#And she was eliminated even though she was in the bottom two only once | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sheacouleecametoslay · 2 years ago

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Season 12 (2020)

Most rankings seem to put Season 11 towards the bottom and Season 12 towards the top, but I feel the exact opposite. Season 11 never had a dull moment, while Season 12 is nothing but dull moments. Especially the second half of it. This is blandest season (and cast) I've encountered so far, other than All-Stars 1 which barely even qualifies as a Drag Race season. The 90-minute runtime does not help either. The Werk Room portion of the episodes go on forever - all they talk about is the upcoming challenge, or their self-doubts, or the MANY, MANY mirror stories. This is easily the worst season of Untucked too – episodes 5 and 6 are the only ones worth watching. And once again, the guest judges appear on it every week. The giant shade button was wasted on this Untucked season. Season 12 really is “RuPaul's Best Friend Race”. Everyone gave supportive words to each other at one point or another. I'm not going to criticize the cast for being good people. But there's barely any drama or storylines. The only real storyline was Brita vs Aiden, which escalated into Aiden vs everyone. And honestly that rivalry was tiring by episode 6. You just know the producers wanted them to lip sync against each other. You could also include Widow's downward spiral as a storyline. And they tried to set up Nicky vs Gigi as rival fashion queens, but that went nowhere. And that's about it. The only other drama was from Widow and Jaida having attitude during the rehearsal of their respective premieres. And the Gigi vs Heidi tiff. I think the main reason why Season 12 is praised is because of the challenge performances. Almost everyone did well in both “Gay's Anatomy” and the Madonna Rusical, for instance. But I need more than just good challenge performances to fully enjoy a season. The Snatch Game was forgettable anyways, aside from Gigi and Jackie's performances. The Debate was a let down, but I get why Ru was pushing a political theme considering how important the 2020 election was to the drag community. I also don't like how they keep shoving the Ball to the beginning of the season. 36 runways in one episode was too much. But thankfully they skipped the late-season acting challenge. And the superfan Makeover was a nice moment; including the lip sync. Also, WTF was that cat mini-challenge? Oh, and apparently they didn't air the Reading mini-challenge because it was so bad. I will say the premiere was very hype. The first group was clearly the stronger one. “I'm That Bitch” might be the best girl group song they've done. Widow gave the best lip sync of the season. And the non-elimination felt justified. In past seasons, the first challenge was almost always a design challenge, unless it was All-Stars, so this was much more demanding. The split premiere fit the political theme of the season as well, as if they're competing political parties. I could do without the Fashion Show though, and the fake celebrities watching. The A-list celebrity guest judge was Nicki Minaj. She replaced Ru in the “Cover Girl” transition thing, and she was pretty harsh with Heidi. The editors also tried something new in the premiere where the producers interacted off-screen with the queens. The second group felt like a comedown though. I don't know why they did an odd number of cast members for a split premiere. I know Tamisha Iman and Kandy Muse were supposed to be on this season, but they were actually replaced. And then the producers had to erase Sh*rry P*e from the edit starting from episode 3, and DQ her from the finale. Her track record screamed favouritism. How did they let her talk for 17 MINUTES uninterrupted in that stand-up challenge? I've seen speculation that she would've won the season, but I don't think she was ever beating Jaida in a finale lip sync thankfully. Anyways, episode 3 starts off with some manufactured drama of the two groups coming together. Followed by Ru being a s**t-stirrer by making Widow and Jaida rank the other groups. Then an improv challenge that felt endless (“World's Worst”), where the winning team just did the same joke. Heidi winning would've been a much better storyline, since Jaida ranked her last that episode. Speaking of which, why were Sh*rry and Gigi winning everything for the first 7 episodes? They were even top 2 in their respective premieres. Also, Episode 3 aired on March 13, 2020, the same day a National Emergency was declared in the US. So maybe Drag Race was a comfort show to those stuck at home, adjusting to a "new normal", scared and uncertain about the outside world. It probably helps that this season didn't have a lot of negativity either. The restrictions only affected the reunion and the finale, because the show is filmed during the previous year. They did what they could given the circumstances, but Zoom call lip syncs ain't it. Oh yeah, Leslie Jones might be the best guest judges ever? Not only was she funny AF on the panel, but she went on Untucked and asked Aiden why she's sour and signed Widow's shoe. Vanjie's cameo on the Snatch Game episode (and that Untucked) was fun too.

Queens Ranking: 13. Sh*rry P*e Who? Didn't even notice she was there. 😂 12. Brita The inflated sense of self-importance. Brita mentioned New York City all the time. She was delusional; disagreeing with her placements, bragging about her improv skills, and saying “I am serving you looks every single time”. Aiden was right - Brita expected her NYC reputation to put her on top, but that's not how this works. Brita's confessionals had a mean vibe too. She wasn't throwing fun shade, it felt serious. She made condescending remarks about Aiden: “Aiden's like a lost little puppy”; “I don't want to babysit Aiden”; “Aiden isn't working hard enough” etc. And she borderline bullied Aiden to her face after the “World's Worst” challenge, and again on the episode 5 Untucked, and again on the red couch. Then she said “I love Aiden” after Aiden's elimination like what? Brita also thought Widow was milking her knee injury and cringed at Widow doing Ike/Tina. She called Rock M's outfit a “science fair project gone wrong”, as if hers was any better. And then she cried on her last Untucked for being in the bottom so much. In the competition: Brita had the worst track record. She flopped 4 challenges in a row. She had no idea what she was doing in the Ball challenge; all 3 of her looks missed the mark, and the judges didn't know it was a pineapple. She also overacted in “Gay's Anatomy”. She just laughed for every answer as Jennifer Holliday in Snatch Game. And she messed up the choreo in the Rusical. She was fierce in “I'm That Bitch” though (“cause they be givin' up and I ain't even done!”), but her lyrics didn't really say anything. As for Brita's runways, meh. Frozen was her best one. Spring and Buttons And Bows were a “no”. I actually enjoyed her lip sync performances though. 11. Jackie Cox Too dry and overly professional for me. And seemingly snobbish? She couldn't believe that Aiden didn't know Mae West (“call my lawyer”). She was confused by Vanjie's Julia Roberts joke. She gave people a hard time for being “unprepared” for Snatch Game. She insisted that Jaida volunteered to go last when she didn't (“roll that tape” indeed). She questioned why Aiden was safe, but later gave Aiden a reasonable explanation for why she's getting heat. She made an issue out of Widow not making connections, but had a heartfelt chat with Widow afterwards. Otherwise, Jackie mostly talked about her parents, LGBTQ+ discrimination in her culture, and Islamophobia. She even had that speech with guest judge AOC. I respect her for using Drag Race as a platform for these important issues, but I wish she had more un-serious moments I guess? She did occasionally throw shady jabs in the Werk Room though. In the competition: Jackie placed “high” in several challenges but never won. Her “I'm That Bitch” showed her identity, but it wasn't as memorable as the others. She was a natural talker in “World's Worst”. I thought she was the funniest in Snatch Game as Lisa Rinna – how she rambled on and threatened Heidi. Her genie concept in the advert was great (“For you!”) And in the stand-up routine, she told a personal story while keeping it funny. But Jackie struggled in the latter half. She was boring in the Rusical. She kept doing Canada jokes in the Debate. And her Makeover outfits were basic. She knew her time was up at the end too. Jackie was comedic lip sync-er, but ��Kill the Lights” was cringe. My fave Jackie runways were her Frozen snowflake, her Michelle Visage look, the Purple People Eater, and the hijab. 10. Nicky Doll Nicky came in as a fashion queen that will “bring you glamour without breaking my hip”. While the producers spent the premiere pointing out her mispronunciations. But ultimately, Nicky got in her head - she felt defeated by the language barrier, and didn't think she could live up to everyone else's level because of it. She even named herself to go home in episode 5. She seemed crabby too? She was unhappy about her “World's Worst” role, she was annoyed by Jan's dissatisfaction over being safe, she was relieved to work solo for once, and she was bewildered by Aiden's favouritism. She also fought with Aiden on Untucked; and told Aiden she should be in the bottom over Jaida. Meanwhile, the judges read Nicky for not showing personality. She did joke around in the Werk Room – it just didn't materialize in the challenges. Her confessionals weren't bad though (like the popcorn one, saying “are you ready?” in French, etc). In the competition: Nicky was the fashion queen that bombed the performance challenges. Her “I'm That Bitch” verse was my least fave – the lyrics were generic and she didn't sell it on stage. In “World's Worst”, she didn't really add anything to the skit, and she cut Widow off. While in “Gay's Anatomy”, she thought she tried something different, but her baby character wasn't fun. Then it seemed like she gave up in her last lip sync. But yeah, Nicky served Parisian high fashion on the runway. My faves were her Fall look, her Sparkle look, and all 3 Ball looks. My least fave was her Spring look. 9. Gigi Goode Falls into the bland category for me. Gigi mostly talked about wanting to be on top (who doesn't?) Or being excited for a Fashion Show. Or updating us on her Ball outfit. Or just hyping herself up: “I'm not just good, I'm incredible”; “I see my drag going to the cover of Vogue. Period.”; “I think this means that I'm the queen bee of this season right?” Gigi also struck me as someone who cares about her image. She didn't really give reads; aside from comparing Crystal's singing to Kermit smoking pot. She was terrified of politics. She apologized for not knowing Patti LuPone. And she only got involved in drama once – when she told Heidi that she wasn't listening to the judges; a comment that Heidi found unnecessary – and she tried to smooth things over ASAP. She also later said “we've built a family and families fight and families get over it!” Sure. Otherwise, Gigi started showing vulnerability towards the end, when she cried over what to do in the stand-up challenge, and talked about repressing her self-doubts. She also came out as gender fluid on the show. And her mom making her outfits was so wholesome. In the competition: Gigi having 4 wins is excessive, especially 3 times in 4 episodes. They weren't undeserving wins, but there were other options: Jaida could've won the Ball, Jackie could've won Snatch Game, Jan could've won the Rusical. Gigi's Ball looks were polished but not that inventive. Her saucy robot in Snatch Game was funny but came off cocky. Her poses in the Rusical were compelling though. And her “I'm That Bitch” performance was fierce, even if I wasn't into the lyrics. I laughed when she read the audience members in her stand-up too. On the flip side, Gigi's stuck-up character in the advert didn't land. Her Debate was lacking (“why not”). Her Makeover outfits screamed safe. She was just a corpse in “World's Worst”. And her “turn it into comedy” bit in the “Starships” lip sync was cringe. Also, Gigi's runways were very well-constructed, but her style didn't excite me? The colonialism costume was a choice. My faves were the button outfit, her Black Wedding, the Daphne Blake one, and her pirate entrance. 8. Jan The blandest cast member of the blandest season. But still likeable enough. Jan was this positive, energetic Drag Race superfan who was excited to be there. There was even a complication of her chipper moments after she left. But Jan's confessionals didn't have much personality. The few Jan moments that stood out were: her being flabbergasted that Aiden didn't know her outfit was referee. When she talked about being a sports kid. When she assumed she'd win the Rusical because of her experience, resulting in the infamous face crack. And when she insisted that she was upset over Brita leaving, and not because of losing the Rusical. I call BS on that. I think Jan was moreso crushed that she didn't meet her own expectations. She later said “It's a good thing that Brita's gone because now I don't have to worry about her”, as if that was ever the issue. In the competition: Jan was highly ambitious, but I think this came off as desperation to impress the judges. The judges said she was doing too much. Jan sounded overeager in “You Don't Know Me”, but that attitude works well in a song. The point of the challenge was to introduce who you are, which she did. Her high energy was annoying in the “Droop” advert though, but I liked the Jan puns, and I understood her product better than Widow's or Gigi's. Otherwise, Jan was a solid actress in “World's Worst” and “Gay's Anatomy”. Her screaming at Sh*rry was funny in the latter. And her choreo was impressively smooth in the Rusical. Her Bernadette Peters in Snatch Game was forgettable though. As for Jan's runways, Buttons And Bows was amazing, and Black Wedding was my other fave. I enjoyed her in the lip sync too, even if it didn't match the song. 7. Dahlia Sin “I'm Dahlia Sin and I'm here to take your man”. I can definitely tell she's from the House of Aja. Dahlia was very chill in confessional, usually laughing at whatever she just said. She forgot to wear underwear in the premiere, she wanted to poke Rock M's butt, she “meh”-ed everyone out of drag, and she talked about her twin brother. Dahlia wasn't very chill during her exit, however, when she stormed off the stage without an exit line. She also had a problem with Crystal receiving encouragement on Untucked, and she was bitter that Crystal didn't lip sync. But Dahlia had the last laugh: she made cameos in the broccoli costume for the rest of the season! In the competition: Dahlia was a pretty obvious first boot. She just wasn't performing at the same level as the rest. Her girl group verse was the worst one across both premieres – her performance lacked conviction and Michelle exposed her lying in the lyrics. While in “World's Worst”, she hesitated and looked lost, playing this sensual-voiced broccoli that didn't land. Then she kept looking at the camera during the lip sync. Both of Dahlia's main stage runways looked unpolished too. Her best look was the Fall fashion show black fur. 6. Aiden Zhane I want to sympathize with Aiden. Brita borderline bullied her, and the cast tore her down, even when she did well, reaching a boiling point on the episode 5 Untucked. I'm glad she stood up for herself there. But I think Aiden was too standoffish and defensive: “I repeat I'm not a dancer”; “I guess I'm gonna have to be, aren't I?”; “well I'm not just going down there with my face painted, naked”; “when I did ask for my lines, I only asked once”; “I don't think so, I know so”. She tried to brush off their opinions, but I think they affected her. Like Leslie Jones pointed out, Aiden had this sour demeanour. She had to fight the perception she's the weakest. She felt disadvantaged for not coming from a big city. She got exposed in the premiere for calling herself an actress. And she finished her Ball outfit super early, which upset some people. That said, the only real storyline of the season revolved around Aiden so... In the competition: Aiden's “You Don't Know Me” verse gave us an idea of who she is. And she had that Mae West voice in “Gay's Anatomy”. She sold it with her facial expressions in those two challenges. But she looked unsure during “World's Worst”. While in Snatch Game, it was like she had no idea how to answer the questions as Patricia Quinn, someone she knew personally! She also gave up in the lip sync. I wasn't a fan of Aiden's simple outfits either - her Spring look, her Buttons And Bows, her Frozen one, and all 3 of her Ball looks. The referee outfit did need more time on it. Her Tulle runway was her best. Her face was what made her drag unique. 5. Widow Von'Du I'm not sure how to process the assault charges. But Widow had a presence to her during her introduction (“get into AAAAOOOOOOOOLLL of this”). In the premiere, she was voluntold to lead the choreo... until Brita and Jackie overstepped (insert deep sigh confessional). Then she gave up and gave attitude (insert “go ahead go ahead” confessional). Then they said she wasn't taking charge on Untucked. Lol. But yeah, Widow was enjoying herself so much in confessional: “I enjoy when bitches tell me what their weaknesses are”; “MF Sh*rry P*e that's my role”; “you can just taste the fakeness in the air”; “apolo-lie”; “...and now i'm laying eggs in you bitch”. She was devilish in the Rusical episode too (“Jackie, karma's a bitch ain't it”; “I got my first choice”; “well guess what bitch I'm a dancer”). But Widow was moody when she didn't get the “Gay's Anatomy” role she wanted. She was upset over Jackie's preparedness comments, and responded vindictively. And she self-destructed midseason, all because Ru pointed out she hadn't won lately. The inner saboteur took over! I think Widow felt pressured to impress Chaka Khan too. In her last episode, she got frustrated at the judges, and didn't know what they wanted. Otherwise, Widow shared stories of her mom's passing, her abusive relationships and getting kicked out. In the competition: Widow annihilated everyone in the premiere, between her side splits in “I'm That Bitch”, and her multitude of moves in the “Starships” lip sync. She then carried her disastrous team in “World's Worst” (“and this is barbecue sauce”). And she delivered personality in “Gay's Anatomy”. Her Tina and Ike in Snatch Game was whatever, but she had the cake joke. And she was great in the Rusical, just overshadowed. But Widow fell apart midseason. Her advert came off lifeless. Then the judges didn't understand her angry politician in the Debate. Maybe she played it too serious, but she was funnier than Gigi or Jackie. That said, I was disappointed by Widow's runways. Her Buttons And Bows clown, her Cape, her Frozen life-preserver, and especially her Michelle Visage look were a “no”. She was one of my least faves in the Ball too. I appreciated her Stars and Stripes message though. 4. Rock M. Sakura “Is it cultural appropriation? We'll find out”; “this song is dumb, I wanna do it like this and dress like a hot dog”; “feeling that steam [...] like some sort of hot pocket”; “you just walk down the runway and scream: high fashion”; “I want that apple!”. Rock M's high energy OTT personality was entertaining to me. She was so extra during her entrance. She loudly duct taped herself in the Werk Room. She flailed her arms in confessional. But I think this was her anxiety acting out. She explained how she uses humour to mask her insecurities. But I don't think Rock M was emotionally ready for Drag Race. She told Ru that she needed the girls for support. She had that emotional story about her mom's drug addiction. She meekly asked for that apple role. I'd love to see her growth on a future All-Stars though. In the competition: I enjoyed Rock M's “You Don't Know Me” verse. She gave us a character (the fart joke didn't bother me), but I can see how her performance came off intrusive. While in “World's Worst”, she told this joke that wasn't a joke at all... and that was the joke. I was more intrigued by Rock M's looks though. The anime outfit she drew herself was impressive. Her tulle runway was bold (I disagreed with Ross on that one). As was her Buttons And Bows. So it was surprising to see her bomb the Ball challenge. The tether ball was a gag (which is why I didn't put her bottom 2), but her second look had misshapen hip pads, and her third one just looked like garbage scraps. Then she couldn't get the skirt off during the lip sync... 3. Crystal Methyd Despite the quieter edit, and not being involved in any drama, and only having a few memorable confessionals - “I'm a little devil that likes to raise hell in Bible Belt”; “Own it baby! My husband is Harry Hamilton or something”; “I'm not too impressed that Gigi was able to make a pretty girl into a pretty girl”; “Jackie is meeping?” - there's just something about Crystal. She's so genuine and humble with a positive attitude. She was the underdog dark horse too. It seemed like Crystal was going to be an early boot. She cried in front of the judges in episode 3, and she couldn't get past her self-doubt at one point. But once she realized what worked for her, she was unstoppable. Such a good growth story. Crystal was living for the other girls during challenges too. She had a One Direction tattoo in Arabic, a language she doesn't even speak. Ru was obsessed with her mullet (cue “Rhythm of the Night”). And she talked about her conservative parents and her father's Parkinson's. In the competition: Crystal had a rough start, messing up her line in “World's Worst” and blanking on the questions, as well as her Buttons And Bows runway. The fork bit in “Gay's Anatomy” didn't land either. And the judges didn't get her Poppy impression in Snatch Game (but at least she tried unlike Brita or Aiden). Her “I'm That Bitch” verse was kinda bad, but that's why I like it (“I'll have you all screaming Crystal Methyd!”) Then Crystal slayed the second half. Her wacky comedy carried her through the Rusical (the echos; the checking of her pulse), the advert (magic mullet!), the Debate (another mullet joke!), and of course the fitness instructor. Crystal had the most interesting runways too. Her style was ugliness turned into beauty. That's exactly how I'd describe her Makeover. Her Freddy Krueger look, her Black Wedding, and her purple look were all amazing too. I also like her Capes and final 5 blue. 2. Jaida Essence Hall “Chile I'm not finna be this damn orange no”; “this is not RuPaul's excuse race”; “Antarctica's at the bottom ain't it?”; “If a robot and a Barbie and a cheerleader had an orgy...”; “dinosaur doctor”; “nobody wants the butt slice of bread”; “keep your ass right and your mind will follow”; “who is Rose Nylund?”. Yeah... Jaida's my fave winner since Bob. She was so fun in the Makeover episode too: “Let me see, run your split Jackie”; “Mic drop. Bow. Boom. Cat. Cow.”; “baby you gonna get rid of that pinky toe”. Plus there's her ball jokes in the Ball episode. Jaida came in calling herself a classy, boujee female impersonator. She was wise and didn't have time for other people's BS. She started off the season by giving attitude in rehearsal, because she wanted simpler choreo that she wouldn't mess up, and no one listened to her. She called this a “slight disagreement” next episode lol. Then she refused to give Rock M the role she wanted. She got heated at Aiden interrupting her. She schooled Aiden on making excuses. And she clarified to Jackie that she didn't have a say in going last. But Jaida also gave supportive words to Rock M. Same with Jackie about her mom. And she told Widow to get out of her head. She didn't get emotional until the end, first with her Makeover partner, then in front of Whoopi. In the competition: Jaida's only bad performance was her pee story in the stand-up, imo. Just dead air from the audience there. She was “middle of the pack” a few times, like her confrontational apple in “World's Worst”, or her Cardi B in Snatch Game, or when she struggled to say “Diver-dick-ulitius” in “Gay's Anatomy”. But all those performances were good enough. And when Jaida was on top, she slayed. Her “You Don't Know Me” verse made a confident statement (plus the booty slap!) She arguably had the best look in all 3 Ball categories. She sold sexiness in the Rusical. No one came close to her in the Debate (“LOOK OVER THERE”). No one stood a chance against her in a lip sync. And her Makeover looked opulent. My other fave Jaida runways were Tulle, Frozen, Michelle Visage, Stars And Stripes, and the purple one. 1. Heidi N Closet Whether Heidi was getting phrases wrong: “Leprosy print”; “like watching the walls dry”; “right up my avenue”; “as a political politician”; “hepiphany”; “the initialation”. Or simply joking around: “ARR MATEY”; “overall she delivered – literally because she was pregnant”; “maybe she's not the trade of the season – what if I'm the trade of the season?”; “Gigi? Cocky? I would've never guessed”; “and that was the right numbers of fingers honey”. Heidi charmed the viewers in such a cute and harmless way. She laughs with us, and at herself, and doesn't take things too seriously. In the premiere, Heidi had the trill entrance, she pushed through an allergic reaction, she made chicken noises in front of the judges, she exclaimed “I'll never eat kale again!”, and she confronted Nicki Minaj on Untucked. That critique made her so mad. Heidi would also banter with Ru during her walkthroughs, and oftentimes stole Ru's ideas. Ru hated her name too lol. Heidi also had her emotional moments: She seemed irritated during the Rusical Untucked. She felt insulted by Gigi saying she hadn't improved her make-up. And she yelled “f**k you” at everyone on Untucked to leave Aiden alone, which was iconic. But Heidi was there for Widow. She had the uncle passing from HIV story. And she proved Jaida wrong for ranking her last. In the competition: I'm declaring Heidi the Lip Sync Assassin of Season 12. She had funny and entertaining moves in each one until she faced Jaida. She was also bottom 2 in challenges where nearly everyone did well - “Gay's Anatomy” (that fork bit did not land) and the Rusical (for not emulating Madonna, but her moves were still impressive). That said, Heidi's Makeover outfits were basic, and her stand-up routine was messy. Still, she should've won “World's Worst”. And she had the Widow's shoe joke in Snatch Game, the “tears of a drag queen” in the advert, and Jackie's 5 O'clock shadow jab in the Debate. I thought she was one of the best in “I'm That Bitch” too. But Heidi's runways were kinda mediocre. My faves were her Fashion Show looks, even if the headpiece fell off. Her Ball looks weren't the best, but not the worst either. Favourite entrance look: Gigi Goode (night 1) / Rock M. Sakura (night 2) Challenge ranking: 1. “I'm That Bitch” (Girl Group #1) 2. Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical 3. “Droop” Adverts 4. “You Don't Know Me” (Girl Group #2) 5. “One-Queen Show” (Stand-up) 6. The Ball Ball 7. Snatch Game 8. “Gay's Anatomy” (Acting) 9. “Viva Drag Vegas” 10. Superfan Makeover 11. Presidential debate 12. “World's Worst” (Improv) (this challenge felt endless) Lip Sync ranking: 1. Gigi Goode vs Widow Von'Du ("Starships") (Widow kept finding new moves to show off!) 2. Jan vs Widow Von'Du ("This Is My Night") 3. Brita vs Heidi N Closet ("Burning Up") 4. Jackie Cox vs Widow Von'Du ("Firework") 5. Heidi N Closet vs Jaida Essence Hall ("1999") 6. Jackie Cox vs Heidi N Closet ("Kill the Lights") (Jackie was cringe) 7. Heidi N Closet vs Nicky Doll ("Heart to Break") (Nicky wasn't trying, but Heidi's moves were cute ignoring the wig fail) 8. Jaida Essence Hall vs [Redacted] ("Call Your Girlfriend") (LOL at Jaida playing off the other person) 9. Jaida Essence Hall solo ("Get Up") 10. Brita vs Rock M. Sakura ("S&M") (Rock M's skirt wouldn't come off! but Brita was enjoyable) 11. Top 3 Lip Sync #2 ("Survivor") 12. Crystal Methyd vs Jackie Cox ("On The Floor") 13. Crystal Methyd solo ("I'm Like a Bird") (it's meme-worthy at least) 14. Aiden Zhane vs Brita ("Let It Go") (Brita very theatrical/Aiden looks dead) 15. Gigi Goode solo ("Take On Me") (without the set design, it's not all that) 16. Top 3 Lip Sync #1 ("Bring Back My Girls") (it's just their faces...) 17. Dahlia Sin vs Nicky Doll ("Problem") Season ranking so far: 9 > 5 > 6 > 11 > AS2 > 4 > 10 > 2 > 7 > AS3 > AS4 > 3 > 8 > 12 > 1 > AS1

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euryd-ce · 3 years ago

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❁ MONSTER

PAIRING: Yan! Lady Thirteen! Michiko x GN! Assassin! Reader

CW: General Yandere Themes, Implied Stalking, Murder, Violence

NOTE: Mildly headcanon-based

Lady Thirteen is a very generous woman - especially when it comes to her underlings, and even more so to her favourite.

You used to accept hits - killing contracts - for virtually any price. Anything to keep food on your family's plates for as long as you needed, and anything to restore whatever honor they had after their encounter with a grevious incident that forced their plummet to rock bottom. But they never knew, and you intended to keep it that way.

You came across the little tea shop in the Chinatown by chance, and there you met the woman in charge in the flesh, Lady Thirteen they called her. She had an offer for you - one that you'd only decline if you were an utter fool. It was a hit against a rich bachelor who also happened to run a tea industry that garnered numerous consumers, or as she described it, "attracted the attention of her potential customers."

Naturally, you accepted the offer without hesitation. Though, it made you raise a brow, the fact that she so casually brought up that offer to you - that she seemed to know just what kind of monster you were.

You were good at your job, made it seem easier than it actually was - she'd give you that. The man she had hired you to kill days ago died no more than three days after you agreed to the task. It helps that the blame was pinned unto a high class restaurant he just so happened to eat at that day, where he was allegedly poisoned by one of their well-trained and accountable chefs. Ever since then, the restaurant had been under fire, which meant two less competitors she had to think about.

Once you were given the payment you were promised, you intended to leave, thinking that with how much you were given, it would be a one-time thing. But she spoke, "It's money that you are after, is it not?" She smiled, looking away from you.

You stopped in your tracks, wondering what she had in mind, "I guess..."

"Hmm... Then how about... you work for me?" She offered - tilting her head. It was as if she had planned this out long before.

You were quiet, not because you wanted to disagree, but because you didn't know how to respond.

"You'll be my bodyguard, for most of the part," she added. "But I'll still have targets for you to eliminate, and of course, you'll be compensated very generously."

You turned around in silent agreement. Why wouldn't you? It's not like anyone else was willing to pay you such an absurd amount nor was it like you had already planned out your next move. You believed it'd be practical - for the time being, if not for the rest of your life.

She liked that. She liked you - the way you were straightforward, so clear, the way you seemed easily let her have so much control over you, but most of all, the way you could potentially be just as ruthless as her.

Even as a bodyguard, she continued to assign you to hits. Likewise, you continued to accomplish said tasks, swiftly yet conscientiously - just the way she liked it. The woman almost wanted to see how far you go out of your pursuit for money, how long it would take until you fall into the cold depths of bloodlust, how much you would do for your little secret.

You were eventually tasked to kill your very own colleagues, two assassins that have long retired from the gruesome career. They now worked as the head waiters in the little teashop of the lady that stood before you, but you doubt that their skills have declined at all.

She gave you a sly smirk in response to the incredulous look that made its way unto your face. "Hmm? Are you unable to do it?"

The lady wasn't wrong, in a way. Compared to you, the two had far more years of experience, and had an advantage in number as they were inseparable - your efforts to take them down would be futile. You could possibly die, but you wanted to take the risk anyway. It's not like you ever found anything else to live for other than your family. You never lived for yourself - your destructive greed was always rooted in the people you cared for. It was never because you wanted to, but always because they needed you to, you believed.

"Why?" You asked the lady instead of giving her the answer she wanted.

"Oh? You're questioning me?" She smiled, and looked directly at you, "well if you insist..."

"They are traitors..." She whispered.

A week later, your plan was put into action. You were slick, but not enough to slip through their perceptiveness. Fan Wujiu and Xie Bi'an were more than aware of your plot, cautiously and subtly watching every move you made. They looked down on you - thought you were a fool for thinking you could possibly outplay them. They almost pitied you, thinking they should give you a swift and merciful execution, but they were bored, they missed the thrill of the game they once played - they played with you, delaying your imminent death.

The three of you were in an alleyway. The two gentlemen - your targets - stood without a scratch, laughing while you were already at your limit, bleeding out on the ground.

"You know, I thought you would at least put up a fight..." Xie Bi'an mocked.

"Oh but they did!" Fan Wujiu added before laughing once again.

"With the Madam's lapdog out of the way, everything is going to be so much easier hah!" Xie Bi'an rejoiced.

'so she was right...' You thought, assuming he meant her murder.

The same man crouched down to your level. "Now, is there anything you want us to know?" He asked, referring to why you did it.

"I..." You started to speak, blood still dripping from your forehead, but you flinched at the sound of a loud gunshot that rang from your left side.

"XIE-" Fan Wujiu let out a horrified gasp, but fell to the ground not even a second after.

You thought you were next, but the loud bang that would indicate your immediate death never came. In front of you, your targets still lay motionless on the ground. It wasn't you, it definitely wasn't you, and you of all people knew that. Using the little strength you had left, you escaped the scene as fast as you could. Surely, there were other civilians that heard the gunshots, and the last thing you wanted was to be caught in the middle of your mess.

You immediately went back to the tea shop, ignoring all the horrified stares you received, and made your way to the lady's office. When she signalled for you to come in, you saw her holding a thick stack of cold, hard cash - your payment. It was if she already knew about your violent confrontation, and how the deed had already been done.

But right when she tried to give it to you, you swatted it away, "It wasn't me."

"I know."

You gave her a questioning look, "you know?"

"I know everything," she said with a smug grin on her face. "I have eyes and ears all around this town, you know that?"

"Well," you huffed. "Then you should also know I won't accept payment for something I didn't do, you know that?"

"Take the cash." She ordered.

"No."

The lady scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous, it isn't for you, isn't it?"

Your eyes widened in shock, but your shock was immediately replaced by a glare, followed by you harshly taking the money from the floor and you walking out of her office.

"That's what I thought," she chuckled.

It had been a year since the incident. The targets she'd assign for you to kill increased with the death of her former hitmen. While many of them were rising stars in the business world that posed a threat to her, you noticed that she often requested for you to kill nobodies who did as much as spare a glance at you. It brought to you some rather... unecessary feelings.

You slowly began to see your targets as human. You've gone so far, earned so much to the point that you could no longer see them as walking piles of cash, but as people who had lives that were just as - if not more - complex as yours, lives that you ended in mere seconds or days whether it be through your blades or through your carefully made poisons. You had gone soft, too soft, and she knew.

It was no surprise to her when you came into her office, telling her that you were going to leave, that she should just find someone else to do her dirty work, that you weren't capable anymore. It was funny - she found it funny - that you thought she'd let you go just like that, even after how much she spent to keep you where you were, but she chose to entertain you anyway.

"And? Where do you think you'll go to?" She questioned, not looking at you but instead at her cup of tea.

"Somewhere... It's none of your business, Michiko," you replied, spitting out her real name.

"They'll know. They'll know what you did, where your money is coming from, (Name)." The porcelain cup was set down, making a light clinking sound.

"Who?" You crossed your arms.

She finally looked at you, "your family, who else?"

"That's funny," you looked down and lied through your teeth. "They're dead."

"Really?" She asked with another smug grin on her face - she saw through you.

You on the other hand had enough of her games, and decided that if you were going to leave, you might as well just leave now. After letting out a disgruntled sigh, you made your way to the door, but you were interrupted by a loud bang that sounded eerily similar to the gunshots that saved you, yet haunted you ever since the death of the targets you failed to kill.

You turned and saw your former employer pointing a gun at the ceiling with her gloved hands, "I didn't say you could leave now. Hmm?"

"It was you..." Your glare darkened as she slowly pointed the smoking weapon towards you.

"I suppose," she said, blowing the smoke out of the revolver. "You'll put that aside, won't you? I saved you."

She had a point, you knew she did, and you couldn't argue otherwise. After all, you wouldn't be standing there at all if she hadn't shot the two men for you. She liked you so much that she got her hands dirty just to save you.

"You're a monster..." You gritted your teeth.

"Then that makes two of us, doesn't it?" She retorted. "Don't tell me you think you're an angel just because you're doing it for them."

"I'm not, I- "

"Imagine the looks on your poor parents' faces when they find out that their only child became... A monster." She let out a fake gasp while she slowly circled you.

"They'll drive you out. They'll say you aren't their little (Name) anymore. You'll have nowhere to go, nowhere but back to me." Her hand rested on her chest.

"And even if you did have somewhere to go, I'd look for you. I'd bring you back to where you belong. Even if it means getting my hands dirty again," She threatened, but her features quickly softened.

"Do you understand?"

You looked at her dead in the eyes, and yelled out "NO!" before pushing her down and making a run for it - at least, trying to.

You were immediately chased by many familiar faces, mostly people who worked for her at the tea shop. Most of which you could easily kill, but most of which you'd hesitate to even point your blades at. You outran most of them, and civilians who were unfortunate enough to block your way were harshly pushed aside with you muttering little sorries that were left unheard.

When you were sure that nobody was after you anymore, you stopped to take a break since you were almost out of breath. You sat by a tree nearby the entrance to the Chinatown, which was far larger than you thought with how long it took for you to escape it.

"How did you get here?" the voice of a young man came from above you, causing your eyes to shoot directly upward. You saw a young man sitting on the branch directly above you. The lion hat he wore made him look familiar, but you couldn't quite point out who he was.

As if he heard your thoughts, he introduced himself, "it's Norton... I often see you with my mother... I'm not sure if you've seen me though..."

"Mother? Do you mean Lady Thirteen?" You asked, almost terrified that he was even near you. It seemed to be evident on your face, as he had to reassure you that he wouldn't alert anyone.

"You won't?" You asked, skeptical of him, while he nodded. "Mhm."

"But... Why?" You asked, doubting that anyone else was willing to disobey Lady Thirteen.

"Because," he pointed at the butterfly that had been fluttering around you the entire time.

"She already knows."

You didn't have time to react when you heard the harsh rustling of the wind and you saw a ghostly white figure with red hair quickly dashing toward you - it was her. You tried to stand, to run away again, but you were so focused on your conversation with the young man that you didn't notice he had passed magnets down to you, effectively keeping you in place.

"You!- " You glared at him, angry at yourself for getting outwitted by him as you frantically tried to remove the multiple magnets on your stomach.

"And you..." A gloomy sigh escaped your lips as the ghostly white figure suddenly transformed into the hauntingly beautiful monster you were trying to escape.

"Have you had your fun?" She asked, using her fan to lightly tap on her palm.

You didn't answer her, but instead grabbed one of your hidden knives and tried to throw it at her. You aimed for her heart, but she swatted the knife away with her fan.

"Trying to kill me now?" She questioned, now with a pout on her face. "That's too bad..."

Before you could throw another knife, she grabbed your dominant hand and twisted your wrist, forcing you to let out a shriek in pain. "For safety measures," she claimed.

"I don't trust you, that's all," she said. "I don't want you to die, but you'll try to kill me again, maybe even with the revolver. I'll have to dislocate your other wrist too, won't I?"

"No... I won't..." You trailed off, but started screaming when she started reaching for your only functioning hand. "I WON'T- " you let out another shriek as she not only twisted your wrist but also your entire arm.

"You can still walk. Follow me," she ordered when Norton finished taking his magnets back, but you didn't move, knowing that she'd lead you back to her tea shop.

She sternly looked at you, and scowled, "That was an order."

You continued glaring at her, but once you thought you were ready to make a run for it, she swifty swung her bladed fan around your legs, forcing you to trip.

"Don't tell me you want me to break your legs too."

"Let me ... go ..." You said in between breaths.

"You're very hardheaded, do you know that?" She sighed, looking down on you.

"I can ... kill you ..."

"You won't," she smiled. "You can't, even if you tried - I won't let you." You tried crawling away while she talked, but you were dragged back by her pulling on your dislocated arm, causing you to hiss.

"You're a monster," she echoed your words. "And only a monster like me is capable of loving a monster like you."

She was a predator - a creature of the night who rejoiced in the thrill of the hunt, and you so unfortunately happened to be her favourite prey.

#identity v #idv #identity v x reader #idv x reader #yandere identity v #yandere idv #identity v imagines #idv imagines #yandere idv x reader #yandere identity v x reader #yandere michiko #yandere lady thirteen #yandere

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marimelwrites · 6 months ago

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With a hum of amusement, Chloe nodded, "Definitely two of your best attributes." She agreed before running her hands down Asher's chest. Seeing his grin always made her heart beat quicker, and she tried not to focus on the way that the sound of her rapid pounding of her heart nearly eliminated everything else. Biting her bottom lip as he mentioned staying right where they were, she might have agreed to it, if he hadn't been healing recently. However, with the added suggestion of the bedroom, she had an idea in mind.

Taking his hand, she began walking backwards toward the bedroom. "In that case..." She kept eye contact as she led him to the room, and once there she pushed him back towards the bed. "Lay back... get comfortable, and I'll take it from there." With a wicked grin on her face she reached for the bottom of her top and lifted it over her head in a slow smooth motion. She would give him a view to enjoy while she spoiled him with attention he deserved. She loved the way her body was immediately ready for him, even though she was planning to give him attention before she felt any pleasure. It was always like this for him, the only man who could ever get her to feel so desperate to have him inside of her that she almost forgot her goal and begged.

@velvetrogue

“Very clever and very naughty, two of my best attributes, no?” Asher teased, laughing as soon as he’d said it. The grin remained plastered to his lips, his heart rate quickening simultaneously as Chloe continued kissing along his jawline. They soon kissed on the lips and when Chloe pulled back, there was no mistaking the gleam in her eyes. Truthfully, most looks from Chloe could make Asher metaphorically swoon, but that particular one not only made adrenaline flow through his veins, spurring excitement, it also made Asher’s grin grow to the point where it practically threatened to burst from his features.

“Yeah? I think it’s time to show me just how good I’ve been too,” he mused to her offer, tone somehow more playful and teasing than before. His eyes shone with a combination of delight and arousal, the latter clearly reflected as he raked his gaze up and down Chloe’s figure right before him. Her question about where they should go drew a light chuckle from Asher, and he lifted his gaze to meet hers again. “Is it too horny of me if I say anywhere to that?” he queried, laughing again. “If I have to pick though… here, or we could take things back to the bedroom…”

@marimelwrites

#velvetrogue #ref: asher x chloe #thread: asher x chloe 04 #//as always let me know if you'd prefer to drop #i would completely understand

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youremyonlyhope · 3 years ago

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Ok wait I’m not done ranting about tonight’s Survivor yet.

Another reason that Maryanne and Drea chose to not vote each other out is because they probably realized they NEED each other to be present in the game to have a chance to win.

There has never been a Black winner who didn’t have another Black contestant with them either at the end, or close to the end.

Wendell had Laurel, who he teamed up with after the tribe switch, and stuck with until the final tribal council. Wendell has said (I believe during one of the Black Voice of Survivor Roundtables) that for the first few days on the island, he actually purposefully avoided being seen talking to the other Black contestant, Desiree, because he didn’t want either of them to be targeted and stand out for aligning early on. When he had a more comfortable position in the game, and his alliance with Dominick, that’s when he felt safe enough to become close to Laurel. That relationship with Laurel literally won him the game since she was the unprecedented tie breaking vote.

Jeremy had Tasha with him at the end. The alliances of Cambodia were pretty fluid throughout the season, especially due to all the swaps, it wasn’t until later in the merge that he and Tasha, along with Spencer, really became a team. The jury accused Tasha of doing all of Jeremy’s dirty work, and he got an unanimous vote in the end.

Earl had Cassandra and Dreamz, and to this day this is the only fully Black Final Three in Survivor history. I admittedly have not yet watched this season in full (my brother has gotten into Survivor, so I want to watch this season with him eventually), but part of that is because I’ve heard over the years that this jury is infamously bitter during final tribal and that Lisi was racist, so I’m sort of dreading watching it even though I know Earl wins in the end with the unanimous vote.

Vecepia is the only Black winner to win Survivor without having another Black person with them at the final tribal council. For most of the merge, she and Sean were the only people from her original tribe and the only Black people left in the game. Luckily, instead of being picked off one by one, they wrangled together people at the bottom of the other alliance to vote everyone else out. He got 5th place, so he was with her for 36 of the 39 days. She only won against Neleh by one vote. She became the first Black winner, the ONLY Black woman to win so far, and the first Black winner of any reality TV show.

When Survivor Winners at War came around, Wendell and Jeremy once again made a point of not seeming like they were a pair because they knew, as the only Black people, other contestants might make assumptions. This didn’t work since Wendell was eliminated at the merge because of how “close” he was to Jeremy, and Jeremy was on the chopping block for nearly every tribal council until he was finally eliminated. The other contestants considered Jeremy and Wendell to be an obvious pair, but did not seem to care about “Cops R Us.” I’m not even complaining about Cop R Us as an alliance, unless it’s to complain about the name, since I genuinely enjoyed watching Tony and Sarah’s friendship get them far in the game and have an emotional end. But Wendell and Jeremy had a target on their back from the get-go because as the only two Black men, everyone just assumes they’re a tight pair and tight pairs are dangerous so they have to go. Tony and Sarah had the privilege of not LOOKING like they’d be a tight pair, despite having played on 2 other seasons together and sharing a profession and having A NAME for their alliance, so they stayed a little more under the radar. So while we need other Black people to be with us in the game order to win, just being seen talking to other Black people can be dangerous because it can scare the other contestants into thinking there’s an alliance that needs to be broken up. It’s a very fragile balance, which is why it’s only been accomplished 4 times so far. (Also Vecepia says she wasn’t even asked to compete in Winners at War, so there’s that. Earl declined due to having a new baby)

Something that’s weird, and something that I didn’t notice until writing this post, is that when we do win Survivor, we either win unanimous votes, or we win by only one vote (and it’s the one made by another Black contestant). Not sure what that means exactly, but it’s interesting now that I’ve noticed.

We’ve had 4 winners out of 41 seasons, less than 10% of winners are Black when we make up 12.4% of the American population (14.2% if you count mixed-race Black people like myself). We’ve had only one Black woman win, and that was 20 years ago. In 3 of the 4 cases, there was another Black person sitting at final tribal council with the winner.

There has been 1 Final Two with one Black person in it (Vecepia won), 3 Final Threes with at least two Black people (Earl, Jeremy, and Wendell won), and 7 Final Threes with only one Black person (no Black winners). Statistically, we need another Black person in the Final Three in order to win because we’ve never won a season as the lone Black person at the end. The only time we have won alone was when it was a Final Two, and Survivor doesn’t seem to want to ever do those again.

I hope Maryanne and Drea make it to the end together, and that we finally get another Black woman winning. Based on every other situation, they need each other there to win.

#survivor #survivor 42 #survivor 42 spoilers #survivor spoilers #if i got anything wrong let me know but i looked through all the Final Twos and it was just Vecepia #i went and rewatched 4 episodes of Shadow and Bone and needlepointed #but honestly i forget which episode but there was one scene where i had to rewind like 5 times #because i was staring at my needlepoint and internally raging about survivor and not paying attention to the show #then once i finished the show i tried to calm down #then i didn't calm down #then i wrote this over the last hour #also worth noting i haven't seen marquesas in full since Hulu is missing episodes and i'm not paying for paramount plus #or at least not paying yet. maybe in a month or so i might just buy it so i can keep showing my brother more seasons #also don't come at me with 'there aren't a lot of Hispanic winners' i am very aware of that and same for Asian winners #but i'm talking about Black people since i am Black and i've lived the Black experience #but if anyone actually wants me to try to research stuff about other contestants of color and win rates and stuff i'd be very happy to.#i just pay more attention to the Black players due to myself being Black #so that's all more readily available and i don't need to research as much

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wh6res · 4 years ago

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one more time | markhyuck

"if i'm going to teach you how to fuck her right, you’re gonna need the best seat in the house, markie!" — lhc

warnings. dubious content, swearing, bondage, voyeurism, masturbation, exhibitionism, mentions of stalking, fingering, oral (f receiving), degradation, there’s a knife (but no knifeplay), a threesome, implied kidnapping

disclaimer. i dont condone anything. this isnt a normal relationship. this aint love.

note. prolly going to hell for this but who cares. markhyuck for @nakamotocore i wuv ya ie please get better soon! TT and dom hyuck for my napaka kalat na mami @donghyukcore

against all rational thinking, haechan is getting bored from seeing the pathetic five feet distance between you and mark when he comes home. he tries to understand the other male in the relationship. truly, he does, even if he highly doubts that celibate little mark lee can pleasure you the way he can but everything's practically past that line now. donghyuck just wants to have some fun with you two, is that too much to ask for? at this point, he's blatantly ignoring the fact that you and mark don't even like each other.

but haechan cares for mark just as much as he cares about you and he won't just let his best friend miss out on all the fun things he can do to their little doll, right? what kind of a friend would he be? once haechan shoves him into a world of temptation and sin and pleasure, mark would kiss his self-induced celibacy goodbye.

plus, you've been awfully naughty these days.

talks about wanting to come home or getting at least a few rights to have gadgets were the only thing you said whenever you see him. it went as far as practically growling and running away from haechan when he tries to initiate something with you, screeching your lungs out and saying, "don't fucking touch me, you creepy little psycho!"

deflowering mark.

punishing you.

he'd be killing two birds with one stone.

he's fucked your stubborn little self into submission once, but all that overprivileged tv sessions might've put silly little ideas into your dumb little head again. alas, no worries, he'll just have to do it one more time. and maybe, now with the aid of his good 'ol buddy mark, they'll both be able to screw you up so good you'll never want to leave their clutches.

"gumdrop, can you come here for a second?"

haechan isn't deaf to the exaggerated groan you let out from the living room and it grates on his nerves how utterly brave you are for being passive aggressive. you reminded him of a little girl in a temper tantrum because they weren't given any candy - and when you show up in the master bedroom clad in your little pink dress, eyes upturned and sharp, a pathetic little girl was all he can think of when he saw you.

only now did he notice that you had even detangled your hair from the intricate braids haechan spent at least twenty minutes doing earlier this morning. where was mark all this time? why wasn’t he there to stop you? geez, you both are so going to get it, this time!

"what do you want?"

"can you give me a hug? i felt awfully stressed at work today. i need my little gumdrop."

this was obviously a test. don't get him wrong, he'll still punish you but if just this one time you learned to swallow that bitchy attitude and come crawling to him as the perfect lover should, maybe he won't be too harsh.

but he gave you too much credit, he thinks. of course his dumb cockwhore doesn't know shit. of fucking course, you wouldn't know it was a test. not when you scoffed, rolled your eyes at him, and spun in your heels to walk back to the living room.

"beat your meat with your own hands, creep."

haechan's reaction is immediate, his long legs allowing no delay in crossing the room to mercilessly fist your hair. he had pulled your hair so bad you thought it was going to rip right at the roots, all of his pent up anger due to your poor behavior channeling into that one grip.

you feel his scoff of disbelief against the curve of your neck as haechan pulls you flush against his body. "what the fuck did you just say to me?" he laughs patronizingly. "beat my meat with my own hands – aw, baby! that has got to be the best one yet!"

it truly was, though. he's not going to lie. out of every vicious snarl and hate-induced words you said to him, that particular offhand comment takes the cake. seriously, sometimes haechan thinks you're deliberately trying to make him furious – gumdrop, if you wanted to be fucked silly, all you had to do was ask.

he hurls you to the mattress, breath knocking right out of your lungs. before you can even sit back up and crawl away from haechan, he's already crawling over your body to sit directly on your stomach, fiddling with something on the headboard. you nearly scream in frustration, no matter what you do, you just can't throw him off of you!

"i don't know why the fuck you're behaving this way but it's gone too far. one more time. do i need to fuck some respect into you, one more time?”

a new wave of motivation surges through you when you hear the familiar click clacking of metal. your eyes widened just a fraction, the only thing that gave away the unease quickly seeping under your skin. if not for haechan's perceptive eyes, he would have missed it.

he merely used one hand to grip both your wrists in a vice. "no!" you squirmed, tossing and turning and trying with all your might to get him off of you. "no! i don't want that – not the cuffs!"

he loops the respective bands around your wrists with practiced ease. the last handcuffs he used had torn and marked your skin, something haechan wasn't fond of. only he can paint your bare skin with colors.

thus, he bought newer ones. the bands were a bright shade of red, connected to each other using a medium sized chain that loops around one of the steel wires of the bed, and the little bells attached to the bands ring with your every movement.

haechan knows the bells drove you crazy. its incessant ringing driving you up the wall as you couldn't keep your hands still whenever he fucked you to oblivion – he knew how much you loathed the sound of the bells, all the more reason for him to enjoy.

and mark, too. speaking of which…

you stubbornly pull at your bounded hands, glaring at the man before you as he studies your state. the corners of his lips curl up at the sight of you struggling. "you always look so good in red, gumdrop."

before you were given a chance to reply, he stormed out of the room with a sense of purpose bounding his steps. "lee donghyuck!" you screamed. "fucking come back and get me out of these, you pervert!"

he can hear you thrashing in your chains and yelling profanities from a room away. where was the demure girl he turned you into after only a week living in the apartment? though funny enough, the blood in haechan's sadistic side rushes in excitement at the prospect of wiping that glare off your face. it wasn't the fear, nor your submission that gets him off. it was the idea that he can and he will break you down no matter how many times you try to build yourself back up again.

he's not too sure whether he's going to eliminate that dirty mouth you've developed, though. because you did make him snort in the most unattractive way when you told him he can fucking jack himself off when he had been merely asking for a hug. this aggressive side you developed is… nice. he can work with it.

"can you ask your play thing to keep it down?" mark hisses, flinching and making an offkey sound with his guitar when a certain screech from you caught him off-guard.

haechan smiles.

"why don't you shut her up?"

it took a good few minutes trying to talk mark into stepping into the bedroom where he's got you chained to the headboard, but alas, haechan can be persuasive if he wants to be.

frankly, the younger man is sick and tired of hearing both of you bicker – it's no wonder you've developed a sharp tongue! it's all mark's fault and yet it's haechan that has to do the dirty work of setting you straight all over again. you're a tough cookie to crack, someone hauntingly immune to the violence and chaos.

and yet…

"you don't – don't seriously plan on doing this, do you?" your eyes go back and forth between the two males, primarily addressing the younger, devil-spawned male. haechan, ever observant, picks up the light tremor in your voice.

haechan had uttered a playful "if i'm going to teach you how to fuck her right, you're gonna need the best seat in the house, markie!" before forcing the older boy to sit by your side, mark's thighs grazing the temples of your head as your eyes awkwardly flutter up to the spectator.

mark couldn't deny he was intrigued by the emotion reflecting in your orbs. when your eyes met, it was a silent plea, he just knew it was. and unlike vulnerable and helpless you, mark, to some extent, still had at least some sense of freedom to him. he can choose to walk away, to stop haechan from trying to get him laid, maybe even talk the other boy into postponing your punishment.

but he'll do no such thing.

not because he has a moral compass (he doesn't, really) but because mark knew firsthand, there's no stopping haechan once he sets his mind into something – and right now, if that boy wants to punish you and use mark to fulfil his exhibitionistic fantasies then that's what'll happen.

your bottoms were the first to go, haechan's blunt nails digging into your skin as he pulled it down slowly, patronizingly, while watching bemused at your squirming. "this is how you know she needs a reminder," he says, addressing mark. "a good princess should take whatever's given to her like a good girl but if she's being an ungrateful brat –"

you flinch when he harshly smacks your thigh.

"– she gets what’s coming for her, right?"

there's a second's delay with mark's reply. haechan didn't mean for the question to be rhetorical, he wanted an answer from the other boy.

"right, mark?"

"r – right…"

haechan laughs, flipping the skirt of your dress up. "what, are you that excited for pussy that you're stuttering? that's cute."

you hear mark intake a sharp breath when haechan dives in to give you feathery kisses in your inner thigh. he always starts off this way, after figuring out this gets you wet way faster than simply kissing you.

as haechan starts talking, lips lazily grazing over your skin, you fight hard not to utter a single sound as you pull on your chains. "listen carefully, markie. do you hear those whimpers? she likes it," you feel the prickles of his sharp stare. "she's just too much of a fucking brat to admit it. go on gumdrop, your fighting spirit makes this all the more interesting."

you hate the patronizing tone he used as his hands trail higher, and higher until it's pinching at the bud of your clit. and against your whole being trying to keep your lips sealed, alas, it parts and creates a soft whimper that has mark stiffening next to you.

haechan lays his tongue flat against your folds. you weren't in the least bit wet yet to accommodate his size, but that's easy. he merely circles the bud with the tip of his tongue before pushing two fingers in. months of standing in the shadows outside your window had made him memorize the movement of your fingers whenever you pleasured yourself.

he felt the jolts of the bed as you shook your head side to side, trying with everything you can to hold your moans in. a corner of his lips can’t help but curl up. "what, gumdrop? too shy to lose yourself because we have an audience? don't worry our celibate little friend over here seems to like it. go on, give him a show."

too lost in the ministrations of his lips and fingers, you don't see haechan meeting eyes with mark, nodding at an object lying on the bed side table. you can only shudder when the cool tip of a knife presses against the base of your throat, hooking under the collar of your dress as mark slowly rips it off.

but haechan doesn't have the patience. "dude, give that to me. at your phase you'll get her naked tomorrow. let the tip cut her skin, the bitch deserves it anyway."

you scream when he drags it unceremoniously down your front, narrowly missed tearing at your navel. there are a few pricks of pain here and there for when the knife accidentally nicked your skin. he sure was ruthless as can be. why did you even bother acting like a brat, cursed him out, when it gave you no benefits whatsoever? did he unknowingly transform you into this sick little masochist that thrived on his sadism?

"no."

it was a defeated whisper. the last of your resolve turning into dust as the breath escapes your lungs. why did losing feel so heavy in your chest? you don't notice your arms slumping, nor your head nodding off to one side, the weight of your horrible reality sinking into you once again as if you had only been kidnapped yesterday.

but it had not been yesterday. it's been days. weeks. months. and the last time you sneakily got ahold of mark's phone and searched for your name, the last news clip or article published about your disappearance had been three months ago. that only meant one thing.

they weren't looking for you anymore.

just like that the world continued, other people's lives continued. all the while you're stuck here, rotting in the arms of your captors.

haechan's face emerged in front of you. he smiles and you would've believed he felt an ounce of guilt if not for that wicked stare in his eyes. "you've always been most beautiful like this, gumdrop. the hope disappearing in your eyes upon the realization that no one's coming for you anymore – i love it. i love you, my pretty girl."

he placed a chaste kiss on your forehead but he might as well have shot you straight in the heart.

there was no warning, nothing to ready you for the sudden intrusion happening on your bottom half and it was so bad, that it made you shut your eyes, hands wrapping around the chains as tears started falling across your cheeks.

rough fingers reached out and wiped them away.

something felt off.

the fingers were too calloused, opposed to the softness of haechan's nimble fingers. and while the aforementioned male had more length than girth, the person who's thrusting himself inside you is the complete opposite. he's stretching you out too much, not even bothering to give you time to adjust when he's already bucking his hips like an animal.

"shh, it's okay. i'll take care of you…"

this wasn't haechan.

and when you fluttered your eyes open to see mark's boyish little face, you can't help that look of betrayal painting your features. at least you only had to deal with one obsessive, sex-deprived freak. now, you're not so sure if you can handle both of them.

how foolish of you to think that mark's self-induced celibacy stretched far and wide when in reality, he was also just a boy with his own needs. a slave to his own temptations.

how cruel. so, so cruel.

in the back of your mind, you were thankful haechan cared enough to properly get you in the mood or else you would've been staining the bed sheets red by how deep and frantic mark’s thrusts were. it felt like he wanted to tear you in half.

"if i didn't know better i'd say you're experienced, markie! i wouldn't fucking know you're a virgin by how much you're humping her like a dog.”

curse him and his dirty mouth. his constant degradation is making it easier for mark to slide in and out of you, and a proof for that is the lewd slick sounds echoing in the room partnered with the older male's deep grunts – a complete opposite of the pitched, whiny sounds haechan makes.

'gumdrop, come on! be noisy with our first-timer here just how you're always noisy with me, yeah? don't be such a killjoy." the pout in his voice is evident, coming from the side of your ear.

you wish you had never turned your head, otherwise you wouldn't have to see him pumping his own dick in his hands right in front of you. the glare you shot probably looked pathetic, what with all the tears streaming down your face and your little theory proves true when you see his mouth quirk up to the side.

"i fucking hate you."

"mark, fuck her harder, wouldja? until she learns her fucking lesson."

the disturbed stare you gave him does not slip his notice, his hand's pace turning erratic, spurred by the slick sound of your walls, skin clapping, and mark's broken whines.

make him stop, your eyes said. please.

but haechan only shoots you an innocent smile before shaking his head. "didn't you tell me to beat my meat with my own hands?"

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adonis-koo · 4 years ago

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| 25 |

↳ Summary: You came with the intentions of your best friend landing a job as a stripper. You never meant to catch the eyes of the king stripper of the establishment- Jeon Jungkook, yourself. With what was supposed to be a harmless way of paying off college debt faster you find yourself falling into a very odd and passionate relationship with your new mentor. Between infidelity, passion and jealousy there’s never a dull moment at Cherry Bomb.

↳ Pairing: Stripper!Jungkook/Reader

↳ Genre: Smut, fluff, angst, drama, slice of life, relationship problems without the relationship, reader is such a shy baby protect her, MUTUAL pining, so much sexual frustration,

Word Count: 8k

Previous | Next

Tags: just a little age regression :)

Song Mood

Warning: This story touches on both sexual harassment and abuse, please read with caution if any of these things are triggers to you. Additional warnings will be given when a chapter present them.

“Are you having fun my sweet baby?” Jungkook leaned down whispering in your ear making a giggle escape you, looking up at him from your coloring sheet as you clapped your hands, reaching up to wrap your arms around his neck. Jungkook had been trying his best to not disturb you, knowing that little space was still something very foreign to you and you struggled with letting yourself slip on many days though things were slowly getting better,

Jungkook would be there with you each step of the journey but he was glad for not just Yugyeom, but Hyerin as well who was more than comfortable with it and showing you that, it was okay, your mind, was just trying to help you cope and deal with stress in a way that wouldn’t be damaging.

Jungkook loved it, he loved seeing that bright smile that hadn’t been on your lips lately, and he loved knowing that you were enjoying yourself and your little friend.

Both you and Hyerin had been coloring at the TV, watching cartoons, eating snacks and drinking juice. Hyerin had even let you use one of her sippy cups! “Koo!” You whispered out looking up at him with sparkling shy eyes, your arms wrapping around him as you squeezed tight, flutters of shy giggles escaping you.

Jungkook’s smile was affectionate and fond as he leaned down, pressing a kiss on your forehead, “Baby.” He cooed out, softly pressing another kiss on your face as he smiled, “I’ll let you get back to coloring, I just wanted to check in on you.” You whined a little but let him go before plopping back down with Hyerin who had been helping you with your coloring sheet. You began coloring with your pink crayon once more as Jungkook’s smile was fond before he reluctantly backed away back to the table where Yugyeom sat, “Thanks by the way, for letting us come over. She’s been...a little shy with the whole little space thing.”

‘It’s a process for everyone,” Yugyeom offered a small smile, leaned back in his seat as he shrugged, “I’ve heard all different kinds of reactions to girls finding out they’re little and hers is fairly common. It doesn’t seem like she slips often…?”

Jungkook rubbed his neck as he sighed, “It’s been getting better, when she first discovered it she was really reserved, but the longer we’re together, I think she’s getting more comfortable. I’m just confused because I can't tell if the only time she really slips is if she has to be in extremely stressful situations or if she’s just self conscious. She did mention to me the whole ‘daddy’ thing tends to make her uncomfortable, but she has no problems using it as a title in bed. Not that I mind, but even with that problem eliminated...” Jungkook hummed, tapping his chin before he shrugged a little, “It still seems like she holds back.”

“It could be both, but if she’s slipping more then before after you talked with her about it, I’d be willing to bet she’s just a little shy about it,” Yugyeom offered, humming as he tapped his chin, “I’d suggest asking around the dungeon but things are kind of intense over there right now...” His words lingered a little, making Jungkook frown as he looked at his friend, leaning back in his seat as he said nothing, making Yugyeom sigh, “Listen...you didn’t hear it from me but...Personally? I think the dungeon is involved in something illegal.”

“Illegal how?” Jungkook looked a little wary as he asked somewhat hesitantly, the last thing he needed was to get involved in even more intense affairs then he already was, but...what were the chances of them possibly being connected?

“I don’t know,” Yugyeom looked away, somewhat hesitant himself to part with the information, “Like...girls keep disappearing. Not regulars but a lot of people who are new, first timers, etc. And some I get,” Yugyeom held up his hands, “It’s just not always the type of thing for one time goers, but…” He rubbed his neck, “Between us? I saw a girl there one night and not two days later they had missing posters for her...I don’t know, maybe it’s coincidental. Mark said to not think too much about it.”

Jungkook said nothing for a moment, it could be coincidental sure but....”What do you think? You’re the one that’s gotten involved in stuff like this.” Jungkook sighed, heaving his shoulders at Yugyeom’s words, he didn’t know what to think. It was difficult to distinguish what his thoughts were and what his paranoia was.

“I think....” Jungkook’s thoughts lingered back to Cherry Bomb, “You have the right to be careful, I mean, look at what happened at Cherry Bomb…” His gaze was mixed between stoic and mournful as his gaze dragged to you, your hands clapping before wrapping them around Hyerin as you grabbed her penguin stuffie and making it talk, “I’m not saying there isn’t anything illegal going on or if there is at the dungeon. I’m not there enough anymore to really have a say so, and honestly?” He offered a weak smile, “I already have my hands full as it is with the investigation going on at work.”

“Strange things are happening lately,” Yugyeom puffing a breath, stretching out as he yawned, “I’m just gonna sit back and keep us here for now. Besides, Hyerin doesn’t seem too put out about it.” His lips curled into a smile as he gestured over to you both, “Sweetheart,” Hyerin jumped up, her eyes undeniably low and rubbed her eyes as she hurried over, “What time do you think is coming up?”

Hyerin’s lips immediately quivered as she shook her head, “No…! No sleepy time! Not yet!” She laid her head in his lap with a pout, not wanting to go to bed yet despite her eyes slowly falling shut in tiredness. Yugyeom offered a small smile, “Yes sleepy time, it’s getting late. You need to let them go home baby. I’m sure Y/n wants to sleep too.”

Jungkook’s eyes fondly rested on your figure which curled up on the couch, covered in blankets, you were yawning and rubbing your eyes as you laid your head down on the pillow, “Sorry Hyerin,” Jungkook offered a small smile at her whine, “But he’s right. It’s getting late and we have lots to do in the morning. Thanks for letting us come by, I think...it was good for her. You know...with everything going on.”

Yugyeom nodded, offering a smile as his hands ran through Hyerin’s hair who was sulking as she laid her head back in his lap, “Any time. I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities for you both to play together soon baby.”

Jungkook got up from the chair he sat in, walking over before he peered over your figure, your thumb between your lips and your eyes heavy, “Baby, it’s time to go.” You shook your head with a whine as you sprawled out further on the couch showing your comfort making Jungkook chuckle, “Nu-uh baby, we need to go. Hyerin is getting ready for bed time. And so are you for that matter.”

“No Koo!” You whined, pulling the blanket over your head despite your eyes protesting staying open as a yawn escaped you, “Don’t wan’ go yet…!” You whined at hands being placed on you and wiggling the blanket off of you before picking you up. Your lips trembled and sulked but said nothing more as your cheek pressed against his shoulder, his hands wrapping around your bottom to keep you up as your legs wrapped around his waist.

“She’s getting cranky, we’ll see you later.” Jungkook chuckled at your sulkiness as he waved off Yugyeom and Hyerin who looked like she had already fell asleep, managing to open the door Jungkook walked out to the car before placing you into the passenger side, your lips pouty and plush despite your tired eyes.

Sitting in the driver's seat Jungkook smiled affectionately at you, pulling the hoodie over his head before handing it to you, “You look cold baby, put it on, we’ll be home soon okay?” You wiggled in your seat a little, still pouty but compliant as you pulled his hoodie on, snuggling down into your seat as you yawned again.

The drive was soothing as rain began to gently patter against the windshield, pulling the hoodie on as the distinct smell of cologne took over your senses and it was difficult to not let your eyes gently fall asleep.

Jungkook was lost in his thoughts the whole drive home before he looked over, a tender smile on his face as his brows furrowed a little, carefully caring for you inside the apartment. He wanted to do something for you, anything to see you happy and smiling again. Laying you down he covered you up before laying beside you, his eyes memorising every curve and texture on your face.

Anything for you to be happy, he knew you were putting on a brave face, taking the punches as best you could, but you were struggling, between what was happening at work, between you both and of course, giving up your own home. It wasn’t easy, Jungkook, more than anything wanted you to at least recognize that doing this wasn’t easy. He wished he didn’t have to ask you to do this.

But your safety was his number one priority...Jungkook frowned a little before setting it in his mind, yeah...he did want to do something to help you settle in. Finally a small smile appeared on his lips as he pulled you close, letting your body curl into his as he pressed his lips against your hair. He knew exactly what he wanted to do.

“It feels....weird tonight,” Your gaze flickered around, you and Jungkook had said you’d come in early to help prep things for tonight as it was the first night of SSU and lots of drinks would be served, tables would be full...or at least thats how it was in past years...you know...before a murder took place here, “Is anyone even gonna show up?”

“A small crowd is better than no crowd,” Jungkook shrugged, “Some people will, you’d be surprised. It is a strip club afterall.” You supposed he was right but...still...you just felt like, it was hard to pretend like things were normal when things were so tense, a lot of workers had ended up quitting and the few who stayed had been particularly quiet coming in and Jungkook had tried his best to ignore all the stares everyone had sent his way.

You felt bad for him in a way, Jungkook came to Seoul to have a new life, yet here he was all these years later getting dragged back down the path he tried his best to escape.

“What about you,” Jungkook perked up a little as he spoke, a grin on his face as he set the table chair down as you tilted your head, “For tonight babygirl? It's the first night of SSU. How do you feel? Nervous?”

Your smile was a little shy and appreciative at his support, he was clearly trying to lighten the mood a little bit and you were glad he was, “Well, I am a little nervous,” You pulled a chair from the table as you set it down, “But no more than I am any other night that I dance. I mean I already danced at Seasonella so this is pretty....mild in comparison.” You offered a weak smile, remembering the raunchy routine you did and not only that, but looking directly at Jungkook while you were at it, “Honestly, I’ll just be glad when we can breath.”

Finishing up at the table you backed up a little as you looked over the table with a nod, Jungkook only wrapped an arm around you as he pressed a kiss against your head, “You’ll do great tonight, you might as well be a soloist already.” You couldn’t stop your giddy smile at his affection and encouragement. More than anything, you just wanted this week to go without a hitch.

“Anything else you need us to do guys?” You called over to the bar where Yoongi and Taehyung were setting up for a night of overload drinks. You were still skeptical if it was really going to be crowded tonight, but it was like Jungkook said, a crowd was a crowd. Not to mention they were doing half off drinks tonight as well to try and entice more unsuspecting people to come.

“We’re all set here, good luck tonight Y/n!” Taehyung gave you a nod as you weakly smiled, you were hardly even concerned about the competition honestly, given everything that had even happened.

You nodded as you bounced a little, “Okay then I’m gonna head back and go get ready for the night, I know you aren’t supposed to be working tonight so…” You trailed off a little, wrapping your arms around yourself as Jungkook smiled, snorting a little.

“What am I supposed to do, go?”

“No!”

“Then what’s with that look?” Jungkook laughed out, leaning down as he pressed a kiss onto your forehead, “Me and the others are hanging out tonight and are here for extra help behind stage, so you’ll see me in and out of the back helping things go smooth. It gets a little hectic for all the stage workers around this time of the year.”

You breathed out a little relieved to hear he’d still be staying, leaning up a little you pecked a kiss on his lips that he let linger for a moment before breaking, “Alright, go get ready baby. I’ll be watching for you.” SSU was a competition and you had been to many dance competitions in your day. In some ways, it was hardly any different, skimpy outfits, questionable dancing, it was all just taken to an adult level.

The nerves however, were always the worst when it came to things like this, you made your way to the back where the staffing rooms were and towards the open vanity where all fillers got ready. You expected nothing less when you caught a few people staring at you and a few whispers. Who would’ve thought being associated with Jungkook would eventually be a bad thing.

Granted they used to whisper, just for different reasons. You had learned to tune most of it out but you still felt a lingering shred of doubt in you, they had an actual good reason to stare. After all, there was a dead body in your boyfriend's vanity room. Putting in your earbuds you found some music to distract yourself from your intrusive thoughts as you began on your makeup.

You still had another forty five minutes before Cherry opened and the night would begin.

This next week wasn’t a regular work week, all soloist’s got the week off because all fillers would be given the chance to perform, as a soloist. This was an exciting and nervous moment for most but given you had already been put in as a temporary soloist and been to Seasonella at that, there wasn’t much else for you to experience.

For once, you didn’t feel pressured or scared. You could do this, you just needed to get through this week. You focused on different colors and swirling your brush in pigments before blending them out over your skin, concealer to sharpen lines and give a clean cut. You’ve become much better with makeup since starting here.

And winged eyeliner was considered an easy thing to do within five minutes, even that sticky lash glue you had always given up on had become second nature to you and you spared no expense with glitter, contour and everything else under the sun. In fact, this had become one of your favorite parts of the job, just you, the mirror, music and a brush in hand. Time was consumed and what felt like minutes had turned into an hour and the competition had already started and just like Jungkook said he had made an appearance in the room, a headset on that he was talking through with other crew members as he gathered girls to get lined up at backstage.

It was comforting knowing him and all the others were here, even if they wouldn’t be performing tonight.

Pulling out your headphones you turned off your music before standing up, you’d be on stage soon and you’d need to get into costume. You were already dressed in your lingerie you planned to wear, it was your outer costume that was always a pain, especially when it was so warm in sweats and a comfy shirt, pulling off your clothes you began getting dressed in costume.

You were excited, you and Jungkook worked on this dance together and you were admittedly proud of it, especially given how quick you both had come up with it. Finishing up getting changed you sat back down in your seat, a smile slowly creeping on your face as you noticed how buzzing the chat was.

You shook your head, feeling your nerves a little soothed as you noticed the door opened again Jungkook’s eyes searching the room before a smile tugged on his lips as he gestured you over, standing up you set your phone in your duffel bag before grabbing your shoes and walking over with them in hand, “You’re on in ten babygirl, so we’re gonna get you lined up backstage. Feeling good?”

You walked beside him as you offered a small smile, Jungkook had pushed a part of his headphones off his ear to listen to you as you shook your head, “I’m feeling good!” You nodded, “Some nerves but that’s pretty normal for performances. I’ll be glad once I finish so I can eat, I didn’t want to be bloated on stage so I skipped dinner.”

Jungkook’s lips parted as he suddenly whipped around to stare at you in disbelief as you gave him a guilty smile, “Baby! You said you weren’t hungry! That’s not gonna do at all! We’ll all go out for drinks and something to eat afterwards. After the competition finishes at 10 we can go.”

“Are they closing early tonight?” Cherry? Done at 10? In what world was that possible? You raised a brow in semi amusement making Jungkook laugh a little.

“No, it’s gonna be lowkey afterwards, not a lot of people stay behind but there’s a few that want a few dollars. They do close at two though, I know, sucks that we aren’t working normally.” He wrapped an arm around you giving you a squeeze as you nudged close. Jungkook paused his words, suddenly pulling his headphone back over as he spoke into his mic, “Yeah? Not shocked, alright I’ll go help in room 3.”

Pulling off his headphones he offered a small smile, “There’s a meltdown fight over in one of the smaller vanity rooms, I gotta go do some damage control. Knock em dead baby.” He pressed a kiss on your head as you pouted a little, “Don’t give me that look! I’ll be back in time to watch, just you wait.”

“You should consider getting into more behind the scenes work.” You commented as he walked away, turning around briefly with that bunny smile of his.

“Why else do you think I’m going into videography?”

You shook your head, setting your shoes down as you lined behind a few other girls who were all waiting, you peered a little only to see that there was a large crowd out tonight. Your nose wrinkled a little, “You’d think it’d be a small crowd tonight.” The girl in front of you whispered as you offered a weak nod in agreement, “More money for us at least.” She offered a small smile of her own in encouragement.

She was right but you weren’t concerned with money, you just hoped the crowd was...just a crowd and nothing lurked in it’s midst. You had been telling yourself it was just paranoia but...it was difficult.

Maybe you should consider therapy.

You blinked at the sudden thought before shaking your head. Focus. The line went by fast and admittedly the night had been going just as fast as well. Solo’s never took long and it was typically group pieces that took up a lot of the night. No wonder they’d be closing early today. Eventually you were next up in line as you looked out from the side of the stage, hidden from the crowd. Who would’ve thought tits and half off drinks would get people back after a murder happened here.

People really were shallow creatures.

Setting your shoes down you stepped into them, immediately growing a good six inches as you bounced a little to get comfortable in them as you inhaled as the lights went out, the poles had been lit with LED’s toward giving you a good marker to walk towards, especially with you laying on the floor. Finding the pole you got down, laying on your back as you let your feet lay against the pole. Closing your eyes you took a breath as you waited a moment.

Your breath catching as the bright lights met your closed lids, the music started as you did just as you had choreographed with Jungkook, your back arching up before pressing it back to the floor, your leg slowly pulling to your chest before shooting back up the pole.

Your arms circing up above your head as you let your feet take little steps in the air before pulling to the left and lowering them as you pulled up. The crowd was large and your mind was raddled as you grabbed onto the pole to pull yourself up.

Swiveling around you let yourself drop down as you flashed a flirty smile at the sounds of cheers and whistles on beat, before you stood up, pulling the jacket off and tossing it aside, you could already see a few dollars floating as you grabbed back onto the pole, pulling yourself up. Admittedly the spinning still made you sick occasionally but you had done enough pole routines that you had gotten better with it.

This was one of your favorite songs even if it was EDM and Jungkook was skeptical, he had wanted you to try to do something a little more sensual but you told him you were positive you could pull it, on beat you fan kicked out before spinning around once more as you heard more cheers as you set your feet back on the floor.

Giving a teasing smile as you began to pop the button on your shorts as you leaned back against the pole before turning to face it. Jungkook said it was a bit dancy but you wanted to have fun for SSU and so with respect he let you do as you chose. Grabbing onto the pole you pulled yourself up, transitioning through various poses while spinning around.

The routine was going flawlessly and you found yourself having genuine fun. And in these moments, it felt like, you found yourself. Dropping down to the ground, you pulled your shirt off hearing more cheers as you rocked yourself to the ground, doing a backwards roll before controlling your way down before flipping onto your back as you began to wiggle off your shorts.

Another favorite part you had come up with that had Jungkook laughing when you asked, managing to get one foot out you kicked your other leg up causing the denim to fly out into the crowd.

Enjoying the blue lights that cascaded down and money fluttering in the air as you sat up, walking with dragging feet as you grabbed back onto the pole, your favorite part coming up as you pulled yourself up. Slowly spinning as you managed to wrap your legs around the pole as you went upside down. You were admittedly nervous about this, going with your hands would be difficult with little skin contact despite Jungkook’s suggestion of fishnets to try and avoid a possible slip.

Pulling the bows of lace out from your bodysuit mesh fluttered down as the lights went low causing your body to become a silhouette as you heard whistles and howls as your hands dragged up your body. Carefully grabbed in a reverse grip as you let your legs extend into a straddle before letting your feet find the ground, pulling the straps down on your body suit as you heard the crowd getting restless.

Closing your eyes as you gave a cheeky smile, pushing the bodysuit as you slid down the pole to your knees, folding out before rolling to your back as your legs extended into a straddle, before getting up to your knees as you parted them, finishing pulling off the body suit to show off the glittering rhinestone thong you’d never wear on any other occasion.

Standing up you let the material drop as you sashed back to the pole, dodging bills at your feet to not slip as you swiveled around the pole once more, finishing your routine strong as you ended in your original position.

Breathing out, you pulled off your shoes as two other people came onto the stage picking up money for you to get you off as quickly as possible and the next person on as you quickly grabbed your discarded clothes, grabbing what money you could as you bowed to them quickly before hurrying off stage. The other girls lined up congratulated you as you bowed, wishing them all good luck with a smile before making your way back to the vanity room.

You could hear the distant thrum of bass as you opened the door to the room, breathing in as you let your shoulders relax in relief, “How’d it go?” You looked over, surprised to see Chan Hee ask you a question, she was working on her eyeliner. Sitting in your seat a little ways away from her you grabbed the sports bra from your bag.

“Better than I thought, it felt...natural.” You offered a small smile, pulling the sports bra on as you adjusted the lower band, “Are you nervous?”

Chan Hee leaned back in her seat, a letter in her hands as she hummed, “No…I have nothing to be nervous over...Just... evaluating my options.” You tilted your head in curiosity, holding the crop top in your lap as you watched her in curiosity. The door however opened, Sejin must’ve been working backstage tonight as well as he flagged Chan Hee who stood up, tossing the letter down in her seat as she waved you off.

That was interesting, you shrugged to yourself as you pulled the crop top over your head, it was fitted to your body and snug as you pulled the high waisted jeans up and thigh high boots to match before grabbing an oversized flannel that might have been Jungkook’s. It was his fault he dumped his laundry into your basket…

Unless he did that on purpose...You glared down at the flannel before shaking your head, serves him right if he was too lazy to do his own laundry. You pulled it over your shoulders before grabbing your phone, making your way out of the staffing area feeling like this was luxury to get off work so early. It was crowded tonight and admittedly, you hadn’t seen it this packed since before Seasonella. Squeezing through the crowd you found the table everyone was sitting at as you felt shy walking over upon everyone's cheers in congratulations.

Jungkook had that proud look on his face as he scooped you into his arms in a tight hug, “You did so good up there babygirl!” he praised relentlessly as he pressed little kisses against your head as you giggled, embracing his warmth as you wrapped your arms around him, “There’s no way you aren’t leading this competition. I just know it.”

He kissed your nose making your smile become more shy as he sat you down next to him at the large table you and him had pushed together specifically for the group to sit at, “That was so amazing babe! The lighting, the music, the costume, just ugh!” Rosé gushed with a pout, “You’re totally a dance major, shame on you for trying to make her hide that!” She pointed an accusing finger at Jungkook.

He raised his brows laughing a little as he rubbed his back, “Yeah, yeah blame it on me. I just wanted to make sure everyone knows how sexy my girl is okay? Guess that little major of yours does help huh?” He whispered in your ear, making you shove him bashfully. You were extremely happy at all the compliments you were receiving because...well truthfully it was your first performance you had felt so comfortable with. Maybe because it was being able to incorporate more of your own style of dancing into it. It was fun and you were proud of it.

“Let’s not jinx anything yet! Not everyone has performed.” You looked out over the stage where another girl was dancing, she had gotten a few dollars here and there and a few whistles. But the atmosphere definitely wasn’t the same.

“Pfft, do we even need to watch anyone else perform?” Seokjin stretched out obviously being cocky for you, “You gave a whole show compared to them.” He waved a hand making your lips part at how dismissive he was. How did Rose even survive being trained by him?

“He’s not wrong,” Jimin chimed in, tipping his drink to you, “I mean, you probably made like seven hundred if they tossed twenties up there. Did you get a chance to see what they dropped?” You shook your head, you hadn’t been paying attention outside of trying not to slip on anything.

The stage went black drawing your attention and when it lit up Chan Hee was on, she was just as amazing as always, she had that grit and sexual appeal to carry her anywhere and you were positive she had made just as much if not more than you. And admittedly you enjoy watching her, she had chosen a track off Burlesque which was a great pick in your opinion.

After her performance Seokjin had declared your only competition was done and now he was in the mood for drinks making everyone laugh as you rolled your eyes lightly, going to get your stuff before everyone waved off Yoongi and Taehyung.

Yoongi’s gaze held yours a little longer than everyone else as you thought back to his words, ‘You should pack your bags and go stay with your parents a few weeks until this is all settled.’ You shook your head, not wanting to think about it any longer, how ridiculous, you wrapped yourself against Jungkook whose arm was wrapped around your shoulders as you all exited Cherry Bomb and made your way down to the lounge bar just not too far up the road.

The evening had been fun and it was the first time you had enjoyed yourself, in quite awhile. Everything felt...right. Like it was meant to be, leaned up against Jungkook with his arm around you, laughing amongst all your friends as everyone variously took turns talking about when they first became soloist’s and some of the mishaps they had, “You should’ve seen Hoseok!” Seokjin gagged out with that loud laugh of his, the type he had that he never used when he was on the floor, but genuine, “Him and Jimin had this stupid bet of who could get paid the most. Mind you, Jimin was still a trainee at the time!”

Rosé was smiling but shaking her head in dismay as she rolled her eyes, while Seokjin continued, “They both kept taking shots and by the time Hoseok got on stage,” He could hardly contain his laugh in turn making you giggle along with everyone else, “He finished the dance, but he ended up throwing up all over the girl he lap danced.” Seokjin wheezed out as everyone began laughing along, you could only imagine the havoc that caused.

Hoseok sighed, somewhat proud of the memory as he spoke, “I don’t have a single memory of that night.” For some reason that only made it all the more funny to you. It was hard to believe some of these things happened but then again...It was just so fitting.

“Sejin suspended me from work for three days.” Hoseok had a cheshire like smile as he shrugged, “But hey, maybe I did it on purpose. Twice before.” Your nose wrinkled, you had seen Hoseok tipsy a handful of times, the idea of him being full on drunk? You could see it, you didn’t want to, but you could.

“Ah don’t get me started on him, if we wanna talk about work suspension.” Namjoon pointed an accusing at Jungkook, making you straighten a little to look at him also, he only stayed quiet, a guilty smile creeping onto his lips, looking just as comfortable as before, “How many times did Sejin find you in the bathroom fucking a client when you were a trainee- or better yet, another worker?”

You immediately perked up, twisting fully to face Jungkook who had that dopey boyish grin on his face at the sight of your expression, just asking for him to give away details. “...Too many to count. My favorite was probably when I had three girls in the bathroom, two had come to the club together and one by themselves. Turned out they were all friends and they had gotten into an argument. I’m talking, they were ripping out chunks of hair, cat scratches, the whole nine yard.”

You couldn’t keep the glare on your face as you began to laugh, shaking your head as Jungkook continued, animatedly, “No really! I was so shocked at the bloodshed that I was just sitting there with my dick out looking like an unwanted sausage party.” And once again the table was filled with laughter as Jungkook grinned, “See that was okay, he didn’t care! But finding some girls strap, that she fucking threw at me!? In the morning after work, suspended for three days. Sejin is a weak bitch.”

“He had a suction mark on his forehead for four hours afterwards,” Rosé threw her head back at the memory as she smacked her thigh as Jungkook closed his eyes exasperated but his smile remained, “She hit her mark, didn’t she?”

“I thought I saw Jesus for a moment when she threw it like a ninja star after I said I wasn’t into pegging.” Jungkook laughed lightly, running a hand through his hair as he watched, that look of happiness on his face you loved looking at.

And for a brief moment, you realized that your days would start looking a lot like this permanently. Jungkook, just being himself and happy. You wanted to see him like this all the time from now on. Or at least, you could only hope. And if there was one thing you loved, it was to see him enjoying himself, he deserved it above anyone else, to have a moment to relax and not be so worried about the future.

You both were struggling, relationship wise, with the future, hell even the present sometimes. You liked having a break from it all, even if it was for a few hours at a time. Especially when it reminded you of why you fell in love with Jungkook in the first place. Getting to know him, you’d doubt he’d agree, but you saw him as a beacon of light and charm.

Jungkook was like the sun, he knew all the right things to say in a group setting, he was the person everyone wanted to have at a get together, he knew how to keep the mood going and could always make everyone laugh.

You used to be envious of him for that, but now? All you felt was admiration and love flow through your veins. Even if he was talking about past hook ups and dumb things like this, “You keep staring baby.” Jungkook whispered, making you notice the conversation had shifted from him to Jimin talking about one of Rosé’s incidents on stage.

“And?” You replied back with a whisper making a smile curve on his lips, his forehead setting on yours making you leer a little, but not backing away as his nose bumped against yours.

“And it makes you look angry,” Jungkook jutted his lips into a coaxing pout, his hands grabbing your cheeks as he squeezed them causing a noise of objection from you, “And you know I don’t like it when my baby is mad at me.”

You pushed his hands away with a bashful smile, not saying anything else and instead just curling back against him, resting on your head against his shoulder as you looked up at him with a whisper, “I don’t look angry!”

“You did for a moment!” Jungkook argued back playfully, leaning down a little as he whispered in your ear, “Is it because I was talking about other girls?” You backed against him with a smack making him grunt a little, “So it was?”

“Shut up!” You whined, collapsing against him as he wrapped both of his arms around you, kissing your head, “I wasn’t angry, I just thought it was funny.” Truthfully, you weren’t mad, because why would you be? Hook-ups were one time thing and you knew Jungkook had a lot of funny stories pertaining to them.

You weren’t really sure what Jungkook was going on about, unless…? He was just worried you would be, the thought made you smile, looking up at him you whispered, “Stop worrying! It’s fine.” Jungkook tucked his tongue into his cheek, looking a little flustered at your words but said nothing more.

You nudged against his shoulder a little before making yourself comfortable as you turned back into the conversation going on, Rosé was curled up in embarrassment as all the others were howling in laughter, “So she leans up into this girl’s ear, too much to drink and she keeps calling me a het because I’m a man and I wouldn’t understand, says to this girl,” Jimin mimicked her obvious drunken movement at the time, “Do you like scissors? Because I know where we could go to get some.”

Seokjin in particular was wheezing, probably all too familiar with this sight as he fell back in his seat, laughter escaping you as well because despite Rosé’s enjoyment of champagne you had never actually seen her so wasted before.

“She was cute!” Rosé whined in justification as everyone laughed at her expense, “To be fair, she did say she was straight afterwards, even consoled me in the bathroom when I started crying. I was right though, women remain superior. No matter how much I love you all.” She pouted a little as she pointed at all the men at the table, “Except for you, kisses for you babe!” She giggled as you fumbled a little, her finger pointing towards you.

“Nope, no kisses allowed.” Jungkook replied, arms squeezing tighter around you making a noisy whine escape you as you tried to pry out of his strong grip, “It shouldn’t take you this long to find a girlfriend. So where’s she at?”

Rosé put a hand on her chest in mocking hurt, “I’m a stripper, of course I don’t have a girlfriend! I profit off men sexualizing me.” She collapsed in her seat with a pout, “What girl is going to come into Cherry Bomb looking at me as wife material instead of something her boyfriend is trying to cheat on her with!”

“A lesbian?” You replied, your brows quirked a little as you offered a weak smile in compensation at her whine, “It’s more likely than you’d think! Besides...you don’t seem too sad to be living the bachelorette life.”

“I’m hurt Y/n!” Rosé cried out making everyone snicker at her theatrics, waving her arms animatedly as she replied, “You’re right, I’ll just die alone...by myself...with no soft butch to hold me tight…” Her words were a little loud making you curl up as you covered your face due to the attention she was attracting.

Some people looked at her strangely but it was clear Rosé and nobody else cared, “Bullshit! You have girls left and right,” Hoseok called out, pointing an accusing finger at her as her brows shot up, speechless making you wheeze along with Jungkook and the others, “Yeah that’s right, you’re a hoe Rosé, you probably have more girls in and out of your bed then all of us combined.”

Rose’s lips quivered and opened and closed, not expecting to be called out before she looked at Jungkook who immediately held up his hands, “Don’t look at me, I have a ball and chain now!” You sharply looked up at him, that boyish smile appearing on his face as he kissed your nose, “My ball and chain.”

“That is not romantic!” You cried out as Jungkook only kissed your cheek as he leaned back away from you as you pouted quickly following suit to lean back against him because it was admittedly drafty in here and leave it to Jungkook to be a living heat radiator, he chuckled softly as he wrapped his arms back around you, making himself comfortable again, “Hoseok’s right, you’re the main whore of the chat now, congrats.”

“W-what about Jimin!” Rosé cried out, pointing a finger at Jimin who only snickered, “He literally just texted us four days ago he was into scat play for four hundred, how is that not whore behavior!?”

“Because baby, I don’t sleep with four different girls in three days. That’s top tier hoe behavior,” Jimin flicked his fingers at Rosé who sulked, “That was one time.” She mumbled with a sulk as she crossed her arms making you smile as you shook your head, “You know we used to compete for that title back when we first became fillers.” Rosé pointed at Jungkook who only smiled.

“And I won.”

“No the fuck you didn’t.” Rosé quickly replied back as they both stared at each other, “Who won.” She turned to Namjoon and Seokjin who both only exchanged looks.

“Jungkook, probably.” Rosé immediately groaned at Namjoon’s words as Jungkook only smiled once more, letting his chin rest on top of your head, “He was a whore, you might have slept with a lot of people but he was like a bitch in heat.”

“I wasn’t that bad…”

“In the morning, between dances, in the bathroom, after work, on days off.” Namjoon began listing scenarios off as he counted them off on his hands, “It’s like this man just discovered he had a functioning dick when he was twenty.”

“Okay! Okay! Shut up, I don’t want her to think I was a total whore!” Jungkook replied quickly, covering your ears making you wiggle as you grabbed his wrists, hearing him say something that was muffled making everyone laugh as you pried off his hands, “They’re just exaggerating baby.” He cooed out.

“You seem more offended by it then I do,” You laughed out as you turned to face him, that stupid smile on his face, not saying anything as he shrugged, “Which I don’t believe by the way. I’m sure it was even worse than what they’re saying.”

Jungkook’s lips parted in offense at your words as everyone howled out laughing, to be fair, it was the truth and it was Rosé’s turn to laugh in glee at Jungkook being left somewhat speechless and offended at your words despite knowing they were absolutely true, “Baby!” It was all Jungkook could say, making laughter spill from your lips, smiling in adoration as you wrapped yourself back against him.

You could at the very least, appreciate his somewhat reserved nature in wanting to talk about any sort of hook ups relating to the past, you didn’t care but you knew he was obviously not that comfortable talking about it. Especially with your relationship still being new. Everyone had enjoyed themselves the rest of the evening.

Laughter was shared as well as drinks in celebration of the first night of SSU and eventually everyone began to go home, you had finished waving off Rose and Jimin who were the last to leave as you yawned, curling up against Jungkook as you mumbled, “It was a nice night.”

Jungkook hummed as he looked down, a small smile on his face as he reached down, his fingers tracing your cheekbone as he spoke softly, “Mhm, you ready to go home baby?” Your lips lifted a little as you nodded.

Yawning Jungkook helped you up as he wrapped an arm around you, having already paid for your drinks and food. It was nearing twelve anyways and they’d be closing soon not to mention you were quite drowsy, it was always easier to keep yourself up and going at work. But after a few drinks and tummy full of food, you were ready to fall asleep.

The air was cool outside causing you to wrap your flannel around yourself more, there had been a temporary pause in the rain but you felt the occasional cool droplets on your skin, luckily it wasn’t too humid tonight.

Wrapping your arms around Jungkook’s waist you let out a small yawn as you leaned against him, walking down the sidewalk where Cherry Bomb was just up the road and Jungkook had parked the car in the back of the lot to the right. You jumped a little at the sound of a crash in the distance, it wasn’t terribly loud, just enough for a trashcan to be knocked over.

A little more awake you looked over your shoulder towards the empty alleyway, Jungkook paused a little following your line of sight, “What baby? See a stray?” You were a sucker for stray cats and it wouldn’t be the first time you made Jungkook find an adoption home late at night to take a cat too first thing in the morning.

You had even done it for a litter of stray puppies once when they were in a box in the alleyway right next to Cherry Bomb, sniffles, sneezes, watery eyes and all, you’d fight through any allergy if it meant your furry friends were safe. But what you heard...didn’t sound like a cat, you could feel a vague ugly feeling well in your stomach as you shook your head, “No, but it probably was something like that.” You didn’t have the interest in finding out. It was hard to believe, you used to not be afraid of walking by yourself at night. You edged a little closer to Jungkook as you both continued to walk, rain beginning to patter once more as you whined, wincing a little at the cool droplets pelting your hair.

“C’mon baby! Let’s hurry!” Jungkook laughed, letting go of you to grab your hand as he tugged you along, naturally your lips curled into a smile, your shoulders lifting a little at the cool rain drizzling once more as you, his bright smile reminding you once more that things were okay.

They were okay for one moment.

It was hard for you to comprehend what happened next, one moment you were hand in hand with Jungkook and the next your vision was blurry and rain was in your eyes, the feeling of being forced back and a cry escaping you at the sudden separation that forced you both apart. One moment you were upright the next your palms were throbbing in pain at being shoved to the ground, “Take them both and get them in the car.”

Your body was trembling in adrenaline as you looked up, rain splattering your skin as you cried out, “Jungkook!” He however, was busy, two men trying to wrestle him down onto the ground but he was far quicker and sharper than them both, a fistful of your hair was yanked and your face was shoved back against the asphalt as you cried out in pain, “You thought you could get away from me little girl?”

Was it rain or was it tears on your face? You squeezed your eyes shut as you sucked in a harsh sob at the pain aching in your scalp at the way you had been manhandled. Within seconds though the pain was suddenly relieved and you were hauled up and being jostled along, your thighs ached and burned and it was difficult to breathe.

Jungkook’s eyes were focused and his hair wet and stuck to his face and you could hear loud pounding footsteps catching up to you both, Jungkook had swerved you both quickly into an alleyway as you fumbled to keep up with his sharp decisive path. Knocking over trash cans and anything else you both could find as you both weaved through the narrow passings.

Your mind was so frazzled you could hardly think, hardly even breath, time felt as if it was extending further and further despite it only being seconds, minutes at most passing as you noted all of the debri must have slowed them down as no one was now tailing you both.

An opening had turned up in the alley way which had led straight to Cherry’s parking lot leading you to believe Jungkook must have been familiar with all the alleyways and led you both in a loop, rain was pouring down and you had only just realized how icy cold your skin was as Jungkook hurriedly ushering you into the car as he shut the passenger door before getting in himself. Your heart pounding out of your chest as Jungkook sped out of the parking lot.

You weren’t even sure how you were holding it together at the moment, what you did know was that not a single word was spoken between you both the entire ride home.

Note: :\ no thoughts just mc needing a real long hug after this

(Taglist CLOSED)

Taglist: @rkivemagic @megladon1616 @pearlneedstosleep @sincerelyjeohn @epiphany-playwithfire @maboiisuga @kookphoria91 @taehyungiev13@134340ismybitch @appreciatethefoolishness @hanhannguyen98 @lurkerarmy @lovelyjkook @serendipity-secrets @kimvantaee @timestandstillalittle @yanmi1 @expensive-bangtan-girl @blxckeffect @kimcheeeeeeeeee @rather-not-sayy @pastel-i-decay @taeass @caitlinmarieeblossom @jishookedout134 @rjsmochii @lovethatforme97 @kthstrawberryshortcake @anonymous2505 @rainbow-zebra-unicorns @namjoonies-dimple @keyaqua123 @kai1697jeon @mochibabycakes @min-chimchim03 @rosewxterbts @zazaluvbts @thekookiecorner @copa-c-havana @rapperkookz @xhg-btsx @intrepide11 @bts-army46 @jimintaendem @sleepyje0n @vidaficrecs @purplelady85 @jeonsbbgirl @loveyourselfbangtans @ausjeons @hajimaoppaa @l4life

#bts #jungkook #jeon jungkook #jungkook x reader #jungkook smut #jungkook x y/n #bts au #bts imagine #bts fanfic #jungkook imagine #jungkook scenario

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clouds-rambles · 4 years ago

Note

Hi, idk if this makes since but can i request a oneshot of diluc x reader where he finds out his s/o used to be an assassin from like inazuma in the past (like when they were young) like a dangerous one from an old acquaintance s/o bumped into? Sorry if this doesnt make sense or it lacks detail </3 hope you have a good day though ❤️

Cloud immediately goes back to angst after fluff headcanons lmao. Iconic of me.

Also once I’ve emptied the ask box I’m planning on doing a nth-hundred special cause I think they’re cool so hopefully my box will be open soon again :)

Pairings; Diluc x reader

Warning(s); death mentions, angst, comfort

Keep reading under the cut!

You had only wanted to spend your paid leave in Mondstat for the month. But here you are five years later, ‘retired’ from your position as one of two-dozen of Baals personal assassins.

Sure, you’d never be able to return home to your lack of family and lack of friends. But, you’ve made a life here in Mondstat and you’re more then content on never going back to the old life back in Inazuma.

You had left before Inazuma had made its borders difficult to cross, hence why you took your vacation in the city of freedom. In the decade of being an assassin you had slowly lost your need for blood, especially those of abroad diplomats and even politicians that Baal no longer wanted in power but didn’t want to make a diplomatic matter out of. Your vision helped make the deaths look more natural than they were.

Your partner of four years, Diluc, knows that you’re from Inazuma. He had originally met you when you were on holiday. But the fact of your assassin work stayed unspoken of. You had never expected your past to catch up with you. Especially considering your home countries current isolationism.

“[name]?” you hear your name spoken from across the street in Mondstat, you look to the source of the call to notice a woman who looked after you while you were in Inazuma

“No way” you say to yourself, a confused Diluc stood beside you. You embrace the woman with a smile “It’s been too long” you tell her

“You should have sent a letter to be” the woman says sternly after backing out the hug “When I received news that you were never coming back I had presumed that a contract when wrong” she confesses her features lightening

“I was given the taste of freedom and I took it” you grin at the woman

“Is the taste of freedom red, dark and handsome?” the woman jests turning to Diluc who outstretches a hand, the woman shakes it “And who is the name of the man who took an assassins heart?” she asks. You shoot the woman a glare at the lack of her secrecy. Diluc too stiffens at the name of your previous occupation

“Diluc” you answer for him “And all that nonsense is far behind me” you tell the woman sternly who puts her hands up in defence

“I’m not sure, your colleagues tell me Baal is rather angry at your resignation to this day” the woman tells you cocking an eyebrow

“Assassin?” Diluc questions looking at you, you don’t answer him but choose to continue to glare at the woman

“Hm, that’s why you’re here? To kill me or to take me back?” you question stepping forwards towards the woman you would have once considered a sister. She sighs

“I couldn’t kill you swee-” you interrupt her

“Tell Baal to use the other 23 to do her dirty work” you pause and go to turn around but stop “You go back right now and tell her that. And if I see another one of you or the assassins in Mondstat again I wont hesitate to put to use the skills Baal groomed me for” you add pushing a finger in her face before walking away, a confused Diluc trailing behind you.

The two of you don’t talk about the events until after dinner, mainly because it takes you that long to calm down from the events that transpired. You look to Diluc, ready to take anything and everything that comes your way. You did hide a crucial detail from him, especially when he was so open about his past.

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions, I’ll answer them all” you tell Diluc sitting opposite him. Diluc processes your statement.

“An assassin?” you nod “From Inazuma?” you nod again “Would you care to tell me why you never told me?” he asks staring you down

“Well when I first got here I had to keep my identity a secret, especially to keep my holiday as peaceful as possible, but after I left I just wanted to bury it” you explain “I had been contemplating leaving and starting life anew for a few years and this was the first place that I could pursue the dream of being free” you add “I didn’t want to be defined by what I was”

Diluc nods, you’re not sure how to read him, he’s put on a façade that you had grown familiar with when you first met him. You’re not sure if this is temporary or he’s going to kick you out the manor the second he stops questioning you.

“I was also scared of losing you” you confess with a chuckle “I know your feelings about threats to Mondstat, and I didn’t want to be read as one, I was scared” you add turning your attention away from Diluc, you miss his eyes softening for a moment. “There were so many times I was going to tell you, but every time I tried I had the picture of you just leaving me there, or worse you decide to eliminate a potential threat” you sigh wiping your eyes. Diluc hums at your words letting you know he’s listening

“I would have like to have learnt from you though” he confesses shifting forwards to touch your shoulder, you lean into the touch

“I’m sorry” you apologise and look up to him “I understand if you want me to leave” you tell him. Diluc shakes his head and pats his lap for you to sit on. You oblige

“I trust you enough” he confesses “Which might be a little stupid but I love you too much to just throw you out” he adds wiping a stray tear, you hug him tight

“I love you too” you tell him from the bottom of your heart

This is going to hurt a whole lot more when this charade is over

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #diluc x reader #genshin impact diluc #genshin diluc #diluc

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undercoveravenger · 3 years ago

Text

Closing Cases

Written for my 2021 Halloween event

Pairing: EJ Caswell x Male!Detective!Reader

Prompt: EJ with a Nancy Drew/Scooby gang reader investigating something haunting the school and EJ steps up to help. With “I am running on two hours of sleep and fifty tiny candy bars” and “Can we go five minutes without talking about ghosts, ghouls, or goblins?”

A/N: This is prompt # 2 for my Halloween event! The next prompt will be posted Thursday, October 7th.

-------

East High was being faced by an unexplainable problem. Each night, lockers were being broken into and various class and club rooms had been found vandalized. The faculty had examined the footage from all of the security cameras near the areas that had been attacked, but weren’t able to see anyone in the videos; only that the halls looked normal in one frame, and had been trashed in the next.

As someone who had spent his entire childhood looking up to all of the great detectives, you took it upon yourself to get to the bottom of the situation. You had told Miss Jen, the theater teacher, that you’d be missing rehearsals one afternoon in order to conduct your investigation, but she had been the only person you told.

You supposed that was why it came as such a shock to find EJ Caswell, a popular senior and star of the water polo team and drama department, leaning against the locker beside yours after school.

You disregarded his presence, moving to open your locker and tuck away your textbooks.

“So I hear you’re not going to be at rehearsals today,” EJ said after a moment, turning to face you. “Care to share why?”

“I’ve got more important things to do,” you said easily. You knew it was kind of a weak response, but it was the first thing that’d come to mind.

He rolled his eyes, lips quirking up into a grin. “Yeah, we both do, I guess.”

That gave you pause. You turned to look at him incredulously, and you had to force yourself to ignore the way the amused glint in his pretty blue eyes threatened to make you smile. “Excuse me?”

“You’re investigating the break-ins, right?” EJ asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched you.

“I’m not convinced that they have been break-ins, but yes,” you said, grabbing a different backpack entirely out of your locker and leaving the one with your school supplies in it before shutting the door. “Is there a reason you’re talking to me?” You turned away at that, making your way down the quickly emptying halls.

EJ scrambled to keep pace with you, weaving around the remaining students and faculty to stay at your side. “I want to help! I’ll be the first to say I don’t really have experience with investigations, but I want to help stop what’s going on.”

You let out a sigh, turning abruptly to face EJ. “Fine. You can help,” you held up a hand to interrupt him when he made to let out a victorious whoop, “But if you get in the way of my investigation, I will tell you to leave and you will listen. Do we have a deal?”

The brunet nodded vigorously, falling back into step beside you as you resumed your previous path, “Deal. So,” he said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “Where do we start?”

“Here,” you said as you came to a stop outside of a janitor’s closet on the second floor.

EJ’s brows furrowed in obvious confusion. “Our investigation starts at the janitor’s closet?”

You nodded, twisting the door open and entering the small room. You sat down, nestling your way between a set of shelves and several empty garbage cans. “Well, this is where we’ll be waiting until the time is right.”

“And when is that?” he asked as he crept into the closet with you, wincing as the door slammed closed behind him.

You snickered, pulling out your phone to set an alarm. “Well, the thief only strikes at night, right? They’ll probably emerge at around nine o’clock, which means we have,” you glanced back at your phone, “About five hours to kill.”

“Five hours?” EJ asked incredulously, blue eyes wide as he looked at you. “What the hell are we going to do for five hours?!”

“Well, I was going to play games on my phone since I wasn’t planning on having company until a few minutes ago,” you said, glancing pointedly down at the device. “You’re still more than welcome to leave, if you don’t want to wait?”

EJ shook his head stubbornly, shifting to sit with his back against the opposite wall from you. “No, but my phone definitely isn’t going to hold up for that long.” He paused, thinking, “Maybe we could play twenty questions while we wait?”

You shrugged, figuring that humoring a cute boy wouldn’t kill you. “Alright, sure. But since it was your idea, you have to go first.”

He smiled widely, clearly delighted that you’d agreed. “Okay!” He hesitated for a moment while he thought, but a question seemed to strike him pretty quickly. “So, do you make it a point to hang out in sketchy janitor’s closets often?”

You barely managed to bite back a snicker, but the upward tilt of EJ’s lips made you suspect that he knew about your poorly concealed amusement. “I do when my cases require it,” you said by means of explanation, but you found yourself elaborating further at the confused-puppy expression on his face. “Today’s a Tuesday, which means that the cleaning staff isn’t in tonight, so no one will be checking this closet for stragglers like they would the library or a classroom. Waiting in here means that I’ll be able to remain in the building after the doors are locked, which means that I’ll be able to find out if anyone else comes into the building after it’s locked down for the night.”

“Wow,” EJ said, eyes wide as he processed everything you’d just said. “You put a lot more planning into this than I would’ve thought?”

“What, you thought I’d just wing it?” you teased. You had to admit, you were enjoying his company far more than you had anticipated. “I like to think that I take my job pretty seriously.”

He gestured wildly with his hands, like he was trying to wave away his previous words. “No, no, no; that’s not what I meant- I meant that-” He cut himself off as he noticed you beginning to laugh, “You’re messing with me, aren’t you?” He faked offense, but the appearance of his dimples gave away his amusement. “Fine, you got me.” His grin widened as he looked at you, “Alright, Mr. Holmes, what’s your leading theory?”

You let out a thoughtful hum, “Currently? Vengeful spirits.”

EJ let out a surprised laugh. It was deep, uncontrollable and infectious, and you were helpless to hide the grin it brought to your face, though it faded after a moment, “You’re serious?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure what else to think,” you started softly, fingers twisting nervously in your lap as you were forced to admit that, for once, you really weren’t sure about what the outcome of your case would be. “Any normal person would have been caught on camera, and the only people in this city that have the ability to manipulate the footage to make it look like no one was there either wouldn’t care enough to do it or they’ve got an alibi.”

EJ’s brows furrowed, “And none of them could have lied about the alibis?”

“Mr. Mazzara could’ve, I suppose,” you mused, “But I double-checked it with Miss Jenn and it sounds legit.”

“So ghosts then, huh?” he prompted, scooting a little closer to you until his knees brushed lightly against yours. “Seems like a little bit of a leap in logic.”

You shrugged helplessly, a tired grin forming on your lips, “I am running on two hours of sleep and fifty tiny candy bars. Ghosts weren’t the least probable option, if I’m being honest.”

“How would you even get rid of a ghost-” He stopped as the rest of your statement caught up to him, “Wait, you’ve had fifty candy bars?!”

“Just the little ones.” You said, waving off his concern and checking the time on your phone. “Depends on the type of spirit, but I’ve talked to some sophomores who practice witchcraft and they say that sage and pure intention to banish it should take care of whatever we’re seeing, as long as it’s a normal ghost or spirit. I just want to eliminate any other options before I take action.”

“Can we go five minutes without talking about ghosts, ghouls, or goblins?” EJ demanded, taking your phone from you and setting it aside so he could get you to focus on him, “You’ve gotta take better care of yourself,” he said quietly, normally bright eyes turned stormy with concern, “You’ve got a lot of people that care about you-”

You scoffed, rolling your eyes, “Like who?” At his stunned silence, you pressed on, “Everyone at this school thinks I’m a weirdo. You don’t think I’ve heard people call me Scooby-Doo or Nancy Drew or Sherlock?” You shook your head, pushing yourself to your feet as your frustration mounted, “This was a mistake. I’m leaving; I’ll solve this case on my own.”

“Wait,” EJ exclaimed, shooting up to his feet and grabbing your wrist to stop you from going. “You’re wrong.”

“I’m wrong?” you asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow as you looked up at EJ. “About what part?”

He nodded seriously, eyes locked with yours, “About no one caring about you and about everyone thinking you’re weird.” He took a deep breath, and, for the first time since he’d joined your investigation, you watched his confident facade falter. “I care about you,” he started softly, like he was afraid to finally say it. “And I really like that you’re so passionate about solving mysteries.”

Your brows furrowed as you turned to look back at him, “You… like that?”

“I like you,” he said, so quiet that he was barely audible, but when you didn’t pull away he continued, volume picking up as he did so, “I really like you and I can’t believe I get to help you do something I love, and that probably sounds pretty dumb since we don’t really know each other that well, but I would really like to get to know you better and maybe even take you out to dinner sometime if that’s okay with you?”

It took you a long moment to find your voice again. “Okay,” you found yourself saying as you tugged your wrist from his grip to link your fingers with his instead. “Okay,” A wide smile spread across EJ’s face and you could feel an answering one as it tugged at your lips, “When we close this case, I’ll let you take me on a date.”

“Really?” he asked, like he almost expected you to tell him it was some cruel joke. He let out a breathless laugh when you nodded, “Then what are we waiting for?” he asked joyfully, tugging you towards the door by your joined hands. “We’ve got a case to solve!”

You couldn’t help but laugh as you were led out into the long-abandoned halls of East High, glad to have finally found someone who matched you. After all, all the greats came in pairs; Daphne had Fred, Sherlock had Watson, and now you had EJ.

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booksarelife-stuff · 3 years ago

Text

Handprints on my Soul

When Lily sees that mark that shows her soulmate has touched her; Lily, her best friend, and an unlikely ally go on the hunt to find her soulmate.

My entry for the Idiots to Lovers July Jily Challenge! @jilychallenge

My partner is @quietlycharmed

Prompt: we never touch each other so when you patted my arm lightheartedly, i literally think my heart leapt out of my chest and danced. please do that again.

I didn’t quite follow the prompt, but I really loved the idea of touch being the thing that makes them admit their feelings. I thought this Soulmate AU would be perfect!

Word Count: 2,946

Read on AO3 Masterlist

Lily trudged up the stairs to the girl’s dormitory. Patrols had been long tonight and she and James still had about fifty detention slips to fill out from the Hufflepuff party they busted. Lily had been willing to go to their office and fill them out, but James insisted she go back to the tower to get some rest.

She put up a fight, but she knew that when James got into his motherhen mode, there was no hope for winning. Lily found that hopelessly enduring and a little attractive but she refused to admit that.

The 7th year Gryffindor girls’ dormitory was quiet as Lily stepped in. She waved at Mary, who was reading one of her Muggle bodice ripper romances by the light of her little bedside lamp, with her curls tied up with a silk scarf. She waved absentmindedly back at Lily, only sparing a quick glance. Lily could hear Marlene’s soft snores from Dorcas’s bed.

Lily went to her bed across from Mary, pulling out her night things and quickly pulling her heavy uniform jumper off. She unbuttoned her white button-up and took it off quickly. Just as she went to undo her bra, she caught a flash of something on her arm.

On her arm was a handprint. Inky black against her pale skin. Bigger than her own hand by a lot.

Her soulmate had touched her today.

She had no idea who her soulmate was.

Lily stood frozen beside her bed as she stared at her right arm, eyes wide in shock.

“Everything okay, Lily?” Mary whispered loudly from her bed. Lily said nothing, she didn’t think she could even find the right words to say.

She heard Mary’s sigh, her getting out of bed, and then her quiet footsteps across the room. Then the gasp.

Mary clapped her hand over the mouth, stifling a scream.

“You found your soulmate!” Mary whispered, excitedly. “Who is it?”

Lily looked up at her best friend in alarm. “I have no idea.”

Mary made a face, her mouth twisting into a frown.

“Well, who touched your right arm today?” Mary prodded.

Lily thought hard, trying to remember. It was hard not to get jostled in the corridors, but she didn’t think anyone would have touched her enough for a full-on handprint to appear on her arm.

Mary gasped.

“Remus! He patted your arm at breakfast!” Mary whispered. Lily cringed. She had nothing against the lanky werewolf, but besides a small crush in third year that quickly got stomped out, she had no romantic feelings for him.

“But he’s already paired with Sirius!” Lily pointed out. “And Remus is like a brother.”

“It’s a place to start,” Mary said. “Put on a shirt. We’re storming up to the boy’s dormitory.”

Mary’s deep brown eyes had their determined look to them. Lily wanted to argue, but she knew she could rest better if she found out about Remus right now. Lily forwent her uniform and changed into her sleep shorts and one of her dad’s old jumpers.

She followed Mary out of the dorm, pulling her hair out from where it was caught underneath the jumper. Just as they hit the bottom of the stairs, they heard muffled laughter. Then a bark that was absolutely Sirius Black.

They wordlessly abandoned their course for the boys' dormitory and stepped into the common room, just to see Remus and Sirius start-up their snogging again.

Lily’s stomach filled with dread. She really did not want Remus as a soulmate, especially with how happy Sirius and Remus were.

“Oi! Boys!” Mary yelled, making the snogging couple jump a few feet in the air.

“Merlin MacDonald!” Sirius said, getting off the couch. He glared at the girls. “We aren’t breaking curfew!”

“We don’t care about that,” Mary said, putting her hands on her hips. “We have a… situation that needs to be taken care of.”

Sirius’s dark eyebrows shot up and he exchanged a wordless glance with Remus, who shrugged in return.

“What is it?” Sirius asked, crossing his arms. Mary turned to Lily, who took a deep breath.

She rolled up her sleeve and showed off the large handprint on her right arm.

“This happened, and uh… I need to find out who it is,” she said.

“And you need our help?” Sirius asked, eyeing the large handprint with interest.

Remus gasped.

“I grabbed your arm at breakfast,” Remus whispered, staring wide-eyed at Lily’s arm.

Sirius stilled instantly.

“But Remus is already paired with me,” he said quietly. Dangerously.

“Well, it wouldn’t be reciprocated then, would it?” Lily said, trying to pacify Black.

“We just need to see if it’s him,” Mary said diplomatically.

“And I don’t want Remus as a soulmate,” Lily said. She then grimaced. “No offense.”

Remus gave a small smile. “No, I know.”

“Well, let’s see then—” Sirius gestured between Remus and Lily. “—compare them.”

Lily stepped towards Remus as he turned on the couch. Lily gave a sad smile towards Remus, who looked more anxious than she felt.

He placed his hand on Lily’s arm. His slender fingers were too long and too skinny to match the handprint. It was definitely not Remus’s handprint.

All four breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank Merlin,” Sirius said, back to his normal self. “I never learned how to share. It would have been a trying experience for all involved.”

Lily laughed, the idea of having Remus as a soulmate seemed so absurd now that it was proven he was not.

“There would be more problems than that,” Remus added, turning back towards Lily. “As lovely as you are, I still much prefer men.”

Lily waved him off with a laugh.

Mary, who had been quiet, crossed her arms and strode next to Sirius.

“We still don’t know who it is though!” she pointed out. “We have to find them!”

“We can do that tomorrow,” Lily said, looking at her best friend's pleading stare. “It’s past curfew.”

“I agree with MacDonald,” Sirius said, bumping the girl with his shoulders lightly. “I won’t be able to sleep until we find out who has laid a hand on our dear Evans.”

“Did anyone else touch you today?” Remus asked.

She remembers Marlene grabbing her arm, but the handprint would have been in the other direction. It also didn’t matter who had touched her before. The mark only comes when both people are ready for their soulmates.

Like Marlene and Dorcas didn’t have it happen until Marlene kissed Dorcas after months of ignoring her feelings. Their lips were stained forever because of it. Remus and Sirius didn’t seem to appear until Sirius stood on top of one of the tables in the common room at a party and announced that he was gay. Remus had pulled him off the table and when he let go, his palm was stained and so was Sirius’s wrist.

Sirius gasped, loudly, and made Mary jump.

“Snape! You were his partner in potions today!” Sirius said, pointing a finger at Lily. Mary’s eyes turned wide as Lily felt the air get knocked out of her lungs.

“He grabbed my arm when I was shredding the mandrake leaves,” Lily mumbled. “He told me I was doing it wrong.”

Lily suddenly did not like the idea of soulmates anymore.

Mary crossed the room towards Lily, wrapping an arm around her. Lily leaned into her touch.

The girls in the dormitory were the only ones who really knew why she and Snape’s friendship had come to an end in their fifth year.

It had been a long time coming, Lily realized in the last two years. Before Hogwarts, Snape was her best friend, a brother to her. But when he realized Lily could have other friends, he got jealous, possessive almost. He hated all the friends she made on her own.

She hadn’t actually been friendly until Remus until fifth year when they patrolled together as prefects. She had always hated him and the rest of the boys because Snape told her how much they bullied him. Snape had told her about his suspicions about being a werewolf, but she brushed him away.

It wasn’t until Remus confided in her and saw the scars that she realized Snape hadn’t been the victim all along.

What was the final straw is when Lily started to really pull away, Snape had confessed his feelings for her and truly thought she felt the same. That conversation had ended with a swift kick to the crotch.

He had slept outside the Gryffindor common room for two weeks after that, begging for Lily. That killed all the regret Lily could have about their friendship ending.

“No,” Lily said, shaking her head. “It can’t be.”

“We need to eliminate him,” Mary spoke quietly to her. “We need to make sure it isn’t him.”

“We can’t do it now,” Lily whispered back. “We can’t break into the Slytherin common room.”

“Oh, but we can,” Sirius said, with a devious smile.

~~~

Lily and Mary followed closely behind Sirius. Remus had opted to go to bed but wanted a full report when they got back.

Lily’s wand was lit and she held it over his shoulder as he squinted at the most marvelous map Lily had ever seen. Sirius had pulled them through a mirror on the sixth floor that somehow had spat them back out near the Great Hall. They silently and quickly walked to the dungeons until they were standing at the door of the Slytherin Common room.

Sirius looked down at the map again.

“He’s in the common room by himself,” Sirius said. “Odd, but works perfectly.”

“Do we have a plan?” Mary asked. Sirius nodded.

“I’m going to go in first,” he said. “Give me thirty seconds and then you guys come in.”

“Why can’t we all go in at the same time?” Lily asked. “He’s a good dueler.”

“Don’t worry, flower,” Sirius said, waving his hand. “I have the element of surprise. Plus, I would expect you wouldn’t want him to see you, in case he remembers?”

Lily hadn’t thought about that, but once he said it, she was thankful for his forethought. They thought of Snape knowing that there was a little, bitter part of her that thought they could be soulmates made her stomach twist painfully.

“I’m not a coward,” she said, sticking her chin out.

“It isn’t cowardice,” Mary said, matching Lily’s pose. “He just doesn’t need to know. He doesn’t need this fodder.”

Lily sighed through her nose.

“Now that that is settled, who has the password?” Sirius asked, turning back to the black door.

“Black! I thought you had it!” Mary scolded.

“Why would I?” he asked, looking confused.

“All the passwords are in the Head Office,” Lily pointed out. “But we have to go to the fifth floor.”

Sirius grinned and reached into his pocket, which had to be magically expanded as he pulled a whole hand mirror out of it.

“James Potter,” Sirius said. Sirius’s reflection melted away and the mirror turned dark. “James! Prongs! Jamie! Emergency!”

“One moment!” James’s voice came out of the mirror.

The Marauders were constantly full of surprises. Lily wished she wasn’t so impressed.

The mirror showed light and suddenly they were getting pulled up and James’s face appeared. He looked tired but handsome. His hazel eyes were twinkling in the dull yellow light of his desk lamp in the head office. Lily’s stomach rolled.

“What’s the emergency?” he asked. “Please don’t tell me I need to find another closet you locked yourself into.”

Sirius scoffed.

“I’m doing some head girl sanctioned mischief. I need the Slytherin password.”

James’s bushy eyebrows shot up, disappearing under his curly fringe.

“Lily sanctioned this?” he asked.

Sirius moved the mirror, displaying Lily. Her cheeks heated up as James’s eyes narrowed.

“Hey James,” she said. She sounded pathetic, even to herself. “We need the password.”

James sighed deeply and his attention focused on something away from the mirror. He chuckled softly against the sounds of parchment crinkling.

“It’s Cobra,” James said, a warm smile on his face.

Lily went to say something else, but Sirius took the mirror away from Lily’s face. His smile felt seared into her mind as Sirius pulled away.

“Prongs, I love you. You’re amazing. Bye,” Sirius said, waving his hand over the mirror making James disappear.

He stuffed the mirror back into his pocket. He checked the map to make sure Snape was still there, alone.

“Thirty seconds,” Sirius said, giving them a look, pulling out his wand. “Cobra.”

Sirius stepped through, wand out. The door closed behind him silently.

Lily and Mary looked at each other as they counted, James’s smile fighting for dominance in her mind as she counted. As thirty passed Mary’s lips, Lily turned towards the door and said the password.

The Slytherin common room was cold and slimy. Everything seemed to be damp or have the appearance of being damp.

Sirius was sitting on the top of one of the black leather couches, pretending to check his nails as the form of an unconscious Snape laid on the floor to his left.

“I only needed five,” Sirius said, smirking at the girls.

Mary got on her knees next to Snape and lifted his arm. His arm went limp at the wrist.

Lily joined Mary on the ground, turning her back to her so they could get the right angle. Lily sighed, trying not to recoil as Mary guided Snape’s hand to Lily’s arm. Sirius joined them and made sure Snape’s hand lined up perfectly with Lily’s mark.

It was too small, the black mark stretching a few inches above where Snapes’s fingers ended.

“Thank fucking God,” Lily said, pulling her arm away and walking out of the Slytherin common room.

She fought the urge to run to the restroom and scrub her arm as Mary and Sirius stepped out of the common room.

“So, that’s great,” Sirius said, looking at Lily.

“Any other contenders?” Mary asked.

“I’m tired and I don’t want to do this anymore,” Lily said, shaking her head.

Mary nodded in agreement.

“We’ll worry more about it when you’re ready,” Mary said. Lily could see she wanted this mystery resolved now, but she didn’t want to push Lily.

Sirius pulled out the map and they started back up to the Tower.

By the time they got to the 4th floor, Lily thought of James in the head’s office, probably stumped as to why they needed the password. Lily thought of his smile and the way his eyes glinted in the dim light.

She wanted to see him. Maybe he would let her finish the detention slips or distract her. Maybe offer him an explanation.

“I’m going to stop by the head office,” Lily whispered. Mary raised an eyebrow in her direction and Sirius turned around to face her.

“James needs an explanation,” Lily said, simply.

Mary went to say something, but Sirius elbowed her.

“Okay,” he said with a shrug. “Fifth floor is clear to the head office.”

Lily parted ways with them at the fifth-floor landing. She walked quickly to the head office, murmuring the password so the door swung open for her.

James looked up from the paperwork in surprise. He was hunched over, his left hand cradling the back of his neck like it was aching.

“Come to tell me about the head girl sanctioned mischief?” he asked, his surprise turning to a smile. He sat straight up and dropped his quill.

Whatever response Lily had on her lips died as his left hand left his neck. The whole palm of his hand was a bright white against his dark brown skin.

Lily stared at him as she remembered saying goodnight to him, not even an hour ago.

“Fine, I guess I’ll leave all the boring paperwork to you,” she said. James laughed from her right side. They were on the fifth-floor landing.

“How kind,” he said. “Next one is on you though.”

“Deal,” she said, smiling.

He reached over and gave her arm a slight squeeze. “Have a goodnight Lils.”

She rolled her eyes at the nickname but smiled.

“You too, Jamie.”

“Lily? Are you okay?” James said, standing up from his desk and strode over towards her.

“Your hand,” is what she forced out when he stood in front of her.

James looked confused as he looked down at his hands, back of them first. He turned them over and froze as he looked at his left hand.

She didn’t feel the anxiety she had when Remus had stuck his hand out, nor the dread at the thought of Snape being her soulmate. Standing in front of James, she felt happy. Excited. She felt right.

James looked up at her in alarm but the words died on his lips as Lily pulled her sleeve up. He stared at her arm for a moment before he looked back at her.

“Can I borrow your hand for a moment?” she asked, smiling.

James gave her a guarded smile but nodded. Lily turned herself so she was in the same position by his side like when they said goodnight.

She didn’t have to grab his arm. Instead, he reached out, every inch of his hand covering her black mark perfectly.

Their eyes met. Both happy and hopeful.

Lily launched herself at James, pressing her lips to his.

#James Potter #Lily Evans #Lily Evans Potter #jily #hp #Marauders #marauders era #minor wolfstar #jily july challenge #idiots to lovers #Sirius Black #Remus Lupin #jilychallenge #jily fic #jily fanfic #Harry Potter fanfic #James x Lily

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violettelueur · 4 years ago

Text

GOJO SATORU + GETO SUGURU || NEVER MEANT TO BE

| featuring : gojo satoru and geto suguru from jujutsu kaisen

| warnings : mentions of murder, manga spoilers and grammar errors

| form : imagine

| word count : 1704

| published : 15 November

| request : hellloooo i hope this doesnt sound confusing but tbh im just requesting this since no one requested sum from the manga. how about something like reader arriving at the train station as gojo gets trapped in the prison realm in around chapter 90-91? like shes a shaman and she see geto and has a flashback cuz gojo her and geto were like past buddies? and to think someone could bind gojo?

| barista’s notes : for the people that haven’t read the manga, I would recommend you reading it first before reading this imagine because it has some MAJOR spoilers and I dont think you’ll understand it either way ʅʕ•ᴥ•ʔʃ but defo read it if you haven't, it’s amazing! but moving on from that i hope that you love your order of a cup of black coffee (jujutsu kaisen request)!

Rushing down the stairs of Tokyo Metro, you were trying to get to floor B5F where Gojo was last noted before you heard about the information that he was somehow sealed. With the help of the three other groups that were around the area, you were able to get through the shields that surrounded Shibuya to get to where you needed to be.

You were exhausted. Not physically but mentally as you didn’t know what to expect at all. The second you heard of Gojo’s report on curses forming alliances with each other, you thought he was just bluffing at first and to be honest, his ridiculous drawing wasn't helping with his case either. However, he was someone that you knew you could trust extremely, it had always been like that since both of you became students at Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College.

With your katana hanging from the side of your hip, you quickly jumped to the bottom on the stairs to save precious time before quickly turning the right corner to see what was the whole situation. However, once your hand was on the handle of your sword, your eyes widened in shock from what was right in front of you.

‘Isn’t he supposed to be dead? That's not him is it?’

What was in your sights now was something that was technically impossible. He was supposed to be dead, there was no way he was alive sitting on the station floor. There were no such possibilities for him to be sitting with his back turned to you right now.

Geto Suguru.

ꕥ

You, Gojo, Geto and Ieiri were standing in front of the now-destroyed house due to Gojo using his technique to free both Utahime and Mei Mei from the house that they have been investigating for the two past days.

“Don’t you think that was a little too much Gojo,” you commented with an awkward giggle as you saw tiny to large pieces falling to the ground, leading to your second-year friend saying, “I don’t think it was too much Y/N-chan, besides how could I have impressed you if I didn't take the opportunity to?”

“I shouldn’t have asked part one...” you quickly muttered, before Gojo started to tease Utahime, who was in the middle of the rubble that was created by your flirtatious friend himself.

“Satoru, it’s not nice to pick on the weak,” Geto suddenly commented, before using one of his spirits to devour the curse that suddenly appeared behind Utahime, only for Gojo to state, “who the heck’s gonna pick on someone strong? You’re the one teasing her without even knowing it Geto,” causing your other friend to now to realise what he had said.

No longer being able to handle both of them, you quickly turned your attention to Utahime and asked, “Utahime, are you okay?”. This small but kind gesture of yours caused the grade-two jujutsu sorcerer, to say your name with such glee before you continued with, “we were worried about you since you didn't call for two days” to which only led the woman to pull you into a tight hug.

‘I shouldn’t have asked part two….I’m legit getting no air’

“Y/N don’t you dare become trash like those two, okay?”

“I’ll try my best”

However, this happy and hilarious moment had to sudden halt when Mei Mei suddenly asked, “where’s the curtain?” causing you, Gojo, Geto and Ieiri to look at her with dumbfounded expressions on your faces.

‘Ahhhhhh shi-’

ꕥ

“There’s someone here who said they put up a curtain and then up and left the auxiliary manager behind and forgot about the curtain too”

At this moment and time, all four of you were on your knees in front of your sensei Masamichi Yaga, as he found out from the news that was shown on the TV above that someone *cough*Gojo*cough* forgot to put up a curtain up like him and Mei Mei stated.

“Fess up”

“Sensei! We’re better than pointing fingers at each other,” Gojo randomly commented, as he raised his hand up to emphasise his point. On the other hand, you, Geto and Ieiri had other plans and all pointed at Gojo for this mishap that had occurred without him realising.

“So it’s you!” your teacher shouted, before landing a strong punch on top of your friend’s head, causing you to know to never mess with your teacher anytime soon.

Even though it wasn’t the best time, you and Geto let out a sly giggle before looking at each other, which only led to both of you laughing, even more, the second you stepped out of the room. As chaotic all four of you were, you wouldn’t change it for the world.

However, it was never meant to be.

ꕥ

“Hey!”

Turning to your right, you saw your friend Geto wave at you with a bright smile on his face. To the outsider, it just seemed like two friends meeting with each other or friends that just casually bumped into each other in the crowded streets. On the other hand, it wasn’t that.

Geto was a criminal on the run. You were just informed by your teacher that your friend massacred a whole village as well as the possibilities of his parents. You didn’t want to believe it. Of course, you couldn’t believe it. Geto wasn’t that type of person, he wasn’t like that at all during your time at Jujutsu high together, were the three years a facade?

“Yo, it’s the criminal” you teasingly greeted him, trying to hide your dejection from his view, “you need something from me?”

“I guess I’m just testing my luck” Geto replied back before taking a stand next to you. From your side perspective, you could see what Gojo was talking about a while back. Your longtime friend looks thinner than he did a year ago, you could clearly see the bags in his eyes indicating that he hadn’t had any sleep the past few days. It was like that ever since the killing of the Star Plasma Vessel, a mission that you, Gojo and Geto failed at.

“I’m gonna ask just to be sure, but are those false charges?” you quietly asked, hoping that all this was a lie, a stupid cruel prank that was set up by someone. However, you knew somewhere in your heart that this was the reality that you were in, there was no escaping from this one.

“Nah, unfortunately not”

“Again to be sure, why?” you quietly questioned him, trying to conceal the tears that were threatening to flow down your face.

“I’ll create a world where only shamans exist,” Geto calmly answered, causing you to snap your head in his direction. A world where only shamans exist? What more stupid of a reason he could give you?

“That’s hilarious,” you stated, before you slowly carried on with, “if humans were eliminated, we shamans wouldn’t even have a purpose at all, your reasoning is the most stupid thing I ever heard in my life Geto,”

Geto turned to look at you, only to find you casually open your phone to call Gojo on your sightings on your friend.

“However, I hope that you’re happy now that you're choosing this path. I really hope you get what I’m saying and you don’t live to regret,” you stated, as you place your device next to your ear. “I hope you're happy in the end my friend, that’s all I’m asking for,” you ended your statement before Gojo was on the other side of the line.

“Thank you Y/N”

“Gojo, I met Geto in Shinjuku”

“Did you question him? Did you kill him?”

“I didn’t…...have the heart to Gojo, I’m sorry”

There was nothing but silence between the both of you which gave you the chance to look to your right, only to see that your friend had disappeared from your side. As if he wasn’t there in the first place.

“Hey Gojo...it was never meant to be ha?” you rhetorically asked, as a single tear slowly slid down your face.

ꕥ

Geto Suguru was right there in front of you. Sitting on the ground on the train station with his back turned to you.

However, as much as you wanted to believe that it was true, you knew that it wasn’t really him.

It was just impossible.

Taking your katana out of its black wooden sheath, you were preparing for any attacks that could happen around you right now before you could begin to question who the person in front of you was.

“Who are you?”

The man turned around, slowly showing the face of a man that was someone that was close to both you and Gojo all those years back causing you to look at the person that was in front of you with sorrowful eyes. You wished it was him. But as you said, it was never meant to be.

“Y/N! I'm not surprised that you were able to get through all those shields, you are powerful like Satoru after all,” the man happily commented with the same smile that you missed so dearly.

“I said who are you?!” you repeated in a firmer tone, telling the person that you weren’t playing around anymore as you raised your katana, making the sharp pointed tip to be in level with his face - even if he was far in distance.

“Come on, is that how you greet an old friend?”

“How the hell did you get the Prison Realm within your possession?” you asked, as you looked down at the small cube that Gojo was supposedly in. How such a small thing was able to seal such a powerful shaman like Gojo? You would never know.

“Y/N, we were in the same team for three years, I would assume you know I’m able to get what I need, I am Geto after all,”

“Shut up!” you shouted, surprising the person from your sudden outburst. “I’m not stupid, so don’t you dare play with me for even a second”

“I know you’re not Geto”

“Me and Gojo knew that from the start”

“It wasn’t meant to be”

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #jujutsu kaisen imagine #jujutsu kaisen imagines #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk x reader #gojo satoru #geto suguru #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x reader #geto suguru x reader #geto x reader #gojo satoru imagine #gojo satoru imagines #geto suguru imagine #geto suguru imagines

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skellebonez · 3 years ago

Note

OKAY SKELLE I HAVE NARROWED DOWN MY SELECTION TO 3 ONCE AGAIN 2(I don’t think I can do this anymore.), 44(Why are you still awake?) and 45(You may technically be an adult, but you’re still my child.) For lace's spider monkey au with mk and SQ?

Does this fit into the timeline for @strange-lace 's Spider Monkie AU? Almost certainly not, so consider this a non-canon “What If?” side story. But the instant I re-read this prompt after leaving it in my drafts I was hit with a wave of inspiration and I just... I gotta ride it. It was too good to pass it up.

Why are you still awake?/I don’t think I can do this anymore./You may technically be an adult, but you’re still my child.

If she hadn’t been awake Spider Queen would have never realized there was an intruder in her lair at this hour of night. The steps she heard earlier had been so soft, too fast to be human but too quiet to from any of the mechanical legs of her closest companions.

Which meant...

“What are you doing back here at this hour, my little prince?” She asked, tone as soft as she could manage to not scare the smaller person curled up on the floor of her lair.

That didn’t stop her son, MK, from tensing up and curling more into himself for a moment in his full form awkwardly. Spiders weren’t usually supposed to curl up the way humans did, and in an attempt to do so he just looked like he was folding himself in half. Painfully so.

“I didn’t think you’d be up, mom...” He said, uncurling just enough for Spider Queen to catch a glimpse of his red puffy eyes. “Why are you still awake? I just wanted to... calm down a bit.”

“Me being up is not important. What happened?” Spider Queen asked, laying her hand on MK’s shoulder gently. He leaned into the touch, making the queen smile softly. “C’mon. You don’t have to tell me everything, just enough.”

“I just...” MK started, swallowing tightly and ducking his head so that his hair fell over his eyes again as he thought of a response. “I don’t know... I don’t think I can do this anymore. This... living two lives stuff.”

“What do you mean?” Spider Queen asked, reaching out to gently put her hand under his chin and guide his face to look at hers. No force, just a soft push that he leaned into. “You know you can talk to me. Did something happen?”

“K-kinda?” MK let out a half laugh, one his his hands reaching up to pull at his hair. “I... I almost slipped up today. I let my glamour down without thinking. Because I just...” He breathed in shakily, pulling at his hair slightly. “I was... I felt...”

“Safe,” Spider Queen finished for him, reaching out to gently pull his fingers from his hair and run her own through it. She pulled him closer, letting his forehead rest on her shoulder as he hugged her tight. “You're scared because you felt safe?”

“I panicked,” MK said, relaxing more as Spider Queen wrapped her arms around her son. “I didn’t mean to do it, I just started my routine for when I get home when I was somewhere else and realized what I was doing and then I ran out and couldn’t think of anywhere else to go so I came here and... my friends probably think I’m so weird for doing that.”

“Didn’t you say you liked your friends because they were a little weird?” Spider Queen said with a chuckle, pulling away and gently guiding MK to stand back up and face her. “Everything you’ve told me about them makes them sound wonderful. Why would they think less of you for needing to leave suddenly?”

“Well... I guess...” MK started, worrying his bottom lip as he thought. “I don’t... know?”

“Then they probably don’t. Do you remember what I told you when you asked me if you could live among the humans?” Spider Queen said softly, reaching out again and making sure her fingers never caught on the knots in her child’s hair too long as she brushed the messy locks away from his face.

“Wash all your vegetables properly?”

Spider Queen couldn’t help but laugh, cradling MK’s face in her hands as she took a good look at his face.

“I trust you to take care of yourself,” she corrected softly, letting him so to gesture to all of him. “And from what I see right now, you’ve been doing a pretty good job exceeding that trust in every way. Even coming here just to calm down shows you’re taking care of yourself. You’re doing fine. You can do this.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so,” Spider Queen said firmly, undoing the brushing of his hair by ruffling it roughly. She chuckled as the action earned her a proper laugh as he flailed his hands at hers to shoo them away. “You may technically be an adult, but you’re still my child. And as my child I know that you can do so much more than you think you can. You’re doing fine, MK.”

And the way his face lit up at that... Spider Queen would never stop loving the way he lit up in joy like that.

“Thanks... Hey, Mom? I uh...”

Her son reached down to grab the end of his shirt before his hands clenched and twisted around it. Something she’d seen him do ever since he was a child, before with his old clothing and even a little baseball bat Huntsman had once brought down to him.

“Actually, I was going to tell you this tomorrow, but... I think I’m... No, after what happened today I know I’m almost ready to show the others who I am,” MK said with a soft smile. “Not right now! And not everyone, just my friends I told you about. And you all too! I know I need to be careful but I trust them and-”

“Alright,” Spider Queen said, her own smile widening at the surprised expression on the young spiderling’s face. “If you trust them, really trust them, then I’ll trust your trust in turn. You almost showed them today without thinking, you wouldn’t do that if you didn’t trust them after all.”

It had been an agreement set in stone long before she let him leave the lair for his own life top side. “Don’t reveal your true form until you know you can trust someone, and don’t show us your disguise unless you must.”

The logic was that it was for a double sided protection. Spider Queen knew her son, knew he was trained since he was a little toddler by Huntsman to protect himself. He knew how to use poison and knives and anything he could reach and break to protect himself. She had no fear of them accidentally attacking him in disguise, completely different form and voice or not, because she had full faith that he would be able to protect himself. And if he felt that he couldn’t all he would have to do is shift back.

But if they knew who he was in his human disguise, knew who to not attack as drastically or to avoid, she feared that other demons may catch on. May realize that he had a connection to the spider demons and seek him out that way. And she was so afraid at the time that even with his training he wouldn’t be able to fight so many who would wish to harm her through him.

That was different now. He had a mentor, though he wouldn’t tell her who specifically. It wasn’t his boss, the man who had given him a place to live, that much she did know. But this mentor had been helping him grow stronger and, apparently, was one of the only two people who knew who he really was on both sides. She didn’t know who the other was, just that he was an enemy turned “frenemy” after his discovery.

The worry never left the back of her mind when she learned about the accidental reveals. Always living with the worry the frenemy would turn on her son, that his mentor would decide he was too dangerous to teach anymore. But none of those worries had come to pass so far.

Because he trusted them and because of her trust in MK... she could trust his judgement now.

“When do you want to do this?”

“During the Lunar New Year festival,” MK answered confidently. “We have a couple months to get ready and I probably have to help my boss during it so I can show them before the fireworks. I-!” He stopped at the sound of his phone ringing, grabbing it from his pocket before grimacing and turning back. “I have to get back, I’m sorry! I love you, mom!”

“L-love you too, MK.”

And then he was gone, rushing off in a burst of typical MK excitement. If he saw Spider Queen tense at his declaration and heard her stutter he made no indication of it.

She felt... guilty. Not telling him of her plans. But she couldn’t tell him the truth. Not yet.

She trusted her son. She did. Knew he could handle himself. But there were people out there so much worse, stronger and more dangerous, than the humans and weaker demons he lived among. She needed to protect him from those who would harm him to get to her. She wouldn’t stop trying to protect him. Not now.

Not until she made sure the world was safe for him.

And the world would not be safe until she eliminated Sun Wukong and his damned apprentice.

She would have to thank the Monkie Kid for giving her just what she needed to protect her son. Just before she dealt with him for good.

#monkie kid #lego monkie kid #hurt comfort #gen fic #spider queen #mom spider queen #mk #qi xiaotian #spider monkie au #AND THEN MK GETS CAUGHT UP WATCHING FIREWORKS WITH WUKONG #AND SPIDER QUEEN ATTACKS AND ALMOST HURTS HER SON AND FEELS BAD #fanfic #prompt fill

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theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin · 4 years ago

Note

You wrote your opinions on the Order of the Phoenix, what about the Death Eaters? That's another way of saying Lucius, Bellatrix, and anybody else. I honestly feel that we're running out of HP characters for you to write your opinion and reasoning about, so yeah~

We honestly are. When people start asking me questions about Harry’s nameless and faceless classmates I feel like we’re scraping the bottom of my barrel of Harry Potter opinions.

Though, that said, this is still a very large ask if you want me to analyze very Death Eater ever or even the Death Eaters as a whole (which is worthy of its own post).

So, we’ll compromise, and I’ll just look at the two you name dropped.

Lucius Malfoy

To me, Lucius is by far one of the more intelligent Death Eaters. He’s the guy who makes them almost look classy. I say almost, because Lucius is still a racist domestic terrorist and as the series goes on Tom gleefully drags him into being less classy by the minute (his house becomes a POW camp and housing for the dregs of society, Lucius just sobs, trying to be thankful he’s somehow still alive).

Lucius is rich, sophisticated, and is probably the most politically powerful man in the country. He has a beautiful wife he has... a son (sorry Draco, but you do not live up to your father) the guy has it all.

Which makes it very surprising that he got dragged into this mess. But you see, Lucius is paying for that tragedy we call youth.

Also, as a caveat, I’m about to headcanon hard and will not bother to get into the details of why I think x, y, or z in this post.

Ten years prior to the start of canon, Lucius is a very young man, probably very charismatic, certainly believes he’s intelligent and probably gets decent grades, but nonetheless the kind of stupid you see in men ages 15-25.

He’s likely chafing under his aging father’s strict guidance, knows he’s not going to be Lord Malfoy for years yet, wants to get out there, prove himself, and make a difference for his country. More importantly for Lucius, there’s this hip, exciting, new thing that all his cousins and friends are getting into called “The Death Eaters” (yes, I don’t believe the Knights of Walpurgis/Death Eaters 1.0 ever happened, I think it’s ridiculous that fandom and JKR does, I could go into why but not in this post).

The Death Eaters are led by the single handedly most beautiful, charismatic, man in Britain. (Yes, I headcanon Tom’s still blindingly attractive at this stage, because it makes much more sense to me but we’re not getting into that here.) A mysterious man by the name of Voldemort, Salazar Slytherin’s long lost heir, who has come to resurrect the wizarding world’s true heritage and purge the land of the muggle stain. (Yes, I do believe that no one, not even Lucius who is later given the diary, knew who Tom really was. I believe Regulus’ had only the vaguest idea, informed mostly by Tom’s use of Kreacher to place the locket.) This is the most exciting thing to have ever happened, the rallies probably consist of rich kids drunk out of their minds and maybe even high on a little wizard cocaine, and Lucius is down for it precisely because his father says “Lucius, this is stupid, please don’t embarrass the family.” WELL LUCIUS IS GOING TO EMBARRASS THE FAMILY, DAD! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?!

And for a while, it looks like Lucius made the right choice. Things are happening, they’re actually going out and killing the mudbloods! Unlike Regulus, Lucius never has that “wait a minute” moment as he realizes that Voldemort’s actually far more efficiently eliminating pureblood families and sowing dissention in what was once a unanimous force among the Wizengamot (the other pureblood lords aren’t necessarily pro muggleborn, per se, but they get a bit queasy at the thought of blowing them up or Merlin forbid actually blowing up their own public venues wizards use).

And then October 31st, 1981 happens, and it all comes crashing down. Lucius has to desperately lie his ass off, having only the flimsiest lie to rely on, has to hand out a shit ton of bribes, and manages to squeeze his way out of being imprisoned in Azkaban.

I’m sure Abraxas looked at his son, with his tattoo on his arm that makes him another man’s slave, at the utter destruction of the Black family, and just shook his head going, “Clean up your mess, Dumbass Son”

And Lucius does to the best of his ability. While some will always suspect him of being a Death Eater, while some know it, he’s able to climb very high in influence in their ridiculously tiny community. Granted, I do think he messed up, and could never for example run for minister given everything (if Crouch can’t rerun then Lucius certainly can’t). He also shows us that in some ways he is not above the law, he’s very afraid his house will be searched without warrant in The Chamber of Secrets, and this is in part why he dumps Tom Riddle’s diary off onto Ginny.

However, he wields total control of the Prophet, has a seat on the Wizengamot, has the ear of the current Minister, is on the Hogwarts’ Board of Governors, and has his hands in pretty much every pie he can.

I imagine during this period Lucius grows up. He brushes the indiscretions of his youth under the carpet, gleefully leaving it all behind him, and the only real friend he maintains contact with from that period is Severus, the least zealot like of all of them. (Crabbe and Goyle Sr aren’t friends, they’re minions).

Don’t get me wrong, he’s still a racist slime bag, and I don’t think he really regrets the domestic terrorism. He just regrets nearly getting caught and putting his entire family’s security on the line. He witnessed first hand what happened to the Blacks.

And then the worst thing happens: Tom Riddle rises from the dead. He rises, impossibly, from the dead when Lucius has his own hand caught in the cookie jar.

Lucius has been living a life of luxury and influence while his great master, the man he had pledged everything to, was dead. Worse, Lucius took what was described as a treasured item to be protected at all costs, and not only threw it away but sent it to Hogwarts where it caused massive havoc and was ultimately destroyed.

And Lucius, I imagine, no longer wants to serve a master.

But he has no choice. And so begins Lucius’ descent into misery and hell as he’s given an increasing set of impossible, horrific, tasks in punishment that involve him watching as his wife and son are put through hell.

I believe Tom holds a special place in his cold, black, passive aggressive heart for Lucius Malfoy.

First, Tom makes Lucius’ house his headquarters. Oh, Lucius, you have a very nice, very large, estate? Why don’t you host your beloved, mad, cousin, her equally mad husband and brother-in-law? Oh, Bellatrix threatened to cut off your ear? Well, she’s just so passionate!

Second, Lucius is told to go get the prophecy. Well, this is easier said than done. He nearly succeeds but then it all turns into the world’s largest clusterfuck that ends in two notable things. First, the prophecy is lost forever, shattered. Second, the government admits that Voldemort is truly resurrected. Both of these things are very bad in Tom’s book. And the blame can easily be put on Lucius’ head.

In response to this, Draco is now given an impossible task that Draco is too stupid to realize is designed to cause him (and his family) as much misery as possible. Draco is to assassinate Dumbledore.

Likely, Tom was already informed by Snape that Dumbledore was dying. The blackened hand was too obvious a tell coming from too obvious a source for the pair to have hid it. I think trying to hide such information would have immediately blown Snape’s cover. So, Tom knows the man is dying, and doesn’t see fit to tell Draco this.

Instead, he tells Draco, “Kill Dumbledore as soon as possible or I deliver you to Fenrir Grayback.” Draco, however, is young and stupid, so he honestly thinks he is doing this to restore the family honor, earn glory for himself and for the cause, and is expected to do this entirely by himself. As a result, when Narcissa begs Snape to aid Draco, Draco blows them both off and only accepts help from Bellatrix because HE CAN DO THIS ON HIS OWN! DRACO IS A MAN.

This, of course, doesn’t work out either. Draco doesn’t deliver the killing blow, Snape does, but Tom decides to give him a pass.

Instead he moves on to his next plan which is making the Malfoy manor his torture chamber and POW camp. Even Draco, at this point, realizes this all kind of sucks.

And then Voldemort finally dies a second time, and I’m sure Lucius just stares numbly at his malformed corpse, wondering if it will really take this time.

So that’s Lucius for you, paying always for his mistakes, and pretending he’s just as much of a nutcase as Bellatrix to fit in.

Bellatrix LeStrange

God, compared to the novel that is Lucius’ ridiculous life, I really don’t have much to say about her because I feel like there’s not much too her.

Bellatrix reminds me a lot of the Manson family, she gives off those same vibes. Point being, I think even before Azkaban (while Azkaban certainly didn’t help), she was insane and a little too worshipful of Voldemort.

I guess I can start there, I don’t think Bellamort is a thing, at all.

Tom may have, probably did, have sex with her before he died but afterwards? In that body? Forget about it.

That said, I’m sure Bellatrix both wanted to have sex and is convinced she did have sex to produce whatever the hell Delphi even is. It just wasn’t with Tom, and probably was Rodolphous with a Halloween mask on his face as they got a little too into role play.

And there we go, I suppose, I can’t take Bellatrix seriously. You often see her portrayed as sexy femme fatale Death Eater, the most competent of all of them, if a bit of a sadist.

Oh she might be a very good duelist but she’s... Bellatrix.

She prances around in corsets, shrieking madly, and just what part of that is supposed to be femme fatale? I literally cannot take her seriously on any level. When I even try to write her seriously, in very serious stories, I end up with lines like the following:

"My lord, if there's anything you need… Anything from me, specifically, as a woman…"

- Bright Eyes

That was my best attempt. That was the best I could come up with. It’s still something that belongs in a comedy.

So, I don’t think Tom really corrupted her. I think without Voldemort she still probably would have been blowing up Diagon Alley, just in a much less organized manner.

Even in canon she does ridiculous things. For example, Bellatrix, frankly, could have easily avoided prison.

For weeks after the dark lord fell neither she, her husband, Barty, nor her brother-in-law were arrested. Bellatrix in grief and utter disbelief that the dark lord could ever do something so mortal as die, said “remember that other house our lord mentioned, THEY MIGHT HAVE INFORMATION, LET’S GO MURDER THE LONGBOTTOMS!” They torture and kidnap Frank, demanding he tell them where their master is, THEY KNOW HE KNOWS. He doesn’t know. They go too far and torture the man into being a vegetable. “Shit, GET THE WIFE!” They go get the wife, do the same thing, with the same results.

They now have no information on the dark lord, two well regarded aurors tortured into brain damage, and are quickly caught and brought before the court with absolutely no “I was imperiused” excuse they can give out.

How am I supposed to take her in any way seriously?

I mean, to end your life killed in a duel with Molly Weasley. That just says it all.

#ask #anon

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imaginesandinserts · 4 years ago

Text

Irreverent Pt. 58 - Golden Age

Title: Irreverent Pt. 58 - Golden Age

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Reader Rating: M Words: ~5K

Irreverent Series Masterlist

You stare at the closed door to McKinney's office, shifting once again in the seat. You'd been there for what felt like hours, though reasonably speaking it was closer to thirty minutes. Beside you, Aaron sat stoically calm, his shoulders pressed to the chair, back straight. He eyes you when you shift and reaches out, placing a hard on yours that was sat against the armrest. You meet his eyes for a second, knowing he was simply trying to calm the anxiety in your bones. It was no use – your gaze wanders back to the heavy closed oak door once more.

You'd arrived at McKinney's office early that morning, as directed to in the email sent by Gladys. Both Rossi and Aaron had received similar instructions and when you'd arrived, Gladys had waved Rossi into the room, stating that the Director would like to speak to him on his own first, and asked you and Aaron to take a seat.

You knew that McKinney and Rossi went way back. They'd done training together and worked in organized crime for a couple years before going their separate ways. You can only imagine that McKinney wanted Rossi's take on Pierce's take down and to perhaps run his ruling for you by someone whom he trusted and who would be able to comment on you personally. That was your hope, at the very least.

You knew Aaron thought the same as you, because he hadn't seemed put out by being told to wait. He too recognized that McKinney not delivering judgment against you in one fell swoop could only be a good thing. It meant he was thinking it over, getting other opinions. He'd had time to evaluate through the course of events and the idea was that he would see greater value in keeping you – see that everything you'd done had been strategic and purposeful.

Gladys had directed you both towards the coffee in the little waiting area outside the office, which you'd both politely declined. Now she was clattering away against the keyboard and fielding pretty much nonstop phone calls.

You turn your stare from the door, back to Aaron, whose eyes are fixed on you. He prompts you with a slight raise of his eyebrows, his hand still blanketing yours, thumb running back and forth soothingly.

"We should take another vacation," you whisper conspiratorially, speaking as though the idea of you two going on vacation together might scandalize someone listening in.

He bites back a smile but you can see the amusement dance across his eyes. He knows you're trying to distract yourself. Your shoulders are still taut and you've barely glanced away from McKinney's door since the two of you sat down. "Where'd you have in mind?" he asks, leaning down towards you and matching your covert tone. If a distraction was what you needed, then he'd play along.

"Bora Bora is nice this time of year. Hawaii maybe. Somewhere tropical with a childcare center," you joke, easily planting images of you and him on a beach by yourselves into Aaron's head.

"Better yet, an adults only resort," he smirks back, sitting straight once more, his eyes facing straight.

You're the one who has to bite back the smile now. He'd responded with barely a glance at you. Onlookers might've thought he'd commented on the weather. Only you could guess at the thoughts running through his mind right then – waves and sand, you in skimpy bathing suits, the two of you alone without having to worry about waking Jack up...

God it had been forever.

You can feel yourself become heated and have to stop that train of thought short, reminding yourself that you're still seated outside the Director's office, awaiting what is at best a disciplinary hearing and at worst a dismissal notice.

"We'll go," he promises, squeezing your hand gently.

You nod, leaning against his shoulder ever so slightly before straightening back up once more. Aaron had been quiet that morning, which you're chalking up to the solemnity of the occasion. The previous night had been quite a lot and you know that you're both still feeling a bit raw from it all. Better – in many ways. Stronger too. However that didn't mean that you expect everything to be washed away overnight. You imagine there's quite a few more conversations like that in your future. The work needed to help you both feel whole once more.

Already, you feel his eyes on you a lot more than ever before. Trained on you when you leave a room. Searching yours when you enter. Eyes trailing over the length of you. Ensuring that you're alright. Making sure that you're safe. Confirming that you're there.

*------------*

The door to McKinney's office opens and you both watch as Rossi exits. He turns to the both of you, obviously in attempt to speak, but before he can, he's directed by Gladys towards the door taking him outside of McKinney's lobby. Following her instructions, he walks out, nodding at both you and Aaron, his face betraying nothing.

"Agent Hotchner, the Director will see you now."

At Glady's instruction, Aaron stands rebuttoning the bottom button of his jacket, and with a quick, reassuring smile towards you, strides through the doors to McKinney's office, closing the door behind him.

"Agent Hotchner," Director McKinney stands to greet him, motioning towards the chair in front of his desk.

"Director."

Aaron takes a seat, sitting up incredibly straight, shoulders rigidly tense. He knows that McKinney asking to speak to him before he speaks to you has certain implications. Implications which, he fears, don't bode well if McKinney's goal is to prod at you choosing to reach out to him and the team rather than your direct supervisor on the project. If you would go around him once, chances are, you'd do it again.

Try as he might, Aaron hasn't been able to determine what exactly McKinney aims to get from speaking with him first. He hadn't been your superior on the assignment. Your personal relationship with him effectively negated anything Aaron could say in your favor.

"Aaron, I will cut straight to the chase." McKinney speaks authoritatively and plainly, his eyes focused on Aaron, betraying nothing of what he's thinking. Even to an experienced profiler such as himself. "Agent L/N broke numerous rules regarding the chain of command, defied security clearance protocols, and acted alone – entirely against Bureau training and procedure."

Aaron stays silent. McKinney hadn't said anything that wasn't true and they both knew it.

"However," McKinney continues, "I must concede that she drew results and ultimately is the reason why the threat to the Atlantis program was eliminated."

Aaron offers only a short nod in response, choosing to hold everything else close to his chest until required otherwise.

McKinney shuffles, placing his hands on the table and leaning in closer. "If this was one of your agents – and you did not share the personal relationship that you do in this situation – what would you do in my position?"

There it was.

Aaron would like to think that Director McKinney was being sincere in asking him. That asking him wasn't some sort of trick question, aimed towards discrediting you.

With a quiet shift, Aaron meets McKinney's gaze head on, and begins to speak slowly. "Director, I've made the mistake before of not trusting one of my agents. I vowed to never make that mistake again. Agent L/N, she's proven – time and again – that she makes the right decisions, no matter the complicated subject matter or the potential personal nature of the circumstances."

Aaron stops there. Less was more. He wanted to make sure whatever he said to McKinney would be impactful. Display the full breadth of his faith in you.

McKinney has a thoughtful look on his face as he contemplates Aaron's words.

In the silence that follows, Aaron's eye is drawn to the Director's American flag pin on the left jacket collar. He's never seen without it. While Directors in the past have worn the pin for formal events – public speeches, Congressional hearings, White House balls – McKinney is always seen with his. Aaron recalls in the early days, when McKinney had first taken the reins, the pin used to be different. It used to be a pin of the Bureau seal. Sometime after the events of September 11th, it had changed. Replaced by the American flag pin, proudly displayed no matter where he went.

Aaron sees McKinney's shoulders move up and then back down as the man releases a large breath, nodding as he does, seemingly having reached some sort of conclusion. Aaron is at a loss to determine which conclusion that might be.

He doesn't share his thoughts with Aaron.

"I've forwarded the video that Agent Garcia shared, on to the Director of Interpol," McKinney informs him. "They will be conducting an internal investigation. Agent Easter has already been stripped of all privileges and is currently on a suspension until further determinations regarding his negligence on the Atlantis case along with the results of the internal review can be made."

Aaron's glad to hear that Easter wouldn't be getting away entirely scot free. He has a strong feeling that, had things not happened exactly the way that they did, you wouldn't have reported Easter for what he did to you. Aaron – fortunately or unfortunately – knows you well enough to realize that there was a small part of you that considered what Easter had done, to be some sort of favor to you. Making you understand what was at stake. Preparing you for the worst. He doesn't need to hear you admit to it, in order to know that. Anything he said to the contrary would only result in you doubling down and insisting, that without him threatening Jack and Aaron, you might not have realized exactly how grave of a danger your role could pose to them.

You could be quite maddening in what you chose to direct your fury at. Easter lying to you was unforgiveable. Him torturing you – apparently par for the course.

"Thank you." Aaron nods his gratitude to McKinney, knowing that he is also being effectively dismissed as the Director moves to stand.

Standing as well, Aaron meets McKinney's outstretched hand across the table, shaking it quickly, before turning away and exiting the room.

*------------*

The door closes behind you with a heavy thud.

Aaron had nodded you in towards McKinney's office, electing to ignore Gladys's gesture to exit via the lobby and taking your recently vacated seat. He wasn't about to leave. He'd be there, waiting for you.

"Good morning Director." You offer a small smile and nod your greeting to McKinney, taking the seat in front of his desk.

Your shoulders are pulled back straight, you're meeting his unreadable gaze head on. Aaron hadn't been able to provide any insight into McKinney's thoughts before you were ushered in, so there you sat, awaiting the gauntlet.

You're fairly convinced McKinney will fire you. Aaron disagrees but you've had the unshakeable apprehension in your bones, that's grown into a nebula of dread. No matter your brave words to Aaron about saying no to Director Richards' offer and taking a break if you were indeed terminated, the actual thought of being dismissed is terrifying. What on earth would you even do? There were only so many bake sales to host and field trips to chaperone before you went postal.

"How are you doing?" he asks, leaning back in his chair and appraising you.

You feel McKinney's eyes run over you in an inspecting manner, lingering on your face. You know him well enough to recognize this as genuine concern on his behalf. Garcia had mentioned that she'd sent him the video they'd all seen of what Clyde had done to you. You're aware that McKinney would shoulder some of the blame for that on himself.

"Better," you answer cautiously, figuring that was close enough to the truth without being a mere perfunctory response.

He eyes you once more, letting the quiet wash over you both, forcing you to linger in that awkward tension of being examined by him. The seconds go by, marked by the loud click of the seconds hand on the clock mounted to the wall.

Deciding that he'd made you suffer long enough, McKinney leans in again, fingers interlaced on top of the desk carefully, deep set eyes focused on you alone. "So, you have a job offer from Artie?"

Who the hell was Artie?!

At the confused look on your face, he clarifies, "Director Richards – Arthur and I go back. Did you know that?"

You can see the suppressed smirk hidden beneath a veneer of professionalism as McKinney leans back in the chair once more, having left you to silently ponder at the incredulity of anyone referring to Director Richards as Artie and the sheer surprise at McKinney knowing about the job offer. When you'd considered them speaking, you hadn't thought that Richards would mention that. Though, it made sense. Tell your current boss that you have another offer. Make you look bad to McKinney, as though you'd been soliciting an offer from the CIA. Ensure that you'd want to leave for the Agency instead, by souring your relationship with McKinney.

"You call Director Richards…Artie?" It was the only thing you could think of to say, at a loss for much else.

"You think you're the only one he takes to fancy French restaurants?" This time, McKinney's words are accompanied by a real smile, one that you can't help but return.

*------------*

Aaron starts when the door to McKinney's office reopens and you exit. He'd had his gaze locked on the door ever since you disappeared behind it, anxiously awaiting the final decision. Despite his relatively good meeting with the Director, he didn't know what to expect as the outcome.

Your eyes lock with his, your expression entirely unreadable. Silently, you motion towards the exit with your eyes, the message clear. Whatever happened, you two wouldn't be discussing it there.

Aaron quickly stands, nodding towards McKinney's assistant when she looks up at the movement. He's quick to follow you as you make your way down the hallway, deftly moving past anyone in the hallways. He's loathe to ask what happened. The journey from McKinney's office has his heart beating fast, as he reckons with what news could have led to you moving through the hallways at such a pace, him struggling to keep up as you maneuver through a break room full of people, finally arriving at an unused office, into which you slip with him close behind.

You wait for him to enter, before shutting the door while he turns to look towards you. You've turned as well, back pressed against the door when Aaron finally has the chance to assess you properly.

Your eyes dart around the room, not meeting his. Your lips are pressed together.

Aaron feels the pit in his stomach tighten into a lead ball, weighing him down. It would be alright, he reminds himself. He had known you being let go was a possibility. The two of you have planned for this.

He releases a deep breath before he speaks. "What did McKinney say?"

Your tongue peaks out, running over your lips as you tilt your head to meet his eyes finally. Apprehension exuding from you as you nervously fidget with your hands. He sees you force yourself to swallow before you reply.

"He told me that I can hand in my official resignation from the BAU to you."

Aaron closes his eyes. He had thought, after his conversation with McKinney, that the Director had no intention of letting you go. He'd never been quite so off on reading someone.

Opening his eyes, he looks deep into yours. "Alright," he nods, attempting to reassure you as well as himself. "We knew this could happen." Already a thousand different scenarios are playing in his head – telling the team, next steps for you, what you're going to want to do after you grow tired of the break, maybe he needs to take a step back as well…

"We can appeal it, sweetheart," he reminds you. The two of you had discussed that as a possible option as well. He walks towards you, wanting nothing more than to hold you close to him again. "We can appeal – Rossi, Morgan, hell even Strauss would put in a good word for you. McKinney's word isn't final, and – "

Aaron breaks off his mile a minute speech, distracted at the sight of a smile twitching at your lips. Why were you smiling?

"He told me to hand in my letter of resignation to the BAU," you repeat yourself as he falters, trying to understand what you're saying. He asked you to give him the letter of resignation from the BAU…

"I'm getting my own team, Aaron," you whisper, as if you could scarcely believe it yourself.

You were getting your own team. You were getting…your own team.

"You're getting – " His mouth can't seem to quite get the words out as he watches your face split into a grin that his is slow to mirror.

Of all the possibilities that you'd considered, this had hardly been one of them.

"I'm getting my own team," you repeat, eyes focused fully on him. You have the largest smile he's ever seen on your face. He can feel that pit replaced by this bouncy feeling in his chest as he looks at your face –the bubble of the moment broken by the laughter and squeal that follows as he sweeps you into his arms.

This was good.

You were happy.

*------------*

"I think this is the last box," Aaron says, striding into your office, eyeing you cautiously as you're balanced atop your chair, trying to hang up some of the frames with your certificates on the wall.

You mutter a quick thank you, concentrating on hammering the nail in without hurting yourself by falling off of the wheeled chair. Aaron moves to start putting the books he'd brought up into the bookshelves, hovering close to you in case you did end up slipping.

It had been a week since McKinney had offered you your own team as a counter to Richards' offer from the CIA. Turns out, as long as you get results, the government tends to look the other way when you break any number of clearance regulations. Your conversation with McKinney in his office that day had been entirely centered around what he could do to ensure that you stay with the Bureau.

Intelligence and Threat Assessment, or the ITA, was a group within the Bureau that examined any number of domestic and international threats, analyzed changing political spheres, and partnered with the Justice Department, Congress, and external organizations to spearhead the American democratic manifesto. In short, that was the group that determined who was and wasn't an enemy.

McKinney had offered you your own team within that umbrella to tackle special cases that rose to the level of further assessment by or direct involvement of the Bureau. The sight of your name, followed by the words Unit Chief would never get old.

You'd had a busy week, settling back into regular life, catching up with everyone, and ensuring that you were spending time with Jack and Aaron once more. In that time, you'd also put out the word that you were building a new team and connected with the Bureau Human Resources department. Interviews were being set up. Thankfully you had one team member picked out – from your office, you can see the bullpen where your team will sit, Anderson's desk the only one occupied so far.

"So Strauss is retiring," Aaron comments idly, opening yet another box of items for you to decorate your office with.

You hum, encouraging him to continue, as you carefully get off the chair and grab one of the boxes, setting it on your desk. You'd long shed your blazer and the heels had come off ten minutes ago when Aaron had left to grab the last of the boxes. It was late anyways and you two were the last ones left, as you'd insisted on wanting to be all moved in so you could get a head start the following Monday. As soon as the two of you were done moving you into your new office, you couldn't wait to get home and sink into the tub.

"Rossi thinks it'll happen by the end of the month," he continues, handing you the box cutter you'd been searching for.

"Well, your only real competition could be external," you remark, handing him back the box cutter. You know that Aaron wouldn't have commented on Strauss's retirement if he wasn't considering the Section Chief position. With your new role keeping you closer to home a majority of the time, it would make your home life a lot more stable.

He makes a disbelieving sort of noise at your comment that has you smiling and rolling your eyes.

"Oh hush," you chide him, continuing to move things off of the box and into the shelf. "Now, if we have to consider the hiring committee for the position, then it'll be Wilson and Shaw – both of whom already like you – "

Aaron smiles as you start to lay out all the details for a role he's only mentioned in passing, but he knows that you will take entirely seriously. It's what you did. You planned and you executed and you achieved at a rate that was entirely remarkable.

" – Adams is a total pushover, and Rossi can probably help you out there –"

He smiles, nodding along to your strategizing, knowing you'd have Dave over for dinner soon enough and run Aaron's odds for getting the position by him and ensure that Dave would throw his weight around as needed.

"Davidson is the only one on the committee that'll pose any real issue, I suppose. I'm guessing you two haven't made nice yet after the Atlanta case?" You quirk a brow in his direction, asking a question that you already know the answer to. Really, it's your way of making sure he feels like he's part of the process, despite you being full systems ahead from the get go.

Aaron's forehead crinkles as he shakes his head.

"Yeah, I figured. Well, it's nothing to worry about. I heard from Lisa from research that he has a new girlfriend – one that drives his ex-wife entirely insane. Garcia can do some additional digging and get some more dirt."

He makes a face at you, which you elect to ignore, continuing on with your plan for targeted subterfuge.

"We can have them both over for dinner. I just got that new shipment from the Napa winery and we can ask Eric to cook for us again. He can make that dessert, and based on what Garcia manages to find, Davidson shouldn't be terribly difficult to persuade. After all, how could anyone not love you." You throw him a coquettish smile and wink, your arms laden with books that you'd lifted out of the box.

Aaron can feel himself grow warm – you tend to have that effect on him with only the smallest of gestures. The ever faithful butterflies, his constant companions in the early days of the two of you entering into this relationship, have infiltrated his stomach with a vengeance.

"Once you're Section Chief, we can figure out Department Chief next. Carlton won't be around forever," you forge ahead, intent now on your plan to launch his career to the next phase and the next after that. Pretty soon you'd be planning world domination with him by your side. You'd manage to convince him that it was alright because he'd be the one in charge and he makes good decisions so why wouldn't the entire world simply bow to his will. No matter how ridiculous the notion or how bizarre the proposition, your faith in him was unyielding.

Aaron reaches into his pocket, feeling the sharp edges of the box there. It's been on hand this entire week since your return, just waiting for him to find the right time. His heartrate picks up, his hand grasping the box tight.

Your back is still turned to him as you continue to arrange the books on your shelf in order of subject and size, going up on the tip of your toes to reach the top shelf as your voice carries on. Something regarding convincing Carlton that he would be well suited for a jump to the West Coast offices, leaving the pathway wide open for Aaron's surge to the top.

"Do you remember," he interrupts, watching you carefully, "a while back, you said something to me. Something along the lines of, Director Hotchner has a nice ring to it?" He does his best to keep his voice casual, regulate his breath as he speaks.

You pause, the memory of that afternoon flitting into your mind. So early in your relationship, back when you'd thought that maybe, that would be something appealing to a man like Aaron – ambitious and righteous, wanting to protect and serve at the highest of levels. That had been before – before you'd known, that for him, the BAU was the chance to put away monsters. It was a personal mandate that he couldn't disconnect himself from. Contending with the bureaucracy and politics that came with truly running the entire Bureau was not something that he found at all appealing. Despite all of your planning and machinations, you knew already that the best you could hope for with him would be Section Chief. He'd never leave the team further than that, no matter the number of steak dinners you served up.

"Yeah, what about it?" you ask, a bemused smile playing at your lips, wondering why he'd ask you that. He'd shot it down then, and you knew for a fact that it wasn't something he was about to begin entertaining now, despite the Section Chief role being a shift away from the BAU directly.

"I can't help but agree with you."

His voice was closer than it had been before, you can feel him right behind you. There's a prickling at the back of your neck, your brows furrowing in confusion as you attempt to decipher the meaning behind his cryptic words.

You turn, eyes widening at the sight in front of you.

Bent down on one knee, with the most beautiful ring in his hand. The gold in his eyes warm and sparkling for you. A hopeful smile on his face as he watches yours.

You could scarcely believe it as you struggle to meet his eyes, trying to string together something that sounded vaguely intelligible, while your lungs struggled to pull in enough air to keep you standing.

Your mouth feels dry and you have to force yourself to take a deep breath, licking your lips as you do. You push away the first question that comes to your mind – Are you sure? Of course he was. There was no doubting it. No doubting him.

When your eyes finally do meet his, your breath hitches, overwhelmed by the surrounding quiet, only the sound of your breath and your heart and the wondrous, exuberant buzzing of the sparks surrounding you in anticipation of the inevitable.

"You really think I'm going to be Director one day?" Your question is accompanied by an incredulous sort of laugh, the kind that causes his heart to skip a beat at the mere sound.

"I really do, sweetheart." His words carried with them a promise – he was pledging himself to you and anything you set out to achieve.

You feel yourself bound towards a feeling you haven't felt much as of late. Elation – that euphoric ecstasy that courses through your veins and causes your chest to beat wildly. You can do nothing but smile big and nod hard, for once, words completely failing you.

Aaron needs no further encouragement besides the sparkling note of your laugh, the effervescent joy of your nod as you reach for him and he rises. He's quick to slip the ring on your finger before his mouth meets yours, hands winding around his neck and pulling him as close as possible.

Hearts beating jubilantly in sync at the feel of his lips against yours and his arms around you, yours around him, and that persistent and everlasting feeling of belonging to one another in every manner possible.

When the two of you finally break apart, breathless, matching grins on both your faces, you can't help but ask. "How long has Jack known?"

He smiles, his eyes twinkling. "Since Paris."

You let out a breathless, short laugh. You can scarcely believe he'd been able to keep it from you that long. Though, looking back, a number of instances with Jack made a lot more sense now. The faint memory a shopping trip with him, sometime after Paris, when Jack had been quite taken with the window display of a wedding store.

"We might have to do a reenactment for him," Aaron jokes, keeping you close to him. He weaves his fingers through yours, admiring how the ring sits perfectly on your hand, sparkling just right in the light.

You laugh, tightening your hand in his. "Let's go home then."

Everything else could wait.

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