#Apparen

[aro-ace-thetic]

i bought trolls 1 and 2 on dvd and there are a bunch of bonus features, would anyone be interested if me uploading those? they're actually insanely interesting (did you know all the scrapbooking parts aren't computer generated? they're HANDMADE AND EMBROIDERED. i'm pretty sure it was done all by one person.) the second movie has a commentary track and they all clearly just have such love for this movie and had so much fun

[perenlop]

not to kinda get on a high horse about this because i know ive probably mentioned her more than i should (altho in my defense it’s because i was a fan of her when i was a teenager) buuut. for people who arent looking specifically at the allegations against her or her bigotry, i have to wonder if some of the attention on lily orchard from people who were never associated with her or victimized by her just feel vindicated at a trans woman making an ass of herself online

[armagnac-army]

You're tied again.

AND YOU DIDNT EVEN VOTE FOR ME YOU ASSHOLE

I’LL EAT YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY TREE

[insectappreciator]

look what i've learned on this website is that if you say 'damn i wish my name was xyz' or something to that effect you now have another name. just so you know.

[gaybaiter]

looking through met gala looks i was expecting all of the chanel girls to look like. on theme and interesting and most of them do but still somehow they fucked margot robbie again. how. this was literally so hard to fuck up. that dress is so fucking boring.

[odxrilove]

☆ SEVENTEEN AND SOFT LAUNCHING

pairing: svt x f!reader

contents/warnings: scenarios, fluff? social media mentions (duh)

dori's notes: trying a new layout! >.<

back to masterlist!

꩜ .ᐟ THEY HAVE STUDIED THE OFFICIAL "URBAN DICTIONARY" MEANING...

— minghao .. he started the soft-launching trend

hao is like the epitome of a romantic caring partner, so there’s no doubt that he’s the one to initiate the soft launching. truly, he was so sure about your love that he was already teasing a romance after the second date, posting an aesthetic picture of two wine glasses, one brandishing red traces of lipstick. you’re pleasantly surprised at the sweet action and even a bit impressed when his launching stays romantic, pleasing to the eyes and keeps people on the edge all during. it’s no surprise that when the grand reveal of his partner finally comes, all reactions are heartwarming.

— joshua .. couldn’t let his gentleman-mask slip away

joshua is an all-rounder when it comes to romance and dating, and loving you– so it’s no wonder when he decides to pay for all your meals, treat you like a princess and take as many pictures of you as you want. people should have seen it coming, his stories going from skies to restaurant pics to borderline risqué and suggestive pictures of the woman in his life. in the end, the soft-launching is a success, just like your relationship with him.

— mingyu .. you think he would ever miss an opportunity to appear rich, cool and taken?

ever since he’s known about the existence of boyfriend pictures, he’s never let anyone else take his well-deserved golden trophy. but in reality, the boyfriend pictures used to give him a bitter aftertaste, since he wasn’t anyone’s boyfriend ! so now that he has you and he is a boyfriend, you can’t possibly think mingyu doesn’t take every opportunity possible to show off your growing love ? get ready to be all over his social media and his followers’ for you pages.

— seokmin .. he bought a white board on wheels to create the perfect soft-launch timeline

he’s a sweetheart through and through, and seokmin isn’t afraid to show he’s taken, even if it’s still early. he prepares everything thoroughly, wanting you to be happiest ever. he even created a timeline, which he followed very precisely, just so that nothing would go wrong ! people’s reactions to the soft-launching makes him all the more proud.

꩜ .ᐟ IS IT REALLY SOFT LAUNCHING WHEN HALF THE WORLD'S POPULATION KNOWS ALREADY...

— jun .. good opportunities, good initiative, just not enough talent

as much as jun wants to follow in minghao’s footsteps, following his advice might not be helpful enough. see, he puts effort into it, that’s for sure, but it seems like the social media world is just against him– as well as his friends. what do you mean his soft launching isn’t working, seungkwan? give the poor guy some slack, he’s trying.. that earns him a few points, at least. it’s alright if it turns out tacky or predictable, maybe you can teach him!

— seungcheol .. too giddy about you to be secretive

despite his intimidating appearance, this man is a total teddy bear, so him not being discreet enough about having someone in his life isn’t surprising. look, seungcheol tried his best, but it’s truly not his fault if a few of his friends already know about you or if the pictures he ends up posting aren’t secretive at all! in general, he doesn’t want to hide your relationship, too proud about you, so he’s not really into the "mysterious" aspects of the pictures, prefering to show you off the moment you become official.

— seungkwan .. you did it first, but he wasn’t happy with the outcome, so did it too

if nitpicking was a job, seungkwan would be the highest paid worker in the world– because tell me why this man brushes off your attempt at soft launching to then announce he’s going to do the same? when asked, he’ll say he can do better than you, but in reality, he has pictures of the two of you that he wants to show off. and apparently, so early on in the relationship, seungkwan is still a bit too shy to admit that fact, so instead he lies, overlooking the fact that everyone knows already, thanks to your own soft launching.

꩜ .ᐟ SOFT LAUNCHING? MORE LIKE HARD LAUNCHING...

— hoshi .. he’s just bad at it

listen, he’s cute and all but his cuteness can’t hide the fact he’s clueless about technology and is probably not the best person to do the soft launching. i mean, his attempt was definitely cute, but that was it, an attempt– you can’t really call a selfie of the both of you kissing an ideal soft launching pic, can you ? now, most of the time, he just reposts anything you tag him in, and you’re both happy.

— chan .. tries really hard but ends up accidentally messing it up

it’s pretty sad if you think about it actually, because he had it all planned out, all the pictures, the captions, even the songs that he would add! but then the worst happens.. an unedited soft-launching draft of you two is posted on his account, and he doesn’t realize until after everyone has already seen it. the comments pour in, and chan has to clench his teeth– no, user joshuahong95, chan didn’t mean to use "your" instead of "you’re" in his unfinished caption.

꩜ .ᐟ GUILTY! THEY LET YOU DO THE JOB..

— jeonghan .. is petty and insists you do it since he asked you out

truly, you should have seen it coming, knowing how much of a menace your boyfriend is. getting trapped into doing all the soft launching yourself was a dumb move on your part but a smart one on his. don’t take it too seriously though, it’s not that he doesn’t want to put in the effort, on the contrary, but he does really enjoy seeing you post and boast about him, all the while keeping it mysterious. in short, he indulges and basks in the attention as much as he can.

— wonwoo .. isn’t enough on social media to do it

even if wonwoo wanted to do it, he wouldn’t possibly be able to, since he isn’t active much on social media. If you had asked him to reveal your relationship to his close entourage, he probably would have just sent a captionless picture of you two in the groupchat, so you taking over the soft launching was better for everyone. when he does decide to help a bit, he’s lost in the timeline, posting dinner pics when you’re at the faceless ootd pics stage.

— vernon .. “soft launching is weird.. why do people even do it?” it’s cute vernon.

vernon’s stance on soft-launching is a problem in itself– he thinks it’s an unnecessary addition to society that it forces people to disclose private information under the pretext of a trend. you just think it’s cute. vernon thinks you’re cute so even if he finds it dumb, he lets you soft launch your relationship, because when you’re happy, you smile. and your smile makes you even cuter so he doesn’t mind sacrificing an opinion for the greater good, which, in his opinion, is you.

— woozi .. you don’t even mention it to him

woozi is without a doubt one of the more private members– he isn’t too keen on revealing too much about himself so plastering you all over his social media isn’t him. He knows you’re more active online and he doesn’t mind one bit but he wasn’t even aware you were soft launching him! he only finds out when hoshi teases him about it and he becomes confused; “what’s soft launching ?”. don’t worry, you have all the time in the world to explain what it means to him.

taglist: @0x1lovebot @fairybinie @odetoyeonjun @sensitively-taken @pockyandme @soobin-chois @lolalee24 @junityy @kaimal @laylasbunbunny @jaeyunverse @enhacolor @honglynights @starry-mins @bibinnieposts @yoonzin0 @raevyng @hoeforcheol @pearlygraysky @4xiaojun @viscade @kikohao @enluv @smilehui @starshuas @instabull @atrirose @dokyeomkyeom @todorokiskitten

please do not copy, repost or steal any of my work. all content belongs to @odxrilove

[poppadom0912]

Hii! 🙋🏻‍♀️

I saw that you are accepting requests, can I request an imagine with Jay Halstead where he and the reader (a surgeon) don't get along very well and, as fate would have it, they both live in the same building. One night the reader discovers that there is a camera hidden in the lampshade that she got from a strange guy, so the guy threatens her and Jay protects her. 😅❤️

Sorry for my English.

Warnings: Stalking/pedo men, brief hospitals, small injuries, and swearing.

A/N: Now that my series is done, I can finally get to completing and putting out all these requests. I wrote this in school. And do not apologise for your English, it was perfect.

Life is stressful right now so I lowkey got carried away writing this because it's somehow nearly 3k words but please do enjoy this!!

You weren’t too sure when it all actually started but it was too late to reverse time now.

Growing up, there was no way to avoid the Halstead brothers because all the way throughout your childhood up until the age of eighteen, you all went to school together and outside, your mothers were near inseparable. You could never catch a break.

What made matters even more confusing was that you didn’t mind Will, on fact, the two of you were quite good friends. You tolerated Will and with both your combined loves for medicine, an inevitable friendship bloomed but even with this, you and Jay just could not get along.

The only time you ever found solace was when the two of you finally parted ways after high school. You remained in Chicago to become a doctor and later surgeon while Jay, he spontaneously decided to enrol to become an army ranger. Your shock could not be hidden.

With both brothers out your life, days were so much more simple. From time to time, you wouldn’t say it aloud but you missed Wil’s company but Jay, his absence almost made it as though he never existed in the first place. And yes, maybe that was a bit cruel but the genuine hatred you had at the mere thought of him or the sight of his face, it made you want to hurl.

And the rest was history. Even with the more recent parts being a bit more pleasant yet depressive, your pure hatred for him didn’t seem to wane.

*****

Fast forward a few years and this is how it all is: your father remained ever so absent, both mothers passed away several years ago, Pat died last year, you and Will worked together and you and Jay weren’t exactly civil.

Living in the same building, on the exact same floor and literal doors apart could only do so much damage.

Today had been a very, very long day. You had just been on shift for a double that had run over because of the complicated surgery that almost went sideways last minute. You were practically dead on your feet. You loved trauma surgery as much as the next trauma surgeon but you could go without blood and scalpels for the next few hours because sleep was calling your name like a siren song.

Upon Connor’s insistence, he drove you home because he expressed his fear of you sleeping on the train and never getting off.

Finally in your apartment building, you dragged your feet to your door, your keys almost missing the hole due to your sudden misalignment. Your mind was nearing haziness but with one final push, you were inside and collapsed on your bed.

Sleep was instant. It was expected but you also weren’t surprised when you knocked out and woke up randomly at two in the morning. You felt semi-rejuvenated but you could definitely sleep for longer.

Drowsily, you stripped out of your clothes, chucking them towards the basket before walking into the bathroom. Doing what you needed to do, you returned and searched for comfortable pyjamas that were good enough for this heat.

Standing half naked in your own bedroom in the apartment that you rented alone was a completely normal thing to do. Never in your life did you need to be paranoid or extra careful. You were in the comfort of your own home, so why was there the need to be riddled with anxiety.

Well, apparently you should’ve because as you pulled you cotton shorts on, rummaging through your draw for an oversized shirt, you caught a miniscule red dot. You were so tired you contemplated if it was a hallucination but a few minutes later, remaining in the same position, the nano dot was still there.

Diverting your attention to the suspicious dot, you threw on a random shirt but somehow, during the milliseconds your head spent under the shirt before it reappeared, the red dot disappeared.

Now you were on edge. Sleep didn’t come as easy this time.

In the morning, everything looked the same. Going around, you tried to look for anything that could’ve been tampered with but alas, everything was in tip top condition. Maybe you really were so out of that that you were delusional, it all really could’ve been a hallucination.

You had a few more hours before you needed to go back to work and considering the state of your empty fridge, grocery shopping seemed like a promising idea.

Your sweetening mood however quickly turned sour at the familiar sight of a certain detective standing down the hallway, walking in the same direction as you towards the buildings only elevator.

Sighing in disappointment, you readjusted the tote bag on your shoulders and walked ahead anyway. There was no way you were letting this man ruin your mood.

Being stuck in the elevator though, it did ruin your mood a little.

For once in your entire life though, Jay didn’t rile you up. He didn’t say anything nor did he even attempt to roll his eyes when he saw you. It was weird, he barely even acknowledged you.

And you hated to admit it, but you didn’t like it. As much as you despised the man, Jay acting as if you were a ghost was something that irked you. But obviously, you were never going to tell him that, it’d only boost his already enormous ego.

*****

“You look like a rat.”

“Ha ha, you’re so funny.”

You took it all back. Everything you said two days ago, you were taking it all back. Jay could rot and burn in hell and you still wouldn’t care.

Over the course of twelve hours, something must’ve changed because Jay’s renewed vigour was back and it was here to stay. You didn’t relish his silence long enough because the second he opened his mouth, your headache returned.

Next time, you were dragging Will and forcing him to escort you up to your apartment door because at least then he’d save you, he’d make this all much more bearable.

The sudden change in weather suited your mood, the rain mimicking your emotions that Jay was only half responsible for. The other half was a result of your newly achieved paranoia and anxiety that made itself known whenever you came home.

No matter where you searched or how many hours you slept, the red dot came and then disappeared again. It was annoying and it came to the point that you tried avoiding you bedroom especially as much as possible. To not be comfortable and safe in your own home wasn’t right.

Rolling your eyes, you fished your keys out of your bag and ignored whatever Jay was saying. You’d known him for so long that blocking out his voice had become second nature, it was something you did subconsciously.

You wished his apartment was before yours, that way at least you could have some peace but life worked in funny ways.

Stopping in front of your door, you were just about to unlock it when your body froze.

“What’s wrong?”

The sudden change in your mood caught him off guard, your frozen body worrying him slightly. He might’ve shared your feelings of hostility but you were his older brothers best friend, which had to count for something.

Following your line of sight, Jay’s eyes hardened at the unlocked door, a slither of light leaking out from inside as the door sat ajar. You definitely locked it this morning, there was no doubt about it.

Maybe you had the right to be paranoid. Perhaps you should’ve acted on it sooner.

Not wasting another second, Jay pushed you behind him and drew his gun. With his shoe, he gently nudged the door open and began surveying the apartment bit by bit with practised precision.

You hadn’t seen the man in action for a while now, it was weird to see him so proper and serious.

With nothing out of place and all valuable belongings safe and sound, Jay deduced that for now, things should be fine but if need be, if anything was out of the ordinary, he was the first person you called.

And for the first time ever in over thirty years, you made Jay a promise.

*****

You kept to your promise. This was a matter you weren’t going to mess around with, even if it was with Jay.

You had just come out of the shower, hair dripping wet, shorts and an oversized shirt on because despite the rain it was still humid and the summer heat wasn’t going away anytime soon.

Stepping into the dark room, you started patting your hair dry with a towel and walked towards the lamp so there was at least some lighting. A dimly lit room made you feel less paranoid.

It was upon turning the lamp on though did your anxiety peak. This new height it reached making it hard for you to breathe all of a sudden.

Without even thinking of the consequences, Jay’s number was the first thing you found on your phone, his contact name pressed within seconds of your discovery.

Heart pounding out of your chest, you forced yourself to move at the sound of the door. This fear was almost paralysing, you didn’t even know what to make of all of it.

“What happened?” Jay’s concern was immediate. All you did was call him and he came over without question. Your call alone told him enough.

You stared at him wide eyed, words lodged at the back of your throat but they wouldn’t go any further than that. Remaining wordless, you simply grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards your room and he followed obediently.

Your bedroom was now back to pitch black; you turned the lamp off straight away because the pyjamas you wore left little for imagination. That trail of thought made you want to be sick.

Jay stood beside you; your hand still wrapped around his wrist tightly while your other still held the wet hair towel that you probably should put away. He surveyed the dark room, taking it all in and trying to poke out anything out of the ordinary.

It was only when you tugged on his wrist, his head turning down to you before following your line of sight and pointed finger towards your innocent looking lamp that idly sat on your bedside table.

But it turned out to be not so innocent after all. Jay immediately saw the red dot no matter its small size, he saw it straight away and alarm bells went off.

Gently prying your fingers off his wrist, Jay holstered his gun and strode towards the lamp, tilting the lamp shade as he fiddled with something underneath. It didn’t take long before he stood up to his full height with a small black square in his palm.

This all-escalated way too fast for your liking.

*****

Jay refused to let you see anything from what he told you was a camera; he wouldn’t let you see it even for a price but he did briefly talk about what he saw in very little detail. What he told you was more than enough to make you want to bleach your body in a bath and move out of state to a place no one would know you.

Jay also wasn’t one hundred percent confident in letting you return back to your apartment alone. That’s how you found yourself wrapped in a blanket sitting cross-legged on his sofa, hiding yourself and your body from the world. Even with your shirt and shorts on, you felt liked dying at the thought of a man staring you down with intentions all but pure.

Gosh, you wanted to be sick.

Slowly sipping some water from a cup Jay silently handed you, you tried relaxing, rotating your shoulders to try release any of the tension but you failed. Fidgeting with anything was the only way you were able to not focus on the conversation Jay was having on the phone in the next room over. He was probably most likely talking to someone else from Intelligence.

The rest of the night, well more very early morning really, Jay explained the plan about how Intelligence were going to go about this but it would all happen in the morning at an actual suitable time.

With much bickering, Jay forced you into his bed as he took the sofa. It was weird that this was the most civil and even most nicest interaction the two of you ever had in either of your lifetimes. You wouldn’t tell him this unless under a life-or-death situation, but you kind’ve liked it. When Jay wasn’t being such a bastard, he was actually kind of decent.

Goodness, thinking about him was not something you would’ve ever thought of doing before yet here you were, thinking about your childhood nemesis at work.

The morning was relatively fine sprinkled with bits of awkwardness. Jay forcefully drove you to work when you insisted on going in today despite his attempts of getting you to stay home. If you tried and told Ms Goodwin the truth, she was very likely to give you the day off. Your stubbornness didn’t wane though.

You shift was normal, going from boring and mundane to fast paced just how you liked it. Nothing changed and it was relieving to be surrounded by familiarity and some sort of routine, it was a big distraction from the mess waiting for you at home. You tried keeping yourself occupied at every moment because any second you got alone with your deprecating thoughts, you were for sure going to spiral to a dark place.

And you’d been doing a great job at keeping busy till a certain detective walked in through the ED doors.

From the corner of your eyes, nothing about him looked off but when you squinted and walked towards him, you could make out a bloody gash poking out from his ripped jacket sleeve.

Now, Jay being hurt at work was nothing new. In fact, it was to be expected and you’d never been too bothered by it unlike Will was whenever his injured brother walked in so casually like it was another normal Wednesday.

However, you knew what he was doing at work today and your concerns peaked to such a height that Will had no reason to be worried anymore; you took it all from him.

“What happened?” You tried to remain somewhat calm, schooling your face as you dragged his non-injured arm towards an empty treatment room. Internally, you were glad Will was in surgery otherwise he’d be smirking and laughing like a manic at the sight he was seeing, a sight he’d never even envision in his dreams.

“We found the guy.” Jay ignored your question, begrudgingly sitting down on the bed, rolling his eyes when you wouldn’t let him get up. “We arrested him. Platt’s booking him as we speak.”

And just like that, all the weights pushing you down under the ground dissipated and you were beyond relieved.

You hands faltered as they went to grab some gauze, your eyes looking up to see whether or not he was lying but the soft smile spread across his lips, you didn’t need to question his credibility.

Without thinking, your arms wrapped around his shoulders and interlocked around his neck. Instinctively, you squeezed him a little, eyes shut as you relished in the good news. For a while, the world around you didn’t exist before it all came rushing back.

Suddenly, you abruptly pulled back, eyes wide in shock as your actions sunk in. Pressing your lips together tightly, you avoided eye contact and went back to preparing the gauze and butterfly strips, maybe even some wipes to see the real extent of the damage your stalker inflicted onto Jay.

Jay huffed in amusement and you could feel his eyes burning into the side of your head. All of a sudden, you felt the need to smother his god forsaken handsome face-

What the fuck? There was no way you just thought that.

“He looks worse than me, don’t worry.” Jay started again, a smug smirk on his face as he spoke, his eyes not moving from your face. “He was being a bit of a dick so I roughed him up a little. This little nick is nothing.”

And for once, you didn’t doubt the truth behind his words. You fondly rolled your eyes before going to clean his bicep that was no longer covered by his jacket.

“My saviour.” You smiled placatingly, making brief eye contact before breaking it. “What would I have done without you.”

And for once again, there was no sarcasm dripping from your words. Behind them lay mostly the truth and maybe a hint of your typically sarcasm but without his help, who knows what would’ve happened.

“All in a days work.” Jay’s face didn’t change, his expression not moving a single bit. For a reason beyond your medical and surgical knowledge, you blushed, cheeks randomly feeling flushed.

Maybe now with childhood rivalry forgotten and shoved aside, things between the two of you could get better.

[tossawary]

I'm reviewing episode transcripts from "Merlin" to build up my worldbuilding document (character list, mostly) and, a little ways into S2, I'm kind of feeling like the show is actually quite mean to Arthur as a character sometimes? S1 E14: "To Kill the King" is one of those episodes where I forget how badly it pissed me off until I run into it again.

Like, don't get me wrong, Arthur can be a bully, entitled, hotheaded, and reckless, but he's also at this point risked his own life to save people multiple times. Both individuals whose lives were "worth less" than his own (getting the Mortaeus flower for a poisoned Merlin, smuggling Mordred out of the city, protecting Ealdor from bandits) and also Camelot as a whole (fighting the plague-causing monster in the sewers, fighting the mam-eating griffin, drinking poison to lift the unicorn curse).

Arthur is giving me vibes of being both bored and frustrated (and probably not able to name those feelings or exactly why he has them) because he wants so badly to do good things, but he's not really sure how to go about it because (no one ever tells him anything, he almost NEVER knows what's really going on to make informed choices, and) he's also stuck under the thumb of his tyrannical father, who spends most of their scenes together berating Arthur for being too merciful, for not being dutiful enough, and/or not finding sorcerers for execution fast enough. When Arthur tries to be fair-minded and compassionate, Uther often essentially tells him that he's going to be a weak king with that attitude.

Arthur's pathways to betterment are limited, his parent and role model and boss here is an AWFUL person, but he's trying!

So, it's quite frustrating to get to this one episode where characters like Gaius (extremely biased, admittedly, clearly not an objective individual) are saying things like: "Arthur's not ready. The responsibility would be too great. Brave though he may be, he lacks experience, he lacks judgement."

Like, I don't know, Arthur may be only 21 and kind of a dipshit, but I personally think he'd still do a better job than the guy who tried to kill a kid (Mordred) just for existing a few episodes ago? Maybe? Gwen's father, who wasn't even a sorcerer or knowingly working with one, is dead explicitly because of Uther's awful laws. Did everyone in this episode forget that Uther tried to BURN GWEN ALIVE AT THE STAKE not that long ago (Episode 3)?

ARTHUR: "[Morgana]'s right, Father. You hear the word magic, you no longer listen."

UTHER: "You saw it for yourself. She used enchantments."

ARTHUR: "Yes, maybe. But to save her dying father, that doesn't make [Gwen] guilty of creating a plague. One's the act of, of kindness, of love, the other of evil. I don't believe evil's in this girl's heart."

UTHER: "I have witnessed what witchcraft can do. I have suffered at its hand. I cannot take that chance. If there is the slightest doubt about this girl, she must die or the whole kingdom may perish."

ARTHUR: "I understand that."

UTHER: "One day you may become King. Then you will understand. Such decisions must be made. There are dark forces that threaten this kingdom."

ARTHUR: "I know. Witchcraft is an evil, father. So is injustice. Yes, I am yet to be King, and I don't know what kind of king I will be, but I do have a sense of the kind of Camelot I would wish to live in. It would be where the punishment fits the crime."

UTHER: "I fear you're right. She's played with fire, and sadly she must die by fire."

When the adult druid (Cerdan) accompanying Mordred is killed (Episode 8), Arthur objects afterwards! On his own! While Arthur is sometimes an active participant in Uther's tyranny and otherwise complicit, he's been told all of his life that magic is inherently evil and corrupting, he was raised by the very man spreading this hateful philosophy, he should probably hate magic more than anyone after Uther, and yet he still disagrees with Uther's methods and judgments. Even though Uther is apparently VERY willing to lock both his son (Episode 4) and his ward (Episode 8) in the dungeons for disagreeing with him and disobeying him!

ARTHUR: The Druid was only in Camelot to collect supplies. He meant no harm. Is it necessary to execute him?

UTHER: Absolutely necessary. Those who use magic cannot be tolerated.

ARTHUR: The Druids are a peaceful people.

UTHER: Given the chance, they would return magic to the kingdom. They preach peace, but conspire against me. We cannot appear weak.

ARTHUR: Showing mercy can be a sign of strength.

UTHER: Our enemies will not see it that way. We have a responsibility to protect this kingdom. Executing the Druid will send out a clear message. Find the boy. Search every inch of the city.

Obviously, running a kingdom is complicated! Uther apparently won Camelot by conquest and is in conflict with many of the neighboring kings, including Odin and Cenred, and likely has more of the respect of the local nobility than young Arthur does. Uther's death would create some instability! (Agravaine de Bois hasn't been created yet, but let's assume there are many other potential vultures.)

But the show generally isn't pushing that angle. This isn't really about smooth transitions of power. Personally, concerning Arthur's "lack of judgment", I do find his ready conviction that it is his duty to die for Camelot's honor if necessary (he says as much to Merlin explicitly before fighting Valiant in Episode 2, then again before fighting the Black Knight in Episode 9) more than a little concerning, but that doesn't seem to be angle pushed here either.

The show has characters (Merlin, Gwen, Gaius) suggesting that offing the King, who regularly kills innocent people whether they have magic or not, who has forbidden use of the tool that might have saved innocent people from Nimueh's plague or the wraith of Tristan de Bois, would be wrong! It would be murder and murder is bad! It would make (in the words of a grieving Gwen) her "just as bad" as him.

Even though Merlin has at this point already killed Aulfric and Sophia (Episode 7), as well as Mary Collins (Episode 1) because they were trying to kill Arthur. And arguably got an assist with Valiant (Episode 2). And will kill many more as the show goes on. This conversation with Kilgharrah in S1 E14 is in many ways so, so funny:

KILGHARRAH: Well, young warlock, what is it you come to ask of me?

MERLIN: I need your help.

KILGHARRAH: Of course you do, but this time, will you heed my words?

MERLIN: The sorcerer Tauren is plotting to kill the King. He's made an ally of Morgana. I don't know what to do!

KILGHARRAH: Do… nothing.

MERLIN: What do you mean? If I do nothing, Uther will die.

KILGHARRAH: Don't you want Uther dead? It is Uther that persecutes you and your kind, Merlin. It is Uther that murders the innocent…

MERLIN: But surely that doesn't make it right to kill him.

KILGHARRAH: Only if Uther dies can magic return to the land. Only if Uther dies will you be free, Merlin. Uther's reign is at an end. Let Arthur's reign begin. Fulfil your destiny!

[The dragon flies off.]

MERLIN: Wait! Where does it say my destiny includes murder?

KILGHARRAH: Free this land from tyranny, Merlin! Free us all!

I feel for Kilgharrah here. He was VERY straightforward. I don't know how he could have been clearer about this.

I won't say that Merlin's character writing doesn't make ANY sense here (I do think the character writing in this show is NOT amazingly consistent), because... he IS being influenced by Gaius, who is, unfortunately, a bootlicker and also probably extremely traumatized by all of the death he's seen (big contributor of the bootlicking) (also, apparently Gaius only becomes a "freeman" at the end of Episode 6, so there's that). And Merlin is also being heavily influenced by Arthur, who loves his father, despite everything. For Arthur's sake, if no one else's, Merlin will go out of his way to save Uther. Sure! That tracks!

Merlin spends a lot of time in this show protecting a terrible status quo under some assumption that Camelot will... somehow suddenly become better under Arthur? Instead of perhaps eventually just trusting Arthur and talking to him after their years of knowing each other? There are several, in-world reasons for this and I don't think they're all unrealistic! It's tense! It's thrilling sometimes!

(Though I am ultimately a little annoyed that Merlin's many secrets never really come out and get dealt with by the characters, because that would have been fun drama and some resolution to all the tension, even if the story did still end in death.)

There's some tasty tragedy in this silly show, in many ways. Merlin is confused and conflicted and scared and without clear guidance in many ways. Kilgharrah is mysterious and not at all reassuring. Gaius is complacent and (very reasonably) incredibly secretive. Merlin doesn't get to see many of the moments where Arthur speaks up for magical people and tries to talk Uther down. Morgana and Arthur are both stuck here in a "The hands that cradled you are covered in an unimaginable amount of blood." "But they cradled me, yes?" nightmare scenario. (There's also a sexist element where male characters like Gaius and Merlin won't let Morgana know about her own powers "for her own good" in a gaslight-y way that's fascinating to me in how it creates a villain.)

But, also, the compelling tragic elements here don't make certain episodes any less frustrating to watch in their execution. (I don't think villains being frustrating to watch or read necessarily makes them effective villains, especially when what I really find annoying here is the heroes' reactions to the villain. Uther has killed SO MANY PEOPLE! FOR NO REASON!) Especially when a lot of the overall results of this show often feel more accidental than purposeful. I do understand why the writers keep Uther around! He's a formidable antagonist to have looming all over the place and the actor is fun.

But OOF, I felt that "Do... Nothing".

Merlin! MERLIN! LISTEN TO THE SCARY DRAGON! MERLIN, REMEMBER THAT TIME UTHER TRIED TO BURN GWEN ALIVE??? JUST BECAUSE GWEN IS TOO NICE TO GO AFTER UTHER WITH A KNIFE AND TAKE REVENGE, IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY MEAN KILLING HIM MAKES YOU "JUST AS BAD"!!! MERLIN!!! YOU HAVE ALREADY MURDERED MULTIPLE PEOPLE WHO KILLED WAY LESS PEOPLE THAN UTHER!!!

In Episode 4, Morgana says to Uther: "You can't chain [Arthur] up every time he disagrees with you." This implies to me that Uther has had Arthur thrown in the dungeons before. In Episode 3, Arthur says to Morgana: "Father will slam us both in chains if he knew I'd endangered you," and maybe he wasn't at all joking with that? Arthur is rattling the bars of his cell here, apparently fairly ready to be aimed wherever Merlin points him, bucking against being aimed at innocents by his tyrant of a father.

But nooo, Gaius says Arthur is "not ready yet" because...??? He seems less hotheaded than Uther to me, honestly. Are his tax policies not up to par yet? You can hire a guy for that. Suggesting that Arthur would be in any way worse than His Majesty "Anyone Who Talks To A Sorcerer Gets Executed Even If They Didn't Know They Were A Sorcerer" feels quite mean to Arthur, really. I think he'd do alright, in comparison, Gaius who lies to the King every single day, but I suppose you sometimes want to be a loyal friend to good ol' King "Made Merlin Drink Poison That One Time And Wouldn't Let Anyone Go Get The Cure". Good for you. Bad for everyone else.

Like, I know, I know this show is not very deep. I like that all of the characters are flawed and fumble a lot! I even kind of enjoy that it ultimately ends in death with so many loose emotional threads. It is a weekly burst of fantasy nonsense that is not especially concerned with consistency in worldbuilding or characters from episode to episode. But the executive discrepancies here are, like the ones in "Star Wars", weirdly fascinating with all of the holes and wobbly bits it creates.

This show: "Yes, our hero has once again saved the tyrannical king who kills innocents! Preventing the oblivious prince from assuming the throne and trying to do better as he so clearly wants to do! Good work, Merlin, taking the high road (which involved murdering the rightfully angry people trying to kill the tyrannical king) again!"

Me, every time: "...I am genuinely not sure how the show wants us to interpret this. What did they think they were doing with this? Was this always meant to be a tragedy from the first season? Because personally, I'm getting some kind of tragedy from this."

[sashi-ya]

𝑨𝑩𝑶𝑽𝑬 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑪𝑳𝑶𝑼𝑫𝑺 ⛈ [chapter 1: introduction] 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐭! 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐠𝐚𝐫 𝐋𝐚𝐰 𝐱 𝐅! 𝐂𝐄𝐎! 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫.

⇝ Interactive fic format welcome to the first chapter! as mentioned previously this will be an interactive fic! how does it work? by the end of every chapter you will find a poll section where you will be able to vote for what's coming in the next chapter! what will reader do? what will be the consequences? have fun! ⇝ tw: the story is set to be an awakening for reader. you will find topics as loneliness, hints of depression and suicidal tendencies. be specially careful if this topics are triggering for you. there is no smut in this chapter, but it will be in the following ones. ⇝ don't forget to vote at the end of every chapter! ⇝ masterlist

Nobody, never, told you no. And nobody, ever, will. Miss Independent. Miss Successful. The Boss.

“I don’t care about a stupid storm, get me a damn ticket NOW” you order. The sound of your voice echoes against the many glass windows of your rooftop office. You don’t mind, nor care for your safety… all you have in your life is your job. Biggest enterprise that leads many markets and won’t ever stop growing. At least not on your watch.  

Your hills click harder against the cold marble of the floor, a tuft of hair gets curled around your finger, the insides of your mouth are heavily bitten. Nobody, however, knows you can get anxious. And nobody should, either.

“The… the airport is closed, Miss” your assistant, Usopp, informs.

Your eyes are glued to the blurred image of the city. You can see almost all of it from your position. And it’s that, exactly, what money and power makes you feel; like you are above them all.

“Then get the jet” you venously spit, as if your assistant was stupid enough not to think of that already. “I don’t give a fuck if it’s closed, we are taking off from the vineyard runway”

You notice your secretary nervously trying to find any type of words that could stop you from doing such stupidity, but he finally gives up and simply says “yes, boss...”

He walks away, already with his phone in his hands. He needs to call the private pilot on a Thursday night, with a cyclone outside, just because you couldn’t wait.

The tuft you’ve been playing with around your finger is now behind your ear. You tucked it. As always, your hand did it. Your long red nails did. Loneliness never made you less successful; in fact, quite the opposite.

Through the glass wall, covered in uncountable raindrops, your blurred vision finally fixes into the many buildings around. All of them, so late in the evening, begin to show candid lights throughout them. Families that join and play together. Lonely people hugging their pets. Couples dancing and kissing, or even looking through their windows. None of them, but you, show a single silhouette tonight.

“Boss, I’m- I…” your assistant breaks your bubble of hate and self-awareness. “The pilot says he is not flying tonight. It’s too dangerous” he excuses himself. In fact, his head bowed down exposes how mortified he is by not being able to accomplish your orders.

You turn around and massage your temple. There is a very important meeting you need to attend tomorrow morning. You can’t wait.

“Put Doffy on the line and leave me alone” you straight and coldly say.

He nods, leaving immediately, closing the heavy doors behind him. Not even five seconds after, the sound of your phone announces  Mr. Donquixote is waiting on the line.

“My sweet (Name), to what do I owe the pleasure of your call? Are you feeling lonely tonight? You can come home whenever you can” the excentric billionaire, who you sometimes fuck with, sings through the phone.

“I need your private pilot. Now. Flying my jet from the vineyards” you say, not much information is given. He probably understands.

He laughs. Extremely loudly.

“No pilot will take you anywhere tonight but let me see if my nephew wants to risk his life. The kid wants to die often, and apparently you too” he keeps laughing while telling you such terrible statement.

“I need a pilot, not a kid Doflamingo” “He is, indeed, a pilot. Give me twenty minutes, I’ll send it to your vineyard. But you owe me one… you know exactly those lips are my weakness”

Done. Problem fixed. You always know who to call when you need something; you know nobody really cares about your wellbeing but only the things they could get in return if you owe them something.

A carry on is always packed with essential stuff on your office; many are the times you spend travelling compared to those you spend at your own house. You grab it along with your coat and your keys.  You don’t wait for your chauffer; you don’t want to hear blabbering about safety.

“It’s just rain. What’s gonna happen? Am I getting my stilettos wet? So what?”

There isn’t much traffic, the many lights are indeed going the opposite way to yours. Everybody seems to be returning home, while you are driving straight to the outside of the city. Your vineyards aren’t that far but are certainly on a much rural zone.

Thunder roar in the open sky, the darkest night seems to be only illuminated by the power of those flashing lights inside growing grey towers of fluff.

“Bet is gonna be a very fun flight ~” you hum, as you imagine the little powerful plane crossing the menacing clouds ahead.

It takes you little time to arrive to your destination, the engine of your car is way more powerful than most of the automobiles out there.

Right by the door of your vineyards, a man that seems to be on the bones, salutes you.

“Yohohoho! What are you doing here, Boss? Welcome! Do I prepare a glass of Merlot or maybe a Pinot Noir for you tonight? ” he asks, taking his hat off, revealing an amazing afro underneath.

“Brook, take this to the jet. The pilot will be here at any minute, he is a new one so let him pass the door” you instruct your housekeeper, throwing your carry on at him.

His eyes, deep into the sockets of his skull, open wide. Of course, nobody expects you to fly with such storm outside… but that’s just you, and exactly how you are.

“Sure, Boss. I’ll sort everything out for you right away”

You take a swift look at the main house of your vineyards. Everything is perfectly clean and well kept. You are satisfied; your personnel works perfectly well. Except your private pilot, that one is already fired.

You sit down, flopping maybe onto a fancy couch. Nobody is watching, you are allowed to rest for at least just a moment. However, the calm lasts no longer than a couple of seconds.

“Miss (Name), the pilot is here” Brook comments, making your shut eyes to open slowly and -mostly- annoyed. You didn’t expect to see a man standing right next to your employee, but there he is.

“Who are you? why aren’t you on the plane already?” you ask, not even standing up but crossing your legs as you stiff your back muscles. Your thighs, flash a little bit of them underneath the cut of your pencil tight skirt. Your red nails carve on the sides of the armchairs.

The man, of steel eyes and dark hair smirks just a little with defiance and superior demeanour. Something you most likely don’t fancy but makes your insides… anxiously alive.

Wearing nothing but a private pilot uniform, he stands right in front of you. It shows that he is clearly not used to serve, but to be served. And you soon remember this man, who’s been called a “kid”, is in fact Donquixote Doflamingo’s nephew.

“You must be Doffy’s nephew; you are just like him; you don’t bow before anyone. Don’t you?” you ask, this time standing up. Not even your high heels are enough to surpass his height.

He hums. “Trafalgar Law, and I’m not like him” he spits. Apparently he is not only spoiled, but also hates his own family. “I’m not here to work for you, I am here because I’ve been told you needed a favour. You should know how to fly planes by now” he states.

You burn. How dare him tell you are not independent enough.

“Indeed, I do. Apparently you aren’t aware of the fact that I can’t fly without another pilot because of stupid laws and regulations. This isn’t a helicopter; this is a jet” you inform him, walking right pass him and asserting dominance with your hand on his shoulder.

You look him in the eye with a side look. Law, does the same. You are close, so close you can hear his breathing. And your image, imponent and beautiful, reflects on the golden hoops that hang from his right ear.

Both, intensely fight in silence. For what, however, none of you exactly know. And the energy between you two, could probably alter the weather, and the world itself…

“Come on, I have no time to waste. I need to be in London by tomorrow morning” you break the silence. Walking towards a big hall that takes you to the hangar, you turn around just for a couple of seconds to give a last lethal look at your new young companion.

Just a hint of flustered cheeks show in his face, but it’s enough for you to feel like you have won the battle of dominance. Or that’s what you thought.

The heavy steps behind you, makes you internally smile. You are used to be followed by almost mute employees, walking on eggshells not to piss you off. But Law is different; he is not doing this for the money, nor status. He is as suicidal as you, flying in this weather should be prohibited… in fact, it is. But the rich never ask for permission. You are know you are above everything else. And that includes the clouds, too.

“Give me a second, let me sort the charts” Law says, taking a look at the papers in his hands before climbing into the jet.

You nod, as you do the same with your laptop. Something inside you tells you to stop; that those conditions will bring more than mere turbulence. Yet, your cold heart, tells you something louder than your reason; “who cares if something happens, after all? Just do it”

Half an hour after, and a couple of swift looks at each other, Law and you are already set to departure.

For the first time since he arrived you notice the tattoos on his hands; knuckles inked with the word “D.E.A.T.H” rip a scoff from you. It is quite funny to you, that those hands could most likely either fly you to death if you aren’t lucky enough, or to London if you are.

“We don’t need to fly now, we can wait until the conditions seem better” Law murmurs, as those inked fingers turn on every button of the plane. “Your plans aren’t more important than any life”

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤOh. So, he is not that willing to die as Doffy said…

[conchcronch]

Kinktober 2024: Day 10

WC: 4665

Summary: Buggy is oblivious and may have missed your best performance because he was talking to another woman. And you intend to make him beg for your forgiveness.

The air was hot, almost stifling but you were in the zone. It had felt like years since you had performed in front of anyone other than your crew but tonight you finally had an audience, a real audience. Not a bunch of people shackled to their seats, clapping under the gauze of being let go, these were real paying people. You weren’t entirely sure how your captain had swung it, and you sure as shit weren’t going to ask him, you wanted to just enjoy this moment while it lasted in case it didn’t happen again.

The gasp from the crowd when you skillfully toyed with them sent a buzz through your body, you were dropping the sword before quickly catching the hilt as it slipped down your throat little by little until the cool metal guards rested against the corners of your open mouth. You pulled it out a bit before dropping it back in quickly, your eyes searching the crowd to find the person who you knew would be enjoying the performance more then anyone else.

He wasn’t in the wings, his usual spot when you preformed, never wanting to miss any part of your set while also wanting to be there in case on the extremely off chance something went wrong. You took a bow, sword still nestled in your esophagus the crowd roaring around you as you scanned the seats. Eyes finally finding the orange jacket and blue hair cascading from his hat.

But his eyes weren’t on you. Instead he was leaning over the wall of the ring, talking, laughing with someone. It wasn’t until you noticed her hand finding his that was resting on the barrier that your body began to buzz with a different feeling. You watched as her hand slid up his arm before grabbing the front of his vest and pulling him closer. You were seeing red at this point, and you were going to make sure he knew.

You theatrically pulled the sword from your mouth, licking the tip of it just how you knew he liked, hoping he saw but knowing the likelihood of that was low, before leaving the stage. You stormed past your crewmates who were all trying to congratulate you, telling you it was the best you’d ever preformed, and you knew they were right but in this moment you couldn’t have cared less.

When you closed your dressing room door you thought you might break, almost anticipating it. But you didn’t, the tears you expected to come never fell and instead where you thought you’d feel sadness, you instead felt anger. Jealousy. How dare he let her touch him, he even laughed, smiled at her. Were you nothing to him, just another act for his circus?

You pulled the zipper of your dress, a tight brightly coloured number with more ruffles then anyone could ever want. The zipper caught a few times, an issue you were very aware of but only served to piss you off more. You knew you’d get lectured when Buggy sees the hole you managed to rip when you pulled it down over your hips with the zipper jammed only half way down its track, but in this moment you didn’t care.

You heard the sound of applause across the tent and knew they were wrapping up the preformance. And even more so, you knew you were expected to be up there at the end, but no part of you wanted to get back into that costume and be shown off by him. You knew he’d come find you, likely with the intention to barrat you, little does he know you’ll be the one to barrat him.

You sat calmly awaiting the knock. You took off your stage makeup, threw on a loose fitting white dress that fell to your mid thigh with simple lace lining its hem and along the thin straps that sat on your shoulders.

You heard the click of his boots on the wood first. Giving you a few seconds to prepare before the banging met your door. You forced yourself to wait, let him keep going once, twice, even three more rounds of banging. He eventually called your name, a hint of worry apparent before you pulled the door open.

He was still in his full look, coat and hat to match. There was a flash of relief that was quickly covered by irritation. “Where the fuck were you?” You somehow managed to maintain a blank, unbothered expression, not moving out of the doorway to let him in. Making it very clear, to even the densest of clowns that you were unpleased.

“I was in here.”

“No shit” You remained in his way, and it was clear he was confused. You two had been in the same routine for years, after a performance you would go to his room or he yours and discuss everything. What worked, what didn’t, it was something you had looked forward to, it had become sacred. Despite having entered into a relationship with the captain, you were never exempt from critiques, you didn’t want to be, so you weren’t new to being on the receiving end of his anger. “Why were you here?” His eyebrow twitched in irritation, his jaw tightening. You were beginning to think he knew what he had done, but didn’t know if you knew or not.

“I wasn’t feeling up for being shown off by you.” You shrugged your shoulders.

“What are you even talking about? That’s your job, you’re mine to show off.” He was getting a bit frantic, his voice raising but you didn’t back down.

“Oh yeah, is that right?”

“You’ve been around long enough toots, you know full well that’s right!” You nodded, your lips pursed.

“How about you hire, oh I don’t know,” You pretended to think, leaning on the door frame. “Maybe that blonde chick in the front row. She looked like she’d take your directions quite well.” As much as you hated feeling this way, jealousy churning in your stomach until you felt like you might throw up, you did enjoy the look of realization when he managed to finally piece things together a fraction of a second before you slammed the door in his face.

“B-baby it’s not like that.” You pressed your back against the door, not that you expected him to try to open it against your will, you knew he could easily overpower you if he really wanted to, but something about the whine in his voice intrigued you.

“Of all the performances you had to flirt through, you had to make it mine!”

“I wasn- I would never!”

“I wouldn’t have even noticed if you had done it any other time, but no you had to do it in the middle of probably my best performance yet!”

“It was easily the best you’ve ever done!” He tried,

”I don’t need to hear that from you, I know it was!”

“P-please baby, just let me explain.” You waited for a few minutes, wanting him to sweat a little bit before you pulled the door open.

“Beg.” You watched his face go from oh fuck to oh…fuck.

“Can I at least come inside before I do?” You raised an eyebrow at him, watching as he rubbed at the back of his neck, a gesture you knew he did when he was conflicted about something. You stepped aside, giving him enough room to slip past you and into the room, closing the door behind him. “I wasn’t flirting.” You walked past him to sit on the stool of your vanity, turning so you were facing where he stood.

“You already said that.” You crossed your arms over your chest, eyes scanning over him.

“I wasn’t.”

“You’re beginning to sound like a broken record.”

“She was asking me something.” You nodded at him, trying to wordlessly encourage him to keep talking but he paused.

”Are you going to tell me, or expect me to trust you?”

“She wanted to know if I was letting anyone join my crew.”

“And the touching?”

“Sheesh, you really see everything up there.”

“Only you, you’re all I look at when I’m on stage.” You knew how words like that would affect him, confirmed by the way he opened his mouth to say something but closed it before the words came out. Taking a few seconds before deciding to speak again.

“She was trying to convince me to let her join.”

“How.” Despite it being a question, it sure didn’t sound like one.

“She said she would do anything to join.”

“Anything.” You repeated.

“I told her no.” You remained silent, the urge to go find her only beginning to pop up in your head. “She kept pushing, but I tried to turn my attention to you…But you were walking off stage.”

“So you missed the whole thing?” He let out a heavy sigh.

”Not all of it.”

A silence fell heavily between you two, neither sure who was going to speak first but it was you who finally severed it. “You’re going to make up for missing my performance.”

“I’ll do anything.” He stepped closer to where you sat, and when he finally got within your reach you grabbed the front of his shirt, just as the woman had and tugged him closer. You wanted to kiss him, god he had done his makeup perfectly, but as nice as it looked on his seemingly perfect skin you knew it would look much better smeared between your thighs. Moving your hand from his shirt to his shoulder you shoved him down to his knees, his eyes glued to you with an almost pleading expression. You uncrossed your legs but when he tried to lean forward you caught his forehead, stopping his advance.

With gentle hands you grabbed his hat, pulling it off of him carefully, knowing how easy it was to snag his hair. You turned to set his prized possession on your vanity, turning your attention back to him, his hair cascading over his shoulder in a such a delicate manner. You knew he wanted to be between your thighs, it was so clear. Which was why teasing him like this was so enjoyable. You carded your fingers through his long mane, gently working any knots you found loose before pulling it back into a tight ponytail, using the hair tie that lived around your wrist solely to be used by him to pull it back.

When content with the near perfectly ponytail you pulled it back hard, a gasp slipped from his painted lips. “Now,” You saw him swallow hard, his lips pulling apart enough that he could lick his lower lips “Make it up to me.” When he made no movement to nod, you did it for him. “If you do a good job, I may be inclined to return the sentiment.”

You didn’t need to glance down at his lap, you knew he was hard the moment you pushed him to his knees. You spread your legs far enough apart that his face could fit between them, the sight of your black panties electing a moan from him but your grip on his hair remained firm. You tried to tug against your grip but got nowhere, his eyes finally tearing away from your covered core to look up at you. “I told you to beg.” His mouth made a silent O before his hand reached out to run along your shin as he tried to get his thoughts organized as best as he could.

“Please my star”

“Please what?” His hand ran up your leg to your knee, making sure not to linger on your more ticklish part before running back down to your ankle.

“Please forgive me”

“For?” You cocked an eyebrow at him, watching as his second hand gripped your other leg as he pulled against your hold on his hair.

“Fuck, I-I shouldn’t have let her touch me.”

“And”

“I shouldn’t have l-laughed with her”

“Wrong”

“W-what do you mean wrong?” His eyes were scanning you, as though he thought the right answer was written on you somewhere. You pulled his hair, forcing his body further away from you.

“I mean, you’re wrong.” You spoke slowly, enunciating each syllable.

“What else did I do?” You forced yourself to inhale a long slow breath, calming your frayed nerves.

“You missed my performance.” You felt your eyebrow twitch, a feature that only happened when you were at your limit.

“S-shit yeah right” you pulled his hair back further, his hands coming away from your body so he could branch himself on his ankles behind him, his back arching beautifully.

“You have one last chance, if you mess it up you’re out.” He nodded repeatedly, his hands returning to your calves and his lips immediately pressing kisses to your knee.

“My precious star, my spotlight, please” each word was punctuated by a progressively sloppier kiss trailing down from your knee to your shin, eventually he raised your leg so he could trail the kisses down to your foot. Despite your extreme lack of a foot fetish, the way his eyes remained glued to your’s made it difficult for you to maintain your hardened expression. “Please my love, find it in your heart, your beautiful, talented heart to forgive me.” He brought your foot back down after pressing one final kiss to your arch. “If you can manage to forgive a lowly pirate captain like myself, I promise I will never let you down again.”

Never in a million years did you think Buggy would ever refer to himself as anything other than amazing, so hearing him refer to himself as ‘lowly’ makes your gut twist with guilt. “Bugs” the bite in your voice was gone, leaving behind a tone that shook a little as you let his hair go and reached forward to draw his face to yours.

He pushed himself to his feet quickly, allowing you to guide his lips to yours in a passionate kiss. “You know you’re not a lowly pirate captain, right?” In your hurt and anger you had forgotten just how self conscious you knew he was. His gaze averted from yours, looking down at your lips instead of your eyes.

“Y-yeah, I know.” His tone was anything but convincing. “I just, I know I fucked up. As soon as she grabbed my vest I realized, I’m just a bit…” his lips tightened together as he searched for the words “I’m not used to people flirting with me, s-so I don’t always clue in.”

“Bugs,” you smiled, pressing a kiss to his nose. “People flirt with you all the time, you ooze charisma, you just never clue in.” You couldn’t help the huff of a laugh when his eyes returned to your’s, a mix between shock and disbelief written across his face.

“You’re fucking with me.” You shook your head, gently pushing him back down to his knees.

“It’s amazing how oblivious you can be.” You opened your legs more, reminding him of the reason he was here in the first place. “But enough about you, I think you’ve forgotten why you came in here.” He scooched forward, his hands running along your inner thighs pushing them open even wider. “Gloves off” he paused, his eyes flicking up to you before he sat back on his haunches making sure you had a good view as he grabbed the middle finger of his glove between his front teeth.

The gloves were a part of him, it took years of sailing with him before you even got to see his hands. It wasn’t his intention, he didn’t dislike not having his gloves on, truthfully he forgot they were on. But when he clued into your love for his hands he made sure to use that to his advantage every opportunity.

You couldn’t hold back the moan that fell from your lips when he ran his bare hand along your soft inner thigh. His nails were painted the same blue as his hair, not his usual black you noted before your head tipped back as the tip of his thumb brushed against your covered core. “Tsk tsk, I think these panties might be ruined.” His lips met your other inner thigh, his red paint already showing the trail of kisses from this evening. With a practiced motion, he pulled your panties off, barely needing you to raise your hips for him. “Does seeing your Captain on his knees really get you this wet?” You nodded, a breathy yes fell from your open mouth. “Or maybe you just like being in control, is that it?” The whine that got stuck in your throat was neither affirmative or dissenting, but where Buggy would normally egg you on for a definitive answer he relented, pressing another kiss higher on your thigh, the hem of your dress hiking higher up. His thumb swiped over your damp folds, not firm enough to get you any satisfaction, and he knew that. “Do you want to take charge?” There was a smirk on his painted lips that only widened when you nodded. “Go on then.” He subtly tipped his head forward, offering you his long hair to you, moaning when you grabbed his long ponytail and pulled him forward.

“If you do a good job, I may be persuaded to return the favour.” You barely had time to register his hot breath on your soaked folds before his mouth was on you, devouring your cunt like he hadn’t eaten in months. Your firm grip on his hair kept him snug against you, giving him no room to pull away, not that he had any intention of doing so. You tipped you head back, a long heavy breath forced from your lungs as you lifted your hips enough to rut against his face, his nose grinding against your clit at the perfect angle. You held him tighter, not missing the moan that was swallowed by your cunt as your impending climax approached. “Fuck B-Bugs just ah fuck just like that.” He pressed two fingers into you, the wet slapping of your cunt seemed almost deafening but he maintained an even speed and pressure against your clit as you were tossed over the edge. Your thighs clamped down around his head, your toes curled to the point of cramping and you held his ponytail so tightly he almost complained.

When you finally regained enough sense, you let go of him, widening your legs to free him from your grasp. He pressed one final kiss to your tingling folds, taking the briefest of seconds to probe his tongue into your hole before pulling away, savoring your taste. His hands ran up and down your legs, watching as you slowly began regaining normal functions, your body humming as he touched you. “Do you forgive me yet?” He pressed a kiss to your knee, resting his cheek on your leg as he gazed up at you.

“God you’re beautiful.” You hadn’t intended the sentence to leave your lips, watching as he immediately got flustered, his eyes turning to look down.

“You’re stealing my line” he tried to huff out a laugh as he began fiddling with the end of his long ponytail. You leaned forward, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at you, pulling him up to his feet so you could press your lips to his, the taste of your slick prevalent on his tongue. You wanted to say something, something clever, something that would make his knees weak, but every time you opened your mouth he needily swallowed your moans, returning them with moans of his own. Without parting your lips, you began to stand up, your dress falling back down around your thighs, your legs about as sturdy as those of a freshly birthed giraffe. You moved your hand to his shoulders, stepping around him and forcing him onto the stool you had just been sitting on. You pulled away from him before he was ready, his head moving to try to reclaim your lips but giving up quickly.

The sight before you was downright erotic, his pants tented, makeup smeared, lips and chin still wet with a mixture of your cum and saliva. His eyes were wide, vulnerable as they followed you, moving from your eyes down to your body then back up to meet your gaze again. You stepped closer to him, noticing the way he spread his legs wider for you to stand between them. You leaned in, watching as he moved to try to catch your lips once again, and not missing the almost nonexistent whine when you dodged his advance. Opting instead, to push his jacket off his shoulders, your hands gliding along his bare arms underneath the worn coat. Next your hands moved to his neck, one on either side pressing into the tendons that ran along his throat. You moved from his neck to the back of his head, running your fingers through the few spray hairs that had slipped from his up do. With gentle fingers you pulled his hair out of it’s style, watching as it cascaded down his shoulders and back like a waterfall. You could see his hand move out of habit, going to tuck a long strand that had fallen in front of his face behind his ear, but he stopped before his hand had even left his thigh. You carded your fingers through his tresses, humming softly as you worked the few knots straight, gently scratching at his scalp. “Bugs” You moved forward bringing your knees up on either side of him so you could straddle his lap, immediately feeling his covered cock rub against your bare core. “Bugs” You tried again, a slight sing song to your hushed voice as your lips pressed a kiss to his temple, only getting a hum in response.

His hands ran up your thighs, pulling the hem of your dress up high enough that he could see his bulge pressing right between your folds, had it not been for his pants being in the way he could have slipped right into your begging hole. He looked up at you, his eyes soft, his mind fuzzy. “My star-“ His voice trailed off, hoping you would give into him without him having to ask. But he should have known better, you had been on the receiving end of him for long enough to learn how effective begging could be. “Please don’t make me beg anymore.” He watched as a smile played across your lips, your hips grinding against him enough to pull a whine from his shiny lips. You reached forward, cupping his cheek and running your thumb over his lips in such a gentle way it almost seemed as though you weren’t so wet you were sure to be leaving a damp spot on his pants. You pulled your hand away, opting instead to pull your arms from the very narrow straps of your dress, allowing the top portion to slip down and expose your chest to him. As if there was any doubt, his cock twitched against you and he swallowed hard.

“C’mon Bugs, lemme hear it.” He pursed his lips slightly, his eyes looking up at your from under his heavy lashes.

“Please.” His voice was quiet and he knew it wouldn’t be enough, but he had a little bit of hope that you were just as desperate as he is. But when you shook your head he sighed heavily. “My star-“ he ran his hands along your sides, the feeling of his warm palms on your bare sides was enough to make you moan but as he moved them around, clearly intent on touching you, you grabbed his hand in yours and stopping him from grabbing at your breast. ”Please” His voice took on more of a whiny tone.

“I know you can do better than that.” You brought his hand to your face, licking along his index finger before leading it into your mouth to suck on it the way you would his cock. You rocked your hips, feeling the way the thick material of his pants moved between your folds.

“Baby please,” You moved your tongue around his digit, guiding his middle finger into your mouth as well, your eyes locked onto his. ”Fuck I’m sorry, p-please just let me f- let me fuck you.” The hand that wasn’t trapped in your grasp ran along your thigh, radiating heat like a warm glow. “I’m so desperate for you.” He bucked his hip up, huffing a hint of a laugh when he felt you moan around his fingers.

“Tell me you don’t want anyone else.” You pulled his fingers from your lips, ropes of spit connecting his fingers to your mouth.

“Of course I don’t, you’re my everything, my s-star, the light in my big t-top, my s-spotlight.” He struggled to get the words out, even despite the lack of penetration you could tell me was already so close. “Fuck please baby, I’m s-so close please please just let me fuck let me feel you ‘round me.” He nearly cried when he felt your hands on his button, pulling the fabric apart and fishing his aching cock out. You wasted no time sinking down on him, feeling him throb between your walls. You leaned forward, resting your head on his shoulder as you slowly pulled up off of him until just his head stayed inside. You slowly sat back down on his cock, grabbing a fistful of his long hair and tugging on it as he bottomed out.

“You do as you’re told, don’t you?” He nodded, pressing his forehead against your shoulder, his jaw tight as he tried to focus on not finishing. You pulled back, sitting up so he wasn’t able to hide his face on your shoulder, his head moving to look up at you, his eyes were glassy and his waterline was barely managing to keep his frustrated tears back. “What are you not gonna’ do?” You began very slowly fucking yourself on his cock, the hand that wasn’t holding onto his hair cupping your breast, your thumb swiping over your hard nipple.

“I’m not gonna’ let anyone touch me.” You tugged on his long hair again, a long moan pulled from his lips.

“And?”

“I’ll never miss another one of your performances.” His voice was rough, his words hard to piece together as he bucked his hips up into you, trying to meet your hips before you were fully sat.

“Do you promise?” You pressed your forehead to his, your eyes locking as you allowed a moan to fall from your lips.

“Y-Yes I swear.”

“On what?” The fact that you weren’t letting him cum after all this forced a sob from his lips.

“I swear on my fuck on my fame, m’ship, on everything I have.” He babbled, completely unaware that you had let go on his hair, were matching his thrusts and had guided his hands to your chest, he was too far gone.

“Cum for me.” You hadn’t even gotten to full sentence out before you felt warmth flood your cunt, a broken moan falling from his open mouth, his arms wrapped around your waist and pulling you as close to him as possible. His hips thrusted up into you, fucking his seed into you as he rode his orgasm out before going limp against you. His breath was coming in short bursts, his forehead pressed into your chest as he tried to pull himself together. You started to pull off him, before sitting down fully again, a cry forcing itself past his lips as you pulled his chin up, pressing a kiss to his nose. “You’re mine Bugs, don’t you forget that.” The only indication that he heard you was a short whine and his cock twitching inside of you.

[hoes4matthew]

Warnings: fluff / little!chris / little!matt / cg!reader / bad spelling and grammar / low-key short

Summary: building a gingerbread house with chris :3

A/N: my first age regression fic yippe

Chris excitedly ran inside with the gingerbread house you recently bought whole grocery shopping. Matt happily ran a little bit behind him with a box of hot coco and marshmallows in his hands. They both excitedly ploped their things down on the kitchen counter.

You walked in with the rest of the groceries and shut the door behind you. Almost as soon as you put the groceries away you see Chris run up next to you.

"mama! can we make it now!? Tan we???" He bounced up and down excitedly. He's been so excited to build it ever since he saw it in the grocery store. Ranting about his ideas on how he was gonna decorate it.

"Of course! How about you get the stuff out of the box for me while I put the groceries away." He quickly nodded quickly. He ran back over to the kitchen table where the box was. He quickly and sloppy opened the box, nearly ripping it half.

It didn't take you long to put the groceries away. You walked over to Chris who's been waiting anxiously for you to be finished. He'd layed out all the different pieces and decorations.

"Alright bud!" You looked up to see Matt across the table hugging his stuffed animal and watching you two. He had his cosy Christmas blanket around him. "You wanna join baby?"

Matt shook his head. "I watch." He said quietly, laying his head on the table. Matt wasn't into the messy stuff. He was more of a cuddle with a hearted blanket while watching a christmas movie type person.

"That's okay." You smiled before you saw Chris attempting to build one of the walls himself. Which quickly failed, he let out a little groan of annoyance once the walls collapsed.

"Aw, it's okay bud! Let me help you." You two worked together while you helped build the house. He held up the walls while you used them, not at all helpful, icing. After some failed attempts and a near breakdown, you managed to get it to stand. Chirs let out a happy gasp of happines. "Thank 'ou mama!!"

"Your welcome darling! You can decorate however you want." Chirs turned too you nodding. He began carefully putting this icing on the roof of the gingerbread house. It's honestly the most focused you've ever seen Chris.

You heard Matt shyly mumbled something. You looked over to see him holding up a box of hot chocolate up. He had his favorite snoopy mug next to him.

"You wanna make hot chocolate?" He quickly nodded, getting out of his chair and running over to you with his cup and the hot chocolate.

You let him pour and mix everything himself. Besides the milk, which he requested you to pour. After the last time he spilled it on himself he didn't wanna pour his own milk anymore. He mixed it all up and put it in the microwave. He pressed the buttons as you told him how much time it needed. "Good job baby!" He smiled proudly as you praised him.

Then he quickly turned back to the microwave, swaying back and forth as he watched his cup spin around. Meanwhile Chris was adding his finishing little touches to his gingerbread house. You watched as he stuck a circle peppermint on the front. He'd somehow gotten frosting all over himself in the short amount of time you were turned away from him.

"That looks really good Chris." Matt tugged on your side as the microwave beeped. Pointing over to it. You laughed at his excitement before taking it out the microwave.

"Do you want whipped cream?" He thought for a moment before nodding. He watched you as you got the whipped cream and put some on top of his hot chocolate. He let out a happy squeak like noise.

"thank ou' so much mama!" He took a sip and nodded contently, going back to his seat and watching while Chris added one last decoration onto his gingerbread house.

"tada!" Chris steps back and looks at it proudly. There were sprinkles all over it in random places along with icing covering the whole roof, and apparently him too.

"Woah! It looks amazing!'' Chris held his head up proudly. Making sure you put it right in the middle of the table so anybody could see.

"Hey how about we all get cosy and watch a Christmas movie?" You didn't have to say that twice for Matt to be rushing to the couch. Meanwhile Chris changed into a new, clean shirt. He wanted to pick his own shirt.

"snowman!!" Matt kicked this feet happily. While you two got all ready to watch the movie, Chris was still oogling over his gingerbread house.

He eventually came over with you and Matt, He jumped onto the couch next to you and Matt with one of your holiday sweaters on. Leaning on your shoulder while Matt was on your lap.

This is kinda butt I'm so sorry

@cl4re-cain @1c3b4th @fratboychrisera @cherry-red-heart @mattybsgroupie (sorry is anybody from my taglist being tagged doesn't fw stuff like this 😢 you dont have to read if you donf fw kt c: )

[vnti-vnxiety-recs]

Mr.NotSoRighteous (M)

★  PAIRING: BadBoy!S.coups x RichQueenka! reader, Princess Complex!reader featuring:Joshua

☆ WORD COUNT: 18k

★ GENRE(S): smut, fake dating, Hate to love, slow burn

☆ SUMMARY: When your boyfriend Joshua breaks up with you and gets with your sworn rival, you are determined to get him back. You seek help from the known bad boy on campus who's not too fond of you. Can the campus outcast help you win your Mr.Right back?

★ ☆ WARNINGS: panic attack mention,smut/unprotected sex, y/n is a bitch, swearing, sexual acts, super brief mentions of drugs, poor description of a game of golf. 

☆★ NOTES: DONT LIKE DONT READ. wrap it before you tap it. Leave nice comments please or else <3 

Spending a Saturday night waiting for a text from a man was not one of your top priorities. It was a Saturday evening, and instead of being out with your girls, you're lazing around your dorm, waiting for a text from Joshua. This was your fifth fight all week, and all of this arguing was definitely not good for your pores. You were laying in bed, fluffy designer slippers kicking in the air. You scrolled aimlessly on Instagram, liking and comment on a few posts.

Normally Joshua would have taken you out over the weekend, but now that your schedule was clear, you figured you might as well take this to try and do some networking. Your father would always scold your social skills in formal settings; he said you were too “wild” and needed to “tone down the partying for the sake of the business's image.” Your figured you might as well take the opportunity to prove him wrong.

As the daughter of Carat Co., a diamond manufacturing company, it was in your best interest to keep a pristine image. The media was always attacking your family. Bringing a good image to your father’s company would benefit everyone. 

Normally you and Joshua would go to the mall over the weekend, and he would let you max out his cards by buying designer bags and shoes. Instead of him spoiling you rotten, you are back to ignoring each other again after another petty argument. 

You couldn't really blame him; you knew you could be a handful, and with his father giving him more control over the company, Joshua was more sensitive to your attitude. Joshua was the grandson of a CEO and his grandfather was hellbent on him undoubtedly inheriting the company. You tried hard, you swore you did, to be on your best behavior. You knew how stressed he was and your princess complex wasn't making it any better.

Normally your little quips didn't bother him; he was used to your bossy behavior, but earlier that week he had enough. He was late to pick you up from brunch with your mother, and when you called him a lousy driver, he blew up on you. Unbeknownst to you, he had just come from a failed business proposal. His grandfather was extra hard on him so he was already feeling down. In the moment, you did feel a sliver of guilt for not noticing his sour mood. You were so used to the ups and downs in your relationship with Joshua you expected him to call or text you back by now with an apology. 

He was usually the one to apologize first, even if you were in the wrong. (Which was never.) In your eyes you were perfect and when he didn't come crawling back to you, that knocked you off your high horse. For as long as you could remember, you had always gotten what you wanted. Joshua was one of those things. He was your white knight, and you were not done playing princess. 

As you're scrolling, you pass a post by Seo-Jun, the daughter of one of your father’s business rivals. Seo-jun has been your rival since grade school. She joined all the same teams you were in during middle school, participated in all the same extracurricular classes you took in high school, and applied to the same university as you. Seo-jun was like a bad cold you just couldn't get rid of. 

 Seo-jun was obsessed with proving she was better than you. Your father had outperformed hers in terms of annual business revenue once; apparently, that's all she needed to make it her goal to take everything away from you. If there was anyone more entitled than you, it was her. She wanted everything you had and made sure to get it—everything except for Joshua. 

You both had a crush on him in high school; granted, Seo-jun had a crush on him first. You really only started liking him to piss her off. You both fought to get his attention, but somehow he ultimately chose you.

In the present, you can't help but quirk a brow at your screen and let out an incredulous laugh. You almost scroll past it, but when you zoom in, you're certain. It's a post of Seo-jun and Joshua in a golf cart parked in the lush grass of your favorite country club. The caption was full of heart emojis. 

Was this bitch soft-launching your boyfriend?

That asshole knows how much you hate her! He was definitely doing this to get a rise out of you. You scoff and angrily type out a comment under the post. You hesitate, but ultimately erase it. You throw your phone in frustration. There was no way you were letting them know they got under your skin. You stare at your ceiling, deep in thought.

 You had to think of a way to get back at him! Screw that; you needed to find a way to get back with him. Not only would it piss off Seo-jun, but being with Joshua was just too beneficial. He was basically your little lapdog. If you told him to jump, he would ask how high. Too bad he grew a backbone; you roll your eyes. And Seo-jun! She's probably over the moon. Joshua was the last thing she could take from you, and she finally got it. You would die before you let her win.

If he wanted to play that game, you would just plug in a controller. You knew you had to make him jealous, but you honestly didn't know who you could use for the task. You didn't have many close guy friends; men gave you a headache. The few you did have were also close with Joshua and definitely wouldn't be up for the challenge. The other option was choosing a guy your father had been trying to set you up with for ages. He said it would be good publicity, but you knew getting mixed up with someone like that was trouble. It was too risky and could damage your father's business relations, so that was out of the question.

Maybe you could just pay one of the less fortunate students on campus to play your new boyfriend. You chuckle at the thought. Yea right, you were desperate, but not THAT desperate. You don't think any of them would even be up to the task, given that whenever you saw the scholarship kids walking the hallways on campus, you made a point to stare in disgust. 

You went to a prestigious university that normally only the wealthiest families could afford, but a few years ago, they started a scholarship fund to let in underprivileged  students. You figure they should be lucky to even breathe in the same air that you bless when you spray your high-end perfume.

 There was only one out of the unlucky bunch of outcasts that you had ever even held a conversation with, if you can even call it that. 

Choi Seungcheol was a mystery to some but a nuisance to you. He was never in class, caused trouble everywhere he went, and always started arguments with the snobby, well-off students. Well, maybe they picked on him first, but regardless, he should know his place. There was even a rumor that he sold drugs behind one of the old lecture buildings. Even with all the rumors surrounding him,. He was still able to maintain his scholarship. You deduced he must either have a brain in there somewhere or is bullying some poor kid into finishing his class work. 

You tried to steer clear of him, but somehow you ended up being one of his targets. You were one of the wealthy students he would throw jabs at, resulting in many arguments. He was the most insufferable man you had ever met. One afternoon, as you were walking to class, you saw him coming your way. You would have gladly taken a detour, but if you were late to class, your father would kill you. Time is money. You roll your eyes as you pass him, and he scoffs in return.

 “You can roll your pretty eyes as much as you want sweetheart; you’ll never find a brain up there,” he chides, making you stop in your tracks and turn to face him. The audacity of this man! 

“Animals speak? Science sure has come far.” You bite back. 

“Yeah, real mature,” he said, clicking his tongue.

“You started it, you mutt.” You continue walking, throwing the insult over your shoulder. You were so over this exchange, 

“Takes a bitch to know a dog, huh?” He spits at your retreating back.  You whip back around at the insult. You stumble over your words in shock. No one would get away with talking to you like that.

 “I knew you were trouble the moment I saw you! You're no good, and when I tell my father about this, you’ll be sorry!” 

“Oh? Big girl can't handle her own problems. Gotta have Daddy take care of them for you?” he smirks. You were beyond flustered as you stormed off. That's how a lot of your encounters would go, with him somehow leaving you at a loss for words. 

You curse yourself; there was no way in hell he would accept your offer, and even if he miraculously did, he was definitely going to make your life a living hell. You weren't even sure where to find him, and there was no way you were going to go around campus asking for him. 

In the present, you sigh. It is going to be hard to track him down now that you are willingly looking for him. You were just about to give up on the whole revenge plan once you realized how much work it would be, but then a ding from your phone caught your attention. You look at your screen, and it shows one new message from your friend Lia. She sent you a new post from Joshua's page.

 "Girl, you gotta see this,” her text reads. In the picture, Seo-jun was now sitting in Joshua's lap as they locked lips.  

WAS YOUR BOYFRIEND HARD-LAUNCHING THIS BITCH?

You audibly gasp. And here you were about to be the bigger person. If they go low, you go to hell, and who other than Satan himself to help you with your scheme? Somehow, he always seems to appear when you least expect him. Who knew the day would come when you were hoping to hear his crude remarks? If you had to turn the campus upside down looking for Seungcheol, you would. If you had to get on your knees and beg for his forgiveness, you would probably bend your knees a little bit, clasp your hands together, and say please, maybe once? That was all he would get out of you,  but you had high hopes that he would play along. You knew he would love to have some type of power over you; knowing your fate was in his hands was enough to please him.

“I'll see you on Monday,” you plot.

It's Monday morning, and you're already off to a terrible start. You have scoured high and low looking for Seungcheol in between your classes, but he was nowhere to be seen. You hoped he didn't skip class and stay home. You're almost tempted to ask around, but decide against it. Asking questions would raise too many red flags, and Seungcheol was not well-liked on campus; you doubted anyone knew where he was.

You trudge into your biochemistry class dejected, so tired that you collapse onto your seat. You lay your head down on your desk and close your eyes to rest. After a few moments, your professor finally shows up. You should probably pay attention as he explains today's lab, but you're still too tired to even bother. Luckily for you, you sat at the back of the class. 

You don't think he would notice if you took a quick nap and got comfortable. You are almost completely under when you hear the professor scoff. You think he's about to reprimand you, but what he says instead has you sitting up straight just the same.

“Nice of you to join us, Mr. Choi; I thought I'd only have the joy of seeing you during testing.” 

"Sorry sir, I was feeling a little under the weather,” he yawns unabashedly, like he just woke up from the best nap of his life. 

"Well, it's nice to have you sitting in on a lab for once; these are also a huge percentage of your grade.” Your teacher nags.

You almost don't believe it—that bastard was in your biochemistry class the whole time? Your professor, who doesn't look impressed at all by Seungcheol’s story, tells him to quickly find a seat. Seungcheol begins to walk towards the back of the room. He locks eyes with you as he approaches the empty desk next to you; at least that's where you thought he was going.

“Get up; this is where I always sit.” He instructs 

You blink twice at his impudence. You have sat here every day…all year. You have to bite your tongue; if you want his help, you have to be nice. You fight the scowl from your face.

 “Of course.” You get up reluctantly and move one desk over. 

He gives you a weird look. The you that he knew would have put up more of a fight and called him out on his bluff. He's convinced you've been a victim of body snatching, and the person in front of him was an imposter. He sits cautiously, eyeing you up and down.

You expect him to at least take notes given the fact that he's missed months worth of class, but you should have known better. Instead, he just sits there, lying back in his seat, arms crossed over his broad chest, as he inspects you. He partially sat here to rile you up. He wasn't interested in what your professor had to say; he would do the lab after hours. As much as the professor nags at him, he will allow the makeup. Seungcheol just liked the eerie quiet of an empty building; he worked better. It was seldom that he came to class; he did his own independent studies and just showed up on exam days to ace them and keep his grade afloat.

The desks were closely packed together,which is another reason why you sat in the back away from others. You liked your space. Seungcheol, who was manspreading so much that his knee was against yours, seemed to enjoy your space as well.

You're tempted to knock his knee away in disgust, but you remember again that you actually need him, so you keep yourself in check. You don't realize your glaring eyes have started to wander from his invading knee to his face. You rake his body over and can't help but stop at his thighs. They were so thick, you wondered if he had to jump to put jeans on. Your eyes continue up until they reach his smug face. He waits for you to blow up at him, but you just blankly study his features; you never noticed how handsome he was. His obnoxious comments were really taking away from the view; he should learn to talk less and smile more.

He's more than a little disappointed that you didn't respond to his knee nudging yours; you were no fun.

“What's wrong? Why is Miss Princess being so quiet today? I didn't know you could be so docile.” He jokes, and he wonders what's gotten into you.

“Wait for me after class. We need to talk.” You demand. 

“That's not how you ask for favors, pretty girl.” He shakes his head. “You were being so good to me earlier; what happened?”

You sigh as you think to yourself. You hadn’t even gotten yourself involved with this man yet, and he's already working your patience. He's already making you regret this. You pinch yourself and breathe in deeply. You can tell Seungcheol enjoys watching your internal struggle. It's not like it's the first time you’ve ever had to be polite; you could do this! The only thing that could account for your peculiar behavior today was whatever you needed from him, so he is figured it must be pretty important.

“Puh-” You stutter

“almost there, you got it!” Seungcheol says

“Puhleeee” You stammer again. This time, he says nothing as he waits patiently, gesturing for you to continue.

“puh-lease,” you let out a staccato beat, finding it easier to say if you split up the syllables. 

You pat yourself on the back. That was enough strenuous activity for today. You look up at Seungcheol, meeting his gaze. He looks satisfied enough but you're unable to tell if your hard work has paid off.

“Ok, let's talk after class,” He says nonchalantly as he turns back to face the professor. He's given up on bugging you, so he pretends to at least pay attention during the lecture.

Class is over, and you pack your things slowly, waiting for everyone to clear out. You can't risk anyone overhearing you, or else it would be over before it even started. Once the classroom is empty and you're sure you're alone with Seungcheol, you look over to see him looking bored, pushing his pencil back and forward on his desk as he waits for you to speak.

“We need to go somewhere more private.” You say.

Seungcheol rolls his eyes at that. “You're losing me love; I don't have all day. No one’s even here.” He gestures to the empty room

“Then give me your number,” you continue. “If you're busy now, just text me when you're free! I promise it won't be a waste of time.” You don't want to go into too much detail; you're too paranoid that someone was curious to see why you were hanging back after class with a scholarship kid. Maybe someone was listening outside; you don't know, but you refuse to take a chance. You reach out your hand, gesturing for him to hand over his phone.

He unlocks it, handing it back to you, and you quickly send yourself a message. Satisfied with your handiwork, you grab your things, wave goodbye, and leave. Watching your retreating back as the click of your heels sounded throughout his ears, all Seungcheol could think about was how peculiar you could be at times and just what it was that he had agreed to.

It wasn't until later that night that he texted you, letting you know he was finally free. You send him the address to a restaurant he didn’t recognize and instruct him to be there in the next hour. The restaurant you picked was completely off campus; you wanted to make sure it was a place that presented zero chance of you running into anyone you knew. 

When you arrive at the slightly run-down mom-and-pop shop, you find Seungcheol already sitting in a booth. You approach and notice he’s ordered a shake and fry. He's too busy munching on his food and scrolling on his phone to acknowledge you. 

Even if he wasn't preoccupied, you doubt he’d be able to recognize you by the way you're dressed. You're dressed in a cheap party city wig that was haphazardly slapped on your head. You wore a trench coat that definitely stood out in the warm weather of spring and thick-rimmed sunglasses. You look ridiculous, but it had to be done. If you wore any of your regular clothes, someone would definitely recognize you; you had a very distinctive style. All your clothes were custom-made and tailored to you. You sit down in the booth in front of him, clearing your throat and drawing his attention. A look of confusion crosses his face.

“It’s me.” You pull the shades down just slightly to give him a good look at you.

“I know…” he deadpans.

“I didn’t want anyone to notice me,” you explain, snatching the wig from your head in embarrassment.

“It's almost 80 degrees outside; you look stupid.” He can't help but laugh as the initial shock wears off.

“You think I don't know that!” You reach for a fry and snatch the shake out of his hand, helping yourself. Your mood changes in an instant upon tasting the flavor. "Omg, I love chocolate shakes.” You sip happily on your new drink. 

Seungcheol sighs heavily but lets you have it without a fight. “What did you need to talk about?” he reaches for a few fries and dips them in your shake before eating them. 

“I need you to ask me out,” you state plainly, taking a long sip of the shake, hoping the chill can stop the heat of embarrassment from crawling up your neck. You hated this feeling; you were never anxious. What really made you nervous, though, was Seungcheol's laid-back demeanor. 

“And why would I agree to do that beautiful?” he smirks, observing you nervously chew on your straw.

You rolled your eyes at the compliment; you knew he was being patronizing. He was trying to get you worked up, and it was working. Suddenly, the fire that he was used to was roaring behind your eyes again. 

“Because you are a selfless person who helps people in need,” you say with a condescending smile.

“You? Needy? When have you ever needed anything from anyone, let alone me?” he asks. 

“We just have to pretend for a few months. I just want to make Shua jealous so he comes back to me.” You cut to the chase. 

“Oh? Lapdog ran away from home?” He redirects

“Jus’ means a new position has opened up,” you shrug

"You once told me that breathing the same air as me was a biohazard because I was poor." he furrowed his brows in disbelief.

“And in debt.” You correct.

“Shitty scholarships,” he shrugs factually.

“And if I can cover what they can't?”

Now you seem to have his attention. He wishes you would have said that from the beginning; it would have saved time. You knew he wouldn't do this out of the kindness of his heart.

“How much are we talking?” He licks his lips.

You were already ahead of him. You pull out a folder from your trench coat and slide it to the other side of the table. The action reminded me of the old noir movies your dad used to watch. Seungcheol can only narrow his eyes at your antics. This couldn't get any more cliche.

Seungcheol takes the folder and skims the contents. His eyes grew in size, betraying the poker face he wore. He knew you desperately needed his help, but he didn't think you were this desperate. You must really, really love Joshua, he thinks.

“I know I'm asking for a lot so I'm not afraid to compensate.'' You continue to explain. “If more is needed, don't be afraid to speak up.” 

He skims over the details and reads the agreement. After the contract was up, he would receive a lump sum amount for his time, and on top of that, every time you needed him for an official public appearance, he would receive additional payment. He continues to read and sees that physical contact is also in the contract. You would also pay for each kiss, and anytime he had to hold your hand. Seems excessive, but there are no arguments on his side. At one point, you go over a set of rules. Seungcheol had already skimmed over them but listened anyway. The rules were as follows:

No unnecessary kissing or touching 

No unnecessary hangouts/meetups

No pursuing other people romantically while the contract is active

The contract expiration may be subject to change in the event that Joshua Breaks up with Seo-jun sooner

“I want to add a rule,” he adds confidently. 

“no,” you scowl.

“Then I'm out,” he says nonchalantly.

“Ugh! Fine.” You throw him your pen. He takes it happily and begins to make changes to  the page. He hands the pen and paper back to you and you review his notes. You give him a look before rolling your eyes. You were ready for this whole exchange to be over so you accepted the added rules with no further pushback. The rules now read the following:

No unnecessary kissing or touching 

No unnecessary hangouts/meetups

No pursuing other people romantically while the contract is active

The contract expiration may be subject to change in the event that Joshua Breaks up with Seo-jun sooner

No swearing at Seungcheol or else punishment will be received 

No name-calling Seungcheol or else punishment will be received 

“Sign the bottom dumbass,” you smile.

“Did you even read it?” He groans

“We haven't signed anything yet so I still have free reign to call you whatever I want.” You quip as you poke your tongue out at him.

“Just give me the damn pen,” He huffs.

The next couple of days were spent easing into the fake relationship, trying to be as natural as possible. You couldn't just show up to class the next day as a couple, not when everyone knew your history together. They had all bore witness to your many scuffles. You needed to make sure you were seen having more friendly encounters, so that meant no more insulting words as you passed each other in the halls. You were going to have to start staging interactions. You made a point to wave at each other and eat together in places that everyone could see. People couldn't help but gossip and started to speculate if you guys were dating. When you guys were spotted walking to class together holding hands,  people could not believe their eyes. It wasn't until the rumors reached their peak that you bothered to confirm them. You uploaded a new post to Instagram. It was a simple picture of Seungcheol and you at a local cafe. You decide to confirm the rumors with a simple heart emoji in the caption; there is no need to say more.

Hows that for a hard launch, Joshua?

You almost had everyone fooled. Your friends are the only ones who don't believe the rumors. They knew you hated Seungcheol, and they were constantly trying to get the truth out of you. To them, this was completely out of character, and you knew you had to come up with something to get them off your back. Eventually, you told them that your dad had cut your allowance short and you wanted to rebel and piss him off. They reluctantly bought your story; it didn't bother them very much; they were used to you dropping things once you were bored with them. 

Now that your fake relationship has taken off, the real game could finally begin. 

It's the week after establishing your relationship in the public eye, and you invite Seungcheol over to your apartment. You want to brief him on the next thing you have in mind. You get a text from him letting you know he's in your driveway. You have to jog across your dorm to get to the door in a timely manner. The dorm you're staying in doesn't hold a candle to your family's home, but it's big enough to be a hassle to have to cross.

You open your door and greet the man waiting. He was dressed very comfortably; he had told you earlier that he would come after mixed martial arts practice. You're a good host, so you show him around before leading him to your office and sitting him in a swivel chair. 

“Ok! Tomorrow is Monday. This means Joshua will be going to Spade Oaks; this is the perfect opportunity to make him jealous.” You begin drawing stick figures on the whiteboard that spans the back wall.

“What’s spade oak?” Seungcheol yawns. He looks tired; practice must have taken a lot out of him. His hair was ruffled, no doubt from the sparring that took place earlier in the day. You almost wanted to grab a comb and fix it for him, but you had more pressing matters to attend to.

“It's the country club I'm a member of. I only got the stupid thing because Shua likes golf,” you shrug offhandedly, drawing more details on your figures

“That sucks.” Seungcheol remarks.

“I know, I prefer tennis,” you shrug

“I meant the drawings,” he says, stifling a laugh.

“Just pay attention!” you huff. “This is important business," you said, setting the marker down with a clack.

He takes a deep breath to ward off anymore laughter. "OK, OK, continue.” 

“Tomorrow I'm going to Spade Oaks to show off my new boyfriend, and hopefully we can catch Shua in a friendly game of golf.” You finish.

“Lucky for you, I actually played a little golf in high school.” 

“Really!” 

"Mini golf," he says, laughing at his own dad joke.

You throw your dry-erase marker at him in reply to his stupid pun. You almost swear at him but hold your tongue. Seungcheol stares at you expectantly with a raised brow, challenging you to break his rule. He was more than disappointed when you didn't take the bait. You let out a sigh and collected yourself before returning to the whiteboard and using the extra marker that was attached to draw a new figure into the scene.

“If Shua really is there, Seo-jun is likely to have tagged along. She would never pass up a chance to try and one-up me.” You turn back to Seungcheol 

“Got it, golf. This was great, but you really could have just texted me this.” Seungcheol gets up and stretches. 

His shirt rises slightly during the process, allowing you to catch a brief glimpse of his happy trail before it returns to its proper position. You are even more annoyed by his ability to look good in sweatpants. That was enough for today; he was clearly over it, and so were you. You usher him to the door, but before pushing him out, you give him a stern warning. 

“If you screw up tomorrow, you're not getting paid!” And just before he can complain, you slam the door in his face. 

Seungcheol meets you first thing in the morning. When you arrive at Spade Oaks, you look him over one more time, making sure his appearance is perfect. He's dressed lightly for the warm weather. He’s wearing khaki slacks and a black polo shirt that almost looks a size too small as it constricts against his arms and chest. His ass is definitely fatter than yours in those slacks, and it's making you mad. Get a grip. You shake the thoughts from your mind and loop your arm around him as you walk.

“Are you ready to have fun today, babe?” You ask jokingly, making obnoxious kissy faces at him. Seungcheol smiles bitterly in return.

He grits his teeth and puts on a false smile to match yours, "Of course, sunshine."

You guys compliment each other so well

You show him around the grounds. Your little tour not only introduces him to some of your acquaintances but also serves as a good way to look for Joshua without being too obvious. After another impromptu introduction, you finally spot the man you were looking for alone on the outside deck. A crooked smile makes its way onto your face as you casually lead Seungcheol outside. 

 “Oh, Joshua? What are you doing here!?” Of course he would be here; you two used to frequent this place all the time. You were together so often that the staff looked Seungcheol up and down like he grew another head before they realized he wasn't Joshua.

“Oh, I'm just here with Seo-jun. We're about to head down to the golf course.” Joshua was a bit taken aback at your sudden appearance, especially with a new man in tow, but he couldn't help but smile in triumph when he saw your nose scrunch up at the mention of Seo-jun. “Who's your friend?”

Before you can introduce him, Seungcheol extends his arm for a handshake. 

“Im Seungcheol, I assume you're the ex?” 

Joshua lets out an incredulous huff at the statement. “Yeah, that ex,” he states bitterly, shaking Seungcheol's hand in a tight handshake.

You're sure he's making reference to how long he and you have been together. He's the ex of 4 years who she tells you not to worry about.

This was clearly working, and you could jump for joy, but your joy was short-lived because you happened to catch a glimpse of the Incarnate Devil out of the corner of your eye. Seo-jun emerges from the restroom and immediately rushes over to Joshua when she realizes it is you he is been speaking with. 

“I'm so sorry to keep you waiting sweetie,” she pouts, then places a quick kiss on his cheek. 

She turns you like an afterthought. She looks you up and down. "Hello y/n, long time no see. We should really catch up, yeah?” She doesn’t ask; she simply pulls you off the deck and inside the bathroom.

 Once you're far away from any prying ears, she lets you have it.  “What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” She smiles despite her harsh words.

“I'm here to play golf.” You smirk nonchalantly as you walk up to the mirror in the bathroom, fixing your hair.

"Oh please, you hate golf.” She stands beside you with a huff, touching up her makeup.

“Guess things change, unlike you. Still chasing after my shadow?” You ask, making eye contact with her through the mirror.

“I know why you're here. Stay away from him,” a calm washes over her features in seriousness.

“He's all yours; don't worry.” You raise your hands in defeat. “If we're done here, I've got a game to start.” You say this as you turn to the door.

“How about you and your new little boy toy play us in a quick game of Two-Man Best Ball?” Seo-jun successfully stops you in your tracks.

“You're on.” You smirk.

You and Seo-jun walk back to the deck, and she fills Joshua in on the game you agreed to play.

“You don't even like golf.” He states.

“I guess I just like playing it with Seungcheol,” you shrug. You can see his eyebrows furrow in betrayal; you never played golf with him.  

Seungcheol takes your hand in his and kisses the top of your head. “I like playing with you too baby.”  

Out on the course, Seungcheol plays a lot better than you expect. You can tell it's his competitive attitude that drives him, rather than the prospect of trying to impress you. The score is a lot closer than you would like, but you take what you can get. You had no interest in golf, but you at least knew the basics, so you were grateful you could at least keep up.

Joshua's turn is next, and he swings his club, putting the golf ball off into the air. Even though he doesn't score well on this swing, Seo-jun makes sure to encourage him just as much. You would not let her out-girlfriend you, so whenever Seungcheol scored well, you would give him a kiss on the cheek with some words of encouragement. 

You were starting to have fun. You had almost forgotten that the reason you were doing this was to make Joshua jealous. Words of affirmation were slowly becoming genuine, and you even found yourself anticipating the short kisses you shared. It was the last thirty minutes of the game, and you weren't even looking back to see Joshua's reactions anymore. You found that you could only focus on the way Seugcheol would either hug you or kiss you on the top of your head, following with a “that's my girl” whenever you would score well on a hole. You had to snap yourself out of it. Every time you guys had some form of skinship, he would be getting paid. 

Of course he's being extra affectionate. It's his job, dummy. You chide yourself in thought. 

You are the last player to swing, and it is neck and neck at the final hole. If you scored well, it would put you ahead of Joshua and Seo-jun. It wouldn't be by much, but it was still a win. Joshua wasn't as good as you expected if a bunch of newbies were keeping up with him. You steel your nerves and make your final swing. It was a beautiful swing that ended the game in your favor. You immediately drop your club and run into Seungcheol's arms to celebrate. It seems he has the same idea because his arms are already open and waiting for you. He picks you up effortlessly and spins you around in a tight embrace. When your feet touch the ground again, Seungcheol kisses you without a second thought. He pulls away just as quickly, and you're left dazed. Seo-jun's annoying voice brings you back down to earth.

“Winning isn't everything guys,” she grumbles. 

You roll your eyes then you finally remember Joshua. The look on his face made everything worth it. On the outside, he was calm, but you knew him too well for that to be true. He's upset. The tight smile and deathly grip on the golf club were dead giveaways. Now the real question was if he's upset about losing or if he's jealous. After a moment of debate, you decide that you don't care about the reason. As long as you were able to get under his skin, you consider that a win.

“Good game,” he grits reluctantly. “Let's go, Seo-jun,” he states as he packs up his equipment. 

Seo-jun, ever the follower, runs after his retreating back, “coming sweetie!”

Seungcheol already had your things packed up as Seojun and Joshua pulled off in their golf cart. As soon as they are out of earshot, you turn to him.

“So I guess you're good for something,” you say.

“Don't start princess; we were having a good day,” he exhales exasperatedly. 

He was right; today had been fun, but that was the problem. You were not supposed to have fun with Seungcheol, You were not supposed to like his touch as much as you did and you sure as hell were not supposed to crave his kisses. The one you were supposed to want  was Joshua but right now all you could think of was Seungcheol. You had to put a comfortable distance between you two again so you did what you did best and threw a wet blanket on all the fun you had.

“I was only pretending to have fun! How could I have fun when Seo-jun is all over Joshua? In case you forgot, he's supposed to be mine, not hers.” You grit out, suddenly finding it a bit hard to find your words. The hurt that flashes in Seungcheol's eyes almost makes you regret opening your mouth. It's not like this was new; you say stuff like this all the time but for some reason, after a day of joy and laughter, the cold reminder that this was all just temporary was not welcome.

 “Whatever.” He throws the equipment in the back of the golf cart, not wanting to argue anymore. “Get in.”

 You followed his lead and got in the cart. The ride back was a silent one. 

After that day, Seungcheol’s attitude towards you completely changed. There was no more playful banter or flirty pet names; it was straight business. When you were in public, he played his part and immediately pulled away when the coast was clear. When you had paid him the sum that you owed him, not even a thank you was muttered; he just took the funds and went on about his day. This shouldn't bother you, but it does.  You shouldn't care about his feelings, but you do. It's not like what you said was wrong! Why are you being treated like such a bad guy when all of this was a lie? Still, for whatever reason, you find yourself trying to be in his good graces again.

You're slightly late to your biochemistry class. Since you started dating, you have made sure that Seungcheol and you walk into class together. Appearances were everything. Today, though, you told him you would be running late. You come into class with two frappuccinos instead of the usual one. You sat on his desk, forcing his attention up from his phone and onto you.

“Is this your way of saying sorry?” He relents but accepts the gift. 

“Don't get ahead of yourself; they just gave me an extra one,” you state matter-of-factly.

You were apologizing. You would never come right out and say it but you did feel bad. There's no better way to fix problems than to throw money at it. You would rather do that than talk about the cause of your little outburst on the golf course. Seuncheol doesn't expect much else out of you, and truthfully, he's surprised he even got this much. He had already decided to let it go; he just wanted to see how much you would grovel first. 

Answer: Not a lot

And just like that, he's walking you to your next class like nothing happened. He mentions offhandedly a judo match he has later that day; he even invites you to watch him spar.

“And why would I want to watch two sweaty men throw each other around?” you inquire. 

“Because you're my girlfriend, and you're supposed to support me.” He extends his arms, handing you the books he's been carrying for you, marking your arrival at your next class. You take them without a word and kiss him on the cheek for show.

“Of course, how could I forget.” you smile sarcastically. 

“I'll send you the address later.” He swats your backside as you walk into class. You turn to face him, but he just sends you a shit-eating grin. You figure it was his form of payback. You try your best to hide the small smile that breaks across your face.

He said he would text you but he ends up calling after you finish all your classes. You thought it would be a quick exchange of information but you end up staying on the phone with him all the way until you get home. It was the longest you had ever spoken to each other without throwing around insults. He tells you about how he trained in taekwondo for 7 years and that he recently picked up judo. Today's match would be judo; it would be his first one upon picking up the sport. As he tells you more about himself, you find that you enjoy listening to him speak. When the conversation switches gears and it's your turn to talk, you don't say much. You're not one to open up easily; what could he possibly want to know? You're rich; that's all that matters.

You have to end the call to shower and get ready for the match. After you shower, you get ready to put on your favorite designer skirt, pairing it with a frilly crop top. You don't forget to accessorize with a rose gold Cartier bracelet and matching necklace. You throw on your Celine Ave shoulder bag and grab your shades. You top it all off with your favorite pair of Louboutin heels. 

Earlier over the phone, Seungcheol told you to dress casually because he knew you would stick out like a sore thumb otherwise. You hate being casual; casual was boring, and casual didn't get your attention. For all you knew, this was casual; it was just designer casual. 

 It takes you about 20 minutes to get to his martial arts gym and when you step out of your pink Porsche 718 boxster, all eyes are on you. You pull your shades down over your eyes and smile at the attention. You walk inside and Seuncheol is already waiting in the lobby for you with a disapproving look on his face. 

“What's the matter, babe?” you smile 

“You're causing a scene,” He groans  

 “Sorry, should I have driven the Pink Audi instead?” you shrug and grab his hand. “Lead the way,” you urge. 

Seungcheol scoffs in amusement but follows your order. You hear a few whoops and hollers as he takes you to a matted sparring room, but one glare from Seungcheol shuts it all down. When you enter the room, his opponent is already warming up. As soon as you step from behind Seungcheol, his opponent coos upon seeing you.

“It's a shame you brought your girlfriend; now she's going to have to watch you lose.” He teases playfully

“We’ll see," he replies coolly. He turns to you and grabs your face, placing a gentle kiss on your lips. Maybe all the gawking really did bother him.

“For good luck,” he whispers and releases you. 

Your face begins to heat, and you're afraid he could feel the heat seep into his palms, which still cradled your face. You nod dumbly before finding your seat. It's not long after Seungcheol finishes stretching that the match begins. It's exactly as you had expected—two sweaty men throwing each other around on a dirty mat—but you couldn't keep your eyes off of Seungcheol. You surprised yourself at how loudly you could cheer. 

The way he forces his opponent into submission and pins them to the mat made butterflies erupt in your stomach; you kind of wanted him to throw you around next. The way he uses his strong thighs to lock onto his opponent to ensure they don't move and the way his chest heaves at the extraneous task makes your mind wander to unholy places. You are so far gone that you can’t even remember how the game ended. You assume Seungcheol won with the way he helped his opponent to his feet. They make small friendly banter as you watch from the sidelines. Once he's done, he approaches you with the widest grin you've ever seen. You have grown accustomed to his scowl; you didn't even know his face could do that. His face lights up when he smiles. Under his tough exterior, a soft light shone. You wanted to see this side of him more.

“I just need to help clean up, and we can leave, ok?” He's dripping in sweat, still trying to catch his breath. 

 You smile and congratulate him. He looks like he wants to hug you but decides against it. He knows you’d throw a fit if he got any sweat on your designer. He gives you one last smile before heading back to the changing room.

 When he comes back, he starts straightening up. You're sitting on a bench watching him put up the mats and clean the area. You enjoy the silence that settles, and you enjoy just being in his presence. Once he’s done, he comes over and sits down next to you.

“I’m proud of you princess; you didn't complain at all today,” he teases. “Who knew you could be well behaved?”  

You were just as surprised; today taught you a lot about yourself. First and foremost, you would kill to be manhandled by Seungcheol. Second, you learn you definitely have a thing for his thighs. Lastly, you learn that praise makes your stomach twist in all the right ways. 

“You smell; go shower. I'm tired and ready to go,” you utter, never finding it easy to agree with him.

“Why don't you join me princess? Give you a reward for being good.” His voice drops to a whisper. “What are you thinking about, huh? Want me to throw you over my shoulder and take you with me? Ask nicely, and I might be gentle.”

Your breathing picks up, and you want to disagree, but you can't find your words. All you can do is stumble over a response.

“wha-I don't,” you stutter

“Just kidding, doll.” He teases with a smirk. Then he leaves for the showers and you're left trying to figure out what just happened. 

An emergency meeting is called later that week. You decide to meet at Seungcheol’s place; he lived closer to campus, and you were too impatient to wait until you got home to go over the details. You make your way up the stairs of his apartment, him not too far behind, as you ramble about how important it is to pay attention. You both make it to his apartment, and he unlocks the door, trying his best to tune you out. He enters first, and before you can even step through the door, a white fluff ball bounds to the door. You immediately step back outside. 

“What is…that?” You don't even attempt to hide your disdain. 

“I told you I had a dog,” he shrugs, picking up the dog and cooing at her affectionately. 

Now that you think about it, he did mention a dog. “Oooh, Koda?” you try. 

“Kumma,” he glares. “She's my little princess; isn't that right baby?” he coos even more affectionately. 

Being jealous of a dog was not something you wanted to admit. You already don't like dogs but you especially don't like this one.

“Cute, but I don't want her getting her dirty paws on my Louis Vuitton,” you snide. 

Seungcheol rolls his eyes and he walks further into the house with Kkuma in his arms before disappearing around a corner. A few minutes later, he returns empty-handed. 

“I put her up, now come in; your letting the air out.” 

Once inside, you scan the house and you take your shoes off by the door. “At Least it's clean,” you say

Seungcheol stayed in a small apartment on the second floor. Granted, little furniture occupied the space, but even so, it was roomy. You wouldn't give it too much credit, though; it was still far smaller than the space in your home closet. Seungcheol can feel your judgment.

“I'm never inviting you over again,” he says with a shake of his head 

“I didn't even say anything!” 

You both sit down in his living room and get comfortable. He leans back against the couch and waits for you to begin your rambling. 

"Tomorrow, my father is hosting a rooftop dinner to celebrate the expansion of the company.” You start off, “Shua's father and my father are business partners, so that means Shua is bound to be there.” 

He doesn't know why, but hearing you call Joshua by that nickname upsets him. You only ever call him by his name. But when it came to Joshua, it was still Shua this, Shua that. He wanted to Shua’t himself in the head.

"Ok, so you want me to attend this dinner party with you, is that right?” Seungcheol recaps.

“Precisely,” you smile and pat his head.

You tell him he's probably going to have to meet your parents. Honestly, you were more nervous about that than anything else. It really shouldn't matter to you because you guys would be breaking up by the end of the year anyway, but you still want him to leave a good impression on them for some reason. You coach him on all your parents favorite things to help him if he ever finds himself stuck in conversation with them. 

“Any questions?” You finish up.

“What do you have against dogs?” 

“Important questions” 

“This is important.” 

“important to me.” You correct

“I guess not,” He sulks. 

You sigh and give in, “they’re loud and obnoxious.” You deadpan.

“Just like you?"  Seungcheol smirks 

“Do you want to get paid or not?” You roll your eyes at his comment. 

“How about instead of paying me this time, you grant me one wish?” he says

“Fine, do what you want; just remember tomorrow to come dressed in your best and be on time.” You can already guess what his wish may be as you get up from the couch and collect your things.

You arrive at the party early to help your mother set up. You spent the whole time trying to win Seungcheol some brownie points with your mom. You rambled on about how sweet and charming you found him. Your mom would adore anyone you brought home, but you still felt the need to sell it. Shockingly, it wasn't hard to talk about his good qualities; you didn't find yourself lying like you thought you would have to. Soon enough, you knew your mom was won over before he even got there. Now it was time to worry about your father.

Your father was already upset that your relationship with Joshua ended on a bad note.  He was working on closing a deal with Joshua’s father, and the breakup made closing negotiations a hassle. Your father had adored Joshua, so you knew Seungcheol would come in with 10 negative points already in your father’s book. 

You're almost finished setting up when guests start to arrive. The party was about an hour in when Joshua and his father showed up. You were starting to get antsy with no sign of Seungcheol. You tried to keep your temper in check, but you told him to be on time! He wasn't picking up his phone either. You didn’t have time to worry about him; you had to jump from circle to circle, making sure everything was in order. Even though your parents were the ones hosting the party, they left you in charge of greeting guests. You're making your rounds and you run into Joshua and his father.

“Oh! Mr. Hong, such a pleasure to have you!” You put on your best hostess voice. 

“So nice to see you again, Y/N. I'm finding everything just fine,” Mr.Hong responded. Joshua's father loved you as much as your father loved Joshua. They were both devastated when you two broke up.  

"Shua, don't be rude; say hello.” He nudges his son. Joshua gives his best smile and greets you, “I'll leave you two to catch up, ok?” Mr. Hong says he is making his leave. He was probably hoping you two would use this moment to rekindle.

“Where's your boyfriend?” 

“He's late,” you say worriedly. At first, you were upset but now as more time has passed, that feeling has shifted to worry. You wonder if he was okay.

“What about you? You came here alone?” You change the subject to keep the thoughts away.

“Seo-juns in Paris for fashion week” 

“I hope she's having fun.” Joshua knows you don't mean it. 

This was the first time you and Joshua had been alone since the breakup. You think he looks handsome in his suit with perfectly styled hair. “Hey, can we talk?” He looks at you seriously. 

“About?”

"Us,” he says, hopefully.

This was the moment you were waiting for. The moment he comes crawling back. You wait patiently for him to continue. You are on the edge of your seat, but before he can speak, you feel a pair of arms wrap around your waist, pulling you into a firm chest. 

“I'm sorry I was late love.” A voice says  and places a kiss on your neck. You can't see it, but from Joshua's face, you can tell Seungcheol is staring him down. “I was picking something up for you.”

You turn around in his arms and smile, “its ok, I was just catching up with Shua.” 

There it was—that stupid nickname again. He doesn't even properly greet Joshua as he pulls you away. You're not sure if you're relieved or upset that he pulled you away from the moment. Part of you wanted to go back and hear what Joshua had to say. The other part was afraid of the outcome. If he wanted to make up and get back together, would you? Could you just "break up" with Seungcheol on the spot, never seeing him again, and returning to cold stares as you pass each other in the halls? But that's how this was supposed to end anyway. It's not like you had feelings for Seungcheol.

Right?

It isnt until after he pulls you away that you take him in. He wore a sharp royal blue suit and carried a bouquet of daisies. He looked unbelievably good. You took the flowers without a thought and gave a faraway smile.

Seuncheol wonders what you were thinking about—was it something Joshua said? Where are you upset that he was late? He knew you were planning to kill him later, and that your smile was just for show.

“What were you two talking about?” he inquires. 

“It was nothing; we weren't even talking for long.” You explain.

“Why do you call him that?” 

“What?”

“Shua. you always call him Shua.” 

You shrug “It's just a nickname; what's the problem?” 

"Well, how are we supposed to be fooling anyone when you're calling each other cute little pet names like you're still together?” 

"Fine, cheol, don't throw a fit.” You wrap your hands around his neck and kiss his nose. “Who would have guessed you're the jealous type?”

You wanted to at least try to pretend to be a little angry at him, but it seems like all your frustrations wash away when you're in his arms.

 “Don't call him Shua anymore.” He sulks.

“Yes sir,” you joke. 

He looks down at you for a couple more seconds and smiles. He is about to lean in for a kiss when your mother comes over and coos.

 “So this is Mr.Choi? I’ve heard so much about you! How are you?” Your mother greets you two.

You break away from each other so Seungcheol can greet your mother properly. 

“He brought me flowers, mom. Aren’t they beautiful?” You brag.

Your mother takes the bouquet and gasps once she notices the flowers that sprinkle throughout it. “Oh my! This is great news! Let me get your father!” Your mother scuttles off, leaving you a bit confused; They were just flowers?

“I think she likes you,” You smile 

“One down, one to go,” He jokes 

“Yeah, about that~'' You chuckle nervously. Not only was he already negative 10 points with your dad but his tardiness didn't really help his case. 

“I'm almost certain he wont like you,” you half-joke. If Seungcheol is discouraged, he sure doesn't show it.

“That's ok; i'm used to disapproving parents,” He shrugs 

You had almost forgotten that he was an outcast on campus. You suddenly feel bad for all the times you picked at him and made him feel lesser. Sure, he had a reputation on campus for being a bad boy, but the worst thing you had ever seen him do was j-walk. He could be a bit of an asshole at times, but he was likable once you got to know him. You hate that you have been one of the many people to judge him.

After a few moments, your mother is dragging your father over, speaking enthusiastically about something. Whatever it was had your father frowning deeply. This didn't look good.

“Mr. Choi, was it?” Your father extends an arm for a handshake. 

Seungcheol puts on his most charming smile and gives your father a nice, firm handshake. 

“Pleasure to meet you, sir,” he says, returning the greeting

“You're a few hours late, son,” your father quips. Your father wears a smile, but you know it's just for show. "And I hear your bringing us some shocking news as well?”

Seungcheol falters. "I'm sorry for my tardiness, sir. I make no excuses," he responds. 

Your father appraises him for a second longer before letting out a breath “While I do think it is irresponsible for you to get my daughter pregnant, I hope you are planning to marry her; a child out of wedlock would not look good for the company.”

You choke on air, and you swear your eyes almost burst from their sockets. You snap your head to look at Seungcheol, and he wore a similar expression as you.

“Excuse me, sir?” he sputters out.

“My wife says you bring daisies? I don't know much about flowers, but she says they can symbolize childbirth. Was she mistaken?” Your father tests.

“Im sure thats true sir, but I think theres a misunderstanding. We are not expecting a baby,” he laughs

Your father's shoulders relax, and he laughs the nerves away. Your mother sends an apologetic smile your way and rubs your fathers back to soothe him. You were sure he would have had a heart attack if you really were pregnant.

“Im so sorry, dear! I must have misunderstood.” She says.

Your father finally smiles and claps a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you for joining us today; we really appreciate it.” He says

Your father turns to you and gives you a hug. “His tardiness does not impress me, but he's not the worst.” He says this to you, pulling away from the hug. He bids himself farewell as he goes to chat with some colleagues. 

You turn to Seungcheol. “Why daisies?” 

“The shopkeeper told me they meant new beginnings and love and some other bullshit. I didn't know they could mean childbirth!” Seungcheol explains in disbelief.

"Well luckily, my dad didn't kill you; I think that means he likes you?”

“Thank God,” he sighs.

Following the minor hiccup, the rest of the night went smoothly.  Seungcheol is like a natural; he's able to follow along and make small talk with a few of your father's work colleagues, even managing to get a chuckle out of a few. 

You enjoy the rest of the night socializing by Seungcheol’s side and having a few drinks. You had seen Joshua storm off earlier; you could only assume your plan was working, but you couldn't find it in you to care. It was starting to get late, and you're ready to go. Seungcheol offers to drive you home since you had come with your parents. You quickly find your parents and bid them farewell, and you two leave the party together. Mission Success!

“Even though you were late and almost gave my father a heart attack, you did pretty well. I guess I’ll keep my promise. Whatever you want, it's yours.” you say. 

"Good, because I want you to promise to go to the dog park with me. I want you to get along with Kkuma.” He smiles wickedly at you.

 You instantly regret giving him that wish coupon.

Was this outing breaking one of your rules? Possibly, but it was essential that your closet stay in season. It was time to buy the latest fashion collections, and you would die if you had to carry all of your bags.

Cue seungcheol. 

At first, he protested, but after waiving around a little money, he folded. You had honestly expected him to complain a lot more, but this was your third store you had gone to, and he hadn't complained yet. He was a lot more vocal about your outfit choices than you thought he would be. He told you what he thought would look nice on you. No matter how many bags you handed him, he took them without a word. 

“You’re being nice today,” you say in passing.

“You look cute when your in your element,” he shrugs nonchalantly.

You dont know why you do it but the next store you lead him to is a lingerie shop.

Maybe it was his good behavior or his comment earlier, but you think he deserves a treat. When you look back at him over your shoulder, you can see the tips of his ears burning red, even though he tries his hardest not to show it on his face.

“Its fine if I try something here, right?”

“Pick up whatever you want, love.”

The pet name has your heart doing cartwheels. 

This was going to be fun.

Now normally, you would never try on a set in store, but you planned to buy whatever you brought into your fitting room. You have Seungcheol drop the bags off at the front so he can trail behind you comfortably. 

“Why dont you pick out something for me to wear”

“What, so you can wear it for Shua?” he says, rolling his eyes before crossing his arms over his chest.

“Joshuas’ not the one standing in a lingerie shop with me.” You challenge, "Are you scared?”

He was standing toe to toe with you now, leaning down slightly to meet your eyes. “You gonna let me see it?”

“That and more if you impress me,” you say, giving him a sly smile.

That gets him moving and his eyes scan the store, You think hes going to pick out the slutties thing he could find but after walking around the shop for 10 minutes looking at all types of sets, you realize he was looking with careful consideration

Finally, he hands you a lacey pink corset with thin bows on the shoulder that also laced up the middle. It was part of the set, the other part being a pink garter belt attached to matching lacey pink panties. It was very pretty and delicate, while still being sexy. You nod your head in appreciation. You could work with this. You take the fabric from him and you walk towards the changing room. You stop and look over your shoulder.

“You coming or not?” 

“You cant be serious,” he says. You could tell a part of him still wasn’t taking your invitation seriously and that you were just messing with him.

“Dont tell me you all bark”

"Actually, its the opposite,” he says, sending you a smile “im afraid i might bite”

This was soooo breaking a rule.

You know you were the one who boldly suggested it, but you still make Seungcheol stand in the farthest corner of the dressing room, turned away from you. You make him pinky promise to keep his eyes closed until you tell him to open them.

You change silently and appraise yourself in the mirror. The set hugged your body in all the right places. The color complemented you so well that you praised Seungcheol for his taste in your head. You turn towards his back, and after a few seconds of debating, you tell him its ok to look.

When he turns around and opens his eyes, he immediately drinks in your figure. You suddenly became shy under his gaze. You could feel your heart pick up, and you almost stumbled over your words when you asked, “h-how do I look?” 

“Can I take a closer look?” Before you can answer, he has his hands on your hips, pulling you closer and looking at you from up close. His eyes slowly trail down your front before he spins you around in his hold to have you face the mirror. He's looking at you, and your looking at him through the mirror. Through the mirror, you can see his eyes admiring how your ass looks wrapped in the pink lace. He has a tight grip on your hips, and the way he bites his lip makes you clench your thighs. Suddenly, he's pulling you back, flush against his chest. You meet his gaze in the mirror, and you almost gasp. His eyes were hooded and shadowed in lust. He hooks his chin over your shoulder and wraps his arms around you, laying one palm flat against your abdomen while the other rubs your side affectionately.

“You look good enough to eat,” he says while holding your eye contact in the mirror.

He noses at your neck, inhaling your sent “you gonna let me show you I can bite?” he chuckles from behind you before nipping at your ear.

You try to come up with a response but all you can do is trip over your words

“Whos all talk now?” He says light-heartedly.

“The contract” is all you can manage

“Right. Your right,” he pulls away from you with his hands raised at his sides  "I don' want to break our contract,” he says sarcastically before turning around again and facing the wall.

You hurry, get changed back into your normal clothes. You pay at the front and collect the bags you dropped off earlier. The ride back to your house was silent but only because the air was so thick with sexual tension that you thought if you opened your mouth, you would choke on it.

You won't see him again until the next weekend. He decided to use his wish coupon to bring you to the dog park. He doesn't mention your last meeting, and your grateful because you're in a living nightmare. There are all sorts of dogs running around, spit-covered tennis balls flying through the air, and loud, annoying barking sounded throughout the park. It would be an understatement to say that you were not thrilled to be here. Seungcheol, on the other hand, looks like he could stay out here all day. You can just imagine his imaginary tail wagging. He takes Kkuma out of her kennel and leashes her to bring her to the park. He then hands you a few toys to carry.

“You're really making me do this, huh?” 

“Stop being like that; it’ll be fun,” he says, leading you into the main area of the park and unleashing Kkuma. She seems to be well trained and doesn't run far.

Seungcheol takes one of the toys from you and plays with Kkuma. He's playing a game of tug of war with Kkkuma and lets her win. He seems to be having so much fun with Kkuma you almost think he's forgotten about you. He takes a break to give her water.

"Alright, now it's your turn.” 

“I'm not in the right attire for this,” you try to make up an excuse. Your over-the-top outfit drew attention the moment you stepped into the park. Someone was probably wondering why you would wear something so expensive to a dog park.

“That's your fault,” he shrugs. Seungcheol had warned you the moment he saw you step out of the house. Maybe it was time to start listening and stop being so hardheaded.

You cautiously approach Kkuma with the rope, and you crouch down to offer it to her. She stares at you before hesitantly going for the toy. You play a short game of tug of war, letting her win almost immediately. 

“Ok done! We played; can we leave now?” you conclude. 

“You promised!” Seungcheol frowns in disappointment.

You sigh; you're already here; you might as well try. You reach out to pet Kkuma, and she rolls over cutely. You coo at her and rub her tummy. OK, maybe she was precious. You hold up a ball. It's like she's frozen as her eyes lock on the ball. She springs onto her paws and wags her tail. You throw the ball, and she chases it, bringing it back. You do this a few more times before trying out the other toys.

You're having so much fun that you forget that your wearing heels, and when you go to playfully chase after Kkuma, you lose your balance. You’re able to right yourself before falling and let out a sound of relief. You step forward, but something slick causes your foot to slide forward slightly. You lift your foot to discover that you’ve stepped in dog poop. 

“Just wonderful,” you say to Kkuma with a tight smile. Seungcheol is watching from afar. You have to squint to see him, but you're sure he's laughing at you.  

“Your daddy is an asshole, you know that?” 

Kkuma barks at you in retaliation. 

“What do you know?” you argue back. Sticking your tongue out at her childishly.

You hobble back to Seungcheol and plop down on the bench next to him. 

"Is this what you wanted? I got dog shit on my Choos." You pretend to be a little annoyed; you were only joking.

“Here” He pulls a few wet wipes from an attachment on Kkuma’s leash. He pulls your legs over his lap and wipes the poop from your shoes. “Are you ready to go?” Seungcheol can guess you're probably reaching your limit for outside activity for the day.

You would have been out here for at least an hour and a half, and while it was nice to see Kkuma having fun, you were already sweating more than you would like. As you head out, you offer to play with Kkuma for a while longer indoors.

Once you arrive at his house, Seungcheol lets you have fun. You're sitting on the floor and although Kkuma jumps all over you, you don't seem to mind. This was definitely not something you would have allowed a few days ago so Seungcheol is proud of your progress. 

“Should I buy her a bow? Won't that be cute?” You mention. 

Seungcheol finds it cute that you're already ready to spoil her. “I think she's spoiled enough,” he argues. 

 "Well, I'm her mommy and she can have whatever she wants.” You say defiantly.

“I thought you didn't like dogs, “ He teases. 

You ignore him and continue playing until you tire yourself out. You are just lying on his floor, too exhausted to straighten out your rumpled clothes, but he thinks you are the most beautiful in this moment. When you're relaxed without a care in the world, those are the moments he can peek through the gaps in your defenses.

“It's getting late; I should head home,” You declare, giving Kkuma a few more pets before finally standing.

“You could stay the night,” Seungcheol Proposes.

This was a bad idea. Staying by Seungcheol's side for longer than necessary would only make your confusion about your feelings toward him worse. You're ready to decline but one look at his puppy eyes and you couldn't find it in yourself to say no. You agree to stay the night and he gives you some of his clothes to wear guiding you to the shower. When you close the door behind you, let out a sigh. This was going to be a long night.

You shower and put on the borrowed clothes. You glance in the mirror and, although it's not what you usually wear, you love it nonetheless. You loved how the too-big clothes draped over your frame; you never wanted to give them back. You tell him to freshen up as you leave the restroom. He gets in the shower after you and tells you to grab something to eat before you lay down. It was late, so you grabbed something quick and  headed straight toward the bedroom. It wasn't hard to find, given how small the apartment was. You make your way into his room and crawl under his blankets. It was like having your own little haven; you felt safe and secure. His bed was wonderfully warm and smelled just like him; you never wanted to leave. However, something in the back of your mind kept reminding you that you were breaking one of your most important rules.

Rule #2: No unnecessary hangouts/meetups

Well, this was necessary, you argue. It was far too late for Cheol to drive you home. What if he fell asleep behind the wheel on the way back? You reason. Yup, you were doing this for his safety! How selfless of you to worry about his well-being! You pat yourself on the back. 

“What are you doing in my room?” A topless Seungcheol inquires.

“Getting ready for bed? Why are you naked?” You try not to notice how he dries his still-wet skin.

 “It's my house.” 

"Well, then you should be well acquainted with your couch.” You raise an eyebrow, not making a move to unwrap yourself from the blankets. 

“The couch was for you.” He says.

You? Sleep on a couch? Never in your life.

“You meant for me to sleep on the couch?” You laugh incredulously, and here you were worried about his hypothetical safety.

Seungcheol doesn't respond, just going to settle in behind you on the bed, pulling the blankets from you, leaving you cold, and wrapping himself in them. He had really bad insomnia already; he could not deal with sleeping on the couch. 

“I can't sleep on the couch; I need proper beauty sleep; if I knew you were gonna make me sleep out there, I would have gone home,” you whine.

He lifts up the blankets and reaches to wrap an arm around your waist. He pulls you into his chest and wraps you both in the blanket. “Then sleep here,” he says, closing his eyes and getting comfortable. 

Your heart will not stop pounding out of your chest. Your head spins from the close proximity and his heady scent. You try to help your case by turning away from him, but his arms remain wrapped around you, causing him to spoon you. You can breathe a little easier, so you scoot closer to him. You must have scooted too far back because his hand suddenly grabs your waist, halting your movements. 

"Stop moving," he says breathlessly. 

You can only manage a sheepish "sorry." He relaxes his grip on you and settles in.

Your mind wanders, and you can't help but notice that all of the dirty things you have ever thought about him come to the forefront. You recall what just happened: how he only needed one arm to stop your squirming, how he gripped your hip and pinned it in place. You wonder if he would pin you in other positions as well. You think back to the time of the sparring match and the way he threw his opponent to the ground. You wanted him to manhandle you and treat you like nothing. Seungcheol brought out your darkest desires. 

It was later in the night, and your racing thoughts were keeping you awake. You never thought you would do what you're about to do, but you couldn't hold back. You take a small peek over your shoulder to look at Seungcheol. He was sound asleep, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. A trembling hand slips down the front of your shorts. You try to be as subtle as possible as you circle your clit through the fabric of the boxers Cheol gave you to wear. You push your face further into your pillow to try to muffle your noises. When you inhale, you can only smell Seungcheol’s cologne, and you almost moan.

You slip your hand into your underwear, collecting your juices and using them to coat your fingers. You quickly ease a finger in and thrust shallowly. You wanted to get this over with quickly, but you would need more. You slip in another finger. This time, you use deep thrusts to work yourself up. You shyly grind your hips into your palm, stimulating your clit, biting your lips at the pleasure. You move carefully. You roll onto your back, and use your other hand to pinch your nipples. At this point, you didn't care how obvious you were; you just wanted to come. You hoped against hope that Seungcheol was a deep sleeper. 

You have to bite back moans as you picture your hands as his. You add a third finger, and you almost whine; it was barely enough. You knew his fingers would stretch you farther than this. You craved his rough touch. After a few more messy thrusts, you cum with a shudder. You have worn yourself out; you wait a breath to make sure you’re off the hook before you carefully remove your hand from your shorts. That's when a hand grabs your wrist. Turning your head, you see Seungcheol staring back at you. 

“You dirty fucking slut,” he rasps, sleep still coating his voice.

As you open your mouth to defend yourself, he licks the tips of your drenched fingers, causing you to gasp. The argument dies in your throat as he looks up at you, moaning at the taste. 

“What do you think you were doing, huh?” Your hips automatically roll into his touch as he reaches over and shoves his hand down your shorts.

You cry out, your face burning with shame, "I’m sorry."

“No you’re not; you're practically dripping all over my fucking fingers, baby. Don't lie to me.” Your juices make a soft, wet sound as he plays with your folds teasingly.

"Tell me what you were thinking about," he orders, circling your clit. 

Your first orgasm has left you sensitive, so you try to squirm away. He sits up more and uses his other hand to pin your hips to the mattress. 

"Uh uh, baby, you're not going anywhere," he says, slipping his middle finger into your heat and thrusting experimentally. “Your so fucking wet. Such a dirty little pussy.” His ring finger joining in next, fucking you harder. 

When the sensation gets too much, you can’t help but squirm and moan. With a cry, you grind up into his touch as you grab hold of his wrist to keep it there. You can feel your thighs shaking

 "Cheol, please I can’t take it,” you cry.

"Yeah, you can princess; be my good girl," He kisses you to muffle your sounds. His walls were thin, and he didn't need any noise complaints from the neighbors.

Your moan gives him the chance to put his tongue in your mouth. Your entire body begins to tremble, and just before you let go, Seungcheol pulls away completely. Your eyes well up with tears as you look at him.  

You cry, "Please, Cheol, please, I need you so badly." Tears stream down your cheeks. 

He kisses your tears away and gives you a gentle kiss. “You ready to be my good girl?” 

"Yes, I'll be whatever you want me to be." You weep.

He pulls your legs apart and wedges himself between them. "Then tell me what you were thinking about." 

He circles your clit teasingly, coaxing you to answer him. When you attempt to move your hips to feel more of his touch, he uses his own hips to pin yours down. The thought of how he would feel inside of you makes you groan. You can feel his length straining through his sweatpants. He felt so thick and heavy that you could cry. 

“I'm waiting princess.” He kisses your neck slowly.

Breathing deeply, you tell him how much you want him to talk down to you and toss you around. You wanted him to break you and use you. You did not want him to think of you as a porcelain doll; you wanted to be his personal fuck toy. 

He smiles wickedly at you. "Has my princess been corrupted? Am I a bad influence?" 

You shake your head. “No, I’ve always been like this.” you admit. 

“Is that so? Don't worry, I’ll give you what you need." He licks his lips before returning his fingers to your heat. 

He pulls your shirt over your chest, leaving love bites all over it. You can hardly breathe; he was giving you too much and not enough at the same time. You can feel your high approaching rapidly. He pulls away from your chest and places a hand on your neck, not quite choking you but rather testing the waters. You nod at him, pleading with him to choke you. Seungcheol applies just a little more pressure and you moan. He's fucking you so fast that a loud, squelching sound echoes throughout the room. If you were in your right mind, you would be embarrassed. You try to warn him of your impending orgasm, but your voice gets stuck in your throat as you cum all over his fingers. He lets you ride out your high for a little while longer before gently pulling out. Your eyelids become heavy but a light slap against your cheek brings you back.

"Wake up baby were not done," he warns.

You could barely keep your eyes open; all you could make out was his messy hair as he positioned his head between your legs. You whined in protest; you were too sensitive for oral. He slaps a hand against your thigh, and you bite your lip in a silent cry. When he licks over your clit you break.

Your back is arcing off the bed, and your thighs are squeezing together. He uses his strength to pin your thighs down as he eats you out. There's nothing stopping your loud moans now. Tears flow freely down your face as shock waves pass through your body. You're a babbling mess.

"You ok, baby? You want to take a break?" He asks, his face covered in your slick. His eyes are hazy with lust, and your gut tightens at the sight.

"I need you inside, right now," you say.

"Are you sure, baby? I don't want to break you?" He asks

Suddenly, your energy returns at the comment. You want him to break you. He has already broken you. You push his head away from your core and tug him up to meet your lips. He's kissing you until your last breath before you pull away.

"Should I ask Shua?"

That nickname would be the death of you, but it did the trick. Soon enough, he was manhandling you onto your side. He threw your leg over his shoulder (pretzel position) and teased himself at your entrance.

"Say his name again while I'm fucking you, and I'll send you back covered in bruises." He says it with a harsh slap to your thigh. He was gripping on so tight that you were sure he would keep his promise.

You were sure that the sight awaiting you in the morning would have you wet all over again. You loved the way love brusies looked against your skin. It was a reminder to you that you were not the perfect princess you made yourself out to be. There was something darker lurking underneath.

He pushes inside, and despite his efforts to stretch you out, it still stung. You reveled in the feeling; you loved the way his girth split you open. This angle had you drooling. He was able to hit deep as his hips rocked into yours. You could not keep up; the position had you effectively pinned to the mattress. All you could do was take.

He kisses the knee thats over his shoulder before gripping your thigh tight. He shoves it against your chest before slowing his thurst down to a more sensual drag.

"Look at me. Let me see those eyes," he moans.

He's moving you around like a rag doll again. He has you completely on your back now, switching to missionary to be closer. He leans down and kisses you again. You don't think you could ever get tired of his lips. They were so plump and soft that you couldn't help but bite at them a bit. You could feel your release twitching in your gut, and the power of it scared you. You try to warn Seuangcheol, but he will not let you pull away from his lips for more than a second. You were certain he was completely pussy drunk at this point because he was mumbling nonsense against your lips.

"Feel so good"

"You can take it.”

"You're so wet"

"Good girl"

Those were just some of the ones you could make out. A harsh tremor runs down your spine, and you cum violently. You're pushing him out as you squirt all over his abdomen. You can barely come down, but Seunhcheol recognizes you're at your limit, so he strokes himself as he finishes all over you. Both of you are gasping for breath by the time you're done. This time, sleep hits you like a brick.

When you wake up, you almost think everything was a dream, until you look down and notice you’re still dressed in his clothes. These clothes were different, though and so were the sheets. He must have cleaned you up from the mess you made last night. Your face heats up at the thought of what happened. You carefully look to your side but find that the bed is empty. You breathe a sigh of relief. This was not good—not good at all. 

Rule #1: No unnecessary kissing or touching 

You had now broken two of the contract's most important rules! Do you regret it? No, but still! You had to find a way out; you could not confront him right now. 

As you scope the room for something more appropriate to wear, you find he has laid your clothes out on the nightstand next to the bed. You dress quietly and sneak down the hallway. You peek around the corner and see the front door—your ticket to freedom. The only problem was that the door was just past Seungcheol's kitchen, where he was making breakfast. You can't help but feel bad when you notice him making two plates. He was trying to make sure you ate, and you were plotting your escape. You just needed some time to gather your thoughts; you would face him later. Before you can make a break for it, Kkuma notices you and barks, alerting Cheol, and his voice calls out to you. 

"Have a seat princess; you can leave after breakfast," he says without turning to face you. 

You curse the dog under your breath and head for the kitchen. “Good morning, Cheol.” 

He gives you a plate of eggs and toast in return for your greeting. “Don't make it weird; we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to,” he says before sitting down and eating his food. 

You take a seat in front of him and eat silently. As you try to think of something to say to ease the tension, he speaks again before you can get a word out. “Let's just forget about last night, ok?” he says. "When we're done, I'll take you home.” You just swallow your food and nod; you can't lift your head to look him in the eyes.

 It's been five days since the incident with Cheol. You ended up telling him some bullshit excuse as to why you were acting strange. You lied and said you were just missing Joshua's touch and that you apologized for using him to get off. Even you didn't believe the excuse, but he said it was fine, and you have not spoken since. 

Why can't you just be honest with him? You had not given Joshua a second thought since the family dinner, so to hell with him. While you can’t pretend to have never loved him, you were aware that your feelings had changed a long time ago. You knew deep down that you wanted Seungcheol, but you couldn't bring yourself to say it. 

The "what ifs" frightened you. What if you screwed it up, like you did with Joshua, and drove him away? You knew you were difficult to deal with at times, but what happens when he just can't take it anymore? You were afraid of losing him, but you knew that if you did nothing, you would lose him regardless. You couldn't bear to think about it any longer, desperate to escape the thoughts that had flooded your mind. 

You text your friends and ask if they have any plans for the night, and they let you know about a party they are going to later. This was exactly what you needed—a night out with friends to remind you of who you were. Hopefully, you will realize that choosing Joshua is the right decision. That was the way things were; you had to maintain the status quo. You let them know you were on your way. 

You meet up with your friends and get completely shitfaced. You had come to this party expecting to forget about him, but all you could think about was Seungcheol and his stupid, cute dog. You could not live without him, and if this party taught you anything, it’s that you would never be able to move on from him.

A few hours passed, and you were starting to feel extremely overstimulated. The music was too loud, the flashing lights were too bright, and the random bodies pressed against you from all sides were not helping. You tried not to freak out. You just need to leave and find somewhere quiet. You are going to be okay. You quickly push through the crowd and rush up the stairs. You had no idea whose house this was, so finding the bathroom was difficult. In a state of urgancy, you simply open the first door you come across. This was not the bathroom, and the couple who occupied the room were not pleased. You close the door and feel your breathing quicken. You need to be alone right now. You try another door and find a different bedroom. You curse your state of inebriation. If you weren’t so drunk, you would probably be able to navigate the house a little better. You open the door next to it and finally find the bathroom. By the time you cross the threshold and lock the door behind you, you have had a total breakdown.   

So much was happening, both physically and mentally. Your physical senses were still reeling, and your mind could not find a single coherent thought to focus on other than Seungcheol. You crawl into the tub, and the cool surface soothes you a little. Feeling lost and unsure of what to do, you take out your phone and dial the first number you find. Maybe someone else could make sense of your thoughts if you couldn't. When a voice responds, you dump everything on them.

"Why do I feel this way?" It really hurts." You slur and can hear the voice on the other line worrying, but you can’t make out what they are saying. 

“I hate him so much. I should be with Joshua, but he had to go and ruin everything! It wasn't supposed to be like this, but no matter what I do, I can’t stop thinking about him. I think I love him, but no matter how I feel, he will never love me back." You ramble.

The voice speaks again, but you can only make out the word "who."

“That dumb Cheol! He's so stupid! I hate him. Why did he have to go and make me fall in love." Your voice cracks, and you start crying. 

Your makeup was undoubtedly ruined by this point. You no longer hear the voice on the other end of the line. You check your phone and see that they have hung up on you. When you realize you are alone, you cry more. 

You must have cried so hard that you fell asleep because you kept slipping in and out of consciousness. When you wake up, someone pulls you out of the bathtub and carries you in their arms. You fall asleep against their chest. A car jolts you back to consciousness, and as you drive away from the party, you discover that you are strapped in the passenger seat of a familiar car. The alcohol in your system is still too strong, and you are asleep again. When you wake up again, warm, gentle hands sweep the makeup from your face and tuck you into a warm, cozy bed.

You didn't open your eyes to see who the hands belonged to; all you knew was that you felt safe in their presence. You drift off to sleep again with a smile on your face 

You groan in agony as you awaken to the sun shining on your face. You bury your head under your pillow to get some more much-needed rest. You try to drift off again, but you realize something is wrong. These sheets felt familiar, but not in the sense that they belonged to you. You sit up in bed, taking in your surroundings. You were in Sungcheol's bed! Although you were still wearing your party dress, your makeup had been taken off and your hair had been taken out of its tight ponytail. You do not see Seungcheol anywhere, so you get out of bed to find him. If anyone could explain how you ended up here, it would be him. 

As you enter his kitchen, you are confronted with a familiar scene: Seungcheol is cooking breakfast with his back to you, his broad shoulders flexed as he beat the eggs. You clear your throat and he turns towards you. 

"You’re not gonna run away from me this time, are you?" He jokes, but there is a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"What happened last night?" You ask before taking a seat at the table. Still too exhausted to think clearly, you yawn and rest your head against the table. 

"You were so messed up when you called me last night; you refused to answer any of my questions. I had no idea where you were or who you were with, so I called some of your friends, and they told me where I could find you," he explains as he continues to cook breakfast.

Your face immediately warms up as memories from last night flood back. You pray that you didn't really confess to him and that you were simply remembering incorrectly.

"Do you remember what you said on the phone?" He hesitates to ask as he plates your food.

There is no point in trying to hide it; you might as well rip the bandage off.

"I remember what I said—or at least some of it," you admit nervously. "If you are asking if I remember telling you that I love you, then yes," you respond. You don't think your ego could take it if he rejected you.

He sets a plate in front of you and leans down to kiss your forehead.

"I’m proud of you for not running away this time," he jokes affectionately.  

“Did you know this whole time?”

“No,but I knew you needed time to sort something out.” 

“Do you love me?” you Say hesitantly 

“thought i made that obvious when i ate you out?” 

The eggs you have been pushing around your plate suddenly catch your attention as your face instantly becomes heated.

“Dont get shy on me now princess. You didn't get the message? Do i need to show you again?”

"Oh, i think i got it,” you sqeak

"No, come here baby, let me show you how much I love you,” he teases. 

"Let us eat first, then I am all yours," you promise. You knew the food would have gone cold by the time he was finished with you. You did not want his hard work to be in vain.

Later, Seungcheol has you pinned to the bed. After your breakfast conversation, you could not keep your hands to yourself. As you two became entangled in the sheets, you were stripped down to your bare skin. 

You had been craving his touch without even realizing it. He had big, rough hands, and you loved how they felt on your skin. Seungcheol appears to be taking his time with you, kissing every inch of your body and leaving no part of you unseen. He trailed kisses from your collarbone all the way to your ankle. Despite being rough around the edges, he could be surprisingly gentle. You enjoy how he treats you like a goddess, so you just relax and accept everything he has to offer.

At last, he moves back up your body and gives you a passionate kiss. As soon as he pulls away, he cannot resist admiring your face. He studies your features and plants a kiss, first on your eyelids, then on your nose, and lastly on your lips. He seals his lips with yours in a quick kiss before he pulls away and spreads your legs to plant kisses where you most need them. You were practically ashamed of the mess he would discover. You had been dripping all over his sheets while he worshipped your body.  

“so dirty, I really need to teach you not to make such a mess,” he teases. “Dont worry, I'll Always be here to clean it up.” 

The way he sloppily eats at you has your back in a permanent arc. your legs shake at the harsh slurps and the deep thrusts of his tongue into your pussy. You despised how easily he could rile you up and have you wrapped around his finger. It was supposed to be the other way around.

No matter how hard you tried to will your hips to stay down, you couldn't help but grind against his face. Seungcheol was not helping your case either, as he drew you closer, wrapping his arms around your legs and laying his warm palms against your stomach. He massages the skin there before moving his hands up and groping your boobs.

All the sensations were becoming to much, and you knew you could finish on his tongue alone. You grab his hands and intertwine your fingers as you brace yourself. Your climax hits you like a wave, and you try not to drown as you hold on tight. Your legs shake pathetically around his head as he places a few more kisses on your clit before pulling off. He gives you a few moments to catch your breath as he places wandering kisses against your hot skin. Once your breathing returns to normal, he lines up at your entrance, waiting and silently asking for permission with his eyes. 

You nod hastily because, if he wasn’t seven inches inside of you, you would bite his head off in the next five seconds. He slips inside, grinning at your impatience. You make an effort to keep up with his thrusts, despite the fact that you are already sensitive after your first orgasm. He presses his hips into yours repeatedly while nestling deeply in the bend of your neck. He was breathing heavily in your neck, and you could hear him straining to keep his moans at bay.

The way your wet pussy claps against his abdomen and smears all of your juices on his skin is really messy. Your skin makes a wet applause as his hips chase yours. 

Gripping the powerful muscles of his back, you were unable to keep your hands still. His thrusts picked up speed, and you could sense he was getting close to the climax as you held on tightly. He moans as he finishes inside. His sounds were heavenly, and you cum again at the sensation of being filled with his cum.

You are definitely going to pass out. His arms comfortably encircle you as you feel him draw your body up against his side. You fall asleep, and when you close your eyes, you know you will wake up right where you need to be. 

A/N: Thank you for reading! Honestly, this was a fic idea that I have had for awhile. This has been sitting in my drafts for at least a year. I really wanted to trash it, but I stomped on business and finished. Hopefully you enjoyed it, because I'm not really feeling this one. I really didn't feel like writing a full scene for this, but I didn't want to leave you hanging, so excuse it if its rushed.

[kyeomkuppie]

Seungcheol as a K-drama

I feel like Seungcheol is just so Yoo Shi-jin. He's a very serious person when it comes to his career, but he's also pretty playful. He likes to let his inner child out especially with his partner and close friends. When or if his partner is in danger, he'd be a totally different person, he'd rather risk his whole being than see his partner in danger, and I think that's pretty apparen, especially seeing how much he cares about his members.

As previously mentioned, he's pretty playful, he'd like to tease his partner just to see her annoyed expression which he finds adorable but also without crossing the line.

Captain Yoo is the type of character which you can't call "too serious" or "too playful" he knows exactly when to be a leader and when to be the laid-back guy who you could talk to about your problems at a random pub while laughing your ass off.

He's pretty reliable but also someone you could joke around with and I just think that's so Cheol. He's a great leader— a very great one who always thinks about his members. He knows how to navigate difficult situations, without making the atmosphere too heavy or too stressful for the people around him.

But as a result, things get too heavy for him to carry alone, so I think he'd need someone equally reliable so they'd have a perfectly balanced relationship.

In the drama, both the captain and the doctor are mature characters with a secretly playful side, which plays into the harmony between their personalities despite being different but also having a few similarities that just make them click.

I think Cheol would need someone who'd indulge him. Now, I know this sounds weird but I think he'd need someone he could be a little kid with, someone who would immediately let out his inner child. When he's sulky, he'd want someone who'd indulge that sulkiness, to pamper him with kisses and lots of "I love you"s.

He's basically the perfect balance between serious and childish. It's honestly fascinating how he could have a whole 180 when it comes to the people he loves.

Reblogs and comments are appreciated!

[airas-story]

The Confabulation Complication

“It’s called confabulation,” Stephen said, not quite looking in Tony’s direction. It was… disconcerting. Confusing.

Tony hummed, trying not to let his frustration with the situation show. “Sounds like a party.”

Pepper let out a pained noise. “Tony.”

Tony winced a little, because Pepper had been crying almost since the moment he’d woken up. He didn’t like it when Pepper cried, but he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to fix this.

Especially when… when he wasn’t actually sure what was wrong.

“It is the creation of false memories,” Stephen continued, still not looking at Tony. “As compensation for the loss of real memories.”

Tony froze, because… because confused by the situation or not, he was smart enough to put together the pieces. He stared at Stephen for a long moment before glancing at Pepper.

Stephen looked painfully awkward, Pepper looked devastated. “So,” Tony started slowly, looking back at Stephen. “When I asked for my kiss and you looked like I was talking gibberish, it wasn’t because you were sticking to the ‘No making out while in the hospital’ rule and it’s because you and I… don’t kiss.”

“We are not together, no,” Stephen agreed. Was he… was he even Stephen? Did Tony… Did Tony actually know him at all? So many of his memories didn’t match what Stephen was telling him.

He looked away. “And Pepper?”

Pepper’s smile was tremulous. “We do kiss,” she said.

Everything felt surreal. “I… I thought…” He tried to search his memories, but he didn’t know what he was looking for. He remembered kissing her, but that was… a long time ago. “You broke up with me.” He knew that.

Didn’t he?

“We got back together,” Pepper explained. “Both times.”

Both times. He only remembered her breaking up with him once.

Tony… Tony didn’t know how to deal with any of this. “We’re together,” he said, trying to wrap his mind around it. He glanced at Stephen. “And we’re not.”

“Never have been,” Stephen said, he still wasn’t looking at Tony.

It… hurt.

Conceptually he knew it shouldn’t. Because he and Stephen… they weren’t a thing, apparently. But Tony was having a hard time making himself believe it. The memories were stark and visceral. Laughing with Stephen, kissing Stephen, curled together on the couch with Stephen doing their separate work.

“What are you even doing here, then?” Tony asked, feeling suddenly defensive. “You’re not still a practicing doctor, and I’m pretty sure there was no magic in that fight.” He wasn’t certain of that, because the memory of the fight was confused and messy. 

That was probably something he should let someone know. Especially since he was, apparently, having memory issues of a different kind. He kept his mouth shut.

Stephen sighed. “You told me you had trust issues and asked if I would be involved in any future medical emergencies so much as I could be. You said that as far as doctors went, I ‘wasn’t bad’.”

“I…” He swallowed, tried to make sense of everything, but he couldn’t. “I’m checking myself out,” he said.  They were in the compound—right? Was he actually sure about that?—it should be easy to get out of here.

He couldn’t deal with this.

“Tony, you should—“ Pepper started.

“Against medical advice if necessary,” Tony said. “I don’t want to be here.”

He wanted to be somewhere safe. Wanted to be in his lab where he could start trying to piece together the truth.

“Tony.” Stephen’s voice was gentle; Tony flinched. “There are tests that that the doctors should run.”

Instinct told Tony to give in, because this was Stephen. Tony always gave into Stephen when he used that sort of voice; Tony had made too many jokes about being weak for Stephen’s pretty eyes.

But apparently those memories didn’t actually mean anything, because they weren’t real. Tony had never made those jokes. It would be incredibly inappropriate to start now. He shook his head, ignoring the pulsing ache that came with the movement. “I’m not exactly dying right now. Any tests you take will only tell you things that you apparently already know. I want out.”

“We don’t know how bad the damage is,” Stephen said.

Tony ran a hand over his face. “Well, if I die from unexpected complications, you can both say ‘I told you so’, but frankly—“

“Tony.” Pepper sounded distressed. “Don’t say that.”

“I don’t want to be here,” Tony repeated. “I… I need to be alone. I need to figure this out.” He ignored both Pepper’s and Stephen’s protests as he got himself unattached from the hospital bed.

They gave in.

Mostly because Tony didn’t give them a choice.

Stephen eventually disappeared in a portal—Tony’s instincts said to go with him, but those instincts were wrong—while Tony fled from the compound med wing he’d been trapped in.

The lab was gapingly empty when he reached it. It was a relief in some ways, in other ways it felt wrong. His body ached—he didn’t even fully remember what had happened to get him into the hospital wing, the fight blurred, especially near the end—and his head hurt.

“FRIDAY?” he asked.

“Yes, Boss?” she asked, her voice was careful and tempered, as though she knew he was vulnerable.

“Is it true?” he asked. “The whole… confabulation thing Stephen was talking about?”

“Yes, Boss.”

Tony swallowed hard. “So, I’m not in love with Stephen.”

“You and Doctor Strange are friends, boss.”

Friends. Friends. Right.

“And me and Pepper?”

“The two of you are engaged.”

Engaged. Engaged. Tony was engaged. To Pepper. He didn’t remember that. He remembered her breaking up with him. He remembered her telling him that he was just… too much for her. That she just needed him to stop. That had happened, right?

Tony had never been able to stop. Had she changed her mind or was this just another attempt at something that was doomed to fail?

Or was the break up he remembered even true? Tony thought he knew why she had broken up with him. But what if that was a lie too?

He struggled to breathe for a moment.  Everything was messed up.

He wasn’t in love with the person he thought he was in love with; no, he was in love with someone he remembered moving on from.

He wasn’t in love with Stephen. That was just his brain lying to him.

He was in love with Pepper. 

Pepper, who he could only remember hearing say he wasn’t enough and was too much and… and that they weren’t right for each other. But he wasn’t sure if that was even true. She had agreed they’d broken up, but maybe he was remembering wrong the reasons why. Because he was engaged. So he couldn’t have been too much and not enough and not right for her.

Right?

Tony didn’t know.

Because he didn’t know which memories were real and which memories were false. 

He just knew that everything was wrong.

And now… now what was he supposed to do?

[abrthephantomq]

Soooo....

Turnabout Storyteller.

I had already vaguely known about Uendo having DID due to me not necessarily avoiding spoilers when reading fanfic, but...

I have so many thoughts on this as someone who HAS the disorder they're representing here.

Like, one, I definitely appreciated the way they revealed it -- during a Mood Matrix session. Having multiple sets of feelings and having them switch on and off like that is def a thing. I've/we've experienced that before.

But also -- before that, when Uendo was switching between his "characters" and everyone thought he was just putting on a performance? Yeah, see. They did that really well considering that like -- yes, the way alters hold the body/the face can be really different. They certainly felt like different people, which was really cool to see. I liked the different poses they had because as I played I was like, "Huh... is he the character with DID...? He is, right?"

The thing is, I'm like 80% certain that Uendo is the murderer, and THAT annoys me -- but I'm not done playing through the case, yet. I just started the second half of the trial, so.... I'll comment as I go.

But if I'm right and Uendo IS the murderer, I'm gonna have to roll my eyes because soooo many pieces of media use my disorder to show HEY SOMEONE WITH THIS COULD BE A KILLER AND NOT KNOWWWWW and I hate that. Because like.... no.

OH THANK GOD. Like 3 seconds into the send half of the trial and it's NOT Uendo. Yay. Yayyyyy. I'm actually really glad they did that subversion of the person-with-DID-is-the-killer trope. Thank fucking GOD.

SIMON GRABBING ATHENA when she starts to doubt she can prove Bucky's innocence is just -- fuck. Okay. Yeah, I see why the fandom loves that particular moment. (I love Simon so much omfg).

I am honestly loving this case and I actually really like the way they've presented Uendo -- it's simplified a bit for the sake of the audience, but at the same time, switching DO be like that. And you can certainly be co-conscious and share memory.

Like.... that's legitimately how our System works -- there's usually 2-3 of us up front at any given time, with someone generally more forward, while the other(s) listens / watches. Sometimes others push to the front. And there are 4 of us who more or less have access to the continual life happenings even if we don't always recollect specific details (or what we were feeling) later.

Also Owen being a LITTLE makes so much damn sense? Fuck, idk man, I love it. I kinda adore them.

I really really really got weary when Uendo's diagnosis was revealed because, y'know, the whole oh God pls tell me you're not the murderer even if it was kinda looking like you were.

That fucking balloon girl did it, didn't she? Jesus fucking Christ. I love that, but I also hate that. Also it's so unfair they made this chick so goddamned pretty.

Also man can I also say just how like.... they legitimately refer to Owen as a child, and Kisegawa with Ms., and -- that's actually a nice little piece of the writing here. Like... is it absolutely perfect? No. It's not. But let me tell you -- as someone with this disorder? Writing it and showing it for an audience is hard.

That whole, "everyone is unique" thing applies here -- every System is different. They all develop ways of functioning in order to blend in and protect themselves. Uendo may not have the denial bit that comes with this disorder (do you know how many times I find myself asking if I'm sure I'm not faking this thing? do you??? because like, it's a "rare" disorder, right? and was my trauma REALLY bad enough for me to have alters???? etc) -- but considering the confident way he, Patches, and Kisegawa speak about their experience with the disorder, I would imagine they've been in therapy for it for a while, now.

But also -- the three of them not being aware of Owen? Or denying his existence, at least? Well, they were either protecting him because he's so young, or they legitimately did not know since apparently he may only come forward when the body is drunk.

idk I love that Uendo et al was not the killer. Like so much. Thank FUCK.

Also that was a really fun case even if it was like, not entirely relevant to the overall story happening here in SOJ. I definitely enjoyed it.

[charonarp]

Here's a little sneak peak on what to expect on the page talking about the Tu'la region!

(Aka, basically most of the information out of what's likely going to be 2-paged section since there's not a lotta info on Tu'la lol)

Totally not sharing this because I made art I'm proud off .>. (Edit: I just realized there's some information I forgot to put into this, so the final version will have a few more words :p It's just the characteristics on cursed Meif'was - aka people who were cursed into being Meif'was)

I've said it before (somewhere), and I'll say it again. I want this pdf to be as beginner friendly as possible, whether it be for both new players and new DMs.

I won't be adding detailed stuff from specific sources, or be blatantly taking things from copyrighted material and directly placing them in here (I think the closest thing that might be iffy is stuff I've taken from Daggerheart that's intended to help players and DMs create custom societies/communities, but hopefully it's okay since I'm only taking the name and basic descriptions they give rather than the entire card). - This feature can also be applied to existing regions to flesh them out if you want to take things into your own hands and explore regions that have not been explored yet in MCD/DR.

Now, if you read it, I'm sure some people might be a bit upset that there's no homebrewed Meif'wa race made from scratch. Here's the thing...there's a lot or races in D&D 5e (2014), and there's even a "Lineage" rage from Tasha's, which essentially allows you to make your own race.

And to be honest...not much is known about the characteristics of Meif'was outside of them looking and occasionally acting like cats? Besides that, I couldn't really find anything that could help them stand out as their own race.

So, instead of making it a whole thing... I've instead put down a suggestion that, since the players are the creators of their characters, that they should be able to use any race (within reason) to define their character's appearance and function. This will also be applied to the Lu'pine/werewolf race, in some degree.

Personally, I'm someone who tends to view races, or "species" as they're now called since the 2024 version, as a guideline. Simply put, if I want my character to look a little strange or have a unique feature from the norm, I'll take a race that suits it best and change it up.

Take Tieflings for example. Tieflings are depicted to be devil/demon-like, but in most cases, even in D&D's Forgotten Realms, demons and devils can look like a lot of things, and there's even some anthropomorphic entities that are classified as demons/devils. What's stopping you from playing a fox-like character with an infernal heritage? Or someone who looks like a basic human but with infernal traits?

There's also the Owlin race, which is depicted to being an anthropomorphic owl that can be medium or small sized. I'm someone who likes to draw human faces, so what's stopping me from playing a human-looking guy with large bird-like wings?

I want this PDF to encourage creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. I've played with many players and GMs who are way too stiff with their creativity, mainly when it comes to character creation.

Sure, a human is meant to be generic, but what's stopping you from making them be more doll-like thematically? You're not changing the way they function, but you are changing the way they appear and behave. Systematically, this way of creativity is harmless.

There are subraces of all kinds, and all of them can't be covered entirely in official content. Another reason I'm not adding homebrew races or classes into this is not just because of balancing reasons, but because some DMs might not be open to homebrew, or some players might get nervous or uncomfortable with homebrew creations (like I am).

I do plan on making a page that'll be a kind of guide on how to "mix and match" certain things, though mainly in the terms of backgrounds. Did you know that, apparently, you can change your background feature to whatever feature you want if you're not happy with it? I DIDN'T UNTIL EARLIER THIS WEEK!

I'm also adding a few examples of homebrewed rules some games tend to have, since I'm sure some (or most) members of this community are not experienced in D&D 5e on a personal level. (Examples are bonus action healing potion, secret death saves, etc. I will be throwing in a personal rule I made for my games as an option.)

Anyways, enough of me rambling. Here's a closer shot of the Meif'wa guy I made! Was gonna make three to show range, but I got tired and I ended up liking him a lot -w- No name for him though... But I might just keep it that way for fun lol

Hydrate!