right before Hobi and Jiho, and it leaves Bridget, Heather and you alone with him outside.

He’s not surprised when the two girls decide to go to sleep too, even though Jungkook has just started the hot tub at Bridget’s request. It leaves him alone with you and the red solo cup in his hand. It’s filled to the brim and, quite frankly, Jungkook doesn’t feel tired at all. He feels alive, awake and ready to conquer the world if need be.

You look exactly like that too.

“Wow,” you let out once everyone is gone.

Jungkook feels awkward for half a heartbeat. But then his eyes slide to the house, and he notices Jo in the window. She quickly dips out of his line of sight, which makes him understand exactly what happened.

You’ve been left alone outside on purpose, and Jo’s the one that schemed the whole thing.

“They’re boring,” Jungkook says, though he feels like laughing. He hopes you don’t notice.

“They didn’t even go into the hot tub,” you point out. “What a waste of energy.”

He glances at the tub, and an idea forms in the back of his mind. He doubts you’re going to say yes.

*****

You don’t know why you said yes. Going into a hot tub alone with Jungkook sounds like a very bad idea, and the more you think about it the worse it seems to you. Yet you make your way outside after having put on your black two-piece swimsuit, wrapped in a white towel you fished from the bathroom.

The house was eerily quiet when you and Jungkook went in to change. It is still just as quiet as you get out of the bathroom, and aim for the kitchen to make yourself a glass before you go outside. You notice Jungkook is already out there, testing the temperature of the water. He’s wearing trunks, and he got rid of his t-shirt, discarding it on a chair next to the slowly dying fire. He turns towards the window as you’re pouring a glass, probably to see if you’re coming. It’s not your fault when your eyes dip down to his leg.

Even in the darkness you see the angry knot of skin that runs from below his knee and disappears in his swim trunks. It’s ugly, and your heart stops beating for a few seconds as you see it. Jungkook was right when he told you about his accident the first time – the scar on his leg is far scarier than the one on his stomach.

You wave back at him as he waves, a dumb smile on his lips. You focus on that smile, because you don’t want to be thinking of the scar. Don’t want to be thinking about the pain Jungkook must have endured. The pain he is still enduring to this day.

You’re hesitant when you step outside, though you make sure to bring a glass for him too. He’s still smiling when you arrive, and it only widens when you hand him the red solo cup.

“Thought you might want a refill.”

He tilts his head to the side, winking at you as he grabs the glass. “Always.”

You move towards the tub, ignoring the way you feel his gaze on you. It makes you self-conscious, and you don’t want to peel the towel from around yourself. You reckon you can’t get in the water with it though, so you carefully put your glass down on the side of the tub before taking the towel off, leaving it on the same chair where Jungkook’s shirt is.

“It might be a little hot,” Jungkook warns as you move back to the tub. “I adjusted the temperature a little while I was waiting for you.”

You dip your fingers in the water, shrugging your shoulders. “Seems good enough to me.”

He laughs, and his eyes follow you as you climb into the tub. The water is hot, extremely so, but you’re drunk and the jet of the tub looks far too inviting for you to wait.

“Alright then, guess I’ll get in too.”

You watch as he does so, and your eyes once again fall to his scar. It stretches weirdly as he bends his leg, as if it doesn’t really allow him full movements anymore. It explains why his dancing has turned mechanical now, and why he can’t move the way that he did before.

He’s noticed your gaze on the scar while getting in. You know it, because his features have fallen serious by the time he sits in front of you.

“I know, it’s ugly,” he says, and his eyes get lost in the bubbles in the water.

You remain silent for a time, waiting for his gaze to meet yours. When it does, you finally say, “Nothing about you is ugly”.

It’s smooth, the way you say it. It makes his eyes widen and a laugh bursts from his lips. You don’t even know why you flirted with him – you just had an inkling it’d make him fall back into his usual cocky self.

And of course it does.

“You think I’m hot?”

You roll your eyes, before grabbing your red solo cup from where you left it. Jungkook grabs his own, and it takes a few seconds before you’re settled back into your seat. You take a small sip from the glass, letting the rum and coke swirl in your mouth for a second before you swallow.

“I’m not going to answer that question.”

He smirks. “Then I’ve got my answer.”

You squint your eyes, fake glaring at him, and it only makes him laugh.

“You’re insufferable.”

He shrugs his shoulders, and he takes a sip from his glass. He winces then, before raising his eyebrows. “How strong did you make this?”

“Strong enough to have you shut up?”

“Oh please.” He laughs once more. “You know that won’t make me shut up. As a matter of fact, it’s probably just going to make me talk more.”

You chuckle, shaking your head a little. “My mistake.”

Jungkook really is hot, sitting there. His hair is fluffy around his face – it really is a lot longer than it was before. It curls a little at the ends, making a crown around his head. He’s buff too, and it makes you wonder how he manages to work out at the gym even with his injury. And it’s hard not to let your gaze wander to the tattoos on his shoulders, the ink that goes from his hand up to the top of his arm.

He’s attractive, damn him. You hate it, so you say, “So, Laura uh?”

He holds your gaze, his tongue darting out to play with his piercing for a time. “What about her?”

You cock an eyebrow. “You tell me.”

He’s smirking now, and his eyes dip to where your chest disappears in the water before moving up to your features again. “Why do you want to know?”

You feel hot. Not because of the water, though you reckon it really is hot. No, his gaze is burning you, in a way that makes you feel naked. You don’t know if you like it. But two can play this game Jungkook seems to have chosen.

You shrug your shoulders, wetting your lips before smiling. “Just making conversation, Jeon.”

His gaze has moved to your lips. It stays there as he says, “Seems to me like you got a little jealous earlier”.

You refuse to admit that it was jealousy, when Jo mentioned Laura at dinner time. To you, it was just surprise, and you’ve been repeating it to yourself ever since it happened.

“Why would I be jealous?” you ask, brows knitting together as a smile plays on your lips. “You’re nothing to me.”

“Right.” He chuckles, and he drinks from his cup, his gaze burning into yours. “I’m nothing and yet you’re in this hot tub alone with me.”

He’s arrogantly cocky, isn't he? It used to piss you off, but tonight it just makes your blood boil.

“Wasn’t going to waste the opportunity for a hot tub session,” you say, shrugging your shoulders. “Unfortunate that it had to come with you though.”

He fakes offence. “You offend me.”

You snort, and his features relax into a small smile. There’s a moment of silence, where you find yourself too much of a coward to keep holding his gaze. It’s your turn to let your gaze wander down to the spot where his chest disappears in the water, and you drink from your cup.

“Do you want to play Truth or Dare?” he suggests after almost a minute without any of you speaking.

You chuckle. “Are we twelve?”

He shrugs. “Just thought it could be fun.” He pouts a little, and it really does make him look like he’s twelve. “Unless you’re too much of a coward for it.”

“Me, a coward?” you scoff, rolling your eyes playfully. “Truth or Dare, Jeon?”

The cocky smirk reappears. “Truth.”

You don’t know what to ask. At all. Your mind goes empty, until he lets out a laugh that gives you an idea. “What’s the deal with Laura?”

“You really want to know, uh?”

You shrug. “You chose truth, now answer the question.”

He laughs a little, and then plays with his piercing for a few seconds. You watch him do so, eyes falling to his lips.

“We hung out once”, he says.

It’s the same answer as earlier, but you feel like a brat right now. So, you press him by saying, “And that’s it? You’re not going to see her again?”

He ponders for a time, making you wait before he replies, “We’re supposed to go on a date sometime next week”.

You feel like maybe you shouldn’t have asked the question. Because his reply makes you clench your jaw, and you take a sip from your cup to hide it. “Jeon Jungkook on a date? Are you having a fever?”

“She’s nice, just thought I’d give it a try,” he says, shrugging his shoulders. He’s still smirking, and this time it’s knowing.

He knows that the thought of him going on a date with Laura is pissing you off. And you don’t even know why it makes you feel like that. You’re not sure you should be feeling like that when it comes to Jeon Jungkook. He’s barely even a friend.

“Hope it goes well for you,” you say, though it sounds tense.

He shrugs, winking at you. “I’ll let you know.” He pauses for a moment, before asking, “Truth or Dare?”

So the conversation about Laura is over then. And he’s a fool if he thinks you’ll say truth.

“Dare.”

He looks far too happy about your choice. “Chug your glass.”

You frown. “But then I won’t have anything to drink if I don’t want to do some of your dares.”

“Oh, we’re playing adult Truth or Dare? Had I known I wouldn’t have answered your question.” You glare at him, and he laughs, shrugging his shoulders. “Just drink, you can always drink from my glass later.”

Your glare intensifies, if that’s possible, but you still give in. You’re not one to back away from a challenge, and you chug your glass in a few long swigs. Your nose scrunches up as you finish, and you put the cup down.

“Happy?” you let out, and he nods with that same insufferable smirk on his lips. You want to wipe it away, but you don’t really know how. Instead, you only ask him, “Truth or Dare?”

“Dare.”

You hate dares. You never know what to suggest. You don’t feel like making him chug his glass, so you cock your head to the side as you survey him, mind reeling for an idea.

“Go get me another glass.”

He’s surprised. So are you, but you think it’s a brilliant idea.

“It’s so far,” he complains, with that same childish pout he used a moment ago. “Can I change for Truth?”

“You’re annoying”, you say, though you don’t really mind.

Something in the way he’s been looking at you makes you want him to stay anyway.

“You’re the one that wants me to go all the way inside.”

You chuckle, before shaking your head. “Alright then, let me find you a truth.” It takes you about half a minute before you come up with an idea. “How many girls have you slept with?”

He snorts. “Wow, straight to the body count I see.” He falls silent again, and his hand plays with the bubbles in the water in front of him.

“So?”

You think he’s blushing. It’s hard to tell in the dim light – indeed, the only light illuminating the scene is the one from next to the door, and the tub’s purple light.

“I’d say…” he trails off, scrunching his nose as he thinks. “Like twenty-five?”

It’s a lot, but not as much as you expected. Jungkook has a fuckboy vibe to him, and you were pretty sure he had at least fifty.

“Only?”

He furrows his brows. “Only?”

“I thought you had more,” you admit, chuckling as you shrug your shoulders.

He sips from his cup. “Sorry to disappoint.” His eyes glint with mischief, and he adds, “Truth or Dare?”

You hesitate, maybe because something in the way his eyes sparkle makes you think he’s got something in mind. You feel it – anticipation is building in you, and some parts of you can already see the outcome before it unfolds. Like a web of possibilities, and the longer he looks at you like that, the more it closes in to the anticipated one.

“Truth.”

He’s silent for a time. His face falls more serious, darker, and he’s so hot sitting there you really have to look away. “If everyone was single here, who would you fuck?”

You refuse to admit his question makes a drop of pure magma roll down your spine, before it moves forward and settles in your core.

“Jiho.” It’s a lie. You both know it, but he lets it slide – for now. “Truth or Dare?”

“Truth.”

You hit him with the same question he’s just asked you. His reply is far more cryptic.

“You already know the answer.”

You breathe in shakily, and something tightens inside of you. “Do I?”

His mouth is a little parted, and his tongue darts out to wet his lips before he takes a sip from the cup. He seems to reconsider it, because he chugs the whole thing before putting it down on the side of the tub.

“Do you?”

It confirms the answer. And you don’t know what to make of it. It scares you, somehow, but makes the fire in your burn brighter.

“Truth or dare?” he asks then, and a smirk tugs at the corners of his lips.

“Dare.”

You don’t even hesitate. You’re afraid he’s going to ask you stuff you don’t know the answer to if you choose truth.

“Why don’t you come sit closer, mmh?”

Still no hesitation from you. You’re like the moth and he the flame – you know it’s a bad idea, but you haven’t looked away from his eyes in too long. You’re in a trance, and you think so is he.

You settle next to him. Far enough not to touch, but close enough for every inch between you to fill with electricity. Not that it wasn’t already before – you are just way more conscious of it now.

“Truth or dare?” you ask, and it’s a little breathless, the way you speak.

“Dare,” he says. His eyes are on your lips now, and all you can do for a time is to observe his features. He’s got a mole under his mouth, and a scar on one of his cheeks. It looks old, and it’s so faded you can barely see it.

You have no dare in mind. You feel like you don’t even have any thoughts. You’re stuck looking at his lips, where your gaze settles as you watch his features. “Uh?” you let out.

He chuckles. It’s deep, manly, and it makes you look up to his eyes. “No idea what to ask?”

“You already chugged your glass.”

“There’s nothing else you want me to do?”

There’s a whole lot you want him to do, but a whole lot you don’t want him to do. It’s confusing, and your heart is beating too loud for you to think straight.

“Is there something you want to do?” you ask.

He’s bold. His hand moves up, his fingers lightly touching the side of your neck. “I could kiss your neck.” They trail down until they find a home on your shoulders. “Or I could massage your shoulders, you seem a little tense.”

You are. You are because there is a war of conflicting emotions in you, and you don’t know which side will win. “Massage my shoulders then.”

He laughs, before making you turn. It’s easier to breathe once he’s not in your line of sight anymore, though the moment his hands start working on your shoulders, you tense up again. “Relax,” he murmurs, adding your name at the end.

“You’re making me anxious,” you admit breathlessly.

He stays silent as he works on your shoulders, for so long you think he won’t talk. But then he says, “Why?”

“I don’t know.”

His hands are big, and his fingers are skilled. In a matter of a few minutes he’s undid every knot in your shoulders, and you find yourself able to breathe. You still don’t want to risk looking at him though.

“Truth or dare?” he asks.

Maybe you can be bold too. Maybe you can just focus on every spot where his fingers are digging in your skin. Maybe it doesn’t have to mean anything.

“Dare.”

“Give me a hickey.”

You snort, mostly because it takes you by surprise. “What?”

His hands fall from your shoulders. “You heard me well.”

“Aren’t hickeys bad for you?” you say, though you’ve never really cared about that. You care about it even less when you hear him move in the water.

“I think everything about you is bad for my sanity right now.” He whispers the words directly into your ear, and goosebumps form on your arms.

“Please don’t think this is going to lead anywhere,” you whisper back, right as you tilt your head to the side. You feel the ghost of his lips on your skin, but he straightens before he’s really done anything.

“Then why are you afraid of giving me a hickey?”

It is a challenge, and you don’t back down from challenges. So you turn around, say fuck it, and lean towards his neck until your mouth finds the spot where it connects with his shoulder. You suck, hard, and he hisses as one of his hands moves to your back, as if he wants to pull you closer.

You run your tongue on the spot you’ve sucked, before straightening. He’s got a deep purple mark there now, and you smirk in satisfaction. “Happy now?”

His chest is moving up and down quickly as he breathes. He’s out of breath, and the insufferable smirk is gone now. He seems a little angry, with a crease between his brows. “Yeah.”

You’re about to succumb to insanity. It’s taking a hold of you, choking you up until you say, “Truth or dare?”

“Truth,” he answers.

He seems just as conflicted as you. But the web of possibilities from earlier dwindled down until there’s only one left, and both of you know it.

“Do you want to fuck me?”

Your heart beats once, and then it stops in your chest. Because you meet him halfway, crashing your mouth on his so hard you think you taste blood. You don’t care: insane people do not care about anything. All you want is to feel his lips against yours, and damn him he’s a good kisser.

It’s intense, languid, and his hands don’t take their time before he’s pulling you on his lap. You straddle him, your own hands finding purchase on his shoulders, before moving up until you’ve cupped his face. And you hold him in place as you kiss, never once breaking away for air.

You don’t need oxygen when you’re kissing Jeon Jungkook. All you need are his lips, and he gives you plenty of that. And when his tongue finds yours, you moan in his mouth.

He swallows it like a man starved.

His hands are on your back. Respectfully so, even as he’s devouring your mouth. It frustrates you, because you want more. You want to feel all of him. It makes you grab a handful of his hair, and you pull his head back.

“Fuck,” he hisses.

“I’m not going to fuck you in a hot tub.”

It’s the only intelligent thing you could think of.

“We can –“

Your lips are back on his before he finishes his sentence, and you suck on his bottom lip, tongue darting out to play with his piercing. This time, he grunts in your mouth, and his hands lose their fight against his will not to touch you more. They move down until he’s cupped your ass, and he makes you grind on him.

You moan, and he breaks away from the kiss, just so he can bend down and leave a trail of hot, wet kisses on the column of your throat. You just let your hands loose in his hair and on his shoulders, nails digging in his skin when he decides to suck a hickey on you too.

You grind again then, and you feel the bulge of him press against you.

“We can’t fuck in the tub,” you say, and your voice is unrecognizable even to yourself. It’s lustful, sinfully so, and you’d be embarrassed if he didn’t meet your gaze with his half-lidded eyes.

“We can go in the shower.”

You’ve never been a fan of shower sex, so you say, “As much as that would probably be a good idea, I won’t fuck you in a shower either.”

He’s confused. You can tell by the way he tilts his head to the side. “Where do you want me to fuck you then? In the middle of the living room?”

It makes you chuckle, and an unexpected smile appears on his lips.

“I don’t think we should fuck.”

His grip on your ass tightens as his features turn dark, and he makes you grind on him again. Your eyes roll to the back of your head, embarrassingly so, as you let out a breathy moan. “Right,” he says.

“Fuck,” you curse.

He leans forward again, and this time his lips find a spot right over the top of your bikini. He sucks on your skin, and you moan as you grind again.

It’s uncomfortable. Not his lips on you, no, but the water of the tub mixed with the fabric of your swimwear. If you didn’t know how unsanitary it is, you would let him fuck you right then and there. But you don’t want to get an infection.

“Let’s go inside.” This time, one of his hands moves from your ass, trailing up your side until he’s grabbed one of your boobs. “Please.”

“Anything for you,” he mumbles against your breast, before straightening.

You kiss him again, just for good measure, and then you push away from him, reluctantly so. You feel his heavy gaze on you as you get out of the tub, and you’ve wrapped yourself in your towel by the time he’s followed you.

You forgot how tall he is. Because as he steps closer to you, towering above you, your mind goes blank again and you just let him crash his lips against yours. He’s holding your face, and his thumbs brush your skin gently before he pulls away. He stays close enough for you to feel his warm breath on you, but far enough so that you can’t reach his lips anymore.

“I need to take a shower,” you murmur.

He nods, and you feel it more than you see it. “Me too.”

“Yeah.”

He chuckles lightly, and he straightens to look up at the sky. His hands are still delicately holding your cheeks, and you watch his sharp jawline for a few seconds before he speaks.

“The stars are beautiful.”

You’re not looking at the night sky when you reply, “Yeah”.

He lets you go, then, but his hand falls until he’s grabbed one of yours. His large hand wraps around yours, and you let him do it, heart settling to a calmer beat in your chest.

“Do you want to dance?” he asks.

You stiffen. It feels strange to have him ask that. You almost forgot that he is a dancer too, in his soul, even though his physical body doesn’t permit him to let loose anymore.

“You want to dance?”

He has a soft smile on his lips when he meets your gaze. It’s miles away from the intensity it held just a moment ago, and you can’t help but offer him a smile of your own.

“Yes.”

You don’t want to refuse. Not when it feels like this moment matters. As if you’re about to create a core memory, and maybe you are.

Maybe you are.

The night sky is filled with stars. Distant burning constellations, and they wink at the two of you as Jungkook leads you through a slow dance. His steps are sure tonight, albeit a little mechanical, and his hand on the small of your back feels like a weight anchoring you into the present.

Up above, the stars just shine on and on, endlessly, for eternity. And you feel like eternity. You feel small and big, unimportant yet cataclysmic. He is cataclysmic. He is the start and the end, like the story is weaved into the tapestry of the universe itself.

And maybe it is.

“Thank you,” he murmurs after you’ve moved in time with him for a little eternity – your little eternity.

His voice is heavy. It holds the weight of the universe, and you reach up to cup his cheek, to anchor him in this moment with you.

“I’m happy to be here with you.”

His eyes are shining. Like the stars above, and the ones you’re starting to see behind his pupils. He hasn’t looked away from you since you started dancing, and you from him. You don’t think you can.

“I forgot how it felt to dance,” he admits.

Though he has danced since the accident. You’ve seen him dance, but maybe his heart wasn’t into it. Maybe his heart is in the moment now, maybe it’s beating in sync with all of your steps.

“How does it feel?” you ask, smiling up at him.

“Liberating. Like I’m just one of the stars in the sky up above.”

You don’t know what that feels like. It makes you realize you’ve never truly felt free. Jeon Jungkook looks at peace now, and you can just hope you’ll get to feel like that one day too.

A cool breeze rises around you, and you shiver as it moves on your skin. Jungkook notices, and he dips his head to kiss you again. Softly, gently, and when he pulls away he says, “Let’s go inside, you’re cold”.

You nod your head, even though you never want the moment to end. But nothing lasts in life – not even the stars above. One day they’ll die too, until all that’s left of them is an empty husk of life.

To you, that’s what love has always been like. It hits and leaves nothing of it behind. Maybe that’s why you step away from Jungkook.

“Yes.”

*****

The shower you take is short. Scalding hot, until your skin has turned bright red. Only then are you satisfied, and you step out to dry yourself with a towel. You’re gentle with the towel, and you can still feel Jungkook’s hands on you. Can still feel the weight of his eyes on you.

If you could, you’d leave the cottage now. You’d run while you still can, but you can’t.

You can’t, so you step out of the bathroom and make your way to the living room where you both slept the night before. Where he snored softly until the noises he made were entwined with your dreams.

He’s already sitting on his couch when you arrive. His hair is wet from the shower he took in the downstairs bathroom, right next to the room where Chaeyeon and Lance are sleeping. He’s wearing black joggers and an oversized dark grey t-shirt, and he looks inherently comfortable. As if he’s comfort personified. He pushes his hair back as you come into view, offering you another one of his soft smiles.

You didn’t know Jungkook has softness in him. You feel it now: it’s in the way he looks at you, in the curve of his lips and the openness of his gaze.

“I have an idea,” he says, a little cryptically, and his smile turns mischievous. Childish, playful, and you chuckle.

“What is it?”

“I noticed your couch is tiny,” he says, motioning to said couch. “I thought…” He flushes red, before chuckling.

A blushing Jungkook is not a thing you imagined you would ever see someday.

“You thought?” you press on.

“I thought we could put all the cushions on the ground to make like a bed?”

It feels like you shouldn’t. Like you’re not supposed to be sleeping in the same bed as Jeon Jungkook. Especially not after what just happened outside – both the tub and the dance.

“Sure,” you agree nonetheless. “As long as you don’t steal all the blankets.”

He grins. “I would never.”

It’s cute, and it makes you gaze away.

Jungkook makes quick work of creating a bed for the two of you. You help him to move a coffee table away, and soon enough all the couch cushions form a mattress on the ground. You place the pillows you used last night on one end of it, and you’re sitting down just to test the makeshift bed when Jungkook throws the blankets on top of you.

“Jungkook!” you yelp, though you try to keep it to a minimum level so you won’t wake anyone.

He just laughs, and a few seconds later the room falls into darkness. While you’re disentangling yourself from the blankets, you hear a thump, and Jungkook lets out a series of curses that makes you burst out laughing, probably way too loud.

You don’t care.

“Fuck,” he finishes, and you can barely distinguish his silhouette when you’re free of the blankets.

“What happened?”

“I stubbed my toe,” he hisses through his teeth. “Fuck.”

You just laugh again, before moving until you’re on the side you chose for sleeping. “Just come here.”

“I was trying to,” he grumbles, and it sounds like he is pouting.

You’re starting to know him well enough that you know he is pouting.

Once you’re settled on your side of the bed, lying on your back staring up at the ceiling, Jungkook finally moves towards you. He lies on his side of the cushions, pulling a blanket over him. You both have your own blankets, so sleeping right next to each other doesn’t feel too indecent.

It takes your brain only three seconds before it produces an image of the hot tub, and you’re pretty sure the same thing just happened to Jungkook, because he chuckles lowly.

“What?” you ask.

“Nothing.”

You frown in the darkness. “Doesn’t sound like nothing.”

“Mmh.”

You turn until you’re facing him. His silhouette is dark against the lighter background behind him, but you can barely make out his form next to you. You see it when he moves though, as he turns to face you too.

“What are you humming about?”

He chuckles. “Do you like cuddling?”

“You’re not going to get me to cuddle you,” you immediately reply, and you sound just as flustered as you feel.

“You grind on me in the hot tub and then you don’t even want to cuddle me? Outrageous.”

You scoff, and if you weren’t in the dark he’d see your cheeks turning scarlet. “We both know where cuddling would lead.”

His voice is husky when he speaks. “You think you can’t resist me?”

It makes the ‘never back down from a challenge’ part of you tickle until you find yourself replying, “I’ll be the big spoon”.

He snorts, but he turns until he’s facing away from you. You hesitate for a time, but you eventually move closer to him, until you’ve wrapped an arm around his stomach. You rest your forehead against his back, and you hope he can’t hear the loud beats of your heart.

His body is warm. Comfortably so, and you know you could drift to sleep easily just lying next to him like this.

Why then are you unable to fully close your eyes? Why then do you decide to move closer, until his ass is pressed against you? It makes you gulp, and some wild and foolish part of you wishes you could be under his skin.

You don’t think you could ever be close enough to him to satiate the hunger that’s forming in your core.

Jungkook moves his arm, and a second later he’s wrapping his hand around yours. You let him do it, and you’re surprised when he brings your hand up to press a light kiss on your knuckles.

You wish you were still drunk. Because then you could blame your next words on the alcohol.

“Actually, can you be the big spoon?”

He sounds like he’s smirking when he says, “Yeah, of course”.

A few seconds later the positions are reversed, and Jungkook molds his body to yours, wrapping his tattooed arm around your frame, putting his other one under your head. It fits too well, like it was meant to be, and maybe this moment really was always meant to be.

Maybe you were bound to hate him until you found yourself cuddled up to him in the dead of night at a cottage on the countryside.

“Your hair smells good,” Jungkook says, and he shifts impossibly closer. You feel his lips on your head as he inhales, and the arm around your waist tightens as he pulls you flush against him.

“Thank you,” you answer, breathlessly. Because you are breathless in his arms, you are breathless feeling all of his firm body against all of yours.

Breathless enough so that you shift, and your ass moves against him.

“Uh,” Jungkook lets out. He laughs a little, and his tattooed hand moves up until he’s brushing his thumb on the side of your jaw. “You shouldn’t do that.”

“Isn’t that exactly what you want me to do?”

He thinks for a time. “What I want you to do and what you want seem to be two completely different things.”

It’s a little somber, the way he says it, and you bite your lip. Because he’s right, sort of. You’re not sure you want to have sex with him. But what started in the hot tub is bound to finish someday, is it not?

“You’re confusing me,” you admit. “You’ve been confusing me all weekend.”

His hand leaves your jaw, and he moves your hair out of the way as he leans. His lips press a tentative kiss on your neck, and your ass immediately shifts against him again.

“So have you,” he declares. “You’ve been confusing me for weeks.”

His revelation only makes you want him even more. And you’ve rarely wanted someone the way your body has been craving for Jungkook. Because that’s what it is: your body has been craving for him since the hot tub. And you’re about to succumb to your desires, aren’t you?

“Jungkook…”

He sucks on your skin, but not hard enough to leave a hickey. It still makes heat pool at your core, and you push your ass back against his dick once more.

“Fuck,” he curses. “We should go to sleep.”

Though this time he grinds against you, and you can feel the start of his erection on your ass.

“Right,” you agree.

And you move against him, earning a grunt from him. He murmurs your name, before saying, “I don’t have any condoms”.

All your nerves set on fire. “I don’t care.”

“We shouldn’t…” His sentence is cut short as you grind again, and he sinks his teeth in the soft skin of your neck. It hurts a little, and you know he’s going to leave another hickey on you as soon as he starts sucking.

Your hand shoots behind you, and you grab the back of his head, fingers getting lost in the strands of his hair. His own hand moves down until it settles on your hip, and he guides your movement against him.

He moves away from your neck, pressing a kiss on your shoulder this time. “We shouldn’t have sex,” he says, completing his previous sentence.

“I know.”

“We’re going to have sex,” he adds.

“I know.”

You circle your hips, and his erection is turning hard by the second. You’re soaking your panties, and you just want more of him. You want to get rid of all the fabric between you two and feel his skin directly against yours.

“Oh, Y/n…” he breathes, and then he’s back to kissing your neck.

No sucking this time, just his tongue drawing circles on your skin as you continue moving your ass against his dick.

“You’re already hard.”

“The hot tub got me real horny.”

It had the same effect on you, and you shiver as he bites at your ear. Gently, not to hurt, especially not as he presses a kiss under your ear next.

“Fuck,” you say.

His breathing is warm against the side of your face, and you decide to dive in. To say fuck it with what you should do and what you want to do. You only have one life to live anyway.

The moment your lips touch feels like a dam broke inside of you. Your tongue meets him halfway between your mouths, and he swallows the moan you let out as his fingers move under your shirt. You’re not wearing a bra, and the moan turns to a hiss as he pinches one of your nipples, rolling the sensitive bud between his thumb and index.

He pulls away from the kiss to say, “Can I take off your shorts?”

Because you’re wearing baby blue PJ shorts. Nothing really attractive, but it has no hindering effect on Jungkook’s desire for you, has it?

“Yes,” you answer and he’s back to kissing you in no time.

His fingers do quick work of the knot holding your shorts in place, and he immediately slides his hand in. He slides it under your panties too, and he starts rubbing circles on your clit right away.

You’re going to go insane. He’s worth going insane for.

You grind on his hand, and he moves lower so he can dip his middle finger and ring finger inside of you, up to the first knuckle, before pulling out and rubbing circles on your clit again. Your slick juice renders you oversensitive, and you buck your hips as he starts a hellish rhythm down there, with just the right pressure.

It’s like he knows his way around your body already.

You try to reach between you, but the way his arm is positioned keeps you from being able to palm him. You whine and it makes him stop his ministrations on your clit.

“Is something wrong?”

“Take off your pants,” you tell him.

“Please?” he taunts you, as if he wants to let you know who’s in control here.

“Please,” you hiss through your teeth, because somehow it infuriates you.

“Good girl,” he praises with his low husky voice.

You’ve never been called a good girl before, and something in the way he says it makes you grind hard against him.

“You like that, uh?” he asks.

“Just take off the fucking pants, Jeon.”

He chuckles but obeys nonetheless. You take off your shorts at the same time, and think about it for half a second before you’re taking your panties off too.

Once you’re both naked from the waist down, you return to the previous cuddling position. Only this time his dick is resting against your ass, and from what you can tell, it really is big.

“Should I finger you to make sure you can take me?” he asks, but it’s rhetorical.

Indeed, he doesn’t wait for you to answer before he plunges two fingers inside of you, arching them to hit a spot inside of you that makes you see stars, shy constellations that add light to the darkness of the cottage. You find purchase on his forearm as he starts thrusting his fingers in and out of you, and he reaches deep inside of you. His palm hits your clit every time he pushes all the way in, and you’re starting to see a whole damn galaxy of stars in no time.

But you want to feel him, want to jerk him off while he’s making you feel good too. So you reach behind you, and this time you’re successful. You’re able to wrap your hand around his cock, and you moan at the feeling of the large girth.

“You’re so fucking wet.”

You moan, nodding your head. “It’s all for you.”

“Oh, I fucking know it is,” he says.

It’s cocky, but you’re too far gone to give him shit for it.

You start jerking him off, slowly because you can’t really move quicker in this position. He stills bucks his hips, fucking your hand, and he starts moving his fingers even faster, hitting your clit even harder.

“Fuck, please play with my clit,” you beg.

“Can’t say no when you ask so nicely,” he says, and he’s back to rubbing circles on your clit.

You clench around nothing as you jerk him off, before you decide to position his dick between your legs. You grind against him, or maybe he makes you grind. You don’t really know. All you can feel is the way his length moves against you. But he never aligns with your entrance, as if he just wants to tease you, and knowing him you’re pretty sure he does.

It stays like this for a while, with him just coating his dick with your slick juice as he keeps rubbing insistent circles on your clit. Your walls clench around nothing, and you whine as he just moves his hips back and forth.

“Fuck me, Jungkook,” you say.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asks.

You just whine again.

“I want to hear you say it.”

He’s infinitely infuriating, isn’t he?

“Yes, I fucking want your dick inside of me.”

This time, when he pulls his hips away from you, he makes sure to align with your entrance before pushing forward. And he pushes forward hard, sheathing all of his dick inside of you. Or all of what fits inside of you, because you’re pretty sure he’s way too big to be able to entirely fit.

The moment he hits the back of your pussy you let out a moan. It’s loud, and you immediately put a hand on your mouth to muffle the next noises you’ll make. You think better of it after a few seconds, and you grab the blanket, rolling it in a messy bundle just so you can press it against your face.

“You feel so fucking tight,” he says, and then he grunts when your walls clench around him. “Just relax, baby.”

“I’m just so close,” you admit.

You don’t know when he stopped rubbing circles on your clit. Only know that he starts again now, and you feel the familiar knot of an orgasm starting to form deep in your core.

“Such a fucking good girl”, he praises. “You’re going to come all over my dick.”

You immediately hide your face in the blanket as you moan, unashamedly loud. And then he starts fucking into you, slow and hard, and you lose it. You lose it as the knot uncoils, snaps inside of you, turning every inch of your body into an oversensitive land of pleasure.

Jungkook fucks you through your high, steadily, never once faltering even as your walls pulse hard against him. His fingers keep on rubbing circles on your clit, and he kisses a spot on your neck that makes goosebumps erupt on all of you. It feels so good you could cry, but your high still just keeps on going. Even though you’re in the dark, your vision is white, blindly so.

You don’t know when your hand found its way to the side of his face, only that once you finally come down you have a handful of his hair in your grip.

“That didn’t take long,” Jungkook teases, whispering the words directly into your ear.

He’s not wrong. You don’t think you’ve ever come as hard and quick as you just did.

“Holy fuck,” you mutter.

He has stilled inside of you, and his lips are littering small kisses on your neck. So you feel his smirk against you, and it makes you move. Circling your hips, trying to give him something in return for the orgasm he’s gifted you.

“You’re going to let me come inside of you, mmh?” he asks as you keep on going, a little sloppily from the remnants of your orgasm.

“You think you can come for me?” You’re embarrassingly breathless, still panting because of your high. You take a deep breath as you prop yourself up on an elbow, just so it’s easier to fuck yourself on him.

Jungkooks hums. “I need a little more than that, baby.”

You bite your lips as his tattooed hand finds your breast under your shirt again. “What do you want me to do?”

“Ride me?” he suggests, right as he plants a soft peck on your shoulder.

You moan as he fucks into you hard, unexpectedly. “Anyone could see.”

He whines, but then his hand moves to your hip before he starts pounding into you again. You hide your face in the blanket again, trying to muffle your sounds. Jungkook is not faring a lot better than you, and his grunts send shivers all over you. He doesn’t talk again until he’s slowed down.

“They can already see us.”

He’s not wrong, and you hate it. But you doubt someone will get up at this hour of the night, closer to the morning than to yesterday. He pushes in once more, hard and rough.

“Fuck,” he curses, and he entirely stops moving.

He even pulls out, and you turn to look at him. Your eyes have adjusted to the dark a little now, and you can see his features enough to see him wincing in pain.

“Is something wrong?” you immediately ask.

“My leg hurts.”

His three words fall softly in the night, the way a feather falls. It shifts the atmosphere, making your heart ache in your chest.

“Oh, Jungkook…”

“Ride me,” he says, and it sounds begging.

As if he needs it to forget the pain. You don’t think you have it in you to refuse, so you straddle him. Before you sink on his dick, you lean down to press a kiss to his lips, hoping to chase the pain away. Your hands hold you up on his shoulders, and his move to your hips, before sliding down until he’s holding your ass in his large palms. He massages the muscles of your ass as you kiss, tongues meeting in a deep and languid dance.

When you’re out of breath, lungs burning for oxygen, you straighten and sit on his dick. You circle your hips, teasing him a little and also making sure that he’s still hard. He is, his dick a rod of steel, and you bite at your lower lip as you grab him with one hand to align him with your entrance. He’s looking through half-lidded eyes as you do so, and his eyes shut as you sink all the way down on him, until his dick reaches your cervix.

His mouth falls open and he moans softly. It’s a pretty sound, meant for your ears only, and it makes you feel powerful. You feel powerful as you move up and down, slowly, feeling every vein of his dick on your walls. You clench as you sink back down, and his hands on your ass tighten their hold for a few seconds before he moves to your hips to guide you.

He makes you go faster, and as if he can’t resist he’s soon fucking up into you.

You put a hand on his cheek, brushing his cheekbone with a thumb. His eyes flutter open and he stills, seeing the look on your face.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“I can do the work, don’t hurt your leg,” you tell him. You grab his hands from your hips to move them to your breasts under your shirt. And then you start moving, for real this time, quick and hard. You add a little bit of circling of your hips, just to make sure he stretches you wide.

And he does. Jungkook is huge, and you don’t wonder why he’s so cocky anymore. He’s got the kind of dick to be cocky about.

“Alright then,” Jungkook lets out between two soft moans.

You smirk, but it dies when one of his hands moves from your breast to your neck through the collar of your shirt. You grab his forearm, and your eyes flutter shut as he digs his fingers in your arteries, cutting the blood supply to your brain. It feels good, far more than it should, as all you can feel is his dick in you.

You let out a breathy sound, walls clenching on him again.

“That’s it, baby, you’re so good,” he praises, and he sounds different than he did before.

He’s more out of breath, as if he’s exhausted. And maybe he is, as he’s nearing his orgasm. It only encourages you more, and your nails dig in his forearm, hard enough to mark him.

“Fuck,” he curses, and he releases his hold on your neck. His hand doesn’t move, but it’s now just resting on your throat, and he’s not squeezing anymore.

“Fill me up, JK,” you say. “I want to feel you come inside of me.”

“Let me fuck you a little,” he replies. And he pulls you down by the neck, until he’s satisfied with the angle.

You want to say something about his leg but he’s already pounding into you, so hard your face falls in the crook of his neck as your hands get lost in his hair. Your lips meet his skin, and you suck hard, fully intending to leave a mark there. At this point you’re pretty convinced someone’s ought to know you’re fucking anyway, so why not show that he’s yours?

The thought sobers you up. But Jungkook is already coming, so you hold on strong sucking another spot on his neck as he groans and releases ropes and ropes of his cum inside of you. And he comes a lot, painting your insides white. You like it far more than you should.

Another thought to sober you up.

It takes Jungkook a little longer before he finally stops moving, and he lets out a content sigh as he wraps his arms around your waist to hold you close.

“We should have done this before,” he murmurs.

You try to sit up, but he keeps you from moving. “We shouldn’t have done this.” Even as you’re saying that you press another kiss to his neck. A soft one, just because he tastes too good, and you know the moment is about to come to an end.

“Uh?” he lets out.

His dick is still deep inside of you when you say, “We shouldn’t have fucked”.

He pushes you away now. Not hard, but it’s like your touch burns him and he needs to be away from you.

“Why?”

You sit next to him, and your cheeks burn as you feel his seed spill out of you, only to stain the blanket you previously used to muffle your moans.

“We’re barely even friends,” you point out.

He’s not watching you. His eyes are fixed on an empty spot on the cushionless couch next to which you’re laying. “Okay?”

“It’s just weird, no?”

You reckon you don’t know what you’re saying. You don’t know why you decided to say it right now either. It’s as if the words just need to get out.

“It’s just sex,” he says, and it sounds a little angry. “People have sex all the time.”

“But not us. You know, I don’t like you like that.”

A big fat lie if you’ve ever said one. You did like having sex with him. You’re just panicking, your fight or flight instinct having been suddenly triggered.

“Chill, Y/n,” he mutters, and he sighs heavily. “We just fucked. We can pretend nothing happened, if that’s what you want.”

You don’t know what you want. Some part of you wants to take the evening back, but at the same time not. You’re confusing to yourself, and your teeth dig in the tip of your tongue for a moment as you think.

“What would you want to say this is?” you ask after a little too long for the silence to be comfortable.

He finally looks at you. “Nothing, honestly. We just got horny and we’re the only single people here, it was bound to happen.”

Now, his words hurt a little, but you can see the truth behind them. “Right,” you say. “So, just friends?”

He holds your gaze. It’s too dark for you to be able to interpret anything on his features. “Sure.”

You feel bad. Remorseful. And you think about the hot tub, and the fucking too, but also about the dance outside. You reckon your fight or flight was triggered then, you’ve just been ignoring it ever since you came in.

Ever since you got out of the bathroom to see Jungkook and his softness. The softness is gone now, and he looks away from you before sitting up too. He searches around for his pants, and puts them on as you scan the scene for your own clothes.

“Can you…” you start, but he’s already throwing your shorts and panties at you.

He’s pissed. It’s evident now, clear as spring water, and you feel even worse. You didn’t want to upset him. There’s just too much history between you, too much individual history on your part too.

You’ve never been in a relationship. You’ve never been able to even imagine being in a relationship. And it usually leads to scenes like this: the men you sleep with getting upset with you. You don’t blame them, can’t blame them.

But it feels different with Jungkook. Worse, as if you don’t want the outcome to be him being upset with you. You just don’t know anything else, and so you put your clothes on. Even as he gets up to go clean up in the bathroom, muttering that he’ll be right back.

Even as he comes back and settles on the makeshift bed again, his back turned to you. The message is clear then: he doesn’t want to talk to you. You reckon you can always talk to him tomorrow. Can always let the night pass, and with it the fight or flight. It’s not like he’s going to be gone tomorrow, and you won’t be either.

You get up, sighing heavily as you go to the bathroom to clean up too.

Jungkook is dead silent when you come back. If he was asleep, you know he would be snoring softly, as last night showed you. But no, he’s dead silent, as if he’s just ruminating in his corner.

It makes you feel too bad to remain silent.

“Jungkook,” you let out softly, his name barely over a whisper.

“Mmh?” he hums.

“I’m sorry if I upset you.”

He sighs, long and deep, before turning on his back. “Don’t worry about it.”

He’s stupid if he thinks telling you so will make it so you don’t worry. You’re always worrying anyway.

“Okay,” you still say. “It was great though, don’t take me wrong.”

He chuckles, and it’s bitter. “Listen, if you want us to pretend like it never happened, let’s start right now.”

He’s closed off. He was open earlier, a book for you to read. Maybe you’ve ripped the pages away, or maybe you’ve thrown the book off a cliff.

But it’s safer this way. It’s safer to keep Jungkook at an arm’s length. It’s where you keep everyone besides Jiho anyway.

“Okay, sorry,” you apologize. “Good night?”

He sighs once more. “Yeah, good night.” And then he turns away, and it hits you.

You won’t ever be the one to see Jungkook’s softness again.

Prev | Next

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.............................. please don't hate me <3 how was this chapter? How was the smut? I hope it hit good haha! Let me know what you thought!

Taglist (strike-through means dumblr is not letting me tag you, my bad):

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dethkomic · 8 months

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On Army of the Doomstar Day - And Remembering Jon Schnepp

Hey Goofballs. I didn't really have anything like this planned until the moment hit me, spontaneously. Today's a very special day, as Dethklok the live band gears up to go on tour, we've been blessed with not only a new Dethalbum, but a conclusion to the whole series. This being a momentous finale, over a decade in the making, I again wanted to take a minute to remember someone, just as I did last year..

Jon Schnepp was a guy you could pick out, even if it weren't for the fact that he was usually the tallest dude in any given crowd. He loved comics, music, good vegetarian food that didn't suck, and loved meeting his sweaty nerd fans. As a comic book artist myself, I had the rare privilege of meeting Jon on several occasions through the years at various comic conventions. We also kept in touch on social media, leaving likes and words of praise on each other's projects. Genuine to a fault, Jon was always the biggest fan of anything his friends were doing. He had impeccable comedic timing too. I'll never forget the message he sent me on Facebook when friends and I attended the first ever 70,000 Tons of Metal Cruise:

"I want to go... :("

For as big a Metalocalypse fan as I've been through the years, Jon absolutely eclipsed me in all ways. He loved the show, loved talking about the show, loved discussing production and animation and the characters, whose likenesses he himself designed. One of my prized possessions is a comic book Jon signed and drew a Murderface on the inside frontispiece of. We all agreed that triangle-hair was the pinnacle of good character art.

When he died in 2018, I remember he was either going to be at, or had recently attended a convention in my former hometown of Columbus, Ohio. I remember letting him know I wasn't going to be able to make it, but promising to catch him on the next one. I never got the chance.

Jon Schnepp left behind a hole in the cartoon and comic industry that has yet to be filled to this day. But he also leaves a hell of a legacy. I've been in comics since the early 2000's and one thing I can guarantee you readers is that the rarest thing in the entertainment industry is this: Getting the ability to see a story through to its conclusion.

As artists, it's a sad fact that we don't always get to see what we create come full-circle. We're extra-super lucky still, to have that circle continue on after we're gone. Regardless of what you believe, I bet it would do Jon proud to know his work lives on, today. I bet he'd love the movie and it's wild animation and incredible art and music and story. I bet he'd be happy to have that closure. I know he'd love hearing how much we all enjoyed it, knowing the wild ride we all took to get here.

Jon, we miss you, man. Brendon, Tommy, writers, artists, animators, and any and all sweaty nerds reading this -- you did it. We the fans love you and we'll see you on the road. Hold your heads high. You carried the torch across that finish line.

We'll take it from here.

#dethkomic speaks #metalocalypse #dethklok #mtl #army of the doomstar #metalocalypse movie #jon schnepp #in remembrance

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storyofmychoices · 16 days

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Shining Through The Shadows

[Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley Masterlist]

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley (F!OC) Book: Open Heart, present day Word Count: ~1,200 Rating/Warnings: general, no warnings

Synopsis: Olivia prepares a special eclipse viewing party for her patients.

"Where should I put this?" Bryce questioned as he carried a plastic foldable table beneath his arm into the hospital's healing garden.

"I was thinking right over here," Olivia gestured. "Near the entrance."

Within seconds, he had it open and set up.

"Thanks!" Olivia rocked up on her tiptoes, placing a kiss on his cheek, before turning back to the task at hand.

"Anything else I can help with?"

"Bring me that bag over there?" She motioned her head toward one of the blankets she had set up as she placed a yellow tablecloth over the table. "Grab that basket too, please."

"Is this all just glasses?" Bryce dug through the bag. "How many do you have here?"

"100... give or take some more," she offered casually while organizing a display of Capri Sun, Sun Chips, and Moon Pies on the table.

"I thought you only had 31 kids that could come out?"

"And the nurses and the doctors," Olivia defended.

"But more than 100? Did you leave any for the other departments?" he teased.

"Yes!" She stuck her tongue out playfully toward him. "Besides, the children need at least 2 each."

"Dare I ask why?" He handed Olivia the basket, which she placed on the table beside the snacks.

"For their stuffed animals and dolls," she answered as though it were common knowledge. Carefully, she placed the glasses in the basket, smiling as she continued, "Of course, they need protection, too."

"I'm not sure that's true," he laughed.

"Will you be the one telling them their stuffed friend isn't real so they don't need protection?"

"Not a chance. Ramsey might, though—we'll have to keep him away," Bryce decided with a chuckle.

"Woah," the ten-year-old Christopher marveled at how the healing garden had transitioned into a picnic area with snacks and art stations.

The effervescent seven-year-old Savannah bounced with excitement, pulling on her mom's hand. "There's clay! And paint! And crayons! And snacks! This is the best day ever!"

Her mother smiled down at her. Despite all the medical challenges her daughter had faced, she never let it dull her spirit. "Looks like you had a lot of choices, my little Picasso. Where'd you like to start?

One by one, the children entered the garden with their parents. Nurses and doctors mingled throughout, guiding them through the art choices, each station allowing them to explore the eclipse with different art mediums.

As 2:00 approached, Olivia called all the children back together to start their viewing party.

"We are very lucky to be able to come out here today and see something really special," Olivia began, her eyes wide with excitement as she spoke with the children.

"Who has seen a shadow before?"

All of the children raised their hands.

"What is the biggest shadow you've ever seen?"

"My dad's really tall so he has a really long shadow," one child called out.

"The shadow of the playground by my house is big in the afternoon," another shared.

"You have a shadow right there, Dr. Olivia!" Savannah pointed eagerly to the ground beside her.

"That's right! We all make shadows. Most things leave behind a shadow," Olivia explained. "My shadow is created because I block sunlight from getting to this area. Did you know there is something that looks kind of small but is actually really big and can make day look like night?"

The kids looked around, whispering to their parents in surprise.

"That's what's going to happen today. During a Solar Eclipse, the moon moves in front of the sun and blocks sunlight from reaching Earth." She held up a model to help demonstrate. "When the moon is in front of the sun, its shadow will make some places get really dark. Dark enough to see stars."

"I don't like the dark," Noah whimpered, holding his stuffed Koala a little tighter.

"You don't have to worry," she gently reassured him. "Just like my shadow only makes part of the area dark, it's the same with the moon,"

"So we won't see stars?" Savannah frowned.

"Not until it's actually nighttime. Sorry, Sav! Where we are, we will only see part of the eclipse." Olivia held up an Oreo, twisting the top off to expose the frosting. "In just a few minutes, the moon—" she held up the half without the frosting, "—and the sun—," she held up the half with the icing, "—are going to cross paths." She moved the "moon" half slowly in front of the "sun" half. "As the moon moves, it covers up more and more sunlight. With our special glasses to help protect our eyes, we will get to see the sun seem to disappear until it's just a sliver. It'll still look bright outside, but if we put on special glasses we can see that it'll really look like this."

The kids marveled in excitement and curiosity, eagerly discussing the event with their parents.

"Me, nurse Laura, nurse Tim, and Dr. Bryce will be around to give you glasses. You must wear them anytime you look up at the sun, okay? Can you give me a big thumbs up if you can do that for me?" The kids did as requested. "Great!"

The doctors and nurses moved through the group, passing out glasses to each group.

"Here you go." Bryce knelt near Savannah, offering her a pair of glasses.

The young girl looked around her blanket, raising one finger at a time as she counted. She held her hand toward him. "We need four, please."

"Four?" Bryce looked around, his brow raising curiously.

"Dr. Olivia said everyone needs glasses," she nodded to agree with her previous statement. "Me, Mommy, Teddy, and my American Girl doll."

"You are absolutely right; that is four!" Bryce shook his head with a smile. "How could I have counted wrong?"

"Maybe you were distracted by Dr. Olivia," she smiled. "She's so nice and pretty."

"She really is, isn't she?" His gaze flickered to Olivia, who was showing another patient how to wear the glasses.

"You should go hold her hand. She would like that," Savannah whispered with a giggle.

"You think?" His eyes widened in consideration.

Savannah nodded excitedly.

"I'll see what I can do. Thanks for the tip," Bryce winked as he continued on his way.

As the eclipse began and all the children were busy watching in amazement, Bryce slipped his hand into Olivia's as she watched over them. "You are incredible, absolutely incredible."

"It's nothing." She shook her head, trying to dismiss him.

"Liv, look at them! All of this, this is you! None of this would be possible without you."

"Anyone could have organized this."

"Maybe, but they didn't. You did!" He took her other hand in his, turning into her. "You made sure these kids got to experience something they wouldn't have without you. You made understanding the science relatable for them. This is something they're never going to forget. You gave them something special to remember."

Her face warmed under his compliments. Her gaze shifted toward the children engaged in viewing the once-in-a-lifetime experience, their parents beside them sharing in the moment. "They deserve this and so much more. They're so strong and so brave." Her eyes threatened to tear up, knowing that for some, they wouldn't have many other big days ahead of them.

"They're so lucky to have you, Liv, and so am I." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "There's no one else I'd want to share this with."

"I feel the same about you," Olivia smiled, wrapping her arms around him. After a moment, the pair turned their attention to the heavens and the celestial event growing in front of them, their hands laced together between them.

A/N: I know I'm late with this. This week has been crazy busy. It's taken all week to finish this. It is not proofread or edited! So please forgive any mistakes.

#bryce lahela #bryce lahela x mc #bryce lahela x oc #bryce oph #open heart #playchoices #choices #choices game #olivia hadley #bryce x olivia #brylivia #lovealexhunt #oph bryce #fan fiction #open heart fan fic #april2024 #storyofmychoices #lovealexhunt writes

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jack-kellys · 1 year

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i said i'd do this today so here you all go. disclaimer this is not every single question, just the ones i cared about (so the fun ones)

notes from the most recent uk fansie night q&a:

i was not there but i was sent a video lmao

FOR DAVEY: how much free range have you been able to build on with your character?

answer: ryan said they all basically started with a blank canvas, but davey has rly grown since december. specifically davey's gotten “weirder”, and he hopes that “he will get even more strange.”

LONDON CAST RECORDING?

nothing is confirmed but the whole cast really wants one lmao

dance class from ireland came :) asked abt dance tips and industry ins

fav dance moves/moments in the show

box jump for ross <3

sam demonstrated the leg pats as his fav

matthew loves the role call triangle lmao

michael demonstrated a front kick they do holding a rolled paper

have you ever hit anyone w something thrown into the audience?

archie tells on jack bromage (who isn't there to defend himself) and how he kicked a paper ball into a kid’s FACE LMFAO

jacob called out matthew for his slingshot hits into the audience

biggest malfunction during a show?

ryan and michael acted out waiting for bronte and a les to enter during WWH reprise’s scene- “and that is what you call a beginning! ………….chill out, man!” “…you got a problem?” HELLO??

box jump update

if you could put your character into another musical what would it be

davey for mean girls 2023

splasher for matilda

OSCAR FOR B+C???

jack for wicked lmao “him and fiyero might fight”

specs as one of the annoying kids in charlie and the chocolate factory

kath for sylvia!

ritz for young frankenstein (bc putting on the ritz heh)

CRUTCHIE FOR MOULIN ROUGHEJH PLS matthew ily

mush for annie

ike for something rotten

elmer for WSS

al for a rocky musical (fights.)

romeo for grease!! “kinicky vibe”

how do ur jumps get so high

ross: "i’ve been jumping for.. a long time"

what are the hidden personal gems that audience members might miss during the show?

albert pickpockets one of the theatergoers in medda’s theater. holy shit. and sometimes the actor leaves jacob and actual object to steal in his pocket PLSLOKFSF

crutchie sees snyder from his perch by the soundboard and reacts in fear

how long is fight call and do you call every stunt

this is interesting to me so. depends on the day bc of swings so they do the big fight and child actor stunts every day.

EVERYONES FAV GAGA SONG

ryans is bad romance

poker face ross

applause for sam

matthew is not a gaga person oops

“thank you for that question <3”

how do you approach making roles individual?

“determined early that its a diff version of jack and kath” (bronté)

purposefully ignore things that have come before!!!!

bronte and michael talked a LOT abt their jath

“can only do the best version of your version” <3 (michael)

doing what you think is the right way, “offering your voice into the discussion” of a character’s legacy/existence. MICHAEL ONCE AGAIN FCUVKING GETS IT THIS IS !! WHAT I WAS FUCKING SAYING. fyi. we understand each other

fav character and why!

ryans is kath heheh

ross’s IS FINCH!! he loves damon and thinks he’s made finch special <3

owen (oscar) rly likes racer!

michael rly likes davey, “unsung hero”

sam likes kath <3

bronte likes the brooklyn newsiessssss, especially stray and mentioned the art piece of stray with a stray :) @chimeofthecomet YOURS BRO SHE MENTIONED YOURS !!!

lucy likes specs

matthew thinks pulitzer is cool to find nuance in

kai’s fav is lillie’s spot!

archie thinks finch is best bc he’s mysterious

damn bradley likes finch too! “always trying to come up with a solution” OKAYYYYY GO DAMON!! gets an a+ in characterization

jacob on his pulitzer villain moment stuff again

spencer likes davey’s contrast!! “one of the strongest characters in the group”

fastest quick change you’ve done

the oscar immediately laments his changes lmfaoooo

michael was morgrim??? in lion witch wardrobe??? a wolf??

preshow rituals

RYAN WATCHES STREISANDS IM THE GREATEST STAR LMAOOO??

interesting he was given her as a reference for a fast talking new yorker so heavy city accented davey jacobs truthers rise up we won (its just me) we won!

the new kids dressing room does the wolf of wall street chest hitting thing lol

michael listens to two diff revolution speeches i think?

bronte’s is seeing ryan :)

THE GIRLSIES PLAY HIDE AND SEEK BACKSTAGE DURING THEIR BREAKS PLS

matthew talks abt what alex hatton used to do, look at a pic of his gf and grandparent pls aw

archie used to jump on a chair at the five before he. hit his head. bro

jacob does a diff riddle for each mic check!!

that’s all the best ones i could catch!!

#newsies uk #uksies #newsies #newsies cast #fizz freaks #analysis #sure.. why not

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bosskie · 28 days

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2 Years Ol' Blog 'n' 3D Molluck Stuff

Man, having this blog has been a ride... I posted my first post here on 1st April 2022 and created this blog/account a few days before. During this whole time, my mental health issues have affected my blog and I was about to delete it before I even posted anything but I still decided to give it a try since I already got some followers; it felt supportive. I was surprised to have such a warm welcoming here and it still warms my heart. I still had some moments when I had to hide all my posts since I just couldn't stand my own stuff. Sometimes, it still comes to my mind but I'm doing my best to try to learn to at least tolerate my own creations. I feel sorry for being like this but only if it was easy to get rid of self-hatred... I also just tend to only see all my mistakes I have made when I look at my stuff, all the things I should learn...

But I try to be positive here, even I just tend to see darkness when I think about my own future. I just don't believe in myself... Originally, I didn't wanna be personal here but it just happened when one anon asked me if I had more art to show... I didn't since I have hidden all my old art. I have been on Tumblr for 10+ years but never posted anything until I created this blog. What brought me here was the active Oddworld community, the lovely people here. Even I think dim things about myself like every day, I do appreciate your support! Even I have my own difficulties with believing in that I have any talent/skills, compliments are light to my own dark image of myself.

I'll talk more later on this post but now, I'll show some 3D Molluck stuff and well, talk about Molluck... I show first my first Molluck sculpt I did improve today (yesterday):

I would still say that this is a WIP since well, there do is stuff to improve and do but yeah, I think that it would be wiser to let this be now and redo this since this is done in such an amateur way... There is no way to animate this since its geometry is a nightmare... I was able to rig this a bit when it wasn't so detailed, test out animating it but then, it became impossible. But well, the truth is that I do have still made animations with this despite of that... Frankly, the reason why I created this sculpt was my thirst for Molluck, how much I wish I was able to be with him... But this has helped me out multiple times with my drawings too!

I'm still not totally sure about some things of his anatomy but I have been doing my best to figure it out. I also realize that this sculpt makes Molluck look a bit more muscular/bigger than he is (see his neck and head size) but I have tried my best with fixing this situation since he did look even more bulky back then... The difference ain't too big but well, I do can create my own version of him too! I also see that this ain't 100 % correct when it comes to his face too but I tried my best. I'm still a beginner with 3D stuff, so I didn't use the best methods to do this either... I also feel like I just learned new things about his head when I compared this to the SoulStorm model recently... So yeah, this sculpt is a mixture of SoulStorm model, good ol' concept art of Gluk anatomy and my own adjustments. I only say SoulStorm model because it's based on New 'n' Tasty model, so he probably looks like the same under the suit but yes, that naked Molluck model has been my main reference for his body. The biggest change I have done compared to that has been his hands since I love his hand in that concept art! They are just the best hands, the most beautiful hands I know... But well, his whole body is the most beautiful body, at least for me!

Yeah, I think that I have made it quite clear how much I would love to have him... I already have said it but, he is my only desire... I cannot help myself with that Molluck is 'a perfect man' for me... No one else has felt right for me, there was always something off... But frankly, even I have seen multiple people being thirsty for Molluck, I have seen no one else wanting him like I do... None of that 'spicy' Molluck art I have seen reminds me of mine. It's just interesting how differently I see him since in the others' 'spicy art' Molluck has similar vibe and role... I don't really want Molluck because I have a thirst for him; I only have a thirst for him because I love him and for me, it's about sharing and giving love! I truly wish to make him feel good and loved. I have decided that I don't post my NSFW Molluck content but some cropped stuff but I could still post some suggestive things, though like I have said, I see him from a different perspective than the ones I have seen, with what I mean that he is 'the receiver'. I have just never seen him in this role by the others. I guess that this can explain why I have said that for me, he already has 'the stuff', no need for 'the usual additions'. His body also just feels more 'elegant' when there is no such a thing. This is just my preference, you can have yours. But it's just interesting to see how my way to imagine/see Molluck differs from the others. Though yes, I do remember when that one Molluck ask blog was still active and at least one person asked if Molluck liked things in his ass... Might have been just harassment or no one has just published such a content...

Frankly, I do actually prefer his back view instead of his front view, even I have been drawing it more... It's just that I'm unsure of how to handle nudity here... I don't wanna post his ass in front of the people who don't wanna see it... Nudity is natural for me but I just don't wanna make anyone feel uncomfortable because of my naked Molluck stuff... I just adore his body, so gotta draw it... Man, I would just keep talking how much I love his different body parts but I save you from that...

So, yeah, let's move on! I have already shown this one but I feel like reposting it now:

This is my stylized, simple Molluck model from last summer (2023). It's close to be finished since it's meant to be simple but some details are missing. You might wonder what's this style: Back then, I was inspired by Osamu Sato and his old video game graphics, so I wanted to create something similar to his style. I would like to try to rig this and then try to create more 3D models. Man, I would like to do so much 3D stuff... Oh, and yeah, it would be fun to make a naked version of him with this style too! I just have so much Molluck art ideas inside my head...

Oh, and yeah, I have been thinking for a longer time if I should show this or not but this feels like the right place to do it. So yes, I have created like a year ago a Molluck sim for The Sims 2. I know that it can look odd but he cannot look much better without doing own mods... I don't know how to mod these games but would like to learn it.

But yeah, I pretty muchly abused the face sliders here and did my own textures but also found a cigar for him. I did improve his face over time since I also needed to see how it works in the game. I also needed to lift his face after I found the cigar to place it into his mouth. It's basically only possible to create him to The Sims 2 like this because of the Body Shop is such a great tool and it actually lets you to use those face sliders without a limit: just edit the sim over and over again. Though yes, there is a tool to paint your sim's textures in The Sims 1 but it's such a pain to use... Oh, and you might notice those little dots: I just love to add his nevi to him, like you might have noticed from my drawings!

And yeah, my only reason for creating this Molluck sim was my self-insert stuff, even I do prefer him like he is, not as 'an anthro'... I just crave for this Gluk every day... Well, the good thing is that I'm able to create stuff about him, so I get some help even I know that I'll never get him... Also, even I recently said that marriage feels odd, it has now started to make some sense to me... I mean, I have started to feel alright about it. Maybe it's that my feeling of Molluck being 'the one' for me is getting stronger and stronger or it's a sign of my healing since I have just felt like it's better that no one is bound to me... Maybe it's the both. But despite of this, I still value the friendship the most since it's the strongest relationship type, so when the relationship is based on it, it's stronger than mere romance ect. I don't know if it sounds odd or not but for the first time, I actually feel good about marrying Molluck.

But yeah, this has already been a long post but just wanna say some stuff related to my blog:

I have multiple reasons why I tend to turn reblogs off and it's only for my own mental health, not that I had anything against you. Sometimes, I just kinda hate to see myself posting so actively, so I don't really like to see my stuff on someone else's blog either... I have never really known what to think about reblogs... Also, I don't like some technical things related to them, so it also makes me prefer to have them off. Maybe there somewhere my feeling of that I'm just ruining everything, also this community, affects this too... It's at least one big reason why I don't really interact here, even I would like to.

The truth is that I have never pressed the like button here, even I would have liked to, and it's just because of me feeling like it's better that I'm invisible. I tend to feel ashamed of myself, think that I'm a failure... It's not easy for me to be open and relaxed but I just wish to talk about Molluck so much that this happens... I do have other things in my life too but it's much more difficult for me to talk about them... I just feel like that if I didn't have Molluck, I wouldn't post any content right now, would have disappeared from the Internet. It's like extremely difficult for me to create an online imago, 'sell myself', build a portfolio... It has felt like this is gonna be my doom... My own self-hatred... But I'm still trying my best and going to make a big investment to this stuff this year, so that I can create better 3D stuff and use Unreal Engine. It's just for my future, otherwise I wouldn't feel ready to do it. I'm just trying to believe in myself, even it feels so difficult... I just wanna be honest about what I'm going thru since it affects my content a lot.

I have already written so much, so it's probably the best to end this post. But before that, I do wanna thank for all your support and your understanding, patience... I thought that I would probably be left all alone again after I open up about the hell I have inside my mind, that probably no one actually wants me to be here, like I'm used to think, but I have been wrong. It really touches me that I have been welcomed here and despite of everything, you still wish to support me. It's just about to make me cry, especially when, frankly, suicidal thoughts are quite common for me, been for over a decade. It's just like something daily... I'm so used to it. But something always just tells me not to do it, even I have thought about it like over a thousand times, if not thousands of times... Sometimes, I just think that I should be Molluck's next meat product but in my imagination, he still tells me that he would only lose money if he did that because I'm priceless.

I don't expect that people really read my stuff but I do really appreciate all the time you spend on my stuff since time is valuable! I just kinda need to write this stuff to here since I spend like almost all of my time alone and there somewhere I also wish that all this writing could help the others who also deal with similar mental health problems. I often feel like no healing has actually happened but I see from little things that slow healing is happening, like that I feel now alright about marrying Molluck and it only happened like a few days ago. I'm just starting to find happiness thru Molluck but he alone hasn't still helped me to heal. Even my mind keeps telling me it's a waste to support me and I have difficulties with receiving compliments, all support is still helping me.

Sometimes, I still think about this anon's words from about two years ago: 'I am cheering you and Molluck on and toasting to your brilliance.' The other compliments I have also gotten do also echo inside my head from time to time but I just wanted to say that I would have never imagined something like this to be said to me and these words do really mean a lot to me still. Toasting also just sounded fitting for this anniversary, so even this feels difficult for me, because I suffer from this severe self-hatred, I wish to toast to myself, for keeping going, even it has been so difficult, felt so tempting to end this all... But I wouldn't have still made it this far alone, so thanks for my family, all the lovely people who have supported me thru my life but also OWI for creating Molluck( and Oddworld)! It just feels like a miracle that I'm still here.

~ Much love!

#molluck #oddworld molluck #molluck the glukkon #art like a bosskie #oddworld

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7grandmel · 4 months

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Todays rip: 20/12/2023

11 Minutes of City Pop

Season 4 Episode 2 Featured on: Neon Lights & Holiday Nights ~ The SiIvaGunner All-Star Winter Festival Collection

Directed by Ahmaykmewsik, Millenium Hero For full list of contributors, see YouTube upload

youtube

Two days ago, with Ripping Video Game Music......At Night (2020 Edition), and with several rips from Season 4 Episode 2 in general, I've described the Season as one big celebration. The big reason for that is obvious - it was a year of recovery after the SiIva team pulled out absolutely all of the stocks at once for the biggest event in the channel's history with the King for Another Day tournament, and the SiIvaSummer Festival was primarily dedicated to celebrating DJ Professor K's victory in the tournament. Yet, with 32 contestants entering, with no rematch or future events involving them clearly in sight - a lot of the remaining 31 contestants became treasured by the fanbase in general during, and after, the tournament. It meant a lot to people, more than the first tournament in Season 3 could've really prepared the SiIva team for - and one of the most adored contestants was the holder of the silver medal, and star of 11 Minutes of City Pop - Mariya Takeuchi.

In my eyes, a big reason as for why DJ Professor K wound up taking the tournament, was because he was the contestant who best represented huge parts of what SiIvaGunner is - a celebration of pop culture, self-expression, video games and the art of remixing. And in a way, I feel like Mariya Takeuchi was the perfect grand finalist to match him, in encapsulating so much of the other side of SiIvaGunner. To me, she embodies the niche interests, the depths of YouTube scavenging, the art and appreciation of genuinely fantastic music and the emotional ties we can have to the strangest of things. And due to all of that, it was an absolute delight to see her receive a wonderful consolation price later in the Season, in the form of a collaboration so huge I can't bring myself to list all of its contributors here. 11 Minutes of City Pop, despite being a silver-medalist award, does not cut any corners on delivering exactly what's on the tin.

It has everything we've come to expect from these current huge-scale collaborations, with tons of different styles and creators featured, yet it casts a far wider net: it doesn't center on just one single meme song a la Plastic Love, but instead arranges two dozen hits from the City Pop genre into a listen that manages to feel surprisingly cohesive despite its variety. Part of that is of course the excellent VHS-tape visuals attached to the collaboration - aside from the incredibly well done artwork on both Mariya and the environment, the work done by livvy94 to properly record the footage on VHS is remarkable. I recommend going to the SiIvaGunner Wiki to look at the behind-the-scenes images of the process, because it really puts into perspective how much went into a celebration like this - compared to how easy, yet cheap-feeling, it would've been to just use a filter in a video editing program.

Looking back on it all, I absolutely adore SiIvaGunner's 2020, and it was a huge source of happiness and joy during a time when it was hard to stay optimistic. The feeling of joy that all of this celebration contained were infectious beyond belief, and was absolutely a worthy send-off to KFAD in so many ways. To me, projects like the King for Another Day tournament, like the SiIvaSummer Festival, like Halation Celebration and rips like snow halation but it shreds, and indeed projects like 11 Minutes of City Pop, all demonstrate just how much SiIvaGunner matured during Season 4's two-year run.

#todays siivagunner #season 4 episode 2 #siivagunner #siiva #Ahmaykmewsik #Millenium Hero #king for another day tournament #kfad2 #kfad #siivagunner kfad #king for a day tournament #mariya takeuchi #plastic love #city pop #80s aesthetic #vhs aesthetic #vhs #anime #80s anime

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sirnavergi · 2 months

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i saw one of your oc arts and please please tell me about them!!

(more specifically i saw the one you captioned "designed what remiel looked like as a kid today" and-- !!!!! the colors!!! the shading!!! it's amazing)

AHHH HELLO!!! THANK YOU SO MUCHH

I’ll do my best to explain it! I’d like to mention that the artwork isn’t actually a canon scene that happens and is moreso? symbolical 🤧 If that makes sense.

The characters name’s are Soleil (she uses any pronouns! In case me switching them gets confusing!) and Remiel, Remiel being the kid, obv.

I’ll have to go into my world building deets a lil so . apologies for that bc it’s usually kind of loaded😓

Soleil is something I call a guardian. A guardian is basically a piece of The Sky, a personification of sorts. The Sky is sort of like a god. In the very, detached, concept beyond your comprehension kind of way, that doesn’t communicate or really intervene as itself. Simply just. exist as the biggest thing, the thing everything else branches off from.

And Soleil, is one of many guardians. A guardian is the heart of a universe! They emerge in empty spaces within the ether, and fill it with a world that directly parallels their consciousness, their feelings etc.

Soleil is special in the way he interacts with everything around her. In a way she can hear all the faint melodies of everything that exists, including the sky itself! Which she actually kind of, hates! He thinks the sounds coming from The Sky are always very melancholic and upsetting. Therefore when Soleil finally gets to make their own world, a sort of veil appears, that hides The Sky away from her world, and “silences” the sounds.

Inherently, Soleil also shares the same melody with The Sky, as they are a part of it whether he likes it or not, but he refuses to acknowledge this. Drowning out their own sound, the sound of The Sky, with the sound of every living being on their world.

The world continues to thrive in this fashion, with Soleil existing as a distant observer to her creation for a loooong time until one day. A kid is born and this kid? Has the same melody as The Sky. This kid, is Remiel!

Remiel is a lot of things, I can say A LOT about his childhood, which I won’t get into right now as It’s not important to the context of the drawing. Main things that he is, that matters right now, is that he’s quite literally Soleil’s perception of The Sky, hidden deep somewhere in their subconscious, becoming a real physical tangible person in the world that emerged from their feelings!

This frustrates Soleil, they tried SO HARD to keep that sound out of the choir, to tune it out, to drown it out and now its back.

Okay so to sum it all up here. Soleil is created by The Sky, and is a piece of The Sky. Remiel is created by Soleil, but represents The Sky.

If, for simplicity’s sake I refer to The Sky as Soleil’s mom, to make the dynamic easier to understand, Soleil is Remiel’s “mom”, but Remiel is a literal representation of Soleil’s view of her own “mom” which Soleil hates, but despite this she’s also a lot like and shares many traits with her “mom”. And it’s just a big mess of, I’m your creator (mom), but you’re my creator, but we’re also similar, we are the same, but we’re not the same, you made me and I made you. And so forth.

Remiel doesn’t grow up to be the best person, that’s why I chose to draw him as a child. I think that’s especially when the interpretation of this dynamic as more familial hits hardest, because it could also be seen as directly reversing the dynamic, where Sol is a very old thing, as old as their universe quite literally, and Remiel is just a kid, about to hear a lot of things he wont like. ^_^

The more maternal interpretation also makes me upset /pos as Soleil’s issue is not really with Remiel or The Sky, but it’s with herself and her feeling stuck, unable to detach herself from their creator and it’s misery.

Sorry this is kinda messy n all over the place I hope I could get the main idea across at least😓 THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN! For the ask and the compliment :3 It means a lot!

#key answering questions :3 #v teatime #i type like im allergic to periods i fear #apologies to all🤧#kid remi kills me bc hes like 40 now n hes the worst persoj ever lmao #i love soleil teatime shoutout to her #hiding this in the tags but while soleils solution to their #distaste of the sky is to shut it out #a different guardian #whos names aposis #does the oppossite and creates the worst ever world ever . just to try n get the sky to #quote on quote see them #ummm theres also aaa bunch of stuff with guardians who straightup fail #n cant create a world #ok i will shut up now thank you so much for the ask :3

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whatavery · 1 month

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Ordained Defiance Ch. 3

And here we go with the third chapter, featuring some lovely art by Miles Crow over on twitter! This chapter is where things really start picking up, it was initially twice as long, so I split it up. This chapter is titled Curse and Mark.

Holding over a hundred dollars in his hand made Cainan's hand shake ever so slightly. This was still so unreal to get used to. It wasn't his first time holding a big bundle like this. He safely slipped the bundle of cash into his inner coat pocket where it would be safe. “So, what’s your secret, kid?”

Cainan perked his ears up and glanced at the immensely muscular, hulking form of the speakeasy owner before him. Looking down at him, he appeared intimidating as always, but Cainan just smiled up at him. His fluffy, white tail gave a single flick as he spoke. “Secret? What do you mean, Mr. G.? I’d never keep any secrets from you…”

The tall man smirked and gave a snort. “Hah, if you say so. Still, you’ve got some damned good luck… or you somehow know what you’re doing. You go have fun with the cash, kid.”

The younger cat smiled and lingered around, for a moment considering if he should say anything else, but… he thought better of it. The young cat averted his gaze when their eyes met again, ears lowered slightly.

“What’s the matter? Something wrong?” the bigger cat asked as he started wiping down the race results on the blackboard that hung on the brick-wall. His tone was not particularly interested, but the fact that he asked at all made Cainan's heart skip a beat. The small speakeasy was empty for the time being, the radio beside Mr. Grombach turned off. Even the bartender was gone.

“Oh, nothing, Mr. G. Just… You have a good night, alright?” Cainan asked, slightly breathless. He still hovered around, knowing he was overstaying his welcome, but not having the sense to do anything about it besides sticking around.

“I think we’re past you callin’ me that by now, kid,” the big cat grunted, shooting Cainan a look; almost amused, almost pleasant. “Just call me Gracie.”

“Gracie… Hope to see you soon, Gracie.”

-----

Cainan opened his eyes as he awoke, staring up at the ceiling of his car. Waking up wasn't too difficult for Cainan these days. The car wasn't exactly comfortable to sleep in, so there was little to no chance of him drifting off again as soon as he was awake. He’d slept in his clothes as he had no other choice, though as he got out of the car to stretch his legs, he did make sure to throw a different shirt on. He left his dark gray sweater behind and swapped it for a light gray, albeit very wrinkly, button-up shirt and his favorite brown coat. It was a warm one, not exactly the most in fashion or the most flattering thing he owned, but given how cool the mornings still were, Cainan didn’t see a reason not to wear something that would keep him warm rather than stylish.

Sitting on the back seat, Cainan ate bread, dried meat and cheese. It was the best he could do these days and luckily, it kept for quite some time. The bread was the biggest concern, but Cainan also knew he had to make it last as long as he could. Of course, he would need to buy more food in the near future. He had money, but it was a finite resource for the time being, so he made sure to stretch it as long as he could every time he bought food.

The sun had barely come up, the sky bright, but the rays of the celestial light had not yet reached the forested area where Cainan was staying, leaving it somewhat dark. He wasn't sure what today might bring, but he intended on going into town on his own after meeting with Father Arbogast. After finishing his rather unimpressive breakfast, Cainan packed it away and locked down his car, before he waded through the knee-high grass, which was wet from the morning dew, dark streaks soon forming across the legs of his denim pants as he made it out to the open fields. Brushing his bangs out of his eyes, Cainan stepped onto the nearest dirt road and headed back towards where the church was.

Hands in his pockets, Cainan glanced out at the open, sweeping hills around the road, the crops and the grass all glistening in the early light as the sun finally started coming up over the eastern hills. It bathed the entire area in its golden glow, the dewy vegetation all around shimmering and Cainan's white fur was practically glowing. It was a cool morning as the spring breeze still had a sharpness to it that cut right through Cainan's facial fur, but the sun helped make him feel a bit more comfortable at least.

He cast a glance towards the east horizon, squinting against the bright sun. It was hard to appreciate, really, but he did remember what Defiance sunrises were like, having seen quite a few of them in the thirteen years he'd lived in the small township. Especially in springtime, it wasn't so unusual to have to get up before the sun rose. Cainan got his early education here in town, but not at a school – at least not officially. Rather, he and other children his age started out learning from a local man who taught them to read, write and do math.

It was all Cainan needed to know, really. He'd learned a great many things after running away, but he'd never completed any higher form of education. In his time alone, especially living in St. Louis, he'd gotten by on pure street smarts for the most part. Of course, it had been a life with a steep learning curve, but Cainan had made do with the hand he was dealt. And it wasn't like the jobs he'd taken up in the years leading up to this moment in time had really cared if he had a high school diploma or not.

Kicking a small rock off the road and into the crops he passed, Cainan had to wonder what he was going to say to Father Arbogast when he found him. Would it be a better approach to tell him exactly how bad things were? On the one hand, that would be the honest thing to do… and didn’t he owe the older reverend that? But on the other… He didn’t want to come out and say it all so suddenly; it might seem like he was trying to get Father Arbogast to pity him… Although was that really such a bad thing?

Cainan wasn't sure what approach was better. A part of him – possibly his pride, probably his ego – couldn’t bear the thought of coming to someone on his knees like that in his time of need. He'd wanted to make a life for himself ever since he left Defiance all those years ago and he wasn’t going to change that now.

Surely… as soon as he got some kind of work in town (if he did) Cainan would be able to repay the village minister for his help, whether that be monetary or not. That way, he'd feel debt-free. Cainan had never liked the feeling that he owed anyone anything. It had been a contributor to how and why he was in his current situation. Rolling in money one day, having it all taken away the next, Cainan had lived through that reality and it had been the hit that struck him and set him on his current trajectory.

St. Louis… that had been where it happened. He'd had all he wanted; his own home, money, a car and more. And he’d lost nearly all of it in a series of bad decisions. Last time Cainan had felt true comfort was five years ago when he was twenty-two. In fact, it had actually been remarkably close to luxury.

Perhaps people simply shouldn’t be trusted with that much money at that age, Cainan thought to himself as he continued on his way along the dirt road. He walked the same road that he and Father Arbogast had walked together before they parted ways, on the outskirts of Defiance. As Cainan got closer, he got the same sense of familiarity he'd felt whilst walking around the small town the previous day, just looking around, getting reacquainted with the once familiar surroundings. Even now, wherever he looked, he saw things that reminded him of his old life when his whole world was only as wide as Defiance.

Leaving this place had simultaneously been the scariest as well as the most exciting thing to ever happen to him. Walking along the road, Cainan tried to recall what it had been like to walk this road in the opposite direction. He’d followed the road to the nearest train station, the very same one where he'd managed to sneak onto a train and ride it two stations away by himself. It admittedly hadn’t been far, but he’d decided he’d rather get off early than get in trouble later for riding the train for free.

Cainan didn’t remember the name of the town where he first got off the train, but it had been a small town, not unlike Defiance. It had been comparatively bigger, however. It had been the beginning of a bit of town hopping for him. He had started in the area not too far from Defiance, but as he got bolder, Cainan started traveling further and further away, eventually ending up in St. Louis where he'd spent the most time.

Finally arriving near the church, Cainan stopped near a tree on the small hill overlooking the area. From here he could see the growing cornfields with their still glistening crops. The sun had come up enough to bathe the area in light, the leaves on the trees shining, the dull, dusty road appearing almost radiant, contrasting with the darker grass and crops it stretched between. An old sign and a short fence lined the right side of the road. From here, Cainan could see the church from a distance, just as he had when he'd arrived the day before.

Just a few farm houses were near the church and a bit further away, Cainan could see a large barn near more cornfields. Two small groves were situated near the church, one right across the dusty path, another closer to the barn in the distance.

Cainan sat down by the big tree on the side of the road, resting his back against the trunk as he sat on the still wet grass. He hadn't even checked the time yet. Fishing out an old pocket watch, Cainan saw that it wasn't even seven yet. The clock’s metallic body was dented and scratched and the glass on the front had a single crack going across it from the upper right to the bottom left.

Cainan had never been an early riser, but he supposed that was one of the changes that his less than ideal sleeping arrangements had ushered in.

“God, what am I even doing here…?” Cainan asked himself. His eyes settling on the church, Cainan almost snorted at the unintentional irony of his exclamation.

“I don’t know, but I would've picked a more dry place to sit down.” Cainan glanced up when he was addressed to see an older man approaching from his left. The older tuxedo cat had a bit of a limping walk, Cainan noticed, and he was dressed in a thick, brown sweater and blue denim overalls, his getup not so unlike Cainan's own, especially the one he’d worn the previous day. His facial fur was speckled with silver streaks and Cainan also noticed his breathing appeared rather labored. He wondered why he would be out walking like this, if it was such a struggle, but Cainan supposed he was trying to keep active despite his age.

“Oh, good morning, sir,” Cainan said with a small smile, although he was cautious. He could recognize the older cat based on looks, but he couldn’t place him, couldn’t attach a name to his face.

“Mornin’. You’re up and at ‘em early, young man,” he said rather gruffly. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

“Oh, sort’a – I’m supposed to meet someone down by the church later,” Cainan told him, tone casual, but still polite. The tuxedo cat didn’t seem outright cold towards him, unlike Mr. Lang at the post office, and he wanted to keep it that way. It was a fact Cainan was thankful for, of course – he wasn’t going to complain about a lack of hostility.

“Is that right?” The older cat didn’t seem to approve of the idea, but nevertheless he just shrugged and continued on his way without another word. Cainan sat by and watched him as he left, his gait slow and staggered. As Cainan sat by the tree, another cool spring breeze swept over him, making him shudder slightly. He watched the old tuxedo cat turning left to make his way down the hill towards the church.

“Say… You headed for the church too?” Cainan asked, getting to his feet, brushing himself off. His blue denim pants had dark spots from the morning dew on the plants where he'd been seated, but he didn’t care. Leaving the tree, Cainan approached the older cat, who looked back at him with a pair of bright yellow-green eyes that contrasted so with his otherwise monochromatic fur.

“That I am,” the older cat grunted, before continuing on his way. Cainan caught up to him rather easily and walked by his side. “You’re welcome to walk with me, by the way.”

“Oh, thank you…” Cainan was no fool, he could pick up sarcasm when he heard it, but nevertheless he walked with the older cat. “I’m Cainan, by the way.”

“Cainan?” The older cat stopped and stared at Cainan with a look of comprehension on his face and Cainan, who also stopped, wished he'd kept his mouth shut. He felt himself tensing, bracing for whatever was to come. “Why didn’t you say so? I hardly even recognized you, boy.”

Cainan was dumbfounded as he stood there, unsure of what to say. Clearly the older cat recognized him, but his tone wasn't a displeased one, far from it. He sounded almost… amused. “Uh… pardon?”

“There’s only ever been one Cainan in Defiance, boy. And you look just like your parents.” Cainan's jaw tightened at this, but he simply nodded in silence as he followed along, right ear giving a slight flick. As much as he hated it, he knew it to be true. “What brings you back? I never thought you’d be brave enough to show your face here again.”

“It’s complicated… I suppose I was feeling nostalgic.” Cainan was cautious, but it felt nice to talk to a local who didn’t seem hostile towards him. “I really just wanted to take a look around, sir-”

“Just call me Wendell,” the older cat told Cainan. Of course – Tomas Wendell! Cainan remembered that name; he remembered this man. Though he didn’t recall ever actually speaking to him, he distinctly remembered seeing him around the church when he was being dragged along as a small child. He was the groundskeeper, as far as Cainan remembered, though as the two of them made it to the foot of the gently sloping hill, Cainan couldn’t help but notice just how different he looked. He supposed time would take quite a toll on someone who worked such a physically demanding job for that long. As the two walked the road between the cornfields, the church approaching on their left, the older cat spoke again. “Well, I’d dare say you ain't too popular around here, boy.”

“Yeah, I noticed…” Cainan's jaw tightened again, looking straight ahead at the white building. “It’s uhm… It ain't going to be a problem if I stick around, is it?”

“Stick around?” Wendell almost sneered at him. “And where would you stay? Are you looking to buy a house?”

Cainan didn’t respond. He supposed that was something he admittedly hadn't really thought about. Even if he somehow managed to get a job around these parts, he would still have to work for a long time to even afford his own place to live, at least he imagined so.

“A good question… I’m still working on that part,” was all Cainan said in a falsely optimistic tone that almost fooled himself – almost. In truth, Cainan hadn't a clue how, when or if he'd figure it out. “So, how have things been around here? You still looking after the church and all?”

“That I am.” Cainan could tell by Wendell's short response that he didn’t seem to be in a very talkative mood. Although given his rather labored breathing, Cainan couldn’t blame him. Perhaps he shouldn’t try and initiate conversation with the tuxedo cat just yet… “But not for much longer, I suspect.”

Hearing this, Cainan stared in surprise at the older cat, who just snorted at him. It wasn't every day Cainan heard people just talking about their eventual passing in such a casual way, but he supposed it was different for someone of Wendell's age, compared to someone around his own… The two continued in silence and made it to the front of the church at which point Wendell turned away.

“Oh, you’re not going-?” Cainan asked stupidly pointing at the church, which seemed to be completely closed off. The tuxedo cat shot him a look and shook his head.

“No, I need to take care of the lawn.” Wendell gestured towards the grass around the church with his hand in an almost dismissive manner. He didn’t seem too pleased and the grass certainly looked like it had seen better days. Watching the older cat leaving, limping away towards a nearby barn past the small groves, Cainan couldn’t help but feel a little bad; the idea that a cat his age had to deal with maintaining the lawn all by his lonesome…

Cainan glanced towards the church as he averted his gaze from Wendell and tried the door, but found it locked. Sitting down on the steps up to the church and resting his arms on his knees, Cainan glanced at the area around him, from the growing corn crops on his right to the small groves nearby on his left. Cainan didn’t know if those patches of grass around them was Wendell's responsibility as well or not, but he imagined they might be. As he sat there, Cainan stifled a yawn, watching Wendell in the distance as he moved up towards the barn.

Cainan sighed and shook his head before he rose to his feet. He trudged along the dirt road up towards the barn just as Wendell made his way inside. When Cainan reached the brown, wooden building, he peered inside past the big door. “Hey, Mr. Wendell? Do you… need any help or something?”

The older cat had picked up a scythe and when he noticed him, he turned towards Cainan. It was an oddly menacing sight as he stood in the relative dark of the barn. “Help?”

“I mean with the grass ‘n all…” Cainan didn’t know if he should say anything about it, but the very idea of an older man like Wendell doing this manual labor by himself didn’t quite sit right with him. Wasn't he going to retire anytime soon? He was wearing down his own body and, especially at his age, it couldn’t be good, right? “I can help you cut it or something, if you need it…”

For a moment, Wendell simply stood there, looking at Cainan without a word. Silently, he made his way towards the younger cat before handing him the scythe. The large tool was quite intimidating and Cainan was already starting to regret asking – he'd never actually used a scythe in his life.

“No idea what you’re hoping to get out of this, kid, but if you insist… And I ain't payin’ you,” the old cat grumbled.

“Oh that’s fine, I wasn’t asking for any pay, sir.”

Wendell grabbed a shovel and a pitchfork, placing them both into an old wooden wheelbarrow. As Wendell began to wheel it out of the barn, Cainan hesitated for a bit, wanting to say something. Wendell snorted derisively when their eyes met. “What, you don’t think I can handle pushing this thing over to the church?”

“No, no- I mean yes. I’m sure you can, Mr. Wendell,” Cainan said, stumbling his way through his words. He just shrugged and followed along, one hand in his pants pocket, the other holding the scythe as he rested the long wooden shaft against his shoulder as he walked.

Once they’d made it back to the church, Cainan yawned, garnering the attention of Wendell who snorted. “No time to be sleepy, boy. You asked to help, so here’s what you do: just get the grass nice ‘n short… You hear?”

“Uh… Yeah, I’ve got it…” Cainan carefully took a hold of the scythe’s shaft, weighing it in his hands. It didn’t feel quite right the way he held it, but it seemed like the only way to actually hold it. It was decently heavy and one hand on the main body and the other on the handle, Cainan eventually raised it, preparing to slash downwards when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Cainan turned to Wendell, looking stunned when he saw the look of outrage on the tuxedo cat’s face. “Don’t you know how to use a scythe?”

“Do I look like I know what I’m doing?” Cainan asked the groundskeeper in a rather defensive manner. The older cat sighed and rubbed his temples. He had to show Cainan how to hold it; one hand on the main body, one on the handle jutting out from it further up closer to the blade. Even then, it didn’t feel quite right. Following Wendell's instructions, however, Cainan soon got to work, mowing the grass with wide, sweeping swings, letting the top blade stop itself from cutting the grass too low.

It was hard work and as the sun rose higher in the sky, it only got harder. Cainan eventually had to remove his coat, carelessly tossing it onto the front step of the church, before rolling up the sleeves of his short. While Cainan worked, Wendell watched him closely, scrutinizing his every move, occasionally grunting corrections at him whenever Cainan would start to relax and slouch. He’d just groan in response; he couldn’t complain, nor could he back out now; he’d volunteered; what kind of idiot would he look like backing out and making the old groundskeeper do this?

Although Cainan supposed that technically this was his job to begin with…

“Well, this is certainly a surprise.” Cainan stopped mid swing and turned his head to see Father Arbogast standing there on the path, watching him. Clad in all black once again, he stood out like a sore thumb against the green of the crops and grass all around. Cainan had managed to get most of the grass around the front of the church, having slowly worked his way closer and closer to the white building. As the older reverend looked him over, Cainan wiped his brow. “Good morning, Wendell, Mr. Wirth…”

“Please… just Cainan,” Cainan huffed at Father Arbogast. While Cainan had been mowing down the grass, Wendell had used the pitchfork and shovel to move the cut grass up into the wheelbarrow, ready to cart it off. “Good morning, Father. I was wondering when you’d get here.”

“Were you now…? That's very interesting…” Wendell noted curiously, looking between the two. The apricot-furred reverend didn’t speak for a while, though Cainan noticed him exchanging meaningful looks with Wendell. Cainan hadn't the slightest clue what they could silently be communicating, but he thought he saw Father Arbogast subtly shaking his head at Wendell.

“Yeah, we were going to discuss my- uh…” Cainan hesitated. If looks could kill, the look Father Arbogast gave him at the moment may have managed to single-handedly win the Great War.

“Yes…?” Wendell asked, looking over at Father Arbogast in an almost eager manner, it was a tone Cainan hadn't heard from the older cat before. “What were you two looking to discuss exactly?”

Seeing the borderline murderous look on Father Arbogast’s face and then seeing the violently contrasting look on Wendell's, Cainan had to resist the urge to smirk. In an exaggeratedly casual tone, the young cat replied, “Oh, we were just going to talk about work. I’ve been looking for some. Imagine that…”

Wendell let out a dry chortle. “A job, eh? Why, I’d dare say just you might have found one, boy. What do you say, Father?”

“Absolutely not…!” the reverend snapped, at which point Cainan couldn’t help but feel the corners of his mouth tugging upwards. Intense blue-eyed glare fixed on Cainan, Father Arbogast looking quite outraged. However, while the sight might be intimidating at a glance, Cainan couldn’t help but find it amusing too. Why was he so against him taking up this job?

“Why don’t you finish up here while Father Arbogast and I talk for a bit?” Wendell asked Cainan as he put the shovel and pitchfork down by the wheelbarrow, which was already filling up nicely. The tuxedo cat limped over to the taller, leaner cat and the two of them set off down the path towards the barn where Cainan and Wendell had come from.

-----

“Under absolutely no circumstances am I allowing him of all people to fill in the position, Wendell. I will not hear it,” Abelard insisted once he thought they'd be out of earshot. He cast a look back over his shoulder where he saw Cainan working still. The young cat likewise cast a glance over his shoulder at them, making Abelard avert his own gaze. He looked at the black and white cat beside him, scowling.

“And why not? The kid’s still young, and he was willing to help me out without expecting a reward, you know,” Wendell replied ever so casually as he limped along beside the taller cat’s long strides, keeping up the best he could. “Kid don’t seem so bad to me.”

“He’s trouble, I can just tell. I don’t trust him.” Abelard didn’t even notice his voice climbing an octave as he spoke. “He’s hiding something and I’m starting to get my suspicions about what it is…”

Wendell gave a derisive snort, which got Abelard's attention, the tall reverend squinting at him. Wendell just shot him a look of indifference. “Setting your personal bias aside, and setting aside what people might say about him, look at him; he’s up there cutting grass outside a church at the break of dawn.”

“Your point being…?”

“My point being that if he’s willing to do that without getting paid, I believe he just might be able to take good care of this place with an added incentive.” Wendell stretched and came to a halt, sighing. “And besides, Abelard… look at me, for Pete’s sake; I’m getting old and I’m tired. Give the kid a chance, damn it. I’ll show him the ropes.”

For the first time in a while, Abelard looked properly at Wendell. He was right; he’d been looking after the grounds longer than Abelard had been preaching. He was limping there right by his side, his breath raspy and labored. Abelard had watched him tending to the grounds for decades now, always had the reassuring presence there to keep things orderly and make sure things were as they should be.

But even Abelard, in all his stubbornness, could tell that Wendell wanted nothing more than to retire and rest. This man had been working tirelessly for most of his life, Abelard knew that much.

He sighed.

“Do you truly believe he will be a suitable successor? Can you honestly tell me that an untrustworthy individual such as this boy deserves the privilege of looking after our church?” Abelard asked, casting another glance over his shoulder where he realized Cainan had stopped working and had fully turned towards them. How much had he heard?

“I've not seen any reason not to trust him yet. He asked me if I wanted help out of his own volition and that to me is very telling. Don’t matter what people used to say about him – at least not to me,” Wendell told Abelard, before he too cast a glance over at Cainan. He smirked a bit. “I bet he heard you using your preacher voice.”

Abelard silently scowled at the older cat before closing his eyes, sighing. He removed his hat and rubbed his temples. “… Fine, I will give him a chance – one chance. But if he turns out to be as much of a troublemaker as I think, may the Lord have mercy on your soul, Wendell…!”

“Yeah, yeah… I’ll be with him soon enough,” the tuxedo cat snorted, not sounding particularly roused by Abelard’s threat. “I’ll have to teach him first. After that, I’ll enjoy my retirement. I’m sure the kid’ll do just fine. And besides, weren’t his folks avid believers? Shouldn’t that count for something, if you’re going to judge him as harshly as you are?”

“I am not being harsh!” Abelard snarled, scowling once more, though the tuxedo cat snorted loudly at this. “Well, you give it time and you’ll see. Mark my words, this boy is trouble and I’ll let him prove it to you.”

The two of them made their way back towards the church, Abelard still scowling. This day wasn't turning out the way he'd hoped for so far. He had hoped for another quiet day, but it seemed like that wasn't what the Lord had in store for him. But Abelard would trust that this was a test of his character. Yes – that had to be it. He would give young Cainan Wirth a chance to prove himself. Perhaps this was a chance for both of them to prove themselves…

By the time they reached the lawn in front of the church, Cainan had resumed his work, having taken care of all the grass in front of the church and already he was working his way over to the white building’s right side.

“Mr. Wirth,” Abelard almost growled at him, getting the white cat’s attention mid-swing. Cainan looked mildly apprehensive as he turned towards the two, resting the bottom of the scythe’s shaft against the ground where cut grass was strewn about. “Would you like to assist Mr. Wendell in looking after the grounds?”

“You mean as a job…?” Abelard stared at the younger cat in bewilderment. That subtle little smirk didn’t go unnoticed, nor did the playfully coy tone of his. Abelard was starting to regret his decision.

“Yes, I do mean as a job,” Abelard replied, partially through gritted teeth. He tried to calm himself down. “When would you be able to start?”

“Hmmm… I don’t know I am rather busy right now doing this unpaid job here…” Cainan responded in an almost bored drawl as he gestured towards the scythe with his free hand. He appeared to check the nails on his hand, looking very casual. Abelard cast a sideways glance at Wendell who didn’t seem any more amused than him. “But perhaps I can start once I’m done here, how’s that sound, gentlemen?”

“Splendid…” Abelard could feel anger boiling up inside himself at the young cat’s casual, joking demeanor, but he knew not to let it get the best of him. He could tell the younger cat was looking for a reaction. “I shall leave you to it in that case. I’ve got business to attend to in town.”

“Alright, I’ll see you later then,” Cainan said casually, looking mighty pleased as he resumed his work, his fluffy, white tail giving a swish. Abelard silently watched him for a bit. Had he been played by the younger cat all along? He didn’t want to assume the worst, but with the way Cainan acted, Abelard couldn’t shake the feeling that it had somehow been his plan to end up here all along, although he wasn't certain.

“Just keep an eye on him,” Abelard grunted at Wendell as he passed the old groundskeeper and headed off towards Defiance proper. Abelard was scowling the whole way up the dirt road. He still wasn't at all convinced that Cainan was the right person for this job, which he was sure would show itself sooner than later. He was sure Wendell would be able to see right through the white cat’s charades.

Although… if Wendell were telling the truth and Cainan truly had come to him and offered assistance out of the blue, maybe he wasn't so bad. It was a charitable thing to do, admirable, really. Abelard sighed as he climbed the gently sloping hill. To give Cainan the benefit of the doubt, he supposed that perhaps the young cat’s shifty demeanor was simply down to him being defensive, all alone in a once-familiar environment…

And yet Abelard still couldn’t shake the all-too prevalent feeling that Cainan was bad news for the town. He supposed if Cainan were to stick around for the position, his true colors would show one way or another.

And what colors they were, if Abelard's interaction with him this morning were any indication.

Even more so than his shifty demeanor the previous day or his dodgy and indirect way of answering questions, Abelard found the way he acted so… so childish to be even more unbearable. The way he smirked at him, his sarcastic tone, his remarks… it was enough to make the reverend’s blood boil, just thinking about it.

If nothing else, that boy sure lacked respect, it seemed.

Abelard started going about business as per usual, however. He tried his best to ignore his worries and doubts about Cainan, although he was sure Wendell would be regretting his decision by the time Abelard got back to the church.

Reaching into his inner jacket pocket, Abelard produced a box of matches and a box of cigarettes. He held a cigarette between his lips while he lit a match, before taking a hit of the cigarette, the smoke filling his lungs, nicotine rushing into his system. He breathed the smoke out in a long sigh. Smoking was one of his vices, but he felt as though he needed it at this moment in time, having to try and keep his spirits up and to keep his mind on something else.

Small wisps of smoke whirling around him as he walked, Abelard set course for Defiance General by himself, doing his best to not think about Cainan and Wendell. But despite his best efforts, his mind returned to the previous night’s dinner. The conversation before and during dinner had also included Cainan, at least partially.

While Elsa hadn't said much on the matter, Bobby had participated in the conversation… somewhat. His brother-in-law didn’t seem to think much of Cainan. Bobby had joined him and Elsa in the living room before dinner, while they waited for the food to finish cooking.

Bobby was a heavyset man around Cainan’s height, his fur a light gray and when he spoke he had that distinct South-English accent of his. While Abelard likely wouldn’t say he enjoyed Bobby’s company, the two of them got along well enough.

“I think he’s just some kid who doesn’t know what he’s doing,” Bobby had remarked, rather indifferent on the whole situation. “Bloody hell, if you don’t want to give him a job at the church, we could have him-”

But Abelard had refused that too – he hadn’t even let Bobby finish his thought. He didn’t think someone who looked like Cainan had the makings of a mortician. Nor were they exactly busy enough to warrant a third set of hands for that part of their business. And additionally, letting Cainan into the basement also meant he might see their… side-business.

That alone was something Abelard didn’t need anyone outside their family to know about.

Though Elsa had remained mostly silent during dinner, she had weighed in after Abelard had loudly complained about his situation involving Cainan. She’d simply told him, “You wanted to help him, so that’s what you should do. He’s your responsibility now. It’s what I would’ve wanted if it were you in need of help.”

A small part of Abelard knew she was right, of course. Being village minister, he was probably the one who could help the young straggler the most. He had good relations with everyone there and he was the one who had voluntarily taken it upon himself to begin with.

Abelard looked up at the sky where fluffy, white clouds were rolling by far, far above him. What do you want from me? Are you testing me?

Once Abelard made it to Defiance General, he put out his cigarette and let himself in through the screen-door. The main door had been left open to allow air inside while keeping out big bugs and the like. As per usual, Abelard found Mr. Weaver waiting behind the counter. The hunched, elderly light-brown cat always kept things nice and tidy around the store to an impressive degree, especially given that he was running the store all on his own.

Though the walls of the small store did hold some amount of clutter, such as old bear traps hanging on the wall behind the counter and miscellaneous wall décor all around, it was a rather neat shop. Bookcases by the wall left of the counter held items for sale as did small stands in front of the counter, along with boxes lining the walls on either side of the front door. The floor was mostly cleared of stuff, save for a single table in front of the door where baskets held baked goods and further away by a window stood a small table with a chessboard on it and a chair on either side of it.

As Abelard closed the screen-door behind him, he removed his hat and sighed. He just had to take his mind off things, not think or talk about Cainan. “A good morning to you, Mr. Weaver. How do you do?”

It was a routine at this point, polite smalltalk between the two of them. A small smile showed on the elderly cat’s face, lifting up his sagging cheeks as his big, lamp-like eyes gazed up at Abelard. “Oh, quite well, Father. I trust things are well with you too? You wouldn't happen to have time for a game of chess, would you?”

Abelard hesitated for a moment. “I'm afraid today’s not a good day for chess, as I do have business to attend to momentarily. I simply wanted to stop by as I always do.”

“Is something troubling you?” The hunched older cat looked at Abelard curiously.

“I simply just have my hands full at the church, Mr. Weaver. It’s a lot to handle; this young stranger came into town yesterday and-”

“Not another scoundrel from the city, I hope?” Mr. Weaver’s raspy voice had an underlying touch of ire and Abelard couldn’t blame him. He knew he too had had to deal with quite a few people from the city camping out around Defiance General; Marigolds mainly. They considered this small town to be their territory when it came to the illegal alcohol trade, and they guarded it quite fiercely now that it was no longer Lackadaisy’s.

“No… As a matter of fact, he used to live here,” Abelard replied in a weary tone. He already didn’t like where this conversation was going; Cainan seemed to find his way into every thought and every conversation he had with people as of late. “When he was a child that is.”

“Really now?” Mr. Weaver asked with considerably more interest than before. “Who is it?”

Abelard once more found himself hesitating to answer. He didn’t partake in gossip, but did this count? If anything, to Abelard this was just general conversation. Surely it didn’t count to just inform Mr. Weaver that there was a stranger in town. “Well, his name is Cainan Wirth. I don’t know if you’re-”

“The Wirth boy is here?” Abelard was caught by surprise by the skeptical look on Mr. Weaver’s sagging face, and even more so by his tone of suspicion. “What does he even want here?”

Taking note of the contemptuous tone coming from Mr. Weaver’s last question, Abelard felt his curiosity being piqued, much to his own annoyance. Perhaps he shouldn’t have disregarded what Cainan had said when he explained his situation yesterday. Perhaps there truly was some amount of bad blood between Cainan and the locals following the young cat’s departure.

“He wants to work.” Abelard watched Mr. Weaver carefully, trying to see what kind of reaction his answer might get out of the older cat. “He came back to set things right with his parents, but he also wants to settle down here. I’d wager he’s feeling nostalgic for his childhood home, perhaps.”

“Hmmm…” Mr. Weaver squinted as though he was trying to figure out whether the statement was true or not. Abelard knew the suspicion wasn’t directed at him, of course, but he still found it curious. “After what he pulled back then, I’m surprised he had the nerve to come back looking for his parents. Homeless and in need of help, I take it? Doesn’t surprise me…”

“It doesn’t? I remember the Wirths as being quite respectable,” Abelard noted calmly. He didn’t like where this was going. Had he been misjudging that entire family? He was really getting into the gossip now, despite knowing better, but Abelard had a feeling this particular brand of gossip might hold some relevant information about the young stranger he had begrudgingly just given a job.

“Oh, no, don’t get me wrong, Father. His parents were very respectable – saintly, even. Bless them,” Mr. Weaver quickly said, his tone somewhat apologetic. He brushed his wispy, pale head fur back with his hand. “But their son was… Last I remember, he not only ran away for no apparent reason and broke their hearts, but he also took off with a bunch of their money, Father. The poor Wirths, they were distraught – you would have thought their son had died.”

“Really now? That’s… very interesting…” Abelard could once more feel anger start to well up inside him, but he wasn’t sure who it was aimed at. Was it aimed at Cainan for what he did? For lying to him and omitting a big truth like that? Or was it aimed at himself for giving in, despite his reservations and his feelings? For offering the young cat work at the church without being certain he was fit for it? Abelard wasn't at all sure, but he tried to calm himself the best he could, even if it was easier said than done. “And was that… common knowledge around town? I do not partake in gossip and hearsay… May the Lord forgive me for not knowing better…”

“Don’t blame yourself, Father. I don’t imagine scum and scoundrels like that go around proudly talking about their sins and their crimes,” the elderly cat almost spat. The dislike was apparent, not just in his tone, but also through the look on his face. “I’d suggest you turn him away; let the boy wallow in his own mess.”

Abelard didn’t respond, he glanced out the screen-door, feeling as though he’d made a grave mistake. Who exactly had he left with his groundskeeper at the church? Cainan had a lot to explain to him. “Well… This has been very informative, Mr. Weaver. I’d best get back to my church – young Mr. Wirth has a lot of explaining to do…”

Leaving Defiance General behind, Abelard didn’t linger in town for once, walking with purpose towards the church. He greeted the few people he met on his way, though he didn’t stick around for smalltalk and pleasantries. After learning what he had from Mr. Weaver, the longer Abelard spent away from his church while Cainan was there, the more it felt as though he was likely to return to find the church on fire.

He couldn’t believe he had been so easily swayed into giving Cainan a prestigious job – no, responsibility – like that. He would have to give Wendell a piece of his mind as well; he had vouched for him! It wasn't an inherit surprise that Cainan had withheld the truth – in fact, Abelard had suspected as much since the moment they met, but never quite to this degree.

Was he going to hear Cainan out? Should he? The evidence was stacking up against him and the feeling of distrust had never left Abelard whenever he thought of Cainan. He should have followed his instinct, Abelard realized that now. To Abelard, this made Cainan little better than the troublemakers that had once plagued Defiance in the early days of Prohibition.

Thinking this over as he made his way to the final treeline that separated him and the church, Abelard did hesitate. Was that assessment too harsh? Perhaps it was… But Abelard wouldn’t stand for anything like that, not in his church. The young cat and his secretive mannerisms, his shifty demeanor, all of it should have been a red flag for Abelard. Even now as he descended the small hill that led down towards the church, he could see Cainan and Wendell out in front of the white building. The white cat was still at work cutting the grass and the old tuxedo cat shoveled the cut grass into the wheelbarrow.

“Ah, there you are, Abelard. We were waiting for you, so we could-” But Wendell didn’t finish his thought as Abelard walked right past him, moving straight for Cainan, who hadn’t even noticed the approaching reverend yet. “Abelard, what are you-?”

“You have some explaining to do, young man,” Abelard practically snarled as he grabbed Cainan's shoulder and whirled him around to face him. The startled, young cat dropped the scythe, which fell onto the heap of mowed grass at their feet. Abelard had no regard for the tool nor its sharp blade as he glared Cainan in the eyes, the young cat’s pale green ones wide in shock.

“What did I do…?” he asked in a surprisingly meek voice as he looked up at Abelard.

“You know damned well what you did,” Abelard snapped at him, pointing a slender finger right at his face in a threatening manner. His other hand held onto Cainan's collar. “How dare you omit a big truth like that when I offer to help you?! You dare taint your soul through thievery – and of your own kin no less! You-”

“Abelard! For God’s sake, calm yourself!” Wendell had come to Cainan's rescue, grabbing Abelard's wrist. “The boy’s bleeding.”

Whatever Abelard had been about to say left his mind in an instant when he heard this. He shot Wendell a look. “What are you talking about?”

But when Abelard looked down, he saw that the scythe’s blade had left a slash in Cainan's right pants leg. He also noticed that the blade’s thin, sharp edge had been reddened, as was the blue denim of Cainan's pants. Abelard swore at himself inwardly and sighed. He couldn’t immediately tell how bad it was, but given how much blood was on Cainan's pant leg, he figured it would be best to wait with the confrontation.

Cainan too looked equally surprised by this as he looked down. “Oh…”

Already, Wendell had moved the scythe away and gotten down on his knees with a mighty grunt, raising the young cat’s pant leg to look. Abelard reluctantly let go of Cainan and stepped back. “How bad is it…?”

Wendell didn’t answer right away. Cainan winced as the old tuxedo cat touched his leg. He pulled out a white cloth and wrapped it around Cainan's leg, his pristine white fur now stained with red. “It looks deep, Abelard. You might have to bring him home.”

“Home…?” Cainan asked nervously, but Abelard ignored him.

“Very well… Come along, Mr. Wirth.” Of course, Abelard did have to hold onto the younger cat to assist him on his way – best not to tempt fate too much – even despite how much Abelard would rather shout at him… But now was not the time.

#lackadaisy #lackadaisy fanfiction #lackadaisy oc #oc x canon #abelard arbogast

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scarlettjohanssons-mistress · 2 years

Text

Moulin Rouge

Warnings: First Meetings, first kiss, performance art, ocean

Word count: 0.9 K

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader

Prompt: Natasha and Y/N meet on a small boat, where Y/N went to perform a Moulin Rouge song.

Requests: OPEN

[Main masterlist] [Marvel masterlist]

"Can I sit here?"

The woman with big eyes stopped staring at her plate, to focus her eyes on the red-haired woman who was speaking to her.

"Sorry?"

"What if I can take the seat next to you?"

"Oh sure"

The other woman sat down and quickly pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lighting one and offering some to the girl next to her, who promptly declined and fell silent.

"I'm Natasha, by the way," the woman took a deep drag, without taking her eyes off the girl with large gray eyes, "what's your name, sweetness?"

"Y/N. my name is Y/N"

"Y/N," she repeated sensually, "you're not from around here, right? I'd remember a pretty face like yours"

"No, I came to perform in the musical"

The ship "El Coral" set sail every night, giving a great tour of New York with a great party and different musical works every day. Today they were presenting "Moulin Rouge!".

"A great show tonight; by the way, great interpretation of Satine, you have a… born sensuality"

"Are you trying to flirt with me?" Y/N scoffed as she took one last sip from her glass.

Natasha was a little surprised by the smaller woman's direct question, but she just let out a light laugh and took a drag on her cigarette again.

"My, it seems that I underestimated the lady"

"You are not the only one

"Sorry if I bothered you. I can go… "

"No, I like it." Her blue, almost grayish eyes rested on the figure of the redhead; a woman with fiery red hair, pale skin, taller and older than her, with deep eyes, like emeralds, that made Y/N's stomach turn "you're very pretty"

"I can say the same about you"

The conversation was interrupted when the captain announced the ship's arrival at the marina dock, causing Y/N to quickly start gathering her things, until Natasha's hand stopped her.

"Do you want to come with me? I know a place where we can have fun."

"Of course"

———————————————————————————

Both women laughed and drank at a bar on the boardwalk. Y/N laughed at Natasha's sweet and loud laugh, while Natasha laughed at Y/N's innocence

"If you don't know who Nicole Kidman is, how did you act in 'Moulin Rouge!' tonight?"

"I've seen that play more times than I'd like to count, with some pretty good actresses and with others… who, I hope, are in good health" Y/N discovered that she loved making Natasha laugh

"How do you know they're good?"

"Because her performance touches your heart. A good actress conveys the emotion she plays, it can be disgust, repudiation or love, and I only saw love in those girls"

"How cheesy"

"Shut up!" Both women laughed again, until the air was completely expelled from their lungs.

"What is your biggest dream?" Natasha asked, looking at the horizon.

"I don't know, what's yours?"

"I would like to find love, it doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman, I just want to find someone who loves me, who I can turn to on my good days and who doesn't run away from me on my bad days." . I want true love."

Y/N kept thinking, that woman had told her, her deepest desire, regardless of how little time they had known each other, and even if she saw her cry; if she could trust her, what was stopping her?

"I don't want this to end" Natasha looked at her strangely, still trying not to shed tears "My greatest wish is that this night never ends"

"Oh honey, I know I'm wonderful, but you don't have to lie to me."

"No, I'm serious, I don't want to return to my reality after this"

"What could be worse than talking to a woman who is failing at flirting?"

"Do you promise that if I tell you my secret, you won't run away, or try to tell someone else?"

"I promise"

———————————————————————————

The sun began to rise, announcing a new day for Natasha and a return home for Y/N, who sadly enjoyed her last minutes on the beach, walking in silence with Natasha.

"When are you coming back to the compound?"

"Today at noon, it's a long way from here to the capital" Natasha joined their pinkies, trying not to bother Y/N "When can I see you?"

"I'll wait for you" Y/N took Natasha's face in her hands, forcing her to look at her "I'll go out every day, I'll get on the stupid ship with the desire to see you again. No matter how long it takes, I'll always wait for you." She planted a kiss on her lips, light as a feather, but with enough power to start a river of tears in those green eyes, with which she had fallen in love.

The alarm on Natasha's phone sounded, signaling the inevitable end of their affair.

"I promise to return as soon as possible, I won't keep you waiting long."

"Don't worry, I could wait a hundred years for you."

With a slight movement, Y/N unbuttoned her dress, leaving her completely naked, leaving a puddle of clothes at her feet, and thanks to her long legs, in a few steps she reached the sea to dive into it.

Natasha saw the shiny tail disappear almost as if in a trance, not knowing if what she had experienced was reality or a fantasy, she didn't think it was possible to have fallen in love with a mermaid; call a siren for her, for her to love and possess.

Note:

I'm so busy with school, I should be starting my essay and not uploading this... But here I am. In fact, Mexicans know that today is the anniversary of 2 earthquakes, and there was a slight one in my city (nothing serious) but, until recently, I have internet...

Anyway, I left you a little story that I made for my class, but I liked it so much that I wanted to share it

I hope you enjoy it

I appreciate the reblogs, the likes and the comments

taglist: @littlebitchsposts

message me or send an ask to be added to my taglist!

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gatheringfiki · 4 months

Text

GatheringFiKi Interest Survey 2023 - Results

Hi folks,

First of all, huge thank you to those who took the time to fill in our recent survey. We have now reviewed the results and have a couple of points we’d like to share.

1) The Headcount:

The first, biggest and most welcome surprise from the Survey is that there are so MANY of you! And most of you are new faces, which I think is just wonderful! Welcome, welcome, one and all!

The total of 23 people took part in the Survey (admittedly some of whom I have never seen take part in any events, but I have high hopes).

When I was leaving for my travels in September 2022, a similar Interest Survey presented a bleak picture, very different to today, with a number of people having clearly moved on (though not all!). Personally, I think it was the right call to accept and acknowledge that, re-subscribe those truly interested today, and re-focus my efforts and events targetting where it's actually wanted.

Please remember that if you ARE interested in taking part in our events, you can always ask to have personal notifications delivered to you whenever one is running - just message @linane-art

Of course, I am fully aware and very grateful that, apart from the folks taking part, there are also quite a few of you who consume the new content, read, watch, like, comment, reblog or just silently marvel and enjoy their (guilty?) pleasure. I love and appreciate you all.

2) Your Favourite Existing Events:

12 Days of Christmas - 18 votes

FiKi Week - 14 votes

Trick or Treat - 12 votes

Drabble Challenges - 11 votes

Durin's Day Gift Exchange - 11 votes

Kink Bingo - 9 votes

H/C Bingo - 8 votes

AUpocalypse - 7 votes

Fandom Raffle Exchange - 5 votes

Show Some Love - 5 votes

Fic of a Fic - 4 votes

Fanfic Rec Bingo - 2 votes

Secret Admirers - 1 vote

Round Robins - 0 votes

No surprises near the top: 12 Days has just ran and is beloved by everyone and FiKi Week is like THE Gatheringfiki event.

Trick or Treat also ran recently, but I think you also have a particular penchant for everything spooky/autumny.

Drabble Challenges are quick and easy, and I think a natural choice for a 'top up' event next to the big ones. I wonder if those of you who haven't experienced the speed and the 'write off all your other weekend plans'-ness of this event will think of it. :D

DDGE surprises a little, because it's a big commitment of an event, but I guess maybe because we're not running the Raffle regularly any more, and it's a similar enough thing? Or like a Big Bang? And there's nothing else that promotes actual collaborations. Intriguing.

The Bingos - always heat up the temperature in the room. I think those of you who want them, want them like burning. I also think (looking at hit counts), that there are also many more of you who, ah, enjoy the fruits of our labours, but like... anonymously and silently :D So long as those are not ran too often, I think they're a blast, and it's been 2 years.

AUpocalypse juuuust about makes it, but I think it has a special place, as it's the one event where artists can participate easily and have a fully free reign of what they create.

Please remember that if you are an artist and you're not sure how you can take part, we have this here handy guide for you.

Raffle is probably too big for the headcount we have, rec-type-events have not been popular for a few years now, Secret Admirers still out of favour (why???) and nobody liked Round Robins - fair enough.

3) Other Comments we got / possible New Events:

'A Dead Dove Event' - what is it, I've never comes accross it? Please message me on priv ;)

'Bring-A-Friend Event' - The incest thing will make some people uncomfortable, and those that check us out 'as a courtesy' are unlikely to actually get hooked. I think, by all means, spread the word if you know folks who might enjoy our fandom, but mostly it needs to be discovered on your own. Awareness of GF is the key.

'FiKi Bingo' - We already run 2 bingo-type events and a FiKi Week. I think that ticks both the desired format and desired content boxes.

'Valentine's Day Event' - there is nothing like that per se, but it is no coincidence that the Kink and H/C Bingos usually run around the time when everyone is feeling loved-up ;)

'I don't feel comfortable sharing my own content' - that is perfectly okay and your own choice. Nobody is going to try and push you. But I will say that if you have a supportive fandom, feedback can do wonders for your self-esteem and practice makes perfect. Otherwise, thank you just as much for your silent support.

'Discord Server' - I thought about it, but I think it'll be more of a problem than help. I don't know how to set it up, don't have the capacity to moderate it, only some people would be interested and many people will resist change. We've always said that Tumblr is our native platform and on Tumblr we will remain - don't want to dilute the fandom accorss multiple platforms, sorry.

'October Advent Calendar' - I'm sorry, I don't quite see how it would be different/better than Trick or Treat, except longer? Plus, 12 Days, which runs right after, has that element of 'something new to discover' every day ;)

'FiKi Mad Libs and Frankenstory' - see: Round Robins Event. And it scored 0 points, the poor thing :(

'Visual / phrase / poem / porny inspiration' - visual is addressed by 12 Days. Phrase/poem will be addressed by FiKi Week ;) Porny will be blocked by Tumblr :(

'Reblog-focussed Events' - Yes, agreed, but in the competition for calendar availability, all our rec-type events consistently lose out to out content-creating events. So we resort to caveating all our summary posts with pleas for reblogging and commenting. :/

I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the wonderful and humbling words of encouragement I’ve received. I do what I do because of the people in this fandom and I will continue doing so for as long as there is interest in it. It’s what being in a fandom means to me, and hopefully it inspires some of you too :)

A Calendar of Events for 2024 will follow in a separate post.

Wishing you all a cracking New Year, filled with inspiration, joy, passion and feels, hopefully all whipped up by those problematic 2 little a$$holes...

~gatheringfiki

#Fili/Kili #FiKi #Durincest #the Hobbit #Mitchers #Britchell #DarkHawk #GatheringFiKi #Interest Survey

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kylesvariouslistsandstuff · 5 months

Text

Yet Another Disney Rant, Because...

... Bob Iger is just not reading the room...

Bob Iger, CEO of Disney for those who may live under a rock, did some talking today in the wake of WISH flopping... In addition to a centennial year full of financial flops...

Never mind the many ways Disney as a corporation could go about this set of failures... He chose to say stuff like:

“THE MARVELS was shot during COVID, and there wasn't enough supervision on set [from execs]”

Also...

He stated that the **creatives** at the studio "lost sight" of "what their job should be"...

That is... "Entertain first. It's not about messages."

So we're kowtowing to the defective geese that honk "WOKE WOKE WOKE" at everything that so as much moves?

This ain't it, Bob...

More executive interference is not the answer. Remember how buckling Disney Feature Animation top to bottom with execs that warded off the creatives every step of the way worked out?

Ideally, they should just let the filmmaker do as they please (and be open to suggestions, of course) with a reasonable budget at their side. We saw a taste of that in big budget moviemaking this year pay off quite nicely... BARBIE and OPPENHEIMER, hello!!

Disney made that happen on a few occasions outside of all-animated features. Remember how they gave the director of MOUSE HUNT and THE RING a massive budget to make a goddamn pirate movie? In an era where pirate movies were considered "box office poison"? Yeah...

Now let's look at some of Disney's biggest hits when Iger was in charge. The STAR WARS sequel trilogy and ROGUE ONE? No messages? No themes? Not political? Whatever qualms one may have with the sequel trilogy, the one thing you can't say is that they're not political or have some kind of message. It's always been the people vs. space fascists, who are very clearly based on real-life fascists. Aaaaaaall the way back to the original 1977 STAR WARS, which George Lucas based on the Vietnam War, the Richard Nixon administration, you get the idea!

The AVATAR sequel that opened just a month after Iger's return? Like, need I say more?

Marvel? Absolutely, for all the MCU's faults, they are political and message-y. All the IRON MAN movies, THE WINTER SOLDIER, CIVIL WAR, RAGNAROK, BLACK PANTHER, CAPTAIN MARVEL, they all chipped at something like that. If not that, then they're all basically propaganda for the military industrial-complex. Not the desired political message, but it is one nonetheless. If we're saying "dial down the messaging in these movies"... See how contradictory this all is??

Animation, both Disney Animation and Pixar. ZOOTOPIA, made a billion, the whole damn thing is an Aesop-like parable of prejudice. MOANA, very much a parallel to colonialism and environmentalism. FROZEN II is also about colonialism in some way or another, sins of the past. ENCANTO's generational trauma is completely rooted in its setting's history. Even something like COCO or TURNING RED (the latter greenlit when Iger was in charge) are still political in some way or another - having representation in a large white male-dominated field, that these movies exist and are somewhat doing something for representation. All art is political, really. It's silly to suggest that art isn't, or that art doesn't have some kind of "message".

If this was about poorly integrating the messages into the narratives, like - say - STRANGE WORLD does, then I would understand... But this reads to me as "hey now, don't get political, just giving the masses mindless entertainment comes first"...

Like... Why?

These dunderheaded statements don't make any sense to me.

Especially when the whole history of Disney films and entertainment has some kind of "message" or theme or idea that it's all relaying to the audience. Hell, they made a ton of World War II propaganda films back in the day! You think something like, say, BAMBI was just about cute deer and forest critters? And not about how human beings carelessly cause mass destruction to an animals' habitat and callously take the lives of animals? You think DUMBO was just a cute elephant tale and not at all about prejudice and not othering others for their differences? Or how's about movies like THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and MULAN? Which were slandered as "politically correct" (the late '90s version of "woke") back in the day? Hell, it doesn't have to be overtly political. It can be a personal kind of message, like there was in - say - MARY POPPINS. Like hey, maybe be nicer to your kids?

Like, there's messaging in Disney's legacy. It's how stories work and connect. And that's aaaaall the way down to the parks, too. Hell, a whole park in Walt Disney World - Epcot - is *supposed* to be educational, didactic, and pushing a message in some way or another. Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, etc. etc. The future, space, the world around us and how we must keep it safe. C'mon now.

Instead of meaningfully addressing the situation, and realizing that what was popular circa 2015 isn't all that big anymore and that maybe Disney should be less concerned with how "Disney" they should make their films, it seems to me that Iger just wants to meddle in the productions more and tailor-make them for audiences that are far smarter than they'd like to believe. Prolonging the funk that they're in...

Like, look at other distribution companies. BARBIE is first and foremost Greta Gerwig's movie, not "Warner Bros. Discovery's BARBIE". OPPENHEIMER is Christopher Nolan's movie, not "Universal's OPPENHEIMER"... Disney needs to get past this "Disney's [Insert Movie Title Here]"... If they did that, they'd be able to make more dynamic movies that the public loves, stuff that wouldn't normally be associated with them. This is why they regularly don't lock acclaimed directors for more original productions, or ones that aren't 20th Century Studios or Searchlight. If they do get one, like Best Picture winner MOONLIGHT director Barry Jenkins, it's because they're attached to some Disney franchise extension. Like wouldn't it be so cool if Jenkins was directing his own movie for Disney and not a fucking tech demo LION KING prequel? They may as well have put him on a Marvel movie!

I mean, yes, Disney did try this a few times in the more recent years to little success. Ava DuVernay directed the massive flop that was A WRINKLE IN TIME (based on the classic novel), and Gore Verbinski didn't find pirate treasure with THE LONE RANGER (based on a character from old radio dramas from the '30s). Even animation familiar Andrew Stanton, who was behind some of Pixar's most beloved films, couldn't turn his John Carter of Mars movie into a franchise starter.

Disney has a sorry history of that, unfortunately. In the '70s and '80s, they turned down the likes of STAR WARS, BACK TO THE FUTURE, and a rather curious Steven Spielberg alien movie that would later morph into E.T.

It even goes back to Walt Disney's later years. Upon seeing TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRG, he remarked "That's the kind of film I'd like to make, but I can't."

Disney has long pigeonholed themselves, they spend too much on their movies, and it's also just fucking hard to second-guess the zeitgeist when something is a year out from release... That should be the evaluation from Iger, NOT "less messaging" and "more executive interference."

I know what Disney CAN be, but it just seems like - between the two Bobs - they actively don't want to pursue that. Well, for the most part. I did say on a piece three-or-so posts ago that I still see interesting stuff coming out of Pixar, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight. Films like TURNING RED, BARBARIAN, THE MENU, and such have been the highlights of these past couple of years of the Mouse House's movie offerings in my not-so-humble opinion. POOR THINGS looks ten times more interesting than half of the stuff that came out from Disney this year alone.

You may say "but it's all about money." Yeah, I get that! But audiences are clearly rejecting the same ol' same ol! If Disney wants money, maybe they should stop doing this same ol' same ol thing!

A suggestion you know?

As for what he said about sequels today... Iger repeated some well-worn statements there, sorta-kinda "we make too much of them" and "now we'll only make them if there's an artistic reason"... Ehhhhh, maybe do something cool with the sequels to old chestnuts. What if TOY STORY 5 or ZOOTOPIA 2 said "screw it" and went all PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH-style soft reboot on these franchises? People will keep coming for sequels if the storytelling doesn't feel like moldy oldies. Your stale old favorites. "Disney, the way you always liked it."

Right? Another suggestion.

Add-on: It's as if Bob Iger, David Zaslav, and El*on M*usk are in a race to see how they can devolve and strip the respective companies they run of what makes them special.

#disney #rant #whatever

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outridera · 1 year

Text

Positivity you say?

Excuse me while I gush. Though do forgive if some of these are sloppy, I am emotionally drained from yesterday, and some reason, even if I spelt like 12 hours today, my body is sluggish and feeling not up to it haha.

Under read more as It'll be looong.

So I wanted to give this a shout out to people, cause honestly, they not only deserve such, but I wanted to give them love. Do note I'll mention some other names at the end, as I've already spoken about them.

But also that I wanna try to get everyone that I can, so I do apologize that I haven't said much! Just wanted to showcase how many lovely people there are, and that mean a lot to me! Also do note, some names I may have missed, but that's more down to me trying to remember ALL of them gdidgsidsg. So do not worry if you're not there, you are their in spirit! Soon as I remember, I'll throw you there asap!

@risingsol How can you not adore Xue? Like really? They're so lovely, and so lovely to chat too. They're not only talented on the field of RP either, they're really talented in the cooking department as well. One day I'll get to try those lovely birthday Genshin meals they can make really well : D ThoughhopefullynotAmbersdgsidgidgs

@adversaryss @narvvhal I swear every Childe I've met has been so fucking sweet, and just a pleasure to talk to. Where it be IMs, discord, anywhere. But not only that, they all seem like the biggest, and most good hearted people that you can come across. I will always love and adore them.

@erabundus @inavagrant Much like any Scara I've met. They've been super pleasant, and lovely. Easy to approach, and for sure top quality all round.

@snowtombedstar I always adore the love they not only they give for their muse, but the joy, and passion they showcase on the dash each and every day.

@al-hazen Same can be said about this person! I always love seeing them on the dash, and the fun that comes with it, also big ups for them having Kuki, cause Kuki is a treasure, much like they are. Top quality stuff.

@scarletooyoroi YOU. YOU LOVELY FUCKER. Are you actually Thoma in real life? Cause you're a sweetie, and super quality.

@aalberich / @dilucisms How can you not love them? The real care and push they give, to not just their muses, but to others too. It's to be adored!

@maquiscursed SUPER QUALITY. Honestly, they're a big reason my Nahida resurgence happened, cause I fell in love with Nahida all over again. They're really great, not just with Nahida either, they've got plenty of lovely muses to adore, and are top quality.

@sylvctica How much talent do you actually have? From your art, to your wonderful nerd, that is canon in every sense of the word to me. You're a true delight!

@orecrowned And you too! I'm thanking you once again for not only the commission, but being a fun presence on dash. I may not partake in the Sunday thing, but the fun you give off, is truly a wonder.

@electric-ecclectic Another one that honestly I do adore, and see as canon personalty tbh. Amber's lore will forever have your nerd in it in my eyes : D

@riteburdened always deserved to be loved.

@nascentwaves You're here, and you know why. YOU'RE THE REASON. My Amber is here.

Some many more that deserves love down below. Give them love!

@gunnhildred @curiouskinetic @theoneandonii @the-wayward-snowflake @artificeheart @lochjurat @constellaris @dandelicnfang @viigilant @viisiond @grislyintentions @voyage-inferno @cryoexorcist @ayahimes @foliarlight @adelshaus @mercyburned @princepsstellas @starsdescent @starlitwishes @galactia @wise-innocence @supportingfire @khemianprinz @melodicbreeze @reginrokkr @samyavastha @travelerandclover @reallyrandomtj @remunporium

#::I want to do this cause I wanna spread love < 3 #CAUSE YES #dgdsisdgi but hope it makes you all smile : D

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mistralxsoul · 3 days

Note

❝Like most intellectuals, he's intensely stupid.❞ / lmao i'm sorry for her

If the look of exhaustion that washed over his face wasn’t a telltale sign that Flynn was absolutely over today and possibly the week in general, then the sudden slump of his shoulders would have definitely been the next best guess. He wasn’t unfamiliar with nobles deciding to seek him out and tear into him for something that wasn’t even within his realm of control but it always left him rather exhausted nonetheless.

But there was something about a noble playing the ‘education’ card that just made Flynn want to just bury his head into a pillow for a couple of hours and just scream. All too often, a noble loved to brag about how they have received an extended education on politics, military strategies, fine arts– you name it, they apparently studied it. It made it even worse when the Noble knew he was from the Lower Quarter, knew his background and just made assumptions that he didn’t even know half of the things that were being listed.

Nevermind that his own mother received a rather large education herself and had been willing to teach people in the Lower Quarter a rather basic educational course. But he wasn’t about to sit there and defend himself against someone who wasn’t going to bother listening anyway.

So, he would just ride out the storm, listen to the complaints, endure the not-so-subtle digs at his own past status and then when the Noble had enough, they would storm off with a proud huff, as if they had successfully dug into Flynn’s skin and left a permanent scar upon his mind. (When in reality, he was likely to forget their name by the following week.)

But then he heard another voice that snaps him back to attention, shoulders shooting back up as he straightens his posture. Turning on his heel, he spots the young girl wandering over, with parasol in hand as she’s looking towards the retreating noble. All Flynn could really think was that he was simultaneously sad that the man didn’t hear it but glad at the same time. If he had, he would have likely come back for more.

“It seems as if we have a lot of those types that like to hang around the castle. It’s never that much of a big deal but… it really is the biggest time waster… He complains and complains that I’m not magically fixing his problems when he’s the one stopping me from working to begin with– Ah–”

Flynn freezes, cheeks turning a light shade of red as he suddenly remembers who he is and what his own status was. “...Apologies, that was rude of me… I really shouldn’t be saying such things. It’s been a very long day… I assume you were listening to a good majority of that, then?”

#ednaeflowers #[crossover verse]#//Flynn like yo i agree but don't tell anyone i said that #//HOPE THIS WAS FINE BTW UWU

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