#I need a novella about that too
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So we know Iris is ART's Ratthi. But who will Three's Ratthi be?
One of MB's Preservation humans? A different Preservation human? Or one of ART's crew? Or a yet unknown character, possibly Holism's crew person?
Or maybe it will pull a Murderbot, wander off on its own and decide it does not need a Ratthi.
Either way, I NEED at least a tiny novella about Three.
#murderbot#the murderbot diaries#and I need a Ratthi#Three might not but I do#how did Ratthi even become the Best Friend#like how did he win MB over#I need a novella about that too
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finally finished all of one character's entire quests/optional dialogue/questions/etc.... 100,000 words... .... aughhh
#Given some of it IS lines of code and stuff but like.. minus all that it's still probably at least 85 - 95k words hhhhhh#AND I have to do this for another 3 characters. Then a few partial quests for 3 others. THEN the other random misc stuff in the game#(like there are public areas in the city like a park and a forest that you can go and do a few things at. and chat with a few random#townsfolk that aren't actually full characters or anything. And there's a community board where you can#browse some of the random job advertisments or silly things that happen to be posted around#and also pick up a few odd jobs of your own to help earn coin to buy gifts for the npcs. etc. etc.)#Originally I was thinking like 'ah I'll make a short little game just to try it out! :3 It'll take maybe a few months!''#haha........................hee hee........................................hoho#Also evil that it would have been done already if I didn't totally drop itand stop working on it for like 5 years randomly#i could have made 5 years of steady slow progress gradually. instead of like 'one initial idea dump + about a month of art and writing'#...... 5 year break..... 'sudden mad dash to try to get probably 400.000 words written in a year or less' lol#I just really want to be done and have something out there already so it can lead to doing other things in my world..!!!!!! T o T#Like this can be an introduction and then maybe from that I can make other games. or short story anthologies. or other such things#But there needs to be some initially not very complex easy to interact with starting point first I guess... if that makes sense#That's part of why I stopped posting worldbuilding lore dump stuff as often because its' like.. massive walls of novella length#text are much more inacessible to engage with than like.. ooh a game! and there's characters! so its more approachable! and theres#visuals! oo! and the text is broken up in small bits line by line with other things in betwen! oo! etc. etc. lol#Not that THIS is even very accessible. I think dialogue heavy interactive fiction/visual novel type stuff is pretty niche and considered#boring or tedious compared to something with more ''gamplay'' like where you can actually move around in a world#and shoot things or whatever lol. But its an inbetween point. something SLIGHTLY#more accesible for now. Since i just dont have the budget or means or ability to make some skyrim type thing obviously LOL#Though maybe if theres any interest in the visual novel that could lead to making other things too. or at least I hope. I have a VERY cool#idea for a more ''gamey'' type of game that is a super fun concept and etc. but I would need to hire at least 2 people to make it.. ough..#I could do all the writing and probably half of the art. But I think I'd inevitably need a 3d artist and someone who can Code For Real hbjh#the system for ren'py (the thing I'm making a visual novel in) is not that complicated if you stick to just simple dialogue and stuff.#Making a whole moderately sized 3d game with minigames in it and a bunch of quest features and etc. would be out of my simplistic scope#''just learn it yourself!!' ... i barely manage to eat and sleep reliably every day lol... i do not function well enough to spend months#learning that many new skills. I already have a lot of of things I'm good at (not in a braggy way but just factually like.. i already have#a wide variety of different things under my belt).. at some point I have to just be happy with what i CAN already do and focus on that#and admit I need to get outside help sometimes ghjbh... NO more new skills/hobbies!!! ... ANYWAY
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Maybe I need to write Cardinal's Map so there's a contemporary book about the power of literature and reaching for a world beyond the mundane that isn't wall-to-wall inspirational platitudes with vague worldbuilding about the battle between the forces of good vs. evil.
#i say as though i would be able to avoid trite inspirational platitudes and vague worldbuilding#anyway my driving-filled day had me listening to nearly half of 'nightfall in the garden of deep time'#and i do like it#but it seems to be an awfully long and wordy book for a very simple story#(maybe it's the author's librivox-ish narration and my increased listening speed making it worse but it's still a thing)#anyway the vague inspirational messages about the power of creativity are getting to be a bit much#especially combined with worldbuilding that's mostly cryptic statements about how important it is for art to be good true and beautiful#which is a good thing! it'd just be nice if it was even a little subtle about it sometimes#i feel like this suffers coming after the latest amanda dykes book#with a lot of beauty but also a lot of characters who spoke solely in artsy inspirational platitudes#and coming after that one mg time travel book#that was supposed to be about a bookshop bringing in people from across time#but turned out to mostly be 'books are good which means this bookshop is full of good magic that needs to balance evil magic'#which was very stupid and didn't make use of the bookshop part of the premise at all#and anyway those similarities are dragging this book down for me#actually 'once a queen' did a pretty decent job with these kinds of things#worldbuilding kind of vague and metaphory but overall still an actual world#and characters who learned lessons without everyone in their life speaking only to metaphorically discuss the theme#anyway the actual book in question has me invested#but also rushing through it to get to the story beats because it's taking too long to get there#starting to suspect this would have made a good novella#because we know she's going to have a creative epiphany so dragging out the metaphors only hurts things
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god I need to rewatch the wolf man (1941) again I take breaks while watching films often which is a bad habit I need to break I need to stop treating movies like they’re books this film was fantastic I just finished it and like it’s so fucking good. One of my favorite films. Made me wanna cry. Love the themes of isolation and how no one believed Larry’s illness he was either seen as being ridiculous or being inherently cruel deep down in his heart or even just the mere assertion he was insane and needed to get treatment for psychosis when that was not what he was facing in his struggles. He knew he was harmful to others he knew what was happening to him but no one took his word for it. No one truly believed except the mother of a son who lived and died as a werewolf. To know what is wrong with you and try to isolate, try to ensure everyone else is safe after finally acknowledging that is something you are going through, and for everyone else to never understand it is heartbreaking. He did nothing to deserve this fate. No one truly deserves being treated like this, being neglected like this.
I also kinda interpreted how Larry’s father reacted to his son behaving like this as him knowing that the asylums won’t help, you know? This is a recurring issue in their family, something that has sprung up again and again, family members with the same illness, the same curse. I feel like they have at least tried to institutionalize them before at least once, and realized how horrendous they treated them in it. He doesn’t want his son to go through that, he wants his son to just push through this “delusion” and make it through when he cannot. His father basically has to convince himself that his son can push through if he tries hard enough, because that itself feels like it is the only cure for something like this. He doesn’t want his son to become a husk, he doesn’t know how to help his little boy. His own attempts to help him by trying to make him snap out of it only pushes them further off the edge, leading to his death by the hands of his own father at the end of the film.
#rambles#Art talkings and musings#putting this in that tags because this way too informal to be put into my art analysis tag#the wolf man#the wolf man 1941#it kinda reminds me of the metamorphosis and bones and all too#with the metamorphosis it just reminded me of that due to how the people perceive the wolf is similar to how gregor is seen in the novella#with bones and all its about how there’s others like him and how he can’t really control his urge and how no one else can truly help him#no one who hasn’t experienced this pain will ever understand it#At least in bones and all Maren found others like her she found Lee. Larry has no one#The dynamic Larry had with Gwen reminded me of Veronica and Seth from the fly by David cronenberg too#Both relationships even have an other guy the woman either is or was romantically tied with too! God I love both of these films#The way Larry is treated for his lycanthropy and how it’s seen as psychosis reminded me back of the history of how autism was treated#Like autism was commonly mistaken for schizophrenia so much that the dsm5 has put in how a autistic individual needs to show more positive#symptoms for shit like schizophrenia in order to try to stop more diagnosis. autism being compared to schizophrenia is even in the origin o#its name look up what autism means it’s so. Ough#this isn’t me saying this entire film is a allegory for autism in my personal view of it I just wanted to make note of something I know tha#Is similar to what happened in the film. I gotta read up on the Jewish interpretation of this movie I kept thinking about that as I watched
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listening to the pb interview and ooooooooooooooo so much to think about
#cassius being a dad.... let me lie down for a second#ajax and lysander too i'm so normal about them#also fuck mr brown i need a diomedes novella
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hit 10k in changing states btw <3
#IT'S LITERALLYYYY NOT A SHORT STORY ANYMORE LMAOO#I KNEWWW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN#tbh the intention was for CS to be a novella but like I was too scared to make that goal upfront <3#so now it's just in the form it was supposed to be in LOL#which actually technically this and HB are more like novelettes#tho the definitions of these things is kind of arbitrary anyway I just count them as novellas LOL#I think I'm almost done CS though it's a really strange feeling I get when I know I'm arriving to the end of a project#like it truly DOES feel like an arrival#like how you know you're turning onto your street after a long car ride as a kid even though your eyes are closed#just an instinct lol so I think I probably have about 5-6k left of this#can't wait to dig into the jeremiah halloween birthday a little bit more cuz rn he's like "I NEED TO GO BACK TO LAS VEGAS NOW#“SO I CAN DECORATE MY APARTMENT FOR HALLOWEEN”#and it's like bbygirl sorry to break it to you but rachel needs you in maryland for halloween so <3
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Midterms rolled around and I took a bit of a break - which is fine (I hope) but now I have to really bunch my muscles and get this story ready to go for nov.
I was hoping to have a project intro post out by now -but I still need to write a quick synopsis and figure out a working title (at the very LEAST)
Lacking a completed outline as well... things are get dicey over here
#i'm going to post about writing throughout nov - if you're doing a writing challenge too lmk!#need to figure out what my writing tag should be for nov? i understand why we aren't using the acronym nanowrimo anymore but uuuuugghhh#i do still call my nov novels nanonovels though to be completely frank its easy and i don't wanna edit all of my notes and documents#writing#writblr#creative writing#novel planning#novellanovember#novella november#writing month#writeblr#november novel#your november novel
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I’m gonna be completely real with you. For the past couple of weeks I have been neck deep in the Ice Planet Barbarians series with no end in sight
#i don’t know what ms ruby dixon put in these books but it’s like crack to me#i think it’s the balance of predictability vs there being a journey#like i know these two are going to get together and be fated mates but i don’t know when or how it’s going to happen#and she keeps switching up the formula just enough that i’m not sure what exactly the vibe is going to be each time#i’m on maddie’s book and it might be my favourite so far just because of how dramatic the earthquake was#and i liked that SOMEONE finally asked if any of the men were getting it on with each other because i mean……#there’s two dozen hunters who thought they were NEVER going to get a mate and you’re telling me NONE of them fucked. suspicious#i also really liked when hassen was saying about how maddie throws stuff at people when she’s mad and then he says ‘now that is a woman’#like honestly. yeah. too many of these men have been like ‘oh i love my small delicate human mate :)’ and hassen is like#‘this fat bitch who screams at people? i want her. she’s mine’ because bro honestly that would be me#i’d either be ms ariana screaming and crying at any stimuli; maddie throwing stuff at people; or maybe a combo of the two#which i think is probably liz#what else do i have to say about this… i mean honestly i am a vektal apologist. the man needs a raise. he is dealing with TOO MUCH bullshit#and from too many people. whenever some guy pipes up like ‘my mate is pregnant i can’t do that’ i’d be like ‘man EVERYBODY is pregnant#read the fucking room’#i’m not saying i like vektal i’m just saying i understand him and i feel bad for him and i’m impressed that he hasn’t started killing#that’s about it. uh. i’m going to finish this one and then read the spinoffs before i proceed#personal#**not the spinoffs. the novellas. the babies etc
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sitting down with myself accepting that until heaven is a single felix pov novella. that being said the chances of hyperfixation levels that see me write most of it in december + jan are now dangerously high
#the thing is i know enough about RR and LB to write until heaven LOL#my ass just bouncing through this timeline#imagine if the first RR book i finish is the one I made up this year just so felix could listen to heaven or Las Vegas by cocteau twins LOL#but it’s set in December - January and I would love to write a piece during the months it is set…..#this also means I need a dorothy novella bc she has a plot line here too but I feel like they make more sense if they were told separately#and I like the idea of continuing the RR dual narrative but in a different form
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The way I'm still not finished with writing the first two ideas I had in mind for this ship, I'm suddenly getting two more. 🙈🙊 Could somebody please arrange it so that I'd have all the time in the world to write it all? Because 24hrs a day is simply not enough.
#personal#for the record: i am STILL writing the first idea i got#the slow-burn just got way out of hand and i can't seem to stop this train kdjfkjkgkgk#i might actually send the first chapter soon once i'm done editing it#to the poor person/people who volunteered to check it/them for me#if they still want to give it a try lol#because i've written a lot and there's still more to come. 82 pages on google docs and counting#so it's already becoming a small novella#and i'm a little bit scared. not just for myself but for the other people involved as well#for now i've put the second idea on hold but i will continue writing it sooner or later#because i know how what to do with it. how to continue it and how to end it#but then this bitch is suddenly getting two new AUs in mind#they started jumping up and down in my brain like 'hey i think you'll like me; so why don't you write me ASAP'#and i'm like HOW. WHEN#like there's literally just 24hrs a day and there's other stuff i'm supposed to be doing too#i'm supposed to focus on my schoolwork and this is all i can think about and it's killing me for real jfkjf#priorities i has them#but muses have been kind to me and i kind of needed something like this#after feeling like shit for a long time recently#i just wish i had more TIME#anyway
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3, 4 and 7 for the ask x
thanks for the ask!📚
3. What’s something you read recently and wanted to argue with (either with the book or the author or the fans)?
buckle up for a good ol' book rant!
so the dreamhealers series - a cozy slice of life scifantasy story about two neurodivergent individuals forming a queerplatonic partnership - is, it turns out, the origin story of the characters which the author mca hogarth has conceived a long time before as side characters in a completely different arc in her peltedverse. i assume she started developing said arc when she was a teen and wrote the dreamhealers when she was already an adult. the result is two stories that tonally and structurally couldn't be more different but that both feature these two characters which naturally resulted in characterization consistency problems. you can't take a weird lil guy from a pastoral novel where everyone just vibes and put him into a high stakes high fantasy plot without it taking a toll on their personality. now, this is not a problem if you finish the dreamhealers and just stop after book 4, however comma goodreads shows that there's this novella following the last book and you assume it's gonna be some sort of cute epilogue and you pick it up and it turns out it's not that but rather a short backstory of the characters mca hogarth wrote for her high stakes arc BEFORE she wrote the full version of their backstory aka the dreamhealers. are you still following? anyways i read the novella and was appalled at how jarring the difference is between jahir and vasiht'h in the series and this novella which, if you read in the order i'm reading in, basically serves as a link between the dreamhealers and prince's game. on the one hand, it's cool to see how much mca hogarth grew as a writer and how much more nuanced and relatable she made her characters in the course of their development. but on the other, it made me have unpleasant ruminations about what is canon and what isn't. this novella feels like a retcon designed to make jahir and vasiht'h fit a new narrative. however, it was written before the dreamhealers - does that then make dreamhealers a retcon and not as canon? both things can't be canon bc jahir and vasiht'h in the series would never do things they do in the novella. which makes it feel like a fanfic written by someone who doesn't understand the source material.
phew did it feel good to get all of this off my chest! tl dr please read the dreamhealers but under no circumstances read "family"
4. What are your top 3 comfort reads?
to be completely honest i don't typically re-read books for comfort purposes. that's what fanfics are for!✨ the top 3 i used to re-read the most (but not in quite a while tho) are lessons (aftg), astray (captive prince) and this unfinished theseus/the minotaur fic which i believe was called asterius und which, as i was distraught to discover, had been privated by the author😭 such tasteful monsterfucking literature i have never known before or since
7. What book do you love but usually not recommend because it’s weird or intense, etc?
i love aftg but i will rather bleach my soul by reading that fandom's discourse again than recommend it to anyone. and to be clear, it's not bc i think the seires is weird or poorly written or not good enough for general audiences - it's bc no one is worthy of studying the sacred texts except for me and a couple other initiated intellectuals
book ask
#book tag#with comfort reads i need instant gratification that only my fave fanfics can provide#the family novella is wrong on many levels but ngl the aroace qpp stuff felt the most heinous to me#and i can't even be mad cause ik it's not bc the author suddenly changed her mind about them#on the contrary it's bc she wrote the prequel series later in her life#when she had better understanding of what aroaceness and qpp can look like#i was specifically irritated by them calling each other brother - and she improved on that too#vasiht'h says in dreamhearth they're the very best of friends closer than any brother or lover#and in dreamstorm he calls jahir my forever-friend#so she clearly gave some thought to more appropriate nomenclature lol#and jahir's thing with his cousin who he never mentions throughout the dreamhealers books is just. major ew vibes#and she improved on that too!#in the piano short story she found a very elegant way to make a point of him not really being aroace without being gross about it#but does all that improvement really matter if she published the other stuff and it's canon too?#at least make this novella not show as part of dreamhealers so that people aren't left with a sour taste in their mouth#all of this is aggravated by the novella's high rating bc i assume most people read it long ago#when the dreamhealers didn't exist yet and they had nothing to compare it to#but even so i think i would've disliked it#it just does feel like it was conceived by a teenager#who has like. weird kinks and notions#so i will probably not try prince's game any time soon#since it's tainted by bad!jahir and wrong!vasiht'h#but i do want to see an eldritch who fucks so ig my next stop in the peltedverse is earthrise
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ok well the knowledge i lack of all other popular franchises is made up for tenfold by my huge insane deep knowledge of cassandra clare’s shadowhunter chronicles. so.
#like. i read all of percy jackson AND heroes of olympus. do i remember any of it anymore? not really.#but i can tell you anything you need to know about cassandra clare lore.#i even read all the popular books her FRIENDS wrote.#cassie would be like hey so i collaborated with robin wasserman and maureen johnson on this little novella series! and i was like well i#guess i have no choice but to read their work too now! like girl wtf#anyway. hacking harvard was good. the walking dark was not. 13 little blue envelopes was good. the seven deadly sins series was bad#i know everything there is to know about it unfortunately.#beth.txt
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writing is such an artistic thing like yeah you need to know the technical side just so you're not writing a complete trainwreck, but also you could write the most technically impressive book ever and it could still be a snoozefest and just outright bad if you also don't have an ear for dialogue or a grasp on character writing
so anyway like I'm not big on people who say oh the opening line has to like drop kick the reader or something, like ideally, yeah, you want to grab your readers' attention, but also. if the opening line is all your book has going for it, idk man. "oh yeah, Joel has a great grasp on grammar" I'm not sure if that's what you should be most concerned about when you're writing fiction. I don't know, I'm not saying grammar and technical stuff is unimportant; because yeah, trying to read something where the author doesn't know how to use punctuation is like being waterboarded, but also I've read really technically-skilled authors who just write bad books in general
anyway I feel like people who get real worked up about this are insecure as writers and might be projecting a little bit; and also yeah like I understand you took a couple creative writing courses in college, but that doesn't mean you're a good writer. idk. people who have a passion for writing aren't the ones out here talking about technical skills or how hard writing is, because usually when you love something that much it's not that hard to do it. and maybe if you ever find yourself thinking that writing sucks you're just not writing in the right genre for you, or maybe you really don't know what you're doing, in which case, go read a book and really think about what you liked about it and what you didn't like, and lay off reading writing advice from people who just want to tell you to go read Save the Cat, because depending on the genre, pacing and character writing are going to be quite different beasts and not everything has to be written as if it's meant to be adapted into a TV show or a movie
and anyway I find it telling people peddling this advice aren't really that interested in things like narrative voice or compelling character writing; much like how a person can be tone deaf when it comes to singing, I think a lot of people have a blind spot to this sort of thing and just don't pick up on it, and for whatever reason a lot of people just don't think this is important. honestly this last point is probably to do with the current state of things vis a vis art and artistry: why be an artist when you can be a content creator pumping out crap so you can make a quick buck. in which case, it doesn't matter if your writing is incredibly generic as long as it has a hook and is readable at a tenth grade level. but I think this is a big disservice to the art form
#rambling#been watching some guy named kyle rant about books the last couple days and it got me thinking#because apparently his own writing is kind of lackluster according to reviews of his novella#my philosophy has always been if you don't like doing it. do something else#I get sick of seeing people say they hate writing in spite of being writers#and I'm like. then just find some other hobby or something and stop complaining lmao#I also think people don't read enough anymore. and they definitely don't read outside of their preferred genre#which to me is kind of silly because you're really limiting yourself when you do this#you need to build a good mental library too and that often involves reading everything you can
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every Lucy Foley I read it's like. Well it's better and it's worse.
#not sure if I want to try reading her romances rather than mysteries if the trend holds#the hunting party was my favorite and also my least favorite#the paris apartment was the best and also in some ways. well. you get it.#el reads#anyway we're taking a break from mystery/thrillers after evelyn hardcastle#reading short novellas about lesbian cowgirl librarians and books about orc adventurers who retire and -- it is rumored --#might have a sapphic romance ? ???#I have tried to avoid knowing too much about this one#anyway my library hold came in for evelyn hugo but I realized that after I read the LnL prologue so#it will need to wait :X#hopefully this is as quick a read as people say
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I need to GET OUT of EVERYTHING EVER
#i have so many upcoming plans that are technically fun but for some reason it’s starting to make me feel crazy#i need to be alone for like a month. i need to be a monk#I’m about to turn 29 and i hate that!!!!#I’m about to self pub my first novella and i hate that too!!!!!!#AAAAAHHHHG
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Hello!
May I ask you about yandere!ex - boyfriend?
Did the yandere tendencies begin with the relationship or did they materialize after the breakup? And will there be a fic about him in the future?
Thankyou for answering in advance! 🫶
She wasn't looking for love, but love wasn't asking for permission.
❤︎ Synopsis. A calculated partnership born out of convenience spirals into something far darker, as control slips and obsession takes root. What started as a deal now feels like a dangerous game—and neither of them is willing to lose.
♡ Book. A Heart Devoured (AHD): A Dark Yandere Anthology
♡ Pairing. Yandere! Ex-Boyfriend x Reader
♡ Novella. Friction & Fire - Part 1
♡ Word Count. 8,730
♡ TW. dom + top + older yandere, non-con, possessiveness, objectification, suggestive themes, lack of boundaries, non-con kissing and/or touching
The first time you met him, it was as if the universe had aligned—not in some whimsical, romanticized way, but with the brutal precision of mathematics. A logical equation where X equaled Y. You needed a shield, someone to deflect the probing questions of your overbearing parents and the inevitable parade of suitors they had lined up. He needed a partner who wouldn’t demand too much—someone who understood ambition, who wouldn’t suffocate him with expectations of sweet nothings and fairytales.
It wasn’t love. It was convenience.
You found him sitting in the back of the lecture hall, legs spread wide and a pen dangling between his fingers like a cigarette. There was something insufferable about the way he grinned at you when your eyes met, as if he already knew why you’d approached him. You ignored the flicker of irritation his cocky demeanor ignited within you.
“I have a proposition,” you said, arms crossed and chin high, voice cutting through the low murmur of the room like a blade.
His gaze trailed over you, assessing but not predatory, as if you were a puzzle he was already halfway through solving. He tilted his head, the grin widening. “Do tell, golden girl.”
That nickname—it would become a staple, laced with amusement and, eventually, something sharper, more cutting. But for now, it was just a playful jab.
“I need a boyfriend.”
That caught his attention. He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, the smirk never wavering. “And what makes you think I’m boyfriend material?”
“I don’t,” you replied coolly. “But you’re convenient. Senior year, right? Close to graduating, no time for real commitment. And you seem…” You hesitated, letting your gaze sweep over him pointedly. “…unserious.”
He laughed, a low, throaty sound that drew a few curious glances your way. “Unserious. I’ll take that as a compliment. What’s in it for me?”
“Your parents are investors,” you said, your voice crisp, businesslike. “I’ve seen the sponsorships they’ve secured for student startups. You want their connections, don’t you? Stick with me for the rest of the semester, play the part, and I’ll make sure you have their ear.”
For a moment, he simply stared at you, as if trying to gauge whether you were serious. Then, to your surprise, he leaned back, his grin softening into something that felt almost genuine.
“You’re a piece of work, aren’t you?”
“I prefer to think of myself as efficient.”
He held out his hand. “Deal.”
From that moment on, the two of you fell into a rhythm. It wasn’t romantic—not in the way people might imagine when they looked at you, the golden child, and him, the sharp-tongued, perpetually smirking senior. You didn’t hold hands unless necessary. You didn’t go on dates unless it served a purpose. He played the charming, doting boyfriend at family dinners, his wit and charisma winning over even your most skeptical relatives.
And you? You became his silent shield at parties, the poised partner who kept the clingy girls at bay and gave his otherwise reckless image a veneer of respectability.
It worked. For a while.
You didn’t notice, at first, the way his gaze lingered too long when you weren’t looking. How he started rearranging his schedule to align with yours, his texts becoming more frequent, more personal. You chalked it up to him playing his role—nothing more, nothing less.
But beneath the surface of your carefully constructed arrangement, something was shifting. Slowly. Inexorably.
And neither of you realized it yet.
────────────
The partnership was a tightrope walk over a chasm, a precarious balance between your structured determination and his reckless improvisation. Where you sought order, he thrived in chaos; where you demanded precision, he operated on instinct. Your interactions were a battlefield of clashing ideologies, the tension sharp enough to draw blood.
You didn’t like him. Not really. And he knew it.
“You’re wound tighter than a noose, golden girl,” he’d say, leaning back in his chair during late-night meetings in the library, a toothpick shifting lazily between his teeth. “Relax. Not everything needs a ten-step plan.”
“And you’re far too comfortable winging it,” you’d retort without looking up from your notes, your pen scratching across the page in rhythmic defiance. “Some of us actually care about results.”
“Results?” He’d laugh, low and mocking, his voice a rasp in the dimly lit room. “You mean the kind your parents can frame and hang on a wall?”
That stung, though you never let it show. You simply straightened your spine, raised your chin, and met his gaze with a glare cold enough to freeze fire.
“Do you even have a plan for your life after graduation?” you shot back, your words slicing through his amusement. “Or are you planning to charm your way through that, too?”
The smirk faltered for just a moment, a crack in his otherwise impenetrable facade. Then it was back, sharper than before. “Why bother with a plan when I’ve got you to micromanage everything?”
It was always like this. Barbs exchanged like gunfire, neither of you willing to yield an inch. But when the conversation shifted to the projects you were working on together—the startup pitch for your entrepreneurship course, the meticulously researched presentations you delivered as a team—something strange happened.
The arguments faded, replaced by an almost eerie synchronization.
“What if we market it as a subscription model?” he’d suggest, his tone uncharacteristically serious, his fingers drumming against the table as his mind raced ahead.
You’d hesitate, biting the inside of your cheek, before nodding slowly. “It could work. If we tie it to a loyalty program—discounts for long-term users.”
“And gamify it,” he’d add, his eyes gleaming with an excitement you rarely saw in him. “Make it addictive. People love chasing badges and achievements. Psychological manipulation at its finest.”
“That’s… a disturbingly good idea,” you admitted, scribbling notes furiously.
“Don’t sound so surprised,” he teased, though his grin lacked its usual edge. “Even I can be useful.”
For those brief moments, it was as if the constant friction between you two ignited something productive, something almost electric. You hated to admit it, but working with him was exhilarating in a way that was entirely new to you.
And yet, outside of those moments of collaboration, the tension only grew.
You started noticing the little ways he got under your skin: the way he’d leave his half-empty coffee cups on your desk during meetings, forcing you to clean up after him. The way he’d interrupt your carefully rehearsed presentations with off-the-cuff jokes that somehow always landed better than your meticulously prepared slides.
“You’re infuriating,” you snapped one evening, your voice tight with exhaustion as you shoved a pile of his crumpled notes back into his hands. “Do you even take this seriously?”
“Of course I do,” he replied, his tone unusually soft, his gaze steady. “I just don’t take you seriously. Not everything’s a life-or-death scenario, golden girl.”
You hated him. You hated the way he dismissed you, the way he seemed to find amusement in your frustration. But more than that, you hated the way he could turn around and say something so insightful, so perfectly aligned with your own thoughts, that it left you reeling.
It was a strange kind of intimacy, this constant push and pull, this battle of wills that neither of you could seem to win.
And though you didn’t know it yet, the cracks were already beginning to form in the walls you’d built around yourself.
────────────
The first time he saw you, he knew exactly what you were: a fortress. Polished stone walls, towering spires, and gates sealed shut with bolts of iron. Your every movement, every word, every carefully measured breath screamed control.
And he? He had never met a fortress he didn’t want to sack.
At first, it was curiosity. A passing interest in the girl who spoke with the precision of a scalpel, who held her chin high as if the weight of the world rested comfortably on her shoulders. He’d seen your type before—sharp, ambitious, ruthless—but there was something different about you.
It was the way your voice never trembled, even when your words cut like glass. The way your eyes locked onto his, cold and unyielding, like you were daring him to try something. Anything.
So, he did.
From the very beginning, he made it his mission to chip away at that armor, to find the cracks in your flawless facade.
“Golden girl,” he’d call you, the nickname dripping with mockery. He loved the way your jaw would tighten ever so slightly when he said it, how your fingers would twitch like you wanted to slap the grin off his face but couldn’t quite bring yourself to do it.
He started small—interrupting your meticulously organized schedules with his “spontaneous” detours, leaving his belongings in your space just to watch you bristle. But as the days turned into weeks, his methods grew more deliberate.
“Relax,” he’d say, leaning too close during one of your late-night study sessions, his voice a low murmur that was equal parts teasing and commanding. “You’re going to give yourself a heart attack if you keep clenching your teeth like that.”
Your response was always the same—a cold, cutting remark delivered in that icy tone of yours, your expression a mask of indifference. But he could see through it. He could see the flicker of irritation in your eyes, the subtle way your shoulders stiffened.
He loved it.
Because while you thought you were unshakable, he knew better. He saw the storm that brewed beneath your surface, the fire you tried so desperately to hide. And nothing thrilled him more than coaxing it out of you, one spark at a time.
One evening, he pushed too far.
“I’m starting to think you like this,” he said, his voice low and mocking as he leaned against the edge of your desk, his presence an unwelcome shadow in the otherwise sterile room.
“Like what?” you asked without looking up, your tone laced with exhaustion and barely concealed annoyance.
“This,” he gestured vaguely, his grin widening. “The arguing, the tension. You get this little spark in your eye when you’re mad, you know. It’s cute.”
That did it. You slammed your pen down with a force that echoed in the silence, your eyes snapping to his with a glare that could have burned through steel.
“You’re insufferable,” you hissed, your voice sharp enough to cut.
And yet, even as you said it, he caught the faintest tremor in your voice. Barely noticeable. But to him, it was everything.
He leaned closer, his grin softening into something almost intimate, almost dangerous. “Maybe. But you’d miss me if I was gone.”
The silence that followed was heavy, charged with an electricity that neither of you fully understood yet.
It was in those moments, in the way you tried so hard to keep him at arm’s length, that he realized he was beginning to crave you. Not just the fire in your eyes or the sharpness of your tongue, but you.
The fortress was starting to crack, and he intended to be there when it fell.
────────────
The cafeteria was alive with a cacophony of voices, laughter, and the clinking of trays. It was a battlefield of social interaction, chaotic and loud, yet somehow orchestrated, with alliances formed over shared meals and fleeting camaraderie. You didn’t belong here.
You kept your steps measured and precise, your gaze fixed forward, avoiding the swirling mass of humanity around you. People parted instinctively as you walked past, their conversations dimming for just a moment before resuming. Your presence was a ripple in the atmosphere—not disruptive, but enough to remind everyone that you were there.
And then you saw him.
He was in the center of it all, as he always was, the eye of the storm. His laughter carried over the din, rich and unrestrained, a sound that drew people in like moths to a flame. He sat perched on the edge of a table, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, spinning some ridiculous story that had everyone around him enraptured.
They hung on his every word, their faces lit with genuine amusement, their eyes sparkling with admiration. He had that rare, inexplicable magnetism, the kind that made people want to be near him, to bask in his energy. He wasn’t just popular—he was adored.
And you?
You were the anomaly. The outlier. People respected you, even feared you, but they didn’t enjoy you. They didn’t invite you to sit at their tables, didn’t seek out your company for anything beyond necessity. You were an island—solitary, unyielding, and self-sufficient.
You didn’t envy him. Not exactly.
But as you stood there, watching him effortlessly weave connections, a quiet thought slipped into your mind like a shadow in the dark: What if you were different?
What if you could be like him, with his easy charm and boundless charisma? What if you could laugh like that, unburdened and free, instead of wearing the cold mask you’d perfected over the years?
The thought lingered for a moment too long, and then you shook it off, burying it deep where it couldn’t touch you. You didn’t have time for such things. You were efficient, logical, focused. Emotions had no place in your life—not since childhood, when you’d learned the hard way that they were a liability.
So you turned away, letting the sound of his laughter fade into the background as you made your way to the meeting room. The sterile, quiet space was more familiar to you than any cafeteria, more comfortable than any crowd.
He was already there when you arrived, sprawled in his chair with a cup of coffee in hand, his grin as sharp as ever.
“You’re late,” he teased, though there was no bite to his words.
“You’re early,” you replied, your tone neutral, as you set your things down on the table.
“Touché,” he said, watching you with a glint of amusement in his eyes. “Saw you pass through the cafeteria. Thought you might stop by to say hi.”
“I don’t make detours,” you said curtly, pulling out your laptop and powering it on.
“That much is clear,” he muttered, almost to himself, before taking a sip of his coffee.
The meeting began, the two of you falling into your usual rhythm of sharp exchanges and begrudging collaboration. But somewhere in the back of your mind, a tiny sliver of something stirred—a flicker of awareness, of something you couldn’t quite name, whenever he spoke or laughed.
You told yourself it was nothing.
And for now, you believed it.
────────────
The garage was thick with the scent of motor oil and cigarette smoke, the hum of a barely-functional heater filling the space with a low, constant drone. The fluorescent lights overhead flickered occasionally, casting long, jittery shadows across the room. The boys were sprawled around the billiard table, cheap beers in hand, the air crackling with laughter and banter.
He leaned casually against the edge of the table, cue stick in hand, a smirk playing on his lips as he lined up his next shot. His movements were lazy, almost careless, but his sharp eyes betrayed the precision in every calculation.
“So,” one of them started, a wiry guy with a perpetual grin that made him look younger than he was. “This new girl of yours… she’s the one keeping you so busy these days?”
Another guy chimed in, his tone dripping with mock suspicion. “Yeah, man, you’ve been skipping out on poker nights. Thought you were allergic to commitment.”
He laughed, the sound low and throaty, as he took his shot. The crack of the cue ball hitting its target echoed through the room, the striped ball sinking neatly into the corner pocket. “Allergic? Please. I don’t even know the meaning of the word.”
The guys laughed, the sound loud and unrestrained, their teasing picking up momentum.
“So what’s her deal, huh?” The wiry one pressed, leaning against his own cue stick. “Rich? Hot? Bet she’s one of those uptight types you love to mess with.”
He straightened, twirling the cue stick between his fingers as he leaned back against the table, his smirk widening. “You could say that. She’s… interesting.”
“Interesting,” another guy scoffed, rolling his eyes. “You? Interested in someone? Hell, what’s she got—blackmail material? A hit out on your family?”
“Not a chance,” he replied, his tone light but edged with something sharper, something darker. “She’s just… different. Keeps me on my toes.”
The wiry one snorted. “Sounds like trouble.”
“Isn’t that the point?” he shot back, his grin sharp as a blade.
They laughed again, the sound bouncing off the concrete walls, but there was a flicker of something unreadable in his expression as he took another swig of his beer.
“Come on,” the wiry one said, jabbing his cue stick in his direction. “You’re not seriously into her, are you? Thought you didn’t do serious.”
“I don’t,” he replied smoothly, setting his bottle down with a loud clink. “It’s transactional. Mutual benefit, you know? She gets what she wants; I get what I want. Simple.”
“Sounds like a business deal,” someone muttered.
He shrugged, his smirk never faltering. “Aren’t all relationships?”
The guys laughed again, the conversation shifting to the next round of the game, but his mind lingered on the question.
He wasn’t serious about her. Couldn’t be. Wouldn’t be.
And yet, every time he saw her—the fire in her eyes, the stubborn set of her jaw, the way she tried so hard to keep him at a distance—it felt like a challenge he couldn’t ignore.
She was a fortress, and he was a conqueror.
For now, he could laugh, joke, and deflect. But the truth was darker, heavier, lurking in the corners of his mind like a shadow he couldn’t quite shake.
He lined up his next shot, the sharp crack of the cue ball echoing through the garage.
This wasn’t serious.
At least, that’s what he told himself.
────────────
The room was suffocating, its air thick with the sterile scent of recycled oxygen and the faint hum of the fluorescent lights above. Papers were scattered across the table like fallen leaves in the aftermath of a storm, their sharp edges curling under the weight of your restless hands. The tension in your shoulders was a tangible thing, coiled tight and ready to snap.
He watched you from across the table, leaning back in his chair with the kind of casual ease that set your teeth on edge. You were all sharp lines and rigid control, while he was a picture of unbothered confidence, spinning a pen between his fingers like the weight of the world wasn’t pressing down on him too.
“You look like hell,” he said finally, his voice low and infuriatingly amused.
You didn’t bother looking up, your focus glued to the screen of your laptop, the keys clicking beneath your fingers with a ferocity that spoke of barely restrained frustration. “I’m fine.”
“Yeah, sure you are,” he replied, leaning forward now, his elbows resting on the table as his gaze bore into you. “Fine enough to bite my head off if I ask what’s wrong?”
“I said I’m fine,” you snapped, your voice colder than the sterile glow of the room.
That gave him pause, his smirk faltering for the briefest of moments. He’d seen you angry before, irritated, exasperated—but this was different. There was something raw in your tone, something brittle and sharp, like glass on the verge of shattering.
Still, he couldn’t help himself.
“Fine,” he echoed, dragging the word out like it was a joke only he understood. “You’re so fine you’ve been staring at the same spreadsheet for ten minutes without typing a single word.”
Your fingers stilled on the keyboard, and for a moment, the room was silent except for the distant hum of the building’s ventilation system.
“Drop it,” you said finally, your tone icy enough to frost the windows.
“Not a chance,” he shot back, leaning closer, his voice dropping into something quieter, more deliberate. “What’s going on with you, golden girl? Family drama? Business crap? Or is it just me getting under your skin again?”
His teasing grin was met with nothing but silence as you slammed your laptop shut with a force that echoed through the room. You stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor, and turned to leave without so much as a glance in his direction.
“Hey,” he called after you, his voice following you like a shadow. “You can’t just walk away from me.”
But you did.
The door closed behind you with a quiet click, leaving him alone in the oppressive stillness of the room.
For a long moment, he sat there, staring at the spot where you’d been, the faint scent of your perfume lingering in the air.
He didn’t like this.
Not the way your walls seemed higher than ever, not the way your shoulders trembled just slightly when you thought no one was looking, and certainly not the way his chest tightened at the thought of you breaking under the pressure you refused to share with anyone—not even him.
With a frustrated sigh, he leaned back in his chair, the tension in his jaw a stark contrast to the easy grin he usually wore.
You could try to shut him out, build your walls higher, bury yourself in your icy fortress.
But he’d be damned if he let you freeze him out completely.
────────────
The argument started small—a quiet refusal on your part, your tone clipped and dismissive as always.
“I have work to do,” you’d said, fingers gripping the edge of the desk like it was an anchor in the rising tide of his persistence.
He didn’t care.
“No, you don’t,” he replied, his voice too light, too casual, the grin on his face sharpening as he loomed over you. “Not today. Today, you’re going out. With me.”
You scoffed, turning your chair away from him in a move that was more defensive than you’d ever admit. “I don’t have time for whatever this is. Go bother someone else.”
“Not happening,” he said, and before you could blink, he was behind you, his shadow engulfing yours. His hand was warm and firm on your shoulder, and when you tried to pull away, his grip tightened—not enough to hurt, just enough to remind you of how much bigger, stronger, and more stubborn he was.
“Let go,” you hissed, twisting in your chair to glare up at him, your voice venomous and cold.
Instead of answering, he bent down, his grin infuriatingly smug as he hooked an arm around your waist in one fluid motion.
“Don’t you dare—”
Your words were cut off with a sharp gasp as he hoisted you up with ease, your stomach flipping as he slung you over his shoulder like you weighed nothing at all.
“Relax,” he said, his tone still maddeningly cheerful as he adjusted his hold on you. “You’re overdue for some fun, and I’m not taking no for an answer.”
“Put me down!” you snapped, your fists pounding against his back, your voice sharp enough to cut glass.
“Not until you promise to stop being such a workaholic,” he shot back, his grin audible in his voice. “Besides, you’re cute when you’re mad.”
The sound of your struggles echoed through the hallway as he carried you out, your threats growing more creative with every step. But he didn’t falter, didn’t even seem fazed, his grip on you secure as if your thrashing was nothing more than a mild inconvenience.
When he finally set you down, it was with the kind of exaggerated care that only added insult to injury. You found yourself standing in the middle of an amusement park, the air thick with the smell of cotton candy and fried food, the distant hum of roller coasters roaring above the sea of colorful lights.
“What is this?” you demanded, your voice tight with irritation as you glared up at him, your arms crossed defensively.
“A date,” he said simply, his grin softening into something almost genuine. “You’ve never been to an amusement park, right? Figured it was time to fix that.”
“I told you, I don’t have time for—”
He cut you off with a sigh, his hand ruffling his hair in exasperation. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Work, work, work. But you’re here now, so you might as well enjoy it. Who knows? You might actually have fun for once.”
You stared at him, your mind racing for a retort, but the sound of children laughing and the sight of the spinning lights around you left you momentarily disarmed.
“Fine,” you said at last, your voice begrudging and low. “But don’t think this means anything.”
He laughed, the sound warm and rich as he held out a hand toward you. “Wouldn’t dream of it, golden girl.”
You didn’t take his hand, of course. But you didn’t walk away, either.
────────────
The amusement park was loud—a riot of color, noise, and movement that grated against your carefully constructed barriers. You were used to silence, to the sterile calm of office rooms and library corners. This place was chaos incarnate, a swirling mass of laughter, screams, and the clatter of machinery that felt like it could grind your composure to dust.
And he loved every second of it.
“Come on,” he said, his hand tightening around yours as he pulled you further into the fray. His grip was warm, insistent, and utterly unyielding, a stark contrast to the chill of your reluctance.
“This is unnecessary,” you muttered, your voice clipped as you tried to keep up with his long strides. “We’re wasting time.”
“You mean you’re wasting time,” he shot back, glancing over his shoulder with a grin that was equal parts teasing and determined. “Me? I’m having a blast.”
You tried to tug your hand free, but his grip only tightened, his strength a quiet reminder of the power imbalance you hated acknowledging.
“Let go,” you demanded, your tone sharp enough to cut glass.
“Nope,” he said cheerfully, pulling you closer until your shoulder bumped against his. “Boyfriend privilege. Now stop sulking and try to look like you’re having fun.”
Before you could argue, he steered you toward a brightly lit stand selling oversized stuffed animals and cheap prizes. The attendant handed him a small air rifle with a grin, and he lined up his shot with an exaggerated flourish.
“You’re kidding,” you said flatly, watching as he aimed at the array of moving targets.
“Don’t underestimate me, golden girl,” he replied, his tone dripping with mock seriousness as he squeezed the trigger. The shot rang out, and a tin can toppled off its perch. He turned to you with a triumphant grin. “Told you.”
You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms over your chest as he handed the attendant a crumpled bill for another round. “This is ridiculous.”
“This is fun,” he corrected, his eyes narrowing in playful focus as he took another shot. Another can fell, and the attendant handed him a large, garish stuffed cat. He turned and thrust it toward you with a flourish.
“Here. For you.”
You stared at the stuffed cat, its glassy eyes staring back at you with an absurdly cheerful expression. “I don’t want it.”
“Too bad,” he said, pressing it into your arms. “Consider it a reminder to loosen up once in a while.”
You glared at him, but the faintest flicker of warmth crept into your chest, uninvited and unwelcome. He caught the twitch of your lips and grinned wider, his satisfaction practically radiating off him.
────────────
The roller coaster clattered upward, its chain mechanisms grinding with a metallic groan that reverberated through the skeleton of the ride. Each tick of the ascent was a promise, a prelude to chaos as the world below shrank into a mosaic of glittering lights and blurred figures. Beside you, he was practically vibrating with excitement, his grin a wolfish slash of white against the neon glow.
“You nervous yet?” he asked, his voice carrying easily over the mechanical din.
“No,” you replied flatly, your tone as unflinching as your posture. Your hands were clasped loosely in your lap, your expression an unmoving mask of calm.
He huffed, his grin faltering into something more incredulous. “Seriously? You’re not even a little scared?”
You didn’t dignify that with a response.
The drop came suddenly—a violent plunge that pulled the breath from everyone around you, their screams mingling with the wind's roar. The car tilted, twisted, hurtled through the loops and spirals with bone-rattling speed.
And you didn’t flinch.
When the ride screeched to a halt, his hair was wild, his cheeks flushed with adrenaline, and his grin wide enough to split his face. He turned to you, fully expecting to see some crack in your armor—a flicker of unease, a faint trace of thrill.
But you were already unclasping your seatbelt, your face a portrait of indifferent calm.
“Wow,” he said, dragging the word out as he climbed out of the car behind you. “Not even a scream? Not even a little ‘oh no, I’m gonna die!’?”
“It was fine,” you said, brushing invisible dust from your jacket as if the entire experience had been nothing more than a mild inconvenience.
“Fine,” he repeated, his tone a mixture of disbelief and mockery. “It’s a death machine on rails, and all you’ve got is ‘fine’?”
You shrugged, your gaze drifting to the next ride. “What’s next?”
He stared at you for a moment, a mix of frustration and amusement flashing in his eyes before his grin returned with a vengeance. “You’re impossible, you know that?”
———
The next stop was a haunted house. The entrance was cloaked in fog, its jagged letters dripping with artificial blood as distorted moans and sinister whispers spilled from within.
“This,” he declared, throwing an arm around your shoulders and steering you toward the dark maw of the attraction, “is where you’re finally gonna break.”
You stepped inside without hesitation, the darkness swallowing you both. Animatronic ghouls lunged from the shadows, their plastic claws snapping inches from your face. A specter floated above you, its hollow eyes glowing red as it let out a guttural scream.
But you didn’t flinch.
By the time you emerged on the other side, his grin had soured into a frustrated scowl. “You’re kidding me,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “Nothing? Not even a ‘holy crap, that’s creepy’?”
“They tried too hard,” you replied evenly. “The suspense was predictable.”
“You’re a robot,” he muttered, dragging a hand down his face. “An actual, emotionless robot.”
———
At the dart-throwing booth, he claimed he’d win you another stuffed animal to add to the growing collection he’d forced on you throughout the night. The attendant handed him a set of darts, and he aimed with exaggerated focus, his tongue poking out slightly in mock determination.
You stood beside him, arms crossed, your expression as neutral as ever.
“Bet I can hit all three bullseyes,” he said, tossing a dart into the air and catching it with a flourish. “And if I do, you have to smile. Deal?”
“I’m not making that deal,” you replied, your voice as dry as the desert air.
“Scared I’ll win?” he teased, launching the first dart. It missed the bullseye by a hair.
“Not particularly,” you said, watching as he threw the second dart, this one landing even farther from the center.
By the third throw, he groaned dramatically, throwing his hands up as the dart barely grazed the edge of the target. “Okay, maybe I’m a little rusty,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Or maybe you’re just bad at this,” you said, your tone cool but tinged with the faintest edge of amusement.
He turned to you, his grin returning full force. “There it is! A hint of a smirk! I knew you had emotions buried under all that ice.”
You rolled your eyes and started walking toward the next attraction. He followed, his steps quick and eager, like a hunter who’d finally glimpsed their prey.
The night stretched on, filled with more teasing, more dragging you to rides you didn’t care for, and more attempts to crack your facade. By the end of it, he was exhausted but victorious, a spring in his step as he carried yet another oversized stuffed animal under his arm.
“You had fun,” he declared as you walked toward the exit.
“You’re delusional,” you replied, but there was no venom in your voice.
“Admit it,” he said, leaning closer, his grin practically glowing in the dark. “You loved it.”
You didn’t respond, but for the briefest moment, the corner of your lips twitched upward—a flicker of something you didn’t even recognize as a smile.
And that was enough for him.
────────────
The Ferris wheel loomed above like a spinning constellation, its skeletal frame outlined in garish neon light that flickered against the starless sky. You were already seated, arms crossed, gaze fixed forward as the car rocked gently in the breeze. He slid in beside you, the faint scent of cologne and adrenaline trailing in his wake, and the metal bar clamped down with an ominous click, locking the two of you in place.
“Relax,” he said, his voice a shade softer than usual, though still laced with that persistent edge of mischief. “This is the best part of the night. Views like this? They don’t come often.”
You didn’t respond. The city below unfolded in a sea of chaotic lights, each one a reminder of the noise you’d been forced into. A quiet hum of tension coiled in your chest, a restless ache that he seemed to notice, though you wished he wouldn’t.
The wheel began to ascend, the creak of its movement loud in the silence between you. His gaze flicked from the cityscape to you, studying the profile of your face as though trying to decipher a puzzle he didn’t know how to solve.
“You know,” he began, leaning back against the seat with an exaggerated sigh, “you’re really bad at this whole ‘fun’ thing.”
“I’m aware,” you said dryly, not bothering to look at him.
“You’re supposed to be amazed by the view,” he teased, gesturing toward the glittering expanse below. “You know, lean in a little, say something like, ‘Oh wow, it’s so beautiful.’”
“Do I seem like the type to do that?” you asked, finally turning to meet his gaze.
“No,” he admitted, his grin lopsided and warm in a way that caught you off guard. “But it’d be nice to see you try.”
The Ferris wheel stopped suddenly, your car swaying slightly as it perched at the very top. He looked out over the city, his grin fading into something quieter, something uncharacteristically reflective.
“Pretty high up, huh?” he said, more to himself than to you.
You followed his gaze, the city spread out like a map, its lights blurred and distant. The air up here felt thinner, cleaner, as though you’d left the chaos below and entered some liminal space where nothing could reach you.
And then he looked back at you.
———
For the first time in a long time, the constant noise in his head—the laughter, the jokes, the relentless chatter that kept the silence at bay—dimmed into something else. Something quieter. Something unsettling. He wasn’t used to this kind of stillness, this kind of weight pressing against the walls of his ribcage.
You didn’t notice, of course. Your gaze was fixed on the view, your profile illuminated by the cold, artificial light of the Ferris wheel’s cabin. To anyone else, you might’ve seemed serene, but he knew better. There was tension in the set of your jaw, in the way your fingers gripped the edge of the seat as though you needed to hold onto something to keep from slipping away entirely.
He hated that he noticed these things. Hated that, for once, his usual shield of irreverence and detachment wasn’t enough to keep this gnawing feeling at bay.
It wasn’t love—not the dizzying, saccharine thing he’d seen in movies or read about in books. It was something darker, sharper, as though you were a shard of glass lodged under his skin. He couldn’t stop himself from turning you over in his mind, dissecting every detail, every flaw, every crack in your otherwise impenetrable armor.
You were fascinating in a way that felt dangerous.
He didn’t know what to make of it.
His hand twitched on the seat between you, the urge to reach out almost unbearable. But he didn’t. Couldn’t. The thought of touching you—of closing that impossible distance—was terrifying in a way he couldn’t explain. It wasn’t fear of rejection; he could handle that. It was something else, something far more primal.
Because if he touched you, if he broke through that careful veneer of professionalism and indifference, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop.
“Do you ever wonder what it’s like?” he asked suddenly, his voice low and uncharacteristically quiet.
You didn’t turn to look at him, your gaze still fixed on the view. “What what’s like?”
“To feel alive,” he said, the words slipping out before he could stop them.
Your brow furrowed slightly, but you didn’t respond.
He let out a soft, humorless laugh, leaning back against the seat. “Never mind. Stupid question.”
But it wasn’t. Not to him.
Because for the first time in years—maybe ever—he felt something. Something real.
And it unsettled him.
———
“I don’t get you,” he said, his voice quieter than you’d ever heard it. “You’re impossible to crack, and for some reason, I can’t stop trying.”
You raised an eyebrow, more out of habit than genuine curiosity. “Sounds like a personal problem.”
He laughed softly, shaking his head. “Yeah, maybe it is.”
The silence between you two was a taut string, stretched so thin it felt as if the smallest sound might snap it. Outside the cabin, the Ferris wheel creaked as it swayed gently, the city sprawled below like a graveyard of flickering lights. Inside, the air felt heavier, dense with something intangible and electric that neither of you dared to name.
He shifted closer, so subtly that you didn’t notice at first. The slight groan of the seat’s weight-bearing joints was drowned out by the pounding of his own heartbeat, a rhythm he suddenly couldn’t ignore. His arm rested casually against the back of the seat, but his entire body was taut, every muscle coiled as if anticipating some unspoken impact.
His gaze drifted to you, no longer playful or teasing but something else—something raw, a little desperate, and utterly unfamiliar to him. He could see the faint outline of your lashes against your cheek, the soft curve of your lips as your expression remained distant, detached.
And yet, to him, you were a storm barely contained, your quietness thrumming with an energy he could feel in his bones.
He didn’t notice the way his own breathing had shifted, deeper now, as if his body were bracing for something he couldn’t quite define. His eyes flicked downward—just a moment, a heartbeat—and caught on the soft shape of your mouth. It wasn’t intentional, but once he saw it, he couldn’t unsee it.
He swallowed hard, the sound audible in the tight confines of the cabin.
“I—” he started, his voice faltering like an engine choking on its own fuel. He barely recognized the sound coming out of his mouth, stripped of its usual bravado and swagger.
He should’ve stopped there. Should’ve cracked a joke or leaned back with that cocky grin that had always been his armor. But he didn’t. He couldn’t.
His hand lifted almost on its own, shaking slightly as it reached toward your face. The tips of his fingers brushed against a stray strand of hair, tucking it behind your ear with a gentleness that felt alien to him. It was clumsy, hesitant—nothing like the smooth confidence he usually exuded.
The heat radiating from you was intoxicating, pulling him closer even as his mind screamed at him to stop. His breath hitched as he leaned in, so slowly it felt as though time itself had slowed to a crawl.
He wasn’t thinking anymore. The usual whirlwind of his mind—sharp, quick, always moving—had stilled completely.
All he could focus on was you.
The curve of your lips. The faint rise and fall of your chest. The way you still hadn’t looked at him, so lost in your own world that you hadn’t yet noticed the dangerous proximity between you.
His breath mingled with yours now, warm and unsteady, as his lips hovered just a hair’s breadth away from yours. His eyes half-closed, the edges of his vision blurring as every instinct in him screamed to close the gap.
And then—
Your eyes snapped to his, sharp and unyielding like a blade cutting through fog.
It hit you like a jolt of electricity, the realization of just how close he was, how dangerously near his lips hovered to yours.
But it hit him harder.
The sharpness in your gaze was like a bucket of ice water, dousing the fire he hadn’t even realized had been consuming him.
His eyes widened slightly, his breath catching as he froze in place. He looked at you—not just at you, but into you—as though seeing something he hadn’t been prepared for.
And for the first time in his life, he felt utterly and completely exposed.
———
His voice, when he finally spoke, was low and rough, as though he’d swallowed gravel. “You’ve never been kissed, have you?”
You stiffened, your brows knitting together in a glare that could have frozen the sun. “That’s none of your concern.”
He laughed softly, the sound devoid of its usual bravado. “Oh, but it is, sweetheart. I’m your boyfriend, remember?” His voice dipped into that familiar, playful lilt, but there was something else beneath it now—a hunger, a yearning he didn’t fully understand.
He leaned closer, his breath warm against your cheek, and you didn’t pull away. Not yet. That tiny sliver of hope spurred him on, his heart pounding so loudly it drowned out every rational thought in his head.
“I bet no one’s dared,” he murmured, his lips ghosting over your skin as his thumb traced slow circles against your jaw. “You’re too intimidating. Too untouchable.”
He paused, his voice dropping to a whisper that sent a shiver down your spine. “But not to me.”
And then, he closed the gap.
It wasn’t a calculated move, nor was it born of confidence. It was instinctive, driven by a force he couldn’t name. His lips brushed yours, tentative and hesitant, as though afraid you might shatter beneath his touch.
For a fraction of a second, everything else fell away—the city lights, the Ferris wheel, the constant cacophony of his mind. All that existed was you, the impossible warmth of you, and the way your lips were softer than he’d dared imagine—
And then, the world snapped back into focus.
Your palm connected with his cheek in a sharp, resounding slap that echoed through the tiny cabin. The force of it sent his head snapping to the side, his lips tingling from the abrupt end of the kiss.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” you hissed, your voice as sharp and cold as a blade.
He blinked, stunned for a moment, before his signature grin broke across his face. His cheek was already reddening, and he rubbed it with a dramatic wince, leaning back in his seat as though to put some distance between you.
“Okay, okay,” he said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “I get it. Ice queen stays frosty. My bad for trying to thaw you out a little.”
His tone was playful, but there was a flicker of something deeper in his eyes—something raw and uncertain that he buried as quickly as it surfaced.
You glared at him, your arms crossed tightly over your chest. “This is a transactional relationship. Don’t forget that.”
“Transaction noted,” he quipped, the grin never leaving his face. “But for the record? That slap was totally worth it.”
You rolled your eyes, muttering something under your breath that he couldn’t quite catch, and turned your attention back to the window.
But he didn’t stop watching you.
As he rubbed his sore cheek, his grin softened into something quieter, something closer to a smile. He didn’t fully understand what had compelled him to kiss you, nor did he understand why your rejection didn’t sting the way it should have.
All he knew was that, for the first time in his life, he wanted to try again.
———
“Did you think that was going to work?” you interrupted, your tone sharp enough to cut steel.
He let out a short, incredulous laugh, shaking his head as the initial shock melted into something more familiar: that damn grin. “Wow, okay. I go for one kiss—one—and you act like I tried to steal your soul.”
“You did try to steal something,” you shot back, crossing your arms. “My patience.”
“That’s already gone,” he countered, leaning back with a dramatic sigh. “You can’t slap me twice for the same crime.”
“Try me,” you said, your glare unwavering.
He chuckled, the sound low and genuine as he rubbed his cheek. “Man, you’re vicious. It’s kind of hot.”
────────────
He watched as you rubbed your sleeve across your mouth, your motions brisk and unrelenting, as though scrubbing the very memory of him off your skin. His grin faltered for just a second, invisible to anyone who wasn’t looking too closely. Of course, you weren’t—you never were. Your focus was singular, your eyes narrowed and lips pressed in a thin, disapproving line as though he’d just committed a cardinal sin.
It stung more than he cared to admit. Not that he’d let you see it. No, no. His ego may have been bruised, but he wasn’t about to lick his wounds in front of you. Instead, he leaned back in his seat with a dramatic sigh, one hand pressed over his chest as though your rejection had physically pierced him.
“Wow,” he drawled, his tone laced with exaggerated disbelief. “I didn’t realize my kiss was that traumatic. Should I be offended or impressed by your dedication to erasure?”
You shot him a glare sharp enough to cut glass, but it only fueled the smirk crawling back onto his face.
“Seriously,” he continued, ignoring the icy tension radiating off you. “I’ve seen people wipe ketchup off their mouths with less vigor. I mean, I’m not that bad, am I?”
You didn’t respond, too busy swiping at your lips like a woman possessed, as though the mere memory of his touch was a poison you needed to purge.
He leaned closer, the teasing glint in his eyes sharpening to a dangerous edge. “Careful, sweetheart. You’re gonna scrub your skin raw. And here I thought I was the one who left a mark.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” you snapped, your tone colder than the winter wind.
“Oh, but it’s so easy when you’re this much fun.” He rested his chin in his palm, his grin widening as he studied you like you were his favorite puzzle. “Though I gotta say, you’re hurting my feelings here. Most girls would be swooning right about now. But you?” He whistled low, shaking his head. “Stone cold. A real ice queen through and through.”
“Good,” you bit back, finally lowering your sleeve. “Maybe you’ll think twice before pulling another stunt like that.”
He chuckled, the sound low and rich, but there was a flicker of something more behind it—something softer, unspoken. “You think I’m gonna stop? Not a chance. You’re way too fun to mess with.”
You rolled your eyes, turning your gaze back to the window. “Whatever. Just…keep your distance.”
“Sure thing, princess.” His voice dipped into a mock-serious tone, but the glint in his eyes betrayed him. “But don’t blame me when you start dreaming about it later. They say first kisses are unforgettable, after all.”
Your hand twitched like you were debating whether or not to slap him again, but you refrained, choosing instead to glare daggers at the glass.
He leaned back with a satisfied hum, crossing his arms as his grin softened into something quieter, something almost contemplative.
You might have been disgusted, but at least you weren’t indifferent. That thought alone was enough to keep his grin intact.
———
The cabin settled into a tense quiet, broken only by the faint creaks of the Ferris wheel as it descended. You’d stopped scrubbing at your lips, though the memory of his clumsy attempt lingered, palpable and unwelcome. With a slow, deliberate breath, you turned your focus outward, toward the sprawling view of the amusement park bathed in fractured, golden light.
“I’ll have you know,” you said softly, your voice sharp yet devoid of its earlier venom, “that wasn’t my first kiss.”
The words were like a scalpel, slicing clean and deep, leaving behind a sting that lingered in the pit of his stomach.
He didn’t show it. He never did.
Instead, he let out a short laugh, tilting his head as though brushing off your statement with his usual flippancy. “Well, color me surprised,” he drawled, his tone laced with mock astonishment. “The ice queen has a romantic history. Who’d have thought?”
You didn’t respond, didn’t rise to the bait. The apathy in your gaze was unyielding, and that, more than your words, struck a chord he couldn’t name.
He shifted in his seat, suddenly restless, the smirk on his face becoming harder to maintain. Something stirred beneath his practiced exterior, an unfamiliar heat that crawled up his spine and settled, uncomfortably, in his chest.
Why did it matter?
He leaned back, forcing a casual posture, though the muscles in his jaw tightened. “Well, good for you,” he said, a little too quickly, a little too brightly. “Guess I can’t claim to be your first, huh?”
There it was again, that strange burning sensation. It twisted and coiled, feeding on itself, until it became something dark and unrelenting. He told himself it was nothing—just his ego stinging from your rejection. But deep down, in a part of himself he rarely acknowledged, he knew it wasn’t that simple.
You tilted your head slightly, your profile illuminated by the faint glow of the park below. “It wasn’t anything special,” you said, your tone devoid of emotion. “Just another transaction.”
Another transaction.
The words settled like lead in his stomach.
He laughed again, louder this time, but the sound rang hollow in his own ears. “Figures,” he said, his voice pitched light and teasing, masking the weight behind the words. “Trust you to make even romance sound like a business deal.”
You glanced at him, one brow arched, and for a moment, he thought you might say something else. Instead, you turned back to the window, your posture relaxed but distant, like the space between you was a chasm neither of you could—or would—cross.
His gaze lingered on you, tracing the delicate curve of your jaw, the subtle tension in your shoulders, the way the faint light cast shadows across your face. That burning sensation flared again, sharp and insistent, as though it were trying to tell him something he wasn’t ready to hear.
He didn’t understand it—this sudden, inexplicable need to prove himself to you, to earn something that no transaction could buy. It gnawed at him, a quiet fury that wouldn’t be silenced, no matter how much he tried to brush it off.
For the first time in his life, he felt unsteady, uncertain, as though the foundation he’d built himself on was beginning to crack.
And he hated it.
“Must’ve been a hell of a boring kiss,” he said, forcing a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Bet I could’ve done better.”
You snorted softly, but didn’t take the bait.
The silence that followed was heavy, thick with something unspoken, as the Ferris wheel continued its slow descent.
And for the first time that night, he didn’t feel like laughing.
Yandere! Ex-Boyfriend & Cheating Bitch
Novella 1 : Friction & Fire
She wasn't looking for love, but love wasn't asking for permission.
Some truths are better left buried.
♡ A/N. Another planned work in my drafts that I haven’t released yet before, but here it is now. Technically an ask, but I prefer to answer this with a fic :)) Ok….. so I checked it and it's turning into 12k+ words. Went a bit ham, and still going. Might turn it into a Novella. Why do I write so much, ahh. So, I'll be dividing the parts (6 parts). Sorry. Probably, the slowest burn yandere among all my works at the moment.... I think. But, still for me, pretty fast burn romance, because we focus on yandere content. Lol. Also side note, if you like ENTP 7w8 yanderes (e.g. Gojo, Hawks, Dazai, Vanitas, Kuroo)? Well, this one's for you. Made a hardcore ENTP 7w8 yandere this time.
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General TAG LIST of “A Heart Devoured”: @definetlythinkimanalien , @floooring
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