#I ended up dusting my whole figure shelf getting these pictures

[ridiasfangirlings]

can you show off your K collection?

The whole collection, you say :D I have a lot, so under the cut so as not to clutter up everyone’s dash.

First: figures. The large military figures are from Alter and the slightly smaller Fushimi one is from Union Creative. The Alter ones are better quality but honestly I like the more dynamic pose of the UC figure better, there’s a matching Yata that I don’t own largely due to lack of space that’s very cool (however the UC Fushimi also has a truly terrifying alternate face…). The larger chibi figures are lottery prizes, I bought them separately in order to be sure I got what I wanted. I like the winter ones best, someday I need to get the Munakata from that set. The smaller figures are a Niitengo Deluxe set, I actually have a couple duplicates from this because I bought two sets. The ‘regular’ set had Mikoto and then there was a special set — I think it was an Animate exclusive? — that had Munakata along with alternate Fushimi and Yata figures. Then I have the teeny Shiro, Fushimi and Hisui which are keychains, I picked those up at a con (they didn’t have Yata which is why I ended up with Shiro and Hisui in there). 

Also on the figure end I have these little guys: K nendoroids! Wait, you may be wondering, I don’t remember any K nendoroids. That’s because we have no official ones (still mad about that!) so I had no choice but to make my own by modifying parts of existing nendoroids. The clothes were purchased from various places online.

Next is my full set of K nuis. It took a while to get all these, because when they released the ‘clansmen’ sets I only bought the Blue clan and then regretted it. And no, they didn’t make an official Niki nui, since I had extras I modified them. Hidaka, Benzai, Niki and Douhan are my own customs.

More plushies. I believe the larger ones were Sega prizes? I found Munakata and Fushimi being sold as a set online and then hunted down Yata later. The chubby birds are from the Chun Colle line, and of course I had to buy them their own (love) nest. The Saru cat had the clothes sold separately, I think the original listing showed them with a white cat but the black was all AmiAmi had at the time so I have black cat Saru. The Sarumi nuis are from the second release around ROK airing, they’re a bit different than the first release — a little less chubby with more scruffy hair. I have Munakata too, as you can see he’s…busy on top of my desk. 

Standees, because everyone needs a little anime boy on their desk. As you may notice, one of these things is not like the other. That’s right: Yata’s wearing bunny ears! Also Kuroh is there. At the time I bought the little Fushimi with the drink the cheapest one on sale had both Fushimi and Kuroh being sold as a set, so he’s here too. 

Speaking of standees, here’s a few more along with other lotto prizes. These were all from the specific Fan Clan lotteries, you had to be a member to draw. The big Fushimi picture and the water bottle were both grand prizes that I managed to win, so I got to choose my character for those (…don’t  ask how much I spent….). The Fushimi picture has hardware in the back that you can use to stand it up but it’s mostly hanging out hidden by my drawers because I don’t have space to display it right now. 

A few miscellaneous things. The Sarumi plate is official goods, the Akiben cup is a fan made product. The glass has Fushimi on one side and Munakata on the other though it’s hard to see, this was I believe also a lotto prize but I got it as a free gift from a shopping service. The pillows are also both official, the one on the left is the Kotobukiya dream cushion and yes I did buy the whole pillow just to use the Fushimi cover. The incredibly gay pillow featuring Fushimi touching himself while looking at a photo of Yata he’s pinned to his pillow is also, amazingly, 100% official merchandise.

Jumping around to some more official stuff, these are all my physical media. Missing Kings is actually the Japanese release, which has subtitles but no dub. It released before the US version even had a release date on the books so I bought the Japanese version instead (I don’t dislike the dub but dubs are also not something that’s a dealbreaker for me). I also have three stage plays — fun fact, the US and Japan are in the same region for blu ray — these are not subtitled. 

Novels (and a couple CDs). From the top left, we have the All Memories book, Case Files vol 2, Lost Small World, Idol K, the little short story booklet that came with the pre-MK S4 drama CD (with the glasses drama on it), the three anime adaptation books, the aforementioned drama CD and the Idol K CD. 

Next, manga. The top left corner is the K Poe Backs book, which has a bunch of mini first person comics of the cast seducing ‘you’ the reader. The top right is the K Maniacs book which is an official doujinshi book, it has no pairings but a lot of older Sarumi doujinshi artists are involved and Fushimi and Yata definitely dominate the book. I have the special Animate of editions of Gakuen K volume 3 and Missing Kings, because I liked the covers. The LSW books are all the special editions as well, the little booklet on the bottom right came with the final volume. The booklet between the two volumes of Days of Blue also came with that second volume and has the special Cherry Blossom Viewing chapter. (Meanwhile I just realized I don’t have Return of Kings….I need to buy that, I like the art.)

Some more random goods. The purse, hat and watch are all from Super Groupies collabs. I have the Super Groupies S4 wallet as well but it felt weird to take a picture of my own wallet (incidentally, if anyone sees the Super Groupies S4 earrings let me know, I didn’t have my ears pierced when they came out so I didn’t buy them and I want them now). The necklace was for Fushimi’s birthday, there’s a couple Yata ones that were made as well and another Fushimi one that’s blue but this is the only one I bought, it has a tiny S4 logo. The two tins are official teas that were made, the Homra one is my favorite of the two and is a pretty red. 

Some more clothes. I skipped most of the Super Groupies collab clothes for sizing reasons but these all fit and again, all are official. The shirts are from a collab with the brand Avail, they did shirts based off Shiro, Kuroh, Mikoto, Yata, Munakata and Fushimi. I have the Yata, Munakata and Fushimi ones, the puzzle piece S4 logo that’s Munakata’s is my favorite.

My wall o’ keychains. I actually have a lot of keychains on various purses so this is not all of them (I may have mentioned before that I’m also into lolita fashion so I have lots of purses, forgive me for not digging up all of them for keychain pics). The wall is missing a lot of Fushimi keychains though because they’re on my Fushimi ita bag. 

I’ll probably redo this at some point (I don’t really like backpacks so this doesn’t get worn much) but here’s a lot of my Fushimis that aren’t on other purses. I also have some new Sarumi ones I just bought, these are for the Sarumi ita bag I have in progress. This covers most of my collection, I also have a lot of posters and some magazines that aren’t convenient to get pictures of. This doesn’t count my, uh, extensive doujinshi collection either, just know that the bottom shelf and a half of my bookshelves is 90% Fushimi-centric doujinshi. I may be ever so slightly obsessed. 

[poisonsage808]

ModernAU!Sandor Clegane x Reader (III)

trigger warnings: references to sex, drinking, swearing, gregor and gregor involved trauma, mentions of car crash, mentions of therapy, angst

• Sandor asks if you have allergies just to be extra sure you don’t die on his watch

• You may or may not be joking when you tell him sesame seeds because you send laughing emojis afterwards

• He’s not risking it, the seasoning is sealed into a plastic bag and put in the very back of the highest shelf of his kitchen

• Ends up glad he did, you’re very allergic to sesame seeds you just find the story behind it hilarious

• “I’m eating pasta and suddenly- hives! Mytongue was so swollen I couldn’t talk. The doctor does like three blood tests and can’t figure it out. Mom’s livid, she leaves and comes back with every ingredient for her pasta and has me eat it. Everyone was freaking out the whole time, my dad kept saying ‘who in the seven hell's allergic to that?’. I eat that tiny seed and blow up like a balloon again. When we got home I looked at my dad and said ‘who the fuck’s allergic to sesame seeds?’. First time ever he let me swear.”

• Sandor actually finds the story entertaining but he goes home and decides to throw out the seeds. Just to be extra, extra safe.

• It’s really cute how nervous you both are over the fact it’s a “date” and not a “hangout”. An actual for real life date!

• You’ve had exactly two serious partners before but something or the other led to a breakup. Then there wasn’t much time for dating in college, the one person you were into then didn’t want more from you than to “scratch an itch”

• Which is more what Sandor’s used to. One night stands, “friends” with benefits (benefits part was accurate at least) was his comfort zone but Sandor’s been on dates before! He can count them on one hand but hey, it’s more than he ever expected to receive

• You have a cheek hurting smile on your face when he opens the door and one reusable bag in each hand. Sandor steps back to let you inside, closing the door afterwards and following you into the kitchen.

• “Tell me ya didn’t carry all that with you on the bus.”

• (He’s offered to drive you around if he was able. He really hates knowing you rely on the bus at night, especially when you joke that you’re 99% confident you’re sitting next to a murderer. It’s the only time he doesn’t appreciate those jokes)

• “I didn’t,” You reassure him while placing the bags on the counter, “My roommate dropped me off.”

• Sandor grunts and steps directly behind you, his chest almost brushing against your back, so he can peer into the bags you’re unpacking. He can clearly see the red dusting your cheeks but doesn’t comment on it, which you’re grateful for. On his counter is two six packs of beer, a northern brand you’ve seen him drink before as well as a bottle of fruity, southern wine.

“You tryin’ to get me drunk?”

You scoff out a laugh, “Please, this isn’t even enough to get you tipsy.”

Finally you start to pull out a neatly wrapped box with a bow on top, shiny blue and greens.

“What’s this?” Sandor reaches for it and barks out in surprise when you smack his hand away.

“Your present— don’t you dare open it until I say so!” You demand while pointing a finger at him.

Now, Sandor didn’t like being told what to do… but he really liked when you were bold like that around him... so he rolls his eyes and surrenders his hands while he stalks further into the kitchen

• He lived in a single story house. Three closed doors, the one that was open was obviously a bathroom. The living room was adjacent to the kitchen, a black leather couch sat across from a fair sized tv. There was no dining table but the countertop had two barstools on the other side

• It was clean and very Sandor but very.. spacious. Empty. There were hardly any pictures or personal touches and that made your heart ache for inexplicable reasons

• The kitchen seems the most used out of everything else you’ve seen so you slink over to Sandor’s side.

• On the stove is a large pot that steams as he stirs its containments. Soup from what you can see, it’s colorful and smells amazing! You tell him so

• You occupy Sandor’s right side, he immediately knows that expression on your face means you want to ask him a question,

“Get no more than ten, make ‘em count.”

“How long have you been cooking?”

He hums, glancing at you then the clock on the oven, “An hour? Maybe.”

Your smile returns with a small giggle, “I meant, like, over your whole life.”

Sandor gives you a look that makes you feel smaller than you already are next to him, “No ya didn’t.”

You giggle and feign innocence. It doesn’t work so with a roll of your eyes and always that grin you admit, “No, I didn’t, but now I’m curious.”

“Always been good at it. Father said it was women’s work but,” The man talks as he carefully maneuvers around you, pulling open a drawer you stood in front of and plucking a metal spoon from it, “At the academy, there’s no women to cook. The boys take turns making meals.”

• (Sandor mentioned this before, the military academy he lived in from 14-18 years old, however it was the first time he’s ever brought up his father. He had to have one of course but sometimes you wondered if Sandor Clegane just appeared one day, he’s literally not once brought up his family!)

• You want to ask more but the minute you open your mouth, Sandor holds a spoonful of soup in front of your face. His palm hovers under your chin, to catch any drops but you’re painfully aware how he’s deliberately not touching you

“S’not poison,” He smirks, “Taste it.”

• You hate the way your knees go weak. Quickly you accept the sample and invite yourself to sit on the counter as he moves away

“Too spicy? Yer face is pretty red, killer.” Sandor chuckles and it makes your blush worsen.

• When you get control of yourself, you do tell him that it tastes amazing. He reaches over the counter with ease placing two full bowls beside each other then soon after a loaf of bread joins them

“Y’know it’s cheating if you bought the bread.”

Sandor sounds equally smug, “Didn’t cheat then.”

• He made bread. For you. Do you know how long it takes to do that!? Sandor Clegane baked bread for your date!

• You take pictures of the food before digging in. Sandor gives you a funny look about it and says, “Gettin’ that proof of your last meal, killer?”

Your grin widens at the nickname, “Hate to disappoint, but it looks really good and I wanted a picture— thank you, by the way.”

He shrugs like it wasn’t a big deal, “I take it you’re not a cook.”

“I’ll have you know I’m a pro at turning on my oven! Wait, that sounded dirty…” Sandor chuckles and shakes his head, “I just don’t have the time so I usually eat at work. Free bagels for breakfast and I’m at a job site with Dan, he caters for whoever’s there.”

“If you wanna keep that cafe job, y’might wanna stop stealin’,” He chides with a smirk, “Your boss already has it out for you.”

You laugh and cover your mouth to hide the fact you almost choked on the soup he made, “He won’t fire me, he probably won’t even let me quit! I’ll be chained up in the back and only let out to work morning shifts, slipping you notes to rescue me.”

Sandor snorts as he stands up and moves into the kitchen to get seconds and a drink. While on the other side of the counter, he opens the wine you brought but only pours one glass, setting it in front of you.

You exaggerate a gasp and cover your mouth to feign shock, “How the tables have turned!”

“Oh shut it.” He rolls his eyes and turns to his fridge so you can’t see his smirk.

• Sandor finds himself time and time again relieved that you understand his personality. There’s moments where his bark borderlines on an actual growl but you haven’t been deterred. Not yet anyways. It’s.. an odd but a welcome change.. kind of like you

• Dishes in the sink, two glasses of wine and four beers later, your questions have surpassed the limit of ten. Sandor unintentionally turned it into a drinking game, claiming it was the only way to tolerate your curiosity. It’s drink or answer and as suspected he’s much more sober than you at this point. You’re holding your alcohol well, calling yourself an open book and nibbling on bread to keep up.

You sat on opposite ends of his couch. You on the right, crossed legged, holding the cup with two hands to be extra cautious while Sandor leaned back in his spot, one long arm draped along the back of the couch and his other hand occupied by a full beer can.

Suddenly you gasp, “Lemme see an old picture of you!”

“That’s not a question,” Sandor muses, “and no.”

“Can I see one? Look, I’ll find one of me and it’ll be a fair trade!”

He wants to say no. He could say no. He’s never had trouble saying the fucking word before! Sandor hadn’t willingly taken a picture in years, the most recent one he had was taken at the DMV because it was mandatory. He knows you wouldn’t battle him or whine if he flat out declined but he doesn’t know why he can’t

“I’d.. have to look.” He scratches the scruff of his beard.

You had your phone out, scrolling deep through your camera roll when you noticed the energy in the room shift. You made him uncomfortable. Your grin faltered but you were determined to save the moment, dropping your phone to the space between you and waving your hand around. “Wait, I wanna change my question! What did you wanna be when you were younger?”

Sandor grimaces and takes a swig from the bottle he held. Another sore subject, nice going genius. Fuck. You chew the inside of your cheeks trying to think of how to fix this but Sandor interrupts your thoughts,

“Y’know, ya ask me a million questions a day and not once have you asked me about it.”

You don’t need elaboration to know he’s talking about his scar. Your brows pinch together and any traces of a smile officially disappear, “I figured you’d tell me if you wanted to.”

“‘n if I never wanted to?” His tone is bitter but not angry, “We’d just go on pretending it wasn’t there?”

You tap a finger against the glass before reaching for your phone, “I guess.. I kinda know what it feels like,” it takes less than a second to find the photo you were searching for and you hand it over to Sandor, “When people see you and make assumptions.”

He frowns at your reply but takes your phone and looks down at the picture you wanted him to see. The only familiar face is you, holding the handles of a wheelchair directly in front of you and sitting in it is a man.

“That’s my dad,” You point out. Sandor assumes and the woman standing to your right must be your mother, “I won’t pretend it’s the same at all but everyone would look at us like.. oh, poor (Y/L/N)’s. It.. sucked and I wasn’t even the one..” You sigh deeply and struggle to meet his eyes, “It sucked and I didn’t want to make you feel that way. I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to pretend your scar wasn’t there. I was hoping you would tell me if you ever decided to, I wanted to know you on your terms.”

You purse your lips to the side when Sandor hands your phone back to you. He breaks the silence by standing, “Wait here.” he commands softly. Something about his voice made you wonder if he thought you would leave.

Sandor takes his time in his room debating if he really wants to go through with this as he reaches into a tightly sealed plastic box. The night sure as hell couldn’t get any worse, why the fuck not he decides. So the man returns with a picture frame and offers it to you hesitantly, still standing. Young Sandor Clegane, 16 if you had to guess, in a perfectly pressed uniform and side cap, standing with his hands behind his back. The oldest in the picture, you assume is his dad, is on his left with a girl in a pale yellow dress. She’s the only one that's smiling, it’s weak but there. On Sandor’s right with a hand clasped on his shoulder is a man taller than everyone else.

He watches the way the corner of your lip quirks up as you study the picture. Sandor sits in the middle of the couch, still giving you a fair amount of space between you, and ghosts a finger above each person in the picture.

“My sister ‘n our father,” He hovers his index over the largest man and the name that comes is uttered with such hatred it freezes your blood, “That’s Gregor.”

From his other hand Sandor surrenders a faded polaroid, tinged with orange. The faces in it aren’t clear but you can make out the same people from above, this time everyone’s younger and a woman stands beside his father.

“Is that your mom?” You ask with a widening grin, “You look just like her.”

“Aye, that’s what everyone else said too. Gregor and Eleanor took after our father.”

Each blink you look between the pictures and your smile fades. In the older one, Sandor has no scar and a mother and in the other is the opposite.

“Mum knew somethin’ wasn’t right with him.” He sighs, “She tried tellin’ father but he wouldn’t listen, tried to take me and Eleanor one night but he stopped her. She left anyways.”

“I was six. I wanted to be a firefighter then, like Gregor did. He said we couldn’t both be.. said I didn’t have what it takes. One night Gregor waited ‘till our father and sister went to sleep, woke me up ‘n brought me into the yard. He lit a fire and just.. watched me try to put it out. When I realized I couldn’t, I went to get father and he grabbed me. Pushed me down and held my face in the fire ‘till father heard me screamin’.”

You stack the pictures over each other and slowly lean your head on Sandor’s shoulder. He turns his head slightly, looking down at you and somehow finds it easier to continue talking, “Father put it out and took me to the hospital. Told everyone I was playin’ with matches, started the fire got what I deserved. I hated my mum for leavin’ when she did but I took the first chance I got to do the same.”

You hear him tapping on the picture frame before your eyes fall to his hand, “This was the last time I saw my sister. Eleanor went missin’ then father died and left everything to Gregor... Just him and I now.”

“Sandor...” Your voice was so… soft and hesitant.

Anxious he’s heard you, irritated, flirtatious but gentle? Never before has Sandor Clegane felt the way he did when he felt your body shift beside him. Hovering over his lap now, you wrapped your arms around his neck and held onto him. He can feel his heart pounding in his chest and ringing in his ears, the lump in his throat that threatens to choke him and the unfamiliar sting in his eyes that he hasn’t felt in… Gods, when was the last time he cried?

“I’m so sorry they didn’t protect you, Sandor.” You whispered, chin on his shoulder.

Sandor’s breath hitches. He doesn’t know what to say or do but he doesn’t want you to go so he rests a hand on your back, “‘s fine.”

“It’s not but I know you’re only saying that ‘cause you’re done talking about it.”

You’ve been hanging around him too much if you know that. It’s uncomfortable talking about his past, his family and suddenly he feels immensely guilty for dumping it all onto you.

“Crappy first date, huh?”

“Shut up.” But your arms tighten around him and he can hear the weak smile in your voice.

Slowly yet all too soon you pull away to sit back on the couch, only this time with your thighs touching Sandor’s.

“Thank you for telling me. Have you told anyone else about that?” You ask carefully, unsure of how much more he would allow you to pry.

“My shrink,” he admits with another nervous scritch at his beard.

“Oh, that’s great—!” You slap a hand over your mouth, “Sorry, I just meant it’s great you have a therapist. Y’know because a lot of… I had one! I-I’ll just stop talking.”

Sandor eases your tension with a playful eye roll, “Don’t start now, I just got used to your yappin’.”

There’s an awkward but light chuckle shared between the two of you. Slowly you rest your head back against Sandor’s arm, “It’s not a crappy date, by the way. Well? I don’t think so. We never did small talk, it’s about time we told each other our tragic backstories.”

The man hums before lifting his arm to tuck you into his side, silently elated when you fold your legs under your butt and turn your body to lay your head on his chest, “Your turn then?”

“Mine is a lot shorter, it happened when I was still in highschool. Dad told me for weeks to take my car into the shop and I didn’t. It’s stupid looking back, I wish I listened and just did it the first time. Anyways, we argued, finally I said I’d go but he took the keys and said he'd do it himself.. and the brakes gave out on the way. A truck hit him and totaled the car. Mom and I waited in the hospital for hours until he was out of surgery. The doctor said he wouldn’t walk again and I, ugh, I vomited. The whole way up to see dad I was so sure he would say it’s all my fault, or I told you so… He said he was so glad it wasn’t me.”

You didn’t realize you’d been picking at your nails until Sandor’s spare hand came to stop it, gently engulfing your fingers into the warmth of his palm.

“Now you’re scared to drive.”

“Now I’m scared to drive. The whole thing fucked me up. I had a therapist too for a couple years but when I moved here I felt fine enough to stop calling.”

Sandor scoffs out a laugh, “Isn’t that their job to tell ya if you’re fine or not?”

Luckily you’re unphased by his possible insensitivity but do feign annoyance, “I see your point but I got a bunch of tools and exercises for my anxiety, I dealt with my guilt, I just don’t wanna drive. Plus, it’s not like I can never go back or change my mind.” Your eyes dart to where Sandor holds both your hands in one of his, “What about you?”

He shrugs, “I’ll quit when he tells me I’m cured.”

The giggle that bubbles from you is tired but genuine. Isn’t it funny how drained someone can get just from talking?

Sandor smiles though you can’t see, “Alright, killer. Can we get back to your game now?”

“You mean you still want to play after I just ruined our date with it? I thought you would’ve kicked me out by now.”

“Didn’t ruin it,” he squeezes your hands reassuringly.

• After that hiccup, the tension in the air evaporated as your night together went on. Cuddled up on Sandor’s couch, conversation flowed as naturally as it did between you two, what with you doing most of the chatting or asking questions. Occasionally there was a choppy tangent of another intimate detail from one of you but nothing quite as heavy as before

• Odd, Sandor kept thinking to himself. Odd but not so uncomfortable that he wished the couch would swallow him whole so he could get away from the topic. Not just yet was it a welcomed change but he’ll admit it was easier than it ever has been. Still he was careful not to overshare

• Around 9pm your roommate texted and said they were on the way to pick you up. Sandor helped you gather your things and swore for a second time that he wouldn’t open the gift you brought him. He walked you to the door when you spun on your heel to stop him from opening it. He knew that damn expression so well, he groans while you grin like a madman.

“Last question, I promise! What are my odds of getting a second date?”

“Depends… Do ya count a work party as a date?”

You grin, knowing exactly where this is going, “Absolutely I do. Especially if it involves softball and especially, especially if we’re on opposite teams.”

♡ [I], [II], [III]

[svchengss]

two halves | l.mh

PAIRING. mark lee x reader

GENRE. fluff, heavy angst

WARNINGS. major character death, grief

WORD COUNT. 2.4k

SUMMARY. right after his death, mark watches how you cope with the loss

A/N. i saw this one tiktok and it kinda inspired me to write this

// just to let you guys know, reblogs and feedbacks are appreciated !! thank you for reading :D

white walls, white room.

mark scrunched his face, his eyelashes slowly fluttering open, the dark brown iris adjusting the size of the pupils due to the brightness of the walls reflected upon it. a soft groan vibrating from his throat, he assessed his surroundings where nobody or nothing else is present. he looked down to inspect his clothing, hoping that it would give him any clue of this room or space he’s in - an all white outfit. this scene looks exactly like the one in the movies where the characters realize they are dead. except this time, he really is.

THE REALIZATION.

the muffled sounds of cries and sobs rang through his eardrums, triggering a reflex to wake up from the state that he thought was a slumber. he is lying on the hospital bed with the light blue clothing piece, faint light illuminating the space where people are huddled up around him. he waved his right hand in the air to let them - who he later remembered as his family members and friends, know that his eyes are already open. nobody moved even the slightest, the atmosphere being very much dead, scent of medicine intoxicating his mind.

then he saw someone who he holds very dear to his heart - you, enter the hospital room, dropping onto her knees as soon as she saw his state of condition. in an instant, he shot up from his lying position and ran over towards the crying you, shoulders shaking and all. bringing his hands to hold you in his embrace, not even a glance spared by you brought a hundred and one questions to him. why didn’t anybody acknowledge him when he woke up? why can’t you feel his touch?

“mark lee. time of death, 10:23 pm,” the tall doctor with glasses rested on the bridge of his nose announced before leaving the room, holding the clipboard close to his chest. mark gauged the monitor screen next to the bed, the line indicating his heartbeat is no longer showing spikes going up and down - instead becoming a flat line, deafening beep present with it. then he sees himself still laying on the white sheets, eyes still closed and no signs of breathing evident. a surge of panic rushed through his veins.

this can’t be real.

mark rushed into the bathroom, a surprised gasp leaving his lips. his body is semi-transparent, the shape of the toilet bowl can be seen through his left shoulder. his body shakes with terror, slapping himself in the cheeks multiple times just to make sure that this whole fiasco is just a nightmare.

oh my god. no, this is real.

mark stood in the back of the crowd, witnessing the funeral of someone and that someone being him. of course, he’s never expected to get the sight of his own service. his mother is standing beside you, her hands rubbing circles onto your back in an attempt to calm your mourning state. you’re still looking ever so pretty, a black chiffon dress on your body with white pearl necklace on your collarbones and your wavy black hair hanging down your shoulders. not that anybody else would notice, it’s someone’s death after all.

“stay strong, y/n. he will always be in our hearts,” the same rhythm of sentence in tones full of pity being directed towards you. mark’s sister enveloped you into a warm hug despite the chilly atmosphere, whispering comforting words into your ears before getting into the family’s car. you’re not going back home, not yet when you still feel reluctant to let him go.

“why did you leave me?” the only coherent words from your hoarse voice can be heard. mark, who is crouching next to you, is holding his tears back. instead, he sends a sorrowful smile - not that you can see him anyway. is there any way to let you know of his presence?

“goodbye, love. i’ll see you tomorrow. i promise,” you dusted the back of your dress from any dirt or debris, leaving a rose on his tombstone. the thing is, he doesn’t want to part from you. and that’s why his figure is seated beside you in the cab. he grazed his thumb on your knuckles, making you feel tingles rushing through. you pushed the slight thought away, you must be tired to be feeling things.

you slowly opened the door to your apartment, you and mark’s to be exact. the whole house is making those memories make their presence in the back of your head again. the kitchen where you two baked cookies for christmas last year. the bedroom where you snuggled upon his chest, not wanting to start your day just yet. the piano where he sang those cheesy songs for you. the living room where you slow danced at 3 in the morning. his favourite mug resting on the countertop, probably will not be used again. this whole situation is too overwhelming for you. you feel weak.

with each day passing by, you didn’t even miss one without a visit to his resting lot. you would tell him stories of how your day went or something that you read which would made him ponder. the words carved on it are already etched onto your brain.

mark lee. a son, a brother and a loving partner.

the clock hanging on the grey wall has it’s arms stretched out to display the time - two in the morning. you can’t sleep just yet, not having any for the past few days even. dark circles are appearing around your eyes, not yet recovered from the puffiness from all the crying. mark’s heart aches everytime he takes upon your state. he feels very guilty, not that death was his choice after all. it’s simply fate, a cycle of life, a destiny that every single creature on this planet will end up with.

you’ve taken the whole month off work, still feeling ever so helpless. in fact, you can’t even remember the last time you’ve stepped out of the apartment, the night before his passing perhaps? you’ve completely shut yourself out from any interactions - deactivating your social media, not accepting any calls. you just need time to heal.

as if you’re being controlled by some type of mastermind, you shoot up on the balls of your feet, pulling away from the couch. those images of you slow dancing with mark, hands in each other’s holds, your chin rested in the crook of his neck and being ever so engrossed in love are coming back more often now. you trudged to the vinyls arranged neatly on the shelf, picking one before placing it on the turntable - frank sinatra, one of his all time favourites.

holding your hands up at about his usual height, you start twirling around. you can almost see the outline of his smile, his features right in front of you. except, he is. he’s been observing your moves the whole night. mirroring your current position, as if you can really see him, it’s a miracle for him. overjoyed actually, he doesn’t realize the salty tears streaming down his cheekbones and so are yours.

“thank you for coming, dear. it’s a pleasure seeing you in what, weeks?” a laugh escaped the woman’s lips. you reciprocated her hug before stepping into the living room. it’s been a long time since you’ve been here, was it in january? mrs. lee had invited you over for a simple dinner, checking up on how you’ve been. you can see that the family is still struggling over his passing, the way his sister’s eyes are not twinkling as usual makes it hard to cover up the lie.

“you see, this was on his high school graduation day. he was very happy that day, doing all sorts of dances and stuff. finally escaping from hell as he said,” she giggled. she’s been displaying all sorts of memoirs to you, photo albums and photographs scattered on the wooden floor. to be honest, you’ve never seen these before. all smiles mark lee, easy to notice among the crowd. not that he’s changed, he’s still that boy now. mark just sat on the couch - his favourite spot, observing the throwback session going on. if he’s still here, his sister for sure is going to tease the hell out of him.

“he told us so much about you, you know? as if everything reminds him of you, that boy is lovestruck. really,” that sudden confession made your tongue dry, unable to find a perfect response. you were really that special to him.

“drive safe honey, you can come over whenever you want. you know you’re always welcome here, right?” mrs. lee handed you the small box filled with some things you’re going to keep. she kissed both of your cheeks, mr. lee standing behind her giving you a small wave. a small smile crept up onto your face before igniting the engine, turning your wheels out of the housing area.

the netflix show is playing on the television, the faint voices of the characters playing in the background. you’re sitting on the floor, flipping through the photo journal you two decorated throughout your one year of relationship. you can see his little scribbles and doodles, often a little dinosaur symbolising your always grumpy personality.

in one photo, a golden birthday hat is nicely placed on your head with him kissing your right cheek. you remember clearly, a surprise party for you last year. in the following ones, they are mostly candid shots - you blowing out the candles while he looks at you full of love, him eating a portion of your dish while you pout your lips. you would say it was the night of your life, spending it with the guy who stole your heart.

the next page of the journal is a shot of mark taking a photo of you in the park. you suppose it was taken by donghyuck? that one picture of you was stuck as his lock screen wallpaper for a while, you remembered getting so embarrassed over it. mark would give you the same excuse every time you questioned him about it, implying that the sight of you would light up his whole day. cheesy really, but that was what remained as memories of the past, tied neatly in your heart.

the rain trickling against your window eventually made you doze off to wonderland, creating the perfect chance for mark to browse through the journal in your hands. carefully lifting it from yours so that you won’t be stirred from your sleep, he settled down in the space beside your sleeping figure. slowly turning the pages, he smiled fondly at each photo holding a thousand moments that can’t be recreated ever again. some of them would make him giggle. he kneeled down slightly to place a soft kiss on your forehead, making you squirm a little due to the faint touch.

“give him a chance. i’m not saying that you should forget mark but it’s been months, you should live up a little,” yerim’s voice sounding concerned from the other end of the line. perhaps she’s right but you just need more time. but how much longer? you’re afraid you yourself have no specific answer for that enquiry.

you’ve been feeling better by now, welcoming people back into your life and carrying out the same daily routine of yours. going to work, buying groceries, going to the drive-thru and whatnot. of course, the void is still obvious - coming back home to an empty atmosphere instead of him waiting for you on the couch, sometimes dozing off, no more weekend cafe runs. but at least you’re trying your best. you bid your goodbyes before tapping the red button, ending the call. plopping the device onto the mattress, you stared at the white ceiling, deep in your own thoughts.

you should give him a chance. live up a little.

yes, you should.

getting hold of the phone and immediately opening the messages app, you searched for jungwoo’s number. he’s been trying to take you out for dinner for a while now. you still remember his exact words, whenever you’re ready he’s always there, waiting for you. you’re not really sure about that particular question but it wouldn't hurt to give it a try, right?

typing in the words ‘okay, sure’ is already a pressure for you but you still proceeded to press the send button. glancing at the clock showing the time, the notification ping redirected your focus onto the screen.

jungwoo: cool, is tomorrow night okay with you? i’ll drive, of course :)

tomorrow night. okay, tomorrow night.

an elegant red gown is wrapping your curves perfectly, a thin necklace with the seashell charm around your neck while your lips is decorated with the dark red tone, highlighting your poise appearance. hearing the doorbell ring, you tidied up the dresser as your eyes landed onto the picture frame holding a photo of you and mark. a sad feeling crept into your heart but you pushed it away, opening the door to reveal jungwoo in a black and white tuxedo.

you would say that the dinner went well, none of his questions or chatters crossing any borderline. he’s just so polite, even you are amused. feeling comfortable with his presence, the small gap in between is eventually closing down since you’ve learned so much about each other during the other few dates. one night completely changed it for you, him offering you a dance at some event he’s bringing you with.

you observed that his moves are slightly similar to mark’s - not completely of course, mark’s is very unique and very…mark-ish. for the first time ever in the recent turn of events, you flashed a genuine smile. one that is not just for show, one that only comes out when you’re truly elated, one that you only manage to give to certain. mark just observed the scene from a distance, admiring how you’ve managed to find the spark of happiness you once lost.

alas, mark saw his other half become full again with another, her eyes twinkling with the same joy but this time, it’s not him in the reflection.

[just-a-dumb-gay]

I Love Human Stupidity - Lady Dimitrescu X Reader - 1914 Words

Danger follows the reader wherever they go and Alcina gets the joy of witnessing them have the most disaster filled week.

Tags: Reader gender is not specified, I made Daniela a little bitchy but its funny, 5+1 Things

1 .

For once atop the mountain the weather is beautiful. You and Alcina head into the woods out back for a while. But after lunch you got restless and decided some tree climbing was a good idea. 

Alcina sits on the blanket she brought out and watches with pride as you scale one of the tallest trees with ease. You have your camera around your neck, taking pictures of every strange bug or leaf on your way up. 

You hear Alcina laugh down below when you let out a victory yell as you reach the top of the tree. 

You take a few more pictures, the surrounding woods is a stunning sight from so high up. There's also a few crows nearby that you manage to get some good pictures of. 

A dark cloud has started appearing on the horizon, and it looks like it's heading straight for Castle Dimitrescu. You start making your way down, not exactly in the mood to get caught in any heavy rainfall.

You make your way down the tree mostly with ease. Although your jeans get caught on a branch and wind up with a hole in the left leg, thankfully you are left uninjured.

When you make it nearer the bottom you hang yourself upside down from a branch, peaking your head through the leaves to say hi to Alcina.

"My dear Y/N, whatever are you doing?" She laughs.

You don't reply, you just go to pull yourself back up. But Alcinas' laughter distracts you, making you accidentally grab a weak branch. It snaps off in your hand, causing you to fall the last couple meters out the tree.

You land with a solid thud and Alcina is immediately by your side asking if you're okay. But you can't reply, you landed straight on your back and it knocked the air out of you.

A few painful moments later once you've got your breath back, you look to the branch still in your hand.

"Fuck" is all you say before laughing, 

"Please do not scare me like that." Alcina says, relieved to see you're okay.

2 .

Later in the day you and Alcina are sitting on your shared bed. She is reading and you're attempting to fix the hole in your jeans and a spot where the stitching attacking the sleeve to your shirt came undone as you fell. You were taught from a young age how to sew, but you've never been good at making it look as if there was never a hole at all.

You've already stabbed yourself a few times and Alcina always reminds you to be careful after you mumble swears under your breath. But unfortunately your needle is a little blunt and getting it through your jeans is a much larger task than your shirt. 

You push a little too hard and accidentally stab the needle into the side of your thumb, your much louder swear this time catching Alcinas attention. 

She puts her book down and retrieves a plaster from the bathroom while you're trying to inspect how deep the needle went. 

"That's twice in one day you've hurt yourself." She says as she gently takes your hand and covers the hole.

"Not really my day is it?" You laugh.

"Please at least try to be careful." 

"Believe it or not, I do try." 

Alcina just stares, waiting for an explanation. But the truth is you don't have one, danger just follows you. 

3 .

It's a quiet afternoon in the castle. You're looking around the library, looking for some inspiration to paint. You notice what appears to be a few old sketches of the castle sticking out from books on a top shelf. But there's one problem. They're almost five feet above you.

You look around for a ladder but the only one there looks ancient and ready to break if a rat tried to climb it. So, what do you do instead of asking for help like a normal person? Climb the shelves.

As you begin climbing, Daniela appears next to you nearly scaring you half to death.

"What's all this?" She asks with near to no emotion. 

"Trying to reach those sketches up there." You manage to take your hand off the shelf just long enough to point.

"Now this I want to see." She says making herself comfortable on a nearby arm chair.

You decide to just ignore her and continue your climb. 

You make reasonably quick progress, making it nearly two feet away from your goal, but the higher you go the less of a grip you can get as the books cover more of the shelves.

Pausing for a moment you try and figure out if there's an easier way to do things, but the movement as you look around causes you to lose your grip. You desperately try to grab at anything before you fall but all you succeed in doing is dragging a few books down with you.

As you're laying on the floor you can hear Daniela laughing, almost fully cackling, nearby. And barely a few seconds later you can hear Alcina's footsteps down the hall.

"What's going on here?" Alcina asks, kneeling beside you to make sure you're okay.

"I love human stupidity." Daniela says through laughter.

"Out. Now." Alcina yells, loud enough you're sure any mice in the walls just ran away.

Daniela follows her mothers order and leaves, still laughing the whole time. 

"Are you okay, my love?" Alcina asks once she thinks Daniela is out of earshot, but a loud fake gag comes from the hallway.

"Leave!" Alcina yells in her final warning tone. "What on earth were you trying to do?" She asks, her attention back to you.

"Those damn sketches on the top shelf are being stubborn." You sigh.

Alcina rolls her eyes fondly before helping you up. As you're dusting yourself off, Alcina hands you the sketches.

"Next time please ask for help." She says softly.

You pause for a moment and then simply reply with "Maybe." 

4 .

And much to Alcina's frustration, you did not ask for help the next time something was on a high shelf.

You're attempting to make yourself a late night snack, really craving pancakes for some reason you can't figure out. Daniela and the others are out hunting and as far as you're aware Alcina is in your room halfway across the other side of the castle.

You've got everything prepared. Except for the flour and sugar. Which are both on the top shelf. 

This time you're smart enough to use a chair to stand on. And all seems to start well, you get the sugar down with ease. But as you stretch on your toes to get the flour you lose your balance.

You fall to the ground, accidentally kicking the chair over as you fall. And you land with your stomach upwards covered in flour. 

You sigh in defeat, creating a flour cloud above you, and as you're wondering how you're going to explain this to Alcina the kitchen door opens.

"Y/N, I was just coming to check on you when I heard the crash. Are you okay?"

"No." You say weakly.

Alcina is immediately beside you again, checking for injuries. When You sigh again and say "I don't think there's enough flour left for pancakes." as sadly as you can manage.

Alcina looks down at you and all she can say is "What am I going to do with you?" while smiling.

5 .

You've known since you arrived at the castle that there's multiple hidden passages in the walls. From the small amount of knowledge you have of the castle's structure you've figured out the passages would be only just big enough for an ordinary sized human which is why Alcina never uses them but Daniela can be found using them to sneak around to avoid trouble.

Alcina never wanted you to explore them, she doesn't know what kind of bugs or rats are hidden in them and considering how often danger follows you she doesn't want you to get hurt. 

But eventually after a lot of asking, she handed you a torch and led you to the hidden entrance that leads to all the other passages. She leaves to read a book and allows you to explore at your own pace, and as she's walking away she warns you to be careful.

For the most part you do well guessing which room each passage ends in, and so far the hidden doors have been fairly easy to open except for a few which you've had to squeeze your way out of.

You reach the end of the final passage which you think has led you to the library, where Alcina currently is. 

You start to push the door open and quickly realize it's going to be one of the stubborn ones. You manage to squeeze half your body out, but then the worst happens. You get stuck. 

You take a moment to try and push the door, but even with your full weight it barely budged so now it's not even slightly moving. 

Alcina hears you attempting to kick the door and comes to check on you, and immediately starts laughing when she sees the position you're in.

"This is not your week is it?" She teases.

"It really isn't." You say as you toss your torch onto a nearby chair and continue trying to wiggle yourself free.

Alcina watches you for a moment to see if you can free yourself without help, but after a moment you sigh in defeat and ask her for help.

She manages to pull the door open without hurting you too much and you instantly flop down into the chair your torch is on.

Alcina sits beside you, gently taking your hand in her own as she asks if you're alright.

"I think I might've got a few splinters in my legs and stomach from that damn door, but otherwise I'm alright."

Alcina leads you back to your room to help you remove the splinters, but not without giving you a safety lecture on the way. 

+1

Daniela tracked some mud in with her late during the night probaly from hunting, but has been nowhere to be found all day to clean up the mess she's made. Alcina had to go into town so you decided to clean up the mess to kill some time.

You started by the front door and have made your way upstairs to the balcony that overlooks the main entrance. But you don't hear Alcina come in over the sound of your headphones.

But what you dohear during the quiet second between songs is a loud thud from down below.

You look over the balcony and see Alcina sitting stunned on the floor, with a freshly mopped and still wet spot by her feet.

"Careful, it's slippery." You tease, Alcina gives you a playful glare and you hold your hands up in defense. "I'm just glad that wasn't me." You laugh, finally happy to be the one danger doesn't hit.

"Did you really do all this without falling once?" Alcina asks as you make your way down the stairs to greet her.

"Yes, I di-" your proud sentence gets cut short as you slip and fall down the last four stairs.

You're stunned for a second but soon the only thing that can be heard is you and Alcina laughing at each others clumsiness.

The End

Prompts from 4 anons:

1 - Lady Dimitrescu with a reader who does a lot crafty things like sewing or something with sharp objects but are also accident prone and pricks themselves or something.

2 - the reader somehow imjures themselves and Alcina scolds them for not being careful but it's bc shes really worried so she takes care of them and comforts them in the end

3 - I'm just imagining Lady Dimitrescu with a very clumsy reader / s/o would be like. Just umagine maybe it's a chill afternoon and it's quiet in the castle. Alcina might be reading something in that main area, down the stairs, and suddenly there is a crash from one of the rooms. She rushes over in concern, opens the door and sees us just lying on the floor. She jst hears a small "I'm okay!" and she goes over to us to gently help us up. maybe going "What on earth were you trying to do, my love?"

"Trying to reach the top shelf for >Insert supply here<"

+1 - Imagine Alcina slipping and falling, like, the noise that's bound to make, and you'd know it was her cause you'd just hear a loud ass thud LMAO

[20moonchild21]

𝗦𝗲𝗵𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵𝘁 [𝗯𝘁𝘀]

⇉ 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 6

[pairings]

JK x female!oc, bunny!Hybrid!JK x human!female!oc, Jin x female!oc, leopard!Hybrid!Jin x human!female!oc, JK x female!oc x Jin

[warnings]

Describing of injuries, mentions of suffering, mentions of former abuse, traumatized Jin, angst, crying

[words]

4.4k

[author]

I hope you all have an amazing Sunday today! I am still stuck in my exam period, but fortunately it will be over soon🙏🏼

If you are interested in a Jimin!Hybrid Story, I can highly recommend you to read Inferiority complex written by the cutest author ever @starlightauroras-main! Please, check out her profile and leave her a lot of likes and motivating comments. She deserves it so much!

Also, check out the the other profiles that inspired me to write my own story. You will find the links to their profiles below this chapter.

If you have an other recommendations or criticism for me, I am always open for it!

Stay healthy and safe!

Mꨄ

[chapter 5 ||| chapter 7]

“Now, if you press this button the camera will snap a photo.” She explained to Jungkook, who was staring at the smart phone in her hand.

“A photo.” He just whispered to himself, before he carefully took the small piece of metal out of the girl’s hand.

He turned the phone in all direction, slide his fingers over it and even lifted it up towards his nose to sniff it. His eyebrows cocked up, before he let it sink down again. Carefully, he tipped his finger right in the middle of the touchscreen. When nothing happened, he looked confused and turned it again, before he suddenly began to shake it up and down wildly in his hands.

“Hey, hey, hey!” The girl laughed, as she tried to stop his moving arm. “Be careful, Jungkook. It’s really breakable. If you want to take a picture, you have to press here. Look.”

The girl took the phone back and stood up from the couch. She kneeled herself in front of the bunny Hybrid, who was once again looking at her with wide eyes.

“Say cheeeessseeee.” She said in hight voice, hoping that he would smile for her.

Of course he didn’t smile. In fact, his confused eyes flickered to his right side, trying to get an answer from his brother, who was sitting at the very end of the couch to Jungkook’s right side. He was looking up from the book he had asked for permission to read earlier, his face showed the same confusedness as Jungkook’s face.

When Jungkook had showed him the girl’s book shelf earlier, his eyes had caught the colourful cover of the big cookbook which she got from her mom when she moved into her very first apartment. He hadn’t exactly asked her to read it, but the girl had seen the way his eyes had moved over towards the bookshelf from time to time, like he was bursting with curiousness.

When she had told him, that he was free to read the book whenever he would like to, he first had shaken his head, but eventually he had shyly asked her again while the three of them were sitting on the couch. Since then, he had been sitting accurately at the end of the sofa, completely absorbed in the pages of the book.

“Jungkook!” She tried to get the boy’s attention back. “Just smile at the camera.”

Jungkook ripped his eyes away from his brother. When his eyes met with the girl’s phone, he didn’t smile, though. He just kept looking confused, but really adorable at the camera.

When she was done taking some more pictures, she quickly saved it to her album, before she sat back next to the bunny, showing him the photo she had taken.

“And where do they come out?” He asked curiously, as he tried to look for something on the phone that would print out the taken picture.

The girl just laughed again. He was so innocent and adorable when he tried to understand the world around him. His curious personality seemed to suck up as much information as it could get, like he was a toddler that just needed to explore the world around him.

“My phone can’t print the picture.” She smiled at him, keeping her secret that she would give him his own picture on the wall. “But it is safe and sound on my phone, and every time you want to see it, I can show it to you.”

Jungkook didn’t look convinced at all, but after a few seconds of just staring at the girl, he shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to his note book that was still laying in his lap.

Hope shook her head. The whole day he had clued to his note book, sketching and scribbling wildly over the white pages until they were filled with thousands of lines. He didn’t even tried to play the guitar or read in his favourite book, which he did every day.

She sighed. Maybe he just had to process the previous days and that’s why he tried to organize his thought in his very own special way. She would let him.

“I will prepare dinner for us.” She said and stood, smoothing her leggings. “But first I would like to take a look at you injures, Jin. I think it is time to change the bandages. O – Of course only if you let me.”

The leopard was once again looking up from his book. The girl could see the discomfort in his eyes, as his eyes flicked to Jungkook for a moment and then back at her, before he nodded almost unnoticed.

“Okay, I will just get the first aid kit.” She turned around and got the kit from the storage, before returning at the couch.

Jungkook had laid his note book aside and was now sitting next to his brother, who had already removed his shirt. Both of them were holding hands with each other the whole time while she felt over his body.

The smaller scratches at his front were still swollen, but at least they had stopped bleeding over the day, so she could remove the bandage completely. She tossed the used bandages aside, before she carefully applied a healing salve his injures. Jin hissed in pain, as the cold gel touched his sore and sensitive skin.

“I am sorry.” The girl whispered when she saw Jin squeezing Jungkook’s hand harder. “But it will help your injures healing faster.”

After another few minutes, she was done with his front side and slowly moved towards his back, that looked much worse. Though the big scratch on his back was still covered by the bandage, the girl could make out the red stain of blood that had soaked the white material. She carefully removed it, trying hard to not hurt the poor boy more.

“This looks bad.” She whispered to herself, as she looked at his back.

“Will he be okay?” Jungkook was looking worried between his brother and the girl.

“Don’t worry, Kookie. It looks bad, but nothing we can’t fix.” She tried to give him a bit of optimism, as she weakly smile at the bunny. “It will be better from now on.”

This scratch there was the worst of all. Even if she wasn’t a doctor, she could clearly see that it was infected from all the dirt and dust that had come in contact with the open wound. Hope took the wet clothe that she had placed next to her and began to whip of the dry blood, before she applied a small amount of salve as well and wrapped it up with a new, clean bandage.

“All done.” She pulled of the used hand clothes and tossed them into the bin as well.

Jungkook helped Jin to put on a new shirt, while the girl cleaned up all the supplies she had used. When she was done, she made her way over into the kitchen, starting to prepare dinner for the three of them.

While she waited for the water to boil, her gaze fell once again onto the two Hybrids cuddling at the couch. When she had found Jungkook, she had thought that his injured wrists and knees were bad, but it was nothing in comparison to Jin’s.

She wanted so bad to believe that it was okay now, because both Hybrids were safe here, with her, but she knew that such a kind if misuse was not a single case. There were thousands of Hybrids, that weren’t as lucky as Jin and Jungkook. Hybrids, that suffered every day and absolutely no one cared about them, until it was too late.

How could she ever change something in such a cruel world?

The dinner went over the same way as the breakfast. Jin hesitated at first to eat his food, always looking at the girl to ask for permission, but eventually Jungkook managed to convince him, so he ate least at half of his plate. Afterwards, both Hybrids helped her to washed the dishes, before she announced that she would take a shower.

When she was done, she quickly brushed her hair and changed into her pyjama, before returning back into the living room. She stopped in her tracks when she stepped around the corner, while her heart swelled at the scene on the sofa.

Both boys sat on the sofa. Jungkook had laid his head onto his brothers shoulder, cuddling up close to his, while both of their bodies were half covered by the big, fluffy blanket. They had their head turned towards the TV on the wall, watching with wide eyes and open mouths how the yellow figures were running around the screen. They were so fixed on the flickering screen, that they didn’t even noticed how the girl had pulled out her phone, taking the most adorable picture of the two brothers.

She saved the photo into her special album. This would definitely be the picture that will end up at the wall.

“….And then she found me sitting in that alley.” Jin listened to every word Jungkook told him. “She took me in and gave me food and something to drink, like she gave you.”

Night had already taken over the day, and both boys were lying in the double bed in Jungkook’s room. The day had stresses Jin out more than he had ever thought.

Everything about the girl and her life overwhelmed so much, making it really hard for him to process the smallest things. In addition to that, he still felt weak and vulnerable with all the injures covering his body.

He didn’t know what the girl was planning to do with them, and it was hard for him to believe that she acted out of kindness. Humans weren’t nice. They had proven it to him more than enough times. He tried so hard to believe her act, trying to believe it for Jungkook, but he just couldn’t.

This girl…Hope…had bought him from those evil people. She had taken him and Jungkook in, given them some food and a bed to sleep, but when would they have to pay the price?

He sighed lightly and looked over at the bunny, who was still talking like a waterfall. Jungkook looked much better than the last time Jin had seen him. He wasn’t just a pale, skinny boy anymore. His cheeks were plump and full, covered by a natural shade of slight red, the fur on his ear wasn’t greasy and messy, no, it was literally shining and smooth. And when did had he gained those muscles?

He closed his eyes. All those days sitting in this cage in the basement, hoping and praying for Jungkook to be somewhere save had been a torturing for him. His owners adopted him a few years before Jungkook from Korea. They kept in locked in there, alone and scared, only getting him out when they needed him to fight some other Hybrids. But the day they brought Jungkook home, the scared looking, skinny bunny, he knew that he wanted him to have a better life.

Jungkook had been the only reason he kept fighting all those nights. If it wasn’t for him, he would had given up a long time ago.

After Jungkook had escaped that night, the punishments had been worse than before. They looked him up, kicked him or slapped him with that heavy belt. Luckily for him, the inspectors had found the doping liquid in his blood, so they blamed that on his behaviour. If they had found out the real reason he had put up that show, he would be dead by now.

“Jungkook, you know we can’t stay forever, don’t you?” He eventually whispered when the room felt silence.

It broke his heart to see Jungkook’s ears dropping, as he mentioned their parting, but he would never allowed someone to hurt his younger brother again. They had to leave before the situation would turn into a bad one, and they once again would be caught into a nightmare.

“B – But Hyung.” The bunny’s voice cracked, and Jin saw a tear forming in the corner of his eyes. “I don’t want to leave. I like it here and – “

“Jungkook.” Jin’s voice wasn’t angry or loud, as he interrupted him. “You know we can’t. She did more than enough for us. She saved you, and that’s more than I could ever ask for. But she won’t let us stay forever. Why would she? We’re nothing but a burden to her live.”

Jungkook thought for a moment. He fiddled his fingers over the soft duvet, wiggling himself deeper into the soft fabric and next to his brother.

“But she said that – that she liked having me around.” He whispered again, still staring at his fiddling fingers. “And she saved you, too. Maybe if we would ask nicely, she would allow us to stay.”

“I don’t think so, Kook.” The older one sighed slightly, pulling his brother closer into his arms, burring his nose in his hair. “She will soon start to work. She will find herself a boyfriend and then there won’t be enough space for us anymore. I am so sorry.”

Jungkook’s eyes went even wider when he mentioned the word ‘boyfriend’. Jin hadn’t missed the way the younger one talked about the girl. Jungkook saw her as his saviour.

“But – But I thought that maybe – “ He tried again, but Jin knew what he wanted to say.

“Forget it, Kook.” He stopped him in his mid-sentence. “It’s impossible. You will never be more to her than a Hybrid. And even if, what would the people think of her? They will laugh about her. Do you want the people to laugh about her?”

“No! But she wants to defend Hybrids in front of the judge.” Jungkook was desperately trying to make up a reason to not leave the girl. “She likes Hybrids.”

“But she also said that she will not earn much money.” She whispered into Jungkook’s hair. “She will struggle to have enough money for herself, how should she provide us? She will give us away at some point, Kook. It will happen, sooner or later.”

He lifted his and whipped the tear away, that had slide down the bunny’s cheek.

“But Hyung.” Jungkook seemed to accept the fact that they had to leave soon. “Can I take my book with me? It is my favourite and I want to read it again.”

“You can’t, Kook.” Jin whispered back. “There is no room for us to carry a book all the time, beside, it is her book. She will not give it away like that.”

“O – Okay Hyung.” He sniffed and buried his head into the blanket. “But when will we leave?”

“We will wait until my injures are not infected anymore. So I guess a few more days are left.” A gasp left Jungkook’s mouth, but Jin kept talking. “I met a fox Hybrid at the last fight. He told me about the circus a little bit outside the city. He is staying there, too. They are getting foot and a place to sleep. We will try to get a place to stay there.”

“But I don’t want to leave, Jin-Hyung.” Jungkook cried harder, breaking Jin’s heart with every word.

“It will be better like this.”

Jin had stayed with her and Jungkook for a few days now. He and Jungkook seemed to get closer and closer with every hour they would spend together, which is actually a good sign to see, but something has been going on with Jungkook since the day Jin had arrived.

He wasn’t the bubbly, happy boy anymore, who would be lying on the couch upside down, reading his book, or helping her preparing dinner for the three of them, like he did before. He even barely spoke to her at the dining table, which got her worried the most, because usually, he could talk like a waterfall. She barely ever say him again, because he stayed in his room with Jin, and if he was out, he sketched in his note book like crazy.

Hope didn’t say something though. Maybe he had just a bad phase right now, or it was still strange to him that he has his brother around, who also had a difficult past. She had told him several time before, that he could came to her whenever he had problem, so she hoped that he would really come to her when something bad was bothering him.

Jin was another case. He was very polite when she saw him. He would answer her questions with few words, or help her to set and reset the table, before he and Jungkook would disappear in their room. But nothing more.

She sighed. She really missed the times she and Jungkook sat on the couch together, watching the Simpsons all night long, of how they played the guitar together. She had hoped so hard the she would find such a good connection with Jin as well, but with every passing day, this wish seemed to fade away.

It was almost 5 pm, when she decided to stop working. She closed her laptop and leaned herself back in the chair she sat in. Normally, Jungkook and her would be sitting on the couch, talking about random things. She smiled at the memory, when both of them had debated for hours who the best Simpsons character was. She didn’t know that the boy could be so stubborn.

The appointment at the authority was also coming closer and closer, and she still hadn’t talked to the boys about the adoption. Maybe it would cheer Jungkook when he would hear that she wanted to adopt him and his brother. After all, he felt comfortable in her apartment.

She stood up from her chair, bundling all her braveness to talk to the boy, when she heard a door opening.

“Oh, perfect timing you both.” She said happily, as she saw Jin walking out of the room, followed by Jungkook. “I wanted to talk to you. Can you take a – Jungkook? Are you crying?”

The bunny didn’t reply. He just kept his head down and tried to hide behind his older brother. The sound of his whimpers filled the room. What was going on here? First, he started behaving strangely, and now he was crying heavily, something bad was going on here, and she didn’t like the way it went.

“Jungkook, what happened?” Are you okay?” She tried to take a step forward, wanting to comfort the boy, but Jin stopped her.

“We are very thankful for everything you did for me and my brother, Ms. Hope.” He politely bowed his head, before he turned around, nudging Jungkook’s arm slightly. “Come on.”

Jungkook hesitated for a moment, before he dropped his ears. Her heart broke when his swollen eyes looked up at hers. He had clutched his favourite book tightly to his chest, before he turned his head around, looking at Jin. Jin just nodded sadly.

“What is going on? You are scaring me guys.” She tried to make a joke, hoping that this situation wasn’t as bad as it seemed.

Jungkook, however, sniffed again, before he stretched his arms out, holding the book out towards her. He didn’t looked into her eyes.

“Oh Kookie.” She sighed. “If it’s about the book, you can keep it. I don’t want it back.”

The bunny just shook his hand and pushed the book more forward, until she finally took it from.

“Okay, we will leave now. Thank you again for anything.” Jin suddenly said, laying a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder and pushing him towards the front door.

It took the girl a while to finally process the situation. This situation wasn’t just bad, this was a farewell. The two Hybrids wanted to leave her…forever. Her mind was racing with questions. Why would they want to leave all the sudden? Did she make them feel uncomfortable in some way?

“Wait, wait, wait, wait!” She pushed her feet into the ground, running over to the door and blocking it, before Jin could grab the handle. “You can’t just leave. Why would you leave all the sudden? Did I make you feel uncomfortable? Where you want to go? It’s not safe for you to be out there alone.”

Panic filled her voice and her heart began to beat faster. This was not liked she had planned to the day to end. She felt her eyes swelling up with tears, as she realized that they were serious.

“We don’t want to pull you down, that’s why we are leaving.” Jin said calmly, before he bowed gain. “We are very thankful for all your efforts, though.”

“Okay guys, let’s not rush this, okay?” Her eyes flicked between Jungkook, who was still sniffing and not looking up at her, and Jin, who locked at the girl confused. “First of all, you have never been a burden to me in any kind. Neither you Jin, nor Jungkook. I know that you are scared that I will hurt you at some point, and I know that those people threatened you badly, but I am not like this. How could I ever hurt you? I know that haven’t known each other for long, especially not the both of us, Jin. But I want you to know that those 4 week were one of the most happiest weeks I have had in a very long time. Since I can think, all the people I care about left me. My father, my mother, my friends. They all left me without a reason, not even saying goodbye. I thought that I was meant to be alone, but since I took Jungkook in that night, my live became happy again. He made me happy. And I didn’t save you, Jin, because I had to, I saved you because I care about you and Jungkook. I just – I can’t force you to stay with me, and – and if you really want to leave I won’t be the one to stop you, but I am begging you to think about it again. Please.”

The room was left in silence after she had stopped speaking. No on, especially not the two Hybrids knew what to say or what to do.

“I don’t want to leave.” Jungkook suddenly cried.

He made a few steps forward and just threw himself into the girl’s arms. He buried his face into her neck, with his arms wrapped tightly around her slim waist. The girl wrapped her arms around the bunny, softly driving her hands through his deep brown hair, whispering sweet words into his ear.

They stayed like this for several minutes, until Jungkook pulled away from the girl. She took his face in her hands and softly whipped the tears away from his wet cheeks, before pressing a short kiss onto the top of his nose.

“Do you really care for us?” She moved her eyes away from Jungkook in front of her. “You really care for us enough that you let us stay with you without any conditions? What will the people think about you when – “

“I never cared about other people’s opinion about me.” She quickly interrupted him. “They can think about me whatever they want to think. Only I know what is true and what is false about my life, and only I decide who I want to have in my life or not. You and Jungkook, you deserve so much more than to be treatened like animals. I know that I can’t offer you much, but I want to try to give you the life you deserve, a life love and safety. I am begging you to give me another chance. Give me a chance, and if you want to leave after that again, I won’t stop you.”

Jin’s gaze dropped to the ground, his ears sinking down. Hope knew what for a hard decision he had to make, and she knew that he didn’t decide whether it was good for him or not, but if it was good for Jungkook or not.

“I – “ She coughed, not knowing if her idea would make the situation better or worse. “I actually wanted to ask you something earlier. When I bought you, Jin, from those people, I had to sign some adoption papers, so I can legally take you with me, but I still haven’t changed your owner status at the authority, wanting to let the choice to you, whether you want to stay or not. I also wanted to ask Jungkook, if he would be okay with me adopting him, once I am at the authority.”

Both Hybrids were staring at the small girl with their eyes open.

“Are you really serious?” Jungkook eye’s seemed to pop out of his head, sparkling brightly.

He hugged the girl again, while Jin just looked with wide and teary eyes at the girl.

“Can you promise us, that you will never hurt us in any way?” Jin had the tears standing in his eyes.

“I – no I can’t.” She whispered, knowing that any other answer would be a lie. “I can’t promise you that everything is going to be perfect, and I can’t promise you that I will always make the right decision. But I can promise you that I will never leave you, and that you will always find a friend in me, don’t matter what will happen in the future.”

Jin kept looking at the girl, not saying anything.

“Hyung.” Jungkook turned back towards his brother, taking his hand in his. “Please, let us stay with Hope. Please. I don’t want to live on the streets again, not knowing what will happen next. I am so scared.”

Jin’s eyes flicked between the girl and his brother. Anything he ever wanted was for his brother to be safe. The girl made him happy, he saw it too. But the fear, that at some point she will change her mind and break his heart was still sitting in his bones. Never again, he would let anyone hurt Jungkook again.

But then, she had never showed any hints that she wanted to hurt them. Should they really take the risk and stay with this human for the rest of their lives? He had no clue.

“We will – “ He looked into the begging eyes of his brother. “Okay. We will stay.”

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[pbandjesse]

We are back from DC! It was a really good trip. And thankfully I am not in as much pain today. Basically no pain. I had a great trip but I am glad to be home.

Today was a chill travel day. And that was really good. I slept pretty well but my body wanted to keep sleeping. Getting up was hard. But after a five minute rest James made me get up and I went to get ready.

We were mostly packed already. And while I was able to get most of my stuff in my backpack James would take my hair brush and the souvenirs we got. And James basically carried my backpack all day. Which was not nessecary but was appreciated.

We check out of the hotel and walked to Founding Farmers. Kali from camp recommended it for brunch and it was a great choice. Good job Kali.

We got biscuits to start. Our waitress, Jenn, was great. And I got an eggs Benedict with spinach and tomato. And James got fancy oatmeal and bacon. I worked on uploading out wedding pictures to a Google drive. And when I went to wash my hands James told Jenn is was our honeymoon and she brought us beignets with candles and it was so sweet!!

So we left there in really high spirits. And James figured out which way we needed to go and then we were off.

We actually walked past the white house this time. Saw the monument. Flipped off the capital building. I needed to take a little break in the middle of the walk but we made it to the sculpture garden and I really am glad we went.

We decided to save the rest of the art museum and the other places we had talked about going. We have the rest of our lives, and our Mondays off, to check them off the list. And we really had a lot to do at home.

So we walked to union station. We made great time. James got our tickets and I waited with our bags. And soon the train was boarding.

We had to walk to the ends of the earth (the platform actually was dirt by the time we got to where the train would let us on) but we got on and got good seats.

I listened to music the whole ride. James read on their phone. I enjoyed watching the trees outside. We both were fighting to keep our eyes open.

Walking home from the train station was a little tough. I bumped into someone in the train station and I felt so bad but I was very much not aware of my space.

But we made it back here. And I was so excited to see Sweetp. And he seemed happy to see us.

There was so much to do though. We had to do laundry and get things put away and open our gifts and get all of our plants inside. It was just a lot.

I started with feeding everyone. I had some cake. And then I started taking all of our kitchen stuff off the shelves so we could swap out the shelf in James's room so that the plants could all come in and have space. And so I would tackle that project. Pretty pleased honestly. And glad that I could dust everything before it got put away.

James would handle the plants. And I would start organizing our decorations. I got a little overwhelmed. But got a break when Mr Will came over. He is very upset he missed our wedding. He was out of town and didn't realize the date. So I showed him a bunch of pictures and we talked. He is so sweet.

He played with Sweetp for a while. And then he was off. And I was back to sorting.

We don't have everything back here since the car was full. But we got a lot and we will have to find somewhere to store stuff. But that is a problem for another day.

We opened gifts when James came back from putting gas in the car. Somehow we have ended up with 3 different grills. Well sort of. We got one camp grill, one heating source personal fire place, and a regular grill. But we already have two grills. So thankfully this one has a gift receipt for target. And we will probably get a foot bath thing instead.

One of James's cousins made us a beautiful quilt that I love so much. And I'm just so thankful for them that they spent so much time on this?? Like that is so nice. I also just love how it looks. I love handmade gifts.

We had dinner and did more post wedding related stuff. Some more tidying up. James put clothes away and I worked on unpacking and choosing outfits for the week.

I took a bath and tried to make my hair soft again. Went pretty well. And I felt good after.

I made my Ren fair outfit for this weekend. And I took my nail polish off. James helped me sort my jewelry box.

And now I am just. Very tired. I hope I can just fall asleep easily. Tomorrow I plan on just resting and catching up on knitting. And maybe some cleaning but I'm not that worried.

I hope you all sleep well. I hope you are filled with love. I am really excited to sleep in my own bed with my husband. Wild! Goodnight!!

[moonlit-imagines]

Wasn’t Ready for That

Jonathan Byers x male!reader

warnings:

a/n: slightly altered so that reader is just the older sibling of nancy!

prompt: anonymous: “Jonathan Byers x male reader - the reader is the twin brother of Nancy , and he and Jonathan are best friends, Jonathan has a crush on the reader and kisses him but the reader freezes Up and Jonathan runs away before he can say anything. The reader has a crush on him too and ends up buying Jonathan something like candy or a bear idk and tells him he like him to and they end up cuddling and kissing.”

You and Jonathan had been through it all together, years and years of friendship that could never fade. And now it was like tradition since your younger brother and his were also best friends! Friends.

Sure, you guys were friends. Friends who spent nearly every waking moment together, friends who secretly pine over one another when no one is looking, friends who feel like they could just die when the other is away.

“Y/N, I think Jonathan’s here!” Your mom called up the stairs and almost immediately heard your footsteps as you rushed down the stairs, nearly tripping and tumbling down. “What did I tell you about running though the house?”

“Sorry, mom, just excited. See you later tonight!” You grabbed your jacket off of the coat rack and raced out the door and all the way to Jonathan’s car.

“Miss me?” He joked as he switched gears and began to drive off, you were actually out of breath from your little workout.

“Can’t say I did.” You smugly replied and felt him lightly punch your arm, both of you let out some intoxicating chuckles before letting them fade and sighing. “Where are we going?” You asked.

“I actually heard that the sunset looks really cool from the bleachers at school, wanna head there and hang out while we wait?” Jonathan shrugged at his own idea, it sounded better in his head, but you couldn’t pass up an opportunity to hand out with the one and only.

“Sounds good to me, hit the gas, Byers!” You pointed onward and Jonathan did exactly as instructed, the speedometer quickly rose. Your best friend would honestly do anything you asked him to, he knew it’d make you happy, even the stupidest of things.

You finally arrived at Hawkins High on a weekend, which didn’t exactly have the same mood as a weekday morning.

“This feels wrong.” You told him as you shut the passenger door.

“Yeah, it kind of does.” Jonathan draped his camera strap over his neck and led you over to the bleachers, picking the device up and pointing it your way. “Hey, y/n, smile!”

“Cheeeeese!” You gave the most over-exaggerated smile your face could handle and heard the picture snap. “Did I look good?”

“You always do.” He complimented and turned pink in the cheeks. Nice one, Jonathan. While he was stressing over what may or may not happen tonight, you ran ahead to climb on the bleachers. Don’t fuck this up, Jonathan. He kept repeating that in his mind until he noticed you waving to him from above the empty metal seats, so he decided to snap another photo.

“Come up here, Byers!” You shouted and watched as he meandered over. “Really? Can’t go any faster than that?”

“I could trip!” He argued insincerely and finally reached you on the top steps. “Happy now?”

“Meh, I guess.” You teased, but it was odd because Jonathan didn’t reply, maybe he didn’t catch your joke. But Jonathan was busy with his thoughts.

This is it. Kiss him. Over and over in his head. Your best friend stared at your lips and back up at your eyes. Now. Jonathan leaned forward and quickly pushed his lips into yours and pulled back just as fast. “I-I’m sorry.” You were frozen in shock. “I’m really sorry, I don’t—I thought maybe you were, I don’t know...” He didn’t know how to make up for his actions.

“It’s okay. I gotta go.” You made your excuse and hustled down the bleachers and onto the pavement, Jonathan groaned and called over:

“I can drive you home.” But you just kept walking. He may have fucked up beyond repair. What if he just outed himself for nothing? This whole time he was dumb enough to believe that you two could have been a perfect couple...shit!

You took your walk back home to reflect on what had just happened. It’s not like you didn’t feel the same way. Maybe you were scared? And surprised? He obviously liked you back and you just left him in the dust! Fucking hell. Just keep walking. And then you were home. You didn’t bother saying “hi” to anyone, you just walked right upstairs, nearly making it to your room before running into your sister, Nancy.

“Hey, everything okay?” She asked, noticing you were just a bit tense, which was unusual after a day with Jonathan.

“Perfect.” You snapped, which gave away your mood just like that. She wouldn’t leave you be and she wasn’t an idiot. You were her brother, she knew almost everything there was to know about you.

“Jonathan kissed you, didn’t he?” Nancy quietly asked so that none of the other house members could hear. That question made you freeze up just as much as the actual kiss. “I knew it.”

“What do I do, Nance?” You eagerly whined, seeing a smile creep on her face. “This isn’t funny!”

“Y/N, it’s obvious that you like him back. Go fix whatever you messed up before it’s too late.” She shook her head at you, leaving your jaw to drop.

“Wait, you know that I like guys?” You scrunched your eyebrows up, she seemed utterly unsurprised.

“I mean, I guess? I figured you liked Jonathan, but it was pretty obvious that he liked you.” Your sister explained. “Doesn’t matter right now, go! Do the right thing!” She nudged you along and you reluctantly returned to the stairwell and down to the front door to sneak out (with dad’s car keys).

You kept beating yourself up on the inside, why didn’t you just sit and talk with your best friend instead of booking it home? You knew that Jonathan would’ve talked about it if you had just let him. On your way to the Byers residence, you stopped by the convenience store that his mom, Joyce, worked in to pick up an excuse and an apology.

“Y/N, it’s good to see you! What are you doing here?” Joyce shuffled out from behind the counter and gave you a hug.

“Just picking up a quick snack!” You put on your mask of lies and plucked Jonathan’s favorite candy off the shelf, setting it next to the register. Joyce already knew who that was for. She rang it up real quick and you handed her a dollar, then swiped the candy off of the counter and said a quick goodbye. “Nice seeing you, Ms. Byers, love ya!” The door shut and you hopped back into dad’s car and drove in the direction of Jonathan’s house, hoping he was home by now. Lucky for you, his car was back in the driveway. You jogged up tonthe door and gave it a good knock before his younger brother answered.

“Hi, y/n. He’s in his room.” Will let you inside and closed the door behind you.

“Thanks, kiddo.” You approached Jonathan’s door and gave it a few taps.

“Come in.” You heard his defeated voice muffle through the door. You slowly pushed it open and surprised Jonathan with your presence in his dark room as you kicked the door shut. “Shit, hi.” He scrambled to sit up straight.

“Catch.” You tossed his candy to him. “That’s my formal apology.” You smirked, your sense of humor was still there. “No, but really, I’m sorry.”

“Why? I was the one that kissed you.” He unwrapped the candy bar and took a bite, diverting eye contact from you, but there was just a bit of light peaking through the window to illuminate a track of tears that had ran down his face. You did that.

“Yeah, but my reaction was a little uncalled for.” You shrugged and sat down beside him in bed, dippinb the mattress just a bit.

“Well, if you’re not gay, then you’re not gay.” He sighed and cringed as he replayed his actions again and again in his mind.

“I came here to tell you that I like you back.” You finally revealed and Jonathan’s neck whipped around to look at you, you weren’t joking.

“You couldn’t have lead with that?” Your best friend swatted with a cheeky smile, reaching his hand out for you to take.

“Oops.” You giggled and took his hand, pulling him close enough for a do-over that lasted just a few seconds minutes longer than the first one had. It was good to have this all cleared up, and it’d be a great story to tell one day. He soon wrapped his arms around you and got you to lay with him for just a while, taking in the fact that this was real.

“So, are we going to be boyfriends now?” He curiously asked, hoping that it was a “yes.”

“Odds are in your favor, Byers.” You brushed some hair from his face and gave him a kiss on the forehead. “But I gotta get going soon, I stole my dad’s car to get here and I don’t know when he’s going to notice.”

taglist: @locke-writes // @queenofthehairharrington // @bonniesbabybunnie // @lotsoffandomrecs // @wolfish-willow // @captainshazamerica // @ravenmoore14 // @purpleskiesstorm // @breezykdilan

[miraculous-ninjabird]

@ezlikessharks and I did another collab and this is my half of it!

You can find his half here

And the fic on AO3 here

Title: Communication

Rating: G there is 1 swear word but that’s it

Words: 1511

Kai+Nya+Lloyd sibling fluff

Lloyd isn’t really sure what he’s watching. Nya and Kai are sitting across from each other, and they seem to be communicating. Though it’s not any kind of communication that Lloyd is familiar with. There is lots of head tilting and subtle hand gestures. In addition to that, they are firing back and forth in a language that he was also unfamiliar with. If Lloyd didn’t know any better, he would have said they were using the Old Tongue. Except that was impossible because nobody spoke the Old Tongue anymore. Kai makes an aggressive gesture, and Nya throws her hands in the air.

“You take that back!” She huffs. Kai laughs.

“No way! I meant what I said. Totally true.”

Nya shoves her chair back and storms out of the room. When she pushes her way past Lloyd, he can hear her muttering about ‘good for nothing older brothers’. The whole time Kai is still cackling.

….What in the First Master’s name had he just witnessed?

Over the next week or so, Lloyd keeps one eye on the two of them. It turns out what he had witnessed wasn’t just a one off occurrence. Nya and Kai seemed to have a whole language worked out. He noticed that they actually seemed to use it the most on missions or during combat. That explained why they always seemed to be so in sync. All it took was a tilt of the head and a precise movement of the hand from Nya, and Kai was off. Or a single unfamiliar word combined with a sweeping wave has Nya leaping to Kai’s aid, working together like they are one person. The whole thing was very impressive. Lloyd couldn’t help but feel left out.

Why didn’t he know about this secret language? Wasn’t he part of their family too? That’s what Kai and Nya always told him anyways. So why did he feel like he was being excluded? Was he supposed to ask about it? Or was it something he was just supposed to figure out on his own? Or maybe it was so special to them they didn’t want to share it?

What to do, What to do? On one hand, he wanted to know what it was all about. Really, really badly. On the other hand, Lloyd didn’t want to intrude on something potentially private. He tended to steer clear of anything that could cause conflict between him and his siblings. The dynamic wasn’t new by any stretch of the imagination, but he still feared being too nosey could drive them away. That was the opposite of what he wanted.

Another two weeks pass, and Lloyd’s curiosity eventually wins out. At least partially. He runs a finger along the titles lining the shelves in Wu’s library, looking for something specific. It takes a while, but he does eventually find the book he is looking for. Plucking it from the shelf, he smiles. This should have some of the answers he’s looking for. With the intent to retreat to his room and study it, he tucks it under his arm. Just as he steps out the library door, Kai comes charging down the hall at full speed. Nya is hot on his tail.

“Out of my way!” Kai shrieks, attempting to skid to a halt. It’s no use. His socks get no traction on the polished wood floors and he slams right into Lloyd at full speed. The two of them go crashing to the ground in a heap. Lloyd’s book goes sailing right into Nya’s waiting grasp. Which would have been impressive except for the fact that Nya is also unable to stop in time and ends up tripping over the two of them. She lands heavily on his back and Lloyd lets out a gasp as all the air goes rushing out of his lungs.

“You know? We really should have better reflexes considering we’re all supposed to be ninja,” Kai mumbles.

“I caught the book. That has to count for at least something,” Nya counters.

“Yeah, but you’re still here on the floor so any points you earned from that are automatically deducted,”

“No way! That’s not how that works at all. Lloyd! Tell Kai I’m right!

“How about instead of that, you stop arguing and Get Off,” Lloyd grunts, struggling to catch his breath.

“Shit. Right.” Kai scrambles to his feet. He offers Lloyd a hand, which he gladly takes as soon as Nya lifts her weight off him.

“We didn’t think anybody would be over here. Sorry.” Nya grins sheepishly.

“I’m sure I can come up with a way for you to make it up to me,” Lloyd assures, dusting himself off. “Can I have my book back?”

“Oh, sure! What’s it for anyways?” Nya asks, handing it back. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you read anything that wasn’t a picture book.”

“First, that's offensive. They’re comic books. Not picture books. And second, I do too read book-books! It’s not my fault you never pay attention. This one is about the Old Tongue. I wanted to learn more about it” Lloyd puffs, trying to hide his embarrassment at getting ‘caught’. He’d just been curious to see if that was the language they were using. He wasn’t planning on telling them about his research. His siblings don’t seem to notice his internal struggle.

“The Old Tongue?” Kai perks up. “If you want to learn about that, Nya and I can help. We both speak it and I can guarantee learning from one of us will be way more interesting than whatever that book has to say.”

“Wait, you mean to tell me you actually know how to speak it?”

“Fluently,” Nya confirms. The book slips out of his hand, clattering to the floor. That was not what he was expecting to hear. Just because that was his theory didn’t mean he thought it would be true.

“Where in hell did you learn how to speak that?” He reaches down to collect the book. “I thought it was a dead language?”

“It’s not as dead as you might think. It’s not common, per say, but we grew up around enough people who spoke it that we both know it,” Nya explains. “In fact, it’s the first language I ever remember using.”

“When we were younger, we would use it to talk without others knowing what we were saying. But it was common enough the two of us ended up developing another, separate little system based on it instead.” Kai adds. Lloyd feigns surprise. This was his chance to ask about their secret language!

“You made up a secret sibling language?”

“Yeah! Would you like to learn?”

Lloyd’s heart soars, excitement coursing through his veins. Of course he wanted to learn!

“Yes!” He blurts a little too quickly. Kai raises a single eyebrow and heat rushes to his face. “I actually noticed something about a month ago. I wanted to ask you about it but it felt weird. I thought maybe it was private or something and I didn’t want to offend you or something. So I was going to try and watch you to figure it out on my own...that’s what the book was for.”

“Wow Lloyd. Way to make things sound weird” Nya teases gently.

“In all seriousness though, you should have said something.” Kai drops an arm over Lloyd’s shoulder. “It never really occurred to me to show you. Nothing against you. We don’t have an issue teaching you, right Nya?”

“Nope. Kai here doesn’t think much, obviously, but I’ve been planning to show you for awhile now. We’ve been busy and there hasn’t been a good time. That's all.”

“Excuse me?” Kai gasps. Lloyd giggles at his indigent expression.

“You can’t be offended when it’s true.” he points out. Nya smiles smugly

“Ganging up on me? So unfair. You’re both such ungrateful brats.” They all stare at each other for a moment, before bursting into laughter.

“Alright then! Are you ready for this?” Nya asks once they get themselves under control.

“Totally,” Lloyd nods, trying to keep his excitement under control.

“Sweet! We can start right now. Let’s go back to my room,” Kai begins leading them back through the monastery. As he does, he starts explaining. “The language itself is only a very small part of it. Hand signals are the important part. So I’ll show you some of those first…”

Kai’s explanation was confusing at best, and Nya often had to jump in and clarify. By the time an hour had passed, Lloyd was no closer to understanding than he had been at the beginning. Turns out things were even more complicated than he had originally thought. Learning was going to take some time.

Despite the setbacks, he can’t help the stupid grin that stays stuck on his face for the rest of the day. Quality time with his siblings was always something he looked forward to, and he was going to appreciate every moment of it. This was going to be fun.

[patchies]

Shadows

Pairing: Dream x Reader x ???

Summary: An apocalyptic world where creatures of the night roam all around it. Searching for living beings to satisfy their hunger. Vicious creatures they are. It’s said that one person called upon their wrath in revenge. You awake in this place with another human being at your side. No memories whatsoever of the life you’ve had prior to coming here. In search of a way out, and your memories, you stumble upon multiple people with many personalities. Some can’t wait to meet you. If you take it the friendly or hostile way is up to you, but worry not… Nothing can hurt you. Or can it, now?

Warnings: none that I can think of

Word Count: 2.8+k

Author's note: hi, hi, hi! I bring you a new chapter after what... 1 and a half months of not uploading anything? My apologies are probably not enough, but I have been working on chapters, I promise! And, drum roll, please, I might have some art in store for this series. It isn't done, yet, but I'm trying to work on it, guys!

Wattpad link: here

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Chapter 4: Forming Friendship

As the sun starts off the next day, you and Nick depart from your home in search of more resources. He throws in a suggestion that you should spread out, so you could cover more ground, and you agree- not like you have anything else to do for the meantime. Unless you want to be stuck at home playing some card games Nick had found while searching for the paint buckets.

You search the places south, just outside the town. All the buildings look the same to your wondering eyes, nothing valuable piquing your interest that much, so you rather opt for wandering further. Through the greenery until a clearing reveals itself before you.

A beautiful and elegant meadow stretches across the horizon. As if a page was torn from a fairy-tale book, and rightfully so. The only thing missing is a royal castle or fairies' houses. Pollen flies in the air and swirls around you enchantingly and a surge of calmness goes through your being. An accommodation in your body along with the feeling of delight.

The nature has truly taken over most of the world.

It's not like you can complain, really. Colours, textures and elements flow with each other in a beautiful harmony, creating an almost painting-like picture that you can marvel at.

Deep down, you were always a fan of the quietness Mother nature has offered you at times in need. Whenever you felt down, really.

You slightly remember how it helped you with your anxiety, shyness and depression when you used to be socially awkward and unwilling to do something about it. It felt peaceful compared to the continuous pressure many people used to put on you. Not many people were harsh on you, but your social battery could take so much until all you were ready to do was just lie down, put on a playlist of your favourite songs and chill. They denied your want to be left alone when the only thing you needed was space and your own time. Their faces are now blurry images of faces you once used to know, but you don't know if you'll ever get back to your life or how long it might take.

I should throw away my pessimistic thoughts…

That was a part of the old you, though. You'd like to think that you're better now, but your pessimism has stayed with you nonetheless. It's about time you started working on it and who knows? You might get to form plenty friendships here who will be willing to help you.

With a shake of your messy hair, you focus back to the beauty in front of you, pushing the vines away and walking towards the flowery meadow.

Yellow grains contrast gorgeously with the sparse greenery the field has to offer here and there.

You bent down and pluck one of the many Dahlias near your feet, putting the pistil close to your nose.

Sniff, sniff, sniff

The flower alone doesn't smell alluring or sweet, like anything. The stem and leaves, on another note, smell bitter with a slight flowery undertone. It strikes a sense of serenity in you as you inspect the innocent white petals be carried away from you by the wind, flying off to the clear sky to join the fine powdery substance.

You let go of the stem and watch it be snatched, following its trace until it falls between the loads of flowers.

Just then, a gentler breeze begins and takes a handful of leaves of the ground, aiming just below a small hill to your left as if it had a mind of its own. You realize that it might actually do as it points you to a lone building sitting at the base, overflown with the finest flora you've ever faced.

A mere bookshop from what you can see from the distance. The walls are built from brick and it still seems in a decent shape, except the nature, but that gives it a special charm. A great place to get away from all this chaotic and death-threating events for even a while.

You carefully move through the grass and blossoms, trekking your way up to it.

• • •

Meanwhile, somewhere far away from you, a deer curiously, yet cautiously, examines you from a cliffside looking over the whole meadow. Its doe eyes flick from you to a small fawn by its side.

It huffs, shakes its head and turns, departing into the forest.

• • •

The inside is wondrous, despite your expectations of it being completely trashed.

Bookshelves line the walls and are all filed with all styles of literature. Slightly used, torn and unkept. It gives you an idea how no one surely visits this place. The place looks great, so it doesn't make much sense to you. You cannot help but be a little happy over the fact at that despite the telling signs of its abandonment.

Your hand automatically lifts up to slide over the spines of the books, keeping your touch light as you advance further inside. The rough, yet extremely soothing, texture extracts a small smile from you and you close your eyes. You begin dragging your other appendage across the parallel shelf until a thud makes you shoot your eyes open in alert, whipping your head behind you, but finding nothing out of ordinary.

With your now unsure footsteps, you slowly walk to the end of the aisle in front of you, peeking around the corner.

You catch sight of a short boy sitting in front of a shelf, or rather a stand, with comic books. He's sat down near the middle where the wooden stand is, flipping through each comic with haste.

A messy brown nest of hair sits atop his head while a flower crown with some scarce plastic bees thrown in reasts atop and a long green scarf messily wrapped around his neck. It strangely compliments his look that is styled with green, golden and black and despite the apocalyptic surroundings and lack of proper resources, you're surprised he's styled it very prettily.

A black stylish coat with golden accents is thrown on the floor near him along with his messenger bag, its contents peeking out. Especially the thick book with a pack of pencils. You wonder what the book contains, but maybe you'll get a chance to see it sometime.

You cautiously and carefully lean against a counter near you, observing the young boy as he shuffles through numerous comics. He huffs out a long sigh, throwing another book aside. It comes tumbling down back to him due to the amount he has already piled on top of each other. His nimble fingers pick up another one, swiping through it with precision.

He mumbles something quietly, softly putting the comic onto another pile beside him that is neat compared to the other one.

This demeanour continues for a long minute, basically choosing a book in a ratio that one is kept and twelve are thrown away. He never seems too happy with his decision, frowning at some in sadness despite having to give up on them. You don't understand why he doesn't put them onto the obvious piles of his favourites, but you stand in your place.

Having enough of watching, you whistle too loudly to get his attention.

Only to see the guy jump up in the air and slip on a paper he has previously abandoned on the ground. He pointlessly flails his arms around until his elbow hits the ground first, followed by his hip and the rest of his body.

You wince.

As if caught in the headlights, he spins his head to you. The previously left out paper now present on his head. You see confusion, fear and surprise fight against who will persevere on his face, so you lower your shoulders back down and give him an awkward smile, “Uh, sorry?”

He unsurely stumbles to his feet and dusts his clothes off, tightening the scarf around his neck with tense movement. His eyes widen and he makes a quick, though awkward, show of pulling out a stick?

He fumbles around with it for a bit before it extends into a normal looking sword, posing heroically, “I'll- uh, stab you! Yeah! I'll use this sword to stab you.”

You quirk an eyebrow at his choice of words, and at the adorable stutter he did, “Do you even know how to wield a sword?”

“Of course, I do! Wait- do I? No, no, no, you're just trying to make me look silly. I do know-”

Cue an uncoordinated swing of the sharpened weapon at his own leg, but at least his reaction time seems to be fast and he slides his foot out of harm's way just in time. One he created, and he watches as the sword penetrates the wooden boards and he struggles to pull it out.

His action makes you doubt his abilities further and a you can't help the small giggle that escapes you, raising your arms in mock defence when he sends you a defensive glare, “You- you cannot be serious. Quit the child's play, I'm not here to hurt you.”

He stays quiet, still pulling on the handle of the sword with unfortunate outcomes. It slips out of his fists multiple times and he sighs before flopping down onto the floor, defeated, “I guess I really don't know.”

You choose not to retort any sassy comeback to his gloomy self, rather analysing his figure and approaching the weapon. Arms still held above your head to show you don't plan on attacking, your features soft, “Mind me getting the weapon for you? I won't use it against you, I promise.”

“Go ahead,” he gives you an absent wave of his hand and only stares as you grip the handle.

At first, you tug and nothing happens, so you try holding it at a specific place and are delighted when you feel a small button press against your palm, giving it one more tug along with a squeeze of the switch.

An imaginary lightbulb blinks above his head as he sees the sword retract from the ground and you're left gripping the stick in your hand, “See? It isn't as hard, is it now?”

“I admit, you're right,” he accepts the handle from your outstretched hand, storing it into his hoodie pocket.

No wonder you didn't notice it before. He's had it hidden there and he had to have pulled it out when you whistled. Although you personally wouldn't own a weapon like that, it probably comes in handy for situations like these. You aren't sure if it'd be beneficial in an actual fight against a stronger and better crafted weapon, though.

A switchblade would do a better job, surely. From what you've seen, they're a lighter object, more portable and friendlier to beginners. Might even suit his style of fighting better, even if you haven't seen it in action yet, to be truthful, “I do believe I'm right.”

“I would beat you if I had my hatchet!”

You chuckle, “Well, we can always engage in hand-to-hand combat, if you're that confident in getting me. Why use weapons?”

His eyes widen and all his courage dissipates, waving his hands crazily and shaking his head, “When you say it like that, I'll pass you on that offer, thank you. Why didn't you attack me, by the way? Oh, and also, I'm Tubbo, since we seem to be okay with each other.”

Refraining from telling him your name back, you swing your arm at his head and watch him yelp, shut his eyes and flinch from you in humorous satisfaction. You stop it inches from his face, lowering it and stepping away from him, “You should've seen your face, Mr. Tubbo. I'd say we are okay, but I had to pull that on you and to answer your question of my peace towards you… You just seemed harmless.”

He stands up and looks at you in feign anger, jabbing an accusing finger into your chest “You're so cruel, what? I can't trust you now.”

Tubbo crosses his arms, turning away from you. You turn away from him and spot his collection of comics. His previous actions coming to the forefront of your mind, “Hey, why were you browsing through so many comics?”

“I was looking for something,” he shrugs, walking past you and picking up quite a big amount of comic books. He catches the incredulous glance you give the items in his hands and nods his head at them, “They aren't for me.”

“You looked quite sad when you couldn't grab one for yourself, why can't you?”

He's surprised you picked up on that, but he just shrugs, “I would. If my bag allowed me to carry so much at once and I just want to surprise my friends.”

You give a small 'aww', making his ears flush pink and cower away, “I could help you carry them. Where is your camp?”

“I don't think I should be revealing that to strangers, but I've never been the smartest with decisions and I'm sure you'd notice either way,” Tubbo stuffs the books inside his bag, barely closing it, “I could just act like I abducted you.”

“Won't that be suspicious? You actually seem like a person who's too nice to do that.”

The bee boy lightly grins at that while putting his coat on, throwing the messenger bag on his shoulder, “I'm bad at acting, too, so they'd surely notice.”

“Are any of them keeping guard on this place, by the way?”

“No,” his answer is straight-forward, without any hesitation, “It might be very shocking, but none of my friends know about this place. Although I visit quite often than not. It gets quite harsh out there, y'know?”

You hum, choosing to drop the subject and return back to an airier topic, “Which ones do you like?”

Tubbo's quick to light up at the change, dropping to his knees and shuffling through the messy mountain of comics once again. He carelessly throws ten of them at you in happiness and leaves you grasping them to your chest. You laugh at his enthusiasm, reading off few of the titles and shaking your head as he keeps on searching for more.

This was probably a crazy idea, but whatever. Tubbo seems like an adorable person to be around.

Not long after you get ready to leave, keeping the conversation loose and it's almost effortless how you get along. The themes get intertwined between you with ease, pointing to some aspects around you if you want to make a point.

He is a strange guy to get a hold of, but you can say that you like how easy-going talking is with him. The male has visibly suffered some of his own stuff, but he still has this bubbly personality around him that you can't wrap your mind around. Though, you enjoy that little perk he has.

At one point, you lose sight of the boy, looking around you in confusion only to have him appear behind you and throw a freshly made flower crown on top of your head. The question of where he got it from is lost to his ears as he babbles on how he needs to teach you the crafting of one, so you could be 'flower crown buddies'. His own words. Your reaction is to bump your shoulder with his, joking how he is too goofy for you to even want to learn. A look of betrayal is thrown at you and you chuckle.

He proceeds to skip at certain intervals during your trek through the forest, too, visibly being excited to earn a new friend who is close to his wave-length. You don't even notice when you get close, having too much fun getting to know each other and goof around, but Tubbo increasingly slows his steps near an old-looking house.

He turns to you, “Well, this is my stop. I shouldn't take you further or I'll get spanked for not listening to my peers.”

“Uh, I won't respond to that, though I hope everything's alright back at your base. You shouldn't go through child abuse anywhere,” you awkwardly scratch at your neck, handing him the comic books meant for him.

Tubbo light-heartedly laughs at your perplexed self, a jokester-like glint appearing in his eyes as he accepts the papers, “I hope we can meet again.”

“I do, too, and hey. The library can be our place, if you're comfortable enough to call it that,” you heartily smile at him, ruffling his hair and receiving a pouty 'hey! my hair, not yours!'.

He shakes his head to fix your doings, throwing a lop-sided grin, “I can allow that.”

“Well, I should go,” you look up to the sky, seeing the sun brightly shining more to the west side now. It shouldn't be that long before you'll have to get ready for the night and report your findings with Nick. Not like you have much to say to him, but there are some things worth mentioning to him, “I have a friend possibly waiting for me already. It was incredible meeting you, Tubbo!”

“Likewise.”

[oopsitsstella]

Where It Belongs

Steve Rogers x Reader

Fandom: The Avengers

Summary: Presumed dead fiancé of Steve Rogers, Y/N L/N is found frozen in an abandoned HYDRA base

“This place is a mess and a half.” Nat mumbled.

Steve and Natasha had been sent on a mission to scour an old, abandoned HYDRA base to see if there was anything there of use or value to S.H.I.E.L.D, with Tony on standby on the jet in case of trouble. They had gotten through most that was there to see, and had just entered a large room full of shelves littered with files. Steve was standing in the middle of the room, while Natasha had walked down one of the aisles to see what she could find.

There was a thick layer of dust covering the shelves, showing the place had been untouched for a while. Nat came to the end of the aisle and stopped, looking at the shelf in front of her. She picked up one of the files, blowing of the dust on top of it, and opened it. The first paper had a picture in the top left corner, of a woman, with h/l, h/c hair and e/c eyes. Next to the picture, there was personal information, her name, her birth date, her duties within HYDRA, etcetera. But the name caught her attention.

“Steve?” She called. “What did you say your fiancés name was?”

“Y/N L/N. Why?” Steve called back, making his way down the aisle.

“She didn’t happen to medically trained?” Natasha asked him, showing him the document.

“Why would HYDRA have files in Y/N?” Steve mumbled.

“Well, it seems, she was in charge of patching up Bucky if he got injured during a mission.” Nat said, pointing to one part of the document.

Abilities: Skilled in healing, years of experience in the medical field.

Duty: Take care of any and all injuries the Soldat may acquire during missions.

“Wait, what’s…” Steve trailed off, grabbing the file from Natasha, his eyes trailing to the bottom of the paper.

Current status: Frozen after disobeying direct orders.

Steve froze completely, reading that part of the paper. A few moments of silence passed, and Nat placed a hand on Steve’s arm.

“We should keep going. We can talk to Fury about this when we get back.”

“Okay.” Steve said quietly. “Yeah, let’s keep going.”

The two walked down the aisle, back to the middle of the room, when Nat’s eyes caught sight of a door at the end one of the other aisles. She walked down with fast steps, and halted when she read what the sign next to the door said.

Cyrofreeze Chamber

She walked forward, opening the door, her eyes widening when she saw what was behind it.

“Steve! I think I found her!” She called back, followed by fast footsteps approaching.

“Y/N.” He breathed out once he saw that it was indeed her.

Her eyes were closed, and the very tips of her hair were coated in a thin layer of frost.

“Tony, we need your help.” Nat spoke into the coms.

“What’s happening?” Tony asked.

“We found a Cyrofreeze chamber, and someone’s in here.”

“I’ll be right there.”

After some hassle and time, they managed to get Y/N onto the jet and to the tower, to get her to Bruce and Doctor Cho.

Y/N had been taken straight to the med bay, and Steve was sitting outside the room with his head in his hands.

“Hey Steve.” Bucky said, sitting down next to him. “How’re you holding up?”

“I didn’t think I’d ever see her again.” Steve said quietly. “Now I find out she’s been alive the whole time, thinking me to be dead. I must have completely broke her heart. I just hope she’ll forgive me for that.”

“Don’t you dare even think like that.” Bucky said firmly, and Steve turned to look at him. “No one had any idea you were going to survive that plane crash. And we both know Y/N won’t blame that on you.”

“Do you think she’ll even remember?”

“Hard to know.” Bucky sighed. “They might not have done anything to her head, although I doubt that. But if she was frozen for disobeying orders, she must have at least know that what HYDRA was doing was bad. Maybe, if they did something, it didn’t stick.”

When Steve didn’t say anything, Bucky continued.

“But if she doesn’t remember anything, I’m positive the one who’ll be able to get her memories back is you.”

“Steve?” Bruce said, opening the door. “She’s awake.”

Y/N’s eyes slowly opened, swiftly closing again because of the bright lights that invaded her vision. Slowly but surely, she opened her eyes again, and once they got used to the light, the next thing she noticed was how cold she felt, and a shiver ran down her spine.

She sat up carefully, not knowing where she was or what was happening. She was in a small room. White walls and ceiling. A couch opposite the bed she was sitting on, one chair on either side of the bed, a table against the wall on her right, and two people standing in front of the door. A man and a woman.

“Oh, you’re awake.” The woman said, walking to the bed Y/N was sitting on. “How are you feeling?”

“Good, I’d say. A little cold, but good.” Y/N said hesitantly.

“Cold is to be expected, nothing to worry about.” The woman assured her. “My name is Doctor Cho, this is Bruce Banner.” She said, gesturing to the other person in the room.

“Just Bruce is fine.” He told you.

“Okay. Um, where am I? What’s happening?”

“You’re in the med bay of the Avengers Tower, New York City.” Bruce said. “2016.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yeah, HYDRA put you under Cyrofreeze in the 1980’s. You were found earlier today, and we got you awake again.” Bruce said, and Y/N looked down at her lap.

“I understand if you want to wait, this has to be a bit to process, but there is someone here to see you.” Doctor Cho said.

“Who’d want to see me? There can’t be anyone I know who’s alive now.” Y/N said, looking back to the two doctors.

“Not quite.” Bruce said with a slight chuckle. “You’re not the only one from your time who’s been frozen.”

“Who?”

“Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes.”

“They’re still alive?” Y/N said incredulously, amazed her fiancé and best friends were still around.

“Steve’s been waiting for you to wake up since you got here.” Bruce told her. “He’s waiting outside if you want to see him.”

“Yes, please.”

“Does she remember anything?” Bucky asked as Steve quickly stood up from his seat.

“She must remember something, she reacted when we said you two were waiting for her.” Bruce said.

Steve hesitated slightly outside the door, looking at Bruce, who nodded his head into the room. He slowly walked in, and froze when he saw Y/N sitting on the bed.

Her head was tilted down, looking at something that was laying in her hand, that was attached to a chain around her neck. Her head snapped up when Doctor Cho spoke.

“We’ll leave you two alone.” She said, moving towards the door. “Come find me if anything happens.”

The door closed, and Steve and Y/N were alone in the room. Together for the first time since 1945.

“Hi.” Y/N finally spoke up, breaking the silence.

“Hi.” Steve replied.

“Do you want to sit down?”

“How are you feeling?” Steve asked once he had sat down on Y/N’s right.

“A little cold, but I’m good.I just found out my fiancé and best friend also survived the test of time, so that’s a plus.” Y/N smiled at Steve, and he smiled back.

“How much do you remember?”

“If there’s something I don’t remember it’s not because of HYDRA, it’s just… me.” Y/N chuckled. “They tried so many times to wipe my memory, but it never worked. I don’t know why.”

“How are you?” Y/N asked, shifting the focus to Steve. “And how are you here? How did you survive that plane crash?”

“I got frozen in the water up there. It kept me alive.” Steve said. “It wa like Cyrofreeze, but just, nature. Then the world found me.”

“When was that?”

“2011. Then I found Bucky a few years later.”

“And how’s he?”

“He’s good. The HYDRA memory wipe worked on him, I’m sure you know.” Steve said, and YbN nodded. “But he’s getting there. There’s still bits and pieces he doesn’t remember though.”

“You know, when I got out of the ice, one of the first things I did was try to find as much information as I could about you. Try to find out what happened to you.” Steve said after some silence, looking at the floor. “The only thing I found about your fate was that you went missing in the 60s. I feel like I should have been able to figure out that after what happened to me, there could be a chance that you were also still out there somewhere.”

“Steve, you can't blame yourself for not trying to find me. cyrofreeze wasn’t exactly a thing we knew about. I don’t blame you at all for not looking for me, or even thinking to do so. You couldn’t have known.”

Steve looked up at Y/N, and he almost felt like time froze. Looking at her, she was still that same woman he fell for all those years ago. Same beautiful h/c hair, same shining e/c eyes, same smile he adored so much. Sure, she looked a little bit worn, but decades of hard work in a field as tricky as HYDRA was bound to do that to a person.

As his eyes were sweeping over her figure, his eyes caught what was hanging around her neck.

“You still have the ring.” He said.

“Yeah, I think it’s a miracle I do.” Y/N chuckled. “If HYDRA found out I had it, they probably would have thrown it out and tried to wipe my memory again. But of course I still have it.”

Y/N’s hand found the chain around her neck and pulled it off, laying the ring in the palm of her hand.

“Throwing this out would have been like throwing out one of my favorite memories of you. I couldn’t do that.”

Y/N turned her head to look at Steve, and he noticed a tear rolling down her cheek.

“But since we’re both here, do you want to put this ring back where it belongs?”

[eldritchqueerture]

Point of View - Original Statement Fic

Point of View (5004 words) by LadyNikita Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Magnus Archives (Podcast) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Original Statement Giver(s) (The Magnus Archives) Additional Tags: Statement Fic (The Magnus Archives), Original Statement (The Magnus Archives), this was intended as the eye but evolved into the vast as well, happens, cosmic horror, attempt at Eldritch Madness, unreality, Discussions of pointlessness and meaninglessness, Canon-Typical The Vast Content (The Magnus Archives), from the eps about space, Mentions of Death, Compulsion, discussions of free will (kind of), Dissociation, Panic, Mentions of addiction, Leitner Book (The Magnus Archives), except it was not possessed by Leitner, Pretty Colours <3, Neurodivergent Protagonist, Queer Protagonist, because I can project a bit as a treat, Can Be Read Without Prior Knowledge of the Podcast (I think)

Summary: "Humans crave understanding. They strive towards knowing more and more, that’s what all science is about, isn’t it? To study, to learn and understand; to seek answers to questions. But are we really equipped to handle the answers we seek? Even if we were able to reach them, are our minds advanced enough to grasp the truths about the world we live in? What if there are things just beyond our understanding, lurking in the shadows of reality, peeking into our world just enough to feed on us, on our uncertainty and our pathetic scrambling towards answers that would only bring madness?" --- Statement of Lyria Ellison regarding a different point of view and the dangers of knowledge.

Notes: Hiiiiii <3 I've been reading Lovecraft recently and as much as I hate the dude, The Colour Out of Space gave me so much inspiration that I immediately sat down and produced this in one sitting. I've been meaning to play with the concept of eldritch madness for a while; something about this trope is really appealing to me and I'm really enjoying my attempts at shaping it with words. Lyria is a preexisting OC of mine, I will give some background on her in the end notes because I love her very much. This is a form of practice for me; I'm playing with horror themes and I'd like to get acquainted with them to better incorporate them into my overall writing. Therefore I will accept constructive criticism if anyone wants to give it, but only in the form of DMs, either on Tumblr (your-queer-vampire-dm) or on Discord, if we know each other through a server. All of the warnings I think should be mentioned are in the tags, but if you think something should be added then please tell me!

Date: May 10th , 2018

Name: Lyria Ellison

Subject of experience: A different point of view and the dangers of knowledge.

—

How do you start telling a story that changed your heart, your mind, and your soul so profoundly that you can barely still function in a society? How do you say all that without sounding borderline insane? Nobody knows what I’ve seen, what I’ve been through. I know they would all say I’ve hallucinated it all and should seek treatment. But I know it won’t help. I know… I know so much now. Too much and not enough. Never enough. I know what happened was real . I don’t have proof so I’m guessing you won’t believe me either, but I need to tell someone about it. So I might as well tell you.

My name is Lyria Ellison and I’m a neuropsychology major. Ex-major, I should say. I dropped out after… Yeah. I dropped out; there’s not much point in continuing studying things about the feeble, insignificant human brain. Utterly pointless venture.

Humans crave understanding. They strive towards knowing more and more, that’s what all science is about, isn’t it? To study, to learn and understand; to seek answers to questions. But are we really equipped to handle the answers we seek? Even if we were able to reach them, are our minds advanced enough to grasp the truths about the world we live in? What if there are things just beyond our understanding, lurking in the shadows of reality, peeking into our world just enough to feed on us, on our uncertainty and our pathetic scrambling towards answers that would only bring madness?

Just a year ago, I was convinced I was going to finish my degree. I was so passionate about it too, eager to learn more and more, to research and seek knowledge. Curious and fascinated by the world around us. What a foolish thing it was to give into that drive. My mind was open to the supernatural, although I always approached it scientifically; I never said the supernatural existed, but I also never said it didn’t. It was plausible; all in all, every scientist must accept that there is still a vast amount of knowledge we don’t have about the world.

The ignorance was a blessing. But I shall not get ahead of myself.

It started around December last year; my dad had died, and my girlfriend, Shawala, and I were clearing out his house. There wasn’t really anyone else to do it; my mother had passed a couple years prior, I had no siblings, and extended family was out of the picture as well; and my dad had gathered a lot of things in his adventurous life; he was a traveller, and he loved the world, loved learning about it, just like me. I was feeling pretty overwhelmed with it all; my dad meant a lot to me back then, and Shawala proved an excellent support at that first shock. She promised to do some first view assessments of the ground floor, while I went to scope out how things looked in the attic.

It’s always either basements or attics, isn’t it? I used to read horror, Lovecraftian was my favourite – how ironic, isn’t it? How stupid . How utterly ignorant. The hubris of the human race at its finest.

Anyways, the attic was half-lit from the small windows in the roof, and dust was swirling in the faint light of the afternoon sun. It was cold here, but I didn’t pay much mind; the house was old, and it wasn’t surprising that there was draft. To say the space was cluttered would be an understatement; I could barely walk around the numerous boxes, old furniture, crates, and overflowing bookshelves; all of which made something in my chest curl tight, bringing tears to my eyes. I steered my steps towards the nearest bookshelf; I’ve always been a bookworm, fascinated by nearly any tome I came across; I’ve been reading popular science books since I was eight. So naturally, I was drawn to the books, taking huge steps above the cardboard boxes and careful not to hit anything else.

The books were old, of course, and dusty. Some of them had loose pages, and I treated them very gently, almost reverently. I have a little bit of a bookbinder streak, and I decided I would take them home and try to put them back together. As I rifled through them, I saw they pertained to a vast variety of subjects, from poetry, drama, and history, to science, metaphysics, and maths. The deeper I looked into this stunning collection, the more reverence rose in my heart; at my fingertips I had the oldest and the biggest accumulation of knowledge I had ever seen. I saw some books dated back even two hundred years ago.

At that point Shawala called me to check if I was alright. I put the book I had in my hands back and my knuckles brushed against the black leather cover of the next one on the shelf. I felt pleasant tingling in my palm at the touch and my heart leaped at the prospect; I didn’t know why –  the book seemed ordinary enough on the shelf and there was no title on its spine.

I sometimes wonder if I could have just left it there and gone downstairs; chosen to come back later and then maybe, it wouldn’t have enticed me as it did. If, by that point, I had had any choice left on the matter.

Alas, intrigued by the book, I placed my palm on the spine and took it out. The leather was soft and smooth, probably sheep, with familiar subtle grains all over the texture. I remember it striked me as odd that it was warmer than the rest of the books in the drafty attic, but I shrugged it off. The front cover had a title, small but visible in the centre, etched in gold – Punctum Visus .

I, by all means, cannot read or speak Latin, but I figured it was something to do with vision. I opened the book, an unknown anticipation buzzing in my stomach. The pages were worn and old, their texture was slightly rough but pleasant under my fingertips; as I opened the front page, I saw the title again, this time in thick but still elegant, black letters, and the smell came up to my nostrils.

I tried to describe it in my head countless times after. I always loved the smell of old books, and I knew it very well, so it came to me as a surprise to realize it wasn’t the only smell I could feel from the book. It was… cold, somehow, distant but prickling at my nose, a little bit the way peppermint tastes. It reminded me of the night sky and distant stars somehow. The smell awakened an unease within me, as I couldn’t quite place what it was and why it seemed so weird , but it wasn’t by any means unpleasant. It was… enticing. Like a promise of a mystery.

I breathed it in again through my nose, closing my eyes, and for a moment I lost all feeling in my body. I was untethered and immaterial, somewhere in deep darkness that seemed to envelop me whole. It felt cold on my mind, stretching it thoughtlessly in the empty vastness, and I saw distant flickering lights of stars. Before I could form a coherent thought, I was back in myself, panting and shaking, staring at the front page of the Punctum Visus . I looked around with shaky breaths; the attic looked the same, and Shawala’s steps on the stairs reached my ears, with her voice calling my name. A shiver passed down my spine, causing goosebumps to bloom on my skin; was it the draft, the dread, or the excitement I couldn’t tell.

I knew I had to read this book, no matter what it took for me to do so.

I took it home, almost forgetting about the rest of the books upstairs. It had spent the next month laying in my room, as I dealt with the formalities and moving the rest of things that weren’t sold from the house either to my place or to charity. After the day we left the house for the last time, I collapsed in my bed, exhausted, but instead of closing, my eyes fell on the book unassumingly waiting on my nightstand.

A surge of excitement passed through me, waking me right up. I sat up and reached for the book. It was still warm; I couldn’t tell if it was good or bad, but warm it was. I think it made me subconsciously assign it more… being? Like, even before I knew anything, I somehow subconsciously accepted that it was more than just an object; that it was, in a sense, alive on its own. I brushed my fingers on the cover, feeling the texture of the leather and the etching of the letters. In the meantime during this month I had checked the meaning of the title – Point of Sight; a position from which a thing is or is supposed to be viewed. It makes so much sense now.

But then I didn’t know what dangers it held; or I didn’t want to think about them. I do remember feeling anxious, my hands trembling every time I opened the cover, but it was so mingled with exhilaration of the certainty I was discovering something important that I must have disregarded it. As I turned the pages, I wasn’t surprised to find the text in Latin; though I still felt a pang of frustration that it meant I couldn’t read it for now. I rifled through the pages, looking curiously at the letters that formed words yet unattainable to me. There was a hunger inside of me; a hunger to Know. As I turned the pages past various symbols, illustrations of the constellations, and of Earth, I determined it must be some sort of a metaphysical work. The point of view on the world around us.

Normally I just skim through works like this and leave them. While they are an interesting read sometimes, they’re not my favourite genre and, looking objectively, putting in the effort of learning a whole language just for the sake of reading a treatise on the meaning of cosmos by an unknown author seems strange at best. But somehow it seemed obvious to me that I had to read it. It called to me, sang into a part of my being that begged to be filled, promising knowledge that would finally leave me satisfied. I know now that it’s impossible. Once you’ve tasted the hunger for knowing, you will never find satisfaction; it’s like an addiction. You just crave more and more, and the knowledge never ends. After a certain point you know too much and when it all connects, when it starts to make sense… you slip. I didn’t know that, even though maybe I should have. I didn’t know what those things I was feeling meant then and I didn’t stop to question them; I gave into it as soon as it touched me. I was stupid.

What followed were a busy couple of months. Every waking moment that wasn’t spent keeping up the pretence of being interested in my major (back then I only thought it a brief hyperfixation, of course, and wouldn’t have called it a pretence at all), I was learning Latin online or staring into the incomprehensible words on the pages. This period of my life is a blur; I remember my friends checking up on me if I was alright, since I wasn’t particularly social anymore. Shawala got progressively more worried, but it fully escaped my mind to care. I know that staring thoughtlessly at the book took up more and more of my time; once, I remember, I returned from my classes at three PM and took the book out; when I came back to myself it was well past midnight. That’s when I started to feel truly uneasy about it. It was the second half of April; I looked back on what I’ve been doing these past months and this cold dread started creeping up to my throat. I realized I didn’t know why I wanted to read the book so much and I remembered the “vision” or the hallucination I had that first time in my dad’s attic. I had set it aside completely as unimportant, and I couldn’t wrap my head around why. I started shaking and theorizing in my head about the book being able to influence my mind somehow, to control it. Had my actions not been my own? How much of it was my own will and how much was the book? Was it even possible for it to influence me like that; could it be that it was supernatural in some way?

The house became cold, unnaturally so. It was dark and all the windows were closed, but a chill draft managed to find its way into the corridor I was in anyway. I sank to the floor and hugged my knees, trembling in panic. I was all alone in the flat, everyone I knew was surely already asleep in their homes, and I was small and weak in the face of something that maybe could have controlled my mind. I suddenly became aware of the leatherbound book in my hand, and I threw it along the corridor at the front door with a whimper, as far away from me as possible. The book thumped against the door, then the floor, and opened on a random page.

I’ve read enough horrors. I knew that the page would be significant, and that knowledge made me sob and hug my knees tighter. I didn’t know what was happening; I felt like I’d just woken up from a months-long dream… and perhaps I was right. The recent past felt alien.

I felt tears sting my eyes and that’s when the smell reached me. Again that mixture of old paper and peppermint cold, distantly sweet but freezing the blood in my veins. My breath came in ragged and shallow, and tears streamed down my face as I stared at the open book that was calling me in an inaudible whisper. The logical side of my mind was trying desperately to make sense of it, to assign the dissociative feeling to my father’s death and yeah, it was plausible, but somehow it just didn’t feel right. The whispers sounded again, swirling around my head, the golden sound almost touching the back of my neck, making me wince. It was enticing and promising, but this time, I felt terror instead of excitement. Disregarding how my mind was trying to rationalize the situation, I knew the book was cursed somehow. I knew that I was its victim. And I knew that I would not be strong enough to resist it.

I don’t know how much time I sat there, trembling, and sobbing into my knees, before I calmed down from the panic and decided I had to do something. I had to find out what this book was and how it found itself into my dad’s library. I couldn’t remember seeing anything in his diaries that would mention it at all, but then again, I didn’t read them all cover to cover. On wobbly legs I carefully made my way back to my room and searched the Internet until the sun started peeking out of the window; I found nothing about any book titled Punctum Visus . I tried all the libraries that I’d known of, that had their assortment online, all the research databases; nothing.

So, at the crack of dawn, with a fast-beating heart, I stood in the door of my room, staring out into the corridor, where the book still lay by the front door, unmoving. The golden strings of a wordless melody made it to my ears; it promised an explanation; that this time if I looked close enough, I would find what I was looking for.

What was I looking for?

Where else could I find the answers if not in the book itself?

I could feel its cold fingers slowly wrap around my mind, steering me to come closer. It called me with a hypnotising voice that awakened all the red signals in my brain, telling me to run and hide, but I didn’t. The voice meant danger, but I knew it also meant knowledge.

Dangerous knowledge. The pull dragged me through the corridor step by step; I hadn’t been fighting it as strongly as I could have had and I was about to start, since I was getting closer to the book, but suddenly I felt the chill of the influence let go, hovering close but out of reach. It was still compelling me to come, to Look, but I could move my own limbs. I had a choice to make.

Knowledge of danger. Did I believe my own warning thoughts that I would regret looking into the book? Did I take my own logical, rational side seriously? Was I ever good at resisting my own impulses?

I’ve never been addicted to anything, but then again, I never really had the opportunity, as it were; my friends were more of a no-alcohol types and I really ever smoked cigarettes once. I’ve never seen drugs in real life. So who’s to say if I’m not an addictive personality? And this, this was addictive. The thrill of mystery, the exhilarating process of learning, the anticipation of the answers.

Was it ever really my choice?

No supernatural force guided my steps that night; no cold fingers made me kneel next to the book and carefully cradle it in my arms, looking at the page with a shaky breath and tears in my eyes, as if I was coming back home like the prodigal son. But I’m sure it was by some paranormal means that this time I could understand the text on the pages.

I honestly don’t remember what it said. As I read the unfamiliar words, the meaning presented itself in my mind, not entirely unlike that first “vision” I had in the attic; as soon as I started reading I knew that I had made the choice and there was no turning back. That cold draft enveloped me, sat on my skin, and started to bite; I felt that smell again, stronger than ever before, something intangible but unmistakably inhuman . It was then that I realized that’s what had felt wrong to me about the smell since the beginning. It was inferior and alien. My hands started shaking as my eyes, glued to the text, moved now on their own down the page, drinking the words in. I was terrified out of my mind, but the pleasant tingling along my nerves was back, the anticipation of the promised understanding.

My mind was drowned with the tide of knowledge. This was just a prologue; a true discovery would require preparation, but I was almost ready. The voice said I was chosen, that I was a perfect candidate to bring It what It needs and that I would be rewarded. I cried tears of amazement and horror at the sheer scope of the voice – it seemed to encompass the entire world. I couldn’t comprehend it, but I didn’t know then that it was a blessing. I wanted to know, I craved to know what It was and how I could be of use to something so powerful, so huge. Divine. That was a word that crossed my mind, as much as I don’t like that. I don’t like many things, but I can’t change any of them.

The voice said I’m on the right path. I would Know and Understand. First, I needed to do something. As It told me what that was, doubt started to creep up to my mind. What was I doing? What was happening? How could this be real?

I came to on the floor by my front door, the cursed book in hand, with a tear-stained face and a bloody nose.

I knew what I had to do to get ready and, as I calmed down and went over everything in my head, I was surprised by how trivial it was. Honestly, by this point I was kind of afraid It would tell me to hurt someone, so I was glad this was just about reading a bunch of words in a specific location at a specific time. I was aware of the fact that this was most probably a ritual, and I was quite apprehensive. I kept arguing with myself in my head, over and over whether I should follow through, but deep down I knew that I would, no matter what I told myself. This part, I think, scared me the most; how compelling the promise of knowledge was, how reverently I’d found myself thinking of the book and its owner (which I assumed was the voice), how fanatical some of my thoughts sounded. I’ve never been religious, never really felt idealistic either. I was always focused on facts, on the here and now. Can knowledge be an ideal? Can you be a fanatic of Seeing and Knowing?

How much had I changed since I’d found Punctum Visus in that old attic.

I found a good, quiet spot, on the north-west side of the New Forest National Park near Southampton. I told no one about this, deeming it unimportant. I would come back after my big discovery, I would explain everything. I laugh at myself now; at my naivety.

The night of April 28 th was clear, and the starry sky looked back at me as I parked my car on the road in the forest and locked it. I tied a piece of a long red string to the wheel, not to lose my way in the forest, and started to walk forward. I held the book close to my chest, as if it could protect me from the dark, eerie outlines of the trees, swaying gently on the wind and whatever the darkness around me held. I didn’t light the torch; the moon was nearly full, bathing everything in its gentle light, and besides, for some reason it seemed that the crude yellow light would somehow break the sanctity of what I was about to do. I could see the ground in front of me and managed to lose sight of my car and everything else besides trees pretty fast.

I stopped when I found a small clearing. The moon was high in the sky, shining down on me like a big eye; I didn’t know why this comparison seemed the most fitting, but it did. I took a deep breath, feeling a chill plant little dots all over my skin, making my hairs stand on end. The wind died down and the trees froze, as if in anticipation. I felt something watching me closely; I was not alone here anymore.

The realization made my breath catch in my throat and the last streaks of sanity broke through my thick skull. Run! Drop the book and run! I didn’t. My hands trembled, my muscles tensed, and I stood there, frozen with fear as something stared at me, seemingly for eternity. Something bigger than me, bigger than anything I have ever seen was watching me, waiting. My eyes dropped to the book in my arms. The black leather was warm, as always, but this time I felt a pulsating sensation from it. A heartbeat.

I screamed. The book landed discarded on the ground, and I stumbled backwards and tripped, landing in the grass as well. It was cold and wet, and it glistened with something in the faint moonlight. At first I took it for water, but upon closer inspection I saw it was the grass itself that glittered – a shy rainbow, glowing iridescently in an impossible way. I froze, stunned, for I have never seen such colours before. It seemed utterly alien, something unfitting for the human eye to see; simultaneously beautiful and horrifying.

As I looked around, I noticed that everything alive in the forest – the trees, the grass, the bushes, the plants – had taken on that iridescent mixture of faint light that prickled my eyes and sent a shiver of terror down my spine. It was beautiful, utterly gorgeous in a way that nothing a human eye can perceive could be. It was horrifying in how different, alien, and other it was. My senses could tell this is not of the Earth; not of this reality, not of this world; everything in me that still had common sense tried to recoil from the inferiority of this magnificence and the danger it brought, but I had abandoned common sense a while back. Maybe even when I touched the book for the first time. I stared then, breathless and trembling, at this scenery as if from a fairy tale and decided to lock away my rational thoughts. I wanted to See, to Know; I wanted to experience and if this was the death of me then hell, it was a pretty good way to go. To behold such a sight, I thought, was a reward in and of itself.

Of course, I had no idea what any of it meant. I slowly rose to my knees and patted the ground down until I felt the book. It still pulsated with this heartbeat and the letters etched in the leather glowed with golden light. My hands were sweaty, and I didn’t know whether I was shivering from fear or the cold. I opened the book on the first page.

What I saw was not what I had expected. I remembered that the first page, after the titular one, was the beginning of the introduction, that much I had understood, but now it was a big picture in black and white; a night sky, with an almost full moon and strewn with stars. It was a shot from the ground and treetops could be seen at the edges of the picture. As the book swayed in my hands, the stars glittered, and the perspective shifted ever so slightly, as if it was in 3D. Stricken by a surge of dread and cold certainty, I looked up. My suspicion was right – the picture in the book depicted the exact image that was now above me. I gasped quietly and looked down at the book—

And this is where things started to really go horribly, horribly wrong.

The book was gone. What’s more, the ground was gone too and suddenly everything was not where it should have been. I blinked but it did nothing to ease the dizziness; and when I composed myself enough to register what I was seeing I froze, the most intense horror I have ever experienced crushing my body from all sides and inside out.

I realized that I was Seeing. I was finally Seeing, and I Understood it all.

I don’t know how to convey in words what I saw. I don’t believe it’s possible; humans were never made to see and understand such things. I should have never touched the book, I should have never asked for knowledge. All my life I believed that knowledge was the point; it was a tool, and it was power. I don’t know what I think anymore. I think some knowledge should always be hidden because we were not made to know everything. We can’t , it’s physically impossible for us to comprehend.

For one moment in my life. For one moment I became something else, and I saw the world in the way It sees the world. For one moment I shared a mind with an eldritch being, a thing that is Fear itself, and I saw the Earth through Its Eye. I can’t… I can’t tell you just how horrible it is. How… How meaningless; we’re all intertwined things, guided by strings of web that lead us through life, and we’re all connected in this maze of fear . We’re not individuals; we’re not special. We don’t have souls and none of our experiences matter. We’re just fear. These… These entities are a part of all of us. They’re our fear and they live inside of us, inside of every living creature that can feel fear. Can you comprehend that? How can you be sure you are yourself when there’s a cosmic entity, a power as old as life itself, living you ? And no one has any idea. Nobody knows and if I tell someone they’ll think I’m crazy. Sometimes I think I’m crazy. But deep down I know what I saw. I know it was real. And I’m terrified. I’m terrified because I know that this Being of eyes that I became a part of watches everything I do. I feel Its presence here very strongly, and I guess it makes sense. It will never leave me. It’s a part of me, just like the rest of them; just like they’re all a part of every one of you, yet you have no idea. But I know. And I know I’m all alone with that knowledge, the knowledge that I can’t comprehend, but I know I could in that one moment. It’s a very lonely place to be and I’m scared.

I’m scared as I have never been before; this fear doesn’t leave me anymore. Every second of every day I’m aware I’m watched by something as great as cosmos. I’m aware I shared my mind with that being and it makes my skin crawl.

I don’t know what to do now, but I don’t expect any advice from you. I’m leaving the book with you, as proof. Its heart doesn’t beat anymore, and I’ve seen what I was supposed to.

Don’t read it.

Notes: If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving me a comment!! For people interested in a little bit of background: Lyria is a D&D character I have created that still awaits her chance to play in a campaign. She's an arcane scholar that has a dark little secret of actually being a warlock of a being she doesn't know a lot about. She's in love with knowledge and she seeks to learn about her powers as well as the world around her. I'm currently DMing a Ravenloft campaign and I just couldn't miss the fact how much potential for a corruption arc she has. Then I listened to TMA and I was like, she would definitely become the Avatar of the Beholding.

[crimson-cring-art]

Monster?

One Shot 1

Credit to @dannydarzuski for commissioning my story.

   

It was bigger than the pictures showed, and when she visited it with the realtor it was pretty good for its price...although it was a fixer upper. So once the payment was given and the deed was signed Ming Yue packed up a moving van full of her things and was on her way home.

    Yup she had a home, something to call her own, hang her hat, a place that was permanent...although...dirty…

    She ran her fingers over the wall and cringed. Well it was an old temple that had been repurposed into a home. It was good enough for her, and probably a roommate some day. 

Walking back in from the linen closet she had her hair under a cloth, and her sleeves rolled up. With a bucket in one hand, and a mop in the other she began to pull up the bamboo board and wash underneath. Patting the boards which were full of so much dust. Spraying them down, and then began washing the walls, and windows. Grabbing a broom she pulled down the cobwebs and smiled at her work. 

That was when she noticed a door. She immediately thought it might just be a closet, but a look at the blueprints told her it was the basement. Oh she would need to be able to go down there if something busted in the winter and there was supposed to be a few hook ups. 

She thought nothing of it, and turned the knob. 

Nothing happened…

The door wouldn’t budge. It was locked, she reached into her pocket pulling out the gaggle of keys. 

One right after the other she tried each and every one of the keys. She sighed, she’d have to figure out a way to open it. 

Her stomach growled loudly and she jumped up looking down at the accusing feature. 

“Oh fine! I’ll go to the store.” She said to her stomach. She did need to go grocery shopping. There was literally nothing in the fridge. She pulled down her hoodie sleeves and pulled the cloth from her hair. 

“Yes!” She picked up her purse on the way out. 

The store luckily wasn’t too far away and the walk there felt a bit rushed since the sky looked as if it were about to spill buckets of water everywhere. There was a light rumble off in the distance too, adding to the momentary threat. 

The door gave a soft ding as she walked inside. The cashiers gave a soft welcome as she walked inside. 

“No one saw his face!” The woman said as she unloaded the cart onto the belt. “But my cousin Madi said she saw him in the trees laughing before he flew off with a woman.” Walking through the meat it wasn’t hard to hear the ladies. They didn’t try to make it hard to hear them. They were loudly chatting. Almost like they wanted her to hear it.

“Did they ever find out who it was?” Ming Yue could hear them as she walked through the veggies. Picking up an onion, pepper, and garlic. 

“It was one of the school teachers! She had been turning on the sprinklers when he snatched her up.” The woman looked through her purse and handed money to the woman as Ming Yue tried to listen.

“That's horrible. Stay in doors, that's for sure Yona. It isn’t safe at night.” The cashier called out as the woman waved. Ming Yue picked up a small bag of rice. 

The cashier looked back up from her phone as Ming Yue walked back up to the front of the store. 

“You should be careful too. You are about the age he’s looking for?” The woman said as she started to ring up her things. Ming Yue looked twice as confused about this as she did about some monster running off with school teachers. 

“The vampire.” She whispered as she looked around as if he would jump out of nowhere to grab her. Ming Yue wanted to laugh, she didn’t believe in monsters. It was fantasies used for movies and nothing more. At best it was a hungry demon. 

“Oh! Yes, the one you two were talking about when I walked in. I’ll be careful.” The woman nodded as she handed the two small bags to her. 

With the small bag of veggies, and rice she walked back into her house and into her neatly cleaned kitchen. Sitting down she began to cut up the onions, peppers, chicken, and put the rice in the cooker. 

Turning to throw away the peals there was a splintering noise and down her foot went through the floorboards. It hurt like hell, and she couldn’t pull her foot out too well so she began to pull at the floor itself. 

Ming Yue pulled out her foot and the small section of flooring so she could fix it when she was done eating. 

When she looked into the small area she spotted a black box, and purple finish. She picked it up and looked over it. How odd to hide something so intricate in such an odd place. 

She wiggled the box, it made a soft rattling noise. Opening the box she saw a littering purple key. No instructions, no letter, and no marks. She shrugged as she put the box down. 

“We’ll see if you fit into the basement door key.” She told no one. There was a light click from the rice cooker. She stood up to throw away the fallen items before turning back to the stove and cooking the veggies. 

Going down toward the basement, Ming Yue  found that she was a little bit scared. The sky had begun to rumble louder as she ate dinner. It was rumbling so loud now that it would shake and rattle the house. She was afraid that it would blow away the temple. 

Inching toward the basement door, flinching when the power flickered and caused her to back pattle a bit looking around at the windows to see that the other people down the hills power was flicking too. 

“Stick together. I just bought you.” She patted the door frame before pulling out the small ornate box. Within housing the odd key. 

Pulling it out and lightly pushing it into the keyhole. At least it fit, that was a good sign. Especially as it turned pretty easily. 

There was a soft click, Ming Yue was amazed by this and opened the door. She had to push past a web, which wasn’t unusual seeing as the room hadn’t been opened in centuries or so she thought. Seeing as they didn’t have a key and she found it under a floorboard in the kitchen. The first thing she spotted was a bookshelf with old dusty books. They weren’t dusty like the door was. Actually they looked well taken care of, and was that a manga, a lot of national geographics, and oh no...not Twilight? She turned around and jumped, seeing a large onyx box, with amethysts all around it. Its black glaze, and purple jewels caused it to glisten in the light left by the door. 

There was a soft click and the coffin opened with a soft snap. 

Ming Yue couldn’t help but stare at the handsome face within. It was a coffin...there was a dead guy inside. Probably the former owner of the temple. She had heard this happens sometimes, the owners being buried on their land, but she never heard of it under the house. 

She slowly backed up away from the pale face of the dark furred monkey. She could just make out the fanged teeth over his bottom lip. Oh geez, was that blood on his shirt? Her heartbeat quickened as she turned to run but slammed right into the book shelf. She bent down to pick up the books on impulse because that's what one does when they mess something up. They fix or clean it. But in her bumbling she just knocked down more books. 

There was a chuckle from behind her, her blood turning to a puddle of ice as she stood there. Her heart was freezing cold, and almost all of the fur on the back of her neck was standing on end. 

She slowly turned around to see the smile along the vampire's features. 

“Why, what's a little snack like you doing down here in my shadowy basement?” He leaned in looking over her features. 

“Who...Who are you? What are you?” She asked, obviously ignoring the question he threw at her. He chuckled sniffing the air, she smelled like the rains outside. 

“Names Macaque.” He ran his finger over his tongue and smiled at her. “Six-Eared Macaque.” She wasn’t sure what he meant by six eared. Did he have...she gasped seeing the ears and she blushed looking down. 

“Come on beautiful, how about you and I have a bit of fun?” He smiled showing his fangs. It was obvious now what he was and what he implied. 

“No, No. I just want to go home.” She backed away looking up into his eyes.

His purple eyes looked as if he were pulling her into his soul. She wasn’t aware of him moving in, until she felt the pain of his teeth, and the soft caress of his lips around the bite mark. She wanted to push him away, but she was afraid his teeth would rip out her throat if she did. So she did the one thing she could. She grabbed hold of his shirt and held it. Almost pleading with him to not do just that. She liked her neck not ripped out thank you.

She felt her whole body beginning to grow numb. The fangs began to pull out and he licked her for a little while. Being weak she couldn’t do much about it. But there was blood on her shoulder, and fresh blood on his chin. 

He picked her up and walked toward the coffin. He planned on taking her in there with him? Oh hell no! 

Ming Yue pushed at him, grabbing at his fur, even biting at him to try and get him to stop. It was for not as he lay her down and held her into place as he climbed in. The lid slowly closed on them with a soft click locking Ming Yue within. 

[lockefanfic]

Business Trip: Pt 37 - Rough

“You want me to lie down on my back and spread my legs and let you fuck me until you cum in me like a good little girl, huh?” she continues. There is a wildness, an unconstrained craziness in her eyes.

You want to say something, want to snap back and tell her that you were more than willing and plenty able to do more than just that; but her hand pumping up and down your stiff cock, and the wild look in those eyes, has you incapable of coming up with the right words. Your cock begins to leak pre-cum, and she spreads it over your weeping slit and sensitive head, eliciting a soft moan from your lips that you do your best to stifle.

Seulgi sees this - sees that she has the upper hand - and the devious smile on her lips widens.

Seulgi grabs you by the cock and pulls you towards the bed - something that would have been painful were it not so fucking hot; the promise of sex with such a wild partner was an effective painkiller, it seemed.

Placing both hands flat against your chest, she pushes you down onto the old, small bed. She quickly undoes the button and zipper of her denim shorts, and strips it off her hips. Her short crop top soon follows it to the bedroom floor, and suddenly Kang Seulgi is naked in front of you, her slim, toned body tensed and ready to pounce.

“Too bad I’m not a good little girl,” she hisses, before climbing onto the bed, straddling your head with her thighs, and sitting on your face.

---

“So this is it, huh?”

“This is it,” Kang Seulgi repeats as she takes the first few steps into the apartment, reaching out to the wall to flick the lights on. Most of the furniture in the small, nondescript unit was covered with white sheets, although here and there an odd appliance or decoration was left uncovered to gather a layer of dust. The sheets and dusty atmosphere meant it was unlikely anyone had been there in awhile.

“I’d expected SM staff to be able to afford better housing,” you admit. The apartment was modest at best, being on a middle floor in a lower-middle class neighborhood of Seoul. It was far from being an unlivable place, but it was still a ways removed from the hyper modern, massive apartment buildings that dominated most of Seoul’s hipper, newer neighborhoods.

Momo and her team had picked you up from the JYP offices about an hour before; the other girls were doing some scouting and recon of the premises ahead of Seulgi’s meeting with Irene, which was scheduled for the next day. You’d volunteered to scout out Red Velvet’s old apartment with Seulgi, where the actual meeting was going to happen.

“This was all we could afford when we started out,” Seulgi replies, “when we were just paper pushers at SM. Before Red Velvet was even a thing.”

Seulgi reaches out to the refrigerator, which still had polaroids, takeout menus, and other miscellaneous junk attached onto its front door with magnets and scotch tape. Her eyes, normally cold and aloof, are far away, lost in thought and memories of days gone by. She plays idly with the edges of a series of polaroids - and though you were too far to see the subject of the photos, you knew it had to be the members of Red Velvet in their younger, more carefree days.

“When we started living here we decided as a team that we would each take turns cooking. We didn’t have a lot of money and we figured cooking our own food would save us a few won here and there,” she says with the hint of a smile on her lips, “but it turned out none of us could cook. Joy almost burnt this place down a couple of times. We ended up just taking turns ordering delivery.”

Her fingertips trace the corner of a well-worn delivery menu held to the door with a magnet. She touches the magnet briefly, as though she were reliving a moment that might have happened years ago, when she’d grab the menu off the fridge and ask the girls what they wanted to eat. But reality soon sets in for the suddenly sombre girl, and with heavy steps she leaves the kitchen.

She flicks on another set of lights, revealing the relatively small living room. An old, small flatscreen TV sat on a simple wooden stand against one wall, with a cheap fabric couch opposite it covered in white sheets.

“Only two of us could fit on the couch at once, so the other two had to sit on the floor. We took turns,” she explained, as if reading your mind. There must have been a lot of sharing going on - the apartment might have been cramped for two occupants, let alone four young women.

“Only one tiny little bathroom, too,” she continued. “Man, the fights that we had over who was taking too long in there…”

You are happy to let Seulgi reminisce about better days for a moment. This was the first time you’d spent any length of time alone with her, and you didn’t mind learning more about Red Velvet and how they began.

“Irene would shout at us if we were taking too long,” she continues, her tone wistful, “sometimes she would bang on the bathroom door so loud we’d get complaints from the neighbors.”

You are hesitant to broach the topic of Irene, given the noticeable thawing of Seulgi’s usually icy exterior since you’d arrived at the apartment. You were thankful it was Seulgi who brought her up.

“So the bitchiness started early,” you state.

Seulgi smirks. “At the time, yeah, we thought she was a bit of a bitch. But we couldn’t deny that she was driven, and that she wanted to go places. It was her that had the idea of forming Red Velvet - of working together as a team to make something of ourselves at SM. She was a bitch, but she could be a real leader, too. I suppose her bitchiness is also what made her so successful.”

“So how exactly did you four meet?”

“The four of us started at Red Velvet at the same time - we were recruited right out of university. We met at the SM orientation, and when we learned that we would be working in the same division we decided, hey, we may as well live together.”

Seulgi steps over to a bookcase filled with framed photos, old books, and other keepsakes collected by young people in the prime of their youth. Her hands reach out to graze its simple wooden frame, her eyes drifting from one item to another on its shelves and reliving a memory with each one. She doesn’t touch any of the photos or other things on the shelf, as if she were afraid of what would happen if she did.

“We started off just pushing paper. But one day Irene was promoted to be the executive assistant of some middle management type dude at SM. He was a bit of a perv - always hitting on her and shit, touching her like she was his girlfriend. Anyway, one day he was assigned to go to this convention in Europe and scope out what the competition was doing, and then report back. Irene went with him. Guy was drunk as fuck the whole time, treating it as a company paid vacation.”

Seulgi’s gaze finally settles on a framed picture, and with hands that appeared almost nervous, she reaches out and picks it up off the shelf with a delicacy that you didn’t know she was capable of. Her slim fingers play gently along its frame, as though she were handling some precious, fragile artifact.

“Irene ended doing all the work. And what’s more, she ended up getting some pretty juicy info on a competitor; info we ended up using to… convince them to sell us their tech.”

“So the blackmailing started early, too,” you say under your breath. Seulgi smirks.

“We prefer the term ‘corporate espionage,’” she says with a sly smile on her lips. “Irene was promoted for her work. The dude was demoted to the dungeons of SM where he fucking belonged. Irene took us with her, and soon we were climbing the ladder at SM.”

“Surely you were paid enough to buy nicer digs.”

“Yes,” Seulgi admits, “but we always kept this place. It was like a hideout for us, almost. We got up to some pretty shady stuff in our line of work. But we’d always come back to this place to relax, hang out, and just be girls again. No one knew about this place but us. It felt safe. It kept us grounded. It kept us together.”

“So what happened, then?” you ask, satisfied that now was the time to bring up the YG incident, “what happened on that day, Seulgi?”

Even without asking, the young woman knows what day you mean. She puts the picture back on the shelf and lets out a sigh; you experience a pang of regret as she does so, knowing that you were probably bringing up some bad memories. Seulgi takes a few deep breaths to compose herself. 

When she begins to speak she’s still turned away from you, moving from the bookshelf to stare out the window of the living room, towards the skyline of downtown Seoul in the distance.

“YG was our biggest competitor back in the day, as I’m sure you know. Wendy and Yeri were assigned a few operations to try and get dirt on them. But they never had any luck. Soon enough SM brass decided to give the assignment to Irene. Irene, of course - she didn’t waste any time. Before a month was out she had already established a relationship with YG’s CEO. More than that - she had him wrapped around her finger.”

“Damn,” you say, impressed.

“Anyway, her mission was to get the dirt on YG’s R&D division - they went under the codename Blackpink. She used her relationship with the CEO to dig up everything she could. But the more she found out about Blackpink, the more passionate she became about bringing YG down.”

“What did she find?”

“She wouldn’t tell us,” Seulgi says with a soft shake of her head, “she kept everything to herself at her own insistence. We usually shared everything we knew with each other, but this was different. She said it was because she didn’t want us to be in danger in case YG retaliated. She wanted to give us plausible deniability, I guess. Yeri thinks that by not telling us anything, she was trying to protect us. But I don’t believe that.”

“What do you think it was?” you ask, sitting down on the covered couch.

“I’m not entirely sure. I just know she must have had a reason for not telling us what she found. Either way, one day she came to us and proposed we infiltrate YG HQ. Apparently there was something there that we couldn’t retrieve via hacking. It had to be done the old school way, as I’m sure you’re familiar with,” Seulgi says with a smile, turning her head slightly in your direction. 

“A little too familiar,” you answer, knowing she was referring to the near disaster of Nayeon’s infiltration of SM.

“So we went and got pretty deep into YG HQ. We expected that we’d be doing some hacking into a secure mainframe or server and retrieving some confidential company data. Instead what we did was break four girls out of a goddamn dungeon.”

“What?”

“It turns out the whole thing was a rescue mission. The Blackpink girls were the target. No one knew this except Irene, of course, so you can imagine that when she told us we had to get these four girls to safety, we kind of freaked out. Wendy - she was Irene’s second, back in the day - she almost wanted to walk out on the whole thing and take the other two of us with her. But Irene convinced us that we had to get out with the girls - so we did. She was our leader. We trusted she was doing the right thing.”

“Except you didn’t all get out,” you say, realizing even as you said the words that you could have been more considerate with your choice of words.

“No, we didn’t,” Seulgi says, her voice dropping slightly. The girl takes a few deep breaths to compose herself, her hands bracing her weight against the windowsill. She had always seemed so tough and confident, but to see her vulnerability now made you feel bad for even bringing up the subject. Her very posture had changed; she was usually so proud and haughty, and now she seemed small and defenseless.

“You saw the tapes. You know what happened. YG captured Yeri and I on the way out. Irene took the girls and ran. Yeri and I… YG fucked us up.”

“Seulgi…” you say, not quite knowing how to best comfort her.

“Whatever. That doesn’t matter now. A few months later Yeri and I escaped that hellhole. And now all I want to know is why I had to go through that. I want to know why Irene left us there to die. And I’m going to ask her that tomorrow.”

A few seconds pass in silence as you digest Seulgi’s story. You’d known that Irene had left her and Yeri behind during the YG incident, but that was the extent of your knowledge. Learning the history of Red Velvet right from the source had given you some much needed context. 

“I’m sorry, Seulgi. It must have been terrible.”

Seulgi lets out a dark chuckle, as though she’d just heard a joke.

“Terrible is a vast understatement,” she says, “it was the worst few months of my life. But what they did to us physically - it didn’t matter. I healed. It was the betrayal that hurt the most. The relationship we’d built here, in this very room - to have it thrown away like that; that’s what really hurt me.”

Seconds pass in silence.

“It’s one thing to have your boss betray you,” Seulgi says with a wavering voice, “it’s another thing to have someone you’re in love with do the same.”

You are surprised somewhat at Seulgi’s confession. You’d known she’d had some sort of physical relationship with Yeri, and that their shared experience at YG had likely made them close, but you’d had no idea she’d had any sort of feelings towards Irene.

“What, you’re surprised?” Seulgi asks, a mocking tone in her voice and a sly smile on her lips as she finally turns around to face you. Her soft, sad eyes belay the cold, detached persona she was trying to return to. “Are you really surprised though, considering what Yeri and I did in front of you at the coffee shop last week?”

“No, that doesn’t surprise me. I just had no idea you and Irene-”

“Whatever, it’s in the past,” Seulgi snaps, “It doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters now is bringing her down. Who I fuck takes a backseat to that.”

“I suppose,” you say with a nod.

“Anyway, the bedroom’s that way. Come on then,” she says, stepping away from the windowsill to take you by the wrist and drag you towards a closed door.

“Uh, what?” you stammer as you are dragged from your seat.

“All this talk of the past has me all sad and shit, and I need a pick me up. Besides, you owe me one from the coffee shop. Oh, and you should know - this is going to be rough. I hope you’re not a pussy.”

---

Seulgi was right - it was rough.

From the moment she dragged you into the bedroom it was a bit like being caught up in a storm; one that pushed you around, one that hit you, one that caused you occasional pain. But instead of giving into her anger you found yourself wanting to fight back - wanting to show here you weren’t going to be pushed around. This was a wild animal you wanted to tame, a storm you wanted to weather.

As you cross the doorframe of the bedroom Seulgi grabs you by the collar of your shirt and quite literally shoves you up against the bedroom wall, rattling the walls and causing a few of the items on the nearby cabinet to fall over. Before you have a chance to react she is on you like a cat, quickly crushing your lips with her own before her tongue quickly invades your mouth. She tastes like mint - sweet, but with an underlying sharpness.

As you make out her hands find your collar again and she tears it open - sending buttons flying to the floor with small clinks. She tears her lips from yours momentarily as she forcefully undresses you. There is a hunger in her eyes as she takes in your newly exposed chest, like a predator salivating at the prospect of delicious prey.

Her lips return to yours in a torrid kiss; her hands quickly strip the torn shirt from your torso, and you are happy to help her remove it from your arms. You aren’t one to let her just get away with something like that, though; you want to fight back, want to show her that this wasn’t just a one way street - and so you grasp the light pink jacket she is wearing and pull it down her shoulders, leaving her in a short crop top and denim shorts.. 

As soon as Seulgi divests herself of the jacket she slaps you - across the cheek. You’d been slapped before, of course, even a couple of times during sex - but never that hard. It stung. She wasn’t holding back.

“Every piece of clothing you take off me gets a fucking slap,” she hisses. There is a wildness in her eyes that both scared you and intrigued you.

“Then I guess I owe you a slap for my fucking shirt,” you snap.

“Then do it! Fucking slap me. I want you to. I want it to hurt.”

“...I’m not gonna fucking slap you, Seulgi.”

“Because you’re a fucking pussy? I fucking knew it. I fucking knew you were a-”

She is silenced mid sentence by your open palm; even before you realized what you were doing, you’d hit her across the face. You are momentarily frozen by your own actions - you’d never hit a girl’s face before - but the crazy glint in Seulgi’s eyes, and the wild smile on those lips, meant that your slap not only didn’t piss her off - it turned her on.

Her hands reach for your jeans, fingers working quickly, almost frenzied in her desire to undress you. As soon as she undoes your belt she pulls them down, hooking her thumbs in your boxers and dragging them down along with your pants, leaving you naked. She takes a moment to admire your newly stiff cock as it springs free from its cotton prison.

“I see now why you have all those fuck toys in your office,” Seulgi says, licking her lips as though she were about to dive into a delicious looking meal, “and why Momo is always so fucking wet around you.”

“Maybe you should find out first hand,” you snap back.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Seulgi hisses, reaching down and grasping your stiff shaft. The skin of her fingers and palm are soft and warm, but her movements are rough and frenzied as she begins to stroke you up and down - you let a soft sigh escape your lips at the first spikes of pleasure, although you do your best to keep from doing any more than that. You don’t want to give her the satisfaction.

“You want me to lie down on my back and spread my legs and let you fuck me until you cum in me like a good little girl, huh?” she continues. There is a wildness, an unconstrained craziness in her eyes.

You want to say something, want to snap back and tell her that you were more than willing and plenty able to do more than just that; but her hand pumping up and down your stiff cock, and the wild look in those eyes, has you incapable of coming up with the right words. Your cock begins to leak pre-cum, and she spreads it over your weeping slit and sensitive head, eliciting a soft moan from your lips that you do your best to stifle.

Seulgi sees this - sees that she has the upper hand - and the devious smile on her lips widens.

Seulgi grabs you by the cock and pulls you towards the bed - something that would have been painful were it not so fucking hot; the promise of sex with such a wild partner was an effective painkiller, it seemed.

Placing both hands flat against your chest, she pushes you down onto the old, small bed. She quickly undoes the button and zipper of her denim shorts, and strips it off her hips. Her short crop top soon follows it to the bedroom floor, and suddenly Kang Seulgi is naked in front of you, her slim, toned body tensed and ready to pounce.

“Too bad I’m not a good little girl,” she hisses, before climbing onto the bed, straddling your head with her thighs, and sitting on your face.

It must have been only a few minutes since she’d pulled you into the bedroom, and already she was almost too much to handle. With the other girls there was at least some preamble, a healthy amount of foreplay, or both; with Seulgi there was none of that. A quick, torrid kiss, a stripping of clothing, and now your face was between her legs.

Your determination to fight back returns, having been lent strength by the fact that she no longer literally had your cock in her hands. And so you quickly dive into Seulgi’s slick, juicy pussy, darting out your tongue and giving her a slow, hard lick from the bottom of her opening to the top, delighting in the taste of her wet flesh. Seulgi quivers at this first lick, although she quickly settles down - evidently she was fighting the same battle you were, neither of you willing to show the other that they had the upper hand.

Her right hand reaches down to your scalp, her fingers digging into your skull.

“Stop fucking around and eat my pussy,” she orders, her tone sharp, although you notice, to your satisfaction, that her eyes have softened due to the pleasure of that first, quick taste.

You smile to yourself as you dive back in, your tongue darting out and giving her another broad lick, this time swirling your tip around the top of her opening, searching for and quickly finding the stiff little bud that is at the centre of her pleasure. Seulgi quivers slightly at this first contact between your tongue and her clit.

You are determined to not give her what she wanted - and it was clear what she wanted was a quick orgasm. So instead of returning to her aching clit you dive deep into her opening, pressing your face against her hot heat, penetrating her as much as you could with your tongue. You drink in Seulgi’s slick juices as they flow freely into your mouth, delighting in her bittersweet taste as you eat the writhing young girl riding your face. The moans that leave Seulgi’s pursed lips become a little louder with each dive into her depths, and the quivering of her soft thighs around your face become a little stronger as the young woman slowly, gradually loses control.

For a few delicious seconds you tongue fuck her, thrusting your tongue in and out of her opening, swirling your tip around with each entry and exit, savoring the taste of her body like some delicious meal. Her fingers dig deeper into your scalp as she continues to grind her crotch against your face, the pain in your skull and the delicious taste of her pussy mixing into a heady cocktail that quickly intoxicates you.

“Fucking… fucking make me cum.. Oh! Make me cum already,” she hisses.

You are unable to answer her with words, your mouth filled with her pussy as it was, and so you answer with action. You bring your hands up, cupping and squeezing her toned, round ass from behind, pressing her crotch closer and deeper against your face. Giving her pussy one more lick and driving your tongue as deep inside her as it could go one last time, you finally move upwards to her needy clit.

Seulgi’s reaction is instant, having been driven to the edge by the tongue fucking you were giving her. When you capture her bud between your lips and swirl the tip of your tongue around it she cums almost immediately, her body going rigid for a split second before becoming a pile of jelly, the pleasure taking the young woman by surprise as her body succumbs. Her mouth is frozen in an open “o” for a few seconds as the first wave of her orgasm crashes against her, but soon she lets a long, drawn out moan escape her lips as she rides it out, enjoying every crest of pleasure that hits her.

She is gyrating her hips as she cums, grinding her wet, drenched, hot crotch against your face for a few beautiful seconds. It’s almost difficult to breathe, your mouth or your nose or both covered in her wet, hot flesh. You are clutching her ass in an attempt to hold her down, doing your best to lap up the plentiful juices leaving her slick opening, drinking up Seulgi like she were a fountain and you hadn’t drunk in days.

When Seulgi finally comes down from her high and releases your head from between her wet thighs, you are almost upset when her pussy leaves your face. You lick your lips, gathering her juices from the mess she’d made on your mouth and chin.

When you lock eyes again her face is wild - flushed with her orgasm, but still undiminished in that intimidating craziness that had taken her over.

She slides her body down, dipping her head and kissing you roughly, tasting herself on your tongue as your mouths lock in frenzied battle once more. To Seulgi, kissing was not a show or display of affection - it was a battle, a display of dominance.

“Not fucking bad,” she admits when she finally breaks the kiss, “now let’s see how you fuck.”

You were surprised at her lack of foreplay, lack of build up before she forced you to eat her out - but you were still expecting some sort of lead up to actual sex. But you should have known better by now, should have known that Seulgi wasn’t that type of girl.

In the space of a couple of seconds, Seulgi moves her body down until she is straddling your waist, and after reaching down to point your aching tip at her slick, dripping pussy, she takes you inside her and begins to ride you.

No build up, no slow gradual rise in pace or tempo - soon she is riding you hard, as though she were atop some bucking wild horse in some sort of race to a finish line only she could see. Her pussy is tight and wet and slick and hot and every possible adjective you could possibly use to describe the pleasurable feeling of her body - and it took you all at once, the sensations hitting you all at the same time, like a tsunami hitting the unprepared coastline of your brain.

It is all you could do to hold on to her bucking hips as she throws herself again and again into your cock, taking you in and out of her body at a pace that held no regard for your pleasure or even your comfort - all she wanted was to get off, and you were the tool she was going to use to get to her destination.

“Mmmm…. Argh! Fuck! Fuck, yes… Mmm... !!”

Even the sounds she made were different; aside from the odd pleasurable moan or hissed profanity, she sounded like she were searching for something, or working away at a project. The other girls sat back and let themselves come across the pleasure they were searching for; for Seulgi it was as though she were actively searching for it, looking for it amidst the sensations and pleasures emanating from between your bodies.

It took you longer than you cared to admit, but eventually you are able to at least get used to the torrid pace Seulgi has set as she rides you roughly on the creaking, protesting bed. She clutches the headboard above you, and as she does so it finally gives you a good look at her slim, svelte form, all tight muscle and lean limbs, her abs tight and sculpted, her small breasts tipped with delicious looking nipples stiff with pleasure. 

Above it all, though, was that face of hers - surely capable of much beauty and grace, but now twisted in wild abandon, the craziness of her need and lust twisting those perfect features into a mask that was equal parts intoxicating and intimidating. Hey eyes, even half-lidded in pleasure, are still bright and wild, fixed on you even as the rest of her body bounces up and down.

Rather mercifully, it is her that ends up approaching orgasm first; lucky for you, because you’d have hated to see what could happen if she were disappointed by sex. The gradual tightening and pulsating of her already tight, slick tunnel tells you she was quickly reaching her peak.

Seulgi ups her pace, impaling herself again and again on your cock as though she were nearing the finish line to a race and wanted to finish strong. The determined look on her face begins to crack, as the pleasure of your stiff cock pumping in and out of her finally overwhelms her senses.

“Oh, fuck, I’m gonna fucking… fucking cum… fuck!”

She cums like you expected her to, like she did minutes before on your tongue - like a violent storm breaking upon a shore. Her body goes rigid, her fingernails dig into the wooden headboard, and her thighs clench around your waist as the pleasure overtakes her senses. Her pussy pulsates and quivers around your cock as she buries it as deep inside her as it could go. It is all you could do to hold on to her tight, shaking body as she rides out her pleasure for long, beautiful seconds.

When she comes down from her peak she is still slowly grinding herself against your crotch, your cock fully embedded inside her body, as though she is chasing the last vestiges of pleasure before she comes down to earth. Breathing heavily, skin flushed, she finally gives you her appraisal of your performance.

Her appraisal is a slap across your face. When you recover enough to look back at her, your cheek stinging with sharp pain, the wild look in her eyes both scares you and turns you on.

“You think I have to thank you for making me cum, when all you did was lie there? The only credit you get is for not cumming in five seconds like a fucking virgin.”

You are a little stunned by Seulgi, and more than a little unsure about how to react. You’d never been with a woman so wild, so crazy in bed before - only Chaeyoung came close, and even then it was more playful than angry. Seulgi was a storm, a tornado that came in, tore down your house, and didn’t care what you thought of it.

You want to reach up and choke her. You want to turn her around and pull on her hair hard as you drill her tight little body from behind. This part of you wants to fight her - wants to show her you were just as capable of dominating her as she was of you - but another, darker part of you wants to let her have her way. Because deep down, it kind of turned you on.

“I suppose you can cum too, then, I guess,” Seulgi says, as nonchalantly as she could, given the circumstances - as though she weren’t naked, fully impaled on a man’s cock.

“Where do you want to cum, you little bitch?” she asks, with a look that you would have thought was threatening if it weren’t so fucking hot.

“I want-”

Another slap, this time to your other cheek. This one stung more than the other. The gradual increase of pain in her slaps would have concerned you if they weren’t so fucking hot at the same time. You should have known better. You’d think you’d have learned.

“I decide where you cum,” she states, a little edge in her tone. She says the words matter-of-factly, as though she were to brook no complaint or argument, would accept no alternative. A storm, after all, cared little for the complaints of those in its path.

She slides off your cock - and you lament the loss of her tight wet heat wrapped around your cock as it slips out of her, shiny and glistening with her juices. Before you know it Seulgi is curled up into a ball between your legs, and soon she is taking you in and out of her mouth.

Again - no build up. No preamble, no teasing or foreplay. Only the replacement of one hot, wet orifice with another. Only the wet, hot cavern of Seulgi’s mouth, those lips wrapped tightly around your shaft, her tongue swirling around your sensitive head each time she reached the apex. You should have been ready. You should have known by now. But again, the tsunami that was Kang Seulgi’s body finds a coastline unprepared.

She is rough, lacking in the patience and technique of someone like Sana or Seolhyun; but Seulgi more than makes up for it with sheer determination, as though she were using anger and hate to fuel her work between your legs. And you were in no position to complain, not when her hot little mouth was already bringing you close to cumming after only a few seconds of work.

She must have felt you nearing your peak - because you were certainly in no position to tell her so, given the near paralysis you felt as she worked fiercely on your cock. Just moments before you finally cum Seulgi lets your cock pop out of her mouth.

Your orgasm overwhelms your senses, but you force your eyes open to watch as thick, glistening cum erupts from your tip to land on Seulgi’s face, on her cheeks and nose, painting her soft features with white semen. You continue to cum more than you think you were going to, as though your body were responding to Seulgi’s abuse by painting her face with as much thick, hot white seed as it could. The look of utter lust on Seulgi’s needy features is breathtaking - mouth open and tongue out, she looked as though each rope of thick cum that landed on her face brought her to a new level of perverse pleasure.

After letting the first few streams of cum land onto her wanton face Seulgi slips your spasming cock back inside her mouth, and the feel of her tongue on your sensitive shaft, mid-orgasm, is almost too much to handle. Your hands grip the sides of her skull in a grip that is almost too tight for the girl; but she bears it, accepting the last few streams of cum into her needy mouth to splash against the back of her throat.

Your hands keep her there - you had involuntarily buried your cock into her mouth with a thrust of your hips and the grip on her head, it seemed. Not that Seulgi seemed to mind, if the swirling of her tongue around the sensitive underside of your pulsating cock was any indication.

An indeterminate amount of time later, when you finally release her head from your grasp, Seulgi lets your now half-softened cock slip out between her pink lips - along with a thick stream of fresh semen. She is almost embarrassed by it, and she quickly darts out her tongue to collect it all, as though it were some expensive drink that she didn’t want to waste a drop of. You watch as her throat works, gulping the thick ropes of cum down into her body.

You are barely cognizant enough to watch as she sets to work cleaning your cock, using her hand to keep it straight as she licks your combined juices from your tired, weary shaft and balls.

All the while she does so with your warm cum still dripping down her face, a wicked smile on her lips, and those crazy eyes locked on yours.

---

It’s half an hour later when Momo and Yeri arrive in the apartment, thankfully enough time for you and the former member of Red Velvet to get yourselves dressed up again and at least somewhat presentable, even if you had to deal with a shirt that had its buttons torn off. The sight of your torn shirt was an obvious giveaway to Yeri and Momo; Yeri reacts with a sly smile, as though she’d expected it to happen, although the dark look of barely hidden disappointment in Momo’s eyes stings you a little.

“Our work downstairs is done,” Momo states, seeking to change the subject as the four of you stand in the living room, “We set up cameras at all the entrances and in the parking lot. Seulgi will be wearing a camera and a wire to capture her meeting with Irene here in this room.”

“And I’ll be in the bedroom with a recording device of our own,” you state. You knew you had to have your own copy of the recording; not only to ensure redundancy in case of equipment failure, but also as a backup plan in case Irene tried something unexpected. “Jihyo and Nayeon will be with me, ready to arrest Irene once the time is right and we’re sure she won’t try anything.”

“Fair enough,” Momo admits, “Now if you two are done with your… work, we can leave.” She gives you another sharp look, then turns and leaves the apartment. Yeri follows, but only after giving the apartment one last quick glance; unlike Seulgi, she seemed to have no desire to relive days gone by.

“Seulgi,” you say, stopping the girl as she makes to follow Momo and Yeri out.

“I need to know you won’t do anything stupid tomorrow,” you continue, as straightforwardly as you could.

“Stupid? Like what?” the girl asks, crossing her arms and facing you.

“Like kidnapping Irene. Or worse. Jihyo and Nayeon will be here to arrest her. All you need to do is get her inside the apartment. That’s all. I know you want to get back at her for what she did to you, but she’ll be prosecuted for all her crimes, I promise you. We’re going to do this the right way. We’re not going to hurt her.”

Seulgi smirks, as though she were offended by your insinuation.

“What makes you think I want to do that?”

“She betrayed you and Yeri. Left you behind to be captured by YG. You said you wanted to ask her why. That’s fine - but I need to know that you won’t do anything stupid, especially if her answer isn’t what you want to hear.”

“I just want to ask her why she left us there. One way or another, I’m going to get my answer.”

Seulgi turns away and begins to walk out of the apartment.

“Remember what I told you last week - don’t get in my way,” she states, each word cold as ice, as she steps out of the apartment to leave you alone with your thoughts.

[extremelyblackandwhite]

handmaid - 24

PAIRING: mob!sebastian stan x ingenue!reader

WARNINGS: age gap

A/N: sorry for the delay of this one i kept getting distracted by gilmore girls quizzes 😂  i hope you enjoy this one xx

NEXT CHAPTER

In my life, I'm no longer alone now the love in my life is so near. Find me now, find me here ...

Things had started to become boring in the Forrest household. She certainly remember Christmases being more lively and filled with magic and joy. Maybe it was because the staff was gone or because her whole magic and joy was a whole half hour away from where she was standing. She had spent most of the day making friendly conversation with several associates, trying to avoid Mr. Williams and his constant riddle mode of speaking. However, something was bothering her, it was bothering her that Sebastian had been in the house and seemingly hadn’t been around ever since her 18th, at least following whatever a very drunk Gwen could recall. She was certain that Dan was surely hiding something judging by how he seemed to change the subject whenever she questioned about his statement about her meeting Sebastian prior to when she thought, immediately moving to talk about the house in the Paris.

She could almost guess that Sebastian definitely wouldn’t say anything either considering he had rather harshly sent her off without even considering her offer. Besides, she had already gotten one voicemail from him and she didn’t feel like getting into more issues by sneaking around to ask him about something he probably wouldn’t remember. 

      - Gwen ... - Y/N mindlessly called out for her friend who was eating some macarons one of the guests had brought. - Do we have photos from our 18th? 

      - Why? - she questioned, placing another treat on her mouth.

      - Well I ... I thought I would do a slideshow for your wedding. - she shrugged it off and Gwen gave her a confused look before returning to her little box of treats.

      - There should be some photo albums on the attic. You better not pick any unwanted baby pictures of me, Y/N. - she pointed at her in a threatening manner but Y/N just shook it off, jumping from the seat of the kitchen. 

She looked around, hoping no one was watching her which thankfully no one was as most associates had retired to Mr. Forrest’s office for cigars and mob conversations while the wives were all seemingly enchanted with Sophie. Y/N took this opportunity to sliver across the living room and into the staircase that led to the attic. She knew that no one wanted to give her answer but she was gonna figure out why it seemed like the last time Sebastian had been allowed in the house was seven years ago.

Slowly and surely yet silently, she pulled the door of the attic open, climbing the stairs into the same place she used to rush to whenever life downstairs became just too much to deal with. For safety, she closed the door and stood up looking around at the series and series of boxes and shelves present within the attic. It was after all where everything seemed to end up whenever it wasn’t needed anymore.

She focused her attention on the main shelves, going through various and various albums until she found the one she’d been looking for. Grabbing it enthusiastically, she opened the dusty album, noticing the very first picture was of a seemingly younger Sebastian standing next to Daniel. There was no fooling her eyes, however, what seemed to ring curiosity was the next page where it was a photo of her next to Gwen cutting the cake with Sebastian by Gwen’s side. 

Silently, she continued to look through the photos and the more she looked the more photos where he showed up seemed to pop up. Then, out of the sudden something rather heavy fell on top of her lap which made her let out a surprised scream. Y/N put her hand over her mouth, looking up to see the family cat walking on top of some high standing albums. 

     - There you are. - she lifted her arms to pick the cat. - Almost killed me, Luca.

The cat continued to pace around the attic while Y/N took a rather confused look at the album. It looked much older than the other albums, full of dust with the leather cover with some rips and dents due to time passage. She bite her lip before opening it up. The very first picture was off a woman standing in front of the Palais Garnier wearing what looked like a theatrical ball gown with her hair pushed into a bun surrounded by gold strings. However, what called for Y/N’s attention was the gold necklace wrapped around her neck.

Quickly, she took her necklace off, putting it next to photo on the album. It was the same necklace, although it was small, the little robin in the middle didn’t fool her and when looking at the picture side to the necklace she just knew it was the same necklace. Her hands ripped the picture off the old paper, turning it around to see a rather quick and barely legible handwriting. 

    - Robin. - she whispered to herself before shoving the picture on her back pocket and placing the album pack in his shelf. Quickly, she made her way out of the attic, closing the door behind her as she went down the stairs back to where Gwen was. She was still sat on the kitchen stool now drinking a glass of rosé, happily content with her heiress lifestyle. - Gwen, can you cover for me?

    - What? - the heiress slowly blinked her eyes wondering if the alcohol had travelled up to her hearing sensory. - Where are you going? Everything is closed. 

   - C’mon, Gwen. 

   - Should we negotiate? - she raised her glass. - You have to cover for me and Christian when we’re back at the penthouse. 

   - Weekends. - she rebutted. 

   - Weekends and Fridays. - Gwen glared and Y/N sighed nodding her head to which the heiress smiled triumphally. 

In all honesty, Y/N did not know where she was going or what to do, all she knew is that she needed to just drive off. Stealing the keys from the plate by the door, she stepped out of the house, looking at the fluffy yet drivable snow setting and with a sigh she entered one of the drivers’ cars driving off before someone could notice she was gone.

Her eyes were on the road as she mindlessly let herself drive around still very confused as to why there was a picture of a woman named Robin using her necklace. Was that her mother? She didn’t know, all she knew is that mindlessly or not she had ended up driving to where, subconsciously, she would rather be. 

Stepping out of the car, she greeted the valet who despite being Christmas and cold was still outside and gave her a kind smile, opening the doors for her. Y/N got inside the lift, putting the code on the lift which sent her into the penthouse. Quietly, she paced inside the penthouse before sitting down on the coach looking at the ceiling trying to collect her thoughts. Maybe she shouldn’t try to find answers as whenever she looked for them, she found more questions. 

    - Angel? - she turned her head to the staircase where Sebastian was standing, his hair almost as shaggy as the picture she had seen the day prior. - What are you doing here? Are you hurt?

   - No, I just ... I just needed a bit of a break. - she sighed, forcing a smile while he had clearly noticed as a fake one. - Too many people in the room. 

   - I thought you liked a full Christmas. - he smirked, walking over to her side. 

   - I just ... I just need some time away. - his heads went over to her quivering lip which she was trying to hide by biting on her own lip. Her signature nail pulling was also present along with her eyes standing up as if she was avoiding to cry. 

  - Hey ... - Sebastian sat by her side, arms wrapping around her side. - What happened?

   - I'm okay, it’s really nothing. I just needed some time away from all the mob associates and Gwen and everything that comes along with it. - her head leaned against his shoulder, watching the stillness of the room filled with nothing but the sounds of the heater and the small fall of the rain against the windows. 

  - Did they treat you badly?

  - They treat me as well as they’re able. Not their fault really. - she laughed which sounded more like sigh rather than a laugh. Sebastian didn’t take kindly to this, wishing he had never let her depart his side but yet again Y/N was her own woman and he would never force her to do something she didn’t want. He didn’t think anyone could really do as such despite her kindness looking endlessly ever lasting. - How’s your Christmas been?

  - Paperwork. How’s yours? 

  - I think I know what my mother looked like. - her eyes locked with his, with a tint of glimmering shimmer which held the most compassionate emotion he’d ever experienced. - I found an old photo in the attic of the woman wearing the same necklace as me. 

  - That’s good, isn’t it? - he smiled, kissing her forehead as she struggled to find the folded up piece off her trousers, handing it over to him. He unfolded the photo which had began to age with time, the colours not as bright as they used to be but he could recognise the necklace wrapped around the woman’s neck as Y/N’s necklace. However, it was not that he first recognised. Rather, he recognised the woman’s eyes as the same as Y/N’s. The same constant kindness and glimmer which warmed the coldest of hearts. - Good to put a face to the name, I believe. 

  - Yeah, well I ... I should return home before they realise I’m gone. - she started to get up, but his grip on her thigh didn’t allow her to fully get up. 

  - Do you wanna stay here, angel? - he questioned and Y/N found it hard to fully answer. She had to go back, it wasn’t like she had a place other than the one in France to lie about and say she was staying there instead. - Don’t think too much. Do you wanna go back to the Forrest’s house?

    - I ... - she scratched the back of her head, eyes moving up to the ceiling. She should want to go home, right? It’s her childhood place, it’s the place holding all her cherished Christmas memories but did she want to go back to forced laughters and faking smiles at associates, their wives and specially Mr. Williams? - No, I don’t.

   - Do you want me to make arrangements for a hotel room or would you rather stay here with me, angel? 

   - Can I stay here? - she looked up from her sitting position, a coy like expression of her face. - If it’s okay with you.

   - Angel, you can stay wherever you’d like. 

   - But what if I get in trouble? I don’t wanna get in trouble or upset Mr. Forrest, he’s alway ...

  - Angel, you work for me. You signed my contract, I can pull you off holiday whenever I want. - he seemed to leave her for a few minutes to go make a call and Y/N continued in the coach. Opening the photo again she couldn’t help but be hypnotised by the photo, specially the look on the woman’s face. She couldn’t be any older than 30, most likely in her mid 20′s with the type of smile that makes everyone want to break into song, the type of smile that raises your cheeks up and crinkles the sides of your eyes. Her dress was black and skin tight at the bodice before it fell like a princess bowl gown. The fabric itself was embroidered with gold like thread in what looked like several flowers. Her hair was pulled back, completely up in a ballerina bun with various gold strings which called even more attention for the nestled necklace in the middle of her collarbones. Whoever that woman was, she had owned the same necklace that now rested on Y/N’s neck. 

She wondered why that picture was in the attic. All Mr. Forrest had told her while growing up was that her parents had been part of his workforce and were dead. She never knew how she had died, their names or how they looked, she had never questioned him either afraid her curiosity would come out as rude. As mere workers and if Robin was her mother why would her photo be in attic? Why was she dressed in what looked like an expensive gown standing in front of an Opera House? Y/N wondered why she had never questioned it, maybe it was out of respect for Mr. Forrest, Gwen and Dan who had taken her into the family, raised her a such with as much prestige as they could. Nevertheless, even if her parents were mere workers, she would like to at least know their names or when they died, where they were buried even.

    - He wasn’t very happy but you can stay. - Sebastian broke her off her thought pattern, standing behind her in the couch, hands on her shoulder which gave off a sort of warmth that made her want to forever relish in. - Look upset about it if he ever asks you.

    - Thank you. - her whole face softened as her cheek leaned against his hand on her shoulder, a stark contrast between the softness of her skin to the roughed nature of his hands. 

   - I’ll arrange for your stuff to be picked up tomorrow. - his grip grew slightly tighter on her shoulder in a protective manner. - And if you want, we can look through my father’s old contact book. See if we find anyone named Robin there if it would put you to rest. 

   - You’d do that for me? - she questioned with surprise laced in her voice. He was a private person and his father before him sounded even more private. She’d heard countless stories of how ruthlessly mysterious the man was so it sat a bit uneasy on her that his son was allowing her to go through his contacts. 

   - I would do anything for you, angel.

tag list: @lilya-petrichor​ @xoxohannahlee​ @irespostthingsiwanttoseelater​ @nikkipea​ @madisonpillstrom​ @cevans98​ @thelostallycat​ @sideeffectsofyou​ @anxiousdreamersworld​ @captainchrisstan​ @lookiamtrying​ @sarge-barnes-sir​ @stuffforreferences​ @thebadassbitchqueen @sebastianstansqueen​ @nsfwsebbie​ @strangerliaa

[dragonrajafanfiction]

If you’re still accepting requests, I got a challenge: “I just want to be held for a little while” with Herzog x Bondarev or CaesarxJohann :3💙

(Thanks for the Challenge! You are rewarded with a Cross-over!)

The lighting was minimal in the the ancient 11th century castle in the middle of this small Eastern European Country, so it was easy for Caesar and Johann to hide their identities among the uniformed soldiers of this illegal lab in the mountains.

This lab was run by a group that named themselves after the legendary Hydra. From the murky waters of the swamps near a place called Lerna, the hydra would rise up and terrorize the countryside. A monstrous serpent with nine heads, the hydra attacked with poisonous venom. Nor was this beast easy prey, for one of the nine heads was immortal and therefore indestructible.

The second labor of Hercules was to kill the Lernean Hydra. Caesar Gattuso considered himself a dragon slayer of that caliber. After coming from his adventures in Japan and facing a different beast of a similar name, the SheQiBai Clan, who named themselves after Yamata-no-Orochi, an 8-headed serpent of Japanese Legend, he figured this was just one more head.

Hercules set off to hunt the nine-headed menace, but he did not go alone. His trusty nephew, Iolaus, was by his side. Iolaus, who shared many adventures with Hercules, accompanied him on many of the twelve labors. Legend has it that Iolaus won a victory in chariot racing at the Olympics and he is often depicted as Hercules' charioteer. So, the pair drove to Lerna and by the springs of Amymone, they discovered the lair of the loathsome hydra.

Likewise, Caesar wasn’t alone. Next to him, Johann Chu marched through the gate, flashing their falsified credentials. The two had gotten along much better after their shared adventure. But getting closer meant exposing vulnerabilities. After the mission was done, they no longer invited each other to any sort of shared bathhouses. That was for certain.

Together, they had been helicoptered into to the sparse surrounding woods. After being warned of landmines it was amazing they didn’t set any off parachuting down. The place was being torn apart by a civil war, thought to be stoked by this Hydra organization. They were taking test subjects from the ensuing refugee disaster.

The plan was simple. As far as they could tell, this facility wasn’t staffed by hybrids. They were normal humans and needed to be taken out of the way humanely for questioning and memory wiping of all dragon knowledge if needed. So rather than burst into the facility, guns and swords drawn, they would infiltrate, destroy the lab, free the prisoners and the the Secret Society handle the rest of the investigation.

One of the biggest questions was how these people got ahold of dragon knowledge in the first place. Their similar name made Caesar assume that perhaps they had some connection with Herzog, but as he looked around the place, there was no sign of anything Japanese or anything familiar. The uniforms weren’t the Yakuza’s dark trenchcoat with Ukiyo-E on the lining, but simple camo army uniforms. And the symbols they used on those uniforms had nothing to do with the Cassell’s world tree or even of the actual mythical Hydra. Emblazoned on the chest of each of them was something more like an octopus.

He paused in a corridor and opened his golden eyes. The Scythe Ferrets of his Soul Skill released and swept like phantoms, mapping the entire space like echolocation.

“There’s a lot of empty rooms. I see what’s probably two prisoners. The rest are workers. I know where the computers are. I’ll head that way and get Norma to hack in. I need you to buy some time. We’ve got company. Fourteen, ...fifteen heartbeats headed our way.”

“Stop! Put your hands up!”

Caesar nodded once. In an instant, Johann Chu whirled and drew his pistol and fired one round. The man dropped in a heap, rendered unconscious by a Frigga bullet. “How long do you think it’ll take you?” Johann asked.

“Mmm… give me fifteen minutes.” He loaded a few more bullets into his Desert Eagles

Johann looked up at the taller man sharply. “That is forever.”

He clicked his gun shut and sneered. “They’re just humans. I’ll be dealing with the hybrids. One of the captives is a lady.”

Johann Chu sighed and his eyes narrowed further.

“Don’t give me that look.” His cocky smile turned into a scowl. Caesar had reason not to trust Johann Chu with a rescue task of this sort. He was more than willing to kill Shavee and turn Erii over to the mercy of the School Board.

Johann’s look held just as much cold disdain and without a word, he invoked what happened last time Caesar decided to stick his neck out to rescue a woman. Johann had ended up set on fire and nearly dying and Caesar had gone berserk with Blood Rage and littered the street with mutilated people.

The woman died anyway.

Not willing to give Johann a chance to bring that up, Caesar made his way up the metal stairs while Johann dashed away to deal with their company. The Scythe Ferrets brought him shouts and gunfire that lit up in his ears and he smiled again.

It was much quieter ahead. He pulled an earpiece from his pocket and tucked it in his ear. “Norma, we’re inside. The operation has begun. I’m on my way to the computer room.”

 Caesar kicked open the door and spotted a man hunched over the computer. When the man saw him, he raised his arms to shield himself, “No! Please!”

Caesar didn’t bother negotiating, and just put a Frigg bullet into the man's torso without even breaking his stride while he looked around. “This isn’t anything like Genji Heavy industries. Everything here is… decades old tech. Who… uses floppy disks?”

He reached over and picked up a piece of paper. “German…?”

He paused in front of the computer screens. “Hopefully it’s not too incompatible with you, Norma.”

The female voice spoke in his ear. “So long as there’s a USB port then I should be able to copy all their files.”

Caesar nodded and stepped over the unconscious man to get to the computer tower. He slipped in a large device into the USB port.  Norma would handle the rest of this job, but questions swirled in his mind about who this Hydra organization really was.

His superhearing ability was telling him that the wall to his left hid a corridor behind it. The whisper of a hollow wind and the whir of fans became clear to him as he approached. He felt along the wall until same thing gave in and pushed it. Sure enough, the wall swiveled open. Even this was no fancy technology but a hidden passage built into the castle itself.

Caesar radioed Johann. “Norma is working. I’m heading down to the captives.”

This corridor was even darker, lit only by yellowing cagelights in the ceiling. Caesar proceeded cautiously, one hand on his pistols, resisting sneezing against the dust that kicked up from its layers on the floor.

“This is too easy.” Johann’s voice came into his ear.

“I just got the same feeling.” He murmured, eyes scanning the room.

“Are you detecting any signs of explosives or booby traps?”

“Not yet, but I am keeping an eye out. Dress those goons up for easy pick up and post sentry outside, be ready when I call you.” Caesar pulled his pistol out as the corridor began to widen into a larger chamber.  “I… think I found the lab.”

It was messy full of half filled metal shelfs and discarded drop clothes. Caesar raised his eyes toward the huge cathedral-like ceiling. There a black curled claw the size of a car was suspended. It looked thin and wasted, mummified. Caesar lifted his phone and began to take pictures. It was surrounded by scaffolding. On closer inspection, he could see where pieces of it had been sheared off.

Even this large space was cramped and cluttered, full of blind spots and places to hide, but his scythe ferrets were doing their job. When he stepped around the corner, he knew there was no one there. What the ferrets didn’t tell him was that he would be met with the sight of bodies, in various states of dismemberment, laid out on tables. Men, women, children, skin pale and cold in death. Some had their body cavities open, but there was no blood. Looking further, he could see tanks of fluid where more bodies had been preserved for dissection. It was enough to turn his stomach.

On a table amidst it all was an old book made of ancient parchment. Even from this distance and in the dark, Caesar could see if was old alchemy. “Was this book here when you arrived?” He asked, turning to the woman standing behind him. “Oh, you didn’t think I would know you’re there? I know you were following me the minute I stepped in his room. You’re fast, but… your heart still beats.” 

She was fairskinned and dressed, not in a prisoner’s or a soldier’s uniform but a black shirt and dark colored jeans. But what gave him a little tickle of mirth was that she had red hair. What was it with him and red heads?

The woman glared at him, with a fearless threatening manner. She wasn’t afraid or startled by the horrors around her. “Are you responsible for all this?” Caesar asked, waving a gun cavalierly. “Or are you a victim of it?”

He heard what he thought were whispers and saw her eyes glow red. He gasped but then a familiar scream made him turn and raise his pistols. “Nono?!”

He blinked, shaking his head, Nono wasn’t here. She was back in Italy. How… why was he seeing her on the examination tables? Torn to pieces? Naked… Violated! On another table, his mother. The sight was like a spear through his heart. Not again, not her. Not again!

The Scythe Ferrets told him that the other woman was still there, her heart beating fast, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the two most beloved people in his whole life, meticulously torn apart and used in death, just like they were used in life. Disbelief at what he was seeing tugged at his mind but he was drawn to confirm this sight. Nono’s red hair spread out from her face, her eyes stared in an empty expression, blood trickled from her mouth as he reached out to touch her cheek.

A sharp crack made him flinch. The claw had come to life and flexed its fingers before lowering to the ground. The sharp tips dug in and the ground trembled as a reptilian head broke through the stone floor and blinked its golden eyes at him. The eyes were like fire, molten. Burning!

The vision suddenly ended. Caesar blinked, his heart racing. The claw had returned to its mummified state. Nono and his mother were gone from the table. He was sitting on the floor, sweaty and exhausted.

Johann was calling him. “Where are you?”

“I’m here in the lab.”

“Still?”

Norma interjected. “I’ll guide you to him.”

“That girl. She’s a hybrid. She… she’s not on our side.” He felt wet and looked down to see his uniform patched with dark round spots. He ran his hand over it and it came back red on his fingers. “She shot me.”

“Where is she now?”

“Don’t know… be careful. You’re close. You should… be nearly here.” Caesar could hear the other man’s boots coming down the metal stairs. He saw his dark shadow among the debris. Johann wasted no time looking around, hurrying to his side.

“She got you.” Johann dropped to one knee but Caesar pushed him away.

He grit his teeth. The pain hit him arresting his breath and sending trembling through every muscle. “Get the book on the table. I’ve already taken pictures.” Caesar grunted to get up, finding the strength in his dragonblood to stand, leaning on the table. He coughed, and tasted iron. He wiped his mouth and saw blood there as well. Johann ducked under his arm and lifted him up slightly.  “Norma, we’re going to need somewhere we can stay for a while. Caesar is suffering multiple gunshot wounds. I can get transport. I just need a place.”

“This will only take a moment.” came Norma’s reply.

Caesar turned his head back to the table where he saw the vision of the dismembered Nono. His heart sank. The vision was so real, not even his Soul Skill could overcome it. That scream echoed in his ears.

“I have acquired all the information I need. The clean up crew is on the way.” Norma said.

Johann took him into a garage with old jeeps. Johann carefully lowered Caesar into the front seat of one and lifted the hood. After a few moments, he slammed it shut. Then he got into the front seat and opened the steering wheel to expose the wiring.

While he worked he murmured. “Caesar. Stay with me.”

“I’m still here.” He said hoarsely. Dizziness was starting to cloud his mind. The vision was emblazoned there like a memory. It was seeping into his subconscious. No matter how much he said it wasn’t real, it affected him like it was real. The feelings of loss and helplessness made his heart flutter. 

“What happened.”

“Some sort of hypnosis.” 

“What did she look like.” Johann’s grounded questioning was the only thing keeping him moored into this reality. He was sure he was only doing it to keep him conscious, but he clung to it like a life raft in stormy seas.

“Like… Nono, only with darker red hair.” 

The Jeep roared to life.  Johann put on the flimsy seatbelt more out of habit than safety concern. He lifted Caesar against his shoulder, mindful of what effect a seatbelt might have on his injuries. “I’ll do my best to hold on to you.”

Much to his surprise, Caesar’s arm snaked around his back and his head rested on his shoulder. Johann could feel the blood soaking into him even from that contact. He down shifted the car and sped out into the dark forest. Norma was in his ear, directing him to out of the maze of trees and onto a main road. “Caesar… you…”

“I just want to be held for a little while.” He muttered. Even now, pride wouldn’t let Caesar look him in the eyes. The pain of his injuries was fading, but the wounds from the Soul Skill she used had run deeper. They were like barbed wired on his psyche. The moment he tried to break free of it, the more painful he became. He could only shrank away from the memory of that cold and frightening loneliness that he was truly on his own. There was no family to rescue him. It was him against the cruel world that had wronged him.

Johann’s arm tightened around him.

[masterjedilenawrites]

May the Books Be With You: Din Djarin and Grogu

Welcome to May the Books Be With You, a bookstore that is simultaneously cozy and crazy, located in all times and all places, housing a multitude of words and pages. As the store owner, you take pride in finding the perfect story for any creature that makes its way through your doors. Whether it's a historical narrative for an amphibious Jedi, a calming romance for a battle-weary clone trooper, or a fun collection of children's poems for a new Mandalorian father... Your store has it all, and you are more than eager to help every patron walk away with their next happily ever after.

Din Djarin and Grogu

It had been a rather slow day for you, the kind that usually made you restless and just a little mad. It hardly surprised you this time of year, with the weather being so nice and the trade season starting to pick up. It was not the best time to hunker down with a book. But that understanding did not help pass the time by any easier. You wished you had saved your weekly shelf dusting for today. Instead, you had squeezed it into the same day as you'd stocked the new shipment and paid the utility bills, like a dumbass.

By mid-afternoon, you had completed yet another round of pacing through the shelves, realigning books that weren't actually askew, pretending you hadn't seen some of the titles before and skimming the first few pages. You made your way back to the front counter and let yourself bend over it with a frustrated huff.

Stretching yourself over the wooden surface felt nice. Just as you were starting to think maybe you could try some yoga moves, there was the familiar jingle of the little bell on the front door handle. You jolted upright, hoping the customer hadn't noticed you unprofessionally, and probably unflatteringly, contorting yourself over the counter.

"Good day," you smiled up at the unusual figure standing awkwardly in the entrance. He was entirely clad in what looked to be beskar armor, with a shiny helmet, flowing cape, straps of ammo across his chest, and what looked to be some sort of weapon poking up from behind his back. He had a bag slung over one shoulder, and nestled in the crook of it by his hip, was a little green creature.

You knew from your perusal of certain demographic books that your customer of the day was a Mandalorian. The T-shaped visor alone was indication enough, but you were aware of the significance of beskar, too; Mandalorian iron, it was sometimes called out in these parts. It was also safe to assume that he was some sort of bounty hunter.

But the creature at his side gave you pause. You were sure you had seen its kind before, but you couldn't pinpoint any specific names or memories. Whatever its species, it sure was adorable. Its eyes blinked slowly while its large ears quirked from side to side as it took in its surroundings. It held a curiosity that most of your customers tended to have, despite it seeming so young. You felt your smile lingering as you gazed at it.

The Mandalorian took a few hesitant steps inside, turning his helmeted head around slowly.

"Can I help you find anything?" you asked, used to this kind of behavior. Sometimes people came into your quirky little shop with a purpose, while others simply ended up there, unsure why they felt compelled to enter, and unable to walk away. As if pulled in by a magical force.

The Mandalorian shifted. "Um, I was hoping to find something for the little one."

His voice was filtered through his helmet, but you could still hear the shyness, how he carefully enunciated his words, how he seemed to be hiding his true nature.

You came from around the counter, still beaming at the "the little one" in the pouch. Its face titled up at you and its little hands grasped at each other in comfort.

"Did you have anything in mind?" You looked between creature and helmet, hoping one of them would give you something useful to go off of. You had a knack for finding the right book for the right person, but you needed some kind of starting point.

The Mandalorian shrugged. "Some kind of activity? Something to keep him busy, so he stops messing with the buttons on my ship."

He said the last part more quietly, like he didn't mean to be upset about it but still found it tiresome. You briefly wondered what their connection was. It wasn't often you saw a bounty hunter toting around a kid, and of a vastly different species, no less.

But you pushed that thought aside so you could consider the challenge at hand. An activity book....

"This way," you said after a beat, as you headed down an isle toward your left.

The shelves weren't arranged in a pattern, and the books on them weren't in a logical order, either. You liked it that way. It ensured you would always be needed.

You snaked through a few rows before arriving at your destination, the Mandalorian and his little friend directly behind. You stooped to wiggle out a thin book from one of the lower shelves and splayed it open between you and your customers.

"Maybe something like this?" you asked, slowly flipping between the pages so he could see. Each page was a photo of a whole mess of random objects; brightly colored marbles and unique figurines and letters in funky fonts and countless other items that made for an interesting landscape.

"There's prompts to find certain objects," you explained, "but even if he can't read, it's still fun to look at.

The Mandalorian brought the satchel around and you lowered the book so the child could see it.

"What do you think?" the Mandalorian asked him. The child cooed and held his hand out at it, his eyes unblinking as it scanned over the open page. The Mandalorian chuckled a little. "Looks like we'll take it."

You happily handed the book over, but you didn't feel fully satisfied. You squinted your eyes into the distance, feeling like there was more this odd duo could use.

"Do you read to him?" you asked, though you didn't wait for an answer. You headed off down the isle and turned the corner.

"I don't really have the time..." the Mandalorian said. He pulled up as he came around the corner and found you crouched at the end cap.

"Here," you said, having found what you were looking for. You didn't display it this time, passing it to him confidently. "It's a book of poems. Nothing fancy or weird. They're really cute. Most are short, too, so it'll fit into your busy schedule."

You winked playfully, but couldn't tell if he'd noticed or was looking at the book instead. He opened it and carefully thumbed through the pages with a gloved hand. You added, just as an extra selling point, "Most kids like being read to. It's comforting. Helps them grow."

The helmet titled up a bit and nodded at you.

"Okay."

Maybe you were imagining it, but he sounded just a little excited. You held back a self-satisfied grin and instead looked down at the kid in question. The Mandalorian followed your gaze and you both noticed the creature had pulled a book off the shelf next to him. He somehow seemed even more enamored with this one than he had the other book.

"What do you have there?" The Mandalorian angled the book to get a better look at the cover and you laughed. It had the silhouette of a man's head covered in chainmail. You suspected it reminded the kid of his own armor-clad caretaker.

"It's a story about a hero defeating monsters and becoming king of the land," you explained. "It's been translated from a very old language, so it might be difficult to read aloud. But it's a good story, so might be worth it."

The Mandalorian sighed. "Then I guess we'll take that one too."

He fished out some coins from his pocket and deposited them into your hand. You followed the pair back to the front of the store, wishing you'd found a way to keep them here longer, but recognizing the life of a bounty hunter meant keeping on the move.

"I hope you two find your way back here again someday," you said in parting. The Mandalorian paused with a hand on the doorknob, his helmet glinting in the afternoon sun that poured through the windowed doors. "I'd even watch the little guy for you, if you needed."

The Mandalorian chuckled, a soft and pleasant sound. "I just may take you up on that offer. Thank you for your help."

He gave you one last nod as he pushed through the doors. You tried waving at the child, but he was too busy cooing at all his new books. You watched as they made their way down the street and out of sight, and then turned back toward your empty store.

Now, about that yoga....

Book Inspiration:

I Spy: A Book of Picture Riddles, Scholastic publishing

Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein

Beowulf, translation by Seamus Heaney

AO3 link