#I’ll never forget the first ‘trick’ she showed me

[dickbaggins]

hey Janis how is getting moving quotes going?

Oh you said you had to talk the quote over with your husband so they’re creating a false sense of urgency by asking a superior if they can lock in the price? Oh she said yes and knocked 500 off the price but only if you put down a deposit right now? Oh he told you to put him on hold and call your husband? And then laughed when you said you didn’t appreciate the high pressure sales tactics and hung up??

Yeah and then he texted me lmao

Dylan I’ve worked in sales, I know what you’re doing and I don’t appreciate it. I’m just a fucking person trying to move my shit ok. I’ve done the pantomime of ‘let me call my boss and see if I can make this work’ only to come back with an outrageous deal. I sold fucking mattresses bro which is the shittiest sales job you can imagine. Ok. I know all your tricks.

Is there a zoomer moving company I can use where they don’t pull this shit because I HATe it and I hate the social contract where I’m supposed to pretend I don’t know what they’re doing when I have fucking been instructed in the awful art of doing it

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

The Tragedy of Haladriel - Part II

In Part I, I already analyzed Galadriel and Mairon’s characters, their judgment by the Valar in Númenor, and why they connected so deeply with each other.

Mairon's Wish to Heal

After Morgoth’s defeat, the one you call Sauron devoted himself to healing Middle-earth–bringing its ruined lands together in perfect order. He sought to craft a power not of the flesh, but o’er the flesh. The power of the unseen world. Adar reveals to Galadriel that he killed Sauron, 1x06

This “wound” is most likely another one of Mairon’s tricks, because he wants to be near Galadriel: he wants to serve her, she’s his Vala, now.

Although, in the lore, when Maiar are in human forms they can still get injured and have a different set of needs. We see this with Gandalf in “Lord of the Rings”; he needs to sleep in order to sustain his human form. Maiar just need to be careful not to overindulge on their humans forms, otherwise they can become bound to them, and unable to return to their true spiritual forms (there’s a lot of debate around this, with some even saying that eating can be binding). So, there is a very small possibility that Mairon was indeed injured (unlikely).

Galadriel: “You wish to heal me?” Sauron: “I wish to heal all Middle-earth.” Galadriel mocks Sauron's goal, 2x08

Either way, this wound is deeply symbolic, of Mairon wish to heal himself, Galadriel and all of Middle-earth, from Morgoth’s corruption (darkness). And since the wound “soured” overnight (sneaky Mairon), Galadriel takes him to the nearest by Elven kingdom: Eregion, ruled by Celebrimbor, the grandson of the legendary Elven smith, Fëanor.  

Now, I don’t know if Mairon’s intention was to go to Eregion, because, unless he has the gift of foresight (and nothing on Tolkien lore or even RoP canon suggests this), he could never have known that Galadriel would take him there, in the first place. Because, in “Rings of Power”, she lives in Lindon, and could have taken a different road to get to her home realm faster.

After being healed by the Elves, Marion seems to be a completely different being. He’s happy, excited and enthusiastic at the forge of Eregion, exchanging knowledge and ideas with Celebrimbor. When this episode aired, it was noticed by many just how “hot” he looked. It’s that Maia glow-up, because Mairon, the Maia of Aulë, was starting to make an appearance.

Perhaps, due to Mithril, itself? In 2x08, we saw that Nenya, a ring entirely made of Mithril, was able to heal Adar from Morgoth’s corruption, but the effect was temporary and vanished as soon as he removed the ring.

This look is peak "Mairon, the Maia of Aulë", vibes: with his reddish hair, beard and the Dwarvish-inspired necklace (the Dwarves are the Children of Aulë). 

Mairon: Thank you, Galadriel. Galadriel: For bringing you here? Mairon: For saving my life. Galadriel: As you saved mine. Our scales are balanced. Mairon: No. No, you've done far more than that for me. I'd all but given up. But you, you believed in me. You saw strength in me. You pushed me to heights that no one else could have. I will never forget that. And I'll see to it that no one else does either.

In the episode itself (1x08) this line “I’ll see to it that no one else does either” sounds ominous, because the show wanted the big “He is Sauron” reveal.

However, and looking at the great scheme of things, I don’t believe it was Mairon’s intention to be threatening here, at all. He wanted Galadriel to know she would be given the proper credit for her role in healing and saving Middle-earth, and for his own redemption at the eyes of all in the Seen and Unseen world (more on that later).

Which leads me to...

The Three Elven Rings of Power

Are they truly free of "Sauron's influence", like Season 2 expects us to believe?

Gil-galad: The Rings. Show them to me. Elrond: Dare not, High King. He's [Sauron] no doubt corrupted... Galadriel: He never touched them, High King. Elrond: He worked with Celebrimbor for weeks. We know not the depth of his influence. Elrond refuses to give the Three to Gil-galad, 2x01

In 2x01, every Elf in Lindon seems to believe the Three rings of power are free from Sauron’s influence, expect for Elrond.

Círdan: I remember, he [Celebrimbor] used to speak of, one day, crafting objects of such power, they could change the heart of any who beheld them. If, as you say, these Rings have so quickly turned Elf against Elf... it would appear he has succeeded. Elrond: Perhaps it was not Celebrimbor's hand that produced that effect. Círdan: If what you've told me is true, these three Rings were made without Sauron's touch. Elrond: The Enemy is cunning. The Rings may well be a ploy on his part. A device in some larger plan, the end of which we cannot yet see.

Indeed, Mairon spent a lot of time at Eregion with Celebrimbor, handling the only piece of Mithril available, and experimenting with different alloys. And when Celebrimbor melted down the Mithril into the purest gold and silver from Valinor (Finrod’s dagger), “the eye of Sauron” makes a (double) appearance:

In 2x03, when he (in Annatar form) and Celebrimbor are forging the Seven for the Dwarves lords, infusing the piece of Mithril with spells was the only thing he needed:

But I almost had it sooner. It was only in speaking with the Southlander that I realized... [...] His suggestions were but the key that unlocked the dam. We are on the cusp of crafting a new kind of power. Not of strength, but of spirit. Not of the flesh, but over flesh. This is... This is a power of the Unseen World. Celebrimbor tells Gil-galad about Halbrand’s ideas concerning the “crown” to save the Elves, 1x08 

In an entirely different post, I already explained what is the Unseen world, but it's also worth mentioning here that "controlling the Unseen world" isn't a dark or evil power per say. Even in Tolkien lore, the Three Elven rings are a “power of the Unseen world”, allowing their ring-bearers to have foresight, strength, etc.

Mairon: We found it. I don't know how we missed it before. It's too much power for one object. We need two. We're making two. Galadriel: Two crowns? Mairon: Not exactly. It'll need to be something… Smaller. Come, see for yourself.

This exchange suggests that the idea of “rings” (instead of crowns) might have come from Mairon himself, and he wanted to forged two. One for Galadriel, and another for himself. And probably entirely made of mithril, too. Because Nenya, "Ring of Water" has no lesser ore (unlike Vilya "Ring of Air", and Narya, "Ring of Fire"). With what purpose? For them both to heal, themselves and Middle-earth.

Nenya choosing Galadriel in 2x01

Perfection does not exist only in Valinor, High King. It is here. Celebrimbor has brought it to Middle-earth. Círdan arrives with the Three, wearing Narya himself.

Did he, now?

At the beginning, Mairon was one of the most powerful Maiar, and the purest one, too. Which makes his corruption by Morgoth all more tragic. Before his mastery of Dark magic and witchcraft ("Sauron"), he’s gifted in Ainur magic, as it was his purpose by Eru. 

And, in Tolkien canon, the Three aren’t free from Sauron’s influence, since their ring-bearers were able to perceive that Sauron forged the One ring (and took off theirs), and the Three lost their power once the One ring is destroyed by Frodo, in the Third Age. This means, the Three are, indeed, connected to Sauron’s power, they just don’t enslave their wearers to his will (like the Nine) nor bring misfortune (greed) as the Seven. “Rings of Power” build upon this and made the question more complex (and interesting).

Since “Rings of Power” somewhat changed the Tolkien canon (Celebrimbor forged the Three, alone, when he started to suspect Annatar’s true intentions and without any intervention from his part, meaning, he didn’t touch any material), I believe Mairon might had a hand on them being so powerful, especially their healing proprieties (Nenya above all). Because this was his ultimate goal, and what he has been seeking for a very long time. And since he was healing himself (through the Mithril), he might have transferred that, alongside with his original purposes (purity of heart and loyalty) as designed by Eru, onto the Three.  

Mairon’s Illusions 

This is more of side note, but now most of you are wondering, if that was Mairon, in his pathway to redemption, what’s with all the illusions in 1x08?

You see, “illusions” don’t exactly equal deception in Tolkien’s lore. Mostly because we have another character who’s also a Maia and who uses them on a regular basis: Gandalf (ironically, Tolkien himself said that Gandalf as Ring-Lord would have been far worse than Sauron ever was).

His charade with her brother had one purpose, only:

He [Sauron] was seeking a power not to destroy Middle-earth, but to heal it. Just as your fellow Elves are seeking to do this very moment. You needn't lie to them. Simply let the work proceed.

And, at the end, Galadriel does allow the work to proceed, only she has Three rings made, instead of original Two (as Mairon intended).  

Galadriel's Desire for Power

Mairon sees in Galadriel a wish for power. It’s no coincidence we see her on a power trip in 1x06, mostly in her interaction with Adar after the battle is won. And he’s a Maia, he was created with the purpose of being a servant to a Vala.

And this is where the majority of the fandom gets things wrong about Mairon’s offer to Galadriel in 1x08 (because the dialogue is misleading).

Mairon wasn’t asking her to be “his” queen, but *the* Queen of all Middle-earth. With him as her consort, “my king”, of course (he was already planning on getting the wedding rings made, after all).

This idea is confirmed in 2x08, when Sauron reveals to Galadriel his original intention in 1x08 (when he was Halbrand/Repentant Mairon):  

I would have placed a crown upon your head. I would never have rested until all Middle-earth had been brought to its knees, to worship the light of its Queen.

In 1x08, Mairon asks his new “Vala” (Galadriel) for them to bind together. He says “You bind me” (and not the other way around). This is Marion plegding himself at her service (the Maia in service of a Vala). She binds him to the light (redemption), and he binds her to power, allowing her to become the Queen she wants to be.

This vision is meant to symbolize redeemed Mairon with Queen Galadriel, and not Dark!Galadriel as many assume.

And this is pretty much what Galadriel will tell Frodo, in the Third Age, when he offers her the One ring: 

And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair! The Fellowship of the Ring, Book II, Chapter 7: "The Mirror of Galadriel"

Thousands of years later, this offer still haunts Galadriel, which makes me wonder if “Rings of Power” will return to this scene again in future seasons (maybe to reveal the truth of it).

Galadriel denies Mairon, because she doesn't believe in his redemption, and thinks he has deceived her all along, and, worst, she fell in love with the enemy she has been obsessively searching for centuries now. He still fights back with “you need me.”, in pledge of his servitude to her, but to no avail. She’s too prideful to say “yes” to him. Because she assumes he's "Sauron", "the deceiver".

Mairon, on the other hand, sees his oath of servitude denied. Galadriel refused to be his Vala, and to bind him to the light (redemption). He placed his bet on the wrong horse, as they say. And without a Vala to guide him, he’s lost. Because that's how he was created to be. And while he flees Eregion, he takes Galadriel back to when she was drowning in the Sundering Seas (and he saved her), to drive home just how much she, actually, needs him.

We have a double-edged blade over here. 

Mairon's explosive reaction also goes back to what he said to Galadriel in 1x05: “You don’t know what I did before I ended up on that raft. And when these people discover it, they will cast me out. And so will you.” Galadriel rejecting him in 1x08 represents the confirmation of Mairon’s worst fear: he’s not worthy of redemption.

In fact, he should have stayed in Númenor instead of following Galadriel's pride and ambition. His first deception ("King of the Southlands") caused a snowball of errors and bad choices for Mairon, and caused him to fall back into evil and embrace his "Sauron" persona in Season 2.

And Galadriel, should have “let it lie” as Mairon himself told her on the raft, and every other time he begged her to leave him alone, because she couldn't fix his suffering, no matter how strong her will or her pride. In truth, what she really wanted to "fix" (heal) was herself, like I've talked about in Part I.

In the end, they both chose power over the light, and they both "failed the test".

Is there any way these two could have worked out? 

We know, upfront, that Galadriel and Mairon are doomed by the narrative (peak doomship). Not only he ends up becoming the new Dark Lord with plans of enslaving every race on Middle-earth to his will, but Galadriel is one of his primary adversaries on that endevadour. And, yet, they never fight each other in the flesh. And Season 2 might have provided an explanation for that. 

A lot of them bonding together in Season 1 was due to their shared traumas and hopes (redemption, healing the darkness within, etc.), but the way they looked at each other on their first encounter in the Sundering Seas might suggest these two could have end up sharing a attraction/connection, either way. 

Moving forward and up until Galadriel returns to Valinor at the end of “Return of the King”, there is little chance for these two to actually reconcile (unless Galadriel goes dark). The only way for them to get a “second change” was if Mairon accepted to face the judgement of the Valar, at the end of it all and after the One ring gets destroyed, and for them to be reunited in Aman (they are immortal spirits, after all).

Halbrand aka Repentant Mairon is gone, and I don’t think he will make another appeareance (unless it’s in flahsbacks). And this is very clear in the “last temptation” scene in 2x08: Sauron doesn’t even remember how Halbrand looks like. And, as Sauron goes deeper and deeper into evil, more “polished” and “glamorized” his looks will be, because his love for beauty is getting corrupted into vanity.

The only way Galadriel and Mairon could have worked out is if she had said “yes” to him, really. And this “what if” or “what could have been” will probably haunt Galadriel forever (she still remembers Mairon’s words when speaking to Frodo), because, in Season 2, we were told that Elven memories do not dim.

[flopsxii]

regular customer - various genshin characters !

in which these various genshin characters are your regulars at your small, quaint cafe. of course, it is very possible they have acquired feelings for their favourite barista ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱

ft. lyney, kazuha, hu tao, bennett, freminet & xiao 𝜗𝜚࿔

no specified gender <3

𐔌 lyney !

“c’mon, y/n! one more trick and i’ll be out of your hair.” lyney whispered before showing off his cards in his hands. “i have a queue lyney, can it wait till later?” you inquired, whilst taking the next customers order with a bright smile on your face. lyney pouted at your response, “what if my trick made all these customers disappear?” he asked, an excited glint in his eyes.

“then i’d have to shut the coffee house, lyney!” you exclaimed, as you rushed around the small space, getting drinks of all different flavours ready for the people of fontaine. “hmm, i guess i can wait till it quietens down…” he mumbled, before sipping his coffee and almost staring you down.

“i didn’t know boba or matcha would be such a craze in fontaine… did you?” he asked, noticing a handful of people walking out with your new speciality drinks. “well, i wanted to bring an inazuman touch with me… it was a 50/50 chance of people liking it, i’m just so glad people do! maybe i’ll travel to each nation and bring a speciality back with me.” you explained to the magician.

the cogs in lyney’s brain started rotating, maybe he should bring you back a beverage recipe from snezhnaya. he wondered how happy you would look if he revealed a drink recipe from nowhere, what a trick that’d turn out to be…

“mmm, that sounds like a marvellous idea! where would you go first?” lyney asked before finishing off his drink. “probably liyue… i’ve always wanted to visit!” you responded, whilst handing more drinks to customers.

“how about after i return from snezhnaya, we go to liyue together?”

𐔌 kazuha !

he technically wasn’t a regular. he’d frequent your quaint little cafe everyday for months and then he’d disappear into thin air for longer than he had been there. he’d smooth talk his way out of your questions everytime, “oh you know, i follow where the wind takes me.” he’d reply with a small smile or he’d conjure up a haiku on the spot to woosh your questions away. either way, you’d always end up forgiving and forgetting.

he had been gone for 3 months now and each day you wondered if this was the time he’d never come back to visit the cafe. maybe it was possible he found a coffee house in a distant land he preferred more. your chest felt heavy at the thought, ‘surely not… kazuha always comes back…’

you were knocked back into concentration when a customer appeared in front of you. “i’m so sorry to keep you waiting! what can i get for you?” you asked, hoping that making drinks would easily distract your thoughts from the samurai. “a strawberry matcha please, y/n!” they requested with a smile. i nodded, getting to work brewing the matcha, “so, anything new?” i asked yachi, another one of my frequent customers. “oh… same old, i’ve just been helping my father around the store. and you? have you seen your samurai yet?” she asked, a small smile playing on her lips.

“kazuha’s back?” i asked, spinning around the face her to inquire more. instead of facing yachi alone, i was now faced with kazuha himself. “i apologise for being away for so long, y/n. i hope you’ve been well.”

both hearts hammered away in separate chests, “i’ve been wonderful kazuha, and you? how were your travels?” i inquired, whilst finishing yachi’s drink and allowing her to have the matcha on the house.

“i enjoyed journeying… seeing new lands and meeting new people. however, i never could find another coffee house that gives me a sense of home like yours does.”

𐔌 hu tao !

it’s like she does it on purpose. everyday, you’ll end up spilling multiple drinks when hu tao jumps out of nowhere and scares the life out of you. but it’s ’all good fun’ as she reminds you each time.

“c’mon, y/n! didn’t mean to actually scare ya!” she laughed, almost keeling over from how funny she was finding the situation. you pulled your lip between your teeth as you started wiping up the boba you had spilt all over your worktops.

“yeah, yeah, tao. i’ve heard this all before.” you replied snarkily. “did you want a drink or just to kill me? you’ll have to wait many more years before you can plan my funeral hu tao.”

she hummed, gazing over the menu before coming closer to the counter. “got anymore boba?” she inquired, a playful grin on her face as she watched you clean the spilt boba. “i think you know the answer to that.”

“bummer… i was really feeling boba too! no matter, im perfectly content with your company, hehe~” she giggled, resting her chin on her palm. a blush rose to your cheeks at her bold statement, “i’ll just get you a green tea, hu tao. would that be alright?” you asked, hoping the funeral director couldn’t see how red your cheeks are.

“mmm… that’d be wonderful!” she cheered before jumping behind the counter. you poured her green tea, added a slice of lemon and just before she grabbed it, hu tao came impossibly close; “you know, your cheeks remind me of red lacewing butterflies, hehe! so cute! anyhow, best be off… things to do, people to see, zombie children to seal away… see you later, my butterfly!”

𐔌 bennett !

he always turned up with new plasters cluttering his skin, dirt on his cheeks, the occasional cut or bruise… but always with a beaming smile on his face. you weren’t sure if this was his usual demeanour or if he simply loved your beverages that much. but never the less, you appreciated his custom all the same, even if you were worried every time he burst through the cafe door.

“you’re injured again, bennett.” you observed, as he approached the counter, a blush rose on his freckled cheeks. his hand rose to rub the back of his neck sheepishly, “my commission didn’t quite go to plan…” he explained, whilst his eyes darted around your various chalk boards filled with different drink options.

“you know, there’s always one thing that can cheer me up after a messy commission, y/n!” bennett exclaimed before taking out his pouch of mora. “mmm… could it be your hot chocolate?” you asked, already beginning to prepare bennett’s favourite drink.

“you know me too well, y/n! what would i do without you!” bennett smiled once again before placing some mora on the counter for you. “take a seat bennett, i’ll bring it over for you.” you smiled before resuming and finishing bennett’s drink.

bennett hoped you wouldn’t feel his eyes on you as you made his drink. he almost felt bad making you do the same drink at the same time everyday but he couldn’t help himself. if he didn’t order something, how would he be able to speak to you and see you everyday? somehow, you had become part of his daily routine, no matter if his adventures went pear shaped or not, he knew no matter what, he’d see your smiling face at the end of everyday.

he hoped one day he’d be brave enough to confess his feelings, how you lighten up his day and his mood each time he came in… until then, he was more than happy with your small talk, his perfectly made hot chocolate (with all the trimmings, of course) and being able to just see you.

𐔌 freminet !

it had taken freminet around two months to gain the courage to order from you. you had noticed the blonde boy sitting in the back of the cafe, keeping to himself; occasionally the magician lyney and his assistant lynette would sit at the table with him. however, today he was alone and now fumbling over his words.

“hi, freminet! how have you been? i haven’t seen you recently.” you smiled, your hands placed on your hips. freminet kept his eyes towards the floor as a rosy pink blush spread across his cheeks like wildfire. “ive been… just fine, y/n. busy diving and with my siblings.”

“well i’m glad any time i get to see you.” you reassured the blonde boy but all your words did was make his face go almost crimson, you giggled at how shy he was.

it’s true, freminet had caught your attention the first day he had came in. you still remember it clear as day.

the door creaked open and there stood a blonde haired boy with a diving mask held at his side. when he finally looked up and his eyes widened in disbelief at your appearance, you had completely gone limp from the sight of his pretty eyes. it was as cliche as it sounds but somehow it was perfect to you.

ever since then, freminet had visited whenever he could, even if he didn’t speak to you or order anything. sometimes you would give him a drink on the house, after all he would end up sitting there for hours just reading or gazing into space. there were times where his siblings would order something for him and drop devious little hints in your ear about their brothers feelings.

freminet’s appearance had made coming to work everyday unpredictable and exciting. you had a crush and it made your heart pound everyday in anticipation for his arrival.

𐔌 xiao !

it was most certainly a surprise when a certain adeptus visited your coffee house. he was uninterested in your beverages and instead demanded a cuisine you didn’t even offer. however, you bent over backwards trying to please him and cooked him his desired dish anyways.

xiao appreciated your effort even if he decided to leave it unsaid. he decided next time he visited the coffee house, he’d order from your normal menu and definitely not force you to do something special for him.

however, next time he popped by your coffee house and begrudgingly ordered a black coffee (the only one he knew of), he was surprised to find you had given him a portion of almond tofu as well.

it surprised him, why would you go out of your way to cook him a meal when one, he didn’t even pay for it, two, last time you made it he hardly seemed grateful and three, you hardly knew him.

maybe you were trying to gain his custom in the most degrading way possible or maybe you were just that nice. either way xiao was grateful that you entered his life, even if he hadn’t made the most positive impression.

“here’s your tofu, xiao! i adapted the recipe but i do hope you still like it. oh! and i made you a new drink, let me know if it’s okay… if you don’t like it, i’ll make you your usual.” you smiled reassuringly, before placing down the bowl, a spoon and his beverage.

xiao smiled thankfully before digging into his food. it was a slightly different taste from the usual almond tofu recipe, xiao was sure he’d hate it if someone else made it, however, he loved it because it was made by you.

despite having so many questions and conversation topics, you decided to leave him be. xiao had always liked his own company more than others and it was best not to force him into being sociable, it never ended in the way you wanted.

however, what you didn’t realise was during the time you served customers, xiao had already disappeared off into the night and had left a bunch of qingxin flowers in the middle of the table, tied together with a neat lilac bow.

a/n — i hope you enjoyed my first genshin post!! <3 mwah

[ducktoo]

Love is War

Red Velvet’s Irene x Reader

Note: I….love….Kaguya-sama so much. It’s just a funny show to watch and I’ve wanted to make something inspired by them. I had a lot of fun with this.

P.s. a lot of second handed embarrassment

(She’s kinda like Kaguya)

You sit across from Irene in the empty student council room, the evening light filtering through the tall windows, casting long shadows that add a layer of mystery to the already tension-filled silence. Irene is flipping through some papers, meticulously reading, yet somehow ignoring your presence. Her focus, as always, is sharp, precise — but you've noticed the subtle glances, the way her lips curl ever so slightly when she thinks you aren’t watching.

You lean back, determined to stay calm. After all, if you show any interest first, it’s game over. Irene is the president, elegant and controlled, respected and even a little feared. And you, as her vice-president, know every one of her mannerisms by now, but this silent tug-of-war — this feeling she hasn’t just caught your eye but your heart too — has been going on for months. But you’d never give her the satisfaction of saying it first.

“So,” you say, nonchalantly, “another meeting… just us, huh?” You emphasize the “us,” making sure it sounds casual enough to not raise suspicion.

She raises an eyebrow, not even glancing your way. “You’re the vice president, remember?” She flips to the next page. “Or did you forget why you’re here?”

Ouch.

But you can play it cool. “Just making conversation,” you reply with a smirk. “Not everyone spends hours in silence like you do, President.”

She finally looks up, her eyes sharp, and for a second, you’re caught in her gaze. This is all part of the game, you remind yourself. Whoever slips first, whoever lets their guard down, loses.

“I don’t mind silence,” she says with a smirk of her own. “Unless you’re uncomfortable?”

“Oh, of course not,” you scoff, leaning forward. “If anything, I think you’re the one struggling to keep it together.”

She narrows her eyes, amused. “You think I’d give in that easily?”

“I didn't say anything,” you tease and put both of your hands up in innocence. Though your heart's pounding, every word a risky gamble. “You seem pretty close to breaking. Maybe you’re just waiting for me to say something first.”

Irene tilts her head, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “It’s funny. You think you’ve got it all figured out.” She leans in, just close enough that you can feel the warmth of her presence. “But if you’re so certain of yourself, why haven’t you said anything either?”

The challenge is clear, and for a moment, you’re both silent, the air between you practically crackling. You’re staring at each other, each waiting for a sign of surrender, for that one misstep.

Just then, you notice her hand on the table, fingers lightly tapping. You reach out, instinctively, to still them, and in that moment, her eyes widen slightly, the faintest flicker of surprise betraying her usual composure. Your hands linger for a heartbeat longer than necessary, and you can feel your own face growing warm.

You pull away, breaking the silence with a chuckle, hoping to cover up your own slip. “Nice try,” you say. “But I’m not that easy to trick.”

She looks at you with an unreadable expression before her lips twitch into a soft smile — a genuine one, not her usual restrained, dignified expression. “I’ll admit, you’re a little harder to deal with than I thought,” she murmurs, almost to herself.

You raise an eyebrow, feeling a rush of victory. “So, you’re admitting I’m getting to you?”

Irene crosses her arms and raises a brow, leaning back in her chair as if sizing you up. “Well…since you’re so intent on making conversation, how about a game?”

You match her confident expression. “A game, huh? Alright, let’s hear it.”

She holds up her fingers, ticking off each word. “Twenty. Questions.”

The challenge is clear, and your eyes narrow as you smile. This is an opportunity. If you ask the right questions, you might get her to reveal something. “20 questions?"

“Yes,” she says, looking far too pleased with herself. “I’ll ask first.”

You nod, already strategizing your responses. There's no way she’ll get you to slip up.

“Alright,” Irene begins, her tone deceptively casual. “Are you… seeing anyone right now?”

You blink, but you manage a cool response. “No.”

She hums thoughtfully, tapping her chin. “Interesting. Your turn.”

“Are you seeing anyone right now?” you shoot back immediately, watching her for any reaction.

She raises an eyebrow, giving you a slow smile. “No. Next question: Do you have a… special someone in mind?”

Your face heats up, but you don’t let it show. You tilt your head, pretending to consider. “No,” you say, stretching the truth just a bit. “Do you?”

She smirks, but her answer is quick. “No.” There’s a spark in her eyes now, and you know she’s trying to rile you up. “Have you ever… spent an embarrassing amount of time thinking about someone without realizing it?”

You narrow your eyes. She’s getting clever with these questions. “No,” you lie, feeling like she’s closing in. “But have you ever been caught staring at someone and couldn’t look away?”

Her smirk falters for a split second, but she recovers quickly. “No.”

The room feels charged with each back-and-forth. Neither of you wants to back down, and every question seems to dig just a little deeper, as if you’re both trying to pry open a box that’s already bursting at the seams.

Irene leans forward, her eyes glittering. “Do you… think about me when you’re alone?”

The question catches you off guard, but you’re not about to let her win. “No,” you reply, keeping your expression neutral. “Do you think about me?”

Her lips twitch, almost into a smile, and her answer is a soft, measured, “No.”

There’s a beat of silence, and you’re sure she’s lying. But you’ve both committed to the game, and there’s no turning back now.

You decide to turn up the heat. “Have you ever wondered… what it would be like if you and I were… something more?”

Irene’s eyes widen slightly, and for a fraction of a second, you see a crack in her calm exterior. “No,” she replies, but the tiny hesitation is enough to make your heart race.

“Are you sure?” you press, grinning.

“Yes,” she snaps, recovering her poise with a steely look. “Absolutely sure.”

You can’t help but laugh, sensing her annoyance. But she doesn’t let you revel in it for long.

“Do you get jealous if I talk to other people?” she asks, raising an eyebrow challengingly.

“No,” you answer immediately, fighting the urge to look away.

Irene chuckles, clearly unimpressed. “Liar.”

Your cheeks warm, but you keep your gaze steady. “Sure, like you’re any better,” you say. “Have you ever gotten jealous seeing me with someone else?”

She narrows her eyes, leaning just a bit closer. “No.”

There’s a pause, tension thick in the air. Both of you know the series of no are getting less and less convincing, but neither of you is willing to back down.

Then, Irene clears her throat, her voice softer than before. “Alright, last question. And you have to be completely honest.”

You nod, bracing yourself. “Fine. Go ahead.”

She looks you dead in the eye, her expression unreadable. “Do you… feel anything special for me?”

Your heart pounds, the air between you both thick with unsaid words. You can feel every second stretching, every fiber of your being shouting to say something, anything other than—

“No.”

Irene’s eyes widen, and for a moment, her carefully guarded expression slips, replaced with something almost vulnerable. But she recovers, her smirk returning, even if it’s a little shaky.

“Good,” she says, trying to sound indifferent. “Neither do I.”

You both sit in silence, staring at each other, knowing you’ve just lied through your teeth and realizing that you’re both too stubborn to admit it.

But then Irene leans back, her smirk shifting into a resigned smile. “Well,” she says, standing up, her voice teasing, “it seems we’re both in the clear, then. No one’s losing anything here.”

You watch her walk toward the door, and before she leaves, she glances over her shoulder, her eyes holding yours for just a second too long.

“Good night,” she says softly, with a smile that tells you maybe, just maybe, she’s as frustrated as you are.

“Good night,” you manage to reply, watching her leave, and for the first time, wondering if this game is even worth playing if it means you’ll never actually win.

-

Back in your dorm room, you close the door and let out a long, frustrated groan. You’d spent the entire day locked in a ridiculous back-and-forth with Irene, trying to make her slip up, but "nooo", she had to be as stubborn as ever. You throw yourself onto your bed, grabbing your pillow and thrashing around in irritation.

“‘No,’” you mutter to yourself, mimicking Irene’s voice in the most exaggerated tone possible. “'No, I never get jealous, no, I never think about you, no, I have no feelings whatsoever!’” You yank the pillow over your face and yell into it, hoping it’ll somehow drain the frustration boiling over inside you.

“GET OUT OF MY HEAD BAE JOOHYUN!”

-

Meanwhile, across campus, Irene is pacing in her room, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Every step she takes sounds like she’s trying to stomp a hole into the floor. She mutters angrily to herself, face contorted in a mix of anger and — if she were to admit it — embarrassment.

“‘Do you think about me when you’re alone?’” she scoffs, doing her best impression of your voice, throwing her hands up in the air. “Absolutely not, why would I?” She frowns, blushing despite herself. “As if I’d be the first one to say anything anyway!”

She huffs and, in a rare moment of unchecked frustration, grabs her textbook off her desk and slams it down, a futile attempt to squash the annoyance bubbling inside her. She’s never felt so embarrassed — or so irritated that she can’t stop thinking about you.

“No,” she grumbles to herself again, as if the more times she says it, the more true it’ll become. “I am Bae Joohyun…why would I fall for you?”

-

Back in your room, you’ve started pacing now too, every nerve on edge. You catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, your face twisted in frustration, and throw your hands up. “This is ridiculous! I don’t even care!” You stomp over to your desk, slamming your hands down like it might somehow snap you out of this bizarre Irene-fueled haze.

“Of all the people I had to like,” you grumble, throwing yourself back on your bed, arms flailing dramatically, “it had to be the one shortie who won’t admit anything!”

-

Meanwhile, Irene’s found herself in a similar scene, on her bed, legs kicking the mattress in frustration. “And that kid KNOWS what they’re doing,” she says, voice muffled by the pillow she’s now buried her face in. “Just sitting there with that smug little smile, asking all those RIDICULOUS questions like they didn’t care one bit!” She lets out a loud, frustrated sigh, tossing her pillow across the room.

It’s not even five minutes before she stands, determined to shake off the restless energy building inside her, and starts pacing her room again. Each step lands with heavy frustration. She mutters under her breath, trying to convince herself: “It’s not a big deal. This is… nothing. And they were obviously lying anyway, just to mess with me. I mean, why would they ask those things unless they were trying to make me crack?”

-

At the same time, you’re staring up at your ceiling, arms crossed, muttering to yourself. “She just has to be so stubborn,” you say, voice heavy with annoyance.

“Every single answer, every question — it’s like she’s actually trying to lose her mind on purpose!” You cover your face with your hands, shaking your head. “But no, she’s just too proud to admit she feels anything.”

-

In the end, both of you spend the next hour or so in almost synchronized frustration — you, rolling around on your bed, groaning loudly every few minutes, and Irene, sighing dramatically and flopping from one end of her bed to the other, trying not to think about how much it bothers her that you refuse to admit anything either.

It’s only when you both wear yourselves out from the mutual thrashing and muttering that a sense of calm settles, leaving you both sprawled on your beds, staring at the ceiling, each lost in thoughts of the other.

But even in the quiet, both of you have the same thought lingering, echoing annoyingly in your minds:

“Why can’t they just confess already?”

“Why can’t she just confess already?”

-

The next morning, you drag yourself into the student council room, feeling the weight of sleep deprivation clinging to your eyelids like cement. You glance at the clock — 8:15 AM. You’ve barely gotten any sleep, and it shows. Your eyes are bloodshot, your hair’s a mess, and every step feels like it’s being weighed down by the universe itself.

You slump into your usual chair, rubbing your face. The room is eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of the fluorescent lights. No one else is here yet — except for Irene, sitting in her usual spot across from you, who seems just as disheveled as you feel. Her hair’s a little frizzy, and her posture is slumped like she might collapse at any moment.

You exchange a tired glance. Neither of you says anything. There's no point in it. It’s obvious you both didn’t sleep well, and it’s all because of that ridiculous game.

"Morning," Irene mutters, sounding less like herself than usual, her voice hoarse and low.

You nod. “Morning. Did you… sleep at all?”

She gives a small shake of her head, eyes slightly glazed. “…No.”

You groan. “Same.”

“I can tell,” she says, voice tinged with equal frustration.

You both fall into an exhausted silence, but just as the tension begins to build between you once again, the door creaks open. Seulgi, the treasurer, strides in, bouncing on her feet as usual, though today she seems extra chipper — like she’s somehow been recharged by a full night of sleep, which you both desperately lack.

She beams at you both. “Good morning, my higher ups! You two look like you barely survived the night.”

“Thanks for the observation,” you mutter sarcastically, leaning back in your chair, trying to ignore the painful throb in your skull.

Seulgi raises an eyebrow, clearly sensing the tense energy in the room. “You guys didn’t get any sleep, did you?” she teases, looking between the two of you. “Too busy scheming with each other, huh?”

Irene gives Seulgi a deadpan stare. “We don’t need your commentary, Kang Seulgi.”

Seulgi shrugs, unfazed. “Okay, okay, no need to get defensive. You two need a distraction.”

With that, Seulgi pulls a small notepad from her bag, flipping it open with dramatic flair. “Let’s play Would You Rather,” she announces, practically jumping into the chair beside Irene.

You blink at her, too exhausted to even care about the idea of playing another game. But Seulgi’s already too deep into her plans to let you escape.

“Would you rather,” Seulgi starts, voice rising in enthusiasm, “have the ability to read anyone’s mind, but only while they’re eating something, or be able to talk to animals, but only in a language they don’t understand?”

You glance at Irene, already half-suspecting she’s not going to entertain this nonsense, but to your surprise, she lets out a small sigh and leans in, trying to humor Seulgi. “The animals. No contest.”

“Really?” you ask, raising an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Because I could ask a certain bear to stop stealing my snacks,” Irene mutters, eyes narrowing like she’s speaking from personal experience.

"I know nothing" Seulgi whistled and looked away, feigning ignorance.

You chuckle, despite yourself, because somehow that seems oddly relatable. But Seulgi’s not done yet.

“Okay, next one!” Seulgi says, flipping her page. “Would you rather always know when someone’s lying, but it makes you physically ill, or never know when someone’s lying, but it makes you constantly question everything?”

Irene shoots you a look, probably knowing where this is going. You tap your chin dramatically.

“I’ll go with the first one,” you say, your tone dripping with sarcasm. “I already get physically ill just dealing with you.”

Irene doesn’t miss a beat. “I’m starting to think you might be lying about that,” she retorts, a small grin playing at the corner of her mouth.

Seulgi, clearly loving this back-and-forth, just grins wider. “Alright, now for the real fun one…”

You both exchange a look of dread.

“Would you rather,” Seulgi pauses for dramatic effect, “have to sing every time you want to communicate, but only in opera, or be unable to speak at all and only express yourself through interpretive dance?”

You both sit there, silent for a moment, processing the absurdity of the question. Then, without missing a beat, Irene responds, deadpan, “I’d go with interpretive dance. At least it’s not opera.”

You stare at her in disbelief. “You would dance? For everything? For your class presentations?”

She shrugs. “I mean, it would be easier than singing opera in front of the entire school.”

You scoff, leaning back in your chair. “I’d rather sing opera. It’s at least... dignified.”

Seulgi looks between the two of you, laughing to herself as if she’s witnessing the world's most ridiculous standoff. “Okay, okay, one last one. Would you rather accidentally confess your feelings to the entire school, but the person you like doesn’t hear, or have to live your life with a giant embarrassing secret that no one knows except you?”

You freeze. Irene’s gaze flicks to yours, and for a brief, horrifying moment, it feels like the entire world has just turned its spotlight on you both.

Seulgi’s watching, clearly loving the discomfort she’s causing.

“I—” you start, but then you hesitate. “I’d rather have the secret,” you say quickly, then add, “I mean, I don’t want to confess in front of everyone!”

Irene laughs — a soft, almost bitter laugh — and answers quickly, “I’d pick the same thing. Secrets are easier to deal with than... that.”

You both stare at each other, and for once, the silence between you doesn’t feel as tense as before. In fact, it’s almost like... you’ve just admitted something without even trying.

But Seulgi, ever the expert at reading the room, lets out a dramatic sigh. “You two are impossible,” she says, shaking her head in mock disappointment. “But at least we had fun.”

Irene and you exchange a glance. Neither of you says anything, but the hint of something unspoken lingers in the air. Something that wasn’t quite said in the game, but was definitely felt.

“You know,” you mutter, standing up and stretching, “next time, we’re just playing chess.”

Seulgi grins, already plotting her next absurd question. “You got it. But just so you know,” she winks, “I’m totally adding opera to the rules.”

Irene shoots you a look as if to say, See? This is your fault.

And for once, you can’t help but laugh.

-

A few months pass, and life in the student council room has somehow become a bizarre, ongoing comedy show. You and Irene continue your ridiculous push-and-pull game, each day a new round of Who Will Crack First?. Neither of you has budged an inch, and yet neither of you has let up on the passive-aggressive scheming either.

It’s as if you’re both living in some weird, never-ending loop of “will they, won’t they” — and it’s driving everyone around you absolutely mad.

Seulgi, who’s practically an expert at this point in navigating the absurdity of your interactions, has given up trying to intervene. She now finds it hilarious, often leaning back in her chair with a smug smile as she watches the two of you exchange cryptic looks and challenge each other with passive-aggressive “Would You Rather” questions.

One particularly awful morning, Irene walks in wearing her usual perfectly put-together look — except today, her blazer is slightly askew, her hair a little more chaotic than usual. She’s clearly been running on no sleep, but as always, she gives you a pointed, unamused look when you glance at her.

“Not today,” she mutters, sounding exhausted, and collapses into her chair with a sigh.

You blink. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m tired of you,” she snaps back, without hesitation.

You sit up straighter, a smirk tugging at your lips. “Oh? So you admit it now?”

Her head whips to face you. “I didn’t admit anything, you idiot.”

“Right, right. Of course not.” You lean back in your chair, arms crossed, trying to play it cool, but inside you can feel a small victory bubbling up.

Yes, you’re getting to her. Keep going.

Before you can continue your “I’m always right” victory lap in your mind, Seulgi enters, holding an envelope in her hands.

“Good morning, everyone!” Seulgi greets, sliding into her chair and tossing the envelope onto the desk in front of you. “Got this for you,” she says, looking far too pleased with herself.

You blink at it. “What’s this?”

Seulgi leans forward, grinning. “Well, someone (ahem, our vice-president) just got accepted for the student exchange program. With a full scholarship, no less.”

You freeze, staring at the envelope as if it might suddenly burst into flames. It takes a moment for the words to fully process in your tired brain, but when they do — you can’t help but feel a mix of disbelief and excitement.

“Wait… you’re kidding,” you mutter, flipping the envelope open. Sure enough, it’s real. You’ve been accepted into the program — and with a scholarship at that. You can barely wrap your head around it, the magnitude of it overwhelming. A chance to study abroad? This is huge.

"I MADE IT MOM!!!" You shouted, as loud as you just won a well fought war.

Irene, however, is not as happy for you. She glares at the envelope, as though it’s personally offended her. “Congratulations,” she says, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

You grin, almost smugly. “Thanks, Pres. I’m going to study abroad! How cool is that?”

“Right, so you’ll be gone for how long?” Irene’s voice has a sharp edge to it, and you know instantly that something’s bothering her.

“I’m not sure,” you say, waving it off, still too distracted by the possibility of it all. “Maybe six months? Maybe more. It’s exciting, right?”

Irene doesn’t respond. Instead, she leans back in her chair, arms crossed, staring at you with an unreadable expression. Her lips are pressed together like she’s holding something in.

“You know,” you say, enjoying the rare moment of feeling like you actually have the upper hand, “maybe you should congratulate me properly. This is a big deal.”

She gives you a sharp look. “I don’t congratulate people who act like they’re already the best at everything.”

“Oh, please,” you laugh, “that’s not even true. We both know you’re just upset that you won’t get to have your daily dose of me tormenting you.”

Irene narrows her eyes, leaning forward like she’s about to bite back with something absolutely scathing. But instead, she just sighs. “Fine. Congratulations. I’m sure you’ll do great. Now, I’ll just go back to pretending you aren’t about to abandon me for six months.”

You blink, caught off guard by her sudden change in attitude. It’s almost like she’s… jealous? No, that can’t be right.

“Wait,” you say, your voice sounding strangely unsure, “you’re mad?”

She raises an eyebrow, looking at you like you're the dumbest person alive. “What do you think, Einstein?”

“Are you actually mad that I’m going abroad?” You almost can’t believe you’re asking. This is a new level of absurdity. She’s always acted like she doesn’t care about anything — least of all you.

Her response comes in the form of a heavy sigh, followed by her leaning back again with a dramatic thud into her chair. “I just don’t get it,” she mutters, staring at the ceiling like it’s the most tragic thing in the world. “One moment you’re here, annoying the hell out of me, and then poof — off to some other country like it’s no big deal.”

“Is that jealousy?” you ask, incredulous. “Pres, is that—”

“No!” She snaps immediately. “I’m just annoyed that you’ve been torturing me for months, and now you’re going to vanish, leaving me alone with Seulgi’s stupid games and that.”

You look at Seulgi, who’s grinning at the back-and-forth with a cup of coffee in her hand like she’s watching a reality TV show unfold before her. “I’m just here for the drama,” Seulgi mumbles under her breath, casually sipping her coffee.

“See?” Irene gestures to Seulgi. “I’m stuck here with this.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I’m just as confused as you are,” you joke, tapping the envelope on the table, “since it looks like I’m leaving you here to suffer alone with your secrets.”

Irene glares at you. “Stop talking about my secrets. It’s not like you even have any.”

You grin, sensing that you’ve touched a nerve. “Oh, I do, don’t worry. Just waiting for you to—”

“Stop talking.” Irene snaps, her voice so sharp it’s almost a threat.

The tension in the room is so thick you could cut it with a knife, but you don’t know whether to laugh or just keep pushing her buttons. It’s getting harder and harder to tell if she’s frustrated because of your “secret” or if it’s just the ever-present game you two have been playing for months.

Seulgi, clearly sensing the climax of your endless drama, looks between you both with a smirk. “You two are ridiculous,” she says, sipping her coffee and savoring the war, like a general on the side watching her neighbouring countries fight.

And as always, you and Irene stay locked in your little game — still stubborn, still not admitting anything, but both of you a tiny bit more frustrated than before. You can’t help but laugh, even though you’re not quite sure whether it’s from the excitement of the exchange program or the absurdity of your constant back-and-forth with Irene.

One thing’s for sure — you may be leaving soon, but the game will never truly end.

-

The days leading up to your final day at school felt like a drawn-out episode of Who Will Break First?.

The tension between you and Irene was palpable, like two magnets trying to repel each other while secretly waiting for the other to snap. It was absurd, and yet, you couldn’t help but be thrilled by the idea of ending this ridiculous game once and for all.

The exchange program was looming on the horizon, and you were determined to win this war — no more games, no more indirect jabs. One of you was going to finally confess, and it would be grand. You weren’t just going to do it quietly or casually.

Oh no. You had bigger plans.

Way bigger plans.

You could practically feel the dramatic music building in your head as you sat in the student council room, staring at the whiteboard, mapping out your elaborate scheme. It had to be perfect, a moment so spectacular that Irene would have no choice but to confess. You had one chance, and it had to be memorable.

The idea? A scavenger hunt.

But not just any scavenger hunt. A scavenger hunt for the heart.

“How can I make it even more dramatic?” you muttered to yourself, looking over your ridiculous list of clues and challenges. Every challenge would lead Irene closer to her inevitable fate — confessing her feelings, of course. But it couldn’t be too obvious. You had to make it like a game, because she would never confess otherwise. She was too proud.

You could already hear the sound of her internal monologue: I can’t let them get away with this. I’ll show them I’m not some softy.

Little did she know, you were about to turn this into the most obnoxiously grand gesture ever.

The next day, you casually walk into the student council room, where Irene is sitting at her desk, looking as stoic as usual. Her hair is perfect (obviously), and she’s in the middle of filling out some form that looks like it was written in some ancient bureaucratic language.

“Good morning, Pres.” you say nonchalantly, as if nothing is out of the ordinary.

She barely glances up at you, just giving a quick nod. “Morning,” she mutters, not even bothering to make eye contact.

Perfect. The stage was set.

“You ready for the game today?” you ask casually, leaning over to get a peek at her papers.

Her eyebrow twitches slightly. “What game?”

“The game,” you say dramatically, “The scavenger hunt. The ultimate scavenger hunt.”

Irene freezes. “What?”

You grin, feeling the thrill of your scheme starting to take effect. “It’s simple, really. I’ve set up a series of clues around the campus. Each one will lead you to the next, until you finally reach your destination. And guess what? You’re the only one who can participate. No one else is allowed.”

Irene stares at you as if you just suggested she run a marathon in high heels. “A scavenger hunt? Are you serious?”

“Yes.” You give her an exaggeratedly dramatic nod. “You’re going to love it. Each clue is going to lead you to a place that’s important to us. You’ll figure it out. Eventually.”

She blinks, clearly confused. “And what’s the point of this ridiculous hunt?”

“The point is,” you say, leaning in like you’re about to share the world’s greatest secret, “by the end of it, you’ll finally admit that you can’t stand it anymore and you will…”

You paused for a moment “…confess your feelings for me.”

Irene’s face is completely deadpan. “You’re out of your mind.”

But she’s intrigued. You can tell.

“Okay, okay. I’ll bite. Where do I start?” Irene asks, crossing her arms with that same defiant, no-nonsense look that always drives you insane.

You hand her the first clue, which is written in ridiculously dramatic handwriting. “Go to the place where it all started,” you say, practically bouncing in your chair, “You know, where we first met. Good luck.”

Irene glares at you for a second before unfolding the note. Her eyes scan it quickly. She’s already halfway out of her seat when she mutters, “This is so stupid.”

And off she goes.

What she doesn’t realize is that you’ve set up each clue in the most bizarre and over-the-top way possible.

The first stop is the fountain near the school entrance. But it’s not just a simple clue — oh no. You’ve surrounded the fountain with floating balloons that spell out “LOVE,” because you’re subtle like that. Next to the fountain, there’s a big, obnoxious banner that says, “First step to confessing your feelings: stop running away from the truth.”

When Irene arrives, she looks at it, rolls her eyes so hard you think they might get stuck, but follows the instructions anyway.

“Ridiculous,” she mutters, lifting the balloon with one hand and searching for the next clue.

Next, the clue leads her to the library — but not just any section of the library. It’s the aisle where you first bumped into her accidentally (totally not planned) on that fateful day. The shelf is stacked with books on love and confession. (Of course, you also made sure the most embarrassing ones were in plain sight.)

By the time she reaches the next clue, which is hidden inside a cookie jar in the student lounge, she’s had enough. “This is the worst thing you’ve ever done,” she says under her breath as she rips open the paper and immediately glares at the next clue.

It’s just one word: Confess.

Irene stares at the note for a solid minute, as though she’s trying to will it to self-destruct. “This is… absurd.”

She’s so close now. You’re practically jumping out of your seat, grinning so wide you’re certain she can hear the smugness radiating off you.

The final stop is, of course, the student council room. You’ve cleared out all the other council members and arranged the room like an oddly romantic restaurant, complete with candles (yes, real candles, because you’re extra) and a giant cardboard cutout of the two of you from a school event that she’ll definitely recognize.

“I swear to god, if you’ve done anything worse than this, I’ll…” Irene trails off as she steps into the room, eyes widening at the display.

You cross your arms. “Well?”

“Are you really going to make me do this?” she asks, her voice dangerously calm.

You grin, barely containing your excitement. “I think it’s about time, don’t you?”

Irene looks at you, deadpan as usual. “You’re impossible.”

You wait, your heart practically beating out of your chest.

She doesn’t say anything. The silence stretches for a few seconds, and just when you think she’s going to snap — she sighs. “Fine.”

She’s this close.

She takes a deep breath, looking you straight in the eye, and says in the most dramatically deadpan voice possible:

“I hate you.”

And just like that, you snap.

“WHAT?!”

“I said I hate you.” Irene smiles smugly, enjoying every second of your frustration. “But I think you’re kind of an idiot. And I’m sort of impressed by your sheer lack of self-awareness. So, confession done.”

You stand there, utterly flabbergasted.

“That’s not a confession!” you shout.

“I didn’t say it was a good one,” Irene retorts, crossing her arms. “But at least I win.”

And with that, you both realize — you’ve just played yourselves.

As Irene starts walking away, her smug expression plastered on her face, you stand there, still stunned, your heart hammering in your chest. You had come so close to victory — and then she just dropped the bomb on you like it was nothing.

I hate you.

What kind of confession was that? Sure, it was dramatic, but it was barely even close to what you had in mind!

But something in your chest tightens. You can’t let this end like this. No way. You won’t let her get away with this. Not when you’re so close

You take one step forward. Then another. You’re walking after her now, and you can feel the heat rising in your face as you approach. The whole scene plays out like a movie, but not the cool action kind of movie. No, this is a slow-motion trainwreck happening in real time.

“I—” You stop yourself. What the hell am I doing?

Irene turns around, still smirking as if she just hit you with the world’s greatest comeback. “What? Did you come to call me an idiot again?”

“No! I mean—YES, but—” You flounder, trying to hold on to whatever shred of dignity you still have. She raises an eyebrow.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” you mutter, realizing that at this point, the only way to salvage your pride is to act like you meant this all along.

You take a deep breath, already feeling the cringe crawl up your spine. “I—I think I like you. A lot.”

You don’t stop there. No. That would be too easy.

“Bae Joohyun, I think... I think I’ve liked you for a long time, and... and this whole thing, the games, the scavenger hunts, the balloons... it’s been ridiculous and stupid and—”

Your voice cracks, and you internally scream. This is so embarrassing. Why did I think this would work against the Ice Queen?

Irene just stands there, her smirk faltering for the first time. “Wait—are you—”

“Yes! I—yes! I like you, okay?” you blurt out, and then immediately want to crawl into a hole and disappear forever. “Like, really like you. More than I can even explain. And maybe I don’t always show it, and maybe I’m not the best at this, but I’ve spent so long trying to... uh... win this stupid confession game, and now I’m realizing that I... don’t care about that anymore. I just want you to know that I like you—like, like you—and I’m tired of pretending I don’t!”

There’s a moment of silence. You stand there, your face glowing with humiliation, hands clenched at your sides, waiting for Irene to react. You almost can’t bear to look at her. You can feel the awkwardness radiating between you like a thick cloud, and it’s so heavy that it might as well be an actual physical presence.

Irene doesn’t say anything at first, just stares at you with wide eyes. Then she opens her mouth, and you hold your breath, half-expecting her to laugh in your face or walk away.

Instead, she says, “...Are you... done?”

You blink rapidly, still trying to process her words. “What?”

“Are you done?” she repeats, her voice more amused than anything else. “Because that was about the most painfully awkward thing I’ve ever witnessed. I mean, are you seriously this bad at confessing?”

Your face turns bright red, and you immediately want to crawl under a desk and live there for the rest of eternity. “I—No! I mean... Yes, I am. I just... I don’t know how to do this! It’s like every time I try, I keep making it worse, and now I’m... I’m...”

You throw your hands up in exasperation. “I’m just going to shut up now.”

Irene crosses her arms, watching you with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. “So, what exactly are you expecting from me now? A confession back? Do you want me to one-up you with some dramatic gesture too?”

The secondhand embarrassment is reaching a point where you feel like you might die from sheer awkwardness. “I—”

“Well, guess what?” she interrupts, her expression softening just slightly. “You’re not the only one who’s bad at confessing, you know.” She pauses, letting the words sink in. “I’m just better at pretending I don’t care.”

Your eyes widen. Wait. What?

“You’ve been so obvious for so long. But you’re... you’re a mess,” she says, voice dropping into something a little more serious now. “And I didn’t want to be the one to make the first move. I didn’t want to admit it either.”

Your brain short-circuits. ��Wait, so... you—”

She gives a dramatic sigh and steps toward you. “I’m just saying,” she continues, “You’re such an idiot. And I can’t believe it took this long for you to get a clue.”

And then, out of nowhere, she leans forward and kisses you.

For a moment, everything stops. Your brain ceases to function as you try to process what just happened.

It takes about five seconds before you realize that you’ve been kissed, and another five seconds to realize that you’re staring at her wide-eyed, as if this were the most confusing thing to ever happen to you. But you’re also feeling like you might pass out from sheer shock.

As Irene pulls away from the kiss, you’re still standing there, completely shell-shocked. Your head is spinning, the words in your mind tumbling over each other, and your whole body is shaking like a leaf. You can’t believe what just happened — you’d been playing this ridiculous back-and-forth for so long, and now it was finally over.

Sort of.

Irene looks entirely too smug for someone who just outplayed you at your own game. “Well, that was definitely a moment, wasn’t it?”

Your mouth opens and closes, but you’re too dumbfounded to say anything remotely intelligent. You can feel your cheeks burning with embarrassment, your brain still processing the fact that she kissed you like it was some kind of casual Tuesday.

“Um... can I... can I just...?” you trail off, desperately trying to regain your composure, but it’s like trying to catch a greased pig.

Irene, on the other hand, seems completely unaffected, smirking as she watches you fumble. “What? Are you still processing it, or...?”

But before you can even think of a response, you hear it.

A very loud click.

Both you and Irene freeze at the sound, and the two of you turn towards the source of the noise. And there, standing a few feet away, is Seulgi — grinning like a cat who just got into the cream.

“Oh, this is rich,” Seulgi says, holding up her phone. “Vice president, you really should’ve told me you were planning on doing a ‘confession’ scene. I thought I was going to have to orchestrate this myself, but lucky for me, I had a feeling something like this would go down.”

“No...” you mutter, feeling the blood drain from your face. “No, no, no. Did you seriously just—?”

“Oh, you bet I did,” Seulgi replies with a grin so wide it should be illegal. She’s clearly enjoying every second of this. “You two have been at this for months. I was just waiting for the moment when one of you would finally break. And I caught it all on video!”

You can feel the panic rising in your chest. “Kang Seulgi, no! You—You can’t—”

She takes a few steps closer, completely unfazed by your distress. “Oh, don’t worry. I won’t post it... yet,” she says. “But let’s just say I also have some... interesting footage that could influence your future decisions.”

“Seulgi, you wouldn’t,” Irene warns, her voice uncharacteristically soft.

“Oh, I would,” Seulgi chirps, tapping away on her phone, her fingers flying over the screen. “I have all the juicy bits. You two were so painfully obvious, I might just have enough material for a whole documentary about your embarrassing little love war.”

(She said the title card! Don’t sue me thank you)

You turn to Irene, a look of pure despair on your face. “Please tell me this is not happening.”

“I swear to God, Seulgi, if you even think about blackmailing us...” Irene starts, but then her eyes flicker to the phone in Seulgi’s hand. She hesitates, realizing there’s really no way to undo this.

“Oh, I’m just kidding,” Seulgi says suddenly, and you almost collapse in relief, but then she adds, “Mostly.”

“What do you mean, mostly?” you ask, now suspicious.

Seulgi just looks between the two of you, her grin only growing wider. “Well, I was going to use this footage to make you two suffer with some embarrassing compilation videos... but honestly? It’s more fun to watch you both squirm. You’re so pathetically obvious, it’s hilarious.”

You groan and throw your hands up in exasperation. “I can’t believe this. Of course, Seulgi would have been lurking in the shadows, ready to capture every moment.”

Irene, meanwhile, takes a deep breath and glances at the phone again, looking more irritated than ever. “You better not show this to anyone. Or I will make your life a living nightmare.”

“Oh please,” Seulgi says, tapping the screen. “I’m just going to enjoy watching you two suffer in peace for now. But you know, if you’re ever interested in... making a deal... I’m all ears.”

Irene crosses her arms, giving Seulgi a death glare. “You really want to start blackmailing THE president and vice president of the student council? Don’t forget, I have connections.”

Seulgi raises her hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright, I’ll back off... for now. But let’s just say, I’ll be keeping my eyes open. You two are so obvious.”

As Seulgi walks away, still chuckling to herself, you and Irene stand there, completely defeated.

You’re both speechless.

“I can’t believe this,” you mutter again, this time to Irene, who’s clearly just as done with the situation as you are. “I swear, Seulgi is too much.”

Irene lets out a long sigh and places a hand over her face, as if trying to hide her sheer embarrassment. “This is never going to be over, is it?”

You shake your head. “Nope. I’m stuck with this for life.”

“I don’t think I can show my face at school tomorrow,” Irene admits, finally letting out a little laugh despite herself.

“Same,” you reply, feeling the humiliation deep in your bones. “I’m going to pretend I’m sick. I’ll fake an injury. I’ll fake... I don’t know, something.”

“You should,” Irene agrees, “and I’ll be right there with you. The entire school will know about our ‘confession’ before lunch.”

There’s a brief silence between you both, and then, at the same time, you both erupt into groans of frustration and turned away from each other.

“This is why I hate you.”

“This is why I hate you,” Irene replies, her voice thick with secondhand embarrassment.

And there it is — the grand culmination of months of tension, teasing, and awkward games. And it ended up with you both being caught on video, standing like two idiots while Seulgi secretly enjoyed every moment of it.

Today’s result: Both lost (even with a fcking kiss)

-

The week after you left for the exchange program felt like a blur for you — the excitement, the new environment, and the unfamiliar routines made everything feel like a whirlwind.

But back at school, Irene was in a much different place.

Every day, Seulgi would come to school with a new glint in her eyes, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips, and a phone hidden somewhere on her person. She wasn’t as sneaky as she thought; Irene could spot her from a mile away, and each time, she’d smirk to herself.

“I swear, you’re enjoying this way too much, Bae Joohyun” Irene would mutter, though the grin never left her face.

And why wouldn’t she? Each time Seulgi presented her with another batch of pictures — snapshots from the infamous day of the confession — Irene’s heart would flutter in the most embarrassing way.

There was the one of you, mid-sentence, as you tried to pull off your grand declaration. Your face was a perfect mix of awkwardness and desperation, eyes wide as you blurted out the confession.

The best part? The expression on your face was so utterly panicked that it made Irene burst into a fit of giggles every time she looked at it.

Then there was the one of you standing there, your hands raised in dramatic surrender, as Seulgi’s camera flashed. Your face was a blend of mortification and determination. Irene would often catch herself replaying that moment in her head — how precious you looked, fighting so hard for that confession you never thought you’d be able to get out.

But the one that made her giddy the most was a candid shot — one taken right after the kiss. It wasn’t a perfect picture by any means, but there you were, lips still pink from the kiss, standing in complete shock as Irene pulled away with that smug smile plastered across her face. You looked like you’d just been struck by lightning…

…and Irene was absolutely in love with the image.

Every time she glanced at it, she could feel the warmth in her chest, the little skip in her heartbeat.

But the real kicker? The deal she made with Seulgi.

“If you promise to keep these between us... and not use them as leverage against me,” Irene had said one day, as Seulgi grinned with her phone in hand, “then maybe... just maybe... you’ll get something in return.”

Seulgi had raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly are we talking about here?”

Irene’s eyes glinted mischievously. “The ‘one’ photo you really want. The one where I’m looking adorably happy in front of that dork. I’ll give it to you... for a price.”

“Deal,” Seulgi said instantly, knowing exactly which picture Irene was talking about — the one of her, holding her phone with a soft smile, staring at all the pictures of you. The one where the subtle joy in her eyes was enough to make Seulgi’s heart melt.

And that, of course, meant that Irene had the perfect little “deal” in her pocket. She now had the ultimate keepsake of her vice president and all those memories of their relationship’s unspoken history — one that no one else would ever know about. Not just the hilarious moments, the embarrassment, or even the kiss itself, but the sweetness of it all — tucked away in her phone, a secret only for her to see.

The first time you sent her a message after you’d arrived at your exchange program, she stared at her phone for a moment longer than necessary, then quickly typed back:

“I miss you already. Do you remember that day?”

She hit send before she could overthink it. Almost immediately, she received a reply.

“Of course I do, Joohyun.” you texted. “How could I forget? My life will forever be haunted by that day, thanks to Seulgi.”

Irene couldn’t help but chuckle, a small smile tugging at her lips.

“I’m not letting you forget. I’ll be keeping all the best pictures. After all, I did get the perfect shot,” she teased, her fingers flying over her phone.

“You wouldn’t dare...” you wrote back, but Irene could tell you were joking. Your words were playful, the tone light.

“I would,” she replied, sending a winky face along with the message. She then paused, allowing herself to enjoy the quiet connection between you two.

As Irene walked through the campus, heading toward the student council room, she felt oddly content. Despite the distance between you now, despite the teasing and the games and the back-and-forth, there was this undeniable warmth in her chest. She might have started this war thinking she’d win, but now that it was over, she realized she had already won.

You.

Her vice president. The one who had made her life absolutely ridiculous and frustrating, but also the one who had somehow captured her heart in the most unexpected of ways.

Irene flipped through the pictures once more (and the candid shot that she had set as her lock screen)— the ones of you two together — and her smile softened. It was official.

She was never letting go of this.

As she walked into the council room, still holding her phone close to her chest, Seulgi shot her a knowing look. “So, when are you going to send them all the photos and just admit you’re head over heels for your vice president?”

“Soon,” Irene said, her voice thick with happiness, as she swiped through the next batch of pictures. “Just... one more time. I want to keep this to myself for a little longer..”

Seulgi rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress the grin that followed. “You really are hopeless. It sounds more like you definitely lost this war, isn't it?”

“…maybe.” Irene admitted, unable to stop herself from smiling widely. “But I’m hopelessly in love.”

And with that, she tucked her phone away, heart full of giddy excitement, ready to face whatever came next. After all, she had time. The war might have ended, but this?

This was just the beginning.

(cue the outro)

[heartfeltcherie]

Hi, I'm not sure if you requests are open but I'd like to ask for a Lucifer Morningstar x oblivious! fem! reader. He met her when he visited the hotel and was immediately intrigued when Charlie told him that she was a a fallen angel. Later on he decides to court her but she is oblivious to his advances. Fluff! Have a good day/night!

HIS FALLEN ANGEL ᡣ𐭩

❀ summary; lucifer falls in love with you, another fallen angel, and tries to court you.

❀ what to lookout for; lucifer being awkward and a dork, tiny bit of crying, a bit of pet names, a bit of romance, mentions of bruises and angelic blood, perhaps an ending that doesn't make sense (i tried).

❀ extra notes; i don't know how you figured it out anon but your request represents some of my oc's lore so i just knew i had to write this !

- heaven kicked you out because they did not like you whatsoever. hated you, even. you didn’t like the way they did things up there, their rules, and when you tried to do something about it, you ended up in hell.

- and when you found out about the hazbin hotel, you thought “why not?”

- when you tell charlie about your situation, she of course feels sorry for you and of course she does her very best to comfort you.

- but you fail to see her eyes light up when you mention that you’re a fallen angel… just like her dad.

- so when lucifer shows up to visit the hotel, she immediately introduces you both.

“dad, this is the newest member of our hotel! she was kicked out of heaven not too long ago… just like you”

you give a curtsy to the king of hell himself, having heard stories of him when you were in heaven. “it’s an honour to meet you, your highness” you give him a sympathetic smile.

lucifer chuckles lowly as he takes your hand in his, lifting it to give the back of it a gentle kiss. “the pleasure is all mine… does heaven know they lost one of their most beautiful angels?”

you can’t help but blush and speak a small “oh” as you chuckle shyly.

- you and lucifer begin to bond over being fallen angels. mainly venting about your experiences and how much you both hated sera and adam.

- at one point, you begin telling him how much you miss emily, as she was your only friend in heaven. lucifer listens with all his heart and soul as he wraps his tail around your waist, pulling you closer to his side.

- you don’t realize how close you are until he’s wiping the tears that you didn’t know were shed.

“you’re too pretty to cry, angel…” his eyes widen as he realizes the term he used. “the pet name! not-not the other way around! even though you are an actual angel, but you’re also- i just ruined the moment… didn’t i?”

you chuckle at him being a dork, almost forgetting why you were sad. but you guess that’s what he meant to do. “not at all. you’re quite cute, actually…”

now it was his turn to get shy and blush.

- you and lucifer grow exceptionally close and charlie instantly notices, she can’t help but feel pure joy that her dad found someone.

- and when he comes back during the extermination and the hotel is in shambles, his first thought is finding you. of course his daughter too! but you’re also important to him… very important.

- when he sees that you’re bruised and have angelic blood all over you, his hatred for heaven grows even more.

“i’m so glad you’re okay, i-i was so worried about you” lucifer brings you into a hug and you gladly reciprocate.

“i’m glad you’re here, luci…” you take account of his angel wings that you’ve never seen before and how they’re on beautiful display. “i love your wings… they suit you”

“yeahhh, but i think you’d suit me better”

“wait what?”

“what?”

- he stays to help rebuild the hotel, and while doing so he’s pulling out all the tricks.

- he shows you what his angelic power can do as he somehow makes a bouquet of flowers with rubber ducks appear out of thin air.

“for you, dovey…”

“oh, luci… they’re beautiful” you take in the scent of what seems to be some lavender plants and daisies. “i’ll cherish them in my room forever”

- he shows you how he can fly through the air with ease.

“you promise not to drop me?”

“sweetheart, i wouldn’t dream of letting myself drop you. now, c’mon! i wanna show you the best way to view all of hell!”

and as he takes flight with you in his arms, you can’t help but to be in awe at the city lights and the different shades of red and black that make up all of hell.

“wow, luci… it’s beautiful up here”

lucifer chuckles lowly. “not nearly as beautiful as the demon in my arms…”

you squeal as you suddenly remember how high off the ground you are. “just keep your eyes focused, i don’t wanna crash into a bird or something!”

lucifer lets out a laugh, finding you absolutely hilarious. “my dear, there’s no birds in hell!”

- and even though you’re oblivious to lucifer’s attempts at courting you, he’s still happy being a lovesick fool with you.

❀ word count; 766

reblogs/hearts/comments and all that good stuff are appreciated !

audience; @crystalrayn @drxgonspine @alastorthirsty @speedycoffeedelight

© heartfeltcherie

[msbigredmachine]

New To This - Chapter 5

MASTERLIST

“Sup, trick,” a soft voice chuckled next to Delilah, and she turned to see Tiwa, her co-worker at the supermarket, presenting her a can of Mountain Dew and a bowl of jollof rice and stewed chicken as she joined her to sit on the staircase outside on their lunch break. “Want some?”

Delilah grimaced and bit into her carrot stick for emphasis. “You know I can’t have that. I’m workin’ out and shit.”

“Oh yeah, I keep forgetting about your wrestling. Shoulda brought you a salad or somethin’,” Tiwa joked, causing Delilah to roll her eyes good-naturedly. The two women had known each other since high school and had run in different social circles back then, but working together for the past four years had closed that gap between them.

“So, how’s wedding planning going? You still got time for that with your wrestling and all?” Tiwa asked as she threw her braids behind her shoulder.

“It’s going,” Delilah shrugged, staring out into the empty backlot of the supermarket. “My Mama’s making sure it’s going, anyway. We’ve put a deposit on the reception hall, but haven’t decided on the catering. I haven’t even thought about a dress yet. Luckily I got my mom’s wedding dress to fall back on if everything else goes to shit.”

“You sound bored outta your fuckin’ mind,” Tiwa pointed out, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve never heard any woman sound this uninterested about planning her own wedding.”

“It’s not boredom. I’m just…tired,” Delilah insisted, shuffling her feet on the step she sat on. “Training and working two jobs hasn’t given me much time to think of anything else.”

“What about your man? Is he going to Panama City with you for the show? I mean, that’s gotta be exciting, right?”

“For me? Absolutely,” she responded, turning her face toward the sun. “The networking opportunities are beyond my wildest dreams. For him? Not really. He’s never been a wrestling fan. And he still thinks I’m outta my mind,” she added with a roll of her eyes. In reality, she knew that half the town thought the same way, but she never let it deter her. What she wanted to do with her life was no one’s fucking business.

Tiwa nodded in what seemed like understanding and chewed her food slowly. “That bad, huh?”

“Yeah, that bad. He’s not cooperating at all.” Delilah huffed, feeling her blood begin to boil already. “First off, he refused to come to my first match. My very first match! He bitches about my training schedule all the fuckin’ time now. What is scaring him so much?”

“Gee, where do I start?” Tiwa snorted.

Delilah looked back at her co-worker, startled by her response. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Come on, girl. Look at it. Y’all supposed to be getting married soon and then your wrestling picks up. I saw your match on YouTube and it’s already at like a hundred thousand views. That’s a fuckin’ big deal, ya know? Not to mention you’re spending time with that steaming hot Jey guy that just might end up being your co-worker. And from all the buzz you’re getting, it’s only gonna be a matter of time before that happens. That’s gotta make Andre uncomfortable.”

She didn’t know her match had made it onto YouTube, but she would get back to that later. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“I am. And I’m happy for you. This town is boring as fuck. Someone needs to get outta this dump and do something interesting with their lives.” Tiwa took a swig of her Mountain Dew. “So back to you and this Jey dude. He seems to be giving you a lot of attention.”

“Y’all making it sound like me and him are seeing each other every day or somethin’,” said Delilah, her tone a little gruffer than she wanted. “That ain’t the case. Jey’s been like a second coach, like Tank. I want to make it to the big time, and if Jey can help me get there, I’ll take it.”

“You sure he hasn’t hinted at something more? Like, you know…”

Delilah shook her head. “Nope. We only talk about wrestling, that’s it. He’s been very professional.”

“Or he’s just waiting to get you alone,” Tiwa cut in. “Maybe that’s why he invited you to Panama City.”

“He invited both Dre and me. I won’t be alone. Tank’s coming along with me since Dre can’t make it.” She wasn’t sure what Tiwa was trying to insinuate, and though she didn’t like it, she tried not to show it. “Girl you trippin’. Relax. I’m getting married to the man I love. Jey’s already married, I think.”

“You think?” Tiwa repeated, and only then did it dawn on Delilah that she’d never seen a ring on his finger. Still… “He knows better and so do I. I got only one goal in mind, and that’s all I care about.” It had been two weeks since her first match, and she was just getting started with building a reputation for herself within the independent circuit. She was working hard and earning every bit of respect she was gaining, and she really didn’t want to throw all of that away.

“Okay,” said Tiwa. “I’m just looking out for you, girl. Do you, and make sure you’re happy while you’re doing it.”

“I know.” Delilah smiled and looked at her watch. Their break was almost over. “You coulda come with me to Panama City too, ya know.”

“Ha, if I do, who’s gonna cover your shift?” Tiwa said, getting to her feet. “Besides…I got a date on Monday night.”

“Oh. So you’ve finally gotten over your crush on Tank, then?” Delilah smirked as they walked back into the supermarket.

Tiwa gasped and avoided her friend’s teasing stare. “How many times am I gonna tell you, Parrish, it ain’t like that with Tank! It never was.”

“And yet, you’re blushing.”

“…..Bitch, bye.”

—------------------

From her place on the ring apron, Delilah watched in complete awe as Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch practiced in the ring for their match, still a good three hours before Monday Night Raw was set to air. The women were opening the show tonight, and she was very excited to see how it all played out. But watching them rehearse was so much better than anything she could have imagined.

The only thing that would have made her day better was Andre being with her. Of course, they had argued about the trip, in which Tank had tried to step in. He was being completely asinine and paranoid. She would never have stopped him if he had the chance to meet LeBron James or Patrick Mahomes, his favorite athletes. This was a once in a lifetime chance for her, and she really couldn’t understand why he was taking all of this so poorly.

“Now that’s a finisher right there,” Tank interrupted her thoughts as Liv Morgan hit Becky backwards in her signature Oblivion to get the pinfall.

Delilah turned back to look up at the huge Titantron as Liv’s theme song rang out in victory. “This is so cool,” she whispered. How amazing would it be to see her own name in lights that bright?

“Ayyy, look who showed up, uce,” a familiar deep voice sounded from the shadows behind her, and she looked over to see Josh making his way down the ramp. 

Without thinking through it, she rushed towards him and leapt into his arms. “This is so amazing! Thank you so much, oh my god,” she squealed happily, not caring if she sounded like a total fan girl at the moment. Never did she imagine she could ever experience all she had since coming down to Panama City; the backstage access, getting to meet the amazing wrestlers she watched on TV every single week; it was sensory overload for her as a fan.

Josh laughed as her legs tightened around him, supporting the woman in his arms with her round backside in his hands. “You welcome, baby girl. You enjoyin’ yourself?”

It was then, as he set her back on her feet, that Delilah noticed how good he looked in his Nike tech fleece outfit. At the same time, Tank appeared from the corner of her eye, and she quickly took a step back from Josh. “Yes! Everyone’s been so nice. The wrestlers, the officials, it’s been awesome.”

“Good to hear. Wanna go talk to the girls?” Without waiting for an answer, Josh grabbed her by the hand and tugged her toward the ring where Becky and Liv now sat on the apron. They looked over at the approaching trio and waved. “Hey, Jey, hey Tank,” greeted Liv, her eyes skating over Delilah’s form. “Wanna introduce us to your friend?”

Sneaking behind her, Josh shoved the shy woman closer to his colleagues. “This is Delilah Parrish. She’s an indie wrestler in the Pensacola region,” he introduced.

“Oh, fellow hometown girl, huh?” Becky’s friendly nature was infectious as she extended a hand toward the new woman. “Nice to meet you, Delilah. I’m Becky.”

“Delilah. Like Samson, right?” Liv inquired. When Delilah nodded, her smile widened. “Such a cute name. I like it. You stickin’ around for the show tonight?”

“Yeah.” Delilah muttered shyly. It was the exact same tone she had taken with pretty much everyone she had met so far. It was all so overwhelming, she felt like she was in a dream.

“Ay Livvy Liv, you busy?” Josh asked. When she shook her head, he nodded toward Delilah. “How ‘bout you show our guest here how it’s done in the big leagues?”

Liv set her towel aside with a shrug. “Sure, why not?” she answered, turning her gaze to Delilah. “You up for it?”

Shocked, the trainee looked back and forth between them. “Wait, you want me to wrestle her? Right now?” 

“Now’s as good a time as any,” Josh shrugged, raising an eyebrow. “Unless you think you can’t do it.”

Offended, her eyes darkened right away. “Hell yeah, I can do it.”

He stepped closer to her, staring her right down, “Then show me,” he whispered.

Liv leapt back into the ring and backed up, beckoning for Delilah to join her. “Come on, show me what’cha got,” she challenged.

Before she knew what was happening, Delilah was locking up with Liv freaking Morgan in the middle of the ring, listening for her rushed verbal cues as they sparred like old partners. So immersed was she in the match they were constructing, Delilah didn’t notice that Josh and Tank had been joined by a few other men.

“Who’s the girl?”

Turning his head slightly, Josh took his boss’s hand in a handshake and then returned his attention to the action in the ring. “She’s one of Tank’s,” the Samoan spoke of the trainer who was now shouting instructions to his pupil from outside the ring, while Becky cheered on Liv on the other side.

Triple H watched with a critical eye as the new woman launched herself off of the ropes and knocked Liv to the mat with an impressive, albeit stiff clothesline. “She’s unpolished,” he deduced.

Josh shrugged. “She’ll get better,” he assured the older man. “Her very first match was just two weeks ago and she killed that shit, man. Two hundred thousand views on YouTube already,” he added, a hint of admiration creeping into his voice.

“I see.” The multi-time World Champion nodded his head, his gaze still fixed on the story the women were trying to tell in the ring.

As Liv wedged her horizontally between the ropes by the turnbuckle, Delilah glanced to her left, her heart nearly jumping into her throat when she saw Triple H of all people, watching intently a few feet away, as though waiting for her to do something special. She was so distracted that she didn’t hear Liv’s reminder to brace herself for the impact of her double-knee attack. Liv’s knees and shins colliding with her sternum knocked the air right out of her, causing her to collapse hard in the corner, limbs twisting everywhere as she hit the canvas.

“Shit, I’m sorry!” Liv screeched, as Delilah rolled to her side and slowly made her way to her knees with a moan. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. It was my fault,” she puffed, taking the other woman’s extended hand to pull her up.

“Yeah, Triple H has that kind of effect,” Liv said, winking at her. “I was the exact same way the first time I saw him.”

Risking another glance at the base of the ramp, Delilah breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that Hunter had left them alone, but dread quickly filled her insides as she wondered what he’d thought of her performance.

“What the hell was that?” Josh’s laughing voice interrupted the ladies’ conversation. Delilah blushed wildly and ducked under the bottom rope. “I panicked,” she admitted softly. “So tell me the truth,” she said. “How bad did I fuck up my only chance to impress that man?”

Josh helped her out of the ring and set her down on her feet. “You tried. Let’s just leave it at that.” Her nervous expression caused him to wrap an arm around her waist for a quick hug. “But ay, you went for it, and Hunter appreciates that,” he whispered.

The feel of his breath on her ear sent shivers down Delilah’s spine. She shook it off quickly, deciding that she was still being a fangirl, that it was just his breathtaking presence that still affected her. She would have felt the exact same way if it had been Andre holding her like this.

Mistaking her inner turmoil for something else, Tank nudged her from her other side. “You did good, kid. I could tell Hunter liked it,” he said.

The uncharacteristic compliment from her usually no-nonsense teacher caused Delilah to blush, but before she could respond, a stage hand called for Tank to follow him up the ramp, leaving her all alone with Josh. She felt very self-conscious as she walked next to him towards the backstage area.

Somewhere along the way, Josh had invaded Delilah’s thoughts and fantasies on more than a few occasions. Never, since getting with Andre, had she ever thought about another man while making love to her fiancé, until lately. She wanted to blame it on seeing him every week on TV, recalling his deep, seductive voice on the phone, all of which left her imagining things she never dreamed of. Yeah, he seemed to be a bit touchy feely, but he had never made an outright pass at her, and had done nothing beyond a few flirty words and gestures. Maybe she was overthinking it too much and just needed to relax.

Josh looked down at her, trying not to stare into her tank top from his considerable vantage point. She was engaged to be married, but he couldn’t seem able to tell himself that it meant she was off limits. He was drawn to how unaware she was of her beauty and her sexiness, and it made her that much more attractive in his eyes. “You quiet. What’s on your mind?” he asked her, forcing himself out of his wayward thoughts.

Delilah followed him into a huge locker room. “Just thinkin’ about how surreal all of this is. It’s one thing to see it on TV. It’s a whole ‘nother thing to see it all up close…” she trailed off, shaking her head in awe.

Grabbing two bottles of water, Josh directed her to a table and sat across from her, opening her bottle before sliding it to her. “Yeah. Wait until you become an actual employee.”

Scoffing, she drank from the bottle and leaned back in her chair. “Right. Like that’s gonna happen.”

“What makes you think that?”

With a sigh, she looked around the empty room. “I don’t know. For all intents and purposes, I’m still a rookie,” she reasoned. “I got so much more to learn. I don’t even look like the typical WWE Superstar. My hair’s too damn big and curly. I haven’t put on enough muscle yet.” Casting a glance over her own body, she sighed again. “And I’m gonna need implants, which I definitely can’t afford,” she added.

Josh looked her over, zeroing in on her chest. After seeing her in her wrestling outfit a couple of weeks ago, he was convinced there was nothing wrong with her hot body. “You don’t need no implants,” he assured her.

Shock washed over Delilah at his blatant assessment. “Okay, um, so where else are we going after this?” she asked nervously, hoping to break the suffocating tension building between them.

“Whatchu doin’, Delilah?” Josh ignored her question, watching her brush her hair out of her face for the hundredth time, the glint of the rock on her engagement ring seemingly taunting him every time she did so. “What exactly are you puttin’ in all the hours training and wrestling for? To achieve your dream? Or to get away from your fiancé?”

Recoiling a little, Delilah narrowed her eyes at what he had asked. Why was he being so intrusive? “Dude…” she stammered, her defenses going right up. "I’m not…I’m not sure how that’s any of your business.”

“Baby girl, this business is everything to me,” Josh said to her, his tone strangely serious. “It’s my whole life. And I get a kick out of seeing other people who love it too and get immersed in it for all the right reasons.” Shaking his head, he crossed his massive arms over his broad chest. “I need to know which side you’re on, so I’ll know whether I’m wasting my time with you or not.”

“Wasting your time? What the fuck…I never asked for your attention, Josh!” she shot defensively, staggered by this sudden change to their conversation. "To be honest, I don’t even know why you are showing any interest in me.” Behind her, she heard the door open, and she forced herself to lower her voice, even though she was seething at his audacity. “Maybe I should ask you. What’s in this for you, huh? Why me? There are a million other new wrestlers that you could be focusing on.“

Shrugging a shoulder in agreement, Josh leaned back in his chair and let his dark gaze scan her from head to toe. "Maybe,” he conceded, a smirk playing on his lips. “But it’s not them I wanna fuck.”

The words struck her like a blow to the gut. Did she hear him right? Was he suggesting that he wanted to sleep with her? That he was as attracted to her as she was to him? Did he fantasize about her too? Did he forget she was engaged? Wasn’t he married? How could he make such an open confession?

Before she could say something, the room began to fill up with members of the Raw roster, Josh stood up and gestured for her to do the same. “Come on. Let’s go find Tank,”  he said to her.

--------------

Thoughts?

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[withlove-amber]

Halloween Costumes

alden parker x reader

This is for all my southern gals, hope you like it!

“I’m sorry to ask you this last minute, but would you mind taking Victoria trick-or-treating for me this Friday?” Jimmy asked (Y/N). “Of course Jimmy! I love Victoria, she’s like the sweetest kid I’ve ever met.” (Y/N) replied. “Thanks, (Y/N), I was hoping I’d be able to finish this case in time, but with the newest body we found… it’s not looking good.” “Anytime, Jimmy. Plus, I think she’ll like my costume.” (Y/N) replied, happy she has an excuse to dress up for Halloween. “Ooh, what’s your costume? Unless it’s a surprise.” Jimmy said. “Nah, you’re good. I think I’m going as Cowgirl Barbie.” “Oh, nice. Victoria says her’s is a surprise. She won’t tell me what it is.” Jimmy replied. “I’ll take pictures for you. Do you want me to pick her up and we can get ready here at NCIS?” (Y/N) asked. “That would be awesome, thank you.” Jimmy replied, grateful for his friend. 

~time skip to Friday~

“Hey, (Y/N), got any plans for tonight?” Jessica asked. “Yeah actually, I do. I’m taking Victoria trick-or-treating for Jimmy.” (Y/N) said. “Aww, cute! Are you dressing up?” Jessica asked. (Y/N) wasn’t sure if she should tell her friend the truth, but ultimately decided to. “Yeah, I am.” “Ooh, what are you going as?” Jessica asked, taking a sip of coffee. “It’s a surprise.” (Y/N) said, not wanting to be judged for her costume. “You have no idea, do you?” Jessica asked, wanting (Y/N) to reveal her costume. “No, I do… I just don’t want to be made fun of for it.” “I’m not going to make fun of you for it. I promise.” Jessica said. “Fine, it’s Cowgirl Barbie.” (Y/N) said, waiting for the laughter to begin. “Like from the new Barbie movie? That’s cute. It's so you.” Jessica said, trying to hold back her laughter at her friend’s choice in costume. “Thanks.” (Y/N) said, relieved her friend didn’t laugh in her face like she expected. “Plus, Parker loves hearing your accent peak through. So imagine the look on his face when he sees you in it.” Jessica said, ending with a wink. 

(Y/N) did have a crush on her boss, but she didn’t think he felt the same. But after what Jessica said, she was starting to wonder if her feelings were as one-sided as she thought. ‘Does he really like my accent?’ (Y/N) thought to herself. After a few hours, (Y/N) picked up Victoria as promised and brought her to NCIS. “Hey, what’s up Victoria?” Nick said when he spotted Victoria and (Y/N) exiting the elevator. “Hi, Uncle Nick. (Y/N)’s taking me trick-or-treating tonight!” “What are you dressing up as, Victoria?” Nick asked. “It’s a surprise, Uncle Nick.” Victoria replied. “Wow, you’re not even going to tell your favorite uncle?” Nick said, feigning offense. “Come on, (Y/N), let’s get ready!” Victoria said, grabbing (Y/N)’s hand. 

(Y/N) and Victoria went down to Kasie’s lab to get ready for the night ahead of them. As they came back to the bullpen (after taking photos with Kasie for Jimmy), they heard a myriad of ‘wows’ and ‘I love it’ coming from the team. Victoria came out first, showing off her Tinkerbell costume. After about a minute, (Y/N) came out and heard almost the same thing from the team, minus the “Wow you look so pretty” from Nick. He did whistle though, making (Y/N) glad she chose that particular costume. The costume consisted of a vest, flared pants, and a matching cowboy hat, all in the same shade of Barbie pink.

Parker wasn’t there when they came out to show off their costumes, as he was asking Jimmy for an update on the case. But what he saw when he came back up the stairs, he’ll never forget. (Y/N) was sitting at her desk, feet resting on her desk, showing off her brown cowboy boots. She was pretending to talk on the phone, while Nick took a photo of her. ‘So this was the mystery costume…wow. She looks great. It's so her.’ Parker thought. He was starting to wonder why she was dressed up. Yes, it was Halloween, but people don’t dress up at NCIS very much. He didn’t have to wonder for very long, as he spotted Victoria in her costume. 

Victoria and (Y/N) took photos with the team, as promised to Jimmy. When it was time to take a picture with Parker, (Y/N) started feeling even more nervous than she was already feeling about the entire situation. Parker didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable, so he asked if he could put his hand on her waist. He wasn’t expecting her to say “Sure, Alden.” She didn’t just call him “Parker”, but “Alden”.  (Y/N) wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but she thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of his hand  on her waist. She often wondered how gentle his touch would be. Every thought and every daydream had nothing on the real thing. 

Earlier when she was getting ready with Victoria, she briefly wondered if Parker would find it adorable or weird. ‘Please be adorable.’ (Y/N) thought. Little did she know, he really liked the way she looked in that costume. He didn’t want to make it obvious, but he couldn’t tear his beautiful hazel green eyes away from the sway of her hips as she walked with Victoria to the elevator. But he forgot for a moment that he works with extremely intelligent individuals who can read human behavior like there’s no tomorrow. So him trying not to be obvious didn’t quite work out the way he wanted it to. 

“So Parker, what’d you think of (Y/N)’s costume?” Torres said, with a smirk forming on his face. Parker knew he wouldn’t stop being teased by the team, but he was okay with it because he had hope that one day (Y/N) will feel the same. Little did he know, she already did.

[doeeyeslost]

Killing Boys

Chapter 2: The jock

Hazel Callahan X OC

Warnings: kill*ing, accidents, blood, sacrifices (?), kissing… yeah, tell me if I forget something

Again, English is not my first language, so be nice.

(…)

The phone alarm rang, waking Hazel up, it was getting late for class, so she ran to get ready, when she was at the kitchen, it was all clean, no blood, no mess, nothing, did she dream it all? She looked down at her phone, her best friend hadnt text her back.

“Good morning darling” said her mom. “Do you need me to get you to school or is Phoebe coming for you?”

“Um” she doubt. “I’ll go with you”

“Oh, is everything okay?” asked her mom.

“Yeah, she uh… she’s just not texting me back.”

“That’s weird for someone who’s glued to her phone, let’s hope she’s okay” she said, picking up her stuff and letting Hazel get out first.

“Mom?” asked “Did you see something weird at the kitchen when you woke up?”

“Weird? No, baby, I didn’t.” she started her car. “Now that you say that” started and Hazel looked worried. “I saw that you let the door of the fridge open… maybe that was what made the sound at night.”

“What sound?”

“I don’t know how to describe it… but I’m pretty sure that was it.”

Her phone rang.

“Bee

See you at school.”

(…)

“Did yesterday happened?” asked Hazel as soon as she saw her friends.

“Do you mean crashing and loosing sight of your girlfriend? Then yes.” answered PJ in a annoyed tone.

“She just texted me” Hazel said, showing them her phone.

“Okay, so at least shes aliv…” Josie got cut off, her mouth wide open, looking at the hallway.

Her friends followed her gaze, there she was, the lost girl, Phoebe was walking down the hallway, looking hotter than ever.

“No fucking way.” said PJ.

The new Phoebe walked over to her friends, she used to be the hottest girl in school, but now… there was something different, maybe the way she dressed, but something was… off.

“Hi.” she said looking at Haze.

“Where the fuck where you?” asked PJ.

“Oh, after the accident I went to look for help.” she said way too innocent. “When I came back you guys where gone.”

“Could you leave us alone?” Hazel asked, Josie and PJ left. “What the fuck was that?”

“What?”

“Bee, you were in my kitchen, covered in blood, eating raw meat? What the fuck happened?”

The brown eyed girl looked around and took her best friend to a room.

“You won’t believe me” said

“Try me.”

*“Okay, just… please try just try to believe me…*

When we got into the car crash, I tried to wake you up but you wouldn’t wake up, I got scared, then a light shine through the glass, it was the band that you love, the offered help so I said yes… but the help I got in mind was different that what I thought, they gave me their phone and next thing I knew, I was tied up, at the Dedlow Canal, they were trying to sacrifice me… Haze, they fucking killed me, but then I woke up, at the forest, they threw me down the river and I woke up there…

I didn’t know where to go so I just went to your house, I’m so sorry but I was so scared, I was so fucking hungry and when I got there, I had a necessity, I needed to eat something… but not anything… I needed meat, I thought raw meat would do the trick, but it didn’t, and then I saw you, and… I wanted a taste of you, so I had to leave.”

Hazel was quiet, what did she just heard? She knew Phoebe lied, but never lied to her, and she didn’t find a reason to not believe her. Still, why did they want her?

“What?” the blue eyed girl said out loud.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but I would never lie to you, Hazel Callahan.” she said.

And that was the truth, Evergreen rolled up her sleeves to show her the marks on her wrists that the ropes left on them.

“Why did they chose you?” she asked.

“They needed a virgin.”

“Oh…”

“But I’m not a virgin.” she said, Hazel got a bit confused, her best friend ever talked about any boys she might be interested in. “I know it might be a shock, but remember when I went to that spiritual camp… yeah uh, there was this girl…”

‘girl?’ thought Hazel excited and mad at the same time.

“We liked each other and… well… we had sex.”

“You never told me you liked girls”

“I never talk about boys, why would you think that is?” answered in a flirty tone. “They thought I was a virgin because I never told anyone about that… so yeah.”

The room went quiet for a bit, the short haired girl still processing what her friend told her.

“But, are you okay? You have bruises on your face from the accident.” she asked a bit worried.

“Yeah… I forgot they were there.” she admitted. “I was worried about you, I didn’t see you anywhere.”

The black haired girl took her best friends hands.

“And now I hate what those guys did to you… But does that mean… you’re dead?”

“I think so… yeah…”

Hazel rubbed her thumb against her friends hand, was she really dead? She felt so warm and full of life… She looked better than ever.

“I don’t know what I am.” Phoebe said. “I just know I died and came back to life and I only wanted to see you.”

“Bee… I…”

The bell rang, when it did, both of them let go of their hands, Hazel sat down and Phoebe left, it wasn’t her class, as soon as she did, Hazel’s friends started to arrive, looking at the black haired girl and then at the brown haired one.

“Why are you shaking?” asked Josie. “What happened?”

“No… nothing… she was just apologizing. And she took my hand.”

“She took my hand” said PJ in a mocking tone. “You need to get into her pants, tell her you love her, I’m getting tired of this shit!”

(…)

Phoebe’s head hurts, her stomach growled, begged for food just not any kind of food, she tried ignoring what her stomach wanted, she did, she ate raw meat, some animals, but she wanted only one thing… humans… boys… the meat of a human. With the little force that she had, walked to the bathroom and look at herself in the mirror, she was pale, pale as a ghost, something had to be done… but who could she eat?

It needed to be someone no one cared about, someone who was so lowkey but that also deserved to be killed. She walked over to the jocks, the field, to find a football player she hated, the most she hated was Jeff, but it would bring all the atention and making it obvious, so, she just walked past them, right into the forest, as most of them were leaving, knowing that one of them will follow her, because *“boys will be boys”* she thought. And was right, after her there was a jock, the one that always bothered her the most, Fred Dyer, he was an asshole, who used to stalk the girls and tell everyone “they were looking for it”. She couldn’t stand him.

“Hey you.” he said. “Why are you so lonely here?” he asked in a flirty way.

“I was waiting for you.”

“Oh you were?” he asked.

She nodded, hating every second of it. Fred took her by her waist and started kissing her, and in it, she bit him, he looked at her weirdly into it, they kept on kissing, and she on biting him, once, twice, until he knew… he had no lower lip, the blood was dripping, so he screamed, before he could cry for help, it was too late, she bit his neck and he lost awareness and Phoebe was back to her old self.

She was weirdly into it and hated that thought, it wasn’t her, Phoebe was dead, that girl she used to be was replaced by her… a flesh eating demon, this new person liked killing people, loved the taste of blood and needed revenge… but mostly, needed Hazel, not to eat, but she just needed her, the only time she was her old self was around her, she needed Hazel to save her.

(…)

On her free time, Hazel was looking for an answer for her friend to be normal again, not a fucking demon, could she love a demon? “that’s not the point” she told herself, but what could she be looking for? Flesh eating demons? Sacrifices? What could she look for?

“Fuck” she told herself.

“What happened?” asked the girl she was just thinking of.

“Jesus Christ” said Hazel scared. “Oh, hi Bee.”

“Succubus” she read out loud what her friend was looking at. “What are you looking at?”

“Well… I’m trying to find out what happened to you.”

“I was attacked and now a demon owns my body” Bee said sarcasticly. “I’m fine, seriously, come on, let me take you out on a date.” she said

‘Finally’ Hazel thought.

“What kind of date?”

“A date where I take you out to eat something and might or might not end on kissing each other.”

The blue eyed girl smiled, was this actually happening? The girl that she was in love with her whole life was asking her out on a date?

“Is this actually you or just the demon talking?”

“It’s me, Haze, it’s Phoebe, your best friend… the girl who’s actually liked you for a bit… When I’m with you, i’m Phoebe, the one you always known, it’s still me.”

A scream interrupted them, police sirens were heard and all of the classmates went running to see what was going on.

“Haze” Phoebe called.

“What?” she answered scared because of what was happening.

“Promise you will always love me?”

“I promise” she said taking her friends hand. “Let’s see what happened”

The black haired girl walked behind her, would she love her still knowing that she just killed a jock so she could be alive?

The police closed the area off with tape ‘NO TRESPASSING’ it said, no one knew exactly what was going on, they just saw a body bag and a bit of blood. ‘Who’s body is that?’ people were asking, but the succubus already knew who they were, she stepped aside, making her best friend notice.

“Are you okay?” the short haired girl asked.

“Hazel I…” she didn’t know how to tell her. “I need to tell you something but not here, let’s go home.”

[rainbow-nerdss]

I want to see the 118s perspective of the drunken confessions from black out so bad 😭

HELLO ANON I LOVE YOU FOR THIS. SO MUCH LOVE. YOU HAVE NO IDEA. This has been sitting here in my inbox for a while because I wanted to do it justice, but I had SO MUCH FUN working on this! I present: Chimney's POV of that whole situation from my fic Blackout (3k, E) I may have gotten caught up in my Madney/Dad!Chimney feels for a while there, but who can blame me?

Chimney has always loved having Halloween off work, glad to avoid the crazies, but it's even better now he's a dad, especially now Jee's old enough to have fun with her costumes, and to understand what Trick-or-treating is all about.

He gets to dress up with her, a whole-family pirate ensemble, to pose while Buck snaps way more pictures than necessary of the three of them, and to take her door-to-door around the neighborhood. 

And, after getting Jee-Yun in bed, he heads to Hen's for the grown-up party. 

Buck takes a detour on the way, to pick up Eddie and see Christopher before his first teenage Halloween party. Those are days Chimney isn't looking forward to—when Jee is old enough to prefer spending time with her friends than her parents, when she won't climb on his back and pose for a dozen pictures as they wear matching costumes.

He hopes she never grows out of this.

When Eddie and Buck arrive at the bar together, they're walking in step with each other, Eddie mid-laugh at something Buck has said. Eddie heads straight for the bar, while Buck stands for a moment, watching him before making his way to the booth where Chimney is sitting with Hen, Bobby and Ravi.

Everyone's in a good mood today, it seems, as they order rounds of drinks: beer and whiskey and cocktails. Hen is pacing herself more, but Chimney is pleasantly buzzed, verging on drunk. He's nothing compared to Buck and Eddie, though. They're both pink-cheeked and laughing, pressed together in the booth, practically in each other’s laps.

Bobby makes his excuses just after eleven, telling them all to have a good night, and to stay safe.

“Aww, c’mon Cap! Stay a while longer!” Buck protests, leaning over Eddie to reach for Bobby. Chimney catches the way Eddie’s cheeks turn pink as he looks anywhere but at the denim-clad Buck in his lap.

Bobby shoots a look at Hen, raising his eyebrow. She nods.

So, great, Chim isn’t the only one seeing this.

“Sorry, Buck. Athena’s waiting up for me. I’ll see you at work, okay?”

Buck pouts and reaches for the dregs of his last drink, barely shifting out of Eddie’s lap.

“Twenty bucks says it happens tonight,” Chim whispers, sliding back into the booth next to Hen.

“Those idiots? They’ve been like this for weeks now!” Ravi argues. “I’ll take those odds.”

Hen shakes her head. “They’ve been like this for years. Stop wasting your—” but Hen cuts herself off as Eddie takes out his phone, checks a message and shows it to Buck, whose expression turns ridiculously soft as he drops his head onto Eddie’s shoulder.

“Huh,” Hen says, narrowing her eyes at them. “Honestly, you might have a point, Chim. This isn’t their usual dance. Here’s how it’s gonna go—”

Chim orders a round of shots while Hen draws up the bet in her notes app. 

“This is the last drink we buy for them,” Hen insists. “Otherwise, it gets weird, morally speaking.”

“Agreed,” Chim and Ravi both chime in, and they all shake on it, then down their shots. Buck and Eddie don’t even break eye contact as they drink the shots, but a moment later Eddie is scrambling out of the booth, pulling Buck with him.

“I love this song!” he yells.

And Buck follows him, eyes wide in a way that Chimney wishes wasn’t the exact same expression Maddie gets sometimes, right before they fall into bed together.

He’s going to have to drink a lot to forget that sight, but at least he’s definitely gonna win that bet.

He loses them for a while, getting another drink, showing Ravi the trick-or-treating photos again: “Look at this one!” he coos, showing yet another picture of Jee. “She was looking for the treasure!” 

He only snaps back to the moment when Hen smacks him on the arm, and he looks up, following her eyes to where Buck and Eddie are dancing. The song’s different, but they’re closer than before—Eddie’s hand is on Buck’s chest, Buck’s on Eddie’s waist, and that is probably the most intense eye contact Chimney’s ever seen—and he’s seen Ravi and Lucy attempt to communicate telepathically during a long shift with very few calls. 

“It’s happening,” he whispers. “Hen, come dance with me!”

He takes her arm, and pulls her within earshot of Buck and Eddie—trying and failing to be subtle, but it doesn’t make any difference for all the attention they’re paying to anything but each other. 

“—really pretty,” Buck says, expression dazed.

Eddie blinks at him. “Pretty?” he asks. Buck nods, touching the corner of Eddie’s eye, letting his hand rest there.

Eddie swallows, and Chim squeezes Hen’s arm as Eddie leans in, then muffles a curse as he pauses. He glances over and sees Ravi preening at the edge of the dance floor, but then Buck is pulling Eddie in, and yes, yes there it is!

“They’re kissing!” Chim cheers as quietly as he can, practically jumping for joy while Hen tries to get him to stop. Chim shakes her off, then holds his hand up in the shape of an L, directing it at Ravi, who rolls his eyes.

“I love you,” Chim hears Eddie say, and he whips his head back around to them. 

“You—Eddie. Really?” 

“Of course I do, Buck. God, of course I do.”

Buck pulls Eddie close, burying his face in his neck. The smile on his face is familiar to Chimney: it’s the same one he knows he wears each and every time he looks at Maddie. 

“I love you too,” Buck says. “So much. I…you know, you and Christopher, I think I’d be happy if I did nothing but sit in your house and make pancakes for you both for the rest of forever.”

“Buck, oh my god,” Eddie chuckles, while Chimney pretends to gag at the sincerity. “You know, having nothing but pancakes would probably not be healthy,” Eddie points out, but Chimney can hear the fondness, the love in his voice.

“Don’t care. Not if it makes you happy.”

“You make me happy.”

“Good. C’mere,” Buck says, and it’s all the warning they give before Eddie goes in for another kiss, and this is not the type of kiss Chim wants to see his future brother-in-law, the uncle to his beautiful daughter, engage in, but there’s really no avoiding how much he just goes for it. 

“Fuck.” 

Chimney hears Eddie’s low growl before he’s, thankfully, pulled away by Hen, back to where Ravi is waiting, trying to maintain a scowl over the smile that’s clearly fighting to break free on his face.

“Alright, well, pay up!” Chimney announces, resolutely not looking up to where Buck and Eddie are practically mauling each other on the dance floor—more than five years of sexual tension all trying to resolve itself at once.

He holds out his hand while Ravi grumbles. “Who even carries cash anymore? Can I just venmo you?” 

Chimney rolls his eyes. “Sure, fine, whatever. But you will be held accountable for this, got it?”

There’s a crash to his right, and he turns to see Buck, grinning, out of breath and red in the face. “We’re uh, we’re gonna head out.”

Eddie pops up behind him, mouth latching on to the side of Buck’s neck from behind, eyes hazy in a way that Chim tells himself is just from the alcohol but he knows is probably something beyond that. 

“Get home safe, boys!” Hen tells them. They back off, making their way to the door before Chimney calls after them.

“And be safe in the other way, too!” he yells, earning him a chiding slap on the arm from Hen. He grins. “I think our loser ought to buy the next round of drinks, don’t you, Hen?”

He sticks his tongue out at Ravi, who rolls his eyes, grumbles, but still gets up to order another round.

Chimney doesn’t stay too much longer after that. He orders an uber for himself, and Hen and Ravi both follow him out. He’s the first one dropped off, and he stands on the curb outside his house for a moment, smiling at the little garden, the front door with the lopsided pumpkin he’d carded with Jee, the little bats and spider decorations they’d hung together. 

There’s a light on in their bedroom, which means Maddie’s still awake—probably reading or watching a show in bed. Chimney does a little skip on his way up the porch steps. 

He has so much to tell her.

[mannylikessims]

The True Story of the Villareal Family [2.3]

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The Villareal children were in for a treat they didn’t want.

They arrived home from school, already feeling collectively below-average. Hugo staggered in like a zombie, having barely slept. Luna kept checking her phone and sulking because a certain someone wasn’t texting her. And Max – actually, Max felt ok. Maybe a little bored.

But none were in the mood for another attempted Family Fun Day, even though their father had spent the entire day preparing for it.

───────────────✦───────────────

While the children were at school, Jacques Villareal had taken the day off from doing nothing to redo the pool.

"There, much better."

“Come, offspring!” He called out to his children, cackling to himself. “I remodeled the pool. Let’s have a Family Fun Day pool party!”

“You remodeled the pool?” said Hugo. “It doesn’t look any different to me.”

“Well, it is,” said Jacques. “Now get in.”

Meanwhile, Luna was still anxiously checking her phone,

but there were no new messages. Anguish welled in her chest.

You ok? she typed woefully. Did I do something wrong? What’s going on? I miss talking to you.

There had been no response all day from her mystery knight about why they never showed up to their rendezvous, but maybe this 127th text in a row would finally do the trick.

She put her phone back and resisted the urge to pull it out immediately again. After all, she didn’t want to come off as desperate.

“Do we have to go swimming right now, Dad?”

Hugo threw up his hands in exasperation. “I’m so tired. I slept like two hours on a bench outside the Von Haunt Estate because you forgot about me and left me there yesterday.”

His father rolled his eyes. “Of course I didn’t forget about you, Hugo. I ignored your calls on purpose. Now quit complaining and. Get. In.”

Hugo groaned. Fine. He was too tired to argue. He teetered from exhaustion as he headed towards the diving platform.

Jacques turned around and set up a chair at the edge of the pool. “You kids go first. I’ll join later.”

The kids changed into their bathing suits and lined up. Hugo was first.

“You’re doing swell, Hugo,” said Jacques in a rare moment of paternal encouragement. “Luna, you’re next!”

“Ugh, whatever, Dad.” She didn’t care about anything anymore.

Little Max was last to cannonball in, and he was the only one who was having fun. Besides Jacques, that is. Jacques was still chuckling to himself, watching his children swim in circles.

Hugo’s arms started to feel very heavy, as did his eyelids. He relaxed his muscles, his head lolling for a moment, just a moment, and rested his eyes for a moment, just a moment, when

his eyes suddenly snapped back open.

Whoa! Almost fell asleep there, big guy. It was definitely nap time for him, one way or another.

Hugo swam to the edge of the pool and grasped the ledge to pull himself out.

“What are you doing?” asked Jacques, shocked.

“I’m going to bed,” said Hugo. “I’m so tired–"

“No, I mean, how did you get out of the pool?”

“… by pulling myself out over the ledge? Look Dad, I just really wanna sleep–"

But Hugo didn’t get a chance to finish, because Jacques suddenly broke into a scowl and stood up furiously, slamming his chair into the ground, mumbling under his breath.

“Guess they don’t make pools like they used to.”

And Jacques stormed off into the house, livid, leaving behind his three bewildered kids.

Hugo was baffled. What was up with Dad? He had gone real quick from being excited about the pool to having a full-blown conniption.

“Aw, does this mean Family Fun Day is canceled again?” said Max behind him, disappointed.

───────────────✦───────────────

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[fullofgutsndopamine]

big brother!hasanthe first time he meets you

fitps!verse (masterlist soon)

tw/ cursing, parents death (mentioned but not elaborated on)

hasan becomes a hermit after it happens.

without a parent, without his moms apron strings to cling onto for dear life.

the town was in an uproar, immediately divided on who’s actually telling the truth, what actually happened, forgetting the person in the middle, alone, a kid to his hip now to raise-

and then there you come.

and there you fucking come.

you become a safe harbor for Amelie, and eventually, down the line, hasan, a harbor for them to finally relax in, to take the gun off their shoulders and hang it by a hook by the door-

he sees you, in passing, before the halloween trick or treating, when dark bags are under his eyes from the sleepless nights, when nightmares find him because holy fuck how is he suppose to do this on his own, his jeans are dirty, in an old work shirt half tucked into his jeans, constantly getting yelled at by his manager for looking disheveled-

“Hey.” you throw your chin at him as you stand up from the podium, glitter is on your cheeks and your hair is a million different directions, three pens stuck in the bun that sits lopsided on top of your head.

they know of you, of course. everyone in this town knows of Hasan, like some mysterious urban legend, told in hushed whispers and small voices-

“Hey uh-“ he clears his throat, suddenly aware of how dirty he looks; his jeans hand me downs and ripped to hell, grease stains from trying to fix his truck spot all over. “Here uh-for my sister?” it’s a question, not a statement.

They hum, eyes linger over the small crowd of children, all working quietly at a table, pipe cleaners

“You’ll have to be more specific,” you tease but it looks like you kicked a dog, as his shoulder slump, so you speak again: “You must be Amelie’s brother, yeah?”

he stands a little straighter, takes his baseball cap off his head, messes with his hair, jams it back over his head. “Y-yeah uh-“ he ducks his head, about to speak, hopes they he isn’t known as the big brother to that kid.

Finally, a smile on your face. “Figured. You have the same hair. and she talks about you constantly.” the smile on your face says that you borderline enjoy hearing these stories, this elusive big brother that threw the stars into the sky for her.

“All good things, i promise.” you smile at him, suddenly wanting nothing more than for him to leave with a smile on his face, take some invisible weight off his shoulders. “She’s great. We all love her.”

he smiles, finally, opens his mouth to say something back, something smart, something-witty. something to slow you say: damn. that guy has his life in order-

instead, it never comes, tongue tied around you. he’s not use to feeling like that, and he isn’t a fan-

“Ames!” you call gently, and she whips arojnd, glue stick in hand, glitter stuck on her own cheek, “Big brother is here!”

and she squeals, art project forgotten, friends long gone as she grabs the paper off the table and runs full speed to him. hasan is a pro at this, you realize, as he falls to his knees, doesn’t care about the carpeted floor covered in mysterious stains, or the kids weaving around him-she runs full force into him, knocks him half back, a gentle “Oof.” as his arms wrap around her tiny waist, hear a gentle, “Missed ya, sunshine’” as they collide, bellies pressed against each other, she enthusiastically shows the picture they did in class-

and you watch. you can’t help it, okay? you don’t like looking like a creep, but he’s so enthusiastic about hearing about this silly project you came up with ten minutes before class started-

he swings her onto his hip, her picture now in his hand (a promise for it to go on the fridge, when they get home) his voice drops around you, shy, turns his baseball cap around and brings it over his eyes: “nice meeting ya-uh, i’m sure i’ll see you around. Ames comes to all the library craft nights.”

“Y-yeah,” Sit up a little straighter. “Nice meeting you uh-“

“Hasan.”

“I was gonna say that.” you insist, pout on your face.

“Sure you were” He laughs, rounding the corner to leave, Amelie talking his ear off. he needs to get out, before he says something stupid, before he makes an ass out of himself-

this is his first encounter with you.

[primal-slayer]

 Brian Krause talks Charmed career

In today's Sci-Fi Blast From the Past, actor Brian Krause looks back at his work on the long-running WB supernatural TV series Charmed and playing Leo Wyatt.

It was back in April that filming on the hit supernatural series Charmedcame to its natural conclusion after eight years, but for actor Brian Krause, who played Leo Wyatt, his involvement in the series isn’t quite over yet. He spent this Monday morning in late August in a studio recording commentary for the eighth season Charmed DVD release, in particular his character’s penultimate episode, Vaya Con Leos.

“Me, Brad Kern [executive producer] and Cameron Litvak, the writer of that episode, have provided background commentary for the 45 minutes of that story,” explains Krause. “It’s basically the three of us recapping the show’s eight years on the air as well as talking about Vaya Con Leos**, the birth of the episode, what it was about, the emotions that went along with making it, and how it could have been the last time we saw Leo. It was wonderful to see Brad and Cameron again and be able to share our thoughts about the whole experience.”**

“What probably sticks out most in my mind about my first time stepping onto the Charmed set was the nervous energy I had of being around Shannen, Alyssa and Holly in a professional venue,” recalls Krause. “I’d known them for a couple of years, but we had never worked together. So I just remember being very nervous because they knew me as their friend Brian, but had never seen me act in person. There I was now having to kind of step up to the plate and wanting to impress them and yet get the job done and not have to worry so much about what the girls might think.

“I’ll never forget that day, though, and the look in Shannen’s eyes of, ‘Now don’t mess up.’ That’s what I remember most; how professional she was about it all and how good she wanted the series to be. She put the ‘pressure’ on to make it a success because she took a great deal of pride in Charmed and the work. Shannen just had a different way of going about things than Alyssa and Holly. It was a positive one, though, and it stuck with me for the whole run of the series, so I give kudos to Shannen for her professionalism.

“When it came to playing Leo in those early episodes, I guess one of the first things I had to get used to was working in the Sci-Fi realm. I mean, I’d done [the feature film] Sleepwalkers a few years before, but that was the extent of my experience in that genre. Also, I had the challenge of playing a real guy who was not quite a real guy. On top of that there was the great unknown. Was Leo going to stick around, or was he just a fleeting love interest for one of the girls? So the trick was to try to be likable enough for the audience to want me to stay and also be a good enough actor for the show’s leads to want to keep me around.

“The dynamic that I especially liked early on was that my character had this secret that no one really knew about. As the story went on, Leo was magical and then he wasn’t for a while. At one point, I wasn’t even sure if he was good or bad. If you were bad on Charmed you got killed, but if you were good that was a good sign. In the beginning, though, no one really knew what Leo was, so for me the question was do I play him as dark, light or slightly ambivalent? In the end we went for ambivalent, and that seemed to work,” he chuckles.

After three years of Charmed, Shannen Doherty decided to leave the series. Her character of Prue was killed off, and in season four, the Halliwell’s half-sister/half-Whitelighter Paige Matthews (Rose McGowan) was welcomed into the Charmed One’s fold. “The show’s dynamic changed quite a bit in year four,” says Krause. “I’ve talked with a lot of fans about it, some of whom stopped watching, while others started watching for the first time.

“Shannen’s character was a straightforward, demon butt-kicker and she and her sisters were hardcore witches in the first three seasons. When Rose joined the show, everything kind of lightened up a bit. The Paige character was very quirky and fun-loving, and I think by virtue of bringing her in to replace Prue, it did change Holly’s and Alyssa’s characters and dialed up their emotional levels on the show. So we went from being this purely demon butt-kicking show to one where it allowed us to show a more personal side of these girls’ lives.

“As far as Leo was concerned, he didn’t interact much with Prue, but he did with Paige, especially at the beginning. Being that she was part Whitelighter, my character sort of showed her the ropes. I was pleased about that because it involved me more in the storyline as well as brought out more of Leo’s big brother attitude with the girls.”

“Overall I was happy with how the Leo/Piper relationship was written, but I also think it developed somewhat quickly,” says Krause. “They were dating and then all of a sudden they were married and before you knew it they had two kids. In real life I suppose that eight years is long enough for all that to happen, but in the TV world it seemed like there was some stuff we missed. Events happened off-screen and not in front of the audience, and we would have to explain what people missed in the way of dialogue in the episodes.

“As an actor I always wanted to show more of Leo and Piper together with their family, but after all it was a series about the girls. I was just pleased to have the part I had in the program.”

At the end of season five of Charmed, Leo made the difficult choice to sacrifice his life with Piper and their son Wyatt and became an Elder in order to better help humankind. A couple of years later another omnipotent group called the Avatars showed Leo that they had a better way to change the world into the ultimate utopia, so he joined their ranks. Unfortunately, their plan had one major flaw and it took the The Charmed Ones to set things right. For a while, Leo was able to hide his association with the Avatars, but the Elders eventually found out and he was stripped of his magical powers. How did Krause have to alter his performance to keep up with all these changes in his character’s life?

“There were different emotions I had to play based on Leo’s situation,” notes the actor. “As an Elder, he was like, ‘OK, I’m a pure being. Everything is great. I love life and am in control.’ When Leo went to the other side as an Avatar, it was out of the same core belief, which was his desire for wanting the best for his family and the world. Then when he was made mortal, Leo was bitter at first, but then felt he had finally been set free. So the through-line for my character never changed, but how he reacted was based on his been wronged or righted by the Elders, Avatars, demons, witches, etc.”

When the eighth and final year of Charmed finally rolled around, the WB Network cut back on the show’s budget, which meant that Krause’s work on the series would be limited to half the season. “That was a big shock and it changed my attitude a little bit as well as my passion for the series,” he admits. “However, when I began work on season eight I realized that negativity wasn’t good for me, the audience or the show. So I quickly got over that and decided, ‘Hey, I need to do my best work, whether I’m here for one episode or 22.’

“Season eight was a very emotional one for Leo. There was the ongoing adjustment to being mortal, dealing with his new role as Mr. Mom, and not being able to help out Piper and her sisters as much. Leo felt all those things and perhaps I felt them, too, based on my reduced involvement in the making of the show. So it was all right there and easy for me to play. That was all due to Brad Kern, who was very in-tune with me and the rest of the cast and wrote for our personal emotional levels and how they fit into the show.

“Brad always kept a close eye on all of us and was a big brother or father figure. He never asked us to do anything on the show if he didn’t feel we couldn’t emotionally handle it at certain periods in our lives. Brad made the right call each time and I thank him for every opportunity he afforded me in season eight to be as natural and believable as possible when playing Leo.”

Thanks to some clever cost-cutting moves on Brad Kern’s part, he was able to bring the Leo character back for the Charmed finale Forever Charmed. “Eight years of a series is a long time and there was a lot of reflection going on and plenty of emotions, especially on the final day of shooting when the Halliwell Manor was blown up,” says Krause. “I think everyone took a moment to stare at the burnt rubble and just couldn’t believe it. It was hard to swallow. The cast and crew really banded together and supported one another in order to get the work done without totally breaking down.”

Krause has no idea what the future holds for him either personally or professionally, but wherever life takes him next, he’ll be bringing with him a part of Charmed. “There are so many things that I learnt from many different people on that show,” he says**. “I grew both as a person and an actor and I’ll always be grateful for that**. We’ll see where I’m at eight years from now. Hopefully I’ll take away some positive elements from that span of time, too.”

[timothylawrence]

2, 7, 8, 24, 31 for Sunblade

Hi Aisling!!!!! ❤️🫶💛🥹🫂 I’ll put most of this under the readmore!!! Ty 🥺❤️😭!!!

2. What was the first moment where they knew they were in love with their LI?

Hahahahah. Rana. Oh Rana. She denied it until it was undeniable. Until she spends her first night in Rivington laying beside him listening to him sleeply ramble about all the things he wants to show her in Baldur’s Gate… Rana can’t even fathom saying no to him 🥺.

As for Wyll…. Oh god. It’s when he finds her trying to cheer up the kids in the last light inn. some completely random moment where she’s showing them a card trick, hiding half the deck behind her back but they’re all none the wiser. They laugh and the words sitting on Wyll’s tongue surprise him.

7. Favorite Date Activity?

Hehehehe! Exploring! Rana loves to explore and Wyll is more than happy to tag along. I also like to think they enjoy picnics 🥺🫶

8. What are their most prominent memories of each other?

Oh god… Rana won’t ever forget Wyll’s dramatic little meeting, but what stands out even more is their first personal meeting in the grove. Wyll teaching these tiefling kids with so much kindness… it’s a kindness she was never afforded when she was a child.

And Wyll… oh I know he can’t forget that act one scene on the beach. Rana going looking for him, sitting on the shore. The joke but more importantly… the soft kiss they shared 🥺. It’s the first time he’s opened up to someone in years, even just barely, and he can’t quite ever forget it.

24. Is their any moment that happens between them that you know happens and just makes you melt?

Sorry. I like to think they share a tent/bed every night once they do their first dance 🥺!! Rana and Wyll cuddling at night… it makes me melt 😭! I love the idea of wrapping her much smaller frame around Wyll and hanging on tight !!

31. Share anything you would like about the couple!

aaaaa!!! One of my fav screenshots cus it looks like that he asked for no pickles meme

[magicxc]

Hills and Valleys

Synopsis: Legend has it that Halloween is strictly for the scares. With ghouls and goblins, vampires and werewolves, witches and broomsticks, who could disagree?

However, all this friend group wanted was a little trick or treat. Sprinkle in a few party favors, loud music, and a cabin in the woods, the myth was bound to come true. 

Lurking around the corner is danger like never before, eager to bring this night to a bloody finish. 

So join these friends as they fight to make it through a Halloween they’ll never forget, proving that "the scare" is more than just a fantasy.

Word Count: 1573

Warnings: drowning

Chapter 2 - Julianna’s POV

Series Masterlist

“Let’s fucking gooooooo,” I yell into the crowd. 

I don’t know what it is about LMFAO that gets me pumped, but they’re definitely a vibe. That group was inescapable in 2012 and then they just fell off the face of the earth, damn. 

But before I can contemplate it any further, a drink is being pushed into my hands by none other than the fender bender himself. Man, I haven’t seen that asshole on tv since adult swim was poppin. 

“Is this that Jekyll and Gin?” I shout over the music. 

“Nah, this that beetlejuice,” they answered. 

Eyeing the cup for potential bugs, I shrug my shoulders and take it to the head cause lets be real, the craziest names yield the best taste. 

Next thing I know is that I’m ass up face down in the middle of the dancefloor bussing the meanest of whines for Freddy Kruger. And if I hear another Megan Thee Stallion song, Imma show him why she really calls us hotties. 

But unfortunately for him, inebriated me has the tendency to fake an accent or two, though I usually don’t know which one will get the chance to shine until the drunk meter hits full. 

“Sacre bleu nigga, Im tryna throw this ass back on youuu. So open your arms wide, bend those knees, and catch it ohh ouiiii.”

“Girl you play too fucking much,” he retorted. 

So apparently the accent of the day is French.

We dance on each other for a few more songs, my ass firmly placed in his hands while his pelvis roughly grinds into me; our bodies cradled together as we move to the rhythm of the beat. Slick comments like “get a room” or “use a condom” get thrown at us and it’s then that I leave for a breather before I fuck him there and then.  

Unwrapping myself from his arms, I get ready to go, promising that I’ll be back while he smacks my ass in return. Deciding on a cup of water before I step outside for some fresh air, I make a beeline for the kitchen damn near knocking over Lynn in the process. 

“Woahhh where’s the fire,” she jokes. 

“In my vagina,” I yell. “Freddy Krugers big dick gave my ass two muthafucking heartbeats bitch.”

“You whore, you smashed on the first night?” 

“No, but I’m about to,” I smirked. 

“Shittt join the team, I smashed the first night and became a girlfriend.”

“Girl when haven't you?”

Shrugging her shoulders, she downs the last of her drink as her beefy military guy comes up and snakes his arms around her waist; an acknowledging nod thrown my way. 

“Jason, right?”

“All day.”

“I’d love to stay and talk, but I’m legit burning from the inside out,” I said, fanning myself. 

“I think Lorenzo left the backdoor open,” Jason pointed out. “I’ve seen people in and out that thing all night.”

“Mhmm, yeah take a breather and air that cat out before you buss it wide open.”

“Fuck you!” I laughed, middle finger high in the air. “Honestly I’m surprised I’ve made it this long at his party as is.”

“At the rate you’re going, we’ll probably have to haul you out of here,” Jason chirped. 

“Y’all aren't still ‘beefing’ are you?”

“You know how he goes Lynn, if Lenny does nothing else he’ll hold a grudge.”

“Just give it some time.” 

About two months ago Lenny threw a surprise party for himself, however the fuck that works, and invited the usual crew and then some. He rented out a party hall because quite frankly we were tired of helping him clean up after his usual weekend shenanigans; and it was his birthday so ideally he wanted to get fucked up without being responsible for any mess he made. 

As the night goes on we’re all chopping it up and getting lit and I spy this gorgeous girl, I’m talking ten out of ten baddie. Now I’m far from shy, especially when it comes to something that I want, so I slid over to her, hit her with some of my best lines and made that shit official like a referee with a whistle. We end up clicking instantly. She’s downing drinks back to back with me, fucking up the dance floor with me, and even tried her hands at skiing the slopes for the first time. 

All in all things are going better than expected, hell I'm starting to think it's my birthday. At some point, we start taking body shots and somehow her trying to wedge the lime from my teeth ends with us liplocking, that slice of citrus long forgotten as it hits the floor. Our makeout session ends abruptly, both of us yanked apart with a fuming Lenny in front of us. 

Apparently she was a coworker of his who he’d been eyeing for a minute and I swooped in and ruined the possibility of something more. But the thing is, he had no chances with this woman in the first place and had he paid close enough attention through those bullshit conversations that he forced on her in the break room, he would’ve realised that sis was gay. 

Truth be told, I bruised his ego more than anything. And the fact that he pulled such a stunt like that, in his drunken state, in front of friends, family and coworkers has him a little more embarrassed than he lets on. 

I think Lenny is the bees knees and I would’ve never approached his crush had I known, but it still stings that he’s essentially beating a dead horse. I feel like he tolerates me these days because of the crew and quite frankly I’m over the silly nonsense. He’s my absolute fave of the bunch, our personalities being so similar and all. But after tonight he’ll hear everything I have to say whether he likes it or not. 

“Anyway I’m off to, as you so eloquently put it, air this cat out,” I joke. “Later sugar.”

“Dammit, is nothing sacred?” She screams. 

Chuckling, I make it to the back door, walking over to one of the nearby trees to light a joint. Bringing it to my lips, I inhale the smoky goodness, eyelids heavy from fun. Swallowing it down, I rest my head against the branch as the crunching of leaves takes me out of my daze. 

Spinning around, a small smile dangles at the corner of my lips as I eye the familiar face. Exhaling, I hand over the joint, a question that doesn’t need to be asked. Hands swiping over mine, the blunt slides from my fingers and between their lips in response; a newfound sense of serenity as we enjoy the low thumping of the music. 

Halloween aside, autumn is my absolute favorite season for the beautiful, warm colors that it produces - from the red tinted leaves, to the orange pumpkins, and the golden sunsets. The air is crispier and the breeze blows a little cooler and the wind tastes a little fresher. I don’t know but it’s something about the way the earth turns on its axis around this time of year that brings a newfound joy to me. 

Eyes closed in blissful solace, I listen in as another crunching of the leaves ensues, only this time I’m the reason for the noise. A fist to my jaw has my face slamming against the tree trunk, body tumbling to the ground as I try my best to recover from the force of it all. 

Hands desperately grabbing at the earth, dirt and debris get painfully wedged underneath my fingernails, watching the droplets of blood seep into the soil. 

Trying my best to scramble up off the ground in my drunken state, a kick to my temple makes all my efforts futile, vision blurring as I lose my fight with consciousness. 

|~~

My body feels cold and heavy, lungs intensely burning while my head feels an insane amount of pressure. Eyes shooting open, I see what looks to be the moon, a full one at that. Can you imagine, a full moon on Halloween? I see the universe has a sense of humor. 

I feel my body sink further into the cold, wet depths, limbs thrashing against whatever has me restrained and it occurs to me that I may not be able to talk my way out of this one. The more I struggle, the more water pours into my lungs, filling my chest with a fiery ache; salty tears submerged as my nose splatters furious bubbles at my body's pitiful attempt to cough up the water and relieve my chest. 

They say it takes about 40 seconds to drown and though I’ve only been down here for about half that, it feels like twice that time. I’ve always wanted to go in my sleep, peacefully and without a clue. But as I stare up at the hazy moon, surrounded by a deep blue sky, stars sprinkled in between, I figure this isn’t the worst thing to see last. Relaxing into the water, I give up my struggle and take a big gulp, ready to accept my fate. Vision darkening, I look up for a final peek at the starry night in all its blurred glory, or as I’d like to call this one “the party night” and take comfort in the fact that I got to live it up one last time.

[cloud0177]

i just read the kisaragi station wikipedia page but can you tell us more?? :O or tell us why you love it so much?? have a nice day or night <3

TY FOR ASKINGGGG <333

Kisaragi station is SUCH serious like for me 😭😭 and I’m so happy you asked but keep in mind I’m not 100% confident!!

kisaragi station is just SO interesting to me, from the songs to the forums AND the movie

okay so if you wanna know more I DEFINITELY recommend actually reading the forums!! which is here (if you’re confused, where it says “あなたのうしろに名無しさんが” is just basically “anonymous person”)

(I’m saying forums because it happened on 2chan)

for a summary, hasumi, wakes up in a train alone in another world basically, all she really has is anonymous posters on a forum that try to help her to escape from that world, telling her where to go or what to do or who to trust.

Hasumi of course meets “people” but they aren’t real, for both the movie and forum, they’re only there to trick her and misguide her. Kisaragi station in its self, isn’t a real place. So even if people try to help her, they can’t at all.

but hasumi isn’t the only one!.. kinda

hasumi is where the origins are of course and the official one, but there’s two more!

@ _Byakuran__ on twitter supposedly went through kisaragi station and escaped! If you want to read about that I’m pretty sure you can just go through his account by searching “きさらぎ駅”

I can’t actually tell you much about his experience bc.. I only read it a long time ago 😭 but feel free to read through it!

for the third one, I’ve only heard about it but never actually researched it so again! Can’t tell you much!

for the kisaragi movie

please ignore this section if you’re planning on watching it yourself!!

*for the kisaragi movie, I didn’t have a option to watch with subtitles but I don’t know the absolute facts, I only know what I see and I’m still only learning Japanese! 😭

for the movie, it’s a bit different and I might forget a few parts, since.. it’s been a long time since I’ve watched it

The protagonist in here starts by interviewing someone who survived through kisaragi station, which shows you through her pov for the first part of the movie, but for the second half, the interviewer gets on the train and wakes up just like how the survivor told her, by that, the interviewer already knew what to do and avoid, like a cheat code!

in this movie, there’s actually 4 people that are on the train, a highschool girl, a delinquent guy and his girlfriend, and a old man.

As usual and because the interviewer knew what to do thanks to the survivor telling her every detail that happened, she tried to save everyone but eventually they all get killed off one by one, just like how it happened to the survivor.

most of it is just them going through the story so I’ll tell you the rest.

The highschool girl is actually REALLY important to the story and mc (interviewer)

But I’ll just say a summary since I’m getting kinda sleepy

Basically, like I said before, the “people” she met aren’t real. They were there for both people just to trick and mess with their emotions, to misguide them, even if you wanted to save them, it would be a waste.

At the end, only the mc and highschool girl were left while a monster tried to fight them, mc told the girl to run to the portal to escape, to which the girl did. What mc didn’t know is that the portal was only for *one* person. She was stuck in the other world for basically no reason.

For the ending? Since I couldn’t make out some things they were saying, I couldn’t understand it all. But I would guess that the twist is that the person weren’t real, it was a trick, and the survivor actually tricked the interviewer too.

also… extra notes

so yeah, read the forums or watch a video that reads out the forums! Personally I liked when this YouTuber, shooshiMooshi read it out here

He also reacted to the kisaragi station in that video which is also what I recommend!!

(But I recommend watching the video for yourself! The og artist is also really cool so check their videos out if you wanna, they also have some mystery to them)

* unrelated but I wanna talk about the kisaragi song artist too!! Back then (can’t believe it’s been 4 years) they used be a internet mystery because they had just.. no name at all.. not for their videos and not even for their channel..

so people would find out ways they could’ve done it. Eventually they find out and it died down but it was cool mystery while it was!

Video link to the kisaragi station song is here for the real voice version and here for vocoloid! I don’t know why it has two versions but? I like both so try out both if you wanna! they also try to explain the story with the lyrics too! so turn on cc for it

The movie is really really good and please tell me if you find one with English subtitles so I can rewatch it with those!

And reminder for if you wanna check out the twitter user I mentioned!

I’m sorry if I didn’t explain the best but ty for letting me ramble about it!! The story is just so supernatural and I personally love those types of things so much!! Just otherworldly stuff is so aaaa so cool!!! TY FOR ASKINGGG AGAIN!!!

Also please please PLEASE once you’re done checking out those things PLEASE update me with your thoughts on it!! My dms are completely open or you can do another ask with your answer!! Tysm againnn ❤️❤️

extra extra notes

but just in general.. I LOVE Japanese urban legends!! There’s others I can tell you about.. if you wanna hear.. please ask.. 🫶

but also for some background info about me which you didn’t ask for but I’ll tell you, as a kid I’ve had plenty supernatural experiences or just delusions to which.. that was my only delusion ever if it was?, call me crazy but I remember this one time a girl would just be watching me sleep, her hair and her face scary yet her presence was just so comforting that I went fell asleep and never saw her again when I told my mom about it the next day 🤷‍♀️ anyway that’s a mini story for you! That’s all!

[therealpactcommander]

Commander Week Day 7 - Aurene

Written like the Story Journal. At least attempted to

-----

There’s really nothing to journal about. I woke up, learned about my short coma, and now my own daughter Aurene won’t let me leave because I’m “still hurt.”

But, I’ve written about all of my adventures, and I’m bored to all hell. So, I might as well do something to pass the time. It won’t be as interesting as describing my epic battles against dragons, but I’m in so much need of something to do.

-----

My hip is aching again. Aurene told me to sit in the water, and I didn’t want to explain that it didn’t have anything to do with being shot. So, now I’m wet and cold. Yay for me.

Another lasting mark from a near-death experience.

I hadn’t told anyone that my hip had gotten caught when Kralkatorik attacked me. Don’t get me wrong, I would have been all crystal if Aurene hadn’t stepped in, and I’m grateful she did. Yet, the agony of brand lodging in to my skin while breaking about 5 different bones isn’t something I’ll forget any time soon.

It hadn’t spread any further from the wound, so I went off and killed Kralkatorik. It was only when I had a moment to breathe when I hid in Thunderhead Keep and started ripping crystals from my skin. Spirits, it hurt- too much flesh came with it. Yet, I had managed to completely remove the crystals without anyone but Rytlock knowing I had been branded. I swore him to secrecy and he helped me bandage up the wound I had caused.

But… sitting in the pool does feel… better, I guess.

?/?/?

I had another night terror again. Apparently it was a bad one. I certainly remember the nightmare that went with it- that was a bad one, too.

The wound in my chest had flared up again, and… it felt like… him.

That’s why I didn’t dodge the arrow. Rytlock had asked me that at some point. He and I both knew I could have. I didn’t tell him- I just said I had been cold. Judging by the fact I am norn and the low growl he offered me, he probably didn’t believe that.

I could have dodged it. I really could’ve.

But I froze. I froze. Norn don’t freeze when faced with danger.

And yet, when I saw the flaming arrow, my mind went blank. I felt afraid. Fire had never been the same comfort to me after what he did to me. I can’t sleep anymore. I mean, I already wrote about last night- it might have been worse, but the others aren’t all that great either. Aurene says it's okay- that she doesn’t need sleep, and she likes taking care of me. I should be taking care of her, really I appreciate it.

She asks me if I want to talk about it sometimes.

Usually, I answer by asking her back. If my pain that day had bothered her enough to fly halfway across the continent to fight a god as a baby, it couldn’t have been a breeze for her mental health, either. Then, she was kidnapped, force-fed god magic, and immediately started fighting her grandfather.

Of course she knows all of this, but she always answers with something along the lines of “I don’t mind discussing it. That’s why I asked.” Then I’m forced to admit that no, I don’t want to talk about it.

Four years old, and she’s already outsmarting me.

-----

I wandered around the Eye of the North today. Not anywhere outside of Aurene’s chamber, since she’s smart enough to know that I would try to escape back to the fight. But I wandered anyway. She said it was good that I was walking normally, without pain.

I’m always in pain. I know that. She knows that. I think she was just trying to cheer me up.

There wasn’t much ‘bad’ today, actually. I played with Ivory. She showed Aurene some silly little tricks, then demanded I give her treats. I’m glad. Ever since I’ve been hurt, she’s been depressed, but she seems to be cheering up. She’s playing ‘catch’ with my tail right now- in which she bats it until it flicks away, then she pounces on it. At first it was involuntary and very annoying, but eventually I just started flicking it around for her to chase on purpose.

Aurene mentioned my tail.

~~

“You keep Ivory’s fur pristine, but you’ve let your tail get matted. Why?”

Thorne wrinkled his nose. “Don’t have time.”

“But you have time to get little outfits for your companion?”

“They make her happy!”

~~

Little outfits do, in fact, make her happy. She loves little outfits.

Aurene said that I’m going to have to shave the mats out. I will not do that, as I think all of my fur is matted.

-----

Aurene made me shave my tail. Does it feel better? Yeah, but now I’m cold and my tail looks stupid. Too angry to write today.

-----

Now that my tail grew some of its fur back, I feel less angry.

Aurene told me more about what being an Elder Dragon was like. How it felt to feel ley lines so strongly you feel like you can see them, or the feeling of magic flowing through you and purifying it as you absorbed it.

She also asked me to show her the new magic I've been working on. I was happy to oblige, and showed her a few fire tricks. She nods and hums when I explain how it works, despite knowing exactly how elemental magic was done.

I love her. I hope she never forgets that.

I never will. She saved me. More than once, but especially after Joko captured me. Whatever state of mind break I had been in, it was her voice that allowed me some sense long enough to distract him before she tore apart the undead lich king like jerky.

I don't know if she knows what really happened when I was in captivity- the enchantment Joko put on my choker muffled our bond after all, which is why it took so long for her to find me. With his death, the enchantment was gone, and I felt her concern for me then. I almost started crying right then, but I just allowed her to carry me on her back, back to safety.

Back to my our family.