#HOWEVER. this is not going to stop me from reading that as some weird lingering | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

welcometogrouchland · 9 months ago

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May I ask about your Jason Todd idea? <3

Hm, okay so. How to lay this out sensitively since I know it might be a tad controversial...

Prefacing by saying I'm not an expert on the minutias of Jason characterization. I like him when he appears, I think the battle for the cowl/Morrison era and some parts of modern era for him are Weird and Bad, but I'm not Jason scholar (for that I'd say maybe check out @/tumblingxelian and their great video essays), I'm just trying to think of what might be an interesting step forward for him.

First, the canon facts

Jason got lobotomized and has panic disorder on steroids. By the end of Gotham War (specifically when Jason was. Flying the batplane into the asteroid. God I can't believe that's the plot) he was finding it in himself to power through said panics

In Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #12, the joker gives Jason a "low dose" of joker venom, which has an ambiguous effect on Jason, allowing him to power through the fear (which joker explicitly states is still very much present, just not physically debilitating, like when Jason couldn't run over in either Catwoman #57 or #58, the one with the kid in the building) even though he'd been able to do that sans venom over in Gotham War, like I previously stated.

The effect of said joker venom seems to be lingering for now, minus the creepy grin side effect it gave Jason over in that man who stopped laughing issue, as seen in the latest batman issue (number is escaping me rn, #147??). He still has the stutter which is a shorthand for fear, he's drawn with fearful expressions by Jorge Jimenez, but he says that he's "working through it" thanks to the chemicals

This is both super interesting and kind of maddening as it doesn't completely remove the consequences of what happened in Gotham War, but is trying to sweep them under the rug and get back to business as usual. I, however, propose making said consequences front and center like a fashionable urn on a mantle piece:

Since it's never stated how exactly the joker venom works, and I think the current answer is "it works how the story needs it to" I've decided that because it's a low dose, it eventually wears off. And when it wears off, Jason's back to square one in terms of mental state. Ergo, if Jason doesn't want to live the rest of his life as quaking shivering husk of his former self...he's going to need more.

(read more for the meat of things)

So, Jason self medicates for a condition given to him by the father he has endlessly complicated feelings towards with a cure invented by a man who represents everything he hates in the world who once tried to take everything from him.

Which, insert poetic cinema gif here, I'm quite proud of myself for that one.

Anyway, there's a lot of directions you could take this. Personally I think it'd be interesting to explore Jason trying to get back into the drug trade like he did in UTRH (FULL TRANSPARENCY I HAVEN'T READ THE FULL COMIC, I KNOW BROADSTROKES BUT IM NOT GONNA TRY AND MAKE PARALLELS) as he tries to use the resources (production plants and other drug runners who can hook him up with samples of joker toxin/similar stuff you can probably find around Gotham) to manufacture his own cure that means never having to go back to the joker again. Maybe he ambushes a joker toxin chemical production plant to get his own supply, and then Jason uses this as his foothold back into that world.

This isn't necessarily me saying we should regress Jason alll the way back to UTRH, that was before his anti-hero era and I'm not willing to fully shoot him back into the past. I just think that's not how you tell good stories in a medium like comics. But it'd inherently be a little different just bc he's doing it for different, slightly more self motivated (depending on your take on villain Jason) reasons and the people around him would have a different reaction to it.

Anyway, all sorts of problems can arise! Depending on how you wanna characterize Jason (wayward son who longs to be back in the fold or black sheep who doesn't play by daddy's rules, etc) he can either a) try and hide this criminal enterprise from his giant family full of nosy detectives (good idea there jay) OR do it out in the open, trying to justify himself but still putting himself on the opposite side of the family again (not the law bc that boy hasn't been on the 'right' side of it since he died)

There's also the fact that Jason now needs to take something 24/7 in order to live his life. He essentially can't be without it, he's dependent on it, in fact he'd get sick without it despite any adverse effects it may have on him (which are guaranteed, I mean. No clinical trials)

I imagine it'd be easy to become addicted to it in some way.

And uh. This is the part where it works slightly better as a fanfic pitch than an actual comic pitch. Because as much as I think it'd be such an interesting beat for Jason's character considering his fraught history with addiction and drugs (looks away from that one urban legends story where he suggests terrorising addicts to get to the suppliers and bruce lectures him. The easiest way to make Mr "we don't sell drugs to children" sympathetic and you beefed it)

I also fully recognise that this is a sensitive topic that DC doesn't have the best track record with (although addicts aren't a monolith and feel a number of ways about addictions portrayals in comics) and that there's probably some pitfalls inherent in the premise, namely bc of Jason's background as an impoverished kid and his grey morality, and how those play into stereotypes of addicts. Addiction is already such a misunderstood and stigmatized condition that I imagine playing with it with an antihero might be enough to turn some people off. Addiction is not a moral failing and I'd hate to write it as a moral failing of Jason akin to his willingness to kill, etc.

But with all that said, I think that stereotypes are primarily harmful because of their shallowness. They inhibit understanding of groups labeled "other" by presenting them in simplistic ways that don't portray richness or complexity. And I think a truly good red hood comic could give both sympathy and complexity to Jason, even as an addict. If anything, Jason is a popular character (mostly) and there could be something nice about seeing a main character go through what you're going through, gritty details and all. YMMV (can we bring that back btw?) and it depends on execution. There's a lot of ways it could go wrong, but seeing as it just lives as a hypothetical rn, I think there's also a lot of ways it could go. I mean, not right, it's a downer story beat for Jason but it's mostly meant to be interesting and a vehicle for more stories as Jason navigates it, ya know?

Anyway, I have a lot of spiels littered in my notes app and discord DMs that elaborate on all this (how this could work as act 1 in a broader Jason story where his little operation goes to shit and he has to hit the road (jack) and maybe do some character development for better or worse. I'm a sucker and wanna say better- not squeaky clean better but. Yknow, finding himself to an extent. I recognise I'm a sap and a fool tho. Or how a new outlaws team could factor into either of those eras (since I do like Jason with an outlaws team. It gives him an excuse to exercise his compelling relationships and dynamics with other characters without having to constantly tip-toe around the elephant in the room whenever he's with the batfamily all the time. He just needs a good lineup) but that's all for another time

... though without elaborating on the vision in my head it kind of just sounds like my pitch is "Jason gets addicted to his hyper-anxiety medication" BUT I SWEAR ITS MORE THAN THAT.

It's like. If Jason has struggled as a character (and this is very subjective on my part so feel free to disagree) because he has compelling relationships with all of the batfamily, but also has compelling grey morality that makes it hard to capitalize on those relationships, without the conflict always coming to "Jason stop killing!" "Nuh uh!" OR just being ignored, and the main way writers have addressed this is via reboots instead of arcs...

Then giving Jason and the bats:

real, legitimate and fresh reason for jay to be mad at Bruce (taking their relationship of love with very little understanding to it's most dramatic conclusion)

give the family a real reason to want to bring him back into the fold (feel bad about the lobotomy and it would be pretty immoral to let Jason waste away slowly and painfully because of something Bruce did)

capitalize on all the ways Jason is sympathetic (bc the addiction is a natural lead into his backstory, which is one of his most sympathetic elements)

And the ways in which he's very out of step with the bats post-resurrection (I'd be mad asf too if i came back to life just for my dad to a) not avenge me and b) LOBOTOMIZE ME meanwhile the cunt ass clown giving me my meds is just lurking out there).

Idk it's not a sophisticated pitch as of this moment but I think a real chef (writer) could cook something w/ this

#ramblings of a lunatic #do i maintag this #uhh #dc #that's enough i don't need to bother ppl with my brain dump #you made the mistake of asking /j #i hope it's not. too out of left field for what you were expecting? if you were expecting anything #this has just been rattling in my brain since i was venting about gotham war to a friend while sick a while ago #idk jasons a hot topic rn he's seemingly controversial atm but i think he's just some guy #he needs a little direction a little tlc like i said. but I've always found him interesting and i think this is at least an idea-#-for how to deal w/ jason post gotham war #tho who knows. with the new Summer Events on the horizon maybe jason will be rebooted again #and I'll go bald all at once like silver age lex luthor #not from chemicals in a lab accident but from stress at my ideas no longer having relevance #it happens more often than you'd think #the ideas thing. not me going bald. that's only sometimes #uhhh anyway hope this absolute behemoth text isn't too much. sorry i can't physically shut up #also ppl who know more about jason amd would like to say things (CONSTRUCTIVELY) on this post feel free!#(i say constructively because. I'm sensitive. mean comments make me cry)

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nalyra-dreaming · 1 year ago

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In vague relation to the Blood Communion quote I shared the other day which also referred to slaves - Anne definitely was never errr... shy - here are some thoughts after reading

The Black Vampyre

First off - thanks to the nonny who shared this with me! :) It was a hugely interesting read, and it will definitely stay in my mind.

A few words to the short story itself.

I have read the version by Gothic World Literature Editions. The notes, and additional texts differ somewhat from the PDF version I shared in the other post, so whoever wishes to read up on it might want to read both. This post contains quotes and photos from both.

The story itself is short, and supposedly written in two afternoons. Its language is powerful, but also confusing and the text seems very much one of its time, even though it also breaks with various preconceptions. There's so many references that I was very glad to have an edition with the necessary explanations.

⚠️The short story might be triggering for some - it opens with a slave owner trying to kill a slave - the lone survivor of a slave ship - and failing to do so. It is, as short as it is, graphic and gory, and I personally did not see the comedy in it. The story deals with the plight of slaves, too, set against the backdrop of Haiti at the time of uprising - "the Haitian Revolution, the hemisphere’s first successful colonial revolution against slavery".

My edition opens with this quote:

"Our bodies shall burst from their fetters, glorious as a curculio from its shell;—our minds shall soar like the car of the æronaut, when its ligaments are cut; in a word, O my brethren, we shall be free!—Our fetters discandied, and our chains dissolved, we shall stand liberated,—redeemed,— emancipated,—and disenthralled by the irresistible genius of UNIVERSAL EMANCIPATION!!!"

As I said - powerful.

This is part of the Prince's speech to his fellow vampyres and freed slaves. The story itself deals with revenge, and how it is exacted, and it likens the plight of the vampires to that of the slaves. A plight which is stopped by soldiers, the ruling institution.

There is also betrayal, and a vampire child, and a flight to Europe.

There are various references to the capitalist grip (as noted here in the introduction):

Now, I am no literary major. I majored in Computer Science, (and often go at things highly logical^^) and so I would invite those of you interested in the actual breakdown to read the PDF and/or book and the contained references and explanations, as mentioned.

However, as this was put to me in relation to Anne‘s works… let me dip into that aspect of it all - or, better, the aspects of this story within Anne‘s work - and the show, since reading it… did bring up some weird recognition, and parallels, imho.

These could be circumstantial! Likely are.

Or maybe Anne (and/or the writers) read the story at some point and it lingered… because, as said, I found it quite powerful in language. We'll probably never know.

----

Now, @lynnenne put it very well on the other post when she recalled Rolin saying that it would be hard to write a sympathetic slave owner.

And there is nothing sympathetic about Mr. Personne. Perceiving the lone survivor of a sunken slave ship he deems him non-work-worthy, and so decides to kill him on the spot. When drowning him fails, he tries to burn the boy, and gets burned instead, and the (vampire) boy goes and supposedly takes his baby.

The boy later returns as a "Prince", to marry the widow of the slave owner, having with him a mortal boy he has given education. There is evidence within the text that he spell-binds her a bit, in fact the powers seem somewhat familiar (already).

(from the "Themes" part of the book)

The Prince turns her, on a graveyard, making her drink blood from her later child's dead (and recently buried) body. And making her resurrected dead husbands (three in total) fight each other. He then leaves her and the resurrected first husband, the slave owner (who is also turned), with the boy - who turns out to be the baby she thought dead, and who is now called Zembo. He tells them he forgives Mr. Personne and to sail to Europe.

On their way to the ship they encounter a vampire ball - with the vampires and armed (freed) slaves present. They observe, and, other than the slaves, the vampires are eventually slain by soldiers - Zembo, raised by the Prince, has betrayed him.

The three remaining vampires - the wife, the slave owner and their child - manage to procure a cure and turn back into mortals. However she is pregnant, and gives birth to a "mulatto" vampire child, which then passes on some traits down the generations to the narrator of the story.

----

There's several aspects of this which seem... familiar, as mentioned.

We have a "prince", taking a child, and returning a child. Fathering a vampire child. The Prince is likened to Helen of Troy and Medusa (the Medusa ring in the later books springs to mind, and we all know Lestat's title then). And of course: Viktor.

The Prince raises a child and is betrayed by that child - and killed at a ball. Claudia comes to mind, of course.

The "wife" tries to flee to Europe with said child. (Note: I don't necessarily buy into the Louis is the wife labeling, since I believe that both Lestat and Louis fluctuate in their gender roles, but to call the parallel / echo here...) In the books Louis is a slave owner.

There is a mixed race marriage, and a mixed race child, making a very interesting commentary for the time, in contrast to the historical social concerns.

The show gives us Dubai as a backdrop for the modern setting, which is most assuredly no coincidence.

Dubai, with laws that forbid Louis' very state of being, totally apart from his vampiric status. Dubai, built on oil and slave labor, a capitalist playground, so very fitting for the vampires to reside there.

---

The Black Vampyre is a remarkable story, but it... I'm not sure how to put it. I find the punishment of the other husbands and then forgiving Mr. Personne (the one who did try to kill the Prince), and the later baptizing of the child - and as the text noted as a "reward" for the betrayal of the Prince - do not sit all that well with me.

Maybe that is due to our time and day. And of course the fact that this story was written anonymously within the literary high class circles of New York puts it into its own context.

There seems to be no good reason to kill the vampyres... apart from their supernatural status, and their challenge of the status quo.

The PDF text explains this better than I could:

"The pleasurable play with life, death, and the living dead encourages readers to see financial crimes among white people as forms of vampirism, while cautiously side-stepping the most obvious form of financial and life-predation present in the story: the enslavement of Africans. In this, the story turns to superstition not necessarily to dupe its readers, but rather to redirect their attention toward some crimes and away from others."

Look at my right hand, not at my left. (That is something the characters in Anne's book as well as the show do a lot, too.)

There is a poem which was published with the second edition of the story, and in this several professions, and actions are likened to that of being a vampyre, too. And there is a "Moral" chapter preceding it, which lays the meaning all out, at least in the author's opinion.

Again, it is a remarkable book/story. Its relations to The Vampyre by Lord Byron, and therefore the relations to Frankenstein and other works from that group are hugely interesting, as is the criticism inhabiting the text.

"In the process, The Black Vampyre drafts obeah into the “MORAL” that appears at the story’s end: that the true vampires are the shysters, the leeches, and the myriad other grifters who profit from other’s hard work and responsible behavior."

I'll close with another snippet from the PDF, which is a review of the time, making a rather... interesting comment:

[...] the absurdity of supposing that any sane woman could fall desperately in love with the character of a Vampyre.[..]

...yeah, how on Earth could a sane woman fall for a charming, rich, beautiful immortal... Couldn't be me^^.

Maybe that was the comedic part I missed^^.

Sources:

Original ask

The PDF of The Black Vampyre

A Blood Communion quote dealing with slaves and their... possibly later role for the vampires that Anne put into the last book.

----

In regards to the last link: Anne Rice was never shy with words or themes, Louis' backstory was adapted for the show, granted, but the themes permeate the Chronicles, and some characters have rather difficult backstories - Armand's "rent boy" reaction comes to mind, everyone who knows his backstory knows why. But also the show's change to him will need to come into play within it - there have been discussions about this already, and though there is no way to tell yet how it will be addressed - and if it might in turn change other things or which things - I doubt it will be ignored.

It will be hugely interesting to see how the show tackles all this, because it is beyond doubt one of the most difficult aspects of the Chronicles.

I for one am very glad that they changed that part of Louis' story (and his race) - because of course this change now carries repercussions for the rest of the show, as it should.

And the change to Armand will bring its own repercussions, and I'm aaaalllllll for the show to deal with it.

So thank you to whoever put me to The Black Vampyre. It was, and is hugely interesting.

#the black vampyre #the vampire chronicles #anne rice #iwtv #amc iwtv #louis de pointe du lac #armand #tw racism #tw slavery #book quotes #quotes #long post

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dreamdepot · 3 months ago

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Dreams of the Kingdom - Chapter 21: Dusk and Dawn

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AO3 Wattpad or below!

It is never comforting to wake up somewhere unfamiliar, especially when waking up in an entirely different plane of existence, in a body that was unfamiliar to you.

The entire room was obsidian black, made of unnaturally smooth, square stone. Everything just felt wrong, sending your new fur on end. At the very least, the bed was warm and comfortable – save for the woman sitting at the end. “Hmm, two and six but fifteen spaces…” she muttered, looking down at a puzzle of some kind. She then looked up, noticing you.

She was a gorgeous woman, but just as unsettling as your new surroundings. Her skin was black and pale blue with glowing tattoos. Her fiery orange hair and equally bright eyes were the only burst of color in this monochrome room. Just one look felt as if she was able to read your deepest thoughts, and her mischievous smile seemed to hold secrets of her own. “Ah, you’re awake. That’s good, not many of your kind handle the trip to my realm so well… considering most are reduced to a shade, but you became a beast. Who are you?”

“I feel like I should be asking you the same,” you said. Talking felt strange with your new mouth. You looked down at your body. While you were foxlike now, you were at least still somewhat human shaped.

“You should be thankful I stopped the transformation before you turned fully into a fox. The last Hylian I knew that became a beast was stuck on all fours.” She narrowed her eyes. “Now, again, who are you?”

You decided to yield, given you were in no shape to fight if things went south. “My name is [Y/n]. Now who are you, where am I, and…” You stopped, suddenly remembering what she said before you blacked out. “I’m in the Twilight Realm. But wait, yeah, I should be a shade, not a fox! A-and last Hylian would mean…” You looked back up at her. “Princess Midna?”

“Queen Midna, ruler of the Twilight Realm,” she corrected. She studied you. “And you are still hiding things from me. The way you sit, the way you look like you’re on a mission… you remind me far too much of Zelda. So what? Did she finally get hitched and have a kid or what?”

You sputtered. “What? No, I’m not…”

She suddenly burst into laughter. “Can’t you tell when someone is messing with you? You really must be related to her if you’re this up tight.” Your new fur bristled, which did not go unnoticed. “Oh, no, you are?”

“It’s… complicated.” You were about to explain when your hand fell to your bare wrist. Your heart turned to ice. “Wait, where is it, where is it?!” You patted around the sheets.

“You mean this?” Midna held out Link’s hair band. “The strap snapped. Here, one second.” She ran her hands through your fur, carefully combing it back and threading it through the band. As she brushed and braided, you told your story. She quietly listened as she took one of her own hair sticks and locked the band in place. You looked up into the mirror, seeing the hair band glinting against your red fur. “Hair bands are meant to be worn, not sure why you’d wear it on your wrist.”

Your face fell. “It’s not mine, it belongs to my boyfriend.”

Her gaze softened, if for a moment. “Then I’m sure he’d rather you wear it to keep him close to you, than on an old bit of leather.”

“It felt a bit weird to wear it, but… kinda feels nice now. Like he’s here.” Your fingers brushed the band. “Guess being a fox isn’t the worst thing to happen to me.”

“Like I said, you’re lucky,” Midna said. “Lingering light energy was enough to give you a form here in the Twilight Realm instead of becoming a shade. However, without my power, it would have been snuffed out. The Twilight eventually warps anyone from the Light World without proper protection. Be thankful you didn’t become a monster.” She stopped, the mischievous twinkle in her eye again. “In fact…”

“Uh oh.”

She shrugged. “Well, I did stop your transformation and you’re clearly some kind of warrior. Therefore, I’d say you owe me a favor, don’t you think?”

You swallowed hard. “What kind of favor?”

“You’re not the only visitor I have from Hyrule today, though I can’t explain how he got here – let alone with an interesting present…” She looked you up and down. “First though, you should change.”

She was right. Your Sheikah armor was torn and unsuitable for battle, partially from the transformation and partially from your constant battling without a chance to do any maintenance in the previous eras. You made your way behind a privacy screen and started to change. “So, if you’re in need of a warrior, what kind of ‘present’ are we talking about?”

“You catch on quick. My people were cast out from Hyrule many years ago. Our ancestor’s shadow magic was considered dangerous and for good reason: their anger, hatred, and sorrow created several dark artifacts that threatened the light.”

You simply hummed in agreement; you had heard stories of things such as the Fused Shadow, the vessel that held the bound shadow magic that once was used to try and steal the Triforce.

“I’m afraid one of these artifacts has found its way back to us after it was long thought destroyed. I simply need you to… get rid of it. I really don’t care how, I just want it as far as possible from my realm.”

“You don’t want to destroy it? Or maybe seal it away?”

You could feel Midna’s judgmental glare through the screen. “Prince [Y/n], you obviously have studied the history of Hyrule. Explain to me how many times sealing something away has gone well for the people of Hyrule.”

“Point taken, but what about destroying it.”

“Not an option. Doing so would likely release all of the bound magic and make things worse. You’re a time traveler, take it somewhere where no one will ever find it.” Midna sighed. “Are you done yet?”

You decided not to comment on the unease in Midna’s voice. Now in your Royal Guard armor, you followed her down the halls. Your new tail slipped out, thankfully without needing to tear a hole in your old uniform. “Oh, I’m going to need a weapon.”

“Suppose that would help,” Midna stopped off at an armory, pulling down an old box. She tossed something to you. “Here, use this old thing.”

A shiny ivory and gold crossbow landed in your hands. “Oh hey, always wanted to try one of these.”

“Just make sure to give it back, it belonged to an old friend.”

You tested the crossbow’s weight. “You wouldn’t happen to have a sword too, would you?”

She grabbed a longsword from one of the Twili guards as you passed toward one of the courtyards. “This good enough?”

You held the twisted blade. It was unlike anything you’d seen before but looked deadly as any sword you’d used before. “Oh yeah, this is perfect. So, what’s the target?”

“That.”

You looked out at the courtyard where a grotesque scene lay before you. Several Twili guards were dead. The body at the center thankfully appeared to be clinging to life. What wasn’t so great was that the body was definitely from Hyrule, a Zora. To make matters worse, the Zora was almost completely enveloped in a mass of gloom tentacles, all feeding up to the source, firmly fixed to the Zora’s face – a terrible nightmare you long thought merely a story.

“Majora?! You want me to fight Majora?!” Midna shrugged. “Majora should be dead. Hero of Time destroyed all the evil in the mask!”

“Yes, interesting, isn’t it? It’s as if another evil has resurrected it.”

This voice was new, and Midna seemed rather tired by it. “Oh yes, there’s him too.”

A strange man sat near the edge of the courtyard, seemingly ignored by the other Twili guards and he ignored them. The oddest part was that he simultaneously looked Hylian and yet not, as if it was someone or something pretending to be Hylian. Unlike with the others, he looked at you with a smile that was just a little too wide, wringing his hands. “You… you’re an interesting one, aren’t you?”

A chill crawled down your back as he almost scuttled closer to you. “Yes, yes, very interesting indeed. You’re an intruder too. Not quite an Interloper, no, no, but you really are someplace you don’t belong.” An unsettling laugh dripped out his grin.

“Who are you?”

“No one important as a prince,” he snickered, instantly raising your guard. “Just a salesman, selling his masks far and wide. But one day, that very important mask of mine was stolen away and infested by an evil hand. Of course, a mask needs a wearer, so it decided to grab the nearest body strong enough…”

“Okay, get it yourself, it’s right there.”

“Oh no, I’m not a fighter. Quite the contrary, just a humble mask salesman. Someone will need to tame the evil within.”

“What happens to the Zora?”

“I can help you restore that poor Zora to his rightful self, if necessary. All I ask is that you get back my precious mask, and we all avoid a truly terrible fate,” he said, suddenly behind you. His eerie grin was so fixed on his face, you half-expected that he was wearing a mask right now. “Deal?”

You clenched your jaw. “Deal.”

“Good, and good luck…”

The writhing mass of tentacles lifted from the ground, weaving itself into a body around the comatose Zora. The mask and its mutated host was twisted beyond recognition, the gloom forming limbs. Where the mask once was had transformed into a chest. The arms grew and deformed into long whips. With a shrill shriek, a head emerged from the mass, its eerie eyes locking in on you. Before you was the demon of legend, Majora’s Wrath.

The monster was deadly quick, lashing at you. Your body moved without thinking, leaping and rolling to safety. You drew the crossbow and took aim at the eye. With an almost silent thwip, the arrow sailed through the air, narrowly missing the monster. “Damn, wish I had a chance to practice with this one first.” You rolled out of the way of the whips again, reloading and trying again.

The whips snagged you, holding you as the monster flung you across the courtyard. You skidded on the ground, narrowly avoiding a fall into the void. The monster cackled as you reloaded the crossbow again, feeling a surge of energy rising within you. This time the arrow struck true, stunning the demon for a brief second. You ran in with your sword, getting in a quick strike before dodging back as it tried to wrap you in its whips. Again, you loaded your crossbow and fired before charging in again, determined to keep Majora on the defensive.

With each swing you felt strength beyond your own. Warmth flowed down your arm, as if another hand closed over yours on the blade, guiding your strikes. At first, you thought it was Link, but then you realized the invisible hand was much larger than his. Your sword began to glow faintly, channeling a forgotten power.

You…

The deep voice nearly made you jump. It sounded like it was in your ear.

You… are…

The rest was cut off as Majora shrieked in agony, its body contorting as it turned into light, before bursting into gloom mist. The mask fell to the ground with a dull thonk, lifeless once more. You ran to the Zora. “What… happened?” He wheezed. Kneeling at his side, you could see he was a regal looking Zora with pale pink scales. “Holy Nayru, are you a fox?”

“It’s complicated. Are you alright?”

He coughed. “I will be. I’m Ralis, you?”

“[Y/n].”

He gave you a wink. “Then I thank you for saving me, from the bottom of my heart.” A blue glow filled his chest before disappearing into the ether like the others.

“Well done, well done!” You turned, half shielding Ralis from the salesman. “Record time might I add, and your Zora friend is none the worse for wear!” He reached down and picked up the mask. “Hmm, yes, the evil is gone once again.”

He turned back to you. “Since there is no need for my end of the bargain, I believe I owe you something of payment.” He held out a package wrapped in old rags. Gloom seemed to seep out from the cracks. You carefully unwrapped it, careful not to let the gloom touch you as dissipated in the Twilight.

“The Fierce Deity Mask?”

“I think it’s fitting, don’t you? Or perhaps you don’t know yet. Isn’t time fun?” He turned to leave but you stopped him.

“Can I really trust you with that mask?” You asked, brandishing your sword.

He merely laughed. “If you have to ask that, you should never have let me pick it up. Now, I must be going, I have a long way to travel still.” Before your eyes, he disappeared, fading into the Twilight. A disembodied voice echoed around you. “Oh, and Prince [Y/n], shouldn’t you be getting home too?”

You could only groan.

Frustration and rage boils within you. Intriguing.

You froze, looking down at the mask. The voice again whispered in your ear as the mask seemed to glow. Slowly, it floated before you. The hollow eyes somehow still piercing you.

You fight bravely and with honor. I understand now why he chose you.

“What?”

You may have freed me from gloom and from that man, but you are not the one I seek. Farewell. We will meet again.

“Wait!” But it was too late, the mask too disappeared. Thinking to where you found the mask in your time, you could only wonder if you accidentally changed the future for the worse.

“Thank the goddesses they’re gone,” Midna muttered, strolling up to you. She looked you and Ralis over briefly, making sure you were both in one piece before relaxing. “My things please?” You, regrettably, returned the crossbow and Twili sword – much to the guard’s happiness. “Now, let’s get you two back to the Light World.”

You frowned. “I thought the Mirror of Twilight was destroyed?”

“It was, and that was for the best. That said, Zelda and I have had ways to speak with each other over the years. Being a queen does have its privileges.”

“Okay… then how are we supposed to get back?”

Midna simply smiled.

==============================

You and Ralis tumbled out of a mirror onto the cold stone floors of Hyrule Castle. Two gasps met you as you tried to stand. You looked down to your hands, happy to see they were back to normal Hylian hands. You then reached back to feel Link’s hair band, still braided into your hair.

“Well, this certainly raises some questions.” You then remembered you had two people watching. You looked up to see an older man peering at you through his spectacles, helping Ralis to his feet. He was dressed formally, though the fashions were very different from the ones of your Hyrule. You half-wondered how Cece would react.

“Ah, so you’re the one Midna mentioned.” You turned to find an older Zelda, standing tall and regal with the scarcest hint of a smile. By your guess, she must have been in her late thirties, well after Zant’s invasion. “I am Queen Zelda XIV, and from what Midna suggested, you are my future successor. That uniform of yours certainly helps seal it.”

“I’m sorry, it’s the only armor I really have right now. It’s better than my torn set.”

“That would be quite unbecoming for our family,” Zelda replied, stifling a laugh as she helped you up. “Shad, would you be so kind as to help our friend? I would like a moment with our new guest.”

The scholar bowed. “Of course, your majesty. I will see to it that King Ralis is escorted safely back to the Domain.”

Before he left, Ralis clasped his hand on your shoulder with a bright smile. “Thank you friend, I and the Zora people owe you a great debt.”

You laughed. “Believe me, your descendant would do the same for me any day of the week.”

As they left, Zelda moved to her desk and took a seat, motioning for you to do the same across from her. Her expression was unreadable. “You have me at a disadvantage.”

Manners aside, you felt it important to be honest. “I am [Y/n] Daltus Hyrule, ma’am.”

“I see. I am glad to hear that you were able to assist Midna in securing the safety of the Twilight Realm.” She poured you a cup of tea. “I hope you don’t mind Ceylon tea?”

“Not at all.” Your posture straightened as you accepted the teacup, a bit surprised how quickly castle etiquette came back to you after all these years. You took a sip, almost instantly feeling your aches and pains soothed.

Zelda savored the tea as well. “This blend is a particular favorite of mine; it’s unique as it uses a pinch of dried mushrooms. It’s a gift from a dear friend from a distant kingdom. You aren’t the only one who has seen other worlds and other times. I should write her a letter…” She seemed lost for a moment before turning back to you. “I apologize, it’s a bit daunting to meet a descendant when… well, I haven’t exactly been interested in anyone.”

“Your majesty, believe me, I understand the awkwardness.”

“Then perhaps an icebreaker. Do you play?” She asked, pulling out an intricately crafted chess set.

“Not for some time I’m afraid, but I used to play with my sister.” Given your military mind and Zelda’s analytical prowess, the matches would often go on for hours.

As the two of you started to play, you explained the situation, and Zelda opened with her pawn. You blocked it as you told her about the Calamity. Zelda would nod, casually moving her bishop. By the time you explained how you found the Gate of Time, her queen was in your back row, moments from locking you in checkmate. “Wow, I can’t believe I fell for that.”

“That’s alright, Shad and I play often, and you did outlast him.” She took another sip of her tea. “I was thinking of giving you something if you won, but I think you’ll need it regardless. Your uniform is very nice, but hardly what I’d call a strong armor.” She stood, walking to a chest in the back of her office, returning with a large bundle. “Perhaps you should try this.”

The armor in question was gold and silver, inlaid with a gemstone in the center of the chest and carved details of the Triforce. Under the plates was a scaled hauberk, partly covered by a tunic, not unlike the Links of the past. However, instead of green, this tunic was wine-red. All of it was topped off by a circlet, serving both as protection and crown. “This armor was designed for a prince,” Zelda said. “Of course, I’m an only child, so think of this as a gift for a future grandson.”

“Thank you.” You held the armor, the sturdy weaving and hefty plates were oddly comforting.

“I should mention,” Zelda added, “this is technically a copy of a different armor the Link of my time has, called the Magic Armor. It isn’t impenetrable like that armor, though I will say that this set doesn’t carry the rather significant drawback that one has. It wouldn’t do for you to run out of protection the second you run out of rupees.”

“No, not at all,” you muttered, considering you rarely carried many rupees if you knew you were headed into a battle. Still, holding this armor, something so regal and nice felt strange after years living in a Hyrule struggling to recover. “Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Of course. If you are to face the Ganondorf of your time, I would want to give you every advantage. Never hesitate to stack the deck in your favor. Even if you must make sacrifices, you have a responsibility to yourself and your people.” She motioned back to the chess set. “I used to think fighting against Zant and Ganondorf was like a chess game. I admit it’s not quite a perfect analogy, but you must consider where to make your gambles and where to make your sacrifices. And,” she said, picking up the king. “If someone was going to give you a few more knights on your side, why would you ever disagree?”

You laughed. “Maybe I shouldn’t play against you anymore.”

“You just need to learn the better way to play,” she said with a smile. “No holding back, but no rushing in blind either. Look at all of your resources, [Y/n]. Which reminds me… I do have one more gift for you.” She took a cloak off her coatrack and draped it over her shoulders. “Come along, the gardens are quite lovely this time of day.”

==============================

Zelda led you to a part of the grounds that was walled off. She pressed in on a brick, and a small secret doorway folded inward. “This way please.” As you followed, you noticed the grounds grew colder and colder. Mist rolled in around you as the doorway closed behind you. This section was poorly maintained and overgrown, despite the trees seeming dead. “This is the old graveyard,” Zelda explained. “It has been sealed to hide one of our greatest secrets. Thankfully, even when he attacked us, Ganondorf never fully understood what was hidden here.”

She stopped before an old grave, marked with the Triforce. Time had long worn away the writing. “This is where I leave you, future grandson.” She smiled softly.

“But what am I supposed to do?”

“Just be patient. He has never let our family down before. I doubt he’ll start now. Good luck.” With that, she left you standing alone in the eerie graveyard.

You waited, half expecting a Poe to leap out at you, but you were alone except for the wind. Some of the stones in the graveyard were notched or carved with holes, reminding you a bit of the odd stones Kass once showed you near Jeddo Bridge. The wind whistled through them, playing different notes. Soon, you realized they were carefully designed to play a song, each stone contributing a different note to each chord. You started to sing along, easily placing it as the Song of Time.

The third time you sang with the stones, you realized your voice was accompanied by an ocarina. The wind shifted, seeming to blow in reverse as a blue glow appeared before you. The light steadily glowed brighter and brighter until a figure emerged from the light before you. He was tall and strong, a seasoned warrior – but the blond hair and blue eyes were unmistakable.

“You’re a hard man to track down.” You stared at this other Link. It was like looking into the future, seeing this thirty-something version of your boyfriend. He had a scar over one eye, and wore a set of armor and chainmail with a heavy broadsword strapped at his waist. Most eye catching was the royal blue ocarina in his hand. “It’s good to see you again, Prince [Y/n].”

“Y-you’re the Hero of Time!”

He grinned. “You’d be surprised how rare it is people notice me right away.”

You looked him over, enjoying the idea of what your Link might look like in a decade or so. “So, I guess this means you ended up finding the Fire Sage?”

“I did. Gotta say, I was pretty disappointed you never came back to visit after. Need to give you this back.” He reached into his pack and pulled out a glass bottle, the same one you used to heal him.

You couldn’t help but laugh. “Honestly, it’s fine if you want to keep it.”

“Suit yourself,” he shrugged. “Can’t imagine anyone willingly give up these things, but maybe that’s just a difference in generations.”

“Sure, grandpa.”

“Hey, I’m not that much older than you, and you were the old one when we first met!” He tried his best to look upset, but a smile cracked through. “Well, if you won’t take the bottle, at least I can help you out a different way.”

“I wouldn’t mind a ride to another time.” Your face fell. “And maybe some advice. You’re the time travel expert.”

He held up the ocarina. “I have been doing this for a bit. I don’t usually get involved in the other Links, but… well, you’re a bit of a special case. Ganondorf has been messing with time itself.”

“Yeah, Link and the Sages turned to stone, and I know Ganondorf is doing everything he can to make himself more powerful in my time. I know if I fix the problems in the past, it’s a step closer to beating him, but trying to figure out which Link will help my Link…” You finished with a groan. “Honestly feels like my brain is going to pop.”

“I know the feeling,” he said, patting you on the back. “How about we start with the simple stuff first. Just call me Time for now. I think it’ll help with the confusion, not thinking of me as a Link and all.”

“Alright, Time,” you said, “you wouldn’t have any ideas, would you? I don’t suppose it’s as easy as just jumping back in to stop Ganondorf while he’s still mummified?”

He sighed. “No, it doesn’t work like that. My hands are tied in many ways. I can’t change the events of past to stop Ganondorf’s rise to power, in your time or mine. Believe me, I’ve tried.”

“What do you mean? You beat Ganondorf!” Suddenly your head swam. “Wait… did you?”

Time gave you an uneasy smile. “That will be you getting used to the timestream. Ganondorf shattered time in my era, leading to three possible outcomes. Unfortunately, I only win in two of them, which in the long run was a net-win for Ganondorf.”

“Wait, what do you mean you failed? I remember every book I read saying you won?”

“The timestream heals leading to a future filled with anachronisms, the Hyrule you come from. Your Hyrule is an anomaly, but that really isn’t saying much when you look back at our history. I guess in one way, you wouldn’t exist without Ganondorf’s meddling.” He stopped to think for a moment. “Actually yeah, you wouldn’t exist at all, considering your ancestors come from the timeline I failed in.”

“But in the timeline, you succeeded in, you-”

“Let’s keep it simple,” he said, holding up his hand. “Ganondorf shattering time only gave him more chances to gather his strength. Even with the other heroes stopping him, he always got one step closer to his goal, getting the Triforce.”

“And I practically delivered two pieces to him on a silver platter,” you groaned.

Time shrugged. “It wouldn’t be the first time. What worries me more is that all of us in your past only fought incarnations of Ganondorf or Demise – or on occasion another dark wizard. The Ganondorf you face in your time is the source of all evil. That doesn’t mean he’s undefeatable though.” He thought for a moment. “You already found two pieces of the Triforce, so where is the third?”

“I… don’t know. It’s not with my Link. Do you have it?”

“My piece of the Triforce returned to the Sacred Realm. And since that time, the Triforce seems to have been moved somewhere else.” Time frowned. “I haven’t been able to track it at all across any era. At some point or another, the Triforce simply disappeared. Besides, even if I did have it, I couldn’t give it to you, given how often it is needed between our times.”

You thought for a moment, back to your dreams and Sheik’s message. “The answer is nothing but silence.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s what Sheik said… it’s some kind of hint to where the Shadow Temple is in my time. Maybe it has the final piece. Maybe it means the temple is hidden somewhere so far in the past, it’s before Hyrule ever existed?”

“Perhaps,” Time muttered. “Though that does get a bit messy with Demise and Hylia.”

It was as if the puzzle solved itself, jingle and all playing in your head. If anyone would know… “Time, what can you tell me about the cycle?”

“The cycle? That thing Sky and Wild rode in that race?”

“What? And who?”

“Never mind. I’m sure you’ll meet Sky later, and Wild’s what I call your boyfriend.” Fitting. “What do you mean by cycle?”

“The cycle, the whole reincarnation thing. Sahasrahla said it was the cycle of a hero, a princess, and an evil, over and over throughout our history. My friend Sharpe said I have to break it, but I don’t even know how or why. Not only that, when I was in the Era of the Great Sea, it was pretty obvious the cycle doesn’t always work. I’m not sure where any of this goes.”

“Ah, that cycle…” He sat on his gravestone. “Listen, Sahasrahla knows his stuff, but he doesn’t know everything, especially with the Curse of Demise.”

“Curse? But Sharpe called it a cycle?”

“Most people see it as a cycle, a never-ending loop of hero, princess, and darkness, fighting as long as Hyrule exists, but it’s not really accurate to say that.”

“So, what is it?”

“Like I said, it’s a curse, and most of us will tell you the same. Where to start…” Time thought for a moment. “Long ago, before Hyrule, before the Zonai, there was a great war between the forces of Demise and the mortal races. Demise was defeated by the Goddess Hylia who imprisoned him, but at great cost. Hylia gave her life to be reborn in a time when her chosen hero would be strong enough to fight and destroy him forever. You probably know this as the Legend of Skyloft and the First Hero.”

“Yeah, mother used to tell it to me, She said that Hylia rose our people into the sky before being reborn as the first Zelda, and her chosen hero came back to slay Demise.”

“Yes, but when Demise was struck down by the Hero of the Skies, he vowed to return, laying a curse upon the three, starting what Sahasrahla and your friend call the cycle. There would always be three, forever reborn and forced to fight over and over until the end of time itself. Demise just never anticipated there being a greater evil than him – the Demon King of your era.”

“Okay I get that part, what didn’t Sahasrahla understand?”

“First, like you said, the curse isn’t ironclad. There are times when there’s been no hero, and times when Ganondorf didn’t actually bother to bring about a great evil, the evil just managed to worm itself in regardless – like in Hytopia. Second, the curse is really about a legacy instead of true reincarnation. While many times Ganondorf or whoever would return, it was because of your Ganondorf’s meddling. On the other hand, the Link and Zelda were always different. I am not your Link, but he carries my spirit with him, as well as all of the other heroes.”

“And me?”

“You’re not part of the cycle, but I think that’s a good thing. Ganondorf may have forced you – or your past self, Sheik – to reincarnate in the future so that he could have his revenge, but that makes you different. For the entire history of Hyrule, the three have been locked in replaying this curse on and on, three forces forever balanced, unable to overtake the others. And now, here comes you, a new force who has already disrupted balance by carrying two pieces of the Triforce. You’re the fourth force that will destabilize the curse.

“This war is finally going to come to a close soon, and I think you are the deciding factor, Prince [Y/n]. You are the one who stands a chance to break the Curse of Demise and end this forever.” He stood. “My greatest regret was that I could only seal Ganondorf away, and in doing so, the curse continued. The good news is you’re outside the cycle, so you can change time more easily than I can. You’re the only one that can undo what Ganondorf has done, and you’ve already made great headway.”

He was right, three sages were now free, leaving Yunobo, the Master Sword, and Link. Perhaps though, there was someone else you could save. “One step at a time,” you sighed. “If you can pick where to travel in time, can you take me all the way back? Back to the reign of King Rauru and Queen Sonia?”

Time shook his head. “I can’t take you to the Age of the Zonai; you’re too closely tied with the events then. One wrong move and you could be erased from existence. I might, however, be able to take you back to your Hyrule, prior to the Calamity.”

“Heh,” you said. “That was my original target.”

“Then let’s see if I can get you home, your majesty,” Time said, picking up his ocarina.

==============================

A/N: While he only appeared briefly, I did have to include Shad as a cameo for a fellow Zelda fic writer. If you haven’t had the chance, please check out ShadyScripter’s stories on AO3, which also like to play with time travel in the Zelda universe.

Next time, we travel back to a Hyrule familiar to you and rescue a stranded friend.

#legend of zelda #tears of the kingdom #link x male reader #x male reader #x reader #my stuff #the legend of zelda

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magnoliaroad · 2 years ago

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Royal Luxe Birthstone Calicos

Glitter catz....because why not? Read on for more pictures and thoughts!

When I first started this project, I didn’t originally set out to make all twelve birthstones. The original concept was to make “luxury” catz based off of materials often associated with luxury decor or jewelry: abstract alcohol ink paintings, geodes, crystals, gemstones, marble textures, gold foil, etc. As the project ventured into gemstone territory it sparked the idea to do the rest of the birthstone calendar.

Carmin was made after I made the ruby birthstone. With ruby and garnet being so similar, it was tricky to make the garnet texture look a bit different from Ruby. If you look closely there’s a hint more “pink/magenta” to it than the ruby one.

More purple catz. I think I have the purple color down pat now.

I’ve been working on a set of “snow/ice” textures and ended up pulling from that collection to make this aquamarine birthstone.

I knew diamond was going to be a challenge. This was as good as I could get it.

Emeralds have never really been a favorite gemstone of mine but Emily has made them grow on me a little bit.

June has 3 official birthstones: pearl, moonstone, and alexandrite. Having failed to achieve pearl and moonstone, I went with alexandrite. I named her Alexandra. *slow clap*

This one came along without much difficulty. The petz palette seems to be fairly forgiving of reds.

Sincerest apologies to my fellow August-born comrades - the petz palette hates green. I really seem to struggle more with greens than with purples - which is weird when you consider that the petz palette has more greens to work with than purple.

Didn’t have too much trouble with this one but blues can still be tricky as they can come out more “vibrant” than intended.

Went for a blush / pink quartz look here.

My only lingering critique with November is that there isn’t that much of a difference between the orange textures. I just didn’t want anything to be too yellow or too brown.

This one is a little different than the others in that it doesn’t use the gold glitter texture that the other ones have. It resulted in a more matte but metallic look that worked well with turquoise.

I don’t know if anyone else grew up reading the children’s book series “The Jewel Kingdom” by Jahnna N. Malcolm but these four birthstones in particular were named after the jewel princesses, Roxanne, Sabrina, Emily, and Demetra.

These last two are not part of the birthstone calendar but are part of the original "luxury" concept. This pink one was actually the first one I made in this whole collection.

Same thing here - another one I made before I turned this into a birthstone project. I was going for a luxury marble look.

That’s it for now. I was going to try to include some gifs because you really can’t appreciate the glitter effect of these textures without seeing them in motion. However, I struggled to capture any and in any case, this ended up being quite a vertical blog as it is.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

#petz #hexed petz

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lamemaster · 1 year ago

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Thank you! I’m not sure what kind of description your looking for but I’ll give it my best. This is for the ship event. Also I really enjoy your writing it’s always fun to read!

I am an introverted woman who is great at pretending to be an extrovert in public but I get tired of people very quickly. I have a slight anger problem and get snappy (it only happens when I start to feel a little sick not an excuse but that is the most common thing.) To try and fix this I asked my friends and family to call me out on my attitude and stuff so I can better notice it and apologize.

I am mostly a calm personality until I either get really excited and passionate about something (I talk fast and get loud) or I am really anxious and nervous (take a lot of deep breaths and my shift around a lot).

I am sensitive to animals getting hurt I have to hug my animals and squeeze them good if I hear about another animal getting hurt. And I once tried to help a insect feeling really bad for it until I remembered that it’s actually the kind of bug you want to kill. Not a good example but kinda funny on my end.

Lastly I love to read, write and play video games.

I apologize for this being really long.

Reading your post, I felt like we were made from the same prototype lmao (snapping included).

Based on your description, I ship you with the gentle giant of Gondolin,❤️‍🔥 Rog❤️‍🔥.

Introvert with extrovert abilities, bubbly passionate being with a strong (uwu) love for animals, slight temper, sign Rog up.

My cannon Rog is a 'go-with-flow, it's fine, no problem' kinda elf BUT with you, it is not fine. How dare that elf look weird at your elf? Taking a stand for your elf is your birthright and nothing stops you from it ever (Rog thrives in his male wife era).

(Credit to the artist whom couldn't find)

The Lord of the House of the Wrath of Hammer does not believe that love knows no logic.

Every reason, every logic has only ever made him love you greater. You, who is willing to care for injured animals, a trait that deeply resonated with him. It wasn't uncommon to find you cradling some wounded creature in your arms. You seemed like a Maia of Yavanna herself, with the boundless love you had for the flora and fauna of the land.

However, your love wasn't limited to animals and plants alone. You were the life of social gatherings in Gondolin. Your spirited voice had the power to delight anyone fortunate enough to be in your presence.

Rog vividly remembered the first time he met you at one such gathering.

In a grand hall, filled with the entire population of Gondolin celebrating the annual feast, Rog found himself surrounded by other lords. Everyone was reveling in the joy of another new year. You were in the company of Lord Ecthelion, the Lord of the Fountain, but somehow, fate had led you to the same group of elves as Rog.

At that moment, Rog's thoughts didn't linger on your presence. Instead, he felt the overwhelming pressure to fit in, to be a part of the group, and to contribute to the witty conversations that flowed among the lords from the West. He had never felt more out of place. He couldn't help but believe that maybe he truly didn't deserve his lordship. He wasn't like them; his very name meant "monster," setting him apart from the rest.

Throughout the evening, Rog had attempted to interject his thoughts into the conversation several times, but each time his voice was drowned out by the bustling chatter of others.

"I-"

"Glorfindel! Come here, you oaf," someone interrupted him yet again.

Forcing a smile on his face, Rog tried again, "The harvest-"

"Did you see Salagant?" Glorfindel, who had just arrived, whispered excitedly, and once more, Rog's voice was lost in the cacophony.

"What about the harvest, Lord Rog?" a clear voice cut through the noise, and Rog's heart skipped a beat.

There you were, looking at him with the most earnest gaze. In a group that had overlooked him the entire evening, you listened to him with the utmost sincerity.

Maybe that was the reason Rog found himself walking you home that night, talking to you about everything that had gathered in his heart, mind, and soul, finally able to share his thoughts with someone who truly cared to listen.

#the silmarillion #ship event #Rog

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hdsc-ace · 1 year ago

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Acosmist - Moonknight

II. Jackal

Masterlist Part 1 Rest of my work. Warnings: none.

Lucilla returns to the museum to help Steven for Marc and gets wrapped into Marc's mess.

Most of the day was spent with Lucilla perching in random corners of the museum's displays, watching Marc work. Her mind was spinning with questions for Marc but these are ones she'll never ask the man himself.

However, as the girl made her way through the Egyptian exhibit, a voice called out to her.

"This is pitiful." Ptah states, appearing beside the girl as he glances across the displays. "These are almost all incorrect." Lucilla watched as Ptah's hand reached towards a statue of himself, brushing his hand against the dirt upon the statue's chest.

"I think it's fitting." Lucilla shrugged, her eyes scanning over the inaccurate statue of the familiar god. "It captures your curvature perfectly." She joked before moving across to another display case.

"I'm please that you're amused by this." The god responded, his voice coated in sarcasm.

Lucilla just smiled at Ptah's comment, stopping at a particular display before her. Her eyes were preferring to linger upon a imprint of stone. Once the girl got closer, she pulled her hand up to trace the symbol's outline. It was a weird shape, a cross but a loop accompanying the northern tip.

"Ankh Djed-Pillar." Lucilla recalled, her eyes not leaving the imprint as she pulled her arm up beside it. The girl's sleeve was quick to drop to reveal a similar symbol upon her arm. However unlike the stone's imprint, the one upon Lucilla's was made from scars on her forearm.

The two matched almost exactly.

The Ankh Djed-pillar upon Lucilla's arm wasn't something the girl liked to gaze upon. After years of trying to figure out what the mysterious symbol meant, she only came upon a few meanings.

Two symbols made up the design; the ankh cross and the djed-pillar. The ankh cross displayed eternal life whilst the djed-pillar showcased stability. Two things Lucilla could never have.

When the symbol appeared upon the girl's arm one day, Lucilla was deep within her buisness alongside Ptah. She could never recall when or where the scars appeared on her arm. The only thing Lucilla could figure out about the scar was that they would never go away.

"Excuse me, miss!" A voice interrupted Lucilla's thoughts, causing the girl to quickly bring down her arm as she turned towards the strange man.

He wore Arabic-like clothing but held an American accent. It was highly likely he was a tourist, possibly visiting on a... business trip? Most Americans never wore such items and most Arabians didn't hold an American accent.

However he held a strong soft smile as he approached Lucilla, a cane to support him as he did.

"Hi." The girl greeted back, "Sorry, can I not touch these?" She was quick to point to the stone beside her, there was no denying he didn't see her against it.

"Honestly, I have no idea." The man responded with a small chuckle, "I don't work here but I say as long as there's no damage you should be fine." He took a step closer.

"I couldn't help but notice the print on your arm." A small gesture to Lucilla's wrist accompanied the man's comment, the exact one that the pillar rested upon.

"The pillar." Lucilla responded, gesturing to the pillar behind her with a shrug. Her hands instantly fell to secure the called sleeve around her wrist to prevent it from lifting.

The man responded in a nod. His eyes reading the imprint behind the girl before talking again, "Do you know what it means?"

"No," Lucilla forced a laugh. "I got it at some party, we were all drunk and-"

"Strange thing to have at a party." The man stated, both of his hand now rested upon his cane as he interrupted Lucilla's lie. "Especially when most people state that it's Osiris's backbone."

Lucilla only nodded, curiously watching the man as he walked to stand beside her. His eyes were locked onto the display beside the young girl.

"Or if you're like me; it's a hieroglyph of Stability." The man added, "I guess that's why it's Osiris's backbone. It's where the body gets the most stability." He was quick to turn to Lucilla as he spoke before turning back to the display case.

"The cross is Eternal life." Lucilla stated, her hand pulled up her own sleeve before brushing her hand across the cross of the pillar. "I know that much. The rest is a mystery."

Lucilla couldn't help but take a glance at the man's own wrist; a set of scales was imprinted upon his forearm. A symbol that could possibly mean an action having an equal and opposite reaction to follow on. Newton's third law.

"Well, it's a benefit that you're in a museum." The man smiled.

"Yeah.." Lucilla shrugged, knowing that the symbol isn't the reason she came to this museum. However being here could be a benefit to her instead of being one to Layla.

It didn't take long for the man to leave Lucilla in a world of her own. The words he spoke were nice but odd shivers were sent up her spine from him. He creeped her out.

The next couple of hours, Lucilla spent wandering around the museum until it closed. When it did, she hid until she could search for Marc.

Staying until the museum closed wasn't the plan Lucilla had in mind however as Marc didn't leave the museum until late and the girl needed answers, it soon became the plan.

"Having fun?" Lucilla called out the question as Marc was left alone in the gift shop. She was quick to waltz over to the man as he held a confused look.

"What are you doing here?" Marc questioned, placing his scanner onto the counter so he could talk to Lucilla. "The museum is closed." He continued to hold the same British accent, like he was a completely different person.

"I never got the answers I need." Responded Lucilla. A small smile was placed on her lips as she pushed herself to sit on the counter that Marc was scanning plushies at.

"You used to love this sort of stuff." The girl stated, eyes flickering above her to the glass roof. Stars were barely breaking through the clouds.

"We always snuck into places when we were younger." Lucilla added after a moment, in hopes of getting something different out of her brother. "Not as expensive as this but we still had fine." She shrugged before glancing at Marc once more.

"I still have no clue what you're going on about." Marc responded, making a quick move to return to his task.

"You really don't remember a thing about me?" The girl's tone quickly dipped as she watched her brother. He really was a different person now, there was no trace of Marc in him.

"Steven." Lucilla called out, gaining no response in return. She didn't even get an single glance in her direction.

"Steven." She called again, jumping off the counter to face Marc fully in attempts of gaining his attention.

She didn't move; she stood like a statue. All she wanted was answers to the questions she had from Layla's phone call but with the new questions forming from this.

"What do you remember?" Lucilla enquired, scanning Marc for any differences to how he was in the past. There were many; his posture was a lot more slumped; his hair lacked gel, falling loosely to the side of his head; he wore a British accent.

A lot could happen after not seeing someone for numerous years but this was Marc Spector and through knowing the man Lucilla could safely say that Marc Spector did not change. He doesn't change at all, no matter the subject of change.

But that still didn't answer why he kept insisting that he didn't know anything after telling the girl to stop following him and go home. Maybe it was his way of getting Lucilla to leave.

She watched as Marc stumbled across his words in attempt of answering but before anything allegeable could form, the museum lights slowly began to turn off; even the gift shop's. Each sector turned off individually, only leaving the lights highlighting the artifacts.

Lucilla was quick to scan across the dark sectors around them in a cautious manor as Marc quickly put away the stuff he was scanning. He was quick to return to silence; speaking no word to Lucilla as he began to leave.

The girl was about to make her way towards her brother as a small whimper echoed in the distance, causing both Spectors to pause in the place. Marc's gaze flickered to Lucilla (who wore the same confused face as him) before glancing at the cleaners entering the room. They were clearly unfazed by the noise, almost as if they didn't hear it.

"You allow pets in here?" Lucilla questioned, making eye contact with Marc to only receive a small shake of his head.

The siblings were quick to begin to search for the noise's origin. Marc called out random names of people that he knew, hoping it was a form of a prank, before calling out to the animal itself.

"Behind."Ptah's voice stated faintly. Lucilla quickly listened, turning around to watch the area behind her. Marc continued to walk on, still calling out to the creature as it's whimpers formed into growls.

"That's reassuring." Lucilla muttered at the change in noise. Marc's calls to the animal grew quieter as the girl began to travel in the opposite direction to him, the exact direction of which the growls grew louder. Definitely not friendly.

Lucilla was quick to soften her steps as the creature continued to grow in volume with the closer she got. The girl was quick to brush her left palm against her thigh as she walked, a small dagger forming into her hand as she did so.

After following the noise, it just stopped. Out of blue. This caused Lucilla to halt in walk and instead begin scanning her surroundings in the very dark display room. It was near impossible to see around her, making it near impossible for Lucilla to predict the creature's next move.

"Steven Grant of the Gift Shop." A voice echoed around the building through the PA system. A familiar voice which was quite similar to the man Lucilla spoke to hours before. "Give me the scarab and you won't be torn apart."

"Scarab?" The girl questioned in a tone that was above a whisper. What would a mercenary need with a scarab?

It was a lie to say that Lucilla was shocked in what Marc had gotten himself into. The man was a mercenary for many years and always got himself into trouble. There wasn't a day where he did something beneficial for anyone and there wasn't a day where he didn't have trouble chasing after him.

The girl's head quickly snapped towards a loud growl that echoed in the distance of the museum. That was enough for the girl to take of sprinting towards the noise. Her hand was tightly gripped against the small dagger.

Before Lucilla ever saw a glimpse of light, a large figure threw her against a wall with a large form. Her back slammed into the nearby wall, knocking the wind out of her lungs as well as throwing the dagger out of her hand.

The large strength pinned the girl against the wall in a position that stopped almost all movement. However it's claw slowly righted around Lucilla's body.

Lucilla's eyes flickered against the useless wooden objected on the floor, quite a few feet away, and the creature limiting her movements.

There was no mistaking the creature for anything but a Jackal. It was definitely not the cute German Shepard-like canine but it was more of the undead more deadly looking kind. It was clearly hard to miss the different when it's face was centimetres from your own.

Marc's screams echoed through the empty halls as Lucilla struggled against the Jackal's grasp. The girl continued to struggle as she manage to release her arm into the empty space beside her. It wasn't a lot however the area allowed for a sharp wooden object to form on her open hand.

Once Lucilla gained a tight grip upon the object, she slammed it down hard into the Jackal's arm. This caused the creature to pull back in pain, allowing for Lucilla to fall to the ground.

The girl didn't waste any time to take off down the corridor as the Jackal regained itself, running in hopes of reaching Marc instead of the Jackal reaching her.

As she ran, familiar fabric wrapped around her body. All in hopes of avoiding the brutal attack of a Jackal or two. The fabric wrapped around Lucilla's chest to her elbows, leaving for a small metal band to wind around them alongside bits of twigs twisted around it. The fabric travelled down to her ankles and up her neck with the occasional twist and turn of wood around a limb or two. It continued to travel until all that reach the girl's face was only twig. The wood wrapped and knotted around Lucilla's face, covering the space around her eyes.

"Leave, Lucilla." Ptah called out, his voice remained calm as he spoke after providing the girl with his gift. "He will be fine." The god wanted Lucilla to fend for herself; or that's what Lucilla convinced herself of what Ptah meant.

"I can't leave him." The girl fought back, ignoring Ptah's wishes of turning the other way. Instead, Lucilla skidded to a stop at a couple tipped over shelves.

"Trust me." Ptah called out but his voice was very faint to Lucilla. She didn't know why; she didn't care why. All Lucilla cared about was finding Marc but instead the problem increased.

I was until a Jackal cried with the accompany of a sink barging open the bathroom's door, nearly hitting Lucilla.

#writing #story #fanfic #hdsc-ace #am writing #writeblr #storytelling #oc #writerblr #moonknight #fanfiction #moonknight fanfiction #marvel #marvelfanfic #steven grant #marc spector #jake lockley #khonshu #mr knight

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mlkydrms · 5 months ago

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7th July 2024

Name To Hold True

🏘️ Caretaker Pyn & Butler Realm!Tae 🏘️ 1577 Words 🏘️ A/n: Pyn uses He/they pronouns. They is used in this fic for ease of reading between characters. Also, no beta cause I'm silly like that. One instance of vulgarity.

They are not sure how long it is since they propped themself up on the reception table. It could be five minutes, it could be an hour. It is not that they minded. The caretaker is only left to wait.

They could knock on the simple wooden door but they refrain from doing so. Instead they let their eyes wander the grain of the wood. Their eyes catch on the ornate carving on the top corner. It is barely noticeable from afar. An overly complex R is carved out of the material. They know what it stands for. A sting hits Their heart.

The door suddenly opens outward. A fallen angel steps through the weird shimmer of the entryway behind the door.

"Hey, uh...Angel."

The man closes the door gently. It is not a shock to the angel to see the caretaker waiting. It is, however, interesting to see the young fox with knees to their chest and tails swishing over the butler's desk. His eyes linger on Pyn before turning into a distrusting squint.

"Something's wrong."

"I wouldn't call it wrong. Just...something different. A change."

"What change? I don't know of any change." He raises a brow.

"It's more a personal thing than a full on mansion thing. What do you think of names?"

"A way to refer to people. Why? Are you thinking of changing names again? That doesn't usually deserve this kind of dramatics. It would be a simple thing. There's something else going on here."

"Astute. If you were given the chance, what would you pick for yourself?"

"Me? Oh there are thousands of names out there, little kit, but I do have some that I would lean towards."

Another distrusting squint returns. The angel's body shifts unconsciously in front of the door. He leans against the entryway. His arms fold. Pyn lets out the smallest huff of air out of their nose. They fight down the smile coming up to their lips. The angel is still ever protective of his origins.

"Are you wanting to rip my name away so that I disappear forever?"

"By the gods that would be great for real me's night terrors but no, I wouldn't do that. It's kind of the opposite. Would you like to be a true muse?"

The question hangs in the air for a few solid seconds. It shouldn't really take that long for the angel to process what he's said. The brows suddenly furrow on the angel's face and Pyn's heart rate rises.

"Alright, I'll fully bite. What brought this on?"

"I have been thinking."

"As if you ever stop."

"Shut up. As I was saying, I was thinking. It's been a few solid years now..."

"2016." The angel interrupts with a flat tone.

"Don't remind me. You've been a very consistent muse despite my attitude towards your WIP and you've very much come into your own, away from your original inspiration. It felt like, you'd be better off as..."

"An original character, or 'true muse' as you say."

The angel air quotes the term with the slightest disgust. He knows the term is just a way to differentiate between original characters and fan muses that stay in the mansion. The mansion just carries more fan muses than other such muses. Pyn only nods to confirm the sentence.

"Doesn't sound too bad but I'm sure there's a catch."

"Just one. Your true origins are scrapped. It will never be placed out there. You can keep the face and all the other stuff. I just need to take the name and your old WIP away. I need to scrap the bits that are obviously, jarringly taken from the inspiration."

"That's fine by me. I've given up on that."

There is barely even a moment of hesitation as he says it. Pyn knows better though. The turn of the head, the rise of the shoulder.

"Liar."

"Of course I'm a liar. In all honesty, I still will want something of myself to be real, to be given to the world."

"Being here isn't enough for you."

"I did not say that. However, being an empty muse will not be enough. I just need something. Something not tied to the mansion directly. Something tied to me. Something that is me in the context of my world, my lore."

"I know. I want that too. And if you'd be willing in the future, I'd make something new for you."

"Is that a promise?"

"Not quite. I can't promise this. You know how I am but I am willing. I'm always willing, for a story."

He keeps his eye contact with the caretaker. "I'll take it."

"Great. I need you to pick yourself a name. I'll handle everything else for the change."

"Give me a short moment to think of a name. On the other hand, have you asked the snake about this?"

"No, not yet. I wanted to ask you first."

The feathers of the angel's wings seem to fluff up ever so slightly. The caretaker huffs with a roll of the eyes.

"Don't let it go to your head. You just happen to be the older one. I asked you first only due to courtesy."

His nose scrunches with a click of his tongue. "At least you respect your elders I guess... But there’s something more to it, isn't there? Are you worried that it might be too soon for it?"

"I'm scared." Pyn says it so quietly, under their breath.

The angel still manages to catch it. He comes closer towards Pyn. He keeps the gap between them. He tilts his head in question.

"I'm scared he'd get angry."

"You're scared that it'd get angry than me being angry?"

"I have more confidence that you'd get angry than I have the confidence that he'd get angry. I know I'd be able to handle you easier. It is very much a surprise to me how calm you are about it right now. I don't know what he would be like if he's angry with me. I don’t think he has been angry with me before. I haven't even thought about that before."

The angel scoffs a laugh at the thought. "As if that oaf can be angry with you. What would it even have to be angry about?"

"If he becomes a true muse, I can't turn that back. Which means, for me, I'd never complete his story. He always seems like he's nonchalant without reason. As if he has too much confidence in me that I could get it done one day and here I am saying, 'It's very likely no'."

It ticks the butler off seeing the way Pyn is getting teary eyed in frustration. He reminds himself he is in a different situation than the snake. The caretaker is much softer towards the gardener than him. His own fault, he admits. He shifts from the door towards the reception desk. He leans against it as he thinks about the soft hearted ouroboros of the gardens. In the weirdest ways, the snake is the opposite to him when it comes to their origins.

"I do not believe that is what Scales thinks. I do not mean to say that it has given up. It just seems to...not care. It's better that you do talk to it. I cannot say for certain since we are not close but…Scales tends to be a very open book. The way I read it, Scales would be happy to just be by you. I really don't think it cares about its origins at all."

"Are you sure?"

"I know you're the one that created us but you need to stop looking at us like we'd be the first ones to kill you in a Purge situation."

"You would though."

"Yes, I would but not Scales. Trust me on that. Just talk to it."

"Ok... I will, in time."

Pyn removes their hold on Their legs. They let them hang over the edge of the table with a little swing. The angel relaxes as well. They remain quiet like that for an unknown amount of time to either of them.

"Have you thought of a name?" Pyn pipes up.

The angel is suddenly reminded. His mind wanders. There truly are thousands of names in the world. It is a hard decision to think of one that might suit him. How funny would it be to base his name on the word angel itself? Or even take the word for angel and twist just a single letter of it just for the “significance” factor to his lore? It would test the caretaker's patience just a tick. A familiar mischievous smile crawls onto his face.

"Hmmmm, how about Malaikar?"

"Did you just—I am not calling you that."

Pyn scrunches their nose. It only brings a light to the man's eyes.

"You barely call me by my name anyway. How about Laikar for short? Or Laik?"

"Of all the names you could choose..."

"You asked me. That's what I feel like and that's what I like. As if this isn't you choosing my name anyway."

"Don't get meta with me you fuck. Fine, Malaikar it is. When you have time, mind asking your beau to give a name as well? I'd like it if he's a true muse as well. For your happiness and my sanity."

A genuine smile fills Malaikar’s face at the mention of his beloved. "Definitely."

#pyn's parables #mors shenanigans #c; caretaker pyn #c; malaikar

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cherry-pop-soda · 1 year ago

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11, 21, 25 from the music asks :)

thank you !!

11. a song that you never get tired of

oh easily it’s regret by new order. i’ve known this song longer than i’ve known how to read, since i was probably 3 or 4. it’s truly become my anthem over the last year or so as well. i could listen to it endlessly and the words would never lose their meaning, and the music would never stop giving me chills. having known this song for such a long time it has a lot of childhood nostalgia, and that coupled with the relatability of the lyrics about wanting to have a life and a home of your own, healing from your scars, (esp after i had a rough home life growing up myself) just makes it hit so incredibly hard. i don’t think that feeling will ever really fade. this song has been my anthem when i feel like hope is lost and my anthem when i feel like everything is falling into place, through every up and down i’ve gone through in the last year especially. it’s my most played song of all time on spotify and it truly means the world to me.

there are two main others however although. dog days are over by florence and the machines, because i’m convinced it saved my life during the worst years, and whenever i play it i’m reminded of how much i’ve survived to get to where i am. it makes me feel like every hardship, no matter how big, is survivable somehow. i really do owe that song my life . the only reason i don’t write more about this one is because i don’t have the words to describe how much it means to me.

and the third is enjoy the silence by depeche mode. i’ve known this song as long as i’ve known regret by new order, and after i had forgotten the whole genre of new wave, the extra “enjoy the silence” at the end of the album version of the song was the only thing left i could remember. it allowed me to find the song again and find all other new wave again, and i honestly wouldn’t be who i am if that hadn’t happened. i wouldn’t know any of the people online that i know and i wouldn’t even have the same personality since new wave is such a huge part of my interests.

21. a favorite song with a person’s name in the title

there’s so many but i’m gonna pick two. first is cassandra, by florence and the machines, because it’s truly beautiful, and i honestly lack the words to describe it. the words are stunning, the music is stunning, her singing is stunning. it is just an incredibly beautiful song to me and it puts to words some feelings that i could never dream of describing that well.

the other is sally cinnamon, by the stone roses, because it will never stop amazing me how brilliantly the lyrics are done. i cant believe that four straight men wrote what i think is one of the best if not THE best lesbian song of all time. that song is 100% for women and for wlw at that, and it was released in 1989 of all years by four. straight. men. without fetishizing, without weirdness, telling the most adorable story of a note from one girl in love with another. and bc of how the words are written theres no way it’s not about that, there is no ambiguity whatsoever, it’s clearly about wlw. it is also the only happy lesbian song i know. i love the stone roses so much for writing it it’s unbelievable

25. a song by an artist no longer living

okay i’m going to go with linger by the cranberries for this one, even though i know the rest of the band is still alive, because the singer has passed away. it’s just such a beautiful song , i really think the singer had a beautiful voice.

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daisyvisions · 2 years ago

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Hate is a Strong Word - Part 2

Pairing: Enemies with Benefits! Sangyeon x Fem! reader Synopsis: When one kiss sends both of you into a spiral, are you able to resist or give up everything to do it again? Word Count: 6,385 (phew 😮‍💨) Warnings: (18+, Minors DNI), explicit smut (?), unprotected sex, fingering, some coercion (consent is key ALWAYS okay?), heavy sexual tension, lots of cuss words, hot muscley dark-haired Sangyeon (yes that’s a warning), some mutual pining, dirty talk, pet name (sweetheart), lots the word “god” but not used religiously A/N: Finally, a fic where I don’t leave people hanging 😌 I’m so sorry this took longer than it should’ve! I wanted to be sure that the storyline didn’t go far away from the plot of the 1st part! And also, this made me wanna makeout with Sangyeon until I couldn't feel my lips ngl 😵‍💫 Enjoy!

Read Part 1 Here!

───────•°•❀•°•───────•

“Oh, Sangyeon-” you whimper.

“You have no idea how much I wanted you like this…” he groans into your mouth.

Sangyeon never thought he’d end up seeing you the way you are right now: panting breathlessly, telling him to thrust harder, gripping his shoulders tightly, allowing him to fuck you so good that you’re a babbling mess. Everything felt like a haze, like it was a dream.

“S-Sangyeon, I’m gonna-“

Your shaky voice and contorted face were signaling your approaching climax. He couldn’t wait to see you come undone for him. But just as you were about to, your figure suddenly disappears beneath him in a blink of an eye… What the fuck?

Beep… beep… beep!

The blaring sound of his alarm abruptly wakes him up. His eyes shoot open, staring at the ceiling in confusion. He was covered in sweat, felt like his head was spinning… and was incredibly hard. The front of his boxers was practically drenched in his precum.

Another wet dream.

“Shit, not again…” he flips and groans into his pillow.

He rubs his face vigorously, trying to shake the dream off his mind. Normally he could go about his day as if it didn’t happen, but this dream was the most vivid one by far. It was making him dread seeing you in class today.

It was just a dream, keep it together for fuck’s sake. But he knows himself all too well to know that was a lie.

───────•°•❀•°•───────

It had been a few weeks since the incident inside the closet and you’d been avoiding Sangyeon like the plague. Even your friends started noticing you don’t talk shit about him as much as you used to, but you reassured them that you just didn’t have the mental energy to do so anymore.

You’re not going to lie to yourself. Sometimes the memory of that moment randomly plays in your head when you least expect it to. Remembering the warmth that radiated from his body, his strong muscles holding you close, and his soft plump lips against yours. How you secretly wished it could happen again.

But you obviously couldn’t tell anyone about it, you would rather eat dirt than admit that. So you preferred to just suppress whatever the hell you were feeling about him and just move on with your life.

For Sangyeon however, it seemed like the more days passed by, the effects of that incident had gotten worse for him to handle. It’s not like he was harboring any crush on you beforehand, it was more of a weird mix between his carnal desires and his dying curiosity on what could've happened.

Besides his recurring wet dreams, he just couldn't stop thinking about your heavenly lips. How sweet you tasted, how you sounded moaning his name, the way they molded so perfectly into his. He was getting too addicted.

And no matter what he did, those thoughts of you would remain in his mind. He tried to avoid you as much as he could despite sharing almost all classes together. It was even more difficult especially when you’d pass by and the whiff of your scent would linger in the air, baiting him to follow you.

There have been multiple times where he’d end up staring at you from afar longer than he should’ve (in which he almost got caught by one of his friends.) He knew his so-called rivalry with you was already obsessive in nature, but this? It was a whole other level, a game he didn’t know how to play.

Believe me, he did everything he could to forget you and that moment. He even tried to jerk it off but that didn’t help at all! It just made his deep-seeded lust for you grow even worse.

And you didn't even have to do anything to get him this riled up. One glance from you, seeing your figure from the distance, hearing your voice in passing, anything you did had become too addicting than he could bear.

To him, you were like a siren trying to lure him into dark waters and he was slowly starting to drown into depths of desire he knew he shouldn't have gone into… because now he wanted more.

He kept thinking of the many possible ways to try and get you alone like that again, but that was already a challenge in itself.

But he always loved a challenge, especially if it involved you. Sangyeon was incredibly determined to find a way to put an end to this madness once and for all.

No matter what, he’ll do whatever it takes as long as he gets what he wants… you.

───────•°•❀•°•───────

Tennis shoes were squeaking against the newly polished floors of the hallway as you sprinted, you were running late to your 8AM class. Juggling your part-time and studies was starting to take a toll on you, causing you to lack sleep and become more forgetful than you ever were before. So naturally, you forgot to set your alarm today.

The moment you reach the door, you’re immediately greeted by the smile of your professor.

“Oh, Miss L/n. There you are! You’re just on time. I thought you weren’t going to make it today.”

“I’m so sorry Mr. Park. It won't happen again,” you reply as you try to catch your breath.

“That’s alright! We’re going to watch a documentary today, nothing to be stressed about. But since your usual spot has been taken, you’re just gonna have to fill in the last seat at the back.”

Your eyes follow where Mr. Park points out. From a distance you see a small shared table at the top of the steps, a secluded area from the other seats in the room.

Your eyes snap at the figure occupying the seat next to yours and your chest suddenly tightens seeing who it was.

Oh god, not beside… him.

It was like the universe was playing another sick joke on you. You sighed and accepted your fate, nodding at your professor before walking up to the back of the room.

You try to keep your eyes glued to the floor to avoid looking at his face. Sangyeon on the other hand hasn’t stopped staring at you the moment you entered the room, especially with the dream he just had the night before burning at the back of his mind.

He was too mesmerized by your aura, as if there was a beautiful glow around you. He was so lost in his own mind he didn’t even realize how fixated his gaze was on you, everything else around him drowning out until you were the only thing visible in his line of vision. Just like a moth to a flame.

Even without looking at him, you already knew he was staring at you, feeling his eyes burn holes right through your figure. You don't know why he kept on staring at you today but the way he did was similar to an animal waiting for its prey, black orbs waiting for your next move before they could strike.

You were used to getting death glares from him before but this? It made you feel different. You started feeling knots form in your stomach, the very same ones you felt when you were with him in that closet.

Get a grip y/n, don’t think of him that way. Not when you’re beside him.

You drop your things on the table, making him snap out of his trance. You try to rile him up like how you used to before, “What are you staring at loser? Like what you see?” You blurt out while avoiding his gaze, trying to play it cool.

“Maybe I do… Would that be a problem?” He raises one of his eyebrows. Oh god, why’d you say that to her?

You whip your head and look at him in confusion, a pink blush subtly appearing on your cheeks. “W-wha-”

But before you even have the chance to reply the classroom lights close and the documentary in front starts playing, signaling you to take your seat.

You inhale and let out a big sigh. Everything’s going to be fine, you think to yourself. As long as you don’t turn your head in his direction and keep a good distance, being in a dark room beside him won’t bother you one bit…

Or will it?

───────•°•❀•°•───────

Time passes by agonizingly slower than you thought. You couldn’t wait to get out of that classroom and get as far away from him as possible before you start getting any unwanted thoughts in your mind.

Truth be told, it was really hard keeping your distance, especially when the space between you two is a bit cramped so you have no choice but to be physically closer to one another. Who’s idea was to have only one small shared table at the back of the room?

It really didn’t help the fact that you could smell his intoxicating masculine scent and the warmth radiating from his body being so close to him, making you feel slightly lightheaded.

And it REALLY didn’t help when your eyes accidentally glanced over at his hand on the table. The way his veins moved beneath his tan skin, reminding you how those rough hands had touched you before.

No, no, no! You’re not about to think of him like this again.

While you were internally struggling, the close proximity between you two was also giving Sangyeon an incredibly difficult time. You were so close yet so far from him, it was making his chest tighten. He was so tempted to give into you, but he knew he couldn't right now. So he tried his best to keep his focus on the screen ahead.

The sudden shift in your movement to cross your legs, however, backfired his attempt to resist, currently placing him in a dangerous spot. While you shifted your leg, your foot accidentally nudged him, causing him to glance at your legs under the table. His eyes widened at the view before him.

Shit…he shouldn’t have looked down there.

It only occurred to him just now that you were wearing a skirt today, exposing the soft skin of your legs, the ones he caressed before. He secretly liked it when you wore dresses or skirts to school (even before the incident mind you). But there’s a little detail about the skirt that sets him completely off…

No fucking way. Please no. He internally panics.

Out of all days, you just happen to be wearing the exact same skirt during the incident. (Don’t ask him why he remembers.) All the memories came rushing in his head in a flash. Remembering the hunger in your eyes, your kisses, your moans…

His cock instantly throbs hard at the thought, making it strain against his jeans. He bites his lower lip to refrain from letting out a groan, trying not to think of the events that could’ve happened next if you two had stayed in that closet. But that obviously doesn’t work as his mind drifts into these lewd thoughts.

The thought of how he would’ve taken you then and there, making sure every inch of you felt good under his touch, moaning out his name deliciously, holding onto him for dear life while he fucks the living shit out of you…

He feels his heart rate increase rapidly. All these thoughts have his mind dangling on a string. If he doesn’t do something about it right now, he might go insane.

You sense something’s off with Sangyeon by the way he’s nervously shaking his leg and the whites of his knuckles appearing on his hand as he balls them into a fist. What’s up with him? You wondered.

You never saw him like this before and it genuinely concerned you but you were unsure of what to do. You almost think about tapping his shoulder but hesitate. Should I ask him if he’s oka-

Your inner thought is suddenly cut off by his warm hand quickly gripping your exposed thigh, slowly inching its way near your core. You look at him with frantic eyes.

“Sangyeon, what the fuck!” You quietly gasp.

“Shh… Just keep your eyes on the screen.” his low husky voice instructing you on what to do while his eyes are focused on the documentary playing.

For some reason, you couldn’t find it in you to respond or push back, so you decide to just let whatever this was play out and see where it goes.

As you keep your eyes focused on the documentary, Sangyeon continues to massage your thigh, his fingers kneading the soft skin underneath.

You tried so hard to hold back a whimper from coming out of your mouth at his burning touch. God his hand feels so good.

And honestly, Sangyeon had no clue what the fuck he was doing either. All he was thinking of was wanting to touch you and the next thing he knows his hand is caressing your inner thigh. It seemed his body had betrayed him yet again.

It’s not as easy as it sounds. Trying to remain calm and focusing your attention elsewhere while the man you’ve been secretly lusting for has his hand dangerously near your throbbing core.

His thumb continuously brushes your inner thigh, practically millimeters away from grazing against the wet patch forming in your panties. He could feel the heat radiating from your core, practically calling him to go even further.

Fuck, I wanna touch her so bad, he thinks. His restraint was deteriorating by the second.

He’s so close. You internally cried out of frustration, pressing your lips together.

It pained you how easily he could just slip his fingers inside and touch you where you wanted him to… but he didn’t.

You let out a small whimper out of protest that only the two of you could hear, making Sangyeon’s eyes roll back.

Oh god… It’s the sweet sound he’s been wanting to hear from your lips again, poisoning his ears like they did the first time. His grip on your thigh gets tighter.

“Fuck, you’re killing me right now sweetheart…” he whispers in your ear, the vibration of his voice sending an electrifying throb down to your core.

You couldn't take it anymore, you never felt so desperate in your life. Something HAD to be done or else you’d go insane.

Sangyeon suddenly feels your hand on top of his tightly, gripping them as hard as he was on your thigh. You wanted him to touch you, to have his strong fingers abuse your sensitive bud like he owned it.

“Sangyeon…” you whisper.

You both turn to face each other, only realizing how close your face is to his. Hot breath fanning over your lips, his eyes flickering down to stare at them.

He desperately wanted to kiss you right now. To revel in the softness of your touch, to taste the sweetness of your lips, to be placed under your spell once again and transcend into paradise.

He inches forward a bit more, his bottom lip lightly brushing yours. The proximity between you two makes your breath hitch, waiting to see what he’ll do next.

Just as he thought he’d finally get to feel your lips again, a booming sound of claps echo in the room, making the two of you pull away from each other quickly before the lights turn back on.

“Okay! Don’t forget to turn in your paper on this documentary by Friday. See you all til then!” Everyone starts dispersing out of the classroom, walking to wherever they need to be.

“Y/n…” Sangyeon tries to call for your attention, but you quickly pack your things and bolt out of the classroom, leaving him again like last time before anything could escalate.

“Shit-” he mutters to himself.

Looks getting to you will be harder than it appears to be.

───────•°•❀•°•───────

The day isn't even over and you already felt like you were all over the place, feeling so distraught and confused by what had happened this morning. You almost fell into his trap! What were you thinking?

The frustration made you lose your appetite. You kept on poking the food in front of you with your fork, thinking of what could’ve happened next. The thoughts running in your mind were driving you insane.

Jacob plopped down at the seat next to you. He’s noticed something was off with you for quite some time, you weren't your usual self ever since the day of that test you mentioned to him.

“Y/n?” You suddenly hear Jacob’s sweet voice calling out to you, snapping you back to reality.

“Hey… you okay? You hardly touched your food.” he asks, rubbing your back in the process.

“Oh, uhm. Yeah I’m fine. Just not in the mood that’s all. Been lacking sleep lately.”

Your response makes Jacob pout, he knows you more than anyone else. And he definitely knows the difference between when you're lacking sleep and something internally bothering you. Of course, he doesn't try to pry and leaves you be. He gently squeezes your hand to let you know that he’s there for you, you softly smile back at him in response.

Meanwhile, Sangyeon was looking over at your table the whole time during lunch. His eyes were just glued to your figure, thinking of how close he almost got to kiss you again.

His line of vision is abruptly cut when Hyunjae sits down in front of him at his table.

“Hey, are you going to Eric’s party this Saturday?” Hyunjae immediately asks.

“Hm? Oh, uh yeah I think so. Why?” Sangyeon replies, trying to distract himself from thinking of you.

“Cool, cool. So… you think Y/n’s gonna be there too?” There was a quick moment of silence, Sangyeon’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Y/n?” He repeats.

“Yeah!” Hyunjae replies enthusiastically.

“Uh, I don’t really know. Why do you ask?” Sangyeon responds skeptically.

“Oh man, I think she’s REALLY pretty. I’ve talked to her a couple of times thanks to Jacob.” Hyunjae sheepishly says. “I actually might think of asking her out soon, maybe if she wants to come to the party with me.”

Sangyeon’s jaw immediately clenched at Hyunjae’s confession. The thought of someone else getting in the way between you two pissed him off for some reason. He tries to hide this strange feeling bubbling inside him by looking down at his food and taking a bite.

“Oh… okay. Are you sure about that though? Does she like you back or something?” Sangyeon passive aggressively utters.

“I don't know. But I always get good vibes from her when we talk. I know you guys don’t like each other but I swear she’s so fun to be with. Did I mention she’s really pretty too?” Hyunjae rambles.

The way Hyunjae stresses on how pretty you are has Sangyeon gripping his utensil hard, nearly bending it in half. As if he had a chance. If only he knew what happened between the two of you and how he made you feel good. Sangyeon thinks to himself, feeling cocky that you’ll turn Hyunjae’s offer down.

But he was about to find out how incredibly wrong he was.

Hyunjae suddenly stands up from his seat and walks away from the table. Sangyeon whips his head up, wondering where Hyunjae is running off to.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“I’m gonna ask her right now!” Hyunjae shouts back, still walking his way towards you.

Sangyeon watches Hyunjae like a hawk, the unsettling feeling inside him burning through the roof. He sees Hyunjae tap your shoulder and you suddenly give him such a beautiful smile. Why the fuck does Hyunjae get to see that smile?

He keeps watching the two of you talking from afar and you’re suddenly… laughing? Sangyeon’s eyes roll. The nerve of this guy, really. If Sangyeon had lasers for eyes he would've burnt holes in Hyunjae’s head right now.

He's never felt this feeling inside him before. Sure, he’s felt competitive especially when it was with you but this… felt different. He brushed off the thought and continued to observe the two of you.

Just when the conversation looked like it was ending, Sangyeon catches Hyunjae tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear, your body language clearly showing you were getting a bit flustered.

Now he’s done it…that motherfucker. Sangyeon’s jaw clenches way too hard at the sight and snaps the plastic utensil in his hand. Who does he think he is? Touching you and making you react that way?

That damn unsettling feeling bubbling in his veins rises again, but he’s too in denial at the moment to come to terms with it and buries it deep within his gut for now.

He pauses for a moment until suddenly gets a bright idea: He’s got another chance to get you alone during the party this Saturday night.

And this time… he’ll make sure nothing is going to get in his way.

───────•°•❀•°•───────

You walk into the party with Aera. Loud music blasting, people trying to talk over one another, and more than half of the people invited were already pissed drunk. When you try to turn to Aera, she’d already left you to go to Younghoon. Some kind of friend…

“Y/n!” You hear someone shouting your name from across the room. Hyunjae makes a beeline for you with a newly opened beer bottle in his hand.

“Hyunjae!” You shout, giving him a friendly hug.

“I’m so happy you made it!” His smile spreading from ear to ear. “C’mon, you’re late. We gotta get you caught up with the drinks.” Before you even have time to protest, he immediately grabs your wrist and guides you into the kitchen.

Sangyeon had caught your figure the moment you entered the house. You looked so beautiful tonight especially with the dress you were wearing, you looked absolutely stunning.

Okay, now I just have to wait for the right moment, he says to himself. But as he was about to get up from his spot on the couch, he saw you suddenly disappear into the crowd with Hyunjae…

He swears he’s never felt his jaw clench so hard in his life, especially seeing Hyunjae’s hand holding your wrist. He eventually gets up from his spot and tries to follow you both while keeping his distance.

───────•°•❀•°•───────

“Alright, choose your poison!” Hyunjae utters as you’re seated on top of the kitchen counter.

You playfully tap your finger against your lips. “Hmm, I’ll have whatever you’re having,” you respond.

“If you say so.” He grins, popping open a bottle of beer.

You instantly take a swig at the drink, staring at Hyunjae while he stares back in amusement.

“A little eager aren’t we?”

“Well you did say to catch up right?” you respond.

Hyunjae carefully steps closer to you, your faces inches away from each other. You feel the heat of your cheeks slowly creep in. He’s much more handsome up close.

You’ve always had a tiny crush on Hyunjae if you were being completely honest. He was always fun to hangout with and made you laugh a lot (and you liked it when he would get a tiny bit touchy with you.)

Hyunjae slowly wipes off the droplet of beer from your bottom lip with his thumb and sucks it off, making your breath hitch while he watches your reaction.

“…Can I kiss you?” He whispers. You nod your head in response. Just as Hyunjae was about to lean in, loud shouts and a bottle crashing to the floor stops him and both your heads are directed to the source of the sound.

You realize your face was so close to Hyunjae when you turn your head back to him, making you feel all flustered. “Uh, excuse me for a bit. Gotta go use the restroom.” You mumble.

“Oh okay, sure. Go ahead.” He softly smiles back. You hop off from the kitchen counter and immediately make your way up the stairs.

Thank god for that bottle crashing, Sangyeon thinks to himself. He had been observing the two of you this whole time, nearly crushing the plastic cup in his hand when he saw Hyunjae leaning closer to you. He hated how easy it was for Hyunjae.

He’s snapped out of his own trance when he realizes where you’re heading and waits for you to go up the stairs before following. His window of opportunity was opening itself in front of him.

It's now or never.

───────•°•❀•°•───────

Taking a gulp of alcohol wasn’t a good idea as you felt your face warming up instantly. After freshening up in the bathroom, you let out a big sigh before closing the door behind you.

As you were walking down the hallway a hand suddenly grabs your wrist and pulls you into an empty room, making you squeal in the process. Your back pressed up against the door and you hear the doorknob lock.

You’re caged under a taller male figure, his breath fanning over your face.

“Hyunjae, what are you doing?” You giggle, eyes still looking down at the floor.

You hear the figure hovering over you scoff. “Nope. Guess again, sweetheart.”

Oh no, that voice… Your heartbeat quickly increases as you look up, seeing the smug look on his face.

“What the fuck do you want Sangyeon?” You roll your eyes.

“I think there’s something we need to talk about. Something that’s way overdue, hm?” he replies.

You pause, waiting for him to continue talking.

“Look, you and I both know whatever happened that day wasn’t… normal.”

“What day?” You respond, trying to dodge his interrogation.

“Don’t play dumb now… the day we kissed in that closet.” He stares into your eyes.

“Do you wanna know why I did that? It was because you couldn’t shut your damn mouth which you nearly got us caught by the way, idiot.” You spit back.

”I don’t care about that shit anymore- You can’t convince me that you did not enjoy at least one second of that kiss.”

“You sucked a very sensitive part of my neck, of course I’m gonna moan, what did you expect?”

“No, no, no. I bet you were way more into it than you realize. You’re just afraid to admit it. Especially because it was with me.”

You scoff at his words, “You really think you have that effect over me? You’re really stupid if you think if you can make me genuinely moan for you like tha-”

Your words are cut off when Sangyeon’s hand gently grabs your neck, looking at you with fire blazing in his brown eyes.

“…Are you challenging me right now?” Leaning his face closer to yours. You gulp down your saliva by the sudden aggression, feeling a familiar heat between your thighs emerge. Please, not now…

He leans to the side to whisper closely to your ear, his voice dropping an octave lower. “Aren’t you forgetting something that happened that day too?”

Sangyeon slightly pulls away to see your reaction, your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He didn't want to do it, but he had no choice but to strike while the iron was hot.

“No? Let me refresh your memory then... I wonder what the whole student body would think when they found out that I caught you sneaking your way to the top, that y/n isn’t the bright student everyone thinks she is…”

Your eyes widen. Shit. How could you forget that?

“Or it could be worse, coming out of the professor’s office looking all messed up… What would they think of you?” giving you his signature devilish smirk.

That last bit made your blood boil, your jaw clenching at his threat.

“You wouldn’t fucking dare-”

“Oh I fucking would.” Sangyeon pauses for a bit, his eyes drifting down to look at your lips then back up at your eyes again.

“Unless… you give me one thing I want.”

Your heart thumps loudly in your chest. Is he serious right now?

“What could you possibly want from me?” You mutter.

“You see, I’ve got this itch that needs to be scratched and only you can do it...”

“Oh for fuck’s sake get to the point Sang-”

“Let’s finish what we started in that closet.”

A moment of silence fills the room. You swear the loud thumping sound of your heart could be heard coming out of your chest.

“A-are you serious?” You stutter. “ I-I… thought you hated me.”

“Oh, sweetheart… I REALLY hate you-”

“But now you wanna fuck? What, are you in love with me or something?” you ask.

“The hell? I never said anything about falling in love-” Sangyeon lets out a big sigh before continuing.

“I’ll get straight to the point. Whether we like it or not, there’s no denying there’s some physical chemistry going on between us. I know it and you know it too.” He looks into your eyes waiting for you to respond, but you remain silent.

“So choose, either you scratch this itch or I tell everyone your little secret…”

Were you really going to allow your rival to use you like that? Or would you rather have your reputation gone in an instant?

Fuck it, you threw your morals out the window the moment you kissed him anyway… What's there to lose?

“Fine… I’ll do it. Just this one time and it will NEVER happen again.” You huff. “If you tell anyone about this, I’ll kill you-”

“Sweetheart, all I needed was a yes…”

Before you know it, Sangyeon moves his hand grabbing your throat to the back of your neck, pulling you close as his plush lips feverishly kiss and suck your sensitive area making you moan just like you did before.

“Shit- Sangyeon…” you breathlessly say.

“You have no idea how much I wanted you like this…” he groans into you neck.

His other hand start grabbing your hip, tightening his grip on the fabric of your dress while your fingers thread through his dark hair.

Sangyeon continues to suck and leave kisses on your neck, trying to desperately leave his mark there for everyone to see. You feel the sting when his teeth slightly nip at your sensitive area, making you pull his head back.

“No marks.” you warn him.

“Too late sweetheart, I already did.” He smirks.

“I fucking hate you so much.”

“Oh yeah?” Sangyeon lowers one of his hands, snaking it under your dress and immediately cupping your clothed mound. The feeling of his warm grip making you gasp loudly.

“Your body seems to love it though.” He whispers against your ear as he squeezes your soft skin, your moan sounding more desperate than the last. His fingers start slipping under your panties, moving them up and down between your folds, his fingers easily coated from your slick.

“Shit, already wet for me? We haven't even started yet.” he groans while circling your sensitive bud.

“She’s practically weeping for me sweetheart, begging to be touched. You’d like that wouldn’t you? Wanting me to touch you so badly like this during class?” the pace of his fingers increasing while the memory of your two earlier this week flashed in his mind.

“Mhmm…” you whimper, your mind incapable of uttering words from how good his fingers feel right now circling your throbbing clit.

Sangyeon’s other hand lets go of your neck and makes its way behind your knee, pulling it up so that you could wrap your leg around him.

Without warning, his fingers travel from your sensitive bud to your wet entrance, easing in his two thick fingers. He pulls his head away from your ear to watch your face form an “O” expression, his erection becoming harder from how beautiful you react to his touch.

“Look at you, taking my fingers so well. Swallowing every inch of it.” Sangyeon coos while he pumps his fingers in and out of you. You let out a whine in response.

He slams his fingers back inside you so deep and starts to curl his fingers inside at an ungodly pace, creating squelching sounds from your wet pussy.

“Mmm, Sangyeon-” you mewl as your hands grip his shoulders for support.

“Fuck, say my name like that again.” He growls in your ear. The vibrations of his voice making your walls clench around his fingers.

“S-Sanggyeoon…” your moans getting deeper, becoming more wanton the more he keeps up the pace. He feels your walls pulsating with every curl of his fingers.

“I-I can’t- oh shit, I’m gonna-” you pant against his ear, feeling the coil inside you snapping any second from now.

“Cum for me sweetheart, let it all out. Tell me, who’s making you feel this good?” he responds.

“Y-you are…” His free hand suddenly flies to grab hold of your neck again.

“No- Say my name- fuck- who’s making you feel this good? hm?”

“You are Sangyeon-oh fu-” your climax bursts out of you like fireworks, your vision blurring and seeing nothing but stars. He pulls out his fingers to inspect your gushed out fluids, instinctively sucking at them while his eyes bore into yours.

“You taste just as good as you sound sweetheart.” he grins.

Just when you think it’s over, he grips the back of your other knee, you furrow your eyebrows in confusion.

“Up.” You follow his command without hesitation, both your legs wrapped around his torso as he walks backwards until his legs hit the edge of the bed. He fall backwards sitting on the bed while you end up straddling his lap.

Hands slide your dress up to your waist, exposing your bare legs and soaking panties as he leans forward to kiss your neck once again.

You palm his throbbing erection straining through his jeans, eliciting a very deep moan from him.

His kisses travel from your neck to your collarbone, his fingers quickly pulling down the straps of your dress and exposing your bare chest to him.

“God, You’re so beautiful…” he mumbles into your skin while kissing and groping your breasts as you start grinding your hips onto his aching member. Groans and soft moans echoing around the room.

Sangyeon couldn't take it anymore, he desperately needed you right now. And just like some telepathic signal you help him out of his pants, unbuttoning his jeans and sliding them down along with his boxers down to his knees.

His aching cock slaps against his abdomen, his angry red tip smothered in precum. Your mouth waters at the sight, wondering if he’ll be able to fit all of it inside you.

“We’ll make it fit” Sangyeon grins, as if he could read your mind.

“I hate it when you get so cocky, it’s so annoying…” You roll your eyes.

“And I hate it when you’re a wound-up tight bitch.” he spits back as he aggressively pulls your panties to the side and rubs the tip against your folds and poking in your entrance. It’s only his tip and you’re already starting to whimper.

“I'll take it back… I like it when you’re so tight.” His smug smile makes you want to strangle him on the spot.

“You talk way too much, can you just get on with it alrea-” Sangyeon pushes his whole length inside you until he’s bottomed out, making you both moan in unison. You feel so full of him, something you’ve never felt before in your life.

Meanwhile Sangyeon has never felt this kind of tightness before, breathing deeply to control himself. You haven’t even moved yet and he swears he might cum in seconds.

You start to slowly bounce up and down his length, his hands on your hips guiding your pace. He hisses at the warmth and tightness of your walls, making him tilt his head back in pleasure.

“We’ve should’ve done this a long time ago- fuck- and maybe we wouldn't have been at each other’s throats all the time.” He chuckles, a deep groan following after.

“Y-yeah, oh-” you whine. You push your weight forward, making Sangyeon back lie against the mattress. The tip of his cock starts to nudge your sweet gummy spot, making you rock your hips faster.

You both moan in unison again, your velvety walls clenching harder on his hardened length.

You lean your face closer to Sangyeon’s as you’re rocking your hips. He couldn’t help but stare at your fucked out face. Taking to memory how beautiful you look right now. His eyes slowly travel down to your lips, those heavenly lips.

“Kiss me.” He blurts out.

“W-what?” You pant.

“Kiss me, please!” There’s more desperation in his tone.

You passionately kiss him, just like the first time. His hands cup your face to deepen the kiss. Your lips molding with his perfectly like they were made for each other, forgetting everything around you for a moment in time.

Sangyeon’s tongue swipes your bottom lip repeatedly, desperately asking for entrance. Your tongues moving and twirling harmoniously, more passionate than ever before.

Your bodies were so entwined with one another to the point that if people had watched the both of you right now, not an ounce of hatred or rivalry could be seen.

Everything started to feel overwhelming for Sangyeon, feeling his cock throbbing hard, signaling his approaching climax. He could tell yours was near as your walls were clenching around him harder than ever.

“Sangyeon, I-I’m gonna cu-” you plead.

“M-me too, t-together.” His speech slurred by the second. His hands grip your hips, pistoning himself into you to reach your climaxes faster.

You both reach your highs at an instant, moaning into each other’s mouths so hard. Ropes of his seed spilling into you as you gush out onto his member. His cock doesn't stop twitching inside you after that.

You lift your hips to get off him, plopping your back to the spot beside him. There’s a moment of silence between you two as both try to catch your breath.

“You win…I take back everything I've said” Sangyeon breathes out.

“W-what?” you reply, confused by his words.

“If you allow me to keep fucking you like this…” He gulps down his saliva.

“…you can be the top student all you want from now on.”

#lee sangyeon #sangyeon #sangyeon smut #sangyeon scenarios #sangyeon fic #sangyeon x reader #tbz smut #the boyz smut #the boyz hard hours #tbz scenarios #the boyz fic #the boyz fanfic #tbz drabbles #kpop smut #the boyz scenarios

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mrspellcaster · 2 years ago

Text

THE BEE AND HER HONEY

- Steve Harrington x Nancy’s childhood best-friend F!Reader

summary: reader is nancy’s childhood bestfriend that is returning to hawkins after a few years. hawkins is slightly more handsome than she remembers word count: 3.3k

warnings : alcohol (safe drinking), pet name honey, fluff af, me!! pushing!! my!! ronance!! agenda!!!, (basically a Nancy x Robin subplot) Steve being introspective/reflecting, did i say cute cute fluff, happpy ending, betting

a/n: last part of this series!! i’ve really enjoyed writing it and and seeing all your comments and tags it’s the best feeling so thank you and thank you so much for reading i hope you enjoy!

1/3 2/3 3/3!!

The third time Steve Harrington saw you he made plans to see you a fourth time. At his house, where he lives.

He was not sure what came over him, what part of you offset his boyish charm, his ability to think, to speak, to breathe.

You made him nervous.

You made him want to be around you all the time. You made him want to make dumb jokes every second just so you would smile at him.

And he’d dated girls, he knew the ropes, tied them himself. Knew what lines made girls blush or prompted praise or were too clever not to get him a date.

But you scared him, just a little bit. After he got his heart broken by Nancy, he thought he’d learned how to protect himself, so he’d never feel hurt like that again. Steve didn’t know if he could handle that.

Even so, there was a bigger part of Steve that was made brave by you. The part that would do anything to make you laugh or added you to the list of people he would die trying to protect.

There was something he couldn’t name, an affection, something in his chest saying,”this could be right, i think this could be right for me.” and it filled him with something warm and bright and overflowing; which also incited him to rent the tape for Weird Science in preparation of your movie night.

—————-

You haven’t stopped pacing for the past 20 minutes. Not since Steve invited you to watch a movie he likes at his house, where he lives.

Somehow, you ended up in Nancy’s bedroom. The entirety of the past hour was a jumbled blur and you weren’t exactly sure how you ended up there at all; had you driven? No, no you’d taken Mikes bike back, of course, the bike you hadn’t exactly asked to take.

There was one something or rather someone that remained clear in your head. You remembered Steve, him warm and dangerously beautiful, you couldn’t recall anything you said to him but you were sure it was something embarrassing, that was the only way you could to justify the butterflies that lingered in your belly.

Maybe it was a bad idea to go, maybe he’d see you and think no, whatever light I saw inside her is fleeting, she left and returned and she will leave again.

Or maybe he was in fact too good to be true. He was painfully gorgeous, possibly an undead creature of some sort, a vampire or siren? Maybe you were falling straight into his unhinged jaw, straight into his coffin, his awaiting green arms.

You’d told all this to Nancy of course; the soundly blue bird on your shoulder, your rock, your gravity, anchor, etcetera.

However, right now she was nothing short of ill-disposed.

“I don’t understand why your freaking out Bee, he asked you to come see him at work and you did. Now he’s asking you to come over and watch a movie so your going to do that, what’s the big deal?”

“No, I just- Steve, he-,” You throw your arms around wildly like your trying to catch the words you need out of the air, “He’s like a mirage, it’s like, I get to Hawkins, and I’m in the desert right, and I’ve been walking forever and it’s super hot, And I look and I see an oasis, and it’s amazing and there’s water and plants and it’s great. and I try to drink the water, but i’m really just eating handfuls of sand Nance, don’t you see, sand. And then I die of dehydration from the salt concentration IN the sand and- god what am I gonna do.”

Nancy is still sitting on her bed watching you like your something funny, she wonders when you started talking with your hands.

“So- you’re saying Steve is the salt?” She says slowly.

“No! No- i’m saying he’s the illusion Nance, he’s like the pretty oasis that’s really just more sand.”

She makes a face.”Steve is not sand Bee, he’s my friend and I think he likes you and I think you like him and you know if I didn’t trust him he’d be well and gone from my life let alone be anyone in yours, you’re going.”

You stop pacing to face her, your lips spreading slowly in an unconvincing grin, you were afraid she’d say that. “Actually, we’re going..”

Nancy stares at you and your stupid jazz hands with wide eyes. You start talking before she can express her dismay, “Before you say anything Robin was there when me and Steve were talking so just maybe I said that you would come too and just maybe Robin jumped on the idea and was really excited that you were gonna be there because you are going- we’re going to Steve’s house to watch some stupid movie tonight okay. And if you refuse then there’s no way I’m going without you.”

Nancy stops chewing on her lip to open her mouth, close it, then open it again.

“Okay.” She says it slowly, drawing out the syllables like she’s giving herself one last chance to chicken out, but she doesn’t. And she’s made the choice to be brave, you both have.

Twin smiles grow slowly on both your faces, until your both giving into that urge and she’s yelling out her excitement and you can’t help jumping up and down.

You’re both too excited to notice Mike swing the door open, begin to say something, then shut his mouth; watching you both for a moment before closing the door shaking his head muttering,”girls.”

——————

Steve has been staring at his drive way for the past 15 minutes.

It took Robin 16 to throw a crumpled popcorn wrapper at his head.

“Stop worrying Steve.” Her voice is half teasing but not unkind. “They’re coming.”

“But what if they aren’t?” He hasn’t stop frowning out the window.

Steve feels her come to stand next to him and place an uncharacteristically gentle hand on his shoulder, “You told her to come at 7, it’s 6:53.” His eyebrows remain pinched. “Didn’t you say she got lost on her way to Family Video? She’s probably on her way right now lost in the maze that is your secluded neighborhood.”

“She doesn’t have a car, she’d come with Nancy, who always comes early and knows exactly where I live.” Robin stiffens behind him and he turns his head to look at her. “Don’t tell me you’re nervous too.”

“Steeve,” She groans and drops her head,”You know how much I like her. She’s so pretty and smart and perfect, and I’m so-.” She waves her hands around huffing.

They both frown at each other, two rain clouds hovering above an unsuspecting town.

Steve is dubious crossing his arms,”Robin, don’t knock yourself, you’re a super cool person, I know Nance sees that too.”

Her frown wanes slowly until she’s smiling and jabs him with her elbow,”I think Bee has made you soft.”

He rolls his eyes fondly, “Real nice Robin. Thanks for ruining our sweet moment.”

She bumps his shoulder with hers,”Hey dingus you know I love you.” Steve shakes his head but not his smile.”I’ll tell you what, 20 bucks if they’re not here in 5 minutes.”

As she speaks Steve watches a yellow light slowly color her face and he glares at her, “You’re evil you know that.” She holds her hand out and he brushes past her. “I did not agree to that bet!”

He comes to stand behind his door, taking one, two big breaths.

“I got this, I’m Steve Harrington, I’m king.”

“Nice pep talk dumbass.”

“Shut up.”

Steve opens the door.

Nancy stands there, smiling brightly, and he has no reason to be surprised as he is.

She’s pink in the face and glances behind him about 30 times in the 30 seconds of silence his shock serves him. He can see her small tells for how nervous she is, the way she plays with her fingers to stop them shaking and the twitch of her mouth, so very quickly he wraps her in a hug.

“Hey Nance,” He rubs her back and she hums a hi back at him.

Then he sees you. Standing behind her in a pretty blue dress, shining at him, the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen.

Steve lets Nancy go and he can’t think to close his open mouth.

“Hi.” You’re breathless, and he’s glad you feel whatever it is too.

It’s amazing he’s able to say it back because right now Steve’s thoughts are exclusively on he question of how someone could look so gorgeous under his dingy porch light.

You’re amazed you are still standing up right. The way Steve’s looking at you makes your knees weak; you can feel all the blood rushing to your face, all the air in your lungs, like you’ve been struck by lightning and are now overly aware of your body.

The lightning bolt himself moves out of the doorway and you walk into his house.

You blink away the bright lights and then Steve, the brightest light of them all, is standing front of you again.

He puts his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Do- do you want anything to drink? I’ve got juice, water, beer, coke, whatever you want.”

You look around the room slowly,”Uh, do you have anything.. um stronger?”

Something in his eyes shines, something like bewilderment that quickly melts into amusement.

His lips curve upward,”Follow me.”

Steve starts walking through his house and you spare a glance at Robin and Nancy who are standing an uncomfortable distance apart and both individually giving you a thumbs up.

You breathe out through your mouth and follow him.

He takes you to a wine cabinet, mahogany wood with intricate detailing on the corners, locked by a small keyhole and full of the nicest looking alcohol you’ve ever seen. Steve picks up a flower pot of daisies sitting on a stool nearby. You try not to think about how big his hand looks around its neck. He takes the key from under it and unlocks the cabinet, turning around to smile at your stunned expression.

He makes a hand waving gesture and your eyes can’t help following it,”Pick your poison.” Taking a step forward, you run your fingers over the bottle necks and halt suddenly on bottle of vodka.

Steve chokes on a laugh and you turn to him with your eyebrows raised. “Nothing, just- Smirnoff that’s uh, not what I was expecting.”

You tilt your head at him,”What do I not seem like a Vodka girl to you Steve?”

He blushes,”No, I- I didn’t mean, It’s not that I just-“

Your snickering laugh stops him,”I get it. Now where are your shot glasses?”

Two shots get knocked back in the minute it takes you to pour them. Steve watches you intently, half amazed and half concerned with your eagerness to be tipsy.

You notice the frown he didn’t realize he was making and bite your lip. “I’m sorry, I just.” You again look for the words,”I think, tonight, I need to be brave.”

A flicker in his eye, a light lit then immediately extinguished returns far brighter. “Oh.” He breathes.

Steve’s mouth makes the shape of a small smile and you follow him to the living room where Robin was bringing Nancy a bag of freshly made popcorn.

The couch was generously big enough for all four of you, but there was a suffocating hesitation present in everyone tonight, the air thick with it.

Tonight you will be brave

You sit next to next to Nancy on the middle of the couch, looking between Steve expectantly and the free spot next to you.

He takes the hint.

Suddenly you’re noticeably warmer. You think it’s incredible how hot his body must run, and how nice it feels to be sitting next to him.

Steve is nervous. When did his palms get so sweaty? He wipes them on his jeans. You smell so nice, like vanilla and something floral, he takes a deep breath in.

“Robin.” Did his voice just crack? He hopes you didn’t notice. “Can you start the movie.”

She looks at him, clearly trying to non verbally convey a message that Steve is too dazed to understand,”Sure, Steve.” She says through gritted teeth.

————-

At minute 20 of the movie it was dead silent.

Well not exactly, there was the white noise of the droning movie from Steve’s television. The only other sound was Robin trying and failing to quietly eat the popcorn she made.

Both you and Nancy were leaned forward staring attentively at the screen. Steve kept sparing glances at your expression, watching to see if you laughed at the jokes he thought was funny, cringed at the parts he thought were dumb, you did.

But the silence was getting to him. Was it bad he invited you to his house to watch a movie in silence? You could’ve gone to the theatre, he would’ve taken you there, would’ve done anything you asked.

Steve watched as Robin tried to minimize the sound of her eating by chewing more slowly, but that only prolonged the noise.

He leaned back against the couch and tried to get her attention. He opened his mouth to whisper, but caught himself when he realized just how close his mouth was to your ear, in that same moment you shivered at the feeling of his hot breath on your skin.

He opted for leaning father over the back of the couch and hitting her with his outstretched fingertips.

Robin held her arm protectively and glared at Steve.

He mouthed,”Kitchen.”

“What?”

“Kit-chen.”

She gave him a confused look but nodded clearing her throat,”Me and Steve, we are going to uh girl talk- not girl talk- Steve’s not a- I mean like talk about girls, not you girls! Just girls, conceptually, in general?” The screen catches her eye. “Like this lady, what’s her deal right?”

You don’t turn away from the television, “Well, she’s like a robot kind of person that the two boys created with their computer by hacking into government databases.” You look at Robin and smile,”She’s like Frankenstein’s monster.”

Robin returns your smile and slowly backs away until she’s out of view. Steve quickly takes his leave as well and follows her to the kitchen where he finds her sitting on the ground still eating the popcorn she made.

“Frankenstein’s monster if he was a super hot mom, this movie is awesome.”

Steve crouches down to sit next to her,”I’m glad you think so.

She turns her body to face him,”What’s up Steven?”

“Do you think they’re having fun? Nobody saying anything is kind of freaking me out.”

“Hey, hey, Id be more bothered if they were talking during the movie. Bee is only watching it because you said you liked it, she’s watching it for you Steve. I think it’s sweet how much she’s invested.”

Steve hadn’t considered that, if he was honest he wasn’t as passionate for the movie as he was for hanging out with you. It was more an excuse to spend time with you.

His heart was warm. Robin leaned against him,”Alright captain what’s our next move?”

“I think we should talk to them, alone, separately. I think you need to tell Nancy how you feel.”

Robin laughed disbelieving,”That’s a pretty big step especially for me. You do know it took me 6 months longer than all the other babies to walk.”

“That explains a lot- Ow!” Robin pinched his arm. “Where have your baby steps gotten you up to now?” She glares at him and his stupid rationality and Steve catches onto her hesitation. “You only have to be brave once. Just for a moment, and then everything will work itself out.”

“You’re sure?”

“How could it not? Think of everything that’s happened in just the past year, and here we are watching a movie with the girls we like, we’ve survived being captured by Russians, you can survive an honest conversation Nancy Wheeler.”

“Have you seen her with a gun??”

Steve laughs, it’s easy,”You’re just lucky you haven’t been on the other end of Nancy with a gun.”

They came back into the living room just in time to hear your whispering conversation with Nancy abruptly end. Both of you sitting up unnaturally straight up with sheepish expressions at being caught.

“How did your girl talk go?” You ask and you mean it.

Robin holds her hands intertwined in front of her, “Um, well I think that I need to talk to a certain girl, outside maybe, if she doesn’t mind.”

Nancy is flushed, unusually still and gazing at Robin with shiny eyes. They stare at each other for a moment then Nancy breathes,” Okay.”

You watch your best friend stand, shaking slightly, you watch Robin open the door for her, watch the two girls float after each other.

The cushion shifts slightly as you feel Steve sit down next to you.

“I think she really likes her.” You think out-loud, you’ve never seen Nancy like that, light like that.

“Yeah-“ He pauses, “Wait, how do you know Robin likes Nancy?”

You completely turn around to face him, knee knocking his. “Robin likes Nancy! That’s the best news I’ve heard since-“ It’s hard to think when Steve’s looking at you like that, like you’re golden.

He grins at you,”I’ll bet you 20 dollars they get together by the end of the night.”

You raise an eyebrow grinning,”By the end of this movie.”

“Oh you are so on.”

Eyes twinkling, locked in on each other. And neither of you can remember what you were talking about, Steve’s thinking about your eyes and what the something he doesn’t recognize that flashes in your eyes could be.

“What?”

Twisting the ring on your index suddenly becomes terribly interesting ,”Nothing it’s just, uh,” You look at your hands in your lap.”You’re not really the Steve Nancy wrote to me about.

His expression flickers from something dejected to more thoughtful. “I- uh, well the past few years have, have really changed the way I live. The people I’ve met, these people I love, they help me grow and be better, and I’m still growing and learning, everyday, and I’m so thankful for all these people for helping me find my way, especially Nance.” Steve scratches the back of his neck,”I was alone for a lot of my life, I had all these friends that didn’t care about me or just liked me for my name. And well, the old parents were never around to begin with so I just thought- I just thought I could get away without needing anyone. But the people in my life are everything to me, they mean everything to me and I’m very lucky to be where I am. So yeah, I’m not him, but if I needed to be him to be who I am now then I’m glad.”

He looks up to see you looking at him so affectionately, he blooms like a daisy under your stare.

Steve wasn’t expecting you to kiss him on the cheek, but now you have he’s sure there’s nothing sweeter.

He grins smugly but his blush gives him away, his eyes drop to your lips.

Steve feigns a yawn only to stretch so he can place one arm behind you on the back of the couch. You give him an unimpressed look, “Real smooth honey.”

He’s glowing, he leans his face closer to yours,”Honey? I like that.”He is still staring at your mouth,”The Bee and her Honey.”

A whisper, “Can I kiss you?”

A smile,”Please do honey”

Outside by the pool, Nancy and Robin are smiling at you through the window, fingers intertwined, standing closely together, shoulders brushing.

Nancy curses.

“What?”

“I bet Bee $20 that I would kiss you before she kissed Steve.”

Robin laughs, Nancy’s favorite sound,”Well I can’t fix that, but I think I can help with something else.”

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