#I thought about doing a girls day thing for Jade but the day passed already ;w; I’ll draw something to make up for it though! Eventually. 🫠

[quirky-creates]

Happy Late Boy’s Day Y’all 🎏

I was supposed to post this last week but burnout had such a specific hold on me that I didn’t even feel like doing something as simple as THAT…and fuck me for thinking that I was starting to get better lmao

More art will be in the way just. Gimmi a bit I’m treading on I promise hhrnhmbbghr

[sorbetisfruity]

Guys Guys GUYSSS I have oh, Oh so many Thoughts right now.

Imagine:

Kiss the Girl scene with MC and TWST’s version of Ariel.

Rielle (his fan-given name) goes to Azul, saying he wants to become a human forever to stay with a human he’s fallen in love with!!

And who’s Azul to deny him?

He quickly finds out that the human he’s fallen for is NRA’s one and only magicless hero.

You!!

And, of course, Azuls not one to make a contract without getting something in return.

Especially when Rielle’s into the human he’s got a teeny tiny HUGEEEE crush on.

Soo, he makes him a deal.

If he can kiss MC within 3 days by sundown, he becomes human forever, and gets to keep his voice.

And if he can’t?

Azul keeps his voice, and him, forever.

Rielle makes the deal without thinking, throwing a scale he ripped off into the pot, allowing Azul to take his voice.

Azul sends him away after the transaction is complete, handing a shell-shaped locket to Jade and Floyd, who were giggling, knowing how this would go.

After hearing the very stupid deal Rielle made, his friends quickly came up with a plan.

You two would have a romantic boat ride, and kiss there!!

It was full proof-it HAD to be!

After all, nearly two days have already passed. They have no choice now.

What none of them accounted for was you-unintentionally-knowing everything.

———————————————————————

“Rielle? Where are ya takin me?” You laughed as he pulled you along, not saying a word to you.

It seems as if he was giving you the silent treatment these past few days, not saying a single word.

It struck you as weird, if you were honest. Rielle was always a chatterbox, constantly talking about things he’d find on the ocean floor and his adventures under water.

However, after talking to his friends, Flounder and Neige, you found out he had a big performance soon and was on vocal rest.

You didn’t believe them at first, as they stuttered nervously throughout their entire explanation. But you knew at least Neige would never lie to you.

Right?

The whole situation reminded you of the original Little Mermaid, with his lost voice and all. He hadn’t even went into the ocean lately, which he tends to do after school.

It all brought a feeling of unease upon you.

Though, you knew Rielle wasn’t in love with anybody, let alone you.

There was no way he made a deal with Azul…right?

Rielle looked back at you, a playful smile on his lips as he brought a finger up, silently shushing you.

You rolled your eyes as you giggled, continuing to let yourself be dragged around by him.

Once you two reached your destination, he pulled back a curtain of long, glowing vines, revealing a small wooden boat.

Your mouth dropped, immediately feeling your stomach start to swarm with butterflies.

Either you were going crazy, or this is playing out exactly as it did in the movie.

The missing voice, the way he’s been weirdly close to you these past two days, not going into the ocean…and now this!?!

You’re going to kick Azuls ass.

Rielle snapped you out of your trance, giving you a worried look.

“Ah, sorry! Don’t worry, I’m fine.” You nervously laughed it off, chewing on your bottom lip.

Rielle got into the boat first, testing the durability of it. Once he felt that it was fine, he reached his hand out to you softly, looking at you with eyes filled with something you couldn’t pinpoint.

You blushed as you took his hand, allowing him to yank you into his hard chest.

He held you there for a moment. His other arm around your waist as he held your hand close to his heart.

You didn’t dare look up. You wouldn’t allow yourself to.

You gently pushed yourself away from his chest, clearing your throat.

“So..you took me out here in the middle of the night to take a boat ride, huh?” You smiled, giggling a bit.

He grabbed your hands once again, making you look up at him.

You regretted it almost immediately.

He looked undeniably gorgeous under the soft yellow lights of the fire flies around you. A dark red covered his cheeks, and even his ears! The color rivaled his hair. His mouth was slightly agape as he stared down at you, seemingly speechless.

He nodded quickly, letting go of you and pushing the boat off before you had time to sit, making you fall back.

“Damn, a warning would’ve been nice..” you said lightheartedly, rubbing your sore back as you looked down at the water.

Your eyes widened as you looked down, swearing you saw a green tail quickly swim past…

You felt Rielle grab your hands with his own, clearly looking apologetic.

“I’m fine, don’t worry!! I was joshin, don’t sweat it Rielle..” you reassured, feeling something bump the boat.

‘Shit…that’s gotta be Jade and Floyd!!’ you thought, biting your bottom lip again.

You looked at Rielle, seeing how his gaze was fixated on your lips. Your face flushed, suddenly feeling hot as you shuffled in your spot.

“Rielle, listen…” you trailed off, watching him snap up and meet your eyes.

“I know what’s happening to you. I know you’re cursed, and I know you have to…kiss me..to break it. I know everything, Rielle.”

You felt another bump under the boat, this one more aggressive than the last.

Rielle looked upset, distraught, concerned..he gripped your hands tighter as his mouth moved, but no sounds came out.

“It’s okay!!! It’s okay. I’m gonna get your voice back, don’t worry Rielle. But first…”

You practically ripped your hands away from his, standing on the boat as you struggled to find your balance.

“I’ve gotta grab something.”

You eyed one of the green, slippery tails that has been bumping into the boat, before grabbing onto it with a tight, firm grip, yanking up one of the tweels onto the boat.

“Shrimpy?” “Floyd! What the fuck?!”

“If you don’t go and get my friends voice back right now, so help me god I will-“

“Calmmmm dooooown Shrimpy! If you want this little mermaids-well, used to be little mermaids-voice back, you’re gonna have to kiss him!! Ooorrrrr, go hunt down Azul.”

“And we are not going to let that first option happen.” Jade chimed in, leaning against the boat now.

“Okay, first of all, I’m gonna hunt down Azul either way. I thought he was better than this but apparently he’s not-and YOU TWO aren’t either.”

“And you!” You turned to Rielle, “you sacrificed your mermaid powers for me?? WHY?! You can turn into a human anyways! There was no need to sacrifice that for me! I’m not worth sacrificing shit like THAT for! Let alone anything!!” You stressed, tears starting to form at the corners of your eyes.

You pinched the bridge of your nose, turning back to Jade and Floyd.

“Take me to Azul. Now. I’m gonna have a little..talk with his octopus ass.”

“Rielle, go back to RSA. I’ll come for you in the morning and let you know what happened, okay? Stay safe. Don’t make anymore stupid deals.” You leaned down to his height, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek before getting yanked away by Floyd.

“Awwww come onnnn Shrimpy!~ Do we get kisses nowwww?” Floyd whined, squeezing you tightly.

“No, you guys aren’t getting anything from me until Rielle gets his voice back. Now let’s go.” You spoke sternly, wiggling yourself out of his slimy embrace.

“Of course, come on, let’s head back to NRA.” Jade chimed in, turning back into his human form as Floyd did the same, knowing you couldn’t breathe under water like they can.

You gave one last look at Rielle, a look full of determination, before walking off with the twins, sighing as Floyd began to talk your ear off.

———————————————————————

Part two Mayhaps?

This scenario has been playing in my mind since the live action Little Mermaid came out btw, I just hadn’t decided to write it out until nowwwww!!

I doooo have a pretty sick idea for a part two where MC (aka YOUUUU) gets Rielles voice back, but I’d love to know if you guys would like a part two just in case!

Byeeeeee guyssss >:0)

[merakiui]

*DIGS YOU OUT FROM THE MUD* MOOOOOAR!!!! HDJSJSK once azul find out the secret behind his fave milk, floyd takes him out back and forces him to breed u to keep quiet and jade omg jad has the biggest balls and loves to put them on ur face aaaaaaa

AAAAAAAA YES YES YES OTL THANK YOU FOR DIGGING ME OUT.......... allow me to describe The Vision because I had more thoughts while I was trapped under the mud.

(cw: nsfw, female hucow reader, breeding, pregnancy, bull hybrid jade, lactation, there's really no plot here; just pure horny >_< )

✧ floyd has the biggest crush on you and it's so obvious, but he's not allowed to touch you because boring farm regulations and blah blah blah. >:( it wouldn't be good if another male's scent was on you when they're trying to pair you and jade together, and floyd thinks that's a stupid rule because you're his girl!!! he definitely doesn't follow it. maybe he promises to be good and pull out each time, maybe give you a bath to wash his scent off, just to keep things safe. he's so stupidly in love with you and it shows. orz his favorite thing to do is milk you because you make the cutest little sounds. he's painfully hard the entire time and he can't stop looking at your heavy tits, admiring the feel of them in his hands, or the way you tremble, your body alight with arousal. he's down so bad. he has to cap all of the bottles and stock them in the fridge first before he's going off to deal with his erection. T_T

✧ and jade......... he's a sly bastard. he knows floyd's in love with you (anyone could tell) and he takes every possible opportunity to stir up drama just for the fun of it. floyd threatens to send him off to the slaughterhouse if he keeps acting like an ass, but that's jade's specialty. <3 he just loves pressing you against the fence and rutting into you from behind, loves to drink straight from your tits, loves to fuck you in broad daylight so that everyone on the farm knows you're getting your guts rearranged by him. and floyd hates it! it's just not fair. why did they have to bring jade in? can't they just leave the breeding up to floyd? he'd gladly knock you up. but you and jade are so compatible and jade's so possessive of you, and the last time floyd tried to enter your pen he was swiftly kicked in the stomach. ;;;;;

✧ and azul!!!! he loves, loves, loves the milk from this farm. it's just so delicious; it's made the dishes at his restaurant taste even better than before. since he's an ambitious man, he originally visits the farm with the intention of purchasing whichever dairy cow is responsible for producing such high-quality milk just so he can get it straight from the source without having to go through the hoops of shipping and whatnot. but floyd's so evasive with answering his questions and as azul's leaving in a huff he passes the barn and spies you inside and...... now he needs you!!! he'll pay any price; he's desperate. floyd's dying inside because no one's supposed to know about you, but this loud-mouthed businessman knows and..... he allows azul to milk you so he can take a few bottles home for himself in exchange for his silence, and azul is so good at rizzing you that he ends up fucking you. and jade lets it happen because it's another fun way to watch floyd shrivel up and die. T_T he's so mean,,,,,

✧ and when you're pregnant, your milk production seems to double and you have to be milked multiple times a day because your tits get so heavy and full. floyd's living the dream, even more so when you weep and beg him to just fuck you already because you're soooo sensitive and soooo horny and you desperately need to be filled with cock; and jade's busy napping, so he can't do it. floyd gladly takes his place and he's the happiest in the world because after so long he finally gets to fuck you. he cums so much, all of it stuffed inside, and he cradles your belly so sweetly and tenderly.

✧ the alternative to this idea is that azul kidnaps you from the farm and keeps you captive in his home so that he can always have your milk for himself. not only for personal enjoyment but for the mostro lounge as well, and you hate him so much because he took you away from your home and friends and he keeps you shackled and collared with a little bell so you won't run away or escape. you've spent so long with him and you're months into your first pregnancy with him and he's been nothing but sweet and soft and he fucks you so good; and he's always so eager to milk you and he praises you constantly. stockholm syndrome kicks in and suddenly he's not so bad. suddenly you don't hate him anymore. suddenly you're riding him into the sheets with reckless abandon and coming apart on his cock because it feels so good and you love him so much and this is where you've always wanted to be. this is your home.

[starlightkun]

filler episodes ⏯ teaser [sungchan]

⏯ teaser word count: 1458 | full fic: 16.6k ⏯ warnings: general angst around not knowing what you’re doing with your life, the usual cursing ⏯ genre: fluff, suggestive/steamy but no actual smut, strangers to lovers, band au, punk drummer!sungchan, office worker!reader, not really badboy x good girl trope, more like sungchan has tattoos and reader is… a bit boring and hates her job. but she’s trying!, reader is having a quarter life crisis, ft. shotaro/eunseok/wonbin as sungchan’s bandmates, and nct dream 00 line as reader’s normal friends™ ⏯ estimated release: saturday, june 29, 2024 3:00 p.m. eastern time

Clutching your tote bag strap tighter to your body, you turned onto a street, trying to ignore the sun that was getting lower in the sky. Surely this way would lead towards your apartment. You’d lived in this city your whole life, you could walk from your work to your home, two places that you went to every single day.

There was a tall man outside one of the shops on this street, and you went to skirt around him on the sidewalk as he swept a few stray leaves and dirt out of a bookstore. Other than him, the street was fairly quiet, many of the stores having already closed up for the day.

“What are you doing?” The young man called out to you before you could fully pass him by.

You pivoted around on your heel, quickly looking around to see if there was anybody else that he could possibly be talking to. But it was definitely just you and him.

He looked about your age, wearing a cream pink long-sleeve button down presumably as part of the store uniform, though you weren’t sure if he really needed to have it buttoned all the way to the top button. It seemed a bit too warm out for that.

“Walking. Why?”

“This is the fourth time you’ve walked by here.” He did a sweeping point to the sidewalk in front of the shop, then leaned against the broom he had been cleaning with. “Wasn’t sure if you might have a particular destination in mind.”

“Fuck! I knew I was going in circles!”

“You’re lost.”

“Yeah, this isn’t my normal way home…”

“And your phone died?” He cocked his head curiously.

“No, I’m trying to get home without using my phone map,” you admitted, looking around for any familiar landmarks.

“Why? That’s what it’s for.”

“It’s… You’ll think it’s stupid. My friends did.”

He shrugged. “Probably. But why does that matter to you? I’m just some guy.”

“I’ve been doing something new every day. Just small things. But if I change enough little things, then everything will have changed.”

The guy was quiet for a beat, looking altogether unimpressed, then asked, “Where do you live?”

“Uh…”

“General area, see if I can give you directions from here.”

“Oh, uhm, if you can get me to the tea shop on Magnolia, I can get myself home from there.”

“Jade Gardens, I know it,” he nodded, then pointed left down the street, in the same direction that you had just come from. “That way, left onto North Oak, right onto Foxtail, another right onto Broad Street, it’ll eventually dead end into Magnolia, keep going until you see the tea shop.”

“Left onto North Oak, right onto Foxtail, right onto Broad,” you recited. “Got it, thank you!”

“Stay safe.” He waved you off, returning to sweeping without seeing if you had gone the way he’d pointed you.

It was Monday that you got lost and were given directions home by the questionably friendly but overall helpful bookstore worker, and the tea shop on Magnolia had been on your mind since. So on Thursday, you decided to stop by after work. You were running low on the green tea that you usually kept in stock at home, and thought that you might pick up something new for yourself.

Opening the door to Jade Gardens that Thursday, you were enveloped by the familiar aromatic smells wafting around the small shop. When you didn’t hear the usual kind voice of the owner, Mrs. Choi, greeting you, you peered around the aisle that you were in to look for her.

“Mrs. Choi?” You called out, also not hearing her TV show that she usually was watching behind the counter between helping customers. You were by the black teas anyway, so you didn’t mind wandering into the next aisle as you looked for any other sign of life in the shop.

“She’s not in,” a voice that was definitely not Mrs. Choi informed you right as you turned the corner into the beginning of the green teas. You could see enough of the man’s profile to recognize him as he stood by some of the shelves in the store. The worker from the bookstore. He was standing over an open cardboard box, a couple tins of tea in his hands.

“Uhm…” You trailed off, blinking at him as you weren’t sure exactly what to say. He placed the tins on the shelf.

“You think I’m stalking you, don’t you?” He said flatly, turning to show you the name badge on his longsleeve teal shirt. It was metallic gold, with the name SUNGCHAN engraved into it. “I work here too. For the past six months.”

“Oh, right.” You relaxed, flashing him a smile. As he went back to restocking and you went back to looking at the tea on the shelves that he wasn’t currently stocking, you commented lightly, “I’ve never seen you here before.”

“I work Tuesdays and Thursdays. You ever been here on a Tuesday or a Thursday?”

“No. I always come on Sundays.”

“There you go.” He had emptied the box of product he was restocking from, and carried it into the back. When he reemerged, he stopped behind the register, but engaged you in conversation again, “So is this your new thing for today? Coming on a Thursday instead of Sunday?”

“Yeah.”

“And? Is your whole life different yet?”

“I’ve only been doing this for two weeks…” You replied defensively, looking over at him from the two kinds of green tea that you were debating between.

“Have you done anything new yet?” Sungchan asked, arching an eyebrow.

“That’s the whole point—”

“From what I know, as some guy who doesn’t even know your name, is that you have walked home from work without using the maps on your phone—something you would have done anyway—and gone to a shop that you go to regularly, just on a different day of the week. Have you done anything that you’ve never done before at all?”

“My name is Y/N, by the way.” You bit the inside of your cheek, and grabbed your tea selection. “Ordering a drink I’ve never tried at my usual boba place doesn’t count, does it?”

“You already know the answer, Y/N.”

“The point isn’t to quit my job and travel the world and completely overhaul my life—”

“I thought it was to change everything?”

“If I change enough little things, then—”

“—everything will have changed.” “—everything will have changed.” The two of you finished at the same time, Sungchan putting more emphasis on ‘everything,’ a pointed look on his face.

“I just don’t get how everything is supposed to change by you coming to a tea shop on a different day one time, but still working the same job you hate,” he sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

“How do you know I hate my job?!” You retorted, bringing your selections up to the counter.

“If you loved it, you wouldn’t be in a crisis about changing your whole life.”

“Do you like your two jobs?”

“They’re fine.” He shrugged, ringing up your purchases.

You handed him your card. “Fine?”

“They’re just my day jobs.”

“And what’s your night job then?”

A smirk grew on his face as he bagged your tins of tea. “Nah.”

“‘Nah?’” You repeated incredulously.

“You’re not doing anything new. No point telling you.”

“If it’s stand-up, I don’t want to know,” you snorted.

“It’s not stand-up.”

“Mm, I don’t know, you’re giving me real stand-up energy right now,” you snipped, gesturing to his entire demeanor. “I’m really glad you haven’t told me, actually, because I can’t control my face when I’m told bad jokes.”

“I don’t do stand-up comedy,” he reiterated with the same calm, self-assured tone, handing you your bag of tea and receipt.

“Considering you’re refusing to tell me, I’m convinced it’s like, open mic nights. Tight fives, not even a full—”

“Not stand-up,” he said again. “But considering how badly you’re begging me to tell you—”

“Pretty sure you’re the one desperately trying to convince me you don’t do stand-up, but—”

“If you really want to do something brand new…” He took your receipt out of your hand, writing on the back of it with a pen that was on the counter. “Make this your thing for tomorrow.”

You accepted the receipt when he held it back out to you. “You still haven’t told me what you do.”

“Live a little. And bring some friends, yeah? Don’t want you getting lonely in the mosh pit.”

Your eyes scanned the address and time he had scrawled on your receipt. “Mosh pit?”

⤷ masterlist

[mariaxxxxx]

Chapter 4 For now, we are married

Summary: To save your nation You are given as a bride to a sea god.

Warnings: 18+ ONLY/ Minors DNI, Angust, Hurt comfort, Sex, Apologies, Crying, Creampie, Passionate sex, virgin!reader, size difference, smut, soft!dom!, HEA, somnophille, slight degradation, duvious consent, pregnancy, arranged marriage, inexperienced reader, abortion commented, unprotected sex (don't do that wrap this thing), kidnapping, aftercare, curse words.

A/N: English is not my mother tongue. I apologize for any errors.

A/N: Reader is heavily implied to be Mexican but i tried to keep it as free to the imagination as possible

Work count: 2.006

Serie materialist

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

The next day your anxiety was making you dizzy. You couldn't eat anything that was there on the small food table, full of pies, teas and water. He shuddered when he thought about the great moment he would have in a few hours. One night. He had given her a night to rest and prepare to be presented to the people of Talokan as their queen.

The day before, You and him shared conversations for many hours. He told how his nation was very well developed and hidden from the evil eyes of the surface inhabitants. You told him how losing your brother fractured your family and how sassy you used to be as a child. Within hours, you and he shared stories, fears, secrets and plans for the future. He confessed to you that he intended to hold another wedding ceremony, this time, just You, him and a small Talokan group made up of family members and tribal leaders.

You repudiated the idea, claiming that you were already married to him according to the ceremony between him and your father. K'uk'ulkan mocked your words by saying that he had chosen to marry You and not your father. You shared with him the fear of not knowing how to behave in a Talokanil wedding ceremony; You were a foreign queen with habits, customs and a foreign language.

He promised to teach you everything you needed to know for the ceremony. He taught him just to say yes and no in his language. “That’s enough for now,” he said. You only noticed time pass when the first yawn came, then another and another. K'uk'ulkan laughed at her effort to stay awake and hear more of her teachings. When You decided not to fight sleep anymore, Her husband guided You to a private chamber where You could rest in peace. He said goodbye to you with a kiss on the forehead.

His heart palpitated and his face flushed as he remembered such an intimate gesture. You were surprised to feel so at ease in the presence of that man, no, K'uk'ulkan is what you must call him now. No longer a God, entity, just K'uk'ulkan.

The blue-skinned girls, given to You by your husband to serve You in whatever was necessary, appeared to groom You for marriage. You were washed, scrubbed, dressed, painted, and adorned in jewels of gold, jade, and sapphires. They whispered and smiled as they fixed you up. You would like to understand them for just a moment.

In your home, you always got along well with the maids who served you, making them confidant friends. They followed you wherever you went, being responsible for your physical well-being; You were always so grateful to them.

At a wedding held in her nation, a bride could not bring anything that reminded her of home. No clothes, jewelry or handmaids. A bride should enter her husband's house immaculate, wearing garments sewn by the firm hands of the priestesses of the time and jewelry carved from iron and wood. The bride must walk through the city with her blood family behind, always looking forward with firm steps and chin high. When she arrives at her final destination she is greeted by her fiancé. The groom should receive her with magnificent gifts. Then, the newlyweds clasp hands and enter the house where they will share a lifetime. The bride leaves behind her family ready to build a new one.

It was inauspicious for the bride's old family to visit her in her first year of marriage. A woman only returned to her family when she was pregnant; There she should be cared for and protected until the birth of the child, after fifty days of protection the husband should look for his wife and newborn child, bringing gifts to compensate his wife for the effort of bringing his seed into the world. A rude tradition, you think, her mother once confessed that she cried for seven whole days missing her family. “Your father had to be very patient with me,” she said.

You feared that K'uk'ulkan would not be patient. He had only been away from home for a day, but the urge to cry came with every breath he took. You were in a strange place, a foreign nation, with a language you didn't understand. The cry stuck in her throat could escape at any minute and that could enrage her husband. Stories of impatient husbands were not uncommon, and even though K'uk'ulkan proved to be a peaceful man, you didn't know him long enough to feel safe.

One of his maids muttered something, taking you out of his thoughts. A mirror was placed in front of her for You to contemplate the work well done. You were dressed all in white with details embroidered with black lines that formed the figure of a large serpent. They painted your skin with red paint with symbols unknown to you. Her arms, neck and ankles were decorated with gold jewelry with jade and sapphire details. Her hair had been braided and pulled into an elaborate updo, golden snake-shaped hairpins holding the braids in place.

She was beautiful, indeed. If her mother could see her now she would say that she is the reincarnation of the Goddess of love and beauty herself.

"Is perfect." You said in a whisper. "Thank you very much."

They couldn't understand his words, but they seemed to understand the gleam of gratitude in his eyes. The handmaid with the mirror walked away.

“Much Ko’oten tin wéetel. (Please come with me.)” One of them said as she made back and forth movements.

The wedding would finally take place. The handmaids looked at you expectantly. A handmaid approached You and placed her hand on your hip, giving you a small push to follow the indicated path. Without much of a choice You followed her.

Wandering through the connected caverns, You were led down a route that took you deep into the earth. His eyes were filled with wonder as he witnessed the irregular rock formations with sharp points being structured into carefully placed limestone blocks that formed a floating stage surrounded by blue-green water.

He was there, sucking all the beauty out of the place and causing all the attention to be focused on him. His clothing was extravagant and spectacular, making his masculine beauty even more eye-catching. On his head was a large serpent-shaped ornament with colored seaweed that resembled the feathers of a colorful bird. On his broad shoulders, golden shoulder pads with designs carved into hands made his bronze skin shine; Her ankles and wrists also had gold bracelets.

What caught his attention the most was his bare chest and his modesty being preserved by green shorts with white details. A cape, the same color and details as her dress, was attached to her golden shoulder pads, giving her an even more divine appearance.

You walked towards him. There was no one leading You, or, a procession behind You; breaking the marriage tradition in their nation. In any case, the ceremony was nothing like the weddings he had once attended. It was unique. In their nation, brides did not participate in the marriage ceremony. Everything was done between the groom and the father, or any man of greater authority who was part of the bride's family.

His father performed the traditional ceremony at his home. There was a contract established between them, You were prepared and given as a highborn bride to your husband. Therefore, the weddings symbolized the union of two traditions, as well as two peoples.

You arrived and were greeted with the most beautiful smile. You looked away, suddenly feeling shy.

“You look magnificent, my queen.” He said as he guided You to his side.

"Thanks."

“The shaman will perform our wedding ceremony, everything will be done in my mother tongue. Don't worry my love. When the time is right, I will dictate the words and you will repeat them.”

His face took on an even redder hue when they heard the words ‘’my love’’ being spoken by him. His presence caused funny reactions in her body, her stomach fluttered as if birds were flapping their wings.

The shaman quoted a lot of words that You didn't understand. When the time came K'uk'ulkan instructed him to say the words that confirmed his willingness to carry out the marriage. The shaman tied your feet and hands to represent the marriage bond, a vase with soil and seeds was given to You. K'uk'ulkan instructed you how to put the seed in the earth and give it back to the shaman.

Finally, You and your husband were placed facing each other; He recited words in his mother tongue and You repeated them when the time came. The ceremony ended when her husband placed a kiss on her forehead and the guests present filled the room with applause.

Hand in hand, You were guided by your husband to a chamber of black stones lit by blue fireflies, where a table with various culinary delicacies waited for You. You were introduced to tribal leaders, generals, ambassadors and chiefs of major trade routes. You smiled at each of them, repeated the gesture of bowing and said lovely words that your husband was willing to translate. They seemed to like the words spoken by You and your husband seemed proud to have You by his side.

After the greetings and introductions, You sat at the large table with your husband by your side. While he laughed and talked to his advisors, You carefully observed everyone present in the room. You didn't know those faces, You didn't know those customs, You didn't know that language. At that moment, the only one who represented your home was You, and whether you liked it or not, even with all those people around you congratulating you and wishing you well, you felt alone. She would give her heart for her mother, her father or at least some of her brothers to be there, to see her happily married or even help her with advice.

Her husband's hand fell gently on her arm, suddenly reminding her that he was there, by her side.

“Did something upset you?” He asked as if he could feel the tension and sadness in her heart.

You swallowed hard, looking at the rest of the fruit on your plate, as well as the still water in the golden goblet. He hadn't even been able to drink something to get rid of the bad feeling.

"I am fine." You said sincerely.

“Should I believe that these tears are tears of happiness?”

You hadn't realized you were crying, you quickly wiped them from your cheeks.

"I am really sorry." You said as you lowered your gaze.

“Tell me what troubles your heart.”

“I miss my family.” You said. “I know it’s been a little over a day, but I’ve never been this far from home.”

He leaned his body closer to You and wiped away your tears with his thumb.

“The distance can be difficult, but I know you will get used to it.” He said." I will do my best to make you a happy woman.”

His words made you spill like butter. Before he could say anything to him, one guest shouted a dozen words and the others clapped and shouted excitedly.

"What is happening?" You asked your husband when she witnessed the excited screams and exaggerated clapping. Her husband didn't respond, but the set jaw and arched eyebrows indicated something wasn't right.

What came next was a confusion of hands, arms and legs. You were taken from your chair by a handmaid and carried by one of the guests present.

“What are you…” You couldn’t complete the sentence, as the man carrying you walked down the stone corridors, with you on his lap, while your maids followed close behind. You tried to look at your husband, but the last thing you saw was a dozen men surrounding him.

[puriiinz]

ꕤ GARLIC BREAD? smau | ellie w.

09:00- take it slow

a/n: giggling… huehehhehe… i cringed the entire time while i was writing this i’m so bad at romantic scenes 😞

contains: cursing

yn and ellie were sitting at a bench outside of the mall they were in an hour ago, letting the comforting silence hang around them while they looked around and swinged their feet. yn sighed, thinking about how she was going to tell ellie that she liked girls- liked her. would it be embarrassing? what if ellie thought she was joking? what if she makes fun of her for denying something so simple for so long just to accept it at the end? the possibilities were making yn’s head turn, so she decided to just tell her.

“hey ellie?” ellie hummed, taking her time to separate her eyes from whatever she was looking at, and looked at the girl next to her.

yn slightly pursed her lips, taking a deep breath before talking.

“i just- um… okay, this might be sudden or surprising but as you know i’ve been seeing a therapist and she.. helped me realize some things that i did and wasn’t aware of. when you came over a day after i fought with jade i started thinking about the things you said-“

“yn i’m so sorry i didn’t…”

yn squeezed ellie’s arm to make her stop talking. “let me finish.”

when ellie nodded yn licked her lips and continued, “as i said, i thought about the things you said and since i didn’t have anyone to ask i googled my feelings and decided to see a therapist. she made me realize that i do like girls. and you.”

eyes wide, ellie stared at yn dor a few minutes. with each pasaing minute yn’s nervousness increased and she fidgeted with her bracelet, mumbling a “can you say something?” under her breath. that made ellie stop staring and laugh, making yn more embarrassed and worried.

when her laughter died down, ellie sat up straight and turned to yn, taking her hands in hers and looking into her eyes.

“first of all i wasn’t laughing at you… i was surprised- and happy- when you said you liked girls because when you said you didn’t, the whole world came crashing down on me. i like you too, like a lot.”

they both started to giggle like high schoolers and got a few weird looks. they got up and went to ellie’s car and screamed when they closed the doors. ellie turned to look at yn, just to see she was already staring at her.

“so do we kiss now or..?”

“i thought you were the experienced one williams?”

“you make me nervous…” yn took a good look at ellie and she looked like she was going to pass out. yn laughed loudly and barely stopped when ellie smacked her shoulder.

“don’t laugh it’s not funny!”

“motherfucker you laughed at me when i confessed!”

“well- okay yeah true…”

with that silenced washed over the car, it was slightly awkward and tense, so yn decided to break it.

“do you still want that kiss..?”

“fucking of course i do.”

tags!— @inf3ct3dd

[cottoncandy-cult]

Babification Octavinelle

INTRO/Dorm Selection Includes: Azul, Floyd, Jade

@azulashengrottospiano I finally did it! Now just 5 more dorms and 18 characters to go XD

Remember this is a fem reader insert with she/her pronouns

Azul had been in the Octavinelle dorm lounge with Floyd and Jade discussing work, it was one of their few days off and they were talking about some new renovations Azul planned to do to the monstro lounge. Floyd believed they needed some kind of gift shop, while Jade believed they needed a garden cafe. Azul had planned to consult with his sweet (Y/n), she had been lending him a hand in the creativity department for a while now. It helped that she seemed to know so many people, but given how deeply involved she has been in each dorm it isn't much of a surprise. As Azul was checking his phone had was also attempting to tune out the rambles of the tweels, Floyd trying to correct something that Jade said involving fashion as usual. Azul often tried to tune those conversations out, he couldn't understand a word Floyd said when he was talking about fashion. Though this chaotic peace had been interupted when Lilia just seemed to drop out of the sky infront of them, the twins near jumping behind the couch from the sudden and silent appearance. It took every ounce of muscle control in Azul not to do the same thing, he had an image he had to uphold and getting scared behind the couch was not something that helped said image. "Hello Lilia, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He had spoken to Lilia on occasion, especially since he often showed up to events in Malleus's place, but he never expected to see the short male in the Octavinelle dorm. The monstro lounge maybe, he did come in every now and then for a treat, but the fact that he was in the dorm lounge caused a few pink flags to pop up. Though those pink flags were soon crimson read as he spotted the child cradled against the male's chest, especially since the child was swaddled in an oversized ramshackle dorm uniform jacket. The fae male chuckled as he noticed the vague way the merman paled, tilting his head with a closed eye smile. "(Y/n) actually, is the reason I'm here. You see, this sweet little girl was the victim of small potionology accident." Azul quirked an eyebrow as the tweels were peaking down at the sleeping prefect in Lilia's arms, he himself was trying not to swear as he already knew where this was going when Lilia started retelling the events in class.

At the end of it Azul was squeezing the bridge of his nose, what God did she piss off to be in the middle of the most chaotic accidents EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. "Don't worry though, Professor Crewel is working with the headmage to fix this. He should be by soon with what he called a 'Baby bag' so that she can be taken care of in the meantime." Lilia carefully passed the sleeping girl to Azul, helping the tense male hold the small girl when he realized that he didn't know how to hold a baby. He then sat her school bag by Floyd, her other clothing articles were hidden inside because Lilia was a gentleman like that. "My number is in her phone; I've raised a few babies in my day so if you need some help just call."

-

It had been a few hours since then, the professor having come by to drop off the baby bag with a book borrowed from the college library about unplanned parenting for young adults. A book he never in his life thought he would EVER be reading; she has been the first of many things for him and at this point he was curious how she managed to create such a chaotic balance of experiences. He had relaxed a bit after getting used to holding her for a while and soon enough he found himself staring at her, he never thought about what she may have looked like as a baby even after she had seen some of his childhood photos. Currently he sat in the pool that was built into his dorm leader room, he was leaning back against the wall of the pool as he watched (Y/n). She had been awake for a while; he had thought that maybe she was aware of the situation because she had been fairly quiet and wasn't very fussy. Currently he was in his merform, something he had grown comfortable with her being around after their many trips to the beach. His sleek black tentacles held her in the water, she was in a little (F/c) swim dress and sat comfortably on his curled tentacles. Her tiny hands gently grabbing at the other tentacles that would poke her nose or tickle her sides or cheeks, he hadn't had any prior experience with human children, so he had found himself quite distracted by her reactions to him. He especially loved how her nose crinkled when she giggled, something he noticed before in her regular age but was much more obvious now in this form. "It isn't fair angel fish; how can you be so cute after causing so much trouble." He chuckled as he brought her closer, rubbing his cheek on hers as he rested her against his chest. It was a quiet night and all things considered he was in a content mood. He watched her tiny hands move against his pale grey skin, tiny eyes marveling at the odd texture. He felt so proud of himself, adoring just how curious she was about HIM. It was definitely an ego boost, he knew she cared for him and found him interesting but as an infant it was such innocent and blatant curiosity. And since she was a baby, he didn't have to feel embarrassed about anything! I mean who are you going to tell? The stuffed dalmatian toy professor Crewel had put in the baby bag? His eyes widened a bit when he felt her tiny hands grab his cheeks, laughing away at something he had no clue about. He didn't know how long it would be till she was turned back, but these moments would certainly make any hassle or stress until that point worth it. He went back to using his tentacles to help her play and swim in the water, buying him some time to think of the future. He found himself hoping, now more than ever, that his future would involve her for many years to come.

Floyd had been running laps at the start of gym class when Coach Vargas had called him over to his office, he noticed Lilia was sitting in front of the coach's desk and he could tell the male was holding something but didn't quite know what. "What's goin on? Why is Mendako here?" (Yes, I'm using the Japanese nicknames cause calling Lilia a flapjack octopus in English just feels insulting. LMFAO) Floyd put his hands on his hips, tilting his head slightly as Lilia stood from his seat. "Well, young Lilia said there was some sort of accident in potionology involving the ramshackle prefect. I'll let him explain, I got stretches to demonstrate!" With that Vargas had left the room, as if he didn't just stir something in the merman. Lilia seemed to sense Floyd's shift in behavior, approaching him with a jacket swaddled infant. "Don't worry (Y/n)'s just fine, she just a little…little." He chuckled as he motioned to the infant, watching Floyd squat to be able to look at her better. Lilia took the chance to show him how to hold her while he explained the situation, chuckling to himself at the end as he saw how Floyd had the small girl resting perfectly on his large forearm. "So, I'm just supposed to take care of shrimpy til Ishidai finds a way to turn her back?" Floyd's heterochromic eyes gazed down at the child in his arm, tilting his head. His shrimpy was already pretty small, but now she was TINY. He couldn't help but chuckle, her cheeks were just so chubby he couldn't help but poke them. Are all human babies so warm and squishy? Or was his cute little shrimpy just extra special like that? "Yep, that sums it up. Professor Crewel should be by to drop off a bag of supplies for her soon. For now, he just asked I bring this to you since he knows you would probably need your hands free." Lilia held up a black and teal harness, a little gold charm dangling from the zipper on the back. "Huh, I didn't know they made functional harnesses." The male was aware that they were sometimes worn simply as decoration for an outfit, but he didn't know humans had harnesses just for baby carrying. "Mhm, let me hold her while you put it on. Once we get her settled, I need to get back to Diasomnia before my own kids stir up trouble." He chuckled at Floyd's confused look, but true to his word once the sleeping child was comfortably snug to Floyd's chest the batty male had left for his dorm. Floyd had left the office and took his lover's stuff to where his own was, looking down at the small girl and wondering how long it would take to have his normal shrimpy back. He had already tried to talk to her 3 times, each time forgetting she couldn't talk back, and he really missed his shrimpy's voice.

Because he had the prefect in his care, he didn't have to do the daily exercises, instead being told to just walk around the basketball court until free time started. He could feel eyes on him as he walked around, he didn't really care because if they were smart, he knew they'd keep their mouths shut about him with his baby shrimpy. He slowly came to a stop when she started squirming, he rested his hand on her back as he watched her closely. Observing how her tiny (E/c) eyes opened with a whiny yawn as she soon began watching him back, tiny head tilting as she looked at him curiously. He chuckled a little at how her tiny hands reached up and padded at the bottom of his cheek, making him lean down as best he could so she could do her thing. He quietly observed with a lazy smirk as she tugged gently on his bangs and patted his cheeks, he didn't know if she was trying to communicate or was just being a curious baby, but he found it quite amusing in an adorable way. Though his moment was interrupted when professor Crewel approached him with a large bag on his arm, cartoon fish covering the outside of it. "Glad to see you aren't breaking down yet, surprising given how most of the students in this school would probably react in your situation." Floyd looked up to Crewel, chuckling some as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, she did just wake up, hopefully shrimpy will be a good girl until we can get back to the dorm." He followed Crewel after the professor motioned him to follow, watching as they made their way to the lockeroom. "Well, we hope to have her sorted out by the end of the week, till then I need to at least make sure you're prepared for childcare. Tell me, what do you know about diapers?" Crewel couldn't help but chuckle at the male's confusion, this was going to be an adventure. Thankfully Floyd was a quick learner, especially when it came to something he cares about. So, it wasn't long before he was returning to class, his shrimpy in a cute little mermaid jumper and the baby bag resting on his shoulder as he filled a bottle with some juice. Free time had started and those that weren't gathering things to take outside were now gawking at the tall male, especially those like Jamil and Riddle who were quite familiar with the male.

Riddle had been the very first to approach him at that, his curiosity getting the best of him. "So Floyd, who's baby is that?" Riddle tilted his head as he observed the child, something about her feeling oddly familiar. Floyd looked down at the little red head, chuckling as he held the bottle for her so she could have a drink. "My shrimpy had a little accident in potionology, so I've gotta watch her until Ishidai can turn her back." That made Riddle's eyes widen, he seemed so calm despite the fact his significant other had been turned into an infant. "That's certainly interesting, never a boring day with the prefect around huh?" This had been Jamil; he was standing nearby as he looked for a volleyball in the ball cart. When he finally found one, he stood up straight and approached the two as he looked at the little girl. The innocent look in her eyes reminded him of when Kalim was still real young, he was actually pretty cute back then in Jamil's opinion but that could have been because there wasn't much Kalim could do. "Wait if you're watching (Y/n)… Who's watching Grim?" This thought had Riddle freezing a bit, the group going silent before Floyd shrugged. "Idunno, not my problem though." And with a chuckle he walked away, the two male's making eye contact and agreeing to go see Crowley since they knew it wasn't wise to leave the fiery cat unsupervised.

The calmer leech twin smiled as he sat in the vip room of the monstro lounge, Lilia had brought (Y/n) to him earlier and professor Crewel had just left after dropping off the baby bag and teaching him a few things about human babies. He had the small girl cradled to his chest as he fed her, it felt oddly domestic to the male as he was usually helping Floyd deal with problematic people or trying to balance a busy schedule. He had always had a tendency to try and be much lighter handed and gentle since coming on land, it wasn't until now that he realized just how essential that was. She weighed practically nothing to him; he was almost concerned but trusted Crewel when he had said she was just fine aside from being babyfied. "What am I going to do with you darling? How is it you manage to end up in these situations even without Grim?" He chuckled as he poked her cheek, his smile widening as she grabbed his finger with a huff while still drinking from the bottle. He hadn't had much experience with babies before, especially not with human babies, so he was fascinated by everything she did. Trying to see what she does differently compared to when she is her regular self, as well as just enjoying her reactions to the things he has done and showed her. He had just brought her back from the giant fish tank in the lounge to feed her, the way her eyes lit up and her tiny hands gently touching the glass as she watched all the colorful fish had made him delighted. He knew no matter what he'd be even more attached to his sweet angel fish, for once she was completely reliant on him. He could spoil and care for her the way he wanted, and she couldn't stop him and didn't seem aware enough to feel guilty as she usually does when he tries to tend to her. Granted there were some things he wasn't looking forward too, but he understood the naturalness of it all and was more than capable of overlooking and forgetting about anything that may make her selfconscious. His goal was just to keep her healthy, safe and loved until she could return to her normal self. He reached over for his phone with a grin, quick to turn on the camera. He decided to make the best of the situation, and that included getting plenty of pictures of her cute pudgy face. He couldn't wait to show the pictures back to her, so he was careful and picky about the selfies he took with her and of the pictures he took of her as a whole. He wanted the absolute cutest ones to show her, and possibly any other poor soul who might be curious. Though he was quick to put his phone away when she pushed the mostly empty bottle away, which he moved to sit on the coffee table as he placed his legs together and rested her along his thighs. Crewel had showed him this video he claimed would be better for her than burping her like they do on tv shows, in which he was slightly moving her body and somewhat rubbing her stomach. This was supposed to reduce the chances of her spitting up and help her digest better so the milk isn't just setting in place in her stomach. It was a somewhat complicated explanation, but he understood that it was meant to be the better method and that was what he was going to do. Her little giggles made him chuckle, and the slight surprised face she made at her little burp had him slumping over a little as he laughed. Being an infant, she didn't have much conscious control over her actions or expressions, and he was absolutely loving it. "Always so interesting my little angle fish, you always manage to make my day so fun." He was careful as he lifted her to rest on his chest, leaning back some as he moved a small cover over her back. He rested a large hand over her body, observing how it covered the small space and taking note just how tiny she was compared to him.

"Come on (Y/n) it's nap time, you've been awake for a while now. When we get back to the dorm, I'll set up some toys for you to play with on the bed." He moved his other hand to gently cup the back of her head, smiling down at her half-lidded gaze as her tiny hands crumpled his shirt. Since it was her first day as a baby, he figured she may be pretty low energy, at least for a while after the transformation. Because of this he knew things may be a bit more hectic tomorrow, but Crewel promised to make the other teachers aware of the situation so he should be able to step out of class when she gets fussy or maybe even just pick up some notes and class work until she is back to normal. He'd make it work either way, after all she was turned on school property and in class, so they were technically responsible for this transformation. He knew Crowley wouldn't push his luck with the octo-trio, it would be bad for business as they say. Afterall Octavinelle does a lot in means of helping with school funding and events, and Azul was smart enough to find a way to get what he wants without jeopardizing himself. But that was nuclear level thinking, right now he just needed to worry about not falling asleep himself.

[wheels-of-despair]

Enough | A Make Up Story | Tom Grant x You | Series Masterlist

Deleted Scene: Hurricane Jade Summary: Tom gets an unexpected visitor during a cold winter alone. Words: 1.1k Note: This takes place between the final chapter and the epilogue.

"Hey."

Tom turns away from the petrol tanks he's installing to see… Jade. Just standing there, staring at him in that stupid jacket she'd once wrapped around Ruth. He feels the rage start to bubble immediately.

"I come in peace," she says, her hands held out in a submissive gesture. "Can we talk?"

"Nothing to talk about." He turns back to the tanks, although he can't remember what he was doing with them. He glares at the wrench in his hand, wishing it would get to work and make him look busy.

"Just for a minute. Then I'll go away forever."

This seems like too good an offer to pass up.

"Fine," he says through gritted teeth, dropping the tool on the grass beside the tank with a soft thud. Tom crosses his arms impatiently and turns around to lean against the side of the caravan, hoping the annoyance is evident on his face.

The park was still a few months away from opening, and he had plenty of time to get things in order, but he didn't like being interrupted. Especially by Jade. What the hell does she want from him, anyway? Hasn't she ruined enough already?

Jade smiles awkwardly and sits in the grass. What did she expect, to be invited in for tea? She stretches out her legs and crosses her ankles. She looks far too comfortable.

"I've sold Gran's caravan," she says casually, brushing her hand gently across the blades of grass at her side. "Ruth and I are leaving at the end of the month."

He wants to tell her that doesn't care. "Why?" he asks instead.

"We've decided to go out and see the world. The park is too full of memories for us both."

Right, because they're the ones who had their hearts broken there.

"Where will you go?" Dammit Tom, stop asking questions. You don't care, remember?

"Dunno yet." She folds her hands in her lap and smiles up at him. "Thought we'd just go to the airport and get on the first cheap flight to somewhere hot."

Tom's brow furrows. Is she joking?

"You think we're mad." It comes as a statement, not a question, so Tom doesn't feel the need to respond.

"I think it'll be fun, just figuring things out as we go."

The thought of going off into the world without a sensible plan makes Tom uneasy. Almost as uneasy as he feels under her gaze.

"I've been packing, and I've been doing a lot of thinking."

Tom stares at his shoes, wishing she'd get to the point.

"Do you love her?"

"Why, are you trying to pawn her back off on me before your big escape?" Tom spits.

"I'm not talking about Ruth."

Right. The other girl who left him a few months ago.

"I've been thinking a lot about her."

So has Tom. He's tried to stop. Tried to move on. But every time he goes near the stove, he thinks of her. The way she explained things so patiently, the way she teased him, the way she'd playfully bump him out of the way with her hip. He's been existing off of cereal and takeout. Every time he enters his empty caravan, it hits him that she's not there to ask about his day, or laugh with him at a dumb movie, or share his bed. Every minute he's not working, he's haunted by the ghosts of people who don't want him.

It's made him a model employee, but a miserable man.

Tom's heart feels heavy. He sinks to the ground and sits across from Jade. Sounds like she's ramping up for a long one. Might as well get comfortable.

"When I was a kid, Mum moved us around all the time. I lost count of how many schools I went to. Almost always ended up back at Gran's in-between. And when Gran moved down here, I had no one… until I found her."

Tom picks a blade of grass and twists it in his fingers.

"She was the only person I could ever depend on. Like a lighthouse in the storm. No matter how bad things got, she was always there to guide me home. She was home."

Hurricane Jade, he thinks.

"People come in and out of my life so often, I barely remember their names. They're all just… passing through on their way to somewhere better. But she liked me for me, even when I didn't like myself. She loved me, although I probably didn't deserve it. She was always there for me when I needed her. I just never stopped to think that she might need me too."

Tom hates that he can't hate Jade right now.

"How did you meet her, Tom?"

Tom looks into Jade's eyes for the first time since he sat down, and much to his surprise, he tells her the story. An abridged version, but more than he'd planned to give her; from the night she nearly ran him over until that last kiss goodbye. Damn that intense gaze.

"Have you talked to her since?"

Tom shakes his head once. She hadn't left a number, or an address. She didn't want him. Nobody did.

"Did you ever tell her that you loved her?" Jade asks quietly.

Tom nods and swipes angrily at the traitorous tear that escaped from his eye. He's never felt so alone in his life.

Jade reaches into her pocket and pulls out an envelope. She stands and steps toward Tom, holding out the paper. He doesn't reach out to take it, so she leans down and places it on the ground next to him.

"Would you give this to her next time you see her?"

"Dunno where she is."

Jade smiles in a knowing way that breaks the spell and makes Tom's rage begin to bubble again.

"I should get back," she says, dusting the grass from her legs. "Thank you for today, Tom. I hope you find the happiness you deserve."

Tom is suddenly faced with the urge to roll his eyes.

"Ruth and I are at Sleepy Sunrise 'til the end of the month, if you'd like to come say goodbye. I'm sure it would mean a lot to her; Ruth really does feel awful about the way things happened."

He'll not be going, but he nods once to acknowledge he heard it.

Jade smiles her dumb smile one more time and begins to walk away. Tom stares at the sealed white envelope on the ground, rather than the back of her tacky jacket, and wonders what the hell he's supposed to do with it.

"Tom?" He looks up, and Jade has turned around. "Always tell her what you want and how you feel."

"What?" he asks. But she's already rounded the corner and disappeared from sight. Tom picks up the envelope and turns it over.

He's got a long drive ahead of him.

[heartlandians]

Filling Empty Spaces (Amy/Mitch), part 221

Mitch and Amy find an unexpected connection due to absent lovers. Set around season 11->.

A/N: I didn’t have a beta for this story, so hopefully there won’t be too many grammar errors.

****

Amy walked downstairs from the loft, carrying Lyndy against her side while the girl's diaper-bag was swinging along on the opposite shoulder.

Every time Amy entered this space, her heart jolted a little bit.

The familiar scents of leather, feed and horses made her feel at ease instantly, and the sounds of swallows flying pass the barn hallway made her recall so many fond summer memories.

She was going to miss this when she and Lyndy would move back into the ranch house, even though she was still going to be coming in every day to do the chores and work at the barn office.

But there was a difference between walking across the yard to get to it compared to actually sharing this corner of the ranch with the horses.

Some of their things upstairs were already packed, even though the move was still months away for the young mother and her daughter. She usually wasn't one to prepare that much in advance, but Amy had figured getting started might make her realize that it was actually happening in the first place.

The Heartland house was going to be theirs.

Even though she had entertained the thought about moving elsewhere with Ty for a while, in her heart of hearts she had always known she would never leave this place - not for good, anyway. She could travel, but all roads would always lead back to here, both physically and mentally.

She had been made feel bad about wanting to stay here, but Amy just couldn't understand why would she ever want to live anywhere else but at Heartland.

It just didn't make sense to her at all, so every time someone argued with her about it or tried to convince her to even think any other place as a home, she couldn't help but wonder if that person really even knew her at all.

When Ty had shared his visions about their house together, Amy had felt guilty. It had sounded like his dream, and she had never wanted to deny him his dreams, but at the same time, thinking about living there had not felt correct somehow and she had secretly felt bad about it while still going along his plans, because it had felt like she had had to.

They had been married, after all, and when you were married, you had to make compromises, right?

As much as she felt guilty about admitting it - even to herself - not having to do that anymore felt like a relief, among other things they had planned together (or more like, "together").

Heartland had always been her home and it would continue to be her home. She was going to be the next generation of Bartletts to keep the ranch in the family - and it felt right.

Maybe one day Lyndy would be the next in line as well.

Or Georgie or Katie.

That would remain to be seen.

As she passed the empty stalls of horses that were grazing outside, Amy heard a truck pull in. It wasn't an unfamiliar sound, per se, just the timing seemed... unexpected.

Before getting any visual, she figured maybe it was Jade and Sloane who had decided to come and meet her at the ranch after all, even though Amy's plan was to pick them up on their way to the rodeo.

But when she saw a worn-out pale blue truck and two young men inside, Amy realized she had no idea who these people were.

It was a sunny day and she had to do some squinting, but from what Amy could tell, the driver had a cap on and two long, black braids resting against his shoulders as he steered the wheel.

The other guy was more of a James Dean type with his short wavy hair he had no doubt used many minutes styling in front of a mirror this morning but besides that, he looked like any other cowboy one would come across this part of the world.

The truck stopped in front of the barn, and the passenger jumped out, giving the driver a nod as if to thank them. As quickly as the truck had appeared, it was gone just as fast, the driver heading away after dropping off the other young man.

It seemed intentional - which only confused Amy more. They weren't here to ask directions.

"Hey. Amy Fleming?" the man checked, adding to the bewilderment.

He knew her name, which in a way was not unheard of, as she was pretty famous in certain circles, but it still made Amy feel uneasy; she didn't like when people knew her - or of her - but she had no idea who they were. Meeting someone like that made her feel like she was in a disadvantaged position.

Amy studied him, running possible scenarios in her head, then wondering if this was a client.

The only problem with that was that she was sure she had no client meetings today as she had cleared her calendar due to her plans to attend the rodeo.

That being said, sometimes clients did drop in - unannounced - but usually they had their horses with them as they were typically hoping it would help them pressure her to give them some of her time.

This guy, however, was alone.

"Yes?" she finally confirmed with a hint of doubt in her tone.

"Trace Hawkings", the young man introduced himself after wiping his hand on his jeans first, making sure it had no dust on it, as he was looking to make a good first impression.

Amy looked at it and then wondered how exactly they would shake hands, seeing she was holding Lyndy. The girl pressed against her more firmly, not sure of this stranger in front of them.

The young man, thankfully, picked that up himself fairly quickly too, not prolonging the awkward situation of her leaving him hanging.

"Oh, right", Trace realized his mistake, seeming a bit nervous, even though at the same time some type of care-free confidence pushed through. In some ways, this guy reminded Amy of Caleb, but maybe every young cowboy did in some way. "I'm the kid from Tim's rodeo school", he then offered when Amy just stood there, puzzled.

Then it hit Amy.

The ranch hand interview!

It was all coming back to her now.

She had rescheduled that interview for today in a rush because she had not wanted to think about that yesterday during her stressful venting moment with Mitch.

But he was here now, ready to be interviewed.

And she was supposed to be on her way to the rodeo.

Amy sighed, which Trace had a response to. She regretted her reaction instantly.

"Oh... is it not... what you expected?" he wondered, as he had barely even been here for two minutes and it seemed like she was already disappointed. "Because I can assure you that while I may not look like much, I'm a hard worker. I know horses and I'm not stranger to ranch work either. Maybe your dad can vouch for me?" Trace added, hopeful the connection would benefit him somehow.

"No, it's not that, it's just..." she began, but then wondered if he actually needed to know everything that was going on in her head right now. Instead, she had to come up with a solution to a problem she herself had created. "How does your day look like?" Amy asked.

He furrowed his brows ever so slightly.

"You mean, like... typically?" Trace asked, wondering what exactly did she mean.

"I mean, today. Are you busy?" Amy added. She needed to think on her feet in order to fix this situation.

Trace thought about it for a while.

"I can not be busy, if you want..." he offered, wondering if this was some type of a test.

"Great. Would you be interested in joining me for a rodeo?" Amy asked.

Trace's brows now shot up, surprised by her initiative.

"Oh, wow--what", Trace stuttered, not really following her trail of thought, but at the same time it kept him guessing and excited; he loved rodeo for similar reasons. "I mean... Rodeo? Really?"

"Yes", Amy said, giving him a nod that requested him to follow her. "I need to be on my way, and you need to be interviewed, so it's like killing two birds with one stone. And I have one extra ticket, so you're in luck", she explained, walking toward her truck.

Seeing Georgie was a no-show, due to her disagreements with Amy's relationship with Mitch, Amy had one ticket to spare.

"I mean, why not. I love rodeos", Trace said, walking with her.

If this was a test, it was a pleasant one for him.

"Figured you might. Hop on in", Amy told him.

When Trace saw her struggling with holding Lyndy and trying to get the handle, he opened the backdoor for Amy so she could get the girl into her seat.

"Oh, thank you", Amy said.

The next thing he did was offer to take the diaper-bag from her.

She was impressed by him so far, in contrary to what he believed. "Thanks."

As Amy adjusted Lyndy into her seat and buckled her in, Trace walked on the other side of the truck to put the diaper-bag on the opposite back seat.

Even though Amy's focus was on Lyndy, she couldn't help but notice Trace wasn't afraid of sudden change of plans and he seemed perceptive, noticing when someone needed help and didn't just stand there, waiting for someone else to do something.

When it came to this line of work, those were good qualities to have.

When Amy closed the back door and walked to get up to the front seat, Trace was already seated on the passenger side.

"So, this is your daughter?" he asked, assessing the situation.

Amy buckled herself in and nodded. "Yeah. Lyndy."

"Cool", the young man said, nodding.

While Amy reversed the truck, Trace figured he should check something, as the situation was a bit... odd, to say the least.

"So... I have to ask; did... I mess up the time? I mean, you told me to come today, before noon, so..." he spoke nervously.

When Amy steered the truck around the circle in the middle of the yard, she sighed quietly, feeling like she was just juggling things these days and others had to deal with it.

"No", Amy wanted Trace to know it wasn't him. "I've been sort of... struggling with my schedules lately. Sorry about that", she confessed. "That's why I need someone to help me with the chores."

Trace nodded, understanding that and harboring no hard feelings. "Well, if you'll have me, I'm the guy to do that."

Amy nodded, not ready to hire him just yet - even though she was desperate for help - but so far she had no reason to not continue this informal interview.

"So, what's this rodeo? Not local, I assume, because otherwise I would have definitely been there", Trace commented.

"This one's in Calgary", Amy shared. "I'm going to pick up few of my friends from the town first. -- Actually, you probably already know one of them", she now realized.

"Oh yeah?" Trace asked, wondering who it was.

In a way he was hoping it would help him relax a bit as this was somewhat unusual situation to find himself in.

"She goes to the rodeo school too", was all Amy had to say before it clicked.

"Jade? Jade Virani?" Trace knew, as there were no other girls there.

Amy nodded. "Yeah", she confirmed.

The tone Trace used made her curious and she glanced at him. His eyes were direcred straight ahead and it seemed like he was drying his sweaty palms against his jean-covered thighs.

"Is that okay?" she checked.

Who was to say these two weren't some type of rivals, as Amy knew Jade could be very competitive.

"Y-yeah, of course", Trace replied.

Even though Trace said one thing, Amy wasn't completely convinced. But it was actually good thing the topic had come up now, before Jade was in the truck with them.

Amy had to be sure that there were no problems between people who were working for her, and more importantly, people who she would have around Lyndy.

"Jade's helping me out with Lyndy sometimes", she shared, checking on the girl through the rear-view mirror simultaneously. Lyndy was looking at the trees passing by, like she often did during car rides. "So if I were to hire you, you and Jade would probably be around each other a lot", Amy offered a scenario in order to see Trace's reaction.

Even though Amy was driving, she glanced at the young man's direction sneakily as they drove pass the Heartland gates, to see what his body language was telling her.

"Shouldn't be a problem", Trace said, clearly holding something back, but not giving Amy any more clues.

It seemed like it was somewhat impossible to get all information out of him now, when sat like this, but maybe adding Jade to the mix would bring a different kind of energy into this. ****

On their way to Hudson, Amy decided to steer away from personal scrunity and instead went through typical questions she would ask during a job interview - because that's what this was, after all.

Even though Trace held back when it came to questions about his personal affairs - which Amy understood as someone who was rather private person herself - he didn't hold back during the work related inquiries, which made another good impression on Amy.

As they drove toward Maggie's, Amy had heard about what interested Trace in this role, what his salary expectations were and why he would be a great fit for this job.

"There they are", Amy commented as they headed toward the couple standing on the curb.

Jade noticed Amy's truck and waved at her, but when they came closer, her hand dropped and the look on her face went more stern.

As Amy pulled over, Jade was almost in some type of staring competition with Trace while Sloane waited for the truck to stop.

"Do you want to take the middle seat?" Sloane asked from Jade when she opened the back door, and saw Amy's little girl who Jade babysat from time to time.

Jade turned her head toward Sloane, looking a little baffled now, but then nodded. "Sure. Sure."

The young bronc rider, covered in her typical black clothing, stepped in and took the middle seat next to Lyndy. The girl's face lit up when she recognized the familiar face.

"Hey, kiddo", Jade said, bringing her left hand to tickle Lyndy.

While Jade was entertaining the girl, Sloane slipped in next to her and pulled the door shut behind them.

"Hey, I'm Sloane", she immediately introduced herself to Amy. "Nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you."

Amy had her head turned over her shoulder - and her seat - and she greeted Jade's girlfriend with a friendly smile. Even though there had been a slight change of plans, she was still excited to meet this person who meant so much to Jade.

This was going to be a big day for Jade - and Sloane.

"Likewise. I'm Amy. That's Lyndy", she said, even though it was rather obvious, "and this is Trace", Amy then gestured to the young man on the passenger seat, in case Sloane wasn't familiar with him.

"What are you doing here?" Jade then asked, almost cutting off Amy's introduction, her tone similar to a sibling who was somewhat done with their brother.

The tension, that had began from the moment Jade's name had been brought up in the first place, kept growing.

Amy wasn't sure she liked the energy, but they were now stuck with it due to the circumstances. Maybe she could find more about it as the day went on, and in a way, it could almost be the thing that helped her make a decision.

Right now, Amy really hoped that things would turn out okay, because she was in a dire need of assistance, and Trace seemed like a good fit otherwise; his expectations were realistic and the salary he was hoping to get was reasonable.

"Amy asked me to join her for the rodeo", Trace explained. "I came to a job interview, but... there was a slight change of plans."

"Job interview?" Jade repeated, then realizing Amy was looking for a new ranch hand. "You're going to be the new ranch hand...?" she stated out loud, sounding doubtful.

Before Trace could reply anything, Amy steered the truck away from the curb and started heading to Calgary.

"Well, this is the interview", Amy spoke. "We'll see what happens."

She felt like she needed to announce that so no one would get ahead of themselves yet. Anything and everything that happened today would affect her decision about that.

[maplecornia]

chapter three

m.list | sea of treasure m.list | ateez m.list | playlist

word count :: 3.11K

pairing(s) :: mingi x female!oc | taehyung x female!reader | hyunjin x female!oc | jimin x female!oc | jungkook x female!oc

genre :: romance | slice of life | fluff | angst | idol au

summary :: “you said you'd stay by my side” 

warnings (constantly updated) :: cliffhangers | angst | fluff | slight mentions of self hatred | depression | mental health illness | self harm | occurs in the year 2025 | set in a timeline where BTS went to the military together | slight language | mentions of rape | childhood trauma | multiple forms of abuse | mentions of blood and injuries | toxic relationships | mentions of alcohol and drugs | r*pe | assault | graphic depictions of all the above

taglist [OPEN] :: @myork | @eunbinism | @soobmint | @jaeyunverse | @hyunjxnxee | @yesv01 | @kpopppy | @fangirl125reader | @kookiebbyxx | @taradevonne | @rae-bear | @mangminnie | @cana | @eridanuswave | @kodzuskook | @gongiz

"Don't tell me you're leaving already." 

At the voice, you smile, fondly peering over your shoulder. 

"I have to, Jade. I'm already running late." 

It's the truth, but still Jade scoffs, shaking her head in disbelief. You don't blame her, after all, you've lost count of the amount of times you've escaped plans with her in order to practice more. Not to mention the number of times she's had to drag you away just so you could rest a few hours before your schedules repeated the next day. 

These past few months, it's been the only way you could distract yourself. 

"Good work today girls." At Bada Lee's voice, you straighten, dropping your things and turning to her immediately. She smiles as the two of you bow to her respectfully, nodding her head in return. "I'll be sure to see you guys in a few days to finish what we started." 

Her gaze turns to yours, and you swallow hard, bracing yourself for a scolding. You and Jojo were able to get here a few moments before Bada had begun teaching the choreography to the rest of the members, but your absence was painfully obvious at the meeting held just before she had agreed to choreograph for your team. In the heat of the moment, there was no time for her to speak to you, much less give you a lecture, but you could feel her disappointment hidden within her stone-cold glare throughout the practice. 

"Yen Lin, I presume?" You nod mutely in response, keeping your eyes trained on the ground. In doing so, you miss the smile that passes over her plump lips. "I'm glad to finally meet you." 

Shocked, you look up at her with wide eyes. Her smile spreads into a grin at the expression, nearly laughing as she places her hand on your shoulder in familiar comradery. 

"Don't look so frightful, I don't bite." You laugh nervously with her at the terrible joke, glancing at an amused Jade beside you for some assistance. You should've known she'd be no help, and you glare at her at her smug shrug when she turns away, leaving the two of you to talk. Gaining her composure, Bada shakes her head, a soft smile blooming on her face as she looks at you. "I have been wanting to meet you ever since that jaw-dropping performance you did last year." 

You're quick to deny the praise, shaking your head violently, and opening your mouth to bombard her with all the excuses and explanations you have been taught to say every time someone brought up your performance with Tae. But just as quickly, almost as though she expected it, Bada holds up her hand, stopping you in your tracks. 

"There's no need to worry, I wasn't referring to your 'act' I was talking about your skill." You blink in surprise. After all the backlash, you had thought no one even noticed you, that all they could see was the controversy. But she didn't. "I'm grateful I'm able to work with such a talented dancer as yourself." 

You're unable to speak, a strange feeling of gratitude blooming in your gut and rendering you frozen. She smiles at the sight, and you can't help but wonder if she knew just how meaningful her words were. Nodding towards the two of you, you barely remember to bow in farewell as she makes her way towards the door, saying goodbye to the rest of your members in the process. 

"You must be the luckiest girl in the world." Jade sighs, crossing her arms and giving you a look once Bada has stepped out of the practice room. The words bring you back to earth and you swallow hard, smiling to yourself as you shake your head. 

"Please, I'm no different than the rest of you." 

Jade scoffs at your humility. "You know, you're the reason she even considered working with us, right? If that's not talent or luck, I don't know what is." 

You shrug a bit meekly, a gesture that obviously presses Jade's buttons, as she pushes you playfully with her shoulder, sending you ricocheting back laughing. 

"Come on. I'm sure I'm not the only reason." You reply, shoving her back in retaliation. "After all, you worked in the same company with her." 

"Yeah, as a model." Jade snaps, rolling her eyes. "We hardly crossed paths, much less said more than a few words to each other." 

"Well, I don't know." You hum, as you resume packing up your things. "I hear you make quite the first impression." 

You smirk at Jade's bashful grin, the expression only spreading when she turns from you, muttering something incohesive under her breath. 

She hasn't changed. 

You've known Jade ever since high school. 

You still remember the first day she showed up in your classroom. The same awkward anxiety when you're a new student, much less a new citizen of a new country, clearly present in her as it was in you the first time you stood in front of an unfamiliar classroom all those years ago. She was your seatmate, and the two of you became quick friends. You bonded over the culture shock, your favorite foods from home, your favorite bands and songs, and your shared dream of dancing one day amongst the stars. 

You used to practice together in an empty, abandoned park every day after school until the sun had begun its careful descent behind the horizon. You would often sing your hearts out to all your favorite songs into the darkest of nights, staring up at the stars through your window and wishing fervently on every single one that one day you would be able to stand next to each other once your dreams had been realized. 

Now, because of you, her dreams might as well be ruined. 

"Are you sure you can't come?" You roll your eyes as Jade plops down on the bench where a diverse collection of bags, water bottles, and clothes have been scattered. 

"You know I can't." As you reach for your water bottle, however, it's quickly snatched out of your grip. You sigh, giving Jade a look, but she holds her hands up in mock surrender, showing that she's not the culprit. 

"Why not?" Turning around, you can't help but smile at the pout Katherine wears on her face as she tries, and fails, to sneakily hide the bottle behind her back. "We were gonna go eat tteokbokki!" 

Katherine is the youngest of the current lineup and the one with the least training, and yet she is probably one of the most talented trainees you've come across. You still remember the first time you were let in a practice room full of no more than twenty other trainees collected from other labels, HYBE's sub-labels, failed projects, and survival shows...and amongst all the trainees there, new and old, she was the only one who made it past the open auditions to get there. She didn't have any other trainee experience, she didn't belong to a previous company or get cut from a debut lineup; and yet, this was her first time making it past the auditions and she had already been considered for the lineup. 

While impressive, even now as you smile down at the young girl, you can't help but remember the way she had looked back then. Small and scared, even in comparison to other trainees younger than her. But that fire in her eyes? That was burning brighter than anyone else in that room and is still clear today.

You open your mouth to try and reason with her, but before you can, you catch sight of pitch-black hair and cold eyes heading for the exit. You take a step forward, trying to catch up to her, but Jade takes hold of your hand and pulls you down to sit beside her on the bench. 

"Hey--"

"Don't." 

Jade rolls her eyes at your expression of mock shock and confusion but doesn't release her grip on your hand. Instead, she places it in her lap, smiling smugly when you try to pull it away and she refuses to relinquish it. 

"What?! I wasn't going to do anything." 

"Oh please," Jade deadpans. "I know you, Yen. I know how that little brain of yours works." 

"So I take it Sunji wasn't invited to tteokbokki?"

At Jade's stern look, you let out an aggravated sigh. Katherine chuckles at the strange sound as she makes herself comfy on the floor in front of you, your water bottle still kept safely in between her fingertips. You fix the younger with a glare and, at the sight, she presses her lips tight together, but it's not enough to hide the growing smile on her face. 

"She'll warm up to us when she's ready, we can't force her to like us." Jade sighs as you look to the now vacant doorway, Sunji long gone, before begrudgingly nodding in agreement. 

As irritating as it is to admit it, Jade is right. You can't force her to like the three of you, even if you are all training to be a part of the same group. Not everyone grows close, not everyone likes you, and not everyone has to. Sometimes, this dream of yours is all it was made out to be, a job. Sometimes the people you work with are simply the people you work with. 

You can live with that. 

Jade nods, smiling sadly as she releases your hand, something hidden deep within her hazelnut eyes as she turns from you. 

But the look Jade gets on her face every time Sunji is near is not something you can handle. 

Like Katherine, Sunji was among the first selection of trainees in talks to debut under the company. To say she was popular is an understatement. Considering the fact that the amount of rumors and gossip you heard circulated about you after your performance paled in comparison to hers, you would have thought she had already debuted.  

Whispers would often be shared of her first appearance as a rumored member of a now-successful SM group. Jeers of how she was stuck in their trainee program for years until she had been announced as a contestant for a HYBE survival show program. Rumors of how even that backfired on her when she had to drop out due to health issues. 

And now, she was here. 

Initially, you respected her. She had dealt with an unheard amount of trials and tribulations to get to where she was today, and she had done it all with the world closely watching and speculating if she was even worthy enough to make it. She had dealt with these rumors, these insipid gossipers for longer than you had, and she didn't pay any attention to it. 

How did she do it?

How could she stay so strong? How could she take it all in stride, use their hatred and disdain to prove herself without a word? Why was it that she could do that, but the moment you faced even a little bit of criticism you nearly broke? 

In every evaluation, she placed high, even higher than you. In every practice, her movements were flawless, her notes near perfection. She could pick up the choreography after one look, read a sheet of music with little to no notes, and her performances...they were something you thought could only exist in dreams. You found yourself looking forward to them, finding an admiration in her that you had not felt for a long time. 

That all changed when she and Jade met. 

The first time Jade saw her was when the trainees had slimmed to around ten being considered for the final lineup. Jade had just been recruited, and the minute she stepped foot into the practice room, the minute her eyes met Sunji's, she froze. All the color on her face had drained, her eyes went wide, and she had dropped her bag to the ground with a startling thud. It was as though they were back in high school all those years ago. Only different somehow, deeper than jitters on your first day, almost personal. Before you could make any sense of it, however, Sunji had already left the room. 

Just as she had done for all the days that followed. 

You wonder why Jade won't tell you about her. About the history the two of them no doubt have. You used to tell each other everything because you knew that no matter what, you would be there for the other. 

What about Sunji makes that any different?

"Where are you going anyway?" Katherine wonders absentmindedly, turning your attention back to her spot on the ground. She's begun fidgeting with your shoelaces, tying and untying them, the bottle she had stolen a few moments ago now safe in Jade's hands as she helps you pack the rest of your things. You shake your shoe to interrupt her nimble fingers, smirking when she lets out a frustrated gasp. 

"I have to go to therapy." You reply, sticking your tongue out at her when she glares your way. 

"Since when do you go to therapy?" Jade says snarkily, her nose scrunching up as she pulls out a stray sock from your bag. "And when was the last time you did laundry?" 

Katherine laughs from the floor as you snatch the sock back, stuffing it deep into the abyss of your bag. 

"Since Yoongi so generously found me a therapist, and suggested I start attending weekly sessions." You reply, sarcastically imitating him as you zip up your bag and stand, kicking off Katherine's hands as she tries to pin down your shoes. 

"His words or yours?" 

"His." 

Jade rolls her eyes, crossing her perfectly toned leg over the other as she leans back on the bench as much as she can. 

"Figures." 

You can't help but snort at Yoongi's predictability, pulling Katherine's arms off your leg as she valiantly tries (and fails) to keep you back by force. 

"Plus I have this thing with my family." 

"Oh, that's today?" 

"What? What's today?" Katherine chirps from your leg, and you can't help the warmth that rises in your heart as you lean down to take her face into your hands and squeeze her cheeks tight. 

And faintly, in the back of your mind, you're reminded of a time when another used to cling to you so desperately. When she relied on you to be her rock, her safe space, the person who would always be there to hold her hand when things got too hard. When you hadn't broken your promise. 

When you didn't leave her behind. 

Shaking all thoughts of your sister from your mind, you take Katherine by both her arms and stand her up, brushing back stray pieces of her hair gently. 

"I'm helping my mom move out of the hospital." 

"Oh..." 

You smile at the way her eyes soften towards you in compassion and shake your head in reassurance. 

"Don't worry about me, Kat. I'll be fine." When you release her, you're already walking away. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!" 

However, before you can leave, Jade jogs up to you, stopping you at the door. "So, you know then?" 

You smile, touched at her concern, before nodding. 

"Yeah, Kalli called me last week." 

You had almost forgotten Jade and Melody were just as close. After all, you always had your sister by your side back then. If anyone knew you, they also knew her, you were that inseparable. 

You can't help the bitterness that rises in your throat at the thought, nor the guilt that still weighs heavily on your mind. 

Oh, how times change. 

Jade peers at you, and you can tell she's trying to read your expression. She's never been one for empathy, but when it came to you, she always wanted to know how you were feeling. And even though it was hard for her, she always tried to understand those feelings. It was something you always appreciated, that no matter how dark or confusing, she wanted to bear a bit of your burden if only to make it less painful. 

"Are you going to be okay?" 

"Why wouldn't I be?" Jade gives you a look, and you let out a deep sigh, smiling to yourself. "I mean, I am a bit nervous, but it's nothing I can't handle." 

"You say that a lot, you know." Jade murmurs, and when you look at her now, the sad look in her eyes takes you aback. "It never turns out to be true." 

You don't know what to say. And at the silence that begins to stretch between the two of you, Jade smiles, a twinge of bitterness and regret weighing heavily on the corners of her lips. You wish you could do something to ease that burden for her, but for the first time, you don't know how. 

After all, it's a burden you inflicted. 

"It's alright, Yen," Jade reassures you, taking your hand and running her thumb calmly on your skin. She knows that it's hard for you to understand the pain she feels when you choose to deal with things on your own, but she also knows she cannot change who you are no more than she can change herself. No matter how much she wishes she could. "You'd best get going, anyhow, your boyfriend's here." 

"Boyfriend...?"

You blink in confusion, hardly feeling it as Jade releases your hand when you turn to peer over your shoulder. A chuckle plays in her throat at the hope clear in your voice, before she pats you on the back and leaves you there, standing in the doorway. 

You wonder if she said that on purpose. If she wanted to see how you'd react if the person you wanted to see wasn't there. You wonder if she knew who you wanted to see or if she was just messing with you. Maybe she knew, maybe she didn't, but it doesn't really matter now, does it? 

Because the man you were hoping to see isn't the one that stands there, waiting patiently for you at the end of the hallway. The soft eyes that meet yours as he looks your way aren't the eyes that you had painted devotedly in your memory. The small smile that plays on his lips doesn't belong to the one whose smile lit up your whole world with the laughter and happiness you thought you had lost. 

He's not the one you wanted.

And yet, he still manages to take your breath away. 

"Yoongi." 

CH.04 HERE

[scratchandplaster]

Stack The Deck - PART 11

CW: obsessive thoughts, drug mention

Intermezzo ⇽ [Masterlist] ⇾ PART 12

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Yaletown Park looked more like a rocky desert than anything adjacent to the open hangout it was sold as, especially in the hollow glow of the streetlights. Caught between high-risers and vacant retail space, the few square meters of cobble only offered some trash or needles to pluck from the ground. If the grass patches shooting out here and there were ever kept trim in the first place remained a mystery.

Behind a strategically chosen planter sat a reserved man, smoking the second pack of the day and stewing in his jaded mood, still waiting for whoever wanted to stop by. All this was normal for Morris by now.

The evening had started promising, with frat boys strolling along the sidewalk and a few girls in tow; a view that was starting to become more and more frequent. He smiled joylessly, remembering how he met Amber on a night like this.

More than a year must've passed since then, he figured, trying to cling onto thoughts that wouldn't shock him with memories of someone he didn't have to think about anymore. At least when he was chased around enough.

"You're gonna sit there until I tell you otherwise!"

Goddamn. Not that it was easy for Belanger either, patrolling the streets to prospect the usual scum. No regret laid in avoiding each other, but since Morris was dependent on any signal to engage with the more casual clientele, he was stuck in place. 

That's what I get for my not so tight scheduling. 

As a fixer caught at the bottom of the food chain, and honest to god no agency or willingness to change his position, it was better to keep his mouth shut and head down. But with skin still in the game, did he have another option? For all he cared, they could make him do their laundry and scrub all crack houses of the state squeaky-clean. Anything else than ending up in Dutch's office with that thing-  

Another thought he quickly shoved aside, another problem to ignore till it blew up.

Except a lone hobo who threw up way too close to his shoes, nothing ripped Morris out of the daydreaming that kept his last sliver of sanity alive. The risk of being arrested on the spot or stabbed to death by someone who needed cash even more than him aside, the prize of it all was just...surviving.

"One day you wake up, and your whole life is spent in what?" Amber's life lesson was now sober reality, spot-on to the last detail.

Hearing her voice again used to pierce through his gut and leave him wrecked with self-hatred, although these feelings had died down in the time they spent apart. Not that he didn't try to distract himself from the distraction, oh no, he had several chances to drown out boiling memories of past love during the spring months, but this year it was different. Nobody was waiting at home. Morris couldn't let go, not this time, not since her...since him-

If Belanger didn't call right now, he would find a good use for all those narcotics in his pocket.

A break from it all, that's what he needed to work himself to the bone for. 

Wrapping his leather jacket closer around his body, Morris wished to disappear into it completely. Even the colorful August couldn't hide that it had gotten colder in the last days of an already far too chilly summer. 

Without any warning, his peaceful solitude was interrupted again. 

A figure stumbled blindly along the sidewalk. Morris' gaze followed them closely, how disoriented feet pushed each other forward and finally letting them flop down onto a bench near the park's exit.

Drunk or high, certainly. Care for another round? 10 bucks for a flat of fentanyl - dark green, quite popular at the moment. 

Still, Belanger didn't give him the go-ahead yet. Maybe he should make today's slow business hum: be proactive, independent. Write it on a resume, why not.

His stiff knee gave an audible crack as it was forced to stand straight, lazily stretching the sore muscles in his back and taking the first few steps towards his potential customer, Morris started to become flustered. 

Could be a setup, for all he knew. Something was off. 

The soon-to-be buyer was wrapped up in shadows, sitting quietly by themself and only rarely mumbling at the stones below their feet.

He approached until their shoes nearly touched, time to play offense: "You good?"

Nothing. Awkward, he wasn't used to making the first move like this.

Shoving at the motionless shoulders only made their head flop forward, and a forced sigh quickly followed it. First week on campus, probably, lost their friends and self-control only to aimlessly walk around the neighborhood.

"You definitely had enough fun for today, buddy," Morris scoffed, ready to turn around. 

Suddenly, he faltered. They had to rethink Belanger's strategy if he ought to stay here, passed-out freshmen were only good for catching unwanted attention and as long as Dutch didn't want to see his ass in jail, any cops on patrol should be avoided. Not that they lost sleep about the mass of catatonic bodies scattered throughout the city streets, just when they were seen in the wrong parts of town - the pleasant ones.

"Move," so he demanded, quickly lifting up their chin, nestled against the stiff collar of their windbreaker, with his fist. "You're gonna get me in trouble."

The hot breath against Morris' hand sent shivers up his spine. After nights like these, he felt mostly frozen numb, but the air coming out in labored and shallow puffs let his fingers tingle with newfound life.

Suddenly, the howl of an ambulance cut through the silence. Not for them, of course, it was surely headed east. As it took a turn and rushed past the unusual couple, Morris caught a quick glimpse of his vis-à-vis.

For less than a heartbeat, his body froze.

His mouth began to open and close like a fish on land, unable to produce a single word, whilst the prickle spread from his back through every inch of his body. A wonderful illusion bloomed under the blue-red-blue-red flicker and as quickly as it had reached both, it left them alone in the nightly glow of streetlights.

Morris didn't hear himself gasp, the rush of blood in his ears was too deafening. Now dead focused on the freckle-sprinkled skin, tousled dark hair and soft lashes, an inward pull kept him from blinking: the fear that he would be ripped out of his trance.

No dream, no wishful thinking. Morris would recognize this face anywhere.

"Elliot?"

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Thanks for reading 🤍 [Masterlist]

Taglist: @whatwasmyprevioususername, @canislycaon24

[viatagrinner]

Christmas with Keith Howell.

Chapter 1 & 2.

Chapter 1.

Gentle Keith👇

MC's first winter as Keith's lover in Jade.

The prince shows how the city is decorated for Christmas.

But Keith's gaze is fixed on the heroine.

Keith: Today was the first time I was with you in the city decorated for Christmas. I'm so happy...

A gentle smile makes MC forget that it's winter.

MC: I'm a little uncomfortable, so please do it in moderation.

Keith: ...Yes, I'll do my best.

The girl is interested in the Christmas decorations. Keith leans closer to her and tells her that they are dried flowers woven into a Christmas wreath.

He knows well about the ornaments because every year he helps prepare for the Christmas party at the castle.

MC: I'm sure that every year the participants are pleased with Keith's attention to detail.

Keith: I hope they are.

Keith: I want you to have fun this year, so I'll put a lot of effort into it...

He immediately fell silent, apologizing.

After all, he hasn't even invited her, and he's already thinking about how he's going to have fun with her at the party: showing off the decorations at the palace, eating sweets, dancing.

(.... I'm genuinely excited that Keith is going to be at the party with me.)

Keith: Miss MC, would you like to join me at the Christmas party?

MC: Yes, I'd love to. I'm already looking forward to decorations, sweets, and dancing.

She asks permission to help him prepare for the holiday. Keith doesn't want to bother her because it's her first Christmas in Jade.

But Keith quickly gives up. When his sweetheart looks at him like that, there can only be one answer.

Keith: I want you to help me with the holiday preparations.

As they walk through the bustling city, however, thoughts are swirling in the girl's head about what to get both Keith.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Keith's room.

They eat cake. The heroine is delighted, the prince is pleased.

She's been looking around pastry shops for gifts, but Keith seems to know sweets from Jade better.

Mean/Alter Keith 👇

Keith: Anything.

Keith: I like that cake too.

Keith: Even in the city you look back and forth, eating your favorite sweets, but wondering if you're really always thinking of me, aren't you?

MC decided to ask what to get Keith.

Keith: I told you in the beginning, I don't care.

Keith seems to have been watching and knows that she has several gift options in addition to sweets.

MC: I want to give both Keith's a gift that they will like equally.

Keith: Isn't that easy?

Keith poked his finger on her cheek.

(Could it be...me!?)

The girl is embarrassed, a reaction that pleased Keith, but the gift is different. It's to help her get ready for the party.

Keith asks in a "gentle" Keith tone.

Keith: However "Miss" MC, did you just think of an embarrassing thing?

She tries to look away, but Keith grabs her chin and touches her lips with his finger.

Keith: Here, tell me with your mouth.

Chapter 2.

MC confesses that she thought of embarrassing things.

For her honest answer, the prince kissed her.

Keith: You did well.

Have MC add that to her list of choices of what she wants to give him, too.

Keith: I look forward to what you will give us that day.

*A passionate kiss*

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Time has passed.

Keith's Room.

Gentle Keith 👇

Today's task was to create a card to send to the invited guests.

They colored and decorated the cards for each nobleman.

Keith praises her for the way she decorates the cards.

As she went about her work, she was reminded of the kiss with evil Keith and how he asked her awkward thought to make a gift option, too.

Her cheeks flushed.

At that moment, Keith's face moved closer to her and a gentle kiss touched her lips.

Keith: Miss MC, were you thinking about him?

Keith: Right now, it's just me...right?

Agreeing, the girl received a few more kisses.

Embarrassed, they went back to their business. Writing invitations with servants is fun. But MC's presence makes him happier.

MC: Keith, can I help you with your preparations next year? And in another year?

MC: I want to feel the joy and happiness of approaching Christmas together.

Keith is happy and throws his arms around his lover.

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Ballroom

Mean/Alter Keith 👇

MC and Keith have to decorate a gorgeous tree.

Keith: ...I'd like to do my best.

MC wanted to put a star on top of the tree, but realizing she couldn't do it because she couldn't reach it, she reached into the box to put the ornaments back.

Suddenly her body was in the air.

It was Keith who lifted her up so she could attach the ornament to the top of the tree.

(Since he's lifting me up like that, I feel like Keith is a man...)

(Big and strong. .....Oh, no. The more I think about it, the more embarrassed I get!)

She asks to be put in her place. But Keith refuses.

Keith: Because it feels good to hold you in my arms.

It's embarrassing, but she's happy to spend time with him. Happy to decorate trees and happy to make up invitations.

(The preparations make me feel like I've gotten to know Keith in a deeper way than I ever have before.)

━━━━━━━༻❀✿❀༺━━━━━━━

Gentle Keith. 👇

Keith's bedroom.

While talking to the prince, the heroine began to feel sick. Then her stomach rumbled.

MC apologized for the loud sound of her hungry stomach.

Keith: Don't mind me. You're cute, even the sound of your stomach.

He's glad she's hungry.

The prince took her to the greenhouse.

The castle chef was preparing the menu for the party and left something for her to try.

Keith: I feel like I'm enjoying the party before anyone else.

Before the party he has something to give.

[wangsejabin]

Chapter 54

The Prince said he would help Pan'er find her birth parents, and Pan'er did not refuse.

The jade pendant was so common that it was hard to find them just on the basis of that. If it hadn't been for a coincidence in her previous life, she wouldn't have actually known her origins, so she could only say that everything was destined by the heavens.

But since the Prince was willing to help her find them, she wouldn't refuse, just as a precautionary measure, if things were to coincide with her previous life.

This month, Pan'er's menstruation was delayed and Aunt Qing was vaguely excited. Pan'er told her not to think too much about it, that it might just be a delay, it's not unheard of before, it's normal to delay for a few days.

She felt that there were some things she could not avoid, in her previous life she had not conceived at the same time as Hu Liangdi because of the crown prince's consort until she had conceived her second child and then died, Hu Liangdi was pregnant earlier than her and gave birth to the second prince, she was a little later, so Yue'er was third in line.

She thought that things would follow the same path as in her previous life, that she would conceive at about the same time as in her previous life, but after a delay of ten days, her menses still did not come. Aunt Qing didn't say anything, but she instructed Xiang Pu and Qing Dai to be more careful on a regular basis and to eat more carefully.

The three of them kept this secret, but they usually looked at Pan'er with a kind of fervour in their eyes, giving her the illusion that she was pregnant with a golden lump instead of a child. At the same time Aunt Qing suggested that Pan'er sleep in a separate room from the Prince, a matter that left Pan'er torn for a few days, but before it could pass her by, the Prince knew about it.

"How many days has it been delayed?" Pan'er said it had been half a month, and there was always a feeling of shame and embarrassment when she spoke to the Prince about such intimate matters. "I don't think you can take a pulse at this time yet, right?" This was a question for Aunt Qing, who was older after all, and Pan'er was still a young girl, who didn't know anything about a woman's pregnancy.

"Your Highness, it will take a few more days for the pulse to reflect the change, but a doctor who has been practicing medicine for a long time may be able to tell."The Prince nodded and said to Pan'er, "In a few days' time, the Southern Tour will arrive in Yangzhou, and there is a doctor named Wang who is not bad at healing.

Pan'er nodded her head, but was also a bit stunned that she was arriving in Yangzhou so soon. On second thought, it was time to come, after all, the mission of the southern tour team was to tour south, they couldn't always stay somewhere. But then, they would have to move away from here.

As she looked around, she felt a sense of reluctance to leave the house.

In the evening, after dinner, the Prince spent some time with Pan'er and then intended to go to the front study. He had never done this before, so Pan'er tugged at his sleeve and asked, "Your Highness, are you leaving?"

The prince patted her hand and said, "I'm going to sleep in the study."

"What are you doing sleeping in the study?" Looking at the prince's meaningful eyes, she realised that she was suspected of being pregnant and that it would be best for the stability of the foetus to have separate rooms.

But Pan'er felt that this would not work, and that was why she had been struggling with it for so many days. She was the only one with the prince now that they were away on their southern tour, and those people were already fond of sending him beauties and other things, and it was only because she kept a close eye on them that they didn't succeed.

"The Prince's wife, the Prince's wife, was a very good person, but I am afraid to sleep alone at night in a place I am not familiar with. I often couldn't sleep night after night, or after arriving in the Palace……"

Just as Pan'er was talking, Zhang Laishun was already gesturing for Xiangpu and the girls to go down, including himself, who also hastily retreated and cats outside. The private conversations of the masters could not be listened to; if they heard too much, not only would their ears fall off, but perhaps their heads as well.

The prince nodded, extraordinarily meaningful: "What do you mean then?" Pan'er climbed onto his arm and smiled ingratiatingly, "I was just thinking, it's not certain whether I'm pregnant or not, so why don't we not share a room now?" The prince considered the matter, taking a little too long, and Pan'er looked at him nervously.

"All right then, let's wait until the Imperial Doctor comes and asks for a pulse."

Pan'er was pleased and thought to herself, "When the doctor comes, I have other methods, I don't believe you won't give in.After they had washed up and gone to bed, Pan'er resumed her old ways and pressed herself to the Prince's body as she slept, but in fact she was not quite asleep yet and was still vaguely aware of the outside world.

She heard the prince say, "You're so silly."-- The arrival of the southern parade brought the whole city of Yangzhou to a boil.

Yangzhou has many docks, and the southern patrol fleet stopped at the dock outside the east city gate, causing countless commoners to go and watch the spectacle, and even though there were quite a few official soldiers standing guard next to it, they still couldn't dispel their enthusiasm.Even if they could just look at it from a distance, they could brag about it later.

Because of the limited manpower, the officials were all busy with the enthusiastic crowd, so the governor of Yangzhou, Lu Pingshan, had a group of labourers drawn from the docks to help carry the goods accompanying the southern tour.

The labourers, dressed only in thin shirts in the middle of winter, were carrying wheelbarrows with boxes and cages on them, and were guarded by soldiers on both sides of the road, with their eyes gleaming as they looked around. The labourers were naturally carrying the personal belongings of the officials accompanying them, and the Prince's belongings were not to be carried by them either. The large quay was divided into two paths, one for carrying goods and the other, guarded by more soldiers, for walking.

"That's our Crown Prince of Great Zhou?" The labourers took advantage of the unloading process to wipe off their sweat and talk about it.

In fact, from their distance, they couldn't see anyone's face at all, and could only watch from afar as a man in a yellow garment was hailed by a group of people and marched out."Born with golden dignity, you say that if we could be entrusted with becoming a prince, no, even a prince, we wouldn't have to be here now."

Someone said admiringly. "If the foreman hears you, you'll be whipped!" "Don't even think about it!" "Look, there are women at the back, they're not all the Prince's concubines, are they?" With a thick voice deliberately lowered, the labourers in the vicinity looked up in a flash.

There was a woman with a veiled hat, surrounded by several maids, walking slowly behind her, and those who knew something snorted, "There's only one. That one is the lady of the palace, the others are all palace maids.""Even if they are palace maids, they all look good to me ......"

It's not clear, but just the sight of the delicate colours in the men's crowd is enough to keep these labourers, who can't afford a wife and can only find the occasional prostitute to relieve their desires, entertained for a long time.

Su Hai glanced over his shoulder with some annoyance, and then lowered his head to wipe his sweat. When people saw his movement, someone teased him, "What's wrong, Hai Zi? Usually you are the most lively when talking about this, but why are you silent today?" Su Hai shoved the man who had approached him, "Do you think I'm like you guys, with no place to use my strength all day long, just thinking about women's crotches?"

"Ouch, say it like you don't want that ......" Dazhi came over and said, "Come on, Xu Zi, hurry up and get to work, if the foreman finds out about this, it's not a big deal to get whipped, that's a noble man from the capital."

Dazhi was a hard-working man, and he was also a righteous man, so he was always willing to help others with anything, so he had some prestige among the group. Seeing that he had said so, several labourers stopped talking and got busy with their work. Dazhi helped Su Hai carry the boxes off the car and said, "What's wrong with you lately, Hai Zi? You've been so distracted all day, is there something wrong with you?"

"What can I do? Nothing!" Su Hai said, putting the scarf on his shoulder around his neck and pushing the wheelbarrow farther away. Dazhi looked at his back with worry in his eyes.

--

The prince, with Pan'er and the others, had boarded the imperial ship yesterday. Today they followed the procession and came off the ship again, especially the Prince who showed his face. When they left the pier, a caravan was waiting. As they boarded the car, the caravan moved slowly, and the sound of people outside was heard on the way, but it was only after a short distance that it gradually quietened down. There was no special palace in Yangzhou, and the Emperor and his predecessor used to stay in the Jiang family's compound for their southern tour.

This is the glory of the Jiang family. Who doesn't know that the Emperor and the late Emperor always stayed at the Jiang family's home during their southern tour, and because of this, the Jiang family has been able to sit at the top of the top ten salt merchants in Yangzhou, and is currently the chief of the two Huaihai salt merchants guilds.

The chief merchant has the greatest power, and every year the chief merchant takes the lead in bringing together the salt tax of the court, and all public and private fees and subsidies with the government are assessed by him, making him half government and half business. The Jiang family was also a hereditary merchant, and had close relations with the government.

The Jiang family's backer was not a particular official or force, but the current emperor. Several generations ago, the head of the Jiang family was known as a 'friend of the emperor with his cloth', and since then, every time the emperor came to the south of the Yangtze River, most of the Jiang family received him. Whenever the court was in trouble, the Jiang family would actively raise money for the court for disaster relief and military pay, and all the heads of the Jiang family were given official titles by the court.

So every time when His Majesty went on a tour of the South, it was the time for the Jiang family to be proud. No, everyone else wanted to get in but couldn't, and the Jiang family had already made the Prince their guest of honour. When they arrived, Pan'er and Aunt Qing and the others were busy settling in, and the Crown Prince had been cleared away, saying that he was going ahead to the banquet.

A maid also came to report at the door, saying that a banquet had been prepared for Feng Yi and asking if she wanted to pass the meal. Pan'er was not hungry at the moment, so she said she would have them serve it later. The prince was expected to stay in Yangzhou for a month, during which time he would be staying in the Jiang Yuan garden, so many things had to be unpacked and put away.

It was almost noon before Pan'er had the meal passed around and asked Aunt Qing and the girls to go and eat as well, as they had been tired all morning. After the meal, she rested. Meanwhile, Pei Yongchang was standing outside Jiang Yuan, arguing with the concierge and the guards of Jiang Yuan. Even though he said that Su Fengyi, who was serving the Prince on his southern tour, was his sister, the concierge did not let him in.

Normally, Pei Yongchang would not have been able to argue with a concierge, but today he was blocked by a brat. He did not know that every time at this time, there are countless people who want to come to the door to get close to the family or to get into the eyes of the royal family, so as to take over the position of the Jiang family.For this reason, the Jiang family had already taken precautions. At such times, even if the king of heaven came, he could not just let people in. When Pei Yongchang was leaving, he fiercely pooh-poohed.

[hyunjinspark]

jade i hope you’re doing well, i’ve missed you and slwy so much !!!! thank you once again for sharing your writing with us 🩷🩷

It felt like a break-up except you and him weren’t even fucking dating.

His hand peeked out from under his button-up sleeve. You reached forward, not thinking before slipping your fingers between his.

The gesture surprised him, and he glanced up at you with big eyes. He squeezed your hand, finding comfort in it.

literally not even 20 seconds in and you’re already making me tear up. and yn?? her first thought is to comfort him and ask about jisung istg this girl is an angel

Your fingers settled on his jaw, to calm him, “I mean, I know that you can’t stay here forever. You were only here for the summer anyway”

It felt anticlimactic. This was why he was so nervous, why Felix was so mad, why they were fighting?

oh fuck this hurts my heart is breaking she still thinks they have the rest of the summer 😭

Hyunjin wasn’t going to be holed up in this small town forever. Everybody knew it would always be temporary, so what was the drama for?

just fell to my knees, dear god yn is breaking my heart….. she knew from the start that whatever thing she had with hyunjin would be temporary,,,, but the fact that she questions what the big deal was is so sad ?? like even though she’d be upset when he’d have to leave, i think she was already mentally prepared for that moment because she knew that they only had the summer but now even that is being taken from her. yn is so selfless, but i wish she’d act more selfishly and realise that her feelings are completely valid and it’s okay to let him know he hurt her

Of course he’d figured everything out. A man as precise as Hyunjin, of course he’d already solved for all the problems you couldn’t even foresee. But what about you?

You felt a surge of hopelessness, because he didn’t understand how important this was to you. How important he was.

A laugh escaped you, at the lost innocence of that sentence, “What? My list is not… important, Hyunjin” He frowned, “It was to me…”

yn has said time and time again how important hyunjin is to her but she can’t fathom that she is just as important to him. this is fine :)

You drove past Aera’s, and Hyunjin’s gaze lingered on it, long after you’d already passed it.

am i still holding onto hope that hyunjin remembers her from all those years ago? yes. is it causing me an indescribable amount of pain? also yes.

You reached over without thinking, hand settling over his, and immediately, he was calm.

the fact that her mere presence calms him i am UNWELL .

You flipped to another page, but Hyunjin’s hand reached out to stop you. You looked at him questioningly. “Uh…you can go through that later. We don’t have much time”

wait did he draw her?? i really want yn to see herself through hyunjin’s eyes, i think that will finally get her to realise how much of an impact she’s had on his life

You didn’t know he noticed so many things about you, and so your heart warmed at just that implication. Hearing him recount what you’d been going through, you also felt a little emotional.

i am going to jump out my window how is every single paragraph hitting me with a new level of despair

You have such a kind heart, Hyunjin. You put your soul into everything you do, even if that’s just talking to someone at the grocery store or something. I think if someone met you, even for just a day in their life, you’d impact them forever

wow this is so beautiful 🥹💗

You always had to wait for moments. Moments like the one in the Photobooth. Or under the fireflies. The special moments you lived for.

In the movies, they were so dramatic, but real life wasn’t like that. In the books, they were so romantic, but there was no time for love in his life.

you don’t even understand how much slwy means to me, i know that i’ll still be thinking about it for years to come. hyunyn are everything to me

His wait held so many promises. So much hope. Wait, I’m in love with you too. Wait, I’m fucking stupid for leaving you all alone in this town. Wait, please don’t leave me without kissing me goodbye. He retreated to the kitchen counter, “Wait — your sketchbook. Don’t forget to take that” 

WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME 😭😭

You’d come back to see him again, and in the same breath he was coming after you. The world was really so cruel.

How could two people be so perfect for each other but be destined to be apart?

idk let’s ask user hyunjinspark 🤨

He was savouring every kiss - no half-kisses, no pecks - mouth crushed to yours like he wanted to devour you and you’d let him.

i want you to know that you write the some of the most toe-curling, lip-biting smut on this app because this entire section was so 😩🥴🫠🥵🔥🔥

but also, i loved how innocent (lol) this scene was. you mentioned it too, but it did feel like they were two teenagers experiencing it all for the first time. i think it’s a really nice contrast, given everything they’ve been through and the depth of their feelings for each other, that this is their last moment — in another life, this slightly awkward but intimate moment would’ve been the first of many and would lead to a growing relationship; it’s a really nice contrast to show how it could’ve been 🥲

He kissed you a rushed goodbye, but for the first time that night, your heart didn’t hurt anymore

AGH THEIR GOODBYE IS SO BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND HIT ME IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES I CANT EVEN BE FULLY UPSET

It was a picture of him at a stairwell, surrounded by three boys you’d come to recognise as Chan, Changbin and Jisung. They were smiling wide, teeth on display and Changbin was making a kissing face toward’s Hyunjin’s cheek, lips pouted and ready

my 3retcha 🥺💖💖 also changbin once again being the most relatable person to exist

He revealed a cropped baby blue t-shirt, with rhinestones across the hem. The shirt rose enough to show his bellybutton piercing and clenched abs. You held your breath, staring at the pictures. A thin choker adorned his neck too, and he was slightly smirking in the picture.

WHY WOULD YOU PUT THIS IMAGE IN MY HEAD ⁉️⁉️ the day hyunjin decides to wear a crop top (if he wants to) is the day i swan dive into the earth’s core

Hyunjin in Daejon was…a sweetheart, but Hyunjin in Seoul…was a fucking menace

and when yn goes to seoul and meets this menace version then what? what about the shred of sanity i have left?

“That doesn’t sound like you” She finally said. “Yeah, well maybe you don’t know who I am anymore. You haven’t talked to me in months”

THANK GOD yn didn’t forgive her !!! yn is better than me though, ik she doesn’t want to fight but after the shit hana put her through, i’d say hana’s getting off too easy

“When I get stuck in the middle of the writing process, I think of you, and it really helps”

You’re his muse, and it’s fitting because he’s always been yours.

SHUT UP THEYRE EACH OTHER’S MUSES 😭😭😭 and when yn can finally paint about love bc of hyunjin? and when hyunjin is no longer afraid to love bc of yn and writes a love song for her? 😭

“The day you stop worrying about what other people think, is the day you’ll live a much better life, Y/N”

minho and yeonjun >>>>>> anyone else

hyunjin and yn texts and little updates to each other is so cute 🥺 got me giggling and kicking my feet

i really liked felix’s redemption arc, and i liked that, compared to how cataclysmic their conversations have been recently, this was almost anticlimactic. it does really show felix’s growth and realising his feelings/accepting yn’s own feelings. and i’m glad they’re friends again

side note but ty for not giving hana a redemption arc (yet?) bc whilst it’s clear felix has reflected on his behaviours, hana was still so inconsiderate to yn and just flat out ignored the way she’s been a shitty friend. honestly good for yn for the way she handled things

Congratulations. Kim Jieong would be honoured to have you join him as an apprentice for his Fall Program in Painting at the Atelier of the Arts in Seoul, South Korea.

MY YN 😭 SHE DESERVES IT SO MUCH SHES MOVING TO SEOUL AND GOING TO SEE MENACE HYUNJIN AND EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT 🔮🙏🏽✨💫

You wait for his answer, but your message doesn’t deliver.

nvm i spoke too soon 😐

“We're sorry, you have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service.”

i know that he probably has his reasons, and with everything going on with the other members too, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less. ik he’d never do anything to intentionally hurt her, so i think it’s for her own safety or something

Over the past few months, Minho has discussed all of his theories with you, about what could have happened. He’s so sure, that Hyunjin’s company is involved. You want to believe him, because there’s no way Hyunjin would do this.

lee minho has my entire fucking heart i would move mountains and the sky for this man

You swallow, “Thank you. I know you never really wanted me to move away. But I’m really glad you understand how much this means to me” “I rather you be away from me than be miserable in this little town”

felix stop making me cry 🥹🥹 i’m so happy that they’re friends again

AHHH YANG JEONGIN !!!! i hope he and yn become good friends i adore their dynamic already. also choi yeonjun once again raising my standards and being better than everyone else by just existing

The most beautiful boy in the world… stands on the other side of the shelf. You’d recognise that stance anywhere. 

NO FUCKING WAY NOT THEM RANDOMLY MEETING THE FIRST WEEK SHES THERE ❓❓❓THEYRE REALLY GIVING A WHOLE NEW MEANING TO SOULMATES

You believe in destiny, and he has to be yours.

screaming and crying at yn’s growth so far, from rejecting love and thinking herself unworthy of it to believing hyunjin is her destiny oh i am UNWELL you are cruel for making me read this gut wrenching sentence with my own eyes

You were about to say something, but the words never made it past your lips, because he immediately looked away from you. It was as if he had never known you. Like you were a stranger.

The city of Seoul had never felt so quiet, as right now.

i genuinely have no words,,,, i was grinning at their reunion but was not prepared for him to ignore her. the way you got my hopes up too after yn called him her destiny 🥲 should’ve known you’d end the chapter with more angst 😔

okay but i kid you not the second i finished reading this i got a notification for hyunjin’s live. istg he has a sixth sense for knowing when you’re about to drop a new chapter bc HOW did this man drop love untold and dlmlu around the same time as the previous two updates and now he’s going live ??? maybe the live will fill the void in my heart after reading this chapter,,,,

once again, to call your writing beautiful would be an understatement. your prose and dialogue are so poetic and i love how you constantly keep us on our toes by mixing up the fluff and angst so we never know what to expect. it’s clear you put so much time and effort into slwy, thank you for sharing your work with us 🩷🩷 thank you for yet another incredible chapter and i’m sorry about the word vomit lol. i’m excited for what comes next for hyunjin and yn 💗

— 🎐

i look forward to all of your reviews so much istg i experience every emotion reading them. youre so funny and i thank you for always pointing out your favorite parts of the chapter ! it helps me get better and realise what you like/dislike about the story.

and youre so right :(( she did think they still had the rest of the summer…i love breaking her heart. 😄 and about the smut…i love your thinking ! it definitely is like the exploration of a new relationship and a new love except it comes as a drastic goodbye instead and its interesting (but heartbreaking) to imagine what could have been 👀

i love reading all of your little comments on everything ! thank you 😭 im glad you love yeonjun and jeongin and minho because theyre sticking around…

and yes hyunjin definitely has a sixth sense for the updates its insane haha. i also love that youre keeping track of those releases and my updates simultaneously. ☺️

thank you 🩷 youre so so kind for this message and its not word vomit pls dont apologise, i reread this a thousand times already !

[seitmai]

“My boyfriend, baby-daddy and aviator extraordinary,”

If I was in that situation and would hear that, I would throw up right there 🤢

But in this very moment, you could have passed the clipboard that you were clutching for dear life off to the colleague in the next office after yours. You weren’t paid nearly enough to deal with this.

People in health care don't get paid enough anyway, but for this? Nahh

After all, in all the years you’d been together, in all the years you’d known Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw for, he’d been adamant he never wanted children. But as it turned out as you watched him walk hand in hand with a woman who looked half his fucking age down towards your office, you came to the jaded conclusion that it had just been you, he didn’t want kids with. 

💔💔💔

“I didn’t think I’d run into you here,” It was probably the dumbest thing Rooster could have said knowing this was your place of employment, but he truly thought he wouldn’t. “I can explain!” Your imminent laugh sent anger coursing through Rooster’s veins. 

Are you fucking stupid lmao? That is the worst and dumbest excuse ever

“I didn’t mean to knock her up!” Bradley hissed under his voice as you tried to leave the conversation.

Please say it again and loud enough for the new girl to hear, I beg you 🙏🏻

“Of course, you’d say that!” You laughed pathetically at your own rage at the situation. “You never do anything without your own interests at the forefront!” It was clear you weren’t dealing with any of this well at all.

But it was now or never to let Braldey know how you really felt. “I’m so grateful I never had kids with you,” You made sure to look your ex right in the eye when you said that. “With every fibre of me being Bradley, I mean it when I say I dodged a fucking bullet the day you decided I wasn’t good enough to be your wife anymore,” 

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

With that, all you could do was laugh in disbelief. Was this really the same man who told you he could never see himself as a father? Was this the same man who begged you to go on birth control? Was this the same man who reminded you every time you held a friend’s newborn, or toddler or babysat a grown child, that you’d never have to worry about being a mother? 

I REALLY wanna punch him right now 😤

“Your father,” You began. You already saw the drop in Bradley’s facial expression at the very mention of his late dad. “Would be rolling in his damn grave right now,” You spat. “And as for the mother?” You added as you smiled wildly with relief as you reminded yourself you were so much better off without Bradley Bradshaw in your life. “I’d be thankful she isn’t still here to slap you sideways,” 

Omg Goose and Carole absolutely would!! 👏🏻

“What if I’ve made a mistake?” He asked as you pulled yourself out of his gentle touch, sniffling as you fixed yourself up.

Day Ten [The Secrets we Keep]

Summary: You have a patient booked in for an early ultrasound….What you don't expect is for it to be the new partner of your ex-husband. Bradley Bradshaw.

Warnings: Abortion. Marriage Breakdown. Bradley Bradshaw x F!reader. Heartbreak. Self-worth issues.

Word Count: 2.1k

Whumptober Prompt Day Ten: Self-worth issues, pushing away a loved one, “You don't need to earn this.”

Author Note: Please make sure you read the warnings provided. Disclaimer: I do not condone nor endorse the actions that are written about during the month of October. These works of fiction are just that, fiction and should be treated as such. Thank you to @ailesswhumptober for this year's prompt list.

Whumptober Masterlist | Main Masterlist

“Quinn? Steph Quinn?” Just like we need food and water, humans need each other. A brain study revealed that, when placed in an MRI, a patient’s reward centre lit up when another person sat in the room. Neurons fire when we talk to or think about someone, and they go haywire when we hold someone’s hand. 

“Oh, that’s me,” The woman with the complexion of a goddess smiled as she stood from her chair—clipboard of information in hand. “Hi,” 

“Hi there Steph,” You smiled politely as you reached out to take the clipboard from your next patient. “I see we’re down for an early detection ultrasound?” You knew what she was here for, but it was always nice to double-confirm with whoever you were about to scan. 

“Yep. Me and my boyfriend are expecting,” Steph placed a hand over her barely visible baby bump. If anything, she looked slightly bloated, but other than that you’d never know that the woman standing before you was carrying a child. 

“That’s exciting, congratulations,” You smiled softly as you double-checked that all the information you needed was present on our forms. “If you’d follow me this way, we’ll get you gowned up and ready to go,” 

“Oh, Bradley shouldn’t be too much longer,” The name that escaped the woman’s mouth had your heart dropping into the pit of your stomach. “He just ducked off to the bathroom really quick,” She explained politely as she stalled. “He came straight from work to be here, said he wouldn’t miss this for the world,” 

“Proud dad already?” Our brains and bodies are actually programmed to seek each other out and connect. So why do so many people prefer being alone? “What was your partner’s last name? Just so I can pop it down on the form,” It wasn’t something that necessarily needed to be done, but you were secretly praying to whatever God or Goddess was on duty that day for the woman before you to not say, Bradshaw. 

Time stood still as the little bell rang out from the front office door, a familiar figure stood tall and strong in the doorway, just as shocked as you it seemed. Bradley Bradshaw hadn’t seen you in, well, months. Long enough to get another woman pregnant it seemed. 

“Oh, there he is!” Steph cooed excitedly as Bradley took a few heavy strides toward where his expecting girlfriend stood beaming. “This is him, Bradley, Bradley Bradshaw,” She introduced the man who had gone ahead and decided creating a human life was actually something he wanted. It’s funny how people change, and adapt to their new surroundings. “My boyfriend, baby-daddy and aviator extraordinary,”

You could have thrown up in your mouth at that introduction, but you were a professional. Your scrubs said it all. You’d been a sonographer for the better half of Bradley’s own career. But in this very moment, you could have passed the clipboard that you were clutching for dear life off to the colleague in the next office after yours. You weren’t paid nearly enough to deal with this. You thought you’d processed the heartbreak of your failed marriage, but as Bradley stood there with his new and improved plaything, your heart broke all over again. 

“Well, if you and your partner would like to follow me, I’ll get you two ready and sorted to see your pending child,” Bradley could see it in your eyes, how truly shocked you really were. “Right this way please,” You gestured as the couple walked ahead of you hand in hand, Bradley caught your eye for a mere second and chose to keep a tight-lipped gesture, a mixture of sorrow and awkwardness, across his face. 

After all, in all the years you’d been together, in all the years you’d known Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw for, he’d been adamant he never wanted children. But as it turned out as you watched him walk hand in hand with a woman who looked half his fucking age down towards your office, you came to the jaded conclusion that it had just been you, he didn’t want kids with. 

His high-school sweetheart, his former best friend, and his now ex-wife. 

Why do we often run for the hills when we feel the slightest connection? Why do we feel compelled to fight what we’re hard-wired to do? Maybe it’s because when we find someone or something to hold onto, that feeling becomes like air…..and we’re terrified we’re going to lose it. 

“If you’d like to pop this gown on for me,” You passed Miss Quinn the basic white gown you gave all your ultrasound patients. “We may not need to, but in case we need to do an internal ultrasound, this will just make the process a little easier access-wise,” You explained, never once paying any mind to your ex-husband whose eyes never left you. 

It had only been six months, the divorce hadn’t even been finalised yet. Legally, you were still Y/n Bradshaw. But recently you’d gone back to your madame name at work. Six months and Bradley had already gone and created a life with another woman. 

It had your brain malfunctioning, what was so wrong with you that in all the years you’d been together he’d never been able to entertain the idea? But here he was……in your office, expecting a child with someone else. 

“I’ll give you a moment to change,” You smiled softly as you left the room, leaving the couple to their privacy. “Jesus fucking Christ,” You sighed as you tried to keep yourself grounded in the hall. This was never a situation you thought you’d find yourself in. You saw dozens of couples, single parents, happy and sad about their current situations. But never in a million years did you ever expect to see your ex for an early pregnancy scan. 

“Y/n?” Fuck. You heard Bradley say as he stepped out of the office under the disguise of needing something to drink. “I’m–” 

“Oh, oh no–no, we’re not gonna do this here,” You shook your head as anger as evident as anything overcame your entire being. “You’re a fucking joke, Bradley,” 

“I didn’t think I’d run into you here,” It was probably the dumbest thing Rooster could have said knowing this was your place of employment, but he truly thought he wouldn’t. “I can explain!” Your imminent laugh sent anger coursing through Rooster’s veins. 

“You think I need you to explain the fact I wasn’t good enough to have your children?” You hissed as you looked around the empty hall, checking to make sure that it was in fact, empty. “That, girl?” You made sure to put a little more emphasis on the fact she was still a ‘girl’ in your eyes. Putting pressure on the fact she was probably half Bradley’s age. “Is carrying your goddamn child and you think I need you to explain to me that I, your ex-wife, wasn’t good enough to even consider the possibility of having children with!?” 

“I didn’t mean to knock her up!” Bradley hissed under his voice as you tried to leave the conversation. He reached out to grab your arm, keeping you in close proximity to him. He wasn’t finished explaining himself to you. “This has nothing to do with you or us,” 

“No, it just has everything to do with the fact that within six months of us being separated, you went and got someone pregnant,” You pulled your arm out of Bradley’s grip with a frown that could kill. “I gave you everything I had, I was willing to sacrifice my own desires of having children because I loved you so much more than the idea of ever being a mother,” You could feel tears welling in your lower lash lines as you growled at your ex-husband in the hall of your place of employment. “I don’t even know who you are anymore, Rooster,” 

“People change,” Bradley snarled back as you stood close enough to start a war. “I never did this to hurt you, you don't need to earn someone's love, you don't need me,” 

“Of course, you’d say that!” You laughed pathetically at your own rage at the situation. “You never do anything without your own interests at the forefront!” It was clear you weren’t dealing with any of this well at all. But it was now or never to let Braldey know how you really felt. “I’m so grateful I never had kids with you,” You made sure to look your ex right in the eye when you said that. “With every fibre of me being Bradley, I mean it when I say I dodged a fucking bullet the day you decided I wasn’t good enough to be your wife anymore,” 

“I understand this is a really difficult time, but I loved you,” Bradley sighed as he held a hand to his hip and another to the bridge of his nose. “What we had, what we shared was real, but sometimes it’s not meant to last,” He sounded like he took that straight from some couples counsellor. Perhaps he did, perhaps it was written in a notebook he kept inside his bedside table from when you were trying to save your marriage. “Don’t make my choices in my new relationship about you,” 

With that, all you could do was laugh in disbelief. Was this really the same man who told you he could never see himself as a father? Was this the same man who begged you to go on birth control? Was this the same man who reminded you every time you held a friend’s newborn, or toddler or babysat a grown child, that you’d never have to worry about being a mother? 

“Your father,” You began. You already saw the drop in Bradley’s facial expression at the very mention of his late dad. “Would be rolling in his damn grave right now,” You spat. “And as for the mother?” You added as you smiled wildly with relief as you reminded yourself you were so much better off without Bradley Bradshaw in your life. “I’d be thankful she isn’t still here to slap you sideways,” 

The silence in the hall was deafening as Bradley stared you down with a rage you’d never seen before. His nostrils flared as his face threatened to turn a shade of crimson only reserved for hatred. 

“You really do harbour hated, don’t you?” Bradley asked as he watched you wipe away the few tears you’d allowed yourself to cry. “You couldn’t just accept me for who I was, who I am!” 

“I gave up, my dream, FOR YOU!” You couldn’t help yourself as you shoved at Bradley’s chest. The shock was evident across his entire face as he stumbled back slightly in the hall. “I aborted the only child I will ever have because YOU didn’t want to be a father,” It was the first time you’d ever told Bradley you were once pregnant with his child. 

“Y/n,” You knew the revelation was a lot to take in, but so was the fact your ex-husband was expecting a child…after you gave one up for him. “I didn’t–I didn’t know,” Bradley softened his voice as he reached out to cup your face, using the pads of his thumbs to wipe away your tears. 

For a second, you allowed yourself to soften within his touch, but it wasn’t enough. It was too little, too late. 

“Some, some random girl you’ve known for all of a minute is in my office waiting to see your soon-to-be child on an ultrasound, Bradley,” You pulled yourself together, remembering the only time you saw your baby on an ultrasound you have to yourself, alone. “You should go,” 

“What if I’ve made a mistake?” He asked as you pulled yourself out of his gentle touch, sniffling as you fixed yourself up. Knowing full well you’d already made the biggest one of your life. 

“Then you accept your new reality and be the damn man you should have been for me,” You hissed through gritted teeth as you walked back into your office, immediately making eye contact with the woman who you wished to be. “Ready to meet your little blop?” 

*******************

[exactlythoughtlessenough]

For Honor, Home, and Love

Here's something I wrote on fanfictionnet for Victorious ages ago and was surprised by how much I still kinda like it. Of course there are things I would word differently or alter now, but meh.

Tuesday holds a special place on the weekly page, though at first glance and to most it is merely an insignificant day nestled between the dreaded Monday and the hope giving Wednesday. But it is far more than just another day. Tuesday is without question the most surprising day of the week. One might argue that this title would be held by Saturday or Friday, where crazy shit was bound to go down… however that's just it, you expect those two days to provide the unexpected, making it in effect less unexpected. Thursday is just pre-Friday, and Sunday the day of regret for the previous two. No, Tuesday is the day that no one sees coming, despite it always being there. On Tuesday you can go from perfectly normal to up to your ass in leeches and never have seen it coming. Because it is the unexpected that you can never expect, even if you've been down the rabbit-hole before it seems to have the magical ability to erase your memory and make you it's mystery bitch all over again.

Now what does this have to do with the lean brunette young woman in a bedroom not her own, sitting upon a comfy jet black swivel chair waiting for the room's owner to return so that they might be rid of each other's presence? Well, the fact that it's Tuesday and the room belongs to… "Jade, what's this?" The aforementioned young woman asks not a millisecond after she hears the other girl's boots announce her return on the Japanese maple hardwood flooring.

Mentally and physically groaning at what was likely another inane remark about her room or request that would never be fulfilled, Jade draws her eyes sharply toward her 'guest', soon after barking, "Private. So get away from my laptop, Vega!" Swiftly crossing the expanse of the relatively large room to snatch her gorgeous black beauty adorned with a skull crossed with twin scythes from the other girl's mitts. Noticing that it's unlocked and to her dread displaying a short tale she couldn't really identify Jade takes a moment to prioritize her thoughts before asking, "How did you even get in?" Growling at her soon to be formerly living classmate.

What would normally send most anyone without any power over her running in terror only brought a thin smile to Tori's lips, "Your password was written on that sticky note." She points to the desk and a lovely pink post-it inked with black. In a flash Jade grabs the note and crumples it with her non-laptop carrying hand.

Tori merely smiles as she reads the memorized contents aloud, "Sc1ss0rV3ga2D3th…" Jade freezes in place, unable to even form the most basic syllables let alone words, so she can't stop the other girl from continuing to speak, "…which itself raises plenty of awkward and terrifying questions that I really don't want to ask."

As the last word falls silent the room is engulfed in an emptiness of nothing except the two beings currently inhabiting it…and an old wind-up clock sitting on Jade's nightstand ticking away. There was a very interesting story behind the handcrafted brass antique marred with a few dings and scratches…but that's not really the focus of this particular Tuesday now is it?

Given that Tori not only had her….questionable password already carved into brain, but had had access to everything on her laptop… Jade's mind was in free fall without a parachute insight. Then the other girl spoke, "Riiigght, so my family knows I'm here… and I'm not really into being violently sexually assaulted so…" Tori had already risen from the chair and was making her way toward the door when she finished speaking. Not really intent on departing, because there was no way she was going to pass up the opportunity presented her by her snooping. She just needed to motivate the fleshy statue to speak, and this was not a situation where Jade could just let Tori go, the pass alone was enough ammo.

And right on cue the other girl stated, "I'm not going to assault you." Though she might strangle her for this invasion of privacy, and that is the fuel she uses to bypass the fear…rage. The one emotion Jade West knew inside and out how to express from its deepest depths was Anger. No one could quite do pissed like she could, no, she was the crowned queen of fury and spite, wrath and revenge. And now she had that wellspring to call upon…

Tori half turns, "Yeah, says your password." Casting her eyes at Jade's hand, still holding the piece of tiny paper bearing a horrible blade soaked in social poison.

Not letting the words phase her Jade fires back, "The idea of a password is that it shouldn't be something that you'd think of." Not letting a breath fall between them, she continues, "Now …don't we have work to do?" Hoping they can drop this with a logical segue from uncomfortable territory.

Completing her turn with her back now to the door Tori offer with a shrug, "Sure…" Then lets a smirk play upon her lips, "…after you fill me in…not literally…" That insinuation earned her a toxic glare, but she resumed anyway, "…on that weird little story synopsis you have there." Pointing at the laptop lazily.

Jade couldn't freakout, she couldn't, that would be bad for so many reasons. The one topping the list is her accidentally revealing far more than she ever wants to without even knowing which story the infuriating girl was talking about…., 'It might be nothing, it might just be one of the play ideas, nothing to worry about in that case,' With her thoughts reigning her in she offers a blanket response, "I am a writer…a good one thank you very much. So I do tend to write things."

Eyebrow raised Tori inquires, "And the lesbian lovers sounding eerie like you and me?"

As the words were fired from lethal lips Jade could feel them leaving blistering trails of pain as they penetrated her heart. But she couldn't be stalled, she had to impede, "What are you talking about?"

Leveling a look of determination Tori strides forward, putting Jade on high alert as she herself takes a step back about to ask what she thought she was doing…. while in the depths of her being she was screaming for the girl to do something, unexpected. To both her dismay and delight all Tori does is reacquire the laptop, then opens it to reveal a tiny poorly thought out almost non-existent scrap of something Jade had typed up in boredom last Tuesday.

A wave of relief washes over her as she recognizes the 'story'. Fighting back the urge to smile with glee Jade offers matter-of-factly, "They're all fictional characters set during a modified ancient Greece. You aren't in it." Adding a dash of venom at the end.

"Bullshit." Is the last word spoken before the laptop was tossed on the bed in the same motion as Tori steps forward, invading Jade's personal space once again… but this time not stopping until she was sharing the same air. Mere inches away deep chocolate eyes revealing twin mirrors, reflecting nothing, yet revealing too many truths to be properly comprehended in one day. Tori had obviously read more than just that silly little piece of scrap, she had to have accessed the Jori files…stupidly named, nevertheless unrelentingly accurate. There the accursed writings of a madwoman besot with malice and pain forged tales of love and life that could easily open so many doors… but the content, the inspiration would never be revealed, for there written for none to ever see was her greatest fear…

…and love,

Tori Vega.