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#so you end up with someone super fleshed out and rich
yellowocaballero · 1 year
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Character Work
Got an ask the other day that asked me how I developed a character, and there was no room to go into it on that ask at all, but I did want to note something. As a fic writer I feel pretty unqualified to write on how to create a character, but I do have something specific I want to say that I've been thinking for a while. I'll keep it just to that. I'll also say that I'm talking exclusively about writing, and not how you engage with fandom. It is, in fact, extremely fun to make an endless series of meaningless headcanons for random dudes. I'm just talking about in terms of how you approach the character from a writing perspective. Which is...
Your OC makes a bad character.
I mean your Dungeons and Dragons character. I mean the character you have a character sheet for, the character you've thought about for years, the one that you are extremely fond of and who feels like a real person to you. The character that is the character, and to change them would feel like changing a person.
Characters should feel like real people to the reader, but as the writer you cannot think of them as people. They are plot devices and a function of the story. They don't need to be fleshed out before you start writing. The actual creation of the character should take place in the outlining and drafting process.
I'm not saying you aren't allowed to stop and think about their favorite grilled cheeses or their sign. There's a few lists of good questions to ask yourself about your characters before you start writing them, such as their desires and their home lives, but the list of actual questions you need to answer are short. And you should try to stop there, because otherwise you're going to over-develop your character and it's going to get in the way of the story.
Assuming you're writing a character focused story, the character's journey is the plot's journey. But the character and the plot exist in relationship to each other. I think of them as two interlocking gears - some things in the plot just can't happen because Character A wouldn't do that, but some things need to happen for the plot to work, so Character A needs to be the kind of person who would do that. Both the character and the plot are in service of what the story is about (Theme, moral, message, etc). These three things have to line up, and they can't overpower each other. You shouldn't try and make round pegs fit in square holes. If a character doesn't fit in with what you want the story to be about (if the story's about vanity and your character doesn't care about vanity) then you need to change one of those things. You can bend the entire plot and meaning of the story around the character, but damn you better have a character who makes a really fantastic story.
You need a character that makes a good story. Some characters don't make good stories, and you need to work super hard to create a story that fits them. That's fine - that can create a unique and great story. Your character has to be consistent and work along their own internal logic. That is shit you absolutely have to stop and work out in the outlining process. Your character needs to make decisions that feel right to the reader - really good stories have the character making the worst possible decision, but in a way that makes the reader understand that they couldn't have done anything else and still been that character. And, like, obviously, give your characters faults and have them make mistakes. A character who does not do that cannot carry a plot.
Fic writers struggle with this. Of course you...shouldn't...be me and completely disregard every characterization, but I do think you can run into the same problem with your blorbo as your D&D character.
Your blorbos aren't actual guys.
This feels kind of obvious, but sometimes I think people don't feel that way. We write fanfic because we like the characters, and we'd rather use these characters and this setting than use our own. I see people projecting on these characters a lot. Like, a lot a lot. It gets to the point where an attack on the character feels like a personal attack - where people defend the character as if they're a real person because they ID so much w/the character. We all know this is dumb, but it also makes for some really shitty fic. The writer becomes completely unwilling to bend the character at all. And they don't try to make the character good for a story, because that kind of involves a lot of faults and mistakes that they don't like seeing their blorbos make. I sound dismissive but it's pervasive. The character becomes a character who makes them feel good instead of a well-written function of the story. The story suffers. Which is alright for some stories, but if you're writing a heavily character focused story like a lot of fic, then nothing is really propping up this story or making it engaging.
None of that is how I develop a character but that is what I wanted to say about characters lol (fwiw, how an OC is created for me is: "I need a character in this spot or representing this thing. Yoink!"). Of course I spoke hyperbolically and took a hard stance on all of that, haha, and of course all of this is rule of thumb. I'm sure your OC is wonderful. Just don't get caught up in them, okay? Go write. The best possible OC is an OC who is born from a good story. That's how you get rich and real characters.
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sathina · 2 years
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I’ve had this concept in my head for the longest time and you would be the perfect writer for this . So picture this you and jack are at a fancy public event and he’s in a possessive alpha male mood (he’s also just really horny) so he finds a random room to fuck you ( I feel in this concept the reader and jack are married) and the sex is super rough with some breeding kink and dirty talk. BUT the most important part is that in the end you tell jack his cum is running down your thigh so he pushes it back in you with he’s fingers….yup ;)
A quick one
Pairing - Jack Harlow x reader
Summary - when ever, where ever, you're his and he's yours
Warnings - public sex, slight breeding kink, unprotected sex, slightly rough sex, cum play
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From the moment you walked through the door Jack hasn't let you leave his side. His arm was wrapped around your waist, keeping you as close as possible.
Your hand was holding a glass of champagne, the crystal morphing into your hold as you looked around the room. Men and women dressed in fancy clothes mingled all over the dance floor, some laughing and swaying, others whispering about some serious business.
This wasn't your scene what so ever, but Jack pulled you along. Some charity event for rich people – as he said.
You were leaning against Jack's chest, your feet hurting from the heels you wore. You could feel the soft rumble of his voice as he talked, his hand slowly sliding up and down your arm, sending chills up your spine.
" You good?" You looked behind you to stare into his eyes, the same dark shadows dancing in them, a small smirk pulled across his face.
" Yeah, just a bit tired."
" Well, I know a way to take that tiredness away from you." He breathed into your hair while kissing your neck, the encounter from the side looking innocent and loving.
You chuckled as your fingers ran through his beard, the soft strand of hair slightly tickling your flesh. " You know we can't."
" Maybe not right here under the table, but somewhere a little more private."
" Jack-"
" There's a guy who's been eyeing you the whole night. If we leave and return a little fucked up maybe he'll back off. I don't like the way he's staring." His sight ran to the man who was now talking to someone from the bar.
" So it's your jealousy."
" I call that protectiveness, sweetheart." His hand grabbed your thigh, a quiet moan escaping your lips when he did so. " So what do you say?"
You would be lying if you said that you weren't turned on right now. The way he was so close to you, waiting for the moment you said, yes, to pull and push you, make you completely his even if it was for just a moment.
He was still molding against your thigh, so the only thing you could let out was a quick nod, but Jack still felt it. He felt the slight bop of your head, and when he was sure you were fine with it, he stood up.
His hand reached out to yours, pulling you up and right through the crowd.
" Baby, I can't walk this fast." But he didn't listen. He continued to pull you all the way down the hall, your quick footsteps echoing from the floor.
" Hey, I've been waiting for this bathroom for half an hour. Wait in line." You both looked at the dude standing against the wall. His facial expression slightly angry.
" Look, I get it. But I have this strong urge to fuck my beautiful wife, so-" Jack pulled his wallet out of his pocket, a fifty dollar bill flashing in his hands. " -take this, and piss somewhere else." He turned back to the door, his fist banging on it. " Your time's up. Get out."
Shortly after an elderly lady walked out, Jack not even batting an eye her way only pulled you in.
" I'm so sorry!" You called out before the wooden door shut, a locking sound ringing out later. " What the fuck was that? Fifty dollars?
" Ma, I didn't have any less and it didn't look like he wanted change." He didn't let you speak before smashing his lips against yours. The soft pillows tasted like liquor and sweet vanilla, perfect combination to get you whipped.
His tongue forcefully showed itself into your mouth, it softly moving to grab on to yours. He quickly hoisted you up on the counter, the place so small both of your bodies were pushed together tightly. His hands found your thighs, his lips marked your neck and cleavage, quiet sound escaping you.
It felt like he was everywhere, his touch so rough but yet so loving, making tiny tingles run all over your skin. " Need to fuck you, right now."
Not breaking any contact between you, the both of you fumbled with Jack's belt. The leather smooth and silky under your fingertips. You popped open the button, pushing his pants down, letting him scrunch up your dress. You were now flesh to flesh, both heated and full with lust.
His hooded eyes looked into yours, not giving you any time, his cock pushed itself deep into you, your lace panties previously discarded somewhere on the floor.
Your back hit the mirror with every thrust of his hips, cold glass against your hot skin.
His movements were rough, the fast pace upholding itself as he pulled out your breasts. Your nipples instantly shooting up as a reaction from the cool air. When his tongue latched on to one of them, your back arched, head thrown back, his face right in your chest.
Your moans only grew louder, screaming over every pleasurable hit you recieved.
" Ma, as much as I want that fucker to hear your pretty sounds, these are only for me and me only. So be a good little cock slut, don't make me mad, and shut that mouth." One of his thumbs made its way to your lips, forcefully pushing in as the other abused your clit.
You could feel stars forming when you tried to keep quiet. Jack's thick digit down your throat muffling your babbling.
At one point you thought that you will break the mirror, your body hitting it so hard you knew there would be bruises.
" I can feel you clenching. When I say you can cum, you will. Understand?" You didn't respond so he laughed. " Aww, is my baby too fucked up to give answers. Poor, stupid, little thing."
His words seemed to twist something inside your stomach. It felt new and refreshing, your high slowly climbing up as your frame bucked along his movements.
Your husband's own orgasm seemed to be approaching, his hips losing rhythm with every one of his thrusts.
" Cum." You felt like crying, the euphoric feeling rushing through your veins.
You stayed close to each other for a while, sync breathing in both of your lungs.
He slowly removed himself away from you, a hiss escaping your lips from the loss of contact.
You both fixed your clothing. Lifting up the straps of your dress, you searched for your panties.
" Lookin' for these?" Your eyes caught his hand, the lace fabric around his fingers.
" Give them to me."
" Nah, ah." He stopped you when you tried to reach for them. " I will keep these safe, you walk around bare for a couple more hours and then we go home. How does that sound?"
" Jack, your cum is quite literally dripping down my thigh." When you tried to wipe it off of your leg, he yanked your hand back.
" Now why would you waste something so precious?" His middle and ring finger ran up your inner thigh, collecting the white liquid. " Think about all the lil' babies this could make." His digits traveled to your hole, pushing it and pumping a few times before pulling out. " Open." He slid them in your mouth, sweet mix of your juices swirling on your tongue. " Now get your pretty ass out, and if something drips, you tell me."
Jack patted your butt, his wedding ring glistening with your saliva all over it.
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senka-mesecine · 5 months
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Super late to the party on this but I played Far Cry 3 for the first time ever recently and just wanted to say your Hoyt content is INCREDIBLE. You really fleshed out a villain who deserved far more development and screen time than he got.
also v random but I’ve seen a semi-common thing mentioned in any fic about him owning five villas but I don’t remember hearing anyone say that in the game? Do you have any idea where it came from? You seem like pretty much the definitive expert on his character lol
Won't lie, but I don't remember either (😬) because the last time I played this game was eons ago (and I'm not active in this fandom anymore) so frankly, I would definitely have to brush up my lore to see where the 'Hoyt Volker owns five villas' thing originated from in the first place (Maybe a side-character mentions it? I don't recall anymore. Sorry. Would be hilarious if it originated from me and I have no recollection of it.) but I like to think it is simply a logical piece of fanon, among others. Man's a slave trafficker. Arms dealer. Drug peddler. A whoremongerer. The biggest one in the South Pacific. It's a very lucrative, albeit horrendously ethically wrong sort of business. It's easy to become filthy rich when you've no qualms about stepping on other people's backs to acquire it. Stands to reason that outside of his bubble on Rook Island, the man actually lives, boasts and maintains a lavish lifestyle...that is, if he was ever off of that archipelago enough to actually enjoy it, because that damned place doesn't let anyone get off, invertedly tying and trapping everyone and everything in its midst and most people aren't even aware of it. Therein lies a huge bit of irony about Hoyt.
Man's richer than God.
He runs everything he surveys within this microcosm, sure, but he's also overworked, greasy, cranky and looks like he's seen better days. Has the appearance of a common street pimp too, rather than someone who's effectively a millionaire. Looks like he hasn't left Rook Island in ages either, so whatever bit of revenue, real estate, ships, boats, money, wealth, cars and luxuries this guy owns, and I'm certain he technically owns a lot, is let unattended, unused and unsavoured somewhere abroad, because even Hoyt himself might not realize just why he has never left his base on Rook Island to actually indulge in the spoils of his own hard work. But, that's why Rook Island is so eerie and accursed. Why it has such a mystical quality to it, almost like an entity with a will of its own. Because Volker has profited off of exploiting the place for decades. The people on it. He turned its hallowed wildlife and sacred grounds into a base for his illegal operations. Its nature into fields where he grows his narcotics. Transformed the place into a gathering place for privateers, pirates, junkies and hookers. Rook Island has a way to repay that offence, ensuring Volker never leaves to actually be able to find joy in any of the material goods he's earned through his labor, in some beautiful villa somewhere, soaking in a jacuzzi with a martini glass, even though he owns that and much, much more.
Nope. Rook and his office is where he stays.
Occasionally going out dish out some order and authority when it's required to the other ends of the islands and come back and continue his same old routine, at that very desk, in that very chair, overlooking the courtyard to his equally decrepit looking compound.
Of course he has five villas.
Never lived in them a day in his life, though.
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kirnet · 1 month
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🔥 :D
DING DING you are the winner of my blue submarine no 6 rant!!
For context: blue sub no 6 is a 4 part OVA from the nineties about a post apocalyptic world that was intentionally flooded by an evil scientist, leaving the vast majority of humanity dead and the rest living the best they can on the water. It kind of sucks? I am now obsessed with it. No one will know what the fuck I’m talking about.
Because there is only this OVA and an untranslated manga from 1967 that I can’t track down, another 5 part manga from the 90s that i dont think was translated either, and two untranslated video games, I am forced to scrounge the bottom of the barrel from fucking reddit for any sort of discussion. The following is my response to those overwhelmingly negative reactions.
All of the characters get criticized as shallow, which to some degree I can agree with because it is a short series (about 2 hours) with a lot of characters, but I think a lot of it is just a blatant refusal to engage with them in any meaningful way. Hayami isn’t a jaded asshole just bc his friend died, he’s a jaded asshole bc his trigger happy impulses directly led to his friend’s death! Because he’s actually a super sensitive and compassionate man as shown in the series even when he doesn’t want to be!! He’s an addict who has to self medicate to ease the pain because he cares SO MUCH. And a lot of blue sub’s characterization and world building is subtle, not a lot is really told to you. It has these beautiful moments of silence that just show you character and worldbuilding, which people hate bc I guess it confuses them? Did they pay attention?? And yes a lot of the other characters dont really get a lot of depth, but they still feel like real people in the little moments you get with them. It feels like a fleshed out world with real dynamics and real people that you were just dropped in the middle of, which many won’t like, but I think its better than spoonfeeding you every bit of information.
People also shit on the ending, which I get it is actually not an ending. It’s a very open ended end with really no conclusion. I think that fits with the uncertainty of humanity going forward in this world. There’s also a lot of criticism of the villain, who unfortunately is the the weakest part of the show when he should be the strongest, but I think a lot of this is bc of the above reasons. He’s an ecofascist who thinks that there were too many people on earth so he sped up global warming and flooded the majority of the world. Idk, maybe that hits closer to home now than it did in the 90s, but real communities are threatened by the sea and there are very real perpetrators of climate violence. His motivation is weak and kind of non existent- which is a fault of the story, but also like. what actual reason is there to justify something like this other than he was a rich powerful guy who could? Again, maybe it’s just because I’m looking at it in a very modern lens and reading too much into it (I surely am), but there’s a reason it doesn’t really bother me.
I’m gonna stop here before I explode. I dont think i can in good conscience really recommend it to anyone? but if someone does watch please tell me please
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watatsumiis · 1 year
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OMG HIII <3 and Congratulations 🥳 you deserve each and every one of them & more! Remember to take care of yourself and stay hydrated. Please do this event at your pace love.
Can I please request a prompt with Waka sama (Ayato the Yashiro rascal :3) with #7? Thank you before hand! 🧸🤍
Once again, congratulations for your milestone! 🫶🏻
Thank you so much !! :D You make sure to take care and stay hydrated too !!
This ask and answer are a part of my 200 follower event, which is still open and can be found here!
Rambling under the cut ! Mentions of an Ayato who is a little more... flirty than canon might suggest (and maybe a smidge more unhinged--)
Content warnings: Dark!Ayato (as in like. kinda evil adjacent.), mentions of manipulation, power imbalances and the like. A bit of romantic x reader towards the end. I'd say this borders into yandere!Ayato -
Disclaimer: I do not condone any of the depicted behaviour in real life, this is a fictional piece of work in a fictional setting with fictional characters. If you believe you or someone you know is being abused or mistreated, please reach out to someone for help.
So, I've been sitting on this prompt a couple of days, trying to figure out how I might approach it. It brought a few pretty interesting concepts to mind - I've had a Villain!Ayato AU fluttering around for a while, nothing fleshed out, but now is as good a time as any, no? This song gave me some neat inspiration for it that I hadn't super considered until now.
Imagine, if you will, an AU where Ayato never fully grew out of his delinquent phase, an AU where he's a little more suggestible when he's younger, a little more easily corrupted.
An Ayato who is fully aware of his good looks and charm, and is more than willing to go the extra mile and use them to get his way. Someone who grew up so rich and spoiled so rotten that it seeped all the way down to his core.
On the surface, he's as diplomatic and polite as ever, but behind the curtain he's a different man completely - showering the object(s) of his fixation in love and gifts and making sure they'll never have to lift a finger for anything (well, until he tires of them). He's downright cruel to those he sees as being beneath him, or those who are no longer of any use to him.
Those lilac eyes hold a detached, cold kind of malice, a pure disregard for the wants and needs of anybody other than himself (and perhaps his family, at a push - though who knows what would happen if they were to dare stand in his way).
If you're unlucky enough to catch his eye, plenty of people would say you should be flattered (he's a man who's got very specific taste, after all), but it's hard to feel anything but overwhelmed at the sudden bombardment of gifts and affections Ayato showers upon you - through a third party, of course. He wouldn't be caught dead outside of the Estate, there are far too many out there who are plotting his demise.
It's not an easy task, shaking the Yashiro Commissioner off of your back, especially now rumours say he's climbing his way up the ranks, usurping the bylaws to dig his claws into the last remaining thing that is holding the already crumbling country of Inazuma together. It's downright scary to know that he's got his sights set on you, of all people, and nobody else seems to really think much of it, he's always been this way, after all - demanding and conniving - and what Kamisato Ayato wants, he gets.
Please don't repost, steal, copy or otherwise plagarise my writing! This includes posting translations to other sites (without credit+permission).
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How many legacy characters can DC have simultaneously? We're pushing double digits on human Lanterns. The classics aren't going anywhere soon & the spotlight is only so big.
The Lanterns are the poster children for how "anyone can wear the mask" can get totally out of hand. There's too fucking many of them and sales aren't strong enough to support them all. Can't get rid of them however because that would be "bigoted", meaning the franchise is stuck with more characters than there are titles. Were I in charge I would simply say to hell with Twitter, Tumblr, and social media backlash and start trimming the families down to size.
Let's go through the major "families" and I'll list which ones I would keep. How about we say that I can only keep three members including the "main" character (for the franchises that have one anyway), to keep things interesting. Non-powered characters and love interests don't count for the purposes of this exercise since they work different in terms of narrative use.
Superman - Hurts to pick favorites but I would save Kara, John Henry Irons, and Kenan. Kara gives you a Kryptonian perspective on Earth that Kal lacks, she was the first Superman legacy, and she's easily the second most popular Super after Kal. Irons shows that Lex is full of shit, Superman being around in no way prevents ordinary humans from reaching their potential, and Irons as a "science hero" means he brings something different to the table than the rest. Kenan is the best legacy Superman and it's not even close. He's got a different personality than Clark, he has a different upbringing and background, even his powers are ultimately connected to a different source than Clark's. If they were to ever actually kill Clark off and pick someone to take over, Kenan would be my choice.
Batman - Dick, Jason, and Damian. Those three provide strong storytelling reasons that justify keeping them around. You need Dick to show that Batman has had a positive impact on the people he's come across, Dick serves as an example of Batman's success. Jason meanwhile is the exact opposite, he's the one who points out Batman's failures as a crimefighter and a mentor. Damian is the one who can go either way and adds tension, he loves and respects Bruce which pulls him towards being like Dick, but he also disagrees with parts of Batman's methodology such as the no-killing rule, which tugs him over to being like Jason. Damian is therefore the one who will ultimately decide whether Batman is a success or a failure by which side he ends up on.
Wonder Woman - Artemis, Nubia, and Yara. Artemis is the most fleshed out Wonder other than Diana herself and has the mythology in place to support her as a unique entity, Nubia being black and LGBT+ gives her an edge over Donna and Cassie who are both white and straight like Diana, and Yara is the one I still think could be great if a good writer gets a hold of her.
Green Lantern - Hal, John, and Jess. Hal has the majority of the mythos and is the most popular, John has the DCAU crowd, and Jess has a unique narrative about "overcoming fear" with her struggles with anxiety.
Flash - Jay, Barry, and Wally. Rest are superfluous, this is the cleanest line of succession in comics. Jay has the Golden Age WWII era heroics, Barry gets the Silver Age super science and Multiverse, and Wally has the rich personal drama and Speed Force shenanigans.
Aquaman - Mera, Jackson, and Andy. Mera rules, Jackson I love because of YJ, and Andy is cute, plus Arthur shouldn't have to lose another kid.
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apocalypticavolition · 8 months
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Let's (re)Read The Eye of the World! Chapter 4: The Gleeman
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Welcome back, my pretties. Sorry for not posting yesterday. It was a day. Today is trying to be in the same mold but we'll see what happens. Anyway, this is a very spoiler-heavy reread of the series, so if you don't want spoilers, now is your time to flee!
[The cloak] was really quite thick, Rand saw, despite what Master al’Vere had said, with the patches merely sewn on like decorations.
This is of course a hint that Thom is not a regular gleeman but a former court bard and isn't just self-aggrandizing when he says as much later. When you consider that he hasn't had such a lofty title nearly the entirety of Rand's life though, the good quality of his cloak is a bit more impressive.
He wondered if there was a place where nobody had dark eyes. Maybe Lan comes from there, too.
Rand's only seen Lan for thirty seconds and he's already desperate to be adopted by him. Poor Tam, getting tossed aside so quickly for the edgier Blademaster with the even cooler Aiel War-related backstory. I'm sure Rand'll come crawling back eventually Tam, but only once he's been internalized some horrible lessons.
The yokels in that village on the hill tell me I can get here before dark, neglecting to say that that was only if I left well before noon.
Oh. My feelings that something significant was going on with this were completely silly. Thom just got punked. LOL.
Egwene’s face was a study, her goggle-eyed amaze at a gleeman in the flesh marred by a desire to defend Nynaeve. “Your pardon, Master Gleeman,” Rand said. He knew he was grinning foolishly, himself. “That was our Wisdom, and—”
Interesting that Rand doesn't appreciate that he and Egwene are having literally the exact same reaction, only Egwene is passive and he's active.
“So. I thought I recognized Padan Fain in there.” His voice was still deep, but the resonance had gone, replaced by scorn. “Fain was always one to carry bad news quickly, and the worse, the faster. There’s more raven in him than man.”
Jordan is usually quite good at making the world feel large and expansive, but this particular detail makes it feel rather small.
Egwene was glaring at him, and he had not even smiled.
Because your silence at your friends' bad behavior (they're not wrong that Thom's just playing her, but jeez) is douchey and implies you agree that it's laughable she might be very pretty.
“But the war,” Mat began eagerly, only to be cut off by Master Merrilin.
It's no surprise Mat ended up being the general and strategist, since he really does love the idea of it long before he gets super powers.
Not with your full growth on you yet, but I doubt there’s another man in the district with your height.
There isn't, but why do you all keep calling the region a district? It implies an administrative perspective that this region is utterly lacking. And of course, two sentences later we get our first actual instance of someone saying Rand looks Aiel.
“Well, now. Made-up creatures from my stories. Is that what they are? You lads are widely traveled, then, it seems.”
It's a rather interesting thing about this series that rumors about mundane or at least relatively mundane things are almost invariably so distorted as to be completely wrong, while nearly everything said about magical things is perfectly true.
[Egwene] broke off, her cheeks turning pink, and the look she gave Thom Merrilin was not as friendly as it had been. “It is not right to make. . . . It isn’t. . . .” Her face went redder, and she fell silent.
Since I pointed out last chapter that Egwene isn't a super awesome friend on average, I will give her a small amount of points here for standing up for the village shitheads who laugh at her.
Tales of great wars and great heroes, for the men and boys.
More of Jordan's unconscious sexism. His world has plenty of women who are heroes, and you'd think there'd be plenty of gals who want to hear about them, and farmboys who wouldn't mind hearing a rags to riches story of some strapping young cowherder winning the heart of a noblewoman and spending the rest of his days in luxury.
The Thousand Tales of Anla, the Wise Counselor.
You might think it's unlikely that Third Agers would remember Ann Landers, defunct newspaper personality, but OBVIOUSLY what happened was is that some microfiche in a library basement archive survived the nuclear war and since it was the most complete relic of the old days the early channelers and they preserved it very well through their age. You all must feel pretty silly for not being able to extract the UNQUESTIONABLE canon from this single sentence.
She had never liked stories about adventures and long journeys. Her favorites were always the funny ones, or stories about women outwitting people who were supposed to be smarter than everyone else. He was sure she had asked for tales about Lenn and Salya to put a burr under his shirt.
Or maybe because she's planning on going on some travels of her own she's looking for reassurance? Like, whatever happens to John Glenn and Sally Ride in the stories has to be a thousand times worse than any reasonable event that might happen to Egwene on the friendly country roads.
Ages when men ruled the heavens and the stars, and Ages when man roamed as brother to the animals. Ages of wonder, and Ages of horror. Ages ended by fire raining from the skies, and Ages doomed by snow and ice covering land and sea.
Silly Thom, even if I take you seriously I suspect that you're not going back any further than the late seventh age, when humanity was paleolithic and the climate was icy.
Oh and right after this he lists a bunch of other first age tales. If you can't recognize these you're even sillier than I feared.
For a moment Thom looked at Moiraine sideways, his face and body still except for making the balls disappear into his capacious coat sleeves. Then he bowed to her, holding his cloak wide. “Your pardon, but you are surely not from this district?”
"Dammit kids, I just told you I don't do Aes Sedai! Why didn't you tell me that there was one visiting?"
Suddenly Rand wondered what sort of entertainment a lady like her might be offered in a city like Baerlon, or Caemlyn. Surely it could not be anything better than a gleeman.
Rand clearly wasn't listening, or more likely not believing, when Thom told him outright he used to be a court bard.
“I assure you, none of my stories will displease. All will please and entertain. And you do me too much honor. I am a simple gleeman; that and nothing more.”
Rand is of course missing that Thom and Moiraine are having two or possibly three simultaneous conversations (at least one where they're making damn sure neither outs the other and possibly another I'm too thick to suss out on top of that), though he does recognize what Thom feels about the situation.
“Is he supposed to be a gleeman or a king?” Cenn Buie asked in annoyed tones. “A waste of good money, if you ask me.” Bran al’Vere half turned after the gleeman, then shook his head. “That man may be more trouble than he’s worth.”
Y'all haven't let him have a smoke and a drink and you're bitching? I can see why you don't get gleemen very often. They probably come the once, see how unfriendly you lot are, and realize they should never return.
Rand knew there must be some way to stop her from leaving the Two Rivers, but the only way he could think of was not one he was prepared to take, even if she was willing.
Good thing Rand's not book OR show Perrin, or he'd have an entirely different idea of how to stop Egwene from leaving.
“I’ve never seen Master al’Vere so mad,” was the first thing Rand said, getting him a disgusted look from Mat.
Mat sees him this mad about two or three times a month and is deeply disappointed that Rand doesn't dedicate himself to the art of pranking like Mat does.
“Battles interest me,” Mat said, and Perrin added, “What did he say about them?”
More good Mat foreshadowing. Not a whole lot going on with Perrin - I feel like Luhhan being the guy who can make Buie see reason is supposed to nod towards the kind of guy Perrin is meant to become, but he never becomes that guy so that's a moot point, innit?
The war is in Ghealdan, and the Aes Sedai are the Light knows where, but none of it is here. The man in the black cloak is, or have you forgotten him already?
The war is about a False Dragon (and the real one is here). An Aes Sedai showed up yesterday evening. And while Rand is right that the Shadowspawn are the real problem, at this point he's a little silly for not worrying that the rider is the false Dragon on the run, using saidin to appear and disappear at will. So he's right and wrong on every count; quite an achievement.
He could already hear Master al’Vere laughing. More witnesses certainly could not hurt. And if three of them had seen the fellow, others had to have, too. They must have.
This doesn't necessarily follow, but lucky for Rand in this particular case it does.
The peddler’s team munched their oats in eight stalls, and Master al’Vere’s massive Dhurrans, the team he hired out when farmers had hauling beyond the abilities of their own horses, filled six more, but only three others were occupied.
ONLY seventeen stalls occupied. This inn and stable are REALLY old if "only seventeen" is the way of phrasing things. They must have expected quite a few more horses back in the day.
“Father,” he said finally, “I don’t understand why the Council had to question Padan Fain.”
It's a good thing he's not a corrupting nightmare yet, or the whole of Emond's FIeld would be screwed.
They chose us for the Village Council because they trust we can reason things out in the best way for everybody. They trust our opinions. Even Cenn’s, which doesn’t say much for the rest of us, I suppose. At any rate, they will hear there isn’t anything to worry about, and they’ll believe it.
Here's some Perrin foreshadowing: in three books the mindless sheep of the Two Rivers will be looking to him and him alone for their opinions instead of the elected officials. Joy!
(Shame the timeline doesn't work to blame Fain for everyone's collectively throwing away their brains the way Elaida did.)
When Haral Luhhan mentioned Perrin jumping shadows, though, it all came out. Jon Thane’s oldest son saw him, too, and so did Samel Crawe’s boy, Bandry.
Moiraine might be behind the Shadow in narrowing down the region, but she is way ahead in narrowing down the candidates. Myrdraal don't seem to be as smart as they should be.
There was nothing the black-cloaked horseman could do that the people of Emond’s Field could not handle together.
Oh sweet, innocent Rand you naive little lamb. You gormless ray of sunshine. You absolute Ann Perkins. Your town is about to get FUCKED.
But that's next chapter. See you then!
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faccal · 1 year
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📃 Ever written something inspired by someone elses fic? 👽 Strangest fic you ever written? 😚 A fic you like writing more than other fics? 🌾 A fic you really want to write but you haven’t (yet)?
These are all from this post!
DUDE!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS ASK I'M SORRY I DIDN'T ANSWER IT SOONER. ALSO NOW I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE ACTUAL ASK LIST IS SO I CAN'T LIST IT BUT IF I FIND IT I WILL. SO SORRY AGAIN!!!
ALSO THANKS FOR HELPING ME FIND IT IN MY DRAFTS AFTER I LOST IT. I SHALL REMEMBER THAT TRICK FOR FUTURE STUFF. I'M SO GLAD I DIDN'T LOSE THIS!!!
📃 Ever written something inspired by someone else's fic?
So I think with this one, I wanted to write some Walruss inspired by other WalRuss lmao, and even a separate ship, but I never ended up writing it. I can't find any plans for it, so I must've never written anything down, so now i don't know what it was lol. I usually bookmark stuff on AO3 I really like or want to read, so I'll have to go through there sometime and see if i can find it. I do know years ago when i first joined the COD Ghosts fandom, I wanted to write a WalRuss fic inspired by another unfinished one. It was about Keegan being a hot rich sugar daddy to broke college student Logan. Fucking love that shit, idek why. Never wrote it though, didn't want to upset the original poster by having soemthing similar, i respect other authors and their ideas, and I always feel like a thief if I find out something of mine is similar to something else.
Also on this note, watching HOTD, there was a scene that was similar to something I'd already planned for a fic and I was like "oh no, can I still use this???" XD
👽 Strangest fic you've ever written?
HAHA, definitely The Tame and The Flame, it's first draft was HORRENDOUS, horrendously funny, and also just SUPER bad. I'm not talking first draft super bad, I'm talking Alpha Rorke forcing Logan to be this omega for him as his revenge for Elias not only mating with his actual mate (Hesh and Logan's mama) but also for allowing Rorke to fall of this cliff and "die" (his dumbass lived on a cliff. Wtf was he thinking?) he became a rogue alpha and was coming back to exact his revenge when Logan was actually Keegan's mate.
Also Keegan kept thinking of his late wife and mate while being SUPER horny for Logan (but that's normal behavior for him, let's be real)
The idea has since evolved into something MUCH better and actually worth the read/worth writing, I just haven't figured out the plot lol. The new idea is literally a 100% completely different fic lmao. I like it better, and also kind of accidentally ship Daniel Russ with Rorke, so there's that :D
(I apologize to everyone who read the original TTATF. I was rewriting and doing my best to make it soemthing that's actually good, and I just eventually gave up. Still have the old drafts saved LMAO.)
😚 A fic you like writing more than other fics?
Uhh, I think I have one, lmao. I enjoy writing the Dragon fic (still needs a damn title) but I haven't written much for it. I REALLY love planning/plotting for it though!!! Minus like one instance of referenced mpreg it's one of the most normal ones I have lmao. (And the mpreg fixed a plot hole, but accidentally brought back 2015 Wattpad era)
OH! THORNS AND ROSES!!! I have SO many plot twists and shiz, but I love this fic too and rewriting it (literally only had three chapters rip) has helped me flesh out the plot better and actually decide where I wanted it to go lol. I do think I need to fix the coronation scene, but other than that I love writing for this fic as well.
I used to love writing Infatuation, until i nitpicked it and then realized how weird and gross it was. Also high school? Fuck that. Despise high school. It was gross because high school lmao. I don't care if Logan was 19 in it, it started making me uncomfy LMAO. I may figure it all out one day, but I often despise my writings no matter what I do :/
🌾 A fic you really want to write but haven't (yet)?
DRAGON FIC DRAGON FIC DRAGON FIC!!!!!!! DID I SAY DRAGON FIC?!?!?!? ALSO GHOSTS FIC!!!!!!!! (and my marvel au @tokillamockingbird427 has been helping me figure out!) Like I ADORE my dragon fic man, Prince Keegan??? 😘👌🏻😘👌🏻😘👌🏻 Sexy farm boy Logan??? 😘👌🏻😘👌🏻😘👌🏻 Logan's badass grandmother??? 😘👌🏻😘👌🏻😘👌🏻 Hesh being flirted with by MULTIPLE hot dudes??? 😘👌🏻😘👌🏻😘👌🏻
Dude I can't wait to like explore this fic through rereading and writing but like I NEED TO WRITE IT!!!
My Ghosts fic is gonna be super dark too (not overly so, just certain topics) therefore I'm beyond excited for when I figure out what I want for it!
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rottingsparrow · 2 years
Text
Part 5!! Re-reading Lore Olympus :) Ep. 41-50
I just finished reading the new episode too so I have things to say about but that can wait for like in two weeks when I get there lmao Last part:
Ep 41
Simple dialogue is nice once and a while
I know they are supposed to be love at first sight but its so awful to see how they act even if i was crushing hard on someone if they acted like that id be weirded out
“Lets go the scenic route” nah she almost died let her breathe
“Who is that woman” shes 19 you referred to her as a kid
Ah yes the barley mother part of the storyline
It so weird to me its like rachel wanted her to be rich bc she loves painting poor people in a poor(heh) light
Why is it raining atm
Ep 42
PERSEPHONE STOP STANDING LIKE THAT
What a poor way of thinking hades yes you two shouldnt be together but your thought process is unhealthy talk to your therapist
You are so gross hades just dont look at her
Hades really says “sexualise her outfit”
I hate to be that bitch but apollo was right. Not about her needing to change but like in the presence of hades apparently anything is too hot for him
Why does his have a hair comb
“Youre a fertility goddess” ok so thats a whole thing bc later its seen as a myth within the community and everything so what
“This is out of the question” and it shouldve ended there
Ep 43
Also he has the right to turn it down lmao its his company
Hera wont think youre weak
Or maybe she will shes a lil fucked up
“Little goddess, I said no” wow what a normal and healthy power dynamic that isnt questionable at all
Rachel really went all out for unhealthy dynamics, boss and employee, king and citizen, 2000 smth y/o and a 19 y/o. Lets throw in teacher and student why not. Maybe even parent and adopted child
“Im king here” like i said, unhealthy.
“Oh shit i cant make her rich that would make no sense to her problems” dont worry, just make it to where she doesnt use her moms money
Also hades how stupid are you to not see shes hustling you i mean maybe at first but
I do like her wanting to be her own person even tho i think that gets muddled throughout the story
Why is it snowing now wtf
Also shes not gonna die from snow hades wtf
She can go outside on her own
Ep 44
What a weird thing to do introduce an intern
Like wtf let your employees go home
Minthe has a point
Its a very cute scene but then you like remember everything else and its like omg
Like him laughing and her being a lil embarrassed is so fun but tied with everything its a tad weird
Yeah you shouldnt persephone and yall should get boundaries
Persephone why didnt you tell on her genuinely
Dont be rude hades
Persephone has a point, no reason to be super mad
Oh btw heres apollo just incase you forgot he was bad. Did i mention hes bad?
Ep 45
I like this episode while hes contemplating his feelings and then he goes “her ass looks like an upside down heart” and i lose any happiness i had
Like youre 2000 control urself
And im not saying persephone isnt allowed to be sexual or sexualized but the age difference, hes her boss, and also at this point in time she doesnt like it so
Why did you bring the paper from work what
Ep 46
This is one of the prime episodes where minthe gets fleshed out but then rachel says sike later on
ALSO ITS ONLY BEEN 4 DAYS SINCE THE PARTY
Please people can have a day of relaxation where nothing happens
“Neither of us are relationship material” yall definitely let those lines blur
Shes right to be worried
Also hera is so racist to nymphs
“I know im trash already” me in like middle school
No its good to expand on her character
“Thats what everyone expects” is it? I mean how long have you been acting this way yknow
Like i want more context for that line
Idk is hades monogamous
Also zeus does cheat on his wife a lot maybe hades would
He dosent but
“I thought we were supposed to be messed up together” and i think showing a two sided toxic relationship is a great idea but rachel forgets to show hades being bad too most of the time
Also please see a therapist
Ep 47
He has a typewriter old man
“Why do i pay that hack” good point i mean you dont seem to listen to them
I dont get why he gets back with minthe like fear of being alone or what
I like the letter episode though, its nice to hear all of the feelings
Why is she on the roof lol
Ep 48
I love the furies(?)
Hes supposed to be so spooky in this episode hes so lame
Like i agree with them hes a dork
Wow everyone either likes or despises hades/persephone they are such characters
Has anyone heard of a neutral opinion
Minus his employees i guess
Ope he has glasses
Ep 49
I love the random characters getting names its so silly yet fun to me
Hecate please unpop ur collar
Good talk hecate
Does he not care thats the king
In the “salutations” panel hecate loses all meat and becomes very long
Also if these are laws why does no one follow them
Or wait is weekly nark an olympus based newspaper
I always thought he asked “which eye did you take the picture with” but he doesnt so ig im thinking of something else
Also what the fuck just ban him or smth
Ep 50
Yeah artemis maybe it would be easier too if you paid better attention
Shut. the fuck up apollo
Also how is artemis getting taken advantage of here
Love hermes
Hc him as a gay man personally
“There are rules” that literally are never listened too
Also artemis sucks at listening wtf
Like wanting to talk and getting onto someone are two different things
Also like once again, artemis feels likes choosing to be unaware yknow
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flutterz · 1 month
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wanted connections : 
while i have these silly little ideas i am honestly happy to do whatever !  if one of these grabs your attention i would love to flesh it out further with you but if not and you still want to plot we can cook something up from scratch  ⸺ also these plots are absolutely not set in stone so if they need a little bit of tweaking to better match either your muse or mine it’s absolutely no problem at all 🧸 i’ll also be adding ideas to this tag  if you want to peek over there too !  
roommates / friends from college : while she was at columbia aria spent waayyyy too much time in her apartment which likely meant that she and her roommate(s) were probably pretty close ! i’d love to see a little bestie dynamic that’s like even though they don’t live together now they basically still do because they’re at each other’s places or hanging out all the time . her friends from college don’t necessarily have to be people she met in college , if your muse was in new york around that time they easily could’ve met at clubs or parties or just by chance ! ( 2/2 roommates : yejin and someone else slipping my mind rn )
pub crawl guests : this one’s pretty obvious , but i’d love to see some guests she’s had on her show ⸺ i’ve been picturing the show to be a little bit like chicken shop date where it’s kind of flirty but at the same time it’s just her being witty and nosey and kind of prying into everyone’s business but like in a fun way . would love to conjure up some viral moments between our muses too ! 
sibling - esque relationship / super close family friend : i don’t know why but i just feel like rich families like always have that one other rich family that they always go on vacation with and celebrate holidays with and the two families are basically like one . i think this could be great since aria’s an only child and it’d be really nice for her to have someone that has been that constant in her life so much so that she doesn’t really feel like she’s been left out of the whole sibling thing because she already has one .  ( 2/2 , the grimaldis and the sweets )
exes : i have a couple of ideas for this , i think aria’s had at least one or two serious , publicized relationships throughout her life ⸺ one that ended on better terms than the other . i would personally love to see someone who kind of used aria as a pr stunt , maybe they were one of the more flirtatious guests on pub crawl and their relationship blossomed into what she thought was something more but it turns out they just wanted that virality to promote a project or something along those lines ? and then i also think it could be kind of cute to have like a college sweetheart type of deal ? maybe they dated while she was in her last years of school and for a while after and literally everyone was like convinced they were gonna get married so when they broke up it was kinda like . . . is love even real ? but honestly i’m kind of down for anything when it comes ex plots , so if i’m also happy to brainstorm ! ( 1/2 , college sweetheart : myles bang )
someone she ran a somewhat damaging story about in céline :  this could work really well for both a  muse that actually is problematic and one that isn’t , maybe she let a story slide with some fabricated or false information that did Not bode well for that muse’s career or the information was true and they were hoping it wouldn’t get out and now they’re trying to blame aria for it but at the same time it’s like , well it’s true isn’t it ? 
kind of general ones 
misread paparazzi photo : someone she was seen out with and the stories about why they were together were just like so ridiculously sensationalized and trying to make something out of nothing . . . or maybe it they tabloids weren’t entirely wrong about why they were together so they’re like what do we do about this ? i think this could especially work well for some hook-up / one night stand plots where there’s that risk of getting caught red-handed .
writers for celine : they don’t even have to be actual writers but some muses who wanted to do some personal pieces or just have a platform to write about politics or sports or art or whatever interests them that they don’t usually get to talk about or maybe they do and they just wanted to write a piece for fun !
misc. 
unlikely friendships
flirtationships 
friends with benefits 
a little book club could be so cute and fun 
her little bad influence friend that she seeks out especially when she needs some enabling
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parkerliciouspeter · 3 years
Note
Can u do a bucky fluff where bucky thinks the reader likes steve bc he hears her talking to someone about a super soldier not realizing they’re taling about bucky? If u c an thx bestieee😊🦋
Somebody Else
Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Reader
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requests are open!
word count: 1126
warnings: none :)
a/n reader is genderneutral :) if i explicitly used gender-specific pronouns (she/her/he/him) then please let me know!
masterlist!
“C’mon, Y/N. Spill.” Natasha was poking your arm, trying to get you to tell her who was the guy you liked. You had slipped up earlier, accidentally hinting that you liked someone here in the compound, and now your friend was teasing you to no end.
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After shaking you a few more times, you groaned. “Fine, fine! It’s… the super-soldier…”
Unbeknownst to the both of you, another person walked into the kitchen and heard your revelation.
“Oh my god,” Natasha lowered her voice, so Bucky couldn’t hear her “Which one?”
You bit your lip and whispered. “B-Bucky…”
Natasha giggled and you hit her arm. “Hey, shut up!”
“Ok, ok!” She wiped a tear from her eye and sighed, holding your hand. “Oh, Y/N, your taste in men is weird.”
You snorted in response and picked up your freshly brewed tea. “That’s rich, coming from someone who hasn’t dated anyone. Ever.”
She smacked you with her magazine as she chased you to your room, laughing.
Letting out a sigh, Bucky went back to the direction he came from. Who could you have been talking about? Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? The little voice in his head whispered. Steve’s the perfect guy, and all you are is an ex-hydra killing machine. There was no way that they liked you back.
The next morning, you found Bucky beating the punching bag in the gym, and it looked like he had been here for hours.
”Early morning, James?” You were the only person he would allow to call him that since it was no secret that he had a soft spot for you.
He gave you a feeble nod, and continued to hit the bag.
”D’you wanna spar? A real person would be much better than poor Kevin, here.” It was pretty well known in the compound that the worst-looking and most beat-up punching bag was named Kevin. Sam even drew a stupid face on it.
“Not really,” He mumbled, so quietly that you almost didn't hear him.
“You sure?”
He nodded again, and proceeded to sit down on the bleachers and re-wrap his bandages around his flesh hand. Weird, you thought. Usually, Bucky liked sparring with you.
Unfortunately, this is how it went for a few more days.
Every time you asked him to do something with you, he’d make up some lousy excuse so he didn’t have to do it.
“I have to go feed my goats, sorry.”
“Sorry, Y/N, but Sam and I are gonna go throw rocks at birds.”
You were, needless to say, annoyed.
It was like he was avoiding you.
On a particular stingy morning (where Bucky went out early in the morning to buy some plums), you headed to the living room where you found Steve watching TV.
“Hey Y/N, do you know David Blaine? He’s a freakin’ god, he stabbed his hand with an ice pick!” You smiled and sat down on the couch beside him. “Yeah, he’s great.”
His smile faded when he noticed the glum expression on your face. “Something wrong?”
“I think Bucky’s been avoiding me,” You whined, running your fingers through your hair.
Steve laughs in response. “Well, that’s hard to believe. Buck thinks the world of you, y’know?”
“Then why,” You look him dead in the eyes, making him gulp. “Did he turn down my invitation to watch a movie with the excuse, ‘I’m sorry, I have to go walk my fish,’ Steve? That makes no fuckin’ sense.”
“Hey, language! That doesn’t sound like Buck to me, Y/N, maybe you should just talk to him?”
The corners of your mouth tugged up slightly. You sighed, it was worth a shot. “Thanks for the advice Steve,” you pull him into a hug. After a while you hear the padding of feet from the corridor behind you. You pull away from Steve to see Bucky, holding a plastic bag full of plums. “Oh, hi, James!”
He throws the bag on the counter and stomps away to his room.
“Jeez, what’s got him all angry?”
“I don’t know, Steve, I’ll go check on him.” You head in the direction of his room and knock on the door. “James?” No response. “It’s me, can you open the door?” You hear shuffling and the door clicks open.
You cautiously open the door to see Bucky lying down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. “Hi.”
“Hey, Buck, you okay?”
“Doin’ just peachy.”
You sigh and sit down on the foot of his bed. “I know that look, you’re not okay.
“Well, then why’d you even ask?” He snaps, startling you. He never raised his voice at you, even when you would do something stupid.
“I- I’m sorry, I just thought I’d ask.“
He sits up, letting out a low breath. “Y/N, please don’t pretend.”
“Pretend? What do you mean, ‘pretend?’”
He fiddled with the blanket, looking down. “I heard you talking about Steve with Nat the other day…” He confessed, voice shaking slightly.
“Oh, Buck.” You sighed and wrapped your fingers around his. “Buck, I said ‘super soldier.’ There’s two of you guys, why’d you think I was talking about Steve?”
He stared at the bed for a while until what you said hit him like a truck. His eyes lit up and he looked at you like a confused puppy. “You mean…”
You beamed at his confusion. “Yes, I was talking about you. What… what made you think it was Steve?”
He hung his head down low and shrugged. “Jus’ didn’t think you liked me...”
“James, I’ve been asking you to hang out with me for the past 3 days,” You laughed at his obliviousness, making his cheeks tint a bright pink. “If anything, I’d think you didn’t like me.”
Silence followed, and Bucky continued to stare at the bed. “M’sorry, Y/N. I’m sorry for being an idiot.”
“Hey, it’s alright,” Pulling him close, you rubbed circles on his back, making him wince slightly.
He pulls away and looks at you, his hair hanging in ringlets over his face. There’s something different about his eyes, they’re no longer the dark and stormy blue you used to see. It’s much softer, much more inviting;
Before you knew it, his lips met yours, a familiar warmth engulfing your body. His tongue slipped in between your lips, electing a surprised moan from you.
You pulled away with a smack, both of your foreheads touching. “I really like you, James.”
There was no response, both of your deep breaths were the only sound you could hear. “I- I really like you too.”
And so, the two of you spent the rest of the morning cuddled up under the blankets, catching Bucky up with some of your favorite movies.
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millers-planet · 3 years
Text
The Vice and the Virtue - Part One
Pairing: Helmut Zemo x GN!Reader (later established as F following more parts)
A/N: i appreciate you guys so much for how quickly you blew up the sneak peak i did. it really motivated me to writing this
POV: Reader
Warnings: Fluff. Use of "Y/N". Angst?
Words: 2.3k
Description: How does one live a life of virtue when past vices begin arising after a successful jailbreak with untied ends?
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It was terrifying as I watched my home be stripped of everything it knew, it was as if with every furniture upturned or removed, a piece of me was taken with it. It was the couch, the tables, the side-tables, the food from the fridge, everything. By this point, it wasn't our home anymore, it was the home. Everything was out of my control, I had no say in what the strangers robbed me of for their 'investigation'.
I was questioned for days about what he did, about why he did it, and if I was an accomplice. Fingers were pointed at me without any real reason behind them. I didn't even know what they were talking about, he simply told me it was a business trip or some family thing-- I don't remember but I wish I did. If I had, I might've been able to save myself the hassle of convincing everyone else that.
Zemo always wanted and always was isolated and by himself. While he had friends, or contacts as he called it, he preferred to be lonesome. By lonesome, that means either in a crowded place with no one with him, or at the house with me. It was something odd to get used to, but I never wanted to trade a day with him for a day with some people who call me their friend, only to turn around and talk bad on me.
Now, I'd trade all my days for just one more with him.
With the sun having just set and the aroma of freshly brewed tea filling the air, it became a good day. Until I saw on the news of a jailbreak that just occurred, several prisoners being injured and one-- a highly dangerous prisoner (as the news described it)--escaping. I saw that it was in Germany and I believed for just a second that it could've been him.
I was fortunate enough just to keep the home, after a few months of it being held hostage from me. With every night I slept here, the more desolate I began to feel, for I can't dare try and show my face to the world. I'm too afraid people will talk and say that I'm "the one who dated the man who destroyed the Avengers". Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but something doesn't feel right if I go out without him or if I just go out in general. It feels as if I've been under house arrest or exiled from the public for years.
It was another simple night, a warm one just cool enough to keep the windows open. I love hearing the sounds of the crickets outside the large bedroom windows accompanied by the occasional whispering the leaves made when wind made them rustle. The moonlight gazed perfectly onto the door, illuminating a path outward if I had to get up at some point; which I usually did because sleeping soundly was no longer an option. Though, I was almost asleep until the large hum of the garage being opened startled me.
Quickly, I turned on the bedroom lights and walked into the large, open main room that had stairs leading to the garage. I flicked on the lights and saw the shadow of a figure grow as it climbed to the top, the breath staying stagnant in my lungs. Should I grab a weapon? Should I find an escape route? All of these life-determining questions crossed my mind until I could comprehend who really was climbing the steps.
His eyes scanned the room, as if he was a child lost in the store looking for their parent, until his eyes finally met mine. All of his concerned features dropped into something softer, something kinder, something I never saw from him before. “Wha- Why are you here?” The ends of my mouth rose into the biggest smile I could possible create, without even realizing it.
“Didn’t I tell you I’d be back?” His strides were wide and swift as he made his way to me, cupping my face into his gentle hands and pressed a kiss to my lips. A kiss I have never felt before, it had a different feeling behind it, a different motive…
…He missed me.
I placed my hand over the one that laid carefully on my face, taking in every bit of him. I forgot how small wrinkles came down from the corners of his eyes, or how his cheeks curved in slightly. I forgot how when his features softened and when he gazed into me, my legs felt weak and butterflies filled my stomach. I forgot how much he loved me.
He pressed the smallest kiss to my forehead and looked back down to me. "I have some people for you to meet. We have guests." I didn't know what he meant until two large men came up the same steps. The small bubble of comfort and renewal was broken when Zemo's attention drifted from me and onto them. Despite those few moments being a few measly seconds, it felt longer than the years past.
The two men grew tense and one of them shouted, "Zemo who the hell is this?" Almost instinctively, as the two strangers approached me, he placed his arm in front of me. "So you're telling me not only are you rich, but you had a girl waiting for you the whole time?"
"You could say that, but I never asked her to wait or stay." He looked to me and the corners of his mouth rose ever-so-slightly. "Y/N, this is Sam Wilson and James Barnes, or Bucky." The metal-armed man raised his flesh hand when his name was called, almost like taking attendance.
I passed out cups of tea and coffee for the three men and sat down on the couch next to Zemo, trying to comprehend what the three of them were telling me. "Then after we realized that neither Sam or I really knew how to handle or hunt the super soldier serum, we decided to contact the one guy who does."
I looked at them clueless for a second, "but didn't Zemo frame you for assassinating a king? And cause the Avengers to break up?" Zemo looked at me and nodded, with a look that essentially said 'really? you had to bring that up?'
"Yes, yes the man did." The other man, Sam, was now talking. "After that, Tin Man over here decided to break Zemo out of jail, which I had no part in. Frankly, I still don't see why we need him." Bucky just stared at Sam from the metal remark. They looked like they were good friends but argued like a couple with marital problems.
The three of them went back and forth about what to do next, throwing out different names and places. I pulled my knees up to my chest and placed my drink down on the chestnut side-table next to me, remembering the way policemen ripped open the table and threw it around, the scuffs on the sides to prove it. The tugs they made on the drawers tugged on me as-well, making me lean my head against Zemo's shoulder. After all this time, he still kept his muscles, but to be fair he also had a lot of time on his hands the past few years.
Suddenly, a yawn escaped my mouth and I tried to stifle it. His attention quickly shifted to me and put the conversation at a pause. "If you would like, we can go to bed," the words made my heart simply explode. It was a simple action that I didn't even notice I missed so much, it had been so long that the idea of sleeping with someone else feels so foreign. Although, it's a humbly welcomed foreign experience.
I nodded quickly and stood up, realizing I should probably be a good host and give the two guests a place to sleep. "If you guys want to follow me, I can show you to your rooms." I led them down the hallway, trying to keep my feet of the floor as much as I could because it felt like ice. I don't remember the last time I was down here, I didn't really have a reason to. Opening two doors, I turned to face them, "here are your rooms. Bathroom is first on the left." Bucky smiled and nodded quietly.
Sam, on the other hand, went and said, "so is there a breakfast in bed option or will we have to go out there to a chef?" Bucky rammed his metal elbow into Sam's stomach and glared at him.
"Thank you, Y/N. And please ignore Birdy over here."
As I began to walk away from them I heard a quiet exchange of cursing. Looking back, the two were pushing each other and fighting to get towards the bathroom. Bucky eventually pushed Sam against the opposite wall, then ran into the bathroom, with a subtle click of the lock. Sam locked eyes with me, nodded his head down and shuffled into his room like a dog with his tail between his legs.
"Those two are quite the duo," I murmured softly as I pushed open the bedroom door. I fully expected to see Zemo passed out from his endeavor from earlier, but it was a welcomed surprise when I saw him and the same look of bliss spread on his face as he sat on the end of the bed, having just changed into a simple t-shirt and sweatpants. Those same quick strides closed the gap between us, but this time he was softer and slower, as if he wanted to make up for lost time.
Starting at the bottom of my earlobe, his fingers traced my jaw, his eyes following them and scanning each and every one of my features. The way he stared and touched me reflected how touch-starved he really was all this time, turns out we were in the same boat but different countries. His gentle hand flowed from my ear, along my jaw, and when it reached my chin, he cusped my cheek. I leaned in nearly automatically into the touch, finally making eye contact when he looked at me.
With a small movement, he pressed a loving kiss to my forehead. "I never thought I'd be able to see you again. Or do that. Or do this," his other hand reached my cheek and brought me in for a kiss on my lips that was full of longing. "Or do this," he nudged my thighs and I jumped into his arms, now truly aware of what I was missing these past few years. Zemo set me down in the bed and got in next to me. "Or do this," he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in gently, holding me as tightly as he could without suffocating me.
Laying on his chest, I took in everything and couldn't imagine how I went so long without him. It felt like night and day. For so long I was living in the dark, completely isolated from the outside world and anything that could possibly hurt me anymore. Once he returned, he turned on the lights, he brought me back into the sunlight. I know he just got home but it feels like everything is back where it's supposed to be, like nothing ever changed. Somehow, with his return, the bed also feels softer.
"Why did you wait?" His sudden question caught me off guard. "I mean, I cannot say how excited I was to see you--but why didn't you move on?" I looked up and saw a confused expression, with his eyebrows furrowed together and lips pressed.
I didn't know how to answer him, how do I express everything I've felt these past years? How do I accurately tell him that after seeing my home destroyed and ransacked, the only thing I could think or do was to picture rebuilding it?
"When you were arrested, men came and took everything. They destroyed the house and didn't leave a single thing unturned. It was months before I could step back into the house and I think almost two years before I could begin the process of restoring it." I could feel his breathing slow down and become deeper, reminding me to pull myself together. "When I could finally put the pieces of the home back together, it didn't feel the same, because you weren't there. I wanted to try and go out but it wasn't right to go into the open world without you.
So, I waited. After watching strangers destroy the things I loved, and the things I had so many memories of, I could only think to fix it all and rebuild it all. But, I couldn't do that without you. I needed you. I need you."
With one movement, he changed our positioning so his face was now over mine, leaning over me. "What did I do to deserve you, meine geliebte," he spoke softly and pressed one final kiss to me and whispered with a smile, "shall we go to sleep now?" I nodded slowly and watched him get up to turn off the lights.
When we were sleeping, or when he was sleeping, all I could think to be was wide awake. Last time, he left suddenly during the day and promised to come home, I didn't know that previous night that he'd be disappearing from me. So, while he was in bed with his arm draped around my waist, holding me close and occasionally moving his arm to pull me closer, I was remembering every single thing.
I savored the way the sheets felt hotter than usual with him being home. I savored the way his breath against the back of my neck made me ticklish. I savored the way he moved his thumb in circles against my skin every few minutes, even when he was asleep. I made sure to remember how his heavy arms made it more difficult to breath. I couldn't bare to forget any of these things, so when he leaves again, I'll remember.
But right now, he's home.
He's back at our home.
part two
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tags: @blondekel77 @mysticdeerpolice @dexthtoyounglings @anthrogothic @darlinloves @hollmarch
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avas-dream-factory · 3 years
Text
Every Second Saturday
Baron Corbin Fanfiction
18+ readers only
Genre: Smut
Style: Reader!Me (OC self insert with other POVs)
Word Count: 6,500+
Plot: Every second Saturday Ava, who works as an escort girl named Cinnamon, awaits her favorite client. He's her favorite, because he never oversteps a line… Until she allows him to.
Warnings: Language, smut, daddy kink, overstimulation, edging, slight pet play, degrading, dom/sub play
Tag List: @omg-im-such-a-masochist
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(My Gif)
Club owner's POV
He comes here every second Saturday and it's always the same. A bottle of the finest whisky, an expensive cigar, a poker table for him and his friends and… Cinnamon.
Mr. Corbin never asks for another girl to keep him company, it's always our pink haired kitty cat who he wants on his lap. Suits him. She's the only biker chick we have here with tattoos on her arms and leather dresses.
Some of the other girls asked curious questions, but Cin can't tell them anything, because nothing more happened. Always having her sitting on his thigh, dancing for him, but never really touching her.
That's kind of strange.
When I enter the locker room she's already done with preparing her looks. Tonight she wears a skimpy skirt, knee socks and a white blouse. The black lace bra shines through.
Good girl, she knows exactly what he wants to see.
„As usual" I remind her and she nods while ruffling her hair. After putting on matching heels she smiles at me and pats my shoulder as she walks by
„Bless Mr. Corbin. Reliably paying my debts every second Saturday" Cin chirps and I have to laugh.
„Seems so" I mumble, but then I suddenly remember. „Don't forget to get the whisky from the bar!“ When I remind her she gives me a thumb up before leaving the room.
My POV
I don't know why I get so excited when he comes here. Probably because he never treats me like a piece of meat from the discounter, or maybe because he looks so damn good.
I'm used to old, fat, rich men clumsily groping my body while they enjoy themselves.
But not him.
Although I know that he must be a hungry man, he doesn't look at me this way. I'm not a whore, and he makes me feel that. I said it once, I say it again… Bless Mr. Corbin.
Mike, the barkeeper, hands me a tray with the preordered whisky, glasses and a little wooden box. I know there's a cigar in it, as usual. „Thank you" I say politely and he winks at me. Ah, he's such a nice guy!
The men don't let themselves disturb by my entering and they continue with their poker game. It's hot in here, but they seem to like it. All so very tall, muscular and handsome. But nobody's like him.
After putting the glasses down and pouring the whisky I walk up to my favorite client. He scoots back with his chair and holds his arm aside, inviting me so very classy. The first few buttons of his dress shirt are open and the impressive tattoo is partly visible.
Caged heart and birds.
I sink down on his strong thigh and he moves us close to the table. While he studies the poker cards I cut the cigar and hand it over to him, but he slowly shakes his head.
„Can you do that for me, hun?“ Baron asks me with his deep, husky voice and my lips curl up in response. „Sure thing, boss" I whisper sweetly, put the cigar between my lips and light it for him with a few puffs. I don't mind doing this. I love it.
His hand rests on my hip and he softly squeezes the flesh between his fingers when I hand him the now burning cigar. Never do I get aroused from the client's touches, but it's different with him. The battery of my vibrator gets low after my shift every second Saturday…
The men play their poker game, making lousy jokes and drinking the whisky. I don't pay attention, only to him and that I make him feel good. I brush the tips of my fingers over the back of his neck, snuggle close and whisper.
„You're too clever for them, boss. Mhh, they will lose again. No chance against a winner" I quietly giggle and he smirks to himself, lowly chuckling and pinching my hip again. Okay, I'm trained to sweet talk the men, but I think he gets it that I'm honest.
It's time to reveal the cards and he turns his head to look at me with his beautiful, deep dark eyes.
„What do you think, baby?“ He murmurs as he shows me his hand and I move my cheek over his so the others can't see my expression.
I feel his breath against my skin, his beard deliciously scratches my jaw. „Kill ‘em" I purr in his ear and then I press a little kiss on his neck, causing him to lowly hum. Maybe I shouldn't do things like that, but it's too tempting!
Naturally he wins and his friends groan in annoyance. „Maybe I should get one of these lucky charm bitches to slide on my lap too!“ One of them jokes loudly and laughs. Oh, I know these patters!
Baron suddenly slams his fist on the table and everyone jumps, inculding me. „Shut your fucking mouth!“ He barks angrily and I quickly rub my hand over his chest. „It's okay, boss. He's just mad that he lost" I whisper with honey in my voice, but he still growls.
The game is over, too quick for my taste. Though, I know that he will book me for a dance right after his friends are gone.
But it isn't like that, not tonight.
Baron's POV
I knew that he will pay me back somehow, because I made him lose a good amount of money with this poker game. Though, that he invests even more in pissing me off surprises me.
He bought my girl.
Damn it! He knows that I want her for myself, and now she moves her tiny body for him.
You were quick, my friend. Booking her immediately before I could do it, and naturally she has to follow. She can't say no, that's her job. You bastard! Do you think she really wants you?! Maybe you have Cinnamon dancing for you, but Ava is mine.
My heart beats wildly with rage as I watch how she sexily swings her hips, standing between his legs. She runs her hands down her chest, over those ample breasts and further.
You're mine, baby. You know that, right?
She briefly looks in my direction, as if she’s able to hear my thoughts. Fuck, I want her so badly. Want this ass to grind over my cock and want to hear her moan. I bet she's a screamer… and super pretty with my cum all over her tits.
My POV
Thank god I'm done with dancing for this idiot! He fucked it up, I wanted to dance for Baron. The manly pride is an awful thing.
My shift comes to an end, so I change into my street clothes, consisting of boots, a black summerdress and a leather jacket. The night is a strange mixture of hot air and cold wind, this makes the walk to the bus a torture.
Someone follows me!
I look over my shoulder and spot the shitty friend, who comes closer with each step. This creeps me out! He suddenly grabs my arms from behind, spins me around and forces my back against a wall.
„Baron's precious whore" He mutters sickening sweet, presses his hand against my shoulder to pin me and leans close. „How much?“
I slowly raise an eyebrow, shove him away from me and fold my arms over my chest. „I'm not that kind of escort, darling. And I'm off the clock, so go home!“ My snarl doesn't show any effect, because he only laughs in amusement.
Shortly before he can grab me again, a stone-hard fist collides with the side of his face and he stumbles back. „Three-time Golden Gloves champ, Rick. Don't push it" Baron threatens calmly and I rush behind him to hide there.
His friend mutters something in response and then he leaves, just like that. Wow, my number one client has a fierce punch! Sexy…
Baron turns around, cups my cheeks with his huge hands and worriedly looks me all over. „Are you okay, Ava?“ He quietly asks and I swoon, because he knows my real name!
After I carefully move his hands away from my face I smile. „Uh huh. Thanks to you, boss" I chirp and wink at him. He puts a finger under my chin and brushes his thumb over my lower lip, it causes shiver after shiver to run down my spine.
„It's Baron“ He rasps and I close my eyes when he very slowly, very schemingly pushes his thumb past my lips. I gently suck on it, falling into the moment, and it makes him breathing deeper. Curiously I look at him to see his expression. His pupils are wider, a thick vein pulsates on his neck and his mouth is slightly open.
Aroused. Both of us.
He slides his thumb out of my lips and sighs, before he tightens the grip on my chin. „Would you like to come with me?“ His question is serious, sternly spoken. He means it.
Even though I know that I shouldn't do it, I want to. „Yes" My voice is trembling from the excitement I feel.
Baron's POV
She surrenders so easily to my lead, as if we are made to come together like that. Maybe she knows that I won't harm her in any way, but I wonder what she'll let me do to this tiny body and beautiful mind.
When I offer her my hand she slides her delicate, little mitt in it and I hold it tight.
How breakable are you, pet? We will find it out.
The more steps we take, the more she moves closer against me and this gives me the right, sexual mojo. It's not forced, and I never had a feeling that it was with her when I spent my nights at the club. I'm not just job, it seems.
This reminds me!
„I'm not buying you right now, clear?“ I clarify when we reach my car and she looks up to me, nodding her head. Some streaks of the pink hair fall over her eyes and I brush them away to study those blue orbs. It's not enough for me. „Say it" I demand and she bites her quivering lip. So fucking hot, this little minx.
Ava reaches out, clutches my shirt right above the belt and bravely holds my gaze as she begs with her whole body. „I understand that you're not buying me. I know this is… something else" She whispers and I run the back of my hand down her cheek.
„Clever girl“ My praising makes her smile proudly. Oh, kitten, you have no idea how submissive you really are. No worries, I'll show you. If you let me.
I open the door for her and help her in the car, watching how the dress slides up. It reveals smooth, silky legs and I can't wait to have them around my waist. Shaking, squeezing, getting numb.
Fuck. My cock is rock-hard since she entered the room and if I don't stop thinking, I'll cum in my pants. But I want to play first…
My POV
It's very typical for him that he has a vintage sports car.
I'm so nervous, I need to calm my nerves! After digging through my purse I finally find a cigarette, roll the window down and light it. Suddendly he groans, angrily and annoyed, and when I look at him he snatches the cigarette away from me and throws it out.
„Did I allow it?!“ He barks crossly and I put my hand over my mouth. Uh oh, I really should have asked! A heat spreads over my face and I have to swallow before I answer. „No, I… I'm sorry"
Baron sighs, stops the car on the edge of the street and turns to look at me. He lays his fingers on my jaw and takes a deep breath. „From now on, you will ask for permission. If you disobey…" He gently slaps my cheek. It doesn't hurt, but it's enough to reinforce his statement. „…I will punish you. If you are a good girl, though…“ He rasps, leans close and lightly pecks my lips. „…I will reward you"
Is it hot in here? I don't believe I ever was so thrilled like in this moment. Fuck Christian Grey, it's Baron Corbin who exhales the real dominance. I'm not scared, this is everything I fantasized about. And…
„Yes, daddy" I carefully say as I innocently fiddle my fingers and flutter my lashes at him. He inhales sharply, leans back and grabs his throbbing erection through his pants to adjust it while growling.
Nailed it.
A smug grin appears on his face and he pulls out on the street again. „Fuck, kitten, we'll have so much fun“
We arrive at his house and, holy hell, he has more money than I thought. After closing the door behind him, he gives me some time to look around in awe and follows me like a gigantic shadow. His hand rests on my lower back and he nods at the couch in the living room. „Sit"
I follow his order, take off my jacket to put it on the armrest and then I sink on the soft fabric. He gets next to me and briefly rubs his face before he locks gazes with me. It feels like his staring goes right in my soul, thinking… calculating. He's weighing the situation before he speaks.
„I adore you, Ava. There's no other word to describe my feelings towards you" Baron confesses lowly, reaches out and grabs the back of my neck to pull me closer. My lips are apart as I scoot over and make mooneyes at him. Oh god, my heart dances.
His hand wanders in my hair and he uses a firm grip to tilt my head back. „But tonight, I will degrade you. I will make you my fucktoy and do as I please, and say things that have nothing to do with romance. Clear?“ He states and I quickly nod.
Annoyance flashes over his face and he rolls his eyes. „Words! I need to hear it, baby“ He encourages as he tugs on my hair. I quietly whimper as I try to not stay speechless, because a knot forms in my throat and makes it hard to speak.
„Yes, I understand" I finally manage to gasp out. His features change into a calmer expression and he releases my hair, before he leans back and simultaneously grabs my wrist to pull me up in front of him. After licking his lips he smirks like a starving wolf who had just found its prey. „Clothes off. Now" He sternly orders and I dig my fingers into the hem of my dress.
Fucking help, what exactly does he want? Shall I just take off the clothes? Strip and dance?
„How?“ My eyes are focused on the floor as I sheepishly ask. It's dead silent until my own yelp fills the room, because Baron captures my waist and throws me across his thighs. His arm pushes my upper body down, pressed against my shoulder blades, and he shoves the dress up to expose my backside.
„That, my little dove, was a simple demand. Let's see this as a test run, shall we? Nevertheless, just to remind you" He mutters and then reaches out to smack my ass, causing me to jump and inhale with a whimper. „I will not tolerate disobedience! I say, clothes off!“ His growl is followed by another, hard spank. „You take your fucking clothes off! Simple, eh?“
I helplessly clutch his leg and close my eyes as he runs his hand over my ass and then squeezes a cheek. He roughly pulls it aside to shove a finger under my panties and right in my soaking cunt. The sudden pleasure I feel makes my body convulse and he chuckles smugly while slowly exploring my weak spots.
„So tight and wet. How often have you dreamed that I fuck this slutty pussy with my fingers?“ His voice is dripping with lust and he removes his digit before easily picking me up and sitting me on his lap so I straddle him.
My mind swirls from all the stimulation and I shyly raise my eyes up to him. „Countless times. Since I first saw you, daddy. I want this, please do it again!“ I beg, needy for an orgasm. He swiftly slaps my ass, more playful than as a measure of punishment, and brushes his fingers up and down on the side of my face. „Not yet. You're daddy's pet now, and I think I have to start slow with you. Wouldn't want my fucktoy to break too soon"
I sigh and nod, even though I want to protest. „Okay" My whispered approval makes him smile and he pulls me close until our lips connect in a surprising kiss. He's not gentle, nor is he polite as he devours my mouth with his. His tongue dominates mine as he shoves it in my throat, taking my breath away.
He captures my lower lip with his teeth and tugs on it, I already feel how it’s swelling from the attack. „Now" He breathes out, pushes me back on my feet and leans forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. „Be a good, little girl and take off your clothes. No dancing, no teasing daddy"
I do as I'm told, lifting the dress over my head and then taking off my underwear and boots. It feels strange to stand in front of him completely naked and he's still dressed. Though, I don't feel uncomfortable.
His eyes calmly roam my nude appearance and he gets up from the couch, raising to his full height. My breathing shakes, as well as my legs, while he slowly walks around me to take a closer look. He runs his fingers over my stomach, waist and back before he eventually stops behind me.
„I know you want this, however, if I do anything you don't like, just say ‚Cin' and I'll stop. If you can't speak, and there will be moments you won't be able to, snap your fingers. Can you do that?“ Baron asks as he slides his hands down my upper arms. Quickly I realize that the control he has over me just reaches as far as I approve.
This feels good. Calming. Caring. It leaves space to try everything out and I'm curious.
„Yes" I whisper and snap my fingers. He hums, leans down and presses a kiss on my shoulder as he places his palms against my chest. „Anything I shouldn't do at all?“ He murmurs in my ear and starts to lightly brush his little fingers over my hardening nipples.
My knees tremble, because waves of sweet arousal are sent from my breasts to my aching center. I try to think, to give him an answer without sinking down, but it's nearly impossible. He doesn't stop though, his fingers still rub over my sensitive peaks and I exhale a shaky moan.
„Nothing? That means daddy can use this?“ Baron chuckles in amusement and shoves two thick digits past my lips. I lean my head back, resting it against his upper body, and briefly nod. „Good. And your little pussy too?“ He rasps, moves his hand down my body and runs his with saliva covered fingers through my folds.
„Oh, yes! Please, daddy, please!!" I don't care that I sound desperate and pathetic, it turns both of us on. My hands are clenched to fists and rest on my sides while I let him touch me.
He pinches my clit, gently rubs it for some seconds and then continues with his exoloration. „How about…“ As he whispers he brings his fingers on my backside and I know exactly what he wants to do.
„Cin!! Cin!!!“ I quickly gasp out and he immediately moves away from me. Oh damn, I don't want to disappoint him, but my past experiences with anal aren't the best.
Somehow he understands and seems to feel my sudden discomfort. His huge arms wrap around my body from behind and he soothingly kisses my temple. „Hey, two out of three is still positive" He lightly jokes and I have to smile. „I'm sorry"
Seconds after my apology he turns me around and graps my chin between his thumb and index finger. „Don't. That's why I'm asking in advance, kitten“ He softly says and caresses my jaw. „I will make you suffer. I will break you, devour you and use you. But never will I do anything you don't like" He explains and I raise an eyebrow.
This is too much to understand! How will he dominate me, when he’s considerate of me?
Again... he seems to know exactly what I think, pats my cheek a few times before he gently slaps it. „I can see it in your eyes, you're craving to be degraded like a little slut. But only from me… I know you love it, it makes you a dripping mess" He states cockily and I blush.
He's so right… Two more touches and I climax right there.
„On your knees" Baron demands with a whisper and I sink down in front of him. His finger is pointed in my face and I look up to him as I fold my hands between my legs. „Stay. And don't move" He orders and then walks away.
My gaze rests on the floor while I hear how he walks upstairs. God, it's hard to resist the urge to touch myself to get some friction and ease the throbbing need between my legs. But I don't want to find out how he will react… or… do I?
Before I come to an end with my thinking he returns and gets down on one knee behind me. „Daddy has a present for his precious pet" He murmurs, brushes my hair away and then puts a collar around my neck. The leather is soft and on the ring in the front is a beautiful, silver chain attached. Carefully I touch the material while admiring it.
Baron's large frame still lingers behind me and he puts his hand on my thigh, slowly moving it up. „Do you like it, little kitten?“ He huskily asks as he slides his fingers over my slit and I quiver. „Very much. Thank you, daddy" I purr sweetly and although I can't see it, I feel how he smirks. „Good girl, so polite. Now come!“
He stands up and I want to follow, but he tugs on the chain to pull me down again. „Nuh huh, little kittens crawl" He reminds me teasingly, his tone so very mockingly, and I get on my hands and knees. It has something arousing how he leads me to the stairs like that, the chain wrapped around his hand and eyes always focused on me.
He said he will degrade me… I believe him now, but also that I actually want it.
When we reach the first step he grins down at me and nods. „Up" As I crawl my way up to the first floor I can feel how his gaze rests on my ass and between my legs. My cunt begs to be touched and my inner thighs are drenched by now. He sees it all.
„My, my! Your pussy glistens and drips, such a good slut. Can't wait to get stuffed with daddy's hard cock, huh?“ He laughs and I sweetly whine in respose. „Uh huh, please…!“
After reaching the first foor he uses the chain to pull me in a standing position and pushes me face forward against a wall. „You think you deserve it that I fuck you right now? No, no. You have to earn it“ He growls as he presses his large body against mine from behind. „Worship me. Please me. Beg me. Cry for me" His hand kneads my ass while he lowly speaks.
It's nothing but pure overstimulation and I feel as if I'm gonna explode, or pass out soon. His finger slips to my clit and he rubs agonizingly slow circles over it, inreasing the lust even more. „Mhh, it's so much fun toying with you“ He breathes out, smacks my ass and pushes me towards the bedroom.
It's dark, classy and exhales his personality from each corner. The bed is huge, made of dark wood and the sheets are black and red. It looks soft, though.
Baron positions us in front of it and drops the chain. „Take my shirt off for me, kitten" He orders quietly and watches how I reach out and slowly unbutton the shirt. The more I see of his impressive physique and tattoos, the bigger gets the urge to touch him all over.
I nibble my swollen lower lip as I carefully brush the expensive fabric over his shoulders and down his muscular arms. He's a piece of art, beautiful and dangerous, with little damages. The stretch marks near his armpits and by his stomach give me a hint that he must have lost some weight.
„Do you want to touch me?“ His question draws my attention to his face and he smiles at me when I nod. „Then touch me. I allow it" He assures, grabs my wrists and puts my hands against his chest.
His skin radiates a heat! The tips of my fingers trace his tattoos and I try to remember every inch. I think the right word to describe him is „handsome". Baron Corbin is a handsome man and according to his behavior, he knows that too.
When I look up to him I see how calm his dark eyes are and how he observes me and every move I make. There's something deeper in it, soft feelings we both seem to have, but aren't ready to admit yet. It's a game, for now…
He places his palms on my shoulders and forces me down on my knees with one strong push. The impact with he floor hurts a little, but I swallow the whimper and gaze at him, waiting for the next instruction. There's none, he just stands there and enjoys the moment of how I am at his feet, before he opens his belt so very slowly.
My mouth waters already! Even more when he pulls his pants down, enough that his cock springs free and my eyes grow wide from the sight. He's big! Not only the length is impressive, but also the width. The tip is covered with pre-cum and I can't wait to taste it. But as I stick out my tonue, Baron grabs my hair and moves my head away from him.
„I didn't hear you asking. You can do better, little slut. Beg for daddy's cock like a good girl" He orders, lowly growling, and wraps his fingers around his length. He begins to slowly stroke himself, teasing me with it and I feel my lower lip quivering. „Please. Let me suck your cock, daddy. I want it! Pretty please!“ I beg, causing him to smirk cockily. He pulls me closer until the tip pokes against my lips and I open them.
With his fingers still in my hair he uses the grip to guide me against him, his cock sliding in my mouth. He claims it forcefully and doesn't stop until he reaches in my throat and I gag. His hand rests on the back of my head and I close my eyes as my lips connect with the base. He's so deep… I can barely breath. Tears roll down my cheeks and I tremble.
„Deep breath, kitten, through the nose. Daddy doesn't want you to pass out while fucking your little mouth" He states in amusement, before he starts to thrust his cock in my throat over and over again. My body still fights against it, but the mental pleasure I get from this is stronger. The thought about how he uses me gives me the thrills I need.
Baron doesn't make many noises, mostly his hard breathing is prominent. And his arousing dirty talk. „Do you like that, huh? Like it how daddy fucks your pretty face with his cock? Aw, look at you, little mess. Fuck, so gorgeous with your tears ruining your make up. Open your mouth wider, kitten, I'm not done yet"
My fingers twitch as I capture them between my thighs to stop me from pushing him away. I become the fucktoy he wants to have, without even trying.
He yanks my head back and when his cock leaves my mouth, I gasp for air and cough, spluttering saliva all over my lips and chin. My throat burns from the brutal attack and I look up to him to see his face. He looks satisfied, proud of the work he did and how slutty I must look at this moment. Before he can say anything, I swallow and whisper. „Thank you, daddy, for letting me suck you cock"
Baron raises an eyebrow while his lips curl up to form a smug grin. „Such a good girl. You surprise me. And since you've been so obedient and polite" He murmurs, reaches down and picks me up with his hands under my arms. After placing me on the soft mattress of his bed, he takes off his remaining clothes and then gets on my side. His hand rests on my belly and he leans down to reward me with a gentle kiss. It feels so amazing! Lips and tongues touching, almost romantically.
It eases every pain I felt.
„Spread your arms" He rasps in my mouth and I do as I'm told. As soon as I positioned my arms, he ties my wrists to the headboard and then he kneels between my legs. His cock still stands proudly, throbbing and obviously ready to spread me open, I can't look away. But my attention is drawn to his hands as he slides his palms over my upper body.
His fingers graze over my nipples and I arch off the mattress with a little whimper. It dawns on me that the ties keep me from fighting him off, because he plans on torturing me like before. More precisely, though.
My jaw drops and I exhale desperate moans as he continues to toy with my nipples, rubbing, pinching and tugging on them. My whole body convulses and I shake from all the stimulation, arousal lubricates my cunt completely and I’m about to cry again. „Fucking fuck me already!“ I squeal, drum my legs against the bed and huff. His rough fingers capture my hard peaks and he keeps squeezing them, harder than before. „What was that?“ He asks crossly, grabs one of my ankles and turns my body as far as the ties allow it. When I'm on my side he spanks my ass and I cry out from the pleasurable pain.
„Please! I can't take it anymore!“ I beg through my tears, sobbing, and he positions me on my back again. He moves his large body over mine until he covers me and then he cups my face with his hands. „You can and you will" His voice is so deep, it sends additional shivers through me. As he studies my expression I nod a little while I nibble on my lower lip.
His back is bowed so he can be at eye level with me while pressing his cock against my soaking cunt. I rise up just enough to kiss his beautiful lips as I move my hips, feeling how his length rubs between my folds. It almost sends me over the edge, because all the toying with me made me hyper sensitive.
„You need a break" He suddenly states, gets off me and stands up. When I whine out my frustration and tug on the ties, he just chuckles in amusement. „I'm gonna get something to eat. Want anything too?“ He asks as if we're having a normal night together. It freaks me out! „I want your cock in my pussy, for fucks sake, daddy!“ I protest loudly and he grabs my chin. „Fucktoys give no orders, bratty, little thing. You will behave now, or else I won't let you cum at all. Daddy has no problem with jerking off in your face" He threatens before flipping his finger over my nipple and I inhale sharply.
Then he leaves the room and I am alone, tied on his bed and eager for an orgasm. His scent is all around me and I see no other way than calling for him, but he doesn't come back.
I have no idea how much time had passed when he returns to the bedroom. He's still naked, cock still rock-hard, and I wonder if he sat in the kitchen like that. That must be a sight! He slowly gets on the bed and smirks at me. „Cooled down?“ His teasing ask causes me to pout and he laughs in return. My pouting fades as he grabs my leg and licks over it unil he reaches my cunt. „What’s that now?!“ I whisper and he breathes against my center. „Dessert"
After answering me he slides his tongue through my folds, wraps his lips around my clit and sucks it passionately. The sudden attack heats up my body instantly and I squeeze my eyes shut as he rubs his tongue against my little pleasure button. He uses his fingers to spread the lips apart so he gets a better access and I hear him hum. Now I feel like his toy more than ever, since he left me there and continues toying after he had returned. And it turns me on.
Baron pushes a thick finger inside my cunt, which is soon followed by a second. He pumps them quickly, curling them up and stroking my sweet spot to make me eager again. It works, because he's so fucking skilled! When I reach the level where my head is flooded with lust, he presses a last kiss against my clit and then pushes himself up. He puts my legs over his arms and gets on top of me, grinning in my face. „Ready for salvation, kitten?“ He smirks even wider when I frantically nod my head. „Yes! Yes, please! Please, daddy!“
The tip of his cock presses against my entrance and when he slides his length in my cunt, agonizingly slow, it feels like nothing I've ever felt. My walls pulsate excitedly and I breathe out a shaking moan. „Oh. My. Fucking. God!“ I squeal in a high-pitched tone and he playfully bites my jaw. „Yeah, I know" He whispers smugly and quietly groans as soon as he's fully buried inside me. We stay like that for some seconds, reveling the amazing feeling how we get one.
He pulls back, as slowly as he had entered me, but then rams his cock back in my dripping heat with force. The pace he sets is brutal, strong and relentless. He's pounding me in the mattress like an unleashed wolf, gripping the headboard and thrusting his cock deep inside me. My legs get numb from this, since they still hang over his arms, but all I can think of is that my body is on fire.
„Mmh, the face you make. Does my cock feel that good, huh? Fuck, your pussy is so tight, hot and wet. All for me" He growls and accentuates his words with hard thrusts that make me jump and scream. „That's it, kitten. Let it all out. Cry for daddy!“ While teasing me with his dirty talk he puts my legs down and then roughly pinches a nipple. As he flips his finger over it I approach an orgasm with fast steps, his cock hitting all the right spots while sliding it in and out of me rapidly.
Just when my cunt starts to spasm, Baron sits back on his heels and looks down at me, panting. I'm so fucking close! But he doesn't move anymore and just watches how I helplessly squirm. My mind isn't able to form words and so I mewl like a horny cat, what causes him to chuckle evilly. I stare at him as he moves his hand up to his face, licks his thumb and then brings it down between my legs. He rubs the pad over my clit, once, and that does it.
The climax which hits me is so intense, I see stars. But he still doesn't move! My walls clench around his cock wildly and he leans his head back, moaning sexily as I squeeze him. His hands hold my waist in a tight grip, holding me in place when I want to move so fucking badly. The shockwaves get less and before they stop completely, he starts to push me back and forth, fucking me this way and sending me right into my next hight.
My body and mind breaks from this and he smirks while he breathes hard and watches how my breasts bounce from the forceful thrusts. My arms hurt, what was the word again? Help! I look at him with big eyes and whine. „Baron!“
He furrows his brows, leans forward and, as if he his deep in my head, unties my wrists. I instantly grab his face and pull him down for a heated kiss. „Please more, daddy… Please. More!“ I moan, feeling how I get addicted to this. Although my cunt is swollen and it hurts, the passion is like a drug.
„Yeah? More? Alright, daddy will use you more" He laughs, grabs the chain of my collar and stands up, pulling me with him. I stumble behind him as he practically walks me on the leash and the he bends me over the table in the corner. The cold surface feels good against my chest and I playfully wiggle my butt, making him swiftly smack it. „I knew you'll be a cock slut when I fuck you“ His words are growled and I look at him over my shoulder. „Only for you, boss" I smile and to my surprise, he smiles back.
His hand lands on my sore ass once more before he kicks my legs open and lines up his cock at my entrance. This time it's harder to take him, since my cunt got tighter from the orgasms I had. It still feels unbearable amazing, though, and I moan loudly for him. As he fucks me brutally against the table, he uses the chain to pull my upper body to him and forces me to arch my back. „Oh, you fuck me so good, daddy! Make my tiny pussy feel so good! You're so… strong!“ I praise breathlessly and according to his grunts and growls, he loves it.
His hand slides between my legs and his fingers rub my clit while he drops the chain and gropes my breast with his other hand. „Once more, kitten. Daddy wants you to cum once more. Come on, little slut!“ He almost barks at me, losing it completely. The raw strength he shows and the ongoing stimulation makes it possible that I climax for the third time. I never experienced this before and I nearly pass out, but he holds me tight against him and rides it out.
A few more, hard thrusts and his cock twitches inside me as he fills me up with his cum. It's hot and… quite a load! The sticky liquid drips down my thighs and he hasn't even pulled out yet.
It becomes quiet and he cuddles me close. „Can you walk, baby?“ He whispers and then kisses the top of my head. Amazing, I really need this sweet side now! When I shake my head he carefully slides his cock out of me and then lifts me up with his strong arms. It feels like home and I snuggle my face in the crook of his neck, inhaling his musky scent.
Before I know it we are in the shower and the warm water soothes my sore body. We clean each other, but it's not as sexually as you might think. It's a moment of deep understanding, how we explore our skins and drown in each other. The game is over, time to give in to our soft feelings. He wraps his arms around me and leans down, gently kissing me and making me feel good.
„I want you to stay with me. Please" The fact that he asks for it does something to my heart. No, he doesn't keep me in chains. He invites me.
„I will stay" I whisper back and he smiles at me as little drops of water run down his face.
⊱❘✦━━━━━✦❘༻💖༺❘✦━━━━━✦❘⊰
The sun shines down on us as Baron and I stretch out on the sun lounger and enjoy the day. He holds me close, as he always does, and carresses my warm skin with his hands. „Your neck looks so empty without the collar" He teases quietly and I giggle. What a peaceful moment. Until…
„Mommy! Mommy! Look! Look!“ Our oldest son calls from the pool and we sit up to watch how he jumps in the water. His younger brother and twin sister play in the grass near us.
Yeah, we married. Some sort of Pretty Woman story, I guess. And we have three wonderful kids, who all seem to have his temper and black hair. Our little wolf pack, so to say.
If you wonder what happened with Baron's shitty friend Rick… He'll come over tonight with his wife Lola. My former colleague. He finally got himself a lucky charm bitch too.
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thedeviljudges · 3 years
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yohan + physical tough + trauma response
disclaimer: this is based off of eps 1-7, and preview of ep 8; i wholeheartedly recognize that this post may become the worst meta ever depending on how the rest of the show goes. however, i do think there are still some interesting things to note about yohan. a lot of this is also me just talking shit out as i was sifting through all the eps again. i’m more than willing to change my mind or hear other thoughts.
also i kinda, sorta, unnecessarily included all of the moments of yohan and any physicality. a lot of them are not super important, but i do think they help draw a distinction in how he reactions when surprised, alone and around other people.
so, here’s a long ass post that is literally 99% me bullshitting, lmao.
so i wanted to delve more into yohan’s response to physical touch by way of trauma. while i know a lot of us have pieced it together, i think it’s pretty cool to lay it all out visually because i think there’s much more justification for his reactions; not to say it makes it right, but it does really flesh out a fundamental part of his characterization that i think is highly, highly important to understand.
yohan lives on the cusp for reckless behavior, almost as if he doesn’t care whether he lives or dies. the car chase, running through industrial buildings where safety isn’t a concern, etc.
episode one
the first time we see an instance of his disinterest in physical touch is when he first meets gaon. he actually offers him his hand, but the way he goes about it isn’t a handshake. he almost looks hesitant, and then he squeezes and does not shake. it’s truly a split second gesture out of formalities. granted, he’s just met someone he thinks looks like isaac, and might be in a little bit of… not shock, but certainly distracted.
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later in the episode, yohan is in an abandoned building with homeless people. he’s checking people’s wrist, but he’s quick about leaving them alone. until, a homeless man comes up behind him and grabs him. in response, yohan swings his arm to knock him off. then, he punches him, steps on him and decides whether he’s worth the effort. again, granted, no one likes to be surprised in a creepy situation like this, so his response? kinda understandable at this point.
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next is the scene where yohan catches gaon in his office, where he pushes him against the bookshelf and kinda, more or less, comes off as a bit luring. we know yohan knows gaon’s lying, but a couple of things here. yohan initiated the physical contact, and he did it because of the suspicious nature of gaon. yohan also knows how to use his power and charms to catch people off guard, and i think really, he was messing with gaon when he brushed his shirt and asked him if he lived alone. gay as fuck, lmao, but i also see it as an intimidation tactic, in a way.
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i could also pose a couple of theories aside from intimidation if we wanted to squint:
yohan is still in a state of awe of gaon’s resemblance to isaac. he’s not heard his voice or been around the other man for at least 10 years, and now there’s tangibility at his fingertips.
if we want to look at it from the gay perspective, gaon is clearly intriguing to yohan, and as i’ll note further down in this post about yohan in relation to physical touch, i’m sure it could be assumed that this is one of the first people in a long time that yohan has an interest in making a connection with. however, because of his upbringing, it’s clear he does’t necessarily know how to connect with people (ie. ep 7 trying to connect with elijah, eps 1-6 with him trying to non-verbally tell gaon that he has bigger plans than what’s in front of his face. his admission in ep 5 about being monster). more or less, he knows his charms can be used, but when it comes to actually flirting and/or liking someone? it’s left to be addressed, but could be assumed he’s just as awkward about it as when we see him at home.
we also see a small instance of him letting someone dress him. there’s still touch involved, but it’s very clear what the intention is. he has control over the situation, and it’s not a surprise.
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the next time he engages in physical touche, again, he initiates it because he’s in control, and it’s meant to be comforting, to an extent.
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and then to round everything off, we actually see him reaching for isaac, who is actually gaon in the court scene, but you know storytelling and all that. he reaches for him both in the courtroom and within a flashback.
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him reaching out for isaac seems to be a motif within the show as it happens later on, of which i’ll point out.
episode two
we see him initiate a handshake again. at first, to gaon, and then with jinjoo. controlled situation.
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later on in the episode is when we see our first glimpses of batshit crazy yohan, an absolute delight and fav, lmao. he actually reaches out to the spoiled kid, and it’s clearly to legitimize intimidation and a position of power.
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okay look, i’m not even gonna front, this was a cute scene. when jinjoo gets out of the car, he checks to make sure she’s okay, and they have this moment before they go onto the red carpet where they smile at each other. yohan is confirming she’s okay, and she agrees. again, controlled, and i don’t know for certain if yohan is more comfortable around women, or it’s just mere fact that he doesn’t always have a problem with touch when the situation is safe. he actually lets her take his arm further on in the scene, and yes, it is a public display of niceties, and he knows that.
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so in the midst of this happening, we get the ‘devil child’ story. and i want to make note of the bird scene because i do think it’s important to note that people yohan cares for, he’s willing to go to the ends of the earth to protect them. yes, they’re children in school, but the girl next to him is the only one who showed him an ounce of kindness, and yohan is proven to remain loyal to those he loves or trusts in some capacity.
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of course, he ends up pitting the rich and the poor kids against one another for their betrayal and making him an outcast. in yohan’s mind, what he did wasn’t necessarily wrong because his sense of justice is based on protection and when people wrong him or those he loves, it’s seeking justice on their behalf or making the situation better - not in the technically right way, but right to him. yohan comes across as a fixer and problem solver.
yohan has a very, very strong sense of trust and loyalty, and we can assume that stems from isaac, who clearly tried to protect yohan from his father, who went out of his way to do so as best as he could as a young kid. yohan values loyalty not because he necessarily wants lap dogs and people to do his bidding. it comes from a place of love and security he’s never really had.
anyway, back to the gala with jinjoo, he does shake the minister’s hand. again, controlled. there are cameras. he also puts his arm around her, and that’s mainly because it’s a battle of the wills, and she’s trying to reprimand him, lol, as if she could. he hugs her a little hard and a little enthusiastically, and you can clearly tell it’s for show.
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and then he dances with both jinjoo and sunah. and there is a stark difference between these two scenes. yohan actually teaches jinjoo the proper placement for where she should rest her hands and how to move. he’s actually having a good time with her, and again, it’s actually really cute.
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with sunah, he’s reluctant and definitely on guard. he can tell from her demeanor that her intent is with purpose trying to get close to him. at this point in the story, he probably sees it as sunah coming onto him and not because she’s actually the maid from when they were children. when sunah reaches up to whisper in his ear, you can really tell he doesn’t like her being that close to him at all especially because her words may not be overly threatening, but there is purpose behind them, which means yohan’s guards are up. he physically removes her hand and than blatantly turns her down: she tells him that enjoying things alone isn’t fun, and he counters it by saying he’s having a lot of fun.
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so at this point to reduce on some screen caps, he meets the minister’s family, has handshakes with her husband and the kid he went after to essentially beat up his car with a mallet, lmao. the handshake is quite funny because they both know what happened. yohan is in control, and that kid is shaking in his boots.
then the explosion happens, and of course, it makes sense that yohan helps gaon after he’s hurt. gaon has never been a threat to yohan, and it’s clear yohan’s not heartless whatsoever, but it’s also poignant to note that gaon helped saved yohan’s life, thus starting yohan’s journey of loyalty to gaon. i think he’s always had his sight set on gaon to begin with, possibly long before he even became an associate judge, but if this was a test, gaon passed it with flying colors because if gaon can rescue a little girl, and he can help an old man who fell off his bike, would he really go the lengths to save yohan who has shown him time and time again his sense of justice is different?
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episode three
yohan reacts negatively to soohyun and within good reason when she questions where gaon is. he turns away because for him, the conversation is over, but for her, it’s not. to get his attention, she grabs him when he’s not paying attention, and of course he has a very adverse reaction. at this point, it can be chalked up to disrespect given the fact that he’s a head judge and she’s just a mere cop, but hindsight is 20/20. he does throw her arm off by flicking out his arm. but instead of berating her, he just tells her to catch the culprits who harmed gaon and leaves it at that.
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and then of course, everyone’s favorite scene and rightfully so. yohan caring for gaon? very sexy of him. gaon is injured, poses no threat, and as i said above about yohan finding some amount of loyalty in gaon means his physical boundaries aren’t jeopardized. and for that, we get these wonderful scenes of yohan helping gaon as he heals.
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and then scenes of him messing around with gaon by hitting him. truth be told, i wonder if this was something him and isaac did as young kids. anyone with siblings know how that goes. fake picking on each other? fake bickering? yeah.
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and then it slowly, but surely, it’s revealed that yohan didn’t have the same upbringing as isaac did. our first instance that something at home wasn’t right wasn’t just the conversation with ms. ji and gaon. it’s the flashback with yohan reading in his room when the door opens. he hastily pretends he’s asleep, and you can see he’s visibly shaking and breathing roughly until he realizes it’s isaac who’s there to give him books.
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and that’s also when we get our first glance of what kind of abuse yohan suffered from at the hands of his father. it’s clear this isn’t the only incident, and there’s been many times that isaac wasn’t around to help defend him.
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it’s also very clear in how yohan acts when he’s terrified and that his abuse has gone on long enough to be a routine pattern in the house. any time he hears heavy footsteps or thinks his father is around, he visibly shakes and gets panicky.
episode four
i include this scene because it’s been noted that a lot of books yohan reads are about humans, human nature, animals, animalistic tendencies, and he says random shit like this that directly points to what he thinks about humanity and humans themselves. we notice this most prominently at the dinner with gaon and jinjoo earlier on when he describes that he likes the feel of the chew and that he cannot taste. he always mentions hunting and prey, and i think this is one of those very clear instances where he actually reveals to gaon what he truly, truly thinks; no gimmicks. this also comes into play later on in ep 6 when elijah is worried about him being out all night. yohan clearly doesn’t trust people at all. he understands their intentions, their motives and how much pain they can cause other people for their own profit and their own gain. it makes sense that he wouldn’t leave his house, especially if he has a strong sense of loyalty to isaac (even after all these years) and caring for elijah.
this is also one of the very direct moments that yohan doesn’t understand family dynamics. when it comes to people, it’s a giant chess game. not only that, later on in the episode when they’re in the car and yohan talks about how people, no matter what, are always the same in front of greed, yohan is cynical, and he expects the bad every single time.
what he reads and the way he words things (here and the discussion of him being a monster, for example) is clearly an indication that he doesn’t trust; that he cannot trust, nor does he want to at this point. yohan doesn’t understand the concept of kindness being given freely (ep 7 when he berates elijah for being used by gaon, telling her she falls for kindness every time). and yet, later on in eps, it’s clear when he’s around the right people and the right mindset (uh, gaon?? lol), he’s constantly putting up a front.
after all in ep 7 when he tells gaon that confidence is key, it literally gives him away not just in the courtroom but in his personal life. there’s a reason he looks softer at home than when he’s not there (the hairstyle changes and clothing).
basically what i’m getting at is this behavior can be seen as a defense mechanism because of his abuse.
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then it’s another gala event with gaon and yohan this time. another lovely favorite where yohan helps him get dressed and then proceeds to drag him around and safe him from the lion’s den.
tbh i dont even need to include these, but i’m doing it for the indulgence.
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yohan does sorta physically throw gaon as well during the rich people party, but that’s mainly to get him to shut up because he’s trying to show gaon the truth at hand and how all of it’s pretty much a farce.
later on in the episode is when we first have gaon truly attacking yohan verbally, and that’s when yohan snaps. it’s clear that isaac is a trigger for yohan, especially from someone who speaks out of line on something they know nothing about. gaon, truth be told, had a stupid moment confronting yohan the way he did. i don’t know who waltzes up to a proposed murderer and just asks them, lmao.
but here’s the thing, thus far, gaon has not entirely posed a threat to yohan. whether that’s from yohan planting gaon and guiding him exactly where he wants him or gaon just not being as thorough as yohan would like, and he’s trying to tap into that talent, is anyone’s guess. but as i said above, the one thing yohan protects is the things he does care about the most, and he tries to talk himself out of his own feelings. he constantly compares himself to an animal (again, dinner scene with gaon and jinjoo) to justify his actions, and to possibly not feel anything; because that’s easier, isn’t it? not feeling. so on top of gaon calling him a monster and a killer, confronted with the possibility about being a villain in his own brother’s story, obviously sets him off. he beats down his emotions until he’s confronted with it - and this is what gaon also meant in ep 6 about how it’s ridiculous that yohan calls himself a monster over a victim because yohan can’t even see himself in that light. not because he truly believes victims are weak necessarily, but i wonder how much he realizes that what happened to him wasn’t his fault.
to me, and as i just said, yohan convinces himself he’s a monster to make it easier for himself to belief his actions (ep 5 telling gaon some humans are born monsters in relation to himself). it’s not that he inherently thinks he’s wrong, but i think his guidance for what’s right and wrong was misconstrued without a parent figure in his life, especially if he’d read crime and law books as the focus. yohan’s actions, at least quite a bit of them are, are based on a gut feeling of right and wrong. when you think about it and your own sense of justice, how would that differ without the checks and balances in place? what punishment do you think fits the crime if we weren’t bound by written law? yohan thinks any action to protect those he loves is, more or less, justifiable because it’s a means to an end. it’s making a worng right again.
i don’t think yohan is a monster. i think his feelings, and what he knows is love, is misconstrued in terms of how to express it. we see this in episode 7 with his and elijah’s conversation where she’s just trying to be a teen, but his version of love is protecting her without, once again, understanding family dynamics and the pain points of growing up, the learning she has to do on her own. yohan might technically be right; similar to being book-smart but not necessarily street smart. his theory of telling Elijah that she’s soft for kindness and being used was true, but his delivery and the idea that that’s how humans develop doesn’t work. he’s telling her text-book rules, but people don’t live through books. they live through real life. yohan reads to get a sense of fulfillment and to learn. he’s learned his way into adulthood, but that’s not normal.
so uh anyway, back to this familiar scene:
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because we don’t know the actual story of isaac’s death, it’s hard to say what role yohan played in his death, but i don’t know that i believe he was the one who did it. the entirety of the devil judge is relying on unreliable narration, so it’s difficult to gauge (for now since we’re on ep 7) how this will turn out and what happened, but to me, it really comes across as yohan upset over the insinuation that he could be the one to cause the death of the one person he loved the most. plus, i think it says a lot that he cares/loves elijah, and she was part of isaac. gaon crossed a thine line. yohan essentially welcomed him in, and this is gaon toeing it. we can also look at this is not gaon being an outsider to their family, but now has become part of the family, and so it’s easier for yohan to be ‘abusive,’ if you will, rather than the perspective of gaon still on the sidelines and pushing too far. by this i mean, the accusations made by gaon threatens their formulating family dynamics.
and once again, the only person he ever actually reaches out for is isaac.
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and then we have the aftermath of yohan’s nightmare, where he’s still caught in the dream as gaon comes in, and refuses to be touched after, even if gaon’s intention is to see if he’s okay. yohan makes it very clear to gaon not to touch him, and that’s when elijah comes in with a very accusatory ‘what are you two doing?’ in this moment, yohan is not just vulnerable, but he’s emotionally sensitive. i’ve no doubt he’s still dealing with a form of sensory overload from his dream.
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and then, i don’t know that this was necessary? was it necessary?
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the following set of scenes are the ones where gaon tells him he’s a victim and he hasn’t confronted his own emotions about his abuse. i think yohan realizes gaon is right to some degree, but it is convoluted, and it’s not so simple to face your own traumas. however, he does for a moment after gaon leaves, remember another instance of abuse he couldn’t stop but wishes he could, wishing a parental figure of sorts would’ve come in to save him like his older self is trying to save the kid version if only he could turn back time, if only he had the power to do what he wish someone else had done for him.
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and then the kidnapping scene is just. fucked up in and of itself. it actually makes my skin crawl. not because sunah is scary necessarily, but the lack of autonomy yohan has - especially when we find out later more of sunah’s story. to do something like this after what she’s suffered through makes this scene even more disturbing.
you can see the moment yohan hears heels when sunah (not knowing it’s her yet) comes in. literally the minute he knows someone’s headed his way, he checks the fuck out. his whole face goes slack, especially when sunah reveals herself. and when she’s kissing him? blank as fuck, too. it’s the most dead-eyed stare i think we’ve seen from him.
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episode six
so, we get this gem from elijah that i’d like to touch on later. it’s more speculation and just me running through ideas more than it is canon fact. but what it does let us know is that yohan doesn’t seek people out. he prefers to be at home and staying there.
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after we get the maid story, and we do get yohan touching sunah’s cheek, and in some fucked up twisted way, this is his way of protecting one of the things isaac cherishes the most. the point of the gesture isn’t just intimidation but serves as an act of intent, of protection in the only way yohan knows how. he’s safeguarding isaac. you can tell he doesn’t actually like sunah at all as a kid, but uses that to his advantage. imagine yohan learning violence for ‘good’ things when his father used violence for ‘bad’ things. what a twisted way of looking at it? and the irony at hand.
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additionally, the main reason i’ve included so many varying scenes of yohan touching people isn’t to establish that he’s okay with being touched given how many scenes there are of him randomly shaking people’s hand or touching them. it’s all about context and what the intent is for. most often than not, really way more often than not, yohan only reaches out for people when it’s socially acceptable to do so and because it’s manners. and yet, even in some of those cases, there is still intent behind the gesture.
the moments he acts out the most are when he’s not in front of an audience, when he’s more likely to be alone with his thoughts and is exceptionally more vulnerable to his own triggers.
and i think the scene after he’s back at his house from the kidnapping is noteworthy because it doesn’t just feel like he’s shaking off the effects of the drugs he was given. he seems to visibly trying to compose himself of the mental and physical play he just had to deal with.
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the next scene is yohan angry with gaon for taking elijah out. which really, he does have every right to be angry, and one thing i didn’t note above during the ‘you killed your brother’ choke out scene before is that when yohan is backed into any kind of corner, he reacts like a caged animal.
because we’ve already established the scenes with his abuse, his father took his anger physically out on yohan. so how else was yohan supposed have developed the tools to express it? it’s easy to hurt the things you love the most; it’s easy to abuse the ones you know, and between gaon and himself, they both have an unhealthy dynamic because gaon is old enough, strong enough to take whatever yohan gives him. gaon is not family and so there’s still that clear divide and a distinction as to why he lays a hand on gaon but not elijah, for example. gaon can still pose a threat. elijah is family. then again, it can also be said that maybe yohan considers gaon family, and gaon betrayed elijah and therefore yohan, and you don’t do that. not with yohan’s understanding of family dynamics.
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but with that said, it begs the question why yohan keeps gaon around, and i think some of that has to do with the fact that gaon surprises yohan. he might’ve set his sights on him long before he became an associate judge or maybe he took interest after gaon was chosen for the role (this is still up in the air), but deep down, yohan sees something in gaon despite his snooping, despite his righteousness. it could be the potential; it could be the fact that gaon could be better than yohan if he just allowed himself to loosen the ropes he’s tied himself with when it comes to the court of law and the justice system.
but here’s the thing that idk a lot of people have really picked up on. gaon is one side of the same coin underneath it all. he’s also provoked yohan with physicality when yohan brought up details about soohyun.
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to be fair, we can say that yohan evokes a different type of anger in gaon, one that he hasn’t tapped into for years that allows him to open up to that more physical side of himself he learned to put behind him. gaon doesn’t really come across as the physically threatening type, but yohan does push his buttons and vice versa.
but then, of course, we have the big fight scene where gaon goes in on the attack, and that’s when yohan makes his threat not to attack him ever again. it’d be easy to say he says it based on the merit of him not actually attacking soohyun, but seriously speaking, the intent feels much more than that. more along the lines of asking gaon not to provoke him without warning again because next time might be bad. most of their other fights, especially the one above,have been in the midst of conversation. this time, it’s from a place of complete surprise, and you can tell yohan goes on the defensive when his first instinct is to not just throw gaon back but raise his fist to strike.
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episode seven
the only physical contact yohan has with anyone is the president, and that’s when he turns on the live video of the two of them, and it’s clearly intended to be a lowkey threat. he keeps pulling the president back into his side to be on the live camera after the dude tried to come after yohan. i do think it’s hilarious that yohan manipulated the situation with a live component just as the president and the rest of the rich people thought they could turn a live court show into manipulating the public.
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and then, of course, the jail scene. the part where he makes gaon stay. he also touches gaon’s shoulder later just before they leave.
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episode eight
the most prominent scene in this ep is certainly the scene where sunah comes onto yohan, and you can tell she did it to get under his skin in some way. of course, he’s smart and knows she’s up to something, but i think it’s so interesting how he wraps his fists around hers, almost as if to tame her and prevent her from trying to further put her hands on him.
we also know yohan has no issue with using physical force regardless of who it is (obviously, his dialogue in this scene, too) when he feels caged or trapped. his intention is also to retrieve isaac’s necklace, and i like how he uses literally anything to his advantage. meaning, he’ll use physical touch, his mentality, etc to get what he wants or needs, even if it is marginally uncomfortable to some degree.
and i think that also says alot about him is that he’s able to displace what makes him uncomfortable in moments like this to achieve an end goal.
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additional thoughts
i know this isn’t really common with a lot of the characters in general, and could be chalked up to a cultural component, but yohan’s definitely not a hugger.
the other thing i wanted to note is yohan’s seemingly adherence to touch unless it’s for good reason in relation to sex. the main reason i bring it up is because i’ve seen it discussed a bit, especially in regard to elijah’s comment about him not staying out overnight since the fire. there are a few plausible scenarios, maybe more, but for the sake of this, we’ll go for these.
yohan has had past relationships/experience or will in future episodes
day flings
he’s never had an interest in anyone before given his upbringing and abuse and therefore never sought out sex
inexperience could be from lack of interest in other people and sex itself
he’s never found anyone to really connect with and trust in such a way and has avoided it for that reason
and i bring this up mainly because i think it could be something to explore in fanon, but also because i’m kind of annoyed with how people have been talking about yohan being a virgin. i’m not quite sure what the joke is, but lack of sexual experience does not mean naive or that he doesn’t have a sense of humor when that’s clearly far from the truth:
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i don’t know that people find it unbelievable because of his age, because of characterization of yohan being more dominant, but none of these things negate this being an option. i think it’s perfectly plausible of a situation (from what we know right now), and truthfully, it would make a whole lot of sense. i just don’t get the jokes about it that i’ve been seeing online (twitter) when there isn’t a mutual exclusiveness to any of it whatsoever.
yohan already has a hard time connecting with people, and i can imagine that level of physicality could be difficult. clearly he knows how to use a version of it to get what he wants. i’ve no doubt he’s used his charms in situations where he’s needed to. yohan knows he has that going for him, at the very least. but sexual appeal and jokes doesn’t mean having a body count any more than it could indicate there being one.
lastly, i also want to pull these paragraphs from @b612sunsets​‘s post because i think they do a much better job than i ever could of explaining, short and sweet, a fundamental part of yohan’s characterization, and mainly what i was trying to get at with this long ass post.
“There's two things we already know about Yohan from the last 6 episodes: he hates being touched when he doesn't see it coming and doesn't have control over it because of the abuse he suffered (I assume). To name a few: Soohyun grabbing his elbow to stop him from leaving and get answers about Gaon, the beggar that touched him while he searched for the fireman, Gaon after punching him and Yohan clearly telling him to NEVER do it again. The impression it gave to us is that if there's a next time he might not be able to stop his instinctive reaction of defending himself and using violence back (something worse than choking or pushing Gaon and he doesn't want to do that with him).
“Unless it's a friendly/small/slow touch like in the breakfast scene when Gaon touches his arm when he gets up to offer them some fruits. When he had the nightmare with Isaac, his walls were up high so even if he could see Gaon's touch coming and it was friendly, he decided to stop it because he was too defensive and sensible to accept the gesture (it would be the first time Gaon started physical contact with him too, he wouldn't be ready for that in such a state).
“The second thing is that Yohan hates when people take what is his or mess with what is important to him. Again, to name a few: Sunah with the necklace when she was a maid, the fireman with Isaac's watch (Yohan made them fall from high places, not caring if they died or not), the guy that fabricated the small bombs that hurt Gaon (Yohan would have burnt his face if "K" hadn't stopped him) and Gaon taking Elijah out of the house to Soohyun without previous notice (a cop and someone he doesn't trust).”
yohan has a very, very large sense of self-preservation for himself and for those he cares about. it’s in his intention, actions, facial expressions, movements, the way he interacts with people. i find it fascinating how calculating he can be, but at home, he’s at his most vulnerable and almost socially unaware and awkward.
yohan is a bit of an irony. he understands people from an action-oriented, instinctual level, but he doesn’t necessarily understand their thoughts and emotions in the waves of nuances that people live through on the daily. like, he gets it to an extent and on a practical level, but he himself is a square trying to fit into a circle - he doesn’t always understand it for himself and has to actively work on social cues so as not to come across as the devil child he was once painted to be.
and let it not be unsaid, yohan really will go to the ends of the earth for family, even if it means stepping out of his comfort zone.
and so anyway, i doubt this offered any real insight, but i think this is my way of breaking all of this down for myself. so, tada!!! lmao
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5 Reasons Roman Is Infuriating (And Why I DO NOT have a crush on him)
(Logince with a bit of denying and pining) Read on AO3
My first fic, based on my Logince drawing (If someone ever wants to make anything based on my art, feel free to ask. Making content is hard and people fleshing out concepts is always fun.) Word count: 3641
Tw: Cursing, Food mention, Balloon popping, Remus being his authentic self
Character’s: Remus, Virgil, Janus, Logan, Roman (At the end), Patton (Mainly implied)
~~~
He had everything ready.
"Ahem."
Three heads turn to look at him.
"Logan, I really don't understand why you're doing this. You know I'm literally the Lord of the Lies, right? I can tell when you're lying."
"Falsehood. I am here specifically to prove to you three, the ones that have doubted me the most, what I think of Roman, so that you'll stop teasing me about emotions that aren't even there." Logan says, standing in front of a long classroom table. Virgil, Janus and Remus sit there, each maintaining their own postures and looking at him with disbelieving expressions.
"Logan, we can see your heart boner from here. You really think you can convince us with a slideshow presentation?" Remus picks his teeth, seemingly bored of the idea.
"That's exactly what I'm doing- What? Why would my heart have a boner? It doesn't have the proper parts to do that-" Logan looks lost, clutching the presentation button in his hand.
"It's an expression, Pocket Protector. It means you've got feelings for him." Virgil sighs.
Logan squints at him. "Of course I have feelings for him." Logan looks behind him, to the SmartBoard behind him. The board turns on, displaying the presentation title. "And those feelings are feelings of irritation. My name is Logan Sanders, and welcome to my Ted Talk."
There is a collective sigh from the others.
Logan takes a pointer stick (the one with the little hand on one side) from a holder on the wall, and points at the words on the screen. "This is 5 reasons why Roman is infuriating. And unlike your cognitive distortions may suggest, I DO NOT have a crush on him." He gestures with the stick where the same thing is written. "So, let's begin."
~~~
1. He likes to insist that he's the most handsome side, despite us all looking like Thomas.
It's ridiculous. All of their traits are reminiscent of Thomas's.
There are some mild changes they go through when they aren't summoned, but they are just slight shifts. For example, Janus and Remus both have different long hairstyles, and they all have a bit of a hair color change. Their features do shift too, emulating ones Thomas has seen over his lifetime that he'd associate with their personalities.
However, in person and in the mindscape, Roman really thinks 'he's the sh*t' (Virgil taught him that expression). He flaunts his beauty over everyone else's, strutting like the prettiest peacock in the flock. Sure, he's good looking, but the same level of good looking as all the other sides.
"You're all so handsome. But not as handsome as me." Logan recalls him saying in an episode.
He tries to use it to one-up the other's, even though they all know they look the same. He also enjoys flaunting his ego, attempting to emulate a lifestyle of the rich and famous when he feels like it.
It's rather ridiculous.
"You think he's good-looking?" Remus coos.
Logan glares, and changes the slide of the presentation.
2. He fights everyone all the time. (Except for Patton)
It seems that Roman has made the most rivals out of everyone.
He's rivals with his brother, he's got a rivalry with Janus but with more betrayal behind it, he's got his past rivalry with Virgil, even though now they're the closest friends, and despite making up several times, Logan is also his rival. Patton seems to be fine, despite their post-wedding event. Logan believes Roman is too worried of defending what he believes in against the literal embodiment of Thomas's morality.
"So, you two have tried making up, but have you considered... Making out???" Remus pitches, his smile all teeth.
Logan sputters a bit. "Puh- Wha- I don't think that would work."
Logan has in fact not thought of making out with Roman, thank you very much. Not even when they're so close, passionately arguing about who-knows-what in the spur of the moment, where it would be so easy to move just a little bit closer and connect his lips to the soft pink ones of the prince.
He has not thought about making out with Roman, because he does not have a crush on him. Period. End of story.
The two of them argue a lot. Whether it's how Thomas should spend his day, to the Chicken or the Egg dilemma (Logan knows he's right, by the way, Roman just won't see that the egg came first), to the ideal temperature for a heating pillow, to the best Crofter's flavor. They can range from productive, to stupid, and by the end of it they may just be fighting about nothing at all.
They jab at each other, come up with clever arguments, and although they're technically fighting, it sometimes feels more like a duel.
"Or a mating ritual." Virgil says under his breath.
"These points don't sound very negative." Janus adds, twirling some of his hair with his finger.
"It is negative. We fight a lot. He fights people a lot. Every issue seems to be a battle to him that he can outmatch, despite being better suited as a civil discussion." Logan stands taller, trying to defend his point.
"Well, that makes sense. I understand this point now. Go on." Janus waves his gloved hand in a dismissive gesture.
"Alright." Logan clicks his presenter button, and the slide changes.
3. He's loud. Super loud. All the time.
From singing to dancing to bantering, there never does seem to be a dull moment when Roman is around. Some may call it nice, but Logan would say that's a very polite description. It certainly isn't nice when Logan's trying to get work done, or watch a movie, or enjoy a peaceful breakfast, or most of the time really.
Logan has stopped working outside when he's trying to be productive because Roman will, without fail, come in singing, and then start a little fight with Logan that distracts him from his work and renders him unproductive for a long time because all he can think about is Roman.
"Hm... Wonder why that is." Janus interrupts, rolling his eyes.
"Well, you don't need to wonder. I said it was because of our fighting." Logan nervously adjusts his already immaculately placed glasses, resuming his point to his slide presentation.
It's odd, because sometimes even without leaving his room, he can still hear the sounds of Roman's voice in his head. He theorizes the absence of all that noise is making him subconsciously fill it in ( even though his mind also provides him with clear images of Roman's smile).
He can't escape the noise on movie nights. Roman will sing along to any song, scream at the most poorly-timed jumpscares, and no matter what, criticize the movie. Logan does participate in that last step from time to time.
During dinners, it depends. Sometimes, Roman will come in and do his thing, sometimes he'll make a dramatic entrance, grab a plate and then go off to work on something, and sometimes he won't show up at all, off on a quest in the imagination. Those particular meals are peaceful. Sometimes they feel empty, but so far, no one else has complained. Especially considering with Remus' and Janus' seats added to the table, dinner can be a wild event.
Sometimes, when Logan gets lonely, he'll bring his work outside. Every time, he can guarantee that Roman will be there eventually. He provides a healthy distraction, and he always feels much lighter after a bantering session.
But most of the time, he just can't stand it. How can one be so flamboyant for so many hours of the day? Logan had theorized it had something to do with overcompensation, his need for validation and attention, but then thought it was strange theorizing about his friends and went back to work.
Overall, not the worst trait, but it being applied to every scenario adds to the fact that he is infuriating.
"Hold on, can we circle back to the part where you said you thought of him smiling-" Virgil begins, only to be interrupted by Logan pointing his pointer at him.
"No, we will not. Next point."
4. He makes up stupid nicknames.
And he makes a lot of them. Even during serious talks, you'd think he had forgotten your name and was too scared to ask, so he supplies an abundance of back-ups to make you feel special. And they are quite varied, though all slightly jabbing. There are play-on-words, references thrown about... It would have impressed Logan, had all of his designated nicknames not revolved around him being a nerd.
"Hey Microsoft Turd."
"I need your help, Egghead."
"Listen here, Erlenmeyer Trash-"
"Calculator Watch."
"Oh Book Geeeerm~"
"Sure thing Specs."
Logan actually didn't mind specs, but his point still stands. All insulting, clever, but still stupid nicknames. Sometimes, he wonders if Roman keeps a book of them around. Somewhere in his room, filled with all the names he'll unleash onto his unsuspecting companions. Logan may have tried to come up with a list of his own in retaliation, but he couldn't think of anything Roman would think was clever. He spent almost a full night on it, hair a mess, glasses askew, head resting on his desk as he tried to come up with something at least remotely good enough. It interrupted his perfect circadian rhythm. Never again.
Except for the next night, where he tried the exact same stunt again, but that doesn't matter.
What does, is that all of those factors cause aggravation. He always feels weird when Roman gives him a nickname, varying from annoyance to a strange tingling.
"Are you saying he should stop?" Virgil interrupts, frustrated. "This point is going nowhere."
"I-" He's not sure. Although some of the insults are quite jabbing, Logan does want to support Roman's creative process. Not to mention, the nickname ‘specs’ oddly does hold a place in his heart.
"OoOoOoohhh, I have an idea!" Remus cackles. Although Logan is hesitant, he gestures to continue. "Okay, so pinky swear I won't try anything on you, but just close your eyes, and imagine how this nickname would make you feel if Roman said it."
Logan apprehensively closes his eyes, and Remus does nothing but lean slightly forward in his seat, and puts on his best Roman impression. Which is pretty good, considering they're twin brothers.
"How are you today, my love?"
Immediately, Logan flushes bright red from head to toe, covering his face in his hands and squirms. Remus's cackling intensifies by a tenfold, and the other two are poorly failing to contain their laughter.
"That's- That's- That's... N-not a nickname. Th-That's a p-pet name."
"Awww, but you're blushiiiing!" Remus squeals in amusement.
"Falsehood. N-no." Logan says, not enough bite in it to hold value. "We are going to move on now. That just... caught me off guard." He says, adjusting his tie several times, trying to compose himself. "The point is, his nicknames are stupid, and I don't like them- No, don't look at me like that Remus even that one- so it adds to his infuriating nature." Logan grabs the presentation button and clicks it aggressively to the next slide.
"And now, for my concluding point."
5. He is incredibly and willingly dumb.
Sometimes Logan thinks he wouldn't be surprised by the illogical things Roman would say. And then he gets proven incredibly wrong.
"Much like your... 'illogical feelings', mayhaps?" Janus drawls.
Shush, Logan is talking.
Granted, both Creativity twins have proven to be rather illogical, as they are embodiments of creativity, a force that knows only slight bounds to logic. Only with a defying mind can people push boundaries in the advancement of society. That doesn't mean however that those defying minds need to be intelligent.
"I believe Virgil specifically had called Roman a.." He takes out his special cards, flipping through them. " 'A Himbo'. Judging from his past and present behaviors and from the definition itself, it is safe to assume that yes, he is in fact a Himbo."
One instance he can remember is during a picnic in the imagination. It was Patton's birthday, and Roman wanted to do something special, so he set up a picnic for them all to attend. Logan doesn't enjoy visiting the imagination as much, as when he's there, things become more realistic and that makes him feel like a burden. Regardless, it was for Patton's birthday, and so he decided it would be polite to come along.
Everyone was guided by a trail of flowers to an opening in the forest, where a giant picnic blanket was laid out, pillows thrown around, and a large picnic basket stood in the center. There were many balloons of pastel pink and blue tied around, and the birds were chirping in a joint melody. It sounds almost like Happy Birthday.
Logan, as he approaches, hopes that his influence won't cause ants to emerge, because although that would be realistic, it would also be quite the nuisance.
He and the other's are just dressed in their usual attire, but as Roman emerges from the trees, he is wearing a shiny red party hat to go along with his prince outfit.
Roman immediately goes to serenading Patton and placing a party hat on top of his head, light blue with a little pompom on the top. He ushers him to sit on one of the largest pillows, and then goes around giving everyone else party hats. Logan stills when Roman gets to him last, a dark blue party hat with little stars in his hand.
"Do I have to wear that?" He asks. Although, sure, it does look nice, he doesn't want to seem ridiculous.
"Come on, you're in good company. Please? For Patton?" Roman bats his eyelashes at Logan, who sighs and lets him put the party hat onto his head.
Roman runs off to the birthday boy, and they all sit down. The time passes peacefully, songs being sung and Roman releasing a horde of puppies to the joy of the guests. By the time the food is out, everything seems to be going well, until they're all eating, and Roman pulls out an orange. As he's about to peel it, Logan speaks up.
"Roman, I would advise against that." Which may sound ridiculous to most people, but Logan is an expert on many logical things. ( Orange peels have a flammable liquid in them called limonene, and as both it and a balloon, made of latex, are non-polar, the liquid can dissolve the balloon, thus causing it to explode.)
"Against what?" Roman asks, but he does stop his attempt.
Logan adjusts his glasses, ready to explain. "Eating an orange near a balloon. As I cause the imagination to become more logical, doing so will most likely cause-"
"Oh puh-lease! I'm sure whatever wacky science things you're going to say don't actually work here! I mean, there is plenty of influence to go arou-" Roman, the spiteful side he is, gets even closer to the balloon, starting to peel it. Lo-and-behold, he can't finish his denying before the balloon right beside him explodes with a loud POP. The sound sends him jumping back in fear, screeching to the nine hells, and then falling backwards onto another balloon, scaring him again. Several sides laughed out loud at his pain, while Patton watched him, worried. Logan smiled internally at the karma, before getting up and making sure he was okay.
Roman did spend the rest of the party in a sulky mood, but the party was still a huge success. They had some good food, and while Logan made Patton a flower crown, he fed him forfulls of cake. It was a nice bonding moment. When everyone separated to return to the mindscape, Roman waved them all off from the imagination door. Logan turns back to look at him, but Roman makes no move to follow them all out.
"You're not coming back yet?" Logan asks, adjusting his glasses.
Roman sighs. "No, not yet. I'm afraid this dashing prince has a little bit of cleaning to do. And perhaps an adventure. You never know." He leans on the doorframe, smiling.
"Well, that is correct. I in fact do not know what you'll be doing." Logan nods to himself. "Do you need any help cleaning? I doubt I'll be much help with the adventure, but I do have hands." He gestures to his hands.
Roman looks quite surprised. "Oh, thanks for the offer, specs. I think I've got it all covered though."
Logan offers a hesitant smile. "Alright then. Let me know if that changes."
Roman quickly smiles back, a faint pink dusting his cheeks, and turns back into the imagination and shutting the door. Logan stands there for a moment, but not sure why. It's clear that Roman was not feeling all that great from the balloon moment. Even Logan, terrible at deciphering emotions, can tell that much. Perhaps he needs to let off some steam.
He just can't understand Roman most of the time. They do have so many similarities, being too proud for their own good, but it's almost like they're in two separate worlds. Logan, the learner he is, wishes he could explore Roman's own. Understand it. Understand him, and his way of thinking. Even though Roman is mostly dumb, he does make good points, and Logan tries to prioritize his input, as it's usually what Thomas is hoping and dreaming for as well.
~~~
The last slide shines back at them all. A concluding statement that makes the three watching sides snicker a little bit.
"And I believe he just doesn't understand how much we all think he's great. I swear, he's just so dense! It's so aggravating! How can he not tell that he's worth everything? Why doesn't he understand that we all care for him? That I care for him? He's wonderful, for god's sake! And that I don't mean to hurt him with my critiques. I want him to thrive! I-"
Everything stops. Logan takes a moment of silence. The three sides look at him, each with different degrees of anticipation. One looks pretty much ready to pounce out of his seat.
"...Oh."
And all at once, everything gets strung back into motion. Confetti literally falls from the ceiling as Remus jumps for joy, circling a very mortified looking Logan. Janus, the tired soul, rolls his eyes and lets out a slow, long clap. Virgil just rests his head in his arms.
"I can't believe this. You sit us all down for a presentation you probably double-checked and proofread, like a nerd, and only NOW you realize you were wrong all along? Why didn't you say anything, snake-face?" Virgil complains, sitting up just to glare at him.
"Wo-ow, it isn't as if I was saying that this whole time? No, it couldn't be." Janus deadpans, sarcasm spilling from his mouth like an old, worn, broken dam.
Logan doesn't move from his stand-still spot beside the projector, but Remus manages to bounce in circles around him, cooing. "Lo-lo's got a cruuuush! A crushy crush! A crushed crust of a crush! A crevice cracking ‘cause of the crushed crust-" He was going to continue, throwing expired banana peels around to substitute rose petals, until the sound of the door opening catches everyone's attention.
"Hey losers, Patton wanted to know if you-" Lo and behold, Roman walks in, regal as ever, smiling until he takes in the sight before him. The boring classroom look, contrasted by the amount of confetti that stopped falling as soon as he walked in. Janus and Virgil, wide-eyed and looking at him, completely still. Remus, caught mid dance, frozen in place with a smile. Logan, looking at him in the way one may look milliseconds after being caught stealing government secrets. Roman's eyes flicker to each of them, before settling on the projector.
"Roman. I-I can explain-" Logan starts, but Roman is already reading the words on the screen.
"... 'In short, he saddles me with unnecessary... feelings'? 'Unease, and uncertainty'? Who... Oh my god! Logan!" Roman looks at him, smiling in disbelief and amazement. "I know what this meanssss!" Filled with giddy delight, he sidesteps the table.
Logan gulps as Roman approaches, turning beet red as Roman takes his hands in his two own. "Y-Yes?" He practically squeaks as Roman looks him right in the eyes.
"Yes! Ohhh, this is so exciting!" The three bystanders watch, once again in anticipation, as Roman swings their interlocked hands.
"Yes?" Logan offers a small, tentative smile.
"You have a crush on someoooone! Oh Logan, you should've told me!" Roman smiles, completely oblivious to the internal facepalm of several present members.
"I-I'm sorry..." Logan looks down, slightly disappointed but still too flustered to say anything.
"God save the dense." Janus mutters, inspecting his gloves fingers.
"Don't be sorry! Come, we must make plans! I shall be your matchmaker! This is going to be perfeeeect!" Roman, sings, dancing out of the room and dragging Logan along by their still intertwined hands. The other sides watch them go.
After a moment of processing, Virgil sighs. "Well, I thought that was going to be resolved. Turns out they're both as dense as... dense people." He can't seem to think of any other similes.
"Welp, I'm just happy that they're one step closer to getting. it. on. romantically." Remus punctuates every word with some rather immature hand gestures. “And that they stop dancing around each other.”
"Who do you think Roman thinks Logan has a crush on?" Virgil asks, cogs turning in his brain.
Janus lounges backwards. "Well, let's see... Soooo many options. Either he thinks it's someone outside of Thomas's head, or the simple answer..."
Remus and Virgil both look at him, both with looks of realization.
"Patton."
~~~
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On Education
An excerpt from Memoirs of a Flesh Eater, never published.
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I think every parent struggles with the question of when they should teach their children hard truths. At some point, every child needs to learn about death. They need to learn about hatred. They need to learn about the horrors people will inflict on them for being different. This is something that is as true for ghouls as it is for humans. For most people, it is a fact of life that someone will hate you for existing.
Human-on-human prejudice is still something I don’t fully understand. At least humans have a reason to hate us. I don’t know why they go looking for reasons to hate each other too.
Educating ghouls is a challenge. We need to know about ourselves, of course. We need to know about our kind - our needs, our history, our ways of moving through human society - but we need to learn everything that humans learn too. The more we can fit seamlessly into the human world, the safer we are. You probably don’t know this, what with how much the news loves a story about a ghoul living in secret among humans, their murders exposed to the shock of their friends and acquaintances, but those of us who are brought up among humans don’t get found out very often. It’s the feral children, the big city packs that still hunt most of their food, the all-ghoul communes, that are easier targets for the exterminators. Those of us that are fully integrated are much harder to sniff out, unless we seriously fuck up.
{Editing Note: Don’t say fuck. Even though it’s a really good word}
The best way to make sure a ghoul can pass as human is to start us young. Get us into kindergarten, then elementary school, and keep going all the way through college. There’s nothing better than hands-on training. That’s what my mom did for me, mostly. I was raised in human society, in the human public school system, and I’ve never had a true close call. I’ve never caught the eye of an exterminator, and no human has ever asked me pointed questions about my habits or diet.
For the sake of completeness, I should say that I was in the human public school system for everything except for middle school. It’s not like that’s a great loss, though - everything I’ve heard about middle school sounds like hell. I don’t know how any of you survived going through puberty in front of all your peers.
{Editing Note: I am not talking about ghoul puberty unless I can find a reliable human to tell me what their puberty was like. If I wrote about something that I thought was ghoul-specific but is actually normal I’d die on the spot. I’d call a fucking exterminator on myself.}
Conventional schooling might be the best setup for success, but it’s also the most dangerous route. Kids talk, and that’s as true for us as it is for you. It takes a lot of work to make a child understand that there are some things you can never tell anyone, not even your closest friends, not ever. It’s not a fun burden to grow up carrying either. I’ve known the fear of death for literally longer than I can remember. I’ve known that letting myself be truly honest and vulnerable with any of my classmates would bring it to me and my parents before the day was over {Editing Note: True vulnerability is what I need now, though. I should find a place to talk about my dad}. It’s more loneliness than any child should ever grow up with. I was lucky; I found Scarlet in 4th grade. There are plenty of ghoul children that don’t find each other until high school, if there are even any other ghoul children to be found.
Some parents decide that the risk is too great. They’d rather have alive children than well-adjusted children, so they homeschool them {Editing Note: Okay, that’s way too harsh. Don’t be biased}. I did get to experience this approach for those couple of years when I wasn’t in middle school, and it does have some advantages other than safety. When I was in public school, my mom had to find time after school to teach me about our people. In a homeschool setting, ghoul studies could actually be integrated into our curriculum. It wasn’t completely asocial, either - ghoul parents often use their Society connections to find other ghoul children that are homeschooling so we can learn together. I met my second best friend, Scorpio, because we were homeschooled together.
{Editing Note: My friends are going to read this. I need to make it super clear that Scorpio is the second best friend I made chronologically. I’m not ranking my friends in front of the entire world.}
Scorpio’s a good friend, but he’s also a good case study for the drawbacks of homeschooling. He was homeschooled K through 12 and he is definitely the worst of my friends at passing. He has no idea what’s normal for ghouls vs normal for humans, so he compensates by either saying nothing or saying the most obvious, outlandish lies you could imagine when childhood comes up in conversation. In his defense, those lies are usually pretty funny, and he does connect pretty well with the right kind of people. Scorpio’s got a bunch of very specific subjects that he knows a ton about and loves to talk about. He and Scarlet can go on for hours about literary theory.
{Editing Note: That’s too meandering. I’m just trying to explain why some ghouls homeschool and some don’t - I don’t need to put my weird friends on blast.}
There’s another kind of formal schooling for ghouls that’s much, much rarer - the ghoul private school. The only one I even knew of, St. Raymond’s, was shut down last year by exterminators. Normally I’d tell you to take the lurid details you hear on the news with a healthy pinch of salt, and I still would, but that many rich young ghouls, completely cut off from the rest of humanity… it’s hard to predict what becomes normalized in that kind of echo chamber.
Fortunately, my patron knows more people than I do, so I have more to offer you than grim speculation. According to her, these kinds of places always have a very small student body, rarely breaking a hundred. The lesson content is pretty similar to homeschool - fully integrated ghoul curriculum, plus a few specialized lessons on blending into human society. Out of necessity, they’re almost always boarding schools. It’s easier to keep a low profile if you don’t have a bunch of ghoul kids not used to hiding going to and from the campus every day.
Apparently, it’s that kind of logistical challenge that makes these schools so rare. Aside from all the money you need to run a school in the first place, and how careful you need to be to pass scrutiny from the Board of Education, providing discretely for the needs of that many ghouls is an organizational nightmare. I mean, there’s a reason that ghoul families are so small, a reason why even our extended households rarely do more than scrape the double digits. There’s only so much flesh that can be safely obtained in one area at a time. There aren’t a lot of ghouls that have the resources and the inclination to put one of these schools together.
There is, of course, one more ways that ghouls are educated - the school of hard knocks {Editing Note: That’s such a trivializing way to put it. Have some sensitivity, me}. Given how short our average life expectancy is, it’s inevitable that some ghoul children have to fend for themselves from a very young age. I doubt it comes as a surprise that most of them don’t manage to integrate into human society very well. The lucky ones figure out early on how to kill discreetly, how to hide their nature from observers, and how to vary their hunting patterns enough to avoid the attention of the exterminators. The rest either starve quietly or die violently.
Most of these feral ghouls who survive to be teenagers eventually find each other and form packs. From a pure survival standpoint, this is a bad move. A group of feral teenage ghouls have a much harder time covering their tracks than they would as individuals, but for most, the chance at companionship is too tempting. It’s miserable, being alone in the world. Packs offer most of them the best chance to escape loneliness that they’ll ever get. And for most of them, it ends in a shallow grave within a year. Putting down a pack of feral ghouls is a good headline for an exterminator, and it’s a lot less work than trying to ferret out those of us who’ve figured out how to pass. That isn’t how the majority of ghouls die, but it’s how a plurality of us do.
For those few feral ghouls that survive to adulthood, their lives take one of three paths. Sometimes they find a patron and fall in with a household, and they do their best to heal from the trauma of their childhood. They do their best to find a happy life in human society, just like those of us who were luckier. Sometimes they become true Hunters, living their lives on the outskirts of our Society; still embraced by us, if only at an arm’s length. I’ll talk more about them later.
And sometimes, they become the Lost. Not that ghouls from any walk of life are immune to that fate, but… I’ll get to them later too. You may not have heard of them by that name, but I guarantee you’ve heard of the Lost.
{Editing Note: That’s a really grim note to end the chapter on. I should play with the structure a bit and find a more uplifting note to leave this subject on.}
{Editing Note: Or I could ask Kestrel. I’m sure she’d have ideas on how to better write the section on feral ghouls, and she could help me strike a more authentic tone. But… I don’t want to upset her. She doesn’t like to think about it, and I don’t want to hurt her. Is this important enough? Would she think it’s important enough?}
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