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shina913 · 1 year

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On Tilt, Part 4 | KNJ

On Tilt, Part 4

Definition: a poker term for a state of mental or emotional confusion or frustration in which a player adopts a suboptimal strategy, usually resulting in the player becoming overly aggressive.

On Tilt Masterlist

Pairing: Namjoon x Fem!Reader

Rating: M 🔞

Genre: idol!AU; strangers-to-FWB-to-lovers; toxic relationship; angst; fluff; smut

Warnings: cussing; vulnerable confessions; explicit and suggestive sexual conversations; making out; heavy petting/groping; unbelievable amount of cheesiness and fluff--it's disgusting how these two have it so bad for each other!

Summary: You’ve said time and time again that you wouldn’t lose yourself to him. You were in control now. You were going to make better choices. For a minute there, you were able to keep up with it. It wasn’t ‘til Namjoon’s extended break that you found yourself falling into old habits. Will you ever learn to quit Kim Namjoon?

Word count: 3,570 words

A/N: I'm sorry...this came out wayyyyy cheesier than I intended. But hey, I've been writing a lot of angst lately, I wanted a change of pace! This is the song they sing to. Namjoon posted it on his IG stories a while back 🙊

ALSO!!! Please don't be a silent reader! My inbox and DMs are open. Comment, reblog, scream at me, send me an emoji--whatever. It fuels me and motivates me to continue writing! 😘

[Namjoon] 6:05PM: Can’t wait until this album is mastered and goes through print. It was fun and all but…damn, I really miss you.

His text made you grin at your screen like an idiot.

He wasn’t kidding when he said he’d be busy. He was practically on lockdown finishing up loose ends on a couple of tracks and going through each soundwave with a fine-toothed comb.

That was how Namjoon was. He was always passionate about his work, and always wanted to constantly evolve. He loved art but was never one to be content with stagnation. He wasn’t going to be locked into four corners of a frame.

You admired that about him…but it also scared you in a way. In the back of your mind, you thought, maybe it took him a while to come around to this agreement because he didn’t want to be tied down to begin with.

It was a daunting and disappointing thought but you brush it aside when his follow-up text comes in.

[Namjoon] 6:07PM: What do you think about a quiet night-in at my place? I’ll order dinner and we can just hang out. No more boners, I promise 😇

That elicited a laugh from you. Truthfully, you didn’t mind it but you had to stick to your guns.

[You] 6:08PM: 😋 Sounds good, I can’t wait! Missed you, too.

[Namjoon] 6:10PM: I also got a new firepit installed on my balcony–totally safe, BTW. No open flame! I just push a button 😅

You laughed again.

[You] 6:10PM: Oohh cozy!

[Namjoon] 6:11PM: It is! I also got some new furniture and a blanket with our names on it.😏

[You] 6:11PM: Sounds romantic…

[Namjoon] 6:11PM: That’s the goal 😘 I’ll see you in two days.

******

“Fuck…” you croaked after coughing up icky, yellow-green mucus into the sink. This was bad, you thought. Namjoon was supposed to pick you up tonight and you woke up this morning feeling all foggy.

Yesterday, you thought the scratchy throat was brought on by allergies. You took an antihistamine before bed to stave it off. But now, you were all congested, looking like death after mere hours.

“Hey, are you okay in there?” Lani asks out of concern from the other side of the bathroom door.

You open it to greet her and she looks horrified when she sees your bloodshot eyes, pale skin and overall disheveled appearance.

“Really? It’s that bad?”

“I mean…” The look of hesitation on her face all but confirmed it.

“Damn,” you groaned. “I was really looking forward to this date, too.”

Immediately, she tries to sound consoling. “You know what? I’m sure he’ll understand. It’s that time of the year, everyone’s getting sick.”

Sure, she made a fair point. She was a nurse at a hospital and she knew all too well that this year’s flu season has been particularly brutal. You were just glad that you didn’t feel bad enough to require hospital admission.

But for some reason, that thought wasn’t comforting enough. “It’s been over three weeks and I really miss him,” you whined.

Back then, you’d go long stretches without seeing Namjoon and it wasn’t a big deal. You just shrugged your shoulders and thought you’d catch each other again ‘next time.’

Lani puckered her lips comically and glanced below your waist. “Guess you’re regretting that 5-date rule right about now, huh?”

You rolled your eyes at her. “Shut up,” you dismissed her before walking past her to go back to your room.

“Girl, who cares? It’s not like you had a contract or whatever. Nobody’s taking you to court if you break your rule–”

“Yes, but I know it! And Namjoon knows it! And…”

“Okay, okay, I’m only teasing,” she backed off. “Want me to make you some chicken noodle soup before I take a nap?” Lani had been picking up extra shifts in the evenings since they had been short-staffed at the hospital.

While soup sounded good, the concept of sinking yourself back under your covers seemed more appealing.

“Nah, you go and sleep. I’ll order from the food app or something. I just had a little bit of yogurt before I took my cold medicine.”

“Alright. Just set an alarm every 3.5 hours, if you want to stay on top of it,” she yawns.

******

“Joon, I can’t tonight…”

Delete.

“I woke up sick, can we resche–”

Delete.

“Ugh, why is this so hard? Just be straight with him,” you say to yourself before finally typing up a text to Namjoon.

You checked your watch again. Around this time, he was on a plane coming back from a schedule. You couldn’t afford to wait a few more hours until he landed because he’d be coming straight from the airport to your place.

[You] 10:15AM: I know that we were really looking forward to tonight but I just came down with the flu. I feel like crap and I don’t want to get you sick. Can we do a raincheck in a few days?

You send it off and sink back into your blankets to doze off.

******

Somewhere between naps, you are awakened by the smell of food. You checked your watch for the time–it was too late for lunch and still early for dinner. You figured Lani ended up making you soup…she was such a saint. You didn’t deserve her love!

Next, you reached for your phone to check for calls. There were a couple of ‘hope you feel better’ emails from your team and a voicemail from Jia saying that she could drop off stuff at your door if you ever needed anything.

Oddly, there was nothing from Namjoon even though the notification below the text that you sent to him indicated that he read it over two hours ago.

You felt crestfallen that he didn’t even acknowledge it. You wanted to send a follow-up text to ask about his trip but thought you’d go and have a couple of bites to eat so you could take your next dose of cold medicine.

You wandered out into the kitchen, fully expecting to catch Lani as she headed out the door for work.

Your coughing announced your presence. “That smells good. Are you…" You are stopped dead in your tracks. "Joon?”

He turned around with the biggest grin on his face. “Hey, how are you feeling?”

“W-wait, what are you…I thought–” You stuttered.

“You think you can get rid of me that easily?” He chuckled.

You laughed hoarsely. “I wasn’t trying to get rid of you. As you can see,” you open up your arms, as if presenting yourself to him, “I don’t look so hot right now.”

He took two strides and rounded the kitchen counter to get to you. “Do you think I care about that? I was looking forward to spending time with you and I wanted to do everything I could to make that happen.”

You wanted to swoon on the spot…until you noticed that he wasn’t wearing a face mask.

“But wait…you’ll get sick?”

He laughed softly, curling his arms around your waist. “I’ll be fine, baby. The whole group just got over a virus–and it missed me!”

You scoffed. “Oh, right–and with my luck, it’ll be me giving it to you.”

He shook his head, giving your hips a light squeeze. “You won’t. Aren’t you glad to see me?” He pouted his lips.

His subtle gesture made your belly flutter and your cheeks warm up. Glad to know that everything was still in good working order, you thought.

You gave a small smile. “Yes, of course.”

He flashed his dimple before kissing your forehead.

Taking your hand to urge you towards the kitchen, he says, “C’mon, I brought something that I thought might help you feel better.”

You took two steps before, realization sank in. “Hold on–how did you get in? Is Lani still here?” You’d been asleep for hours.

“No but I called her and,” he hesitates for a beat, “I…kind of… met her…at her workplace to borrow her keys?” He drags out slowly.

You eyed him suspiciously.

“She was cool with it and all she asked me to do was leave the key up on the lip of the doorframe so she could get in tomorrow morning.”

With a soft sigh, you nodded, appreciating the effort. Your eyes suddenly shift towards the kitchen, remembering what brought you out here in the first place. “D-did you cook?” These were words you never thought you’d ask him.

He threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh. “I wish but I don’t think you or Lani would forgive me if I burned your place down. I ordered some takeout–” He says, walking over to the counter, the bags finally coming into view. “I thought you might like some chicken pho?”

You couldn’t deny, that sounded amazing.

Sensing your acquiescence, he urges you to sit at the breakfast bar while he pours soup and noodles into bowls for both of you.

You asked if you could sit on the couch instead since you were feeling woozy and your warm throw blanket was calling your name.

“Wherever you feel comfortable,” he replies. “I got some imperial rolls, too–I remembered that you liked them.”

“I do.” You smiled appreciatively at his thoughtfulness.

It’s been years since you both went out for good Vietnamese food. You registered the familiar green takeout bags on the counter. To most people, it looked like generic to-go bags but you recognize them coming from the hole-in-the-wall place that you and Namjoon used to go to.

After settling comfortably on the couch, he comes around, bowls in both hands and sets them on the coffee table in front of you. He turns back around to bring the pho add-ins along with the deep-fried eggrolls.

He takes the spot next to you and hands you a pair of chopsticks, which you accept. While he busies himself with the basil and lime, you couldn’t help but stare at him.

He turned his head in your direction. “You want some sriracha–what? Why are you staring?” he chuckled in curiosity.

“Nothing, I just…” at a loss for words, you just smiled, “Thank you.”

He gazed at you for a few seconds before responding, “You’re welcome. C’mon, eat up.”

******

After dinner, you tidied up together. Namjoon had music playing on your bluetooth speaker. As you reach for the rinsed dish that he held out for you to put on the rack to dry, he surprises you by grabbing your hand instead and deftly setting the bowl on the counter. A couple of pushes of a button on his phone with his free hand, he turned up the song’s volume.

Catching you around the waist, he pulls you close to him into a dance. You giggle as he sings along to the song that you recognize.

You can't disguise all the pounding of your heart, yeah I see your eyes And you can't hide

You laugh when he hits the falsetto but he’s too into it to stop.

Start to make sense and quit playing These love games… Tell me what you're gonna do, yeah

You join him when the chorus hits, dancing along to the beat. When the music dropped for the bridge, he pulls away slightly and then squints his eyes at you. He enunciates every word emphatically.

I just want to know one thing Will you be with me?

Hearing the words in his rich baritone made you catch your lower lip with your teeth. You grinned and matched his enthusiasm when you sang the rest of the words to him.

Here comes my darlin’ Here comes romance Here comes my lovin’, please honey will you dance

You pull him back closer to you, grinding against his body as the music swells again.

Then, he threw his head back dramatically to sing the chorus, “Quit breaking my heaaaaartttt…” You both burst out laughing as his voice cracks at the note that was clearly out of his vocal range.

When you calmed down, you looked up into his face. He was watching you with dark, glittering eyes.

“I love hearing you laugh like that,” he said, and you knew he wanted treasured memories like that between you. “It makes me think that I’m doing something right.”

“You are,” you assured him, even as your throat tightened at the sight of his yearning.

“I want to be that person who always puts a smile on your face.”

Slowly, you bring your hand up to cup his nape. “You already do.” With that, you pulled his mouth down to yours. As your lips touched, he hugged you so tightly your feet lifted off the floor.

This relationship may not have started out for the right reasons. You were both young and impulsive back then.

But now, you were both trying hard to better yourselves for each other. Here was a man who wanted you both to work as desperately as you did. You were finally on the same page.

******

“The girl did it,” you blurted out decisively.

Namjoon’s fingertips paused from drawing circles around your abdomen. “What? No way!”

You were sprawled lengthwise on the couch, watching Forensic Files. He was spooned behind you, his chin on your shoulder and his legs tangled with yours.

“I’m telling you…classic sociopath,” you told him matter-of-factly.

He scoffed. “I think it was the grandma.”

You gasped, eyes widening in shock. “Oh my god!” You tilted your head to look back at him. “She’s clearly only protecting her granddaughter!”

He grinned and smacked a kiss on your cheek. “Wanna bet on who’s right?”

You snorted. “Sorry, I’m not a gambler.”

“Aw, come on…” He rose up on his elbow to look down at you.

You tutted. “Nope! Besides, I know I’m right. I’ve seen enough of these shows to figure out a pattern.”

As you scooted closer to him, you felt his crotch against the curve of your bottom. He wasn’t hard, but that didn’t stop him from gaining your attention. Curiously, you reached behind you and cupped him.

He arched an eyebrow at you. “Is there anything we can do for you?”

You laughed as you withdrew your hand. “I’m just checking to see if everything is still in its place. You’ve been on your best behavior considering we’re in a tricky position.”

“Maybe because I don’t want to push you too far and scare you off.” Namjoon’s eyes glittered from the light of the TV screen.

“How considerate of you.”

He nuzzled his nose against your temple. “I’m willing to wait however long. Five, ten, twenty dates…whatever you want.”

You wriggled your body to face him. “What about what you want?”

“I thought I made it clear last time that I only wanted you?”

You try to stifle a smile but are spectacularly failing at it. “What if I decided to scrap our no-sex agreement,” you whispered. Your pointer and middle fingers did a ‘walking’ motion up on his chest. “Would you think I was being too easy?”

He watched your fingers then shifted his eyes back to look into yours. “I’d be too busy thinking how lucky I was to have the privilege.” He traced your eyebrow with the tip of his finger.

You seriously considered it. Lani was right, it wasn’t like breaking your agreement would have any legal repercussions. You were both adults!

You cleared your throat in an attempt to strengthen your resolve. “Could we settle with a makeout session for the time being?”

“Make out? What are we, in junior high?” His head fell back and he laughed, his chest vibrating against you. It was a husky, deep tone, your toes curled at the sound of it.

You pushed at his shoulder. “Come on! Nobody makes out anymore. Everyone just wants to get right into fucking. Don’t you miss that feeling of being so into each other but aren’t quite ready to go all the way yet?”

He slow-blinks at you, wondering what point you were trying to make.

“You know, when I was in the 8th grade, there was this boy—“

“I’m going to need to stop you right there,” he cuts you off. “I really do not want to think about other people kissing you.”

You purse your lips and apologize. “I’m sorry…” Your hands crept under his shirt, gliding over his warm skin. Your lips moved against his jawline. “So…does that mean that you don’t want to suck face?”

“Baby, I’ll suck on any part of your body I can get my mouth on,” he answers point-blank.

“Why don’t we start here for now,” You tap your finger against your lips and he takes them, sealing his mouth softly over yours. His tongue traced the seam, then dipped inside, licking and teasing.

You burrowed into him, moaning when he shifted to lie half over you.

Your hands slid up and down his back, your leg lifting to hook over his hip. You caught his lower lip between your teeth and licked the curve with the tip of your tongue.

The low growl he let out made you wet.

Your back arched as his hand slid underneath the hem of your hoodie and captured your bare breast, rolling your nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

“Are you sure you didn’t plan this,” he murmured. He kissed his way to your temple, and then buried his nose in your hair. “You’re making it really hard to last through two more dates.”

You pull away from him briefly. “Listen–I had no idea that you were coming over, okay,” you argued. “I didn’t know I had to be in proper underwear around you.”

He chuckled at your defensiveness. “I’m kidding,” he plants a quick kiss on your lips. “Can we just continue making out?”

You narrowed your eyes playfully at him. “You’re lucky, you’re cute.” You pushed past his joggers to squeeze his butt. The heat of his skin and his natural scent was a heady mix for you. It made you feel drunk with lust and need.

His mouth covered yours and you fisted at his hair, urging him closer to you with your arms and legs wrapped around him.

“I want you so much,” he rasped in between kisses.

You moaned in agreement, your mouth moving feverishly against his.

Namjoon held you with one hand at your nape and the other at your waist. Settling over you, he aligned himself against you and rolled his hips to your center.

“Mm, that felt so good,” you groaned, nails digging into his flesh while your insides clenched.

“Imagine how much better it would feel inside you,” he purred.

You nipped at his lower lip, giggling. “Are you trying to convince me to go all the way?”

“I can slide right in,” He sucked gently on your throat, making your core tremble hungrily. “You don’t even have to do anything. You can just lay back and watch me do all the work.”

It was incredibly tempting. He was rock-hard and you were primed and ready for him. All he needed to do was hook his finger to your leggings’ waistband.

You playfully puckered your lips and arched an eyebrow at him. “Hmm…I don’t know. I’m not that kind of girl anymore.”

His hand squeezed your hip bone, eliciting a light squeal from you.

Brushing his mouth over yours, he whispered, “If you don’t like it once it’s in you, I promise I’ll pull right out.”

You scrunch your face humorously at him. “Do people still fall for that line?”

He stared back at you in all seriousness. “You know I’d never feed you lines. I mean every word.”

You gripped the curves of his butt and rocked up against him, making him purr in excitement. Reveling in his playfulness, you teased, “And do you say that to all of the girls?”

His eyebrows knitted. “What other girls?”

“Oh, you know…” you sighed, “You’re Kim Namjoon, international idol. All these women, screaming for you to walk into their waiting arms.”

“You say that, and yet, I’m here in yours,” he lifted his head, his fingertips brushed the hair from your temple, “...where I belong.”

His words hit you like a freight train. You swallowed hard and whispered, “Fuck, what a line! Fine, go ahead and put it in.”

He pressed his forehead against yours, his breathy laugh warming your cheeks. “It’s unbelievable how crazy I am about you.”

You smiled back. “Well, believe it, because I am, too.”

You spent the rest of the night kissing and groping each other like horny teenagers but never went all the way. There was just something thrilling about that youthful, almost forbidden intimacy.

Hours later, you fell asleep in each other’s arms on your bed. You woke the next morning to the sound of his phone going off—work was calling and he had to leave.

As he prepares to head out, he tucks you back securely under your covers, and plants a kiss on your forehead.

When he pulls away, you utter, “Hmmm...I love you,” in the midst of your cold medicine-induced haze.

Before he could respond, you drowsily rolled over onto your side and fell back to sleep. You would wake up nearly an hour later, completely unaware of your words or whether he said anything back.

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Thank you so much for reading!

If you loved it, please comment, reblog, or send me feedback! 📩. I love hearing from readers! If you didn’t like it so much, I would still like to hear about it. Help me become a better writer! 💜

Tagging: @internetjunkdrawer @deepseavibez @itdoesntmatterwhy @yu-justme @e-cm @serendididy @onlythehobi @yoonallthetime @majamarantha @jinjccns @joonbo @shesoldbutcute @joonschocochip

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nightchai05 · 1 year

Photo

Diluc & Keaya pining for the same person headcanons. gn!reader

By anonymous request. I'm still new to tumblr html so I... accidentally deleted the ask with the whole post and it had to be redone. Anyways!

The brothers don't talk much - so they wouldn't know they are attracted, or dare they say, care for, the same person, at first

Kaeya would shamelessly flirt with you by the library, his hand on the wall, beside your face. He'd ask you about your travels, making sure you notice his wandering eyes.

Diluc would show his fighting skills, hoping that sharing one of his hobbies (being Mondstadt's night hero was a hobby) would make you feel closer to him

As time passes, Kaeya becomes a little less sure of himself, barely daring to touch you, hesitating. This hesitation - he knew - was a symptom of the heated feeling growing in his chest.

Diluc becomes obsessed with the idea of you in his arms, just like this one time, when you were very tired and fell asleep on his shoulder, when he finished cleaning the bar after a busy night. Diluc's face grew hot and then he knew.

Diluc tries to gain your affections by accompanying you home late at night, to make sure you return safely. He walks close to you, on alert, ready to strike in any given moment.

It happens quite often, and Kaeya, after his shift, notices it soon enough.

The Cavalry Captain memorizes some patterns and bumps into you as you walk home from yet another adventure. He has a theory, it is feeble and a little far-fetched, because he knows his brother enough. And yet, curiosity gets the best of him.

Kaeya invites you to walk around Mondstadt in the evening, his arm around your shoulders in a friendly manner. His face betrays him, though. His expression is soft, eyes half-closed, as he glances at you every once in a while, while talking about today's nice weather.

You pass by Angel's Share and he invites you for a drink, you eagerly accept, wanting to unwind a bit.

Diluc usually is at the winery, but some days, like this one, he works as a bartender/ manager there. When he notices Kaeya enter he rolls his eyes, but then he sees you, and his heart skips a beat. He sees you laugh at Kaeya's joke... and he hates it.

Kaeya occasionally throws glances at his brother, aware of the situation. And when he approaches and whispers something in your ear, Diluc slams his fist unto the counter.

Diluc comes to your table and puts his hand on your shoulder, squeezing it slightly. You look up to see his eyes full of strange flame; he leans in and murmurs: 'I have a new trick to show you, I'll see you after the closing hours'

Kaeya didn't hear what he said, but he knows it was meant to provoke.

The next days will be filled with them fighting for your affection, and maybe, just maybe, they'll have a duel, outside, far from everyone's inquisitive gaze.

#genshin impact #diluc x reader #kaeya x reader #pining #by request #text post #diluc & kaeya pining for the same person #genshin imagines

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victoria-daydreams · 1 year

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The Hare and The Tower

Chapter Six: The Lady Hightower

AN: I am not a smut writer, but Otto Hightower brought something out of me I didn’t know existed. I hope this chapter is written well. It has to be, because I messed my sleep scheduled up trying to get this posted.

Trigger Warning: SMUT - Minors DNI, I mean this in the kindest way possible, get to stepping if you’re not 18+.

Word Count: 5.7k

Taglist: @riviaborns @dogmatic255 @amethystwonders11 @snowymarvel1205 @helloimlateforeverything @sweetwanderlust05 @newandykes

Chapter Seven: The Lady Hightower Part II

113 AC, Westeros

With her heart beating anxiously, Jesmyn forced herself to open the door to the bedchambers where her husband awaited. She had been tutored about matters relating to the bedchamber during the banquet while sitting with other ladies. Jesmyn displayed a certain degree of shock at the knowledge Celesse had been spouting off. Worse, a few other ladies started to chip in, laughing behind their fans as they told her what men allegedly liked to do to pleasure themselves.

“Once your gown is off, he won't be able to keep his hands off you until he's finished," one lady said, a giggle following her sentence.

Jesmyn could only bear so much before her Aunt Charlyse stepped in, saying, "her poor niece’s head will implode from embarrassment if another word was uttered."

She emerged from the shadows of the corridor, her long, white nightgown gracefully trailing behind. Otto, drinking from a goblet and staring into the hearth, turned around, his mouth agape. Jesmyn shyly smiled, closing the door behind her as Otto’s eyes quietly trailed over her and placed his goblet down on a nearby table.

“Your silence leaves me nervous, husband,” Jesmyn said, her hands wringing themselves into knots behind her back.

The voice of the giggling woman filled her head briefly. She stepped forward, her coils released from its updo and now falling freely down her shoulders. Jesmyn took another step closer, followed by another, and another. Slow and deliberate. The roar of the flames hiding the sound of her footfalls.

“It is I who should be nervous,” Otto responded, his eyes never leaving her. “Only when you’ve visited my dreams did I believe you could be this beautiful,” he said, as she moved closer and closer to him. “But now you are here, in flesh and bone, I am rendered speechless,” he finished, Jesmyn standing directly in front of him.

Jesmyn’s cheeks warmed, “You dreamed about me?” she said, placing her hands on his shoulder.

“Often,” he admitted, resting his hands on her waist. “Nearly drove me…” he trailed off, his hand sliding up her back slowly. “To madness,” he finished, whispering into Jesmyn’s ear.

Her body quivered in response, igniting a particular kind of heat between her legs. Unconsciously, she held her breath due to Otto surveying her body with barely masked hunger. He dipped his head, his lips tracing an outline along her ear to her neck. Jesmyn couldn't control the small sigh that escaped her lips, as her grip him tightened on his shoulders.

"I must confess Otto, I am a little nervous of what comes next,” Jesmyn admitted, sliding her fingers through the hairs on the nape of his neck.

He pulled back and looked at her, “Do you trust me, Jesmyn?” he asked, seeking her eyes

“You know I do,”

“Then, nothing will happen unless you want it to," he reassured, caressing her hairline with the tips of his fingers. “How about some wine, to calm your nerves,” he suggested warmly.

“Yes, please,” Jesmyn squeaked out.

Stepping away from her, Otto moved over to the small table and poured the wine into the empty goblet. Wordlessly, he held it out for her and she quickly snatched the cup from his hand. Without hesitation, she downed the whole drink, the action taking them both by surprise. Jesmyn couldn’t help it, everything about her exuded nervous energy. Her head felt like it was spinning, and her heart was well on its way to bursting from her chest if it beat any harder. Jesmyn had never been with a man before, having waited like all highborn ladies are supposed to. Now, finally her wedding night was upon her and her complete inexperience with matters relating to the bedchambers overwhelmed her.

A chuckle left Otto watching Jesmyn grab the pitcher and pour herself another full cup of wine.

"For a moment, I was unsure if you were going to drink straight from the pitcher," he teased.

"Well, the night is still young," she reminded, her lips quirking up. “Never say never,” she added, bringing the goblet to her lips and quickly drinking it.

Jesmyn set the cup down onto the table as Otto walked behind her, gently pulling her hair over her shoulder to reveal the slender slope of her neck.

“You just need to relax,” he whispered, his breath fanning over her skin.

“Otto,” she sighed, her body melting against his warmth.

"Tell me to stop," he said, his voice soft and husky. "This can wait for another night, week, month or year,” he continued, his lips skimming her neck as he spoke. “You will always be my wife," he said, his beard scratching ever so lightly against her sensitive skin.

The intonation Otto had taken on was something familiar to Jesmyn only when she slumbered, where her mind ran wild with images. Dreams which she awakened from, hot and out of breath, her chest heaving. The ones seen as improper, leaving her with wet small clothes and sticky thighs come morning time. Such a tone was welcome, it was most welcome. She’d never felt like this. This was a new emotion for her. Lust, desire, and love. Jesmyn wanted him with a fierceness she couldn't contain, and prayed he didn’t stopped.

“I don’t want you to,” Jesmyn breathed.

The words left her lips and she could barely recognize her own voice, it was sultry and seductive, but so warm. Exhilaration coursed through her system, settling low in her abdomen, causing heat to pool in the area.

“Good,” he answered, breathing slightly heavier than before.

Otto dragged his mouth down her neck, leaving long, hot kisses along the way, sometimes nipping lightly, other times running his tongue along her skin. The action elicited a high pitched gasp from Jesmyn, her head lolling back. A pleasured shiver ran through her, from the base of her neck down to the tip of her spine. Her skin prickling with goosebumps. Jesmyn’s vision went hazy, her head swimming from what his lips were doing to her. Otto’s slid his arms around her waist, bringing them lower and lower on her body while dipping his head deeper to the crook of her neck. Inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume, he placed open wet kisses on her neck.

A strangled moan reverberated in her chest as Jesmyn felt teeth sink into the junction of her neck and shoulder. Reaching up, she ran her fingers into his soft hair and held him to her. Her movement made his waist press against hers, involuntarily pushing his hips into her and extracting a low, stifled groan from Otto. The mere sound intoxicated Jesmyn, immediately enticing her to do it again. Loudly, Otto groaned in pleasure directly into her ear and it was the sweetest song to reach Jesmyn’s ears. The sensation against her rear was unmistakable, Jesmyn could feel Otto hardening beneath his nightshirt.

Slowly, his hands ran up her waist, then over her ribs until his large palms finally cupped her breasts, fondling the sensitive tissue. the searing heat from his palms seeped through the thin material of her dress. Jesmyn moaned at the feeling, arching her back, her breasts craving attention. Inside her, it felt as if her blood already screaming in her veins at his touch, her neck crawling with nerves as his breath fanned off her skin. Jesmyn’s eyes rolled back, her head dropping further onto her husband’s chest before hers and Otto’s lips met. The kiss is slow and deliberate, tangling and teasing. She could taste the sweet wine he had consumed earlier on his lips

She drew a heavy breath as his mouth left hers and she spun around to face him fully. Hooded blue eyes held hers captive, dark and halfway clouded with lust. Otto raised his hand to her face, cupping her cheek.

"Don't worry, dear. I shall be gentle with you,” he said, tracing her lips with his thumb.

Silently, he dragged his fingers down her lips and to her chin, following the trail of skin to the length of her neck. His touch was like fire and ice at the same time. Otto’s hand came to a stop on the collar of her nightgown where it was neatly tied in a bow. His eyes flickered to hers, Jesmyn’s eyes were already boring into his.

“Do it,” she encouraged.

Jesmyn watched him gently tug on the string, and with little effort the knot unraveled, the front falling open. An audible sharp intake of breath left Otto’s mouth as another wave of goosebumps erupted on her arms. The air was colder on her newly exposed flesh than she realized. In an exploratory, and almost teasing manner, Otto inserted two fingers inside the gap of the gown; sliding them down between of her cleavage. The sensation set off another round of chills in Jesmyn.

With unexpected boldness, she surged forward. Wrapping her hands in his hair, she brought his face to hers and kissed him hard. It was a sloppy kiss, their teeth crashing together, but Jesmyn ignored the brief pain, too distracted by the small growl that Otto let out. Her tongue teased at his mouth and swiftly and suddenly, Otto lifted her off the floor as if she weighed light as a feather.

Instantly, she wrapped her legs around him securely and allowed him to carry her to the bed without breaking their kiss. Within a few short strides, Jesmyn felt her back collide into the softness of the mattress and Otto on top of her, careful not to crush his her with his weight. Jesmyn opened her lips slightly more and Otto’s tongue hungrily explored her mouth. He slid his hands underneath her nightgown, his fingers grazing the hypersensitive skin of her legs. He continued to push the fabric of her nightdress up, revealing more of her toned brown skin.

Suddenly, Otto grabbed the flesh underneath the curve of her backside, pressing her center against his hard length. A pitchy exhale spilled out of Jesmyn. The contact her lower region had been burning for was finally met.

He jerked his hips forward again, grunting as he ground down on her. Jesmyn thought she saw stars, a tingling sensation passing through her body. But it wasn't enough for her husband. She could tell he wanted to feel her against every inch of his body. Hells, Jesmyn wanted the same. Without resistance, Otto lifted her leg up and hooked it around his hip; the way they glided against each other was sinful.

Otto abruptly broke the kiss, his breath ragged. Their faces were inches apart, pants spilling from both of their lips, their chests heaving. Jesmyn’s breath mixed with his and she swore she was becoming intoxicated on the air leaving his lungs, sounds of pleasure, body heat, taste. Otto’s tousled hair fell slightly above his brow, framing his face. Jesmyn admired the gentle expression displayed, the strong masculine arms caging her. Lifting her hand up to his face, she pushed a few strands of hair behind his ear.

"Make me yours, Otto,"

His gaze dropped to Jesmyn’s half open nightgown, his fingers skimming across the exposed flesh. Lazily, he dragged the dress down her shoulder, pausing to look at her. Reaching out to him, Jesmyn covered his hand in hers and brought it down her to her breast. With her hand on top of his, she guided his hand to cup and gently squeeze her breast, causing her to moan softly. The expression on Otto’s face couldn't be described as his pupils were blown wide with lust, watching their hands. Jesmyn removed her hand from his, leaving him to explore her through the thin fabric of her nightgown.

Without hesitation, long fingers traced her nipples causing her to throw her head back and let out a cry. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was open. He stroked her again, using his thumb and her peaks harden under his touch. Jesmyn’s eyes flew open again, her mouth let out a sort of soundless cry as she arched her back into his hand.

“Don’t stop,” she said gasping.

Jesmyn drew her knees up, till her feet were flat on the bed, her legs bent at the knee with Otto between them. She pushed her knees together against his hips, causing intimate contact making them both groan. The action only spurred Otto further, his hands still playing with her breasts. His ministrations caused one of her sleeves to slide down her shoulder on one side and Otto took of it. Sticking his tongue out, he ran it over the swell of her breast until it dipped into her cleavage, sending sparks through her body.

Almost instinctively, Jesmyn’s hand directed his head to her half bared breast where he nipped hungrily before pinching her other nipple, surprising her into releasing a loud, pleasured cry. In the aftermath of her noise, everything went even quieter, and the air itself seemed to pulse with the silence. Otto growled from deep in his throat, and took a hold of her nightgown which was bunched at her hips and pulled it off; lifting it over her head. He threw it behind him with a flourish and a smug grin. Otto paused, slowly admiring her body with his gentle eyes. Finally, her nakedness was unveiled to him, her swells out for his perusal.

Dark hair hung around her shoulders, firm nipples peeking out between the strands. Laying nude before him, Jesmyn felt uneasy as uncertainty crept through her. Naturally, her hands raised themselves to shield herself from his eyes. Her modesty was overwhelming her newfound confidence.Gently, Otto’s warm hands encircled her wrists, removing her arms.

“Look at me,” he said softly, and her face grew hot. "Don't hide yourself," he said. "You are divine, Jesmyn,”

His words went straight to her core, making her wetter than she already was. Moving cautiously he slid his lips down the length of her soft neck, his breath warm against her skin. His tongue darted out, skittering across her skin, pebbling her flesh in its wake as it traced her collarbone.

Jesmyn released a harsh groan, her eyes closing tightly, when Otto’s planted his mouth between her breasts. His lips sucked at her flesh, the sensations sending heat through her veins. Her breaths were coming out shallow and hard, but what Otto did next made her temporarily stop breathing all together. Without warning, his mouth closed in around her breast, lavishing her nipple with affection.

“Aah!” Jesmyn cried lowly, her back arching off the bed and her hips buck into his.

An action that made Otto moan hotly against her breast. Wildly, Jesmyn ran her fingers through his hair, holding onto him for dear life as he dragged his teeth lightly over the sensitive nerve riddled bud. His lips attached themselves to her other breast, rolling her hardened peak on his tongue and sucking harshly at it. The heady delight of his touch made her eyes flutter close and her breathing becoming ragged. Something began to prod at her inner thigh. She felt the bulge beneath his nightshirt press against her aching center.

Otto continued his exploration of her body with both of his hands. Jesmyn didn't stop him; mewling as he ran one hand down her stomach and the other squeezing her breast. When suddenly, his other hand buried itself between her legs, feeling the sweet evidence of her arousal.

“Fuck!” Jesmyn cried sharply.

“Hmm, what’s this?” Otto hummed amusedly. “My lady wife has a foul mouth on her?” he questioned, before dragging his tongue upwards over her bud.

Jesmyn gripped Otto’s hair tightly, pulling him up towards her lips again. She bit his bottom lip getting a slight moan from his before he pressed his lips back onto her kissing her deeply and with passion. Abruptly, Jesmyn gasped loudly, parting with his mouth for air. Otto had slipped a finger inside her, curling it to hit a sweet spot she didn’t know existed. Another whimper passed through her as Otto used his thumb to rub against her clit. She was on fire. Jesmyn began to move her hips in time with his fingers. Their lips smashed together once more, each kiss lasting longer than the last. Otto’s touches growing rougher. His mouth moved to the side of her cheek, chin, jaw, down her neck and then to her ear.

"The sounds that come from your lips are heavenly, the most beautiful things I've ever heard,”

“H-Harder,” Jesmyn whispered.

Otto drew back slightly, “What was that?” he asked, his lips hovering over hers.

“More,” Jesmyn breathed out, and that was all it took.

He obeyed, letting a second finger joined his ministrations and thrusting faster into her, harder, like she asked. And in that exact moment, Otto hit a spot driving Jesmyn mad and crying out in ecstasy.

"Yes, just like that," she encouraged, as his fingers plowed deeper inside of her. "O-Otto your fingers feel—fuck! Mmmh, just like that, don't stop, don't stop, don't—" Jesmyn babbled, throbbing, needy, and desperate for him.

"You're so close," Otto rasped. "I can feel it,” he continued, pushing his cock into her thigh, rutting incessantly, pre-cum smearing onto her leg. “You enjoy this, don't you? You enjoy having the King’s Hand fingers inside you,” he said gruffly.

Even in the midst of passion, Jesmyn couldn’t help but notice Otto’s sweet and gentle demeanor had all but vanished. In the throes of their lovemaking, his words turned vulgar, vivid, erotic, and demanding. She loved it. Otto’s fingers moved faster, and wet, little sounds filled the air as Jesmyn got louder and louder, rolling her hips into his hand. He slammed his fingers harder into her, gasps and moans pour from Jesmyn’s lips. His other hand found purchase on her left breast, kneading the mound of time and rubbing his thumb over the nipple. It sent another spasm through her muscles as they clenched in pleasure.

Jesmyn could feel a delicious ache threatening to send her body into another world with every move he made. Her body moved up and down on the bed with each thrust, while her hands clutched the sheets for dear life as her body shook with pleasure. Every minute, every second drove her closer, She could feel it.

Her body was rushing towards a precipice, and Otto pressed harder against her clit, his two fingers deep within her. The pressure that had been building up like water against a dam for several minutes, finally broke, crashing and tearing through her. She threw her head back against the pillows, mewls falling from Jesmyn’s lips. Her body arched and shuddered violently as an explosive gush of wetness washed over her. It covered Otto’s hand, soaked her thighs, and onto the bed sheets.

She gazed at the ceiling with unseeing eyes as she felt herself trembling in ecstasy. All muscles on her body seemed to be contracting simultaneously. Her vaginal walls seemed to squeeze around Otto’s fingers so hard she thought she would break them. He moved with her, grinding himself against her writhing body his own wetness soaking her skin. He kept thrusting his fingers in and out of her, causing her eyes to roll back. He was determined to draw out every wave of orgasm from her aching body.

Otto held her close, his lips tenderly sucking on her neck while whispering sweet nothings into her ear. Soon, the intensity of feeling every nerve ending course through her body gradually came to an end, her body finally settling down. Although, her body kept jerking sporadically even after her climax was over. Still panting, Jesmyn let out a breathy laugh and reopened her eyes to find Otto already smiling down at her.

“Gods, Otto, I’d never imagine my body could feel like such a way, it was amazing,” she said, smiling tiredly at him.

He smirked, “Oh, my dear wife,” he began, sliding his fingers out of her. “You have had only but a taste of what pleasures can be done to the body,” he continued, before bringing his digits up to his mouth.

Jesmyn’s eyes widened as she watched Otto smear her essence onto his tongue. It was fucking obscene. She released a sharp breath, biting her lip as she watched him. He never blinked, holding her gaze as the tips of his fingers glistened as he pushed them into his mouth, before closing his lips around them and licking them clean. Tasting her.

“Just as I thought,” he said, with a hum. “The sweetest of nectars,” he purred.

Shock filled her body. If it was at all possible, Jesmyn felt hotter than she already was. Otto smirked as he finished sucking her arousal from his fingers. Her hand hooked around Otto’s neck and brought him down towards her, kissing him fiercely. It was sloppy and wet, and he basked in it. Otto kissed back with fervor, running his tongue over hers and sucked at it a little, making Jesmyn groan. Otto broke the kiss, the faint taste of herself still present on his lips.

“Not so innocent, are we?” he whispered, bringing his fingers to her mouth.

Otto lightly pressed his thumb against Jesmyn’s slightly parted mouth, dragging her lips apart. Alluringly, she maintained his stare and sucked the into her mouth, letting her tongue swipe over the pad.

Jesmyn hummed a moan as she tasted herself, Otto watching her with wonder. His tongue ran across his bottom lip while his other hand moved to his manhood, tugging himself roughly with a few long strokes.

“Hmmm…I do taste good," she said huskily, letting his thumb pop free from her mouth, her teeth lightly scraping his skin.

“Fuck,” he hissed.

Otto stripped off his nightshirt, tossing it aside carelessly. Jesmyn propped herself up on her elbows and stared Otto’s painfully erect cock, liquid dribbling out of his member. It was thick with a large vein running down the side.

“Care to show me what other pleasures can be performed to the body,” Jesmyn said, lifting her foot up and coquettishly running it against Otto’s inner thigh.

Her foot barely traveled more than a few inches before Otto grabbed it, smoothly curling her leg around him and lowering himself into the space where Jesmyn’s legs lie open. The tip of his manhood bumping against where she wanted him, and just the tiny bit of contact had her whimpering softly. Otto cupped her cheek and laid her back down onto the bed, her head cradled in his palm.

“Are you sure?” Otto asked, his eyes locking with hers.

It amazed Jesmyn how caring and patient of a lover her husband. He was perfect at being gentle yet forceful. She let ran her fingers trail up from his stomach to his chest, realizing he was much more muscular than he appeared.

“I am,” she answered, nodding her head.

He placed his lips on her forehead, then her eyelids, her cheeks.

"I'm sorry if I cause you any pain,"

Otto gripped his member, stroking himself before positioning it at her entrance. Then, Jesmyn felt a soft prodding against her center before it began to penetrate her. She inhaled sharply, her hands coming to grip his shoulders while her foot pushed into the mattress. Their bodies slowly began to merge together and Otto plunged deeper into her heat, his member throbbing in excitement. Jesmyn let out a cry, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes from the slight burning sensation coming from her core.

He stilled, "I know," Otto soothed, kissing her cheek. “Just this once, my love, it won’t be like this for much longer,” he promised, brushing her tears away. “Do you want to stop?" he questioned softly.

"No, keep going...I just need to… adjust," Jesmyn answered, breathing heavily. “Just be gentle,” she added.

“I will, just as I promised,”

Otto held her tightly, continuing to move inside of her tight walls, his breaths becoming more ragged with each moment that passed. Jesmyn’s form trembled and Otto kissed her shoulder; before his hips pushed forward breaking her maidenhood. An action which was pleasurable for Otto as his grip tightened on her thigh, trying to catch his breath from her walls clenching around him. For Jesmyn, it was just the opposite.

“Gods!” Jesmyn gasped in pain, her eyes tightly shut.

She could only describe it as if something was tearing her apart from the inside and splitting her in half. Instantly, Otto placed a trail of comforting kisses down her collarbone, as she tried to adjust to feel of him embedded deeply inside of her. After a minute, her pained expression relaxed.

"Are you still in pain?"

"A little, I just need to get used to this...feeling,”

"We can wait,” he offered, brushing hair from her face.

Jesmyn shook her head, “No, keep going,” she said.

Nodding, Otto resumed his movements and pulled out about an inch or so, only to slide back into her. Another gasp left her, the dull pain was still ever present, but the pleasure she felt earlier with his finger began to bloom. It went on like this for several minutes until each gentle slide turned into a small thrust. Then, it happened.

"O-oh Otto," Jesmyn exhaled softly, tipping her head back and closing her eyes.

He moved his lips to hers, capturing them into a soft kiss. Gently, Jesmyn nipped at his bottom lip earning a slight moan from his before pressing his lips back onto hers kissing her deeply and with passion. All the while, Otto continued to pull his hips back and rock forward, setting a slow yet steady rhythm. Jesmyn moaned every time he pushed his cock back into her. Her heart thrummed, his cock pulsing inside her warm flesh.

Otto moaned deeply into her ear, "You feel so exquisite, my dear wife," he praised. "So tight for me," he growled.

His words made her wetness leak out from her core and around his cock, dripping down onto her backside and the bed sheets. Otto pulled out to nearly the tip, before thrusting back inside of her; encouraged by her pleasured sighs. She was thoroughly enjoying how her body fit perfectly his own; the sensation of her breasts pushing against his chest as she arched into him.

He shifted against her, the soft hairs on his chest brushing her sensitive nipples

"It feels so... oh, fuck, it's so..." she was unable to form coherent sentences.

Gradually, Otto began to increase the intensity of his thrusts making her breasts bounce up and down. The slap their skin harmonized with every movement. He rested his forehead against hers, moaning softly just as passionately as she was. Otto pulled out until just the tip of him was the only thing remaining inside her, before thrusting back in deep, angling himself just enough to hit that spot inside her firmly. Jesmyn thought she could see stars.

"Harder," Jesmyn demanded, her fingernails dragging across his back.

Otto’s lips curled up into a smirk, leaning away from her, “I think my lady wife enjoys it rough,” he remarked.

Gladly, he obliged her, deepening his strokes as her walls clamped down on him. Jesmyn moved her hips to match his intense thrusts and the action seemed to rile him up further. It made Otto thrust into her like a dog in heat. The slapping of their skin increased in volume, it had never sounded more erotic to Jesmyn. Every thrust sent ripples through her body.

"You're so fucking wet, Jesmyn," he said throatily. "You've been dying to have my cock inside you, haven’t you?"

Otto moved his hands to Jesmyn’s chest, groping her breasts like they were the only thing that kept him tethered to the world. His fingers dug deep into the soft pillowy mounds, leaving marks of them much to Jesmyn’s pleasure. He toyed with them, touching and laving at the sensitive area, just as his manhood repeatedly hitting the sweet spot inside Jesmyn over and over without fail.

Jesmyn was warm, so warm where Otto gripped her, the heat of him seeping into her as he continued to pound into her, cursing and gasping all the while. Her eyes began to grow heavy, and with little resistance allowed them to close, letting herself feel and enjoy her husband draw every drop of pleasure out of her. Otto’s head dipped into the crook of her neck, pressing kisses there, his breath hot against her neck. His grunts and moans were guttural and low, his voice a gravelly, raspy thing as he praised her how good she felt, how wet she was, how well she was taking him.

"Faster," Jesmyn ordered breathlessly, a command Otto followed.

Dropping his hands to her waist and gripping tightly, Otto pumped in and out of her, his pace becoming less controlled, thrusting into her the way she demanded. Intense, concentrated pleasure began to build up right between her legs.

"Is this how the lady likes it?" he asked, plunging into her all the way to the base each time

All she could do was nod eagerly, “Mmm—Y-Yes!" Jesmyn exclaimed, barely managing to utter the single word from her mind melting with the lustful pleasure.

Otto moved his hand to her center, playing with her clit as he increased the speed of his thrusts. Her hips moved with him, eyes closing as pleasure bloomed inside her, mounting and mounting. He moaned loudly, as her movements made her squeeze around him harder; each thrust making her toes curl in pleasure and the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Fuuuck!" he panted, moving in and out of her with more hard raps. “So good, Jesmyn, so good. So close,” he said fervently, their skin slapping at the harsh contact. “Can feel all of you, so wet and tight around me,”

He continued to ram himself in her sweet, perfect snatch; making Jesmyn’s breath hitch and feel like lightning coursed through her entire body. She pressed her face against the base of his neck, slowly trailing kisses up the column, before dragging her tongue along his jaw, up to his ear.

"Yes, that's it, my love," she whispered against his ear. "Ugh—just like that," she cooed, lightly tugging on his earlobe with her teeth.

Jesmyn’s legs wrapped around him tighter, her heels digging into his back taking his cock deeper as her hips rolled to meet his with each rough thrust. She could feel every inch of him inside her, hitting so deep she almost couldn't breathe. The pleasure burning in her pelvis grew to the point she was gasping for air, clawing and raking her nails down his back. Her thighs trembling, her muscles taut. She threaded a hand through his hair as the tension grew to unbelievable proportions. She couldn't handle it—her velvety walls clenched tightly around Otto’s cock like a vice, and her head went fuzzy. A loud gasping cry left her lips, just as her release wracked through her body, her vision dotting white.

Jesmyn screamed out Otto’s name in pure pleasure as she climaxed. Her whole body arching into his and the sound of his name escaping her loudly along with the almost painful clench of her walls, squeezing down so tight he could barely pull out.

''I can't... hold-!''

Otto hammered himself deeper into her womanhood, gripping her hips with enough force to know he would leave purplish bruises on her skin for days afterwards. Letting out a choked call of Jesmyn’s name, he swiftly yanked his hips back from her dripping folds.

“Ahh—Fuck! Fuck!”

Grabbing his arousal coated manhood, he stroked himself quickly before his hips jutted forward, erupting all over her stomach. Spurts of hot liquid shot from his cock, painting her skin with his hot seed. Otto kept pumping cum onto her exposed stomach, even as high as her breast. His orgasm slowed to a stop and he shivered, releasing his cock.

''Mmm-” he moaned, shuddering as his warmth hit her skin.

Otto collapsed on top of her like lead, breathing heavily and panting into the the crook of her neck. Both shivering as they rode out the waves of their powerful orgasms. Near silence blanketed the room as their respective orgasms ended, broken only by their heavy panting. Languidly, Jesmyn trailed her fingers up and down his dewy back, nails scratching lightly at the nape of his neck. The two of them sated and warm in each other's embrace as their breathing settled, finally coming down from their high.

Jesmyn slowly opened her eyes, letting out a deep, shuddering breath as the blues of Otto’s met her brown ones. His cheeks were flushed with exertion and his hair disheveled. Lifting his hand up, Otto stroked her cheek and planted a soft kiss on her lips, then rested his head on her shoulder.

"To think I was so terrified beforehand.." Jesmyn began, stifling a quiet laugh.

“Not anymore, I imagine,” Otto replied, smiling against her skin. “You won’t be able to keep your hands to yourselves,” he joked, before kissing the area of her chest closest to him.

“Me?” she questioned incredulously. “Your hands have traversed every plane of my body,” she quipped, threading her fingers in his hair.

“Can you hardly blame me?” he asked, his lips curving upwards. “You, and those damned dresses you’d wear, showing off your shoulders when you would visit my tower because you had to personally deliver your drawings or paintings to me,” he recalled humorously.

Jesmyn smiled, “So you did notice,” she said, chuckling warmly.

“Of course I did,” Otto said, with a playful scoff. “As our relationship progressed, so did your gowns,” he remarked. “First, your gowns showed your wrists, then your arms, and when you reached to revealing your shoulders...” he trailed off. “Thoughts unbecoming of a gentleman sprang through my head,” he admitted.

“Hmm, what thoughts?”

Otto tilted his head bringing his lips to her ear, “Locking the door to my tower, then, bending you over on my desk and taking you from behind,” he whispered hotly in her ear.

His words teased out goosebumps on her body.

“There’s nothing stopping you now, my body and soul are yours,” she whispered back.

A breathy chuckle left him, “Just you wait, my sweet hare. I have much to teach you,” he stated, their noses brushing against each other.

“I shall be your most eager student,” she quipped.

Otto smiled and pulled Jesmyn into a brief, but loving kiss.

"I love you,”

"I love you too,"

Chapter Eight: Wifely Duties

#house of the dragon x reader #game of thrones x reader #otto hightower x reader #black!reader #black fanfiction #black!oc #games of thrones imagine #game of thrones oc #house of the dragon oc #house of the dragon fanfiction #game of thrones fanfiction #house of the dragon imagine #otto hightower x oc #house of the dragon #game of thrones #hotd x reader #got x reader

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dominimoonbeam · 5 months

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Bite to Bruise - 26

This work is mine and I do not give consent for my works to be used, copied, published, or posted without my permission. I am sharing chapters as I work on this story but it is copyrighted material that I plan to rework and publish when completed.

story tags: modern-fantasy mashup, werewolves, witches, monsters, romance, learning to trust, hurt/comfort, blood, violence, explicit sex, explicit language

The earlier parts can be found under the tag or over on patreon. <3

BITE TO BRUISE - CHAPTER 26.

Ever walked his brothers to the door, saw them out, and then slammed the heavy barrier against the wind and snow. He brushed some of those flakes of ice off of himself, even as the crystals were fast melting in the warm indoors.

Bellamy emerged from the kitchen with two big mugs of coffee.

She was a beautiful sight, all naked legs and loose hair. She put one mug down on the coffee table, keeping the other when she curled up in one corner of the couch. Those dark eyes of hers turned on him, waiting, shining with the reflection of flames from the fireplace.

Coming to her was gravity. It only took surrender and instinct to bring him to the couch. He sat in the middle, not touching her but not out of reach either, and picked up the cup she’d left him.

Her eyes widened a fraction and her breath caught when he lifted it to his lips.

If he didn’t know better, he would think she’d poisoned it.

But Ever did know better—she was simply surprised he hadn’t suspected it and hesitated. She was a witch, after all.

He drank the coffee and sank back into the couch dramatically, sighing.

She pressed her smile into the lip of her cup, holding it in both hands to warm those magic-stained fingers.

“Spend the winter with me?” Ever asked.

“Well, my cabin is wrecked, and the snow is already piling up out there…” she said, like either of those things could stop her. Ever wasn’t sure there was much of anything in the world that could truly stop Wren.

She uncurled her legs from under her, slowly sliding them across his lap. He touched fingertips to her ankle, gliding along her calf to the back of her knee and then finally settling his palm against her thigh when she stopped.

Ever took another drink of his coffee, watching his witch while the fire crackled and the storm howled outside. “You know you don’t have to keep the glamour up, right?”

She tensed. He felt it in her muscles under his palm and saw it in the way her smile flinched just the tiniest bit. She recovered fast, taking one hand off her mug to twist fingers in that blonde hair. “You want something else, wolf? Red, maybe?”

Ever shook his head, reaching out to join her fingers in her hair. “I just want you, Wren.”

Her gaze snapped to his at that name, her true name. He could scent excitement and fear on her when he said he wanted her, like she wasn’t sure what he meant.

“It costs you magic to hold this appearance, doesn’t it? No one is going to get in here. No one is going to see and recognize you. I’m just reminding you that you don’t need to keep this up if you don’t want to.”

Her smile had gone, her expression raw for a moment before she recovered, lifting her mug to her lips again and pressing the porcelain to her mouth as if to remind herself how to smile. “I have plenty of magic, wolf. Don’t worry.”

Ever nodded. He had never doubted that. His gaze slid to her mug and her fingers. The glamour gave her a pinkie that he knew was gone. “Why is Baron after you? When you came here the first time, you were a kid.”

She sipped her coffee. Buying time, maybe?

He half-expected her not to answer him.

“I don’t know,” she said.

She must have seen some sort of doubt in his expression because she said it again.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember anything before him and… not like I forgot, I mean, he was all I knew.” She rolled the mug slowly between her palms. “His house was the only home I knew. I didn’t understand what he was or what I was. They, the shades, his shades, they would dote on me or ignore me. Some of them brought me gifts and asked me to tell their fortunes. I thought it was a game.”

Ever took in every word carefully, realizing as she tripped over them that this was likely the first time she’d ever said any of it. It might be the last time too, so he better remember it. Where had she come from? Where had Baron taken her from? Were there other witches like her out there? Or had one of those magical bloodlines realized at birth that she was special and handed her off? Sold her, was more likely. Ever didn’t ask, because she didn’t know and it would be cruel to make her say it.

She sighed dramatically, as if to take the weight out of it. Her fingers tapped against her mug, all but that false pinkie. “I don’t remember why he snapped that day. He bit it off and I screamed so loud that the roof came down.” She paused, her gaze unfocused as she remembered it.

Ever realized she was being literal. She had brought a roof down.

“It didn’t kill him. It barely stopped him. We fought, I guess? It wasn’t really a fight, he… he was trying to make me stop screaming. I tried to run but there was no way out. I had never seen a door. I had never gotten out before so I couldn’t find it. I just remember needing to get away from him so badly. I was hurt and I thought he was going to kill me…and then I sort of just fell and landed in the woods.”

The log in the fireplace split and little embers snapped into the brick pit.

“You portalled here.”

She nodded and then shrugged and drank her coffee.

“Why here?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe because it was as close to the deep as I can portal?”

“You can’t portal into the deep parts of the woods?”

Bellamy smiled, eyes glinting at him like he’d tricked her into telling a secret. “No. I can portal to the other side of the woods, to the other side of the world, but there are a few places I can’t portal to.”

“What other places?”

She smirked and pointedly drank her coffee, not telling.

Ever smiled. Fair enough. “Is it difficult to make a door like the one you have in your cabin?”

“I wouldn’t say it’s hard. It just takes a lot of time to weave and I have to keep it open.”

“Like the portal you opened for us to go to Ceres the other night?”

“No. That’s different. The doorways are anchored. It doesn’t really cost me anything but time and effort to make. The other portals are like a burst. I’m the anchor and then I hurl myself through. It’s a little more…chaotic. The doorways I can build between two places but if I don’t come back every year or so to maintain it, it’ll disappear.”

He nodded, drawing a circle on her naked thigh, just above her knee, with his thumb.

The witch smiled. “Are you going to ask me?”

Ever bit the inside of his lip to hold down his mirror grin. “Ask you what?”

“To make you a door to Ceres?”

He let the grin out. “I mean, I was going to wait a week. I was thinking I’d butter you up with cozy winter stuff first.”

She shifted, closer, holding her half-empty mug to her chest with both hands. “Oh? What sort of winter stuff?”

Ever put his own cup down and shifted toward her, bending one knee on the couch under her legs. “Well, couch snuggling by the fireplace…”

She nodded. “This is pretty fucking cozy,” the witch agreed.

Ever grinned, flashing teeth. “And I was going to make you food… maybe even bake something sweet.”

Her eyes widened. “You can bake?”

He nodded, one palm sliding up her thigh, until his fingers were tracing the skin just under the hem of the shirt she was wearing. “And then, of course, there’s sex.”

Bellamy bit her bottom lip and he loved the way her dark eyes considered him before she said, “I mean, that sounds like it would be pretty persuasive.”

Ever fingered the hem of her shirt, his shirt, nudging it higher and higher until he was stroking her hip. No underwear. He groaned low in his chest, his dick twitching in his sweats. “Can we talk about sex?”

She grinned. “We have sex, so yeah, I would hope we could talk about it…”

He hummed, doubting she would have been an open book if he’d asked after their first time in bed together, but he wasn’t going to argue with her now.

Bellamy sat up a little to put her mug on the coffee table, practically pressing against him to get there before sinking back onto the corner of the couch.

“Let’s start with hard no’s…” he said, even when his gaze strayed down to where he’d lifted her shirt up, exposing the tops of her thighs and the mound of her cunt pressed between them. He fought the urge to tug her legs apart and get a better look. They needed to have this conversation, so he dragged her gaze back up to hers, shuddering at the mischief waiting there for him. “No biting.”

She twitched, looking at his mouth for a second.

She didn’t say anything though. She didn’t nod. She was thinking.

Ever waited.

“You want to bite me?”

YES, his fenrir howled in his chest. But it wasn’t that simple. If he bit her and it scared her or hurt her, it wouldn’t be what he craved at all. “That’s not the question, Bell. We’re talking about things that are an absolute no for you.”

He felt her power ripple around her as she considered it, or maybe as she considered him. He didn’t move, hands still firm on her hips but no longer exploring or rubbing.

“Can we…” she started and then stopped, picking over her words. “Can we try teeth but not bite down?”

A thrill shot down his spine. “You want to feel my teeth or you think I want to put them on you?”

“Both,” she answered fast and with a smirk. “I like your teeth.”

The your was emphasized. He smiled. “Okay. If you change your mind, just say so.”

Bellamy shifted in her seat, bending one leg up and setting it back down on the other side of him, so that her knees were straddling his chest. “I told you, wolf, if I want you to stop, I can make you stop.”

Ever groaned, looking down at her bare sex and feeling her eyes still on him. Was she trying to distract him? She was succeeding…

He squeezed her hips but resisted pulling her into his lap. “Anything else off limits?”

Bellamy smiled up at him, taking a minute to think up all the possible answers. And then she shook her head and asked, “Any furniture you don’t want to break?”

Ever laughed, finally grabbing her thighs and spreading her wider, looking at her pink flesh. “Fantasies?”

“What?” she sounded breathy and her cunt throbbed.

Ever grinned, gliding one hand over her inner thigh and then slowly stroking his thumb along those wet folds. She gasped, breath coming faster when he brushed her clit. “Fantasies, Wren… What do you think about when you touch yourself? What do you want to do? How do you want to do it?” He touched her, exploring, teasing, and finally sliding one finger deep, feeling that impossibly soft skin hugging him.

She moaned, lifting her hips a little. “Umm…” There was something thrilling about having her so riled that she struggled to put her thoughts together.

He moved his finger slowly in and out, gaze shifting between her sex and her expression. “Like, I’d really like to walk into my kitchen one of these mornings and find you bent over it waiting to be fucked…”

Bellamy clenched her teeth around a moan, hips rocking into his hand reflexively. She grabbed his shoulder, the magic in her fingertips humming through his skin. “That… Seems doable,” she mumbled, swallowing, her nipples hard under the thin material of his shirt.

He added a second finger, slowly stretching her, his thumb flicking across her clit.

Bellamy danced her fingertips over his shoulders, down to his collarbone, seeming away the little sensations that sent tumbling through his skin. Her breath grew faster and her hips rocked into his touch. “Fuck… Ever…” she panted, losing focus.

He pushed in closer, using his thighs to hold hers spread open, one hand still working her exposed cunt and the other gripping the armrest beside her head. Her soft hair tumbled over the back of his hand. Blonde. Blonde that should be black. Black like those ink-dipped fingers dragging down his chest, vibrating with power.

Could she kill him with that touch?

Yes.

He knew it without a doubt, instinct screaming truth to it.

Get away from her, those instincts told him. Protect her, the same instincts demanded.

Nine fingers stroked down his chest, leaving ribbons of tremors in their wake. Nine, because Baron had bitten off one. How could something so human, so fragile, be so powerful? This same creature had burned an illness out of their valley with a thought. Had created doorways to leap across the land in a step. A god walking in human skin.

It was cruel.

And they had all been cruel to look at her like a god rather than a human—to leave her in the woods to fend for herself.

He couldn’t even pretend they didn’t know. They had been cutting firewood for her all these years, hadn’t they? They had known their little witch was cold. They had known.

Her magic-stained digits curled into the elastic waistband of his sweats, the backs of her knuckles against his lower abdomen, her fingertips searching and finally brushing his erection.

The growl low in his chest was more fenrir than man, the shadow of claws digging into the armrest of the couch over his own hand.

She stirred everything in him.

He felt those dark eyes watching him and when he met that gaze, he saw the universe in her eyes. Not space, but time, rolling out in all directions.

He had let her go cold for so long. He had been without for what felt like hundreds of years rather than decades. He would never let her go again. If she left, he would follow. If she would not have him, he would walk on four legs and sleep in the valley outside her door. He would chop wood and make sure she never went cold again. He would not lose her this time.

#Bite to Bruise #werewolf romance #werewolf x witch #own world #own characters #<3 #dominimoonbeam #clover down #romance

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hanzajesthanza · 2 years

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appreciation for sapkowski's geralt

i wrote a long post for r/wiedzmin sooo i'm also going to post it here (feel free to comment on both platforms if you use reddit):

in the midst of everything that's going on with h*nry c*vill and li*m h*msworth, i want to foster some love for the original geralt of rivia, who first emerged in publication in december 1986, way before any netflix show used the name or any actor called himself “geralt.”

because to me, there's only one original, real geralt, and that is the geralt of the books. no one is geralt, except geralt himself.

so, reblog and comment (or leave in the tags) any favorite scenes, moments, qualities, or character development from geralt, or about his relations with other characters in the series, that you appreciate from the book series. and please keep it sapkowski's canon-only, if you can (the books, the short stories, even the non-canon something ends, something begins).

i’ll start:

what i love about geralt is that he holds complexity as an inversion of the trope of the hero. he feels very real to me — he just wants to be left alone, to do his job, but he also gets lonely and he’s overall a sensitive and emotional character underneath the black leather and silver-studded surface. while he’s practical-minded (like in bounds of reason and a shard of ice being annoyed that eyck takes money for hunting monsters because it hurts his business, or demanding that he gets the right amount of agreed-upon pay for the zeugl contract), he also is compelled to do what is “right” (like in the lesser evil, the last wish, or something more intervening with renfri in the marketplace, saving yennefer from the djinn, deciding to go back to cintra to get ciri after all)

i love how he’s always so conflicted, hesitant, and troubled. he often overthinks things, and makes decisions that often don’t benefit him personally, but are either selfless or good-natured. i don’t think he’s a grouch or unfriendly — i think he responds quite reasonably to the world and situations around him (like in baptism of fire, he’s pretty whiney and upset for the majority of the book, but his daughter is literally missing and his broken arm and leg are barely healed, of course he’s distraught.)

he’s complex and yet he’s also simple, as dandelion writes, “straightforward as a halberd shaft.” he doesn’t scheme or plan, which is refreshing in a world of shady sorcerers and spies. he’s straightforward with his feelings and intentions. he loves his family and friends, and that's his real motivation throughout the series.

my favorite scenes for and with him are probably (in chronological order):

the voice of reason iv, where he speaks with iola about his past, his origins at kaer morhen, and his life as a witcher, how he was initially filled with certainty that the world needed him.

the voice of reason v, where he speaks with dandelion about his troubles as a witcher and finding work.

the last wish, when he falls in love with yennefer at the end and thinks about how beautiful she is, how he knew she would become everything. how he regrets scrutinizing her and hurting her with his eyes, vowing to never think like that about her again. how he saves her life with no ulterior motive — the fact that yennefer hears the wish and says that he’s condemned himself to her… they both have such low self-esteem, they’re both traumatized and troubled in their own ways, from their own trainings, but he, as one vulnerable person, reached out to another, equally vulnerable person, implying ‘let’s not tear each other down, let’s try to heal together.’

eternal flame, when he tears his brand new, twenty-two crown jacket, trying to mend it in vain by the fountain. and when he can’t kill dudu, and when he softly laughs at the end, agreeing to go with dandelion & dudu, dainty, and “chapelle” to the passiflora.

sword of destiny. i love how selfless he becomes once ciri enters the picture, and he didn’t even initially know who she was. he doesn’t bemoan his fate as a witcher, burdening a child with his troubles. he acts so kindly and appropriately towards her, entertaining her, protecting her…

something more. all of something more, but especially when he finds ciri, dropping to his knees and holding her so tightly 🥺 promising they’ll be together forever.

blood of elves ch. 1, when he wakes ciri from her nightmare and covers her with the sheepskin, reassuring her.

blood of elves ch. 3, when he instructs ciri to give up her sword, they fight a disagreement, and he makes an impossible leap to catch her.

blood of elves ch. 5, when he swears to philippa that if any harm comes to ciri, he’ll… and then immediately passes out from loss of blood.

time of contempt ch 3, when yennefer wouldn’t let him wear his “pretentious” headband, and he’s messing with his hair and whining about it.

time of contempt ch. 5, when his voice breaks telling dandelion that ciri needs him, that she cannot be left alone.

baptism of fire ch. 1 and 4 & tower of the swallow ch. 3 and 5, every time his knee badly pains him.

baptism of fire ch. 5, when he has fish soup with his newly formed company and grumbles about how they're "a team of heroes, a fellowship of idiots, united by a common goal which none of them understand."

baptism of fire ch. 7, when he speaks with milva, and then speaks with regis, refusing to go through ysgith upon learning that milva is pregnant and after talking to her she decided to keep the pregnancy. he says that he thought he was ready to go to ciri at any cost, but this is too high a cost. he’s not willing to risk milva and put her in danger for himself, her child for his child. like, his company became another family to him, forged in the fire of war.

baptism of fire ch. 7, when he and cahir hold the jaruga bridge together!

tower of the swallow ch. 5, when he mistakes angoulême for ciri, goes hot and cold at the same time, tries to calm himself with axii, and it doesn’t work! and then cooperates, “only for her sake.” because even if she’s not ciri, he recognizes she’s a young girl who needs to be rescued and brought into a family, very much like ciri.

tower of the swallow ch. 5, when he speaks with fulko artevelde and cleverly denounces and dissects authoritarianism as a governmental philosophy. it’s such a good dialogue!

tower of the swallow ch. 6, when he apologizes to cahir for losing his temper and his mind in the mine, and also for accusing him of being a traitor.

tower of the swallow ch. 7, when he finds out that his company is in danger and immediately demands to leave and ride to them.

lady of the lake ch. 2, when he calls regis his friend in the caves underneath mount gorgon.

lady of the lake ch. 3, when he and dandelion part ways and he “gasps audibly” upon hearing dandelion wants to stay in beauclair.

lady of the lake ch. 9… when he and yennefer finally find ciri again, and he greets her “ciri,” he answered, with a lump in his throat, “i’m glad to see you again.” him not feeling anger, grief, or hatred… just fatigue and with a great need to be done with it all. when he looks towards the corridor that ciri came out of, “as if expecting someone else to come from there. ciri shook her head. he understood,” like, he didn’t forget about his hanza, he didn’t forget about cahir and angoulême, even though he probably already sensed they had died… he still was hoping that they would survive. him not interrupting yennefer and ciri’s hug until a long time had passed, recognizing and respecting their mother-daughter bond, not being jealous of yennefer but encouraging their love. and as they descend down the marble staircase, he instructs ciri, still a father to her after all this time and after all these trials, with yennefer behind them, him telling her that everything is just a symbol, and commenting on her swordplay, saying “calmly,” “stick close to me,” and that if ciri ever tries to deflect a crossbow bolt with her sword like that again, she’ll get a spanking 😭

lady of the lake ch. 12… you know why. ψ but to be more specific:"very well," said the witcher, walking towards the exit. "but this is the last time! dammit, it really is the last time!" and "stop," he wanted to cry," where are you going? it’s enough that i always piss into the wind."

season of storms epilogue, when “he” speaks with nimue on her way to aretuza. he says that even more than a hundred years after his death, that geralt of rivia would be happy, if people remembered him, if they remembered the name of his horse. yes, he would be happy… if only he could know it. then they discuss how witchers will always be needed, for evil always will lurk in the darkness. and he reassures her to follow her destiny, which she does, and because of this, ciri follows her destiny at stygga castle!

his very specific aesthetics: his white hair, his weird eyes or as angoulême rhymes, "oczy dziwoczy!", his "hideous smile" and "hideous squint," his angular features, large nose, his (tower of the swallow ch. 7) torn ear and lost medallion, his sword over his right shoulder (and silver sword kept on roach), his black leather gloves and jacket "bristling with silver spikes," and his silly leather headband!

a complex character, a tragic hero, and really, just a normal man trying to survive, do the right thing, and protect his loved ones in a world of war and contempt.

#the witcher books #geralt of rivia #geralt #the witcher spoilers #c: geralt #analysis #not really analysis but its a long post lol

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fanfic-inator795 · 11 months

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**ELEMENTAL SPOILERS AHEAD**

Okay so, I was reminded of this (thanks random clips on Youtube), and since I never made a post sharing my thoughts on ‘Elemental’ despite seeing it a week ago, I wanna give my thoughts on this particular moment now and see if anyone agrees/disagrees with me, cause I’m curious.

Alright, in the typical 2nd act Break-up Scene, I understand that Wade was looking out for Ember's happiness, but he basically called her a coward and for me, that crossed the line. It may have been done with good intentions, but it was also ignorant and arrogant.

The movie makes it very clear that it's not a matter of Ember simply following her father's wishes like it is in something like ‘Turning Red’ - it's Ember wanting to make sure her dad can retire so he doesn't WORK HIMSELF TO DEATH. I can't blame her for being hesitant about revealing the truth to him. Yes, that may count as her being ‘afraid’ as Wade says, but it’s a damn reasonable fear to have! Also, I’d like to point out that if she had taken over the shop, she still could have made her glasswork art on the side, so it's not like she would be completely giving up on her dream.

I get that yes, the truth ultimately was the right decision in this case - Bernie assumed Ember wanted the shop since that's what she always said/implied since she was a kid, and once he learned that she didn't want it, people in the community were able to take over the shop for Bernie so he could retire.

Essentially, everything worked out... but it was very much an idealized best case scenario/Hollywood happy ending, so Ember was still valid in thinking that her rejecting the shop and being selfish would inadvertently lead to her father's death/them eventually losing the shop again. I could also see Ember being reluctant about leaving in general since, again, outside of the shitty customers she seemed to enjoy being at the center of the community and being an assistant manager/delivery girl. It was just being in charge of EVERYTHING and all the stress that came from it that made it a nightmare.

But in THAT regard it’s like - geez, Wade, if you're that concerned about Ember getting burnt out (ha) and being miserable, maybe YOU should offer to help run the shop with her so she doesn't get overwhelmed by awful customers (which seemed to be her main issue, given that she enjoyed the shop itself). At the very least, he should have tried to help her find some sort of compromise instead of only pushing her towards the 'tell the truth and follow your dreams' path - a path that, as Ember said, not everyone is privileged or lucky enough to follow, while Wade seems to think it’s the only valid path.

I feel like Wade being willing to not just help her find happiness but also understand her duty and loyalty to her family would have been the TRUE sign that he was a good match for her. Instead it just feels like an ignorant person seeing the dynamics in a family from a different culture and calling that family 'abusive' because they don't understand said culture differences.

Given that I enjoyed the cultural and familial aspects of ‘Elemental’ much more than the romance plot, I feel like it could have been nice to have Wade - instead of declaring his love and following the rom-com tropes to a tee - find a way to be an actual supportive ally and have THAT be the true foundation of their love instead of it JUST being their ‘chemistry’ with each other.

Instead of him deciding to take a one-way ticket out of the city and being all sad, have him discover the cracks in Ember’s glass at the dam and have him still be there later on trying to still fix it for her when she comes across it herself. Show Wade actively caring about the fate of not just Ember but also all of Fire Town, fighting for their safety and wanting them all to be okay even after Ember rejects him. I feel like seeing that, plus him helping her save the blue flame, would truly allow Ember to return Wade’s feelings, as it would help her see that even if he doesn’t fully understand it, he still sees and accepts that Ember’s people and community are important to her, so he wants to help support and protect them too regardless of whether or not it earns him a date/relationship afterwards.

There was a lot of other things that could have been added in to further support this new climax - like, instead of Wade just introducing Ember to the wonders of Element City, Ember could be sharing Fire Land culture with him as well. I also feel like Wade needed to be more of a character in his own right and less of an overly-emotional manic pixie dream boy, as otherwise he just comes off as Jack from ‘Titanic’, complete with heroic sacrifice for his love interest. Except here it’s less ‘quirky guy wanting to save a rich girl from her abusive fam’ and more ‘quirky guy wants to date a girl he fell head-over-heels with and is putting her happiness above all else... buuut that unfortunately also includes putting it above the people his love interest cares about the most’, so it’s less charming.

The fact that we barely get to learn anything about Wade’s backstory with his dead dad combined with his only real goal in the film being ‘help Ember/date Ember/save Ember, etc.’, it just makes him feel sorta shallow and a bit of an after-thought compared to Ember and the rest of the Lumen family. At best, he’s an overly emotional romantic who just cares a lot (which can be a positive or negative thing depending on the circumstances) and at worst he’s an ignorant optimist whose empathy only somewhat works on an individual level (like with Ember, or with that one airball athlete he got the arena to cheer for). Either way, I feel like Wade is the main reason why I couldn’t fully get behind the romance in the end, no matter how sweet or cute some of the earlier moments of it might have been.

#elemental #pixar elemental #long post #my thoughts #for the record I don't hate this movie #Lightyear is MUCH worse #but this one still has some frustrating or 'wait wtf' moments #that brings it down to like #a 6 or 7 out of 10 for me

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blackrabbittwst · 2 years

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A Dandelion on top of a Snow-covered Peak

{Part 1}

Synopsis: The prefect of the Ramshackle Dorm has caught the eye of a certain eel. It was only a matter of time that his mask would slowly melt and show his genuine side.

Characters: Jade Leech

Pairings: Jade Leech x Reader

Gender/Pronouns: Gender Neutral

Warnings: None

A/N: I couldn’t really think of what kind of reader x story to make but I knew I wanted to write one since I love reading them to much. As a Jade fan I thought this would be a good opportunity to write about him.

A/N #2: Also, I thought it would be fun to post this on my birthday! 🥳 I made sure to proofread it quickly! I hope you all enjoy my brainrot for my favorite boy.

The first part is more of a prologue, and it’s in Jade’s POV. Enjoy~

The school year had only started, but things were already starting to become interesting. Jade grinned widely when his house warden started running around trying to apprehend this odd flaming cat monster. Watching Azul trying to cooperate with Heartslabyul’s house warden also was quite the treat. Their controlling personalities don’t quite mix well, which ends up being quite the catastrophe. Despite the bickering and hot tempers, they somehow got this little flame beast under control. Along with the all the chaos, there was also a new student with no magic whatsoever, yet they were somehow summoned by the magic mirror. How was that even possible? No one had the answer, even the head warden knew nothing about this debacle.

“Fufu, it seems like this school year will be an interesting one.” Jade thought to himself as the weird monster was being thrown out. Meanwhile, everyone turned their heads back towards the front of the room and started staring at the strange being, who only looked terrified like a deer in the headlights. Despite everything that was occurring, Floyd only yawned and stretched his arms. All he wanted to do was to finally leave from the boring, stuffy ceremony they have to sit through every year. Thankfully he wasn’t getting too antsy yet, even after watching all the actions that took place. Jade was quite relieved that his brother was simply bored. He knew the moment Floyd started something, he would have to step in and stop the disruption. If he didn’t, Riddle would probably have Floyd’s head without a second hesitation (Riddle was already quite furious because of the interruption after all). The thought was somewhat tempting, but the idea of how troublesome it was outweighed the possibility of a little fun at his brother’s expense. Jade was someone who felt quite a bit of enjoyment from a little chaos. Last year, Floyd made a bit of a ruckus with Riddle at their entrance ceremony, and fortunately, this year didn’t fall short. He couldn’t wait to see how the year would pan out.

Jade noticed a few days after the ceremony that new magic-less student was running around with a uniform. “How odd.. How can a human with no magic even take classes here?” The fleeting thought crossed his mind while he continued on his way to the next class. After a bit of eavesdropping and listening to some small gossip here and there, he discovered that new student was allowed to attend classes. However the condition was that Grimm would also attend classes as their magic equal. The whole situation made him chuckle to himself. He found the whole ordeal quite ridiculous, but despite the oddity, how can a mere powerless human be of any interest? In the end, he decided to drop the whole matter from his mind and continue his days by assisting with Azul’s schemes.

However, despite the fact originally found this Ramshackle prefect to be quite dull, for some reason, he found himself still glancing towards their direction. He would notice when they smiled brightly across the cafeteria along with the two troublemaking Heartslabuyl freshmen. He didn’t quite understand it himself. They just emitted this aura that was quite alluring… Maybe that was why people were naturally drawn to them.

He noticed as the weeks went by, they got closer to the rest of Heartslabuyl’s dorm students. Trey would give them a bag of cookies Riddle couldn’t finish during his tea time. Cater would take a selfie with them in the hall when their clothes and hair were in disarray after Deuce messed up in alchemy class (which, of course, he found quite amusing). Riddle would also offer tutoring when he noticed the trio having problems with history. He just didn’t understand why his eyes seem to drift in their direction so often, but he simply shrugged it off as a small interest in an anomaly. Nothing more, nothing less.

It wasn’t until midterms that he was able to get a better idea of who this ordinary human was. After convincing multiple students to sign a deal with Azul, they, for some reason, popped up once again when things got interesting. He wondered to himself why they would want to help a couple of bumbling dolts who signed their magic away to get a few more points on a test. They could just mind their own business and live their life peacefully without any trouble. While he found the whole predicament interesting and amusing, it made no sense for them to sacrifice their entire dorm for the sake students they didn’t even really know (besides Ace and Deuce of course). Watching as the prefect walked into Azul’s office and impulsively signed the contract made his smile widen with excitement. “Oya? How do they even plan to get through this predicament? There’s no way things will go their way if I can help it, fufu.” The thought only made him more excited to thwart any of their plans with Floyd. He was curious about their next moves, how they would try to obtain the picture, and how they might just try and win the against the condition? The prefect already crossed many hurdles way above them, such as the issues at Heartslabuyl and at the SpellDrive Tournament with Savanaclaw. Would they somehow pull off this bet as well? It was then that he realized his interest in the prefect might be more than mild curiosity.

Another screwball the octatrio gave to them was when Floyd and himself barged into the Ramshackle Dorm and kicked them out. He watched as they’re dejected face left the dorm to find another place to crash for the night. Did he feel guilty? Not particularly. Did this add more spice to the monotonous days he normally abided by? Hm, probably. He didn’t understand why the prefect had suddenly gotten so interesting. How they naturally attracted people to them. How they only wanted to help with no strings attached. Being from Octavinelle, kindness was what they were known for, but of course there was always a price. Why else would anyone go out of their way for a stranger, or even an acquaintance? However, the prefect did this for not only strangers but with no particular benefit for themself as well? It baffled him.

The thoughts of the prefect seemed to have taken up a lot of his mind as he stalked them from the shadows. The main excuse was to block them from succeeding the deal, but he also wondered if it was also for something more. During their interactions at the Atlantica Memorial Museum, he found their headstrong attitude to be refreshing and fun. He was excited. Almost too excited for a human he thought was simply dull at the beginning of the school year. Normally, he tagged along with Azul and Floyd because it added the minimal chaos he needed in his daily life. However, it felt like he was just going through the motions of life. Yes, there were some interesting moments here and there, but he still felt like he was missing something. This wasn’t something he thought about quite often though. Going through life’s gentle waves might be easy, but it was also easy to simply float through life and ignore the many treasures the sea had to offer. When they all fought against Azul in his overblot form, he noticed the shine within their eyes (he assumed this was what everyone was drawn to). He noticed their leadership and compassion towards others, along with their keen observation skills that allowed them to coordinate an effective approach to counter Azul’s magic frenzy. How was a human able to convince multiple stubborn students to work together? With everyone’s vast difference in personality, it was quite a feat. Granted, at the time, they had a common enemy, but strong personalities tend to clash quite a bit. It was also then that he also wanted to know more about them.

A small seed had been planted in Jade’s conscious. A seed that represented the prefect and the hold they had on his mind. How can they still be so hopeful despite all the odds against them? Why do they even care about the people from another world other than their own? What made them tick? What brings a smile to their face? … Wait, why would he care about what make them smile? He would soon realize his thoughts for the prefect were clouding his mind to the point that it was distracting. One afternoon, he couldn’t focus on the homework he was staring at, and with a sigh, he closed his book for the day.

To clear his head, he decided to head to the botanical gardens to check on his precious mushrooms. On the way, he heard a shuffle in the bushes next to him. Normally, people did not go into the botanical gardens after class unless it was the science club, but they didn’t meet today (while he enjoyed the uniqueness of Rook, he would prefer to study his mushrooms in the comfort of his own solitude and silence, so he knows when they meet to avoid the gardens those days). He crept up to the bushes and peaked his head over the leaves to see who it was that might disturb his peace. He then caught a peek at the prefect crouching down and staring quite intently at a plant. He was slightly surprised to see that they seemed to have an interest in something similar to his own passion. His heart started to race a little quicker than normal, and he felt himself feeling a little… nervous? He didn’t understand what he was feeling and why. He almost didn’t want to disturb the peaceful scene he was observing— if only that meant he could watch them longer. However, life had another plan. A butterfly decide to land on their shoulder, which they immediately took notice of. Their face brightened up to the surprise visit, but their eyes caught a glimpse of something from their peripheral. It was then that the prefect made eye contact with his own, and Jade’s stomach dropped a little. He wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse, but he knew he had to escape this awkward predicament nonetheless.

Endnote: okay that was a bit longer than I expected, but it was quite refreshing to write longer work. I haven’t written much in years until I made this blog recently, but it’s nice to know that the creative juices are still flowing!

I wanted write a story with a more…. Natural way that Jade would develop romantic feeling for someone. He’s such a fun character and I feel like he isn’t loved enough sometimes. So hopefully my story will entice people to be more interested in the mushroom loving eel boy I adore so much.

#disney twst #twst wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland #twst imagines #twisted wonderland imagines #jade leech x reader #jade leech #twst #twisted wonderland x reader

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yogoodfella · 10 months

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ARC-V Month Day 15: Salt for the Salt Lord: Yuzu's Exhaustive, Exhausting Elegy

@arcvmonth

(How amusing that I'm doing this prompt on the Yu-bois' Day.)

WARNING: This post will contain a thorough analysis of the downfall of Yuzu Hiiragi throughout ARC-V. Expect spoilers regarding all the series, very harsh criticisms on her handling as well as surrounding matters, yet I implore you to not mistake these for hate for the character. Despite everything, Yuzu is still one of my favorite characters after all. But I need to be thorough here. I won’t pull my punches.

Do not read past the “read more” if you don’t want to feel bummed in this month of celebration. However, do please understand where I come from with this.

Salt comes from many possible places, but above all, comes from a place of passion.

I had decided to hold off on the prompt a bit to see if someone else would cover the obvious topics first. The Bracelet Girls’ treatment is still fairly debated to this day. It all ended up with the Salt prompt not being popular at all, which is understandable. You fans must have been tired from confrontations with others who disliked the series overall and didn’t hesitate to show it. You’re tired of the hatred this show gets. But salt and hatred are not the same thing. I’ve scoured places left and right in search of opinions and answers regarding the show while it was airing. While there were people dismissive of the show and concept from the start, there were also a lot of fans who were captivated by the concepts, the world, and the characters, who were just angry that it all ended up in flames for them. The Niconico votes which dropped the ratings of ARC-V to near rock bottom? That was salt, not hatred. That was anger at all the wasted potential out there, and that was a way for these people to express it.

Why am I saying all of this? Because I want to be fully sincere on my opinions and where my passion comes from. And for that, I cannot hide what the show has done, and I cannot hide my opinions and frustrations. Yuzu is integral to ARC-V, and is emblematic of the show’s shortcomings.

Now, if I haven't lost you by this point, last warning. I will be thorough and relentless here. I will sprinkle in some positives here and there, but that’s to strengthen my points in the salt, so I don’t believe it’s off topic.

Without further ado, let us get started.

Prelude: The peak clarity of the Musical Maiden

For there to be a downfall, there must be a high point. And Yuzu’s high point was among the highest anyone could get in this show. I’ll just pull up this thing you might not remember.

This is the chart, used to declare, half-jokingly, Yuzu as the protagonist of ARC-V during Standard. I stand by that opinion wholeheartedly, as she entered both a character arc and the story arc, and those were somewhat intertwined. I already talked about this somewhat during my Day 9 entry, about how Yuzu’s character arc was about clarity, a thing that was heavily tested and doubted of hers at first because of Yuto (Admittedly, it was rather stupid with her first Duel with Masumi, relying heavily on symbolism and putting logic aside). Again, the rematch (Only rematch she ever has BTW) was her highest point. But… My feelings on that were already expressed so… Here’s a DBZA clip that’ll perfectly sum it up instead.

youtube

(Ignore the 16 please)

Sidenote: it always felt weird to me that Yuzu’s greatest accolade was considered that she beat Yuya, the protagonist. While unprecedented, that really wasn’t the point of the Duel, AND it was considered a failure on her part because of her role. She wanted to bring the Pendulum out of Yuya, after all, and try to understand it… And she failed. Now this all makes me think that… These two never really dueled at the same time to win, like… Not as partners, or as opponents. That’s a dang shame, there were some opportunities… That we’ll come back to.

But now, she’s established, and has a couple of great traits that make her a strong character and the delight that she was:

Bad temper hiding great kindness, with quite a bit of bark in her

Strong and numerous friendships, and some rivalries

Great involvement in the world and its ways, headstrong and active.

An established Duelist with above average skills for the setting

The finding of being a little fish in a big pond, spawning insecurities about herself and the world, that strives to improve and protect, not without difficulty, and because of that, adapts to a greater world around her and grows.

And now, slowly but surely, we see how each point gets taken away throughout the series. Oh, it’s not just one moment that did her in… It was slow and agonizing.

Act 1: The Shining Songstress starts to dim

Let’s keep it chronological and address the points as we go.

After Yuzu and Masumi’s Duel, we got Masumi giving her opponent, and now acknowledged rival, Crystal Rose, blossoming a new beautiful friendship!

Oh wait, but Go Zappa’s gone. Aaand Masumi shortly after. That sucks right away.

Yuzu and Mausmi bounced off of each other very well, in part thanks to that writer’s efforts, because Masumi was also an active player in the grand plot, buuut got kicked out by Reiji via brainwashing, and soon enough by that point, she’ll get kicked out of the show.

Well but now’s not a concern. After all, the Maiami Championship has just started, and is providing us with great Duel after great Duel, capping the second day off with Sora vs Shun, THE one Duel that drew the most people in. This is a strong revelation for Yuya, Yuzu and You Show School in general as their friend was just revealed to be a psycho. So they try to figure things out afterwards, and… The plot is now focusing on Yuya’s actions during that chaotic night of Fusion vs XYZ. Yuzu and Gongenzaka just couldn’t be there in time as they ran off in other directions, and there’s… Something off about that. A thing which I couldn’t find at first.

No one really has an opinion on Sora turning bad… Or rather, the only one who did is now knocked out cold for a bit.

Yuzu… Has no opinion on her Master being a psycho?

This isn’t THAT much, but it’s a clear sign that Yuzu as the main character, even as a half joke, is no more at this point; her title is now “main girl”. Now it’s Yuya who takes center stage as he explains everything to Yuzu when he wakes up. It’s… Really weird that we hear no self-reflection from Yuzu, HIS STUDENT.

Would she question HER Fusions now? Would she even think for a moment about how these were used for War and apparently Fusions are the bad ones? Would she think back to Yuto’s words about Fusion not suiting her? It probably wouldn’t amount to much because, like everyone else, she thinks Sora is still their friend deep down, and won’t believe what happened that easily. But… It would have been nice just to see some moments with her, as Yuya wasn’t available.

But… Enough about that: after Yuya’s woken up, there’s some bigger fish to fry for her. Some edgelord is out and about putting people in the hospital while dueling, and Yuya has to fight him. Long story short, he tries to convince the dark boi, only for that to fail and he becomes a darker boi, annihilating him and heavily regretting it. That was simplified, but the matter of fact is: Yuzu is after him and he’s still down and confused, so she decided that she’ll do her best, also to console him. And hey, she’s up against an Idol Duelist! Neat, do we get to see a music battle, or-

Naah, we hardly see any of it. We get snippets of the Duel that made it sound like a mess (FYI, I had to redo this Duel accurately in my fanfic and it was not easy), and after Crystal Rose is Summoned (For the last time, BTW), we get a Bloom Diva for lethal, a cute wink, and the confirmation that Yuzu’s dueling had brought Yuya back from his berserk-induced slumber.

That’s… Somewhat understandable. After all, Reiji hadn’t dueled for a good 27 or so episodes, and people were just waiting for him to smack fellas with his D/D/Donger. Oh yeah, there was another Yuzu who was the focus with Reiji. We’ll get to her later.

Still disappointing, but it’s hardly the end of Yuzu. Actually, right after that, she does declare that Yuya and her are rivals now (wonder how that will go). After all, now she’s in the battle royale, and started her matches off with a double kill when teamed up with Gongenzaka after all! She’s on a roll! She’s going places- AAAAND there’s Dennis.

That’s where her winstreak ended. Dennis won because he stole Bloom Diva, who became too strong for Yuzu to handle. Perhaps some reflection could have been done on how reliant she grew on her, but there are bigger matters.

Case in point, Yuzu 2 has arrived! It’s Serena, and she’s out there to hunt XYZ peeps. After some scuffles and some escapes, we arrive at an admittedly really nice moment for Yuzu. That’s her actual first encounter with an Academia student. And here is where you realize just how blind the Fusion soldiers were, and just how caged Serena was. Yuzu… Effectively sacrifices herself (and the “main girl” role indirectly) just so Serena could know the truth. It’s funny to think that unlike Yuya and his counterparts, the first counterpart that Yuzu encountered was the hostile one. But… Yuzu convinced her to see the truth for herself. That’s a really, really nice moment…

BUT THAT’S ALL WE GET OF THEM TOGETHER!!! (uh-uh-uh… We’ll get to another thing eventually, don’t fret)

Seriously, we have some great bases for a great friendship! Yuzu needs to become stronger, while Serena needs to open up more and become less rigid! If they would have been together for more episodes, they could have built a bridge that allowed them to both grow together by learning from each other! That could have been a great dynamic!... But nah, it’s a swap instead. Bleugh.

It also really sucks that this is the only proper interaction Yuzu will have with another Bracelet Girl. Seriously, the series has a stigma of separating people to an insane degree, and Rin and Ruri pretty much have zero contacts in the present, which is… Astonishing!

But that’ll come for later, as we get to Yuzu’s encounter with the Obelisk Force! She’s actually fighting Academia? The main force? HOLY MOLY she’s- Wait, there’s Yuri now.

Act 2: The misadventures of the Defiled Diva

So yeah… The Yuri encounter. By some people, this is what killed Yuzu’s character. But no matter how damaging, her assassination just cannot be contained in a singular moment. Still, I’d argue that it’s the one that did the most damage to her.

The short version is, Yuri tries to capture Yuzu as it’s his job, and Yuzu runs away like a wuss.

Now, on its own, this is more than justified. Yuzu thought that only Serena was the target of Academia at the moment. And now she’s learned that she IS a target and they’re coming to do who knows what to her (really, not even Yuri knew).

However, there's a thing people seem to forget with that encounter. At the start, Yuzu learned that she was a target, and stood down a complete psycho who's job is to take her to the one that started an interdimensional war, who carded two people she dueled previously and completely scared away the soldiers she was supposed to fight.

AND SHE BACKHANDS THE PSYCHO, DOES SEVERAL BACKFLIPS, GETS INTO POSITION AND ANGRILY DECLARES TO FIGHT HIS ASS.

This is by far the most badass entrance Yuzu ever did for a Duel! That was Shun tier! Arguably, this backlash and response was one of the most badass intros in ARC-V (alternate god states not counting because they’re cheating).

And yet… We see nothing of the Duel. The only things we know is that Yuzu’s field and hand is empty, Yuri has the then unnamed Starving Venom on his side, and Yuzu ran away apparently for a whole night, crying out for her hubby and begging him to save her.

Sigh… Just what did Yuri do that was so scary to Yuzu? It got so bad it kind of traumatized her apparently, and we never see what it is. Moreover… Yuri’s only really scary things he did with his Duels were beating 5 opponents at once and the Destruction Flower and Fruit combo he did, but neither of those scenarios are applicable because he needed Clear Wing for the latter! SO WHAT HAPPENED THEN?!

It's completely plausible that Starving Venom destroyed Bloom Diva, after his anime effects were revealed. My point is that they should have shown just a tad more, just Bloom Diva getting destroyed when she was touted as the Yubel, the invincible Monster at the time, would have been something.

Heck, Red Screen of Death showing Bloom Diva getting skewered COULD have been enough. Because apparently the other Melodious Fusions really deserved it despite pretty much no other Monster getting that treatment. (Seriously, the hell is up with that…)

Anyway, let’s move on, after all, Yugo came to unknowingly save the day here. So finally, after some explanations, some genuinely touching moments and conversations, and a high speed sequence that has Yuzu yelling a lot, scared spotless, we finally got to a point in which Yuzu is out of danger.

So what's her current situation? She has established herself as a competent duelist, but she got put into a situation that's much bigger than she is, and there are still many questions unanswered, all brought down by a fierce Fusion Duelist that annihilated her. However, she can rely on a friend to push forward and grow.

And…

SHE DOES NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST.

She was put in the exact same situation as she did against Masumi, and during the whole time Yuzu and Yugo were in Synchro (Estimated to be a couple of days) she does not make an attempt to learn it!

WHY. DOESN’T. YUZU. LEARN. SYNCHRO?

She could at least try and fail, maybe momentarily putting her as a Fusion Specialist, but NOTHING AND THAT WAS ALL BECAUSE OF-

Intermission: Melodious Maidens Marred by Marketing

Before we continue with Yuzu specifically, I have to mention the Melodious Monsters. I alluded to this in the past, but Yuzu learning Fusion was exactly what put the Bracelet theme on the map with flowers representing the pinkette. I’m sure, SURE that the plan was to have her learn all the summoning mechanics and have those be Bloom themed, as from Standard, all Extra Deck Monsters can be born.

But Melodious weren’t popular and didn’t sell well. At all.

And I believe that the Melodious Monster lineup was cut… Right there. This is the point where Konami decided to stop creating new Melodious Monsters, because they simply don’t sell.

Now, there were a few Monsters shown after, those being Score, Solo, and Bloom Prima. It was more than likely that they were ideas some time after the Fusion wave of support was introduced, which included Tamtam and Opera. Cards can take a lot of time to make, after all.

It could all have been avoided were it not for the people at the OCG just having their brains turned off while porting all the later effects, because SO MANY fail to take this lady into account.

I guess I could have talked about it in Day 3, but that was dedicated to Bloom Diva. Anyway, to make it brief, Aria’s one of Yuzu’s more common Monsters, and her first Monster shown on screen. In the anime, the effect is very bad, inflicting 800 damage once per turn to the opponent should they fail to take battle damage from Aria’s attack. Eugh. In the OCG, it was changed to provide effect targeting and battle protection! Except… It’s all kinds of effect targeting, including your own.

SO MUCH of the Melodious support after that fails to take that into account, rendering those effects useless when she’s on the field: Canon, Fortissimo, Pianissimo, Tamtam, MELODIOUS ILLUSION WHICH HAS ARIA IN THE CARD ART.

This is just… A tremendous lack of foresight or a spiteful joke on the creators’ part. Had they thought of making it better, perhaps they wouldn’t have decided to end it so abruptly. Which is relevant for Yuzu considering how Monsters can relate to a character, especially in ARC-V, and she’s just… Unable to actually demonstrate her supposed strength and importance because Melodious just won’t sell.

Back to Act 2

Uh, so where were we… Alright, Yuzu not learning Synchro from Yugo. This point alone greatly hurts one of Yuzu’s previously established strengths: growing in order to adapt to the bigger pond she found herself in. She still fights at this point, but she never considers if she’s good enough at that and has to improve, which would be warranted considering YURI BODIED HER NOT TOO LONG AGO TO THE POINT OF BEING TRAUMATIZED. And yet… He’s NEVER brought into discussion during their time together, and I just… WHY? DID SHE FORGET ABOUT HIM?!

Truth be told, it’s not just that which I find issue with regarding Yuzu’s time with Yugo. It’s that… Other than that strong first appearance in which they get to know each other as people who remind the other of whoever’s dearest to them, there really isn’t much that comes out of this. They attempt to warn people about the interdimensional war with no success, and pretty much no acknowledgement, effectively wasting their time. So, naturally, in order to spread that message, they need to get to the Friendship Cup.

For all intents and purposes, for explanation and conversations… Their relationship ends here, after they witness Jack bodying Yuya and throwing him to the hounds during the ceremonial intro. Sure, they’ll meet again later, but it won’t have anything of importance.

Then again, Yuya getting bodied did lead to one of Yuzu’s genuine highlights.

That’s right, it’s what Mikiyo (the Idol Duelist)’s Duel should have been! A Duel focused on Entertainment Duel to send a clear message to Yuya: that he’s not alone, and that they will get through this together, that everyone who’s important to Yuya is praying for his success, for his return.

And for that… She really duels like Yuya. Extensive descriptions of her Monsters and their state, bold, risky gambles and acrobatic tricks to reach for Action Cards, ACTUALLY USING ACTION CARDS FOR ONCE (did I mention that she had so much trouble with Action Cards that she NEVER resolved one prior to this Duel… AND SINCE!)... Yeah, Yuzu became Yuya in that Duel, and for a very good reason. A great, great moment by Yuzu overall, and a unique and genuine highlight of her character (it really helped that Jack thought she was the best Duelist, possibly because of how sincere her message was.)

So now she’s established as a competent Duelist in the setting she’s in, even got her own fanbase, Melissa’s fanboyism and Jack’s approval! Awesome! I wonder what’s next foOOOOOOH NOOOOO!

Act 3: A Composer’s Chanson, Crushed

Sergey… Good lord, where do I start? In all honesty, given what the others have put out here, talking about this topic alone would be sufficient enough for a prompt, but I need to be thorough.

This whole heap of praise and action is getting is… Really sad and frustrating in hindsight because it was merely a setup to her getting absolutely demolished by this monstrosity. Yeah because a creepy giant hourglass man fighting, cackling like mad at a certain point, and beating a relatively little girl wasn’t bad enough (Ahem-Videl vs Spopovich-Ahem), we just need to have her on her highest high in popularity beforehand.

Let’s dial it back a bit. How is this all set up? Well, Roget, the Security exec, wants to take Yuzu for himself, thus he orders Sergey to do it. I’ll leave it at that for now, because there’s an issue with how his mystery was handled: how can you keep a Duelist mysterious, and a setup for the second round of a match, with a first match that they have to partake in? Well… You make it look like everyone’s an idiot.

I know, I know it’s supposed to be mysterious for us, thus some concessions need to be made for the surprise. But Sergey’s a bad case because he had his previous Duel shown against some nobody. His deck was shown to be really weak until suddenly turning the tides and one-shotting the opponent.

This sounds like an incredibly gimmicky strategy… WHICH IT IS, and the characters don’t know jack about it for the sake of the mystery. HECK, MELISSA, the one who’s supposed to see how these Duels play out and WHO DID, is surprised that Sergey uses that same gimmicky strategy during the Duel.

Like… The setup for putting Yuzu out of commission was done in the most contrived way they could, making EVERYONE look like an idiot. Off to a fantastic start.

So, how does the Yuzu vs Sergey Duel actually go?

Well… Let’s just say that Sergey’s strategy only worked because of the Melodious’s famous win condition known as: “Get a bunch of Fairies on the Field and attack with them” being the only one available in that case.

And BOY nobody came out unscathed from this. Not even a single Melodious Monster because they are… Victims of bondage play. Thorny bondage play. I’m not showing them in that state again, just watch my meme if you are so curious.

In more technical ways, what Yuzu is up against was a strategy in which Sergey summons Monsters with 0 ATK in ATK position, then damages himself for set values to protect himself so he can get his LP as low as possible (200) to deal the finishing blow, and has a secondary tactic that immobilizes all Monsters while slowly burning their user (the burn effect never came into play)

This strategy was to be used against Yuzu and Serena, and to be fair, both of their styles are straightforward and had to play into that strategy. However, had Yuzu done so much as respect the Gorz rule of attacking with the weakest Monster first, she would have actually completely disrupted that strategy.

But of course, people believed the mistake lies somewhere else… That being Bloom Prima. She got all the blame, and it was just the biggest bomb on stage. May I remind you of a fun fact:

This. She’s the only Melodious Monster featured in a VJump, and Yuzu’s Duel with Sergey was to be her debut. How did it go?

HORRENDOUSLY. Bloom Prima facilitated the opponent’s strategy due to her multiple attacks leaving the opponent at 200 LP exactly after everything, which was the point where Sergey was at his strongest. And would you look at that, her offensive capabilities were nullified and she got Yuzu one-shot, knocked off the course and PRESUMED DEAD. This not only was another major blow to Yuzu’s character, but also set Bloom Prima to be ridiculed worldwide as a worse alternative to Bloom Diva.

Then again, Bloom Diva wasn’t the apparent option for Yuzu. She had just gotten Polymerization, and Bloom Prima was the only Fusion she had that could get everyone off the Field so she wouldn’t suffer burn damage. It was an apparent decision… But clearly the wrong one in the long run.

Oh and morally, she is also destroyed. Bless her heart, she even wants the best for her opponent as he was hurt, and tries to spread the message of the Friendship Cup being wrong if it allowed situations like this, when she thought she won so she could spread her message. Of course, classic anime trope, this ends up being the biggest mistake anyone can make, and her kindness and concern got repaid with a speech about beauty in destruction, and a home-run off the course towards a building, courtesy of Sergey.

Oh, and BTW, just so we’re clear…

THIS IS YUZU’S LAST 1V1 DUEL!

Like… Sure, there’ll be something for her to do some time soon actually, but any full Duel, any 1V1 with a single character… THAT’S IT!

And I could only imagine how painful that wait must have been for Yuzu fans back in the day… Because not only did she not Duel, she also grew… Weaker overall. Yeah, this really was another harsh blow to her character. However… That didn’t kill her. Not yet. Not figuratively…

And not literally because the next time we found her, she’s saved by Sora and has pretty much… No thoughts about her situation. Really, she probably got dealt the harshest loss in her life and there’s no reflection, no nothing. Her time while waiting for Sora was spent being a nanny to three kids she had no connection with and won’t matter in the long run. Great. She’s not allowed to think anymore? Are the lowest points in her life, signs of starting to grow, now simply brushed off as if nothing happened?!

Really, that time of hers is pointless, and it doesn’t help that there was potential for a genuine interaction between Yuzu… And Shun! During the Crow vs Shun Duel, Tanner (the smallest one of the kids) gets blown away due to his recklessness and Shun stalls the Duel a bit to save him and bring him back to the group… Which included Yuzu. They were near one another… And there were no words exchanged. No thoughts, no nothing, no glances even. Yuzu is now confirmed not dead in Shun’s eyes and he has nothing to say about it. …What even.

After more hijinks, the cops show up to apprehend Yuzu, but Sora was quick to stop them. Here we get what I feel is a genuinely wonderful scene. That’s right, it’s the Fusion Fright Waltz, in which Frightfur Chimera and Bloom Prima just dance on the floor, ripping it and everyone else to shreds in the weirdly cutest way imaginable. It’s… Genuinely an astonishing scene in concept, and it really took me in.

But this was the last we ever saw a Melodious Monster battle. It was in a battle royale carried by Sora (BTW, nitpick, but Yuzu didn’t even receive the intrusion penalty despite entering later). It’s really sad that this whole dancing sequence’s purpose includes giving Bloom Prima a pity win.

But the other purpose is to establish that now Sora is on Yuzu’s side. Sooorta. He’s still affiliated with Academia, but doesn’t want Yuzu and Yuya involved. It’s an overall nice scene with Yuzu showing that she’s still in this by refusing Sora’s offer to teleport her back to Standard, to her friends and family, because at the time Yuya was imprisoned and she couldn’t bear it if she couldn’t see him again. She, of course, also tries to convince Sora to defect. It’s all handled alright, but… Sora doesn’t end up defecting NOW, but some episodes later during Yuya and Crow’s Duel, which is… Just weird! Why wouldn’t he have defected by this point?

Maybe because Tsukikage came in to interrupt, and after some discussion with Sora, he offers to also save Yuya while bringing Yuzu to the Underground. Yep. The slave camp is the safest option right now.

We… Don’t get much out of that period as well. You’d think we could get something about Yuzu finally reuniting with some of her friends. Could she actually talk to Shun? Maybe some less heated talk with Sawatari? Chojiro? GONGENZAKA? No. Nothing. What we see of her in the underground is her working with the kids and her bracelet acting up as Yuya’s going Ber-Zarc. Well, at least it’s stopped, and it all seemed quiet until- uh oh there’s a breakout and a revolution coming underground.

This is gonna get chaotic.

Act 4: Ceaselessly Captive Contralto

So with all this confusion, Yuzu kinda had only one thought in her mind: ensure that Yuya was safe. And she needs to be stopped multiple times so she doesn’t run off on her own without a clue on where she’s going.

Honestly… Fine. It’s clearly a stupid decision by Yuzu, but since all of that happened and big bracelet glow means big bad news, of course her mind would be clouded by that.

What happened after she got held off the second time by Gongenzaka is… Less fine. Essentially, while they were talking, a horde of men… Separated the two. Didn’t really trample them or anything, just… Separated them and they couldn’t see each other again. That… Defies logic and was used as a setup to have Yuzu on her own. After the setup for Yuzu’s loss at the hands of Sergey, I’m only slightly miffed by this one.

Well, she’s now alone, but her bracelet is acting as a GPS for Yu-boy activity. Naturally, the way that she is now, she takes that chance to finally reunite.

Aaaand… Sidenote, but according to my scourings and light research, this might just be the point where people started hating Yuzu. To tell the story from their perspective, generally it seemed they found the whole Friendship Cup dull and derailing, and now Academia arrived and there was action. Fights started to break out outside the tournament, the revolution started, and the four Yu-boys were reunited, had their Dragons out, and were starting to reunite with a big rainbow spiraling sky signaling danger. Buuut Yuzu runs in at that moment and kind of stops it all, only leaving Yuya there.

People really started hating Yuzu for this, for killing the hype when that meant she saved the world. Or rather… Her bracelet did. None of this is her fault, really. It’s just that her bracelet is a plot device whose purpose is to delay or contrast the final boss. It was too early to have that happen, but people really blamed Yuzu for being a hype-killer here, and I think it’s unwarranted.

SHE’S TOTALLY TO BLAME FOR WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.

Now let’s see the situation.

Yuya is fighting Barrett and is on the ropes, being floodgated to oblivion so he couldn’t do anything, pretty much.

Serena is almost knocked out, begging Yuzu to leave.

Barrett is sighting Yuzu as his target now that she’s come to him

Sora’s fighting the Obelisk Force, or rather… He’s trying to but he can’t Duel because his arm got blocked by a Hunting Hound’s mouth.

So… Considering the situation, what did Yuzu do?

Not only did she not pull out her Duel Disk and duel Barrett to help Yuya,

Not only did she not attempt to break Sora out of the hold with a Monster or something,

NOT ONLY did she not run away in general,

NOT ONLY did she not at least try to help Serena up and gauge what’s going on,

SHE JUST STOOD THERE LIKE A LEMON, COMPLETELY TRUSTING A HELPLESS YUYA WHO COULDN’T, AND WOULDN’T, DO JACK SQUAT ON HIS OWN, ESSENTIALLY WAITING TO BE CAPTURED!

YOU SENSELESS STRAWBERRY!

YOU DECIDED TO BE THERE IN THE MOST UNHELPFUL WAY POSSIBLE, POSSIBLY DAMAGING EVERYONE’S CAUSE BUT THE ENEMY’S.

Oh and Sergey’s here again. Fantastic.

Before we go on, DON’T TRY to point out the fact that she has no Duel Disk. That’s proven wrong by her having it back all the way to another dimension as she kept it, and there was no occasion in which a Duel Disk was given back to her during Synchro. The only reasonable outcome is that she always had it on.

Well, thanks to him, Yuya actually has a fighting chance… And the opportunity to sorta avenge Yuzu actually. Not the best time to do it, and not the right Sergey, though. He’s changed.

Oh yeah, and the first thing that happens is that Yuzu gets put in a cage via Field Spell. And then Sergey beats Barrett, who brings Serena to Academia despite having lost. Hurray for pragmatism I guess.

Yuya doesn’t even get his moment to avenge Yuzu. And he never will, because Yuya gets beaten and… YOU GUESSED IT… Yuzu gets kidnapped by Sergey.

Well… That sucks. And begins a new trait that will be OH SO INFAMOUSLY related to Yuzu… Her being Princess Peach. And not in the more positive ways she’s being portrayed recently with the newer games (seriously, the latest Nintendo Direct was fantastic for her), but as a perpetually kidnapped and stranded girl who needs to be saved.

SIIIIIGH…

That moment of Yuzu standing there also is greatly damaging to Yuzu’s character traits I talked about in the beginning. Mainly:

Her prowess as a Duelist is pretty much never shown and thrown out the window. Bear in mind, she will never Duel again after this, which means it would be 65 EPISODES OF NOT DUELING STRAIGHT. Her prowess is going to be mentioned, but in the worst way possible which I will cover soon enough.

Her connections and friends are ever dwindling as she gets separated all the time. And will continue to dwindle as the show goes on.

Her active involvement is greatly put on a leash as she’s the prime target, and she will struggle to ever display another moment of genuine courage or agency… With one exception.

We’ll soon get to that exception because next time we’ll really see her, will be her being invited by Roget to “assist City’s downfall” via the Jack vs Sergey Duel. I can’t really see any reason to do this besides spite.

This, of course, presents her a handful of opportunities to talk back to Roget’s absurd plan and try to argue for her own ideal, smiles. She’s kinda meek about this, and pulls back in fear if Roget ever steps forward though, so…

WAIT NEVERMIND.

Turns out, as Roget’s plan crumbles, he gets desperate and declares martial law so that he has complete control. IN A LAST ACT OF DEFIANCE, she shoulder tackles the guy as he was doing his speech, told everyone that he sucks and to not believe him, and encouraged Yuya to finally win the whole thing and spread his message. It was a short lived moment, but a great one by her, and it showed that she had some frickin’ bark and bite left, despite her position.

She gets put into a smaller cell for her efforts, and soon gets bailed out by Sora and Tsukikage- NEVERMIND, Roget comes in which the most bizarre tech of “THE ROOM OF INFINITE ROGETS”, beats the two right after he kidnaps Yuzu in a way that… Nobody knows, honestly. Apparently she was just gone as the first Roget was defeated.

Not to derail much here because the sequence is logically deaf, but in Yuzu’s perspective, she was kidnapped there, brought to the elevators, dragged by the end and assaulted, Reiji confronts Roget and she gets dragged back in THE ROOM, Reiji figures that out and embarasses Roget, but because he’s stubborn as a brick, the guy drags Yuzu away again to Academia to use her as a bargaining chip. Jack comes to PUNCH THE ELEVATOR WITH HIS SYNCHRO THUS MAKING IT EXPLODE AND ENDANGERING YUZU WHAT THE F- Oh nevermind, Yuzu’s actually saved by Yuya.

It took a lot of pain and endurance, but it’s finally over. Yuya and Yuzu are properly reunited at las-

Wait no, Roget walks from the edge to the center of the room, slowly, without anyone stopping him, so he can activate his transporter device just so City gets essentially erased.

Ah, but it just sent him away to a wormhole and it stopped working.

Phew.

NOW it’s over. Now Yuya and Yuzu are finally reunited at last, and they will go through this journey together. They’ll end the interdimensional war and go back home with every-

SURPRISE WORMHOLE!

Act 5: Fickle Flattery for a Fallen Flower

Yuzu and being separated has to be some sort of fetish for the showrunners at this point. After a long awaited reunion, they just had to yoink Yuzu away, ALONE, in the most contrived way they could. Oh yeah and she ended up in Fusion Dimension. The WORST Dimension for her.

Now, as she tries to explore and figure out what’s going on, some lady mistakes her for an escaped student and calls agents to subdue her. She eventually gets cornered and has no choice but to Duel 1v3. Finally, she gets to Duel!

Sike, she ain’t allowed to!

Asuka frickin’ Tenjoin jumps in to save her, all to promote Cyber Angels and have one pity win. Neat! Good intro!

Well at least she’s a friend, and seemingly Yuzu’s able to settle down for a bit. Heck, she even found Yusho. Minor nitpick here, but I’m surprised Yuzu isn’t even a bit angry at Yusho for leaving at the worst possible time. But that’s, I think, more of a viewer thing because boy Yusho couldn’t choose a worse time to do what he did. But that’s not the point of this rant, it’s almost becoming an essay.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t amount to much. You’d think a good friendship would form between Yuzu and Asuka, with the latter as the “big sis” of the two. Heck, she even lends her clothes. And after some backstory on how the Students were goaded to do war crimes, Yuzu even offers to help-

SIKE! She ain’t allowed to!

Turns out, news of a guy beating a You Show student popped up and Asuka and Yuzu come to see what’s going on and SURPRISE, it’s Yuri, who promptly scared Yuzu spotless. So yet again, Asuka has to do the work here of actually saving he- Nevermind, Yugo comes in AGAIN to warp him.

There’s a silly moment between Yuzu and him, but their time together really doesn’t amount to much. Shame… Next time we see them together, they’re at You Show School with a plan of attack before Dennis comes from behind them and Yuzu gets scared yet again. Sigh…

This ends up in an escape with Yuzu and Yugo on the motorbike. Despite Yugo’s protest, Yuzu actually wants to fend for herself! Maybe we’ll see her-

SIKE, SHE AIN’T ALLOWED TO!

Turns out, Yuya makes Yuzu warp Yugo away. Right after that, the kicker edgelord returns for revenge against Yuya. At the same time, some goons sent by Dennis are trying to fight Yuzu, Gongenzaka and Sawatari.

Yuya was concerned, but Yuzu told him not to worry, because she is a capable Duelist that can fend for herself, and now’s the time for her to demonstrat-

SIKE. SHE IS NOT. ALLOWED TO.

The goons simply STOP DOING ANYTHING to watch Yuya and Kachidoki’s Duel! They simply stop doing their jobs for nothing. Because the showrunners couldn’t be arsed to even show the others besides Yuya duel a little! Not even a faraway screenshot of Monsters being out and about! NOTHING! All to let Yuzu not Duel or do anything of note, just after they praise her informed skills.

This is a sour point of Yuzu’s later appearances that isn’t really talked about much. She is constantly praised and talked about as a strong duelist, and a person who wants to be active. But it’s all a farce. She’s simply not allowed to do anything of actual importance as an individual. “Show, don’t tell” is simply inverted as all of Yuzu’s abilities are now informed!

Then again… It won’t stop here. The biggest example of this is about to come up soon.

So the Duel between Yuya and Kachidoki ends with Yuya as victor, and the group runs away to find a ship for Academia, where Yusho is also headed. They can’t find one, so HEY! Serena’s back! And she has a ship for them to ride on! And finally Yuzu and Serena reunite! Maybe they can-

Aaaand that’s it. That’s the killing blow.

From this point on, Yuzu is no more.

After a cruel journey, this is where the life of Yuzu as herself ends. I mark THAT as the point of the character assassination.

So, what was the method employed for this? Well… Let’s dial it back just a bit.

The ship was a pirate ship led by a filler character, all used as a trap by Academia so that both the pirates, the helicopter, and Serena could capture Yuzu. Serena proceeded to do it by GENTLY MOVING YUZU ASIDE AND SEPARATING HER, THEN CUFFING HER WITH ONE HAND AND NO RESISTANCE.

That marks her bark pretty much gone. Her toughness? Her courage? Dead. Roasted. To never return. Actually, not really… It’s only implied now, never shown. They will tell you she is still a strong asset and Duelist. But they show her as helpless as they possibly could. All because the status quo of “boy saving the girl” for shounen needs to be preserved or some crap. DESPITE HER FUNDAMENTAL ROLE IN THE STORY (We’ll get to it).

In fact, let’s jump ahead just a bit. Yuzu’s never escaping that. Once Serena caught her, that was the end of it. She’ll be brought to Academia, brought to the creepiest man and second worst character of ARC-V, and will have a Parasite in her head. You’d think this could be a set up for Yuya to duel her actually. Maybe he’ll duel to save her and has to struggle with the Doktor’s influence, and with Z-ARC awakening from within him from his anger. Perhaps his bond towards Yuzu can make sure at least the berserk form tries not to hurt her directly… But nah. You already knew the answer.

Yuzu never duels while controlled by a Parasite, and she’s the only Bracelet Girl with this distinction. Not only that, but the other girls also displayed a vicious side thanks to the Parasite, other than the emotionless one. Yuzu? JUST emotionless and helpless. To the point that the Doktor uses that as a means to provoke Yuya which… WHYYYYYYYY?!?

Nah, this is sheer contempt towards Yuzu displayed right here. Some people there hate her guts and hate the fact that she’s supposed to be strong. So they’re mocking us. Mocking us with this display of utter obscenity.

As her agency and toughness are gone, so are her connections too. She pretty much lost every friend she could, besides one. Admittedly a very important one. That conversation and warmness she felt towards Serena? She displayed it to a parasite controlling her. It was never real, never resolved. While Serena COULD hear Yuzu’s kind words and see her warm smile… She sure as heck didn’t talk about it.

Jumping ahead again, the final Parasite battle was Yuya vs Serena and Ruri. That ended up in him winning, but it didn’t matter because the Parasite girls still awaken and get brought into the ARC-V (the construct built by Leo)’s tanks. The girls eventually come back to themselves because the Doktor got carded, thus turning the Parasites off. Do they come off better because of it?

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

This is the first time Yuzu has met Rin, Ruri, and Leo in person. Rin won’t have much of an impact on her, but Ruri was the one Yuzu was mistaken for all the time by Shun and Yuto early on, and Leo’s the one who’s responsible for all that happened to her.

Yet she displays no strong emotion, no surprise, and doesn’t interact with really anyone sans Yuya in the most flaccid of ways. We can chalk it up to all the Bracelet girls because they got homogenized, to the point that “Dimensional Lamps” as a term for them was rampant at the time due to their sheer lack of agency and sense of selves. (Also because when the reactors lit up they looked like lava lamps)

The homogenization comes to a head when the girls all pRay at the same time with sad looks on their faces and tell Yuya they fully believe in him.

Then again, this might be fully intentional…

Act 6: The Requiem of Ray’s descendant (and “rebirth”?)

Now, it’s known by the fandom, but the Bracelet Girls’ role is all tied to Ray Akaba, the daughter of the Professor, who tried to revive her and thus kidnapped them in order to do so.

Without getting into Ray too much (Another can of worms that I don’t want to cover right now), I’ll say that she used the four En Cards constructed by her dad in order to fight the big bad Z-ARC, the Yu-Boys’ original form. Each Card then became a bracelet as the moment of the split happened that defeated Z-ARC. Yuzu got the Pink Bracelet, symbolizing En Flowers, and Ruri, Rin and Serena got En Birds, Winds and Moon respectively.

This gives Yuzu a potentially game changing role in Z-ARC’s defeat! And she… Kinda did, but here’s how I view it. My apologies if I sound too cynical at this point.

Fast-forwarding to THAT MOMENT, because the presence of the Bracelet Girls is near zero as they got absorbed into ARC-V with tears in their eyes. And they apparently all converged into Ray, without any sign of struggle, discussion, reflection, or any kind of individuality.

There is one moment of Yuzu’s that comes shortly after Ray is “revived” (possessing Reira’s body thus ruining them in their entirety BTW) which can be a reasonable argument against her character death. The En Cards are all activated, and Z-ARC’s greatly hurt and he returns to his demon duelist form instead of the giant dragon that wrecked everyone. However, the fight’s not over and Ray has actually placed herself on the verge of defeat, as Z-ARC could just summon and attack for game…

Were it not for Yuzu, who came out of Ray to plead Yuya to take control and come back from Z-ARC’s clutches. And it sure works, leaving Yuya to lead to Z-ARC’s loss.

Conceptually… This sequence is overall really nice, with quite a lot of symbolism (Which I’m honestly not the biggest fan of). Showing how the closest bond can overcome a soul that’s been conflicted overall, and change them for good. And Yuzu got to save the day, right…?

My problems… Lie elsewhere.

This… All felt empty to me due to how it was delivered. It’s a nice concept surrounded by a sea of filth, and all the setup completely shatters my suspension of disbelief.

Yuzu’s speech carries little weight to me because of this sequence, and I’m not even entirely sure of why. Was it because of how they’ve treated her before, to the point where all her individuality was lost? Is it how everyone in that sequence kind of assumed they’d win despite the circumstances? Is it how flaccid Yuzu’s speech is, without any tension besides the minimum on her part, without any tears, but with her pRaying and looking serene as if she’d won already? Is it whatever remained of my suspension of disbelief being scattered on the floor as crumbs? Was I just tired? Did my blood boil when she said “I became stronger because of you” DESPITE WHAT SHE’S BEEN LIKE SINCE THE PAST 50 EPISODES?!

I could understand one thing however… They just didn’t care anymore about anyone besides Yuya… And Yuzu has merely become his motivation fuel.

OK since I know I’ve struck some nerves with that last sentence, I feel I need to summarize my views on Fruitshipping, or Yuya/Yuzu.

It’s always been a great part of their characters, admittedly, since the beginning. You’d be insane to suggest that the ship isn’t valid in any way because it’s always been there since before the start: it starts off extremely valid as a childhood friendship with Yuzu and Yuya supporting each other through their many problems (though it was Yuzu supporting Yuya mostly) and bringing each other up as best as they could.

At first, it was just that, a genuine strong connection that inspired both of them, and made them support each other through thick and thin, and it was something great.

Then, as the story went on, it became a story of Yuzu getting kidnapped and wanting Yuya to save her. It’s something that became more and more frustrating as time went on, but it was brought upon them by the horrendous circumstances so they’re more than fine there.

But when lastly, it became evident that Yuzu got reduced to so little in every aspect of her character, that only Yuya mattered, and here’s where it gets sickening for me.

In the last stretch, she no longer was Yuzu. She became Yuya’s girl.

That’s why I have such conflicted views on the ship, because it seemed that the show tried to put the ship on a higher and higher pedestal… While treating it like garbage as a relationship at the same time. And it wasn’t like this then. It had remained solid since shortly before this point.

And again, Yuya’s the one that matters in the show’s eyes, so… Yuzu saved him! Hurray! Now what’s her payoff for doing so?

…Being stuck in a crying child with a Dark Dragon boy throwing a temper tantrum.

That’s right, the entire post-ZARC segment is just so Yuzu (and the others) can become a rescue mission for Yuya. I refuse to elaborate on it.

Except the ending, of course because it all went well and… Yuzu came back. And the others are inside of her.

And again, we get a reunion between Yuya and Yuzu which… Kind of was nothing. Yuzu just pops up from a portal, says two words, and holds hands with Yuya for a bit before he takes off to duel his papa. After so much separation, so much turmoil… that's it. Not even a hug or anything like we had in Synchro.

I… Hope you see my point here.

I feel sorry for Fruitshipping fans on the show's behalf, because… That was less than nothing! I'm pretty sure anyone who knew and cared about these two, were they to write that scene, would have had Yuzu glomp Yuya.

Again… I do not recognize whoever came out of that portal as Yuzu. It's easier for me to talk of her as Ray (heck, apparently some sources do due to how she is conceptually).

And… Again, I know, but how's the sudden presence of multiple people inside your body not at least confusing? Imagine for a moment Yuzu feeling like this: now she has three girls inside of her and she's technically a prison containing them! That would stress her out so much, as she not only knows of Ruri and Rin's status as prisoners of Academia, she effectively freed Serena from the cage that was that faction! AND NOW SHE'S THE CAGE!

But nope. All happy, all good because Yuya got his girl… See you all in VRAINS, where we stray away from Pendulum as we possibly can.

…SIGH.

Conclusions

Yuzu's situation... Really hurt me. It's gotten to a point where I cannot praise her greater moments without thinking about how it all went so wrong later in the show. But at the same time... I son't ignore that greatness that made me like her so much.

Scouring fan sites and forums regarding ARC-V’s run was… Painful to watch. Of course I did it for Yuzu, as I was most interested in her. And the reception… Is truly harsh. Such a fall from grace only made the Yuzu fans suffer… The ARC-V fans too. It’s tough seeing all the negativity from the distance, to the point that there are such scathing opinions written out there such as “Yuzu is the worst YGO girl because her good run early on was never good. It was all an illusion to hide a useless character. At least Kotori’s uselessness was honest.”

I wouldn’t think that in the slightest, but knowing that there were people that either were so hurt by what happened, and some that capitalized on that to insult Yuzu even more and feel justified about it… It hurts to watch from a distance, so I can’t imagine what fans who remained fans had to get through.

Yet still… It all stemmed from the fact that there was contempt later on in how they’ve written Yuzu. Contempt is simply what I felt.

Now… I’ll admit, I know as little as anyone here how troubled the production at the time really was. I heard it was bad. I heard there was quite a bit of rushing and ARC-V was supposed to be 200 episodes, 50 per Dimension. But I cannot excuse what they’ve done. Not when they’ve included the Captain Solo episodes, blatant 5Ds padding, the frickin’ Battle Beast and the Post Z-ARC arc. It wasn’t just a matter of rushing.

But luckily it’s not all doom and gloom.

Duel Links is to thank for this. It might be legitimately the best place Melodious has ever been in, and Yuzu is treated the way she deserves to be. All the ARC-V content we got as of late did benefit her! Yugo’s stories and funny conversations reinforce that dynamic that made the first conversation so great. AND SHUN’S EVENT. A Yuzu that actually is severely worried about her soul companions’ fate, and stood up to Shun to tell him right away what happened with great concern for him is… Already so much better than the last 30-40 episodes with her.

AND SERENA IS COMING. That is HUGE for Yuzu because of how she was the first to properly interact with Serena and they trusted each other, after that sheltered life of hers made her so blind. It would FINALLY bring more Bracelet Girl conversations to the table, with added anxiety, then comfort at the fact that they all shared a body or that Yuzu interacted with the Parasite, but Serena was warmed by her words despite all of that, and how sorry she felt to not being able to do anything about bringing her Friend like this- THERE’S SO MUCH POTENTIAL HERE!

Well… That’s it for the story. I must admit, I got carried away. But I won’t subtract any bit from this, if I need to go out, I need to go out swinging.

If by any means, you have lost some respect for me for all that I’ve written… Then I hope you can forgive me. I expected this to be overkill for some, but I had put warnings beforehand. Hurting any feelings is not something I want to do.

If you want to debate some points I’ve made… Then by all means, feel free to do so. Something fruitful might always come out of this, after all.

If you’re asking me “Who hurt you?” I’m answering with “The show did. Physically.”

If you’re now calling me an ARC-V hater for this you are dead wrong.

How do I prove it? I don’t need to… I’m here, and that’s enough proof that I’m not a hater: trying to bring something to ARC-V month whenever I feel qualified enough to do so; trying to enjoy what you guys have to offer out of your positive experiences; trying to see all the good that ARC-V holds brought to light, because it has A LOT OF GOOD. While there’s a lot of frustrations that have hurt me, even physically, there is also a lot to gush over, to wonder, and to be warmed by.

I didn’t write a fanfic just so I could “fix the ending”. I wrote a fanfic to see what spin a little what-if might bring and how much more it could bring out from the wonderful characters. Granted, I took more liberties as time went on, but I wanted to preserve ARC-V’s core message because, while… Somewhat simple, it’s a good message. It’s just that the ones running the show stopped treating it well.

Yuzu simply deserved much better than what she got, is all I’ll say.

I promise, that’s the last of my salt right there. Perhaps there will be some snide remarks here and there, but it’s only a matter of me being sincere, perhaps to a fault. My next posts will all be about bringing you smiles, trust me.

If you’ve read this far… Thank you for listening to my salt. I hope I haven’t made your day worse with that whole thing, but if I did… I’ll make it up to you. (Except when I’m sleeping, which should be shortly after I post this. In that case... As soon as I'll wake up, OK?)

Until then, fellow performers.

#arcvmonth2023 #arcvmonth #yugioh arc v #arc v #melodious #zuzu boyle #yuzu hiiragi #yugioh #spoilers #salt #day 15 #Youtube

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thebreakfastgenie · 10 months

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don't be a hero for the WIP Ask Game, please! 💜

Don't Be a Hero has the distinction of being mostly written by hand, something I never do. I wrote most of the story during a class I hated in college (and one day I looked up from it because our prof put on a video and I heard Alan Alda's voice). I eventually typed it up and I know how it ends, but I want to polish it and flesh it out, so I'm rewriting it a bit before I post!

Don't Be a Hero is set fairly early in the Santos administration. Santos is at a university, presenting an award to a professor who has done a lot of consulting work on counterterrorism. Sam is there, because he worked with the professor a lot (according to Isaac and Ishmael he's a terrorism expert) and so is Josh, as well as Donna and Helen, but not the kids.

A bomb goes off.

The target was the professor, who is Muslim. When I started this, there had been a recent Islamopobic hate crime at a university in the news.

This is kind of me rerunning What Kind of Day Has It Been/In the Shadow of Two Gunmen with Santos, but I've tried to make it its own. Josh and Donna are apart from the crowd, because Josh was on the phone with Lou back at the White House. Donna is mildly injured, and Josh helps her outside, and on the way he thinks he sees a girl trapped inside. While Donna is talking to the paramedics, Josh bolts back to look for the girl.

The fic basically follows what happens after that, everyone's reactions and the ensuing media circus. There's established Josh/Donna and Matt/Helen in the background, because it's canon compliant.

I've included a full scene under the cut, of the original 2015 psych class draft.

The herd of people exiting the building was beginning to thin, which made it easier for Josh to go the opposite direction. He knew what he had seen in one of the doorways. He couldn’t stop before because he had to help Donna get outside but she was safe no and there was someone trapped upstairs. He noticed the smoke thicken as he ran up the stairs.

The hallway he and Donna had left just minutes before was now heavily clouded with smoke. Most of the doorways were on fire. Three doors down was the one Josh remembered. The doorway was obstructed by a wall of flames and behind it, cowering on the ground, was a young woman.

She saw Josh at the same time he saw her.

“I can’t get out,” she yelled.

“Is there another door?” Josh yelled back. He thought he saw the girl nod through the haze of smoke. Se had long, dark hair and Josh was suddenly struck with a memory of another girl and another fire.

“It’s stuck, I think it’s blocked on the other side,” Joanie answered.

No, not Joanie.

“What’s your name?” he asked, but he couldn’t hear her answer. “I’m coming,” he added, racing down the hallway in search of an open doorway. He found one toward the far end of the corridor and ran through it without hesitation.

Josh found himself now in a labyrinth of small rooms filled with audio and video equipment and other things he didn’t recognize, or at least couldn’t identify through the rapidly expanding smoke. Most of the rooms connected to another on three or four sides, but most of the doors were no longer accessible. Josh picked a winding route in Joanie’s general direction.

He ran through one doorway after another until he came to a room with no way out. There was a door, held shut by a tangled mound of broken furniture, ceiling tiles, and things Josh couldn’t recognize that involved a lot of broken glass. He tried to call out, thinking she might be just in the next room, but his yell came out as nothing more than a cough. Instead of trying again to speak, he reached over the rubble and pounded once on the door, hard. After a few seconds he heard a knock back from the other side.

“I’m coming,” he called, “hold on,” and that time the words came out, but he had no way of knowing if they were loud enough for to hear him.

He clawed at the mound, carefully avoiding most of the glass, until he could reach the door handle. He pulled on it, but the door was still pinned. He returned to the pile, digging at it until he began to feel light-headed from oxygen deprivation. He desperately tried to door again and this time it opened an inch. This tiny hint of progress seemed to find a second wind within him, because he returned to the mound of debris with renewed strength. The next time he tried the door the force of the door itself cleared some of the remaining debris and it opened far enough for someone to squeeze through, especially if the person in question was a slender, dark-haired girl.

He offered her his hand to help her climb past the rest of the debris and finally there was nothing between them and the door.

“Go,” he whispered hoarsely, pushing her in front of him, but she didn’t go right away. She was still looking at him. “Behind you,” he explained.

She nodded then, and ran out the door. He’d left all the safe doors open, it would be easy to find their way out again. If only he could move. His body seemed to have finally remembered that he hadn’t been able to breathe properly for the last several minutes. His vision started going black around the edges and he could hear his own heartbeat, desperately trying to circulate what little oxygen remained. He didn’t feel himself fall to the ground, but he was there now. He could hear his parents crying as they embraced him because he was suddenly very small, and when he said Joanie’s name they squeezed him tighter. He thought she got out, this time, and then everything went black.

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quietly-by-myself · 1 year

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I posted 1,833 times in 2022

That's 1,833 more posts than 2021!

574 posts created (31%)

1,259 posts reblogged (69%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@quietly-by-myself

@whumpsday

@i-can-even-burn-salad

@hold-him-down

@flowersarefreetherapy

I tagged 1,120 of my posts in 2022

Only 39% of my posts had no tags

#whump - 320 posts

#whump writing - 220 posts

#asks - 220 posts

#whumpblr - 157 posts

#shadow by my fireplace - 153 posts

#smoke salt and asbestos - 140 posts

#cw are above - 133 posts

#whump fic - 97 posts

#sacha - 82 posts

#whump community - 80 posts

Longest Tag: 121 characters

#ember your tag is almost never working and i have no clue why i'll get it to link and the link disappears 2 seconds later

My Top Posts in 2022:

Shadow By My Fireplace - Chapter 17

Masterlist

Another chapter you aren't ready for. I read all the comments and thank you to everyone for all your kind words!

Thank you to @darkthingshappen for being an amazing beta.

CW: conditioned whumpee, past intimate whumper, slavery whump, silent whumpee (who's learning to talk), anxiety, embarrassment, low self-esteem, burns, references to electrocution, past captivity whump, references to past self-harm

===

The next day, an air of an empty sort of uncertainty hung between the two of them. After the previous day’s events, Cyril didn’t know how to approach Shadow. He wanted Shadow to speak more, but he didn’t want to push him too far.

Cyril concluded early in the day that Shadow was unlikely to talk to him without prompting. Prompting him to speak, though, seemed to be the problem. Shadow was still extremely fragile. If he made one wrong move or said one wrong thing, Shadow could go back to not talking at all, even with prompting.

Well, since he’d whispered his apology, Shadow hadn’t said anything else. Cyril didn’t know for sure that Shadow would say anything, did he?

There was only one way to find out.

Cyril wiped the sweat off of his forehead. Even if the days were getting colder, the Sun was no less hot at noon. Well, at least, not until the clouds set in, but that was a little while away still.

When Cyril realized he should go make lunch, he gathered the courage to say something to Shadow, something that might get him to talk.

Shadow was sitting over by the fireplace with the cat purring in his lap. He looked relaxed for a brief moment before he saw Cyril in the doorway. It filled Cyril with a certain guilt, seeing Shadow go from relaxed to his normal anxious stoic because he’d entered the room.

What was he planning to say again? Cyril couldn’t remember.

Then, it struck him. “I just realized,” Cyril pretended to chuckle to himself. “We never gave the cat a name.”

Shadow looked up at him and shook his head a little. Cyril hadn’t the slightest clue as to what that was supposed to mean. That they hadn’t? That the cat did have a name?

“Do you have something you’re calling the cat?”

Shadow nodded.

“Can I ask what you’re calling her?”

Shadow pointed to the orange-yellow patches on her coat. Cyril looked at Shadow, a little confused.

“You’re calling her Orange?”

Shadow froze. That wasn’t the answer and Cyril knew that Shadow wouldn’t dare to contradict him.

Cyril walked over to Shadow. “It’s okay to tell me in any way you can.”

Shadow looked away in shame, then pointed towards the fire. The cat let out an unhappy noise when Shadow stopped petting her. Shadow clearly noticed because he was quick to start petting the small cat in his lap again.

“Fire? Flame? Ember?”

Shadow looked almost pained.

“Can you… tell me with words?”

Shadow hesitated, then found his strength. His voice was no more than a whisper and raspy from disuse. “Whatever pleases you, Master.”

Master. It was Cyril’s turn to freeze. That was something he’d need to work on with Shadow. He worked to cool his temper a bit.

Nobody should’ve ever required you to say that, Shadow.

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80 notes - Posted August 28, 2022

Shadow By My Fireplace Masterlist

Cyril Galanos lived alone in the woods until, one day, he finds a dying man with a collar collapsed near one of his hunting spots. Overwhelmed by an urge to help him, Cyril takes the man back to his cabin and saves his life. However, he soon learns that the life his Shadow led before him was a special kind of hell. Through helping his Shadow heal, Cyril learns to heal from his own battle scars and care about people again.

THIS STORY CONTAINS 18+ CONTENT AS PART OF THE MAIN PLOTLINE. MINORS ARE NOT WELCOME ON THE TAGLIST

Story:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12 - 18+

Chapter 13 - 18+

Chapter 14 - 18+

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24 (alt) - 18+

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

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83 notes - Posted July 11, 2022

Shadow By My Fireplace - Chapter 6

Masterlist

CW: slavery whump, conditioned whumpee, silent whumpee, intimate/creepy whumper, begging, caning, gaslighting, manipulation/psychological abuse, whumpee thinks that caretaker is their new whumper, starvation, nailing, blood, non-sexual nudity (in the context of bathing), vague allusion to feared noncon, dandruff (mention), panic attack, PTSD, guilt

===

“Please, Master, I’m very hungry.”

Sacha was down on his knees, bowing down to the monster who called him a pet. His stomach was an empty pit in his stomach that only grew bigger by the hour. When was the last time that Master had fed him?

A sharp backhand interrupted his thoughts.

“Who told you that you could speak?”

Master grabbed his chin and tilted his head up. The controlled, furious glare in Master’s eyes was unmistakable.

He growled a little when Sacha flinched back from his touch. “I fucking told you, Sacha, you don’t talk. I never want to hear you. I don’t care if you’re hungry. I don’t care if you’re in pain. I don’t care what the reason is. I never want you to speak.”

There were tears in Sacha’s eyes as Master left the room. The lights stayed on, which meant that he was certainly coming back.

When Master came back in that eye-of-the-hurricane calm, cane in hand, Sacha whimpered.

Master took the cane and hit Sacha across the face where he’d been struck earlier. It was everything he could do to not cry out again. He could feel the bruises forming on every inch of injured skin.

“Hands out.”

Sacha couldn’t do it. It was so impossible, knowing that he would be caned on his hands and wrists.

Master struck him again with the cane on his face.

“I said put your hands out, pet.”

When Sacha didn’t put his hands out, Master grabbed and pulled with the strength to rip his arms out.

Immediately, he released the cane on the gentle skin of his wrists. Sacha did his best to keep his whimpers in as blow after blow came down until the cane began to break the skin of his wrists. Eventually, his blood splattered on the cane and Master’s hands.

After what felt like thirty blows, Master stopped and left again. The lights were still on, though Master left for a long time.

Sacha stayed in position, too scared to upset Master if he did anything without permission.

Master came back. The smell of warm food filled the room. Chicken with potatoes, maybe.

Master tilted Sacha’s chin up, looking at his wounds. “I didn’t mean to go that far.” He put a hand to Sacha’s face and wiped the tears off Sacha’s face. “Let me fix that for you.”

He took soft bandages out of his pocket and gently, tenderly, began to wrap Sacha’s wrists. He was careful not to apply too much pressure, so as not to hurt Sacha.

Sacha hated how he leaned into the gentle touch. He hated that he found comfort in it.

“All of this could’ve been avoided, Sacha. If only you’d just been quiet, I wouldn’t have had to do this.” Master pet Sacha’s hair. “You took your punishment very well. You were quiet, like you were supposed to be.”

He took the plate of food from the floor beside him. It was a simple meal of half a chicken breast, half a potato, and a few string beans.

Quietly, Master fed him small bites. It wasn’t seasoned well, but Sacha found himself not caring. He was simply too hungry. Anything would’ve been an elixir of the gods.

—

Sacha had noticed a few things about his new Master. For once, Cyril didn’t seem to ever go interact with other people. He was unlike Master who had people over every day, it seemed. Cyril was perfectly content with going out to garden or sometimes coming back to the cabin with new meat and furs.

See the full post

97 notes - Posted July 23, 2022

Shadow By My Fireplace - Chapter 1

Masterlist

New story! I'm in the mood to write angst, so angst you shall get.

I don't know where I'm taking this story, but it might contain adult content later down the line. Such chapters will be tagged appropriately. Please be safe and heed the warnings.

There will also be light fantasy elements later on

CW: implied slavery whump, conditioned whumpee, intimate/creepy whumper, death wish, dying whumpee (who survives), non-sexual nudity, infected wounds/sick whumpee, references to threatened tendon cutting, fuck-y headspace, ticks, bone breaking, Lyme, environmental whump, medical whump (including wound cleaning and IV hookups), shock collar, implied noncon body mod

===

When Sacha was a child, he sometimes heard a story from his mother about a mighty knight who fished a powerful witch out of the waters with nothing more than goldenrod. Brought down to his knees by his enemy, the knight had not a choice but to summon her. She’d taken pity upon the knight and blessed him with gifts and healing so he might ride into the horizon.

Even if knights were of the bygone past, Sacha still found himself wishing to be one as a child.

Those days seemed so far away, even if they were the only comfort he had in the walls of his captor. He’d been so hopeful. When had he given up? When had he resigned himself to a life of misery?

The room was dark. It was slightly damp, too, but dampness was better than dry air. Dry air would hurt his fresh wounds more. There wasn’t so much as a blanket or a roll of bandages for the oozing, burning wounds on his back. They were surely infected, but the merciful embrace of death was preferable to a life like his.

A doll, a pet for a corrupt, wealthy man. He was nothing more, nothing less.

No, Sacha was to be out of sight, out of mind when he wasn’t wanted by Master. Nobody could know that he existed. Nobody could know what Master was involved with. That was why Master had trained the voice out of him. He needed to be hidden away from the world, away from the light.

Tears formed in his eyes. What he wouldn’t give for a warm embrace or even just a blanket. He was naked, bleeding, and filthy on the floor. Of course he was freezing. He was many days into starvation, many days into blood loss.

Was the end coming soon?

Master hadn’t been down to see him in many days. The noises upstairs were almost non-existent since yesterday.

Maybe Master was leaving him there to die. Sacha knew it was too merciful a fate.

A rush of chills startled him. Yes, the wounds were in fact infected. A wave of nausea washed over him next. He was seldom nauseous. It wasn’t a good sign.

Maybe he’s waiting for me to try to escape.

Chills rushed through him again, though at the memory of his last escape attempt rather than the fever.

Hamstringing, Master had called it, right? He would cut Sacha’s hamstring and leave him unable to walk ever again.

That seemed like a mercy. The less he could do, the less he would upset Master.

Maybe the wounds would infect his blood and give him the ultimate relief.

Sacha decided. He would go upstairs.

The door to his room was unlocked. That wasn’t normal, Sacha knew immediately. Master was testing him. He knew now.

He opened the door all the way to see an empty house.

Quietly, Sacha walked to the front door. The last time he’d left the house, he’d come back cold and dripping wet after being left outside for five days with broken ankles, tied to a tree, to suffer the elements. The next week, he’d developed Lyme. It was one of the few times that Master had ever bought him pills - antibiotics.

Sacha took a deep breath. This was what Master wanted him to do, after all.

On shaky legs, Sacha opened the front door to the wilderness, the wilderness he was entirely unfamiliar with, yet felt like an old friend. He didn’t look back as he ran, a deer in the hunt. He just pushed forward, pushed forward, ran through the rubble and debris, until he no longer recognized anything and the forest was all the same.

Soon enough, those scarred, damaged feet couldn’t hold him up anyone. Not with the weight of infection in his bones. He realized that the adrenaline had carried him far away from home.

See the full post

99 notes - Posted July 11, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

A whumpee who's convinced that they're an awful person. Not because Whumper told them that, but because they've come to believe that so many bad things can't happen to a good person.

101 notes - Posted June 2, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#my own biggest fan :)

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