#I'm just not sure which one is pending for me to be on there next

[nri-prioritise-your-voice]

,

happy anniversary to the day that I stopped feeling safe in leftist spaces, the day that I started getting nervous to go to shul, the day that I no longer knew if my israeli friends would live to see tomorrow, the day that the world turned on me and my people

[buttercupblu]

Satoru's Psyche|Escalating

"Should I really have to suffer for my actions?"

Previous SessionSession 2 of 10|Next Session

🗂️Patient Chart Update: Patient Gojo displayed extremely flirtatious and unruly behavior during the first half of his visit. Mentions of escape and kid-napping were noted as well as enforced close proximity with his nurse. Threatening remarks were also made at the end of his lunch in response to mentions of disciplinary action. Patient is scheduled for a bath but is pending the possibility of negative punishment to instill corrective behaviors. 📋Length of Session (w.c): 8.3k out of "i said we will cross that bridge when we get to it 😊" 💊Intake Chart (tags): mild violence but no in-action descriptors, coercion, manipulation, drug use, angst, unwatched close contact and touch, nudity, mentally unstable Gojo, Nurse!Reader ✏️Doctor's angel’s note: i hope you know what you're doing, Nurse 🎼Waiting room music: Overheated|Billie Eilish

Choose wisely.

Hunger stirs in your tummy, and Gojo's words sit with you through lunch. Your spoon clinks around the bowl, stirring the soup growing colder by the second though the growls from your stomach are too obnoxious to be ignored. But your mind wanders.

You're stuck. Earlier, you were all for serving up justice on a silver platter, but now you're seriously second-guessing your "genius" idea to punish Gojo by making him someone else's problem.

As if anyone will be crazy enough to say yes.

Everyone already avoids his wing like the plague. It's kind of an unspoken fact that you are Gojo's one and only. The only staff he allows near him. Anyone else would be playing with fire.

And if someone is brave enough to willingly throw themselves into the lion's den, they definitely can't be new. New to nursing—new to the ward. High expertise is needed here. Someone seasoned—experience which you lack yourself—otherwise, they won't last a second with Gojo.

It'll be way too easy for him to make them snap, like tossing a bone to a dog.

"Persephone." Yuko brings you out of your coma.

You perk up, instinctively smiling. "Hey, what's up?"

"You tell me," she snorts. "You've been playing with your food like break isn't over in 10 minutes." She touches your arm. "Everything ok?"

It's written all over your face, huh? You could deflate right now.

This is why Yuko is your favorite co-worker. Always reading you like a book without you needing to say a word. Quick to call anything off out.

Leaning back in your chair, you huff, rubbing circles into your temples to relieve the headache you didn't know you had.

"Yeah, yeah," you begin, "It's just—" You stop, her eyes hold so much concern and you've barely opened your mouth. Not sure if you should now because you know what kind of person Yuko is.

And if she knew even half of what you don't tell her during your lunch breaks spent complaining about work, she'd hang Gojo out to dry if she could. She often makes it very clear she hates you have to deal with him at all.

"—I'm just a bit tired. Gojo's scheduled for a bath later, him and two others. Gojo's easy but...I don't know. I feel slower than usual today. Definitely won't get home until late, again, because of all these sponge baths." You cringe at the last part.

Aside from trying to keep Yuko cool, you also don't want to risk the news getting back to the Director who could take you off of Gojo completely. No one else can take your place. And who knows what would happen if you disappeared from his roster for good?

How would his threats manifest?

Yuko scoffs, waving her hand.

"Gojo and easy do not go together," and you both shake your heads and laugh. "But I get it. You did come in super early."

"Thought there'd be less of us," you sigh.

"Sonya's been on our asses lately, right? But hey, she finally got us all here."

"A little too late. The damage is done," you pout, resting your elbows on the table, realizing you've accidentally grown used to chaos and ever-changing schedule.

You routinely plan ahead to make sure you can stand up when people fall short. Constantly putting yourself on the back burner seems to be a thing that always set you back.

"Sooo, you just need rest, ya? Nothing else? Gojo—" there she goes "—been 'okay' with you lately?"

Your heart skips. "Ya. he isn't so bad today," you lie, "I'd just love to be home on time for once. Maybe even a bit early, I'm soo close. Overtime's been wringing my neck for weeks."

Yuko looks at you with puppy dog eyes. And not in a "I feel sorry for you" kind of way, but one that almost makes you feel bad for not telling her the whole truth.

"Here," she pushes your soup towards you, "How about I do Gojo's bath and you get an early start on my last two? That way you can at least binge that show you won't shut up about later." She smiles.

You immediately protest.

There's no way you can do that to her.

Yuko never even crossed your mind and was far from your first pick, not because she can't handle him but because she's your friend. Not just a colleague, but someone you actually care about more than anyone else in this run-down job even if she doesn't feel the same.

She's too good of a person, and you'd be the Devil Incarnate if you let her do something so risky. Especially when you can just suck it up and get it over with.

"Woah, woah, it's just a bath, calm down," she says, taking your hands in hers as you ramble on, trying to convince her that you'll be fine or that you'll find someone else. Burdening her is simply out of the question.

"Who else but me, Seph'?" and she tilts her head, "You don't you think I'm as good as you?" And the way she says it, giving you that look she does when you're being stubborn, dares you to challenge her.

Now you really have to think about what to say.

Goddamn it, you regret saying anything at all, but Yuko's so motherly, how could you resist? Hiding from her is impossible, she would've sniffed you out sooner or later.

Easing your pains when she can is her specialty—helping to calm and settle you down when you blow things out of proportion.

Could this be one of those moments? Or are Gojo's words more than just hot air?

The back and forth is killing you, but the combination of Yuko's reassuring touch and your gurgling stomach puts the final nail in the coffin as she reminds you of the time.

Eyes wide, you look at the clock, ticking away faster than you realized, then back at your lukewarm soup.

Denying that you need help would be silly because technically it's true. You probably should've asked the Director for a little Gojo break forever ago, even if just for a few hours a few times a week. It would be better than nothing because if you can't function, Gojo can't be cared for.

So, who better to help bridge that gap for you than Yuko?

The gutsy woman has been your rock ever since you started at the ward, having your back and sticking with you through tough times when staff constantly dips in and out of the facility like a rotating door, unable to handle the job.

Yuko's a real day one, and next to you, she's the most competent nurse in these walls, fully equipped with a "take-no-shit" attitude that routinely keeps her patients in check.

When you really think about it, it'd be silly, downright irresponsible to trust anyone else.

Her offer is simply too good to dismiss.

"Thank you, Yuko," you cave, grabbing your spoon and finally allowing yourself to enjoy your meal. "You're...amazing. I don't deserve you."

She looks on happily. "Just promise me you'll take some personal time after this," she insists, worry evident in her voice. "We both know how much you care, but even superheroes need rest." She's too kind and right in more ways than one. "Besides, I think Gojo will like me, ya? I'm cool. I'm fun. He'll like a friend of friend?"

You roll your eyes—ya, totally, cool people definitely say they're cool.

Not knowing whether to joke back or wave her off, you softly smile at her concern before nodding, vowing to make good on your promise and feel a bit lighter knowing your wish for early release will actually come true.

Maybe.

The latest threat to your miracle in the making is Mr. Hampton, who is personally making it his business to drag the already long day by its edges, almost bringing time to a standstill with the way he's handling his bath.

Enormous and lumbering, the man Yuko usually deals with took his sweet time gathering his things and even longer trekking down the seemingly endless halls leading to the bathing area. Occupying every inch of the space like those massive trucks that hog the interstate, yet inching along at a pace that makes a snail look like it's in a sprint.

All that was missing were the yellow hazard lights.

Oh no, please, take your time, you think, watching Mr. Hampton clean each limb painstakingly s l o w in a tub that's comically too small for him. You may have been able to rush through Yuko's first patient, but this one wanted all that time back.

His pace resembles a giant's, and his cheery, nonsensical hums echo around the hollow chambers and lull you to sleep, turning your eyes into bricks under the spell of his melody. Perfect timing for the energy drinks from early to crash you out, tag teaming with the chair beneath you that feels a bit too soft as you lean over the tub, willing the colossal man to hurry up.

Warm water flows over your skin as you scrub circles on his neck, deciding to bite the bullet and take over the bath so he can play with the bubbles and get out when you hear a blood-curdling scream.

Your entire body goes rigid, shock reverberating through your spine and forcing you to halt as your mind goes blank. But steamy water brings you back to life, drenching your shirt and upper thighs when Mr. Hampton jumps from the noise.

The rude awakening makes you lock in.

The scream. It sounds like...no, you know it came from the west wing...where Gojo is.

And Yuko.

Hurried steps rush past your door, sounds of multidirectional distress and frantic shouts echoing through the corridor—staff members and patients alike sweep into a whirlwind of panic.

You're number one, dropping the scrubber and scrambling to help Mr. Hampton out of the tub, hands shaking as he grips them.

A security guard bursts into the room, face ashen and jaw tight.

"Nurse! We need everyone in the west wing, immediately!" The command is sharp, laced with an urgency you've never seen before.

And immediately feel responsible for.

"There's been an incident."

Without another thought, you wrap Mr. Hampton in a towel, trying your best to assure him that everything is fine when your obviously trembling body says nothing is. His confused gaze follows you as you lead him back to his room, the commotion in the air moving him a lot faster than earlier before you rush back out and head straight for the west wing—where chaos reigns supreme.

The usually pristine floors, normally squeaky clean due to lack of traffic, are now barely visible. Staff members crowd the familiar hall for the first time since Gojo made it his own, filling the space with more bodies than you're used to and making it difficult to find the source of trouble.

Not like you need to. The truth is painfully clear, and it's disrespectful to even pretend you don't know exactly what went wrong.

You push through the masses, clumsily bumping shoulders, your heart beating into your ears and making the world seem quiet as you inch closer and closer to disaster. Dragging imaginary shackles on your feet until you all but collapse once you spot it.

Gojo—barely restrained by guards, straitjacket nowhere in sight—standing absolutely furious.

And for the first time today, time seems to slow down, your mouth suddenly becoming dry when you look past him.

Yuko.

Halfway out the door to his room. Sprawled out on the ground. Bruised, unconscious, and no signs of breathing.

Your hands fly to your lips, mouth agape. Murmurs from the crowd swirl around you before attendants rush to Yuko's side, knocking into your pathetic frame as you stand too frozen to move.

They gently pick her up, careful to handle her motionless body and place her on a stretcher. Her usually vibrant face is drained of color, twisting the dagger in your chest when you spot the subtle rise and fall of her chest. Fighting for breath.

Fighting.

It hits you like a train.

Someone as kind as her, always greeting you with warmth and empathy and capacity every time she sees you, should never have to lift a finger let alone fight for her life. The sight is too much to bear.

Waves of helplessness crash over you and you can't even look at her. Regretting with every ounce of your being that you sent her in your place. Knowing this could happen. Concerned only with your silly wants and needs.

But you're so confused.

The ward should have weakened Gojo—Yuko should have been fine. The only threat Gojo has up his sleeve is mental torture but Yuko might as well be Freud. Her mind is sound, strong.

And that's where you fucked up, forgetting that Gojo's pure strength, especially when he's lost his fucking mind and triggered, is stronger.

Even with his security system in place, the devil is still powerful enough on his own. And like this was some sick and twisted experiment to help you figure that out, Yuko was the one to pay the price.

"I warned, I WARNED YOU!" Gojo's words pierce the overlapping voices like a sword, breaking your shock and drawing everyone's attention to the strange interaction between the two of you. "I don't like to be touched by strangers, Nurse." Guards struggle to restrain him as he pulls away.

All eyes fall on you and the stares are intense. Confusion and judgment.

Why was Yuko here in the first place?Where was Seph’?How’d he get out?How did this happen? 

Whether the murmurs are real or in your head, the effect is all the same, and you wish you could just completely vanish. Standing like a deer in headlights—and they're so fucking bright.

But Gojo is brimming with malice and amusement, chaotic energy pulsing from the hellish man and threatening to send sparks flying. Daring someone to be brave and push the button.

But despite his outward display of dominance, the pure rage on his face that makes you feel sick to your stomach about every decision you've ever made, there's something...uncertain lurking behind those fiery eyes.

Something like...apprehension.

Like he knows he's done something wrong.

Yet, words escape you, as if anything needs to or even could be said. But soon, fear and guilt turn to anger, threatening to consume you. Ready to eat you alive and spit out the bones with disgust because you are not a victim.

You have no right to stand here, spineless, shocked, or feeling even a little sorry for yourself. Holding back tears because you know what you've done.

Your fists clench, unsure how to deal with it, but there's fire in your eyes because someone needs to pay.

But then you exhale, thoughts shifting to Yuko as you take a good look around at what happened the last time you decided to take things into your own hands. All of your actions, even now, are rooted in selfishness. Like you've learned nothing.

Pushing down the knot growing in your stomach, you turn away to follow the medics, deciding your friend needs you more than you need revenge. Gojo doesn't deserve any more of your attention, even if it means risking your job or life to turn your back on him.

And there's nothing Gojo hates more than being ignored.

Struggled and strained noises grow louder. Guards tighten their grip on the fuming man whose raw strength outnumbers thousands of them even without his cursed energy.

You look back, their determination to keep him contained making you nervous. You don't anyone else to get hurt and Gojo is fully exploiting that.

You're painfully aware that your decisions have put you in this position, watching the guards' valiant but increasingly pointless effort to prevent Gojo from causing further harm. But it's obviously a losing fight, and the unease on their faces is unmistakably clear.

You wonder why they don't just run like hell.

"Let's go," a guard barks, but Gojo remains fixed in place. Moving a boulder would be easier.

"No, I'm filthy," Gojo protests, smirking, "And if I don't have my bath soon, there will be hell to pay."

Seeing no one else in the room, his eyes are locked only on you, his expression a menacing promise that would send anyone else running for the hills. A look that says, "Try that shit again, and there will be casualties instead of mercy."

Reinforcements are called but it won't be enough. The goddamn military wouldn't be enough. Gojo is...the strongest, after all.

"Stop."

Your cry freezes the room. Everything goes silent.

You hesitate, fuck, what should you do?

What can you do? No one else can suffer—no one else should suffer. Because of you.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, you silently apologize to Yuko, swallowing a lump instead of looking back.

"I'll do it," you say firmly, "Just stop this and...and I'll give you your bath. Please—" The sharpest pang you've ever felt cuts through you. "—just don't hurt anyone else."

Pathetic. But necessary.

He looks into your pleading eyes with surprise, amazement even, before smiling.

The submission in your voice sounds better than anything he could ever imagine. A sweet tones that feed his already inflated ego.

Unsure of how to proceed, the guards exchange uneasy glances.

Gojo's strength is undeniable, that much is evident, and restraining him forever is simply not possible.

You know offering to give him what he wants is risky as hell...but this is your doing. Your mess to clean up.

So you squeeze your sweaty palms and give a decisive nod, signaling at the guards to let him go. They hesitate a second, then reluctantly agree, stepping back and leaving Gojo standing smugly before you.

Closing your eyes, you breathe, hating to have to look at him, but needing to stay strong. For Yuko. For yourself. And everyone else in the ward.

But Gojo's satisfied grin says it all. He's won this round.

You're ready to get the next over with.

The squeaking of your shoes has never been this loud, each echo bouncing off the empty halls and reminding you of how alone you are.

Alone—with a psychopath.

A bit more docile, doped-up psychopath but, the man could probably still rip someone's head clean off if he wanted to.

Still, Gojo despises anything that alters his body—mentally, physically, all of the above. Alcohol, medication, coffee, energy drinks—anything that threatens his need for absolute control.

But he also needed to compromise, and you refused to be alone with him again unless he took something stronger. Otherwise, it would be you, all the guards in the ward, and a pay-per-view premiere of his bath time.

He knew he had to agree because his ass is not for free, but only if you took it as well.

You blinked, hard.

You knew he would be skeptical—hell, it could be poison, and he wouldn’t blame you. But to suggest something so ridiculous?

"Half, then," he said, as if that made his suggestion any less idiotic, but, as you waited for your supervisor to dismiss the insane idea, the back and forth with Gojo actually didn't save you. And you didn't need to ask why. The entire ward shoots daggers at you any time someone walks by now.

Your supervisor reassured you that you'd be fine, the mild tranquilizer would be out of your system by the end of the day, then she patted your back as if to say, "Lay in the bed you made."

It felt unreal, holding the familiar pill between your fingers, one you were used to dishing out but now had to take.

With a quick snap, you broke it in half, holding his half out to the leering man. Gaze unwavering as he leaned forward and parted his lips, waiting. Taking a deep breath, you placed them both on your tongues, in disbelief at your reality, but Gojo's focus was elsewhere, not wasting this prime opportunity to rattle you more and taste you, closing his lips around your fingertip with a quick lick before you snatched away.

But it wasn’t quick enough to avoid the tingles shooting up your arm as you swallowed, no longer needing the water you had set aside, and a confusing mix of emotions churned as the tingles spread throughout your body.

Making good on his promise, he swallowed his own, still watching you with a knowing glint in his eyes. Like he knows what he does to you. And despite just witnessing this man's violence firsthand, you'd give anything to deny that he still has an effect on you. Hating yourself for being more concerned with the way he looked at you and the lingering sensation on your skin than the tranquilizer now coursing through your system.

The guards carefully lead you and Gojo to his private bathroom—they're more there for show than for protection, but you'll take what you can get, and they keep a firm grip on his replacement straitjacket.

You trail behind, mind buried with thoughts of what to say once you're really alone with him.

The door shuts behind you, followed by the familiar sound of a series of locks clicking shut. "We'll be right outside," one of the guards mutters, eyes shifting between you and Gojo, a stereotypical warning lacing his voice, but even he probably doesn't believe it.

"Perv," Gojo sneers and laughs, but you don't find a damn thing funny, the keys to his jacket digging into your palms as you spin around and face him, furious. What would be better? Slapping him, kicking him, or knocking his teeth out. Or should you be particularly evil and just let him sit in the shower, fully restrained and drenched in cold water and you let it rain down. None of the above will do you any good, but it'll show him exactly how done you are with his shit.

"That isn't funny. None of this is funny," it fumes out before you know you're speaking, "You've hurt someone—you hurt my friend." Your rage echos through the vast bathroom.

Gojo's laugh fades, his smug expression slipping from his face. Even you're surprised.

...oh shit.

You're actually confronting him.

The intense words burn through his usual arrogance, leaving a heavy, uncomfortable silence between you.

Then, for a fleeting second, his face does something weird.

Something you haven't seen before as his eyebrows draw together. Is that...regret?

"I'm sorry."

The record scratches. You’re fully positive you must be dreaming.

But when he doesn’t make a joke or even crack a smile, you squint at him.

The words are muttered and reluctant, but there they are, hanging in the air between you.

"It...won't happen again."

And he's serious, the same seriousness you see when his heart races as you take his vitals...but why? Because an apology? From him?? Unheard of.

Gojo has said some nasty things to you in the past that you've immediately scolded him for, but he's never apologized. He'd make a note when certain jokes didn't land, but he never took them back, preferring to cut out his own tongue than to waste his breath being sorry.

You know better than to take anything Gojo says at face value, but...what the fuck??? You almost feel offended.

He has to be joking, fucking with you to dig even deeper under your skin.

Or is he?

Fuck, you don't know how to feel.

He's so good at that, stealing the air back and hanging his words in them. Tempting you to pause and even consider if he ever truly means them. If he could mean them. The mind games are endless.

But then, the familiar cockiness returns and overshadows your doubts, twisting your stomach into knots with that familiar smile of his.

"Now," he says, strutting towards the stalls, "let's get this bath started, shall we?" And his easy, but confident steps call you to follow, a stark reminder of who you're dealing with. But he never knows when to quit. "Or should I really have to suffer for my actions?" and the bastard pouts.

Though you know he's being sarcastic and not to feed into his taunts, you can't help but wonder—what would suffering even look like for someone like Gojo?

Violence? Physical pain? A slow and agonizingly painful death?

But the guy is damn near invincible. What on earth could hurt him?

Whatever it is, it would have to be his absolute worst nightmare, but nothing comes to mind at the moment other than frustration because you have to keep making choices.

Return his energy or keep it professional? Tolerance or revenge?

"Apologizing won't cut it," you snap and gesture at his jacket, wondering how the hell he slipped out of the first one without leaving a trace. "And no tricks, or those guards will be back in here faster than you can tell another lame joke."

Smooth.

Gojo sighs sooo dramatically, like he can see straight through your kitty claws. "Fine, fine. Loosen up," he drags, "I won't cause any trouble. Just don't go getting any ideas now, Nurse." and he winks.

He's insufferable—but despite your smoldering anger, tendrils of doubt still creep in.

Your fingers slightly tremble as you begin to unfasten his straps, but each click feels a bit like victory, a fragile illusion of your 'control'—at least for now—because at the end of the day, Gojo had chosen you to listen to. And after today, he's sure you won't forget there isn't room for anyone else.

The jacket falls with a heavy thud, your eyes immediately scanning his upper body in search of any signs of injury or stress. The cascading bruises on his arms surprise you.

They feel so feeble in your hands; the evidence of him not as invincible as he seems is jarring. Pale, weak, and resting between your fingers. Devoid of the power that makes him so feared.

"Never seen bruises before," he tilts his head, "at least not on me"

You hope Yuko was at least partly responsible for the marks on the villain, but they appear self-inflicted, and he's not as mobile.

Fuck, now you'll have to bathe him too. Still, it's strange, seeing him like this. Even weirder knowing that he could still do damage in this state and you can't shake the feeling of this temporary 'truce'. If it isn't obvious by now, you've learned that Gojo always has something up his sleeve.

Warm water soothes you a bit, flowing over your fingers as it fills the large white tub—pristine, imported from somewhere far away, and standing on decorative claw feet. Your eyes wouldn't stop rolling the first time you saw it, completely annoyed with Gojo's over-the-top alterations and sense of style, but you'd be a liar if you said you never thought about sinking your body into it.

The best you could do was cope with the little porcelain tub in your apartment, and you get lost thinking about how you'd love to take a long, hot, and steamy bath when you get home—if you'll even have the energy. There's no way you'll be leaving early now, not like you deserve it, and you feel sick for even thinking about it. You doubt you'll even have a job tomorrow.

You look so defeated Gojo thinks, sauntering forward and lifting the hem of his shirt. You turn away, focusing instead on the temperature of the water, but the rustling sound of his shirt being pulled overhead and pants falling to the ground warms your cheeks.

His physique certainly isn't lacking, even in his current state, but still, you wonder how such a slim but toned frame could be so...powerful.

Could you be more obvious? Your flickering eyes are so telling, shamefully darting between him and the water, but he catches your gaze from the corner of his eye as if he's read your mind. How cute, he thinks, trying to hide away your thoughts.

Clearing your throat, you toss in his loofah. "Well...go on. It's ready." But Gojo only grins, amused by your attempts to look away despite seeing his muscled frame a number of times. Relishing in the fact that he still manages to fluster you.

"Your shirt," he eyes your top, "Your pants. Looks like you've already started without me."

The water stains from earlier sit beautifully across your chest, not yet fully dry, and drawing his eyes to your semi-erect nips.

His teeth tug at his bottom lip, eyes shamelessly raking over your hefty chest. "Always such a tease, aren't you, Nurse?"

You grit your teeth, cursing the conflict swirling in your stuttering heart, fully aware of the thin line between professionalism and this game of intimacy he refuses to stop playing. Everything is always a game no matter the circumstances. And he loves to push your buttons.

"Just get in, Gojo," you order, and after what feels like an eternity, the silence is broken by the sound of splashing water as he steps into the bath.

He slowly sinks in, sighing at the warmth of the water. Ringlets of steam engulf him, almost making his silky white hair disappear with it.

His arms string over the rim of the tub, a look of relaxation resting on his face as if he's had a long, hard day. You resist the urge to slap it off.

Sudsy bubbles form from the solution you pour under the faucet, hoping to shield your eyes from his body. You've seen enough today and expect the mini-rebellious act to piss him off, but as the bubbles grow, so do his eyes. Picking up a handful, he actually starts playing with them.

"Nice touch," he adds, blowing them right into your face, and you watch with a tight lip as he decorates the bathroom with them, knowing you'll be the one to clean it all up.

He sits a crown on his head and gives himself a bubble beard, nipping your nose with some that you're quick to wipe away, and his pale eyes flutter and settle on you in a curious way.

His arms flex as he leans over the edge—steam-slicked sweat dripping down his face that he doesn't bother to wipe away. "I'm ready for my sponge bath," he says, and if it was hard to take him seriously before, it's damn near impossible now—especially with that ridiculous bubble mustache.

Sickening, him still being so playful, so unserious, at a time like this.

You know Gojo's unhinged, yeah, quote, "mentally unwell and a literal danger to society", but to nearly take someone's life and then make jokes afterward?

God, you feel so stupid, walking around him like you were the shit but with the wrong guard up the whole time, playing right into his hands and accidentally rewarding this grown-ass man who likes to play with suds.

The reality of your circumstances replays in your head, the story of how you ended up here, coddling this monster, and you're still confused as hell as to why it had to be you.

Then again, this is what you signed up for...right? To heal. To help those who can't help themselves. To offer redemption some sort of redemption no matter how sick and twisted the person in need is.

With your loofah in hand, you resist the urge to roll your eyes for the 400th time today and keep your morals in mind. "Keep talking like that and I'll stop, Gojo," you say, reluctantly drenching the tool in soap before proceeding to do your job.

Gently washing his back, he sinks into your touch, closing his eyes and letting his body completely rest on the cool cast iron, breathing. Feeling like he's won no matter what you say because your scrubs feel like magic.

Across his arms and over his broad shoulders, you work your way down, bubbles glistening in your trail as you're careful not to miss a single inch of skin but don't linger too long.

Every now and then, you catch glimpses of raised marks between the foam, and because you hate yourself, your brain absolutely refuses to give you a break. You have to give kudos to his dedication to his craft. The muscle definition, the scar tissue telling stories of battles won, the evidence of his past before corruption—everything it takes to be a hero.

It's unsettling, yet fascinating, the polarity between his beauty and his monstrous deeds.

You've never really noticed because this level of care is another first for you. Usually, Gojo just hops into the shower and takes care of himself while you wait outside—easy and thorough but always taking his sweet time, all while loudly singing some annoying song that inevitably ends up stuck in your head.

But after today, it'll be impossible to trust him or you again, and the hushed whispers as the guards walked you both to the restrooms made that abundantly clear.

The pitiful thoughts seep into the way you hesitantly clean him, moving down to his chest and abs while making sure to avoid more sensitive areas, but the malicious glint in his eyes is unmistakable.

"Whatsamatter, Nurse?" Gojo taunts, feeling you slow around his stomach, "Afraid of gettin' too close?" And you can't believe you're praying for a speedy recovery for this monster so he can handle this himself again.

You ignore his comment and try to get this over with as quickly as possible, feeling humiliated enough as it is and he can sense it, mocking you with a laugh.

"You're so uptight. Can't you just relax and enjoy the view?"

God, please make him shut up, begging for relief so you won't scrub his cocky brow right off his face. "Just doing my job," you mutter, twice squeezing the loofah that feels a little funny in your hand as the soapy water rinses his chest.

It feels heavenly on his skin, but the subtle change in your movements makes his brows furrow. Slowing, more deliberate, heavy as if you're wading through molasses. You keep adjusting your grip but the material feels so strange—the texture almost too soft like it could melt into your palm.

Your breath catches when you brush his skin, not realizing how close your fingers drifted to the edge of the sponge, and though it was only a second, it sends an unexpected jolt through his chest.

The muscle relaxers. How could you have already forgotten, you both think.

But Gojo, ever observant, doesn't miss a thing.

His eyes narrow slightly as he watches you. "Feeling a little funny, Nurse?" His velvet voice teases.

"I'm fine," you lie, though you couldn't be less certain as the muscles in your hands start to relax more than you intended, the sponge gliding over his abs, and down his sides, the rhythm almost hypnotic and making his head fall back. You try to push through the haze, to finish quickly and be free of him, but you're losing the battle against numbness and heightened awareness.

And fuck, he has to bite his lip at your touch that suddenly feels so intense, a sensation too good to keep to himself, and one that you obviously need to stop being such a tight-ass.

You need to loosen up in a way that medicine can't help. And Gojo knows just the trick.

He licks his lips, tongue curling over his canine before splashing a wave of water on you in one swoop.

Saying you gasp is an understatement as the steamy wash drenches your face and front once again, setting a new record as you're hit not once, but twice in a day. The loofah slips from your hand as you instinctively reach up to shield yourself, but Gojo is quicker, wrapping his hands around your wrists and holding you in place.

A scream is ready to surge from your body when Gojo maneuvers both of your wrists into one hand, placing a finger to your lips.

"Ssssh ssh ssh ssh ssh," he hushes, his voice a little too calm, "I'm not going to hurt you." A lone droplet hangs from your eyelash and he swipes it. "I just want you to listen."

You freeze, your nerves on fire as you're forced into close proximity with him for the second time today, inches away from his face that gradually softens.

Though you can easily call for help, you know better than to argue—he knows you know better too but he never felt threatened in the first place. Besides, he can feel your breathing slowing, the effects of the pill combined with his firm hold sending a faint buzz from your wrists to your stomach, and his finger remains on your lips as he brings his closer.

His eyes flicker to your bottom lip. "You're so good at your job, Nurse," smoothly pulling it with his thumb. "That's why I like you. You're thorough but real. Just what I need to keep me sane."

Sane?

"Sane," he repeats like he's heard your thoughts. "Believe it or not, you keep me grounded...like a good boy. Be proud, not a single soul here or anywhere else can compare to me, let alone deal with me, and yet...here you are." He looks at you like you're a marvel. "You can handle that...can't you?"

Words fail you. This feels rhetorical. Why does he keep torturing you like this? What is it about you?

You haven't really thought about it since your first few weeks with him but now he's forcing you to think about the little 'power' he's given you that he can easily snatch back.

What happens if he decides to go further than flirting?

You can't handle it, any of this.

Hesitating, you're unsure of what to say but know it could never be the truth.

Gojo must sense it because he leans closer, his breath warm on your cheek.

"If you leave, I just might crack completely, beauty." A breath you didn't realize you were holding slips. "How do you think everyone else will do against me then, hmm?" Gojo knows he's a prodigy, but still manages to surprise himself sometimes, his eyes lingering over the spots on your uniform soaked through just enough to make the fabric cling—perfect aim.

Ice shoots up your spine from the heat of his unadulterated gaze, but you refuse to let him see you falter, and he can almost feel a prick from the daggers in your eyes.

"Oh, don't be like that," he purrs, thumbs grazing your wrists in a mockingly gentle touch. "We all have our boundaries, right? I thought communication was key in a relationship."

"Let go of me," you find your voice, "We're done here."

His head slightly tilts.

Look at you calling the shots, he thinks. So strong, so very serious.

"God, I can't help it," he breathes, "You're so fun to mess with."

He could laugh in your face, have his way with you, and show you that your resistance means nothing, but instead, he slowly releases your wrists and lies back against the tub. "I know you think about it—there's nothing wrong with a little fun...right?" and though the connection is severed, you don't know if it's the drugs or just him that makes his amplified touch linger as you sheepishly rub your wrists.

Gojo watches you blush red—thoughts you didn't know lived within you rushing to the forefront as if he's pushed a button.

Grimy, raw, unwanted thoughts of forbidden fruit, wandering hands, and stolen touches in the dark, wondering what his idea of "fun" is like under the sheets. With a psycho named Gojo.

You feel like you should throw up in disgust but the nausea never comes, burning hot between your legs instead.

Fuck, you have to get out of here.

You draw a breath, forcing away the torturous daydreams and quickly finish his bath.

"You should rest," you firmly say and pull the plug to let the tub drain. "And don't expect any more favors from me."

He sits up slow, his expression stone-cold as he slicks back his wet hair. Then he smiles. "I promise. Now dry me off?" he quips.

You ignore his request, swiftly handing him a towel before he can flash you. With a gruff, you lower to your knees, beginning to dry the floor of his messes and hoping to distract yourself from your questionable sanity.

The sounds of rustling fabric fill the chamber as he dries off, and once you figure it's safe, you look up to find a nude Gojo. Dripping with bubbles, hair plastered to his derpy face, and toned muscles, all the muscles, presenting themselves in all their glory.

The only things dry are his damn hands.

He throws the towel over his shoulder, sauntering towards you with a wicked grin.

"Well, aren't you gonna help me put this thing back on?" He nods at the jacket he knows is more bullshit than security. "Don't want you getting all worked up again."

The first time your brain registered that Gojo was flirting with you was on your third day as his nurse.

"Well, aren't you a breath of fresh air?" Gojo was sitting on his bed, leaning against the wall. It was the second time he'd noticed how sluggish you looked while tending to him, suggesting with a grin that you must be quite the party animal.

Ha. If only.

You tsked, tossing his bedsheets into the hamper, and assured him that your sleepy eyes and dragging feet were the result of long hours and running on fumes. Having time for fun was just a dream.

"I don't get out much myself," he says, alluding to the situation he's in, wearing sarcasm like a necklace. "I love a good night in as much as anyone else but, I don't know. The stuffiness hasn't grown on me yet."

You tugged the collar of your scrubs—the air did feel a bit thick, like the room hadn't been aired out in ages and you couldn't help but wonder how long he'd been sitting in it—how he could. That alone would be enough to drive you up a wall.

Sunlight flickered in your eyes, and you raised your hand to block it, noticing the small window perched above his chair.

"Let's open this then," you said, walking over and wrestling with the ancient wood for a moment before finally pulling the creaky flap up to the ceiling.

A sliver of your midriff peeked out as you stood on your toes to reach it, but what captured Gojo's attention most was the way the sun rays washed over your face. You scrunched your nose, the breeze sending wisps of your hair to tickle it, and he imagined the feel of your strands between his fingers.

The view was beautiful, you thought, hands gripping the warm bars. Trees surrounded the vast area, stretching out as far as you could see, the pathway to civilization completely covered in dense forest from this angle.

You never realized how high up his ward was—or how long the drop was from here.

"Too bad I'm not small enough to slip through those bars." He rubbed his stomach. "But you know me, 'Mr. BigBack.'"

He joked around as he usually did, looking to trigger your defenses, but your reaction was...odd.

Not only was this the first time anyone cared to do something so simple for Gojo, but it was also the closest anyone had gotten to him without their knees buckling.

The first two days of your trial, the Director had guards posted right outside of Gojo's door, their presence a constant reminder to stay alert and maintain a safe distance from the convict. Gojo was positive the mental barrier would keep a wall between you forever.

But then, you laughed. A real laugh. Snickery and cute. Finding his joke funny instead of threatening.

It surprised him, that sound, so natural and pure without hesitation. And he wanted to hear it again and again and again. "Who knew you could bring so much light into this place?" he sighed.

Later at lunch, you sat with Yuko, having your usual midday catch-up. You never start with yours but she, like most people in the ward then, was absolutely dying to hear about how you were dealing with the villain of the century.

"He's actually not so bad...yet. Corny, but," you took a pondering breath, "He kind of thanked me today?"

She immediately scoffed and waved you off, and who could blame her?

You were an anomaly, Gojo already showed that he was capable of mercy and now he was thanking you??

Being polite was too far of a stretch to believe, you must have been mistaken. But when you gave her the deets on why he'd do such a thing, she nearly choked on her apple. "He said that??"

"Ya?" You patted her back with a concerned look.

"Watch out, Casanova," she teased, clearing her throat with a nervous laugh.

Her comment threw you off for the rest of lunch, but when you thought about it later that night while surfing for new shows, a light bulb went off.

He flirted with you.

Thinking it was just another one of those literal dry-humor jokes or simply gratitude for making his stay a little less crappy, it flew right over your head. You always feel warm inside when you help people so you didn't think too much about it.

To you, it was just a kudos. Nothing more.

But the way Gojo stands in front of you now is everything.

As bold and brash as it gets.

Fuck. Me.

And your body betrays you, sending all of the vulnerable sensations you've been fighting to suppress from your soaking chest, tingling wrists, aching thighs, and heavy breath, straight to your throbbing clit.

Air escapes you and you couldn't feel more conflicted, scrambling to grab your supplies and leave.

Enough is enough. The guards outside can restrain him and escort him back to his room for all you care. You just have to get out of there.

Away from him.

Away from temptation.

Hot, overwhelming, guilty, mentally and physically unstable temptation.

In the quiet of the hallway a level below Gojo's ward, you lean against a wall, taking deep breaths and completely disgusted with yourself.

How are you supposed to keep dealing with this, with him?

This force that keeps pushing and pushing and pushing you to the edge until there's nowhere else to go. You can only imagine the hell the nurses he didn't like went through.

Taking care of him isn't getting any easier, and now you were fucking up and making mistakes.

But you're the only one who can do this. Who must.

So suck it up. Play along, Stop thinking only of yourself. Pretend.

Pretend.

Pretend?

...

What terrifies you the most is the thought that you may not have to.

You keep your scrambled thoughts to yourself when you're called into your Director's office at the end of the day.

You tell him the same story you told Yuko and take full responsibility for what happened, blaming it on exhaustion and needing a break. Swearing to never let it happen again.

By some miracle, you get to keep your job, though your one wish to leave early ended up costing you an hour and a half of unpaid overtime, and almost a friendship.

When you finally get home, you collapse onto your bed—images of the day, the ward, and Yuko flooding your thoughts, refusing to be pushed aside. You tell yourself that it's just the guilt talking, just anxiety gnawing at your edges.

But then there's Gojo.

The most prominent one of all.

Staring you in the face with lifeless eyes and a ghostly smile. Tugging on your moral strings like a puppet.

When you close your eyes, you can't shake the feeling that he's waiting for you, a lurker in the shadows watching and anticipating your every move. Have you become predictable? Now you're wondering if you could do something he wouldn't expect.

Leave it. Leave it. Le—

You're scrolling through your phone on a deep-diving, scouring the web for any info on your tormentor.

His past, his affiliations, anything to tell you who Gojo was, and who he is now.

But the man is an anomaly.

Not much is known about him outside of mainstream news and internet rumors.

He's just this guy that kind of popped out of nowhere in the worst way possible, conveniently on the tail of what could have been the most devastating incident in the history of Tokyo.

The media says he's a hero gone rogue but not much else. They've damned him to hell and that was that. Even the Director disclosed very little about him during your briefing and you weren't allowed access to his files or records because it's all 'confidential'.

Nothing.

The more you search, you less that comes up. Not even silly conspiracy theories that you definitely thought would be riddling Reddit. The longer you scroll, the more you find yourself beginning to question your own mind. Your interest. Sweet little buds of obsession.

Even though you hated taking it earlier, you actually need the pill now more than ever to relax as sleep eludes you and your mind wanders to imaginary scenarios as you stare at the ceiling. 

Tomorrow, you'll have to face Gojo again. And the day after that and the day after that and every day after.

In between your nearly non-existent off days, you'll have to see him and decide what face you want to put on.

Because you simply cannot walk away.

After all, he's right—no one else can handle him like you can.

extended angel's note:

when i originally decided to make this into short story, i had no plans on using a y/n perspective. it was just going to feature an OC name i’ve used in stories before, named Persephone, buuuut i decided to wanted to keep it immersive and include no physical descriptors/personality specifics bc i knew i wanted to upload it to tumblr. 

to keep it reader-friendly, yk? 

alas, Persephone has had her claws in me the entire time i’ve been editing and said with her whole chest that i couldn't just dismiss her like that chile. so i decided changed the perspective but keep her name in place of y/n. 

you won’t see it too often in the story bc it’s not super significant or said a lot in general, bUT it is relevant for a certain moment later in the story. you’ll know when you know 🤭. 

anyway, hope it doesn't bother you guys too much. and def feel free to mentally plug your name when you see it to keep yourself grounded into the story.

tag list p.1: @reddiamondjazz @kiwismoother @rune1920 @blkkizzat @suguwife

@xerroe @enthyn @gloomuri671 @ressyshi @startatdawn

@khenanadeche @heijihatsutori @inluvkai @ixqiix @strawnanamilk

@rosso-seta @05-simply-06-simping @sims-4lifers @bratidol @rh-tg1

@hyunsuks-beanie @n1vi @luna-v-roiya @neteyamsluvr111 @supsiii

@natadecoco30 @chiyokoemilia @ririoutspoken @kyoxko @strawberrymilkshakes-posts

@nen-nyy @cinnamorochiroll @kazeniya @maybe7tommorow @sxnkuna

@misoyuh @lupitalove @sebastianlover @gojosatorubrainrot @sleepiebunniee

@mmmidkman @theonecrackhead @thathorsegotpoobrain @iveivory @samistar

@yuuan-66 @gojoslefttoenail @soyalovestoyap @winkwonks-world @thebiggestsimpforyou 

[starillusion13]

Stay with me

request: "can you do a yungi x y/n one where they're in college together kinda like a childhood bsf to lovers but poly?"

Pairing: Yunho x reader x Mingi

Genre: Fluff, Friends to lovers, College Au

Warnings: they are caring bestfriends to you, mention of insult/body shaming in public by your family, reader feeling insecure, isolation, hints of skipping meals, childhood love and mention school bully and violence (just few words). Just a cute friendship to love.

W.C: 4.5k

Note: please I want to thanks to people for reading and reblogging. Reviews are always appreciated. Spread love not hate. My first Yungi fic😁.

Network: @cultofdionysusnet @k-vanity

Now let's take a moment to appreciate my dear friend @dreamsoffanfics Thanks for helping me out and being my proofreader. A dear friend indeed <3.

"She isn't coming again today..." Yunho said and sat beside his friend. The other glanced at him and looked over at your place beside him where you usually sit.

It's been weeks that you were skipping university classes without any proper reason, just texting them that you are not feeling well or you have some important stuff to do. But not clearly explaining anything — that even you are texting them the next day. They are sick and worried for you as it's normal for your childhood best-friends to be like this.

Whenever they ask you to go to your place, you quickly respond with a negative message that you have somewhere to go or someone to meet.

Nobody knows what's the actual matter with you.

"Do you think we should go over to her place and check on her?" Mingi asked while tapping the pen on the desk.

Yunho nodded before pulling out his phone to check for your message but nothing was there to his disappointment. "I am really worried about her. She has never been like this. I don't know why but after returning from her hometown, she is acting weird."

"Did her parents tell her anything again?" Mingi rested his elbow on the table and leaned to his side.

Yunho made an unsure expression to his question and dropped his shoulders. He shook his head when he remembered the last interaction with you when he met you at the convenience store.

…..

"Y/n, why don't you say no to your parents directly? I'm sure that they won't be denying it."

You sighed and turned towards him before picking up the nearest packet of chips in the basket,"And you think that? You are so wrong, Yuyu. They don't care about my opinions."

"But you can try explaining them. I'm sure they will understand." Yunho placed a milk package in the basket to which you glared at him and he sent you his puppy eyes, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"That's a baby milk product."

"But you are still a baby." He said and held back his laugh.

This was his common teasing with you in every place and anytime you are having any serious conversation with him and whatever, however and whenever you are with him. You would feel relying on him the most. The bestest friend indeed. There’s a continuous warmth radiating from him for which you feel loved and secured. His big frame whenever he engulfs you in a hug, there’s a silent promise to you — that no matter what he would be there for you.

…..

He sighed when he imagined your face – irritated but laughing with him for the last time that day. After that day, you went to your hometown as it was the end of exam season and you didn’t meet your family for a long time. Last break, you were sick and had so many pending projects for several events that you opted for staying back on campus and completing them before it was too late.

It was late afternoon when they both finally had their last class and packed up their bags to leave the university. Anyways, they were not actually planning to stay there though. Mingi texted you a lot of times during the classes but some you ignored and to some, you replied with one word or just some common usual replies.

They both checked the timing and went towards the parking lot. Yunho took out the keys from his jacket’s pocket and Mingi was quick to enter the passenger seat. Both of them were in a hurry. They were eager to meet you. Before starting the engine, Yunho sighed deeply. A look of worry was visible on his face.

“I hope she is fine.”

Mingi nodded and patted his shoulder, “I’m sure, she is.”

…….

“Yah! Min…did you just eat my snacks yesterday?” stomping your feet, you reached the living room and stood in front of said man and glared at him.

He was so into the video game that he didn’t see your anger but just waved his hand and tried to push you aside. You hit his hand and the controller fell from his hold and sulkily he looked at your face.

“I was about to win the game.” He whined and leaned back into the couch.

“And I am about to eat you if you don't give me my snacks back.”

“Which one?” He furrowed his brows and crunched up his nose. “I’m gonna tell Yunho to buy them for you on his way back home.”

“No. Why’ll he buy it? You ate them and it’s your responsibility to buy them. And you know very well which snacks I’m talking about.” You pulled him up and dragged him towards the door, he was whining on his way but you ignored him and gestured to him to hurry up. “Don’t give me faces.” You folded your hands.

“But that store is far away.”

“And you know how to drive.”

……

While driving to your place, they stopped by some places to buy flowers, chocolates, ice cream and your favorite foods. When Yunho took a box of chocolates, he smiled at the thought of your smiling and excited face after receiving it. He puffed his cheeks and grabbed some other things as well.

Similarly, Mingi was smiling all the way when he bought your favorite ice-cream. He knew how you would jump on your feet after seeing it. He couldn't content his own happiness while buying it.

Apart from all these, they still called you to check on you. Yeah, after ignoring a few calls, you finally decided to pick up. The line was silent at first but then they heard shuffle sounds from the other side, Yunho was quick to speak into the call.

“What are you doing, y/n?” His voice was soft yet demanding.

They heard your deep sigh before your voice, “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean by you don’t know?”

“If I was really doing something then I could have told you. I was just laying on my bed and …..thinking.”

Actually, that was the main thing, they wanted to know whether you were at your apartment or not. If they would have asked you directly, then you could have got the hint of them wanting to come over to your place and you would have quickly made up a reason to avoid them.

Why actually were you avoiding them in the first place?

“Okay, then keep laying down and think.”

Yunho glared at Mingi at his weird reply but the latter just blinked at the phone in his hold and at him. They heard your chuckle and a little smile appeared on their faces. Atleast, you laughed— maybe a little.

“Why did you call me? Where are you both?”

“We are–”

Yunho cut Mingi’s answer, “hanging out.”

“Oh…okay. Have fun!” you tried to sound more enthusiastic but they could feel the sadness.

They didn’t drag the conversation because they knew that in a few minutes, they would be at your place and then you couldn’t ignore them or their questions. And this time, they would be surely erasing all your worries and sadness.

.

.

.

Almost after fifteen minutes, you heard your doorbell ring. You groaned at the thought of someone coming to your place at this time and you glared at your bedroom door. You got up from the bed and yawned before stepping in front of the mirror. You made a disgusted face at your reflection and combed your hair with just your fingers.

The bell rang again and you scoffed before mumbling under your breath while making your way towards the main door.

“Let me see whether I look like a human or not or it won't be my fault if you get scared.”

You peeked through the peephole and you were surprised to see your bestfriends standing at your doorstep on the other side. You quickly opened the door and your round eyes were staring at them.

“You both? Here…now?” you asked but slowly moved aside to welcome them inside. Mingi gave you the flowers they bought for you and smiling, you took them. You noticed paper bags in their hand and after closing the door, you followed them to the kitchen when they placed the bags on the kitchen counter. You stood beside Mingi who gave you a bright smile and started taking out the items from the bag. Your eyes were recognizing each little thing was your favorite as if they bought things for a child who was whining for all their favorites.

He grabbed the ice-cream bucket and turned towards you, “This was the last box and I quickly bought it for you. I hope you won't be angry with me again if I ever eat your snacks.” he took the flowers from your hand and tugged them in the vase on the counter top.

“Mingi..” You groaned but quickly took the tub from his hand. You wasted no time and opened the lid. You watched Yunho place some things inside your refrigerator but he approached you with a red box in his hand. You furrowed your brows when he placed it in your free hand.

“Chocolates for my cutie.”

When you noticed the ribbon on top of the box, your eyes went wide, “Don't tell me you went to that store to buy this. This is so expensive.”

“But you are more expensive.” He said and raised a brow at you, challenging.

You laughed at his antics and shook your head, “You both are spoiling me too much.”

“Of course. We love to spoil you.” Mingi said with a smug look.

Your couch had a lot of clothes and books so you asked them to follow you to your bedroom. They both were quick to trail behind like lost puppies but they exchanged looks because they both were hesitant to ask you about the time after returning from your hometown.

Entering your bedroom, they found out that it looked like as if some disaster happened over there. You were never that messy and disorganized. You rolled your eyes at the mess but offered them the free space around the bed.

You scooted towards the headboard and they placed themselves close to you. You offered some chocolates to both of them and you scooped a spoon full of ice cream and put it in your mouth.

“This will always be my favorite.” You offered two separate spoons to them and extended your hand so that they could eat the ice cream. They took small bites.

“So why are you here suddenly? You didn’t even inform me before coming.”

“Because you wouldn’t have allowed us to come here like other days.” Mingi muttered and kept staring at you. Hearing those words from him, you avoided his eyes at any cost and looked down at your lap. You were guilty but also the reasons for which you were avoiding them were running across your mind.

You bit your lip and wanted to disappear from their gazes. But Yunho scooted closer to you. You felt his knees touching yours and his warm hands grabbed your chin to make you look at him.

“Look at me, Y/n. What’s the matter?”

You avoided his gaze but only to make eye contact with Mingi. You closed your eyes and cursed yourself for behaving like this. But no matter how you feel like running away from them, you still want to stay close. You want to hear their soothing voices talking to you. Spend time with them.

“Y/n…” Mingi pronounced your name softly.

You took a deep breath before looking at him and then to Yunho. Your eyes wandered around his face. A perfect, sweet, soft and confident person in front of you. Excellent in every aspect. Good looking, handsome and tall just like Mingi but who is more intimidating than him.

Yunho’s eyes wandered around your face, he was searching for your discomfort, your sadness and what was the reason you were ignoring him and his friend.

“Am I really not good?” You asked him in a hushed voice. Your shaky pupils and lips between your teeth was making him hesitant.

Why was he feeling that? Is he worried or angry? Angry with you? Because you ignored him all these last days?

“Who said that? You are the best.” Mingi rubbed your back and your body shivered under his touch. Yunho cupped your face in his palms and stared at you, urging you to speak more, “Tell us please. Why were you avoiding us?”

“I didn’t avoid you. I was thinking…”

“You think a lot. What were you even thinking?” His thumbs caressed your cheeks, slightly brushing your lips. Your tears were lining your eyes. You didn’t mind crying in front of them, you have cried before since middle school until now, you have cried to both of them but they never judged you.

But his heart was aching to see you like that, so vulnerable in his hold. You held his wrists tightly when he gave you a small smile.

“I’m feeling insecure lately. Don’t feel like doing anything.”

“Why?”

“This break, I went to a family function with my parents and all my other cousins were present there too.”

Both of them nodded and let you continue. You bit your lower lip and stuck it between your lips.

“They pointed out to me how I have gained weight and also I’m just an average student in my university unlike others there. They were all too pretty and all had boyfriends so they called me the ugly one. Maybe, I am really how they see me.”

“No Y/n, you are not. Don’t take those words to heart. Ignore them.”

“But I can’t, Mingi. Those words are hitting me as if I can still hear them telling me those things repeatedly. You know what's worse about this. My mom laughed with them, she was supporting their accusations.”

“I never liked your mom.”

You turned to Yunho when he said that and you raised your brows, “She didn’t like you either. She always thought that you were a bad influence on me. But she just let me be friends with you only because you are rich.” Then again you turned towards Mingi, “About you, she thought you were some sort of rebellious kid like a gangster because she always saw teachers complaining to your parents regarding your fights.”

“It’s your fault. You are the one who threatened me not to tell your mom that those students were disturbing you so when they didn't stop. I knew I had to beat them.” Mingi smiled after recalling those beautiful memories.

He added, “And that’s how we became friends. Remember?” You nodded while remembering those happy days. Yunho was holding your hands in his and Mingi patted your head, “We missed you these days. You were not talking with us.”

“I was searching for a boyfriend.”

“Really?” He asked you and hesitantly looked between Mingi and you, you felt him squeezing your hands. You nodded but sighed again, “Kidding. I was…isolating myself.”

“Why am I like this?” You asked with a whisper.

“But who would ever love to have an ugly girl like me as their girlfriend?”

“Like what sweetie?” Yunho questioned. ”And don’t even question yourself. You are perfect.”

You took a few seconds, collecting your thoughts. Yunho and Mingi wait patiently, Yunho running a soft hand through your hair and with his other one entangling his fingers with you. You inhaled softly and lifted your head up to make eye contact with both of them. Your mind was hazy with lots of thoughts.

“I feel so pathetic. I feel like I can’t ever do anything correctly. Why do I feel like this? I get overwhelmed by little work and this college stuff. I can’t handle the gossip about me and I feel like I fail at everything. It’s just… too much.” A tear slid down your cheeks and Yunho looked at you with eyes that held so many emotions.

He would do absolutely anything for you, if only it meant it would guarantee your happiness. Mingi was the same, he would again beat anyone for you. He would go to any extreme end just to ensure your well being and that you are smiling.

After all, Mingi first fell for you on the day when he first beat a boy who was making fun of you in front of the whole class. You were crying and he had enough, so he punched the guy across his cheek but the way you stared at him after that, even when he was getting scolded from the teacher, that's when he couldn’t help but smile at you and you gave your bright and wide smile.

That smile did something to him.

He fell in love with you. But you both were just kids.

So, you both became best friends.

Yunho was a transfer student who was a shy and quiet one in the beginning. And somehow they both were placed at the same bench, they quickly became friends. He joined the dance club after exactly one year of friendship with Mingi. Yunho was quick to become a social butterfly. He knew everyone around the school, mostly because of his dance club membership.

But there was this one thing. Even though he got compliments from others, he always wanted to hear your comments on his dance moves and if you ever said just a word like ‘good’, he would smile foolishly as if he achieved something. After every performance, he would search for you in the audience and could find you clapping excitedly at him with Mingi beside you.

You didn't know but whenever you were not around both of them their main topic was about you. They used to talk about you with admiration and love towards you. This was the main reason for them to become friends. And they followed you to the same university.

And they still think about you like that everyday.

“Oh Y/n, you’re not pathetic. Not at all. Everyone has different capabilities, and that’s completely fine. You have so many talents, so many amazing people around you who appreciate you. And you are so beautiful. You’re our girl aren’t you? The only one for us.” Yunho looked at you expectantly with an adoration in his eyes.

There was a look of worry on their faces similar to whenever you felt sick and he would rush to your place to take care of you and soon after Mingi comes with medicines and food.

You looked away, not meeting his eyes but Mingi caught your eyes and raised a brow. You quickly replied, “Yes, yes I am.”

His breath hitched when you said those words while staring at him. Both of their hearts felt warm but there was something more, they wanted to say. Something that they think of now is the right time. Maybe…there's also uncertainty in the air.

He beamed with delight. “That’s right baby, you’re our girl, and always will be.” Mingi added to his friend's words, ”We’re here to take care of you. I know things are hard, but I will do whatever I can to make it easier for you.” Your heart aches from the care you’re being shown. You love your bestfriends so much.

You hold so much love and respect for them that you’re not sure how to even contain it. You just feel like exploding with affection. When you again felt like crying on the thought, Mingi pushed a spoon full of ice cream in your mouth, “The ice cream is melting like you.”

“Mingi…” you whined with teary eyes. They both laughed at you when you snatched the tub from him and placed it on your lap.

“Y/n, can I ask you something? Please don’t hate me or him after this. But I really want to tell you this. Can I?” He asked.

“Of course, Yuyu. you can tell me anything.” Mingi wiped your tears and you smiled towards him before turning your whole attention on Yunho. Your eyes eagerly waited for him to say whatever he wanted and he glanced at Mingi who nodded and looked back at you. Yunho again held your hands, squeezed them a little and brought them to his lips. These sweet gestures were common to you from him but you felt so nervous this time. Your heart beat increased with every second.

Is he going to end your friendship after this? Are they tired of your dramatic breakdowns?

“Will you be our girl, Y/n?”

You blinked at him and looked at them confused, “Am I not already?”

Mingi chuckled, “Not that silly. Will you be our girl? Our girlfriend?......Please.” he whispered the last part.

For a moment, you thought that they were joking but when you found them staring at you expectantly, waiting for your answer.

“Are you joking?”

“No…”

You quickly turned around and hugged Mingi, “Please tell me. This is not a joke.”

“It’s not.”

“Then, am I dreaming?”

“No silly, you are not.”

You raised your head from his shoulder, he was still moving his hands up and down your back, “Yunho calls me sweetie and you call me silly. This is not fair.”

And here you go.

Mingi cupped your face in his hand and pressed a soft kiss in the middle of your forehead and smiled dearly at you, “You are my silly girl. My silly…only mine.”

Yunho rolled his eyes, “Don't gatekeeper her to yourself. We agreed to mutual this between us. I said ‘our’ specifically but you are saying only yours.”

You looked between both of them and licked your lips before muttering slowly, “Are you pitying me?”

“Y/n…” Yunho called your name with love and held your hands before shaking his head, “we all are different in our own ways. And you are perfect for us. We have seen the imperfect you…the real you. We have seen the ugly versions of you and also the pretty versions of you. But we loved the unfiltered version. The version which felt like you were mine. You are mine.”

“Why do I feel like you are calling me ugly but in a sweet way?”

“Maybe I am.”

“Yuyu…” You hit his arm and continued, “I will ask Mingi to beat you.”

He scoffed, “He can't because he is too weak.”

The latter laughed when you stuck out a tongue at his friend.

“But……isn’t it wrong for both of you to love me? What will others think?”

“I don’t care about others. Are you uncomfortable with this? Say it, Y/n. Are you?”

You shook your head when Mingi turned your face to him, “We want to hear you. Say it please.”

“No. I’m not. I’m happy……I like both of you.” You muttered under your breath.

“What? I can’t hear you. Did you hear something, Yunho?” Mingi creased his forehead and asked his friend who pulled you on his lap and leaned your back on his chest and held both of your hands in front and rocked you in his hold. “No, Mingi I didn’t hear anything.”

“Yeah. because I didn't say anything.”

They both started laughing loudly when they saw you shyly looking down and Yunho rested his chin on top of your head, “But I love my sweet girl the most.” he placed a kiss and softly confessed, “I love you, Y/n.”

You held his hand and played with his fingers. You felt him nuzzling into your hair when you closed your eyes and smiled, “I love you too, Yunho.”

Mingi scooted closer, sitting in front of you he cupped your face and you quickly looked at his face expectantly when he confessed, “I love my silly girl. I love you so much, Y/n.”

“And I hate my snacks thief. I love you toooooo, Mingi.”

He chuckled and pressed a soft kiss on your forehead and nose, filled with overwhelming love and care.

“Now come on, Y/n. I know you aren’t eating properly these days. So let’s eat the food we bought for you earlier.”

“ I don’t want to eat. I’m not hungry.” You smiled brightly and looked at them with a fake pout.“But thank you for all the love and care. I’m so full with it.”

“Uh uh, don’t give me that look. You’re eating, and that’s the end of this conversation.” He said in a stern voice before standing up. You crawled away from him when Mingi caught you in his arms and stood up holding you bridal style and heading to the kitchen, trailing behind Yunho who was singing your favorite song.

Mingi placed you at the table, letting you watch the other one prepare plates. You were swinging your legs back and forth, already feeling so much better and humming the song with him. Mingi went back into the bedroom and came back with the ice cream tub to put into the fridge and sat next to you. He joked and sometimes said some nonsense to make you laugh and you giggled uncontrollably.

He could see the little you laughing with him in the classroom.

“You are finally mine, Y/n. The girl I adored and loved for all these years. The girl whose smile I love the most is smiling at me and sitting with me not as a friend but as my girlfriend.” He held your hand and kissed your knuckles.

“I’m so happy that my bestfriend is my boyfriend and you are the one who can only annoy me and steal my snacks. Oh wait! You have to buy me more snacks now or I am breaking up with you.” You faked a shocked expression.

“Not sorry to disturb you but she is our girlfriend. My best supporter. Here comes the food.” Yunho swirled on his feet and placed the food dramatically on the table, having the silliest look on his face.

You screeched with laughter. “Yunho, my jealous baby.” He sat across from you and pushed the plates towards you both.

“Oh? Now I’m your baby. Last time I checked it was you who bought baby milk products. ” He grabbed his fork and pointed at you with squinted eyes as if he’s in deep thought. You let out a scoff at his antics and he raises an eyebrow at you, “I didn't. You were annoying me.”

“Oh…okay..now let’s talk less and eat more..”

You excitedly nodded and dug into the food. Their eyes followed your actions and they shared looks between them with little smiles appearing on their faces. They nodded towards each other and started eating the food with you.

And they promised to themselves that no matter what the situation is, they will always stay by your side. They still kept the friendship letter from you which you gave them for the first time during Christmas and they would always fulfill your wish.

‘Stay with me……always.’

Taglist: @mymoodwriting @justhere4kpop @anyamaris @yeoobin @icchyi @jwnghyuns @piratequeen-queenofgames @dinonuguaegi @oreharuuu @hwanring @sanwifesstuff @kiwiisnthereoops @kiwiraccoon @hyuukah @kazscara @aceofspadesbiofalltrades @nvdhrzn @meowmeeps @vtyb23 @haechansbbg

[open!]

[softxsuki]

Kya! I saw you write for one piece and 🥰🥰🥰 don't worry, I try not to spoil you!

How would Luffy react to a female magician s/o that can Do so effin much without a devil fruit, and perhaps making cute requests to make him fly or showing him underwater World. Just someone who is lovely, kind and super sweet

Headcannons/drabbles... I leave that to you how you want it🥰🥰

Have a nice day/afternoon/night 🩵🩵

Luffy With A Magician S/O

Pairing: Luffy x Fem!Reader

Warnings: none

Genre: Fluff

Post-Type: Headcanons

Word Count: 610

Summary: In which you're a magician, part of the straw hat crew, and Luffy's s/o!

[A/N: So excited to write another request for one piece! I wish I could write for them more often but I have so many pending requests for other fandoms as well. I'm doing my best to evenly write for all the anime's on my writing list! But please send in all your OP requests, I need them <3 Thanks for sending this request in! What a fun idea <3 Hope you enjoy!]

Luffy:

Okay so because this is the One Piece universe, I’m gonna say that even though you don’t have a devil fruit, as a magician, you hold true magic! Okay? Okay

With that being said, Luffy is so entertained by you

Yes, his crew needs a chef, a musician, a navigator, a doctor, etc…but once he met you, he realized his crew also needed an entertainer

No, you weren’t a typical magician that pulls rabbits out of a hat (even though you probably could) but your magic allowed you to do so much more than your average trick

And Luffy loved your abilities so much, they brought him so much excitement

He’s always asking you to do something outrageous, going above and beyond with his requests to see how far your abilities truly go

From making him levitate, to cutting someone in half without killing them, his requests are endless, and sometimes even a little exhausting to keep up with

One of his favorite requests though are to see beneath the ocean; since he can’t swim, Luffy loves being able to see the ocean floor and the creatures that reside there

So if you’re able to create a magic bubble around you both and take him in the water, he’d love you forever (he already does)

You both love fooling around on the ship together, pranking the other crew members with your magic, and honestly the crew is fed up with your antics, but it’s nothing they aren’t used to already with Luffy onboard

During battles, Luffy sometimes gets distracted because he wants to see what crazy thing you’re going to do to your opponent using your magic

Catch him clapping his hands and laughing as you turn a marine’s sword into a balloon sword lol

“Ohh me next, turn my hands into metal Y/N!”

He’s so unserious, we love it

Though the cons to having magic and using is all the time is that you become drained very quickly, and when that does happen during a fight, Luffy is speeding to your side to protect you

After all, you’re more than just another crew member to him (or an entertainer as he recruited you as), you were his girlfriend and he would always make sure to take care of you

As much as he loved to see your magician abilities, your well-being was way more important to him

So whenever you do get drained, he takes you to a safe place, presses a kiss to your temple, and tells you to rest up while he and the rest of the crew take care of things

Of course sometimes you don’t listen to him; you’re part of the crew after all and if you just sit by and rest while everyone else surpasses their limits, you end up feeling a little useless

So you so what you can from afar, turning the opponents weapons into harmless objects, sometimes making their clothes vanish so they become flustered and distracted long enough so Sanji or Zoro can use that to their advantage, and sometimes you even help your crew avoid some hits by making them levitate or teleporting them to a safer area

You were definitely a very helpful member of the crew despite how tiring being a magican can be sometimes

Luffy gets a little upset that you didn’t follow his orders in staying somewhere safe and resting, but he’s grateful regardless

Once the fight it over, he’s carrying you back to the ship where he makes sure you spend the rest of the day resting without using any of your magic

He really loves you so much and you’ll always know that

REQUESTS ARE OPEN :D

Posted: 08/23/2023

[avelera]

I've been talking with a few people irl about the TikTok ban and I was wondering if I could get your take on it? (iirc you work in election security). Mainly I'd like to know why TikTok/China is *uniquely* bad wrt dating mining/potential election interference when we've seen other companies/governments do the same thing (thinking of the Russian psyops here on Tumblr in 2016). It feels like the scope is so narrow that it doesn't come close to targeting the root problem (user privacy and data mining as a whole), leading me to think it's only point is "ooh China Scary". Thoughts? (No worries if you'd rather not get into it, I just thought of you as someone who might have more insight/informed opinions on the matter).

So I'm not really familiar with all the details of the case and certainly not all the details of the bill. But I will give my perspective:

TikTok as a particular threat to users' data and privacy has been known for some time in the cybersecurity world. US government employees and contractors have been straight-up forbidden to have it on their phones for some time now. I, for example, have never had it on my phone because of these security concerns. (Worth noting, I'm not a government employee or contractor, it was just a known-to-be dangerous app in the cybersecurity world so I avoided it.)

This is because the parent company, as I understand, has known connections to the Chinese government that have been exploited in the past. For example, to target journalists.

Worth noting, another app that would potentially be on the chopping block is WeChat, which also has close ties to (or is outright owned by?) the Chinese government. This is just speculation on my part but it's based on the fact that all the concerns around TikTok are there for WeChat too and it has also been banned on government devices in some states, so I imagine it would be next if the bill passes.

I think this is important to note because I've seen some hot takes here on Tumblr have said that the entire case against TikTok is made up and there is no security threat. That is simply not true. The concerns have been there for a while.

However, the question of what to do about it is a thorny one.

The determination seems to be that so long as TikTok is still owned by its parent company with its direct ties to the Chinese government, there really is no way to guarantee that it's safe to use. From that angle, demanding that the company sever ties and set up some form of local ownership makes sense.

I am not a lawyer, but, that being said, forcing them to sell their local operations to a locally-based buyer is a pretty invasive and unusual step for legislators to take against a private company, even in a clear case of spying. I'm sure TikTok's widespread popularity is a big part of the threat it poses, which lends to the argument used to justify such an extreme step. (Because it is on so many phones, it really could be a danger to national security.)

That said, at one point young activists on TikTok embarrassed Trump (lots of good context in this article) while he was campaigning in 2020, and there was some talk then about shutting it down which seemed pretty clearly linked to how it was used as a platform to organize against him. I'm sure there's at least some right wing antipathy towards the app that has a political basis going back to this event. Trump signed an executive order banning it, the ban going into effect got bogged down in the courts, and then Biden rescinded that executive order when he got into office, pending an investigation into the threat it posed.

Those investigations seem to have further confirmed that the Chinese government is getting access to US user data through the app, and further confirmed it as a security threat.

Now, to muddy the waters further, there's several dodgy investment funds including one owned by former Secretary of the Treasury to Trump Steven Mnuchin that are circling with an interest to buy TikTok if it does sell. That's very concerning.

Funds like Mnuchin's interest in purchasing TikTok (even though they do invest in other technologies too, so it is in their portfolio) definitely makes the motivations behind the sale look pretty damning as momentum builds, that it could be some sort of money grab here in the US.

China has also pointed out that forcing the sale of a company because of spying concerns like this opens a whole can of worms. If China thinks that, say, Microsoft is spying on their citizens, could they force the US company to sell its operations in China to a Chinese investor? Could they force Google? Could they even further polarize the internet in general between "free" and "not free" (as in, behind the great Chinese or Russian firewall, as examples) if this precedent is set, so that no Western companies can operate in authoritarian states without selling their local operations there to a government-controlled organization, and thus be unable protect their users there? Or, if you don't have so rosy a view of Western companies, could it effectively deal a blow to international trade in general by saying you have to have to sell any overseas arms of a company to someone who is from there? Again, I'm not a lawyer, but this is a hell of a can of worms to open.

But again, this is muddy because China absolutely is spying on TikTok users. The security reason for all of this is real. What to do about it is the really muddled part that has a ton of consequences, and from that angle I agree with people who are against this bill. Tons of bad faith consequences could come out of it. But the concerns kicking off the bill are real.

[rainbowolfe]

The Goats Reign

I don't think anyone came to any solid conclusions on this, so imma take a crack at it. They told us to put our detective hats on, and I assume they're referring to this. Didn't see anything else on their Twitter that could be sleuthed. No secret alt text or anything. So...

When the Lamb is drowned and torn asunder, It awakens the G.O.A.T from their slumber. To fight tooth and claw; Side by side. What's alone and lost, now aligned. The stare, a look and dead behind-the-eyes grin. Let the Goat's reign of suffering begin.

[BG Music] Pestilence. Kill the light.

"Drowned and Torn Asunder" = DATA "Greatest of All Time" = GOAT "Tooth and Claw" = TAC "Dead Behind the Eyes" = DBTE "Reign of Suffering" = ROS

Now, I tried a few different ways to try and decode these letters using ciphers and such, but to no results. So I'll tentatively check that off as "not that kind of puzzle".

However.

All of these are song titles. This would not be the first time they've referenced lyrics to hint at the story/what's coming next. The other time was to a poem called "The Phoenix and the Turtle Dove". Theory on that still pending.

Five songs. Five points to a pentagram. Five portents of doom. Five siblings. Five gods. Five becomes four becomes three becomes two becomes one becomes nothing. Nothing at all.

Its five, always five. These five songs likely relate back to the Bishops, but they could just as well be referring to the Five Gods I theorized about here. As I hold firm that the five siblings weren't the original five bishops. They themselves were usurpers.

But for the sake of simplicity and organization, I'll just label with the Bishop's names lol. I'll do speculation another day, but I just wanted to share my findings with everyone! The order I'm using here is based on the order Shamura/The Fanatic lists them in. (Its also the order you're intended to fight them in)

//also if anyone more deeply familiar with metal music has knowledge or suggestions for songs that have these titles, please let me know!

Methodology

Some of these songs had duplicates. Some had more than others. >_> I tried to narrow things down based on certain criteria. Mostly cross-referencing for any similarities with songs 1 and 5, which didn't have any duplicates.

A pattern I was able to find was: A) The genre (metalcore or its relatives); B) Their 'presence' in Australia (even though some originate in the US); C) The use of religious iconography/imagery in either the album art, album name, or music video; and D) It being the band's first album (some of them are technicalities). Bonus points if any goat imagery is used anywhere.

Let's dive right in!

1 - Leshy Drowned and Torn Asunder

By Trivium, from the album Ascendancy.

Force-feed them your ways Dictate up a blinded swarm Society's afraid

A song about revenge set in the midst of a conflict. Sounds like the opposing side is winning/otherwise has the upper hand, but the POV character intends to turn things around.

Deconstructing their hold Our vengeance will be tenfold; Our enemies will be drowned The opposing torn asunder

2 - Kallamar G.O.A.T

This one actually has me pretty stumped. Because there are, quite literally, only two options. And both of them are entirely different genres from the rest of these songs. And I'm pretty heavily leaning towards the one by Polyphia, even though it doesn't have lyrics.

It checks most of the criteria boxes, but I'm not actually sure if this band has a presence in Australia. And it's also not from their first album.

The one by Theory is. Technically. See, they were originally called Theory of a Deadman, but they changed their name. And "Wake Up Call" is their first album released under that name. They also have a presence in Australia despite being Canadian in origin. (They're actually under the same record label as Trivium!)

Polyphia

The MV presents us with two locations that mirror each other. A church represented with red and white banners. You can already see why I'm so inclined towards this one. In the "upright" reality, there are angels depicted in the stain glass window, and the performers wear black. In the "reversed" reality, the plain/clear windows show instead the nature outside, and the performers wear white.

The two sides are doing a (wordless) duet that has the same underlying melody but different vibes. The upright side presents a brighter environment where things are upbeat/triumphant, even though those present are dressed in dark colors. While the reversed (or mirrored) side presents a dark environment with a solemn/serious vibe despite those present being dressed in light colors.

Theory

A rather... triumphant/reflective song despite its gentler, sad-sounding beat. Sort of like, things were super good and the POV character accomplished a lot. They were the greatest that ever was. Emphasis on the past-tense.

Props to the gods as they watch from above Your enemies line up for miles You crush them all with your hope and a smile When you win, put your fists in the air Your fans cheer you on while your victims stare

Despite opening with a list of accomplishments, telling the tale of a Hercules-esque hero who did everything they set out to do, the song transitions into accepting what they have and preserving that. Since, you know. They did it. They crossed the finish line in first place, so to say. They don't have to keep running to prove they were the best.

You never settle for less than gold You're the best that the world will know No one'd ever guess how far you'd go You're the greatest, the greatest that ever was

3 - Heket Tooth and Claw

I'm pretty confident it's the one by Ghoul, but there's another that was a close second. It tells the story of a group of townspeople being shown an eye that corrupts their minds and inflicts them with an insatiable hunger that drives them to compulsive cannibalism. They can't actually keep it down, which means all of this death and violence ultimately amounts to nothing. They're all still hungry.

Shattering glass in the throne room As the multitudes seek to be fed The Basilisk flees into the swamp His acolytes are ripped to shreds

A Basilisk is the opposite of a Cockatrice. A toad or serpent egg incubated by and hatched from a cockerel. It's incredibly venomous and looking it in the eye kills you.

But in the context of this song, he's a sort of overlord responsible for the fall of many pseudo-deities (which is what Crown Bearers are). He broadcasts a transmission (the aforementioned eye) with the intent of controlling the minds of all the citizens of the land. It does not go as planned.

Really, I might need to go back and analyze the entire album for this one. Skimming the lyrics of the tracks before and after this one, there are mentions of fungoid tunnels, an unwilling sacrifice turned unwilling god, cultists, decay, and rot.

4 - Shamura Dead Behind the Eyes

This one I'm also between two. They're both about self-destruction and giving up, just expressed differently.

Oceans Ate Alaska

It breaks the established formula I was using for literally all the other songs, but if this isn't the intended song then this is the most brutal coincidence I have ever had the misfortune of discovering. Because what do you mean the song that perfectly describes Shamura isn't about Shamura.

Web-weaver You are weak, as hollow as those words you speak All for show with a lack of backbone The biggest hypocrite I have ever known You are weak, tangled in the webs you weave Parasite takes control of my mind

I can't tell if it's heaven or hell with you I'm paralyzed, dead behind the eyes

The very first line of the song being "web-weaver". Lyrics about letting the parasite win. Themes of self-hatred and regret. Also the line about being tangled in webs is a sentiment reflected in the album 'Tooth and Claw' comes from.

Soulfly

The only criteria this one breaks is that it's their eleventh album, and not their first. However, they were also under the same label as Trivium and Theory, so there's yet another connecting piece. It's also sung by Randy Blythe, who's from a band called Lamb of God. So that feels. Pointed.

Endless, deathless A cryptic inner fear What’s left, the wretched And those who speak in your ear Eviscerate your own impressions Die along with your transgressions Menace, penance Horrific path to ascension

Cenobites I know your kind Dead behind the eyes

This song is explicitly about/inspired by Hellraiser. It's a cliffnotes of what the Cenobites represent. They are former humans turned demons (though they just see themselves as higher beings) that exist in a version of Hell. They're masochistic hedonists to the extreme who stopped differentiating between pain and pleasure.

5 - Narinder Reign of Suffering

By Malevolence, from the album of the same name. Like the first song, it presents a conflict the POV character is in the middle of. They are dishing out a punishment in line with what they believe to be a righteous cause. And nothing's going to stop them from doing it. Not even death.

Down with the weak One chance to make a stand The hooded reaper will meet you at your end Unveiling wounds of whispered lies I am the proof of living hell

And as for the music at the end... it doesn't exist yet. It seems to be an (unreleased) original piece created for Cult of the Lamb by Pick Up Goliath. The COTL Twitter wouldn't answer any questions regarding what the song is, but he can be seen in the comments being coy.

Joined August 2024... seems he made this account solely to repost this amv/teaser. Has no tweets before OR after it.

Anyways, what we're given seems very straight forward. "Pestilence" is being told to "kill The Light".

While the axolotls regard Lamb as The Light once they fix the lighthouse, Monch says outright that they aren't that. She seeks "the truth and the light". Based on the info we have now, 'the truth' is the Ancient Tablets. And by extension, The Fanatic. Monch's statement is vague enough that I can't say whether she's looking for one or two people. Lets assume the Light is someone else.

This entity is associated with fire, which may suggest a connection to the Cursed Crusade Fleece—a damaged fleece with a fire-pattern. But could just as well be connected to the Fervour's Favor fleece, as Fervour is often depicted using fire imagery.

Whoever this entity was, Kallamar killed them. Directly? Indirectly? Who's to say. But he is Pestilence.

Aaand that's all I got. For now, anyways.

[arcadia-of-pluto]

Future mini-series and one-shot plans ✨️

I've got a few ideas for one-shots and fics to tide yall over until the smut hits in "Twist of Fate". 👀

I've already got a small, spin off mini-series of ToF called "Strings of Fate" (name pending), a whole bunch of hybrid one-shot series, a Fated/Soulmate one-shot series, a Tropes mini-series, a cam girl one-shot series, an android (based on Detroit become human) one-shot series, a fairy tale one-shot series, possibly a professors one-shot series, possibly a super heroes one-shot series, some possible OT2 (threesomes) and OT3 (foursomes) with not a single idea in mind, and some one-shots regarding the boys' myth 5 star cards!

I'll be explaining them below the cut! 🩷

So yall can let me know which you would like to see first, I'll tell you what I've got so far with each of them! Since I'm, also, completely unsure which I want to work on or if I want to change the idea entirely. Maybe yall will have some thoughts on how I can work the ideas a bit better as well!

I can't say much on the spin-off since it's major spoilers for ToF and, so, I'll probably start it after I get up to 25 or 30 chapters in posting ToF.

The hybrid ideas though...I have a lot. I got most of these (if not all of these ideas besides the hybrid ones) from my scrapped BTS fic ideas so if I decide to write BTS ones, you might see some overlapping.

Oh right, let me explain Hybrids for those who might not know. They're basically like nekos, think of those hot cat girls in anime. They're humans with animal parts or characteristics!

But anyway, the first section is "Prey Hybrids". I have Rafayel down as an axolotl, Xavier as a frosty Holland lop rabbit, Sylus as either a sika deer or a tufted deer (both are native to south asia and I have no idea which one to use), and Zayne as a Black Beauty sugar glider.

Next section is "deadly hybrids". I have Rafayel under Great White Shark (they have two penises so I could use this in the story), Xavier as a Grey Wolf (wolves can knot 👀), Sylus as a melanistic tiger, and Zayne is a leopard seal. Now, I'm not sure how I'll make Zayne into a leopard seal hybrid, I was going to use a snow leopard but...I have a "polar hybrid" section coming up soon and also I didn't want two big cats in one part.

Now, we're onto "domesticated hybrids" so think of your cats, dogs, any animal that humans have thought "hey, that'd be a good pet" fits here. Rafayel is a calico koi fish (still undecided here), Xavier is a Corgi (I thought golden retriever but I didn't want to say the obvious), Sylus is a black smoke Maine Coon, and Zayne as an Agouti Husky.

"Uncanny Hybrids" is our next category and for uncanny, I wanted to do hybrids that not a lot of people write for. Like you usually see cats, dogs, octopi, sharks, squid, and stuff like that so I wanted to do the ones that not many people would do and that's difficult. Rafayel would be a chevrotain (which is a mouse deer with little fangs), Xavier would (fittingly) be a sloth, Sylus would be a vampire bat, and Zayne would be a Kangaroo (I might swap Sylus and Zayne but do note that Kangaroo have two penises as well; and I have no idea how to explain to my FBI agent just why my search history is filled with stuff like this but I must do my research for stories 😞).

Two more categories. We have "Polar hybrids" as mentioned earlier and "Mythological Hybrids".

For the polar ones, Rafayel is an arctic fox, Xavier is a penguin, Sylus is a snow owl, and Zayne is a polar bear!

As for the mythological, it's half unfinished. I only have Rafayel as a kitsune and Sylus as a cerberus/hellhound hybrid with Y/n being the daughter of Hades.

The Fated/Soulmate series! I'm unsure what to call this exactly. I might have it under "Fated mini-series" but it's going to be four different one-shots with each of the guys under a different soulmate trope. So you can give me feedback about this as well or even comment something you'd want to see instead or even help add upon the idea itself!

Rafayel's soulmate trope would be the "colourblind until you touch" trope. Where everyone is colourblind until you meet your soulmate but for an added twist, the first touch from your soulmate leaves an imprint wherever they touched. So, for example, Rafayel grabs your arm as you try to leave and it leaves a pretty, water-coloured imprint on your wrist. I think that would be a fitting and cute combination for Rafayel.

Xavier's soulmate trope would either be "dreams of a past life together", so you both dream of your past life and have to find the person in your dreams, or "at a young age, you can make something and send it to your soulmate. This item will be key in finding your soulmate as an adult." So, let's say you send Xavier the star sword tassel and he sends you a crystal (imagine the protocore he tries to give the mc in his anecdotes). Then, as adults, you see Xavier walking to class with the charm on his backpack while your grandma, Josephine, turned the crystal into a necklace. Edit; this has been changed to a "tattoo mark" appearing when making contact with your soulmate annnnd the guideverse (so think espers and guides)

Zayne's is, by far, my favourite idea. It's "once you touch your soulmate, you get opposing evols". So similar to "opposites attract". You're childhood friends with Zayne and for some reason (spoilers), you wear gloves so you can touch anyone. Zayne also wears gloves in solidarity with you but, one day, he forgets his gloves and catches you when you slip. His hands touch your bare elbows and suddenly, he has an ice evol and yours is fire. For some extra angst, fire is traumatic for you and so is the thought of soulmates.

Sylus's is more of a funny idea than anything. A "tangible red string of fate" so similar to the evol linkage in game. He can drag you around with it and everything. It gets more visible and stronger the more you think about the other person, so at first its barely even noticeable and he can't move you with it. But soon, he can literally drag you out with him and you can play a funny game of tug-of-war with it. Edit; I really want to change this one so i might hold a voting for it as well

I also had the fleeting idea of grumpy x sunshine but that's more of a "trope" than a soulmate trope.

I also have another good fate idea for Rafayel, a stand-alone one. This soulmate au would be "your soulmate is from another world and you get dreams of their day-to-day life. You must decide if you'll cross over to their world by your 23rd birthday and, if you choose not to, you'll lose your connection to them." In this au, Rafayel would be the God of the Sea and you would be an average person. Rafayel would be more than willing to leave his life for his soulmate but as the last God of the Sea...You end up making the decision for him.

The Tropes mini-series;

So this one is a four-shot with an accumulation of tropes. So each LADS boy will have a one-shot of a different trope. Like friends to lovers, rivals to lovers, etc.

I could've went the obvious route and chose Zayne or Xavier as childhood friends to lovers but I didn't want the easy way out to be honest.

The trope I chose for Rafayel is "amnesia". You've lost your memory and woke up in the hospital with a man seated next to you. His hand desperately gripping your own as if he were a balloon about to fly away. "Uh...hello?" You ask, your throat feeling dry as if you hadn't spoken in weeks. "Y/n!?" The man jerks awake with wide eyes. Tears flood his waterline and he gently cups your face. You can feel his hands trembling and you tilt your head to the side, confused, "Are you...my boyfriend?" "What-" Rafayel looked confused, but it only takes a few seconds before he nods, "Yes. I'm Rafayel, your boyfriend."

In actuality, you're his bodyguard and you got injured trying to protect him. He lies to you because he doesn't want you to put yourself in danger for him anymore.

Edit; this one has since been changed to "love at first sight" + reincarnation + slight enemies to lovers

Xavier's trope is a complete flip on what you would originally expect. I chose "rivals to lovers" for him, just because I had a small idea where he could be a lightseeker and you would be the other faction. (I forgot the names of the knights on Philo, they're from Xavier's lightseeker myth if you're confused) But you also get annoyed with Xavier because he keeps putting off his princely duties. Annnnd it would be funny to call him "Princess". I have since changed mind and Xavier's "Pragma(tic) Love" is out now!

Zayne's trope is also not "friends to lovers". Instead I thought "forbidden love". This one is a bit of a stretch and I can tweak it if it's unliked but this would be a fantasy au where Zayne is from the Kingdom of Linkon and he's a saint blessed by Astra (the God from his Forseer myth) and you are a princess from the Kingdom of Philo. You were blessed by the Goddess Lux (I made her up and her name means light) and you've come to Linkon's Kingdom to possibly marry their prince, Greyson (I didn't want to use a love interest for this role), and unite the kingdoms. Instead you, a princess from a kingdom who doesn't believe in Astra, and Zayne, a follower of Astra, fall in love. Also, Zayne's powers cannot affect you because of Lux's blessing, which gives you the ability to resonate (make other's powers stronger), heal, and create a ball of light so hot that it feels like fire itself. Edit; this one has been changed to "brother's best friend" <3

Now, Sylus is our friends to lovers! A modern au friends to lovers where your mother is a top operative in Onychinus, a crime syndicate led by Sylus's parents. You meet while young (but not too young) and have a seven year age gap. You've always had a crush on Sylus, since you were little, and Sylus possibly does but he avoids thinking about it because of your age difference. At 30, he feels like he's way too old for you, at 23 in this. Now, to not make it weird, your mother passes away and you're sent to your grandma, Josephine's to live a better life away from all the crime. You grow up there from highschool, all the way until college when disaster strikes. On your way home for springbreak with Caleb, your friend- who your grandmother took in, your home explodes. The blast kills both Caleb and your grandma. This was clearly an attack by a rival gang and Sylus steps in to take you back to Onychinus.

Edit; this one has been changed as well, I'm unsure of what just yet though, but there's a voting for what it could be! (Sept 2, 2024)

I hope you guys aren't tired of this by now! But either way, I'll keep going since I'm not done yet. I just wanna put my ideas out there and figure out which I should be working on as I post my weekly chapters for "Twist of Fate".

The next category is the "camgirl" mini-series. This one was a must-have to add because I've read so many BTS camgirl one-shots and loved them so much. I doubt any of the four guys would ever want their love on camera for everyone to see but they might not mind as much if they're on screen with her...

So for Sylus, I already have a name. I came up with it at work- "Welcome to the Puppet Show".

The idea is as follows, "Sylus strings you up like a puppet with his evol during one of your weekly cam-sessions." That's it. That's all I got.

For the rest, Xavier's would be the usual. He's your childhood friend and he recently gifted you a necklace for your birthday. His friend, Jeremiah, tells him about this camgirl website and jokingly shows him a few videos. After this, Xavier has been watching your lives for a while now until he notices something peculiar in today's session. You're wearing the necklace he gave you. He instantly knows it's you because he got the necklace custom made and he confronts you about it.

Rafayel is a tattoo artist and he recently gave you a tattoo. It was a pretty unique one so he'd never forget what it looked like, especially where you had it done. A cute, little koi fish ying-yang under your breast. He sees the tattoo in one of your cam-sessions and I'm not sure how you would meet up after that, if I'm honest so let's move on to Zayne.

Zayne is your partner during your cam-shows. He's your close friend from school and once he learnt of your cam-shows, he casually offers to be a part of them for when your fans get tired of your solo lives. He's always only lent a hand, never actually fucking you. Neither on camera nor off. But on your final live, you ask him to fuck you. This is your final live because you're planning on confessing your feelings for him afterward.

Now, we're onto the most unsure one of all; the Android mini-series.

The Android mini-series is, once again, solo one-shots compiled into a series. This series was heavily taken from an old bts mini-series I had. Like Rafayel's would've been Taehyung's (his model would've been the Vante KTH7-1230), Xavier's would've been Jimin's (his model would've been PJM7-1013), Zayne's would've been Namjoon's (his model being Holmes 2.0 KNJ7-0912), and Sylus's would've been Yoongi's (his model being OG Holmes MYG7-0309). So, I might change Zayne and Sylus's models because I might want to write this idea for bts in the future, but just let me know if you want to see it and I'll make some changes!

For Rafayel's, you were fully colourblind when you were younger but you were deadset on becoming an artist. Your grandma, Josephine, had always wanted the best for you so she worked many days of overtime at her job until she could finally afford a corrective surgery- but only for one eye. You've gotten the surgery, which was replacing your original eye with an android one so now you have one e/c (eye colour) eye and one magenta eye. Later on in life, you were finally in college for an art degree and your professor gifts you his old android. A Delaux model (the model is named after a famous artist who painted mermaids) with the ID number RF04-0306. The Delaux model of androids are used to help artists with colour correction and matching, give input on what would sell best or look more appealing to buyers, and even give an artist ideas for artworks or create compelling backstories that their artwork could be based upon. All Delaux androids have unnatural coloured hair since it's against their coding to have nature hair because it's normal and therefore boring for such an artsy android model. Rafayel is the only Delaux model with his hair colour.

Next up is Xavier. He's a Lux model android with the ID XV04-1016. Lux model androids are primarily used as an assist for the military and police force as replacements for the K-9 unit, so they're lithe and light on their feet. These models always have blonde or silver hair if they work for the police and black hair if they're affiliated with the military. If they have any different hair colour, then the Lux model is considered defective and is terminated. These models cannot be kept by the public because they're a higher caliber of android, unless they are protecting a rich client. For your story, you find him in an alleyway or maybe a garbage dump and he's half destroyed. You decide to bring him home to your mechanic shop (your home is above the shop) to repair him. Once your power him on, he remembers nothing so you decide to keep him around- almost as if he's a stray dog. Also, in this story, you have an android arm. For this one, I'm 100% sure if I want him to be a military android but it makes sense for him. It was either this or a sex worker android and I feel like that doesn't fit with him..

Zayne is a Holmes 2.0 model android with the ID number ZY04-0905. The one and only Holmes model in existence since the last one was shut down because it was ruled compromised (or deviant) after a various amount of tests. The Holmes model is a less animalistic version of the Lux model; These androids are more intuitive and less likely to instigate conflict. Black hair is their only choice of hair colour, anything else and they will be decommissioned. In this, you are a damn good detective. The best there ever was...until your accident. You miscalculated an explosion radius during your last big mission and it costed you big time. You ended up losing both an arm and a leg. Your boss (the chief of police) compensated you for your injuries. He provided you with an android arm and leg to replace what you had lost and a brand new Holmes 2.0 model android to be your little sidekick for the next few months, until you can get used your new limbs. This would be his first official test run before the EVER corporation created more of his model. But you hated it. You felt useless to your team and you felt less human with your new android add-ons. You pretty much took out your anger on your newly acquired android because they gave you an android to solve a problem that an android caused in the first place! Damn defective android almost killed you, all because it "didn't want to die". I love the premise of this but Holmes doesn't fit with Zayne's aesthetic. I can always swap him to a medical assistance android where Y/n has a heart condition and Zayne is her android that takes care of her but it's up to yall! If I change Zayne, I have to change Sylus's though because their models go hand in hand for the story.

And lastly, we have Sylus. He...can't remember his model name but he knows his ID number, SL04-0418. Though, every time he looks up his ID number, he gets no results. Nothing. It's almost as if his model never existed or...it was decommissioned. That would mean he's defective and he doesn't want to admit that. He doesn't want to be shut down. After searching, he soon learns that he might be the original Holmes model but...it's not like he can just ask anyone, they'd shut him down if he asked..right?

You have worked in the big, shiny and glaringly white EVER corporation building for years at this point, creating and customizing many androids that are constantly in every day use. You painstakingly detailed everything about these androids from their faces to even their personalities and the very first Holmes model was no exception. You grew very close to this android during the years of designing and creating him, you even gave him a name. Sylus. He was one of your favourites, out of all of your creations, and...he was decommissioned. You honestly never thought you'd see him again until you were brought in to shut him down and you couldn't bring yourself to do it. You had loosely based his looks on an old friend whom you had a one-sided crush on. From his hair to his eyebrows, his physique and even the scar on his chest. You were able to take full creative liberties with the very first Holmes model android because, well, it was the first in existence. But now, he's just called a failed prototype. You made him too...human. Too independent and strong willed. This wasn't the designated personality for a Holmes model android and this ultimately led to a cop becoming gravely injured on Sylus's first mission. The negligence caused by your own hand haunts your every day because you could've killed someone. It would've been your fault, after all. But now with that android, your android, standing right in front of you once more...You can't seem to let him go. You can't lose him, not for a second time. You're willing to throw your whole job away to protect him, sick and tired of androids being treated horribly just because they're becoming self aware and more human. So again, let me know if you like this idea and if you do, I hope you won't mind if I end up re-hashing it when I possibly make my bts android mini-series <3 because I genuinely can't think of anything that works with Sylus. Nothing else really makes sense but I'm also unsure of how the story would go with this one 🤔

I think we're at the half-way point! This is where it goes downhill to be honest. The only good one here is the first one, I feel, but if I thought about it more, I'm sure I'd find better ideas for the other guys.

Rafayel's fairy tale story is quite obvious. It's "The Little Mermaid" but flipped. You would be Eric and Rafayel would be Ariel, however Eric would be the one wanting to be part of Ariel's world. You've seen him in the ocean multiple times from your beach house. Honestly, the first time you saw him, you thought he was drowning but then you saw the beautiful purple and blue tail fin that adorned his lower half. He was...a mermaid? Every day for a few weeks, you'd take some time out of your day just to watch him breach the surface and play around with the seagulls. He would sometimes sit atop driftwood and large boulders in the ocean. He was a sight to behold. And then, he began to take notice of you. Eventually, the two of you begin engaging in conversation- but not before he accuses you of wanting to fillet him like a fish. As the two of you grow close and he tells you stories about his home, Lemuria, you decide you want to be a part of his world. You find a traveling witch and she gives you an ultimatum. You can become a mermaid to live with Rafayel but you must give something up equal in return. Now, the tricky part is, I'm not sure what I want for Y/n to lose. I don't want it to be her voice, her eyesight, her emotions, so I'm thinking maybe she gains a heart condition so she can be with him but not for a long time. Though, this heart condition can be cured with an act of passion. An action that would tug on anyone's heart strings would be enough to snap the strings of Y/n's heart back into place. Also some mermaids are depicted with two penises so...Yeah!

Xavier's is yet another obvious one. I decided to go with "Sleeping Beauty" but I can always change it if I can find a better one. On the day the little prince was born, a warlock appeared and let out a cackle, "I shall curse the sole heir to Philo's throne. This kingdom has brought many sufferings to warlocks and witches alike and it shall be brought down by the prince himself!" The warlock, named Luminous (I came up with that on the spot but it's a parallel to Maleficent and Lumiere) also cursed the king and queen with infertility so they couldn't just have another child. And so, on Prince Xavier's 23rd birthday, Luminous reappeared and unsealed the curse upon the prince. Thorns erupted through the banquet hall, wrapping around the entire castle, and whomever was pricked by the thorns fell into a deep slumber. 50 years have passed since the kingdom of Philo fell into a deep slumber and you, a witch who was also childhood friends with the prince, decide to sneak into the castle and plunder it for any treasures it may hold. While searching, you prick your finger on a thorn and panic, thinking you will also succumb to the curse. However, you don't. This could be because you're a witch or because you're just the protagonist. Either way, this leads you to believe that you could wake Xavier up and this option would pave the way for more money in the future so it's your best opportunity for some quick wealth. As you head over to Xavier, pondering on how you could wake him up, you end up tripping over something on the floor and you land on top of him. Your lips crashing into his and you can taste your own blood. Congrats, you've awoken sleeping beauty! :D

Sylus's story...I'm torn between "Rapunzel" and "The Beauty and the Beast". He's got the Flynn Ryder aesthetic but also the Beast's at the same time so once I come up with a storyline, I'll probably make my decision.

Zayne's is also another hard decision. I could go for the obvious "Frozen" or perhaps Mulan. I'll explain my Frozen storyline though since that's all I've got. So Zayne is Elsa and you have the power of fire. (I haven't seen Frozen 2 but I think there's a girl who wields fire in it?) You don't know that you have this power and you were a princess who was just banished from your Kingdom, Philo, due to the false charge of trying to murder your step mother, the queen. You were banished from your warm kingdom to a desolate, snowy forest in the Kingdom of Linkon. And here, you stumble upon Zayne's ice castle that he created with his powers. Now, the story behind your false charges is, your step mother went from a mistress to a queen after your mother passed away and your step mother got rid of you because she wants her son, the king's non-bilogical, to be next in line for the throne instead of you. So, instead of fighting your way to go back home, you convince Zayne to allow you to stay in his castle until the snow storm outside subsides and you can leave. Soon, you learn of your fire powers and Zayne offers to aid you in learning how to use them. Also, Zayne's younger brother Greyson (He is Ana here) and his girlfriend Yvonne (She is Kristoff) are the rulers of Linkon because Zayne locked himself away in the castle in fear that his powers would hurt someone.

Here's where the ideas get less and less detailed. This was another mini-series taken from my old bts ones and honestly, I might not even write these but I thought it would be nice to add them here just in case.

Zayne would be an English professor with you as his teaching assistant. Even though you're an assistant, you also do some classwork to bide your time when you're not busy and even turn it in to Zayne to have him 'grade' it. This week's essay for a romance essay and you decided to write a steamy little romance essay for fun and submit it to Zayne after class. A week passes by and you're worried he either saw it and didn't care or he's going to mention it when you leave expect it- which he does the latter. He's intrigued at how knowledgeable and intimate the scenes are, and questions if you've done something like this before. You respond that you're a virgin and Zayne asks, "Would you like to feel how your essay would play out?"

For Rafayel, I'd do the obvious choice of an Art Professor with you as his teaching assistant (you're always the teaching assistance because Professor x student feels a bit icky to me, just the power dynamic and everything. I'm not too into writing it). Anyway, he needs you to be a model for a painting but never tells you just what kind of model.

Sylus's could be a physical education professor, I'm not sure if that's even a type of professor? (I didn't go to college so I wouldn't know) but I'm on the fence about this one. I could base it loosely off of his boxing 5 star card.

Xavier would be the Theatre/Drama professor and he needs you to be his supporting actress for rehearsals. Maybe you both are participating in a big play with the students and you need to practice your lines?

Because these ones are specifically so short, I'm not going to add a break in-between. It feels unnecessary but the next idea is superheroes. Honestly since I love Spiderman so much, I might make them all spiderman but for now...here's the ideas.

Xavier would be Lumiere (comparable to Spiderman), Rafayel would be spiderman (because I don't want to write aquaman-), Zayne could be winter soldier, and Sylus might fit as Iron Man. So in these stories, you'd be Iron man's secretary (so think Pepper), spiderman's best friend, lumiere's biggest fan and probably a reporter, and I'm drawing a blank on winter soldier.

The superhero one is honestly my weakest link when it comes to these one-shots but I really want to give it a shot.

Then, the actual one-shots that wouldn't be in series's would be all of their 5 star myth cards but reimagined. So I wouldn't write them word for word, just loosely base them on it.

The only example I have is for the Sea God myth.

So in this story, you're still an orphan being raised by the emissaries as a sacrifice for the Sea God but you have grandma Josephine, who was a clergy woman at the church you were confined to. She would tell you all kinds of stories about Lemuria and the people who lived under the deep sea. Then, on your 19th birthday, she passes away and shortly after, you were thrown into the sea as a sacrifice for the Sea God. I set the age at 18/19 just because Rafayel's coming of age ceremony to become the Sea God is within the 5 star myth cards and usually your coming of age ceremony (at least in ro-fan manhwas) is around the age of 16 to 19.

Annnnd that should be it! I really wanted to add my space/alien! Bts au since I really like it and will more than likely write it in the future, but this isn't a bts post so I don't want to write about them too much here but if you want to hear about it then I might make a separate post about it!

With that being said, I hope you enjoyed reading through my ideas for the future and have some that you're looking forward to! Other than that, my next post will be Chapters Six and Seven for "Twist of Fate" on late Friday or sometime Saturday! I don't have an exact time since I'll have to cross-post to both wattpad and AO3 but it'll be one of those two days. I'll possibly even post chapter eight as well, but I'm not too sure yet since I'm writing chapter twenty and I don't want to post too many chapters at once. I'll see y'all once more on friday/saturday! 🩷

[bau-drabbles]

a/n: inspired from all the prev posts!

your insta but you're dating aaron hotchner part 2 :")

part 1, 3, 4

liked by kate.callahan, the.davidrossi and 497 others

y/n_xo: look at my faves 🫶🥹.... and then there's aaron

view all 211 comments

its.emilyp: jumpscare warning next time 😨

d.morgan: nah he looks like he's concocting some evil plan

penny.garcia: he looks like he's going to steal christmas

reid.gram: he looks like he kidnapped my mom and held her hostage somewhere 😦

itsjj: just smile and wave, kids. smile and wave 🥲

d.morgan: crop him out next time fr 🙏

a.hotch: i'll crop you out of the team

d.morgan: say less 😍😮‍💨 least ion have an ugly smile

a.hotch: what smile? you just bare your teeth

y/n_xo: oh 😭

liked by penny.garcia, reid.gram and 489 others

y/n_xo: meme jack really quickly 🫣

view all 278 comments

reid.gram: jack is me when hotch is asking me to get to the point even though my point was the whole theory 🙂

penny.garcia: omg me when he tells me to search something more quickly even though i'm already working high speed 🙂

itsjj: me when he plants more files on my desk even though i'm drowning in the last ones 🙂

its.emilyp: he's me that one time hotch did "team building" and then proceeded to complain the whole time 🙂

d.morgan: me when i made one mistake and he held it against me for months but goes on about forgiving and how its important to move on 🙂

the.davidrossi: me looking at him ogling @/y/n_xo for months and then passionately disagreeing he was in love

y/n_xo: so i'm sensing some of you need therapy 🧍‍♀️

a.hotch: all of you are dead to me

liked by its.emilyp, itsjj and 524 others

y/n_xo: i really got replaced 💔

view all 200 comments

the.davidrossi: WHERE are you finding these???

itsjj: so... who's the wife in the relationship? 🤔

its.emilyp: it's rossi for sure

reid.gram: i would say hotch. the angle of the selfie says it all

d.morgan: nah it gotta be rossi, he types and cooks like a mom. sometimes he even be smelling like one

the.davidrossi: all of you are out of my will

d.morgan: i complimented your cooking and this is the attitude i get? choke

its.emilyp: you're probably immortal at this point, poisoning and sucking the life out of other people so you can drive us to insanity which would inevitably lead us to our doom. but i see right through you 😒

itsjj: sweetheart we need to stop watching horror movies at night time, okay?

a.hotch: it's not what it looks like!

y/n_xo: i don't know if i should cry or be disgusted >:(

a.hotch: baby, i haven't cheated. i promise you ❤

y/n_xo: omg could you imagine if you did with rossi? 💀

the.davidrossi: what is that supposed to mean? 🤨

reid.gram: she means you're old and embarrassing. and maybe even disgusting 🤷‍♂️

y/n_xo: i will physically mutilate you and feed you to wild dogs

itsjj: thanks for that, my kids are crying

liked by the.davidrossi, a.hotch and 478 others

y/n_xo: my bae 😍

view all 234 comments

reid.gram: we literally have a pending case right now y/n

y/n_xo: okay? he's still a bae 😍

reid.gram: awww really? hope you guys find out you're related 😍🤞

penny.garcia: well... at least we know those frown lines are removable 😌

reid.gram: in a time like this, his frown lines are what matters to you? imagine if he was dead

itsjj: omg imagine he was and you guys were discussing his frown lines. i'd resurrect and haunt everyone on this thread

reid.gram: don't worry, your cheeto breath would give you away instantly 🤢

penny.garcia: all i'm saying is i'd want to make sure our boss got a nice makeover one last time in the coffin. and you can't do that if you have bad indentations on your forehead 💗💗

itsjj: this alone should give you employee of the year 😍

a.hotch: i think we need to have a serious talk

d.morgan: seeing hotch not angry makes me feel deeply uncomfortable

its.emilyp: no cause same. someone poke him and see if he's alive

y/n_xo: you'd think i'd kill him? 😡

its.emilyp: if you did, there'd be no one between us would there? 😏

y/n_xo: 😳

a.hotch: i'm wide awake, thank you 😠

its.emilyp: its like he's still with us 😢 i can almost feel his presence 💔

[cheekinpermission]

hello! I was just wondering, do you have any advice for getting so many gems in Twst? Also thank you for your wonderful art, I enjoy looking forward to see what you draw next :D

Buy them

Just kidding! I've only made one purchase for TWST. It was less than $10 and was way back in the beginning for some kind of deal or something.

My 16k gem stash is the product of two years of grinding and selective pulls. I really wish I could say I had some kind of hack but that's really it. I'll talk about how I approach spending resources in the game, though, if anyone finds that useful.

As per usual, I ramble so it'll be under the cut!

1. Pick a favorite character

HEAR ME OUT I KNOW ITS HARD BECAUSE ALL THE CHARACTERS ARE GREAT! But it helps a lot if you're limiting who you're willing to pull for instead of every pretty card that comes out.

Personally, Riddle is my favorite (+ Grim but he's not really a concern card wise) so I'm committed to getting all of his cards. I'd really hate if I couldn't get one of his cards that I really want because I spent my keys / gems on a card that I only kind of wanted. So that's something to think about if it helps keep things in perspective.

All my Riddles!! (I definitely don't have a favorite Riddle shhh)

For example, I absolutely love Ortho's Fairy Gala card. I think it's one of the prettiest in the game! But I didn't pull for it because Ortho isn't a favorite character of mine.

It works the opposite, too. Kalim, Vil, and Ruggie are among my favorites but I've passed on a lot of their cards for one reason or another. I passed on Tsum Kalim because I didn't like the groovy, I passed on Silk Adorned Vil because I didn't like that it didn't have an attached vignette, and I passed on Camp Vargas Ruggie because I didn't like the event itself. While I really love these characters, I'm picky about which ones I'll pull so I don't miss out on a better one later.

For characters that I like quite a bit (top 5 ish), I'll use their free ten set you get on their birthday to try and pull for them. If I don't get them within those ten pulls, I accept it and move on.

I also want to say that this method has allowed to me to get pretty much every card that I've actually wanted. I can even pull for characters that aren't among my favorites (e.g. Idia who has THE BEST SSRS FOR SOME REASON??) and still have a big gem safety net.

I don't pull super often, I don't think, but I've gotten everything I've wanted so I think it's a fair trade-off.

Given my gem stash, you might be able to get away with collecting for a dorm but it'd have to be one of the tiny ones (Scarabia would be excellent because Jamil has almost no SSRs rip)

2. Plan ahead of time using JP TWST events

One of the biggest advantages of JP TWST releasing events way before Eng TWST is that we know what's coming ahead of time so we can plan accordingly. Obviously, this won't work if you're trying to save gems on the Japanese server.

You'll have to be okay with spoilers for the English server, too. At least enough to know if a character you like is in the event. I like to look at the card art and groovies, personally, as those will influence my decision if I'm on the fence.

SPOILERS FOR JP TWST EVENTS

I know which cards that I need to save for in the future:

Riddle’s Swimear SR

Ruggie’s Clubwear SSR

Rollo's SSR (pending available keys)

Riddle's Bloomquet SSR

Vil's Luxe Couture SSR

Vil and Malleus's Tsum SSR (pending groovies)

While we don't have a definitive schedule for a lot of these, a lot of them you can kind of guess.

For example, Riddle's Swimwear SR is part of Stitch's event which seems pretty summer-y to me. It'll likely come out in June or July of this year. Clubwear cards come relatively quickly so I'm anticipating Ruggie's Clubwear SSR fairly soon, too. Gotta make sure I'm saving right now for those bad boys.

Rollo and Riddle will probably come around the same time (Aug-Nov) so I've got a bit of time to build up my collection of keys again.

The others just got released in Japan so they'll take awhile before they reach us and I'm not too worried about them just yet.

SPOILERS DONE!

I think of it like going to the grocery store with a shopping list. Stick to the list and you know you can't overspend!

3. Don't pull for dorm cards

"That's easy for you to say, Cheekin. Riddle is your favorite character and you can get his dorm card for free at the beginning of the game!!"

Why, yes. Yes, you can. Thanks, Riddle!

(Ngl I might've caved and done it for Riddle but ONLY Riddle because he's my fave :D)

Now that all of the dorm uniforms have been released, dorm showcases aren't really a thing but in the event that they do a re-run I would avoid spending keys / gems on them. Same goes for the standard show case. Neither are worth it, IMO.

Dorm uniform cards will always be in the SSR pool regardless of the event, so I think it's better to just take your chances and collect them slowly overtime. Of course, the odds of getting the one you want aren't super high but you'll amass quite a few dorm cards just by pulling for event cards anyways. You're bound to get one you like eventually.

For reference, I've gotten Dorm Idia, Ortho, Vil, Jamil THREE TIMES, Kalim, Azul, Ruggie, Jack, Trey TWICE and Deuce TWICE as a byproduct of pulling for event cards. I wasn't trying to get them but they're here now and I love them for it <3

---

And that's about it! Nothing too groundbreaking. The biggest thing is knowing when to stop. Sometimes when I'm on that gacha grind high and I want to pull just cause it's been awhile since I've gotten an SSR, I'll tell myself to do it later because 99% of the time I'll just forget and it'll never happen!

I have been burned by too many gacha games in the past that I refuse to let it happen to me again in TWST (cough Obey Me COUGH)

Here are all my SSRs so you can judge for yourself how effective it is. (Or if its worth it)

I genuinely have no clue what the average number of SSR's a player who has been playing for over 2 years like me has, but I'm comfortable with what I've got. I've gotten all the cards I've wanted and most of the cards I was interested in so I think it's worth it.

tldr: be selective about your pulling, plan ahead, and resist the urge to pull constantly

Thank you for your kind words about my art!! (And if anyone got to the end of all this WORD VOMIT thanks for listening! Reading. Whatever.)

[hassedah]

Hi, I hope requests are open!

I was wondering how the boys would react to meeting mcs family (let's just assume they have family lol) I feel like that may be very, very chaotic and fun

Vladimir meets MC's family:

Hi! How are you? I hope you are well! ^^

I'm back again. I have quite a few requests pending. I'll try to publish them quickly. Several of them are already in my drafts and are almost finished ^^.

I'm going to make a separate answer for each character with this request, given everything I've written for Vladimir and the fact that I like each character to have roughly the same length of response.

The next one to come out should be Beliath, I'm halfway through for him.

I hope you enjoy it! ^^

Take care of yourself and have a nice day! ^^

-----

Did he tell you he was stressed? Maybe a dozen times since you left the manor. Vladimir is sitting in the passenger seat next to you, you must have hired a car to take you to the town. It's a short hour's drive, but for once, Vladimir seems much less stressed about the car journey than the idea of meeting your parents.

"It's all right, darling. They're not going to eat you, you know, you are trying to lighten the mood by joking.

-I know!"

You give him a quick look. Vladimir is clinging to the door as if his life depended on it, and he can't help shaking his leg.

"Do you want me to stop the car? -No, I'm fine. -All right, if you change your mind, let me know. It'll make us a bit late, but my parents will wonder what I've done to you if you turn up so distressed. -We can't be late, it's impolite. -It's OK to be a bit late and it's better than having an anxiety attack in my living room, isn't it?"

He nodded. He wasn't as stressed when he left the manor, well, he was, but he didn't feel like he was running out of air. He spent more than an hour looking for the right clothes to wear, you saw her change outfits more than a dozen times before you decided to choose clothes yourself from her wardrobe. He's comfortable in it, which is the main thing, in your opinion, but he's worried about looking like a fool in front of your parents with his clothes from another century. Maybe they won't even let him in the house. After all, what kind of parents would let a monster like him anywhere near their child? If his parents had understood that the person who had transformed him was a vampire, he would never have been allowed near him.

Vladimir groans. He gets even more anxious by himself. Your parents won't know that he's a vampire, how could they? You haven't told them and it's not written on his forehead… well, he'll always look strange… What parents could leave their child with someone as strange as him?! His clothes are anachronistic, the way he talks is strange.

"Calm down Vladimir, you're worrying me. Are you sure you don't want me to stop the car? -No, I'll be fine. -I assure you my parents will like you. And it's only dinner, it's nothing formal."

A dinner party! Not formal! A first dinner at your partner's parents' house is very formal. He would have known perfectly well what to do in the 19th century, but in the 21st century! He has no idea, and he's already afraid of the mistakes he might make. How should he address them? What subjects are allowed to be discussed? Where should he sit at the table? He can't just sit anywhere, there are rules to be respected! He hasn't even brought a present for your parents - you said it wasn't necessary, but he feels it's really impolite. Perhaps there's still time to turn back? His chest is compressed with anxiety and he's struggling to breathe. You let go of the steering wheel with one hand to take his.

You, you would have preferred to wait a little longer before Vladimir met your parents. You had gone to see them alone on several occasions and you had spoken to them about Vladimir many times. They began to insist on meeting him. You often told your parents that Vladimir was allergic to sunlight and therefore you couldn't come for lunch. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. It was several weeks before they asked you to come for dinner one evening, and you tried to put the date back as far as possible, mainly so that Vladimir would have time to get used to the idea of meeting them. But they were so insistent that you couldn't keep them waiting for more than a week, on a moonless night.

"They're very nice, you'll see, but a bit protective," you try to reassure him. But I think that's normal for parents. They're also likely to make some not very funny jokes. If you don't feel well at any time, you can go and lock yourself in my room. Normally you'd be sitting next to me, so you can shake my hand if anything goes wrong. -Yes… I'll do everything I can not to make you feel uncomfortable with my presence. -I'm not talking about that, Vladimir. You won't cause any problems, I know that. My parents are going to ask you questions about you, about what you like, about your family. -No! No, I don't want anyone talking about my family. -I'll try to deflect the conversation if that happens, don't worry."

You squeezed his hand, then stroked his palm, to reassure him, and it seemed to work, because he relaxed a little. You weren't far from your parents' house and after another ten minutes or so you saw their house looming up in the dark street. You stopped just in front of the house before turning to Vladimir.

"Can we go now? you ask softly. -Yes, I think we can. -All right, then. You'll see, they're nice people, I'm sure they'll like you. -I wouldn't be so sure if I were you," mumbled Vladimir as he got out of the car, "not many people like me… -Don't be silly, everyone at the manor loves you and I've even fallen in love with you. That just goes to show you're someone to love, doesn't it?"

Vladimir gave a little pout without answering. You waited for him by the car and he came over to take your hand in his, and you smiled, leaning in slightly to kiss his cheek before approaching the house.

"It's a small house," Vladimir whispered in your ear as you approached the door. -Yes, I don't live in a castle. -I… I just want to say that even my country house was bigger "

You laughed softly.

" Damn, I really don't know how to express myself. I…. I'm making it worse for myself, aren't I? -That's OK. You make me laugh. You leaned in to kiss her again. I know you're not just saying that to be mean or to brag, I know you."

You rang the doorbell. Your parents only took a few seconds to arrive, almost as if they'd been waiting in the hall to let you in. There was a lot of talking, about your route, your health, the weather, all mixed up with more or less noisy and awkward introductions. Vladimir remained stubbornly beside you, with a smile on his face that you couldn't have described other than uncomfortable. Remembering that your partner is not used to so much commotion, you slipped a hand behind his back to reassure him, and he moved a little closer to you, your shoulders almost touching.

"I'm delighted to meet you," said Vladimir, glancing at you briefly to make sure he wasn't making a mistake. I am honoured to be invited to dinner. -Don't be so formal, young man," exclaimed one of your parents. We're not going to eat you. -I -Vladimir finds it difficult to use informal language. There's not much he can do about it, I think he'll be more comfortable if he keeps talking like that. -Do you really think so? It's strange, but so be it. Come on in, let's get off the porch, it's a cold."

You were pushed inside the house by your parents, who were still talking. There was a strong smell of food in the house and you were already certain that your parents had prepared your favourite dish to celebrate your visit. You all headed for the dining room. Vladimir sat right next to you while your parents sat opposite. His face was icy, a look he always takes when he's stressed and anxious and which often has the misfortune of making him appear extremely arrogant and cold. You grabbed his hand under the table to stroke it and try to help him relax, but he only squeezed your hand before turning his face towards you, you were sure your parents wouldn't see, but you could read the anxiety in his dark eyes perfectly.

The start of the meal went off without a hitch, except for Vladimir who, being rather fussy about food, didn't touch many dishes. The conversation went pretty well too, despite your parents' insistence that your vampire fill up his plate a little more.

"Really, you don't eat much, don't you like it? asked one of your parents after Vladimir had turned down another piece of meat with a contrite smile.

At the remark your partner opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. You immediately stepped in to save him.

"Vladimir has a small appetite, he never eats much. -All the same," continued one of your parents, "it's not good for your health. -I… it's very good… but I don't eat much… MC is right… -It's obvious, you're just skin and bones. -That's not a very nice comment, firstly, and secondly, it's not polite to comment on what people eat either. You're making Vladimir feel uncomfortable.

There was a pause in the conversation as you stared alternately at your parents, beside you Vladimir sighed with relief before taking your hand under the table to thank you.

"Ah, sorry, young man. We didn't mean to hurt your feelings. It's just concern. -It's nothing, nothing at all," mumbled Vladimir.

The meal resumed on less delicate subjects and Vladimir began to relax again. He spoke very little, however, content to answer your parents' questions. When the subject of the manor came up, things got complicated again.

"So, you all live in your house together, is that right? -That's right. -And it's your house? MC told me it was a manor house. -Yes… it is my mansion… -How well do you know your flatmates? I mean, seven people, that's a lot of people it can't be quiet every day. -We have been living together for several years…" replied Vladimir. We get on quite well, even if there is sometimes friction… -It can't be easy to keep everyone happy. I suppose it must be a lot quieter when everyone goes off to work."

You were going to tell a lie, but Vladimir's face betrayed you before you even had time to open your mouth.

"Don't they have jobs?! Your parents' exclamation made Vladimir stiffen in his chair, he moved back a little to press his back against the backrest and you intervened once again to save him. -Of course it is! Everyone has a job. Except Ivan, but he's younger and it's hard for him to find work in the current economic climate. However, he helps us a lot around the house, he does the cleaning, he tends the garden, he always goes shopping for us with Beliath and he's a very polite and very nice boy. Isn't he, my darling? -Y… yes… Ivan is a very helpful boy."

Your lie and your smile worked because your parents relaxed almost immediately before smiling at you again.

"Oh, we were scared for a moment, I thought they were all living in your house without paying. -MC didn't tell us about it, but what do you do for a living, Vladimir? -I… I work… Vladimir glances at you, immediately understanding his distress, and you smile at your parents. -Vladimir is a writer, it's difficult to find a job when you can't work during the day. And he writes very well, by the way."

It wasn't a total lie, of course, Vladimir had never published a single book, but he did write. However, you didn't often get the chance to read his stories because your partner didn't feel comfortable enough with his writing to show them to you.

"Oh, really… It's an original job… but it can't bring in much money…," worries one of your parents. -Money's not a problem, the house is completely self-sufficient," you reply. -The house may be self-sufficient, but you're not living on love and fresh water. -Our food comes from the garden. -The garden… and what do you do in winter? -We store the produce," you always reply, while Vladimir seems to be trying to become one with the chair. -And what about the meat? -I think that if we needed meat Aaron could take care of it without any problem," you answer, giving Vladimir a knowing smile. -Oh… yes, Aaron would have no problem with that. -And we've got enough money anyway to buy meat if we need it."

The discussion suddenly turned to the rising price of meat and the growing vegetarian lifestyle. Vladimir grabbed your hand under the table during the discussion and you began to gently stroke the palm of his hand to try and help him calm down. Slowly, you succeeded, at least until the discussion turned back to your vampire's work.

"I could never have done this job myself, I need to move around to feel good. Do you even do sport? -Er… no. I… I don't do sport. -Not even a little? It's very bad for your health. You should be careful. -I… I don't like it… but I used to go horse-riding. -Horse-riding. It's an expensive sport!"

You ignored your parent's comment as you turned to Vladimir with a smile.

"Did I? You never told me you'd been horse-riding," you reply, amused. -Everyone went riding," protests Vladimir. I even had my own mare. -A mare? But horses cost money to keep! How could your parents afford to buy you something like that?"

You ignored your parent again as he continued his tirade to ask Vladimir.

"And what was her name?"

Vladimir blushed and looked down.

"Oh come on, tell me. I promise I won't laugh. -You're lying, I was three when I named him. You're going to laugh. I know you too well… -Oh come on, what name could a three-year-old boy give his horse… Cherry? Raspberry? No, too modern… Artemisia? Aphrodite? Penelope? -No… I don't think you'll be able to find… -You don't? -I'll tell you… later…"

You smile before leaning over to kiss his cheek, the simple gesture enough to make him blush profusely, he stammers something you don't fully understand but he takes your hand under the table to kiss it gently. You are taken out of your bubble by your parents' discussion, which resumes. The clock is already striking twenty-two and you've just finished your meal. It's been a long dinner and you can feel that your partner is getting more and more tired and already just wants to crawl back into your bedroom to get some rest. However, your parents still have a lot to say and a lot of questions to ask.

"And do you dress like this every day? -Er… yes. -It's original, you must stand out in the street. -I… I don't get out of the house much. -Oh, yes, that's true. MC told us. Your flatmates must be surprised to see you dressed like that. -He's very handsome like that," you retorted immediately to end the discussion."

Your tone is dry enough for your parents to instinctively understand that the discussion is not appropriate.

"I'm not saying otherwise, but it's -Impolite to criticise people's dress? I suppose. -Yes, it is, sorry, bunny, I didn't mean to offend you."

The discussion changes again and Vladimir seems relieved, raising the eyes he had lowered during the discussion to look at you. You smile gently at him to reassure him and this is almost enough to make his unease and shame disappear completely. You talk again for several minutes as you eat the dessert, time passing slowly for Vladimir, who has to keep himself from asking when you're finally going to come home. He was happy, however, not to be included in the discussion, that is, until one of your parents asked him a new question.

"And your parents? What do they do? Do they live near here?"

Vladimir squeezed your hand so hard it almost hurt, you didn't need to turn your head to him to know he must have changed colour at the question. You shook his hand in turn before smiling at your parents and to divert the conversation.

"I saw on my way here that he was planning to build a new road through the forest. -Ah, don't tell me about it," it exclaimed immediately, sitting back in his chair. It's another stupid idea. They'll do anything these days, as if there weren't enough roads already… "

Without listening any longer, you turned your head towards Vladimir and stroked his hand under the table. He seemed lost in thought.

"Do you want to go out for a moment?" you whispered, leaning close to his ear. -I want to stay with you," he replied almost immediately. -All right, then. Don't worry, dinner's nearly finished, just the coffee left and I promise we'll go home straight away."

He simply nodded in reply. The subject never came up again, as your parents had obviously forgotten about it and were complaining about the traffic problems on the road and the many traffic jams on the way into town in the mornings. During the discussion, Vladimir had moved his chair closer to yours and you were almost shoulder to shoulder. After a while, your parents finally served the coffee and Vladimir had some tea, because to his great relief your parents had some. He felt like he could fall asleep with his eyes open so he didn't hear when one of your parents asked him a question, and you had to squeeze his hand to make him pay attention to what was being said.

"Can you cook?" repeated your parent. -No… I had servants at home. -So… you've never cooked?" asked your stunned parent. -Servants?! -Well…"

Vladimir gives you another pleading look to get him out of this situation.

"It's Béliath and Raphaël who cook at home."

However, your parents don't listen to you for a second. Your partner's revelation seems to have shocked them so much that one of your parents immediately continues on the subject.

"Can you cook pasta? -Well… you need water, I suppose and… fire… -Supposed to? -I… I've never cooked pasta… -You've never cooked pasta! But everyone knows how to cook pasta! -I… it is complicated… I… -But who cooks in your flat? finally asked one of your parents, turning to you. -Raphaël and Béliath, as I've just told you. He cooks very well, so don't worry about the food. -It's crazy not to have cooked before. -But I've cooked before. It's just something complicated. -It's not complicated to cook pasta. -MC, please. -Vladimir doesn't need to cook. Aaron, Ethan and Ivan don't cook either and nobody has a problem with that. -But come on, sweetheart. Cooking pasta isn't complicated! -I wouldn't let Ethan cook pasta if my life depended on it. If it were up to me, Ethan wouldn't even set foot in the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee."

Luckily, your distraction worked and your parents started asking you questions about Ethan, who wouldn't be able to make himself a cup of coffee without setting fire to the kitchen. It certainly wasn't very nice for Ethan, but you didn't have many scruples: if it would allow Vladimir to be serene again, you would be able to claim anything. The meal went on for a while, the cups of tea and coffee had been empty on the table for a good hour when you finally managed to make your parents understand that you were going to leave.

They walked you to the door and kept chatting, so you stayed in the driveway for another long half-hour, repeating several times that it would be a long way to your house and that you couldn't stay any longer, before one of your parents came up with a new topic of discussion that made you stay five minutes longer. Finally, you managed to get out of their grip and finally got in the car to go home.

The way back was completely silent, Vladimir seemed as exhausted as the time Aaron had forced him to train in combat, his head resting limply against the headrest and he answered the few questions you asked him in very short sentences, finally he even stopped answering you and when you turned to look at him, you could see him asleep with his head leaning against the window. You only woke him up once outside the manor house and even though the night was still far from over Vladimir decided to go to bed almost immediately. You followed him into the bedroom to rest with him.

Vladimir breathed a sigh of relief as he collapsed into your bed. When you joined him, he immediately snuggled up to you.

"I thought the evening would never end," murmured the vampire. It was hell. -Oh, my darling, you're not going to like this… -What?" asked Vladimir in a worried voice. -Well… it's polite to invite my parents to eat here too… -Please, forget politeness," muttered the vampire. I don't ever want to leave here again, I don't ever want to be invited to a meal. It was horrible, I'd forgotten how much I hate dinner parties. -All right, all right, I forget," you smiled, starting to stroke her hair gently to soothe her. No more dinners, and if anyone offers to take you out to eat, I'll bite them. That's fine with you."

Your vampire nodded, his face completely buried in your neck. You laughed before shifting to kiss the top of his head.

"But I'll only do it on one condition. -What's that?" mumbled the vampire in a muffled voice. -What was the name of your mare? -Lady Princess Cherry Rose Camomile? -That's a pretty long name for a mare," you joked. -My parents said exactly the same thing…"

You laughed again before kissing her again.

"My poor darling, you've had an exhausting night. -I made a lot of effort for you. I didn't even complain about the car journey. It just goes to show that I love you. -I love you too. You saw how I saved you several times from my parents' questions. If that's not proof of love, I don't know what is. -Yes, that's true. You're my hero and mine alone."

[tedcicle]

Official Palcove Propaganda Post

[ID: Text with a fire effect that says "WATCH PALCOVE NOW" in red capital letters. /.End ID.] Now you may be asking... Who?

Palcove is both the name of the iconic duo of Ted Nivison (of Rainforest Cafe/Margaritaville/400mg edible fame) and Charlie Slimecicle (professional gay sex roleplayer, at least that's what he should be known for) and the area they lived in during their brief time on EpicSMP (a modded SMP created by, uh... *cough* Matt SuperMega *cough*. You can hazard a guess as to why this SMP didn’t really take off.)

Okay, why should I care?

I shan't lie and say EpicSMP is like, crazy good, or a hidden gem, or YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS — really, it's basically TekkitLive but there's way more people on it. It's a largely forgotten SMP, overshadowed by more popular and successful SMPs that happened before or around it. (OriginsSMP, for example.) There's a bunch of interesting duos trying to start their own businesses, and while nothing happened happened, at the end everybody died, which is interesting to think about. (Actually, wait... yeah, it’s just like TekkitLive.) But it was fun. There were some good bits, some light roleplay, and enough seedlings of a plotline to get an average viewer Andy like me invested in. There was some kind of season 2, but it never took off. I'm sure MCYT fans are accustomed to the disappointment of non-existent fandoms, unfinished stories, or lacking narratives by now (Shadow of Israphel was my first heartbreak, but maybe yours was something else). Another one wouldn’t hurt, right? Why Palcove specifically? Well, as a former SMPLiver— (I am escorted off the stage to a chorus of boos) I just really like Ted and Charlie's dynamic. They’re the perfect comedy duo. Charlie works best when he has someone to bounce bits off of, and Ted knows exactly how to pick up what Charlie is putting down and elevate it to the next level. (The adverb and adjective bit in the first VOD had me DYING.) Story-wise, Charlie had a satisfying character arc. He’s a pivotal character and I liked how he plays off of Schlatt and Swagger, too. Not to mention, this is the last time Ted has uploaded or streamed any Minecraft content... I miss him, chat. Also, it makes me happy. Isn't that enough?

Well, okay, you got me interested. How do I watch?

I'm glad you asked (even if you wouldn't fucking say that, I don't care). Firstly, a primer. Sometimes we start a new thing, but it ends up not being to our liking, and that's fine. Maybe you want to walk around and see how it fits before you commit. That's fine! All I ask for is 14 minutes of your time. That's like, 4 songs.

This video is the first day edited down into a nice, palatable, taste-tester, courtesy of unknown energy on YouTube. It's so nice and cozy and comfy, it's the equivalent of a mug of hot chocolate curled up in an armchair with a warm blanket wrapped around you. As for continuing, I highly recommend starting with Charlie's POV. It's probably who you're most familiar with, and he bothered to edit down his streams (even if the videos are like, an hour long). If you like listening to men argue and make the unfunniest jokes imaginable, then definitely try the full VODs. All of these have been archived by the channel EpicSMPVods.

Charlie's POV Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 VODS Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | End of S1* Ted's POV Episode 1 (Yes, he really only did one episode) VODS Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

*This VOD is Swagger's POV, as Charlie didn't upload the finale at all, and the VOD of it either doesn’t exist or wasn’t archived. The relevant Charlie section starts around 15 minutes in.

And if you want more of the story, well, Swagger has one of the most comprehensive EpicSMP POVs.

Final Thoughts

Like many other “stream only” SMPs, a lot of content regarding them simply gets lost and forgotten. There's plenty of reasons why EpicSMP wasn't very successful (in-depth analysis post pending). I’m just glad that not only did Palcove exist, but it's archived. It just so happened to survive against surmountable odds and even have what I consider a satisfying narrative ending (in-depth analysis post pending). And I’m insane about it. And everyone else should be, too.

[ID: Text with a fire effect "WATCH PALCOVE NOW" in red capital letters. /.End ID.]

[dreadfutures]

I have to say though that like. I've had no criticism all summer long (except for the weird *schedule* at the start of the summer). I'm still super stoked for this game. I'm keeping an open mind about everything! Everything that the Lore People have said makes me super excited for the game, everything about combat looks like my cup of tea. You can stop reading here because that's what you really need to take away from this post.

But talking to friends in the industry and composer friends does make me feel entitled to some disappointment with the apparent decision to divorce from world state personalization, and to go for a big Blockbuster action movie sound. Those are my two main personal disappointments, you know, pending getting the game and seeing how we feel about it -- and those disappointments are felt even with some idea of how games are made, how THESE games are made, and the decisions that go into composing soundtracks.

People are entitled to their feelings, especially about entirely optional development decisions that absolutely could have, and did, have room to go in other directions... It was a direction that was chosen, and it was *not* something that had to be all or nothing. If it had been a priority then there were ways to write around it inclusively--and yes, even in the four year development window lol. We don't know for sure, the game is not out, I am queen of wait and see, but it seems like it was something that was set aside, which is sad if true.

Saying shit like being disappointed in the world state decision is a childish, or worse, "grifter" attitude, is kind of mean! Making assumptions about people's attitude to the game as a whole for their opinion on these one or two things and painting people with a wide brush is disingenuous. Framing it as "people who are disappointed/complain obviously don't know how games are made" is false and sounds like you're just trying to blindly invalidate any thought as to, actually, how games are made and the decisions that go into them and that maybe there are, in fact, different paths that development could have taken and still reached the point of shipping. And making revisionist history to DAI's success as arguments for why something makes sense to you now is especially silly.

I'm still incredibly excited to get my hands on da4 and play our long awaited next installment, get back into Thedas, and have a new adventure in that world. But there are parts of the last three games that felt like the Core of the DA experience to me, and to a lot of people; I will be looking hopefully to see traces of - despite the impression right now, those parts were set aside in favor of a different direction. If that turns out to be the case I'll grieve that, man, but I'll still probably enjoy a great adventure in Thedas.

[l-lend]

Heyyyyy congrats on the 100 followers!!! I'm proud to be one of them ( っ＾▿＾)っ

For your celebration, I couldn't decide which of the prompts I liked more so I figured I'd just send both and you could take your pick.

"You're so fucking cute." With Crosshair, Or "the taller one helping the smaller one to pick a book on the top shelf of the library" with Wrecker.

Feel free to pick which one calls to you more and congrats again!

Thanks so much for your patience and kind words. Both prompts spoke to me so I tackled Crosshair's first and then I'll get Wrecker's done shortly (had to weed down setting and I think I found one).

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one and stay tuned for when the second prompt is done.

Warning(s): swearing

@locitapurplepink, @writing-positivelyexisting, @burningfieldof-clover, @rain-on-kamino

It could be easy to say Clone Force 99 had a culture separate from the sea of clones. Clone medics would be reassigned in the blink of an eye and nat born medics often assigned whoever pissed off the higher ups. This led to your current long term assignment. Having a medic on board being the main reason one of your patients was released to his squad early pending observations.

The patient in question chewed on a toothpick as he followed your pen light with a bored gaze. Your eyes studied how his pupils tracked the light.

“Well, I don't think that explosion caused any lasting damage.”

He grunted a reply planting his hands on the makeshift medical cot.

“Was far enough away.”

You shook your head, “Tell that to your poor optic nerves.”

The sniper frowned drawing your attention to his lips. How such a neutral contortion of muscles and nerves ensnared your curiosity was beyond you. Those lips curled slightly.

“Problem?”

Your eyes darted to his. A wave of heat spread across your cheeks after noticing that mischievous smirk.

“Just...try not to aggravate your eyes. A good migraine can knock you out of commission for a few rotations.”

“No idea you cared,” He drawled.

Before you could bite out a remark, footfalls announced the added company. You offered a nod to the other clone.

“He's good to go for now, Sergeant.”

Your features pinched into a pout towards the sniper, “As long as he lays off the heat map features for a bit.”

Hunter hummed with a nod, “We'll try to keep it easy on him.”

You sighed catching a glimpse of movement from the corner of your eye, “Eye'll fall out one day if roll 'em too hard.”

Crosshair huffed a laughed, taking his leave as he shuffled past Hunter. Once the sniper was out of earshot, you leveled a frustrated gaze towards the clone in command.

“Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid while you guys are out.”

The sergeant chuckled, “You'd have better luck taking away Tech's datapad.”

“No extra lookout shifts, and actual rest. With closed eyes.”

“I'll see what I can do.”

After a quick announcement of the Marauder approaching the landing zone, the sergeant donned his helmet. His voice more chilled as it was passed through the modulator.

“Won't be long, Doc. In and out.”

The silence in the ship was shattered as pairs of boots stomped up the ramp. You powered down your datapad vowing to return to your novel soon. However a coarse swear slipped from your lips as the squad's demolitions expert approached with the sniper draped over his broad shoulder.

“Leave him on the cot. Helmet on.”

He nodded doing as instructed.

You began your preliminary once over of the sniper. Checking for any punctures in his armor.

“No injuries on you, Wreck?” You asked, multitasking since the larger clone was able to speak.

“No,”

You arched a brow, “You sure? I'll know if you're lying.”

“Not a scratch.”

You hummed, moving to check for nerve damage along the sniper's limbs, “Fair enough.”

The clone's comm link chirped and with a brief exchange, you were left to work in relative peace. No puncture wounds meant the chance of bleeding was lower, so onto the next likely suspect. Your fingers trailed under the lip of his helmet. Neck muscles appeared to be in order. No strains. No odd feel to them. Slowly you slipped the helmet off his head gradually revealing his visage.

A groan echoed in his in helmet as soon as the process began. You clicked your tongue.

“Another migraine?”

His silence confirmed it.

“Helmet off after I get the lights.”

You made quick work of the lights to see to your patient. His helmet cast off to the side.

“So,” You exhaled, returning to his side, “you kriffed around and found out.”

“Would you rather us scrape Echo off the field to be in your care?”

You frowned, “I'd rather not raise you from the dead every time you overdo it.”

He scoffed half heartedly, “You're so fucking cute.”

You sighed tracing your fingers over his cheek. Your eyes studying his features in the dim lights.

“You're a pain in the ass, you know.”

“Like you don't want an excuse to play doctor with me.”

You silenced him with a peck on the forehead.

[rorywritesjunk]

(25. Rain. Post CrocxSunny, pending SunnyxBuggy. This got long so I had to break it into two parts. A fight, Buggy puts his foot in his mouth (tho not literally even though he can), he is the idiot in all of this. Sunny reflects on her trauma and Buggy says stupid things. I mean, he was stupid in the original fic about Sunny's situation too)

Pt 1

Having Sunny around him all the time was the absolute thing Buggy needed in order to survive being around Crocodile and Mihawk all the time. She cooked for him, nursed some of his injuries, and even fixed his clothes for him. She was perfect, he loved her more and more, so deciding he wanted to marry her seemed like the next logical step.

There was a downpour outside while Sunny fixed breakfast for her and Buggy. She had been there all of three weeks, only just decided to sleep in his room the previous night as she had stayed with Alvida while adjusting to her new life. It had really been an adjustment. Sunny could kind of do what she wanted without someone watching her all the time, though whenever she was in the kitchen Buggy always made an appearance to watch her. That wasn't so bad as he tended to flirt with her while she worked.

He leaned against the counter as she worked, frying up eggs, potato chunks, sausage, and bacon for the two of them. It smelled wonderful, the sound of sizzling grease delightful, and as he watched her flip one of the eggs over he said it.

"Babe, you take such good care of me." He sighed as his arms went around her and he hugged her. "I love you soooo much."

"I like taking care of people." She replied, choosing to ignore the last thing he said. She heard it enough that she believed it but she still wasn't sure how she truly felt. "Now go sit down and I'll bring you breakfast."

He hugged her even tighter just for a moment before he went to sit down, tilting the chair back on two legs while he put his feet up on the table as he waited. How did he get so lucky that Crocodile's wife wanted to be with him instead of that overgrown reptile? Buggy sometimes still couldn't believe it and as she brought the food over, placing it in front of him with a kiss to his cheek, he made a snap decision.

"Let's get married."

Sunny slammed her own plate down in surprise, looking at him with wide eyes, which he thought was of surprise when for her, it was out of fear. Why would he say that? Why would he disrupt what they had started with saying something so stupid?

"No."

"Aw, babe, c'mon! We love each other, it's what people do!" He said as he shoved a whole slice of bacon into his mouth. "You can wear one of those pretty dresses from Croc. It would really piss him off, y'know."

"Buggy-"

"Mohji can officiate it, I think, anyways, we can have a big party and it will be lots of fun!" He continued, ignoring the distress in her voice and how she took a step back from him. "Whaddya say?"

Sunny tried to keep the panic out of her voice when she spoke. What was wrong with him? Why did he think she would want this?

"No."

"I knew you'd say-" He stopped and looked at her in confusion. "No?"

"No, I don't want to marry you."

Buggy stared at her in surprise before frowning at her. "Why? We love each other, babe! And we can really stick it to that stupid reptile that he doesn't get to have you anymore!"

"Buggy, I don't love you."

The silence that followed was deafening. Buggy was certain he misheard her. She had to love him, that's why she was here cooking him breakfast! How could she say she didn't? This had to be a joke.

"Sure you do!" He laughed. "How can you say you don't when you cook me breakfast and kiss me and all that, babe, hm?"

"I don't-"

"You will, though!" Buggy shot back. "Because I'll make you fall in love with me!"

"Don't say that-"

"You belong to me, babe, not that reptile, got it?" Buggy grinned at her from his seat as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Just gotta be patient."

"I'm not your possession!" Sunny shrieked, startling Buggy. "I'm not, I don't belong to you, Buggy! Don't-dont you dare say something like that!"

He got up from his seat and she took a step back. If he really wanted to keep her there it would just take him using his Devil Fruit or calling for his followers. She didn't want to be a prisoner anymore. She didn't leave Crocodile to end up as another man's trophy.

"Babe, c-mon-" He reached out for her but she jerked away from him.

"Don't touch me!"

He stopped, looking at her in surprise as she took another step back. What had gotten into her? She was shaking like a leaf, tears started to stream down her face, and she was breathing quickly as if she was about to start panicking. 

"Sunny, what's wrong?" Buggy asked with a chuckle as he reached for her. "Babe, relax, you don't have to wear one of those dresses from Crocodile if you don't want to. I just thought it would be funny."

"I don't want to marry you!" She snapped at him. "Why would you think I would after I just got out of a marriage?!"

"Because I love you!"

"Stop saying that!" She shouted at him, fists clenched tightly as she stomped her feet. "Stop saying that because it doesn't mean anything, Buggy! I don't love you, so stop!"

"Sunny-" He started to reach for her, to see if she would just calm down, but she shoved him back catching him by surprise, before she fled the kitchen, leaving him by himself and so very confused about what just happened.

[chungledown-bimothy]

I see you like White Collar. May I suggest you check out the show Leverage? It’s about a team of Robin Hood type thieves who steal from rich assholes and give the money back to people the rich assholes have fucked over.

It’s got a similar vibe of campy cons that are kind of over the top but work, and they’re not cops this time! Very fun, very silly but also very intense, has made me cry, 10/10 would recommend

It’s on Amazon prime, 5 seasons of the original show and they are currently working on season 3 of the reboot - called Redemption. You should start with the original, the reboot has gotten mixed reception but tbh it’s the best reboot I’ve ever seen so I like it.

If I had a nickel for every show with Christian Kane (who I LOVED on Angel- I'm praying that he comes back in a later season, since I'm only on season 3) that was recommended to me in the last 24 hours, I'd have 2 nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it is very, very weird that it's happened twice. (sorry, i'm gonna respond to both of these in one post)

Leverage is something I've been meaning to watch for years now- I know I'd love it. I just forget about it every time I'm in a space to watch something new. But with this ask and White Collar being on my mind again, I am more motivated than ever to check it out, so I miiiight have the brain space in the next couple days, pending how my plans work out for this weekend

The Librarians seems interesting, too, but I'm concerned about possibly needing to watch the movies first? It seems like a lot of activation energy, and I'm not sure if/when I'll have that.

[storiesbyjes2g]

3.39 Baby's first date

At some point, Eleanor had spilled all the San Sequoia tea and went on with her day. No one was more surprised than I when Dad suggested we jog around the lake next. He looked so happy with the sun beating down on him and wind in his face. Gleeful, even. Did our rest give him a second wind? Or did his new friend inspire him? Wishful thinking. I knew that. The lake's trail was even longer than the Arboretum, so we took more breaks. At the end of the trail, Dad said he was beat and went home. I was so proud of him. After two long runs, I probably should have been tired too, but it was such a nice day. I wanted to stay out longer and see what I could get into, so I walked around until I found more neighbors to meet.

As much as I wanted to socialize, my stomach assaulted and hemmed me up until I agreed to give it what it wanted. But socializing didn't have to stop just because I needed to bail. I could call one of my friends to dine with me. But which one? Sophia was the first name that popped into my head, of course. But I just saw her and didn't want to appear as anxious as I did yesterday, even though we had a pending date on the books. I probably should have chosen Maira because we really needed to talk, but that wasn't the conversation I was looking for. I was still on my beautiful day high and was not ready to come down. Chi Chi was fine as hell and always enthusiastic about hanging out, but I wasn't sure about what indulging her would mean, despite my decision to give it a shot. We should talk as well so I could gauge where her head was because I didn't want to start a casual situation if she were looking for something serious. And even if she didn't want anything serious, what about the kid? Sure, I told her we were just friends, but kids are smart. If after a while I decided I didn't want to date Chi Chi anymore, that affected Karmine too. Being a kid who was hurt by similar adult decisions, I didn't want to do that to her. That left Yasmine, which was perfect because she was the one I knew the least. She always had a sexy, mysterious, almost sinister smirk, like she took pleasure in knowing I was ignorant. Hopefully, by the end of the night, I'd be ignorant no more.

I invited her to the pizza place in the Magnolia Promenade. I hadn't been there since I was a child and didn't realize it had a dress code. So despite it just being dinner, we definitely looked like we were on a date. Maybe we were. I always thought dates were supposed to be some formal, scheduled event we both agreed on, not some random "hey you wanna hang out" thing. But the way Dad talked about it seemed like anytime I hung out with someone I was interested in could be a date. If that was true, did that mean I'd been dating Maira this whole time? Wow... Look at me. I'm dating.

"I like your hair," I said as we got seated.

She tucked it behind her ear.

"Thank you."

The server came quickly to take our orders.

"I'll have a pepperoni pizza and a Wutaheftibir," I said.

"And for you, miss?"

"Two slices of Canadian bacon and a Berry LlamaPower Pop. Thanks."

She watched the server as she left, then whipped her head back to me.

"You're gonna eat a whole pizza?"

I chuckled.

"I'm hungry!"

"I'm hungry too, but I'm not having an entire pizza!"

"I did two long runs today and didn't have lunch. I think I could eat everything in their fridge right now."

And there was that look again. I would pay good money to know what went on in her head.

"I see," she said. "Do you do anything else besides workout and teach yoga?"

That was an excellent question, and my answer would surely disappoint her.

"Not really."

"So, what do you do for fun, then?"

"Yoga and working out is fun."

She nodded in an approving manner.

"I can respect that. I like fitness too. But you know what I mean. You have hobbies or anything?"

Yoga was my hobby, and I turned it into my profession. I felt like I was failing at this date thing.

"I like spending time with my friends."

Who were all women I found to be very attractive, heh. Speaking of, I should catch up with Justin Walker sometime. Or I could go visit Chris Michaelson. He seemed pretty cool when we met. My life lacked testosterone.

"And my parents," I added.

"Where is your mom? You're always with your dad."

"Oh. They're divorced. That was her house you went to. What about you? What are you into?"

Not that I didn't want her to know me, but I didn't think getting into childhood trauma was good first date material.

"I'm a water baby. I love to swim."

"Is that why you live in Copperdale?"

She looked away, as if to consider my question.

"Maybe. I didn't choose it for the water, but maybe the water called to me."

"Why did you choose it?"

She shrugged.

"The rent was cheap, and it's quiet."

"That's as good an answer as any... So like, what's your goal in life? What do you want to do in the end?"

Was that too serious?? I wish I could have talked to Dad about this first and got some pointers.

"I don't know," she said. "I don't have a particular career I want to do for the rest of my life. I'm just going where the money takes me for now."

"That's cool. But what are you passionate about?"

"...Knowledge?"

"Really? I think that's great. I hated school."

"Nooo, really? School was fun!"

"I am so intrigued right now! So tell me...were you a nerd?"

She laughed.

"One hundred percent!"

Wow. She was definitely the most beautiful nerd I'd ever seen.

"I love learning," she continued. "I wanna know everything, read everything..."

"Have you ever thought about going to university?"

"Yeah, of course, but what would I study? Like I said, I don't have a particular career I want to get into, and I sure as hell can't afford to study everything. Besides, I can learn just about everything they teach by reading books. And they have skills classes I can take if I need a certification or something."

I loved that approach. University wasn't for everyone, yet they pushed it down our throats in high school like it was the only way to be successful. I was glad to be in good company with sims who proved how flawed the system was every day.

The food came finally, and we took a moment to eat and enjoy. She busted my chops again about ordering a whole pizza. We chit chatted in between bites, and I learned she liked love songs on the radio, and her favorite color was blue. I also learned she was quite a bit younger than me. Like, nine days. As much fun as we were having, swapping stories and sharing tidbits about ourselves, it was time to get serious and find out what she looked for in relationships. Could she be someone I could do life with? Yes, I was just supposed to be dating casually, but I also didn't plan to date these women forever. At some point, I needed to narrow down my options and cease these dating shenanigans. I may as well gather information now, right?

"So like...what do you want your future to look like?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like...will you be married? Kids? That stuff."

"I definitely want kids, but I don't know about the marriage part."

"How come?"

"Don't get me wrong. When it comes time to have kids, I want to be in a serious relationship because single mom is not the move for me. I like non-exclusive relationships. Marriage is so...permanent."

There was definitely a story there. Maybe one day she'd tell it, but at the moment, I was so confused and a little disappointed. Narrowing down my list of potential girlfriends was what I aimed to do, but I didn't necessarily want to cross off any names. They were all special in their own ways, and I enjoyed all of their company. We're friends! Why did I feel like I was on some secret dating show no one told me about?

"But...how can you want something serious yet not commit to it?"

"It's not like that," she said. "I'll be committed to whomever I'm with, just like a husband and wife are committed. I just want the freedom to entertain whoever I want...if I want."

If she was serious enough about someone to have his baby, why would she keep looking and dating other guys? It sounded like a recipe for disaster, honestly. Maybe she wasn't yet mature enough to see that. That sounded funny coming from me, also a young sim and late bloomer. But maybe that was it. Maybe life experience wasn't required to come to such a conclusion because it seemed like common sense to me. Either way, she and I could keep having fun, but I wanted nothing to do with her non-exclusive nonsense.

Need to catch up? See what you missed or start reading here!