#all of our cards are on the table ☆ OOC

[zhongrin]

newton’s second law of motion

◇ characters ◇ al haitham (ft. kaveh, cyno, tighnari)

◇ tags ◇ divorced dad al haitham as your ex-hubby, possibly ooc al haitham (?), you have a daughter, al haitham pines on you badly, angst to fluff, crack, kaveh-cyno-tighnari support group ftw, brainrot format with a little fic

◇ a/n ◇ happy birthday you dolt (/aff). i didn't plan to post any birthday fic for him but this thought hit me as soon as i read that silly bday letter. this was supposed to be just a brainrot help-

𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 ⬙ 𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡

divorced husband!al haitham who is hit by a revelation over the year he lived separated from you - that he had taken you for granted and he had driven you away by failing to communicate and appreciate you properly.

divorced husband!al haitham who receives a little package from you on his birthday; just a small, store-bought birthday cake. he's reminded of the biting words he said the year before, when he tasted the cake you made with your daughter. in hindsight, it was perfectly normal for a three-year-old to mistake salt for sugar. in hindsight, he should have known to hold his tongue. in hindsight, he could have done better than just stare as your daughter cried in your arms.

divorced husband!al haitham who knows that you were just being nice with all these small gestures. for updating him about how your daughter is doing in school every month. it was all a formality of sorts and it was an agreement you had when you broke your marriage. but he can't help the hope that sparked within his chest when he sees your handwriting and hears your voice on the rare meet-ups you organize.

divorced husband!al haitham who admits that you deserve someone better. who resolves to be someone better.

divorced husband!al haitham who picks up that parenting book he abandoned and buys new ones because four-year-olds are different from newborn babies. people stare at him in awe when he starts attending the parenting-themed seminars, and it's like he's back in his akademiya days, taking notes and analyzing research journals.

divorced husband!al haitham who, to his previous roommate's surprise, lets himself be dragged into the 'severely unproductive' weekly tcg game meeting. he silently sits and listens to cyno unconsciously bragging about the warm home he built with his spouse, tighnari proudly retelling story after story about collei taking the lead of the forest rangers, and kaveh gushing about the love of his life.

divorced husband!al haitham who, to everyone's shock, asks for their advice on how to rebuild what he's lost, who for once listens to kaveh as he guides him to emphatize more and shows him the values of white lies when used properly, as inefficient as he though it was. soon enough it turns into a full-on lecture at one corner of lambad's tavern - tighnari had brought out a whiteboard out of nowhere, and even cyno who was at first skeptical about giving him a second chance was animatedly giving his own two mora to avoid worsening the disaster that is the scribe's love life.

divorced husband!al haitham who picks up a new pen and delicately writes a letter with the ink of your favorite color, intending to ask you to meet at the library because he wanted to "further encourage our daughter's newly-found interest in reading". he's hoping it would show his sincerity (yes, he did listen when you absentmindedly told him about your daughter on the last update meeting) and imply that he wishes to make amends (because he remembers not taking much interest in the more 'trivial' things that concerns your daughter when he should have).

divorced husband!al haitham who does not understand why you didn't reply to him, and so he proceeds to recite the letter, word-by-word, to the curious table of the same friends from a week ago, their tcg match long forgotten. kaveh throws a deck of cards at him. cyno slumps back to his chair with a steely expression, arms crossed. tighnari sighs and bemoans about how al haitham is the worst student he's ever had thus far. kaveh rubs his face with his palms - "alright. okay. alright. look. clearly one lecture isn't enough. we could just. we could try again. hey, at least he tried!"

divorced husband!al haitham who wakes up the morning after because of his doorbell, with barely two hours of sleep, coffee-less (you used to make him coffee and he does not understand what he's missing because he could never make them taste the same), grumpy (he remembers the way you would laugh and boop his nose whenever he feels like this), darkened eye bags under his hazy green eyes (which you used to try and will away with a kiss; it never worked but he wishes you were there to do it still), opening the door of his abode (the house feels far too big without you) and promptly almost collapsing from shock at the sight.

it's you.

divorced husband!al haitham who fumbles with his words; his brain isn't working properly and his composure is nowhere in sight. you're holding your daughter's hand and you're looking at him from head to toe with a frown. he asks why you were here. you tell him icily that it was your scheduled date for the usual monthly update; you thought he would have appreciated you bringing your daughter this time. his brain stops. his heart swells. his chest feels warm.

divorced husband!al haitham who invites you in and blushes when you see the remnants of last night's "lectures". kaveh's silly flowchart ('when you should shut your mouth') is still present on the whiteboard. tighnari's books about child development created little towers around the coffee table. cyno's headpiece is still lying on the sofa. and his own copious notes are all over the place.

"what kind of.... project.... are you working on, exactly?"

his brain's broca's area must have been terribly damaged from all the 'scenario exercises' kaveh put him through last night, because what was supposed to be a 'pay no mind to it, it's merely a personal interest of mine' somehow turned into a sheepishly spoken: "i wanted to become a better partner and father."

and you must have thought he was crazy, too, with that look of utter shock on your face. al haitham decides to change the subject. he sees the way your daughter is eyeing the pantry - more specifically, the cabinet that used to store her snacks, and maybe it's all the books and seminars he attended but somehow he understands.

"have you... had breakfast?"

"..... no," your tone is cold and you avert your eyes. the implication is not lost on him. you had not planned to stay for long.

"i see. would you like to procure-" he pauses, gazes towards your daughter, remembering what he read - and he drops to his knees so he can be of a similar eye level with the young child. when he speaks next his tone is higher, softer, and you almost can't believe what you're witnessing, "-would you and mommy like to get some food with daddy?"

"..... yes."

his little angel's voice is barely above a whisper and slightly unsure, but it still makes a genuine smile spread onto his lips for the first time in...... what seemed like forever. he directs his gaze up towards you, like some kind of a lost puppy seeking permission from its owner. you throw one last glance at his notes and sigh before nodding stiffly.

"alright.... you look like you badly need coffee anyway."

divorced husband!al haitham who, despite the tiredness in his bones, readily escorts the two of you out of the house after quickly scribbling a note for the three guests sleeping on a pile in the guest room.

divorced husband!al haitham who asks his daughter about where she'd like to eat and agrees immediately upon her answer despite knowing that their destination would only serve that trashy coffee he loathes with his whole life (and when you ask him again whether he's really okay with her choice, he says yes even though he wanted to say no).

divorced husband!al haitham who asks you about the latest updates on your job and tells you that he thinks it's admirable, for you to balance caring for their child while also having such a stable career (you did not express the need to be getting constructive criticism on how to further improve your career and branch out your skills, so he decides to keep his mouth shut).

divorced husband!al haitham who stumbles, trips, and is still horribly clumsy as he paves a path back to walk beside you and your daughter. but he tries. and he hopes to spend his next birthday with you, your daughter, a kitchen that looked like an oven has exploded, and a deformed cake.

and as the front door closes, the three guests high-fives each other in a small circle from behind the slightly opened door of the guest room.

© zhongrin | 2023 ◆ no repost. reblogs much appreciated. feel free to reach out to submit suggestions, feedback, comments, or if you just want to talk!

◇ taglist ◇ @thestarsofenkanomiya | @genshinparty | @abyssmal-skies | @hamdehlesmis | @depressivecomforts | @sophiethewitch1 | @why-am-i-here-someone-save-me | @sunnshineflxwer | @heartonthemoon | @yuutasbabe | @percyval-archives | @carbs-need-more-love | @rebeccka | @queen-belial | @stygianoir | @silentmoths | @niktwazny303 | @dustofthedailylife | @herdrops | @diebischesther | @marina-and-the-memes | @angryhope | @mixed-kester | @shuangxo | @fiannee | @lordbugs | @anonymousficreader | @shizunxie | @ladylofspades | @sup-zfam | @ansy-tea

[waffledforbreakfast]

Ego - Catchup!! - [BLLK X READER SCENARIOS]

Staring: Ego x f!reader

[ BLLK Scenario Masterlist ]

TW: heavy ooc, bad grammar, bad spelling, bad formatting, cringe, scuff, etc.

>First Encounter

You took a sip of your drink, sitting at the short table by the cafe door, people crowding around the small shop, i suppose around this time is rush hour, after all.

“This is fine! Perfectly normal, nothing to see here….” you typed away gibberish on your notes app to seem busy, and hope that no one would talk to you. Specifically the weird man standing in the corner, who’s been staring at you for the past 4 minutes. You’re not even sure if he’s blinked… 

“I should really get outta here… is he STILL staring at me???? Alright im out-” you thought to yourself, and got ready to leave. But not before Mr. Mysterious-Man sat down across the table.

“Hello.” he stared right into your eyes. You levitated above your seat, half-way through standing up

“Hi…?” you smiled awkwardly, sitting back down as if it wasn’t a choice. He looked like he’d kill you if he did. And that bowl cut wasn’t helping-

“Do I know you?” you asked, quickly examining the man

“No. This is our first interaction. It’s nice to meet you, [Y/N] [L/N].” the man smiled, showing off his eerily straight teeth and pitch black eyes, extending a hand.

A shiver went down your spine at the sight, but you shook his hand anyway. “Haha… how do you know my name? Mr…?”

“Jinpachi.” he stated, his eyes never once leaving yours “Ego Jinpachi. I’m the director of Project Blue Lock. And you are the renowned [Y/N], correct? You were the pride and joy of Japan’s soccer at your peak, then you disappeared and your contracts were terminated. It’s been a while since anyone has seen you.”

It was creepy. How much did this man know about you??

“Yea… something like that” you muttered, sipping your drink again 

“I’m a big fan.” he stated, (which you did not believe at all) “I have your ‘ Birthday Special ! Plushie ’.”

“Oh!” that caught you off guard-... 

Ego slid you a business card, “You should work alongside me on Project Blue Lock. I assure you, there are many benefits.” he stood up and bowed, “Please send an email if you’re interested.”

And with that, the man left the cafe. Leaving you at your little coffee table alone.

There were still many people around, the whole interaction only lasted max 6 minutes anyway, but those were easily the most interesting 6 minutes since you ended your career.

You stood up and took the business card, flipping it around in your hands

“Project Blue Lock / Blue Lock: Project Word-Champion [Blue Lock: PWC] / Blue Lock TV [BLTV] ”

That many projects? Surely working on those would bring good money, right? You wondered how long your savings could support you before you would eventually need a job again…

“ bluelock-pwc-tv-office@hotmail.com ” 

“ ego.jin331@hotmail.com ” 

He had crossed out the official business email, and written his own/personal one instead… 

You pocketed the card, picked up your drink and went on your way. But maybe, just maybe you’ll send him an email. It didn’t sound like a terrible idea anyway….

>Second Encounters 

You stepped through the automated double doors, blue pentagons decorating the room

“Hey Ego” you greeted, looked around the dark room filled with monitors and file cabinets 

“Hello, Ms.[Y/N]. I’m glad to see you’ve taken up my offer after all.” he spun around in his wheely chair like the anime villain he is. “I’m sure Anri has greeted you well?”

Anri nodded eagerly beside you, “Yes! I gave her a map of the place, drinks, food, my number, and a master keycard!”

“Good good. Ego stood up before you, looking into your eyes for a good few seconds before deciding to speak again. “Please make yourself comfortable, Anri will guide you to your room, I’ll be in here if you need me.” Ego when back to his chair, redirecting his attention to the monitors.

You followed Anri through the halls, trying to remember your steps(which was hard in such a repetitive building…) 

“So, Ms.[Y/N], do you think I could get your autograph after!?” she looked at you with stars in your eyes “Oh and one for Ego too- I think he’s too embarrassed to ask you” she laughed

“Sure!” you laughed as well, “And no need for the ‘ms’.”

Anri nodded “Alright then. This is your room” she opened the door and showed you inside “It’s pretty spacey, feel free to decorate as you wish! My room is just down the hall, and Ego’s is across from mine. Please let me know if there’s anything you need.”

You hummed an acknowledgement, looking around the room. “Here” you took two of the business cards on the nightstand and signed them, handing them to Anri. “For your’s and Ego’s troubles”

She smiled and took them happily “Thank you! I’ll be sure to give one to him today. And don’t worry too much! Ego’s been pretty happy having you around, he’s been checking his email every hour since the first day you guys met, LOL!” she laughed at the memory “He’s also been worrying about welcoming gifts or something- he was asking me if girls like flowers and whatnot… you do like them right? Actually don’t answer that- he already bought them, haha…”

You tried to hide an amused smile, “Alright, I’ll have to ask him about it”

She nodded before making her way out your room “Mhm! I’ll see you around!” 

You waved at her as she closed the door, now alone in your new room. You wondered how the rest of your time here at Blue Lock would go…

BONUS

You looked around the halls, which one was this? Surely your room was one of these… right?

“This one!” you grabbed the doorknob with blind confidence, and put your full body weight on the door and pushed.

Un(fortunately), that’s was not your room.

You fell to the ground, overestimating how heavy the door is. “Ow…” you swore under your breath, even though it didn’t hurt at all- (A/N: please tell me i'm not the only person that does this-...)

“You okay?” 

You looked up at the man staring down at you, “WTF HE LOOKS LIKE HE’S GONNA KILL ME???”

Ego squatted down and tilted his head “Not injured are you?”

“I-nono im good” you sat up quickly and brushed yourself off

Ego nodded, “did you need something?”

“Oh uhm… nope! I’ll figure it out.” you insisted. You couldn’t let Ego know you got lost! How pathetic would he think you are!?

“Ok, well the door’s there.”

“Yup ok! Sorry….!”

You smiled awkwardly while mentally panicking as you make your way out

“Here.” Ego spat out quickly, shoving a bouquet in your hands, before pushing you out the door. You didn’t get a good look at his face, but that was probably bc he was turned away from you ;)

>Birthday gifts from him

This man either gets you the bare minimum because he was busy til last second, or went all out and got you everything you wanted. Depends on how busy he was.

He knows nothing about throwing you a party, or going out, so Anri went with you instead(if you wanted to)

Ego doesn’t quite understand the point in cakes, but he knew you wanted one, so he went to the grocery store and bought the first one he saw (he knows nothing about cakes)

Anri had him put on a party hat and one of those party blower things (yk, the ones that shoot out then curl back in like a snail? Yea, just the thought of him with one of those amuse me.

He probably just gave you his (black?)card and told you to buy whatever you wanted. If you asked him to go with you to the mall he would, but he would REFUSE to carry your bags. “ you were the one who bought it. ” or smt like that… but if you bother him enough, he wouldn’t mind carrying a few ;)

>Roommate

This man, cannot clean for the life of him

Actually no, he is very capable of it, he just can’t be bothered too….

At first you tried to get him to clean, but eventually gave up after he waved you off and said he’d do it later, for the 5th time….

He doesn't say it often, but he’s really grateful that you clean for him, and his thanks come in the form of surprise take out food when you get back from work

You tried to figure out his sleep schedule, but everytime you checked he’d be awake. 1pm? Awake. 11pm? Awake. 4am? Awake. 

You asked him when he sleeps, and he just shrugged

After living with you though, his schedule started to change. You wouldn’t know it, but Ego now sleeps a bit after you do, and wakes up just before. 

And he will glare at you if you wake him up.

Will refuse to eat anything but instant ramen. But on VERY special occasions, he’ll make and exception for the food you cook. This happens around 3 times a year-

Ego will also steal any and all snack you bought, nor does he read any sticknotes you may’ve stuck on your food.

Doesn’t go out often, and doesn’t tell you when he does.

His living habits go through phases of months, he’ll be super healthy for a while, just to throw himself into work the next few months, this man does not know the work “consistent” when it comes to work or life

>Kiss on the cheek

This man reacts fastttt, his eyes widened before you were off him.

He whipped his head around to stare at you, face in pure shock. He just stands there with wide eyes.

It takes a bit before he can form any kind of thought, but he’ll grab your waist and pull you in, resting his head either on your head or in your nape, but he won’t say anything

I don’t think this man has had affection before 😭

He’ll return a quick kiss on your neck too ;)

>Watching his game

You insisted on watching one of the NEL games with Ego, and he finally gave in.

“I don’t understand why you’re making this such a big deal.” Ego stood a bit behind you while you set up popcorn, drinks and blankets behind the one-way glass Ego said you had to watch behind.

“Cmon, it’ll be fun!” You fluffed up the pillows and sat down, opening a bag of your sour patch kids (A/N: u better like sourpatchkids.) 

Ego hesitated before sitting down beside you (closer than he usually does with other, how strange...) and snatching your candy, keeping his eyes on the game.

You frowned and pouted at him for a bit, before grabbing one of the two popcorn bags and tearing it open.

Which Ego also snatched-

He plucked a piece of popcorn and popped it in his mouth. Before spitting it out and coughing.

“HAHAHHAILWUEHFAILEFLMAOOOOOOO” you laughed at him, tearing up almost

“SHUT UP.” he glared at you “You’re disgusting for liking butter.”

“No, I’m normal. You’re a psychopath for liking yours plain.”

He rolled his eyes in response before grabbing the other bag, and enjoying his unbuttered popcorn in peace.

You two watched the game, making comments and analyzing the game as it unfolded.

“Look at that old dog, he’s actually so ass.” Ego spat

“NOEL NOA????”

“Did I stutter?”

“...ur just jealous”

“No im not.”

“You totally are. He’s better than you, admit it”

“NO HE’S NOT.”

“YES HE IS”

And oh look at that! While you two were arguing, somehow the space between you guys shrank? 👀

I’m sure one of you two will notice when you guys stop arguing, which will be soon, right?...

SEPARATE (ALTERNATIVE)

You stared at the laptop screen intently, watching the striker run across the field.

Your door was closed and your lights were off, you hoped that no one would think you’d be awake, despite it being 10am-...

It was so hard to find videos of Ego. It was mentioned that he was pro at one point, but there was nothing on the first page of google about his soccer career! 

But finally you found a video, so yes you were gonna watch it.

“[Y/N]” Ego practically threw your door open “Wake-... What are you watching?”

You had slammed the laptop shut and shoved it under your pillow, laughing awkwardly “Nothing!”

He glared at you. He’s not buying sh%t.

“ EGO JINPACHI SCORESSSS ” your laptop blares 

Shit.

“[Y/N]. WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING”

He gets closer to you, his eyes almost bulging out of his head. “[Y/N].!?”

BONUS

“Ego, you okay?” Enri looked concerningly at the man. He’d been sitting there with his head in his hands, and is he… blushing???

“Anri. She found it…”

“Your secret collection of her merch?”

“nO-”

>Telling him you’re busy

Usually Ego was the one busy, he rarely had time for you. You decided to get him back and pretend that you were busy the next time he asked

__________________

Bowl Cut Boy ♡ Thursday 21:30 getting Ramen. 

You Okk, have fun!

Bowl Cut Boy ♡ ?

You ???

Bowl Cut Boy ♡ Fine ill pick you up.

You OH U WANTED ME TO GO W/U?? Sorry im busy lol

Bowl Cut Boy ♡ ? At 9pm?????

You Wait 21:30 is 9:30pm??? oops

Bowl Cut Boy ♡ Dumbass. Get there yourself.

You >:(

___________________

>First Date

“A… Date?” you looked at Ego, still processing his bluntness

“Yes. Anri kept bothering me about it. Are you interested?”

“Uhm…. Yea! Sure i am!”

“Great. I’ll come pick you up later.”

You nodded as Ego went off. You hadn’t moved an inch, still trying to figure out what just happened “Holy sh%t- I HAVE A DATE WITH EGO.” you tried to calm yourself as you returned to your room.

“Wait- what time did he say? HE DIDN’T TELL ME WHEN. OR WHERE. IS IT EVEN TODAY????”

You dug through your closet, but it was hard putting together an outfit when you had no clue where you were going. 

Finally, you picked an outfit you were happy with. Ego probably didn’t pick a very fancy place. Unless he did- you supposed he’d pick something ‘traditional’ to get it over with… it probably wasn’t gonna be a ‘fun’ date to the aquarium or anything…. Unless he did because Anri told him to- Aghhh this man told you nothing! This ‘date’ was truly a wildcard.

You fell back on your bed, sighing. Whatever happens, at least you picked an fit! That’s a good start.

“[Y/N].” you heard a knock at the door “Let’s go.”

WHAT. ALREADY??? HOW LONG DID YOU SPEND PICKING WHAT TO WEAR- oh it’s been like 3 hours already. It was 5pm, so probably not a dinner date.

Ego opened the door, and saw you in your sloth state. You wondered if it’d be worth the hassle to explain the situation. “Cmon.” He grabbed you by the wrist and dragged you out your room.

“Wait- I should probably change-...”

“You’ll be fine. It’s nothing fancy.”

You went along with him (not that it was much a choice)

Ego opened the taxi doors for you, “Get in.” you did as he said and he sat beside you. You wondered if Ego had a drivers licence at all-

“Home depot.” he spoke to the driver

“HOME DEPOT??? DOES THAT EVEN COUNT AS A DATE??” but you said nothing as the car made it’s way over

Ego was staring at you, and spoke up suddenly “What’s wrong.” it came out more as a demand then a question

“Nothing nothing! I’m fine.”

He glared at you

“... I’m just sad I didn't get to wear the outfit I was planning, that’s all….” you laughed, waving it off

“You can wear it when we get back, can’t you? And you look fine, don’t worry about it.”

He put a hand on your thy (or if ur uncomfy, he just nudged you) and squeezed it gently. Ego would never admit he thinks your day to day/casual wear looked the best on you.

“Easy for you to say” you mumbled under your breath, “you wear the same thing everyday…”

Ego glared at you. Clearly displeased. 

Luckily for you, the car had come to a stop. You both exited the taxi as you said a quick “thank you” and Ego paid.

You really were at Home Depot.

Ego didn’t hesitate before going in, so you followed. He looked like he’d been here 20+ times, walking past all the isles to get to wherever he was going. Which turned out to be the ‘House Plants’ section

“Anri said I need to touch grass more often. This is basically the same thing.” he grabbed a potted succulent 

You looked at him, then the plant, then back at him. “He’s serious isn’t he-...” 

“Is there anything you want?” He looked at you, examining your body language 

“From Home Depot? Not really-” You thought to yourself if there was anything. 

“Here.” Ego grabbed another succulent, similar but shorter than his, “Now were matching.”

You tried to process what he just said, but he was already walking towards the cashier.

You’re MATCHING… with EGO. As you walked, the paint section caught your eye. A quick peak wouldn’t hurt! Ego wouldn’t even notice if you made it quick.

You ducked into the isle, there were many kinds of paint and other kid’s crafts. You picked up a pack of googly eyes and small bottles of paint. Your succulent deserved to be beautiful.

Alright, now time to go find Ego again. You turned around and- “AHHGHAH. HI EGO??” 

WAS HE RIGHT BEHIND YOU THIS WHOLE TIME????

He looked at the items in your hand, and took them in his own. “Is that all?”

You nodded as he headed back towards the exit. Ego paid for everything and led you back to a cab. “I assume you want to decorate your plant?”

“Yes that’s right” you nodded “Would you be interested in joining me…?”

Ego thought for a second, “Sure.”

You gave an amused smile, watching Ego do a kids’ craft was definitely something to look forward to.

“Great, just try to make it something that isn’t soccer themed, yea?”

“... You’re expecting too much.”

>Sending Love Letters

The BLLK vs U-20 game just ended a few days ago. And that’s great and all, but that also means your contract of partnership has expired. In other words- you’re done with Blue Lock.

Were you very happy about that? No, you’d miss seeing Anri and Ego everyday (definitely NOT mainly ego), the weirdly not terrible cafeteria food, you’d say your little succulent but you got to take him with you. 

The plant including all your other belongings had almost all been packed, you were ready to go at any moment.

And you would, soon. Right after you dropped off a letter to Ego. Which was Anri’s idea- something about “Ego’s never been so inlove!” and “You might never see him again!” 

Ignoring the first part, she did have a point. So here you stood, love letter in your hands, slipping under Ego’s office door.

You sighed. You really were ready to leave now. You did a last tour of the building, you had learnt your way around these cold halls. Whatever. It was time to go.

You threw on a bag and glanced at all your boxes, sitting stacked in your room. Anri said they’d ship it over, but you wondered if your little apartment could hold that many things.

Whatever, you’ll figure it out when you get home…

>Receiving Love Letters

The halls didn’t feel quite as scary as they used to, as you made your way one last time through them towards the exit. Taking some last moments to yourself, letting go was a part of life, you didn't expect to stay here forever. This was a good chapter of your life, you were happy to have been invited to Blue Lock in the first place. 

So why was it that when you were finally ready to go, THE DAMN DOORS WOULDN’T OPEN??

It’s not like you could pry them open, these were supposed to be automatic! “Automatic my ass….”

You frowned, it was not worth the loss of aura to try and break it open. Or maybe it was worth a shot… no one’s watching anyway right? Right… Wrong.

“[Y/N]” Ego stood behind you, oh god this man was everywhere you were. 

“Ego! The door won’t open…” you gestured awkwardly 

“I know. I turned it off to stop you from leaving”

What.!?

He handed you a folded piece of paper (that was clearly rushed from both the handwriting and ripped edges) and encouraged you to read it 

You gave him a confused look before opening it and skimming it quickly.

“Don’t go.... enjoyed our time ... I like you too…. reNEW YOUR CONTRACT.??” 

You mentally read to yourself, jaw on the floor. Maybe you should probably read the whole thing. Which you managed to do pretty quickly.

“Well? Does that make sense to you?” Ego asked, trying to understand your thoughts

You gave a hesitant nod, “Yea.. so does that mean my contract’s renewed? I get to continue working on BlueLock with you…?”

God that sounded cringe….

Ego nodded “If you’d like.”

You smiled, “I’d love to.”

BONUS

Anri watched from the security cameras “Ahhhrgh! Are they just going to ignore the fact that they both just declared their love for each other!!!”

She slumped down on the chair “God these two are hopeless…”

A/N: Ego catchup! This was requested on wattpad, but thought i'd post it here too, bc im not sure if there's much x ego content... least theres NONE on wattpad LMAO. if you look for it, it give you reader x diego (from iceage) which i thought was dope.

[blueberrypancakesworld]

Omg, we need a emma d'arcy x fem reader! Pleaseee!!!

Let me help you here

Emma D'arcy x fem!reader

warning : fluff, flirting, comfort, nicknames, no use of Y/n, i really hope emma is not too ooc, i hope all pronouns are right

Summary : The latest season of House of the Dragon is about to start and final filming is underway. Emma as the Queen Rhaenyra finds themself in a quiet scene with a fellow actor and the two need some help from each other getting dressed…professionally of course.

info : normally i don't write for actors but i feel comfortable with it so i hope you like it anon and emma looks like the queen herself too. have fun reading ;)

ps : I love the gif not only a queen but Ewan in the background so sweet

masterlist

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

The acting group needed for the scene had already gathered at the slightly unfinished set. The lights over there were sometimes bright, sometimes dark, with a wide variety of flares and lanterns, some lit with real flames, of course, and some with no real light.

The sets, as you all knew, served mainly as backgrounds for the actors and for the special effects specialists as the big screen which, in addition to the scenery and the actors and props, brought them all to life, giving them that fantasy look.

The large set the hall of Dragonstone went almost to the ceiling thick walls some with steel thickness some finely crafted with foam served as a set. It was really impressive to see how they did it all thought the young actress and let her gaze wander only briefly knowing that the camera was still on her co-worker Matt who was discussing the war plans as Daemon as he had learned.

Especially in the final edit when they had all watched the greasy series together, it was really nice to be back. The camera on the table moved around it again from Matt to her as Daemon looked at the Nachirhct's delivery. ,,Be assured the sea route is supported by Lord Manderly. This also goes out to your ships Lord Corlys your safety is our concern" she said her sentence as scripted letting her eyes wander over the sea route and nodded to Matt and Steve in their roles as Daemond and Corlys who also gave her a nod and thanks before the camera panned back.

It was a few lines she had played a newsbringer a high lady from the lake house as she had done a little research on the internet and even read a little blood and fire. A really good book.

But then she knew her cue when it became quiet at the table and the guards could be heard announcing in loud voices on the set that a queen was arriving. Instead of the short hair, Emma's head was adorned with a long, light-colored wig, which made their face slightly pale, but the expression Simply incredible she thought and looked at the older one who Matt then placed next to her around the table.

There was silence as everyone looked at the Queen, who looked at the card with a broken look of hatred and after another shaky breath gave a determined ,,I will…Aemond Targaryen" everyone lingered like that for a moment before there was a loud ,,Cut!" and a clap was heard and everyone fell out of their roles. Immediately there was talk and laughter, and everyone was curious to see what the scene would look like, ,,What a cute curtsy my lady," she heard Emma say as they came over to her and mimicked the movement, making them both smile.

,,So much training," the younger one mumbled, pretending to strain before D'arcy took the younger one's arm and pulled her along, ,,Nice to see you having fun and everyone going so well," the taller one began, giving her an assuring look.

It was only a small role and she had been in a few smaller TV series here and there, but it was still something completely different, it was really exciting to be around movie legends and such good actors.

A possibility she really appreciated…and maybe she appreciated Emma even more. The English actor was really impressive, even though they only played a few roles, but the expression, the voice and just everything about D'arcy was engaging and so captivating.

,,Everyone take a break, later we might do a post-production but until then you can get out of your costumes!" they heard the head of the costume department say and most of the actors went straight to the dressing rooms and Emma to the caravans.

This time, however, the younger one, who was only a supporting role, was about to say goodbye when the older one took her hand again and pulled her along. ,,I promised you I'd have a Negroni Sbagliato with you, come on, sweetie," they said and before she knew it they were actually in the actor's cozy caravan. Yes, they had made that promise after they realized on the first day they had met that they had not only gone back to the same acting school but had also run into each other more often than they wanted to.

From auditions, to plays and in real life it was almost romance ripe. ,,So with Orange without?" they asked, still standing at the small bar in their full outfits, which made the younger ones smile, ,,As the Queen takes him, so do I," she demanded with a look that went over the actor's body. The dress and the coat and the hair it was so impressive to see how versatile Emma could be.

But she had noticed the younger girl's stare, not just the little smirk on her lips, but when she turned to her and put the drink in her hand, their fingers deliberately touched and Emma let them touch. There seemed to be something between the two of them.

She had often invited Emma to her small but pleasant apartment and they had spent the evenings doing all sorts of things. In return, Emma sometimes invited her to extraordinary restaurants or something, it was like a friendship, even if some of the looks went deeper.

The two of them talked for a while about the costumes and the stunts with the "dragons", how exhausting and yet beautiful it was. She had watched D'acry do some of the flying toes and it looked incredible. ,,I'm glad to see you're enjoying it so much…you see I knew it would do you good not to give up now that we're here together," Emma winked and stood up after taking a sip of the alcoholic beverage before turning around and standing with their back to the younger one.

,,I can get the wig off by myself, but would you mind taking off the dress?" the actor asked and the younger girl jumped at the sight of a slightly rapid heartbeat, slightly sweaty palms and suddenly the alcohol was pounding much harder than usual. ,,Gladly for you-I mean, of course I'll help," she mumbled, stammering, and slowly began to help the taller girl out of her jacket, the smell of Chinoto Dark's citrusy, smoky scent enveloping her now that it had settled on her skin.

She liked the scent strong and yet slightly sweet because of the hint of lemon it was really something nice. ,,All good sweetie?" came the voice of the older one who turned slightly and looked at the younger one who was still holding the jacket in her hand ,,Yes-yes all good" she shrugged and felt the warmth on her cheeks.

Pull yourself together, you're not a schoolgirl anymore, she admonished herself and put the coat away before tying the dress, but she heard the slight smirk and Emma's words, ,,Don't be nervous, you're just undressing the queen," Emma joked, giving her a wink. A wink that only made the younger girl's heart beat faster.

Maybe it was Emma's intention, maybe it was the actor's style, or maybe it was just for fun. Who knew, but as her fingers tightened on the laces, the taller actress held still and let her friend do her thing, stepping out of the dress before reaching for a robe.

The back was nicely defined by the light muscles, not just for acting, the underwear a quick glance and her cheeks almost got hotter. ,,You were a grateful help, sweetie," Emma said, standing in front of the younger girl, they towered over her with their height in addition to the boots.

Her wispy dark blonde hair was slightly tousled and she had to resist tousling it and greenish eyes were looking at her. But then suddenly D'acry reached for her hand and brought it to her lips, placed a grateful kiss on it and seemed about to continue. The moment deepened and the younger girl clung to the fabric of the robe, fearful of falling over in devotion, when a ringing from her cell phone threw her off balance.

,,Fuck," she muttered with a determined look and Emma just smiled again. She picked it up, ,,I'm um what-yes of course-yes I'm on my way," she mumbled as the voice of the debriefing leader at the other end called for her to go over the script again when a few changes were made.

Sighing, she gathered her things and had forgotten all about the actor when Emma held her lightly again, ,,I'll wait here honey," Emma winked and gave one last kiss on the hand before she let the younger actor out of the caravan with an embarrassed look, knowing that something was finally going to happen, just a dance of the actors.

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

[selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs]

Hiiii this is my first time requeting but how would poe react to reader showing favoritism to him

My favourite (Poe Edition)

Self-Aware! Edgar Allan Poe x GN! Reader

Warning: OOC. English is my second language

Purple moon, once again, shined above Yokohama.

"Wohoo! Summer Vacation Poe card is mine! Finally, I can max its skill."

And, once again, you got a limited Poe card max level and 5 level skill.

_________

Ranpo and Poe were having some snacks and tea, when you got Poe's card. Ranpo chuckled.

"I envy you, Poe-kun. In a good way, may I add."

Poe, after giving a pretzel to Karl, looked at Ranpo quizzically. Ranpo was drinking soda, his eyes were closed.

"Envy me? Why?"

Ranpo waves his hand. Poe took a sip of his tea.

"Well, you know, you are Our Guiding Light favorite character, that's for sure."

Poe almost spit his tea.

"W-what? Favorite?"

Ranpo quickly answered.

"Yes. Favorite. Don't tell me, you haven't noticed it."

Poe nervously tapped his fingers against the table surface.

"I am afraid, you are mistaken, Ranpo-kun. I am sure, I am not their favorite."

Ranpo grins.

"And I tell you, you are their favorite. Look at your cards! They try to get all of your cards. The rarity doesn't matter, they are happy with R, SR and SSR cards. And they always tried to max level them. Moreover, they are using all your cards as App's Home Screen Wallpaper. Last, but not least, your "Black Cat in the Rue Morgue" card are their profile picture in game."

Poe took another sip of his tea. He (actually, everyone, to be honest), of course, already has noticed that you really like collecting his cards. Poe didn't want to think much of it. He doesn't want to overthink.

"Well, maybe, my cards are just pretty..."

Ranpo lazily tossed the candy into his mouth and responded

"Poe-kun, I won't debate on what's pretty and what is not, but, you do remember that R cards are simply our portraits? So, by this logic, they consider you pretty."

Poe scratch behind Karl's ears. He tried to hide his nervousness.

"Than... maybe, they really like to have all of their cards maxed in every way?"

Ranpo huffs and crossed his hands on his chest.

"Poe-kun, they already have all of our R cards. Yours are the only one that were leveled up and the only one, which skills were maxed. Same with SR."

Poe tried to think about another reason for you collecting his cards. But, he has to admit, that Ranpo was right. He was your favorite character.

Poe sighed. Carl jumped on his right shoulder and curled in a ball.

"Fine, I admit it, it seems, they are fond of me. But, surely, they liked me as a character with cool design or voice. Maybe, they have only one specific reason to like me."

Ranpo frowned.

"Poe-kun... You remember, what you have heard from Our Guiding Light? When you heard all of their words? Do you really think, they like you for one specific thing?"

Poe sighed in defeat.

"I don't. I am just nervous. They are real, but for them, I am character. What if they won't like me, when we met for real?"

Ranpo shrugged.

"Understandable. But, time will tell, Poe-kun. I think, you should think positive."

__________

Time, that tell arrived sooner, then one expected

Three days after Poe's and Ranpo's talk, you were having a chat with some random people on the Internet. You were discussing BSD.

Someone asked, who is your favorite character from BSD.

"My favorite BSD Characters? Edgar Allan Poe, of course. My reasons for liking him? Well... First, I think he is a good character. I like his personality. He is smart. He is loyal. He has social anxiety, and I can relate to him. He is determined. Also, he became friends with Ranpo, a person, who he thought, has destroyed his life. Poe helped Ranpo save other ADA members. Besides, I like Poe's looks and voice. Or, and Karl is the cutest."

________

In the app

________

Ranpo grinned, looking at his friend.

"So, I was right, Poe-kun? Not only favorite, but liked for many reasons."

Poe didn't answer. He was too busy right now.

Poe, red as tomato, hide his face in his hands. He was so embarrassed. Little Light was sitting on his head and 'purring'. Poe felt so much love that came from you.

Poe managed to mewl.

"You were..."

Poe was smiling. It feels so nice to be favorite. Poe chuckled. He owes you a nice warm hug. For been an absolutely adorable, nicest person. And for liking him.

[lephamquynhnhu]

Millennial Aegis

Chapter 5

Jing Yuan x Fem! reader

WARNINGS/ TAGS: Arranged marriage, the reader has a default name, smut, unprotected sex, oral sex, fingering, OOC, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT.

Word count: ~3200

Summary: He is so stubborn to give up on you, and you are too hard-headed to reciprocate his affection. When do you both stop torturing each other?

You still see Lord Jing Yuan in the study room writing reports in the dead of night. An exasperated sigh escapes your mouth as you lean on the door frame. 

"Don't you think it is a little too late?"

The general looks up from the documents; his eyes soften when he sees your silhouette at the doorway. However, the expression soon transfers into concern when he perceives your upsetness. You stride toward his coordinate and try to reason with him, but Jing Yuan insists on getting the work done. At least he welcomes your companion as pulling a chair adjacent to his position, yet you intentionally choose to sit on his thigh. Despite your abnormal behavior baffles him a little, he says nothing.

After a moment, you drop the file on the table and divert attention to Jing Yuan by touching his features. Your fingertips begin grazing his nose, trailing down the sharp jawline, then lingering at his Adam's apple. Nevertheless, he seems unbothered as the golden orbs keep moving horizontally between the file's margin.

"General, do you plan to stay up until dawn?" - Your hot breath fans over the base of his neck as you mumble. 

Much to your dismay, he merely hums in confirmation as letters appear restlessly on the paper without glancing. You bite your inner cheek when considering the final trump card. Abruptly, you cradle Jing Yuan's face in both hands to demand the attraction and kiss him tenderly.

"Now, do you think you can continue to work?"

At first, his body tenses slightly but quickly relaxes as he realizes what you want. The sultry in your voice did trigger his senses as he finally sighed in defeat when setting the pen aside. 

"Okay, I let you slide this time. I am sorry for neglecting you the whole time." 

Lord Jing Yuan's hand moves slowly down your back and kisses your lips passionately. You gently caress his scalp while toying with his long locks. Soft moans start leaving as his hands move slowly down your waist and onto your hips to ground you firmly against himself. Your body temperature grows hotter each second passing, and blood runs rapidly in vessels as your heart pumps violently. 

A long silver thread of saliva connects your lips when you two break the kiss. It feels like he sucked all oxygen from your lungs, and you can sense his rock-hard beneath you. The general opens his eyes to give you an intense gaze as a yearning flame glittering in his pupils. You know that Jing Yuan is transforming because Oxytocin chases down your brain now. Your breathing becomes heavier and more rapid, but he does not want to waste this precious time. His Highness's hand moves up to support your nape when he crashes your lips again for his tongue to explore every corner of your mouth and occasionally teases you by mischievously biting your lower lip. The other hand snakes over your hips and tightens around your waist. 

Wrapping your arms around his neck, you start moaning loudly into his mouth as he tilts his head to kiss you contently. After a while, the general pulls out and looks at your face with predator's eyes, which permeate earnest desire. He immediately uses his forearm to wipe the lump of documents to the right and inclines to shove your body on the table, but you timely stop him.

"We should retire to our room."

Jing Yuan's stare bores into yours, and a wide grin appears on his facade as he carries you in bridal style. The door closes with a noisy thud after entering your shared room. You both fall onto the mattress, and he continues what was interrupted in the study room. You resume connecting through a hectic kiss while his hands take time as they grope your litheness to admire every curve, slowly unraveling your bodice. Once your breasts reveal to him, he takes one of your nipples and gently squeezes it. Dark bruises start forming when the general drags his wet kiss down your collarbone.

"It took you 300 years to fall in love with me, hm? Such a procrastinator." 

He finally stops and cages you between his strong arms with fierce passion in his gaze. A husky voice infuses with playfulness when Jing Yuan opens his words. You give him a small smile before cupping his cheek affectionately.

"Pardon for my tardiness. Now I'm here to pay for my debt."

"You're quite right. But what if this is not enough?" He teasingly asks while molding your breast.

"My lord is so greedy, isn't he? Then, I guess I will use my lifetime to stay by his side."

The Arbitary-General seems satisfied with your promise as he leans to kiss your lips again. Pink blushes dust on your cheekbones as the ghost of his hand caresses your lower belly, making chill drive along your spine and goosebumps. Once finished undressing you, Jing Yuan lowers himself to slot between your legs and sniffs your inner thigh.

"We just prelude, and you are already this wet?" - He mockingly asks when running a finger at your damp core.

"Stop teasing, or else you will gain nothing tonight!" - Your face reddens harder as you pout at his comment.

He grins widely at your embarrassment, then marks the delicate skin while slowly heading to your entrance. The avidity of shocking electricity paralyzes your body as you puff out a steamy breath when the general drags his tongue and starts eating you out. His growls become louder at the sensitivity as he looks up with a smug smile and licks you more intensely. 

His hands reach up to squeeze your thighs and rub them vigorously. The moist tongue ignites the lustful blaze sleeping inside as it works tirelessly and licks up every drop of your juice until you let out a soft moan. You reach your hands out to dig into Jing Yuan's hair and slowly massage his scalp while panting hard from pleasure. He smirks when he hears your purrs and keeps sucking until you finally climaxes. You could feel the roughness against your folds, but it felt good simultaneously. When you orgasm, you grip his head tightly and dig your fingers deep into his head. Jing Yuan looks extremely hot when drool mixed with your cum rolls down his chin as the general look up to inspect your face. 

"Let us go to the main course, shall we?" He slicks back his bangs and hovers above you. It is a rare sight to expose the total complexion like this when looking down with a sly smile. 

"Eh? I...I thought we finished." - You were confused by his statement.

"Oh no dear, not yet. We have plenty of fun left to do before we can call this night over." 

The general grins mischievously and bites your neck, causing another shudder to run through your body. The moment you witness the glowy amber orbs shining like cat eyes in the shadow, you are doomed. Therefore, being proactive is the only way to save your face. Regaining all courage, you grab his collar and kiss him deeply while striving to swap your current position. 

"If so, I'm on the game too." - You breathlessly say with an unstably heaving chest.

Your request pokes his hidden interest since you have never been this bold. Jing Yuan's lip corner tucks upward with overwhelming implication, an enigmatic glint in his eyes when he concurs with you. 

"But don't forget that I am right here by your side, ready to support you in any way possible."

Your hands find their ways to discard his attire clumsily 

until he lies bare underneath you. A body shape epitomizes a masterpiece of the most prominent marble sculpture with exquisite collarbones and toned abs. You feel your head is fuming due to overheating as you look at him in this position. Reversely, the Abitary-General seems to enjoy your inexperience. 

"I can hear the volume of your heart beating, dearie." - Jing Yuan promptly points out and tugs your hand toward his left chest. - "Like mine."

You ponder whether it was a psychological trick because the anxiety decreases as soon as you feel his rhythm. You then continue to doff the boxers and free his manhood. It erects skyward with pre cum smears on the tip and trails along with its vein. Your mind runs wild as you stroke his member a few times before adjusting the position to align your entrance with his cock. However, things do not go as smoothly as you expected when the hole refuses to swallow his length completely. 

The general prefers to watch you struggle a little longer but binds to support his lady. He grasps your hips and abruptly sinks you with a quick motion. You let out a painful expression before a long moan as his member stretches your cunt out. More or less, it has been 300 years since the last time you two intimated, so it hurts when he intrudes inside, but it is not as painful as the moment he took your virginity.

Beginning at a slow pace, and you gradually speed up as soon as the sting diminishes. Your bosom bounces up and down eagerly as pleasure washes over your nervous system.

"Oh~ Not bad though!" He amusedly chuckles while watching you ride his erection enthusiastically. It is a nice view to look up at you at this time. Jing Yuan's hands travel along your thighs, then cup your ass and knead it for a while before clutching at your waist to accelerate the pace. However, the show does not last long as your stamina quickly runs out, and all you can do now is panting heavily with uneven breathing. He takes that as a time-out, and you have reached your limit. 

"You should be more prudential in decision-making next time, honey."

With a fluid motion, your position swaps, and he is now smirking down mischievously as he wraps your legs around his torso. Jing Yuan assumes you have learned your lesson while he watches your reaction closely. He holds your hips and starts moving. With just a few thrusts, you begin seeing stars and moaning continuously. 

"Aww...look how much you like it!" The general coos aloft with excitement, yet you cannot respond verbally because your mind is occupied now. 

He starts accelerating the pace, and his tip ceaselessly brushes your G-spot. You two begin groaning loudly together when Jing Yuan hooks your legs over his shoulders, folding you in half. You have already dedicated your physical body and soul to him at the moment you scream out his name without the title. He knows for sure victory is on his side now. 

The stars disappear and ascend to the other level as you see paradise accompanied by hedonistic feelings coursing through your vessels. 

The way he kisses you derives from pure love, and the sustainability from squeezing your hand shows his affection. The way he pistols into you represents his lust only for nobody except you. 

"Jing Yuan, I...love you." - You officially confess in a fragile voice that follows with a long moan. His eyes widen when he hears your words of devotion. He smiles widely and leans down to kiss you passionately before pulling away.

"You've finally said it."

Then, the general traces his mouth to suck one of your breasts, his tongue skillfully swirling around and teasingly biting the peaked nipple while molding the other tenderly. You are so close to the climax, and the orgasm is like a bomb that nearly bursts out. Tears of ecstasy are leaking out as you writhe under your consort. He moves back up to mount you again, holding himself up with his arms. His erection enters you ruthlessly, but it is much faster than before.

"Hold on a little longer, darling. Wanna cum with you."

It goes deeper and faster, causing you both to feel pleasure beyond belief. At full speed, Jing Yuan suddenly stops, pulls out, and releases all over your bellies. He collapses on top of you, panting heavily. After a brief silence, when breaths progressively even, you wrap arms around his muscular torso.

"O Jing Yuan legendary general, tell me, do you fear anything?"

"Fear? Nothing but losing you. But what about you? Do you have any fears?" He nuzzles into your neck and starts rubbing your shoulder.

You give him a weak giggle before answering.

"I don't fear anything either. As long as I stay by your side."

Satisfied with the answer, he stands up and takes some paper tissues to clean you up first, then himself. When finished and got hydrated, he lifted your chin by index finger.

"So there's nothing else you want to ask me? No last wish or something?"

You look confused at the inquiry as Jing Yuan gives you a saccharine smile dripping with wolfish. He leans down to whisper in your ear.

"Are you ready for the last round then?"

You are stunned by his insatiate demand when repeating his question. He does not express himself verbally, but the wicked smile and haft-lidded eyes are the answer on his behalf. Your color drains out as you desperately object to spare your life. 

"Oh, come on~ You're not that tired." 

He coos and caresses your cheek affectionately. When you are about to open your mouth to reject, he shoves a slim finger into your hole, making you give out your pleasure with a soft moan instead of protesting. Your chest is heaving at the stimulation while he is twirling in a circular motion inside slowly. You steel yourself to confront him as not intend to yield in this time. However, before letting you complete the sentence, the Arbitary-General inserts the other finger and starts scissoring. The "Yes, I will" written over Jing Yuan's face with a devious grin as he grips both of your wrists and places them above your head with one hand while using his thumb to stroke your clit gently. You shake your head in despair, but the general leans over to murmur at your ear.

"No, darling...~"

The low-husky voice sends shivers down and tickles against your ear. Jing Yuan picks up his fingering pace in the velvety walls to coax you to consent. Your juice starts dripping out again and taints his wrist while tears burn your eyes. The grip gets tighter as if he wants to prevent you from moving away from him, and you finally give in. A satisfied smirk he wears turns into something sinister when he lets go of your wrists and withdraws his fingers. Jing Yuan licks off the fingers coated with your liquid as if it were nectar.

Then he shoves them into your mouth. A faint salty flavor with a fruity scent hits your tastebuds. You close your eyes and suck his fingers instinctively in an erotic manner. The fingertips gently brush teeth and stroke your soft tongue while saliva drools down your chin.

"Mmmh... you sure know how to make a man happy." He chuckles softly as you eagerly take his fingers into your mouth, happily moaning as you suckle on them.

"Now shall we begin?" - He slowly takes back his hand, tenderly holds your chin while grazing the lower lip, and wipes the spit away. - "Please lie down on your stomach and keep your ass up." - He commands politely, but the man of authority leaves you no room for negotiating. Therefore, obediently complying with his word is the best option.

However, your body suddenly halts as you realize how shameful this posture is once you bend over. As if Jing Yuan has a knack for mind-reading, he effortlessly processes your thoughts and assures you that you will soon like it. He seizes your hip with fingers digging deeply into your spongy flesh and lifts your ass higher. With a strong thrust, his manhood completely sheathes into your sex and reaches the furthest point you have ever experienced. Your whole body shakes vigorously at the newfound pleasure as you grasp a handful of the bedsheet.

"AHHHH~"

The general looks down with a confident smile as he sees your reaction. 

"So you like it rough? Well, fine by me!" - His voice is deep and calm when giving you another powerful thrust, causing you to moan loudly. 

He continues pounding his member into your abused cunt ceaselessly and leans down to give chaste kisses on your shoulder. The "I love you." Jing Yuan says nonstop while nibbling your ear, and his steamy breath breezes behind you. Your body would collapse if he did not hold you steadily. The mundane noise of bodies colliding that echoes across the room is the lewdest sound you have ever heard. It even can easily embarrass a mature person.

His breathing becomes heavier, panting rapidly, and his grip tightens around your waist as he pierces harder and faster. Your mewls are getting louder, and he seems to enjoy hearing the melodic voice in pleasure.

He groans each time he slams against the sensitive walls. Your moans turn to whimpers and finally to screams of pleasure as you reach your climax. 

"So! This spot is for you!"

The general confidently exclaims as he finds your G-spot and hits it hard. With his surprised present, You freeze for a short beat before screeching his name at the top of your lungs as loud as you can.

"Ahh... Yes.. That's right! Scream for me, solely my name." 

He grins and begins to pound away at you even more violently now, making sure to touch every ounce inch of your inner walls over and over.

Your bed starts crackling at the brutal force. It must be because of its accumulated depreciation and the vibration frequency, but you hardly notice now since your senses start feeling numb. You cry and squirm at the ecstasy he gives as your consciousness gradually fades away. Before drifting into a devoid space, you mentally note that you will never seduce this fearful man again. Jing Yuan notices your current state as the moans become increasingly quiet and muffled. A twisted smile paints his face as he hears you mumble something incoherent. It sounds almost like a plea. But what could that possibly mean...?

He continues to pound away at you forcefully, giving you no mercy whatsoever and is relentless in his assault. After intercourse for three rounds a night, Jing Yuan knew precisely when your orgasm would come. He slowed down his pace as he sensed it and started thrusting sloppily. As soon as your cum releases itself automatically and streams down your thighs. The general immediately entered his manhood inside again and filled you up with his thick liquid until your womb overflowed with his earthly seeds. With that, you completely shut down from exhaustion. He groans softly when withdrawing his erection and is satisfied with how well he can please you.

After giving you essential aftercare and redressing yourselves, Jing Yuan collapses beside you. He tucks a few strands behind your ear and kisses your forehead lovingly before dozing off. 

[king-bumis-armpit]

A Dirty Chai and a Black Tea with Cardamom, Part 2

A Maiko Modern AU

Summary: Aang, Katara, and Iroh have all decided that Mai and Zuko should be together. But will Mai and Zuko be able to overcome their own insecurities and pursue a relationship?

Link to Part 1 here.

Author’s note: I wrote the last section of this in a coffee shop and someone ordered a dirty chai. I think it’s a sign that this fic is approved by the universe XD XD

As I said in the last chapter, this idea was gifted to me by the absolutely amazing @cowpoopies ! Thank you again!! And– again– thank you to whoever’s reading this. Lurkers, likers, commenters, I love you all and I hope you have an awesome day <3

This one is a bit more unhinged than the previous installment I think. It’s super long for no reason and I fear it may be more ooc and self-indulgent than I originally intended. But I had a good time, so I won’t apologize, lol. I hope you all enjoy it regardless. <3 <3

TW: Curse words.

WC: 5,809

The tea shop was nestled serenely between the neighboring businesses, neither of which were open at this hour. Cars drove by occasionally, but the only other sound in the building was the hum of electricity through the many appliances. The green tables reflected onto the walls, creating a soothing effect.

Despite the calm, Zuko despised early morning shifts. He would never understand how Sokka managed to be so alive and cheerful at that hour of the day or what Uncle saw as the benefit of early rising. Yearning to walk up to his apartment and crawl back into bed, he slumped into the seat by the register and let his head rest on his palm. The ritual was almost meditative at this point, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it.

The bells on the door jingled, and pulled him back from the brink of slumber. Mai walked in with her friend, and Zuko straightened. His morning was instantly improved. He just hoped she didn’t catch him dozing off again.

The friend– Ly Chee or something– stopped to admire one of the pictures on the wall, and Mai approached the counter. She bit her lip, almost nervously, and Zuko suddenly became very aware that he was looking at her mouth. “Hey,” she greeted him. “Can you make me a black tea with cardamom, again?”

Zuko felt giddy. “Of course, you liked it?”

Mai blushed. “I didn’t hate it.” 

As she handed him her credit card, Zuko asked, “How’d the exam go?”

“I think it went really well. You’ll have to help me with my final too.” Mai gave a small smirk and shot him a wink. Zuko’s heart beat faster. Maybe Katara and Aang were right. He did have a chance!

Sokka materialized, drink in hand, and said, “Here you go, lovely lady.” Zuko frowned. He must have made the drink while Mai paid. It really wasn’t a big deal, but–

Mai sighed. Zuko went rigid. “Is something wrong?” he asked.

“It’s stupid. I was actually kind of hoping you would make it for me.” Her eyes met Zuko’s, and he was transfixed. She extended the cup to him, and he folded his hands around hers. “Will you take this back, and make me one of yours?”

He felt sparks where their skin met. “Baby, I’d brew your tea every day for the rest of our lives.”

“Really?” Mai gave him a rare smile and leaned across the counter. She was going to kiss him! Zuko closed his eyes, and leaned forward.

And forward. 

And forward, until he was falling. His face collided with the counter with a resounding bang. Uncle rushed out of the back room.

“Nephew! Are you okay?”

Zuko looked up, dazed. There was no Mai. Or Ly Chee. Or Sokka. It was just him and the old man. He pinched the bridge of his nose. It was sore but nothing felt broken, and he’d gotten in enough fights as a teen to know. “I’m fine. I just… dozed off.”

Iroh sighed and examined his face. “I know I don’t normally advocate for this, but maybe you should have a coffee to wake yourself up today.”

Zuko nodded. “I think maybe I should.” Uncle clasped a hand on his shoulder in a silent gesture of affection before returning to the back room. Zuko actually decided to make himself a chai with a shot of espresso. It was what Mai had ordered for himself on her first visit, and he’d never tried one.

She stopped by the shop almost daily now, sometimes with her friend, but she never lingered. Sokka would occasionally make small talk with her, in a way that Zuko envied but couldn’t quite replicate. His attempts always felt stilted and awkward. He knew that it was ridiculous to feel jealous of those mundane interactions when he hardly knew Mai, but he felt drawn to her. It had been a long time, maybe since Jet, that he had crushed so hard. A small dark part of him hoped that Mai was already in a relationship, so that he wouldn’t have to open himself up to potential rejection. 

He was so lost in thought and the making of his own drink, that he missed it when Mai actually walked in. She was standing by the register, observing him, when he finally noticed her.

“Oh! Mai, sorry, I didn’t see you.” He rushed over, but her face didn’t change. He would pay any amount of money for a window into her thoughts just then.

“No problem. I was debating what I should order.” She brushed a lock of dark hair behind her ear, and Zuko realized he hadn’t seen her with her hair down before. As expected, it looked really good.

“Well, you already know my favorite thing on the menu,” Zuko replied. Then he remembered his dream and felt a blush tint his skin. He prayed it wasn’t noticeable. 

“That’s right, but I never found out your Uncle’s.” She smiled teasingly. “I’m guessing Jasmine.”

Zuko’s jaw dropped. “How’d you know?”

Mai blinked, like she didn’t know what to say. “Are you… kidding? Your shop is called The Jasmine Dragon.”

At that moment, Zuko wouldn’t have minded if a chasm opened up beneath him and reclaimed him for the earth. The shop had always been called The Jasmine Dragon for as long as he was alive. He knew logically that his Uncle was the founder, but he had never pondered the implications before. His cheeks were now burning with twice the intensity and he knew it was definitely visible.

“I’d… never thought about it,” he croaked out.

Mai laughed, and– even though it was at his expense– it helped ease the tension in his chest. As far as he could recall, Sokka had never made Mai laugh. 

“Well, in honor of your Uncle, I’ll take a Jasmine tea.” Mai pulled out her wallet and Zuko rang her up. 

“Are you sure that will be enough caffeine to keep you going? We use a green tea base.” Zuko teased. Normally Mai ordered black tea or coffee, and she often added espresso shots. 

“It should be fine,” Mai replied. “My midterms are finally over so I’ve actually been getting sleep. What about you? Do you have any exams left?”

“Nope, a lot of my professors went with papers or projects this year instead, but I turned in my last one yesterday. So I’m really looking forward to going out this weekend.” Zuko decided to do some reconnaissance. Katara felt confident that Mai was single since she hadn’t mentioned anyone, but Zuko wanted to be sure. “Aang and Katara are really chill, so I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you wanted to bring someone.”

Mai rubbed her arm, “Oh, well… Ty Lee is going out with her new girlfriend this weekend.”

Zuko looked at her blankly until he realized that Ty Lee was Ly Chee’s real name. Then, he smiled, “I see. Is that why you’ve been flying solo? She doesn’t need to stare at Sokka for eye candy anymore.”

Mai’s eyes widened. “You all knew about her crush? I’m so embarrassed.” She ran a hand through her hair and Zuko tried not to be mesmerized.

He chuckled. “We didn’t know for sure, but Toph had a hunch. And for the record, I don’t think it’s embarrassing. Maybe a bit for Ty Lee, but not for you. You were just a bystander.”

Mai shook her head. “Toph’s hunches are always right. Anyway, I hope you're not expecting me to stop coming in. I’m officially hooked.”

Mai was never this talkative, and it filled Zuko with confidence. Maybe he could borrow a line from his subconscious. “I’ll brew your tea any day. You’re way more interesting than most of our customers.”

It was Mai’s turn to blush. “I– oh– thank you.”

And then Zuko realized he had not, in fact, started brewing her tea. As he fetched the tea leaves, he kept up his conversation with Mai. “How was Philosophy of Law?”

Mai sighed. “It was just as awful as expected. But I think I did okay. Jeong Jeong takes forever to post his grades so God only knows.”

Zuko hummed sympathetically. His concentration was on pouring hot water into the small personal kettle. Mai leaned over the counter, and watched with interest. “I’m impressed. I was lowkey expecting a tea bag.”

Zuko laughed. “Oh no! Uncle prefers loose leaf. He’s also especially particular with Jasmine, since flowers are involved. And don’t get him started on brewing times. When you hand people a to-go cup with a tea bag, they leave it in there all day. If you over-steep, it gets bitter and–” Zuko stopped. “I sound like him, don’t I?”

Mai smiled. “You really do. But that’s not a bad thing. There are worse people to emulate.”

Zuko smiled and went to grab a paper cup for the tea. The store had a few different branded designs, but he always gave Mai the red dragon one, since it was his favorite. Soon enough, the tea was done steeping and he poured it and snapped the lid into place. When he turned back to Mai she was fiddling with a small piece of paper. 

“Here you are,” he extended the cup and she offered him the paper in exchange.

“Thanks. Umm. I thought you should have my number. In case anything comes up before we hang out on Saturday.”

Zuko accepted the paper and forced his voice to stay casual. “Thanks. You’ll have to let me know how you like the tea.”

“Of course.” Maybe he was imagining it, but Mai’s cheeks seemed pink as she made her way to the door. 

Against his better judgment, Zuko felt hopeful.

— — 

Zuko: Zuko here :)

Mai: Hey. I liked the jasmine

Black w/ cardamom was better though

Zuko: Yes! I can’t wait to tell Uncle

He’ll say I brewed it wrong, but that’s bs

Mai: Don’t get too big of a head. He’s still my fav barista

Wait, actually it’s Sokka, lol

Zuko: -_- 

Talk about a big head. Don’t tell him you said that

Mai: Jk jk. You’re pretty cool ig

You did help me get an A on a JJ exam

Zuko: NO WAY 

The grades are in? Congrats! 

Mai: It’s all thanks to you and Katara. Seriously.

Zuko: I’m always happy to help

You know where to find me

— — 

Mai leaned against the wall of her dorm, waiting for Aang to pick her up. He offered to be the designated driver for the evening. Mai wasn’t going to drink, but she was more than happy to not have to deal with parking in the city.

She wondered if Zuko would be riding with them. Oh Zuko. She’d thought about him much more than was normal to think about your barista/tutor. She read and re-read their text exchanges, looking for evidence of flirting. Every time he messaged her, Ty Lee could immediately tell from her face, which was not good. Mai and Ty Lee had known each other since childhood, and yet the other girl had never known what she was thinking. Until now. 

And Mai, who considered herself decent at reading people, had no idea where to begin with Zuko. Most days when she went to the shop, Sokka and Uncle Iroh were the talkative ones. On the day she gave Zuko her number, he seemed much more open. But he had also asked her if she wanted to bring another person to the hangout, and that could only mean Ty Lee. Mai couldn’t shake the feeling he had a crush on the pretty gymnast. 

Then again, he seemed to know about her feelings for Sokka. And he called Mai interesting. And offered to brew her tea anytime.

But brewing tea was his job. He was constantly offering to brew people tea. And what if he saw Mai as an opportunity to get closer to Ty Lee? It wouldn’t be the first time, but normally Mai could sense such buffoonery before the guy even opened his mouth. Maybe Zuko's hotness was blinding her to his ill intent. 

She was over-thinking in circles. Maybe Zuko was normal and didn’t like anyone in particular. Or maybe he had a partner.

Mai ran a hand along the brick building. A memory came to her mind, unbidden. Her and her parents here at accepted students weekend. Her mom pulling her aside. Giving her one of her talks. 

“Mai, you really should be making more of an effort to smile. You’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”

Mai rolled her eyes. “You made me change out of my skirt this morning because it was too short. I thought I wasn't supposed to be catching flies.”

Michi stood imperiously, not even glancing in her daughter's direction as she spoke. “You don't want that kind of a man, darling. You want a husband.”

Mai wanted neither in that moment, and couldn’t quite tell the difference between the two. “I’m going to this university for a reason. So I won't need a husband.”

Michi arched her brow. “This is not the caliber of institution your father and I imagined for you.” Mai knew that well. It was part of the appeal. “Besides, you said you want to study philosophy? You’ll need a husband.” With that, Michi decided the conversation was over and went to walk through the dorm open house.

Mai contemplated staying at the side of the building and moping, but that would only hurt her and not her mother. She could point out that Political Science would be her primary major, and philosophy her secondary course of study. But her mother wouldn't remember no matter how many times she said it. Mai sighed. She donned disinterest and trailed after her parents at a distance. 

Here she still was. A college sophomore with a decent GPA, one close friend, and no self-esteem. She didn’t want a husband, but she wanted… something. Something that she had lacked in her previous relationship with Kei Lo. And she didn’t know how to untangle those desires from the pre-programmed path her parents wanted her to follow. 

Aang’s car pulled up– just five minutes shy of saving her from an existential crisis– and Mai saw Katara in the passenger seat and Zuko in the back. The thought of sitting next to him now made her slightly nauseous, but she had decided to be social today.

She composed herself and marched to the car. Aang greeted her as she sat and clicked her seatbelt. “Hey! It’s really nice to see you again.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s really nice to see you too. Thanks for inviting me out.” 

Aang gave her a winning smile. “Don’t even mention it.” He knocked on the dash twice. “Yip yip!”

Mai opened her mouth to ask, but Katara explained: “It’s for good luck. Aang’s car is like a hundred years old, so it breaks down sometimes. I’ve been telling him to just get a new one–”

“Aww,” Aang cooed. “Don’t listen to her, buddy. I’d never replace you.”

Mai found herself somewhat taken in by the bald man. He was quirky, but in a charming way. She could see why Katara liked him.

Zuko cleared his throat from the seat beside her. “Umm… hi. Uncle wanted me to give you this.” He extended a hand and offered her a small paper.

Mai noticed it was a voucher for a free drink. “What’s the occasion?” 

“Oh!” Zuko scratched the back of his neck. “I might have mentioned that you got an A on the exam and he said you should celebrate.”

Mai accepted the paper hesitantly. “Aren’t we… celebrating now? With dinner?” Zuko shrugged. “Okay, well, thanks.”

Mai didn’t want to appear ungrateful, but now that the exam was over it didn’t seem so monumental. Maybe Zuko did like her after all and it was an excuse to get her to come back to the shop! No, that was reading too much into it. Besides, she went to the shop everyday now, so his uncle was probably just being kind to a loyal customer. Her crush was clouding her mind an almost concerning amount. Maybe she should take a break from seeing Zuko after this.

Silence filled the car for just long enough to be awkward, and Aang turned on the radio for the rest of the ride. 

They had settled on a Mexican restaurant that Aang and his friends apparently went to quite a bit. The server recognized the group, and led them to a booth in the back.The location was quieter than the tables, but it was directly under a vent. Mai cursed herself for not bringing a jacket. Aang and Katara sat together, naturally, which left Mai next to Zuko. She was hyper aware of his proximity, but not unpleasantly so. In fact, with the chill she wished she could slide closer.

The server took their orders almost immediately since everyone else knew the menu. Mai– not wanting to make everyone wait– copied Zuko’s order and hoped for the best. And there were chips and salsa if Zuko secretly had terrible taste. 

Aang piped up, “You’re in your second year, right Mai?”

“Yeah. Same as Katara,” she replied. “What year are you?”

“I’m a Freshman.”

Mai was surprised. She could have sworn she’d seen Aang around last year. “Does that mean you all just met in the fall?”

“Oh no,” Katara said, leaning into Aang’s side casually. He wrapped an arm around her, smiling. Mai felt her singleness acutely. “Aang went to high school with Sokka, and I. And he’s been living with us for a few years.”

“And Sokka’s a junior?” Mai asked.

“Sokka and I are both juniors,” Zuko explained. “I met everyone when he started working at the shop.”

Mai nodded, trying to absorb all the new information.

“How did you meet Ty Lee?” Aang asked.

Mai took a moment to consider the question. “I honestly don’t remember. Our parents were friends, so we’ve known each other since we were really little.”

“Aww! And after all this time you’re still friends and you decided to go to the same college? That’s really sweet,” Katara said.

Mai hummed noncommittally. “I’m glad Ty Lee decided to stay close but I think the reason she chose to go where I wanted is because she doesn’t care about college at all. If she had her way, she’d run off and join the circus.” Aang laughed, but Mai’s expression remained unchanged. “I’m serious. When we were little we made this whole plan. She would be an acrobat, and I would be a knife thrower.”

“That makes sense since Ty Lee’s into gymnastics. But why did you choose knife-throwing?” Katara asked.

“What do you mean?” Zuko interrupted. “Knife-throwing is like the most badass part of the circus. What else would she do? Juggle?”

Mai laughed. “No, Katara’s right. I actually do have a reason. I’ve been taking knife-throwing lessons since I was seven.”

Everyone at the table stared at her, until Zuko burst out: “That’s so fucking cool!”

Katara agreed, “That’s– like– amazing, can you teach me?”

“Wait a minute,” Aang held up his hand. “That’s awesome, but why did you start taking knife-throwing lessons?” Zuko made to speak and Aang pointed at him, “Other than generally badassery.” 

Mai blushed. She was always slightly embarrassed to tell this part of the story. “I loved this comic series as a kid, and the main female character was a knife thrower. I hated school, so my parents made a deal with me that if I got good grades I could keep going to my knife-throwing lessons.”

“Hang on,” Zuko grabbed her arm. “Are you talking about Nanami from The Adventures of Piandao?”

“Yes, wait, you know the series?” Mai asked.

Zuko smiled. “It was my favorite as a kid! My sister and I used to have fake sword fights all the time. But nobody I’ve met has ever read it.”

Mai sympathized. “I know! I tried for ages to make Ty Lee read the first volume but she never would. I think it’s the art style. I should check it out from the library and give it a re-read.”

Zuko looked smug, and Mai raised an eyebrow. “What if I told you that I had the whole collection and you could borrow whichever ones you want?”

“Then maybe you would be my favorite barista,” Mai smirked. 

Zuko rolled his eyes. “Nevermind,” he teased. “Anyway, I think you should start your reread with the blue spirit arc. It’s the best one.”

“You have got to be joking!” Mai noticed that Katara and Aang had grown bored of the conversation and were having their own. “Nanami is the best character and so the best arc is the Lady of a Thousand Blades, where she’s introduced.”

“But she has that whole fight scene with the blue spirit!”

Mai rolled her eyes. “Yeah, and he wins because her dart holsters jam. Then, Piandao has to rescue her. Like that would ever happen. The author is a coward and a misogynist.”

“Oooooooooor she actually lost because her focus was compromised…”

Mai groaned. “You ship the Blue Spirit and Nanami? Who even are you?”

Zuko’s jaw dropped. “What do you mean? Of course I ship the masked vigilante and the knife-throwing warrior. They would be such a power couple.”

“This is why Sokka–”

“If you say Sokka’s your favorite barista again I’m gonna scream.”

Mai laughed. “I overplayed the joke? I’m sorry.” She felt a cold rush of air from the vent and shivered.

“Are you cold?” Zuko asked, sounding slightly concerned.

She rubbed her arms. “It’s fine, I just normally wear long sleeves.”

Zuko took off his zip hoodie and extended it to her. “Here, take this.”

Mai accepted it, but made no move to put it on. The fabric was softer than she had imagined, and still radiated Zuko’s warmth. “Are you sure?” she asked. The gesture felt momentous somehow.

“Of course,” Zuko assured her. “I run hot.” 

“Oh really?” she deadpanned. “I’d like to see that.”

Zuko nudged her lightly. “Shut up and accept my kindness.”

Mai snorted. “You are a true gentleman. I can see the influence of Master Piandao within you.” She slid the hoodie on. Their food arrived shortly after. While Zuko was distracted, Mai discreetly inhaled the scent of the garment. It smelled a little bit like the tea shop, a little bit like the library, and strongly of Irish Spring soap. She liked it. A lot. 

— — 

Mai: I still have your hoodie

Zuko: That’s okay. I have others

You can bring it to the shop sometime

Mai: Ok. I’ll probably come in later today

I can’t study without tea now

Zuko: If you need a break from studying, you can borrow a Piandao comic

I’m not working today, but I’ll be in the building

Mai: I don’t want to bother you on your day off

Zuko: You’re not a bother. You’re my friend

Mai: I’m friends with a Blue Spirit x Nanami shipper :0

Zuko: Guess so :P 

I only lend books to friends

Mai: Valid. Acquaintances can’t be trusted

Anyway, I think I’ll take you up on your offer

Zuko: Great! Text me when you get here

— — 

Zuko paced his room, occasionally reorganizing the knick-knacks on his desk. Yesterday’s “double-date” had gone better than he imagined. Mainly because he kept imagining worst-case scenarios. But thankfully, none of them had come to fruition. Instead, he and Mai had talked the whole night, about their favorite comic series, their shared major, awful professor stories, and favorite foods. He fell asleep replaying the conversations in his head. 

He needed to ask her out soon, before he lost his nerve. 

And it seemed would get his opportunity when she came for the comic. 

He scanned his room for the nth time, hoping that it looked presentable. He kept the space neat, but it was fairly small. When he leaned back far enough in his desk chair, he hit the edge of his bed. On the wall in between the two, he wedged a secondhand bookcase, home of the aforementioned comics and his other favorites. He purposely stored his school books in a bin at the bottom of his cramped closet so he wouldn’t have to look at them unless he needed to. 

He used to have a much larger room when he lived with his father, but… well… this was preferable by far. He had some family pictures on a shelf above his desk but none of them featured that man. 

His phone buzzed.

Mai: I’m here

Save me. Sokka’s making a joke about boomerangs

Zuko laughed, and made his way down the stairs and through the back room. By the time he arrived on the scene, however, Mai was speaking with Uncle instead of Sokka. 

“-- and he had the cutest little fascination with ducks. He used to beg me to take him to the park to feed them. He named them all too!”

She laughed demurely, and Zuko’s cheeks flamed.

“UNCLE!” he ran up to them. “Do you have to tell everyone that story?”

“What?” Uncle put on his best impression of innocence. “I think it’s cute.”

“That’s not–” Zuko’s voice cracked. “That’s not the point.”

Mai, still smiling, came to the old man’s defense. “It is kind of cute.” Zuko noticed she was holding his hoodie with both arms crossed around it in a form of embrace.

“I-I guess so, yeah,” He found himself agreeing impotently. 

Uncle chuckled. “You two have fun!” Zuko could see the gleam of mischief in the tea-maker’s eye. If embarrassment were lethal, he would be in critical condition. 

He escorted Mai behind the counter and back to the safety of his room. “Sorry about Uncle. He’s…”

“He’s lovely,” Mai cut in. “You don’t have to apologize.” Zuko felt himself fall a little bit harder.

Mai took in the small room for a rather long time, expression impassive, and Zuko worried that it had failed her test. She looked at him with expectation, and he realized she was waiting for him to take the lead. “Feel free to sit anywhere.” He gestured awkwardly at the chair and the bed. She opted for the chair, so he sat criss-cross on his sheets. 

She tossed his hoodie at him and it landed in his lap. “Thanks for letting me borrow that.”

He recalled how she looked wearing it, and he swallowed. “Oh, yeah, anytime.”

She swiveled the chair to face the bookcase. “So this is your collection? I’m jealous.”

Zuko smiled, “Well, I’m giving you unrestricted access, so don’t knife me down.”

Mai chuckled. “I’m pretty sure the term is stabbing. And I don’t stab my friends.”

“Good policy.” Zuko watched her run her fingers over the spines before choosing a volume to flip through. He had referred to them as friends earlier in the day, but the word felt like an obstacle now. 

Mai turned her scrutiny to the shelf above the comics, and Zuko bit his lip. It felt strangely intimate to be sharing the contents of his personal library so openly. Mai selected one and Zuko recognized it immediately as Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. “Did you read this for Prof. Pakku’s Mass Incarceration class?”

“No, actually,” he replied. “I read it in high school. It’s actually part of the reason I chose to study political science.”

Mai nodded. “It’s very inspiring. Do you want to work as a defense attorney?”

“I think so. I’ve always thought about going into law because my dad is a lawyer. But when I read this book, I realized that he has never once used the power he has to help people.” Zuko could taste the bitterness in his own voice. His scar itched. “When I discovered that there was a different way of doing things, it kind of frightened me at first. I truly didn’t know that kindness was an option. God, that probably sounds so fucked up.” He winced and looked away.

But Mai reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder. “No… it’s more relatable than you think.” Her touch was light and she removed her hand too soon. 

As she put the book back on the shelf, Zuko cleared his throat. “Anyway, why did you choose poli sci and philosophy?”

She sighed. “Honestly, my high school guidance counselor told me I had an aptitude for philosophy. And political science sounded like the kind of thing that my parents would approve of.” She rested her chin in her hand, and she looked like the sculpture by Rodin. “I know it’s callous, but my parents are more into image than impact.”

Zuko shook his head. “I promise you, I understand that completely. But maybe we can do something better, right? Ever since moving in with my uncle, I’ve seen the amount of good that actually exists in the world.” 

Mai smiled. “You sound like a hero. Seriously, you sound like you could be in a Piandao comic or something. I think you, and Katara, and Aang are all going to do amazing things one day.”

“What about you?” he asked.

Her expression returned to calculated calm. “I’ll probably be drinking tea somewhere.”

“All right then.” He nudged her foot with his own. “I’ll brew your tea while you write groundbreaking legislation… or philosophical treaties.”

Mai chuckled, and reached for another comic.

— — 

Ty Lee: Are you still alive?

Mai: Yes?

Ty Lee: Again, but with confidence

Mai: Yes! I’m alive

Ty Lee: Good

I was starting to think Zuko murdered you

Do you even know what time it is?

Mai: Oh shit

I actually didn’t

Leaving soon

Ty Lee: Take your time ;)

— —

Mai swore that time passed differently in Zuko’s room. She felt like she was only there for an hour at most but she checked her phone and realized it was 8:30 and the tea shop was closed for the day. So much for her homework.

Her conversation with Zuko about the future had deeply affected her. He and his friends had such a passion for the world. It was a skill she was only just learning about for herself. A dull blade in her arsenal. For so long, she had walked through life with numbness and composure, believing it was enough. 

She didn’t want that anymore. Could she do something useful? Like write ground-breaking legislation?

Maybe being around Zuko and his friends would… help.

Zuko let her choose a few of her favorite Piandao volumes, and before they went downstairs he tried to offer her his hoodie once more. “It’s probably cold outside now that the sun is setting.”

She’d been lying if she said she wasn’t tempted. “Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of my returning it today?”

Zuko shrugged. “You can just bring it back with the books. Like I said, I have others.”

Mai accepted it after some consideration. “I’m starting to think you just like seeing me.”

“Yeah, yeah, come on,” Zuko blustered as he led her down the stairs and out into the empty shop. Iroh was the only person who remained, as cleaned the machines and tidied up for the night. 

Mai paused at the counter. “Thank you for inviting me over. I’ll see you both soon.”

“Of course, enjoy the comics–”

“Wait!” Uncle Iroh held up a hand. Mai jumped, not expecting an outburst from the sweet old man. “Aren't you going to walk her home, Zuko?”

Zuko’s face reddened. “I– Umm– Well– Uh–”

Mai came to his rescue. The poor guy had just spent all day with her, and he was probably done. “That’s okay. I’m trained in self-defense, I don’t need an escort.”

Iroh nodded, “That’s great! I’m glad my nephew will be safe with you. But honestly, I wasn’t thinking about practicality.”

Mai tilted her head in confusion, and she was going to ask what he meant when Zuko sprang into action. He grabbed her hand and led her to the door. They moved so quickly that the familiar tables became a green blur. “You’re right, Uncle, we’ll be going now.” The bells rang loudly as he swung the door open and let it slam behind them. 

He marched her out of the shop and all the way to the end of the street before releasing her hand. He looked away and scratched the back of his neck. “I’m sorry about that. Uncle, isn’t exactly… subtle.”

Mai pulled Zuko’s hoodie tightly around herself. It was cold and Mai was glad she accepted it once more. “Don’t mention it. And you don’t have to walk me all the way to my dorm. I know it’s late and you probably don’t want to be out here in the cold…” She caught herself rambling, an unfortunate habit that she believed to be a relic of her youth.

Zuko looked at her and narrowed his eyes. “Do you really not know?”

“About what?”

He took a deep breath, like he was steeling himself for something. “I like you.” Mai blinked. “I have a crush on you.” Mai blinked again. “But, uh, you probably don’t feel the same way and I totally get that. You can keep the books and the hoodie and I can get you the schedule for when I work so you can avoid me but still go to the shop–”

Mai snapped out of it. “I like you too.” 

“Really?” Zuko asked in a small voice. Beautiful Zuko. The hot barista. The brilliant upperclassman. The boy who wanted to change the world. He liked her. And he was looking at her with such joy on his face.

Mai felt giddy. She laughed. “Yes, of course.”

“Wow,” Zuko breathed. “You're so cool, and so hot, and so smart. I thought I never stood a chance.”

“Shut up and kiss me right now.”

He obliged, caressing her cheek and leaning in. It was awkward at first. Mai’s hands were full of books, and Zuko’s nose brushed against hers. But when their lips fit together, it felt right. It tasted like black tea, and espresso, and the spices in chai.

They pulled apart, reluctant and shy once more. Zuko, still leaning close, whispered, “You’re just so out of my league. How do you not see that?”

Mai felt her pulse flutter. “Hey, that line only works once.” Zuko blushed and Mai laughed. “Besides, don’t sell yourself short. You’re really kind to your uncle and you’re good with school. And, as I said, you’ll be a hero one day,” she teased him lightly.

Zuko smiled at her. “Oh please. If anything, I’m your sidekick. The butler to your Piandao.”

Mai laughed. “Okay then. How about we ride off into the sunset now?”

Zuko wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Gladly.”

[milky-fixx]

day 4, illumi: sexting

kinktobruary day 4

illumi zoldyck x reader // hunter x hunter

summary: while you consider yourself a fairly well adjusted and versatile person, you have needs. needs that transcend the boring, missionary-style, often impersonal sex the two of you have. which is why one day, you mention to him: “illu… let’s spice up our sex life.” 

he turns to you with a pensive frown.

“since when have seasonings belonged in sex?”

tw/cw: 18+ only, minors dni, sexting (attempted), phone sex, dirty talk (attempted)

--note: i’ve done it. i’ve created the crackiest illumi smut. probably ooc. the only way illumi would agree to this. also the only way Illumi would have a boo who isn’t the result of an arranged marriage/who his fam doesn’t kill. hopefully not too unbelievable ahslfjh

word count: 2.4K

You consider yourself to be a rather open-minded person. Your romantic interests range from the guy next door to world-class athletes. Of course, that’s how you somehow end up smack-dab in the middle of that range with Illumi Zoldyck, a member of one of the world’s most feared assassin families. How your paths crossed and you got together was a thing of chance and luck. While his wooing of you consisted of him admitting, with a blank stare, “I suppose you wouldn’t be the worst person to marry,” you typically enjoyed a different approach, a more romantic one. (“Later on, dear, maybe two years down the line,” you responded, entwining your hands together. He seemed unamused.)

However, Illumi and romance are like two planets constantly orbiting each other, never crossing paths. He thinks of anniversaries as nothing more than days on a page, and it’s only after much prodding and hinting from you that you find a bouquet of flowers on your bedside table, the card accompanying it bearing a sparse, generic message in what looked suspiciously like Gotoh’s handwriting Illumi’s cursive.

Anything else about romance, he hardly bothers to learn. Or rather, he has no interest in. After meeting his family in what was possibly the most awkward dinner ever (his younger, portly brother made disparaging remarks about your figure, his father said nothing, but his steel gaze seemed to judge every aspect of your appearance, and his mother gave you an endless stream of backhanded compliments), you can see why Illumi is so... detached. He had to be, to be able to deal with these unhinged family members.

And you try to be understanding. But you soon learn with Illumi that if you aren’t vocal, he tends to forget about you. And while you consider yourself a fairly-well adjusted and versatile person, you have needs. Needs that transcend the boring, missionary-style, impersonal sex the two of you often have. Which is why one day, you mention to him: “Illu… let’s spice up our sex life.”

He turns to you with a pensive frown.

“Since when have seasonings belonged in sex?”

“Ah...”

It appears you have your work cut out for you. 

—

Your first attempt to diversify your sex life involves sexting. Something simple and easy, right? Even the most obtuse of men could understand how to respond to a risque message. Plus, Illumi always responded when you asked him to grab cookies on the way home, telling you to get it yourself, or that Gotoh, his bitch, was already on it.

“Hey there, handsome. Whatcha wearing?” you send him.

He responds soon enough. “(Y/N), you saw me two weeks ago. I am wearing the exact same outfit.”

Undeterred, you try again. “Whatcha wearing under that?”

“Undergarments.”

Maybe this approach isn’t working for you.

The next day, you try again.

“Thinking of you…. ;)”

That garners no response for several hours, and when he finally does respond, it’s a mere, “OK.” With all caps.

You decide to step up your efforts. The next time you text him somewhat scandalous photo of you, in only an oversized shirt of his and panties. You angle the picture so that the focus is on the way your curves press against the material, and the way his shirt rides up on your stomach to show a peek of flesh with that black lace. It takes you probably close to an hour to pose in a way that looks suggestive enough, but not overtly seductive. You don’t want to scare off his inexperienced sensibilities, and risk spurning him. Then you click send.

The text you receive back is wordy, compared to his usual ones. “It is not wise to save such pictures of yourself on your phone, when you can easily be hacked.” You can practically smell the disapproval through the phone screen.

Frustrated and more than a little worked up from the imagined, idealresponses to your text you were envisioning, involving him responding with some equal kind of ardor—or as much as Illumi could muster up—you call him; to your surprise, he picks up.

“(Y/N),” he greets, not even sounding the slightest bit aroused, or bothered by your photos. Your eye twitches unconsciously.

There’s a cacophony of sounds in the background. “Illumi, what are you—” Screams, bodies slamming into each other. The ring of something metallic slicing through the air, accompanied by choked groans.

“I’m in the middle of a kill,” he says casually. “Normally, I wouldn’t entertain such calls, but I do think it is important to impress on you the odds of your phone getting hacked.”

Illumi spends a good fifteen minutes lecturing on you how easy it would be for Milluki to hack your phone and spread your risqué photos online, and only ends the conversation once you promise him you’ll delete all them.

But of course, once you end the call, you’re backing up those pictures, because it’s not often you look this fine. Illumi doesn’t know what he’s missing out on.

—

Later that night, to your surprise, he’s the one to call you. But the timing of his call is less than ideal. Still clothes in your getup from earlier, your fingers are just about to delve into your panties when your phone lights up with his name. You glower at it, debating whether or not you’ll even give him the time of day, much less your personal time. Out of even greater frustration with him, however, and the slightest hope that something good may come out of this, you answer.

“Yes?”

“Are you occupied?”

Occupied. How you wish you were, but since he isn’t here, and he threw away your dildo stash once he found it...

“Oh no,” you say, more than a touch irritated at the memory, and of his imperviousness to your attempts. “I was just in the middle of deleting all my risqué photos, because god knows they end up on the internet somehow from your brother hacking my phone.”

You can just picture his nod. “A wise decision.”

You scowl at him through the phone screen. There’s a pause. He seems to sense something amiss. “Were you about to take part in something?”

“Goodbye!” You end the call swiftly, tossing your phone to the side.

When he calls again, you’ve only managed a few strokes to your clit, just barely on the edge of starting to feel something. You know it’s him; you don’t bother responding. However, when the phone starts ringing again, you snatch the phone, putting it to your ear.

“What?”

He’s silent for a beat. “Are you pleasuring yourself?”

Your mouth goes dry. For some reason, his usual flat tone combined with the question has shame creeping up your spine. “I—“ Your silence is the answer.

What sounds like cloth shifting—was he getting comfortable? Lounging in a bed as well? “I… would not be averse to you sending me more images like that last one.”

Your mind stutters to a halt, gears locking. “Provided you still have them,” he continues. “I assumed... well, you always find ways around my orders, anyways. “

And then the gears are starting up again. “Didn’t you just say—”

“I—know what I said.” Illumi’s usual flat tone has a slight inflection to it. He sounds just as out of his element as you feel. “Given the circumstances, I don’t think it’s wise. However….”

At this point you can hear the slightest rustle of clothing, the hint of illumi’s measured breathing not being quite so. He’s an assassin, he knows how to control his body as well as others, yet still—

“Are you—are you also…”

“It has been awhile since we last saw each other,” he answers, sounding somewhat distracted.

It’s quiet, awkwardly so. Clearly Illumi has no idea how to proceed, so you caution. “What are you thinking of?”

“I am waiting for you to provide me with stimuli,” he says bluntly.

You try not to falter in your approach, opting for a different route. “I didn’t know you masturbated.”

“I…. I never made a habit of it, but lately…” He quiets as he becomes aware of the slight squelching sounds of your finger stroking along the walls of your entrance. You can’t help it; just the thought of your taciturn, sexually repressed lover jerking himself off to the thought of you...

“What are you inserting? Inside of you.”

“My fingers,” you say, your voice growing more breathy.

“I—”

“Someone threw me away my toys.” You send him a withering look through the phone.

“You don’t need those things.”

“If only my fiance wasn’t gone so often I wouldn’t.”

His next words are inflected with a curious kind of pensivity. “You would like me to be home more often.” It’s not a question but it does sound like one.

“Yes, I would. I miss you, Ilu. These nights gets so lonely without you. And your—” Your breath catches as you stroke a spot inside you that has your toes curling. “Your touch.”

“I am an assassin. It’s my job to be away.” He hesitates. “However... you are my fiancée. You are also, in a sense, my responsibility.”

The admission is as earnest as a confession you’ll ever get out of him.

“T-tell me, Ilu,” you gasp. “What do you want to be responsible for?”

“Your... sexual gratification.”

Illumi’s flat, bland tone doesn’t naturally invoke sexiness, but you’re so starved for responsiveness that it sounds like it to you.

You’re louder now, moaning softly into the receiver, and Illumi doesn’t say anything, but you do hear more of fabric rustling. You can just picture him uncovering his length, stroking it slightly, unsurely, as if he’s not sure himself if he should be doing this.

It’s a risky attack, but you know this isn’t his area of expertise, so you ask.

“Illu… are you touching yourself?”

“I am,” he states, matter-of-factly.

“What are you thinking of?”

“I…” He pauses. “...You.” Youto let him press on, but when he doesn’t, you continue.

“What… about me, Illu?”

He sighs, as if it’s a chore to state the obvious. “Your snugness. When I enter you. It’s…” you can just picture his owlish blinking. “Pleasant.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.” This time, he sounds impatient. You bite back a laugh.

Curious about how Illumi will respond to a more vulgar kind of dirty talk, you say, “You know... you’re so big, Ilu. You always hit all the nice spots. My fingers could never replace you. I’m almost jealous I don’t get to see you right now.”

“Ah... is that so.” He coughs slightly, and you’d like to think he’s affected.

You continue stroking, voicing soft moans into the receiver, and Illumi makes a frustrated sound. “What is it?”

“I…” You can picture his tensed brow. He sounds unusually annoyed. “This is… unsatisfactory.”

You choke on your next words, and he continues. “I would prefer to be able to see you. This way, I can’t finish.”

Just as your heart plummets as you consider he doesn’t want to continue, he’s going to hang up, the door slams open. You scramble to cover yourself with the sheets, then you’re staring up at a familiar pair of large, black eyes. “Illu?!?”

He tosses his phone to the side, before surging forwards to press his mouth to yours firmly. It’s a little awkward, like all forms of affection with him are, his lips pressing against you but not moving at all. What’s not awkward, to you at least, is the way his tented groin nudges against you. When you break the kiss, he’s frowning. 

“This is better,” he says, not a trace of emotion on his face.

“How did you—”

“I certainly need to ensure your windows are reinforced,” he says offhandedly. “But also... what did I say about making sure no one else is in your apartment?” His frown deepens at the corners.

“Wait, where you—here, this whole time?”

He stares at you as if the answer is obvious. “Of course. I was just about to inform you over the phone, when I heard you were... preoccupied.”

Heat creeps up your face. “I was going to let you finish, however...”

He grabs your phone from your hand, tossing it aside as well. He’s deftly removing his pants with one hand, while yanking your fingers out from inside of you, but not before scrutinizing your drenched fingers with his blank stare. Then his hand is entwining with yours, and he’s surging into you. You choke back a moan. 

“Ah... yes.” Illumi makes a sound in his throat that sounds close to a purr. For him at least. “This is much better.” His hips begin pistoning into you.

You arch your back, releasing a staggered cry of his name. Illumi is spurred to pound into you, his thin hips slapping into your ass with every thrust. His eyes are wide-open, betraying little as usual, but you can spot a sheen of sweat forming on his forehead, a frantic intensity about him. His long hair falls like a curtain over you two and you push some behind his ear, the brush of your palm lingering near his cheek.

He tilts his head to the side, slamming into you with a force that has your body tensing up. When his long, dexterous fingers dip between your bodies to rub against your throbbing nub, you’re hurtling towards a quick end, your orgasm bursting inside of you as you cry out his name once more.

Your free hand comes to grasp his wrist. A warning to stop. His fingers twitch, as if wanting to defy it, but with your spasms drawing him in closer, he concedes to wrapping his hand around your shoulder as his hips thrust into you for a final time, his hot spend shooting out in spurts inside of you.

Your hand slacks in his hold, and he relaxes his form against you, his eyes slipping shut. Your labored breathing is a contrast to his silent cooldown, but when he finally glances up, you’re grinning at him.

He feels the bite of irritation before he even knows what you’re up to. “What?”

“The sexting totally worked,” you say smugly.

“The... you mean those awful messages you sent me?” If he could, Illumi would be rolling his eyes. As it is, his tone conveys that well enough. “Those were hardly comparable to the real thing.”

“Admit it, though. It kind of worked.”

Illumi, in fact, will not admit it. He will also not admit that he saved that picture of you in his shirt in an extremely private, password-protected, Milluki’s-computer-will-automatically-catch-on-fire-if-he-attempts-to-breach-it folder.

Instead, he shows you how technology pales to his skills over and over that night.

[hiddenwashington]

with the last year being potentially the bloodiest yet for all those entrapped within the city, the cheer of the new year, a fresh start and some hope for improvement is exactly what everyone needs. though it's certainly hard to put any stock in hope for a peaceful year in this city. and while the galas held at the white house have a mixed history of success, and an unfortunate history of tragedy, the ones that go over well tend to be incredible mood lifters. a masquerade ball is always a hit, and they will be going all out to help everyone forget the horrors the last year has held, and to wipe away the stain of last valentine's day's bloody nightmare. to change it up a bit, those in charge have decided that, rather than hosting the event at the white house, they are going to be hosting a fundraiser for the smithsonian museum. invitations are sent out to the entire city, beautiful pale pink and silver cards detailing the location and date of the masked ball being held. bring your beloved, your best friend, or sign up for a blind date if you're feeling a bit adventurous! the museum is decked out, lit entirely by strings of lights and candles, the entire place turned into a hall of mirrors decorated in pinks and reds, with roses falling from the ceiling and and covering the tables. to entertain the guests, there's a photo booth with various props and backdrops, professional photographers roaming the area, live music, and plenty of food and drink for everyone. hopefully this will be a suitable close to an otherwise disastrous year, and a way for everyone to forget their troubles for a while.

tldr ; almost as a thank you for those who have stuck through the nightmares that have come with living in washington, those in charge have put together another gala, an evening of nothing but dancing and fun to try and lighten the spirits of the citizens as we continue on in this new year. those who have signed up for a blind date will be finding out their partner from their invitation and we hope to see everyone there in their valentine's day best!

OOC INFORMATION

hi friends !!! welcome to another hidden mini event !!! we've somehow already had 5 of them and we are so excited to bring you our 6th one !! we wanted to mix things up a bit, bring you guys a different element to a classic rp ball event with these blind dates so we hope you all took advantage of that if you wanted to participate! we are so excited to get this moving and see how all the drama unfolds from inside the museum walls! we hope you all enjoy this as much as we did putting it together ♥

DATES

it will run from feb 10th - feb 21st

this event will last eleven days ooc , but one night in character

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE BALL

a basic layout of the smithsonian : we will be using the museum of natural history for this event! the main gala will be held on the first floor, the rotunda being used as the dance floor, the rest of the museum is still open to those in attendance, your characters are free to explore all that it has to offer, from the dinosaurs, to the live butterflies, to the night sky exhibit-- please feel free to use this map to help you navigate the setting! there is also a ton of information on the smithsonian website about each exhibit!

food and drink : free food, an open bar, candy bowls and sweets available to everyone! any valentine's treat you can think of has been sourced and provided for all to enjoy!

dancing : of course this is a gala, so go wild during a faster number, or finally extend an invitation to someone special to dance to one of the slower songs. request songs from the band and enjoy in every way you can!

outfits : dress to impress, wear that gown you’ve been eyeing for far too long, don your best masquerade mask, find your best suit, whatever fits your style best. and feel free to post outfits and looks now if you so please!! we'd love to see what everyone wears!!

get creative : this is just a new setting, with something new to work with! you do not have to adhere to any real guidelines, beyond 'remember the rules of the rp'. so if you wanna do something really off the wall, maybe dm an admin. otherwise, there's more guests than agents and security, if you wanna try to ride that t-rex skeleton, just make sure your date is keeping watch!

most of all, have fun : we want this to be a creative outlet, so please, if there is something that you think could be at this ball, be it a game, food, etc, we’re open to it !! also, feel free to have your characters make up their own drama, to go a little wild, cut loose !! just keep it within the realm of possibilities, we don’t want anyone escorted out before the party has really begun!

BLIND DATES

if you submitted your character for the blind dates , please follow this link to find your matches!

please review your pairings and let us know if we missed you, or if you've been matched up with the same writer too many times, or for any reason that you may need a new match!

be sure that you reach out to your blind date partner so that you can both plot together and get on the same page about the vibe between characters, and how it will go! we want this to be a chance for you to mix up who you usually write with, so please be sure to branch out with these new pairings!

QUICK HOUSEKEEPING :

one stop shop for all your plotting, posting and tagging questions !!

feel free to begin plotting now! you can post plotting calls, starter calls, outfit edits or anything of the like !! just remember to keep any in character posts saved for the 10th!

we usually start the events around 10-11 am est / 2-3pm gmt , so please keep that in mind when queuing any starters !! you’re probably best off queuing for around 12pm est/4pm gmt!

unlike our full events, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PUT OTHER THREADS ON HOLD! you are more than welcome to continue to write outside of the event !!

feel free to have your characters begin talking about the invitations, the excitement, or asking people to go with them if they are not going on a blind date! so, feel free to begin plotting and getting everything sorted for when the event begins!

please tag all posts (in character , out of character , para , etc ) with hwminievent6, or with "valentine's ball", "valentine's gala", something to indicate that those threads are taking place in the mini event, since people will be doing both event and regular threads!

please please remember to still tag all triggers that may apply!!

again, this is a MINI EVENT and therefore NOT MANDATORY

as always, please make sure to have fun & feel free to really cut loose besties!! we hope that you and your characters find something to enjoy at the ball! we cannot wait to see what different ideas you all come up with and cannot wait to see your threads on the dash! please do not hesitate to ask any questions that may arise & let us know if you have any suggestions or need help! with that all said, as always, PLEASE LIKE THIS WHEN YOU HAVE READ IT ALL! ♥

[raeny-thorns]

The Secret Morning

POV: first person told in the present tense

2,179 words

GN/M pairing

Minors DNI

Plot:

continuation/secret ending of Simeon's 2023 UR birthday card "The Secret Morning". Basically, Simeon and Mc have a sleepover alone in the HoL and have some domestic and intimate moments. In this fic, MC has sexual fantasies and wet dreams about Simeon and this sleepover is the perfect opportunity for them to act on their impulses.

Mc power bottoms//Simeon receives oral while telling MC about his fantasies//dirty thoughts/sexual fantasies/wet dreams//vanilla//sex with feelings//porn with plot//fluffy domestic moments

A/N: aa first actual post!! Firstly, thanks to @defnotremy for helping me with wording and editing, you're the best!! This is my first time writing a non-ironic smut fic (that I actually posted) so please be nice with your criticism!! Sorry if Simeon seems ooc, most of his lines are taken from the Devilgram. Might make a part 2 based on one of the chats from the card if I have the time.

"Aw, bathe all by yourself, handsome?" I tease when he comes back to my room, partially dry from his bath. I'm making the bed as he pulls his bathrobe over his pajamas.

"Right. I almost feel stupid for not inviting you in the first place" he brushes the back of his neck, tugging on his damp hair and chuckles. "Could you imagine?"

I could imagine. Us climbing in the tub together, me getting shy and trying to cover my body but you pull my hands away to see me in full. You whisper something embarrassing like, "beautiful" and I melt into your soft kisses. We don't have sex there but the way you wash my hair and body is more intimate than that. When we get out of the tub, you watch me get dressed and when I tease you for it, you don't get embarrassed. You smile and call me cute and that makes my heart leap.

"I'll put the kettle on." I say and leave to the kitchen. You follow me a few minutes later, dressed in your baby blue bathrobe and hug me from behind. You breathe on my neck, your lips brush me lightly. I shudder at the feeling and lean into you. I hardly notice the kettle getting ready to whistle as you move your hands from my waist to my thighs. I hardly notice you reach over and turn the stove off as you kiss my neck and lean further into me. I hardly notice the wind outside, threatening to blow in the house as you stretch my waistband under your fingertips and dip them below my underwear. I imagine it all.

"I'll put the kettle on," I smile, changing the subject, face warm with the thought of us. "Would you like Sleepytime with lavender syrup?"

-

The light of the stove illuminated the rest of the kitchen with shadowy figures that flickered restlessly on the walls. I was so lost in thought that I didn't hear him come in.

"The pot is ready," I almost jumped at his voice before turning the stove off and reaching for the kettle's handle.

"Ow, shit-" I muttered, flinching away from the hot handle and grabbing a cloth to grab the pot with. He walks over to me and asks if I'm okay. He's so close I can feel his breath on my neck, I shiver at the feeling. I nod and pour the water into the mugs, but he still takes my hand to inspect my burn. He watches my face as he rubs his finger over the burn and sees me falter.

"Run it under some cold water, I'll get us setup in the room."

It isn't that bad of a burn so I get to the room soon after him, feeling enough relief from the water.

He's at the table and trying to talk to Karusu. He mutters something about just wanting to listen to some music and I take his D.D.D. and start it for him.

"Ah, you're back." He stands up from his chair and I sit him back down and take the seat next to him. "Is your burn better?" He takes my hand in his and inspects it. His fingers are so warm. We drink our tea and talk, mostly about our respective living spaces. When we're done, there is a fight for who gets to take the mugs back to the kitchen, in the end we settle on me taking his and his mine.

"Can we sleep together?" I blurt out before feeling my face warm a bit. He looks surprised but giggles and rubs my hand.

"Of course. Why would I refuse?"

I can't look away from him as he crawls into my bed next to me. He probably can't see me in the dark but it still makes me embarrassed at the thought of him knowing.

"Hehe the bed sheets are already warm from your body heat." He brushes his hand against my arm before pulling away quickly. "Ah. Sorry, my hand brushed you." He shifts away from me.

"I like it when you touch me." My voice surprises me.

"Would you rather hold my hand or sleep on my arm?" I can hear his smile as he shifts back towards me.

"Arm pillow, please" I smile back.

"Hehe, I can smell your shampoo. We'll share the same perfume tonight. Goodnight." I listened to his heartbeat and let mine sync with his, falling asleep on his arm, clinging to the warmth of his skin.

-

He caresses my nude body with his fingertips, he breathes on me. His legs intertwine with mine, flexing and stretching. His kisses are passionate with love, he lusts for me but above all else he loves me and it seeps through every touch. He bites at my thighs, drawing bruise coloured hickies from my skin.

"I want to make you feel good," his voice was husk as he lightly bit at my earlobe. "Do you want me to make you feel good?"

Fuck. Another wet dream. And of course I woke up at the good part. Simeon is asleep next to me and I'm sexually frustrated from my dream. I look over at him for a moment. He's so peaceful, so cute. I contemplate just going back to sleep but I can't get the idea of him going down on me out of my head. I go to the bathroom to relieve myself before going back to bed.

-

"Rise and shine. Good morning!" He looks over at me and I turn my body to face him, my eyes still closed.

"I think I need a good morning kiss." Sleepily, I mutter. To my surprise he kisses my temple.

"How's that? Feeling better?" His hands run up my spine teasingly, my pajama top rolling up and exposing my lower back.

"Mmm...Five more minutes." I mutter and cover my face with my pillow to hide the heat on my face.

"Then I'll just tease you until you wake up," he laughs. "What should I do next?"

"Another kiss please." My pillow is pulled from my face as he pushes my body down, back onto the bed and leans over me to meet my eyes. The bed creaks from the pressure. The blanket stretches and pulls at my thighs, pinning me to the mattress.

"You're cuter than usual when you've just woken up." He brushes my hair out of my face and leans closer. "One for your eyes," his lips barely touch me. "And one for your nose," He kisses me so gingerly I don't breathe, thinking it will help me feel him clearer. But he pulls away. "No… this is no good. I won't be able to control myself at this rate." He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and lets his leg fall over the side of the bed to get off.

"So don't." I sat up, my arm outstretched towards him, reaching to pull him back to me. It came out more as a plea than a suggestion. Probably because it was. "Love me like you want to love me, Simeon. Please." He stares at me for a moment, considering it before reaching over and chastly kissing my lips.

It starts modestly before quickly becoming more desperate. His hand pushes up my shirt, massaging the small of my back while his other hand becomes entangled with my fingers. I throw an arm over his shoulder and lean him closer to me. He pulls back to breathe before kissing me again. My tongue brushes his lips and he parts them with a moan. Angelic. I'm sitting against my bed frame, my pillow that was behind me got shoved to the floor, the blanket that thinly seperated us is thrown off the bed as I pull him onto my lap to straddle me.

"Do you want to feel good?" His breath hitches as he nods at my question. I wipe the drool from his lip with my thumb. "Do you want me to make you feel good?" His face feels hot, he looks like he's going to come undone just being this close. He nods a yes. I undo his shirt buttons and feel his bare chest. I suck at his neck and work my way down to his v line. Fresh hickies stain his skin as I give extra attention to his love handles. They're so sensitive, he pushes against me, rutting himself against my thighs.

"Mm, you're so pretty," He half-moans, his voice is sweet and strained. He rubs the underside of my chin with his thumb and I meet his eyes. He's so needy.

"Do you need me?" I tease, "tell me that you need me and I'll give you what you need." He strains harder against me. The tent in his pants looks uncomfortable. He nods and goes to touch himself but I push his hand away and tell him to say it. I lightly palm at the outline of his length and watch him burn up and choke out a moan. The pants dampen a bit with pre-cum.

"Yes, I need you," his reply is shaky. "To use your mouth for my pleasure." He closes his eyes. "Don't tease me so much." He flushes more and I smirk. I roll his pants down his thighs. We do an awkward shimmy to get them off and he almost loses his balance. His clothes are strewn across the floor, underwear caught on the pole of the bed frame. He whines when I pull him off me to put the pillow back against the frame. He leans against it, and I make sure he's comfortable enough. His legs spread before me, and I kneel between them. His hand reaches up to cover his face when I pull his leg onto my shoulder but I push it away.

"I want to see your pretty face." I whisper and he nods. "Tell me, do you ever think about us doing this?" He stiffens at the question, embarrassed.

"Ah." He breathes. "I… have thoughts from time to time." I kiss his lower thigh, rubbing the back of his knees and he moans.

"Mm, what do you think about us doing?" I lick along under his thigh and his leg kicks out slightly.

"I… imagine you coming to me after a long day." His voice is hoarse as I lightly wrap my fingers along his length, still kissing and sucking along his thighs. "I give you a back massage while you lay in my bed with just underwear on-" I let some saliva drip onto his tip. "Shit."

"Language." I scold, continuing to stroke him. I lightly blow on the salivated parts. He winces.

"And while I'm rubbing your back," his breathing is getting heavier, "The sounds that you make are-" a moan interrupts him as I lick the vein at the base and he rutts against me. "I grind against you before rubbing myself between your thighs…"

I take him in my mouth, inch by inch, almost painfully slow while he explains. I relax my throat and look up at him to meet his eyes which are heavy lidded, his breath hitching. I moan around him and watch his face contort, his eyes squeeze shut and his mouth falls open in an 'o' shape. He's so beautiful.

I work my mouth up and down, flexing my tongue against his shaft. He explains what he fantasizes us doing, breathing heavily between a few words, his voice quivering.

"If Michael knew what I thought of you, he'd be horrified about how corrupt I've become." His hands grip the bed sheets. I squeeze his thighs, my nails dig soft crescents into his skin. I work my lips faster, sucking at his length.

"You feel so good," his hips buck into me. "Better than I thought." He looks like he is going to come undone soon. "Better than my hand," his hair is stuck to his forehead with sweat. "I love you-" I feel him twitch, his thighs shake and stretch outward. I watch his face as he gets closer to release then slow down. He groans and rolls his hips, trying to get more stimulation.

"Please," it comes out like a sob and he looks like he's going to pass out from exhaustion. I oblige and speed up. He cums down my throat. It's thick and warm and sweet. Everything an angel should be. I swallow as much as I can, but some dribbles down my chin. Slowly, I pull off of him, sucking off his tip with a pop.

We sit there, breathing for a few minutes before he chuckles and points to my chin.

"You missed a spot right there."

"Pfft-" I laugh and wipe it with my hand before licking it off. "Man, I'm hungry. What's a person got to do to get some breakfast around here?"

"Hmm I think a blowjob is worthy of a breakfast. How is a sandwich for your service?" He smiles softly.

"Sounds amazing, dear."

[tksavvy]

Shockingly Ticklish! (Cookie Run: OvenBreak tickle fic)

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You know what? I'm gonna do this anyway. I'm bored as HELL here.

Plot: When Electric Eel Cookie makes a big fuss about losing a bet, Abyss Monarch Cookie gets the help of Mocha Ray Cookie to get a use of his weakness..

TW: Swearing, slightly ooc

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"Ugh! Why?! Just why?!" Electric Eel Cookie shouts in rage, in the verge of using his ability again.

"Because one, you failed to guess, and two, it's not even a eight of spades. It's a three of diamonds. Now you don't get the drink we owed you." Mocha Ray Cookie said, smiling. She knew.

She knew she had won the bet.

"It's just a card game...how infuriating can it be...UGH!!" He throws the cards aside on the table and leaves to his room. As Electric Eel Cookie left off to his bed and drifted off to sleep, Abyss Monarch Cookie whispered an interesting secret in Mocha Ray Cookie's ear.

(Just how infuriating can it be...just how infuriating can it be?! JUST HOW INFURIATING CAN IT BE?!)

"Okay, Mocha. He's restrained now."

Those five words stirred up Electric Eel Cookie from the black and snapped him back into reality. The nap was now gone. His arms and legs were restrained by some black tentacles, and he couldn't move. It looked like a Y pose.

What an embarrassing pose to be in...

In front of him was Abyss Monarch Cookie. He was sure that Mocha Ray Cookie was behind him due to her aura being behind him in some way.

"Great!" Mocha Ray Cookie said, doing a thumbs-up pose.

"Could you explain what is going on?! What are you gonna do to me?!" demanded Electric Eel Cookie, wanting to know what is going on. Especially since his lover, Abyss Monarch Cookie, was involved in this somehow.

"Oho, something...maybe because of what a little bird told me..." Mocha Ray Cookie replied, a teasy tone in her voice. This couldn't mean...

Electric Eel Cookie looked really confused now. What did they tell her?! Just WHAT caused them to do this?!

"The fact...that I already know you're...quite..."

"sensitive."

Sensitive?! She means...WAITWAITWAIT---HOLD ON. NO FUCKING WAY?! NO WAY SHE KNOWS RIGHT?!

"W--Wha-?! Mocha, you-you're lying right?!" She nods, showing that she actually means it.

Oh, shit. He's dead. He's fucking dead.

"That's right. Since you lost the bet, decided to get all fussy, and went to bed, we are going to teach you a little lesson in proper manners..."

"And to do it, we are going to use that absolutely irresistible weakness of yours to our advantage~" Abyss Monarch Cooke whispered into his ear, making a slightly tickly feeling.

"Ehehe...we...we can talk about this, right...? Come-AGH!"

A shriek escaped Electric Eel Cookie's mouth as he felt his sides and armpits being attacked. Tentacles by part of Abyss Monarch Cookie and hands by part of Mocha Ray Cookie were doing the job.

"Gh-gehehe...*hic* I cahan't...Ihi'm nohot lahaughing!" he says, his attempts to hold it in being futile. Wait, was that a hiccup?!

Shit. Shit shit shit. He knew what that meant.

"Come on, it won't take long now..." Abyss Monarch says. And he knows it.

"Hahaha...ahahaHAHAHAH!!" His laughter echoes through the room. It was loud. It was boisterous. It was booming. It was energetic. It had...hiccups? Nah, that's normal. And kinda cute, to be honest.

"Annnnnd there it is! There is that adorable laugh of yours~!"

"Am naHAT---YOU GUHUHUYS!! *hic* STAHAHAHAHA-"

"Yes you are~ Oh, and we are not ending this. Not until you say that's you're super cute and shockingly ticklish~"

That is far too embarrassing and utterly HUMILIATING for him to say. He can't say that. He definitely, really can't.

"NAHAHAHAHA!! F*hic*UHUCK!!"

"Then we'll stay here for the rest of the day~!"

"NAHAHAHAHAHA!! HAHAHAHA!!"

A small playful smirk came up on Mocha Ray Cookie's mouth. "Hehe...who's a ticklish little eel, huh~? You are! Yes you are, yes you are~"

Oh no, not THAT. That let him get out a shockingly adorable squeal.

"Now you're going to say it?"

"I'M STAYAHIN' SIHILENT!"

"Still fussy, eh? We'll see how long you can be like that~" Abyss Monarch Cookie and Mocha Ray Cookie exchanged a nod.

Then Abyss Monarch Cookie's tentacles went on towards his underbelly. Oh no.

Not there. Anywhere but there. That will just break him. Destroy him. It was ticklish beyond your wildest dreams. Hell, one could even say it was far too ticklish to even be real.

Basically, it was his ultimate death spot.

He is so fucked.

And then the tentacles moved towards his underbelly, skittering along its sides and moving along it, even getting the scars on it.

That sent him into complete hysterics, his laughter being sent an entire octave higher. Sparks emanated from his hair too, small jolts of lightning. He was laughing far too hard. And his tormentors loved it.

Especially since he looked so damn cute laughing like that.

"NOHOT THEHERE *hic*!! NOHOT FUHUCKING THEHERE!"

"Too bad you're stuck here...stuck with us~" Mocha Ray Cookie said, making Electric Eel Cookie's soul exit it's body (figuratively). He can't handle that much teasing.

"NAHAHAHAHAHAHAO! MAHAKE IHIT STAHAHAP!!"

"All you have to do is say it~!" Abyss Monarch Cookie said, in a singsong tone, making Electric Eel Cookie shiver a bit.

Silence. Just silence. All that could be heard were frantic, helpless laughs. That's when Mocha Ray Cookie had the great idea of doing some raspberries on his neck.

Maybe that will get him to comply. And boy, it sure did.

"GYAAHAHAHAHAHA---OKAY! OHOKAHAHAY!! FUHUCKING FINE *hic*! IHI'LL SAY IT!! I'M SUHUPEHER CUHUTEE!"

"And what else, hm~?" Mocha Ray said, blowing another raspberry.

"*short squeal!* A-ahAND SHOCKingly TIHICKLISH!!"

"Good. Now, as promised..." The torture finally stops...

"U-ugh...I swear, never scare me like that again!" Electric Eel Cookie moaned out, visibly tired and stressed

"Like what?" Mocha Ray Cookie said, poking Electric Eel Cookie's stomach, earning a flinch and a squeal from him, as well as some small sparks emanating from his hair.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. We're doing this tomorrow!"

"What?! Okay okay, sorry about that! I'm not making a fuss like that again! You still owe me that drink, though..."

"You sure?" Mocha Ray asked, before wiggling her fingers in front of him, making him step back in fear.

"Maybe you don't owe me the drink anymore...still, no promises."

[away-ward]

Pursuit

Summary: Will was supposed to pick Emory up from the library for their first date, but a storm killed the power before he got there. And now everyone is missing. And maybe that was his plan all along.

Set in December after the Homecoming dance; Canon-Divergent.

Disclaimer: general OOC-ness as my writing style is different from PD's.

Emory

I shifted, the old plastic chair creaking with the movement. The noises of the library – hushed whispered, footsteps muffled by industrial carpet, book carts with squeaky wheels – fell silent about thirty minutes ago as it got closer to closing time. Those sounds provided comfort - background noise for me to complete my homework. Today, I was too distracting. My eyes drifted to the clock on the wall more often as the night wore on.

Uncontrollably, my eyes darted up again. Still fifteen minutes before Will would be here.

I clicked my pen repeatedly and licked my lips, forcing my eyes to return to the open book. I read the first two lines of text for the eight billionth time, but still -

Would this be our first legitimate date?

I swallowed, my throat feeling like sandpaper and my heart a hammer in my chest. The absurdity of it ran down my spine. It was silly to think that, knowing everything that had happened between us already.

The sweet, honey tones of the head librarian, Mrs. Porter, floated over from the front desk as she waved goodbye to another family. She saw me sitting at my usual round table in the corner, and she smiled and raised her right hand to pat her heart, a sympathetic gesture. My mom used to take me to Mrs. Porter’s Reading Hour when I was a little kid. When my parents died, Mrs. Porter let me sit on the children's beanbags even though I was technically too old. And when Martin was alive –

My breath hitched, stuck in my lungs.

Martin was dead - taken by a storm in the first week of November. There was an emergency call from an anonymous tipper saying a girl about to jump at the cliffs on the other side of the Cove. Everyone thought it was a prank, but just in case, they sent officers out anyway. Martin never came back. His friends and fellow officers were sad when they broke the news. It said it was too windy, they said, and he couldn’t see the edge of the cliff.

They thought I cried because I was sad. Poor little Emory Scott, an orphan in the truest sense. The town honored him the same way they did any public servant, quickly and quietly. There was an announcement in the paper, a small wake, and a donation fund that the townspeople contributed to. People brought flowers and looks of pity. Grand-Mere liked the flowers. They filled our home for a week after, and for once, things looked brighter.

The Ashby’s made an appearance as representatives of the town. The mayor and his wife stayed precisely long enough to say something nice and leave a card. Arion had nothing to say, but Winter seemed genuinely sorry. The Graysons' showed up too, surprisingly. I couldn’t look at Will, even as he stared me down. Not after homecoming or what happened the next day. It hurt too much, and now that Martin was gone, most of my excuses gone with him, I didn’t know what to do with Will.

Not that I had the time to deal with him. At sixteen, I wasn’t old enough to take guardianship of my grandmother, and without Martin’s salary, there was no way I could afford it, even with my college fund and the donations. I was overwrought at thought of losing her, missing a week of school to look through the law books, talk to lawyers - to anyone who would listen - trying to keep them from separating us.

Will found me, as he somehow always managed to. I was dragging my tired body back home from the bus stop when he forced me into his truck and down the road to Sticks where he wouldn’t let me leave until I finished the plate of fries he ordered.

He joked that we had to stop meeting like this, and images of the day in the movie theater overwhelmed me. I choked on my soda. When I tried to glare, he laughed.

Thunder echoed outside the library. I frowned, wondering if this was going to ruin his plans.

Storms. I should hate them, given all they’d taken from me, but I don’t. Outside, the streetlights flickered with the shadows of trees whipping in the slow wind. Over the next few hours, it would grow into a howling squall.

I checked my phone to confirm I hadn’t missed any messages from Will. Whatever he had planned, it wouldn’t be outdoors. Maybe that’s for the best, I thought. Somewhere inside, where it’s dark, and we’re alone. Sounds good, actually. Tonight could be the night he finally stops holding out on me.

A large draft of wind followed by a boom of thunder drew my attention back to the window. Above, the lights flickered before losing power. Then the streetlights blinked out, casting the street in darkness.

While I’m not afraid of storms, I’m not stupid either. Using my cellphone flash, I quickly gathered my stuff into my bag and walked to the reception desk, where I last saw Mrs. Porter. The space was empty, and as I looked around, I realized I didn’t see anyone else around either. My arm hair raised as I listened for something other than the wind. Mrs. Porter knew I was here, and she wouldn’t just leave a patron. Something is keeping her away.

Slowly, I made my way around the microscopic library. There are only two public spaces and a hallway. The front doors open to the reception desk. Going left leads to the Young People’s section, and right to the Adult section. The hallway that branches off the front goes to the bathrooms and to the break room in the back.

Despite the size, there’s an abundance of places to hide. Or to hide someone.

As soon as the thought came, I scoffed. “That is stupid,” I said, solely to hear it out loud.

But is it? It’s not like I don’t know a murderer. It’s not like this town is short of bizarre happenings.

It’s not like I haven’t wondered if Martin’s death was really an accident.

It’s not like I wasn’t planning fucking the man I thought may have done it.

I bit my bottom lip. “Will?” I called out, taking a chance. This is right up his alley. The kind of stupid prank only he’d think of. Nearly identical to what he did at the school.

I smirked, loosening up a bit. “Look, we’ve been here before, you already know I’m not scared,” I lied. Well, partially. There was still a part of me that doubted it was him. “I’m impressed you even got the storm. Is it a paid actor?”

No answer. I wondered if Mrs. Porter was a hostage, and if she could hear me talking to nobody.

Flirting. I was potentially flirting with a murderer while sweet Mrs. Porter was bleeding out somewhere. That would be bad.

Another strong gust forced the front doors to slam open. I gasped, dropping my bag to get to them quicker. I was surprised the power of the wind didn’t break the glass. Even as I tried to use all my strength to push them closed, I was losing that fight inch by inch.

Until someone appeared behind me, taking both doors and managing to muscle them together, giving me a chance to flip the lock in place. Finally able to catch my breath, my face and hair, and entire front soaked with rain, I turned to see who it was because it certainly wasn’t old Mrs. Porter.

The white mask glowed bright in the shadows. Whatever fear I was feeling was immediately expelled in a strong exhale.

He stood close, practically on top of me, all around me. Neither of us said a word as we watched each other. But I wanted –

Mimicking what I did before, I slipped the mask back, revealing his piercing green eyes.

Yeah. That’s what I wanted. To watch him watching me. Nobody looked at me the way he did, even now.

I could have kissed him in the lab at school, but I didn’t. I had my reasons. Now, though, I didn’t want to hold back. He’s been making me work for it, and the role reversal has nearly killed me.

I stood on my toes to reach him, leaving millimeters between our lips so that I could feel the air leaving him. And that’s where I stopped, just a breath away.

“Was this the plan?”

He swallowed. I couldn’t keep the hint of a smile at his suffering off my lips.

“Feels familiar,” I continued. “Was the lock-in just the teaser for the main event?”

His eyes danced, and I knew I was right.

“Do I get to hide this time?”

“You want me to hunt you?”

I pulled the mask back down, lowering myself to the ground. “Close your eyes, count to sixty. And then come and find me. If you can.”

I trust that he’s playing fair as I step away, noting the spots of water that trail after me, which was how I found him at school. I go to the carpeted area in the adult section, trying to map out the space from memory.

The stacks weren’t in rows like most libraries. They were more like a maze, with some rows dead-ended and others turning into the next row, which could only be discovered if you kept going. The shelves created illusions. I didn’t know how Mrs. Porter managed to keep it organized or why she let it go on that way. I chalked it up to just another Thunder Bay peculiarity.

After what felt like forever, I heard movement in the row over. I rolled my lips together to keep the giggle from getting out. I knew he’d come into the stacks. Being the rich boy he was, I doubt he spent as much time in them as me.

Darting around in the dark, I kept just out of his grasp. At some point, I think he was letting me get away so the game went on. When I think I’ve finally got him turned around and confused, I exited the rows of books. My legs shook as I crossed to the Young People's section. They have a loft area there, where the beanbags are. It should take him a while to think of that.

Halfway there, my foot slipped in the water from the rain. It just happened to be when the wind got quiet, and the small squeak from my shoe against the tile was so much louder in the silence. I waited with baited breath to see what he would do.

The noise seemed to reorient him, and suddenly, he shot off through the stacks faster than before. Thinking swiftly, I snatched the container of pens from the counter and threw it toward the bathroom hall before darting the other way.

The stairs to the loft were around the corner, and I climbed the small steps in threes, checking over my shoulder, until I could crawl into the loft area. Gently, I moved into the pile of beanbags, piling them over me so that every bit of me was covered.

Surrounded by darkness, all I had was my hearing to determine if he was coming. I waited, trying to hear him over my heartbeat.

And when he did find me, then what?

My breath came out slow. It'd been two months since homecoming. Two months wasn’t that long of a time. It still felt like forever for me. Everything had changed, just not Will.

But, then, hadn’t he changed? The night Will took me out to dinner, he asked how things were going since Martin died. I looked at him, remembering the day in the hall when he asked me about the bruises.

I thought of Damon Torrance and what he knew.

Then, of the two of them that night in the wrestling room.

A cold sweat broke along my neck as I straightened, pushing away the food he bought for me.

I remembered what Damon said as we walked to his car from the cemetery. He offered to “take care” of Martin for me. I never took him up on that; I never intended to.

Would he have made the same offer to Will?

Will’s green eyes watched me closely, waiting. He never seemed perceptive before, but there was no other word for the way his gaze pinned me in place.

I drew in a deep breath, suddenly feeling sick.

Will’s fondness for the Cove, for Cold Point, for mysteries, and his story of Reverie Cross all came flooding back. Suddenly, what happened with Martin was all too familiar.

But Will wouldn’t…

Would he?

I told him to take me home, and with a smile, he did.

He didn’t disappear. He was there the morning, parking his truck in my driveway. There was no stopping him from coming in the front door with a take-away breakfast for me and a cup holder with enough coffee for everyone, including the nurse attending to my grandmother. He also brought hot water in case Grand-Mere preferred tea.

He sat in her room and talked to her while I finished getting ready. I could still hear her charmed laugh from something he said. I hadn’t heard that sound in so long I nearly cried.

I divulged him about what was going on with Grand-Mere on the way to school. I didn’t want to go, but he reminded me I’d lose my scholarship if I didn’t keep my grades up. I sat in the passenger seat, hugging my back full of applications and petitions, and whispered my fears out the window, refusing to let a single tear drop. It felt good to admit it - to share the burden with someone.

A week later, a lawyer arrived with a check. A private benefactor was offering to pay for my grandmother’s care for the rest of her life in Thunder Bay, including a round-the-clock nurse if I needed it. Between that, and letters of character from my school and the town mayor, the judge agreed to let us stay in our home as long as we agree to a quarterly child service inspection until I turned eighteen.

I’d never felt so free as the day I left the courthouse.

The evidence pointed to Will’s involvement, but I never asked. Asking would make it real. Making it real would make me indebted to him. He wasn’t offering any information either. For two months, he didn’t push me. The most he’d done was sneak into my room through the window, even though he could use the front door now.

Some nights, he would just lay with me. Sometimes he waited until I reached for him, pulling him closer. As much as I pushed for more, he held back, always leaving me wanting more and frustrated at his resistance. Hours felt like they could stretch for all eternity when I was with him, but his patience never wore out.

I didn’t know what he wanted from me until he formally asked me out. He made sure I knew it was a date in the full sense of the word. He’d pick me up at an arranged time, we’d go to a pre-determined destination, and then after that, he’d take me home. There might even be a kiss on the porch at the end of the date “if I’m lucky.”

I gave him my middle finger, which he thought was hilarious.

I barely had the mind to agree to the date, I was so shocked. There was no denying I was better. I’d rejoined the swim team and band. I mostly hung out with Elle at school, but occasionally, we met up for coffee on the weekend. My projects around town were on track, and I got approved to start a new one on the bell tower the following week.

I might even have a boyfriend. Or something. Will doesn’t seem like the boyfriend type, though he’s still here, isn’t he? I can’t argue that it’s all for a chance to get into my pants anymore; I gave that to him two months ago and have more than offered several times since. What did I have to do to get him to take the bait? Strip off my clothes and dance around my room?

Something seized my ankle, dragging me from my spot as I screamed and fought to crawl away. Flipping over, I scrambled to get to my knees, but he came down on me before I got any leverage. I could feel his heart through my back as we breathed at different paces.

I laughed to myself.

Despite his superior size, I still struggled. I’d never stop fighting; I’d been too easy on him recently.

I bucked, trying to throw him off, but I just pushed into him more. His hand came around my throat, and he pulled me up, arching my back. His knees were on either side of my legs, my back against his chest. We panted with energy and anticipation. His hand drifted down, ghosting over my heavy chest, down to my waist, fingers dancing along the hem of my shirt. They brushed against the heated skin of my stomach. My breath shuddered.

Maybe my heart should be guilty over what I was doing. Haunted by Martin’s ghost, disturbed that Will was the one I wanted. It was sick, the things I wanted from him, to do to him. The fact that I just didn’t care.

Will’s not good for me.

But if it’s all true, then I wasn’t good for him either.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered against my ear. I could tell he’d already removed his mask by the way his lips brushed against the sensitive skin there. “Maybe you’ll win next time. After I have my reward.”

--

Last one left in my drafts, based on the idea that a game of hide-and-seek in the library is Will's ideal first date, though I wasn't able to find where PD said that.

Anyway. I struggled with it for a while because as I was writing, I couldn't figure out away to make it different than what had happened in the school during lock-in. And then also how to make it a first date? I could have gone completely AU, but ultimately decided on canon-divergence.

This will probably be the last one I write for a while.

As always, thank you for your time, any comments you leave, or liking. I appreciate everything you do.

-KO

[jeannereames]

Out of curiosity, were there any facts (inasmuch as we can have in history) about atg/h that you were surprised to learn? Ones that are now in your view of them but when you learned them you thought them ooc or unrealistic

Sorry if this question doesn't make much sense, it's very late at night haha!

After studying them so long (over 30 years now), it can be hard for me to remember reactions, but two things do stick out:

When I realized Hephaistion wasn’t ethnically Macedonian.

While this is now pretty well-accepted, when I first stumbled over the name issue, back around 1995/96, working on my dissertation, nobody had assumed him anything other than a Macedonian. My discovery to the contrary was pure chance. The only place his origin town was given in our sources (Arrian) also happened to list Leonnatos as from Pella, but we know he was from Lynkestis. So I thought, “Oh, hey, I’ll go check and see if the names Hephaistion or Amyntor pop up on tombstones anywhere else in Macedonia.”

That was one BIG rabbit hole, let me tell you!

At the time, as a young scholar—even with oversight from two excellent senior ancient historians—I didn’t (in retrospect) do as thorough a job with the name search as I should have. I’ve remedied that since. My definitive work on Hephaistion’s ethnicity is now, “Becoming Macedonian: Name-mapping and Ethnic Identity. The case of Hephaistion,” with accompanying digital history mapping. But even back in the late ‘90s, my rudimentary onomastic (name) search was good enough to make my point so that it now appears in many/most entries on him. But it certainly wasn’t anything I expected to discover. An off-the-cuff question for my dissertation turned into a major rethinking about Hephaistion’s origins and helps us to better understand Macedonian naturalization.

The second surprise also concerns Hephaistion: that his military assignments were largely logistical and/or diplomatic.

When I set out to write my dissertation, my goal was to show that Hephaistion was more important than typically recognized in modern scholarship, so I collected every ancient reference to him, in all ancient sources. At the time, I did it on 3x5 cards. This research started in 1992, right after I got to Penn State. (Yes, I already knew what my dissertation would be on; I just had to convince Gene Borza that it was doable.)

Anyway, as I was playing with my cards, trying to sort them into broad types, I noticed some odd discrepancies. Now, first, be aware that statistics are a problem in ancient history because we have such SMALL samples. But looking at differences of 3-to-1, that got my attention.

That’s when I realized most of Hephaistion’s assignments were of a specific TYPE: logistical and/or diplomatic. Again, that’s now a generally accepted detail, but it wasn’t until I started making piles out of my 3x5 cards. Some of these conclusions were later published as “The Cult of Hephaistion,” with, yes, tables of these assignments.

This is a good place to make an important point for young scholars. Get in there and do the counting. Be comprehensive. Keep lists. Make 3x5 cards or sticky-notes. Record citations physically on large sheets of paper so you can visualize how it stacks up. In the day of digital, we lose track of just how much we can learn from SEEING in physical space.

Below are a couple pictures I took recently (2022), while recording Every. Single. Religious. Reference, in our 5 original sources. LOOK at it. Note the differences in patterns on the pages. That yielded a really interesting (to me) book chapter on how our sources talk about Philip and Alexander’s use of religion on campaign. This will come out in 2024 as part of a Companion book edited by Ed Anson. (Yes, there are tables!) I took the pictures to show Ed I was hard at work on it, as I was running a little late. But I’m glad I did take it, as it really illustrates how much one can deduce just from seeing.

I’ll be taking the same tactic as I move forward on my study of Hephaistion and Krateros’s careers. I’ll do for Krateros the same thing I did for Hephaistion (I still have those cards!). But I’ll also sort references by ancient author, to see patterns in how each represents the two men. I think it’s important to look at both, a horizontal examination of the type of reference, and a vertical look at trends within authors.

Yeah, I like my lists/tables. But I believe in being thorough. Impressions are suspect. Show me the numbers. (Even if I went into history to avoid math!)

[swap-mizuki]

Hello there. Please call me Mizuki or Amia. I'm not exactly familiar with using Tumblr. Mafuyu made me get an account because they had one..

I am the lyricist of Nightcord at 25:00, so I might post about our music occasionally. I also use she/they pronouns.

(this is all ooc!) (also run by @deadplatess)

I FINALLY GAVE IN AND MADE AN ACCOUNT FOR THIS AU AJAAHSDFG

anywayy!! As you can tell, this is a mizuki blog for my niigo swap au! mizuki is swapped with mafuyu here. and i am. ass at writing mafuyu. so excuse me if im inaccurate...... i've also read a few stories but i don't remember anything so again. sorry

also for this au, they swap personalities AND their roles! (because i thought it'd be silly) so now ena is the composer, mizuki is the lyricist, kanade is the artist, and mafuyu is the mv maker!!

completely random but mizuki also likes fish and aquariums like the og mafuyu :)

also i'm fine with ships! i really like polyniigo/mizuki x anyone in niigo but i also like mizuan, mizukishiho, mizunene (PLEASE I HEART MIZUNENE SOO MUCH), honamizu, and others!

hcs for them aree they're lesbian, demiromantic, andd transfem

i will project on them 100%

anywayysss a little lore incoming

So most of the stuff I aleady have for this AU is just the SEKAI. So like all my other rp blogs this is NOT planned at ALL. In this AU instead of the Empty SEKAI we have the Studio SEKAI! It's basically just the IDsmile card background. There are ribbons hanging from a seemingly endless sky and the floor is pink and squishy (not too squishy to the point where it'd be weird to walk on, but just squishy enough to be comfy to lay on) and there's loose fabric scraps and knocked-over mannequins almost everywhere. There's also a little spot deeper in the SEKAI that has a little table with sewing supplies and all that and like little shelves for stuff. There's also another little spot where Mizuki usually hangs out, which is like a little room blocked off by fancy pink curtains and they just kinda. hide there sometimes The starter Vocaloid here is MEIKO and in this AU she's a lot nicer :) (a little like a mother figure, maybe) also it's a lot like the original Empty SEKAI in the fact that MEIKO is the only Vocaloid there for a bit. The other ones come later, but here they're all there (in order of appearance: Rin, Miku, Luka, Len, KAITO). Kaito is still like original empty sekai KAITO. Rin, Len, and Miku are also pretty much the same. Luka is a lot like original MEIKO (maybe?)

I'll add more updates if I think of anything to add!

Also here's the tags almost forgor about those.. #Sewing my life together. - regular posts #New supplies. - Asks #Tangled strings. - Ooc #Fabricated. - random posts in like the middle of the night (9 times out of then will be them being sad or smth. probably. might have some sillyposting tho *rubs my hands together like a cartoon villain*)

tws will be tagged "tw [thing]"

ALSO!! someone please pretty please make another blog for this au im BEGGING YOUUUUU

[soraavalon]

DM: She looks thoughtful and rises to her feet and looks to her husband, then back at the Lord of the Hunt. She has heard the explanation, it was hard not to hear anything that happens in this round room. It has been created to kind of have echoes and whispers everywhere.

Moth Queen: I had been intending to send the Flickering Knave upon a favor, but now that they are unfortunately deceased, if you were all to complete this task for me, I can owe you another boon. Perhaps I could do both.

Marigold: What sort of task?

Moth Queen: Stolen from me long ago was an item called The Veil of Dusk, it is closer to Summer which I understand is a risk, but not by much and it is jelously guarded by a fiersome troll. I had intended to send the Knave, of course that is no longer an option and recently I had send an order of our knights, the Night Quill, but they have not returned yet and I fear for them. If you could all find this troll and slay it and retrieve for me my item, I could perhaps give you half of your reward now and the other half later.

whomst: [in chat] the knight quil?

DM: [in chat] The Order of the Night Quill.

Hunt (OOC): *laughs*

DM: This random table *laughs* saved my ass today.

whomst: [in chat] putting people to sleep.

Nathaniel (OOC): I'm just thinking about Nyquil now.

DM: Yeah, yep.

Nathaniel (OOC): Fuck.

DM: I did not come up with this, bt dubs, there was a wonderful table of random encounters that gave me this.

Nathaniel (OOC): Amazing.

Mistletoe: Mistletoe is hopeful at this suggestion, more 'cause it would be an excuse for Marigold to stick around longer.

Marigold: I'm going to defer to the rest of the group.

Nathaniel: This sounds very doable.

Hunt: It sounds very much doable.

Tark: Tark looks at the rest of them, "Can't be as hard as fighting a dragon."

Hunt: Very good point.

Nathaniel: Can't be worse than the Bag Man.

Hunt: *grimaces* Don't remind us.

Tark: Hmm.

DM: The Owl King seems to be able understand you and he looks to his wife and says in Sylvan, "They seem to be capable adventurers."

Ethan: The Bag Man just gonna be Nathaniel's Get Out of Thing Free card.

Tark (OOC): 'And we've dealt with the Bag Man'

DM: 'Fuck dude, alright.'

Marigold (OOC): I mean [something]

DM: [something] Bloody Mary and all I got was this lousy new arm.

Nathaniel (OOC): *laughs*

Moth Queen: Shall I heal your friend now? Then protect your memories once you've returned.

Nathaniel: Please.

Tark (OOC): Hey Nyessa, can you play two characters at once?

Hunt (OOC): *laughs*

Mistletoe (OOC): We'll find out.

DM: If not, I have an out for you so you can, don't worry about it. So she will kneel down, she will again reach out to Eudora and press her fingers to her forehead and you watch this soft silver light come from the space between the queen's fingertips and Eudora's forehead. Eudora's eyes glow silver and Greater Restoration has been cast and you are back to your normal faculties Eudora, you come to your senses, you have vague dreamy hazy memories of the past couple of days, but now you can, you are basically spawning in in the middle of this beautiful round throne room with a moth queen touching your face.

Eudora: Eudora is going to blink slowly several times, "My goodness, I... seem to be at a bit of a loss here."

Tark: Tark hears her voice and bursts into tears and then

Nathaniel: Nathaniel has the biggest, most excited smile on his face.

Hunt: Yeah, Hunt looks happy to hear Eudora speaking again.

[beneathashadytree]

Hey! I’m new to your page but I love it so much and your writing is literally amazing!! I don’t want to say you have talent because that under mines all the hard work you’ve put into writing but you are amazing :< My request is a one piece fluff with Sanji, Zoro, Luffy, Kid, Law, Robin, Nami, Killer and and any of your favorite characters too ^ I don’t know if this is considered modern or not but basically them asking you to go grab their wallet and you see their drivers license or ID picture and it’s such an old crusty caught off guard picture like (sanji’s wanted poster bad) and they get embarrassed about it once they see you start laughing 😭. It can be modern or even within the one piece realm I just thought this would be so funny since this just happened to me 💔 Have a good day!!!

-aif

TEENAGE DIRTBAG - SANJI, ZORO, LUFFY, KID, LAW, ROBIN, NAMI, & KILLER X READER

Warnings : modern AU, cursing, lighthearted teasing from the reader, Kid always has a couple of empty threats at hand, they are all disasters, this is not proofread, reader is gender-neutral!

Genre : fluff, crack

Word count : 2.4K words (oh shit)

Additional notes : Ahhh, you’re being so unbelievably sweet! I’m so so glad you enjoy my writing. I loved this idea so much because it’s the perfect mix of playful and cute. Sadly, I’ve only ever seen Killer like twice and he’s barely said anything, and I haven’t really graspd his personality yet, so please excuse me if he’s OOC🥲 I just wanted to give you a heads up that I only write for a maximum of 6 characters per post, and in headcanon form. If fluff pieces were what you wanted, then I only take single characters per post🫣 I did them all anyways and as fluff pieces because I’m sure you didn’t know this, given that you’re new to my blog. I hope you enjoy this, nonnie! Let me know what you think💗

Requests : Are open! Check the rules over here.

Want to support me financially? Here’s my CashApp!

Masterlist

“Could you grab me my wallet from my bedside table, sweetheart?” Sanji called from the kitchen, “I’m a little busy at the stove right now, and the set of knives I ordered last week should be here in a few minutes. They’ll need my identification.”

“Sure thing.” Getting up from the living room couch, they went to snatch his wallet off his table. It was a little messy, filled with tiny coupons and various credit cards (yes, including the ones he froze years ago after his estranged biological father had practically forced them upon him). Struggling to pull out his ID amidst all this jumble, they said, “You really should sort out the stuff you don’t use anymore. I’m pretty sure at least half of these coupons have—“

They paused, their fingers finally picking at his ID. “Oh my fucking God,” they choked out, before a wheezing laugh escaped them, “Sanji, what on earth is this?”

“Hey!” he cried out, thumping sounds coming from the stove as he no doubt was switching the knobs off, “Stop looking at that!”

“It looks nothing like you,” they laughed, as he ran to their side. “What’s with the terrible frown? And why did they edit your face to look so… boxy? And—“

“Yes, yes, very funny dear,” he scowled even deeper than in the picture, cheeks burning red with embarrassment. He snatched it from their fingers, as they continued to shake with laughter. “Stupid shitty photographer didn’t even give me a chance to blink before he took it.”

“You do look like you had your eyes open for hours,” they chuckled behind their hand, trying to stifle the sound as he stuffed it back into the wallet, preferably for burial. Shaking their head, they sweetly kissed his cheek, enjoying his raging flush.

“Oh well, might as well keep your handsomeness for my eyes only.”

“Zoro, did you pay our taxes?” they asked, frowning as they stared at the letter that had been sent to their mailbox.

“…No, I forgot,” their boyfriend grunted from the next room, continuing to deadlift in his little private gym, “Just use my phone and do it online.”

“Fine,” the sighed, making to get up, “Where do you keep your wallet? I’m gonna need your ID.”

“Probably on the coffee table.”

Humming in response, they followed his instructions and began to take out what looked like his ID, before they loudly cursed bloody murder.

“What’s wrong?” Zoro’s voice was worried, and he soon appeared in front of them with a concerned look on his face, drenched in sweat and a little flushed with the exertion of effort.

“This fucking jumpscare,” they managed to cry out, choking on a laugh as they thrust the ID in his direction, “You look like you’ve been convincted of twenty cases of homicide. What are you glaring so hard for?”

“Shut up. It’s only cause I couldn’t see well,” he grumbled, blushing furiously as he stomped over to reach for it.

Swooping out of his way, they snickered at him, “Was your “not seeing well” also the reason behind the tongue in your cheek and hardened jaw? Or is your face just programmed to permanently look like you want to deck someone?”

“Should’ve done these taxes myself if you were gonna be a little shit about it,” Zoro swore, his entire face blooming red down to his neck. The mortification won over, and he grabbed his ID.

“You probably should’ve, yeah,” they giggled, leaning over to kiss his jaw, much to his chagrin, “Guess you’re not photogenic. Doesn’t matter, you’re the best looking man to me.”

When Luffy asked them to go for a trip of snack scourging at the supermarket, the implication that they would buy booze was very clearly there. His hands busy with all the bags of food they’d bought, he’d pointed out the bottles of sake and beer he’d wanted, but hadn’t been able to pull out his wallet with his hands full.

“My hands are full, can you get that for me?” Luffy begged, after having huffed and puffed for a few minutes trying to pull it out of his pocket with only his pinky finger.

Chuckling, they nodded and did as their boyfriend asked, before glancing at his ID photo and choking on their spit.

“Holy shit, babe,” they wheezed out, body trembling with their laughter as they handed it over to the cashier, “What’s with that face? Constipated much?”

“Listen, I was hungry,” he moaned pathetically, one of his busy hands pressing onto his stomach as he pouted at them, “Like right now. And the man kept stalling for no good reason. I thought I was going to pass out.”

“So you somehow ended up looking like a wilted flower?” they arched their brow at him as they carried their drinks and tugged him by the arm. “Should I worry about you dying out on me now?”

“Yes, if you don’t hurry and drive us back quickly.” Luffy looked dead-serious as he started moving so fast that it turned into him pulling them along and not the opposite. “Unless you want me to eat the snacks right now—“

“Coming, coming!”

As per their almost-monthly usual, they got pulled over by the police in the middle of the road, and Kid could only grit his teeth and hiss out a “Fine” when asked for his driver’s license (because past experience taught him that calling an officer bringing him in for speeding a “cunt” was a sure fire way to end up in jail).

He fumbled with his pockets, before realizing that his wallet wasn’t there as it usually was. Before he could ask for it, they found it in the space between the driver’s seat and the gearstick. They quickly pulled out his driver’s license, briefly glancing at it once before their eyes blew comically wide and they slapped a hand on their face, trying to muffle their laughter.

Kid murderously glared at them, before finishing the routine up with the officer. As soon as they drove past him, they let their hand fall and howled with laughter.

“The fuck do you find so amusing?” he growled after they grew increasingly more hysterical.

“Your-your face!” they cried out, tears now falling down their face, “You never told me you had an emo phase! The black bangs, piercings, smokey eye…” they trailed off, interrupted by their loud laughter.

“I think I’m going to actually fucking kill you,” he hissed, despite the light dusting of red on his cheeks, which only fueled their amusement even further.

“Was this another one of your catchphrases in your teenage years?” they chortled, wiping away their tears and very clearly enjoying this.

“I’m parking right fucking now and kicking you out of the car.”

“Got everything?” they asked Law at the doorstep, pulling their suitcases along behind them.

He nodded, but still went on to flit through his waistbag, checking the stuff along as he did. Their flight was still in a bit, but he didn’t want to turn around halfway through the drive to the airport. “Passport, visa, cash, credit cards, ID… wait. The driver’s license.”

Cocking their head to the side, they looked a little confused. “What do you need that for? We’re vacationing abroad.”

He gave his partner a very pointed look, and they shrugged and went to get his license nonetheless. “Weren’t you the one who insisted on visiting every single monument around the city? We’ll need a rental car for that, and I’m the one that has an international driver’s license.”

Before he could say anything else, a howl of laughter erupted from the bedroom, growing louder as they came up to him. Exasperation in his eyes, he turned to them, already knowing the reason behind their extreme amusement.

“Yes, haha, very funny, Law’s squinting at the camera,” he drawled, holding his hand out, “Now could we get this over with? We’ll run late.”

“Oh no, you’re not getting out of this,” they smirked, clutching the license close to their chest and taking another peek. “The squint’s not so bad, honestly. I can tell you just weren’t wearing your lenses. My problem’s with the god-awful hair.”

“Mullets were a thing when I was 18,” he snapped, trying to come up with an excuse—and clearly failing, if their peels of laughter were any proof. “And most teenagers don’t have much of a sense of style.” Law finally snatched the driver’s license from them, and took his suitcase rolling behind him on the way to where their Uber would pick them up.

Locking up behind him, they grinned, shaking their head. “Not much of a sense of style now either, love…”

“Robin, darling, I love you, and I would buy you anything you ask for, but we’re going to find ourselves broke by the end of the month if you keep spending ludicrous amounts of cash on book shipments,” they sighed, hurrying over to the bedroom where their girlfriend sat perched on her armchair, book in hand, “I think you need an intervention.”

The girlfriend in question chuckled, setting her reading glasses down, “Oh dear, that must’ve been last month’s ARC package. Let me get my wallet.”

“I already paid for it, but they asked for your ID for confirmation of the delivery. Is it in your wallet?”

Robin looked thoughtful for a moment. “No, I think I left it out on the coffee table when I came back from buying wine for our date night.”

They nodded and made their way out. It was silent for a few moments, before they snorted with laughter. “Oh God,” they choked out, before muffling the sound and opening the door once again. Moments later, it shut behind them, and they exploded into a fit of laughter, bursting into their bedroom.

“What’s so funny?” Robin smiled patiently, watching them fail to catch their breath.

Patting their chest, they finally managed to speak. “Y-your-your face! Why do you look so murderous?”

The woman chuckled, closing her book and walking up to them to glance at the ID. “I think I’d been woken up pretty early that day to take this picture, so I was rather grumpy. The photographer had made an inappropriate comment, and this was the only way I could express my displeasure.”

Their laughter quieted for a moment as they mumbled, “Fucking bastard,” before they glanced at the picture again and giggled, “And what’s with the half-shaved head?”

Robin shook her head, swiftly taking the ID from their fingers and pocketing it stealthily. “Let it be a reminder to not let teenage bullies stick gum in your hair.”

“There’s a lot to unpack in that statement…”

“I’m telling you, sir, I’m definitely old enough to be driving this.” Nami gritted her teeth, trying her best to smile sweetly at the police officer. “As a matter of fact, I’m old enough to carry out every single legal procedure in this country.”

“No driver’s license, no passage,” he firmly said, though he did hesitate for a second afterwards, probably after noticing just how stunning she was as she fluttered her eyelashes like that.

They placed a hand on her arm. “It’s alright, Nami. I’ve got your wallet in the drawer. Brought it just in case.” Pulling it out, they began to rifle through her numerous cards, before blurting out, “Holy fuck,” and bursting into laughter that they desperately tried to muffle behind their hand, their other hand giving their girlfriend her license.

With a look that could kill, she snatched it and gave it to the waiting officer, who soon sent them on their way. Revving the car back up, Nami glared at them.

“What, you didn’t expect me to comment on that picture?”

“What do you say we forget about that and turn on the radio?” Nami forced a big grin on her face, though the vein in her forehead remained prominent.

“Aw, it’s not that bad,” they cooed, before cracking up, “I mean, of course there’s the outdated perm, and the garish blue glitter eyeshadow, and the very obvious fact that these are not the eyes of anyone even remotely sober…”

“You’re paying for today’s date and next week’s one too,” Nami snapped, before exhaling loudly and slumping in her seat. “God, why’d you have to see the worst photo I’ve ever taken? I’d even had a terrible acne breakout then, so my face was in pain the entire time.”

“It’s alright, love. I still think you’re the most beautiful girl in the world,” they said as they leaned across to kiss her cheek.

Tension left her body, but she still managed to say, “You’re still paying for the next two dates.”

“Fuck, I’d been hoping you’d let that go.”

Killer had been stopped at the entrance of the concert arena as usual. With his mask almost always on, the security guards always needed to check he was of age by asking for his ID. He didn’t say much, knowing that this was a routine procedure, but he did tense a little with annoyance at having to take time out and possibly miss out on the best seats up front.

“I’ve got both of ours’ here,” they nodded from beside him, taking out both their wallets from their pockets and pulling each of their IDs. When it came to their boyfriend’s, however, they couldn’t help the snicker that left them at the sight of his picture.

“You’re having too much fun with this,” he grumbled, before taking it and handing it over to the man, briefly lifting his mask for a second for him to confirm his identity.

As they began to walk in, they took his hand in theirs, still laughing a bit. “Not my fault you never told me you used to imitate Kid’s punk style.”

“He was the only friend I had, of course I’d want to look like him,” Killer shrugged, “No one told me that straightening hair like mine does that much heat damage though…”

“Can’t believe you had a side part, Jesus,” they chuckled, shaking their head, “Not to mention the patchy beard. And what’s with the panda makeup?”

“Again, Kid’s idea,” he sounded a little annoyed, a light dusting of pink climbing down his neck, “He was all for the kohl-rimmed eyes, but neither of us knew how to apply it—hence why it got all smudged.”

They hummed, squeezing his arm lovingly. “Love the bright red lipstick-hair combo, by the way, but I still prefer the light purple lipstick on you. It’s very… you.”

Killer cocked his head curiously in their direction, wondering what they meant by that. With one last chuckle, they said, “As… interesting as other colors look on you, purple suits you best because it goes well with your pretty blue eyes.” Before he could get flustered and grunt that they were being foolish, they began to drag him by the arm. “We gotta hurry, there’s only 2 front row seats left.”

Taglist: @stories-that-shaped-me @wifeofkyojuro @finch-ya @livwritesfics

[yourplayersaidwhat]

Fuck the Dragon

Our party had just entered a sort of traveling bar (literally, it just teleported around randomly) frequentes by all number of beasts, even demigods.

Our tiefling bard’s character moonlights as a lady for hire..so to speak and was looking around for a client.

DM: You see a very happy dragon in the corner, it seems he’s just won a game of cards.

Drow Occultist (ooc): *gently slamming fists in table and quietly chanting* fuck the dragon, fuck the dragon.

(she did end up fucking the dragon, for a generous sum. Our Drow was very pleased)