#“alright that right there sure is the advanced horrors going on”

[dokutah-exe]

what if instead of her being kal'sit she was kal'freaky and she was all freaky and our organization is freaky island and fuck me i cant take this shit anymore why on gods green earth am i still here im a fucking monster and i am LITERALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERY SINGLE HORROR ON TERRA AND WHY THE FUCK DID YOU MAKE ME FORGET THERESA OH FUCK OH GOD

[fawnnlvr]

club infatuation | spencer reid

pairing: spencer reid x bombshell!reader

masterlist

summary: in which spencer reid decides to attend a club to experience what he didn't in his early 20s and there, he meets a beautiful woman who volunteers to show him why one should enjoy clubbing

word count: 3.1k

author's note: hiiiiii :3 i hope you all enjoy this. i know i did while writing it. i tried something new with the format of my writing so i hope its alright. thank you for reading!!! maybe part 2. sorry this reading is so long. UPDATE: i wrote this right after i found that studies showed that dancing can help with mental health. i have a strong need to rewrite it now... :(

The club was loud.

Music blared throughout the establishment with colorful flashing lights from the dance floor occasionally leaving him partially blind. This was not Spencer's normal scene. He wasn't too keen on crowded places, especially breeding grounds for human fluids and bacteria which is amplified with the factors of alcohol and the high of having letting loose for a night out.

Spencer wove through the crowd of people, politely excusing himself as he did his best to try not to make contact with anyone. He came to the club for one thing and one thing only.

Fun.

Well he wanted to experience fun. He was nearing his late twenties, his entire life filled with further advancing his knowledge and brain power with the help of his eidetic memory. Due to this memory, he has never once remembered a time where he ever felt normal. Like he belonged. Like he could consider himself apart of the rest of the people his age. He has long come to terms that something like that wasn't possible, yet there was always a desire to experience it. Just for one simple night.

Normally, his weekends and leisure time off of work were filled with 'boring topics' his coworkers didn't consider fun in the slightest. Any chance for Spencer to try and connect with the BAU outside of work through film festivals, horror movie showings, and science fiction conventions were all turned down without a spare thought.

Spencer was used to being alone. He was so his entire life, so he led himself to believe that the rejections of his colleagues didn't affect him much but it all so did. His colleagues possessed a knowledge that wasn't in his realms of understanding and that were the abilities to socialize so easily with others. When out at bars, he'd watch the girls easily make friends with a group of girls they meet and Morgan would always find a way to flirt with girls to the point where he would quickly leave the function with somebody in his arms. Spencer, wasn't quite like them.

He wasn't too sure why he chose to go this club in particular. It was a twenty minute subway ride from his home, newly opened which meant heavily popular, and most importantly, he never had a good time at clubs, but he decided on a whim, that tonight would be the night to change that.

Now Spencer was sat at the bar, seeking asylum for his sensitive hearing and eyes away from the dance floor. He asked the bartender for a mocktail, carefully making sure that he participated in safe and healthy behaviors as he is already in a place he felt uncomfortable in.

He held the drink up to his lips, taking a small sip as he let his eyes wander over his environment. The main center was filled with a lot of people dancing fervently to a pop song with more drum beats than a marching band and the constant repetition of one syllable of a word that fades into a remix of another pop song. He watched as couples drunkenly put their hands on one another. He furrowed his eyebrows at the corny smirk a man would have as he introduced himself to a group of women. Then finally, his eyes roamed towards the booths near the corners of the club, tucked in a place that was separated with a velvet rope.

Within those booths held the prettiest girl he has probably ever come across.

You.

You sat in the booth, your legs crossed over one another as you leaned back into your seat. Your booth was surrounded by a few people, all of whom looking nice but for some reason, Spencer couldn't tear his eyes off you.

He didn't mean to stare with the intent of lust or romantic pursuence, but simple admiration. You had a unique beauty he could have only ever imagined in fantasy books, but when the human mind imagines something not seen before and creatively put together, it gets blurry. Yet you were like the ethereal goddess of a fantasy book being brought into real life.

The way you carried yourself, the energy that surrounded you that he could feel even meters away, and your features made it almost impossible for him to turn away. Keyword being almost.

It seemed as if you had this feeling that somebody was staring, very intensely, and your eyes quickly glanced in the direction it was coming from. Spencer felt the heat rise to his cheeks as he hastened turned away, taking another sip of his drink with nervous gulp. His adams apple bobbing up and down to emphasize his racing heart.

His eyes betrayed him by flickering back so soon after the initial eye contact and you were still looking at him. Instead of your body facing those at your booth, it was now open towards him, arms crossed as your eyes freely roamed his entire body before stopping at his face.

Spencer could've sworn he saw you bit your lip but the lighting of the club made the validity of his eyes seem weak. He felt as if all his senses became numb the more he stared.

You stared at him with half lidded eyes, giving the effect of being simply tired or maybe your eyes were strained from the events of the day.

The only thing that snapped him out of his daze once again was when you broke away your gaze to quickly mutter some words to your friends; an apologetic yet happy smile on your face as you stood up, waving goodbye.

The bouncer that was stationed at the section protected by velvet ropes had opened it for you and Spencer noticed that you were walking in the direct path towards him. His mind started to race. Did you think he was creepy? Was the staring too much? Were you about to throw him out? He had gotten the feeling that you were a V.I.P guest since you were in an inclusive area so maybe you held power to throw out whomever you pleased.

Having an IQ of 187 did not help him at all in making a quick decision on what to do as you neared.

"Hi." You smiled as you sat down in the seat beside him, body fully facing him as you rested your arm on the bar table to rest your head on.

"H-Hi." Spencer stuttered and quickly regretted even opening his mouth.

"Come here often?"

"Considering the club just opened last month, not really. It's my first time."

"First time here?" Your soft voice inquired. Despite the chaotic sounds surrounding the two of you, Spencer felt as if you simply calmed down and slowed the world around him.

"At any club actually." He felt almost ashamed to admit it aloud but his mouth moved faster than his rational at that moment. Nervous brown eyes met yours, expecting to be met with judgement but you simply had no reaction.

"Not your thing?" You asked and he nodded, feeling understood for once.

He looked down towards his lap, the sense of nervousness not really going away, "I just came here to see what it's like. Why people find it so fun."

"What do you think of it so far?"

"Loud. Messy. Crowded. Breeding grounds for bacteria." He could go on with the list but decided it'd be better to not rant about negatives on his first time meeting someone new.

"Yeah, you pretty much hit all the points on clubbing." you laughed at his descriptions, watching the mild disgust in his face as he recounts all the things he disliked about the club and clubbing culture within the small times he's been there.

"Do you enjoy it?" he inquired, wanting to see your opinion on this event that he believed only advertised to extroverts who were good at socializing like you.

"It can fun at sometimes, but you really just need to go with someone to make it fun and to ignore all the, "you paused to think, "unfavorable aspects of it."

Spencer wasn't an idiot. He knew what you were insinuating and to some extent, he still wasn't sure if he wanted to believe it or if his mind would allow him to believe it.

Your eyes flickered to the drink on the table, his fingers her fidgeting with the ends of it. "Mocktail?"

"I don't want to drink." Addictions are something he doesn't take lightly. He doesn't want to participate in any of it really as statistics show that one can be more susceptible to an addictions if one had another prior.

Nodding your head, you left it at that. "Well drinking no alcohol and sitting by your lonesome self here doesn't quite sound like fun. To see why people enjoy clubbing, you should immerse yourself in the experience." You looked at him through your eyelashes, "Do you want me to show you?"

Completely enamored by your entire person, who was he to deny such a reject.

He nodded his head, almost too fast, and you moved his drink away from his hand while using the other to grab his hand. The two of you stood up and he simply followed your lead.

As you moved through the crowd, it was like they made a way for you. He watched as those looked towards your figure with suprise before quickly falling out your way. Oh's and small gasps escaped their mouths as if it was their first time ever seeing somebody like you.

You walked with such confidence— head held up high, indifference on your face as men tried to stop you (while you clearly held the hand of another) but you swatted them away with your hand, and you walked so professionally that one may have mistaken you for some sort of a celebrity. You might just have been one if Spencer had to guess but due to Spencer's great memory, he figured he would've known if he had.

Before he knew it, you and him were in the middle of the dance floor and you kept your grip on his hand, very loosely, as you locked eyes with him, pulling him closer.

This was different.

Spencer has never danced before. Well never danced in front of people, let alone a gorgeous woman who he considered way out of his league. And he has also never had a woman dancing in front of him. He was scared to look down, scared to see her.

That was until she brought a hand to his chin, pulling his focus down. "Come on, join me."

"I don't da—"

"Just let loose and follow my lead."

His heart must've skipped multiple beats the moment you gently grabbed his hands and placed it on your figure as you moved to the music. Hands resting on your waist, he couldn't find it in himself to get a grip because he still wasn't sure if this was alright at all.

The moment you took a step closer, making your bodies just slightly touched, paired with the friction of your movements, he was sure he was in fact not dreaming.

Loosen up. Your words echoed in his mind. His eyes searched those around him, wanting to try to copy their movements but with you so close to him, he did his best to match your movement— then he quickly stopped when he realized he was not at all coordinated or blessed with groovy rhythmic genes.

A small smile crept up on your face as his awkward movements made even him cringe.

"Sorry."

You laughed, "Let's start with what your comfortable with."

"The robot?" He questioned with a nervous chuckle.

"Okay, then let's see it, handsome."

Oh how that word flowed off your tongue so easily and carelessly yet it was the beginning of his demise. His brain blew a fuse but thankfully, the added factors of your touch had disappeared when you stepped back to watch him work.

He once again looked around, seeing if anybody was watching him about to make a fool of himself but your voice called him back to focus.

"Are you worried about people watching?" he nodded, "Shall I blindfold you with my bra?"

He laughed. It was more of a yell than a laugh because of the absurdity. You stared at him, head tilted with the most genuine yet teasing smile when you stated such a random thing like it was the best solution.

You laughed along with him, seeing his body relax a bit more. "There you go. Release all that tension in your body."

"I actually needed that for the robot so your little trick to make me laugh and dance better just actually made it worse."

A gasp escaped your lips, "You're right. Let's catch it in the air before it leaves forever." You acted out grabbing the air around him before pushing it towards his body, making little sound effects to complete it all. "Phew! Phew! Phew!"

Spencer joined in on your little show as he wiggled his body to act as if your efforts were fully affecting him.

And at the last little sound effect, you sent a flying kiss, to which he smiled, caught, and placed it to his heart.

"I can feel the music monsters taking over my body now." Spencer smiled as he mimicked robotic movements, making angles with his arms and moving very stiffly. Now this was a move he could get behind.

"Oh no, its spreading to me too." You imitated Spencer, mirroring him almost exactly.

How did Spencer get to this moment? He went from sitting alone at the bar drinking a mocktail to getting woman he deemed to have a beauty, that could compare to no other, dancing like a robot. He wasn't sure what suprised him more, the face that he was doing a nerdy robot move in front of a crowd of people (most of which already has their attention on the woman he was with) or the fact that you were doing it with him.

The fact that you adopted your dance moves for him to feel comfortable when he was so out of place and visibly uneasy, made him feel special. Like he was listened to.

After a small moment of doing robotic dance moves, his and yours eyes connect once again before your lips opened to laugh.

"That was the first time I had ever done that at a club." you admitted.

"I feel honored to be the first one to experience it."

"Well you should feel so honored, it's not everyday one gets blessed with such a scene. Although, I guess it'll be safe to say your ready for another step towards being the dancing queen as ABBA put it."

"More than ready."

You smiled, more of a smirk, as if telling him he won't be prepared for what you had in store. Sometimes Spencer hated when he was right and this was a moment that nothing could have prepared him for.

The music the DJ had played thus far was very pop and chaotic that was perfect for when one wanted to simply let loose and dance crazy. However, one glance and nod towards the DJ table, most importantly, the clock behind the table, had completely changed the scene.

Blue lights that danced along the bodies of the people of the floor had slowly faded into a purple and the music changed into this sort of jazzy but pop instrumental with a sultry voice that completely changed the mood of the scene.

"It's 10pm."

"What does that mean?"

It seemed like everybody around him had found a partner and were beginning to move in a seductive manner. Spencer looked down towards you, you seemed closer than you were before. A small difference but it had a huge impact nonetheless.

"Watch, pretty boy." you walked closer to him and turned around, pressing your back side to his chest before reaching for both his hands and guiding them to the sides of your figure. Leading his hands from the sides of the top of your waist, all the way down to your hips, and towards your thighs. Very, very slowly.

You felt his breath hitch, his heartbeat start to speed. Unsure fingers slowly finding its way as you held it.

He stuttered, "I-Is this alright?"

You gave him a small nod, before moving your body to the music, creating more friction between the two of you. The heat of both your bodies created this bond, an intertwinment that none of you were willing to break.

This was the second time you've done this move, yet this time it felt much much more intimate than before. Bodies fully pressed against one another while the mood was set with the slow and erotic music, Spencer felt the last strand of his uptightness let go.

All he could focus on was you. Your intoxicating, confident, beautiful self.

He felt a sort of confidence with you by his side, a confidence that only you brought out because you made him comfortable in the first place. A confidence that only you could've brought out of him within only thirty minutes of knowing each other.

His hands slipped towards your stomach, pulling you closer and your head tilted back in his chest to look up at him with a smile. You used one arm to rest on top of his arm that was wrapped around your waist, before using your free one to touch his face, down his jaw, and to his neck.

You both swayed to the music; he used your body to guide his. His hot breath kissed your skin.

"Hey." you softly called out.

"Yes?" he exhaled, in a total daze.

"What's your name, handsome?"

"Spencer. Spencer Reid." he sounded breathless, maybe due to the fact that the two of you shared such an intimate moment, or maybe because they two of you did that and still didn't know each others names.

He felt you stop for a moment before you completely turned around, your hands steadying his as his hands rested on your hips.

"As in Doctor Spencer Reid that wrote those articles about psychology and neurology."

"Y-You've read them?"

Your hands rested on his chest as you stared him up and down, your teeth catching your lip. "Gosh, your brain is hot and so are you. God really does have favorites."

Spencer felt his face and ears heat up even more.

"Wanna get out of here?"

It didn't take much for Spencer to start nodding like his life depended on it like he did when you first asked him if you could show him how to have fun. And just like earlier that night, you grabbed his hand and led him to a new night and adventure towards fun he wouldn't have thought was ever possible.

—

"What the actual f—" Emily Prentiss stared at the scene in front of her, utterly speechless as her jaw was like a magnet to the floor. Her eyes trailed towards the two figures leaving the establishment. Her coworker followed around this beautiful, bombshell of a girl like a lovesick puppy. She also watched as the youngest of her team was dancing with a complete stranger in a place he would've been screaming about the different bacteria.

"I am either not sober enough or too drunk." The pair had disappeared into the night and that's when Emily took a deep breath, before minding her own business and getting to work on why she came in that night.

[shouyuus]

─── 啓悟 THE ART OF FALLING

keigo; 4,599 words; hurt/angst, not that much comfort, heavy allusions to suicide, terminal illness!reader, mentions of abuse (keigo's dad), pro-hero!keigo, no "y/n", lapslock

summary: all of life is a falling, all of life is a losing, all of life a catching, a remembering. endless, endless, until it isn’t.

a/n: apologies in advance for this one -- pls do heed the trigger warnings!!! big thank you to @aimfor-theheart for beta-ing and suffering through my keigo-flavored meltdown u__u i promise i will be writing fluff with the birdman soon he deserves it but first... the horrors...

─── 啓悟 HE CATCHES YOU FALLING out of the sky; it will not be the last time.

“oop — careful there,” he says, cradling you to his chest, an easy grin slung across his lips, his eyes twinkling as if there’s an inside joke caught in liminal space between your body and his, “trust me, i get the urge to go flying too but,” he shrugs, zipping through the air till he’s found a nice low rooftop to set you on, “not havin’ a pair of these makes the landing a bit tricky,” he jerks his chin back towards his wings, feathers red as freshly spilled blood.

you swallow, the prickle of hot, angry tears tickling at your eyes as you blink slowly at him as he sets you down. your bare feet curl against the bits of gravel on the rooftop. he glances down at your feet.

“ah… sorry about that. here —”

two red feathers zoom out of nowhere and deposit your sandals at your feet. you stare, almost unseeing. it’s hot, the air miraged in heat, overhead the sun screams its light over the tokyo skyline.

he bends down, holding up a shoe, “alright, on you get —” he reaches out a gloved hand, gently picking up your ankle and slipping your feet into the shoe. your foot drops with a clatter and he glances up to make sure you’re stable before helping you put on the other. when he’s done, he pushes to his feet, stretching his hands above his head in a great, over-wrought sort of yawn.

“man, it really is a good day for flyin’ though,” he shields his eyes with his hands, squinting out over the endless rooftops.

you lick your chapped lips.

“why’d you save me?” you ask, voice soft. there’s a piece of gravel stuck underneath the pad of your right foot.

keigo turns, hitching an eyebrow as he looks you over. his lazy smile stretches, but there’s a hardness to his gaze that almost makes you flinch back.

“cause, pretty girl like you deserves saving, no? and, well, a big ol’ hero like me? comes with the job description.” he chuckles, the noise curt and self-deprecating.

you frown and open your mouth, but the heat is making you woozy, the world going liquid around you as you wobble on your feet.

“oi — are you alri — oi!”

his voice tunnels, warping, echoing and strange, an underwater thing. the sky pinwheels above you, and then — blissful, cool, darkness.

you wake up in a hospital bed; it is not your first time.

the systematic beeps of the machines around you is almost a welcome sound. you count your breaths, feel your heart sync up to the rhythmic whir of machines, you open your eyes to the white-tiled ceiling, the spinning fan, the lifeless fluorescent panel-lights.

“you awake?” a groggy voice asks.

you turn your head; your heart skips a beat. the traitorous machine to your left maps the skid in a perfect spike of bright green light.

keigo yawns, his wings flexing out behind him as he shifts in the hospital seat, strangely dwarfed by the size of his wings. he cracks his neck and sits up straighter.

“i’d say ‘nice place’ but…” he looks around the hospital room, his lips tug into a grimace, “they say it’s not good manners to lie to a lady.”

you can’t help it, a coughing laugh burbles out of you, the motion so unexpected it jolts your whole body. you swallow around the dryness in your throat, but keigo is already leaning forward, helping you up and pressing a glass of water to your lips.

“there, easy does it…” he watches you drink, soothing a hand up and down your back. his palm is warm against the thin linen of your hospital gown. he frowns slightly as you pull away, licking at your lips.

“thanks,” you say, your voice a croaking thing. you flush at the sound, heat creeping up your neck and into your cheeks. keigo laughs.

“no need, just promise me you’ll keep on doing that.”

you frown at him, “doing what?”

he points to the water, and then at you, “drinking water. keeping yourself alive.”

you let out a long breath at the way he leans into the last word, casting your eyes towards the window. outside, the summer sun is just skimming the far horizon, the light gilding the room in liquid gold.

you turn to find him watching you, even as his eyes flicker from your face out towards the setting sun. like this, every feather on his massive wings looks like a lick of fire, and you can almost reach out to feel their heat.

“c’mon,” he says suddenly, jumping to his feet and offering you a hand. you stare at it before slowly letting your eyes wander up to his face. he grins as he meets your eyes, there’s that self-same mischief dancing behind their golden glow, a secret he wants to tell you, just you, and no one else in the world.

you eye his hand once more.

“let’s get outta here, hm?”

you reach out to take his hand.

it is not every day that you get to watch the sunset from the top of the tokyo skytree, and not every night you get watch the moonrise there either. keigo sits with you slotted between his legs, his wings domed around you to block out the wind.

“why’re you doing this?” you ask, after a very long while. overhead, the stars have just started their twinkling ascent. keigo shrugs, letting leaning back, his hands propped behind him.

“like i said, it was a good day for flying and…” his voice trails off. he drops his chin, a mirthless little laugh tumbling out of him. after a moment, he shakes his head, almost mumbling to himself.

“figured… you’d probably never done anything like this before, so.”

you let out a giggle, the sound jolting him up. his eyes go wide as he watches you fall into a semi-silent fit of laughter, a palm pressed to your chest to keep from laughing too hard, lest you start coughing again. he gives you back a few ginger pats before you wave him off.

“n-no —” you manage between gulps of air, “can’t say i have, though… i don’t imagine most people have done this —” you motion towards the space around you, the night sky seemingly encasing you both, sat atop the outlook deck of the highest point in tokyo.

again, he shrugs, but there’s a smile spreading across his lips.

“yeah, well… i didn’t bump into any of them on patrol today, so guess they’re not that lucky.”

you scoff at the word, the smile slipping from your face.

“yeah… lucky.”

“hey,” he leans forward, tipping your chin up, “c’mon, dovie, none of that now.”

you frown, “dovie?”

keigo nods down at your white hospital gown, “yeah, white — like a dove.”

you crinkle your nose and try to shake off his hand. he laughs.

sometime before midnight, he brings you back to your hospital room. strangely, no one’s come to check in on you (though you find out later that keigo must’ve spoken to the nurses and told them to leave you be for the night). he sets you down beside your bed and hops back onto the window ledge.

you watch him with your arms linked behind your back.

“alright, you keep on drinkin’ water and —”

“staying alive, yeah, yeah,” you say with a tiny tremor like a laugh to your voice that makes keigo smile.

ten minutes after he leaves, you hear a faint tink-tink, only to find a single bright red feather poking at your water glass. your jaw drops.

“you left a feather to babysit me?” you ask, before you can even wonder if the feather can hear you. the feather taps it’s sharp spine against the glass once more, nudging it closer, even as you let out a long sigh and reach for it.

you take a long gulp, letting a thin droplet of water trickle down your chin.

smacking your lips loudly, you set the glass down and stare at the feather, now lying motionless on your bedside table.

“there, happy?”

the feather remains unmoved, but you can’t fight the tiny little smile that threatens your lips as you flip onto your side and tug the sheets up over your shoulders. outside, the moon is bright and round as a rime of rice; the city below her glitters in a sheet of undulating stars, and you close your eyes to sleep, for the first time, without fearing for what you’ll find in your dreams.

keigo does not know what brings him back to you; it will not be the last time.

but when he finds himself hovering awkwardly outside your hospital window, he allows himself a single eye-roll of what-the-fuckery before pushing forward to let himself in. you’re reading in bed, a fresh bouquet of flowers on your bedside table.

he feels a strange, almost startling jab of something inside his chest before he shoves the feeling aside and alights down easily onto the floor in front of the window.

you look up from your book, painfully unfazed by the appearance of the winged hero at your bedside.

“i made it into a necklace, look,” is all you say, tugging down the neckline of your hospital gown to show him the bright red feather now tethered to a thin red thread, looped around your neck. he clears his throat, feeling a blush prickle at his cheeks as he glances around the room.

“yeah — i — i know.”

you cock your head, staring at him, the movement so birdlike he almost laughs.

“oh, well, i thought about putting it on a gold chain or something like that, but metal’s not good for mri machines,” you say, casual as you reach for a small mandarin orange from a basket on your table and start the methodical process of peeling it.

keigo watches in muted fascination as you slowly work the peel off with your fingers, one long strip of it, till it falls away to reveal the soft veined flesh beneath. gently, you break off half the mandarin and hold it out to him.

“they’re really sweet today.”

keigo nods, dropping into the seat by your bed and popping three slices into his mouth at once. there’s such an explosion of flavor he almost chokes. coughing, he reaches for the glass of water and chugs half of it in one go, thumping himself in the chest.

“wow — you really weren’t kidding — these are sweet!”

you nod, humming as you break off a section and press it slowly into your mouth.

“some of the girls from uni came to visit today,” you say, your eyes scanning across the words on the page before you flip to the next one, “one of them is thinking about asking an underclassman boy out.”

keigo watches you press another slice of mandarin into your mouth, his throat suddenly very dry.

“uh — yeah? wait — uni?”

you turn towards him, blinking owlishly, “yeah. i was studying to be a nurse. guess i got my wish in the end though —” you let out a flippant little sigh as you slump back into your pillows and look around the hospital room, “no better masterclass than to see the experts at work, right?”

keigo blinks. you were decidedly less talkative the last time he’d been here, though, it was also under decidedly very different circumstances. he wonders about the kind of girl you were before all this, before the endless tests and tubes, hospital visits and check-marked charts. if you were effervescent, if you laughed a lot, made jokes, more than the dry, gallows-humor kind that eventually infects everyone living with a terminal illness.

“oh, you’re super popular with them —” you say, and for a second, keigo is confused, but then he sees the stack of magazines half-hidden beneath the fruit basket. the corner of one depicting his signature bright red wings. he sighs, running a hand through his hair.

“yeah well, that also comes with the job description.”

you flash him a smile, bright and cheeky, and keigo silently thanks the heavens that he’s not the one linked up to the heartbeat monitor because he’s certain his reading would’ve just gone haywire.

“you never told me you were such a heartthrob hero,” you say, lilting the last two words. he scoffs, holding up his hands.

“whoa, whoa there, dovie — that’s not a light accusation to make — and plus,” he says, propping one leg over the other and leaning his elbow on the hitched up knee, “that kinda title is given, something bestowed upon you. ‘s not something you bring up yourself, alright?”

you hike a perfectly arched eyebrow and lace your fingers delicately across your lap.

“bestowed, huh? by whom?”

keigo leans back in his chair, balancing on the hind two legs, spreading wide his arms. behind him, his great crimson wings flare out, sending a woosh of air through the room.

“by the adoring public, of course.”

you stare at him for a beat of three seconds before falling into a fit of laughter that sets every nerve-ending in his entire body ablaze. he fights the urge to flap his wings, if only to get some air in here — damn — he glances towards the window to make sure it’s still open.

it is.

it’s a strange thing, spring. the shortest of all seasons, but eternal in it’s endless impermanence. flowers bloom, green buds darken into the lush green of summer leaves. the whole world blushes, and the wind spins her skirt tails, light over a humming horizon.

keigo’s always wondered about the likeliness of people falling in love in spring, thought it cliched and strange, a seasonal sickness maybe — the change in weather making everyone light-headed. but, he gets it now.

it’s hard now to fall in love, when the world is doing the same with living.

he finds himself hovering outside your window, more nights than not, hesitating about whether or not to go in. usually, it’s after he’s dropped you off after whisking you away to watch another sunset, somewhere, another moonrise, somewhere.

he basks in the musical lilt of your laughter, the rhythmic sway of your breaths (like wingbeats); he takes you flying and flying and flying, till you stop looking down when you plummet towards the ground. you know he’ll catch you, and he does.

every time.

except —

“i won’t need you to catch me when i’ve got a pair of my own,” you say one day, tucked into his side, sitting atop a skyscraper made of metal and glass, the summer sun burning itself out over the jagged tokyo skyline.

keigo glances over.

“a pair of…?” he pulls his attention away from the way you feel curled against him, body to body, his wing feathered over your shoulder like a cape.

you run a thin finger along one of his long flight feathers.

“wings, duh.”

keigo frowns.

your eyebrow kicks up in a devious little dance.

“y’know, for when i’m up in heaven.”

he freezes, every muscle in his body slowly calcifying. he turns his head slowly. you’re watching the sun sink inch by shimmering inch behind a row of faraway buildings, the light refracting off of a hundred thousand windows, spilling into a hundred thousand homes. a hundred thousand people going about their hundred thousand lives, unaware of the looming threat of death, tucked into every darkened corner, lingering behind every closed door.

keigo wants to scream.

he feels it building inside him, fluttering, as if the scream could grow wings and beat it’s way out of his chest.

“call me cynical but… i never used to believe in shit like that.”

you quirk your head, a curious little bird. keigo’s heart aches.

“used to?” you ask.

he lets out a puff of laughter, his wings drooping, closing in and in and in till they’ve almost blocked out the sun entirely.

“yeah,” he turns, his voice catching on his barbed-wire regrets, “and then i met you.”

you watch him for a second longer before leaning in. your mouth barely grazes his, but by the time he realizes, you’re already pulling back, a small, satisfied smile pressed between your lips like a flower, or a secret.

“c’mon, i’ve gotta be back by 8… or else the nurses will have your head.”

“eh, a couple of autographs and they’ll be happy.”

keigo grumbles, allowing you to tug him up by the hand. he loops his arms around you and tips off the edge of the building, letting the pair of you tumble into freefall for a long moment before swooping out of it with a great woosh of sun-licked feathers.

later, perched on the railings of the hospital rooftop, he peers over the edge of the building and wonders what it might be like to jump, to surrender yourself to air and gravity with no wings to catch you. he sighs and stretches out one wing, then the other, groaning as he feels each muscle and tendon pulling taut.

he’d never know. instinct would kick in first, and he’s always had his wings.

“the scan didn’t go well,” you say, toying with the worn red thread around your neck.

keigo’s long since gotten used to the tiny niggling feeling of your skin brushing against his feather. at first, he’d been acutely aware of it, the inside of your hospital gown, the soft warmth of your skin, the way he could almost, almost feel your heartbeat if he concentrated hard enough.

how the presence is a constant companion, a grounding piece of knowledge, something his mind gravitates towards during moments of pause and rest.

“hm, i’ve heard that before and you’re still here, aren’t you?” he asks, flipping through one of your magazines, rocking on the two hind legs of the hospital chair.

you shoot him a tired, annoyed kind of look.

“the doctor said i should stop treatment.”

the steady creek of the chair stops. you cast your eyes up at the white-washed ceiling, a bone-deep tiredness settling in as if death had been waiting for precisely that moment to come creeping in, to remind you of it’s closeness.

the chair clatters to the ground, but by the time you look over, keigo’s already halfway to the door.

“keigo — where’re you —”

“to go have a chat with those goddamn doctors —”

“it won’t do any good.”

he whirls around, wings flaring out. you push yourself up into a sitting position, wincing slightly as pain twines up the length of your spine.

“how do they know? they should at least try —”

“we have been trying. what do you think all this has been?” you motion at the room, the beeping machines, the endless tubes and iv drips.

“well you don’t stop trying just because it gets worse before it gets better —”

“there is no better, keigo. not for me.”

“you don’t know that!”

feathers, a flurry of feathers. his fingers pressing into your skin, his hands on your shoulders, holding you, shaking you. feathers everywhere.

you let him shake you, let him press his face in so close your noses are almost touching.

you wrap your fingers around his wrists and hold him till his grip goes slack.

“i — you can’t know that,” keigo says, and it sounds so much more like a plea. to what, or whom, you can only guess.

“the treatment’s not working,” you say, your words soft, gentle.

keigo slips to the floor, buries his face in your lap, crumples the rough hospital sheets between his fingers. his wings encase you both, a great dome of red, mottling out the light till you’re both just shadows.

he leans up to kiss you, a harsh breath puffing out against your lips the only warning. you nod ever so slightly before he tips forward and crushes you to him.

he’s never handled you as delicately as most other people do, as if you might shatter at the slightest touch. but now, he doesn’t hold back, clutches you to him, kisses you rough and hungry, there’s a desperate, furious slant to the way he licks at the seam of your lips, groaning deep in his chest when you finally let him in.

when he pulls back, you’re both lightheaded and breathless.

keigo runs a thumb along your bruised bottom lip with a tiny, self-deprecating laugh.

“how long?” he asks.

you sigh, looking down at the negative space between you.

“few weeks, a month,” you offer.

keigo swallows, the distant ticking of your heartbeat now no longer a sanctuary but a haunting specter, creeping ever closer.

“alright…” he says, unable to think of anything else to say, “alright then.”

later that night, whistling through the clear metropolitan night, he remembers the one and only time his mother had ever brought him to the beach as a child. he remembers watching a family of three building a sandcastle — mother, father, and son — how the child had been so delighted when the castle was finished, clapping his pudgy little hands, his fingers caked with sand, but less than half an hour later, the rising tide had all but washed the sandcastle away.

he remembers being enchanted by it, the transitory nature of the thing. how something that looked so solid against the dying light could be whisked away so quickly, so completely, by just a rush of foamy water.

he thinks of his father, and enjoys the sun.

that same year, they’d passed by a winter festival on their way home from picking up groceries. he was sporting a freshly bruised arm, and his mother a black eye she was attempting to cover with her muss of mousy hair. they’d caught a glimpse of the tail end of an ice-sculpture competition, the massive glittering structures standing on mounts, already dripping.

keigo had heard the announcer lament about how terribly sad it is that things so beautiful can’t last forever.

he’d thought it a strange sentiment then — wasn’t their ephemera an integral part of their beauty? the fact that it doesn’t last forever? because he knows, better than most, that temporary is good, temporary means that there’s always an ending worth looking forward to.

except he’s not a kid anymore, and this is a kind of ending that he never thought he’d have to deal with, at least not so soon.

with a looping barrel roll, keigo lets himself tip into a dive, cutting through the humid night air like an ill-shaped comet. he wonders briefly when he’ll stop falling in love with ice sculptures and sand castles, things that are destiny-bound to leave him. he thinks it’s such dramatic irony that the first time he properly falls in love is with a girl with one foot already out the metaphorical door — but of course it is.

your funeral is a muted affair, small, intimate. keigo debates whether or not he should go — after all, he hasn’t really told anyone about you (one night, he’d wondered wryly who he would even tell — endeavor, perhaps; he strikes the thought almost as soon as he has it), and you about him. so he watches from afar, watches on crimson wings and nectar-drenched air and wishes he were something else, someone else — someone with a quirk that didn’t literally pin his identity to his back.

“it’s a bit lonely at the top, isn’t it?” he remembers you asking one day, the magazine in your lap opened to a glossy centerfold of the most recent pro-hero rankings. he glances over, eyes catching on a candid shot of himself, his wings taking up a decent quarter of the page, eclipsed only by endeavors’ hulking form, the flames melding seamlessly into his own mess of feathers.

“lonely? nah — i’ve got —” he cuts off as he tries to think of something to say that won’t sound like a deflection — his legions of adoring fans? his fellow pro-heroes? the people at his agency? the students he’s mentored? sure, they’ve all staked out their own claims to his heart but closeness, the kind that he’s seen so casually bandied about on the mid-summer streets (in the way teen girls topple into each other, giggling, careless of the way their limbs get tangled, in the way men who have known each other for decades greet each other with just a knowing smile, in the swift way lovers might graze a kiss by the other’s cheek to say hello or goodbye), he suddenly finds that he can’t think of a single name.

you, perhaps.

he bites his lips.

you let out a tiny laugh, “it’s okay, it gets lonely here too,” you’d said, before going back to flipping through your magazine.

he thinks he could kiss you, then. so, he tugs the magazine from your lap and does.

he feels your body burn, his feather burning with it, the distant knowledge of heat and smoke stinging his subconscious. he feels it standing at the edge of the hospital roof, staring down. he’s been doing that a lot lately, coming up here, perching on the railing, staring down.

he tries to think of what you might’ve felt, standing here like this, the hopelessness, the endless, innumerable hurts of life, how a person might be tempted to step off and simply cease to be.

but he’d caught you, that day, falling. and he still can’t figure out if he’s glad he did.

he feels you burning, until suddenly, it’s over. the feather rendered to ash along with the rest of your body. he hopes you’ll be buried somewhere the spring can reach, somewhere with flowers, somewhere high up, perhaps, but not high enough to warrant a jumping off.

keigo takes a deep breath, can almost taste the smoke in his lungs.

faintly, he thinks he can feel summer breeze pick up, brushing by his cheeks, his lips, grazing his skin like your lips once had.

“i won’t need you to catch me once i’ve got a pair of my own,” you’d said of his wings.

he hopes that heaven is a beautiful place; he hopes that your wings are bigger and more beautiful than his, stronger too.

he closes his eyes.

the air is mandarin-sweet.

he teeters over the edge. his wings ache. distantly, he thinks he can hear the voices of curious people below — he must cut such a silhouette.

then, he breathes out, tips himself forward, and lets himself fall.

taglist: @simplyshelbyrae @raven-nevra @honeyoru @dira333 @unriding @fennecnco @encrytpta @simpingdailyforthem @dreamcastgirl99 @frosted-flakes @ryzheling @metalprincessxoxo @katiekawls @ally-all-around -- join the taglist

[the-californicationist]

He Paints a Picture (Price/Reader)

WARNING: PERIOD BLOOD KINK

You have been warned!

“Wait,” Price narrowed his eyes at you, “why not? Is everything alright?”

You hated to break the news to him. Ever since you’d had to be off your birth control, your periods had returned with a vengeance. You’d always had rough monthlies, but it almost seemed like your body was getting its revenge. The elevator scene from The Shining came to mind as you considered confessing why you’d been dodging Price’s advances. 

Your ex had been so disgusted with you when it was “that week,” that you’d been conditioned to think you had to hide it. Unfortunately for you, that week was also when you were the most sensitive, craving a delicious pounding to relieve the cramps and satisfy your sexual cravings. 

You didn’t think John would be so cruel, but even just imagining a negative reaction from him truly upset you, so you’d evaded his attempts to fondle you for three whole days. He’d dip a finger into the side of your panties, and you’d scoot away, playing dumb. You’d given him so many blowjobs this week that he started to get suspicious. Now, he was asking you flat out why you were denying him his favorite midnight snack: your pussy. 

“We just…can’t,” you shrugged, hoping he would drop it. 

Fat chance. His brow furrowed, growing concerned,

“Love, did I do something wrong? I thought you were enjoying the back rub. Did I hurt you?”

He was so large that, when he pouted, it looked like you were comforting an disgruntled wildebeest in your bedroom. His big, sad eyes and his frowning, bearded face broke your damn heart. You bit the bullet, realizing you couldn’t go one more minute with him thinking this was somehow his fault,

“It’s that week.”

“What week, love? Did I miss an anniversary? I know I’ve been away last week. Maybe I accidentally had the wrong calendar…” he was frantically flipping through his smart watch, confused and distressed. 

“John,” you grabbed his forearm, shaking your head, “my time of the month, you know?”

You could see the realization wash over him, softening his features before returning immediately to confusion,

“And?”

“What do you mean by that?” You didn’t understand what he was asking. 

“So, the painters are in. What about it?” He looked so lost. You decided to be very upfront, the clarity burning in your throat,

“You don’t care that I’m bleeding?”

Still, no reaction. He shrugged, shaking his head,

“Why would I? I mean, if you don’t feel up to it, I’m happy to fetch the hot water bottle and neapolitan out of the fridge,” he grabbed you around your shoulders, “but a bit of blood isn’t going to scare me off, love. In fact, I bet you’re wet and ready for me right now. Hot.”

He kissed your neck, sucking into your skin, licking your throat, and pulling at the flimsy straps of your tank top. He exposed your breasts, and with how high your hormones were, they felt swollen and hypersensitive. As he rubbed them, kissing your nipples and laving his tongue over them, you moaned from the strong tingles he created in your nerves. 

“Are you sure?” You panted, still nervous about his perception. 

“Mm,” he tugged a nipple into his mouth before looking up at you, darkness shrouding his gaze, “very sure. Lay down. I’ll grab a towel.”

He yanked your top off, throwing your clothes on the floor and dipped into the bathroom to grab a towel. He came back with a big beach towel that he’d had for years. Big palm trees swayed against a perfect blue background. You hoped you wouldn’t ruin it. 

Price signaled for you to raise your hips, and he put the cloth underneath you, protecting the bed. Roughly, he stripped you of your bottoms, making you naked when he was still fully clothed. Then, to your horror, he assumed his usual position with his head between his legs, licking his chops like a hungry wolf. 

“John!”

Mid-lick, he looked up at you, frozen in place,

“What?”

You didn’t have a chance to say anything. Keeping his eyes on you, he continued toward his destination, licking and sucking on your folds, ignoring your worried throat noises. 

“You can’t! It’s…it’s gross, right?”

He mumbled, his mouth full of pussy between phrases,

“No, sweet girl, mmph, ‘s good. Gets my blood up. Cock’s gonna be achin’ in a moment.”

You tried to relax, even getting close to coming since you were so sensitive, but as he licked you, your shame became too much. You thought he was just appeasing you,

“John, please. You don’t have to pretend…”

He was on you in a flash. His hand slipped around your neck, crushing your jawbone, forcing you to look at him in the face, snarling at you like a hound,

“Are you really trying to keep this pussy from me? I don’t care if you bleed every day for the rest of your goddamn life. This is my cunt, and I’m starving for it. You know your safe word. Use it!” 

His sudden aggression stunned you. Price waited, patiently, knowing you needed time to think. He was already covered in red smears, his mouth and beard caked in your blood and sparkling with your slick.  

You looked up at him, eyes worried and full of past pains,

“Are you sure?” 

The captain smiled maliciously, 

“Does this feel sure to you?”

Your heart almost stopped when you felt him slap his cock on your thigh, letting you feel the heaviness of his impossibly hard erection. Your face must have worn your shock all over it because he chuckled darkly, obviously feeling vindicated. 

“That’s what I thought, love. Now, can I get back to my mission, or do you need to stop?”

You stared at him for a while, searching for any deception. Finding none, you shook your head, giving him free reign to proceed as he saw fit. 

Price was such a grizzly when he needed to be, roaring to stand his ground, but you knew that, with just one word from you, he’d release you, forfeiting his claim at your whim. You couldn’t believe that he wasn’t repulsed. If anything, he was turned on. 

He ate you like a man possessed, sucking at you and covering his cheeks and lips and nose in red, sticky blood, not giving a shit about the mess. Your thighs were covered. You could feel every bit of effort he put into making you come, and he seemed to be celebrating each and every moment you moaned or jolted your hips up towards his waiting mouth. 

Then, he reached his hand up toward your hole, sinking two of his fingers into you as deep as they would go, massaging your walls in slow circles as he pushed inside. You groaned in a deep, guttural voice, feeling like your whole body was quivering for his touch. Watching as he pulled his hand out to thrust into you again, you saw the dark burgundy fluid that had fallen from your womb. 

Price paid it no mind. He was too busy humping his cock into his other hand to care, readying himself for your shared pleasure. He began fucking you on his hand in earnest, his knuckles hitting that space between, sending shocks of pleasure through your body, the wet, milking sounds echoing in the room with both of your ragged moans. 

“Oh, fuck, love,” he grunted, “you’re damn well flooded.”

He licked his lips, smearing your blood with his tongue. Then, he bent to suck your clit again, groaning as he did, making it vibrate with his low voice. Even when he made you come from his lurid efforts, he didn’t let up. If anything, it made him wilder to see your redness staining his hand. 

Finally, he pulled away from you, and he used his dripping hand to stain his cockhead, lubing himself up for his entry. There was little resistance to him as he pushed forward into you. That was very abnormal for your coupling. He was heavy and thick, and it usually took quite a bit of grinding to reach your warm middle. Not tonight. 

Tonight, his head sank all the way to your womb, pressing against the soft, sensitive flesh like a wet kiss, and he was beside himself,

“Fuuuuuckin’ hell…” he growled, “That’s good. So. Damn. Wet.”

Each word was a struggle, punctuated by his rough thrusts. As he fucked you, you felt your blood and come coating the skin between you, making a mess of your thighs and ass cheeks, dripping down onto the towel and onto his balls and legs. His face was still covered in blood, as were his hands. He was rubbing his hand on his chest, enjoying the slippery feeling over his nipple, taking turns rubbing your breasts as well. Your skin had red streaks all over it, painted like a Pollock. 

He didn’t last long, and just when he was ready to come, he pulled his cock out to explode all over your belly, rubbing his dick on you and smearing your fluids across your skin. 

The aftermath looked like a war zone. He didn’t help you to the shower until he had repeated his sanguine worship twice again, each time more feral, almost animalistic. It was as if it made him hungrier, watching your blood dry sticky and dark on your body. When you finally walked to the bathroom with him, he made you stand with him in front of the mirror, dipping his finger into you like an ink well, painting more lines and shapes across his ruined face and body, eating it, marking himself with your blood.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

A New Life 4

Warnings: non/dubcon and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

Characters: silverfox!Steve Kemp

Summary: You have an unexpected encounter in the park.

Part of the Silverfox AU

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

That man, a monster in your mind, Steve, lifts you out of the tub. He leans you against him once more and pats you dry with a fluffy towel. You shiver as his roughened fingertips brush your skin. Your head hangs, still too heavy for your neck, and the rest of you shakes as you fight to keep from collapsing.

He hums and wraps you in the towel and his arms. He lifts you with a grunt and carries you back to the bedroom. He lays you down and you groan, dizzy as you sink into the cushy mattress. He sits on the edge, resting his hand on your stomach.

“Still got it,” he smiles and flexes his other arm. “Think I might have given you a generous dose. Sorry about that.”

You blink. Sorry? Not about drugging you and taking you, no, just that it wasn’t perfect. You turn your face away and shudder. You still can’t process any of it. It’s a horror movie come to life.

“You know, I realised something after all these years. You can’t wait for things to happen,” his hand trails over to your arm and he takes your hand, “sometimes you just gotta take what you want.”

“Please,” you murmur, letting your head fall straight, “let me go--”

“Baby, please, you gotta understand. This is good for you. You don’t have as much time as you think,” he traces each of your fingers, admiring them. You try to pull away and he twines his fingers through yours, locking you in his grasp.

“I don’t know you--”

“We got lots of time to get to know each other,” he says, “lots.”

“This-- you can’t-- why?”

“Why not?” He shrugs and smirks down at you. “Sweetheart, we both need someone. I need a companion. Someone kind and warm and you need someone to take care of you.”

He squeezes your hand and you frown. You wriggle free and look away. He sighs and gently taps your thigh. He stands and you hear the clink of the chain. Before you can react, he has the leather cuff around your ankle. His fingers work swiftly to secure it.

“You don’t have to do that,” you utter and push yourself up shakily. You catch the towel, keeping your nudity hidden. 

“Oh, sweetheart, you don’t know what I need. You don't even know what you need,” he tuts and drags his fingertips up your calf, “I’m not gonna hurt you. Well...” he pauses and looks at the ceiling, “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Your brows curve and your lips part. What does he mean?

“I know, it’s hard early on. Getting to know each other. Can be a bit awkward but I can take the lead. So, let me show you what I can give you.” He winks and rescinds his touch, his hands going to his hips. “You gotta eat something. You’re gonna feel real cruddy if you don’t soon.”

You stare at him. What? You don’t care about food. You want out of here.

“So, we could start slow; a protein shake, make sure your tummy isn’t too bad,” he bends slightly over you as he puts on a patronizing tone, “how about that, baby?”

“Please...” you whimper.

He sighs and his lashes flutter in agitation, “we’ve moved on. Alright, this is the part where you try. Where you show me that you’re worth it.”

“Worth... what?” You breathe.

“All that effort,” he stands straight and throws up his hands, “all this.” He claps his jeans as he looks around, “all for you.” He shakes his head as he faces you again, “you’re not seeing it clearly. Now right now, I’ll chalk that up to the sedation. You’re foggy, not thinking straight, and maybe you're in a bit of shock.” He shrugs and smiles, “but you get something in ya, let your stomach settle and I’m sure you’ll see everything for what it is.”

You snap your mouth shut and your eyes sting. You watch him nervously. There’s a gleam in his eyes that undermines the curve of his lips.

“So, you like chocolate or vanilla?” He asks. You blink. “For the protein shake.”

You push your shoulders up, “vanilla, I guess.”

“Mm, vanilla,” he licks his lips, “delicious.”

He spins swiftly on his heel and marches away. You stare after him as he leaves the door open. Because he can. Because of that thing around your ankle. You shift and bend your leg, feeling the cuff. You pick at the metal part but there’s no catch. How in the hell?

You move back against the pillows with a groan, your muscles searing with the effort. You lean back and hug yourself, fixing the towel to cover yourself as best you can. You sit in the silence as your veins course and your pulse thrums.

You flinch as you hear him coming. He enters, whistling, as he carries a tall glass. He grins as he nears you and holds it out. You can’t move. You just eye the drink.

“I get it, you don’t wanna spill,” he says as he sits again on the edge of the mattress, “I added some whipped cream on top as a little treat.”

You look at the milkshake then back at him.

“You’re welcome,” he says curtly.

You cough and suck in air, “thanks.”

“Like I said, I'll take care of you, just like you need,” he raises the glass and angles the straw towards you, “have a taste. Let me know how you like it.”

You hide beneath your lashes and put your lips around the straw and suck. It’s sweet but not overly. You can taste the earthiness of the protein base. You gulp and pull away.

“Ah, sweetheart,” he reaches for you and you wince. He dabs your lips with his knuckle, “don’t wanna make a mess,” his eyes flick up and down as you glance up, “not yet.”

[spaghettificationandpretzels]

Movie Night

This is part two of my childhood best friends-to-lover anthology. I utterly hate this installment, but once again, I have to get it out, or it will stay in my drafts forever. The first people to get the reference can drop a request into my inbox for any character in my pinned post.

Contains: Fluff.

2.2K words

Your movie night tradition leads to more than popcorn.

More terrifying than The Exorcist. The Curse of Blackstone Lab."  

Sean huffed and pulled your attention from the shop front toward the bus stop poster. "What do you think about that y/n?" 

You shrugged. "I don't know. I'm pretty sure I've heard that slogan a million times." The picture did its best to keep everything a mystery, containing only a photo of a long, dark, dirty hallway, the tagline, and a title in blocky white letters.

"I heard they needed doctors at the test screenings." He often revelled in his ability to be in the know, to know the right people to get whatever he wanted, and this time was no different. "I know the producer, I think I might be able to get us an advanced copy."

Being back at the top had its benefits; the last time, it was front row seats to the latest opera. "I thought we were going to watch Red Eye this weekend?"

He gave you a look, it was full of mischief and affection. "You're not scared are you?"

You rolled your eyes. "No, I'm not. I've haven't be scared of a horror movie in years. I just don't want you getting caught up when we have to go buy you new suits." You could tell it was already too late, the wheels in his head were well and truly turning. "Sean, you are shit with colour, and I have a date tonight; you're not about to make a phone call."

He looped his arm around yours and yanked you to him. "Alright then, I can't have you late for your Monday night date with Mr tall, dark and boring."

There was a hint of something to his voice that gave you pause, a mix of annoyance and snippiness that let you know he disapproved. "Not boring, he's nice."

He huffed, and his mouth opened and closed like he had stopped himself from saying something before he took a deep breath and shook the thought away. "Well, when he bores you half to death you know where I live."

You nodded. "Thank you, Sean, I'll remember that. Now we need to hurry up."

He grinned and pulled you towards the store. "Whatever you want, I would be lost without your stylistic talents."

****

You sat at the restaurant waiting for your date, but seven turned into eight and then into eight-thirty, and it was clear he wasn't coming. You thought about going home, but Sean would be calling anyway, and there was no way he was going to let you marinate in your embarrassment all by yourself, it would be quicker and easier just to head right to his place.

Billy opened the door when you got there and pointed you upstairs. "He's been expecting you." You sighed and began your walk of shame, but Billy stopped you. "Are you good?"

You nodded. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

He titled his head. "Because Sean wanted to take the car and make sure your date went alright."

You shrugged. "You know Sean, he's always been overprotective of me. I'll tell him off when I get up there."

Billy nodded. "Like that will change anything. You look lovely by the way."

You gave him a smile. "Thanks Bill."

The door was open when you walked by, and Sean beckoned in with a smile. "How did your date go? Not well, considering that you're here."

You sighed. "It didn't, I got stood up."

There was no "I told you so." No, knowing smile or smug arrogance, he looked angry. "What a fucking coward, bastard doesn't even have the decency to call you, and you look so nice in that dress."

You put a hand on his bicep in hopes of soothing him. "I know" You took a deep breath before continuing, half to plan what you would say next and half to steel yourself from the pushback you knew you would get. "And Billy told me that you wanted to go and keep an eye and I've told a million times before I can look after myself."

He crossed his hands over his head, there wasn't an ounce of shame on his face. "I know that, but you're my friend, and like I said to you before, I didn't really like him all that much."

You smiled as he pulled you into a hug, his warm hands clutching you close. "Don't rub it in Wallace."

He chuckled softly, it was filled with warmth and affection. "You're better off anyway." You felt the hug tighten as the air changed. "Nevertheless, it's a good thing you're here, I have good news."

He broke from the hug and all but skipped to his desk, pulling out a non-descript disk. "I made a call just after you left me this afternoon and it was here by courier an hour later."

Your failed date was forgotten in an instant. "You got it?"

He nodded. "I did, and the producer said it's the scariest movie he's ever seen. So this Sunday, you, me, and a bucket of popcorn with the world's best butter?"

He was always so eager to spend time with you; it was hard to say no, even if you wanted to watch the other movie more. "Of course, it's our tradition."

****

You decided to stop by the bakery and get some cupcakes for tonight, and you felt a tap on your shoulder and spun around to see Billy standing behind you. "Hello."

You gave him a wave. "Hi, you look well."

He smiled shyly. "Yeah, things are good. What are you doing here?"

You pointed to the cupcakes inside the long glass display case. "Cupcakes for tonight."

He pressed his lips together, clearly trying to figure out if he should share the thought swirling in his head. "You got time for a coffee?"

You nodded. "Sure, I've always got time for you Bill."

It didn't take long for the coffee to brew, and you took your boxed cupcakes over to the table with him and sat down. "Now, what's on your mind?"

"Sean's in love with you. I'm pretty sure he has been since you guys were sixteen." He sipped his coffee like he hadn't just dropped a bomb the size of London on your head and nibbled the dry skin on his lower lip. "And let's be honest with ourselves y/n, I think the feeling is mutual."

You blinked, unsure what to say and taken aback by how blunt he was. "Wow, what makes you say that?" You were met with a raised eyebrow and a pointed exhale. "Yeah, ok, so I've been doing a shit job at hiding my feelings since everything that happened with Elliot and the crown, but he's back at the top, and I'm not going to complicate his life anymore by spilling my guts."

He nodded, almost to himself, wrapped his hand around the top of his cup and stood up. "Good talk y/n."

He was walking away before you could respond, and you yelled after him. "Are you just going to leave me here to sit in it?"

He turned his head towards you, still moving away. "Yep."

"It doesn't matter anyway, I have a date next week and I'm going to it." If he heard you, he didn't let on.

****

You pulled the white bakery box from your bag and smiled. "Are you ready to be terrified?"

He grinned and took the box from your hand, placing it on his desk before opening and looking over the sweet treats. "They look delicious." He handed you the one with the most icing and lifted his own.

He leaned back in his chair, glanced from the iced cake to you and back again, then picked it up and held it aloft, "To friends in high places."

He removed the wrapping from your cupcake and placed it in the empty box along with his own, then threw the box in the trash. Sighing, he stood up and said, "Would you like to stay the night? Mum's making pancakes in the morning. You don't need to leave when the movie's done."

There was no reason to say no, one of the many guest rooms was basically yours, housing your clothes and toiletries, even monogrammed towels that you received as a birthday gift one year. "Sure."

****

The position you were in was a common one, next to Sean on the couch in the movie room with a blanket thrown over your laps as he set the movie up. "I have another date next week, not with the same guy, and this one has an interesting job."

He pressed his lips together and nodded. "Ah, well I hope this one goes better."

You shrugged. "Who knows, if this one doesn't the next one will."

The lights in the room dimmed as the movie started, and you leaned into him as you started in on the popcorn. It started slow, the steady building of dread and the total uncertainty of whether the villain was a person, a demon or all in someone's head. They were right, it was scary, and Sean seemed to enjoy the way you slowly pulled the blanket closer to your face as you squished yourself into him. 

The second you thought you could relax, the thing hiding in the shadows the whole time finally came out, and you jumped out of your skin to his amusement. "Are you scared?" 

You shook your head. "No, it was just a loud noise." 

He laughed and shot you a look that told you he didn't believe you one bit. "You sure?" 

"Positive." You took a deep breath and sat up a little straighter, turning back to the screen as his arm pulled you impossibly closer. You did your best to relax, but it was nothing short of impossible, if this thing didn't win Best Picture at the Oscars then horror didn't stand a chance because the moment you thought you were safe, it was right back to the terror. 

You managed one more scare before you flinched again, and Sean was pausing the movie with a sigh. "You are scared." 

You sighed and twisted in his arms to face him. "So maybe I am just a bit." 

He smiled softly. "Don't worry, I won't let the monster get you." 

You nodded. "I know, I know you'd never let anything happen to me." 

There was a shift in the air, like the first change in the wind before a storm, and he went to say something else, but something stopped him. Your hand was still curled in his shirt from when you grabbed him, and as he looked at you in the blue lighting from the film, a feeling grew inside him. "What?" You gave him a look and a light shove and repeated yourself. "What?" 

He wasn't sure what to say, he couldn't tell you how he was feeling, that the butterflies that seemed to live in his chest whenever you were around had suddenly started to flutter so violently that he was sure they were bruising the fascia of his ribs.

You shoved him again to no effect, and he laid his hands on top of yours, they were warmed and calloused, and he was looking at you strangely. "Don't go on that date." 

You tilted your head. "Why?" It was such a sudden change of tone, but before you could press for more, his expression set firm like he had finally made an important decision, and then his lips were on yours. 

Oh, that's why

The moment you got over the shock, you sunk into the kiss, his lips were plump and soft, and he kissed you the way a drowning man begged Thetis for air. You broke from the kiss, and his lips followed yours as you backed away until you placed a hand on his chest. "What are you doing?" 

He pecked you again, and you couldn't help but let him. "I love you y/n." You wondered if Billy had talked to him like he had spoken to you. "I love you, so you can't go on that date or a date with anyone else who isn't me ever again because I don't know if I can survive the thought of you with anyone else." 

You lifted your hand to his cheek and ran your thumb over his freckled cheekbone. "Ok, but only if you kiss me again." He was happy to oblige, and you found yourself slowly moving onto your back as the kiss deepened. 

He was smiling against you, and his teeth found your lower lip in a soft bite before he pulled back. "Does this mean you return my affection?" 

You laughed and kissed an apology on his cheek at your lack of reciprocation. "Yes, it is returned whole heartedly. I love you Sean." 

He sat up and took you with him, and you wrinkled your eyebrows, but before you could say anything, he turned the movie back on and yanked you back into your previous position against him. "I would like to finish the film." 

His eyes were glinting with mischief, and his hand was slowly making its way up your leg. "You're being a tease." 

He leaned in close, his eyes still on the screen as he whispered into your ear. "Consider it payback coming here on Monday in that dress." 

Fin

@daydreaming-belle @lovemissyhoneybee @darklydeliciousdesires

[changbinsboiledegg]

Hii

Hope u are okay :D

Can I request some reaction with skz when gf!reader can not dance and they maybe try to teach her(for example valse) but she is unteachable?

I just see it as some fluffy moment from their life idk idk idk

Heyoooo :) I’m okay! I hope you are okay too 🫶 Thank you for your request. I love fluffy, therefore I will gladly do fluffy.

GN! Reader X SKZ

(I know you said GF! Reader, but I didn’t use pronouns for the reader in this one, so I figured I’d tag it as gender neutral.)

Warning: Your dancing skills, petname usage.

Note: something fluffy today hehe, slowly but surely working through my requests. I hope you enjoy and as always, if no one told you today, ily. 🫶

♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎

Chan

When you asked Chan to teach you how to dance, he was not prepared for the horrors he was about to witness.

“Ah! Sorry!” You raised your foot and apologized, thinking you stepped on his foot.

Chan looked you up and down, stopping when you did.

A big grin overtook his face, “Aw, my flamingo. Why are you sorry?”

You quickly put your foot down, realizing you didn’t step on his foot— or anyone’s foot for that matter.

Chan shook his head, holding in a laugh. “You’re so cute.”

Lee Know

Minho offered to teach you how to dance after being subjected to your dancing at a party— you being completely sober.

He was relieved when you said yes to his offer.

“Follow my steps, we’re starting from step five to eight and then you can show me from step one.” Minho was patient with you, knowing not everyone can learn to dance overnight.

You followed his steps, getting into the groove and feeling like you were doing alright with it.

That was until he had you start from the beginning all the way up to the point where you stopped.

All he could do was stare, trying not to smile or laugh or do anything that could hurt your feelings.

Changbin

Changbin is open to teaching you how to dance. He started simple too, knowing it would be unfair to you to immediately jump into something advanced.

“Take it from the top!” Changbin was probably having way too much fun with this. You and Changbin both danced together, following the steps he taught you.

“Am I doing it right?” You asked, mid-dance. Changbin was hyped up, “nope!”

It didn’t matter to him how bad you were, though. He was having fun, you were having fun, and that was all he cared about.

“Take it from the top?” You groaned, still dancing messily. Changbin clapped his habds together and restarted the song— for the thirtieth time.

Hyunjin

He tried. He tried so hard. He was patient, repeated steps hundreds of times for you, even helped you with placement.

And even though Hyunjin loved you and would do anything for you, he had to accept that you just can’t and will most likely never know how to dance.

And that included the simplest of dances.

“I’m going to outdance you one day.” You teased, going through the steps he taught you. But unbeknownst to you, those were far from the steps he taught you.

Hyunjin watched you, amused beyond comprehension.

“Oh yeah. For sure.”

Han

It was supposed to be more romantic, letting your boyfriend teach you how to dance.

You moved your feet where Jisung told you to, you moved your arms, head, and even your torso when the dance called for it.

But as Jisung stood back to watch your progress, he seemed full of surprise. Not the kind you’d expect.

“Really?” Jisung paused the music. You stumbled to a stop.

“Really what?”

“Where did you get that move from?” Jisung then copied— or attempted to copy the train wreck that was your dancing.

You burst out into laughter, embarrassment evident on your face, which in turn made Jisung laugh with you.

Felix

Felix was teaching you to dance out of spontaneity and just when you thought you had the moves down, you hear him stifling back a laugh.

“I love you but what was that?” Felix had his fist to his mouth, trying to hide his smile.

“What do you mean? I nailed it.” You crossed your arms with a playful glare. Felix held his hands up, still trying not to laugh.

“Alright, darling. Whatever you say.” Felix got in position again, seeing that you had too.

“Whatever you say,” you mimicked, eyeing Felix’ reflection in the mirror. “I’m not that bad.”

Felix grinned, pausing for a second. “Mhm.”

Seungmin

You were on fire. It was a dumpster fire, but a fire nonetheless.

Seungmin couldn’t do much but watch you dance in the mirror, following your steps as he danced with you.

“This us fun! We should do this again.” You were happy despite the constant dumbfounded look on Seungmin’s face as he watched you do any move that wasn’t the ones he taught you.

“Yeah…” he quickly cleared his throat, feigning enthusiasm. “Yes! Of course. You… have a lot to learn.”

You abruptly stopped, “ouch.”

“Come on, I didn’t mean it like that.” Seungmin awkwardly laughed.

But he did mean it like that.

I.N

He agreed to teach you just to spend time with you but little did he know what he was getting himself into.

“Like this?” You moved your waist with your feet, glancing at him for approval. Jeongin shook his head slowly.

“No.”

You groaned, pouting. He’s said no for the past hour and you wondered if he would ever say yes.

“Let me try again! I got it this time.” You started to run through the steps again, making a wrong step and crashing to the floor.

Jeongin instinctively reached forward, but was too late. This was when he started to laugh. All of the bafflement he felt caved in on him and he too fell to the floor, laughing uncontrollably.

Which, in turn, made you start laughing uncontrollably.

[dr-futbol-blog]

The Siege I, Pt. 8

Sheppard is lying helpless on the ground as the wraith approaches him, having incapacitated him with a stun weapon. The wraith rips open his tactical vest preparing to drain his life-force when it, in turn, is stunned by Ford and Teyla, saving him in the nick of time.

Sheppard is not unconscious when the wraith comes for him, his tactical vest probably having absorbed some of the blast. He does seem to be fighting to stay conscious, though, able to only slightly move his head. Later, when Ford asks him how he is doing he describes the pins and needles that are the after-effect of the stunner, but we never learn what he was thinking or feeling right here, first at the mercy of the wraith and then having been saved by two members of his team that he has trained and watched grow into the roles they have now. It's only when he is sure that he's out of danger, that Ford and Teyla have got him, that Sheppard allows his consciousness to slip away.

I want to draw attention to how the scene is presented as an allegory for attempted sexual violence. The wraith and the Ancients seem to represent opposing Jungian archetypes, the Shadow and the Self, the Anima and the Animus, the feminine and the masculine, exaggerated depictions of different facets of the human soul. In spite of the majority of their population seeming to consist of male drones, the wraith represent the monstrous feminine, the horror feminae, what with their life-sucking vagina hands and the moist womb hives which they inhabit. It's really not that subtle:

I'm sure someone has written about this concept previously and I'm not sure I even want to pursue it further. But Sheppard is presented not unlike a victim of sexual assault in this scene, and I'll return to this later, but there are some indications that he has been victimized in his youth, by women. He seems not only incapable of turning down the advances of women but horrifyingly doesn't even seem to realize that he can say no, that his consent is even a factor.

Anyway, Sheppard is saved and they once more call attention to communication and communication devices, their role in the narrative, what with Ford's comment "You were on vox, sir. We heard the whole thing and double-timed it." Not only had the wraith been listening in on their communications, Ford and Teyla listening in is what saved him. A lot of attention is placed on communication via devices in this episode.

Back on the satellite, the wraith ships are closing in and McKay and Miller seem unable to get Grodin out because rerouting the power to the weapon shut down some of the systems that allowed for the jumper to dock with the station. Grodin tells them to leave him behind, which McKay seems reluctant to do.

McKay: I'll go back and reroute the power. Grodin: There isn't time for that. The wraith ships are too close. McKay: Yeah, well I know what I'm doing now. Grodin: Rodney. Leave me. McKay: Well, we're not doing that. Grodin: Look, get to a safe distance and then come get me once the satellite has taken care of the wraith ships. McKay: Peter... Grodin: It's the only option and you know it. Besides, this way I can power down the satellite until they're well within range. Then there'll be no way for the wraith to realise we brought it back online. McKay: Alright. We'll cloak, and come back for you after it's done. Grodin: After it's done, then.

What ever their relationship is, McKay still cares about him and doesn't feel good about this. Grodin manages to logic him into leaving him behind which does tell us that he knows McKay pretty well. McKay fully believes that they will be able to go back for him, that they are only temporarily leaving him on the platform and that the satellite will be able to take care of the ships. It's the rational thing to do and he is a man of reason. They have so much riding on this thing working out for them, there is no chance of aborting the mission at this point. They have to protect Atlantis because they are the only ones who can. But this does not sit well with him. Desperate times call for desperate measures, as he had pointed out himself some time ago.

On Atlantis, Sheppard once more is late to join the party, apparently coming straight from the infirmary to the brig area to see the incarcerated wraith.

Ford: Good to see you on your feet, sir. How're you feeling? Sheppard: You know, pins and needles. Hate getting stung by those damn things. Has he said anything yet? Ford: No sir, not yet. Sheppard: You got a name? OK--we'll go with Bob. Bob--I'm gonna need to know what you've been doing here for the past two weeks, and I'm gonna need to know now.

Sheppard names the wraith because it is an interrogation tactic, one which US Army doctrine perfected during their campaigns in Afghanistan. He establishes personal rapport and takes a swing at the wraith's pride and ego by giving it a human name, all at the same time. Sheppard appears to be well-versed in the utilization of these techniques. This is not his first time interrogating a wraith but this time, they are under a time-element and he is fully aware that he will be required to use some of the harsher methods. His tone is soft and conversational here, but there is a chilling undertone to it.

He told Weir in Poisoning the Well (S01E07) that since the wraith don't abide by the Geneva Convention, neither should he. But make no mistake, as much as he might hate and fear the wraith, he is doing this to get information out of it. What ever information this wraith possesses, they believe that the fate of the Earth may depend on it. And even more importantly, the fate of McKay may depend on it because if the wraith had known about their plans with the satellite in advance it means that McKay's team would be ambushed, the wraith would know what they were flying into.

At the same time on the other side of the solar system, the wraith armada has reached the LaGrange point satellite and Grodin, still inside the satellite, is preparing to launch the weapon as McKay and Miller watch on from the cloaked jumper. What is important here is that McKay is in contact with Atlantis, and very specifically the control room where Weir is. What they are talking about is obviously not broadcast to the prison area as allowing the wraith information about their operations would be counter-productive. So Sheppard and his crew are unaware of what is happening in the control room or the satellite that is in contact with them. All they know, if they are paying attention to the time (and Sheppard certainly seems to be in a hurry to get information out of the wraith) is that the armada should be approaching the satellite by now.

And the wraith is not talking.

Ford: I don't think he's in a very talkative mood, sir. Sheppard: Yeah. I need to know what he's been doing and whether or not he's been transmitting back to the hive ships. Ford: Wouldn't we have picked up a transmission? Sheppard: We can send secure messages--there's no reason he can't.

Again the importance of communication, of sending messages, is highlighted. Sheppard explicitly tells us what his motivation here is: to find out whether McKay's mission has been compromised, whether the wraith ships know that he was coming. He even mentions secure messages of which we haven't really seen any examples from them--at least in the main text. But he is telling us that he has the ability to send and receive secure messages, and it's entirely possible he has been making use of this capacity of late. Also the fact that these messages can be sent over vast distances is pointed out.

And once more we need to make note of the fact that Sheppard needs information from this wraith. Everything that he is doing here is designed to get information that he thinks is vital not only for their security, for the success of the mission McKay is on, but the survival of the Earth. He is desperate to get information out of the wraith. Desperate enough that he is finally even willing to let Teyla access the wraith psychic network in spite of what happened the last time she did, and even though he clearly thinks that it's a bad idea:

Teyla: Maybe I can try and connect with him. Sheppard: I don't think so. Teyla: If the Alpha Site has been compromised, Major, we need to know. Sheppard: OK, see what you can do.

Sheppard agrees to let her try even though it might not just be dangerous for her and all the people inside the room with her, it might reveal the wraith all of their plans if they should be able to access Teyla's mind. She points out that they need to know whether the Alpha Site has been compromised but by allowing her to attempt this, they may actually be putting the Alpha Site in jeopardy. That is how badly he thinks that they need this information. He personally needs that information. But it is noteworthy that it is her mentioning the Alpha Site that makes him relent, makes him allow for her to do this. The Alpha Site is what he stayed back for, after all. The Alpha Site is the reason he's not out there with McKay right now.

Teyla attempts to connect with the wraith but it seems to have the stronger mind, easily overtaking her. She seems unable to disconnect which prompts Sheppard to shoot the wraith twice to get it to stop. Not to injure it, certainly not to kill it, but to get it to disengage from Teyla. The wraith even tells him that it's not a big deal to it:

Bob: My wounds will heal. Sheppard: Yeah, but for how long? I need to know what you've done to this city. Listen, Bob, I have no problem with killing you whatsoever.

Sheppard shoots it a bunch more times because shooting it seems to at least have some kind of an effect. He is purposefully antagonizing the wraith both with his words and his gun. And he is getting more and more desperate. Not only does he need to know what this wraith knows about them, their defenses, their plans, about Earth, all of it, but he also needs to know what the wraith are doing right now out there, whether their armada has reached the weapons platform, what is happening with McKay. He needs to know.

He tells the wraith that he has no problem killing it, and this is true. He doesn't consider the wraith people or even enemy combatants. They are sentient creatures that are not beasts but something even worse than that, they are actual monsters. He would gladly kill each and every one of them and not feel bad about it. He wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over it. He is not lying when he tells him this.

But killing the wraith is not what he is planning on doing. It's what he says, not what he intends. He is utilizing an interrogation tactic. He is threatening the wraith to get information out of it. That is the most important thing, that is his goal. He had no intention of executing the wraith, not even after he would have gotten all the information out of it, as having a prisoner might come in handy for all kinds of reasons. It's leverage, it's potential for studying them, a possible hostage, a chance to learn more about the wraith. Even though he has no problem killing them whatsoever, he had no intention of killing Bob.

He is using the gun because that seems to be the only thing that is able to get a response from it. So while he isn't lying, the reason he tells the wraith this is to intimidate it into giving up information. He has run out of patience and is willing to move from interrogation to... enhanced interrogation, to straight up torture (and the Air Force has a particularly dark history in the creation of many of these methods reverse-engineering them from their own survival training). During the administration of when the show aired, worse things than what Sheppard does here were actually officially sanctioned although not necessarily broadcast on the evening news.

At the same time, Grodin who is still inside the satellite, manages to take out one of the hive ships. McKay informs Atlantis and the control room cheers for this victory. Maybe there's hope after all.

There were three hives with cruisers and darts coming their way, and they managed to neutralize one using the ancient weapon. But just as they get their hopes up that they might actually be able to survive this, they run into a serious problem:

Grodin: We have a problem. McKay: What? What problem? Grodin: It looks like the circuit we re-routed has overloaded. The weapon can't fire again. I'm trying to find another pathway. McKay: We're heading back in to pick you up. Grodin: Stay exactly where you are! McKay: Look, we're cloaked--they won't see us. Grodin: There's no time! Just get the hell out of here! I'm sorry. McKay: Get us back to that satellite!

McKay wants to save Grodin, tries very hard to get to him, but there is no time. They watch the wraith destroy the Ancient satellite and all their hopes with it. And McKay very much blames himself for what happened because it was the malfunctioning of the satellite that caused this. It was the fact that he had been unable to fix it that killed Grodin.

The scenes switch between McKay and Sheppard, Sheppard and McKay, back and forth. We are watching the emotional journeys of these two men, separated though they are by a vast distance. We are watching the intensifying of their emotional states side by side, the darkening of their respective moods. And the scenes are not unconnected. They are showing us how desperately they need each other. McKay is lost without Sheppard. And without McKay, Sheppard is losing himself.

Continued in Pt. 9

[causeimcrayzeebee]

A time looper Yanagi Drabble because I am obsessed and I want to make everyone come out alive while putting Yanagi through the it gets worse before getting better tag. I am sorry in advanced for any mistakes, I’m not a good writer. Still, I hope you enjoy:

Yanagi had already lost count of how many times he’s played this horrific game, dying and surviving, watching everyone be murdered and executed over and over… Only to be sent back to the start like none of it ever happened. It’s all so exhausting and yet, Yanagi forces himself to push onwards. He needs to find a way to get everyone to survive and escape this underground facility, he has to.

A part of him despises that only he can remember the other loops, the sacrifices and tragedies that came with it and he would always berate himself when those thoughts surface. Yet another part, an admittedly selfish part of him is relieved that no one would remember. Not only would it spare them the horrors, but also keep them blissful to all of Yanagi's failures, his mistakes and the true monster within hiding behind the princely facade of who he once was.

He lost track of how many times he had died, but it never felt enough to him. He knew he deserved death, but now even that doesn't seem to be enough of a punishment to him. So he pushed himself further, breaking his already shattered self until the cracks spread further, until he's falling apart and hastily gluing himself back together to keep going, until in the midst of all his failures, he can finally succeed in saving everyone from this never ending nightmare.

His body becomes his living corpse for him to control, his connections and memories became his tools to forge trust and steps towards his final goal. His fury and violence have turned into his drug, aiming to make those who put them in this game pay while it rots his heart and his guilt is his fuel, his only strength to right his wrongs.

If he is to be broken, at the very least he can make sure that the others make it out with as little cracks as possible. Unlike him, they were all children, innocent, and scared and if he could be the only victim to this horrific game, then he will gladly bleed.

Yanagi takes a deep breath as he closes his eyes and await the next loop, dreading and preparing for more of this torture yet never letting go of the fraying hope to make things right.

However, unbeknownst to him, slivers of the previous loops began to catch up to the other students, glimpses of a past unwound seep into their memories, with Yanagi at the center of it all.

"It's alright Isono, it's not your fault. Please do not blame yourself."

"You're stronger than you think Wada, but you need to believe that. And if you don't, then I'll believe in you."

"If there is anything that is troubling you, then please tell me Watari. I will always listen."

"KAMAKURA RUN!! DO NOT LOOK BACK NO MATTER WHAT!!"

"Sasaki, I forgive you.. And I'm so sorry."

"Hama, you are a far better man than I am... But please, do not attempt to converse with my demons. I don't want to hurt you."

"Nakamigawa, if anything happens to me and the world continues to turn, look for my notebook in my room and do not let anyone, not even Monomoko see it."

"Throughout all my memories... You're one of the few who knew... I was wearing a mask, Okazaki..."

"It's alright Chiba, I got you! Just keep your eyes closed and I will protect you!"

"Tamba, even if you bite me and push me away, I will stay by your side."

"Harada, it's not your fault. You tried to stop it. If it's anyone's faults, it's the people who put us in this game."

"Thank you Ojima, thank you for trusting me..."

"Tsuno, I want to thank you for everything. You have helped everyone here, and I will make sure we all make it out, no matter how many times it takes."

"Trust me Hasegawa, I will make sure that we will get out of this. I won't rest until I do."

"I love you Mai..."

Nakamigawa Hiroaki woke up with a scream, tears rolling down his face. Vivid conflicting memories ran around his mind from whispered advice to a bloody and broken skater strung over broken ice like a puppet. He struggled to make sense of it all, his footsteps unsteady as he walked out back into a hell he thought he'd already escaped from. He blinked deliriously, shaking his head before spotting Yanagi among the sea of dead faces and survivors, all alive like it was their first day in this game.

"Oh what the fuck..."

okay yeah just make me emotional on a random Wednesday thanks anon

in all seriousness this was AWESOME OMFG i really love how you wrote this n captured the pain of time loop yanagi, i really like that au… god, all the lines he says to everyone else… that shit HURT </3 and the cycle breaking for yanagi but going to hiroaki?? 💔💔 this drabble was amazing if you upload it or any other fics on ao3 or somewhere, definitely let me know!

[sirdolraan]

Escape from Dalaran, Part One

Dalaran was in chaos. Lorellai had barely managed to link up with Dolraan and Janosis, and introduced them to her new friend Spiru before the Nerubians had appeared, emerging from portals to attack the entire city at once.

Lorellai pulled her scarf up over her nose to try and keep the dust and rubble from choking her as she fired her pistol at an advancing nerubian, silently thanking her da' for giving her a full box of explosive rounds. The four of them fought well in tandem, despite the chaos and screaming all around them.

Janosis ducked behind Dolraan's armored form, firing arcane bolts at the fliers overhead. "Please tell me we have a plan beyond shoot them until they overwhelm us!" he cried, doing his best to keep the skies in their immediate vicinity cleared.

Stroganoff lashed a Nerubian with his big tongue, allowing Spiru to land a flying kick to its head, cracking its carapace and casing it to fall lifeless. "I can hear calls from the mages to evacuate, where would they be trying to get to?"

"The landing!" Lorellai shouted, "that's the muster point for evacuations, since it has all the teleport runes and flying creatures! Hey! Everyone, get to the landing!" she cried, but her voice was lost amidst the chaos. "Dangit, it's too noisy, we'll have to go house to house?"

A glare of pure Light got her attention, as she turned to see Dolraan's armor and shield glowing along with his eyes, and his voice boomed out. "PEOPLE OF DALARAN! THE CALL HAS BEEN MADE TO EVACUATE! PROCEED TO KRASUS' LANDING! WE SHALL PROTECT YOU!" he shouted, punctuating his sentence by throwing his shield at a big nerubian and knocking it from the wall it was crawling on.

The effect was immediate, as several citizens began to emerge from hiding places, dashing towards the landing and covering their heads. "Alright, move with them, keep the spiders away, we'll worry about the rest later!" Dolraan ordered, taking the point and leading the survivors as the rest of them followed, Lorellai and Stroganoff taking up the rear. The nerubians began to swarm at them, seeing so many moving targets at once, and the four adventurers were hard pressed to keep them at bay. Lorellai unloaded her pistol at several advancing nerubians, but in the chaos she lost her count, and the click of an empty chamber filled her with dread as a cluster of flying horrors descended on her. She drew her spear and got ready to call out when she was knocked to the ground as Stroganoff lept in their path, the flyers striking into his massive hide instead of her body. He croaked in pain as he spun and lashed at them with his tongue, and Lorellai let out a cry as she lashed out with her spear, stabbing and sweeping the monsters off her, wincing at the deep wounds their fangs and probisci left. She felt two sets of arms pull her to her feet as mirror images of Spiru lifted her, while the third continued to hold off the right flank. Whistling for Stroganoff, they continued to retreat.

At the landing, things were calmer. The contingent of Dalaran guardians were bolstered by Silver Covenant and Sunreaver warmages, protecting the civilians and the mages who were teleporting them to hopeful safety down on the surface below. Lorellai breathed a sigh of relief until she heard Stroganoff's strained croak, and turned to see him looking very worse for wear. "Buddy! Dolraan help, Stroganoff's been poisoned!" she called, trying to lift her listing hornswog back into a comfortable sitting position as he listed to one side. Dolraan and Spiru came over, Dolraan's hands glowing as he called upon the Light. "Whoof, whatever it is, it's fighting back, I'm having trouble purifying him."

Spiru hopped up Stroganoff's back, peering into his eyes, and encircling him with mists. "The poison is tainted with void energies. He requires medical aid beyond my capabilities."

"Not likely with the city in shambles," Janosis said, "I'm pretty sure the medical quarter was one of the first hit!"

Lorellai looked into her buddy's eyes, tears stinging hers, and he croaked apologetically. "It's okay buddy, you did real good, I love you so much," she said, digging in one of her pouches, and pulling out a device. "Everyone get clear, I'm sending him home," she declared, activating her emergency Dimensional Ripper. "This is going to be loud!" she continued, tossing the device in Stroganoff's mouth so he wouldn't drop it as Spiru hopped down and Janosis moved behind Dolraan. After a three count, there was a beep sound, and then Stroganoff appeared to explode as the Dimensional Ripper activated. Lorellai held her scanner tightly, watching the light turn from yellow to green. "He made it... I think!"

"Your dad will take good care of him. Alright everyone, there's more people in need, I'm going back in for them. If you're able, I'd appreciate you at my back." Dolraan declared, adjusting his shield.

"I was afraid you were going to say that. I'm with you," Janosis sighed.

"I came here to help, and that's what I intend to do," Spiru declared.

Lorellai stowed her scanner and reloaded her pistol. "For Stroganoff."

Dolraan nodded at the trio. "Alright, let's go meddle!" he shouted, as he led them back into the chaos of the ailing Flying City.

[sylvia-forest]

This call accompanies Shaw's Field Date!

Shaw: Hello, are you asleep? MC: Shaw! You scared me to death!! Shaw: What's with the reaction? Didn't you tell me to call you at this hour to remind you to go to bed early and work tomorrow? MC: I can't go to bed early. I can't even sleep at all now.  Shaw: What for? What did you do tonight? MC: I was deceived in the evening... Yue Yue told me it was just a slightly scary escape room with attractive people, so I agreed to accompany her. In reality, it was heavily scary! No, it was really, really scary! Shaw: So scary? How did they scare you? MC: They put Yueyue and me at opposite ends of a dark room and told us to find each other. MC: The key is, the key is - inside the escape room, those triggered mechanisms have absolutely no warning, and every now and then, there's a jump scare! Shaw: ... I feel like this level is still manageable? MC: ??It’s alright, isn’t this super scary? Shaw: Maybe our classification of horror levels is different. I think these kinds are more like mild horror to me. MC: What type of horror do you find frightening then? Shaw: The kind that leaves you thinking about it afterwards? The type that makes your scalp tingle upon later analysis? MC: The kind of horror you're talking about is advanced horror. You don't usually do that in a secret room, do you? Shaw: That's true. So, since you know that it's a man-made mechanism, just relax and solve it. Worst case, you can sing yourself a song to boost your courage. MC: Let's talk about it next time, sob. Next time, I'll definitely drag you along to the escape room with me. Shaw: Just make plans for next time. What are you doing tonight? Are you going to sleep or not? MC: Of course I'm going to ask you out tonight. Come on over and keep me company! Shaw: OK, but I have one thing to confirm with you. MC: What? Shaw: Are you sure who's calling you right now, Is — Shaw—? MC: !! Shaw you (@......&%¥)! Shaw: Hahaha, okay okay, I was wrong, I was wrong. Your courage is really like that of a rabbit, it breaks with just a little poke. Shaw: I'll go out as soon as I've changed.

—

[topazshadowwolf]

A Win and A New Foe

Cross won! The boy did it! But Fell didn't win this time. Error is now the opponent Cross will face. And what a challenge this will be! Cross, the youngest of the gang vs Error, Destroyer of Worlds, Master of Puppets, Guardian of Destruction, Collector of Souls.

Good thing Cross has others to support him! Make sure you vote as I am sure this will be a close one!

---

Nightmare yawned as he tried to finish his work. The polls had been a distraction, but he had plenty of things to do. He figured he could check in later when a few hours were left. He had been so wrapped up in his work he forgot to check. Instead, he learned the results when he heard a commotion in the hallway.

He looked up in time to see Killer and Horror carrying Cross over their head into his office with giant smiles. “he did it! our baby bro did it!” Killer cheered.

“he beat ink!” Horror added as they set a very anxious Cross down.

“hurray me,” Cross said as he looked down.

“Indeed, it will be you against Fell,” Nightmare started but was interrupted by Killer.

“ehhh, about that boss. error won,” Killer said while putting his hand on Cross’ shoulder. “which is why the oreo is such a nervous nelly right now. he knows who he’s up against.”

Hearing this caused Nightmare to frown as he woke up his laptop and brought up the website. He paused for a moment, then looked back at Cross. “Do not… fret. Regardless of who the victor is, I am just happy you made it as far as you did.”’ A grin grew across Nightmare’s face as he steepled his hands, “Although, I would love to rub it in Error's face that one of my henchmen won against him.”

“i will try my best!” Cross said, saluting.

“I know you will,” Nightmare smiled as he stood and walked over. He rested a hand on Cross’ shoulder, followed by Killer and Horror doing the same. “We are still behind you, doing what we can for you.”

---

arguments for voting for cross and not error

heya. here’s a list of why you should vote for cross (the baby bro of our group):

he’s a cool dude

he doesn’t go around destroying other people’s stuff

error likes to destroy other people’s stuff. talking about homes and whole worlds here

cross doesn’t like to kill people and steal their souls

error’s main gig is to kill people and steal their souls

he dresses nice for a sans. (you think i have the energy to dress like him?)

he showers daily (i’ve never seen a shower in the anti void. or a wardrobe.)

i’m pretty sure error is that weird smell i notice when he’s around

he doesn’t steal other people’s stuff

error likes to steal and litter other people’s homes/worlds (bad for the environment)

cross helped save an endangered species of butterflies from destruction

except for the few cross saved, error made those endangered butterflies extinct by destroying not just their habitat but the world they came from

cross is polite for the most part (we are a bad influence, sorry)

error is very rude

nightmare would be happy if his youngest “son” won

“Ah, there you are, Dust,” Nightmare’s voice interrupted Dust’s thoughts, and he looked up to see his boss entering his room. “Cross has advanced to the finals.”

“i saw,” Dust said as he started to close his laptop. Nightmare stopped the motion and pushed the screen back to look at what Dust had been working on. The dark guardian then rested a hand on his shoulder as he chuckled softly.

“That you have. It seems you are trying to support Cross in your own way. Still, you should try to congratulate him verbally. He is apprehensive about this upcoming competition. I am sure he will be happy to have your support,” Nightmare said.

“i will,” Dust replied, then looked up at Nightmare. “you look tired, boss. when did you last sleep?”

“I have said it before; I will say it again. I do not require the amount of sleep you four do. Thank you for your concern, but I am doing fine and will retire to my chambers for a rest when this is over,” Nightmare stated.

“alright, boss,” Dust shrugged and looked over his list. “once i’m done editing this, i’ll go find cross.”

“That is fine…,” Nightmare said softly. He then turned slowly and left.

Alone again, Dust sighed. He still had his last “dad” to use. Unlike the others, he barely said the word when he could say it whenever. That word, at one time, had no meaning to him. Now that it had meaning to him, he didn’t want to overuse it. So, he will have to make that one count.

[lipstickitty]

I Wanna Be Yours

Chapter Eleven

5.1k+ words

Warnings: 18+ only minors DNI!!, demon! reader, language, crying, pet names, fluff, flirting, innuendo, mentions of blood, very brief mentions of drugs, mentions of death and dying, unwanted sexual advances if you squint, kidnapping if you really squint, smoking, blood drinking, dirty talk, mentions of voyeurism, explicit sex, cockwarming just a little bit

When the call came, you had just changed into some comfy clothes and sat down to eat the quick dinner you’d thrown together for yourself. Being that it came from Jake’s phone, you fully expected it to be Jake calling, answering with a lilting, “hellooooo?”

What you heard next almost sent your phone crashing to the floor but luckily you were able to save it before it hit the ground. “Y/n. This is Josh. You need to get here right away… it’s Jake.” You swore you’d never felt panic quite like this before- granted you didn’t know Josh all that well yet, but you didn’t even have the words to describe how wrecked his voice sounded. A little hoarse, a little thick like he’d been teary eyed, and freaked out beyond belief.

You left the rest of your dinner sitting out to get cold, pulled the first pair of shoes you found onto your feet, and ran to your car, all with the phone pressed against your ear. “I’m on my way, Josh, I- what the hell happened?” You tried and failed to keep the panic out of your tone.

“Honestly, we’re… we’re not sure. Everything’s a crazy fucking mess. But he asked for you, so I’m calling.” Josh sighed in reply. ‘If Jake was able to ask for you, that means he’s okay right?’ A million thoughts raced through your head.

“Tell him I’m coming, okay?” You tried to keep the panic tears at bay as you pulled out of your driveway and sped over to Jake’s house, probably breaking at least a hundred different traffic laws on the way. What was normally a fifteen to twenty minute drive turned into about ten minutes in your frenzy to get to Jake.

As soon as you pulled up in front of Jake’s house, you parked your car on the street and ran to his front door. As soon as you walked in, the first thing you noticed was the smell of blood, and a lot of it. It made your stomach turn and you were afraid you’d vomit for a minute before you were able to force it down.

“Jake?” You called out into the house, voice pitchy. “Josh?”

“In the bedroom, angel. Come here? Please?” Jake called back to you right before Josh yelled, “we’re all in the living room, y/n. Jake needed some space and a shower while we cleaned up in here. We’re almost done.”

You didn’t know what the hell was going on. ‘Why did Jake need space? Why did he need a shower? Why were the rest of the boys cleaning up the living room? Is that where the blood smell was coming from?’ Your thoughts raced as you made your way to Jake’s bedroom and twisted the door knob to let yourself in.

You were relieved to see Jake, looking a little pale but mostly normal, sat on his bed in a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie with wet hair from the shower. “Hi, baby. Josh said I needed to get here right away, I was so scared… what happened?” You mumbled into his neck after throwing your arms around him, just so unbelievably relieved to see that he was alright.

“You were the only one I needed, angel, the only one who would understand.” Jake pulled the neck of the hoodie aside to show you two indents in his neck that hadn’t been there before, but they were nearly translucent- scarred over already.

Suddenly the smell of blood made sense. You had never really hung around very many vampires, but you ran in the same circles enough to know what their bites looked like. The horror of Jake being a vampire now hit you first, then the overwhelming guilt of knowing that he never would’ve been put in that position if it weren’t for you.

You took in the dark circles under his eyes. “Are you hungry, baby?” You murmured, thumb stroking across his cheek.

“I’m fucking starving. Every time Josh got near me all I could hear was his blood pumping, I had to get out of there. I was afraid I’d-“

You could sense the fear rising in him so you cut him off, “I know, baby. It’s okay. Let’s get you something to eat and then we can all talk about this.” Jake squeezed his eyes shut for a second and nodded.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Nowhere nice.” You chuckled darkly. Nothing was really funny, but nervous laughter seemed as good an option as any. “Do you trust me, Jakey?”

“I trust you, angel. I know you’ll take care of me.” Jake laced your fingers together, bringing your hand to his lips to brush a kiss to your knuckles.

“There’s a club, next town over. Real shady. Never would’ve brought you within a mile of that place before, but I think you can hold your own now, baby. It’s the kind of place where no one will bat an eye if someone goes out for a smoke and comes back a little foggy. I’ll be there the whole time watching out for you. I’ll tell you what you need to do. We’ll get you fed and then get back here.” You explained.

Jake took a deep breath and nodded, pulling his shoes on and following you out of the bedroom. “You can go wait in the car, baby. I’ll be right there.” You brushed your lips against his forehead and squeezed his hand as he walked outside.

“So, is he…” Josh trailed off.

“He’s a vampire, Josh… there’s a lot of things we need to talk about, all of us. But I have to get him fed first, he won’t be able to have the discussion we need to have when he’s this hungry. We’ll be right back- I promise.”

“Alright. Yeah. Take care of him, and we’ll figure everything else out when you get back. And just so you know… this isn’t your fault.” Josh placed a gentle hand on your shoulder and lightly squeezed before opening the front door for you.

You joined Jake in the car and started the drive to the club, right thumb gently rubbing circles on his thigh. When you stopped at a red light you let yourself turn in your seat to fully take him in. Hair still damp from the shower, looking so soft and domestic but also so delicious in his sweatpants and hoodie.

“You’re so pretty, baby. Have I ever told you that?” You cooed, tearing your gaze away from him to focus on the road when the light turned green.

“Mm, once or twice. But I never get tired of hearing you say it, angel. You’re pretty too, ya know? Fuckin’ stunning, actually.” You giggled at him, knowing he meant every word even though you were in old pajamas and basically ready for bed before you’d gotten the call.

You turned the headlights off as soon as you pulled the car into a parking spot and put it in park. “Here’s the plan, Jakey. I’m gonna go find someone smoking alone, ask them to bum a smoke, then tell them I’m looking to score. I’ll charm them back to the car, you’ll feed. Then we’ll tell them to forget about all of it and we get out of here.” You pulled him in for a kiss before getting out of the car and making your way over to the back porch of the building, where only a couple people stood around. Most people tended to go out on the front porch instead because there’s much better lighting, but in this case the lack of light worked in your favor.

When you got closer to the porch you could make out that there were only three people out there- two women standing together sharing a cigarette, and a man across from them, seemingly sizing them up, his cigarette long forgotten. The ash had gotten so long it had started falling to the wood beneath his feet, cherry burned almost to the filter.

You stepped right up in front of the man, startling his attention from the other women and onto you. “Hey man, could I bum a smoke? Forgot my fucking pack was empty.”

You watched a slow smirk grow on his face as he realized he might not even have to try as hard as he thought he would. You came up to him. “Sure thing, baby. What else can I do for ya?” You used every ounce of self control you possessed to keep from visibly cringing and blowing your cover. The man pulled a cigarette out of his pack and handed it to you along with a lighter.

“Got a friend looking to score, you wouldn’t know anyone would you?” You flirted, sick to your stomach at the fact that you were actually flirting with this man. You lit the cigarette and took a deep inhale.

“Come out to my car with me sweetheart, it’s around the front. I got whatever you need.” Your stomach churned at the lower tone of his voice.

You leaned in right next to his ear and whispered, “mine’s closer…” before strutting back over to your car, knowing he’d follow you.

Jake was waiting in the backseat like you’d planned. You led the man over to the other side of the backseat and had him climb in first, then got in right behind him and sandwiched him between your body and Jake’s.

“Stay quiet.” You whispered, the light just barely low enough for you to meet the stranger’s gaze though you knew his human eyes couldn’t make out your features. Dazzled by you, he nodded, jaw falling slack as Jake tentatively bit into the side of his neck and began gulping him down greedily.

“Good boy, baby. Just a little more, hmm?” You murmured. Jake’s meal was dazed and assumed you were talking to him, but Jake knew you were speaking to him, his eyes almost black when he looked back at you. He whimpered and you knew he was afraid the bloodlust would take hold of him.

“That’s enough, baby. Clean up your mess.” You reached across the backseat and gently tugged on Jake’s hair to bring him back to you. His brows furrowed as he pulled himself back from the stranger’s neck. Panting, he licked up the trail of blood that had trickled down the side of the man’s neck. You wished you could say it didn’t turn you on, but you’d have been a liar.

You put your hand on the man’s shoulder and turned him to face you, his unfocused stare meeting your intense one. “Go home, and forget about all of this.” When he nodded, you and Jake both climbed out of the backseat and let him out of the car. He stumbled a bit when he stepped out of the car but then was steady as he walked off, presumably in the direction of wherever it was he lived.

“I’ll drive, angel.” Jake offered, holding his hand out for your keys. You handed them over and hopped in on the passenger side. Once he was next to you in the driver’s seat you leaned in close and pressed a gentle trail of kisses from his cheek to the corner of his mouth, tongue gently cleaning away the tiny smears of blood. You watched his dark eyes flick down to watch the movements of your mouth. You didn’t need blood to survive, but you didn’t mind the taste especially when it was mixed with him.

“Fuck…” he groaned and you knew between the blood and your teasing he was probably throbbing in his pants. You wanted nothing more than to take care of him right there in the car, but his brothers were sitting at his house confused and scared, waiting on explanations only you could provide. “Okay, if I can’t have you here because Josh, Sam and Danny are waiting on us at home, then you better behave.” Jake warned, making you giggle. He started up the car and started driving back towards his place.

“Okay, okay, I’ll be good.” You laughed. “Do you know who did this to you, baby? Josh said whoever they were, they were long gone by the time he got there.”

“It’s a little fuzzy… can’t remember everything. I remember he was tall, really strong. Am I strong like that now?” He sounded pretty excited about that last part.

“Yeah, you’re strong like that too Jakey. Extra strong after you’ve fed.” You smiled over at him when his right hand traveled to your left thigh and gently squeezed.

“He had short, dark hair, I couldn’t see his face. But… fuck, he said something! I just remembered! He said, ‘Malachi sends his regards’ and then he bit me.”

You felt your entire being fill with rage. Of course it was fucking Malachi. Being his slave for all eternity wasn’t enough for him, he had to control every aspect of your life. He didn’t like you spending so much time with a human, so he changed the part of it that he could change.

“Y/n? What Josh told you when we left, you know that he’s right, don’t you?” Jake asked as he put the car in park outside his house and shut the engine off.

“You heard that, huh? Jake, Malachi never would have even known you existed if you hadn’t been around me. The fact that I didn’t turn you myself, doesn’t really make it any better. I’m grateful you and Josh don’t blame me, but it’s gonna take me some time, baby.” You gave him a half smile.

Jake threw his arms around you and pulled you into him the best he could within the confines of the car. You nuzzled into his chest, just taking him in. “I love you.” He mumbled, pulling back just slightly to bring his lips to yours.

“Love you, sweet boy.” You whispered against his lips. The two of you walked back in the house hand in hand. All three sets of eyes snapped up to look at you both.

“I’m sorry for running off like that, I just wanted to get a handle on my hunger before I got too close to anyone. I know you have a ton of questions.” Jake pulled Josh in for a tight hug now that the blood wasn’t roaring at him, suffocating him.

“Jake, if you squeeze me any tighter my eyes are gonna pop out of my head.” Josh laughed but he squeezed him right back. Sam and Danny each grunted when Jake hugged them with just as much force as he’d squeezed Josh.

“Not to bring the whole room down or anything, but there for a minute I honestly didn’t know if I’d ever see any of you again. I just…” Jake shook his head and took a seat on the floor across from Sam and Danny already seated there, making a circular motion with his hand gesturing at the floor. “Campfire style?” Jake flashed you a smile. You took your seat to Jake’s right and Josh to his left.

“How did this happen?” Sam spoke up but there was no accusation in his tone, only genuine curiosity and concern.

“I was watching tv on the couch and I dozed off. When I woke up, I was being force fed blood. Then he drained me of mine, and when everything faded away I really thought I was dead. Like, dead-dead.”

“I don’t know who did this to him, but Jake remembered that he mentioned my boss by name. Said he sends his regards. I knew Malachi was pissed that I wasn’t doing my job to his liking, but I didn’t think he would hurt Jake over it. Stupid fucking mistake. I never should have let him come alone, should’ve waited here with him until y’all got here. I know it doesn’t change anything now, but I’m going to try my damnedest to make Malachi pay for this shit. His job is to keep us demons and other creatures in check around here, not send a vampire after a human.” You added on, feeling it was necessary to let everyone know how you were implicated in all this.

“Y/n that doesn’t matter, darling. Like you said, this isn’t Malachi’s job. You had no way of knowing he’d do something like this. Don’t blame yourself.” Josh told you firmly, squeezing your hand in his to try and quiet your racing thoughts.

“This really sucks, like really fucking sucks, but it isn’t your fault babe.” Sam assured you, Danny nodding his head in agreement.

“So what lore about vampires is true? Garlic? Coffins? Bats? Does a wooden stake to the heart kill one?” Josh teased.

“Well it’d fuckin kill you, wouldn’t it?” Jake laughed.

“Garlic is a myth. Coffins are a myth, vampires can go out in the sun but they are weakened by it. Crucifixes won’t harm them but they can’t enter any churches.” You explained.

Jake wrapped his right arm around your shoulders and pulled you into him, left hand coming to trace patterns on your knee.

“How does blood… taste?” Danny questioned.

“It’s… good. Rich. Like chocolate, or red wine. Has a lot of layers to it.” Jake said with a grin.

“What do we do about the tour?” Sam blurted, breaking the silence.

“I think we have to postpone at least the earliest dates, we have to figure some shit out here first.” Danny offered.

“Are you fucking insane?!” Jake’s voice climbed at least three octaves.

“We leave tomorrow.” Josh checked the clock on the wall. “In… about six hours. First show is tomorrow night. There’s no fucking way we could get shit moved around that fast. We have to figure everything out on the road.”

“Not to be crass, but what happens if Jake loses control on stage and hurts someone?” Sam winced.

“He won’t. He’s brand new and he’s completely in control. He separated himself from you guys, he didn’t get too close until he was sure he had a handle on it, and he stopped feeding as soon as I asked him to. We just have to trust him.” You said firmly, hand brushing a strand of Jake’s hair behind his ear. “It’ll be way easier for him to trust himself if we trust him.”

Jake flashed you a grateful smile. You knew how much he appreciated your faith in him. “It’s still Jake. He’s still our brother. He doesn’t want to hurt anybody.” Josh agreed.

Sam mumbled out a, “you’re right. I’m sorry.” You swore you could almost feel Jake’s relief that everyone believed in him.

“So… we build a fire outside, burn the couch.” Jake was thinking out loud. Feeling everyone’s eyes on him, he said, “what?! Look at the fuckin’ thing, they’ll haul my ass off to jail if I throw it on the curb in that state.” You snorted, knowing he was absolutely right.

“I’ll make sure Jake stays fed so we can keep his cravings in check. I need to get home, I know the cat still had some food in his bowl when I left but I was in such a hurry I didn’t fill it up and I don’t want him to be hungry. Have to get all my bags together anyway. Y’all try and have a good rest of the night, okay?” You rose to your feet, offering Jake your hand to help him up. The other three were already rising up off the floor.

Josh looked over at you, a little unsteady on your feet from exhaustion and the adrenaline of the whole evening wearing off. Your eyes felt like they weighed a ton. “Drive her home, man. Make sure she gets to bed okay.” He told Jake.

“I’m okay, really. My car’s here, anyway…” you tried to brush off their concern.

“It can stay here, angel. I’ll run you home in mine, we’ll just pick you back up in the morning.” Jake kissed the top of your head. All of you made your goodbyes and see you laters, then Jake walked you out to his car, opening your door for you and buckling your seatbelt across your lap.

When Jake got in on the drivers side of the car, he leaned across the center console to kiss your forehead and then the tip of your nose. “You can nap on the way there, baby.” He whispered, grin stretching across his face when you leaned your seat back, mumbled something sleepily and started to drift off with your left hand holding his right on the center console.

————————————-

“Huh?!” It seemed like no time at all had passed before Jake’s whispered ‘hey’ and gentle touch to your shoulder startled you awake.

“Sorry, angel. Didn’t mean to scare you.” Jake giggled, walking around to your side and getting ready to scoop you up and carry you inside, but you weren’t tired anymore. Not even a little bit.

You quickly stepped out and shut the car door behind you, pinning Jake’s body between the car and you. You pressed your body against his, feeling him already growing hard in his pants.

“Mmm, hi angel.” Jake’s voice sounded a little raspy in your ear. Your left hand tangled in his hair while your right hand began palming him over the material of his sweats. He gasped a little at the contact and you felt him twitch in your palm.

“You wanna know something, baby?” You teased, trailing your tongue from his collarbone up to behind his ear before sucking a little purple mark into the skin there.

“Yeah.” He breathed. “Tell me.”

“I haven’t been able to get this cock off my mind since the club. Wanted to ride you right there and not give a fuck who saw.” You murmured, knowing that would drive him wild.

Jake let out a high pitched whine. “Fuck. Will you? Please?”

Instead of answering you released your hold on his hair and moved the hand teasing him over his pants to grip his hand instead, pulling him into the apartment with you.

As soon as the door was shut behind the two of you, you released his hand to rip your shirt off over your head and took off running to your bedroom. Jake sped off after you, his speed quickly overtaking yours and he tossed you on the bed. You took the opportunity to yank your pants and panties down, letting Jake throw them somewhere in the room. As soon as his shirt and pants hit the floor he was on top of you, mouth crashing to yours.

His teeth nicked your bottom lip and you tasted a hint of blood. You gasped and he let out a breathy moan, tongue swiping across to collect the tiny smear of blood.

“You can drink from me if you want to, baby. Might not be what you’re craving but I can tell you like the taste.” You whispered, hips bucking upwards to meet his clothed cock.

“Oh angel, I think it’s exactly what I’m craving.” Jake swiped two fingers through the slick practically dripping down your thighs, groaning at how wet you already were for him.

He rolled off of you and kicked his boxers off the bed to be forgotten about before sitting back against the headboard. His pretty cock rested on his abdomen, throbbing and flushed pink, tip leaking steadily onto his stomach. “Have you really been thinking about my cock since the club, angel? Tell me the truth.” He teased.

You swung one knee over his midsection to straddle his lap, lowering yourself down to grind your hips over his length but not letting him inside just yet. “Yeah, baby. Thinking about how fucking good you’d feel inside of me, filling me up. I’m so wet, Jakey.” You add a figure-eight motion to your hips.

“I know angel, I can fuckin feel you. Shit, please let me in. Let me watch you taking my cock.” The plea in his voice made you give in and you lined him up with your entrance, sinking down onto him until he was fully buried inside you. Your eyes fluttered closed at the feeling of him. His hands flew to grip your hips.

Your walls clenched around him involuntarily and you let out a loud moan. “Yeah baby, that’s your cock, huh? Yeah it is, all yours angel.” His voice was strained and you felt him twitch inside of you. Your hands went to his chest to steady yourself.

You rocked your hips on him once and his grip tightened on your waist. “Fuck, angel, I- you feel too good. So soft and warm. Hold still for me baby, give me a minute.” Jake groaned, and you felt him pulsing inside of you.

You wanted to be good for him but what you wanted more was to feel him come undone deep inside of you. You set a quick pace, adding a swivel motion to your hips when you pulled back. “Gotta stop, angel, ‘m gonna cum. Fuck, please”

“I know, baby, I want it. Need to feel you fill me up, so fucking deep, please Jakey.” You gasped, already feeling close. Knowing you were making him come apart that easily was having more of an effect on you than you’d like to admit. His arms circled around your shoulders, pulling you down so your chest was against his. His breaths panted in your ear.

“Oh fuck, baby, shit… god damn… gonna give it all to you, angel, every drop.” He whined. Feeling you fluttering and squeezing around his cock sent him crashing over the edge, crying out as he spilled into you. The feeling of him filling you with his release sent you over the edge too and you collapsed on him, body trembling, Jake’s name falling from your lips like it was all you knew.

You brought your forehead to rest against his, both of you attempting to catch your breath. You just laid there on top of him, letting him stay tucked inside you. You crashed your lips together, pouring everything you felt for him into that kiss. You felt so close to him in that moment.

You leaned your head back slightly, baring your throat to him. “Do it, baby. Let me feel it.” You begged. He leaned forward and sank his teeth into your flesh, drinking you down with a strangled moan. You gasped at the quick sting then hummed in pleasure when you felt him sucking at your skin.

“Everything about you is sweet, angel. God damn.” Jake groaned. You felt his cock twitch inside of you as your blood hit his tastebuds. You clenched around his length making him suck in a deep breath.

You slowly started rocking your hips on him again, trying to feel him out and see if he was ready to go again. “Shit, yeah baby, fuck me again. Just like that, keep going.” He moaned, moving his mouth from your neck to your left breast, taking your hardened nipple in his mouth and grazing the points of his teeth against it.

Moans were falling from your lips in a near constant stream as you built up your pace, bouncing on his cock until your thighs were shaking and threatening to give out on you.

“Let me take over, angel. I got you, I’ll get us there. You did so good, looked so fuckin pretty making yourself cum all over me.” Jake praised you, flipping you over so he was on top. He wasted no time thrusting back into you, slamming into you at a relentless pace.

“You feel so fucking good, baby.” You sobbed, wrapping your legs around his waist and holding him close. Both your bodies were covered in a sheen of sweat and the sound of your skin smacking and sticking together was obscene.

“I feel good? Angel, you feel like fucking heaven. Just sucking me in, could fucking drown in you.” Jake grunted, his eyes rolling back and hips losing their rhythm as he got closer and closer to falling apart. He brought one hand in between your bodies to rub circles over your clit with his thumb.

You were clenching around him and your moans kept getting higher in pitch as you neared your peak. “Cum with me, angel, please.” He begged. The whine in his voice sent you crashing into your orgasm for the second time, your back arching off the bed and a gush of wetness flowing out of you as you soaked the both of you and the sheets with your release. The noise that left Jake’s lips as he spurted into you for the second time was positively sinful and you knew with absolute certainty that you wanted to hear that noise every day.

Jake rolled off of you and collapsed to the bed (but not before watching his cum leaking out of you for a moment). He pulled you into his chest. You couldn’t bring yourself to care about his cum dripping out of you, the sheets were already soaked anyway. You tangled your legs with his and threw one arm over his waist, nuzzling your face into his neck. “I love you so fucking much.” He breathed into your hair.

“Mmm, I love you. Would love you even more if you’d hold me until I fall asleep and then feed the cat on your way home.” You giggled.

“Okay, love.” Jake laughed. He pressed a gentle kiss to your shoulder before rising to his feet, scooping you up into his arms so he could pull the dirty sheets off the bed before gently depositing you back onto the mattress.

He walked out of the bedroom and into the bathroom, still fully bare. You took the opportunity to admire the way his ass jiggled as he walked away before you pouted about him not being in bed with you. “Come back…” you whined.

Jake walked back in the room a minute or two later with a warm damp rag in hand, using it to gently clean away the mess he’d left behind between your thighs. Once he had you cleaned up, he threw the rag into the dirty clothes bin and joined you back in the bed. “I also fed and watered the tiny freeloader.”

He rolled onto his side and nestled into your back, wrapping his arm around your middle. You brought one hand up to rest against his on your stomach. “Get some sleep, angel. I’ll hold you tight until you fall asleep and I’ll be back for you first thing in the morning. I love you so much, no matter what.” Jake murmured against your shoulder, kissing a trail from there up to the back of your neck.

“Love you so much, Jakey.” You mumbled through a yawn before finally drifting off next to the love of your life.

Tags: @gracev0609 @jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka @clairesjointshurt

[theflyingfeeling]

Thirteenth Day of Gift-Giving: Characters

Prompt: A student who keeps falling falls asleep in the library

Ta-da! It's a University/College AU! With a surprise guest! 🥰

~

With a mix of horror and worry, Aleksi watched Robin sip his at RedBull: as far as he was concerned, the guy didn't need any more energy than the amount he was born with.

“So! The deadline for the project is…” Robin said, scrolling on his computer mouse vigorously. 

“In four and half weeks,” Aleksi filled him in with a subtle sigh. He knew Robin preferred to take his sweet time due to his dyslexia, but even still, Aleksi thought starting the preparations for their upcoming presentation a month in advance was a tad too early.

“Brilliant! We’re right on schedule. Should we start with collecting the background literature? I recently discovered this amazing database with audio aids that I think we could definitely–”

Robin’s sentence was cut short when the door to the study pod they had booked for the afternoon opened and in walked an exhausted-looking character who Aleksi had longed to see the whole day – never mind the fact he had woken up right next to him that very morning.

"Oh! Hi there," he greeted the newcomer, who proceeded to move Aleksi’s backpack on the floor and almost collapsed on the bench Aleksi was sitting on, making himself a nest of the flannel jacket Aleksi had laid there. Without saying a word, the silent character rested his head on Aleksi’s lap and nuzzled his cheek against Aleksi's thigh before exhaling deeply and closing his eyes.

Looking back up to his coursemate, Aleksi saw Robin’s eyes round with confusion at the sudden appearance of the intruder.

“My boyfriend,” Aleksi told him. Only then it occurred to him that during the many discussions he had had with Robin about their lives in and outside university throughout the semester, the topic of relationships had never come up before. Mentally Aleksi crossed his fingers and toes in hopes of Robin not having a problem with Aleksi dating a guy, even if nothing in his behaviour had ever implied such a thing.

“Ah!” The creases on Robin’s forehead disappeared the instant he heard Aleksi’s explanation. “Right. Anyway! The database I found is suuuuuuuper helpful, I think you should take a look, hold on, let me email you the link…”

Aleksi couldn’t hold back the relieved smile and let Robin babble on about this new ‘treasure trove’ he had discovered. In the meantime, Aleksi slid a hand under the table and into his boyfriend’s hair, giving his scalp a few gentle rubs.

“You alright?” he asked under his voice, glancing down at Olli.

“Tired. Headache.”

Olli’s answer made Aleksi easen his touch on Olli immediately, softly caressing his head instead of massaging it.

“Hungry?”

Olli nodded.

“There’s a Tupla bar in my backpack.”

The prospect of getting some sugar in his system had Olli sitting up with sluggish movements to rummage Aleksi’s backpack in search of the promised chocolate. Once he had located it, he tore the package in half with a snap and gave the other half to Aleksi. 

On the other side of the table, Robin was looking at them, his eyebrows tilted with concern. 

“Do you wanna take a break or…”

“No, it’s fine,” Aleksi reassured him, then nudged Olli. “We’re working on an assignment, so I can meet you later if you wanna go–”

“Can I stay?” Even with a mouth full of sweet chocolate, Olli’s voice sounded downright miserable.

Aleksi glanced at Robin, who shrugged. In Aleksi’s books it was as good as yes.

“Sure, if you’d rather. I don’t know how long we’ll take and how comfortable you’ll be able to make yourself here though, but–”

“Would this be of help? For lack of a blanket.” Over the table, Robin was passing his woollen scarf, so large that one could barely see his face when he had it wrapped around his neck.

Touched by Robin’s gesture, Aleksi flashed him a small smile. “That’ll do, I think. Thanks.”

Aleksi turned back to Olli just in time to witness him licking his fingers clean off melted chocolate. The sight was mesmerising, but for Robin’s sake, Aleksi forced himself to look away and open the email Robin had just sent him to keep himself focused on their project instead of daydreaming about tending to his boyfriend later that night.

Having finished his snack, Olli unfolded the scarf Robin had offered him and pulled it on himself as he lay down on the bench again, using Aleksi’s thigh as his pillow. If Aleksi hadn’t scheduled this group-work meeting with Robin weeks ago already, he would’ve ditched his coursemate on the spot to take Olli home and laze about in bed next to him until he’d feel more like himself again. Now, with Olli already on the verge of dozing off on him, he had to settle for just playing with Olli’s soft curls until he could feel Olli’s breathing becoming deeper and less frequent. When Aleksi was sure Olli was sound asleep, he caressed Olli’s temple one last time with his thumb and went back to business with Robin.

~*~

It was ten minutes to the closing time of the library when Aleksi finally had the heart to nudge Olli awake – or rather pamper him awake, by stroking his forearm with enough force to rouse him, yet gently enough to not alarm him too suddenly.

Rubbing his eyes, Olli turned to his back and looked up at Aleksi.

“Feeling any better?”

“A little.”

Aleksi moved his hand to pet Olli’s belly as the man’s sleepy eyes travelled around the study pod.

“Where’s your friend?”

“Robin just left.” Aleksi didn’t think it necessary to tell Olli that ‘just’ in this context meant ‘nearly an hour ago’.

“He forgot his scarf.”

“Yeah, I’ll give it back to him tomorrow.” In truth, Aleksi had tried to give it back to Robin earlier, but Olli’s grip on his makeshift blanket had been so tight that Robin had told him not to worry about it. To make up for having Robin walk back home in -10 degrees with no scarf, Aleksi had insisted Robin should take the remaining half of his chocolate bar, having to practically throw it at him when the man kept refusing the gesture, overly polite (and just frustratingly nice) as he was.

Still visibly minding his head and neck, Olli sat up, his curls all tangled from Aleksi’s fingers having fondled them for hours. His face was sleepy and soft, and Aleksi would’ve pulled him in for a kiss if he hadn’t just seen the campus library guard doing rounds at the other end of the corridor. He gave Olli a quick peck on the corner of his mouth instead. 

“Home?” he suggested. A light lit up in Olli’s eyes; a small smile tugged on the corner of his lips where Aleksi’s had just kissed him.

“Please,” Olli answered, stealing a kiss from Aleksi in return.

[latte-virgo-lion]

// ooc ; have a short fic? written bit? abt Latte + Dr Cockroach bc it's been in my brain lately

cw : for uncontrolled transformation/mutation (offscreen, implied) , mentions of drinking/drunkeness

(QUICK ADDITIONAL NOTE: this is NOT meant to be a "tf fic". yes it. technically is, I'm aware of that, but it's not meant to be that kind of transformation, respectfully. this is more horror trope-esque werewolf without the horror)

Julian pouted, fumbling with something outside of the doctor's line of sight. He initially dismissed it, until he realized fifteen minutes had passed, and the cat-man was ​still​​​​ fighting with something.

"Jules, is there any way I can help you?" He asked, getting up out of his chair to assist.

Julian's ears flattened slightly, and he looked over his shoulder with an almost panicked or... embarrassed expression? The doctor wasn't quite sure. "I uh, I'll be alright, Gregor, just having a ah, technical difficulty." He stammered slightly, trying to turn his body away, "There's no need, honest!"

Dr Cockroach frowned, knowing Julian enough to know something was up. "What in the world are you trying to get into?"

"Genuinely : medication. Of a sort." His smile faltered, and he shrugged, "I wasn't going to have much of a shot to hide this anyways." He sighed, and turned to face him.

Dr Cockroach wasn't exactly ​startled​​​​, but he was definitely taken aback. "What happened to your hands?" He came closer, taking Julian's hand to investigate further.

"It's an... Unintended side effect of my own transformative experiments." He sighed, fumbling the glass jar he had been fighting with onto a nearby table; it started to roll away, only to be caught by Dr Cockroach's swift hand, and gently sat upright.

"But... Are these pawpads?" He questioned further, prying open Julian's altered hands to look closer. "These are... These are claws-" he glanced at Julian's face, only to see a mildly discomforted grimace.

"That ah... tickles, Doctor."

Julian's hands and forearms, up to the elbow, had been altered into what were clearly some kind of feline paw - stockier and bulkier than even most big cat species that the doctor could think of, not to mention the somewhat unnatural patterning that mirrored his ears. "So, you need this 'medication' to undo this, correct? Will your mutation keep going?"

"It's like... Werewolves I guess? After a while it ebbs, and later I'll be dealing with it again. It has more to do with the phase of the moon than if it's day or night though. Just lines up with the phases. Right now is the 'big ole' paws that can't do small work' phase." Julian shook his head, "Later comes the more animalistic phases."

There was a small silence as doc looked worriedly at him.

"Oh- no no, not like violent or anything. Just, less… Human-like, if that makes sense?"

He blinked, "I think I understand." Probably similiar to his his desire for trash and the like.

Julian sighed, "If you would be able to help me with the ah, medicine, I'd appreciate it." He smiled, with a slightly pained expression, "I hate having to ask for assistance like this-"

His antennae twitched slightly. "I don't mind at all, I apologize if I was quiet, I'm just," he paused, "I'm just very... intrigued. You said it's effected by the phase of the moon?"

He blinked, "Well, er, yes. I'm not quite sure why, honestly. I had assumed there was some magical material in the moon that reflected in light, but I think now it's more of a biological clock, since your reality doesn't have the same magic mine does, and it's not due to exposure to moonlight-"

"And if you don't take this... medicine, it will advance further?"

"Yes, it's a sort of cell blocker, preventing it from taking over my body."

"So when you said animalistic -"

"My entire body will turn into a cat, yes. Well, a feline of some sort... I can't really properly document anything while in that state, so what I have about it is more vague than I would prefer." Julian paused, and tilted his head, "Are you interested in observing it advance, Gregor?"

"I would never want to impose such a thing, I can imagine going through that could be harrowing." Dr Cockroach answered, "I am curious... but I don't want to impose."

"It's much less 'Harrowing' and much more," He bit his lip, "Slightly embarrassing, I'd say? I mean, cats have a reputation to be, how do i put this..."

"Mean?"

"Goofy. Silly. Not much going on behind the curtains."

"If it helps any, I won't tell a soul - but I won't ask of you, unless it's something you're comfortable with foregoing."

He shrugged, "I wouldn't have volunteered to otherwise, doctor.

"Though I will say, you will probably need to set aside a space for the later stages of this, and the final stage will last for a few days; I may not act entirely as myself and may do things I would regret later."

"Julian, I cannot imagine this will be worse than having seen you drunk under the table"

He scoffed, "That's true, but you as drunk as I!"

[theselfshippingwitch]

"That pumpkin is bigger than me!"

For Ray X Violet

"That pumpkin is bigger than me!"

And it was sitting in their foyer, right as you entered the front door.

“I sure hope it is. If this Halloween party is going to be any success, everything needs to be big!” Violet said. All day, her and Ray’s house was swarming with all manner of caterers and decorators, getting the place ready for Violet’s annual Halloween party. Every celebrity, socialite, and star was desperate to get on the guest list. Violet was the most famous it-girl of the horror scene, being the best-selling author of the world's most chilling horror novels, and by now she had a reputation for throwing unbelievable parties every Halloween. Planning had begun months in advance. “Do you think it’s enough?” she asked Ray, worriedly.

“I don’t think we have room for anything else.” Every inch of the house was covered in leaf, light, or cobweb, making their normally slightly spooky house extra foreboding.

“Well, Steffi told me to take you upstairs to the bedroom. Our costumes for tonight are waiting up there!”Over the past two months they had worn at least nine different couples’ costumes. Everyone wanted Violet at their Halloween party, and she had to say yes to at least a few of them. Ray accompanying her was an extra bonus, as they were the hottest spooky couple in Hollywood, both famous in their line of work (although Ray often forgot).

“What are we going to be this time?” Ray asked as Violet led him up the stairs.

“Herman and Lily Munster! Steffi thought it was very us.The perfect mix of cute and creepy. And from an old sitcom from the 60s! I tend to agree with her taste. She wouldn’t still be my PA if I didn’t!”

“It’s all alright with me,” Ray came a little but closer, to whisper into Violet’s ear. “As long as you lead me up these stairs again later tonight…”

Violet gasped, smiling as her face turned red. “Ray!” she squealed, blushing at the thought of their other Halloween tradition.

He gave her a quick peck on her cheek. “Come on, those costumes aren’t going to get into themselves!”