#And I'm so frugal I'm not spending more than what is necessary

[turtlebluem]

Started gluing my foam together, no idea what's going on and everything is falling apart but from what I hear that's like, 80% of the process so I have confidence

[repo-net]

Broken Families

Gloomy, red clouds devoured and covered the entirety of the dusk sky over Towa City. The atmosphere similar to that of a warzone wasn't helped by the smoky pollution in the air caused by factories and buildings spread over the city, and the metallic smell of blood wafting everywhere.

Completely emotionless to it was a blue boy on standby, pressing on what was a black earpiece closer to his head. The boy was sat on top of an enormous mechanical robot just towering over citizens and the smaller-sized houses around it. The robot resembled that of a guerilla soldier, with a brown and sandy color scheme, and topped off as it was armed with a sniper rifle.

He was in the middle of a conversation with someone on the other side, as he fidgeted around with the joysticks on the controller for his robot that was strapped around his neck. In a passive and soft voice, he'd speak.

"Do I have to do this? There's only a couple of demons in this part of town, I really doubt it's necessary for me to have to go here myself when we could just throw a few Monokumas here and call it a day. I'd rather be spending my time disciplining that new servant we captured..."

"Are you backing out, Nagisa? Don't tell me that you don't want to get rid of those horrible, demonic adults we all hate? Monaca thinks you're acting very strangely right now..."

"N-No, it's just... I feel like this is a waste of resources..."

His voice was full of mixed emotions, from a frugality that wishes he didn't have to be using precious bullets on a single household, to the annoyance that was having to deal with smelling the stench of dirtied air, or the small, locked away part of his heart that really just doesn't want to be involved with killing people.

"All the other Warriors of Hope are happily doing their job. Masaru's been super proud of his score, y'know... you're the one with the lowest points out of all of us by far. Monaca's just giving you a chance to play the game she loves so much, Nagisa. Don't you like playing games?"

... Did his behavior and repeated indifference to what they were doing not give any hints to her? He scratched his head at that.

"Not particularly..."

"You know what? Monaca'll tell you this; if you can rack up more points than anyone today, Monaca will give you a super, duper huge reward when you get back! The greatest of all! Don't you want to save the children of this world? You have the Monokuma Kid helmets with you, right? Then all Monaca asks is that you get rid of those disgusting demons, and turn any remaining kids to our side. And if you don't, well... I'll be very disappointed in you, Nagisa."

His heart froze and his mind turned blank at those last few words. She'll be let down? Because of his selfishness and laziness to not complete a simple task such as this? When he's done it plenty of times in the past already? How dare he. He was taking her for granted.

To think that she was generous enough to even give him an apparent 'reward' if he just played along with them for once... that feeling of refusal to disappoint his princess and be praised for his hard work overwhelmed any sort of resistance that his brain had for the current situation.

"No no no, okay! I understand... Alright, I'll handle this side of the city myself. I'm already here, anyways..."

"Wonderful! That's our ever reliable sage Nagisa to you! Always ready to do his job. When you come back, Monaca will prepare a biiiiig surprise for all of us! Okay? Good luck out there!"

With the sound of the signal in his earpiece cutting off, he took a moment to collect his surroundings and relax for a bit. A sigh left his body as he eyed down the streets that he watched from up high on his trusty mech.

In the corner of his eye, he spots it...

Two demons; one male, and one female. A trail of blood following them into an alleyway. Adult-sized. The woman was clinging and using the man's shoulder to even move. They seemed to be struggling... unable to even defend themselves.

A pitiful sight. But Nagisa knew only one thing left in his head; put them out of their misery.

Pressing the stick forward and having it's gun ready and aimed, he led it to the alleyway that the two adults had cornered themselves in. He realized quickly that the mech was too large to fit and move around properly in the area, so he begrudgingly took the backpack that had the Monokuma Kids helmet inside of it and put it on himself, then dropped down with the help of the cape on the mech's back, sliding down on it's side like it was a pole before falling safely.

Arming himself with a gun that fired injection needles rather than bullets (it was still more than enough to kill people while avoiding the damage the power of a regular bullet can do with it's recoil) in his hand, he followed the bloody trail, turning a few times, before finally encountering the nameless adults.

"It's okay, it's okay... it's going to be okay. We're almost there. Just please, hold on to me a little longer..."

Those were the words Nagisa walked in on as he arrived at the scene.

The man begged as he tried to comfort the woman holding on to his shoulder, who had a dry red leaking out of her mouth. He himself was on one knee, panting from exhaustion. Now that the blue-haired boy got a closer look at them, there was a sharp wound on his ripped shirt in the pattern of a claw. Survivors of a Monokuma attack, huh?

Eyes narrowing in both disgust and suspicion, Nagisa walked closer to them, aiming his weapon at the two adults, then speaking in a cold and sadistic voice.

"You two. Don't even think of escaping. This is the end of the road for you."

"Huh?! Who's there?"

The man finally broke his attention that he tried to focus completely on the expiring woman on him, before he looked at the boy that was standing in front of him. His expression was that of anger, fear, and hatred... this was...!

"You...! You're one of those kids that's been taking over this city and causing chaos everywhere, aren't you?! Why?! Do you even see what you're doing right now?! How could you do such horrible things...? My wife is on her last legs because of you!"

"Because of me? That's comedic. You adults only have yourselves to blame. Treating children horribly, using them for your own vices, taking out your frustrations on their innocent souls... you're only now being made to be paid back for everything you've done to us."

"To you?! What have we done to you?! We were just living our lives freely, until you cane along! Why did you have to hurt people like us?"

"You don't get it, do you? Adults... demons like you are the reason this city is unsafe. You're the reason children are afraid to live with people who were meant to protect them.

"Meant to... huh?! Why you...! Listen, just listen to me, kid. Your parents... you have parents too, right? Where are your parents right now?"

... That made Nagisa lower his gun just a little. His tone grew in disdain, practically spitting out his next words.

"They're not here."

"Well, if they were... they'd be ashamed to see their kid turn into such a horrible monster!"

Nagisa's brain pulsed.

"... Excuse me?"

Unconsciously, he took a step closer to the two adults.

"Just look at you... look at what you've turned into! You had such a bright future ahead of you! You could've done so much in your life! But you've thrown it away, and for what? To hurt people? And for why?"

The grip on his gun got stronger. Another step. Closer, and closer.

"Stop... talking. You don't know anything...!"

And yet, the man didn't shut himself up. And what was next, was enough to push Nagisa to the point he'd have no remorse for what was coming next.

"To think they expected so much from you, and yet-"

"I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!"

Yelling as he fired a lethal syringe into the man's heart, the adult screamed in an indescribable and seething pain. A dark red liquid started to flow out from where he had been hit.

Still not content with a shot that's already signed a death sentence for the two adults (the woman already seems to have gone down, her eyes were shut and her limbs had grown limp), Nagisa closed the distance between them and was about to personally beat up and cover his hands with their blood despite his usual opposition to getting so up close with his victims.

As he was going to do that though, whether it was out of survival instincts or adrenaline, the larger man caught him with a fist to his gut, and the young boy's frail and pale body recoiled in pain, collapsing to the ground as he tried to catch his breath.

"Haahh... Damn it, I need to get out of here... I need to get back to her...!"

Using the last of his strength, the adult man carried his wife's body on his back as he continued to bleed out as he dashed from the alleyway.

Nagisa caught a glimpse of them trying to escape, as he forced himself to get up despite the pain in his body from the earlier punch that got thrown at him. He was going to massacre them now, he thought. His bloodthirst and abhorrence towards adults had hit a high, and he was hellbent on making sure he personally made these demons felt hell.

Chasing after them, he slowly but surely caught up to them, witnessing them go into a house as he followed them.

The adult man desperately tried to lock the younger boy away, but all that accomplished was that he got pushed down with his lifeless wife with him along with the door after it got kicked by Nagisa, who now had his needle gun pointed right at the man's face.

"To think you'd be stupid enough to retreat to your own house... I suppose when a person is on their last legs, they won't think too rationally. This is the end for you, either way... that needle in your heart is much more than enough to get rid of you."

Grabbing the dying man by his collar, Nagisa put the gun right against the man's forehead, a callous grin on the child while a look of terror and acceptance was painted on the adult's expression.

"Any last words, then? Maybe you'd like to take back what you said earlier about my parents."

"I... you..."

Coughing out blood as he was slowly starting to pass away, Nagisa tilted his head, and put his finger on the trigger.

"Hmph. Well, I still have someone to come back to. Say hi to all the demons on the other side for me."

Just as he was about to finish the job, the sound of footsteps coming from upstairs shook him out of it, and both men turned their attention to a small, elementary school aged girl walking down the stairs, looking down in horror at the scene before her.

Nagisa's eyes widened in surprise, as the expression on her face told him the entire story. His face quickly turned pale as he saw the emotion that she showed, and it quickly translated into an ache in his heart growing at an infinite pace.

"... Dad?"

"... !"

Reaching out his arm, the father tried to move his body towards his daughter that was standing at the top of the stairs. But to no avail.

His world would fade, and in an instant, his body went numb and entered death's door, right next to his wife.

"Dad... Dad! Mom, too...! DAD!"

Rushing down the stairs and walking over to her departed parents' side, she tried everything - shaking them awake, pulling the needle away from the father's heart, trying to kiss the mother's head back to life. Just to try and make them come back.

Nagisa's eyebrows shifted in worry and a massive weight crushing his shoulders. Did he just kill this kid's parents...? One that clearly, very evidently, loved them, and parents that reciprocated that feeling?

Why did he feel... envious? Why did he feel... so regretful?

Yelling out in tears as she cried out for her family, Nagisa hesitantly took a step closer, reaching out his hand...

But took it back once he realized that she didn't want anything to do with him. When she finally realized his presence once again, all she gave him was a look of disgust and panic. Trying to get his words out, he spoke, his voice full of uncertainty.

"I-I... didn't know... they..."

"Get away from me... get away from us! Why did you take my parents away from me?!"

He had to answer her. Even with how much she would hate him for this, he had to.

"They were... demons."

"Demons?! DEMONS?! Mom and Dad... loved me! They did everything for me! Don't you dare, ever, ever call them demons! After what you did, you're the only demon here...! You're the demon! It's your fault! IT'S YOUR FAULT! GIVE ME MY FAMILY BACK!"

Too stunned and too full of culpability to answer back, his eyes closed. His world was spinning around him and his emotions and thoughts were an incoherent mess. He was blocking out the yelling and crying the now orphaned daughter directed at him, but as he tried to open his eyes and get the words out to apologize...

All that he saw was the smaller girl passed out in front of him, lying next to what remained of her family, embracing them tightly.

Nagisa didn't say another thing. His hands felt petrified, and he wanted to just... leave her alone. Maybe it'd make his conscience feel better.

But he had a job to do. No matter the pain, he'll grit his teeth and push through it. For her, he'd do anything. Just to make her acknowledge him... and tell him he did a good job.

That much... made every single painful act he had to do worth it. Because to him, she cared for him more than anyone... and that alone was enough.

Pulling out the Monokuma Kid's helmet from his backpack, he slowly moved towards the younger girl's body and positioned the gear above her head, then speaking to her, knowing full well she can't talk back.

"I'm... sorry about your parents. I wish... mine cared about me even half as much as yours did. I know it hurts to have to remember them, so consider this... an act of mercy. So long as this is on your head, you'll never have to feel that pain ever again."

A sigh.

Twisting and attaching it... he finally put the helmet on the girl.

That was the end of the mission.

So much happened... and he'd been reminded why he hated having to do things like this himself. He couldn't just shut himself off from emotion. He had to convince himself he was doing the right thing, because if he couldn't even do that? He'd be forced to see the reality of his actions. But that's the way it is. It has to be like this. He'll always tell himself that.

Every single time, he's reminded of things he never had. But when someone offers to give you the love and attention you've craved so much for in your life...

He was willing to destroy the love other people had just to get a taste of what that was like.

[literaticat]

What do you think are some good gifts for agent friends? 

I guess it depends who I am in this scenario?

Like, if I'm a client giving a gift to my agent (which isn't necessary or expected, but I'm a gift-type person, so hey!) -- a token or treat that is either somehow related to my book OR is a "local specialty" of where I'm from would be nice. If I was an illustrator, a piece of art would be lovely.

If I'm me, an agent, giving a one-off to a colleague/friend, well, I'd give them whatever I would give them if they weren't an agent? Like, a personal gift that I know they'd like because I'm friends with them? (a tarot deck or a cool crystal for the metaphysical girlie, some fancy vinegar or something for the foodie, gourmet dog treats for the one who is obsessed with her dog, ETC).

If I'm me, giving gifts to LOTS of colleagues and clients (like say, at Holiday time), I'd write them a nice card or e-card and do a donation in their name -- because if I'm sending out 50+ gifts, I'd rather spend $500 or so doing a donation somewhere that needs it than buy a bunch of cheap pieces of junk and ship them.

For my agency sisters, if I was feeling really *inspired*, I might do a SMALL, FLAT, EASY TO SEND gift that is the same for everyone in addition to a donation. Like one year I was obsessed with cashmere socks and got everyone that. One year I got everyone a super cute Phoebe Wahl tea-towel. That kind of stuff does really add up though!

Last year I decided to be more frugal and just do the card + donation, then put a cute sticker and a fortune telling fish that I changed to be agent-related in with their card. :D It was a hit!

[tangibletechnomancy]

The thing about AI art is, it is easier than conventional art, but it's also not. Like any other art form, it has an infinitely high skill ceiling. It is entirely possible to spend just as much time and effort on an AI-created piece as it would take to produce a visually identical conventional one; it just involves a different skill set. However, the skill floor - the minimum amount of skill required to create something a layperson will find visually appealing - is lower.

And I want to make something crystal clear: as much as I bitch about reckless and malicious use of AI art, I do not believe that taking advantage of that lowered skill floor to make something pretty inherently counts as malicious. It's the factor that enables a lot of that malice, but on its own, I wholeheartedly believe that it's not even just neutral, but a good thing - which makes it all the MORE offensive how it's abused by some really loud and obnoxious voices.

Art is possibly the #1 reason I could never be a capitalist - because art is a "phantom need"; while not as urgent of one, it IS a human need as real as food, water, and shelter. It's about communication, expression, being able to look at something and go "oh, I was here", and all kinds of other things that...sound simultaneously as fundamentally necessary as they are, but also kind of pretentious when written out, because they've been devalued for so long in most English-speaking cultures (that good ol' Catholic guilt + Protestant work ethic and frugality gospel). Most people's mental health suffers drastically without it, even if they don't realize they're seeking it out or suffering without it. Art is even good for physical health - patients have better outcomes in hospitals that don't skimp on art and aesthetics. Art therapy is a very real thing that can save or extend lives; in fact Van Gogh's body of work can be seen as the prototype for art therapy - what makes his work so impactful to so many people isn't just the visual itself, but understanding that this brought a person the tiny scraps of joy and relief he needed to stay alive just a little longer. Lack of enrichment shortens people's lifespans. Art is one of the most universally human ways of getting that enrichment.

Something that lowers the skill floor to make nice art, or makes it attainable with a different skill set, makes that accessible to more people. When we step back a moment and theoretically remove it from capitalist bullshit, that is a wholly good thing with zero caveats and if you somehow disagree on any grounds other than "but we can only do that in theory", then, to be brutally honest: I don't trust you.

Unfortunately, yes, we CAN only do that in theory, so yes, that fact...gets abused. We're seeing it. It's not theoretical. Recall that the two reasons I'm here are 1) watching people's objections cross the line from complaining about those abuses to just plain dangerous reactionary neophobic gatekeeping reminiscent of when digital illustration's "danger" to physical art media was a hot-button issue (and look back now - turns out, just like I predicted then, physical media didn't die out; physical and digital painting and illustration can coexist peacefully!), and 2) wanting to do my part to embarrass the people who maliciously use the lowered skill floor to materially harm conventional artists and see that harm as a feature, not a bug, because so many non-artists, especially those with commercial products that need art, see art as a pretentious frivolity that doesn't deserve recognition or payment. (Trust me, I'm well aware, I've been dealing with them since I was 9 or so--)

But what I'm saying is...it's disgusting that those types even have the POWER to potentially be more than an annoyance in the first place, all because art - a "phantom need", one of the earliest things that defines us as humans, something we've used to communicate since before written language, something we handed down from parent to child in the Stone Age, is wrapped up in this exploitative system of people literally living and dying by what a bunch of rich clowns think. There's always going to be a conversation about the value of art as a form of expression attached to an artist, and the value of art as a part of collective culture detached from the artist; the fact that we have to complicate it with the additional aspect of monetary value in a system that declares that if you don't produce enough monetary value you deserve to die - it's bad enough that such a system exists in the first place, and it just gets messier and uglier when you ensnare art in it.

Thing is, it's natural to want recognition for your art - it is, after all, about expression, and a lot of the time that's about seeking connection. It's not natural to be put in a position where you might not be able to feed yourself, let alone your family, if you don't either get that recognition or give up on art completely for some other abusive undervalued job, and it is certainly not natural to be surrounded by people who think this is fair and just and you don't DESERVE to be able to keep yourself alive no matter how hard you work because either you're pretentious and lazy, or you're a sellout, depending on which side of the survivability line you land on.

Making it easier for people to Make Art is not, and will never be bad. Making it profitable for the people who think that art is for either lazy do-nothings or greedy sellouts to take over artists' work, however...to put it in less-than-academic terms...ew.

[firespirited]

I've said before that money might not buy happiness but it can buy safety and that's as good as.

The corollary is that safety makes you feel rich, not in the sense that you think you have money in any way - numbers don't magically change, just almost unbearably lucky.

This past month, various people in their own ways have pointed out or just indirectly highlighted that I am uh poor and live the odd kind of lifestyle that goes with. I shrugged it off, always have, I've never lived above the poverty level, but for ten years I've been discovering being safe - not entirely but more than I've ever been or could imagine.

But all the little examples, like not replacing my clothes when I lost weight, already doing all the energy saving things recommended by the government, doing my own hair (very nicely I might add), little snide remarks about second hand... It all came crashing in with a thread where people were explaining how much they have left after bills and how much they deem necessary creature comforts. People considered poor themselves. We lead *very* different lives, guess disability poor is a whole different ball game.

I am safer and more secure than I have ever been and it makes me feel so rich. I guess the memed picture of the floor mattress and the tv and a folding chair is what people see but living frugally is nothing compared to living in fear. It's work but it's nothing compared to walking on eggshells, bracing for the worst.

Today I learned that i need not worry that much about people who think having to cancel some of several subscription packages/year tickets is poverty. And work on my guilt issues not only on spending my money but wishing I could buy the comfort of safety for others.

And I'm going to need to get two pairs of floaty summer trousers and one over shirt/blouse for mosquito blocking ASAP because short of entirely retailoring the butt they will not fit. LOL.

[ifonlyitwasmidnight]

Not really a request, but more like a question. Do you have any Tokyo revengers oc? I post my oc, but I’m kind nervous what will other people think of her and I’m worried I may have made her too boring. I also have other Tokyo Revengers oc, but I been struggling to find a look that will match her personality any advice?

Hey!

I do have an OC for Tokyo Revengers! She's a single mom who bumps into the Toman boys, and they bring her into the fold. She's a newer one, and I'm slowly building her backstory and look. My OC fics tend to be quite long, so I don't know if they are traditionally Tumblr-fed, but I hope to share her someday.

Personally, I love OCs, and I love reading other people's OCs. Fanfic, at its core, is purely self-indulgent, and creating OCs is the perfect way to engage in those thoughts and wants as you explore your way to find your escape, feelings, or unbridled love for the media you are creating the OC for.

The stigma around OCs is hard to overcome, especially since they tend to be so much closer to your heart than just a reader insert or y/n fic. But your writing is for you.

The best advice I have ever received in the industry is this: Your writing is not boring. You know the story's outcome and where it's going, so it can seem boring and predictable to you because you know what will happen.

That being said, your writing isn't boring. But! It is also okay if it is "boring." Boring doesn't equate to "ugh, this is so boring," like we would say when we are understimulated. Sometimes it isn't a traditionally climactic part in the story, it's set up/backstory, or it's a downtime in the second half of the story arc before the reveal. Slow parts are necessary to writing to give you and your readers a moment to breathe away from the action and recenter with the characters. I know you asked about boring characters, but the thought of boring characters fits in with a boring story.

As far as a boring character, you can always sit down and have what I like to call "coffee chats" with her. Figure out what she loves. What's her ideal date. How does she respond to a stressful situation? What's her dress style, favorite food, and favorite movie. To make dynamic characters, you have to know them like the back of your hand. Is she frugal, or does she spend money when she gets her hands on it? It's like going on a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd date with your OC, where you ask every question under the sun to try and get to know her. There are a lot of really great prompts out there where you can fill out character sheets that will help you get to know them. When you think your character is boring, it's probably because your brain has a question about them that you still need to figure out.

It can be shocking what you find out about your characters when you sit down and really think about the nuances and ticks. It brings you much closer to them, and you don't wind up with a character that feels discombobulated where you have to stop and think just how she would react to a situation she's found herself in.

Finding a type match can also be a journey. With my OCs, I tend to think, "what kind of person would I want to surround myself with" and work from there. I've pulled from many influences before to create characters. Sometimes they just appear in my head as "single mom, overworked, looking for an escape, found family," and then I build from there. To be honest with you, I've written myself into an OC before and ran with it because, at the time, my soul needed it to heal. Again, character sheets will work wonders here. You start small and work up from there. Sometimes when you figure out their personalities, their physical looks will come to you because you will find out what matches them based on that.

We write what we know.

And that's okay.

Sorry, this turned out to be so long. Writing at its center is my passion and, ultimately, my job, so I tend to be long-winded.

P.S. I saw the post of your OC, and she is gorgeous. I can't wait to meet her.

[samwiselastname]

Samwise Lastname Life Update (Negative)

I moaned and groaned in that selfie a bit already but like. I have many people who have offered to help me with many things. Truly thankful.

At the same time I've always been The Person with the stable job and full time wage, like, pretty much since I finished DBT halfway through college that's been my defining character trait. Even before then, it was "person who is a prime target for financial exploitation."

My current situation is a shared living space where I am covering about 4/5s of our expenses, by virtue of being able to mask my disability well enough to work full time. We are still coming up $400 short a month. I've just gotten assurance that should change, a housemate is seeking work, but. It hasn't changed yet, and even once it does, I will not feel secure until we have an emergency fund for housing, and I won't feel safe keeping any personal savings until that's settled. Which is a couple years out at this rate - even farther with some necessary home repairs, which will push our deficit even higher.

We only get takeout once a month at most, our expenses have been essential housewares and home improvement items - pest control, plumbing maintenance tools, repair supplies. A few hundred of that deficit is just repeat homeowner shit. We planted a garden this year which was an expense but, not exorbitant. I don't know how to cut down more without like. Eating less? Historically that approach has turned into dangerous weight loss & migraines pretty quick. As it is we're only spending about $100 more a month than the FDA's recommended frugal grocery plan.

I can stop buying alcohol & weed and save... about $10 a month. I could cancel some of my subscriptions and save $20-50. Anything I can cut back on at this point is not financially worth the detriment to my well-being, especially when things like "watching youtube on the TV" and "playing FFXIV" are like. Some of my only safe and passive low-pressure recreational activities.

Don't really know what to do about this other than keep grinding. I'm making myself sick. Tacking on any extra work - hobby creative pursuits that might one day turn into commercial creative pursuits, any amount of job hunting, even a shot at adult content creation - feels unbearable.

I am trying to stop "working overtime" because even the 40 hours fucks with my ability to do anything else. I tried to work around this by job searching and side hustling. Now all my hobbies feel like jobs and every day I'm not working on income feels like self-sabotage. It's stupid - I can get better compensation at my current job picking extra hours. At least when I do that I don't go into a neurotic spiral and stop sleeping. As much. It's at least effective.

So I have this limbo - working over 40 hours physically destroys me, and it's the only way to tip the scales at all right now. I know one can often get a pay raise by finding a new job but - yall the market sucks. I'm trying. I need full time remote WFH and good god is it bad out there. Plus my current insurance rn is killer - I have a 3k out of pocket max. My medical costs would outweigh the raise at any job I've successfully applied for thus far, because my current employer affords me this bizarrely fantastic health insurance with HSA deposits.

Just feel hopeless. If I've gone dark on you that's why. We have four months to get this shit fixed before we're totally fucked and I'm doing everything I can to buy us time.

[tarotwithdanise]

Your future finances.

꒰⠀from left to right ; intuitively choose the pile your mind, heart and soul desire for. if you are having trouble choosing the right pile for you, here’s some tips you can do ; (1) take a deep breath (2) close your eyes (3) ask guidance from your guides (4) finally open your eyes and you can choose the right pile for you by the guidance you ask from your guides. if you are still having trouble by choosing the right pile for you let me know because i am willing to help and guide you.

Pile one

Right off the bat—I see most of you guys have experiencing financial crisis right now, and if ever you have this small amount of money, you are very careful about handling and spending them because you are in this situation of financial shortage presently. Your future finances are telling you that it may not feel to like it, but you have turned a corner into round shape, you are on the way to recovery. Money is short, but with careful management, you can get through this. You are this type of person who's thrifty and clever, you know how to stretch a little into a lot. If you a a great ability to build further on your knowledge, you can take this even far on the highest level. Maybe there’s a frugality happening with your career? Your future finances will be based on your own hardwork, the definition of blood, sweat and tears. You are very careful yet not so averse to spending when necessary. Most of people who chose this pile are very thrifty. Again, you are someone who is very careful about money. You are cautious and clever. You take the advices you had seen online, but you weigh up the options before taking actions on it. Expect money from an old friend to repay a long-forgotten debt. Your past will bring forth a gift for the present you. Lastly, this is a confirmation that your finances will improve a lot than ever so you don't have to worry.

Pile two

Woah, pile two people. You need to calm down. It's like you are frustrated and stressed about finances right now. Your future finances are telling you that you are about to reclaim again your throne because stability is coming your way; you need to move and be patient! Stop. Wait. Don’t spend any money right now. Wait for the right time. Trust your intuition. Some of you might have or carry debt. Here’s the trick: Pay off the smallest one as fast as you can. Add that payment to the next debt and pay it off even faster. And so on until you have discharged your obligations. I know it’s tough right now. You don’t know where to turn. There are people who are able to help you, and you have to reach out to them. Try it; nothing will be lost if you try. You might feel like handing the financial reins over to someone else to take care of. Yet, you should be money-savvy enough to manage if necessary. Keep records. In the future, you’re the professional. In the future, you will command a good salary. The money hardly bothers you. There's a lot of feminine energy here. As of now, some of you and your family may not be wealthy financially, but what you do have is worth far more than gold in the future.

Pile three

I see a lot of you guys are attracted to the second pile. Check it out, it maybe have some messages for you. So pile three and two may have some similarities you will reclaimed your throne. I'm getting a lot of fire signs here—Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. I see here that a lot of abundance is coming your way soon, especially when you get married. Unlike other piles, some of you might be financially stable now; I mean you can buy whatever you want to; if not, then this will be for your future finances. If that happens, you need to be thrifty, and you need to budget yourself from buying nonsense things because they may cause a big loss of money to you. You might also get scammed. I know that and understand that you want that purse, those new shoes and that vacation. Maybe it's better to appreciate what you already have at the moment. You may need a budget plan. A strict, organized, and firm budget. Don’t wait for it to happen; get it done. In the future, it’s all going so well. Your boss loves you (if you ever get a job). Money is flowing nicely. You won't dare a care in the world. Enjoy it; life is temporary. It’s always temporary, good or not-so-good. Starting now, you are reaping the rewards of the hard work you put in when you were younger. You have a good business minded/ahead, and no one will ever get the better of you. Enjoy the best things in life, but remember to share your canny financial wisdom. Pay it forward. This will come soon, I'm telling you. You need to a focus because this will happen once, and it was a very fast movement. Perhaps maybe you still in school, the best way is to cultivate good financial habits now. Always save 10% of all money that comes to you, and who knows maybe you will be a millionaire by the age of 40. I have advice for you: don’t focus on the money too much; love is more important. However, it’s good to educate yourself on money matters.

Pile four

So pile number four, this may be kind of irrelevant, but you might marry someone who is extremely wealthy as well their family. While for others, you may become rich by yourself. You might get involved in a family business by yourself or you might get and receive a huge inheritance. You are lucky enough to have a wealthy family, maybe not really for money but maybe for love. Good on you! In the future, you will get what you want in life, such as cars and houses. You are pretty sensible most of the time; even so, you occasionally succumb to an impulse buy. How has that worked out in the past? You’ve got this. You have all the skills and intelligence to make it happen. Go for it. In this pile, a lot of abundance is coming in. You can exchange money or gifts. A delightful encounter from which you will benefit. And chances is high that you might stepping up to become a millionaire or billionaire! If you handled money very well.

Pile five

Some of you might be attracted to the third pile. You can check out the message of that pile if you wanted to. So, pile number five is in the planning stage. You may feel frustrated that your efforts aren’t bearing fruit yet. The rewards are coming. All you have to do is relax; don’t fret. You can’t do anything about money right now. Adopt an accepting frame of mind. You will know when it’s time to act. Some of you may be feeling stressed right now. Don’t cave in. Chin up and carry on fighting for your beliefs. Money is not always the important issue but the health is. For few, you might start a business and have too much competition. You have to devise an USP. What can you offer that the rest can’t? That's the tactic for those who will open up a business. Prosperity can come and go just as easy. It’s always temporary, good or not-so-good, but money will be flowing nicely because your future finances is gonna be bright.

Pile six

Last pile, I see that you have been hesitating. Take a risk. If you are just about to rush into spending money without thinking it through, hold back. Thus, this is both a sign of encouragement and a warning. You know which applies to you. You guys might invest because I see here that there could be paperwork, a legal matter, a contract, or something else to sign related to finances. And you are confident that what you have done so far that it will deliver the expected financial returns. In fact, they may well be better than you expected in the future. For your future finances, abundance and all good things are headed on your block way. The promotion, the increased bank balance. All will be working in your favor. Also, to keep this abundance and prosperity, you need to help others wholeheartedly and voluntarily.

© tarotwithdanise ── all rights reserved. do not copy, translate, alter, or repost my work with or without my explicit permission.

[your-daily-biaswrecking]

Serva me, Servabo te

save me and I will save you

pairing: photographer!Taehyung x f.reader

genre: smut, angst, slight enemies to lovers

word count: 10.5k | reading time: 60 min

chapter summary: The two of them spend their day on good terms for the first time, but still manage to find something to rile them up

warnings: switch!tae, switch!amy, oral f&m receiving, face sitting, dirty talk, teasing, a lil bit of orgasm control? some name calling (bitch), light spanking, hair pulling, unprotected vaginal sex, riding, praise, squirting, also some spooky stuff, i don’t remember what else ahh

A/N: I know absolutely nothing about photography, so if you do and you read this and think to yourself nothing is making any sense, you are right and I am wrong. Please just enjoy this as best as you can lol

All chapters | Masterlist | Read on AO3

Chapter 7: Love is just a form of possession

The place was definitely haunted. But perhaps it was in a good way. Perhaps it was magical.

It felt that way when you slowly opened your eyes to find a snoozing Taehyung just inches away from your face. His expression set in a natural pout as he had his arms snaked around your body like he was afraid he would lose you in his sleep. You bit your lip as you inspected his resting form better; his ruffled hair, his soft but dehydrated lips, his naked shoulders that were peeking under the blanket. Last night you had moved on the couch, struggling to fit on it at the same time but managing to entangle your limbs just right so that he wouldn't fall over. You had a light rug that you had found in the room over your bodies, as well as Taehyung's sweater on to keep you warm, although the heat from his bare body was all you needed.

And the fireplace. You heard it crackling before you raised your head to look over at its direction and confirm the fire was big and strong once again. Yep. This place was definitely haunted.

Taehyung's arms tightened around you, pulling himself nearer until his face was buried in your neck. "Don't go," he mumbled in a way it was hard for you to understand, with his voice heavy from his slumber. He had felt your body move while you were trying to look around the room and without even opening his eyes, his reaction was to hold you closer.

You ran a hand through his hair, smiling to yourself. "I'm not going anywhere."

Rain was still falling, not as heavy as the previous night, but it was just enough for the rhythmic melody it created by hitting the windows. That meant you were stuck in the house for one more day. Not that you had any interest in leaving, in even getting out of that room or that couch. Not only was it warm in there, in Taehyung's embrace, but it was safe, too. Perhaps, on any other occasion, you would hate yourself for just how nice you felt at that moment, but you were starting to believe that being by his side wasn't just appealing, but also necessary. You wouldn't last another day in that Manor otherwise.

"What should we have for breakfast?" you heard him whisper, right before he started stretching so much he almost fell over.

"Oh, um..." you mumbled, thinking about it. "Is it my turn to cook?"

You felt his smile against your neck, a low chuckle being produced at the back of his throat. "It is. What will you feed me?" You took a couple of seconds to think, and his smile grew. "You know, you could just offer me your cunt right now and I'd happily have that as a meal."

You groaned. "Tae!" you whined, pushing him on his chest. "You're disgusting!" He had certainly ruined the romantic atmosphere that the room was painted in. But that's just how that man is, isn't it?

He was laughing as he was trying to catch himself from falling, grabbing the sweater you were wearing and the arm of the couch. "Oh, come on," he said once he found his balance. "You can't tell me you're still shy after everything we've done."

But you rolled your eyes at him. "This isn't a matter of openness, it's just very inappropriate."

He looked up at you, licking his lip slowly as he watched your eyes. "So, you're turning me down?"

For a moment you tried to get up, but he held you tighter. The truth was that the way he was looking at you was almost making you cave in, but thankfully you could think better in the daytime. Even though you didn't have much of a reason to, anymore, you still didn't feel quite comfortable just casually doing stuff like that with him. It was too much already that you had woken up cuddling him as if he was your boyfriend.

"I need to go shower," you said, both replying to him and changing the subject in a way. "I'm so nasty from last night."

"You and I both. Do you want to shower together?" He made his proposal by reaching up a bit and kissing your jaw. It made you drop it, not to give him better access, but because his words were making you flustered again.

"No- why would we- we..."

"I'm just saying; it's cold and it's raining. There might not be a lot of hot water. We should be frugal."

Since you hadn't stopped him exactly yet, he took it as a sign to keep kissing you. Up your jawline and down your neck. And now forming a coherent thought was even more difficult. Your body squirmed around like you were being tickled, and you wanted to block him but at the same time not at all.

"Now, you're just making up excuses," you snorted, trying to sound austere but the smile he had managed to get on your lip served the exact opposite mission. "Do you want to have me for breakfast that bad?" you teased since he wasn't the only one able to do that.

But Taehyung pulled slightly away, biting his lip and looking at you through his lashes with the most innocent face he could muster. "Actually, I was hoping that if I eat you out, you might return the favor and help me out with this morning wood." And with that, he pressed upon you more, so that you could feel exactly what he was talking about. Your eyes widened and you gasped a bit, realizing that the hard thing nudging your thigh wasn't actually his knee like you thought.

"Oh..." you mumbled.

"But you don't have to!" Taehyung was quick to say when he saw your surprised reaction. But it wasn't so much surprise as it was a feeling of guilt; the man had done everything to please you the past couple of days, and you hadn't had the chance to do much for him in return. And there he was, with a pout on his lips and his dick begging for attention.

When you kissed him, you didn't do it just because you felt a sense of duty to do it, but mostly because the idea that he needed you turned you on so much, and so fast. You kissed him hard, not wasting any time to slip your tongue in his mouth, and your chest filled with pride when he started moaning. He was moaning more and louder than usual, probably being less interested in controlling himself since he still hadn't fully woken up yet, and you hadn't even touched him yet.

The rag slid down your shoulders as you moved over him, changing the position that had you both on your sides, to one where Taehyung was lying on his back and you were straddling him. You didn't have anything on other than that sweater, and so when you ground on his hard-on, it was easily gliding between your folds, making the man growl harder.

"Shit, Amy," he moaned and his voice was higher in pitch than normal. "I feel like a goddamn teenager. You're- shhh- you're gonna make me cum just like that."

You found his little voice cracks so adorable. You didn't know -could have never guessed- just how needy, desperate, whiny, and loud Taehyung got in the mornings. He always put on that facade of being in control, when in reality, deep down, all he wanted was to pleasure you as best as he could; all he was waiting for was a chance to be good for you. And then he was at your mercy for his own release. It was obvious in the way he hung from your lips, clawing at your sweater. Completely dependent on you and your moves.

"You can't cum like that, baby," you reminded him, pressing his chest down and sitting up, keeping your lips out of reach to make him whine more. You weren't used to this exactly, but damn, torturing this poor boy felt so good. Perhaps because you still wanted to hate him, so now that he was hooked on you and you were in control, you wanted to make him suffer; make him beg. Just like he had the audacity to do to you. "You can't cum before I tell you to, alright? If you do, I won't let you touch me again for the rest of our days here."

Taehyung cried out, his hips rising involuntarily to grind on your core more. "Stop," he breathed out. "Don't do that."

You laughed. Was he trying to order you around when his whole face was pink and he was panting, unable to compose himself? That was bold. Especially since what you were telling him seemed to turn him on even further.

You let two fingers run down his chest toward his belly. "You will finish in my mouth, okay? Nowhere else." Just to test him, you pushed down on his dick more, almost letting him inside you, and he crushed his head back, groaning.

"Amy- I'm so close already," he complained. "Just- just..."

You clicked your tongue, withdrawing both your hands and your hips from his body. "I don't like your tone, mister."

But he just looked at you with pitiful eyes. "I won't last if you don't..."

"You want me to suck your dick?" He nodded frantically. "You have to ask nicely."

"Son of a bitch," he sighed, biting his lip. And you could see him twitch all alone underneath you. It made you smirk.

"That's not nicely, baby," you cooed.

Taehyung's forehead started glistening as he got a little sweaty. And he groaned once more. "Amy..."

"Yes?"

He panted. "You don't even need to do much, just let me cum," he hummed.

And you chuckled. "Man, you really don't know how to ask politely, do you?" Then you snorted. "Well, what did I expect from someone like you."

You could tell all he really wanted to do was anything you asked of him; he just didn't like the fact that you were doing it on purpose. And if he just let you see exactly how desperate he was for you, then it would be a lot harder to establish himself later when he would need to again. But when one of your hands traveled south and wrapped around the base of his cock, there was truly little holding him back.

"Amy, please!" he squeaked, his voice cracking again. "Please, what do you want me to do? I've been as best as I could to you."

The words made your stomach do a flip, and you smirked, slowly running your fist up and down his length. "Yes, you have," you whispered. You lowered your head to his dick and stuck your tongue out. Taehyung watched you with wide eyes as you lazily brought the tip of your tongue on his head, gathering up all the precum that had leaked out. And he took a sharp breath in through his teeth. "You've been so good."

"I'm gonna cum," Taehyung announced, dropping his head back.

But you held him tighter. "Not yet." And you dropped your mouth entirely onto him.

Taehyung's mouth fell open in a silent cry as he did his best to control himself. This was torture. Sure, he had asked for it, but he had already woken up so close to his orgasm with the kind of dreams he was having, that all it would need to spill his seed out would have been a couple of strokes. It would have probably served him better to just go to the bathroom and deal with it himself. Now, he had this pretty girl with her warm, wet mouth all over him, sucking him off hard, and it felt so good he thought he would explode. And yet he couldn't. He had to wait.

"Amy, please," he choked out when you brought him deep enough to hit the back of your throat. "Ugh, please, let me cum."

You had never enjoyed giving someone a blowjob as much as you did at that moment. Besides the fact that Taehyung's dick was straight-up delicious, the sounds he was making and the way he was begging had your head spinning. It had you rubbing your legs together, bopping your head faster, and sipping him up harder as if you were trying to milk him. And you would have kept on doing that for so much longer, until your jaw was in too much pain, if it weren't for how his cries made you feel sorry for him.

So you popped him off your mouth just enough to say these words: "Coat my mouth with your scum, baby. Let me taste it."

You didn't have to touch him any longer; your words alone drove him over the edge he had been dancing on for a while now, spurting his seed on your offered tongue, his hands holding your head for the first time to keep you still. He gave you a couple of pumps, some of them missing the target and hitting your nose before he groaned and dropped back down. Panting and sighing, pulling his hair away from his face and whipping the sweat that had formed on his forehead. You stayed still, not sure if you wanted to spit or swallow, but since you couldn't immediately think of where you could do the former, you gulped down all that he had gifted you.

From your point of view, Taehyung had never looked hotter than he did at that moment; completely exhausted and dried up, probably without a single thought in his head. And all because of you. If you hadn't just made him finish and his dick go soft, you would have already jumped to sit on him, not even waiting to wear protection. Your core itched with want, too, and since he looked ready to go right back to sleep, you needed to go take that shower you had mentioned right away. And by shower, you know what I mean.

You went to get off the couch. But Taehyung's hand wrapped around your wrist instantly, keeping you back. His head foggy from his orgasm but still super aware of you and your movements. "Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna go take a shower. Like I said." Your voice was a lot lower than before, much of your confidence having left you the moment that scene was over. In contrast, Taehyung seemed to be gaining his old self back little by little, considering the way his eyes were piercing you.

"Not before I'm done with you," he rasped, pulling your arm until you lost your balance and fell over his body. "Come sit on my face."

Your eyes popped open wide. "Wha- no, I'm fine."

While licking his lips, Taehyung snaked his free hand down your sides and cupped your pussy, a finger immediately sliding between your folds as if he was trying to gather up all your juices. "You call that fine?" he asked smugly as he made sure you could hear just how soaked you were. A moan caught in your throat, trying to hide how much you needed him. He smiled sweetly at you. "What, you thought I'd just leave you hanging? Come on, babe, turn around and sit that pretty ass of yours on my face because I don't have the strength to get up right now."

It would have been hard to say no to that when you could both feel the way you gushed out at his words. So you moved around until you were facing his feet and kneeled over his head. One of his arms wrapped around your hips, his other hand still playing with your folds. You hesitated coming down to him, that being a position you weren't used to, but he was pulling at you until his tongue managed to replace his fingers, licking a stripe from your clit to your entrance. You moaned, your legs shaking a bit as he gave you kitten licks to see the way you squirmed over him.

And then you felt a strong smack on your ass.

"Bitch, I said sit on my face, not hover over it!" Taehyung scolded.

"Ah!" you cried, a sound that sounded like pain at first but turned to more like thrill later. Your head whipped back, trying to see the man lying beneath you. "I am sitting," you insisted.

"If I can breathe while you do it, you're not doing it right." And then he gave you another smack on the ass, making you yelp again.

"Ah, stop! You'll suffocate."

"Good." His hands kneaded your buns strongly, waiting for you to move. But you were still uncertain. So he exhaled and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong, Amy? I thought you hated me, yet you don't even want to choke me with those thighs? I thought you wanted to kill me?"

It was a cheap trick to rile you up. Cheap, but it worked. You let yourself drop down completely, not holding any of your weight back. It felt weird at first, you felt pretty self-conscious, but then Taehyung's arms secured you around him and his tongue slipped inside you, and you didn't have the right mind to worry about anything else. You pushed even further down, trying to get him even deeper. He squeezed and pinched your things, moving your hips as best as he could to get you to grind on his face. And once you felt how nicely your clit rubbed on him, it was hard to do otherwise.

You held onto his hips for leverage to thrust against his tongue, as you could feel the feeling inside your tummy growing rapidly. And you moaned his name like a prayer. He pushed you off him just for a second enough to take a breath before he was pressing his mouth on your sensitive bud. His tongue flat on you to let you move against it in the way it felt best for you. Voice getting higher and higher as you got closer and closer, Taehyung smacking your ass again to make you scream. And with just one more hit, you were gushing all over his face, legs, and hips shaking violently as you fell over on him.

He remained lapping at you, cleaning you up, until you got so sensitive you had to pull yourself away. You got up and suddenly remembered to check on him. "Are you okay?"

He gave you one of those boxy grins, his eyes almost closing completely by how hard he was smiling. "Couldn't be better."

"Your face is all red." He looked like he had nearly died from asphyxiation. But he kept grinning.

"To be completely honest, I did forget for a moment to breathe. But that's not your fault. It was just too good to stop." With that he sat up and swung his legs to the side, in front of you, looking up at you.

You had to laugh. His whole approach to the moment, and even his bright red face with his hair all chaotic framing it, made you feel a lot more at ease. He seemed so happy for what he had just done. Almost like he had enjoyed it more than you.

"I have never met anyone who likes this so much as you," you admitted with another giggle.

Taehyung got up finally, looking around the room to find the discarded clothing items and get dressed. "Well, you have been dating all the wrong guys then," he said matter-of-factly before he found his briefs and jumped into them. He turned to look at you again. "See, this is what happens when you have standards and won't go for someone like me."

"I'm with you right now."

"Yeah, but you still won't date me." His words made you frown momentarily. Because they sounded slightly like a complaint. Or like a wish in disguise. But before you could have the chance to think twice, he cleared his throat and started putting on his pants, the eye-contact over. "Let's go shower and then eat something. This doesn't count as breakfast."

The atmosphere was awkward, only for a little, because then you occupied yourselves enough with dressing up, and going upstairs, and getting in that shower. You didn't shower together, chose the separate bathrooms instead. Which, you thought, was for the best; he might have already seen you naked but that was only while having sex. You didn't know if you were comfortable enough to be in your birthday suit and just... exist like that around him. But you still couldn't stop thinking about him. About what he would look like with all the water hitting his face. How you would like to shampoo his hair just to be able to hold him more intimately like that. Or for him to help you scrub your back and brush your hair. Generally, showering with someone else was another one of those things you didn't do much.

You heard the doorknob turn, and it brought butterflies to your stomach, thinking he had come to find you after all. But no one came in. You peeked your head around the curtain and the door was still closed. The shadows moving on the floor betrayed someone had just walked by, but he was still not entering.

"Taehyung?" you called but got no answer. Had he changed his mind?

You finished that shower alone. When you returned to your room, you found your phone was on your bed. You blinked at it, confused as to how it could be in such plain sight, and yet you still hadn't been able to find it yesterday. You grabbed it to see if you had any more notifications, and found a couple more missed calls from Yoonji. Oh, she would kill you for not responding earlier. Thankfully, you found just enough signal -you still hadn't been able to predict when or how that happened- and you called back. But she didn't answer. And when you called a second time, she still didn't answer. There was no way Yoonji was anywhere away from her phone; she must have just gotten mad at you for not calling earlier and ignoring your calls. But what would you even say? That your phone magically disappeared and reappeared today? And that you were too busy, what with fearing for your life and the sex and all?

"What did you want to talk about?" you sent her a text. Whatever. If she can hold a grudge against you over this petty thing, then it couldn't have been anything too important. Let her reply whenever she wanted to.

Taehyung had already served some breakfast when you got down, but at least this time it wasn't anything too extravagant, had simply opted for some toasted bread with marmalade, a boiled egg, and orange juice. You talked about his work and your studies, almost like making small talk. Like you would if you were meeting for the first time. Which is so odd; the two of you really just do everything the other way around, don't you?

What was making things uncomfortable was the fact that the two of you weren't fighting anymore. You certainly weren't used to that. But at the same time, you weren't exactly okay. Sure, you talked and spent your time together, you cooked and ate your breakfast and lunch, you played games and even cuddled sometimes. But it was all a little tricky. Because you had to be careful not to enjoy yourselves too much and let any emotions slip and show, or be too weird and ruin what you had managed to get. You almost felt guilty for liking being around him. But at the same time, you almost didn't want your days there to end.

You didn't want to go back to your reality, to your routine. Back to where you didn't talk and hated each other. But that would require you to admit it out loud first, and you definitely weren't about to do that.

"Amy?" Taehyung called for you after he had gone upstairs to get something and you had parted ways for a good five minutes. Five minutes and you already wanted to be in the same space again.

"In the kitchen," you shouted to let him know where you were. You were making both of you some afternoon tea since you had liked it last time. And yes, you wanted another excuse to keep him around you.

The photographer came jogging into the room with a grin on. "Look what I found!" he exclaimed, raising his hands to reveal a camera. A very old-looking camera.

"That's not yours?"

He shook his head excitedly. "No! I found it in that room with all those antiques!" With two steps he appeared right next to you, showing the tool around like a little kid that had just gotten a new Lego set. "Loot at this baby! It's a Japanese Arsen from the 1940s! This is insane, I don't think they realize how good this is if they just have it laying around here."

You chuckled. You had never seen Taehyung so enthusiastic. You knew, of course, that he must love photography and the such, but he always seemed more of a show-off about it than having a genuine passion for it. And seeing anyone talk about their passions, even if you don't understand a word about them, is sure to make your heart warm up.

"And get the best part," he went on. "I have a film with me that I think can work with this!"

"You do? You just carry around old film with you like that?"

Taehyung started picking the camera apart, opening up things you didn't quite understand to check whatever he needed to. "I am in the middle of using different models of analog cameras for a festival of 100 years of photography that we got going on in two months. So, yeah, I have a variety of films with me right now." He finally set the machine on the counter and looked back at you. "I don't have the exact film this would normally take, which would be a Vest Pocket film that's black and white, right? But I do have a Rera Chrome 100, and they're both 127 format films, so it should work." You were just staring at him with a confused smile. "This is the only 127 film with color, too."

You felt like a grandma listening to her grandchildren talk about technology you didn't understand. But you were happy for him. "That's all very amazing!" you finally said. "Are you gonna take pictures?"

"Yeah, I was thinking we could try to. The camera seems good to me, I think it should be working," he mumbled more to himself, taking another look at it. "You wanna go catch fairies with this thing?"

His words caught you a bit off guard. "What? Fairies?"

"Well, you know, the rain finally stopped and they always come out afterward, like snails." You were pretty sure he was messing with you. But he did take your hand to pull you out of the kitchen. "All we need is a pretty bait, which is where you come in. You will sit between the flowers in the garden, I will take your pictures with this, and then when we develop them we can see if we managed to recreate that famous picture with the little girl hanging out with the fairies."

You chuckled. He was definitely messing with you about the fairies, but he still seemed pretty serious about the photoshoot.

"I thought fairies were bad," you responded right as he threw a coat over your shoulders to push you out of the front door.

"Depends on who you ask," he told you with a wink.

Everything outside was still damp, even the atmosphere somehow. There was the distinct smell of the rain and the fresh air probing your senses, and for the first time since you got there, the environment felt nice. Like anything bad had been washed away. The plants glowed a bit brighter, the trees swinging around more rhythmically. You almost felt like an intruder when Taehyung guided you through the garden. But he was great at making you feel more relaxed and confident to pose for him; helping people like that was part of his job, after all.

He shaped and forged you in all those different positions, steering your body, or your face and your eyes in the direction he needed, before snapping the few pictures the film provided. Always kissing you in between. Every time his lips hit yours, you almost got too distracted to remember what you were up to. But the cold breeze brought you back each time without fail. It was sad that you couldn't see the pictures right away; Taehyung swore they were gorgeous yet you were doubtful. You would have to wait to go back in town to prove him wrong, though. And that was only if you even talked again after that.

The afternoon carried on calmly. This time you didn't occupy yourselves with work or studying at all. The days that you had left there were getting fewer and fewer, and it was no secret that you wanted to enjoy each other's company; even if you would never admit it. So you just had that tea you had forgotten, played some more games, talked about this and that. It turns out you had a lot more in common than you would have guessed. And the conversation was easy as long as you didn't fight.

"Any ideas for dinner?" he asked you once it had started to get somewhat late.

You nodded immediately. You had already thought about this beforehand. "Yeah, pizza!"

"Pizza?"

You nodded again. "Yeah. You know, I used to date an Italian-American guy and he taught me the easiest way to make good pizza," you explained while you started walking towards the kitchen. "It's so easy even I can do it."

"Oh," Taehyung mumbled before following behind your step. "Used to date? Like, how long ago are we talking about?"

You chuckled at his clearly annoyed reaction, then peeped at him over your shoulder with a smirk. "Why do you care?"

He was quick to shrug. "I don't care," he insisted as he started engaging himself with anything he could find on the counter that had no real use. "It's just a little suspicious that you would just casually bring up your ex like that."

You were torn between laughing at him and rolling your eyes at his behavior. "Yeah, I brought him up because of the pizza. If I had just said I'll make us pizza I'm pretty sure you would have complained that I don't have the skills for that, so I offered an explanation."

Taehyung snorted. "It was unnecessary."

"Are you jealous?"

"No, why would I be jealous?" He was avoiding your eyes while you decided not to stall any longer and start getting the flour and the rest of the ingredients ready. "I'm just saying-" he kept talking behind you, "-people usually talk about their exes when they still have feelings for them. And if this is a recent relationship I don't want to get caught in between. I don't want any Italian-American dudes showing up, wanting smoke."

You couldn't help but chuckle, your tongue pressing on your cheek, and you finally humored him by glancing at him. "Tae, that's not going to happen. Don't worry, I'm not like you when it comes to relationships."

He didn't say anything else, simply helped you with anything you needed for dinner. He helped you with rolling out the dough, and cooking the sauce, and shredding the cheese. You were always thankful for the moments you were cooking or eating, because no matter what was going on with the two of you, these were moments of reconcilement every time.

You made two big pizzas and a smaller one. The crust was a bit thin, but you argued that it was the way Italians make it. In one of them, you played safe and simply used sauce and mozzarella cheese. On the next one, Taehyung got to decide the toppings, and he went with pretty much anything he could find that would work on a pizza. And on the smallest one, you had minimal sauce left and no cheese, so you just improvised with some spiciness and pepperonis. You really didn't know if you would be able to eat them, but Taehyung never complained.

The photographer fixed up the fireplace a bit so that you could go eat next to it again. And you're not sure if the food was actually pretty good or if you were just very hungry and in a good mood that couldn't be ruined easily, but you both ate everything fast until there wasn't even a crumb left. And you felt so proud of yourself. Treating Taehyung made you almost blush before you reminded yourself that he wasn't it; that he wasn't your boyfriend and all of this would be over the moment you left this house. That you shouldn't be feeling this way. Just because you liked the sex didn't mean you had to start liking the man, too.

"Wanna play beavers?" you asked him once you had finished and you didn't really have anything else to do. I mean, you did, but you couldn’t just ask that yet.

But Taehyung was busy with his phone, not even glancing at you. "Give me a second."

He had been on his phone for the past half an hour or so, on and off, and you had never seen him so glued to it before. It made you frown in curiosity. "Are you talking to someone?" you asked.

Taehyung nodded. "Yes, Jimin." His face was way too serious to be texting his best friend, and it made you worry a bit.

"Jimin?" you murmured, leaning closer like trying to peep at his screen, although that's not what you did. Was something wrong? Did Jimin know about you? Had something bad happened with Yoonji; is that why she wanted to talk to you? "What are you guys talking about?" you finally asked. Taehyung's jaw moved around as if he was chewing an invisible gum, and you weren’t sure what to do because you had never seen him like that. You leaned back away, feeling a little off. "Tae?"

"You," he said then.

It took you a second to realize what he was answering. "What?"

The photographer dropped his phone next to him, looking at you in the eyes at last. His scrutiny making you cower a little. "We're talking about you."

You gulped. "You told him what happened between us?"

He shook his head. "No. I didn't say anything." But it was clear that from his stance and his words, he was still not making any sense, so he carried on. "He is the one talking about you."

Somehow, that statement was worse than the one you had expected. You didn't know what Jimin could possibly be telling him, but it was certainly not anything good, given Taehyung's serious face. And suddenly your blood went cold, trying to think of anything wrong that you might have done. And you were so scared, and you didn't even know why. Were you scared of disappointing him? Of ruining the little that you had with him? Why did the idea of Taehyung being mad at you, make you feel so bad?

"Wha- what is he saying?"

He clicked his tongue. "Can I ask you something…?” he mumbled, straightening his back and rubbing his chin. “You keep saying your not like me when it comes to relationships. And you’re still mad about what I did three years ago. But what did you do then?”

You gulped. You had no idea what he was referring to, but somehow you already felt guilty. “What do you mean? What did I do?”

Taehyung leaned in closer to you. “I mean, you obviously hated me. How did you handle that? Very… maturely, like you constantly try to pretend to do?”

You huffed. “Just get to the point, dude. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The corner of his lips twitched, almost like he was about to smile, even though it was clear his mood was anything but cheerful, while his eyes bored into yours dangerously. And he took his time replying, either waiting for you to admit whatever it was he wanted to hear first, or simply to keep you sweating. And then he finally sighed. “You made up a rumor about me, didn’t you?”

It wasn’t what you suspected he would say, and for a split second, you frowned, confused by his words. “What? What rumor- what are you saying? I’ve never done such a thing.” You didn’t get all the way defensive like you normally would because even though you couldn’t understand what was going on straight away, you still felt that guilt in your stomach.

The photographer chuckled in the darkest way you had ever heard. “Oh, so you’re telling me you didn’t spread around that I had the smallest dick ever?”

You choked. “Wha- no, I- I didn’t…”

“Oh, please. Yoonji said so herself.”

You couldn’t lie; you knew exactly what he was referring to. Had you said those exact words before? Yes. Had the rumors spread around so much that everyone on campus knew about them and they eventually reached back to you? Also yes. But had you intended for that to happen? Absolutely not. You had simply told a friend of yours and then Taehyung’s reputation did the rest; he was in the spotlight, everyone was talking and wanting to know more about him.

“I wasn’t trying to spread any rumors,” you tried to excuse yourself. But the boy was already shaking his head at you, not exactly seeming to want to listen to you. “It wasn’t my fault. I just told one girl and then she-”

“But you didn’t even know!” he interrupted you with a bitter laugh. “You never saw me, you just straight-up lied. Why would you tell anyone something like that?” He didn’t sound hurt, nor angry. He mostly sounded disappointed and that was so much worse.

You definitely didn’t like fighting with Taehyung when you were clearly the one at fault. “To be fair-” you kept talking even when he wasn’t paying any attention to you, “-when I said you had a small dick, I meant metaphorically. As in you had small dick energy. 'Cause you were a cheating little shit.”

He scoffed. “You know I don’t actually care about that.” Saying that, he got up and you were immediately on your feet as well. “I never cared about those rumors, we both know how fake they are.” He paused and leaned closer to your face. “What I care about is that you started them,” he whispered, and it was so much worse than if he had chosen to yell instead. “That you keep pretending you’re oh-so-perfect and I’m the asshole who deserves nothing but hate. When all this time you were just as guilty.”

Your entire face burned, your fists so tight you could feel your nails digging in your palms. All because he was right and you hated being put in that situation. “I said- I didn’t actually mean to-”

“Tell me, if my dick’s so small, why can’t you get enough of it?”

Your jaw dropped dramatically. “I-”

“And you can’t stop screaming my name when I fuck you?”

You were pretty sure he was just trying to rile you up, and you shouldn’t just let him succeed that easily. But, god damnit, he was good at everything he was doing. Whether that was getting on your nerves or turning you on. “Gosh, I hate you!”

He laughed at you. “If you hate me so much, why can’t you keep your hands to yourself?”

He had gotten so close to you, starring down at you with a smirk, and at that point, you weren’t even sure what his mood was. Was he angry, trying to make you so, too? Or was he trying to get something else out of you? You pushed him back, the proximity choking you. “I’m the one who can’t keep my hands to herself?” you mocked. “Might I remind you who was begging me to touch him this morning?”

Taehyung licked his lips as he looked away. “Might I remind you who was thanking me for making her cum so hard last night?”

You snarled, stomping your foot on the floor. “And might I remind you who tried to get in the shower with me ‘cause he still hadn’t had enough?”

His smile faltered. And then he slightly frowned. “Not me.”

“Yes, you!”

But Taehyung shook his head, keeping up the amused look on his face. “I only joked about it, I didn’t actually do it,” he mumbled with his frown still on, confused as to why you were bringing it up. “It doesn’t count.”

Yet you pressed on. “Oh, come on, you didn’t just joke about it, you did it!”

“Did not.”

“Did too!” you insisted. “I heard you when you tried to get in the bathroom while I was showering, Taehyung. You can’t lie to me.”

Taehyung lost his smile completely. And he looked at you seriously, his frown deepening. “You heard what?”

“The doorknob,” you announced, with a smug look.

But the photographer’s expression didn’t change. “Amy, that wasn’t me. I didn’t go anywhere near the west wing today.”

The arrogance left you within a second, your face turning pale and your eyes wide, as they stared into his very similar ones. “Stop,” you murmured.

“What?”

“Stop playing!” you whined suddenly in a high-pitched voice.

But Taehyung raised his hands defensively. “I’m not! Amy, I swear, I’m not joking. I don’t know-”

Before he had time to finish his sentence, you threw your body on his, gripping his shirt tightly in your fists, holding onto him like your life depended on it. Perhaps it did. "Tae!” you cried. “Someone tried to get in the bathroom while I was showering! Taehyung, there was someone-”

“Are you sure?” he simply asked you, his eyes searching yours with worry. You knew he wasn’t lying by the way he was genuinely concerned, too. By the way his arms wrapped around you like he was trying to protect you.

You nodded frantically. “Yes! Tae, I’m telling you, someone turned the doorknob to get in, but then didn’t.”

“Maybe you got confused and thought that’s what happened, but…” Taehyung tried to say. He wasn’t saying that to invalidate your words or doubt you. He, too, was trying to think of a logical explanation as you were freaking out in his embrace.

“No, I’m 100% sure. I heard it, I saw it! Someone was outside the door, Taehyung, and they tried to get in!” Before you knew it, you had tears threatening to fall down your cheeks. “I thought it was you, I called your name. But no one responded.”

His fingers brushed your hair behind your ears as he talked in the most soothing voice he could muster. “Alright, alright. I believe you, Ames.”

“There was somebody, or- or something in here!” you continued wailing.

“Maybe it was a cleaning lady-”

“What cleaning lady, Tae?” you shrieked. “Have you seen any ladies in here?”

But he held your face firmer, forcing you to look into his eyes. “It must have been. Maybe she wanted to get in the bathroom, realized you were inside, and left.”

You sniffed at him, looking over your shoulder to check the room as if you would find anything out of place. “That’s just wishful thinking and you know it.” Then you buried your face right into his chest, your grip tightening. “This place is haunted! This place is haunted and we’re gonna die!”

He let you go just so that he could grab your wrists and pull your hands away from your face so that he could look at you. “Amy, no,” he rasped. “No one’s gonna die.”

“I want to leave,” you whined again, your tears blocking your view and unable to meet Taehyung’s concerned eyes. But you could still feel his thumb caressing your cheek, whipping those tears away. And it still calmed you down as much as possible.

“Hey, okay,” Taehyung mumbled before he started walking towards the door while pulling you with him. “Okay, okay…” he kept repeating under his breath as he led you through the corridor and toward the main hall. You were confused as to what he was doing until he reached for that old phone sitting on a small coffee table.

“What are you doing?” you asked. “Are you calling the owners?” Your sniffs and sobs died down, seeing more clearly now as you watched Taehyung roll in the number that was written on a card next to the phone without looking at you.

“Yes, we need to get to the bottom of this,” he stated as he raised the phone to his ear.

“Tae, why are you calling the people at this hour? You will disturb them,” you almost whispered.

But he shook his head sternly. “No, it’s more important that you feel safe. Plus, they did say we could call any time.” Before you could say another thing, Taehyung started speaking on the phone. “Good evening, I’m sorry if I’m disturbing you. Yeah, no, everything’s alright. I was just calling to ask you about the housekeepers. Yeah. Do you know if they came in this morning?”

The conversation was making you a little uncomfortable; you were never the kind to confront people at work. But just the act on behalf of Taehyung was already making you feel better. “What’re they saying?” you mouthed, and he glanced at you, his hold on your hand getting a bit stronger as though to console you.

“No, nothing’s lost. We just had a situation; we didn’t see anyone here and I wanted to know around what time they’re here.” He was nodding along to whatever the woman on the other end of the line was telling him. And while he listened, his thumb started drawing circles over your hand absentmindedly. “Yes, I think one of them tried to get in the bathroom while my friend was there- No, no, nothing like that. She was just curious to know if it was one of them. Yes. Yes, I understand.” Taehyung gave you another look, noticing how your teeth were digging into your lip, and smiled at you. “Could you? Thank you, that would be great. Yes, thank you. Have a nice evening.”

And with that, he hung up. And he turned completely toward you and smiled brighter. But he wasn’t saying anything; just looked at you like he was admiring your beauty like he forgot you were still anxiously waiting for the results of the conversation. “So?” you asked.

Taehyung leaned in and gave you a peck on the lips, holding your face with both hands. “They were here this morning and the lady said one of them probably tried to get in the bathroom to get some cleaning supplies. She said she will ask and tomorrow morning they will talk to us, okay?”

You chewed on your lip as you watched his face so close to yours. This all sounded so ridiculous suddenly; they had seriously called in for something like that? But Taehyung didn’t once make you feel like you were overreacting. He didn’t see it like that. He thought you had every right to be scared, you had every right to feel panic. And he would do anything to calm you down, to make you feel protected, as well as actually protect you if he had to. His whole stance and presence made you feel at ease.

You wrapped your arms around him and hugged him tightly. “Yes. Thank you,” you murmured against his neck.

You heard him take in a deep breath like he was trying to take in all of your aroma as if it would be his last chance. And then he sighed as he exhaled. “Don’t go anywhere, Amy. It’s more dangerous for you to leave right now.” It was a long way home on a muddy road with no lights or anything close-by for help. Late at night, with rain threatening to pick up soon and a terrible signal. Of course he didn’t want to let you go of his arms.

You shook your head a bit, still buried in the crook on his neck. “I know. I won’t leave.” You had managed to calm down a surprisingly good deal. Even though you had nothing more of an answer as to what was happening in that Manor than you did earlier when you were just guessing, it felt good enough. Taehyung was there, ready to help you in any way he could, and it was enough.

“We should just forget about this and go to sleep,” he whispered before pulling away to look at you. “Then we can see what happens in the morning, okay?” You almost started to get nervous again, your fingers gripping his shirt immediately. Without having to say anything, the photographer noticed the change in your eyes. “Don’t worry, nothing is going to happen. Nothing is going to hurt you, I will be right here to keep you safe all night. Okay?”

You pouted. “You won’t leave me alone?”

He immediately shook his head. “No, not at all, baby. I won’t leave you from my sight for a second.”

He led you to his room on the east wing, a bigger and darker room than your own. Yet somehow it felt safer, too. Perhaps because Taehyung’s energy was all over the place. A pretty and slightly scary at first room, but once inside, it’s inviting and better than the rest. That was definitely Taehyung’s energy.

He had you seated on the king-sized bed with the raven covers while he locked the door, then pushed a dresser in front of it as well, for good measure. He drew the curtains in front of the balcony door and lit up a couple of lamps around the room to make sure you would have light even after switching off the main one. And after having affirmed time and time again that you felt as safe as possible in there with him, he came to meet you in the bed. To give you another peck on the lips and hold your face a few seconds more. Looking at you like it would be the last time he would be able to.

“Let me give you something more comfortable to wear,” he offered when he noticed your jeans and how neither of you had thought about making a stop to your room before coming here.

You pointed at the shirt he was wearing. “Can I have this?” You didn’t want just anything, you wanted something that had his scent still all over it. To make you feel like you were being hugged by the boy himself.

Taehyung nodded. There was no way he would say no to you, and it wasn’t even because of the panic attack you had had earlier. In actuality, he had more or else been treating you like that from the beginning of your days here. Like deep down it was the only way he wanted to act around you; even if he liked to tease or rile you up every now and then. He probably only did that just to play into your idea of him and not scare you away with his affection.

Taehyung took off both his shirt and pants, getting in bed just with his briefs on. “I hope you don’t mind,” he said, licking his lips. You didn’t mind, but it did make you a bit flustered. Ridding yourself from your clothing too, you put on his shirt and joined him.

He immediately turned you into the little spoon, snaking his limbs around your body and caging you against his. He nuzzled his nose in your neck, giving you a couple of kisses right under your ear, but other than that there was nothing sexual about his advance. He simply held you close to keep you safe like he had promised. Cuddling into you like it was something so natural, like you had been doing it for years. And his breath on your skin felt like company, his heartbeat on your back like a lullaby, his warmth and entire presence like a shield.

It almost ached you how good you felt at that moment. Good because you loved being with Taehyung, and ached because you wouldn’t be with him for much longer.

You cleared your throat, the sound filling the quiet room entirely. “I’m sorry I spread rumors about your penis,” you whispered, hanging your head low.

A low rumble of a laugh was heard muffled from behind you. “It’s alright,” Taehyung reassured you, holding you tighter. “Even with rumors like that, every girl still wanted to fuck me. And then they could be met with a pleasant surprise, right?”

You rolled your eyes as you could tell he just wanted to make you say it. “Right…” you admitted, without going into further detail about how big he actually was. “But still, I shouldn’t have talked bad about you just because I was mad.”

He continued chuckling, clearly finding your apology amusing. Maybe because he didn’t actually see the need for one, had already moved past the subject. “It’s really fine. Plus, they only lasted a couple of months before I completely disproved them.”

You rolled your eyes again. “By fucking the entire campus.”

“You have to do what you have to do.”

You knew it was a joke but it still served as a pretty good reminder of the fuckboy he really was. Of how different the two of you really were, on a fundamental level, even if staying in that house together had overshadowed that a bit.

“You haven’t been in an actual relationship since I’ve met you, have you?” you asked, not sure why.

Taehyung ran his nose up and down the slope of your neck for a couple of seconds like a predator circling his prey. “No,” he admitted then. “Relationships aren’t really my thing.”

“Not surprising.”

“What about you?” His hands were stroking your body, not in an erotic way, simply just feeling you up while he still could.

“I only do relationships,” you replied. “One-night-stands aren’t really my thing.”

See? Fundamentally different. Even if you didn’t have everything that was already holding you back, you would still probably never work. And no, the one week on vacation here doesn’t count. Because when you are trapped away in a Victorian Manor, with no other communications, in a world so contrasting to your actual routine, with a promise that when it’s all over, it really is… all over. Then you are bound to act some type of way. You are bound to seak the other’s company, you are bound to forget about the rules, you are bound to give yourself in for a romance with an expiration date. Right?

“I’m glad you made an exception for me, then,” Taehyung whispered in your ear. And you couldn’t help but turn to look at him.

Exception. Because this wasn’t a relationship; this wasn’t going to last. Whether it would end tomorrow or the day after that barely even mattered. What mattered was that the photographer and you were a one-time thing. A one-in-a-million thing. A thing that would never, ever repeat itself. And if you liked kissing him and wanted to do it for a bit longer, you had to keep it to yourself. And if you didn’t even want this night to dawn so that you never had to leave, you couldn’t admit it aloud. And if you wished you were his exception instead, you had to just accept you weren’t.

You closed the tiny gap between you and kissed him; softly. Because this might be your last chance to do so. And he let his lips be guided in your rhythm, dipped a hand through your hair to pull you as close as you wanted to be. You couldn’t entirely see the point of indulging in an act that made your stomach rouse like never before, when you knew how it would end. Why would you let yourself get used to something so sweet, when you know you’ll only ever be chasing that high from then on? Then again, you couldn’t stop. You kept kissing him, deeper and firmer, because why wouldn’t you indulge in this while you could?

Even as your kiss became more passionate, your bodies squirming and pressing against one another more desperately, this continued to be the softest you had ever been with him. Almost like there was something more than lust at play there. And even though you could feel his dick hardening on your hip, and your panties soaking up in your wetness, even though you both clearly wanted more, neither made that move. Your lips and tongues were enough; you wanted to take your time to memorize exactly how that alone felt.

And when you had plenty of that, you straddled him gently to press down on his erection with your wet core.

“Ah, Amy,” he moaned, his mouth dropping open. “Fuck me.” It was a kind request, the man’s brain having rotten from desire and you appearing like his sole savior in the moment. His hands traveled down your body, to hold your thighs as you ground on him, sneak under his shirt and pull it over your head. Then they reached your breasts, massaging them like a kid messing with playdough. “Baby, use me.”

You growled as you pressed down on him harder, throwing your head back. Your fingers ran through his hair and you pulled it, making him whine. You loved those eager sounds he made so much. You couldn’t imagine never hearing them again.

You didn’t want to waste any more time. “Do you have a condom?”

He sighed, biting his lip with a pained expression like he just remembered, too. “I- I don’t. Only had one in my wallet, didn’t exactly think I’d get some here.”

It was clear he felt bad, thinking that meant you would stop. And he was ready to accept it. But you were too far gone for that. You couldn’t give two fucks if you had protection or not; there was nothing stopping you from feeling him where you wanted him tonight.

“It’s okay,” you said, surprising him a bit. And right away, you pulled his briefs down to free his cock that stood hard against his lower abdomen. “Just tell me before you cum.” And, with a swift movement, you pushed your panties to the side and lined him up with your entrance.

Taehyung, still somewhat processing what you were doing, widened his eyes and growled when his naked head brushed on your wet pussy. He quite literally howled as you started slowly sinking on him, spasming from how good you felt around him. And you were close to doing the same. You weren’t sure if it was the rawness of it, the intimacy of your treatment earlier, or the adrenaline from even before that, but Taehyung inside you felt so good you almost orgasmed before even bottoming out, your eyes rolling to the back of your head and your lips digging in your bottom lip.

“Gosh, princess, I love— this so much,” Taehyung moaned once he could feel all of you, his dick curved inside and pressing straight on your cervix. “Fuck yourself on my cock.”

As by his order, you started rocking up and down. Arching your back to move back and forth smoothly, and in circles, and in any way that made your man make those delicious sounds. His hands held you like you were something to worship, a goddess, as he helped you in your movements. Until you were dripping sweat and your knees hurt so much you fell forward to crush your body on his. That’s when he hugged you and started thrusting up inside you, all while kissing your forehead sweetly. You ground on him, trying to get your clit to rub against his pubic bone in order to build up your climax.

“Good girl,” Taehyung purred in your ear. Because he knew you were close, and he knew how much his words and his voice affected you. He wanted to push you over the edge with just that. “You make me feel so good, baby.” You whined in response. “You and your perfect, little cunt. Feels so good wrapped around me like that.” And you whined again, picking up the pace of grinding against him, chasing your high. “I want to feel you cumming on me, princess. Want your cum all over my bare dick.”

In his attempt to make you orgasm, his thrust became deeper and harder, and they were immediately attacking your g-spot. You cried out loud, the sensation of it along with the constant stimulation of your clit being a little too much. Your pending climax suddenly felt like so much you tried to hold back. “Tae-” you whined, trying to push back.

But his arms held you down on him more firmly. “No, no, don’t fight it. Give me everything you got.” And he continued to hit that spot inside you, pressing two fingers on your clit as well. And you had an orgasm building upon orgasm, and it was getting uncontrollably big. “Give it to me.” Your mouth fell open in a cry as you reached beyond the point of going back, yet still tried to hold it in. But Taehyung kept thrusting, kept begging. “Please, baby, please cum on me.”

How could you refuse that? You spilled on him before you could understand what was happening, screaming his name at the top of your lungs as more and more spurt sprayed out of you and onto his stomach, like it was never-ending. The high you were ridding was never-ending. A high you had never experienced before, a high you didn’t want to get off, a high sure to make you fall in love.

“That was so hot-” It was the first thing you heard after who knows how long. After you managed to recollect your mind and see in front of you again. And then you realized Taehyung was no longer inside of you; he had pulled you off him and released his own cum against your ass while you were blacked out.

When you looked down, it was a mess. You quickly got off him. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” you said.

“Princess, what are you apologizing for?” Taehyung grabbed your arm to pull you back close to him. He kissed your lips softly. “You looked like you had such fun, never apologize for that.

You bit your lip as your eyes were still glued on his glistening belly. “I… I think I… Did I just squirt?”

Taehyung smiled at your innocent and shocked expression. “You did. And I liked it so much.”

“Oh. Wow.”

“Was that your first time?” he asked when he saw you were still processing everything. And when you nodded shyly, he pulled you in for another soft kiss. “First of many to come,” he said.

Almost like he was promising he would be there to make sure that was the case.

The bed was big enough for you to lazily clean yourselves and roll to a drier side to sleep. Taehyung wrapped his arms and legs around you again, the same way he had done before, nuzzling into you like you were a teddy bear. And you closed your eyes and allowed yourself to melt and mold against his body in a way that it would be the perfect fit.

The fear of the haunted Manor forgotten. The only thing on your minds being each other.  

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[sylvaetria]

You may have answered this already but do you have tips on how to do witchcraft w limited resources? I have no way to get things like vanilla, or certain spices/herbs and the area I live in doesn't have many of the more common flowers w magical significance (roses for example). I'm also not allowed to light candles or get candles of different colors (But I do light white candles secretly). And ideas?

Honestly I haven’t used vanilla once in my practice. Ingredients that people say are “necessary” may be for them, but that shouldn’t reflect on you or your practices. If you can’t get it, or even have no reason to use it, don’t bother tbh.

When it comes to things like herbs, it is very easy to find replacements for them regarding correspondences. With vanilla, depending on the properties it has, it could be substituted with something else that also has those associations. It might be slightly different energy-wise, but I wouldn’t think too much so, especially if you don’t think so.

At that point it becomes important to work with what you have. Find out what your area does have, maybe even naturally, then find out what you can do with those things, and go from there.

If you are able, spices and herbs are also available for purchase online. Dollar stores even carry a selection of herbs and spices now (at least, the ones in my area do). Bulk Barns also has a great selection, and super cheap too (I just got good sized bags rock salt, pink Himalayan salt, rubbed sage, and I think mint there for less than $4).

However, you also don’t need herbs if you don’t want them. That is just one area of spellwork, and if you have difficulties accessing herbs, go for something you are able to do / have access to.

As for candles, white is pretty much all purpose. LED candles are also an option. There are even websites that allow for the burning of digital candles that can be used too, and there are also some cell phone apps that offer the same thing - tech magic for the win!

Otherwise, I’d suggest using [energy work] or [sigils], which are both low supply and also really discreet. 

Here are some posts that may contain more ideas of things you may be able to do, if you so desire:

Budget Magic:

[Accumulating Witch Stuff on a Budget]

[Being a Witch on a Budget]

[Budget Witch Tips]

[Cheap Pagan’s Guide (For Those Who Aren’t Crafty and Still Want to Spend Money)]

Dollar Store Magic: [Part 01]; [Part 02]

Inexpensive Witch Items: [Part 01] (cw: gif); [Part 02] (cw: gif)

[Limited Witchcraft Masterpost]

[A Low Budget List of Altar Supplies]

[Magic on a Budget]

[A Poor Witch’s Guide]

[Practices for a Beginner Witch on a Budget]

[Thrifting for Witchy Supplies]

[Tips and Tricks for the Frugal (or Broke) Wiccan]

[Unconventional & Affordable Ingredients for Spells]

[Witchy Supplies for Nomadic, Poor, Homeless, Parochial, and Anti-Consumerist Witches]

[Witchy Tips and Tricks]

Discreet Magic:

[Acquiring Discreet Supplies] (an ask)

[Altar Ideas for Secret Witches]

[Apps for Witches Masterpost Pt 1]

Big Broom Closet Post: [Part 1]; [Part 2] *

[Broom Closet Solutions] *

[Broom Closet Witchery] *

[Covert Witchcraft 101]

[Discreet Witch Craft]

[Enchantments for the Subtle Witch]

[How to Hide Your Witchy Ways]

[Jar Alternatives]

[Little Things For Witches Who Keep Quiet About Their Craft]

[Master List of Low-Key Spells]

[Master Post for Secret Witches]

[100 Tips for the Secret Witch]

[A Secret Witches Guide to Concealing Your Craft]

[Subtle Magical Practice]

[Thriving in the Broom Closet] *

[Tips and Tricks for Secret Witches]

[Tips for a Beginner Witch Who Needs to be Discreet]

[Tips for Discreet College Witches]

[Tips for Discreet Witchcraft]

[Tips for Life in the Broom Closet] *

[Tips for Witches Keeping Their Practice Secret]

[Witchy iOS Apps]

[Witchy Uses for Your Phone for the Frugal or Secret Witch]

* not my choice of title

[doodoodloo]

*this is an honest question plz answer* how do u make money to travel to like Japan and live in a place as an artist? How do you make money? I'm an aspiring artist but I really do fear that one day I'll be homeless..

hi! thanks for your question!

just to clear things up from the start, i sadly don’t make all my travel / other money from my art. though if i add up all my revenue since i started selling four years ago, i have made almost enough to cover all of my airfares for all of my trips since leaving school! it makes me feel thankful and somewhat proud that i was able to provide adventure for myself by using a pen and paper to get myself to Iceland, for example ~ so, it can be done.

for all of my trips i’ve had a period of working really hard, followed by a period of travel or leisure time, and i’ve personally decided that it’s worth putting in a hard slog for what is almost always a worthwhile reward! i’ve done it in several different ways. for my first trip around Australia, i made a relatively wussy effort to pull together funds by gardening, babysitting and house painting. i was straight out of school and i started with about $150 in my bank account, and left with a couple thousand for a trip of 6 months. i slept on the beach and lived off home brand two minute noodles and most of my money went to petrol for our van! my mum sent me about two hundred so that i could get home from Darwin and i came home to my family, broke.

when i got home i was really fired up to go to SE Asia, so I got a job at a local cafe in my hometown washing dishes four to five days a week, and the other days i house painted and babysat. for a few months i worked seven days a week! i’m not sure where you’re from, but the wage here is decent so i saved pretty fast. i went on a six month trip around SE Asia as planned, plus India and Nepal! when i got home i mooched around a bit and procrastinated and was generally a lazy potato under my parents roof, since i had applied for uni in Melb but still had six months until it started. i know i did odd jobs but that time is sort of a blur. 

then when i was about to start my first year of university the Aus government gave me a ‘relocation scholarship’ which is granted to any young student that has to move from a rural or regional area to the city to study. at the time the total amount was 5,000 paid into my bank account (ridiculous, i know). i payed bond on my house in the city but still had a yummy chunk of cash sitting around. 

at the same time i opened my Etsy shop and made a decent amount in that year, the only year in the last seven years that i haven’t travelled! again, i’m not sure where you’re from, but in Australia students that are considered independent from their parents (living separately or age 22 and over) are granted a fortnightly allowance to support them while studying. if you begin to earn over a certain amount fortnightly from personal employment, then the allowance goes down. i was granted the full allowance of 500 per fortnight, and decided to sit on that full allowance without earning a separate wage from an ‘official job’. i lived a very modest student life, and didn’t buy alcohol, eat out or go to gigs very often! also, my housemate and friend worked at a fruit and veg deli / store near our place and he brought back so much free food after work! i owe him a lot for getting through that first real year of living out of home!

for the next two years things followed the same style. i worked a bit harder on my art and got some more regular babysitting gigs in my suburb. in two years i somehow managed to get to both Iceland and the USA for two months each trip. i can’t really tell you how i made that happen. honestly, my money making habits are still something of a mystery to myself! i do recall one night making a quiet wish in my head for more money to come my way before one of my trips. the next day i got an email from the tumblr team in cahoots with converse, and they were running a social media promotion in collaboration with tumblr artists. they said they would pay me five hundred US bucks for one drawing and i thought it was a joke! but i followed through with the job and the money came into my account the next month !!

when i moved to the US last year i had ok savings and i shared the cost of my silly expensive work visa with my bf, bless him. i worked two jobs really hard for 9 months of my time there, and thankfully i didn’t have to pay bond, and my rent was exceptional. but ugh it was so hard to save with the US wage, though i definitely could have been more frugal with my dollars.

most of that money that i saved for a whole of last year just went to my very short trip in japan. i had such a blast that i don’t really care about having spent it all! living in the US was kind of like traveling anyway, so i feel like i got a lot from both experiences.

my ability to travel has come down to a lot of luck + some decent effort, my style of travel, the ability to return to my family home and the student help i got from the government. i’m kind of known amongst some of my friends as this mystery money maker that for many years had only had one ‘real’ job that lasted four months. i somehow have maintained that for several years.

if you want to make money from your art in the early stages, i guess you have to find a balance between giving yourself time to work on your art, and employment that offsets the time. i don’t plan to ever try to support myself just from art, but that would be cool if i found myself in that position.

as usual, i’ve given a much longer reply than necessary! but also, i want to give you an honest idea of the processes i’ve gone through to make my dreams happen, since i don’t want you to assume i just galavant all around the world with tons of dollars to spend. i live simply, and my only indulgence is buying clothes :p Hope I gave you some insight! Also, I don’t think you’ll be homeless! things will unfold for you and you’ll make it work! 

luck & love,

x Freya