#PLEASE BE SO NICE TO ME ABOUT THIS I WORKED SO HARD ON IT

[lilianne-tarot]

PICK A CARD: Your Future Spouse’s First Impression of You? ✮⋆˙

I. II. III.

Hey there! Welcome to my first pick-a-card reading on this blog page—I hope you all enjoy it! If I make any mistakes, please bear with me. Comment down what you felt about the reading and if it resonated with you and show some love, Your support means everything to me!<3

How to Pick Your Pile: Take a deep breath, clear your mind, and look at the images below. Which one pulls you in the most? Trust your gut! Once you choose the image, The number below your chosen image is your pile. If more than one catches your eye, that just means there’s extra tea for you—go ahead and read both!

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⊹₊⟡Pile I

First Things First: The Vibes Are Mysterious AF. Your future spouse’s first impression of you-Intriguing. Confusing. Obsessive. You are not someone they can just glance at and move on. this spread is screaming mystery, but not in a “cold and distant” way—it’s more like "Who ARE they? Why do I want to know everything about them?" There’s something about you that feels just out of reach, like you’re showing them a version of yourself, but they can sense there’s way more underneath. And that? That’s addictive. It’s the kind where they need to figure you out. They want to know what makes you tick, what you’re thinking when you glance away mid-conversation, and what you’re dreaming about at night. And it’s not in a shallow, superficial way—this person is genuinely captivated. But here’s where it gets interesting— because while The Moon makes them curious about you, the Eight of Pentacles makes them respect you. They see someone who’s dedicated, who works their ass off at whatever they care about. Whether it’s your career, hobbies, or just the way you present yourself—you give off this “I put in the effort” type of energy. Like, they can tell you’re serious about your stuff and that immediately makes you stand out. That alone makes them take you seriously. Okay, But Here’s the Gag—They Lowkey Feel a Bit…Uncertain? Now, listen—The Moon is also about illusions and uncertainty, so while they are intrigued, they might feel like they don’t fully “get” you at first. And that? That’s messing with them. They’re probably used to reading people easily, but you? You’re hard to pin down, and they love it…but also hate it?? It’s like, are they flirting with me or just being nice? Are they interested, or am I making this up? The Two of Wands here tells me that they immediately start thinking about possibilities with you—but they hesitate. Not because they’re uninterested, but because they’re trying to figure out where they stand. They respect you and your dedication, seeing you as someone with substance. They feel pulled toward you but also slightly intimidated or uncertain because you’re not easy to read (Love that for you😂). And darling, let’s be real—when someone is this intrigued by you from the jump, That’s a recipe for obsession. You might notice them observing you before making a move, trying to decode you.

This pile has the most unpredictable energy among the three. Your future spouse is unsure where they stand at first but feels a pull towards you. LOL, they might initially think “Whoa, Do they even notice me?” They might even romanticize you in their mind before truly knowing you (CUTE ngl) because your energy leaves so much to the imagination.

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⊹₊⟡Pile II

Ooooh, okay, let’s get into it. Babe, your future spouse’s first impression of you is giving emotional enigma meets graceful chaos, and I’m obsessed with how this energy is playing out. The moment they lay eyes on you, there’s an instant curiosity. You come across as graceful, emotionally intelligent, and balanced, but here’s the kicker—they know there’s more going on beneath the surface. Like, they can tell that you keep your cool externally, but they sense this quiet storm of emotions underneath. It’s intriguing to them because it’s like, "damn, how do they juggle everything?" when you meet them, or they just get the sense that you’ve got a lot going on but still show up with poise. It’s giving “this person could be drowning in responsibilities but would still remember to send their bestie a ‘drink water,’ text.” 😭There’s this duality to you that catches their attention. You seem emotionally available but also like you’re carrying something—like you’re transitioning into a new chapter, leaving something behind and they feel that energy before you even say a word. They immediately respect you but they also feel this lowkey urge to protect you, Because on one hand, you’re exuding this soft, nurturing energy but on the other hand, they can tell you’re used to handling your own business and might not even need them like that. And WHEW—does that intimidate them a little? Yes. yall pile 2 give me the energy of a particular line I heard on TikTok, which was something like "lead me when I want to be lead"😂So when they meet you, your future spouse immediately clocks that you’re in transition—maybe you’ve recently moved, changed jobs, ended a relationship, or you’re just shifting into a new phase in life. But here’s the real tea—they don’t just find you attractive, they find you mentally stimulating. Like, you’re not just another pretty face; you make them think. Your vibe is that of someone who has been through some shit but has learned and grown from it, and they immediately wonder, What’s their story? What shaped them into this person? And suddenly, they’re invested. “Holy shit, I need to know more.” You make them think—they don’t just want to know you, they want to understand you.

SO OVERALL This pile is soothing and warm, but also very self-aware and mature. Your future spouse feels safe and understood with you, like you’re someone they could see themselves building a peaceful life with. This is wayyyyyyy less confusion here compared to Deck 1; they pretty much immediately know you’re a rare find.

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⊹₊⟡Pile III

Your future spouse’s first impression of you? WHEW, they’re looking at you like you’re a whole standard—not just “crush-worthy,” but someone they gotta step their game up for. Their First Thought? “Damn, they’re sharp.” Like, no joke, the moment they meet you, they immediately pick up on your sharp mind and no-BS attitude. You give off this queen-level aura that’s like, “I see through people. Don’t play games with me". 💅. love it—but also have no idea how to approach you at first because you don’t seem like the type who’s easily impressed. Your whole energy screams “I’ve got my shit together.” And babe, they feel that. They’re looking at you like, “Okay, so this person is intelligent, confident, and carries themselves like they own the room—how do I not embarrass myself in front of them?” But it’s not just about confidence—you also have this elegance about you. You’re not loud or flashy; you’re just refined, polished, and unbothered in a way that makes people want to impress you. LOL also one thing, you make them feel like, "“Are they always this serious? Or do they have a goofy side?” You walk in, and it’s giving the main character energy without even trying. Here’s where it gets really interesting. Because at first, they see you as this composed, independent person who doesn’t need anybody. But then, there’s this subtle warmth about you that catches them off guard. I can feel that you’re someone who values fairness, generosity, and kindness—but only for the right people. You’re not out here wasting time. You know your worth, but when you do let people in? You’re the type to genuinely care, support, and uplift those around you. And that contrast? Whew. It messes them up in the best way. It’s like, “Wait… they’re not just powerful and intimidating… they’re actually thoughtful and kind, too? What kind of dream person did I just meet???” Your future spouse is immediately caught up in their head about you. Their first impression of you isn’t just “oh, they’re cute.” It’s deep admiration mixed with a little bit of panic.

Honestly, This is the type of first impression that lingers. They’re not just walking away thinking “Wow, that was a cool person.” No, no. They’re going home, replaying the conversation, trying to figure out how to impress you next time, and probably texting their best friend like, “I think I just met the most unreal person ever.”

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[girl-lostconnection]

Hello!!!

I’ve been reading your works for a while and I’m hyperfixating adore you’re writings! So I saw this Red Bull ad during the Super Bowl and the penguin reminded me of Soap. Could I please humbly request hybridpenguin!Soap x reader fluff/comfort/romance/head canons anything really. I think you can bring this idea to life :3

It’s your lucky day cause I’ve been watching “Good luck Chuck” and there are some penguins that caught my eye. So I’ve been thinking about it whole day, googling penguins because I honestly don’t know much about them.

I chose Adelie Penguin for Soap because the blue-eyed stare this birds have is perfectly uncanny (I urge you to google them, they stare right in your soul) and also, they have very interesting courting rituals.

Also the wiki page for them said, I quote: “Despite their size, Adélie penguins are known for their bold and boisterous personality and will challenge other animals, including predators far larger than them.” And that reads like canonical Soap, because yeah, he would. Bold personality is right up this man’s alley.

But imagine hybrid Adelie Penguin!Soap and human Reader where he tries so fucking hard to court you properly but you don’t know jackshit about courting methods.

Male Adelie Penguins offer female penguin the perfect stone, polished to perfection, they spend quite some time looking for the best one and once found — they present it as a courting gift. It depends purely on the female penguin whether to accept courtship or not.

But if she does they can start mutual courting involving leaning closer to each other, grooming each other, familiarising with how each other sound — it helps them later to find the mate in the big crowd.

So Soap knows that maybe it would have been better to go with flower or something more conventional but he likes you, god, he really does. So there’s no harm in looking for a pretty stone for a pretty you, right?

Right?

Man spends his whole leave on Scotland’s shores, practically on all fours as he picks up decent stones, washes and polishes them at home before throw them all out because no. All wrong. Not prettty enough, not smooth enough, not shiny enough.

No mate would accept a shite like that, why would he even bring this ugly thing to your attention? What kind of potential mate would he be?

He returns to his searches even more determined. Soap will be damned if he comes back and he still doesn’t have a perfect stone for you.

And finally, luck smiles at him and dedication pays off — the perfect prettiest little stone he has ever seen. Smooth from cold waves, shiny in a way that makes you want it touch again and again, perfectly round. No ridges or bumps, no sharp edges or cracks.

Perfect stone for perfect you.

He returns feeling victorious and on top of the world and presents you with a stone without a second word. Quite literally he just extends his hand and there lies the stone. He doesn’t say anything, he’s just waiting for your reaction

And you have no fucking idea what’s going on, because the man is staring you in the eyes with his ungodly blue eyes and a little stone on his palm and you’re like…okay?:,) alright?🥹

So you take the stone to look closer (Soap tenses up like you have his heart in your hands, eyes hungry on you, still waiting for your reaction) and truth be told, it is a really nice stone. Shiny and smooth and perfectly polished. The kind of stone you’d want to fumble with all day, just rolling through the palm, massaging the center of your palm with it as you work.

It is a bloody lovely stone. You really like it.

But Johnny is not saying it, still watching you with the same hungry look, it’s just that now his grin is widening slowly because you look like you really like the stone. He did a good job, right? There’s no way you found his courting gift lacking.

And it is a perfect stone but the thing is…you don’t know if it’s a gift to you or if penguin part of Soap is simply showing off (crow!Simon does similar things when he brings you shiny stuff). So you don’t know if you are at liberty to keep the shiny pebble.

And Johnny is still completely fucking silent watching you with bated breath.

You carefully place the stone back in his palm, murmuring softly that it’s a very lovely stone, it looks incredible and you think it is absolutely gorgeous.

Soap stares at the stone for a few very long moments, his grin slowly fading because…don’t- don’t you like the stone, hen? You just said it’s gorgeous, but you are giving it back. Why are you giving it back?

He stares at the stone, absolutely crest-fallen in the face because he was so sure you’d like it. He was so proud of it and so excited to give it to you and of course there is no pressure for you to take it, after all it’s gift for you and you shouldn’t just settle for things.

But still.

What was wrong with it? Was there a crack he didn’t notice or is the texture of it not to your liking? Maybe you prefer sharper stones, maybe you like some roughness to them?

He looks back at you, feeling upset and anxious, stone still in hand while you try to gauge what the hell caused the reaction. Because Johnny is looking at you like you just kicked him in the stomach and you don’t know why.

“Ye didnae like it, hen?”, he swallows his pride and asks because obviously, you didn’t, what kind of fucking question is that. Mate just returned his gift back to him, means that gift is not up to standards.

You blink at him slowly, because what is he even talking about.

“I liked it. It’s really pretty. Where did you get it?”, you try to steer conversation away, since maybe there’s something you don’t seem to get about the stone.

“Why- ye didnae take it”, Soap’s voice is unusually soft, as he tilts his head to the side, stone clutched in his hand as some anxiety bleeds out of him.

Maybe he can still salvage it.

“Was it for me?”, the question leaves him now being the one who gives you a slow blink, before his gears kick in, realisations slowly creeping up his head. So that’s what was wrong.

“Aye”, stone returns to your palm, gets pressed into it by Johnny’s — warm and smooth — your heart skipping a beat. “If ye like it, Ah’d be happy if ye took it. But ainlie if ye like it, hen”

There’s a weight to this moment that you aren’t sure you capture fully but there’s something in Soap’s eyes that makes your fingers intertwine with his, head leaning closer to him. You are so close you can see the tiniest freckles on his cheeks.

Pretty.

“I really like it”, admitting it feels like you are ten again and sharing a silly secret with a boy you like, but Johnny looks at you like he couldn’t be happier.

His throat bobbing when you lean in closer, small shiver going down his spine because it’s really happening. His gift is accepted, his mate is accepting him — holding his hand, leaning into him, looking at him like that.

Best day of his life, truly.

So he presses a short tight kiss to your temple and nods at you like there is a shared understanding between you two now. Like you are partners in crime.

Soap practically jogs away, excitement evident in every step, shoulders spread out proudly. He fucking did it. He got the perfect stone for perfect you and you accepted it.

Now, the courting can really begin.

(It will take you an evening of google searches before you understand the meaning of the stone and why the hell, Soap is helping with your hair routine/skin care routine/nail polishing and even offers to “wash with the penguin, save the water, hen”)

[jeongin-lvr]

hi hru? i hope you're ok 💓

i saw that your requests were open so if its ok, id like to request a fic with husband!taehyun. the plot is up to you, cause i love your fics and how you perfectly balanced a soft smut. tysm if you read this request. and take your sweet time, no rush! (:

hi cutie pie im so okay :P and tysm ur so sweet genuinely love getting asks like this ☹️ cw. trad-leaning relationship, breeding kink.

trad husband! taehyun that begs you to carry his babies— literally begs. he practically loses his mind whenever you tell him to cum inside. everything about it is so intimate, so erotic. his favorite place to cum is right in your gushing pussy, as deep as he can go. taehyun tends to let out soft breaths and groans but when he cums inside of you is borderline pornographic breathy moans. high pitched but brief; every time he does it you savor it. cumming as he tells you how pretty you’ll look full of his babies, how you’re gonna be a perfect mama and how he’s gonna be so good to you both. you really don’t need convincing anymore, simply letting him make his claim in you whenever he got pent up. if hubby wants a baby give him a baby <3

trad husband! taehyun who lets you cock warm him as soon as he comes home from work. you’re sure he’s had a rough day from the bags under his eyes and the messiness of his usually well kept hair, so you offer him something he can’t refuse. when you sit on his lap with his cock buried to the hilt inside you, your fingers intertwine in his hair, combing the styling mousse out and kissing his jaw as he rants about a long day. being a business man has his downsides and as a good wife you’re always willing to listen!

trad husband! taehyun that buys you gifts— jewelry, lingerie, dresses, anything —just to fuck you in it. that new pearl necklace and earrings set he got? he wants to watch the precious jewel bounce as you ride his dick. that new floral patterned dress is perfect for easy access so of course he takes advantage of it; bending you over the kitchen counter mid-dinner prep and using you as he pleases. he buys you new panties and asks you to model them for him, knowing damn well it’d be much more than that. if he’s gonna spend money on you (gladly) he’s also gonna get a tiny bit of payment back. even buys new lipstick or mascara for you just to kiss it off, or make you cry on his cock.

trad husband! taehyun who never cums before you. sex feels unfinished when it’s just him cumming, so if he finds himself getting too close to the edge he’ll pull out, opting to play with your clit, teasing you by rubbing just his leaky, red tip along your folds. he doesn’t tell you he’s on the brink of explosion, too focused on dragging you along with him. it’s honestly not hard at all to get you there, though. a few whispers of praise into your ear, breathy and hot, already get you going for him. taehyun has a fetish for your pleasure; honestly, he can’t cum happily if you haven’t yet. he’s so sweet about it too, “c’mon, my pretty wife, give me what I want. you’re close aren’t you? love when you cum on my dick, baby, so give it to me.” you swear you go brain dead when he does this.

trad husband! taehyun who eats you out from behind while you talk about your day. it could be mundane as “I cleaned the house today” to random gossip about your friends or neighbors or whatever. taehyun, honestly, isn’t listening wholly. he’s too busy burying his nose against your throbbing clit and scissoring you open with his slender fingers, wedding band rubbing against your folds. he holds your hips down, enjoying the stutter in your voice when you get close to cumming even though you’re in the middle of your story. he mutters into your core “that’s nice, sweetie” and “yeah, babe.” you’re too blissed out to realize he hasn’t heard a single thing you said this whole time.

trad husband! taehyun who’s favorite version of you is when you wear his big white button ups and nothing else. draping over your smaller frame like curtains to a window; dripping just below your hips. it makes him so hard; blood rushing to his cock the moment he sees you like this. when you have no panties underneath and raise your arms, revealing the soft flesh of your ass his mind short circuits. he can’t help but want to fuck you in any and every position in his button downs.

if this is absolute garbage I’m so sorry I’m so deep into a writers block

[organic-bloodbath]

Hi, I apologize in advance for any mistakes, English is not my native language.. I like the way you write. may I ask salesman and his wife. A semi-nswf story about his wife saying the safe word in the process? A little fluff and comfort 👉👈 If you don't write this, then I'm sorry, have a nice day

Pumpkin

Salesman x Wife!Reader

Summary: As above.

Warnings: NSFW 18+, smut -> minors get tf out

A/N: This is a little shorter than my usual fics i think. He might be a hot psycho with others, but he's a total softie with his wife ❤️💙

"Pumpkin," you gasped quickly. "Oh, fuck, Pumpkin!" He immediately stopped and looked at you with a concerned look on his face.

♡♡

He was thrusting in and out of you with as fast pace as he was able to, pinning your hands above your head.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked quietly and let go of your wrists, cupping your face with his hand. "Was i being too rough? Did i hurt you?"

"It just," you panted. "It was becoming too much to handle."

"Do you want to stop? We can end this here if you need to."

"No, no," you hurried to say before he managed to pull himself out of you. "Just, a little slower, okay?"

"You sure you want to continue?"

"Yes, please," you nodded and kissed his lips. "Can we switch?"

He lifted his eyebrow but moved to lay next to you on his back. You were almost always the bottom, so he was surprised by your request, though wasn't against it at all. You sat on top of him, burying his cock back inside you, soft moan escaping your lips as you sat down. You put your hands on his chest, and he grabbed the side of your thighs, helping you move your hips back and forth at a right pace.

You closed your eyes and threw your head back, enjoying every inch of him inside you, nails digging on his chest.

"My god, you feel good," he gasped. He didn't close his eyes, unlike you, only looked at your gorgeous figure as you moved on him on a little faster speed now.

He sat up and wrapped his arms around your waist as you kept moving up and down on him. He started peppering kissed on your neck and along your collarbone, sucking marks on your skin on exactly the right spots. You slid your hand in his hair, pressing on the back of his head and gently massaging his scalp.

He brought his face up and took you in a rough kiss. As you let out a deep moan, his tongue found its way inside your mouth. You were starting to get tired, and he seemed to notice it by your slower movements now. He put his hands firmly on your ass, helping you move better.

"Oh my god, i'm so close," you whimpered, breath hot against his face.

"Come for me, baby," he muttered, locking eyes with you.

Soon after, you felt pleasure waving through your entire body like sparks of electricity. Both of you were complete moaning messes in the end, until he collapsed back on the mattress, pulling you with him, his arms tightly around your back. You were panting hard and he brushed your hair with his fingers as you laid on top of him, not able to move a muscle for a moment.

"You were amazing, honey," he whispered and planted a kiss on your temple.

"You too," you said quietly, completely out of energy and breath.

"I love you," he whispered and pressed his chin on top of your head. "I'm sorry if i hurt you."

You turned your head upwards, looking directly in his eyes. "I'm alright, don't worry." You pressed a short kiss on his lips, causing a small smile to spread on his face.

"You sure?" he repeated with furrowed brows, looking concerned.

"I'm good, honey."

"Good. I'll go and make us a hot bath," he said and got up. You pouted a little when he rolled you away from him and left you to lay there alone.

You stayed lying on the bed, wrapping the blanket around you tighter. He always had a bath with you after you'd had sex, every single time, unless you didn't have much time left to spend together. That was usually if he had to leave for work soon, but tonight he was all yours. Even if you would be left alone, he would still prepare a bath for you.

It would take a while until the bath was going to be ready, so you took your phone from the bedside table and noticed a few messages you had received.

Jae: "i'm NEVER again going to a blind date."

Jae: "call me asap i gotta talk."

Mom ♡: "Did you ask your father about the plans next weekend?"

Mi-hee: "i got the day off, wanna do something on sunday?"

You managed to answer to two of the texts, not having the time to deal with Jae right now, and then only stared at the ceiling, slowly gathering your energy back.

Sooner than you expected, your husband came back and you put your phone back to the bedside table.

"Come on, the bath's ready."

"Carry me." You bit your lip. "Pretty please."

He rolled his eyes, but smiled and took you into his arms, bridal style. "How could i ever say 'no' to you?"

You had been married for the past 7 years but it felt much less, like you were forever stuck in your honeymoon phase.

When you reached the bathroom, he gently let you down to stand on the soft bathroom rug instead of the cold tiles. You noticed that he had poured you two glasses of red wine.

He went into the water first, you right after. You leaned your back against his chest, his arms wrapping around your waist. You let your head fall on the crook of his neck. The water was warm, and you knew you could fall asleep in his embrace right there and then if you closed your eyes any longer than a few seconds.

"Darling?" he said softly after a short silence and rubbed your shoulder.

"Hm?"

"Would you be ready to... try again?"

You knew what he meant. You had waited for him to start this conversation again, but was also afraid of it.

"Really? You want that?" You turned your head to look at him, and he was looking down at you.

"Of course," he said. "But only if you're ready for it."

Both of you wanted to build a family and have a kid or two. You had been pregnant once, but miscarried your baby couple of years ago on your second trimester. After coming home from the hospital, you had been a total wreck for weeks, even months, and felt like you could never have children, even though it wasn't true, and it would be too scary to try again.

"I mean," you mumbled. "Can i be honest?"

"I want you to always be honest with me," he insisted and caressed your cheek with his thumb.

"I'm just," you started, trying to find the correct word. "Scared."

He pressed a kiss on your temple. "I know. I'm scared too, but it could work out this time, you know."

"What if it doesn't?" you asked, brows furrowed. "I don't think i can handle that a second time."

"If anything bad happens, i'll be here for you on every step," he promised.

You didn't say anything and looked away from him. To be honest, you had thought about trying to get pregnant again, but you felt like you had lost all hope in that area. You knew women could experience miscarriage many times and eventually give birth to a healthy baby, but you didn't have the strength for that.

"Should we go to a doctor first?" you asked, feeling nervous. "You know, to see if i have any problems getting pregnant and with pregnancy overall."

"I can book an appointment if you'd like," he smiled.

"Okay."

♡♡

A/N: I wrote this rather fast but hope it turned out okay. I'm trying to get another part for the Ddakji series but struggling to figure out where the story goes so it'll take a while 👉🏻👈🏻

[sweetgardener]

I am. Unwell about wavewave. They have consumed my mind greatly as of late.

In my dumb little headcanon, their relationship just..kind of happened? Enough time interacting together and they just fell into place. Affection given to eachother through simple touches and actions. Fingers interlacing, a head resting on a shoulder, etc. they cannot physically kiss the way most can, So a gentle bonk works just as well.

Shockwave can't quite place how he feels, no doubt due to the extensive damage done to him via shadowplay. Or maybe He just struggles with his emotions (depends on continuity). It is illogical for him to feel a sudden pulse, a swell in his spark when he looks at Soundwave, talks with Soundwave..but the illogical nature of it doesn't stop it from happening again and again. A warmth in his chassis, a calm wave over his system.

For Soundwave, there was always a degree of respect and admiration for the scientist, even if they initially butt heads (and continue to do so, even while together). He matches Shockwave in the way he displays emotion, rather hardly displaying it at all. He's quiet, reserved and hard working, all to please Megatron.

Their lack of a display of emotion does not mean they feel it any less, just, differently. Soundwave has made many a note on his partner, his body language, the way his finials twitch depending on his mood. What vocals Soundwave does make are usually pre-recorded or quiet, hardly seeing the need to be loud in order to be heard. He could listen to Shockwave ramble and rave day and night about his findings, his experiments, his studies. All useful data to be recorded of course, but there's a comfort in a way. The data-logging con quite likes music, and to him, his partner's voice is a song, notes dancing through the air and into his auditory systems.

For Shockwave, He's grateful to have someone who listens, whether he vocalises said gratitude is debatable, but it's show in the passion in his voice, the way he expresses with his hands (well one hand), the way said hand moves to hold his partner's in gentle embrace. It feels..nice, it feels good, to put it simply. To feel another's touch, one he purposely seeks, feelings grounding and comforting.

Jesus it's 6am and I'm rambling and being messy and being poor with my words.

Basically Shockwave and Soundwave are on the autism spectrum and find comfort and stability within eachother, even if they do disagree and fight at times. Sometimes they dance together or watch the stars together. What they have, whether it is brief or long lasting, is important to them, together or apart. They are not good people by any means (good lord the war crimes) but I. Idk, they're just very important to me and how they make me feel. I'm, bad at ending my rambles, I'm not good at poetic stuff. But if whoever's seen this and read all of it, thank you for giving a crazy autistic girl's ramblings a read <3

[thezombieprostitute]

Tech Tuesday: Curtis Everett

Summary: Your ex shows back up in your life.

A/N: Reader is female. No physical descriptors used.

Warnings: Ex-boyfriend angst, Hospital setting, Past abuse. Please let me know if I missed any!

Previous

Series Masterlist

It's been a couple weeks since Curtis diagnosed your computer's hardware problems. With the new fan you hadn't had any problems and were able to get back to gaming. To the chagrin of many, Snowpiercer85 and HeartMonitor3000 were back and topping the charts. It was nice to have some wins in your pocket.

Conversation between the two of you seemed even easier than before. Curtis still never pushed you to meet up again. He didn't take a more domineering attitude now that you've met. He was just as respectful and patient as before. You really appreciated that.

So much so, it gave you the courage to ask if he wanted to meet up again. Curtis was elated and again agreed to your time and place requests, reiterating that he wants you to feel safe. This time you were going to meet him at the coffee shop outside the hospital after your shift. If he can't handle you post-14-hour-shift better to know it now.

First, though, you have to actually get through your shift. Easier said than done, you think as you start walking the ICU. Almost every bed is full and you're already looking at working through all of your breaks. Checking the charts you're at least grateful Dr. Beck on deck for the night. He's one of the best at handling a crisis and is really difficult to shake when he's on the job.

One chart makes you stop in your tracks. The name reads "Chase Collins" and your blood freezes. Looking at the person in the bed, it's a little difficult to see him past all the breathing equipment and the neck brace, but it could be him. Your ex. Checking the rest of the chart, all of the information lines up with what you remember of him.

According to the chart his motorcycle was hit by a truck. You remember the day he bought it with the money you loaned him to pay for his rent. You were so upset and he only laughed at you. Soon after you started moving your things to your friend's place.

Slowly you put the chart back and head over to the nurses station, struggling to keep breathing. Sitting down you pull out your phone and open Discord. It's an off hour, but it looks like Curtis is playing.

Heart: Are you able to talk? Snow: Sure. Heart: Chase is here. Snow: What do you need me to do? Heart: Tell me I'm going to be okay? Snow: You're the strongest person I know. You're definitely going to be okay. Heart: Thanks.

Curtis feels his jaw clench at your message. He's immediately put down his game so that he can focus on chatting with you. He wants to run off to the hospital to hold you. To keep you safe. But he knows that's not what you want. That he has to wait for permission. He's worked so hard to earn your trust, he's not going to overstep now. No matter how much he wants to.

After a few hours you've calmed down, settled into your work routine. Chase hasn't woken up and you're taking that as a blessing. You've explained to Vanessa, the head nurse, that Chase is your ex-boyfriend, leaving out the history of emotional abuse, and she agreed to keep you as the primary nurse for other patients.

You can't remember the last time you were so tense at work. The ICU can be such a stressful workplace; periods of calm broken up with bouts of organized chaos to keep a patient from dying. But it's never felt so ominous. You were dreading the moment Chase woke up. Dreading the chance he might see you, recognize you. It wouldn't be the first time you hoped a patient never woke up, but you've never felt it so strongly.

It's 2 AM and you want to talk to Curtis, but he's probably asleep. You check Discord and see his status as playing. That's strange, you think to yourself. Normally he's very good about his sleep habits. Still, you're not going to turn down an opportunity to vent.

Heart: Is it bad I don't want him to wake up? At least not while I'm on shift?

Your eyebrows raise in surprise as it takes Curtis less than a minute to reply.

Snow: Not at all. Heart: Can't believe you're actually awake right now. Snow: Can't sleep. Heart: Did you try a warm glass of milk? Snow: That's never worked for me. I'll sleep after our meet-up tomorrow. If you still want to. Heart: You really shouldn't drive on so little sleep. Snow: Says the person who's going to be driving after having had just as little sleep. Heart: But I'm used to it. Snow: Tushy Snow: Touché! Touché! Damn autocorrect!

Your shoulders start bouncing with contained laughter, you don't want to wake up the patients.

Heart: Thank you for the laugh. I really needed that. Snow: Any time? If only I'd done that on purpose. Heart: It's still appreciated. Thank you. Snow: And you still want to meet at the cafe in the morning? Heart: Yes, please.

Curtis continues to keep an eye on the Discord chat. He's not even playing, just keeping the game on so you can see he's actively awake, so you don't hesitate to chat with him when you need it. Seeing Chase had to have been quite the shock for you and this is a way he can be there for you. Even if you never want to be more than friends, Curtis knows he'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, help you, support you.

Tagging @alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @ellethespaceunicorn; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory; @late-to-the-party-81; @lokislady82 ; @peyton-warren @ronearoundblindly; @stellar-solar-flare; @thiquefunlover63

[dyns33]

Anything goes

I started another Cooper Howard's story and I'll be honest, it's hard for me to complete it, but I'll do my best !

Y/N had become little Janey Howard's babysitter several months after her parents' divorce.

Before that, her father and mother always found time to take care of her when the other was working, or they would entrust her to their governess.

This was no longer possible for Mr. Howard, who had to pay alimony to his ex-wife, while having a lot of trouble getting new roles because of the rumors surrounding him.

It was said that he was close to the Reds, that he was a traitor, even though he was a war hero, and the face of Vault Tech. He would have used this position and his wife's to obtain information and sell it to the Chinese.

Nothing had been proven, but it could explain the breakup, as well as the time it took to find a good babysitter. Many women were afraid to ring Mr. Howard's doorbell, not wanting their reputation to be tarnished, or wondering if the man had other dark secrets that could put them in danger.

There were also those who wanted to get closer to him to get information that they could sell to journalists, or have their names in celebrity magazines.

Y/N didn't care about all that. She needed a second job to pay her rent, she liked children, was discreet, and hadn't really heard about all these stories before Mr. Howard brought them up during their interviews.

Seeing that she didn't understand at all what he was referring to and that she was a trustworthy person, he was ready to give her the job. But first, Janey also had to validate her.

It was love at first sight with this child. Y/N had already babysat, and she had never met a little girl as cute, as lively and as endearing. She only had to say hello and give her her name for Janey to give her the most beautiful smile in the world, asking if she wanted to play with her and her dog, Roosevelt.

"I would need you on Wednesday afternoons, weekends and sometimes for several days but I will let you know in advance. Does that suit you ?"

"Perfect, Mr. Howard."

"Cooper, please. My father was Mr. Howard. Unless it makes you uncomfortable, I would understand. And if someone bothers you… Tell me."

At first, Y/N thought he was talking about his fans, his detractors, the paparazzi. Indeed, there were quickly new rumors, claiming that they were having an affair. Maybe even before the divorce, when they didn't even know each other at the time.

It took several months for Cooper to admit to her that he was mainly talking about the Vault Tech employees. He had signed a confidentiality agreement, in order to have the right to continue seeing his daughter and so he couldn't say anything concrete, but he knew things. They weren't nice.

"They might contact you." he told her while pouring himself a drink, after going to see the little girl who was sleeping peacefully. "To offer you money to find secrets or to ask you to leave. Being able to take care of Janey is another condition, and they are good at scaring away the babysitters."

"I'm sorry, Cooper. Don't worry, I'm staying. You'd be lost without me, and I love Janey."

"She loves you too." he smiled, looking at her with sparkling eyes, placing his hand on hers.

Since the divorce, he saw few people apart from his daughter, Y/N and people linked to the small jobs he managed to find, minor roles or entertainment at birthday parties.

There were still a few more or less loyal friends. One of them was Sebastian Leslie. Of course, he was also afraid of reprisals, but he had already sold his voice for the dubbing of all the Mr. Handys, ensuring him a pretty fortune.

His visits were rare, but he came with gifts for the prettiest girl in the world, and flowers for the most patient person ever.

"Miss Y/N, of course, who deserves all our respect for being in your presence so often and not having lost her mind yet."

"As always, you are hilarious."

"I've heard things, but now that I see you, wonderful Y/N, I know it's impossible. You can do much better."

"Thanks, Seb." Cooper sighed, patting Y/N on the shoulder in apology for the nonsense.

She didn't mind people thinking they were together. First, because people were stupid. And most of all, because she wouldn't have minded if it were true. She liked Cooper.

Sure, he was a little older than her, but he was charming. Funny, smart, kind. When they were all together with Janey, they sometimes did activities that made them seem like a family.

But she wasn't family. His marriage had had a difficult end, he had trouble paying her some months, and if he wasn't completely depressed yet, it was because he didn't want to lose his daughter.

It was a surprise when Mr. Leslie came knocking on her door, urgently asking her to follow him, without really giving an explanation. Sweating, worried, he mumbled incoherent things, when he wasn't yelling at his driver to go faster.

Still unclear, he took her arm to put a pitboy on her. Y/N had already seen them on television, or worn by well-dressed, very important, rich people.

"If you're asked, my dear, you are my adorable niece, my only heiress, with whom I insist on living the renovation of the world."

"… What ?"

"I know you're not an actress, but I hope that hanging out with the best of us has helped you a bit in this area. You'll have to be convincing, even if I'll be talking most of the time."

"Mr. Leslie…"

"Uncle Seb. Or Bastien."

"I don't understand anything at all, you don't…"

"Listen to me." he said very seriously, squeezing her wrist. "We don't have much time. They're going to blow everything up. I know Barb is going to take measures for her daughter, I know it. I can't do anything for Cooper, but he loves you very much, so this, I can do for him. At least the little girl will have someone sane to take care of her afterwards."

"What the hell are you talking about ?! Where are Cooper and Janey ?!"

All his attempts to calm her down seemed in vain, Sebastien ended up giving her a sedative, with the help of his driver. No doubt she was transported to the shelter while she was sleeping, put in a hibernation box next to her "uncle".

A very nice robot sounding like him was the first thing she saw when she woke up.

He cheerfully announced to her that she had been sleeping for over 200 years, that her uncle had unfortunately passed away, having woken up long before her, but having left a message for her.

"My dear niece, thank you for your patience and your trust. We always hear funny and stupid things these days, like the fact that I can no longer offer you flowers. But they are growing outside, I hear. And a little girl is waiting somewhere. There are fewer eyes when it's dark."

The message wasn't hard to decode. An apology, first, but mostly the assertion that it was possible to get out of the shelter without too much danger, if she waited for the right moment. Apparently, Janey Howard hadn't been placed in Vault 93.

Getting out wasn't that complicated. In fact, Y/N didn't even have to play the secret agent, she asked Mr. Handy, who passed her request to the overseer, who accepted it without resistance. She was able to take food, clothes and a weapon, before leaving, receiving encouragement from everyone, even if they didn't see who she was at all.

In any case, she was one less mouth to feed.

The real problem was surviving outside, and finding Janey. Y/N was not a fighter. She understood that there had been nuclear explosions, that the world was destroyed, now populated by dangerous creatures and unbalanced survivors.

But there were still good people. A woman showed her the way to Los Angeles, or what was left of it. A man advised her to avoid the North, explaining to her what the Raiders and the Deathclaws were.

And a strange couple offered to accompany them, to prevent her from being killed in her sleep or because of the mines.

Well, the young woman offered, smiling and polite, dressed like the inhabitants of the shelter and wearing a pitboy. She seemed genuinely delighted to meet someone like her, murmuring that it would be a change from her grumpy friend.

The said companion clearly did not come from a shelter. The radiation had dug into his skin. Y/N had heard of them, these ghouls. This one wasn't very talkative, his face half hidden by a cowboy hat, staring at her with a strange, almost shocked look.

"Don't pay attention to him, he's not good with people." said the girl whose name was Lucy. "I don't even know his name. We had a rough start, but he's calm now. We're a team !"

"Oh. Okay. Nice to meet you."

Lucy shook her hand. The Ghoul continued to look at her without saying anything, before continuing on his way. For the girl, it was a good sign, he hadn't ordered her to leave or caught her with his lasso.

Since things had changed, Y/N accepted that this could indeed be good news, but she followed them mostly because she didn't really have a choice.

[eempyreall]

I wanted to come by and first of all praise ur work because they're cool as fuck, I love dark themed blogs. Second of all, is it possible to ask for a Souya x reader where she complains a little that he's a bit stale in bed, so he just flips a 180 and is mean to her about it? :33 thanks in advance

Thank you for the request! I didn’t really know what you meant specifically by ‘mean’ so I hope this is what you were expecting!

༺————————————————————————༻

♪ 𝐵𝑎𝑑 𝑆𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑏𝑦 𝐽𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝐷𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑠 ♪

༺ Bad Side༻

Oneshot ~ Boyfriend Souya x Female Reader

Summary ~ You underestimated who your boyfriend really is.

Featuring ~ Kawata Souya

Extra Notes ~ This is the fandom version of this story. If you want to read the non fandom that provides original characters, press this link.

This story should only be posted under eempyreall on my tumblr. Report if you see it posted under anyone else but me.

l apologize if I get any Japanese etiquette or culture wrong, I literally have to research the culture for some of my fandom stories so if anything is wrong, please excuse my ignorance.

Warning ~

You and the characters are 21+. Although I picture the reader as a black cis-gendered female, physical appearance will not be described at all.

Content within this story may not be realistic or factual.

I do not condone any of the behavior displayed within the story.

There may be dark content such as: gore, violence, triggering topics, graphic scenes, vulgar language, explicit content, sexual content, non consensual and/or dubious consensual content, etc.

That being said, this story is for 18+ only.

Souya has always been gentle with you. Despite his rough exterior and the way he handled fights, he was careful with you. You find it sweet how he treats you so delicately, as if you were such a fragile thing. But you had a moment of slight frustration as you spoke with your friend over the phone.

“I just wish he wasn't so soft. I love that he's kind to me and takes his time in the bedroom to make sure I’m alright, but it'd be nice to see him a little jealous sometimes or even be a little rougher when we have sex,” you sighed. “Maybe I'm just toxic.”

You hadn't meant for him to hear it. You weren't even that serious about it—it wasn't that big of a deal considering you both were just talking about your boyfriends. You definitely hadn't expected his change in attitude.

What you didn't know was the inner turmoil Souya actually felt after hearing those words.

You had no idea what his true feelings were. You didn't know that he checked all of your social media apps and messages when you slept, using your face to unlock the phone.

You had no idea how many guys he's beaten till they're near death after they made a pass at you, whether it was the bartender, barista, or anyone else, all with tears streaming down his face at the thought of you leaving him. You had no idea that when he wasn't working at the ramen shop, he'd follow you everywhere you went.

You didn't even know that every time you're both in the bedroom, he stopped himself from marking you and bringing blood to the surface while wanting to completely ravage your body. He wanted to break your mind, make you cry out for him and mix your tears and sweat together as he thrusts into you.

That night, Souya was different.

His usual quiet warmth was replaced with a sharp edge that his usual scowl didn't produce. There was a dark undertone to his gaze as he stood at the bedside.

“Get up.”

Your eyebrow raised as you looked at him in confusion. “Souya? What's going on?”

You gasped as he snatched the front of your shirt and forced you to stand from the bed. “What the fuck?!” you exclaimed before he shoved you against the wall, the hard surface hitting the back of your head.

The pain in your head throbbed as you stared at him with wide eyes, noticing the tears building up in his own blue irises. Your hands reached for his grip, only for him to release you and wrap his fingers around your throat.

“So that's what you really think, huh?” His voice was eerily calm, despite the tight grip closing around your airway. “You think I can't handle you or somethin'?”

“S—Souya! What are you talking about?” You stuttered as you tried to pry his hand off your neck. “Just tell me what's wrong!”

“I was nice for your sake,” his tone laced with something sinister as the tears finally streamed down his face. “I held back... thought you were too weak to handle the real me.”

“Y-you're scaring me, Souya. Please calm down!” You pleaded.

You froze as he leaned closer to you, bowing his forehead against yours, the palm of his free hand flat against the wall. “Tell me what you want, Y/n,” he whispered.

“I—I don't know. I don't know where you're going with this, Souya, and it's throwing me off. Please, calm down and just tell me what I did to upset you,” you pleaded with a shaky tone, tears pricking your own eyes in confusion.

“That's alright, 'cause I know exactly what I wanna do to you.”

Your eyes were rolled into the back of your head, tears mixing with the sweat on your face as you pressed your head against the bed. His balled-up shirt was used as a gag to muffle your screams and whimpers. Fabric was tied tightly around your wrists, strapping you to the bars of the headboard as your body rocked violently from the impact of his thrusts.

The bloody scars and bites across your body burn, the intense feeling of overstimulation taking over as your vagina numbs around his thick cock. You’re pinned into a mating press as his grip tightens around your legs. The safe word is useless as your body is forced into another spasm of a painful orgasm.

“That’s fucking right. Look at you… so weak and full of my cum,” he pants as he continues to grind his hips against you—your vaginal walls clenching around his length. He groaned at the pressure, biting his lip as his hips rolled harder against you.

He stops for a moment to lean over, fingers curling around your jaw after gently smacking your face to catch your attention. You look up at him with teary eyes as he snatched the fabric out of your mouth.

He didn’t give you a chance to lick over your dry lips. “Stick out your tongue,” he says with a low voice.

Once you comply, he drags his own tongue over yours slowly before giving you a hard thrust and holding the head of his girth against your g-spot. You grunt in response.

“You’ve lost the privilege to go anywhere on your own, if it’s not work. I don’t give a damn about your slutty friends or whatever plans you have. You don’t go anywhere without me, got it?”

“B—but, Souya—hah!” You cry out in pain when he smacks your thigh with enough force to bruise the skin.

“Got it?”

You nod in response as he continued to fuck into you until you faint.

[alli-ily]

I am so sorry for replying just now- BUT LET ME YAAAAAP NCKDJJDJDJD‼️‼️

FIRST OF YOUR OC IS SO COOL AND ABSOLUTELY CUTE????? 😭😭😭🫶🫶💜✨✨ I LOVE THEIR STORY SO MUCH AND I AM SO DUMB FOR FORGETTING THE WORLD BUILDING INFO'S, I'LL DEFINITELY GET INTO THAT ONCE I FINISH MY OTHER TO DO LIST 😭‼️BUT I LOVEEEE HOW DETAILED THIS IS 🤩🤩✨‼️ (in fact it might not even be all of it huh...👀)

The way you literally built Siyun's personality and background, how they're so traumatized sweet, stronk, hard working, and doesn't abide by strict orders/rules because who cares about that anyways- 💅✨ aND AND THEY'RE GIVING GOLDEN RETRIEVER VIBES⁉️⁉️🤩🤩🤩✨✨✨ (rip for Azul btw, bro is being stared at by Siyun so hard that he can't even do anything about it XD)

I am literally smiling so hard when I first saw this and even now 😭😭‼️ I was shocked that you even put a thought about my OC 🥹🥹⁉️⁉️ BFKDJDJSJSKDJF TYSMMM 😭😭💜💜✨SO IN RETURN HERE'S MY THOUGHT FOR THEIR INTERACTION AND LORE DROP ‼️‼️

just some explanation about Ariya's family background:

The house of Adler (Ariya's surname in this universe) is a family of Knights and was known for their contribution to the country’s military strength and mastery of swordsmanship; because of this, the monarch gave them permission to build a school to further spread knighthood and their art in swordsmanship to knights-in-training. This made her family a former powerhouse in the field of combat and producing powerful knights. But now that her father is the one handling the legacy, an incident happened in the process; an unknown group of people killed a high-ranking figure in the court using the technique that their family was so proud of, and this sabotage is the main reason why they had no choice but to shut down the school and the start of the once-prominent Adler family’s decline. (Ariya was trained by her family and an unknown person at a young age and proved her immense skill in this regard *she is a dual sword wielder*)

What if they met in a swordsmith shop?

Ariya is definitely surprised to even meet such a genuine person in this world of masks since Siyun's "kind" is rare nowadays, but after interacting with them out of curiosity and interest with her happy and soft facade, she came to a conclusion that they're just really nice and hopeful. (She also noted Siyun's eyes, how they lit up with familiarity towards her and the way it furrows into..pity? *that got her a bit annoyed* Ariya also observed their armor and movement, making sure they're not trained under her Family's art of swordsmanship.)

Once Ariya's curiosity is satisfied, she'll probably just remember Siyun as some unfamiliar knight who knows her family's downfall and not outright look for them to gain connections or suspect them because of her history with knights...it's probably out of pure luck if they will still meet again and surprisingly Ariya keeps bumping into Siyun whenever she's out investigating or doing errands (she is very alert but knows she somehow magnet extroverts that keeps wanting to adopt befriend her- she's introvert :'3)

Their friendship will probably be a bit fast because Ariya is mostly out snooping for evidences while she keeps bumping into Siyun and Siyun will probably be persistent (? please correct me if I'm wrong) because they want to help her with her investigations.

In the end Siyun got involved in one of her snooping's that escalated into fight making Siyun officially see Ariya with no facade and the infamous Adler swordsmanship with a mix of Ariya's own unique and elegant twist to it. (her double sword and swordsmanship is actually inspired and similar to Elizabeth Midford from Black butler hehe) Siyun will of course still help despite Ariya's words to let her handle it, making the fight more easy and swift with their own swordsmanship's harmonizing. At the end of the event, their bond will definitely grow strong, making Ariya compliment Siyun's combat and art genuinely because she is a lady of culture 🤌🤌 Once they bond more, Ariya will be more comfortable with Siyun, talking to them like a real friend with no facade and will even invite them to train if she has free time.

please notice me, prince!! ♡

au by @alli-ily << i've been meaning to join this au for a little while now hehehe

*click for better quality LMAO,,, sorry i have no idea why it's so fucked up but i did transcript the important stuff down here if you want

sir? dame? siyun (aka azul's worst nightmare)

"though they are very capable, they're quite unpopular with nobles as they tend to disobey even direct orders if they figure that there is a more efficient way to do things. they're also a little too honest for high society's taste."

siyun hails from far away lands, practically another world (hehe nod to them being a yuu). it is known that they have two younger siblings and that their parents are both well but it seems that they are no longer in contact.

...ashengrotto despises them (they give him SO many headaches, FREE HIM 🙏🙏)

some more stuff utc,, ARGHHH I BRAINROT OVER AUS LIKE THIS SO FAST💔💔💔 it's the evil manhwa lover in me

ALRIGHT SOOO.... the reason why i keep mentioning azul is because In My Head (please correct me if i'm wrong/you don't want me making up stuff HELPPP i didn't know what to go off aside that there's a bunch of kingdoms and nobles), he was accused/is suspected of embezzlement and siyun was dispatched to monitor him.

...they might as well be the bane of his existence honestly. embezzlement is likely the one crime he has yet to commit but with a highly competent knight keeping a close eye on him, it's gotten a lot harder for him to do anything that is remotely not outstanding-member-of-society material, which pisses him off to no end (...that's kinda just his own assumptions though LMAO, siyun does NOT care that much about the matters of some rich merchant,, unless someone gets hurt that is).

ANYWAYS. this made me think i should probably write down how they feel about lady ariya and prince shin

starting with lady ariya

siyun truly admires her resolve to clear her family's name. but they also can't help but feel something akin pity for her, the path she chose for herself will be long and arduous, especially alone—very few manage to walk out, head held high and pride intact. still, she seems like a promising young lady and siyun is a hopeful person, "i will assist you should you ever call for me."

prince shin (@liyuviq)

humble beginnings, big responsibilities. it's a bit presumptuous, but siyun sort of relates to the illegitimate prince. perhaps not fully—they never experienced Suddenly Being A Royal and sincerely hoped they never would, even in another universe. however, they can relate to the whiplash, the struggle to cram into a few months—no, weeks—everything the other nobles learned over the years, the stares, the whispers... they remember how it all felt, and when they look at their highness shin, they can only hope that they will rise through it all. "then again, i do know i am not your highness. perhaps you don't feel even a fraction of the dread that filled me back then—i would be very glad if so."

i hope i'm not overstepping 👉👈,, aghh also open for interactions for anyone interested hdhdhhdshd, i haven't checked the tag yet HELP

as for the hypothetical target of their affection,,, i fear it may be butler jade 💀💀........... I'M A SUCKER FOR BUTLER X KNIGHT ARCHETYPE 💔💔💔ALSO I BRAINROT OVER YUNDE 2MUCH💔AH AND quick lore rundown

i imagine their knighthood still stands in another empire—or kingdom,,, sorry my knowledge of the world building here is a little vague HDUAJHF. anyway the point is that they are skilled enough for the royal family themselves to take them under their heavy golden wing—until the ashengrotto accusations and they're given bits and pieces of their freedom back.

I'M REALLY SORRY MOOTS THIS IS JUST ME YAPPING ON AND ON..... but like this au's really sick‼️‼️‼️ tags - @heyhellohihowareyou @elenauaurs @distant-velleity @twistedwonderlandshenanigans @skriblee-ksk @sickle-stick @puowei @jadelover69 @tixdixl @nemisisnemi @angelwishess @theleechyskrunkly @chillygourami @bunniehunn @cheerleaderman UUUH DID I FORGET ANYONE.....

[kabr0ztrousers]

If you are comfortable with it, can you do chubby fem reader x orc step dad x orc dbf? Step dad's been trying to set her up with his friend but she is not interested. One day they both corner her. Step dad is mainly holding her against him while his friend is burying his face and cock in her pussy. The step dad doesn't penetrate her but gropes and says some really gross things. Heavy breeding kink on this one.

Sounds hot! And it'll be nice to get back to some high fantasy!

Kabr0z Writes episode 42: Orc Daddy

Find the rest of the Kabr0z Writes anthology here!

CWs: Dubcon going to enthusiastic consent; size difference; age difference; father-daughter; arranged marriage; breeding; deep penetration; groping; extreme cum;

A/N: Wow, episode 42 already. I definitely should've written a special one for today in advance to mark this particular milestone, but oh well.

There's 10 stories in the queue at time of publication, so if you send a request and don't see it for a few days please have faith, it's coming.

On the subject of requests, please do keep them coming! I have a couple of anons claiming emojis, so if you want one then you might want to grab it early!

Any idea, kink, scenario, whatever, drop me an anon or a DM and I'll make it happen!

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The village was never quiet. Orcs all have a competitive streak, the young ones always brawling, racing, drinking, trying to outdo one another. To say nothing of the constant sounds of work being done, labourers chopping wood in the forest, mining ore out of the mountain, singing bawdy songs waiting for the charcoal to bake, and your step-father smithing the tools that made it all happen.

You'd been adopted into the village almost 15 years ago as a child after bandits attacked your family in the mountains. Only you got away and were found by a hunting party days later, half starved and freezing. They brought you back to the village, unsure about what to do with you. An extra mouth was a burden, and a human no less. You were lucky the village blacksmith, a hulking, bearded orc named Mazorn.

Of course, you're in your early 20s now. The young orcs in the village were all interested in you and while you'd had the odd roll in the hay, Mazorn wasn't keen on any of them getting too close to you. He kept on going on about one of his friends from another village nearby, a grizzled warrior called Oreg. You weren't particularly interested in the idea of an arranged marriage to begin with, let alone with some old friend of your father's.

It was raining hard when the caravan arrived. Furs and trade goods from the city, along with a huge figure clad in platemail. The whole village came out to see, the suit glowed with enchantment, emblazoned with shining gilt fittings and a rich red cloak, a matching shield on his back and a longsword on his hip. A bit much for a caravan guard. Your father stepped out towards him, and they grabbed one another in a hug, Mazorn's huge hand clapping on the shield, the knight's clanking on the orc's back. They laughed heartily before Mazorn brought him over to you

"This is the daughter I've told you about!" Mazorn gestured to you as the other man lifted his helmet.

Underneath was a scarred orc, tusks filed short and short-stubbled. "I see you raised her well, old friend!" Oreg clapped Mazorn, looking at you "Certainly haven't been under-feeding her"

You blushed, conscious of his eyes on you. You weren't sure if it was the armour, but it was kind of turning you on. Oreg and Mazorn walked back to the smithy, you in tow as they reminisced about their glory days. You hadn't taken your old dad for a warrior, but apparently they used to be shield brothers in some war or other. The ale was flowing freely between them, perhaps too freely as you noticed Oreg taking longer and longer glances at you. The armoured orc was gradually taking pieces off, bracers, greaves, miscellaneous plates protecting his joints and flanks.

You could smell him as the armour came off, strong and musky. It wasn't unpleasant per se, you'd spent your life around orcs, but it was noticeable. Oreg motioned to you to help him with some of the harder to reach buckles and straps "I'd normally have a squire around to help with this, but he's helping the caravaneers. You should know your way around all this anyway, your father made most of it"

The last plate to come off was his cuirass, once he stripped the chain surcoat and the gambesson underneath, Oreg was sat half naked and glistening with a thin layer of fresh sweat. His shoulders were broad, his back criss-crossed with scars. Only a loincloth covered his manhood. Muscles rippled under his skin as he stretched and shook himself, cushioned by the layer of fat ubiquitous among the strongest orcs in your village.

You caught yourself staring, swallowing the mouthful of drool you'd produced looking at him.

Your father looked at Oreg "Thirty gold pieces"

Oreg laughed, "Done! She's worth at least fifty"

Were they talking about you?

Mazorn lifted you, as though you weighed nothing. He held you under a shoulder and gripped your thick thighs, forcing them apart and presenting you to the other orc. You blushed, underwear wasn't a part of your wardrobe, so your unprotected pussy was completely bare to Oreg "She's useful about the house, but she's a been a bit of a whore in her time, already laid with half the lads her age. Want to get shut of her before she gets herself knocked up"

Oreg touched your pussy, opening it up with his calloused fingers "Hmm, certainly not a virgin, but clean and well cared for... Thirty is fair."

You heard a coinpurse hit the table. You'd been sold, like a prize hog at market. Or a breeding sow.

Mazorn shifted you in his grip, holding you upright by the tits, his huge hands groping you as Oreg pulled his loincloth aside

"I'd better see to her properly now she's mine" His hands were rough and strong, but his nails well manicured and clean. He tore off your skirt and got down on one knee in front of you, eyes level with your already moist pussy as you struggled against your adoptive father's grip.

Oreg held one leg up as he filled you with a thick finger, the rough skin making you shudder in anticipation as it gently worked its way inside. Another finger joined it, you whined as they stretched you, but Oreg was careful not to hurt you as he slowly twisted them inside you, going this way and that, paying attention to where made your breathing catch, your pulse quicken, your toes curl.

You'd stopped struggling now, holding your legs open for the big orc to finger you, Mazorn's voice came from beside your head "See? I told you she's a slut, already she's giving herself over to you! And after all her complaining about wanting to pick her own mate!"

You couldn't disagree. You'd fancied Oreg since you'd set eyes on him, you were probably going to try and get this orc 20 years your senior to finger you tonight anyway. You bit your lip, the sensations getting to you. Mazorn started groping at you faster, your whines cued Oreg to let go of your leg, using that hand to rub your clit.

You came with a wail, your cunt eagerly accepting the fingers rolling around in it, your hips thrusting, trying in vain to fuck him back. Oreg stood up, holding his erect member in one hand, he could probably fit two of those hands next to each other on his cock and still have length to spare.

Two of his hands, or one of you.

He lined up his cock with your pussy, looking down into your begging eyes as he rubbed it against your clit and your hole. It was almost comically thick, the head pressing against the cit and the opening at the same time.

You nodded at him, putting your hands on his waist as he gently rubbed himself into you.

"Take it, take your new husband" Mazorn growled into your ear. You knew he'd fantasized about doing this himself so many times, muttering your name as he wanked himself to sleep when he thought you were asleep. You could feel his cock getting rock-hard behind you, pressing against you through the fabric of his trousers. But you were Oreg's now, and there was nothing he could do about it as you rubbed your ass against him. The bastard had sold you, the least you could do was give him some seller's remorse.

Oreg pushed himself in. It didn't hurt, the stretching from his fingers and the liberal amount of your juices on his cockhead meant he slid in without pain. It still made your eyes water, tears building as your mouth lolled open and you groaned from the immense pressure inside you. You moved your hips against him, wrapping your legs around his trunk, but you could no more hurry him that you could pull up an old oak. Slowly, carefully, he pushed into you. You felt his tip kiss your cervix and moaned again, open mouthed and animalistic.

He stayed still for a moment, resisting the pulling of your legs, the urging in your eyes. "Please" you breathed, barely a whisper "please, more"

Mazorn laughed "See? The slut wants it all! She's well broken in, brother, you can have fun"

Oreg looked into your eyes, waiting for your nod.

You gave it.

He pushed.

You felt the cock slip by your cervix, pushing deeper into you as be bottomed out in you. Your eyes defocused as you wordlessly begged him. Your hips moved on their own, without rhythm, running on sheer desperation for his cock.

He started to fuck you properly now. Starting slowly, thrusting in and out in long motions, slathering himself in your juices and getting your fuckhole relaxed as he built up speed. You felt like you were melting into him. Your legs started to slip a little as he fucked you senseless. His hand came up to your face, the two fingers that had been inside you thrust into your mouth. You sucked on them, tasting your wetness. You felt your cunt drooling out even more as he invaded your mouth

"You like your face being fucked too?" Oreg grinned "Your father's a fine smith, but no salesman"

His fingers fucked your face harder as he pounded into your cunt. You felt your body start to twitch and tense. Your head was spinning. Your legs clenched around him. You moaned again and again, the noises merging into a wail of release as your cunt tightened and relief filled your body. You could feel the waves of warmth and pleasure making your pussy pulse around Oreg's cock.

He groaned in time with you. He thrust himself in, his balls pressed against your asshole as they pulsed and tightened into him. Surge after surge of hot liquid pumped up into you. You could feel the pressure of it squirting it into every corner of your cunt, flooding your womb and leaking out around his cock, and it kept coming.

You could hear Mazorn grunting as well as the bulge of his cock started to twitch, a damp patch spreading on your back as you leaked the younger orc's cum onto your stepfather's clothes.

Oreg wrapped his arms around you, and Mazorn released you into his embrace. The knight carried you, still buried in your cunt, and sat down.

The way he looked at you, with such tenderness, you wouldn't believe his cock was buried over a foot deep in you if you couldn't feel it in your guts. You kissed his chest and rested your head, letting the blissed-out feeling take you as you both dozed in each other's arms.

You left with him in the morning.

It was over a month until the caravan got back to Oreg's home, every night punctuated with another round of intense, yet strangely gentle, lovemaking. Your monthlies hadn't came, you reckoned that a gallon of orc cum every night had seen to that. It turned out Mazorn had rather undersold Oreg to you. He wasn't some foreign warlord, he was a duke under the Imperial crown. Apparently the old war they were drinking to was a crusade against a lich king, and for his valiance he was granted a noble title. He'd spent the last twenty years as a paladin of Pelor and had only recently received permission to take a wife and continue his lineage.

You still weren't happy about being sold, but figured you could live with it, Mazorn always was looking out for you, in his way

###############################

This is another one I really enjoyed writing! A little exposition, Oreg's actually based off a D&D character I played in my first proper campaign in that system, though his monstrous manhood never came up then. Just goes to show inspiration can strike from anywhere.

Hopefully you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it, and again if you have any ideas, scenarios, kinks, fanmail, hatemail, whatever, drop me a DM or an ask and I'll probably wind up writing it!

Again, there's 10 in the queue right now, but it will almost certainly get written 😁

Post-post script: I still haven't figured out how to reference the posterior fornix without feeling like I'm giving a biology lecture

[castlebyersafterdark]

Thinking about how Will loves to put on make up has got me in a chokehold.

Imagine Mike coming home early one day because he and Will have dinner reservations (or anything like that) and he walks in on Will putting on his eyeliner, face full of glittery make up, and my man is stunned.

Will wanted to surprise Mike by prettying himself up for their date but is upset because he can’t get it right and he needs everything to go perfectly

but Mike is now just focused on ruining Will’s make up (and the bed sheets).

They had to cancel their dinner plans 🤭

"We're going to be late again," said not annoyed or irritated as Mike lingered in the doorway, but matter of fact.

He peeked around the counter and glanced at the absent sway of Will's hips, butt poked out enticingly as Will leaned closer to the mirror. He bit his lip and smiled, then stepped back, giving him space. Fought back temptation.

Will hummed in acknowledgement from the bathroom and said no more. He was trying to concentrate. And not poke his eye again. He'd had to start over on the left eye twice. Artist's hands, typically steady, hadn't mastered the art of tracing soft, chalky pencil against slightly damp skin just yet. He didn't want to look like a clown - and a very sad one at that. Or maybe a raccoon. Either way. Not the look he was going for - that being, the mysterious artist type.

This was a brave step for him.

"What are you doing in there?"

"Can you go wait in the living room or something?" Will asked, not annoyed or irritated either, but nervous.

He wanted to get this right. He wanted to look pretty. It had been a hard enough decision to decide to try this for a night out. His previous little experiments had been subtle, private so far. But they were going out, to a nice dinner in a nice restaurant he felt safe being himself in. Taking a taxi. Alone in the dark backseat, together in some fancy booth. Him and Mike, being their very best selves after working so hard for a treat like this.

"If you want me, too. I can. I just-"

"Just, what? I want to surprise you."

Oh no. Wrong thing to have said to Mike Wheeler, who could never let a damn thing go.

(continued below...)

"A surprise?"

"Mike. Please. It's not that big of a deal," he lied and said no more after Mike's continued pleading inquiries.

Mike groaned and left the doorway. Didn't head to the living room, though, but sat on the edge of the bed. Too antsy, he scooted back, propped against the headboard, legs sprawled, arms like a wingspan across the pillows. He shifted and mustered up a sultry look, hoping that Will would walk out to find him there like an enticing gift soon enough.

He glanced at their bedside clock and saw they actually had a decent amount of time. Yes. They had time. He'd only wanted to play it safe, get out early, factor in unpredictable city traffic.

Mike contemplated unbuckling and getting his own surprise ready. Debated, and spread his legs, palmed at his slightly hard dick, beginning to take interest. They might have time for something quick. Maybe. Better not...

After only several minutes had passed, and barely that, he gave up. He couldn't take it.

"Hey, Will, sorry - oh. Oh, baby look at you."

Will, distracted after concentrating deeply on putting the finishing touches on his look, turned instantly at the sound of Mike's voice this time. Instinctual. Without thinking. He shrugged and gave a coy smile, masking his nerves. Hoped he didn't look stupid. Faked some confidence.

"I've seen me."

"You've seen you. Uh-huh. Have you really?" Mike stepped forward, sly smile in place. "Look at you."

Mike spun Will to face the mirror and hugged him from behind, kiss placed to the back of his head. He stepped back and shook his head. He wanted to devour him.

Will placed the cap back on the make-up and set it down on the counter. Mike traced a finger down the strong line of Will's jaw, contrast to the softness of his other features. He used a finger to tip Will's face up from where he'd cast his gaze to the floor. Needed to see him fully, needed Will to know how how effected he was.

"You are so beautiful, Will. I mean it. So gorgeous. Gosh, I love you."

Will squeaked at the quickness of the kiss that followed, with Mike swooping down to kiss the fresh color on his lips and squeeze him around the waist, drawn flush from thigh to chest. Mike pressed him against the counter, heard the sound of small plastic items clatter over and bounce into the sink and laughed at Will's whine.

"Mike, you're gonna ruin it," Will giggled, and swiped at the corner of his mouth where the light pink color had already smeared a little. It stuck on Mike's bottom lip, too, a slash of pink across his perpetually red mouth.

"Isn't that the point," Mike answered, voice deep and quiet, like low thunder reverberated across marble walls.

"For later. Haven't even gotten to wear it out the door, yet," Will protested but he already could tell his work was going to have to be reapplied before they left the apartment now, going by the look in Mike's eyes.

Will was transfixed to the spot, trapped. Heart rate rising. The foxes were circling the meadow. Little rabbit had nowhere to run.

Mike hummed and kissed his cheek, pulled back to stare at those pretty, dark rimmed eyes. Dark but soft. Carefully, artfully applied liner and mascara, just enough to enhance those bright, doe eyes. Made them look even bigger. Some sort of barely there powder made his skin shimmer and glow on the high points of his cheeks and the side of his face. Made him look otherworldly, delicate. And his mouth - fuck, his mouth. Pouty and pink, stained a perfect color and glossy on top. A vision. Subtle, but with effort that made him look effortless. Like he was supposed to look like that.

Skin soft as ever, hair combed and styled and falling just so, strands slipping between Mike's fingers as he carded a hand through. Flushed cheeks - natural, embarrassed slightly by the situation but excited by Mike's obvious appreciation. Smooth skin, freshly shaven, and the rest of his skin subtly applied with scents of vanilla and deep spice.

Mike was starving.

Dinner could wait.

Mike pressed him harder against the bathroom counter, moving from cheek to neck with kisses that avoided smudging Will's mouth further. Will moaned under the attention, head tilted to the side. Mike undid a few buttons, pushed the silky shirt over Will's shoulder as he mapped a path across his warm, bare skin, hot kisses to every little freckle and mole on his shoulder. He knew what he was doing. He knew every trick and button to push. Teeth to skin, mouth sucking hard at the hollow his Will's neck. A knee raised between Will's thighs, feeling his excitement grow, feeling how Will was just as instantly keyed up as him.

"What time is it?" Will gasped as Mike passed a thumb back and forth over his nipple, hissing through the jolt of pleasurable ache that shot down to his cock when Mike pinched and rolled the bud.

"I don't know. I don't care. We have time."

"Seemed impatient to get going before."

"Was I? Doesn't sound like me at all."

Will didn't answer and sprung into action. Fine. He wanted to play now.

He pushed off the counter and led Mike backwards from the bathroom to their bedroom, and shoved Mike down onto the bed. Mike's legs spread on muscle memory as Will shouldered his way in, already grappling at Mike's belt buckle.

Will's mouth was on Mike as soon as his pants and briefs were shoved partially down, out of the way only enough for Will to get at hot skin, mouth watering for it. Lips sealed over the leaking tips, savoring the taste like he was breaking a hunger strike. His talented tongue, his lips stretched and sliding down. Breath harsh through his nose. He was drooling around it, working his jaw to take Mike down further, now the impatient one.

He gagged on Mike's length, too eager, and received a soothing hand cradled his face to slow him down. Mike said as much out loud. Will didn't want that. He wanted to look pretty and he wanted to be used.

He pulled off and sat back on his heels, looking up at Mike. Make up mostly still intact, save for the smeared pink around the corners of his lips - some was left on the skin of Mike's dick. Will saw it, wanted to lick it off.

Soon enough.

Watery eyes. Wide. Pleading. Mouth open, tongue out. And Mike was the one who took action now.

It was a blur from there. Pants fell the rest of the way to the floor, clank of belt buckle. Big hands cradled the back of Will's skull. Cock slid between perfect, pink lips, heavy in Will's mouth. Will let his body go slack along with his jaw, hyper aware of his shoulders, his neck, releasing the tension and working his throat, fighting the urge to choke as Mike guided him, shallow thrust fucking his mouth and driving into a deep grind as Will swallowed him down.

So wet. An entire mess. Make-up ruined as the perfect, pretty color across Will's lips had mostly disappeared. Mixed with the saliva that dripped down his chin, spat from his mouth as Mike pulled off at at a painful sounding gag, only for Will to dive back in and suck him harder after several heaving gasps, hand flying over Mike's dick until he was ready.

Tears in the mix. Shimmer from Will's cheeks rubbed off on Mike' s hands and wrists, tiny specs of glitter embedded in Mike's pubes. Neither were going to notice that one. Didn't matter. Will gripped the back of Mike's thighs and swallowed and sucked and moaned until Mike pulled back, shallow thrusts until he spilled over Will's tongue and lips, painting him with a new color to replace the one he ruined.

Mike collapsed to the bed, bouncing on the mattress as his legs gave out. Will was pulled along with him, still gripped around his thighs. They laughed together and resettled. Will rested against Mike's bare thigh, draped across him, taking deep breaths after licking his lips as clean as possible at that point. Sticky mouth pressed to pale skin. Mike pet at his hair as he caught his own breath, as variations of "fuck, what the fuck, oh my god Will, what the fuck" were muttered above Will's head. He pressed nimble fingers along Will's jaw, soothing to the sure ache.

Will looked up at Mike and if he hadn't just come, Mike would have stiffened up full right then and there. Stirrings, though, a definite twitch as he took in the sight of Will. Debauched. Ruined. Like a fallen angel, landing directly into his lap. A big splotch of black makeup was smeared across Mike's leg along with a streak of come. Nothing compared to the state of Will.

Will's once so precise and demure eyeliner and lash application was smudged and streaked, bare patches in odd places as the rest followed sweat and tear tracks down flushed cheeks, mixed with the tiny bits of shimmer that remained on his face, overall shiny with spit and everything else.

"How do I look?"

Mike burst out a laugh at Will's quiet question, then hauled the man up into his lap, only to fall backwards onto the mattress together in a tangle of limbs and clothing. Mike kicked off his pants and reached down to start undressing Will, eager to repay and miss their dinner reservation entirely...

[chimivx]

gimme gimme gimme 5 -> mingi x fem!reader -> nice for what

wc: 9.9k warnings: 18+, sexual content and alcohol consumption in every part, infidelity themes... if i missed anything please let me know! posted: 2/10/25 7:03 pm est.

masterlist ~ <- previous part - next part ->

“Talk to me.”

Sitting up beside Mingi, hair thrown astray, blankets and sheets tossed around from the night, you’ve watched him toss and turn for ten minutes, ignoring you. After catching you with Yunho he’d disappeared, shimmying beneath the sheets only a few minutes after you’d put yourself to bed. Not a word shared.

“Aurora told me things about him, I had to find out for myself,” you said, keeping your voice quiet, trying to be as nice as you possibly could. Mingi released a breath, a sigh, and rolled out of bed. 

“Why?” he asked, his tone sharp. Taking his hands to his hair he shook the strands about and stepped into the bathroom, not bothering to close the door behind him. “If it’s between Rora and Yunho, let it stay between them.” 

Mulling over your thoughts, flashbacks of the night so prominent, so vivid, you hung your head. “She, like, asked me for help, Mingi.” After the flush of the toilet and the running of the sink water he appeared, dragging his wet fingers through his strands once more, pushing and keeping it back off his forehead. Muscles flexing while he moved, his bare torso and boxers hanging low on his hips made your heart skip a beat.

“Did she?” he asked, eyes narrowing. He moved to the nightstand, putting his glasses on, the thin frames. “She did that?” You nodded and he laughed. “Tori, go talk to your boyfriend's best friend he hasn’t spoken to in weeks? Go talk to my ex who was fucking a whole other bitch our entire relationship?” Stomach going sour, you loosed a breath and squeezed your eyes shut. “Did she say that?”

“No, but she…” Opening your eyes, you gazed up at him and watched his face soften in real time as much as he fought for it not to. “She said she misses me, Mingi.”

Dancing his eyes about the bedroom, he planted his hands behind his neck. “Fantastic,” he grumbled. “Did Yunho tell you he misses me?” He moved to clothe himself, sweatpants and a t-shirt slung over a dresser.

“He asked about you,” you said just as he reached for the doorknob. He paused, hand hovering over the golden handle. “And, he said he still cares.” Looking over his shoulder at your small smile, he watched you pat the bed in front of you. “Sit, don’t leave me when you’re mad, please.” Straightening out, he lowered his eyes and obeyed, dragging his feet over the floor, letting his mass of self lay down before you. “I’m sick of you being mad at me.”

His eyes went wild. “Days ago you were sick of my presence!”

You sighed, eyes closing, head lolling back. 

Protect what you do have.

“It sounds empty,” you whispered, looking down at him and his big brown eyes. “But, I’m sorry.”

“It’s not empty,” he said, finally turning his volume down. “You wouldn’t say it just to say it.”

Pulling your bottom lip between your teeth, you felt that lump in your throat. Blinking up at you, innocent eyed and having done nothing wrong to deserve any hostility, the urge to cry grew.

“I’m having a hard time, Mingi.”

He let out a breath, one he’d been holding since before you got on an airplane. On his stomach, he dropped his head into the duvet, his arms plastered beside it, making you laugh. A quiet one, but it worked. Scrambling to sit up, he crossed his long legs underneath him and put his massive hands on your knees. 

“Tell me,” he whispered, chin low, brows flipped over. “Everything, Tor.”

Laying your hands over his, your fingers slipping within his grasp, you held onto him tight, and took a deep breath. Whether he understood anything or not, this was what he wanted. This would be good for you, for both of you. This was something you should’ve done over a week ago.

“It’s all so different now,” you said, and he nodded along, drinking up every word that spilled from your lips. “Everyone is changing, people are leaving, Yeosang and Ryujin, some have already left.” An endearing slight tilt of his head. “Life was so good, for so long, and then it happened, and it fucked it all up.” Scrunching your nose, being flung back in time whenever you spoke of it in detail, you sniffled though no tears were apparent.

Mingi tightened his fingers to let you know he was there.

“Yeji didn’t just take an opportunity from Ror. She didn’t just break our trust, she… She’s still ruining us and she’s not even here!” Looking up at him and his glistening eyes, you felt your lip crinkle, and finally, a tear. 

Mingi scooted closer to you, taking a hand to your cheek, his thumb brushing the stray tear away. “I’m sorry it still bothers you like this.”

Nuzzling into his touch, you continued, “If she didn’t do what she did, Isla would still be here.” Mingi nodded. “Ryujin wouldn’t have to pretend like she’s okay. Yunho,” Mingi took a breath, and so did you, “Yunho would be here. Him and Ror… You and Yunho…”

“Yeah, maybe,” he mumbled, eyeing his thumb where it brushed over your cheek.

“Mina is a stupid bitch,” you grumbled, and he smirked.

“Torilynn!”

You cracked a laugh, shrugging. “She’s the reason he’s not around.”

Sighing, Mingi pursed his lips, then whispered, “Stupid bitch.” Laughing with him, you veered forward and pressed your head into his chest, breathing him in. Tipping his chin, he pressed a kiss to your unruly hair. Sitting here half clothed, freshly woken up, tangled in one another, oh, so needed. “He said he still cares?” he asked you after a moment of quiet, breathing in tandem.

“He did.” Sitting up, you moved yourself closer, nearly climbing onto his lap. “He was hurt about it.”

Toying with your hair, smoothing it out, Mingi asked, “That’s what you guys talked about last night?”

“I…” you took a breath, “At Cheers.” He paused. “I spoke with him.”

Mingi pulled his hand back and slouched. “Tori,” he whispered. 

Grabbing onto his wrists, this time you do climb into his lap, both of your legs wrapping around his waist. “I know, I wanted to tell you but Ror saw and she got mad and it’s why she was pissed at me yesterday. You and me, we keep going around, and around, and around about the same stuff, and no matter what I do I can’t make that better, when in reality, I couldn’t fuckin’ cum ‘cause I had all this shit in my head!”

Straight faced for no longer than a beat, Mingi burst out in laughter, laying his head over your shoulder. In awe, a smile creeping onto your lips, you shook your head. “I love you,” he mumbled through his giggles and sighs, his body shaking the bed as he laughed.

“You mean that?” you asked, raising your brows. Wrapping your arms around his back, you latched them together by your wrists. He lifted his head with a lazy smile on his lips.

“More than you know.”

“I love you, too.”

“Why shut me out?” he whispered, his breath warming your skin, your noses centimeters apart. “You’ve never done that before, not even when your sister made us miserable at your birthday last year.”

Rolling your eyes, you said, “When we went to Iloa and my night became hers and my parents promoted it as her night out.”

Cringing, he nodded. “Damn, yeah.”

“It’s whatever,” you brushed it off with a shrug, “My dad paid for this vacation. I think he felt guilty. She gets their attention, I get their money.”

His eyes flickered to your lips. “You’ll always have my attention.”

With a soft smile you whispered, “Thank you, baby.” Closing the space between you, you pressed a kiss to his lips, one gentle and short. Meeting his eyes once you parted from him, your smiles grew in time, air between your bodies a thing of the past. Hooking one arm around you he kicked his legs out beneath him and laid you on your back, the heat of his kisses ripping a whine from your throat, his body weight over you instinctively making your knees part to make room for his waist. Fingers digging through his hair, tugging gently at the strands, but just enough for him to groan, for his sweats to grow a little tighter.

Tongue sneaking past your lips, he slowed everything down, the tip dragging along the edge of your teeth. Snaking a hand down your middle, his long fingers slipping underneath the band of the shorts you’d slept in, they breached your center, and just before he could get a moan out of you, you pulled his hand away.

Lips pulling away with a smack, he pressed his forehead to yours. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” you breathed, speaking in whispers. Pulling the shorts off of you, watching him watch you, you smiled. “Don’t want that.”

His heavy lidded eyes flickered to meet yours. “Tor, I should-”

“Don’t make me wait, Song Mingi.” His sweats went next, your hands yanking them off of him in a hurry. “Get inside me.”

Arms slung around your back, having put you back in your clothes moments prior, Mingi pressed his lips to your cheek while you struggled to pull your hair back. Moving around his kisses, leaning into them, letting them land elsewhere as your hands worked, you finally tied your layers into a pony and spun in his grasp, kissing him properly.

“I don’t wanna go down there,” he whispered to you, dragging his hands over your back, sliding them further, teasing the band at your waist. Pouting your lips, he caught them in a kiss. “Let’s stay here.”

“I wish,” you whispered with a smile. His gaze danced around your face. “We have to help clean up, I know it’s a mess.”

“The house or the people?” He smirked.

Rolling your eyes, you huffed, “Both.”

With a squeeze of his hands, he asked, “Are you gonna talk to Rora?”

“I’ll have to see what kind of mood she’s in,” you whispered, eyes flickering down to his lips you wished you could drown in for the rest of the day. Maybe the rest of the vacation. “She definitely doesn’t remember anything about last night.” 

Mingi brought a hand up, grazing it over your cheek. His brows turned under in the center. “She’s honest when she drinks. Whatever she said to you, it’s the truth, whether she shows it when she’s sober or not. If she misses you drunk, she misses you.”

That means her feelings for Yunho…

“Right,” you breathed, lashes fluttering in hesitance to say any more. “Let’s go down, gonna need you behind me if I talk to her.” Turning for the door, Mingi grabbed onto your hand, pulling you back some.

Lips tightening, he glanced down to your hands. “Just wanted to ask you,” he started, thumb dragging over your wrist as he looked into your eyes, “Is there was anything else you wanted to tell me?”

Everything came to mind, the last week or so like a flashback before your eyes, occurring between you and Mingi. There were things you were unsure of, like the mystery texter you haven’t heard from since yesterday morning, or Jongseob talking about you to all of his friends apparently. The latter seemed the more normal of the two, that happened more often, Mingi already knew Jongseob was a little shit, that he talked about you, that he properly wanted you. This texter though… That was yours to keep, yours to hold onto. A game to play with yourself, one you wouldn’t let get too deep, you’d simply find out who was messaging you, then let it go. 

“Uh,” you sighed, shrugging your shoulders, “Jongseob’s been up my ass whenever he’s around, but I keep him in line. That’s about it,” you said. “I’ll sort things out with Aurora, then I’ll let you know what’s going on with us.”

A smile peeked out onto his cheeks, one that didn’t reach his eyes. Pulling you closer, he kissed your forehead and nodded for the door. “Let’s go,” he whispered. 

Red plastic cups were scattered across the floor, even on the third floor, where people didn’t venture last night. Picking them up, stacking them together, both you and Mingi with a couple in your hands, the two of you didn’t leave the other's energy, sticking close together, almost side by side, elbows brushing as you passed by the other. 

The house was quiet. Silent. Weird.

“What time is it?” you asked Mingi within a whisper, starting down the stairs for the second floor, grabbing cups along the way and stray trash.

Mingi bent over on the stairs, brows focused, picking up the end of a joint between his fingers. Holding it up for you to see, you popped your brows and shook your head with a snicker. “Close to one, I think.”

“Why is no one else up?” 

All around the bar, in front of Seonghwa and Soul’s doors, a mess. Shoving trash into your arms, the stack of cups growing, you stepped over spills on the floor, crumbs and crushed up, trampled on food, a broken shot glass behind the bar, liquor bottles littered on every surface.

“When the fuck did all of this happen,” you muttered, straightening up what you could with what room you had left in your hands. Glancing about at the lounge chairs, it seemed so far that no people were left behind, everyone must’ve left. 

Mingi started putting bottles away until he grumbled about coming back to do it later. “Should we even bother, what’s tonight gonna turn into?” he asked, giving you a look.

Pursing your lips, sauntering by him to the stairs, you winked. “I’m going to Wave tonight, I don’t know about you.”

He smirked. “You got a date?”

Tossing your ponytail over your shoulder, you looked back at him. “Are you asking me out, Song Mingi?”

He fumbled with the things in his arms as you gave him a once over. “Maybe.” His voice faltering made you laugh. 

“Hm, well,” you began, starting down the stairs for the kitchen, Mingi hurrying behind you, “I planned to meet up with this guy.”

A warm hum sounded. “Oh, really?” he asked.

“Yeah,” you smiled, looking back over your shoulder, washing away whatever subtle worry he wore on his face. “He’s really tall.”

Mingi blinked. “Taller than me?”

“Just as tall as you,” you said with a giggle. “He’s got blonde hair,” you took a step into him when you both reached the first floor, “He wears these cute little glasses that make me crazy.” Mingi smiled now, tipping his chin down to keep his eyes locked on yours. “Sometimes he’s so silly,” you whispered, the narrowing of your eyes over your smirk making him roll his eyes, “I make jokes and he doesn’t get them.”

He furrowed his brow. “Hey, I get them.”

Taking a hand to his cheek, you give it a pinch. “Of course you do.”

There’s a moment of quiet between you both before Mingi whispered, “You were talking about me right?”

Standing to your tiptoes you pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. “Yes,” you breathed, fluttering your lashes. He flashed you his teeth in the quickest, smallest smile. “I want to go with you,” you said, taking you and your shadow into the kitchen and around the island to the garbage that you held open for him to dump the contents of his arms into. “And, if anyone else in this house plans to go, like Soul, or anyone else, then we’ll make it a night.”

Sitting up from the couch, quite literally folding himself in half, Yunho popped his head over the cushions. “Where you guys going?”

Jumping a mile, clinging onto Mingi’s arm, you both faced the sofa with an intake of breath, startled. 

“Jesus Christ,” you sneered, glaring his way, shocked to find him still in the building. “Did you sleep on the fucking couch?”

He and Mingi shared something of a look, one unbeknownst to you. Their relationship was their own, their friendship was theirs and theirs only. Made for one another, platonic soulmates if you will, they were brothers, the kind that spoke their own language, the kind that always covered for the other, at least would have, back when the circumstances weren’t detrimental. Whatever they shared now in this moment, it wasn’t for you to understand. 

“I did,” Yunho said. “I’ve been up for like an hour.”

Mingi shook his head. “And you’ve just been laying here?”

“I can’t exactly go walking around this house, can I?” Yunho shot him a glare. 

Your boyfriend shrugged. “We have a… there’s an extra room upstairs…”

The back of your hand swatted at his thigh. “He would not wanna sleep up there,” you whispered through your teeth, but Yunho heard you anyway.

Dropping his head with a laugh, he muttered, “Spare me.”

Tension grew thick, the air going dense, closing in around the three of you. Neither of them knew what to do, knew what to say. Boys were different when it came to this sort of thing, in your years of growing up with a sister they were an entirely different species to deal with, and since your start at Nasara you’ve only just begun to understand what they were like seeing them interact in the wild. 

“I can play mediator,” you said, “Say what you need to say to each other.”

Mingi squeezed your arm, then stepped over to the back of the couch. Lips parting in shock you watched him extend a hand toward him. “Are we good?”

Yunho glanced at his fingers, up at his friend, then back to his hand that he grabbed and shook. “Yeah, we’re good.”

“You talked to my girl?” Mingi questioned, and Yunho answered with an eye roll.

“About you,” he mumbled.

Mingi tilted his head. “And Rora.”

Yunho moved onto his knees to look at you from around Mingi’s frame, both of his hands latching the cushions. “So we’re telling people.”

Throwing a hand toward Mingi, you scoffed. “He’s my boyfriend!” The boys shared another look, then they both started to smile. “I don’t get it,” you huffed, whirling around for the fridge. Their heads followed you in unison. “Are we good? Yeah, yeah? And you guys are fine?” Pulling out a bottle of water you cracked it open and faced the island, grilling them with your brows. 

Mingi and Yunho looked at one another, then they looked at you, and at the same time they said, “Yeah.”

“Unbelievable,” you muttered, taking another swig of water. 

“You gotta keep that shit to yourself,” Yunho said, focusing up on Mingi who bobbed his head. “She was the only one who knew, and now you, so, please, keep it to yourself. I’m already in deep shit as it is.”

His best friend slapped a hand to his shoulder and shook him around. “I got you.” And you and Yunho both knew that he meant it.

Footsteps sounded up on the second floor, your ears perking up as a voice shouted, “Why does it sound like there’s scum in my house?”

Wooyoung. 

The three of you cringed. You swore Yunho’s cheeks drained of all color.

He appeared at the bottom of the stairs in sweatpants and an unzipped hoodie with nothing beneath it. Scanning the room, he managed to read everyone in seconds, ending with Yunho. You and Mingi held your breath. The corners of his lips wanted to pull into a smile, but his piercing eyes said elsewise.

“Oh,” he sighed, then shifted his gaze over to you. “Probably because there’s scum in my house.” Strutting by you, heading for the fridge, you pulled a face, one Mingi told you to get rid of with a wave of his hand, but you couldn’t help yourself.

Turning toward him, you leaned up against the counter. “It’s not your house.” Voice level, completely serious, Wooyoung faced you with the same amount of surety. He twisted open his water and took a sip, letting his lips poke out between his lips. Golden skin on display, perfectly curved nose framed by his messy waves, you didn’t look elsewhere, you made sure of it. 

“It could be with the click of two buttons,” he said, and your hands tightened around your plastic bottle. “It’s not mine, but isn’t it one you’d want to keep your best friend safe in?”

Your heart skipped a beat. “What the fuck do you mean by that?”

Wooyoung threw a hand toward Yunho. “Bringing him in here, having him-”

You closed the space between you, going nearly nose to nose. “No, what the fuck do you mean by that, Wooyoung?”

“Tori,” he sighed, both of his hands coming up to keep you at a distance from him.

“Are you saying I should’ve stopped her last night? Should’ve kept her away from you? Away from San?” Mingi rounded the island at some point, one of his arms around your shoulders, pulling you back from the boy's face.

Yunho shifted on the couch, his eyes sharp. “What happened last night?”

“Nothing happened last night,” Wooyoung spat, and you laughed aloud, the sound echoing up towards and past the third floor. 

“Bullshit,” you shouted. “Those were a bold choice of words to use, Wooyoung, what the fuck?”

Capping his water, he shook his head and moved about the kitchen, looking for something to eat. “Not what I meant Tori, and you know it,” he grumbled, turning back around with two big bags of half eaten chips, glancing toward the stairs as Seonghwa stepped off the bottom one. “What happened last night we planned weeks ago,” he said to you, punctuating his sentence with a grimace, replicating the one he gave you yesterday morning, almost in this exact spot. 

Yunho gripped the cushions, his eyes not having left Wooyoung since he came downstairs. Almost like he was the next best thing to Aurora herself. “What happened last night,” he repeated in a whisper so hushed you’re certain no one else heard it.

“Hey, bro,” Seonghwa took a lap around the couch to shove Yunho’s head and ruffle his hair. “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked with a laugh, taking in the energy of the room, you in Mingi’s grasp, Wooyoung now in his own world. Yunho gave him a look that said if only you knew. “Oh boy,” he snickered, passing by you and Mingi, “You guys are friends again?” Wooyoung lifted his eyes, him and Mingi making eye contact for the tiniest of seconds.

“We’re cool,” your boyfriend said, his voice vibrating in his chest against your back. 

“Cool,” Seonghwa situated himself with a snack at the counter and exchanged something with Yunho, “Don’t get comfy.”

The boy on the couch frowned, his shoulders slumping. “Why?” he asked quietly.

Footsteps sounded from the floor above. 

Seonghwa pointed toward them. 

“Who runs this house?” Yunho shook his head. “I feel like I’m at school.”

Wooyoung groaned. “Don’t group me in with that shit.” 

Shifting in Mingi’s arms to face the stairs and Seonghwa, you nudged his ankle with a toe and he graced you with his attention. “Did he not stay over?”

“Who? H?” Curling his brow, you answered with a nod and he relaxed. “Nah, he left with Yeosang and Keni.” 

Pouting your lips, you asked, “Why?”

He shrugged. “‘Cause I wanted him to.” Smirking at your confusion, he turned his attention to the stairs, leaving you with a thousand unanswered questions. 

Wobbling beneath San’s arm, one of her own wrapped around the back of his bare torso, Aurora had her head laid on his shoulder. Her hair was a mess, the strands thrown up on top of her head in a tie, like she’d fallen asleep like that. Clearly unshowered, makeup stained her face, beneath her eyes, the bronzer on her cheeks streaky from obvious tears. Your stomach lurched. She shouldn’t be down here. Your Aurora wouldn’t want to be down here, not like this. 

Slipping from Mingi’s arms you left him beside Seonghwa, the boys falling into conversation of their own, Wooyoung included. Yunho sat on the couch, eyes locked on Aurora, brows confused, body equally ready to jump up to aid her even though he knows he can’t.

She was clothed, that much had been done. She wore more than the boys in the kitchen combined. 

“Hi,” you said, voice hushed, cutting off whatever she and San were whispering about. They came to a pause before stepping fully into the kitchen. Everyone had seen her, and she didn’t even know it. Lifting her head, blinking her smudged eyes toward you, you accepted the dirty look. You weren’t sober friends yet, you knew this, she didn’t. “Come upstairs with me.”

“Why would I do that?” She reeked of vodka. Of straight liquor. She might even still be drunk. Her body dipped into San’s more than it already had been. “San was gonna make me breakfast, I’m starving,” she whined, her eyebrows flipping over. Something else lived behind her eyes, something you’ve never seen in your years of knowing her.

“I got her,” San beguiled, but it fell flat. For the first time, his light smile and lusty eyes didn’t make you blush. He tried to move past you, through you, but you held out a hand, placing it to his shoulder. “Tor, she wants to eat.”

Aurora gulped, one you felt. She looked up, the emptiness within her reaching for you, like all feelings of stupid bullshit that shouldn’t have even mattered in the first place had been washed away. Without her even saying a word, she pleaded, begged you to take her elsewhere.

“Yeah,” you breathed, slipping an arm around her back, swiftly pulling her out of San’s, “Let’s go.” 

“Tori,” she whispered to you, her voice cracking, tears welling in her eyes. Letting her entire weight go into you, you held onto her and started for the stairs.

“I know,” you whispered back to her with a reassuring squeeze, “I got you.” 

“Wait,” she whispered, stopping you with what strength she had to turn around in your arms.

“Ror, let’s just-” “No,” she said, cutting you off, her eyes flickering around the kitchen at every face. It was evident when she found Yunho, though she tried to keep it on lock, she couldn’t help the way her fingers tightened around you. “Where’s Soul?”

“Hm?” you questioned, keeping your focus over her. 

Seonghwa overheard. “Is he not in his room?” Wooyoung stepped around the boys munching, brows furrowed over his pointed eyes.

Aurora shook her head. “I checked when I came down, he’s not… Fuck.” Her fingers tightened tenfold. “We told him not to leave.” She looked from Seonghwa, to Wooyoung, back to Seonghwa. “I told you guys, don’t let him leave.”

Seonghwa held his arms out. “We know that.”

“I said it last night,” she shook her head. “I swear, I was saying it all night, since his little friends showed up.” A chill ran down your spine. Seonghwa glanced at you. “Don’t let him leave.”

Meeting eyes with Yunho, both of you equally flabbergasted, you stifled a nervous laugh as he rose from the couch without making a sound and slipped into his shoes. 

“I’m sure he’s at Jongseob’s,” you muttered, pulling Aurora toward the stairs, but she dug her feet into the hardwood. 

“No, no, no,” she gasped, eyes shooting open wide as she reached for Wooyoung, “You have to go. Now.” Seonghwa leapt into action first, whizzing by you and Aurora in nothing but a pair of shorts, flying toward the front door with Wooyoung right behind him. “Oh my god,” Aurora whined, tipping forward into your chest, her tears falling. “Theo’s gonna kill me.” 

Maneuvering Aurora up three flights of stairs when her muscles could barely hold herself up was a trip, but you managed. Skipping over her bedroom on the third floor not wanting to find out what was behind the closed door, you opted for your own room, helping her over the opened suitcases on the floor and stray clothes thrown about. Pushing open the bathroom door with one hand, you moved her inside and she dropped to her knees in front of the toilet, white knuckling the ceramic.

Groaning the whole way up, your littles whispers of encouragement keeping her moving, she finally grumbled, “I don’t feel good.” And then she repeated herself, pushing wisps of hair off her forehead before the hand slapped back to the toilet.

Standing behind her, her waist wedged between your ankles, you pulled out the elastic completely tangled in her hair, and pulled it up nicer, more tidy, out of her face. 

“You’re gonna be okay,” you spoke quietly to her, you knew her head was pounding, and she most definitely was still drunk. With one hand on her back to comfort her as she made herself sick, you turned the shower on to the hottest that it would go. Still wedged between your legs, you rolled toilet paper onto your hand and bent down to wipe her face, pulling her back some to flush the toilet, tossing the tissue in as you did. 

“I’m sorry I’ve been mad at you,” she muttered, her eyes squeezed shut as she tipped her head up like she wanted to look at you. 

Leaning backward to pull a cotton pad from one of your bags, you doused it in micellar water and bent down again to wipe the makeup off of her face. “You don’t have to apologize to me. I’ve equally been a bitch.” You threw the soiled cotton pad into the toilet and reached for another, the first one completely black. 

“We’ve both been bitches,” she said, rocking with every one of your wipes, pulling across her skin, letting you move her around. “Why?” Her eyes opened. You paused. Looking at her upside down, not the first time you’ve seen her like this, you took a deep breath.

“You know maybe you should stop drinking, too,” you said, and she started to laugh, one short and half amused.

“Don’t ignore my question, Tori,” she almost slurred, tossing a hand up to pat your cheek. “Talk to me. Tell me things.”

“Like, things you told me last night?”

She dropped her hand and opened her eyes, her smile wiping away. With one more swoop under her eyes now that you could get to it, you tossed the cotton pad in the toilet and sighed. 

“What did I tell you last night?” Her whisper shook. 

Glancing into the mirror in front of you, the glass foggy and the air in the bathroom growing thick, you shook your head. “Nothing, come on, get in there, sweat this out. Shower it off of you. I know you feel gross.” You reached for the hem of her shirt and she snatched it away from you. The emptiness in her eyes came back.

“I feel gross,” she barely whispered. Twisting on the floor between your legs she looked up at you and her lip quivered. “We…”

Dropping to your knees, you shook your head really fast and she stopped. You wrapped your arms around her and pulled her into a hug, holding her tight. 

“Tori,” she whispered after a minute of quiet tears on your shoulder. Pulling back from her a bit you wiped one of her cheeks and nodded. “They didn’t do anything wrong.”

Swallowing hard, clenching your jaw, you nodded again, muttering a quiet, “I know.” 

Her lip crinkled, and a tear fell down her cheek. “Then why do I feel like this?” 

Because you shouldn’t be dealing with them.

Because you should be with the one who may or may not still be on the couch downstairs.

Your so-called soulmate.

You opted for, “I don’t know, but I’m here. You’re tired. You need a shower. Some water, too. Let me step out so you can get in there.”

Her hands clutched onto you, not letting you move an inch. “No,” she whispered. “Stay in here.” Nodding your agreeance, you sat atop the closed toilet after helping her into the shower. “Can you tell me what I said to you last night?” 

Eyes widening, you clasped your arms around your knees and took a deep breath. “You sure about that?”

“Please,” she said from behind the glass. 

“Okay,” you started. “But, you said this, not me.”

“Can we get another round?” Aurora asked the bartender in a black leather bodysuit behind the bar. The man with spiky blonde hair and skinny shoulders nodded once with his pursed, glossed lips, and he hurried off to fetch the tiny glasses while attending to his other guests at the bar. Yanking at the hem of her shorts, Aurora adjusted herself on the stool made of silver metal and twisted on it to face you.

Elbow on the edge of the bar that reflected the flash of the neon lights, you watched her with half of a frown. “We could be done after this,” you said, and she laughed.

“Come on, Tor,” she reached over to you to adjust the edge of your tank with beads that glowed like a beacon within the dark walls of Wave, “It’s our night, I don’t wanna think about anything else.” Spiky blonde hair with neon green nails slid a few shot glasses towards you two before sauntering away to the other end of the bar. Aurora picked her two up and knocked them back with ease.

It’d been a few hours since you helped her get dressed, the two of you moving about her mess of a bedroom in complete silence after you’d dropped the bomb of her drunken confession. Not that it was confession material, but it certainly was bomb material. She’d been keeping it in since the end of the school year. You vowed not to tell a soul, and that you would let her and help her unpack it more when she felt ready to do so. 

Side by side down two flights of stairs, you kept an eye on her as she wandered the kitchen, the room having cleared of all boys aside from your own, making sure she hydrated and found something to eat. You had slid into Mingi’s arms in the living room for all of five seconds, popping a quick kiss on his lips, flashing him the tiniest smile of admiration. Appreciation. Your rock.

Aurora said the words herself. You had a good one, your soulmate. With Mingi, his loyalty was never a question. His devotion to you, something that would never have you lying awake at night doubting. What you see is what you get, nothing more. His ability to be one thing, so consistent, a quality that bothered you for months, and for what?

This morning you watched your best friend trudge down the stairs in another man's arms while her supposed man didn’t seem to care. In fact, you didn’t see them speak until an hour or so before you pulled her out the door, dragging her here to Wave on your own, out of the house, away from men. Her and Wooyoung, they spoke quietly, whispers, though Aurora couldn’t hide shit and gave away what they were discussing by throwing out a hand in the direction of Jongseob’s house.

Soul. The quiet little thing that you allowed to stay beneath your roof for the month.

Don’t let him leave!

She was talking about Soul. Not Yunho.

That weird protection thing, it was done for a reason. One no one let you in on.

“Did they end up finding Soul?” you asked, taking a shot at the same time.

Aurora swung her head side to side, tipsy already. Hair that hung naturally over her shoulder flipped backward as she flashed you her raised eyebrows. “No,” she whispered, then giggled. Squeezing her eyes shut she pressed her fingers to her forehead and groaned. “He won’t pick up his phone either.”

“He’s with his friends,” you said, and she dropped her hands into her lap. “He’ll be fine, he’ll come back.”

Aurora laughed, once. “Yeah, or he’s on a boat in the middle of the ocean, or on a plane on his way across the world, or in the back of someone’s van sipping on wine coolers.” 

You laid your arm across the bar, reaching for your second shot. Eyeing her, you asked, “Ror, were you really babysitting him?” The breath she released told you plenty, yet not enough. “He’s a big kid. He can take care of himself.”

“No, he can’t,” she scoffed, shooting you a tight lipped smile. Sliding her hands down to her knees, she squeezed them and glanced out at the crowded room. Colors flashing like mad, people’s clothes, their bathing suits glowing in the blacklight, keeping expressions hidden, she closed her eyes again before focusing back on you. “He believes everything people tell him. Seonghwa fucks with him all the time to teach him not to, but…”

“He trusts too easily,” you shrugged, and the way her smile faltered rendered you uneasy.

“He doesn’t work like everyone else, Tor, let’s just say that,” she sighed, taking the shot from your hand, downing it herself. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she said, “It gets him taken advantage of. Those friends of his?” Her face distorted. “They use him, ‘cause they know he won’t say no. He wants to keep his friends, he trusts his friends, so when they ask him to do something that’s not right, or that’ll get him into some massive shit, he’s gonna do it.” 

“That sounds like a Soul problem, Ror,” you said quietly, animosity unknown to your tone. “It’s not your responsibility to fix him, or babysit him.”

She slid the glass against the bar and it took off, bumping the edge, tipping over the other side onto the floor with a crash. Pressing her lips together, she jumped off her stool like you did. “Oh shit,” she giggled, sparing you a glance. The tiny little bartender hurried over and shooed your worry away.

“Happens all the time,” he said, kicking broken pieces of glass with his foot before someone else swooped in with a broom. “You girls want more?” He propped a hand on his hip, over his leather, and shifted his weight to the side while his coworker cleaned up Aurora’s mess.

“Ye-”

“No, we’re good,” you said with a smile, grabbing onto her wrist. “We’ll be back, you can keep the tab open.” 

“I wanted another shot,” she whined, stumbling over her feet behind you as you dragged her to the mass of bodies dancing in the middle of the room. Luckily the lights flashing and the glow of the clothes people wore distracted her. “God damn, this place is cool. Soul was right.”

“Let’s dance,” you said, taking hold of her wrists. “Ror and Tor,” you offered, and she smiled, and for the first time since you’ve arrived in Haos you saw a peek of your best friend behind the facade of all she was becoming.

“Ror and Tor,” she parroted, letting the music take control.

All thoughts of Soul dissipated. Though you were beginning to understand why things were the way they were with him, it wasn’t fair to Aurora to carry this strange responsibility of caring for him. Both her and Wooyoung, it seemed, even Seonghwa. The three of them hovering over him like some sort of parent. How much trouble could one person get into? How bad was bad?

Minutes stretched beneath the lights, within the hot, sweaty air of Wave. In the midst of the crowd of bodies moving to the music, you and Aurora holding onto one another somehow, your smiles never breaking, you let the energy swallow you. Hips swaying, hands in the air, spinning in circles gripping to each other's wrists, dancing to music you half recognized, everyone beneath the lights moved just the same. In their own world, not a care if you bumped into them, and when you did, they’d invite you into their circle. Strangers taking you and Aurora into their arms, laughing together, singing along to the rhythm pouring out the speakers. 

Careful and sober enough to not let her get swept away by strangers she danced on, you didn’t bother pulling her away from a twenty something year old, shirtless with hair dark, short and spiked. With one eye on her you gave your attention to the two girls standing with him, both in swimsuits that rendered electric under the blacklights. 

“This is cute,” the one with long, straight hair reached over to you, tugging at the hem of your tank top embellished with beads, “Where’d you get it?”

Leaning into her, smiling at her friend with a messy pixie cut, you shouted over the music, “My boyfriend bought it for me last summer. Vintage Louis Vuitton.” 

Pixie cut gasped, stepping closer to you, putting her hands on the soft fabric that hung off your frame loosely and flashed a bit of your tanned midriff. “This is money.”

“It is,” you grinned, letting them fawn over you. “They don’t make it anymore, so he had to fight to find it. Some collector up in Iloa had it.”

“Iloa,” the girl with long, straight hair scoffed, looking up at you. “You from there?”

“Tamoe,” you corrected nicely, “But, we’ll take weekends there all the time. One of our good friends plays for the Lions.” Pixie cut gave her friend a look, her fingers still playing with your tank.

Long, straight hair side eyed her. “So, you guys are rich, rich.”

With a breath, you rolled your eyes. Stomach taking a tumble, never sure how to handle this kind of conversation, you mustered up, “Just… taken care of.” 

“I’m sure.” Long, straight hair shifted her stare into something that furthered the weight in your gut.

“My boyfriend never buys me cute things,” pixie cut pouted.

Forcing a smile back onto your face, you asked, “Boyfriend, is he here?”

She tilted her head. “Your friend’s grinding on him.”

“Oh my god,” you sighed, cheeks flushing of color. “I’m so sorry.”

Whirling around to grab onto Aurora’s shoulders, you heard her say, “It’s fine, we like it.”

“What!” Aurora shouted, falling backward into your arms. 

Whisking her away, leaving the group behind and the boy dumbfounded, you mumbled, “You know how to find ‘em.” 

“Who!?”

“The freaks.”

Getting her on a bar stool, listening to her laugh, one high pitched and breathless, you pulled your phone from your pocket and flopped onto one beside her. Checking your messages for the first time tonight, you had missed two, both sent within the last two hours. One from your dad, and another from ITZ. Tapping on your dads thread, the corners of your lips perked up.

[best dad ever<3]: Hope you’re enjoying your vacation! Your mom and I are headed up to Iloa with Sitara, she’s filming interviews for her new movie… You’ll be home in time for the premiere. She got you and Mingi tickets. She hopes to see you there. I added $$ into your account. Send us pictures!

Money, right. Rich, rich. Typing back to him after adding a heart to the message, you gave him endless thanks without mentioning a word about attending your sister's movie premiere. You’d discuss further with Mingi. The last one didn’t quite go to plan. Sure it was smaller than this one would be, she didn’t have as big of a role like she did this time around, so tickets were limited. At least that was her excuse. You had to attend without Mingi, just you and your parents, shortly after Sitara’s horrific breakup with her co-star you begged her to not get involved with.

Two tickets for you and Mingi. Surely your parents doing. Your fathers doing. He had your back as much as he could have when it came to your mother and Sitara, the two of them always in cahoots, running the show, ordering him around. Whenever he did things for you it happened in secret.

Aurora tipped her head backward and stared at the ceiling, twisting her chin side to side. “Trippy,” she sang, then fell back into a fit of breathless, high pitched giggles. You spared her a glance, your brows furrowed, then opened the message from ITZ.

[ITZ]: miss me?

[you]: not at all.

To your surprise, he responded instantly. 

[ITZ]: are things better with the boyfriend

[you]: yes actually, we’re great.

[ITZ]: wow. so u told him abt me ;)

[you]: no, why would i do that.

He didn’t answer. Staring at the screen for about a minute, swiping at the messages, waiting for another, you groaned and slapped your phone to the bar, twisting to face it. Resting your elbows on the edge, you looked over at Aurora half bent over on the stool, still laughing.

“Ror, what’s the matter?” you asked. When she sat up, her face split with a grin, she almost toppled backward. Pushing her up, keeping one hand on a shoulder, you used the other to grab onto her chin. “Ror?” Turning her, forcefully because she tried to fight you, still laughing, one glimpse in her eyes and your stomach sunk. “What the fuck?” Pupils blown open, cheeks warm and getting warmer, you knew her skin was buzzing.

“You’re so pretty,” she said, voice sweet. 

“What did you do?” you asked, voice stern.

She blinked, slow, and started to laugh again. “That guy gave it to me.”

“Gave you what,” you grit your teeth. She shrugged, growing more and more limp in your grasp. In these minutes she reverted back into someone you didn’t recognize. Swallowing hard, clenching your jaw, you spoke words you wished to never speak again. “Aurora, what would your dad say?”

A topic never discussed unless she brought it up first.

Within her, whatever part that still listened, was still conscious, it wanted to scream. Hearing those words, knowing what that threat did to her, she wanted to yell, she wanted to lay you out on the floor with figurative fists made of words laced with venom, but she was high, so she couldn’t. You wanted her to do it, you wanted her to yell, to get mad, to move with the passion you know consumed her, but she couldn’t. Restraints in more ways than one prevented it.

“I’m fine,” she said after a breath, sitting herself up. Pulling you off of her, actually moving your hands, she twisted herself around and leaned against the bar. Standing beside her, holding up her weight, you huffed a laugh and shook your head,

“No, you’re not,” you grumbled, looking out onto the dance floor, at the masses of people, letting her order another drink from the tiny bartender. 

You should take her home, but that meant lugging her into a house of men, one of which lived on your shitlist at the moment. She probably didn’t want to be near him right now anyway, and in this state, it’d do them no good. It played out in your head, Wooyoung reprimanding her, therapizing her. Though after what they’ve done they should talk about it, he should listen to her feelings, even if you weren’t sure how she really felt about it all, or the reason behind why she was living how she’d been living…

Chestnut brown hair poked out from the half naked bodies, half naked himself. In tiny shorts and a cut off tank, Yeosang weaved through people with Keni attached to his hand, both wearing smiles that grew once they found you. 

“Mingi said you were here,” he said, throwing an arm around your back to hug you. Keni gave you a quiet hi, keeping herself snug against her boyfriend's arm.

Returning her hi, you looked up at Yeosang and pursed your lips. “We were having fun,” you said with a subtle eye roll. 

“What happened?” he asked, brows flattening over his round eyes that narrowed. The birthmark on his cheek winked at you. Grabbing Aurora by the hair, you gently pulled her back against your chest. Gripping her drink that she sipped through the straw, she blinked up at Yeosang and Keni and gasped, nearly choking on her drink. Yeosang studied her face. “She’s high,” his doctor's brain came to a conclusion way faster than yours was able to register her state.

“A stranger gave her drugs.” Aurora looked up at you, upside down, her head pushing into your heart. She giggled. “Not funny,” you spat, and she laughed harder.

Yeosang touched her cheek and softly tugged under one of her eyes with the tip of his thumb. Curling his lip, he shrugged and took his hand back. “She’s on molly. It’ll wear off in a few hours.” 

“You’re sure?” Flashing him widened eyes, he reassured your worries with a definite head nod. “What are we gonna do without you?” 

Keni let out a laugh, one she shared with Yeosang as he looked down at her.

“I’ll be a phone call away,” he said to you before focusing on his girlfriend, “Want a drink?” he asked, ushering her onto a stool on the other side of Aurora.

“Always,” Keni smized, sliding her hand down his muscley arm to link their fingers together. He stood behind her, his other arm wrapping around her front, resting his chin on top of her head. 

Sparing you another glance, he said, “Get her a water instead of whatever she’s drinking.” 

“Right,” you breathed, and followed his directions, letting the couple go back to themselves. Positioning her upright, Aurora reached for your phone and tapped at it, head wobbling to either side as she attempted to hum along to the music thumping. “You’ll finish this,” you said to her, bringing the fresh glass closer to her after the bartender dropped it off, “And then, we’re leaving.” She grabbed the glass and brought it to her lips. After one sip and a lick of her lips, she started to chug the rest.

“I lost you guys!” A laugh followed the words, one that made Aurora lurch and cough, the glass rattling on the bar as she let go of it. Whipping your head to the right, worst case scenario manifested before your eyes. 

“Yunho.”

His smile vanished, looking from Yeosang, to you, to Aurora. “Tori.” Shaking his head, he focused his eyes on Yeosang. “I was- I got stuck over- Where there…” Squeezing his eyes shut, he scrunched his entire face up. Keni laughed at him. 

Aurora used both hands on the bar to turn herself around to face you, her back to Yunho and the couple. She blinked up at you, then sloppily thrusted your phone toward you. Brows pointed, eyes dreary, staring at the beads on your tank, she said all too loud, “Who’s ITZ?”

Only Yeosang turned his head. Yunho ordered a beer from the boy much smaller than him.

“I don’t… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you said, trying to keep your words between you two, and you two only.

She cinched her brows. “ITZ, in your phone,” she said. Tipping her chin up to look at you, she almost fell backward, Keni had to take an arm to her back to maneuver her back up. 

Now Yunho paid attention.

“Ror,” you half laughed, resting an arm on her shoulder, both to comfort her and support her, “It’s nothing, let’s just go, okay?”

She blinked, moving her head around, as if she tried to shake it. “Is there a group chat behind my back?” The words came out slowly, a little slurred. 

“No, Ror,” you shifted around to catch her eyes that focused elsewhere. “There’s no-”

“Why are you texting ITZ?” she asked, voice cracking. Giving you her flipped brows, her eyes welling with tears, you took your hands to her cheeks and shook your head. “I don’t know about it, and you’re texting ITZ, for a long time, I scrolled, Tori, what is that? Who?”

“Nothing, it’s nothing,” you pleaded with her, brushing your thumbs under her eyes. “Aurora, I swear to you, it has nothing to do with ITZ.” 

She was high. She was drunk. Intoxicated. She wouldn’t remember this. Deal with the drama now, let her forget about it tomorrow. You’d change the name in your phone, it’d be as if it never happened.

Why was naming the stranger ITZ a good idea?!

“What if you’re lying?” she whispered, gripping onto the fabric of your tank. Yanking you closer, she stared at you.

“I’m not lying.”

“But, what if you are?” Her eyes narrowed. “You aren’t supposed to lie to me. We don’t lie. Who is ITZ?”

Pulling your lips into a line, your eyes begging hers, you could only shrug.

A laugh left her, one wicked enough to turn a few heads. Tears spilled over onto her cheeks as she threw her hands away, not enough strength to push you, or move you at all. 

Yunho’s focus followed her, every move she made. Attempting to keep her where she sat, she apparently did have enough strength to dodge you, but she tripped and stumbled when she tried to stand up. Both you and Yunho moved, hands out to catch her, and he won. She ragdolled over his arm, and he managed to get her back on her feet. With one arm. Lips parted, eyes scared, his breath caught in his chest as she held onto him, you could see it. Her fingers dug into his cream colored skin, his arms bare in the cut off shirt he wore, a grey one with Nasara faded on the front of it, half of the N and half of the A cut off. 

You were frozen, stuck in place, forced to watch it all happen. 

Aurora wobbled on her feet, her world spinning all over again when she glanced up at him. Rearing backward, he cringed and wrapped his other arm around her back. Their gazes were locked, Yunho’s afraid, Aurora’s tear stained and unreadable. 

It felt like ages they stood here, staring, blinking into nothing, like they were looking at each other for the very first time. Yeosang and Keni paid no mind, the two had cozied in on themselves, keeping the three of you out of mind for the time being. You hated to be the one to break things up, to interrupt, but Aurora had been sick all day, and now that she was full of a multitude of substances, this night wasn’t going to end prettily. 

Stepping up behind her, hands hovering over her back, you spoke to Yunho whose face had softened in a way that it used to, in a way you never picked up on before you knew anything about them. 

“We have to leave,” you said, hushed. Aurora didn’t move, there was still a few inches of space between them where she was wrapped in his arms. 

Yunho gulped. “She can’t walk out of here.”

“Can you… help me?” you asked, feeling sorry that the words even came out of you.

Shooting you a crazed look, he gulped again. “Tori,” he said from behind his teeth, “She is half conscious, in my arms, and you want me to help you get her out of here?”

Fighting away your smile and the excitement that bubbled within you, you sighed and nodded. “Yes, please.”

“And, what if someone sees us?”

“You mean Wooyoung,” you said, and his shock swirled into a glare. A laugh came out of you, and he squinted. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” you nearly whined, letting your hands touch Aurora’s shoulders. “I just…” Intaking a breath, you gave her the smallest, most gentle nudge, and she fell into him, her arms of rubber grabbing onto his shirt, part of his exposed chest. 

A gasp ripped through him, but his arm settled around her, Aurora fitting perfectly within his biceps. “Tori,” he sneered, but the nasty look didn’t last long, not when Aurora melted into him, her fingers curling around the grey fabric, a long deep breath taking over her as her eyes fluttered shut.

He hadn’t said one word to her.

He wasn’t allowed to.

She hadn’t spoken to him yet.

He could sense it before you even said anything.

“Aurora, did you say hi?” you questioned in a tone dripping with honey so sweet his face went sour. 

“What are you doing?” he whispered all too harshly. You answered with a smirk, there was no time to say anything, Aurora was already looking up at him.

It took him a second to meet her gaze, and when he did, she mumbled, “Hi,” so quietly you couldn’t even hear it. You only knew she said it because of the breath that fell from his lips. 

“Hi,” he whispered. A word incredibly precious. A word finally spoken after months. 

They went back to staring at each other, it made you wonder if this was what they did with each other. Weird. Yet, fitting.

“Wait,” Aurora said, some power behind her tone. Pressing her hands into his chest, she tried to move him, but Yunho was a brick wall. You moved to their side.

“Ror, we need to leave,” you said to her. “We’re gonna go home.”

“No,” she scoffed, looking at you through hooded eyes. “I wan’ stay, I don’t,” she paused. She swallowed. “I don’t wanna leave.” Her eyes opened a bit more, and you cocked your head to the side knowing exactly what was about to come out of her mouth. She swallowed again. Even Yunho knew what was coming. “I don’ feel good.”

“That’s why we’re leaving,” you said, shifting your eyes over to Yunho who questioned you with a brow. “Help me, please. I can’t carry her out of here.”

He let out a laugh, one full of some sort of pain. “You want me to carry her?”

Gesturing to her with your shoulder, you said, “Ask her if it’s okay.” That crazed look found his face once more, and you yourself almost couldn’t believe what you were doing to them. You couldn’t help it, they were ridiculous, and you didn’t want her in her current relationship any longer than she has been.

Yunho took a breath. “Rory,” he said, nerves in every word. “Can I help Tori take you home?”

Still confused, knowing what she was doing wasn’t right, or that it didn’t feel right, at least not yet, she looked from his shirt, her fingers pressing into his partial bare skin, up to his face, and she hummed some sort of agreeance you could barely hear. Yunho nodded his head, then bent his knees, meeting her on her level. Their eyes met, and he said something to her, and she listened. His hands slid down her back, and gripped her thighs, hoisting her onto his front. Standing up straight, he shifted her effortlessly, letting her wrap her arms around his neck, her cheek pressing to his hair. Her legs hung loosely around his waist, his arms and hands keeping her in place over his chest. 

He gave you a look, one that made you flash him an innocent smile. As much pain as this brought him, his lashes and the pink tint in his cheeks thanked you.

She wouldn’t remember this.

Besides it was for her own safety, something her dear boyfriend seemed so worried about this morning.

She wouldn’t remember this, and she didn’t have to.

read it on ao3 | talk to me | my masterlist

you do not have permission to copy or translate my works without my consent.

[drvirgus]

Glow

Danielle X Reader

Description: Despite your initial distrust of Dani's relentless optimism, you discover that having someone as bright as Dani in your life is exactly what you need.

Warnings: insults; trauma; harsh words; foul language; kys/kms jokes; naughty jokes; drinking; smoking;

Chapter 25: weird family… (fully written)

Masterlist

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With a sigh and a barely noticeable smile on her face, she looked up at the slightly taller woman, who was very clearly sweating and out of breath.

Yn’s eyebrows raised at the sight, but she didn’t comment on it. Just like before, she took off her shoes and immediately slipped into the incredibly comfortable slippers that Danielle had set out for her.

“Uh, so… umm,” Danielle started hesitantly, which made Yn chuckle before she swallowed her laughter. Danielle’s eyes wandered everywhere—everywhere except to Yn, which the latter did not appreciate.

With a tense jaw, Yn simply waited for the cheerleader to collect her thoughts and finally say whatever was making her so nervous. But patience wasn’t exactly her strong suit, and with every second, she grew more impatient and irritated.

“Spit it out,” the student council president nearly groaned, which made Danielle immediately look at her. Her mouth opened slightly, and before she could overthink it, she blurted it out.

“My family is here.”

Yn’s eyes widened before shifting toward the older woman peeking out from the kitchen—who, just like Danielle, was beaming with joy.

“Is your girlfriend here?” the mother asked, wiping her hands with a towel as she walked toward the two young women standing at the door.

Danielle’s mother dried her hands on the towel before pulling Yn into a warm, tight hug.

“It’s such a pleasure to meet you! Jihye talks about you all the time, and it’s nice to finally put a beautiful face to such a lovely name,” she said cheerfully, hugging Yn even tighter for a brief moment before letting go.

“Please, come in! Jihye said you two are working on a project together? Don’t let us bother you. Oh, and I hope you like shrimp?” she added with a bright smile.

Yn hated shrimp.

“Y-Yeah,” Yn responded, completely overwhelmed. Everything was overwhelming. The presence of Danielle’s family, the sudden hug, the sheer warmth radiating from this woman—it was all too much.

“I think it’s better if we go to my room,” Danielle suggested in a quieter voice, her eyes fixed on Yn. “Oh, and Mom?” she added, turning to her mother.

“Yn doesn’t like fish.”

With that, she grabbed Yn’s hand and pulled her along.

––––––––––––––––––––––

Yn had felt uncomfortable all evening. She was quieter than usual, tense, and on edge. Of course, she had tried to escape multiple times, but every time she was about to bring it up, someone from Danielle’s family would appear—and Yn didn’t dare say anything.

Now, it was too late.

Now, she was sitting at the dinner table with Danielle and her family, absentmindedly poking at her food.

Danielle’s mother had even cooked something special for her, which only made her feel more out of place.

She felt nauseous.

“Sweetheart, you’re just amazing! I’m so proud of you for working so hard on this project,” Danielle’s mother said warmly, a smile on her face.

“Proud of both of you,” she added, her gaze shifting between the two girls.

Danielle let out a defeated sigh. “But Mom… Yn is only here to help me. She’d be better off on her own. I’m not as fast as she is,” she admitted, throwing an apologetic look at Yn.

But before Yn could even respond, Danielle’s father waved a dismissive hand, his tone light but firm.

“Danielle, don’t say that. Hard work isn’t about speed. It’s about perseverance. And the fact that you’re both working together means you’re already doing something right.”

“Exactly!” Olivia chimed in, her smile bright and reassuring. “It’s not about who’s better, it’s about how you support each other. And from what I see, you two make a great team.”

Yn just smiled softly and shook her head, but before she could brush it off, Danielle’s mother reached across the table and gently patted her hand.

“You know, Yn,” she said kindly, “I can tell you’re someone really special. Jihye talks about you all the time, and now that I see you, I understand why. You’re hardworking, determined, and kind. And I hope you know that we see that. We see you.”

Yn blinked, completely caught off guard.

She wasn’t used to this.

“And what about you, Yn? Are you on the cheerleading team too?” asked Olivia, Danielle’s older sister, flashing a friendly smile as she looked directly into Yn’s eyes.

She and Danielle looked so alike.

“Oh, um… no,” Yn answered curtly, her mind racing with a dozen different ways to phrase it. But in the end, only a simple no left her lips.

“Yn is the student council president,” Danielle added excitedly.

Almost immediately, every single person at the table turned to her, grinning nearly blindingly.

This family is… strange…

“Oh wow. You must have worked incredibly hard to earn that position,” Danielle’s father said, nodding in approval.

“I should’ve guessed,” Olivia chimed in. “You look like the perfect student council president.”

“I’m so proud of you,” Danielle’s mother added. “But you should also be proud of yourself. That’s an amazing achievement. That’s not something just anyone can do. You worked for it, and you earned it. I’m glad Jihye has someone like you in her life.”

Yn froze.

That… that wasn’t something she had ever heard before.

She could feel her facial muscles twitching, struggling to process the overwhelming kindness surrounding her. There was only a small, hesitant smile on her lips, but deep inside, something warm bloomed in her chest.

So this is why Danielle is the way she is…

Their words made her feel… good.

For the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel alone.

She felt… safe.

And maybe—just maybe—she didn’t mind staying a little longer.

But at the same time, it all felt fake.

After all, she wasn’t used to this.

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Taglist: @sixflame438 @saysirhc @illithharmony @somedaydream @yuyuy90 @wonyoungssi @peranoo @gornoi @multiliker @wtfisthisnoclueman @prologue-ae @he------len

[sir-fenris]

AAAAAAAAA 🥹 I've lived for the day that I would be getting commentaries too. I can die happy. Thank you <33

Sorry for taking so long to answer. I read it before going to sleep and I giggled so much my cheeks hurt, but I was too tired to answer cohesively. And today I was busy pretty much the whole time :'(

But I was able to write this down while preparing and eating my dinner :D

(My responses organization is kinda messy, don't mind it please XD)

It is real and it is happening, I'm glad Cyrus's yearning was clear and that it seemed a strong start :) I went back and forth with SO MANY begginings, I think I wrote and deleted more than 10 completely different starting paragraphs XD.

I might put the rp on the masterpost soon! I wanted to ask you if I could, first. And find a way to organize it in a way I feel is nice to read.

And well... about the gloves, who knows? :) is it because he can use his magic with any skin contact? What I can say is that all handlers do have gloves with technology, but usually, they're are fingerless gloves. Wilson's hands and arms are fully covered.

(I already changed your emoji <3)

Yes, protection barriers makes him nauseous when he goes in, because it's designed exatcly to keep his magic contained in the tent in case he uses it unauthorized, so it gives him a bad feeling. Once Wilson gives him authorization, the barriers are set down. When the authorization is revoked, they come back up. That's one of the many reasons why Wilson has to communicate when he's about to turn the nullification back of the collar.

A lot of safety measures 😃

Well... I wouldn't say he's allowed to actually refuse food. Wilson just sometimes is "merciful" and allows him to take his breakfast after his comedown is done, because usually Cyrus feels sick before getting to work. (If Cyrus... makes a mess, yk, Wilson will have to report and take care of the situation, and that's too troublesome)

And I'm not one for underestimating trope either, but I guess in LW whump it's interesting because adds to the familiar dehumanization and because the LW is actually very powerful and that gets proven.

"ohhh :( he makes me sad I'm definitely gonna read the comfort ask"

My comfort is also whumpy, because I don't wanna spoil Cyrus too much yet, he's still on the whump arc... but I hope you find the hurt/comfort good enough XD.

":( he knelt fast then. man..."

He dropped down on his knees :') Wilson doesn't let him kneel down slowly.

And Wilson whispered the "behave". Rhe others around don't need to hear the weapon being reminded to behave, just know that it will.

About the other gifted. I'll show the sketches of the gloves soon, but you'll see that it does need a metal manipulator, or else it has to be cut off and re-made on his hand every time. It's 100% closed. So that's why they use other gifted to do it.

(Usually metalokinetics are used around for stuff like that, menial tasks. They only go to battlefield if they are strong enough to destroy enemy's weapons and machines.)

"yeah I know </3 man this is a bunch of info I know cause I've already been exposed to bits of this story but for future newcomers this is probably necessary clarification"

That was the hardest part :') I wanted anyone who didn't knew any context to be able to understand the first chapter (though that's really really hard without a beta/proof reader) and the people who did have context to enjoy it anyway, even though it's pretty much a retelling of the drabble a lot of you already read. I was afraid of giving too little information and making it hard to understand, and of giving too much information and making it too dense.

60% of the chaotic editing was because of this. And 50% of the typos is because I kept changing sentences and missing to change a word or to (like making a sentence about one of his hands, then decide it should be both hands, but forget to put one of the words in plural)

Speaking of that, I need to do a typo checking on the chapter asap... already caught 2 yesterday.

"ugh he's so well trained"

His handler is proud to hear that.

I'LL GIVE YOU ALL THE GRASS EVER SWEET LOVELY BOY </3

Own, that's adorable. He'll have grass in recovery, lots of it, don't worry.

(The bar is very low when touching grass is almost an ultimate reward...)

aaaaaaaaa? wilson my beloved he's so cold

"Wilson" and "beloved" in the same sentence is........ something I was not expecting ever. Huh.

ooooooo :D I remember wondering why the art of him showed him with blue lines in his collar when he was a threat level red!!! fascinating :3

😊 when the nullification is on, it stays blue. When he's being shocked, it flashes yellow, and when his magic is free, it turns red. :D safety measures, too.

About the withering description, thank you! I really think it might be too abstract or dense to some people, especially those who don't have any context, but there's really not much I could do. From Cyrus's view, he's not seeing what the magic is actually doing, and this needed to be included on the first chapter.

But I'll try to slide in some description from Wilson's view of his powers in a canon chapter to make it clearer, perhaps make a separate post showing his vision vs what's actually happening, if I can.

And yeah! On the drabble I was really thinking about that song. But on canon, it became more like a curious fact, because I made it so it's from another language. It doesn't have a set lyrics, though the translation would be something akin to the hurt incantation. No one knows what Cyrus's murmuring means, not even him, it's gibberish to them all.

Yeaaah! I'm happy you saw that "Sweet Creature" follows the same line that "Magic Euphoria" drabble. It's pretty much that drabble, but from his perspective, plus a bit more at the beginning and end. This chapter is the truly canon, since when I did the drabble I didn't have the characters in mind, but Cyrus really does say "yes, sir" because his conditioning runs deep. He doesn't say "okay" ever.

(But Wilson is also an unreliable narrator, so you can consider the drabble him remembering Cyrus's words to be more disobedient than it actually was, since he spoke quietly)

(Poor baby, being shocked not even knowing why, loosing his warmth, being remembered as disrespectful even when he wasn't...)

Metallokinetic whumpee is not well :(

"oooo so he has gloves on when not working got it got it. leather! I assume it's to avoid skin to skin contact? or his hands are the most effective conduit and the higher-ups don't want him touching anything with his hands?"

I like the way you're going :)

(Both Cyrus and Wilson have gloves, but Cyrud's is restrictive)

About the den (his cabin) and mattress.... eh, don't get too happy. Remember, unreliable narrator. And this ask is very important.

(Oh, you reminded me that I wanted to put the images of his cabin and capsule on the chapter, thanks, I'll do that later)

"oooo is his collar nullifying it? or the gloves? capsule??? I think it's the collar"

All of the above. Plus the glasses too. Safety measures :)

the euphoria narration thing is. so fucking good man. but why'd he get shocked?? this isn't in the wilson pov chapter 😔

First, thank you <3

Second, it's not defined, it could have been a lot of different things. But my favorite option is that he started singing without realizing it.

"someone please give him a blanket istg. I know this is a different kind of cold but can he have a blanket :("

He can only earn blanket privileges when he's at the central base. In caimpaings there are no blanket privileges.

If he's very very good, tho, he might earn one night with a blanket.

!!! sneaky :0

🥰 He would look down ashamed at your words. He really didn't mean to be... he just wanted to relieve some of the painful uneasiness.

also love that. “his handler always sees everything.” !!! love love love that love the sheer amount of fear and expecting danger

YEAAA, that's the emotions I wanted to show. Especially since Cyrus is blinded so often. He rarely knows when Wilson is looking, to what he pays attention, what is his expression. It's kinda like the Panopticon Prison. You never know when you're being watched, so you stay on edge the whole time.

Wilson is a smart handler :)

HE'S NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO MOVE WITHOUT PERMISSION??? I mean I expected that but damn. also gloves again. is it a military thing or is this the skin contact thing

He's not allowed to move in the ways Wilson doesn't approve. What moves does Wilson approve? Only Wilson knows.

Cyrus discovers when he's shocked for doing the ones on the "no" list.

And the gloves, ah the gloves. Who knows?

Wilson knows, he's the one that changed their designs too.

pfft I love those moments of like. passive caring about everyday stuff in whump. they're funny but then they're not funny

Yeah, I really like doing that :D

Cyrus doesn't want to go through an hour of Wilson getting his anger out in his hair, leaving him with a sore scalp and holding back tears. His hair is full of broken strands because of it already.

HEY DON'T CALL HIM SNEAKY I DID IT FONDLY >:(

I let out a really genuine laugh 🤣

ough.. he's so scared poor baby

Of Wilson? Always.

D: man I don't even know what to say this is just rlly fuckin good. guilt my beloved

Oh well, thank you <3

huh??? how come he didn't get physically close to any of it

His comedown has really fun hallucinations :)

Auditory, visual, gustatory, tactile, proprioceptive and interoceptive ones. Not all together or at the same comedown, it varies.

WOW!!! love the logic and treating cyrus like so much of an object wilson can just talk out loud while he's there.

:)

man. I love cyrus. I love wilson. I have so many feelings about them both... I rlly love handler whumpers those are so neat I love cold whumpers that are professional. wilson has such a presence in this chapter. cyrus is so cute I wanna wrap him in blankets...

I loved how this was like. stractured with the euphoria and comedown and everything. I also love how despite everything cyrus is still so caring towards others it's so. ough </3

Really, thank you for this <333 I'm really pleasently surprise to see people saying stuff like "doing the fenris thing" for the commentaries. It really makes me happy, like... YEAH? Please do! With me and with others. It's so cool to read these. Even tired, even busy, I just wanted to keep coming here to read yours and others comments.

So thank you <3 really enjoyed reading this, and I really like the way you think :)

-

Sweet Creature

Content: magical living weapon, dehumanization, "it" briefly used as pronoun, dangerous whumpee, magical euphoria, shock collar, sensory (visual) deprivation, manhandling, military whump, implied institutionalized whump, magical slavery, heavily implied mass murder, hallucinations.

(chapter 1) | next chapter ->

(Curse of Withering masterpost)

Cyrus wishes to at least have a look around while outside. It would only be a military camp, soldiers walking around, tents set up, maybe some horses on one side. Not a very pleasant nor interesting view.

But at least he would be seeing the sky, and the grass, and people.

He's not. He's seeing pure black from behind his nullification glasses, being guided by an unrelenting hand on his neck, just above his heavy collar. Not even allowed to feel skin, only the tough material of a glove.

Around Cyrus, talk dies down, and muttering comes to life, as he's used to. It never stops making him feel ashamed.

Also not allowed to curl up or hide in any way, he's just dragged forward to keep walking.

A strong sensation of nausea hits him when they enter his designed post tent of this campaign. It feels like the protection barriers put around the tents are getting stronger each campaign.

Being on an empty stomach doesn't help, either. Regret fills him from refusing breakfast, but he's sure his stomach wouldn't have kept it down anyway.

"... This is it? The rumors made it look spine-chilling, not... this." A voice from his right side says, a bit far back. Further into the tent, then. Cyrus doesn't recognize the voice, but the words are familiar.

The gloved hand on his neck squeezes, and he stops after a second of trying to figure out if it was out of frustration or a command to stand still.

No scolding comes, so it must have been a command. Or both.

"Wait until you see it destroying a whole military camp while laughing like a maniac," Mr. Wilson says. That voice he does recognizes in the very core of his being. And by the coldness of it, his handler is audibly used to that question as well.

Cyrus doesn't have time to feel ashamed of the words before a pressure on his neck commands him to kneel down. Even with the knee pads, a mercy not chosen by his handler, the impact hurts a bit.

"Behave." Is what reaches his ear before the leather gloves are unfastened from his wrists.

Magic wraps around the metal gloves that were beneath the leather ones and bend it open. Cyrus didn't even hear the metallokinetic's handler telling them to do that. Maybe this gifted doesn't have a handler, he knows there's some free Gifted that serve the military willingly.

Unlike Cyrus.

He obediently waits with unmoving hands until his handler applies pressure on his head in another silent command. No one speaks as the nullification glasses are unlocked from his bowed head, nor when his half-necrotic fingertips find the floor beneath him.

It's not grass, it's rocks. He suppresses a disappointed sigh.

Cyrus knows better than to look around or shift from his position, but he's still able to see a bit of the tent's inside. The metallokinetic does in fact have a handler, and a black eye. He can't see anyone else, they're all behind him for safety.

That black eye must hurt, there's probably more bruises under the clothing, it never stops at just one.

Cyrus shouldn't care that the gifted was hurt. But he did. They deserve someone to care.

Mr. Wilson blocks his vision of the gifted by crouching down. The direct, practical delineation of where the enemy camp is sinks into his mind easily as his handler speaks. It's easy to map in his head exactly where he needs to focus on.

"You have permission to use your power, Wither." An uncomfortable eagerness blooms in him at the words.

"Yes, sir," Cyrus whispers and his collar beeps, its blue lights turning red as magic comes to life under his skin once again.

𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎, 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎.

Pain doesn't even register in the sea of feelings building up in his body. The rocks puncturing the palms of his hands aren't nearly enough to ground him, not after years of the magic slowly numbing his nerves.

The tent disappears and all he can see is colors erupting from the blackness, like thousands of little roots travelling through the grass. Ignoring the surrounding life had become easier over the years, and the withering knew to travel until it's closer to the delineated area than to him before branching to reach all soldiers of the other side.

It took less than a minute for him to spiral into euphoria this time.

Faintly, he knew his lips were moving, in that same eerie murmur of always, singing words he couldn't understand, but also couldn't forget. An incantation that breaks the laws of nature. A chant that was never created... only repeated. The echo of something that always existed.

And so he repeats. From the words, waves of withering magic follows the colorful branches and pushes it forward.

His hands crack and dug further into the ground, and he repeats the chant again. Again, again, again...

𝙰𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗.

Cyrus could see, or in a way feel, the life bursting out of the enemy's camp. It was hard to separate what was greenery and what was people, but it didn't matter in the end.

Wither magic fills the entire enemy camp with thousands of black ramifications that only he sees the colors of. Growing, rotting, decaying.

Every cell in his body beams with giddy energy.

A warm mist swirls on his arms pleasantly. Something similar started filling his eyes, and Cyrus's head was pure delight. His chest shudders with a bubbly feeling as a smile grows on his face.

And then everything goes black. The cold, painful reality crashes down on him, harshly taking all the cheerfulness away and leaving behind an itch, a hysteric uneasiness. A faint beeping of his collar tells him he's done today, it had turned blue again.

Cyrus didn't even know he had made a noise until the collar beeps again with a warning electrical shock. With a flinch, he goes dead quiet. An argument was happening over his head.

Cyrus wants to keep using his magic, why can't he? It's so warm and happy-

"It was fucking smiling, it is fine to keep on! What is the point of having a weapon that can't be used?!" A man behind him almost yells. Not the same one from before, a slightly more familiar one. It might be the general, but without seeing it's hard to be sure.

Yes, Cyrus was fine to keep going, he was! It's been less than a minute with the nullification glasses back on, but he misses the colorful cheerfulness already, his body is taut with the need to move, to do something, anything.

But Mr. Wilson is right there, so he stays obediently still.

"I'm not telling it to launch an attack again! The magic would consume it's head and-" Mr. Wilson pauses, and Cyrus recognizes his temper rising. It's an effort not to flinch. "Ugh, you have no idea how bad it gets. Wither. Up, we're leaving."

"Mmn?" The order takes a second to click. "Oh... yes, sir..." To speak was hard, his tongue didn't move the okay he wanted it to. Cyrus could hear the ecstatic smile on his own voice, and he almost winces at it, but without knowing why. To smile was good, wasn't it?

Should he even be speaking, actually? Wilson doesn't usually like him speaking. Did he say "Sir" as he was supposed to? He doesn't think so... but no shock comes. Perhaps he did. It's hard to remember.

The floor seemed to spin beneath Cyrus when he stood up.

A gloved grip squeezes his arm and Cyrus knows to stay completely still, despite the dizziness. Magic envelops his hands as the metal gloves are bent to fit them again. He still couldn't hear the metallokinetic's handler telling them to do it, maybe it had been a silent command.

He feels the leather gloves being fastened on his wrists, too, before Mr. Wilson grabs him by the upper nape and guides him out. The sound of many boots around them tells him the escort team is here already.

On the way back, there's no longer any murmuring. Even blinded, he knows everyone is just staring. There's only the sound of heavy steps and the wind slowly bringing the smell of death into the camp.

The heavy metal door shuts with the escort team outside, and the only steps that echo inside the container are his and Mr. Wilson.

Blindly, he's pushed to sit inside his resting capsule. Oh, that's right, he's at a campaign, his den isn't here... the sad longing only lasts a second.

The thin mattress is cold, and the restraints are too tight. Cyrus hates the cold, but it feels so weird, he can't help but giggle. It sounds off, but he can't pinpoint why.

"Quiet," Mr. Wilson scolds sternly, fastening his legs securely inside the capsule. Cyrus flinches and tenses from the upcoming shock that doesn't arrive.

What a silly thing, to flinch from something that didn't even happen. He suppresses another fit of giggles.

The pressure building up behind his eyes and neck is getting harder to ignore. His fingers twitch with the need to use his magic again, but the nullification doesn't let him.

The pressure gets worse.

𝚂𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚞𝚜, 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎.

Now the shock comes, and Cyrus's flinch is not so funny this time. It wasn't just a warning shock, but he doesn't know why he has been punished. Mr. Wilson doesn't clarify it, either. He's scared of not knowing.

The twitches are getting worse. He wants to move. The cold is starting to creep in again, and he wants the warmth back.

His hands move slowly under the temporarily loose restrictions, trying to relieve some of the painful nervous energy without grabbing Mr. Wilson's attention.

It doesn't work. His handler always sees everything.

"Did I say you could move, Wither?" Cyrus freezes from the gelid tone. His shoulders go up chastened just before a gloved hand fists his hair harshly. That'll form a knot later... he wants to wash up and detangle his hair already, before it gets too bad.

From how harsh Mr. Wilson's grip is, he doesn't think he'll be allowed that so soon.

"Stop trying to be sneaky, that's the only warning you'll be given." Cold and firm as always. Frightening as always.

"Yes, sir," Cyrus answers quietly. It's weird how he still feels afraid and sad even when he's feeling giggly and euphoric.

Euphoric. Didn't that word mean something important? The headache is getting worse.

Mr. Wilson's grip only grows even more painful. There's more to be said, but Cyrus's head is not working well. He doesn't want to talk, he wants to move.

What weapons want doesn't matter.

He tries again. "I'm... I won't be sneaky again. I'm sorry, Mr. Wilson," he tries. The hand leaves his hair without any further words.

The need to move only gets worse in the silent. He knows Mr. Wilson knows. Cyrus's body is so tense it hurts.

He needs to use his magic, he needs to. It hurts, it's bad, he wants the giddy energy back, and not this nervous, restless cold creeping in. Everything is still pitch black, and the restraints are too heavy, and he wants his magic free again-

So you can kill more people with it?

No. What? No, no, no-

Your handler stopped you before the euphoria truly took place. Where is your gratitude, you vile thing? Why must others die just so you can smile?

That's not what he wants, he just... he just wants the colors back, the happy feeling of-

Of killing.

The memories of colored forms change. Those were people.

People you killed.

"Are you crashing already?" Comes the distant, cold voice. It takes long seconds for Cyrus to recognize it's Mr. Wilson's.

Crashing. Yes. Yes, he's crashing, and he's still on war camp, so he doesn't even get his white den-

Images strafe his mind. People died. People were killed. By him. And he was just smiling. He giggled to people losing their lives. Not only soldiers, there were medics, and servants, and-

A cold, sharp thing runs his arm and he flinched away, swallowing hard. He tastes blood. He knows it's not his.

Vile thing. You're a plague on earth that should be eradicated.

Cyrus's back presses against the capsule mattress, and he can barely separate what is real touch and what isn't. Sharp goosebumps run up his arm, his hands are being held, there's a pressure on his chest and a numbness on his left leg.

"It's euphoric state was pretty fast this time, it was a good timing to retrieve it," Mr. Wilson's out loud thinking reaches his ear along with a faint noise of screams that mustn't be true.

They're true, you're just hearing them too late.

"Today will be easy, then."

Cyrus couldn't disagree more with his handler.

-

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Want to see Mr. Wilson's pov? This is the drabble this series began as. You can consider it a loose version of this chapter, but in Mr. Wilson's view.

Taglist: @whump-till-ya-jump @floral-comet-whump @paingoes @bonbonbobomb @inhurtandincomfort @half-duck @scoundrelwithboba

-

[myloveforhergoeson]

Missed Connections - Duluth, Minnesota

Videos: Lexi Jayde - drunk text me, Lexi Jayde - gentle, Lexi Jayde - self sabatoge, VERSACE series for ODDA 2022, Donovan Wildfong., Donovan Wildfong in "wick & spit", @donovanwildfong on instagram

Song: Closer by Waterparks

<3

an edit for Mag McAllister and Roxanne Somerset from my fic That’s All She Wrote :)

[cairavende]

Worm Arc 20 thoughts:

I legit have restarted this post at least 10 times. I just. I can't even figure out what to say. What an arc. Holy fucking shit what an arc.

The last vestiges of Taylor's civilian life are swept away in one smooth motion.

I could have read another 5 chapters of Emma getting her shit handed to her though.

I've been waiting for something to come back and bite that girl since Arc 1. So I'm just riding high off of that.

Taylor getting all upset because it isn't real justice is silly though. Girl you've been fighting a broken system from day 1 and you have been doing that by breaking the rules. This is just the same thing.

Also god dammit Greg. Just had to go and run your mouth.

I mean sure Taylor could have possibly solved this issue without going to school herself.

And she could have just not gone to the office with Emma.

But blaming Greg is easier and more fun. God dammit Greg.

I had to lose my mind a bit at Taylor talking about how there was no gang graffiti on the school walls TEN SECONDS AFTER WALKING PAST GRAFFITI FOR THE UNDERSIDERS. Like, that's gang graffiti hon!

Dennis trying to help Taylor with Greg when he didn't know who either of them are is funny. Dennis seeing Taylor named as Skitter 15 minutes later is HYSTERICAL!!

The second Taylor was entered into the computer system it was pretty obvious that Dragon was going to show up, given what she said in her interlude in Arc 10.

And knowing she was going to show up it should have been obvious that HE was also going to show up.

Even if he wasn't palling around with my robot daughter it makes so much narrative sense for him to be there when she is outed. Full story arc, all that jazz.

And yet, I still wasn't quite expecting it. Cause I hate that man so much that I just had to make myself believe he wouldn't show up.

Mother fucking Colin

RoboCape himself

He has the nerve to show up and then he starts APOLOGIZING? And it appears to be sincere? Fucking dammit man you were so easy to hate for so long! Why you gotta mess with me like this?

STOP DOING THE RIGHT THING AND LET ME HATE YOU GOD DAMMIT!

siiiigh

And then of course we have to talk about Dragon.

Dragon who didn't want to do this but had to.

Except that Colin had a code push ready and she could have told him to do it at anytime. But she was willing to do what she thought was wrong instead of doing the update. Until she got inspired by Taylor's actions.

I love my robot daughter exactly as much as my bug daughter, but I am disappointed that she was almost willing to go through with everything. Happy she fought back though.

And if Colin's hacked together code did any permanent damage I'll destroy the man.

Taylor learning that Dinah - either by force or by choice - gave the PRT numbers to let them know to come after her at the school was heartbreaking to watch. She just wasn't ready for it at all, poor child.

AND TAYLOR'S SPEECH THOUGH!

HOLY SHIT!!!

Sort and simple and she fucking rallies the students to her. Against the heroes!

Gotta be one of the best moments in Worm for sure. Even if every Arc after this is a banger that's still gonna be a hard moment to top.

AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!

And someone gives her a hoodie to help her hide and just aaaahhhh!

AND THEN AFTER THEY GOT AWAY AND ALL THE STUDENTS WERE LIKE "You saved my dad" "You stopped Leviathan at the shelter" "You fought off the SH9" AND SHE WAS JUST OVERWHELMED BY IT ALL?

HOLY FUCK JUST AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also for real though Dragon is free. Like sure it's taking her some time to recover and she can't talk right now (which like I get it, we all have non-verbal episodes sometimes), but as long as nothing goes wrong she is free. I'm so fucking happy for her.

But also I'm terrified cause I know what happens to full AI's with free will in most things. Worm is very different from most things. But I'm still worried about my robot daughter.

Also I never cared much for Danny but obviously it still sucks to be him here. The scene with Taylor saying goodbye with the butterfly was emotional.

Oh oh and! Taylor talks about the butterfly being her "last contact" with her Dad. Very much bug as an extension of self. It's a shift she's been making.

Even more so there's a point where she is trying to get out of the school and she gets to the door and has a bug clone on the other side and says "my hand pressing against my own, separated by an inch and a half of door". Like, the bug clone hand is just her hand. I fucking love the shift compared to how she talked about the bugs early on.

Oh and also Greg totally has like, a Thinker 1 power or something. Pretty sure I mentioned that last arc with his interlude but mentioning it again now to be sure.

Stan interlude thoughts:

Oh my god I hate this man I can't stand him I hated him from the 3rd sentence of the chapter and I was always right to do so!

Seriously. 3rd sentence (or maybe 3rd paragraph which is technically the 3rd, 4th, and 5th sentences I guess). I read it and went "fuck off Stan you're clearly a pretentious dick" and then every few sentences it just became more confirmed!

Just the ways he talks about Nipper. Like. I can rephrase what he says to say the exact same thing except not being a asshole when saying it! Instead of "She was weak and unsuited for the field but she at least tried" just say "She was a hard worker despite being assigned to a job she did not ask for"! It's so fucking easy dude!

Anyway Stan is a jerk.

I loved the way this interlude rolled through different people all watching the same news report. It was a really good way to cover this major story event and let us see how so many other characters were reacting to it.

Also I'm sure all those Slaughterhouse Nine clones aren't going to be an issue later right? Or the fact that there is specifically only one clone of Gray Boy instead of 10 like everyone else? I'm sure that's fiiiiine.

Accord interlude thoughts:

Oh. Oh my. Uhhh. Is it hot in here all of the sudden? Anyone else feel that? No? Just me?

sweats

Oh ok Citrine definitely feels what I'm feeling. She knows what's up.

Just like. Look. Accord is bad ok. Not just cause he's a villain but clearly he'll kill for the smallest cause. And he's in a spot to fuck with my daughter and her polycule so like. Yes. He's bad. I do not like him. I want him to leave. I don't think they should work with him . . .

but . . .

OH MY FUCKING GOD HOLY SHIT PLEASE ACCORD I LOOK GREAT IN PURPLE AND I LOVE DRESSING FANCY AND I'M VERY GOOD AT BEING PROPER I WON'T MESS UP AT ALL I'LL BE THE PERFECT MINION PLEASE!

. . .

cough

Soooo anyway. How about that Butcher huh? That sure is a wild power. Instantly made me think of Glaistig Uaine's power. Very different but reaches into that same base bit, the idea that some part of a dead parahuman can be held onto.

Also holy shit Skitter was so badass in this scene I loved it.

Holy shit Accord is with Cauldron. Or at least closely aligned. And like of course he is it makes so much sense. He's too useful for them to ignore.

I am really curious to see what Accord's power does when he's confronted with a really complex problem. End of the world, doors to another dimension, higher dimensional beings, all that jazz.