#although i do LOVE that take where link just doesn't know how to count or read or anything...hes just a wild gremlin boy adlfkjads

[bethelighthalazia]

Ruined everything!

Summary:  Jealousy takes the better of your boyfriend and the stress of the last days just makes him say things he regrets.

Genre: angst (?), fluff (?)

Pairing: bf!Hongjoong X fem!reader

Word Count:  604

Warnings: none

[note: It's just a little drabble, but i saw this gif and it just gave me this tiny bit idea which i just had to write down ^^’]

© by bethelighthalazia. Do not repost, copy or translate. Unless stated otherwise, those works are mine and born from my own ideas. I don't have any claim on the mentioned real existing Idols whatsoever.

Laughing, you stood aside with Seonghwa, who was taking his break from shooting. You had brought coffee for everyone and waited with him for all the others to take their break too, although when Hongjoong comes up to you, he already looks a bit moody. It doesn't stop you from holding his coffee towards him with a smile.

“Hey Joong, here's your coffee. Seonghwa said you didn't have one y-” Before you could finish your sentence though, one of the members accidentally bumps against you while talking to the others and causes you to drop Hongjoong's coffee. Unfortunately, it spills onto his outfit. You tried to catch the cup and when you look up into his face, you actually wince, his expression more than angry.

“Great, y/n! Now I have to get changed and the staff has even more work!” Hongjoong huffs out, grabbing the tissues from your hand harshly before you hurry to get more tissues. “Hongjoong, it's fine, the stain is not as big, we can fix it.” Seonghwa tries to calm the captain, but for some reason, this seems to anger him just even more. “Yeah, of course you stand up for her, huh? How about you take her then? Don't need a stupid girlfriend who ruins everything all the time!”

These words feel like a slap in your face and the moment Hongjoong turns and sees you standing there, he feels horrible for saying it. Of course he loves you, but the day had stressed him so much, he lost his patience and let it out on you. “Y/n, I-” He started, but cut himself off, noticing the tears that had appeared in your eyes. 

You didn't want to hear it, your week already had been shit and now your boyfriend says this? Before anyone could react, you throw the tissues at him and turn around, leaving the set, running. It just had to happen someday, Hongjoong is an idol and you are just a normal girl, so why should one like him love you?

It didn't take long for your phone to blow up, the boys asking you to come back and that your boyfriend didn't mean it. When Hongjoong called, you declined the call and turned off your phone for now. If he truly wanted to find you,he knew where you would go. The only place, you always felt safe and comfortable, even though without him, it felt cold.

Hours went by, you had curled up on the chair in his studio, and when Hongjoong entered it, you had fallen asleep from crying. When he saw you there, his heart stopped for a moment, thankful that you didn't leave completely. Carefully, he laid a blanket over you before sending the boys a text, letting them know that he found you. 

“Y/n…I'm so sorry for what I said. I never meant it…” He whispered, his fingers gently caressing your temple, then he carefully lifted you out of the chair to settle down on the little sofa with you in his arms. “D- don't leave me, joongie…” Your voice was quiet and sleepy as you shuffled in his arms without waking up, bringing a sad smile to Hongjoong's lips. 

“I would never leave you, y/nnie…I love you too much for that. You are my best friend, my muse, my treasure. And I'm so sorry for hurting you with my words. I swear, this will never happen again.” He whispered, followed by endless quiet apologies until the captain also fell asleep, his arms wrapped around you in fear of losing you because of his stupid words.

taglist: @mingis-mizu, @tinyelfperson

(if you want to be added to a taglist, follow the taglist-link in my pinned post)

[pigfacedbitch]

It's A Trap!

summary : Prince Arthur uses reader to lure Merlin out whenever he is hiding from him.

word count : 0.5k

type : imagines

pairing/s involved : Merlin x Reader (?)

warning/s : none. just Merlin pining over reader and Arthur being an ass.

here is my masterlist!

Note : I thought of this when I watched the clip where Arthur is looking for Merlin and he was hiding behind the door. 😂 It was a one shot before and I heavily edited it too.

There is no denying that Prince's Arthur's manservant is in love with (Y/N), a noble lady from one of the most prestigious houses in Camelot.

Everyone, even Arthur himself, knows it. And that's saying something. 🫢😂

From the way Merlin would stare at you with heart in his eyes, how he would follow you everywhere like a dog, or his ears pick up whenever he hears your name.

Gaius almost wants to take a leaf out of Van Gogh's book and tear off his own ears because Merlin wouldn't shut up about you. He also writes about you in his letters for Hunith.

Now, does Arthur take advantage of it? Of course, he does. Like,"Do you know Lady (Y/N) would be there?" or "If you fetch flowers for Gwen, you could also get some for your lady love."

The epitome of the statement, however, is making you his trap. Confused? I'll explain further later.

"Merlin?! Where are you?!"

It's very common for the palace staff to hear the prince of Camelot blaringly calling out to his manservant. Although some people catch Merlin scurrying away from him or has an idea of his whereabouts, no one bothers to tell Arthur anything.

After all, it's completely understandable and why many servants can empathize. As admirable and honorable the prince is, he can be a handful at times.

That's where you come in.

Whenever Arthur has given up searching for Merlin, he would search for you instead.

He often finds you in the gardens with the other noble ladies, helping some servants with menial tasks, or having tea with Morgana and Gwen. Uther enjoys your company too, making the usual stoic ruler laugh and gossip.

"May I excuse Lady (Y/N)? I need her assistance with something."

"Is it Merlin again?"

"...Yes."

You would go to Gaius' chambers, the kitchens, servant's quarters, or anywhere Merlin could've gone to. Then, you would tell anyone that you're looking for him to speak about personal matters and you'll be waiting for him with a place of your choice.

Arthur would wait with you, but he's hiding where Merlin can't see him.

Why do you continue helping the royal prat? It's because you find it funny.

You're also curious, thinking how long will it take Merlin to stop seeking you out because most of the time it's just one of Arthur's traps.

The prince's knights bet on it. Gwaine and Leon are winning— saying how Merlin will never learn.

It's true, he doesn't. I guess love does make you an idiot.

Merlin always approaches you with a beaming grin on his face and blushed cheeks, acting like a lovesick school boy.

"My lady, you were looking for me?"

"Well you see..."

Arthur would wait for Merlin to get closer before grabbing the manservant in his clutches.

"Here you are, you idiot!"

Sometimes Merlin would free himself and run, sometimes he doesn't and Arthur would drag him away while warning him of possible punishments.

But he never misses the chance to look back and give you the most charming smile anyone has ever graced you with.

"Merlin really loves you, doesn't he?" You hear Gwen beside you, linking your arm with hers. Nervous and worried, you reply—

"Yes. I just hope that I get to tell Merlin that I share his affections. But Arthur is always with him."

[thetravelingmaster]

Reasons Why you Should Check Out ROM

(readonlymind.com)

I've done a similar posts before for this site when I first joined up ROM as an author, but I feel like it deserves a little boost and some visibility out here as one of the many sites where one can enjoy erotic mind control literature. And also, because I'm a little selfish! I figure that if more people know about it, there's going to be more erotic stories to read.

Back when I joined, thanks to @arihi 's post on the matter during the 2018 tumblrapocalypse, I believe that there were barely 150 authors that published on the site, but as of today, that number has risen to 446. The list keeps growing and so does the variety of stories available.

Much like mcstories.com, the site is very easy to navigate and search through, even if you aren't 'logged in' as an author or reader. It offers us simple ways to search out and find the stories or authors we most want to read about. They've done an awesome job with the tag system so that regardless of which story you are reading, you can click on a tag to see what other stories that have the same theme.

It's a lot like a porn site actually, but for mind control themes.

And speaking of the tags...

The search function is rather advanced. Not only can you click a specific tag to see which stories have them, but you can also use the 'advanced search' to combine them and refine your search. You can add as many as you want to really find out if a specific theme is available. In fact you can also exclude tags to make sure you only get the stories you truly want.

Of course, when you do find a story you like, the author name will be a link to their page, which will list their stories as well as an introduction about themselves if they chose to add one. Since the site is all about open discussion, they accept self promotion so you can expect to find contact information on authors you like or even a link to other sites they post on.

Another very useful thing you'll find on their page, which I haven't seen on any other MC site before, is the 'story suggestion' link. There, you'll find all the stories the author recommends.

I've found that it's a great way to discover other authors because if you enjoy someone's writing, there's also a good chance you'll enjoy reading the stories they've enjoyed and recommended. Plus, if the author is so inclined, they can do more than just list off a bunch of stories, but also add a comment as to why they enjoyed it. I personally try to always add a little something to entice those that end up on my list.

Another feature I truly enjoy as an author is the fact that you can always go back an edit your stories because you always have full control of what is posted. Honestly, if I had discovered this before I opened up my own website, there would have been no need for me to do it. Although, I might have been a little disappointed about the fact I couldn't add the lovely images that inspire me so much... hehehe

But regardless, as an author that has many stories with many chapters, I've quickly discovered how easy it is to organize my stories because I can add a new chapter to an existing story, which is great because the reader doesn't have to look for previous chapters. Plus, you can add titles and even small descriptions to each, which will show up in the story index. In addition, you always get a word count for each chapter (or full story in the story list) so you know how long it should take you to get through it.

Speaking of readers, the site offers a little more than just a well organized and searchable site.

Well... If you register that is!

You don't have to post anything though, so registering is simply like creating an account. What you get for registering are a few fun bonuses like the ability to 'snap' a story you liked. Which is basically the equivalent of a 'like' here on tumblr. As an author, it's always a great inspiration to add chapters when I notice that one of my stories becomes popular and I know readers want more. It's also a great indicator for readers, as you well know!

Another bonus you get by registering is being able to comment on each chapter. I love the comments section because it not only gives me the ability to get feedback, but it also allows registered people to tag each other and reply to comments. As an added bonus, once you register, you get access to a notification page and if someone's replied or tagged you, you'll be notified there.

Speaking of notifications...

As an author, I get a bunch of notifications every time a user 'snaps' one of my stories, leaves a comment or recommends it to others. But as a reader, I can also 'follow' specific authors and be notified when ever they publish a new story or add a chapter to an existing one. But hey, that could be bothersome too so you ALSO have the option of just following ONE specific story so you are sure to know when the latest chapter drops. I'll admit, I use this option a lot!

Another option you may notice in the above image is the 'Read Later' option. I've used that as both a place to list off stories I like to read multiple times, as well as the obvious happenstance where I find a good one I want to read, but don't have the time.

As you ALSO may have notice, there are well known authors publishing their stories there too. @scifiscribbler, @jukeboxemcsa, @darthkyra, @ellaenchanting, @hypnoticharlequin and @skaetlett, to name a few you might know from tumblr.

If you can't get enough of reading MC stories, then this site will definitely help to feed your cravings. It's still relatively new and small when compared to others, but so far, it's proven its potential for growth.

The more the merrier

TM

[rhosyn-du]

Alternative Education - Dreamling

Square/Prompt: A3 - Dubious Consent for @dreamlingbingo, although the consent ended up much less dubious than I originally planned. But the spanking is arguably dubcon, so I’m counting it anyway

Rating: Explicit

Ship: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling

Additional Tags: human AU, age gap, tutor/student relationship, tutor!Hob, student!Dream, spanking, face slapping, blowjobs, hand jobs, face fucking, hair pulling, unnegotiated kink, messy af power dynamics

Link on AO3

Summary: Most days, tutoring Dream Aeternum is the easiest money Hob has ever made. If Hob spends maybe a bit more time than is advisable imagining how good Dream would sound begging for his cock, well, that’s between Hob and his right hand.

Inspired by this post. Huge thanks to @gabessquishytum and 🪽 anon for the inspiration for this fic and the sequels that make up half my planned bingo fills. This AU has eaten my brain in the best way.

Thank you @karalynlovescake for the beta and tagging help!

Most days, tutoring Dream Aeternum is the easiest money Hob has ever made. Dream is clever, with a cutting wit and a skill for weaving words that Hob is frankly a bit envious of, and when he’s not being a prickly asshole about one thing or another, Hob actually enjoys his company. Plus, Dream’s parents pay him well enough that he doesn’t need to take on any other regular clients this term, just the occasional one-off to supplement his income—nothing less than a godsend when Hob needs those extra hours if he has any hope of finishing his dissertation on time.

It doesn't hurt that Dream is beautiful. As in, model beautiful. Love songs and fucking sonnets beautiful. The kind of beautiful that, if he were a couple years older and not Hob’s tutee (or hell, just one of the two; Hob’s not a saint), would have Hob angling to take him to bed, or at least to the men’s for a quick fumble. But Hob is a professional—or at least a guy who would really like to keep this job—so if he spends maybe a bit more time than is advisable imagining how things might have gone if they’d met under different circumstances, thinking about how good Dream would sound begging for Hob’s cock in that low, liquid-sex voice of his, well, that’s between Hob and his right hand.

Most days, Dream’s tutoring sessions are nothing more than Hob keeping Dream company for a couple hours, and maybe trying to coax a smile out of him when he’s in one of his more sullen moods. Dream doesn’t need a tutor, but from everything Hob’s seen, he could sure as hell use a friend, and Hob is more than happy to be that when Dream will let him, fucked up as it might be that he’s getting paid to be there.

Then, there are days like today, when Hob is sure he earns every fucking penny Dream’s parents pay him.

“It’s a stupid assignment, and I won’t do it.”

Hob sighs. They’ve been through this a dozen times already. “It doesn’t matter if it’s stupid.” It is. Hob can’t even argue the point. How Dream’s teacher even got his post with such an appalling misunderstanding of classical literature is beyond him. “It’s the assignment you were given, so it’s the assignment you need to turn in. You’re lucky Mr. Choronzon is giving you the chance to redo it instead of just failing you for turning in something that didn’t meet his requirements the first time.”

“The essay I turned in was good,” Dream protests. “You know it was. You read it.”

“It was,” Hob agrees. There are people in his graduate seminars who couldn’t give that nuanced a take on Ovid. “But it still wasn’t the assignment.”

“The assignment,” Dream snarls, “is stupid.”

Hob folds his arms and leans against one of the ostentatious posts that adorns the foot of Dream’s bed, grateful at least that they’re in Dream’s room today rather than the study, where one of Dream’s siblings might try to weigh in and inevitably make things much worse.

“You said that already.”

“It isn’t fair,” Dream tries. Also, not for the first time.

“No, it’s not. But that’s how things are sometimes. Shit’s unfair and it sucks for a bit and you deal with it, and then you get to move on to the parts that don’t suck.” Hob runs a hand through his hair in frustration. “Dream, you could be half done with the thing already if you hadn’t wasted the past hour whining about it like a kid who doesn’t want to eat his greens.”

Dream’s eyes flash with indignation, and he tilts his chin up so he can glare down his nose at Hob. “I am not a child.”

“Then stop fucking acting like one!” Hob knows it’s the wrong thing to say even as the words leave his mouth, but he’s too annoyed, too utterly done with this conversation to stop them.

Dream’s lips curl back in a sneer and his eyes narrow to angry slits, a sure sign that he’s started to spiral into a full-blown tantrum. “And what will you do about it if I refuse to bend to your oh-so-exacting standards for mature behavior, Hob Gadling?”

He takes a step forward, directly into Hob’s personal space. It’s a tactic Hob’s seen him use before, though never with him. It’s meant to make him uncomfortable, to give Dream the upper hand.

Hob refuses to let it.

“Will you put me in time-out?” Dream taunts, close enough that Hob can feel the warmth of his breath. “Put me over your knee and then send me to bed without my supper?”

Now that's an image. Hob shakes his head, firmly filing that thought away for later.

“Would serve you right if I did put you over my knee,” he says blandly. “You could do with a good spanking.”

Dream scoffs. “You wouldn’t dare.”

It’s the certainty in his voice that does it. The kind that only comes from a lifetime of wealth and privilege and people bending over backward to cater to your whims. A lifetime quite unlike Hob’s own, and one that means Dream hasn’t the faintest idea how much Hob would dare.

It’s almost comically easy to get a hand around Dream’s wrist and pull him down onto the bed, element of surprise and more back-alley brawls than Hob would admit to out loud giving him the edge he needs to ensure that when Dream lands with a startled cry, it’s roughly across Hob’s lap.

Hob intends for it to be quick. Just a few swats to make a point before Dream wriggles out of his grasp.

That’s not how it goes.

The instant Hob’s hand connects with Dream’s backside, Dream stops struggling. He lets out a strangled, almost desperate sound and then goes completely boneless in Hob’s grasp.

Hob pauses. Then, curiosity piqued, delivers another sharp smack.

This time, the sound Dream makes can’t be mistaken for anything other than a moan, muffled as it might be by the bedding.

Hob sucks in a sharp breath, suddenly and painfully aroused.

He should stop this. If he were to continue, if anyone were to find out...

But. Hob wants. And he isn’t the sort of man to deny himself something he wants when the universe is kind enough to drop it—soft and pliant and plucked straight out of his filthiest fantasies—in his lap.

So he brings his hand down again. And again. And again until Dream is clutching at the duvet beneath them and half-sobbing every time Hob’s palm connects.

Hob’s hand is aching by the time he stops, and Dream is a gasping, trembling mess across his lap. He rests his hand on the small of Dream’s back, waiting.

Slowly, Dream’s trembling eases, and his hands release their death-grip on the duvet. He lets out a long, shuddering breath.

Hob chuckles. “Feeling better, then?”

Dream flinches like the words are a physical blow, and then he’s scrambling to his feet, face flushed, glaring in Hob’s general direction without meeting his eyes. “You’ve made your point."

“Yeah?” Hob challenges. “You’re ready to write your essay, then?”

Dream’s eyes snap up, outrage winning out over embarrassment. “I told you, I will not.”

The outrage probably shouldn’t turn Hob on as much as it does. “That’s the problem with enjoying something that’s supposed to be a punishment. Doesn’t tend to be very effective.”

“You dare to suggest that I enjoyed—”

“I can see how much you enjoyed it,” Hob interrupts, looking pointedly at the outline of Dream’s erection, clearly visible beneath his black skinny jeans.

“Do not mock me,” Dream snarls.

Hob takes pity on him, spreading his legs so his own arousal is clearly visible. “I didn’t say you’re the only one who did.”

Dream stares. He opens his mouth as if to speak, then closes it again. A pink tongue darts out to wet his lips, and Hob makes a decision.

“Come here,” he says softly.

Dream does, eyes only lifting from the bulge in Hob’s pants as he moves into the space between his legs.

“I think,” Hob continues, reaching out to slide a hand up Dream’s chest and hook it around his neck, “maybe you need a different sort of motivation, yeah?”

“Is that what you think?” The words are haughty as ever, but Dream makes no move to pull away, and his pupils are blown so wide it would be easy to mistake his eyes for black instead of blue.

“It is.” Hob’s grin takes on a feral edge as he feels Dream’s pulse jump beneath his thumb. “On your knees for me, pretty thing.”

It takes only the faintest pressure on the back of Dream’s neck before he’s sinking to his knees with far more grace than Hob would have expected. He looks up at Hob through dark lashes, an unmistakable challenge in his eyes.

“You ever sucked cock before?” Hob asks.

Dream scowls. “I’m not a virgin.”

“Good to know,” Hob says, tracing the sharp line of Dream’s jaw with his fingers, “but not what I asked.”

“Once.”

Hob figures that’s as much answer as he’ll get, but Dream keeps talking.

“Mother insisted that my eighteenth birthday warranted a family dinner, despite the fact that not one of us wanted to be there. When Father sent his PA to let us know he wouldn’t be attending, nearly an hour after dinner was set to start, Mother threw a fit, and I decided I’d rather spend my birthday blowing Father’s PA in the study than listening to my mother’s histrionics.”

Hob is fairly certain his eyebrows have nearly disappeared into his hairline by the time Dream finishes speaking, and he has to swallow twice before asking, “Did you enjoy it?”

“He was very gentle”—the way Dream’s lip curls when he says the word makes it clear it’s not a compliment, and Hob can’t help the way his fingers tighten on Dream’s jaw in response—“and he didn’t last two minutes.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Hob croons, moving his free hand to unfasten his pants, “that is a tragedy.”

Dream watches, eyes heavy-lidded and lips parted, as Hob frees his cock and gives it a few lazy pumps, and then he's leaning in and wrapping those pretty pink lips round Hob's dick like he's absolutely starving for it. Hob lets out a startled groan, and Dream smirks up at him from around his cock.

Hob has the briefest moment of worry that he's not going to last two minutes, and then Dream tries to take just a bit too much, jerking back instinctively as he triggers his gag reflex.

“Easy, pet,” Hob murmurs.

Dream ignores him, sinking back down on Hob’s cock without giving himself any time to recover and immediately choking again.

“Hey,” Hob says, easing Dream back with a firm hand on his jaw. “Much as I appreciate the enthusiasm, you’re going to hurt yourself if you keep going like that.”

Dream wrenches out of his grasp and glares up at him. “I thought I made it clear I don’t need you to be gentle.”

“And I’ve got no interest in being gentle with you.” Hob reaches for him again. “Just—”

Dream reacts like an angry cat, snarling and very nearly managing to sink his teeth into Hob’s hand, but Hob’s reflexes kick in just in time to save him from a nasty bite, and Hob uses the momentum to deliver a sharp slap across Dream’s face.

Dream gapes at him, his expression a complicated mix of shock and indignation and raw desire. It’s a good look on him. Hob takes advantage of that shock to get a hand in Dream’s hair, giving it a sharp tug and watching in satisfaction as tears brim in those impossibly blue eyes.

“If you hurt yourself,” Hob explains, preventing any objection Dream might want to make by shoving his cock roughly back into Dream’s mouth, “then I’ll have to wait for you to heal before I do this again.”

He punctuates his point by rolling his hips, fucking into Dream’s mouth until his cock hits the back of his throat This time when Dream gags, Hob’s hand in his hair keeps him from pulling away, holding him in place until the tears gathering in his eyes start to roll down his face. It might just be the most gorgeous thing Hob has ever seen.

“But if you can learn a little patience,” he continues, pulling back enough that Dream can suck in a desperate breath through his nose, “and let me teach you to do it right, then I can fuck your throat as often as a little cockslut like you needs, yeah?”

Dream lets out a desperate sob, and the feel of it around his cock is nearly enough to break Hob’s resolve, for him to just take without any care for whether Dream might enjoy it, except...

“I want to, pretty thing.” I want you, he doesn’t say.

Tears still leak from Dream’s eyes, but his expression is open and wanting as he takes another, shaky breath and relaxes into Hob’s grip.

“There’s a good love.” Dream makes a soft, contented sound as Hob slides his cock in just a bit deeper. “Can you relax your jaw for me, too? Yeah, just like that.”

Dream turns out to be as quick a study in this as he is in any subject he puts his mind to, letting Hob guide him with rough hands and soft words as Hob fucks his mouth in slow, shallow thrusts. Hob is glad to have the distraction of telling Dream what to do, otherwise he’s not sure he’d last much longer than that idiot PA.

As it is, it only takes a handful of minutes before Hob’s instruction becomes a broken string of curses and praise as he loses himself in the eager heat of Dream’s mouth and the sight of Dream’s fucked-red lips stretched around Hob's cock, and the beautiful, needy sounds Dream makes every time he manages to take Hob just a little deeper. Hob only just manages to get a warning out before he’s coming into that perfect mouth, Dream half-choking again trying to swallow it all and somehow still managing to look smug about it even as a line of come escapes his lips and drips down his chin.

“Aren’t you just a beautiful mess,” Hob says, catching the drip with his thumb and smearing it across Dream’s cheek as Dream works him through the aftershocks of the best orgasm he’s had in ages.

Dream gives a considering hum and makes a show of releasing Hob’s cock, opening his mouth so Hob can watch the slow drag of it against Dream’s tongue.

Hob lets out a growl and slides off the bed, straddling Dream’s thighs and licking the taste of himself out of Dream’s mouth. Dream kisses him back with every bit of the enthusiasm he’d shown for sucking Hob’s cock, eager hands sliding beneath Hob’s shirt and dragging him close, shamelessly rutting his cock against Hob’s ass.

The angle is terrible for it, and it isn’t long before Dream is whining pitifully into Hob’s mouth, wriggling his hips in a vain attempt to get more friction.

“I’ve got you, pet,” Hob says, working his hand between them to pop the button on Dream’s jeans.

“Yes,” Dream gasps, sounding absolutely wrecked. “Hob, please—ah!” His words bleed into an inarticulate cry as Hob wraps a hand around his prick, jerking him off with practiced ease.

They’re too close for Hob to properly see Dream’s face, so he contents himself with drinking every sound Dream makes from his mouth, greedy for every gasp and whimper, and when Dream comes with a wild sob, he swallows that sound too, letting Dream pant into his mouth until he’s fully spent.

They stay like that for several long moments, Hob leaning back against the foot of the bed, Dream slumped against him, breathing each other’s breath.

Eventually, Dream straightens and, before Hob can say anything, lifts Hob’s come-covered hand to his mouth and starts licking it clean with slow, deliberate swipes of his tongue.

“Oh,” Hob breathes.

“I wouldn’t want,” Dream says between licks, “to have points docked for failing to clean up my mess.”

Hob huffs out a laugh. “I don’t think anyone’s ever questioned your fastidiousness.”

Dream hums in agreement as he sucks the last of Hob’s fingers clean. “But I wouldn’t want you to think I don’t appreciate your instruction, or that I’m not taking it seriously.” And then he curls himself against Hob’s body, nestling his face into the crook of Hob’s neck. “Patience has never come easily to me, but. I will try.”

It takes Hob several seconds to parse out what Dream is talking about—not the least because he’s also processing the shock of Dream cuddling him—and when he does, he feels like the breath has been knocked out of him. He’d meant what he said, but he hadn’t really believed Dream might want him to mean it.

“Can teach you patience, too,” he says, bringing his arms up to cradle Dream against him. Fuck. This is such a bad idea, and Hob just...can’t be bothered to care. “There are so many things I can teach you, pet.”

“I have no doubt. Although, I’m uncertain how this is supposed to motivate me to write that ridiculous essay. Not that I’m complaining about your methods.”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Hob tells him. “I already know you’ll have it done before our next session.”

“Do you,” Dream says flatly.

“I do,” Hob agrees. “Because if you do, I’ll spank your ass proper pink for you.”

Dream sucks in a sharp breath.

“And if you do it well, I’ll fuck you ‘til you cry after.”

There’s a long moment of silence in which Hob thinks he can nearly hear Dream’s internal debate.

“Perhaps,” Dream allows finally.

It’s enough for Hob to know he’s won. And if he’s wrong, well, he’s got a few days to think up a fitting punishment.

[yourcunningassassin]

A Dance with Death

Gortash x gn!Durge

————————————————————————

hints at well established relationship | soft Enver | sfw

Warnings: gore | bad english cuz it isn’t my first language

————————————————————————

Enjoy reading, love!! <3

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

Determined, you strut down a hallway towards the staircase that leads to the corridor where Enver's office is located. You pass higher-ups and nobles who were very much alike in a way — they cowered at your presence. Even though you couldn't care less about these mere mortals, you can't help but let your eyes flicker across their wretched features with distaste. Do they even deserve to be here? After all, some of them have caused too many mishaps for Enver to keep count of. They need to get punished for every single slip-up that they have ever made in Enver's and your name. Although it's not their time yet, that will have to wait until another seemingly never ending-scarlet day.

Today, that very scarlet day is going to knock on someone else's door.

You climb the stairs that lead up to the upper floor of the fortress. Your dominant hand is poised at the handle of your dagger, aching to cut through the soft flesh of your sworn foe. Two steel watchers stand at the ready at the office door. You gently knock at the door before swiftly moving inside the office. Two guards were situated on either sides of the foyer — Enver's lapdogs if you will. You turn towards them. "May you leave us alone? We ought to discuss important matters now," you inquire with a bittersweet smile infused with malicious intent. A deep and collected voice rings to the foyer: "You may leave now; I don't require your assistance as of now." Enver comes up from his office to greet you. As he reaches you he gently takes your bloodied hand and presses soft kisses to it before discarding it. "My sweet assassin, there you are! I was wondering when you'd pay me another visit." As he says this a smile is present on Enver's face; his features softened, especially the otherwise very prominent crease between his brows. "Enver please stop," you say while taking a step back.

Your hand aches — oh how it aches! Would father be proud if you got rid of him? Probably. Is Enver a weakness? That he is.

Your hand yet again finds comfort in the handle of the ritual dagger that was a present from your father. A symbol of your utter and upmost devotion. Orin alway looks it like it's the most beautiful thing in the world. It is but it is linked to centuries after centuries of utter chaos, caused by Bhaal's Chosen — you. As Enver sees you reaching for the hilt he also takes a step back, now cautious of your every move. His face shows hints of bitterness. He begins by saying, "I trusted you, my love...I still do. I trust in us-" You interrupt him by swiftly moving behind him, your dagger at his throat as you whisper in his ear, "You're a distraction, Enver...you're my weakness. A weakness that ought to be destroyed..." Your dagger presses down a little harder, not yet enough to draw blood. "My hand aches to kill you; the voices don't stop...I can't keep going. My father needs this. He'll kill me if I refuse." With a breathless voice you say, "Just want to hear your sweet pleas as you cry for help while I glide my dagger across your soft flesh...while i rearrange your guts, my love~". Enver doesn't flinch; he doesn't even move as much as an inch as he knows — he knows that you’re lying in some extinct state. He smirks as he slowly exhales through his nose—a hint of the sharp intake of breath he had taken moments prior. "I'm impressed by you, my dear...the way you had me wandering into your little trap...but," he says, and he grabs your wrists with unexpected strength. You lose the grip on the dagger, and it gets sent to the floor. Enver turns you around, holding your wrists behind your back with just one hand as his other hand moves to place itself tightly over your mouth. You harshly bite down on his palm, even drawing blood.

Will you ever get over enjoying this? Oh no, never. It tastes so good—so sweet, purely divine.

Enver tries to get some distance between the two of you, but you swiftly retrieve the dagger from the floor and send a strong kick to Enver’s ribs. While blocking an attack from him, you use the opportunity to strike again—a large gash manifests on Enver’s shoulder. “My love, what about us? I believe in us. I’ll always do," he says while dodging one of your throwing knives. You click your tongue in annoyance and answer, “There is no ‘us’ in my devotion to my father, I’m afraid. This is what my urge desires. My sister is going to kill me if I don’t put this tragedy to a bloody end.”.

Precise and planned manoeuvres are executed by the both of you — it’s a dance with death itself! The Dead Three watch over you with curiosity. Who will win? Love or devotion?

You sent another strong kick towards Enver’s ribs, hearing a faint crack. Enver moves to get a hold of his injured ribs as you move elegantly around him to get in front of him. He musters up some strength to hold your right wrist as he poses a lazy smirk while you grab a hold of his shoulder. Seconds after seconds pass—it's like eternity. Both of you relish the short moment. Both of you relish the faint comfort of one another.

Did his lips always look this chapped? Perhaps from all the biting a few days ago... Did he always have this scar on his chin? It’s from your first encounter, when he first proposed the plan. Did he always have this scarlet glint in his black eyes? In some way, it represents you, one might think.

You try to send another kick to his stomach, but his right hand takes a hold of your thigh before it can meet its target. The cold steel of his glove presses against your thigh as he caresses it gently—a gentleness you’ve only ever known with him. You sigh, “Is this utter and real devotion?”. Enver chuckles with a knowing glint in his eye. “You can do as you are ordered by your father, but that won’t change the fact that you crave this. You desire to be this close to your sworn foe. The desire to defy your father.”. After a few seconds of contemplation, you ask, “Do you crave this?”. In a swift motion, you push him against the wall, your body closely up against his as you press your dagger against his throat. It’s just enough pressure to draw a small trickle of blood. Enver grins but doesn’t move to struggle against your advances as he calmly answers, “Ah, the dagger at my throat, now ‘that’ I miss. If I crave this, Of course, my dear, just as much as you do.”. His body moves against yours, now pressing you against the wall. Your wrists are being held in his strong hands. You struggle in his hold but then ask, “Does Bane approve of this?”. Enver chuckles and says, “He finds it amusing to say the least.”. He laughs and then whispers, “You’re my enemy—my sworn nemesis in a way. And yet, here we are, the two of us, fighting like this—skin against skin. It could be taken as an innuendo of some sort, don’t you think, my love?”.

You push him away and kick him to the ground. Enver still has a smile on his lips as he’s looking up at you. You slowly walk over to him and straddle him. With your dagger, first you run up his lower stomach, then his chest, and then his neck—just enough to slightly break the skin. In a moment, your knife is just a millimetre away, way from his right eye, before you slam it in the wooden floor next to his head—harshly at that. You watch him wordlessly, contemplating your actions. He moves to slightly sit up. “You had the chance to slay me, yet you hesitated," he remarks. You sigh and move to get up from your position as you murmur, “I’ve gotten weak. I should be ashamed to be my father’s child.”. “Weak or not," Enver whispers. “I find I like you weak," he grins. “And you’re not exactly weak... just distracted.” You answer him with bitterness, “Too distracted for my own good, I’m afraid..." “Your distraction is rather enticing.” Enver sighs as he stares up at you, his features soft and his voice gentle. You bite your lip and help him up. Enver wordlessly watches you with a smile and says, “You’re my nemesis, my most capable foe. But you’re also someone I admire and respect. Someone I find myself unable to hate. That’s what makes this fight so enticing to me.”. You look down and avoid his eyes as you mutter, “I should go. Father probably wants to see me.”. With a sigh, you start walking towards the door. Enver hums but then stops you by gently grabbing your wrist and saying, “Just one more thing... before you go..." His voice is soft, almost soothing to hear. “Should we fight again sometime, my love?”. You chuckle, enamoured by his proposition. “We most definitely should, my dear," you answer before slightly turning towards him to face him. You gently press a kiss to his chapped lips that lasted longer than it should have before whispering, “I’ll come by tomorrow... to continue this scarlet dance of ours, Enver~”. Enver softly laughs at that: “I’ll be waiting for you, my sweet assassin.”. One last smile at him, and you’re gone, on your way. Your devotion will be the thing that brings you down. Your devotion, or rather, the lack thereof.

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

Thank you for reading!! I hope you liked it :) This is my first time writing in a while so sorry if it’s a bit wonky heh- Kinda wanna make a part 2 now~

[freakattack]

Since you did that LGBT+ headcanon post for the Mario cast, could you do one for the WarioWare crew?

LOL thank you for taking interest in my gay luigi posts. I actually did make one of these before but that was two years ago and also mostly jokes so I think this is as good a time as any to do it again but in serious mode. I have also changed my mind on some of these so they might not all line up with the other post but such is life. Obligatory "That's My Opinion" so if my tabloid speculations don't line up with yours feel free to imagine me falling down a very deep hole, or you can squint your eyes and pretend you're squishing my icon between your fingers like a bug if that's more your speed

WARIO: Briefly said this in the mario post but sure I'll go into more detail about wario's sex life, I think he's aromantic and bisexual. I do realize it comes off as kind of shitty to make Mario be Romantic Asexual and "Evil Mario" be Aromantic Sexual, but as a Wario Megafan I just think that he values his friendships a lot more, and given what we have seen of wario's disgust for romance despite his very active libido* (I promise that link is not as bad as it looks), I think it would be remiss to pretend that he would ever want to settle down with someone. He still loves people in a platonic way - even beyond the warioware cast, he cared a lot about princess shokora by the end of WL4, and even though he does not necessarily LIKE waluigi (and I do subscribe to poppadopolos theory so I am of the belief that they were fuckin' and truckin' for a good portion of the early 2000's), I think wario still cares about him in his wario way. They are like a divorced couple that still has kids except instead of kids it's cheating at tennis. Also, I think that wario is transgender, because it explains a lot about him (e.g. his lack of nipples) and because that way nobody has to think about what his "real name" was before it was wario. It was his deadname! Everybody go home! Have a rotten day!

*I do not think that wario would canonically catcall random news reporters but I'm still counting this as nebulous evidence that wario can be horny

MONA: I think that she is bisexual but doesn't know it at this point in time and also isn't really stressing about it. Her taste is kind of skewed towards whatever wario is (in a puppy love type of way i do NOT ship them), but if she ended up having a close friendship with a girl her age I could see her catching feelings. I don't wanna say that her thing with wario is comphet because that's not entirely true but I do think that his unattainability is a comfortable way for her to not have to think about actually getting into a relationship. (For the record, I don't think she even wants to BE in a relationship with him, I think she is perfectly happy with the way things are, but mona has TMI'd about her opinion on wario's physique often enough that I kind of get the idea.)

JIMMY T: My opinions on him have not changed. Who do you think gave him the T? Also, I didn't mention this before, but I do think he is bisexual, and although it kind of feels like a cop-out to make the Holy Trinity of Warioware all bisexual, sometimes that's just how the cookie crumbles. Groovy!

DRIBBLE: This is where things start to diverge from the original post. I said he was bisexual before But I lied I think he just likes men. I think that he has a supportive family, but he's still a little shy about actually going out to meet people and start a relationship. Anyways you're probably not gonna like what I have to say next

SPITZ: I am soooooo sorry. But I think that he is straight. More power to you guys but I never really got into dribblenspitz as a Ship because I associate their dynamic so strongly with the Cool Boss + Rookie dynamic that we have all been at least one half of that I can't imagine them in a romantic relationship. They have the most beautiful bromance of course, they would go to the ends of the earth for each other, but they wouldn't smooch. I think that spitz's dating life is/has been kind of sad (not in a angst way in a regular way) and were he to go back into the dating scene dribble would hype him up about it and give him advice and spitz would be like hey why don't you have a girlfriend? You're clearly better at this than me and dribble would say uuuhhhhh

ORBULON: Orbulon is hard to pigeonhole into these labels because the guys on orbulon's home planet operate on an entirely different paradigm from humans on earth. Reproduction via budding, communal childrearing, telepathic mega-cliques*.....on Earth, orbulon certainly has no interest in romance or beyond (both because he has no need for it and because he is two thousand years old on the planet of the apes), but he does have fun being a girl. You could call him "genderfluid", but he also doesn't feel too much of a connection to earth genders in general; he just likes wearing different hats.

*THAT'S MY OPINION

CRYGOR: I think that he has had no interest in romance for a hundred years, but also if he randomly picked up a stepdad for his adult children one day I would not be mad. (Mike might be, but he would eventually come around due to the Power of Love and whatnot.) Penny is his "granddaughter" but I think that this is more a label for convenience's sake and because she IS his granddaughter at heart. "But why does she randomly show up into everyone's lives in smooth moves as a full grown kid" Until warioware decides to show me her parents themselves I'm not entertaining this plot hole

PENNY: The reason I don't think penny is his granddaughter is because I still think she is a transgender clone of dr crygor. I think that crygor is enthusiastically supportive of her, gets her all the pink glittery shit her heart could desire, and helped her transition with his Science Inventions. I also think she is a lesbian, although I don't Ship her with anyone in the main cast (sorry again).

MIKE: Earlier I said that mike was "gay but he thinks everyone is annoying". That was before they revealed this bombshell:

Now, this could mean absolutely nothing. Checking the translation of the japanese website yields pretty much the same sentence. However, due to an incident involving a botched translation before the english version of this website came out, I had it in my head for a while that the connotation here was of a certain kind of fascination. And honestly, who could blame him? This is a karaoke machine that got frosty the snowman'd into existence. Of course he would be conflicted about who he is supposed to love. Does he have the heart of a man, or machine? Even Mike does not have an answer. So, my revised LGBT+ headcanon for Mike Crygor is "gay, and whatever this is".

5-VOLT: I'm on the fence about whether i Actually Think This but I am very fond of when people headcanon her as a trans woman, so I'm giving that a shout out. Shout Out! Other than that, I think she's only ever dated men and is happy that way.

.......Unless

[all-pacas]

In the spirit of distractions: I actually forgot to link this here! My silly spreadsheet project is now updated through S3, with only one new category — TATTLETALES — because boy do these kids love to gossip.

With the Original Flavor team leaving in S3, I thought I'd share some overalls from the first three seasons:

Who brings the most cases?

Surprisingly, House himself, with 14 total cases he requested, took an interest in, or just decided they were doing. Next is, unsurprisingly, Cuddy with 13 cases. Tied with 8 cases each are Wilson and "other" (referrals, Stacy's husband, Vogler bringing a case, etc.), followed by Foreman with 6, Cameron with 4, "clinic patient turned case" with 3… and go-getter Chase with one case in three years.

How many times do they break into houses?

A lot of times! Discounting a few episodes where they have permission or search with the patient's spouse, we have 24 total illegal searches. Surprisingly, Foreman does it the least of the team, at only 11 times. Cameron is next with 14 times, and Chase, oddly, comes in with 20. Cuddy meanwhile gets one point, and House does three home searches.

Who bonds with the most patients?

Foreman, perhaps surprisingly, with 9 episodes focusing on his relationship with the patient. Cameron and House tie with 8; Chase with 6 (take a quick guess how many children they treat, and add one for the nun in S1).

Who has the most subplots?

This one is admittedly hard to quantify, but it's also the whole reason I started this project. As I watched, I tried to quantify who had a B-plot — this can be surprisingly hard! If Wilson asks Cuddy to a museum, is it a B plot for him? Her? Both? I tried to stick with the character whose POV we were seeing: for example in S3's Fetal Position, everyone has found out that Cameron and Chase are hooking up, but we mostly follow Cameron and her reactions and feelings about it, not Chase's. So while they both have the B-plot, the focus is more on Cameron, and so I'd argue it's more "about" her.

Anyway, with that very scientific analysis, here's what I got:

House has 33 B-plots, which makes sense as he's the main character. Wilson is at 12, which seems low, but mostly he is reactive to House's stuff and doesn't have much focused on him and his POV until S2 and S3. Cuddy gets 5.5, having very few focus episodes and mostly existing through House's eyes: take her date in Insensitive, which is mostly an opportunity for House to harass her.

Of the team, Cameron has the most subplots at 17, although you could knock it down a couple points if you wanted — I counted all her House Crush Era episodes as subplots, even though at times it's only limited to one scene.

Foreman comes next at 13.5, and his subplots are meaty. Where Cameron's crush was sometimes limited to just a scene or two, if Foreman has a subplot it's half the episode. Despite the low number, he's also given more narrative focus than the other fellows, being put in charge of five cases where Cameron and Chase never get any, and his resignation arc dragging on for quite a long time.

Chase is very much last, at 6.5. This honestly was what I expected: where Cameron and Foreman are both given Narrative Roles (Cameron as love interest and then moral person and Foreman as leader and successor), Chase just kind of exists. In S2 he had almost nothing outside of The Mistake, and even in S3 with the FWB arc, that was mostly from Cameron's POV and the focus was on her and her feelings. This is a trend that will continue until S6.

And, finally, does anyone play with The Ball in this episode?

The answer is… surprisingly less often than I'd thought! House plays with it in seven episodes, including taking it to Wilson's office in Lines in the Sand when he's boycotting his own. Cuddy and Foreman both play with it once each.

In S6 Foreman makes this joke:

CAMERON: You know how House feels about people touching his ball. FOREMAN: No. Chase refuses to tell me.

…and it is that much funnier because it's true. After House, Chase is the most likely to play with the ball, with three times. But considering how he is with pens and fidgeting, I bet the true number is higher. Let's call it symbolism!

[doughguts-art]

Okay okay back with more Bandit questions and observations now!!! Hi!!! First off, what's the model of his gun? Literally just curious, really doesn't mean anything unless I feel like drawing it lmao. Secondly, what's his thoughts on the people in power/the guardians + the queen (I'm lumping the Judge into the guardians)? You said he won't work when he can survive well on his own, but does his dislike stretch out to even wishing harm on the guardians? Actually, does he know if a guardian dies, their Zone dies, too? How knowledgeable is he on the world of OFF's lore and how it functions?? Thirdly, does he have any friends I should know about? You drew him interacting with Project Goldfinch/Just Finch to break up the text in my first ask, what's their relationship? Does Bandit scam him to hell and back, or do they just casually chat every now and then? Fourthly, I VERY BRIEFLY checked out Ask Bandit and here are some observations I made: Uno, how come you ship him with Red from Animal Crossing? Is it cuz they both steal and resell?? If so, that's hilarious and I love your sense of humor. Dos, when drawing him with Elsen 7 I did not know Bandit currently resides in Zone Three, because 7 lives in Zone One. This whole time I was under the impression he travels through Zones for some reason lol? I guess that's my curse of having a handful of ECU Elsen that do that themselves lmao. Last but not least, not something Ask Bandit related, just generally speaking, would you like to see any future doodles I make of Bandit, whether he's interacting with my own OCs or otherwise? If not, I totally get it lol. Sorry if this is too many questions btw!! You're free to infiltrate my inbox with silly questions too if you want, just to make it more fair. Thank you! :]

Apologies in advance, I didn't make any new Bandit art for this post so I'm just linking something I drew in April that I don't think I shared to tumblr XD Answer time!

I modeled Bandit's gun after a Glock?? Kinda?? I didn't really reference a specific model, more like loosely inspired. I probably should create a prop-reference for it, but I haven't yet.

Bandit's dislike for authority does not stretch to wanting to take out the guardians. It would be counter-intuitive to his role as a merchant to kill off his customers by killing off the guardians. Bandit cares too much about profit, and although the guardians are annoying, without them he wouldn't have profit.

Bandit is fully aware on how the world of OFF works, it's inner workings, and other meta things.

Bandit will say anyone is his friend, even if they clearly hate him. Louis would be the only one that would truly think of Bandit as a friend (except maybe my elsen-sona, but they're a mary-sue type oc and should probably not be counted if we're talking in-universe/story lol)

As Finch is the protagonist in my game concept, Bandit will be the merchant selling them items. Finch is distrusting of Bandit, but sees him as a necessity in their mission. I do have an idea where Bandit does steal something from Finch to propel the plot, but who knows if that'll stay in the final lol

Bandit x Redd is a joke ship created by @brandy-elsen (tagging the account it was posted on and not your current account because I do not wanna waste a tag on this I am sorry Brandy AHHSGFG). All the credits to her for the comedic genius. I think you guessed right as to why that ship exists tho. I just drew it for that post because it met the "two pieces of fanart" criteria I set.

Bandit travels the zones, your initial assumption was right. He is only in Zone 3 on the askbandit blog because of the story being told on there. He's gotta refill his stock of sugar manually since sugar happens to be one of the things he cannot magically pull from his pack.

I would love to see future doodles you make of Bandit! I like collecting all the fanart I get and posting it (with credits/links) to his gallery on toyhouse.

I'm terrible with asking questions, but I'll keep your offer in mind if I have any in the future! :D

a dapper Bandit in a suit

[multiplicity-positivity]

Hello! We recently had a fusion happen in our system a couple days ago, I think? We haven't really had a fusion happen that's stuck this long before and we have some questions about fusions if you could answer!

When a more permanent fusion happens, what exactly happens to the sysmates that fused together? Are they still around in some way? Would they be considered a subsystem or would that differ from system to system?

How can you tell if you had a fusion happen?

Can fusions happen unintentionally? We didn't expect this to happen and it's a tad jarring for the new sysmate in question

Can fusions be temporary? We know one part of our new sysmate doesn't want to fuse but the other part is fine with it, and their fusion is still iffy on whether or not they want to stay fused.

Thank you for your time!! Your blog is lovely by the way, we hope you have a good day! :]

Hi! We love to talk about and discuss fusion, and we’re happy to answer these questions to the best of our abilities!

To start off, we’ll include a link to this amazing graphic by @ clever-and-unique-name ! It explains both fusion and integration in a way that was easy for our system to understand.

1. It very well could differ from system to system, although we do think that fused headmates remaining separated as a subsystem might be more uncommon! We like the analogy of Neapolitan ice cream - chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ice cream can each exist on their own, but when they’re put together they become something unique and new while still maintaining the qualities of the original flavors! So in most cases of fusion, we think the old headmates definitely still do exist, they just may seem a bit different and are able to function as one!

2. There are many different ways to determine whether or not a fusion has occurred, and this also will vary from system to system! We’re sorry we don’t have a foolproof method for figuring out whether a fusion has happened in your system, but here are a few things you can do to check!

- Regularly take stock of your member count! If you’re missing some members or don’t have as many headmates as you used to, ask around to see if any headmates feel different/like the might have fused.

- In general, try to pay attention to your system layout, structure, and how y’all function. Try to notice if and when certain headmates blend or blur often. This can help y’all be a bit more prepared or able to understand if any of your headmates fuse in the future!

- Keep a dialogue open and help every headmate feel comfortable and safe talking about fusion in your system. Don’t treat fusion like something scary or meant to be avoided at all costs! Fusion is actually quite natural, and being open to discussing it may help your whole system make sense of things if some headmates do end up fusing.

3. For some systems, fusion can indeed happen unintentionally! Our own system has experienced an unintentional fusion, and our host answered an ask where he talked about it a few days ago!

It certainly can be jarring, but we hope that with time, patience, and understanding from your other headmates, the member of your system who fused will be able to acclimate to their new life as a fusion!

4. Fusions can absolutely be temporary! I (Margo) actually used to be fused with Cecil (you may have seen us talk about this experience on the blog - we went by Corrie for a while!), but we split back up a month or two ago. We’re not sure what exactly caused us to split back up, but it might have something to do with me struggling to front outside of work, while Cecil had strong desires to pursue interests outside of our work environment. That’s just speculation, though! We functioned and appeared as one for a few months, but ultimately, it didn’t work out for us.

Our system also blends very often! For us, blending functions like a brief, temporary fusion. Multiple headmates may blend together when they cofront, then unblend at a later point in time. We’re not sure if many other systems function this way, but it’s incredibly common for our own system!

We’re glad you like our blog! Hopefully something here can be helpful for y’all. Of course, we’re just one system, so other folks may have different ideas about fusion or better advice regarding how to notice and better understand fusion from within your own system.

Good luck to y’all with everything, and thanks for reaching out!

[se7ens-oc-heaven]

Jakob! (hopefully that's the correct spelling hdjdhdh)

Ok so did this and a bunch of others literally years ago, but for each one I had a question I'd stall on so then I just. Never actually posted. Any of these.

So I'm fixing that now! Context is this was a character ask prompt - might be the template was thanks to @iolitewyvern ? If so lmk so I can link it properly I lost the original post lmao

As for spelling, it can be! Jake's name spelling denotes if he's in the fantasy au setting or not. Jakob is fantasy, Jacob is not. So I answered these based on fantasy Jake!

(Best image I have, but it's normal Jake and also humanized lmfao. He's like. Sonic furry wolf so ykno. Picrew source)

Who are they?

Full name?  Jakob Alhers

Nicknames? Jake

Gender/pronouns? Male, he/him

Orientation? Demiromantic/arospec, gay

Age/Birthday? About 16, birthday is on a separate calendar than ours but is most likely in the local winter months of his home country.

Fun fact! Zodiac? ^^^^ (would most likely be Capricorn)

What’s their personality?

Major good traits? Cares deeply about others around him, dry sense of humor

Major flaws? Very prideful while also having zero value of self

Goals?  Living up to what is expected of him, as royalty and a deity

Fears? Hurting another with his own actions, losing someone important to him

Optimistic or pessimistic? Pessimistic

Introvert, extrovert, or ambivert? Introvert all the way

Empathetic or un-empathetic? Hmm... he can empathize if he's aware, but he struggles to pick up cues... so maybe that's more sympathetic?

Do they wait and plan or dive right in? Bit of both, he tries to plan but if he's panicked or upset enough he'll lose his cool and charge in

Do they go with the flow or forge their own path? He will not go with the flow. Out of spite even.

Relations to the world?

Who’s their family? His mother Allison, and his father Alher

Where are they from? (Gestures vaguely at northern fantasyland)

Where do they live now? (Gestures to same vague region)

Do they have a job? If so, what is it? Crown prince of his country

How are they with technology? He's in your very basic very generic fantasy au so uh. Not great if he ever saw any lmao

Connections to religion or spirituality? Well his dad is a literal god, does that count?

Powers or magic? He has strong ice magic that grows stronger with age.

Fun fact! Connections to the lore? He is in fact a demigod, son of Winter itself

Favorites?

Favorite season/weather? Summer, hot and sunny days

Favorite place? He hides in his room a lot, so it's hard to say.... Maybe his room lmao

Favorite food? Probably some sort of steak dish? Idk, something I'm not familiar with lol

Favorite clothes/accessories? He's limited for various reasons, but highly values sentimental accessories, such as his family crest brooch or jewelry made for him by Pandora

Favorite animal? He's a furry so this is a loaded question to answer lmao. Might not even be an animal as we know it.

Favorite/most frequently used mode of transportation? I think he prefers to walk places himself...? He doesn't usually travel lol

Favorite holiday? Doubt it'd be one we know of, although he doesn't strike me as big on social events like most holidays are

Hobbies? Sculpting, practicing swordfighting

Favorite thing about themself? He takes a lot of pride in his swordfighting skills, at least for a prince ;)

Relationships?

Best friends? Nerezza

Closest family member? He's close with both parents, but spends more bonding time with his mom overall

Partner/s? Pandora DeSales

Enemies? He considers the murderous Crow an enemy for constantly attacking his loved ones

What organizations/clubs/etc are they in? N/A

Fun fact! What are they like with their best friend or partner? With his partner Pandora, Jakob drops a lot of his composed and distant persona, he can be a bit childish but is also a lot more casual and easy to make laugh. He's also not afraid to play the sly prank or do other shit he knows he can get away with just to mess with him.

With Nerezza he isn't quite as open in the same way, but the two of them bond over being snarky royal spawn with little affinity for their title or the expectations that come with it. The sarcasm in the room tends to increase tenfold if you put these two together.

[fourseasonsfigs]

Masked Prince

Han Ye week continues with this adorable fig! Today's crown prince figurine was inspired by a very cute scene from Episode 8 of The Legend of Anle.

Han Ye wears this green and white robe and holds a mask in this scene below. He and Anle are disguised as commoners, hence the dressed down version of them both:

You'll notice that the mask Han Ye has here is a bunny mask. He's also wearing a pale grey-green over robe.

The fig, however, is holding a fox mask, and is missing the grey-green over robe, wearing only the darker green under robe. His hair is also a much fluffier, messier version that is sporting thick bangs.

This look (minus the fox mask) comes from this subsequent series of scenes a few minutes later in Episode 8, where Han Ye and Anle have messed up their hair and dirtied up their faces and robes to take their commoner disguise one step further to flood victim disguise:

Since him and Anle are in disguise among the flood victims, they are definitely not playing around with beautiful masks.

I am not sure if the fig maker took some creative license (which I'm all for), or if I'm missing a scene. Episode 8 is the only one where he wears this outfit, and he doesn't even wear it for the entire episode, so I can't think of any other scene it could be. That being said, I have only watched this show once, unlike Word of Honor, which I have watched an {undisclosed} number of times.

Regardless, this fig is looking super cute in his little protective box!

He's even cuter out of the box! I really like the Han Ye in disguise look (as well as all his other looks, let's be honest), so I'm really happy to have him.

I like how the fig maker echoed the fox mask in his eyes, as well as picked up the color in his robes in his eyes. It's just a beautiful figure all the way around.

As you might be able to tell by the fact that he's on a stand, this fig absolutely would not stand on his own. He toppled right over backwards no matter what. These days, I don't even bother with fig stickers or museum putty or anything else - if they're even slightly weighted to one side or the other I glue them right down.

He has his hand behind his back here in the classic Wen Kexing elegant young master pose.

This fig doesn't have quite the flowing locks of other figs, but it gets the job done!

You can see he has no guan in his hair, or any ornament at all. This is definitely our prince in disguise, although whether it's his commoner disguise or his flood victim disguise, I don't know.

I really do like the big chunky bangs, it frames his fig face very beautifully.

The mask is quite lovely too - it has the some beautiful leaf and flower motifs.

The costume is spot on for his disguise though - even the loosely tied knot on his left side of his belt.

Here's a close up of the mask. Pretty, isn't it?

You can't really see it from this bottoms-up angle, but he's got the wonderful detail of pants on under his robes.

I always particularly love this little detail!

His unadorned hair here - it's so rare we see this.

I watched the video pretty closely, but I couldn't tell if there was a black fabric band around his ponytail or if it was just his hair wrapped around it. I'm guessing by the look of this it was indeed a fabric band.

Well, we're going to continue our Han Ye week into the weekend! Come back tomorrow to see the next fig celebrating our elegant crown prince.

Material: Resin

Fig Count: 481

Scene Count: 31

Rating: No mask can hide his cuteness!

[link back to Master Fig Index for more posts]

[cadriona]

20 questions for fic writers

tagged by @hua-fei-hua! Thanks for the tag lol

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

46 works! ...yall only see 39 because 7 are anon'd aoeighaoieh

2. what's your total ao3 word count?

537,345 so far!

3. what fandoms do you write for?

Predominantly genshin, although I've also poked at trigun, and naruto lol.

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

*squints*

5 times Ningguang saved Beidou and the 1 time Beidou returned the favour, (Genshin), 1447

A Mora for a Myth in a Land filled with Legends (Genshin), 1146 kudos

[anon'd fic] (Naruto), ~630 kudos

Beidou walks off the gangplank (by accident, really) (Genshin), 454 kudos

Yelan: Spymaster, Gambler, Self-proclaimed matchmaker (Genshin), 384 kudos

5. do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I TRY TO!! haven't been able to recently because brain too tired and it's gotten so long that it uh. might be awkward if i randomly responded now, but i try to!! I love talking with readers and seeing what they think of the fic, and also sometimes it gives me an excuse to infodump worldbuilding or character building lmaooo

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Err, either one of two of the four MCD fics i have?? Two of them have ok, sorta hopeful endings, except two are just me waving a knife and cackling in the background aoieghoaiehga

7. what is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I'm tempted to say *most* have happy endings?? some take a bit to get there, but most should be happy! if they were to duke it out for happiest tho? i have no idea lol

8. do you get hate on fics?

Not really no! Or at least, none that stuck around in my head lmao

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

*points at a few of the anon'd fics* what kind? uhhh, depends??

10. do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one you've written?

Yea! I think I only have two up and one's anon'd because it was from way long ago, only had one chap and i don't want to look at it anymore, so i guess the default prize goes to the genshin x atla one where i yeet four liyue ladies into the elemental nations via reincarnation after teyvat gets murked by celestia and watch things go boom ehehehe... gods i need to actually finish writing that one orz

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

i hope not????

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah! I think there were two translated into Russian?

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

Lol nope, might be interested tho!

14. what's your all-time favorite ship?

BEIGUANG (they've had me by the throat for like, 3 years at this point)

15. what's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

My first fic, aka the anon'd naruto one because i also want to rewrite it and orz (yes it was an si-oc and it recently did a little resurgence in my brain so. Ha. feel free to ask about it because i have so may Thoughts but its uh, its been a while and my writing style has completely changed since)

16. what are your writing strengths?

I'd like to say worldbuilding and fun metaphors/analogies! or maybe action scenes? and if i know the character well enough (*cough*beidou*cough*) then maybe characterization

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

I NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO STOP RAMBLING. brain starts yapping and it doesn't stop, and then i don't know what details to cut because everything starts looking important ahhhhhh (so probably pacing??)

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Depends! full dialogue? probably nah, since it sometimes breaks the flow, but a word here or there because it works better and people presumably know what it means? then yea! Might need to do some translations/linking shenanigans in the AN if i ever end up doing that tho

19. first fandom you wrote for?

Naruto LMFAOOO

20. favorite fic you've written?

I'd like to say mora for a myth, because its been a while since ive had that type of productivity and motivation? but honestly im not that sure lol

tagging: @yuniemaki, @lisascumslut78, @fishareglorious, @mireillexy, @bardigrade if yall feel like it, and anyone else that wants to give it a go :D

[maoisarap]

TRUST; kingdom au

Mao Isara centric oneshot

WARNINGS: ooc!arashi, stabbing

PAIRS: narumao (romantic)

WRITTEN: 1/5/23

REPOSTED: 24/10/24

WORD COUNT: 1k

i swear, i will stop flooding the tags soon... sorry for being annoying as per with every post. (not that this matters to anybody-)

Twigs and dry grass caused the noise of crunching with every other step he took. Hollow howls of the wind echoed past the large and tall trees. The branches of the very trees poked out in every way possible, causing Mao to use his sword to slice the branches in half or to at least move them off to the side for him to walk by on the non-existent pathway he made for himself.

The sun was setting slowly past the set of woods, although he couldn't see it that well due to the forever green leaves that blocked the light from his silhouette.

Mao then comes to a stop as the surrounding lightens from the amount of trees. A small pond with rocks sitting on the edges lay far to the left side of him. On the rocks sat a figure that he knew too well, watching the fish and other critters hold their circus of fun in the winters cold water.

He takes a few steps forward until he is standing beside her.

"They remind me of us, you know." Arashi Narukami mutters. Her focus was still trailing after a few fish that swam by the edges. Her voice sounded empty for a moment.

"How do you mean?" Mao softly asks as he kneels down beside her, his hands rest loosely on his lap.

"They're trapped. Just like how we are in this region of area. The kingdoms we're both from have joined forces thanks to the link they forced on us. We can't really leave this country, even if we tried. Someone would eventually notice if two royal kids went missing. Be it an enemy or a friend."

"Arashi..." He worries for his romantic other half.

A sudden giggle then comes from the taller of the two. The broken mask she let fall was slipped back on tightly. Arashi turns her attention away from the pond and towards her small lover with a smile.

"Enough of that dark talk, hey. I want to know how you're doing, Mao! Tell me... Has anything interesting happened this week? I heard around my castle from a few workers that you weren't able to leave your own."

Mao Isara doesn't miss the detail of one corner of Arashi's smile twitching with force.

He takes a low and sharp breath. "Yeah..." The beaujolais-haired prince bows his head for a second, along with switching his sitting position so he was now sitting on his backside, his knees against his chest with his arms wrapping around them.

He then leans his chin on his knees, thinking over the already past memories of what happened not all that long ago. "So much went on in that week. A flu went around the family and most of the workers. Then, three days later, an adult guy during the night attempted at sneaking into the castle... from what I overheard, he wanted to kill my father for whatever reason..." he trails off.

Silence falls between the young royal couple for a while. The only noises to be heard were still of the wind, with a few woodland creatures doing their own chores as the leaves of the plantation danced along through the late evening.

Arashi slides off the rock she is sitting on and decides to situate herself next to Mao down onto the grass. Their shoulders practically touching as she leans her head against his shoulder (it was a bit awkward to attempt due to their height differences, Arashi realises, but she didn't really care in that moment).

Arashi then brings her right hand forward, reaching for one of Mao's own. Her grip was tight, but it didn't hurt him once their hands intertwined.

"Mao, do you trust me? Be honest." Her question was sudden for the beaujolais-haired prince, causing a noise of surprise to emit from the bottom of his throat.

"Where's that coming from? Of course I trust you! I love you!"

Arashi sits properly back up, leaning her head away from his shoulder and inches forward to Mao's face. Her breath caresses his fair skin with warmth as Arashi then kisses him on the lips, surprising him for a moment as he soon melts into the feeling.

Arashi detached her hand away from Mao's own and placed it on his upper front. With some strength, Arashi pushes Mao slowly until his back hits the half-soft ground and pulls away from their moment latched to one another.

"Arashi...!" Mao calls out suddenly in pain. A cough emits from deep in his throat as the pain burns around his stomach area. He tries moving his head, seeing that Arashi had stabbed him deep into his front in the stomach area with a sword.

(When did Arashi Narukami get a sword? Was it his own? He couldn't check behind himself to confirm it... nor feel anything on his back.)

The smile she wore before turned morbid over time.

A hush noise emits from Arashi as she places a finger against Mao's lips, letting the action fall through proof of what she was trying to say.

"I'm glad you do. Trusting me, I mean, and... I love you too. I love you more than you realise..." She acknowledges, her figure practically leaning over Mao's own like a cat to a mouse would. The shades of heliotrope eyes darkened ten times of its original colour. Manic silhouettes shook from behind the panes of the aforementioned heliotrope sight.

"Why did you just-"

"Didn't you hear me before? We're trapped here in this damned country. I was thinking of dying here by myself tonight, but I love you so much... I didn't want to leave you behind. Which is why I sent you that letter to meet me here."

A hiss leaves between Mao's clenched teeth, his eyes scrunching shut very tightly from the horrible pain as Arashi moves the sword further into his guts. He reaches a shaking hand up to the blade that Arashi still has a holding over and hopes to get it out of her grip.

"Don't resist it," she whispers towards Mao, her words sounded soothing to his ears even if she was being crazy right there. "Let it take you. You said you wanted to leave this place a while ago, too. I remember that talk so clearly in my mind. So please..."

"...Succumb to your fall, and I shall join you. Freedom is just on the other side waiting for us. We can be together. Forever... my love~"

[heniareth]

What is the most important platonic relationship (s) your ocs have?

Oho! This is an interesting question.

For Ilanlas, it's Tamlen. Who is gone. Ilanlas was a bit of a bully during his early teenage years, to the point where he ended up with no friends and nobody who wanted to take him on as an apprentice at age 14 (and realized how far he had dug himself into a hole). Tamlen's father took pity on him (a bitter pill for Ilanlas to swallow), but Tamlen was the one who really got through to Ilanlas, who learned what made him angry and who kept him company even when he was angry and insufferable. So yeah. Tamlen.

After Tamlen is dead... I don't know. Velanna is a strong contender. She's his cousin and very similar to him. They get each other. (For purposes of this, I won't be counting Astala, bc of course she's best buds with everybody XD XD XD She's got one of those personalities)

For Khêd, it's Rica. No shade of a doubt, although Leske is as close a second option as it gets. She raised him, quite literally, and he'd do anything to give her an easier life than the one she has now. He hates Beraht for what he puts Rica through, will probably strongly dislike Bhelen for taking advantage of his sister, is wary even of Leske because he keeps making those comments (yeah, yeah, Leske's just joking around. Thay means shit in Dust Town). The only reason he's somewhat got his shit together is Rica.

During the Blight, I think he would get along quite well with Zevran after the whole "killing you" business is done with. Zevran's got a lovely sense of humor and has similar expectations to Khêd regarding friendships and life in general. One day they're both gonna be walking and talking and suddenly realise "oh shit, are we friends???"

For Sulri, it's... complicated (which mostly means I'm still developing her character XD XD XD). Before Origins, Gorim was obviously hugely important for her: he was with her at all times, and he also translated for her when she was dealing with somebody who didn't know sign language. He was also the only person she could trust; dwarven politics are, after all, renowned for their ruthlessness.

During Origins, Khêd occupies Gorim's position as a translator, but it's not the same. He's not willing to bend to her will, and Sulri (rightly) doesn't feel like she can fully trust him. I think the one she trusts the quickest is Alistair, although for the wrong reason: I think she'd think he's naive, and therefore harmless. But the person she ends up agreeing most with when tough choices come around is Morrigan; whether they like each other is another question.

As for Astala... it's really difficult. She has her father, her cousins, her friends, then the companions and each of them are very important to her. If we're talking about narrative importance though, it's her dead mother. Adaia Tabris is at the back of her mind quite often; most things Astala does or thinks or feels lead back to her mother's death at some point. She sees herself as a mirror of both her parents, inseparately linked to her mother through their shared skill in fighting, and expects that skill will kill her sooner or later just like it killed her mother (in her eyes. The truth is much more complex). The reveal about how the archdemon dies just seems to be a confirmation of that fact.

But during the Blight, her most imoortant platonic relationship is Alistair, I think. He's effectively her second in command, and she leans on him for support even though he settled her with the burden of leadership. Without him, she wouldn't have made it through that year

Thank you very much for this ask, this was fun to think about!! Especially for Khêd and Sulri, who I don't know so well yet XD XD XD Am progressively getting to know them better. Hope you're having a lovely day!

[eowyntheavenger]

15 Questions 15 Mutuals

I was tagged by @valasania-the-pale, thanks so much for tagging me! :)

Rules: answer the questions and tag fifteen mutuals

1. Are you named after anyone?

Not my first name, but my middle name belongs to one of my mom's best friends, who I love :)

2. When was the last time you cried?

Hmm... I recently teared up while rereading The Silmarilion, does that count?

3. Do you have kids?

No, and it's not something I see for myself.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Sometimes, but I prefer to just outright criticize things rather than being sarcastic.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

I notice how they treat me and others around them.

6. What's your eye colour?

Blue.

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings! Although this frames it as a choice between two things that are not really opposites, so... I also happen to love tragedies.

8. Any special talents?

Depends on whether I'm actually talented, but I think I'm a good writer, and I also have some skill with drawing/painting, although I don't do it often enough these days.

9. Where were you born?

In the Pacific Northwest.

10. What are your hobbies?

Reading, writing, drawing/painting, photography, hiking, and martial arts.

I'm currently reading two books: one about the Coastwatchers in Solomon Islands during World War II, and the other about the Guadalcanal and Bougainville campaigns... also WWII.

I'm also currently working on some writing projects, namely the one giant writing project that has consumed the past three years of my life, although I've been taking a long-ish break for the holiday period (I've been too busy).

I'm also working on my first digital artwork, which has taken a few years at this point... partly because it keeps getting bigger and bigger! Ack!

There are a lot of things I'd like to learn how to do or do more of, like scuba diving, archery, and getting a pilot's license (but I need to save up money for that).

11. Any pets?

Two cats that I love very much. One of them is a tortoiseshell named Minou (there are pictures of her in the link). She is tiny! She is only 6 pounds. She doesn't really know how to meow, so when she wants food or attention she will gently and politely tap me with her paw (it is SO cute).

The other one is an orange cat with white socks named Percy, which is short for Persimmon. She is a troublemaker, and will steal ANYTHING from the kitchen. I once saw her running out of the room with a very long udon noodle trailing from her mouth. She is very cuddly and likes to spend all of her time on my lap, purring. Otherwise she's dashing madly around the house.

I also have a Juniper bonsai, which I think counts as a pet. I have had him for about three years.

12. What sports do you play/have played?

I played soccer as a child, and loved it. I played basketball for one season and it was not for me - neither was cross country. I started doing Muay Thai and boxing when I was 17 and I liked that a hell of a lot better. Then I started doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo in college. Nothing makes me happier than getting to do MMA multiple times per week, and I only wish that I could train regularly right now! I don't live close enough to the school I want to go to - but once I find a new apartment I'll be able to. I also enjoy weightlifting.

13. How tall are you?

5′4″... I would like to be taller, but this IS average height for a woman in the United States (where I live), which is what I remind people who tell me I'm short!

14. Favorite subject in school?

History, to be sure, which was my major. I also enjoyed Philosophy, Russian Literature and my language classes - over the years I took Latin, Japanese, German and Russian. Unfortunately my language skills are a bit rusty now, but I don't regret the time I spent studying them. :) I would like to learn some of the languages of the Pacific Islands - there are certainly a lot to choose from.

15. Dream job?

The one I have now, basically! Although I would like to live in the South Pacific one day. I work for a research institute and my field of study is the Pacific Islands. I love what I do, I get to travel, my coworkers respect me - I'm literally so happy! It's a big relief, because I was not happy at my previous job, and it's hard to find jobs in my field, at least where I live now.

Tagging friends: @softlypause, @wishiwould, @jtulipe, @lonelysocksclub, @orestes-hungry-and-pylades-sober, @frodo-baggins, @princeofnerds, @carinatae, @cosmologicalhedgehogephemera, @igotofetchthesun, @tuulikki, @belljarsandrabbitholes, @warrioreowynofrohan, @daegred-winsterhand, @katbatmagat, @softpyrate, @lie-where-i-land, @speckled-jim, @orangechickenpillow, @potatoobsessed999, @armenelols, @actuallyfingolfin, @backgroundelf, @stillcantgetoverthesilmarillion, @rhymes-with-sky, @kookyburrowing, @novemberblueskyink, @legolasbadass, @playingjax, @calliopechild, @randomphases Okay sorry I tagged a lot of people. No pressure to do it though! And anyone else can join in :)

[sapphos-corner]

As the Seasons Pass ch. 3 "Late August" ☆ A Sapphic Fiction Story

Notes: If you're just now joining, check out the first parts! Links are in my pinned post.

Warnings: Regardless of what's in this chapter, this story as a whole is not intended for minors. Do not interact with this if you're not 18+

Word count: 3.3K

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"I think everyone is already here, just shoot me a text if you get anxious and want to step away or something."

I reply to this with a smile and a love tap on her arm. Our eyes lock and we exchange smiles as she reaches for the doorknob. The hallway is dark but i can see purple lighting peaking around the corner.

"Hey guys!" Val exclaims

"Hey!" We all exchange smiles, except Polly for some reason.

Serena, Annie and Polly are squished together on the couch. Jolene is leaning back in a massive bean bag with Belle between her legs. She's playing with Belle's hair and a surge of warmth cycles through my chest. Seeing affection like this makes me blush even when it has nothing to do with me. What a sap I am.

"Where's Bridget and Jenna?" Val asks, looking towards Belle and Jolene.

"Oh, Bridge is just in the kitchen. Not sure where Jenna is, actually, you know how she is about flaking, though."

"Yeah, classic." She turns towards me. "Wanna come to the kitchen with me to say hi?"

"Yeah, of course!"

She grabs my hand and I follow behind her. When we reach the kitchen she doesn't drop my hand. She pulls me to her side and squeezes my hand before releasing her grasp.

Bridget is in the fridge, a pile of snacks sits on the counter to the right. The fridge is decked out with colorful magnets and pictures.

"Bridge!" Val says erratically, trying to scare her. Bridget jumps a little and hits her head on the top door.

"Oh shit" Val speeds over. "You okay? My bad dude, I did not think that one through, sorry"

"You're all good, ahhh I'm so happy to see you, we missed you last week!" She pulls Valerie in for a hug. Her eyes drift to me.

"Oh my gosh, hey! Genie, right? I'm happy to see you, come here!"

She pulls me into a group hug. Her perfume is strong, but very pleasant and imbued with vanilla.

"Welcome welcome, if you need anything from the kitchen, just help yourself, if you need the bathroom it's gonna be to the left of the front door. It's so good to see you again, I love your outfit you look so cutie."

"Thank you so much oh my gosh, I love yours too, orange suits you so well, you look adorable! Do you need help bringing anything out?"

"Yeah actually, would you mind grabbing these drinks, and Valerie could you run to my room and grab the smoke supplies?"

Valerie nods and turns towards the hallway. I pick up the twenty-four pack of Mike's hard lemonade and follow Bridget back to the living room. I pick a seat on the floor next to the coffee table and take a moment to observe the group. Jolene is still running her fingers through Belles hair, although it has more of an absent-minded feel to it than before. Belle's head is laying on Jolene's left thigh, her upturned eyes relaxed and slightly closed. Jolene's cheeks are painted with a slight blush and her tender eyes are fixed on Belle.

"How long have you two been together?"

Belle picks up her head "Three years." She says this proudly, looking back at Jolene and reaching for her hand.

"That's so awesome, you guys make a perfect couple."

The pair blush and shrug in unison. Valerie emerges from the hallway. She walks over to the coffee table, she carefully sets down everything in her hands and sits next to me. I notice Polly take a massive swig of her drink, once again staring daggers at me just like she did the night of the show.

"Genie, do you want a drink?" Bridget grabs a bottle from the pack and hands it towards me. "You like black cherry?"

"It's my favorite! So, I know all of you have been friends since high school, but what brought all of you together?"

"In our senior year we all signed up for art club. Kind of silly and most of us thought it would be kind of a blowoff thing, but yeah somehow we all ended up taking it really seriously and kind of thriving as a group. I think the thing that really brought us together though was this massive papier-mache project we did for a district competition." Jolene scans the room with a heartfelt expression after giving her response.

"That's so awesome, what'd y'all make?"

"It was a big ass, medieval-type dragon. It was Val's idea, actually."

I look over to Val to see her blushing a bit with a sort of embarrassed look on her face.

"I was going through a sort of intense dragon phase."

Polly, who's polishing off her third bottle snaps. "Oh my god, Valerie. Seriously. Get over yourself. We all liked the idea, everyone liked the idea. You don't have to turn every compliment into a reason to act more insecure than you really are. Jesus christ."

"Bitter. You're cut off." Bridget says, snatching the new bottle from Polly's hand.

"Whatever, you're just mad cause I'm not humoring her infront of her new..girlfriend or whoever the fuck this is."

"We're-- not even dating." Valerie awkwardly blurts out, looking over to me and mouthing "sorry"

"Whatever dude, it's written all over your face and honestly, I pity this random ass girl for whatever you're about to put her through."

"Jesus fucking christ. Genie, just ignore her."

"Yeah, they're obviously just friends." Belle interjects, I see Val scrunch her face as this sentence comes out.

"Yeah, seriously Genie, she's full of shit, no one is assuming anything." Annie speaks up. The rest of the group follows suit and starts reiterating different variations of this sentiment.

Val's face is bright red and she puts her head down, pursing her lips together. She inhales sharply, rolling her eyes as her face comes back up.

"Yeah, so if it hasn't been made abundantly clear, Polly and I dated for like, three months in high school and she's so terminally unpleasant that she hasn't found anyone else to fill the obviously massive void that I left her with, apparently."

"You. are. such. a. bitch. I'm getting an uber now."

"Yeah, that's probably a good move Polly. Maybe wait outside while you're at it. You're really killing the vibe." Jolene responds.

Polly proceeds to make the most dramatic exit I've ever witnessed. Slamming the door and screaming at the top of her lungs once she's outside.

I break the silence with the first thing that pops into my mind. "Been...there.....amiright?"

Thankfully, this earns a slight chuckle from the rest of the group. "Jeez, anywho, what's everyone's favorite flavor from the pack?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The remainder of the night was really chill. I learned a lot about everyone, and more than i expected to about Val. It was really sweet. Her friends dug up pictures from high school and gushed over her. She's apparently always had a mediator-type of role in the group. They got into the Polly situation a bit, and I guess officiated the 'boycott Polly movement,' which has apparently been a major topic for a while.

Val puts her hand over mine "You ready to head out?"

I nod in response and we exchange goodbyes with the group. I make sure to get everyone's socials and we head out. When we get settled in the car she turns to me with teary eyes.

"I am so sorry, that was not cool and you shouldn't have had to be put in that position. That was so fucked up and I am so embarrassed and guilty that you had to see that."

"Dude, Valerie, I'm not even thinking about it. She just has her own problems, I get that. It's not a reflection of you or anyone else. I had such a good time that it didn't even matter. Don't make yourself feel bad over something you didn't even do."

She leans forward and pulls me into a tight hug. "I'm really happy we met." She mumbles into my shoulder and squeezes me tighter.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class starts today. Val and I have a lunch date planned, which I'm really looking forward to. As I'm getting into my car my phone buzzes. It's Sabrina.

Sabrina <3: Heeeeey, do u wanna meet for lunch today?? I feel like it's been forever since I've seen u!!! I'm yearning fr, miss u lovi.

Genie: RAH, I wish, I have lunch plans today, but maybe sometime later this week? Send me ur schedule.

Read. No response.

I click 'edit contact' and remove the little heart that's decorated her name for the last year now. It doesn't feel the way it used to. Healing era? I can only hope.

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I open the door to the cafe down the street from campus. I spot Valerie by the window. Her chin is resting in the palm of her hand. Her eyes are aimed towards the window unfocused.

I take this opportunity to order for both of us. I take the seat across from her and she snaps her head forward.

"Heeeey" She says, starting to pop up from her seat.

"I already ordered."

"You know my order?"

"Of course i know your order. You're joking, right?"

Her cheeks grow pink "Thanks, what was the total? I'll zelle you half."

"Ohemgee, not even. My treat."

"Are you sure?"

"Duh. How has your first day been?"

"Lack luster. I have the 'most of my friends just left town again and i am writhing in pain at their absence' blues."

"Ah, yes. Very familiar feeling. Do you wanna hang out tonight? We can watch a comfort movie or something? Get your mind off it."

She smiles softly. A bit of pain still evident in her eyes. "That would be awesome." Our eye contact is broken by a loud knocking at the window beside us. It's Sabrina. She throws her hands up and flails her hands outward. Her eyebrows are furrowed. "What the fuck?" She speeds to the door and makes her way over to us.

"I thought you said you had plans?!"

"These are,,,in fact the plans that I was referring to. What are you confused about?"

"This is our place? What the fuck?"

"Sabrina, this is...not a good look. It's a coffee shop down the street from campus. It's everyone's place. You can join us?" I gesture to the seat next to me.

She grins and takes the seat. The order I put in for Val and I gets called.

"I'll go uh..go grab that." She quickly heads over to the front.

"Wow Gene. I can't believe you didn't order for me."

"Dude, Sabrina, what's up with you?"

"Don't be dense."

"Note taken."

"Well, I guess I'm just gonna go order for myself then."

"That is..what most people in your situation would do, so, yeah, I support that decision."

"What the fuck do you mean 'situation.'?"

"What I mean is that you just made an ass of yourself for no reason, so you should try to be, like, normal or something."

She inhales deeply and pushes herself up from her seat.

Valerie sits back down with wide eyes.

"I get what you were talking about with the vibes now, cause what the fuck was that?"

"Dude I know. So you think she likes me?" I can't control the grin that forms on my face as the last part comes out.

Her eyebrows straighten out and she slow blinks. "Yeah."

I giggle involuntarily and my gaze shifts to Sabrina at checkout.

"I love her style."

"Right."

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The remainder of lunch has a weird vibe to it. Valerie scrunches her face like she's smelled something rotten everytime Sabrina speaks. Occasionally glancing at me with one eyebrow raised.

"Well, I've gotta run. Happy we cleared up that misunderstanding and Valerie, it was sooooooo nice to see you again. You should come around more." She leans over and hugs me, which earns an 'eyebrows pushed together' frown from Valerie. As soon as she's out of the cafe Valerie starts

"You've gotta be joking. Dude, she is the worst. What the fuck was that? She freaks out on you for having plans and after you invited her to sit she just talks about her shitty boyfriend the whole time? And you fan her ego in response? Dude."

"Yeah, I need, like, help or something. Like, I totally see how stupid the entire situation is at this point, but i dont know dude. There's a little thought in the back of my mind that all of this will be temporary and she'll come to her senses. She wasn't like that before she met him, ya know? I think the relationship has made her more insecure and I'm just trying to be supportive of her. She's still my best friend, ya know?"

"I guess. Kinda seems like your kindness and patience is getting taken advantage of though. Like, you're not a backup plan or a safety net and i think it really sucks that you're putting yourself in that role in the name of love."

"Yeah, you uh, you got me there."

"I'm not trying to be a dick or anything, I just don't think it's good that you're holding on to someone that's basically hiding you."

"Yeah."

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I run to the door before the first knock sequence finishes. I'm so excited to see Valerie, especially after lunch. I made some cheesy bread and beef stew to makeup for the soiled experience.

I whip the door open and I can feel a massive, stupid smile on my face as our eyes meet.

Her eyes are puffy and her face is red. My smile fades instantly and I pull her through the doorway gently by her shirt.

"Hey hey hey, what's wrong?" I pull her into a hug and rub her back and she releases a couple of muffled cries into my shoulder.

She sniffles and wipes her nose with the sleeve of her sweater after pulling away.

"I dunno dude, the sads are just hitting me right now, I'm sorry."

"Nonono don't apologize. The start of the semester is always hard. Are you hungry? Do you wanna talk about it? Do you wanna smoke? What do you wanna do?"

Her lips hold the posture of a smile frown and her eyes shrink as she puts her head in her hands. She breathes in sharply and shakes her hands as she exhales.

"Damn, I am..losing my shit? So weird, sorry for that. It's totally okay, but yeah, anyways, I am hungry."

I speed walk to the stovetop and make her a bowl. I place it in the spot she normally sits at and return to make myself a bowl.

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"What'd'you wanna watch?"

"Hmmmm, honestly my mind is pretty blank right now. Play your go-to comfort movie."

"Okay." I scroll through hulu until I find my target. I click it on and we sink into the couch cushions. For a reason that I can't quite put my finger on, I put my hand over hers.

She squeezes my hand in return. In the corner of my eye i spot a tear roll down her cheek.

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My vision is hazy as my eyelids lift. The end credits roll up the screen and i look over at Val. Her face is relaxed and her head is tilted back slightly. Our fingers are still interlocked and a warm feeling bubbles up in my chest.

I carefully remove my hand from hers. I switch the TV off and head over to the kitchen for clean up. I flick the lightswitch and sit next to Val.

In a light whisper, "Val, Val. Your neck is gonna hurt tomorrow if you stay in that position." She snaps awake.

"Hey, I'm so sorry oh my god. I can head out now."

"You don't have to. You can definitely stay over. When's your first class tomorrow?"

"I don't have class tomorrow."

"Perfect. You can borrow some of my pajamas, and i have, like, a shit ton of extra toothbrushes. You can totally stay here. I just didn't want you to wake up with a cramp in your neck or something."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

I head to my room and lay out my comfiest pajamas for her and i grab a toothbrush from the bottom drawer in my bathroom. While I'm there, i brush my teeth and wash my face. I set out a washcloth for Valerie so she can wash her face too.

She emerges from my room as i emerge from the bathroom. I don't know what possessed me to say this but I blurted it out without a second thought.

"You look cute in my clothes."

She stops in her tracks with widened eyes.

"Th-thanks? Maybe it's just your clothes that are cute."

"Nope, pretty sure it's you."

"Are you flirting with me?"

"I..don't think so? Does it sound like I'm flirting with you?"

"Nah, no, not at all." She says, waving away the conversation. We rush past each other. As soon as i close my closet door my jaw drops. What the hell was that? Jesus christ. I get changed with a quickness and slip into bed. She comes in a few moments later and lays next to me.

"Thanks for, like, dealing with me right now. I know I was kind of a buzzkill today."

"Oh my god Valerie. No you weren't. Like, at all. Honestly I've been sad too, so i think we are matching moods right now. I'm happy we have each other."

"really?"

"Of course."

"You weren't offended by what i said about Sabrina earlier, were you?"

"No, not really. I get where you're coming from and as much as i absolutely hate to say it, I don't disagree with you."

"Good. I was kind of worried that i overstepped there."

"Not even, you're just looking out for me."

She smiles at the ceiling and turns towards me.

"Do you have class tomorrow?"

"Not until the afternoon, why?"

"I can like, make us breakfast, since you made dinner."

"That would be so awesome."

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The scent of sandalwood is present when i wake up. There's hair in my face. Valerie is in front of me and i have my arm looped around her waist. One of her hands is on top of mine, the other is holding her phone as she scrolls through her dash. My dog, gumball is curled up in the knook between her stomach and legs.

"Shit, sorry." I utter, quickly distancing myself

"Don't be. It was..nice. I think I needed that."

"Me too."

"So, are you hungry?"

"A little, how long have you been awake?"

"Like, twenty-ish minutes." She sits up and stretches her arms out. She balls up her fists and rubs her eyes.

"is your dad here?"

"No, I don't think so."

She nods and scoots to the edge of the bed, swinging her legs to the ground.

"You like omelettes?"

"Yeah."

"Dope."

I follow her out to the kitchen and watch her set up shop. She grabs eggs, salami, mozzarella, spinach, and a tomato.

"Is it okay if I use these?"

"Yeah of course. Help yourself."

She chops the meat and veggies and grates the cheese. I notice her separate the yolks and start on the omelettes. She serves mine first and puts hers to the side. She makes another one, only with yolks and cheese this time. I see her grab a paper plate from the cabinet and chop the omelette into tiny pieces.

She makes a couple of mouth clicks "Gumball" click click click.

Gumball runs out of my room and Valerie puts the plate down for her. She puts the ingredients up and the dishes in the sink and sits down next to me with her plate.

"This is, really good Val. Like masterchef level. Also thank you for making Gumball one, that's really sweet."

She smiles and nods. "I'm happy you like it."