#I decided to save some of the themes I was gonna use here for that

[deejadabbles]

Take a Ride (Rex x fem!Reader) Spice!

Summary: Rex had always had amazing thighs, but now there was only one fantasy you wanted to fulfill with them.

Fem reader, no mentions of physical description.

This is a 18+ content! Minors be gone!

A.N: So, after @littlemissmanga gave her analysis of Rex's armor in this post, I had way too many thots about how to abuse that armor. This is the result! Nothing but filth here folks. I sort of had a jedi reader in mind when writing this, but that's never explicitly stated, just has general "forbidden relationship" vibes.

Word Count: 3388

Warnings: Thigh riding, slightly dominant Rex, secret relationships, dirty talk, armor kink (sort of?), clothed male, praising, mutual masturbation, porn with minimal plot (riding Rex's thigh into the sunset. that's it. that's the plot)

Rex was a smart man. Observant, tactical, intuitive. And you were an open book to him.

Or at least, that’s how it felt whenever you locked eyes across the room. You didn’t have to spell out your desires to him, not now, not after so long of learning every inch of each other. He didn’t need you to bite your lip or bat your eyelashes, it was all there in the subtlety of your gaze, the rise of your chest, the clench of your fingers.

All he had to do was catch your gaze, and he knew what you wanted.

It was good, for so so many reasons, but paramount among them was the fact that you could hardly flirt so openly with him. The two of you had to learn to communicate with nothing more than the smallest of gestures, the shortest of glances. The only times you could truly call out to each other, beg for each other, demand each other, was in the stolen moments of a locked office or cheap hotel on Coruscant.

So really, it shouldn’t have come as a shock, that he could read your wants, when he caught you staring at something more specific than his whole (damn sexy) person.

No one could blame you. Rex always had amazing thighs, you loved biting them as you teased him mercilessly, loved gripping them when you had him moaning at your mouth, and you loved being tangled in them as he buried himself inside you. You had always loved his thighs, but this made something new flare in you, now that you had noticed a certain…detail in the new clone armor.

How had you never noticed it before? Every free moment you had near him was taken up with staring him up and down, knowing you’d never get your fill of him. You had memorized every inch of his body, gazed endlessly at the armor that kept him alive day after day.

So why had it only been when he pounded you from behind while in full armor that you noticed his tassets had ridges to them?

Your body throbbed at the memory, the way he had sought you out the moment he was back on the ship after weeks apart, the way he had ripped your clothes off with such desperate need, the way he took you hard and impatient.

It was only in that moment that you felt them digging in, the subtle little peaks cresting the full length of the armor piece. And now they were all you could think about. Rex had always had amazing thighs, but now there was only one fantasy you wanted to fulfill with them.

Rex was observant and tactical and intuitive. He knew all your subtle looks and gestures, so, it didn’t take him long to figure you out when you started staring at one part of him in particular.

The first time he caught you staring was during a briefing. To your credit, you were still listening to Anakin’s report, you were just also stealing glances because you were a skilled multitasker. You had been feigning contemplation, letting anyone who might look your way think that you were staring at nothing in particular, while you were actually focused on those little raised ridges. When you sensed you had been ‘gazing absently’ for too long, you made yourself look up- only to catch Rex’s eye.

He tilted his chin up just the slightest bit before looking away.

In the private language of your subtle gestures to one another, that might as well have been a knowing smirk. 

Of course, he knew you were thinking about him, but, he probably didn’t know exactly what you were thinking; besides general heat and need, right? Force, he probably assumed you were staring at his codpiece, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time. The knowledge of your exact fantasy was safe.

But that was an assurance that became harder to hope for the second time he caught you staring.

You were helping him run drills, stopwatch pulled up on your bracer, clocking every trooper who ran Rex’s course. At first, Rex had been pacing along the end of the track, hands behind his back in an authoritative stance as he watched his men work. Then he stood to the side, hands on hips as he barked orders. If both of those hadn’t been distracting enough, then he had propped his leg up on a crate as he called for them to keep going and live up to the 501st standards. 

That did you in.

The way his thigh was level, lined like the perfect seat, was too much. Your mind was racing with the most impure thoughts, the ideas of what the hard, angled plastoid might feel like made heat fill you almost instantly. It just might be the perfect shape, slotting perfectly against your clit, between your folds. And with Rex being the one under that armor piece? Maker, you knew he’d buck and roll you perfectly against it, make sure it moved just right for the friction you’d crave and-

Kriff!

You almost- almost didn’t stop your watch in time when Fives came darting past you.

You could already feel the mess pooling in your panties, just the thought of it all making you wet- that would be fun to deal with for the rest of the drills. Somehow, you managed to keep your voice mostly steady when you called out Fives’ time, but, when you met Rex’s eye again, you knew you were caught. He held your gaze firm, a silent knowing passing between you, that he had heard the barely there shake in your voice. The stare was practically a smug scolding, reminding you that it would be a long time before you could change out of the sopping underwear. He allowed his gaze to slide south, glancing over your core as they turned to Fives. Something no one but you would notice.

Considering all the other times you had stolen glances at his thighs, you had thought that he wouldn’t make the connection, having only caught you twice. But you should have known better, you should have known he’d figure you out.

Once the drills were done and everyone was making their way out of the simulator, you trailed far behind everyone else, trying to get your breathing under control. Keeping your mind out of the gutter for the rest of the training had not been easy and you were ready to change into clean undergarments.

Until you passed an adjacent corridor and felt hands grab you.

You gasped as they pulled you in, but the familiar feel of your captain filled your senses as your back hit the cold wall. Lips closed over yours before you could so much as blink up at him, gloved hands scrambling to find your wrist and pin them beside your head.

“You should know better than to look at me like that in public, mesh’la,” Rex growled against your mouth.

“You’re one to talk,” was your panted retort as you glanced down the empty, but still very open corridor. This was not like Rex, he never indulged in you in such an easy place to get caught. As appealing as the fantasy was, neither of you could stomach what would happen if you were caught.

He hummed in response, even as his legs started moving, “That look of yours worked me up too much,” one slotted itself between your thighs, shoving them apart as it pressed into you.

And you let out a shaking moan.

Rex only chuckled as you clamped your hand over your mouth, face hot as he pressed his armored limb against your throbbing center. “So, that is it,” he mused into your ear, “That’s what you’ve been thinking about. You think you're so sneaky, stealing looks at-”

He paused suddenly, going stiff as you heard it too: armored feet closing in. Rex flew off of you as fast as lighting, but you still barely had time to lower your hands into a dignified position before the troopers rounded the corner.

The men instantly saluted when they saw you two, but otherwise paid no mind as they marched by. Still, it was enough for both of you to come to your senses. Rex still looked at you out of the corner of his eye, breathing just a little ragged as you both waited for the group to be out of earshot.

When Rex spoke again, it was low and clear. “My office. Tonight,” the pupils of his eyes were still blown wide as he flicked them downward, to where he had likely felt how soaked you were. “And don’t change out of those.”

“Sir yes sir,” you hummed, because you knew it would make him just as wet as he made you. The shuddering breath he let out told you it took all his willpower not to pin you against that wall again.

The night couldn’t come fast enough.

It was only through years of self-discipline that you were able to get any work done at all, between your mind replaying that scene over and over again. Rex’s body holding you at his mercy, his hot mouth devouring yours, even the thrill of almost getting caught. Above all though, you ached at the brief preview of his thick tight bucking up against your core.

You were glad you hadn’t bothered with changing (as per his orders), because the clean pair of panties would have just been ruined as you turned the memory over in your head again and again. 

Getting through your daily reports was the worst part, Rex’s words coming back to you between each line of text you managed to type. Of course, it was almost a blessing, because when Skywalker came by to check on you, you still had a pile of work to groan about: the perfect cover. Everyone would think you were busy working all night, not sneaking off for a secret rendezvous.

And when you finally thought it was late enough to slip away unnoticed, you never flew through reports faster.

The corridors were empty save for the occasional trooper who saluted you, so there were no setbacks when you reached the door of his office. 

“Enter,” came his voice after a short pause when you knocked.

When the door slid open, you were greeted with the sight of him sitting at his desk, leaning back in his chair, legs spread wide, and chin resting on his fist. You sealed the door the moment it closed, not taking your eyes off him as it locked.

“Finally,” Rex hummed, a hint of a smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. Then he beckoned you closer with the hand that wasn’t supporting his head, “Come here, cyare. I’ve been thinking about this all day.”

He didn’t have to tell you twice, you made your way across the room, shifting off your first, outer layer of clothing as you went. The garment fell to the floor as he slid his chair back, leaning forward to pull you between his legs. 

Rex’s hands were instantly pushing your shirt up, “Take this off, sweetheart, I want to have a nice view.”

A whimper at the combination of his words and hands left you, but you did as told, stripping your top half while he pulled at the belt of your pants. Fingers worked their way across your skin as he slid them down your legs. He had obviously regained his patients in your hours apart, because he took his time sliding his hands over the backs of your legs as he made his way up to your underwear.

Only then did he take his eyes off your body, lifting them to meet your own, right before his hand cupped your pussy. Your head fell back with a moan as he massaged you through the fabric and hummed with approval at the wet state of them.

“You’ve been like this all day, haven't you, mesh’la?”

“Yes,” you breathed, but managed to look back at him again, “that’s what you do to me, Rex, just thinking about you gets me wet.”

Once upon a time, Rex would have turned red at such filthy, bold words, so awkward and unsure of himself, but you two were well past that now. 

He proved it when he said, “Oh, I know what you’ve been thinking about, cyare.” 

Rex always struck fast when he had a plan in mind, and here with you was no different. He grasped your hips, those big hands of his able to move your body any way he wanted, and he wanted you against him. 

An ‘oh!’ of pleasured surprise rang through the room when he pulled you down to straddle his thigh. He didn’t say a word as he shifted you, lining you up perfectly with the ridge of his armor. However, when you tried to rock yourself against him, his hands gripped your hips in warning.

“No. Not yet,” he said and despite the firmness, his tone was gently patient, “You don’t move until I tell you, mesh’la.”

Your skin prickled at the soft command, you loved it when he got like this. “Anything for you, Captain,” you made sure your own voice was delicate, practically a moan of its own.

And oh, did Rex’s smile turn dangerous as he said, “Good girl.”

With that, he kept his eyes on where your still-clothed core met his armor, and started pulling you forward. Pleasure rippled up your body instantly, and he let out a pleased chuckle when you had to reach out to grip his shoulders for support.

“You’re already soaking my leg. Just thinking about this got you so worked up?” Rex let out a little mock of a disapproving noise, then started back in on the sentiment he wanted to say back in that hallway. “You thought you were so sneaky, stealing glances at me like that.” 

His hands gripped your hips harder, digging in just enough to leave a faint mark as he kept dragging you forward against the hard length of plastoid, sending pulses of pleasure through your core. 

"You don't think I notice, the way you look at my thighs? Is this what you were imagining? Were you thinking about how perfect it might feel, hard between your legs?" He finally looked up from the mess you were making of his armor, eyes locking with yours again, "Tell me how it feels, cyar'ika.”

The answer came out like a needy whimper, “Perfect!” The ridge got higher and more pronounced the further up you went, and it pressed so deliciously against your clit. “Maker, it feels perfect- you feel perfect, Rex!”

He hummed approvingly, then looked back down at his handiwork. Rex heard the sounds you let out as he pulled you higher and higher up his leg, and as always, he was a smart, intuitive man.

“Right here,” he whispered, seating you right at the point where the peak of the armor was highest, digging into your most sensitive spot delightfully. “There we go, perfect.” 

That’s when Rex started rocking you back and forth in short motions, making rapid bursts of pleasure coarse through you. He was testing the waters and loving the resulting cries you let out. 

“Just the right spot for you, and the perfect view for me,” Rex hummed in approval.

He wasn’t wrong, your bodies were close, but not so flush against each other that he couldn’t see you grinding against him. Unfortunately, that’s when he stopped his rocking motions and let go of your hips.

You didn’t bother hiding your whimper of disapproval, but he only cupped your face lovingly.

“You’ve been a good, patient girl, cyare. Now, I want you to get yourself off. Ride me until you come, understand?”

“Yes- yes, sir.” Your mind was so hazy with need, but, the desire to please your Captain broke through the blissful fog, “but what about you?”

“Me?” he chuckled again as he dropped his hands and leaned back, eyes drinking in your almost naked body, “I told you I wanted a view, and I’m going to enjoy it.”

In that case, you would give him more than a view, you’d give him a show.

Despite still feeling shaky, you managed to let go of his shoulders. Your half-lidded gaze stayed on his as you started trailing your fingertips across your collarbone. The way his tongue darted out to wet his lips as he watched made you smile. Then, just as you started moving your fingers between the valley of your breasts, you rocked your hips forward.

That pleasure burst through you again, making you throw your head back, not caring how graphic you sounded as you took what you had been craving, what you needed. 

“Oh no you don’t,” Rex scolded, “keep your eyes on me, mesh’la,” his hand reached down and cupped his codpiece, “want you to look at me while you have your fun.”

You obeyed, whimpering as you rocked back and forth and met his eyes again. Maker, the way he looked at you, hand rubbing himself down while his gaze took in your wandering hands and your thrusting hips, only to dart back up to your eyes again. Since the first night he saw you bare, and all the other heated moments, Rex always looked at you like that. He looked at you as if you were the most intoxicating sight in the galaxy.

That alone made you quiver, but the way your climax was already starting to build had you shaking. You knew your body and knew how to get your end, and as much as you wanted to relish the moment, you weren’t sure you could last long with his hungry gaze watching your every move.

As your lower body pulsed with every rub against his thigh, you cupped your breasts, biting your lip at the added sensation. Pleasure wracked through you on both ends now, and it was hard to keep eye contact with him as you moaned and gasped.

Rex let out a pleased noise at the show you were giving him, “By the force, you look so perfect like this, my perfect girl-” his breath hitched on the last word as his hand continued to work at his cover cock.

You were close now, climbing to the peak, spurred on by him getting off from nothing but the sight of you. Fingers pinched your nipples, as your own thighs clamped on either side of his. Somehow, as your rocking became fast and shallow, you still kept your eyes locked on him, that coil tightening and tight-

“Scream for me, cyar’ika,” Rex growled, “scream my name!”

That’s what did you in, and his name came out a ragged wail when your orgasm ripped through you. It was a whole-body kind of climax, the kind that sent numbing ripples of pleasure all the way to the tips of your fingers and toes.

Rex’s arms were around you in an instant, pulling you against the hard plate of his chest as you shook and heaved your ragged breaths. The armor was cool against your burning skin, and Rex rubbed his hands up and down your back with care.

“That’s my girl, doing as asked, keeping your eyes on me the whole time, making pretty sounds. Now look at you, so spent, you enjoy riding my thigh that much?”

Despite the fact that you knew it was a rhetorical question, you nodded your head against his chest, which made a chuckle vibrate under the armor.

“Well then, we’re going to have to do this again, aren’t we? I liked watching you get off like that, mesh’la. You were stunning.”

“Thank you,” you panted, sounding tired and half dazed, breath fogging up his armor, “thank you for always knowing what I want.”

Rex kissed your temple, then he was pulling your body into the position he wanted again, this time curled up in his lap as his hands wandered where they liked.

“You know giving you what you want, is what I want, cyare. Always.”

As soon as you were able to move without shaking, you were going to give this perfect man anything and everything else he may want.

Tag list: @blueink-bluesoul @dystopicjumpsuit @sinfulsalutations

@freesia-writes @wings-and-beskar (you two seemed interest so I hope you don't mind the tags lol)

[mostly-marvel-musings]

How about “nope no nada, no using sex to get me to do things you want, it’s not going to work anymore” + using sex to get our favorite insomniac Mr. Stank to take a break from work and come to bed?

Old tricks

A/N: I was waiting for this prompt, can’t believe it was in my inbox the whole time and I missed it. Leave a comment, heart or reblog if you’ve enjoyed reading :)

Pairing: Tony Stark x Reader

Warning: 18+ sex themes, fluff

Tony Stark Masterlist

.

“How long has it been since he last took a nap, FRI?” You sighed, closing the book you were currently reading before stifling a yawn.

Thirty eight hours and counting, Mrs. Stark.

He was at it again. After promising that he would join you in bed early today, Tony Stark was still in the basement, nose deep in inventing yet another device that would potentially save the universe.

Rolling your eyes you threw the sheets off of your legs, rummaging through your closet to find the oldest trick in the book of ‘Getting your husband to obey’.

A set of lingerie was usually your go to but tonight, you decided on going down to his lab wearing nothing but a silky robe that you planned on discarding the moment he would lay eyes on you.

Overriding his protocol with FRIDAY’S help, you entered his lab and were met with an immediate blast of cold air; it fortunately worked in your favour, pebbling your nipples and making them evident against the flimsy piece of fabric.

Your husband stood hunched over his table that displayed varied diagrams and models with a blue glowing light that made his features appear exhausted. He probably was. Not that he would ever admit.

“Hello husband.”

You murmured, hugging the man from behind and wrapping your arms around his middle, feeling his tight muscles against your soft flesh, the contrast making you frown.

Tony sighed, melting against your touch immediately, as his hands stopped working to cover yours in a reassuring way.

“Are you planning on warming your side of the bed any time soon? Perhaps your wife would like some company too..”

Turning in your arms, he leaned in to kiss your lips in a wordless apology before stopping, his strained eyes grazing down your form, taking you in.

“What are you doing, Y/N?”

“What?” You feigned innocence, grabbing his hands and bringing them to the front of your robe, beginning to unfasten the ties.

Letting out a defeated grunt, Tony’s head planted itself against your shoulder, stopping your movements at once.

“Nope. No. Nada. No using sex to get me to do things you want, it’s not going to work anymore.” You grinned because his voice lacked conviction, and the fact that he hadn’t pushed you away meant you had already won.

“Isn’t it?”

You smirked, undoing the belt completely now to reveal what the robe barely covered. Opening an eye, Tony drank your glorious self in, not finding enough reason to resist. With your nipples turned into buds and the glistening between your thighs, he was powerless.

Tony Stark simply wasn’t built to resist your persuasion.

Taking the robe off completely, you stepped back and turned to head out of his lab, throwing the robe over the shoulder with a knowledge that it had probably landed on his head.

“You’re just gonna wander around the house naked now?” He called after you, cock stirring in his pants at the sight of your curves sashaying their way out, just for him as you shrugged in response.

“Maybe I’ll try another good old trick. Perhaps that toy you designed for our anniversary?”

There was a curse word uttered under his breath before Tony Stark shut off his lab for the night and made a beeline in your direction, refusing to let his wife pleasure herself with anything that wasn’t his cock or tongue.

Find Part 2 here!

[pikahlua]

Oh? Please, Madam

What Izuku rejects is the opportunity to be Katsuki's SIDEKICK. He doesn't reject being a hero or competing with Katsuki. He rejects working FOR/UNDER Katsuki. Which is hilarious because Katsuki accepts (apparently multiple times) showing up as a guest lecturer to help out Izuku's class. Katsuki tells Izuku that "If everyone is special, no one is special," which has the potential for SO MUCH DOUBLE MEANING. But what there is no ambiguity about to me is he's basically telling Izuku "Hey, notice this. I'm treating you special. You're special to me. NOTICE."

It's also implied that Izuku sees Katsuki more regularly than he sees most others from their class, which is emphasized by the previous chapter when Aizawa complains to him about Katsuki's behavior in public affecting his ranking. Katsuki basically tells Izuku he needs to start thinking about himself more, and he also ends their final interaction with a "See ya [later]." Katsuki is NOT talking about Ochako, but Izuku takes some of his advice as the impetus for going to talk to Ochako (specifically they just wanna talk more after the dinner since the dinner is now over and they didn't get to talk). So what was Katsuki thinking of? I personally read his "See ya later" as "You'll figure it out, just go handle what you gotta right now and you can catch up to me later."

Hilariously, Izuku calls Katsuki out for being the one to say "If you don't start thinking a little more highly of yourself, you won't notice the things you should." Izuku's response is basically, "Look who's talking." Again, the potential for double meaning here is painfully obvious. He could be referring to SO MANY THINGS and we're meant to infer what that is. WE GET TO GUESS. Izuku could be saying "You did stuff just as bad as what you're saying," or "You're STILL not noticing something, Kacchan."

And Izuku taking inspiration from Katsuki's words to go talk to Ochako is meaningful in another way--IT MEANS IZUKU LISTENED TO HIM. Katsuki is having an influence on Izuku in a way to improve who he is just like Izuku did for him in high school. Izuku takes Katsuki's advice seriously. NO ONE HAS EVER GOTTEN HIM TO UNDERSTAND THIS LESSON BEFORE NOW. It ends with Izuku and Ochako deciding to talk more, but what it shows us is the beginning of Izuku considering himself more. If Izuku follows Katsuki's advice long enough, he'll end up back in the competition with Katsuki just like Katsuki expects him to. That is just as easy of a conclusion to make from the theme of "inevitability" that Shouto gives us (and that Izuku also takes to heart).

This ending implies that inevitably Izuku's gonna catch up again, basically. Things will continue to change. So yeah, we get a beginning where he and Ochako meet up to talk, but it's just a beginning. It's one night of chatting. They're seeing if something's there now (which kind of implies that there wasn't much there before), but it's left open-ended. And I think it's left open-ended what happens with Ochako on purpose because anyone can read how that ends up however they like. You just have to decide as a reader what's "inevitable" for Izuku Midoriya from this point on. Me? I've decided Izuku is taking Katsuki's advice to treat people who mean more to him better. Ochako is just the beginning. Izuku has other people in his life he needs to show love to as well (because that's what this is, Izuku is learning to show people that they're important to him, that he loves them, because saving people doesn't do that--he saves EVERYONE). And then maybe he'll start to see how the people who love him treat him special too, like guest SPECIAL (same kanji) LECTURER KATSUKI BAKUGOU.

tl;dr there is a lot left open to interpretation and it's probably on purpose, read the chapter however you like, just like we did with the last chapter.

...and my interpretation which is the correct one is that Katsuki tells Izuku, "Here let me show you how to love people, damnit!" to give him the character development everyone has been begging for him to have for years, to realize that saving people doesn't mean they're special to him if he's known for saving everyone ever, so like, maybe go show them you care in OTHER ways, Izuku, and also I'll be waiting right here for you to come show you love me you jackass (and he does, he does come show him that)

[phossiii]

｡𖦹°‧⭑ monsters: chapter seven

synopsis: you get into some shenanigans while on the run, reminders of your past coming back to haunt you in the process. and phosphorus comes to a life changing conclusion about you.

cw: reader is a monster, mature themes, violence, profanity, innuendos, phosphorus is phosphorus, this one's a doozy, reader deserves the world, mahalat is just... mahalat.

The sound of soft panting forced you to slowly come to, a faint groan leaving your lips as your eyes fluttered open, greeted by the sight of an irradiated back and the visible spine underneath.

'Phos...'

You attempted to move, but winced, your entire body aching from head to toe, and your strength not yet returned to break free from his hold.

Not to mention your mind was exhausted from the mental battle you fought to regain control over your body.

Healing be damned, you felt like you'd been hit by an eighteen-wheeler...

"Morning, sleepyhead," Phosphorus sang, looking both ways before quickly running across a back-alley street, just barely avoiding a Pokolistani jeep. "Sweet dreams?"

"Where the hell are we?" you grumbled, weakly lifting your head and turning to face him.

"A town, I think," he answered, making a sharp right turn. "If I had to guess, I'd say it's the last one before we reach the castle."

"Where are the others?"

"Couldn't tell ya. After we got split up, and you decided to drop by, I high-tailed it. The police were on my ass."

"Still are," you scoffed with a chuckle, nodding to the faint sirens in the background. "This your first time dodging the cops, princess?"

"I wouldn't be so quick to complain, snoozy. I'm still waiting for when it's time for us to switch."

"Like hell I'm carrying you. By the time I get back to prison, I'll be on chemo for the rest of my life."

"Demons don't get cancer."

"Skeletons don't have dicks."

"You gonna keep bringing that up?"

"I—" "Shush."

Sliding between two houses, he effortlessly hopped a brick wall, dropping the both of you into a bush just as two more jeeps drove past.

Using his hands, he put you down and pulled apart a few branches, peeking to see if the coast was clear.

You, on the other hand, were starting to really wake up, realizing that you seemed to have a fresher injury on your backside.

"Fuck, why does my ass hurt, too?" you groaned, rubbing it in an attempt to soothe the pain.

"Well... I may have smacked it once," Phosphorus admitted, suspiciously. "Or twice... possibly three times... a little over four? Honestly, I lost count after tenth or twelfth time."

SMACK!

"You keep doing that. It turns me on more than you think," he chuckled, adjusting his jaw.

"Pervert!" you whisper-yelled, pissed. "We talked about this! Hooker rules!"

"No kissing on the mouth?"

"Stripper rules."

"What was I supposed to do? You've seen your ass, you should be proud I held out as long as I did," he defended, the two of you standing up and pressing against the side of the house, using the roof as cover from the helicopters.

"Oh, yeah? And how long was that?"

"Five minutes."

"You're impossible."

Managing to reach the front door, Phosphorus melted the handle, unlocking it and allowing you both to slip inside before the search-light could catch you.

Panting, the two of you finally took a moment to breathe, looking around to familiarize yourselves with your surroundings.

"Here," you sighed, pulling off his lab coat and tossing it to him as you headed toward the living room. "I'm changing."

'Fuckin' Christ...'

He could practically feel his pants tightening at the sight of you, naked as the day you were born—save for your boots.

You looked so sexy in the moonlight, and your unabashed confidence only added to the appeal.

"Y'know..." he cleared his throat, shoving his arms through the sleeves before rolling them up. "I think now's a good a time as any to take a nice break. Relax... kick up your feet... let off a little steam..."

"Save it," you scoffed, opening the hallway closet and rummaging around until you found a black trash bag. "We've got enough to worry about."

In the bag was a secret stash of clothes, ranging on a scale of scandalous to downright slutty.

'Perfect.'

Fishing around, you managed to pull out a pair of black, open-stitch, boot-cut jeans, a matching jean jacket, and a black, leather bikini top.

"And just my size," you grinned, quickly tugging them on.

"How'd you know that stuff was there?" Phosphorus asked, confused.

"She's a pretty woman in a European country. Nine times out of ten, she was a party girl at some point," you explained, nodding to the photos on the wall as you tied up the pants. "But she grew up. Got a husband... bought a house... had a kid. They can't see this filth, but she doesn't have the heart to throw away the memories along with it. So she shoves it in a garbage bag and stuffs it in the back of the closet."

The man turned, examining the pictures, quite surprised to see that your educated guess was correct.

She was pretty, and she had a husband and daughter.

A daughter... whose face reminded him so much of his son.

"M'catchin a few more Zs before we move on," you announced, adjusting the jacket as you plopped yourself down on the couch, closing your eyes.

"Uh huh," he answered, mindlessly, as he continued to stare at the photo.

A daughter... whose face reminded him so much of his son.

"Sunuk zetam ma'ak kula baa nat su da Mahalat! Sunuk zetam ma'ak kula baa nat su da Mahalat! Sunuk zetam ma'ak kula baa nat su da Mahalat!"

"Please! Have mercy!" your mother wailed, frantically struggling against her binds as she looked around the room, searching for a kindred face past the velvet hoods. "I'll do anything!... Oh, God! I'll give you anything you want!"

But not a single one of them stopped, the entire room of cultists pressing on like she wasn't even there, continuing to bow in sync around the altar she rested upon.

"Sunuk zetam ma'ak kula baa nat su da Mahalat! Sunuk zetam ma'ak kula baa nat su da Mahalat! Sunuk zetam ma'ak kula baa nat su da Mahalat!"

"M-Money! I have money! Say whatever number, I'll give it to you!" she begged, gasping and choking for air as she attempted to get her words out, tears rolling down her cheeks in rivulets. "My house! Take my house! It's all yours! Please!"

Out from the darkness, the Grand Master emerged—along with his two attendants—a silver tray in hand.

On it were only two things:

A wooden bowl... and a ceremonial dagger.

"Oh, God!" your mother sobbed, pulling violently against the ropes that strapped her pregnant self to the table. "Please! Have mercy!... I haven't done anything wrong!"

But he drew nearer still, one of the attendants taking the tray as they reached the table, the Grand Master taking the dagger.

The handle was made entirely out of human bone, its carvings depicting the souls of the damned and their infinite torture in Hell.

Reverently, he grasped it with both hands, carrying it over until the dagger's pointed tip was aimed directly for your mother's heart.

"Please..." she pleaded for the final time, unable to stop the second wave of tears from flowing down her cheeks. "Not my baby."

But her pleas fell on deaf ears, the Master's face stone cold as he plunged the knife into her heart, her screams of pain muffled by the raging thunder and lightning outside.

Quickly taking the bowl, the Master used it to catch her blood as it spilled from her chest, waiting until the woman lost consciousness before pulling away.

"Tekchau ma'at tu na ekk bay pavak!" he bellowed, dipping his two fingers in the blood before drawing an intricate symbol over your mother's pregnant belly.

"Sunuk zetam ma'ak kula baa nat su da Mahalat!"

Suddenly, the satanic markings on the wall began to glow dark red, illuminating the room with a presence that would make any sane person turn tail and run.

"Sunuk zetam ma'ak kula baa nat su da Mahalat!"

"TEKCHAU MA'AT TU NA EKK BAY PAVAK!"

"SUNUK ZETAM MA'AK KULA BAA NAT SU DA MAHALAT!"

Roaring with passion, the Master stabbed your mother in the stomach, violently tearing it open as the followers mimicked the sound.

And with a deafening, other-worldly shriek, a malevolent shadow burst from the wound, instantly slashing the Master's throat before moving on to the others.

Blood-curdling creams of panic and terror echoed throughout the room as the followers were murdered left and right, unable to escape as the being had locked all the doors and windows.

Amidst the chaos, one of the attendants rushed to your mother's side, dodging flying limbs and splattering blood.

Sadly, your mother was long dead, but the attendant was quick to reach her hands inside her stomach, quickly fishing around before grasping onto the reason for this whole ritual.

You.

Carefully, she pulled your tiny body out, a smile breaking out onto her face at the sight of your reddened skin, pointed ears, and tail.

You were beautiful...

But her happiness was short lived, the shadow-being finishing off the last follower before zooming over to you, entering your body through your nostrils and successfully possessing your infant self.

Instantly, your tail whipped up and stabbed the attendant in the neck, forcing her eyes wide.

With a sickening slice, you slashed her throat, dropping her to the ground.

She died almost immediately... but not without uttering two final words.

"Praise Mahalat."

"Ladies and Gentlemen! It is my pleasure tonight to show you an act that had never been performed in the history of the world!" the ringmaster announced, his proud statement met with the starry eyes of hundreds of children and parents.

"Tonight... I debut the newest headliner of my show! A marvel by which the likes of you have never seen!"

Nervously, a six year-old you shifted on your feet, waiting patiently on the riser for your cue.

This was going to be your first time performing in front of an audience...

"We've pulled out all the stops tonight! Of course, for the audience, but also for a very special guest we have this evening! Everyone! Please give a big, warm welcome to Mr. Vice President [REDACTED]! And his lovely wife!"

The crowd roared with applause as the spotlight moved to him, the Vice President giving a proud smile and a strong wave before the ringmaster returned to his introduction.

"Now without further ado, I present to you the Hellish Wonder! The Monstrous Spectacle! The Flying Demon of Gotham! (y/n)!"

Quickly, you grabbed your bar, pushing off and swinging directly into the spotlight, earning loud gasps of surprise and wild roars of applause.

Using your momentum, you dismounted, performing three forward flips before Greta—a fellow trapeze artist—caught you by your ankles, swinging in the other direction.

The crowd ooed and ahhed at your display, watching intently as you performed moves that had never been done before—with about as much effort as wiggling your pinky toe.

"You are doing wonderful, (y/n)!" Greta encouraged as she swung over, catching you by your ankles before gravity took her back the way she came.

"Really?!" you asked, eagerly, relieved to hear that you were doing well, and that the crowd was loving the show.

"Ja!" she laughed, warmed by your excitement. "A few more moves and you'll be done! Make me proud!"

As she swung forward again, you let go, doing five backflips in a row before grabbing onto a rope, using it to swing yourself around to the audience.

There, you leaned over, giving high-fives to all the kids as you flew past.

"Cool!"

"Awesome tail!"

"Look at her horns!"

You were over the moon, baffled by all the overwhelming positivity you were greeted with.

In fact, you were so over the moon that you'd failed to pay attention to the last kid, your nail grazing his palm a little too harshly and drawing blood.

"Ouchie!"

The instant you got a whiff... it was all over.

"Time to feed!" Mahalat's voice cackled in your mind, forcing you to gasp and lose focus.

She took over in an instant, launching you at the boy and clamping your fangs down on his arm, tearing it from his socket.

The surrounding crowd let out screams of horror as you began to feast right then and there, tearing into the limb like a feral animal.

But the demon wasn't one to let food go to waste.

Opening your mouth, she flew into the air, spinning around as she blew blazing hellfire in all directions.

The crowds of hundreds trying to escape the big top were immediately set aflame, shrieks of agony and torture bounding through the air.

"(y/n)!" Greta shouted, swinging over and landing on your back, throwing an arm around your neck. "Stop this! You are hurting them!"

But it all went in one ear and out the other, Mahalat grabbing her by her face before effortlessly tearing her head off her shoulders, preventing her from saying anything else.

In a bout of irony, the demon bit her lips off, taking the head as she flew through the roof of the tent, leaving the countless families to burn to death as she soared through the night sky.

Enjoying her midnight snack.

"What the—? Where am—AAAAAAAAAH!" you shrieked, eyes shooting wide as they landed on the sight before you.

An absolute massacre...

Viscera flooded the closed off street, slowly sinking into the city sewers as the rain attempted to wash it away.

Half-eaten, dismembered limbs were strewn everywhere—in the punch bowl, on the buffet table, hell, you had someone's leg in your arms.

Your mouth and hands were covered with blood, the taste of human meat fresh on your tongue.

And all you had done was leave to go to the store...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" you frantically threw away the leg, trembling violently as your hands moved to tightly grasp your hair.

Even the children weren't safe, a tiny hand with a Dora the Explorer watch sitting not too far away.

"These are the consequences of your rebellion, (y/n)..." Mahalat stated, coldly. "You forget your place."

Horrified, you turned around, utterly hysterical as you barfed up a bloody mess.

Eventually, though, you caved, racked with sobs as you crumpled into yourself, wanting nothing more than to be arrested and put to death.

But fate had other plans, the Dark Knight himself swooping in as your angel of mercy.

As he stood over you, surveying the scene, his expression dropped slightly in an uncharacteristic bout of pity.

Especially when you weakly grabbed onto his cape.

"Please..." you begged, voice barely above a whisper. "Kill me."

"Yana!" a voice shouted, snapping you out of your sleep.

Abruptly, you sat up, eyes frantically scanning over the room in search of Phosphorus.

But he was nowhere to be found.

'Shit.'

Jumping off the couch, you used your sense of smell, following his scent all the way to backyard.

The backyard... where he was playing with a little girl.

And the backyard... where her mother and father were less than pleased.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, carefully putting the girl down and letting her run back to her parents. "We were just... pretending to fly."

Sensing the sincerity in his voice, you saved the scolding, deciding not to ask questions.

'We gotta get moving.'

"C'mon," you sighed, grabbing his arm and dragging him toward the fence as you turned to the parents. "Thank you for the clothes!"

You let him hop over first before following, waiting until you both got a good distance away from the house before you spoke up.

For the very first time since you'd known him, he was completely silent, not saying a word as you trudged over a grassy hill.

Not one pun.

Not one sex joke.

Not even a single pass at you.

Just... nothing.

It worried you, making an odd string to tug at your heart and force you to get to the bottom of it.

"Phos?" you started, softly, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

Lifting his head, he turned to you, eyes widening as—for a split second—your expression morphed into that of his late wife.

Right then and there, it felt as if his whole paradigm shifted, the jigsaw pieces of his life seeming to fall into place right before him.

Taking the shape of you.

Your laugh... your smile... your warmth—they were things he wanted to be in the presence of well-past the end of the mission.

He wanted you, past a friend or a fuck, but as someone to stay by his side, someone to hold.

Someone to care about again...

"Alex..." he blurted, unable to take his eyes away from your face. "Call me Alex."

Surprised, your eyes widened slightly, a familiar burn rising to your cheeks at his intense stare.

But the shock was quick to subside, replaced with understanding as you stopped in your tracks, smoothly taking his hand in yours.

Intently, he watched, your touch singeing his skin as you held his hand, flashing him a coy smile.

"Alright, Alex... let's go kill a princess.

[thewinter-eden]

Damn Puppy Dog Eyes

images are mine (except middle KS pic that I got from pinterest). please do not use without permission. ATE pcs are my inspo for this series.

PLEASE READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

in honor of so many of you being so sweet and sending me birthday wishes yesterday, I was extra motivated to get this one finished and posted as soon as possible. You all made me feel so loved and appreciated and I'll never be able to thank you enough. So to ATTEMPT to thank you, I got this goofball finished.

ALSO - y'all go read the story that @ramadiiiisme wrote for me as a birthday present <3 if you love Ateez' Yeosang (as you SHOULD), you'll enjoy the bit of fluff that my bestie outdid herself with. (p.s. hey bestie I put Wooyoung in this story just for you hope you love it sorry he's a lil twerp but he kinda is ok bye) find my birthday story HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

part 7 of the skz crack!horror series.

pairing: Kim Seungmin x fem!reader rating: mature, dark themes summary: werewolf!Seungmin saves your life from a pack, inadvertently earning your unwavering loyalty, even though he’s just as much a killer as they were. Sometimes he can’t decide if he wants to wrap you up in bubble wrap to save you from your own idiotic self or dump your annoying ass back where he found you. (warnings below the cut)

word count: 6k

warnings: Fear, attempted murder, werewolves hunting humans, reader makes dumb decisions, Seungmin’s gonna pull his own hair out, Ateez, group dynamic manipulation (Jeongin is SKZ alpha, Yunho is ATZ alpha), language, undertones of violence (canine-type pecking order fights), reader is referred to as ‘the bitch’ occasionally (canine term more so than derogatory term), undertones of domestic abuse (non-physically-violent, reader is unhappy), Yunho SLANDER (I’m sorry Yunho I love you), reader is touch starved, cuddles

Comment a request to be tagged.

series info

He's noticed you here and there around campus.

You're always with Yunho, or one of his pack. The entire student body knows who you are, knows you belong to one of the strongest packs on campus, knows that you're engaged to the alpha. To Yunho, one of the most prolific killers of your generation.

No one bothers you.

The first time Seungmin recognizes you by yourself, you're on the outskirts of campus, practicing some kind of flowy, yoga-like, graceful movements in the back of the baseball field. He watches you for only a few seconds before his eyes are scanning your surroundings, checking the bleachers for Yunho or the other members of his pack who are always hovering around you with possessive consistency. There's no one. You are alone.

Your focus surprises him. The way you control your motions, the finest muscles in perfect form, your expression intensely concentrated, is different from the behavior he's seen from you so far. You're always smiling, always latched onto Yunho, always fluttering around him and his pack to provide companionship and servitude whenever called upon. Now, though, you are planted firmly in your own autonomy, exercising some kind of active meditation that speaks volumes of your true self.

Seungmin turns away from you and doesn't look back. To be caught gazing at Yunho's fiancé with anything other than perhaps disinterested reverence means trouble.

The next time he sees you, you're in a restaurant alone, watching the clock tick away the minutes as Yunho stands you up. You're quiet again, your face peacefully still in your fiancé's absence, your hands folded neatly in your lap and not an ounce of surprise in your body that you're being forgotten once again.

After over an hour of waiting, a member of Yunho's pack arrives and hovers over your table. When you meet the eyes of the man who's come to pick you up, you've got a manufactured embarrassed smile on your face and you get up, already laughing and chatting about something that you had no thoughts of only moments before.

The man herds you outside into his car, pays the bill for the glass of wine that you've barely sipped, and chauffeurs you off into the night.

A few weeks go by before he sees you again, and this time you’re in the grocery store with two of Yunho’s pack, and you’re not smiling anymore. Your hands tremble as you reach for packages of meat and cartons of eggs, your eyes downcast and darting to clock the positions of your companions at every turn.

Each time he catches a glimpse of you between aisles and around fruit displays, he notices the dynamics have shifted from what they usually are. Because they’re not your companions, this time; this time they’re your keepers; your captors.

Seungmin notices a familiar face pop up obliviously from behind a shelf of fresh bread, turning over a package of sourdough in his hands to check the baker’s date. The young man, one of Seungmin’s own friends, bounces the loaf of bread in his palm once and then tosses it into his basket before moving on to the display of cheeses.

You noticed the guy at the same time that Seungmin did, but you whip your head away and make a beeline for an aisle at the complete opposite side of the store to avoid him.

Both of your companions have already caught sight of the man you’re trying to stay away from, and they’re hurrying after you with hostile glares pointed back at him.

The entire exchange is odd, especially since Seungmin knows for sure that his friend Felix wouldn’t be stupid enough to make a move on Yunho’s woman.

Despite your obvious attempts at avoidance, you run into Felix at the checkout line, which Seungmin witnesses from a spot further back in line, his own groceries piled high in his own basket. He hears Felix chirp a cheerful hello to you, and then a more cautious one to both of your escorts.

You murmur a quiet response back, and your men say nothing.

“I just wanted to thank you again for carrying me on that partner project last week.” Felix is saying, completely ignoring the darkening auras of the wolves beside you. “I was getting worried about my grade there for a minute.”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” You respond kindly. “Your part definitely tied the project together.” You’re dumping your items on the conveyor belt as quickly as you can, desperately trying to get checked out and away from Felix as fast as possible.

The line moves and Seungmin finds himself ever so slightly closer to you.

Felix laughs softly and reaches to lay a casual and friendly pat to your arm, a move that Seungmin has seen him replicate hundreds of times with dozens of friends and acquaintances—a move that means nothing—but the shorter of your two companions bullies his way between you and Felix with a snarl.

“Woo!” You snap, snatching him by his sleeve. You can’t move him, you can’t actually call him off, but the frantic tone in your voice and the desperate plea in your eyes convinces Felix to back off without a fight.

“Don’t worry about it,” Felix shakes his head at you, ignoring Wooyoung entirely. “It’s not your fault they don’t have the social experience to recognize a harmless interaction. But I hear that’s a common problem for lapdogs.”

Seungmin can feel the tension thicken between the four of you and his own hackles rise instinctively, his hand gripping his basket with enough strength to bruise.

“That’s not helpful right now,” You say, and loop an arm through Wooyoung’s to hold close. You turn to the taller man behind you, the one who hasn’t torn his smoldering glare from Felix. “We need to pay and go. Yunho doesn’t want to cause problems with another pack, and there’s no reason to waste energy on him.” You shrug a dismissive shoulder at Felix, who rolls his eyes and walks away to join another checkout line. “He was just a group project partner, Mingi. He’s friendly with everyone.”

The larger man glances at you, then over the divider to Felix, then to the end of your line to Seungmin.

Of course he’s already clocked Seungmin.

There’s a reason he was chosen to guard you.

Evidently deciding that getting you out of the grocery store is easier than dealing with a confrontation from two members of a competing pack, Mingi tugs his wallet from a back pocket and pays for the groceries. He tosses the bags into Wooyoung’s grasp and then turns you with a hand on your back and herds you out of the store.

Seungmin doesn’t breathe again until their vehicle speeds you out of the parking lot.

The reason for your sudden protection detail becomes a little clearer the next time he finds you at the end of the baseball field, practicing your meditative *tai chi—*when he finds you crying. Your arms and legs carrying you with perfect poise through the movements, your face scrunched with pain and soaked with tears.

He’s on alert at the sight of your obvious distress, his senses kicking into overdrive to determine the cause of your ache, but he can’t identify a source. Instead of endorphins and blood, obvious markers of physical pain and abuse, you smell like cortisol and low blood sugar. Despite the over-controlling appearance of things, Yunho doesn’t seem to be hurting you, which does surprise him.

But you are unhappy.

That much is obvious.

You’re unhappy, you’re pulling away from your perfect fiancé to find time for yourself, and Yunho is feeling his grasp on you slipping. He can’t risk suffering a humiliating breakup that the entire student body would find out about, so he’s using his pack to keep an eye on you.

Seungmin knows what will happen to you if you continue to be unhappy—what happens to all humans who overstay their welcome with Yunho’s help. Either he will manufacture a breakup that humiliates you instead, or you will be disposed of.

Seungmin collects his gear, bouncing a baseball thoughtfully in the palm of his hand. You’re still unaware of his presence, still crying into your morning meditation, but he can’t help but feel like he’s witnessing your last moments on earth.

It’s not his business.

He leaves you there, headed for the showers, and hopes nobody had seen the indecision in his eyes.

The next time he finds himself close to you is an accident. His head is down, thumbing through the pages in his notebook, looking for a homework sheet that he’s suppose to turn in by today, when he’s hit by the scent of tea tree and blackberry—and then a shoulder jabs into his ribs.

He lurches back, hand lifting from his notebook to push the offending body away from him, and finds himself holding you by the arm, blinking down into your apologetic face.

You’re babbling regretfully, asking him if he’s okay, checking the ground to see if he’s dropped anything, but he’s just watching the way you’re avoiding his eyes.

You’re terrified, overwhelmed by the sheer number of werewolves on campus. He can feel you shaking beneath his hand. For a moment he wonders if he was wrong in his assessment of Yunho’s treatment of you, if you are actually being physically abused—based on the way you flinch away from his blank stare, you’ve clearly had some bad interactions with wolves.

“I’m so sorry.” You say again. “I’ll watch where I’m going.”

Seungmin lets you go. He never should have touched you, not even as a reflex. You’re Yunho’s woman, and now his scent is on you. “It’s fine.” He says simply, and shoulders past you.

He’ll hear of this again.

Jeongin will hear all about the member of his pack who put his hands on an alpha’s fiancé.

“Let me make it up to you!” Your voice cries from behind him, desperate to smooth things over and help him explain this unintentional rendezvous. You know how wolves can be. You know what’s just happened—you’ll probably be punished for it.

“Forget it.” Seungmin snaps back, barely looking over his shoulder. “Leave me alone.”

You find him the next day in the library, studying by himself. He can smell you coming, now that he’s gotten a scent of you up close, and his body immediately coils, tightening to leave. Nothing good can come of the two of you being seen together, much less studying together. You dump your books on his table and plop yourself down into the chair across from him.

Seungmin abruptly forgets his topic of study, stunned by your brazen neglect of cultural boundaries. “Are you stupid?” He snaps, whipping his gaze around. Your posse seems to have abandoned you today, but the morning is young. “You need to stop talking to my pack.” It’s harsh and biting, but it’s best for everyone.

You’re human—you don’t understand.

You can’t be getting buddy-buddy with Felix, you can’t be seeking out Seungmin. There are enough members of the pack you’re marrying into to keep you company without dragging another one into the drama that is your human desire for friendship and attention. You’re going to cause a fight, and you’re going to get someone killed.

But you just roll your eyes and flip open the cover of a textbook. “Things aren’t working out with Yunho.”

Seungmin’s scraping his things together, dumping handfuls of pencils and scrap paper and sticky notes into his backpack. “I don’t care.” And he really, really doesn’t. He thinks you’re pathetic, trapped in a relationship that isn’t all you thought it was going to be, and now you don’t realize there’s no way out of it. “Does Yunho know that? Because your guard dogs are still stalking you.” He juts his chin towards the front desk, where Wooyoung and Mingi are hovering, glowering at you.

Your complexion washes out ever so slightly.

At least you realize a little bit of the severity of the situation.

He catches your eyes finding his again and for a second he pauses in stacking his books. “What?”

“I don’t like these rules.” You say. “Why can’t I talk to you just because of Yunho?”

Seungmin’s backpack zips with a definitive sound. “Don’t you know anything? Wolves are territorial.” He shoves his chair back and gets to his feet. “Stop trying to talk to me. You’re not worth killing an alpha for.” He doesn’t catch your shocked expression as he spins on his heel and stalks out of the library.

And of course you don’t listen. Of course you think you know better than what everyone is telling you. You must think that, because Seungmin can’t imagine another reason that you would show up at his doorstep, banging on his dorm room door, sobbing your pitiful heart out in front of him.

You must be either stupid or arrogant.

He can only stare at you, one hand clutching the door, when you barrel straight at him and he finds a miserable, weeping human wrapped around his chest. Your tears are soaking into his throat, your heart hammering against his chest, and all he feels is panic.

Because you’re emitting hormones and chemicals that every wolf in the building can smell and you’re smearing them all over his clothes.

He doesn’t even question why you’re crying. In two seconds he’s shoved you off of him and slammed the door in your face, and in the next two seconds he’s bolted across his dorm and plunged himself into the shower to scrub every last remnant of you off of him.

It’s not until he’s out of the shower, toweling through his hair, tugging on fresh clothes, that he realizes that he hasn’t been able to get the image of you bawling like a lost lamb out of his head.

The shower isn’t enough. He’s meeting Jisung and Felix the next morning to study, and as soon as he approaches the table both older boys pin their gazes on him suspiciously. They’re taking in his scent, absorbing the intermingling of his familiar musk and the treacherous addition of your tea tree shampoo and warm skin.

“Dude.” Jisung sniffs, face scrunching once. He leans in, pushing his nose into Seungmin’s hair and bouncing back with a bright laugh when the younger man shoves him away. “Who did you fuck last night? You reek of woman.”

Seungmin swings a half-assed fist at Jisung and lets him dodge it. “I didn’t fuck anyone. Shut up.”

Felix’s eyes widen, leaning closer as well, and then he flinches back in surprise. “That’s Yunho’s girl. You smell like Yunho’s fiancé.”

A second of silence settles over the library before Jisung’s hand claps down on Seungmin’s shoulder. “You fucked Yunho’s fiancé?” He hears himself as soon as he’s said it, smacking a hand over his own mouth and ducking his head to avoid Seungmin’s burning glare. To take the target off his own back, he squints at Felix. “How do you know what she smells like?”

“We had a class project.” Felix frowns. “It took us a week and I nearly got gutted by Wooyoung and Mingi every time we had to meet for it. Are you fucking insane?” He directs the last question to the youngest.

Seungmin slams his textbooks down at the table, expression dark with rage. “I didn’t fuck anybody.” He snaps. “She showed up at my dorm last night and I shut the door in her face.” He hopes it will be enough to change the subject, but Jisung just inches closer. “I didn’t talk to her,” He grumbles before any more questions can be thrown haphazardly across the table. “I don’t know why she came to me. I’ve met her exactly once and told her to leave us alone.”

“I’ve heard she’s not vibing with Yunho anymore.” Jisung says, flipping casually through his notes. “She’s not as enamored with his freaky possessive tendencies as she thought she would be.” He completely ignores when Felix kicks him under the table. “And, actually, I’ve heard that his second in command is higher on his fuck list than she is.”

Seungmin kicks him too, being the second to notice to looming presence approaching from behind Jisung. “Shut up, hyung.” he grumbles. “This is none of our business.”

“Leave it alone,” Felix agrees. “It doesn’t concern us.”

“Yeah, but come on.” Jisung barrels on. “Why wouldn’t she be pissed to find out she’s second to Mingi after being paraded around like a queen for two years?”

The approaching wolves decide to make themselves known as Seungmin’s eyes roll to the ceiling. “Maybe don’t believe everything you hear.”

At the sound of Wooyoung’s voice in his ear, Jisung scrambles up and spins to face the two pack mates who have overheard him yapping. He looks appropriately abashed and rubs the back of his neck once but doesn’t back down. “We’re just talking,” He says, and flashes them both a glare.

The larger of the two, San, edges closer. It’s a very clear warning.

Wooyoung’s eyes flicker to Seungmin and his nostrils flare. “That one smells like the bitch.”

It’s enough to raise Seungmin’s hackles, even though he knows it isn’t meant the way humans mean it. More than that, it’s almost affectionate—because you aren’t properly a bitch; you’re not a wolf; but they accept you as belonging to Yunho anyway, like you are one.

They just don’t seem to care that you don’t want to be.

“It was nothing.” Seungmin says lowly. His tone is threatening, low enough that Wooyoung thinks twice about jumping in his face. “She came to the wrong room, I sent her away.”

San’s eyes narrow. “She’s come home reeking of you before. This isn’t the first time, pup.”

The nickname does not go over well.

Jisung utters a reverberating snarl that seems to eliminate the almost comical height difference between himself and San, while Felix rises from his seat and lifts his chin in a challenge.

The rest of the students begin to gather their things and move seats, giving the wolves a wide berth.

“We have no interest in you or any of your toys.” Jisung announces flatly. “Go home before you embarrass yourselves.”

Wooyoung takes a step back, but he has one final blow to land. “Watch yourself, dog.” His eyes are on Seungmin. “Yunho doesn’t take kindly to stealing.” He looks gleeful as he utters his next words. “And he doesn’t keep tainted goods.”

Seungmin doesn’t even know your name. He’s tuned everything about you out ever since he first started noticing you around campus. He doesn’t want to know you, doesn’t want to spend time with you, doesn’t want to think about you.

He especially doesn’t want to think about how pretty you are, or how kind and innocent you seem, or the way that your expression sinks into loneliness when you think you’re alone. He doesn’t want to know your name, or why you’re engaged to Yunho, or why you’re suddenly unhappy that you’re engaged to Yunho.

He doesn’t want to know why you showed up sobbing at his door after he was so cold towards you, or why you thought throwing yourself into his arms was a safer option than sharing your burdens with your own fiancé.

But when he hears you weeping once again, your wails echoing through the woods, he doesn’t even try to avoid you. This time he follows your sound, follows your scent, creeps through the dark trails to find you. Because he’s the reason your back is against a tree, your terrified body surrounded by the eight members of your pack.

He’s the reason Yunho looks sick as he takes in your scent and smells remnants of another wolf.

It’s his scent on you that is about to cost you your life.

If you were a wolf, Yunho would have just cut you loose. He would have sent you on your way, let you find someone else, staged some public and humiliating breakup for you. But you’re not. You’re human; you’re less than. he doesn’t need to let you live.

You’re screaming into the dark, pleading your case, begging them to believe that you don’t even know Seungmin, that it’s all a misunderstanding. The entire pack ignores you. They’ll make an example of you after they’ve torn you to pieces.

Seungmin knows there will be parts of you around campus by morning, a warning to all other wolves to keep their hands off of Yunho’s toys.

He can’t just sit by and watch you be killed because you were too dumb to understand pack boundaries. But he also can’t face down eight werewolves by himself, not on two legs.

So he shifts.

He transforms at will, assuming the form that so many fear and he takes a second to adjust. He’s big, one of the biggest of his pack, and he’s fast. As long as all four limbs are cooperating, he has a good chance at success to get you out of the trap you’re backed into.

He’s so fast Yunho’s pack doesn’t realize what’s happening.

Seungmin bolts into the circle they’ve created around you and darts straight towards you. Before you can scream or dodge his trajectory, he’s clamped his teeth around your shoulder and snatched you away into the dark.

He knows it hurts, he can taste your blood in his mouth, but his greater concern is the shouting and howling of the pack behind you. They’ll shift and give chase in a matter of seconds, but they’ll need the same time to adjust that he had needed. It will be enough time.

At least for now.

You’re screaming beneath him, clawing at his throat and trying everything to loosen his bite, but he can’t stop. If he stops they’ll catch up, and if they catch up, they’ll kill you both.

He doesn’t drop you until he’s outside his dorm, shifting back to human form just in time to catch you before you hit the sidewalk. You’re pale and bleeding, your shoulder mangled from his own teeth. He can still taste the blood on his tongue, and he feels it as it trickles over his lips.

“Seungmin?” You gasp as soon as you find yourself in his grip. “Wait, you—”

“You really are stupid, aren’t you?” He lifts you to his chest and shoulders the door open, casting a glance back to see the wolves of your old pack burst out of the tree line. “I told you this would happen.”

Seungmin hurries you up the stairs and down the hall, slamming his door shut behind you just in time to hear footsteps pounding behind you. He'll deal with it later. He'll text Jeongin, and Jeongin will deal with your pack.

He locks the door and sets you down on his bed, turning away abruptly to catch his breath. Sweat is trickling down his brow, seeping into the shirt at his back, his heart pounding a mile a minute. Behind him, he hears you tell him your name. "I don't want to know," He snaps, reaching for a first aid kit. "Don't say anything. God." He's seething, face red with rage. "You can't actually be this stupid."

"But--" You're confused. "You saved me. You got me out of there. It's over."

Stunned, Seungmin flings a hand towards the door where Yunho is doing his best to beat it down. "Does it sound fucking over? No. You're going to sit there and shut up, and once I'm done dealing with this mess you're going to leave. Transfer schools. Get lost. Just take your drama somewhere else and leave my pack out of it."

You sink into his pillows, your expression falling.

As he pushes your sleeve aside to clean the flesh his teeth have punctured, the only noise is the clamoring of your pack outside his door. Campus security will be alerted to the disturbance soon and they'll be gone without a fight, but the real trouble is coming.

"Why did you start running around on Yunho anyway?" He mutters sourly, not bothering to apologize when you hiss at the sting of his ointment.

"I'm not running around on Yunho." You refute glumly. "I broke up with him. Two months ago."

Seungmin snorts. "I don't think he agreed with you."

"Yeah, well, I didn't expect to be the one on a leash." It's a bitter, unkind comment, one that earns you a sharp glare. You flinch away from him, fully expecting to earn a slap or another bite for your disrespect, but the expression on Seungmin's face just melts into a smirk.

"Well, you know how dogs can be."

You weren't expecting that. "Why did you save me if you hate me so much?"

Seungmin begins to wrap your wound, not bothering himself with gentility. "Because you're dumb as fuck."

"Not because I'm human?"

It's your turn to surprise him. He fully expected another round of tears at his words, but you just take his prickly demeanor in stride. "I don't hate your humanity." He says, quietly this time. "I don't hate you. But you need to think about what you're doing. You got yourself involved with a volatile pack when you decided to date Yunho, and then you put my pack in danger when you decided to come crying to me. This world isn't all about you. You're messing with instinct and pride and you literally almost died over it."

You sink even deeper into the pillows. "I'll do better," You say. "I promise. I'll do better."

"You'll leave." He replies flatly. "You won't survive on campus. You have to leave."

A few minutes pass as the pack outside his door goes quiet, noise shifting into the sounds of campus security escorting them out of the building and urging them to deal with their issues during the daytime.

"Why did you come crying to me?" He asks finally. He gets up to collect a clean shirt for you to wear instead of the one that's now doused with blood.

"You called me stupid."

Seungmin rolls his eyes. "You came crying because I hurt your feelings?"

"No I came to you because you called me stupid when everyone else over there tells me nothing's wrong, it's all in my head, everything I do is fine. I came to you because I knew you'd tell me the truth, that you wouldn't do me any favors."

Well he certainly hadn't done you any favors by slamming the door in your face.

"What truth were you looking for?" He asks, tossing you the shirt.

You blush. "I wanted to know if they were going to kill me and never let me leave."

Seungmin snorts. "Figured that one out on your own, did you?"

You sit curled up on his bed while he rummages through his groceries and finds some rice and chicken to make. There’s a twitch in your posture, an obvious tug from where his bite has damaged the muscle of your shoulder.

He slides the pre-cooked rice into the microwave and turns it on, letting the low hum fill the room as his eyes find you once again. “I’m sorry about the bite,” he tells you, and he is. He hates the way your eyes fill with tears from the pain of it, hates the way your pathetic expression makes his gut twist.

You flinch, staring up at him. “No, no, I’m fine! You saved my life. I have no complaints.” Despite your rushed reassurance, you bring your legs closer to your chest and make yourself even smaller. “Look, I hear you.” You say. “I know I’ve made trouble for the packs. And I know I’ve put you in danger. If it’s important to you to just kill me, I understand.”

You’re absolutely stunned when he swats the back of your head. “You really are dumb as fuck, pabo.” He rolls his eyes again and drops himself onto the bed next to you, sitting against the wall as he watches the microwave hum away. “Why would I save your life just to kill you?”

You’re trembling next to him. “Why would you save it at all?” For a second your gaze drops to your shoulder, taking note of the enormous breadth of his teeth marks. “I’ve never seen a wolf so big.”

“Yunho is bigger.” Seungmin says simply. “I saved you because it’s my scent that marked you. They didn’t need to kill you over some stupid accident. Not when I wasn’t even trying to steal you.”

“Steal me?” Your eyes are wide.

“Wolves are territorial.” He reminds you again. “Yunho would rather kill you than lose you to me.”

The microwave beeps and he hefts himself up, going to swap one container for another. By the time he’s turned around again, you’ve gotten off the bed and found the strength in your legs again.

“Careful,” he warns, reaching for a plastic spoon. “You’ve lost a lot of blood.”

“Seungmin.” Your voice is tiny, pleading.

He turns, and then you’re flush against his chest, your mouth crushed against his. He stumbles back but you chase, kissing him so hard he feels his brain blank out for a second.

Until your hands climb the back of his neck and scrape through his hair and he lurches back, seizing your wrists.

You’re gasping, staring at him, eyes filled with tears. “I’ll be yours. I swear. I’ll be good and I’ll respect pack boundaries and I’ll do anything for you. I’ll make you feel so good, please, Seungmin. Let me be yours.”

He pushes you back, pushing you back on the bed. “God you really don’t know how not to be someone’s bitch, do you?” He pries your hands off his neck and backs away from you. “Stop chasing wolves. Go have a normal human relationship somewhere else.” He puts a plate of rice and chicken in your lap. “Eat.”

Your tears spill over. “I’m scared, Seungmin.”

“Scared isn’t a good enough reason to mate a wolf.” He snaps. The cruelty in his tone is undermined by the gentility with which he lifts your hand and presses chopsticks into your palm. “You must have learned that with Yunho.”

“He’ll kill me, Seungmin.”

“Eat your food.” He plates his own meal and sits at his desk, far away from you. “And don’t go kissing people for protection anymore.”

Your eyes duck to your plate and you sniffle pathetically. “I’m too scared to eat.”

“I’ll drive you to the airport in the morning.” He says disinterestedly. “Once you get out of here you’ll be fine. Just don’t go chasing wolves anymore.”

You put your food aside and get up to stand at the window, glancing out over the darkness of campus. “I like it here though.”

He drops his plate on the desk. “Oh my god, wolf girl, you literally cannot keep yourself out of trouble, can you?”

There’s a second as you turn to face him, a coy smile crossing your lips. “Do you like trouble, Seungmin?” You take one step and then you’ve got his chin in your palm, your other hand scruffing through his hair. “Do you want to get into trouble, puppy?”

He looks absolutely appalled as he snatches your hands away from him. “God, no wonder they were trying to kill you. Keep this up and I’ll just leave you on their doorstep.”

You utter a quiet laugh and the playful sneer melts off your face. As soon as it’s gone he realizes that it was a mask, that you had just been messing with him, but at the mention of your uncertain fate your fear is gripping quiet fingers at the base of your neck. “If you’ll let me sleep here tonight, I’ll sleep on the floor.” You say quietly. “Airport tomorrow morning, no more wolf chasing. Got it.”

He hates the defeated slump of your shoulders, the tears that slip down your face.

“You already have my scent.” He says flatly. “Sleep in the bed with me.”

So you do. You’re pressed into the wall on the other side, as far away from him as you can possibly manage. He watches you through the dark, watches your body shake with silent sobs.

You reek of fear and heartbreak, the scent overwhelming his senses until it’s pulsing in his skull.

He’ll never sleep at this rate, and he doesn’t want to think about the way his chest clenches every time he catches a glimpse of your big pitiful eyes.

“Pabo,” he whispers at your back, and sees you fall still. “You’re sniffling so damn loud I can’t sleep.”

Your entire body cringes. “I’m sorry. I’ll move to the floor.” You roll over to attempt to crawl to the foot of the bed to get around him but he catches your arm.

“Just come here,” he says, giving you a tug. “Neither of us are going to sleep if you’re over there being pathetically lonely. Come here, pabo.”

You seize the opportunity, desperate for physical touch, and you scoot closer until at least you can feel his shoulder against yours. “Thank you,” you whisper. “Yunho never let me touch him when he was trying to sleep. He’s not much of a cuddler.”

“And you are.” He guesses, feeling the way you’re leaning every ounce of your need for comfort into the two square inches of shoulder that is touching his.

“It’s a disease,” you laugh at yourself. “I just want to be held so fucking bad sometimes.”

Maybe it’s some science about the resonance in your voice or the sob that breaks through your tone or maybe a bout of temporary insanity, but the second your aching words touch his ears, Seungmin’s arms fall around your waist and tug you into him.

He hears you gasp, feels your heart beating through your back against his chest, feels your abdomen clench against his arm as you hold back sobs.

He gets it now. “You’re fine, pabo.” He mutters into your hair. “Just cry it out quickly so we can actually get some sleep.”

You immediately begin to sob, entire body decompressing with a corner of his pillow stuffed into your mouth. Months of a miserable, domineering relationship where your most sensitive emotional needs are neglected finally expressing itself on the night you nearly lost your life over nothing.

Seungmin huffs a tiny laugh against the back of your neck, allowing instinct to take over as he squeezes you closer. He sighs, almost amused. “Poor pabo,” he says, and chuckles again as you cry harder. “If only you had picked Wooyoung, I hear he’s way too physically affectionate.”

You launch a foot backwards and kick him, causing him to laugh harder.

“You’re not funny.” You mutter weakly.

“Shh, you’re supposed to be crying.” He tucks his arm firmly around your waist so neither of you will fall off the dorm twin mattress and promptly falls into comfortable sleep.

I'd love to hear what you think!

tag list : @whatdoyouwanttocallmefor @estella-novella @babyphotos0325 @softfor-svtptg @furfoxsake22 @tubelightanyaa @kayleefriedchicken @rockstarkkami @sp1derst0rrr @eastjonowhere @its-stayville-forever @allenajade-ite @naraportokala @jinniejjam @blackberryrains @feetoffthemalfoy @highandalive @scarlet789 @ramadiiiisme @thecutiepieme @lemonn015 @darlingsoulbeautifulthoughts @dreamingartist13 @ebnabi @bangtan-sonyeondamn8 @lemonn015 @thepoeticpurplepotato

[rainbowvally]

Did a mutual battle over on twitter!

Decided to make it Branch vs Poppy themed and ended up doing a bunch of little doodles for the different result screens so that's what these drawings are ~ ☆

☆ Team Branch ended up winning ☆ ☆•♡•☆•♡•☆•♡•☆•♡•☆

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I spent too much time drawing all these and editing videos to string versions of songs from trolls for this but it was all worth it cause everyone had fun. ^^ (If tumblr would allow multiple videos on a post I'd share those too but-)

Oh also, there were two little side doodles I did of some of his brothers for the last round + one after the battle since there was an art prize~ ☆•♡•☆•♡•☆•♡•☆•♡•☆

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The next half of this is gonna just be me going over what each drawing was for~

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This first one was a doodle I meant to only do for the intro post to show who was in the battle, but it obviously didn't stay at one drawing-

This was also used for the posts I made to show who was moving on each round as well.

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I thought about using an instrumental cover of True Colours for the funeral edit in each round and so this was the art I drew to use for those edits- 😭

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This was the art used for a silly edit leading into the final round which was when someone from each side finally faced off~

In the context of Branch and Poppy, they were fighting for her crown. So she either got to keep it and rub the win in his face, or he gets to be king for a day. 😭 That's the story I came up with atleast-

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Branch won so this was the art I used for his little victory edit to a cover of Can't Stop the Feeling~

I already had a cover of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun saved incase Poppy won, so her art here also got used to celebrate the 2nd place winner. ☆•♡•☆•♡•☆•♡•☆•♡•☆

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Team Branch got to avoid this art being used in an edit, but Poppy's was the accommodating piece to the last funeral. I ended up changing things up and used Sound of Silence for it. 😭

It was a lot of fun to host and see everyone making promises and stuff haha I am gonna be doing a second one so expect another art post like this with 2 other trolls~

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[aswanlake]

SMOKE & FOG

0.2 The Last Drop

pairing: jinx x reader (romantic), reader x Isha (siblings), reader x Sevika (platonic) 

synopsis: Your injury has led you to the one person you swore you could never trust again. A traitor who has never brought you any good and only harm decides to patch you up but with any good deed comes a price. The only question is will this lead to your sister or just more terror? 

word count: 4.8k

warnings: unreliable narrator (reader), morally gray actions from narrator (reader), villainous activity, murder, oppression, mistreatment, blood & gore, hurt/comfort, drugs & drug use, PTSD, canon violence, suggestive themes, angst, (arcane season 2) spoilers, cursing, fighting, mental illnesses, degrading language towards characters and about characters, indirect Maddie Nolan slander, Caitlyn Kiramman slander 

A/N ; most underlined things have a song that go with them that I highly reccommend you listen to , to get the feel/vibe of what's happening ! the same thing applies for the first chapter but I forgot to tell you . also you guys should send me requests for other things you wanna see me write about while you're waiting on a new chapter.

My legs could only carry me so far, my stomach felt like my insides were seconds away from spilling out. The blood dribbling down my arm made a path no matter where I went, it was sickening, like a retelling of my crimes even though I couldn't remember them. I could hear their cries and screams in the back of my head, but not what led up to them. Grown men’s cries of pain and sorrow wasn’t something that I was used to, I was always the one in pain, the one being kicked into the ground and abused until that got their sick fill of my defeat. I couldn’t cough up any blood, the injury wasn’t deep enough to ruin me but it still felt like it was. I was so worried about Isha but I could feel my body starting to slow, I could feel myself losing it ever so slowly, I went to the only place that I could find. The Last Drop.

This used to be a place of solace and safety, one ran by Vander, the symbol of peace in this lowly town, no matter what he would always be able to cheer you up and now it was overrun by Silco’s old men however one of them was my saving grace. “Sevika!” A tortured cry escaped my throat along with her name. She had to be here, I couldn't hold myself up any longer so she said had to be here. “SEVIKA!” My voice cracked, every octave I never thought possible, my body fell from the wall, the only strength I had was to hold my injury from bleeding anymore.

A gold and brown boot fell into my vision but I couldn’t even lift my head up for a simple greeting, instead I fell flat on my face, I felt warm– is this what dying truly is? It’s so lifeless, my life didn’t flash before my eyes, I didn’t regret every decision I’ve ever made or see some bright light, I was wondering who was gonna take care of Isha while I was gone. Who was gonna make sure you ate every night and made sure she got home in one piece, who was gonna keep her away from Smeech while I couldn't, who was going to replace me because I was too weak to stay alive and help. 

My eyes opened drearily, the first thing gracing my vision was an unpeeled orange. Oranges are actually my favorite fruit, one of the only good things that people stole from topsiders besides equipment was fresh fruit. Everything in the underground was just a remake of something from topsiders, food that was already on someone else’s plate, clothes that were already on someone else’s back but fresh fruit was the one thing we had and it was delicious. Sure it wasn’t as great as sugary treats or drinks that I was sure all the topsider brats got to have on a daily basis but it meant something.

My hands immediately reached for it, splitting it open down the middle and taking a piece off of the side before letting it into my mouth. This could have been poisoned but I would have died a happy person, because who gives a shit? Within a moment of tasting the sweetness of the fruit, reality hit me like a train– I was bleeding out in the middle of the Last Drop and now I’m.. where the hell am I? This wasn’t the Last Drop, or the back rooms where Vi, Powder and little man used to be, I envied them, every kid in Zaun did. Those little shits got away with murder and Vander always protected them, he was a savior, everyone loved him. All I could do was sigh at the memory of Vander and the others whenever we were younger, Powder reminded me so much of my little Isha, even though she was just a baby, an infant, they were so similar. Not anymore. 

Powder was long gone, so was Vi and Mylo and Claggor and Little Man, every single one of them was gone. Even though “powder” was still in Zaun, she wasn’t truly the same. This wasn’t my concern, I needed to figure out where the hell I was. The air felt thin, a weird greenish color and it was near toxic. Inhaling it felt like I was swallowing sandpaper, my throat was closing up and every cough I hacked out was painful, my eyes were barely able to see through the clearing and I was met with the sight of enforcers, through the clearing all I could see were enforcers. A whole group of them, however one I could recognize without even thinking about it. Caitlyn Kiramman.

A gun raised as she explored the foreign territory and her lackeys followed in suit, they were actually terrifying, all of them, gas masks covering their guilty faces, the swoosh of hair just barely escaping their helmets. A shield plate covering their chest from any harm and yet everyone else down here was stuck with no armor, no masks, no weapons but they were raiding a place that looked similar to an arcade– a child’s place. How worse could they get?  How worse would they be if they catch me? I caught a glimpse, a small glimmer of blue hair, a braid running from the shadow but it escaped my vision long before I could actually see it. I couldn’t worry about this, whether or not that's who I assumed it was, I needed to get out of there immediately. My stomach was still in knots of pain but I still ran, I couldn’t be in there. The last thing I heard was a singular shot let off but my body went in the opposite direction. 

Half an hour later I was stuck with half an orange, two full vials of shimmer and no sister in sight. I was too close to our house to keep the shimmer on me, it wasn’t like my job was a secret to Isha but I didn’t want her to see me like this. I didn’t even know if the shimmer was still in my system, two whole vials of it had gone down the drain or rather injected itself into my skin and I couldn’t even feel it or remember what happened but I knew it was there, I could feel the buzzing under my fingertips. It was a dormant sensation waiting to be reawakened with every step I took but I couldn’t allow it to over take me. “Isha! Isha, I’m home!” I shouldered off my jacket, a hand rubbing over the bandage around my mid area in the cracked mirror. Weak Freak. Blighter. Bitch.

I held my head in my hands, the headache brewing over the cynical thoughts running through my mind, I saw him, the debt collector I killed. I saw him in my mind and behind me in the mirror but whipping around only led to air and the agitation of my headache even more. It was starting to turn more into a migraine, even the lights would irritate me, I couldn’t open my eyes without the lights burning them and my head screamed at me. “Your fault! It’s your fault that I’m dead! You know that right, blighter?” “Shut up!” As the silence finally fell, I remembered my reality, no one was in the house but me, not Isha, or the debt collector or enforcers. Just me. “God fucking damn it, I’m losing my shit.” 

I didn’t remember passing out, I didn’t even remember making it to the scratched up couch that we owned and yet that’s what I woke up on and to my surprise my sister was in the very same room as me, crouched on the floor with scuffs on her face and hands. Rushing over, I stooped down to her level, brushing the caked up dirt out of her hair and dust off of her face. She looked like she had taken a tumble beyond comparison but she was smiling and giggling like an idiot. Her hat was covered in small drawings all over it, pink, blue, yellow and purple streaks of colors splayed all over it, what the hell? “What happened to you? Where have you been?” She completely ignored my question, glazed over eyes as she asked about my whereabouts– signing it, I had to see her dusty and fragile hands ask about where I had been and why I was injured, I couldn’t admit to my sister that I was selling again and I definitely couldn’t say that I had probably killed six people. “Smeech, I pissed him off and we both know that doesn’t end well but I’m fine. It’s a small injury, it doesn’t hurt as bad as it looks.” She frowned, not believing any of my bullshit by a long shot but I tried. I took the hat off of her head, examining it closer, wiping off the small bits of dust that remained.

She shook her head at me, complained that it was purely nothing, it was hilarious how much sass a little girl could have with her hands and facial expressions alone, honestly impressive. I didn’t want to leave her side anymore, I couldn’t after the scare today. I was afraid to even go back and sell, Smeech would want revenge for the debt collectors I may or may not have killed, I still couldn’t recall correctly if that was me. Fuck. I let out a hiss at the memory of me ditching the vials right outside the house, some random mainliner was gonna grab them, that wasn’t the concern to me but if they overdosed on my shimmer then Smeech would know and all hell would rain down like hail as he slowly started fitting the pieces together. An image of Isha being dragged away from me, kicking and screaming, fighting like all hell because she was my sister but still losing, I couldn’t take the sight, my head was hurting, basically killing me, there was no way I could let that happen.

I returned the hat to her head, squishing it down enough to cover her eyes as a joke waiting as she pushed it back up with an unagitated glare. “We don’t have any food for tonight, so I’m gonna go get some, alright? I just need to make a little bit more money and there will be enough for both of us..” I sucked in a breath as I looked at her. “If I can’t make enough for two then you can get whatever you want, alright? I’ll be right back, shouldn’t be wrong.” Her small frame ran towards my leg, launching herself onto me and not letting go even whenever I tried to shake her off like a bug. “Isha! Isha! Come on, you gotta let me go! I gotta go!” I would never yell at her, more groans of annoyance at a normal tone, one of her hands released its grasp to sign to me once again. “Promise me you’ll come back. Promise.” Gods, this little girl, she was gonna be the death of me.

“I’ll do you one better, I swear. I swear to every deity in this realm that I will make it back home to you, Isha. I don’t care what happens as soon as I leave this house, I will make it back to you.” I wiped the small tear from her face and planted a kiss on her forehead (a little hard with that helmet of hers but I wasn’t gonna tell her to remove it) , rubbing her cheeks and she finally released her grip and with that I made my way back out into the city– and I will keep my goddamn promise. 

Never in my life did I ever think that I would be going toe to toe with a mainliner for some shimmer that I didn’t even want and yet here I was, getting the shit beat out of me by some random hash-head with a bone to pick because I saw the shimmer the same time that he did. Goddamn it! Why did I even leave the house? The shimmer was a lot further than I remembered and now I was reeling the consequences of my actions, with a kick towards the man’s torso, I felt stronger than I usually do but the feeling was shortly replaced as he flew away from my body and his sudden missing force sent me backwards directly onto the ground. Man, I am just having a shit day today. Dusting myself off, I made it back to my feet, scoffing as I took a look around at the scene before me, I did all this for one vial. What's gonna happen when I find the second one? If I even find it. 

“Hey! Are you ok over there?” God fucking damnit. Hiding the shimmer behind my back I turned towards the voice, another group of enforcers however one of them was injured, I had only been outside for an hour and a half maybe two, I lost track of time but still that wasn’t enough time for a group of enforcers to get jumped unless there was something else going on in town that I wasn’t aware of. A ginger haired girl poked her head out from the light in the alleyway towards me, my eyes looked bloodshot because I couldn’t recall the last time I had slept or had water or a full meal. Hiding my face with a glare towards the ground, I tried to sneak glances at them, a weird blue looking guy was holding up a bulkier man, there was no way I was gonna win a fight if he was gonna be my opponent, it didn’t matter how much shimmer I had in my body, he could body slam me no problem– it also didn’t help me that I didn’t really know how to fight, I just swung my hands and eventually they would hit something or someone. “Hey, sweetheart, are you ok?” Why did she have to call my sweetheart? It was so much more..demeaning, degrading me in such a way, like she was taunting me. The lick of her accent only dealing more pain to the wound, Piltover, every single one of them assumed the worst of anyone down here and the fact that she was an enforcer? God I would never live it down if she found me with shimmer, hell she might even kill me on the spot, so my only option? “Fine. That.. crackhead tried to steal my money. He succeeded, I’m pretty much out.” I lifted my face, so that she could see me, injuries from my other fight still visible, her face reacted but not her words however the two behind her seemed impatient, whispering about her needing to hurry up. She rummaged through her jacket pocket and dropped some coins in my hand, plenty for me and Isha, god they were so easy. With a wave she ran back to her little group, a scowl on the man’s face as he looked at me, at that point hiding the shimmer didn’t do me any good and they were leaving and injured as well, were they really gonna stop for me? 

That ginger haired enforcer gave me plenty enough for me and Isha, maybe even a little bit more however I still needed to get rid of this shimmer– I needed to at least prove to Smeech that I did sell my products and didn’t just lose it (which is exactly what I did). I owed him nothing, absolutely nothing and yet here I was still trying to pay off my dwindling debt..a debt that was definitely going to have some “added fees” as soon as he figured out that it was me. My eyes glazed over the sky, a blanket of dimming sky had fallen over, then again I could barely see anything due to the glaze of the smoke, it felt like the smoke from earlier however it wasn't as thick so it was just barely breathable. My hand flew over my mouth, a small attempt to filter the trashed air, as soon as I made it through the smoke I could see Piltover in my wake, one day Isha would be up there, she wouldn’t be stuck down here with anyone else, she would be trusted and respected and no one would where she came from because I’d erase any existence of her being in Zaun, for her own safety, for her future. 

My thoughts were shattered, not because of the shimmer this time, but because the ground began to shake, the gas in the alleyway being dragged outwards towards god knows what. I thought it was a monster or a vacuum until Piltover was painted pink, blue, purple and green, the colored smoke staining buildings which I could see even from where I was. Children started giggling, running around and celebrating the defaming of Piltover’s “perfect” picture. I couldn’t stop the smile that was shown on my lips– gaze trapped on the smoke until it dissipated. “Jinx! Mommy she’s back, it’s Jinx!”  Jinx? Two run ins in one day would be crazy, right? I ran into the enforcers that she murdered earlier today and now I’m watching her plans play out in front of me. I've only seen her a few times in my entire life but she was enrapturing every single time, her mind was near genius, something that no one ever appreciated or acknowledged but I saw it, I noticed it, granted that meant nothing to her since we had never met but still. She’s actually the one who got me into creating my own trinkets. Isha took a liking to it as well, perhaps I should start to tweak them a bit more. Focus. If Jinx was up to no good then I was pretty much screwed– Isha. I left her at home and promised that I would be back, no I didn’t promise, I swore that was more important than any promises I could ever make. I sprinted back home but I’m not sure why I even got my hopes up. She was gone, she didn’t leave anything behind, damnit maybe I should have made her swear that she was gonna stay here, not that I was gonna come back. 

My unfortunate first thought was to check wherever Jinx was, thanks to that colorful display she couldn’t have been that far. I didn’t really know where her “hideout” was, I just knew where Silco used to do business since it was pretty hard to hide such a renovated building and it’s been abandoned ever since his death a few months ago.. To be honest Silco gave me more hope than Vander ever did but once he fell down the wrong rabbit-hole and created shimmer, I lost confidence in every new “symbol of peace” that popped up every few months, except Jinx.

Something about her was.. interesting, it was like she never wanted to be a symbol but everyone kept treating her like one, some may say it was just her being humble but I know better. It was being stuck with a responsibility you never asked for and every single person who was supposed to lead you and show you how it works is gone and now you’re forced to figure things out on your own and everyone is depending on you. It’s how I felt when our parents died, the responsibility to take care of Isha was killing me inside. I never even wanted another sibling, I just wanted to be an only child, we were struggling enough as it is and dad was always sneaking out. When he returned he reeked of Piltover, of their lavish perfumes, exotic smells and fancy food, we both knew that what he was doing wasn’t good but he was all that we had so we couldn’t just let him go because of some.. Piltover woman who stole his heart from my mother.

I couldn’t find it in my heart to call him the traitor that he was, not even mom did it, if anything she looked worried for him every time he got back from Piltover, stealing him away with hushed whispers. I could never really hear what they were talking about, I just assumed that they didn’t want to fight in front of me but I was a big girl, I could handle it, I didn’t need them to treat me like a scared child. 

Now here that scared child was again, clutching my shirt away from my skin like it would save me from whatever horrors were inside of this building, I expected dead bodies in the corners, people’s heads on the gate as a warning or a beware, instead it looked like a normal building but with a lot of lights on the outside. I shoved the front door open, it seemed locked but this place was clearly abandoned so it's not like there were any guests hiding inside– besides the ghosts that is.

It was freezing in there and the temperature only felt like it was dropping the further I moved, the slow movement led me to an office room, an uncomfortably dusty chair was hidden away by the even worse looking desk. It was very uncanny, I could play out Silco turning around in his chair in front of me despite the fact that I have never met the man face to face. “Well, don't you clean up nicely?” The rasp from her voice made me jump, my head swinging in every direction to find out where it came from, she sounded like she was behind me, and beside me all at once– turns out she was just beside me. 

“Sevika– mara, you could at least announce yourself?” There was a brand new arm that adorned her, gold in color but drawings all over it in those same, now traumatizing colors, and a slot machine to go with it, wasn’t she an addict? “What are you doing down here, blighter?” I hated that term and she knew it, it was definitely just to get under my skin but it worked every single time. “Looking for my sister.” She shouldered a laugh. “I was wondering where your other half was. My personal favorite out of the two, she doesn’t complain as much.” I rolled my eyes, she was mute, she didn’t verbally complain about anything but I guess just shutting up is what gets you favored by Sevika. “We found her aright, Jinx caught her trying to get away from some of that rat’s ol’ debt collectors. That your doing?” I mentally cursed however my body showed my disdain from the way I deflated. “I… I didn’t mean to. Damn it, it wasn’t my fault. A group of enforcers came out of nowhere and jumped the shit out of me and some other sellers. It’s how I got this–” I lifted my loose shirt to show her the wrapped up injury,  she grimaced and looked away from it as if she wasn’t interested in it but hadn’t she already seen it before? Why was she acting like this? “Wait, weren’t you the one who bandaged me up? You’ve already seen it, why are you asking me what happened?” Her head turned back to me and her eyebrow raised as she stood up and walked towards me. I’m not a pussy but I know a fight that I can and cannot win and she is someone I can’t fight and win. “No. I haven’t seen you since last year.” “Then.. I went to the Last Drop, looking for you. Who helped me if it wasn’t you? I saw your shoes..” Sevika groaned loudly and took off, I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to follow behind her but I did. 

It looked like an abandoned air ventilation system, however it was decorated with the same drawings that I saw on Isha’s hat when she came home and the one’s on Sevika’s arm– Jinx? Isha noticed me before I noticed her, running immediately over to me and hugging onto my leg, tears filled my eyes as I looked at her. I didn’t think she was dead but my hopes of her being alive and well weren’t very high at the moment. I clutched onto Isha’s side, tears filling my eyes, I had almost her twice in one day and it was enough to give me a heart attack– it didn’t help that both times I thought I lost her ended with Zaun’s symbol of “peace” and psychopath who was also the most alluring woman I have ever met in my entire life.

God damn it Jinx.  She scowled at me, an eyebrow raised at my presence, that seemed to be happening more often than I would have liked it to. “Enforcers, they jumped the shit out of me and almost killed me. I would have never left her alone if it wasn’t for those bastards.” Isha’s inaudible giggle was below me as she signed the word for “shit” and I lightly slapped her hand away, kids are so bad. Jinx’s eyes didn’t seem to waver, forever staring into my soul as if she was gonna rip my throat out with her teeth for even touching Isha– like she wasn’t my sister. “Looks like you didn’t do a very good job.”

 Her gaze went towards my stomach and I wanted a hole in the floor to open and swallow me up, her surveying my body was so intimidating and intimate that it began to breach the lines of uncomfortable. “I killed those enforcers ok? I killed them and the stupid debt collectors in that goddamn alleyway. There are six people dead and it’s all my fault so can I get a little grace here?” I almost yelled at her, who was she to tell  me that I was a bad sibling? A bad protector? “You left her!” She seemed to stalk closer to me with her every word. “At home! She was never supposed to be on the streets in the first place but if she didn’t leave the house like I told her not to then we wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place!” My words were directed towards Isha but my anger was shot directly at Jinx, so much she almost choked on her words. “But you still left me!” “I didn’t mean to! I went to hell and back to get back home to her!” I was so entranced by my own fit of rage that I didn’t even notice her change of words. She wasn’t talking about Isha, she was talking about herself, but I had never left or even met Jinx personally besides this one point. She had just been a whisper in the crowd, a terrifying sight that Silco had created that he guarded as if she was actually his own daughter. It was sickening to hear but it was none of my business. We both just sat there, heaving chests and ignoring the tears that were threatening to slide down our cheeks, the only reason I looked away from her was because Isha tapped my thigh. “We were fighting the enforcers, the one with the blue hair almost shot us!”  Us? Us Us?! My eyes flicked up towards Jinx, invading her personal space without a care in the world, pushing her back up against some makeshift desk, she could have stopped me if she wanted to but didn’t. 

“You let Isha get close to Caitlyn Kiramman? You almost let her get shot by Caitlyn Kiramman?! She’s a fucking child! Do you have any restraint at all or are you just that evil that you can’t even help yourself but enjoy chaos? And why the fuck did Caitlyn Kiramman almost shoot you?” At my last question I spun towards Isha, I didn’t actually know anything about what was going on, I just knew that she almost shot my sister and that was enough to go off on anyone around. “The kid was protecting Jinx. Jumped on top of her and wouldn’t let go of all hell, Caitlyn and Vi were trying to kill her– your sister didn’t want to let that happen.” Oh. Well now I felt like a fucking idiot, Jinx was going through hell and I just blamed her for everything without even asking, however she could have clarified or at least said something while I was standing in front of her– why hadn’t she moved? I turned my head back to her to apologize but she bombarded me with a hug so fast I almost fell over, those tears from earlier finally over took her, wetting the top of my already ruined shirt. I didn’t know how to respond, I just awkwardly wrapped my arms around her as she snuggled into my neck. “You came back to me.” 

taglist: @livinginabasement @llycrow @katethejinxwife @hank-girl @ayedomino0 @jiunxo @vivispace @maksysti @jinxslapdog

[possesseddesiress]

Rivals Inside

CONTENT WARNING: This story includes themes of transformation and body control with a suggestive approach. If this type of narrative is not to your liking or you do not meet the recommended age, we suggest you do not continue.

All images used (if any) belong to their respective owners. I claim no authorship over them and they are only used for illustrative purposes.

If you decide to go ahead, welcome to Possessed Desires, where mind and body are never completely under your control.

Rivals inside (English Version)

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

My name is Max. I consider myself a born sportsman, I have always excelled in any physical discipline such as soccer, basketball or boxing.

I consider myself someone nice and outgoing, perhaps very much out of the stereotype of the cocky sportsman. I always treat everyone well without distinction, unless it's Samuel...

Samuel is a classmate of mine, the "fashionista" kid on campus. We used to be best friends, and for a long time we were... At least until high school when he thought I was too "uncool" for his style vibe and needed more friends to match.

It certainly tore me apart. But from that moment on, a feud between the two of us arose, in whatever discipline we both competed in, we always had only one goal: to beat the other. No matter the others, the only important thing was to make Samuel bite the dust. It was fun for a while, until I remembered how much I missed their friendship...

Today there would be a concert, besides being one of the best jocks at my university, I also loved electronic music. I saved every penny to buy a ticket, and it would finally be today.

I had chosen to wear a crop top with tight red pants and dark glasses, I liked the way my arms looked.

This morning would have been great, no doubt, if Samuel hadn't ruined it. There he was in a "fashionable" cowboy outfit, strutting his stuff. Why was he here? He didn't even like electronic music! I tried not to pay attention to him, until he noticed me.

— Wow, brainless gorillas listen to music too?

— What do you want, Samuel?

— Nothing, it's just fun for me to see your annoyed face.

He said with an air of simple malice. I rolled my eyes, clenching my fists. I really missed my friend, before he turned into... this.

— See you later, Samuel. Enjoy the concert.

I mumbled through my teeth to walk away. The rest of the festival was fine, it was just getting started but at least I didn't run into Samuel all day. Just a couple of guys acting weird... looking at their bodies like for the first time, but nothing more than that.

As night fell, it was just great, the stages lit up, the music was booming, I felt great dancing to the beat and just feeling the vibe. Until I started to feel some strange dizziness.... I tried not to make a big deal of it, but then I felt a strong pang in my head.

Everything around me seemed to fade slowly, into a deep black, voices and music were heard far away until they were lost.

I was about to panic as I noticed the black and the total silence, until all at once, it was as if I was thrown suddenly against the light.

Inhaling with all my might, I looked around, confused and almost trembling.

— Jesus, Sam, are you okay?

A girl with blonde hair and pigtails asked me scared. I knew who she was, her name was Astrid, one of Sam's best friends, I looked at her confused.

— Sam?

I mumbled. It was then that I noticed my voice, it was no longer my deep voice, it was a sweeter tone. I looked down, finding a very different complexion from mine, I had muscles, only very slender, aesthetically, not strength; my clothes were different, now I was wearing a black suit, sleeveless and with a shoulder strap, I felt something tied to my arm and a hat on my head... Just like Samuel was.

My heart was beating fast.

— Yes, Sam. You, are you feeling all right?

— Y-yeah. Everything's fine, nothing's wrong.

— Okay, weird... I'm gonna get some drinks, do you want anything?

— No, I'm fine, thanks...

She just gave me a strange look to turn around and disappear into the crowd. I started to explore my new body over my clothes, feeling my new pecs, my arms... Gosh, was that my new scent?

Don't get me wrong, Samuel has an attractive body, but it wasn't my body. So I felt unfamiliar on it.

Our heights were different, weights, builds, even skin tone. Everything was different, I felt small. It was like relearning how to walk.

I was about to explore my new body, but I thought it would be too strange to start touching myself in front of everyone, so I decided to go to a port-a-potty for that.

I stared at my new reflection for quite a while, still dumbfounded. I felt his cheekbones, the texture of his skin, it was so soft... I guess because of all the dermatological products he used, his blond locks falling on my forehead...

Gosh. I must admit his body is cute, I like how the clothes look on the new me. I flexed my arms, popping the decent bicep I now had. I lifted my armpit a little, sniffing myself.

Samuel's scent was very different from mine, it smelled more like his cologne than his stench, I didn't dislike it, it just... it's different from how strong my scent was.

I smiled slightly. Samuel might be the guy I hated most on the face of the earth, but I could enjoy this. I pulled out my phone, snapping a picture with a goofy face.

Then I came out of the bathroom to start moving through the crowd, this wouldn't ruin my enjoyment of the concert either.

I started dancing again, just listening to the music and feeling the rhythm coursing through my veins. Although I felt small, I was definitely starting to notice that being in Sam's body was starting to attract the attention of certain people... or to specify it better: men.

Some guys started to approach me and try to flirt with me, I liked the feeling of attention I was getting in this body.

In my old self, I also received flirtations, but sometimes I was always expected to make the first step, here instead... I felt... like some kind of item in a shop window, seeing how everyone wanted to have me.

I casually flexed my arms, still dancing. I started to think it would be a good time to go back with Astrid, I was sure she would be worried, when I saw him:

A guy was dancing in the center of the dance floor, flexing his muscles, puffing out his biceps and thrusting out his broad chest, occasionally sticking out his tongue in a goofy expression and smiling. I swore I saw him let out a little saliva as he flexed and sniffed his armpits to lick them. Fuck, that was my body!

I advanced furiously through the crowd, he had at least fifteen boys gathered around him, in a circle, looking at him like fools. I immediately pushed him from the chest, which scared him at first, but as soon as he saw me, he smiled egocentrically.

— Hey, Sam, how are you?

he mumbled superiorly. Damn... I even had to look up to meet his gaze.

— What the fuck do you think you're doing, Sam?

— Nah, don't get confused, bro. I'm Max, you're Sam – all this chaos eventually dissipated the audience my old body was having, so it was just the two of us. Sam folded his arms, puffing them up and puffing out his chest more – And I'm just enjoying myself, you know.... Enjoying being a brainless stinkin' jock.

He flexed his arms again, grinning. He grimaced goofily, rolled his eyes and dropped a little spit before letting out a mocking laugh.

— Stop acting like that, it's my body! – I growled in annoyance. It must have been totally ridiculous to see Sam's body act like that.

— And all the more reason I'm going to act like that.

I pushed him again, although it was like hitting a concrete wall.

— What's wrong with you?!

— Nothing! But look at these muscles! – He flexed hard again, though after that, he stuck one of his fingers into his armpit to fill it with sweat and run it over my nose – That's what dumb jocks like me smell like, isn't it?

He scoffed. Which made me more and more irritated.

— If you dare to do anything again, I'll...

— You what? – he muttered dryly – What are you going to do? Are you going to hit me? Are you going to give me a skin care treatment? Don't make me laugh, Sam.

He had me pinned up against the wall, as much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I didn't have my muscles anymore, now I was just a pretty face...

— Fuck you... – I muttered.

— No, fuck you – he replied back, he closed the distance. He looked imposing, annoyed... I thought he was about to throw a punch at me, but what he did was kiss me. I opened my eyes with astonishment and a certain part of fear, I only felt how my old lips crossed again and again with the new ones, I hesitated.

But finally I closed my eyes to reciprocate his kiss, sticking to him gently.

— You don't know how long I wanted to do that... – my old body murmured to kiss me again.

Damn, what the hell is going on?

To be continued.

---

I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you liked it, don't forget to follow it and share it so more people can discover it.

I'm always open to suggestions and ideas, so if you have any fantasy or scenario in mind, let me know in the comments or in messages.

This will be my new account, I hope you like the stories that are coming soon. See you in the next story... Who knows what body you will occupy this time?

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[chanceofwhat]

Ok, but does anyone else think this prophecy silhouette super doesn’t look like Susie??

I’m thinking maybe the second lightner in the prophecy, the monster that’s supposed to fight alongside Kris and Ralsei… was originally meant to be Noelle. Hear me out:

- This silhouette. It doesn’t have antlers, but it looks like a cloaked, hooded figure. It also does not have a snout. Idk what’s going on on the right there, but on the left she’s holding a sword. Susie uses an axe. I don’t know that Noelle uses swords, but I know Kris does, and I know that Kris has gotten several of those swords via Noelle giving them pencils. The swords are all pencils. Noelle always has pencils. That’s mentioned several times.

- The girl with hope crossed on her heart? I mean, Susie does have that hope, but it’s way pushed down. Meanwhile, Noelle is vocally and obviously hopeful in an optimistic sense.

- They’re gonna find love with each other so that part makes sense either way

- Ralsei mentioned that Susie was supposed to wear the ribbons? Susie wouldn’t wear ribbons. It’s not like her. You know who would? Noelle.

- Kris keeps fixating on Noelle. Noelle is the one who can change the routes. Noelle follows you dutifully when she’s there and is more under your control, acting like a video game character should, then following Susie in your absence (at her house). She fits the scheme very naturally.

- Susie more often takes choices away from you. She clearly demonstrated her autonomy in Chapter 3 by switching the controllers around and acting like a whole other player in the game.

- We’re pretty sure the knight is Dess and/or Carol and Carol is involved somehow. Wouldn’t it be natural and poetic for Noelle to be involved in defeating the knight? Saving or having a final battle with her sister? In a trio of her, her childhood close friend, and a darkner who looks very much like that friend’s brother? Susie is an outsider here.

- Right after / around seeing all of this prophecy stuff about her, Susie gives us a speech about how she’s never picked for anything and how good it feels to be chosen for once. To feel important. To matter. It’s given her the confidence to be herself finally, she’s feeling good about herself because of this. Why give us that speech? Why put that much emphasis on being chosen, as opposed to just getting to be a hero? To make it hurt more when it’s ripped away.

And it’s gonna hurt. It’s gonna hurt a lot. I’m gonna cry. But I think her friends are going to boost her up enough by then that she’ll be able to handle it. She’ll be confident enough to decide to be a hero even if it’s not written anywhere.

I think Gerson’s right, the moral is going to be fuck the prophecy, we decide our own fates. I think they’re going to save the world without all dying or destroying the dark world or whatever the prophecy says is gonna happen. I don’t think Noelle even wanted to be a hero in the first place. I think there’s going to be something big about decisions and freedom to choose on our end (the whole theme of “your choices don’t matter” will be torn apart in some way) and whoever’s holding Kris down with the “you promised” situation (probably Carol, yes?) will get what’s coming to them.

No, I don’t think the prophecy is about Susie. I think she’s going to be our hero anyways, and I think that makes it matter more.

[the-fandom-is-now-my-life]

Let's go enjoy the sun and 55!

Hopefully I'm doing this correctly eksoqheb-

Let's go enjoy the sun!

Haru might have convinced you to help out for their fundraiser so let's see who are the three people who come to spend the evening in Jabberwock

Wc: ~1,8k

“Is everything ready?” Haru asks from the door of Jabberwock while he carries out a very homemade stand under his arm before setting it down. It's the equivalent to a child's lemonade stand but rather it read ‘jabberwock fundraiser’ in big black letters

“Are you honestly doing this?”

“We are really in need of money, ren!” He pouts before saying something to Towa who was humming in agreement.

“Why are you even here? You aren't even part of Jabberwock” Ren looks up from his raid to side eye you.

“Haru looked pretty depressed while he vented so I decided to help”

“Are you stupid or spineless?” a sigh leaves his lips and he doesn't wait for an answer before focusing again on his phone.

“Stop bothering them, Ren! At least I heard what you said so now you only have to wait on visitors and charge them”

“And you forced me to not take shifts to do what I do for my job?” 

Ignoring him Haru pulls a marker and writes down the prices.

500 yen for 30 minute foraging group tour with Towa

800 yen for 30 minute capybus ride with Haru

But when you reach your price for essentially frolicking around the hills and sunbathing your breath scapes your lungs

“So expensive”

“Don't undersell yourself!” Haru chimes and towa hums “I'm sure you will get us more earnings than you think!”

“That is like 2500 diamonds in Shock of clans” Ren comments, and it makes you remember when he spent 30 minutes thinking if buying diamonds was smart. Next he throws a sly smirk  “seems like someone else can take care of the cashier for me”

“Then you can go feed the salamanders! Such good thinking Ren!” Haru chimes.

“Forget it, I just remembered they weren't good at math"

“Hello, senpai” Sho smiles as he hands the money to Ren, who was still bitching about now having to pay proper attention to his job and not the game.

“oh? I didn't expect you to come by, Sho!” quickly you walk around the stand and hug him. Seeing he paid, you link both of your arms and start leading where Haru told you was your ‘station’.  

“and leave you with whatever pervert might come? After you helped around the truck some weirdos came asking when you would be there again” 

“Mhm, so you decided to be the weirdo?” You two walk down a path between some overgrown red cap mushrooms that were as tall as trees, this would be such a good place to record an Alice in wonderland movie.

“Here I come trying to save you from perverts and this is how I get treated?” Sho feigns being hurt, his hand slapping his chest “so what were you supposed to do?”

You throw yourself on the red blanket laying down on the floor before smiling knowing he would crack up “ I'm hosting a flower themed tea party” and your hand signals to the glass teapot with lotus designs and the matching lotus shaped teacups that hotarubi lent “and if you want I can make you a flower crown” without missing a beat he laughs “to be fair, I thought I would lead a tour or play cashier” 

“And they ended up having you serve tea?” You nod “and you didn't complain?” you nod again “well, are you going to pour me or what?” He sits down next to you, soon drinking the jasmine tea.

For the hour that he booked you two mostly chatted about how he was doing, how he was getting closer to Subaru, and how his food truck was going. It was so nice to be able to chat with Sho without Leo interrupting or him dividing his attention between cooking and receiving clients but every few minutes his phone would start buzzing making him frown until he checks who is sending the texts.

“Oi, smile” Sho raises the telephone and takes a photo of you making him a flower crown with some dandelions and wild flowers.

“keeping a photo for the memory? I would have fixed my hair if you were gonna to photograph me” 

“Leo is texting me nonstop, maybe this will stop him a bit” he puts down the phone and grabs one of the cookies that were on the plate, they are the typical chocolate chip cookies from the kiosk but that are a worthy accompaniment.

Not even a few minutes later Leo uploads a post on wickchat and Sho gets a notification, from his scowl you can guess he isn't happy. In his screen there is a story with a snarky comment mocking his friend and soon the comments flooded with people sympathizing with him.

damn, my friend bailed out of a hang out to go out with his crush who doesn't even like him

“That asshole” the comment and the cluck of his tongue slip without thinking, soon getting your attention from the almost finished craft.

“Is it that bad?” Curious, you take your own phone from your cardigan but before even being able to type Leo's user in the search bar Sho throws himself at you, arm quickly swatting away the phone. Effectively ensuring you didn't see the post but making him lose balance and fall over just in time for Ritsu and Ren walking in.

“Hey, YN, can you watch the stand for a sec? He wants to go on a tour and I can't find To-” his eyes widen when he sees the scene “what the…”

“If you  desire to file for sexual harassment I would be honored to be your lawyer in the proceedings”

“Wait a minute this isn't what it looks like!” 

“He just lost balance, there is no need to jump to conclusions”

“No need to feel ashamed, there are two visual witnesses to attest, I'm sure Darkwick will respond”

Soon enough, either because of embarrassment, Ren looking at him with thinly veiled disgust or Ritsu pushing you to file a restraining order, Sho leaves soon after entering jabberwock.

“Tsk, why would you bring me here?” Jin scratches the back of his head, icy blue eyes almost closed due to the sunlight he isn't used to.

“Hermits can be prone to vitamin D deficiency, and I saw this as the perfect opportunity for you to take some sun”

“Go to hell and die, asshole” Jin barks at him between clenched teeth but Thoma doesn't bother with him and goes to the stand.

“Morning, Thoma!” You wave as he gets closer

“inspector? I wasn't expecting to see you here”

“Yeah, Ren left me here while he led a first year to Towa’s tour” your hand points to the wooden slate with the three options and prices.

“Oh? I didn't hear that there were different tours” Thoma grabs his chin, looking over the proposals curiously. Behind him Jin is kicking dirt and cursing under his breath, if he could teleport with his sword why is he here still?

“Yep! Towa just left with the foraging party so he shouldn't return for a good few minutes, but Haru should be back soon”

“Hmm… I do see your name here, do you host a tour of your own?”

“It isn't quite like that” you laugh a bit “we decided that I shouldn't be alone with the anomalies just in case anything goes wrong. I just have a sort of tea party” 

“That does seem more like Jin's thing out of these options” Thoma mumbles lightly

“Oh, right now I'm taking care of the stand so I can't really entertain people” out of nowhere Ren’s hand lands on your shoulder, prompting you to give him his seat, last time you refused to he pulled his floatie around your torso so you couldn't move. He had a smile from ear to ear, sadistic brat.

“did you decide what you want to do?” Ren uses his customer service voice, barely different from his normal voice, just somehow more lifeless. If that was possible.

“we both will go with YN” Thoma pulls his wallet and pays. Ren hums while counting the money.

 Jin scoffs seated on the checkered blanket, a smirk on his lips “so you are going to be waiting on me again, servant”

You roll your eyes at his comment, even if this time you were technically serving him “yeah, yeah, it was indeed on the description” a soft smirk forms between your lips seeing a way to tease him. you turn around to face the teapot you ask “jasmine or black tea?” your hands fiddle with the lid, acting as if you were going to open it and put leaves in.

“Fine then, I want black tea”

“Wrong, it's jasmine” as you turn around to serve it and see his annoyed face and Thoma's amused one “this teapot never runs out of warm tea but it's always Jasmine” silently he complains but still drinks the tea, getting slightly more annoyed from the fact it tastes good, soft flowery flavor that leaves a nice sweetness on the tongue.

“Isn't that quite the useful anomaly?” Thoma muses, watching how slowly the liquid inside swirls from side to side and starts going up, filling itself again.

“I thought the same, Subaru was so nice for lending it to us for a day! He said to take it as Hotarubi’s support” you can remember clearly how he offered it before assuring that he didn't mean that he expected Jabberwock to help his dorm if anything happened! And that it wasn't like he was expecting anything like that and- luckily Haku popped in before his dorm leader had a panic attack.

“Isn't that nice of them? I'm sure we could use a source of warm drinks in Frostheim” 

“Haku told me that the wait list for it can get pretty long, around two months at a time” idly your hand brushes the grass, plucking a white flower growing close to the blanket and you bend the stem to make a small ring. Seeing Jin's pale hand resting on his lap you might as well give it to him but before you lean to the right and grab Jin's hand he moves it.

“Don't even think about it” like a cat with a too cuddly owner, he swipes his hand behind his back.

“Fine, Thoma give me your hand then” you lean forward but before you can grab Thoma's hand Jin snatches it “oh~? I thought you didn't want it”

He stuffs the ring in his pocket “Tsk what you give to your king can't be taken back even if you want to so stop whining”

When the time finished they both walked back to frostheim when Thoma hums softly a song.

“Do you want to die? bastard” when he flips him off the little white flower is in the next finger to the middle finger 

“Did I do something to anger you? It's just some notes” and he keeps humming the wedding march.

[jjcre8]

✩˚｡⋆ 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐋.

Below is a list of sentence starters themed around being in the hospital. Sorted into categories of the hospital staff , the patient , & the loved ones. Feel free to change pronouns as needed. Do not add to the list , & always reblog from the source.

TW. HOSPITAL , MEDICAL EMERGENCIES , MEDICAL CRISIS , MEDICAL ENVIRONMENT.

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐅𝐅.

“ I'm going to tell you what I tell every young doctor. Hopefully you'll be the first to listen. On your day off, get as far away from this place as you can. Go someplace where you feel most like yourself. ”

" You've been at it for hours. It's slowing down, you should go get some rest. "

" This place is like a madhouse. It's like everyone decided today was they day to get injured. "

" We're gonna make sure you're as comfortable as possible. You're in good hands. "

"It's going to be okay. We have some of the best doctors and nurses in the country working here.

" We'll, probably keep you overnight. Just to be safe. "

" I think it's best that we don't jump to conclusions just yet. "

" You suffered a major accident. You're lucky to be alive. "

" In my professional opinion ... Surgery is the best option I'm afraid. "

" It's a long shot but I think it's the best chance you have at a full recovery. "

" This isn't my first 48 hour shift ... I'll be fine. Promise. "

" Right now, we need to be talking about what to do, if they don't make it. "

" The surgery was a success! You can be happy to know you'll be back on your feet in no time. "

" It's not gonna be the same. You'll have to work harder ... But you'll live. "

" I became a doctor/nurse to save a life. So that's what I'm gonna do. "

" Sir/Ma'am?! You can't be back here! You need to be checked in to see any patients here! "

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓.

" I'm in this hospital bed. I'm barely conscious. Delirious. Drowning in my own blood. And all I can hear myself think is ' Today's the day. Today's the day you die ' "

“ I'm not gonna die in a hospital where the nurses aren't even hot. ”

" Is there anything else that you can do? "

" So what's the damage Doc? Am I gonna live? "

" I hate hospitals. It's nothing but people sitting around , waiting for some old guy to come give you the news you don't wanna hear. "

" I'm pretty sure it's a requirement that all hospitals serve crappy food. Don't be such a baby. "

" As soon as you get walking around, the sooner you can get out of here. Sound like a fair trade? "

" So that's it then? There's nothing you can do? "

" Can I at least get something besides pudding? "

" I hate hospitals. It's always so bleak.

" Listen, I appreciate everything you've done, but I'm fine. So draw up those discharge papers and I'll be on my way.

" I can't believe I'm finally getting out of here! "

" Give it to me straight Doc. How bad is it? "

" If I have to have another iv put in I'm gonna go crazy. "

" Can I at least get up and walk around? "

" I'm actually feeling really good this morning. "

" You guys really don't have to hang around here and watch me lay here feeling sorry for myself. "

" I'll be fine on my own. You guys shouldn't have to stay cooped up here too. "

" I just need something for the pain. An aspirin would be at least some help. "

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒.

" They're gonna be okay … Right Doctor? "

" As soon as you get walking around, the sooner you can get out of here. Sound like a fair trade? "

" I'm not going anywhere. So stop insisting. I'm staying. "

" The doctor's said you'll be fine in a few days. Just gotta stay here and rest so they can an eye on you. "

" You've been out for a long time. "

" Had us worried for a second. Glad to see you're awake. "

" You were banged up pretty bad. "

" Doctor's say we're lucky we got you here when we did. Otherwise we could have lost you. "

" Don't scare me like that ever again. I thought I lost you. "

" You don't know how happy I am to see you awake. "

" It's gonna be okay. I'm gonna be right here when you get out. "

" You're gonna stay in that bed, and do what the doctor's said. I'm not taking no for an answer. "

" I'm gonna go down to the cafeteria. Want me to sneak something back for you? "

" I don't mind hanging around. I'd just be worrying about you at home. "

" I'm fine right here with you. So stop asking okay? "

" I'm right here with you. Okay? "

" We can get through this. "

[dvrylgal]

⋆༺𓆩 kehetu: chapter six 𓆪༻⋆

synopsis: you and daryl take some time to get to know each other while searching for sophia... and you both are quick to realize that the other isn't exactly all bad

cw: canon typical violence, gore, profanity, mature themes, cannibalism (zombies), zombies (obviously), racism (Merle), reader is black, reader is from jersey, reader is a mechanic, reader was raised native (ish), reader's a bit of an atheist

"So..." Daryl started, tightly gripping his crossbow as you both led the pack through the woods. "There any reason why you some sort of G.I. Jane?"

Confused, you cocked a brow, turning to him.

"'Scuse me?"

But he doubled down.

"You," he emphasized, plainly. "You got a city accent... but ye move like ye been raised out 'ere."

He sized you up, expectantly.

"I wanna know why."

You sighed, glancing around at the trees.

After leaving Dale and T-Dog behind to watch the RV, the group set off to widen the search.

You all managed to come across an empty, chiming church—save for a few walkers—and a graveyard in your travels; but no Sophia.

Just to be sure, Rick, Shane, and Carl hung back at the church to see if Sophia would come to the noise, while you and Daryl ushered the others forward to continue.

Which led you to this surprisingly normal conversation.

"I grew up in Jersey," you started with a grunt, stepping over a large log. "Spent my younger years runnin' amok... till I got shipped off to reform school in Georgia."

Using your hunting knife, you cut away some brush, slashing and slicing away some of the thinner branches.

"Made it 'bout a year before they kicked me out... and by then my folks wanted nothin' to do with me," you chuckled, dryly. "So I ran... hid from Social Services until I stumbled across a man."

Daryl raised a brow.

"A man?"

You nodded.

"Kehetu... native guy, Comanche..." you smiled, thoughtfully. "He took me in... brought me back to his cabin... raised me in the Georgia wilderness."

Daryl chuckled, things finally starting to click.

"'Splains all the yellin'," he nodded, glancing down at the ground.

"War whoop," you corrected, a small smirk rising to your lips. "Calls on strength."

"An' makes yer enemy shit their pants."

You snorted, shoulders bobbing with laughter.

"Yeah... that, too."

Deciding to take a page out of your book, he whipped out his knife as well, swiping at the overgrown leaves.

"But what was he doin' all the way over here?" he asked. "Thought all the Indians lived out west or sum?"

You shrugged, quickly scanning over another possible trail.

"He never told me," you answered, plainly. "Mentioned once that he had family in Oklahoma... but didn't get much into it... think it was a sore spot for 'im."

Pausing a moment, you turned to him, scolding.

"And it's Native-American, man."

"Native... Indian... same difference."

"It really isn't."

"What? Ye talkin' bout the lil' guys wit' the dots on their heads?"

"Please... stop talkin'."

"M'just sayin'..."

Just then, Andrea grabbed Carol's hand, comfortingly.

"We're all hoping and praying with you... for what it's worth," she assured.

Daryl scoffed, stopping in his tracks before turning around.

"I'll tell you what it's worth," he sucked his teeth. "Not a damn thing."

"Dixon," you hissed, not wanting him to make it worse.

"It's a waste of time—all this hopin' and prayin'," he pressed on, not a doubt in his mind. "'Cause we're gonna locate that little girl. And she's gonna be just fine."

Quickly, his eyes scanned over everyone's face, huffing out another scoff.

"Am I the only one zen around here? ...Good Lord."

Turning around, he trudged back to the front, and you leveled Carol with a comforting look before following him.

He may be a little rough around the edges... but he was sweet.

In his own feral, Daryl-esque way.

He was plenty assuring and supportive when it counted, this—along with his words from last night—forcing you to really think on and reevaluate your previous judgement of him.

'Maybe there's hope after all...'

"How much farther?" Lori asked, picking up next to you.

"Not much. Maybe a hundred... hundred ten yards," you shrugged, slicing up a spider web.

"As the crow flies," Daryl added.

Andrea groaned, trailing a little ways behind, "Too bad we're not crows."

With the sun getting ready to set, you and Daryl thought it best to get the others back to camp; give them some rest before starting back up tomorrow.

Given how low morale was getting, you both figured it would do more harm than good continuing on from there.

But, of course, if it wasn't one thing... it was another.

Out of nowhere, Andrea let out a blood-curdling scream, making the lot of you nearly jump out your skin.

"Andrea?!" Lori panicked.

Whipping around, you turned to see the she was being pressed by a walker, her stabs to its chest doing nothing as it managed to get her down on the ground. 

You were moving before you could think.

Sprinting, you ran toward her, the others close in tow.

Besides the walker's snarls, you also heard a faint something beating against the ground from not too far away.

Like hooves...

Shaking your head, you focused up, drawing your tomahawk before winding up your throw.

"RAH!"

You chucked it with as much force you could muster, sending it soaring through the air with a sharp whoosh before punctuating the walker with a sick splat!

"Holy shit," Daryl marveled, wide eyed.

He'd be a bold-faced liar if he said he didn't find that hot... as fuck...

Andrea whimpered as she frantically crawled away, watching as the walker fell limply on the ground, dead.

"Lori?! Lori Grimes?!" a mystery woman exclaimed, suddenly riding over on her horse. 

'What the fuck?'

"Whoa. I'm Lori," Lori stepped forward, confused.

"Rick sent me! You've gotta come now!"

"What?"

"There's been an accident. Carl's been shot," the woman elaborated. "He's still alive but you've gotta come now!"

Shocked, Lori stood there for a moment, utterly dumbfounded.

"Rick needs you! Just come!"

Shrugging off her back, Lori dropped it on the ground, stepping forward to join her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! We don't know this girl!" Daryl exclaimed, incredulously. "You can't get on that horse!"

"Rick said you had others on that highway, that big traffic snarl?" the woman asked, turning to the rest of you as Lori mounted. 

"Uh-huh," Glenn nodded, dazed.

"Backtrack to Fairburn Road. Two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox. Name's Greene. Hyah!"

And just like that, she was gone, riding off with one of your own and leaving the rest of you standing in the clearing, clueless.

'...What the hell just happened?'

"I won't do it," Carol denied, shaking her head. "We can't just leave."

"Carol, the group is split. We're scattered and weak," Dale sighed, leaning against the door of the RV. 

"What if she comes back? And we're not here? ...It could happen."

"If Sophia found her way back and we were gone... that would be awful," Andrea agreed.

Nodding, Daryl rested his hands on his hips.

"Okay... we gotta plan for this," he started. "I say tomorrow mornin's soon enough to pull up stakes. Give us a chance to rig a big sign. Leave her some supplies."

Glancing toward the others, he scratched the back of his neck.

"I'll hold here tonight, stay with the R.V."

"If the R.V's staying, I am, too," Dale stated.

"Thank you... Thank you both," Carol smiled, softly.

Turning to you, Daryl quirked a brow, somehow already knowing your answer.

"I'm in," you crossed your arms over your chest.

"Well, if you're all staying, then I'm—"

"Not you, Glenn. You're going," Dale denied before he could even finish. "Take Carol's Cherokee."

"Me?" he scoffed, annoyed. "Why is it always me?"

"You have to find this farm, reconnect with our people, and see what's going on. But most important, you have to get T-Dog there."

Pausing, you all turned to the man, who was hunched over off to the side, covered in a thick blanket.

"This is not an option. That cut had gone from bad to worse. He has a very serious blood infection... Get him to that farm. See if they have any antibiotics because if not... T-Dog will die. No joke."

Just then, Daryl turned around, sauntering over to his bike and tugging off a greasy towel, before rummaging through his side bag.

Out of it, he yanked a plastic baggie full of medical-grade pills of varying caliber.

"Keep your oily rags off my brother's motorcycle," he ordered, shooting Dale a sharp look before plopping the bag down on the hood of a nearby car. "Why'd you wait til now to say anythin'? I got my brother's stash."

You scoffed, both amused and disbelieving.

Of course Merle had a secret stash of pills just lying around.

"Crystal... X, don't need that... some kick-ass painkillers... Oxycycline."

He tossed the bottle to Dale, plainly, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"Not the generic stuff neither. It's first class."

He picked up the baggie, moving to put it back with his things. 

"Merle got the Clap on occasion."

"You really think we're gonna find Sophia?" you asked, lowly, as you stepped around a tree root, gaze trained on the ground.

That night, Daryl had agreed to go searching the nearby woods with you, hoping to find that Sophia had managed to wander her way back.

But so far, you were coming up empty. 

Turning to you, Daryl flashed the light in your face, disbelieving.

"You got that look on your face... same as everybody else," he stated. "Hell's wrong with you people? We just started lookin'."

"Yeah, and things already ain't lookin' so hot."

"It ain't the mountains of Tibet, it's Georgia," he scoffed. "She could be holed up in a farmhouse somewhere... People get lost and they survive. It happens all the time."

"She's a twelve year old girl," you emphasized.

"Hell, I was younger than her an' I got lost. Nine days in the woods eatin' berries, wipin' my ass with poison oak."

'Christ...'

"They found you?"

He shook his head.

"My old man was out on a bender with some waitress. Merle was doin' another stint in juvie... didn't even know I was gone.

He shrugged, glancing down at the ground.

"Made my way back, though. Went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. No worse for wear... 'cept my ass itched somethin' awful."

You snorted, but quickly covered it up, guilt sinking into your chest.

"M'sorry," you apologized, lightly chuckling. "That's bad."

But he laughed along with, letting out a small sigh.

"Only difference is Sophia's got people lookin' for her... I call that an advantage."

Just then, a rustle sounded off not too far away, snatching both of your attention.

Without hesitation, you both readied your weapons, you drawing an arrow and Daryl taking aim with his crossbow.

Like a well-oiled machine, you both went back to back, not having to say a word as you both descended toward the disturbance, heading down the small decline.

Daryl scanned his flashlight over everything—the brush, the canopy, the roots—before he turned the corner, setting his sights on something hanging from a nearby tree.

"What the hell?"

Brows furrowed, you came out from behind him, only to find a snarling, chubby walker dangling from a branch.

"Got bit. Fever hit. World gone to shit. Might as well quit," he read the note stuck to the creature's chest, squinting in the darkness. 

"How poetic," you remarked, sarcastically.

"Dumbass didn't know enough to shoot himself in the head. Turned himself into a big, swingin' piece of bait... an' a mess."

"Probably ran outta ammo," you suggested, shifting your weight on your hips as you turned to walk toward a tree, drawing your tomahawk.

"I guess this is the closest he's been to food since he turned," Daryl continued, staring up at the thing. "Look at 'im. Hangin' there like a big piñata."

"You're real sick, y'know that?" you grimaced, chopping down a nice, long vine.

Moving his flashlight, he shined it on the walker's lower half, which was nothing but bone.

"The other geeks came and ate the flesh off his legs."

"TMI, Dixon..."

"Call it payback for laughin' 'bout my itchy ass."

"You were laughin', too."

"Yeah, yeah, c'mon," he chuckled, turning to you. "Les' head back."

"You're not gonna shoot it?" you asked, wrapping the vine around the handle of your tomahawk few times before tying off a knot.

"Nah. He ain't hurtin' nobody," Daryl shook his head. "Ain't gonna waste an arrow either."

"I can make you more."

"These are my metal ones," he denied, flashing his quiver. "He made his choice... opted out. Let 'im hang."

Starting off back the way you came, Daryl trudged past you, but you continued forward, approaching the trapped creature.

Stopping in his tracks, Daryl turned around, sizing you up with a raised brow.

Adjusting your grip on the handle, you gave yourself some slack on the vine, tucking your mini-flashlight in your mouth and aiming up at the walker.

It snarled and gnashed his teeth under the shine, swiping its arms in an attempt to grab you.

'Easy... it'll be over soon...'

Winding up, you swirled the tomahawk in your grasp before throwing it like you did earlier.

And it was a direct hit.

Instantly, the walker was put down, your ax sticking out of its half caved-in head as it finally fell limp.

Shifting slightly, you grabbed onto the vine, gripping it tight before giving a harsh tug, snatching your tomahawk back and catching it.

Grinning, you turned around with a satisfied air, only to find Daryl staring at you with a look you'd never seen before.

You were something else...

"What?" you asked, scrunching your nose in confusion.

But he shook his head, biting back a smile as he turned around.

"Nothin'... les' get back to camp."

[gloomyshoujo]

My gift for Kate for the @sheithxmas 2024 exchange!!:-D

I'm gonna put all of my yapping + bonus stuff under the cut, because it's a lot lol. (there's concept art, mini comic, and a drabble, if you wanna skip the yap)

Firstly, I really need to give a huge special thank you to my bff, who has helped me with decisions and just cheering my on throughout this whole project, ily my liege!! <3 And to pejaposarambi who offered his help near the end, when I was losing my mind and gave me SUCH good tips to help me complete this!! Seriously, thank you both so much omfg!!TTATT

So, I tried my best to incorporate a few of the asked prompts: fairytale, fantasy, hurt/comfort or angst with a happy ending (more implied/vague, in this case), soulmates, a bit of 'they're a fantastical beast that can hurt the other' vibe, and something sweet where they're kinda comforting each other? Idk, but I tried aha.

For the fairytale and fantasy, I gave them original designs to fit the theme of both. The whole angst/hurt is more implied, but I tried to convey a bit of a story here; where Keith's sword is wrapped in broken chains, after helping free Shiro, and they're comforting each other.

The soulmates is implied from the stars. Their zodiac constellations (Scorpio & Pisces), are mapped in the sky together, along with their respective planets (Mars, Jupiter, Neptune). I wasn't sure how to place soulmates persay, but I think its romantic and conveys it pretty well. And the water is also representative to their signs too, aha!

The fantastical beast part is me really pushing it lol. But often times, dragons and unicorns are seen as like, enemies or hurt one another in a lot of stories. So I was going for a bit of that here. + their designs kinda resemble prickly thorn vs softie? Yea, I know, ya gotta squint for this part of the theme but I tried.xDD /also has a nice dark vs light theme hehe.

Some quick lore 'cause why not: when Keith was younger, he was going to die (idk, abandonment? defeat during battle? Saving Shiro? idk), but Shiro saved his life, using his tears. Keith was deeply touched, as it was the first time he experienced kindness? Idk. But when Shiro had to eventually leave, he swore to himself he'd repay him one day. Fast forward, and the king Keith is forced to serve, has captured a rare unicorn, that could give him eternal life using his tears? Or force Shiro to take him to eternity/paradise? Idk. Keith fought through hell and back to eventually help free Shiro (breaking the chain), and the two managed to escape, fleeing to a peaceful place where they can be together. Yea, there's a lot of "idk's" and big holes there, but I've yapped TOO MUCH.TT.TT

(Also, can I just say PLEASE. If this had an OST, I'd say the Galaxy Express 999 OST would be it for me. But for this illustration in particular, this song is doing it for me.)

So uhhh, this was a *journey*. I think I've been working on this for over 2 months now? A lot of thought went into it. I only do this level of planning when it's a huge project, and I typically don't share my thumbnails and concepts; because they're garbage and only meant for me. But I figured it could be fun for others to see lol.

For the design, I had a good idea of the theme at least! I wanted to have Keith's design to really resemble a dragon, while also using some elements from his BOM outfit. I leaned into the purple because I like purple, but wondering if I should have gone red. Hmmm. I tried to make him look as intimidating and prickly as I could; almost like if you were to touch him, you'd get pricked like a thorn.:-3

For Shiro, I went with looser clothes; kinda inspired by ancient Greek fashion and gods. I rushed his more, and ended up not having the time + energy to put in all the details I wanted for him.:-( I kept his clothes and hair all white/silver, to make him look like he came from the stars. His jewellery is gold + blue to relate to his zodia planets aha. I was gonna have him have longer bangs, but decided against it as I inked.

Anyways, I wanted the pose to be the same as “The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt. But uhh, once I got all the designs done, and actually started sketching things out; I just couldn't get it to work. I am still disappointed in myself for that, but I had to move on and find ways to make things work. I guess that's part of the process. How humbling.=_=

I don't have too many progress shots, because I suck with that; but here's a few lol.

And then a bonus comic, because I couldn't stop thinking this throughout this entire project.xD Where the real angst lies.

I also wrote a teeny, tiny drabble. It's kinda trash and superrr corny, sorry;;; I wrote it in like, an hour or something with very little editing. But I wanted to I guess explain a bit of the story, in this particular scene specifically. Idk. Sorry to those who can actually write it's terrible;;;

So that's the end! I really tried my best to cram as many prompts into one; I know I changed the designs a lot, but I hope they still look recognizable. I still feel disappointed with myself, because it didn't come out exactlyyy how I envisioned. There were so many bumps along the way, I wish I could have done better. Still, there were fun moments (when it wouldn't slow down my PC lol). I tried out so many techniques, both old and new; it was quite the experience! I'm especially proud with some of the effects and texturing. And I hand-drew soooo many elements. Like, I could have used a pre-made grass brush for ex. But nope! Drew each blade of grass like a loser.=_= (but was worth it; was able to preserve the *crunch*)

And yea, don't expect this level of detail from me often. This is a once every few years kinda piece lol. Usually my stuff is pretty wonky and rushed. But I was happy to work on such a big project after so many years!!

Anyways, if you got this far, thanks for reading.xD Hope y'all got a kick out of it. AND SORRY FOR THE YAPPING BUT I DESERVE IT, IT WAS A BIG PROJECT.

[orangez3st]

Welcome to Vau's! - Chapter 3

Pani Popo

Delta Squad × OC | Modern AU | Fast Food Worker AU

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✧ Chapter Summary: Raye's first day at Vau turns nostalgic real quick.

✧ Word Count: 5.2k

✧ A/N: MAN I'm always terrible at writing character introductions hence why I prefer writing established relationship oneshots 😭. Some of these parts were written when I was so high on caffeine bcs I took huge ass americano at 5 kriffing pm (as I prewrote this note, even—I'm so going to regret this). Thanks for being here and enjoy this one! 💛

COLLAB with @carbon-corrie | Super gorgeous header by Carbon! 🫶🏼

It's only 10:40 and Scorch tries not to think too much.

If he could put one word to describe last night's hangout, it's noisy. Turns out when you put a little too many beers in his system, Eli could be a chatterbox himself. The Marine is by no means a lightweight, but the enthusiasm got to him faster than the extra alcohol. 

There were a bunch of new Okinawa paranormal sightings. Eli had a dream which he woke up from only to find out he was still dreaming once he woke up again. He could swear there was a shadowy figure in the corner of his shared barracks and smartass decided to tell everyone by laughing in the morning. That guy really have zero spooked bone in his body.

Scorch wasn't a Marine. He was Army, and he'd been in OFS and he promptly excused himself during OIR. It was too hard. His dad was wrong to believe in him. He betrayed Walon Vau's trust—a Marine specops officer and his own dear old dad—because he couldn't handle the weight anymore. Not even when he heard Sev had an accident that cost his left leg. He’d never made a decision so fast in his life; he left the institution that his dad had trained them all together for.

Brothers stand together to look after each other's back, brothers stand apart to not get attached.

Scorch failed that last bit, even though the phrase isn't meant to be broken into two parts—it’s one and whole. And so he failed, but he took pride in the failing because he's had enough months-long deployment and places with so much sand and low vegetation. So what about it, if that means he could look after his own brother who needed him?

Right.

Back to Eli.

Anyway, yeah, it was super creepy. But dude watches Ouija and The Conjuring-verse for fun. Eli couldn't even hide his excitement that nearly sounds so inappropriate (because Scorch knows not to make fun or feel excited about evil spirits that bother the shit out of people) but it's only a matter of time until he's got himself in an accident due to his joy in storytelling the suffering aforementioned dark figure in their barracks.

That guy has nerves. Scorch likes it. Reckless, but sure. He's known Eli his whole life. That brings him fully believing in his sister who just came in through the door. The toothy grin just slides into his face so easily upon seeing a familiar face of someone he's gotten along with already.

“Raye! Hi!”

Her chocolate brown hair is kept away from her face in a low bun and she definitely used soothing sheet mask and eye mask last night. Not gonna lie, Eli's sister is gorgeous, if not a little bitey with an attitude. Scorch is a little infatuated, but he keeps himself under control. She’s seemingly fresh and ready for the day, something that Scorch's objectiveness takes kindly and appreciatively. Raye smiles as she approaches the counter where he's stationed.

“Mornin’,” she says to him before proceeding to take in her surroundings. “Cozy dine-in place, here.”

Scorch's grin grows wider into a charming one that usually befell the ladies at the club, pride swarming his chest. “That’s awfully nice of hou. This is just basic fast food place!”

Basic meaning red-cushioned booths tucked in every corner, long tables with bar chairs and power outlets along the sides, and four-seaters sparsely filling the space in the dining area. Red, black, and a little yellow is the running theme of the interior, save for the employee's navy waist apron below a uniform white polo, which… honestly seems kind of pointless when you risk spilling Coke or a splat of ketchup on a daily basis. Not one of the Vaus boys has ever had a problem with that, though.

“Local, homegrown, non-franchise,” Raye points out, propping her arms on the counter, her expression so determined that she really does want to make sure that her stern reassurance gets into his thick head. “You can do whatever you want and I'll say—assuming I'm a customer who walks into this place expecting nothing special—it does look cozy. You got Wi-Fi?”

Scorch’s eyebrows knit at the sudden question. “Hell yeah. Why wouldn't we?”

“Ah. See?”

“It’s standard!” he defends.

“The cafeteria off my Austin campus where I part-timed got shitty Wi-Fi, y'know?”

“That sucks,” Scorch snickers. Suddenly he remembers this morning—he didn't forget texting her about the dress code; something white if no polo. He gives her another once-over before nodding approvingly to himself. “And you're a pretty chatty one, aren't ya? We can get along just fine! Maybe we're soulmates or something.”

Raye snorts. “Aw, you. Very sweet, Scorchie.”

“Scorch, stop pestering our new guy,” a new voice comes from around the corner. The man, dressed in similar uniform and seems around Scorch's age, pauses in the midst of hasty steps with a tablet in hand. He masks his awkwardness well as he takes Raye in with a swift glance. “I mean gal. Really sorry.”

“That's fine.” Raye barely manages to stifle her laughter before offering her hand. “Raye Estrada. Eli's sister?”

He takes her hand with a firm clasp and a small kind smile. “Call me Addy, today's shift manager. And on Wednesdays and Saturdays,” he introduces himself. His military-strict high and tight haircut is glistening prominently with what Raye thinks is hair toner. He's groomed really well for a shift manager part-timer. She wonders if he works somewhere else along Eli's area. “And yeah, Boss told me you're applying. Heard you're a family friend?”

“Her family is,” Scorch pipes in, reminding them he's still there. “She's close. Somewhat.”

One of Addy's brows arches perfectly. “You never knew her until yesterday.”

“Well, technically. So correction; we never met. Until!” Scorch raises his voice, perfectly cutting Addy off when he's about to speak. “We were texting each other last night.”

“Yep,” Raye adds.

The look Addy gives them is such suspicion that one might think he's accusing someone of a bloody murder.

Scorch bursts out laughing “It was nothing, Addy, chillax! Just got to know each other. Told her about this place and all. She never knew.”

Addy blinks twice to stomach the information. “Seriously? How? PR doing good?”

Scorch shrugs. “As far as I can tell. It's her shit Instagram algorithm.”

“I was away in Texas for a while,” Raye steps in, regaining both men's attention. “Came home here for summer break.” For how long, that's a personal matter she won't bring in yet unless asked. And she feels she should be taken aback at how easy Scorch throws a curse word in a workplace but… well, since it's a family business... 

“Right, that could be it.” Addy gives her a long nod, and then he swipes through his tablet. “That’s okay. This'll just be like training, uh, non-locals. You had time to study our products?”

“I did, last night! Though I'm planning to ask the kitchen leader more.”

“You're going to have to sit down with Fixer for that.” Scorch rests his chin on his hand with his elbow on the counter, looking almost too adorable if he's not grinning teasingly. Raye is really tempted to smack that smile off his smug matchmaking face. “He’s real strict about food quality that he wrote an entire manual and stuck it on the wall for everyone to read so they wouldn't miss ingredients.”

Raye lets out a breath. “Neat. So I guess you have your own Gordon Ramsay.”

“Basically.” Addy's the one saying that, and he's even shrugging. She’s yet able to comprehend the duality of this man, nor interpret his character as a whole. “So uh, come along. I'll introduce you to everyone and in the end Scorch will take over to, uh, train you.”

“Whoa, hang on,” she blurts out. Both men wait, non-judgmental. “No interview? Something that should, y'know, filter me in?”

Addy, who'd turned around to cue her to follow, now walks up to her. He's tall. Around Scorch's height but nowhere as built—she can see now that he's definitely served somewhere in a military or police institution.

“This is procedure, Raye. We filter in our candidates by training them on-site, have them facing real problems with our customers,” Addy says calmly, bluish hazel eyes piercing into her with all seriousness in the world. “It's how we see their character and how they fit in with us.”

That's… a tad too serious. And she sure as heck knows how human resources department should work, for God's sake. Works. 

“Yeah, no worries,” Scorch suddenly breaks the ice, clapping loudly and putting on an effortless smile. Raye flinches. “Addy does have a habit of scaring you with procedures and how this business is going to fall apart if we're acting up.”

“It happens.” Addy glares at him.

“Yeah but not in our town!” Scorch argues, keeping his playful tone and even putting on a goddamn Southern sheriff accent. “We’re thriving for 4 years without major financial problems, we're doing great!”

“We had COVID, Scorch.”

“That was one and only time! I'm aware of our statistics as well as you are.”

Raye coughs.

Ever heard of two dudes, apparently besties, arguing about their workplace situations in which one of them is practically the HR? Unbelievable. Raye can't believe her luck (that's sarcasm). This place and its management sounds hella fun that she's determined she's not going to leave whatever happens. Looks fun. Right? Doesn't it?

But right now, she fights every urge in her body not to pinch the bridge of her nose. Anything that could compromise her first day. It's an informal atmosphere especially with people that she knows, but still.

“Sorry,” Addy clears his throat, offering her a nanosecond apologetic smile that just looks kind of weird. Any kind smile on him, really. “Right. Scorch, shut the fuck up and stay there. I'm taking Raye over for now.”

The cuss was so out of pocket that Raye is struggling to keep her fake cough real.

“All yours,” Scorch grins, clearly excited for her. “Now shoo, Estrada.”

Raye sticks her tongue out before jogging to catch up with Addy. She feels like she should ask. Eli never mentioned a guy named Addy before, but then again, his focus has always been on other people before himself. Maybe it's the pride for serving the country and its people or whatever, but her brother is known to be selfless. And selfless people tend to keep things to themselves.

Honestly, Addy looks kind of scary. 165 pounds, sure, but he'd probably been a coast guard. Or police officer. He had served (the country or whatever, not fruity fashion or jail time), that's for sure. He's too strict and tolerating at the same time—Raye doesn't even know such combination is possible. Maybe it's the fondness of the Vau boys. She wonders how long he's been sticking around with the family.

Addy introduces her to the maintenance dudes first, which only consists of two people at most. It doesn't take much to run a shift in a fast food place—she knows this. Cafes take even less.

He then takes her to the second floor; another dining area with more space and more chairs than the booths, and an outdoor area which is basically a big balcony separated by a glass door for those who want to chill out for some smokes, or a wild night out, or chaotic mobile-gaming—all over wraps and finger food and iced soda drinks.

At this time of day, it's fairly packed, but not that overwhelming that some poor grandma bringing over five grandchildren couldn't find seating. There are empty tables, the top clean and absent of oil and sauce drips. Raye notices packs of local college students just hanging out with their laptops or tablets on the table, and on the side are either Vau's snack bucket or a meal of their preference. It's a wholesome sight to look at.

“We're just a local small business,” Addy says, as they're returning downstairs. Raye is a couple steps behind him. “We're not corporate. Everyone knows everybody here, and so everyone is expected to get along since we're not a whole big crew.”

“I get it,” she replies, “Heard the last one noped the hell out ‘cause she couldn't handle Sev.”

He scoffs. “That's on her.” He sounds like holding a personal grudge. Like deeming them unworthy. Maybe regret, or self-loathing for poor decisions. His tone picks up again from contempt to a lighter one. “Believe it or not, everyone's loving Sev the drive thru guy.”

Raye knows that. She spends a couple of hours doomscrolling her TikTok on the place’s hashtags, and there were a lot about Sev. Well; his voice, more like. People recording while they're ordering in front of the speaker, Sev’s gruff deep voice pouring out of it with bare minimum customer service courtesy and sometimes on frigging thin ice on bullying over customer's decision. And people actually find that funny and entertaining. Not good for company image, almost as certain that the target market isn't for a bunch of Karens, but real good for brand awareness.

Addy is leading them to the drive thru station. Scorch is prepping a takeaway drink with a line of four people before him—he’s so locked in that he's not even looking up to greet them. Another girl is manning the second register while he's busy.

“There was this one guy ordering a single meal for himself and six-pack Coke,” Addy launches into another story, slipping behind the counter and beckoning her to follow suit. It feels like a new world already. Dark grey tiles shift into smooth brick red ones.

Raye is intrigued. “And then?”

“Verbally attacked him. Something along the lines of blood sugar,” a familiar deep voice approaches. Raye blinks at a hunk of muscles behind fitted uniform white polo, a somehow familiar face, a reversed red ballcap, and a drive thru earpiece. “Gave me a dollar tip. Turns out he's a fan.”

Addy rolls his eyes with the faintest hint of a smirk on his lips, but introduces both of them anyway. “Sev, Raye. Raye, Sev. But I think you two have met.”

Sev clasps Raye's hand with firmness—something that she feels terribly familiar with. Maybe the Marine upbringing. “Not face to face,” remarks Sev, smirking, “Glad you're joining us, Estrada.”

Raye shrugs, smiling. “Depends on my performance.”

“You’re gonna pull it off,” Sev deflects confidently. It's as close as a voice of support—aside from Scorch's. “Or I'll question every single thing Eli’s been teaching you to survive in the harsh real world. If there's any.”

She snorts. “I've got a good portfolio myself, thank you very much.” Should she be offended that her brother's friend is talking shit about him? No. Eli's gotta defend his own reputation. “But if you wanna beat him into a pulp, be my guest.”

Scorch cracks his knuckles. It's noisy as heck. “I miss wrestling club.”

“That was like 10 years ago, Scorch,” Sev grumbles, arms folded across his chest.

“Yeah well, a good spar, then.”

Raye tries not to delve too much about their routine. If somehow they work two or three shifts a day, when and how do they even find the time? Restaurants rarely ever close up.

The conversation between Scorch and Sev dies down just as another figure rounds the corner. Another one of the Vau brothers walking with the stride of a soldier—only this time he closes every button of his shirt, no apron, the curls just slightly off his forehead a little messy from what Raye assumed is sweat-wiping activities. Something that has to do with carrying, like inventories. Addy hasn't taken her to that particular section of the outlet yet.

“Everything good?” New Guy sweeps his gaze around the group, slightly pausing on Raye and giving her the smallest of nods.

Raye tries not to blink too much and swivel around to confirm the quadruplet thingy Scorch told her last night.

“Good,” Addy says from somewhere behind her, finally looking up from his tablet and making his way between them. “Just introducing Raye around. Taking her ‘round. Raye, this is Boss. He's the official store manager. Everything and everyone directly answers to him.”

Raye thrusts a hand forward. “Nice to meet you.”

Boss clasps her hand with a smile. It's a charming smile, something that the Vau brothers seem to share between them. Sweet smile and dimples and sunshine. Except maybe Sev (the gruffier sunshine).

“You too. Relax a little, Raye. I know you're Eli’s little sister we've heard so much about for the past decade, but you really don't need to inherit his military strictness.”

Raye relaxes her shoulders as instructed…

And then allows herself to just. Look at them all. She mentally drags Addy out of the picture and lines Boss up with Scorch and Sev. Same sunkissed tone of skin, same warm amber brown eyes, each of them holding a different level and mix of amusement and intrigue.

“Wow, you guys really are quadruplets.”

“Unfortunately,” another voice says from the back. “Never separated since birth.”

Raye turns around at the new voice, the figure who owns it just marching out of the kitchen. This one rocks particularly distinct traits from the rest of his brothers, starting from the heavily inked arms that steal her focus first and foremost. The flash intrigue eventually trails to the full navy apron he wears, not the waist ones, and the lack of headwear despite working his ass off in the kitchen. And after that, the identical facial traits shared among the brothers where it's kept away from any stray strands of hair, having it slicked back with a piece of metal hairband with the genetic dark curls gather at the base of his neck.

“So,” Raye almost squeaks, “Four of you.”

“Four,” he confirms, nodding his head once, his expression neutral and doesn't seem to be judging, but his mismatched eyes—heterochromia—seem to find her with familiarity. This must be Fixer, the one who came by the house all those years ago, sharing Eli's fixation in tech stuff.

It's quiet. The counter is oddly absent of hungry customers, and there's only Addy and the Vau's. And her, featuring her dumbass staring at Fixer too long, completely distracted by his circuitry heavy inkwork on his arms while a dozen of small Raye's inside her brain scrambling to look in the archive to recall what Fixer Vau looked like a little over a decade ago.

Somehow she can't remember the heterochromia. But then again, her curious 10 year old self was barely peeking around the corner when Eli and Fixer, both 16 year olds at the time, were playfully nudging each other as they headed for the Estrada game room. To turn on the PlayStation? Nope. To tinker with her dad's broken laptop and work on their group assignment afterward.

“That your little sister?” the lack-of-tattoos then-Fixer Vau had asked Eli.

“Yeah,” her brother had said, “She won't bother us. Don't worry.”

“What's it like?”

“Hm?”

“Having a sister.”

“Used to think she was nothing but trouble. But now?” She remembers an unholy snort that sounded like Eli scolding himself. “Literally would jump in front of a speeding truck for her.”

She remembers Fixer leaving a little late. It was either his dad or one of his brothers or even both picking him up, the family car parked in front of the house with Dad de-escalating the situation with Walon Vau.

“Intelligent kids,” her dad chuckled, standing on the front porch with a dark figure. “You and I both got one, Walon.”

“Heard they fixed your laptop.”

“They did! They did, ha, bless them,” Dad sighed happily. “And honestly, a lot more before that. I just let them. As long as they don't burn down the house.”

“Don’t let Scorch into your house, then.” The other man shook his head with faint amusement. “Would be a shame if you don't send your boy to MIT.”

“That's up to him,” Dad had said, “He could fling himself in front of the goddamn president on a regular basis or own a pizza place—as long as he flourishes. I believe in my kids, Walon. Just as you should.”

“You don't show it, Tony. Make them tough to crack.”

Her dad had stayed quiet. There seemed to be an understanding, non-judgmental smile. “My kids. Your kids.”

“Um. Houston to Raye.”

“Shit, sorry,” she blurts out, jerking back to the present—back to Vau's.

“You okay?” Addy watches her, concerned.

“Um, yeah, sorry. Bad timing.” Great, she's blurting out even more nonsense. She catches Sev and Scorch's shared look of amusement and dismisses them just as quickly, heat rising up her neck to her cheeks.

Fixer is observing her. Closely, his hands folded across his chest but patience is written all over his countenance. It's like slowly he's taking her back to that one corridor in her house again, but the lack of Eli makes the barrier between them crumble and shatter into nothing.

It's… something.

Like a hand from the depths of an ancient lake pulling her into another currents of flashbacks, but there's nothing more at the bottom that she could gather. She wishes there'd be more, but alas.

“Raye,” he calls in greeting, causing her to pull up a small smile.

His presence is making her feel like 10 again.

“Hey.” Been a long time. “Fixer, right?”

“Yeah. I remember you.” His mismatched eyes seize her up. She can't remember if he'd taken a good look at her all those years ago, but somehow this feels too different than back then. Maybe the weather, the air. Maybe the ambience and the surroundings now in all different colors. “You were so small.”

“Please,” she rolls her eyes, “I was 10. Saw you only once. Your dad picked you up.”

Everyone tenses up.

Boss and Sev trade a look. Scorch sighs loudly to break the tension.

“Yeah,” Fixer nods, appearing undeterred. “Good memory.”

“So! According to tradition!” Scorch hoots suddenly, clapping his hands once that causes poor Addy to flinch. The grin plastered on his face lacks… something. “And since it's Wednesday, we should be having a bun in the oven.”

Sev, who somehow had acquired himself a glass of orange juice, snorts the liquid to the side. “Fuck,” he coughs to his elbow.

Addy rolls his eyes, exaggeratedly, while placing the tablet on the counter. “I'll get that.” And then he's gone to grab the mop.

“Dumbass,” Fixer shakes his head, a poorly hidden smile tugging at his lips. “No one on Earth phrased it like you did.”

“I could phrase it however I want,” Scorch deadpans, pushing his brother back into the kitchen. “Now shoo! Get one for the girl.”

Boss is pinching the bridge of his nose. Raye pretends not to watch Sev staring at the OJ spill on the floor miserably like a toddler.

Everything looks like it's gonna be fine. Depends on how one defines ‘fine’. Retail work is never sunshine and rainbows, but Raye's got an attitude ready to unleash upon Karen spawns, having already dealt with some of them in previous experience, plus some quite asshole classmates—constantly.

Boss is seated across from her in the booth, asking a mountain of questions that seemed ready in his pockets, just waiting to be fished out one by one. Some related to her resume, a huge chunk of campus life, and life in Austin. It's a brief trade of one another's experiences, and Raye senses something is kept tight-lipped among the brothers. Something private. Not her right to find out, so she can only hope this won't plague her mind by the long shot. She hates it when she just notices things—her nosy trait could be her downfall one day.

“SWAT sergeant for the local police. I got into Vau's last,” Boss explains, a kind smile that just feels brotherly tugging on his lips. He's the eldest, Raye finds out. “Battering down doors and apprehending suspects were always eventful. Adrenaline onsite, keeping you high and aware, especially when you're in command. But now?” He shakes his head laughing airily to himself, and he leaves it there while gesturing to the interior of the restaurant. “Four of us were raised closely, tightly-knit. Our dad did everything. Got all of us into service.”

“I noticed,” Raye acknowledges, “About Sev and Eli in the Marines together. Don't know about Fixer and Scorch, though.”

“Scorch was in the Army,” Boss supplies, seemingly not minding oversharing, being the boss of them all or whatever. Elder sibling privilege. “One day it was enough for him. Sev got injured, and he ditched everything for him.”

Raye lets out a small ‘oh’. The leg brace, PTSD, the discharge, and uncountable unseen wounds that would definitely reopen time and time again. She risks pushing forward. “And Fixer?”

There’s pride in Boss’ eyes. “Fixer’s a bit of something else.”

Scorch waltzes toward their booth with an excited grin and Fixer behind him. His bleached curls bounce as he slides into the seat next to Boss with an extra glint of knowing and teasing to which Raye pretends not to give too much of a shit. She's allowing him to be satisfied with his own game that he's started. Indulging Scorch is like playing with fire—a cute adorable unbearable fire that once it burns bright not even a bucket of water could douse whatever he's started.

But just as predicted, Fixer slides in next to her. She's never physically been up to close, like sitting next to each other kind of close with either of the Vau boys, but they are all men of exceptional build. Not as scary as a legit wrestler, but enough to put her in a literal chokehold and take her consciousness out in seconds.

She tries not to stare at his heavily inked arms. Again.

“Ever think of getting tattoos?”

“Fuck off, Scorch,” she blurts out, her cheeks burning up to inferno immediately right after. In a matter of seconds, the table gives off different reactions; Scorch howling with laughter, Boss gawking with genuine surprise, and Fixer snorting to the side. Snorting.

“I mean no.” Un-fucking-believable. Day one at work and she could be written up. She hopes her glare radiates so much heat that it burns a hole through his smug ass bleached head. “I, uh, I have one already. Big piece of work. Scorch, stop laughing, for God's sake.”

“You have one?” Fixer asks this time, seemingly recovering well and quickly while Boss is kicking Scorch under the table to actually put a stop to his wheezing mania.

“Yeah, I do.” She shifts back, tracing a finger around her entire left rib over her white shirt. “Roses. Just right up here.”

Her response is a hum. Thoughtful hum? Impressed hum? It's too brief to make a conclusion out of his conclusion. Her gaze shifts from the boys with Boss still landing a smack on Scorch in the background, to a single bread roll on a paper plate that Fixer had brought with him earlier.

“Is that cinnamon roll?”

“Close,” Boss replies, nostalgia seems to be fleeting past his eyes. “It's pani popo. Samoan sweet coconut roll.”

“Like cinnamon roll, but coconut! Baked and bathed in sweet coconut milk. It's really really good I could literally be sobbing from joy.”

Fixer rolls his eyes at Scorch who's bouncing with excitement in his seat. “It’s his favorite,” he says with a jerk of his head.

Luckily for Scorch every praise comes his way. “My comfort food. Bet your Hispanic tongue hasn't been introduced to this thing yet.”

“How dare you attack my Hispanic tongue,” Raye deadpans. Spice is her life. The bun on the plate, however, is seemingly moist with coconut milk, giving the drenched tres leches look but fortunately doesn't give off disgusting sad food vibes, with the golden brown top and enticing swirl of a roll. “It does look good. You selling these?”

“It's on our dessert menu. Other than mango pudding and sea salt choco chip cookies,” Fixer explains, pushing the plate towards her.

Raye nods her thanks, observing the piece closer. “That's really neat. You baked this?”

“Why don't you just pop it into your mouth and you tell me?”

Scorch snorts, inviting Boss' eye roll again. “That's what he said.”

“Scorch, I swear I'll have you wipe clean and close up on your own.”

They're performing on a goddamn stage for an improv comedy while the audience is making the joke themselves, sure.

If there's a test where they're watching her use her hands to pick up the bun, she'd already fail. She utilizes the plastic fork like white young moms and right there she could feel her ancestors and Scorch's ancestors actually crowding and booing her all over. Y'know what, what the hell.

Sweetness combined with familiar yeasty tang explodes in her mouth as soon as she bites down, the coconut milk flooding her tongue to compliment with the bread. It might seem so, so simple—bread and coconut milk—but the simplicity of it, and not to mention cultural reference, is most of the time also the beauty of it.

“Holy crap, you guys. This is really good.”

“Toldja,” Scorch beams. “It's art.”

“It's breadmaking,” Fixer deadpans.

“Breadmaking is art.”

Fixer grunts, sounding in agreement.

Raye continues to hog the bun. “This is too homemade to be sold in a fast food place.”

Fixer seems to take that as a compliment—good, because it is. His shoulders evidently relax. “And that's why we're only selling them on Wednesdays.”

Wednesday. Pani popo—Samoan sweet coconut bread rolls. Got it. Raye finishes the last piece, dipping it in the excess coconut sauce on the plate as best as she could before popping it into her mouth. “It's really good. Thank you Fixer, you clearly baked this. And you're giving me this one for free?”

Scorch nods enthusiastically. “Consider it a welcome gift. Boss’ orders.”

Raye arches a perfect eyebrow. “So it's really not your tradition to welcome new employees?”

“Hell nah. Welcome to Vau's, Raye!”

She beams, laughing along. “Wow thanks.”

Boss hides his chuckle miserably. “You're basically a family friend, so why not?”

“That's too kind.” Feeling cornered, figuratively and literally, her cheeks heat up again from the excessive welcome. “I mean, I didn't even know you four before yesterday.”

Boss waves her off. “We get it, Raye. No pressure. Glad we just know each other now.”

“You owe us a story about where you've been for the last decade,” Scorch whispers, even covering the side of his mouth to play discreet.

Boss nudges him with his elbow. “I said no pressure.”

Raye's awkward laugh garners Fixer's attention this time, almost in a flash. “Y'all are ridiculous.”

“Wait till your brother joins us. I'll show you ridiculous.”

The slight crinkle near his eyes when his lips lift in a tired yet amused smile annuls her effort to just… hide her excitement. Fixer holds her gaze a second too long with such smile, and for a moment the light reflecting in his mismatched eyes is continuously feeding her nostalgia.

And then it becomes too much. Both of them look away, finding either floor tiles and the used plastic fork suddenly interesting while the other two on the other side of the table are completely unaware, apparently stiff-arming each other.

Raye groans internally. What the hell are you doing? 

Welcome to Vau's Taglist (let me know to join!): @alor-ika @hellfiresky

[batsu4eva]

Alright so next thing for the Seattle thingy I’m slowly building up teehee :3 have my girl I’ve been ranting about to a friend in DMs, Elsa Ringwold, yayyyyyy

I was gonna add more trinkets around her to indicate her personality but then I couldn’t think of anything 😭 but I suppose that’s what the description is for! Anyways bullet points time yayyyy

Toreador primogen bc I’m filling out the court teehee :3 As a rule, I decided that everyone here is kind of a nepo baby, meaning everyone knows and is connected with each other somehow so that'll be a theme in the court I think

Born to a German immigrant family, she been a very young ballet performer at the Paris Opera House pre-embrace due to the fact that her father was now put out of work due to a work injury that permanently disabled him, leaving her to make money in Paris to send back to her family.

Being a perfectionist, she often pushed herself to work even past burnout- a standard she still holds for herself and others to this day. Back then, it was because if you start skipping practices, it shows up in your performances and everybody notices. Nowadays, it's because if that weakness shows, that is ample opportunity for your enemies to screw you and all that.

Unfortunately, if you know anything at all about ballet history, you'll know that often in these times ballet dancers would have to... "cater" to the rich patrons post-shows. One artist back in these days by the name of Edgar Degas (who often painted these ballerinas) would call them "le petit rats" or little rodents, a derogatory nickname due to the fact that these girls were often sucked into a vicious cycle of poverty, prostitution and exploitation at such a young age. And for Elsa, she was no exception and she hated this fact.

Related to this, she had been embraced at about 19 years old by one of her "admirers", and yes- it was partially because she was beautiful. You're not going to find an "ugly" ballet dancer, especially not in those days. But it was also because of her grit and dedication to her career- dedication that could certainly be applied to kindred society. And so it happened, with the reasoning that he "saved" her from a life of selling her body until she aged out of relevance and died in poverty- like many in her situation did back then.

Of course, this would mean that Elsa would have to prove her usefulness to the Camarilla over and over again, which meant that really, she moved from one kind of exploitation to another. Because of this, Elsa ended up unwillingly "retiring" from her career and distancing herself from her family, effectively taking her away from everything she cared about. She never stopped feeling angry and bitter about this. Never. This would explain why present day she has mortal students she pushes to the brink of exhaustion in order to live out her past dreams through them.

She basically got the primogen position in Seattle because she HAD been in a relationship with the man who was meant to have that position. And Elsa had been comfortable with where she was, that is until he proposed marriage to her. Elsa could understand why someone would fall in love with her, but she's disgusted by the idea of marriage because to her it means that someone wants to have some level of ownership over you. And as someone who has experience with that, her instinct is to reject that and take it as a threat. And so as a reaction, she basically ruined his reputation, made the entire court hate him and like her more. She still keeps the engagement ring on her pinky finger as a reminder of her "victory", sort of akin to when someone kills a deer and keeps it's head on a mount. Aromantic QUEEN

And again, this court is pretty much all nepo babies, so the guy that was SUPPOSED to have this position had two of his (now divorced dads lol) adoptive sires as fellow primogen who were gonna put him in this position with basically no qualifications- that is, until HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND LITERALLY MADE THEM LIKE HER MORE. Insane work

She's given favorable treatment by said divorced dads because she's one of the younger ones in the court- even though she pretty much acts like she hates everyone except for them lol.

She owns a dance academy in Seattle specifically to stake a claim in the city and all that- Bellevue School of Performing Arts. You pretty much need either rich parents or a crazy good scholarship to get in and even then you better have a VERY good sense of self-worth because being in this school will cause you to burn out so fast and gain insecurities about your body that you didn't even know you had until now. And that's not even MENTIONING if Elsa herself happens to be the one teaching you because she has literally seen the best of the best more than 100 years ago, you will NOT impress her.

I don't really have anything else to say on her (yet) but being unfortunately a film bro I kinda based her off Erika Kohut from The Piano Teacher in terms of personality because she is also a curmudgeon instructor that is a cold and bitter perfectionist due to having her life stolen away from her. Basically thought it'd be good inspo bc of stuff like this:

And that is it! Tbh I almost didn't share this because I got really shy haha ^^;; But I hope you all like my mean ballet instructor woman as much as I do :3

[davekat-sucks]

Daaaamn that last ask I made did numbers! I think I’m gonna do a part 2, the alpha version.

1st, some addendums:

1. I saw that reblog saying people were flanderizing Gamzee as being a religious healer and spiritual person when he’s a juggalo and I just wanna say, okay I did lean in hard on his spiritualism but you gotta remember Alternian juggalos are part of an obscure clown cult and Gamzee was heavily invested in Miracles so I still think he’d make a Yourube channel for spreading his gospel, but doubles as also a music review channel. He 100% is invested on who’s part of the rap game and wants to teach people how to spit bars. His rap game is just so ass people would rather watch his miracle videos instead. Also when he livestreams he does it on his unicycle to keep him “physically and mentally balanced” as he says

2: my headcanon is that everyone is alive and living on Earth C as adults because I can do anything when Lord English is dead.

3: I could not say enough how many combos everyone would interact each other. There’s some underrated dynamics here like Eridan being Rose’s #1 hater and claiming all her evidence and recordings of the horrorterrors summoning black magic can be scientifically proven to be fabricated, and when John steps in and says he knows when to spot a fake and this is 100% real Eridan just calls John a simp.

Now that that’s off of my chest, what is everyone else up to?

Alpha trolls/

Damara: she’s not a Youtuber, her aggression and comments usually get her banned from interacting with her other friends, she more uses Instagram and Pinterest to upload her story. It’s a lot of photos of landscapes, anime girls, and for some reason the interiors of mansions color shifted to be green. Her captions are all in japanese (or East Alternian) and usually vaguepost towards how she’s lost and abandoned, she wants to be alive and someone to be with her and understand what she’s actually saying and that everyone who has wronged her is going to inevitably suffer. Her posts usually get 1-2 likes and they’re from Rufioh and Aranea.

Rufioh: he is an anime news and fandom channel. He is quite the reputable journalist and consistently finds leaks and obscure interviews from creators to share what is coming soon for the anime industry. When he’s not making news he does speculation and powerscaling videos, a lot of “what if” ideas and top 10 lists for hottest anime baddies. How does Rufioh stay so much on top of anime news? You’d have to ask his ex-girlfriend.

Mituna: Guy Who Annoys You On Purpose. Mituna is someone who since has been left by his friends for his declined mental cognition decides to have fun by trying to make new friendships his way, unfortunately that way is his erratic and vulgar way. He likes to go on GTA V servers and Omegle chat rooms and annoy people. He likes to quip jokes, distract or overwhelm people with his rambling and his body language. He most especially likes when it gets quiet and he jumpscares everyone with a loud scream. It makes him laugh his full body suit off.

Kankri: Video Essay Breadtuber. He makes those 2-4 hour long videos stitched together and scripted about different pieces of pop-culture or the current thing on social media through a lens of social justice, but his version of social justice happens to be morally condescending and judgmental. The average title of his essays would be stuff like “Michael Bay’s Transformers, the uncritical advocate for the patriarchy.” And you know these get dislike bombed into hell and back. A surprising theme of many of his video essays is the themes of sex and family dynamics. These essays commonly conclude that the only liberating relationship is lesbian polyamory and men should be celibate to save their sperm for the next generation of people to be raised.

Meulin: 100% a drama channel that covers recent topics, like Penguin0 but Charlie is a cat lady and the video focus is much more on people than online trends. Meulin loves to speculate and draw diagrams on the personalities and types each person has and what other e-celebs are the most compatible with. This discussion goes off topic from the actual events happening and usually becomes a nuisance. The neat thing is all her videos have working subtitles, since she wants deaf people like her to enjoy her content as well!

Porrim: Lifestyle Blogger. Porrim wants to show the world there’s a different way for women to love by and their own way to go, so she bought a farm and raised herself in the homestead. She likes to do many things around the house, like home improvement, cattle handling, cooking and cleaning, and decoration. Her audience is such a mix because her subscriber base is both lesbians that want a pretty lady like her and misogynistic guys who view her as a “tradwife” who is missing a worthy husband. She has the most subscribers out of any channel, reaching 750k subscribers and getting her own Youtube awards.

Latula: She’s quite the gamer. She reviews video games and loves to livestream her playing various Esports titles like League of Legends or Street Fighter. She encourages her subscribers to stay physically fit and active, and her Youtube shorts consist entirely of a Go-Pro recording her doing sick skateboarding tricks. When she’s not recording anything she’s miserable and uses Mituna as an emotional crutch to keep her happy. Kankri also tries to call and text her, but Latula never replies.

Aranea: She loves to talk about things that happened and her opinion on them. She is the Sarah Z of the Homestuck cast. Her focus, similar to Sarah Z is also on fanfiction and fandom culture. Her Youtube channel has about 225k subscribers but her Tumblr blog only has 20k. Such is the rot of this hellsite.

Horuss: Men’s Advice Channel. The twist for Horuss that deviates himself from the likes of fitness YouTubers or pickup artists is he actually strives to be a Beta Male. He makes videos with titles like “don’t let the others get in your head, Beta is Better” or “Smile and keep quiet, you will be rewarded” and goes on and on about being submissive, obedient, and empathetic are actually the good things men should do and Alpha Males get it all wrong and push women away with their misguided masculinity.

Kurloz: he’s the silent type. His videos probably would be more akin to artistic performances or interpretative dancing. Kurloz’s way of dancing, however, is more akin to doing mime things and charades than bodily rhythmic motion and expressionism. In a way, doing mine shit is one of the greatest ways to express one’s self through silent theatre.

Cronus: He’s the nerd. To try and connect with humankind as much as oossible and be humankin he has tried to buy as much content and toys from human media as possible to connect and act like a human. He 100% has a wall of Funko Pops, and he wants to show you them.

Meenah: She’s a Sims Youtuber, but instead of making silly guys from cartoons and TV shows interact with each other, all her episodes involve her ex-friend group and the Alpha kids. She likes to play God, randomly rewarding and punishing her sims in ways she sees fit. She finally has the control she always wanted, and amazingly she has 400k people subscribed to her antics.

Wow the alpha trolls were quite a group, now onto more familiar faces!

Alpha kids/

Jane: baking and food palette channel! Her cooking skills are unrivaled, and she’s even sold a few books on how to cook like her. While her cookbooks are good for generally feeding yourself with delicious recipes, her Youtube channel is more focused on fun and entertaining an audience. Her spin is every plate she makes is treated like a detective story. The ingredients for the recipe are used as clues for a crime scene, and she even uses tape, chalk outlines, and utensils in plastic bags as props for her investigation. Every crime is solved when the culprit is revealed to be the completed dish and the crimes they commit vary from wanting to not be eaten, or first degree homicide against multiple minors (don’t worry the minors in this case are chicken eggs)

Roxy: Genetics and Cat videos. Roxy is a cat breeder Youtuber that wants to show you how to make a cat even without a mate, and she does this through the wonders of ectobiology! She has tips and tricks for how to set up your ectobiology machine, how to track your cat through space and time. How paradox clones are made and when you can retrieve your cat at the right time, and most importantly, how to store freak clones of your favorite pet. Dave has gone on her channel to explain and show how animals are preserved in resin (yeah remember that’s a thing Dave liked to do? Reread his introduction pages back on Act 2)

Dirk: Animation and Story channel. Trying to pick up off of Dave Strider’s work on Sweet Bri and Hella Jeff, Dirk has took it on his own to create the next generation of incredible irony. He has made a 134 episode comic series about Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff coming across a portal to a parallel universe where they meet their bizarro twins, Sweet Jeff and Hella Bro. The webseries has it all, a simple start full of lighthearted shitposting and comedy evolving into a metanarrative about the nature of humanity, the struggles between stoicism and the desire to be loved and vulnerable to others, a Geromy redemption arc and a plot thread involving the Mane Six from My Little Pony becoming REAL. It’s considered the greatest work of Internet culture since Problem Sleuth 2: The case of the Midnight Crew.

Jake: Reaction Channel. Jake does not have a creative bone in his body, and rarely an original thought, but what he absolutely loves to do is support his friends, so he made a reaction channel where he reacts to the videos other people have made. He’s reacted to a lot of content, like all of the Alpha and Beta kids content, Karkat’s rant videos, Equius’s electrical engineering work and even some aloha trolls like Latula and Mituna. It’s the lowest bar for Youtuber content but tbh Jake is a page and it’ll be a while until he reaches his full potential and starts making his true calling: videos of himself shooting things from very far away. He’s a Marksman still getting used to his aim.

Yeeeeah! I did it woooooo all alpha trolls and kids done!

These are so goddamn good!