#SINCE I SAW ONE (1) CAMEO

[tacagen]

OKAY MY NEWFOUND AGENT BISHOP TMNT AUDIENCE. ANY THOUGHTS ON WHY THERE ARE

two of them?????

[cynosdaydream]

LOSER'S GAMBIT!

Why should you feel selfish when you have the right to ask -- no, demand for more?

Now playing: a girl like me - flowerovlove

↺͏͏ ° < ll >> ⋮≡

Word Count: 3.1k Author's Note: There WILL be a part 2! Stay tuned. and for my omega beta reader, @noxellaa Part 1 (you are here) / Part 2 Desc: zayne x f!reader, mentions of zayne x mc, sylus cameo!, mentions of sylus x reader, hurt/ eventual comfort, reader feeling neglected by zayne, zayne lowkey a little horrible..

Another late night, another plate of food gone cold. You sighed as you dumped yet another meal into the bin, knowing that your boyfriend wouldn’t be eating it when he came home. After all, he had been working an insane amount of overtime recently, and would often spend the night at the hospital. Something about MC’s heart condition acting up, and from what you knew, it was pretty serious. As much as your heart twisted in inexplicable jealousy, you bit your tongue and swallowed it all down like a bitter poison. She had a bloody protocore fused to her heart, for Astra’s sake.

You were putting away the plates when suddenly, your phone lit up. Zayne. “I won’t be coming home tonight. MC isn’t doing too well.” The message read. Short and simple, as straightforward as he usually was. However, these words still managed to pierce through your heart, leaving frosty icicles in their wake. It felt like he was never home. And on the days he actually was, you would only manage to exchange a few words with him before he ate and went to bed.  And whenever he was at the hospital, high chances he would be spotted with MC. You had tried to ignore the occasional whispers from some staff commenting on how cute Zayne and MC looked together, but it would secretly hurt your feelings deep down, no matter how deep you buried these comments in the back of your mind. You knew Zayne loved you, and you knew he loved you dearly, but you couldn’t help the way your gaze drifted enviously to images of him and MC together, no matter if it was recent or if it were photos from their childhood. 

It’s selfish for me to think this way. Anyways, MC has been his friend since he was a kid, I’m being irrational. You knew that dating one of the best doctors in Linkon wouldn’t always be sunshine and rainbows. Zayne wasn’t just any doctor, he was quite literally THE doctor – entered medical school at 15, and graduated with his certification for cardiology about half a decade later. You knew that someone with his skills and proficiency would be busy almost 24/7, but you couldn’t help but feel a little neglected. You were his girlfriend after all, shouldn’t he be paying some attention to you too? You had fallen for the way he was a quiet lover, how he would notice the smallest things about you – your unconscious habits, which foods you liked, which foods you disliked, your hobbies and interests. The way he would sit with you to eat lunch when you were admitted to the hospital, even though he had just finished a gruelling and tiring surgery. The way he would drop a few sweets into your hands before you left his office. “If  you feel fatigued throughout the day, a small amount of sugar can help with spiking your blood glucose levels for a short period of time.” 

The following few days merged together into a blur of time. Your routine was the same: Wake up to an empty bed, go to work, come back, and go to sleep alone. You tried to visit the hospital a few times, even waking up earlier to prepare a lunch box for Zayne, planning to deliver it around lunch. One of the days, you were successful in giving him the meal, but you only saw him for a fleeting moment when he thanked you with a kiss on the cheek and hurried off to Astra knows where. The kiss made your heart flutter, but you didn’t have time to say or do anything else before his back was already turned to you. You tried to chase after him, but stopped in your tracks after he turned the corner, only to be greeted by MC linking arms with him and skipping down the hallway while dragging him along. Sigh. Whatever, it’s nothing. You thought.

Feeling defeated, you decided to go to one of the more secluded areas of the hospital grounds to eat your lunch. Nevertheless, your spirits were lifted after a stray cat came near where you were seated and purred affectionately. How cute!

Your phone displays ‘2.09am’ when you finally hear the front door open with a creak, and leather shoes hitting the ground. “Zayne.” You called out gently, as if he was going to slip through your fingers if your voice was too stern. That was certainly what it felt like. “Yes, my love?” He responded, hanging his jacket by the door. The words felt like they were stuck in your throat before you spoke.  “We need to talk.” 

It didn’t go as bad as you expected. You had been prepared for a full-blown argument, coupled with furious accusation and blames, maybe one or two tears, but none of that happened. You conveyed your feelings clearly – you told Zayne that you felt slightly neglected, and that you would like him to spend more time with you when he wasn’t caught up in work. He acknowledged your frustration. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise I was making you feel like that. I’ll try my best to clear my schedule.” He said. “Speaking about spending time with you, your birthday is coming up soon, correct? I promise I’ll have dinner with you that day, okay?” Zayne holds out his pinky to you, and you wrap your pinky around his with a gleeful smile. You could feel your heart rate picking up at the tender contact before you spoke. “Thank you, Zayne.” 

You were glad you spoke to him that day. You had managed to clear up how you felt, and you felt relieved. “I’m glad I chose such an understanding man to love.” You sighed longingly. 

The following few days, you ardently anticipated your birthday, excited to finally get some time alone with your boyfriend. You had gotten your most precious outfit washed, dried and ironed. It was in your favourite colour, and your favourite style. However, the material was expensive, so you only wore it on special occasions, afraid the fabric might get snagged on something or acquire a stain. You spent the first half of the day hanging out with your friends from your job, going around Linkon, window shopping and just having a blast overall. And you may or may not have splurged on a few accessories to go with your outfit… you cursed your friends for being enablers as you looked at the charges on your card. Of course, it wasn’t that bad, as it was only a few accessories, but you felt like an over-consumer with the way you would only be wearing them for tonight and probably never after your birthday due to your job as a hunter. “You could always donate them to me, you know!” Tara exclaimed as you rolled your eyes and shoved her teasingly. “Don’t be ridiculous, Tara.” Simone said. But those few hundred dollars missing from your bank account was all worth it in the end! (totally…) 

In your home, you were styling yourself just a few hours before your scheduled dinner, with Tara and Simone by your side as your self-proclaimed  ‘advisors’. “Ooh, that pin would go great with your shoes!” Tara chattered. She was energetically bobbing all over the place, rummaging through the accessories that you had bought. Simone, on the other hand, was quieter, and nodded or shook her head based on how much she agreed with Tara’s suggestions. By 5p.m, your friends were swooning over your look, showering you with compliments. “You look so good! I’m head over heels.” Tara dramatically said, placing a hand over her heart and sighing dreamily. Simone laughed. “Agreed. You do look stunning, birthday girl.” She said with a smile. You smiled back at the both of them, and once they hung out at your house for a little longer, they scurried off, not wanting to disturb your final preparations for the date – not before giving you the presents they had prepared for you. Tara, a life-sized plushie of your favourite animal, and Simone, a special cloth to clean your hunter weapon with. 

With a pep in your step, you headed to the restaurant that Zayne had booked for the both of you. He hadn’t reached yet, but you were 15 minutes early, so it was fine. You shot him a quick text to let him know that you were here already. It took a few minutes, but your message eventually had a ‘read’ sign at the bottom, and the three dots that indicated Zayne was typing appeared not long after. Alright. Be there soon.  Short and concise, as usual.

You occupied yourself by reading the menu and ordering some appetisers that both you and your boyfriend would like. You were delighted to see some of your favourite foods on the menu. How sweet of Zayne to pick a place with all the foods I like to eat. You thought. 

5 minutes passed, and another 5, and another 5. And before you knew it, half an hour had passed. Now, you weren’t the one that was 15 minutes early – Zayne was the one that was 15 minutes late. Trying to pay it no mind, you brushed it off as him finishing up some final documents or just being stuck in a traffic jam on the way to the restaurant. But after another 30 minutes, you couldn’t ignore it anymore. Usually, he would send you a text if he was going to be late, no? You tried to text him, but was met with no response. Not even a ‘read’, or a simple 2 or 3 worded answer. Maybe his notifications were just silent? Frustrated at the pitiful stares you were getting from staff and customers alike, you huffed and decided to just scroll social media instead. That’s when you saw it. 

A post from MC, just 5 minutes ago. In the photo, she was in Zayne’s office, happily taking a selfie with him, holding up a peace sign, while a small grin could be seen on his face. The photo had been edited, with a few stickers around both their faces and their surroundings. It was captioned, “The best doctor in Linkon! Thanks for working overtime for me~” 

At first, the post itself pissed you off – you were sitting here in a restaurant alone and getting pitied by onlookers, with the food getting cold on your table,and your boyfriend had the gall to be with another woman? On your birthday, no less. Then, you looked harder, closer at the image. And then you felt downright furious. In the photo, Zayne’s phone could be spotted on his desk, lighting up with notifications from your messages. You gripped your phone harder, feeling the buttons dig into your skin. Overcome by fury and gloom, you couldn’t stop the stray tears that managed to escape your eyes. I shouldn’t be feeling like this. Trying to reason with yourself, you tried to convince yourself that MC needed that extra care, and that it was just a small matter. But was it really? You had every right to feel angry. Your own boyfriend stood you up! On your birthday! You bit your lip, trying to muffle any sobs that were threatening to spill over your lips.

“Hello there,  looks like you’re all alone. May I sit with you?” A silken smooth voice calls from above your lowered head. You look up to see a silver haired man with blood red eyes, dressed to the nines. A black leather jacket embroidered with red details, and matching black pants that made his legs look impossibly long. Wanting to save yourself from looking pitiful any longer, you quickly nodded and lowered your head again, not wanting him to see you in this state. You can feel his stare bore into your head, and he hesitantly speaks. “It’s okay, no need to hide your tears. What happened here? It’s impossible that a beauty like you was stood up.” 

The stranger’s comment only fueled the tears in your eyes as you looked up at him. “How did you manage to guess exactly what happened? You’re observant.” You said with a humourless laugh. His gaze softened. “It wasn’t hard to guess. I’ve seen that look many times before.” You were reluctant to speak any more, and instead put your phone, which was still displaying MC’s post, down on the table with a bit more force than necessary. The stranger curiously glances at it, but his eyes quickly dart away from the phone. “I understand if you don’t want to talk about it. By the way, I never got your name.” He says. 

“___” You reply curtly, now looking him straight in the eyes, trying to rub the tears from yours. “A beautiful name for a beautiful person.” The stranger replies without missing a  beat. That got a genuine chuckle out of you, and you found yourself asking for his name as well. Sylus, he told you. What a nice name. Suits him. You thought to yourself. That brought you to the question of – what made him sit with you anyway? From what you could tell, there were still a few vacant tables in the establishment. Maybe you just looked so pitiful he felt compelled to sit with you. “You know, you have a really nice laugh. You shouldn’t let someone’s careless actions dampen your mood.” Sylus comments suddenly. You smile genuinely at him, and thanked him for the compliment. 

The both of you talk for a little while, and you felt like conversation just flowed so easily with him, even though he was a stranger. You also eat the food that you had ordered beforehand, before you finally called it a day and called for the bill. But when it arrived, he snatched it from your hands in the politest way you could snatch something, and placed his card face down onto it. Surprised, you tried to replace it with your own card,  but you were stopped by him. “Don’t worry, it’s on me this time. I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.” He says, grinning. “This time? So there’s going to be more of these meetings?” You tease. He chuckles before answering immediately, “Maybe. Who knows?” 

It felt like the weight of the world was lifted off your shoulders after that meeting with Sylus. After exchanging contact information, he offered to drop you off at your house, but you politely declined, insisting that you could get home by yourself. He nodded, and drove off in that motorcycle of his. How cool. Your spirit was no longer dampened by being stood up as you walked into your shared home with Zayne, flopping down onto the couch. Although it was far from the ideal birthday, you were glad you got to spend valuable time with your dearest friends, and even potentially have made a new one. You took a quick shower before tucking yourself under the covers, watching whatever you wanted before bed. After a few minutes, the fatigue from spending most of the day outside caught up to you, and your eyes quickly closed shut as soon as you plugged in your phone and rolled on your side. 

However, your beauty sleep was short-lived. You were abruptly awoken by the opening of the front door and hurried footsteps inside the house. Irritated, you checked your phone. 11:39pm. Okay, it wasn’t an ungodly hour, but you were still irked at being so suddenly awoken. When your bedroom door opens, you are greeted by your boyfriend (did you even want to call him that anymore?) standing in the doorway, breathing unevenly and his tie half-loosened. “Well, are you going to come in?” You asked sarcastically. 

When his ragged breathing evened out, he started his apology speech. “I’m so sorry about forgetting our appointment, I truly am. I- MC just needed me at that moment, I couldn’t just-” Zayne stuttered out, his usually composed demeanor slowly crumbling to dirt. You let him ramble about MC’s needs being urgent and how your date just slipped his mind before cutting him off. “Zayne, I can see that you’re apologetic. But you clearly can’t make enough time for me, which is apparent from today, and the numerous other times you’ve cancelled on me at the last minute or just stood me up completely.” You begin. As if he could sense what was coming next, Zayne hurriedly scrambled for something to say. 

“Zayne, I think we should break up.” You continued, not letting him get a single word in. 

He seemed to understand that you wanted to speak, and he slowly backed off. “This isn’t the first time I’ve felt neglected by you, Zayne. I’ve tried to communicate this to you multiple times, and it felt like this time, something would finally change. I thought that we would finally be able to spend a nice dinner together without you having to leave halfway or being diabolically late.” Pausing to try to articulate your words, you went on, “I understand that MC’s condition is fragile, and that you are her personal doctor. But…” This felt incredibly selfish to say, but if you didn’t tell Zayne, it would linger on your mind forever. “...I can’t help but feel a little envious of the way the both of you interact. Your interactions with her seem so much more natural, and you get to spend more time with her on a regular basis. It’s…bad for my heart, to put it simply.” You laughed, feeling the slightest bit stupid. It seemed so trivial, now that you spoke about it. 

“You know I love you…” Zayne said, his voice trailing off. “I know you do, Zayne. But these words don’t mean a whole lot when your actions keep contradicting them. I know you love me, but…I don’t think it's the best course of action for us to remain together. Look at you, all dishevelled, Zayne. I hate to see you like this.” You tell him softly, eyes scanning over his distraught expression. His face seems to fall as he just accepts the reality of it all. He nods slowly, like he was in disbelief. “I… I respect your decision, ___. I’ll sleep on the couch tonight, then. Good night.” 

“Good night, Zayne.”

(Part 2 is out!)

[gotta-spew-words-somewhere]

Countdown: 6 (Part 1)

Series Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Summary: obligatory Rita’s chapter

TW’s: alcohol and drinking, creeper behaviour, mischief, Cassian Cameo

A/N: there’s a lot of POV swapping in this one (including someone who isn’t the main two). It’s also split into two parts as I’m trying to keep each chapter not super long! Enjoy x

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Azriel POV

He’s 3 drinks in and feeling a little fuzzy-warm around the edges before Cassian’s elbow makes itself known against his ribs.

“Will you reign it in? You’re scaring the ‘sexy-table’.”

Hazel eyes flick to Mor— who clearly coined that term, and he raises an eyebrow. But she’s not looking at Azriel, brow furrowed and gaze settled on something over his shoulder.

“Not all of the sexy-table——who’s the one with her back to us, in green?”

He groans before he even looks, overlapping whispers of ‘pretty’ forcing his hand and making him acknowledge what he’s been pretending not to since you walked in.

But there you are. Radiant and clad in another dress that he’s sure will star in his subconscious next time he rests— deep green and shimmering under the lights and attention of whoever-the-fuck the golden haired male next to you is.

And his brother is right. Shadows circle the legs of the table and its patrons, the golden male and the two pretty females opposite you all wide-eyed and nervous by the intrusion. But, of course, not you— you’re simply sipping on your wine and letting the darkness twine between your fingers, laughing and instructing the others to ‘calm down. They’re friendly’.

They’re not. But you’ll never see that side of them.

He rips his eyes away before you turn and catch him staring, just incase his face shows more than he’d like.

“Cass, grab me another drink.”

“That bad, eh?”

He doesn’t answer, but the hard look he sends Cassian’s way makes his brother laugh, clasping his shoulder before standing from their table.

“I’ll make it a double, then.”

——————

Reader POV

If you weren’t a bottle deep by the time you entered Rita’s, you would’ve turned around and ran the moment you saw him.

Actually, no, you never would’ve agreed to come here in the first place—- let alone sit within throwing distance of the male who caused your ‘bitchy demeanour’ for the last week. Especially not in the company of Caed and the most trouble-stirring couple you’ve ever had the honour of knowing.

But when Saoirse and Rebekah had rushed into your shop moments after closing theirs, bottles in hand and mischief in their eyes, you knew you were screwed before they even mentioned what a ‘grumpy bitch’ you’d been the last week.

At first they thought it had been the blind date with Caed— courtesy of their scheming, but no. Rebekah had cottoned on quickly, her ever-sharp mind coming to new conclusions of a different male, and you’d downed your bottle to busy your mouth from spilling the regret that still sits heavy on your chest.

And somehow they’ve convinced Caed to meet you here— a pretty distraction, they’d said. No better way to get over someone than to get under someone else.

Yet each brush of his fingers over the flesh of your thigh does nothing but add to the sour feeling in your gut. The panic in his eyes when his feet are lost to darkness almost makes you smile, and you reassure them all they mean no harm, wondering if Azriel knows his shadows have snuck away to greet you.

You get your answer when they’re ripped away, clearly called back with all the gentleness of tearing away a bandage, and you down your drink to try and smother the way your heart sinks.

“Thank the mother for that,” Caed laughs, hand now fully resting on your bare thigh. “I don’t understand how you’re so calm, those things are fucking creepy.”

Saoirse gives you a knowing look over the top of her glass, and suddenly you’re standing.

“Anyone need a refill?” They’re barely given time to shake their heads before you’re moving, weaving between dancing bodies and apologising needlessly as they step on your toes.

You’re far, far too sober for this, and you squeeze into the only gap at the bar—- likely there as some folk are too scared of Illyrian wings. But you’re not, not anymore.

“Three shots of whatever’s strongest, and a glass of wine, please.” The barkeep takes your order and spins away, and you try so very hard to ignore the eyes on the side of your face.

“That bad, eh?” Fuck. You force yourself to meet his gaze, polite smile painted across your features, until you realise exactly who you were planning to tell to mind their own business.

“Ah, you’re—-“ for fuck sake. This is exactly why you avoid Rita’s like the plague, opting instead for some of the grottier bars when you just can’t shake the urge to indulge.

The fucking General of the entire fucking Army is staring at you like he’s trying not to laugh.

If you spot the High Lord, you’re making a break for it. Especially after waking him up in the early hours so recently.

“I’m Cassian.” He doesn’t bother hiding the amusement in his tone.

Your three shots are planted in front of you with a flourish, and you smile at the bartender before sinking them one by one. Normally, you can push any fluster down deep, face impassive and eyes steady— but tonight it’s harder. Because of the wine, because of the company.

The General is still staring, eyebrows high and a curl of mischief at his lips, and you shake away the burn of alcohol hitting your throat.

“Nice to meet you Cassian, I’m having a rough night.” Swiping your freshly poured wine, you raise it with a wink, before making a point of sauntering back to your table like that 10 second conversation didn’t shake you to your fucking core.

He’s definitely sat with Azriel. And he definitely knows something. The interest in his eyes had gone beyond that of a stranger, and now the oh-so-thin pretence that you’re not stuck in a stuffy room with each other is a distant memory, you’re sure of it.

You don’t spare Caed and the arm he’s slung over the back of your booth a glance as you slump heavily into your seat.

———————

Mor POV

“Green-girl is trouble.” Cassian announces the second he’s back, a large glass of something clear plonked unceremoniously in front of the Shadowsinger, who doesn’t waste a moment taking a long drink from it.

“You spoke to her?” Mor leans forward, delicate forearms resting on the table as her eyes flicker between the two Illyrians, Azriel’s face an impassive mask. He’s four drinks in now—- usually a little less stiff, a little more free with his half smiles and quiet laughter. But not tonight.

Eyes catching with Cassian’s, she forms a plan which she just knows he’ll keep step with, watching as his own eyebrow raises in challenge.

“Yeah, she said she’s having a rough night.” That gets a reaction, albeit small. Azriel blinks, eyes sliding to his brother for only a moment, but it’s all they need.

“She’s very pretty, maybe you could cheer her up a bit?”

“Yeah why should Rhys get to have all the fun. I might go ask her to dance—-“

“Well, that’s not gonna improve anyone’s mood,”

“Hey, I’m an excellent dancer.” And with a wink so exaggerated that Mor almost snorts, the male turns to face his brother. “You alright, Az?”

Az is clearly not alright. He’s statue-still, not unusual— but the rapid twitch of the muscle in his jaw is, shadows curling at his shoulders in a way they know means nothing good.

“I’m fine.” He’s a fucking liar, and Mor rolls her eyes before lightly prodding once again.

“Have you told your shadows that?”

Cassian cuts in before whatever colourful answer could escape Az’s mouth, his tone suddenly devoid of its normal playful lilt.

“Actually, I better go over.”

All eyes snap to your table, Rebekah and her partner now some ways away and dancing seductively enough that on a usual night without the boys, Mor would go join them. But you’re still seated, the golden-haired male’s arm wrapped around your shoulders, whispering something so close to your ear that she can see the pointed tips turn red.

Not her problem, or Cassian’s, or Azriel’s. Except your spine is straight and stiff, head angled away and shoulders tense like you’re just waiting for his touch to end.

Azriels seat is empty before she can even catch his eye.

———————

Reader POV

“Have I told you how sexy that dress is?” His warm breath tickles at your ear and neck in a way that’s making your skin crawl, nose wrinkling as you take another swig of wine.

“Yes. Like, three times now.” Why have your two so-called friends abandoned you with this? He’s not a bad guy, you’ve decided—- just a few too many ales and a hapless misunderstanding of the situation.

Doesn’t make it any less annoying, though.

“I bet you look even sexier out of it.” Ugh. The man has little appreciation for the art of seduction, apparently, and you don’t try and hide your eye-roll.

“Caed, listen—-“

“Am I interrupting something?”

Shit. Shit shit shit.

Azriel’s voice is deep and as sharp as a knifes edge, cutting through whatever drunken haze has clouded Caed’s judgement with astonishing speed. He straightens, although his arm still rests around your shoulders, and blinks up at the intimidating form at your table.

The wine in your blood forces a deeply uncomfortable giggle past your lips.

“No, Sir. Just chatting with my girl, here.”

‘My girl’? Absolutely fucking not. Your nose wrinkles involuntarily, each thought plain on your face even as you try your absolute best to avoid the Shadowsinger’s gaze.

“Huh. Are you ‘his girl’?” And damn if the low gravel of his voice doesn’t hit you straight in your core.

“Oh, get fucked, Azriel.” How fucking dare he? Sure—- you’d been rude and shitty and—and—-

You’re not his. You never were. Hell, at this point, you’re not even friends anymore. You can do whatever you like with whoever you like. Even if Caed isn’t quite who you’d pick.

And next to you, he's busy looking terrified and distancing himself from the person who dare swear at the Spymaster of the Night Court. Not that you’re paying attention.

Azriels eyes are fucking molten, dancing between yours and your lips, wings splayed wide and twitching as shadows curl up your legs almost intimately.

He looks like a dark angel, like this, and you find yourself unable to fight the siren-call of his presence, leaning toward him oh-so-slightly.

“We need to talk.” And then he’s dragging you away from both the booth and the boy in it by your wrist, feet unsteady in heels as you struggle to keep up.

Saoirse catches your eye across the dance floor and offers a wink instead of salvation, and you curse her out internally as you’re pulled out the back exit and into the quiet street.

With the click of the door, the music quiets, plunging you both into near total darkness.

“Are you here just to piss me off?”

——————————

Taglist Baybee:

@lreadsstuff | @rcarbo1 | @zanaorian

[kendrixtermina]

I recently saw this post about how it's somehow been 20 years since series 1 which means that if she'd kept progressing in linear time Rose would be 39 now.

There are a lot of "what if Rose never left" fanfics & most of them turn her immortal somehow, but I for once would like to see a variation on this where she's kept as a regular human (since it always struck me as very essential to her character that she represents that normal human everyman perspective) & any 'long' timeskips are bridged by parking her with her mom or the other companions so that she's middle aged by the time we get to the current seasons.

Many also have the other companions only show up as cameos since they're mostly aiming for ship fic/romance genre, but if you were trying to keep more of the adventure part you could also have them come along, try to think about what the group dynamic would be & rewrite the more romantic tinged ones as needed. (Clara you could keep it same-ish by keeping the 'best friend' part of the dynamic, with River you'd have to tweak it more, but you have more than enough connection left through her being the Ponds' daughter & a fellow adventurer, Yazmin just gets unlucky for a different reason this time (she's taken)) - eventually you'd get badass older lady Rose acting as a mentor to younger companions like Bill, Ryan or Ruby.

Maybe an epilogue that ends up looking like that one "Immortal vampire with 90 year old wife" comic.

[hoo-n-i-ki]

Cold One. (Chapter 1)

Curiosity always kills the cat.

PAIRING - Volturi!Riki x Cullen!fem!reader (they don’t meet in this chapter, yet, though, since we’re still on Y/N’s backstory) + shapeshifter!ENHYPEN cameo

GENRE - Twilight AU

CHAPTER WC - 5026

WARNINGS - vampires, shapeshifters, graphic violence, blood, death.

☽✦✧†✧✦☾✦✧†✧✦☽✦✧†✧✦☾✦✧†✧✦☽✦✧†✧✦☾

July 1st, 2024.

You walk through the sterile doors of Victoria General Hospital, heart galloping as you take the first step towards this new chapter in your life.

You go up to the receptionist, unsure of where exactly to go. It has been six years since the last time you were in British Columbia, and nineteen since the last time you were in the town of Victoria—your birth town. Safe to say, the environment is as unfamiliar as it is nostalgic.

“I’m supposed to be meeting with a Dr. Park?” You smile politely at the freckled woman.

She looks up from her computer. “Dr. (Y/L/N)?” You nod. “Ah, yes. He’s expecting you in his office on the 5th floor. Take the first hallway to your left, and you’ll see his office at the very end.”

You thank her, and move down the reception to the elevator. Walking through the very hospital your late mother worked at.

Walking through the bland hallways your parents were autopsied at, nineteen years ago.

Fifth floor. Left. Ah, there’s the door with the James Park, M.D. nameplate.

You knock and enter.

The chief physician of the hospital takes off his glasses and looks up at you, sizing you up and down before smiling.

“Dr. (Y/N) (Y/L/N)! How very pleased I am to meet you! Please, take a seat.” He gestures to one of the two leather chairs in front of his desk.

Dr. Park leans forward, resting his elbows on the polished desk. “First off, welcome to Victoria General, Dr. (Y/L/N). We’re honored to have you here.” He pauses, his expression softening. “I knew your mother, actually. When I first started here, she had just graduated as a nurse. She was incredibly dedicated—always the first to arrive and the last to leave. I was deeply saddened to hear what happened to her and your father.”

He gives you a moment, watching for your reaction. You’re used to this conversation, so you don’t give him one beyond a polite, but awkward smile.

Then, with a reassuring nod, he continues, “That being said, I have no doubt she’d be immensely proud of you. Your track record is nothing short of extraordinary—graduating high school at sixteen, finishing your MD by 22, and securing a residency at one of the top hospitals in the country.” He chuckles. “I’ll be honest, when I saw your application, I thought there had to be a mistake. You could’ve easily been accepted into Toronto General or even Mount Sinai, but I’ll certainly count my blessings. You’re our first intern in years!”

He pauses awkwardly, realizing he isn’t exactly giving you a glowing review of his hospital, so he, instead, smoothes out his white coat in his seat. “Now, I’d like to introduce you to the doctor who will be supervising your internship, which is—” he clicks around on his computer, until his grin starts to falter. He clears his throat, immediately, and plasters it on again. “Dr. Carlisle Cullen, our attending surgeon.”

With that, Dr. Park gestures for you to follow him out of the office.

Dr. Park leads you down the hall, past bustling nurses and beeping monitors. The fluorescent lights hum faintly overhead as you navigate through the corridors.

“You’ll find that Victoria General runs a bit differently than the big-city hospitals,” Dr. Park says as you step into the elevator. “Smaller teams, longer shifts, but we take care of each other here.”

You nod, watching the numbers descend. Second floor. Surgery.

You step out, following the chief, keeping up with his pace even as his steps grow heavier the further along you go.

Dr. Park pushes open the doors to the break room, where a few doctors are huddled over coffee. Among them, a man stands out immediately—tall, blonde, pristine white coat unwrinkled despite the chaos of the floor. He turns at the sound of the door, and for a split second, something about him unsettles you.

Not in a bad way. But… there apparently is such a thing as too perfect.

“Dr. Cullen,” Dr. Park greets with a formal, clipped tone. “This is Dr. (Y/L/N), our new intern.”

Carlisle steps forward, offering his hand. “Dr. (Y/L/N), welcome.” His voice is smooth, polite—but the way he holds your gaze is… intense.

His eyes are gold. A pure, freezing gold.

You shake his hand, skin burning cold against yours. You barely keep the shiver from running down your spine.

“Dr. Park speaks highly of you,” he continues. “You’ll be working with me on trauma cases and general surgery rotations. We have a busy night ahead of us, so I hope you’re ready to hit the ground running.”

A challenge.

You straighten your shoulders. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Carlisle smiles—just a little. “Good.”

Dr. Park’s eyes flick from yours to the gold ones, perhaps analyzing your reaction to your supervisor. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. Dr. Cullen, don’t scare off our only intern, will you?” His tone gradually lowers.

Carlisle chuckles. “I’ll do my best.”

No wonder he makes even the chief falter.

July 5th, 2024.

The hum of activity in the ER, where you’re spending your rotation this Friday evening, is low but constant. Not at all like the hospital you trained at during med school, back in Ontario. But maybe you shouldn’t take the quiet for granted.

As you’re going over a patient’s pre-op charts, you hear the unmistakable screech of gurney tires and doors slamming open.

“Trauma coming in hot! 40-year-old female, MVA, blunt force trauma to the chest with multiple lacerations! BP’s dropping, heart rate’s tachy, suspected pneumothorax!” The paramedic calls out, voice tense and hurried as he and two others rush through the ER doors.

You’re already moving as soon as you heard the first word, but somehow, Dr. Cullen is already there, his pristine white coat fluttering as he moves with precision and confidence.

The team quickly assesses, and you go to the patient’s side, helping position her on the bed. Blood is already staining her clothes, and the deep gashes on her limbs pool onto the bed. Carlisle doesn’t bat an eye at the sight, however, his golden gaze remaining unbroken.

“Prep for chest tube,” Carlisle turns to you. “Start an IV, and get a full set of labs going.”

You spring into action, your hands moving swiftly, but Carlisle’s calm presence next to you is grounding. The trauma bay is alive with the sound of the beeping monitors, the orders being called, and the rush of everyone working in sync. You’re handling things without hesitation—focused—but a sense of awe still lingers in the back of your mind as you watch Carlisle manage the chaos around him with such ease.

As the entire team works together to stabilize the patient, you can’t help but gawk at your… interesting attending. His moves are so practiced, yet he doesn’t even look five years older than you.

Once the patient’s vitals are stable, at least for now, Carlisle finally steps back. You take a deep breath, gathering yourself before turning to him.

“You handled that really well! How long have you been doing this?”

Carlisle glances at you, his expression flickering for just a second before turning back to the patient. “Too long,” he murmurs. “But you’ve also got a good head on your shoulders. You studied at McMaster, right?”

You nod with a hum. “I have a photographic memory, so.”

“So what brought you to little old Victoria? I assume you had your fair share of hospitals to choose from. A 22 year old doctor, that’s unheard of!” He shakes his head with a perfect grin.

“I, uh…” you chuckle. “I’m from here. Well, at least I was born here, but my parents died when I was 3, so I had to live with my aunt and uncle in Vancouver until I left for university. I guess I felt like I had some unfinished business, so I moved back here after finishing.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. How did they die, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Animal attack.”

He turns away, and remains quiet for a few seconds. “Animal attack 19 years ago,” he murmurs. “My deepest condolences.” He only glances at you for a split second with a tight-lipped smile before turning to the patient’s monitors. “On the bright side, your aunt and uncle are nearby. It’s always good to have family around.”

You clear your throat, not wanting to think of your indifferent uncle and his resentful, emotionally abusive wife. They certainly are not the reason for your presence in the area. “What about you, sir? Are you from here?”

“Ah, no. I’m from Forks, down in Washington state, but I moved here with my family two years ago.”

“Oh, you have a family?”

He nods, as though the thought of them fills his heart with fondness. “A wife and seven adopted kids. Some in high school, some studying at the University of Victoria.”

You blink, momentarily taken aback by the revelation. “Wait… seven kids?” You can’t help the surprise in your voice. “And they’re… in high school? Some at university?”

He chuckles, clearly amused by your surprise, but his smile remains warm and unbothered. “I’m not as young as I look, Dr. (Y/L/N). I just happen to have excellent genetics when it comes to skincare.”

You raise your eyebrows and turn away, absorbing the information. “Well, how are you liking Victoria so far?”

He shrugs. “Close and far enough, at the same time.” He smiles at you. “We love the clouds and fog too much to stray from the Pacific coast.”

August 10th, 2024.

It has been a month into your internship, and it has flown by quite smoothly.

Victoria is… boring.

The painful memory of your parents’ death aside, you’re starting to question what you even thought you were doing by coming here.

In almost a month and a half, if you were expecting to see anything out of the ordinary, you did not. If you were expecting to get the most thrilling of medical experiences, you did not. If you were expecting to get some more information on your parents that your aunt and uncle weren’t willing to provide, you did not.

You remember the street you lived on, thankfully. So you tried visiting it, a couple weeks back. But no current resident was around during the attack of 2005. No one could tell you anything, and it just left you looking stupid, a stalker in a not-so-foreign neighborhood.

This past week, you have been under Dr. Park’s service, since Dr. Cullen has decided to take a few days off.

But here’s the most odd thing you’ve seen during your time here: the last day before Dr. Cullen took a leave, you noticed his golden eyes start to darken, before they turned into endless black holes by night.

August 11th, 2024.

Eyes.

Eyes.

Eyes.

They’re the only thing you could focus on. Everything else is a blur—a haze of darkness and indistinct faces. But the eyes… those eyes are all you could remember.

You’re suddenly three years old again, standing beside your parents’ graves. The day is cold, too cold for February, and the people around you are just figures, their faces distorted in the foggy dreamscape. You don’t understand what’s happening, only that your world is changing in ways you couldn’t explain.

The funeral is too strange for a toddler to grasp. The whispers, the somber looks, the cold wind—it all feels distant, like it’s happening to someone else. But the one thing you can’t shake, the one thing that’s burned into your memory, is the man standing at the edge of the crowd. He isn’t like the others—too still, too quiet.

His face is sharp, striking in a way that makes him seem almost out of place. His skin is dark, a smooth brown that almost… glitters when catching the light peeking through the clouds, and his long black hair is pulled back into thick dreads that sway as he stands there.

But it isn’t just his appearance that has been burned into your memory, but his eyes.

Wide. Blood-red. They hold your gaze from across the graveyard, and you can’t look away. They don’t blink, don’t shift. They just stare at you, deep and endless, with an intensity that makes your stomach drop.

And then, everything shifts once more, going back even further. A night that your toddler-mind knew to protect you from.

A suffocating darkness. The scent of copper. A toddler crying. You crying. You hear other people screaming, a sound muffled by varying degrees of distance.

Nothing makes sense. Everything is wrong.

You feel yourself get roughly yanked. It’s the same man with dreads and too-red eyes. His unyielding hands cover your mouth, and he carries you somewhere through the dark.

“Stay quiet,” he mutters, but there’s no warmth in his voice, just pure, cold command.

He closes the door and leaves you behind. The sounds outside intensify. A wet, gruesome tearing of flesh.

“James, Victoria, you leave not a single bite for your coven mate?” The voice, arrogant though muffled, belongs to red eyes.

You don’t understand what’s happening. Suddenly, all sounds die down, and you’re left alone with your pounding heart, your tiny hands clutching it. You waddle over to the window, where you see three figures carry out a pair of mutilated bodies, taking them somewhere, dragging even more with them.

Your parents were found at a forest… it was an animal attack!

But the buried memory slips away, and you’re back at the funeral, yet again staring into those red eyes from a distance.

Eyes.

Eyes.

Eyes.

You jerk awake, heart pounding and gasping for air. But the sight of them is so vivid in your memory, they may as well be hiding here in the dark.

Eyes as odd and cool-toned as Dr. Cullen’s, even if they’re a different color.

August 13th, 2024.

But your attending comes back, laughing and chatting about a camping trip. His eyes the usual, despite how unusual, shade of gold, leaving you to wonder if you imagined the black.

Leaving you to wonder if you imagined that whole memory.

But… your memory is never wrong…

September 8th, 2024.

You use your day off to make your way over to City Hall, where they let you have access to your parents’ death certificates.

Both of their places of death state a forested area that’s a 10-minute drive away from the neighborhood you were raised in.

Cause of death? Just as you’ve always been made to believe: animal attack.

There is actually a large group of people who died that fateful February evening of 2005 with that same exact place and cause of death. The weird part? All of their places of residence state the very same street you grew up on.

September 13th, 2024.

You, Dr. Cullen, and the nurses scrub out after an appendectomy.

Afterwards, the hospital is quiet. He just left you to take care of the post-op—no more major surgeries or patients to tend to.

“Alright, I’m gonna head out early, today. It’s Bella’s birthday, and Alice insists on celebrating every year.” He chuckles.

You nod with a smile, recalling the names of two of the girls he’s… fostering, for lack of a better word. “Happy birthday to her, how old is she turning?”

He pauses.

“Seventeen.” He flashes you a tight-lipped smile, and makes his way out.

Seventeen with a ‘father’ who doesn’t even look ten years older than her… that’s… nice…?

The remainder of the afternoon is quite stagnant, so a thought crosses your mind. A plan you didn’t have the courage to undergo, previously.

Previously.

In a rare moment of peace, you take the opportunity to slip into Carlisle’s office.

It’s nearly identical to Dr. Park’s, in layout. Spacious, neat, smelling faintly of antiseptic and his too perfect cologne.

You move over to his desk, eyes scanning the surroundings. The framed degree on the wall catches your eyes first.

Doctor of Medicine. University of Alaska Anchorage. 2015.

If your basic math is correct, that would mean he’s around 35.

Around 35, and he looks 25? Okay, sure, he’s 35. He said he has kids in university! Let’s say the oldest is just an 18-year-old freshman. What, did Carlisle start adopting straight out of high school?

It just doesn’t make any sense. Your head swims with the information, but no photographic memory can give you the logic required to understand this mysterious man’s life.

You’re still contemplating the thought when you hear the sound of footsteps outside the office door. Your heart stutters. You quickly shift your attention elsewhere, but before you could grab something else to look at, you hear the unmistakable shuffle of paper, followed by a soft knock on the door.

“Delivery for Dr. Cullen,” a pubescent boy’s voice calls from the hallway.

You freeze. Delivery? Carlisle left hours ago. What on Earth is being delivered here?

The mailman—mailboy—lets himself in, eyes widening when seeing a pretty young woman inside rather than the old doctor he was probably expecting. “Oh, hello. I have a quick drop-off for a Dr.,” he pauses to pronounce the rare name, “Carlisle Cullen.”

“He left a couple hours ago.”

“That’s a shame. I came to the place that’s registered on the system as his workplace because there’s a blockade on the road to his address. Can I just leave the mail here?”

Hm? A blockade? You wonder how he’s gonna make it home for his ‘daughter’s’ birthday.

“Yeah, for sure. Besides, I’m his resident. I’ll remind him about it whenever I see him.”

“Oh, well, great!” He leaves a letter on the desk, and just as he’s about to leave, he turns to you one last time. “Hey, do you think I can get your—“

“Goodbye!”

He takes the hint and leaves, shutting the door behind him.

You glance down at the letter, and pick up the envelope, inspecting it. It’s an off-white paper that almost looks like parchment, but fanciest of all is the blood-red wax seal with a V logo. There’s no return address, oddly enough; the back just says ‘Carlisle Cullen. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.’

This is wrong. This is so immensely wrong.

Will Carlisle hate you if he realizes you opened up his letter? Will he even know the letter arrived? What’s the worst that could happen if you just… hide it from him? But what if he knows and sabotages your education…

This is so ethically wrong. You’re a doctor, for fuck’s sake—you swore the Hippocratic Oath, but here you are considering mail theft!

Then you recall his abnormal eyes.

Completely unlike the freakish eyes from your memory, but your intuition tells you there’s something vital that you’re missing.

You open up the envelope before you lose your gut.

The top of the parchment has that same intricate V logo imbedded into the wax seal, and below that is the finest calligraphy inked down.

“Tigers have been appearing in Canada. Watch out.

- Your old friends.”

November 15th, 2024.

The night shift is completely and utterly dull. A few distant murmurs that echo through the hallways, and the rhythmic beeps of heart monitors are the only real signs of life.

You rub your tired eyes with a yawn as you step into a supply closet, scanning the shelves for some gauze.

As you reach up to grab a roll, a hushed voice drifts in through the open door.

“…Tonight, it’s nearly empty. It’ll work. No delays.”

You pause at the familiar voice. It’s Dr. Park, talking on the phone, but you don’t think much of it. It’s late, you’re exhausted, whatever your chief physician is talking about has nothing to do with you.

When you step out, you nearly collide with him, and he smiles, steady and warm as ever.

“Ah, Dr. (Y/L/N),” he greets, adjusting his coat. “Long night?”

“Not the worst.”

He nods approvingly before his expression softens. “It’s slow over here, and you’ve been working hard. Why don’t you just head home? Get some rest, it’ll be good for your mind.”

Well, far be it from you to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Alright, if you’re sure.” You nod.

He gives you an encouraging pat on the back before striding down the hall.

You make your way toward the elevators, but before you can leave, some other attending—a doctor you’ve barely had to interact with, so far—calls you over. “Dr. (Y/L/N)! Since you’re still here, mind handling some paperwork for me? Shouldn’t take too long.” He shoves files into your hands before you can even react. “Thanks, I owe you one.”

You inwardly sigh. No he does not, he’ll forget by next morning.

There goes the bubble bath you were planning. Unfortunately, when you’re in your intern year, saying no isn’t exactly an option.

You sit down in a nearly deserted corridor and get to work. The routine patient charts and reports aren’t difficult—but the clock ticks agonizingly slowly. You yawn through the quiet.

Until you hear a low, guttural sound, that makes your pen still against the paper.

Was that… growling?

A shiver runs down your spine, but realistically, it’s probably just some unruly patient groaning in pain.

But then it comes again. Louder. Animalistic.

Something is wrong, but it sounds like it’s coming from outside the hospital.

Almost everything in your gut tells you to stay put, but your curiosity wins. You leave the paperwork behind and move towards an abandoned side exit, where the faint sounds are growing even louder.

The closer you get, the stronger your heart pounds all the way to your throat.

The second you creak open the glass doors, your breath catches.

Six… six huge figures.

Tigers.

Not the emaciated, weary creatures you’d see in a zoo—these are massive white ones, their muscles coiled with power, their eyes glinting in the dim light. Their thick fur ripples as they prowl, tails flicking sharply as they watch something with focused intensity.

You can see the intelligence in their eyes, in the deliberate way they move near… near Dr. Park?

As he leads… Dr. Cullen towards them.

You feel like you can’t even breath, and you certainly can’t bring your feet to move as your mind struggles to piece together what you’re seeing.

Dr. Cullen’s stance is as calm as ever, hands at his sides, white coat barely shifting in the breeze. His golden gaze is bright despite the night sky as his eyes flick from his chief to the beasts.

“We know the legends about your kind,” Dr. Park’s voice cuts through the cold air.

A couple seconds of silence.

“I see.”

“We know what your kind does. I have allowed you to believe that you fooled me, but not for a second longer. We will put things right—first with you, the head of your little group, then we’ll reach the rest of you.”

“My family and I pose no threat to the shifters nor to the humans.” He is eerily composed.

Shifters?

“Your presence alone is a threat,” Dr. Park grits out. “My son, the other boys from Victoria’s Korean settlement, we are descendants of the Baekho.” One of the tigers takes a deliberate step forward. “But the shift only occurs when a threat triggers it. Your arrival triggered it in his generation, two years ago. Do you know what that means, doctor?”

Carlisle lifts an eyebrow.

“It means they had two years to prepare and train for the perfect night, this night.” He tilts his head ever so slightly to the amber-eyed tiger at his side. “Jay.

“Attack.”

The furious tiger lunges. He’s a blur of snowy fur, claws, and roars that rattle your ribs—a killing machine launching straight at Carlisle—

But he is faster.

You wouldn’t have believed it had you not seen it with your own eyes. But in an instant, Carlisle vanishes from the tiger—Jay’s—path, reappearing several feet away. Jay skids, lets out a furious snarl, and whips around, ready to strike again.

The other tigers move, their low growls forming a chorus of danger.

Carlisle lifts his hands in a placating gesture. “We don’t have to do this.”

Dr. Park’s lips press into a thin line. “Apologies, doctor, but we do.” He turns to a tiger with icy blue eyes. “Sunghoon, flank him,” then to another with heavier stripes than the rest, “Jungwon, cut him off.”

The tigers leap, getting close enough to shred Carlisle’s coat, but he catches one through the air before they can land a devastating blow, sending him crashing into the asphalt.

And another blur—another figure, slams into the second one, sending him flying.

You hide behind a column as you watch two more tall figures leap off the roof of the hospital, the newly joined trio as inhumanly fast as Carlisle, and just as pale beneath the dim lights.

One has hair the color of bronze, moving fluidly, effortlessly. Another is blonde, shorter but just as terrifying as he dodges the icy-eyed tiger—Sunghoon’s—swipe. The last is built like a boulder, letting Jay slam into him without even budging.

A pair of freezing golden eyes belonging to the bronze-haired one flashes. “Alice saw and we heard the noise.”

The muscular one cracks his knuckles, a slow grin forming. “Didn’t know we were having a party.”

The last one doesn’t speak. His eyes scan the scene, reading the tension in the air, gauging the bloodlust rippling through the tiger pack.

The shifters hesitate as the three gather near Carlisle for only a second before charging.

But someone else enters the fray.

A tan man who jumps, and in an instant his bones crunch, shifting and twisting until russet fur bursts through skin, and he lands with a deep snarl, canine teeth bared.

You watch, your heart hammering. You have your hand slammed against your mouth—not wanting to make a sound and alert them to the intruder who physically can’t leave the scene—but you wouldn’t be surprised if it’s your heart they can hear.

The wolf sides with the pale men, his growls clashing against the tigers’ roars.

“Huh. A Quileute. Siding with every shapeshifter’s natural enemy,” Dr. Park tsks. “Heeseung.” He merely glances to the largest of the tigers, who immediately launches at the wolf.

The rest of the tigers race towards the four men.

If men is even the correct term—you now realize that they’re just as human as the red-eyed man from your memory. The memory that convinced you from the very beginning that there is something off about this town, and what you’re currently witnessing serves to prove it.

Heeseung, apparently, bites a large tuft of fur and flesh from the wolf’s shoulder, leaving him a mess of gore dripping onto the pavement and howls that make your stomach churn.

You shouldn’t be here. You’ve known that from the start, but suddenly, the coppery scent of blood hits you like no patient’s ever has, and against your will, you let out a half scream, half sob.

Witnessing the dizzying scene, you barely process your chief yelling, “Get back, (Y/N)! Jake, she isn’t one of them!”

But the tiger’s momentum is too strong.

Claws slash down.

Agony.

“You feral felines are the true danger to humans!” One of the men shouts, before…

Darkness.

November 16th, 2024.

You are floating, weightless—adrift in the abyss of your own mind. Somewhere, far beyond the surface of consciousness, there are sounds. Unregistrable voices.

Your body is… nothing. A void where sensation should be. No pain, no warmth, no cold. Just nothing.

Then a sharp spike of pain rips through you like a bolt of lightning, and suddenly, you are aware. Aware of the broken shell you are trapped in.

Your eyes flutter open, but the world is unfocused, swimming in a blend of shadows and light. It takes everything in you to drag in a trembling breath.

You manage to see the doctor right there.

“Help me,” you whisper, your bloodied fingers curling around his wrist.

His golden eyes snap to you. His throat bobs and expression fractures, just for a second, before the hesitation settles in his gaze.

You don’t even know what he is, not truly, but deep in your aching bones, you know he can help.

“Please.”

You don’t know how much blood you’ve lost, but you can feel your heartbeat slowing, sluggish and unsteady.

Finally, his lips press into a firm line, and he leans in.

Sharp teeth sink into your wrist.

Warmth pulses through your veins.

Warmth that ignites into an inferno.

Fire spreads fast, relentless, consuming every nerve, every vein. You try to scream, but there is no air left in your lungs. You can’t scream. You can’t move. You can only burn.

Your body starts to jerk, muscles locking so tightly it feels as if your bones might snap from the strain. There is pressure—hands pressing you down, keeping you still—but they do nothing to stop this torture.

You wish you weren’t a coward. You wish you let him let you die.

Your heart stutters. Then, with a final, shattering beat—

It stops.

And the fire roars higher.

November 17th, 2024.

The first thing you notice is the silence.

Not an absence of sound, but a clarity—as if the world has been wiped clean, sharpened to perfection. You can hear everything. The shift of fabric as someone moves. The faint hum of electricity in the walls. The steady, rhythmic heartbeats in the distance.

The second thing you notice is the vividness.

You sit up in an instant—too fast, too smooth. The figures around you step back, cautious but calm. A sea of gold eyes meet yours—the men you’ve already seen, two brunettes, a petite girl with a pixie cut, an intimidating blonde, and a girl identical to the bronze-haired man but with warm brown eyes.

But none of them matter.

Because the third thing you notice is the thirst.

It’s all-consuming. A raw, burning hunger that coils in your throat, screaming for relief.

You don’t think. You run, and you don’t let anyone catch you.

☽✦✧†✧✦☾✦✧†✧✦☽✦✧†✧✦☾✦✧†✧✦☽✦✧†✧✦☾

IM SO SO SORRY THERES NO RIKI IN THIS CHAPTER I JUST GENUINELY FELT LIKE THE STORY NEEDED MORE ✨LORE✨ BUT HES COMING IN THE NEXT ONE I SWEAR

ps is it obvious my #3 hyperfixation after enhypen and twilight is grey’s anatomy lmao

@opheliaas-stuff @wrldhypen @angelengene3011

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Finale

[ouchmyghostskin]

Season 2 predictions regarding payneland:

I've been having thoughts since seeing the cameo where George said that there was a deleted scene post confession/ pre Crystal saying goodbye, where Edwin encouraged Charles to be honest with her about how he feels (which is kinda insane character development compared to episode one??? But good for him). Granted , they deleted it and we don't know why, but I'm going to assume it was for space/time etc. Originally I wasn't really sure if Edwin had picked up on the open-endedness of Charles saying that they had forever to figure it out, though I suspected he hadn't, but I thought that if he *had* that he would most likely wait. But now I think that Edwin probably saw that as "I don't reciprocate but don't worry we'll figure everything out". So I think the likelihood that Edwin might pursue something with someone else in season 2 is a definite possibility. Fully accepting Charles "rejection" and consciously deciding to address his loneliness and desire for romantic/sexual connection, despite his feelings for Charles. And....I suspect it's going to be the cat king. And I suspect that Charles is going to be caught between his interest in Crystal and insane jealousy about Edwin, and it's going to be the catalyst for him realizing that his jealousy is romantic in nature.

There is always the possibility payneland isn't endgame but I'm an optimist 👌

Now for some personal thoughts about the above that has some mildly negative feelings about catwin so if you would rather not read you can scroll now. 👍. Yay for curating your fandom experience!

So I'll be honest, there isn't even a small part of me that ships catwin. I thought the plot line was interesting, and I think the cat king is an interesting character that functions very well as a catalyst. I don't *hate* it and I have absolutely zero negative thoughts about people who enjoy it, just to be clear about that. Ship whatever you want, it's all paper dolls in a sandbox to me. For me personally though, I found the dynamic coercive enough to put me off it entirely as a ship. (For some people that's fun to explore, or ignore, in ships for a wide variety of reasons that I have zero desire to police, so again, I'm not criticizing catwin shippers). Secondarily , I actually don't ship characters all that often, but when I do Im pretty OTP about it, so that's contributing. But if that's the direction they're going in , it makes sense for them to continue with the cat king since it's established that Edwin is attracted to him, and has appeared to forgive him for manipulating him in season 1. So....I'll not be thrilled to see catwin content in season 2? But I can grimace through it if it's not endgame. Also...I've seen whispers that indicate some parts of fandom don't enjoy the jealousy plotline specifically bc they feel jealousy is harmful? I get it if it just doesn't interest you or brings up bad memories, but emotions don't harm others. Being angry or jealous is an almost unavoidable part of the human experience. Only your behavior motivated by those emotions can harm people. So ...I'm ALL for Charles continuing to grapple with emotions like jealousy and anger and coming to terms with realizing they don't make him an abusive person. Even if he handles it imperfectly that's still an interesting flaw, and there's an extremely large sliding scale of behavior between "that's something to work on but you are a great person" and actually harmful/abusive. Yay nuance!

[mikareo]

megumi doing smth pls

⌗ THIRTEEN YEARS ₊ ˖ ་. megumi fushiguro x fem reader (2.6k)

⊹ ⠀⠀ 3 times megumi wants to tell you he loves you, and the 1 time he does.

contains; attack on titan au, marleyan!megumi, eldian!reader, aot spoilers!!! (season 4), forbidden lovers, fluff, angst, kissing, major character death, cannabalism? (titans), annie cameo! author's note; here u get an old draft (psa none of this will make sense if you haven't watched attack on titan!!!!)

i. what is love at first sight

it's almost human instinct; knowing which people are more likely to have good fortune. some are simply born with an advantage— these people having the freedom to walk along the river bank, skip flattened rocks down streams, and laugh with their peers. with families who shop in the market together, hand-in-hand with woven baskets strewn over their shoulders, and all the time in the world to live their lives to the absolute fullest as true freelancers facing the rising sun that sees tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that.

but in the truth of it all...the sun doesn't shine on everyone.

there are countless amounts of souls who aren't as blessed as marleyans like megumi. souls entangled with the devil herself, ymir, a woman who singlehandedly birthed the 'race from hell'...which he's never fully agreed with. everyone he knows refers to eldians as humanity's sin, but it's not their fault their biology is simply different.

humans are humans, right? they've done no wrong by being born. especially the warrior candidate he's been staring at for the past hour from a distance. you can't be that bad. after all, you're beautiful.

okay, yes. he has a little crush. he can't help it! one day, he was minding his own business on a walk home from the lab, when gojo had the bright idea of sneaking a peak at the warrior training. that's when megumi first saw you and his world stopped. sure, you were covered in mud and crawling through trenches with a rifle strapped to your back; but that didn't make him any less awestruck. since then he's hidden himself in the same bush, week after week, just to get a glimpse of your face.

"she's a cutie. you've got good taste." okay, creepy.

megumi rolls his eyes, glancing up at his mentor who's the only person who knows of his little secret. "don't you have women to harass?"

"ouch, sassed by a ten year old. i see how it is." gojo chuckles, ruffling his black hair and crouching down to the younger boy's level. "you see her out there? she's killing it. i heard she's the top contender for the female."

"i hope so." his blue eyes are locked on you, watching as your focused expression turns to determination whilst helping your teammate off the ground. "she'll have a better chance of living that way."

"...and maybe your family will let you meet her."

ugh, his family. since he was six, the zenin's have raised him with their questionable values and ideals. as the leading researchers in the modern world, they've revolutionized how eldians are studied! at least that's what he's been told. to be frank, he doesn't care about the right or wrong battle they've propagandized to the rest of humanity. all he cares about is knowing your name and telling you how pretty your eyes are.

"i want to talk to her, at least once." his voice is quiet, but gojo hears.

"why? you wanna tell her you love her?"

he hates him so much.

"no!" megumi exclaims, pushing back the older man in defense. his cheeks are bright red from embarrassment and he can feel the flames emitting from them. "i just want to be her friend, that's all. why do you always make things so weird?"

it's amusing to gojo how his little friend is so flustered. usually megumi is a shy boy, keeping to himself and avoiding contact with his peers; but whenever the conversation topic is you, he seems to perk up...and gojo loves to tease a lovestruck kid.

"don't worry," he smirks, "you'll understand your feelings when you're older. you don't need to tell her quite yet that you love her."

love you?

"just shut up and let me watch." megumi grumbles, resting his head in his hands as you're jumping up and down after being praised by your captain. he wishes he could make you that happy one day. "it's not love, i'm serious."

he'll understand what love means when he gets older. for now, he'll just imagine confessing.

ii. what is love that is forbidden

you're a lot more annoying than he thought you'd be.

after having been selected as the new female titan, your ego is boasting with energy and won't stop boasting no matter how often megumi tells you to zip it. though he was excited to meet you, his thirteen year old self now wishes you'd give him a moment of peace. instead, you insist on following him around whenever and wherever you can and yapping his ear off with comments on everyone and everything about your day. please, just give him a break.

"uh, fushiguro..."

he sighs with exhaustion. "what?"

"i think i locked us in here."

dammit.

"you forgot the key?" he asks.

"i forgot the key." you confirm.

of course you did.

with an exhausted grumble, megumi settles himself on the cold, cement floor of the supply closet you'll both call home for the next few hours. it's both of your days off, but he'd wanted to prep his supplies for his training on monday; to which you, of course, invited yourself along for the ride. you'll stay out of the way. it's fine, he can just ignore you. that's what he told himself...though, it's impossible for him to ignore you.

it's likely that no one will visit the storage room until the evening time— with most of his colleagues at home with their families, cooking a warm meal with lamb and stew. it's also uncommon for any of the researchers to be in liberio on their off days. megumi's just the special kind that doesn't think he'll be plagued by breathing the same air as eldians.

"mind if i join you?" he knows you're asking a rhetorical question and you know he'd never reject you.

with a small plop, you take a seat next to him. he's used to your warmth by now— considering you to be an essential part of his every day, despite how much he enjoys complaining about you— and leans his head against yours. it's obvious that you're sleepy. though, you never indulge in conversations about your training, megumi is well aware of how overworked you are. he can't imagine fighting in wars at this age, especially wars in which you're fourteen meters tall and smashing through brick walls; which is why he tries his best to be there for you when you need him.

your life is a battlefield and he's the peaceful conclusion.

"you know..." the sound of your voice is faint, a great contrast to your usual noise and megumi can tell something is wrong. "when they find us here, they're going to think i kidnapped you."

"i mean what else would the zenin heir be doing with a titan shifter?" you start to choke on your words and he instinctively wraps his arms around you. "you don't need to comfort me, fushiguro. we both know i'm going to be punished after this. you can't apologize and make everything okay like usual."

to your surprise, his pointer finger touches your cheek and gently wipes away your running tears. "...fushiguro—"

"it won't always be like this." he interrupts you, cupping your face as if you're a rare gem that he can't afford breaking. "when i'm in charge, i'm going to change things. you won't have to do this anymore. i won't let them do this to you anymore!"

the two of you are a mess on the floor, crying in each others arms, and wishing that the world was a better place. "you still have thirteen years left. please...please keep fighting for me. i promise i'm going to save you."

"fushiguro..."

"call me by my first name."

"...megumi."

you're beautiful. he wants to kiss you so badly, but he knows now isn't the time. he wants to hold your hand in public, but he knows you'll be berated for doing so. he wants to tell you he loves you, but he's too afraid.

megumi fushiguro is a coward.

...but he's a coward in love; and one day, when he's taller and stronger, he's going to be able to tell you that. he's going to be able to protect you.

iii. what is love that is hopeless

"hold still." megumi's voice is soft, his fingers of the same gentle malice as they tend to your open wounds that haven't quite healed yet. with titan steam wafting from the slashes scattering your forearms and shoulders, they blow into his face in a fury of pain. "dammit, i said hold still."

his brings both arms down to your shoulders, heart breaking at the sight of you wincing in retaliation to his force, but carries on. there's no telling what you would've gotten yourself into if he hadn't insisted he care for your wounds; after making it publicly known that he's to be the only researcher allowed within your vicinity after your tireless warrior missions, none of the other researchers even attempt to get near you. he hates how often you put yourself in harms way in order to save your comrades. you're too brave. you've never been just a warrior of marley, but more or less a warrior of all people.

"i've been sitting here for an hour already, megumi." you roll your eyes, swinging your legs over the metal rims and turning to face your very pissed off best friend. "i'm tired and i'd like to get at least an hour of sleep tonight."

his expression is somewhat terrifying. if you didn't know megumi was such a scaredy cat, you'd be intimidated by his reddened cheeks and eyes of fury. it's almost as if he's an inflamed torch held against fluorescent lighting, pasty and saturated in fear and exhaustion. "i need to make sure you're okay."

"well, i have another plane to catch at dawn," you deflect his concerns. "there's some issue i was assigned to when i landed this morning. i guess one of our enemies isn't afraid of titans yet."

"you're not going."

he's firm in his statement. megumi doesn't like how his colleagues take advantage of you and your abilities. they're working you to skin and bones. if they were the ones checking up on you after every battle they'd know so, but they wouldn't treat you with as much care. his only wish in the world is to keep you safe, which he's doing an awful job at as of yet. "i don't want you getting more hurt than you already are."

"as if it matters." you scoff, leaning towards him in an attempt to get him to back off. "i'll just give 'em a little taste of my titan and they'll run away like mice. it's easy, 'gumi. trust me—"

"life isn't a game!" he's furious.

"well mine is!" you're angry as well.

why don't you get it? why can't you just run away with him?

"i only have four years left! four years, megumi! i don't care if i die tomorrow or the day after that or the day after that. i'm going to either way. you don't have that problem. you don't understand."

without warning, his lips are on yours in his best attempt to stop you from spouting all of his fears and worries from your mouth. he doesn't want to hear it. he just wants to pretend none of it is happening, and you're going to be okay. you are going to be okay. he'll make sure of it.

it takes a moment for you to respond until your intertwined in a feverish kiss that sends his medical supplies clanging to the floor— but megumi doesn't care about order, all he cares about now is being as close to you as possible. he's dreamt of this moment for years. what you taste like...feel like...sound like. he knows you're his soulmate. what he doesn't know is why it's taken him so long to kiss you.

but before your connection can move forward and become something more, your touch is gone.

"i'm sorry, i can't do this." there are tears creeping from the corners of your beautiful eyes. "i—"

he calls out your name as your figure dashes out the door, wishing that he was able to confess. he wants to tell you he loves you so badly; except he doesn't have the bravery he needs. with four more years left, megumi has two things on his agenda.

1.) find a way to save you.

2.) tell you he's yours forever.

iv. what is love everlasting

he's finally become a monster like the rest of them.

from the first time he saw you, he told himself he'd be your savior. he made countless promises that he'd find a way for eldians and marleyans to live in peace, that he'd find a way to save you from this shitty war; only to be the very person to lock you in chains, awaiting imminent death as the next female titan will be born.

megumi wanted to be brave. he wanted to stop being such a coward, but some people just aren't capable of changing so much— and what a disappointment that is.

"hey, fushiguro?" when did you stop calling him by his first name? "can you keep a secret?"

he's not supposed to be civil with you. his orders are to chain you up, inject the child, and watch as she devours you; but you're his weakness. he can't resist you. "of course i can."

a smile graces your lips. it's not a smile of happiness or joy...it's one of anguish and pain. "i wish i ran away with you. i should've run away with you. even though we only had four years, we could've been happy."

why are you saying all of this?

now of all times?

you should've told him years ago! you should've let him know your secrets before he let them change him! before he distanced himself from you and became distracted with his work!

"...megumi..."

"yes?" he's desperate to hear you.

"...i don't want to die."

a thought crosses his mind. it's a scene in which two main characters beat all odds and escape the chains and prisons they've faced, running off into the sunset, never to be seen again. this scene has a happy ending, one where there's a small and intimate wedding with no witnesses except the meadow's flowers. he lifts your veil away from your eyes and murmurs sweet nothings as you kiss him to start off your forever. his heart wants that to be true. he wants that to be true. it's too late, though. you have no time left. your thirteen years is up. his thirteen years of knowing you is up. it's time to say goodbye.

"i can't save you." he's struggling to get his words out while maintaining his composure; and your heart breaks as his promise does as well. "i'm sorry."

he's a monster.

you hang your head, nodding and accepting your fate as he makes his way down the stairs. seeing you like that, knowing what your fate is, almost causes megumi to pass out from lightheadedness. he knows he shouldn't be worrying about himself. after all, you're the one who's about to die. he has a whole lifetime to continue living, and your lifetime was a mere twenty-six years.

gently, he takes the newest warriors hands and tells her what he's about to do. the blonde girl nods along to his words, trying her best to ignore your radiating hopelessness as she's about to become the next you; and megumi injects his needle into her neck.

he wants to look away so badly as she grows into a pure titan with eyes locked on your frail body, but he doesn't want it to end like this. there's gotta be something that he can do to help you. anything to save you from this fate; but to no avail, he's powerless. so powerless that the only thing he manages to do is mouth three seemingly meaningless words as he locks eyes with you.

"i love you."

⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⊹₊｡ reblogs are greatly appreciated! ˚₊⊹

[lovezbrownies]

More yandere Lauren please! I'm obsessed with her❤️

Sorry for taking so long!

Lauren's Masterlist + General Masterlist

Synopsis: The 4 times in a day in which Lauren acts strange and affectionate!

Lauren McCanister x GN!Reader

Warnings: None! Maybe a bit of jealous and lots of physical affection, Julie Cameo!

1. Lip looking

Lauren adores you and has no clue how to convey it to you. She tries to be nice and ends up making a horrible remark about you, she’s forever stuck in an endless cycle. Even her mother couldn’t help her, since she wasn’t the most romantic. So Lauren resorted to using physical affection rather than verbal, which did little to nothing since even if she’s cuddling you Lauren will end up saying something so horrible that will ruin it all. This woman has no control of her mouth!

One thing, however, is that she loves to drive you to and from school, picking you up in the early morning, and seeing that groggy look on your face makes waking up at 3 am for you so worth it. Today was one of those wonderful days, where she’d beep the horn of her car before stepping out, leaning on the passenger’s car door awaiting your wonderful arrival. 

Soon enough, you close the front door behind you, yelling out a goodbye to your family you turn back to Lauren and her stupid pink car. Sighing in defeat you walk over to her, not a single day has she missed to drive you to and from school, even when she’s somehow sick Lauren is there to drive you to school and back home. It would be such a beautiful gesture if she weren’t the devil incarnate but whatever, saves you on the bus fees and gas.

While you mentally groan over the fact she’s the one to treat you like this, Lauren is stood there like a buffoon, mesmerized by just… You. You looked so casual today, she could already see you together older and more mature, married and rich, and so deeply in love with each other neither the two of you would mind a messy appearance, still comfortable in each other’s presence even if it lacked the air of perfection.

Lauren was so deep in dreamland she almost didn’t notice you waiting for her to stop leaning against the passenger’s car door so you could go in. No rather than moving aside, she stood there, staring at your lips. Oh, whatever seduction tactics you had up your sleeves they’re workin’! Because dear lord is she pulled in you and your lips by now, so perfect, even if it was chapped Lauren wanted to know how it felt to kiss you, to have passionate makeouts together, anything that could give her a taste of your lips.

“Hey,” A hand stood before her eyesight, snapping its fingers, “Lauren, you want me to sit in the back or what?” Lauren quickly cleared her throat, trying as hard as she could to play off how awkward that was. God, you could unknowingly kill her one day just by living.

“N-No, just get in the car I want to grab some breakfast before we get to school, that c-cool with y-you?” Yet again she begs for your attention.

2. Hand holding

Maybe eating breakfast as dine-in was a bad idea, seeing how busy and crowded the hallways are right now. Usually, you and Lauren would get to school earlier, and Lauren would force you to sit with her until the bell for first-class rings, which she parts ways with you. But today you two came much later than usual, and are now stuck in a big crowd of smelly stinky teens.

“Lords above, the hell is this? It’s too damn- Hey! Don’t fucking push them freak!” Lauren yelled out, scaring the freshman to her very bones when Lauren saw you get pushed, “Fuck, take my hand.”  Lauren exclaimed out to you, holding her hand out for you. That single sentence surprised you so much, that you stopped walking entirely, letting the flow of people take Lauren away while pushing you off to the side.

The hell was she on? Your face expressed only one emotion, disgust. Shaking off the shock you decided to just get to class alone, even if it upsets Lauren later on. However, with the flow of students you could barely make it back in the crowd, might as well just sit here until they all pass through. You’d rather be late than bruised up from these actual animals. 

You took out your phone, ready to scroll the time away, when suddenly and out of nowhere a manicured hand grabbed your arm, flinching you tried to pull away but she gripped onto you even harder, looking up you saw the owner of the cute nails, Lauren McCanister yet again haunting you. “Lord, almost lost you, these fucking animals pushed me can you believe that? Come on, let’s go, I’ll make sure you get to class s-safe or whatever.”

Lauren then grabbed your hand, holding onto it tightly, bracing for the worst as you two attempted to pass the crowd of people. You were annoyed by it all, while she could barely breathe knowing how intimate hand-holding is in relationships. If you let her hold onto you like this does it mean you might like her too? What if you liked being berated daily? No, that she is sure you hate, but she’ll try to be a bit nicer, though she can’t control herself much.

3. Waist holding

It’s been a few hours now, it was the 4th class of the day and thankfully your teacher decided to spare the class and got permission to let the class have fun in the courtyard. You and a few other people were standing talking together about some inane subject you didn’t care for much but still participated in the conversation every now and then, it was nice to speak with people other than Lauren, it felt so great to actually have a group of people to be friends with too!

You were listening to whoever was speaking at the moment, and a friend of yours, Savannah, was leaning against you. Her long slender arms wrapped around your neck, her entire body supported by your own, and her head snuggling into your neck. It was short of an intimate pose, but you were used to it since Savannah has always been a touchy-feely friend, of course with your own consent. Some people make you feel so comfortable with physical affection, and some don’t, Savannah is one of those who do, she’s such a comforting person with an amazing smell.

Even if you were okay with her physical affection, another woman isn’t so into it. Lauren, as usual, wasn’t paying attention in class. It was English class and her least favorite subject, so what else is there to do other than cure her boredom by spamming you with text messages and then getting extremely upset when you don’t even open them so she looks out the window? However, her usual solution made her even more upset this time, in fact, the tall blonde was enraged.

This other woman was hanging off of you like it was no big deal, snuggling into your neck, looking at you as if she was yours. No fucking way will Lauren let that fucking bitch do that without any consequences, does she not know Lauren owns you?! That fucking freak might just end up dead by the end of the week. 

Lauren quickly excused herself, saying she had to go to the bath but really she was about to beat the shit out of a woman. Lauren sped through hallways, damn near smashing the floor beneath her feet as she angrily stomps to the courtyard. Though as she nears the courtyard she sees you and that woman walking out of the courtyard, the woman still clinging to your arm. Her eyes lock onto yours and suddenly her resolve just vanishes, oh you’re so stunning. Almost tripped Lauren up with your god-sent features.

Suddenly she’s become soft, and suddenly her need to beat up that woman disappears. So Lauren just marches on towards you. You and Savannah stopped walking when you saw the angry stomping of a certain bully. Soon Lauren finally reaches you and the other one, quickly pushing her off of you, Lauren grabs you by the shoulders before spinning you around and pinning you to her own body, she gives a look to Savannah before walking off with you in tow.

“W-What’s going on? [Name]! I-” Savannah tries to ask and chase after you but Lauren immediately yells out, “Leave them the fuck alone, you damn obsessed freak!” Her hand trails down from your arms to your waist, gripping onto the skin there harshly, causing you to let out a hiss at the pinch. “Heavens, she’s fucking crazy why the hell do you hang out with her? Whatever, doesn’t matter, from now on you don’t speak to her you don’t touch her, got that?” Lauren trails off until you two finally reach that one ‘abandoned’ classroom Lauren rebranded into her own romantic hangout place.

She spent the entire class period just… cuddling into you in silence covered by blankets and pillows. You managed to get her to let you go since you didn’t want to get in trouble and keep your grades up. The rest of the day, however, Lauren skipped all her classes to keep an eye on you, where she then got called into the Principal’s office with her mom and you, you were only there because Lauren refused to let you take the bus or walk home. 

4. Forehead kissing

It was quiet and awkward. Usually with Lauren, there would be loud 2000’s music playing and you can use your phone whenever. But with Lauren’s mom driving, there was no music, and there were no phones since she took both your phones away for “Social bonding exercises.” though she was the one speaking most of the time, with Lauren staring out the window clearly upset with the turn of events.

Lauren hates this, it was too awkward for a car ride, and her mom is totally crossing so many boundaries and feeding you too much information about Lauren, Lauren’s childhood, and Lauren’s secret obsessions. And Lauren knows if she tries cutting off her mom to tell her she’s saying too much her mom will only embarrass her more by saying shit like “Well, your romantic partner needs to know you better Lauren. You’re too secretive, reminds me when Lauren accidentally–” And then continues with the most horrifying story ever.

It doesn’t matter anyway, your opinion of her may have been bad before but it’s definitely worse now, how the hell will she even fix this. As she was wallowing in self-pity you were trying to count the minutes until you finally reached your humble abode. 5…4…3…2…1…Finally! You’re home! “Uh, thanks for the ride Miss McCanister..” You awkwardly say as you try to open the door, yet to no avail, the child-lock is seemingly on.

“Wait. Lauren get out and open the door for your roma-” “Y-Yeah! I-I got it! Don’t need to finish that…” Lauren cut her mom off, not willing for you to hear what her mom refers to you she quickly gets out of the car while you silently groan, you can finally get out of that damn stuffy car as Lauren opens the car door wide open for you, “Okay, good job. Now go walk them to their front door and give them a goodbye ki-” “H-Hey! L-Let’s go! Come on, walk faster, come on.” Lauren once again cuts her mother off as she quickly pushes you down the pathway to your house.

Once you finally reached your front door you tried to open the door only for Miss McCanister to yell out, “Wait! Do not enter until you both say your goodbyes! It’s roma-”

“We got it, Mom!” 

“Okay, I’ll look away so you can kis-”

“Mother!!”

Lauren and Julie back and forth until Julie finally sighs and looks away from you two and Lauren looks back at you and then immediately looks away again with a soft blush on her face.

God was it hard to find the courage to say a single damn word, every time Lauren opened her mouth to say something, she just couldn’t use her voice. So without another word, she grabbed you by the shoulders and just… pecked you on the head. You stared back at her, eyes wide and confusion clear on your face. You were fucking horrified. Why in god’s name would your bully just… Kiss your head? Just as you were about to question what the hell she was doing she planted another kiss, but it stayed a little longer and was on your forehead this time. “B-Bye!” Lauren mustered out before actually running back into the car, telling her mom to drive off as fast as she could.

This might just be a day worth forgetting. Not like you even want to remember. Yuck!

This might just be a day worth remembering. Not like Lauren even wants to forget. Yum!

[neil-gaiman]

Hello Mr. Gaiman! Hope you are well! I recently started drawing everyday with most of my drawings being for my best friend. It has really helped with my depression, to be creative. I recently drew her Mervyn Pumpkinhead because she loves all of your work and especially Sandman! We even saw season 1 together when it came out. I’m no professional artist but she said she really thought this drawing stood out from my work and it made me feel happy. I wanted to ask you if you would ever create an account on Cameo since their birthday is coming up and I think she would love to have one of her favorite writers/artists/dreamers wish her a “Happy Birthday” in video form!

I am very unlikely ever to create a Cameo account, but happy birthday, best friend of @houndoffoggynotions .

[ssr-archives]

We Know Her Value

Celebrating Ten Years of Agent Carter

In January 2015, Peggy Carter did something no other female Marvel characters have done at the time: headlining her own show. She strutted onto our screens, knocked out some bad guys with a stapler, and told us to call her “agent”.

In the years since, Peggy, her friends, and the fandom have gone through a lot. We’ve seen the show get cancelled, and Peggy returning, Jarvis returning, Daniel Sousa returning. We tried to #SaveAgentCarter, we held fic exchanges, we cosplayed and Disneybounded, and we created zines. Despite the show’s premature end, these characters stayed in our hearts, and we made sure no one could forget them.

Agent Carter will turn 10 in January 2025. To mark this milestone, I am super excited to collaborate with @peggynet to launch We Know Her Value: Celebrating Ten Years of Agent Carter. Starting from 6th January 2025, the anniversary of the show’s premiere, we will be hosting ten themed days to celebrate ten years of our favourite show. You can join by picking a theme, making a post on that theme, and post it on the theme day. Tag me (@ssrarchives) or @peggynet, and add the tag #AgentCarterTurns10. Your works can be as simple or as elaborate as you like!

I can’t wait to celebrate this momentous anniversary with all of you! Under ‘Read More’, you will find the themes for the ten different days. Hope to see you all then! And if you have any questions, just drop me a line in the ask box or the DMs. 

Day 1: Favourite Character

The show has presented us with a whole host of amazing characters, from Peggy to lab rats and background agents. So…who is your favourite?

Day 2: Favourite Episode

Agent Carter packed a lot into 18 episodes: fights, spy shenanigans, musical numbers, engagements, kisses. Which episode is your favourite? 

Day 3: Favourite Ship

We cannot talk about Agent Carter without talking about the ships, especially not when the cast happily fanned our fandom flames. Whether you are headcanoning any two or three to be passionately involved, or you have the one true friendship that does it for you, what is your favourite relationship on the show? 

Day 4: Favourite Scene/Arc

From Peggy threatening a fellow diner with a fork, to Daniel flopping his five-episode relationship, Agent Carter packed many interesting scenes and arcs into the overall spy shenanigans. Do any of these scenes or arcs stand out to you? 

Day 5: Favourite Cast/Crew Moment

Time to look behind the scenes! Once the episodes were over, the cast and crew kept the party going, from the Stark Jar to on-set pranks to the legendary Dubsmash War. Do you have a favourite cast/crew moment? 

Day 6: Into the Multiverse

Even though the show was cancelled in 2016, that was not the last we saw of Peggy and her team. Peggy herself returned over and over again, eventually becoming one of the few mortals privy to the knowledge of Loki and the Sacred Timeline tree. Jarvis returned in Avengers: Endgame, becoming the first Marvel character to debut on TV and move on to a movie appearance. Even Daniel made a return in Agents of SHIELD Season 7. Which of these cameos were your favourite? Who do you want to see in future MCU projects?

Day 7: Containment Breach

There is a life for everyone outside of murder gases and space goop. Since the end of Agent Carter, the cast and crew continue to entertain us with excellent projects. From Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning to Resident Alien to The Merry Gentlemen, we have definitely not seen the last of our favourite agents. Have you watched any of these? Do you have a favourite? Do they inspire any AUs? 

Day 8: Favourite Fanfic

What is Agent Carter without its fandom? From SSR Confidential to Agent Carter Zine, from fandom-defining multi-chapter behemoths to short and sweet ficlets, the fic writers have not been resting at all. This is your chance to shout out your favourite fics!

Day 9: Favourite Fanart

Artists we haven’t forgotten you! The Agent Carter fandom is home to many talented artists who have graced our dashboards with everything from sketches to whole comics. Let’s share our appreciation by naming our favourite fanart/artist! (Please do not repost artwork unless you have consent from the artists. Otherwise, please reblog or link to the original artwork. Let’s make sure that the artists get the notes and credits they deserve.)

Day 10: Free Day

There is way more going on in the Agent Carter show and fandom for us to cover in one week, so like the title says, take this day to highlight whatever you want! The show’s costume and makeup? Meta writers? Peggy cosplays and Disneybounds? As long as it is Agent Carter-related, you can post about it!

[sgiandubh]

Yes. Toddlers are 3 and below. However this doesn't mean Sam doesn't know her as a friend nor mean he hasn't met her son, as they are friends, not dating. We all know they had lunch as friends, he cheered her at event as friend. Photos and video prove this. The park story is a story, no photos, no proof of any of it being real. Before you go there, yes video he and Caitriona had some hug/peck at a concert, but still no proof of marriage, nor romantic anything or intoxication. Believe what you want, beliefs aren't truths.

Dear Beliefs Aren't Truths Anon,

Congratulations, you have won the Weekly Audio bingo, since I am now speaking with more ease:

Excuse me, but... you accuse me of lying?

With such desperate arguments?

A question in return for you, Anon: did you, by any chance, grow up with a single/divorced parent?

I did. And while I have discussed at great length Sarah H's irresponsible ways of exposing her underage son to Internet's predatory scrutiny (and potentially worse), I can assure you:

No single/divorced mother would bring along her son for Hogmanay at some vague, single, male friend's house.

No single/divorced mother would send her son for a walk in the park, on a Sunday early (and chilly) morning with that same vague, single, male friend of hers.

Unless they date. Which we both agree they weren't.

The above are simply not done. Not ever, not in any culture on Earth.

So, if they are friends (as you say), that means you guys spent literally months in a row in empty, mendacious speculation about Nothing At All, triggered by the fanfic written by a troll. I mean, just WOW, Anon. I have no words: mature women, who have a life, peeking into a stranger's whereabouts. I hope you are proud of yourself!

And doll - I happen to believe they were mutually beneficial acquaintances, for a very clear purpose (more followers for her and a naive diversion from his real life, aka the Elephant in the Room, for him). That is all. Things have noticeably chilled since she overexposed her son on the Web, yet she might make a cameo later on the timeline, if desperation requires it. Happened before, you see.

And yes, I will always go back 'there', Anon, simply because I know what I saw with my own eyes (and I am not the only one). Also, you seem to fail making the logical difference between being intoxicated with alcohol (one of your side's most pathetic, ludicrous 'arguments' ever ) and being infatuated with someone. That is how I know your English vocabulary is as poor as your logic or common sense, Anon. And I am sorry, so fucking sorry to bother you, buttercup, but that Taylor Swift kiss was caught on video alright.

Thank you for confirming toddlers are aged 3 and below, in the meanwhile. And thank you for confirming that basically three months after I finally published that Park Anon I was sent (https://www.tumblr.com/sgiandubh/751391542332325888/i-always-read-the-comments-on-sams-posts-because), you are still as unsettled by it as on Day 1.

Now you tell me what that means, in your book, Anon. Because in mine that surely smells of slow burning despair.

[Later Edit, not on audio]: ah, yes, that friendly, ripe with innuendo London lunch. So long for that poor convenient imbecile, the Brazilian Journo, eh? She thought Sarah was his lover and here you are, Anon, bursting her post-teenage inacceptable bubble.

Wasn't she explaining with great impertinence that shippers were in need of immediate medical attention? I wonder what she would do if she'd meet me in an official capacity, really. Probably go hide and cry.

But this is great, Anon, I mean wow - you surely KNOW stuff, eh?

[kaythefloppa]

Activate Kid Power: Thoughts - [Part 2] [SPOILERS]

Continuing from where Part 1 left off: As such, SPOILERS:

Non main/villain-adult/teen human characters with actual lines? In MY Wild Kratts episode? Yes, YES!

Also I can't wait for all the fan-theories, headcanons, and fics people make involving these snapshot cameos (that woman behind Nina, I'm 100% HCing as her older sister/cousin).

Once again, the animation in these new episodes can get really expressive and silly... and I like it! Martin's hair is so fucking funny.

ELLIE AND KATIE HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU (forgot who that blonde kid was for a second lol).

Oh yeah Jimmy has a subplot about crafting where he goes from crafting a teleporter handler to mini-homes for animals. It doesn't get that much focus in the episode but it's still well executed, (and it's admittedly a very funny joke).

PAISLEY HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU

I remember so many discussions about Paisley's wardrobe at the end of Our Blue and Green World, (my hot take, that outfit sucks lmao), but the general consensus was that it was NOT going to be her new look. It's been over a year since we last saw her so one thing I was really excited to see with her return is her new wardrobe. The screengrab quality is kinda ass but you can see there is a clear change that actually compliments the character! I like it!

The name change I DO NOT like. I remember joking about this with my friends, but I never actually thought they'd do it.

And yeah it makes thematic sense, change and all but still.... meh?

Then again, maybe the reason we haven't seen Paisley in over a year is because she was in court legally changing her surname to "Planter." Headcanon accepted!

This is exactly what I wanted to see out of Paisley's redemption. Her using her skills and ingenuity to help construct animal habitats and safe zones for them rather than knocking them down. As painfully rushed and underbaked as her arc was, it opened the door to a lot of possibilities and I greatly appreciate seeing them utilize this potential. This is a good character moment!

But also, where the fuck is Rex? One of the biggest plot holes the previous special left open was what happened to Rex? Is he still a villain? Did he change sides alongside Paisley? Fuck!

I so hope we get more moments between Paisley and Aviva. Between Aviva being the one to redeem Paisley, AND this exchange, they would mesh interestingly together. Also I was robbed of my Donita/Paisley team-up so I'm aiming for a Paisley/Aviva/Koki team-up as a rebound (also, new ship unlocked?)

We all knew that the Creature Powers would come back at the end of this special, but even so, it's just done right with all the Kid Power stuff established, and enough to make it feel satisfying and not a cop-out.

FINALLY they have all 3 of them do the split-screen activation!

Ok fine, so Jimmy didn't activate a Creature Power Suit, but he got his moment to shine without one! That's JUST as great!

Same thoughts as the previous song: It's a hard 5/10. It's very short and the brothers' singing vocals aren't that good, but it's evenly balanced out by Pure West's musical DNA as well as great visuals. It's.... slowly growing on me.

Also hi Gavin and Ronan! Ok fine so they didn't get to speak but they technically got to sing in the chorus so.... I'm happy.

They end this special off the same way they did the Earth Day special with the 2D bros breaking the 4th wall. Bringing shit full cirlce (minus Rex).

CONCLUSION:

Cons:

Part of me felt as though the random new Creature Powers introduced were as jarring as they were exciting. I may have to wait until future episodes to come out to be sure that this episode was indeed not aired out of order.

The Eucalyptus Suit. Who thought that was a good idea.

The song was mid. It's not a pro nor con, but it's a heavy 5/10 and it makes me really glad this show is not a musical.

The lack of Rex. If you can bring back Paisley and establish her character developmen since her redemption, you can go all the way and show Rex there with her.

Pros:

Stunning visuals and animation. This is what I want the theatrical movie to look like when it comes out because it is KILLER. Hell, I'd expect this episode's animation quality for a direct-to-video Wild Kratts movie.

I like how cohesive the plot is, how things gradually build up and progress through the story. It allows the heartwarming moments and message to come in full force. This episode definitely had enough time in the oven to bake.

One hour special with no villains: This was on my bingo card for Season 7 during the hiatus and I'm glad to actually have to mark that off. The conflict in this episode somewhat feels both high and low stakes, and in a natural way without the villains competing for the spotlight. It allows the core of the story to shine through and it further pushes the message that "Kid Power" can help animals and their habitats every day.

The kids did not activate any Creature Power Suits and thank fucking god for that.

The song wasn't terrible! Not pro nor con, but it's a heavy 5/10 and I genuinely hope that this song is the beginning of an uphill rise for musical content.

The kid characters were amazing. The recasts were seen from a mile away, but every single one of them was able to match the kid perfectly. I'm glad that the original VAs aging didn't stop them from getting their time to shine, especially since again, this was an episode that I have wanted to see for years.

Final Ranking: 9.5/10. A step up from Our Blue and Green World, and, coming right off the heels of Chimpanzee and Me, we have a new contender for one of the best episodes of the season thus far. Hell, I may actually be close to calling it the best episode of the entire series. I think this episode could've made for a really good season finale, especially with the experimental direction Season 7 takes. Even disregarding that... it's that good y'all.

[bed-buggier]

Game Theory About Who Professor Victoria is

This evening, we just recieved one final TailsTube to close out the year, and within this episode was a cameo from a character many have speculated on for over a year now, and I believe this piece of the puzzle will help us solve SEGA's game of Where's Waldo

Professor Victoria

Or just Tori, has been a thorn in the community's side since 2022, where she first appeared in the official social media series, Tailstube, alongside various humans from Sonic Unleashed. Since then, she's made a cameo in the 3rd Sonic Movie and tonights episode. Many were quick to believe she had ties to the then upcoming Sonic Frontiers and its new addition to the cast, Sage, but this wouldn't be the case.

Her Many Appearances

Examining her first appearance, she's depicted not in the Sonic Unleashed style, but rather Yuji Uekawa's artstyle (note her smaller head and overall lack of western stylization). This style is so rarely used nowadays, instead Sonic Team opting to use their 3D models and on this rare occassion, it's only in merchandise. Why would SEGA randomly revive it for a random addition like this?

Her next appearance would be in the 3rd Sonic movie, showing up during Team Sonic's initial encounter with Shadow. This would both be the first time we saw the name Victoria associated with her, and act as a teaser for tonights TailsTube.

What's also worth noting is this is the 2nd time the films have acknowledged TailsTube, with movie Tails' desktop being pulled straight from the series. Clearly whatever they have planned for her expands outside the Sonic games.

and then there's today with the release of TailsTube #10, solidifying her as Prof. Tori: Historian and author, 2 aspects of her character that combined with the nugget of lore Shadow Generations gave us, has lead to me forming my crack theory of the evening.

Taped on the back of the cover to Gerald's Journal is a note left by someone simply known as T. Who is T? A new character? A returning Topaz from Sonic X? No.

It's Tori.

The Actual Theories

so, we now know Professor Victoria is a historian/author who may have or had connections to GUN, collecting material for past projects such as the Space Colony Ark and Project Shadow, depicted both in a artstyle SEGA doesn't often use and within the Sonic Movies, having some notoriaty to be on billboards. From my findings, I've boiled it down to three possibilities of when we could see her finally debut.

1. GUN member/Team Dark's Coordinators/Robotnik(?)

This seems like the most logical, with GUN having a resurgance in Sonic 3 and Shadow Gens. We also don't know what's up with GUN after the Eggman wars in Sonic Forces, where they went under following the doctors takeover.

Perhaps with Sonic Frontiers' successor, we'll see the remains of GUN researching the Starfall Islands with Team Dark leading a exhibition. It could be a way to explain what ties the Black Arms could have to the ancients that led to Shadow visiting Chaos Island, AND many have speculated that she just might be a Robotnik, particularly, Maria's little sister alluded to in Gerald's Journal, bringing it all full circle.

That said, we have yet to see much of any continuity in the games, and it's a element in Sonic's greater storytelling I'm not sure SEGA would integrate now when isolated adventures have been the series' bread and butter for years, give or take a small nod to the fans. Why mess with success knowing any game could be someone's first?

2. Remake/Remaster Side Campaign

This one I have little faith in, but there's a slim chance. We now know SEGA isn't against adding new story content to re-releases of Sonic games with Shadow Gens, so perhaps Tori will get her start in a new campaign?

Perhaps she was a author studying the mythology of Sonic's world before GUN, residing at Spagonia University with Professor Pickle, someone we saw in that TailsTube art collection. That then raises the question though: Why go through this much trouble for a simple port of a Xbox360 game? Putting her in movies and setting expectations this high? It doesn't make sense, but that's where my main theory comes into play.

3. Sonic Lorebook

Call me crazy, a schizo, desparate for answers, whatever, but I'm fairly confident SEGA's apology for the Sonic Encylcospeedia may come very soon.

For those unfamiliar, in 2021, SEGA released a encyclopedia for the Sonic series. What many hoped would be a answer to all the continuity errors over the years and a clear outline of the SEGASonic universe turned out to be just a booklet of game facts, modded screencaps of Sonic 06, and offhand lore tidbits like Infinite being dead and Marine possibly having hydrokinesis, something I'm sure we'll see explored soon big trust.

The release of this book left many with more questions than answers, but I think it and Sonic Frontiers are the first in a major domino effect.

With Frontiers, we saw its writer, Ian Flynn, go a little wild with callbacks to previous Sonic games. While one may see this as leaniance on SEGA's end with the game initially set to launch that same year for the series' 30th anniversary or Ian Flynn being Ian Flynn, I see both as the early groundwork for reinstating of the Sonic continuity. Combine that with what we know of Tori, the establishment of a lore management team in 2022 (who just recieved a artist with Evan Stanley), alongside relaunching Sonic Gens which explored the series' history with DLC that gives us the most overt crossover of the game universe to the movies, and you have a recipe for a broader audiences entry to one hell of a history.

I believe within the game universe, Professor Victoria will be a well known historian, researching gods and anomolies within throughout the galaxy and multiverset. Meanwhile for us, she'll be the mascot of the IRL Sonic the Hedgehog Lore Management Team, and will be our guide for the long awaited true encyclopedia of the Sonic the Hedgehog series; Every character, every historical event, every world. All explained and outlined for a general audience and fans consumption.

or I've gone mad because I still don't have a snug placement in my timeline for Team Sonic Racing idk

[feral-ferrule]

Choy and Una’s GAR Goth Night Out, part 2 (part 1)

CW: alcohol consumption and drunkenness, some bodily functions, jealousy and undressing

Word count ≈2970 ( it kinda got away from me)

Main pairings: clone trooper Veetch/OC Choy/tbb Echo (and a lil bit Kix)

@skellymom’s OC Mad/tbb Hunter, @lonewolflupe’s OC General Lupe / ARC trooper Fives @crosshairs-dumb-pimp-gf’s OC Tahny/Crosshair

More cameos from across the GGN au including Jedi padawan Eo and Owl Squad

I hope no one minds my fic intrusion into their doings🫣☺️

This also includes an interaction as requested by the lovely @skellymom

Some background setup

The scene opens on the dance floor with this song

Listen on YouTube

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

“Mind if I cut in? *hic.”

Choy’s ears pricked and her heart skipped at the familiar, gravelly voice. Veetch stopped swaying and circled his arms possessively around Choy’s back. He scowled over her shoulder, as a driving beat with a darker edge played out the previous song. Choy turned to peek and caught her breath.

“Meshla,” Echo slurred, “you, you’re ver pretty t’night.” He had filled out more since she last saw him and his physique was accentuated by the mesh shirt stretched over him. He swayed back catching himself and overcompensated forward. Choy spun around out of Veetch’s embrace, caught him and held him up. He reeked of booze and his ports were sticky. He nuzzled her ear, “I missed you.” Choy staggered in her high heels and felt her dress slipping down under his weight.

“Echo,” Choy squeaked, straightening him up and looking into his unfocused golden eyes.

“Hey,” Veetch elbowed in front of Choy, pushing her back, “she’s with me, pal, borg bar’s 200 levels down.”

Choy bristled at the slur.

Echo summoned enough focus to draw himself up. “I’m not your pal, ya wook.”

Choy swooped back in between them, they both grabbed at her waist, she slid them apart with some force use, a hand on each of their chests, “It’s ok Veetch he’s a friend I’ve got this,” she said, feeling his temper settle down as she focused soothing energy toward him. He backed down a little and she rounded on Echo. “How many drinks have you had?”

“What are you doing with him?” Echo leaned around her to scowl at Veetch. “We just, *hic, friends?” he asked with hurt as Choy swam in his vision.

“You left, Echo, there’s no we.” Choy blinked back tears and Echo’s eyes softened as he cast them down. Choy felt a jumble of emotion off him.

“Hey, Echo, don’t run off on me like that, the boys wanted another round.” A cheerful teasing voice said behind them. “Why’d you take off-ohhh.”

“Fives?” Choy’s temper flared, figuring who he must be by his tattoo and exactly who he meant by ‘the boys.’

“Oh heyyyy, you’re Choy, yeah, Echo talks about you all the time. Wow how’d you land one like that, brother?” He flashed her his most charming smile realizing she was mad.

“Did you tap that keg- with Echo??”

“Yeah, they’re down a bartender so we took control of the situation.”

“Control?? You call this control?” She caught Echo again and pushed him up and towards Fives. “His blood volume is half of yours, you could have killed him.”

Fives looked stricken and swallowed, considering what Choy just yelled at him over the music and finally noticing how impaired Echo was. “Help me get him over to the couches,” Choy barked.

“Geeze if I didn’t know better I’d ask if you were related to Kix.” Fives hooked Echo’s arm over his shoulders and Choy supported his other side. She looked around, Veetch was gone. Just as well she figured, didn’t have to deal with all of them at once. They half dragged Echo to the side room which was outfitted with several seating areas, soft lighting and soothing instrumental music. There were couples cuddling in various corners around and a few people just chilling and scrolling on holopads. Choy pointed to a larger couch and Fives guided them over to it. They plopped Echo down and Choy sat next to him. “Honey, let me see you,” she cooed, taking his hand as he laid his head back.

“Uhhhg, ‘s all sssssspinning,” he said weakly, looking ashen with a thin sweat breaking across his brow. Choy clasped his hand in hers, it felt clammy. She felt his pulse, it was rapid and weak. His breathing was shallow and he was starting to shiver.

“Fives go get water and bring Kix back with you,” Choy said while resting her hand on Echo’s forehead.

“Oh yeah sure be right back,” Fives said and dashed away. A silver haired woman in black cargo pants intercepted him just outside the room. Choy recognized her, a Jedi, Plo Koon’s pupil? she tried to remember. A woman with an impressive head of dark hair with an undercut appeared at her side. They spoke together as Fives left and looked in at Choy and Echo.

Choy refocused on Echo, “Hey I’m going to try something and I don’t know if it will feel weird for you.” She squeezed his hand and rubbed circles on it with her thumb. He groaned weakly in response. Choy had no way to actually filter his blood of the alcohol metabolites that were turning his blood into a toxic soup so she figured she’d try to speed up the process of breaking them down. She brought his head to her shoulder and wrapped her arms around him, focusing her mind in on his remaining bioengineered implants. She knew they were capable of producing enzymes to break down toxins like a network of livers throughout his body. She just had to turn that on. As she sent her mind through him with the force she tuned the rest of the world out and didn’t notice Fives come back with water, a large backpack and Kix, trailed by the women Fives spoke to. She felt her way through Echo’s system, willing the remaining implants to ramp up this function. Finally satisfied that she had done all she could, she withdrew her mind and came back to herself.

Echo took some deeper breaths against her, “That tickled.” He sat up and regretted it, the room still spun and he flopped back against the couch.

Choy looked up, noticing Fives and others standing looking at her with a mix of curiousity and astonishment. “How are you glowing?” Fives asked.

“She does that, it’s the force,” said Kix beside him.

“Oh kark it, I’ve been keeping that under control so well,” Choy grumbled looking at her hands. They glowed like a red tide at night except gold and green. She closed her eyes, willing the glow to fade, then held her hand out for the glass of water Fives had. She held Echo’s head up, softly saying, “Echo drink this and keep drinking water, you can rest as soon as you get two glasses down.” She looked up at Kix and narrowed her eyes, “Did this one explain,” she asked, flicking her eyes at the sheepish looking Fives.

“Yeah, all up to speed on the questionable decision making,” he leveled a gaze at Fives. “So how’s the patient?” he asked, dropping to a knee and feeling Echo’s pulse, pressing his eyelids open and opening his mouth in a rough field once-over.

“I activated his internal implants to speed up his metabolism of the alcohol, but he’ll need to drink alot of water if he doesn’t get an infusion. He will need to be kept awake and hydrated and helped to the ‘fresher frequently to flush his system.”

He raised his eyebrows, “Good work, and I have just the man for the job,” Kix said as he stood and clapped Fives on the back. Fives looked back at the women he’d spoken to before and then back at Echo and sighed, slumping his shoulders, “Yeah of course I’ll stay with him, it’s my fault.”

Choy held the glass to Echo’s lips again and helped him drain the rest of the water. She met his eyes, they were better focused now and she felt herself melt a little. “Yaiyai’ika,” he slurred. She looked away quickly, blushing. Fives and Kix glanced at each other, wondering if the other knew why he called her that. The dark haired woman also caught it and gave them a knowing look. She leaned over to a confused Lupe and whispered something to her. Lupe mouthed an ‘oh’ and glanced at Choy an Echo quickly, noting his loopy gaze at her as she regained composure.

Choy cleared her throat, “Fives go ahead and take him back to the ‘fresher now, I’ll get more water from the bar.”

“Come on brother, let’s get you right,” Fives said, hauling Echo up by his forearm and scomp. They staggered towards the refreshers. Choy watched them go with a sigh.

“You ok?” Kix asked, kneeling down, his stern expression gone and his eyes warm and gentle.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Choy said, casting her eyes down at the glass in her hand.

“Oh no, that bad, huh?”

“I just feel-“ she sighed, “it’s complicated.” She swallowed her emotions and took a deep breath. “I’m going to go get more water from the bar, be right back.”

“I’ll go with you, if you don’t mind?” Kix asked, regarding her with concern and helping her up.

“Thank you,” Choy smiled, and hooked her hand around his offered arm. “I do want to stop by the fresher myself. I’ve got Echo port booze on me.” She touched the sticky spots on her dress and Kix made a face.

They left the quieter chill out room and passed the women who had been curiously eyeing the whole ordeal and were back out in the main bar room with some others. Choy nodded to the Jedi who’s name she didn’t know. [[sorry to be mean to Fives, but he had it coming]] she said through the force. The Jedi raised an eyebrow and looked across the room at Fives and Echo as they disappeared into the men’s ‘fresher. Choy smiled at the woman with dark hair who was being pulled onto the dance floor by a woman of a species she’d never seen before. Choy craned her neck to watch them disappear, mesmerized by her gravity-defying head of colorful tendrils.

Kix smirked, “That’s Commander Eo, she’s a Mikkan. These fellas over here are her squad.” He nodded to their other side. Choy looked over in time to see Crosshair throw the woman who was attacking Hunter earlier over his shoulder and stalk off as she fumed at him. She’d been on the table the squad stood around. Choy watched as they reacted to her tantrum over Cross’s shoulder. Then felt a little shimmer off of a couple of them. They seemed to feel her eyes and looked over at her, their force signatures strengthening. Yep force sensitive clones, she mused, well waddayaknow? She smiled and gave them a [[Hey]] before catching some curiously familiar energy off the bald one. She looked away with a blush after noticing just how handsome they were.

They reached the fresher. It had a poster stuck over the gender sign that said “GOULS” with a vampy woman silhouette. Choy handed Kix the water glass and went inside. It had a large lounge and vanity area. It was the cleanest Choy had ever seen and was decorated with large backdrops of gothy styled interiors and swags of cloth and more of those silly paper bats. Choy was surprised to see an attendant droid with a tray of toiletries. “Do you have anything to get sticky booze out of my dress?” Choy asked her.

“Oh yes there is a customized laundry droid for just this reason that the event planners brought in for the evening. Step over here and we will get you sorted out.” She brought Choy over to the back of the lounge where the cylindrical droid with several spindly cantilevered arms was cleaning the flowy floor-length skirt of a woman with a crown of silver and black hair, black tattoos and bra. She looked over at Choy who was watching whatever substance was on her skirt disappear as the droid passed its steamer extractor arm over it. Their eyes met.

“You don’t want to know,” the woman said, shaking her head. “Whoever hired this droid in for the night was a genius. Gotta say they really went all out. How about you? Standard party foul?”

“Not exactly,” Choy said, “some of the 501st tapped a keg with one of their own.” The woman looked confused. “One of the troopers is basically a cyborg and had the right augmentation to be a keg tap apparently.”

The woman looked taken aback then it dawned on her, “Do you mean Echo?”

“Yes exactly, they tapped him in and ran half the keg through his ports before he-“

“They were drinking booze that ran through his, his body??”

“Yeaaaahhhh,” Choy responded, sharing an icky grimace with the woman as the droid announced it was done cleaning her skirt. Choy took her place and the droid gave her dress a quick scan.

“Could you please remove your clothing so that I may do a thorough cleaning?”

Choy sighed and asked the woman if she could help with her zipper in the back.

“That, that doesn’t really surprise me about those boys.” She considered, “So how did you get involved?”

Choy stepped out of her dress and handed it to the droid, catching her reflection in the mirror. She was in her one set of pretty underwear. Her Twilek-made balconette bra and the lacey panties that exposed her belly stretch marks. She ran her fingers along those sadly reminiscing her old life. “Well, long story short he came over to me and was about to collapse from alcohol poisoning so I helped him out and he’s recovering now, but his ports leaked whatever that booze was all over me.”

“Helped him out, how?” the woman asked, eyeing her curiously already suspecting she knew the answer.

Choy smirked and decided to try something. [[My name’s Choy by the way]] she said through the force. The woman’s eyes widened so Choy held out her hand.

[[Mad]] she grasped her hand firmly and looked Choy square in the eye. [[He came to you for force healing?]]

[[Oh no, no he was jealous]] Choy huffed a laugh, and took a deep breath. Mad quirked an eyebrow.

“Ma’am your dress is clean,” the droid beeped.

Choy stepped into and pulled the dress back on. Mad helped her with the zipper again. “Thank you, Mad,” she said and checked her hair in the mirror nearby, fixing her bangs and coaxing the length smoother with the force. Mad adjusted a few things on herself and they left the fresher together, plunking some credits in the attendant droid’s tip jar.

Kix’s face lit up at seeing Choy emerge. Just off to the side Hunter appeared, wearing an outfit everyone either tried not to stare at too much or couldn’t take their eyes off of. Choy gawked. “WOW Hunter, I never thought I’d see you in something like that!

“Choy! Hey, good to see you.” He looked at Kix, “Kix,” they nodded heads to each other and shuffled in place as Kix tried to not stare openly at Hunter. Mad looked between them all curiously.

[[These two have a little awkward history]] Choy told her, then aloud, “Mad, it was so nice to meet you, thank you for your help.”

“Of course” [[and I can see why Echo was jealous]] she added winking.

[[Wellll he was jealous of someone else]] Choy bit her lip and looked aside.

Mad raised an eyebrow and Choy smirked a sad little half smile before walking away with Kix. She wondered what had happened to Veetch. And wasn’t sure how she felt about him after all. She chided herself for letting her heart get carried away.

As they wove their way closer to the bar they noticed some commotion on the dance floor. A crowd had gathered around some dancers. The Mikkan and human ladies were showing off some flirty roadhouse type moves, And, yes, yes that was Una and Tech coordinating something like a lockin and poppin robot robot dance. Their arms undulating in a wave together. They looked so happy. The music changed and so did the dancers. Mad and Hunter swirled and flowed around, her skirt sprouting wings she held high as she belly danced around Hunter. Tup reappeared. Again the music changed and a whole row of rather large commando troopers performed something that reminded Choy of a haka. They were shirtless, which seemed to be inspiring more patrons to shed shirts and more as the room became warmer.

“We need some more water, please,” Kix asked the bartender.

“Oh yeah sure, doc,” said the man in a finely meshed black shirt and pants that were barely hanging onto his hips, “anything else?” he added, looking between them.

Kix looked down at Choy who seemed a little down from her ordeal with his brothers. “This one could definitely use a pick me up. If you catch my drift.”

The bartender looked at Choy who turned to Kix to protest. “I don’t need a drink, it’ll just make me sleepy.”

He gave Kix the slightest hint of a wink. He went down the bar and deftly started mixing up juices in a silver shaker. He opened a drawer with several decanters of various colored liquids and selected a couple gold and hot pink ones and set them on the counter. With a flourish he pulled out a fluted stemmed glass, poured the contents of the shaker in and a few drops each of the pink and yellow elixirs. Gave it a stir, popped in a straw and added some kind of exotic looking flower. He brought it over setting it on a little cocktail napkin in front of Choy. “On the house.”

“You're stealing my thunder, man,” Kix joked, passing him a couple credits.

Choy sat on a barstool and eyed the drink which was a brilliant orange and sparkled and swirled with iridescence as she stirred the straw. “What did you put in this?” Choy asked.

“You’ll like it, trust me,” was all he said and went down the bar to help another couple.

“I’m going to take this back to Echo and make sure Fives is following orders,” Kix said, indicating the glass of water.

Choy was taking a tentative sip on her drink. It tasted like sunshine and fresh flowers.

“Good, right?” the bartender was back and startled Choy a bit. She swiveled to face him.

“Yeah, I already feel better, thank you for whatever this is.”

He nodded and disappeared again. She slid off the stool to go with Kix who picked her up by her waist and set her back on it. Her skirts fluffed up in front of her and around Kix’s arms. He kept his hands on her waist as he leaned in, “I’ve got this, meshla,” he murmured in her ear, “I know it’s hard for you. Besides,” he squeezed her a little and kissed her temple while looking behind her, “I think someone wants to talk to you.”

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

So, who do you think wants to talk to Choy? Who’d you like it to be?

A stolen tag list is being stolen @ghostymarni @lonewolflupe @wings-and-beskargam @eclec-tech @eobe @foxwithadarkside @fiveminutetrash @crosshairs-dumb-pimp-gf @feral-ferrule @ladylucksrogue @nika6q @skellymom @vimse @gargothnightzine @sunshinesdaydream @noblelightfighter @returnofthepineapple @freesia-writes @covert1ntrovert @vikushat @nocturius8015ficore @mamuzzy @risavulpes @niobiumao3 @sazzujazzu @blackseafoam @thora-sniper @gars-weaponeer @leenathegreengirl @vodika-vibes @headphones-ct-09978 @thecoffeelorian @bad4amficideas

[brofightiscancelled]

whats your opinion on tougou + if you were to bring him over to -san how would you do it

tougou is supremely funny to me from a fandom archeology standpoint. i read all of osomatsu-kun before i really dived into the ososan fandom and when i saw people keep bringing in this guy from oso's edgy past in the original manga i was like "??? did i miss a chapter???" but no i had read his chapter it just literally didnt register to me as significant LMAO. but i do appreciate every attempt to torture osomatsu in strange and interesting ways <3

to me it really does feel like tougou is like one of those things that happened to him as a kid that deeply affected his psyche, but at the same time he just doesnt think of it as a big deal. like he doesnt remember it not from it being trauma blocked out but he just literally doesnt think about it. i think everyone from his childhood would be like ahhh how nostalgic. classic sextuplet antics. but then like he brings it up to someone in his Normal High School or like Nyaa or someone not from his showa era past and theyre like "that's fucked up??? that's scary??? huh??? are you okay???" and it genuinely shocks osomatsu because he never thought of it as a big deal. i think even if he becomes aware that it's a big deal he'd be like. welp nothin' i can do about that now. and continue to not think about it. i think if he met tougou in adulthood he 1. wouldnt recognize him 2. would try to avoid him not out of a lingering childhood fear but rather because he assumes tougou is probably mad at him for getting him in jail and he wants to avoid anything troublesome

i would not want to bring him over to -san at all. i think he's one of those things that should stay in -kun, and i think bringing him over to -san would be a point of no return of fanservice taking over the show direction ala mlp:fim (though i think his little cameo in the movie is relatively harmless since the whole movie was a love letter to fans). i can't really think of any funny bit to use him in.... like, ok, the first chapter of the osomatsu-san manga is just the first chapter of the -kun manga with the twin robbers and then the joke is that they have not grown at ALL, to an extent that robbers can pull the same trick on them at 20s as when they were 10. that's a funny joke. i dont really think the tougou bit will really have the same "theyre the same as when they were 10" humor potential so cant just repeat the bit. and then like what else would they do with tougou they couldnt do with iyami? idk. if i was forced at gunpoint to bring him back i'd cast him in some role with no consequence in an out-of-continuity skit. like a calming detective osomatsu bit but he's the housekeeper or something

[freak-accident419]

playing cards

Derek Danforth x GN!Reader

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | More parts coming soon

Summary: Jessica proposes an idea to you and Derek, offering a luxurious business retreat. While your fake boyfriend started to get used to his mother’s praise, 100% up for the idea, you have a bad feeling about it.

Word Count: 3.3k

Content: gender-neutral reader, swearing/profanity, drug use via weed pen, reader is extremely done with Derek

Ao3 Link

(A/n: little itty bitty cameo to my buddies <33 i love you guys so much, thank you for being amazing to me. And for everyone, thank you for supporting me and being patient, i appreciate you all very much.)

-

You and Derek sat down on a round table, drinking more of the complimentary champagne, your sips almost comically in sync. The two of you were slumped groggily on your chairs as if you were completely wasted, except you weren’t quite there yet. It was your ultimate goal for the remainder of the night, however.

“My feet hurt,” Derek mumbled childishly, referring to the toe-stepping incident during your dance.

“Shut up,” you retort.

Both of you were extremely worn out. Mentally and physically.

“You’ve got two left feet, you know that?”

“Shut the fuck u—” You instantly stopped yourself as you suddenly saw Jessica walk up to your table with a warm, kind smile. You could’ve sworn you’ve never seen this type of genuinely pleasant expression on her face, especially since you were always accustomed to a disappointed frown aimed towards her son.

“Derek. Y/n.” She grinned and it was so sweet that you felt your teeth rotting by the second. Shit, you’ve never seen her this happy around Derek before. “I have something I’d like to talk to you about.” You and Derek shared a curious look until you turned your heads back at her.

“Oh, uh, yes, mother?” Derek raises an eyebrow. He would always use the term in a more satirical manner, but you could tell he was trying to give the impression that it was genuine. It was to accentuate his newly acquired formality nevertheless, but you were just worried he was trying too hard with this gracious façade. Essentially, he looked foolish.

“Well, I recently got in touch with several businesspeople and they have been really interested in investing in Danforth Enterprises. I was notified of a huge networking event that I think would be good for the company, Derek. And I also believe that you would be very interested in it,” she began promptly, a look of anticipation shining through her bright eyes.

You could tell that Derek was unhappy with where this was going, just by the mere scrunch of his nose. He’s never liked business events, hell, he wasn’t even happy with this one.

“It’s a luxurious three-day cruise to the Bahamas. Most of the fees are covered, but either way it wouldn’t be a problem,” she explained, invoking you with utter dread. It was so tragically and curiously ironic; anybody else would kill to go on a magnificent three-day cruise. “It’s next week and I thought it would be good to socialize and get closer with other CEO’s and corporate leaders. Seal some kind of deal, you know? Plus, it’s a beautiful getaway and I think the two of you would enjoy a nice vacation as a couple.”

If Derek agrees to this, you were sure to castrate him.

“That sounds, uh, lovely,” you began politely. “Unfortuna—ow!” You cut yourself off after feeling a harsh stomp on your foot under the table, realizing it was Derek’s short heel of his shoe. You scowled at him subtly, not wanting to make some kind of scene in front of his mother or replenish her with suspicion.

“What my dear partner meant to say was,” noted Derek with a shitty smirk on his lips, “that it’s a great idea, Mom. Connecting with companies and the business community, or whatever, uh, as well as being surrounded by luxury at sea.”

Jessica smiled at his remark before you shoved Derek’s shoe away from yours, butting in: “Yes, yes. I agree, very great. However—”

“What Y/n is solely concerned about is simply the cost, you know. We’d rather use our plethora of money for charity and philanthropy, but,” Derek looks at you mischievously, “Don’t worry, darling, this trip will be great for us and the company.”

You swore you were going to kick his ass. What the hell was he doing? You were supposed to ‘break up’ tomorrow. “Well, no, I mean, yes, but I don’t think I—”

“I am one hundred percent sure that we can make it, Mother. We—”

Say bye-bye to your balls, Danforth. “Seasick. I get seasick. It’s horrible, I barf everywhere, on the floorboards, in front of the kids, on people, it’s a whole thing, it’s just—just a terrible sight, a-a really terrible feeling,” you falsely claimed in a stammer, which somehow convinced Jessica even though she’s seen you thriving recklessly on a party yacht before.

“It’s okay, honey, you can take your… uh, medication, right? That always works.” He smiles, using yet another corny term of endearment as he adds on to your lie. Jessica smiled unsurely as she constantly switched between looking at you and Derek.

“Busy,” you state firmly. “I’m sorry, but I think we will be very busy on that da—” You attempted to interject before Derek butts in once again, evoking murderous intent in you.

“Well, we can always cancel whatever is—”

“No,” you whispered harshly.

There was a short, awkward pause in the very thick atmosphere that you swore you could cut it with a knife. Until Derek spoke up once again, of course. “Hold on, Mom, can you give us a moment to think about it?” He finally says, in such an infuriatingly innocent way, making your eye twitch.

“Yes, of course,” she replies sweetly, nodding as she watched Derek pull your arm towards a corner of the room.

“What the fuck, Derek?!” You hissed, glaring at him with frustration as you jerked away his grip on you. “No! We are ‘breaking up’ tomorrow, remember? Your—Your mom’s not even going on the cruise, so what’s the point?!”

“Y/n. Y/n, please, don’t you understand? More investments in us, more money! You see her motive behind this, Y/n, she wants us to publicize our relationship to fix my reputation. The video is still out there, you know. We already convinced her and now she wants us to convince the world.”

You scoff, rolling your eyes as you crossed your arms. “That’s—This is stupid. This is stupid! Derek, this is stupid.”

“Yeah, you’ve said that, like, three times alrea—”

“Derek! Are you fucking kidding me? This was not part of the goddamn deal, okay? I played my part, I was your fake date for the night, for the one night you promised, and now I’m done,” you declared firmly, refusing to listen to any of his needless reasoning. “I’m done!”

“Y/n, Y/n, please. You’re my best friend, just do this for me. And look, it’s basically a free vacation for you if you just—”

“Nuh-uh. No! I’m not some kind of fuckin’ actor! Posing with you as my boyfriend is already mortifying enough!”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean—”

“Not important!” You hissed. “You can’t just—Look, she’s already convinced about the fake relationship and this whole illusion we’re putting up! Isn’t that enough? I’m sure of it, Derek, she won’t cut you off!”

Derek sighed, yet he was still confident that he could convince you. “Y/n, c’mon,” he urged, “I’ve—I’ve already pleased her so much tonight, I—”

And somehow, the rest of his sentence was muffled in your mind because you could only think of what he had just said. Pleasing his mother? That’s what all this bullshit was for?

“Oh,” you nearly chuckle, interrupting his long ramble. “I know exactly what this is about.”

“Wh—? What are you talking about—”

“I know you, Derek, it’s not about the money or the cutting-off shit anymore. You like making your mother proud. You like seeing her smile because of you and your fucking fake accomplishments and lies. Admit it, man, I can see right through you!”

“I—No, hell no! I—I’m not some fucking ‘mama’s boy’!” You raised an eyebrow in disbelief at his statement. “I—I just need to—to solidify everything and make sure I’m not on her radar anymore.”

You chuckled darkly, scoffing at him. “Oh my god, you are a complete load of bullshit.” You paused. “Are—Are you fucking pouting? No! …No! Don’t—Don’t give me that stupid fucking look!”

“I’m not—I wasn’t pouting!” He huffed, glaring at you.

“Derek, this is all on you! I’d hate to admit it, but this is your wake up call, dude, you haven’t done any real shit to make her proud of you like this! And you still haven’t done any real shit! Hell, I could even sense the blood draining from your body when you participated in that auction!” Deep down, however, you knew he would never admit to you his true incompetence; he was too overly conceited.

“What? No, that—that doesn’t matter, look—” he groaned, knowing to himself that you were right, but completely dismissing it. “Just do this for me, three days. Three fucking days!”

“Nope. No! I’m not—I’m not doing that shit!” You retort stubbornly.

Derek runs his hand through his hair, now knowing that you were too insistant. “I—I’ll throw you on a fuckin’ G6 to Hawaii for—for a whole week! And I’ll—I’ll give you even more money than what you asked for, I just… I just need this. Please.”

Derek never begged. Not like this, at least, so it surprised you to the fullest. You knew his rocky relationship with his mother, but you didn’t know pleasing her, at the very least, was this important to him. And after all, you’ve always wanted a week long of pure tranquility at a vacation spot.

Finally, to Derek’s relief, you sighed, wiping your face down with your palm and looked at him tiredly. “Fiji,” you muttered.

“What?”

“Fiji. Take me to Fiji instead.”

“Uh, sure, yes, of course, I… Does—Does this mean you’re gonna do it?” He asked immediately, gasping softly.

“Yes,” you groan, “Yeah. Fine, fine, whatever.”

“Wait. Wait, really?” He nearly beams, the unfamiliar expression on your face almost disturbing you.

“Yes. But you better stick to your word, okay?” You hissed, shoving his chest with your finger. “If I don’t end up in a beautiful suite in Fiji, surrounded by the thousands of cash you promised, I’m shooting you in the face.” Derek’s nod opted you to walk back towards the table where Jessica waited, him following you from behind.

“Hi, Mom,” he greets his mother, displaying that same annoying, cheeky smile. “The two of us have discussed it, and we decided to take up on that offer.”

Immediately, Jessica Danforth grins warmly, and you could feel it in your own cheeks as to how sore her mouth would’ve felt from how much she smiled tonight.

“That’s great news,” she replies pleasantly. “All the info will be sent via email. I’m happy for the two of you. And I’m so happy for you, Derek.”

His mother leans in to embrace Derek, hugging him briefly before pulling away to face him.

“Oh, and can I invite my tech buddies too?” He raises an eyebrow, resulting in another smile on Jessica’s face as she rubbed his shoulder affectionately.

“Sure thing,” she answers, kissing the top of his head once more before walking away to mingle with the other partygoers.

“This is going to be a long fucking week,” you huffed.

“Yup,” Derek agreed with mutual burnout, swiftly making his way toward the bar and completely disappearing from your sight. He clearly wasn’t thrilled to continue this huge act of deception either, even if it benefited him greatly and was his own proposal he begged you to agree to. You had always been so confused by his behavior, even knowing him for several years.

Sighing, you checked in your pockets for your phone but instead, you suddenly found… your fuckin’ cart… Holy shit. You didn’t even remember bringing it in the first place. Smiling to yourself, you looked around the room for Derek. But apparently he was too fucking short for you to see, because where in the hell did he go? He was just here a second ago, how did he run off so quick?

“Hey, you look like a… an Espresso Martini kind of guy,” Derek smirks cunningly as he checks out a young, dapper man at the bar.

“Uh, no, actually—”

“Right. It’s a Hurricane Cocktail, sorry. I totally read you wrong—”

“Actually—”

“Fuck... Dirty Shirley?”

“No, uh—”

“Amaretto Sour.”

Derek observed the hesitant expression on that gentleman’s face, conveying his awkward inaccuracy in reading him. He had tried to reference some of his old hookups in his mind, remembering most of their favorite beverages that he would guess correctly, but his charm and speculation skills had clearly failed him tonight. “Fine, I give up, what is it?”

“I, uh… I mean, I really like Spicy Margaritas,” he answers with a small smile.

He let out a defeated sigh, the man’s response slightly bruising his ego. “Dammit... Wow. You know, I never would’ve guessed that—”

“Derek,” you grunt harshly, pulling him away from the bar by his arm once you finally spotted him. “Can’t you keep it in your pants for one fucking second?! You’re supposed to be dating me, remember? No flirting with other people if you don’t wanna blow our fucking cover! You’re the shit-prick who asked me of this in the first place and you can’t even play your own part!”

“Right. Shit. Sorry,” he huffs in exasperation, a bit embarrassed from either his mistake or the cocktail reading of before. Perhaps even both.

Dragging him to a corner, you looked around to make sure no one was looking. Then very discreetly, you took out the weed pen from earlier, presenting it to Derek.

“Hey,” you began, poking him lightly. “You wanna get high?”

***

The two of you retreated to an empty and magnificently spacious bathroom, sitting on the ground against the wall as you took turns passing the vape. Several minutes had passed already and by now, you were in a torpid stage of lethargy together.

“Chumbawamba,” Derek states abruptly after you passed him the cart.

You continued to stare deeply into the porcelain tiles of the floor, yet your face had contorted into a befuddled expression after hearing Derek’s comment. “What?”

“You know. Tubthumping.”

“Wh—”

“I don’t know, it just got in my head just now,” he shrugged.

“I feel bad for you,” your eyebrows raised as you sluggishly rotated your head to finally face him, “that song is a shit song... Hey, what were you saying to that poor guy earlier?”

“I, uh,” he wipes his eye briefly with his finger, “I was trying to guess his favorite drink.”

“Yeah? How’d you do that? Do you look at his clothes or his body language, or—?”

“I actually, uh, just started listing the favorite drinks of my past assistants,” he confessed, pursing his lips vacantly, “the one’s I’ve had, uh… flings with.”

“Wow,” you let out a low whistle, chuckling softly. You remembered those people very well. None of them had worked for him anymore, of course, due to his harsh and unsurprising inability to commit. “You’re such an asshole.”

There was a short pause as he took a hit before speaking again, his face looking less tense—guilty, even. You probably had been too baked to read his expression correctly, doubting that he could be even a tad remorseful, until you heard his next set of words. “Look, I, uh… I’m… I’m sorry for, uh… dragging you into this. I just… I really need this, you know? You understand, right?”

You sigh softly before smirking, lighting up the mood with the curl of your lips, much brighter than the end of the vape pen could ever get. “You, Derek Danforth, asshole of all assholes, are sorry?” A breathy scoff escaped your mouth. Tonight, your best friend had been relentlessly surprising you with his confessions—damn, as if the pleading from before wasn’t enough.

“I—” He chuckles it off, not wanting to feel completely vulnerable. “I know, I know. But… Fuck, I can’t help but feel… shitty for it, okay?”

Your eyebrows raised again in suspicion. “Uh-oh. The grand needle of the great, moral compass stab you in the dick?”

“Y/n—”

“Alright, I’m done, I’m sorry…” you smile gently, hearing a lighthearted huff from him.

“It’s just… If anything seems off, my mom would suspect something, you know? So we have to just… wing it sometimes. But,” he began as he thought about before, “but if it gets too much for you, then just… let me know. And anyways, we just have to prove it to a couple of old rich guys for a few days. They don’t know as much about us as my mom, so we can make shit up however we want.”

Derek hated being vulnerable. He hated being kind, he hated being empathetic, he hated being seen as a generic, mediocre human. Because he wasn’t. He was extremely powerful, his company was an entire, capitalistic empire. Nobody deserved his empathy, his kindness, or his mercy.

However, he would forget all of that hatred and his entire superiority complex whenever you were with him. You were his best friend, after all. You’ve been there for him since college, and really, no one else has ever been there for him for that long—not even his own mother. You kept him stable.

The more you thought about the predicament of this illusion you two had to pull off, the more unsure you felt about it. “Yeah, but what if we’re in front of people and you keep talking your mouth off about a lie that I’m not okay with? Like, I don’t want you to make up something stupid or embarrassing about me in front of those high-and-mighty billionaires,” you frowned.

“Then… Then, I don’t know, you could give me some kind of signal, a-a gesture or code word, or—”

“What, like Chumbawamba?” You smirk knowingly, making his eyes roll as he took another lazy hit from the weed pen.

“Sure, yeah, fine, like Chumbawamba…”

He passed you back the cart, allowing you to place your lips around the mouthpiece for another drag. “Hey, uh… I’m sorry too. I was being a bit harsh and I should’ve seen things from your perspective,” you sigh as you thought more about his relationship with his mom. “I… I know what you’re doing, and I respect that. But… someday you have to make something of yourself, like, for real. Promise me that you’ll actually do something on your own that deserves your mother’s praise.”

“Uh, yeah,” he nods casually, feeling slightly insecure from your call out, “I’ll try.”

Suddenly, another thought appeared in your head, stemming from your previous recollection of Derek and Jessica’s relationship. You snorted out a short chuckle from the memory, eager to remind him about it. “Hey,” you grin widely, “remember… remember that one charity function for animal rights—”

“Oh, fuck no. No—” Derek groans immediately, putting his head in his hands as he already knew what you were about to bring up. “Y/n—”

“And out of, like, fucking everything, you chose to roast… an entire, fucking cow for the event? Mind you, at the event where a bunch of vegan, animal-loving, rich and powerful assholes would be?”

The two of you burst out into boisterous laughter at the foolish memory, amused and drug-induced giggles echoing in the bathroom. “Oh, god, my mom was so pissed at me for that.”

“Very pissed. I mean, I would know, I was there,” you remarked with a soft chuckle.

“Hey, to—to be fair, I was pretty baked back then when I arranged it all,” Derek slightly and without guilt, smiles.

“Of course you fucking were,” you scoff lightheartedly, “Hell, I think even I was too.”

There was a quiet laughter between the two of you, formulating a silent pause right after. A pause of comforting silence, however. It always would be.

”Just these three days,” Derek reminded, urging you to gain his trust. “I promise you, Y/n, just three days. No more than that.”

“Right.” You easily answered with a nod, passing him the pen as you blew out the smoke from your parted lips. “No more than that.”