#10 year old me would be so proud of me and relieved | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cameronspecial · 7 months ago

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A New Kind Of Normal (Part 3)

Pairing: Dad!Rafe Cameron x Reader

Warnings: Fight With A Parent, Swearing, and Fear of Relapse

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 3.0K

Summary: Rafe has accomplished his goals and is now able to meet his daughter for the first time.

Masterlist

Over the past month, Rafe has gotten a chance to learn more about Stella from his weekly meetings with Y/N. Stella was born on May 17th, 2020 at 10:59 A.M. Her first word was Joshy, said at eleven months old when she was calling for help from her uncle Josh when her uncle Benedict would mercilessly tickle her. At two years old, she became obsessed with witches after her mother read her a book about them and it has been her favourite topic of conversation since. Her favourite colour is dark purple and her favourite food is any soup in general because she likes to pretend she is drinking a witch's potion when she eats it. The most important fact of all to Rafe: Stella Rachel Y/L/N is his little girl’s full name. Y/N had tried her best to come up with a name close to Rafe, but all the names closer she found on the internet didn’t go with Stella. Nonetheless, the action still touched him when Y/N told him that was the reason.

And now, he’ll finally get to meet his little star. His hand fidgets with the small nob on his watch, making the hands go clockwise and counterclockwise. He watches as Y/N reads over his toxicology report. She didn’t require him to do a weekly toxicology report to prove that he was staying sober, but he wanted to show her she could trust him. The logical part of him knows she won’t say that he can’t meet Stella, yet a small part of him fears she might.

The small smile she gives him relieves him of his anxiety, “This is great, Button. I’m so proud of the work you put into staying sober.” Forming a friendship with Y/N was another amazing thing that happened this month. When she started using the nickname she gave him the night Stella was conceived, he felt the air leave his lungs just like it does now. “Thanks. I was really scared that I might relapse this week after I got into an argument with my dad, but I called Diana, did some breathing exercises and looked at my picture of Stella. It all helped me get through it,” he replies truthfully. He had truly felt fear that week when he found himself on the road towards Barry’s trailer. Luckily, he was able to fight through his desire and pull over the car before he got there. Y/N nods and reaches out to place a reassuring hand on his, “Well, I’m glad you were able to recognize your craving and reach out for help with managing it. So do you want to come over after we finish our coffee?”

His lips stretch so far apart that people would think he is the Joker. He pulls out his phone to check his schedule, “No, I won’t have enough time to go home and change if I come tonight. I also need to get her a few things before I meet her. How about tomorrow afternoon? Is that okay?” “You know you don’t have to make a big deal about this with the changing and the gifts. As long as you love her and show her that love, she is going to reciprocate those feelings,” Y/N argues.

“I know, I just… Meeting her is all I have been dreaming about for the last month and I want it to be perfect. Plus, it really couldn’t hurt to get her a few bribery toys.”

“I understand how you feel. When Benny came home the week before Stella was born with the wrong colour paint for her room, I almost threw a chair at him. I wanted Finch yellow, but he got funky yellow. It didn’t matter that they were virtually the same colour. I just need her room to be exactly how I planned it. So you can come over tomorrow. Just don’t buy her too many toys.”

“I can’t be held to a gift-buying limit. I have to make up for five years.”

——

Y/N watches as Stella tries to get ready by herself, thinking about what is going to happen in just ten minutes. “Mommy, help, please,” Stella cries out for help. Y/N’s focus returns to her daughter and she has to stop herself from laughing. Stella has gotten her shirt stuck on her head because she has been trying to get her head through the armhole. Y/N approaches the young girl and helps put her head through the right hole. “You were almost there, Stells. I’m proud of you,” she praises, giving the little girl a kiss on the head. Stella shouts a thank you as she runs into her mom’s room.

Y/N follows her daughter to her room and carries Stella over to the bed. Once Stella is safely on the bed, Y/N turns toward her dresser to get her perfume. “One tiny spray for this wrist,” Y/N pushes the top of the perfume so the scent falls on her daughter’s wrist. “And one tiny spray for the other. Now, you are ready to go. Why don’t you wait in the living room for Mommy’s special guest to arrive.” The little girl runs off as her mother suggested and Y/N is left alone in her room. She looks at herself in her mirror, wondering how her life is going to change once Stella meets her dad. It’s not that Y/N doesn’t trust Rafe, he has shown her that he really is trying. It’s that Stella isn’t going to be solely Y/N’s anymore. She will have to share some parenting duties with Rafe and it feels strange for her to do that. She is the one who stayed up with Stella when she was puking all night last year. She is the one who would read the little girl a bedtime story every day. She is the one Stella goes to when she is scared. Now, Y/N is going to have to learn to let Rafe do those things too.

Rafe nervously wipes the sweat off of his palm and adjusts the hat on his head. The time on the clock shows he is five minutes early, but he can’t wait any longer. He knocks on the door and rocks on the balls of his feet. The door creaks open, yet Rafe is met with an empty doorway. It is only when he looks down that he sees the perfect little star staring up at him with her brilliant blue eyes. “Stella Rachel Y/L/N, what have I told you about answering the door to strangers?” Y/N scolds, walking into the room with an adorable motherly look. Stella looks back at her mother with a pouty look, “I’m sorry, Mommy. But I knows we were going to have a special guest.”

Rafe is in awe at how adorable she is, but he takes this as his chance to do the first fatherly act he will ever do. “Your mother is right, Stella. What if I was a stranger?” he poses, kneeling down to her level. She gives him wide eyes, “But you weren’t. You are the man who Mommy yelled at.” Her words cause pain to shoot through his heart. The first memory his little girl has of him is his argument with her mother. Y/N can see the hurt that crosses Rafe’s face and beckons the pair away from the doorway. “Yes, he is, Baby. But he apologized to Mommy and we are friends again. Did you see his hat?” Y/N points out. The small blue eyes move from his face up to his head and her eyes turn to delight. “You’re wearing a witch’s hat!” she exclaims, reaching up to her father’s head to try it on. “Can I try it on, please?” Glad that his conversation start is working, he takes the hat off and places it on her tiny head. Everyone giggles as the big hat falls over her eyes.

Now, that the ice has been sufficiently broken, Y/N decides it is time to make the introduction Rafe has been waiting for. “Stella, do you know why I asked my special friend to come visit?” Y/N sits on the couch, bringing Stella on her lap. The little girl shakes her head and rests it on her mother’s chest. “He’s your Daddy, Baby.” The excitement in his daughter’s eyes as she turns toward him sends him over the moon. The tiny girl flings herself into her arms and screams his new name. He never thought someone would call him those words, but now it’s the only one he wants to hear. “Does that mean you can play witch with me? I have a hat you can borrow.” With her now in his arms, he can smell the familiar vanilla fragrance of Y/N’s perfume. It makes him smile that she wants to be just like her mommy. Before he can answer, she runs off to her room to get her toys. She returns dragging a big plastic cauldron behind her. Rafe feels his father's instinct kick in. He jumps off of the couch and runs over to pick her and the cauldron up in his arms. Stella looks at him in awe, “Wow, my Daddy is super strong.” This absolutely kills him and he kisses her on the cheek.

——

Y/N, Stella and Rafe have spent the afternoon playing various games their daughter wanted to play. When it got closer to dinner time, the three of them worked together to make something to eat. “Button, can you please pour me some more water?” Y/N asks, holding up her glass for him to do it. He picks up the water pitcher and pours it for her, “Of course, Buttercup.” Stella may be three and eleven months old, but she is very observant. Throughout the afternoon, she noticed the tiny glances Rafe would send Y/N’s way. She noticed how his hand would reach to find her skin, yet it never seemed to land. She noticed how he would always ask for Y/N’s approval. And just now, she saw how his lips formed a massive smile because of her mother’s attention.

The small girl starts to form a plan in her head; she can see how much her father is pining for her mother. He clearly needs her help. “Mommy, I like Daddy’s hair. Do you?” she questions, looking back and forward between her parents. Y/N looks up from her food to look at Rafe, “I do like his hair. It looks nice when the front of his hair falls down like a little curtain.” He stops mid-stab of the pasta to look up at her through his lashes. “I’ll take note of that then, Buttercup,” he brings his hand up to hide the blush on his cheeks. Stella is very satisfied with the results of the beginning of her plan. She feels like a genius. Y/N doesn’t know that she is going to regret letting Stella watch Hallmark movies with her.

——

After dinner, Rafe is preparing for the roughly hour-and-a-half drive back to the Outer Banks. Stella is holding on to Rafe for dear life because she isn’t ready for him to go. “Mommy, why can’t Daddy stay?” she begs, looking at her mother sadly. Y/N frowns at her daughter, “I’m sorry, Baby. Not yet, there is nowhere for him to sleep. Plus, Daddy has work tomorrow and you have daycare.” Rafe can see the struggle Y/N is having with saying no to Stella and he helps her out. “How about I go over to the diner on Friday? I’ll be there when you get back from daycare. Maybe I’ll even have a surprise,” he offers, whispering the last part in her ear.

The darling’s eyes light up like a Christmas tree and loosens her arms from his neck. “Okay! I can’t wait to see you. Bye, Daddy. I love you,” she bids adieu. She hops down from his arms and runs to get ready for bed. The quicker she goes to bed, the faster Friday comes. Rafe calls back I love you. The two adults laugh at the child as they watch her run off. The laughter dies down and Y/N turns her body toward Rafe. “It’s okay that I come by on Friday, right?” Rafe confirms with a hopeful smile.

“Of course, as long as you are sober, I won’t stop you from seeing her. The extra business is good too.”

“Haha, I’ll make sure to deposit my paycheck before I go in then. Also, please let me know if you need anything. Money for food, rent, toys, clothes, tuition. Anything, okay. I want to pull my weight. She’s my daughter too.”

“I will, I promise. Thank you for coming over tonight. You made her day.”

They both look at each other for a second and then notice the time. “I should probably get going. It’s getting late,” Rafe concludes, taking a step closer to the door. Y/N tries to hide her slight disappointment, “Uh, yeah. Drive safe. See you on Friday.” Rafe nods his head and opens the door. “See you on Friday.” Y/N stays by the door as she watches Rafe walk down her driveway. She waves goodbye to him as he gets into his car and drives away. Once he is out of sight, she closes the door and reflects on the day. It was strange to have Rafe there, but she doesn’t regret the decision. She saw how much he cared for Stella and it solidified the idea in her mind that he is meant to be a father. This is a new kind of normal that she can get used to.

——

Since Sarah and Rafe moved out of Tannyhill, Ward insisted on having family dinner every week. Everyone knows Sarah’s departure is the main reason why Ward wanted to do so, especially since Ward tried to have just Sarah come to dinner. However, thanks to Sarah, Ward gave in to inviting Rafe. Most dinners start with Ward getting small talk with Rafe about work out of the way before he moves on with asking Sarah about a full second-by-second breakdown of her week. And this Wednesday is not any different, but Rafe has something else other than work to talk to his dad about.

“Actually, Dad, there is something I want to talk to you about,” Rafe brings to the table, looking Ward dead in his eyes. Ward stops chewing, not really expecting Rafe to have anything else to say. Ward tilts the end of his fork toward Rafe, “Okay, what is it?” “I have a daughter. Her name is Stella. She is three years old, almost four. And she looks exactly like me,” Rafe gets everything out in one go. He may have known about Stella for a month now, but he didn’t want to tell his family until he knew he could step up and be the person his daughter needed. This causes everyone at the table to freeze and look at Rafe in surprise. Ward’s eyes narrow; his brows become one. “What do you mean?” he gets out in a rough tone.

“I mean that five years ago, I had sex with Y/N and she had a baby nine months after that. I didn’t know about Stella until last month. I didn’t want to tell you guys until I was a month sober and certain that I could be there for her.”

“You better tell me that this is a joke because I can’t believe that you could be that much of a screw-up. How do you even know she is your daughter?”

“I told you, she looks exactly like me.”

“How do you know that’s not because you want to believe she does? How do you know that bitch isn’t lying to you? You were so useless that you didn’t even get a paternity.”

Rafe stands up at what Ward calls Y/N and points a finger at his father. “You have no right to call her that. I know she isn’t lying because I trust her. I won’t make her get a paternity test,” he yells. Ward lets out a low chuckle, “Okay, fine. Do whatever you want. But I’m going to need you to get a lawyer and write up a contract for child support if that’s what the bitch is after. There is no way you are actually going to raise that kid.” “You need to stop calling the mother of your granddaughter a bitch. And why can’t I raise my daughter? You are always telling me I need to take responsibility and I am. Why can’t you just be proud of me?” he argues, his anger getting to a whole other level. The other members of the dinner see that this fight is not about to end any time soon, so Sarah steps in. “Dad, stop. This isn’t going anywhere. And you should be proud of Rafe. He overcame his addiction just so that he could be a better father. That’s amazing and I’m proud of him for that. I, for one, am excited to meet my niece,” Sarah reasons. Wheezie butts in too, “I want to meet Stella too.” Rafe gives them a thankful smile but gets up angrily.

“Thank you guys for your support. I’ll talk to Y/N to find out when you can meet Stells. Dad, I wish I could say that I am surprised but I’m not,” he begins. “No matter what I do, I will never compare to Sarah and I won’t force you to meet your granddaughter. I think I’m going to go. Goodbye.” Rafe storms out of the house and slams the door. He gets to his truck and is about to drive away, yet he knows he shouldn’t. If he goes now, he is scared it will lead him to Barry’s. Instead, he pulls out his phone and dials a number that recently entered his contacts. “Hey, Button. Is everything okay?” Her voice is like a light guiding him back to home base. He vehemently shakes his head, “No, I’m not. Do you have time to talk?” Y/N immediately stops what she is doing and gives him her full attention for the whole night.

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urfavleo777 · 1 year ago

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warnings: a mention of death, loneliness, depression. soundtrack: last christmas, santa baby, let it snow! let it snow! let it snow!

this is part 1.

The day before Christmas 10:15 PM

"Oh, thank you so much, Y/n," your boss said warmly. A few strands fell onto her narrow shoulders, caressing the fabric of her burgundy sweater. She was no more than sixty but with her class she would still beat most of the modern supermodels.

You've been working at Josephine's shop since November with the main goal of earning extra money for your college. You needed it to pay for your college tuition. Before, your financial situation was making you suffer. You no longer had any hope. You were even close to dropping out of college. But then Josephine appeared, looking for an employee for her Christmas store. After a very long period of poverty you could finally afford a nutritious meal during the day.

Your previous boss didn't treat you right. He was behind in paying you money, he didn't respect the fact that you had studies outside of work, and there were times when he was verbally violent towards you.

Josephine was always understanding towards you and took an extremely sensible approach to mental health. She assured you many times that if you felt unwell, she would immediately offer you a break from work for a few days. You tried not to take advantage of her kindness, so at ten o'clock in the morning you diligently fulfilled your duties in the Christmas store.

Today was quite… different. It was Friday evening and instead of enjoying your free time in your small apartment, Josephine asked you to take over the duties until midnight.

"I have so much mess to clean up at home, and tomorrow is the day. If you said no, I would probably have let all my grandchildren down. Last year I promised them I will bake cupcakes for the next Christmas. They were so excited and happy about it…"

You giggled at her adorable confession.

"No problem, I swear," you assured her, but the woman didn't seem fully convinced. "Josephine, I don't mind staying here for a bit longer. It helps me to relieve stress a lot."

Josephine pursed her lips. Then she straightened her slightly hunched back and whispered with a soft smile on her face:

"Your soul is so pure. Your parents must be so proud of you."

At the sound of these words, spoken with surprising lightness, you immediately stiffened.

Parents, a thought crossed your mind.

Right. She couldn't know.

You brushed strands of long hair from your cheek, smiling awkwardly. Josephine started looking chaotically for her purse. Once she found it, she hugged you and squeezed your hands. When you felt her warmth in your hands, you froze. No one has ever given you as much love as Josephine did in that moment.

"Thank you so much, Y/n, but I really have to go. I'll make it up to you!" She turned and started towards the exit. When the door opened, frosty night air rushed in. An old guy walked in, passing your boss, but you didn't pay attention to him. Instead, you looked in Josephine's green eyes for the last time. She lowered her voice a bit, continuing. "Merry Christmas, Y/n."

Oh, no one in this world knew how much you hated those words. You swallowed loudly, pushing away the feeling of sadness with all your strength. The sight of the smile on the woman's face made you feel a knot in your stomach.

"Merry Christmas, Josephine," you replied, trying to reciprocate this warm gesture. After a moment, you realized that you had said it to yourself. Josephine was already gone. Now in the room, there was only you and an older customer, probably looking around for gifts for his loved ones.

11:55 PM

"Uh, is anybody there?"

You caught yourself falling asleep, but the stranger's nervous and deep voice woke you up.

You looked up from the till and saw an older man standing in front of you. His white beanie and fluffy Christmas sweater definitely caught your attention. You rubbed your eyes and was about to laugh when you realized how thin he was dressed. Okay, maybe he wasn't that old.

It seemed like he had arrived by car, because no one would wear just a sweater in a snowstorm like that. Before you could respond, the man overtook you.

"Okay, okay. I know you're about to close, but listen to me. This case is extremely serious. I drove all over town and, damn it! All Christmas shops are already closed! Can you help me choose the gifts? If you don't help me, I will be.."

You raised an eyebrow, trying your best not to smile. He got stuck in his little speech, but you had no idea why. Instead of continuing, he lost himself in your gaze, completely ignoring the ticking of the clock behind you. His mouth hung open slightly and his eyes which were already almost black seemed to darken as he focused on you. His body went rigid as he searched your eyes. Your heart was pounding in your chest. He was beautiful. You had never thought of a guy as beautiful, and it was strange. It was strange how he seemed to be looking right into your soul. But you didn't mind. No, you didn't care at all.

Or.. maybe a little bit.

In fact, you were the one who jumped back like someone had burned you when you realized it was almost time to close the shop.

"You must leave this store. Now."

"Huh?" he frowned, distracted. It took a while for it to dawn on him. "No! You can't do this to me."

You took the key out of the locker and were in the process of closing the cash register. Shit. Nobody taught you how to do that. That was always Josephine's responsibility and she was the one who always closed the shop. The man looked at you strangely. You decided to pretend you knew what you were doing.

"Do you even work here?" he mocked.

You felt his eyes on you and you clenched your jaw. You glanced up to tell him to piss off, but then your eyes met and the feeling of anger melted away. His eyes were widened slightly as you looked at him curiously. He felt the nerves radiating off of you. You shot him a tight lipped smile and you felt himself smile back. Fuck.

"Shit," you cussed under your breath. "I have to close the shop now."

You were still struggling to close the cash register.

"I'll help you close it," he muttered, still staring at you but you were too tired to even notice. "I've dealt with this before, too."

"And why should I believe you? Maybe you are some kind of thief? "

11:58. Fuck. The time was passing.

"I am not a thief."

"And why should I believe you?" you repeated the question once again.

"Just google my name," he sighed a little tiredly. You blinked your eyes twice, not knowing what he meant. "Let me buy something for my parents and I'll do whatever you want."

When you heard parents, you forgot what he had just told you. You were definitely traumatized or triggered by the word "parents", which was usually noticeable by the sudden change in your behavior.

Your soft breaths echoed through the whole Christmas shop. You lowered your head, completely embarrassing yourself in front of the potential client. It was the second time today. At least you didn't have to explain yourself to Josephine because you were able to mask it before.

"Please, don't hurt him." Y/n cried. "Please, I can't lose him too."

[…]

"Don't take loans on the black market, or you'll end up just like them."

[…]

"I'm completely alone."

[…]

"Shit, are you okay?"

You looked up, grimace on your face as the tall body of a man came into view. He looked concerned as he crouched down before you. His dark eyes searched for any indication you were in pain and when he saw you weren't he held out his hand for you to take.

"I'm okay," you nodded. "What am I doing on the floor?"

"I saw you fall," he said, as he lifted you up. You brushed the dust and dirt from your jeans. "Does it hurt?"

"No," you shook her head, still stunned. "Not much anyways."

"You hit the ground pretty hard," he frowned. "Maybe you should get yourself checked out."

You let out a forced laugh and he raised a brow. "Honestly, I'm good."

He nodded his head, eyes narrowed slightly before sighing. "Let me take care of you. Need a ride?"

God, just a few seconds ago he was using his all strength to buy something for his parents. Unless..

"Show me your pockets."

"What?" he frowned. He tried to find some clue in your eyes. "You think I stole something?"

God, he was atleast a foot taller than you were and you had to crane your neck to look at him.

"Well, seems like I have no choice," he shrugged.

The two of you fell silent, it wasn't awkward but neither knew what to say. He emptied all his pockets, the only things he had were his phone and his bank card.

You wanted to sink into the ground.

This stranger just offered to help you and you thought he was a thief. You tilted your head back, thinking about your next move.

You sighed, knowing exactly what you should do.

"Take it."

You handed him a matching sweaters that you assumed should be for his parents. He sighed in relief.

He was about to take out his card to pay, but you placed your hand on his, trying to making him understand that he doesn't have to pay.

"Just close the till, please." You smiled, feeling a bit better now. "And make your loved ones happy."

"No," he refused quickly "I have to pay for it. There is nothing for free."

It took a while to convince him not to pay. He finally sighed and accepted the two wrapped gifts from you. After he closed the till, he offered you a ride once again.

"Why don't you introduce yourself first?"

You were just leaving the store. It was cold. That was perhaps the understatement of the century. You couldn't remember the last time you had been so cold: the spiteful wind sliced through you like a sharpened blade, leaving a chill that shook you to your very core, and you tightened the thick scarf around you neck, pulling it up over your mouth. You locked the door and both went away, looking for his car, which wasn't parked that far away.

"It's strange that you don't know me."

"Woah, so you're kind of celebrity?" you laughed loudly. "You've got a big ego, man."

You finally reached his car. You didn't even notice the color because it was too dark and the car itself was covered in snow. But it didn't matter.

"Oh, that's very kind of you. Thank you." You said surprised as he opened the car door for you. He gave you a small smile. You took the front passenger seat. When you heard the sound of the trunk being closed, you realized that he must have been putting the gifts in there. You saw him through the snow-covered window. His hair was messy, and his sweater was slightly damp from the snow. His pink cheeks totally stole your heart. He looked like a little child after playing in the snow for several hours

"I'm Y/n," you spoke up as he appeared next to you. He clicked the heat button, smiling to himself. "Normal people usually say their name after my introduction."

"Who said I was normal?" you rolled your eyes before bursting out laughing again.

"You've got a beautiful name," he said, starting the car. "You can just call me Colby."

His eyes found yours and he smiled brightly. Your tiredness melted away instantly and you grinned back at him.

"Colby," you whispered to yourself.

"Hm?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the road. After a moment you could feel the relaxing warmth.

"Uhm," you cleared your throat. "You've got a beautiful name, too."

The corners of your mouth turned upwards. Eventually you stopped having everything under control. It was inexplicable. Every word this boy said aroused some emotion in you. It was strange because you two had just met.

He wanted to know more about you, every single thing. What you like, what you love. A twisted smile formed on his face. As he continued to steal glances at a female, who remained clueless about his mind.

You glanced out the car window, trying to see anything but darkness. Thanks to the car lights, you could have noticed that the streets were empty, not a person in sight that late, not even the stray dog walker or person who decided to go for a late night walk or run. Cars passed by from time to time, but there weren't many of them.

"Not a single soul." Colby sighed, a dreamy smile on his face as he looked down on the road. You nodded, stifling a yawn.

"I bet most of them are washing windows now," you whined, making him chuckle. "Can you take me to the nearest gas station? It's not far from home."

You noticed a slight disappointment on his face, which he quickly masked.

"Yeah, sure."

For a moment there was silence, and you took the opportunity to organize your thoughts. You wondered if you should start a conversation about what happened at the store. You were sure Colby had been thinking about it the whole time, but he didn't want to be too insightful. Even if he asked about your past, you wouldn't know what to answer him. That your parents owed a debt to evil people and died for not paying it off?

You squeezed your eyes shut at the thought. You stared at the moon, trying to calm your thoughts. Then you took a moment to appreciate that wonderful, breathtaking boy next to you. You looked at him in some kind of admiration. He was so beautiful that you were about to cry. You were so close to burying your hand in his messy hair, but it took all of your strength to hold back. A smirk formed on his face as he noticed you staring at his facial features. Instead of laughing at you, he simply changed the topic.

"How do you spend Christmas?"

"Hm?" you muttered, your voice still laced with sleep.

Colby raised his eyebrows at you. "You got a Christmas tree?"

You looked up at him and were torn between telling him the truth or lying.

"I spend Christmas alone. I don't have, I don't have anyone around me with whom I could share this evening. Also, Christmas are overrated. "

"I can help," he said, the words dropping out before he could think about them. Ordinarily, he calculated his sentences, sometimes spending hours or even days thinking about how he would word something, whether it was an email to a friend or a hypothetical debate. But there was no time for that now, the dilemma thrust right into his face with no escape route.

"What?" You swallowed.

"I can help you," he said. "You shouldn't be alone in this time. If you let me, I'd love to invite you to dinner with my p—. " he stopped mid-sentence. You felt like crying. No one in your life has ever shown you as much love as this man. Okay, maybe except Josephine.

"You don't mean that," you said quietly.

"I do," he said, a little more confidence in his voice now. "Let me help. I'll do anything. You shouldn't be alone. You can't be alone. Can I help?"

A faint smile grew over your lips and you nodded, colour rising to your cheeks as your smile grew. "Thank you. But your family-"

"Oh, they will be delighted to meet you."

He seemed nice enough, you thought, and there were surely worse ways to spend the next couple of hours than accepting his helping hand: you could take your mind off the solitude and maybe even make a friend.

But nothing could help you forget your past.

To Be Continued.

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boydykemagicalgirl · 1 year ago

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Smoking on my Ex Pack

Mike Schmidt x GN!Reader

Was listening to SZA and smoking and got an idea. No warnings rly… umm some suggestive content, mostly just fluff, reader gets called a hoe by a shitty ex bf, best friend!mike, friends to lovers, pining, it’s cute and I’m proud of it

“Whatever, you’re a hoe anyway.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever, you fuckin bum,” you rolled your eyes as you finished packing another bowl, “delete my number.” You sighed as you hung up, unable to believe that you had wasted nearly an entire year on such a loser.

Your best friend, Mike, sat across from you in your living room, falling backwards with laughter. “I tried to tell you about him, bro.”

“Shut up, dork. I don’t wanna fuckin hear it.”

He over-dramatically wiped his eyes, sitting back up. “I really am sorry though. Breakups are rough.”

You put the bowl to your lips, taking a hit and exhaling before responding, “is it, like, fucked up that I’m not really that sad about it? It’s like, almost a full eleven months with this guy and I don’t even feel like crying. If anything I’m relieved.”

Taking the bowl from you, he nodded, “yeah?”

“Yeah, dude,” you run your hands down your face, “being with him was like being somebody’s fucking mom. Like, we’re fully in our twenties and I have to remind you to wash your fucking ass? Grow up.”

This set Mike laughing hysterically again, “no way he didn’t wash his ass. How come you never shared this with me before?”

“Because I thought that I loved him, and I knew what you’d say.”

“What? That I was right and you should’ve dumped him a long time ago?” He had a smug look on his face as you reached over to snatch the bowl back from him.

“Yeah, exactly, you fuckin dick.” You laughed, too, your shoulders gently shaking as you lifted the bowl to your lips.

“Well, since your relieved, let’s celebrate.”

You raised an eyebrow at him, curious, “what’d you have in mind?”

“I can see if Vanessa can keep Abby for the night, we can get high as shit and watch all of your favorite movies?” He posed it as a question, raising an eyebrow back at you.

You broke into a grin, “I knew there was a reason I kept you around.”

He smiled back at you before getting his phone out and calling Vanessa as you moved to your dvd shelf to pick out what your first watch of the night would be.

~~~~

Nearly five hours had passed, it was now 10:00 pm, and you and Mike hadn’t moved in at least an hour. The two of you were sunken comfortably into the couch, passing a joint he’d rolled between the two of you. The Craft was playing and you were reciting it word for word. Your eyes were glued to the screen as you exhaled smoke and then picked up on the next line, “you know in the old days, if a witch betrayed her coven… they would kill her.”

Unbeknownst to you, Mike’s eyes were glued to your side profile. He was mesmerized with the way the tv light highlighted your silhouette in the darkness. He kept telling himself that it was just because he was high that he was so captivated with you, but he knew that it was more than that; he always felt this way around you. It was like his insides were all soft moldable goop and you could twist them into whatever shape your little heart desired, and you didn’t even know that you were doing it.

Without removing your eyes from the screen, you asked, “wanna order a pizza or something?”

Mike hummed in response and you rolled your eyes, assuming that he was simply ignoring you. You turned your head to face him and nearly jumped out of your skin when you saw his eyes trained on you.

“Mike?” You reached out, snapping in front of his face.

This seemingly broke him out of whatever weed-induced trance that he was in, as he blinked, suddenly sitting up straighter. “Yeah, what’s up?”

“You good, bro? You were completely spaced out. How long were you like that?”

He took the joint from you, his cheeks turning red as he dodged your eyes, “uh, I don’t know.” He let out a nervous chuckle.

“Are you okay?” You scooted closer to him, resting your hand on his arm. You grew more concerned when he seemed to stop breathing at your touch. “Mike? You good?”

He let out a breath, nodding as he tried to appear more relaxed than he felt. He couldn’t believe he’d gotten caught staring at you. “I’m good, just zoned out I guess.”

You let out a nervous chuckle, getting comfortable in your new spot beside him on the already small couch. “Okay, just don’t freak me out like that again. You looked possessed.”

He felt possessed, but he didn’t say that out loud, instead trying to get comfortable again. As he tried to get comfortable again, he couldn’t help but notice how close you were to him. Since when did you being so close make his heart beat like this? He was worried that if you got any closer, you’d hear it. Of course you just had to lean in closer and rest your head on his shoulder.

“Stop hogging the jay, dickhead.” You were whispering now, though you didn’t really know why.

He whispered back, “sorry,” passing it to you. Your fingers brushed and for a second neither of you moved.

After a moment, you took it from him finally, inhaling deeply. As you exhaled you began to cough, laughing through it as Mike rubbed your back, asking if you were okay.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just got weak ass lungs I guess.”

He let out a small laugh at that, taking the joint from you and taking a hit.

You leaned back into him, smiling up at him as you rested your head against his shoulder, “thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being here for me, no matter what. I love you,” you said, grabbing the joint back from him, killing it.

There you fucking go again, he couldn’t help but think, twisting around all of his most vital organs, molding them into whatever you felt, and you didn’t even realize that he was putty in your hands. “I love you, too.” You had no idea how much he meant that.

“Awe man,” you muttered under your breath as you looked back at the screen, noticing that the movie was almost over. You’d been so caught up in Mike’s little moment that you’d missed so much of what was arguably one of your top five favorite movies.

“What’s up?” Mike asked, his eyes focused back on you, laced with confusion.

“Movie’s almost over, missed like, some of my favorite parts just now,” you grumbled, upset.

“Oh, sorry,” Mike responded, sounding like he was about to zone out again.

He felt lightheaded, and he was trying to convince himself that it was the weed and not the feeling of you leaned against him, curled up and wrapping both of your arms around one of his. He could smell your shampoo and coffee and weed and everything that made up you and he felt intoxicated by the scent. His head was swimming with thoughts of you. You laughing and smiling, the way your lips wrapped around a blunt, what you’d look like wrapping your lips around him.

You snapped your fingers in front of his face, letting out a laugh that made him smile, still a little daze, “what?”

“You’re staring again,” you giggled, resting your hand on his cheek, more laughter slipping out as you feel it get warm under your palm.

“Am I?” He asked, not taking his eyes off you.

“Yes, doofus,” you said.

You weren’t sure who leaned in first but suddenly you were pressed against him, hands tangling in his curly hair as you pulled on his bottom lip with your teeth, the credits starting in the background.

He pulled away first. “Shit, sorry.”

“For what?” You asked, reaching out for him.

“For kissing you,” he rushed out, “you just broke up with your boyfriend and I’m your best friend and I should be comforting you not taking advantage of you being vulnerable-“

“Mike,” you tried to interject.

“I’ll leave if you want, god I’m such a dumbass-“

“Mike!” You clapped your hand over his mouth. “Shut up for once in your life. Please?” You groaned in disgust as he licked your palm, moving it from his mouth before continuing. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. Unless your apologizing for stopping.”

“Oh?”

You rolled your eyes, “yeah, dipshit. I’ve only been waiting for you to do that for about five years now. And you’re not ‘taking advantage of me.’ I’m not ‘vulnerable.’ Right now I’m mostly just high and horny and a little annoyed at you for being such an idiot, and-“

You were cut off by Mike’s lips crashing into yours, the two of you falling back into the couch as you let out a small squeal. Then you felt it, Mike’s fingers tickling at your hips. “Mike!”

He pulled back, grinning at you like a chesire cat, “I’m an idiot?”

His fingers didn’t let up as you began to let out shriek-like giggles. “Yes, you are,” you forced out between laughs, “now unhand me!”

“Unhand you?” He laughed, his hands resting on your hips, “what are you, a fuckin medieval knight?”

You laughed, too, slowly catching your breath, “don’t make me knee you in the balls.”

He looked down at you, “you wouldn’t dare.”

“Don’t test me, you’re in the perfect spot for me to knee you in the balls right now.” You smirked up at him.

He smiled, moving one hand to rest beside your head as he leaned down. His lips brushed against yours as he spoke, “please don’t knee me in the balls.”

You found yourself whispering again, “what’s in it for me if I don’t?”

Your eyes fluttered shut as he kissed you again.

#mike schmidt imagine #mike schmidt #mike schmidt x reader #fnaf mike #fnaf movie #fnaf fic #mike schmidt fnaf #mike schmidt fluff #mike schmidt fanfic

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milkhwi · 8 months ago

Text

Casino Nights - Gambler! Chenle

Summary: Gambling and more gambling, that’s all that mattered to Chenle. The probability of him winning was always high until one day you showed up and decided to change that and his life, too.

genre: gambler! chenle x gambler! reader

word count: 2.8k

warnings: illegal gambling & swearing probably not proof read enough

a/n: originally was supposed to be a bulleted scenario but honestly,, think this came out better idk anything about gambling dont do it kids- also it’s been in my draft since 2020 omg..4 years yeah last fic ever probably i’ve retired from my good old days. idk if anyone will read this but i’m proud :3 also my longest fic of my entire career who else cheered!

masterlist。

—

Dies being rolled, cards being shuffled, chips being placed, and bets being made. The casino was always full of gamblers- especially on a Saturday night. The casino was like a second home for Chenle. Every Saturday he would be there- gambling. Chenle, only being an eighteen year old, wasn’t allowed to enter a casino. Reason: age. Of course, it was no secret that gambling at that age was illegal. But Chenle was an exception. He knows how to gamble. In fact, he’s very good at it. The only reason he was allowed in the first place was because he’s rich. Being rich was an advantage to him. He put down exactly $10 million on the line- to which of course, anyone would accept if it was that amount of money. To make things worse, he was going to gamble against one of the best known gamblers. “If I win, I’ll be allowed to gamble and get twice the amount I’m betting. Alright?” Chenle said, with no tone in his voice.

Chenle’s opponent chuckled and smirked at him, “Alright kid, it’s a bet.”

Not long after, the best gambler out there was not only dethroned by an eighteen year old, but exactly 20 million in debt. Chenle chuckled slightly, “You were really that confident, huh?” His opponent gulped, he knew this was something so embarrassing that it would even haunt him in his dreams, “You cheated, didn’t you? Let’s go again, I’ll prove you wrong.” Chenle pretended to think about it, then nodded, betting down $30 million this time.

“Watch me close if you really think I’m cheating.” Everyone watching the game taking place was already sweating. Not long after, they were neck to neck- this made Chenle’s opponent laugh, relieved about the fact that he had a higher chance of winning, but since misfortune was on his side, Chenle won.

50 million in debt.

Suddenly his opponent stood up to say something, but immediately fell to his feet. Shaking at the realization. Chenle leaned towards him- towering him, “Wanna go again? Want to try proving me wrong again?” He said as his eyes darkened.

Everyone was shocked. How could someone so young be so deadly?

From that day on, Chenle became the youngest gambler. No one really opposed the idea of him becoming a gambler- especially at the gambling den and if they did, Chenle would ask them to play a few games.

Chenle did gambling as a hobby. For fun. No one really knew how he was so good at gambling. “He’s rich so he was probably taught in order to bring money to the house” or “What do you expect? It probably runs in the fucking family.”

The truth is, the first time Chenle gambled, he was at stake of losing everything. He wasn’t driven by money. He only gambled because he wanted to see how easy it was to see someone else defeated. He didn’t use his emotions- he used logic. After that, surprisingly- he didn’t get addicted to gambling like many do. Luckily, his parents weren’t aware of what he did in his spare time and they didn’t really care, either.

His parents only cared that when he finally turned 21, he would take over the company- or when his dad retired and handed him the company. Chenle was completely fine with that but wanted to have a hobby that was amusing to the eye.

Once he got home back from gambling at an ungodly hour, he headed to his room. There was a golden envelope with his name written in calligraphy. He turned his head slightly, murmuring a slight “huh?” and opened the envelope. His eyes turned wide at the contents of the letter. He was invited to go to the most important event of the year, held once a year, the talk of the year- NCT, something anyone would die to attend. The only thing that went through his head was how much money he would make if he would gamble with the rich people attending the event.

“You’re gonna have to attend, alright?” His mother said, taking another sip from her coffee.

“I know. It’s next week, right?”

“Yes, so after your meetings and lunch go and get your suit tailored.” She smiled, and grabbed her bag heading out the door.

Chenle sighed, at the sight of the empty house and how alone he was in the morning. Once he finished his breakfast he headed out to his meetings.

The day finally arrived and his mood was going downhill. ‘It had to be on a saturday, didn’t it?’ Chenle rolled his eyes, knowing he won’t be able to go to the casino. He silently sat in the dining room waiting for his father to finish going through documents inside his office. “Your father is ready to see you.” His mother said, opening the door to the office, making Chenle stand up and head inside.

His father glanced at him and then back at his computer and continued typing. Chenle walked over to his father’s desk, causing him to stop typing and clasped his hands, “I heard your friends are also going to the event.” Chenle noded, a barely audible ‘yes’ coming out of his mouth.

“Well, besides that, put out some good words for the company and try to get us as many new customers you can.”

“Yes, father.”

Chenle’s head swayed back and forth, making his eyes flutter shut at the soft jazz music playing in the background while people talked amongst themselves. As his head was about to fall to the table, Jisung smacks the back of his head, causing him to jolt awake. Jisung laughs and says, “At this rate, you might as well go home.”

Chenle looks at his watch and sighs, “It hasn’t even been an hour.”

Jeno sits next to him and says, “Did your father tell you to promote his company?”

“Yeah- like always.”

Suddenly, two plates of food were placed in front of him, “While you’re at it, you should eat lots of food!” Jaemin grabbed one plate and started digging in.

“He’s not wrong. We’re all probably gonna be stuck here for the rest of the night.” Renjun said, trying to grab food out of Jaemin’s plate.

Chenle checks his watch again, realizing only two minutes have passed, sighing. He looked around trying to come up with a plan on how to leave without anyone noticing in order to go to the casino. He stands up waving slightly, “Anyways, I’ll catch you guys later.”

“Where are you going?” Donghyuck says, his mouth stuffed with food.

“It’s a saturday.”

All of them collectively sigh at Chenle- knowing he was doing something he wasn’t supposed to do, but allowed him to do it anyways since they were all friends.

Chenle wandered around aimlessly around the building. Trying to find an exit that was not the front door seemed harder than he thought. At times he got distracted at how many people he had to greet or how the lights oozed an unexplainable aura. He goes up the flight of stairs trying to see if there was a way out. As he looks around, he stops and gazes at you- because of how dark it is, he doesn’t recognize who you are. But all he knows is, he has never seen you before at these past parties. Even though a lot of people attend, he knows everyone by memory. He continues going up the stairs trying to get a closer look at you, trying not to lose sight of you either. He shakes his head, thinking about how he should find an exit instead.

About two hours later, he enters the gambling den and a familiar smell lingers around causing him to smile. It has only been a week but he already missed the sounds of the slots and the ambient music playing in the background. As he was walking to the furthest part of the den, he noticed how many people were causing a commotion around a table of blackjack. There you were. Betting with some random old rich man. Chenle shook his head lightly, sighing at the fact that you most likely have lost- if not thousands by now. He signals towards a dealer near your table and shifts his eyes towards you, asking what you were doing here.

“They’ve been here for an hour. And they’ve won all their games already.”

His ears perked up to that new piece of information. All games won? Chenle loves a challenge. As he walks towards your table, watching you win. He reaches his hand out, “Let’s play a simple game of poker, shall we? I heard you’re pretty good for the hour you’ve already been here.”

“You’re not afraid to lose?” You say scanning Chenle’s face.

“Absolutely not, I have faith in myself.”

You were in his territory after all, why would he be afraid? Especially if he’s never seen you around. So he put all his chips to bet.

“Already? But it’s just the first game” You furrowed your eyebrows debating whether to believe if he was really good at this game.

“One game is all I need.” Chenle said, as he sat down.

You smirked, realizing how confident he sounded, you placed all your chips down, too.

And so, the game began with the dealer handing both of you 7 cards. People were already gathering around the both of you. Watching and waiting for this weird tension to be cut. With your poker faces on, the game began, rotating from one another.

“Raise” You said, causing Chenle to look up from his cards again. Although Chenle looked unaffected from the outside, he was confused, why would you raise again? Was your hand actually that much better than his? Or were you just bluffing? His hand wasn’t all that good, but he needed to win. He always wins. But this game seemed to feel like it was taking too long.

“Raise, too” Not wanting to back down, Chenle was determined to win. He never felt like he was going to lose against you. Maybe you had a one hour win streak, but he was about to break it.

Full house. A tie. Everyone started murmuring around the table. A tie? Against the infamous Chenle? Even Chenle looked slightly upset at this. But even this had a solution, he had the highest kind of a full house, automatically winning.

“Congrats, I’m Y/n by the way. New to the area, heard the rumors, and I guess they were true! Let’s do this again next time, shall we?” Before Chenle could speak, you were heading out, and he was too stunned at the fact that he almost lost a game to some newbie.

“The Zhong Chenle.. almost lost?” Haechan said, bursting out in laughter. Jisung and Jaemin seemed to hold in their laughter in order to not hurt his ego, but hearing Heachans contagious laugh, they couldn’t hold it in.

“Guys stop laughing, this should come off as surprising instead. I mean, a newbie? And a tie at that?” Mark said, while also trying not to laugh. Jeno shook his head, looking at the ground, not wanting to add fuel to the fire.

“I lost my mind that night. I don’t know what to feel.” Chenle sighed, still astonished by what happened almost a week ago.

“Are you gonna go tonight?” Jeno asked, out of curiosity.

“Take us with you this time! I wanna see you get your ass kicked!” Renjun hit Chenle’s shoulder playfully.

He sighed and nodded, “Fine, just don’t say anything stupid.”

Night fall came, which meant gambling night! Chenle brought the boys and was looking around to see if you would show up again. And so, you did.

You walked up to Chenle, tapping him on his soldier, innocently smiling, “Hi! I sure hope you weren’t too hung up on last week’s match” To that remark, Chenle felt his neck burn up, out of embarrassment. The boys looked at him, their jaws almost dropping. They didn’t expect that to be the way the night was starting, but it was probably going to go downhill from that.

After a few games, that Chenle obviously won. Your interest in him peaked, you were the same age as him after all, and wanted to know what made him more special than the rest. But your ultimate goal was to win a game against him in less than 5 months. This caused you to show up to the den even on the days Chenle never showed up for. But of course, he found out a week after, so he started showing up more, just to see what you were up to. It was strange, really. Both of you were gamblers, but the fact that he felt a connection with you since he tied a game with you was what kept him wondering. The fact that you kept coming and blowing up thousands of dollars just to play with him was also strange. You were a good gambler, keeping Chenle invested in your games. And so, you would meet outside of the gambling den, during the daytime to eat lunch or even dinner. He learned your hobbies, besides gambling all your money away and learned you were an exchange student with rich parents in the other side of the earth that would send you pocket money every weekend to treat yourself. Of course, they didn’t know you were blowing it off to some games every weekend, as long as you kept it hidden and kept a low profile, everything would be fine.

Chenle felt like the closest person you’ve met in your life. You cherished your friendship with him, but after realizing it’s been 4 months since you’ve known him, you felt a strange sensation of wanting to be even closer to him. And you didn’t know if he felt the same. You didn’t want to risk it anyways. The fact that you managed to figure out how to beat him after 8 weeks of gambling with him and keeping up an act to let him win was something you didn’t wanna tell him. But you were going home for the summer soon and wanted to know if you were even coming back. So you decided to wait 2 more weeks and win against him officially.

“I can’t believe you’re leaving soon.” Chenle said, sitting down at your usual table.

“And I’m spending my last days at the casino, how funny is it?” You smiled feeling a sense of competitiveness rush up. “By the way, can I pick the game?”

Chenle nodded realizing they haven’t played a few certain games in a while. And one of them was poker. “Poker it is.”

As always, people were dying to see Chenle play against anyone, knowing he would win. But this time you weren’t gonna hesitate. As the dealer handed you cards, you realized you had to win no matter what.

A straight flush. Everyone cheered around you. Chenle seemed to have gotten the second highest hand out of the deck, and there was no way your bluff was going to work against him. So, you showed your cards. A royal flush. The highest hand. Everyone stood quiet. Even Chenle couldn’t believe his eyes. He clapped, slowly causing everyone around you to cheer, “I knew you could do it, I always believed you.”

As if it was the adrenaline or the amount of people around you, you suddenly spoke and said “Chenle, I like you”

People took this as a cue and fled to different directions, not wanting to know what was going to happen next. Chenle’s eyes widened slightly and chuckled lightly, “I like you too, so come back as soon as you can”

That summer, Chenle would finally take over the company, which meant he would stop gambling if he didn’t wanna risk the future of the company. And you were working under your parent’s company but managed to land a sweet deal with Chenle’s company while his father still ran it and was allowed to work back with Chenle.

Taking trips to Sin City was something you adored with Chenle. The faces of other gamblers were priceless when you or him managed to win flawlessly, and with no “record” of ever gambling before. You hardly ever lost any money, so it was only ever done for fun.

“Chenle, I want to tell you something..”

“Go on”

“I figured out how to beat you and let you win multiple times afterwards.”

“Oh, it clicked to me the first time we met, I think I got lucky the first time we met.”

“Wait- really?”

“Yeah, but I was also really lucky that we met that night, I mean what were the odds?” Chenle says, planting a kiss on your lips gently, causing both of you to reminisce about the first time you met.

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thelastofharrington · 2 years ago

Text

lover's landline

an: hi! here's a little band!steve for you :)

wc: 2.2k

warnings/tags: phone sex, praise, steve is in a band and you're his dotting gf, afab!reader, smut minors dni!!, who wouldn't miss this???

enjoy!!

You loved Steve Harrington more than anything. Your sweet, charismatic, talented boy. There was nothing in this world you would trade for him, there was no denying that.

Which is what made nights like this so hard.

Steve has been gone for a little over a week, going on a mini midwest tour with his college band he had started freshman year. You were so proud of him, and normally you’d go with him, but you had midterms coming up and couldn’t risk finishing your senior year with a horrible GPA. Steve had already graduated, to the delight of himself and little surprise to you, so now he was free to pick up everything and go to a two-night stint in Chicago in the middle of the week if he wanted to. But that left you all alone on a Friday night, studying done and nothing to do.

You could of course call up your friends and hit up the same old stale college bars you frequented, but that just didn’t seem right tonight. You wanted your Stevie. It made you feel slightly pathetic, but mostly just lucky to have someone in your life that you loved so much. But still, just a little pathetic.

What was more pathetic? The ache between your thighs. You and Steve had a very healthy sex life. There was nothing hotter to you than him. Doesn’t even matter what he was doing, what he was wearing, what he was saying, there was about a 80% chance you were thinking about him with his hands all over you, and these thought patterns didn’t just cease because he wasn’t around. If anything, they grew stronger.

You knew what he was like on stage. He became the best version of himself. Front man and lead guitarist Steve Harrington knew how to put on a show. The way he engaged with the audience was unlike anything you had ever seen. All eyes were on him the whole time as he jumped around the stage, nailed every guitar solo, and sang every lyric like the angel that he was. All of the guys in the venue wanted to be him, and all the girls wanted to be with him. This much was certain by the inevitable band of girls and groupies waiting for him outside the venue every single time. If you were less secure, this might have been something that bothered you. But you found it kind of cute, how adored he was. It was cute because you know the truth: that you were waiting for him in the dressing room, ready for him to take out all of that post-show energy on you.

Except for tonight.

Tonight you were at home all wound up thinking about him owning the crowd, his fingers working the guitar strings, his lips forming the lyrics to your favorite songs. It was enough to drive you absolutely insane. You could go out with your friends to get your mind off him, but you doubted it would work. You were already too far gone.

You looked over at the clock by your bed. 10:34 PM it read in bright neon green letters. If his show started at 8, he probably was already back at the hotel, if him and the band didn’t go out to the bars after. You decided to take your chances and call the hotel room number he gave you earlier that day.

You cradled the phone between your shoulder and cheek, the tension in your body growing tighter with every ring. Your thighs were already tight together on their own volition, desperately trying to relieve the yearning there.

Finally, he answered. “Hello there, baby,” He drawled into the phone. You could immediately tell that they had gone out to the bars for a drink or two, probably just now getting back to their hotel.

Your face heats up at the pet name, “Hi Stevie.”

You could hear him adjusting himself into bed, “I miss you,” He said finally after a couple seconds of rustling blankets and sheets. “I wish you were there tonight, the show was siiiiiiiick. I crowd surfed and no one even dropped me.”

“That’s great baby,” You giggled. Imagining Steve high on the thrill of the crowd, euphoria washing over him as he trusted complete strangers to keep him from falling made you smile. You were so happy he was getting to live his dream, even on the small scale of dive bars and college campuses.

He laughed with you for a moment before continuing, “How’s your night going?”

You paused for a moment, trying to figure out how you wanted to continue. Shyness flooded your cheeks as you realized what you really wanted. “It’s been alright Stevie but,” You gather all the courage you can, “The truth is…I miss you so bad.”

The frown is noticeable in his response, “I miss you too baby, I can’t wait to see you this weekend when I’m finally home.”

“No, baby, I um,” You struggle to find the right words to convey how you’re feeling, “I miss you.”

His tipsy head couldn’t quite wrap his mind around what you were insinuating, “I know baby but we talked about this, sometimes I’ll be gone and you’ll be there and it won’t be forever but sometimes it just has to be like this-”

“Steve I’m so horny!” You surprise yourself by cutting him off. Your hand flies over your mouth and you go to apologize when you hear him on the other line, his voice dropping what feels like several octaves.

“Ohhhhhh. I see baby. I see.”

Your face is absolutely flooded with red, even though there’s no one there to be embarrassed in front of. You can’t even speak.

“You miss me, I get it now.” You hear him rustling around the bed again, you assume he’s sitting up by the way he grunts slightly. “Well we can’t have that, can we?”

Before you realize what you’re doing, you shake your head no.

“I want to hear you, baby.”

“N-no. No we can’t,” You finally spit out.

You swear you hear the zipper of jeans on the other line before he continues, “Tell me baby, what is it that you miss exactly?”

You swallow before answering, “I miss you Stevie. I miss your hands on me, I miss everything.”

He groans in response, the sound going straight to your center. “I miss my hands on you too baby, I wish I could grab a handful of you right now.”

You blush and let out a whimper before you can stop yourself.

“I love that sound, baby. I love all of your sounds. Can you make some more for me? Are you touching yourself?”

You weren’t yet, but you had thought about it. This prompting gave you the strength you needed to trail your fingers down to the waistband of your cotton underwear, teasing yourself a little bit before dipping your fingers underneath to your wet center. “Yes, Stevie. I’m touching myself.” Your fingers weren’t as calloused or long or thick as Steve’s but they still felt good on your clit and you couldn’t help but let out a whine as you started rubbing circles on yourself.

He huffs out a strong moan on the other end of the line, “Me too baby, me too. Thinking about you in your bed with your fingers down the front of your panties got me feeling crazy, baby. What are you thinking about while you touch that pretty pussy?”

Steve was usually vocal in bed, but something about the distance made this all seem even more obscene.

“I’m um, I’m thinking about…” You’re trying so hard to focus on what it is you want to say while your sensory intake is in overdrive. “I’m thinking about you.”

“What about me baby? I want you to say it.” His voice is so bogged down with lust you almost can’t hear him.

You take a deep breath before continuing, “I’m thinking about your cock, Stevie.”

“Good girl. Now, was that so hard?” His cockiness is palpable. “Baby, I want you to stick your fingers in that pussy and pretend that it’s me. Can do you that for me?”

Your response is automatic as you do what you’re told, “Yes, I can do that.”

“Mmmm good girl. I wish I could see you right now. Just a mess for me with your fingers in your pussy. I bet you’re wet, huh? Just soaked thinking about me giving you my cock the way you like it.”

“Yes, Steve,” Your response comes out breathier than you expected, but you don’t have the faculties to feel embarrassed. You’re pumping your fingers with such ease, the sound your wetness is creating is absolutely filthy. “Just for you.”

“Fuck, baby. You make my cock so hard.” His words are straining, “Just want to feel that tight pussy around it.”

Your fingers are going even harder at this point, switching between your clit and your opening in a dizzying pattern, just like Steve does it. “It feels so good Stevie,” You whine

You can hear his breathing growing more and more rapid, “Oh baby I wish I was there. I wish I was there to give you my cock. Those pretty little fingers don’t feel better than I do, do they?” He quips at the end and you can hear the smirk on his face.

Your pussy tightens around your finger as you hear him talk, “No baby, never as good as you. Nothing is as good as you.”

“What do you want me to do to you when I get home, baby?”

Your brain was starting to get fuzzy with need and impending orgasm but you muster up the honest truth, “I want you to fuck me hard.”

“How baby? Tell me.”

Your orgasm is coming on at any moment, so you visualize what you can and spell it out for him. “I want to ride you, but I want you to hold my hips and fuck up into me while I do it. I love that baby.”

A groan rips through his throat, “Yeah baby I love that too. I love that so much, “You can tell he’s losing it a bit, “Baby, I want you to cum for me. I’m so close I just want to hear you cum for me.”

You’re not used to cumming on your own anymore, haven’t really had much of a need to. And even before Steve, it was hard to cum on your own. You really didn’t know if you were going to be able to.

“Stevie…” You whined. You wanted to cum, you really did. You had worked yourself up so high. You just needed a little extra push that he wasn’t there to give.

“Baby, just keep doing what you’re doing but pretend it’s me. Pretend it’s my fingers inside that pussy,” His breathing was getting more and more uneven by the second, “I’m going to cum and I want you to do it with me. I know you can baby, be a good girl for me and cum. Give it to me.”

His words were certainly spurring you along, you didn’t want to let him down and you really, really wanted to cum.

He keeps going, “I’m thinking about that pretty pussy and how bad I want to fuck it. You gonna be a good girl for me and let me have it when I get home?”

“Yes, Stevie. It’s all yours. I’m all yours,” His filthy words were sparking something in you that was so hot and heady and familiar. You were going to cum if he kept talking to you like that.

“Damn right it’s all mine baby. That’s my girl. That’s my pussy,” He stops to groan again, “Baby, I’m so close please tell me you’re there.

You move your fingers from your pussy to your clit and start caressing yourself in heated, fast figure 8’s. You were so close you didn’t even have to lie when you said, “Yes baby I’m almost there.”

“Gooooood girl, Y/N. Fucking yourself for me while I’m away. Being such a perfect slut for me even when I’m not home.”

And with that, you were a goner. By some miracle you were able to cum and it was a big one. Your vision went white and your limbs turned to jello as you attempted to gather yourself up. The sounds you were making sent Steve over the edge, too, and you both were left in your post-orgasmic haze together.

“I really do miss you, Stevie,” You all but whisper into the phone.

He sighs contently over the other end of the line, “I know baby, I miss you too. I’ll be home in a couple of days and we can do that for real, ok? And then I get to actually hold my girl after rather than this phone.”

“Will you fall asleep on the phone with me?” You ask before you let out a yawn you barely saw coming. Your exhaustion had hit you like a truck.

He chuckles and replies sweetly, “Yes my sweet girl, I will fall asleep on the phone with you.”

#steve harrington x y/n #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington smut #steve harrington #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington fic #my writing

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annot8 · 7 months ago

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Top 20 RotE Moments

(Would love to know what everyone else’s favourite moments are! 20 is probs a little bit overkill but there are so many!)

Spoilers for all of RotE under the cut

20. Chade tells Fitz to go after the Servants - Fool's Quest

- Chade infuriates me to no end. But I can’t bring myself to hate him. This moment, where he only has sparing of lucidity, he subtly tells Fitz to go after Bee, even if the King doesn’t allow it. It’s a really lovely moment of two old assassins planning to deceive everyone one last time :)

19. The Quarrel - Golden Fool

- What a scene. This was crazy. Fitz’s rampant denial and homophobia was building up the whole book, and everything came to a boil here. Fitz was ready to give the Fool a piece of his mind, and the Fool completely destroyed him. Deserved. The bit that breaks my heart tho is that the Fool thought the flowers were from Fitz - I can’t with these two.

17. The night in Aslevjal - Fool's Fate

- I was dreading Fitz and the Fool’s reunion after Fitz left him behind, but I was pleasantly surprised by how warmly they greeted each other. After the Golden Fool Divorce, I was so relieved to see them get along. And who doesn’t love a ‘stay with me’ moment?

16. Alise and Cedric reject Hest together in Kelsingra - Blood of Dragons

- Hest kinda went through it in this book and I was worried we were heading down a redemption route. Thank god we got this instead. This was such a satisfying moment.

18. Fitz and Ketrricken mourn Nighteyes - Golden fool

What a lovely moment. I had been waiting for Fitz to fall apart from Nighteyes’ death, and this was probably the healthiest way to deal with it. God, I love Kettricken. I always loved her friendship with Nighteyes and I’m glad she was allowed to mourn as well.

15. The Traders come together to clean the concourse - Ship of Destiny

- Such a small but impactful moment. The traders had really rejected the Vestrits (mostly due to Davad Restart bulldozing their reputation along with his own). And in this moment, they returned to their ruined hall, and they see a lone old woman - whose family is missing and maybe dead - sweeping and continuing their traditions. And slowly, one by one, they all join in and help. No matter what else divides them, they are all Traders.

14. Fitz 'steals' Shrewd's knife and stabs it into Chade’s fireplace - Assassin's Apprentice

- My baby’s first proper act of defiance. I was very proud of my boy. And while Chade can be quite a cold character (the events that led up to this moment are proof of that),, the fact that he never moved the knife also says something about his feeling for Fitz. God, Chade makes me feel so many things.

13. Molly gives birth to Nettle - Assassin's Quest

- “and as prefect as she is, what would she have to cry about?” Why don’t you shoot in the face? This scene broke me. Molly being pregnant was admittedly the most obvious plot twist of all time but the payoff was beautiful. Burrich acted exactly the way I thought he would. And what can I say, I love Molly.

12. Fitz shows Patience his drawing of the dog - Assassin's Apprentice

- I think (it was over a year ago) but I think this was maybe the first time I cried at this series. Fitz is so desperate to do something Patience will be proud of, then he suddenly feels foolish, holding his little piece of paper with a dog on it. And then Patience sees it, asks who drew it, and is so proud of him when he says he did. You should have been mind! Ahh, kill me!

11. Fitz and the Fool reunite - Fool's Errand + Fitz and the fool reunite in Jhaampe - Assassin's Quest

- I had to put these together. They’re both so good, and both are followed by these warm times of relative peace. In AQ, the Fool doesn’t realise it’s Fitz, and in FE, Fitz doesn’t realise it’s the Fool. These bits parallel each other so beautifully and in both, their peaceful time together is broken by a calling from the Farseer crown.

10. Malta negotiates independence for Bingtown - Ship of destiny

- SHE IS THAT GIRL. Malta’s arc was so unbelievably satisfying and I was proud of her here. She had released Tintaglia, saved the satrap and his companion, learned from Kekki, held her own on that ship, and stood up for Bingtown before Kennit and the Satrap. Love Love Love.

9. Bee burns down the scroll library of clerres - Assassin’s Fate

- Ahhhhh!!!!! That’s my baby!!!!! My destroyer!!!! Bee goes through so much for someone so young, and she’s the only one wise enough to know that they must let go of the past. She begins the dragon’s vengeance and brings about the destruction of Clerres. Good for her.

8. You're not dead son - Royal Assassin

- Shut up, shut up, shut up!!!! I cannot do this!!!! The days as the wolf were so well written and this was such an emotional conclusion. Burrich, the man that you are. To see him momentarily set aside his absolute hatred of the Wit to save his boy just showed how much he loved Fitz. It’s the devastating culmination of Burrich’s parenting skills and it broke me in a way that no other scene in this entire series has broken me!

7. Burrich and Swift defeat the stone dragon - Fool's Fate

- if Burrich is gonna do one thing, it’s accept the Wit in order to save a son. This display of strength and love was so beautiful! And I was happy to see Swift have his moment!

6. Kettricken's Speech before the Forge Hunt - Royal Assassin

- Such an underrated scene. Kettricken really comes into her own here. She really becomes the Queen-in-Waiting of the Six Duchies in this moment. She impresses everyone - even Chade. I think this is where Verity falls in love with her, and of course, we get to see Verity slap Regal.

5. Prince FitzChivalry Farseer is welcomed home - Fool's quest

- I WEPT. I could not believe what I was reading. We get Starling’s song - which was such a brilliant moment of payoff for her character. And then, of all people, it’s Chade to walk over to Fitz. A man who is obsessed with secrets is the one to tell Fitz it’s time to do away with disguises and secrets. Oh my godddddd.

4. Nighteyes' last hunt - fool's errand

- I had to reread this scene because I had not at all processed what had happened. I was in public! I was on a train, sat next to a stranger, and there were silent tears running down my face. I love Nighteyes and I knew it was coming eventually, but I was not expecting it in this book. His ‘I was sure you would want to come with me,’ is one of the saddest lines in the whole thing.

3. Fitz, Beloved, and Nighteyes become go into the stone wolf and become one being - Assassin’s Fate

- what am I supposed to do with this? This was perfect and devastating. It was where they were always heading towards. Love without limits.

2. Fitz brings the fool back from the dead - Fool's Fate

- Imagine merging souls and calling him by your own name and calling him your dream, believing you can’t go on without him, and uprooting fate with love and passion and bringing him back to life. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

1. The Stone Dragons awake / Fitzloved kiss - Assassin's Quest

- The moment the first trilogy built up to. This moment seared these books onto my heart. From Verity’s sacrifice, Kettle’s redemption, Starling getting the story for her song, Kettricken fully becoming Sacrifice and getting pregnant, the Fool seeing his prophecy become fulfilled and kissing Fitz, and Fitz using the Wit to awake the stone dragons and saving the Six Duchies from the Red Ship Raiders!!!!!!! A perfect ending!

#rote spoilers #rote #realm of the elderlings #fantasy #farseer trilogy #Liveship traders #tawny man #rain wild chronicles #fitz and the fool

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linagram · 5 months ago

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[ 𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚋𝚊 𝙽𝚊𝚘𝚖𝚒'𝚜 𝚃𝟹 𝚅𝙳] 𝙰 𝙶𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚄𝚙 𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍'𝚜 𝚃𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚖

naomi's vd and mv.. oh these ones.. these were hard to write. i feel bad for naomi but i also can't deny that she's a very messed up person..

Warnings for Naomi's VD: descriptions of murder, violence, abusive family dynamics.

Warnings for Naomi's MV: themes of physical and emotional abuse, descriptions of violence.

(sounds of footsteps)

Miki: Do you.. think Ishizu-san is going to be okay?

Hinode: Well, we took the memories of Eiko-san talking about Eiji-san, so he probably should feel less jealous of him now..

Hinode: But I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up remembering Eiji-san once he sees him again.

Miki: Speaking of Eiji-san.. When is he going to show up?

Miki: It's time to interrogate the fourth prisoner and he's still not with us..

Hinode: Ah.. Let's not worry about that for now.

Hinode: I'm sure he will join us very soon.

Miki: .. He's still alive, right?

Hinode: Why wouldn't he be? It was just a broken arm, I'm sure he's fine.

(the door opens)

Miki: Hello, Chiba-san. We're here to-

Naomi: Akasaki Tao.

Miki: What-

Naomi: Akasaki Tao, 10 years old. He was my student and my victim.

Hinode: .. Starting with this, huh?

Naomi: I just want this to end as soon as possible. Ask me anything you want and I will answer.

Miki: .. Are you mad at us, Chiba-san?

Naomi: "Mad"? *laughs* I'm not mad at all. Just.. confused, maybe?

Naomi: Like.. I just want to know why.

Naomi: Why would you change your mind so suddenly? Maybe my video showed you something you didn't like?

Naomi: Did you finally realize just how bad my crime was?

Miki: .. I guess you could say so. But also..

Miki: *in a lower voice* Chiba-san, we already know that you're a child murderer, but you really couldn't sit through three trials without trying to kill another kid, huh?

Naomi: .. Hm? What's that supposed to mean-

Naomi: Ah.. I understand now.

Naomi: My apologies, my memory has been quite blurry lately.

Naomi: Probably because of my punishment.

Hinode: Naomi-san, just why do you dislike children so much? Do you just find them annoying?

Hinode: Or maybe you're jealous of them?

Naomi: ...

Naomi: *laughs* Why would I be jealous of that brat?

Naomi: I'm talking about both Asahi and Tao right now.

Naomi: God, they're literally one and the same. It's almost like Asahi is a reincarnation of Tao- Never mind, he's actually older than him.

Hinode: Well, even though Asahi-san's personality is.. quite unique, he's not completely alone.

Hinode: He's very close with Miki-san and lately, he seems to have become friends with some other prisoners, like Akio-san and Kei-san.

Hinode: Yes, there are prisoners who would gladly hurt him, like you and Yurika-san, but..

Hinode: Asahi-san is still loved. And you aren't.

Naomi: .. It's kind of cruel to say things like that, don't you think so, Hinode-san?

Naomi: But it's true.. I wonder why I wasn't able to become close with any of the prisoners.

Naomi: Maybe there's just something wrong with me.

Naomi: Maybe I'm just not a cute child who can get away with anything, no matter how immoral and disgusting their actions are-

Naomi: ...

Naomi: Haha.. Fine. Maybe I really am jealous.

Naomi: .. But I still can't be mad at Tao. I still feel guilty about murdering him.

Naomi: .. Tao's family didn't care about him at all. He came from a family that was very well-known in our town and they had such a good reputation, but we didn't know what was going on behind closed doors.

Naomi: His family.. was very similar to mine, actually. Maybe that's why I feel bad for him.

Naomi: His parents weren't sad about his death. Honestly, maybe they actually were relieved.

Naomi: His classmates weren't sad about his death. Some of them even were happy about it. Children really can be so cruel sometimes, haha..

Naomi: So when I found out about his situation.. I just didn't know how to feel. Was I supposed to cry? Was I supposed to be angry? Was I supposed to be happy and proud that I've ended his suffering?

Miki: .. I think we saw Tao-san's parents talking to you in your second video.

Naomi: Ah.. Right. They did talk to me about Tao and.. the way they treated him.

Miki: T-they've just told you everything?!

Naomi: Um.. Kind of. However, they also made sure to make it sound like..

Naomi: It was Tao's fault from the start.

Naomi: "Oh, he was just too hard to control!", "He wouldn't understand us if we tried something else!", "We've always told him to be careful, but he didn't listen!"

Miki: ...

Hinode: Miki-san, is everything okay?

Miki: .. Y-yes. I'm fine. I'm fine.

Miki: .. Did they know that you were the one who killed him?

Naomi: *shrugs* Not sure. But I feel like most people knew it was me.

Naomi: I.. don't remember the days after my murder that well, but for some reason, people were more worried about me than Tao.

Naomi: Like they looked at me and kept saying "It wasn't your fault" and they told me just how good of a teacher I am.

Naomi: Tao's death felt.. like some kind of twisted celebration.

Naomi: Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the whole town celebrated a kid dying, but it was more like..

Naomi: .. He caused everyone a lot of trouble. Nobody had any good memories related to him.

Naomi: And his parents really made it sound like he was just being his usual self when he died.

Naomi: He just wasn't careful enough. It was an accident. It wasn't anybody's fault, except it was kind of his fault.

Naomi: And because of their reputation and my family's reputation, people just thought of it as a sad little story and didn't think too much about it.

Naomi: They knew that if they think more deeply about it, they'd probably get in trouble for doubting our families.

Miki: ...

Hinode: Miki-san, if you're not feeling well, you don't have to-

Miki: .. How did you kill him?

Naomi: Hm? You never saw it in the video?

Miki: Just tell me how you killed him.

Naomi: Well.. To put it simply, I ran him over.

Naomi: *laughs* Mom was right, I really am not the best driver.

Miki: Did you do it on purpose? Was it planned?

Naomi: No, not at all. It just.. happened, I guess.

Hinode: .. It wasn't intentional?

Naomi: It's still a murder though. It doesn't matter if it was intentional or not.

Naomi: It was a rainy day, I couldn't see that well and my mental state was.. not that good.

Naomi: Everything around me was blurry and even when I saw what I thought was some kind of silhouette, I didn't stop.

(bell rings, machinery sounds)

Naomi: Ah, is the interrogation over already?

Hinode: Naomi-san, but why were your mental state "not that good"? Did something happen?

Naomi: .. Haha, don't worry about it. Just my mother being.. my mother, I guess.

Hinode: You're the oldest prisoner here and you still felt like you have to do everything your mother says?

Naomi: ...

Hinode: You've said that your family is very similar to Tao-san's.. Could it be that your mother also often said that "you weren't careful enough" or put all the blame on you?

Naomi: ...

Hinode: .. So it's like.. Even though you're an adult who has a job, can drive and owns a car, has a good reputation, is respected by so many other adults and loved by so many kids..

Hinode: You still feel like a child who will get punished if she does something wrong?

Hinode: It's just that you don't know if you should be afraid of being punished or you should be asking to get punished.

Naomi: .. Haha..

Naomi: Hey, if you think I am so evil, why don't you just kill me already?

Naomi: Do it. End my suffering, just like I've ended Tao's. Come on, a murderer like me doesn't deserve to live.

Miki: We can do just that.

Naomi: Huh?

Miki: Oh, wait.. We can't, actually. You would need like three guilty verdicts for that..

Miki: What a shame. Also, Chiba-san..

Miki: If you're so evil, why should we end your suffering anyway? Please, go ahead and suffer more for us.

Naomi: What-

Miki: And also, stay the fuck away from my brother, thank you very much.

Miki: Prisoner 004, Naomi, sing your sins!

42% ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░░░░░░░░░░ 100%

[ Naomi's Trial 3 MV: Like An Adult ]

The video starts with younger version of Naomi writing something on the blackboard. She smiles and turns to the classroom, looking proud, but then she suddenly gets hit with a paper airplane.

She looks at the classmate who made the airplane and sees that it's actually her victim, Tao.

"I hate it, I hate you, I hate myself

It's always the same every single day

Do you think you're better than me? You're just a stupid child

And I'm the adult here, so I have all the power"

He laughs and Naomi looks around. She sees that all of her classmates are just Tao's clones and all of them are laughing at her. She starts to shake and she walks closer to one of the clones.

"Ugh, I can't take it anymore, so annoying, won't you shut up already?

Looks like I have to solve this problem like an adult would

I have to show that I'm stronger, I have to show that I'm better

Violence is the only way to stay in control"

She grabs the chair next to him and starts beating the boy with it and it looks a lot like her Undercover MV scene, where she does the same thing, but to one of the guards. She laughs as she does so and she starts beating other boys with that chair as well.

"Your looks, your posture, your voice, your face

Everything about you is not mature enough

Don't laugh, don't cry, look them right in the eyes but not for too long

Go on, look at me, be honest with me, don't feel sorry for me, just like an adult would"

But then, Naomi hears someone's steps and turns to look for the source of the sound and she immediately drops the chair. She doesn't notice that all of the clones are already lying on the floor, covered in blood. She can only see her mother, standing in front of her, looking shocked and disgusted.

"Oh no, am I still a disappointment to you?

Am I still not enough? Am I still too much?

Being a failure is the only thing I'm winning at

So please reward me for at least trying my best"

The setting changes and now we can see a playground. Naomi's younger version is sitting on a swing and we can see that she has some bandaids on her legs and arms. Naomi sees a kid playing with his mother and being happy and having fun, but when the mother leaves, the kid casually breaks the toy he got from her, not seeing it as a big deal.

"Can't you be more grateful? You have everything I don't

Nothing is ever enough for you, you're just a parasite

So I have no choice but to crush you like a bug"

Something about his behavior angers Naomi and she attacks the boy, making him fall on the ground. Everything around Naomi is blurry and she can't even see the boy's face clearly, but it looks like she's really enjoying this. And then, her mother appears again, but this time, she looks older. And we see Naomi's older version still attacking the boy as well. The boy looks a lot like a certain prisoner too.

"Ah, looks like I will never change

I am still a stupid child in your eyes

Not good enough, not good enough

No matter how hard I try, I will never truly grow up"

It starts raining and we can see Naomi and her mother walking somewhere. Naomi's mother looks really angry and she's yelling at her, but Naomi doesn't seem to care and her eyes look completely empty. Even after her mother slaps her, she still doesn't care much and even laughs. She walks to her car, ignoring her mother who seems to be against her driving, and simply smiles at her as she closes the car door.

The rain gets worse and we can see flashes of lightning. Naomi is driving and it looks like she's very close to having a mental breakdown. She seems to be having trouble breathing and she's crying and laughing at the same time and she's not looking at the road. When she finally looks at it, we can only see another lightning flash and it's brighter than before.

We see a room that looks kinda familiar and it feels like we've seen it in Naomi's second video. Naomi's mother opens the door and runs into the room, looking worried. She tries to talk to two people who seem to be Tao's parents, but they interrupt her and ask her to follow them. She agrees and they walk into a different room. When the door opens, Naomi's mother gets even more shocked than in the beginning of the video and her face goes pale and we can see drops of sweat on her face. And then we see what made her react this way.

"My looks, my posture, my voice, my face

Everything about me is not mature enough

Don't laugh, don't cry, look them right in the eyes but not for too long

Please say you feel sorry for me, just like a good parent would"

There's younger Naomi, sitting on the couch, completely covered in bruises and scratches, her hair is a mess, her eyes are even more empty, even her pose looks unnatural, but she's still smiling. It's actually the biggest and most sincere smile we've ever seen from Naomi. She starts laughing again and as she does so, her mother covers her mouth with her hand, refusing to believe that this is happening and Tao's parents help her leave the room.

"Nothing but a disappointment, nothing but a disappointment

Useless child pretending to be an adult

A teacher who has nothing to teach

A failure who has nothing left to fail at"

Naomi just continues laughing and clapping her hands and even crying tears of joy, but then the scene changes and we see the real Naomi, staring directly at the viewer, with eyes that are completely black and her face shows no emotions at all.

"So won't you crush me already?"

The video ends.

#tbh shun and naomi are the most “difficult to judge” prisoners in my opinion #both of them are obviously mentally ill and they definitely need help and friends/family that they could actually trust #but also i really don't think that even if they got the help they needed they would stop being like that #like.. the trauma was too bad especially in naomi's case. sorry 😔#🎤 voice dramas! 🎤#🌼guard 002: andou miki 🌼#❤️‍🩹 guard 003: kuroki hinode ❤️‍🩹#🌿prisoner 004: chiba naomi🌿#milgram #milgram oc #milgram project #ocgram

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alexagirlie · 8 months ago

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We Daren't Go A-Hunting for Fear of Little Men - Chapter 4

(Masterlist)

(a/n not me updating this fic after working on chapter 4 for 2 years, Please be proud of me and give me all the love)

Fandom: Dune

Ship: Paul x OMC, Paul x Duncan

Summary: They stuck to the edge of the cliffs and looked down onto what they could see used to be the enemy camp, now abandoned.

It was located near an ancient ritual site set down at the base of the bluff, the beach spotted with debris and still smoldering fire pits. The enemy must have known they were coming and knowing they were at a disadvantage down in the gulf, they had abandoned their camp.

Warnings: Magic au. Fantasy au. Battle. Injury. Blood. Near death experience. Old Gods. Minor Charactor Deaths. Bit of implief smut at the beginning.

Taglist: @succnfuccubus @softhecreator @almostg @gatoenlaciudad

Duncan made a full recovery from the wounds he had suffered during the attack on Caladan. A fortnight of rest in combination with the green, herby tasting concoction from the healers really did the job, and any lingering ache in his gut was soothed. It didn't fix the ache in his heart or the pit in his stomach that followed his conversation with Paul, but then nothing but time would help with that. He had done the right thing in turning the younger man down, he had.

As soon as Duncan had been cleared to return to active duty, he jumped right into preparing his soldiers for the next assault. He had to get his body back to proper fighting shape, and he used the increased workload to try and not to think about what Paul was getting up to with his new friend behind closed doors. A difficult task as Xander was now one of the Atreides' Warmasters, both for the elite group of soldiers Duncan trained personally and for Paul.

Duncan had approached the Queen about retaining Xander as a tutor to expand Paul's magical education. Lady Jessica had been hesitant at first; she had trained Paul in the magiks of her own sisterhood, the Bene Gesserit, but eventually acknowledged that expanding Paul's education would be a valuable endeavour. Bene Gesserit teachings would help Paul with handling court intrigue and decision making, but Arcane Magik was designed for war and was a skill he should know.

The decision to offer Xander a contract to train the soldiers paid for itself almost immediately as the Atreides spy network discovered that it was their long time enemy, the Geidi Prime Empire, ruled by Vladamir Harkonnen, that had orchestrated the attack on Caladan. They had hired a company of mercenaries from a clan of warriors who worshiped CASONO and EASATH, the gods of dishonourable battle. These mercenaries were known to employ both swordsman and mages alike, so the specialized training Xander could offer would be incredibly beneficial.

When they finally received a new report about the remaining mercenaries within their borders, it was to inform the King that a camp had been found in the western woods, a mere 10 kilometers outside of the capital. Duncan couldn't help but be relieved by the news, as sitting idly had never worked well for him. He needed to deal with this threat to his King and his home.

It would also offer a relief from being in Paul's presence. Duncan had attempted to get over his feelings for the prince but had so far been unsuccessful, and he hoped distance and a good fight would help.

Paul had seemed his normal self after Duncan rejected him; he treated Duncan no differently in public nor in their private interactions. Duncan could admit he was now more aware of the not-so subtle looks Paul gave him and the intense way the Prince watched Duncan, especially during training. But Paul had always looked at Duncan like that; the only difference was that Duncan now knew the emotions behind the scrutiny.

The only real change was a new habit of Duncan catching Paul in compromising situations with his new paramour. One such incident had occurred in the secluded hallway which led to Duncan's quarters after dinner on a warm evening.

Duncan had just changed out of his dinner attire and into a set of threadbare training clothes, with plans for a short private training session, when he stumbled across Paul with a cornered Xander in an alcove. Paul had Xander pushed up against the wall and the Prince was on his knees for him.

Duncan couldn't see exactly what was happening, but the motion of Paul's head, the fingers threaded through his curls, and Xander bitten off moans gave him a pretty good idea of what act was occuring. He had quickly snuck back to his room, chest churning with a mix of jealousy and arousal, and had to take himself in hand. His back was pressed against the closed door, head thrown back, panting hard enough to make his chest heave. It took barely a dozen strokes before he was spilling over his fingers, and his gut filled with shame and guilt.

When he received the orders to deal with the remaining mercenaries, he had been filled with relief at the chance to put some distance between himself and Paul. Duncan wasted no time in gathering his best unit of men and made ready to head out and investigate the reports.

It was too good to be true, however, and it was as though the gods decided to mock Duncan's relief at escaping the Prince and his lover when the King ordered that Paul and Xander were to accompany the party, as their arcane knowledge would be a great asset. Duncan had no reason to deny the King's request, and so the next day, on foot and with just light supplies, the group headed out.

The morning dawned cold and wet, typical for the early fall season in Caladan, and Duncan led the party out the south end of the city. Duncan wanted to make sure they had the element of surprise, so the decision was made that they would travel the long way around to the area where the reports stated the Geidi Empire soldiers were camped out.

Duncan kept the group at a brisk pace; they kept chatting to a minimum and made excellent time. The sun had just reached its highest zenith when they reached the western coastline. They followed the cliff edge until it met the southwest edge of the woods. They made a fast meal of jerky and fresh, sweet apples before Duncan divided his men into groups of twelve to begin their search.

The woods were still, the space between the tall fir trees dark and thick with a dense rolling fog that came in from the ocean. The air smelled of salt and damp.

They searched for hours, up and down the coastline and in the thick woods, but found no sign of the enemy. The sun was well past midday now, and Duncan knew they only had a few hours of daylight left at best.

As each group met back up at their designated rendezvous point, one of Duncan's men finally found a clue. As the fog had cleared throughout the day, a column of black smoke appeared in the distance, further south along the coastline than they had been searching.

Duncan had his men, Paul, and Xander ready themselves before they began to march in that direction.

It took nearly an hour but finally they came to a clearing at the edge of the cliffs, the ground filled with lush, soft looking grass and full red blooms, firelillies.

A bad omen.

Firelillies only grew on ground where blood had been spilt with malice and bad intent. A warning and reminder to any that see them.

They stuck to the edge of the cliffs and looked down onto what they could see used to be the enemy camp, now abandoned.

Duncan pulled Paul and Xander aside to discuss their next move. He looked to Paul first. "What do you want to do?" Duncan could tell that Paul was surprised at Duncan seeking his council. Duncan had almost a decade of experience in this area, and Paul was just there as magical support.

Paul snuck a quick glance at Xander before he met Duncan's eyes again.

Duncan waited as Paul gave his question some thought. "I think we need to go down and check the area for anything they could have left behind."

Duncan held back a grin at Paul's tone, his decision sounding more like a question than a statement. He was right but still needed more experience to build his confidence up. He nodded at Paul to let the younger man know he agreed.

Duncan looked to Xander next. "Can you sense their magic? Would you know if any traps or wards have been laid?" He asked.

Xander's eyes flashed an even brighter shade of blue before he closed them, his head tilted to the side as though he was listening for something.

Duncan swallowed down his impatience as they waited in silence to see what their resident magik expert could detect.

When Xander finally opened his eyes, his answer was not what Duncan had hoped to hear.

"They left their wards up but just knowing that they are there should mean we won't have much trouble passing them. They were most likely used to keep away the local wildlife." Xander paused and licked his lips nervously. Duncan did not like that. "That place… it feels off. What was it, this place?"

Paul was the one who answered. "It used to be a ritual site, a place to make sacrifices to the old gods. It hasn't been used since my grandfather's time, when worshiping the old gods fell out of style."

Xander nodded, a contemplative look on his face. "I won't be able to tell more until we have passed the wards, but we should be careful all the same. Best to refresh the glyphs before we begin our descent."

Decision made, they quickly redrew the warding on their armor and weapons before Duncan and Paul led the men towards the narrow path which cut into the side of the cliff. They left half the men at the top of the incline to guard their retreat, then began the trek down to the beach.

The path was narrow and crumbling, and they could only move two or three men across at any time, so it was slow going.

Duncan knew without needing to ask when they reached the edge of the wards; even he could feel that strange brush of something foreign against his mind. Telling him to turn back, that there was no reason for them to continue down the path.

Knowing the ward was there made it easy for the group to shrug off its effects, but the closer they descended towards the camp, the more Duncan could tell that the mages of the group were still affected by something. As they stepped off the path and onto the sandy shore, both Paul and Xander began to appear very ill. Their pallor changed, getting paler and paler, almost translucent. Their eyes seemed to sink in, with deep purple bruises forming underneath.

Duncan had to steady the prince as he stumbled over an exposed root. "What's wrong? What's happening?"

Paul shook his head sluggishly “I'm not sure…” Paul answered slowly, “it just feels wrong.”

They both turned to look at Xander for answers and Duncan was startled by the mage's appearance. His eyes were completely black with dark veins spreading out over his face, and his skin gone completely white.

His breathing was shallow, his chest moving rapidly, and he sounded out of breath as he answered their silent question. “They have done something to the site,” he explained, “something to corrupt its energy. They have made it dark and twisted. We need to proceed with caution.”

Duncan nodded, “slowly then.”

The group cautiously moved towards the stretch of beach in front of the entrance, the white sand littered with broken pieces of old broken bones and campfire debris. The walls around the entrance were covered in symbols. Runes and Glyphs depicted the Old Gods, including the mother Goddess EVIKA, but Duncan could also make out symbols for NINURTA, LANUARIA and GALAR, all a part of the original pantheon of Gods from which all others were descended from.

As they crossed the last few meters to the cave, both Paul and Xander stumbled and fell to their knees. The mage had his hands clenched on either side of his head, his eyes closed, and face pinched with pain. The prince was fully hunched over, and Duncan could hear the soft pained sounds that escaped his throat.

He rushed to Paul's side and grabbed his shoulders and knelt down so he could look into Paul's face. The Prince's eyes were completely black now too, and were wet with tears of pain.

Duncan was just opening his mouth to give the order for them to retreat, that they needed to regroup and assess whatever was happening to Paul and Xander, when crazed laughter sounded from deeper in the cave. It got louder and louder until a hooded figure stepped into the fading light.

"How the mighty House of Atreides has fallen, hiring a dark mage when they have a Bene Gesserit witch married into the family." The voice was feminine, husky and sickly sweet. When she threw her hood back, a long dark braid streaked with silver fell over her shoulder. Her face was heart shaped and would be devastatingly beautiful if it wasn't for the crazed look in her eyes, the taint of insanity in the cruel twist of her lips, and the arch of her brows.

She started to cackle uncontrollably as the sun fell behind the edge of the trees and distant mountains, casting long shadows across the beach.

"You will fall under the power of ANHARCATH!” she shrieked, and her eyes bled black.

The shadows inside the cave begin to lengthen and stretch out and come alive as tendrils which never quite settled on a form. The mage’s control over whichever god they had tried to summon was incomplete, which meant it could not take full form. It shifted between vaguely humanoid shapes, but was taller than any man Duncan had ever seen, with limbs too long and great antlers upon its head.

Duncan felt the clench of cold fear in his gut, and he could feel the sweat gathering at the small of his back. Duncan had never felt this kind of fear before, not even when he was laying on the cold stone, dying from the stab wound to his gut. He spared a quick thought that it must be a power belonging to ANHARCATH before he began ordering his men into attack formations.

Paul was barely on his feet, swaying and using his staff to hold himself upright. Xander was standing under his own power, but he looked inhuman, his eyes completely black and shiny, like the scales of a deep sea fish. From the tips of his fingers, magik sparked and fell with black lightning as he moved to intercept ANHARCATH, and with a wave of his hand, a wall of light blocked ANHARCATH from attacking. Or it did for a minute before it disappeared, but ANHARCATH raised one claw tipped shadow hand and swiped out, cutting through armour and flesh as the first of Duncan men fell in a spray of blood.

The battle was chaotic; Duncan could barely keep up as ANHARCATH attacked on the command of the mercenary caster. ANHARCATH not being fully manifested in their plane did not stop his men from falling under the onslaught, one after another. The sand had grown muddy and wet with their spilled blood.

Paul managed to find the strength to stand and was fighting with the enemy caster. She clearly did not have experience in close range combat, as Duncan could see how Paul's attacks threw her off balance and made many spells pitter out and die uncast. It was lucky as while Paul was standing, he was clearly unsteady, and only two decades of intense training kept him going.

Duncan was torn between moving to help his Prince or aiding his men, and the equally unsteady Xander was fighting off one of the most reviled gods in their pantheon.

Xander took the decision out of Duncan's hands when he threw a short blade in the swordmasters direction. When Duncan caught the blade, he could see that it had strange glowing symbols sloppily written along the metal.

"Kill her and whatever spell she used to summon ANHARCATH should end. Use that blade!"

Decision made, Duncan rushed to Paul's side, intercepting a dagger the mercenary witch had aimed at Paul's throat. A swing of the enchanted sword and her arm went flying in a spray of blood, severed just above the elbow.

She wailed in agony, clutching the stump of her arm while blood continued to drip through her fingers onto the sand.

Her face twisted in hatred. “I'll fucking kill you!” she screeched, thrusting her blood soaked hand in their direction, a ball of vibrant purple lighting crackling in her palm.

‘FREEZE!’ The power of Paul's command in The Voice was shocking, given how weak he appeared, but it was strong enough that even Duncan found himself frozen for several long seconds by proximity. The mercenary mage was hit with the full power of that command, and she trembled in place, chest barely moving with her breath.

It almost felt dishonourable to take advantage, but the command had no effect on ANHARCATH, and another of Duncan's men fell to its shadowy form. The fight needed to end, and it needed to end now.

It only took Duncan three long strides to cross the distance and one well practiced strike to sink the enchanted blade deep into her chest, puncturing her heart. He watched her face go slack and saw the shine of life leave her eyes before he ripped the blade from her flesh, and she crumbled to the ground, dead.

As soon as the woman hit the dirt, an inhuman wail left the shadowy form of ANHARCATH, like the pained cry of some sort of dying animal. It shrieked and growled as its form grew fainter and fainter until it faded away to nothing. The silence on the beach was shocking after the chaos of the fight.

Duncan rushed to Paul's side, checking the Prince over for any serious injury but besides a few scraps, he seemed no worse for wear. The black was fading from his eyes and some colour had returned to his face, a wash of pink under the dirt.

Paul brushed Duncan's hands away gently. “I'm fine Duncan, thank you.”

Duncan turned away to take in the state of his men, and to his horror, only three of the two dozen men he had brought down to the beach were left standing, with the addition of Paul and Xander. Duncan will have to send a retrieval team to collect the bodies of his men so they could receive a proper burial.

They did not delay their journey home, and the further away they got, the more the effects on Xander and Paul faded. Both mages were still unsteady, but the black had completely faded from their eyes, the black lines were gone, and they looked well and healthy.

They were almost half way home when Paul questioned the other mage in a quiet voice. “Was her blood black?”

To which Xander responded, “The colour of her blood was the least of my worries.”

Duncan frowned at the question; had her blood been black? He would have to discuss with Lady Jessica the best way to cleanse the site of its taint, and quickly. They did not want that corruption to spread, not after what it cost them on that beach.

#kirstin's chronicles #dune #dune fanfiction #paul atreides #duncan idaho #paul x oc #paul x m!oc #dune fandom #paul x duncan #atreidaho

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blucheezecakestories · 7 months ago

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Just a Little Bit Longer. (Jooyeon Short)

It's almost the end of highschool.

I haven't thought too much about anything yet, since I had plans to get to Psychology, but... well, something in me didn't want to. Part of me wanted to try something else. Such is the curse of time.

After the hectic day, I just realized... Well, I only have about a month left for school. I just need to fix up everything and get things done with graduation and then... And then follow the flow of time. That's when I realize how much time had passed, leaving only me in the classroom- ah. A soft tap on my head happened to come by. As I look around, no was was around, but a ball of crumpled paper rested on the floor. I just... need some more time to re- another thud, this time, I could see the paper fall to the floor. God, I know who it is; he's responsible for some of my headaches.

"I swear, Jooyeon," I started in a rather loud and clear voice, "One more and I'll haunt you in your dreams."

"I didn't throw that paper! It was always there!" A disembodied voice would reply, leaging me with a biger headache than just moments ago. "Just- come out now. I know you're lying, anyway."

Come out he did, as he walks into the room with a relieved but mischievous grin. His hair would fall right on his nape, brown hair indicating that he dyed it again. "Always breaking the rules, huh, Jooyeon?" I greeted with one of my eyebrows raised. He laughs, immediately sitting down next to me. I could feel his black eyes stare at me while I pack my things up. The bright orange lighting that the sunset provides light for me to see what I was doing. "Shut up, It's almost the end of our high school anyway! Plus you always said you think dyeing my hair looks cool." He said with a lighthearted tone.

"I said that?" I asked. He shifts his position as if flabbergasted that I seem to forget that statement.

"Now of course you did, Miss Serious! Geez, it's not like it's been that long since we met each other." It seems that we both have the same ideas in our head, since Jooyeon paused after saying that.

"Hey."

"Hey what, Jooyeon?"

"Remember the first time we met?"

"That you moved here with your parents and I happened to be your neighbor?"

Jooyeon scoffed and leaned forward. "We were about 10 years old, too. You're... Very boyish back then, huh?"

"Hey, at least I was trying to drive those kids who were bullying you back then." I reply. Jooyeon, now that I remember, was a scaredy cat back then. Now... Well, at least he changed for the better. "And by the way, I heard you want to pursue that music dream of yours?"

One mention of music, as I suspected, gave that spark of eagerness to the boy. "Yeah, of course! Once I graduate, I'll see if I can audition and get into a band someday. I promise you, once I become famous, I'll make sure you always get the VIP ticket in my band's concerts!"

His eagerness, it broke my heart. Jooyeon, I knew him the longest. I do get dragged into trouble he brews every now and then either bc he is bored or is curious. He... Well, I've seen him get popular with the girls, too. Plus, we always hang out here, after school. It's become our way of bonding and telling each other all we could tall throughout those years. But with all that bond we built throughout those years, he feels like a stranger again.

"I'm proud of you, you know that right?"

"Mhm! And you..." He said, realizing the amount of time we both could spend today, after 5 months of avoiding communication with each other. "You keep studying hard, right?" He said and then stood up. He paces back and forth as if wanting to give me a speech. "I... You said you wanted to study hard, And so... you stopped hanging out with me. I mean, I get it. I hope you get into that dream college soon. Oh, how about this, we can set up a meeting place when we have the time! Maybe then we can still keep hanging out like this, for as long as we need to!"

That does it. Hearing him say all that, my heart sank. I knew why. He should know why. I took out something from my bag, an envelope of sorts. I stare at his curious eyes, handing it over to him. He then silently opens it, the tension covered by the sounds of rustling paper. I'd sigh the moment he started to look so defeated. "... You're accepted to... Stanford?" He said, looking up to me.

His forced smile tells me he wants to be optimistic about all of this news. I can't stand it, the months of radio silence between us only for him to come again today, but I had to basically tell him I'll be leaving for good. "That's great news! You can always come back here to visit your parents-"

"My parents... They decided to move there with me. I... I'm afraid I won't be able to see you."

"What?..." He mentioned, his smile fading as he approached me. "There must be a way. I could go with you when I'm out for a concert-"

"But then it's going to be years, Jooyeon!"

"You don't understand-"

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" I protested, my emotions getting the better of me as Jooyeon's eyes start turning glossy. "Mom and Dad wants the best of me and I try but they never seem to consider how much I'm just happy to be here! I just... I wanted to try and find ways to stay here but I can't. I can't- see you anymore-"

"Don't say that!" Jooyeon outbursts as well, his lips quivering. All those memories... It's rushing through my mind. I just... I don't want to ever have him disappear. "Nabi, don't say that, please... when we stopped talking, I was just- so scared because- you're the only one who listened to me for who I am... And not seeing you anymore... I don't want that to happen. Nabi... I don't want you to go..."

His tears run freely like a stream, I... never saw him cry, but my heart broke seeing this. I didn't know what to do... so I just had to hold him close with an embrace. The warmth but also the tense atmosphere made me cry as well.

When all of it died down, I finally let him go, as we sit beside each other. The orange light of the sunset starts to dim, but... Jooyeon and I have the unspoken feeling of not wanting to go. Just remembering all those memories, the mistake of distancing myself from him... All of it, I just hope we stay a little bit longer.

"Nabi..." He croaked out.

"What?"

"I'm scared."

"About what?"

"I don't know."

I sighed as I turn to face him.

"Just tell me. I can stay here a little longer."

"I... Nabi."

"What is it?"

"I just... I have feelings you know?"

Hearing that, my eyes widen. "Feelings? For who?"

"... You know who. I just... don't want to let go of her like that."

One moment passed, and another. I let him process what he just said, while I do the same. We stared into each other, as if trying to understand what he meant, but this unspoken feelings, we both just know what it is. As the classroom dims, we let ourselves stay a little bit longer, as we let ourselves draw closer and meet lips to lips.

#fanfiction #fanfic #high school #xdh #xdinary heroes #jooyeon #lee jooyeon #romance #short story #writing

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karasuoc-kai · 5 months ago

Text

The Barkeep’s Sweets

I wished Hisa was here to listen to my piano playing, but he had work to do. I still played the piano everyday, hoping that somehow he would come to the bar and see me play. Today’s not the day, though.

A round of applause came from a table nearby. I stood up and bowed to them, “You’re too generous.”

“You play good, lad,” the cassette head commented.

“If you have any requests, I shall play it for you, dear Sir.”

“Maybe tomorrow,” the cassette head then continued his chat with the porcelain man I knew as the Manager.

I sat at the counter and as usual, Eleanor was there. I enjoyed her presence so much, she’s intelligent and interesting. I felt like even though we talked normally, there’s something more to every word.

“Eleanor, dear, what do you have for me today?”

I also liked the fact that she baked cakes.

“I baked Manic Mooncakes today.”

Again, the name was kinda weird. Manic? Will it get me manic? Yesterday’s Sachertorte Show was so good, but then I felt my body sting. It only lasted for a while though. Maybe it’s the price of a perfect taste?

“I’ll have that, and I leave it to you for the drink.”

I saw Eleanor put some little mooncakes into a plate. Not gonna lie, my mouth was drooling.

“Here’s your Manic Mooncakes,” she offered the plate with three small mooncakes. “I know you’ll love it with this 10 year old Laphroaig.”

I smiled, “You remembered I’m a whisky person.”

“Of course, I’m the barkeep.”

She’s right about that. Eleanor’s really a perfect bartender, and she baked delicious cakes too. I put one mooncake into my mouth, savoring the melting bean paste. How could she make something this delicious? Then again, I felt something wrong in my body, I cannot place it. It felt like my body wanted to move by impulse, but I can still hold it.

I ate the second mooncake. The savory taste came from mushrooms? A weird combination but it still worked. I liked it, even better than the bean paste, to be honest. This time my head felt like spinning hard. I tried to hold it and it subsided in a few minutes.

The last mooncake. I wonder what taste it had and what kind of effects it would have on me. Honestly, I think I was a little too excited, was I weird? I put the mooncake inside my mouth and WHOA, the explosion of berries and melted cheese. This is definitely my favorite one. I didn’t know if it’s the ‘effects’ I’ve been mentioning or it was just me but I felt like my soul was coming out of my body, flying across the room with freedom. Out of the hotel and to the endless sunset.

And suddenly I was back in the bar.

“Whoa, that’s amazing.”

Eleanor’s blue eyes were glimmering with curiosity. Damn, they reminded me of Hisa’s lovely eyes.

“I have to say, this is your best cake yet! The last one blew me out. Berries and cheese in a mooncake? Genius!”

“Did you feel anything else?” The baker asked.

“Oh yeah I felt so free and out of this world. It’s such an amazing feeling!”

I didn't know what she expected, but to me, she looked kinda down after I told her that. It was a great compliment, right? Was she not used to getting compliments?

“All three of them taste awesome, you should be proud of yourself, my dear.” I tried to console her.

Just like that, she was back to her joyful self.

“You’re right! Thanks for trying them out, Kai.”

“Anytime,” I exhaled a relieved sigh and grabbed the Laphroaig. Time to enjoy myself, then.

#storyline #eleanor

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chiskz · 2 years ago

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《 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐘 𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐒 𝐗 𝐍𝐘𝐋𝐎𝐍 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 》

♡taglist: @alyszaen , @smh-anon , @neohyxn , @stealanity

_______________________

♡ 𝟓𝟎 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒

1. How did you get your name? If you know the reason, please let us know.

CC: Ichi means "one"! I chose this name myself, wanting to become number 1, hahaha.

2. What nickname were you called when you were little?

CC: I didn't have nicknames.

3. What does your family call you?

CC: By my full name.

4. What is your unique charm point?

CC: I'm the best listener in the world.

5. When you were a student, what subjects did you take pride in and what were you not good at?

CC: I was good at a little bit of everything, but nothing in particular.

6. Do you organize your computer desktop and smartphone apps? Do you keep them downloaded?

CC: No, I leave them as they are because my brain quickly gets used to their original arrangement.

7. Do you organize your cameraroll?

CC: I only delete photos if needed.

8. What's your current smartphone wallpaper?

CC: Sleeping I.N.

9. If you were to spend your time off with the members, who would you be with and what would you do?

CC: I want to visit Cat Island with Lee Know.

10. If you had 1 day off?

CC: I would finish the kdrama I started.

11. If you had 1 month off?

CC: I would visit Japan and hang out with my friends.

12. What are your personal preferences for your room and interior?

CC: Sensory board in my room.

13. When you're busy at work or things aren't going as planned, what do you do to refresh yourself?

CC: Work out.

14. What's your favorite number?

CC: 1 and 9!

15. What do you always do everyday?

CC: Bother my members, hahaha.

16. What was the best thing you ate recently?

CC: Cheese ramen.

17. What made you laugh the most recently?

CC: Seungmin makes me laugh every day, so it must have been something he said.

18. What made you surprised recently?

CC: One of my favorite restaurants has closed.

19. What have you searched for recently?

CC: Food delivery website. I still didn't download the app, hahaha.

20. What was your recent dream about?

CC: I don't really have dreams.

21. What do you do when you can't sleep at night?

CC: I go to the room of one of my members, I fall asleep with someone immediately.

22. Is your sleeping position good or bad?

CC: ... I do my best 😭

23. If you could use one magic?

CC: Healing.

24. What would you do if a zombie appeared in front of you?

CC: I would teach him "God's Menu" choreography and debut him ASAP.

25. What frightens you the most in this world?

CC: Being alone.

26. Who is the quickest member to reply messages?

CC: I.N, Felix and me.

27. Which member easily succumbs to loneliness the most?

CC: Me. I can't stand being alone.

28. Which member has the biggest gap between on stage and the usual?

CC: I.N's gap has increased recently. He's getting more confident on stage and his facial expressions are really eye-catching. Offstage, he's still his calm, fluffy self.

29. What do you always do before you go on stage?

CC: Pee.

30. How do you relieve tension?

CC: By using sensory toys. I have plenty of them.

31. Of the 9, what is the thing you're second to none?

CC: I believe it's weightlifting.

32. What are some unforgettable scenes and happenings from your world tour so far?

CC: Energy of STAY is different and equally amazing in every country, so every concert is unforgettable!

33. It's almost the 4th anniversary of your debut and 5th anniversary of Stray Kids. Do you remember when you were 4-5 years old?

CC: 5 years old? That's when I went outside with my sister when it was cold and caught the fateful flu!

34. What do you feel has changed the most since 4 years ago?

CC: My self-esteem.

35. Which member do you think has changed the most since 4 years ago?

CC: I think we've all changed. We have matured.

36. What kind of artist do you want to be 5 years from now on?

CC: I want to be an artist whose fans are proud to listen to him.

37. What would you like to do in 2023?

CC: I want to keep studying. I am thinking about further studies in the field of law and constantly improving my choreography skills.

38. Tell us about the members' TMI today!

CC: I fell asleep in the living room with Bang Chan today.

39. What are the members' standard way of living in the dormitory?

CC: After all, hardly anyone here likes to eat alone, so each of us is always looking for a companion.

40. When do you feel the most joy in doing your job?

CC: When I run around the stage with my members and STAY do nothing but cheer loudly!

41. If possible, can you praise yourself?

CC: It's not possible.

42. What would you like to do with STAY?

CC: Watch funny things on Y*uT*be together and eat popcorn!

43. What do you like about Stray Kids?

CC: Each of them is unique and different, but we all share common dreams and goals. We're family.

44. Any studying tips for STAY?

CC: Use colors in your notes, but don't overdo it! Optimally, 3 to 4 different colors should be used.

45. How do you feel about the fact that you've recently started contributing to songwriting as well?

CC: I thought I would never do it because I was never good with my words. The members, however, inspired me enough that the words came by themselves.

46. So far, you are the only one from Stray Kids to have released your solo album, a digital one. Do you feel better as a soloist or a member of a group?

CC: Ah no no, I've never been a soloist, I've never debuted solo! I keep emphasizing that it's the "CHICHI OF STRAY KIDS" ' album because I want it to be clear. I don't like being alone so soloist's life is not for me.

47. Do members consult you for Japanese language advice?

CC: Yes, although they are already quite good at it themselves! Mostly I work with 3RACHA when it comes to Japanese songs, I help translate or write them.

48. What's the song you can't stop listening to lately?

CC: "Antifragile" by LE SSERAFIM! I think I've been listening to this song at least once a day since its release, hahaha.

49. Do you feel that you are the oldest member of Stray Kids?

CC: Absolutely not. Everyone seems to forget about it too and bully Bang Chan about it (I'm sorry Bang Chan!).

50. One message to yourself from the past?

CC: It's hard and it's going to be even harder. But remember that it will also be worth it!

_______________________

♡ CHICHI in members' answers:

* all members mentioned Chichi as the fastest responder to messages

* all members mentioned Chichi as person who succumbs loneliness the most

* I.N mentioned Chichi as a person who is sometimes more "maknae-line-like" than himself, because she is everywhere, always looking for company and enjoying small things

* Changbin replied that he currently has a photo of Chichi from the restaurant as his phone wallpaper

* Bang Chan, Felix, Hyunjin and Changbin mentioned Chichi as having the biggest personality gap between onstage and offstage ("she seems unapproachable and fierce onstage, but offstage just pat her on the head and she's yours")

♡𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐰𝐭

#oc-ommunity #kpop addition #stray kids 9th member #kpop added member #kpop oc #stray kids oc #idol oc #stray kids female oc #stray kids added member #stray kids addition #stray kids female addition

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onlyjaeyun · 8 months ago

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let me just rant for the quickest second real quick. first off the BC amazing 10s across the board the teasing the shit talking i thrive and live for the best truly the best and i hope that whenever you post the chapter you take the most amazing self care day after you’re done because I know it’s going to be amazing.

i just wanted to rant about my week it’s friday and i have had the most mentally and emotionally. School has been beating my ass left and right. I need to do an internship site to give therapy to clients and hoping everything goes well i should have it by the end of April 😭. The biggest imposter syndrome known to man. In my head im like girl you can’t even help yourself 🤡. i’m excited but quite literally so close to jumping off a cliff 🤧. I work a school district as a teachers aide and they were like no more funding…i was planning on leaving love the kids but, the supervisor people are also up my business I am about to fight a old lady 😭. i’m like can yall stop worrying about what im doing and mind your business like is my paycheck is coming out of your pocket…NOOOO🙄. Then in my class last night i was basically called out to relive such a fucked experience and my professor was like oh what great data 😁😁😁. ummmm ??? bitch DATA! i am in SHAMBLES. and you over here acting like this a TV show?? I had to take a second in my car to be like oooh wow okay 😟.

i went home showered and watched the EN O’ CLOCK and i felt a tab bit better. something about grown men and a huge 18 year old running away for people in masks will always do it for me 🤧. jake is me hyperventilating after a couple seconds of running around swearing im about to have a full cardiac arrest. mans was speeding. niki going off to tie his shoe and coming back confused he is so teenage boy love him thats my little brother 🤞🤞🤞.

anyways forgive me rant i just needed to vent before work. have a wonderful day/night 🥰

-♋️🩵

hello my sweet love!🥺

im SO sorry you've had to deal with ALL of that in just a single week because ngl i would have finished rhat week on MONDAY. i really really hope things get beter assp and im super glad and relieved to know you could at least get some time to yourself to distract yourself bc you deserve the rest and to not be bothered by other grown ass people 😭🌷 i hope you had a great Saturday baby, sending you the biggest kiss rn!🥺🤍 i'm so proud of you for making it through this wek and hopefully the next one will be the exact opposite to the previous one!🌥️💐🌷

#; mailbox 📬

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dlstmxkakwldrlarchive · 2 years ago

Text

SEEK MAGAZINE VOL.04 — 50 QUESTIONS INTERVIEW WITH ONEW

1. What kind of book are you currently interested in?

O: A book on world cultures. I have a deep understanding of our country as compared towhat I know of the world. So I thought that I should learn about the different ways of thinking of the rest of the world that I don’t know. That’s why I read it.

2. What kind of movies do you like?

O: I love horror films!

3. When you were in school, what is the subject you’re weak at?

O: Math…

4. When you were in school, what is the subject you’re best at?

O: Science!

5. If your girlfriend cooks for you, what dish would you like her to cook?

O:Dakdolitang!

6. What is your ideal type in a girl?

O: A girl with a cute aura.

7. Which hairstyle do you prefer in a girl? Short, bob, semilong, or long?

O: Short hair.

8. What is your favorite number?

O: 2. I feel like it has a sense of stability.

9. If a girl could give you a message, what words would make you happy?

O: I would be happy if I were told, “Your voice is really beautiful.”

10. What Korean dish would you recommend to your Japanese fans?

O: Samgyetang

11. Please wink for us.

(photo)

12. What SHINee song would you recommend to lift someone’s spirit when they’re feeling down?

O: 321

13. What if you invited a girl you like to a date, how will you approach her?

O: I think that instead of asking her out boldly, I will do it secretly and in private(LOL).

14. Recently, is there anything that made you feel happy or energetic?

O: I took awalk after a long time! The trees were so green, and when I saw them I can feel the nature. The wind also felt really nice.

15. What is your treasure?

O: My family, myself, my fans. And the people around me who support me.

16. What is your favorite (Japanese) word?

O: Smile.Because a smiling face is the best.

17. What is your recent favorite fashion item?

O: Fedora hats.

18. What is a food you dislike?

O: Cucumbers.

19. Please hold out your hand.

(photo)

20. What is your favorite smell?

O: The smell of trees. They have a calming feeling.

21. What is your ideal age to get married?

O: I wonder how old would be good…about 35 years old? (LOL)

22. What is your latest hobby/game that interests you?

O: Bowling! I even bought My Ball! I’m thinking of seriously doing it (LOL).

23. What is your special skill?

O:Hmm..ttakbam (LOL)

24. What is your favorite food?

O: Chicken! I love chicken! I like any dish with chicken!

25. Please give us a flying kiss!

(photo)

26. Please make a crying face.

(photo)

27. What is a book you like?

A: Poetry. It is an accumulation of unsaid feelings and is easy to read.

28. How do you relieve stress?

O: I guess this is also by walking. Like, taking a walk through a place I’ve never ventured before. Since it’s a place I’m unfamiliar with, I become observant of the things around me and it’s exciting, discovering a lot of new things. With that, my mood becomes better. I recommend it to everyone!

29. What is your charm point?

O: My voice!

30. What is the most interesting dream you had?

O: Hmm..I forgot. LOL. I may have had dreams but I don’t really remember them?

31. What did you eat last night?

O: Ramen!

32. If you’re taking a walk with your girlfriend, what is better? holding hands or linking arms?

O: Holding hands would be better, I think~

33. What present would you give your girlfriend if you’re celebrating your first anniversary?

O: Hmm…what would be nice? …Will you give me suggestions? (LOL)

34. What is your weak point?

O: I get easily influenced by other people’s opinions.

35. What is something you want to do before you die?

O: Something that seems to feel really good–Skydiving!

36. What do you wear when you sleep?

O: T-shirt and shorts.

37. What is your dream when you were young?

O: To be a scientist or architect

38. When you go out, what item should definitely be in your bag?

O: My phone, wallet, and room keys

39. What is the first thing you do upon waking up?

O: Check the time.

40. What is something that you are secretly proud of?

O: No matter what I’m going to start doing or no matter where I am going, I always prepare for it.

41. Which do you prefer, roller coaster or haunted house?

O: If I can choose, then roller coaster.

42. Please make a gesture showing, “keep it a secret”!

(photo)

43. What is your favorite sport?

O: Favorite sport, I don’t have one (LOL).

44. What do you buy in a convenience store?

O: I often buy sweets or drinks.

45. Are you the type of person who eats his favorite food first or last?

O: Either. It depends on what I feel during that time.

46. How do you spend time in your room?

O: If there is time, I sleep a lot.

47. What is your favorite animal?

O: Giraffe

48. What is your favorite color?

O: Blue!

49. What is your favorite season?

O: Although they pass by easily, spring and autumn.

50. (Q fromSWJ): Onew-san always has a smiling face, but if a problem comes up, what do you do to calm yourself down?

O: First, I sleep (LOL). But I don’t sleep to forget about it. I sleep mainly to /reset/ and regain my presence of mind. Then I think it over again,what I lacked/missed and what I need to do.

trans.

#141002 #onew #lee jinki #jinki #shinee #im your boy era #interviews #seek magazine #seek vol 04 #long post #keihissi #trans

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mirrormirrorhq · 2 years ago

Text

@fractixluna discord continued

Doug curled his lips between his teeth at Arthur’s comment, old memories clicking into place as the more he shared, the more he could recall about Charles and Arthur. It had just been Charles and Douglas for so long, he’d never really thought hard about what Charles and Arthur was like - having tried very hard not to think about Arthur at all for some time. But with Charles’ passing, Douglas had let go of his studies, and had even started to think it was best to let go of hunting after he’d narrowly lost a fight with a hellhound and had no one to help him recover after.

There was a pause in Douglas as Arthur started making plans, a twist in his stomach as he’d never considered what continuing his studies on his own would look like. Over the last few months, he’d truthfully come to terms with no longer studying to be a valuable asset to assist in Charles’ research. He learned out of necessity, and while his curiosity had been growing, he didn’t enjoy it outside of the opportunity to spend more time with Charles. It was better to be in the lab helping him than sitting outside of it waiting for him for hours. But with him gone, did he even really want that anymore?

Douglas held his tongue, keeping those thoughts to himself, now worried about disappointing Arthur as he jumped into making plans without asking him what he wanted. Not that Doug really knew what he wanted. “Yeah, we had started that with small specimens,” he replied, recalling where they’d left off. “He was patient with me. Bigger things I was struggled with.”

discord history of interaction below cut

Arthur FolkvarBOT — 02/23/2023 10:37 PMMoving to Los Santos chasing breadcrumbs had been a shot in the dark. Whispers and rumors were all he had of holding on to the past lest his guilt swallow him whole. Arthur expected nothing of the city. At best, a quiet life he didn’t feel he deserved. At worse, well… Arthur never really gets far enough to consider the ways out he could take when the grief became too much. A coffee and conversation later, he winds up keeper of the library. Though it is a generous assumption of the creaking old building. It becomes far too easy to lose himself in rebuilding something out of decrepit nothing. If only he looked up. Would he have seen Douglas sooner? It didn’t matter now. Especially when their last conversation left him with a heavy heart that could not sink far for the deep ocean of relief swallowing him whole. But the waves only last so long— Maybe that’s why he’s quiet when he spots him in line just two back behind him. Arthur bites his tongue for a long while at a loss of what to say. We’re strangers now aren’t we? and yet— and yet— “Afternoon Gina, earl grey latte and uh, I’ll get his drink as well.” Easier to gesture to Doug than try to order for him based on long buried memories. Standing to the side, he offers a polite smile to the woman and though it doesn’t count for much maybe coffee would be a good place to start.

----

Douglas MuntzBOT — 02/24/2023 10:39 AMDouglas didn’t know what he was supposed to feel right now. Grieving Charles had felt like enough to deal with, but just when he felt like he’d started to get his footing on his own, Arthur’s unexpected appearance had swiped the rug out from underneath him and he was off balance again. Years he had spent waiting for him to come back, then hoping he would, until finally he was left to grieve until eventually that grief became anger, and finally indifference as memories faded and his priorities became solely focused on making Charles proud. And now he was here again. Back from the dead, and with his resurrection came the feelings he’d repressed. He was relieved, but also hesitant. Happy, but also angry. How many days the boy had needed him, but he was not there. And when he had needed him the most, when Charles tumbled down into a deep, dark cavern that was too steep, wet and dangerous for Douglas to go after him - he was not there. Douglas took him with a grain of salt, hearing his promise to stay but he was not willing to believe him yet. He was already wounded, scars that had not fully healed re-opened. His guard was up, defenses in place to prevent further damage, like an animal backed into a corner, waiting and watching carefully for his opportunity to flee, attack, or play dead. But outside of his caution, there was a part of him that was desperate to be proven wrong. He was lonely, and although he wouldn’t admit it - scared. The boy that Arthur knew had died when he left, and with his return, he felt a stir of life as he quietly ached for his father figure again. Feelings were hard, and it was making him angry to have to deal with them at all.

[10:39 AM]Douglas was on his way to the record store, hoping to find something new that would help him take his mind off of things. He’d been up late, starring at the ceiling of his bedroom in the very empty manor, his thoughts racing and battling with the past. As soon as he woke up, he felt the need to leave, still on edge, still hating the emptiness of what was supposed to be his home - but it was not long after that he felt his stomach grumble for skipping breakfast. He searched for the nearest cafe, settling on a spot for a breakfast sandwich (or two) and got in line. He pulled out the book he kept on him from his inner jacket pocket while he waited in line, but shortly after he’d gotten a paragraph in and the line moved forward, a familiar voice made his ears perk up and he realised his head to see Arthur standing at the front register, gesturing at him. “I have money,” Douglas said first, his lips pulled back briefly into a thin smile, but the look in Arthur’s eyes made him cave. After a pause, he swallowed his pride and gave. “Just a breakfast sandwich and a water, please.” Standing and waiting for the food and drinks felt awkward, Doug starred at him when he wasn’t looking, only to glance away when his gaze was caught by Arthur. “What have you been doing all of this time?” Doug finally asked, abruptly and directly, more interested in answers than small talk.

Arthur FolkvarBOT — 02/24/2023 3:55 PMIt shouldn’t surprise him that Douglas smells strongly of Charles. Standing so close reconciling the little boy with the wolf standing next to him, he can small it clear as day. The familiar notes of camomile and clove, of gun oil and something else he’d never had a name for— it was simply inherently Charles. There’s a quiet ache, a desire to drag Douglas into his arms and smother him with his scent until it’s the same as before; a culmination of both of them blanketing the little pup. “Make that three breakfast sandwiches Gina, thank you.” Another twenty and they’re left to the quiet left by years of absence. Arthur knows the boy is looking at him, likely wondering when the other shoe will drop. How long until he leaves again, no doubt. Glancing sidelong when he hears that terse voice, there’s a quiet smile. “I was hunting and establishing myself so I had means to build a network of sorts around you and Charles. It was how I kept an eye on the two of you. Only downside is news travels slowly when it is discreet.” Arthur looks away then, watching the breakfast sandwiches being made and listening to the hiss of the espresso machines. I was too late to help either of you. Unspoken words hang on his tongue. It wasn’t Douglas’ duty to carry that burden. No, Arthur wouldn’t suffer to see his pup knowing that he had been helpless, that he had expended everything to make sure that the boy at his side now had an uneventful and peaceful journey to Los Santos. Just like he and Charles had planned. It was the only way he knew of honoring the man’s last wish. “I taught for a time,” he says instead. “First grade and fourth grade. Then I traveled here and took the position of head librarian after Argus Tabernath retired. Pleasant man Argus. He handed me the keys and said good riddance. Don’t know what he’s doing now, likely fishing.” Arthur let’s out a breath, tired gaze on busy baristas. “And this morning I decided to get tea. Suppose that brings us right up to now.”

Douglas MuntzBOT — 02/25/2023 10:13 PMDouglas stood in attention, his jaw raised slightly as his facial muscles tensed at Arthur's answer. He remembered when he'd swore he could smell his athair on the wind,"Is that supposed to make me feel better? That you were keeping an eye on us while we went on thinking you abandoned us?" The young werewolf glared at him, disgust on his face in the way he knitted his eyebrows together. His lips pulled back into a thin line, guarding himself. The man continuing his story seemed to only agitate him further. The way he casually he spoke about abandoning them to go off to live a different life wounding him deeply. "Why did you leave?" Douglas asked again, his tone restrained and quiet. "For every day that I wished for you to come back, I need to know."

Arthur FolkvarBOT — 02/26/2023 12:41 AMAh, youth. Arthur watches Douglas a moment and feels his expression soften. It wasn’t the boy’s fault that he was angry and upset, he hadn’t known what happened in the days leading up to his escape. He’d begged Charles to keep it secret, asked him to keep it away from their legacy. Of course the guards had been there, but the message had been clear. “No,” he says simply with a small smile, “You asked and I answered. Granted it was in broad strokes but we have a lot of ground to cover.” The pup is full of emotion. Arthur is certain all he has to do is wait a minute or two and there will be a new one. Disgust is a new one and he raises a brow. Why did you leave? And wasn’t that just the start of the real question that Douglas wanted to ask? Well at least his boy doesn’t disappoint in following up with the real heart of his questioning. Arthur’s expression hardens in kind, his attention on the baristas moving about. Well wasn’t that the one promise he’d insisted Charles keep? “No,” he says again, voice harder, colder. There is a slow thin smile offered in kind. Arthur could stomach Douglas’ disgust, hatred, loathing, rage— any of it. Because it meant his pup was alive and that truth would outweigh any pain as if a balm to a fresh wound. He levies that same smile back at the younger wolf and watches him patiently. “For every day you cursed my name, no.”

Douglas MuntzBOT — 02/26/2023 9:02 AMDouglas starred hard at Arthur, holding onto his breath with every muscle tense, fight-or-flight activated with the unusually familiar stranger. He exhaled sharply at his first answer, looking away as if it would help mask the frustration that permeated from him. He only brought his gaze back to him when he answered his third - most important question, his heart dropping like a rock in the ocean, stomach clenching at the denial of answers to questions that had tormented him from his early childhood until his teenage years. A long pause followed before finally Douglas responded. He refused to look at Arthur now as his teeth ground together and he forcefully breathed through his nose. “Then I hope you enjoy your breakfast alone,” the young werewolf said, returning the cold and hard tone as he fought to contain himself, “You clearly have no place in my life anymore.” Douglas shook his head in disbelief at the man's nerve, ignoring the barista at the counter as she set out their food and drink, and turned to leave.

Arthur FolkvarBOT — 02/26/2023 11:53 AMJust as he thought. Arthur watches quietly, relaxed all but for the cool mask he wears. It makes sense why Douglas is the first to look away and why despite it all the boy is so resolute. There’s a quiet flare of pride. Charles used to do the same expecting Arthur to yield belly up. It’s almost cute. “Is that what Charles taught you? To give up so easily?” The wolf tilts his head, watching Douglas still. There’s a hushed word of gratitude to the barista as he takes the tray in hand. “You established the rules, athas.” A few steps and he circles, cutting off the pup’s escape with careful ease. “I am a stranger. I am also a permanent fixture in your life. I have answers you want but not the answers you need.” There is a ghost of a smile. “I’ll be over there eating breakfast. Yours will be laid out upon the table and you are welcome to take a seat. I do hope Charles taught you something about socializing, it would be a shame if you learnt nothing from him.” Arthur lingers but a moment, examining Douglas thoughtfully. A quiet nod and he walks away, going to a nearby table at the window’s edge. Just as he says he sets the table meticulously and takes a seat.

Douglas MuntzBOT — 02/26/2023 12:59 PMDouglas flinched, weakened by the comment but also bristled by it. "Charles is gone. Did he teach you to abandon people?" he said flatly, still avoiding the older werewolf's piercing eyes on him now. Bringing up the late hunter quieted him and made him more eager to leave, frustrated and confused, annoyed further when Arthur cut him off from the door to make him stop in his tracks for a moment. He stood there after Arthur went to sit at the table, turning over his thoughts like scalding hot rocks in his hands. He rolled his eyes before he submitted and followed, not to engage in polite small talk, but to press him further. He was hardly interested in his breakfast anymore. “If you’re not going to tell me what I want to know, then what’s the point? Charles taught me not to waste my time, and right now, that’s all you’re doing,” he said, his tone flat and direct. “I needed you and you left to live a completely different life. You don’t have the right to be a permanent fixture in my life, let alone a fly on the wall of it.”

Arthur FolkvarBOT — 02/26/2023 1:26 PM“He taught me to survive.“ It’s the most he relinquishes before he takes a seat. Watching the pup, Arthur hums briefly and allows Douglas the space to speak. There’s quiet as he sips his tea carefully. Gesturing idly to the seat across from him and the boy’s breakfast, he sets the cup down. “How naive are you to believe for one second that I had any choice in leaving?” Holding up a finger to silence the rebuttal he continues calmly. “Did you stop for one second amidst your hurt and your rage to consider that what ever happened after was all a means to try and return? I’m honestly baffled at how clueless you are to how uniquely difficult it is for anyone to find a way into the Muntz compound.” Arthur sighs and shakes his head. That answered that then; Charles hadn’t spoken about his crime, his inevitable fate had he stayed. It was a relief. Cradling his tea in his hands, the wolf watches Douglas fume. Teenagers. Were we ever like that? “Charles did a poor job then,” he says bluntly. “There is a difference in wasting time and investing time for a greater purpose, Athas. Come, sit. I’m certain there is room for your rage as well.” Arthur intended to be cold, to use a firm hand as Charles might have but he was not the hunter. His voice is warmer, gentle even. “You are so focused upon your needs that you did not stop to consider I needed you as well. Why would I circle you both if not to look for a way in?” Sighing, he takes a sip of tea and shakes his head. “Maybe it would have been better to stay and be a headstone for you to mourn. You’ve certainly the shoulders to bear the weight of another death.”

Douglas MuntzBOT — 02/26/2023 2:44 PMDouglas frowned, his shoulders dropping, disarmed by Arthur’s rebuttal. “I didn’t know that,” he said, his face pale and his voice softening. His gaze fell to his lap, a small twitch of his eyebrow while he thought. “I didn’t know why you said goodbye to me that night. Charles never told me anything. I was seven. What do you expect me to think at that age? You were just gone,” he defended himself, but the anger and spite in him had cooled off. “You could have just told me that instead of leading me to believe that you didn’t care.” The young werewolf restrained himself from grumbling underneath his breath, annoyed now as he felt like a child that had thrown a temper tantrum for no reason, even if that reason had been years of trauma that suddenly felt invalidated. His rolled his lips in between his teeth, glancing up at Arthur briefly before his gaze skittered away again. “I’m sorry,” he finally admitted, now presented with the reality of the situation, his mind racing to finish putting pieces together. “I didn’t know that you couldn’t come back. I didn’t know that you wanted to. It just...” He paused, his head lowered but his eyes raising beneath his brow to look at him again. “It was hard without you.” But now, with the little bit of information that had finally been divulged, it appeared to have been hard without Douglas, as well. His heart ached, and he visibly reacted to his last statement. “I already mourned you once,” he said, submitting as he folded his hands in his lap. “Please don’t make me do it again.”

Arthur FolkvarBOT — 02/26/2023 3:01 PM“You never asked.” Arthur finds himself smiling regardless, sipping his tea as he waits for Douglas. He’s always waiting, it was where he excelled beyond even Charles. The wolf knew patience beyond even human capacities. Why else would he be patient enough for so many years? “I expected you to hate me and use your anger to push yourself further in your training. Charles would likely shut down and focus on you and it would make you a better hunter for it.” Shaking his head, he hums and sets aside his tea once more hands folded carefully in his lap. “You needed to voice your rage, your hatred. We’re creatures of passion Athas. Telling you how it was from the beginning would have caused years of anger to fester. In leaving I left a wound that hasn’t healed right despite Charles’ best efforts. I have to inflict a little pain to open it up and let it start to heal.” A fond chuckle slips free and he shakes his head. “I remember I used to take care of your wounds much the same way. You were always such a clumsy little pup.” Arthur allows himself a quiet moment to remember those watery big eyes. Douglas had been such a darling child, he’d been an angry crier then as well. Watching the young wolf now he’s reminded of back then. He’d pinched those cheeks gentle and smiled as he told Douglas to look after Charles. Now? Well his boy talks quieter, deflated and small compared to the rage earlier. Ah, his gaze softens further and he smiles warmly. “And I mourned you as well. Both of you. It ought to be comforting to know the sentiment is shared. No dying Athas.” Reaching across, he pushes the plate closer to the younger wolf. “And no apologies,” he chides gentle, “Eat up, you ought to remember how I feel about wasted food.”

Douglas MuntzBOT — 02/26/2023 5:31 PMDoug’s eyebrows furrowed, frustrated again. “I didn’t at first,” he admitted, drifting into his memories reluctantly to pull answers, “I thought you would coming back, so I trained hard - I wanted better than the others when you got back... But when you never did - things got really hard. Then I started to hate you for leaving me alone with them.” He was bullied, whispered insults about the favorite lap dog. He knew they were jealous of the attention and focus he got, looking for the opportunity to see him fail, but he wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. “No, it would have made me follow you,” The young man exhaled with a sigh, “and I know that wouldn’t have been okay. I tried to find you once, but Charles found me and brought me back.” Not that he ever resented him for that, he was just seven after all. He just wanted his family together again. There was a void that was left in both of them that was never able to be filled. Training had served to be Douglas’ distraction and only solace. He never liked to be by himself for long, afraid Charles would disappear too. Until he finally did. More wounds. He settled into his seat, leaning back in his chair as he started to finally relax, calm but cautious. Still, he was already tired of fighting, of being alone, of not knowing what to do with himself. “I'm not clumsy anymore,” Douglas said flatly, sure to correct him about the blanket statement. “I can take care of myself.” The admission that he had mourned them did make him feel better, like ointment on a bad burn. It did not heal the burn, but it provided some relief, and, maybe with time and continued application, it would heal. “That does make me feel better,” he admitted in return, resigning to reach for the sandwich as Arthur told him to do and take a bite. It felt surreal sitting there, starring at the man who’d all but come back from the dead. “Fine. But no leaving again. Not without me.”

Arthur FolkvarBOT — 02/26/2023 5:49 PM“They hated you because you were ours.” It isn’t much of an apology but it is as close as Arthur gets as they talk. The wolves at the compound were a fierce sort but Arthur remembers the days growing up that ended in bloodied knuckles. All because of their pride. Because the other wolves couldn’t stand to see the coveted place at the Muntaz heir’s side filled by some stray like Arthur. “It’s good that you didn’t succumb to their hate. They never could admit that even as a child you were far more gifted than them.” It’s earnest and plain. Arthur had known it all along since the day Charles brought the boy back. His little Athas was going to run circles around all of them. Sipping his tea once more there’s a rumble of fond laughter. “That was never in question, we’re Muntz wolves; surviving and overcoming is in our nature.” Leaning back and watching the other wolf begin to eat, there’s a pleased nod. Arthur smiles further and makes a show of crossing his heart. Just as he did to show Douglas it was a promise he would never break. Cross my heart and hope to die he’d whisper and press a kiss to the boy’s forehead. “I’ve found you again, it would take an act of god to chase me away,” he says plainly, finishing his tea with a pleased hum. “It might interest you to know I’ve fallen into ownership of the library. It’s a downright mess but it has it’s charm. Perhaps you’d like to see?” Taking his own sandwich, he takes a bite and swallows it with another quiet hum. “There’s a certain wing that’s proving uniquely interesting. I think you’d like it.”

Douglas MuntzBOT — 02/26/2023 7:34 PMThey hated you because you were ours. One statement was all was needed to make years of pent up resentment and anger fade away. Douglas starred at him, his eyes slightly widened, baring a resemblance to the young pup who had hung on his and Charles’ every word like they had set the stars and moon in the sky. His pride and ego fluffed up again, he returned with a small smile, eating up the validation he’d been starved of for the last 6 months since he’d first found himself alone. “It became a game after awhile,” Douglas mused, pleased with himself, “they were bigger and stronger than me. So I made sure I was faster and smarter.” More than anything, he couldn’t fail. It would make Charles and Arthur look bad for having faith in him - but the favoritism left him lonely. Another little beam of pride on his face at Arthur’s comment and the gesture across his heart, settling the young man easily into his memories. but the mention of Muntz made his smile falter after a moment, and he stopped eating. A drop of his gaze was enough to say what he didn’t need to say out loud to be known. How he missed Charles. He picked his chin up, and finished his breakfast while Arthur spoke. “A whole library?” Douglas repeated, curious as he tilted his head to the side. “What’s in it? Science books? I was studying advanced biology with Charles so I could help him before -” he paused, wincing as he stopped himself from speaking. “I guess that doesn’t matter now.”

Arthur FolkvarBOT — 02/26/2023 8:34 PMIt was good to hear Douglas talk of putting the other wolves in their place by performance alone. Arthur knew the pup had it in him, more than favoritism it was the first time he’d taken to one of the hunting wolves. Charles asked him once what he saw and he had only smiled and shaken his head. A future, he’d replied like it was a secret kept for the two of them. Ah but that was a tender subject. He can spot the moment the other wolf’s expression falters. Charles was still a fresh wound. Arthur wonders if it’s because they had planned for this that he’s capable of talking of him. He remembers when he was younger, when Charles would find new ways to sneak out and the wolf would follow ever loyal. Back then he made plans for the future while Charles planned for their death. It never hurts to be ready. “Yes, a whole library,” Arthur confirms with a chuckle, licking a speck of egg clean from the corner of his mouth. Douglas’ excitement flares alive and ebbs just as quickly. There’s a long moment of quiet and Arthur sets his breakfast aside. “And why would it not?” The question is poised gently as he meets his gaze. “I told you once didn’t I? Regardless of whether Charles or I am alive, the actions and words you take with you into the future are the echo of our lives. You are the heart of us, Athas. It is good to mourn him and better to honor him.” A small smile is offered. Ah, his heart was heavy but he could pretend for his pup’s sake. “We can very well pick up your studies where he left off. I’ve spent a little time repairing the shelving and building but the newer books should arrive sometime this week.” Looking away and returning to eating his breakfast he gives a little nod. “Mm, I’ll show you the west wing too. It’s sectioned off for now to keep the locals away. But it should be fine for just the two of us.”

Douglas MuntzBOT — 02/26/2023 10:35 PMDoug raised his head at Arthur’s question, confused at first. “I was only just starting to help him with his research. I don’t think I know enough to do what he did. Or even... Know where to start,” he said, half frowning, feeling inadequate in the areas that would have honored guardian. “I knew how to follow in your foot steps like they were my own. But his...” Charles’ shoes felt too big for his feet to fill. The young man sighed, disgruntled by the lack of direction. He didn’t want to let him down, but he struggled with the details of Charles’ behind the scenes work. “I’m a wolf. I’m not... I’m not a scientist. I understand what he was doing but...” Douglas looked a little disconcerted, but he took a deep breath and nodded as he took a sip of his water, realizing how parched he was from ignoring his thirst for a time while his attention had been on Arthur. Not but half an hour ago, he’d been ready to never see him again, and now here he was - slipping right back into routine nestled to his side, waiting to be told what to do. He chewed on his lip and nodded, his missing of Charles making him miss the chemistry equations and live anatomy lessons. Charles knew how to make everything interesting. “Alright,” Douglas said, his head shifting to the side, “Whatever you need help with - I’m here for.” March 8, 2023 Arthur FolkvarBOT — 03/08/2023 10:05 PM“Charles was a great many things. Especially clever.” Arthur considers what Douglas tells him and can’t help the small smile. “Don’t forget Athas, him and I grew up together.” It would be easy enough to find where to pick up the pup’s teaching. While it wasn’t his speciality, he knew the hunter’s mind well enough to assume what would have come next. It was why they worked so well together if he were honest, neither of them was afraid to push and question each other. But they’d been agreed where Douglas was concerned. “Even a wolf can be a scientist, don’t you dare discredit your cleverness.” Arthur finishes his breakfast sandwich with a few quick bites and is quick to wipe his mouth as he considers the wolf in front of him. Charles would’ve wanted to move on to applicable sciences if he knew how the human worked. Build a solid foundation then build using senses and reason. Well there was more reason to go down into The Archives. Their pup learned human skills, perhaps it was time to apply it to their own world. “It’s settled then, we’ll work on the west wing. Tell me, did he finish teaching you how to dissect and harvest materials for the traps we use?”

#douglas:arthur #douglas.thread

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