#<- no one understands my deep appreciation for that animal.

[lobster-lover]

late night bettyposting

[gay-dorito-dust]

Can I please request Bill thinking he finally found a human who won't betray him, someone he really enjoyed the company of (but would never admit to that because Bill) only to find them trying to destroy the portal?

This is long as shit, be warned and I tried to keep bill in character as much as possible but he might be ooc at some points.

Your first meeting with Bill was one he didn’t expect. When faced with something you know isn’t normal, the response Bill was expecting was you running away until you were out of sight, talking off the ears of anyone who’d head your warning but you instead smiled at him.

‘Nice bow tie and top hat sentient triangle.’ You said.

‘The names Bill Cipher, so you can stop calling me that name, I find it rather insulting, and thanks! I dress to impress but most people just run away or scream bloody murder to appreciate my effort to look presentable’ he replies, finding himself a new human pet to play with after swearing to himself that Sixer would be the last, Bill was a liar and he knew it, messing with humans and destroying their physique was the most genuine fun he’s had in a long, long while.

This was merely the begging of yours and Bills weird friendship and it was only going to get weirder from this point onwards.

Being friends with a sentient triangle dream demon was…a experience indeed as you’d often wake to him floating above you, drinking something through a silly straw and wearing a hat unlike the usual slim black top hat he wore, only to find out that he had somehow snuck several chicken into your room that had scaly dragon legs and could breath fire.

That took a while for you to get ride of them with a wooden broom and not have it set on fire when the chickens retaliate with fire.

‘How did you find such things?’ You’d ask Bill when sitting down to eat breakfast.

He shrugs. ‘You search for a realm that swaps certain anatomy of animals and play a demented game of mix and match to see what monstrosities to humanity could be made and bingo! Infinite possibilities of scaring or scaring people for the rest of their lives! ha ha!’

‘And chickens with dragon feet and could breath fire is your go to choice, wasn’t there anything else you could’ve chosen from?’ You inquired as you took a bite of your breakfast and immediately grimacing when you felt something was off.

‘Oh sure there was and- oh you’ve found where I put my mealworms from last week.’ Bill casually told you as he plays with his silly straw while you spat your breakfast out into a nearby bin, wiped your mouth before pushing the plate away from you as your appetite was ruined.

'glad to be of help. buddy.' you replied as you decided that it would be best to wait for bill to disappear before attempting to eat and or drink again.

As the weeks progress Bill found himself enjoying your company more than he originally suspected, sure you were fun to mess with and play impractical pranks on from time to time. However -and he’ll never admit this ever- he had come to actually enjoy spending time with you and getting to know you outside of his personal human plaything.

Bill begrudgingly remembered your least favourite family member and why, your favourite colour, your first pets name and so much more that he would deem unimportant; to things that were deep and personal to you such as your fear of being alone or not taken seriously enough. To which he offered some -albeit questionable- advice.

‘Listen if everyone takes themselves seriously or someone wants everyone else to take them seriously, then who’s going to laugh at kids when they fall over, or at people who make an fool of themselves as they fall upon their own sword of hubris.’ Bill tells you once as you both sat on the roof of your home, star gazing.

‘And what am I meant to take away from all that ?’ You asked, not understanding what he was getting with this.

‘Don’t take yourself too seriously or expect others to either when you know that version of yourself will be someone you’ll sooner regret wishing for.’ Bill responded.

‘Do you miss home?’ You then asked him out of the blue and Bill couldn’t help but be a little taken aback by it.

‘Home..’ bill trailed off as he took his hat off, reached a hand inside and pulled out a glowing atom, the remains of his home. ‘This is what remains of my home.’ He tells you rather sombrely, remembering the last time he told a human of his origins, only for him to dedicate himself into destroying him.

‘I’m..I’m so sorry I didn’t-‘ you’d tried to apologise but bill held up a hand as he returned the remains of his home back into his top hat before putting it back on his head.

‘It’s fine. I was bound to tell you about that sooner or later.’ He waves his hand but you could tell you struck a nerve.

‘Sooo…what happened to your home, only if you don’t mind me asking.’ - you

‘It was destroyed by a monster.’ Bill answered with a distant look in his eye.

‘As stupid as this will probably sound to you but you’ll always have a home with me, I hope you know that.’ You told him with the most genuine smile across your face and Bill couldn’t help but feel…touched by your words. He’s thrown and done everything to push you to the brink and all you’ve done was withstand him and his shenanigans all the while standing your ground.

‘You’re a strange human and your sentimentality makes me physically sick but…I guess I appreciate the thought.’ Bill had to force himself to say, he might as well have swallowed down stones with how hard it seemed for him to say anything remotely considerate. You were quite possibly the only human that showed him kindness and compassion and that made the dream demon feel weird and out of his depth.

Now that Bill was thinking about it not once had you ever given him a reason to distrust you, sure he was suspicious of you at first, but overtime you have proven yourself to be the most trustworthy person in his long, long life. You had made him feel unlike anything he’s felt before and that made him on edge, just in the case that he was being lured into a false sense of security later down the line, but nope you didn’t do such a thing and stayed open and honest him no matter what.

It almost made bill feel bad about the shit he put you through but soon he’d come to regret saying these words, for not even a week later and Bill caught you red handed destroying his portal after searching the house for you when you didn’t greet him like usual.

‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!’ He screamed, his body burning brightly at the betrayal you’ve just committed, was everything you said a lie? Were you just as good at pulling people along as he was? How long have you been waiting for this exact moment to get back at him?

‘What does it look like, I’m destroying the portal.’ Your reply was stone cold as you continued to dismantle the portal piece by piece while Bill shouted profanities at you.

‘YOU LIED TO ME!’ - bill

‘That’s cute coming from someone who takes sick enjoyment in breaking every human he comes across, pushing them into utter madness with no remorse!’ You chuckled humourlessly as you looked at the dream demon who looked about ready to either cry or combust.

‘YOU LIED TO ME!’ Bill repeated as his anger only grew stronger the more he began to think back on all of your heart to heart moments and wonder whether they were fake too? Did you not mean it when you said that he had a home with you?

‘I didn’t lie, I just didn’t tell you the whole truth.’ You retorted. ‘Now are you going to shut up and kill me or keep ranting on how I somehow betrayed you because either way I don’t care.’ You added as you watched the triangular demon closely.

‘Kill you? Oh no sweetie, you’ve just earned a fate WORSE THEN DEATH! Eternal torture until you speak the truth and then torture you so more because I find your pathetic humans pain funny!’ Bill laughed maniacally. ‘And to think I was starting to like you, you just had to go and stab me in the back!’

You shrug, trying to hide how scared you were in this moment, knowing that even if you did scream for help it would be far too late by the time Ford, Stan or either dipper or Mabel to save you and you were okay with that. ‘First time for everything right?’ You asked with a smile. ‘I’m sure you’ll get use to it sooner or later.’

Bill’s eye was wide and looking maniacal in the moment as his voice was oddly and unnervingly calm that it froze your blood. ‘You humans might act brave in the face of danger, but what I’m capable will have you wishing you never picked up that wrench or tried playing the hero. For playtime is over.’

[thefugitivesaint]

Someone whose work I greatly appreciated and would suggest you (oh dear reader) seek out and read. In simplest terms, Scott explored the avenues in which people resisted and evaded authority and hierarchical systems of control. A good part of his scholarship involved trying to understand peasantry, one the largest "classes" in the world. Coupled to that was the study of subsistence economies and how people involved in those economies work around impositions made by State actors (and non-state actors). This led to a larger exploration of the above mentioned resistance and the various forms that this resistance took around the world. He also explored the relationship between State and non-state peoples. "What I learned is that centralised revolutionary movements have almost always resulted in a State that was more oppressive then the ones they aimed to replace. In other words, when the revolution becomes the State, it becomes my enemy again. That is why it matters greatly which methods are used in order to achieve power. .... "I am the enemy of hierarchical movements of opposition because I think they replicate State structures in their own organisation."

If you would like some suggestions that offer a peak into Scott's scholarship interests (which are similar to my own), here's some videos for you to peruse (if you have the time): 1. A Short Account of the Deep History of State Evasion 2. Beyond the Pale: The Earliest Agrarian States and “their Barbarians” 3. The Art of Not Being Governed 4. The Domestication of Fire, Animals, Grains and…….Us (Later) Edit: Some revelations concerning Scott's involvement with the CIA in the early 1960s in their anti-Communist activities has come out after his recent death that complicates his legacy as a "radical scholar". Take that for what you will. I haven't been able to find a great deal of detail about that involvement and the revelations here aren't exactly new but people have decided to highlight that relationship in the wake of Scott's passing as a way to discredit or cast a shadow over his later anti-statist research. I just wanted to note this. (Even Later) Edit: The Oral History Center at UC Berkeley released a documentary on Scott called In A Field All His Own: The Life and Career of James C. Scott. Just in case you wanted more Scott related material.

[noe-pri08]

Miguel O'Hara

Heat

Summary: Miguel is in heat

I'm sorry if there are any mistakes, English isn't my first language

You've been without seeing Miguel nearly one week, you are worried so you decide to do something. He gave a key to his house some time ago so you take it and go see him.

When you get there you look for him but don't find, you go to his room and an odd smell fills your nostrils. It's like vanilla or something similar

"Miguel?" you ask, but the only thing you hear are muffled sounds. You open the door and see his room

It is all messy, there are clothes everywhere and the smell of arousal hanging on the air. It was so strange, he has always had his room annoyingly cleaned up, he was obsessed with tidiness

"Go away" you heard him say. His under the blankets of his bed, curled up in himself

"Why? What happens?" you start walking towards him to get a better look of him

"Don't you see? I'm in heat, leave me alone please" he groans

You forrow your brows, confused "Heat? Like...animals? What do you mean?"

He lets a frustrated sigh "Kind of. Is like a biological urge, a primal instinct. You can think of this like an amplified version of lust"

Your eyes widened in realization as you finally understood. Miguel was in a sexual heat, a heightened state of desire that he couldn't resist. Suddenly, the scent in the room made sense. You couldn't help but feel a mixture of concern and curiosity.

"Umm, okay...is there anything I can help with?" you say doubtly, not knowing what to do

Miguel's gaze locked onto yours, a mixture of desperation and longing in his eyes. His voice came out in a husky tone, filled with desire. "Yes, please. I... I need relief. The heat is unbearable."

You swallowed hard, feeling a mix of hesitance and a growing heat of your own. You had a deep bond with Miguel, you were just friends but the thought of helping him in this vulnerable state sparked a primal desire within you.

Cautiously, you approached him, your heart pounding in your chest. "Okay, Miguel. I'll help you," you whispered, your voice laced with a mix of care and uncertainty. "But we have to establish some ground rules. This is only to help you through your heat, and once it's over, we'll go back to being friends, alright?"

He nodded, an intense longing evident on his face. "I understand. Anything, anything you want, but help me."

You took a deep breath, trying to steady your own nerves. "Alright, let's start by getting you more comfortable," you said, moving towards the tangled blankets covering him. Miguel eagerly helped you remove the layers, exposing his clothed body.

Then you started to take his clothes off, slowly and carefully. His muscular chest, defined abs amd strong arms at your sight. The sight of his muscular body sent a jolt of desire through you, fueling your own arousal. But in this moment, all that mattered was providing him the relief he desperately needed.

Miguel watched you intently, his red eyes burning with desire. His breathing grew heavier, and a low growl escaped his lips as his body responded to the touch of air on his bare skin.

Once his clothes were fully discarded, his naked body lay before you, his arousal evident and throbbing. You couldn't help but feel a mixture of curiosity and arousal yourself, your gaze lingering on his well-endowed form.

He shifted on the bed, his movements filled with a primal restlessness. "Please... touch me," he pleaded, his voice raw with need.

Temptation coursed through your veins as heard his request "Wait just a moment" you say while you take your own clothes off, first your shirt and bra, then your trousers and panties, your naked body in front of him to admire.

Miguel's eyes wandered over your form, his gaze filled with hunger and appreciation. His red eyes gleamed with a mix of lust and relief, knowing that his needs would finally be met. The sight of you undressing only fueled his desire further, making his need for contact more urgent.

Reaching out to trace your fingertips along his sculpted abdomen, following the trail of soft hairs leading to his lower regions. You felt a surge of desire welling up within you as you continued to explore his body, teasingly tracing circles on his sensitive skin.

Miguel's breath hitched, a low moan escaping his lips as he arched his back, craving more. The room filled with the scent of desire and the sound of your shared breaths, intensifying the electric atmosphere between you.

You walk to the bed and climb up, ending up on him. You kiss while your hands roam over his abs and arms. You get up feeling excited, your core throbbing in anticipation.

You take Miguel's cock on your hands, touching him, you align with your center and sink down, your pussy getting filled.

Miguel's hands found their way to your waist, holding you tightly against him. His touch sent shivers down your spine, and you could feel his heated breath against your skin. The intimacy between you intensified, as your bodies connected in a primal dance of raw desire.

It was in this moment that you both lost yourselves in the fire of your shared attraction, succumbing to the overwhelming need for release. The room echoed with the passionate sounds of your entangled bodies as you found solace and relief in each other's embrace, giving in to the primal instinct that drove you both in this heated encounter.

As the intensity of your connection grew, your desire for Miguel became undeniable. You straddled him, allowing yourself to take control, as the heat in the room reached its peak. Miguel's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and anticipation, his breathing becoming ragged. The moans and sticky sounds of both bodies crashing together making the room become more intimate

You began to move faster, your hips grinding against him and made your body tremble with every thrust while he puts your tits in his mouth sucking your nipples. Miguel's hands grasped your hips tightly, urging you to go faster. The pleasure intensified, and the air brimmed with the scent of sweat and arousal.

Miguel's grip on you tightened as he met your movements with his own, the intensity building between you

With the momentum building between you and Miguel, your desire and hunger for each other only grew more fervent. You increased the pace of your movements even more, riding him with a desperate need for release. The room was filled with the sounds of your bodies colliding, the wet, rhythmic slaps ringing out in the air.

Miguel's hands gripped your waist, his fingers digging into your skin as he met your every thrust with his own. The intensity of your connection pushed you both to the brink, pleasure coursing through your veins like a wildfire.

Your moans mingled with the sound of his growls, creating a symphony of passion and urgency. As you rode him faster and harder, the sensations became overwhelming. Waves of pleasure washed over you, coiling tighter and tighter in the pit of your stomach, ready to explode into blissful release.

Driven by your shared desire, you and Miguel found solace in each other's bodies, lost in the rhythm and intensity of your union. The room became a haze of pleasure, heat, and pure ecstasy as you both raced towards that elusive moment of climax.

With one final thrust, your body tensed, a surge of pleasure coursing through you like an electric shock. You let out a moan of ecstasy as your walls clenched around Miguel, drawing out his own climax. The room seemed to blur as you both reached the peak of pleasure, your bodies trembling in unison.

Intense waves of pleasure washed over you, making your toes curl and your body shudder. You clung to Miguel, your breaths coming in ragged gasps as you rode out the waves of your orgasms together.

As the aftershocks of pleasure began to subside, you collapsed into each other's arms, your bodies still entwined. Both of you were soaked in sweat, gasping for breath, and yet a sense of relief washed over you, mingled with a lingering connection and contentment.

Panting heavily, you lay tangled in each other's arms, basking in the euphoria of your shared experience. The room was filled with a comfortable silence, punctuated only by the soft sounds of your breaths and the gentle rising and falling of your chests.

Miguel's fingers lovingly traced patterns along your back as he pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead. His voice was filled with a mix of sincerity and gratitude as he whispered, "Thank you... for helping me through this, for being here for me."

A smile tugged at the corners of your lips as you shifted to meet his gaze. "I'm glad I could be here for you, Miguel," you replied, your voice filled with a warm tenderness. "We'll get through this together."

Wrapped in each other's arms, you both drifted into a peaceful slumber, finding solace and comfort in each other's embrace.

[theladybrownstarot]

Who are you according to tarot ?

❀ Here's my masterlist for more !

❀ Make sure you like/follow/Comment/reblogg for more pacs like these !

Pile 1. Pile 2. Pile 3.

𐙚 Pile 1.

Namaste pile 1 ! Let's get with your reading :-

❥˚ You have to constantly face challenges , hurdles and obstacles which may make you annoyed or frustrated easily ,or it could be in general too, but you don't ignore these instead you believe in facing these because you know you don't give up easily and there's always something big from big obstacles .

❥˚ Either you could be a moon , Venus or mercury dominant or maybe there's an aspect to your ascendant out there which may makes you physically seen as beautiful or someone who has those calm and comforting vibes . You are a hugger haha isn't? just saying a hi to whom you meet isn't the thing but hugging or kissing them adds essence to the meet ~

❥˚ You are good at manifestations . You are emotionally strong that leads you to pass through everything in life and achieve all you want . You are someone who isn't much worried about the results , things or daily life chaos that one may face because you believe what is to be meant will be meant to happen so just give your best and leave rest .

❥˚ You may at time get confused with things and loose opportunities in search for seeking 100 of things at once . You like to treat yourself with gifts and like to work on your potentials to go more high . You like to be in your own space without any distractions.

𐙚 Pile 2.

Namaste pile 2 ! Let's get with your reading :-

❥˚ You have gone through the the most intense worst phases of life in a deep manner which it could be about anything maybe work , health , physically,people or family and some people could got that evil eye on them before . You used to be that person who would get obsessed or would stick with negativity most for sake of comfort but later you realised your powers and who were you and tackled all those things and went ahead. But you may have anger tendency issues or gets cold pretty quick with people but at same your are working on it .

❥˚ You people used to be not that financially strong as you you are now or it could be that you had to make your life after many intense life struggles . You like to stay alone and enjoy not because you hate people but you just want you feel safe there in the space you have . You are very hardworking and won't let yourself have rest mostly which is not good .

❥˚ You are someone who has to face struggles regarding decisions making or you have to handle a lot in one time and this all to make you strong mentally and emotionally . The universe wants you to know that take one thing at a time and slowly open yourself to change with love again .

❥˚ You don't like to stand still at one place and it could be that you are an old soul or like too stay in greenery where there is calmness and peace . In terms of work you don't limit yourself thus always strive for best . You are good in team work but don't like to get close with people .

❥˚ Pile 2 are you truly being honest with life your living ? think about it once and do check pile 1 if felt attracted so .

𐙚 Pile 3.

Namaste pile 3 ! Let's get with your reading :-

❥˚ So, you are someone who loves and gets loved by all . You like to approach people ask them and make them feel that they are loved and not rejected. You have this kindness and compassion which is very appreciated .You could be animal lovers too . You are someone who focuses to make your enviroment and surrounding better for everyone's development. You are selfless tbh . You can literally open ngos in future .

❥˚ You have got Entrepreneurial skills and could be an empath who can understand else feelings well . You like to present yourself different and people view you as someone who was got additional skills or if they wanna plan a team they may come to you thinking you can add more then expected. You people could be artistic ,an Enthusiastic and popular.You prefer to see beauty in things rather defects .You people could have good sense of fashion or we say kinda different than the trend .

❥˚ You are someone who can go deeper in things and can work for long hours but in cozy environment of your own . You really know how to balance practical and emotional side of things and how to be fair with people .

❥˚ You are someone who may overthinks a lot and could get their work done just before Or after deadline . Don't go so fast pile 3 be little slow. Don't do things at the last moment lol .

+:★:+*━━━*+:★:+*━━━*+:★:+*+:★:+*━━━*+:★:

©️ @theladybrownstarot 2023 all rights reserved. Any stealing Or copying of work will be a punishable offence.

[emilibro]

Ughhh I'm so sorry to be an ass but I see so much popular art on tumblr and around the internet that really woobifies both Laios and Kabru and their relationship, especially when they're together.... You guys are aware that Laios eats monsters the way people would like. Eat animals, right? He's not crazy or stupid or sadistic or anything. He has a special interest and it's monsters.

Furthermore, his past having himself and his sister be shunned for their interests in the abnormal made him develop a distaste for humanity. Laios has just thought monsters were way cooler since he was a kid, and Falin really looked up for him for his dedication to his interests and personal code of moral ethics. He never loved his sister less for her abilities, he admired her for what made her different. Because he's fucking awesome and they're autistic as hell.... they both went through so damn much. Laios never fit into the military, into his hometown, he barely fit into most groups of adventurers since he met Marcille, chilchuck, and company, and two of the members of that original party didn't care enough to join him. His feeling of worthlessness to his friends in the beginning of the story are enough to make him imagine a whole scenario in between major chapters where he was the one who was eaten.. and he thought nobody except Falin would care enough to save him.

Point being Laios has a much richer character that goes ALONGSIDE his special interest in monsters. Which honestly is more comparable to, like. A fucking biologist. Not a monsterfucker, not a cannibal, none of that shit. Monsterfuckers are cool as a monsterfucker but he's not one.. he's more like a furry man.... And he's not stupid he's just. Autistic. Why are we making autistic characters with a silly side seem stupid? Everyone has dumb moments sure but like.. he's really smart guys... there's a reason he's such a good leader outside of his ability to listen to his party members. Don't fall for the mischaracterization of Laios that his party members originally set for him before major important arcs guys...

And Kabru. Oh my God. Kabru. Kabru is also autistic but for humans, social interactions and culture... he's a nerd for politics and the humanities, and I'll avoid saying much more to avoid spoilers for non-manga readers but you'll see more of that as time passes. But he's not the type to be easily flustered. Laios only gets to him, not even because he's that difficult to read, but because he catches him off guard. He's an interesting critter, bro. And Kabru definitely sees that. It takes time to respect that, but within a period of time he learns to see him as a relatively competent adventurer and places a lot of faith from him. On some level, this guy has learned to understand this very interesting autistic guy who is forward with his feelings that a very autistic Kabru hasn't learned to understand. That's what makes their relationship so cool, man. He's not cold in reality (though people may perceive him that way due to backstory motivations and attitude within the dungeon), but he's a lot more serious than this... c'mon guys.. let's be a little real here please.... at this point I barely like Labru anymore because they've been so like. Babied. Woobified. Whatever the word is man. I'm starting to appreciate their friendship more as a friendship now because I just think the beautiful qualities I saw in their romance have been sort of overlooked or misinterpreted. Nowadays I just think their platonic relationship is beautiful. Sighs.

Farcille is awesome though and these girls are awesome slay

-

Edit: hey guys, I wanna address a couple of things here! For one, this isn't intended to be ship hate. Labru is a perfectly valid ship - rather, I'm just not a fan of how deep the mischaracterization of both characters runs, and how it results in the subsequent babying of their relationship. While it's driven me personally away from the romance a bit, I have no problem with the ship itself. Additionally, Farcille has its own issues with woobification that could use some addressing, I just haven't had to see as much mischaracterization on my feeds. Maybe in a future post I'll address some of my personal peeves with many people's characterization of Farcille, ESPECIALLY Falin.

[suguae]

Unravel

1. The first encounter...

⋆ ࣪. Synopsis! Suguru introduces you to one of his well friends who happens to be heavily associated in the underground world.

⋆ ࣪. Pairings! Streetracer! G.Satoru x F! Reader

⋆ ࣪. Contents! Smoking, Dry humping, minimal spicy shit.

The parking garage is a vibrant spectacle of automotive art, every corner filled with the sleek lines and vibrant colors of tuned-up exotic cars. Engines roar intermittently, sending waves of sound reverberating through the space, while a mix of music genres blend into an energetic symphony. The air is electric with excitement and the smell of gasoline.

Beautiful girls, confident and stylish, stand proudly by their meticulously maintained vehicles. They exchange car jargon effortlessly, their passion evident in their animated discussions. You can't help but feel a pang of envy, admiring their knowledge and the way they effortlessly blend with the automotive culture.

"This is so cool," you mutter, almost to yourself, as you quicken your pace to catch up to Suguru. He walks with a relaxed confidence, clearly at ease in this high-octane environment. Hearing your remark, he chuckles softly, the sound a mix of amusement and understanding.

"I feel so out of place," you chuckle, trying to shake off the nervous energy. Suguru glances at you with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it," he says, his tone warm and encouraging. "Everyone starts somewhere. Just enjoy the vibe and you'll fit right in."

You take a deep breath, letting his words sink in. The vibrant atmosphere, the roaring engines, and the palpable excitement in the air slowly start to feel less intimidating and more thrilling. As you walk together, you start to appreciate the unique beauty of each car, the artistry in their modifications, and the passion of the people around you.

"Damn, and I thought your car was sick... these are next level," you tease him as you two stop in front of his tuned-up Lexus LFA. The car gleams under the garage lights, its aggressive lines and custom modifications making it a true standout.

Suguru laughs, shaking his head. "Hey, my baby can hold her own," he replies, patting the hood affectionately. "But yeah, there's some serious competition here."

You both stand there for a moment, taking in the scene. The diversity of cars is astounding, from hyper-tuned imports to classic muscle cars, each a testament to its owner's dedication and style. The atmosphere is alive with a mix of friendly rivalry and shared enthusiasm.

"So, what do you think?" Suguru asks, leaning against his car, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

You chuckle, leaning on the pole next to you. "Makes me want to add some shit to my boring-ass car." Suguru grins, his eyes lighting up. "That’s the spirit—It's all about making it your own. We can start with some basics and work our way up. Trust me, once you get into it, it's addictive..."

"I have a friend. We call him Arctic. I don't think I've introduced you to him before. He's pretty damn busy most of the time. But he's pretty sick, dope skills," Suguru says, scanning the crowd for his friend. "He's one of the best out here. Knows everything there is to know about cars and driving. If anyone can help you get started, it's him."

You smile to yourself, taking in your surroundings. "There he is—come with me," Suguru exclaims, spotting someone in the distance. Before you can even respond, he grabs your arm and drags you across the garage.

"What up, Arctic," Suguru says, giving Arctic a fist bump. Arctic returns the gesture with a confident smirk. Up close, you notice his striking features: white hair that perfectly complements his icy blue eyes, and a baggy leather jacket paired with black baggy jeans. His whole look exudes effortless cool, enhanced by the confident smirk on his face.

Next to him, a sleek white modded Skyline GTR R34 stands out, gleaming under the garage lights. The car is a masterpiece, with custom bodywork, a lowered stance, and aftermarket rims. It’s clear that a lot of time and effort has gone into making it a one-of-a-kind machine.

"This is y/n, the one I grew up with," Suguru says, introducing you to his friend. You blush as all eyes turn towards you, feeling a bit awkward under the sudden spotlight. You manage an awkward wave and a shy smile.

"Oh, come on, don't go all shy now, y/n," Suguru teases, giving you a playful poke on the shoulder. Arctic chuckles, a friendly twinkle in his eyes. "No worries, we don't bite," he reassures you. "It's nice to meet you, y/n. Suguru's mentioned you before."

You cock a brow, turning your attention towards Suguru. "You’ve talked about me, huh?" you tease, a playful smirk tugging at your lips. Suguru chuckles, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh, well, maybe," he replies, a hint of embarrassment coloring his cheeks. "But you know, you're my best friend. I gotta brag about you sometimes."

“I’m Arctic,” His smirk widening as he leaned on the hood of his skyline. "Where's your ride?" Arctic asks, pulling out a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it. His eyes never leave your figure, the smoke curling up around him.

You chuckle, feeling a bit sheepish. "I parked at the 7/11," you say, pointing in the direction of the convenience store down the street. Suguru chuckles, wrapping an arm around you. "Her ride's pretty sick," he says, grinning at Arctic. "We wrapped it up in my shop not too long ago, but everything else is just factory tuned."

Arctic smirks as he exhales a puff of smoke, his eyes glinting with amusement. "So, you're a rookie, huh?" he asks, his tone teasing. You chuckle, shrugging a little. "I guess you could say that," you admit, feeling a bit self-conscious. Suguru squeezes your shoulder reassuringly. "She's got potential," he says confidently. "And she's a quick learner." 

"We'll see about that," Arctic mumbled, checking the time on his phone. "Well, I have a race to attend pretty soon," he said, stuffing his phone back in his pocket."How much they bet on?" Suguru asked, taking the cigarette from Arctic's hand and taking a puff of his own. "Viper and Scar wanted to bet on a million yen," Arctic replied casually.

Your eyes widen at the mention of the intense prize, the stakes much higher than you had anticipated. You try to keep yourself busy, not wanting to butt into their conversation. "That's a serious bet," Suguru says, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "You feeling confident?" Arctic smirks, a glint of determination in his icy blue eyes. "Always," he replies.

"Arctic, they wanted to start the race early. Cops are all over the place, so it's the best time to do it," a voice calls out. You glance over to see a tall, drop-dead gorgeous girl with dark red sleek hair reaching her waist. She's wearing a bomber jacket over a short leather tube dress, and a cherry lollipop is intertwined in her fingers. She turns her gaze to you, a smile lighting up her face. "Hey, the name's Katana," she says, her eyes friendly and curious.

"Y/N," you smile back. "Sugu invited me." Suguru nods, confirming her words. "Yeah, I thought she might enjoy it," he says, giving you a playful grin. Katana's eyes light up with interest. "Well, you're in for quite the ride," she says, her tone filled with excitement. 

"Alright, I better start heading over," Arctic says, standing tall and stealing a glance at you. "Katana, keep her company and get a good view of the race for her, yeah?" He smirks. Katana nods, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You got it," she says, flashing you a playful grin. "Don't worry, Y/N. I'll make sure you don't miss a moment of the action."

You smile back, feeling a sense of excitement building inside you. With Arctic heading off to the starting line, you know that the race is about to begin in earnest. And with Katana by your side, you're ready to take in every thrilling moment of it.

As Arctic disappears into the crowd, you and Katana make your way to a vantage point where you can watch the race unfold. With the roar of engines and the cheers of the crowd filling the air, you can't help but feel a surge of adrenaline coursing through you.

"So, are you Arctic's girlfriend?" you ask, trying to break the silence between you two. She chuckles, shaking her head. "Hell no," she replies, a hint of amusement in her voice. You can't help but laugh at her response. "I figured as much," you say, feeling relieved that you didn't overstep any boundaries.

Katana grins, giving you a playful nudge. "Nah, we're just friends," she says, her tone light and casual. "Arctic's more like a brother to me than anything else." You nod in understanding, feeling a sense of camaraderie with her. "I get it," you say. "Suguru's the same way for me. We've been friends for years."

"Thank god," Katana says, catching you by surprise. "I've heard them mention you a couple of times in Suguru's shop, and I thought you were his girlfriend at one point." You smirk, nudging her shoulder playfully. "Is there something you wanna tell me?" you tease, enjoying the banter between you.

She blushes as she sucks on the cherry lollipop, her admission catching you off guard. "Okay, yeah, I might have a little crush on Suguru," she confesses, her cheeks flushing pink.

You can't help but smile at her honesty, feeling a sense of camaraderie with her. "Hey, nothing wrong with that," you say, giving her a reassuring nod. "Suguru's a great guy." Katana nods, her blush deepening. "Yeah, he is," she agrees, her voice soft. "But I don't think he sees me that way."

You reach out to pat her arm comfortingly. "You never know unless you try," you offer, feeling a surge of empathy for her. Katana smiles warmly, her gaze meeting yours as she looks down at you. Katana smirks, throwing a hint your way. "You know, Arctic has been single for way too long now," she says, her tone playful. You playfully roll your eyes in response. "Relax, I barely even know the man," you say, teasingly.

Katana laughs, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Fair enough," she concedes, her tone light. "But who knows? Maybe tonight's the night you two hit it off." You chuckle, diverting the conversation. "Oh look, the race is gonna start," you say, pointing towards the cars lining up next to each other. Each vehicle boasts a unique build and design, reflecting the personality and style of its owner.

As the cars rev their engines and the crowd erupts into cheers, you can't help but feel a sense of thrill coursing through you. With Katana by your side, you know that tonight's race is bound to be an unforgettable experience.

As the countdown begins and the engines roar loudly, you can feel the tension in the air building with each passing second. The anticipation is palpable as the crowd holds its breath, waiting for the signal to start. Seconds later, the cars speed off in a blur of motion, leaving behind a trail of smoke and excitement. The crowd erupts into cheers and applause as they watch the racers disappear into the distance.

As the cars navigate the sharp turns with ease, it's clear to see that Arctic is in the lead. His car moves with precision and grace, effortlessly drifting around the corners with skill and finesse. 

You and Katana watch in awe as Arctic's car powers ahead of the competition, leaving the other racers trailing behind in his wake. With each turn of the race, his lead only seems to widen, solidifying his position as the frontrunner.

As Arctic's car speeds towards the finish line, you can't help but feel a sense of excitement building inside you. With each passing moment, it becomes increasingly clear that tonight's race is his to win, a testament to his skill and determination as a racer.

As the crowd erupts into cheers and applause, you and Katana join in, cheering Arctic on as he crosses the finish line in first place. With a victorious grin, he emerges from his car, basking in the adulation of the crowd as he celebrates his well-deserved win

You and Katana exchange excited glances before hurrying down to meet Arctic and Suguru by the finish line. As you approach, you can see Arctic grinning from ear to ear, his victory evident in the way he holds himself with confidence.

"That was one hell of a win, Arctic," Katana says, her voice filled with admiration as she engulfs him in a hug. Arctic's smirk widens as he accepts her embrace, clearly relishing in the victory. As he looks over at the other two men, who look bitter for losing, Arctic's expression remains confident. He knows he raced well and earned his win fair and square. "Thanks, Katana," Arctic replies, his tone appreciative. 

You smile and give Arctic a small high five. "Good shit right there. Guess Suguru was right," you say, chuckling. Suguru stacks the wad of cash down on Arctic's arms, a satisfied smile on his face. "Three million yen for the winner," he announces, the sound of money rustling in the air.

Arctic takes the money with confidence, his smirk widening at the sight of his winnings. "Just know, next time I'm not letting you win so easily, Arctic," a taller, lean man says, his voice laced with challenge. His dark hair contrasts with the scar on his lip, giving him a rugged appearance.

Arctic's smirk doesn't falter as he looks up to meet the man's gaze. "Looking forward to it, Scar," he replies, his tone confident. You and Katana exchange glances, sensing the tension in the air. Just before things got serious, the sound of cop sirens echoed in the distance, sending a ripple of panic through the crowd. "Cops!" someone yells, their voice carrying over the chaos as everyone scrambles to their vehicles, engines roaring to life.

Your heart races as you realize the gravity of the situation. You mentally curse yourself for parking so far away, but there's no time to dwell on it now. With adrenaline coursing through your veins, you follow the crowd, weaving your way through the chaos as you search for your car. Amidst the commotion, you spot Suguru and Katana ahead, already making their way towards their cars. You bury the worry at the back of your mind as you make your way near the 7/11, unlocking your dark purple Nissan 240sx. Parking this far did slow you down from the rest of the people, but you waste no time as the engine roars to life.

With a quick glance in the rearview mirror to make sure no cops are in sight, you swerve out of the parking lot, adrenaline coursing through your veins as you push the car to its limits. The familiar roar of the engine is music to your ears as you navigate through the streets, weaving in and out of traffic with practiced skill.

Your heart races as you mentally curse yourself out, the cops hot on your tail as you swerve through any sharp turns between buildings, desperately trying to lose them. Your eyes widen as you spot a familiar white-haired man running between the alleyways, with cops right on his heels.

"Fuck," you mutter to yourself, realizing it's Arctic. Without hesitation, you stop the car and unlock the doors. "Get in!" you yell, urgency in your voice.

Arctic wastes no time, jumping into the car as the engine roars to life. With the cops still in pursuit, you hit the gas, speeding off with determination. The adrenaline courses through your veins as you navigate the streets, pushing the car to its limits in an effort to outmaneuver the law.

The sound of sirens fills the air as the cops continue their pursuit, hot on your tail once again. But you refuse to give up without a fight, weaving through traffic and taking every opportunity to lose them.

As minutes passed and you finally lost the cops, Arctic looked back to make sure they were completely gone before turning to you. "Since when the fuck did you learn to run away from cops?" he asks, his tone incredulous. Arctic raises an eyebrow, clearly impressed. Sliding off his leather jacket to reveal a tight tank top that shows off his muscles and tattoos, he leans back in his seat with a smirk. 

Arctic chuckles, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "And this 240sx is sick, although we could tune it up for you," he says, taking a good look at the clean interior. You smile and nod, intrigued. "Speaking of which, where the hell is your car?” Arctic chuckles, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "I lost the cops and parked in an empty garage," he explains. "I figured walking could help me blend in, but those cops know my pretty face too well."

You arch an eyebrow at Arctic's response, a smirk playing on your lips. "Okay then, where to, pretty boy?" you tease, your eyes focused on the road ahead as your hand shifts the stick shift with ease. Arctic returns your smirk, his gaze fixed on you with amusement. "Suguru's shop," he suggests, his voice confident. "He should be there by now with Katana."

You nod in agreement, a sense of determination driving you forward as you turn the radio up. The familiar beats of your favorite song fill the car, adding to the excitement of the night.

“♫ nights like this - the kid laroi...”

As you and Arctic come to a stop in front of Suguru's shop, you both exchange confused glances as you notice that it's empty. Your eyebrows furrow in confusion, a sense of unease settling in the pit of your stomach.

You turn to Arctic, who looks just as perplexed as you feel. "This is weird," you mutter, your voice tinged with concern. Arctic nods in agreement, his expression serious. "Yeah, it doesn't make sense," he agrees, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of activity.

Without hesitation, you dial Suguru's phone number, holding your breath as you wait for him to answer. "Hello?" his voice comes through the line, and you feel a wave of relief wash over you. "Hey, Suguru, where are you? Are you with Katana?" you ask, trying to keep the concern out of your voice.

Suguru's voice comes through slightly muffled, and you can hear loud music pulsing in the background. "Yeah, we're at my place."

You exchange a glance with Arctic, both of you puzzled by Suguru's response. "We're outside your shop, it's empty. We thought you'd be here," you explain, your confusion growing. "We? Who are you with?" Suguru asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

You pause, exchanging a puzzled glance with Arctic before replying, "Uh, I'm with Arctic. We were just checking in on the shop and noticed it was empty."

There's a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Suguru responds, his voice tinged with confusion. "Arctic? What's he doing there?" he asks, sounding genuinely puzzled. You relay the explanation to Suguru over the phone, "He needed a ride. Cops were hot on him," you explain succinctly, trying to keep the conversation light.

There's a brief pause before Suguru responds, his voice filled with understanding. "Ah, gotcha. Thanks for looking out for him," he says, sounding relieved. You nod, even though Suguru can't see you. "No problem. We'll catch up with you later," you say, before ending the call.

"It's just us tonight then," you reply, slipping your phone into your back pocket as you glance around the empty street. Arctic sighs beside you, pulling out the keys to the shop. "Want a cold beer?" he offers, gesturing towards the door of the shop and holding it open for you.

"Sure," you smile, appreciating the offer as you step inside. The familiar scent of grease and engine oil fills the air, mingling with the sound of distant traffic outside. As Arctic heads over to the fridge, you take a moment to look around the shop, feeling a sense of comfort in the familiar surroundings.

Sitting on one of the chairs, you watch as Arctic walks back with two cans of beer in his hands. He settles on the floor in front of you, opening one of the cans with a sigh. "Hey, y/n, I'm very thankful you saved my ass back there," he says, chuckling softly as he props his hands on his knees.

You smile, taking another sip of beer as Arctic's expression turns serious. "It's nothing really," you insist, but he shakes his head. "It is actually. If we got caught..." His voice trails off, and he sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I would've gotten you in deep shit."

Confused, you tilt your head, trying to understand what he means. "What do you mean?" you ask, furrowing your brow. "It's not all about cars and underground racing, at least for some people," Arctic says, taking a thoughtful sip of his beer. You raise an eyebrow, intrigued by his statement. "There's more to it?" you ask, curious to hear his perspective.

Arctic's chuckle fills the air as he teases, "Way more to it, I would tell ya', but I don't wanna scare such a pretty girl off." His playful comment makes you blush, feeling a warm flush spread across your face. "But now you've got me all curious," you admit, a playful glint in your eyes.

Arctic smiles, enjoying your reaction. "Maybe someday I'll tell you the whole story. But for now, let's just say that underground racing isn't always what it seems," he says, taking another sip of his beer. You nod, intrigued by his mysterious past. "I'll hold you to that," you say, a smile playing on your lips.

You both sit in the quiet of the shop, enjoying each other's company and the cold beers, "Call me Satoru," Arctic says, breaking the silence with a gentle smile. You nod, feeling a sense of closeness with him as he shares his name. "Satoru," you repeat, the name rolling off your tongue easily.

"Nice to officially meet you, Satoru," you say, returning his smile with one of your own.

As Satoru watched your warm smile light up your face, a pang of guilt burrowed into his heart. You were genuine, and he could see that just by looking at you. He found himself wanting to get to know you more, to delve into the depths of your personality and share his own secrets with you. But as he considered the dangers that lay ahead, he couldn't help but wonder if he was ready to bring you down to his level.

The underground racing scene was fraught with danger and uncertainty, and Satoru knew that involving you in his world could put you at risk. He couldn't bear the thought of bringing harm to someone as kind and genuine as you.

Lost in his thoughts, Satoru grappled with his inner turmoil, unsure of what to do next. Should he distance himself from you, to keep you safe from the dangers that surrounded him? Or should he take a chance and open up to you, risking both of your safety in the process?

"I'm sure you won't scare me, Satoru," you whispered, your gaze drifting off into the distance, lost in thought. Satoru's heart skipped a beat at your words, surprised by your response. He had expected you to be cautious, to pull away from him in light of the dangers that surrounded him. But instead, you showed him a kindness and understanding that he had not anticipated.

"We all have a story that changes someone's perception of us, don't we?" you said, your voice soft as you looked at Satoru. He met your gaze, sensing the depth of your words. There was a knowing look in your eyes, a recognition that you, too, had secrets that you kept hidden from the world.

Satoru nodded in agreement, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, we do," he said, his voice tinged with understanding.

-

"I was thinking we should get rid of the seats and add better ones, upgrade the suspension of your car, and change these damn stock tires," Suguru chuckled, wiping the sweat beads from his forehead. You nodded, crossing your arms as you watched Suguru take a couple of notes on your car. "Also upgrading the engine would be a big help. Geez, next thing you know, you're the next Arctic," you chuckled.

Suguru sighed as he made his way towards you, a hint of concern in his eyes. "But your pockets are gonna hurt," he admitted, his tone serious. You smirked, feeling a surge of determination. "I said give me notes on what would be best for my car. If I didn't have the money, I wouldn't be coming to you," you said confidently.

Suguru chuckled, rolling his eyes playfully. "One night with Arctic and you're already acting like him," he mumbled teasingly, giving you a playful nudge.

Before you could respond, a loud engine roared through the parking lot of Suguru's shop. You both turned to look, and there was Satoru's white skyline, making an entrance. You couldn't help but smile as he stepped out of the car, looking effortlessly good in his baggy cargo pants paired with a black tight compression shirt.

"Hey, pretty girl," Satoru greeted you with a warm smile, giving you a small hug before turning to give Suguru a fist bump. Suguru's eyebrow raised at the new nickname Arctic had given you. You couldn't help but blush at the nickname, feeling a flutter of excitement in your chest. "Hey, Satoru," you replied, returning his smile.

"Satoru?" Suguru asked, a playful tone in his voice. "Damn, I'm hurt he doesn't even let me call him that," he joked, grabbing onto the cloth of his shirt near his heart and acting as if he had just been stabbed.

You chuckled, trying to shake off the unexpected flutter in your chest as your eyes lingered on Satoru longer than you had anticipated. Satoru caught your gaze and offered you a warm smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. There was something comforting about his presence, something that made you feel at ease.

You quickly looked away, feeling a flush creep up your cheeks. "So, about those car upgrades..." you began, trying to steer the conversation back to safer territory. Satoru's laughter filled the air, his steps closing the gap between you with subtle determination.

He was fully aware of your attempt of diverting the conversation, noticing how shy you got as your face turned red.

“♫ poison - bell biv devoe..."

As the two boys worked on the car with what they had, your gaze kept drifting to Satoru. Sweat beaded on his forehead, making the tips of his hair damp. His biceps flexed with each movement, drawing your attention as you smiled to yourself.

"Someone can't keep her eyes off, huh?" Startling you a bit, Katana, who unexpectedly arrived, gave you a warm hug. You laughed nervously, feeling a bit embarrassed at being caught. "Hey, Katana," you said, returning her hug. "I, uh, was just admiring their work."

Katana grinned, giving you a knowing look. "Sure, sure," she teased, before turning her attention to Suguru and Satoru. "Hey boys." As she greeted the boys, they got back to work on the car. "Damn, you have a pretty sick car already." Katana said, taking a seat next to you. "And the color is gorgeous."

"Thanks, so, did anything happen last night with you and Suguru? I heard you headed back to his place after the race," you chuckled, nudging her playfully. She bit her lip, blushing slightly, and glanced over at the tall, muscular suguru, who had his hair half up, half down, focused on the machine in front of him. "We might've made out" She giggled as you smiled in surprise.

"Well, what about you? I heard you and Arctic were at the shop alone?" She smirked. Unbeknownst to you, Satoru smiled to himself, pleased that he brought up in the conversation. "Yeah, well we just talked." You shrugged.

Katana's face dropped, "You're lying?" Satoru couldn't help but laugh lightly at her reaction. "No, I'm not...but I need to know the details about you and Suguru!" You say shrugging off your interaction with Satoru.

Soon enough the two boys had enough of working with the car, meanwhile you and Katana had just finished up catching up any latest gossip in your lives. "So, the cars gonna need to stay for the night." Satoru says leaning on the wall next to you.

"I'll take you home, yeah?" Satoru suggested, with a knowing smirk on his face. Katana looked over at Suguru with a playful grin, "Me and Sugu are heading out," Without hesitation Suguru and Katana parted their own way, leaving you and Satoru alone in the garage of Suguru's shop.

The engine beneath you roared lowly as you sat in Satoru's white skyline, the awkward silence lingering between you two as he scrolled through his phone, looking for a song to play in order to keep the ride less awkward.

"So how's the car looking so far?" You asked as you nervously play with your fingers, he smirked setting his phone down. "Looking pretty nasty right now, soon you'll be driving around looking pretty badass." His eyes glued onto you.

"Pretty car and a pretty girl driving it, you're gonna have to watch out." You blushed at his words, his voice being less playful this time...more seductive. You cocked your head to the side, "Yeah?"

He leaned in closer, his face only a few inches away from yours, his scent of sweat and musk overwhelming your senses. You could feel the heat radiating from him making your heart race. His eyes bore with amusement and something else you couldn't quite catch "Yeah."

As you smiled he couldn't but chuckle as your response, his thumb gently tracing the bottom of you lip, "Watch out for what?" You whispered as your eyes shadowed pure lust.

Closing the gap between you two, his lips gently meet yours. He kissed you slowly and deeply, his hand on your jaw keeping your head tilted towards him. His tongue slipping into your mouth, exploring every inch as the kiss deepens.

“♫ Gata Only - FloyyMenor, Cris MJ..."

"Is it bad that I've been wanting this ever since last night?" You whispered, gently pulling away from the kiss as a string of saliva connects between yours and Satoru's lips. He chuckled as he wiped away some of the saliva from your lip with his thumb.

"You've been thinking about me?" He said with a smirk, his eyes roaming over your face, you nodded as your eyes were glued to his icy blue eyes and his peachy pink lips. His hands still cupping your jaw as his thumb traces your lower lip.

"Come here, sit" patting his thigh, indicating for you to straddle his lip. You would be lying to yourself if you said you didn't find him attractive the first night you met him. But you honestly didn't expect the night to turn out like this just on the second night of knowing him either.

"Are you sure?" You asked in a whispered manner. Satoru smiled nodding his head, his hands gently pulling you to sit on his lap. He positioned you so that you were straddling his thighs, your body pressed against his.

"Perfect view of my pretty girl." Satoru mumbled as his hands gripped your hip tighter, looking up at you as his eyes roamed over your body. He ran his hands up and down your thighs, his touch gentle but firm. He pushed your skirt up slightly, his fingers tracing the bare skin of your inner thighs.

Sending shivers down your spine, being touched by someone was something you definitely lacked as the years went on. "Satoru," You softly whimpered. He paused at the sound of his name. Pulling away slightly so he could get a good look at your face. "Yes, my pretty girl?" His voice was low and his eyes also now filled with lust.

"Touch me more."

A wide smirk spreads across his face hearing your request, "Anything for you my love." His hands grip you tighter, pulling you flush agaisnt his chest. His lips onslaught on your neck, planting hot, open mouthed kisses along your skin, his hands explore your body, roaming under your shirt.

As he continued to explore your body, his hands and lips leaving a trail of fire wherever they touch. He pushes your shirt up, his fingers tracing over the bare skin of your breast. "Beautiful," he groans as his lips move down to your chest, planting kisses along your collarbone and the top of your breast.

He groaned loudly as he feels you rock back and forth, the friction between your bodies making him lose his composure. His hands grip your hips even tighter, his fingers digging into your skin as he urges you to keep moving. Smirking at his sudden lost of composure you lean in. His soft peachy lips sweetly lingering onto yours.

He moans into the kiss, his lips parting to allow your tongue entrance. He kisses you back hungrily, his tongue tangling with yours as he pull you even closer to him. One of his hands move up to the back of your head, fingers gripping your hair as he devours your mouth.

"Fuck me," You mutter pulling away from the kiss.

Before Satoru could even respond, interrupting the moment your phone vibrated with the loud ringtone. He looked at your phone in annoyance. The heavy shared breaths lingered as you grab your phone from your bag.

Your blood ran cold reading the contact in front of you,

Dad <3

Next

[ssweetreveries]

messes & kisses

✩ wonbin x reader (ft. seunghan)

. 18+ mdni!

. word count! 3.6k

{oneshot, smut, nonidol!wonbin, nonidol!seunghan, fwb!seunghan, afab!reader, mentions of Anton and Eunseok, unprotected sex (wrap it up guys), thigh riding, oral sex (m.receiving), cheating, it’s a bit angsty but not really, kinda public}

a.n i apologize if there’s any mistakes, this isn’t proof read and english isn’t my first language, please bare with me!! i don’t know how i feel about this one, not super proud of it but i hope u enjoy! ><

synopsis . you meet a boy at a party and he makes you forget about all the bad things

With a hand around your neck and a knee between your legs, Seunghan continues roughly attacking your lips with his. “Fuck..”, you mutter breathlessly when he presses his knee against you. Making out in the campus’ bathroom stall with Seunghan wasn’t something new, infact, you could consider it a part of your routine at this point. You knew it was wrong, he was already in a relationship. At the end of the day though, you always found yourself going back to him. He was your drug and you were his.

You’re brought back to reality at the feel of his cold hands snaking up your shirt. “What are you thinking about hm?”, he whispers, his hot breath against your ear making you shiver. “Mmm, nothing,” you reply, attaching your lips to his once again. You have to bite back a moan at the feeling of his tongue in your mouth and the pressure of his knee against your core, and you can feel him smirk against your mouth. He pulls back for a second and– 

“Are you guys done fucking like animals, cuz your girlfriend is looking for you.” an all too familiar voice announces, making both you and Seunghan jump a bit, not having heard the door open. “Shit..” Seunghan mutters under his breath before pulling away and getting out of the stall. “Next time, maybe make your presence known instead of scaring the living hell out of us, Ant.” he says before exiting the bathroom. Anton just ignores him, walking towards you, his eyes softening a bit. You fix your attire in the mirror before turning to face your friend. “Do I look okay?” you ask him. Anton nods, “You’re good.” You hum and start walking towards the door, but Anton’s hand catches your wrist. “Y/N.” His voice is a bit too serious for your liking.

“What..?” you reply. 

“I’m not gonna keep covering for you guys all the time, you know? I know it’s none of my business but as both of your friends I think this should stop. For God’s sake Y/N, he’s in a relationship. You know he’s playing both of you.” Anton says. And you don’t know why but his words make you slightly angry. 

“Look Ant, I appreciate the concern but this is between me and Seunghan. And what do you mean, “he’s playing both of you”. I don’t feel anything for him, he’s only giving me benefits and that’s our mutual understanding.” You reply trying to state your point. Anton sighs, “I’ve known you for long enough to see the way you look at him, Y/N.” 

“Look at him how, Anton!” you reply, your annoyance level going up. “I know there’s something Y/N, I’m not stupid.” he says rather calmly, opposed to you. “And I’m telling you there’s nothing there!” you reply one last time with a huff before turning on your heels and leaving. 

You frown as you make your way out of the campus’ building. The truth is, deep down you knew you were mad because Anton was right. As much as you deny it, and as much as you hate yourself for it, there was something about Seunghan that tugged at your heartstrings. It’s not your fault he decided to go out and get a girlfriend. Your relationship with him existing long before her anyways. But alas, you guys agreed upon being friends with benefits after a drunken hookup and that’s all you were. You guys agreed not to catch feelings for each other so that was your problem.. for another day. 

Wanting to get your mind off things, you decide it’s best to head home and bury yourself into completing your missing assignments. And well, being left high and dry were not in your expectations today, so let’s just say getting there as soon as possible and taking a cold shower were also in your plans.

You enter your room as you finish drying your hair with a towel, noticing the dim screen of your phone lit up with a notification. You sit down on your bed, phone in hand. It was a text from Seunghan.

{hani<3}   hey 10:26pm

      Y/N? 10:39pm

{y/n}       heyyy, what’s up? I was in the shower 10:40pm

{hani<3}   ur good 10:40pm

       my friend is throwing a party this friday 10:41pm

      wanna go with me? 10:41pm

{y/n}         uhh, what about ur gf 10:42pm

{hani<3}   dw about her, she’ll be out of town 10:42pm

      so? 10:43pm

{y/n}       I’ll come 10:43pm

You answer before closing your phone and throwing it on your bed. You groan, knowing you shouldn’t have said yes but.. Whatever, as much as you hate it, you can’t lie and say you don’t like spending time with him. 

You spent the last few days anticipating friday, but now you find yourself nervously fiddling with the hem of your little black dress, waiting outside of your apartment for Seunghan to pick you up.  

A car pulls up and you recognize it as Seunghan’s. When it stops, you open the door and get in. 

“Hey,” he says, giving you a sly smile. You greet him back as you buckle the seatbelt. As he drives away, his hand makes its way to your thigh, gripping it slightly. Seunghan looks at you and smirks when he hears your breath hitch. “Stay focused on the road..” you mutter. He simply hums, amused. He does as told, eyes looking forward but his hand remains on you, massaging circles on your plush skin with his thumb. 

You can feel his hand snake higher when he pulls up in the driveway of a bustling house. “Seunghan,” you say under your breath. He chuckles and stops the engine before taking his hand away, and you shiver at the now lack-of warmth on your thigh. “C’mon, let’s go in.” he says before getting out. You follow suit, jumping out of the car and meeting him at the front porch of the house. It takes a few knocks before someone opens the door. “Hey, man! Come on in,” says the guy, dapping up Seunghan. You soon learn that the guy’s name is Eunseok, one of Seunghan’s friends and the one hosting. 

Inside, the house is crowded with people. There’s people chatting, some are drinking, couples making out sloppily, some grinding on each other, there’s bodies pressed together everywhere. Not to mention the loud music and chattering. This is a party alright, you tell yourself. 

Seunghan pulls you along by the hand, taking you to the room where everyone is dancing with each other. The sound of the music is especially loud in this room, and you can barely hear each other. God, your head is already pounding from the noise. You definitely will need a drink to survive the night. 

You tap Seunghan’s shoulder. “I’ll be right back! I’m going to grab a drink, want anything?” you basically scream at him, so he can hear you over all the noise. 

He shoots you an ‘OK’ and tells you to get him anything, he’ll be waiting for you back here. 

You nod and separate yourself from his hold, maneuvering your way out of the pit of bodies. You exhale deeply when you leave the room, all the people pressed together were making it quite suffocating. 

It takes you a while to figure out where the drinks are, never having navigated this house before but you eventually do. You take two random mixed cocktails from the drinks table and make your way back to the dancefloor to find Seunghan. 

Upon entering the room, it takes you a while of searching until your eyes land on him. 

“What the fuck..” you mutter under your breath, heart aching slightly. Your eyes are wide as you stare at him and another figure next to him. Why was Seunghan with another girl? And why were they all up in each other’s business. You scoff and shake your head, trying to keep your cool.  But next thing you know, his mouth is on hers and they’re all over each other. 

Your heart drops and tears of frustration spring in your eyes. Seriously? You blink your tears away, Anton warned you, you just didn’t want to believe it. You knew Seunghan was a player, gosh, he was even playing his girlfriend with you. You just didn’t expect him to go off to someone else, why did he even ask you to the party then? You laugh dryly feeling stupid and used. 

You turn on your feet, making your way to the mostly empty room you saw when you passed by earlier. It was a more secluded area, the music also being less loud over here. There were a few people, a couple making out, two guys talking to each other at a table, and a guy on his phone sitting alone on the couch. 

You sigh and opt for the couch, the only sitting space available next to the guy. You set the drinks down on the table as you sit down, and take a sip of your now, much needed cocktail. You can feel him staring so you decide to take a glance at him too. 

Woah. Your eyes go wide, almost choking on your drink when you get a good look at him and you can see him smirk at your reaction. Pretty was an understatement, this guy was easily the most attractive man you’ve laid eyes upon. You clear your throat and direct your eyes back to the cocktail in your hands, swirling the liquid in the cup. 

A few minutes pass by in silence before he speaks up. “Here alone?” he asks. 

You jump a bit at his voice, not expecting him to initiate any conversation with you. Gosh, even his voice was pretty. “N-no, I mean, actually, yeah” you mumble. 

He raises his brow, but doesn’t push it. “What’s your name?” 

“Y/N, what’s yours?” you return the question. 

“That’s a pretty name, quite suitable for a pretty girl like you” he says with a flirty smile, “I’m Wonbin, nice to meet you, Y/N.” 

You feel your cheeks getting warm at his words, he thinks you’re pretty? You shake your head, he’s just flirting with you. “Nice to meet you..” 

“Are you here alone?” you throw the question back at him. 

He hums, “got dragged along by the boys, my friend’s hosting.” 

You nod, unsure what to say next. 

“So, Y/N, why are you here alone?” Wonbin asks. 

You sigh, re-calling the situation to him. It was a bit embarrassing but hey, he asked and you had someone to let out your frustrations to. 

“What an asshole,” he scoffs, “I’m sorry he did that, you deserve to be treated better.”

You shake your head, “It’s okay, I should've seen it coming. Anyways, I didn’t want to let it ruin my night but here I am. I wanted to distract myself but I guess it’s still on my mind.” 

Wonbin listens to your rant before placing a hand on your thigh. “I can be your distraction, Y/N.” he whispers.

“W-what,” you blurb out, taken aback. “What do you mean, Wonbin.” 

He smirks, “I meant what I said earlier, Y/N. So, will you let me be your distraction, pretty?” he says headily.

You stare at him, his own eyes staring back at you intently. He leans in closer and you can feel his breath against your lips. “Can I?” he whispers. 

You quickly nod, wanting to know how his lips would feel like on yours. 

With your approval, Wonbin closes the distance between your mouths. One of his hands comes to gently cup your cheek, while the other leaves feathering touches down your body. 

You sigh softly against his soft lips, of course he’s a good kisser on top of everything. God, this man was dangerous. 

You pull back for a second, softly pushing him so he rests against the couch, readjusting your position so you're straddling him. “I- is this okay?” you mumble shyly. 

He laughs softly, his hands coming to rest against your sides. “This is great actually,” he smirks before leaning in to kiss you more. 

You let your hands rest on his shoulders, leaning in closer and deepening the kiss. His tongue swipes against your lips, a silent ask, and you gladly oblige. He pushes past your lips, tongue playing with yours. 

A soft moan leaves your lips as the kiss turns more heated by the second. Wonbin groans against your mouth, you taste so good and your lips feel perfect on his, like you were made for him. You pull back for a second to catch your breath and Wonbin takes the opportunity to attack your neck. 

You play with his hair as he leaves love bites all over your neck and collarbone, god these we’re gonna be a pain to cover up, but you couldn’t care less at the moment. He pulls back for a second admiring his work with a satisfied smirk. 

“Fuck, you look even more pretty like this, covered in my marks” he whispers heatedly. 

You hum with reddened cheeks, feeling yourself getting desperate for more. You lean down, feverishly leaving kisses down his jaw, making your way to his neck and leaving markings of your own. A soft noise leaves his lips at your attention and you pull back with a gasp as you feel him getting hard against your clothed pussy. 

Amused by your reaction, he pushes you harder against the tent growing in his pants. “F-fuck, you’re so hard.” you moan out at the feeling.

“Mmm, it’s all because of you” he purrs, hands slipping under your already hiked-up dress. You shiver at the feeling of his cold hands on your bare skin. 

Wonbin begins rocking your body against him, enticing you to grind on him. “F-fuck, bbin-” you breath out, his hard on pressing on just the right spot. 

Wonbin smirks at the nickname you gave him, “feel good, hmm?” You just nod, focusing on rolling your hips against him. 

You whine when Wonbin holds you down, forcing you to stop your rhythm. “Why–” 

He repositions you so his thigh is directly under your core, pushing you down on him. “I want you to make yourself feel good,” he says in a husky voice, flexing his muscles under you, the feeling making you grip his shoulders harder.  

“C’mon, you we’re doing so good earlier, baby” he cooes, moving your hips against him. You whine, feeling shy but letting him rock you against him. Eventually, you feel yourself growing needier, finding a rhythm of your own. 

“F-fuck, Wonbin, ah-!” you moan out as he attaches his lips on your neck, sucking that sweet spot and leaving yet another mark. 

You can feel yourself getting closer, hips desperately grinding down on him and Wonbin can’t help but look at you with an amused expression. “C’mon, pretty, are you close?” 

You just hum, eyes shut and eyebrows knitted together, chasing your high. You gasp when Wonbin flexes his thigh and pushes you harder against him, helping you get there. 

You can feel it coming, legs starting to shake under his hold, but Wonbin keeps rocking you against him. “A-ah! Wait, fuck–!” you whine as you cum, letting your head fall against him as your body sputters in his hold. 

He lets you catch your breath, hands rubbing down your sides in a soothing way, “That was so hot,” he chuckles. 

You sit back up, looking at him with a smile before your face drops. Oh my god, you completely forgot that you weren’t alone in the room. Wonbin sees your expression as you look around the room, catching on. 

“Don’t worry, they left earlier, if that’s what you’re worried about.” he reassures you. 

You let out a sigh of relief, turning back to him and pressing a kiss to his lips. He catches your lips with his, sharing another heated kiss with you. 

You teasingly move on his lap, earning a groan from him. “Fuck, pretty, don’t tease,” he rasps out. You give him a sly smile, running your hand down his chest until you reach the tent in his pants. 

His breath hitches as you grab him through his pants, watching you intently, anticipating your next move. 

You get off his lap painfully slowly before dropping to your knees in between his legs. You look up at him with sultry eyes as you unzip his pants. He curses, the way you look at him making him feel things.

You can’t help but gawk at him when you finally free his aching cock. Was there anything about this man that wasn’t pretty? 

You wrap one of your hands around him, giving him a few pumps before licking a strip up his length. “F-fuck–” Wonbin hisses, throwing his head back at the sensation. 

You giggle, kissing his tip already leaking with pre-cum, earning another groan from him. Without warning you take him in your mouth, swirling your tongue around his tip. His head snaps back up, wanting to watch you suck him off. He grabs your hair in one hand so he can get a better view. 

And, fuck, isn’t that a view to look at, Wonbin thinks to himself. Your small mouth wrapped around him with your saliva dripping down his cock turning him on even more. 

Maintaining eye contact with him, you start taking him deeper in your mouth, bobbing your head up and down and hollowing your cheeks. His hips involuntarily buck against your mouth at the feeling, causing you to gag on his cock. 

“S-shit, sorry pretty, you’re making me feel so good,” he says through ragged breaths. 

You moan around him at the praise, the vibrations making him twitch in your mouth. “Fuck, I want to fuck this pretty little mouth, will you let me?” he asks desperately. 

You hum in response and that’s all it takes before he starts rutting in your mouth, tears prick your eyes as you try not to gag.

You hold onto his thighs for stability as he continues abusing your mouth, his tip hitting the back of your throat which will surely leave a bruise, but all you could care about right now is making him feel good. 

He groans, hips starting to stutter, “y-you’re taking me so well, pretty” 

You moan, hollowing your cheeks for him, making him shutter. 

You can feel him start to twitch in your mouth, indicating that he is close. “F-fuck, where do you want me?” He pulls out quickly, fisting his cock in his hand. You open your mouth for him, a silent answer. 

After a few more pumps, he shoots ropes of white into your mouth. Without breaking eye contact, you swallow every last drop of his load. 

“Fuck,” he stares down at you, patting your head while breathing heavily. “You did so good, pretty” he says, pulling you back up to kiss you hungrily. You moan into the kiss, and Wonbin smirks against your mouth. 

You pull back, “Wonbin.. I want you,” you murmur needily. 

“Yeah?” he hums, amused, before gently pushing you down on the couch, climbing over you. 

Wonbin lifts your dress to have easier access to your entrance. And he can’t help but chuckle at your drenched panties, tossing them to the side. 

He drops a kiss to your lips before aligning himself with your entrance. “I’m going to put it in, okay?” he says before entering you.

You moan at the feeling, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him closer to you. “S-shit, you’re so tight..” he groans.

“I’m gonna move now,” he warns you before slamming his hips into you, your wet cunt taking his dick perfectly. 

You pull him down, attacking his lips with yours. He’s making you feel so good, his cock hitting all the right places. Your hands bury themselves in his long hair, tugging here and there.

Wonbin groans, “look at you taking me so well, pretty. It’s like you were made to be mine,” he purrs. 

You moan, arching your back into him when he hits your sweet spot. “R-right there, bbin, ah-! Fuck!” 

Wonbin continues hitting that spot, hips snapping against yours, increasing his speed when he feels you clench around him. He’s not gonna last long if you keep sucking him in like this. 

Luckily with a final snap of his hips, you reach your new high, legs trembling as ecstasy takes over your senses. Wonbin quickly pulls out, fisting his cock a few times and spilling his load all over your lower stomach. 

You look up at him with a lazy smile, “that was amazing, bbin” 

He chuckles before getting up, fixing his pants and grabbing tissues from the table, cleaning you up. You thank him before getting up and fixing your dress. 

Wonbin grabs your hand, clearing his throat, “uhh, i don’t know if it’s a right time to ask but, would you let me take you out, tomorrow?” he asks sheepishly.

You giggle, “Sure, I’d love that.” 

Usually the date would come before the hook up, but you wouldn’t mind doing things upside down with Wonbin.

“Great,” he smiles, “now, let me take you home.” he offers and you smile. 

Wonbin was, without doubt, the best distraction you could’ve gotten. 

You’re gonna end whatever is going on with Seunghan tomorrow morning, for now, you're gonna enjoy the rest of your night.

[turtletaubwrites]

A Good Catch ~ Part 1

✨600 Followers Fic Celebration!✨

I am so grateful for all of you! This has been such a wonderful time, and having all of you around to nerd out with, and to share my writing with is the best! Shanks won the poll for the next x Reader fic, and I hope you enjoy it!

Pairings: Shanks x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 4367

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 (End)

Ao3 Link

Summary: You are an unlucky fisherwoman having a bad day, until a red haired pirate captain offers to help you out. You're pretty sure he only makes it worse.

Rating/Warnings: 18+ ONLY, MDNI, AFAB!Reader, She/Her Pronouns for Reader, Reader-Insert, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Angst, Teasing, Flirting, I feel like there's some romance tropes I could tag, but I usually just write smut, so please let me know what silly tropes I have in here 😅

A/N: I am having so much fun with this one! I'm doing my best to keep it to 3 parts, so wish me luck 😅 Please enjoy this fluffy first chapter!

| masterlist | about me | rules | ao3 | ko-fi |

“Now I’m gonna get murdered by pirates,” you grumbled to yourself as the ship crept ever closer. “Just fucking perfect.”

The windless sea was no challenge for the massive pirate ship. All you could do was sit with your pile of fish, jealous of the huge oars guiding the threat to you. 

Dread loomed as that jolly roger closed the distance, like an animal baring its fangs before it strikes. Crossed blades, and a sinister skull with red stripes over its left eye socket. 

You didn’t pay enough attention to the gossip and wanted posters to remember who was headed your way. 

Not that it matters. They’re pirates. 

It was too much to hope that they’d pass you by. 

A few voices carried over from the deck, until a tall man leaned over the side. His bright, red hair hung still against this stupidly windless sky. 

“Hey, friend,” he called, the sun at your back giving you a glimpse of his wide smile, even from so high above you. 

“We’re not friends,” you countered, crossing your arms to keep him from noticing your shaky hands. 

“I suppose not. You seem like you’re in a spot of trouble though, and we’re happy to help.”

His deep voice sounded so friendly. Genuine. Charming. 

He’s just trying to lure me into his trap. Who knows what they’d do to me on that ship…

“The sun’s getting pretty low for a small boat to be all the way out here,” he judged, trying to block the glare as he looked down at you. “I don’t think we’ll be getting much more wind today.”

“Thank you, I’ll be fine.”

His pause made your skin itch, wishing he would stop looking at you. 

“We can bring your boat with us. I’m assuming you’re from that village a ways to the west?”

It must have been a trick of your eyes, it couldn’t happen so quickly. But you swore the day inched closer to night faster with every second. You watched the light grow golden as it lit up the red haired man, and his pirate ship.

Fuck.

“I refuse to be rescued,” you choked out, nails digging into your arms. 

“Okay,” he said in an annoyingly teasing tone, “if you insi–”

“I’ll pay you for the service! I had a great haul before…”

“Sounds good to me,” he laughed, deep and hearty. As if he were truly happy. 

You had thought pirates would seem scarier. Maybe this is worse.

You barely heard his shouts  as men started to lower ropes down, prepping to save you. 

“You should know I’m armed,” you yelled up at the back of his head, continuing when he faced you again. “Anyone touches me, and they’ll lose a hand.”

“I’ll be on my guard then. I’ve been running out of those.”

You didn’t understand, or appreciate his teasing while you waited. 

~

“Welcome aboard!”

Pirates echoed the red haired man’s welcome, and you assumed he was the captain as the rest busied themselves about. He sat on deck, calm as if he hadn’t a care in the world. Now that you were so close, you couldn’t help but notice the rippled muscles of his chest and stomach between his mostly open shirt. 

Besides the cloak over his shoulders, he didn’t seem to wear anything that could mark him as captain. Unless his red hair, and three scars over his left eye… 

“Oh.”

“Oh,” he asked, moving to stand beside you. 

“The jolly roger,” you pointed to the menacing skull. “You must be the captain.”

“Good eye,” he leaned in with a smile. 

His smile should have a completely different word. The sight from your boat was nothing compared to seeing the way this man's lips curled slowly, the left side starting first as it grew, as if he was enjoying the act of smiling itself. And his eyes…

His eyes were way too close to you. 

“Are you alright?”

Concern broke that smile, and he called for someone to bring water. 

Your face flushed, hot to the tips of your ears. You realized that you hadn’t heard what the pirate had said because you were too busy swooning over his pretty eyes. 

The water was welcome, and you gulped half of it down, suddenly embarrassed about how fucking fishy you must smell with your day’s catch beside you. 

“Is there anything else you need, miss…”

Trying to catch your eyes, the pirate leaned toward you. He reached for your shoulder, and you jumped back, spilling water down your chest.

“I’m so sorry, love. I forgot about your warning.”

His soothing voice felt real as he went to a knee in front of you. 

“I do hope you will spare me my fate, I swear that no one on this boat will forget it again.”

He’s really too charming. He’s either the sweetest person in the world, or some sort of demon with powers of seduction. 

You nodded. It wasn’t like you could truly defend yourself anyway. The fear of being at their mercy kept you hyper aware of all the moving bodies around you.

“How long until we’re at the village?”

The sun was almost gone from the sky now, and you just wanted to be home. To scrub this stupid day away, and pass out. 

“It should be about three days from now.”

“Three,” you choked out, dropping the now empty mug of water, which he caught without taking his eyes off of yours.

“We’ve got some business on the other side of the island. We'll be stopping by the village to restock supplies before we head out.”

“You didn’t tell me that,” you snapped, voice louder than you meant it.

He just smirked, tilting his head.

“Sorry, love. Would you like us to toss you overboard? I don’t think you had many rescuers lined up.”

For some reason, you couldn’t get your mouth to remember that these men could kill you as you growled back at him.

“You didn’t rescue me. I paid you for a trip back to the village.”

His lips quirked as if he was fighting not to smile again. He looked down at your haul, fish still flapping in the net. 

“That is a really nice haul, miss. Afraid it’s not enough for a direct trip, though.”

Pirates came to take your fish away, and it broke the spell his irritating eyes had on you.

“Please, save this one! You can have it, just… Make sure you cook it well.”

The two men with the net followed your gesture to that fish, assuring you they would obey before taking it away.

“Why’s that one special?”

The weight of this long ass day hit you, a heavy sigh leaving your lips before you looked back at that pretty captain. 

“It was a good catch.”

He huffed a laugh, the clear amusement he got from your words making you simultaneously annoyed, and pleased. You were mentally smacking yourself for that. 

Don’t be attracted to pirates, dumbass. 

“I’m Shanks. I don’t know if you heard me before, but…”

Your skin flushed again, and he seemed to notice, a warm, evil smile slowly forming on his lips.

“What’s your name?”

“You don’t need to know it.”

He gave a real laugh then, loud, and infectious. You had to remind yourself that he was laughing at you.

“What would you like us to call you then, huh? “Fish Girl?” Maybe “Fail Boat?” Or how about “Damsel in Distress?” I think I like that–”

You ripped your hand back as soon as you’d realized what you’d done.

But it was too late.

Your idiotic, suicidal hand had shot out and smacked him, hard, right in the center of that gorgeous chest of his.

The deck roared with laughter while you shook with horror. Shanks had looked down at his chest, and when he lifted his face to yours he looked stunned. If you hadn’t just signed your own death warrant, you might have thought his face comical, brows raised high, with his mouth and eyes wide. 

“Go easy on the girl, captain,” teased a tall man with gray hair, shaking his head at Shanks.

“Yeah, come on, captain! What kinda hospitality are you giving, insulting our guest like that?”

A whole group of pirates crowded around him, reprimanding him, and giving him a few gentle punches and shoves. 

Your mouth hung open. The sight of these pirates being so playfully disrespectful toward their captain didn’t fit in your brain. None of this made sense with what pirates were supposed to be like. 

“Fine. Fine! I’m sorry, miss…”

He’d broken away from his men, leaning toward you with that question. 

“Y/N.”

He hit you with a new grin to outshine all the others, making your breath hitch.

“What a beautiful name for a damsel in distress.”

You didn’t need to hit him this time, as pirates did the job for you, even throwing things at him from across the deck. 

Maybe it was the overwhelm, the fatigue. Maybe you’d gone insane.

But laughter built in your stomach, growing through your body, until you were shaking with it. You had your hands on your knees as it took you over, and the pirates around you joined in. 

How can pirates be laughing and smiling like this with me? How can it be genuine? 

Amidst the continued roars of his men, Shanks shook his head, gesturing for you to follow him. 

“Where are we going?”

“I’ll show you.”

Frowning at the back of his head, you followed through the wooden halls until he opened a large door, gesturing for you to go inside.

He rolled his eyes when you hesitated, before going in first. 

The large room was tiled, with lockers and showers, and there he stood in the center, grinning like a creep.

“I’ll pass,” you deadpanned, backing out the door.

“Come on, fish girl,” he taunted, “you stink, and I think you’ll be easier to clean than the blankets you’ll sleep in tonight.”

Blood rushing to your face again, your mouth opened and closed as anger and embarrassment fought to take over.

Shanks laughed again, but tried to stifle it. 

“Sorry, you’re just,” he motioned to his lips, mimicking your movements. “You’re a fish girl.”

“Shut up,” you seethed, leaning toward him. “I’m not taking a shower on a pirate ship when anyone can–”

“I’ll guard the door for you, okay,” he assured, finally seeming to take something seriously. “I’ll make sure no one comes in.”

Now his stupid smile was soft, small, and sweet. You hated it.

“Oh right,” you scoffed, “like I'd trust a pirate captain. Who’s gonna stop you from coming in?”

“What makes you think this pirate captain would even want to come in here, huh?”

“Fuck you,” you breathed, turning to leave.

He was so fast. You jumped back as he blocked the door. He saw your wide eyes, and moved out of the doorway so he wouldn’t block your exit, but he still leaned close.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. Really, okay? I promise I will sit right outside this door, and not let a single person come inside until you’re done. There’s fresh clothes for you over there too. Whatever you need.”

A very fine trembling worked its way around your body as you studied him. It seemed like such a bad idea to trust him. 

But you were exhausted. 

“You’ll sit in front of the door?”

He straightened up, a look of relief brightening that serious face.

“I will.”

“Will you wear a blindfold?”

“If that’s what it takes,” he agreed with a smirk.

“And let me tie your hands behind your back?”

Shanks sucked his teeth as he leaned back. You had a second of fear as he started taking his clothes off.

But all he removed was his heavy cloak, revealing that he was missing his left arm. 

Guilt hit you, apologies about to pour out, but he held his palm out. 

“Afraid I can’t do that, but I promise I’ll do the rest. Is that alright, Y/N?”

~

This is really nice soap.

Still on edge, your body started to relax a bit with the delicious smelling soap on your skin. 

But every time you felt a moment of relaxation, you’d remember the pirate on the other side of the door. 

“You’ve gotta make it tighter, sweetie. Otherwise it won’t work.”

That fucking sentence kept tearing through your brain. The way he’d run his fingers across yours while you adjusted the cloth to blindfold him. The way his hair and skin had felt and smelled as you moved it into place. The way he’d rasped those words while he grabbed your wrist to guide you, giving it a gentle squeeze before letting his fingers trail down your skin. 

The way you had let him touch you without arguing. His fingers had taken advantage of the moment, but it had felt almost electric to let him.

“Fuck,” you muttered to yourself.

“Y/N, is everything alright?”

“Uh, yeah. Thank you.”

How did he hear that over the shower?

~

“What the hell is this?”

“Sorry, love, I'm afraid I can't see what you– ow, hold on!”

You definitely had a few red hairs between your fingers after ripping his blindfold off. 

The pirate captain got to his feet to meet your eyes, and fucking snorted.

“What is wrong with you,” you fumed, tossing the blindfold at his face.

The fact that he caught it before it hit him only pissed you off more.

“There has to be something else I can wear,” you demanded, pulling at the frilly lavender dress he stuck you with. You looked like some creepy porcelain doll.

His face was going as red as his hair as he tried not to laugh.

“I’m sorry, no one’s– we don’t have anyone your size,” he choked out, clearing his throat before continuing. “We have a few more dresses like this, though. They were supposed to be a gift for a princess, so you should feel honored!”

“Fuck you.”

His lips were fucking quivering as he fought his laughter. His eyes flicked down to your clenched fists, and he relented.

“Right, sorry, okay! You can have some of my clothes, you’ll just have to roll them up, alright?”

Very judgmentally looking him up and down, you raised your brows at him.

“Do you have any shirts that actually button up all the way? Or do you expect me to let my tits hang out like yours.”

Shanks cackled then, catching himself on the wall, his eyes even tearing up a little. 

You kicked yourself for saying something so sexual in front of a fucking pirate.

“You’re a funny one, fish girl,” he teased between hiccupped laughs, “but you definitely look like a damsel in that dress.”

You kicked the pirate for being such a dick. 

“Fuck, sorry,” he huffed, wincing as he rubbed his shin where you’d kicked it. 

“Follow me. I definitely wanna get you outta that dress– I mean into different clothes,” he almost yelled, warding off a slap with his arm. “So you stop hurting me!”

Practically boiling with a mix of anger, embarrassment, and fear, you let yourself be guided along. The lantern lit halls were roomier than you would have expected, and you could hear the distant voices of the crew. 

“Here we go,” he said gently, opening another large door. He went in first again, and you entered what had to be his quarters.

Of course. We’re getting his clothes. 

It was full of rich, dark woods, red blankets, a desk that seemed to have more bottles of alcohol than anything work related on it, and a delightful, almost spicy scent filling the air. 

The room was a bit messy, and you felt out of place standing there in that frilly dress while he dug through his wardrobe, tossing clothes to the ground as he searched.

“Here, love, how about these?”

“Do you have a belt?”

~

Managing to roll, buckle, and tuck at his clothes, you were mostly satisfied as you checked the mirror.

Even with all the buttons done up, you still had to tie his shirt to keep your chest from popping out like his does. 

“You almost finished? The party’s star…”

Those pretty eyes brightened when you opened the door. His little smirk made you frown, and he held his hand up.

“You were right, Y/N. This definitely suits you better.”

He offered that hand to you, and even in the warm glow of the lanterns, you could see scars, callouses, and thick veins that made your breath hitch for a moment. 

Your hand had almost reached his when he pulled away.

“Almost forgot,” he teased, his voice somehow lower than normal as he stepped out of the doorway for you. “I’ll lose my only hand if I touch you, right?”

“I…”

“Well, I definitely won’t risk that.”

He stepped further back, letting you follow him into the hallway. 

Your brain seemed to stutter, unable to join the moment as it flew through conflicting emotions. 

Like why it upset you that he wouldn’t risk it. 

Shanks moved in close, his spicy scent filling your lungs as you looked up at him. 

“Just let me know if that ever changes.”

He turned away after a subtle wink that made your brain short circuit. 

“You comin’? I’m hungry.”

Still barefoot without your fishy shoes, you chased that red hair down the hallway.

He really is some sort of seduction demon.

~

“Hey, girly. Is this jackass treating you alright?”

“This is how you talk about your captain?”

The older man with long, gray hair ignored Shanks’ protests as he looked you over.

“You should be more worried about him,” you grumbled, narrowing your eyes at the captain.

“Ha, I’m sure you’re right.”

He grinned down at you, before motioning toward the fire. 

“Come on, the food’s almost done.”

The crew had found a remote beach, and set up camp. Their camp supplies seemed to be mostly alcohol. 

Shanks had said they had business here, and that they’d go to the village in about three days.

What kind of business are pirates getting up to on my island?

The thought was pushed aside as Shanks called for you. Most of the pirates were holding their plates, or using boulders or crates while they ate. Captain Shanks had a dingy little table by the fire, and was waving you over. 

“Come on, love. Let’s eat, and find out why that fish of yours is so special.”

The day's events hit you again, but you joined him in a mismatched chair, and grabbed a fork. 

It smelled good.

“Here,” Shanks demanded, shoving a mug of some kind of alcohol into your hand, before standing and lifting his own to address the crew. “Here’s to our luck! We found an unlucky fisherwoman, and now we’ve got good eats. To Y/N!”

The sheer volume of their enthusiasm made your eyes go wide as you faked a sip.

“So tell me, fish girl,” he leaned toward you, the small table not leaving much space between you. “Why is this fish so special?”

Ignoring him, you focused on your plate. The way it looked and smelled was perfect, but you had to know.

He watched your movements, following along as you pierced into the flesh, bringing the first bite to your lips. 

It was perfect. Whoever had cooked it had treated it right. The tender meat and the subtle flavor were given just the amount of spice to balance it out.

It would have sold well. After all it took to get it, you were grateful that it didn’t go to waste, and tasting it yourself was wonderful.

Even if you were sharing it with a pirate.

“This is incredible, Y/N. You really are a fish girl.”

Letting out a sigh, you dug in, trying to enjoy the meal that had put you in this situation. The night was filled with the sounds of music, laughter, and endless calls for cheers, the clanging of metal mugs like the shifting heartbeat of this joyful crew.

“So, I had someone take a look at your boat, in case we could help fix it.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my boat,” you spat out, wishing you could have enjoyed your meal in peace. Without this too fucking handsome and annoying pirate captain.

Shanks tapped his fingers on the table, a smirk playing at his lips. 

“That was the report,” he said softly, the teasing tone building slowly in his voice. “They did say that one of the oars is missing.”

“Thanks for the report,” you grumbled, watching the fire now.

“Come on, just tell me what happened. How’d you get stranded out there?”

“It’s none of your business.”

Your face felt hot, the fire not close enough for the burning in your skin. 

“Consider it payment then. For my clothes, and for my company,” he taunted, his voice dipping low. 

“I could do without the latter.”

“You wound me, sweet damsel.”

He put his hand to his heart, chuckling at your frown before chugging whatever was in his mug.

“It was a really good catch,” you mumbled, giving in. He scooted even closer to you, excitement in those lovely eyes, mixing with the light of the fire.

Shanks kept that beautiful mouth shut, just tilting his head toward yours as he waited.

“My grandma used to talk about her best catch. That was it,” you said flatly, gesturing to your empty plate. “She made me promise that if I ever caught a fish like that, I had to eat it myself, eat it with friends.”

“Don’t waste a fish like that on berry, sugar. It’s a gift.”

He raised his mug as you mimicked your grandma’s voice, and you brought yours up with a sigh, still just pretending to drink.

“I’m honored, then. Your grandma was right, that fish was amazing.”

Memories of her seemed to join you at the table, bittersweet, and heavier than you’d like. 

“Sorry, Y/N. You, uh… You doing okay?”

“I’m fine,” you coughed, a hint of anger back in your voice as you fought against the prickling in your eyes.

“Well,” he drawled out, extending the word for way too long, “you still didn’t tell me how you got stranded out there with nothing but the perfect fish.”

Groaning, you put your forehead on the dingy table and blurted it out, as if you could make it not true if you said it fast enough. 

“I caught the fish. I saw what it was. It started to slip through my hands. I knew it’d sell well, so I didn’t want to lose it. I ended up tripping over one of the oars. I should have let it go, I could have grabbed the oar if I’d seen it slipping. But I was greedy. I wanted to sell that stupid fish instead of eating it, and now grandma’s probably cussing at me from the afterlife.”

Shanks at least had the decency to shove his knuckles between his teeth before he started laughing. 

“Oh, fuck you,” you huffed, standing to leave the captain’s dingy table.

“Wait, please,” he called, catching your fingers in his, and pulling you back toward him. Only to drop your hand as if he’d been burned when you met his eyes.

“Fuck, I’m sorry, Y/N. I didn’t mean–”

Whatever you might have said was lost in a wave of too many things at once. Humiliation over the whole thing, fear that these pirates could still hurt you, especially if you fell asleep, and the burning in your stupid cheeks because this gorgeous asshole held your hand. 

What the fuck is wrong with me today?

The moon was mostly full, so there was plenty of light on the sand as you walked away from the camp. They were so fucking noisy, but the ocean beckoned for you to sit, gentle waves like your grandmother’s sweet voice. 

When she wasn’t giving me shit, you thought with a laugh, digging your toes in the sand. 

“The ocean makes me feel better too.”

His deep voice annoyed you more than it startled you. 

Shanks sat beside you, but not too close.

Ignoring him did not make him go away. 

“What do you want?”

“I wanna make your shitty day better. How can I do that?”

“Take me home.”

“Three days on that one, love. Anything more immediate?”

Your plan to stay up all night was already failing, exhaustion dragging you down.

His eyes were so soft under the moon, the hint of a smile brightening his face.

“I don’t want to sleep out in the open with everyone. Is there somewhere… safe where I can sleep?”

Shanks nodded, looking down as he cleared his throat. 

“Of course, let me take you now.”

The ship itself seemed to be sleeping, so quiet with only a handful of crew watching it as the rest camped on the island. 

Red hair under lantern light guided you through those wood paneled halls again, until he led you to the guest quarters. 

“Here’s the key, and you’re welcome to shove this chair under the door knob as well. Breakfast will be at the beach in the morning,” he laughed, running his fingers through his hair. “It’ll probably be the afternoon depending on the hangovers, but you– Are you alright?”

He knelt at your feet, looking you over as you slumped onto the bed.

“How long were you out there today? Have you been drinking water? Are you…”

This charming pirate stopped himself from touching your forehead, and some insane, fatigued part of you reached out, grabbing his hand with both of yours. 

“I lied,” you confessed, voice quiet and close, his pretty eyes on your lips. “I can’t cut your hand off. I’m not armed.”

The slow smile he gave you now was your favorite, somehow making the light in his eyes shine brighter. Your hands reluctantly let go of him as he shifted, but instead of moving away, Shanks touched his calloused fingers to your cheek. 

“Your secret’s safe with me, sweetheart.”

Likes and reblogs bring me much ✨dopamine✨ thank you so much!

a/n: I am obsessed with these two now. What the heck. I need Shanks to make fun of me like that 😅

Tag List: @shewrites02

Part 2

| masterlist | about me | rules | ao3 | ko-fi |

[rae-pss]

masterlist

˗ˏˋ꒰ 💭 ꒱ . . . i tried to do something here, i swear. drabble inspired by @etheries1015 's idea. special thanks to my dear @livelaughlovesubs for proofreading and helping me with this one, ily (🥹🫶✨). ˗ˏˋ꒰ 💭 ꒱ . . . lowercase intended, 878 words, angsty themes, reader is sad bc they feel objectified by the demons.

“why...?”

that was the question that lingered in your head the most. stuck in a sea of misery and hardship that only you could freely navigate and easily drown in.

there was no other way to share the pain of your most incessant storms of thoughts, not when no one there present seemed to care about your mental well-being.

of course, they cared about you, or that's what you wanted to conclude from times when they truthfully helped you. from the moment satan decided to take you to hell to bring minhyeok back, through the various moments in which you needed the different essences of demons and humans to survive, to when your life seemed to be in danger and they were there to rescue or save you… it was all certainly nice, feeling loved on those occasions.

however, all those memories only led to the same point, making you feel like nothing was right that morning. has it ever even been?

they could sing to the winds and swear to hell that they appreciated you, they loved you, that you were the most important person to them. yet, why didn't anyone seem to care about you?

firstly, the elephant in the room, you were the only living descendant of the much acclaimed and beloved –plus dead– solomon. a man who seemed to leave such a great mark on both hell and heaven. your ancestry unknowingly condemned you to a life of pain, unbridled lust, and way more.

someone who said that he saw you as his own child, but that he never seemed to be there for you or understand you in the face of your deepest sorrows.

and, then there was what certainly shrank your heart the most, took the air from your lungs, and made you a mere vessel of what you once could be.

“aren’t i worth more than my body? do they just see me as a sex toy? a pretty face and body to own and use as they please?”

you wanted and implored that the answer to all of that was no, that they didn't see you as such. but how could you convince yourself of that if they only seemed to mind about your physical appearance? they were indeed interested in your personality, especially when you showed one of their sins in front of them, and yet no one seemed to know your favorite color, food, music, or animal.

questions that if strangers in the human world had asked you’d have been somewhat uncomfortable. after all, who asks those nowadays?

and, here you were now, wishing that one of the many demons there would take even the slightest curiosity in you to ask such things. 

“was it so difficult to ask about your favorite weather? what is your favorite type of tea? what is your favorite book? what is your favorite dessert?”

“was it so difficult to feel any interest in your damn tastes?”

there was a time when anger resided like a parasite in your hot veins for every time those thoughts plagued your mind. an arduous sensation that made you want to harm those who unconsciously hurt you so much in the same way.

but, that was already something in the past. now you could only completely shut up and look at the ground. anger is replaced by sadness, deep, drowning sadness. long nights in tears and full days in pain. but, no one seemed to notice, and if they did they didn't even ask about it. 

“would it cost that much to care?”

it was a slow realization process. a clear decomposition of your spirits, your feelings, of you as a being. you didn't even know if you really cared about saving this already damned place, or if you even wanted to go home... home. your home...

and so a single tear fell from your eye, one that you didn't think even thought existed in your weakened body.

minhyeok... would he still be waiting for you? would he even be alive once you got back? would he welcome you with a plate of your favorite food? a bouquet? a hug…?

the only one who understood and knew you. how would he react if he saw you like this? he would surely care for you like a mama bear. taking your temperature, cooking and feeding you, telling you how silly yet precious you are, giving you all that love that you crave so much.

a smile, a weak smile on your lips appeared at the memories of your best friend. how much you missed him day after day, longing to return to the home that was his arms. the warmth that only he knew how to bring to everything around him, including you. the thousand and one apologies he deserved from you.

so much, and for nothing, because you were still there among demons until everything was over... and, that was if they later deigned to let you go, something that you were not even sure was possible. 

you doubted that after all that chaos they’d let you leave their side. knowing them, they would even lock you up if that kept you close to them. just a mere creature trapped in the vile clutches of thirsty beasts.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Cant help but notice krubus stardew in the requests,,, so if i may,,,

How about a oneshot/headcanons, whichever ya think works better, for a farmer Reader who's roommates with Krobus, and Shane ends up visiting the farm, and accidentally finds Krobus and the reader is trying their best to calm the situation down or smthn? :]

Ofc you dont have to do this!!

Salt anon (have a good day also!!! always lovely to see ya on my dash :] )

YES MY TWO FAVES <3333

Got carried away but I had so many ideas for this one

.......

'I should check the coop. The void chicken could be hungry, and [y/n] may appreciate me stepping up. But...what if a human saw me? Oh Yoba...I hope there's no surprise visitors today..'

As Krobus paced around your cabin, he kept looking outside the window at the snowfall, the coop just within his sights. It was the second day of winter, and all of the animals you've been raising were huddled inside for the season, the hay keeping their bellies full.

But something told him that the void chicken you recently introduced to the farm felt lonely, a misfit among the "normal" chickens. She wasn't too sociable around them, and that worried Krobus.

Of course he, of all people, could understand why.

To this very day, the shadow monster couldn't fathom why you'd take him into your home..when his existence alone scared humanity and could damage your reputation with the town.

What would the villagers think if they learned you're housing a beast who once dwelled in the mines?

Many weren't anywhere near as brave as you were when it comes to venturing deep into shadow monster territory....and the few who had the guts to made it their personal mission to slay as many of his people as possible.

Or at least..what remained of them after the elemental wars.

Surprisingly enough, some of the brutes began visiting your farmland at night, and Krobus would see them hiding in the foliage, behind trees..or even rummaging through your crops, yet never taking anything for themselves.

He wishes he could greet them normally, ask what drew them to the surface, or try to reason that you're a good human who shouldn't be attacked.

Yet in the back of his mind...he feared being branded a traitor for siding with the species that hurt so many of his own people.

What would they do if they noticed his pendant and realized a human gifted it to him?

Surely they would freak out, coerce him into coming back to the mines where it was "safe"...or worse, they'd kill you and make him watch. He couldn't let his presence be known, lest they discovered you were housing him and destroyed the life you built here.

You would think he betrayed you and brought a siege upon your land--after all you've done to shelter him from the cruelty of the world.

Not even Yoba would forgive such a sin.

Even though he felt his connection with his people drifting with each passing week, he was content with his choice to live with you. He wouldn't trade your kindness and generosity for the world.

Plus, you've told him over and over that you knew what you were signing up for. You knew it when you first bought a void egg from him. You knew it when you and the wizard broke up his fight with Dwarf. You knew it when you created a space in your home that suited his environmental needs.

All he could offer you was a stardrop in return, but it was more than enough for you.

Krobus vowed to contribute to the farm's many tasks how ever he could..when it safe for him to step outside of course.

On this cold winter's day, he figured checking out the coop would be a great first step.

He peeked into your bedroom, discovering you to be sound asleep and looking rather peaceful.

Indeed, it was a stark contrast to how battered and bruised you were last night, having returned from the Skull Caverns at midnight. None of his people ventured there, considering the desert climate would be unbearable for them to live in, but while sharing meals he'd listen to your tales of serpents, mummies, and even dinosaurs living down below.

By comparison..the monsters in the mines seemed tamer and were somewhat civilized, and at his request you managed to avoid fighting them if you could.

The beasts you encountered in the Skull Caverns were brutal and unforgiving, and you had no choice but to defend yourself.

This trip in particular took quite a toll on your body, as you had to use a warp totem to get home...and even then, you were limping from sheer exhaustion. So much so Krobus had to assist you up the stairs and into your bed. He ran the the risk of being seen, yet his concern over your health took priority.

Sleep didn't easily come for him, but it only did after he prayed and thanked Yoba for bringing you home.

He didn't like the idea of you pushing yourself to work so early in the morning, so he decided he'll help lighten that load.

Starting with the coop.

Opening the door, he breathed in the crisp winter air, relieved to not see any humans in sight. There was your pet, who was initially frightened by his sudden arrival, but now warmly greeted him as they climbed the steps.

Krobus laughed softly, crouching down to pet them. "Good morning, little one." He whispered. "Enjoying the snow? I like it very much..but I can't say our chicken friends will agree."

He stood and continued on his way to the small building, eager to check up on your animals and see to it that they're fed.

But unbeknownst to him, a human arrived onto your farmland at that same moment, only seeing a dark figure creeping into the coop.

And he just so-happened to be the man who cared for chickens more than life itself.

......

Shane arrived at your farm, holding a small envelope with a letter inside. It contained a recipe for some dessert--not one that he made or discovered, of course, but rather one he tore out of a magazine.

His first thought was of you, knowing you liked gathering fresh produce and made your own meals..compared to him, a lazy bum who microwaves processed garbage in a plastic dish and called it "dinner."

It wasn't much, but it was the least he could do for a friend who pulled him out of such a dark place..

You were taking a shortcut to the sewer when you found him near the cliffs...where he was truly at his lowest. He doesn't remember much of what he said, but you told him that he considered ending his own life, yet changed his mind after you told him some comforting words.

All the strength you've gained down in the mines allowed you to drag him to the hospital, where you stayed by his side the entire night. Even when Harvey assured you he'll be okay, you refused to abandon him.

Shane never thought anybody in this town would care if he just up and disappeared, yet despite his rudeness towards you...you managed to break down his walls and show him that you cared.

And all it took were some peppers, pizza, eggs, and stupid amounts of persistence.

It really hit him that he almost did something he couldn't reverse..and he never wanted you, Jas, or Marnie to see him get that bad again.

So he promised to make some serious changes, see that counselor Harvey recommended to him, and cut back on the hours he spends at the saloon after work.

The last time you both talked, you mentioned Robin upgrading your coop's space, and Shane was thrilled. So he figured he'd come visit and see how the animals were doing in this cold weather.

He was also curious about that "void egg" you got from a merchant...and he wondered who it was if not Marnie.

Obviously he'd feel like a jerk if he came emptyhanded, or awkward if you weren't actually home right now, thus he decided to bring the letter and recipe just in case. A small surprise "gift" for you to come back to later.

As he approached your mailbox, however, he noticed a dark figure opening the door to your coop. He couldn't tell who it was as they quickly went inside, as though afraid of being seen.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep making him see things, but-

"Huh? What kinda tracks are these..?" He looked down, finding footprints in the snow that didn't belong to any human's.

In fact, they seemed to have clawed toes..

Just like a monster's.

At the saloon, you recounted tales of how you've encountered slimes, plant monsters, bats, and even shadow creatures on your farmland at night--as well as your adventures down in the mines with skeletons, ghosts, and more.

Most of the regulars were 99% certain you were drunk, but others believed your stories and were fascinated by them, as you'd show them gems as proof of your excursions. Sebastian in particular was intrigued by the frozen tear you discovered, flattered that you allowed him to keep it.

Shane, on the other hand, merely dismissed your tales with a "buh" and an eyeroll before sipping away at his beer. He was never a strong believer in the supernatural..convinced that only slimes, rock crabs, flies, and bats dwelled in the mines and nothing else.

Living Skeletons? Metal Heads?? Shadow Shamans???

You HAD to be either drunk, on drugs, or both at the same time.

Although he's become more open-minded to your stories since befriending you, he was still skeptical...yet the footprints he was seeing in the snow didn't match up to any animal he knew in the valley.

Whatever it was, it must've figured out that your coop was an all-you-can-eat-buffet.

That thought alone made him break out into a cold sweat, picking up a stone before rushing towards the building. He didn't hear any noise inside, and that made him all the more concerned.

You helped him when he needed it most, and now he'll repay you by defending your chickens...even though he knew nothing about fighting monsters.

Upon opening the door, he was stunned to find a shadowy humanoid creature holding your void chicken in its arms. It had a goopy smile on its face, looking down at the bird-

Before there was a furious shout.

"HEY! Put that chicken down!"

.........

"HEY! Put that chicken down!"

Just as you were tuning into the Oracle's channel on TV, you were startled by the sound of Shane yelling at someone-

Wait..

'What's Shane doing on my farm? And at this hour, too?? I thought he sleeps in all the time..' Your eyebrows furrowed as you looked around the house.

"Krobus? You in here? I may have a visitor."

No response.

You checked the monster's room, and sure enough didn't find him in there.

Normally he'd freak out and hide beneath your bed if he even caught a glimpse of a human outside. You'd always tell him ahead of time if a friend was coming to visit just so he knew when and how long to stay hidden.

Of course, you never liked having to keep Krobus a secret, yet you understood why he believed that was for the best. He was so, so afraid to go with you even after gifting him the void ghost pendant--a precious amulet from his culture, symbolizing unity and devotion to another.

His worst fear was you being shunned and getting hurt because of him. But you promised to make things work, and so far you've had no problems.

The only other place he'd go besides your cabin was the coop, having grown fond of the animals there and the void chicken you were raising. The winter allowed him to bond with them.

But if he's there right now..and you just heard Shane yell, then-

'Oh fuck.'

Throwing on your boots and jacket, you rushed out the door, damn near slipping on the pathway to the coop.

You opened the door, finding Shane staring down your terrified roommate with anger, ready to throw a stone at who he believed was a monster trying to eat your livestock.

But as he reeled his arm back, he was confused by your hand grabbing his wrist. "Huh?! Hey! Let go!" He grunted.

"Shane, what the hell are you doing?!"

For a moment, he blinked and stared at you as though you had several heads. "What does it look like? I'm....that thing was trying to eat your chickens!" He pointed to Krobus, who was now curled up in the corner, having let go of the void chicken long ago.

"That's one of the monsters you were talking about, right? Don't you have a sword or something that could-?"

"He's not a threat."

Shane froze. "..huh?"

"His name is Krobus. He's a shadow person I met in the sewers." Letting him go, you opted to stand between the two. Krobus immediately got up and latched onto your shirt, hiding behind you for protection.

"The sewers? Jas and Vincent said they saw a monster through the grates, but I thought it was some imaginary friend."

"Well news flash, he's real. And right now he's more scared of you." You huffed. "Now please..put the rock down."

After some hesitance, he complied and dropped the stone. "Fine..sorry. I thought it--he was trying to-"

"I would never harm one of Yoba's precious creatures!" Krobus snapped, despite his voice trembling. "Especially not one that [y/n] so lovingly raised."

"You...understand what I'm saying?" Shane looked astonished.

"Of course.." The shadow monster calmed down a little, but redirected his anger to you. "You..we had an agreement. You promised to tell me if someone was coming."

"I didn't know he was here at all." You frowned. "You could've told me you were checking out the coop."

"But you were so weary from last night, and I thought you'd appreciate sleeping in-!"

"Look..if it helps, I can just leave and pretend none of this ever happened."

Both of you looked at Shane, who was slowly making his way to the door, only for him to stop as you sighed.

There's no way you could hide this now..

"Stay. This isn't something you can "pretend" never happened. Let's all head back to my house and I'll explain everything. Maybe we can come to an understanding without any violence. Whatdya say, boys?"

Shane and Krobus briefly glanced at each other, before silently nodding.

.........

"So basically...you got chased out of your home by Dwarves, had some great war with them, got cozy in the sewers...and [y/n] just...stumbled upon you?"

"Erm..slight correction, the local librarian had a key to the sewers, which [y/n] obtained. And only then they stumbled upon me-"

"After I donated like 60 artifacts to the museum, of course." You added on as you stood by the oven, watching the timer.

For a brief moment, you looked back at the two people sitting awkwardly at the table:

Shane, who was still wondering if the shadow monster sitting across from him was really a monster, a hallucination from his withdrawals, or just..someone in a SUPER convincing costume.

And Krobus, who stared at this scruffy, tired man who desperately needed a shave and a new jacket--the only other human he's spoken to aside from you and Rasmodius.

"Wow..I'd say I need a drink, but um..I'm in recovery right now. So I gotta cut back on those." Shane admitted, scratching awkwardly at his hair. "Do you like living on this farm with [y/n], Krobus?"

"It was...a difficult transition. Something I never expected to happen." He fidgeted with the pendant around his neck. "Our existence..terrifies humans. They attacked us when we came to the surface to make peace, so we stopped and hid back underground. We learned the world wasn't kind to those who were different. But [y/n] showed me that not all of them are like that...and I'm grateful for all they've done for me. I don't regret my choice.."

Then he looked to you, suddenly bashful. "A-As long as they don't regret it, of course..sometimes I feel like all of this is a dream. Or some foolish prank.."

"It's no dream or prank, Krob. I have no regrets becoming your friend." You smiled and patted the monster's head reassuringly, before glancing at Shane. "Just like I don't regret befriending this guy."

"Yeah..I was uh..in a pretty bad place myself." He mumbled, suddenly finding the weather outside more interesting.

"You said your name was "Shane", right?"

He blinked, looking back to Krobus. "Uh yeah?"

"Did you know that means "gift from Yoba"?" His eyes lit up, smiling from ear-to-ear as he clasped his hands together. "You should be proud of it! You are a blessed child of.....um...what's with that look?"

Shane's expression abruptly shifted to one of discomfort, and he couldn't help but shrink back. "Did..I say something wrong? W-Was I out of line?"

"No, no. I probably should've mentioned this sooner, but I'm actually atheist."

"....as in...you don't believe in Yoba?"

Reluctantly, Shane nodded and averted his gaze once more, expecting some kind of lecture or change in his friendly tone that would make this his first and last conversation with him.

Nobody liked it when he mentioned how he stopped believing in Yoba long ago, especially after what happened with Jas' parents and how his life just plummeted into a downward spiral since then. He feels like his name was cruel joke, and he had a pit in his stomach whenever he was reminded of it.

So now he was fully expecting this devout monster to spew something vile and call him a "horrible nonbeliever"-

"Why the guilty face?"

"..wha?" He did a double-take, seeing Krobus' smile return.

"I've observed humans long enough to understand their religious preferences, or lack thereof. We have our beliefs, and you have yours..and that is okay." He reassured. "No need to feel ashamed, Shane."

It took the man a few moments to process his words..before a small smile appeared on his face as well, shoulders less tense than before. "Whew..thanks. Seriously..you're somehow more understanding than all the people in my life." He chuckled dryly.

Krobus was about to respond, when the ding from your kitchen timer made the two pause their conversation, seeing you take something out of the oven.

It was a dessert that had a shimmering purple hue.

"Oh hey..you actually made it?" Shane blinked. "The infamous "Strange Bun"?"

"Yep! It actually looks pretty.." You smiled, setting it on the stove so it could cool down. "I almost don't wanna eat it...but I'm sure we can split it three ways."

"I recognize that dessert." Krobus gasped. "It's considered a delicacy among my people! How I've longed to taste it again....but how did you come to possess its recipe?" He looked to Shane, who simply dug out a crumpled magazine page from his pocket.

"Right here. It looked good, and [y/n] likes cooking stuff and finding the ingredients themselves..so I figured it's something new they could try."

"And it came out fantastic." You chuckled, bringing over plates of the strange bun and sitting down at the table, passing them to your friends. "Dig in, boys."

While Krobus was actively drooling and devouring it with his bare hands, you took a few bites and instantly felt rejuvenated....whereas Shane kept awkwardly poking at it with a fork, eyebrows furrowed.

"You sure this is safe to eat? Like..I'm not gonna keel over, am I?"

"...you're acting like Jas when she doesn't wanna eat her vegetables."

".....shut it." With a grumble, he rolled his eyes before finally taking a couple bites. You and Krobus watched him in anticipation, studying his reaction.

Only to be met with disappointment.

"Eh..I think I'll stick to frozen pizzas, but thanks. Here. It's all yours." He pushed the half-eaten bun towards Krobus, who gleefully finished it up.

"Thank you..this was delightful." The shadow monster swallowed, looking up at you both, frowning slightly. "But I do fear..now that one more person knows of my existence, word may spread to the town and-"

"I won't tell anyone."

"....really?" He looked at Shane, surprised.

"I used to not believe in "shadow people"..I actually thought you guys were just stuff of fiction. But no, you're actually pretty cool. And...I get that feeling of being stuck in a dark place, thinking you're a pest and a burden who has no future to look forward to. It sucks, but [y/n] here..." He paused and gestured to you with a smile. "They pulled me out of that funk, and it seems they'd pulled you out of one, too."

"They have..I-I find this hard to believe, but it seems we have more in common than I first thought." Krobus chuckled softly. "I'm glad we could come to an understanding, and that you embrace my existence, Shane."

"Yeah, uh...glad you can..embrace mine as well." He mumbled, already kicking himself mentally for how weird that sounded. "But tell me..you like caring for chickens, too? I saw that one with the black feathers and red eyes."

"Indeed, that is a void chicken! I've carried their eggs for ages, but the mines weren't suitable enough to raise chicks in. Then [y/n] showed me the coop, and now I know they're in good hands."

"Ah...did you wanna meet Charlie sometime? Or one of my blue chickens?"

"......chickens can be blue?" Krobus had such a starry-eyed look, as though he had just been told the secrets of the universe.

Meanwhile, you were just cleaning the dishes, listening to their conversation delve into chicken care, eggs, and more. And you could only smile, glad to see that your monster roommate was finally warming up to humans.

Only a select few will get to see him, as you didn't wanna compromise his safety...

But for now, Shane is the only one you could trust.

[strniohoeee]

Hidden In The Shadows Pt. 2

Part 1 Here

Pairing: Matt Sturniolo X Female Reader

Synopsis: Y/N is awoken with fear and feels the shadows of anxiety constantly creeping up on her. Trying to find out more about this town some boundaries are crossed, and some weird things are done….keep reading to find out more📞

Warnings⚠️: Paranoid reader, weirdo locals, talks of cult and rituals andddd that’s about it???😏

Song for imagine: I Walk The Line: Joaquin Phoenix

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine

I keep my eyes wide open all the time

I keep the ends out for the tie that binds

Because you’re mine

I walk the line

Right

Left

Right

Left, no right….

Right again?

Then a left? Fuck I think I’m lost?

It’s so fucking dark, just pay attention

One more left and then I should be

BANG

I jumped up immediately confused, I was blinded by the bright light of the sun and the loud bang of a shotgun?

I opened my eyes fully and felt so confused, I squinted as I looked in front of me

“Matt?” I asked shielding my eyes from the sun

“Don’t worry now darlin they’re coming for us” he said offering me his hand

It was only then that I finally realized my surroundings. I was deep in a corn field, not just deep; but at the core where they usually have the scarecrows. It was such an eerie sight!

Frantically I looked around at my surroundings, I was laying on the ground in my pajamas from the night before.

“What? How did I get here? I’m so confused” I said rubbing my head and looking around

“It’s okay sweetheart, listen sleepwalking is normal” Matt said looking down at me

“I don’t sleep walk” I stated shaking my head rapidly

“You’re in a new surrounding and your body just isn’t used to it, I think you tried to leave but you were still asleep” he said lending his hand out to me

“No you don’t understand, I don’t do that…. I mean how did you even find me?” I asked him after grabbing his hand to lift myself up

“Well you see I went to round up Bertha this mornin’ and I saw your front door open, cept’ you wasn’t round. I called out your name, but nothing. But then I noticed footprints in the dirt down yonder by your driveway. They lead to the cornfield and I yelled your name again, but still nuffin. I rounded up my boys and told them I was going in and I'd shoot off this shotgun once I found you. They’ll be coming in to help us out” he said looking at me with soft eyes

“God this is so weird…. Thank you! I appreciate it. I’m sorry for the trouble this morning” I said to him as I offered him a weak smile

“Nahh don’t worry about it I’m just glad I was able to find you before something happened” he said to me

“Is there something I should be worried about in this field?” I asked cocking my brows at him

“Oh no no it’s just wild animals that are brave and try huntin in the mornin” he said smiling at me

Shortly his friend came in to help us out of the field. They led the way while I was in the back. Matt looked back at me every couple seconds to make sure I was okay. A nice gesture but I still felt super uncomfortable.

“Right, left, right, left no right….right again? Then a left? Fuck I think I’m lost” one of his friends whisper shouted

My head shot up and my eyes widened….that is exactly the last thing I remember hearing…. I immediately became uneasy and anxious

The other boys nudged him and whispered curses at him as they pushed him to walk faster.

“You come to pick corn every couple days and you can’t find your way out?” Matt asked him trying to ease the awkward silence and weird tension in the air

“No no! I’m good don’t worry bout it” he shouted back to Matt as he stomped on the ground, pushing through the field

Leading me out of the cornfield I thanked them as Matt walked me back to my house. Looking down as I walked my feet dirty with dried up mud. And my pajamas caked in dirt….I seemed a bit too dirty for someone who just happened to stroll into a corn field.

Walking me up to my door I turned to Matt and smiled at him, opening my mouth I began

“Listen I’m sorry for the trouble once again, and this isn’t something I normally do like ever; but just know this will never happen again” I said to him

“No worries! Just calm your nerves ain’t nothing wrong with this town to make you so jumpy instantly” he says laughing a bit

“Right….well I’m going to head in now. As you can see I’m a bit dirty” I say laughing

“Of course! I’ll see you round” he says before nodding his head and taking off

Stepping into the house I shut the door behind me almost instantly locking it. I stomped upstairs to the bathroom. I got the shower running as I removed my dirty clothes and looked at my body. I had a few scratches but nothing that seemed abnormal….. was I going insane? Was I now a sleep walker? Or was something darker going on already?

I shook it off and hopped in the shower. Once I was done and got dressed I decided to sit on my couch, chewing at my nails as my leg bounced up and down. This anxiety was clawing at me and I couldn’t stop it.

Pulling my phone out I opened my emails and saw I had a new email from my old professor

Dear Y/N,

I can’t believe you actually bit the bullet and went! This is awesome and I’m looking forward to hearing all about your experiences. I read those articles and it’s actually crazy! I did a few more google searches and even ended up on Reddit. Supposedly Thomas Sturniolo has family out in Pleasant Town. I wonder if they still use the same name and if you’ll ever run into them! And as far as the realtor guy he for sure sounds like a weirdo! Haha, who has that name anymore? But then again it is a small town in the south! Please keep me posted!

Sincerely, Professor Wayne

I sighed with relief at the email back from him, for a split second I felt like I had some normality in my life, and I decided to email him back

Dear Professor Wayne,

Thank you for getting back to me! I’ll for sure keep an eye out for any Sturniolos! I sure hope they don’t go by that same name anymore, but I’m still not sure. I’d have to go to the local library and search the database. Who even knows if they have a library here….sure doesn’t seem like it!

However something so weird happened to me last night. I think I was sleepwalking? I’ve never done that before, but I have no recollection of the night before. I must be an extreme deep sleeper! But how does one end up muddy in the middle of a cornfield and not wake up? Am I being paranoid, or am I right to be a little concerned? I mean this was only the first night…. I think I’m just scaring myself! Anyways, I hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely, Y/N Y/L/N

Hitting send I sighed as I laid my phone down on the couch. Rubbing my hands through my hair as I shook my head. That uneasy feeling went away as soon as I realized how hungry I was.

Remembering I never got to go out last night I decided to hit the stores today. However I didn’t know where anything was and I was on edge, so I decided to see if Matt was available to take me to the stores.

Stepping outside I locked my front door, and to my surprise Matt was outside tuning something in his car. I looked both ways before crossing the dirt road

“Hey Matt” I said to the young man as his arm cranked rapidly while his tongue was in between his teeth, in a fit of concentration

“Oh hey darlin” he says quickly snapping out of it and looking at me

“I really don’t mean to bother, but I was wondering if you’d be willing to take me to your nearest market so I can get some food” I said to him smiling

“Oh sure thing, let me finish tightening this and we can take my truck” he says smiling at me

“Sure thing” I say backing up

Cranking the wrench again he gave a satisfied face once he realized the piece was fixed. Matt shut the hood…well more like slammed it before dusting his hands off. Using a handkerchief in his pocket to wipe them clean fully.

“My uhh, my passenger side door doesn’t work or else I’d be opening it for you on that side” he stated as he opened the driver side door and looked back at me

“Oh that’s alright I appreciate it” I said as I patted his arm and hopped into his truck

He hopped in after me and shut the door, starting the car up. His tongue stuck out between his lips as the ignition sputtered and then his engine roared to life

“Now that’s what I’m talkin bout” he said tapping the steering wheel

“Did you fix her up?” I asked him as I looked inside the car

“Oh I sure did! 1950 Chevy 3100 . Belonged to my great grandpa and it got handed down to me. I fixed her up nicely. New paint job, new interior and new parts” he said smiling while looking at me

“It’s really nice, to see a car this old running fantastically” I replied back to him

“Yeah, I mean it didn’t need much. My great grandpa got it as his retirement car but then he passed away and it was left to my pops who didn’t care for it, so he left it to me” he replied

“Wow, this is awesome though. I love old cards so much” I replied nodding my head at him

Nodding back we sat in silence, the breeze of the warm air and the sound of a faint country song playing in the background.

“Say you guys wouldn’t happen to have a library here would you?” I asked suddenly

“Oh we do! The smallest library in all of the United States” he said looking over at me

“Fuck yes, is it cool if I stop by there for a bit?” I asked him

“Sure thing darlin” he stated back

About 10 minutes later we were in their “city” which was probably the furthest thing from a city. Everything was right next to each other. Pulling into a parking spot we hopped out. Matt held onto my hand as he helped me hop out of his truck.

Offering a smile as I silently thanked him. Leading me over to the local market they had there. He had gone his way as I grabbed a cart and began to shop.

The buzzing of the old light fixtures and the ominous silence made me a bit queasy. Looking over my shoulders every couple of seconds.

As I was grabbing a couple of basic necessities as far as food I made my way over to the laundry detergent. Scanning what they add and silently choosing my options. I heard giggling to the left of me, so I turned my head, and to my surprise there was a group of kids no younger than 10 looking at me and laughing. Some of the kids even stared at me with wide eyes….almost like they knew me. I offered a polite smile and grabbed what I needed.

I headed down to the frozen section in the back of the store. Looking at the milk options I heard the whispered chatter again and the laughs. So I looked into the glass reflection and saw those same kids staring at me. Getting fed up I abruptly turned around

“It’s not nice to stare” I said to them bluntly

“Ye ain’t s’pose to be here” One taller boy said almost like he was growling at me? Like a dog?

“Says Who?” I asked him cocking a brow at him

“Ye just ain’t” he said again glaring at me with his cold eyes

“You don’t own the town” I said sucking my teeth at him

“Ohh my daddy’s gone’ be real upset when he sees you here” The boy said as his friends snickered with him

“You’re such a little shit” I mumbled under my breath as I turned around and rolled my eyes

“You better get out here before you stuck forever” One of his little friends said

I ignored him, but I couldn’t ignore the chill that ran up my spine at that statement. These people were such fucking weirdos and one more instance was going to be my sign to pack up and leave.

Too into my thoughts, my hand had gripped the handle to the door roughly as I fought with myself. Zoning out completely I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder

“You alright?” I heard from behind me

I jumped and gasped before looking over my shoulder, a calmness taking over once I saw it was Matt.

“Yeah…yeah sorry I guess I got distracted” I said shaking my head

“Too many milk options?” He asked laughing

“You could say that” I replied wiping sweat off my forehead

“I’ll wait for you outside you seem a bit on edge” he said to me before backing away

“Alright thanks” I said to him

I quickly grabbed my milk and the last bit of groceries I needed. Heading to checkout before meeting Matt outside.

“Oh darlin you should’ve yelled for some help, let me get that for you” he replied taking some bags from me

“It ain’t nothing, I appreciate it though” I stated smiling at him

Matt and I put the groceries back in the truck, and he showed me to the library.

“Whatcha here looking for?” He asked me as we strolled down the aisles

“Nothing in particular, maybe some history” I said smiling at him

“History?” He asked cocking a brow at me

“I love all things history” I replied back as my fingers danced along the cover of some books

“I hate to break it to you, but uhhh we ain’t got no history books” he said laughing

“And why is that?” I asked furrowing my brows

“About a year ago the whole history section was set on fire by some hooligans, damn near took out the whole back side of the library. Were just glad people was round to help stop the fire” he replied back

“How convenient” I said offering him a tight lip smile

“I mean they’re trying to get that back section up and running again but without the funds we can’t get it properly fixed nor get those books back” he stated shrugging his shoulders

“Man that sucks, but I guess romance books will suffice” I state to him

“Oh I hate that shit, I’ll be outside waiting for you” he said laughing

“Whatttt no Colleen Hoover? No Nicholas Sparks?” I asked him pretending to be offended

“Oh no that’s all you” he said laughing and throwing his hands up

I trotted over to the romance section as Matt left browsing the section before quickly looking for Matt. I saw that he crossed the street and headed into a bait and tackle shop.

Smiling to myself I trotted away from romance and walked around, looking for a worker. Once I found one I walked up to her

“I’m so sorry to bother, but I know this town is full of history and was an important asset to many people, where would I find records of all the important people from this town throughout history?” I asked the worker

“Oh yeah we have a format on our computers it should be open just scroll down to pleasant town history and it’ll show you everything you need” she replied back

“Thank you so much Faye! It was great meeting you” I said to her before walking away

Making sure Matt was still nowhere to be found I rushed over to a computer. I clicked Pleasant Town History. And it was dumbed down into categories. My eyes lit up once I found crop, animal and farm owners. Immediately clicking I scrolled through the names.

“Stacey….Stanley….Stuart……Stu…..Sturnham….” My eyes squinted once I saw the next name was actively crossed out with a black border over the name.

Counting through the alphabet I realized “I” was after “H”…… it only took a few seconds before my eyes widened. Sturniolo? It was gone….scratched from this list?

I went over to homeowners and Sturniolo was blocked out once again, I slowly went to car owners, Chevy 3100 truck….. Sturnham…. And then blocked out again?

The gears started to click and I immediately became anxious. There could be no possible way that….hes Matts great grandfather? Right??

I figured there’s no way Matt could be related to someone like that. I mean yes he was a weirdo, but nothing like that…..

I exited out of everything and quickly walked to the exit. Swinging the door open I slammed into someone.

“Woah little lady where you headed” I heard Matt say laughing

“Sorry, didn’t see you there” I said frantically

“Oh no worries….found what you were looking for?” He asked raising an eyebrow

“What?” I asked as I swallowed thickly

“A romance book? Did you find one you were interested in?” He asked a bit puzzled

“Oh no uhhh none that peaked my interest” I stated smiling at him

“Well it’s almost lunch time, so I’m planning on heading back home” he said to me

“Yes, lunch! Very important, let's go!” I said nervously as I walked to his car

Matt peered at me with a bent neck and furrowed brows, but I just smiled at him as he followed me back to his truck.

Hopping in we headed back home, and to my surprise Matt helped me bring the grocery bags in.

“Here uhh let me make you lunch to say thanks” I said to Matt as I grabbed the loaf of bread from his hands

“Oh no sweetheart, don’t worry bout it” he said smiling

“No please! It’s the least I could do” I said to him nodding my head

“Well alright” he replied giving in

“How’s peanut butter and jelly with some milk?” I asked him

“Sounds mighty fine” he replied back nodding his head

I made our sandwiches and poured us some milk as we sat across from one another. Slowly eating as we occasionally exchanged glances.

“So uh..” I started

“Great sandwich” Matt said smacking his lips to get the peanut butter down

“Oh thank you” I replied giggling as I took a sip of my milk

“You seemed a bit on edge earlier, is everything alright?” He asked me as he took a sip as well

“Oh yeah, just some kids saying weird things to me. Makes me feel unsafe” I said to him

“What did they say?” He asked sitting up in his chair

“That I don’t belong here and I should leave before something happens?” I said rubbing my forehead

“Little bastards….listen don’t pay attention to a word they say. Those little assholes have nothing better to do than pick on people” he replied shaking his head

“Yeah I figured, but with the weird morning I was having I just freaked myself out” I said to him

“Understandable, but don’t worry you’re safe here” he replied offering me a warm smile

“I uhh… i have a question” I said to him

“Spill the beans then” he said ushering me to talk

“You see I did some research today in the library” I said to him

“Ahhh so no romance books” he said laughing

“No, but there seems to be something weird with the information on this town” I said to him

“You were looking up this town because?” He asked chewing a bit slower

“Well I want to learn more about where I’m living” I said in a duh tone

“Okay…” he replied a bit annoyed

“Who’s the Sturniolos and why is that name scratched out of almost all the public records?” I asked him

Immediately I regretted my decision. Something switched in the boy and his eyes grew cold as his nostrils flared. He slid his tongue along the front of his teeth. Inhaling sharply he slammed his hand down on the table

I gasped and jumped at this, my eyes popping out of my head.

“You don’t mention that name, you don’t read about that name and you sure as hell don’t think about that FUCKING NAME” he said yelling the last part

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry I didn’t mean to upset you I swear” I said starting to frantically panic

“That name has destroyed everything good in this town. We don’t claim that man or his bloodline. He’s done unimaginable and unforgivable things” Matt said pursing his lips together and grinding his teeth

“Please forgive me Matt. I meant no harm at all just wanting to know some history. I swear I meant nothing by it” I replied throwing my hands up

“It’s alright, I’m sorry sweetheart for scaring you. I just haven’t gotten over what that evil man did” he replied calming down

“No it’s my fault” I said to him

“It’s not your fault” he replied finishing his milk

“I’m truly sorry” I stated once again

“I’ll meet you tonight at 7pm, I’ll take you to dinner and I’ll explain a little more about that man” he said to me nodding his head

“Oh alright” I said to him nodding my head

With that he put his dishes in the sink and stomped out the house. The rattle of the front door sent a shiver down my spine.

Later that evening I had gotten ready, stepping out my front door and locking it. I turned around to see Matt already waiting by his car for me

Hopping in we headed back into that same area from earlier. Taking me into one of the restaurants we sat for dinner. Using this as my advantage to squeeze some more information out of matt.

“This place is really nice” I said to him obviously lying through my teeth

“Bet it’s nothing like Vegas” he said pushing my chair in for me

“Well not much can beat Vegas, but for a small town this is a nice place” I replied to him

“This is my favorite spot even since I was a kid” he said looking over at me

“Have you always lived here?” I asked him

“My whole life” he said back

“Wow… and you’ve never been anywhere else?” I asked him

“No never, mama says there ain’t much for me to see out there anyway” he said

“With all due respect to your mother…. I disagree. There’s a whole world out there you have yet to see” I said to him

Cracking a smile at me he nodded, his eyes glazing over and shimmering with a saddened look….. one that screams I’m trapped and will never be able to leave

The dinner went well and I learned a lot about his childhood, but nothing about the town. However, that was until we walked the town a bit.

“So about earlier, I just want to say that man was an evil man. He lied, manipulated, stole and killed all for his personal benefit.” Matt said to me

“Did your family have personal ties to him?” I asked him as we walked

“Sort of. He had a farm and he watched my ancestors' animals ... .except instead he killed them. Believing in some weird ritual. Saying how these cult rituals would bring the town fortune” he said shaking his head

“And I’m guessing that was false” I scoffed a bit

“Oh very wrong…. And he was arrested, my ancestors had no animals and because they had no animals they couldn’t make money nor survive really. They spent a lot of time moving around Oklahoma before they could eventually come back here” he replied shrugging his shoulders

“Holy shit…that’s awful” I said exhaling

“It is but hey there’s not much else to do other than move on” he said to me

“Well I appreciate you taking the time to explain this to me…. And I’m sorry for bringing it up randomly earlier…it was wrong” I said to him

“It’s alright darlin” he said smiling and bumping my shoulder with his own

We walked around a bit more before heading back to our houses a little after 9pm. We enjoyed the breezy and quiet drive home.

Parking his car by his house he walked me over to my own house.

“Oh thank you Matt you didnt have walk me over” I stated smiling at him

“I would never leave a pretty lady to walk home alone at night” he said smiling at me

Looking down and blushing slightly I shook my head

“I enjoyed today a lot, thank you very much” I said to him

“You’re welcome sugar” he said back

“I’m going to head in for the night and get some shut eye. I’m super tired” I said yawning

“Me too! We’ll have a good night Y/N” he said to me

“Goodnight Matt” I replied back

Smiling at him I pulled him in for a friendly hug, and to my surprise he actually hugged back.

“I’ll see you tomorrow” I stated pulling away

“Goodnight” he said smiling at me and waving bye

I shut the door and locked it, making my way up to my room and preparing for bed.

Matts POV

Watching the young woman shut the door his smile dropped, and guilt and shame immediately filled his heart and mind. So taken aback by the hug and how nice Y/N was to him today he didn’t know how to feel.

Walking down the steps of her porch, he trotted over to his own house. Slipping in quietly and locking the door behind him. Silently slithering into his room he shut and locked the door.

Putting his pajamas on he laid on his bed as the moonlight lightly casted in through his windows. His mind wandered as he remembered what took place almost 19 hours prior….

Flashback

“Will you shut the fuck up and pick the lock faster” I yelled at my friend

“Well Matt I’m tryin but it’s dark out here” Bo said back to me in anger

“Just hurry” I said through gritted teeth

Within 30 seconds we heard the click and sighed in relief. Quietly ushering into Y/N’s house, we shut the door behind ourselves.

“Nate you pass me the chloroform and Bo and I will bring her downstairs” I said to my other friend

“Sure thing” he said nodding his head

Walking up the stairs we turned to the left and walked to the door that was closed. To our surprise it was her bedroom.

We walked in and I walked up to Y/N

“Y/N! Wake up” I said to her as I shook her

Jumping up out of her sleep she seemed confused and scared, but snapping my fingers I signaled to Nate. Instantly he handed me the chloroform and a rag, dozing the rag in the chemical I held it over her nose. Immediately she fell limp into my arms.

Nate took the supplies out of my hands and Bo came over to help me. Pulling her from under her arms we dragged her down the stairs.

“Leave the front door open so it seems like she left on her own” I said to Nate

“Got it” he replied eagerly

Rushing out the house we dragged her through the gravel and when we got to the dirt road Bo and I stood her up. Leaving footprints from the end of her driveway to the start of the cornfield.

“What about our footprints?” Bo asked me as we approached the corn field

“We’ll worry about that later come on” I said to him

Dragging Y/N into the center of the corn field we laid her down. Arms spread out and ankles touching.

“Are you sure you know how to do a sacrifice?” Nate asked me

“I learned from my grandfather and my dad I know what I’m doing” I replied back to him

“I don’t know this seems like too much” Nate said to me

“You’re getting cold feet now? After all this! You told me you were ready” I stated getting angry at him

“I know, but this seems all too much” Nate stated

“You don’t think I feel the same way? I said squinting at him in anger

“Man I think we should wait” Nate said

“You’re such a pussy” Bo said laughing at the boy

“I’m not ready” Nate said to us

“FINE! FINE! We’ll figure this out for another day” I said standing up

“Because of this chicken shit?” Bo said standing up

“I need everyone to be on board, so if one’s out then we’re all out” I said shaking my head

“Come on man” Bo said shaking his head

“Let’s go! help me get her up, we gotta get her back to her house” I said shaking my head

It started to drizzle as we lifted Y/N up. Holding her by her arms as we dragged her through the field.

“Right, Left ,Right, Left, no right….Right again? Then a left? Fuck I think I’m lost?” Bo said as we trotted through the cornfield

The rain became heavier which made it harder for us to see, and slippery. Our boots got stuck in the wet dirt.

“Fuck it’s dark! I need to pay attention” He said loudly as he wiped the water from his eyes

“Where am I? What’s going on?” Y/N started to say in a drunken groggy state

“Fuck….we gotta go” I said looking at Bo

“Matt? Is that you? What’s going on?” She asked as she tried to stand up

“Shhhh” I said to her

“I’m really scared, what's going on?” She asked starting to cry

“Chloroform now” I said to Nate

Nate quickly wet the rag again in Chloroform and shoved it in Y/N’s face. Choked whines of agony escaped her lips before she fell limp again.

“Bring her back to the center” I yelled over the rain

“What! Are you crazy?” Bo yelled at me

“We have to bring her back, this is all messy! I’ll tell her a good story in the morning. She’ll believe me. Come on” I said frantically

Dragging her back through the mud her pants and feet were completely caked in mud. Shaking my head we laid her on her back again.

She was knocked out cold, but I really hoped she stood that way till I came to “rescue” her in the morning.

The three of us ran back out of the corn field eventually. Not having to worry about our footprints because they would match up with my story of us going on the lookout for her!

Flashback over

Matt was disgusted with what he had done. He was no better than the sick men that once ruled this town. He tried to push the feelings deep down but they kept bubbling to the surface.

Forcing his eyes shut and trying to fall asleep. Praying he could somehow find a way to make this all better….

But for now he was hidden in the shadows of his mind and the only escape was….

You.

The End

This will most def have another part LOLLL, I’m sorry this took me forever to get out, but I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did🤭🖤. I wonder how I’m going to play out the next part. But let me know, did I throw you for a loop with this one???? Anywho we’re almost at 2,100 followers which is absolutely bonkers 🤯. I love yall sooo much 🥹🖤🖤

-J💅🏽

Tags: @kqyslyho3 @gamermattsgf @iloveneilperry

[misc-obeyme]

XOXO

Happy Valentine's Day!

I wanted to do a cute and quick little headcanon, so this is the brothers reacting to MC giving them a box of conversation hearts. If you'd like me to do the other characters as well, feel free to send me a request for it. 💕 ETA: Part two is here!

GN!MC x the demon brothers

Warnings: none!

Lucifer

He does understand that there is limited space on these tiny chalk hearts, but is that really an excuse for the terrible spelling? LUV U and U R CUTE really make him frown.

Despite this, Lucifer does think it's very cute of you to give them to him. He will keep them on his desk, safe in their box, and woe betide anyone who even dares to touch them. He won't even touch them himself and no, it has nothing to do with getting chalky candy dust on his spotless black gloves.

He may not fully understand your human customs, MC, but he truly does appreciate your thoughtfulness. When you're spending time with him while he does paperwork, he will actually pick one out to give to you. It's the one that says ALL MINE.

He waits to see if you blush. If you do, he's out of his seat in an instant, pulling you to your feet so he can kiss you. He'll whisper in your ear about how you are, in fact, all his.

Mammon

At first he's too busy being flustered by the fact that you gave him something so cute to consider anything else. But once he's calmed down, he starts scheming. Hey, MC! Don't ya think Devildom variants of these'd sell like hotcakes? You'd both be rich!

You get to decide if you indulge this idea or not. Though admittedly, it'd be pretty interesting to see what kinds of phrases you might come up with for a Devildom variant. They might say things like LUV POTION or SPELL ON U or maybe even HEART HEX. The two of you have a fun time coming up with these, whether or not you actually make them.

Mammon might think that you're only giving these to him because it's what humans do on Valentine's Day. He thinks it's cute, but he doesn't know if it means anything special. You can remove his doubts by choosing a specific message out of the box, though.

Put one that says KISS ME in his hand and it's all over for you. If you're around other people, you can be sure he's dragging you into the nearest empty room.

Leviathan

Ahh! MC! Did you know they actually made a promotional version of these for the anime I Made A Cake For My Crush Decorated With Candy Hearts But They Turned Out To Be Cursed And Now She's A Dragon? They had some in the box that were actually cursed and would turn anyone who ate them into a dragon for a day! They were pulled from the shelves, but he still has three boxes of them that have never been opened.

You listen to this in amusement, but you're quick to let him know that these are just regular human world candy hearts. As far as you know, there are no curses on them. Levi finds he's actually quite excited to try the real thing.

That is, until he starts to read the messages. Each heart he reads makes his blush get worse until he eventually asks you if you realize what these candies say. That blush goes deep red when you indicate that you are fully aware.

He'll get it together and actually try one, though. He's trying not to think too much about the messages. They taste kinda funny and they're a little chalky, but he loves them because they're from you. Give him one that says HUG ME to watch him blush all over again before he reluctantly puts his arms around you. Wait a moment and he'll melt in your embrace.

Satan

He's heard of these, though he's never had the occasion to try them for himself. He's skeptical of their texture, but he finds the little messages charming. He will eat some if you insist. He's grateful you thought of him, MC. He truly appreciates your gift.

Then again, these little conversation hearts are like a puzzling challenge. How can he make them say what he wants to say to you? They're so brief and they don't make much sense even when strung together. He spends half a day staring at them and thinking about it.

You eventually find a set of them lined up neatly on the table in your room. They say U & ME, FOREVER, SAY YES, MY LOVE. You look around for him, but Satan isn't there. He left these here for you to find on your own. You'll have to go looking for him in another part of the house.

He's in his room, blushing behind his book, acting like he doesn't know exactly what you're there for. All you have to do is take the book out of his hands and say yes. That single word is all he needs. You won't be leaving his room until morning.

Asmodeus

Oh, wow, these are absolutely adorable! Not as adorable as him… or you… but still so cute! Help him set them up so he can take a picture for Devilgram. He knows it'll do numbers because everybody is so into human world trends right now. Plus, he's going to throw in a selfie of the two of you eating them.

Okay, wouldn't it be cute if he painted your nails to look like little conversation hearts? He does it immediately and gives himself a set to match. You're amazed at the skill it takes to write the words so small and perfect, but Asmo is more than up to the task.

Ask him which one is his favorite and he'll say all of the ones that remind him of you. He'll start putting them into your hand - CUTIE, SWEETIE PIE, and XOXO. He makes kissy faces at you as he puts that last one on your palm.

When you laugh, he joins you. You're radiant and that's all he can see for a moment. And then the candies are forgotten because he can't resist your sweet lips. He doesn't need candy, MC. He has you.

Beelzebub

Surprises you by not inhaling them immediately. You have several boxes for him because you anticipated this reaction. Don't worry, though, he'll still eat everything you've brought him.

But he stops because he's curious. They say stuff on them, right? That's really cute, MC. He picks out one that says only LOVE. He doesn't need a lot of words, candied or otherwise, to let you know how he feels about you.

Turns out you're the one who's flustered now. You cover it up by telling him to try some. He does as you ask and he's happy enough to eat them all. You tell him about the different ways they can be used to decorate other desserts as well. Eventually he realizes he's really hungry. He wants to take you out to get something a little more substantial soon.

He tells you that he's full of sweet candy words now, but he would rather just hold you than say them. You're okay with that, of course, and it's not long before you find yourself covered in kisses.

Belphegor

What are these? Are they for Beel? You'll have to explain that you wanted to give them to him. Tell him about how popular they are in the human world and he'll start to understand. He might even be aware of what they are, but he certainly wasn't expecting you to give him any.

What a nice gift, MC. He's happy that you thought of him. He tries them out of curiosity and finds he's not too fond of their thick texture. But he likes the words. He arranges them into a little sentence for you. SWEET, DREAM, YOU & ME.

You see him blushing slightly when you read them together out loud. Well, that could mean a lot of things, right? There aren't enough words to make a real sentence. But he's just coming up with excuses to cover the fact that he's nervous about hearing you say the words.

It's easy enough to distract him with some kisses. He forgets his embarrassment pretty quickly when he's suddenly far more focused on how you feel in his arms.

xoxo part two with the side characters

masterlist | Thank you for reading!

[ditizygirl]

Editblr is a breeding ground for idolatry, ableism, racism and so much more all for a community about putting images together.

I've been here for only a year but I feel like I've seen it all, and the excuses oh my god the excuses. You are all 15-19, you should not have the mental capacity of a 8 year old. Your common sense is non existent and almost all of you guys are so fucking stupid it's pissing me off more than any god can understand. You are old enough to have logical thinking skills, you may have a disorder and it may be a reason but not an excuse.

Alot of you have forgotten the saying "Think Before You Talk" and I've sure as hell done alot of thinking. This is my deep dive into editblr.

Ableism

Typing quirks are a way of personal expression but why do so much of you hate to add plain text. I can understand to extent because plain text hates my head because of how long it can be but I'm not gonna act like a little bitch about it. I'm gonna add my typing quirk or even fonts itself to it.

I'm gonna ask someone to help me, or to do it for me. Stopping making excuses for ableism. Alongside with the typing quirks, your psds are ugly and eyestrainy. Psds also fall under racism because I have no idea why you guys are ignoring the fact some make dark skin characters lighter but in the case of ableism most of them are really bright and makes it hard to see.

Orange and brown? Green and yellow? Blue and brown? Why are you putting colours that can be so much eyesore together? And won't even tag as eyestrain and when someone does ask you only do it for one post.

Romanticization

This one is weird as fuck and I see no one mentioning it. Editblr highkey has a ddlg problem, this "little girl" aesthetic you guys have going on borderlines ddlg alot and its icky. The baby talk typing quirk is disgusting, stop it.

I'm not one to judge how someone copes with their trauma but what I DO judge is how you act when majority says its uncomfortable. Now this section I'm a bit unsure how to phrase it, gotta love dyslexia, but that isn't going to stop me.

There's alot of very uncomfortable romanticization of stalking which I've seen so much of alongside abusive relationships and the justification of these things.

Racism

Really can't escape this one unfortunately. Many of you are like kpop idols, you're too dyslexic towards the difference between appropriation and appreciation. Incase you forgot let me remind you.

You can not gift japanese names. Gifting names is a native practice therefore you can only gift native names. Also I've noticed you weirdos befriending people just to use their cultural names. I can't even say it east asian fetishization because its only Japanese.

Also for the love of God can you guys stop saying nonmem and non women especially when referring to sexualities. It's not hard to simply say "queer attraction to women" and "queer attraction to men".

Coming back to the "gifting" names thing, I think it's interesting how all of you conveniently have a Japanese friend who "gifted" you the name of a cute pink anime girl. Maybe I'll do a post later on how much of a bad liar you guys are.

Closed symbols is also another big problem you all have. No matter how much times you're told you can't use something you always cry "but my friend from xyz culture said it was ok!" One person can't speak for a whole culture. You're nothing but a coloinzer in disguise hiding behind the idea of aesthetic. If you want to know if a symbol is closed just use this site.

Goddess Personas

Yea this one is getting a whole section of its own. Like any people I am uncomfortable with goddess personas, especially being someone with biblical sources. Now the idea that a teenager on the internet is making people call them a goddess is strange isn't it?

In my opinion, they're all annoying, copy and paste, and I think not a lot of people talk about how the really bad ones get. You all love to indulge them, make them think they have power over them. You put them on a pedestal and praise them and get surprised when it all goes to their head?

Stop giving 14 years old power, stop indulging in their habits and letting it go their head. Forcing people to refer to you as their goddess? Their Lord and saviour? Their idol? Someone they must listen to? It creates a power inbalance which always leads to the weirdest of manipulation. Also all the engagekiss copiers are so obvious why would you want to copy the identity of a groomer? It says alot of about yourself if that's what you think is ideal.

Callout Posts

Now, personally, I believe that the only reason a callout post happens is because someone was affected, does it not? Very rarely would a callout post would be a fake one, especially if someone has more then one. If you defend someone who has more than one call out post that's on you and you're gonna end up making one some day I can genuine you that. People don't make them for no reason.

This is all I have to say for now. I hope you guys really consider what I have written here, or not, considering the fact you guys have shown multiple times you lack reading comprehension

@starriesse @dollicous @doveinne @firstgf @kiochisato @lamboll @cherryshh @narcbf @lavendergalactic @npditary @sprinkleoverdose @necroangelz @eskeys

[natimiles]

LEVI IS A SMART COOKIE — HEADCANONS (AND APPRECIATION?)

🐟 Let’s start stating the obvious: he is hella smart. He’s an Admiral, he had to study and work hard for it! He might be shy and socially awkward, but we can’t invalidate his entire personality just because he actually says “ROFL” out loud. A person (or demon, in this case) can be goofy and smart — one doesn’t cancel out the other.

🐟 That settled, here is what I think about it:

🐟 From strongest to weakest (and to make things easier), I’d rank his intelligences: visual-spatial, logical-mathematical, verbal-linguistic, naturalistic, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, intrapersonal and interpersonal.

🪸 Visual-spatial: he needs to be good at it if he’s gonna navigate. He barely leaves his room, but he’s got the whole Devildom mapped out in his head. He can walk blindfolded and still be able to arrive at RAD or anywhere he needs to go.

🪸 Logical-mathematical: he has an insanely good strategic mind. You think he’s an Admiral just because he’s one of the Seven Lords? He’s got serious skills in what he does, or it wouldn’t have worked out.

🪸 Verbal-linguistic: he might have a hard time speaking to new people, but he has good communication once he trusts you enough. He can be assertive when he needs to and, again, he has to be able to communicate when he’s commanding his crew. And he’s a really good writer.

🪸 Naturalistic: he loves animals! He looked at a giant snake and decided it was a good friend. He has Henry 2.0 for who knows how long and he takes such good care of him. For me, he loves the ocean, from both the Human and the Demon World. He is a sea serpent demon, so he can swim with all sorts of creatures, learning about them along the way. Sometimes, he even feels a connection to those deep-sea dwellers — living in the dark, solitary depths. (you’re welcome for the angst thought)

🪸 Bodily-kinesthetic: he has good coordination and no one can convince me otherwise. He likes to learn the choreographies of his favorite idols. I think he can learn it pretty fast, and he can teach it easily if you want to learn it too. Now you can dance together and it’s wholesome. Not to mention, he still is a demon and #3 in their power rank. He didn’t get that number randomly. Also, he can sew his own cosplays; he needs good coordination for sewing.

🪸 Musical: he learned about music for his pleasure. He is good at listening to the slight change in rhythm, so he knows exactly when to do a certain move when he’s dancing and all the cues when he’s singing. He will annoy you if you sing it 0.02 seconds earlier. He can play the keyboard and probably the drums.

🪸 Intrapersonal: his self-esteem is not good (we just need to help him a little), but I think he has a deep comprehension of himself. He knows what he likes and dislikes, how he’ll react when something happens and how to deal with his own outbursts. Understanding and putting it into practice, however, aren’t always the same, and that’s where emotions take the lead (hence why it’s intelligence #7). That’s when he summons Lotan.

🪸 Interpersonal: do I need to say something? I love my boy, but he has a hard time meeting new people and that's fine too.

Masterlists

[mothiir]

eyes full of stars

the reader is a diplomat working with roboute guilliman to try and broker peace with the local craftworld, and she has a somewhat strange moment with one of her aeldari counterparts.

cw: finger sucking and lewd thoughts.

—

“Hush,” Taleath says, fingertips coming up to rest on your mouth, and you lapse into silence at once, completely thrown by the unexpected contact. “The actions of Cato Sicarius have no bearing on your life, nor on mine. His tumultuous emotions are his own storm to bear, and their rain will only chill you if you get too close — which, as you are uncommonly intelligent for your kind, you will not.”

He keeps his gauntleted fingers resting on your lips, the metal chilly against your skin, smoother than silk. You are very rarely lost for words — it is, after all, an integral part of your job as diplomat — but the physical contact has shaken you. Aeldari do not touch humans, unless at war, or under considerable duress; Taleath’s actions, to another Aeldari, would be obscene as a human bearing his genitalia at a conference table.

The corners of his smile curl up into a smile, and your cheeks burn: in your confusion, you momentarily forgot that your companion can read minds. And then, you recall that Aeldari are at great pains to state how they must shield themselves from the ‘brutish, ugly, loud wailing animal thoughts’ that humans emit almost constantly. And then you realise that if he read your thoughts, it was because he did so deliberately, and —

“It is far more complicated than that,” Taleath says mildly. “A mind is not a book to be opened at leisure and perused. And yet I understand your meaning — you cannot help the limitations of your language, after all.”

You are in one of the many libraries aboard the Macragge’s Honour: this is one of the smaller ones, designed to house books on cartography that are more works of art than useful tomes. It is rarely visited, because despite Roboute Guilliman’s best efforts to encourage a variety of interests in his sons, most Astartes prefer to study strategy or to read great historical epics, rather than study stylised images of long-vanished constellations. You, however, adore it here. It is a circular room, the shelves coveringthe walls, the ceiling painted deep rich navy blue, with stars picked out in shining gold. There is one window, circular and high, that shows the endless void of space beyond. It feels like a fairytale room, something plucked fresh from a different, gentler time, when space was full of promise, and the shadows held nothing more sinister than cobwebs.

“I appreciate that my language is limited to your ears but —“ You are normally very good at countering Taleath’s arrogant asides with a witty riposte. Sometimes, you wonder if he riles you up intentionally, simply because it amuses him to see you frustrated — certainly his teasing has led to some serious issues of your own, long nights practicing hiding your thoughts, wondering if that would even work. Your a celebrated diplomat, pride of the Ultramarines, reporting to the Primarch himself — and yet a pointy-faced smirking knife-ear has you thinking things. Heretical, shameful things.

Taleath lifts the gauntlet to his own face, and — tentatively, delicately, like a cat trying a new food it is unsure of — runs the tip of his tongue along the tips of his fingers.

He makes a strange, bird like chirrup. You’ve studied Aeldari vocalisations, but in that moment everything you have ever learned about them seems to have exited your head via your ears. With the same effortless, leisurely grace that he does everything, Taleath shucks his gauntlets off, setting them down on the desk beside him. Then, with a tremendous amount of care, he removes the silk gloves beneath, revealing a pair of pale, spidery hands.

Imperial propaganda describes all Aeldari as scrawny anaemic mutants, with limbs stretched to ridiculous disproportionate lengths. The decidedly heretical texts you studied as part of your diplomatic education waxed lyrical about their ethereal inhuman beauty and grace. The truth is somewhere in the middle. Some bits of Taleath are disconcerting to say the least: he moves too swiftly for your eyes to track, giving him the uncanny appearance of a glitching cartoon come to life. His expressions are almost-human-but-not-quite; something about his smile seems to suggest that he knows exactly when the world will end. His hands remind you of knives. And yet there is an uncanny beauty to him, like a glacier viewed under moonlight, or a distant star burning in the black flank of night.

“Come here please,” he says, and you — knowing better, knowing so much better — obey. It has been months of negotiation with Iyanden, in which you have built up a civil relationship with Taleath (not friendship; you have to remember that; it is what your training drilled into you. Aeldari are not to be trusted; they play games with human lives, and even the kindest knife-ear will gut you like a fish if it is to their advantage).

You are allies only because of the mutual peril you face, from a galaxy that would see you burn, from factions who care little for the petty squabbles of xenos and human — what is the point of humanity’s supremacy, or Aeldari arrogance, if Chaos eats you all?

And yet. And yet. You stop one pace from Taleath, heart thrumming like the wings of a held bird, and the Aeldari reaches for you. His palm presses against the small of your back, urging you forwards that last little bit, so his robes brush against your bare arms. He’s so much taller than you; you have to crane your neck to look him in the face, even as he bends over.

His thumb runs across your lower lip. You always thought Aeldari would be colder than humans, their skin as chilly and perfect as ceramic, but his flesh is fever-hot. He rubs the digit back and forth until you open your mouth, your eyes fixed on him the whole time. His breathing is still slow and calm, and part of you resents him for that — so you rebel in what small way you can. You part your lips, but you don’t chase after his thumb with your tongue like a dog begging for a treat. Instead, you wait — wait so long that it starts to feel vaguely ridiculous, that you are just starting there open-mouthed and panting — and then — oh —

He slips two fingers into your mouth, sliding them first along the blunt edges of your teeth, then onto your tongue. He’s curious, explorative, stroking over the slick muscle, before prodding delicately at the roof of your mouth, where textured skin gives way to your soft palette. You try very hard not to gag as he pushes deeper, rubbing at the velvety insides of your cheeks, bulging them outwards. He utters that bird like chirrup again, and you wonder if he’s even aware he’s doing it. He looks utterly transfixed on you.

It’s just a trick, you tell yourself, it’s what they do, it’s what they do —

“Do not insult me,” he says, his voice lower. Rougher. “I would not need to resort to such — such base measures to trick you, if I wanted to, if —“

You hollow your cheeks and suck, drool starting to gather at the corner of your mouth. Taleath’s breath catches, and you feel an absurd swell of power.

“Don’t read my mind,” you say, the words coming out in a slurry of sound and drool around his fingers. “Jush — keep doing this —“

You start to move your head, keeping your hands loose at your sides despite the overwhelming desire to grab his wrist, to encourage him to keep going, to fuck your throat with his fingers, to prepare you to take —

Taleath chirrups again; this time the sound fades into a constant burbling coo. He pulls you closer, hand splayed on the small of your back, pulling his fingers out of your mouth — and this time you do chase after them, saliva strung between his fingers and your lips.

“I should not be doing this,” he says, half to himself, the words blurred and distorted by the constant vibrato coo. You lick at his knuckles, dopey with passion. All that time fighting down your absurd schoolgirl crush — all that time wasted. “You are human,” he continues, his voice strained. You kiss his palm.

“Yes. And you want me,” you sing-song — only for the world to blur as Taleath moves with a warrior’s swiftness, his hand sliding down to cup your thighs, lifting you up and pressing you into the wall. Bookshelves dig into your spine as he wrenches your head to the side, your hair pulled taut, your scalp singing pain. His teeth graze your jugular, his body presses between your eagerly spreading thighs and —

Then he’s gone. You collapse to the ground in a heap, panting for breath, reeling. Taleath stands on the other side of the library, clinging to his gauntlets like a safety blanket as he stares at you with open, flagrant hunger. Prey-animal fear sparks up your spine, even as your cunt slicks with arousal.

“Taleath —“

“No. Stay there.”

His mouth is red. Why is his mouth red? You suddenly become aware of an ache in your neck, of warmth on your collarbone. You reach up, and your fingers brush a deep bite mark. Taleath licks his lips clean as you probe the damage carefully.

“I — I hope this is not a diplomatic incident,” you say, attempting levity, and he offers you a thin smile. It sits oddly on his face; at odds with the ravenous look in his dark eyes.

“No. But it could be. My kind do not engage in carnal pleasures casually — “

“—and not with mon-keigh,” you say, wondering if this is when Taleath will treat you to yet another lecture on the shortcomings of your species.

“Not often. Not usually. I do not want you to be hurt,” he says.

“I’m fine. It barely stings — it will heal up soon enough,” you say, holding up your bloodied fingers. Taleath licks his lips.

“You do not understand. I do not want you to be hurt by anyone who is not me.”

You know you should retreat; every instinct screams at you too. But even if Taleath was not standing in the only exit, you wouldn’t attempt to flee.

”You…you want to hurt me?”

“Typical human — reducing complex feelings to such banal sentiments,” he says, like you weren’t just parroting his own words back. “I want to consume you. I want to own you. I want every cell in your body to remember my name.”

You — you should not find this attractive. You really should not. And yet all your life you have been told that you serve a greater purpose; that your duty is to others. You have never had anyone look at you with such naked desire and tell you that it is you they want — you alone.

Aeldari lie, you tell yourself. Aeldari lie.

“I would not lie to you, you stupid little prey-thing,” he snaps, and this time it isn’t just his voice; his accent changes, sliding from the polished vowels of an Aeldari into something more jagged, something that you don’t recognise. He visibly gathers himself, and when he speaks again it’s with the voice you are used to: “I mean — human. Girl-child.”

“I’m not a child.”

“You are more than five hundred years my junior — hush. I — I need to go. And meditate. And — and think on things. And meditate. And you need to go and stop bleeding before I do something that we both regret.”

With that, he vanishes, leaving nothing but the throb of arousal between your thighs, and his teeth marks carved into your throat.