#We have to talk about it we have to get a guest to talk about it we have to bring it up again from a different angle

[hms-no-fun]

i'll barge in on this post as someone whose youtube career was at least partially made by being on that stream. i'd been watching for a couple days i think when May Leitz DM'd me to see if i wanted to be on. they needed lots of people to fill in at all hours of the day, and there was no plan for how to do that ahead of time because 24 hour streams were still a relatively new thing whose rules were being made in real time. so i got brought into the "tooth gang," a term whose origin i don't remember beyond us chanting "tooth gang rise up." this crowd of usually transfem commentators was a who's-who of 2019-era video essayists, most of whom are still in obscurity but got a huge boost at the time. it was, without doubt, a gargantuan clusterfuck, owing in part to the fact that there was no real process for vetting guests and several people had free invite permissions who really should not have-- and yet, it was precisely these we-haven't-figured-out-livestream-marathons-yet blunders which allowed the DK64 nightmare stream to become such a subcultural flashpoint. you didn't have to be a Name Brand Breadtuber (apologies to all the name brands who resent falling under this umbrella, i know you didn't ask for it) to get on the stream, you didn't even have to be friends with one of the Name Brands-- some in the tooth gang were actively seeking out obscure/niche youtubers and other trans figures to fill in dead air, to give more people a shot at exposure, because it was SUCH a big stream and they needed lots of bodies. i have no doubt this was incredibly annoying for the organizers of the stream, and something they all learned a lot of valuable lessons from-- but for that week, in that moment, the chaos enabled a community to self-recognize on an immense platform, eventually rubbing reputational shoulders with the likes of AOC.

i think what was so exciting about it was being suddenly inundated with the amount of trans people that existed in this community. every one of us that got on the stream was celebrated in some form, because the whole thing was just this swell of FUCK YOU WE'RE ALIVE energy. what was also amazing was the voracious crowdfund support. obviously the stream itself was raising money for the mermaids fund, but every guest was invited to plug any crowdfunding stuff they had. i remember one disabled trans person was suddenly able to afford a really good electric wheelchair after months of getting no donations. i had a gofundme for laser hair removal that met its goal in just a few minutes when i was invited to share it-- and after that, may was like "raise the goal, you need the money and people are giving it." so i did and they did, and on top of laser that kept the bills paid for a couple extra months. there was just this overwhelming sense that everyone was here because they loved trans people and wanted to support us against the growing tide of anti-trans sentiment, and the generosity on display was just amazing.

and then the way the guest list cascaded near the end, as it just got more and more high profile. suddenly you had people from the original DK64 dev team, you had Geralt's voice actor, you had AOC, and definitely a bunch of others i don't remember. it felt like being caught in a hurricane, like we were a bunch of nerdy enthusiasts who got swept up in this fun little thing we liked only to watch as the storm wall expanded around us until suddenly dozens of weird socially awkward often traumatized trans people who'd never really been recognized before were just barely off-stage for an event that made national news. obviously nobody talking about AOC's involvement was talking about any of the rest of us in specific, but it didn't matter. we were part of something that really felt like it mattered at the time. it felt like a substantial victory against popular transphobia, which was perhaps an over-estimation of that stream's material importance but whatever. it meant something, and that matters.

it was on that stream i pitched my politics of the mcelroy brothers video, and everyone who heard the pitch was like "oh that's a great idea, i'd watch that video." so when the stream was over i put all my energy into making it, and it is still the highest-viewed essay on my entire channel. that stream and the environment that emerged because of it changed the trajectory of a lot of people's lives, including my own. the base of support i built at that moment in 2019 remains the bulk of my income today, six years later. i met people on that stream who are still good friends. i've got a lot of fun memories; i'll never forget jumping into a chat one night (the call channels weren't limited until waaaay late in the week) between hbomb, stef sterling and others because someone had mentioned homestuck, and me being the relentless pill i am i jumped in to be like OKAY BUT HOMESTUCK IS GOOD ACTUALLY and sterling immediately was like "and that's my cue to leave!" i think it's safe to say i did not convince anyone on that call that homestuck is good actually, and i doubt that the intervening years have done much to move the needle on that front, but i got a kick out of it nevertheless. once it was over i got a bunch of folks to record their thoughts on what the stream meant for them, and put it all together in an episode of my podcast Trans Questioning. that's a good listen if you want some more contemporary accounts of the event.

so yeah. at the time of the stream i'd been on HRT for less than a year and i'd been out only slightly longer than that. i'd freshly graduated college and released a sort of art film essay about transitioning that i was really proud of but didn't exactly know how to continue on from. the DK64 nightmare stream hit my life at a perfectly miraculous moment. the sudden increased audience for my youtube and podcast meant i didn't have to get a day job straight out of college. being annoying about homestuck at hbomb got me on my first episode of the perfectly generic podcast, a show i'd eventually go on to be a recurring host of. jump forward a year and change to June 2020, when i decided to get the absolute fuck out of Oklahoma and move to Seattle. to do that, i had to raise something like $4000 through streams and begposts. even taking into account the more generous donation atmosphere of the time, i don't think i would have been able to do that if not for the exposure i got from being part of the tooth gang. on the backend, that stream was a catastrophe whose mistakes were rightly aggressively corrected in future iterations. there will never be another stream like it, and probably shouldn't be, at least not quite so purely unmoderated. attempts were made by some to replicate that environment, but without the "big" names anchoring it they just weren't the same and came with diminishing returns. its importance was the result of, in essence, a humorously tolerated hijacking by the trans community. it was a brilliant, strange, stressful moment, one that i hope someday another generation of trans creators will have their own version of.

hi what was it like to be a part of hbomberguy's mermaid donkey kong 64 stream?

for myself, just watching the stream was a milestone in how i view my own relation to gender and im curious how did it feel like to see so many amazing voices speak of their stories and experiences in your position at the time.

I don't want to speculate but ever since you came out i was wandering if you knew at the time

my abiding memory of it was that it precipitated me and my then partner saying "I love you" to each other for the first time, which is a happy memory. Other than that I don't honestly recall much.

[mxymii]

ERROR

pairing | android!jjk x humanfem!reader

warning | 18+, smut, possessive/obsessive behavior, p in v, naive reader, dom!jjk, sub!reader, unprotected sex, etc.

summary | when your android bot hates having people steal your attention from him…

a/n | hello guysss!!! so glad that you all loved my previous posts! i appreciate so much and now with this one i have decided to steer away from squid games a bit and get into k-pop starting with the man himself, jungkook. i hope you all enjoy and pls feel free to leave any feedback ! (i have the warnings up for you all to read, i am not your parent and will not tell you what you should or should not read :))

hard eyes stared back at you as you tried to continue your conversation with a fellow friend of yours. having a bot in your house was something you didn’t think was going to bring you so much trouble, but there he stood with a hard glare at the man besides you.

you could tell that your friend was getting uncomfortable with the stares jungkook was giving him, which had you stand up and drag him to a more secure spot. “jungkook stop it. why are you staring at him like that?” you told him softly, being careful to not let your guest hear your conversation.

“get him out before i do it myself.” he said harshly as his eyes glowed blue, a sign of anger coursing through his wires.

“jungkook i can’t just kick him out, we are simply just catching up. i would prefer if you will excuse yourself for a minute, go charge up or something…” you tell him as your hands slide down from your face, frustration building up. this wasn’t something knew. he always acted out whenever someone was either too close or invaded your house, he hated having people over.

his hand quickly grips your face, his finger firm enough to apply pressure but not too harsh to harm your face. “do it y/n, i’m not asking you again.” seeing this new side of jungkook scared you, he had become more possessive over you but you just brushed it off as him being protective. that’s what the manual had said.

he quickly pushes you back into the room where your guest stood, you didn’t want it to end like this but you quickly apologize and ask them to leave, letting them know you would catch up later on. as you try to say your goodbyes, jungkook is quick to shut the door close and lock it, his dark eyes meeting yours.

“you don’t listen, do you?”

“kook..what are you talking about?” you try to talk to him with his sweet nickname that he loved but it didn’t work at all. although he was a android, his humanly features were very prominent. if you had seen him in the street you wouldn’t even know he was a android.

“i don’t want people coming here anymore. it’s only going to be me and you, that’s it.” he said firmly as he made his way towards you slowly.

“you can’t make that decision, it’s my house jungkook, plus you’re my bot and you do as i say…” your breath hitches up as his hand grips your throat tightly. “well baby..the rules have changed.”

your eyes widen at the fact his demeanor changed overtime, jungkook was never like this but being so naive and trying to justify his actions you failed to realize how crazy he has gone. “what? can’t talk now?” he states as his lips graze the side of your face, his finger marks being visible by how firmed he had gripped it earlier.

“no one is allowed near you..you stay here with me y/n.” he leaves open-mouthed kisses on your neck, sucking and teething to leave marks all over your skin. “jungkook…” you whine as you try to push your head away, although your mind tells you this is wrong your body betrays you, asking for more.

“i bet he wasn’t able to have you like this huh?” he locks his gaze with you for a minute before smashing his lips onto yours, nibbling and sucking on your bottom lip to give him access to his tongue. “kook…”

he picks you up just to drop you on the couch, his hand fumbling with your pants as he quickly takes your garments off as well. his knee meets with your cunt as he has you grinding on him. “you’re mine to kiss, to love on, to look at…” he says against your ear as his grips your waist, helping you grind on him faster. “fuck jungkook..”

“if i see anyone in here other than myself, ill kill them y/n. is that what you want?” he trails his hand down to your clit, massaging your clit in circles. the way he was talking to you was just making you turned on even more. your head pushed back against the cushion as you feel his finger plunge into you at a fast pace, not even letting you adjust for a bit. “fuck!”

“look at you…so fucking wet for me..” he whispers softly as he leaves wet kiss against your body, trailing down towards your wet pussy. his tongue darts down to your clit, as he sucks on it harshly, his finger picking up the pace even more. the room is filled with screams of pleasure and wet noises coming of your pussy but you could care less, the amount of pleasure he was giving you was all new to you.

“fuck jungkook! please don’t stop!” you screamed as your fingers gripped his hair tightly, your legs furiously shaking as you were close to your high. “gonna cum baby?” he says softly against your clit for a second as he continues back to sucking your clit and pussy lips clean.

“ngh jungkook!” you screamed as your body shook from the intense orgasm he had given you, he quickly sucks your cum up but lasting a bit longer which as your legs shaking a bit from the overstimulation.

he quickly takes his pants off, his cock hard and oozing out with precum. he bumps his cock at the sight of your tired body from the orgasm you just had but that only stimulates him more, he wasn’t done you just yet. he tease his tip against your entrance. soft grunts and groans leave past his lips. “no one can fuck you except for me baby..you’re mine.” with that he thrusts into you, hard.

leaving no room for adjustment, he is quick to set a pace, his hands digging onto your skin knowing that’ll leave a mark the next day but you couldn’t even protest as your eyes rolled back and your mouth was left agape.

“so fucking tight baby..” he moaned as he tilted his head back, sweat trickled down from his forehead. he could easily cum right there by how your walls clenched onto his cock but he held himself back, wanting to have you cum before him.

“fuck! jungkook!” your nails clawed against back, your head tilted back and your hair sticking onto your forehead. he grunts at your moans and the way his name left your lips, his guided his hand back onto your clit as he touches it vehemently. his other hand quickly grabs onto your legs as he lifts it up high, the new position giving him more access to feel deeper into you. he didn’t think he could hold back any longer as his grunts turned into loud moans, chanting praise against your ears.

“cum with me baby..” he moans softly as the both of you shook and came unraveling. “shit! fuck y/n..” he moan softly, his thrust slowing down as his cum filled you up full.

“this’ll teach you something now.”

a/n | helppp that was it !!!! hope you all enjoyed!!!

mxymii out!

[tortillamastersblog]

Back To You - Part 14 | Sam Carpenter

Pairing: Sam Carpenter x reader

Warnings: mentions of violence, death, blood, injuries, and swearing

Summary: When Sam left after turning eighteen, you were devastated. You’d been in love with her since you were kids and her leaving meant you never got to tell her how you truly felt.

Fast forward a couple of years, Tara gets attacked and Sam returns. . .

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

_______________________________________________

For the first time in almost 48 hours it’s quiet and I’m warm and comfortable.

After having a late dinner, Gale and Brooks showed all of us to separate guest rooms. Tara and Chad are sharing a room, much to Sam’s dismay, but she didn’t object other than raising an eyebrow.

Danny has his own room and Sam and I are sharing a room. It’s honestly astonishing how many bedrooms this penthouse has, but then again this is Gale we’re talking about and if she doesn’t have the money to afford a place like this, no one does.

At first I was skeptical about sharing a bed with Sam, but as soon as we were alone we fell back into old habits. We slipped under the covers and before I could even start to overthink anything, Sam wordlessly grabbed my arm and slung it around her middle, pulling me close until my front was flush with her back.

I fell asleep pretty quickly after that, but now for some reason I’m awake again. I can’t check my phone for the time because it’s on the nightstand and I don’t want to wake Sam by moving, but it’s still dark outside, so I close my eyes and try to fall asleep again.

I’m beyond exhausted, but a moment later Sam jerks in her sleep and I open my eyes again.

That’s what woke me in the first place. She’s not sleeping properly.

I frown, but think nothing of it until she jerks yet again, more violently this time. She mumbles some unintelligible pleas, and I move closer, tightening my arms around her.

She’s having a nightmare.

Tara used to have them, too, but hers were more like night terrors.

“Hey. . .” I brush my nose against the back of her neck.

“No, Y/N.” She whimpers and twitches in her sleep and I sigh sadly.

I sit up and press a kiss to her temple. “Sam, wake up.”

“No,” she cries, louder this time, and I can’t stand seeing the way her face twists in agony.

I unwrap my arm from around her and shake her. “Sam!”

That does the trick. Sam’s eyes fly open and she sits up with a start, almost head butting me in the process.

“I can’t— I wasn’t—“

“Shhh. You’re okay. Tara’s okay. I’m okay.” I pull her into my arms, and rub my hands up and down her back when she sinks into me.

She shakes with muffled sobs and I whisper reassurances into her ear until she stammers, “I-It felt so real.”

I press another kiss to her temple and guide us back so we’re once again lying down. “I know, but it wasn’t.”

A strangled whimper claws its way past her lips and I raise one of my hands to run my fingers through her hair.

She constantly puts up a strong front, trying to protect everyone around her even though she’s really the one who needs to be protected and comforted.

I’m glad she’s not afraid to be vulnerable when it’s just the two of us.

After a couple more minutes of calming Sam down, she shifts so she’s lying with her head on my chest. “You know, there weren’t any knives in the knife block. . .”

My hand stills on her back and I frown. “What?”

Sam looks up and drapes an arm over my stomach. “When Ghostface attacked earlier, I went to the kitchen to grab a knife, but they were all gone.“

“What the fuck. . .” I clench my jaw, and replay the attack in my mind.

Ghostface knew the layout of the apartment, that much is clear. However that doesn’t explain the missing knives.

The only explanation I can come up with is that whoever is behind the mask removed them in forethought since the last time we thought Ghostface would attack, Sam immediately went and grabbed one from the kitchen.

The only way Ghostface could have known Sam would be going for a knife again though is if he or she was there the first time it happened, and the only one who was there that first time, but not tonight is. . .

“Oh my God, it’s Ethan,” I whisper, horrified by my realization. “He’s Ghostface. Or at least one of them.”

“What?” Sam frowns and rests her chin on my chest to look at me. “Why would you think it’s him? Chad said he was studying at the library all night. And what do you mean one of them? You think there’s more than one Ghostface?”

I quickly explain how I came to the conclusion and when I’m done Sam stares at me with her jaw dropped.

“Oh my God. . . You’re right,” she says quietly. “But we can’t be a hundred percent sure, so we have to keep our guard up. And we should keep it to ourselves for the time being, we don’t know who his accomplice is.”

I agree before a stunned silence settles over us.

Son of a bitch. . . How did I not realize it sooner. Ethan’s whole innocent-nerd act is the perfect cover. But why would he want to kill us? Does he want to make another Stab movie like Richie and Amber? And who could possibly be his accomplice?

I’m just glad I got to body slam that twig. Piece of shit.

Sam’s nightmare is all but forgotten now, but after what we just discovered we’re both far from falling back asleep.

“So, how do you feel about Tara and Chad being kind of a thing now?” I ask, changing the subject which makes Sam’s nose scrunch up.

“It’s a little weird and out of the blue, but I honestly can’t say I’m against it,” she admits with a huff. “Chad’s a good guy and if Tara likes him as much as he seems to like her, who am I to tell her they can’t go out. God knows she already hates me for looking out for her.”

I raise an eyebrow at that and touch her cheek to get her to look at me again when she averts her eyes. “She doesn’t hate you. She just feels like you don’t trust her enough to make her own decisions.”

Sam pouts. “But I do trust her.”

I sigh and brush my lips against her forehead in a fleeting kiss. “Then show her that. You can’t protect her from everything. I know it’s hard, especially right now because Ghostface is back, but you have to let her live sooner or later.“

She lets out a deep breath and lifts her head to kiss me softly. “I know.”

I hug her tighter and run my fingers through her hair again when she settles back on my chest. “Let’s try to get some more sleep while we can. We’ll deal with Ethan and everything else tomorrow.”

Sam hums in agreement, snuggling up to me and I close my eyes, burying my nose in her hair and taking a deep breath.

The smell of her coconut shampoo, mixed with the smell that is uniquely hers makes me relax and before I know it, I’m once again fast asleep.

I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all.

We’re all currently standing in the middle of an old abandoned movie theater that is filled with glass cases displaying various pieces of evidence from past Ghostface murders. Knives, clothes, sketches of the victims and killers. . .

It makes my blood run cold, especially the mannequins on the theater’s stage, dressed in Ghstface cloaks, but my worry for Sam outweighs the sense of dread this place evokes in the pit of my stomach.

She’s been deathly still ever since Gale brought us here and her grip on my hand is almost painful.

“How the hell did you find this place?” Kirby asks as we make our way through the. . . exhibition?

Mindy, who met us outside the theater a couple of minutes earlier freezes in front of a mannequin wearing her and Chad’s late uncle’s shirt.

“I’m an investigative journalist,” Gale deadpans. “How didn’t you find it?” she asks Kirby.

It turns out this place belonged to the two guys in Tara’s film class who were killed by Ghostface. Apparently they were loaded and used fake names to rent this place, but were killed before they could finish their collection of fucked-up memorabilia.

A fact, that is disturbing enough in and of itself, but it puzzles me why we’re only finding out about it now. I mean, Gale is right, how could Kirby not find this place when going through their financial records?

Something about this feels fishy, but I can’t put my finger on it, so I keep my mouth shut, just like how I kept my mouth shut when Ethan showed up a couple of minutes after Mindy.

Chad texted him about this place to keep him in the loop, which prompted him to come here too.

I know Sam said we can’t be a hundred percent certain he’s one of the Ghostfaces, but I’ve caught him staring at me more than once since getting here now, and every time I get too close to him, he moves back and puts distance between us. It’s almost like he’s afraid of me.

Good. He should be afraid. The next time I come across him in that Ghostface mask of his, I won’t hesitate to kill him.

You fuck with the people I love, you pay the price.

Sam letting go of my hand snaps me out of my thoughts. She walks through the rows of display cases with furrowed eyebrows while I stay back, watching her process everything.

That is until Tara tugs on my sleeve.

“Okay, spill,” she says quietly, making sure no one is watching us as they explore the theater.

“Huh?”

“You and Sam!” she hisses. “How? When? I mean— You guys are alone for like two seconds and now you’re—what? Together? Or—?”

I laugh softly. This is so not the time to talk about this, but Tara just can’t keep her curiosity in check. “We’re not officially, or anything, but we talked and we kissed, and—“

“You kissed?!” she shrieks in excitement before quickly slapping her hand over her mouth.

Luckily no one seems to have heard her and I can’t help but smile bashfully and nod. “Yeah, we kissed and she told me she loved me.”

Tara beams and bounces on her toes. “Oh my God, yes! Finally! I told you she felt the same way!”

I wave her off, scratching my neck nervously. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t remind me. . . So, you and Chad, huh?”

This time, it’s Tara’s turn to blush and I can’t help but revel in it when she nods shyly.

“I’m happy for you, Sprout.” I pull her into a quick hug and ruffle her hair. “You two make a hot couple.”

She snorts and shoves me playfully. “Oh, shut up. You’re one to talk.”

We share another smile before Chad calls Tara over to show her something.

I watch her go, feeling myself smiling like an idiot until my eyes land on Sam.

She’s up on the stage and staring at a Ghostface cloak in a display case with a far off look in her eyes. I’ve never seen her look like this before, and it makes me worry because she’s tense and seemingly upset, so I climb onto the stage and approach her slowly, making sure I don’t scare her when I place a hand on her waist.

“Hey, you okay?” I ask quietly, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

She inhales sharply and leans back against me with closed eyes. “No.”

“What is it?” I wrap my arms around her and squeeze her hands when she intertwines our fingers.

“It’s Billy,” she admits quietly, brokenly, as realization dawns on me.

She’s seeing him in the reflection of the glass case. . . That’s what that look on her face was.

“What’s he saying?” I ask without judgement, holding her closer.

“The same shit as always,” she whispers. “You’re a born killer, Sam. Let’s slice up some motherfuckers, Sam. What are you waiting for, Sam?”

I hum in acknowledgement and press another kiss to her shoulder, mumbling, “I’m sorry.”

She shakes her head and squeezes my hands. “Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault. I actually see him less when you’re around.”

Well, I wasn’t expecting that, and I can’t stop myself from blurting out a surprised, “Really?”

Sam chuckles sadly and tilts her head up to brush her lips against the underside of my jaw. “Yeah. I don’t know why, but you ground me like no one else and when I’m with you I feel safe. I feel loved.”

My heart swoops and I drop my chin to peck her lips. That’s all I ever wanted—to make her feel safe and loved. She deserves the world and so much more, and I’m just glad she’s letting me be there for her.

“I love you,” I whisper against her lips. “We’re going to get through this, and I promise you, once all this is over, I’m taking you on a date. A real date with flowers, dinner, wine, and a bunch of kisses.“

“That sounds amazing. I look forward to it, and I love you, too,” she mumbles before turning more serious and adding, “But first, we’re going to end this. Once and for all.”

She turns in my arms and I raise my eyebrows. “And how do you plan on doing that?”

She raises her hands and places them on my chest, a determined glint in her eyes. “I’ve got a couple ideas, but we need to talk to Kirby and Bailey first.”

“Will you please stop? You’re shaking the entire car,” Kirby says with a pointed look.

I’m bouncing my leg because I’m nervous about what’s about to go down, but stop when I realize she’s right.

We’re in the back of a surveillance van with Mindy, Chad, and Ethan while Sam and Tara are walking around in the park outside.

Bailey is also outside, keeping an eye on them, but his presence does nothing to stop me from worrying about the two of them.

They’re trying to goad Ghostface into calling them so Kirby can trace the car and find out where he is, but so far, he hasn’t called.

To be fair, it’s only been ten minutes since we got here, but still. I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all.

What if he sneaks up on them in broad daylight and slits their throats? What if he lures them somewhere else?

There are too many things that could go wrong for me to be comfortable with this plan, but Kirby and Bailey are sure this is going to work, so I’m not going to interfere.

Mindy seems skeptical too, and she doesn’t hesitate to voice her concerns while Ethan, seemingly unbothered by this whole situation, eats Cheetos, occasionally offering some to Chad.

He doesn’t offer me any, but there’s no surprise there because every time he looks my way I glare at him, daring him to do anything.

Sam and I talked some more earlier and we both decided that it would be best to tell Kirby about our suspicions, but there hasn’t been a chance to do it yet without Ethan potentially overhearing us.

“Hey, Sam? Stay frosty out there, okay?” Kirby says into the comms device.

“We’re good.” Sam replies, her voice sounding strained and clipped over the speaker that lets the rest of us in the van hear what she’s saying.

I want to be out there with her and Tara, but Kirby argued that I could scare Ghostface off by being with them since I’ve kicked his ass twice now.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I reluctantly pull it out, focusing on whoever’s calling me instead of Sam and Tara.

I frown when I see it’s Paige, and send the call to voicemail before stuffing my phone back into my pocket.

I don’t have time to chat now and I definitely don’t want to be lectured about how I haven’t replied to her latest message yet.

She asked me how things were going with Liam last night and even sent me a picture of her girlfriend’s new dog, but I promised myself I wouldn’t contact her until this whole Ghostface situation is behind us.

That way she doesn’t get involved and I have one less person to worry about.

Yes, she might be pissed now that I’m ignoring her, but she’ll thank me later when she’s still alive because of it.

Sam’s phone rings over the speaker and my heart skips a beat when she answers it.

This is it.

“You’re gonna die you know,” she says, venom lacing her voice.

That’s my girl. Oh my god. . . that’s my girl!

Focus, Y/N!

“No, you’re gonna die, Samantha, chocking on your own blood while I hack up your sister and Y/N. Although it’s a shame because your precious Y/N really is a snack. . .”

Ew, what the fuck?

Mindy and I share a disturbed look and Kirby tries her best to trace the call while Sam keeps talking to Ghostface.

“You know, for a mastermind you’re not very bright,” Ghostface mocks. “Waiting for me to call, desperately hoping I’m nearby so the police can grab me?”

Shit. He knows we’re onto him, which also means, he’s not dumb enough to be anywhere nearby. But where else could he be?

Ghostface hangs up a moment later just as my phone buzzes again.

It’s Paige. Again.

I frown, irritated, and decline her call before shooting her a quick text.

You (5:47 PM)

Can I call you back?

I don’t wait for a reply and tuck my phone back into my pocket, holding my breath when Sam asks Kirby if she managed to trace the call.

“I got it! The geolocation is coming through right now,” Kirby says and Mindy, Chad, Ethan and I all lean in closer to look at the blinking dot on the map of Kirby’s computer.

“He’s on the upper west side,” Kirby says with a puzzled look. “He’s in an apartment building halfway across the city.”

“On West 96th?” Tara asks which makes my eyes widen.

“How did you know that?” Kirby asks, and before Tara can answer I’m out of my seat and reaching for the van’s door handle.

“Gale.” I breathe, jumping out of the van.

She’s in trouble. Why did we leave her behind?! No press allowed, my ass. She’s going to die now because Kirby and Bailey said she wasn’t allowed to be part of the operation.

Tara and Sam come running my way, obviously having realized the same thing as me. Bailey is right behind him and when they get closer I can hear them arguing about what’s going to happen next.

“It’s 50 blocks away,” Bailey says. “And we don’t even know it’s true. Sam, wait! Take a minute.”

“We don’t have a minute!” Sam snaps back and before I can hear the rest of Bailey’s argument, Tara rushes to me and grabs my arm, pulling me to Bailey’s squad car which is parked on the curb.

“Sprout, what are you doing?!” I ask, bewildered when Tara gets into the driver’s seat after urging me to get into the backseat.

“We’re going to save Gale,” is all she says before turning the key in the ignition (how she got it, I have no idea), and rolling down the window, shouting, “Sam! Get in.”

Sam’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, but she’s quick to jump into action and get into the passenger seat before locking the doors from the inside.

“Hey! What are you doing? Get out of my car! That’s an official vehicle!” Bailey shouts, but Sam just rolls up the window and turns to look at Tara.

“Should we use the sirens?” she asks.

Tara, despite the seriousness of the situation, smiles mischievously and says, “Did you really think we were gonna steal a police car and not use the sirens?”

“Fuck yeah!” Sam puts on her seatbelt and Tara turns on the sirens and drives off right as Bailey reaches the car, banging on the window.

“Oh my God, he’s going to kill us,” I say, seeing him glare at us through the back window.

Tara and Sam just laugh, and I smile, too, but then my phone dings and I pull it out, feeling my heart freeze when I see the message Paige sent me.

PB&J (5:50 PM)

It’s Liam, Y/N. He’s been attacked by Ghostface.

_______________________________________________

And I oop. . . 2 or 3 more parts to go!!!

Tag list: @bella423 @artrizzler19 @btay3115 @canyonyodeler @quadofthec @pussyydestroyer @rqizzu @pithod @morganismspam23 @idontliketoread2137

[odasantiago]

Rating all of the current audio rp ships I know of

(Tw: opinions I guess. If you’re really defense about ships then oh well 😭) by the way, this is in NO WAY dissing the creators, it’s just how I see the pair and why I like or dislike them.

- 1) Zaris (Zaros and Earis) from the Noble Trials from ZSakuva

This ship is so beautiful in every way imaginable, the way they pine for eachother so much, at the same time trying to honor their family hurts me so much. It’s so extremely complex and so heartbreaking, doomed yaoi done so well I fear. So nicely written, I have no complaints about them whatsoever.

- 2) DemonDoctor (Albus York and Mahatma) from Bastards Vs Zombies by GoodBoyAudios

The only reason this isn’t at the top is because this ship is newer to be honest, demondoctor is such a sweet pair, you can literally hear everytime they interact that they genuinely Like spending time with eachother, and you can tell the character development from Albus from episode 5, their always somehow together or at least mentions eachother. So excited to see more moments of them in the future.

- 3) Donthus (Dontis and Xanthus) From Xanthus’ series from ZSakuva

They’re a really cute pair, especially for Xanthus, we’ve only seen Xanthus with the bond, but how about without it? That’s we see in the Donthus ship, it may be considered a rare pair but their personalities just scream “I love you so bad but I can’t admit it” , I can’t explain this one as well since we didn’t get a lot of them, but they hold a special place on my heart lol

- 4) Alseth (I made that name up idk what their real ship name is) Alphonse and Seth from bittersweet, by Yuurivoice

I will always defend these two, after so much they’ve really stayed supportive of eachother and their basically soulmates. It’s only this low because I didn’t watch a lot of yuurivoice, and to be honest, I think it would be a bit better if we didn’t get a listener and just see them as two people in love. (My opinion though)

- 5) Cermond (Cervantes and Edmond) from Not in Front of the Dinner Darling by Escaped audios

Now, if we were talking about how I SEE Cermond before they were vampires, this would’ve been easily number 3. But in their canon version, we haven’t seen a lot of them. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVEEEEEE Cervantes and I mean I LOVE him. It’s just that on the surface they are toxic, you can kinda understand though since they are.. vampires and went through a lot. But it’s so sweet how they’ve stayed together for so long. It’ll probably be on a higher spot when the series progresses LOL

- 6) Warriorfaith (I made that up too) Albus and Faith from Bastard Warrior by GoodBoyAudios

Now, don’t come at me for this, I just don’t dig them that much. I love their dynamic and how their written, that’s why it isn’t super duper low. They are super lovely and sweet, but realistically, I can’t see them together. (Especially after that last episode..) its probably because I wasn’t obsessed with bastard warrior LOL

- 7) Guestslayer (I MADE THAT UP TOO!) Guest and Alfonso from Matador Gothic by Escaped Audios.

Now, this is the first one that I didn’t necessary like, their not badly written at all DONT get me wrong, I’m very used to slow burn so that could account for my feelings on that as well, they’re cute! I’ll admit, it just wasn’t for me LOL. (MG is really good though please don’t get me wrong guys)

-8) Stacy and Jean (yeah I don’t have a name for them) from New Orleans Rats by Escaped Audios

These two are just straight up toxic, imma keep it a buck, I love the whole cast for NJR but Stacy just tricked Jean tbh 😭 jean definitely deserved intern because GOSH that would’ve been bad if they didn’t break up

That’s all! Again, I am NOT dissing the creators, I am simply saying which ships are for me and which ones aren’t. These are all amazing series and that’s the main reason I know these ships, i really don’t care if any of yall like the ones that I ranked low, they’re just not for me! But go see all of these series if you haven’t, they are all really amazing.

[starlighttsv]

Best of both worlds - Paige’s daughter

💌 Syn: Paige is on “the best of both worlds” podcast during her world tour

»»— warnings: none :)

»»— notes: 🗑️😃 but only 1 more fic before i’m done trying to edit these cringy stories 🤗

»»— word count: 1k

»»— pair: paige x daughter!oc || lilah bueckers

Todays the day of filming Flaujae's podcast "the best of both worlds" hosted in Atlanta currently because of overtime Queen of the Court. Lilah is also with Paige but the time of filming the podcast, is a few minutes after her nap time starts and she can never skip naps or she'll be a very grumpy sassy 1 year old. So she's gonna sleep in the room next door and Paige & Flaujae are gonna leave the filming room door cracked so Paige can hear if she wakes up or anything.

"Alright guys now moving on, today's special guest is.....Paige Bueckers!" Flaujae introduces "hey everyone! Thank you for having me." Paige replies

"So I have some questions for you" flaujae starts, making Paige nod and say go ahead.

"What is your favorite basketball highlight of yours?"

"Ooo wait...oh I'm gonna go with when I was shooting the ball and it bounced off the rim, and then straight down in the bucket. I love that highlight"

"I saw that one! That was so dope!"

"Alright, what's your favorite basketball picture of you?"

"The one where I'm looking at the fans screaming after a basket, and there all screaming back at me. I need to get that framed!"

"Y'all heard her, get that picture framed for her" Flau says making her and Paige laugh a little and joke around for a few. "Alright who has more rizz?" Flaujae jokes "oh cmon, I'm the greatest rizzler of all time" Paige laughs making Flau also start to laugh "Alright I'll give you that. People say I'm a flirty person until I'm talking to someone I like" "your just shy or?" Paige cuts in "no it's more of just like I don't want to push it to much." Flaujae adds "oh I get that, I get that"

"You need to give me some tips." Flaujae jokingly says "alright-" Paige starts "off camera, off camera" Flaujae cuts in making Paige agree "Alright alright, a little more serious questions" Flaujae starts "you have a daughter" she adds making Paige nod "what's your favorite thing about her?"

"Ooo uhh, I honestly don't know. Uhh her love for adventure maybe? She loves going to new places, seeing new people, seeing animals she's never seen before. She loves even going on like "road-trips" to the store or gas station." Paige answered "Shes been with you for your whole "world tour" so far, right?" Flau questions "yeah.“

"What was your favorite thing to do with her on your world tour? And what was her favorite thing to do, if you know?"

"My favorite was umm oh our LA trip, we did a lot there. We went to Disneyland, Universal, a few museums, few beach trips, an aquarium vist, plus some more. Lilah's favorite was probably-" Paige stops talking as she hears Lilah walking through the hallway and calling out for her

"Mama" Lilah says, obviously looking for Paige. P takes a quick glance at Flaujae asking if she can bring Lilah in here, making Flaujae do a quick nod giving Paige her approval. "In here baby" P calls out, hearing Lilah start walking towards the filming room.

When she enters and sees Paige, she starts waddling towards P a little faster "good morning babe, how was your nap?" Paige asks, going on deaf ears as Lilah just walks closer to Paige and puts her hands on P’s thighs, a sign that she wants picked up. So Paige leans down and picks her up putting her on her thigh and Lilah immediately cuddles closer to Paige.

"I 100% have baby fever now. She's so cute omg" Flaujae says making Paige let out a chuckle "thank you" Paige says "well she's in here now so maybe she can answer your question. Lil what was your favorite thing we did so far this summer?"

She just cuddles into Paige more "cmon Lilah, I know you have favorites" P tries to convince her "ball and Disney" Lilah mumbles "she said ball and Disney, which translates to all star and Disneyland"P chuckles while rubbing Lilahs back, either to help her go back to sleep or to wake her up. Paige doesn’t really know the answer yet and she doesn’t think Lilah knows yet either

"I was gonna ask her favorite part of all star but looking at her, I don't think she wants to answer" Flaujae softly says, seeing that Lilah is trying not to fall asleep in Paige's arms right now  "she never really wants to talk after waking up, she just wants cuddles and silence to decide if she's awake for the day or not - but she said she loved meeting all the new people and seeing people she already knew again - especially loved seeing Diana, Sue, Breanna, Megan, Angel and Caitlyn, when I asked her." Flaujae nods and says  "so we can count on her to go to UConn" "I mean maybe? But I'm not gonna force her to follow my footsteps." Paige shrugs making Flau nod again "alright I'll move the subject away from your daughter, I got carried away. That's my bad"

Paige laughs a little, "Your good. I love talking about her any chance I get." Flaujae smiles at that and says "you seem like an amazing mom"

"Thank you. I try my best for her." Flaujae nods and then looks at her cards and says "alright we're gonna play a game. I'm gonna name a few of your teammates past and present, and I want you to give me one word that describes them." Paige nods still rubbing Lilahs back, and Lilahs just playing with Paige's chain now, deciding she wasn’t tired anymore.

"Kk Arnold" "goofy"

"Azzi Fudd" "consistent"

"Nika Mühl" "I have so many words to describe her....menace"

"Aaliyah Edwards" "dog"

"And last but not least, Ice Brady" "she icy"

Lilah stayed on Paige’s lap for the rest of filming, still just playing with P’s chain - and once filming was wrapped Paige took lilah to get some food before going back to the practice facility and go over plays with “team paige”

@melpthatsme @rebecca-woso @authentic-girl03

[kradogsrats]

@dragonprincedrabbles prompt Harrow + Damian, Breathe

—

A particularly nasty cold works its way through the castle, the first winter after they move in. Even Sarai gets the sniffles, though fortunately no more than that. Being sick and six months' pregnant would be truly miserable.

Callum stays healthy, thanks to diligent hand-washing and restriction from the areas of the castle where germs are most freely spread, but he grows moody and standoffish. He was already struggling to adjust, obviously feeling like an out-of-place guest in the castle and seeing Harrow as more like a distant uncle than a stepfather. Sarai knows he needs time—the only way encourage growing into a home and family is to allow the space to do so, and then step back. She just hates seeing her son unhappy.

Then Claudia, the one playmate he's truly grown close with, gets sick enough to spend a week in bed, and he starts acting out in ways he never has before. Not even when Damian was dying.

Harrow spends most of that week with Viren, who is understandably beside himself over his daughter's condition, mild though it is. Once she's undeniably on the mend and Harrow's able to escape, Sarai shares her own frustration and worries about her son. Always thoughtful, he suggests that they go to the lodge—there's a blanket of fresh snow on the ground, and a change of scene and activities will do Callum good.

It's a fantastic idea, one Sarai is embarrassed she didn't think of herself. Of course, she's not exactly used to having an entire lodge to retreat to for relaxation.

The first few days go better than she could ever hope—he and Harrow sled, build snowmen and snow banthers, and have snowball fights more epic than any Border skirmish. Sarai joins them sometimes, though she feels a little too pregnant for some of the more vigorous activities and is content to watch from inside, sipping hot cider. Callum runs to her pink-cheeked and laughing when they come back inside, happier every day than he has been in weeks. In the evenings, he falls asleep on the couch, nestled between them as Harrow reads aloud in his deep, soothing voice.

Then the castle cold catches up with Harrow.

Sarai suddenly finds herself caught between overseeing regular deliveries of hot soup and honeyed tea to her husband and near-constant tantrums from her son. Everything becomes a battle—getting up in the morning, what food he'll eat for any meal and when, putting on warm clothes before going outside, baths, bedtime. After a particularly bad fit over wanting to go ice skating—it's not cold enough for Sarai to trust the pond's ice without it being checked—she gathers him up into her lap for a talk.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" she says, rocking them both gently back and forth while he snuggles in her arms. "I can tell you're having a lot of big feelings—are you sad or mad that Harrow can't play anymore? Do you miss the castle?"

He shakes his head against her chest, but says nothing.

"Did something happen that scared you? Have you had bad dreams?"

Callum hesitates, then buries his face in her shirt, clinging to her. "I'm sorry, Mom," he says through fresh tears. "It's all my fault, I'm so sorry—"

She shushes him soothingly, stroking his hair. "I'm right here. It's okay to be overwhelmed. You haven't done anything wrong."

He takes a hiccuping breath. "But I did! I—I wished that King Harrow would die, so we could go home. I just wanted everything to be like it was before, with Dad. Now he's—I don't want him to die!"

He's crying hysterically again, and Sarai holds him tight. All the pieces suddenly come together—this year's cold takes root in the chest, leading to a wet, hacking cough. Harrow's coughing fits, while already subsiding, had been loud and frequent for the first few days. Loud enough to be heard from nearly anywhere in the lodge.

She and Damian had kept the worst of his condition from Callum, but not everything could be hidden, especially if Damian was to have any kind of life in his remaining time. So Callum saw when he coughed convulsively until he strained to breathe, air barely wheezing in and out of his lungs. Even if that wasn't the case, he'd heard his father's labored, rattling breaths at the end.

"Oh, sweetie," she says. "He's not going to die, I promise. He'll be just fine in a few days."

Callum shakes his head wildly, clinging to her. "I'm sorry," he sobs again.

"It's okay," Sarai soothes him, rubbing slow circles into his back. "It's okay, Callum. Sometimes, when we're angry or scared, we think or say things we don't really mean. There have been a lot of big changes, and that can feel scary and unfair. I wish we could have done things differently."

She swallows around the lump forming in her throat. "Your dad—I was angry and scared for a long time, when we found out how sick he was. I was angry that he wouldn't get to see you grow up, and I was scared of what life would be like without him. I had a lot of mean thoughts about people who I knew loved me, and were only trying to help. I didn't let those thoughts take root, and I know you won't, either—you'll breathe, and let them out."

She inhales deeply through her nose and exhales slowly through her mouth, repeating until Callum was breathing with her. His crying slows as he relaxes.

"Harrow can't ever replace your dad, but whatever he becomes to you, I know he loves you very much." She hugs him close, smiling when he hugs her back. "How about this? We can toast some cheese sandwiches and bring some soup up to him for lunch, like a picnic. He'll be happy to see you."

Callum nods, rubbing his nose with his sleeve. Sarai pokes it lightly. "Then, if the Crownguard say the ice is safe, we can go skating."

"Maybe, instead of skating," Callum says tentatively, as he hops down from her lap, "we could play a game from the game room this afternoon."

So Harrow can play, too. All of us together. She smiles, levering herself up from the couch. "That's a wonderful idea, sweetie. Go pick one out, and I'll start the sandwiches."

She's still smiling as he scampers off excitedly, and she heads for the kitchen. Lunch and games with all three of them, together—it looks like they just might be becoming a family.

[quxyivs]

helloo! i was wondering if u could write a ot8 thats like absolutely ABSOLUTELY heart twisting i kinda have like an idea in my mind its like

they become friends with someone right? at the start its like all good then they slowly start leaving reader out she feels sad they yell at her for doing small things wrong then she ends up js accepting it she becomes closer to her other friends they get mad ar her for ignoring them then the reader js like lets everything out yk??

💚💚

OT8! Skz x Fem! Reader (special guest Mingi and Wooyoung)

Trigger warning!! Angst, Reader is depressed, crying, name calling, Reader is called clingy, annoying, etc, reader takes anti-depressants, Wooyoung thinks reader is trying to off herself

A/N → Tysm for the req!! I love this SM.

You don’t know why you even tried anymore. Every outing was the exact same. You spoke, you were ignored. You try to speak up, you were talked over. You would text in the gc but nope. Nothing. Not even a fucking thumbs. That’s because they were always talking to her. Her, her, her. You weren’t jealous but god you felt left out. Like you didn’t even fucking exist. You were tired, but yet.. you still reached out.

Tonight was the worst night ever. You had been extremely depressed and tonight you were so close to losing it. You needed someone to talk to. You sigh before grabbing your phone and opening up the gc.

—

Is anyone up..? I need someone to talk to-… -9:30pm

—

Almost instant you were met with a bunch of angry texts. “y/n no cares!!”, “Talk to someone else we don’t care.”, “Do you ever leave us alone? God you’re so clingy”, “wish you could be quiet like jio for once..”, “you should be more like jio. Not clingy and not annoying.” As you read their messages you began to cry. You threw up phone across the room causing it to shatter. You pulled your knees into your chest and cried. Your thoughts began to take over your body. You wanted to just disappear. You hated this. What did you do wrong?? You eventually cried to yourself to sleep on the couch.

The next morning you woke up feeling like shit. You stood up slowly, your eyes puffy from crying. You go to the bathroom and washed your face. As you walked out the bathroom to the living room you hear a knock on the door. You decided that instead of ignoring it you should just answer. At the door you see Mingi and Wooyoung. You looked up at them and before you could even speak you were being interrogated.

“What the hell happened to you y/n!?” “Oh my god your eyes!!” They pushed their way into your house and dragged you over to the couch and sat you down. Mingi went to make you tea while Wooyoung made soup. “I’m fine guys…” “No you’re not y/n. Don’t lie to us.” Wooyoung said as he added the carrots into the soup. Mingi walked over and sat the tea cup down before his eyes spotted your shattered phone on the floor by the tv stand across the room.

He got up and grabbed your phone. “Jesus y/n..what’s gotten into you? What happened..?” Mingi said as he faced you, his face covered with concern. “Nothing….just realized the people I thought were my everything ignoring me and ditching me like I’m nothing.” You mumble the last part like you didn’t want them to hear, but they did. They looked at you with a saddened expression.

“You don’t need them y/n..how about we take you out okay..? Take your mind off them?” Wooyoung offered as he finished making the soup and putting it in a black bowl, the smell of hot soup filling the room as he walked over to you and sat the bowl down on the table. “Thank you..” You say to Wooyoung as you inhale and take a small bite. Wooyoung and Mingi let you eat as they clean your house.

They go into the bathroom after cleaning the rest of house when Wooyoung sees an open bottle of anti-depressants on the floor..but the bottle is empty. His heart drops and he pushed Mingi out his way and stormed towards you. “Hand them over y/n! Right fucking now!!” “Woah! What are you talking about!?” “The pills! I saw them! The whole bottle is empty!! Don’t you dare even think of overdosing!! Hand them to me now damnit!!” Mingi by now had rushed downstairs and was standing by the staircase in shock.

“What!? No-!! That bottle had been empty!! I was looking for some last night but couldn’t find any-!!” The room had fallen silent afterwards before Wooyoung grabbed you and pulled you into a hug crying into your shoulder. “Let’s leave okay? You don’t need to be here..” He mumbled into your shoulder and you nodded softly. “Okay.. let’s leave..” You three left the house after you freshened up and cleaned the bathroom.

You were at a park eating ice cream and having fun. For the first time in weeks you didn’t want to cry. You felt happy, cared for, loved. You laughed loudly at Wooyoung’s stupid jokes.You had accepted that everyone in skz moved on and you didn’t care. You were finally happy away from them. Right as you three kept joking you see a group of people walking up to you.

“So this is what you do y/n? Just ditch us for other friends like we don’t exist? We’ve been calling you all day!!” You look up and see a very unhappy Seungmin and the rest of skz. “What?” “Oh don’t play dumb. Check your phone y/n! I mean cmon!” Minho snapped slightly. You were done at this point. NOW they care?! They care about you!? Not when you on the verge of losing it?! You threw your ice cream down and stood up and pushed Minho away from you.

“FUCK YOU! FUCK ALL OF YOU!! IM THE BAD FRIEND YET YOU ALL TREATED ME LIKE SHIT AND IGNORED ME!! I WAS GOING THROUGH A MANIC STATE LAST NIGHT!! ON THE VERGE OF ENDING IT AND YOU ALL DIDNT EVEN FUCKING CARE!! EAT SHIT ASSHOLES!!” You stormed off completely ignoring Wooyoung and Mingi who were calling out to you.

Eventually they caught up with you crying at a bus stop. They sat beside and hugged you.

“It’s okay..fuck them, we’re here y/n.” Mingi said softly. You nodded and hugged them back completely forgetting about skz.

A/N → kind of an unhappy ending but happy ending!! Lmk if you like it!

[spookwriter-xo]

Coppélia

Chapter 12 - The Muscle

Chapter Summary - the cobra is active once again, and someone close to Y/N has a target on their back.

warnings: mentions of murder

Series Masterlist

MINORS DO NOT GO BEYOND THIS POINT

I awoke the following morning to yelling from downstairs. It seemed the appearance of my father had caused some tension to arise.

"How did he even get onto the property? The guards know not to let him in unless we say so." I heard Wooyoung say, his voice strained from stress.

I could imagine the fallout. Not only the impact of me leaving halfway through my own party, but also the fact that the majority of the guests that were there hated my father equally as much. Seeing him supposedly invited to a party at the ATZ Manor could cause some damage to their reputation, or worse, cut ties with allies all together.

"It was a masquerade ball. He probably snuck in as a plus one." Yeosang answered Wooyoung, his voice indifferent. Yeosang had gone radio silent since our time in the library. He wasn't avoiding me, at least not on purpose, I suspected he was busy with work.

"With everything going on, why would he think it would be a good idea to show up here?" Mingi grumbles. By this time, I had made my way out of my room and was now hiding on top of the stairs. By the sound of it, they were gathered in the living room.

"He obviously wanted something. Yunho, did Y/N say anything?" Hongjoong asks.

"She didn't want to talk about it. Honestly, I didn't realise it was her father until she outright told me." Yunho says. I could imagine him sprawled out on one of the couches, his head resting on the arm with a hard expression on his face, his dark hair messy from sleep.

"She didn't say anything about why he could be here? Anything at all?"

"No, I don't think we have to worry about her. She wants nothing to do with him." Yunho says, his words causing a pang of confusion to prick at my stomach. Worry about me?

"Good, just in case, Yeosang can keep an eye on her since he's finished with his work." Hongjoong says, causing Yeosang to let out a groan.

"Are you really making me babysit? Yunho just said she's not a threat." Yeosang asks, his voice almost whiney.

"We don't know her well enough, she could be a spy." Hongjoong says.

"I think work is making you paranoid." Seonghwa says, his voice low in warning.

"Maybe you should all be paranoid." Hongjoong hisses, the sound of a chair scooting on the floor tells me he's stood up now. "The Cobra is on the move again, Y/N's father shows up uninvited to a party he shouldn't have known about. Not to mention, two of our generals were killed in their own homes."

"That still doesn't mean Y/N has anything to do with it!" Seonghwa argues, probably standing also. "Do you think she's the Cobra?" He scoffs.

Hongjoong laughs bitterly. "I don't know! It's possible, just like it's possible it could be one of us. But I trust you more, don't I? More then -" He stops when he sees me, now standing in the doorway of the living room with a heart broken expression.

Did they really think that of me? That I was a spy? Did Hongjoong not trust me even after all those nights we'd spent alone together?

The others turn to see me, Mingi and Jongho mirroring a saddened expression. The others just stared, probably not knowing what to do. Hongjoong looks down at his feet in shame.

"You're right," Hongjoong says, sighing deeply as he takes a seat once more. "I'm paranoid." He sounded more disappointed in himself, more than the fact that Seonghwa was right. I felt attacked yes, a little heartbroken sure, but I understood his worries.

He had a family here, one that I still needed to fond my place in, one that he needed to protect.

"The Cobra is back?" I ask, my hands fidgeting with the string of my night dress.

"A body was found last night." Mingi confirms softly, standing up and walking over to me. He reaches for my upper arms and gently rubs them with his calloused hands, giving my biceps a gentle and comforting squeeze. "Nowhere near here, but it was a his M.O."

"Were any of you going to tell me this?" I ask, glancing behind him and, for some reason, looking directly at Yeosang, who stared right back at me. It was like he was talking to me with his eyes, and I understood every word.

'Be calm, and all will be told.' Patience was never one of my strong suits.

"There's a lot to unpack." San says, the boy lounging in only a pair of sweatpants and a coat, his bare chest and abs distracting me for a breath moment.

"Like what?" I ask, moving away from Mingi and towards the empty spot beside Yeosang. "I want to know."

Hongjoong and Seonghwa share a look, before Seonghwa lets out a sigh.

"He's announced his next target." Hongjoong tells me, his expression serious. "It's someone you know."

"Who?" I ask, a sick feeling in my stomach.

"Mia Hua." Wooyoung answers for him, his voice soft but loud enough for me to catch the name.

"Mia? But she's not involved in this world! What would the Cobra have to gain from her death?" I question, my words coming out in a shout as I stand.

"Doll.." Seonghwa says, reaching forward, but I move away. I had to get out of there, a moment of peace to collect my thoughts.

The only girl who had been nice to me in 3rd grade, and had never left my side since. The girl who protected me, and gave me a home when life at home got too much. My best friend.

My sister.

She had a target on her back, and for what? Being a painter? Did The Cobra know I was searching for him already? Why has everyone I'm close to become a target?

Then it clicked.

Why did everyone I know become a target?

I made it to the library when I had my epiphany, the gears turning in my head, making it spin in turn. I hadn't noticed I'd been followed, not until his hands cupped my face.

Yeosang stared back at me, slowly bringing me back to earth with his gentle gaze. He understood the pain and fear. He had to have, especially with Aurora. I let my breathing settle, matching the patterns with his.

"There you are." He says gently, his thumb gently stroking my cheek. "It's okay, baby. Everything is going to be fine."

"It's me, Yeosang." I say, my breath heavy. "I'm the big target."

"What're you talking about?" He asks, his eyebrows furrowing. As I move towards the back windows.

"Everyone I know, every single target aside from Aurora I have met or known at some point. Yeosang, I'm a common factor." I say, starting to pace. "The Cobra has to be someone close to me, or someone associated with my family."

Yeosang stared back at me, genuinely considering my words. "I'll bite; if you're right, who could possibly be a mindless serial killer?"

"My father probably." I grumble.

"It can't have been, he was here last night." Yeosang says.

"When was the body found?"

"Early this morning." Yeosang answers, not missing a beat. It felt refreshing in an odd way.

"Do we know the time of death yet?" I ask next.

"Around 7:30 last night." He says, his voice going quiet as we both stare at each other. I could see the gears turning in his head now. "This is insane." He says. "As much as I hate that man, he's got too much going for him. Besides, would he really try and kill you or your sisters?"

I thought for a moment, sure he was a cruel father, but he'd never kill any of us.

"But you believed it." I say, taking a step forward. "Even if it was just for a second."

Yeosang relaxes his shoulders, looking away briefly. "If you're right.."

"Yeosang we could put a serial killer away!" I whisper, closing the gap between us and taking his hand. "The man who killed Aurora, the man whose been tormenting my family."

"That's not what I'm worried about. Not anymore." He says softly, his eyes gazing into my own again. "If it is your father.. Y/N that would destroy you, no matter how much you hate him."

I look down at our entwined hands. A small part of me didn't want to believe it.

"He is not my father." I say, "If putting him away saves whats left of my family then so be it."

I jolt slightly as I feel Yeosangs lips brush the crown of my head. "Just.. Let us do the dirty work." He whispers, cupping my cheek as I loft my head again. "I'm not letting history repeat itself."

I always had a feeling Yeosang was a romantic at heart, but this? This was a whole other level. I felt like I was in a movie with the way he was looking at me.

"I'm not going anywhere, Yeosang. You have my word."

I slept beside Seonghwa that night, the mans arm draped over my waist as he slept soundly behind me. My mind couldn't stay in one place, my thoughts muddled with worry. Hongjoong had agreed to allow Mia to stay in a safe house deep in the city. Mark would love with her for added protection, though I'm sure the only thing he could do was talk them out of it (To which I had faith).

I felt Seonghwas lips on my shoulder, just above the elastic of my night dress.

"Doll, you should sleep." He murmers. "If you keep worrying about one thing, you'll never have any new ideas about other things."

I pondered his words for a moment before speaking. "Have any of you ever had a target on your back?"

My question seemed to humour him, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

"All of us had, but they were empty threats." He says. "The only time the Cobra targeted one of us was after he killed Aurora." He says.

"He targeted one of you after?" I ask.

"Yeosang." Seonghwa answers softly. My eyes softened at the thought. They really couldn't catch a break.

"The Cobra went into hiding before he could make anything of it." Seonghwa continues. "Until now at least."

"Would he still come after Yeosang?" I ask, feeling Seonghwa hold me a little tighter against his chest.

"I hope not." He whispers.

a short one cause I've got two big chapters coming up! sorry I've been away for so long, I've been absolutely hounded by work right now, not to mention I start up again at Uni next week.

on a positive note; updates should return to normal once i set my routine up next week. so look forward to some more chapters! also, questions and feedback are always welcome! i love reading your comments!

taglist:

@bellaptv @arilevenatz @my-atiny-kookie-rkive @hecateslittlewitchling @starhwacore @neuviloved @monstacheol @latisthegenderfluidwannabealone @vtyb23 @bigbabygremlin @professormingisglasses @nuggiesnuggetdog04 @pinuspot @astral-trashcan @ateezswonderland @joonhasjiminsjams @atzlordz @lightwxodd

[mariacallous]

The snow lay in drifts over the railway lines at Auschwitz, when Keir Starmer went to pay his respects last week. His wife, Victoria, the granddaughter of Polish Jews who fled to sanctuary in England, stood beside him in the biting cold looking out over the tracks that once ferried unimaginable numbers of people to their deaths.

Afterwards, the prime minister talked about the relics of the dead discovered when the concentration camp was liberated: the piles of shoes, many in children’s sizes, and the suitcases hurriedly packed by people forced from their homes. What he had seen would stay with him, he said. It was “the ultimate warning … of where prejudice can lead”.

Starmer did not have to add that the shadow of war now hangs over Europe once again, or that once again dark forces are rising. There has been an apocalyptic enough feel to these past days leading up to Donald Trump’s inauguration, with Joe Biden warning of the US’s descent into oligarchy and a deep air of foreboding hanging over EU capitals. But nonetheless, the moment resonated.

Starmer was visiting Poland to make common cause with the country’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, who recently ousted a rightwing populist government and whose country would be on the frontline of any confrontation with Russia. By way of painful contrast, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage were meanwhile preparing to rub shoulders at the inauguration with leading lights of Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland – a pariah in its own political system but apparently not at the White House – and Spain’s far-right Vox party, plus other guests of honour chosen to usher in the era of Trump.

The new order couldn’t “come soon enough”, Truss tweeted from Washington, alongside a picture of herself in a red Maga cap. Farage, meanwhile, settled for a triumphant: “We are so back.” He has a more longstanding friendship with the president than any other British politician – at the weekend, he bragged of having “genuine friends on speed dial”in the new administration – and knows Trump won’t necessarily stick to going through normal diplomatic channels. Last week, Trump aides reportedly met senior Reform UK figures to discuss how they could work together.

US presidents have always sought to promote like-minded leaders, including sometimes over the heads of elected governments. But previously that itch for regime change hasn’t felt like a threat to old friends in Europe. Now, even longstanding allies must watch their backs as money and ideas flow across the Atlantic to rightwing populists seeking actively to destabilise them, mining the same veins of anti-immigrant feeling and economic frustration Trump did.

Talk of the White House plotting to make Farage prime minister by 2029 still sounds wildly overblown for many reasons. Not least because there are powerful downsides for British politicians who get too close to a president still viewed with a hefty dose of suspicion on this side of the Atlantic, and because the president probably doesn’t care enough about British politics to expend that much energy on it. (As Farage discovered when Trump’s incoming counter-terrorism chief said Britain should repatriate the former Islamic State bride Shamima Begum from Syria, it isn’t always easy being his friend, let alone his enemy: there’s no answer to that conundrum that pleases both the president and Reform voters.)

But Reform will try to use Trump’s presidency as a battering ram to break down British norms, arguing that if the US can rip up net-zero plans to get growth or ruthlessly deport foreign-born criminals, why can’t we? Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s weaponising of the grooming gangs scandalshowed how destructive even sporadic missiles lobbed from Trumpworld can be, especially if British politicians are willing to help him identify targets.

Starmer’s first step should be to make clear that there’s nothing patriotic about colluding with foreign interference, and that Trump’s little helpers serve nobody’s interests but their own. But where there are legitimate grievances, those must eventually be confronted.

Last week, at an event convened by the thinktank British Future to discuss lessons learned from losing ignominiously to Trump, the blunt message from former Kamala Harris adviser Frank Sharry to his friends in the Labour party was that ignoring far-right wedge issues simply doesn’t work.

When record numbers of immigrants crossing into the US prompted talk of a border crisis, Sharry said, the Biden administration didn’t “lean in”, it ran away from the argument. Though by last summer it had developed effective answers – a combination of border enforcement, deals with neighbouring countries and undercutting people smugglers by opening more legal visa routes was actively bringing numbers down – it didn’t even defend its own record, fearful of upsetting the liberal end of its electoral coalition.

Sharry, who spent decades working for pro-refugee charities before joining the Harris campaign, had helped craft messages for her that were designed to sound tough but fair, in line with mainstream American views. But months of radio silence, he suggested, had allowed Harris’s opponents to misrepresent her as an extremist favouring completely open borders, even as the rightwing news ecosystem in the US platformed open conspiracy theories about the Democrats supposedly wanting to flood the country with immigrants who could then vote for them.

The lesson, not lost on Downing Street, was that it’s not enough just quietly to do what works: you have to shout about it, even when your own side hates to hear it. Millions now get their sense of what is happening not from the mainstream media but from emotive snippets on social-media platforms already rife with disinformation that are now (thanks a bunch, Mark Zuckerberg) scrapping factchecking. If governments can’t dramatise what they are actually doing, the truth will be lost in the coming hurricane.

Bleak as all this sounds, however, this is no time to abandon hope. Sharry opened his remarks by saying he was delighted to be in a country where democracy still has a future, which both was a joke and wasn’t. There aren’t many cracks of light in the darkness now, but Britain, like Poland, has somehow bucked the odds by turning left just as much of the world seems to be turning right. Whether by luck or judgment, we seem to be at a different stage of the political cycle; still four years to go until the next election, a system that for good or ill makes life hard for small insurgent parties, relatively stable institutions, the capacity to toughen social media regulation, and a national inclination (be honest) towards a quiet life. But first, we’ll have to ride the storm.

[tribalauthor]

THE WISEWOMAN (roman reigns ff) <chapter 6>

word count: 2.5k

Sophia's POV:

Heat was roaming over my whole body as I was sitting on Roman's lap, body to body or more precisely clothes to clothes.

Mouth to mouth.

We were having a heated makeout session with slow and sloppy kisses and some little moans coming out of us.

I could feel his not so short beard tickling my whole face. Unfamiliar sensation for me since I have never made out with a too bearded guy. I could also feel his huge hands on my butt and squeezing it.

We stopped for a bit to take a breath and stare at each other. The spark of lust in his deep brown eyes let me know what he wants.

However, it's not the time or place.

"I think we must stop." I spoke through my heavy breaths.

I abruptly opened my eyes and slightly lifted my head.

What dream did I just have?

I swear this didn't happen in real life.

Me and Roman just drank ONE glass of wine then we took a nap, we got in New York and he drove me home. That's it.

I checked the time on my phone and it's almost noon.

I got home really late or must I say early - around 5am.

After I did my morning routine I put on some gray sweatpants and dark blue blouse, ready to drink my coffee and do some pilates.

Maybe talk to mom if she is here. I know it's Saturday but being a surgeon is very, very demanding job and you have to be available 24/7.

It has been like this since I remember myself.

Couldn't spend too much time with my mom, so basically my dad raised me...until he died 9 years ago.

Although it has been almost a decade, you can never get over the pain of losing a parent especially when he was so close to you.

During my college years uncle was the one who supported me to pursue my dreams. He even helped me a lot with the studies and everything.

I learned a lot from him.

I remember ever since I was a kid my dad always told me that I resemble uncle in so many ways. He even said it's like I'm uncle's daugher and not his.

My dad was way different from uncle though. While uncle has this formal, practical persona and so on, my dad was more of like a free spirit.

He was changing jobs constantly. Couldn't really keep himself in one place. I remember him and mom always argued. He just didn't like the idea of mom bringing more money at home than him. That fact was crushing him every single day until he decided to overdose and end it all.

It's kind of stupid, if you think about it, ain't it?

He could have just asked for a divorce and still be here with us but I know dad loved mom with his whole heart although mom is a very, very difficult woman.

Perfectionist at its finest, unemotional, smart.

I mean she needs these qualities for her job, I know that but I admit she is not easy. I also admit that I inherited a lot from her and it's not just the looks.

As I went downstairs to make myself some coffee I heard some voices chattering.

Oh God, did she invite somebody?

When I got in the living room, I saw my mother drinking coffee and eating with my two best friends from college - Tina and Cleo.

My two beautiful, 10/10 best friends who've been by my side since first year of college.

Tina is a long haired brunette woman with light brown eyes, skinny body and the most beautiful smile in the world and I mean it. A literal angel came from heaven and she got married a few months ago to a very good man.

He is meant just for her.

Cleo is a curly girl with light brown skin and hazel eyes. Body is tea, fashion sense too and she got engaged last month. Therefore we shall expect a wedding soon.

"Somebody forgot she invited guests over the weekend." mom scolded me.

I put my hand on my temple.

"I'm so sorry, girls." I said as I went to the table and hugged them.

"It's okay, Soph. You are a busy Wise Woman." Cleo teased me and I rolled my eyes playfully.

"Oh me and Noah watched Smackdown last night. He is a big fan of the show and suddenly I am too." Tina chuckled and I slightly wrinkled my lips.

"Me and Jeremiah too. He is crazy for WWE." I scratched my neck. "You were amazing, girl. Best thing of the night and I'm not biased."

"Thank you." I batted my eyelids and looked at mother.

"I took a few glimpses. Sometimes I think you came out of your uncle, not from me." she stated and shook her head. However, she didn't quite use a cold tone, it was rather proud in a way. Judging by her expression, she is lowkey proud.

"That guy Roman is something else though. I made a comment how hot he is and Jer...just agreed." my jaw fell on the floor. "He is his favorite."

"Oh my God." I put my hand on my mouth and headed to the coffee machine in the kitchen box.

"A normal man would feel jealous but he said 'yeah, I know' and continued watching." Cleo still seemed in disbelief but so am I.

"Noah likes Cody more but he made an interesting statement." Tina hinted something and I turned on the machine while being all in ears. "He said that Roman and Sophia look cute together."

"He said what?" I turned around immediately in shock.

"He said that he envisions a deeper storyline with you two." she added and I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Storyline as in the show or storyline out of the show?" my mom asked in case she didn't understand.

"I think he meant in the show but who knows." Tina replied as I grabbed the ready coffee and went to them.

"So what's going on with yall?" I finally sat on the table.

Roman's POV:

Right now I am training with Jon and Josh in my home gym. Whenever we can, we train together. We have always been together.

Especially with the twins. We've been like triplets our whole lives. They are my closest family and friends that I have, to be honest.

We literally grew up together ever and have been through so much long before WWE.

"Uce, that Paul niece...goddamn." Josh started speaking while lifting his weights. "Seems like a big gem."

"Yeah, she completely nailed it last night." I agreed.

"And you want to nail her, don't you, Joe?" Jon just put me in the hot chair.

"What?" his younger twin furrowed his eyebrows. "Uce..."

"My plans are long-term." this is what I decided to reply.

Josh seemed really confused as hell.

"She is Paul's niece and probably around 20 years younger than you...and us." he stated and I rolled my eyes.

"Twelve years." I corrected him.

The twins exchanged looks. Josh was confused and Jon had confirming look.

"These two didn't shut up the whole ride. Me and Yoko had to move to the bedrooms." Jon pointed at me.

"Well, good luck with making a young woman like her fall for you." Josh managed to say and giving me that look of judgement.

"It's like yall don't know me." I was actually disappointed. "I can and I will get her." I declared. Damn. 'Believe that' almost came out of my mouth.

"Well, you better start working cause it seems like she has a lot of admirers and now that she got into the business, they will become even more." the elder twin advised me and I just flashed a smirk, looking down.

"Mission already started." I uttered.

Sophia's POV:

"We are in a process of wedding planning." Cleo said and my jaw dropped.

"Already?! I thought yall weren't gonna rush." I exclaimed.

"We thought that too but we tend to talk about it a lot so me and Jer actually started thinking of concepts." my friend had that amazing glow of a freshly engaged woman and the excitement rush of planning a wedding.

I am really happy that they found the right guys for them. Sometimes I can't help but wonder when I will find mine.

The door bell cut off Cleo's storytime.

Mom got up saying that she will check who it might be.

"As of now we are thinking about a small spring wedding, like a garden party with lots of flowers." me and Tina nodded in agreement, liking the idea.

I suddenly saw my mom going into the room carrying a bouquet with a white wrapping and red flowers.

They looked kinda like lilium but I'm not quite sure.

"These ones seem like a great idea." she got into the conversation and my friends also turned to her, shocked at the view.

"Does my mom have a secret admirer?" I cocked my eyebrow and smirked. I mean she is a pretty attractive woman and she has always been but her next man has to be a billionaire or something.

"They are for you actually." she replied and handed me the bouquet.

The flowers were red on the outside and white on the inside. Insanely pretty and smell amazing, too.

Oh my God.

I saw there was a not so little card in it and it was written 'for Sophia'.

"The WWE men started with the wooing." Tina commented.

"Can you read it aloud? Please." Cleo begged.

"My dear Wise Woman. Seeing you last night trying to read "Goddesses in every woman" (I didn't quite leave you but it still made me think) evoked a thought in my head which goddess hides in you. My first thought was Aphrodite but then I realized you are actually Athena - the goddess of wisdom. I also did a research about her that she is portrayed as a companion of heroes (me in the case). I also checked out that the Roman equation of Athena is Minerva and the flowers you see in this bouquet are Amaryllis 'Minerva' symbolising determination and strength. Also, they kinda look like you ;)

Sincerely from Your Tribal Chief"

I rested my back on the chair trying to process everything I just read right now.

My friends had the same reaction and I swear I could see surprise in mom's face too.

"Holy, these old school men don't play." Cleo grabbed her curly hair. "How many times have you two met?"

"Just two. Last night and when I was hired." I replied.

"Olivia, I think you have a son in law in the way." Tina warned mom.

"Let's see how long he is gonna keep this energy. He is an athlete after all." mom shrugged it off.

"A hella romantic one, though. Goddamn." Cleo swore once again. "Old school men really don't play. This is exactly how you do it."

I bit my lips trying to hide the big grin that would stick on my mouth.

This is romantic, indeed adding the fact that I have always associated myself with Athena and Roman has no idea. He was just thinking about this.

"What are you waiting for? Call Roman and thank him." Tina scolded me.

"Right." I mumbled and took my phone then left the table, so I could talk in private.

He gave me his number the day we met, so we have our contacts.

I dialed his number and I felt my heart pounding fast in my chest.

I am still feel the adrenaline in my blood. This is literally the sweetest thing a man has ever done for me.

"Hey." I heard his bass-deep voice that could drive any woman crazy and I am no different.

"Hi, Roman." I replied with my soft feminine voice.

"I received your present." I continued talking and bit my lip. "Thank you so much for the gesture and especially the astonishingly detailed card." I chuckled slightly. "You just left me speechless really." I spoke frankly.

I heard his deep chuckle.

"I am a man of detail, sweetheart. Remember that." he spoke in a matter-of-fact tone and I almost fell to the ground.

A detailed man? Oh my God. Literally my dream.

"I love the flowers too." I added. "Thank you so much once again. Can't spell romantic without Roman." I giggled at the realization I just had and I heard him laughing.

"You said it alone."

"You are welcome, Soph. I am capable of even more but you are gonna see in the future." I swear to God he would wink at me if we were face to face right now.

"Can't wait." I bit my lips.

"By the way, what are your plans for today?" he changed the topic.

"I am hanging out with my friends now then I will work out and then I don't know. What about you?" I literally have no plans for later.

"Well how about we go out tonight?" he asked me.

"Hmm...where?" I replied with a question. I know I shouldn't agree immediately.

"Somewhere nice." I hate him. Why doesn't he tell me the specific place? Did he think about it or he is as of now.

"Okay." I said after a few seconds.

"Great. Be ready at 7. I'm gonna pick you up." Roman said with a note of command which I cannot help but find hot in a way unless he crosses the line.

"See ya." I said and hung up.

Okay, what should I wear?

"Definitely not that" Cleo said with judging tone after I showed them an option from my wardrobe.

"I think you should stop with your snobbish business outfits and pull something out of the slut wardrobe." Tina advised me and started roaming into the clothes in my big wardrobe.

"Something with big cleavage." Cleo gave her clues and she pulled out a very, very short red dress that I have which is more for the club.

"Girls, I am dealing with the face of sports entertainment. He is taking me to a dinner at a very expensive restaurant, most likely and not the local pub, okay?" I tried to explain them the deal since they don't seem to understand.

"Plus, he is an elder man, not one of our peers." I added.

"True." Tina agreed. "Then something classy" she started looking around again.

"And still revealing but noy so much." Cleo yelled after her. "Revealing cleavage but not so short."

"I think I found the one." Tina announced as she pulled out a hanger with black sleevless dress and a black little fur collar.

I put it on me to see where is the length and it's a bit below the knees which makes it perfect, in my opinion.

"Oh my. I completely forgot about this set." I gasped.

"It's even still with the tag on it." Tina almost facepalmed.

"Some black heels and pretty necklace and you are ready, sweetie." Cleo said.

"Plus your signature hair volume and natural curls." Tina made a chef's kiss. "Make him weak."

"He is a professional athlete. There is nothing weak about him." I slapped them with logic once again.

"Okay but he is still a man. Make him nervous." Cleo said in one of these villian-like daring tone.

I licked my lips.

"We'll see." I just said.

[scented-morker]

CHAPTER SEVEN. Cuteness Aggression

prev 💋masterlist 💋 next

written chapter with texts/twt at the end! 900 words then 3 panels.. they’re awkward and that’s ok 🫶

“Yn?” “Yn!”

You cringe as the photographers outside the JYP building start yelling your name, recognizing you through the hat and mask combo you’d donned.

You keep your head down as you practically race through the front doors. Your company would have a field day with those pictures, and you partially hope Jeongin was right about their strange desire for coverage of your relationship.

“Yn!”

A few staff members heads snap up at the shout of your name, but it doesn’t bother you once met with the familiar face of Yang Jeongin.

Familiar may be too strong of a word, considering you’d still never talked in person yet, but regardless his presence was a comfort in the new environment.

“Jeongin, hi!” You speak softly as he approaches you, taking your mask down to send him a smile.

He wraps an arm around yours to escort you towards the elevator.

“The big bosses are on lunch break, have you eaten yet? We’re about to eat and we ordered enough if you want some. But you totally don’t have to. Do you have any allergies? I should have asked.”

Your head was lagging, still focused on where his arm was touching yours and the various fake plants and masked figures you were passing.

“Uh. What?”

Jeongin is looking expectantly at you, but his face softens as he watches your eyes dart around nervously.

“Are you hungry? We got lunch.”

Deep dimples pop out as he gives you a gentle smile, and you unconsciously smile back.

Has he always had that cute of a smile?

“Yeah. Thank you.”

He nods right as the elevator door opens, and this time you follow behind him as he walks through the long hallway, giving hi’s and nods of acknowledgment as people greet him.

You’re practically hiding behind him, but a few people notice you and bow respectfully.

He stops at the last door in the hallway and turns to you with a sheepish look on his face.

“Some of the other guys are in here, and it can get kinda crazy when we’re all together. Let me know if it gets too much and we can sneak out.”

You find yourself fighting a blush at his sincerity, and nod quickly.

He opens the door, entering first and taking the brunt of the reaction.

“Oooooooo”

“Our first couple in the practice room!”

“What a gentleman we raised.”

Jeongin rolls his eyes at all of them, smacking Hyunjin over the head as he passes to take a seat on the couch.

You catch Chan whisper shouting to all of them as you take a seat next to jeongin, and the group is much calmer when you finally drag your eyes back to them.

“Hi, yn! We’re excited to meet you, even with the weird circumstances.”

“Oh thank you! I’m excited to meet you guys.” You give Chan a smile, “and thanks for everything you’ve done with the companies for us. I haven’t been told much so without you and jeongin I’d be lost.”

Jeongin feels the sudden urge to ransack the SM building and also squeeze your hand, but he takes a deep breath instead and bumps your knee with his own.

“We got you.”

Jisung and Chan exchange looks as you and Jeongin grin at each other, but you’re brought back to the rest of the room when Hyunjin hands you a plate with food on it.

“You should eat, the meetings will resume in twenty minutes.”

You accept the food while Jeongin pouts.

“You get her a plate but not me?”

“You smacked me like 5 minutes ago! And yn is a guest.”

Jeongin goes to smack him again, but he stops mid motion and all of his attention shoots over to you when you speak.

“We can share. I’m not gonna eat all of this anyway. And what kind of girlfriend would I be if I let you starve.”

Your last sentence is quieter than the rest, and Jeongin is the only one close enough to hear it clearly.

It’s one thing to joke about it over text, but you weren’t quite ready to call him your boyfriend out loud and in front of his members, even if it was a joke.

He’s smiling when he drops his hand to accept the spring roll you hand him, and you burst out in laughter when he eats the whole thing in one bite.

“Oh my gosh what was that?”

It’s the loudest you’ve been since walking in the building, and it fills Jeongin with pride.

You enjoy lunch with the boys until Chans phone buzzes and he gets up, you and Jeongin both standing with him.

You tell the the other boys goodbye, taking your place next to Jeongin while the three of you exit the room.

“I assume they’ve been notified that you’re here by the reporters outside, so they might ask you guys to come in. Would you be comfortable with that? If not I’ll tell them respectfully to shove off.”

You laugh, “I would actually love to. I’m tired of hearing second hand about my career.”

An approving look crosses Chan’s face.

“Why don’t you just come in now then? Put you in control of the situation instead of them asking you.”

You look between the two boys.

“Isn’t that disrespectful?”

“Disrespectful is putting you in this position in the first place and then not having the decency to involve you in it.”

Jeongin’s jaw ticks, and it’s the scariest you’ve ever seen him look.

“What he’s trying to say is that you have every right to be here.”

You nod, “okay then.”

You don’t miss the wide eyes when you enter the room sandwiched between Chan and Jeongin, but when you take a seat and feel Jeongin’s hand give your own a squeeze, you find you don’t really care.

Taglist. @wdwbts101 @chlodavids @astro-doll-the-star @andassortedkpop @anoca250318 @minhoie @heusalettle @jisungs-iced-americano @zenlackszen

[uselessmoonlight]

Stranger part 7

Reader is Telemachus' friend, and when he leaves for his "diplomatic mission" he asks her to watch over his mother.

Later, once the king has returned, she stumbles upon an injured Poseidon.

Previous / series masterlist / next

☆☆☆

Content specs: she/her pronouns used, afab reader, Platonic! Telemachus x reader, Epic!Poseidon x reader, possible OOC!Poseidon, Polites’ daughter! Reader, unrequited love, blood, fighting, nudity, illusion, possibly more?, trying to avoid using y/n, slowburn, suggestive themes, but no smut, English is not my first language, sorry if it's too much exposition, it's my first fic.

Ónoma literally means name in Greek, at least according to google translate. View this as the y/n of this fic.

☆☆☆

The clattering of cutlery let her know that she’d said something wrong. She froze in her seat as the kings eyes narrowed in on her. “Where did you hear that?”

“What, I didn’t-”

“Answer me, girl. Where did you hear that?” He was standing now, his presence menacing. “Besides, there’s no way a regular girl like you would’ve been able to take out all of those men. So, tell me, how did you do it? Are you another test? Another monster? What are you? Why are you here? I will not let you get in the way of-”

“That’s enough, my love.” Penelope interrupted her husband’s tirade. “This is your son’s greatest friend, the daughter of your own greatest friend, she’s no test. You’re just on high alert from all the years away from home.”

“You don’t understand, she-”

But Penelope shushed him. “I think it’s time for bed. Ónoma, you’re welcome to stay the night, Telemachus will walk you to your room.” Then she walked away, leading a visibly shaken Odysseus out of the room.

“I don’t understand, what did I say wrong?” Peach, too, was pretty shaken from the king’s outburst. Understandably so, as the man had taken on 108 suitors without knowing she’d be there to help.

“It’s fine Ónoma, he’s been having these outbursts since he got back.” Telemachus soothed his friend.

“Yeah, something similar happened when I mentioned how much luck he must have had to be the only one of 600 to return home.” Ctimene added.

“I can’t imagine what he must have faced during all those years away.” Peach muttered.

☆☆☆

“I can stay the night, if you want me to? It’ll be like when we were kids.” Telemachus offered, as the two sat on her bed. Whenever she’d stay at the castle, she would be given the same guest room, over time she’d let some of her belongings accumulate there.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, I wouldn’t want to get on your fathers bad side. At least, not more than I already am.”

“C’mon Peach, it’s really not like that. He’s just on edge.”

“And yet I understand his concern.” Ónoma countered.

“What are you talking about?”

“I killed those men, Tele. They’re dead because of me, I don’t even know how I was able tot do it, what if I am a monst-”

“Enough of that.” Her friend said sternly. “You did it to protect my mother, and let’s be honest, yourself too. I don’t want to think about what the suitor would’ve done had you not been able to fend them off, or did you forget that you, too, are a woman?”

Her heart dropped at her friend’s words. “Of course I didn’t forget! That’s why I did it!” She raged. “I can’t afford to show mercy, not to those beasts, anyways.” She continued, softer, realisation hitting her. “Thank you, Tele.” She murmured. “I needed that.”

“I know.”

Outside of her bedroom window, an owl was perched. It hooted, before flying off. Telemachus softly shook his head, Peach thought it to be at her behaviour, but in reality it had been at his mentor’s antics.

☆☆☆

The next morning, Peach had left before breakfast, before anyone else had woken up, even. Telemachus’ and Ctimene’s attempt to play off the king’s outburst had not calmed her one bit. Even if they were speaking the truth, she did not want to set the man off again. Perhaps once the king had settled more she’d speak to him again, or if he sought her out.

When she returned home, she wasn’t ready to face Perikles, so she kept walking, now with her beloved instrument in hand. She settled somewhere along the shore, feet in the water, the sun slowly rising. She played mindlessly, softly humming a matching melody. Music always calmed her.

But now it seemed calmness was not something she would get, as the familiar but unfamiliar voice rang in her head once more. “So, you’re devoted to my brother, then? Pity. Usually, his followers are more seasoned with a bow, axes are more Hephaestus’ thing, or Demeter’s maybe.”

What? At least the word brother clued her in that this was a God, or Goddess. Someone related to Apollo.

“You’re quick to catch on, if not Apollo then Athena, maybe? Who do you work with, or worship, I should say.”

Well, oh mighty God of gossip, I don’t really ‘work with’ anyone. Just whoever fits the occasion, really.

“You’re bold, anyone else might’ve taken offence with such a tone? Can it even be considered a tone if it’s just your thoughts? I’ll have to ask Athena next time I run into her.”

Can you please get to the point? Or leave me alone? Whoever you are anyway.

“Feisty, put the claws away, darling. I would have loved to tell you my name, but you never asked. You have to actually ask questions to get answers, you know.”

…

“Go on, darling. Ask.”

What’s your name?

“Well at least I got the message across, the name’s Hermes. I actually came here to deliver a message, but you were just too much fun to mess with.”

What is the message?

“Straight to the point, huh? Where’s the fun in that? Besides, I never said that the message was for you, I mean, it is, but still.”

…

“Did you know that the Lyre used to be mine? I gave it to my brother in exchange for his cows when I was just a babe, I’m still quite fond of it. You play beautifully, who taught you?”

Would you please tell me of the message you bring, oh great lord Hermes?

“No.”

Please?

“At least your manners have improved, but no. You tell me who taught you to play, and I tell you the message. An exchange of information, a trade, if you will.”

Right, God of merchants. I taught myself, my brother once broke my Lyre, because of how bad I was at playing at the time. I suppose I’ve improved since.

“Oh, that was your brother? Apollo smote him real good, bet he learned his lesson.”

Dead men don’t learn.

“Now, now, why so serious, oh right the message! Your brother has reunited with your father!”

My dead father?

“Exactly, now if you don’t mind, I’d like you to resume playing.”

next

☆☆☆

A/N: girly is going through it. Also, I don’t mean for Hermes to come off as rude, rather as mischievous. He is a God, one who often visits the underworld at that, so he would not really understand the grief of mortals. I also want to portray the duality of Ctimene’s grief and relief some more, and I definitely want to dive into Odysseus’ PTSD. Maybe show some of Penelope’s caution around men too, dealing with those suitors for so long would’ve definitely made a person a bit jumpy.

Taglist:

@suckerforblondies

@barrythestrawberry041

@trashcannotbealive

@apollos-dodgeball-target

@doodle-with-rhy

[mj-iza-writer]

Hello!

So I had the idea of a festive whump, deer centaur whumpee being kiddnapped by rich Whumper for their Christmas party to show of to their guests. Bonus if Whumpee has never left their forest before and is suddenly forced into this new unfamiliar, loud, bright, crowded, indoors environment. Oh and could you please make both whumpee and Whumper female please?

Thanks!

I am really sorry this didn't get posted around Christmas, but we can still enjoy a festive party.

Shackles dug into her ankles as she stepped forward and back a few step. It was uncomfortable. She couldn't stop moving around though. It's what she did when she was nervous.

"I miss my forest, I would give anything to run through the trees again. What is this place?"

Chains jingled like bells as she continually stepped back and forth. It reminded her of a song her father taught her.

"Hmm...hm..uh..hmm", Whumpee hummed the tune to help her calm down.

"My hooves are killing me, but I can't lay down", Whumpee looked down at their four hooves, "I wish I knew what I was needed for."

A sound happened.

It was comparable to the sound of wind gushing through the forest.

Whumpee blinked in the new light.

There was a crowd... staring at them. The group gasped.

"Behold my newest decoration for this party. I know we didn't get to have our annual holiday party, as I was away, but I hope this beautiful piece will make up for it", someone spoke beside Whumpee.

Whumpee stood in shock...  this was their captor.

"There is no way that thing is real Whumper", someone chuckled from the crowd, "who did you pay... it looks so real."

"It is real. I found it while on my walk. I hunted her down last night", Whumper grinned.

Whumpee backed away as far as the shackles would allow.

"Please come, marvel at her. She is quite a beautiful beast. A deer centaur is a very rare being in deed", Whumper welcomed a few of her guest to come closer.

"Please don't come near me", Whumpee pleaded, "where am I?"

"Poor thing looks terrified", someone commented, "what will you do with them after this."

"They'll be my pet", Whumper chuckled as she lifted her glass in cheers.

Whumpee covered her ears as glass clanked together.

"Happy late holidays to all of you", Whumper cheered gleefully.

Whumpee winced as the loud sounds continued.

They weren't use to this much noise. Everyone was talking around them. The sounds of everyone walking. Constantly feeling everyone poking at them.

"Please, I-I want to go home", Whumpee finally sobbed loudly.

People continue to touch them. Pure amazement written on their face.

Whumpee jumps up and bucks their legs around causing the chains to jingle like bells.

"Such pretty music", Whumper cooes, "but if you don't stop.... I'll make you sing a different song. It will be of pain and misery. Got it?"

Whumpee cuddled her arms close to her body. She nervously nodded at the captor.

"Good pet", Whumper cooed again.

"I can't believe you found such a beast, and brought it here. What will it eat?"

"Eat?... I guess I haven't thought that far", Whumper giggles.

"You haven't fed her yet.. poor thing. To be captured by the most careless of us rich folks", someone chuckles.

"Are you hungry?", Whumper mocks, "hmm, what do you even eat?"

"I-I'm omnivorous, I-I can eat anything", Whumpee whispers, "I-I'm thirsty."

"How long have they been like this?", the friend actually sounded concerned now.

"A while, don't worry. They are just fine. Let's move on to our meal. I believe the table is ready", Whumper watched as a butler entered the room.

The concerned friend hung back and looked at Whumpee sadly.

Whumpee shivered as they stared back.

"You are about to be very expensive, aren't you", they sighed, "but I'm not leaving you here with Whumper.  I already know what happens to their pets."

"Sir, the table is ready", a butler called to them.

"Yeah, yeah, will you bring me a cup of water?",  they ordered.

Whumpee's expression turned to a more curious one.

"My name is Caretaker", they gently handed the cup to Whumpee and watched them quickly gulp the water down.

"Caretaker what's taking you so long", Whumper sauntered out.

"How much?", Caretaker sighed.

"What?", Whumper laughed.

"Don't play dumb", Caretaker frowned, "how much to take her off your hands?"

"She's not for sale", Whumper grinned playfully.

"Ymhmm, so I don't suppose me having some entirely embarrassing information about you would change that", Caretaker grinned mischievously, "I'm sure your party guest would enjoy."

"You wouldn't", Whumper frowned.

"I would though... how much? My lips are sealed", Caretaker grinned.

"Not fair", Whumper chuckled, "you know how to play my game better than anyone."

"Yes, well, I've had to play it too many times", Caretaker sighed.

Whumpee looked back and forth while they both talked.

Caretaker gently rubbed some ointment on Whumpee's legs.

"Those shackles were dug in deep", Caretaker frowned at the wounds, "how did she even manage? Whumper barely lifts a finger, and yet she managed to get you."

"I-I was just... uhm", Whumpee hurried to explain.

Caretaker smiled weakly as they brought out a blanket.

"It doesn't matter... at least not right now it doesn't", Caretaker looked them over as they unfolded the blanket, "are you comfortable."

"Yes sir", Whumpee nodded, "thankyou for taking care of me. I really appreciate everything."

"You're welcome. You definitely weren't wrong when you said you'd eat anything. You were definitely hungry", Caretaker covered them up.

"I wasn't planning on bringing a centaur home tonight. We will get you a little more comfortable tomorrow. I'm afraid this is the best accommodations I can give right now."

"But my forest?", Whumpee whispered, "that's my home."

"Whumper will come and fine you again. Or they can follow you and find others. If there are any others of your species", Caretaker sighed, "unfortunately I believe we are both stuck in this situation. I promise to take care of you. You will be treated well here. You can't go home yet."

Whumpee stared at him sadly. They blinked away some tears.

"I am very sorry that I had to tell you that sweetheart", Caretaker gently patted them, "I promise, you will be alright. I'll take care of you, and I'll keep you safe."

Whumpee nodded and looked over themself, "thankyou again for caring for me. I'm sorry you had to though."

"Don't be sorry. You had no control over what happened", Caretaker smiled comfortingly, "try to get some rest. We will get you a little more comfortable tomorrow."

Caretaker woke up to the sound of crying.

They jumped out of bed and hurried from their room and down the hall.

"Whumpee, what's... happening?", Caretaker saw that Whumpee had hidden behind a curtain several staff members stood nearby awkwardly holding cameras and phones.

"My guest is not to be an item of entertainment. All of you delete the pictures you just took. Legal action will be taken if any pictures get out. Form a line right here to show me the deletions", Caretaker pointed at the floor.

Whumpee peaked out from behind the curtain and watched the line form. They sniffled a few times before hiding back behind the curtain.

Caretaker sighed as the last picture was deleted.

"Now I am aware that Whumpee is a little different than the rest of us. But they are to be treated with respect. Terrible things have been done to them. I will not allow my home to continue their trauma. Am I clear?", Caretaker looked over his staff.

"Yes sir", they all spoke in unison.

"Carry on with your duties then", Caretaker dismissed them.

Caretaker slowly approaches the shaking curtain.

Whumpee shyly lifts one of their legs.

"Whumpee, it's just me", Caretaker gently pulls the curtain aside, "it's alright, sweetheart."

Whumpee shyly looks at Caretaker, "I-I'm sorry...."

"You have nothing to apologize for", Caretaker pulls them close, "I'm sorry they did that. I'm sorry for everything that you are going through. You do not deserve any of this."

Whumpee whimpers as they awkwardly rest their face into the crook or Caretaker's neck.

Caretaker feels just how shaken up Whumpee was.

"You're trembling Sweetheart ", Caretaker sighs, "here, let's get you a better setup. We will have breakfast first and you can pick what room you like. You can tell me exactly what you need in your room to be comfortable."

"Y-you already spent so much on me. I couldn't ask for you to give me anything else", Whumpee whispered.

"Let me worry about the financial situation. I want you to be comfortable", Caretaker thumbs away a tear, "it's alright. It's not a problem at all."

Whumpee looks at them with bright, watery eyes.

"I promise. Everything is alright", Caretaker smiles comfortingly, "you will be safe here. You have my word."

Taglist. As always please let me know if you want to be added or taken off of the list. It's not a problem at all.

@villainsandheroes @the-beasts-have-arrived

@sacredwrath @porschethemermaid

@monarchthefirst @generic-whumperz

@bloodyandfrightened @freefallingup13

@notpeppermint @cyborg0109

@idontreallyexistyet @painfulplots

@whumpbump @everythingsscary

@skittles-the-whumpee @expressionless-fr

@theforeverdyingperson @legendarydelusiongoatee

@candleshopmenace @whumpanthems

@lavndvrr @ivymyers

@starfields08000 @a-living-canvas

@lumpofsand @watermeezer

@indigoviolet311 @whumpy-mountains

@risk606 @electrons2006

@paperprinxe @whumprince

@kaz-of-crows @mis-graves

@decaffeinatedtimetraveler94 @sausages-things

@isikedmyself878 @daffyduckcommittedtaxfraud

@valravnthefrenchie @glennemerald

@jasperthecapser @does-directions

@deafeninglittlecrown @jumpywhumpywriter

@blackbirdsinatrenchcoat @mylifeisonthebookshelf

@thenormalestever @whatwhump

@galatic-worm @starmoon-constellation

@bacillusinfection @whumpsandbumps

@tobiasbones @octopus-reactivated

@string-of-broken-hearts @weirdthingweee

@kawaii-cakes @phoenixpromptsandstuff

[piratespencil]

I love Aabria's insights soooo much, I could listen to her talk about this campaign forever.

[shrimpalbuspotter]

Sirius would be one of those tiktokers who go up to people on the street and asks them really stupid controversial questions before editing the video to like Late Night Melancholy

Peter would upload movie clips to YouTube shorts with Else - Paris in the background

James would do that thing where you ask people to choose a movie or show, and how difficult of a question they want for a certain amount of money, and give them the cash if they answer it correctly

Remus would post reddit chains on Facebook and accidentally cause discourse

[kimjunnoodle]

WE GOT THE KEYS TO THE BEACH HOUSE BABY