#I’m so obsessed with this game since I was in middle school

[playhousemassacrez]

I’m in a FNaF brainrot today.

Why? FNaF movie full trailer dropped yesterday that’s why.

[foreingersgod]

So so you wanted a small town reader request so I thought of this one. She she’s from a southern small town and plays basketball for the SEC team of her state, she really made a name for herself there, but wants to broaden her horizons so she enters the transfer portal and somehow ends up in Iowa where meet Kate who is OBSESSED with her southern accent. Then it’s just Kate trying to show her interest bc reader is totally oblivious until one of their teammates says something

Southern Charm . KM

pairing: kate martin x reader

synopsis: after transferring to iowa’s basketball team to broaden your horizons, you end up meeting someone who changes your life

A/N: i got a request to do another country fic like this one with kate, so expect one with ‘country kate’ here soon!

also, i’m not very proud of this one so i’m sorry if it’s genuinely shitty lol :’)

NOT PROOF READ

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ever since you were little, maybe 7 or 8, you were fascinated with basketball. growing up in texas you were exposed to a large following of sports and hard core fans. your family was always repping the pro and college teams of your state with pride, attending several games throughout your childhood. basketball in particular held a special place in your heart. you remember watching the university of texas’ basketball games with your dad, absolutely enthralled by the game. it didn’t take long for your parents to get you involved in the sport. you played in small teams as a kid then on your schools girls basketball teams in middle and high school. and with a lot of hard work and determination, you got into the university of texas to play on their women’s team.

while playing for the university, you made quite the impression on basketball fans. you were quick, had unbelievable stats, and extremely adaptable. you were a pretty valuable player in most eyes. but after two years at the school, you started to feel restricted. there wasn’t a whole lot for you to improve on your skills so you made a drastic decision to enter the transfer portal.

it was an emotional decision. realizing you would be leaving teammates behind as well as your home state was hard, but you longed for something greater. not long after entering the portal, you had transferred to the university of Iowa. you were ecstatic despite having to move away. it was time to broaden your horizons and hopefully expand upon your skill set.

˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

you had arrived in iowa around a week ago and you were still adjusting. figuring out where all of the buildings were, where the dining halls were located, was a lot for you to handle. hell you could barely remember how to get to your dorm at this point.

you haven’t even met your new teammates, practices not starting up for a couple of days. the anticipation had you extremely nervous.

what if they didn’t like you?

what if they thought you sucked?

the days leading up to your first practice were consumed with these uncontrollable thoughts. but as you laced up your shoes and grabbed your duffel bag, heading out the door, you felt those nagging thoughts dissipate.

when you arrived for practice, opening the large metal doors to the gym, it almost felt like you were right back at home. you wandered over to where the team was warming up, hearing the squeak of the polished floors. quickly, looking up from her clipboard, bluder spotted you a few feet ahead. she met you on the sidelines to officially greet you for your first day.

“ah, YN!” she announced, grabbing the attention of the other girls “nice to see you again, glad you could join us. let’s get you introduced and settled in”

her smile was welcoming as she motioned for the girls to huddle up. everyone gathered around, you being the center of attention as you looked around awkwardly.

“team, i’m sure you’re all aware of our newest member, YN” lisa said “let’s be kind and supportive and help her get settled in on her first day alight?”

everyone nodded “great. YN, would you like to introduce yourself?”

you took a deep breathe as you studied their faces timidly, fidgeting with your fingers and trying to think of something to say.

“um, yea” you managed, hoping you sounded confident “i’m YN, i just transferred from the university of texas..and i’m-uh-really excited to get to know you guys”

the team offered their hello’s, walking up to you one by one to shake your hand politely and introduce themselves. they were all incredibly sweet right away, telling you you’d fit right in and complimenting your skills. you went down the line, excited to get acquitted with the team.

then, at the end of the line, stood kate martin. you had seen her play and you thought she was amazing so you were excited to finally meet her. she approached you with the most genuine smile, eyes lit with zeal.

“hey,” she spoke up, offering her hand to you “i’m kate, it’s nice to meet you YN”

you smiled back at her “it’s nice to meet you too! you’re a fantastic player, i’d be lyin’ if i said i hadn’t been excited to meet you!”

“i’m flattered, really, thank you” you could feel her hand linger on yours as she pulled away from the handshake “so texas, huh? i caught onto the accent!”

you both laughed “yea, i’m from a small town not too far from campus, so i got that signature dialect”

“i think it’s really cute,” she looked down, avoiding your gaze “think it suits you”

“thanks, kate” you blushed, smiling at her once more before bluder summoned everyone to resume warmups.

what a sweetheart.

˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

it had been quite sometime since you had finally settled into your new team. there was a lot of awkwardness and uncertainty, but you had started to feel like this is where you were meant to be. and like you had hoped, there was so much more room for you to improve rather than back in texas. you were playing amazing games, beating your own records and personal highs on a regular basis. going to iowa was truly the best thing for your career.

you had also grown really close to the girls since arriving. kate, especially, was like your best friend. she had always been so kind and sweet to you. at some point in your friendship, you started to develop a decent crush on the girl, but you had always assumed that she didn’t feel that way about you. so you stayed quiet as to not distrust your connection.

but recently, things have been a little off with kate. she often avoided you during practices and didn’t stay to say goodbye when you left. both things she did on a normal basis and now she just stopped doing it all together. she didn’t even bother to text you or ask about your day, nor did she laugh when you said things funny (she’s always giggled to herself when your accent was thick). you were beginning to wonder if you did something wrong.

it had been weeks of her dismissive behavior and you were starting to miss your best friend. your heart ached at the thought of her not liking you anymore. so you devised a plan to meet her during her extra early practice one morning and confront her, hoping to figure out why she wasn’t giving you the time of day.

it was about 7:00 in the morning, much too early for your liking. you’d never understood why kate, amongst others, wanted to be at practice an hour earlier. but you had managed to get out of bed at 6, suiting up and sneakily heading to the gym. you hoped you could catch her off guard, maybe surprise her so she’d have no choice but to deal with your confrontation head on. you were approaching the doors of the locker room, about to open the door, when you heard kate’s voice echo from inside. freezing in your spot, you shamefully eavesdropped to see what she was talking about.

“no! i’m not going to do that!” she exclaimed.

“why not?” you heard another voice, from the sounds of it, it must’ve been gabbie. “you’re like obsessed with her, just go for it!”

“i’m not obsessed, ok? there’s just something about YN that drives me crazy and i like her so so much, but i’m sure as hell not going say that right to her face!”

you went numb hearing your name fall from kate’s mouth. you tried to move closer to the door, wanting to hear what she was saying a little bit better, but you tripped over your own foot causing you to lunge forward. the doors to the locker on went flying open, your stiff figure busting through the entrance as you immediately gave yourself away.

you stood, completely unable to move as you looking up into the vastness of the locker room. sure enough, there were gabbie and kate, sitting in front of you. their eyes were wide seeing you burst through those doors, realizing they had just been caught talking about you. and it was no secret that you had heard almost everything they were saying.

“i’m so sorry!” you rambled an apology “i was just about to come and talk to kate, but then i heard my name, and i really didn’t mean to intrude like this i’m so embarrassed”

kate sat, also embarrassed as gabbie spoke up.

“i’m going to give you guys some privacy” she said “i think there’s a lot that kate needs to say”

and with that, she walked out of the locker room, leaving you and kate in awkward silence. you walked over to where she sat on the bench to take the seat next to her. she looked at you, hardly able to make eye contact.

“i’m sorry”

“for what?” you asked

“i shouldn’t have been talking about you behind your back. i had no idea you were gonna be here, not that that makes it ok-”

“kate, it’s ok” you placed a hand on her shoulder “i was here early cause i needed to talk to you, but i shouldn’t have stuck around to eaves drop”

“what did you need to talk to me about?”

you sighed, suddenly wishing you didn’t have to bring it up in the first place “it’s just that i’ve felt like you’ve been avoiding me and purposely not talking to me so i wanted to ask why…but i think i already kind of know why…”

“yea” she replied, voice cracking “you weren’t supposed to find out like that”

“if it’s any consolation…i feel the same way” you removed your hand from her shoulder, taking her hand in yours. gentle fingers ran over hers soothingly.

“you-you do?”

“mhm” you grinned “i’ve been too afraid to say anything cause i didn’t know if you felt the same and i didn’t want to ruin our friendship”

she didn’t say anything, just sat looking into your eyes. there were no tears, no anger in her eyes, just a certain longing that only you could recognize.

“i think im in love with you”

“you don’t have to say-”

“no i mean it” she continued “everything about you, from the moment i met you, i’ve been in love with. you’re perfect and funny and gentle, you have the cutest accent i’ve ever heard, and i don’t think i can handle being just friends”

“kate i think i’m in love with you too” happy tears welled in your eyes as you inched closer to her, feeling her breathe on your skin.

“can i kiss you?” she asked, but she didn’t even need to, you would’ve done it anyways.

“please”

and finally, your lips met in the most gentle yet passionate kiss. teeth clashing at the urgency of it, both of you so eager from waiting so long for this moment. you wished you could’ve stayed like that forever. nonetheless, she pulled away breathlessly, forehead resting against yours as you smiled at each other.

“it’s that southern charm” she joked, large hand resting against your cheek “you’re irresistible”

you laughed, pulling her into another kiss, trying to savor this moment for as long as you could.

[leilakisakabiri]

heyy, can u write one where gavi is obsessed by reader's smell?

Surprise (Gavi)

Summary: You and Gavi are in a long-distance relationship and you go to his game to surprise him, but he catches you.

Warning(s): None

Requested: Yes

A/N: Hey anon! Thank you so much for the request and thanks for being patient. Hopefully, I did the prompt justice! Not proofread.

Word Count: [1666]

Masterlist

You had reached out to Pedri a week ago asking him to help you surprise Gavi at the final La Liga game.

You were in university studying in America, and the two of you had been doing long distance since last summer. It was now early May and you had finished your exams just in time to be in Barcelona for the final game.

You had lied and told Gavi you wouldn’t be done for another week, before wishing him the best and making yourself scarce, telling him you were busy studying.

In the meantime, you had set up a plan to surprise him with Pedri and booked your tickets.

Once you landed in Barcelona, Pedri came to pick you up. You both smiled at each other warmly, telling each other about your lives since you’d been apart.

“I haven’t seen you since December. How have you been hermana?” Pedri questioned.

You laughed, telling him about your school and all the things you and your friends got up to.

“That sounds so fun. Now I’m jealous I never got to go to school in America!” He exclaimed.

“Mm. It’s probably not as fun as being a famous footballer.” You shrugged playfully.

“Yah I guess that’s cool too.” He remarked.

Before you knew it, you were pulling up to the stadium, and the nerves were beginning to set it in. You hadn’t seen Gavi in almost six months and you were a little nervous to see him again. Did he look the same? Would he be excited to see you?

Pedri could tell that you were getting in your head, and he placed a comforting hand on your shoulder.

“Don’t overthink it, he’ll be happy to see you. He was so sad you couldn’t be here.”

You looked up at him, “Really?”

He nodded affirmatively and you felt yourself loosen up, “Thanks Pedri.”

He gave you a smile, ushering you out of the car and into the stadium.

“Ok so we only have a few minutes before the rest of the team gets here so we have to be quick.” Pedri spoke leading you into the locker room.

The plan was that you would leave a note in Gavi’s locker telling him to look up into the family section of the stands, and he would glance up before the game and see you standing there wearing his jersey, cheering him on.

You didn’t want to mess up the before-game ritual, or the meeting with his team, so you opted for seeing him after the game as opposed to before.

You had just placed the note in his locker when you heard the locker room door open, male voices filling the air.

You looked up at Pedri in horror, his facial expression mirroring yours, as you both froze.

He snapped out of it first and pushed you towards the showers, “Oh shit, go hide!”

You had just snapped the shower curtain closed when you heard a voice, “Pedri, hey man. Why are you here so early?”

You heard Pedri let out an awkward laugh, and you cringed, poor boy was never a good liar, “Oh hey Ansu. Uhm- y’know just like to be early.”

A new voice responded, “Really since when?”

You breath caught in your throat, it was Gavi.

It had been so long since you heard his voice in person, it sounded so real, and so close. You felt a wave of emotions hit you. Hearing his voice made it ten times harder to keep yourself hidden, and only amplified how much you missed him.

“Ehh big game so wanted to start now.”

The boys seemed to accept his answer, continuing their conversation.

You silently prayed that they would move toward the other end of the locker room so that you could make a quick escape.

But it seemed like luck was not on your side today.

Gavi was in the middle of a sentence when he abruptly cut himself off.

“Do you smell that?” He asked, pausing to inhale.

“Did you just sniff the air?” Pedri asked him, trying to hold back his laughter.

“Shut up, it smells like Y/n.”

You felt your blood run cold. Oh shit. You had totally forgot about your perfume.

You had bought the perfume months ago, back when you were still with Gavi in Barcelona last summer. You had been looking for something that smelled like warm summer nights and when you found it you bought it instantly. However, it wasn’t just you who loved the smell as just twenty minutes after you wore it for the first time Gavi had you spread out on the couch, lips planting kisses all over you, hands exploring every inch of your body.

“You smell so good.” He groaned, kissing the column of your neck.

Your breathing was unsteady, and you found it hard to concentrate, “Thanks, I just bought it. It’s supposed to smell like summer."

“Well whatever it is, I love it.” Gavi murmured, his words caught between his mouth and your skin.

Since then, it had become your everyday perfume, and you spent the rest of summer wearing it and driving Gavi crazy.

He said it smelled exactly how he imagined you to be. Sweet and intoxicating.

Now you were wearing the same exact perfume, having forgotten about Gavi’s obsession with it.

You were scared that you had just outed yourself, but you were also impressed that the perfume had lingered for that long.

Guess it was a good buy.

“What?” Pedri asked him pretending to be confused, his voice pulling you out of your thoughts.

“She always smells like coconut and jasmine, and the locker room smells exactly like that.”

“I think the dirty socks are getting to your head. Go get ready.” Pedri retorted, trying to steer the conversation away from you.

Gavi shook his head, “Pedri I swear. Am I going crazy?”

Ansu spoke, “Nah bro I smell it too.”

That was all the confirmation Gavi needed, “Where is it coming from?” He asked as he set his bag down beginning to move around the room.

You could hear Pedri shuffling as well, presumably following the boy, “C’mon this is stupid. Let’s focus on the game. The rest of the team will be here any minute.”

Gavi sighed, “Ok yah.” He resigned, moving to go change into his uniform.

“Be honest Pedri, did you have a girl in here?” Ansu asked playfully.

You heard Pedri sputter, and you let out a small gasp, not being able to hold back your laughter.

“What was that?”

“What?” Pedri asked, his voice rising unintentionally.

“Swear I heard something over there.” Ansu stated.

You bit your lip, moving back into the shower, cursing yourself for making noise.

It was quiet for a moment, and then a second later you felt the shower curtain being ripped open.

You were greeted by a very stressed-out Pedri and a confused Ansu.

“What the fu-“ You desperately held up a finger to your mouth, pleading with him to be silent.

“What?” Gavi asked coming over.

Ansu quickly shut the curtain again, “Oh nothing. Just thought I saw a spider.”

They all moved away from the showers, and you let out a breathe. You couldn’t believe how close you were to being caught.

All you had wanted to do was surprise your boyfriend, but that was turning out to be much harder than you thought.

You heard more voices begin to fill the locker room, and you wondered if Pedri was going to come and get you or if you were on your own.

A moment later, the shower curtain slowly opened and Pedri popped his head inside.

“That was so close!” He whispered.

You stepped out of the shower, “I know! Now get me out of here.”

“Ok, most of the guys are in the main changing area, waiting for coach. We’re going the other way, so just walk in front of me and we’ll be good.”

You nodded, feeling Pedri walk behind you as you took a left out of the shower area.

You had your sights fixed on the door and were just steps away when a voice interrupted. “Pedri, do you know anything about this no-“ You heard Gavi ask before his voice faltered,

“Who’s that?”

You squeezed your eyes shut, knowing your cover had officially been blown.

You felt Pedri freeze behind you. He began to speak without turning around, scrambling to come up with something.

You cut him off, turning around and finally revealing yourself, “Surprise!”

Gavi stood there in shock staring at you for about five seconds, unmoving, before his body caught up to his brain and then he was colliding into you, arms wrapping around you and pulling you into a tight hug.

“Holy shit. Y/n? What are you doing here bebe?” He asked his voice rising in excitement.

You giggled as he picked you up, spinning you around.

You looked up at him once he put you down, reaching up to caress his cheek, “I wanted to surprise you! But you kind of ruined it for yourself.” You admitted.

“I don’t even care. I’m so happy you’re here.” He spoke, grabbing your hand and intertwining your fingers.

You smiled, kissing his cheek as you promised you’d find him after the game.

He walked you to the door, as you basked in each other’s presence.

You gave him one last kiss before pulling away.

“I knew I smelled you!” he exclaimed.

You giggled, “Yah I forgot about that. Can’t believe you sniffed me out.” You teased while ruffling his hair.

He gave you a playful glare before fixing his hair, “Oh c’mon you know I love it.”

You smiled, “I know.”

You gave him one last wave before turning and walking through the tunnels towards the seats.

You heard him yell after you, “Nice jersey!”

You turned around, a grin on your face, “Thanks. It’s my boyfriend’s.”

[slashersbabes]

Pour le pire

Summary : I never meant to become part of their world—but maybe I was always meant to be here. They claimed me, hunted me, bled for me. Their love is obsession, their devotion a cage, but I’ve never been one to break easily. They don’t just own me—I own them too. Their love is possessive, suffocating, but I don’t mind the way their hands bruise or the way their knives carve. If this is madness, then I’ll sink into it willingly. After all, love is just another form of power—and I refuse to be the one who breaks first.

Chapter 1 : Meeting

Proxies x fem!reader

TW : Mention of stalking, violence (verbal and physical), blood, alcohol consumption, OOC

Chapter 2

A/N : Hey guys, so it's my first fic since like middle school, I've always been a huge creepypasta and MH fan so I decided to try and write again when I'm bored during class ! My writing level right now is pretty low, I am not fully satisfied with it, but I'd rather post it now so I'm more motivated to get better. It's going to be pretty slow at first so I can get back into writing, but I have some good things in mind to how I want things to escalate :) Just a little warning, english isn't my first language, the reader is completely fem but I tried to make it's race or size as neutral as possible, you will be described as foreign so implying you are not from the US. As I am not from the US, I honestly just write from stereotypes seen on Tv, if anything is outrageously wrong feel free to correct me. And finally feel free to give any criticism that you'd like, I'm not the type to be defeated at the first negative opinion !

Enjoy this first chapter :)

3.1 k words

I was following my usual routine, going from aisle to aisle, listening to music while trying to find what would satisfy me for dinner tonight. My mind was lost in space after a tiring day in uni, being a student without any family around and in a foreign country proved to be quite lonely and tiresome at times. I managed to make some friends, mostly exchange students just like me, but I didn’t have any deep connections with them.

As I was rummaging through my mind, I found myself in the fresh vegetables aisle. I picked whatever I needed, but suddenly as I turned around with my cart, to my shock I managed to knock some poor guy to the ground. I quickly went to help him up.

“Oh sir I’m so sorry ! Are you alright ?”

I managed through my apologies to take a look at him, he was kinda cute, dirty blonde hair and green eyes, a little stubble that made him look mature, and casual clothes. I felt kinda bad for checking him out after I literally just decked him with my cart. I managed to help him get up, even though he had a look of slight pain on his face.

“No it’s fine don’t worry, I shouldn’t have been standing so close to you it’s my bad.”

“Well, I’m still sorry for this, I’ll move out of your way.”

“Wait, I feel like I’ve seen your face before, do you go to uni around here ?”

“Oh ! Uh well yes I do actually, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen you… What’s your name again ?”

“I’m Brian by the way, but I’m pretty sure I saw you around, my friend is majoring in economics and sometimes I go see him to hang out, I think you’re in one of his classes.”

“Oh yeah I’m actually in finance, but we have some classes in common ! What’s his name ? Maybe I know them ?”

“His name is Joshua.”

“Oh yes, I know him ! I can’t believe I never noticed you with him.”

“Yeah well I remember a pretty face when I see one”

I could see the smirk on his face, and at that moment I remembered every movie I saw where a girl met a guy in a vegetable aisle, and it never ended well. Now I didn't want to be paranoid and ruin my chances with a cute guy that seems to be interested in me ! 

“I really gotta go right now, can I give you my number so we can, you know, get to know each other ?”

I really hoped that I didn’t come across as the weird girl that gets no game…

“Yeah sure, I’ll text you when I get back. See you (Y/N) !”

I never told him my name ? Maybe Joshua did ? But how does he know my name ? I never talked to him. Or maybe he asked around for my name ? Oh lord I hope I wasn’t right about the vegetable aisle theory…

I watched him walk away and after checking him out for a bit, I decided to scurry out of the section and finally go home. I still have to get ready for tonight’s party. I didn’t want to go but I promised Lilliane that I would at least show up and dance a bit with her. It’s not that I hate parties, I enjoy them with the good crowd, but frat parties are the bane of my existence. But alas, I will be stuck in my own misery for a good hour.

After finally making it home, I put away all my groceries and went into my room to choose an outfit. I didn’t live in a big apartment, my shower and room were separated from the rest and my living room and kitchen were basically the same. I didn’t complain of course, compared to most students I think I’m a part of the most well off, thanks to my family helping me out. I loved my little place, I’m honestly so happy that I didn’t have to share it with anyone, well except maybe the ghost that keeps moving my stuff around. I know it seems crazy, but I don’t have any other explanation. It started two months after I moved, around june. It was so small at first that I didn’t even realize at first, but when I couldn’t find my lip balm, gloss, or more recently my underwear ? I started to think I was going crazy, but it mysteriously all reappeared in places I already checked. The ghostly phenomenon mostly happened during the night, I was never awoken so I’m pretty sure no one is breaking in, the door is always locked, and I live on the 4th floor, so good luck to anyone trying to rob me. 

But I digress, I still need to find a dress, not like I don’t have any in my closet anyway. I need to find something that will make me look cute, but won’t scream “I want to find someone”. And as soon as I found the dress, I heard the notification sound of my phone go off. It was a message from Lilliane.

“I’m almost there, hope you’re ready ! And you better not bail at the last second !”

I won’t lie, I was hoping that it was Brian, but maybe I’ll see him at this party since Joshua is a party guy, he’ll probably go with him ! That put me in a slightly better mood. I finished getting ready and headed downstairs, towards Lilliane’s car.

“Oh my god (Y/N), that dress looks so cute on you ! You’re definitely going to make Cameron soooo jealous !”

Cameron is a guy I talked to during the first semester, but he was really not my type, so full of himself and controlling, I couldn’t stand him then and I still can’t now. 

“Ugh Li, I couldn’t care less about him please, there’s a reason I stopped talking to him. I just hope I can avoid him for the night…”

“Oh I’m sure he’ll try to speak to you, be prepared.”

“Okay enough with this, just talking about him stresses me out, makes me shiver. And anyways, I met a guy today, seemed cute, and he was nice too. I’m waiting for him to text me.”

Lilliane looked at me with stars in her eyes. It's always funny to see her be so preoccupied with my love life, especially when I’m talking about a stranger I met in a grocery store. 

“Okay, the second he texts you you tell me, I want to see everything so you don’t fuck it up.”

“Li ! Don’t be like that, I’m perfectly capable of talking to a guy without being weird…”

She just laughed at me and pulled over, I could finally hear the people shouting and singing along whatever song was playing. As we got out, she ran to some people she recognised, leaving me behind, all alone at a party I didn’t even want to go to. As any lonely person at a party does, I head straight to the kitchen, trying to find some alcohol. I settled on vodka and pineapple juice, a classic, practical way to get drunk quickly without feeling the bitter taste of Vodka. I settled on the kitchen counter just watching people exist around me, and also not so subtly scanning the room in hope of seeing Brian, especially since he didn’t text me like he said he would, which kinda stung not gonna lie. I can’t believe that I care so much for a guy I met for five minutes in a grocery store…

“You s-seem to be deep in thought”

I felt myself jump as I didn’t notice the person’s presence, I really need to be more aware of my surroundings, otherwise one day I’ll just get robbed in the middle of the day and not even notice. There was a guy standing right next to me, almost touching me. He had big brown fluffy hair, and a skin colour plaster on the left side of his face

“Gosh you scared me I didn’t even notice you”

“Y-you didn’t answer me, come oh-on what’s got you thinking so-so hard about ?”

I felt myself laugh a bit from this guy’s straightforwardness.

“Who even are you to be asking that ? Let a girl be lost in thought in peace.”

“You’re (Y/n) ri-right ? I’m Brian’s f-friend, he talked about you so I wanted to see what th-that was all about. I’m surprised you’re here a-all alone and n-not partying.”

Wow, did Brian really talk about me to his friends ? Talk about moving fast, he didn’t even text me and yet his friend, who I still don’t know the name of, is already scouting me ? That’s… kinda weird and cute at the same time. 

“I came with my friend actually, but she found other people that like parting a bit more than me, I’d rather hang here till I feel like going home. And so um, what’s your name ? Because if I’m about to be interrogated I’d like to put a name on your face.”

“I’m Toby, don’t worry I’m not t-that kind of friend, I just s-saw you alone and d-decided that it was my chance to meet you.”

I felt myself flustered, damn what is my luck today, I’ve never had so many cute boys interested in me in my lifetime, what even is happening. It’s not that I am unattractive, or mean, or boring, I just never really wanted to put myself out there, I’d rather let things come to me. And everytime I tried to go towards someone it ended badly, e.g. Cameron, so I decided to slow down on my love life.

I decided that instead of hanging all alone in the back of the party, I might as well chat with Toby for a bit before going back home. He’s really nice, definitely not shy and always has something to say, I didn’t have the time to get bored during our conversation. He seemed to fly from one subject to another, never running out of questions, and what I found really cute was his rambling on things he seemed to particularly enjoy. I slowly started to forget my plan of trying to find Brian, I checked sometimes during the night to see if he wrote to me but he didn’t. But Toby managed to keep my mind away from this, after we chatted for some time I heard one of my favourite songs finally being played on the speakers.

“Toby, do you wanna dance with me ?”

I hope I didn’t come across as the girl playing on two boards, I did kinda give my number to his friend and now I’m asking him to dance with him, but it’s not like I owe Brian anything. 

“T-Thought you’d n-never ask.”

He took my hand in his and we started walking toward the crowd. The vodka I drank earlier in the night gave me a bit of courage, I squeezed Toby’s hand before starting to dance with him. It was quite awkward at first, I barely knew how to dance with someone and my mind kept thinking that maybe, just maybe what I was doing was a tiny bit wrong. But after the first song, he took the lead and started spinning me around, almost knocking strangers over. I was so thrown off from the change in mood that Istarted laughing and started enjoying my time with him. He definitely wasn’t a good dancer either, but we were having so much fun together that it made up for everything else. 

After being overly tired from dancing around, we decided to sit on the porch, on a side of the house away from people to take some fresh air.

“I think this is the first time I ever truly enjoyed being at a party, you know.”

“R-Really ? I’m glad you feel the s-same way, I usually just c-come to these parties for the free booze but now I might come for another r-reason.”

He looked me in the eyes with an intensity I’ve never felt before, I honestly thought we were going to kiss before someone rudely interrupted us.

“Wow, when you said you didn’t want to continue talking to me because you wanted to focus on yourself, I didn’t think that involved almost shoving your tongue down some guy’s throat.”

I froze. I could recognize that self absorbed voice anywhere, that’s Cameron. And now he was going to ruin any fucking chance I could have had with Toby, and humiliate me in front everyone. I stood up to face him.

“Cameron, don’t start with this please. I’m not in the mood to talk to you.”

“Oh but you’re in the mood to whore yourself around to the first guy that gives you a bit of attention.”

“Cameron what the fuck is wrong with you ! You’re just a self pitying bastard that’s mad I don’t want anything to do with him.”

“I swear to god (Y/n) talk to me like that again and I’ll-”

I felt Toby stand up and put himself in front of me, a head taller than Cameron. His demeanor completely changed from just moments ago, he went from a cute and funny boy, with a smile so big it had to hurt his cheeks, to someone I didn’t recognize. He seemed suddenly angry and cold. 

“You’ll do what ?”

Even his voice seemed to have changed, I didn’t even hear his stutter that I grew accustomed to. 

“Get away from this boy toy, she’s just using you to get back at me. She won’t open her legs for you”

“Listen, I’m going to say t-this once. G-Get the fuck away from her, if you don’t y-you’re d-dead.”

“And what’s s-s-stutter boy going to do ? You think you’re so th-”

Before he could even finish his sentence, I saw Toby’s fist hit him square in the jaw. I let out a scream of shock, and watched Cameron stumble around before he hit the ground. It felt like the air around me stopped, I saw Cameron on the ground, blood coming out of his mouth, and he was not waking up. My eyes widened and my breaths became shallow, Toby on the other hand seemed so calm, like he’s done this a thousand times. I am genuinely impressed at Toby’s strength, he seemed quite meek and lean at first glance, but after that punch he pulled I’m not so sure anymore. I won’t lie and say I am not scared right now, because I am, but I’ll also admit that it was kinda hot of him to knock Cameron out cold just to defend me.

“A-are you alright ?”

“Um yeah I think I am…  I’m really sorry that it happened, I knew he would be there but I didn’t think he would do all that.”

“Who is he a-anyway ? He seemed t-to know you with how he t-talked about you, well more like he has s-something against y-you.”

“Um yeah he’s a guy I talked to for like, a month I think. Anyways he was just so full of himself, a raging cunt, I don’t even know why I started talking to him. I think it was just loneliness.”

“Y-yeah I think I saw h-how much of an asshole he is. And f-fucking weak too.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. I’m surprised you managed to knock him down with one punch, are you secretly ripped and hiding it ?”

“Wanna find out ?”

Okay I kind of threw myself into that one. I was suddenly blushing and I could hear him laugh at my reaction, I decided to play into that and lightly pushed him away. When silence fell again between the two of us, I decided that it was time to end this wonderful, yet eventful night.

“Toby, I think I’m gonna call it a night, I’d rather not be here when people find him. And it’s getting pretty late, I should find Lilliane and tell her to bring me back.”

“Do you want me to t-take you home ? I have my c-car parked not far f-from there.”

As much as I wanted to say yes, I think I’ve gambled enough with my safety tonight.

“Thanks Toby but I’ll just text Li, she’s probably gonna crash at my place anyways.”

“Are you sure ? I mean you don’t live f-far away, it's no p-problem for me.”

Huh ?

“How do you know I don’t live far away ?”

He suddenly looked taken aback, I could see the wheels turning in his head.

“Uhm, w-well, I-I guessed that y-you lived in the student’s r-residence near uni. Yeah sorry th-this sounded really c-creepy.”

“No no it’s cool don’t worry, I guess that makes sense. Listen, I'm just going to find Li, I’ll see you soon ?”

“Y-Yeah see y-you soon (Y-n).”

He seemed kind of defeated after that quite tense goodbye. He had that kicked puppy look, with his little pout and sad eyes. It’s kinda cute honestly, in a weird, twisted way. I took out my phone, looking for Li’s contact and rang her up.

“Hey (Y/n) ! What is it ?”

I could hear people laughing behind her, she was probably in a room playing truth or dare, or some other kind of game you play at a party.

“Hey Li, sorry to bother you but could you bring me back home ? I’ll give you my key so you can crash at my place when you’re done.”

“Okay I’m heading out !”

I waited for a bit in front of the car before finally seeing Li running up to me.

“Heyyyy girl ! Damn (Y/n) you look really sick, are you sure you’re okay ?”

“Yeah yeah don’t worry, I’ll tell you tomorrow when you come to the diner.”

“Okay, do you want me to stay with you tonight ? You know I wouldn’t mind right ?”

“Li, don’t worry it’s not that bad, trust me !”

“You better talk more tomorrow.”

With that last threat, we finally started driving. I really hoped she didn’t drink more than a beer. We chatted about her friends and every piece of drama she managed to catch during the night, mostly about people she knew. I guess I am a bit jealous at how easily it came for her to make lots of friends. I truly like her, and am really happy to see her thriving like that, but a part of me longs to have those connections.

When she dropped me off, she made me promise that if anything happened during the night I’d call her, I’m really glad to have a friend like her.

I made my way into my apartment, took a shower and snuggled against my plushies in my warm bed. As i try to put myself to sleep, I still have this awful sense that someone is watching me, everytime, almost as if waiting for me to be asleep...

[popponn]

dating consultations. [nagi seishiro x f!reader]

notes: it's like 'wow feelings eh' read in elmo voice. then add my nagi phase and my recent obsession with childhood friend!nagi, it turns out like this. warnings: mentions (in a very unserious way) and (manga esque) depiction of break up at the end (not between you and nagi), mentions of bunch of break ups on your part, pinning, childhood friends + gaming buddies (?), obliviousness, post canon au, minor cursing. wo/ta/koi influenced this in some ways.

“Nagi Seishiro, listen to me,” you began.

“Don’t wanna,” Nagi replied, without lifting his head from his phone.

“So, I think my boyfriend broke up with me after finding out I spent money on gacha game,” you continued on, ignoring Nagi’s refusal. “I mean, sure, that's not a good financial decision. But hey, my husband gotta go home somehow and it's like an extra money that I already planned to spend anyway. Don't you get it?”

“No, I don't.”

“Exactly—but you see, I also think that he was honest, and what bothered him the most is because he found out that you and I play better in another game that he also played…” you trailed off at a sudden, more unpleasant that appeared in your mind. “…Seishiro, if I suddenly kick you out of the leaderboard’s number one spot, you will still be my friend right?”

“Nope,” Nagi replied without missing a beat. Like a rite of passage, you knew what came afterward would make you angry. “Your aim at FPS sucks way too much for that to happen.”

Immediately, you heaved out a short huff. You then threw your body over Nagi’s quickly, cuddling the soft blanket draped over him and enjoying the soft detergent scent left on it. Whining and protesting, you “Cheer me up, you brat! I raised you on my back since kindergarten and this is how you repay me?! We grew up in the same litter—spare some sympathy for me!”

(Seishiro found his whole body stiffening when you buried your face on his shoulder and pressed your chest towards his arm. Through the blanket, he could faintly feel your warmth and body. Five years ago, this would have been something he would brush off without batting an eye. Having crushes on oblivious childhood friends who only saw you as childhood buddies is hard—Seishiro noted dully.)

“Eh, why?” Nagi questioned back, blankly, focus still drilled on the PVP shooting game he was on. “This is your…how many breaks up it had been already?”

“…I know your social IQ is low, but can you stop rubbing salt over my wounds?”

“Anyway, don’t you think you break up way too often already to feel hurt?”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…ah,” Nagi mindlessly cut the silence between the two of you. “That headshot was dirty.”

“…you are really bad at this whole cheering up thing,” you chided, sounding all too fond for it to have any effect at all. “And stop making me sound like some Whatpad bad boy.”

(From the corner of his sight, Seishiro saw a small smile etched itself on your lips. It was still too bittersweet for his liking, but at least after this—like always, as Seishiro had come to remember after all this time, without willing to—you would cheer up and stop talking about your nth ex. You wouldn’t sulk anymore and go on with whatever else except some guy who happened to be your ex.)

“Didn’t you say you want to be one, back in middle school?” Nagi questioned. “Also hurry up and log in, I need to grind for new artifacts.”

“That was middle school!” you screeched, feeling your whole head heating up due to some embarrassing flashbacks. “And you are still playing another game—I will log in later—”

“I’m done,” Nagi said, perfectly timed with the winning screen his phone displayed. “Log in. Hurry. Hurry.”

You glared dirtily at Nagi and his timing—or luck, whichever it was this time. “I hate you. Also, use Al-Haizen and Seno, I want the full ikemen academy team today.”

“Their synergy is shit.”

“And they are handsome. Your point?”

“I don’t wanna.”

“I will curse you with all defense and flat sub stat if you dare.”

“…that’s awful,” Nagi said, finally. His defeat was imminent from the start.

You sent him a wolfish smile, “And I’m still your only gaming buddy. Shush and just log in, big koala.”

“The one who is stuck on my back is you,” Nagi commented, while still following your words and changing his team before requesting to go to your map.

You laughed as you pressed your phone. With a certain brand of closeness laced in your voice, you protested, “Why are you this nosy with me? Last time I checked you are pretty obedient to Mikage, Isagi, and your captain.”

(Seishiro tried to process your words for a moment. To him, the answer has always been obvious in the way that both you and him even bothered to stick close to each other even as the two of you approached the age of twenty together. In how the one you told everything to is still him despite everyone in your life. In how if you ask, he will walk through the city just to pick you up after a terrible date and walk side by side to your home.)

Nagi stayed silent for a moment. From his side profile—adorable, handsome, yet still as baby-faced and familiar as ever—you could see how he was thinking. Then, he offered you an answer in a half-baked, dry tone, “…because it’s you?”

Once again, you laughed. Trying to swallow whatever odd beat his answer managed to draw from your heart deep and away from your face. “Gosh—watch your wording, Sei—oh, you are in already. Let’s go artifact farming! If it’s shitty let it just be Seishiro’s and not mine!”

As you hurriedly pressed your screen, you tried to not realize Nagi’s stare from your side.

You were not ready yet to admit whatever you felt for him was real. This was only a side effect of consecutive terrible break ups.

That was it and nothing else.

(”I don’t think I am the one you are in love with,” your boyfriend—ex-boyfriend—told you gently. This was yet another same reason, just told to you in a gentler, more understanding way.

You could only watch him silently. You were confused, yet a part of you somehow managed to understand what he meant. However, you still couldn’t put what it was into words despite all that.

“..well, I don’t think you do it by purpose,” the man in front of you said with a nervous laugh. “…nonetheless, I’m rooting for the two of you. Don’t make him wait for too long, okay?”

Hearing that, even if you still couldn’t grasp much yet, you forced yourself to respond through your tears. “…I’m sorry...?”

“Don’t be. It should be me, really.” Ever the nice guy, your ex-boyfriend still smiled. “This is more of me saving myself from hurting in the future… just, think of it as me being bitter for being worse than you and that childhood friend of yours in that shooting game, okay?”

You laughed bitterly at that. Your crying hadn’t ceased yet, yet you managed out another reply, “Seriously? You are a shitty nice guy.”

Still smiling, your ex—a good friend, a gentle person, a diligent worker—gave you a chuckle that sounded guilty. “…sorry. I really hope we can still remain friends after this.”

“Of course. No way I’m letting go of a star student as a group project member just because of a breakup,” you joked, even if you were unsure of the future. Then, remembering how he is, you added, “And get your ugly mug off my sight now. We are breaking up—stop smiling, you bastard.”

“…well, then… should I… accompany you home…?”

“You are my ex now—no way, nice guy,” you shut him off quickly. Then, after a pause, it felt like an answer as you continued.

“…I will just call Nagi. Go away.”)

[qierxing]

A/N: An interpreted continuation of @shiny-jr wonderful fic. (checks calendar) Uhm, happy three month update to this series AND 1k notes on the first part! I would say sorry for the wait, but I really did need it LOL. Anyway, it's not super obvious, but the timeline is a bit all over the place in this part, because I'm jumping back and forth between past and present.

TW/CW: Immolation, violence, implied stalking+actual stalking, obsessive behavior, mild psychological and body horror, toxic relationships, Yuu uses it/its pronouns, we get a little meta in here, the boys are FIGHTINGGG I. II. | Isekai AU | Yan! Heartslabyul x Reader

“Who are you?” said the Caterpillar.

This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, “I—I hardly know, Sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.”

“What do you mean by that?” said the Caterpillar, sternly. “Explain yourself!”

“I ca’n’t explain myself, I’m afraid, Sir,” said Alice, “because I am not myself, you see.”

— Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Caroll

vi. Mourning

It is incredibly hard to get Yuu alone.

Whether it be by the forces of fate or just because so many vie for their attention, there is rarely, if ever, any time when someone is able to spend time personally alongside them. The only exception to this rule is Grim, who was practically the player's companion from the beginning.

So when Ace Trappola manages a rare chance to snag some one on one time with Yuu, he guns for it. Course, he had to time it perfectly. 

It was just another night like any other. Ace and Deuce decided to come over to hang out for a casual sleepover as usual. The four of them did initially start out studying, before the textbooks and worksheets were being abandoned in favor of more exciting things, such as the deck of cards that Ace brought with him.

Sending Deuce and Grim off to get snacks through a won bet over a card game was easy as pie.

"Hey Ace?" 

He hums in response, letting Yuu know he's listening. His nimble fingers shuffle the worn cards, flipping through them with practiced ease. Stacking them up quickly, he wonders if he should try to impress Yuu with another card trick to gain their enthralled praise.

"Do you…like…being my friend?"

The question makes him blink and look up in surprise at Yuu. It feels blasphemous to hear such doubt lingering in their words.

"Why? Scared I'm gonna ditch ya?" He teases.

Yuu doesn't respond, only giving a sheepish smile back. 

"I-It's not like I don't like being friends with you." He tries to keep his cool. "I just-"

Yuu's smile doesn't falter. "It's okay, Ace."

He's reminded of his previous girlfriend in middle school. It was more of a fling than a serious thing, but it's something he remembers vividly. Their breakup, after all, was rather dramatic.

"You're too much, Ace. Sometimes you just take it too far." 

What was even her name? Elizabeth? He could barely even remember, but for some reason, he still recalls the intense way her face was twisted in burning resentment. He tried to bury it in the past. He swore he would never fall in love or get into another relationship, preferring friendships over any kind of romantic trysts.

Now that he looks at Yuu, he already knows he's screwed up big time.

Yuu's gaze is no longer meeting his, instead staring into the fireplace that Grim had so generously set up earlier. The crackling blue flames reflect in their irises and in that moment, dread curls inside Ace's stomach. Yuu doesn't seem right.

"Hey…you okay?" He asks hesitantly, placing a hand on their shoulder.

Yuu doesn't move, still staring at the fire intently. He opens his mouth to ask again, but then they speak.

"If I wasn't acting like myself, would you still like me?" 

Another question out of left field. 

"Even if you somehow grow anemones on your head, Yuu's still Yuu, right?" His heart swells in pride at the way their lips quirk at his inside joke. 

"Yeah…" they murmur back. 

"Wanna see somethin' cool?" he says, holding out a card. Yuu tilts their head questioningly.

"It's the ace of hearts. What about it?"

"It's not just the ace of hearts!" Ace puffs out his cheeks. "Don't you know the meaning of this card?"

Yuu shakes their head.

"It means good news for yourself or someone close. Practically a lucky charm!" Ace waggles his eyebrows suggestively. "So how can things go wrong now that you have me?"

Yuu snorts and shoves him playfully. "Yeah, yeah, okay, Mr. Lucky Charm."

But it works. The foggy clouds clear from Yuu's eyes, finally returning them to the familiar luster he's used to. For the rest of the night, there is no hint of hollowness within them. And Ace hopes he will never see that sight again.

-

He should've known something was up since that night.

When Headmaster Crowley personally makes an appearance at their dorm, he should've realized it then. If there was anything that the old raven hated more, it was having to do more work than usual. 

"That person wasn't an imposter." Crowley says, coughing awkwardly into his fist.

The solemn words echo in his head on end. The rest of the Headmaster's words start to tune out for Ace. Automatically, his legs begin to move on their own. The calls of the others chase after him, but he ignores them, racing out of the lounge and towards the mirror portal.

Because if you didn't hurt Yuu-

-then what had he done?

When he first arrived in NRC, he didn't even know that Ramshackle dorm existed. Not until Yuu came to reside there; until he had to beg for shelter from them when he was chained with that damn collar. He knew that they didn't have to take him in. But they did, and maybe that's why Ace couldn't turn his back after that. 

The building before him is no longer the broken down hovel that he remembers back then. He remembers how the roof was almost caving in and wooden beams were always in danger of collapsing. Each knock on the entrance doors would send cascades of dust upon his head. Now, the walls are painted with a fresh coat of paint, the roof has new shingles, and the place actually looks like a house you could safely live in. 

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Prefect! Are you there?!" He yells, desperation leaking into his voice. "Please!"

Bang! Bang!

He's gotta be out of his damn mind, acting like some crazy person. But he can't help but be blinded by his fear. So he keeps hitting the door with his fists, praying, hoping, for…well that someone would open the door.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Yuu!!" He screams, and his voice echoes around him, mocking his helplessness. His fists are becoming numb from slamming the wood so hard, but he can't stop himself.

"Yuu–!"

"Oi! Ace!!!" A rough hand on his shoulder shoves him back and before he could knock the souvnabit-

"Ace, look at me!"

He's stopped by Deuce's fists meeting his in an even match of strength. Like an illusion broken, Ace stills and yanks his hands back.

There's only heavy breathing in between them for a long while. 

"...they're not here." Ace snaps to look at Deuce, who only closes his eyes in a painful grimace.

"What do you mean, 'not here'?" Ace asks.

Deuce doesn't say anything for a beat.

"What do you mean they're–"

"They're in the infirmary." Deuce's words flow out in a breathless rush. "The Headmaster said that after you ran."

Fuck, he just acted like an idiot then. No wonder no one was responding to his absolute earth shattering door banging and yelling. Then the meaning of Deuce's words begin to sink in. Oh Seven, no–

He turns and before he could even step in the direction of the main building, his arm is yanked back.

He snarls at Deuce. "Let me go! I have to see the prefect!"

"Housewarden is calling you back." Deuce forces out through gritted teeth and closed eyes. "The Headmaster said that…they don't want to see anyone."

And like a fire put out, Ace's anger chokes to flickering embers.

He lets Deuce guide him back, all the way from the Ramshackle dorm, to the mirror portal, and then back to Heartslabyul's lounge where the other three are grimly awaiting them.

Ace half expects to be yelled at once he passes the threshold. Or get some kind of lecture on how he should have better manners than to just run off like that. It would've been just like his housewarden to only care about weird, arbitrary rules when there were other arguably more important matters.

But his housewarden sits silently on his gilded velvet throne with glassy eyes. There's no anger burning behind them, and the freshmen are terrified to see their once proud and fearsome queen reduced to this husk. He almost would rather him back to the state where he was barking out orders for them. The silence in the lounge is deafening.

Ace swears they must be all thinking the same thing.

Please let this be a bad dream.

-

He tried calling you. Texting you. Hell, he even tried messaging you on Magicam! Magicam, of all things! 

Anxiety claws at his heart with each unread message and dial voice tone greeting. He has so much to say, to ask for-

Deuce wasn't faring well on his side either. He had also tried calling and texting you, to no avail. Grim, that traitor, hadn't come back to visit Heartslabyul at all since the incident. Never mind the fact he had only himself to blame for that—he thought at the very least the cat direbeast would have some sense of pity for their friendship and throw them a bone. 

Ace tried two more times to meet you. 

First, during your infirmary stay, when you were still unconscious.

The second time was when you returned to Ramshackle dorm with Grim.

Maybe the Seven were punishing him for his hubris. Or he supposes this is just karma. Because both times, he fails spectacularly at the front door of Heartslabyul. Because of this, he's the reason why Riddle had put them all on house arrest (with the exception of academic reasons, of course).

It's a declaration that would've been met with mutiny from all of them, if it weren't for the fact that even Headmaster Crowley had explicitly forbade anyone from showing up on Ramshackle's doorstep or trying to meet you. So he understands. Really! He does. He's seen how Riddle holes up in his room, muttering to himself while carrying out boxes upon boxes of crumpled paper. When he manages to snag a stray paper that flutters out on garbage day, Ace realizes that Riddle is also just as frenzied trying to reach out to you. Even if he is going about it in an old fashioned way.

He'll chip in to help. If his housewarden is left to his own devices, they’ll all be fossils by the time he sends what he deems a satisfactory letter. 

And the faster they do this, the faster they have a chance of reaching you.

vii. Embalming

The most horrifying thing is that it doesn't seem to care about dying.

That cursed pile of ceramic shards had disappeared—no, pieced itself back together—and once again, it became the smiling face of Yuu, the being they all knew and used to adore.

Riddle Rosehearts immediately smashed it to pieces again under the weight of his magic.

No one had tried to stop their housewarden. Not even the faceless mobs. Even if they were all alarmed at the erratic behavior of their housewarden, they could not deny the fear of seeing something dead come back alive. With not so much as a dent or wound in them, for that matter.

The third time it happened, Riddle ordered for the remains to be dumped into the school’s incinerator at the highest heat level. Surely, that would be enough. 

He watched as the incinerator roared and shuddered, shaking as if the pits of hell had opened. After a few agonizing minutes, the rumbling stops, and before he can even breathe a sigh of relief, the iron hatches creak open, and out strolls Yuu, perfectly fine and pieced together again.

It's magic. Or some kind of century old curse. Of course it is. After all, it was at a higher power than even Draconia's comprehension. Why he didn't consider the possibility beforehand is something he berates himself now. 

What might be the most damning thing is that it has no fear or suspicion in its face; even after the multiple times it’s been maimed and torn apart. Not like you, who immediately closed themselves off at being hurt so thoroughly. 

The irony isn't lost on him. The temptation of letting the puppet take its place back in favor of just bringing everything back to how it was is something Riddle could not deny. But now that he's actually met you, Yuu just seems more of a shadow of what he remembers during your interactions together.

It has your face. It acts like you.

But it's not you.

When Ace asks after the commotion at the Unbirthday party on how he was able to figure out that it wasn’t [First], he had to take a moment to gather his thoughts. Ace’s face changes into something of disbelief when Riddle merely replies with: “[First] takes their tea with two sugars and a dash of milk.”

“You were so sure only because of that?”

He doesn’t want to think what Ace’s face would look like if he had explained his whole list of reasons how he realized that the puppet wasn’t you. How he soaked up as much as he could when you came over for the tea party. Your expressions, your little habits, the way you fidget…it was all filed away in Riddle's head and later, his private notebook.

But that doesn’t matter now. Now, there’s an even bigger problem than the puppet resurrecting itself.

Grim is missing again.

This alone should've been more worrying than anything for Yuu, but it merely shrugs and says it’s not sure where he scampered off to. He's more than suspicious, of course, but there is no proof, which is infuriating already.

But without Grim, they are missing the key to finding [First]. 

The others raise hell once they hear the news Riddle reports at the weekly housewarden meeting. A new wave of tension washes over NRC and with it, an unprecedented deep disdain for the puppet. It returns back to classes unannounced, making Ace and Deuce rant to him about how weird it is that it’s trying so hard to act like nothing had happened. It attends school events with their camera, drumming up conversations like normal between all of them; despite the fact it gets ignorance or violence in response (depending on the person it greets).

But none of them are really sure on how to interact with Yuu.

The nicer ones, like Trey or Deuce, entertain Yuu with frigidly civil responses, in hopes of boring the puppet and making it flit away to another victim. Meanwhile, he and Ace have finally come together on an agreed opinion: that they would rather die before letting the puppet even think it could take [First]’s place.

“Go away.”

Yuu merely smiles in response to Riddle’s annoyed voice. The puppet leisurely lounges in the chair across the table from him. The school library is vast but empty, his authoritative voice echoing down the long halls. Several floating books flit past above their heads and the chandeliers above flicker with bright candlelight.

“I just wanted to keep you company.” Riddle purses his mouth in disgust. It’s invasive, it’s gross, and most of all it feels wrong to hear those words coming from Yuu. 

“I didn’t ask for your company,” he replies coldly. “Shouldn’t you know that it’s bad manners to bother someone who wants to be left alone?”

“I don’t think you like being left alone, Riddle.” He flinches at the way Yuu’s eyes bore into him. “Well, then again, you sure like to pretend you’re fine, don’t you?”

His hand tightens around the textbook he’s reading about cursed dolls. There would be no point if he brought out his magical pen and reduced it to rubble. But he is tempted, if only to get some peace and quiet for just a few minutes.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Riddle says.

“Hmm…” Yuu hums into its hand, “...then I suppose I will just let you be. What a shame, I had something entertaining to tell.”

“What? What do you mean?” 

Yuu giggles and waves him off. “No, no! You said you didn’t want my company now. Why should I tell you anything?”

He resists the urge to incinerate the book in his hands. “Fine! I would like your company. What is this ‘entertaining’ thing you want to tell me so badly?”

“Hmm…how insincere,” Yuu tilts its head coyly with a smile more akin to a smirk. “But I guess that’s the most I can get.”

“Since you’ve all been driving yourselves crazy, [First] is safe.” The floor feels like it’s been yanked underneath him. The puppet is smiling still, as if it’s all some big joke rather than the revelation it delivered. He can hear his blood roaring through his ears.

“You…” Riddle snarls, face heating into a bright red rage. “What did you do to them?”

It bursts into laughter at his face. 

“Why, I only granted their wish!”

Its laughter is cut short by the sound of ceramic being crushed, and Riddle is left shakily breathing at the pile of shards that used to be Yuu. The puppet’s words churn over and over in his head.

What did you wish for? 

-

It is currently 3:20 on a Wednesday afternoon. 

In his planner, the bullet point neatly penned on the schedule shows ‘Studying for History Test’ in bold blue ink for the time slot. ‘History of the Queendom of Roses’ is laid open on his desk, to the chapter about the local mythos of the area, just as he intended. His notes from lecture are next to it, with several of his stationary needed to jot down annotations. 

And yet, Riddle has yet to touch any of these items or actually adhere to his daily schedule—he’s too distracted by what he should do in order to reach the player.

Riddle's already embarrassed enough, resorting to handwritten letters with the best calligraphy he can muster. He's sent only a couple that passed his satisfaction, and they have all been met with judgemental silence. He’s hunched over another crumpled letter near ripping his hair out when someone knocks on his bedroom door. He quickly shoves the envelope under some textbooks out of frantic instinct.

“Come in.”

A familiar bob of red orange hair pops out behind his door, and Riddle raises an eyebrow at the underclassman who enters.

“Ace? What is it?” Normally, Ace would never be in his room if he could help it. If he was in Riddle’s room, it most likely meant he was either being scolded or punished. And Ace���s eyes are shifting side to side, as if he was trying to sneak his way in. 

“Out with it, Ace.” He’s not in the mood for the underclassman’s shenanigans.

“Housewarden, you’re writing letters to the prefect, aren’t ya?” The question completely takes him off-guard sputtering.

“W-What does t-that have to do with you?” He tries to maintain his composure, but Ace is already giving him a smug smirk for the one up on him. Of all people, it had to be him finding out. 

"I had an idea, Housewarden. Why don't we send them something with the letter?" Riddle blinks in surprise.

“...How smart of you for once, Ace.” It was so simple, yet he marvels at the idea's brilliance. Perhaps there was merit in trying this proposal.

“Hey! What the hell does that mean?!” His underclassman snaps back in a huff. “Whatever, point being, maybe we should switch it up instead of letters all the time.”

He crosses his arms, “And what do you suggest? There’s not much we can really send that hasn't been sent already by other dorms.”

Ace winces. Clearly he didn’t think about the other dorms with more affluent people; people who had more than enough thaumarks and prestige to spend it to appeal to you. Riddle can't blame him either: although he is at the top of the school and his parents are well known mages, it's not like any of that could help him here. All of them, in a sense, were stuck in that situation. 

For once, he starts to resent not having more.

"Ugh, well…maybe it doesn't need to be so fancy, you know?" Ace rubs his neck, face scrunched in frustration. "Like…uh…you know-flowers! People send flowers all the time, yeah?"

This is true. And for Queendom of Roses’ residents, it has become custom to send bouquets with subtle messages left in petals and stems. Although he is a bit loath to admit that he isn’t as well versed in the language of flowers compared to hedgehogs.

"And what do you recommend, Ace?" He asks. "What would be the best flower to send to the prefect in our circumstance?"

"We got all these roses, why not send them that?" Ace responds, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. Riddle coughs in annoyance. 

"Why not just procure some from Sam's shop? Today is Wednesday. Do you not remember rule 228?" He chides. Ace groans, rolling his eyes. 

"Not the weird rules again…"

"Ace."

"Yeeesss Housewarden…" The card soldier mock salutes with a deadpan expression. "I'll see if we can get some flowers at Sam's."

"You better, or else it's–" 

"-off with my head, I got it, I got it." Riddle seethes as Ace cuts him off and dashes out of his room before he could get another word in. So troublesome…

Still, there's nothing to do except wait for his card soldier to report back. He turns back to his desk, bringing out the crumpled letter from its hiding place. Running a hand over the crumpled pages, he attempts to pick up his pen again, but fails as his thoughts begin to wander. 

Riddle only manages to pen a couple legible sentences when his door slams open, banging against the wall. He almost falls out of his chair in shock from the loud noise. How was Ace back so quickly?

"Have you not heard of knocking?!" He scowls, turning around to see Ace panting and sweating as if he had run a marathon.

"Never mind that, Housewarden, I saw them!" Ace shouts. 

“What are you jabbering…” Riddle trails off in realization. “You better not be horsing around, Ace.”

“Do you think I would lie to you about this?” Ace retorts frantically. “I saw them at Sam’s shop working the cashier!”

For a moment, his mind races with this information. If you were working at Sam’s shop, it would explain why you weren’t showing up to classes, let alone in the hallways or rooms of NRC. It’s a clever ruse—classes may be over during this time of day, but nearly all of them were participating in mandatory club activities or study labs. No wonder no one else has caught on to this. Riddle rubs his chin in thought, settling back in his chair.

“What are you going to do now, Housewarden Riddle?” Ace asks hesitantly. His eyes are filled with some kind of anticipation and hope, no doubt wondering if he could get some leeway in his own agenda. Normally, he would go right away as there was no need to hesitate about these kinds of things.

But. Crowley’s stern announcement comes back to his mind and guilt starts to creep in. 

“First, we’ll go with your idea, Ace.” He responds. “The ban hasn’t been lifted, after all.” Ace opens his mouth to protest, but he holds a hand up to interrupt him.

“But if that doesn’t work, then I’m sure even Crowley can’t say anything about coincidences.”

viii. Calling Hours

“I’m not joking around, you two.” 

There’s very few times that the vice housewarden of Heartslabyul gets truly mad. His patience seems boundless, honed by years of taking care of younger siblings at home and then dealing with rowdy underclassmen in NRC. But even his saint-like patience could only stretch so far.  

“I told you, we didn’t do it!” Ace scowls with furrowed eyebrows and crossed arms. Meanwhile, Deuce is silent by his side, face twisted with conflicting emotions. “You don’t even have proof! You just singled us out just because!”

“Who else was around the kitchen when I left it?” Trey asks, voice starting to rise in anger. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice you two lurking around before?”

The two freshmen began to speak out, voices rambling over each other and cascading into a loud shouting match that was barely intelligible.

“We just wanted to see if we could get something from the fridge, how were we supposed to know someone would-”

“Me and Ace just wanted to bring something along when we deliver the Housewarden’s invitation to-”

"You dumbass, don't just say that out loud-!"

It’s at this moment that Cater Diamond strolls in, takes one look at the mess of the situation and does a 180 back round to the door. But it’s too late, because the interruption is just enough for Ace to sink his hooks into him.

“Cater-senpai, you believe us, right?” Ace shouts after the orange head, making him flinch in place. “You saw us get the order from Housewarden Riddle!”

Cater turns around slowly like a door on rusty hinges, with an expression that screams of not wanting to be involved. "Oh Acey! Uhm, you mean the letter Riddle gave you two-"

"Yes!" Deuce interrupts in earnest, already trying to barrel his way to proving his innocence. "Housewarden Riddle entrusted us to deliver the tea party invitation ourselves personally." 

Cater turns to Trey, who is rubbing the bridge of his nose, eyes closed with a tiredness that seems comically reminiscent of an old man. "Well, I'm not sure what this is all about, Trey, but maybe you should cut 'em some slack and let it go."

The other senior nods in reluctant agreement and the two freshmen all but nearly trample over each other trying to run from the tension filled room. But they're stopped in their tracks when Trey calls out again.

"Wait, you two." The duo slowly looks back with cautious eyes.

"You wanted to bring something to the prefect, didn't you?" Trey tilts his head to one of the many strange topsy turvey cabinets in the kitchen. "I have some leftover cookies that I made yesterday. Take them. I'm sorry for accusing you guys like that."

Ace and Deuce exchange confused glances, and although Ace looks away in denial, Deuce nods in gratitude. They leave the kitchen just as chaotically, this time with the aroma of lavender following them.

A brief silence follows their absence, while Cater raises an eyebrow at Trey.

"Sooo…care to spill the tea?"

"Don't even start." Trey groans.

Cater seats himself on one of the stools near the counter, waiting. Trey busies himself with cleaning the stoves and counter, trying not to meet Cater's eyes. Silence falls, but it's with none of the comfort that Cater is familiar with. Giving up, he turns to his phone, refreshing his Magicam dash mindlessly. This continues for a good while until finally—

A low sigh, then– "Somebody took my candied violets."

Cater looks up from his phone. Another beat passes, and he realizes it's not a passing statement. 

"It's not like you to get this bent out of shape over your ingredients going MIA." Cater shifts his face onto the elbow meeting pristine marble while shoving his phone away. "You sure that one of the froshes didn't just end up taking them thinking they were for everyone?"

Trey lets out a rough guffaw. "You know better than I do that the others don't touch our stuff."

Cater taps his fingers on the polished white granite, hands already itching to grab his phone and check for updates, but he restrains himself. "That's…mostly true."

"That can only mean one of you guys has taken it." The hairs on Cater's neck raise at Trey's tone.

"Hey now," Cater grins, raising his hands in mock surrender, "you heard it from those two. I was with Riddle when he gave them that invitation."

"I know." Cater's fingers twitch as Trey carelessly tossed aside the rag used to clean the counter into a bucket. The soggy fabric makes a hollow sound against the wood, echoing rather loudly in contrast. "But Riddle would never do such a thing either."

Cater resists the urge to roll his eyes. It's true that their cute housewarden would hardly dare to stoop to thievery, but Trey's blind faith in him can be annoying at times. After all, didn't their little teapot tyrant threaten to kill the prefect at one point?

He supposes that was his fault, though.

"Then it's back to square one." Cater shrugs. "Besides, what were you even planning to do with them if you weren't gonna eat it?"

The baker runs a hand through his mussed forest green hair and frowns. "I was going to bake a cake with them as a peace offering to the prefect."

Cater's mouth forms an 'o' shape in realization. "That's pretty big brain."

"Yeah, but look how that turned out."

"It's fine~you were able to at least send cookies this time round." Cater finally cracks, digging into his pocket for the familiar grooves of his phone case. "All's well that ends well, right?"

Trey doesn't respond and Cater is too engrossed in his phone to look up to see his expression. He slides off the stool naturally, tapping through recent posts and comments, eyes laser focused on recent posts on his dash. 

"Cater." 

There it is. It's the most recent story reel by Ace(according to the time stamp, about two minutes ago). It's an inconspicuous black out picture with several cute teapot and teacup stickers decorating the screen. The banner message is short and sweet: 'Dorm tea party bout to get real this month 🤔😶'

"Cater." Cater's attention snaps back and towards his friend, who gazes at him with dark eyes.

"Please don't lie to me next time."

With that, Cater watches as his long time friend finally leaves the kitchen. 

Thank the Seven he did. He might have been a decent actor, but Trey has been with him through thick and thin, and it's given him the annoying ability to see through his tells.

Really now. Trey knows that he hates sweets. Shouldn't that be enough of an alibi?

It's not fair that Trey already has everything to set him up for a good relationship with you. Even if they're all set back by their violent reaction to you arriving in this world, he's sure it would only take a couple tries with Trey offering genuine heartfelt food to get to you.

It's just not fair. 

Isn't he fun to hang out with? He consistently gets compliments online for his suave looks and easy personality. So why couldn't he compare to-

He shakes his head. There's no point in overthinking it now. Cay Cay #3 had easily taken the cutely decorated jar of violets and discarded it in the dorm dumpster. Like candy from a baby.

He knows it's petty. But for once, he feels much better, knowing that he upset Trey's original plans to ensnare you.

Now, he once again checks Ace's story reel and screenshots it, while quickly pulling up the search bar. He just needs to level the playing field.

-

There can only be one fake bitch in this house and Cater has had enough of the competition.

“I wasn’t aware that you were going to visit me, Cater.” 

The puppet tilts its head with a warm smile, but there’s a frosty undercurrent to the greeting. It’s clear that he’s not welcome, if the way it’s blocking the doorway of Ramshackle has anything to say.

“Yeah, I ended up losing something here. You mind if I look for it, Yuu-chan?” Cater asks innocently. “Promise it won’t take too long.”

“Hm, sure. But I don’t think you’ll find what you’re looking for.” Yuu's grin is sharp as a razor blade. It knows what he’s here for and it’s definitely taunting him. That little–

“Well, it doesn’t hurt to look~” He responds back airily. His fist curls around his phone in his pocket tightly. The puppet shrugs and walks off, leaving him standing in the doorway.

It’s been a while since he’s personally been at Ramshackle dorm. Cater remembers how Ace complained about the house being a real fixer upper, but then again, he doesn’t remember much of that, since Yuu always spent most of the time at Heartslabyul dorm. The renovations certainly made it much more pleasing to the eye and more importantly, livable by HOA standards.

There’s nothing to write home about the living room. The coffee table is bare and there’s no wrinkles in the sofa cushions at all. It’s a little eerie—as if no one even lived in the house in the first place. The only sign of living was perhaps the fact it is clean of dust or dirt. 

Nothing in the kitchen either. He gives a wayward glance to the second floor, searching for any signs of movement. Couldn’t hurt to be thorough. 

Rows of tall doors pass by as Cater opens each one of them. A storage closet, a spare room, an electric cabinet, another storage area–it all blurs by after the fourth door. There really is nothing, as if the whole house has been wiped of any trace of you. He's about to toss in the towel when an old, dusty memory crops up. His little freshman, Ace. Cater swears he had been making fun of Yuu for seeing strange things at night. Something about a mouse?

Right, their room! Why didn't he think of looking there?  

His feet take him rapidly from memory to the door that was the third from last in the hallway in the east wing. He manages to wrench the door open to see a regular bedroom, bed sheets barely stirred. Before he can even put one foot in, a throat clears behind him. 

"It's rather rude to go into other people's bedrooms, don't you think?"

You got to be kidding me. Cater turns around with the fakest smile plastered across his face. Yuu looks unamused, tapping its foot impatiently against the wooden floorboards. 

"Just wanted to make sure, y'know?" Cater replies. Yuu gives a tight smile back. It goes around him and shuts the door with a hard thunk.

"Ever heard about how curiosity killed the cat?" 

Cater shakes his head in surrender, "I guess I need to look elsewhere for my lost item."

The entrance doors slam shut behind him hard enough to startle several birds out the dead trees in the yard. Cater doesn't bother giving a look back as he strides out of the yard and past the gated fence surrounding the property. That glimpse was enough and much more. Cater smirks to himself, taking his phone out and sending a quick text message to the group chat. Yes, curiosity may have killed the poor kitty cat…

But satisfaction brought it back.

viiii. Eulogy

It might surprise people to know that Trey Clover's first real friend is Che'nya Pinker.

That's not to say that Trey had trouble getting along with others as a kid, oh no. Everyone in his neighborhood agreed that he was a very sweet boy, who looked out for others around him. When he wasn’t taking care of his baby sister, he would be asked by other parents around the block to look after their own children, whether that be playing soccer games with the more energetic kids or patty cakes with the quiet ones. So it isn’t a stretch to say that he’s friends with nearly everyone. But Che’nya was a special case.

Their first meeting is still burned into Trey’s memory.

“You see it too, don’cha?” The boy had greeted him while swinging upside down on a low hanging tree branch. Trey had half a mind to scold him for the dangerous action before he actually looked at him. 

The first thing that takes Trey off guard is that he has eyes. They’re a shiny yellow, just a shade lighter than his. His pupils are long and thin, not round like his at all. He supposes it must be like a cat’s pupils—for he’s never seen anything like it. Then it’s his unique colorful hair, streaks of light pink intermingling with dark purple, making a strange striped pattern across the chopped uneven hair. Trey faintly recalls a certain cat from their local legends, whose fur boasted those very same colors. 

“...What are you talking about?” Trey eyes him warily. The cat boy gives a cheeky grin. He vanishes and then reappears in front of him, albeit with missing arms.

“The people around us who wear the faces of strangers.” Trey’s skin gets goosebumps at the way the boy observes him. He is not looking through Trey, but at him. Their eyes are directly making contact. “But you’re different. You have the face of a friend.”

“And what do you mean by that?” Trey furrows his eyebrows. The boy's grin stretches wider in response. (His teeth were rather blunter than expected, but his canines were pointed.)

“You’re strange. I’m stranger. Together, we can both be strange,” the cat boy chirps back lightheartedly. “The name’s Artemiy Artemiyevich Pinker. But you can just call me Che’nya.”

Something in his mind had clicked then. It’s hard to explain the feeling–just that it felt like a puzzle piece put into place. He hadn’t known it then, but at that point, the hands of fate had moved. 

Whatever the case may be, Trey was grateful to have Che’nya. Because now he knows that he isn’t crazy; not when he couldn’t see his parent’s faces nor his baby sister’s or even his other friends'. Che’nya too, only shrugs his shoulders when Trey asks him about his grandfather.

“The old man? Yeah, they say I have his eyes, but I wouldn’t know.” The statement is so casually delivered that Trey can hardly believe he’s talking about his only living relative and guardian. “His face does not mirror mine in my mind.”

Staring down at you, shivering with cold and hunger, he feels something churn in him again, just like that fateful day. 

He has his orders from Riddle: bring in the imposter alive. Trey isn’t a violent sort and nor does he enjoy boasting his strength over others like a sadist. And he cannot deny the feeling of cold rage that day when Yuu shuts down, fear inundating him that he may never, ever, get an explanation for the world he was born in. Why he and Che’nya were special, why he had to witness Riddle suffer under his mother–what was it all for?

Your face. There is no blank stretched skin—he can see your wide open eyes, bloodshot and fixated on him. Your mouth too, shaped in a pained grimace, lips bruised and bloodied from previous skirmishes. Surely, surely, there must be a reason why you were here. Why you bear the same face as Yuu. You hold all the answers, if you would just cooperate.

“Hey, I’m not gonna hurt you,” Trey tries reaching out, but you scurry back into the hedges, squinted eyes wary and untrusting. You remind him of a frightened hedgehog, prickly spines bristled and body curled in to protect yourself. “I just wanna talk.”

“Go away, please,” the imposter quietly pleads. “Just pretend you never saw me! I swear I didn’t even know how I got here…”

Trey swallows hard. 

“Just come quietly. Please.” He is the one begging now. “It’ll be easier for all of us.”

“For who?” The imposter barks a sharp laugh. Trey doesn't miss the way they wince in pain from their wounds. “For me? Or for you?”

He doesn’t have an answer. The sound of running footsteps has him turning, and when he looks back, you’re already gone. The only traces that you were there at all were faint splotches of red blood and crushed grass.

Trey wonders if this, too, was meant to be fate.

—

Trey’s been lovingly dubbed as someone reliable. Some consider him to be an older brother figure due to his nagging and supportive care. It's ingrained in him at this point from the years he’s spent playing babysitter. Trey knows the students around him are not his younger siblings who need constant watching (although their actions say otherwise).

But he worries.

Just a bit. Trey knows better than anyone that you can take care of yourself just fine. He's seen how you carry yourself within those hedges. 

It's just that, he doesn't know if you're okay right now. How could he know? You've been silent even in the face of Riddle's unceasing letters. So of course he's just a bit unsure if you're actually okay, or if you don't trust them enough to say so.

Trey finds himself more frustrated with the ban they're under. Not because of the inability to see you, although that is part of it. No, it's because Riddle has managed to skirt around that rule to desperately grab onto you, and that was just enough to wear you down. 

He thinks if he was bold enough, he could've tried.

As if it wasn't enough, even Ace and Deuce find their own way to get to you, snatching up the chance to deliver the monthly tea party invitation. It takes everything in Trey to clench his teeth and let go—even when Cater ruins his plans. He can't get mad here because it won't get him any closer to you. He has to be the bigger person.

If there is one thing Trey knows about Cater, it's that he absolutely hates getting sweaty or dirty. If Cater wasn’t trying to get out of running those P.E laps, he would absolutely be shirking any extra work assigned. So he's more than suspicious when Cater bounces up to him with a grin saying he could help cover Trey's science club duty of watering plants. 

Trey likes to think he can tell when Cater’s lying. His close friend's happy go lucky demeanor often throws off others, but he’s been with him long enough to pick out his subtle tells. His eyebrow twitches when he’s particularly anxious and the corner of his mouth tends to perk up if he’s feeling particularly daring or desperate. Trey figures this must be something that even he can’t trust Trey with, if he’s going out of his way to take on extra work.

So Trey considers this repayment for letting him take his violets. He watches as Cater dashes off in labwear, waiting for a minute, before following after him. His duty was in the tropical zone of the botanical garden, so he has no worries even if he does lose him. 

He nearly does a double take when he sees you walking in the courtyard hallways by yourself. And before Trey could rethink his actions, he follows behind you, eyes not leaving your form for a minute. 

You look like you haven't slept well. There's dark circles under your eyes. He hopes you're brushing your teeth. There’s no signs of bandages or wounds that he remembers you in, which he supposes is one relief. Even if he so desperately wishes to cook you a proper meal—you look like you could fall over at any minute.

The realization your path is leading to the botanical garden comes just as Trey catches sight of the glass dome. He wants to rush in after you, but he stops himself just as the door swings close behind your form.

Cater is in there. It all makes sense now. Trey has to give it to him—Cater really does know every little happening in the school. But Trey knows him well too—and if he had to guess, even if Cater manages to talk to you, it won’t end pretty. His inability to be genuine will definitely only set you on edge and less likely to reciprocate. 

The waiting game he plays is nothing compared to the silence he had to endure before. Trey doesn’t have to look to know that you’re the one slamming open the doors to the botanical gardens, labwear dirtied and face twisted in a frustrated anger. He watches as you enter Professor Crewel’s office again and after some time, pop back out in completely different clothes. 

His chest tightens in longing as he continues to follow after (more from an instinctual drive now, rather than deliberate), trying to keep you in sight within the stone pillars. He wants to call out after you so badly and ask you what’s the matter, if you need help with anything. If there was anything he could do to make you forgive him for watching you bleed out on dewy grass. The sun is about to set, warm golden rays flickering between pillars and casting long shadows. Trey’s so enamored with following after you that he flinches back when the sun directly shines into his eyes, blinding him momentarily. 

He barely manages to get a hold of himself. By the time his eyes blink away the blurry blots, he realizes you’re looking back at him. His breath stops. Your eyes are wide and frightened as they are that day, and his heart drops to his stomach. Both of you don’t move, merely staring at each other. 

You finally break the connection, turning around and quickly walking away. Trey gasps, remembering to breathe, lungs screaming for air. 

What was that?

x. Entombment

It's a nice sunny afternoon in the Heartslabyul domain. There weren't any track club activities nor dreaded remedial lessons. If anything, this free time would have been perfect for a nap. He hadn’t been up to any large shenanigans like this since the whole fiasco of [First] and Yuu. 

“I don’t think this is a good idea.” 

Ace scoffs, rolling his eyes. “You got a better one, loosey Deucy? If we don’t do this now, then all of us are stuck until Housewarden grows a pair of balls.” 

Deuce Spade bites his lips. “I just think there might be a better way around this.”

“Yeah? And the sky is blue. Keep going, we don't have much time." Ace cranes his neck to the side of the bush, eyes warily looking out to make sure the coast is clear. 

Deuce grumbles but continues plucking, some roses already tucked within his arms. They chose a bush the furthest away from the dorm, in a hidden corner where no arched windows could overlook them. It was necessary, because today was Wednesday, and the Housewarden would have their heads for plucking his beloved roses out of all the flora.

His fingers are bleeding already, finger pads torn from repetitive tugging on the thorns and stems. They couldn’t afford taking any of the gardening tools, lest they be questioned for what they were doing with them. Still, even he had his limits.  

“Why is it that you aren’t helping at all?” Deuce snipes at Ace, who scowls back. 

“You want to be caught by someone, genius?” Ace replies snarkily. “Someone has to keep look out.”

“Doesn’t explain why I have to do all the work.” 

Ace rolls his eyes, deigning not to bother engaging in another futile argument that would lead to nowhere. Deuce is about to cut off a particularly stubborn rose when Ace pipes up again.

“...Did they ever respond to your texts?” Deuce only deflates in response. Ace’s mouth slants crookedly in an annoyed grimace. The two of them know full well what the answer to that was.

“Damn that cat…” Ace mutters bitterly under his breath. Deuce doesn’t say anything. He too, is finding it hard to not feel petty towards Grim right now. Weren’t they friends? He could’ve afforded to help them out somehow. But it’s no use. Their texts went unanswered. Headmaster had banned them from stepping foot onto Ramshackle grounds. It’s like you had closed everything off from them.

It’s why he doesn’t protest this plan, as reckless as it is. He’s not any better than Ace—he needs to see you. He and Ace were your closest friends, your first friends! He loved you. That had to mean something. If it didn’t, then…

“I think this is enough.” Deuce adjusts the messy bouquet in his hands, attempting to hold them without crushing the delicate petals. Ace looks over and nods in approval. He takes out crimson ribbons and a silk handkerchief and begins tying it around the stems in a very artful way that has Deuce’s eyebrows raising.

“Where did you get that?” Ace smirks in response at the interrogative question.

“Don’t worry about it.” Ace snatches the bouquet from his hands and slips in an envelope with the housewarden’s seal. Deuce silences the questions on the tip of his tongue. For whatever Ace has planned, he’s rather not know anything more troublesome than necesscary. 

What he failed to account for was getting caught. Housewarden Riddle was beyond furious for what they did. It was only by Trey and Cater's gentle reminders that what they did was for all of them, that he only calmed down.

Deuce supposes three days with the collar is better than a week. Even if it is a heavy thing that weighs on his very soul.

He only hopes that you don't notice the thorns they forgot to trim.

—

It’s a given that although Trey is the right hand of Heartslabyul, Cater is considered the left hand of Housewarden Riddle. It’s been that way since Deuce himself enrolled in NRC, and possibly even further back. He hadn’t understood it quite then, but after some time, he realized something that he should’ve realized a long time ago. 

To never get on Cater’s bad side.

There are events where the five of them gather outside of Yuu’s influence. Administrative meetings, monthly tea parties, and the occasional casual hang out. When you’re aware of how much of your life is affected from being not like the others, it’s common to side with those who are like you. 

Cater had called the meeting this time. It was a bit out of the blue, at least for him and Ace. It’s only when they’re all gathered around the playing table in the lounge, not another soul in sight, when Deuce realizes Cater has that gleam in his eye. One that screams that he got a viral lead on a hot topic. His upperclassman must have been investigating.

"Remember how mirrors are considered to be portals?"

Deuce's neck prickles.

"Your point, Cater?" Their housewarden is impatient, not aware of what the question poses. His arms are crossed with his eyebrows furrowed in a frustrated glare. Deuce realizes that he must have been the one to send out Cater.

"There's a mirror in the prefect's bedroom." Deuce blurts out, and Riddle’s steely eyes snap over in surprise. Cater nods in affirmation.

"Yeah. I only managed a glimpse, but Yuu covered their mirror." Cater says. 

“Hold on, you went into the prefect’s bedroom? Scratch that, to Ramshackle?” Ace asks. “Why are we just getting this now?”

“Because I just came back Acey,” Cater flicks his forehead, causing Ace to exclaim in pain. Trey smiles faintly at the action. “Also Riddle told me to keep it confidential—you two would have ran straight out if we had told you.” 

Deuce sheepishly rubs his neck at Cater’s pointed sentence. Riddle rubs his chin in thoughtfulness, eyebrows still furrowed. 

“But there isn’t anything magical about that mirror, is there?” Riddle asks, skepticism coating his tone. “The puppet could have simply covered that mirror out of an odd preference.”

“Acey, didn’t you mention that Yuu always mentioned seeing things in that mirror?” Cater responds, deflecting the question upon his underclassmen. Ace straightens as he and Deuce both exchange a glance.

“Yeah…something about a mouse in their mirror,” Ace answers slowly, face scrunched in an effort to recall memories. “I always thought it was just crazy dreams but…”

“Yuu was always insisting about it,” Deuce chimes in. “Said the mouse speaks to them and everything—that there was another world it was in.”

Trey and Cater share a furtive glance together before looking at Riddle. Their housewarden seems to be taking in the new information, closing his eyes in thought. For a while, no one dares to speak. 

“What do you think, Riddle?” Trey finally breaks the heavy silence, and Deuce breathlessly releases a sigh. Leave it to Trey to speak for all of them.

“If the mirror in the bedroom is magical, then that changes things.” Riddle pronounces with conviction. “If that mirror potentially holds a dimension, then that would be the perfect place to trap someone.”

“Cater.” The orange head straightens to attention at the stern command. “Find a way to get the puppet out of the dorm for a while. We’ll need to look into this ourselves.”

Cater smirks and a chill runs down Deuce’s spine. While Cater still has an easy going look, his jade green eyes have darkened with a sadistic gleam. 

“Roger that, housewarden!” His upperclassman chirps, already taking out his phone. 

Riddle is already barking orders that each of them are to take up within this mission of theirs. But Deuce nearly misses his task, eyes stuck on Cater’s face as he scrolls his phone.

He catches a glimpse of a photo before it’s quickly clicked away. Deuce snaps back to Riddle just in time for Cater to shoot him a wary glare, checking to make sure no one else was looking. 

Deuce is very glad he is working together with Cater.

[otaku553]

Otaku, do u know what otaku means ?

Yep! that’s why I mostly go by Jen on all my platforms now instead of Otaku like I did before haha

I have some thoughts on this so I’m gonna put it in a read more

For those who don’t Wikipedia has a good page with the definition on it and the word can mostly be boiled down to “geek” or someone with a consuming or obsessive interest, though usually used in the context of liking anime/manga or games. You can also find it used in anime for other things, i.e. in Detective Conan, Ran calls Shinichi “推理オタク” (suiri-otaku, detective/mystery nerd)

For some context on why I chose this name, I started getting into anime in 4th grade and pretty much watched nothing but anime after that. I chose the name Long Ago first as a username for Toram Online, as otaku555 instead of 553. It really felt like a lot of my defining trait in early middle school was just my interest in anime since I didn’t know many other people who watched it at school.

I feel like especially with the term weeaboo starting to get popular at the time, I enjoyed the word “otaku” because it seemed to have less of the negative japanophile connotations? But I also definitely did not know enough about Japanese language or culture at the time to call myself an otaku I feel— it seems like there is a historically negative connotation for otaku in Japanese culture as well.

At this point it’s become pretty inseparable from my identity online as an artist, which I why I never changed it, though I would be lying if I said I had no regrets about the username. I’ve had an incredibly strong admiration for Japanese culture since childhood and it’s difficult upon reflection to tell where admiration turned into infatuation and into misrepresenting a culture that wasn’t mine. So nowadays I do try to be a lot more careful about that. Hence, I go by Jen now.

That said! I do think that if you enjoy a culture it never hurts to learn more about it from good sources. I.e. don’t learn your Japanese from anime alone: make sure you have a teacher who knows about the manners and the nuances of respect in the language. It’s easy to think from a young age that you know a lot about a culture just because you consume their media but the world exists outside of that media and spreading views of a culture based solely on a singular and limited experience can be harmful, not only to the people misrepresented but also to yourself if you ever end up interacting with people from the culture.

I don’t know if this conveys all my thoughts as well as I hoped, but that’s my two cents on my username and the connotations of the word otaku and its relatives.

[prettyyoungandbored]

okay queen, since you requested a Pink fic from me, it’s only right I try and indulge you to do the same.

I’m thinking something like reader gets dragged to a football game that Randy is playing in and she can’t seem to take her eyes off him so she agrees to go to an after party and they end up hitting it off. I’m talking full Texas Friday night lights, families obsessed with football, and a kegger out in the woods after.

I can practically already see Randy with his hair soaked with sweat and looking so burly in his football pads, a determination in him and anger towards the other team, he’s almost a different person when he’s in a game. The crowd flips when he makes another touchdown and wins the game. Then there’s all of us, out of our minds in love with him.

If you don’t want to write it that’s okay, and I also understand American football isn’t easy to write, so if it’s not something you’re interested in that’s fine. I wanted more Randy and reader at the party anyway 🩷

Sorry this is late, but I hope you enjoy!

FRIDAY NIGHT - Randall ‘Pink’ Floyd

Pairing: Randall ‘Pink’ Floyd x Fem!Reader

NOT MY GIF

Friday night is Texas meant one thing and one thing only - high school football.

Even if you weren’t a sports fan, there was something about going to a high school football game. The atmosphere was coated in cheers, screaming, beer, and fried food. It didn’t matter which school you went to - Friday night games were all the same.

Well, in Y/N’s opinion, there was one exception - not all players were as good-looking as Randy Floyd, or Pink as he was better known.

She couldn’t take her eyes off the brunette, following his every move as he pushed and pummeled every player in his way.

It was a huge difference from the guy she shared classes with. That Pink had no worries, often going with flow. She wondered what it was like to go through life carefree and confident.

“Y/N.”

She looked at Cynthia, who shot her a look. “What? What happened?”

The redhead smiled. “You doing ok?”

Y/N nodded. “Sorry, I got distracted.”

“Yeah, you sure did because this game is not that interesting.” She nudged Y/N’s arms. “But I guess it’s not the game that got you fixated.”

Y/N shook her head. “Ha ha. Really funny.”

“At least don’t be obvious.”

Y/N flashed Cynthia the middle finger and the two girls giggled.

=============================++

As big of a deal as football games were, it was the keg parties that were the main event.

The keg parties here, however, included all students. It seemed to Y/N as if the school hierarchy didn’t exist here. Everyone just sort of vibed with one another.

Y/N left Cynthia’s side and the redhead raised an eyebrow.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

The group’s attention, including Pink, was now on Y/N.

“I’m just going to get a drink,” Y/N answered, chuckling. “I’ll be right back.”

Pink stepped forward. “I’ll go with you. They put it deep into the woods this time.”

Y/N could feel her stomach twisting into a

“It is not that far, dude,” Kevin remarked.

“Well, we don’t Y/N getting lost and Cynthia getting in trouble for it,” Pink reasoned.

“How thoughtful,” Cynthia chuckled, eyeing Y/N.

Y/N rolled her eyes and followed Pink into the woods.

As she and Pink walked side-by-side, she could feel the eyes on her as they walked by. While having him close to her made her feel giddy, the eyes of her peers made her feel small.

Then Pink looked at her and no one else mattered.

“Doing ok?” he asked.

“Yeah! Just…the weed is hitting me,” she answered, with a nervous laugh.

“You didn’t have that much.”

“My tolerance isn’t that great.”

“Well, that can be fixed,” he playfully nudged her.

She didn’t doubt that for a second.

“You didn’t have to walk with me, you know,” she chuckled.

“I know but I wanted to,” he assured. “Besides, it’s real easy to get lost in these woods.”

“That so? You get lost here a lot?” she teased.

He grinned. “Only when I was a kid.”

Relief washed over her that he didn’t mention bringing girls out there. Then again, it wasn’t her business to know what he did with other girls and where.

God, I’ve gotta stop overthinking this, she thought.

“Any wild animals I should be aware of out here?”

Now what kind of dumb fucking question was that, Y/N?

Pink shook his head before snapping his fingers. “Wait, there is one. It’s called the Fred O’Bannion after several beers.”

She snickered. Fred seemed the type. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“That’s why I came out here with you. I know how to handle the wild O’Bannion. He goes extra wild when he sees pretty girls.”

She was thankful he couldn’t see her blush. “Ah, well I really appreciate you looking out for lil’ old me.”

He nudged her gently. “Hey, I’m really glad you came out tonight.”

She tilted her head. “Yeah? Why’s that?”

Really? You couldn’t have just said ‘thank you’ or ‘yeah me too’?

“I know you’re new and still getting used to it here, but I feel like I never see you outside of school,” he said. “It’s like you only exist in school.”

She put her hands on her hips. “How do you know I don’t go out?”

“Because you’ve been here nearly a month and I’ve never seen you at any parties,” he said.

She cocked her head back. “I didn’t realize you were keeping an eye out for me.”

She made a mental note to ask Cynthia if this was true.

Pink licked his lips. “Is it such a bad thing to make sure you’re settling in ok?”

“No, but I figure a guy like you is often too occupied to notice the new girl.”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She snorted. “Nothing bad. It’s just…you’re a good-looking guy and Mr. Popular. You must have girls lining up one by one.”

He grinned. “So you think I’m good-looking?”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “That’s what you took away from what I said?”

“It’s all I care about really.”

She hummed, but inside joy and delight exploded like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

Sure enough, the keg was found by no one was around it. Y/N went to grab one of the cups stacked on the table but Pink beat her to the punch.

“I’ve got it,” he winked.

She bit her bottom lip, hoping she didn’t look too eager. “Very chivalrous. I’m impressed, Pink.”

“Ah, you know, sometimes I aim to please.”

Yeah, that’s pretty evident.

He handed her the now filled cup before making his own.

“So how are you liking Austin?” he asked.

“From what I’ve seen so far, it’s not too bad. But as you pointed out, I really haven’t been around town too much to get the full experience because my car’s in the shop at the moment.”

He stood in front of her. “Well, what are you doing tomorrow?”

She could feel her heart stop. “Nothing that I’m aware of. Why?”

“Then what do you say I give you a tour? I could drive you around, show you what spots to go to when you get your car back?”

Did he just…?

Her body froze yet her smile stayed in tact. What could she say? Besides, maybe he was just trying to be nice. He got along with everyone. That was just one of the several - but not really main - reasons he was popular.

“Are you asking me out?”

She didn’t mean for the words to slip out, but they did and now she had to wait for an answer.

Pink leaned against the kegger. “I am, yeah.”

As she opened her mouth to say “yes,” something that stopped her. While she liked Pink, she also knew she had to be careful with a guy like him.

But then again…

“I’ll tell you what,” she started, taking a step forward to Pink, “Why don’t you give me a tour of the woods and I’ll decide if you’re good enough to show me the town?”

Pink smiled. “Challenge accepted.”

[yourfatherlucifer]

If I killed someone for you (Yunho)

Yandere!Psycho!Jeong Yunho x Reader

Summary:

He was an amazing man in the relationship, but he had..tendencies..tendencies to do things someone normal wouldn’t do. Like he’s over obsessive. In the beginning he was perfect, flawless even. However, it’s your school reunion, everyone was there, including your old group of friends, which had a few guys in it. Yunho didn’t like it..no..he hates it, he loathes it, the way they touch you when they laugh. Sure, they’re just your friends, but they’re men, men that could steal you away from him. He didn’t want that, he couldn’t have that. Maybe it’s time for his mind to finally break, and give in to his urges. He needs you for himself. What will he do?

Warnings: mentions of violence, mentions of death, overall yandere behavior, possessive behavior, killer behavior, mentions of torture methods, swearing, this whole one shot is a red flag.

(There are several different song lyrics hidden, and I based the high school on the high school I graduated from. And a thank you to @starillusion13 for editing and being my beta reader. I appreciate it so much.)

——

My brown doe-eyed boyfriend was different, he’s perfect in my eyes, he’s everything I ever wanted. He had a sense about him, it was strange, but I thought nothing of it. He'd usually shower me with gifts, took care of my every need, so there obviously couldn't be anything wrong with him. He was the one I always wanted. He was a perfect one except for his possessiveness. I'm not complaining about this but sometimes it goes out of hand and it gets on my nerves. Maybe I'm thinking too much or he is just too caring to which, am just overreacting.

 My mind could just be wrong about him. He's just a little possessive. Right?

“Yunho? Why did you leave your dirty clothes just left in the middle of the floor?” I yelled over his headphones, my tall and lean, and puppy eyed boyfriend sat in his gaming chair.

I assumed he was playing with friends, but this was ridiculous.

I guess he didn’t hear me since he clearly didn’t answer me. How annoying!

Huffing, I kicked his clothes across the room, boring a glare into the back of his head. Jackass.

Whatever, I have better things to do, than clean up after a grown man.

I left our shared room with a slam of the door.

I was getting too frustrated, I should just relax, ignore my boyfriend's asshole self for the time being.

Plus, I have to get ready for a school reunion. I received the text last week and honestly, I didn’t even think anyone from my high school would invite me. I was a loner then, still am.

I suppose I had a couple friends then, not sure they’d remember me though.

-

“What are you wearing?” I heard a voice approach me from behind. The voice had a sharp undertone in it.

“Yunho! Don’t do that, you scared me.” I placed a hand over my chest. Turning around to see him already staring at me with a dark look on his facial.

“I asked you a question. You should answer it.” Why was he always so authoritative to me?

I rolled my eyes at him, “Seriously? So, now I’m not even allowed to dress how I’d like?”

Yunho's eyes glossed over with anger, "Do not back talk to me, why are you dressed all fancy?" That's it. I've had enough of his damn behavior.

"Fuck you, Yunho, you've been nothing but a dick to me lately,always being so possessive. I am going out, I have a high school reunion. If you don't trust me, even though you should. Then come with me. I don't need or expect this from you." I stood my ground, I wasn't gonna take anymore of his bull crap.

He stared me down for a precise moment before he left the room, to our shared bedroom.

About five minutes later, he'd come out wearing a dark blue long-sleeve button up and jeans. The sleeves of his dress shirt were pushed up to his elbows.

When he dressed like this, he was overly attractive, if only he wasn't a dick sometimes.

Rolling my eyes once more, "Oh, so you do want to come with me. Fine, but please, enough with the possessive behavior."

-

When we had arrived at my old school, my gaze was all over the place, it was smaller than I remembered. Still looked fancy in the front. The football field behind the school was visible slightly around the corner and that was where the event had been organized.

 The front banner said, ‘Welcome back, home of the pirates, class of (XXXX)!’

I looked at Yunho, his grip on the steering wheel had turned his knuckles white, "Um..it said the reunion is on the football field, so just head behind the school." With a nod from him, he pulled the car around the large building.

I don't know why, but I felt this looming sense of danger in the air. I really hope nothing bad happens, especially with the way my lover is.

-

"Y/N!"

Who called me? I don't..

I turned my head to the sound of whoever just called my name out, Yunho trailing extremely close behind me.

"Changkyun?" It was my best friend from freshman year, even though he was in a higher grade. I even had a crush on him then, but of course, I couldn't let Yunho know. Who knows what he'd do.

"Hi, dude, it's been awhile." Changkyun had wrapped his arms around me. I could just feel my lover's glare. This wasn't good. So I pulled away as fast as I could from my former friend.

"Yeah, it has, um, this is my boyfriend, Yunho." I turned around, but stepped back as soon as I saw his face. Yunho looked pissed. Like, it was honestly terrifying. I had never seen this look on him. His demeanor radiating a wave of danger to the cold environment of the late evening.

I mean, it was kind of hot, but something about it also didn't sit right with me.

Changkyun looked up, "Damn, you are tall. I'm Im Changkyun, I was Y/N's friend back in school." He held his hand out, but Yunho just stared at him down. Almost like he was threatened by his presence.

I could feel the tension in the air, maybe I should pull him away from this conversation. Yeah that's the best idea.

I grabbed the taller male's hand, "It was nice talking to you, Kyun, but I think we need to go." I chuckled nervously, pulling my lover away.

-

I stared up at him, "What was that, Yunho? Why were you glaring at him? He didn't do anything to you."

"Yes he did."

"What?"

I can't believe him. Was he serious? He did not just blame your friend for welcoming you there. If he continues being such an overbearing person, you might lose your mind before him.

"He touched what is mine, not his, mine."

There was that sense of dread again. MINE. You loved hearing him calling you his but sometimes that made you uncomfortable as if he was referring to some costly property which he wanted to lock it.

"How about this, what if I killed someone for you, Y/N? Would you love me more? Would that get inside your pretty little head, to show you and remind you that you are mine?" All of the sudden, he was leaning down, he had grabbed my wrist.

Oh my god, his grip was so tight, it felt like my wrist was gonna snap right off, "Stop it, Yunho! You're acting crazy! Let go of me, it hurts." I tried pulling away.

He wasn't letting go, and that killer look in his eyes was back.

"I don't care, what do you not understand?"

He was dragging me to the car, "You know, Y/N, I really cannot decide whether you should live or die. I mean, really. You come here dressed like you're going on a date, you let another man touch what is mine." He was laughing like a maniac.

Was he really going to kill me? No, no, he's just upset with me, that's all. I did nothing wrong though!

"Please, Yunho, stop! I love you! I didn't mean to do this, I didn't know he was gonna touch me." At this point, I was a sobbing mess, there was nobody around to save me.

An evil smirk was etched onto his face, after pushing me into the car, he locked the doors. Trapping me in with a psychopath.

As he sped down the road, the radio was almost blasting, he turned to me. "Maybe I should just crash the car, kill both of us! Or maybe, I could bury you alive, pour acid down your throat."

Why was he doing this? I don't want to die!

"Maybe I should just kidnap your little friend, keep him locked up in our basement. I could torture him for days, I could break him. You can watch!"

"Yunho, stop! I am sorry! I won't talk to him again! Please slow down, you're going to kill us." He was ignoring my pleas. The killer look in his eyes wasn't going to fade anytime soon.

"Oh, are you really? You are mine! Not some fucking tiny ass man can give you what I give you!"

He reached over, unbuckled my seat belt. The car sped up faster, this is it. I'm going to die. "Yunho!"

He was approaching a brick wall at top speed, but just three feet from it, he slammed on the brakes. My head smashed into the dashboard, knocking me out.

-

Cold water splashed onto my face, "Wake up, dear."

"Yun..?"

I had a pounding headache, why did my head hurt so bad? Why can't I move?

With my eyes fluttering open, I discovered I was restrained to a chair. My surroundings were definitely very familiar, it was our basement, but why was I down here?

"What's going on, Yun? Why am I tied up?"

The tall frame of my boyfriend was kneeled in front of me.

"Bad girls don't get to have freedom."

"What are you..oh," I remember now, I remember everything, "I told you I was sorry, why are you still doing this to me?"

"Because. I don't forgive you. Until you realize you're mine and stay away from other men, then I will be the perfect boyfriend again."

I shuddered with fear. I was never going to escape this, was I? I will never truly be free from him. I put myself unknowingly into a toxic relationship with a psychopath.

He gripped my jaw to look at him, "Everyday and night, I’m gon’ chase you. I love you, you should only love me."

I wanted to spit on his face, but I just don't know what he is capable of.

Tears were streaming down my face again, "Please, Yunho! I don't want anybody else, I want you! I only want you. I won't look at anyone else!"

He loosened his grip on my now bruised jaw, "That's a good girl, that's what I want to hear." Yunho chuckled, trailing a finger down my cheek.

"Are you gonna be a good girl for me?"

I shook my head up and down so fast, I swore my head would fall off.

'Yes, yes! I'll be your good girl, Yunho! I promise!"

The killer glint in his eyes faded just as fast as I blinked, "Good."

After untying me, he pulled me into a hug, rubbing the back of my head, before leaning next to my ear, "Because you will never escape me."

Oh no..

[ladydigianna]

on the ground || oikawa tooru x reader

|| note: this is inspired by on the ground by rose of blackpink

|| pairing: oikawa tooru x fem!reader

|| angst to fluff || from the author: my first fic after rebranding !! i hope you guys like this !! requests are open but please read my rules first !! thank you guys <3

-fic starts below the cut-

"everything i need is on the ground"

The sound of sneakers squeaking against the gym floor echoed in the spacious gym, the rhythmic thud of a volleyball bouncing reverberating through the air. Oikawa Tooru's eyes were focused, his determination palpable as he practiced yet another serve. It was his routine—volleyball was his world, and nothing else seemed to matter as much.

Except, there was something—or rather, someone—who used to matter just as much, if not more.

You.

You had been by his side since middle school, a constant presence of warmth and support, always cheering him on from the sidelines. But as the years went by and Oikawa’s obsession with perfecting his game grew, that warmth began to fade. Dates were rescheduled, conversations were cut short, and the time you once shared was slowly replaced with endless practice sessions.

It all culminated in a tearful breakup during your second year of high school. You had tried to make him understand that you didn’t want to be second to volleyball, that you missed him, the real him. But Oikawa had been too blinded by his ambitions to see the pain in your eyes.

“I can’t do this anymore, Tooru,” you had whispered, voice breaking as you walked away.

And just like that, you were gone.

The summer before his third year, Oikawa’s life came crashing down. A knee injury, the one thing every athlete feared, had struck him hard. The pain wasn’t just physical—it was a reminder of his limitations, of the fragility of the dream he had sacrificed so much for.

The clinic door swung open as he limped out, his mind a whirlpool of frustration and regret. But as he stepped onto the street, the world seemed to blur around him, his thoughts drowning in memories of you.

He remembered the time you had pulled him into a quaint café after a tough practice, insisting that he needed a break. You had laughed so freely, the sound like music to his ears. There was the time you had walked home together, your hand slipping into his as you talked about everything and nothing.

As if the universe had a cruel sense of humor, he looked up and saw you.

You stood there, just a few feet away, your eyes widening in surprise as you recognized him. For a moment, neither of you moved, the weight of the past hanging between you like a storm cloud.

“Tooru,” you finally said, your voice soft, almost hesitant.

His heart clenched at the sound of his name on your lips. He took a step forward, his gaze pleading. “(Y/N)... I’m sorry. For everything. I was a fool for letting you go.”

You swallowed, eyes darting away. “It’s not that simple, Tooru.”

“I know,” he admitted, his voice hoarse with sincerity. “But I want to make it right. I want to be the person you deserve, the person who puts you first.”

You looked at him, searching his face for something—maybe the boy you had fallen in love with all those years ago. “I need time, Tooru. I’m not sure if I can just... go back to how things were.”

He nodded, understanding the gravity of your words. “Take all the time you need. I’ll wait. I’ll prove to you that I’ve changed.”

As the third year of high school began, Oikawa kept his promise. The Aoba Johsai boys’ volleyball team noticed the difference immediately. He was still their determined captain, but something had shifted. He was softer, more thoughtful, as if he was trying to balance his two loves—volleyball and you.

He’d leave little notes in your locker, encouraging you through exams. He’d show up at your door with your favorite snacks, claiming he just happened to be in the neighborhood. The team watched, amused and supportive, as Oikawa worked to win you back.

But it was after Aoba Johsai’s crushing loss to Karasuno that everything came to a head. Oikawa was devastated, his heart breaking not just from the loss, but from the realization that he might never be enough, that all his efforts might be in vain.

Iwaizumi found you in the stands, watching as Oikawa sat slumped on the court, tears in his eyes.

“He needs you,” Iwaizumi said simply, a rare softness in his usually stern voice.

You didn’t hesitate. You made your way to the court, your heart pounding as you knelt beside Oikawa. He looked up at you, his expression crumbling at the sight of you there, by his side, where you had always been.

“I’m sorry,” he choked out, the words raw with emotion. “I tried so hard, but I still couldn’t—”

“Shh,” you whispered, pulling him into your arms. “You did your best, Tooru. That’s all that matters.”

He clung to you as if you were his lifeline, the weight of his insecurities and regrets heavy on his shoulders. And as you held him, you realized that despite everything, you still loved him. The boy who had once neglected you had grown, had changed, and you knew he deserved another chance.

“Let’s start over,” you murmured against his hair.

He pulled back slightly, hope flickering in his tear-streaked eyes. “Really?”

You nodded, a small smile tugging at your lips. “Really.”

The next thing you knew, his lips were on yours, soft and desperate, a kiss that spoke of promises and second chances. The world faded away, leaving just the two of you in that moment.

When you finally pulled apart, the rest of the team was watching, grins on their faces.

“About time,” Matsukawa teased, earning a smack on the back of the head from Hanamaki.

“You did good, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi said, a rare smile on his lips.

Oikawa smiled back, a genuine, heartfelt smile as he intertwined his fingers with yours. He knew that this was just the beginning—a new chapter in both his life and his relationship with you.

And this time, he was determined to get it right.

[abbyslev]

𝑩𝑬𝑺𝑻 𝑭𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑵𝑫 𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑪𝑨𝑵𝑶𝑵𝑺- 𝑱𝑱𝑲

A/N: HEY BABIES i’ve been working on this lmao i’m currently in my jjk obsession era i fear 😋 I HOPE EVERYONE ENJOYS THIS HAHA I HAD SM FUN WRITING IT!! ESP GOJOS LMAOO lmk if you guys want PARENT GOJO HCS BECAUSE I HAVE SO MANY CUTE IDEAS LMAOO

WARNINGS: not proofread i fear 💔

yuuji bsfs hcs here!

YUUTA

prepare yourself 

he’s very shy at first, never had friends really so when he saw how cool you were he was very shy to talk to you

ofc you initiated conversation !! 

he noticed how maki was very close to you, yet you were less tense and way nicer 

you showed him around and he noticed everyone knew you which kind of intimidated him 

he started opening up about his interest and you two traded numbers after a while 

after a month or so you two started hanging outside of class and training 

late night dinners!! 

you randomly buy each other stuff from the convenience store !! 

gojo started sending him on missions with you and you had so much patience with him

you were very sweet and walked him through everything 

of course in the middle of a battle he’d stay and watch over you, yet watching intently to make sure nothing went wrong 

late night calls 

always always always helping him study!! 

you could tell maki was holding back a crush and yuuta DEFINITELY had a crush on her 

you were trying to get them to date 

he holds your bags when you guys shop!! 

training together, he asks you don’t hold back on him 

sharing food. you put on his plate whatever you don’t like and he will gladly eat it up!! 

you like to mess with his hair a lot, especially since it’s already pretty ruffled 

once he opened up to you completely, you know when he’s upset 

you know how to comfort him best 

showing up at his door with takeout late at night (you had to beg gojo to get it for you) 

staying in his dorm while y’all eat and play street fighter 

you teach him more about your power and your energy, to which he looks more into !! 

takes interest in your interest, you do the same !!

matching outfits on non-school days on accident

panda laughs at you both btw 

you guys are inseparable basically, if one’s not there, neither will the other!! 

MEGUMI

a lot of people think megumi is this cold, hard kid with no emotion 

WRONG 

you grew up with him, basically being raised by gojo too

he took a liking more to you than gojo i fear 

as kids, you two would fall asleep against each other while his divine dogs protected you both 

gojo ofc had to have a photoshoot 

megumi genuinely respects you as a sorcerer, seeing the endless nights you’d spend in your room training 

he claims he uses full force on you when you two train, but he’s obviously lying 

meg can be a picky eater sometimes, so he puts it on your plate 

he appreciates when you slide your soup to him without a word though 

he likes his space, and he greatly appreciates that you know that!! 

sometimes he wants to sit with you in silence, and sometimes he wants to be alone, and somehow you can read his mood perfectly 

he will tease you sometimes when you guys are alone

if you’re sitting on his bedroom floor, he will ruffle your hair or even crack some jokes 

he actually does play some video games, whichever ones you get him as presents 

he’s not on his phone much, but he does text you back fairly quickly 

doesn’t like you going on missions alone, and if you do, he may send a divine dog with you sometimes 

genuinely doesn’t understand how you can stand gojo sometimes 

which by the way, he uses to make you two match as kids 

gojo literally tried to put meg in a dress and got kicked in the face 

how do you get kicked by a seven year old? don’t ask 

very very supportive, but also very honest 

you call him before you go on dates and ask his opinions on your outfits 

“isn’t that a bit much skin? what if she’s like…i don’t know…not into that? Is that how it works?” poor him he doesn’t know 

if he finds a cute girl and he tells you about it, YOU WILL TALK TO HER ABOUT HIM 

he gets all shyyyyy 

meg still gets shy telling you things 

pretty much trusts you though

“lemme see em hehehe” as he gets his divine dogs out for you so you can play fetch w them :((

his doggies also comfort you a lot so since he’s not very emotionally available he’ll let you vent while petting the dogs

only lets you call him megs. one time panda tried it and got the death stare from megumi 

“why can only they call you megs” “cause i’m his favorite :D”

doesn’t let anyone be mean to you, HE WON'T BE ACCEPTING THAT BEHAVIOR 

pls take care of bb megs HES THE BEST OK 

TOGE

it was kind of a rough start

you didn’t understand his cursed speech and you definitely got stressed with “bonito flakes” and “kelp” 

you would ask him things but you couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t reply 

shorty after you met panda and maki and they explained 

which right after, that night you bought a notebook so you could communicate 

toge thought this was the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for him 

you guys ended up trading numbers and stayed up LATE sending each other videos and gushing about video games 

toge actually is pretty interesting, he hates not being able to talk about stuff with you

you finally got around to understanding his language !! 

that made everything much easier 

one time you were cold and he wrapped his scarf around you </33

don’t let his lack of speaking abilities fool you, this man WILL BE YOUR WINGMAN

you see a cute girl across the street, he’s chasing them down 

you two are an unbeatable duo, which is why you complete harder missions together 

training is ok, he can’t really use his voice so it’s just you two wrestling 

on missions you keep throat medicine on you for him

you help him study a lot, he’s actually very smart 

study sessions usually end up with you two on his bed, junk food everywhere and controllers in your hands,  hushed arguments between the two

you usually buy his lunch and bring it to him, but if y’all are out together, he pays for everything like the gentleman he is 

your biggest supporter!! if you fail at a move or can’t perfect something, he text you words of encouragement 

pls protect toge he deserves the world 

GOJO

dear god hold on 

how you survived high school gojo is beyond anyone’s comprehension 

you basically rasied meg too 

he’s tall… HE WILL USE THAT TO HIS ADVANTAGE 

hiding things from you all the time

if you are texting your situationship or something gojo WILL take your phone and read everything outloud 

if you fall on your ass or something embarrassing happens, instead of helping you he will record to humiliate you in front of his kids 

which btw they are your kids too !!

esp megs, you raised him and (though he’ll never admit it) he sees you as a mom

you submit to nobara’s shopping addiction i fear 

you’ll be in the middle of a lesson and HERE COMES GOJO BARGING IN 

the students stare at him in fear as he lift up one side of his blindfold to show you a funny video he found 

also don’t worry about having to pay for anything, he’s got it covered 

you try and deny him but he’s like “we all know you need it” annoying ass 

you also swear to never take him to family gatherings again 

but you do every single time 

the one time you took him your cousins fawned over him and your aunties asked if that was your husband and you had to explain he was your best friend 

gojo waved at your cousins and even fucking posed ???? 

you yelled at him on the way home but all he did was smile 

you used to tuck in megumi in bed and gojo would be like “don’t let the curses bite” and you would stare him down

gojo sends you on wild missions, yet still makes sure they’re safe enough for you 

he takes a liking to yuuji, meg, and nobara so he sends you to watch over them 

he knows your parental instincts are STRONG so he knows you will protect the kids with your life

one time megumi was being very open and honest with you about a problem and gojo interrupted you guys 

megumi never talked about his emotions again i fear 

if you ever get seriously injured he will joke around and take you to Shoko, but he’s really worried and doesn’t want anything bad to happen to you

keeps you out of his battles, and will even fight yours

see a girl you like? he’s on his way to let her know and maybe even get her number for you! 

will literally bring you food at two in the morning 

it's just who he is 

knows he seriously fucked up when you pull his hair, lift his blindfold up and see your face like “>:(”

you usually call him saturo so when you say “gojo SATURO!” he knows he fucked up

he loves his kids…yet he leaves them with you and now you have to deal with their bickering 

on your off days he loves to take you to shopping and out to eat! it’s his favorite

“max out my card” as an apology but all you want is a real explanation to why he blew up your room and why his kids were laughing 

you flick his forehead a lot 

you and utahime gang up on him a lot i fear 

though she’s very serious and you just like to tag along 

he buys you cool little trinkets 

“what’s this?” “a special something” and its literally just a snow globe 

not very emotionally available either so he just jokes around and tries his best to help you 

you understand he can get upset and refuse to show it, so you just sit beside him and draw shapes on his knees until he says something 

his phone is full of you throwing fits and angry photos 

occasionally cute ones of you guys together 

he sends you thousands of photos of either him, scenery, his kids or strangers 

you do the same obviously 

one time you and shoko hung out and sent gojo a pic and he screenshotted shokos smeared lipstick and sent it with a “??”

you post him on your insta and all ur friends slide up asking for his @ 

yes his ego gets bigger 

your favorite thing to do is grab the back of his head and yank off his blindfold and curse at him 

use to shove megumi in your arms and scream into his hands 

“HE WONT EAT THE FUCKING VEGGIES PLEASE JUST HELP”

megumi gladly ate the veggies you fed him 

rivalry fr

“EW PUT SHOES ON” as he wiggles his bare feet in your face

will teleport to your room randomly 

you also steal his glasses randomly 

he KNOWSSSS when theres a woman in room

will start spam texting you for details 

he is part of the sassy man apocalypse i fear 

you and shoko shoo him away for some “girl time” and he goes “i AM one of the girls” with a little sassy eye roll

i could write about this man forever LMAOO

fav

NANAMI

its not a spoken title but trust everyone knows your nanamis best friend 

i mean why else would he allow you in his office just so you can gossip ?? 

gojo complains about being mistreated 

whenever he buys books he buys two, one for you one for him 

buys you lunch! 

since he does love food, friday and saturday night dinners are a must 

you guys like to try different foods from different countries! 

every once in a while he will drink wine with you 

you guys are pretty much a deadly duo 

will give you flowers! it’s sweet

he’s not big on social media but he will go on there to like your newest post 

gojo complains again i fear 

you planned a super big vacation for you both for his birthday and even got some days off for him

that was the only vacation he’s ever been on, and he couldn’t thank you enough

though you wanted to pay, he ended up paying for everything you wanted at the trip

you spent so much money on reservations and plane tickets, he was worried 

he refuses to let you pay for anything! 

he’s not a pro at dates, but he will help you plan out a date 

also buys you a new outfit and helps you get ready 

“Did you get her flowers? should we get her anything else, or is this fine?” 

biggest supporter, but also does not enable bad actions like fear 

“well you’re not my dad” “fine then, go and get butthurt” 

he’s very sarcastic and straightforward with you, you love it 

he’s very organized about his outfits, so you’ll mess with him by saying his shirt is untucked or something 

when he carries you on his back because you’re super drunk you’ll be like “you loveeeee mee” 

“you keep telling yourself that.” but he indeed loves you so much 

opens doors for you, car doors, keeps hygiene products for you in his car, never lets you pay, always has a jacket ready for you, carries your bags, gets you dinner, this man is THE gentleman 

“NNAAAAAAANAMIIIII” “oh god, what now?”

you bust into his office anytime 

you guys like reading the morning paper and sharing your thoughts on it 

you got eachother thin little matching bracelets 

he does wear his :(( all the time :(( he never takes it off :(( 

CUTE CUTE CUTE YOU GUYS ARE BESTIES 

tags: @saenora

[blowndrip]

À DEUX PAS

PART VI : LUEUR

pairing: kylian mbappe x reader

summary: After their kiss, Y/N and Kylian go their separate ways—she dives into her studies, he into professional football—but a tender bond quietly lingers between them. When Kylian brings up the idea of living together in Paris—him for PSG, her for university—their connection suddenly shifts into something deeper. The bracelet becomes the quiet promise they both hold onto: to grow apart, perhaps, but not drift away.

A/N : I hope you’ll enjoy it☺️

Y/N POV:

Bondy, Autumn 2016


The leaves were turning amber, crunching under my boots as I walked to school. Autumn always felt like a fresh start, a chance to shake off the summer’s heaviness. It had been three months since my birthday—three months since that kiss with Kylian, since the bracelet he gave me started catching the light on my wrist every day. I didn’t dwell on it constantly, but sometimes, when the silver glinted in the corner of my eye, I’d smile to myself, remembering his shy grin as he’d slipped it into my hand.

Life had settled into a rhythm since then. School was busier than ever, with exams looming and teachers piling on assignments like they thought we had no other responsibilities. I didn’t mind, though. Focusing on my studies gave me a sense of control, something steady to hold onto. Football, which used to fill so much of my world through Kylian and the neighborhood games, had faded into the background. I still caught snippets of matches on TV when my brother was glued to the screen, but I wasn’t chasing every goal or highlight anymore. My world was bigger now—books, essays, late-night study sessions with Sarah, and debates with my mom about what I’d do after high school.

Mornings started early. I’d wake up to the smell of coffee drifting from the kitchen, where my mom was already bustling around, humming to herself. My brother would be sprawled on the couch, scrolling through his phone or yelling about some game he’d lost online. I’d grab a quick breakfast—usually toast and juice, nothing fancy—and head out, my backpack heavy with textbooks. Sarah and I would meet at the bus stop, complaining about our history teacher’s obsession with dates or laughing about something stupid one of our classmates had done. Those moments felt grounding, like I was building something for myself, piece by piece.

Kylian and I still talked, though not as often as we used to. He was busy with training in Monaco, and I was swamped with school. Our texts were short but warm—little updates about his matches or my latest study struggles, sometimes a random meme that made me laugh out loud in the middle of class. He’d call every couple of weeks, and we’d talk for hours, picking up right where we’d left off. It wasn’t forced or heavy; it just felt… right. Like we were growing up but still holding onto each other, even with the distance.

I wasn’t hung up on him, though. My life wasn’t on pause, waiting for his next message. I had my friends, my family, my own plans. Sarah was always dragging me to some new café or study group, and my mom kept me busy with errands or long talks about my future. I liked that balance—knowing Kylian was still part of my world, but not my whole world.

One afternoon, I was sprawled on my bed, surrounded by notes for a literature essay. My phone buzzed, and I glanced at it, expecting Sarah with another rant about our group project. It was Kylian.

Kylian: You surviving school? 😌
Me: Barely. This essay is killing me. You surviving training?
Kylian: Haha, just about. Coach is brutal this week.
Me: Poor you. At least you get to run around outside. I’m stuck with books.
Kylian: Wanna trade? I’ll write your essay if you do my sprints.
Me: Hard pass. 🙃

I smiled, setting the phone down to finish my paragraph. It was easy like that with him—no pressure, just us being us.

Bondy, Summer 2017

The air was warm, carrying the scent of freshly cut grass and barbecues from the neighborhood. I’d just turned 18, and the weight of my bac results still felt surreal. I’d passed—better than I’d expected, honestly—and now the future was staring me in the face, full of possibilities and questions. Law school was my plan, something I’d been leaning toward for a while. I liked the idea of untangling problems, finding clarity in complicated things. But the practical side—moving out, finding a place, paying for it all—was daunting.

Sarah and I spent a lot of time talking about it over iced coffees at our favorite café. She was set on studying art history, already dreaming of museum internships. “You’ll be some fancy lawyer, and I’ll be giving tours about old paintings,” she’d teased, making me laugh. My other friends were scattering too—some staying in Bondy, others heading to Paris or beyond. It was strange, watching everyone carve out their paths, but it felt exciting too.

Inès had popped up on my radar recently, mostly through social media. She’d started posting more, sharing photos of herself at events or modeling for small brands. I didn’t follow her closely, but I’d see her stories sometimes, all glitter and confidence. We weren’t friends, but after her apology at my birthday, there was no bad blood either. She was just… there, living her life, and I was fine with that.

Kylian and I were still in touch, closer than ever in some ways. The kiss last year hadn’t defined us, but it had shifted something. We weren’t just friends anymore, not exactly, but we hadn’t put a label on it either. It was like we were both letting it evolve naturally, no rush. He’d been playing brilliantly for Monaco, and whispers about a big move—to Paris, maybe PSG—were starting to circulate. I didn’t ask him about it much; I figured he’d tell me when he was ready.

One evening, I was sitting on my bed, scrolling through apartment listings on my laptop. The idea of a small place of my own for law school was tempting, but the prices made my stomach twist. My phone rang, and Kylian’s name lit up the screen. I answered, propping the phone against my pillow.

“Coucou Kylian,” I said, smiling.

“Hey, you,” he replied, his voice warm but a little tired. “What’s up?”

“Just stressing about apartments. Law school’s coming up, and I’m trying to figure out how to not live with my mom forever.”

He laughed softly. “You’d survive. Your mom’s cooking is too good.”

“True, but I’d like my own space, you know? Somewhere I can mess up without her hovering.”

“Fair. Found anything good?”

“Not really. Everything’s either too expensive or looks like it’s falling apart.” I sighed, closing my laptop. “What about you? How’s Monaco?”

“It’s good. Busy. Training’s intense, but…” He paused, and I could hear the shift in his tone, like he was weighing his words. “There’s talk about a move. Maybe PSG.”

My eyebrows shot up. “PSG? Like, Paris PSG?”

“Yeah.” He sounded almost shy about it. “Nothing’s set yet, but… it’s looking likely.”

“That’s huge, Kylian,” I said, genuinely impressed. “You’d be back closer to home.”

“I know. That’s part of why I want it.” He hesitated again, then added, “I was thinking… if I move to Paris, and you’re studying there… maybe we could, like, get a place together.”

I froze, my heart doing a little flip. “Together? Like, you and me?”

“Yeah,” he said, a nervous edge to his voice. “I mean, only if you want. It’d be practical, right? Split rent, keep each other sane. And��� I’d like having you around.”

I bit my lip, a mix of excitement and uncertainty bubbling up. Living with Kylian? It sounded amazing—waking up to his dumb jokes, arguing over who left dishes in the sink. But it was also a big step, one that made my head spin with questions. What were we, exactly? Would it complicate things?

“That’s… a lot to think about,” I said carefully, not wanting to shut him down. “I mean, it sounds nice, but I’d need to figure out school and money and… yeah.”

“No pressure,” he said quickly. “Just an idea. I’d want you to be cool with it.”

I smiled, warmth spreading through me at how careful he was being. “I’ll think about it, okay? It’s not a no.”

“Good,” he said, and I could hear the grin in his voice. “I’d hate to lose my favorite neighbor.”

“Neighbor, huh?” I teased. “I thought I was more than that by now.”

He laughed, low and soft. “You know you are.”

We talked for a while longer, about everything and nothing—his latest match, my stress over picking a law program, the time Sarah accidentally dyed her hair pink. It was easy, like always, but there was a new layer to it now, a quiet promise that we were heading somewhere together, even if we didn’t know exactly where.

When we hung up, I lay on my bed and took a nap.

///

The summer heat lingered, making the air feel thick even in the early evening. Two weeks had passed since Kylian’s voice had painted pictures of us sharing an apartment in Paris. I’d held onto that idea like a daydream, but today, it felt further away than ever.

The letter from Strasbourg had arrived that morning, tucked between bills and junk mail. I’d stared at it for a good ten minutes before opening it, my heart hammering. Accepted. The words jumped off the page, bold and real. Strasbourg’s law school—third best in France, according to every ranking I’d obsessed over—was mine. My mom had nearly tackled me with a hug, her eyes shining with pride. “My girl’s going places!” she’d said, already planning a celebration.

That night, we kept it simple—just pizza and lemonade around the kitchen table, my dad cracking bad jokes and my brother stealing half my slices. The windows were open, letting in the hum of cicadas and the occasional laugh from neighbors outside. I smiled through it all, laughing when my mom tried to take a “serious” photo of me with the acceptance letter. But underneath the joy, there was a tug of something else. Strasbourg wasn’t Paris. It was a whole other world, far from the plans Kylian and I had tossed around so easily.

I waited until after dinner to call him. My room was warm, the fan doing a lazy job of stirring the air. I sat cross-legged on my bed, the bracelet he’d given me glinting as I dialed. He answered on the first ring, his voice bright despite the crackle of a bad connection.

“Y/N! What’s up?” he said, sounding like he was walking somewhere, maybe heading back from training.

“Hey,” I said, my fingers tracing the edge of my phone. “I’ve got news. Big news.”

“Spill,” he said, and I could hear the grin in his voice.

“I got into law school,” I said, letting the words sink in. “Strasbourg. It’s… one of the best, like, third in the country.”

“No way!” His excitement was instant, warm like summer itself. “Y/N, that’s amazing! You’re gonna be unstoppable.”

I laughed, but it came out softer than I meant. “Thanks. I’m really excited. We celebrated tonight—pizza, my mom going overboard, you know how it is.”

“Sounds perfect,” he said. “You deserve it.”

There was a beat of silence, and I knew I had to say it. “But… it’s not Paris,” I started, my voice quieter now. “I didn’t get into any of the schools there. So, that idea about us getting a place together… I don’t think it’s gonna happen. Not now, anyway.”

He didn’t answer right away, and I held my breath, picturing him standing still wherever he was, maybe kicking at the ground like he did when he was thinking hard. “Strasbourg’s pretty far, huh?” he said finally, his tone gentle, like he was trying to keep things light.

“Yeah,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. “It’s a great opportunity, though. I can’t pass it up.”

“You shouldn’t,” he said firmly, no hesitation. “Y/N, this is your thing. I’d be pissed if you gave that up for some half-baked apartment plan.”

I smiled, even though he couldn’t see it. “You’re not mad?”

“Mad?” He laughed, short and warm. “I’m proud as hell. Paris isn’t going anywhere. We’ll figure out how to make it work.”

My chest felt lighter, like I’d been carrying a weight I didn’t even notice. “You sure? I mean, you’re about to be Mr. Big Shot, moving to Paris, new team…”

“Not yet,” he said, a teasing edge to his voice. “Still stuck in Monaco for now, sweating it out at training. But when I do get to Paris, I’m dragging you to a match, Strasbourg or not.”

“Only if I get a good seat,” I shot back, grinning.

“VIP, always,” he promised, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

We talked a bit longer—about my mom’s awful pizza-topping choices, about how his coach was pushing him harder than ever with the PSG rumors swirling. When we hung up, I leaned back against my pillows, the summer air warm against my skin. Strasbourg was a new chapter, one I hadn’t expected, but it didn’t feel like the end of us. Not even close.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

[gloryhrs]

⟡ 𝓒𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝓢𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 ━━ 「 Shinji Hirako. 」

✿.*･｡ ꒰ black male reader, high school au!, reader & shinji are both 18/3rd years in highschool, delinquent! shinji (he smokes weed & is a lil mean lol), shinji & hiyori are related, smut (?) at the end idk, shinji is also extremely obsessed w/the reader (real), ah this took me so long (∩´﹏`∩) i don’t know if i’m going to keep it up for long, click 4 art creds! ꒱

ʚɞ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ SHINJI Hirako, 10, wiped the imaginary sweat from his brow. Today is the day he confesses to his best friend, Y/n L/n. His mother and yours had been good friends since high school, which explained why you and he were like two peas in a pod, having known each other since infancy. Shinji couldn't have asked for a better best friend than you; you both slept over at each other's houses daily, played video games, watched horror movies, and snacked on sweets all weekend. When you spent time with him, his heart began to race, his palms sweated, and his cheeks turned a vivid shade of crimson, indicating that he had strange feelings for you. Because of your kindness and the way you care for him, his affection for you grew stronger by the day. His younger sister, Hiyori, used to mock him and label him a coward for not being able to express himself to you, but that will change today!

When he spotted you walking out of the classroom with Kensei and Love, aka your bodyguards, he tightened his grip on the small box of chocolate and flowers. Instead of standing in the center of the hallway, he carefully worked his way up to the youthful group of boys. He observed as you stopped chatting to the boys and focused on him walking, making him much more nervous than before. "Hi, Shinji!" You smiled and waved at your blonde-haired best friend, who looked like he was about to pass out. Kensei and Love turned to look at the sweets and flowers in the boy's hand. He handed the flowers and chocolates out to you with his head lowered before any of them could say anything. "H-Hi Y/n! Please go out on a date with me! You’re the coolest, kindest, and sweetest person I’ve ever met! I promise you won’t be sorry!" His voice cracked at nearly every word, leading Kensei to cover his mouth to stifle the laughter. Love sighed and turned his head in the opposite direction, attempting to erase the scene he just saw.

When Kensei began to snicker at him, you frowned and lightly smacked the back of his head. "Shin, don't be so shy; I've known you for years. And, of course, I'll go with you!" You took the box and flowers from his hands as the dumbbells on his shoulders rolled off with ease, which meant his nervousness was disappearing. He quickly got up and straightened his posture with a bright smile on his face. Before he could form his next sentence, a set of lips that belonged to you brushed across his cheek. Making him lose all sense and turn as red as a tomato. "We should ask our moms to take us to that new arcade you talked about!" You told him as he nodded mindlessly with a silly grin on his lips. "Yeah, we enjoy arcades." His voice cracked once more, this time making you giggle. Both Kensei and Love curved their heads to the side as they witnessed the sight. "Oh, brother! Look for a classroom." Kensei fake gagged as Love sighed, realizing beforehand that this blossoming relationship was most likely going to be a problem in the future.

ʚɞ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ AND Love was completely correct. If he believed Shinji was in love with you in elementary and middle school, he had no idea what was in store for him after everyone entered high school. By this point, everyone knew Shinji was obsessed with you. From having your name tattooed on his forearm and finger to having your initials pierced in his ear, having you as his lock screen and home screen, and owning an I Heart My Boyfriend shirt somewhere in his closet, he's got it all. He's also your biggest fan! From his frequent appearances at your games, he is usually the loudest one in the bleachers, holding a poster. Being the one to carry you and your belongings when it's time to leave, as well as ordering takeout for you and him for the night. Shinji was the greatest boyfriend! No one could tell you otherwise. Most classmates assumed you threw a spell on the blonde, but it turns out he was just in love.

The sound of laughter was the only thing that could be heard from the janitor’s closet. The laughter belonging to you and Shinji, who dragged you in there the moment he saw you in the hall. "Shin, we’re going to be late for class." You murmured as your boyfriend proceeded to kiss your lips, ignoring the fact that not only you would be late but he as well. The small space of the janitor's closet is causing him to press you against the wall, with him lifting your thigh till it reaches his waist. "It doesn't matter if you don't turn up. Plus, I missed you." His pierced tongue dragged across your soft, ebony skin while his lips whispered into the crook of your neck. You ran your fingers through his soft golden hair. "I've missed you too, which is why I'm here. So that I can see you." You sighed. This is what happens when you separate yourself from him for longer than a day. He’ll turn into a baby crying for its mama.

"I barely see you now because you've been so caught up with volleyball and those damn club activities. I thought you forgot about me." He scoffed, his gaze now fixed on yours. You've participated in almost every club and sport since the first year of high school. That's why you were so popular. You gently smiled as you placed both hands on his cheeks, bringing him in for another kiss. "You know I can never forget about you, baby. Plus, I'm free today. This week, Rose, Lisa, and Love are in charge of the clubs. And I don’t have practice until next week." You grinned while playing with his several ear piercings, your initials dangling from his right lobe in gold and diamonds.

Shinji's eyes instantly lit up as he flashed his well-known smile, displaying his gorgeous pearly whites. "And yes, we can finally play that new street fighter game you were talking about." You pecked his cheeks as he buried his face into the crook of your neck, getting a good whiff of your scent before signing. "Mhmm, I love you. Also, you smell so fuckin' good. Like freshly baked cookies mixed with cocoa butter. It makes me want to eat you." He murmured, never letting his smile go. His sweet but strong aroma invaded your nostrils as you chuckled and buried your face in his shoulder. "I love you too, Shin. You smell like vanilla cupcakes with a hint of weed. Which you most likely smoked during lunch." He laughed and drew his face away from your neck. You could read him like a picture book. "Oops." He gave you his signature smirk, his hands trailing from your waist to one of his favorite parts of your body.

"Shin, don't let them find you smoking on school grounds. They almost sent you to detention for three months the last time you were caught." You scolded your partner, who was rolling his eyes. Because of that wet floor prank he committed in his first year, which resulted in the principal injuring his back, the staff were utter jerks to him. "Keyword, almost! My wonderful boyfriend bailed me out and convinced them to shorten my sentence." He kissed your cheek, and because you were one of the school's favorite students, you persuaded the administration to ease up on your nutty boyfriend's punishment. They eventually reduced his sentence from three months to one week of cleaning duties.

"But in all seriousness, I’m so lucky you’re my boyfriend. Everything about you is so perfect that sometimes I wonder what would’ve happened if I hadn’t confessed. Just looking at you drives me insane." He whispered, now placing his hands on your ass and gently sucking on the flesh with his lips against your neck. You sighed and tilted your head back, feeling yourself fall into his trap but swiftly snapping out of it. "Shin, don't start again." You bit your lip to keep the stream of noises from coming out, knowing that if you made a sound, he wouldn't stop. He groaned, "Oh, come on. If we stay a little longer, I can show you what else my tongue piercing can do." He ran his hands up your button-up shirt, making you shiver under his cold fingers. You felt your cheeks become hot at the sentence; you knew him for over a decade and still couldn’t get used to his flirtatious demeanor.

"Maybe later, but we have to go now." You pulled away while adjusting your black-framed glasses. It takes some time for the burning sensation on your cheeks to fade away. Shinji followed behind as you opened the door, which revealed the familiar set of teenagers. Shinji put his arm around your shoulder and glared at the group, specifically Ichigo. Ichigo rolled his eyes, and Orihime waved as Uryu and Chad turned their heads away from the couple. Keigo's cheeks flushed a deep scarlet, his mouth dropping from pair. He was undoubtedly thinking negatively. "Eh? What the hell are you guys doing outside the door waiting for?" You whacked Shinji's arm as he swore at the gathering of first-year students. Ichigo scoffed at the man with blonde hair who stuck his tongue out and stuck the middle finger from behind your head.

"Are you blind? We're here to put these supplies up! But, of course, you're absent from class!" The Kurosaki argued back with the third year, who was grinding his teeth together, trying to keep back a torrent of vulgarities and insults. "What on earth were you two doing in the closet?" Keigo asked, his curiosity (and nosiness) getting the best of him. "What did you think we were doing?! Picking fucking daisies?!" He snapped at the youngster, who shrieked and hid behind Chad. Keigo's eyes widened as his cheeks blushed again, putting two and two together. You sighed and pinched your boyfriend's cheek, inflicting pain on him. "I'm sorry about him. We're already late, Shinji, so let's go." You waved farewell to the teens and tugged on his arm as he followed, not before turning around and flashing the middle finger at Ichigo, who quickly returned the gesture.

"I can’t believe L/n-san is dating someone like him." Ichigo grimaced at the sight of the male, who grinned and pulled you closer to him while giving multiple kisses to your lips, not caring about the students walking by. "They’re so cute! From what I heard, they’ve been in a relationship since elementary school!" Orihime squealed at the couple, and Keigo's mouth dropped to the floor. Elementary school?! He remembered when all the girls ran away from him on the playground. How could someone like you date a delinquent like Shinji? "Huh?! Is that why he’s so obsessed with L/N? I wish someone loved me like that." Crocodile tears streamed down his face as he looked at the couple. "Maybe because you’re a weirdo." "WHAT?!"

"Babe, why did you do that." Shinji massaged his reddish cheek while pouting. "I warned you about cursing at the first years, Shin." You just stated, as he sneered and rolled his eyes, this wasn't his first time in trouble for yelling or cursing at a group of students. He still remembered how the majority of them accused him of insulting them, which resulted in him being thrown in detention. "Are we going to your house today?" You changed the subject because you didn't want to hear his complaints. "Yeah, my mom is working the night shift, and Hiyori is staying at Mashiro's. So we can have as much fun as we want." You didn't have to look at him to notice the type of smile he wore as he leaned into your ear.

"You’re right, we can have fun all night." Your fingertips brushed against his exposed collarbones as you moved your hand up his chest. "But if you could just do one thing for me, please." As your hand moved to caress his cheek, you grinned. Shinji nodded while becoming utterly hypnotized. "If you don't make any more trouble today, I'll give you anything you want." Your minty breath fanned over his lips as your lips brushed against his. Shinji nodded his head again after taking a quick look at your lips. Knowing that the only way to persuade him to behave properly is to bring something to the table, you hummed and pulled him into a kiss.

ʚɞ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ "FINALLY, I'm done." Shinji sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. He clicked the x to close each tab while complaining. He put the joint to his lips while leaning back on the headboard and proceeded to doze off while gazing at his roof, the music playing from the speakers lulling him into a trance. When he heard the bathroom door open, he turned his attention away from the roof and watched as you emerged from the room wearing just a shirt. His eyes studied your physique, revealing just how much those workouts altered your body. You chuckled at your partner, who was virtually stripping you down with his eyes, when you heard the wolf whistle from across the room. "Nice thighs, babe." He smiled at you as you took off the shower cap from your hair and showed him your h/c locs, which were no longer pulled into a ponytail.

"Thank you, baby. Did you finish your homework?" You slipped into the bed as he blew out the smoke, his half-lidded eyes peering back into yours. "Mhmm, now come sit on my lap." He patted his lap with the same grin on his face. When you got into his lap, his hand grabbed your waist and pulled you closer until your chest touched his. Shinji's half-lidded eyes scanned your features; your beautiful e/c eyes were enough to put him in another trance. Not to mention how your h/c locs and the golden jewelry swayed with every movement you made. In his eyes, no one was as beautiful as you. "My boyfriend is so pretty." He muttered, his hand resting on your thigh and letting the flesh seep through his fingers. "Mine is too." You beamed, your hands running past his tank top to feel his toned chest.

"Gimme a kiss." He grinned and placed the joint on the tray, now gripping your ass with both hands. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him in. Once your plump lips met his, he pushed his tongue past your lips. Allowing him to explore the damp cavern, the subtle taste of bubblegum toothpaste lured him closer. He groaned when he felt your ass against his clothed cock. From the way you rocked back and forth on his lap, you were completely aware of what you were doing. "Mhmm." You moaned when he began to rock your hips against his rising boner; his mouth completely absorbed the rest of your sinful sounds. When he pulled away from the kiss, you whimpered while he grinned and gently pushed you down onto the mattress. The blonde took the joint and pressed it to his lips, chuckling at his boyfriend, who squirmed on the mattress. "S–Shin please." You called out to your lover as you rubbed your thighs together, yearning for friction since he had stopped.

Shinji put the stick down and crawled between your legs after deciding to listen to your pleading. "Please what baby?" He sucked on your neck with a sideways tilt of his head and a smirk on his lips. The smell of brown sugar drove him to lick and suck every area of your neck, and he could feel himself growing drunk on your trademark scent. When you wrapped your legs around his waist and yanked on his golden locks, he let out a moan. "I-I need you right now." You exhale, the cold metal on your skin making you quiver. Shinji chuckled and drew away from your neck, exposing the dark marks he'd produced on your flesh. He bit his lip and placed his fingers around your neck as he felt himself becoming harder at the sight. His slim fingers gripped the sides of it, causing you to choke on your moans.

"So pretty." He muttered as he removed your shirt, exposing your beautiful dark brown skin. His fingertips skimmed across your beautiful skin before brushing against your nipples, causing you to tilt your head back. "A little sensitive, aren’t you?" He questioned, his thumb and index finger rolling over the sensitive bud while sucking on the other. "O-Oh, Shinji." As he continued to suck on the delicate flesh, you fisted his hair when he tugged on the bud before flicking it off with his tongue. Shinji rutted his hips against yours once more after hearing you say moan his name countless of times. "Shin, p–please kiss me." You exhaled through the moans as he lifted his head from your chest, smirking as he observed your dazed expression.

When his lips made contact with yours, he pushed past your luscious lips. As he groaned against the warmth of your lips, his hands explored your thighs once more. He couldn't get over the smooth tenderness of your lips, no matter how many times he kissed you. His saliva tasted like the sweets he had recently eaten. You both kissed each other as though one of you was going to vanish at any moment. You whimpered as he broke away, missing the feel of his lips. His lustful gaze returned to your needy ones. When he noticed you pouting, he sucked his teeth. "What exactly is it now?" He sighed. You were always so damn whiny when you got worked up. "Can you take your s–shirt off? Please?" You pulled on the fabric that covered his torso, concealing the other tattoos as well. Shinji's eyes softened, and he said, "Of course, baby." He yanked off the tank top and tossed it across the room.

He witnessed as your eyes sparkled at the sight of his chest, your fingertips brushing against the tattoos on his torso. "Do you like what you see?" He teased you as you nodded mindlessly, your gaze fixed on his chest, notably his nipple piercings. "Take off your pants, too." Shinji raised an eyebrow when you spoke to him. What? The way you talked to him gave the impression that he had already fucked your head up. He took both of your hands and pinned them above your head, making you squirm at his gaze. "What's the magic word, sweets?" He asked, his other hand clasping around your neck once more. You poked your lips out while making your infamous puppy eyes at him. "Please?" You tilted your head, giving it a more innocent appearance.

"Good boy. You won’t be needing these anymore." He slapped your thigh before tearing your underwear off, causing you to gasp as cold air hit your cock. When he reached down to the waistline of his sweatpants and teasingly tugged at the fabric, you bit your lip. Shinji laughed again when he heard your whining. "Please, hurry up." You whispered, your mouth watering. Shinji finally decided to stop his taunting and removed his sweatpants and underwear. "O-Oh my," you spoke unconsciously, leaving you in awe of his glory. His gaze moved down your body, stopping on your member that begged to be stroked. "Would you take a look at that? Someone is quite eager." He teased, making you cover your face with your hands.

"Don't look away, baby; let me see that pretty face of yours." He pulled your hands off your face and repeatedly pecked your lips. Even though this wasn't the first time you had seen Shinji naked or stripped off in front of him, it always made you shy. Before taking you and his cock and holding them in one hand, Shinji gave you one final kiss on the lips. His hands felt so amazing on yours that you softly moaned when they made contact with your erection. You both made a series of moans as soon as he started moving his hand. The unfamiliar sensation was like bliss. "Shit, this felt better than last time." Shinji cursed as he watched the gorgeous look on your face transform into unbearable pleasure. From the looks of it, this was going to be a long night for you both.

© gloryhrs, 061623. — notes and reblogs are appreciated! (≧∇≦)

[akechi-stole-my-heart]

Hi I’m back I love ur answers…

What are your general headcanons for Akiren and Akechi, both as individual characters and as a relationship? If you have any ofc. If you don’t then what are your favorite p5 AUs…

-💫

I'm gonna be real w you I totally do have headcanons but I'm so bad at listing them. Someone asks what my headcanons are and my brain does an emergency sweep and ctrl alt deletes all of them. So I'm gonna list the AUs first cause I do have so many of those and then see if my brain will be willing to offer me anything once I've gotten started talking about them.

First of all we have my big murder boyfriends au aka accomplice au that eventually turns into a swap au. I was in the middle of doing an ask game about it years ago when suddenly my brain did an ADHD and I never posted about it again. 😔 I have it all written down somewhere so I totally could finish the ask game but will I? Will I.......

I also have an Akeshu Ballerina AU, which you can read about all in one nice short post for once, it's a sweet and simple AU and also the first akeshu AU I came up with years ago haha.

I have my gorobot au, which is my most recent AU, and I even have a tiny bit of art for it. Gorobot AU my beloved...most of my AUs will never be written since there's just far too many of them, but I really wanna write something for this one someday.

I have my Akeshu Perform Wicked AU which you can read over on bluesky, it's mostly a silly crack thing but I love it so much nonetheless.

Princess Bride AU!! I love Buttercup Akechi and genderswap akeshu pls read the Princess Bride book it's so delightful

Amnesia Akechi AU. Inspired by a fic I read once that was good but I felt the concept had a lot of untapped potential. There are so many amazing things you can explore with an Akechi who has memory loss...the Actualized!Akechi coding, his already severe identity issues, his need for agency but intense self hatred, Akira wanting to protect him but also missing the original Akechi and loving every side of him, the way Akechi would absolutely believe he's not really himself without his memories...it could be So Good why are there not more fics like this y'all are sleeping

I think I would be a failure as a writer if I didn't shill for my Akechi Palace AU, since that's my main wip rn and basically my big Akechi magnum opus. Or it will be. Someday. Pls read it I prommy you'll like it it's everything to me

ok there are probably more I have forgotten tbh I'm obsessed with creating AUs and I have many more AUs that focus on Akechi or Royal Trio but these are the Akeshu AUs I'm able to remember at the moment. with that said let's attempt to list some headcanons

- neither Akira nor Akechi are morning people, Akira was forced to become one by Morgana but he always sleeps in like crazy on weekends (this fact is canon) and would stay up until the wee hours of the morning if it weren't for Morgana's pestering. Akechi has conditioned himself into a morning person because he had no choice with that schedule of his but if you attempt to converse with him before he's had his coffee your life WILL be in danger. future akeshu who have jobs that accommodate their schedules sleeping well into the morning and cuddling in bed until noon <3

- Akira comes from a relatively well off family that's popular in the small town he's from, which is part of why his arrest was such a big scandal, the kid of the Kurusu's is a criminal?? huge big deal to everyone in the city. his parents were always pretty neglectful and only cared about him on the level of his performance at school and as maintaining his reputation as a Good Kurusu. He's an only child. He had lots of "friends" who hung around him because of his status as a Kurusu but he never got close to anyone before moving to Tokyo and felt lonely. Basically, his backstory is almost the exact opposite of Akechi's--privileged and popular. But ultimately still alone.

- Chef Akira and Baker Goro

- I know I use "akeshu" almost exclusively but they're actually switches lmao. I don't really care about sexual dynamics (very ace) but that's kind of their whole thing. being equals and challenging each other and shit. so yeah, absolutely they are switches

I tried so hard to think of a fifth headcanon but man I am SO bad at this. if you wanna know my headcanons truly the best way to find out is to just read my fics I'm gonna be real, that's where you'll find most of them (pspspsps read my palace au)

[thebestever16]

Silly UD Headcanons

Josh took a Home Ed class in the 9th grade to make better food for his sisters to eat

Chris used to be taller than all of the Washington siblings until the 6th grade and they all had a huge growth spurt

Hannah and Matt have work out days every Friday and Saturday

Emily and Jess used to have girls night at Jess’s house (they watched rom-com movies and gossiped. After watching mean girls, they made a burn book of their own, when Jess got with Mike she changed Emily from my sister from another mister to raging fire breathing she-devil)

Ashley had a crush on everyone in the group (minus Mike) for at least two weeks each (Chris was her longest crush, Jess was second)

Josh helped Mike go on a date with Emily

When Beth had soccer games Hannah and Josh would make huge signs and cheer for her so loudly (Josh records her entire game)

Sam has a hamster (it’s still alive and thriving)

Despite common belief Josh’s favorite superhero is Spiderman

Beth and Hannah used to twin switch all of the time (except if Josh was around since he was the only one who could confidently guess who was who)

Ashley is a nerd and Chris is a geek- not a headcanon just fact

Matt, Ashley, and Jess used to be middle school besties until Matt and Jess started to hang out with the “popular group”

All of the UD girls have shopping trips in the mall at least three times a week (Josh is always the driver even though all of them know how to drive)

One time Josh invited the group to go camping and they all said yes (bc they thought he meant with a cabin since he’s so rich but Josh meant fr fr camping)

When Beth, Josh, Hannah, and Chris were kids they used to pretend to be in a band

Beth and Hannah disliked Chris at first

Hannah and Ashley read romance books together (and make fun of them if they’re dumb)

Beth and Jess have the hugest plushie collection you have ever seen like 90% of the bed is covered with plushies

Hannah, Beth, and Chris steal Josh’s clothes sometimes

Matt and Hannah bond over the fact they have a crush on Emily and Mike

Josh had a pet fish as a kid

Chris’s mom treats the Washington’s as her own kids (one time she put Josh in time out for cussing)

The gang has D&D game night once every week(everyone takes turns being the Dungeon Master)

Chris and Josh had part time jobs at a fast food restaurant (Josh only got the job to spend time with Chris)

Josh used to climb on things as a kid

Hannah was a biter as a kid

Beth and Josh genuinely wanted to cry when they found out Hannah had a crush on Mike

Sam, Hannah, and Ashley had a tomboy (and I’m not like other girls) phase in middle school

Beth’s fav flavor of ice cream is strawberry, Hannah’s is chocolate, and Josh’s is vanilla

Sam wakes up at 6:00 am and jogs to start the day

Idk why but I think everyone had a crush on Josh at least once during their friendship

Chris posts on social media at least 10 times a day (Jess posts 11)

Josh cuts and styles Hannah and Beth’s hair (all of their hair is curly)

Hannah had a bow obsession after her tomboy phase

Emily has a cat named princess (she babies the hell out of it)

Emily’s mom left her as a kid

Whenever Josh makes fun of Chris for not making a move on Ashley, Chris asks about his relationship with Sam (it shuts him up real quick)

Emily only knows how to show love through aggression

Jess, Beth, and Hannah watched the Princess Diaries together

Matt’s fav season is summer

Josh’s fav holiday is Thanksgiving and Christmas

Josh and Chris are sometimes called the male version of Jess and Emily

Mike wasn’t allowed to curse as a kid (he’s also from Texas)

Hannah, Beth, and Ashley love Ella Enchanted

[sirignatius]

My thoughts on Persona 3 Reload

I recently finished Persona 3 Reload and it has definitely been a journey. I wanted to sort out some of my personal experiences with the game and share a few details that stuck with me. Spoiler warning if you keep reading! I included some thoughts on certain parts of the game, including some clips of the ending cutscene, so keep that in mind if you haven’t finished it yet!

Persona is such a dear series to me. After finishing P4 and P5, P3 was the last one I needed to play to complete the modern Persona lineup. So, when Persona 3 Reload released on February 1st, I was really excited to play it, but I had to hold off since I was right in the middle of finishing my thesis.

March was just absolute chaos for me: I went through some personal hardships and, finally, turned in my master’s thesis. Easily one of the most stressful periods of my life. Thankfully, I had some incredible friends by my side, supporting me through every step, then and now. I honestly couldn’t have made it through without them.

In the meantime, I figured it’d be better to hold off on P3R for a bit, partly because of its heavy atmosphere and the darker themes, but also because I honestly wasn’t in the best mindset to enjoy it.

For the record, I’m just obsessed with the Persona OSTs, but I wanted to stay away from the new P3 soundtrack so I could experience it in-game. But of course, ONE song managed to sneak past my defenses and land in my playlist. On my way to work, Color Your Night came on for the first time, and honestly, my jaw just dropped.

To this day, I still think it’s a beautiful song! I listen to it almost daily, along with a bunch of other tracks from the game. I wasn’t expecting something so intimate yet so upbeat, and it totally blew me away. Thinking back, I honestly think it gave me that extra push to finish my thesis so I could finally start the game.

This is not meant to be a full game review, but as I played, I felt like P3R wanted to clearly distinguish itself from the original P3. Where the OG game had this edgy, darker vibe, P3R felt more like a celebration of life in comparison. I haven’t played the original, but I’ve listened a lot to its OST, and you can tell they tried to step away from that feeling while honoring Shoji Meguro’s masterpieces.

The interface design is just chef’s kiss. I'm obsessed with the pause menu. It feels like every time I hit pause, time just stops —a little break from all the stressful thoughts, like looking at the world through a calm water barrier. Can we take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous that menu is??

I love how the designers went all in for the water aesthetic: it’s in the menus, the color schemes, the little effects on the music tracks ( like that bubble sound at the start of Full Moon Full Life, 0:28 if you are wondering :] ). They really nailed it.

Then, there’s the endgame. It hits hard with the “take responsibility for your actions” thing, especially after December 31. Choosing to fight to the end completely changes the atmosphere—the color palette gets less saturated and the music takes a more nostalgic tone (Living with Determination, Memories of School, Memories of the City; I find that last one quite disturbing). It’s like the game is telling you that everything comes to an end. It wouldn’t be as impactful if it didn’t. I feel like these songs are the MC’s memories of all the places he’s been in the past year, knowing things will never be the same.

It’s especially heartbreaking on that last day when the MC talks to all their confidants, and they start sharing all the things they’re planning to do soon. Shoutout to Koromaru-san, the goodest boy of them all ;-;

And then, that final scene with Aigis absolutely destroyed me. I wasn’t ready. I like to think she’s using that moment to show us how she’s found her own purpose, and even though she feels sorrow for the MC, she’s learned how to keep going. It hit me so hard. The moment itself is sad, but the atmosphere feels so calm and gentle, like floating on a cloud. And then, after the cutscene, it’s over, and I’m left in tears—not just because it ended, but because of everything we, as the MC, left behind along the way.

And as the game closes, we get Memories of You. After years of listening to it out of context, I finally realized it was the ending theme all along! If you haven’t heard the English lyrics, please do—they’re beautiful, like a love letter from Aigis, saying she’ll be there to protect and remember you forever.

This ended up being a bit of a brain dump, so I hope it makes sense. Please feel free to share any thoughts you may have about the game if you feel like it! And thank you if you read all the way to the end! Truly, thank you so much.

Final shoutout to my dear friends for all the support they gave me through everything. I hope I can also protect them forever as well.