#...though this wasn't really an ask I guess

[organic-bloodbath]

Hiiiiiiii. Could you do a Salesman fic?

I would love to see one where his usual calm and powerful energy is lost around the reader, as he's just enamoured with her. Like no shame, he is down bad and the reader is just flustered and lowkey confused cause they haven't known each other for long.

Idk if this makes any sense to you (up to you if you make it smut i don't really mind)

Teach Ddakji to me

The Salesman x American!Reader

Summary: You play Ddakji with a man at a subway station, but the game brings you two much closer than either of you were prepared to.

A/N: I'm not sure how well i was able to follow the request of how he behaves around the reader but this is what i got ;-; hope you still like 🫶🏻 (i'm so deep in love with this psycho i've been giggling during every other paragraph)

♡♡

You rushed down the stairs in the subway station, only one minute until your train was going to leave. You weren't going to make it, but you had to try.

The doors were closing right in front of you and you wanted to scream and let out several different curses, but you didn't want to draw attention on yourself. Your day at the college lectures had just ended and all you wanted to do was to get home, have a dinner and rest.

You heard noise behind a corner, as if someone was slamming something on the floor. You went to see what was going on out of curiosity.

Two men were standing there, the other one tall and dressed in a grey suit, the other one a lot shorter and dressed in a simple hoodie and loose jeans, a worn out cap covering his messy black hair. Suddenly, the man in the suit slapped the other so hard on the face that the man's head turned to the right.

They slammed blue and red squares on top of each other over and over again, and it ended in the man in the suit slapping the other almost every time. Once in a while he handed to the man what looked like a bill of money. You had never seen anything like that happen anywhere and were confused.

You got a notification on your phone, a text message from your classmate.

"Join us for studying and then a dinner? A new restaurant opened nearby, we'll go and try it tonight," she messaged.

"Another day, i don't feel like going out tonight," you replied, getting a thumbs up emoji as a respond.

You put your phone in your pocket and turned around, almost having a heart attack and jumping a step back when you saw the man in the suit standing mere inches away from you, looking down at you with a slight smirk.

"Enjoyed the show, i hope?" he asked and your eyes widened. Fuck, he had noticed you stalking the two of them.

"Yea, um, sure," you said awkwardly. "Though i didn't know what it was, really."

Seeing his face now closer and him staring at you with his dark eyes made your heart beating faster and it wasn't only because of him scaring you for appearing out of nowhere. He was extremely handsome and the way he looked at you made you blush.

"You haven't heard of Ddakji?" he asked, but didn't seem surprised since he figured you weren't local by the looks of you. "It's a Korean game, want me to show you?"

"Sure," you said, nothing else to do than wait anyway. The man took the squares in his hands and offered you to choose one. You took the red one.

He explained the rules to you, it was simple. You only had to hit your square on the blue one and make it turn around, the upper side facing the floor.

It sounded simple but you were hesitant if you were actually able to do it. You threw it on the floor, aiming at the blue square, but it didn't move even an inch in any direction. You let out a frustrated groan.

"It's okay, very few people succeed on their first try," he said in a comforting tone and took a step closer to you, standing right in front of you. "But do you know what losing means to you, hm?"

You had a very good guess after seeing him and the other man play just a while ago.

"You're gonna slap me?" you asked with a grimace.

He smiled. Without a word, you felt a painful sting on your left cheek when he slapped you, not going any easier on you just because you were a woman.

"Jesus Christ!" you gasped and held your hand on your cheek which was definitely going to have a red mark later. You had never been slapped on your face and it hurt more than you thought it would hurt.

"My turn then," he said and grabbed his blue square from the floor. He slammed it on top of your red square and it immediately jumped in the air and landed on its other side on the floor.

He looked at you with the same smirk again.

"So what happens when you win?" you asked, crossing your arms. If you continued this game much longer, your face would be completely covered in bruises and you'd have a lot of explaining to do to your classmates.

"I get to use your body again," he said with a confident tone.

You closed your eyes and prepared for another slap, hoping that it would be the other one this time because your left cheek still hurt. When you felt a touch on your left cheek, you automatically winced a little bit.

But it wasn't a slap, it was a tender kiss. You opened your eyes when he had already leaned away and you saw a glimpse of kindness in his eyes this time. You felt your cheeks warming up and tried to avoid eye contact for a moment.

"Your turn," he said.

Your hand was shaking when you lifted the red square from the floor. You wanted to succeed, you had never been good at losing in anything, it was always about to start to piss you off if you didn't start winning too.

"Do you want me to help you?" he asked. You looked at him and soon he was right behind you, keeping an eye contact with you when he put his left hand on your waist and his right one to hold your hand which was holding the square. "Is this okay?"

He didn't put too much pressure on holding you, making sure that you gave him a permission for that. You suddenly couldn't get words out of your mouth, so you just nodded and swallowed the lump in your throat. He held you tighter now and instructed how it was supposed to be done. You had to have more force when you would slam the square down.

"Spread your legs a little bit," he whispered.

"What?" you gasped in shock.

"To get a better and more firm position when you throw it," he explained, his breath hot in your ear.

"Oh," you said, cheeks burning even more. You hadn't realized you were standing almost like a stick. He guided your hand up in the air in a correct position.

"Remember to let go of it at the correct moment, i'm going to aim it for you, okay?" he said and you nodded, now much more nervous than you would have been if you did this alone.

With this help, the blue square flew into the air and landed on its other side easily. You were excited of the victory, even though it was for his help, and a wide smile spread on your face.

To be honest, for a second you wished you would have failed on purpose, just to get his hands on you again - you didn't even care if it was a slap, kiss or something else.

He let go of you and you turned around to face him, already missing his touch.

"There you go," he said with a proud expression on his face. "Now, you can choose what to do to me."

You didn't hesitate for even a second longer, you immediately slapped him on his left cheek as hard as you could. However, you knew you didn't have as much as strength in your body as he did, so the slap must have stinged a lot less. His head didn't move even an inch and he only smiled.

Right then, the train you had been waiting for arrived and you took your bag from the ground. You weren't going to miss this train just because of wanting to have another round of Ddakji with this stranger.

He offered you money, worth of 100 dollars, and put them in your hand, closing your fist around the bill. You were about to refuse but he wasn't having it.

"Treat yourself a nice dinner tonight," he said. When you didn't answer, he nodded towards the train which was about to leave soon, with or without you.

"Thank you," you said. "Um, bye."

You made it into the train just in time and when you looked back at the spot where that man had just been, he was already gone.

♡♡

The salesman didn't want you to leave. He was absolutely mesmerized by you, you were the most gorgeous woman he had ever laid eyes on. Your perfume and the smell of your shampoo still lingered in his nose, even after you weren't there anymore.

He would have wanted to ask you to stay, but he couldn't find the correct words and you were in a hurry to catch your train.

He hadn't felt like this of a woman in a long time and he wanted to find you again. To hold you again.

He didn't understand how you could have made this big of an impact on him in only under 10 minutes, but all he knew was that he needed to get to know you better.

♡♡

The next day, you arrived to the class and sat next to your friend.

"Oh my god, what happened to your face?" she gasped in shock.

Yes, there was a visible red mark on your cheek and you didn't have anything at home to cover it. You didn't really use any makeup either except mascara.

"Oh um," you started, trying to find some excuse. "It's my allergies and acne." You didn't have any allergies and hadn't had acne since you were 15. But you couldn't tell her the truth, atleast now that you didn't have time to talk much since the class was about to start.

And what were you going to say to her? A stranger in the subway station slapped you and you enjoyed it?

The teacher arrived and the noise of the door slamming closed interrupted your friend who was about to say something to interview you further.

♡♡

You walked down the subway station stairs again on your way home, just like yesterday. You had your headphones on, listening to random metal songs on Spotify and were texting your mum who catched up with you twice a week how you were doing. You were supposed to have a video call later today but she apparently had to work extra tonight, she was a nurse.

When you had reached the bottom of the stairs, you bumped into something and almost tripped back but managed to keep your balance. You looked up and saw the same man in the suit as yesterday, staring down at you with a smile.

"Hello," he greeted, not moving anywhere.

"Hello," you repeated and lifted your eyebrows, taking of your headphones. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you," he said without thinking.

"Me? Why? How did you know i would be here?"

"I didn't. I only figured you might have the same daily routine and took a chance," he explained.

"Why did you want to see me?" you asked, confused but feeling butterflies in your stomach.

"I didn't have a chance to ask for your phone number yesterday," he said. "And i'd like to take you out."

"Take me out you mean murder or dinner?"

"The second option. I already finished the first task earlier," he said with a smile. Handsome and with a sense of humor.

"Fine, where did you plan to take me?"

"Anywhere you want. Are you hungry?"

"You don't even know my name," you pointed out.

"You can tell me your name and all about you on our date," he smiled.

"Aren't you straightforward," you chuckled. "Are you going to teach me Ddakji again?"

"If you wish so," he said.

You bit your lip, not sure if you should go somewhere with this stranger or not. You hadn't been asked for a dinner at a subway station before, though, so you could write it on your bucketlist and cross it out.

"Okay."

♡♡

He had taken you to a lovely dinner to enjoy local foods you had never eaten before. You rarely tried any new foods, always sticking on the ones you already knew you'd like, but now you had tried something different and loved it.

Now, you were in a park, nobody else in sight. It was already dark and you knew you had to go home soon if you wanted to get enough sleep.

You held the red square in your hand once again and aimed for slamming the blue around finally on your own.

Again, you weren't able to hit it. But you hadn't even tried properly and weren't mad about it.

"Damn it," you mumbled.

"You'll get there," he smirked, stepping closer to you.

He lifted your chin with his finger.

"Close your eyes."

You did as told and waited for the worst option, squeezing your eyes shut tightly.

You felt his lips press on yours, taking you into a slow kiss. He broke the kiss but didn't let go of your chin

"Do i have to play another round of Ddakji to do that again?"

You smiled and stepped on your tiptoes to reach him better, cupped his face and pulled him in a proper, deeper kiss. He instantly wrapped his arms around your waist to press your body against him tighter.

"Just so you know, i don't sleep with men on our first date," you said when the kiss was over, his hands wandering around your back they had almost reached your ass.

He moved his left hand to the back of your neck, keeping the right one on your lower back. He pushed his fingers through your hair, softly massaging your scalp.

"What is it about you that makes me so drawn to you?" he whispered, and you didn't know if the question was for you or just for himself. "Only two days and you've managed to make me absolutely addicted to you."

He pushed a strand of your hair behind your ear, and you felt blush creeping on its way to your cheeks.

He eventually walked you back home like a gentleman, not allowing you to walk anywhere at this hour. He had to make sure you got back home safely.

"Will i see you again tomorrow?" he asked before you managed to leave, gently holding your wrist.

"I have to study, i've fallen behind in couple of courses so i need to catch up," you said and his face fell a little bit. Surely he had other things to do in his life besides seeing you. "Are you free this weekend?"

His face lighted up again for your suggestion.

"For you, of course," he said and brought your hand towards his face, planting a kiss on your knuckles. "Goodnight, Y/N."

You went inside your apartment and silently closed the door, trying to do everything as quietly as you could, but then the lights were turned on.

"Okay who the HELL is that man, Y/N?!" your roommate shouted at you, making you jump and almost have a heart attack. It was so late you thought she was already sleeping, she was the type to be in bed by 8pm and asleep by 9pm.

"Um, well I-"

"That is the most gorgeous man i've ever seen," she said, still speaking loudly, and stepped closer to you and pointed you with her finger. "How couldn't you tell me you were dating a new man?"

"Well i only met him a while ago," you admitted.

"Still?!" she shouted. "You know i like boy talk and you never talk about your dating life! Oh my god, have you finally downloaded Tinder or something?"

"Ew, no," you shook your head.

"You're right, there's no way men THAT hot would still be on Tinder and not married," she said and then gasped. "Girl, he's not married, is he?"

"I sure hope he's not," you said and for a moment you were afraid he might be married. I mean, how could he still be single? Your friend always talked so much that you started to doubt everything you previously knew.

"Wait a minute, i'll get us some popcorn and then you're gonna spill everything," she said and without another word, she was already in the kitchen.

And you did tell her everything because my god you needed to talk to someone about him.

♡♡

A few days and several text conversations later, you were in his hotel room, and he pressed you against the wall, his right hand leaning on the wall right by your head.

He lifted your head by his forefinger on your chin to make you look straight into your eyes.

"How long are you going to stay in Korea?" he asked.

"What, are you going to ask me to move in with you or something? Plan a summer wedding?" you joked.

"If you want to," he said with a serious face and you truly wasn't sure if he was serious or joking. You hadn't yet found a difference between the two.

"Wait what?"

You hadn't dated any Korean men before so you weren't sure how fast they progressed in the dating life. Would it be normal to propose on the first week or ask to move in? Surely not.

He smiled. "I only ask because i don't want to have you only for a short while," he said and let his fingers wander around your shoulder, sending goosebumps all over your body.

"Well, i'll be here for atleast another 5 months," you told him and then pouted. "So, no summer wedding?"

"I'd have to buy a ring first," he smirked.

"It better be a real diamond too then," you chuckled, having seen the stacks of money he had carried with him, and pulled him into another kiss.

He was soon kissing your neck, leaving a mark on your skin, until your stomach growled and interrupted him.

"When was the last time you ate?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "I thought you had eaten before you came here."

"Well, it's been a while i suppose," you said, not really remembering anymore when the last time was.

He stepped away from you and pulled out his phone.

"What are you doing?"

"We're ordering food," he said. "What would you like to eat?"

He ordered Chinese food for you and ate it on the bed while watching some brainless comedy movie.

When the movie had ended, he went to the bathroom, leaving you to lay on the bed and making you to fall in your thoughts alone.

You had been in a relationship twice in your life, and in neither of them your relationship had moved on this fast. I mean, you weren't in an official relationship, you had been just barely hooking up, but the way he talked about you only knowing you for a few days wasn't something you had been used to at all.

In the U.S., it took guys several weeks to make any progress in relationships, atleast what you had seen and gone through.

Maybe you should slow down a little, take a step back and see what he really wants from you.

By the time he came back from the bathroom, you had fallen asleep. You looked so peaceful in your sleep, so beautiful even with your messy hair all over the pillow.

He came closer to you and pulled a blanket over you, the edge almost reaching your jaw. You stirred in your sleep, turning to lay on your side, but didn't show any signs of waking up.

He laid himself on the bed next to you and just looked at your sleeping figure for several minutes. He was afraid of getting attached to a woman so fast, in so little time, but he couldn't help it.

To him you were perfect, and he wanted to know everything about you that there was to know.

♡♡

A/N: If you want a part 2, please leave any requests you might have, i'm not sure where to go with this 🫶🏻❤️💙

[cinnamontoastcrunch-15]

HI I'M BACK here's a oneshot that I got the idea for in the middle of uni.

Also apologies that I haven't posted at all in January I'll be back properly I promise.

"It's not too late to back out, if you want," Remus offers, turning to Sirius.

"As if. We're here now, Moons. Besides, I think freaking out your entire extended family is a perfect use of my time." He holds out his hand, offering it to Remus. Remus rolls his eyes, but Sirius doesn't miss the smile that comes as he reaches out to grab his hand.

Honestly? Part of Sirius does want to run away. A big part of him regrets to agreeing in the first place.

Still, he's doing this for Remus.

"Me? Why in Merlin's name would you say my name?" Sirius asked, a little dumbfounded.

"I panicked!" Remus said back. "She was so excited about the possibility of me bringing a guy to the wedding, and I only really know three guys!"

Well, he wasn't exactly wrong.

"You don't have to come," he said quickly. "I just figured it wouldn't hurt to ask? Four hours, free food, freak out my relatives who don't know I'm gay?"

"When you put it like that..."

Four hours in a liminal space where he can call Remus Lupin his boyfriend. Embarrassingly enough, Sirius has had dreams about this. Maybe not as a sudden stand in to make Hope happy, but he'll take whatever he can get, really.

It's going to suck when the night is over, though. His one scrap of self preservation was the only thing keeping him from agreeing. There's still a small part of him urging him to run away, protect himself by living with the careful boundaries he's drawn in his head to keep him from breaking his own heart. He knows Remus will never feel the same, and he also knows that he should be a lot more careful to keep himself sane, but he's here now. Surely he should just... embrace it?

The two of them walk through the muggle car park and down to the reception hall.

"Remus!" A girl's voice rings out, and Sirius feels Remus' grip tighten on his hand.

"Hi, Aunt Anna." Remus smiles graciously. Sirius watches the woman grind to a halt in front of Remus. It's as if there's some kind of magnetic field around him that keeps her from getting any closer.

"How is everything? How's the... special school?" She lowers her voice to say this, and Remus' smile strains a little. Sirius looks between them, a little confused. Is there something wrong with whatever stand in Remus is using for Hogwarts?

"Aunt Anna, I graduated in July. And it was a specialised school," he corrects politely. "More focused studies?" He says it like he's had to make this correction over and over. She smiles patronisingly, making Sirius' hair stand on end.

"Of course it was!" Her voice is fake, dismissive, frustrating Sirius to no end. Her eyes finally flick to Sirius, curiosity overtaking any sense of falseness on her face. "Who's this? Brought a friend along?"

"Oh, actually, he's not my friend, he's, er..." He glances a little helplessly at Sirius. Little does he know, the decision to go all in has solidified itself in his head. These stupid, patronising family members are going to respect Remus by the end of the night if it kills him.

"I'm his boyfriend. Sirius Black." He extends his hand with a smile that makes Anna blink, a little taken aback.

"Boyfriend? You're... oh!" She looks around, as if searching for someone else to have heard it. "Well, I guess it makes sense that you're... yeah. Um..." She smooths her skirt down, suddenly uncomfortable. "How did you two, er... meet?"

"We went to school together." Her eyes widen, and he nods. "Yeah, focused studies."

"Oh. Huh. I wouldn't have thought... What- what have you been up to then, Remus?"

"Not much, really."

"God, you're so modest!" Sirius says, quickly wrapping an arm around Remus' waist and pulling himself a little closer. He hears Anna clear her throat, fixing her expression as soon as he turns to face her. "He's gotten so many offers."

"Offers for what?"

"He hasn't told you?" Sirius asks innocently. She shakes her head, and he smiles at her. "He's going to be a doctor. Hospitals are fighting over him."

"A... doctor?" For a second, Sirius thinks he's accidentally fucked up the word, until Remus nods a little awkwardly.

"Yeah, there are a few places offering me spots. It's hardly fighting, though-"

"Haven't you gotten baskets from all five locations? I mean, you're getting offers from America!"

"Yeah, guess so." He shrugs, but Sirius is already happy enough with what he's done. Anna looks between them, a little surprised, before nodding once.

"Nice to see you, Remus." She turns to leave.

"It was lovely to meet you!" Sirius calls after her with a sweet smile.

"Sirius!" Remus turns to him, stunned.

"What?" He asks innocently. "I'm just showing you off a little!"

"She's going to be pissed." Remus bites his lower lip, worried. For a second, Sirius' mind malfunctions, having to tear his eyes away from Remus' lips and back to his eyes when he turns to face him. "She had to write Sam's personal statement for Cardiff Uni."

"Oh, then she can't say a bloody word! Special school, she can fucking bite me." It draws a chuckle out of Remus, much to Sirius' delight. "Right, should we find your mum?"

"Yeah. Yeah, let's go."

Much to Remus' dismay, they run into a fair few of his extended family on the way. Sirius does nothing but fawn over Remus, making sure to push his multitude of achievements. It's not exactly hard to do. If Remus was slightly less lovely all the time, he'd be able to do this. He shouldn't be his family's punching bag, and Sirius isn't about to let that continue. He's not even lying, he's just pointing out the things he notices every day. It's scarily easy. He manages to get two judgemental uncles to back off, as well as the boy who can't even write his own essay, clearly pushed over by his aunt and forced to flaunt a few flimsy achievements. Sirius feels a little bad for him, so he's not as obvious about pushing Remus' life to the forefront. It works all the same, getting Sam away before he could even start talking about the fact that Minnie wanted Remus to consider training to teach at Hogwarts.

By the time they reach Hope, Remus has turned bright red. It's a magnificent sight. Sirius wishes he could do this every day.

"Remus! Oh, and Sirius! Hi!" Hope is clearly a little tipsy, cheeks flushed as she beams at the two of them, pulling Remus into a hug, promptly followed by Sirius. "I'm so glad you could make it, Sirius."

"Wouldn't miss it," he answers back with a grin.

"Yeah, that's what I'm starting to get," Remus mumbles under his breath. Sirius hasn't missed the fact that he's standing a little taller than he was when he walked in, though. He's just too nice to push back at his family. "Mum, don't be surprised if Aunt Anna says I've grown into a rude young man as soon as she's got a drink down her."

"Why? What happened? Oh, she's always been a bit of a-"

"No, it's nothing. I just want you to be prepared." Remus waves her off, but Sirius has other plans.

"She was being shitty," Sirius answers with a shrug. Hope turns to him, and he elaborates. "She kept talking to Remus like he's a child! The moment I pointed out that he's actually pretty smart, in a pretty tame way, actually, she turned and left. I didn't think it was that bad."

Hope looks between the two of them, before bursting out laughing. Remus and Sirius exchange a slightly confused glance, as Hope tries to pull herself together.

"Oh, I'm so glad you-! I've tried my best, but she just- I don't think she cares what I say. I can't believe you managed... thank you, Sirius, that's absolutely brilliant!" Sirius beams at a stunned Remus, pleased. At least it wasn't just him who thinks that Remus' extended family are a bunch of self-centered wankers. "Honestly, Remus has talked non-stop about you, I'm so glad he finally found the courage to ask you!"

What?

Sirius' heart does a strange thing where it skips several beats all at once, making him feel a little dizzy.

"Non-stop?" He asks, trying to keep his voice casual.

"Yes, absolutely non-stop!"

"Mum," Remus says quickly, shooting her a glance. She seems completely undeterred, though.

"I told him it was worth taking the risk a long time ago. I mean, you're a lovely boy, and it's clear how much you care about him. It's just nice to know that it all paid off! I had a good feeling about you two-"

"Mum, I'm going to get a drink," Remus interjects suddenly. "I'll be back in a second." She looks like she's about to protest, but Remus is still going, voice slightly unsteady. "I'll tell you what Sirius said to everybody after. Come on, Sirius."

He grabs Sirius gently by the arm, pulling him in the direction of the bar before Sirius has a chance to say anything. Before they reach the bar, he veers off and shoves a door open. They turn a corner and get into a cramped room absolutely full of fold-able chairs. Remus shuts the door and lets go of Sirius' arm, scrubbing a hand over his face and leaning against the door. His hands are shaking, and he looks a little like he wants the ground to swallow him whole.

"...I'd have quite liked to hear more," Sirius says eventually, breaking the weird silence. Remus finally looks up at Sirius, a mix of confusion, frustration and panic evident.

"I feel like that was embarrassing enough," Remus answers simply, eyes flicking back to the floor.

"Is that why you asked me?" Sirius asks suddenly. He knows he should really say more, but he has countless questions, and he needs at least one of them answered. Remus nods once, playing with his fingers.

"Mum made the guess. She wouldn't have believed me if I'd said no."

"Because you've been talking about me 'non-stop,'" Sirius supplies, careful to use Hope's exact words. Remus nods quickly, face turning much redder than it had been before.

"Sorry," he says before Sirius can say anything else. Sirius frowns.

"For what?"

"Lying to you. I mean, I basically tricked you into this whole thing because I didn't want to disappoint my mum."

"You gave me an out multiple times," Sirius tries, but Remus isn't done.

"And for, er... what my mum said. I didn't realise that she'd... you can leave, if you want. I wouldn't be pissed. I mean, fuck, I wouldn't be pissed if you didn't want to speak to me for a while." Okay, now Sirius is much more confused. "I... I really hope this doesn't ruin our friendship, though. I know it's probably going to feel weird now, and I get that, but I- Merlin, I really don't want to lose you, Sirius."

"Remus," Sirius starts gently.

"I mean, we could just forget that she ever said that. I've been perfectly fine living like this until now, I'll be okay."

"Moony."

"Sorry. God, if I'd known that was going to happen I wouldn't have... I could have just... I don't know, fuck, I'm so sorry-"

"Remus!" Sirius finally manages to snap him out of his strange, apologetic tangent. "I just want to make sure that I haven't hideously misunderstood what your mum said. You like me?" Remus nods, and Sirius takes a step closer. "Romantically?" He nods again. "And you have for a while now?"

Remus barely gets a chance to nod before Sirius closes the gap between them, connecting their lips. He hears Remus gasp as he pulls away, locking eyes with him and watching him carefully. For a second, he watches as Remus' brain speeds up, eyes scanning over Sirius' face as he tries to process everything.

Eventually, he seems to throw out every thought in his brain, cupping Sirius' face in both of his hands and kissing him back. Time stops as Sirius is caught up in the feeling of Remus' lips on his, one hand moving from his face and into his hair, his own arms moving impulsively to wrap around Remus' waist. It's everything Sirius could have imagined and more. Part of him still thinks he's imagining things, that there's no way Remus is actually here kissing him. It's overwhelmingly perfect, making Sirius feel a little giddy with the joy rising in his chest-

"Oh my Lord!" A shrill voice that Sirius recognises as Anna interrupts them, forcing them apart. "I- I'm just- right, um... I- okay." She turns and leaves, absolutely dumbfounded, eyes wide and a little horrified. For a second they both look at the closed door, before turning to exchange a glance. The moment their eyes lock, Sirius starts laughing. It doesn't take much for Remus to join in, as Sirius drops his head on Remus' shoulder and Remus laughs along with him.

Fuck Remus' strange extended family.

Nothing can ruin this for them.

[athousandbyeol]

keep up the thamepo [episode 8]

this episode easily became my favourite episode after episode 1. the flavours are beautifully mixed and I love how everything ties together into a wonderful and coherent dish.

i was fearful of the possibility of them dragging the jun-thame-po drama until the end of the episode, but I'm glad they resolved it at such a right pace and gave us more time to witness another step taken by thame and po—the progress of their relationship is beautiful and captivating. it makes me giddy and happy and shy and rooting for them even more.

i don't have much to say about the past few episodes because they're quite direct and easy to digest (in my opinion). however, I'm keen on talking about jun's side of the story and the physical intimacy between thame and po (finally!)

p.s. i do apologise for not writing this weekly thamepo post for episodes 6 and 7 for reasons I've stated previously. but without further ado, let's begin!

1. jun's unrequited love — his sacrifice for the friendship that means more than the world to him

for weeks, i've been asking myself, "what's up with jun?"

his actions confused me because the series!jun was doing things that were different from novel!jun. for context, I read some spoilers a few weeks ago, and I learned that in the novel, jun likes thame. the air hockey scene was when he was *kind of* confessing his feelings for thame, but not directly and openly. i don't know how novel!jun treats novel!po, therefore I can't really make a deduction if he's also falling for po. but in terms of the series!jun, I believe he did like po.

let's be serious. he wouldn't be here if he didn't have feelings for po. i don't think anyone can convince me (at this point) that he didn't like po romantically.

he knew thame was busy dealing with khun pemika at the company (and other stuff pertaining to MARS), so he took another step to be there for po when thame couldn't—he didn't want po to feel left out or abandoned.

it's so fascinating to me that at this point, jun believed that their feelings were one-sided; he knew po liked thame, but jun didn't believe that thame would feel the same. i think this has a lot to do with the fact that thame is more of show not tell kind of person.

jun was looking at thame and po—he was observing them. he was trying to put two and two together (and hoping that the answer wouldn't be four because if it did—he would have to back off). but the answer was indeed four and jun...

i think, at the back of jun's mind, he knew what was happening between thame and po—it was so obvious that they shared something mutual. but jun was battling his own devils. along the way, as his feelings grew for po, and all those moments spent with po—perhaps jun saw that he had a chance. he only had to be in this headspace where he believed thame didn't feel the same for po. thus, why jun was running away from thame—because jun knew, if he confronted thame (or vice versa), he would discover the truth. and I guess, he wasn't ready for that rejection.

jun was really attentive, and that wasn't a surprise. he was always watching and trying to access/understand the situation. i guess, aside from pepper, jun would be the next to see the bigger picture. he would be the one to take charge if thame and pepper couldn't.

he knew po's favourite snacks. he wanted to be there with po—for po. even though he's brash and rough, this was his way of showing that he cared—he loved.

(i think i've covered more extensively jun's character in this post for better understanding of where I'm coming from hehe)

so the confrontation began and jun said everything he wanted to say to thame.

in my opinion, jun believed that whatever thame were doing for po wasn't enough. i guess, jun put himself in po's shoes for a while here—it reminded him of how thame selflessly took all the burden of MARS and carried them on his shoulders alone. thame did those things for the sake of the group, and jun found that unbelievably selfish because they're in a group—he's supposed to be thame's best friend, someone he could trust and talk to—they should be in this together. but it was second nature for thame to take everything and leave nothing on the plate, probably because of his role as a leader.

i think jun was hoping that thame wouldn't do that alone. he didn't want thame to blame himself for everything that happened to MARS before they reunited. jun didn't like many decisions thame made, so this was why he decided to distance himself from MARS and led the other members astray from thame. it was his way of coping with problems and betrayal and disappointment: he would run because he wanted to avoid conflict—he didn't want to paint anyone as the bad guy.

so this was what he did: he avoided thame so that he didn't have to confess his own feelings for po, while he vaguely knew that po might not feel the same.

even though i know many of us (me included) were confused about jun and the reason behind his doings, this episode really cleared the air for me. he loved his friendship with thame more than anything—he loved thame a lot to put a stop to their years of friendship. people could say anything about him, but at the end of the day, jun genuinely cared about thame and po. and he chose them over his own feelings.

(i also love the back-and-forth tension between jun and thame as they confessed the things they'd been dying to say to each other. and each time they were right, the puck entered the goal. that was so effective to prove the intensity of their emotions from a literary standpoint I was actually vibrating in awe because they DID THAT so well ugh it was so delicious!!!)

but the thing that made me scream and lose my breath was thame asked jun "you like him, don't you?" and the puck entered jun's goal OH MY GOD THAT WAS PEAK CINEMA in my opinion!!!

and jun was transported back to those moments shared with po, that little time he spent with po—these feelings that were growing fonder by the second. they were fleeting, but still so beautiful. (if this isn't love then I guess... I'm blindsided by love. i don't know what love is anymore t_t)

and it broke me when jun answered, "it doesn't matter how I feel," because JUN, LOVE, YOUR FEELINGS MATTERED GOODNESS :'(

and when jun said to thame, "you don't even have feelings for him," THAME STOPPED THE PUCK FROM ENTERING HIS GOAL GOODNESS THAT WAS ANOTHER PEAK CINEMA MOMENT BECAUSE!!!!!!!

it wasn't true. he had feelings for po. he loved po. thame loved po so much.

i think, due to his inexperience, thame didn't know much about navigating his feelings for po. he didn't know what was enough and what was overdoing things. thame was always standing on this thin line between sanity and madness—he didn't know how to find the perfect balance. there was no doubt that thame liked more so intensely, but in jun's eyes (and I believe pepper too), thame wasn't doing enough. and po could oblivious sometimes so that was why jun saw this as a chance for him to make a move—to revolve with po. because love wasn't only about late-night texts and failed movie dates and long walks and heart-to-heart talks. love should be thame moving forward with po and not for po—love should be thame holding po's hand and facing the upcoming obstacle together—not just handling it alone.

jun just didn't want thame to repeat the same mistake he did with MARS. after he knew everything from po about thame's sacrifices (in episode 3), he was gutted that thame kept so much guilt and anger alone. he just wanted thame to prove (more to himself than anyone) that he was a man of his word—he would be there for MARS and po. he would love and protect them as promised.

jun and thame's friendship runs deeper than the sea and we can't pretend that we can't see the depth of their understanding and reliance on each other. these two individuals have so much love to give and receive, but the winner takes all—and in this game, thame won.

thame said that even though they'd been friends for a long time, neither of them had to back down if they really liked po. this also proved thame's selflessness and also his openness to accepting the what-ifs of po not picking him.

however, i believe, jun loves thame and this friendship more than his blossoming feelings for po—jun backed down for the sake of this friendship—for his love and respect for thame. //jun... I've wronged you in so many ways. I'm sorry that I doubted you. love, you deserve more than the entire world :'(//

jun said he didn't have feelings for po: this was his way of waving the white flag. i think jun believed it wasn't worth giving up years of friendship and watching it going down the drain just for a person—even though jun hoped it could transpire into something more meaningful if he never discovered about thame's truest feelings for po. but like I said, it was clear from the start that thame and po liked each other, and all jun wanted (and tried to avoid) was to believe he could be in thame's shoes if thame stayed in his spot—if he didn't get the clarification from thame about his feelings for po.

jun was obviously dejected and disheartened, but he masked it so well with that usual smugness. but at least, in my eyes, I knew jun genuinely liked po, and he cared about him in ways that thame was lacking before. but he believed po was better off with thame instead of him since their feelings were already equal.

and i have an inkling that thame—to an extent—knew that jun was lying. i think thame knew jun liked po too... and this was why episode 3!jun and episode 3!thame were so important to be understood because their friendship is so genuine and strong and nothing could ever break this bond except the both of them. thame was aware of the sacrifices jun did and vice versa. this wouldn't affect their friendship—this wouldn't make them crumble. they loved each other too much to let it happen (although they'll never say this aloud).

jun turned from a thame's potential competitor to thamepo's unofficial cupid. no one's doing it like jun. he's the OG definition of 'best friend' in my opinion: a pain in the ass, but would stand up for others no matter what.

and the way he was looking at po here... it felt like a goodbye to his feelings for po :( but I hope they'll continue being this bickering duo and frenemies because jun really helped po see his potential and po gave jun warmth and comfort like never before :(

also, shoutout to nut for being the perfect jun! you're an amazing actor! the emotional rollercoaster you strapped me into while watching your shenanigans and heart eyes for po gave me chest pains (tbvh). but friend, I love you. i hope you'll find happiness *coughs* dylan *coughs* ;)

it drives me insane that jun and po were finally meeting somewhere with a brighter setting and lighting—probably hinting that both of their feelings are no longer in the dark. no one was hiding from the truth anymore.

this was when jun got the last confirmation that po liked thame—and this was where po knew that thame liked him too. this ended on a bittersweet note for jun, but an epiphany for po. //my heart hurts for unknown reasons...//

2. physical intimacy — another step forward, a moment of clarity

sometimes, i think, thamepo took the slow burn too seriously because what do you mean in episode 8 we finally got them properly holding hands??? (but i love it so much T_T)

but the whole sequence of thame and po talking, trying to squeeze out the 'i like you' from each other but didn't get to because that felt too heavy on their shoulders for now. so they settled with conversations filled with metaphors and symbols and I'm always down for that ;)

i think this was the first time that they were this physically close. my heart was in my throat for the remaining 13 minutes because they were so shy and this moment felt so intimate and sensual and I shouldn't be prodding but I couldn't stop gawking at them finally being this close and all over each other (metaphorically) and I didn't know where they were heading—

and thame decided to watch the movie in po's room because, like jun said—

"why you should be there in a rush? seeing him today, I guess, at most, you'll just end up staring at each other. I'm telling you, during the first six months of dating him, even holding hands is an achievement. and it will take two whole years before you two get to kiss. as for going to his room, i'd say it'll definitely take up to five years."

the way i CACKLED because jun, friend, sorry to burst your bubble, but these knuckleheads FINALLY HELD HANDS!!!!!!!!!

i wondered if i was a victorian man seeing a woman's ankle for the first time because this scene got me squeaking and screeching and hollering and screaming and giggling and blushing and losing my marbles because yes!!! finally! they were one step closer (literally and physically)! thame was really proving jun wrong because this guy was done being vanilla xD

there's really this different charge in the air after thame and po reached a moment of clarity through jun. thame was visibly more confident, and po was more open to accepting thame's advances (even though he was still nervous. i think this still has a lot to do with the emotional trauma that po has after his break-up with earn).

thame did the korean male lead move here and expect me not to scream??? the audacity.

and when thame said he wanted to do so many things (to po and with po), but watching a movie in po's room would be enough for this new beginning—THAME YOU'RE INSANE!!!

and yes, thame was buying a bottle of water and lozenges for his throat to spend the night with po (and not what we had in mind... 👀)

we know what's coming next week. and that particular scene (the second picture)... if you know, you know... //readying myself to jump off the nearest rooftop//

are we even ready for thamepo dating era? //i'm not...//

[skiagraphe0]

I know exactly where it comes from: the idea all adults are evil predators who can only be in fandom spaces because they want to prey on kids. For years, people have been freaking out about adults being in the same Discord as a minor (gasp!) even though the server's topic is Animal Crossing, or been freaked out teenagers are on Reddit where adults are even though the only subreddits they have in common is r/watercolor. "Be afraid!" people scream, eyes wide in fear, "I heard a grown-up might be there and they'll unalive you or grap3 you!"

It used to be - and definitely was when I was growing up - that an adult speaking to a minor was not considered a massive risk. Adults were not seen as suspicious in hobby spaces, because it was understood that adulthood didn't mean giving up everything you'd ever liked. As the moral panic got worse, however, a sinister motive was assigned to pretty much everything. You're an adult, but you read books? Uh, books are sold at stores, and minors go to stores! You're an adult, but you play video games? Uh, minors also play games! You write fic and post it to the internet? Uh, don't you know minors are online? You're so scary!

There's also this idea a lot of Gen Z kids have that adulthood = the death of joy. When I got my master's degree, I was in classes with 18-24 year olds who were absolutely stunned that I still watch anime, play video games, read books, sew, draw, write fanfic, listen to pop music, etc. It was very odd, explaining to them that I just never thought of not doing things I like. I could tell this explanation was both confusing to them and made perfect sense. They had been told you become a husk at 30 and simply work, poop, sleep, and then one day die. They could also piece together that it wasn't logical for me to stop listening to music and drawing because I'd hit an age.

"But you're not weird about it, right?" was a question I got, often said with genuine anxiety. I would furrow my brow, confused, and ask, "I'm not sure what a 'weird' way to listen to music is? Or how to be weird about playing a game? I guess I don't, like, make room for Jesus when I make my Animal Crossing island or anything."

My dad is 84 and reads Star Trek fanfic/keeps up with the new shows.

My neighbor is 54 and loves Disney and is helping sew cosplays for her granddaughter/teaching her granddaughter how to sew.

The manager at my local Joann Fabrics is 60 and she just did her first cosplay.

Animator/artist/illustrator Tyrus Wong was still drawing and working on concept art for an idea to pitch when he died at 105.

The notion that adulthood means being miserable and sobbing in corner somewhere (if male) or tending to children (if female) and nothing else until you die is extremely recent. It's not supported by basically anything other than their own anxiety about anyone older than then being nearby. But the thing they don't seem to grasp is that their fear about someone posting someone or reading something isn't what anyone else is going to base their lives on.

If it scares you that someone has a hobby past the age you think that should be allowed, I'm sorry for you. That genuinely sounds like a lot of anxiety. Your life sounds really hard and really miserable.

But you're not my patient and I'm not a therapist. I can't help you. I can pray you get better, but that's it.

I'm not going anywhere. Neither are most people - if anything, fandom going more mainstream means we're going to see an increasingly higher number of adults getting into it, at the same time as kids into it age into being an adult.

If adults scare you, fandom isn't the hobby for you.

Fandom Problem #7211:

As someone who's almost 30, I legitimately do not understand why people on this site treat you like you're totally geriatric and incapable of having hobbies or interests. It's always "lol this person is THIRTY, they must have no life!!". I find age is weaponized most of all with censorship advocates who go, "imagine being 30 and still shipping characters on TUMBLR 💀".

[cleric-corrupted]

Ragatha cups them boobs in VR chat.

Vriska had finally gotten everything setup on the VR headset, and followed the instruction booklet to make a space around her, before sitting in her desk chair and picking up the controllers, to connect to her laptop, and follow the link that Ragatha had sent her. There seemed to be a strange tingling at the base of her skull, before everything felt a bit numb, and then weirdly enough, there was sensation again, but it felt a little bit different... Almost like she was feeling things through a second skin, as she looked down at her avatar's body, which she'd set up and modeled after the Drow Sorcerer character she liked to play as, whenever she ran a D&D campaign. Though it seemed that the tracking software had overlayed the mesh more closely to her real life body, rather than the slimmer figure of her character. Still, the details were really nice, and-

"Eek!" She squealed, jumping a bit as a pair of velvety soft hands reached around and cupped her chest. Luckily, this wasn't the first time that she'd been causally groped, since transferring to Sassacre's, so she mostly just froze for a second, before slowly turning her head to see Ragatha's avatar's red yarn hair, and that smiling face with the button eye looking at her.

"Heeeeeeeey, Ragatha... I guess that answers my question of if this is the right place... So... Can I have my tits back?" She asked, her character blushing a bit as she smiled nervously at the handsy woman.

@patchworkgal

[putschki1969]

The "rito" Situation

Following my post about Hitoshi Konno, I thought it would only be fitting, to round up some info on rito as well, especially after the most recent announcement. When the detailed lineup for YKL Vol#21 was released, many people were not only shocked by Keiko's absence, they were also wondering why rito was not included. I received as many questions about her as I did for Hitoshi Konno but I didn't really feel qualified to talk about her (I still don't really but now we have a bit more information to work with). There's not much to say here and also, her connection to Kalafina (and Keiko's situation) is peripheral at best so I will keep this short.

Today, on January 31 2025, rito announced her departue from Highway Star. Her contract will officially end on March 31 and it seems like no attempts have been made by either rito or the agency to extend said contract. It sounds like it was mostly rito's own decision to distance herself from her current situation so that would also explain why she's no longer participing in YK events as regular member. Judging from her personal comment and Yuki's tweets on the matter (she has nothing but kind things to say about her), this is most likely a standard case of moving on due to a lack of creative opportunities. Perhaps she didn't find what she was looking for or she simply exhausted all possible avenues at Highway Star or maybe she had hoped to gain more from her collaboration with Yuki, who knows. Obviously, these have been some valuable experiences for her but now she is seeking new paths.

Even to a casual onlooker like myself it does feel like she kinda fell along the wayside during these past few years and not much was invested in her. As far as I know, she did have a couple of solo releases and a dedicated song from Yuki on the PARADE album but other than that, nothing much to write home about. Her appearances at lives and events were a great bonus of course but despite frequently being referred to as "regular member", both her and Lino Leia didn't have a lot to do. Maybe that's changing now with all the restructering taking place but sadly, rito will mostly likely not benefit from that. Yuki did include her in one of her "top secret" recordings from last year so we'll see if that will lead to anything at least. It's a shame she wasn't used more, I like her voice a lot more than Lino's tbh and it fits better with Yuki's style of music if you ask me...but one has to admit that Lino is the more seasoned singer among them with what appears to be a lot more experience handling her own solo stuff so my best guess is that she's quite happy with the current arrangement since she can effectively juggle all of her activities. In contrast, rito seems to have been a newbie with no established solo career. Also not sure about their exact age but I'd assume that rito is probably a bit younger than a lot of Yuki's other vocalists (could be completely off on that though, I've honestly no idea how old any of them are but rito just comes across as quite young).

Circling back to Kalafina for a little bit here. Just the other day I was having some discussions in the reply section of one of my posts and among other things, I was talking about why Hikaru (and even Keiko) would have never considered signing up with Highway Star during all these years. After all, Keiko could have just as well joined Highway Star instead of Tristone back in 2020 when she made her solo debut. And Hikaru has been a struggling freelancer for quite some time now so a contract with a seemingly decent agency (with the added bonus of an official Yuki Kajiura affiliation) would have sounded like a good idea to me. We don't know of course if it was entirely their choice or if Highway Star (and Yuki) were not willing to negotiate something with them. Whatever the reason might have been, now I am thinking it was maybe for the best that they never joined. Their management of rito was certainly not great.

[hellsquills]

Dragon!Stan be upon ye

A short thing for @babyblankyerror 's Dragon!Stan AU. Please go check their art because it's infesting my brain /pos

⪻ ⪻ ⨳ ⪼ ⪼

"Hello?"

Ford's voice echoes through the cavern. He hears some small steps in return that turn louder and heavier as they approach, until he sees the familiar –and gigantic– face of his dragon friend. Despite the tightness in his heart, his face relaxes a little as he greets him.

"Good night, my friend. Sorry for disturbing your dreams."

It's way later than he usually visits the creature. These past weeks, Stanford left his house around 5pm and arrived at the cave at 6, trying his best to be punctual, even though time probably means nothing to this dragon. Having this little ritual amongst his otherwise chaotic schedule helps him. Today is already dark out, not pitch-black, but enough to make the path slightly dangerous.

The beast approaches slowly, looking somewhat sleepy, and lowers its head so Stanford can pet it. It is then, as they are eye-to-eye, that the dragon stops and tilts its head.

"What? What is it?"

The creature moves its head forward, brushing its snout against the man's cheek. Ford is taken aback, shocked by the delicate and understanding move.

"This? Those are just tears, don't worry about it."

The dragon huffs like an exasperated child, as if implying that it doesn't believe a word he's saying. Stanford sighs.

"I guess I can't fool you, huh?" Another huff. "I suppose that you're even smarter than I assumed. Which, rest assured, was already a lot."

The beast turns around and lies down in the middle of the cave, much closer to the entrance than it previously was before Ford arrived. The man walks to it, accepting its silent invitation. He lies down next to its chest, which is soft and warm with all the fur covering it. He nestles against it, making a spot for himself, just like many other times before.

"I... haven't had the best of days, I'm afraid."

The dragon's head is now resting on the floor beside him, its right eye looking straight through him. As uncomfortable as he is around people staring at him, this barely bothers him. The dragon's eyes are kind, attentive, so different from all the others he's used to have on him. Something in those colors fills him with a sense of safety that helps him breathe easier. It also helps with pulling out the words from his throat.

"I had... an argument with my Muse. Which wasn't his fault, really! It was all mine. I didn't... expect him to be this angry, though." The sentence ends just as quiet as it starts. "I simply mentioned that I needed some rest during the night, that I couldn't properly carry on with my research unless I got a full night's rest, but he didn't like it. He said I was being selfish." Ford's words are slow, as if working out a way to properly covey what he means. "I understand where he's coming from, I really do. He just wants to escape his dimension– the Nightmare Dimension, he calls it. Obviously the name is already enough of a hint, but above all... I know he wanted to escape before that. No one understood him back there. I know what that's like. To be in a place where you're not welcome, nor wanted, nor understood. I really do."

The dragon doesn't move, just blinks lazily. Ford continues.

"I just asked him for a full night without him entering my mindscape and using my body to work while I slept. He says any human should be able to withstand it, so maybe I'm just weaker than average, which I already knew, but regardless. I needed some time to rest not only my body, but my mind as well. He... didn't like it. We argued, I tried to explain it to him in a way he could understand, but he was so mad... I ended up relenting, but he said it was too late. Now he couldn't forgive me. He said that... if I really wanted him gone that much, then he'd leave. And he... he did."

Ford's voice faults as he utters those last words. Nonetheless, he keeps talking.

"I didn't mean to upset him, I swear I didn't. I just wanted some time to improve myself before I kept working on the portal, but... Moses, what have I done? What if he doesn't forgive me? What if he never comes back?" His shaky voice now warns new tears. "I guess that's what I deserve for failing to keep my promise. I told him I'd do anything in my power to help him, since he's spent his entire time in this dimension helping me discover the universe. And what do I give in return? Just utter weakness."

"I don't deserve him. I don't deserve the people that cared enough to get close to me. Not Bill, not Fiddleford, not..."

The sentence cuts early, leaving things unsaid.

"What am I going to do now? I have no one else, I'm alone. I..." A shaky breath, way too close to a sob for comfort. "I don't want to be alone anymore."

The dragon is quick to react, as if it had been waiting for him to finish. Carefully, it lifts its head and puts it on Ford's lap. Noticing the man's quick heartbeat, it moves it up, until it's resting on Ford's chest. They both lay there, Stanford feeling lightheaded from his sudden panic attack and the accumulated anxiety. However, the slight but grounding pressure against his chest is comfortable, calming, and it helps him breathe despite the weight directly on top of his lungs. His hands absentmindedly envelop the creature's head, hugging it lightly at first and then tighter when he's sure the other being is comfortable with the action. Through the warmth, he can feel another sensation: the dragon appears to be... purring? Not exactly, but something akin. It's definitely vibrating softly as it breathes slowly in what seems a calculated rhythm, although that would be impossible for the creature to understand.

A memory hits Stanford as he keeps his eyes closed: the same weight on top of his torso after a panic attack. The familiar sensation of those soft vibrations against his chest, much less like an animal and much more like quiet snoring. A slow, even breathing rhythm in contrast to his agitated one.

His brother, having yet again braved his fear of heights to lay on him when he had a paralyzing nightmare. A head full of curls as unruly as the boy they belonged to beneath his fingers, now replaced by hard scales.

"Lee..." Stanford cries, not even processing his own words. He repeats it once, twice, thrice, as the sobs grow too loud to continue. The creature above him shakes slightly before returning to its previous position.

Both beings stay still in silence, save by Ford repeating several variations of his brother's name, as well as the occasional "help", "I can't", and "I'm sorry". This last one is the quietest, as if the man had a split second of clarity and realized he did not want to say it any louder.

Eventually, exhausted by the rush of emotions, Stanford falls asleep. His cheeks are damp and his face is red, but he seems more peaceful as he evens his breathing, holding the dragon's head more delicately now.

Somewhere inside the creature's head, Stan is filled with a rage that burns hotter than the flames that sometimes escape his throat. As much as he'd like to shape-shift into his humanoid form, he can't. Not until whoever that Bill thing is is shattered into a million pieces by his own hand.

[tsumuus]

Hiii I'm here for the valentines event if you'll have me

How about receiving an anonymous letter from Osamu, your childhood best friend since diapers. Plot twist? Reverse "to all the boys I loved before" where it's his attempt in confessing through a corny love letter starting from kinder, grade school, middle school, and now the latest anonymous confession- high school.

It (being years worth of attempted love letters) wasn't supposed to find itself in your locker, I guess fate (Atsumu) had other plans for both you and Osamu this valentines.

No pressure in this ask, feel free to discard this if you don't feel like it- have a nice day!!

Osamu Miya met you when he was five years old, and that was all it took. One meeting, one shared carton of juice at snack time, one moment of your bright smile aimed right at him, and he was gone.

A week later, he wrote you a letter.

His five-year-old hands gripped a crayon too tightly as he scribbled out the messy confession, his heart racing even though you weren’t there to see it. His letters were uneven, his words barely legible, but the message was clear: I like you. A lot.

But when the time came to give it to you, he couldn't. His palms got sweaty, his stomach twisted, and he shoved the letter into the back of his closet, hidden behind his toys.

One letter turned into another, then another. Every year, on Valentine's Day, he wrote you a new one, promising himself that this year would be the year he gave it to you. But every year, he chickened out. The letters stacked up, filling a small box buried in the back of his closet, each one chronicling his growing love for you, each one holding words he could never bring himself to say out loud.

Atsumu knew, of course. He had known since the very first letter, because Osamu was bad at hiding things from him. And for years, Atsumu let him be, let him hold onto his secret, until he finally decided enough was enough.

So, on the morning of February 14th in your second year of high school, you opened your locker to an avalanche of old, yellowed letters.

They tumbled out in a flurry of paper, slipping from the shelves and falling to the floor in front of you. You blinked, startled, as students around you glanced over, whispering.

The first letter you picked up was old. The handwriting was horrible- big, uneven letters written in crayon. I like you a lot.

Your heart clenched. You picked up another one, the ink slightly smudged. You looked really pretty today. I wanted to tell you, but I was too nervous.

Another. I think I’ve loved you since I was five. Maybe even before that. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it has to be true.

One after another, you read through them, your heartbeat growing louder with each one. By the time you finished, your hands were shaking, not from nerves but from something warm and overwhelming. Love. Affection. A feeling that had always been there, waiting for you to see it.

You had to find Osamu.

You barely heard the murmurs of your classmates as you turned on your heel, marching straight to his classroom. The moment you reached the door, you didn’t hesitate, stepping inside and scanning the room until your eyes landed on him.

“Osamu.”

His head snapped up from his desk, eyes wide at your sudden appearance. “Huh? What-”

“Come with me.”

He barely had time to react before you grabbed his wrist, pulling him into the hallway. His heart was hammering now, but for all the wrong reasons. He had a sinking feeling he knew exactly why you were here.

And then you showed him.

The letters, held carefully in your hands, the pages slightly crumpled from how tightly you’d been gripping them. His breath caught in his throat.

He recognized them immediately.

His world tilted. “I- where- ”

“You wrote these.”

Osamu swallowed hard, panic rising like a tide. “I don’t- how did you-”

“They were in my locker this morning.”

His stomach dropped. He whipped around, scanning the hallway as if he could catch Atsumu in the act, but the bastard was nowhere to be seen. Of course. That idiot.

“I- I don’t know how they got there,” he started, scrambling for an explanation, for anything that would make this moment less terrifying. “I never wanted you to see them- I mean, I did, but not like this- I was gonna throw them away, or burn them or somethin’-”

“Burn them?” you repeated, voice gentle.

He ran a hand through his hair, looking anywhere but at you. “Yeah, ‘cause- ‘cause they’re embarrassing, and you probably feel weird now, and I didn’t wanna make you uncomfortable or anythin’-”

“Osamu.”

He kept rambling. “I swear I wasn’t tryin’ to creep you out or nothin’-”

“Osamu.”

His mouth snapped shut at the way you said his name. Soft. Certain.

“Did you mean what you wrote?” you asked, holding the letters closer to your chest.

Osamu felt dizzy. “...What?”

“Every single thing?”

He swallowed thickly. “Yeah. I meant every word.”

A pause. Then-

“Good.”

Osamu blinked. “Good?”

You stepped closer, the warmth of your presence making his breath hitch. “Because I like you too.”

The words took a second to register. When they did, Osamu’s brain short-circuited. “You- you do?”

You smiled, and he thought he might actually pass out.

Then, before he could say anything else, you leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

“I expect a letter every Valentine’s from now on,” you murmured, eyes shining with something that made his chest feel like it might burst.

Then you turned on your heel and walked back to class, leaving Osamu standing there, utterly frozen.

His fingers twitched. His cheek burned where your lips had been. His heart pounded so loud he thought the whole school might hear it.

And then a thought hit him, so certain and real that it knocked the breath out of him.

He’d write you a letter every day if it meant he got to be with you.

valentines event | masterlists

a/n i love this request sm thank you anon this has been my favorite thing to write so far in this event that i just had to post it first lemme give you a big fat slobbery kiss muah muah💋💦 hope you liked it as much as i loved writing it !!!! :)

[babsworlds]

DOUBLE LIFE.

pairing. Tangerine x wife! reader

synopsis. everyone has their secrets, your biggest one was your job.

warnings. Tangerine’s real name being Aaron, Lemon’s real name being Brian, this is kinda short, nothing more ig?

IN THE MORNING, you were a loving wife who cared deeply for your husband, Aaron. But in the afternoon, you turned into a deadly assassin.

On your wedding day, you promised Aaron you would never lie or keep secrets. But there was one truth you never told him: your dangerous job. Aaron believed you worked at the little bakery you owned, especially when he went on his "work trips”.

Technically, you never lied. He never asked about your real job.

Even though Aaron didn't know what you really did for living, you knew all about his work. You knew he and his brother, Brian, were assassins too. Aaron called his missions "work trips" and you let him think you didn't know.

It was safer that way, for both of you.

You always planned your missions so you would be back home before Aaron returned. You were always ready to welcome him back from his "business trips". It was cute how he had no idea about your secret double life.

So there you were, in Tokyo, boarding a bullet train. You had an easy task: steal a briefcase and disappear from the train. Nothing hard, no required killings or disasters.

Just a normal theft.

From the time you stepped onto the train, you tried to do your job as fast as you could. You furiously searched for the one specific briefcase. It had a unique mark—a small train sticker on the handle.

Bingo. You found exactly what you wanted. "I think I found it," you said to Dylan, your handler, on the phone. You held the phone between your ear and shoulder as you grabbed the briefcase.

You started to slowly realize something as you brushed your thumb over the train sticker. It wasn’t just an ordinary train. It was a sticker of some train you couldn’t remember the name of from Thomas the Tank Engine—a kids show that Brian had always been weirdly fixated on and talked about.

You were Percy, of course.

It could mean two things.

Maybe it was a coincidence.

Or maybe your husband and brother-in-law were on this train too.

You quickly knew the answer when you looked through the glass door and spotted your husband, Aaron, sitting in economy class. He was casually dressed, blending in with the other passengers, but there was no mistaking him. Your heart skipped a beat as you realized that this was no coincidence.

Carefully, you continued to observe, noticing Brian who sat opposite of Aaron, seemingly engrossed in his phone.

But Aaron wasn't your husband for no reason. He could literally sense your presence.

"What's up, man?" Brian asked his brother, noticing Aaron's sudden tension.

"I guess I just miss Y/n," Aaron shrugged, trying to shake off the feeling.

"You always miss her," Brian replied with a chuckle. "She's got you wrapped around her finger."

Aaron smiled, but his eyes continued to scan the train, the nagging feeling that something was off.

You quickly walked through the narrow, never-ending aisle of the train cars, your mind racing with the recent revelations. You had missed your station stop, too occupied by your thoughts and the intense conversation with Aaron.

With each step, you felt the tension and anxiety building. The briefcase was still in your grasp, and you needed to find a way to get off this train without drawing any more attention.

"Madam?!" someone yelled after you, and you recognized the voice immediately. It was Aaron.

You didn't stop. Instead, you quickened your pace. "Madam?!" he called out again before grabbing you by the shoulder, making you turn around.

You looked into his eyes, and he looked at you with an emotion you couldn't even recognize. "No fucking way," he cursed as he saw you.

You were quiet. You couldn't bring yourself to say a word. "What are you doing here?!" he asked, his voice filled with confusion and concern.

"Could ask you the same thing," you started, trying to avoid his question.

"Well, I'm here on my business trip," he said, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of the situation.

His eyes wandered over your body, finally landing on their briefcase in your hands—the one you were supposed to steal. "And why do you have our briefcase?" he asked, suspicion lacing his voice.

A wave of realization hit him. "Fuck me," he breathed out, trying to process it. "You're an assassin."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" he raised his voice, frustration evident. You rolled your eyes, trying to stay calm. "Because I knew you would freak out," you admitted. "Just like now."

"Don't act like you're innocent, Aaron," you started, your anger only growing.

"Psst, I'm Tangerine," he corrected you, using his code name. You rolled your eyes.

"Whatever. I know you're an assassin—I've known for years," you began, your tone turning passive-aggressive. "I've kept your secret, just like I've kept mine!”

Aaron—or Tangerine—looked at you with a mixture of surprise and frustration. "And you never thought to tell me?" he asked, his voice rising again. "Why hide it?”

"Because to be honest, you two suck at this job," you shrugged, chuckling to yourself.

"Pardon, love?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean, you were supposed to look after this briefcase, and finding it was the easiest thing ever," you replied, a smirk forming on your lips.

"So what now?" Aaron asked, looking at you with a challenging glint in his eyes. "Are we going to fight for it?" he smirked, clearly enjoying the tension.

"I'll kick your ass," you smirked back, feeling a mix of adrenaline and excitement.

[beatrixst0nehill]

"So, for everybody wondering where I got to..... surprise! Yes, that video circulating of me waddling out of a buffet in my hometown in a huge dress that still couldn't cover my ass all the way, sweating, panting, puke all over the front of my dress. That was 100% me, congrats to everyone who guessed right! I know you guys really loved my content. I of course loved my community and buying cute outfits to show off for you. My transition was going great and you all were so supportive of me. I was lucky I got to start transitioning so young, so I got the perfect, sexy body of my dreams by 19 and just had to show it off to the world! Then, well....... I got a bit carried away.

I was plugging away, making my content, and people kept telling me how sexy I was, they complimented my ass especially. Lots of guys and a few girls asked me if I'd consider getting bigger on purpose. I didn't really know how to respond. I'd ask them if they really wanted to see me with a fatter ass. They were all crazy about it. That's who in some of my last videos you see me struggle to put stuff on. I looked up weight gain tips and was bombarded in my algorithm with feederism content. Step by step guides on how to go from thin, to massively fat, and a lot of them were guides made by trans girls who looked so enthusiastic to get morbidly obese. I never saw anything like it, these curvy, busty, healthy girls who could barely control their erections as they gleefully detailed how they planned to grow too fat to walk in just a couple years, how they fantasized about becoming a total slob, gushing about how amazing it would feel to get their first heart attack.

My cock was so fucking hard, but I was only three inches. I wanted a bigger cock like the girls in these videos, but I wasn't even thinking about my fashion vlog. I asked a doctor to prescribe me stuff to increase my penis size but not detrans me, like a lot of girls who ask for this stuff. Soon, I had a seven-inch cock but I couldn't tuck it anymore, it became impossible to hide, and I was pushing 200lbs from just a couple months of my new diet. I was too embarrassed to post more content, quietly inundating my feed with weight gain content, almost getting hypnotized by it. I started to mindlessly eat and eat and eat! Sure, I wound up with an almost footlong cock, but now I'm way too fat to enjoy it. I've completely let myself go. I guess I feel like I have to finally be honest about what I've done to myself, so I'll be posting again, and updating my OF.... Hope you don't mind seeing your trans fashionista heart throb sitting naked in her own piss and shit, gorge herself on fast food for hours, cumming like a perverted gooner just from overeating.

I don't really bathe anymore, I hard wipe or clean myself. When I go out I just throw on giant sundresses and don't care if my belly, ass, and cock are hanging out. I'm just too big for clothes..... ironically. When I go out almost no restrooms can fit me, so I literally just go anywhere, pissing myself as I waddle to the nearest buffet or restaurant, or I go at my booth and apologize to the waitress, telling them I'm just too fat to make it to the bathroom anymore. They tell me it's fine, that they'll clean it later, and they serve lots of girls like me that are severely disabled by obesity. Good girls, keep it up, grow as big as you can! I'm not slowing down anytime soon, even though I'm almost 700lbs and I can barely walk. The state is gonna send me caretakers once I'm too fat to walk, hopefully they're cute, maybe they can help jerk off my fat cock, my erections get so painful sometimes it's always a relief when I eat enough to finally orgasm, usually just enough that I wind up puking. But oh well, nothing worth fighting for will be struggle-free! Here's to a very obese new year, and hopefully, fingers crossed, my first heart attack! I'm super jealous of the other girls in my community that have already gotten there's. I just need to get bigger faster! I'm way too skinny, don't you think? ❤️"

[skeletinmoss]

The curse of the dark Phoenix

Chapter 22: Council

First chapter | Previous

"Yes... I would like a word with them too," King Thomas agreed as he stretched himself.

"Terance said they are in the sanctuary," he told them, bending down to touch his toes, giggling in excitement when he succeeded.

"You can tell me what really happened while we head down there," he instructed as he got up and walked in brisk steps towards the doors gesturing with his hand to call his sword to his hand and opening the heavy doors. "Even magic is easier!" He exclaimed, delighted.

"Halt. Who are you?" One of the guards announced as both aimed their blades at the king.

“Where is the king!?” they demanded.

"I am right here. I am the one who covered for you when you skipped on practice, James," the young king declared, flustering the guard who immediately lowered his sword. "So let me through. I am going to talk to my council!" King Thomas said, pushing past them.

"Your highness, wait up," Roman insisted as he rushed to the king’s side, followed closely by the others.

"A magical bond, huh?" King Thomas asked curiously as Roman caught up. "Yes, it was an accident. I was caught off guard by the ashes and such," Roman shrugged. "I imagine you were," his king mused before turning to Virgil. "What happened? I was hoping I'd get answers through this investigation. This is beyond my wildest hopes, though," he told his mentor.

Virgil nodded and explained what they'd been able to figure out so far.

The king frowned, and they came up on the door that led to the sanctuary. "Something always felt off. But I had no proof," he mused. "I can't believe he stabbed you," he added.

"It's all just assumptions for now. Once Remus figures out where the ruins are, we might learn what really happened for certain," Virgil said.

"Hm," Thomas nodded before laying a hand on the door, and with a magical glow, it opened.

"Come on," he instructed, heading down, the spring in his step returning in moments.

Virgil chuckled at Roman's amusement. "I can't blame him. After my crash course on aging, I imagine experiencing youth again Iike this comes with a deep appreciation for the lack of body aches," Virgil concluded. That made sense.

"Good catch on pulling him away. I guess I forgot to warn him with the nerves," Virgil admitted.

"You weren't sure you'd reincarnate," Roman concluded. His voice teasing, but his heart disapproving.

"I wasn't sure if I’d manage to return myself to late twenties. There was a chance I’d end up in my thirties or something," he admitted casually. Though his heart was genuinely remorseful.

"Hm, that would explain the grey hairs," Roman mused, getting a playful push from Virgil in retaliation.

They both laughed, and they got to the bottom of the stairs. Startling Terance, the real one.

"Y... your majesty?" Terance asked, shocked. The rejuvenated king handed Terance the sending stone back.

"Thank you for letting me borrow this. Where is the council?" Thomas asked.

"Ah... the- the meditation room sire," Terance explained.

"They are trying to connect with their guide?" Roman realized.

"And they’ve been in there for days? This is gonna be good!" Remus cackled.

"Curious that they waited until you three were successful," Janus mused.

Virgil was extremely annoyed at this news and strode forward only to come to a sudden stop when he caught sight of one of the statues. "The fuck?" He said.

"Those were made right after the plague. I had nothing to do with them," the king promised.

"Is that supposed to be the council of ten?” Janus huffed, unimpressed as he looked at the 10 statutes set along the walls.

"Why in the world, do I have six arms?" Janus huffed.

"Um, to symbolize that you have a hand in many pots?" King Thomas suggested.

"At least you look like you. I'm hotter than this guy by miles," Remus complained, indicating the monstrous, vaguely humanoid looking collection of animal parts, that was supposed to represent him.

"Well, you do like to change shape," Patton offered.

"Uhu. And what symbolism has this?" Virgil wondered. Indicating the much more scantily dressed, winged statue that held Virgil's likeness holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand while reaching out benevolently with the other, eyes downcast to anyone who passed bye. Roman had only been in the sanctuary for the ritual and had been too distracted to pay it any mind. Which was a good thing. It would have messed too much with his head. Both for the ritual and upon meeting Virgil in the flesh later.

“Those types of clothes haven’t been in style for centuries,” Virgil huffed. Roman blushed as he realized that at one point they had been in style, very much so, specifically for people of high rank. Though he was pretty sure that when it was in style it wasn’t common to have only half the chest covered.

"Let's focus on the task at hand," Logan suggested.

"Yes, excellent idea," the king agreed leading them to the ritual chamber.

They could hear arguing on the other side of the doors.

"Killer entrance?" Virgil suggested.

"Oooh can we?" Remus grinned excitedly.

"I think it would serve them right," Janus agreed. The three ancient high mages gestured to be given room.

Thomas, Roman, Patton and Logan stepped back and watched as they transformed to their guide forms.

Virgil beat his wings and blew the door open. He'd have to teach Roman how to do that.

He imagined seeing the solid oak doors be dammed open was already a shock. But to have a Chimera and a basilisk come through, and it definitely warranted the horrified screams.

Roman entered right behind Janus, prompting Virgil to land on his shoulder.

He took a look around the room. No one was turned to stone but they were all understandably frightened.

"We're back," he announced, trying not to laugh. It was a little funny.

"You!" Desmond, the de facto leader of the council and honestly a particularly insufferable character, exclaimed. "You return. You disturb our meeting! And you bring these beasts in!?" he surmised accusingly, but also still terrified.

"I should have known sending you out was a mistake. You probably faked your rituals! I knew you were trouble the moment you walked into my classroom. You snotnosed, novice wannabe..."

Roman dipped into his magic, calling it not to his hands but his voice. He thought of Janus swaying the knight and king Thomas ordering Virgil to transform.

"Shut your mouth you petulant overhyped stagnant wind bag," he said calmly. Stunning the head council mage into silence. Not in disbelief. He tried to talk back but found his mouth incapable of producing sound.

"I believe the term 'wannabe' is better suited for a mage pretending to be worthy of the position of Star council while he hasn't evens scratched the surface of what that entails," he added.

"May I present. The true high Mage of the stars, Virgilius fate spinner, the dark phoenix,” Roman offered. Virgil took his que and jumped off of Roman’s shoulder. Soaring up to the roof and then diving down, changing form mid dive and landing in his human form. They were far enough underground that the sun didn’t overpower his amulet anymore it seemed.

He looked down on the trembling councilman.

"Me and my friends have a few questions we'd like answered," he said, prompting Janus and Remus to shift back to their human forms.

"And you better answer honestly," the king warned as he joined them.

Roman was struggling not to laugh at the way the councilmen stared at the king, realized what had happened, and all flailed in wordless panic. It seemed as though his spell had affected every council member in the room.

Realizing they couldn't talk had them even more upset, which was even funnier.

"How did you do that?" Virgil asked.

"Um... I just channeled my magic through my voice instead of my hands, and I used the insult to get him off guard so he'd be more susceptible... kind of what Janus did..." Roman pointed out.

"Janus can sway people a little with care. Thomas managed to give me an order because I already swore myself to serve him on his 18th birthday. This is neither of those things," Virgil smirked. Then Roman realized.

"Did I just make my own spell?" He asked, astonished.

Virgil nodded fondly. "Congratulations, Roman, great wizard high Mage off disarming wit," he bid

"Wait, wasn't buddy new?" Patton asked.

Virgil pursed his lips. "That would have to be put up for debate for a jury as golems aren't new exactly. So they’d have to debate on whether Buddy is distinguishable enough from others to be considered unique. But in Roman's case, Buddy falls under herbalism, so it doesn't count regardless," he explained.

"Oh, right. Forgot about that," Patton admitted.

"As entertaining as this is, and it is truly a delight to behold," Janus said, looking at the frustrated council members. "It will be hard to interrogate them if they can’t talk," he pointed out.

"Oh, right," Roman realized. He frowned in concentration and took a deep breath.

He focused on the head council member, felt the hold if his magic, and loosened it. "I will shut you up in an instant if you get annoying," he warned.

The councilman nodded in understanding, though he clearly wasn't happy about it.

"Your majesty... they used forbidden magic on you?" he asked, horrified. Hm. He might have been just as much of a believer as Roman was a few days ago.

That or he was upset that their king no longer believed in the rules set out by Gustav.

"Clearly the plague wasn't what Gustav said it was. And I will trust my mentor and my family's longest ally above the fear mongering tales of someone who jumped on the opportunity to improve his influence as soon as his friends started disappearing," the king countered.

The councilman clearly didn't know what to say to that.

"Tell us what brought you here," Virgil ordered.

The man hesitated but gave in. "Knowing that the ritual could, in fact, be survived, we made the executive decision to attempt to complete it. We could not have great mages in our ranks without rising ourselves. Especially if they succeeded in finding the arch mage. We weren't going to bet against them a second time." Roman nor Virgil were very happy with the implications off that. "We decided that it would be in the best interest of the kingdom if we took the next step in our studies. If the arch mage hadn't disappeared, he would have given us his blessing long ago," he continued.

"We were unsuccessful so far," he admitted displeased.

"How did you get chosen to be members of the council?" Virgil huffed

"We were tutored and hand-picked by the arch mage himself." Clearly, that was a point of pride to him. And a few days ago, that had earned him Roman's respect by default.

"And you were his favorite, right?" Janus mused. Oooh, good plan. Flattery tends to loosen the tongue.

"Well, he had me as second in command do I suppose he saw potential in me," the older man agreed with false modesty.

"Then he must have given you some insight in his plans for the kingdom," Janus continued.

"Yes, actually. It was imperative that the king didn’t pursue magic again, for the sake of his health.

The council was to focus on keeping relations with the neighboring kingdoms stable. We didn't have the manpower to provide the idyllic lives of the past.

Distribution of information related to magic could only be done by official libraries and with approval of the council. Those sot of things. To protect the people from forbidden knowledge. I did a lot of governing in the five years before he disappeared as he spent a lot of time in the tower. Personally, I think the dark magic from his past had finally caught up to him. Truly tragic," the mage concluded.

Roman looked at the others. Something felt off.

"Why didn't you ever try to find Gussy if you are such a devoted fanboy?" Remus wondered curiously.

That clearly was the right question.

"Well... you see... uh..." he stammered.

"I suppose you liked the power that came with his absence more. Where is he?" Virgil pressed.

"I really don't know. Last I saw him he was headed for his tower. He claimed he had figured it out. He didn't give more details," the mage rushed slightly panicked. Good. He deserved it. Power hungry prick. What kind of sick person bet against people surviving anything?

"Guards!" Virgil called.

The two knights who'd blocked their path earlier sheepishly shoveled into view.

"That was a good stealth spell. Your teacher can be proud. Would you mind putting the council under house arrest? I'll make sure they don't use their magic," Virgil instructed.

"W-what? I don't know what you mean!" One of them stammered flustered.

"We already know of the secret mages. Don't worry. Now," Virgil made a gesture and a faint purple glow lit up the entire group of mostly still mute council men.

"There. That should hold out for at least a week," he noted.

"You have no right!" The head council exclaimed.

"Actually the only one who'd have more right is the king himself," Logan countered.

“Virgil was mentor and closest confidant to the first king, and after that a very close advisor to every king and queen that followed up until Thomas’ father. He was Thomas’ mentor both in life and in magic. He was head of the council of ten since its founding. He was general to our armies. He has every right,” Logan argued.

“Well put darling,” Janus purred in approval, making Logan blush.

“He is right. Unless the king disapproves, he has the authority to order the knights to detain you,” Janus added.

The councilmen paled. “Should I take back my spell, or is it better if the knights don’t have to listen to them complain?” Roman wondered.

"Hm. Best not. Just in case one of these fossils works themselves up unto a heart attack," Virgil mused.

"Hey!" King Thomas protested. Being older than most on the council, he would take offense to that.

"I said what I said. I'm still a bit shocked that I didn't need to save you from a heart attack at any point during our conversation," Virgil stated seriously. Roman could feel he was just teasing, though.

Which, honestly, was wild to Roman even though he could understand how Virgil's relationship to the king was different from most of his subjects.

"Well," he sighed. "You lot get one chance. If I hear complaints, you'll have to suffer in silence," he warned as he let go of his hold on everyone.

"To be honest, I was only aiming for him," Roman admitted.

"Your magic is more potent now. It's like waking up with much more physical strength. You'll walk around using much more force than necessary and constantly break things or misjudge how hard something will be to lift for you.

You have to relearn it a bit," Virgil offered.

That made sense.

Ten soldiers came in and took the disgraced council away to their chambers.

"Good. With that out of the way. What is next?" King Thomas asked.

"Well, me and Roman need to get in 8 hours... I'm pretty sure I locked my room, so that should still be around," he said.

"Even if it hadn't been locked, Father and I would never have allowed anyone to rake it," the king promised.

"Good. I remember the way," Virgil smiled.

"Patton, can you help Remus narrow down which ruins Gustav might have been talking about?" Virgil asked. Patton nodded. "Of course, I'll do my best," he promised.

"And I shall help this one get ready for his ascension. We'll do the ceremony shenanigans you boys wake up," Janus offered, laying his hands on a flustered Logan's shoulders.

"And i presume you will want to teach the baby bird to fly?" He added.

"That would be for the best. The sooner we start, the easier he'll pick it up," Virgil explained.

"And then we'll go and kick Gussies butt!" Remus grinned eagerly.

Thomas frowned.

"With the council gone, the country needs you here more than ever," Virgil pointed out.

Thomas nodded. "Come back soon. Hopefully, with more old friends," he bid.

"We aren't gone yet," Virgil smirked, laying a comforting hand on Thomas' shoulder. "We'll probably stick around a day or two. I would like to pay your father my respects. Hus is the only funeral in your family line I missed. I wish to rectify that as best as i can," he explained.

"He would appreciate that," Thomas smiled carefully.

Virgil squeezed his shoulder and turned to Roman.

"Care to join me?" He asked. Roman smiled and took his hand.

And suddenly, they were in front of a dark wooden door decorated with silver stars.

"That took a bit more out of me than I thought. Good thing I'm about to sleep like the dead," Virgil mused tiredly. Waving his hand.

The door glowed and opened for them, revealing a Room with a large bed and a desk.

"Cozy," Roman noted.

"Through that door, I have access to my own home should I need anything," Virgil revealed, pointing at a door half hidden behind a silk purple curtain.

"Really?" Roman asked.

"It saved time traveling. And teleporting here every time was a pain. The room is mostly for show. I rarely slept in the bed or used the desk. But no one knew that. Virgil smirked, amused as he ked Roman to bed.

"No memories this time. We both need actual sleep," Virgil pointed out.

Roman nodded. Just looking at the bed made him realize just how exhausted he was. 8 hours sounded great.

They got ready, and soon enough, they settled in each other's arms.

Roman was too tired to feel flustered about it.

He barely heard Virgil wish him a happy dream before he was taken by darkness.

He was walking down a forest path. Following something.

The plants around him felt more alive than usual. Welcoming him. He could swear he saw deer and birds and rabbits pause what they were doing to acknowledge him.

The very ground he walked on seemed to urge him onward. Humming a tune he came up with but never finished ages ago.

The forest gave way for open sky, and the sun was setting before him in a welcoming ocean. The moon popping in in the sky. Even merging with the sun for a brief moment, forming an eclipse. Which shouldn't be possible.

Then Roman realized what he had been chasing.

A light phoenix was sat a few steps before him. Glowing against the darkening sky.

Roman walked over and very carefully reached out.

The phoenix bowed his head, and as soon as Roman's finger touched his head, they were one and the same.

He looked around and took to the sky. Higher and higher. When he looked down, he saw no ground but endless night. He was surrounded by stars that happily blinked at him. Rejoicing in his presence.

He landed on nothing and bowed.

The sky enveloped him with live and joy and sorrow like nothing he ever felt before.

He empathized. When the righteous fury came, he did not flinch back. He had nothing to fear.

The fury simmered down and hope took its place.

Roman righted himself full of determination.

There was no one there with him. But he felt almost like someone kissed him on the forehead.

He felt encouraged.

He bowed again and took flight once more. He intended to return to earth. He found himself approaching a light that got brighter and brighter. Until he shot upright in bed.

[otomiyaa]

Two Travelers & Their Discoveries

Aether x Albedo

A/N: Ehhh I guess writing Aether just activated this little something in my head that hissed: more more moooore. Alrighty then. Also remember my 2-part fics? This is gonna be one of them. Readers decide how it continues :3

Summary: Aether is on a trip with Albedo. It's their first time being alone together for so long. When Aether discovers something he didn't know about, their relationship might change forever.

Aether knew it was going to be great. Heck, it was quite the journey, but being out here in Natlan, exploring its beautiful nature and wildlife with Albedo by his side was just the best thing ever.

Seeing the look on his face whenever he discovered something. The way he was holding his sketchbook 24/7 just to make drawings of everything he admired. His little hums when he found something interesting, whether it was a plant, a bug, or specific minerals. Aether enjoyed all of these moments so much.

"It's amazing. Thank you, Traveler," Albedo said, and it wasn't the first time he thanked him.

Aether grinned and patted him on the back. Albedo kept thanking him as if he hadn't been able to come here on his own. True, it was Aether who practically convinced him and dragged him all the way here, knowing how much he would enjoy it. But to give him this much credit...

"I'm glad you're enjoying it," Aether said. He stepped closer to him and admired the scenery sketch Albedo had been working on just now.

"Can I see?" Aether asked. Albedo nodded and handed his sketchbook to him. Aether browsed through the recent sketches of the cutest Capybaras, Flowfire Birds and Saurians. He had seen Albedo at work, and although the drawings had all been quick, they looked like impressive pieces of artwork. He really was so talented.

Albedo actually wasn't the only one who was invited to join him to Natlan. Of course Aether had tried to bring some other friends from Mondstadt as well, inviting them for a well-deserved vacation they would never forget, but with the long distance and estimated time of the travel and all of their duties in the City of Freedom, no one else agreed to join.

Even Albedo almost refused. He couldn't leave Klee behind, nor give others like Jean, Lisa, Sucrose and Amber extra work of looking after her during the hours when he would usually do it, even when they kindly offered to help despite their busy schedules.

It was unexpected when it worked though; Aether proposed to leave Paimon behind to keep Klee company while they were away. Like, she wasn't Albedo, but she could definitely entertain Klee?

Salty and butthurt to be abandoned at first, Paimon had protested and whined about the suggestion, but when Klee overheard and already appeared very excited that Paimon was going to be in Mondstadt for a while, she eventually submitted.

They both agreed after all: Albedo deserved a holiday, and besides! - as Paimon had chirped: she had seen more than enough of Natlan anyway! Heh, well she may have, but Aether hadn't.

So this resulted in the most special quality time for Aether and Albedo, and even though Aether had already seen most of the places they visited, for him it also felt like a completely new experience now that Albedo was by his side. Thanks to him, he saw Natlan from a different perspective.

During their trip, Aether didn't just discover new things about the nation, but also many things about the creative alchemist. His cute little habit of doodling in his sketchbook before they went to sleep. The way his eyes would sparkle when he gazed into their campfires.

How shy he could be when Aether introduced him to his friends in Natlan and when they had dinner together. His fearlessness when trying out foreign food, but at the same time he had a rather small appetite and ate less than what Paimon would consume for example.

Also his curiosity with everything new he could discover. The way he could ramble on and on about the things he found interesting as soon as they were alone again.

Aether felt like their friendship was not going to be the same after this trip.

"What do you say? Camp or Teapot?"

There was nothing like freedom camping in Natlan's nature, but during some nights it was also more comfortable to retreat into Aether's Serenitea Pot Realm where they had all the space and luxury, and the most comfortable beds to sleep in.

"Camp."

Aether smiled when he heard Albedo's answer. "Good."

Camping also meant they would sleep closer to each other, making it cozier. In his Serenitea Mansions there were plenty of rooms and beds, not giving them a good reason to snuggle in bed together. Aether blushed. Not that he wanted to snuggle or something, but...

He stared at Albedo who was already setting up their tent.

"Aren't you going to help?" he asked kindly. Aether shook his head to cancel the flustering thoughts that flooded his mind and quickly joined.

"Y-yes!"

Another thing he learned about Albedo was that he was a professional camper. Who would've thought. But during their conversations, he learned all about Albedo's earlier journeys through Sumeru, and of course also the time he spent in Dragonspine, the woods in Mondstadt, and various parts of Liyue. The chief alchemist was quite the Traveler himself.

They ate the last of the leftovers from the meals they had received for their trip when they visited Mualani and the People of the Springs, and relaxed and chatted under the starry night sky.

Then they went into their tent and as usual, Albedo scribbled something in his sketchbook while Aether resumed his adventure in Xingqiu's newest novel. But this time, tired from the long walks and hikes and the many impressions, Albedo fell asleep mid-drawing before Aether could even finish one chapter.

"Heh, Albedo..." Aether said fondly. He reached out and gently stroked some of Albedo's hair from his face, before blushing and realizing that was not really a platonic thing to do.

He then gazed at Albedo's sketchbook and noticed two things. It seemed like it was a different sketchbook from the one Aether had seen earlier in the day. It was a little smaller, and also... was that...?

Very carefully, Aether reached out to grab the sketchbook and quietly took it away. Albedo didn't notice and continued to sleep. Holding his breath, Aether studied the drawing Albedo had been working on. This was unmistakably a person, not an animal or any scenery. To be more specific, it looked a lot like...

"Me?" Aether whispered. But not just him. He was... smiling? No, more like laughing. A huge laugh, as if he had heard the funniest joke or something.

Albedo hadn't finished the drawing yet so it was merely Aether's laughing face, but then he looked through the sketchbook at some of the older sketches and he gasped. What....

They were all him. Aether, Aether, and more Aether, and in a very specific situation. He was laughing, sometimes with his arms spread and fingers on his body, other times curling up while fingers seemed to poke his side and tummy - was he getting tickled?

Once he realized this, it was obvious actually, but just so hard to believe. They were all drawings of Aether getting tickled in different positions. Like not even in a lewd way, the Aether in the sketches was properly dressed and just laughing a lot, although one drawing did have his limbs trapped by vines while a pair of anonymous hands tickled him...

He felt his cheeks burn as he studied drawing after drawing. Why was Albedo drawing all this? Was it like a fantasy? Did he just choose this subject randomly and went with it? Hmm. Surely Aether couldn't deny he had some thoughts about Albedo as well, especially now that they were this much alone together.

But these were very specific. To think Albedo had been working on these right under his nose, how bold.

Still completely flustered, Aether checked every drawing while his heart skipped a beat.

[haddieyu]

Overbearing Tension: part 1

Christian Yu x Fem!Reader

Warnings: swearing, masturbation (f), slight exhibitionism (kinda?), sexting and sexcalling (mainly f receiving), I think that's it, lmk if there should be any other warnings!!!

Summary:

He needed a date for his second cousin's wedding and nobody else was available so he called you up. Not realising what the next night would be like.

Note: couldn't be bothered proof reading ngl so sorry if there's mistakes 😭 hope you enjoy!!!

You and Christian were never that close. You met through a long time friend of his, Dabin. You knew of him, of course, but you never thought you'd meet, or let alone call yourself friends with him, or whatever you two were.

Not that you two ever even flirted with eachother, but it wasn't that hard to feel the gazes. To feel the tension of his subtle attraction. You tried denying it though.

Why would he even be attracted to you? You were pretty simple, just a digital artist for Dabin's albums.

But fuck, the butterflies were there. Even a glance at him at your insides all fluttery. You wouldn't ever be able to look at him without a tiny tingle between your legs either.

You two occasionally began to talk, just subtle things like events coming up for DPR, but what you didn't expect was for a late last minute call at 1am.

Seeing his contact name, you picked up the phone, "Chri-"

"I need you."

Woah.

Holy fuck was an understatement. Already feeling an ache in your gut.

"I need you to be my date for my second cousins wedding."

What?

That was not what you were expecting.

"Please?"

You sighed, looking at my wall as his voice rang through the phone speaker.

"Why?"

"because I don't know who else would be available."

Really? That was it? Because you were available? You expected more. Maybe that he wanted you to be his date or something.

Shrugging off your thoughts, you recalled the few times he would listen to your problems. You guessed you could. A favour for a favour.

You finalised you decision, "Fine."

"Thank you." You could hear his sigh of relief. It was just a day, one day you would go to a wedding with him, even simply a few hours.

Wasn't that hard, right?

"No problem." You said with a little defeat, not even bothering to put up a fight as you began hanging up the phone.

The earler heart palpitations that came from how he said he wanted you were still there. The flutter between your thighs. That was so random, 'I need you.' Who the fuck says that first thing on a call?

"This man.."

"Uh... How's this?" You turned, looking at yourself in the long mirror of the dressing room. Shopping with him was one thing you didn't exactly expect. You thought maybe you'd just get a nice dress or whatever, but he insisted on matching.

Looking to him, you barely met his gaze. He was too focused on how it looked on you.

Not that it was a typical silk dress, it was fitting on the top but had a small lift on the bottom that went down in a long cascade, making your waist look longer and more snatched than usual.

"So?" You asked, verbally seeking affirmation on his opinion.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" Huh?

Staring at him for a second. You recalled how he was usually a very sweet man, of course he would say something like this. Nothing to get all bashful and weak about. But you did.

"Are you sure..?" You asked a bit quieter.

"Darling... You look incredible."

Your face heated up, smiling at him. How you wish you could kiss the lips that parted as he said that sentence.

"Thank you. Should I get this one?" You turned back to the mirror, your hands on your sides as I looked and moved to see how the dress would look in action.

"Mhm."

*Closing the curtains, you sighed, trying to catch the breath you lost when you saw how he looked at you. You couldn't be going insane, he was clearly checking you out. And the compliments? Ugh.

If this man is seriously single you were gonna try to change that.

After purchasing the dress and holding the bag, you walked out with him. Already having have looked at suits for him.

"So.. this is a pretty fancy wedding, huh?" You tried making conversation, not wanting it to be awkward even if you were crippled with attraction for him.

"Uh, yeah." He was staring at his phone as you two walked.

Thinning your lips into a line as you looked at his phone, was he texting someone?

"Busy?" You asked suspiciously.

"Mh, a little.. just wedding things. They think you're my girlfriend."

Pause.

"What?" You immediately responded, stopping in your steps.

"Yeah.. I guess my mom just wants me to finally settle down or something."

"Ah.." you trailed off in momentary understanding. Gosh, being his girlfriend would be a dream. if only he knew the sight of his arms alone had your pussy fluttering for him.

"Does she bug you about it alot?"

A soft chuckle left his lips, "more than a lot. Constantly. She didn't fully understand how much I try to work. Especially with my.."

You

nodded at him, not needing him to continue. You knew even if he was very mature and emotioanlly available when it came to communicating, his mental health was rather touchy.

He gave you a soft smile, but you swore he wasn't looking at your eyes, but rather at your lips. But you looked away, nervous from how handsome he looked even glancing at you.

Get a grip, what the fuck?

"Let's eat," you changed the subject.

"yeah, yeah, okay," he followed as you went into whatever restaurant was close.

Taking your time to order and sitting a bit silently with eachother as you waited for the food.

You went on your phone, scrolling through social media silently since he seemed a bit out of it.

The feeling on a shoe gently tapping yours caught your attention, glancing forward to him only to be met by his playful gaze. A soft one.

Smiling at him, you tapped his foot back. Noticing his small smirk as he gently rubbed the tip of his foot against your ankle. Just what was he doing?

"you okay?" You questioned.

"Why wouldn't I be, darling?" God, that would always make you crumble.

"Nothing," you rubbed his ankle back, searching his face for a reaction. When the sight of subtle desire illuminated his expression, you gently bit your bottom lip, trying to suppress the desire you were hit with like a heat wave.

Staring into his eyes silently since you didn't know where else to look. The tension between you in that moment was definitely palpable. Not thick and heavy, but definitely there in a way that turned you both on.

Being disrupted by the food was a blessing and a curse, focusing on eating but your stomach make you feel quesy. You were definitely going to need some sort of release by the end of the night or you'd go insane.

Heading home after bidding goodbye, you flopped onto your bed, sighing as a small smile lit up your face. He had to be into you. Or else you'd be insanely delusional with no explanation.

Your core ached for him, for some sort of release you knew some rubbing or toys wouldn't be able to help with. That's how badly you were attracted to him. Settling with a pillow between your legs as you'd watch some videos, even reading some sort of smut to distract you and get you off.

Nothing worked.

Turning off your phone and closing your eyes, you began to imagine. Mentally creating a scenario.

You went back to earlier in the day. When you were in the dressing room.

Slowly rocking your hips, you imagined if he had walked into your dressing room. The look of surprise that would be on your face before he would hold your face and start kissing you. His hand slipping into your panties and beginning to feel the we-

*Beep!*

Trying to ignore it as you continued rocking against your p-

*Beep!*

'Who the fuck is texting me?' you thought, opening your phone to the label of Christians name. Your eyes widening as you quickly sat up, opening the DM.

« you felt that too right?

What?

« felt what?

« the tension.

Your heart skipped a beat. Was this happening?

« just kidding. I was actually going to ask you a favour.

Is he for real? You just got soaked for him with a single text and now he's saying he's joking?

« can you pretend to be my girlfriend?

WHAT?

« excuse me? 😭

« sorry, darling. I know it sounds weird but I really need this. So my family will leave me alone atleast till the wedding is over.

This was so stupid. Was he being for real?

« aren't I already your date?

« yes but that's different. That's just my date, not my girlfriend.

He's a bit.. dumb.

« uhuh. So then why should I be your girlfriend if it's so different.

You were upset. Being his last option wasn't flattering but now he wants you as a fake girlfriend?

« because I need it. I need you.

Fuck... When he puts it like that..

« mmmmmmmmm maybe?

« darling.

« hmmmm 🤔

« I need you.

Staring at his text, an evil thought went through your mind.

« how badly do you need me, hm?

You responded. Your hand beginning to slip into your panties. Wait. This was wrong. You shouldn-

« Please, darling. I need you to do this for me.

Gently rubbing your arousal up and down to wetten your clit before you softly rubbed it, typing with one hand.

« you can do better than that.

You responded.

« fuck, please? I need you.

A tiny sigh of air left you, still rubbing your clit.

« darling?

You didn't respond, too cloudy with desire as you touched yourself with his text's.

« my love.. what are you doing?

Your heart skipped a beat, your hand stopping it's movenents as you quickly responded,

« nothing?

Your heart skipped another beat.

« don't lie to me. You just made me beg for you over text and you haven't responded once for 5 minutes. What are you doing?

Fuck, were you caught?

« sorry I was a just making my bed

« were you touching yourself?

Cough. A choke of spit getting caught in your throat as you read the text.

« WHAT?

« Don't give me that. You were, weren't you?

What the fuck? Were there cameras in here?

« uhm, what? That's a bit fucking weird to text me about ??

« so you were.

HOW DID HE KNOW?

« how? Were you rubbing yourself? Slipping your fingers inside? And to my texts too.

You didn't know how to respond to that, just staring at the screen with your jaw dropped.

« keep going.

Your breath caught in your throat. What?

« what do you mean?

« keep touching yourself.

« I

« Christian..

« nono, keep touching yourself.

A soft moan of desire emitting past your lips, rubbing your clit again as he continued typing.

« are you doing it like a girl good?

« nyes

You could barely type since it was with one hand, so turned on your eyes fluttered.

« are you all wet for me?

« I am

« have you been aching for me, my love?

« yessjendrj

« can't even type? You're so fluttery right now, aren't you?

Your finger sank inside your aching cunt. You never felt much when you fingered yourself but in that moment you wanted something inside you. You wanted him inside you. You needed it.

« fuck, Christian. I need you so badly.

That was extremely risky to text, but he already knew you were clearly touching yourself for him, what else could you lose?

« I know you do, darling.

« can you pick up for me?

You stared at the screen as his contact photo showed up with the green and red button, sighing shakily as you pressed the green button. Silent as you waited for him to speak first.

"Darling?"

You could practically hear the desire radiating off his voice, even through the phone.

"Yeah?" You answered quietly, a bit shaky in stabilisation.

"Fuck, you're shaky, baby."

"mh.." all you could muster was a noise.

"Are you touching yourself because of me?"

"yeah.." you breathed out, softly rubbing your clit with the finger that was inside you before.

"fuck, you don't know how much that turns me on."

"Christian.." you murmured his name softly. Wanting to somehow turn him on more, even if you were so clouded by your own desire.

"Are you rubbing yourself?"

"mh.. yes.."

"That's my pretty girl. Keep rubbing yourself for me, baby."

A soft whine left your mouth. All you wanted was him, and it was obvious he clearly knew that now. But fuck, how would you even face him after this?

"Just like that.."

He cooed softly

"You're making me so hard, all for you. I'm aching for you too, especially when I saw you in that dress, looking all.. fuck.."

Your eyes fluttered shut, your hand that was holding your phone began clamping so tight that your phone fell to the side of your head.

"Need you.. need you so bad.." you whimpered with all the strength and dignity you had left.

"Shh.. I know darling. Just keep rubbing your little nerves for me, okay? Imagine it being my fingers, softly tapping and rubbing your clit. Treating you the way you deserve.. all soaked and fluttert for me."

That was enough for you to mewl softly, finding the feeling that meant your orgasm was close.

"Close.." you whispered with all your might. you were clearly extremely shy and he loved it.

"keep going, you're doing such a good job for me."

Whimpering quietly, your eyes closed as you found your orgasm, the feeling overwhelming you from how hard it was, if anything it overstimulated you. Making you whine a bit louder as you continued rubbing your clit even if it hurt a little bit.

"That's it, just like that.. good girl.." he said softly through the phone.

Catching your breath, your eyes opened a bit tiredly, looking at the ceiling as the gravity of what just happened. And fuck, you wanted more.

"Thank you.." you said quietly, sacred someone would hear you as if you didn't live alone in your apartment.

"You did such a good job for me, cumming so sweetly all over your fingers for me.." he praised, making you needy again, but you were too tired to continue anything.

"Stay on call..?" You asked sleepily.

"Of course, baby. Close your eyes and sleep, hm?"

You yawned, closing your eyes. You were so tired from how hard you orgasmed that your hand was still in your panties.

Your mind slipped into a state of post-orgasm bliss that you fell asleep within one minute. Soft murmurs and sounds from your sleep went through the reciever, making him smile. Even if he had a boner as hard as rock.

"Goodnight pretty girl." He murmured softly before hanging up.

He leaned his head back, looking at the ceiling as he realised what happened. He couldn't wait till he saw you again, that was for sure.

I hope you enjoyed!!!!! That's just part one, expect part 2 soon 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

[ikalyyy]

♡︎ㅤ! 𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָstray bunny pt. 01 ⋆⭒˚.⋆

Where Kang Saebyeok is chased by another girl after they were fired from the games.

𖹭.ᐟ Warnings: angst ; fluff ; no callback to the games ; fem! reader

Saebyeok felt the cold pavement against her almost naked body, she cursed the world for the cold night and those damn heartless pink guards; shaking her head and rubbing it a little against the ground, she managed to take off the blindfold. She recognized a little of her surroundings, she had visited that place to steal a few times. She sighed exhaustedly as she tried to untie her hands, the cold was freezing her, and when she finally let go, she smiled a little, untied her feet and before she could get up, a small but sharp squeal startled her.

"Ah, damn cold!" you screamed, feeling your bones suffer from the low temperature.

"Shut up, girl" a cold and somewhat hoarse voice made you shut up a little, still with distrust you raised your chin and managed to sit down.

"Who are you?" you asked in fear.

"Turn around" was an order, cold and clear, you didn't even complain as usual, you just turned around and raised your hands as much as you could. Other cold hands made some contact with your back, making you gasp, you finally felt free and you took off the blindfold, to look at your savior.

"God, thank you!" you smiled so big it hurt, the girl in front of you, with short wavy hair, a look colder than the pavement, beautiful features, full lips... and half naked, you blushed looking down. "Wow, I think I saw you... yes, I saw you!" you said in a shrill tone, you had recognized her by her brave attitude.

"Uhm..." she let out a simple sound.

"I saw how you pulled that man's hair while we were playing, it was amazing! I liked hearing him beg" you carefully untied your feet and started to get dressed, that girl remained silent, you turned around to change "I also saw how they beat you up when we first arrived, and I thought 'this girl is such a troublemaker' I wanted to talk to you but the game started and I couldn't become your friend anymore, I guess it's lucky we met here and-" when you turned around you noticed that that girl was already dressed and was walking a few meters away from you, literally leaving you talking to yourself. You finished getting dressed in a second, and ran after her.

"Stop following me" she muttered, her hands stuffed into her green jacket.

"Uh, I just don't have anywhere to go..." you muttered, running beside her.

"I'm not a fucking babysitter, find your way" her rude and abrupt tone made you reconsider the idea of following her.

"You're right, babysitters are nicer," you huffed as you followed behind her, your little skirt swaying prettily, though it was awful for the weather and you regretted choosing it, though your fuzzy sweater helped.

"Stop it, stop following me," she turned around to look at you, but you just smiled.

"I don't want to. What are you going to do to stop it?" you walked closer, barely reaching her neck. Your mischievous smile disappeared when she pulled a small pocket knife out of her pocket, making you gasp. "Okay, I get it."

The pretty girl kept walking while you sat on a cold bench. She barely walked a few feet before turning back.

"Do you really have nowhere to go?" she muttered, as if she felt obligated.

"No, before I went to the games, I got kicked out of the apartment I was renting," you said, as if it wasn't even a big deal.

"Do you promise to shut up the whole way?" She asked looking at you "I don't want a jumping bunny around me" her aggressive tone made you smile.

"Tsk, I'll try my best" you smiled, putting a hand on your chest, as an oath.

"You'll only stay tonight" she said before walking, without waiting you followed her, like a stray bunny.

Bah, easy promises to break. By the way, at no point along the way you stayed quiet, you were even twice as loud, Saebyeok could only sigh and count numbers in his mind to avoid leaving you abandoned in that place.

They won't be returning to the games. because I really don't want to add angst hhahah, don't worry about it...

Tell me if you want me to mention you in the next chapter! :D

with lots of love and sugar, ika (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)

[resplendentdare]

Saskia couldn't help but laugh softly at Connor's questions, shaking her head a little to herself. "You can blame or thank my parents, really. They wanted me to be involved in a sport that wasn't cheerleading," she rolled her eyes as she remembered their words at her begging to join the squad, telling her she'd amount to nothing if she did and insisted she joined the basketball team instead.

"You're fine with asking questions, I don't mind; being on the team is great for the most part, not a massive fan of having no real social life, though," she admitted. "I guess you aren't too sporty then?"

"Oh, I never would have taken you for the sporty type." Connor voices, surprised. Of course, it's not a bad thing for her to be at all. "How is it? Being on the team? Sorry if I ask too many questions, by the way. I just.. tend to get curious, is all." He's not trying interrogate her. Connor is just really interested in getting to know her.

[rainbow-nijisaki]

Yeah! I saw the bridal garb/Dragon god/Turnip obsession/Weather and *immediately* went to RF, specifically RF4, I'm so glad to see my fave 2 games crossover <333

Twewy and RF4? Excellent taste, anon!

Honestly, RF4 is such an underrated game. The sheer amount of content and attention to detail...truly a hidden gem of a game. Definitely deserves more love.

(I'm trash though, so it's 5 that has me in a chokehold, haha)

If you see this anon, mind sharing your RF4 fave?