#(surprisingly not at all in the same place)

[yandere-daydreams]

Title: Daytrip.

Pairing: Yandere!Illumi x Reader (Hunter x Hunter).

Word Count: 5.6k.

TW: Fem!Reader, Non/Con, Prolonged Captivity, Mentions of Kidnapping, Mentions of Animal Death, Semi-Public Sex, Controlling Behavior, Deliberate Isolation, and Stalking.

The first thing you saw when you opened your eyes was, per usual, Illumi’s face.

His dark eyes wide and unblinking, his skin bloodlessly pale, his lips pulled into a thin, neutral line – and all of it no more than three inches away. You were too numb to his off-putting proximity to scream, but you flinched back into your pillow on instinct, and Illumi took the hint, lingering for another half second longer before drawing back. A few months ago, you might’ve scrambled away, barricaded yourself in the smallest corner of your lavish bedroom, but now, you only rolled onto your side, regarding him with the same exhausted resignation that you used to pay to your cat, when she woke you up three hours early for no other reason than her own selfish desire not to spend the small hours of the morning alone.

“What’s up?”

It might’ve been a little too casual of a greeting for your kidnapper, but he didn’t seem to mind. “There are clothes waiting for you on your vanity. The butlers will help you dress as soon as possible.”

 So this was going to be an out-of-bed thing, after all. Reluctantly, you started pushing yourself up. “Are we in a hurry for a reason, or…?”

There was a brief moment of consideration, then a resolute nod from Illumi. You let out an inward sigh. “Okay, whatever, that’s my fault. Why are we in a rush, ‘lumi?”

“I have something planned for the two of us.” If you hadn’t known better, you might’ve thought you saw his expression light up. “A daytrip, I believe.” And then, as if as an afterthought, “I’m very excited.”

Illumi’s excitement was normally something you tried to avoid, but your mind seemed to glaze over that and settle on the word ‘daytrip’ instead. Daytrips meant traveling. Daytrips meant activities.

Most pressingly, daytrips meant getting to leave the empty, lifeless, murderer-infested wasteland that was his family’s estate for the first time since he carried you through its gates. You knew better than to say that in as many words, though.

“And for this daytrip, we’ll be going…” You trailed off, gesturing in the direction you felt most strongly would lead back to civilization. “…out there?”

“We’ll be leaving the mountain, yes.”

“And we’ll be going place where other people are?”

“I suppose so, if it can’t be avoided.”

“And your family wasn’t involved with this at all?”

“They don’t think it’s right for you to be given so much freedom so quickly,” he explained. “I disagree. Even well-trained dogs have to be walked.”

For the first time ever, you had to resist the urge to kiss him.

Instead, you only let yourself smile, casting your sheets aside and settling for a brief but bone-crushing hug. “Thank you thank you thank you!” You pulled away abruptly, sliding off of the mattress. “I—I’ll get dressed!”

Illumi didn’t move, didn’t react, but his eyes followed you as you stumbled across the room – happier than you’d been in months.

~

A little less than an hour later, you were spread across Illumi’s lap in the back of a surprisingly conspicuous black car, the divider raised to block a faceless driver from view. It took a concerted amount of effort to keep your attention on anything but the window, but you managed, only sparing the occasional glance towards the passing scenery.

You watched the mountainside spiral downward as Illumi’s hands settled around your waist, measuring the widening gaps between dense patches of forestry as his mouth ghosted over the side of your neck. It’d always surprised you – how tactile he was, how someone so cold could be so fond of peppering feather-light kisses into your collarbones and groping at your thighs. It’d been weeks since the last time you tried to brush off his affection. As far as you were concerned, there were worse things he could do to you than mimic the behavior of a more conventional boyfriend.

(At some point, you’d come to think of Illumi as the unclimbable, unmovable, twenty-foot-tall wall that separated you from freedom. You didn’t like him, sure, but you had to recognize that on your own, you had no chance of getting past, over, or around him. If something happened to render him a little weaker, a little less tall, a little more susceptible to opening his gates, then things might change, but you couldn’t rely on elusive possibilities. The way you saw it, you could either waste your time trying to overcome an insurmountable obstacle, or you could save your energy and try to make things as pleasant on this side of the wall as was humanly possible, given your below-standard working conditions. Until you met someone willing to offer you a ladder, at least.)

He buried his face in the crook of your neck, and your eyes flitted back to the window. You were passing buildings, now – houses and apartments, people dotted in front of them blurred mannequins. “Can you tell me where we’re going, or am I not supposed to know?”

He seemed to think for a second, but answered quickly enough. “Brunch, first,” he said, not bothering to pull away from you. “The rest is a surprise.”

You pursed your lips. You used to like surprises, but Illumi had managed to change a lot of things about you. “Is ‘the rest’ something I’ll like?”

 “It’s something you’ve been known to enjoy.”

It took everything you had not to roll your eyes. You’d been ‘known to enjoy’ a lot of things, most of which Illumi had taken away from you.

There was one more open-mouthed kiss pressed into your collarbone, one more stolen glance of the outside world, and then, the vehicle was easing to a steady halt in front of a rustic, almost quaint building. A café, you realized, as Illumi stepped out in front of you, holding the door open while you stared wide-eyed at the perfectly idyllic, perfectly normal restaurant. The cute type, with a triangular roof and a greenery-laden front porch and chipped paint on either side of the front door.

Subconsciously, some part of you must’ve decided that you’d never see anything more charming or more homey than the lifeless grounds of Illumi’s estate again. You opted not to linger on that, as you stepped out of the car.

The interior was similarly fairytale-esque. There weren’t any other customers or wait-staff, which you’d expected, but string lights hung from the rafters, fresh wildflowers sitting in pitchers on each table. Illumi let you choose where to sit, and you shot for a spot closest to the front windows – bay-style and freshly cleaned, the kind of thing you might’ve stared longingly out of while nursing an overpriced latte for the better part of an hour. Suit-clad butlers stood guard on either side of the door, but if you were lucky, you’d still be able to catch the occasional pedestrian walking by. You would’ve given anything to sit in a room filled to bursting with other people, but since you couldn’t have that, you’d settle for being able to watch a handful from a distance.

“You’re staring.”

“So?” You responded to Illumi without looking away. “You stare at me all the time.”

“That’s different. I have a reason to look at you.”

“Which is?”

“I love you.”

It might’ve been easier to believe if he hadn’t said it with all the warmth and all the affection of a corpse, already given time to cool.

You changed the topic swiftly.

“It’s a little nostalgic, honestly. I used to come to places like this all the time, especially before I made any friends in the city. It was nice to feel lonely in a aloof-and-mysterious kind of way, instead of an anti-social-and-depressed sort of way.”

“Oh, you were never really alone.” You didn’t say anything, but you made the mistake of shifting your gaze onto him, of spurring him forward with the reward of your attention. “It was a guilty pleasure of mine – spending time with you before we met. I preferred it when you sat outside. It was easier to smell your perfume, in the open air.”

You grit your teeth. It wasn’t the most disturbing thing he’d ever admitted, but it definitely made the list. “…I think I would’ve remembered sitting next to someone like you.”

If he’d been more expressive, you could’ve imagined him smirking. “You would think so, wouldn’t you?”

There was a brief lapse, a moment of uncertainty on your part. Finally, you asked, “Did I smell… nice?”

“Very.” Illumi didn’t share your sense of trepidation. “Like cinnamon.”

You hummed, and as if by magic, a waitress appeared from the door to an unseen kitchen – white knuckling her pen with one hand and driving her nails into her notepad with the other. She took your orders with a terrified sort of professionalism, and before you left, you convinced Illumi to give you all the cash he was carrying at the moment (a sum that easily added up to half a year’s worth of rent, handed over without so much as a passing question) and left it on the table for her to find.

~

Your second stop was as surprising as Illumi had promised. If anything, he’d undersold it.

If the quaintness of the café had been enough to throw you into a stupor, then the sheer scale of the building in front of you could’ve sent you to an early grave. A mall – a nice mall, either recently built or nestled so far into the upper-class shopping district that you never would’ve come across it organically, the type with glass where there should’ve been walls and a fountain without any coins at the bottom. You were tempted to try and pester loose change off of one of the butlers flanking you, but decided against it. The café, you could’ve stumbled into on your own, without Illumi’s intervention. It just didn’t feel right to leave a mark where you so obviously didn’t belong.

More similarly to the café, though, the inside of the shopping complex was startlingly empty. Butlers and hired security were posed in front of exits, but other than that, it wasn’t hard to believe that you and Illumi were the only people on the property. As soon as you were past the initial entryway, you ducked into the closest store – a high-end cosmetics retailer. The door was unlocked, but there was no cashier at the register. Like someone had already come through and cleared it out.

“This is some backrooms shit,” you mumbled to yourself, and then, to Illumi, ever-hovering just over your shoulder. “You didn’t… you know, do what you normally do to people you don’t like, right?”

“Are you asking me if I killed everyone in this shopping complex prior to our arrival?”

“Well, not everyone,” you clarified. “Maybe just the employees?”

He didn’t laugh, but the corner of his mouth turned ever-so-slightly upward, as if you’d said something funny. “No, that would’ve taken far too much time.” The unnecessary loss of life went unacknowledged. “The building’s rented out, and the stock’s been purchased in advance. You’re only deciding what you’d like to keep.”

Huh.

One day, you were going to sit him down and have a long, long talk about class privilege and resource waste. If you were feeling generous, you might even throw generational wealth onto the lecture, just to make sure he got the full picture.

One day, but not today.

“The third floor always has the best stores,” you said, turning on your heel and grabbing Illumi’s hand, too distracted to think anything of the gesture. “Let’s start there.”

You weaved in and out of stores with reckless abandon, hyper-aware that you had no one’s time to waste but your own. Essentials were overlooked entirely, makeup and self-care supplies limited to eyeshadow pallets with no less than several dozen eye bleeding colors and bath-bombs that were more glitter than pigment, and clothes made up the bulk of your adoration. Everything that wasn’t in your size had already been removed – something as worrying as it was convenient. The only thing you refused to try on was loungewear. It would’ve been practical, sure, but you didn’t need to be reminded that this was likely the last time you’d ever leave Illumi’s sprawling home.

“You know,” you called from a dressing room, pulling a gingham dress over your head. You couldn’t see Illumi, but you were sure he wasn’t far. He didn’t seem to have much of an interest in shopping, but his favorite hobby was looming over your shoulder like some blank-eyed, haphazardly domesticated bird of prey, so it balanced out. “If this had been our first date, I probably would’ve married you.

You heard him hum as a weight settled against the dressing room door. “I enjoyed our first date. It was endearing – how long you rested your head in my lap.”

“Well, yeah. The paralytics you used were so strong, I couldn’t move for three days.” You’d still lose feeling in your left arm, if you held it at the wrong angle. It reminded you a little of your cat, after she first came around to the idea of sitting in your lap. You’d been so afraid of scaring her off, you’d let your legs fall asleep before you so much as thought about moving her. “I just meant that the whole ‘kidnapping’ thing probably wouldn’t have been necessary, y’know? I wasn’t exactly in a place to be picky when it came to creepy rich men.”

There was a brief lapse of silence, and you finally managed to drag the bodice of the dress into place. “I never considered that.”

It shouldn’t have surprised you to hear that Illumi wasn’t the dating type, and yet, you let out a breath of a laugh. “You never thought about asking me out? Not even once?”

“…no, I didn’t.” If you hadn’t known better, you would’ve thought he sounded shy. “It was hard to be practical. I was distracted. You were perfect, and contained, and I thought touching you would be—” For the first time, his voice seemed to dip, to grow just a little quieter. “—vulgar. It would’ve changed you, to know I was there.”

The skirt was layered, and you bit back the urge to curse as you smoothed over the layers of cotton and lace. “I think being abducted might’ve changed me, too.”

“It was the better option. Something would’ve fallen out of place eventually, but like this, I could save you. Only your environment had to be altered.”

He made it sound like he’d sealed you behind glass, rather than underneath a mansion occupied by the world’s most dangerous killers. You’d known better than to hope he’d be able to come up with a selfless reason for your prolonged captivity, but still. Hearing that you were miserable because he needed a ballerina to decorate his music box with stung more than you would’ve liked to admit.

“…it’s unlocked. You can come in, if you want.” Immediately, you heard the dressing room door creak open, and turned your attention towards your reflection. Out of the countless you’d tried on, there was a reason you’d saved this dress for last. You used to fantasize about being able to afford something so wonderfully needless, something you wouldn’t have had to justify with things as joyless as ‘function’ and ‘practicality’. Even now, the puffiness of the sleeves and the lace detailing around the collar and the tiny, almost impossible-to-see hearts printed onto the checked pattern felt exorbitant – borderline garish. You still didn’t have any reason to wear it, any place you could’ve gone to show it off, but then again, you didn’t have much of a reason to do much of anything when you were with Illumi. You guessed, in a roundabout kind of way, that meant you got to do whatever you wanted to.

Illumi came to stand behind you, and you leaned back, kissing his cheek gingerly. “I’ll add it to the pile. Thanks for this, ‘lumi.”

His hands found their way to your hips, settling there as he rested his chin on your shoulder. “Keep it on. It suits you.”

You tried to laugh, but fell short – your smile falling into something more strained. You really shouldn’t have said anything, but you were talking before you could stop yourself, before you could think better of it. “The cinnamon,” you started, speaking against the dryness in your throat. “When I first moved to the city, the only apartment I could afford was flat above a bakery. The ventilation was awful, and the landlord was impossible to get a hold of, and everything I owned smelled like sugar and cinnamon and bread. I couldn’t touch anything sweet for months, after I moved out.”

It was all you could do to bite down on your tongue and force yourself to stop, to shut up, to remember who you were talking to. Illumi’s response was less dramatic – as instantaneous as it was muted.

“How fitting,” he said, with a chime of a laugh. “Sweet things belong in sweet places.”

…

You could only be mad at yourself, really. What else were expecting? It wasn’t like he was going to get down on his knees and apologize, for fuck’s sake.

You sighed, melting into Illumi’s chest. Of course, he welcomed you with open arms.

~

You didn’t end up keeping any other dresses. A few other articles of clothing, a couple pairs of shoes, a small fortune’s worth of little luxuries that’d help you pass the time when you were returned, kicking and screaming, to solitary confinement, but no dresses. Well, aside from the one you were wearing, of course.

It wasn’t long before Illumi started gently ushering you to the nearest exit, and already thoroughly defeated, you didn’t try to resist. You only got distracted once on your way out, and not for very long. Illumi made sure of that.

It was kiosk-type stand – the glass cabinets filled with high-end pet toys and animal-themed tchotchkes. You couldn’t stop yourself, gasping as you broke away from Illumi and darted to the first thing that caught your eye: a bright pink collar with silver spikes, adorable and cliché and so, so cute. It was clearly meant for a dog, but it could’ve fit a cat. Or, you probably would’ve tried to make it fit a cat, rather.  

Illumi appeared at your side, as always, and you started talking without looking up. “I’m sorry, I know we’re in a rush, but it just—” You paused, trying and failing to bite back a smile. “I had this cat before you took me – her name was Ghost. She used to be the neighborhood stray, but she was getting pretty old, and I think other cats were picking on her. Eventually, I just started letting her in, and after a while, she stopped leaving. She would’ve hated something like this.” You held up the collar, gesturing dismissively before forcing yourself to set it back down. “She never really liked me. Whoever took her in shouldn’t have had too much trouble winning her over, after I disappeared.”

“Ghost,” he repeated. “Was she a black cat?”

“Yeah, that’s where her name came from. I couldn’t see her at all at night, and she could knock over anything that wasn’t nailed down. It was like living with a poltergeist.”

“She’s dead.”

You felt something small and vital tear open and start to bleed. “…excuse me?”

“You two were quite close. Had she been given the time, she would’ve woken you up the night I came to get you. I didn’t want that.” It took an embarrassing amount of time for you to make the connection, to form the link, to realize why the pain in your chest was quickly becoming so unbearable. “We can get another, if you’re upset. As a couple.”

The shock was numb, if there was any shock to be had at all. “It’s fine,” you managed, eventually, and despite the strain behind your voice, Illumi didn’t argue.

Instead, he glanced towards the nearest glass wall, to where the sun was just beginning to set over the horizon. “We should go.”

“I didn’t realize we were on a schedule.”

“You weren’t supposed to. I told you earlier – the last stop is a surprise.” This time, he was the one to take your hand, squeezing gently as he laced his fingers with yours.

It might’ve been a nice gesture, if his touch hadn’t been cold enough to burn.

~

You weren’t really sure what the third and final stop was supposed to be, at first.

An old sort of a dream knotted and coiled in your chest as his driver ferried you out of the city, metropolis shuttering into mountain backwoods. You’d never really been afraid of Illumi killing you (not when there were so many things that were so, so much worse than death), but as the car eased to a stop on the side of single-lane road, it was hard to imagine why else he would’ve taken you so far from the nearest scrap of civilization, another reason for him to wear such a bright expression as he ushered you outside - the most impatient he’d been all day. It wasn’t until you saw the trailhead – unmarked save for a wooden post and break in the foliage – that you started to relax.

“Oh,” you mumbled, your relief audible. “I’m not really dressed for hiking, ‘lumi.”

“It isn’t far.” And then, taking your hand in his, “I can carry you.”

It sounded more like a matter-of-fact statement than an offer, but you shook your head, edging forward. He was right, in the end. It couldn’t have been more than half a mile of level ground, Illumi holding your hand all the while. It wasn’t like you weren’t allowed outside on Illumi’s estate, but you spent so much time in the woods that surrounded his mansion and his mother’s gardens – it would’ve been impossible not to go numb to the absence of bird song, the treacherous slope of his mountain, how little sunlight managed to break through the dense canopy of tangled branches and leaves that seemed to lie a little closer to black than green. It was nice to be somewhere else, somewhere with humming insects and a gentleness to the landscape and just enough dappled sunlight to make you forget who you were with. You kept your head on a swivel, quietly eager to soak in as much of it as you could. If you were lucky, you’d actually get to see some life – a deer, or a wildcat, or—

Something caught in your throat, and your head lulled forward, eyes dropping to your feet. You stared at the ground for the rest of the walk.

Your destination was, similarly, storybook levels of idyllic. The forest thinned and fell away entirely, breaking into a lake that stretched on as far as the eye could see and glittered pink in the light of the setting sun. Stretched over the lake’s shore was a blanket piled with platters of chocolate-covered fruit, breads and cheese, bottles of wine with a matching pair of glasses for each option – everything you might’ve once drunkenly listed off to a friend while fantasizing about your perfect, fairytale date. You glanced around you, looking for the butlers who must’ve only just finished setting up, but Illumi was quick to call your attention back to him. You felt him let go of your hand, your body shift before you could process why you were moving, and then, you were no longer on the ground; one of Illumi’s arms hooked under your knees and the other behind your back, your side pulled against his chest in an effortless bridal carry. You made a passing attempt to squirm, but Illumi didn’t seem to mind – keeping you tucked against him as he made his way to the only unoccupied corner of the blanket and all-but dropped to the ground, leaving you splayed across his lap and safely caged within his arms.  It was hard to tell if he was trying to be romantic in his own, blank, heartless sort of way, or if he’d simply decided you weren’t moving quickly enough. For your own sake, you leaned towards the former.

“It’s awful,” you muttered, and then, correcting yourself, “Not the picnic, I mean – that’s perfect. It’s just, I can never tell what you’re thinking.”

He seemed to consider that, for a moment. A chocolate-covered strawberry was plucked out of the nearest bowl and held to your lips, and to appease him, you bit into it. Your throat still felt too knotted for you to actually enjoy eating, but it was good to keep Illumi happy. “Most of the time, I think about you,” he admitted, any hint of shame absent from his voice. “It’s an issue. It doesn’t affect my work, but it’ll start to if left unchecked.”

He thought about you while cutting down innocent civilians. Great. “And you’re not going to fix that by drowning me in a lake, right?”

“No, I’m not.” Like your question, his answer was too sincere for comfort. The way his free hand toyed with the hem of your skirt did little to ease your nerves, either. “I’ve tried keeping an amount of distance between you and I, but that hasn’t yielded much progress either.”

If he’d ever tried to keep himself away from you, you hadn’t been able to tell. His hand slipped under your skirt properly, and you twisted, reaching for the neared wine bottle. “There’s so much food here, we should really—”

“It can wait.”

It was awful, just how even his voice was. For the first time, you were tempted to give him a reason to raise it.

You’d never resisted Illumi, but he’d never tried to—tried to do this, either. There’d always been an unspoken barrier when it came to sex – your resounding horror shadowed comfortable within his apparent disinterest. Now, though, he didn’t seem very disinterested, and your lingering terror was brushed neatly to the side as his fingers grazed over your thighs, your hip, before slipping underneath the thin, silken fabric. You wanted to thrash, to bolt, but you were suddenly unable to move; paralyzed save for the reflex to clench your legs shut and sink that much deeper into Illumi’s chest. The former was undone with only as much effort as it took him to ease your thighs apart with his knee, though, and the latter only seemed to bring a soft smile to his lips – just barely prominent enough to feel as he nuzzled into the crook of your neck. If you’d been in your right mind, you might’ve thought to look for his butlers, to worry about passing hikers or concerned locals he wouldn’t think not to hurt, but Illumi had done his job well. It was impossible not to consider yourself wholly and entirely alone in the world, when you were with him.

He was less clinical than you would’ve expected. Illumi did most things with surgical precision, but touching you seemed to call for a more experimental skillset. His chin came to rest on your shoulder as his long fingers spread and explored underneath your panties, the tautness of the fabric ensuring that he always moved against you, rather than over or around. Undressing you never seemed to cross his mind; instead, his attention was trained on dragging the pad of his thumb over your clit, on using his ring and middle fingers to trace the slit of your cunt. You weren’t turned on – who could be, with their stoic kidnapper fondling them like a child learning to handle their first doll? – but your body and your mind were on two different tracks, one eager to make the best of a bad situation and the other too distraught to stop it. It wasn’t long before you could feel yourself dripping around him, your arousal adding a damp heat to your already claustrophobic point of connection. Illumi hummed. “You’re sensitive.”

You opened your mouth, but anything you might’ve said was drowned out by a hitched gasp as he thrust two digits inside of you with a wet click. “Tight, too,” he muttered, almost absentmindedly, immediately falling into a pattern of pumping and scissoring; spreading you open and pulling back only to fuck his fingers that much deeper. When he paused, it was only to curl against something particularly sensitive inside of you, to leave you shrinking that much further into his chest. “Is this uncomfortable?”

The practicality of the question caught you off-guard. You couldn’t call it considerate, but it was more than you’d expected, more than you ever would’ve hoped for. Unable to speak, you nodded furiously, and Illumi clicked his tongue. “You’ll be alright,” And then, slightly softer, “It couldn’t be any worse than what I had to deal with, waiting for you.”

There was no bitterness, no remorse, no pity; just Illumi’s cold rationality and the feeling of his palm grinding into your clit. The only warmth you could feel was the ghost of his breath on the side of your throat, the dip of your shoulder – not quite panting, but a world apart from his usual absence of expression. You tried to steel yourself, to think about anything aside from Illumi’s presence where it draped across you like a funeral shroud, but it’d been months since the last time you so much as thought about touching yourself, and for all his apathy, you could feel heat pooling in your core and recognize that your attempts to stave off the inevitable were only prolonging the insufferable. Still, it would’ve been impossible not to try and choke back your whimpers as that heat brewed and solidified into something more tense, something more breakable; as Illumi’s cheek pressed into the curve of your neck and his fingers curled against something soft and unprotected inside of you. Your climax was drawn out of you slowly, painfully, with a ragged whine in place of a moan. You kept your face buried in Illumi’s chest, your hands balled around the bodice of your dress. It felt like an eternity passed before it was over, before Illumi’s hand drew back, but no relief accompanied the distance.

You couldn’t even bring yourself to hate Illumi for it, not really. You couldn’t bring yourself to feel much of anything. The only thing you could think, as hard as you tried not to think at all, was that you missed your dead cat.

It was pathetic, honestly. A sob tore past your lips as he pulled you away from his chest and lowered you onto your back, tears burning twin tracks down your face. You couldn’t remember the last time he’d made you cry, and this shouldn’t have been your tipping point – not Ghost, not your awful shoebox apartment, not the fact that you could hear fabric tearing as he pulled your dress apart, too impatient to so much as consider a less destructive solution. You were in hysterics by the time he glanced up, the faintest possible frown coaxing the corners of his lips downward. “You’re crying.” And then, when your only response was another jagged cry, “Why?”

You opened your mouth, but only managed to force out another incoherent sob. Illumi softened, leaning over you, his dark hair forming a curtain that seemed to replace the rest of the world with unending void. Eventually, you managed to scrap up the only thing you could, even if it wasn’t what you really meant. “I—I want to go home, Illumi.”

He cocked his head to the side, staring down at you with a sort of blank focus. A moment passed, then another, before his expression brightened. “Oh.”

He leaned down, and you felt his lips brush over your forehead. His smile bit into your skin like a blade.

“We will, love.” He pulled back. You heard fabric shift, felt something hot and terrible slot against your cunt. “Just not yet.”

 You moved to respond, but gave up quickly. His mouth crashed into yours as he thrust into you and your blood ran cold.

~

Later on, in the dark, things became bearable again. Illumi was cruel, psychotic, delusional, but he was dutiful, too, and with the most beautiful dress you’d ever seen reduced to scraps, he wrapped you in his jacket and gathered you in his arms. The picnic was untouched, the breath-taking view painted over by night. None of it mattered, of course. You were too exhausted to keep your eyes open, and a bottomless pit occupied the space your stomach used to. You wouldn’t mind going the rest of your life without taking anything of the filthy, unfeeling outside world inside of you ever again, but you knew better than to swear off eating because of Illumi. Or, at least, you hoped you’d know better in the morning.

You were only half-conscious of him pulling you against his chest and starting back into the forest, following the same path you had an eternity ago. It was a stupid question, but you found yourself asking anyway, your voice low and hoarse. “Are we… Are we going somewhere?”

“Of course.” Illumi bowed his head, kissing the top of yours. “We’re going home.”

He didn’t know he was lying, but he was. He might’ve been, but you weren’t.

Slowly and with no small amount of effort, you managed to nod, slumping against his chest. No sooner had you went slack in his arms than the final tether to consciousness thinned and fell away, leaving you to be consumed by the darkness.

[mivalyn]

♡ Claimed, stuffed and satisfied ♡

18+, mdni!

König x fem!reader

Cw: 18+, smut, unprotected sex, breeding kink, anal fingerin, anal sex, deep throathing, multiple orgasms

!Requests are open!

Word count: 674

Your relationship with König has been a smoldering fire for months, each encounter stoking the flames higher, hotter. He’s the embodiment of raw, primal masculinity - towering over you with a body carved from stone, a predator's gaze that pins you in place, and a voice dripping with unshakable dominance. Every movement he makes oozes power and control, and the way he looks at you - hungry, possessive - sends a shiver down your spine. He knows exactly what he’s doing, and God help you, because every calculated touch, every rumble of his voice, leaves you aching for him.

He doesn't hold back when it comes to satisfying you in every way possible. His breeding kink is what initially drew you to him, and now you can't get enough of feeling his hot, creamy seed pump into your body. His cock, impossibly thick and throbbing with need, never fails to drive you to the edge of sanity. He takes you any way he wants - filling your ass, pussy, and mouth with his thick cock and making you feel like the ultimate cumbag. But it's not just about sex for him - he worships you like a goddess, adoring every inch of your body.

König towers over you like a vengeful god, easily two heads taller than you with a massive cock that seems to never tire. His thick, fleshy cock bring you to climax at least four or five times, leaving your body quivering and begging for more. He thrusts into your dripping wet pussy, he relentlessly pounds away, punctuating each deep thrust with a bite on your neck, throat, collarbones, and nipples. His rough, calloused hands explore every inch of you, leaving behind welts and bruises that you wear like badges of honor. Every touch is searing, primal, as if he’s branding you as his. He devours your delicious pussy and ass afterward with fervent hunger, his tongue and lips exploring every inch of your sensitive skin. With each flick of his tongue, he elicits another moan from your overwhelmed body.

But he doesn't stop there - oh no, he knows how much you love it when he plays with your tight anus, expertly stretching it with his thick fingers before plunging his big, thick cock deep inside. As he thrusts into your ass with merciless force, he reaches down and grips your clit between his calloused fingers, tugging and twisting it until you're writhing in pleasure. With a guttural moan, he empties himself deep inside you, marking you as his own. Your screams of pleasure only fuel his desire, and he shows no mercy as he takes you to the brink again and again.

But his true dominance shows when he takes control and fucks your throat mercilessly. He’s obsessed with the sight, how your lips stretched wide around his girthy cock, tears streaming down your cheeks as you struggle to accommodate his size. He’s patient at first, guiding you, but once you start to relax, he takes control, gripping the back of your head and thrusting into your mouth with the same ferocity he shows your pussy. And when he finally releases his hot load down your throat, you swallow every drop like the good little slut he knows you are, and it drives him wild.

König isn’t just dominant—he’s commanding, primal, and entirely in control. But what takes you by surprise every time is the tenderness he shows after your fiery encounters. As rough as he is in bed, he becomes gentle in the aftermath, lifting your exhausted, trembling body into his arms like you’re the most precious thing in the world. He carries you into the bathroom, where he runs a warm bath and carefully washes you, his large hands surprisingly delicate as they glide over your skin. He kisses every mark he’s left behind, murmuring soft words of affection.

And even though you already know how intense and wild he can be in bed, the way he treats you afterward makes you fall for him all over again - you just can’t get enough.

Reblog to see more content like this! It’s a huge help to creators like me, and I truly appreciate it! ^.^

[bleedingichorhearts]

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝕬𝖚𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖗: Lemme just… get some ‘practice’ in… if you don’t mind. From this post here. (This may classify as a Soft!Lion or just my version of him.🤷‍♀️)

𝕾𝖚𝖒𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖞: A sleepy Lion, tired by endless battles but struck with desire can be a rather… pleasing experience.

𝕿𝖆𝖌𝖌𝖊𝖉: @kit-williams, @egrets-not-regrets, @bispecsual, @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan, @sleepyfan-blog.

+@c-u-c-koo-4-40k, @mothiir, @lemon-russ & the delightful Anon because you have given me the idea.

TW // SMUT, Soft-ish/Vanilla, Size Difference, Scent Kink.

|°ᴛᴀɢ ʟɪꜱᴛ ᴀᴘᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ°| |°ɪᴄʜᴏʀ’ꜱ ᴀᴏ3°| |°𝕄𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕃𝕚𝕤𝕥°|

Your form was sleeping in your lovers quarters: Lion El’ Jonson’s, The Firsts’. Your limbs tangled around in the deep green of his royal sheets. The scent left of him in the sheets driving your dreams to become of him. Your wish to kiss him on the lips whenever you pleased and desired playing out in the limitless landscape. A rather innocent wish to dream of in such a galaxy full of infinite dangers. Especially with a cold… Primarch.

You shuffle a bit when you hear the door opening to his quarters. Thinking, it was just a serf or some son of his wanting to know your whereabouts at all times considering they don’t trust you quite yet… Also, with the fact that you didn’t want to get up to just check up on who it was entering your— their Primarchs chambers. It would have been a waste to get woke up then irritated about…

However, your half sleeping mind can pickup the sounds of movement a lot more than usual. Most just like to enter in then out like it was a raid to be done. Never staying any longer than what they have been permitted.

This one… this one stayed longer.

You can feel the bed dip off to the side of you as if someone was climbing in with you. Your body sliding right to them by their weight, a small grunt leaving you while your body collides lightly with the person. A sense of a… pause, a hesitation in the air when you do.

Ever slowly, the person moves their arms around you, their skin sliding against your nightly clothes. Their hand placement being on-top of your chest, covering it with their mass. Their breath on the back of your neck as they snuggle you closer, inhaling your scent with an almost inaudible sigh.

Now, your sleepy mind can make up your lover by the stronger scent of him. The way his arms wrap around you, and how the lips of his mouth and beard brush into the skin of your neck, kissing it lightly. How his body presses up against you, folding you perfectly against him like a puzzle piece.

“Lion?” You mumble his name, testing it out. Your head lifting and tilting slightly to acknowledge the Primarch behind you. His head lifting slightly away from your neck to stare down at your sleepy state.

“Yes, wife?” His voice comes out strong but at the same time surprisingly soft. He wasn’t trying to be loud in this… intimacy that he was allowing and leading… He had no reason to be after all…

“Kiss?” You ask tiredly, your eyes still closed as you make such a simple request. Your mind wanting your dreaming wish to become true. Even if it was in the confines of his quarters and not whenever you desired… you wanted a kiss. A kiss from your lover that has been away from you too long. You had to rely on his fading scent in his sheets to keep you sane that he was still—

You’re a bit surprised when you feel his lips on yours. His beard tickling at your skin as he kisses you slowly, savoring your taste. His hand covering your chest coming up to drag against your neck then hold you in place by your jawline. Not letting you move from his kiss (turning into a passionate make-out session) as he moves his legs between yours.

“Lion.” You breathe his name again once you had a chance. His forehead resting on yours at an angle while you opened your tired eyes find your lover in all of his glory. His chest stripped of clothing and all for you to admire. His piercing eyes never failing to swallow you whole. To make you fall at his will and become a fallen angel. It was almost dangerous, and perhaps it was completely.

“Stay still.” He commands you lowly, moving his head to nuzzle into the side of your collarbone. Kissing your fragile skin compared to his. His frame rising while he deeply inhales your scent as his hand on your jawline moves back down your body. Trailing over your chest, your sides, hips and then thighs where he adjusts you slightly so he can lift your leg up at a comfortable angle. “Let me cherish what I crave.”

Oh, how were you to reject him? How are you to reject your— their Primarch of what he craves? Of what you crave? Your dreams can only satisfy so much compared to the real thing…

You hum as you feel a sudden heat press up against you: His cock pressing up against you; your clothing. Your body and head leaning back into him, sighing out as he uses that to his advantage. Never stopping his gentle attack on your collarbone and neck.

“Your naivety will kill you.” He states, humming into your neck. Always, somehow ruining the mood but at the same time getting you excited as he grips at your thigh he was holding, slowly ripping your clothing. “You are lucky you are my wife.”

“If I wasn’t?” You ask him, your chest swirling with many different, pressuring emotions. You’re not sure if you can stand his answer. The sound of your clothing ripping off with ease as the cold makes you shiver for a moment before the warmth was replaced by his cock.

“Then, I’ll have to make sure that you are.” He growls into your neck, saying the right words as it’s makes your stomach flutter. However, your words isn’t something he likes to hear from you, your denial. “You doubt me?”

“No, no…” You sigh, closing your eyes again, relishing in his attention. Something that you don’t get often from the Primarch… “I could never doubt you.”

The First hums at your answer, not exactly moved by it. His lips continually attacking your neck while he makes a move to push through your heat. His tip slowing going in inch by inch. His lips tasting your pulse for any discomfort that he might make more than usual when he takes you.

His hand lifting your thigh moves up to your abdomen once he is a good length in. Feeling just how much he affects you, just how much he can fill you up more than what a normal human could, ruining you only for him while he thumbs at your abdomen. Waiting for you to get accustomed to his inhuman size.

“Please, move.” You beg your lover, never demanding of him. Your breathing a bit irregular as you take his length and girth. Your hands tangling with the sheets while Lion nuzzles against your neck, forcing you to lean it back to kiss and nip at you as he pleases.

He moves at a leisured pace, never more than that, and sometimes you think it’s painful when he goes slow. His resistance to things showing even in the most intimate moments. Other times, you think it’s sweet when you’re having a particularly rough day with his legion that doesn’t even like you—

The Primarch gives you a particularly harder nip on your sensitive skin, sensing that you’re… distracted while he fucks you. His eyes always carefully watching you as he wants your attention on him in the moment. He is giving you his time to relish you.

“U-unnecessary.” Your voice stammers, a groan leaving you right after while your walls constrict around him. Body shifting slightly so his cock hits that special place inside you again.

“Necessary.” He grumbles back, his voice rumbling through his body. His cock thrusting a bit deeper into you once or twice to show his dedication; his seriousness. Never slowing or fasting his set pace. A slight groan leaving him when he feels just how deep he can go inside of you from your abdomen.

Your body withers as an unexpected climax hits you. Your eyes tightly closing as you stiffen up. Your walls tightening around his length, trying to keep him to you before your body melts into his. His cock still slowly thrusting in, and out of you. Dragging out your afterglow while he stops his nipping and kissing to focus on how well you try and take him. Inhaling the slight; more relaxed change in your scent.

It isn’t long before he allows himself to experience a high with you. His arms wrapping around you, pulling you a bit closer to him, hugging you; keeping you pinned to him. His cock grinding into you deeper, but still slow. His face nuzzling into your neck as he makes no sound of his warm cum staining your walls with his mark. His body stiffing slightly before he relaxes himself. The two of you basking in each others blissed presence.

A moment passes as the only sound in his chambers where the soft breathing of him and the irregular breathing of yours. Not a movement to be seen unless Lion moves from you, and he does after a second more. Moving his cock out of your warmth, and his form standing up from the bed to clean himself up then you before rejoining you. The bed dipping again at his weight as his arms wrap around you once more while his head slots right back into your neck, content with your scent; never leaving.

At least, your dreams no longer will be just dreams for a moment more.

[blaire-apricity]

Hello I just wanted to say your a wonderful writer and I really like your fics and I just wanted to request for all the boys if you could some headcanons on how they'd react to a widow reader/MC like it'd interesting to think about a reader that actually was previously in love deeply with someone else and they got married to this person but due to some tragic circumstances this person ended up dying you can choose the cause of death whether it be an accident or sickness or something else entirely like how do you think they'd react to knowing that the reader loved someone else before them ? Like what if the reader is still in grief over there dead partner like they want to start a new relationship but they feel guilty how would they comfort them and such ?

Love Beyond Loss

ʟᴀᴅs ʙᴏʏs x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᯓ❅ ┆ synopsis┆ : How would the LADS boys react to you still in grief over your previous partner?

ᯓ❅ ┆ tags┆ : head canons, slight angst, comfort & possible OOC

──────────────── ˗ˏˋ ❅｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽ ˎˊ˗ ────────────────

𝐗𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐫

Xavier didn’t mind that you’d loved someone before him; what mattered to him was that you were with him now.

What did trouble him, however, was seeing you still consumed by grief for your previous partner.

Each time he caught you gazing off with that same half-lidded, guilty look, his heart ached.

He longed to lift your spirits, to see you smile fully again, radiating like the stars he admired.

During your breakdowns or moments of doubt about your relationship, he was always there, steady and present.

“I’m here for you,” he’d remind you softly, pulling you into his arms. His face would nuzzle into your hair as he breathed in your familiar scent, offering you the comfort you needed.

. . ────────────── ❅ ⁺.

𝐙𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞

Being a widow didn’t bother Zayne; your past love was a part of you, and that only deepened his understanding of you.

As a doctor, he’d seen the weight of grief many times and knew how overwhelming the process could be.

He never forced physical closeness, respecting your boundaries unless you sought it or he sensed you desperately needed it.

Despite wanting to hold you close, he understood the importance of giving you space to process your emotions.

“Take your time,” he’d murmur gently, his voice soothing as his hand stroked the side of your head with quiet affection.

Zayne never rushed your healing; instead, he patiently offered the time and space you needed to move forward.

. . ────────────── ❅ ⁺.

𝐑𝐚𝐟𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐥

It was selfish of him, but Rafayel couldn’t help feeling a pang of sadness knowing someone else had held your heart before him.

He had waited years—decades—for you, and though he wanted your love entirely, he knew better than to let those feelings cloud his actions.

At first, he struggled with seeing you lost in thought, your gaze far away in a place he couldn’t reach. But when he saw your grief—the tears streaming down your face—it shattered him.

His own selfish desires seemed trivial compared to your pain; he just wanted to ease the sorrow that weighed so heavily on you.

Though you were slowly moving forward, he knew it wasn’t easy. He admired your strength and vowed to support you through it all.

“I’m never leaving you,” he reassured you in a quiet, steady voice. “You’ll always have me.” His words carried the weight of someone who deeply understood the pain of loss.

. . ────────────── ❅ ⁺.

𝐒𝐲𝐥𝐮𝐬

Despite his arrogance, Sylus was surprisingly perceptive and emotionally attuned—especially when it came to you.

You couldn’t hide anything from him: the faint strain in your voice, the forced curve of your smile. He saw through it all, and that’s why you finally opened up to him.

Loving him felt natural, but guilt lingered, knowing a part of your heart still mourned your previous partner’s absence.

Before you even said a word, Sylus already seemed to sense your turmoil. When you poured out your feelings, his response was a soft, knowing chuckle.

“Why are you worried? You’re here with me now, aren’t you?” His words felt dismissive at first, but you soon realized it wasn’t indifference—it was certainty.

Sylus was unwavering in his commitment. He didn’t shy away from your grief or try to compete with your past. He was willing to wait, to love you fully and fiercely, no matter how long it took.

In his own way, he made sure you knew: you had his support, his patience, and his heart.

──────────────── ˗ˏˋ ❅｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽ ˎˊ˗ ────────────────

╰｡ Author's Note: This took me a while to fulfill- Aaaahhh. I've been spending time with my friends during my free time that I couldn't find much time (and motivation) to write. ( ⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝) Also thank you for the compliment! I also found out that you've taken a hiatus, I hope everything goes well over there! (૭ ｡•̀ ᵕ •́｡ )૭

To anyone that's interested, here's the link to mentioning list. ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡

╰｡ Tagging: . ݁˖ . ݁ @slitheringwaves . ݁˖ . ݁ @clairestella

[shrimpybbq]

sarah finally meeting high school gf!au reader and maybe reader is super excited but also nervous bc she wants this to go well for rafe and sarah so badly

¡I hope I’ve interpreted this right!

I’ve kind of touched on this before, but Sarah and high school gf have always had a good relationship. For a long time, Sarah was all high school gf had when Rafe was out, unavailable and unwilling to partake in the raising of his son. They spent hours cooped up in Tannyhill together, dealing with a screaming baby and learning how to take care of baby together. Sarah had always liked Rafe’s girlfriend, thinking she was far too sweet for him and surprisingly kind and gentle - not at all the type she thought Rafe would go for. When she heard her brother and high school gf were going to be parents at 18, she was so disappointed, but she knew she couldn’t just leave her alone. High school gf had always been kind to Sarah, spending time with her when Rafe was out and Topper suddenly decided to cancel his and Sarah’s date. The pair would watch movies together and gossip, and then one day their gossip changed from boys to babies.

So when Rafe did what he did to Sarah (not that high school gf was aware) and she pulled away from him and their family, the older girl was heartbroken. Sarah was her family, and now she was gone. They would often see each other around the island and have small conversations, maybe a quick greeting from Charlie, but nothing like they used to. She knows Sarah isn’t ready to speak to Rafe again, and she honestly doesn’t blame her.

When Sarah showed up at their door in season 4, she’s secretly ecstatic. She knows how much this means to both of the Cameron siblings and when she grabs Emmy from Rafe’s lap, she can’t help the tremor in her hands as she picks her daughter up. She’s so nervous. High school gf places Emmy on her playmat in the lounge room and presses herself against the open balcony doors, desperate to hear the conversation. It’s not what she wants to hear, to be truthful, but it’s progress. At least they’re in the same room as each other - that’s more than can be said for the past 18 months.

Before Sarah goes, she gives high school gf a hug, squeezing her tightly. They’ve both missed each other so much and being separated was hard on both of them. Not to mention how much they miss Wheezie. Wheezie loved her nephew more than anyone, they used to say. Sarah has her found family with the pogues, but before them, she had her sister-in-law. She asks Sarah to come around again sometime soon, but when she hesitates, she suggests brunch at a cafe instead. To her relief, Sarah smiles and nods at her and the pair make tentative plans.

The born Cameron and the wedded Cameron have both been through a lot, but they have always found a lot of peace and security in each other and for them to begin to rebuild that is so important and valuable to them.

Sarah and High School Gf are each others number one supporters!!!! My girls!

[sqh3e]

Astray, Kim Woon-hak !

synopsis : you catch yourself slowly but surely falling back in-love with your ex, the break up was mutual neither one of you was toxic or just flat out a horrible partner in the relationship. maybe rekindling that won’t hurt…

genre : exes to lovers, fluff, a little angst (lmk if i forgot something)

pairing : bf!woonhak x reader

𐙚 word count : 1.8k

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

you and woonhak have been broken up for about 7 months now, you took it surprisingly well. no one cheated or anything the break up was mutual you both felt as though you were in two different places at the time.

over the course of 7 months you found some new hobbies and really started to learn to enjoy your own company. one hobby in particular you loved was skateboarding. you liked the thrill and excitement you got from putting the board on the ground and riding through the skate park with it.

anytime you had free time you spent it at the skate park, one day you really really wanted to try this new trick you saw on tiktok the fact it was on tiktok you knew you shouldn’t try it out, but you liked the thrill.

it was about 7pm the sun was setting and you’d been at the skate park all day. you finally decided to try out the trick, no one was around so if you fell no one would see you.

the trick was call a Grind. meaning you slide the board along a surface, not necessarily the board the trucks of the board.

you could already jump and spin the board and land perfectly, so you did that a few times to warm up. but then you heard someone clap whixh startled you and you lost your balance on your board falling but you caught the fall with your hands.

“are you okay? did i scare you?” a familiar voice spoke as they helped you up from the ground.

“woonhak?” you asked before looking up. and behold there was woonhak smiling at you, despite living in the same neighborhood you haven’t seen him in 7 months probably cause you spent your free time here.

“yea it’s me y/n” he helped you to your knees. you both stand there making direct eye contact, he looks away and scratch the back of his neck nervously chuckling.

“so uh, how have you been?” “what are you doing here?” you both spoke at the same time causing you both to laugh.

“well i’ve been good, it’s been awhile woonhak. surprised to see you here.” you said making him look back at you.

“are you really surprised to see me? this was my home for the longest.” he laughed.

and just like that you’re busted, you spent the last 7 months going to the skate park and any chance you got just so you could possibly run into woonhak. but of course he couldn’t know that.

“yea..” you let out an awkward laugh, he picks up on it and smiles at you. “you asked what i’m doing here,” he showed you his board “i haven’t been here since we broke up, something told me to come here today so here i am.” he spoke you caught a hint of genuine in his voice.

you knew the part about him not coming since you both broke up was somewhat true since you’d been coming here everyday since you both broke up. a part of you felt like he wasn’t necessarily telling the truth about why he actually came.

he placed his board on the ground and kicked off, “let’s see if you can keep up.” he laughed as he got further and further from you.

your board already being on the ground you placed your left foot on the board and kicked off, “hey! no fair” you said laughing.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

an hour passed by and you both are still at the skate park. “y/n,” woonhak said your name causing you to look up at him “genuinely what prompted you to start skating? was it another guy…?” he mumbled that last part and it caused your face to form a small smile.

“only if you tell me what you’re really doing here.” you replied, “fine, i’ll walk you home and we can catch up.” he said getting up off the ground reaching his hand out to help you up.

you missed this, you kind of forgot how much of a gentleman he was… you felt butterflies in your stomach. you took his hand and let him help you.

“you live closer do you really want to walk with me? we could just-“ he cut you off “i insist.” he said. you nodded and started dusting the dust and dirt off your pants.

“alright let’s go!” you said placing your left foot on your board and slightly kicking off with your right foot, he walked beside you as you slowly skate on your board.

“soo…” you said breaking the silence. “well what do you wanna know? the floor is yours.” he replied.

“i still want to know why you were at the park today, but i’ll save that for later.” you said.

“how have you been though? hopefully good.” you added. “actually i took the break up pretty hard which is why i stopped going to the skate park.” he says, you placed your right foot in the ground to stop your skating.

he noticed and he stopped walking, he turned around and slightly tilted his head at you.

“you took the break up hard?” you asked, “now i feel bad because i didn’t take it bad…” you added.

but i think you did take it bad without realizing, you went to the skate park almost everyday hoping you’d run into woonhak, the reason you learned to skate was so that you could impress him.

you looked down to the ground your foot fidgeting with your board.

“hey…” he walked back towards you, “don’t feel bad everyone takes things differently,” he explained. “i’m actually relieved you took it well, i would’ve stressed if you hadn’t.” he added.

“woonhak,” you spoke still looking at the ground, “did you think of me? at least once or twice…?” now you were fidgeting with your hands.

you don’t know why you were so nervous it’s just woonhak, you haven’t felt like this sense you and woonhak first met… i mean of course he made you shy when you were together but you soon got comfortable around him, felt like you were back at square one. you like this feeling.

“y/n, i thought of you everyday… still thinking of you now,” he expressed, “i missed you.”

you smile hearing his words suddenly you were so giddy, you didn’t want to make it obvious but it was already so obvious you missed him as well.

“i missed you too woonhak.” you whispered and smiled to yourself.

“i needed to hear that.” he spoke grabbing your board off the ground carrying it in his right arm with his board. he reached his left hand out to grab yours. you hesitated, but he grabbed it anyway.

you both walked hand in hand for a few minutes the silence wasn’t awkward, it was comfortable.

“what did you do for the last 7 months?” you spoke breaking the silence.

“school and that’s about it, you?” he asked, “school and in my free time the skate park, i see why you spent alot of time there. it’s peaceful just you and the sound of the board on the ground.” you trail off realizing how cringe that might’ve sounded.

he lets out a light chuckle before speaking “you know the real reason i went to the skate park today was because your mom told me you we’re there.”

“huh my mom? why’d she tell you that?” you asked sounding confused. he stopped walking, but you kept walking you stopped and turned around after realizing he stopped cause his arm pulled you back.

“because i went to your house in hopes of seeing you,” he trailed off.

you stood there for awhile then you walked up to him, he continued “i acted off impulse, i really wanted to see you but didn’t know if i should call or stop by… so i just stopped by. and that’s when your mom told me you were at the skate park.” he spoke, he looked in your eyes searching for an answer or something.

you look into his eyes seeing a hint of vulnerability, “woonhak…” you gently grabbed his face with your free hand.

“i have a confession, i only learned how to skate because i wanted to impress you… i thought that if maybe you saw me on my board you would think i’m cool.” you chuckled.

“i wanted us to have something in common i learned how to skate for you but ended up actually falling in love with it.” you added, he put his board on the ground upside down and did the same with yours.

“seeing you on your skate board only made me fall more inlove with you than i already am.” your eyes widen at his response.

“i-inlove..?” you stutter trying to process what you just heard.

he loves you? prior to breaking up you two were only together for 4 months you didn’t even hit the “i love you” stage yet. you were taken aback.

“yes y/n, i am inlove with you more than you know more than i can put into words.”

“i never wanted to break up, i wanted to stay together but because that was your choice i just agreed.” he trailed off “y/n you don’t understand how much i love you, and neither do i… which probably why i agreed to break up, all this is new to me and i was scared.” he confessed.

he grabbed your hand that was cuffed on his face holding onto it.

“woonhak, why wouldn’t you just communicate this with me you dummy!?” your eyes start watering. he notices and pulls you into a hug using the hand that was holding your hand.

he wrapped his arms around your waist and you wrapped your arms around his neck.

“i would’ve told you i love you more.” you confessed but it was muffled due to your head being buried in his chest, “everyday without you was dreadful, i missed your scent, your smile, your laugh. i just missed you as a whole.” he kissed your forehead.

“y/n,” he pulled away still holding onto your waist, before you could answer him he cupped your face looking directly into your eyes, this was it you were about to have your first kiss.

you pull away, analyzing his face before pulling him back into the kiss.

after the kiss he mumbled the words “i love you, always have y/n.” and your face goes red… “so cute.”

he put his arm around your shoulder pulling you close to him and you both continued to walk home.

until you realize you left your boards, “woonhak silly you left the boards.” he turned around and laughed, he jogged back and grabbed them before placing his arm around your shoulder again. and you both walked down the quiet neighborhood laughing.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

authors notes : i hope you all enjoyed this short woonhak story lol, i was up late last night and proof read it this morning. please excuse any errors if there are any. don’t know how i feel about this story but i definitely had fun writing it, i hope everyone has/had a great day !

perm taglist (open) : requests (open) !

[twstfanblog]

*~Thanks Give Me~* Pt 2

A/N: Second part ready and served! The third part will be posted tomorrow, so look forward to those vignettes XD Word Count: 5.1K Pairings: Barely seen Ruggie/Leona Warnings: Swearing

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The two weeks leading up to the dinner were surprisingly peaceful. Everyone took their tasks seriously, even Leona came to Ramshackle to offer more monetary support a day after the meeting.

(“Just use my card to buy food for the dinner. Seven knows that Ruggie can eat…”

“Oh don't worry, he already gave me your bank info.”

“...”)

It was endlessly entertaining to watch both Sebek and Silver struggle to not spill the beans to an excited Lilia. The retired general hadn't figured anything out as far as they could tell, but he could see their friend group were all prepping for something. It was also hilarious watching Malleus launch his godfather into the stratosphere whenever Sebek nearly told the smaller third-year about the dinner.

Rook had disappeared for nearly a week, only returning with a massive freezer chest and a profound sense of pride a few days before the dinner. Inside said chest was a plucked turkey the size of a small velociraptor. The junior was all too pleased to recount the method of how he got the bird. His eldest sister, Reine, had been eager to let him hunt down a very aggressive tom on her wildlife preserve.

Yuu was just lucky Rook had provided the magically chilled chest and that their oven knew when best to defy the laws of physics.

Cater had been texting them almost nonstop, trying to clear up what his job task of ‘gay cousin’ was even supposed to mean. Yuu would simply respond with winking emojis, much to his displeasure.

Kalim had contacted them the night after the housewarden meeting, sounding pitiful as he promised he was able to complete his task. He simply had no idea what China was. Though he wanted to do a crystal set, it would take time to get so many plates, glasses, and platters all custom carved. Not to mention the short notice.

(“Oh that's right, China isn't a place here…um…It's porcelain dishes…Chang’an?”

“Ooooooooh. Yeah I can get us a really nice Chang’an set! With lots of designs and pretty red flowers! Red is a color I can use right? Or maybe traditional blue? I wonder if I can get a full gold set-”)

Jamil had dropped off the set a few days later, stacks upon stacks of gold-rimmed dishes with center designs of a painted red flower in bloom and deeper red swirls along the edges. Just as they had requested, there were plenty of matching serving platters and pots of varying sizes. The vice warden also asked for Yuu to find something for him to do. While he wasn't tasked with a job, he felt uncomfortable coming to dinner offering nothing.

Yuu told him if he had to do something, he was welcome to help them clean and sort the metric ton of silverware they still needed to look through for the party. A long afternoon task that ended with Jamil lovingly stating she was complete shit at polishing silverware.

More people were invited, both intentionally and surprisingly. Yuu had approached Crewel, Trein, and Sam privately to ask if they'd like to attend the dinner. They of course had their tasks as everyone else did. Trein was pleasantly amused to know his simple task was ‘Grandpa’ and that Lucius was also invited. Crewel didn't respond but he also didn't throw the invite back in Yuu's face hearing his job was ‘Wine Aunt’. Sam could barely hold in his laughter at his assigned task of ‘Cool Weed-smoking Cousin’.

Jack had called them, asking if his younger siblings could attend the dinner. He had contacted his mother to send her recipe for poached pears, leading her to trap him in an hour-long story that ended on her saying the twins' babysitter had canceled at the last minute. After learning the day in question was the same as the dinner, Jack had offered to bring his younger siblings to NRC for the day if allowed.

Yuu quickly agreed, already reworking the dining room to make room for a kid's table. Along with sending a message to Falena about the dinner and how Cheka would be welcome to come. (Leona texting them only a few minutes later with a variety of foul language).

Before they knew it, the day had arrived. Sebek spent the entire day beforehand and slept over, helping in prep and making the long list of foods that Yuu knew to be holiday staples. Waking up at 6am the day of, they both walked back into the kitchen to continue cooking and verbally clawing at each other until others started to arrive.

The Heartslabyul crew all stood on the Ramshackle front porch, dressed in button-downs and a variety of semi-formal wear. Ace messed with his bow tie, raising an eyebrow while Riddle politely knocked on the Ramshackle front door, “So…why are we here dressed up and with two pies?”

Trey spoke, holding his glass container up, “This is banana pudding, not a pie.”

Deuce frowned, glaring at Ace while he lifted his own container in his hands, “And my eggs!”

“I don't even want to know why you have deviled eggs, Juice. What are we doing here?” Huffing, he raised an eyebrow at Cater primping his own semi-formal clothing, “I hate to ask it, but shouldn’t we be in class?”

“For the dinner. Just try to be on decent behavior.” Riddle looked through the side window of the door, concerned at hearing Yuu and Sebek screaming at each other as he knocked again.

“D-Dinner? What dinner? It's 10am!?”

Trey opened the door after no one answered, keeping a firm grip on his container of pudding, “Yuu? Sebek? We're here.”

The clattering and yelling stopped for a moment, the Heartlabyul crew looking confused at the uncharacteristically closed doors of the kitchen. Yuu opened the double doors, a splattered apron over their pajamas, greeting them with a big smile, “Hey guys! Thanks for coming by so early. Trey, Riddle, you guys can put your stuff in the dining room, I’ll be messing with it to make it all pretty later on.”

Deuce spoke up, holding his container up proudly, “I made deviled eggs!”

Yuu laughed, taking the Tupperware from their friend, “Thank you, Deuce. I’ll make sure to put them in a nice dish. Me and Sebek are still cooking everything else so could you guys make sure Grim hasn’t ripped apart the lounge in protest of being told to wait?”

“Of course. I know my task is to call everyone to the meal, but is there a certain time we join to eat?” Riddle questioned, handing his pie to Trey.

“Hmm. My family normally ate around two or three. But if me and Sebek keep up our pace we should be done by noon or one.”

Ace spoke up, looking around in pure bewilderment, “Tasks? You have guys had tasks?”

Yuu hummed, looking Ace up and down in barely concealed annoyance, “Ace, happy to see you’re on task.”

“I had a task!?”

Sebek’s voice called out from the kitchen, anger clear in his tone, “Stop fraternizing and continue with your own task!”

“Sebek, shut the fuck up and focus on the damn potatoes! And I swear to GOD, if you’re not using the goddamn ricer.” Yuu had started to walk back into the kitchen, brushing off Ace’s confused sputtering as she slammed the kitchen doors behind her.

“I don’t need to use the ricer!”

“You don’t need oxygen!”

Ace turned to Cater, raising an eyebrow, “What was my task!? Be confused!?”

Cater was tapping at his phone, texting Idia to remind him he had promised him he would come to the dinner, “Actually, it was you ‘weren’t invited and came anyway’.”

“...What?”

“Be happy, mine was ‘Gay Cousin’...”

“What?”

More knocks come from the front door, Riddle running over to open it. He smiled, “Oh, you made it-”

“Move, Riddle.” Ruggie shouldered his way past the housewarden, already speed-walking into the dining room.

“...” Riddle turned to the other two Savanaclaw members still on the porch, “As I was saying, welcome. The meal isn't ready yet, so we're gathering in the lounge.”

Leona sighed, eyes almost glazing over, “Of course, we gotta wait more…”

Riddle folded his arms, tilting his head, “Isn’t your job to be a couch potato?”

Leona pointed to his front, “I gotta get this thing entertained and fed…” 

Gripping onto Leona’s two braids like they were handlebars was Cheka in more formal wear than Riddle had ever seen him. The five-year-old swinging lightly but greeted him in joy, “Hi Mr. Riddle!”

“Hello, Cheka.” Riddle looked to Jack, raising an eyebrow seeing no one else with him, “Jack, were your siblings not coming?”

At that moment Riddle finally took notice of two pairs of tiny hands gripping onto each of Jack’s shoulders. Almost in sync, two coal-colored heads peek from under their brother’s hair, big amber eyes blinking at him. From what he could see, they had the same spikey hair pattern as their brother. Both with wolf ears still slightly too big for their heads, one of them having ear tips that matched with Jack’s grey hair.

Jack held up a glass container, “I brought the dessert Yuu asked for. Is there a place she wants me to put it?”

“Hmm…She said to place our dishes in the dining room, but she also wanted to place Deuce’s deviled eggs in a separate dish.”

Leona finally grabbed Cheka, silently demanding the child let go of his braids to hold him properly, “Where is Feral anyway? Aren’t they supposed to be hosting this dinner?”

Riddle looked to the closed kitchen doors, expression vaguely concerned, “Well-”

“Sebek, you better be basting that turkey the same way Silver basts your face! If that turkey is dry, I will marry your mom!”

…

One of Jack’s siblings pulls themselves up higher on his shoulder, gently tugging on Jack’s ear to whisper to him loudly, “What’s basting?”

Jack shoved the container into Riddle’s hands, speed walking down the hall and away from the kitchen of profanity, “Hey, Yuu has a TV. You guys wanna watch Lara the Explora?” Sighing in relief as the six-year-old twins cheer at the idea of watching their favorite cartoon.

Cheka looked at Leona, opening his mouth to also ask, only to have Leona quickly cut him off as he walked deeper into the house.

“Don't even ask me.”

Trey had luckily been in the dining room and dragged Ruggie out before he could touch a single one of the serving dishes. Each platter remained with their tops on and magically locked to keep warm until opened again. The second-year almost scandalized hearing he needed to wait until everything was done. Dejectedly, after a weirdly intense stare from Trey, Ruggie backed down and joined the others in the lounge. Managing to wedge himself between one of Leona’s knees and the armrest of a three-person. He really took his task of ‘Spreading it’ seriously.

Sam had arrived, passing out little candies to Grim and the children as a way to tie over their appetites. He had only popped in the kitchen for twenty seconds, delivering a block of cheese Yuu had ordered that finally came in, only to rush out like his life depended on it. His only explanation being the kitchen was filled with malicious intent…

The Octavinelle trio had arrived while Sam and Cater were discussing their semi-shared task of ‘Cousin’ and all it entailed. Floyd holding a container close to his chest and keeping a vicious glare leveled at his twin, Jade pouting and glaring right back as he made small lunges. The two feuding eels leaving Azul to bring a chilled chest of drinks up the stairs himself.

Riddle stopped Floyd from entering when he opened the door, pointedly staring at the container in his arms, “What is that? You weren't tasked to bring anything.”

Floyd's scowl turned to Riddle, stepping away from the smaller sophomore and clutching the container even closer to his chest, “Shrimpy had no right saying I can't be trusted. So I made fried chicken.”

“And Jade…?”

Scoffing, Jade walked into the house, casting one last glare over his shoulder before cracking open one of the double doors to the kitchen to peek in.

Snickering, Floyd handed his container over to Riddle to finally help Azul with the container of drinks, “I locked him out of the lounge kitchen this morning. He didn't get to even try anything since I messed all his stupid boxes up last night too.”

“You nearly destroyed my Lulu Lazerus mushroom…If I hadn't managed to get it settled in a new terrarium I would be an only child right now…”

Floyd's only response was to make a face, groaning mockingly while he rolled his eyes and let his tongue hang out.

Jade had just started to ponder the idea of ripping Floyd's tongue out of his mouth when the kitchen doors opened fully. Luckily, Yuu and Sebek weren't yelling anymore but instead speaking to each other in intense tones.

“Suck it the fuck up, Sebek. I'm fucking tired and hungry too. Stop eating all the pineapple slices, those are for the fucking ham!” Yuu smiled at Jade, pointing behind them, “Come on, you can make the mushroom gravy since I suck at cooking them.”

That single prompt had flipped Jade's mood completely. The eel now smiling and already rushing past Yuu and into the kitchen. Their smile turned to Floyd and Azul, raising an eyebrow.

“What you make, Floyd?”

“Fried chicken...” Floyd frowns, putting together just what had happened, “Hey, wait a minute-”

“Yeah, I played you both. Go hang out in the lounge, there are small children in there.”

“Oh? Cool, I love playing with guppies!”

Riddle quickly followed after Floyd rounding back to place the container in Yuu’s hands, already scolding the laughing eel as they made their way to the lounge, “Please don't throw any of the children.”

Azul tapped Yuu on the shoulder, making sure to not get any food on his pressed dress shirt, “There are…children here?”

“Is that a hint of fear I hear, Azul?”

The housewarden sputtered, waving his date-mate's teasing expression away, “I'm not afraid of children. I just didn't bring more child-friendly beverages…”

Yuu opened the chilled chest, frowning as they took stock of the various bottles Azul had brought, “Zulie, I said booze and non-booze…”

“And I have! Must I remind you that the dietary expectations for children here are different from your world?”

They were in all fairness. Most commercial food wasn't as processed as what Yuu was used to. Even the most ‘unhealthy’ junk food was still leagues better than what Yuu would find back in their old world. Food geared toward children had even stricter social guidelines; juices were expected to be whole fruit juice and even blended with vegetables to ensure a well-rounded diet.

Sighing, Yuu tapped their chin, “Yeah…I can fix this. Let me help you get these all set up in the dining room. I gotta call Kalim and hope he and Jamil aren't on their way yet.”

Azul raised an eyebrow, following after Yuu, “I assume we're putting them on a table or people would pour their own drinks?”

“Don't worry, I'll show you where to put everything.”

Azul was surprised to see the chandelier of the dining room was also a drinks dispenser. The bulbs were completely hollow even though they shined with light. He watched from the side as Yuu stood on the table and filled each glass bulb with the multiple drinks Azul had brought. He asked what they had requested from Kalim, seeing how his task was simply making sure they had a dining set.

Yuu remarked they were going to make a punch for the children since everyone would be concerned about the content of the nonalcoholic drinks for the kids.

“It probably won’t taste the same, but It was really good whenever my auntie felt like making it for family get-togethers. I think the kids will like it.”

Luckily, Kalim and Jamil hadn't left Scarabia when Yuu called. Kalim was all too eager to bring more items at Yuu's request; multiple whole fruit juices and a large bottle of lemon-lime soda water made with his unique magic. The Scarabia duo had even brought other gifts as they arrived at the dorm.

Yuu opened the door, smiling as Kalim held up his armful of bottles, “You're a lifesaver, Kalim.”

“It's no problem! I'm glad I could bring something other than just plates. Plus, we ran into Idia and Ortho!” Kalim turns, smiling at the small group still walking up the steps behind him.

Jamil was bringing up the rear, arms folded over his chest as he gave a glare to the back of Idia’s head. The flame-haired third-year shuffling along as he walked up the stairs as slow as he could. Ortho was floating beside him, eyes creased in his joy as he gently tugged on his brother's oversized sweater. Against his will, Idia made it up the steps and stood nearly curled in on himself. 

Yuu cooed, reaching over and pinching Idia’s cheek hard, ignoring the flash of red his hair gave, “Look at you! All dressed up like you're fit for the public!”

“And you aren't for some reason. Aren't you hosting?” Jamil raised an eyebrow, looking over his datemate's messy appearance. He grimaces, reaching out to tug at the edge of their apron, “Is this part of it?”

“Well, me and Sebek are gonna get dressed up once the food is all ready. We just gotta put some finishing touches on a few more dishes then wait for everyone else to show up.”

Ortho tilts his head, “Would you like us to take over? You and Sebek should go get dressed so we can all eat as soon as everyone arrives.”

Idia mumbled under his breath, trying to shimmy his way a bit further from the door, “I'd…really rather not be in a hot kitchen…”

Sighing, Yuu stepped to the side to let the group enter the house, “I don’t want you guys to have to take over cooking for us. You’re all dressed so nice, I’d feel bad if you got messy…”

Jamil rolled his eyes, quick hands already untying Yuu’s apron and putting it over his blazer, “I think we can manage. You and Sebek go get washed up. I'm sure you’d love to actually host instead of looking as disheveled as you are and answering the door.”

“...Fine…” Yuu called into the kitchen, telling Sebek they were released from cooking and to go shower. They were barely able to move out of the way as Sebek zoomed out of the kitchen and disappeared up the stairs, his apron only just hitting the counter as his door slammed upstairs.

“...” Yuu turned to Kalim, Jamil and Ortho already in the kitchen, “Can you mix the punch up for me? You’re gonna use all the juice and the soda water for it. Put some sliced oranges in it, it’s for the kiddies.”

Kalim nodded, bumping the kitchen door open with his hip, “Got it!”

“And don’t think I forgot about you tall, dank, and heinous.” Yuu folded their arms, glaring at the back of Idia.

Idia had been inching closer to the front door, hoping he could slip out before being noticed and run back to his room. He groaned, scowling over his shoulder at Yuu, “I’m not even hungry…”

“You’re never hungry. Just sit at the table and hold Cater’s hand or whatever the fuck you do to maintain emotional stability.”

“So long as I can have my tablet at the table…” He rubs his forearm, looking to the ground, “Did you dress Grim up?”

“Yes. He has a new bowtie that he hates so he’s all pouty and grumpy.”

“Aw…cute.”

Cater poked his head out of the lounge hearing Idia’s voice, phone poised in hand before he let out a sigh of relief seeing his boyfriend actually showed up, “OMS, Idia! You look so good, babes. Thank you for showing like you promised~.”

Idia finally let a smile crack, tugging on his collar as the tips of his hair eased into pink, “I mean…you did help me pick out what to wear-MHP!”

The other third-year had sped walked over to his boyfriend, throwing his arms around Idia’s neck before pulling him in to make out with him. The redhead moaned loudly and running his hands through nearly neon-pink flames while pressing their bodies together.

“Cater! For the love of the Design!” Yuu slapped him repeatedly on the shoulder until he finally detached from a dazed Idia, “What the fuck dude!? Don't dry hump your boyfriend in my entryway!?”

“What am I supposed to do as ‘Gay Cousin’!? My boyfriend is here, so I get to be gay and kiss him!”

Rolling her eyes, Yuu groaned and walked up the stairs to finally clean up. Leaving a stunned Idia and an angry Cater, the redhead holding his hands up as to question the higher powers.

“What do I DO!?”

Yuu and Sebek cleaned up well, Sebek feeling much better freshly showered and in the button-up he had spent an hour last night ironing. Yuu kept simple, the new designer jeans Crewel had flung at her after seeing her trying to sew in another patch on the thigh of her old jeans. A sweater Yuu had stolen from Vil’s closet, the third-year feeling something was missing from his wardrobe, but unable to figure out what was gone. 

So she could feel nothing but smug when she opened the door, smiling at the well-dressed group of the Pomfiore trio on their porch, “Eyebrows.”

Vil raised a single perfectly sculpted eyebrow, already connecting the dots on where his missing top had gone. He tapped a perfectly manicured nail against the lid of his container, “Onion.”

“I see, you not only managed to get Epel de-mudded but you finished your salad on time.”

With a smile that seemed almost mocking, Vil opened his container to show the multicolored pasta inside, “I made a pasta salad.”

Yuu looked at the dish, her smile almost frozen on her face before she took in a deep breath through her nose. She reaches out, nails raking down the sides of the ceramic bowl as they slowly pull it out of  Vil’s hands, “I should…beat you to death for your audacity. But this honestly, looks delightful and I think you actually seasoned it.”

Epel spoke up from beside Vil, giving his housewarden a judgemental look, “He had me season it.”

“Hush, Epel.”

Rook tilted his head, smiling brightly, “I hope we are not too fashionably late. It’d do no good for us to miss such festivities with our dear classmates.”

Yuu ushered them in, “Not too late. Most everyone is here, but you also aren’t the last to arrive.”

Vil smiled as he triple-checked his makeup and outfit in the gold mirror on the wall, “Perfect.”

Epel perked up, holding out his own dish, “Oh, yeah. Here’s the tenderloin you wanted me to make. I never thought pork and apples would work together. How’d you know?”

Yuu partly wanted to point out to Epel that he was potentially blessed. Any food he made with apples was almost otherworldly good, a trait they learned Epel shared with his grandma, “Something from my world. Come on, we’ll get your dishes settled on the table.”

Rook closed the door behind their group, eyes glancing over to the kitchen doors, “May, I see the efforts of my hunt? I wish to see the golden beauty that was once my quarry.”

“I don’t care if you’re hungry, no one eats yet.”

After sending the Pomfiore trio to the lounge, they almost slipped back into the kitchen to touch base with Ortho and Jamil, only to hear the door being flung open to slam against the wall. Turning around they smiled seeing the familiar black and white fur coat. Crewel was already walking through the entryway, designer shades taking over half his face with a large gold-foiled wine bottle gripped in one hand.

“Papa dog! Thank you for coming, you didn't need to bring us more wine-”

Crewel didn't stop walking, managing to brush past Yuu completely with a pat to their head, “No, this is for me, puppy. No touchy.”

“Yep, that tracks…” Yuu had nearly closed the door only to see Trein coming up the stairs too, Lucius tucked securely in his arms, “Grandpa! You made it!”

They hug briefly, Trein sighing and allowing Lucius to jump from his arms to trot into the house. He was in a different robe, vaguely familiar to his normal attire but clearly of higher quality and with a more elaborate brooch, “It feels odd to cancel classes for a ‘dinner’. And on a Thursday at that…”

“Hm…yeah. We technically have a Thanksgiving break in my world. It’s basically just an extended weekend though.”

“That makes sense. While your studies are important, maybe this little break will do you children some good. Here’s hoping that Crewel doesn’t use this as an excuse to overdrink again.”

“Oh, he came in with a bottle of wine.”

“Of course he did…”

Yuu was ready to text Lilia just to ask if he and his boys were on their way, secret be damned. Though a part of her realized she should of expected them to be the latest party of everyone. Malleus was so timeblind that he was potentially going to miss the heat death of the universe then pout about it. Silver can’t always fight against his compulsion to sleep and Lilia isn’t supposed to fucking know about the dinner anyway.

So when Yuu heard the door knocking with a refined yet urgent feeling, she flung Cheka out of her lap (Directly into Leona’s stomach) and raced toward the front door.

Swinging it open, she smiled at the nicely dressed trio before her, “There’s my bread delivery!”

Silver smiled, holding up the large wicker basket full to the brim with artisan bread rolls, “They should still be warm, but a bit longer in the oven shouldn’t burn them.”

Lilia looked between them all, taking note of Yuu’s semi-fancy attire before gasping. He pouted, glaring at each of his sons “Is this a dinner party!? I knew you boys were hiding something from me, but for it to be a meal among friends? I could have made something!”

Yuu watched as Silver and Malleus both gave an identical shudder at the same time.

Malleus places a hand on Lilia’s shoulder, letting the older fae jerk himself away, “You weren’t tasked with cooking. But, if you wish to have been involved, you were.”

Silver perks up, handing the bread to Yuu and finally stepping into the house as a group, “That’s right, father. You helped make the bread. I can’t shape dough nearly as well as you can. You helped greatly.”

“Surely the meal will be elevated from your lavish buns.”

Lilia pouted, arms now crossed. He wasn’t dull, he knew his children were simply trying to pacify his soured mood. It didn’t help they had kept such a secret from him. Then again…

Chuckling, Lilia places his hands on his hips as he let go of his annoyance, “Well, I have to admit, I am looking forward to the meal. Is it just us or will others be joining?”

Yuu smiled, sharing a kiss with Malleus, the horned fae already beaming at himself for completing his task. Looking to Lilia, Yuu nodded her head to the lounge down the hall, “You guys are actually the last group. Go wait in the lounge for a bit, me and Jamil will get the last touches of dinner done.”

While Malleus wasn’t too keen to leave, he allowed Lilia to tug him down the hall and into the lounge. The sound of Sebek shouting in joy at finally seeing his dorm family again, already talking their ears off on how much he had done to help insure the success of the meal.

Yuu leaned their head into the lounge, locking eyes with Riddle and nodding. The housewarden perked up, standing from his seat and bringing his fingers to his lips to let out a piercing whistle.

Once he had everyone’s attention, he nodded and made motions to leave the room, “It’s time for the meal. Let’s all make our way to the dining room.”

The Ramshackle dining room was possibly the most elegant room of the house, which wasn’t hard, but it counted. The dark wood-paneled walls were lit softly by the warm lights of the chandelier. The long table was decorated by deep red placemats, crystal glasses, stark white plates, and matching serving platters filled to the brim with food. Tucked to the far wall, resting under a large landscape painting, was a much smaller table with five placemats.

Yuu smiled, gesturing to the small table, “Niblings, that’s your table. Everyone else, I actually have nametags so you guys are assigned seats.” Their smile quickly fell, reaching out and gripping Ruggie by the back of his suspenders and yanked him back from the table, “Not yet.”

Ruggie groaned loudly, glaring at Yuu, “What now!? This is my dinner isn’t it!?”

“No, you wanted a Thanksgiving dinner. So we’re doing a Thanksgiving dinner, all the annoying shit involved. Now, we’re going to stand around the table, hold hands, and say a prayer.”

Ace raised an eyebrow, “What, like a cult?”

Crewel pulled a face, begrudgingly holding onto Trein’s hand, “Why are we praying?”

 Yuu grips Deuce’s hand, pointing a finger at everyone, “Don’t question me, this is just how my family always did it. Ruggie, you wanted this, you do it.”

“I-Do what?”

“The prayer, Ruggie. Say a few words about what you’re thankful for or like…praise god or whatever. Now everyone, hold each other’s hands and bow your heads until the prayer is done.”

“Ok, so this is cult behavior-”

“Bow your heads!”

Everyone bowed their heads, a few shooting Ruggie questioning glances before looking back to the floor or closing their eyes.

Ruggie stood in silence for a few seconds. Looking around the room before taking a breath and bowing his head as well, “Um…Hi? This is weird and I really don’t want to do this is public. But…Thank you…for the meals I’ve had, the meal I’m having, and the meals I’ll have…” He smiles softly, the grip he had on Leona’s hand tightening only a touch, “And for the people I share them with. Bless.”

Yuu holds their head up, staring at Ruggie in surprise, “Ruggie, holy shit, that was actually lovely.”

“Can we eat now?”

“Oh my God-Yeah.”

Everyone took a seat, Yuu further explained that whoever had a child sitting at the kids' table was allowed to make their and the child’s plate first. Ruggie being the only one who didn’t fit into that group who was allowed to pile his plate as much as he wanted before everyone else.

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[mundanneman]

CSM 185 Review

Chainsaw chapter 185 begins with what is possibly the most unbiased presentation of the Aging Devil by Fujimoto. It is nothing more than him voicing his thoughts out loud. We know everything he says is something he is contemplating. The gap between his words when monologuing about not giving the world an exit showcases this.

Furthermore, he nonchalantly mentions how he did not give this world an exit, implying he created this world. The readers of this manga can easily speculate something like that. The terrifying part is how casual he is about this.

The scenery changes in every panel for the reader. It reminds them of how many people have been thrown into this world. It gives weight to Aging's words that follow about nobody succeeding in escaping. The terrified expression of the treed person is possibly one of the more brilliant additions. Even after a thousand or two thousand years, there is no peace for the damned. This world is presented as a place where you can be detached. Yet, there is no rest for the damned.

Based on his words, either he did not create this world with an end goal in mind, or if he did, it never reached that point because people turned into trees. I am not completely on board with the idea that it is just a natural fate but I will not deny that possibility. It could very well be a side effect of Ageing's ability. After all, there have been theories and discussions pretty frequently about how humanity could progress if they were immortal; if they could beat the bane of old age. Who is to say that such a fate will be desirable? After all, the people trapped in this world did reach an answer. The answer they chose presumably allowed them to get as close to stopping their suffering as much as possible.

When the devil talks about the what-if, the speech bubble comes from the old age face which has closed its eyes. When it talks about what it wants, it comes from the youthful and blind face. In my opinion, its eyes are closed because it has turned its eyes away from the possibility of the potentially bleak realities that it faces. On the other hand, the energetic youth is too blinded by its desires.  The fact that ageing does not have an attachment to life comes into play here. At the same time, it makes his motives. 

To showcase its resolve, the cost dialogue is written in a close-up manner with a bigger font size. 

When we finally see ageing, almost poetically, it's looking down on what has grown old, remaining in shadows as light falls on the old man. Ageing's light falls on its back while its front is covered in shadows, showcasing his current state and desires and the gap between them. His emotional state is visible through the distorted speech bubbles. Ageing is unmoved. It cannot sympathise or empathise. 

Similar to a few chapters ago, it continues to look down on the youth it claims to support.

Surprisingly, Ageing conveniently does not mention a thing about the person who supposedly escaped.  This is just my headcanon but it could relate to the Fakesaw Man.

We finally get to see Asa make a weapon without an ability; without help from Yoru. She is holding it together through sheer will. Her distorted speech bubble indicates she is not calm. But, she got the job done. Nobody predicted Denji would eat someone who has already given up on their life. He takes advantage of the mechanism of this world in a manner that you would expect from a foolhardy youth.

Pochita saved Denji from his heart disease and saved him from dying to the zombie devil; he took over when he could no longer go on. However, what saved him this time was Denji. The current actions of this duo are separated. One acts as Denji and one as Chainsaw Man. This reminds me of a partnership as compared to the past when Denji was trying to become the Chainsaw Man.

Interestingly, even though Denji only transforms into Black Chainsaw Man when he can no longer go on, this time, even though he is back on his feet, Pochita remains in his Black Saw form. The engine roars and he gets back up, but the one who makes his engine roar is Denji, as he gets ready for a fight with the primal fear.

[midnight-bay-if]

I'm so torn between ROs... Honestly can't decide between S, who seem to be like the greenest of flags here - they're human, and have no ulterior motive (I think?) to pursue the MC, apart from the initial spark of attraction and curiosity. Also their personality seems okay as well, they look like a mature person, someone with whom it is easy to communicate and just be around. Sure, they have their own inner demons, but come on - who doesn't? At least S try to not make their demons everyone else's problem.

But also there is N, who seem a little bit too much for me personally, but, oh, I do want to romance them just to spite Alek.

And also there is Umbra! Umbra, reappearing out of thin air, when they are needed. Umbra, who looks like an encyclopedia illustration of 'ride or die' term. Umbra, who follows us around like a lost puppy. A little bit creepy - in a sexy way - tall, dark, alluring puppy. Somehow the fact they do not realize how attractive they are and how much more they intrigue the MC by trying to keep us at arm's length, makes them even more attractive.

God save multiple save slots 🤣🤣🤣

Also, if there is some kind of petition about making Hunter a LI in the next book, please, sign me in. I really like their personality. They are surprisingly honest and do not try to cover their motives behind pleasantries. Yes, we do not know yet what those motives are, but still. I also love their 'no f***s given' attitude and the fact that they like to get on the MC's nerves a little bit. But at the same time they immediately back off when they see we are genuinely not in the mood. What a beautiful potential for the 'push and pull' relationship dynamic! To annoy each other, first out of spite and mutual irritation, using pet names as an insult, but slowly starting to anticipate this banter, making it flirtier and annoying not each other, but everyone else around... Starting to like each other's stubbornness and edginess... Chief's kiss.

Oh, but also, of you say Hunter is a shitty person, and there is nothing to redeem them, that's all right, too. If they are genuinely a bad person, and want to use our MC for whatever reason, and do not care for us as a person, then we can just ask Umbra to pay them a friendly visit and to (intimidate them to death)... I mean, poop on their porch or something. Like a good puppy they are.

Hi, anon! I’m so glad my evil plan to have everyone fall in love with each of my ROs is working, haha.

But yes, you are right about S being the greenest of green flags, lol. All the ROs have a journey to go through, but S is well in the depths of theirs already and has mostly come through the other side. I wanted at least one RO to be well-adjusted. That isn’t to say they won’t experience struggle in their route, but they will handle it with dignity and maturity.

N is definitely a little full-on, but they can also be good fun to write, at least, haha.

Umbra is a cutie. Definitely MC’s ride-or-die. Umbra came from a really personal place, so I can’t help but have a soft spot for them. They were my guardian angel exactly when I needed them, so now I hand them over to everyone else, too. Just in case.

I’ve been giving it a lot of thought since the discourse started about Hunter. Hunter is not a good person, but I think it will make for a very interesting dynamic if people decide to pursue him. By the time his potential romance comes around, people will be able to make a much more informed decision about him. So, although I couldn’t make him an RO in book one, I think it will work out for the best this way.

Thank you so much for the kind message :) It really means a lot.

[divtanver]

Your AU inspired me to write a short story based on it. Here it is:

Seventeens laps

Prologue

Arrival at the funnel

It was not easy to return to Green Hill. For many years, this place, so accustomed to his former essence, existed only in worn-out memories, good and not. Friends, places and the smells of fresh-growing grass, like drawings on an abandoned beach, were systematically washed away with each new tide of monotonously passing days, leaving behind only faintly legible patterns of images once familiar to him. At some point, he himself began to believe in the illusory nature of the few fragments of the past remaining in his now relatively healthy mind, until an invitation came to his new address a few days ago. Tired eyes with green irises immediately recognized the familiar handwriting, in those old days, the immensely energetic and enthusiastic blue blur, instead of reading constant love cards, preferred wind-like freedom, unencumbered by relationships and misadventures. But a lot has changed since then, he is no longer a world-saving hero, but a recluse hardly leaving his new place of residence. So far from his native lands, the best times of which are now far behind the new era. Despite Eggman's death, the long-awaited peace never came. On the contrary, scavengers of all sorts and qualities gathered from all over Mobius, each of whom wanted to bite off a piece from the cooling corpse of a hitherto great empire. For a while, they were held back by Metal Sonic, which, with the remnants of Badnik's army, tried to preserve the legacy of its creator, desperately fighting for every crumb of his greatness only to eventually inherit the same fate of the ghost of bygone times. However, he was not the only one, a wave of changes swept through all the inhabitants of Green Hill, somehow affecting the once examples of selfless struggle for freedom that have now turned into legends living in the stories told by local parents for their starving children. And a blue hedgehog named Sonic became one of them, but he was in no hurry to declare his existence in the flesh. Wearing a warm red jacket over a white T-shirt, dark brown tight trousers and a grayed scarf around his neck, he walked along the somewhat snowy street of the night settlement, ignoring the white particles settling on his head. If anyone were nearby, he would still cover himself, but not for their peace of mind. Fortunately for him, there were no such people here, which made the slightly frosty and pleasant-to-breathe air somewhat lift his habitually not very good mood.

After the incident, the self-contained prickly preferred loneliness to openness, despite all the efforts of doctors aimed at his socialization. However, no one else seems to have tried, for the overwhelming majority it seemed much easier to erase an annoying stain than to redraw an established picture. Sonic himself was not even sure if the intentions of the psychiatric staff were really as altruistic as they wanted to seem, and were not motivated by the simplest need to discharge another patient as soon as possible. Probably few people thought about the success of such an idea, if the closest and most supportive Mobian disowned the blue hedgehog, then what could be expected from the rest of the world? Surprisingly, those who knew the fallen savior the least, such as the armadillo Mighty and the flying squirrel Ray, turned out to be the most responsive. All those long years of living together with his old, but still barely familiar friends, they provided him with shelter and food, and in return he helped them in every way he could, constantly feeling like a burden on the shoulders of their much more cohesive and self-sufficient duo. Until some time. Since his cohabitation, their behavior has undergone some changes, becoming more distinct every day. They increasingly avoided eye contact with Sonic, as if they were afraid to look into his eyes. He understood them, sometimes being afraid of his own reflection, terrible from lack of sleep. They gradually stopped communicating with him, occasionally exchanging only general phrases. He was not offended because he himself was not a fan of long conversations. They eventually started avoiding him, and he didn't blame them, remembering well why. But then it started. More and more often, he noticed minor disputes arising between Mighty and Ray. First of all, the blue hedgehog perceived this as a standard part of any relationship, who doesn't have them? Especially next to him. However, they soon escalated into conflicts that arose almost from scratch and only with the last burst of hands did not reach a fight. It began to seem to him that his own presence exasperated the two comrades and tore apart the seemingly indestructible friendship, in phrases unpleasant from the volume, he increasingly thought of his own name. Worried about the duo who sheltered him, the blue hedgehog decided to leave, the only question is where? His ignorance ended on a paper that unexpectedly came to him so familiar, the contents of which were quite... desirable. However, this did not surprise him because the hedgehog who sent him, named Amy Rose, always showed some attraction to him and despite the long-severed ties, he was still glad to meet her. Having collected the minimum necessary from his few savings, he left a no longer hospitable place. Now his life is heading south - towards Green Hill, along a sparsely populated train and snow cover.

Remembering the past that brought him here, Sonic almost missed the peach-colored house he was looking for, fenced in with a beautiful, as if real planting of small, evenly trimmed shrubs with red roses growing densely on top, the ubiquitous snow precipitation accumulated anywhere but on them. His appearance was clearly expected. The view, so beautiful for his gray-accustomed eyes, made a contradictory impression on him - based on the not-the-best view of a number of houses he had passed and the news papers he had read, the blue hedgehog expected to see the general desolation and withering. The girl with the hammer, whom he remembered, would hardly have allowed herself such a luxury when others around lived in poverty. However, at the moment, with his meaningless thoughts, he was only wasting someone else's time, which he had already taken away quite a lot once. Slowly getting through, Sonic stopped at the front door to release excitement and indecision from his lungs, after which he knocked on the door three times.

*Knock*

*Knock*

*Knock*

Soft footsteps sounded on the other side...

This is for the people who have gotten interested in the exe au, but…..

I’m giving up on the exe au help😭😭😭🙏 because like idk how to make it interesting and end well:(

So ima just move on to a different project if that’s okay? (I will still make Art about it this is just my very first time actually making a comic even if it was short and unfinished.)

For the new people here welcome and here’s here’s art too lol

And the link of what I’m talking about

[hamletthedane]

Love that Oppenheimer is a deeply disturbing horror movie about a man forced to accept that he is, in a person, the representative manifestation of mankind’s evil in committing one of the greatest horrors of human history - LITERALLY acting as the modern Prometheus, tormented by his sins for the remainder of time. Knowing that he will never be pitied and his actions will forever be utterly unforgivable because the blood of genocide and the potential of total human annihilation will eternally drip from his hands.

But also the simultaneous indictment by the film that to blame a single person for the Manhattan Project is to refuse to accept your own capacity for great evil if the ends ever seem to justify the means, and the culpability of every member of a species that lets itself create something so unspeakably terrible.

Hate that twitter’s take on such a nuanced and brilliantly handled examination of those issues is “movie bad because protagonist not evil enough.”

[franeridart]

The Housecat Philosophy - Ep 37

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[will80sbyers]

Will Byers + smiling in every season

[cosmicnovaflare]

I like your drawings of Cinder in nice dresses. What inspo do you use for designing her clothes?

Thank you! Basically, when I was younger I had the delusion of “memorise every country in the world or else you’re a bad person,” followed by, “learn a brief history of every country in the world within 8 years or else you’re a bad person.” I learned in the order of history-mythology/religion-clothing, and I ended up loving the traditional clothing around and in Iran, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Mongolia, Bhutan, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, etc. It’s fairly difficult to find information about clothing in English, so I mostly pull from Hanfu for Cinder. Currently, I pretty much design how people would wear one today, ignoring old colour rules, pairing it with hair/accessories from separate dynasties, keeping bangs in hairstyles that otherwise would not have them, and sometimes adding in things that are more fantastical than historical. I would love to one day make futuristic designs, but I want to do that tastefully and respectfully, so, for now, I’m sticking closer to current-day interpretations.

[mcybree]

yknow I wasnt feeling like finishing my flower husbands essay (I feel less of a push to now that I dont technically Have To meticulously prove/justify my stance— people do just. agree with me now! which is insane) but I’m starting to think maybe it’s still needed actually

[fefairys]

getting hit with "idk i just found it hard to sympathize with [character whose flaws you relate to]"