#We could have an “Emergency Room” MH version

[frostedfaves]

Repercussions (5)

Masterlist

Pairing: dark!Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary: Natasha fills in the blanks of your memory while reminding you that she always gets what she wants.

Warnings: dark themes, a little violence, handcuff use, manipulation

A/N: I have nothing to say really except I love this story and I hope you do too! also can’t wait to hear your thoughts :)

Previous part

-

After a while of driving as far away as you could, you eventually pulled over to check where you were, which was about halfway between the city and the cabin up north you escaped from. You put in the address of the bookstore and kept driving, hoping to find someone there to answer your questions and help you out of this. Whatever this was.

You found parking behind the building, running around to the front because you didn’t have your key for the employee door and sighing in relief when you turned out to be the only person there besides an employee.

“Ron!” you called frantically and he faced you with a confused smile.

“Y/N, hey! What are you--”

“I need your help. Please,” you added, nodding toward the backroom and he quickly led you back there.

“I’m surprised to see you here. Is everything better with your family?” he asked as he closed the door and you froze.

“What do you mean?”

“You emailed the boss sometime last week saying that you needed to travel to your hometown for a family emergency and that you didn’t know when you’d be back.”

Your knees gave out and you quickly sank into the nearest chair, feeling panic rise in your chest, clenching painfully around your pounding heart. Tears began to build in the corner of your eyes and you shook your head when Ron asked if you were alright.

“Ron, I need help. I think I’m--”

The door flew open and bumped harshly into the wall, and your stomach turned in fear of the two Avengers in the doorway.

“Wan, handle him for me,” the redhead requested, her cold gaze never leaving yours.

“Gladly.”

You couldn’t bring yourself to turn away from the piercing emerald stare, flinching when you heard Ron’s body collapse. Wanda returned to her place beside Natasha, whose monotone expression was scaring you more with each passing second.

“You want to explain to me what you’re doing here instead of resting in bed?”

“You lied to me!” you yelled back, anger starting to seep in when she simply scoffed in response. “A week has passed and I don’t remember any of it, and then I find out you contacted my job so they wouldn’t come looking for me! What the fuck are you doing, Natasha?”

She was across the room in seconds with her hand cupping your jaw, and a whimper escaped you when her grip tightened.

“You better watch your mouth when you speak to me, printsessa, or you’re going to make me very angry. I didn’t tie you up because I thought I could trust you, but you need to earn that now.”

She turned back to Wanda, and your eyes widened at her next words.

“Put her to sleep so we can get out of here.”

-

Your eyes opened slowly, and you nearly cried at the sight of the room you’d tried to escape, now painted in light from the evening sun. You attempted to sit up and stretch, panicking when you felt the handcuffs around your wrists and locked to the bed frame that stopped you from moving far. You struggled and pulled at them for a few moments, instantly freezing when Natasha walked in holding a tray in her arms and a smile on her lips.

“Dinner time, pretty baby. You haven’t eaten all day.” Her voice held a bit of a singsong tone to it, a huge contrast to the one she used with you earlier.

“I don’t want any food from you.”

Natasha frowned at the harsh response, sitting on the edge of the bed after placing the tray on the nightstand.

“I see you forgot your manners while you were resting.”

“I wasn’t resting, Natasha! You knocked me out! So forgive me if I’m not dying to let you poison me.”

“I would never poison you.” She placed a hand on your knee, sighing when you flinched away from her touch. “I love everything about you.”

“You don’t know any--”

“No, I know everything about you,” she insisted, her voice hardening again. “Anything you didn’t tell me in the last week, I found it myself and I love it all. I always will.”

To your surprise, she pulled out a key from her pocket as she climbed onto the bed, unlocking the handcuffs to free your hands. You thought of pushing her over and running but the fear of not knowing what she was truly capable of held you back. She noticed your hesitation to escape and smiled, placing a hand on your cheek and rubbing her thumb gently across your skin.

“Good girl.”

She stood up again, opening the nightstand and grabbing a bottle of lotion, which she then began to apply to your sore wrists when she sat down once more.

“How did you find me?”

“Your ankle,” she began, meeting your eyes as she continued to massage the lotion into your stinging skin. “It was sore because I put a tracker there when Wanda lifted your trance. Just in case you get lost.”

“What trance?”

“Wanda put you to sleep so I could bring you here, but you fought me when you woke up. Instead of knocking you out again, she put you in a compliant state of mind, and I loved it. You were so affectionate all the time, and you answered all my questions so sweetly.”

“If you loved it so much, why am I back now?”

“Because it wasn’t completely you,” she sighed, placing the bottle on the nightstand behind the food. “I wanted this version of you, where you can remember everything and still be compliant, which I’m sure you’ll have no trouble doing.”

“Why would I obey someone who kidnapped me, played with my mind and chipped me like some household pet?”

“You just answered your own question, but allow me to add something.” Her hand closed around your jaw once more, tugging you closer. “You will like me much more when you listen.”

Her lips pressed against yours in a kiss that you melted into embarrassingly fast, surprising yourself when you placed your hands on her cheeks and opened your mouth to allow her tongue to explore. Minutes passed before you finally separated, breathing heavily with your palms cupping her face and her fingers digging into your hips.

“You didn’t make me do that, did you? Or Wanda?”

“Nope, we’re alone,” she whispered, pressing her forehead to yours with a grin. “Perhaps, you’ve just finally come around to trusting me.”

“No, that can’t be it.”

A frown settled on her features, and she pulled away to bring all of you back into her vision.

“I don’t want to make you scared of me, printsessa, but it’s the only way you’ll learn. I wish to give you the world, but I also want to protect you from it.”

She shifted to grab the tray from the nightstand, placing it on the bed between you.

“Eat.”

You slowly grabbed the bowl and utensil from the tray, frowning when you noticed her smile as you began to scoop food into your mouth.

“I can’t eat with you watching me like that,” you told her after swallowing.

“Sorry, you’re just so adorable.” She stood up suddenly. “What would you like to drink?”

“Surprise me,” you shrugged, continuing to eat as you watched her leave the room. A voice in the corner of your mind screamed at you, reminding you that all of this was a bad idea, to live as if this was a normal situation. Unfortunately it was much quieter than the part of you that found yourself giving in to Natasha’s needs.

-

Tags: @littlegasps @imnotasuperhero @nat-km-mh @fayhar @becka107 @trikruismybitch @sxphiaswitch @emilyprentisswife @cherrieloco @bebe404 @muted-stoneheart @its-a-long-way-to-ba-sing-se @seventeen0 @mjaudrey @buckmesidewaysandcallmesteve @darkangelxoxo @witchxaf @sakurat123 

[teeztheflag]

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S c h m e r z (Pain)

⋆ pairing: demon!ateez x reader (poly!ateez)

⋆ genre: demon au, suggestive, crack

⋆ warnings: strong language, use of medicine, suggestive topics, pet names, cheating, alcohol, partying, suggestive topics, angst, lots of arguments, mentions of killing, manipulation

⋆ words: 10,100  

a/n: @unatempesta-dipensieri​ this is for you honey 

⋆  „What’s a little bird like you doing here alone?“

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„Good morning!“ Woo Young enters the dining area with a huge grin on his face and Seong Hwa chuckles at the little strands of hair that are standing up from his head.

Soon the others join the clan on the table and start to dig into the delicious breakfast. „Wait, is (y/n) not up yet?“ Seong Hwa eyes the round and his gaze stops at Yun Ho and Min Gi who are trying everything to avoid their hyung‘s look.

Hong Joong quirks an eyebrow and sips on his tea. „Guys, did you do something to her?“ That’s what makes Yeo Sang‘s eyes turn into a crimson color eyeing the two demons, too.

„Woah, I mean, calm down... She’s upstairs still sleeping. Yun Ho and me wanted to wake her up but she was still so sleepy.“

The others only nod silently at his answer. Usually you’re always the first when it comes to eating but there could be many reasons why you are not joining them.

San munches on his toast while listing them off in his head one by one.

First, you could be really sleepy because you and the others watched movies until three am this morning and now it’s 8.46 am.

Second, you were embarrassed because you fell asleep on the couch although you swore you wouldn’t sleep at theirs for the beginning.

Which also leads to the third reason, you realized that you woke up in Yun Ho‘s bed sandwiched between him and Min Gi and now are even more embarrassed.

And Fourth, you just pretend to sleep and wait for him and Woo Young to come upstairs and give you the best fuc -

„San? Are you even listening?“

„Yeeeees, sorry.“

„Ah, really? Then repeat what I said.“ Hong Joong watches him while the brown haired boy smirks mischievously. The leader sighs and puts down his napkin.

„I said for the next time we have to watch out for (y/n) but without her noticing. We all know she would freak out if she knew but it’s for her best. I guess she’s still not understanding that many demons are after a marked female...“

„What? Are you talking about me?“ All their heads turn around to see you standing in the doorway wearing a shirt from Yun Ho which comes off as definitely oversized and they all think you look too cute like this.

„Are you awake now, cupcake?“

You frown at Woo Young.

„What did I say about the nicknames? I am still tired but I guess my appetite awakened me.“

After eating breakfast with the demons you got a shower and quickly went back home but not without going through a lot of protests from the boys. Honestly, you were very embarrassed about falling asleep at their house although you made it clear you wanted to take things slow but - you were just so tired. Even now sitting at your desk in your dorm room you couldn’t concentrate at all.

In a few hours you had go to your part time job and you felt like falling asleep in any second. You groaned out and let you head fall onto the surface of the table closing your eyes. Great. Now a headache was coming around, too.

This night you fell into your bed very exhausted. You didn’t make any progress in studying this afternoon and also your boss had been very shitty to you at your shift today. All you wanted was to sleep...

Much to your dismay you only felt worse this morning but got up nevertheless to go to your courses. A pain killer could maybe help a little bit and so you swallowed the pill and grabbed your bag. You already were late so you passed the campus with quick steps and nearly collapsed into the chair for your first lecture.

It only worsened throughout the day. You were on your way back to the dorm and felt really hot. Your limbs hurt and the headache came back. Black dots formed in front of your vision and you quickly found a bench to rest.

Suddenly you saw Jong Ho emerging you with a stern expression on his face. „(y/n)?“

He placed his hand on your forehead and frowned.

„What are you doing here?“ You felt the urge to close your eyes out of exhaustion. You were convinced that something was not right with you by now but you never felt like this before.

Your eyes flattered open and you noticed the change of your surroundings. You were placed neatly into Hong Joong‘s bed. The curtains were closed creating a comfortable brightness in the room. The air conditioning system was turned on and you felt a wet cloth on your forehead.

You felt a lot better and noticing no one was around you turned your head a little bit to the cushion you layed on and smelled the wonderful scent of the demon.

How can someone smell this good?

You giggled at your own awkwardness and quickly arranged yourself when the door carefully opened.

Inside Yeo Sang, Hong Joong and Seong Hwa came. You made eye-contact with everyone of them and stopped at the youngest of the three.

Shit, hopefully he doesn’t read my thoughts about Hong Joong‘s wonderful scent. Heck, (y/n)! Stop thinking... He doesn’t look away! Start singing... Bulleo bulleo mhhmhmhm

You continued humming to the song in your head totally unaware of how the three sat down on the bed and Yeo Sang looking out of the window with a knowing smirk on his face.

„Can you not stop that?“

„I am sorry (y/n). I didn’t chose this ability.“

„What even is going on here?“ Hong Joong and Seong Hwa look between you and Yeo Sang but when no one answers them Seong Hwa clears his throat to gain everyone‘s attention.

„At least you are not ranting about being again in one of our beds - “

„Now that you’re mentioning it how - ah, wait... Jong Ho brought me here, right?“

„Yes. You had a high fever and blacked out so we thought it would be the best to bring you to our place and give you some medicine. How are you feeling now?“

„Better... I just don’t know how I became ill it’s definitely not the season for it.“

„(y/n) maybe you had contact to someone - “

When Yeo Sang tried to touch your forearm you suddenly felt a harsh pain at your wrist just like the last time that crazy guy appeared.

„Ahhh ... fuck! h- hurts..“

„(y/n)!“ Hong Joong and the other two demons try to look from where the pain comes and the leader‘s eyes change into a crimson when he realizes it’s your mark.

Soon the others are in the room trying to figure out what’s wrong because they feel the distress of their clan brothers.

Your forehead is sweaty and Yeo Sang also has to take a step back from the bed clutching at his head out of pain.

„What the hell is happening here?!“ Woo Young shouts and Yun Ho comes to lay a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

Luckily the pain soon vanishes leaving you blacked out again and the fever higher than before.

Downstairs the boys except of Yeo Sang who still sits by your side settled together and debate on what was happening with you.

„I first thought it could be a normal flu or something but now that her wrist burnt where our mark is I think it’s has to do with us and the bond.“ Seong Hwa says.

„Mh, also me and Yeo Sang felt it, too.“

„Here, I got the book.“ Yun Ho enters the living room area with quick steps and places it on the table.

„Okay, I think I found something...“ This caught the interest of the other demons who where scattered around the place by now and building a circle around the book and Seong Hwa very fast.

„Seems like her body and soul starts fighting our mark...“

„What the fuck?! How and why?!“

„Jong Ho, calm down.“ San embraces his brother form behind to calm him down while Hong Joong might start to realize what is really happening here.

„Listen! It also says that it can be due to the human itself or if another demon tries to claim him or her.“

„I think the first option is bullshit because we talked about this so who’s the motherfucker trying to take away my kitten from me?!“

„San, first - it’s not only your kitten and secondly - the nickname‘s stupid. Let’s agree on babygirl.“

Seong Hwa proudly smirks at his idea and San coughs at that.

„*cough* pervert *cough*“

„Guys, can we please focus on (y/n) and not such unnecessarily things?“

„Jong Ho is right. It’s cupcake anyways.“ Woo Young high-fives with Min Gi and grins.

Hong Joong only facepalms and groans.

„Stop. We have to figure out who’s behind this until then we continue watching her and talk about every little change we notice. Alright, guys?“ Everyone nods at him and looks up when Yeo Sang comes down the stairs shock evident on his face.

„How is she?“

„Sleeping. It’s angel you idiots!“

The next days your condition got better and the demons were relieved to see you quite energized and healthy again. You were thankful they took such good care of you but it was time to get back to your lectures and work everything up.

yunhoe: wanna grab a coffee after your last lecture? (´｡• ω •｡`)

you: yeh I pay

yunhoe: why? let your bestfriend treat you

you: you want sth in return

yunhoe: would never ( `ε´ )

you: you’re turning into a woo young version 2.0 these last weeks

yunhoe: :‘( the betrayal

You smile at your display and link your arms with your female bestfriend Hyo Lyn when she emerges you with a big grin while walking to the other campus.

„Oh, who’s the poor guy.“

„You’re mean (y/l/n) (y/n). He’s a very lucky boy and his name is Seok Woo.“

You stop in your tracks and eye her suspiciously. „If I hear a page being turned in the next seconds I am outta here.“

„Gosh, stop watching those dramas.“

„That only proves you watched it, too!“

„Of course. Now I can have my own Ha Ru.“ You laughed out loud gaining a few questionable looks from other students at how Hyo Lyn emphasizes the name.

Inside the lecture hall you sit down next to each other still gossiping a little bit and cringe when she tells you that last weekend at a fraternity party Choi San and Jung Woo Young were seen having a threesome with one of the prettiest girls of the campus.

Such dickheads. While you’re ill they go out having their fun and then still lie about having feelings for you!

„You’re alright?“

„Of course I am why wouldn’t I!“ Hyo Lyn shrieks back at your outburst which again draws the interest of many people in the hall to you.

„Haha, I mean, they’re both really hot and you’re at theirs so often! Do you think Yun Ho would have something against it? Or are you still playing hide and seek with Kang and Kim?“

You could’ve banged your head onto the table but stopped yourself before.

„Can we just forget I ever told you about this?“

„Ehm, no. Look, gaining the interest of the Kim Hong Joong and Kang Yeo Sang is a dream coming to life! Maybe you could ask them for a threesome?“

„Fuck, Hyo Lyn! Stop this nonsense.“ Your cheeks were painted so red you had to cool them down with your palms leaving your bestfriend a laughing mess next to you.

After the lecture ended you checked the bus line and saw that there was a technical issue which let to a high delay for the next one. To be punctual for Yun Ho you had to run across the campus and catch the next one which would take a lot more time than usually.

While running you accidentally have your eyes only a second on your phone checking the time and of course bang into someone who luckily caught you pretty effortlessly.

„Shit, I apologize a lot! I am in a hurry and - “

„Well, hello my love.“ You really couldn’t believe your eyes. In front of you the perverted demon stands eyeing you with an amused look.

„You!“

He laughs still holding you in his arms.

„Me!“

„Stop!“ You try to wiggle out of his grip and much to your suspicion he lets you out of his arms carefully.

You look around if someone’s watching you and when sure there are not much students left you turn again to him and whisper-yell. „What are you doing here?! Don‘t say you want to kidnap me again...“ You fold your arms in front of you but slightly panick when he leans down too much in your comfort zone.

„I am studying here now and my lecture just ended.“ You scoff and push him back by his chest.

„What bullshit! Aren’t you too old to study?“

„Wait, how old do you think I am?“

„As a pervert you’re probably fourty or something...“

„H - how dare you! I am 26 years old!“ You give him a bored stare and mention for him to hold it.

„However. I am going and keep out of my way or - “

„Ah, this is will be hard. Because we have the same subject.“ A shiteating grin takes its place onto Joo Hyuk‘s face and you just couldn’t believe this guy.

You try to push your way around him when he stops you by your wrist again and takes you into an embrace from behind. His hold on your wrist leaves a undefinable pain and you hiss out when he finally leaves it. Trying to break free he only holds you closer and you can feel him leaning into your neck. You shudder when you feel him taking in your scent.

„Are you afraid my love? You don’t have to be... I would never hurt you.“ Much to your dismay your body betrays you and you feel your legs giving out at his words which pleases him.

You would lie when you told yourself that this wasn’t exciting but you didn’t understand your feeling at all.

Suddenly he lets you go and chuckles lightly. „Guess we will see eachother more from now on, (y/n)“ And with that you turn around but he’s nowhere to be seen anymore...

Stupid demons.

„Shit, the bus!“

Yun Ho texted you he would drive to the campus with his car because it was getting way too late and today it was his task to watch over you. At least he would bring you home safely and maybe drink a tea at your dorm.

The dorm was only a fifteen minute walk from your position but heh.

You smile when you see him pulling in at the parking spot. How he hops out of the expensive vehicle makes your heart jump but you try to cover it quickly knowing he would sense it.

As he nears your form a frown comes across his face and the next thing you know is him holding your shoulders in a very tight grip. You shudder at seeing your bestfriend like this the first time in your life and gulp when his orbs transform into a deep red color.

Yun Ho drags you to the car and drives to the demon‘s mansion faster than you liked. He pushes you inside the livingroom where Yeo Sang and Min Gi were currently playing Fortnite and some of the others around cheering.

„Hey, what’s our beautiful cupc - “

„Hold him back!“ No one noticed Seong Hwa coming from the kitchen with a gaze full of hate and disgust at your form. Before he could lunge at you Hong Joong and Jong Ho use all of their strength to hold him back. They drag him outside into the garden but the next demon also seems to lose his mind by letting out a deep growl like sound and Woo Young covers San‘s eyes and pushes him out of the room, too.

„What’s with them?“ You find yourself in Yeo Sang‘s arm in a second who seems to try to protect you from the other demons. Tears prick at your eyes and Yeo Sang tries to shush you by caressing your back in comforting circles.

You sit down on the couch after Hong Joong calls Min Gi to get out, too. Leaving only you, Yun Ho and Yeo Sang.

Yun Ho didn’t stop walking in circles since you arrived and you just wonder what was going on. You don’t even recognize Yeo Sang rubbing himself on you by smashing your cheeks together and kissing your hair repeatedly...

After a while you still sniffle when the others come back in and you take a look at the two demons that had the outburst. Whereas San seems only pissed Seong Hwa avoids your look at all costs which hurts you a little bit.

„Is this disgusting scent finally off of her?“ Seong Hwa speaks up while looking out of the window.

Now this was what it was all about... but it wasn’t you fault, right?

Without realizing you roll with your eyes earning another growl but this time from Yun Ho. „Do you think this is a joke?“

You scoff at him. „Of course not but you’re not telling me shit!“

„(y/n), we’re just concerned... Yun Ho brought you here because...“

„It’s okay, angel. You can tell them.“ Of course Yeo Sang already knew what happened because the moment started to flash into your mind occasionally since you’ve arrived here.

You told them about your encounter with Joo Hyuk leaving some of them clearly pissed. After a long pause you and Yeo Sang are again alone in the living room and the others come back after discussing and deciding for you to get out of the demon‘s way as good as possible for now.

Of course you agreed with them but if he was really attending the same courses like you things would get problematic. The tense atmosphere also doesn’t sit right with you. Everyone was giving off the vibe that you have been running into him on purpose.

When in reality they just don’t know about Joo Hyuk‘s intentions and that’s what worries Hong Joong the most. He definitely is the reason for your illness but the question is if he would be so dumb to try again to steal you away. His clan is definitely stronger and larger in number so why you? Why again anger the Ateez Clan?

One thing was sure - they had to keep a good eye on that bastard and need you to work with them although you don’t know about him being the reason for your illness and potential threat to claim you as his.

You on the other side were deeply confused and annoyed. Gladly Jong Ho drove you back to your dorm after your discussion but he also didn’t talk to you at all during the ride seemingly deep in thoughts.

Their reactions confused you... first you’ve never seen Yun Ho like this before. Of course this wasn’t the first time he got angry but definitely the first one his anger felt directed to you, too.

You knew San was an emotional person but you couldn’t shake off the feeling he didn’t had himself under control at all yesterday.

And Seong Hwa... the usually calm and soft demon is who hurt you the most. His gaze told you how disgusted he was by you... you felt like it wasn’t only about your scent but you in general at this moment. Like you’ve done something that betrayed him and his brothers.

The night wasn’t pleasant as sleep seemed to come to you hardly and the next evening at your shift you also couldn’t stop thinking about the events. You felt restless because images of the moment with Joo Hyuk coming back to you again and again. You mentally groaned everytime that happened because instead of fear and anger you felt slight excitement. You knew it was wrong to think and feel like that but you couldn’t stop yourself...

„(y/l/n)! The three gentlemen in the left corner are waiting!“

„Oh, sorry, boss!“

You arrive at the table and get on your knees with a bow arranging the menus.

„(y/n), what a pleasure to meet you again.“ You quickly look up and your mouth opens like you want to say something but nothing comes out.

So much for keeping out of his way... Was he following you now?

„You know eachother?“ One of the guys sitting next to the demon eyes you with a flirting gaze to which you give him a ‚fuck off‘ - gaze.

„Yes, this is the special girl I‘ve told you about.“

Eh?

„Special girl?“ It definitely comes out louder than you wanted it to and you check if your boss noticed but are relieved when it doesn’t seem like it.

„Of course. Your indeed very precious (y/l/n) (y/n).“

What shocks you even more is to not find the usual annoying smirk on his face when he says this. Special? Precious? What is he talking about?

You wanted to say something but being unsure of what you just handed them the menus, bowed again and quickly went back to the bar.

„She smells fascinating...“

„Yah, Ji Soo! Don’t even think about it.“

„Why? You’re also hanging out with that human chick. What was her name again?“

„That’s not what I mean. He already has his eyes on her so you don’t have the right to touch her.“

„Stop talking she’s coming back.“

Your brows furrow at their whispering but you brush it off nevertheless. First you cannot stop thinking about him and then he appears again.

What if he really just wanted to study at your university? The last time he could’ve easily kidnapped you again but he didn’t.

Maybe he was just a little bit attracted to you? You cannot shake off the feeling that the others might have overreacted...

Also, what if you had his scent on you? He just hugged you and you didn’t even stand a chance to get out of the grip of a demon. Moreover it wasn’t in your interest at all whereas Woo Young and San couldn’t keep their dicks inside their trousers - which still left a light stinging sensation in your heart.

Of course you knew how they were and that they liked to play around. The question is, why wouldn’t you just be one of the many other girls, too?

You still cannot believe that out of eight demons everyone would have the same amount of feelings for you. To be honest, the only person you thought of really liking you was Kang Yeo Sang. Thinking about Hong Joong - no one really knew what he did or thought in a day.

Maybe you slowly realize that you might fall for them too easily? Since they kidnapped you that day no one really tried to make the next step. Even Yeo Sang and Hong Joong wouldn’t go further than touching you in appropriate places. Well, at least the younger one did. And it all was still friendship like.

These thoughts are giving you a headache. Well, you were the one telling them you only wanted to be friends first then why are you so emotionally confused?

Do you crave for more? Or is it just attention?

Before the three men left the place Joo Hyuk gave you a huge tip which you didn’t stand a chance to reject. Luckily nothing more happened with him to which you were more than thankful. You couldn’t stand so much trouble in short terms.

Arriving at your dorm exhausted you jump on your bed after receiving a text from Hyo Lyn that she was coming over and getting ready for a party. Why would you say no? There were no messages from the guys and you definitely wouldn’t waste this night and free sunday tomorrow.

Yes, this was definitely the best you could do to forget all this mess for now. Only you, your bestfriend and a bottle of wine.

Oh, and loud music, sweating bodies and students making out in every corner. For this night you decided to wear something fancy but sexy, too. The mistake you made? You already drank quite the amount of appetizers with Hyo Lyn while dressing up and you could already feel the coral lipstick smeared from the amount of times you lick them.

You were wasted. Definitely; but in a good way. Hyo Lyn only giggled and dragged you to the dancefoor - the living room of the mansion - and started swaying your hips to the music. By now it was actually unimportant how you looked like you just had fun with the girl next to you and giggled a lot at her stupid dance moves imitating them from time to time.

When you made you way back to the kitchen looking for another drink you couldn’t shake off the feeling being watched. You shuddered at the thought and looked around a few times but couldn’t make out anything suspicious.

Only when you heard the yelling you immediately felt your insides curling. „Quick! Woo Young is winning!“

If Woo Young was here then San would be, too. Meaning there was a high chance some of the others or all of them attended this party, too. Where we’re back to the point - they’re not texting you and acting like wanting to protect you but here we are?

Suddenly Hyo Lyn brings you out of your thoughts by finding you in the kitchen and dragging you outside with a grip on your wrist.

„Come one, we have to watch this!“

Out of a good perspective standing outside a huge group of people in front you can see Woo Young drinking up all the beer and San next to him cheering him on like the others.

You roll with your eyes a smirk building up but it quickly vanishs when you see the cute dark haired beauty pulling him into a kiss and Woo Young first shocked but putting his arms around her waist in return when he wins.

First you really didn’t want to believe Hyo Lyn - but it was obvious that this scene probably replayed every weekend and party they attended.

What about the others? What about the Song Min Gi? What about the prestigious bachelor Kim Hong Jong? What about... what did all of them do?

You went back into the house ignoring the urge to turn into a crying mess feeling like it would be useless. You sat down in front of the mansion outside at the sidewalk alone with your thoughts again. Did you really didn’t know them at all?

No, you knew them. You knew about their hobbies... what they liked to eat and what their dreams were. It was just the fact that you didn’t feel like trusting them and not in the friend like relationship.

The image of them as boyfriends, potential lovers or what you would call it. You’re far away from that and you weren’t a person that tried to seek for the problem in others. It was about you. Maybe your first rejection lead to them losing interest in you. The whole marked thing slowly felt like they just still tried to fulfill something because they gave it to you and maybe they wanted to wait before asking you to take it back...

You definitely were a person to overthink things.

„What’s a little bird like you doing here alone?“

You slowly look up to see who has the nerve to interrupt you at your conspiracy moment.

„Oh, I am sorry... Didn’t want to sound awkward I guess you just looked really cute like t - this...“ You couldn’t stop gaping at the handsome boy. He had black hair with beautiful dark eyes that seemed to shine in the light of the moon and he was just plainly beautiful - exactly pretty like Hong Joong but different.

Hong Joong...

Tears started to prick again at your eyes making the boy worry if he is the cause for your sadness.

„Shit, I am sorry! I didn’t want to upset you!“ He leans down and starts to wipe away your tears with his soft thumbs and you feel oddly comforted by it - probably mainly caused by your drunken state.

„It - it’s not you...“

„Mh.“ He nods in an understanding matter and shoots you one of the most beautiful smiles you’ve ever seen. He sits down next to you still having his arm around your shoulders letting you calm down.

After a while you decide to check your phone to see if someone texted you but you can only see Hyo Lyn informing you about having met Seok Woo and his two very attractive friends and that they were playing beer pong.

„Do you want to get back inside?“

You shrug really unsure and definitely not in the mood to accidentally run into one of the boys. Okay, maybe just get over you high ego and text them!

You searched for San in your contacts and texted him that you also attended the party and if he wanted to hang out in the garden or something.

choi san: I am busyyyy

Wow, what a great answer. You groaned out gaining back the attention of the stranger next to you. „To be honest, I just want to go home and eat as much fast food as I can.“

You flinch a little bit when he suddenly starts laughing at you heartly. „To be honest, I didn’t want to come here in the first place.“ He takes a look back and his nose wrinkles is the most adorable way you could imagine.

„Then why did you come?“

„Three friends of mine wanted me to and I am the driver but now one of them found their girl he’s hanging out with at the moment an the other one‘s still searching for the girl he wanted to meet here.“ You laughed at this because it was cliche.

„What’s with the third one?“

„He just likes to party.“ You both laugh again mostly because you are still tipsy and him finding your laugh contagious.

„Do you want to head out of here? I know we don’t know eachother but I am hungry, too, so we could stop by a diner and after that I am bringing you home?“

„Mh, don’t know. I really don’t know you and my friend is still here... but I could tell Hyo Lyn quickly so she can send the cops after me if you try something funny.“ He grins at you mischievously but without any bad intention.

„Wait, did you say Hyo Lyn?“

„Ey, we looked for you!“ Suddenly you see four figures approaching you causing you and the boy next to you standing up.

Really? That there wasn’t already a massacre at this party fascinates you when you see Joo Hyuk emerging your forms with confident steps his eyes flickering between you and the boy. What shocks you even more is seeing your bestfriend holding hands with a guy next to her that seems to be on of Joo Hyuk‘s fiends and also the trio are the exact same men from your shift.

Leaving you confused who was the boy next to you but seeing his eyes turn into crescents while smiling at his fiends you suddenly feel at ease.

Only Mr. Pervert ruins the mood by winking at you.

„Come one that’s really funny!“ Hyo Lyn giggles at the situation and you cannot hide your smile, too.

„What are you doing here outside? (y/n) I’ve looked for you everywhere!“ Joo Hyuk happily explains and you stiffen a little bit by his statement. Their friend next to you seems to notice and lightly lays his hand on your shoulder to provide you with a feeling of safety.

Poor boy... don’t know he’s messing with a demon and wouldn’t stand a chance against the pervert.

„(y/n) and me wanted to drive to the diner and eat something. Do you want to come along?“

You could swear something flickered in the boys‘ eyes‘ at this moment but you couldn’t lay a finger on what. „No, no. It’s okay. (y/n) seems to be tired and we still want to start this pool party. Am I not right?“ Joo Hyuk laughs at the others and they also happily agree.

Your gaze goes back to him and he smiles and nods at them. „Have fun guys and call me if I should pick you up.“

He guides you to his car which was an expensive Audi R8 and immediately the thoughts comes to your mind if he drives too fast.

Like sensing your doubts the boy comes around the car again and opens the door for you. „You don’t have to worry... I will drive slowly I know you still have alcohol in your system.“

Is he cute or isn’t he?

The night turns around very good in the end. He holds his words and you don’t have to vomit or something. After eating something delicious at the diner with him you feel a lot better now and didn’t even felt the urge to look at your display since the party. Talking comes easily with him and he’s also a very charming guy with a good amount of humor.

After he stops in front of your dorms he gets out again and opens the door for you. He holds out his hand for you to take it and when you take it confidently you feel a slight shock.

„Ouch!“ He looks shocked but also apologizes quickly.

„Oh, haha. I am sorry... Maybe that was a sign?“ He smirks with crescent eyes again and you could cry out at how cute he is.

„Who knows?“ You look him deeply in the eyes and you can feel his smile vanish slowly. You gulp and quickly realize what you’re doing.

Stop flirting (y/n)! Cheater!

You mentally roll with your eyes - which you do... quit a lot?

I am the cheater? What’s with them? They give a shit about me at the moment! I can play this game, too!

Without noticing it you slowly nod with your head gaze turned to the ground and a devilish grin on your face.

„Ehm, I just asked if I could have your number...“

Oh, yeah. He was still there.

„Of course!“

(y/n) no!

You gave him your number and let yourself fall onto your bed a huge grin not leaving your face. You don’t have to feel bad, right? You texted San if he wanted to hang out but you could only imagine what he did in that moment. Woo Young was obviously also busy and you didn’t know who of the others attended the party.

You could’ve texted into the group chat you idiot.

Yes, you could’ve but you didn’t want to.

Suddenly you felt the guilt coming back... now that the boy left your mind it seems like you have to think about them. You take a look at your wrist and recall the electrical shock with the boy.

You don’t know his name... That’s what you only realize now. Well, if he decided to text you could ask him.

Eying you wrist again you try to see something that could resemble a mark; the one they gave you. Tonight you don’t really understand why they did it in the first place. You feel anger bubbling inside of you but decide it is worthless to worry about things you cannot change right now.

To get a decent sleep you think back to the crescent eyes and shining orbs that lulled you in. You find sleep better this night and all thanks to the stranger...

You wake up with a blurry sight. Your limbs are burning and a headache forms. You also feel very hot - shit, again?

Maybe you didn’t rest well enough the last time... you roommate asks you if she can help you with something before she head out for the day and you decline thankfully.

It would be the best to make some tea and sleep the day off maybe tomorrow it would be better and you could go back to university. Throughout the day you occasionally checked your messages and pouted when you received nothing. You don’t know if you hoped for him to text you or the others. Let’s say it didn’t shock you anymore that you received no text from the demons.

You also didn’t want to tell them about being sick again you hate the feeling of being a burden to someone... so you spent the day sleeping, groaning, drinking tea and watching shows.

Great sunday...

Luckily you had a good sleep this night but in the morning you didn’t feel any better... To this point you couldn’t shake off the feeling that the centrum of the stress might could be your wrist; exactly where your mark was located.

Maybe it is because of not being near to the demons lately? This doesn’t really makes sense either. There already have been more moments where you didn’t have much time for them and didn’t got sick... 

You clearly are not able to go to your courses today and ask Hyo Lyn to excuse you if someone in your shared courses asks.

Of course the girl wants to come over but you decline not wanting to spread your bacteria. You also ask your roommate to not worry but comply when she tells you she wants buy some medicine for you.

Ah, you were feeling really exhausted and bad again...

You wish someone of the boys would come over and take you into their arms and take care of you but you quickly shake the thought off.

Your wrist hurts again at the thought of them. What the actual hell?

Inside the mansion only Hong Joong and Seong Hwa pace around doing the housework. Well, Seong Hwa tells Hong Joong what to do because the leader is a mess when it comes to cleaning.

Hong Joong feels not good today and he didn’t do yesterday, too. It’s only a light tugging but he cannot say what it could be.

„Everything‘s alright?“

„Yes, just a bad feeling I guess. I wonder how (y/n) is doing. Did she eat? Is she happy? Is some professor getting on her nerves?“

Seong Hwa chuckles. Yes, their chosen mate definitely was someone who got triggered easily by hunger and soppy teachers.

„San told me she attended the party on saturday.“

„Why didn’t he tell us sooner?“

Seong Hwa shrugs while ordering Min Gi‘s laundry. „He just texted me she was there and he took a quick look at her and everything was fine. Hyo Lyn was by her side.“

„Mh, sometimes I feel like she’s taking a lot of her time.“

„Are you jelous, Kim?“ Seong Hwa‘s orbs shine in amusement and Hong Joong frowns at him in return.

„Nooo‘ I just would like to spend more time with her but I guess we should really take it slow...“

„Yes, that’s what we agreed on. Although I would like to apologize for the last time...“

Hong Joong emerged Seong Hwa‘s taller form and leans his head against his arms. „She knows we love her, don’t worry.“

Do you?

The end of the day comes and you decide to not be a pussy and text Yun Ho what he was doing only to be left on read. That didn’t hurt at all, asshole. Was he still salty because of the Joo Hyuk scene?

At least Yeo Sang should understand but he was one of those guys who disappeared for quite a time without telling you and you have the feeling now was the time for it again.

Or should you write something in the group chat? The sun was about to set down while you layed weakly in your bed scrolling through your phone. You found a quite funny video and decided it would be a good way to start a conversation and postet it into the chat.

Woo Young texted back a laugh smiley and the others also wrote something funny but Yun Ho, Yeo Sang and Hong Joong didn’t respond at all...

You couldn’t deny that you missed them even if it wasn’t meant in a romantic way. You missed your friends.

Much to your dismay you had to spend your time in bed the whole week... Luckily you were slowly feeling better and quickly worked out the stuff you missed in the courses. You decided not to write again in the chat and it was funny it became easier to not reply to them either or later because you just forgot.

There was a reason for it because your attention was set on something else or better someone else... He texted you.

First he apologized for not messaging you sooner and today he admit to you that he was a little bit shy and unsure about how to start a conversation with you. Cute...

You texted without a break and you laughed out loud when you asked him for his name and he told you could call anything you like so you decided for ‚charming‘.

You couldn’t come up with anything cooler.

You didn’t tell him about you being ill not wanting to ruin the mood and at the end of the week you asked him if he wanted to hang out.

And you did. It was good and felt at ease with him. He cooked for at his apartment and after that watched a movie together.

„Oh god, who thought it would be a good idea to use such bad synchronisation?“ He laughed out loud and chimed in.

Your head slowly became heavier und you didn’t even recognize that you started to lean on him.

„You have such a nice apartment... I wish I could afford something like this.“

„It’s nothing. I just recently rent it.“ He smiles down on you.

„Wow. What do you even do for a living.“ I doesn’t go unnoticed that he becomes a little bit stiff at your question but you ignore it.

„Let‘s just say I have to do with management.“ You nod at him.

„How old are you?“

„I am 23 years old.“

„Oh, I hope I am done with my education at this age, too.“

„Of course. You’re a smart one, (y/n). I will help you anytime you just have to ask.“ He tilts his head a little bit and places a small kiss on your temple.

You hiss out and shriek back when you wrist starts to burn.

„Woah, is everything alright?“

„Yes, yes...“

His orbs turn a lot darker as he watches the tip of your fingers graze over your wrist. He licks his lips at the sight but immediately arranges himself when you look back at him.

Suddenly your phone rings up and you take it to look who calls you. „Hong Joong?“

„Who’s it?“

„Just a - a friend. Excuse me for a second.“ He nods at you and you go to the kitchen.

„Hello?“

„(y/n)? Where are you?“

„I am out.. Why though?“

„You’re not at your dorm and your roommate wasn’t there, too. I wanted to pick you up for a late movie night...“

„Oh, I am sorry. It’s so late already?“

„Where are you so I can pick you up? We’re missing you, (y/n)... also me and Yeo Sang felt something a few seconds ago.“

„Yeo Sang is back?“

„Yes, but, are you alright? I said we felt something like a sting.“

„Oh, no. Everything’s alright I don’t think I am in for it, tonight. Sorry...“

„Mh, okay. You would tell me when there’s something, right?“

You pause at his question. Lately you weren’t honest at all and now you feel like shit because they suddenly decide to connect you again. You sigh. Right now you’re with the charming boy and it would be rude to just leave.

„Of course I would.“ Lie

„Ok, then take care. I hope I am not annoying you.“

„You’re not! No, you’re not. I am happy you called me...“ You really were.

„Bye, (y/n).“

„Are you ok?“

„Ah, yes. My friend just worried for me.“

„Must be a good friend then.“ He lightly smiled at you and reached out his hand for you to take.

Just like Hong Joong never called you all thoughts to them vanish again when you take his hand and let him guide you back into the living room.

You make yourself comfortable in his embrace and you continue the movie. You are very aware on how his breath tickles the hair on your neck and you feel yourself heat up at the close approximation.

You try to hide your nervousness by ignoring him and playing like you don’t recognize his slow movements with his palm on your thigh.

„(y/n).“

You gulp and feel like your heart stops. His index finger lands under your chin and in the softest way he tilts your head so you’re facing him.

„Can I - I really want to kiss you... but I need your consent...“

You weakly nod at him already too engulfed in the moment. He flashes you a dazzling smile and you could swear you saw something flashing in his dark orbs at your answer.

Before you can think about it anymore his lips are pressed on your own trembling ones in a delicate way. You shudder at how aroused you feel and the sensation his touches leave on your form are overwhelming.

The hold on your thigh becomes tighter and with the other one his fingers start to caress your neck. He uses your moaning to explore your mouth with his tongue and it feels like you entered heaven.

When he starts to kiss down your chin and neck you quite overhear something he mumbles with a breathless voice.

„Mine...“

Too engulfed in the pleasure you’re receiving you don’t notice him taking your wrist carefully and kissing along your arm until he lands on the place where your mark is supposed to be.

You open your eyes when feel a tingling sensation there and suddenly hear voices in your head becoming louder and louder the more he sucks on there.

„What is happening?!“

„We have to find her!“

„Yeo Sang! Shit, help him up!“

„Stop!“

You lean back and he looks at you confused and concerned but it’s quickly replaced with a shy smile.

„What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?“ You frantically look around searching for something you don’t even know. Those voices...

„I - I have to go... I am sorry.“

„I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable but it’s okay, we achieved a lot for today.“

What is he talking about?

Only now you see your display blinking up repeatedly and the missed calls and texts from the demons.

You sense him watching you out of your eyesight and quickly put your cellphone back.

„I will bring you back home.“

You nod when he stands up leaving you clutching at your wrist with a bad feeling.

The car ride is silent and you decide to use his concentration on the road to text into the group chat that you’re heading back to the dorms.

When you open the door all the boys are already scattered around leaving your roommate sitting uncomfortable on her bed and a sign of relief crosses her features when you enter the room.

Immediately Min Gi grabs your hand and drags you out again followed by the others.

„What are you - ?!“

Min Gi puts you with him in the back seat petting you everywhere and kissing your hair with a frown on his face. Jong Ho starts the engine and drives home so fast you don’t even want to know the limit you’re reaching.

„(y/n)...“ He whimpers out and you turn your head to see his face that is illuminated by the lamps of the road.

A tear is rolling down his features and you swear you’ve never seen Min Gi crying before and he also didn’t touch you like this ever.

He hides his face in your neck and starts to cry. „Please don’t leave us...“

You felt awful. Never ever have you felt so ashamed and disgusted by yourself. You let another man touch you and especially the holy place of your mark and now you would have to face the consequences.

Your heart hurt at the sight of him clutching at you like his life depended on it. He held you in his big embrace like you would vanish any second.

„I would never leave you.“ Now a single tear also rolled down your cheek.

All of you sat silently. Until Yun Ho decided to speak up...

„What did you to with Joo Hyuk?“

Everyone tensed up at his name but you only frowned at his question.

„What do you mean?“

„You know what I mean. If you wouldn’t be my bestfriend I would consider thinking of you as a bitch, (y/l/n) (y/n)!“

Totally confused you stood up and let out your anger by landing a full smack on his cheek.

„I am not a bitch, Jeong Yun Ho! I won’t lie that I didn’t do anything but at least I am not fucking around every weekend like you guys!“

Now it was your time to let out everything that boiled up in you.

„You’re not giving me attention! You’re not answering my texts! You don’t care at all! You’re saying you have feelings for me but you’re not!“

„Don’t say this, dear - “ Jong Ho eyes you with a soft look and tries to reach out for you but you hold your hand up to stop him.

„No! You’ve been hurting me and guess what? I can play the game, too!“

Behind you Woo Young and San tense up.

„You know they mean nothing for us...“

„It doesn’t matter, Jung Woo Young. It hurts me so much... How can I ever trust you when all you do is - do is - nothing?“

Again everyone remains silent and also Yun Ho takes a step back to sit down next to Seong Hwa who rubs his eyes tiredly.

„We can get through this. I know we can... I feel like those are all misunderstandings...“

Yeo Sang always was a person that liked the harmony and it showed again.

You weren’t so sure of his words and bit your lips so harshly that you draw blood letting the tears out again.

„Please, (y/n), we love you. We love you so much. Please don’t give up on us...“

„San is right... we all have to better ourselves. We have to talk and be honest with eachother. Respect us more. Love isn’t easy but I can proudly say that I would do anything for you and us to work.“

You look into Seong Hwa‘s eyes and feel your bond coming to life at his words.

„Like we already said... a demon love is so rare and beautiful like you are (y/n); but - we would never force you to something you don’t want. We will always love you and we want you to be happy... even if it’s without us.“ Hong Joong says eyeing all his brothers who flinch at his words but not say something against it either.

„Angel, I beg you, please... don’t be afraid to show your feelings.“ Yeo Sang seems like to stare into your soul and you know that he knows what you want to do right now.

So you do it. You fall into his arms and sob into his chest. You let it all out and you can fell someone embracing your from behind, too.

You heart feels at ease and you couldn’t say that for a long time. Especially at Yeo Sang‘s and Hong Joong‘s touches you feel the bond coming to life igniting a wonderful sensation inside your systems.

This night you decide to sleep at theirs but of course not without all of you making a sleepover in one room. Fortunately you are the girl and were able to sleep on Yeo Sang‘s bed between him and the leader.

Totally forgetting about Charming and the events of the previous night.

Well, all of you were to exhausted to talk this out so it had to be done in the morning.

Oh, and the questioning turned out more interesting than everyone would’ve thought.

You decide to text him. It was a shitty move especially after last night but it had to be done. Much to your disbelief he only sent you back a smiley leaving you utterly confused.

After the breakfast you gathered around in the garden to finally tell you the truth and discuss on how to deal with Joo Hyuk.

San and Woo Young have been especially clingy to you also feeling very bad about having you hurt so much. Honestly, San craved a lot of your attention and body but he didn’t want to scare you so he decided to distract himself. He really didn’t know it would bother you so much and now he was devastated realizing the shit he done...

„I cannot breath, Woo Young...“

„Oh sorry.“ He smirks at your playfully and you peck him on his lips catching him off guard.

They were all so beautiful but not only in features but character, too... Why did you only realize it now?

Yeah, dumb bitch.

After telling you everything about Joo Hyuk that he wants to claim you and that being the reason for the pain at your mark and also you sickness you gulped.

„Now we have to find a way to deliver the message that he should leave you alone.“

„Or we just kill him.“

You sink further into San‘s side and he gives Jong Ho a silent glare knowing exactly how you would react to something like that.

„Guys, ehm, yesterday...“

Oh, it’s really time you’re telling them about it.

„Yesterday I wasn’t with Joo Hyuk. To be honest, I didn’t see him since a week or more...“

„What? (y/n), you had a scent on yourself from a demon yesterday. Whoever you spent time with was a demon!“

Panick takes its place over everyone’s features at your words and Hong Joong‘s eyes turn into an angry red color.

„I knew she smelled different! Now I know what that smell is...“

„Who is it? Hyung? (y/n)?“

„I - I don’t know his name...“

„You went home with a stranger, made out and don’t even know his name?!“ Seong Hwa‘s definitely in his mother role right now and you look to the ground ashamed.

„I don’t know... He felt so safe and my mind told me not to question it - “

„Typical for a demon like him. He manipulated you quite well.“ Hong Joong spits out with fire and starts to walk in circles.

„I guess you have his number?“

You nod at Yeo Sang.

„Text him to meet at the sightseeing platform at the mountain in the west.“

„What are you planning?“

„Seems like he was able to ignite a strong spark in her but not when she’s with us.“

„What are you talking about?“

Woo Young smiles in mischief at his brothers while petting your head. „Eight mates are stronger than one.“

„Don’t worry, cupcake. You will understand soon.“

You waited for Charming at the point and couldn’t believe yourself when you stupidly smiled at him. From the distance he already waved at you and if it wasn’t for the demons behind the trees you feel like you would’ve fall for him easily again.

„You look cute today. I am happy you texted me so quickly... to be honest I was a little bit afraid after yesterday that it was too early for you.“

You wonder how someone can lie so effortlessly and shudder when he wraps his fingers around your wrist where your mark is located.

He leans down when you’re not answering and gulp nervously when he tries to kiss you...

„The nerve...“

San comes out next to you joined by the others and you can see Charming starting to smile with his crescent eyes.

„I shouldn’t have let you go yesterday, little bird.“ He nearly whispered it out and you tremble when he places a soft skin on our forehead.

„Touch her again and we will kill you, Cha.“

He turns around and San and Woo Young are quick to take you into their arms and lead you further away from the scene. The demon follows your form and you are suddenly scared by his intimidating eyes.

„Ah, Hong Joong... I feel like I’ve lost myself in the whole thing a little bit too much.“

„You just didn’t succeed, Eun Woo.“

„Yes, this time you won. Your little human is not as dumb as I thought.“

Ouch that hurt although you just figured out what an ass he is. Woo Young‘s arms tighten around your form and the others tense up. Jong Ho cracks his knuckles to warn the demon to insult you any more.

„Why did you do that?“

„Clearly not for claiming her. I wanted to take the one love like you did with me...“

„Mi Na murdered humans and it was our task to bring her down. We would’ve not killed her if there would’ve been another way.“ Seong Hwa speaks up.

„She had problems! Okay?! You didn’t understand her! No one did!“

Tears are floating down when reality crushes in... Eun Woo wanted to kill you... and if it wasn’t for the boys you would not be alive right now. Joo Hyuk only was a marionette in this game and you only realized it now...

„We don’t want to hurt you, Eun Woo... Take your claim off her and leave us alone.“

„I said we don’t want to hurt you but we will.“

You sensed the distress of your mates and watched how everyone got into a fighting position leaving Woo Young and San next to you ready to get out of the scene if needed.

Eun Woo looks around him and starts to understand that he’s overpowered. He lets out a disgusting cry full of pain and anger.

„I will take it back...“

Hong Joong gives the demons next to you a sign and they near the other demon with slowl steps. He reaches out his hand and San takes your wrist carefully and guides it into his direction.

Eun Woo looks at you with tears in his eyes and sadly although you hate him right now you can feel his pain. He positions his lips over your wrist and breathes in leaving you lightheaded and suddenly blacking out... you feel free and suddenly the clouds in your mind and the headache you didn’t even noticed anymore are gone.

You open your eyes rubbing them with your palms feeling like you just awakened from a deep slumber.

„Good morning, sunshine.“

„Yun Ho...“

„Yes, the one and only.“ He shoots you a radiant smile and suddenly the door bursts open the other demons literally running inside.

„Cupcake! You’re awake!“

„How long did I sleep?“

„29 hours.“

„What happened?“

„Everyhing is okay right now. He’s gone... back to the demon world to be exact and he took his minions with him.“ Yun Ho tells you while caressing your hand.

You sit up and look into your lap. „Thank you, for everything and I am very sorry.“

„Stop, (y/n). We’re together now and you’re safe. That’s all what matters.“

You smile at them tears of joy running down your cheeks.

„Are you ok to go downstairs and eat something? Woo Young tried to cook - “

Said boy rolls with his eyes. „I didn’t try! I trained a lot!“ You giggle at his words and Yun Ho motions for you to sit up and take his hand so he can help you.

Halfway out of the room you stop...

„Guys...“ Everyone turns around watching you with curiosity.

„I think I might start falling in love with you.“ You quickly close your eyes out of embarrassment and San comes to take your palms that shield your face away with his own hands.

„It isn’t that hard, right?“

You become red like a potato and stomp with your food. „But it is!“ Everyone laughs at your cuteness but it would definitely be a hard way to express your feeling like this more...

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author: Well, what a nice ending to this part!

wooyoung: Where’s my smut.

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↺ back to navi

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[mariposalass]

Sora’s Time to Shine

Summary: Mari is already not putting too much expectations going into watching the Final Smash Presentation when someone close to her besides Kirby and Edelgard’s beloved Professor pops out of nowhere in said Presentation. All hell breaks loose (but in a good way).

Setting: Mari and co.’s house in Daly City, California; October 5, 2021

Notes: I was pretty behind in seeing the reveal since I was pretty tired when it came out and I had to check a friend’s post on Plurk to make sure that it was not all for the jokes before watching it on Gamespot and writing this story down. And yes, the Byleth in my S/I verse is the female version in case anyone is curious. And yes, it took me until around 8 AM to write this up. Featuring Luther Vandross. Here is an ask I made on Sora’ behest during a F/O takeover long before he got confirmed recently. #SakuraiHasReachedtheImpossibleDream #Sora4Smash

Tags: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Super Smash Bros., Swift Keyblader, Smash Reveal, Sakurai has reached the impossible dream!, Sora for Smash, #Sora4Smash

“Hurry Mari, you’re about to miss it!” Kairi is dragging me out onto the sofa to see the final Smash Ultimate Presentation on the living room pretty early before plopping ourselves onto the sofa.

“Look, Kairi, guys. I hate to be a party pooper, but I have no clue about who could it be,” I try to be realistic in my views.

“Well, at this point, my beloved, it could be anybody from the video game world,” my dear Philip chimes in while trying to reassure me, “Besides, as soon as it is done, we shall try to reply back to this non Smash invitation that El had found in the mail today.”

“Huh, is that correct, El dear?” I asked my regal adopted daughter for confirmation.

“Why yes of course, Mother,” she replies as she passes me the invitation, “I believe that a friend of yours has sent us one, but I didn’t want to open it immediately since this is addressed to you.”

“Okay then, I will get to read it and reply back once the Presentation is over and see who gets to fight with Kirby and Professor Byleth,” I smiled back at her.

“I couldn’t believe that there was a leak that just came out before this Presentation video and it is about music. Who was that dense enough to do it at a time like this?” Riku mumbles as he gets the video streaming on the Nintendo Direct page in his laptop.

“You know, Riku, sometimes people can act very idiotic at times, so there isn’t much we can do besides ignoring and avoiding that as much as possible,” Harry sighs as he is bottle feeding and gently rocking Serena as she had cried a while ago to be bottle fed.

“Guys, have you guys seen Sora lately?” Issa asks us while carrying Chris in her arms, “I haven’t seen him in the last few days. He didn’t even reply back to either my or Kairi’s texts and calls. Do you think he’s off to visit Jack and Sally in Halloween Town? It’s nearing Halloween soon.”

“That’s really a good question, Issa,” Ahk agrees, “I had given up trying to find him by calling over on the phone since last Thursday. All I have gotten from it were many ‘The subscriber could not be reached’ messages.”

Even Riku and Kairi are in a loss for words as they turn to each other and wonder what is up with our friend lately. Did he just went poof without us knowing? Kirby always informs us through his many Poyos that he would have to head off to Smash whenever a new tourney starts or a newcomer arrives and Edelgard’s class often gets shorter class schedules or early dismissals whenever Professor Blyeth gets to fight in Smash: she is the professor handling the Black Eagles class. Sometimes even El, Petra and Dorothea along with a few others (and yes, that includes the Gatekeeper) would come over to Smash to spectate from the sidelines and support their beloved Professor.

There is a long silence when the Nintendo Switch title card plays in the laptop and Karina directs us all to watch the screen to see many clips featuring many Smashers in the current tournament before it transitions to Sakurai-san in the studio explaining about the video as well as showcasing the Mii Fighter costumes.

“Hey look, Isabelle the Dog’s demon slaying friend from Bethesda is now coming to Smash to rip and tear up the competition!” Moana screams when the Doomguy Mii Gunner costume appears.

“Good for him; I know that many fans really did want him to be in Smash, though the costume is a nice addition,” Issa agrees. “That now makes three Bethesda franchises represented in the costumes.”

“Even the Octolings and Judd the Cat got hats based on them too,” I chime in as well.

“Oh hey, guys! Sakarui’s about to reveal the last fighter for the Second Fighter’s Pass, so keep down it and don’t expect too much,” Karina informs as Sakurai transitions to the main event and we all stay silent and stay glued to our seats.

The screen turns black before the usual Smash logo opening shows up, but instead of the usual zoom in, it then turns into a flaming Smash logo with all the Smashers up until Kazuya Mishima (yeah, the guy who tried to drop Kirby off a cliff) looking at it and covered in the shadows. Did MH decided to get them to show up in there and meet the last fighter in the dark? Probably, I bet that he might be keeping it as a surprise and possibly even conserving electricity at the same time. Then cut to Inkling Girl looking in awe with the Smash logo reflecting onto her pupils as a nice ode to the first reveal trailer for the game/tourney, I honestly love this shot.

Wait a minute, the logo turns into stars and the next scene shows everyone frozen in place as toy-like ambiios?!? How is it even possible? Well, it does certainly confirmed once again that the video game version of the tourney is set in a world of make believe after all. I could swear that a lot of people crying their eyes out as they are watching this. It looks like this is the end of one great video game series about mascots fighting among each other. Or is it? Because the camera is aiming at Mario as if he looks like he’s trying to take a nap while standing up.

Riku then proceeds to mumble some words to me incoherently that something big is coming the moment Mario wakes up to see a glowing light to see the last remaining flame glowing on the floor, which I do agree with him. Suspicious right? Oh God, Mario no! Please don’t touch the fire for everyone’s sanity. Wait, hold on a second: that isn’t not just fire that he just grabbed on and then tossed it into the sky like a boomerang: the mystery object looks like a Keyblade and there’s that Mickey keychain! Yep, that’s a Keyblade alright. Could it be...

I could recognize that beam of light that Keyblades often produce whenever they lock and unlock Keyholes to other worlds, so does everyone in the room. Riku and Kairi hugged onto each other as if we’re about to brace for an emergency (Karina and Moana also did the same), Ahk stares at the screen to see if he’s not imagining things all the sudden, Issa has her mouth drop in shock, Chris and Serena didn’t cry throughout this entire presentation, Harry gasps and nearly drops Serena’s bottle, Philip turns to me for answers while Edelgard begins to sweatdrop in concern.

No words are exchanged as the light grows and shines brighter before it proceeds to shoot itself away from the Keyblade to reveal a Keyhole on another part of the room. It then glows bright within as the camera switches back to the rest of frozen Smashers as the light begins to fill the room and revives Link, Cloud, Incineroar and Mewtwo as they all gawk at it as it reveals something from the World of Light with the orchestral rendition of Simple and Clean playing in the background. And that’s when it hits us right at the gut: the familiar spiky brown hair poking out from that Keyhole.

“What!?!” Kairi shouts as the Keyhole ‘spits’ out Sora from the World of Light.

“H-h-he actually got in, for real?” Riku squeaks up.

“Oh my…” I gasp in pure shock as we watch the whole thing played out.

“Sakarui finally did it?” Issa adds in to the discussion.

“Well, it’s about time that they managed to get his darn behind into the tourney,” Karina seconds in.

Soon enough, Sora finally wakes up from his nappy time and takes notes from Peter Pan and Tinkerbell as he flies around, sprinkling fairy dust all over the other Smashers, before landing on the floor and the Keyblade flying back to his hand.

“Damn it, Sora!” I scream as the splash screen pops in.

“Kai, your boy has finally made it big time!” Moana shakes Kairi in congratulation rather rapidly that it nearly gives my lil sis a dizzying spell.

“Moana, please don’t make Kairi that dizzy,” Harry had to tell her that.

“Whoops! Sorry Kairi,” she apologizes to her which she accepts.

So with that, we switch back to Sakurai going in depth with Sora’s moveset after he discussed about the Kingdom Hearts games and world. And he has gotten 4 costume changes, man Sora, that’s a big wardrobe you’re bringing in, oh wait, he even got the Timeless River costume too. That makes it 5 then.

“Oh gods, Sakurai is making us suffer by watching Sakurai using Sora to beat up everyone,” Ahk tells us as the Sora moveset showcase begins.

“No kidding,” Harry muses as we see Sora beating everyone in Battlefield.

“Whoa, they went for Sealing the Keyhole instead of having Trinity Force with Donald and Goofy? What a bummer,” Karina bemoans in dismay.

“Well, you know modern Disney: too overprotective of their IPs,” Philip reminds her.

“Oh new stage, what could it be?” Riku gleefully chimes in before they reveal Hollow Bastion as the stage, “Whoa, Hollow Bastion. I never thought that you will return again.”

Then the stage changes into Dive to the Heart and it had Riku and Kairi in the stained glass in one, Riku being the main focus of the second one, Roxas in the middle of the third, Xion in the fourth, Terra for the fifth, a sleepy Ven in the sixth, and Aqua’s in the seventh.

“Pretty!” I complimented the look of each stained glass.

“Quite impressive I will admit,” El agrees with me too.

Then Sakurai begins a playthrough with Sora facing Cloud and Sephiroth in Hollow Bastion, for a while, we all thought that he’s going to be a goner with Cloud and Sephiroth beating him up in the Stamina match but then the tides begin to turn in his favor after Sephy lost his full stock and with Sora having to take down Cloud next. When he did, the scene begins to go into a slow white fade out with a Game!

“Alright! Sora did it! He defeated both Cloud and mean old Sephy,” Riku cheers on.

“Woo! Go Sora!” me, Kairi, Moana, and Karina screams aloud.

“That was brilliant!” Harry agrees before he turns to Serena, “Did you hear? Uncle Sora managed to defeat two opponents in a Smash Ultimate playthrough.”

“9 songs is better than nothing at all,” Issa observes, “It would be a licensing nightmare to talk to Disney if they can borrow a couple of songs from them and they straight up refuse to assist, oh well. Oooh, a Dearly Beloved Swing arrangement, nice! I better get that save file on the Switch prompto!”

“And check out that Spirit Board: Aunt Kairi has a Spirit of herself,” Edelgard informs us as the Spirit Board for KH is revealed.

“Oh gee, never thought that it could ever happen, but thanks,” she blushes.

“Hey, I got one as well, same with Axel, Xion, Roxas, Aqua, Terra and Ven,” Riku joins in, “Marina is so going to be happy to see her boyfriend as a Spirit. She will probably try to get him real soon.”

“You bet it right, Riku, you bet it right,” I nod and agree with that last statement.

“Oh hey, he’s going to be ready within a few weeks’ time,” Karina speaks up, “Neat! The roster is now complete.”

“Even Steve and Alex have amiibos of themselves being made, that’s even more wonderful,” Ahk takes note of it, “I’m pretty sure that Sora will have one of his own along with Pyra, Mythra, that jerk who tried to threw Kirby off a cliff, and even Sephiroth soon.”

“WHAT?!? Kingdom Hearts are coming to the Switch too!?!” I am surprised to hear the news as Sakurai reveals this new information, that is so mind-blowing.

When it fades to black then to the Ultimate mural, the camera then goes for the space between Ganondorf and Dark Samus to fill in Sora’s spot before panning back. Man, this Presentation is long and is finally ending, thank God; it must be tiring to sit down and watch a nearly hour long video as Sakurai showcases the screenshots he has made and showed off in Twitter. Man, so many memories and montages. And the achievements, wow, that is a lot of them, it will be a game feat that I don’t think it will be broken for a long time.

Man, I will miss the presentations and Sakurai’s corny jokes for sure. I wish him a nice deserving break from all the game development for sure as he gives thanks to everyone from the devs to the players to the people prompting the game and ends it off with a heartfelt goodbye as it fades to back into the full reveal trailer.

“Oh gee, I’m going to miss the Smash Presentations,” Kairi sighs, “I can’t believe that we’re coming to an end.”

“Man, it’s finally over,” Riku gasps in remark as the full trailer plays out, “I don’t think that there will be a game like Ultimate for a very long time. That’s for certain.”

“I agree, Riku. It’s to going to be a tough act to follow up on,” I add in before I look up at the ceiling and murmur some words, “It’s been a long time coming, Sora. You truly deserve that last spot, you really do. Have fun in the tourney and Smash Mansion, buddy.”

Sora is Finally Here!

The End

[asheewrites]

Cultural Approach 3

I believed my studies had been thorough.

Contact with humans worked a lot better after they got to know you a little bit better. They easily formed emotional attachment and had a bit of a pack-mentality. It was quite endearing, really. They bonded easily. And in wide varietiy of ways, too.

Fur – being fluffy – is a good incentive. They like that. Big eyes (but not too big). Human behaviours in decidedly not-human beings.  Beings that show clumsy behaviour and need protection.

They have a lot of protective instincts anyway. Be helpless and they – most of the time – aid you. Of course there are suspicious types, but it’s still their first instinct to protect and help – exceptions proof the rule. It’s somewhat endearing.

And, of course, the whole reproductive-attraction thing. It’s ridiculous, they dedicate about 10 percent of their online stored data to videos – and pictures - of varying kinds sexual acts between them. Sexual attraction. Yes.

It’s a whole science for them and damn does it look fun. Their bodies are very receptive to the act itself, too. Sensitive and stimulating and very hormone inducing.

Really, their whole physiology is fun.

I preferred the female version a little more, it would win in an endurance test.

It wasn’t completely streamlined, but hey, if that’s what evolution did to this planet, that’s fine.

Besides: Two hands, two legs, a functioning brain… I could work with that!

 And so I did.

The nicest thing about the female version was, that it was softer. Also nicer padded. My job required a lot of sitting. So yeah. Definitely a plus.

Hips, thighs and ass… and - to make it symmetrical – bigger breasts. Had taken a bit of messing with the genetic code, but I liked what came out. I could still move with appropriate agility, but was comfortably padded. And my face could by poked without looking too strained. I was somewhat scared by a lot of pictures.

The hair was another situation. Like I said, fluffiness was a good thing. So… I kept the hair long and made a loose braid? Still looked fluffy.

That the shorter strands on top of the head curled was a bit of a surprise, but a pleasant one. Nice structure.  

Using the body, I noticed that the ‘sway’ I had observed in media was almost a natural reaction. Worked with the dress.

After a bit of training, I guessed I imitated the ladies well. The fact that I didn’t need to train those muscles was a definite plus. Anyway.

It was a lot of fun!

And as much as it was ‘deceptive’ to disguise myself as a human and not make my identity known, I knew I would have a better result than Raph would have, being all kidnappy from the get-go. Besides. It was more fun.

So, when I walked into the ‘graduation party’ (which ensured me academical grade intelligence at the youngest age, these were most interesting, after all, and least likely to be missed immediately), I got a few looks. Most of them interested. It was reaping of the fruits of a research well done. Mmmmh~

With a smirk on my face, I walked about and looked for someone sober, interested and pleasing to look at.

After a round in the room, I had acquired a drink free of any nerve toxin and supposed darker skin colours are a preference of the current me. The white shirt contrasted so nicely. Besides: Taller was nice.

The effect of inhabiting this body right now was also fun to recognise: I thought the strong lines and non-existing padding was attractive. Heh. Glory to the will of the body to reproduce!

And since my body was the closest to what I would have wanted with this species… I trusted my gut instincts!

And those led me to a tall, black, wavy-haired dude in a corner who was not the least bit subtle about staring at my ass. Even if he maybe thought so”

“Heeey there, finally done with school, mh?”, I said, settling down next to him.

He looked like a… deer that stared into headlights. That was the right idiom. Didn’t try to hide it at all. Ah dear.

He blinked, looked away and took a sip of his alcohol-free beverage – I almost considered walking away again – until he said: “Ah, yes, yes, we graduated. All of us. That’s why we’re here”, which… well… was maybe a side-effect of being attracted to me, all fine and good, “… I never saw you here before, though, how did you get here, isn’t it just for the students?”

Which was… what? Did he… was he… implying I was here illegally and wanted me… thrown out? Was… he actually looked suspicious. It… what?

“Ah, you are new graduates, it’s always a good thing to have contact to future businesses, isn’t it? A few got invited”, not me, obviously, but it was good enough, “… good spot check, there”, his line of sight spoke volumes of what he actually spot checked, but… fair enough.

“Aaah, well, it would have been a shame to remove you from the party, too”, which… did kill my smile a little on the inside. Who says such things?!

“So, you are part of the law-students here, then?”, it was a possible explanation, at least.

“Ah, no no, Hebrew and Latin, the historical languages”, my smile froze a little more, nothing about law, then? Just being a dick? Yes? Well. If it’s his nature… huuuuh… maybe I got him on the wrong foot or… something.

“Ah, good old Roman language, such an old one, full of tradition, you can’t help but love it”, I said, in Latin, and that was the first full-on failure on my part. My translator ‘helpfully’ informed me that it is a dead language. No one actually spoke it anymore. It was more or less an exercise. It still gave me the bloody translation, but… yeah.

When he actually answered me – a little stuttering – in the very same dead language: “I… am surprised you… this�� fluent you speak”, the translator didn’t work too well with long pauses. But… well… I… somehow knew he wouldn’t be missed that badly.

Plus point for me!

 “Well, it seems we are both necrophiliacs, then”, I regretted my words as soon as they had left my mouth. Because who said things like that.

And he did scratch the back of his head with a bit of a stunted expression, but then laughed, shrugging: “It seems like it”, which was actually nice.

„Better keep all the dead chickens away from us“, he had some laying on his plate. And… and… what.

We stared awkwardly at nothing in particular, before he said: “But… well… if you are a business partner, why here and now? I mean, it’s just a party”

And once again I didn’t know what to say, since… ‘parties’ in ‘grown up circles’ were nothing but networking opportunities. You wish to be on good terms with everyone. Especially in social sciences and linguistics. You live off of other people.

… or so I was led to believe. Well, then I said: “Those might also happen later, it’s good to know how employees will behave in those situations”, because… that was at least right.

“… the whole school just gets drunk. It’s why I stand here. It’s easier to simply watch the others than associate wi-“

 In this moment, I stopped.

Stopped time, to be exact. This… this was not going to work.

I had a comment-induced headache from this. And whatever the reason for those comments, I didn’t want to deal with those anymore.

I also didn’t want to be the necrophiliac.

So I rewinded the clock… and slipped into another trouser leg of time. We were supposed to only use this in emergencies, but… this qualified. Certainly.

Second try is the charm.

[fitnesshealthyoga-blog]

New Post has been published on https://fitnesshealthyoga.com/us-lawmakers-hone-in-on-pbm-role-in-insulin-prices/

US Lawmakers Hone in on PBM Role in Insulin Prices

US lawmakers are focusing on the role that pharmaceutical middlemen may play in the rising cost of insulin, which is making the critical drug unaffordable for many people with diabetes.

Influential members of Congress from both parties say they will work together to try to put insulin within financial reach of more Americans.

It’s estimated that around 7.5 million Americans are taking insulin, including 1.2 million who have type 1 diabetes and require daily insulin. Type 2 diabetes, which affects nearly 30 million Americans according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), is treated with a variety of other medications but many of those patients may also eventually become dependent on insulin.

In letters released yesterday, leaders of the Senate Finance Committee demanded detailed information from three of the nation’s biggest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs): Cigna’s Express Scripts, CVS Health Corp, and UnitedHealth’s Optum unit.

The senators want to bring into the light the often unseen mechanisms that let PBMs profit from serving as a go-between on insulin prescriptions between patients and manufacturers.

“Even though insulin has been used to treat diabetes for almost 100 years, its price has continued to increase, putting stress on patients and taxpayers alike,” wrote Senate Finance Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-IA) and Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the committee’s ranking Democrat.

The information demanded by Grassley and Wyden will likely frame the debate for an April 9 Senate Finance hearing on PBMs. Senate Finance has also summoned executives from Humana and Prime Therapeutics to appear at the hearing.

And in the House of Representatives yesterday, a hearing with diabetes experts also set the stage for an expected deeper examination of insulin costs later this month.

Prices for commonly prescribed insulins rose over the past two decades from about $20 per vial to over $250 per vial — a more than 700% increase after adjusting for inflation, said the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee in a background memo for the hearing. 

Spiraling insulin prices reflect poorly on the work of PBMs as negotiators, at least when it comes to serving patients, according to Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), who owns drugstores in his community and describes himself as Congress’ only pharmacist.

“Their mission is to keep prescription drug prices low,” Carter said at the hearing. “Well, I would ask you, ‘How’s that working out?’ Obviously, it’s not working out very well at all.”

Call for More Transparency Around PBM Pricing Strategies

Like the Senate Finance Committee, Carter argues for a need for greater information about the rebates paid to PBMs. In January, the Department of Health and Human Services proposed a plan to allow discounts on prescription medicines to flow more directly to patients in the Medicare Part D pharmacy program, while disrupting the flow of rebates to PBMs.

Carter and his Democratic and Republican colleagues want more open access to information about PBMs’ rebates, price concessions, and other direct or indirect remuneration in prescription drug plans.

The House Energy and Commerce’s Health Subcommittee last month approved a bill to increase transparency in drug pricing that Carter had put forward with Democratic and GOP colleagues. It would provide the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission with more access to data on rebates, a step that could aid Congress with future PBM legislation.

“When you have three PBMs that control almost 80% of the market, I don’t think we have enough competition in that area,” Carter said. “We need transparency. It’s the only way that we’re ever going to see exactly how we attack this problem that impacts everyone. It is a nonpartisan problem.”

There’s deep shared interest among Democrats and Republicans in Congress in addressing drug costs, with insulin a particular cause of concern.

Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), chairwoman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Oversight and Investigations panel, said she and her GOP counterpart on the panel had planned yesterday’s hearing together.

She and Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky, the panel’s ranking Republican, had agreed on the selection of witnesses. That’s a break from tradition, in which the minority party usually gets to weigh in on only one choice of a witness for a hearing, DeGette said.

DeGette has a notable track record for helping bring both parties together to pass health law. She was a key lawmaker behind the 2016 passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, a law meant to aid biomedical research. DeGette has cited her daughter’s type 1 diabetes as one of her reasons for championing that measure.

“We are committed to fixing this,” said DeGette at the hearing on insulin prices. “We are committed to a bipartisan solution.”

Why Can’t CMS Pay for Insulin?

A perhaps more surprising example of bipartisanship at the hearing was a quick endorsement from Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a liberal Democrat from Illinois, for an idea tossed out by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, MD, a conservative Republican from Texas.

Burgess suggested having Medicare and Medicaid pick up the tab for insulin for patients with diabetes. Burgess and Schakowsky spoke of this idea as a potential cost saver for these programs, sparing them from having to pay to treat complications people suffer because of poorly controlled diabetes.

“Why do we even charge for insulin? If someone has got a diagnosis of diabetes, why not just treat it?” Burgess said. “Why would the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [CMS] not just cover that?”

Skipping doses of insulin because of cost puts people at risk for “devastating and sometimes deadly complications,” including cardiovascular and kidney disease, blindness, and lower-limb amputations, William T. Cefalu, MD, chief scientific and medical officer of the ADA, told the House panel.

“The amount of money a person pays for insulin is going to have a direct effect on their adherence,” Cefalu said in reply to Burgess’ suggestion. “Whatever we can do to lower the cost of insulin is going to increase adherence.”

Burgess noted that Energy and Commerce has jurisdiction for the Medicare and Medicaid programs. He said he intended to follow up with CMS Administrator Seema Verma on the idea of providing insulin without charging patients in government health plans.

“In a federal program, why don’t we just cover it?” Burgess wondered.

“That’s a question that I think this committee in Congress needs to ask,” replied Cefalu.

Sellers’ Market: Patients Skimping on Insulin a Common Occurrence

In his testimony, Cefalu also urged Congress to have the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) further streamline the process for clearing so-called biosimilar insulins.

Prices for these copycat versions of pricier insulin analogs won’t drop until there are several potential rivals that can be substituted for the brand-name version, he said.

The FDA has also announced a May 13 public hearing about steps needed to bring more competition to the insulin market. As previously reported by Medscape Medical News, there has been some reluctance on the part of physicians and patients to switch to biosimilars.

Although biosimilar insulins are cheaper than branded insulins, the prices have not yet been low enough to make changing products enticing in some cases.

“While the regulatory transition of insulin products nears, we’re cognizant of the fact that it won’t be soon enough for the millions of Americans who struggle to pay for their insulin today,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, said in a statement. “We all need to do our part. A drug that’s nearly a century old should not have a list price that increases between 15% to 17% annually.”

At the House hearing, Kasia Lipska, MD, MHS, of Yale-New Haven Hospital Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, spoke about her published research that found one in four insulin-treated patients surveyed at the Yale Diabetes Center rationed their insulin because of cost.

Lipska told the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations panel these results indicate the phenomenon of people skimping on insulin is common nationwide.

And Rep. Raul Ruiz, MD, (D-CA) told his colleagues on the Energy and Commerce panel about having seen this phenomenon in both his own family and his own practice, as an emergency room physician. Patients who are not yet suffering ill effects or diabetes complications may be unwilling to pay for insulin, putting themselves at risk, he said.

“I’ve done talks about how this is the silent killer,” Ruiz said.

He explained how he has struggled to persuade his uncle, who has diabetes, to take adequate insulin. Ruiz said his uncle rebuffs the advice, saying he’d rather put his money toward buying groceries and filling his gas tank to get to work.

In the ER, Ruiz said he saw people who had fallen into diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperglycemic comas because of missing insulin doses, and he said he has treated people for pain caused by neuropathy and cardiac arrest.

And through his work as a community activist, he has witnessed the struggles of people to come up with the money for insulin. He said he once encountered an elderly woman rummaging through trash. She told him she was looking for aluminum cans, for which she could collect rebates. The money she earned this way would pay for insulin. Ruiz said the woman tried to reassure him about her situation.

“‘Don’t worry, doctor,’ she told me. ‘Don’t worry. I only take half a dose, so it can last,'” Ruiz recalled.

Ask the Tough Questions: Why Has the Price of Insulin Skyrocketed?

Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA), who also has family members with diabetes, said lawmakers must act quickly to address the forces that are putting insulin beyond the reach of many Americans.

“Something is broken and people look to Congress” to fix it, Barragán said, calling for a hearing with representatives of PBMs and insulin makers as witnesses.

“I want us to ask the tough questions,” she said. “We’ve got to get down to why this is happening. Why is it that [the price of] insulin has skyrocketed?”

Barragán said Congress should also act to assuage public concerns about lawmakers’ financial ties to drugmakers, noting that many Americans think Congress has failed to do much on drug prices because of the lobbying influence of drugmakers.

The pharmaceutical industry has been a significant contributor for many years to congressional campaigns of both Democratic and Republican candidates, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a well-respected nonprofit group based in Washington.

“We have to come together to show that we don’t care about the lobby, we don’t care about private industry in the sense that we are colluding with them, because sometimes the American people think that,” she observed.

Barragán seemed to have missed an earlier comment from DeGette, who said her panel will call executives from three insulin makers to appear at a hearing.

She did not immediately name the companies whose representatives she has summoned. But, given her comment, it appears likely that she meant the three big insulin manufacturers, Eli Lilly, Sanofi, and Novo Nordisk.

At the hearing, DeGette asked permission to interrupt Barragán as the junior member of the committee argued for a need to call a hearing with drugmakers and PBMs.

“We’re bringing them in next week,” DeGette told Barragán, who replied “Fantastic.” “You’re welcome,” DeGette said.

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The $799 Coinmine One Will Look Like an Xbox and Mint Crypto Money

Try as startups might, crypto mining hasn’t yet had an everyman device.

Smart money, however, is betting that will change at the hands of a new company called Coinmine. Announced Wednesday, the startup is revealing its first product, the Coinmine One, a hardware device aimed at crypto enthusiasts who’d like to earn rewards for mining blockchains – without the need to learn a new technical skill set.

Backed by investors including Coinbase Ventures and Arrington Capital, angel investors Balaji Srinivasan (now CTO of Coinbase and a former mining entrepreneur), Morgan Creek partner Anthony Pompliano and Product Hunt co-founder Ryan Hoover also participated in the undisclosed funding.

The Coinmine One will retail for $799 and start shipping in mid-December, though the company declined to give a precise date or name a specific goal for sales. Still, CEO Farbood Nivi told CoinDesk in interview that the company believes its mining product has mass-market appeal.

Nivi explained:

“We think there’s a market for millions, if not tens of millions.”

One investor, Chapter One Ventures, explicitly backed the project because it wants to see more ways for everyday people to get involved in supporting cryptocurrency infrastructure.

“Coinmine will democratize access to becoming a miner in a fun and approachable way that almost feels like playing a video game,” its founder, Jeff Morris, Jr., told CoinDesk.

Digging into the details

For $799, the Coinmine One will sport a miner that can generate any one of the following out of the box: ether (ETH) at 29 Mh/sec, monero (XMR) at 900 h/sec, zcash (ZEC) at 320 h/sec and ether classic. With updates next year, it also expects to be able to run a stake for a Bitcoin Lightning node, Dfinity or Filecoin.

It uses roughly as much power (120 watts) as a PlayStation 3 during game play and runs at 40 decibels (quiet compared to the cacophony created by other mining products). With a profile like the one above, most people probably wouldn’t be horrified about it being visible in a room that a guest might visit.

More importantly, in an effort to make the product as user-friendly as possible, the system will be automatically updated as changes are made on the protocol and as more coins become available. Users will be able to monitor their earnings and manage them using an Android or iOS app (seen below).

If the company is right and consumers love it, don’t look for today’s mining hobbyists to agree. There’s nothing about its specs that compares to other miners sold on the market today that those much more tech savvy users are using. Coinmine One’s hash rate is much lower than those devices, and the price for its hash rate is higher.

But these issues, Nivi argues, miss a larger point.

Even if the current miners cost a third as much, he says they would still be out of reach to normal people: the ones who don’t know how to set them up or lack a place to store and operate hardware heats up quickly and generates a lot of noise. And they won’t know how to update them when protocols change, either.

Nivi and his company are betting, therefore, that there are people who want a way to participate in mining but want a lower path of entry. Another way to think of Coinmine is that it’s building on the market concept proven by what Honeyminer runs on PCs.

The CEO emphasizes the fact that the Coinmine One will remove some of the hardest work from users. He said: “The one thing that’s consistent in crypto is that it’s constantly changing and evolving. Coinmine is the only solution that makes it possible to continually be a part of that.”

Home mining is hard

That said, the business of selling home miners has not gone well historically.

Names like Butterfly Labs, Alpha Technology and GAW Miners comprise just part of a long history of mining product makers that didn’t stand the test of time (or didn’t devolve into outright fraud).

Other companies failed to balance the production-intensive process of making hardware with the demands of retail customers – particularly when the making of that hardware didn’t go according to plan. Even those that played the game by the book were unable to survive for the long-term, especially when contending with the downturn in cryptocurrency prices in 2015.

Case in point: a little piece of home mining history wrapped up this year when Josh Garza was convicted of wire fraud.

Garza’s company, GAWMiners, first made its mark by reselling imported mining equipment, and later expanded its business by hosting miners and then, later, offering so-called “virtual miners” that were later deemed securities.

Ultimately, it was Bitmain – with its economy-of-scale, access to cheap power and operation of mining services on both the hardware and software side – that came out on top, though other companies have emerged with possible competitive edges. And to this day, Bitmain still makes budget miners that could be affordable for a middle-class American consumer who owns a big garage (and a patient family tolerant of noise).

And yet it only takes a glance at any of these products to see an immediate difference from Coinmine One. ASIC miners look like enormous shoe boxes with a fan in a cage stuck to one end, like something that really doesn’t belong anywhere but a garage (unless someone wants to try to use one as a way of providing electric heating, an approach CoinDesk once proposed).

More importantly, the prior generation of miners look like companies took their pro versions and scaled them down a bit in price, noise and voltage, without fundamentally rethinking the design or user experience.

“If you go and buy these crypto devices online they sound like there is a vacuum cleaner running constantly,” Nivi said.

At 40 decibels, the Coinmine One shouldn’t even be noticeable, and, with its low electricity consumption, a user’s utility bills shouldn’t jump aggressively. Which isn’t to say that the business will be any easier, but it does support their case that the devices exist in a new category.

The HODLer Argument

The evolution of miners from home-based enthusiasts to industrial-scale behemoths highlights the fundamental business model of a miner: a kind of arbitrage where profits are made when the cost of energy is lower than the return on the cryptocurrencies mined and sold.

But Nivi argues that the Coinmine One is intended technology enthusiasts rather than profit seekers – as in, people who want to try out different protocols and interact with the communities behind them – while also having some skin in the game. More broadly, it’s for people with a long-time horizon who aren’t focused on making enough cash to keep the lights on and miners humming.

The Coinmine One isn’t single-use hardware, either. That said, it can only run one of a few proof-of-work tokens at a time. With forthcoming updates, it will also be able to run one of several proof-of-stake tokens as well.

This differentiates it from most other miners, built to mine as much as possible of just one coin. Take for example these two ETH miners. They cost twice as much but they also deliver about six times more hash power.

That might make it sound like Coinmine One is a bad deal, but that depends on a person’s situation. Someone living in an urban apartment, for example, could never run one of those miners, even if they could afford it.

The startup appears to be aiming to create a new product category in the mining sector.

“The real magic of the product is the software and hardware compatibility, which reminds me of Nest or Ring,” Morris told CoinDesk, referring to the unicorn startups that built mobile-enabled home thermostat and home security devices. Each were subsequently acquired at unicorn valuations, by Google and Amazon, respectively.

Even still, is the Coinmine One worth it?

One danger some users might foresee is that lots of people will buy it making the tokens it mines less lucrative for each miner. Nivi points out that they will keep adding new tokens, giving users options. Furthermore, though, he also contends that more miners means more value for what miners do earn.

“While more people mining a coin can decrease the amount of coins you earn, it also increases the value of the network,” he said.

Normally, in discussion of mining equipment, users calculate how long it will take them to recoup their capital expenditure in fiat from earnings in crypto. In conversation with CoinDesk, Nivi rejected that short-term analysis.

He said:

“If you’re doing this from home, it’s bad advice to buy and sell. You really should hold. You’re holding and waiting for it to 10X, 100X or 1000X.”

Product image courtesy of Coinmine

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Shanzhai Archeology: defying our standardized technological imagination

DISNOVATION.ORG (With Clément Renaud & Yuan Qu), Shanzhai Archeology. Photo : Sébastien Moitrot

Shanzhai Archeology – Research Database – beta. Photo: DISNOVATION.ORG

Over the past couple of years, Maria Roszkowska, Clément Renaud and Nicolas Maigret from DISNOVATION.ORG have been quietly smuggling odd-looking phones from China to Europe. They’ve got a phone that doubles up as a stun gun, one that’s shaped like a big strawberry, one you can use to light up your cigarette, one that will assist you in your religious rituals, etc.

These bizarre devices belong to the shanzhai production. They are counterfeit consumer goods, sold at lower prices and boasting multifunctional performances.

There’s a lot to admire about them though. First, they were designed to respond to very specific market needs. Second, they are hybrid products that emerge directly from the technological cross-breeding of the Made in China. These odd-looking artifacts question the hyper-normalised western technological imaginary and challenge the monopoly of our black touch-screen rectangles.

Shanzhai Archeology is an experimental research project that uses shanzhai as the starting point for a critical reflection on the normalization process of Occidental technological imaginations.

After a preliminary research on the industrial and political history of the shanzhai (see The Pirate Book), the members of DISNOVATION.ORG have been building up a collection of some 60 hybrid phones. About half of them were exhibited at the Mapping festival which took place a few weeks ago in Geneva. That’s where i started to talk with some of the members of DISNOVATION.ORG….

Shanzhai Archeology – Research Database – beta. Photo: DISNOVATION.ORG

Hi Maria, Nicolas and Clément! How did you go about hunting for those curious handsets? And then how did you manage to ship them to Europe where they are illegal?

For 3 years, we’ve been collecting rare devices online (mostly on Taobao and Alibaba) and in underground Chinese malls. We then stored them at Clement’s and Yuan family in Qingdao, China. The tricky part started when we had a show in France (for the Biennale Internationale Design of Saint-Etienne), and we had only a few months to bring all the phones from China to Europe where they cannot be legally imported. Many phones feature copies of brand names (SVMSMVG, MORIOROIA), sometimes of multiple brands (PCRSEHE and PORSCHE on the same phone). Most of them would never pass EU, UK or USA safety or branding requirements. They are simply not allowed go through customs. You can actually purchase stickers to pretend they are compliant with the rules, but this is probably not a good idea :)

Shanzhai Archeology, Stickers collection, 2015

Besides, since April 1, 2016 you’re not supposed to travel with lithium-ion batteries, shipping them overseas from China is now forbidden. We thus had to spend hours on the phone with border control, trade administration offices, customs, and various mail services in both countries. Basically, no official solution exists for electronics traveling as artworks. You’re just not supposed to carry a non-compliant device anywhere in Europe or USA. In the end, we did everything illegally / a-legally. We transported them one by one in planes, we asked family and friends to smuggle them, we had them shipped in slow Chinese post parcels, or broken down into parts and without battery in DHL parcels. So far, we’ve received 80 to 90% of our collection. We also learned a lot about the customs system in the process.

Shanzhai Archeology. Photo: DISNOVATION.ORG

Shanzhai Archeology – Research Database – beta. Photo: DISNOVATION.ORG

Could you tell us about some of these curious models?

For the Shanzhai Archeology research, we identified a series of phones manufactured in Shenzhen. Each of them combines several functions. They are hybrid objects that reflect very specific uses and are accompanied by stories and narratives.

The Buddha Phone is presented like a “virtual prayer room” – it is equipped with a touch that loads a kind of private, virtual and customizable altar. It is supposed to help Buddhists perform their rituals when they are away from home. You can simulate the burning of incense, replicate purification rites or play music to help you meditate wherever you are.

The Sound System Phone: China has a long tradition of phone for pensioners. The buttons are bigger, the sound is louder and it offers shortcuts for “sonny”, “daughter-in-law”, etc. One of pensioners’ favourite activities (along with mahjong) consists in dancing on public squares. It’s called guangchang wu. The sound system phone was conceived to broadcast loud sound outdoors. It integrates a small support to make it stand in front of the dancers. It also comes with several gigabytes of old-fashioned communist songs that Chinese pensioners are particularly keen on. The dances usually take place in the evening, in small rural villages which often lack street lighting. The phone thus features a powerful torch to ensure a smooth return home after the dance.

Square dance in a Chinese village

The Power Bank Phone: Ghana is currently going through a major power grid crisis: blackouts in the city can last for 36 hours on end. As a result, a significant business activity has grown around the sale of portable USB chargers that can charge electronic devices or even power bulbs. The Power Bank Phone, designed for this particular market, combines a 10000 Mh USB charger, an LED flashlight, and 3 sim card slots to connect the entire family or to take advantage of promotions offered by different operators.

DISNOVATION.ORG (With Clément Renaud & Yuan Qu), Shanzhai Archeology. Photo: DISNOVATION.ORG

The Prisoner Phone: marketed as “the smallest in the world”, this phone is made of 99% plastic, meaning that it will be barely detectable during checks in prison, it is easy to conceal and transport, especially via drones or carrier pigeons. It is also equipped with a “voice changer”.

The Taser Phone: marketed as a self-defense weapon, especially in case of snatching, the taser-phone is illegal in many countries. It is routinely seized at French customs.

DISNOVATION.ORG (With Clément Renaud & Yuan Qu), Shanzhai Archeology. Photo : Sébastien Moitrot

Does the little booth you built to display the phones echo the ones you saw in China?

Yes, the kiosk compiles distinctive elements we spotted in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Hong-Kong. For Shanzhai Archeology, we wanted to insert these telecommunication devices into their original context. Our inspiration were street vendors as well as the ‘malls’, those gigantic covered marketplaces where you can find small shops selling phones, gadgets and electronic components. We also kept a record of the names of the shops, in particular the ones where we bought the phones. This kiosk is called 手机百货 (shouji baihuo), a name used by hundreds of shops in China. Its very standard aspect and the adoption of common brands is a nod: we copy what works. One of the main inspirations for this booth is the Huaqiangbei hub in Shenzhen where you can buy most of the electronic accessories that are shipped from China to be exported. Huaqiangbei counts several thousands phone booths. However, you can find a smaller version of this type of hub in other Chinese cities. We are only presenting one of them, as a conservation copy.

DISNOVATION.ORG (With Clément Renaud & Yuan Qu), Shanzhai Archeology. Photo: Sébastien Moitrot

Shanzhai Archeology – Research Database – beta. Photo: DISNOVATION.ORG

And finally what made Shenzhen such a relevant city to investigate for the project?

It is the geographical area where most of the world electronics are produced and assembled.

We focused on the “phone” object as it plays a key role in the larger history of technological hybridization. More precisely, in the history of technological production that defies Western norms and standards. This project is an entry point to other technological imaginations, miles away from the black tactile rectangle (which has become the representation by default of the mobile phone).

Besides, Shenzhen is at the center of attention at the moment, it is THE place to buy electronics or get them manufactured. All kinds of “makers” and entrepreneurs flood the city. The place is changing very quickly, it is moving from the status of factory of the world to the one of world capital of design. The transformation of the city also involves the rewriting of its history, and more generally the history of the ‘Made in China’. Shanzhai products are gradually disappearing from the market, to be replaced by more standardized, more profitable, more globalized ones. In Shenzhen, the shanzhai has reached an almost mythical status, because of the role it played in the history of the city. We also need to keep in mind that the production of these weird phones involves a particularly complicated social reality, with farmers working in factories, often in objectionable conditions. We plan to resume this on-site survey before the Chinese industrial transition has completely erased all traces of this history and replaced it with a more homogenized discourse that focuses solely on design and on the iteration between product and market. With Shanzhai Archeology, we hope to capture and communicate the real history of the production of these hybrid objects.

Thanks Maria, Nicolas and Clément!

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