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everlasting-rainfall · 7 months ago

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-Most Terrifying Yandere in One Piece-

Okay so I just had a thought of who the most terrifying Yandere in One Piece would be as yes, Luffy is someone who would probably rip the entire world apart just to get his hands on you but it ain’t him in my personal opinion

Sanji would crack the skull of any man who tried to speak to you and Zoro is so intimidating that no one would probably even dare try to speak to you

Boa would trap you with her without you even knowing that you’re trapped and if you ever do then you won’t be able to do anything about it, Robin knows exactly how to hurt you and exactly what to say in order to keep you from leaving her side

Akainu could have an “Only Alive” bounty placed on your head if you ever managed to escape him, Garp would chase you to the ends of the earth until he had you again

Kaido would keep you locked up in Onigashima in a place where only he would only be able to access you to ensure that he’s the only one that can see you, Big Mom would have you dragged off to Tottoland by her many sons and daughters in order to attend your wedding with her

But I gotta say that I don’t think any of them would be the most terrifying Yandere in One Piece and keep in mind that this is just personal opinion… But you know who would be?

!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!

!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!

Kidnapping, No Hope, Total Island Destruction, Uncomfortable Situations, Attempted Murder, Starvation, Imprisonment, Mind Break

!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!

!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!

!-MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE MANGA AND MOST RECENT EPISODES OF ONE PIECE-!

!-BEWARE SPOILERS-!

That would be this fucker right here in my personal opinion… Imu…

Why? Well I’d like you to think about this as Imu is someone that little to no one knows exists and no one even knows what Imu even looks like to begin with so let’s say that somehow you did manage to escape Imu’s grasp

You can’t tell anyone who had you… No one would know who you’re talking about and now that person you just told? They’re going to face an imminent death…

We all saw what happened on Lulusia too, all that just to kill Sabo who saw Imu if I’m right. An entire country wiped from history so if you told that person about Imu then you just potentially wiped that island out…

Granted Imu might leave you unharmed like they won’t kill you but there’s a good chance that when you’re brought back to them, it will be with your ability to walk or even stand removed so now you’re stuck with this person… Assuming Imu is a person, that is…

Plus I don’t think that Imu would even reveal their appearance to you for a good long while so imagine sitting down for a meal with this person covered head to toe in black, they stare at you with these unblinking red eyes anytime that you make a sound

If there was any way to lose your appetite, it would probably be from the sheer uncomfortable feelings brought on by Imu’s staring… I don’t think that they would even speak to you for a while after being captured so you’re just living with someone whose dead silent and won’t stop staring at you…

Also that brings up the case of imagine catching the attention of Imu like maybe you were one of the few people unlucky enough to be able to approach Imu but how much more terrifying would it be if you were just some civilian?

Who knows how they found out about you but once they decide that they want you, you’re being seemingly arrested out of the blue like you’ve done the worst crime imaginable if you aren’t just straight up kidnapped

Then you’re brought before this person who you’re absolutely terrified of and have absolutely no clue what they want from you only to be left alone with them because this is home now

Fucking horrifying if you ask me…

You can’t even hope at killing Imu either as even if they have no fighting skills, you’d probably have to get insanely lucky in trying to kill them like I’m talking winning the lottery eight times in a row on the same day then seeing like a quadruple rainbow on your way home only to find that every problem with your home miraculously fixed itself kind of lucky…

So let’s say that you did achieve that kind of luck and managed to sneak up and seemingly kill Imu in order to hopefully return to your life before all of this occurred, it seems like you might be home free and escape is so close within your grasp…

But let’s not forget about something…

And knowing that the Gorosei’s devil fruit forms can regenerate from seemingly just about anything, I’d assume that Imu can do it as well so they’re pissed that you tried to kill them after how kindly that they’ve treated you

So as you’re running, you’ll likely look back and see whatever this is chasing after you until it grabs you in a grip that feels like it’s trying to crush you as they drag you back where you belong

If you make Imu mad then they likely aren’t going to treat you with kindness like I can honestly see them depriving you of food and locking you up until you’ve learnt your lesson, Imu wouldn’t kill you and wouldn’t allow anyone to lay a finger on you to harm you

But by the end, you’ll be wishing that you were dead and no matter how much you might scream that you’ve learnt your lesson… Imu will leave you there until they know that you have only coming to you to give you just enough food and water to where you’ll survive…

Once Imu is sure that you’ve learnt your lesson and will never try anything like that again, that is when you’ll finally be freed from your prison and actually start to be treated with gentleness and kindness as well

Imu might even test how your time locked up affected as you as they’ll caress you and if you lean into it then they’ll kiss you… And if you return it? That’s probably the first time that you’ll hear their voice speaking the word “Good”

They’ll be gentle with you as they wash your body and take care of you until you’re all better but don’t think for a second that Imu won’t shove you back into your prison if it’s needed…

Now this isn’t to say that any other One Piece character isn’t absolutely terrifying as everyone is absolutely horrifying like hell… Luffy is absolutely horrifying because of Gear 5…

This is just my personal opinion on who I think is the scariest… And it’s Imu without a doubt for me…

#yandere one piece #reader insert #read the trigger warnings #minors dni #Yandere Imu

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moonlight-tmd · 3 months ago

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Idea! I think I remember seeing somewhere on your blog that Shockwave was a civilian frame amongst the many Warframes on the Decepticon side. Going off of that-and probably going to be angry as heck-but now I can't help but think in your "Con's are good" au, that Shockwave was originally one of the few good Senators who did their best to prevent the worst of the anti-warframe acts from going through. When his support for the Deceptions was found out, he was tortured, empuertad without trial and on false allegations, and left for dead before he was found and rescued.

I mention this because I feel a major turning point for the earthbound Autobot team would be for them to uncover this information. This could also serve as a catalyst for them losing trust in the council entirely. What do you think?

Yeah that does sound like something Shockwave might have experienced in this...

Originally I didn't have much info on his backstory but with your input- yeah I can see him being in the council before everything happened.

He was one of the lower position ones but still had much input on how things turn out. When he first heard of the propaganda and plans to eliminate warframes he tried his best to discreetly change the enforcement of that. Even risking stealing and changing the orders. That unfortunately didn't last long as he was caught with the act and upon discovering the reason, the council automaticaly aligned him with Decepticons and send him off to be empurated and locked away. The council couldn't risk having their reputation dirty so they covered it up with him being assasinated.

While in prison, he took his time to re-evaluate his decisions and goals; he didn't regret one bit of his actions, he only wanted the best for the citizen. He spend years reflecting and making plans for no apparent reason- he never thought he could get out of the prison he himself helped build for most dangerous criminals,.. that he now was a resident of himself.

But fate had it that a Decepticon ship attacked the prison in attempt to get their comrades out. He found himself running with the criminals and by all luck managed to catch a ride. Universe had gived him another chance and he wasn't about to waste it.

He changed his name to Shockwave and managed to consult with Megatron himself about his fate and possible aid in return for support from Decepticons. And thus he began helping them overthrow the council.

He was scared of initiating the plans he offered, but it was the only way- he was gonna climb the ranks under a disguise and be their infiltration. His odd frame type granted him the ability to alter his appearance but with empurata helm it was almost impossible to make it pass... Fortunately for them all there was one femme who specialized in self-taught medicine and frame alterations. Blackarachnia made it so his helm could shift along with his frame and therefore made his alter persona, Longarm.

During infiltration of boot camp, Shockwave met a young minibot- foolish and swayed by the tales of the amazingness of Elite Guard. Shockwave felt bad that such a passionate and high-spirited mech would only be disappointed once he learned the truth. Shockwave was surprisingly young for a senator back in the day, so he understood the excitement Bee had- maybe that's why he became friends with him. When Wasp became to be apparent issue for Bumblebee and the officers weren't doing anything despite several notices, Shockwave decided that enough was enough- he was well aware of the rumors of a spy around the camp. He learned from his mistakes and was far more careful about his actions but still it somehow got out. He used the rumors and crafted a well-suited evidence for Wasp to step right in. It worked and Bee was safe, although this satisfaction didn't last long for he was kicked out for some stupid thing few months later.

Now for some events that I don't know how to put in line of time;

When Shockwave learned about Wasp trying to get revenge on Bee he felt guilty- he should've known that putting Wasp in jail wasn't gonna be a permanent solution but he also hoped that he would be stuck there for longer. He didn't like that Bee had to carry the consequences of his lies which is why whnn he revealed that it was him that put Wasp in jail he tried his best to explain his reasoning. He was lucky that Bee understood where he was coming from and forgave him.

When Shockwave learned that the same minibot he was friends with in boot camp had a relationship with Blitwing he was.. shocked to say the least. For someone who believed in the council's fake good so much it was quite controversial. In the end he was happy that Bee was happy, more so when he acknowledged that Bee was not as foolish as he thought and actually looked into the true side of the council.

When the earth rebellion was forming, it was difficult to get Team Prime to trust Decepticons- Shockwave has decided that if they were gonna help them they need to know what the council was capable of and shared his story. He watched their expressions shift to shock and disgust as he described the punishment for simply not wanting a war. The sad part about it is that Optimus actually met Shockwave before all this... As brief as it was, Op saw the mech Shockwave used to be and it pained him to see the same happy mech turned into a bittersweer avenger of the council's victims. It was what pulled the final straw and caused the rebellion to solidify.

That's all for now, thank you for the ask and sorry for the long wait!

#maccadam #tfa #ask box #tfa shockwave #tfa longarm #tfa au #cons are good au

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typicalopposite · 3 months ago

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Ughhhhh! Today was… draining 😭 I haven’t had the chance to write much… but the last time I checked the chapter was basically at 10k 🫣 and still going… soooooo here’s another little snippet from chapter 6 of my Tommy Mpreg 🫶

The weather is nice. Nice enough to sit out on the porch swing and get lost in your thoughts… get depressed from your thoughts… a tear slides down Tommy’s cheek just as a familiar red SUV passes by and turns into the driveway; Athena and Karen get out, smiling and waving. “Hen said we might find you moping around at home,” Athena says, offering a warm smile. Tommy stares at them, and sighs. “She seriously told you?” “Well… she told Bobby,” Karen says. “Then they talked about it for a little while,” Athena adds. “Then they told us, and suggested maybe we come talk to you.” Karen grabs one of the rocking chairs and sits down, smirking. “Since we have some good experience with disapproving in-laws.” Tommy stares at the women, confused. “But Bobby’s parents aren’t alive and�� and Karen, Toni loves you!?” “She didn’t always,” Karen corrects. “She has come… a long way.” “And my mother…” Athena chimes in. “Well let’s just say Bobby still consistently has to jump through hoops to stay in her good graces.” “Yeah, well… at least he managed to get in them at all…” Tommy mumbles. Athena sits down on the swing beside him and lays her hand on his. “I wish I could tell you Buck's mother will come around… but that woman— mmph…” Athena makes a face, and Tommy laughs. He fully gets it, and agrees, just by that noise alone. “She’s definitely a character,” Karen sighs. “But I’ll tell you one thing. You, and these two…” Athena pokes at Tommy’s stomach, before laying her hand against it as the babies start to kick. “—mean more to Buck than she ever has… and ever will. I know you’re trying to keep the peace by keeping quiet. But I’m telling you, it’s not worth it to lose your peace in the process.” He knows she’s right… and Hen’s right… and Eddie’s right… and his mom’s right. He sighs, nodding. “And, just to put it out there,” Athena continues, getting that classic no nonsense Sergeant Grant look in her eye. “If she bothers you any while she’s here, just come to me. I don’t mind showing her how to back to her own lane.” Karen laughs and reaches out to grab Tommy’s other hand. “Yeah, we’ve got your back.” And they did.

We love a good support system, yeah? 🫶

I know it’s late but tagging: @30somethingautisticteacher @onthewaytosomewhere @judymarch15 @sunnywithachanceofbi @nine-one-wanton @bucksxkinard @bidisasterevankinard @kinardsevan and anyone else who wants to share 🫶🫶

#wip wednesday #bucktommy #cw mpreg #tommy kinard #athena grant #karen wilson #evan buckley

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imtrashraccoon · 10 months ago

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Funny enough we had mac and cheese for dinner the day I wrote this. No, it wasn't my idea and it was the boxed kind. Homemade is so good though...

@owl-bones

First Day, Previous Day, & Next Day.

Bad Sansuary: Killer - Heavy

Word Count: 1,860

You were attempting to get some lunch made when Killer showed up again. Moving around on crutches was still rather difficult but you were craving something cheesy. So you were trying your best to balance on your crutches and still do meal prep.

"hey..." he muttered in a low voice as he pulled out a chair and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Hey yourself," you responded and continued what you were doing, barely sparing him a glance.

It wasn't a very nice way to greet a guest but you didn't like how he tended to just teleport into your home without notice. No, you weren't being hypocritical just because you were okay with Dust doing the same thing. At least he hadn't played a stupid prank that had resulted in a hospital visit!

Weirdly, Killer didn't make any effort to retort and when the silence grew too uncomfortable, you turned to properly look at him.

He seemed...fidgety and yet, kind of lethargic. The black ooze that seemed to perpetually drip down his cheekbones from his eye sockets seemed to have increased too. He also seemed to have slight dark circles underneath his eye sockets for once and the glowing red target that floated above his sternum seemed almost distorted and fuzzy.

Apparently, even Killer had bad days it seemed. You couldn't be sure if he tended to act detached like Dust or more reactive like Axe though. Hopefully, he was the quiet type, but you didn't like the chances of that being the case, considering how volatile he was normally.

So, you chose to ignore him, at least for the time being anyways. You really didn't need to know what was bothering him today as it couldn't be good if it affected him this much. Instead, you decided to make homemade mac and cheese to satisfy your cravings. It took a bit more work than the boxed stuff, but you could add as much cheese as you wanted to this way.

You had just started grating the cheese when something tiny bit the back of your head. Looking down at the floor, you spotted a stray toothpick and when you bent down to pick it up, another one hit your back.

Casting a stern look at Killer, you discovered that he had somehow gotten ahold of the container of toothpicks that you normally kept by the stove, despite seemingly not getting up. He stared passively back before sliding another one out of the container and flicking it, with surprising accuracy, so that it hit your chest this time.

You gave him a patient smile. "Can you...not do that? It's annoying and I'm going to eventually step on one, which might hurt."

He said nothing and just stared at you. Then, he went back to flicking toothpicks at you as if you hadn't said anything at all. Almost like a toddler testing what the limits of your patience were.

You rolled your eyes and turned back to the counter. He was apparently in a bratty mood and so you were determined to ignore his antics. He would get bored eventually and stop once you didn't give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

Once the cheese was granted, you got the milk out of the fridge and went to get a few spices, like salt and pepper, out of the cupboard. You'd just managed to reach one of them when it slid out of your grasp. Maybe you'd grabbed it wrong?

You tried again and got the pepper container this time. However, when you went to grab the salt container, the same thing happened. It was now somehow even further back in your cupboard than you could properly reach.

Heaving a long-suffering sigh and counting to ten, you did your best not to get mad. It would only give him what he wanted after all if you did.

You could do this.

Leaning your crutches against the counter, you balanced on your left foot for a second before jumping up. Your fingers closed around the salt and you grinned in satisfaction.

Unfortunately, you lost your balance when you landed and tried to grab onto the counter to catch yourself.

Strong but boney hands suddenly wrapped around your back, stopping your fall.

Killer's face was then the only thing in your field of vision and your face grew hot as you realized how close he was.

Your tongue felt heavy and your body was paralyzed. You couldn't move no matter how much you wanted to and even if you could, you likely wouldn't be able to stand up without stepping on your bad ankle.

He held you for a few moments before helping you regain your balance again. Once you'd grabbed your crutches and weren't in danger of falling over, he returned to his spot at the table.

He hadn't said a word the entire time. How unlike him...

You took a steadying breath and ran a hand down your face. That had been really embarrassing. If he hadn't acted so quickly, you would've had a nasty fall and possibly injured yourself worse.

You glanced up and instantly made eye contact with him. He seemed to have gone back to staring at you, which was just peachy. What was it with skeletons and staring anyways?

"What's got you in such a funk today, Killer?" you finally asked.

His permanent smile was already tight but the corners pulled up more at your question. "you know, you just reminded me of this weirdo that i know. he's a walking neon sign and stupidly tall... now that's funky!" His tone of voice sounded happy but you could tell he was forcing it.

You frowned that he'd completely ignored your question and hobbled over to the table. Sitting down across from him, you leaned your crutches up against the wooden surface before steepling your hands on the table.

"Killer...are you okay?" you tried again.

He waved you off. "it's fine cute-cake... get it? cause you're really cute and it's a piece of cake to make you mad?"

"Ugh..." You hated that your heart did a little flip at the stupid pun disguised as yet another flirtatious comment. "Come on! Killer, stop deflecting and tell me what's going on," you grumbled.

He opened his mouth to say something else but you reached across the table and pointed a finger in his face. "No. You've been pestering me to pay attention to you, so now I am. What are you dying to tell me?"

"guess you got me...dead to rights..." he muttered.

You leaned back in your chair and crossed your arms. "Ha. I'd give you more than a pity laugh but I'm serious here." When he smiled slightly more, you quickly added, "No, don't say that actually I'm cute or an angel. I'm not joking..."

He sighed and hung his skull in defeat. "you're no fun, angel face..." he muttered. He drummed his phalanges on the table for a moment before clenching his fists. "i'm just having a bad day... kind of itching to get some exp too..."

"Ah. I wondered if that could be the case." You pursed your lips thoughtfully and added, "Dust acted similarly when he was having a rough day, you know?"

Killer gave you a curious look and tilted his skull. "i don't get it..." he muttered. "i don't like any humans, you know?"

Rather than give you time to answer, he kept muttering. "...i once met a human who manipulated me and eventually forced me to kill everyone i ever knew...over, and over, and over again... it got to the point where i acted on my own without any prodding...and it happened over and over... until they got bored and left... they abandoned me after everything i did..."

The longer he talked, the more unnerving he became. You were familiar with info dumping death spirals by now, but it still sent shivers down your spine at how hollow his voice sounded compared to how he normally acted. You didn't like Fake-happy Killer but you especially didn't like Deathly-serious Killer either.

Without really thinking, you reached across the table again and this time, you placed your right hand on his left. You didn't say anything yet and just sat there listening to him.

The gesture seemed to shock him out of his ramblings and he looked down at your joined hands. When you didn't pull away, he caught your gaze again and studied you intently.

"why aren't you...upset...? i just told you why i'm this messed up..." His face hardened and he abruptly stood up, pulling his hand away roughly. "don't just look at me like that! get mad! call me a freak! say something! anything..."

He collapsed back into the chair, that had somehow not fallen over, and clutched his skull in despair. Then, in a small voice, he muttered, "forget it. i don't need your pity..."

"Hey."

You waited until he shifted and looked up at you before speaking again. "This explains why you act similarly to Axe and Dust..." you commented with a wry smile.

He stared at you with a mixture of disbelief and shock. He looked down at his hands and then back up to you. "what's that supposed to mean...?"

You took one of his hands in your own and gave it a small squeeze. "I shouldn't compare you to them I guess. You're similar in that you've been through awful circumstances and managed to come out the other side alive, but in doing so, you had to change. Maybe you think it was for the worse but I'm not focusing on that part right now. There's plenty different about you compared to the others, but it doesn't change the fact that you're still hurting and I can't stand seeing you like that."

You turned his hand over and examined it, although you couldn't really see his palm because of his fingerless gloves. Running the fingers of your other hand over his own, you hummed softly.

"I can't condone what you do for work but I can see you aren't completely irredeemable. You've been awful to me and yet you also tried to fix things when you went too far. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but you haven't actively threatened to harm me since we first met either."

Killer was silent for a little while and he seemed to be pondering what you'd said.

You sighed and looked away from him. "Look, I still don't really like you... But, despite everything, I can't bring myself to hate you, especially after what you just told me..."

He made a quiet clicking sound with his non-existent tongue. "interesting..." he muttered. He ran a thumb over your fingers in a thoughtful way.

"no wonder they both like you..." He curled his phalanges around your hand and brought it up to his teeth.

From the smirk on his face, you just knew he was being flirtatious. This was confirmed when he pressed a slow skeleton kiss against your knuckles.

"you're even cuter when you're red in the face like that, angel~"

Scratch that, you hated him all over again!

#badsansuary #raccoons drabbles #undertale #killertale #something new #killer sans x reader #killer sans #reader #female reader #have some empathy dear #oneshot

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sxcret-garden · 1 year ago

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Theo ღ Be Mine [M]

ღ P1Harmony Theo x fem!reader ღ feat.: Keeho ღ words: ~5.8k ღ genre: smut (dom!Theo, some nipple play, marking, fingering, unprotected sex, drunk sex, jealous Theo is a little possessive), college AU, enemies to lovers vibes ღ warnings: alcohol consumption, (reader is smaller than him)

Desc.: You’ve had secret feelings for Choi Taeyang for a while now, and you’re anything but happy about them. So now that your childhood friend Keeho has invited the both of you to his party, you’re forced to decide if you want to keep avoiding him, or if you want to finally take your chance and make him yours.

It was the exact moment that your eyes met his the second you entered through the door of your friend Keeho’s house, that you decided to get absolutely shitfaced tonight - with he not referring to the guy you’ve known since childhood, but one of his friends whose personality you just can’t put your finger on. All you know is he makes you nervous, but not in the bad way. More in a way where your heart starts beating harder and you feel your temperature rising if you stand too close to him. You very much have a horrible crush on this guy, but instead of conveying that to him, you shoot him a glare and then walk the other way.

“What’s with the mood?” Keeho immediately catches up to you and starts up a conversation. “I thought we’re here to celebrate today?”

“Just give me alcohol,” you huff, and you two approach something like an improvised bar set up in the living room of his house. His family is gone for the weekend, so that’s why he decided he needed to use the opportunity to throw a big party to celebrate. What you’re celebrating? Nobody really knows, but there’s alcohol and that’s reason enough for the average college student to show up. Thus, his house is already pretty crowded - another thing you’re not a big fan of. However, with some liquor in your system you should be fine, and then, if you manage to avoid him, you might even be able to have some fun tonight.

Keeho pours you a cup of the fruit punch that he got who knows where. Maybe he even made it himself, in which case you probably shouldn’t even consider drinking it with the way he almost gave you alcohol poisoning with another experimental drink of his a while back.

“Turn that frown upside down!” he tells you with a singsong tone in his voice as he hands you the red plastic cup, and you shoot him an angry glare.

“Shut up…” you bark back, but he doesn’t seem to take it personally. Instead he just grins at how you down the cup in one go, and without the need for words, he grants you a refill right away.

“Someone’s looking for a way to escape reality today, aren’t you?” he remarks. As you feel the mixture of sugar and alcohol entering your blood flow almost right away and making your body feel a little lighter, you finally relax a little.

“Did you have to invite him?” you answer with a question.

“Him?” Keeho questions, and in no time he seems to figure out who you’re talking about. “Oh, you mean Taeyang?” A disgruntled noise from your side tells him he’s right with his assumption. “He’s a good friend of mine. How could I not invite him?”

“I don’t like him?” Silence follows, and Keeho raises his eyebrows as he gives you a judging look.

“You do though…?” he eventually answers. “I think you just don’t like the fact that you like him.” You feel yourself agreeing with him, and before that feeling can turn into coherent thoughts, you say,

“I don’t wanna talk about it. Let’s go do something fun.”

“I can introdu-”

“No need.” You cut him off sharply, then you start walking towards the garden. Keeho follows suit, and he puts his arm loosely around your shoulders.

“What if I tell you he’s taken an interest in you too?” he suddenly says just when you’ve reached the door leading from the living room to the veranda. You feel your heart stop for a second upon hearing those words, but you do your best not to let your friend notice.

“You sure I shouldn’t bring him to say hi to you?” Keeho follows up with a question and you spin on your heels to face him, your dress fluttering in the warm summer air. You’re usually not the type to wear dresses unless it’s for a formal occasion, but somehow Keeho kept insisting on how good you would look in this one and how much he’d love to see you wear a dress casually just once, so eventually you gave in. Not because he convinced you 100%, it’s mostly because he wouldn’t stop bugging you about it and you really needed him to shut up for once.

“Very sure,” you retort. “Now, I’m getting tipsy so that means I’m in the mood to dance.” You hold your hand out to him, waiting for him to take it.

“There isn’t even proper music playing,” he argues.

“Well, you’re the host, so do something about it!”

“Alright. I’ll be right back,” Keeho says, and with a grin and an excited spark in his eyes, he rushes back inside to turn on some proper music to party to, while you tend to the cup in your hand and empty this one in no time too. You won’t be able to keep holding it while you’re dancing anyway, so you might as well finish it and get a new one once you want another drink. Throwing it into the trash bin out in the garden that Keeho must’ve prepared beforehand, you hear a familiar tune resound from the speakers both inside the house and outside on the terrace. It’s a song you’ve liked ever since you first discovered it, and when you see your childhood friend coming out of the house and returning straight to you, you shoot him a proud look.

“You know what I like,” you remark with a grin on your lips, to which he shoots you a similar expression as he takes you by the hands.

“I can’t have you being unhappy at my party,” he says, and you appreciate the thought. Then you start dancing, along with some other people around you. For a while neither of you says anything, and you just enjoy the way the music, the alcohol, and your and Keeho’s synchronized movements are gradually making you feel more at peace with the situation you’re in. However, at some point any kind of happiness needs to end, and so does this one when your beloved but sometimes slightly annoying childhood friend opens his mouth.

“So… what is it about Taeyang that you like so much?”

“Ugh…” you reply with a groan and avoid eye contact with your friend.

“Or… maybe it’s easier if I ask what you dislike so much about this?” Keeho keeps going ruthlessly. “I mean, he might seem like an angry kitten at first, but really he’s a nice and reliable guy once you’ve gotten to know him a little.” Something about the way he worded that first part bothers you, but you decide not to give it too much thought.

“Can we just not talk about him?” you retort instead, and though you notice the way Keeho sighs at you, you don’t react to it. There is one thing that Keeho doesn’t know. There is no need for him to introduce you two, because technically you already know each other - if having one conversation can be called knowing someone, but you suppose Taeyang at least became an acquaintance through that. The topic you talked about was something mundane, you remember it was after one of your shared lectures, but you don’t remember any details of what was said. Details that you do remember however were the way he swiped his hair back mid sentence, the way the look in his eyes was so intense that it made you feel the urge to start a staring battle with him right on the spot simply because you wanted to prove to yourself that you could withstand it, or the feeling you were left with once he walked out of the lecture hall. You’d never felt yourself this attracted to a stranger - or anyone for that matter - and still you can’t even grasp the full reason why. Sure, he isn’t ugly, and he’s on the tall side too, but that applies to many guys. There must be something else that keeps drawing your full attention to him like a spell put on you whenever you happen to spot him somewhere at uni or your paths cross out in the hallways on the way from one class to the other. And the way you just can’t figure out what that something is makes you hate these feelings that you have for him and that only seem to be growing stronger with each passing day - or maybe it’s the fact that you have no idea how to approach him and make him yours. But you would never admit any of that out loud.

“Oh, you know what?” Keeho’s exclaim tears you out of your thoughts and brings you back to reality. “We should get some games from the basement for later. Drunk Twister sounds like a good idea.”

“It sounds like a horrible idea to me so I won’t take part, but I can help you carry some games upstairs?” you suggest, and Keeho nods. You’re a little sad when you let yourselves fall out of the rhythm to walk back inside, where you check your surroundings first of all. Taeyang seems nowhere in sight, so you relax a little and you let out a small sigh. You follow Keeho across the house and to the basement, when suddenly, halfway down the stairs, he abruptly comes to a halt right in front of you so you almost crash face first into his back.

“Oh, I forgot something,” he shouts, and then turns around one step below you. “I was gonna bring something with me to the basement, mind if I go get it real quick?” You step aside as if to signal him that it’s alright with you, and he hurries back up the stairs past you. You sigh as you watch him disappear into the hallway, and somehow you must realize you’re not as annoyed with him as you usually are when he pulls things like this.

“Is it the alcohol?” you question. “I should drink more often in that case.” You let out a dry laugh and lean against the cool wall of the staircase, directing your gaze at your shoes while you wait. You picked out sneakers to go with the dress, because if you’re already forced to wear something you’re not used to wearing normally, you at least want your feet to be comfortable. Plus, these simple black and white chucks suit any kind of clothing - or at least that’s what you think. A smile crosses your lips - whether it’s because you’re suddenly proud that you didn’t let your best friend annoy you into wearing 100% what he wants, or if it’s just the bliss of being slightly drunk so you don’t care. And then you notice someone approaching the stairs in the corner of your eye, and when you raise your chin to yell at Keeho for taking so long, the words suddenly get stuck in your throat.

“Oh.” That is all he says upon recognizing you. And recognize you he did within a second, you’re sure of that from the way his expression quickly changes from surprise to something like a closed door, as if he had something to hide. Choi Taeyang… his name pops up in your mind, but that’s about the only thought your brain can produce at that moment. His gaze drops from your face to the stairs as he starts to descend them, and when he’s about two steps away from you, he raises the plastic box in his hand. You notice it contains several other smaller boxes on closer look and you wonder just why it was so important for Keeho to bring them to the basement today and not any other time.

“Keeho asked me to take these with me and to help you carry some games to the living room,” Taeyang explains, mostly looking at the ground in front of him. However, when your gazes meet for a second, you can feel goose bumps forming on your arms and legs, and at the same time that familiar heat arises in your stomach again. You curse Keeho in your mind as it dawns on you that he most likely sent Taeyang here to set you two up, then you turn your back to the guy next to you and you walk all the way downstairs, closely followed by him.

“Give me those,” you say, gesturing to the boxes usually used to store leftovers, and when Taeyang hands them to you, your fingers touch for a split second. You try to ignore the electric spark this causes you to feel just where your skin came in contact with his, and instead you put the boxes to their rightful place. Then you immediately move on to the next shelf to look for some fun games - you have no time to lose if you want to get out of here as fast as possible.

“You sure know this place well,” Taeyang remarks. “Do you come around here often?”

“Well, me and Keeho have known each other for an eternity so… pretty much,” you answer.

“Oh, so you are the childhood friend he keeps talking about!” the guy next to you exclaims.

“Yeah,” you respond while taking a few games out of the shelf and quickly handing them to Taeyang. You must admit you appreciate the small talk, especially while having a perfectly valid excuse to avoid having to make eye contact with Taeyang. Still, you’re starting to curse Keeho even more upon learning that he seems to have already told Taeyang quite a lot about you.

“Isn’t this enough?” he questions as you turn back to the shelf and search all the various boxes with your eyes.

“He said to bring Twister too,” you explain, just before the colorful box comes into sight. “Found it!”

“Twister?” Taeyang repeats. “Not a fan of it.”

“Me neither,” you agree, and then you get on tiptoes, trying to reach the box on the top shelf, but failing horribly. Next to you, you can hear Taeyang chuckling softly at the sight, and when you’re about to yell at him for it, he puts the games you already handed him aside and approaches you. Trapping you between the shelf and his body, he reaches the box with ease and recovers it for you.

“There you go,” he says while handing it to you, and you’re not sure if he’s making fun of your height or if he’s being sincere, but from the way a somewhat shy smile has formed on his lips you guess it’s probably the latter. And it makes your heart flutter in a way you’ve never felt before.

“Thanks,” you say, your voice monotonous, and you mentally give yourself a pat on the shoulder for not giving away your current inner turmoil of emotions.

“Your dress…” Taeyang starts speaking again, without taking his eyes off you. “I think it looks good on you.”

“O-oh… thank you,” you answer, this time without being able to avoid stumbling over your words. “Keeho helped me pick it out.”

“I see…” You’re not sure if your eyes are tricking you when you see his pupils growing darker by one shade before he turns away, and it’s not like you have any way of confirming it. So you try to push that hunch away, but with how you find yourself trembling ever so slightly, there is no way you can deny the overload of feelings he sparks within you.

“Let’s go back up,” he says, and you’re thankful for your release from this prison of a situation finally coming into sight.

“Yeah,” you answer. Without exchanging another word, you both return to the first floor, and you put the boxes into the living room, just like Keeho asked. Speaking of him, you leave Taeyang within a second to go look for your friend, and you eventually find him outside, chatting with some guys you’ve never really talked to. Still, you approach him, and once you wrap your hand around his arm with a strong grip, he winces in surprise and calls out your name.

“Whoa!” he exclaims as soon as he discovers your angry expression. “What did I do???”

“You know exactly what you did.”

“Ohhh… about Taeyang? Sorry, I got caught up here, so I asked him to help you instead, haha!” By the tone of his voice alone you can tell that was nothing but a white lie, but you can’t exactly scold him for trying to set you up in front of some people you don’t even know, so you just glare at him some more and then decide to leave for now.

“Hmpf…” You turn on your heels and walk right over to the bar. Even when Keeho tries to stop you by calling out to you, you don’t pay him another look.

You’re not sure how much time you spend by yourself just taste-testing yourself through all kinds of bottles you find in Keeho’s kitchen, you just know that once he calls everyone to gather in the living room for playing some games the sun has fully set and you are significantly more drunk than you were before. Still, you refuse to partake in any of the games and instead join the people who decided to just watch. Taeyang as well seems to have made that same decision, as you find him leaning against a wall across the room with a cup in his hand, sparing the people playing a look or two every once in a while. But mostly his eyes are glued to you, and at this point he too seems drunk enough not to make a secret out of how much he really likes the sight of you in that dress. You would’ve usually gotten uncomfortable if someone kept staring you down this obviously, but somehow in this one case you like the way he’s fallen for your looks. It makes you feel a little more powerful in your situation, and also like maybe you do have a chance with him after all. But again, this is nothing you would ever admit out loud.

At some point he disappears behind the people standing next to him, heading off to god knows where. It is that moment in which your eyes lose sight of him, that you feel like something’s been torn away from you - something much more significant than just the sight of a handsome guy. Still, you shake your head in an attempt to rid yourself of such emotions, and in your mind you can hear drunk you and sober you fighting over whether you should give in to your feelings or not. And then, without having reached a conclusion, you suddenly hear him calling out your name, his voice resounding close to your ear. You whirl around in surprise, and at the same time you can feel a tingly sensation rushing through your whole body. The way your name sounds spoken in his voice keeps ringing in your ears, while you try to talk to him like you would normally talk to your friends.

“You surprised me…”

“Sorry,” he grins at you. You find a playful spark in his eyes, as if he startled you on purpose, and when he lifts his right hand to show you the item he’s holding in it, you tear your gaze away from those dark brown pupils.

“Alcohol?” you question once you realize he’s holding a fancy looking bottle.

“Sparkling wine or something… I found it in Keeho’s kitchen,” Taeyang explains and he shoots the host a look. “We’re allowed to take this, right?” You’re not sure if the answer to that is yes or no, but what you do know is that your childhood friend wouldn’t be mad if you were the one who took it. Considering if you should just take the blame in Taeyang’s stead, you respond,

“Sure…?”

“Let’s go upstairs with this, then,” Taeyang suggests. “I know something more fun to do than watching some drunk people play twister.” Assuming he wants to get even more drunk with you, you hesitate. The thought of just the two of you being in a room together alone makes you shiver - and not only in anticipation. However, while you’re still trying to figure out what to say to him, Taeyang already wraps his free hand around your wrist and pulls you along with him, out of the noisy living room.

“It gives you a headache, doesn’t it?” he remarks as he’s leading you towards the staircase.

“Yeah, the noise is terrible,” you say. You can’t make out his expression after that, as he’s walking a bit in front of you, but with how he doesn’t respond anymore, you feel like maybe the noise was not what he meant.

“Here we are,” he says eventually, opening one of the doors on the second floor.

“That’s Keeho’s room,” you explain.

“So?” Taeyang answers. “What better place to enjoy a secret drink than the host’s room?” You can only let out a short laugh, before you follow him inside and you sit down at the foot of Keeho’s bed. The guy who dragged you here closes the door and then walks over to you, about to open the bottle in his hands.

“Wait - what if it overflows?” you warn him, and Taeyang stares at you for a long moment, probably considering the possible consequences of that. Then he returns his attention to the bottle, and opens it anyway. You’re about to scold him, but when the only thing coming out of it after removing the cap is some smoke, the tension leaves your body. You would’ve usually yelled at him for this anyway, but drunk you doesn’t see the point of wasting your energy on that when nothing bad happened in the end.

“Oh, but… we forgot the cups,” Taeyang remarks, and you shrug before taking the bottle away from him.

“Whatever,” you mumble and you take a sip of the wine. It has a slightly sweet flavour, suiting your taste perfectly, and you enjoy the feeling of the fizzy liquid filling your mouth and the sparkles dancing on your tongue. “This is good,” you eventually say, giving the bottle a fond look before Taeyang takes it back. You’re about to complain when he brings the opening to his mouth, his lips touching the glass just where yours were mere moments ago, but your attention is drawn to his throat as he takes a sip and you can see his adam’s apple move as he swallows the alcoholic liquid.

“Wh-what are you doing?” you question.

“What do you mean, what am I doing? What does it look like I’m doing?” Taeyang answers and shoots you a questioning look.

“I mean-… both of us drinking from the same bottle?”

“Oh, you want the wine all to yourself?” he assumes and takes another sip of it. However, before you can deny his guess, he’s already lowering himself and you feel his lips being pressed against yours. He puts his hand behind your neck and as he parts your lips with his tongue, he tilts your head back a bit, so he can pass on the alcohol from his mouth to yours. You swallow it without thinking, and then you meet his tongue with yours, kissing him back while the aftertaste of the wine still lingers. Only when you part do you realize what just happened, and you turn away from him somewhat awkwardly. Taeyang doesn’t say anything. He merely straightens his back and then takes a few steps away from you, while drinking some more of the wine. Unsure how to react now, you merely bite your lower lip and let your gaze drop to the bedsheets underneath you. You remember once again how he called out your name, and mixed with the lingering feelings that the kiss left you with, it’s getting harder and harder for you to deny your attraction towards him.

“You know,” Taeyang eventually breaks the silence. “The way you’re always glued to Keeho… it pisses me off.”

“Huh?” you turn your head to find him still standing a few steps away from you, but the gaze he meets your eyes with makes your skin crawl.

“That guy is all over you all the time, it’s like he’s not leaving anyone else any space to even talk to you,” he explains, but the question mark above your head just grows.

“He’s a friend,” you argue. Taeyang comes closer to you, leaving the bottle on Keeho’s nightstand.

“I know,” he says, frustration reflecting in his voice. “I still don’t like it.”

“Are you… jealous of him?” you dare to ask, and you almost regret it when Taeyang throws you a sharp look in response.

“What if I am? Would you not be jealous if I always had another girl around me at all times?” His question hits something inside of you, something you didn’t know existed - or maybe it’s something of which you denied that it existed. You stand up abruptly and you open your mouth to say something back, but instead, Taeyang is faster again. He lets his gaze wander your body and his eyes narrow as he takes in the red color of the dress you’re wearing.

“And the fact that he was the one who told you to wear this dress… makes me want to rip it off.” You think your ears are tricking you for a second, until he makes eye contact with you, and the expression on his face tells you that there’s no way you misheard him.

“Th-this shit was expensive!” you yell at him, as if you had completely missed the point of his words. He steps closer to you, and he extends his hands slowly, until they’re resting on your shoulders, his fingers barely grazing your skin and the fabric of the dress. He leans in so his mouth is right next to your ear.

“I’ll take it off carefully then…” he mutters barely audible, and you feel a shiver running down your spine. You’re unable to think of an answer to give him, so you decide to let your body do the talking, and when you lift your arms to rest your hands against his chest, you notice the exact moment he sucks in a deep breath and then holds it. You feel his gaze resting on you, and his eyes taking in the sight of you once more, before he lets one of his hands wander to your back in order to open the zip on your dress, all while never taking his gaze off of you. You know you’re in a position where he will notice every oh so tiny change of body language or expression from you - but for once, you’re more than okay with that. You’re not sure if it’s because of the alcohol or because it’s something that he did to make you suddenly feel much more comfortable around him, but you cannot think straight for long enough to come to a conclusion anyway, as he tilts your head upwards with his other hand and kisses you again. You fall into the rhythm of him moving his soft lips against yours immediately while all your thoughts disappear, and the way he hungrily slips his tongue past your lips again sends another shiver throughout your whole body. Feeling you reacting this strongly to him, his kiss only becomes more eager, and you’re starting to think that you weren’t the only one here who’s been harbouring secret feelings for the other for quite some time.

When you part, he slides the dress off you - carefully, just like he promised - and when you now stand in front of him in only your underwear, he scans you from top to bottom again, and his lips slightly part at the sight. You feel a bit embarrassed by the way his stare won’t leave your exposed skin, so eventually you cup his face with your palms and pull him towards you, so you can kiss him again, forcing him to tear his gaze away from your body for at least a little while. Once he breaks the kiss, he pushes you backwards onto the bed, crawling on top of you. Your hands automatically find his arms to hold onto once he’s hovering above you, and you pull him closer to connect your lips once again. You keep kissing like this, tugging and tearing at clothes until eventually they’re scattered all over the floor, and only when you’re sitting in front of him, both of you completely naked, do you stop him in the middle of making out with you.

“Are you sure we can do this here?” you ask, breathless. You can barely finish your sentence, before Taeyang presses another kiss to the corner of your mouth.

“Why not?” he breathes.

“It’s Keeho’s bed after all…” you argue, and the guy in front of you cups your face with his hands, before letting his fingertips dance their way down your body, eventually resting them on your hips. You let out a shaky breath upon feeling his warm touch, and you shoot him another look, as if to remind him of your question.

“So what,” he simply states, before kissing you again, more intensely this time. Your hand finds its way up into his hair, and you pull him closer to keep him from breaking the kiss too soon. Still, once you’re forced to part for some air, you whisper,

“We can’t do this on his bed…”

“Do what?” Taeyang pries and you can’t believe he’s making you spell it out.

“Have sex,” you eventually say, and a satisfied glint shows in his pupils. Then, he uses his body weight to push your back into the sheets, and his lips find their way to your neck to trail kisses down to your collarbone. His hands reach yours, interlocking fingers, while his mouth wanders further south, kissing and nibbling on the skin on your breasts, and when you feel his hot tongue as a contrast to the chilly air around you on your nipple, a moan escapes you.

“You’re much more beautiful like this anyway,” he mutters, and adds under his breath, “You don’t need that stupid dress.” You moan again, finding yourself agreeing with him - that his attention is much better than Keeho’s approval for wearing a dress he likes on you. And so you squeeze his hands in yours, wiggling closer to the touch of his lips, and eventually Taeyang comes back up to share another passionate kiss with you, while one of his hands lets go of yours and he slips it between your legs. Another moan escapes your lips when you feel him dragging a finger up and down between your folds. He watches every single one of your reactions closely, but the way his intense stare won’t leave your face makes you feel the need to turn away from him, even if just for a second, and you find yourself conflicted about whether you want to show him the effect his touch has on you, or if you’d rather hide it. However, when he slips his finger inside you for a moment and another moan falls from your lips, you must realize that even if you want to, you won’t be able to hide anything from him.

Your heavy breaths are getting quicker, and your torso rises and sinks, while Taeyang scatters kisses all over your chest. His fingers are pumping in and out of you at a steady pace now, and too soon his movements halt and he removes his hand from your core. A sense of deprivation overcomes you and you whine, but once you look down on his toned body, you can see the reason for his actions.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he whispers as he lets his eyes wander your figure once again, and he positions himself between your legs, before pushing into you. Fingers interlocking once again, he makes eye contact with you to check if you’re feeling comfortable, and when he can find nothing but lust and pleasure reflecting in your pupils, he starts rolling his hips into yours.

Maybe he’s a little too eager about it again, but at the same time you wouldn’t want him to stop for anything in the world. He connects his lips to the skin on your throat again, except that this time, you can feel his teeth grazing your skin in between kisses as well. Your fingers clench around his hands more and more with each time he slips almost all the way out of you, only to reach just a little deeper with every time he slams his hips back against yours, and you’re sure that by now, there must be several marks of your nails on the backs of his hands. And at the same time you can hear his groans right next to your ear, causing you to leave yet a few more of those marks.

“Y/N,” his strained voice calls out to you, and you feel another rush of adrenaline overcoming your whole body from that alone. “Be mine.” The words hit you right where you would usually feel your emotions bubbling up whenever you even so much as look at Taeyang, except that this time you neither have the ability nor the will to hide it. And so, you can’t answer with anything but a moan, and his name falls from your lips multiple times as you feel your high approach. Only a few more thrusts of his, and you’re coming undone underneath him, with your mind filled with nothing but him, and the blissful feeling of cumming around his hard cock. With another groan, he too cums inside you, and you can feel him filling you up, before he collapses on top of you.

You stay like this for a while, waiting for both your minds to clear up from the emotions that came with your orgasms, and after a while of feeling his weight on your body, you realize that the effect of the alcohol has started to fade as well. Your mind begins to replay everything that just happened, and eventually you mutter, while still staring at the ceiling,

“I’ll be yours.” Taeyang props himself up on his elbows upon hearing your words, and he takes a long look at your face while he’s hovering above you. Then, as if he had finally processed the meaning behind your words, his expression softens and he leans in to press his lips gently against yours.

“Good,” he whispers, merely an inch above you, so you can feel his breath on your skin. “I’ll be yours too.”

#p1harmony smut #p1harmony oneshot #p1harmony x reader #theo x reader #theo smut #p1h smut #p1harmony imagines #p1harmony scenarios #p1harmony drabbles #kpop smut #smut

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cornyonmains · 5 months ago

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Decided to read the novel for My Stand In, which is titled Professional Body Double. I'm a little disappointed with some of the changes the show made. Needless to say, novel spoilers ahead, though I won't touch on anything that hasn't happened in the show, as I'm only halfway through the book. Anyways, on to my first beef with the show.

One of the most informative aspects of Joe's character was changed. In the novel, Joe had also never been on bottom before, but that wasn't because he was holding out for someone special. At the beginning of the novel Joe is fielding offers for threesomes, the guy's been around the block and doesn't have a huge attachment to his virginity. Joe's character never bottomed because he'd quite simply never gotten the offer thanks to his more masculine looks. What makes this even more depressing is you find out that he thought it might have been his preference in the first place, but Joe being Joe, advocated about as well for himself during sex as he did anything else.

I think it was unwise to switch things up the way they did, because it really does explain a lot about why Joe was willing to suffer so many indignities to be with Ming. Joe asked for very little from the people in his life and didn't get it. Joe never really stood a chance when Ming came along and started giving him what he wanted.

Another thing I thought it was a shame the show didn't highlight is that in the novel, there's a fairly considerable age gap between Joe and Ming. Ming is 20 and Joe is 30. This actually offered a lot of explanation as to why Joe ignored a lot of Ming's red flags. He didn't ignore them, he just chalked a lot of it up to Ming being young and spoiled. But that's not to say the novel lets Joe off the hook.

Joe was, and I truly do lack a better word to describe this, completely servile to Ming. In the novels he waited on him hand and foot, created no real sexual boundaries with him, and preferred placating Ming's temper over challenging it. He was willing to meet any conditions for them to be together.

Ming's character progression is something I wish the show could have found a way to depict. Because during this time, Ming's development wasn't stagnant. What Joe had right, to an extent, was that Ming was young and still learning how to process his feelings. Towards the end of their first relationship, Ming had managed, for the most part, to regard Joe as completely distinct from Tong, and not just as a replacement. It's heavily implied he was in love with Joe, but just didn't know how to process these realizations that kept coming to him in piecemeal.

Ming liked the happy and relaxed environment he had with Joe in his condo, he was convinced nobody would ever be as sexually compatible with him as Joe, and he'd actually wanted to support him the first time Joe came home completely exhausted from set, but didn't say anything about it until he fucked up. Ming, who ran away to America as soon as he realized he was gay, did what Ming always did, he was quietly processing things, and was too young and stupid to give Joe a clue. He took for granted that Joe would be, in HIS words, obedient and docile.

The author of this, Shui Qian Qeng, is so good at writing gay toxicity it's stupid. It made me wonder if they're part of the community, but we don't speculate in this house, it's just a passing thought I had due to how nuanced the depiction of sexual confusion in this book is, particularly with Sol's character. Sexual confusion in BL tends to play very formulaically on screen. Existential crisis, a few heartfelt conversations, one cursed episode, a kiss at the end of the season, and everyone lives happily ever after. In the novel, Sol struggles for years, and is still processing his sexuality in an unhealthy way because the 'I'm straight, but only gay for this one guy in particular' trope so often used in BL is used in this novel, but to convey denial and sexual struggle. Upon Joe's death, Sol is still saying he's straight, but that Joe's the exception. This is treated with much deserved skepticism. Shui Qian Qeng, as a queer person who knows you're not reading this, bless you for that. I so desperately wish Sol's story would have been better adapted for the show.

To wrap things up on a lighter note, I also found out by reading this novel that tops and bottoms are referred to as ones and zeros in China. And my sheltered Midwestern ass was like, "Well that's rude." because one of them was a zero. Then I was like, "Well why would someone refer to themselves as a zero? That's not healthy." Then I started thinking about what the numbers looked like, 0 and 1, and was like, "Oh." It was an emotional rollercoaster.

#My Stand In #MingJoe #JoeMing #Thai BL #Bl drama

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geeks-universe · 2 years ago

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Kiss of Death pt. 5

Anthony Bridgerton x Assassin!Reader

Society has certain expectations of you. If only they knew of your nighttime activities…

“Good morning, Viscount,” you greeted warmly from behind a large plate of food.

The night before you’d snuck away to meet Graham, letting him give you a quick once over to make sure there were no lasting injuries. All things considered, you felt pretty good. You’d managed to get a decent amount of sleep, and now the only thing keeping you from tackling the day was the overwhelming hunger battling your stomach.

“Princess,” he answered, evenly- cautiously.

His eyes were scanning your body, and it only took you a second to realize why. He was searching for visible evidence of some forbidden escapade he had no doubt conjured.

Your absence had been noted, you knew, but you had informed Daphne you were just retiring early. Anthony hadn’t believed it.

You cleared your throat, turning your attention to the woman on your left who had just sat down a plate of warm pastries.

“Sorry for my abrupt departure last night,” you explained, your voice soft. “Liana escorted me back to your home.”

Liana, the maid in question, froze momentarily.

Her dark eyes assessed the scene, and you desperately hoped she’d connect the pieces. Liana was a highly trained assassin who had spent a lifetime learning how to read body language, the same way you had.

She was nearing her mid-twenties, and already had an impressive list of feats she’d accomplished in the Order. The Bridgertons didn’t know that, though. She played the role of your companion, a maid that had been with your family since she was a child. Technically, it wasn’t a lie outside of what her true occupation was.

But, your father was adamant she accompany you, and considering you had no maids of your own, the role was the most natural choice. Not that Liana was particularly happy about it.

“Too much dancing, I’m afraid,” Liana nodded sympathetically, and if you didn’t know her as well as you did, you might’ve actually believed her.

The dry look on your face did nothing to sell the story, but Anthony was satisfied with the answer, relieved you hadn’t left with another man.

“Did you enjoy any of the suitors?” Daphne asked politely, but the nearly imperceptible upturn of her lips spoke of something you didn’t quite understand.

“They were…” You couldn’t fight back the grimace. “Nice.”

Daphne laughed in return.

“In time I’m sure you’ll find the perfect match, as my Daphne has,” Violet said sweetly, and then began trying to extract details of how her relationship with the Duke was progressing.

You couldn’t help but gaze in wonder at the young woman as she practically glowed talking about the Duke. You hadn’t met Simon yet, hadn’t really had the chance, but the way she spoke of him made you appreciate him a little more. Daphne was absolutely besotted by him, and it caused a twinge of longing in your heart.

Like the Bridgertons, you were raised in a house filled with love. Granted, your parents were both assassins, as well as royalty, but the love they had for each other- and, by extension, you- was real. For a brief moment, you wondered what it might feel like to be in love with someone, to trust them with the whole of who you were, to feel safe. You wanted to shed the armor you wore around your heart, if only for a minute, to remember what it felt like.

Then, you could see your mother’s eyes as the light faded from them. You could feel your father’s agony as he held onto you, screaming at the world that had left you without a mother, the same pain burning your heart in the confines of your chest.

The deep scar just above your bellybutton flared to life, and you felt the wonder turn to ash in your mouth.

You couldn’t let yourself go through it all again.

You couldn’t love.

“I shall meet you at the park for the promenade at noon, I’m afraid I have business until then.”

You didn’t miss the confusion that flashed in Liana’s expression.

You did not, in fact, have business.

Graham had very explicitly banned you from your duties for the next week. As much as you wanted to argue, you knew better. Him and Liana were the only ones that knew you were there against your father’s wishes. He truly did think you’d gone to search for a husband.

If he’d known the truth he never would’ve let you step foot in London.

So you played the part for your father as well. Your steps were a bit heavier than normal as you walked away from the Bridgerton family, feeling the presence of Liana close behind.

“(Y/N),” she hissed against the sudden burst of wind as you opened the door.

London was as bustling as usual, and for once, you found yourself among them, rather than watching from the rooftops like some kind of hidden savior.

We work in the dark to serve the light, indeed.

“No work,” you assured her, letting yourself get lost in the crowd.

Liana, however, stayed closed by your side. She kept her gaze on you, and, when you passed a hidden alley tucked in the dark corner of a considerably quiet street, she pulled you to the side.

“What is it?”

She had been your closest confidant since you were a kid. Despite her being a number of years older than you, you’d always been the best of friends. When you were young, you trained together every single day, learning the art of your craft side by side. Now, most days you didn’t get the opportunity.

“Memories,” you offered, pushing back against the panic that quickened your heart.

You forced yourself to focus on the ground, a steady reminder that you were here, no matter how much your mind tried to drag you to the past.

“Your mother-“

Her voice was so cautious, like it’d caused her pain to utter the two words. It had, you were sure. Your mother had been a parent to her as well, and the pain of her loss cut deep.

“Don’t.” You breathed, your vision swirling as you felt the familiar darkness crawl up your spine. “Please.”

Liana released a sigh, then pressed her fingers beneath your chin. She searched your gaze, reading your expression. You didn’t know what she was looking for, nor what she would find, but after a moment she seemed satisfied with her assessment.

“Don’t let them break you.”

She was gone in a few swift movements, propelling herself onto the shoddy roof of the rundown building. Just because you were sidelined didn’t mean she was, and you knew you couldn’t be bitter over it when your entire operation depended on all of you.

So you took a brief moment to steady your breathing, deciding maybe you could embrace the role you’d play for the next week. Being an assassin had always come first, and royalty second. It’d been that way since you were just a kid, learning to defend yourself with dull blades.

Your parents hadn’t meant to let you train at a young age, even planned on delaying telling you about their extracurricular activities, but after your father had been gravely injured and had stumbled into you, they’d explained it all.

Truthfully, you were too young at the time to understand what it all meant, and, perhaps, if you were older, you might’ve chosen not to go down the route you did. After all, not everyone in the Order went on missions, some simply supported the Assassins. In recent yours, that’s what your father more or less became. He’d never been as quick or skilled as your mother, and after her death, he’d strayed from that path altogether, save the occasional need to don his Assassin robes.

You stretched, mindful of the stitches in your side, and jumped back into the fray of proper society. It was a role, you reminded yourself, one you might even have fun with if you let yourself.

It took you roaming around for a couple of hours to realize you would not, in fact, have fun with the charade. Every store you tried to enter gawked at the idea of you walking around without a chaperone. When you weren’t getting stared at for being unchaperoned, you were getting stared at hungrily by suitors hoping to get you in compromising situations.

By the time you had trudged back to the Bridgerton home to prepare for promenading in Hyde Park, you were in a sullen mood- a mood only made worse by the fact that there was still an impending conversation you owed Benedict Bridgerton.

You bathed yourself quickly, and dressed in a pastel green dress. It reminded you of the rolling hills outside your home, and the memories were enough to make you throw it on. Some days, you really did miss your home.

You knew, however, that you’d grown out of it. Your time as an Assassin, especially one as skilled as you, had taken you around the globe. The long, golden hallways and intricately painted ceilings felt foreign to you now. Perhaps the feeling of longing you felt wasn’t for your home specifically, but rather the feeling you experienced when you found home.

You puffed out a breath, deciding a walk to the park would do you good. You were getting much too sentimental this day, and it was only a matter of time before your past forced you to listen.

The walk to the park wasn’t far, and the gentle breeze of the wind reminded you of the times you’d spent high above the ground, perched just a nudge from the edge of a drop that would surely kill you. A week without being an Assassin.

A week without being you.

Daphne was the first to see you arrive, and she had a wide smile on her lips that you found yourself returning. She was a sweet girl, and you liked to think that in a different world, one where you weren’t indoctrinated into the Order at such a young age, you might’ve been more like her.

“Your highness,” she greeted sweetly, drawing the rest of her family’s attention. “It is wonderful to see you.”

Her voice was so genuine it made your heart squeeze in your chest. All of your friends were Assassins. As such, you’d all been a bit more distant, death hanging over your heads like a rain cloud, waiting for when you least expected it to strike.

“It is wonderful to see you too,” you replied in kind, and found that you did mean it.

You cleared your throat.

“Is your Duke planning on making an appearance?”

She didn’t comment on your use of the word ‘your’ but she definitely reacted to it. Pink tinged her cheeks, and she offered you a meek nod, so unlike her normally carefully spoken self.

Noted.

You tilted your head in Benedict’s direction, steadfastly ignoring the curious look Anthony was shooting you. He was connecting non-existent dots in regards to you and Benedict, but you’d let him do so, if only because he couldn’t know the truth. And, perhaps, in an effort to keep a distance between you.

“Benedict,” you called, your voice a little softer than normal. “You promised a stroll around the park?”

His momentarily confusion was shook off as he understood what you were alluding too, nodding far too enthusiastically. Whether he realized it or not, he was selling the idea that there may be something more than friendship between you. A quick glance at Anthony confirmed he believed so too, if the scowl on his face was anything to go by.

You ignored it, however, instead looping your arm through Benedict’s and leading the two of you to somewhere a little quieter. You waited until you were sufficiently outside of earshot before you began speaking, and even then, you scanned the area to make sure there were no wandering eyes or ears.

“About the other-“

“I was in a fight,” you said, watching his expression carefully.

He didn’t falter, as if that’d been one of his suspicions. He nodded slowly, cautiously.

“Okay,” he drawled, “Why?”

You sucked in a breath, pulling him towards a lovely rose bush. To anyone of the outside, it looked simply as if you’d stopped to admire them. Truthfully, you’d taken a minute to gather your thoughts.

“What I’m about to say, you cannot repeat.”

Before he could reply, you hissed out, “Ever.”

He swallowed, then paused.

“I promise.”

Your eyes hardened, one hand holding onto your forearm, atop the bracers your hidden blades were concealed in. You hadn’t been able to put the weapons down since you got to London.

“Do you think peace and freedom can coexist?”

If he was confused by your question, he didn’t show it. His answer was near immediate, and perhaps you knew what his reply would be before he even voiced it.

“Yes,” he mumbled. “I don’t see how that answers anything, though.”

You nodded, tapping your fingers along the bracer. It wasn’t visible under the fabric of your dress, and if anyone wondered why you wore sleeves in the warm weather, nobody asked.

“There’s a war,” you spoke slowly, allowing him to digest your words. “For as long as history itself, a battle between freedom and order. My family… we fight for freedom.”

He furrowed his brows, leaning in a titch to examine you closer.

“You… fight?” He inquired, shaking his head the smallest bit. “What war? What are you talking about?”

“Assassins and Templars,” you breathed, watching as his eyes widened, not in recognition of the institutions, but in fear of the word you’d used.

Assassin.

It was an ugly word used to describe an occupation associated with greed and death. He didn’t know about the Order, though. Didn’t know that the Assassins you knew weren’t murderers without a cause, but defenders of the very freedom he enjoyed.

“You’re an-“

“Assassin,” you answered, quick to wrap a tight grip around his arm when he made to turn around.

For whatever reason, or maybe stroke of luck, he believed you. Unfortunately, he wasn’t associating you with the Order, but rather the occupation.

“Let me explain,” you breathed out, making sure to keep your voice even and gentle.

Even though he looked ready to dart away and take his family with him, he nodded once.

You blew out a breath, carefully letting his arm go. He rubbed at where you’d grabbed, and you realized perhaps you’d been holding on a little too tight.

“The Assassin Order is an ancient creed built on the idea of freedom of choice,” you explained, letting your carefully placed mask drop.

You didn’t fight the expressions on your face, nor did you keep your body language unnaturally still. For the first time since you’d known him, you were expressive.

“We don’t kill for money, Benedict,” you said, “Nor for political gain. If we kill,” his eyes widened at the word, “We do so as a last resort to protect others.”

“You’ve killed before?”

He sounded unnaturally small, like a child telling his parents he had a nightmare. You held his stare, praying he could see the sadness deep in your soul.

You hated killing.

It never, ever got easier.

But, you would darken your soul to protect the world from the ugly truth the Templars tried to spread.

“Yes,” you whispered, your eyes shining with a guilt Benedict couldn’t understand.

He puffed out a breath and ran a hand down his face, unable to look into your eyes anymore. He could see the sadness there, the heaviness of the guilt and torment you carried.

You weren’t a bad person. He’d known that, and learning of who you were didn’t change that. It did complicate it a bit though.

“I won’t tell them,” he finally spoke after a particularly long pause. “My family, I mean.”

You were both staring at the roses now. To him, the deep red reminded him of the colors of love, like the still-beating heart of a lover. To you, it was the color of blood, the same sticky heat that stained your hands from the years you spent devoted to your cause.

In that park, you both stood in silence, two people who were starkly different, but perhaps, who could understand each other in a way nobody else could.

The romantic who, despite his station in life, only wanted to create, to make beauty in a world that severely lacked it- and the Assassin who, despite spending a lifetime of fighting, wanted to feel safe again.

Even the wind acknowledged the shift in atmosphere between the two people who actively rejected the roles they’d been born into as it calmed down, it’s caress more like that of a lover than it’d been all afternoon.

“Thank you, Benedict,” you murmured.

He linked his arm back through yours, offering a bit of comfort in the torrent of your thoughts. Slowly, he tugged you back towards where his family was, his pace nearly stopping before he got too close.

“Is it lonely?”

The question took you by surprise, and you looked up at him to find, not horror, but concern. You couldn’t understand how he’d been able to accept you so quickly, but you desperately clung to the feeling.

“Constantly,” you answered sadly, the curve of your lips echoing the melancholic declaration.

Anthony had approached the two of you while you answered, and, despite surprising Benedict, you’d already noticed him. With some amount of amusement, the second son noted that particular bit of information.

“Princess,” he said stiffly, without the normal amount of warmth and affection, or ire, you noted dryly. “Benedict.”

His brother’s name was a warning, and the younger of the two was quick to scurry away with a half-hearted excuse.

“Viscount,” you inclined your head.

He paused for only a brief moment before, with a little bit too much aggression, he asked, “Are you courting my brother?”

There was a hint of mischief as your smile grew, and you gazed up at Anthony beneath your lashes.

“That, I dare say, is none of your business.”

His expression turned even more foul, and he all but growled your name.

“No, my dearest Anthony,” you slipped a hand around his bicep and squeezed, your stomach doing a gentle flip when he visibly relaxed at the answer. “I am not courting anybody.”

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m afraid I must seem at least the slightest bit interested in my suitors, lest word get back to my father,” you joked, unable to bear the intensity with which he was staring at you.

He opened his mouth, as if to tell you to stay, but you slipped away before he could, your heart pounding in your chest. You glared at the spot, like you could will it to slow down.

Anthony Bridgerton was not, and could never be, an option.

#anthony bridgerton x reader #anthony bridgerton imagine #anthony bridgerton x female reader #anthony bridgerton x you #bridgerton x reader #bridgerton x you #bridgerton imagine

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waters-and-the-wilde · 1 year ago

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fuck it okay i am once again thinking about Jet teaching Nureyev how to cook

it starts with Juno trying to teach Nureyev how to cook, because Juno can cook and Nureyev realizes he's never had the chance to learn how and wants to make a go of it. it Goes Poorly not because Nureyev is a disgrace who sets the kitchen on fire, but because between the way he is as a person and the way Juno is as a person, it's an extremely frustrating experience. Juno Can Cook but that doesn't mean he Can Teach, there are a lot of concepts that he can just take for granted because of like growing up In A House and knowing What Appliances Do. he knows how to throw together some decent meals but not how to Explain The Process and Demonstrate How It Works, 'i dunno it just does okay??'

It's a whole 'can they assemble ikea furniture together' type thing, every time they try Juno gets impatient and Nureyev gets defensive and they wind up bickering and having to troubleshoot their communication again later that evening. maybe they manage to get through making what they set out to do but Nureyev doesn't actually feel like he retained any of the knowledge to be able to do it again next time, and neither of them really enjoy the experience which is a bummer for them both in its own right.

but Nureyev as a guy who can do anything he sets his mind to is like 'nonetheless i must learn to make a breakfast for my lady love for the days when he can't get out of bed.' and he starts watching Jet, who fields most of the family dinner type meals and has a sourdough starter and ferments things. he could ask Jet if he wants help, but it's hard enough trying to learn new things and make mistakes and be bad at things in front of Juno and he's feeling discouraged enough that he does not want to deal with Jet thinking he's just ingratiating and underfoot, or bluntly picking apart everything he's doing wrong, he might actually cry okay? he's already anxious enough about Wasting Food or Causing A Fire or Damaging The Cooking Implements. but if Jet says he wants help that's fine because Nureyev is more than happy to Be Available and in the meantime he'll do his best to absorb things by proximity

Jet does not know why Ransom is hovering in the kitchen watching him cook, but if he cared to know, he would ask point blank. and if Ransom does not want to be voluntold to help with dinner, he would not hover in the kitchen. Nureyev's nefarious scheme is working, insofar as Jet does not respond to hints but he does do what he wants and he wants help with cooking dinner. Nureyev is now in a position to Ask Questions, and the brilliant thing about working with Jet is that Nureyev can in fact Ask A Stupid Question and Get A Stupid Answer concise and matter-of-fact face-value response to something that might otherwise be considered obvious. and if Jet is being facetious, he's doing a damn good job at not showing it (and also he tends to save that up for Juno)

it is still a frustrating experience because Cooking Is Very Difficult and Nureyey is Trying Very Hard and getting distracted and flustered and making just the worst jokes around someone who does not think he is even a little bit funny and is not about to bother to pretend otherwise. and there is absolutely no one better for this right now. because The Thing Is. that Jet Gets It. because he had to claw his way into 'repetition and focus; control over every part' years ago. because it is abundantly clear to him that he is not teaching Ransom How To Cook, but How To Learn New Things When Not Under Extreme Duress. because Jet Has Opinions about Contriving Surprise Factors In The Learning Process and the moment Nureyev indicates that was how he was taught, his immediate response is 'then whoever taught you that that was very irresponsible and should not have done so'

(Nureyev gets very quiet and spacey for the rest of the day and eventually Juno storms into the garage spoiling for a fight, all 'what the hell did you say to him I haven't even been able to find him for the last three hours' and Jet very gravely relays the conversation and 'it was not my intention to upset him but unless he is able to communicate why he is upset, I am in no position to address it' but Juno's just still staring at him and then he sits down and then he starts getting the big sad-eye and then he's like 'never mind Big Guy. hey completely unrelated but can I um. give you a hug?')

#the penumbra podcast #tpp #peter nureyev #jet sikuliaq #i love my gay space crimes family #it's about the adhd solidarity fistbump

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hellfirenacht · 10 months ago

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Reader ==> Hang Out With Eddie One on One

lsekai Chronicles Master List

START HERE <<-- FIRST CHAPTER HERE

Recommended Previous Chapter: ==> N/A

Chapter Summary: It's your first time hanging out with Eddie Munson one on one.

Tags: angst, hurt/little to no comfort, mentions of nausea but Reader does not throw up, Reader has a small panic attack, references to Flight of Icarus events, Oops! All Angst!

@jo-harrington I did warn in my list that I could be a Monkey's Paw Author

Reader ==> Ride Shotgun with Eddie

Your body almost hurt from how stiff you felt, both from the shitty futon you’d been sleeping on at Benny’s on the nights that the different sports teams weren’t trashing the place, and from how tense you felt sitting shotgun in Eddie’s van.

You wished you could relax and not come across as a total weirdo to the guy sitting next to you. Eddie was currently driving you to his place, with the promise of letting you borrow a few cassettes and selling you some weed.

When you thought back to your old life before sliding into this world, you had hazy memories of smoking with friends, but sometimes you remembered differently. Either way, it was a good excuse to spend some one on one time with him.

If you didn’t know anything about Eddie it’d be easier, but so far you couldn’t look at him for longer than a few seconds without thinking about-

Well, you were just going to not think about that. Not yet.

Eddie took a sharp turn and you reached up instinctively to grab the “oh shit” handle and tried not to slam into the door.

“Jesus, Eddie.” you muttered, wondering if his driving would kill you before you had a chance to try and save him. If he could hear you over the sound of Judas Priest blasting through his old rattling speakers, he didn’t show it.

You dared to look at him out of the corner of your eye. Eddie was wearing a band shirt so faded you couldn’t make out what it said from this angle, and ripped jeans. His head was moving to the music and you could see him mouthing the words the the song that was playing, and his hands were banging against the steering wheel occasionally.

This was Eddie’s world and you were just living in it. Literally

“We covered this song once.” Eddie said, looking over at you for a second. Your heart jumped for a second and you wondered if you would ever get used to him acknowledging you. “My band I mean. Corroded Coffin.”

“Oh, yeah?” you responded with a slight pause beforehand. Wish you weren’t so fuckin’ awkward, self. You chastised yourself.

“Yeah, in middle school we were all forced to perform at the talent show.” Eddie laughed, mostly to himself. “It was a nightmare. I thought I was gonna puke, man.”

You stared at him, wrapping your mind around this. Why was it so easy to accept that the other characters had lives before, during, and after what you had seen on tv but with Eddie it was different?

Because he only had ten minutes of screen time before he was wanted for murder. You reminded yourself.

“They forced you to perform?” you asked, trying to imagine him, Gareth, Jeff, and Grant as pre-teens. Had the other kids been forced to perform? Steve? Nancy? You made a mental note to ask about that later.

“Yeah it was a stupid rule.” Eddie took another dangerous turn that made you grip your seat with white knuckles. He at least decided to turn down the music just a bit before continuing with his story. “I avoided it as long as I could but they managed to corner me into signing up. I refused to go down alone though so I roped some friends into joining me and thus, Corroded Coffin was born.”

“So you’ve been friends with the others since middle school?” you asked. If Eddie hadn’t been driving like a maniac you might have been able to relax a little as he led the conversation.

“Oh, no. Gareth joined in on drums in my second senior year.” he explained. “It was originally me, Ronnie, Jeff, and Dougie.”

Well, you knew at least two of those names. Jeff and Gareth had been there the night that Dustin asked for you to sub in for Grant. You didn’t remember much about them other than how they looked at you like fresh meat thrown to a wolf pack.

“A middle school talent show, huh?” you asked, finally looking at him for more than just a few seconds at a time. “Were you any good?”

“Oh, not even a little. We got boo’d off the stage and a ton of parents complained about our choice of song.” he smiled brightly, full teeth. “I’m pretty sure they changed the ‘everyone must perform’ rule after that.”

“Sounds like you failed for the good of all the kids in Hawkins. Bet you’re a hero to some of them.” You bit your tongue wincing at your choice of words. Hero. It was so cheesy and too on the nose. It didn’t mean anything. It meant everything. It meant nothing. Just stop overthinking-

“It’d be the first time someone thought I did any good in school.” Eddie said, pulling into the Happy Hills Trailer Park. He pulled up in front of his trailer and parked, and you hopped out, glad to be on steady ground.

Your watch said that it was around seven thirty. You’d walked all the way to the high school to be picked up by Eddie after Hellfire, he’d offered to pick you up at your place but... well you didn’t need him knowing where you were staying right now.

“Eddie.” An older man was sitting on the porch, cigarette in hand, as he nodded at his nephew.

“Thought you’d be off to work by now, Wayne.” Eddie said, hopping on the steps to the porch.

“Just about to head out.” Wayne’s eyes drifted over to you, taking in a drag and looking you up and down. Had it been any other old man, you would have felt deeply uncomfortable, yet with Eddie’s uncle you felt like- you couldn’t place it. If you had to take a shot in the dark, you assumed that he was trying to decide if he should judge you.

Actually, maybe you were a little uncomfortable now.

Eddie grabbed your shoulder and pushed you up to stand next to him as he introduced you.

You shot your hand out and gave him the best hand shake you could. “Nice to meet you.” you said. Wayne took your hand with his free one and shook it, giving you a nod. Whatever he had been thinking before disappeared and he stood up and flicked his cigarette off the porch.

“Don’t stay up too late.” Wayne said, heading towards his truck, parked on the other side of the trailer. “Granny dropped off a casserole in the fridge if you get hungry.”

The scent of cigarette smoke hung stale in the air of the trailer, and Eddie cracked a window in an attempt to air it out. You looked around, taking in the interesting choice of decore.

“Do you want a drink?” Eddie asked, looking over at you as you stared at the walls.

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you.” you said, making eye contact with a Garfield mug by the door.

“Why would that inconvenience me?”

“Well if you get me a drink what would you drink out of?” you asked, scanning the seemingly endless shelves of mugs and hats on the walls.

You heard Eddie laugh from the kitchen. “I’ll make due.” When you turned to look at him again he was holding a beer in his hand. No need for a mug then, you guessed.

“No, really, this is a lot of mugs for two guys.” you said, looking around. The small living room had a couch and an old arm chair, and there were just so many fucking shelves of mugs. “And hats.”

Eddie walked over to you and handed over a beer, which you took without a word. He’d been enough of a gentleman to even open it for you. You took a sip, trying to remember if you even liked beer.

“It’s just something Wayne always collected.” Eddie said. “I never really thought too much about it. Actually I don’t think I ever see him wear hats much either, mostly during the summer.”

“Do you wear hats?” You scanned the line of hats over one of the windows.

“Not since I was a kid. Those caps just make my hair go everywhere.”

“I like your hair.”

Eddie looked at you and you made eye contact with him for the first time since he picked you up, making your stomach twist. He almost looked bashful at the compliment.

“Thanks.” he looked like he might want to say more, but instead he turned around and started walking towards the opposite end of the trailer and you followed him.

Eddie’s room was overwhelmingly Eddie. Your eyes scanned the room, picking out pieces of him as you went. There was a small closet that was a little open, showing a guitar body that didn’t have any strings, a homemade Corroded Coffin banner, posters that were plastered on almost every spare inch of wall, a yoyo on his dresser, his electric guitar hanging on his mirror.

You stared at the guitar and tried to calm the pounding of your heart, trying to push down the memories of seeing him play the instrument on the small screen of your computer back at home and what happens after.

Calm down, calm down, calm down. You chanted in your mind and looked away from the dresser to where Eddie was on the other side of the bedroom. He was looking through a basket on the floor and you could hear the slight clacking sound of cassette tapes knocking together as he looked them over.

“You might have to rewind these.” he said, tossing them on the bed. “And one of these isn’t done so when you find that one, give it back.”

You picked up one of the tapes, seeing the label with his handwriting. You had told him that you were interested in getting into more metal music and Eddie had been more than happy to offer up some of his mixtapes for you to borrow.

“So what’s on all of these?” you asked, the labels not giving you any hint of what could be on them. Faerune, Ralishaz the Mad, Stroud’s Castle Caper, Middle Earth. You read each label one by one, realizing that all of these had something to do with D&D or fantasy, the fucking nerd.

“A bit of everything.” He said, taking a seat on his bed, looking at the tapes. “Just whatever I was into at the time that I didn’t want to miss when it came on the radio.”

“And the labels...?” you asked, looking them over, noticing a smudge on one that faded to a fingerprint. You wished that you could ignore the small details that were making Eddie so real, it only made your head spin. The more of him you saw, the harder it became to say you weren’t going to try and change anything.

Even if it means risking your own life?

You missed his explanation of why he named the tapes the way he did and you instead shoved one out at him “Can you put one on?” you asked, sounding a little more frazzled than you had intended.

Eddie took the tape and put it in the smaller boom box that was plugged in on the floor and hit play. You sat next to him, trying so hard not to think about him, which was a stupid endeavor considering you were in Eddie Munson’s world, in Eddie Munson’s trailer, sitting on Eddie Munson’s bed, with Eddie Munson.

You were sitting on Eddie Munson’s bed. You were sitting on his bed right next to him. You felt yourself get stiff again, and you closed your eyes and took a few deep breaths. With any luck he would just think that you’re focusing on the music instead of trying to shove down the sudden wave of dirty thoughts that drowned out your moral dilemma and left you with a completely different problem now.

This is what you get for reading so much fan fiction.

Reader ==> Calm the fuck down

You focused on the sound of the music, the last ten seconds of the song were cut off abruptly with a new song. The sound of the radio DJs announcement of the new song adding to the homemade quality of the tape.

You took another sip of the beer that had been ignored in your hand, letting the burn of the cheap drink distract you and pull you out of your mind for a moment. Eddie had started talking again, telling you about the song and more technical things about the guitar solo.

He’s info dumping. You realized, and opened your eyes again. You looked at him and he wasn’t looking at you, just going on and on about the song, fiddling with one of his rings.

He’s nervous. The retaliation hitting you like a brick. You had been so wrapped up in your own nerves of being alone with him that it never once occurred to you that he might be feeling nervous around you. You couldn’t fathom why. You were just some weirdo who crashed his club once and now were trying to be his friend in an attempt to eventually save his life. He only knew about that first part though.

You were tempted to reach out and rub his back to calm him down, but you didn’t want to be too forward.

“I like the song.” you said when he stopped to take a breath. “I can see why you do, too.”

You noticed his shoulders relaxed a little and he smiled at you and you wished he wouldn’t because you didn’t think your heart could take it.

“I listened to this tape a lot last summer.” he said as another song came on, and the whiplash from metal to what sounded like country.

“This is different.” you said. “I didn’t take you as a country fan with the... everything about you.”

Eddie stood up and walked over to his dresser, digging around through a drawer and pulling out a small bag of weed. Right, that’s the other reason you used to hang out with him tonight.

“Yeah, my mom was from Mempis.” he said, measuring out what you’d asked him for and you started scrambling for your wallet and pulled out the time-appropriate cash you had in there. “So I grew up with this kind of music.”

You two exchanged goods and you shoved the baggie in your backpack. From where you were sitting, you noticed another guitar that you’d missed when you first stepped in his room. It was an acoustic guitar sitting in the corner, out of the way but not so much that it looked completely ignored. Eddie had gone in and painted words on the body of the guitar, squished together as if he hadn’t thought out how he should space out his writing.

This Machine Slays Dragons.

Of all the small bits of Eddie that you had learned in the past few days, this was the thing that punched you in the gut and humanized him completely. The site of this acoustic guitar is what made you feel clammy and the weight of this world suddenly came crashing down on your shoulders.

“Have you ever been to Tennessee?” you asked, your voice sounding foreign to you as you tried desperately to anchor yourself.

Five things you can see. Guitar. Another Guitar, Corroded Coffin banner. Empty beer can. Eddie

That wasn’t going to work.

“No, I’ve never left Hawkins.” Eddie said, putting his stash away, oblivious to the storm that was raging inside your brain. “Mom, uh, used to talk about how her music felt like a plane ticket home even if she was stuck here. I say that my bands music is more like a portal to another dimension-”

“Where’s your bathroom?” you asked, your stomach lurching.

His head snapped up at you, and you tore your eyes away from the guitar as his words echoed in your mind.

Portal to another dimension. Portal. Another dimension.

“Hey, are you okay?” Eddie asked, taking a step close to you, his brows were furrowed under his fringe as he looked you over. When you didn’t immediately answer, he pointed out of his bedroom “Bathroom is right there.”

You gave him a nod and quickly locked yourself in the bathroom and tried not to hurl. He was real, Eddie was real and he was going to die if you didn’t do something. Eddie was real, and he listened to blue grass, and he had an acoustic guitar that he painted himself, and he made mix tapes, and he had a mom, and he owned a yoyo and he just sold you weed and he was going to be killed by monsters trying to save this town and the world.

It took a moment to calm yourself, taking deep breaths. You had been lying to yourself since the day you arrived. You had been telling yourself that this was alright, that you were totally able to handle being transported to another dimension, knowing what was going to happen.You could be a hero and save everyone.

That was a fucking lie. You were still trying to tell yourself that this was a dream, that this wasn’t really happening and that these people didn’t really exist because they couldn’t exist.

But they did. They existed, and you were no hero. Eddie’s voice echoed and layered with yours in your mind and you turned on the sink, splashing water in your face. People were going to die and did you really think you could do this?

You needed to get out of there.

You flushed the toilet and stepped out of the bathroom and walked back into Eddie’s room. He was fidgeting with a guitar pick between his fingers and he looked up at you.

“Everything okay?” he asked, standing up from his bed. “You look kind of...”

You were sure you looked like shit, shaken up and feeling clammy.

“Y-yeah.” you said, trying not to bolt out of the trailer like a mad person. “Sorry, I’m not feeling great. I think I need to head home.”

“Totally, I get it. I’ll drive you home.” Eddie said, and the genuine worry in his voice made you want to cry.

“No...!” The word came out more desperate than intended. You could not let him know where you were staying right now. “I- I think I need the fresh air. I don’t live far from here.”

“You look like you’re about to pass out.” Eddie protested, and your brain scrambled to think of any good excuse for what to do next. “I’m gonna be honest, you look like shit.”

“Can you drop me off at Dustin’s place?” you asked, grabbing onto the first name in your head.

“Dustin... Henderson?” Eddie asked. “Why?”

Why? Because you couldn’t let Eddie know that you were squatting in Benny’s. Because you couldn’t tell him that on Friday and Saturday the old run down diner you were calling home was crawling with basketball players drinking and hungover. You couldn’t say that on those days you jumped between the Party’s homes to hide out and sleep.

There was so much you couldn’t say and you hated every second of it.

“His mom is a friend of my family.” You managed to say, hating the lie on your tongue. “And since my family isn’t around here...”

Eddie’s eyes were staring hard into yours, searching for something. If he found what he was looking for, he didn’t say so and just nodded. “Yeah, I’ll drop you off at Henderson’s.”

You grabbed the cassettes on the bed and shoved them into your backpack, following him to his van. How had you managed to fuck up so bad? You hadn’t been there for a half hour and he was already needing to drop you off somewhere else like a kid getting sick at a sleepover.

The drive to Dustin’s was awkward, Eddie had the music turned on again but at a much lower volume as the two of you drove in silence. You stared out the window, counting street signs and focused on your breathing.

What a mess of tonight you’d made.

Eddie’s driving wasn’t as mad as it had been earlier and when he pulled up to Dustin’s home which you were thankful for.

“You sure you're gonna be okay?” Eddie asked, looking you over. “Need me to, I don't know, walk you to the door?”

You shook your head, not needing him to do anything more than he already has. Besides, you were planning on walking to the back of the house and sitting in the shed to give yourself some alone time.

“I'll be okay.” You said, sounding far more confident than you felt. “Thanks for the ride... And the tapes... And the weed.” You gave him an awkward smile which he managed to return.

“Yeah, any time.” He said and you got out of the car and headed towards the garage to be out of sight, only emerging outside again when you heard the van pull away.

You made your way to the back yard and changed your mind, moving into the basement instead.

It was going to be a long night as you processed the reality you were living.

Tumblr User ==> What next?

#nacht fic #eddie munson x reader

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sweetestgirlintown111 · 17 days ago

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Henry Winter x reader

Chapter ii

A month from the first stroll I took to class the leaves now settled on the ground, me settled into my room, enough candles to last me the course of three college degrees, wool blankets and sweaters made by my grandma, my books nestled snug on the shelf. In the passing month i had managed to become incredibly close to Francis going shopping together sharing multiple dinners and an exhausting all nighter in the library. Generally having a good relationship with everyone in the class, well everyone except for Henry who wouldn't miss an opportunity to jump down my throat or fire questions at me in hopes of making me embarrass myself which so far hasn't happened, but in honesty, it did make me prepare better for classes because one thing I won't be doing is granting him the satisfaction of getting to me, and even when he did -which was quite often- he never knew of it, always making sure to match his coldness and ignore most of his snide remarks, playing the temperance card.

I walk to the lyceum almost automatically having made the walk about a dozen times before. I get to the office and everyone is already there, “late”, julian remarks although his face is plastered with a smile, i give him one in return and go sit between Richard and Francis, the lesson goes smoothly I don't engage in the talking which doesn't give henry a chance to make off handed comments.

“Should we invite Richard?” I look back at him half expecting Francis to say no but to my surprise, he agrees “I think it's a great idea plus we can make him decide what to cook”, we approach Richard as he's standing by the foot of the stairs looking uncertain “hey, Francis and I were going to have dinner together tonight and we would like for you to join us if you're free of course” he looked surprised that we even thought of him, he had the tendency to avoid all eyes almost ghost like “uhm yeah sure I don't have anything either way” “great! I'll be cooking so what do you think I should make?” Going back and forth we finally decided on lasagna, but while we were talking about it we gained the attention of Bunny who couldn't get the concept that he wasn't invited or that it wasn't an open invitation, so of course he went to Henry and the twins and told them all about the ‘dinner party’ Francis was hosting.

I, Francis, and Richard went to the store to get what we needed for cooking, went back home, and started dinner, richard sits the table while I prepare the lasagna and Francis is chopping vegetables for a salad. Bunny, Henry, and the twins arrive just as I'm putting the dish into the oven, Camilla holding a bottle of white wine. I greet her with a hug walking with her towards the table, she hands the bottle to Richard who pours everyone a glass of wine, Charles and Bunny seemingly continuing a debate they started on the way here something about golf Henry listening to their stupid arguments amused. I stare at him a moment too long, the blue of his eyes and jet black hair, his eyebrow raised his head tilted to the side, he might be a jerk and I might hate him but he's so painfully beautiful, and staring at him from across the table there's no denying that maybe had he been less mean I would've enjoyed his presence. I'm taken out of my trance as the timer on the oven rings loudly, I get up and serve (😜) everyone a slice before sitting down my own plate, after a few bites bunny points his finger at me mid chew “Did you cook this?” “I did, is it good?” My question addressed to all of them, they hum in agreement, Richard nods “It tastes amazing thank you” I smile at him, “Where'd you learn to cook like this?” Shockingly Henry is the one asking, i look at him skeptical expecting him to follow up with an insult of some sort, “My grandma, she taught me when I used to visit her during the summer” “hm well it's nice, thank you” I was completely taken aback by his niceness, I give him a nod and purse my lips into a thin line.

Hours later the dishes were piled in the sink, us thrown around the living room, the room stuffy with cigarette smoke, all of us half drunk, the room silent. Richard on one end of the couch, my legs in his lap and my head in Francis’s smoking what must've been my hundredth cigarette of the day humming the tune of California dreaming, Charles and Camilla have left, something about Charles feeling sick, Bunny went to meet Marion. It was just us and Henry on the seat across from us, smoking and nursing a glass of scotch. It was well past midnight, I was drunk, sleepy and I needed to get to my room. Lazily i drop my feet to the ground and sit up my head spinning from the sudden movement, i lean into Francis giving him a kiss on the cheek, “I'm taking a taxi” “you can stay the night if you want” i shake my head and stand up, stumbling again from the sudden movement and the alcohol running in my system “i need to shower, I feel disgusting” “but it's so late” “don't worry francie ill just call a cab” i go put on my coat by the door and as im ringing the car company, henry creeps up behind me “come I'll drive you I'm leaving anyway” “ thanks but no” “c’mon i insist” “but it's out of your way” “it doesn't matter” he opens the door for me to get out i hisetate for a second before walking out, too out of it to argue with him now and more comfortable with him driving me rather than a random taxi at this time of night, i walk down the stairs slow trying not to trip but ultimately failing my feet stumbling over and i lean back but henry catches me from behind, because of course he did, he leads me to the car his hand spread at the small of my back, my body growing warm despite the freezing weather outside. In the car I turn on the radio in an attempt to not fall asleep i sing along to whatever comes on it, the drive isn't long Henry stays quiet only looking at me through the mirror clearly amused by my drunken state. After about three and a half songs we get to campus he stops the car in front of my building, he turns looking at me, the moonlight highlighting his features. Fuck he's gorgeous “Thank you again for the food, it was really good” “Thank you for the ride” “Anytime” I get out of the car, I turn to look at him, but he's already looking at me, and again I'm warm all over despite the weather.

I lay in bed, but his touch still burns my skin as I drift off into dreams.

#henry winter fanfic #henry winter #henry winter x reader #tsh #tsh donna tartt #the secret history #richard papen #francis abernathy #bunny corcoran #charles macaulay #camilla macauley

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aliantic · 2 months ago

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Baldurston: A Baldur's Gate 3/Bridgerton Crossover

Summary: Navigating the Sword Coast was full of adventures - thrilling fights, daring deceptions, and even a hint of romance. However, when the party travels through a portal and winds up in the world of 1800s London, they know their path has been drastically changed. The world that was once theirs is no more - now, they are amongst the Bridgertons. Can they leave their old ways behind and navigate the complex social dynamics of the ton?

Chapter 18: Wyll

Baldurston Masterlist

The idea of calling on someone was incredibly foreign to Wyll, but when he really thought about it, hadn’t his life been a cacophony of foreign things? Selling his soul to Mizora for the safety of his city was incredibly foreign. As was being kicked out of the only home he had ever known as a result. Growing a pair of devil horns has altered himself in a way that he could barely even fathom. And then, of course, there was the loss of everything he’d ever known to come here, of all places.

His life had been one struggle after another, and yet, as he selected a bouquet of flowers from a local shop, he couldn’t quite bring himself to regret it.

After he was finished with his short talk with Edwina last night, he couldn’t get her out of his mind. He’d watched her on the dance floor, chatting shyly with several different men, but he couldn’t help but notice that she hadn’t been nearly as lively with them as she had been with him. It was like, ever since then, maybe she felt the same strange connection to him that he felt toward her. And Wyll knew, there was only one way to find out.

Granted, he had no idea how to do it. He’d heard of people calling others when he lived in Baldur’s Gate, but he’d been kicked from his home far before he was of age to actually start the process himself. Regardless, in theory, all he knew was that you got a woman something they might like (and Edwina, with her sunny disposition, surely must love flowers. After all, what woman did not?) and arrive at their house during the proper calling hours. And he’d asked one of the servants what those proper hours were, which felt like a great plan to him - after all, though there had not been a woman other than Daphne living in Hastings house for what felt like millennia, the servants knew that they always must be prepared.

So that left Wyll with a plan and determination, and now all he needed was courage. He certainly had it when he started out, but the closer he got to the Sharma household, felt the cowardice seeping into his bones. Sure, he’d had a chance encounter, and sure, she’d agreed to dance with him the next night, but was five minutes of interaction enough to be sure that she would be a good subject of his desires?

But, he thought as he felt his footsteps slow, that had never stopped him before. If he could walk into Avernus, or if he could put aside his adversity and become the Blade of Frontiers, surely he could talk to a woman.

As he walked up the steps of the Sharma house and into the front hall, however, he saw that he was not her only suitor for the day. Far from it, in fact. The Sharma’s house was quite modest in comparison to a lot of the other homes in the ton (although, he couldn’t help but notice that it was quite larger than most of the homes in Baldur’s Gate. Even the Sharma house was only slightly smaller than his father’s), but despite the obvious promise of a lower dowry, there was still barely enough space to enter the drawing room. He managed to slip in behind some mildly drowsy-looking man who didn’t even seem to notice the man moving behind him. Wyll couldn’t help his slight surprise. Of course, Edwina was a gorgeous woman - gorgeous enough for even him to be here when he should have been trying to find out how to get back home - and her dance card had been full at the last ball, but there were significantly more men in attendance than that. Granted, he couldn’t blame them too much. After all, he was here without having danced with her either. But if all the men were here, was no one else calling in town?

“Ahh, Basset!” said a familiar voice to his side, and he turned to see Anthony Bridgerton squeezing his way through the crowd. Wyll bobbed his head down in the best interpretation of a bow that he could get in this crowded environment, and Anthony did the same as he squeezed through an impossibly small space to get to his side. “Fancy seeing you here as well. Is it too much for me to hope that you’re here for Miss Kate instead?”

Wyll shook his head. “Miss Edwina, I’m afraid, as must be a vast majority of the town.”

“It’s been like this since calling hours started,” Anthony explained. “I thought I was I was going to be early, but there was already one blunderbuss reciting her a terrible poem. Although,” he said, wincing as they listened to the person at the front of the room, also reciting a terrible poem, “I have to admit that you missed the better of the two.”

“And not one of them is here for this Miss Kate?” Wyll asked, scanning the room. He didn’t see another woman around Edwina’s age, although there were two women standing near the back of the room, and one looked far too young to be Edwina’s mother.

“No, but honestly, can you blame them? Horrible shrew of a woman,” Anthony said with a frown.

“I can’t say we’ve met, but is it who I think it is?” Wyll nodded his head in the older woman’s direction.

“You’ve guessed correctly,” Anthony said with a scowl.

“Is there any particular reason why she seems to be glaring in this exact direction?”

“Most likely because she’s taken to being a direct pain in my side. Edwina has said that she will only marry a man if her sister approves of him, and her sister is such a biddy that I doubt there’s a man in the ton who can please her.”

Wyll nodded - based on the way she scanned the crowd, he could have guessed as much. “That doesn’t particularly answer the question as to why she’s looking our way, though,” he said.

Anthony shrugged. “Some women think reformed rakes make the best husbands. Miss Kate, however, seems to have a difference of opinion on the definition of ‘reformed,’ however.”

Wyll looked closer at Kate - she did indeed seem to be focused solely on Anthony, which seemed suspicious in a room where half of the men were likely to be reformed rakes. Hell, if his history in this world was anything like what his cousin’s was supposed to be like, then he would be counted amongst them. “Care to explain why your definition disagrees with her.”

Anthony shrugged, then lowered his voice so that only Wyll could hear above the noise of the crowd. “She wants someone for her sister who will marry for love. But if you look around, that is a ridiculous notion indeed! She’s the diamond of the season after all, so long as you discount Shadowheart, which most sensible men have. No one here wants to marry her for love - they want to marry her because she has a pleasing face, a wifely demeanor, and an already pristine place in society. That’s a greater foundation than most marriages, I would recon, but her sister wants the impossible. And, well,” he said with a shy shrug of his shoulder, “she might have accidentally heard me say as much to a few friends outside the club.”

Wyll nodded - while he didn’t agree with Anthony’s sentiments, he certainly could understand why Kate would continue to glare specifically at him. And, by extension, Wyll.

“It’s of no matter, though,” Anthony said, drawing Wyll’s attention back to him. “By the end of the season, Edwina will be on my arm, and her sister will have no say in the matter. It will just be simpler if I can find a way to get Miss Kate to not abhor me by that time.”

“I assume you’ve got a plan for that?” Wyll asked. After all, he was invested in the outcome now, too - Kate had already seen him talking friendly with Anthony, so if she hated him, it would most likely make sense for her to hate himself by extension.

“Oh yes, a very clever one!” he said. “And I might need some help to pull it off, if you’re willing.”

Wyll turned his focus back to Kate, whose eyes met his as he looked. Her eyebrows lifted for a second, as though questioning why he was there, and then her eyes turned back to a glare. “It seems I’m in a similar boat to you,” Wyll answered, “so I’m all ears.”

#aliantic #writeblr #bg3 #writers on tumblr #fanfic #astarion #astarion bg3 #karlach #gale dekarios #lae'zel #shadowheart #bg3 wyll #bridgerton #anthony bridgerton #crossover #crossover fanart #lady whistledown

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fateinthestars · 3 months ago

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Man, has it really been two months since I did any Character Review/Rambling posts for a specific story/story set?

Well, let's rectify that now!

I could go back to the poll I did, but I'm really surprised to find that I don't appear to have covered the Divine Trip for Two sets yet. They should probably have been an option on the poll!

So let's cover those today. A Divine Trip for Two: Wishes and A Divine Trip for Two: Punishments

The Wishes set contains stories for: Leon, Teorus, Huedhaut, Karno

The Punishments set contains stories for: Scorpio, Dui, Ichthys, Zyglavis

Spoilers under cut

Before we get to the two separate sets, let's briefly cover the prologue which is the same for both.

I don't know what is more amusing here, the king getting them to summon MC who is in her night clothes, the god's reaction to that, or how Partheno and Tauxolouve manage to get themselves (along with Krioff and Aigonorus) out of doing anything for this latest game of the king's. 😂

Hue's 'Well done, you certainly got out of this quickly.' to Tauxolouve - I can't quite make up my mind whether he's irritated at Lou for managing to excuse himself or begrudgingly impressed.

That said: Much as I'm grinning at that exchange, I probably would have preferred for them to make it 12 items rather than 8 and then everyone could have had a story. But it feels like there are very few sets that have all of them - at least this is a four from each side one rather than three.

And yes this is absolutely a game of the king's - not an emergency at all. And Hue seems rather distressed that His Highness has been listening to MC's thoughts again. Just how often does this actually happen??? (Quite a lot knowing the king, but poor Hue).

Oh goodness and then there's how the king gets the others to agree to this... but I'll leave that as a surprise. 😆

Right, before I get way too spoilery about even just the prologue, let's get into the stories themselves shall we?

A DIVINE TRIP FOR TWO: WISHES

Leon: A Treasure Hunt in Singapore

Pfft, Leon always seems like he finds his job a massive chore and yet in other stories it's clear that Karno thinks that Leon makes a better Chief Minister than he ever would have. I'm not sure whether that's Karno's admiration for Leon speaking or his self-doubt pushing him down, or both - but it's interesting how here Leon takes the wishes list with him to do that work as well: He says to MC he's dealing with two 'nusiances' at once, but I'm sure some of the others would have seen it as a chance to avoid work entirely for a bit. That said: granting wishes isn't paperwork. No doubt that's the kind of work he is still ignoring. xD

Also here we have Leon's reaction to the lion head/fish tail statue that is also in one of Ichthys' stories: Leon is totally not amused no matter which option you pick. Ichthys was just completely confused.

What I vaguely recalled of this one was that it seemed somewhat blander than the others in these two sets, but I think that may be more just because these two sets are so strong.

Whilst Leon is still putting the front of not caring about the notion of other people's love it's actually clear from how this goes that he's grown beyond that, and just like one of his Christmas stories I'm still not buying that he's really doing it only for MC's benefit. The fact it makes her happy might be motivation as to why he bothers, but he clearly wanted to make sure this love wish was granted - even if it was, as he said, a lot of effort to go to for a single wish.

I'm 100% sure the king knew exactly what he was doing when he gave Leon this one. This almost feels like it was a further test to make sure the Chief Minister of Wishes really did understand love now.

Teorus: A Treasure Hunt in Germany

Okay I'm sure several of you are already looking worriedly at me so let me allay your fears straight off: This is my second favourite Teorus story. The only Teorus story I rate higher than this is his 'Secret Blessings from the Gods' story.

This story doesn't focus on his jealousy, or his obliviousness at other women crowding him, or his somewhat immature reactions he can have at times. What this story does focus on is his dislike of children. But here it's done equally - in his '12 Loves Light up a Holy Night' story it felt more like his reaction was purely because the children MC was talking to were male and it also bought out his overzealous over-possessiveness that I absolutely hate, whereas here? Here we have a young brother and sister, making a noise at the place MC and Teorus are sightseeing and initially that puts them off.

But then the reason for said children being there is revealed, and both Teorus and MC willingly help them.

And you know... I've just realised something. The kids in this story were trying to do something nice for their mother...

Teo doesn't know his and his father is an ass and oh, now I think I see more why even MC thought he was acting more mature in this one. OUCH. 😭

The ending of this one is just so sweet, and Teo grows a lot here.

Huedhaut: A Treasure Hunt in France

Oh Hue, you just had to leap straight to the teasing didn't you? 😆 But at the same time he's always really sweet. If you get MC to get him to decide what she should wear what he does is give her exactly what kind of thing she was wishing for (the same applies for if you ask for one of the two other options but then MC has said out loud what she's thinking). Other clothing scenes we have in the series always seem more to either be what the god wants or what the god thinks will wind another god up.

What's also interesting here is Hue's remark about this quest not being his usual style - I guess normally he'd make sure he had far more information than the king was willing to divulge here. (A painting of a lady in France indeed, your highness. Sheesh).

I adore Hue and MC's back and forth in this one. MC trying her hardest to outmatch Hue but as per usual it's not really working, but they just seem so perfectly in sync here.

THAT SAID: Hue, look, not everyone is as intelligent as you. I know you admitted afterwards that you were rather nervous due to sensing what you did, but even if you were uncertain about what was going on, don't you think it would have been a good idea to tell MC what was on your mind? What your theory was? Then maybe she wouldn't have even briefly thought that something was affecting you. (Mind you, I'm being hypocritical here, I probably would have acted the same as Hue did... 😅 )

This one is fun, loving, and heart-warming. Pretty much all the option responses here are great too. (Although one seems somewhat incomplete - it doesn't seem to make any sense).

Karno: A Treasure Hunt in Spain

Karno's story here is one of my absolute favourites for him. From protecting the MC from getting hurt and showing his rather scarier side for once, to him and MC working together to work out what to do about a problem regarding someone on both lists, to the solution being related to Karno's divine ability that he is so self-conscious about...

This is just absolutely wonderful and I guess it also shows that they could have done more stuff that focussed directly on the departments' work if they'd wanted to.

Okay now for my re-read thoughts rather than me just blurting out random thoughts before even reloading this one:

In Leon's story he doesn't use his powers to let MC understand the language until it's clear she doesn't know what someone near them is saying, in Teo's MC has to ask what someone is saying for him to make her understand though he does at least explain what he's doing, and in Hue's it never comes up because the one person they speak to is Japanese anyway. Here though? It's nearly as soon as they arrive that Karno makes it so that MC can understand the language and even tells her in advance. Ever reliable, Karno.

Well... I just called him ever reliable, but... um... Karno... did you really just ask someone if they were a 'local human?' that sounds really bizarre! I'm going to presume you were still rather panicked about MC nearly catching fire and angry enough at someone deliberately causing said fire that you didn't think through your wording cos otherwise...

But it is interesting how here we do get to see Karno genuinely angry. He won't stand for things that could get innocent people hurt, especially not when it nearly happened to MC. And yet once they've heard more and MC has calmed him down, we're back into Karno feeling like he can't do anything about the situation despite having all these powers available to him.

As I was saying in my initial thoughts about this one I really like the set up here: someone on both lists (Karno accidentally has the punishments list) and working out what they can do to resolve this when he can't touch anything on the list for the other department. There is a problem with one of the suggestions you can get MC to initially say here though - and the only reason it is a problem is because of the prologue excusing some of the other gods. For Karno's response to work, he really would need to not know where any of the Punishments' Gods are. But that's the fault of the setup before we even get to this story, and in the end that isn't what they need anyway.

*sigh* Karno really doesn't think he's of use does he? Even here it's MC who points out how his divine power might be able to help - at least for the first part. Later it is Karno who uses it of his own volition.

But yeah, I'm trying my hardest not to spoil this story here. It really is a gem, and a very interesting idea.

A DIVINE TRIP FOR TWO: PUNISHMENTS

Scorpio: A Treasure Hunt in Shanghai

Pfft oh Scorpio you really care far more than your irritated forced persona implies. From claiming that you just think walking around would be better than sitting in a stuffy hotel room, to watching MC's reaction to the pandas instead of the pandas yourself... you're being so sweet here.

Actually this whole thing is really touching. Scorpio's even being nice about the Department of Wishes for once!

I may not be that aware of the real life Earth astrology stories but I still like it when they come up here, and I especially like how Scorpio keeps disillusioning MC about other more minor gods. 😂

Like Leon's, the actual issue here might be a little less interesting than Hue's and Karno's, but it is still something important, and thinking on it it was kinda nice that this one had a punishment's god in it and it appeared to be heading in one direction when it really was not that at all.

Dui: A Treasure Hunt In England

Oh Dui 😭 *hugs him tightly* . I swear MC gets into actual physical danger far more when she's with Dui than when she's with anyone else. And this time it only happens because of how much fun she and Dui were having earlier.

Dui's another who actually uses his powers immediately to let MC understand the language. It's clear some thought about that more than others.

As someone from the UK I have to say it's kinda nice seeing these backgrounds of London in SCM 😅 Though it probably helps that Dui is so excited here! His happiness is infectious.

Despite the real danger MC is in in this one I really do like how this one turned out, and Dui? It wasn't your fault, I feel more like your luck is as bad as Hue's! I mean what the king sent you to find here... I think even he was trying to give you a break for once and instead this mess happens. 😭

Ichthys: A Treasure Hunt in Hawaii

Ichthys does actually make MC understand the language pretty quickly here too - once he's stopped being distracted by the sea and sea creatures that is.

But aside from the little fun at the beach at the start of this, this story is utterly heart-wrenching. The parallels between Ichthys and who he and MC are there to help. OUCH.

I think I'm struggling to put anything into words here because I may well have said before how much I relate to Ichthys and this kind of story really isn't helping with that.

This story is great but if you know what Ichthys' main path is like, this is him helping someone who is hiding pain like he used to.

I... I just...

😭

Zyglavis: A Treasure Hunt in New York

Okay let's move on from Ichthys' story before I choke up further, and lets head to Zig's.

Geez, Zig, thanks a lot. I got MC to answer your question diplomatically and this is your reaction. 😂 I adore Zig's snarkiness though. In fact I realised a while back: I seem to like people being sarcastic at me. 😅

Oh but there's sweet Zig immediately afterwards too... a dessert shop where he initially doesn't want anything and then MC points out they have Chocolate Ganache and now he's grappling with himself about it. 😆

Pfft: This reminds me of one of the differences between Huedhaut and Zyglavis actually. Hue is the one getting one up on MC and her grumbling to herself that she can't win with him, with Zig it's the other way around. Even though he has cutting snark it's MC that takes advantage of the situations around them and it's often Zig who thinks she can't win with her. I'm pretty sure if this food scene was in Hue's we would have ended up somewhere where even if others weren't doing it, Hue would have insisted on feeding MC, but here MC tricks Zig into letting her feed him due to where they are, and he's just so flustered and sweet.

Also, Zyglavis is somewhat ignoring the king's mission without MC fully realising it until he brings it up, rather than being vocally upfront like Dui was. I suppose it does make sense that he would go that route here, because it's one of the few times where he hasn't got to think about a million other things to do with work and the departments and the other Zodiac Gods. He might have a fetch quest from the king that he's supposed to be doing, but he also knows they won't be interrupted here. Which is probably why we're getting a more relaxed Zyglavis, even whilst walking about outside.

THAT SAID: I know you thought to let her understand the language after she bought that concern up, and you left your shadow with her so she wouldn't worry about splitting up, but - did you really just rattle off directions in a place MC has never been before so rapidly and then disappear without giving her a chance to even ask you to repeat what you said if necessary?! I know your shadow showed her the way in the end but that initial abruptness must have terrified her. Or at least it did me! (At least he does realise about this, and is part of the resolution later).

Unlike Karno's they actually remember that there are some still working in the heavens in this one, and that's a nice moment in MC's mind. I hope this really was Lou and Aigo's doing.

Overall, this is like a less upsetting version of Dui's. It's a way to get Zyglavis and MC not only to relax but to elucidate their feelings a little more.

It's a very sweet little story.

Okay then... ranking time? Hmm... let's see:

Karno

Huedhaut

Teorus

Ichthys

Zyglavis

Dui

Scorpio

Leon

That was actually really hard to order. Those top four have a lot of interesting moments and could probably be re-ordered or listed as equal first. Then Zig and Dui's are very close and I'm still not sure whether I've put them the right way round. Scorpio and Leon's are great too, but I think for me that probably is where both of those fall.

#scm #star crossed myth #star crossed myth character review/rambling #star crossed myth spoilers #scm leon #scm teorus #scm huedhaut #scm karno #scm scorpio #scm dui #scm ichthys #scm zyglavis #scm ramble

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