#and i all the time want to ignore the important stuff
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Liminal Jason part 6
This part feels like a lot of exposition. My bad, but the Batfam does not know how Danny and his life works.
You can find the earlier parts on my masterpost
“And in this scenario, you three count as dead?” Red asked, hoping to get some clarity on this, quite frankly, annoyingly impossible scenario playing out in front of him. Because as much as he can see that they clearly have a way to communicate that is beyond him and knows that they have all died, his brain does not seem to want to compute this information into other conclusions. A glance from Tim to Bruce shows that while he may not be struggling as much with the logistics of this situation, he is still struggling.
That may be because of all the children in front of him that- regardless of current status- all did die at some point.
“Sort of,” Danny shrugs. “What you have to understand is there are a lot of different kinds of beings from what you would consider the land of the dead, which I call the Ghost Zone, and is more formally known as the Infinite Realms. There is a lot of diversity, and It would be a real sit-down kind of lesson to try and explain them all to you guys. The important bit for right now is that the three of us,” Danny gestures to Red Hood, then himself, then to Robin,”are three different beings, as related to the Infinite Realms, and I am the only one that technically counts as dead.”
Danny is very good at ignoring the side glances being thrown around. “But Ghost Speak can be spoken by any denizen of the Infinite Realms, who falls under any of it’s categories or rulers.”
“Rulers?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Danny does another hand waving motion. “You know, Hades and Pluto, Lucifer and the Devil, the Ghost King, and other various religions and beliefs rulers. It's all very monarchist. The Infinite Realms are all technically under the control of the Ghost King, but the Infinite Realms are infinite and that’s a lot for one person to control. So various religious leaders all make up what is essentially Dukes and Lords and Barons and other random titles, and they all control their little Realms and make up what could be considered a council or a parliament or Congress or what-have-you that is technically under the rule of the Ghost King. But the Ghost King really only takes care of the really big stuff most of the time. Unless there’s a tyrant on the throne, like with Pariah Dark. He was a terrible ruler, very controlling.”
Danny was rambling. He was aware of this, but the others seemed too shell-shocked to be able to stop him, and he has never really been able to talk about this with anyone so now that he is he doesn’t think he can stop himself either.
“He’s not on the throne anymore, luckily. Technically the right to the throne is transferred through single-combat, very old-fashioned. No one could beat Pariah Dark so they locked him in the Coffin of Forever Sleep for a really long time instead. I don’t think the Infinite Realms really need a King all that much, they got by just fine for millenia without one. But now we’re getting into politics. Unimportant. Death Speak, language of the Infinite Realms, totally natural, not at all bad.”
Danny forces himself to take a very long, slow breath. By the time he is done, the others seem at least semi-recovered.
“If it’s all the same to you, I think I would like that sit-down lesson at some point.” Red mutters, fingers twitching as he pulls out his tablet to start writing down this information. Bruce grunts in agreement.
“If it's all the same to you,” Hood snaps, “I would like to get out of this cell now.”
“If we let you out, will you stay until we have the results from all of the tests?” Bruce asked. “They’re currently running so it won’t take long.”
“Why the hell do we need to stay for that? You-”
“Did you take my blood?” Danny interrupted, seeming very concerned.
“It was a precaution, we had to test it. We took some of Hood’s too.” Red tried to explain. It didn’t seem to be helping, Danny’s breathing was getting kind of fast. “The tests are running now, just to look for influences of mind control or magic. And to test for dimensional distortions and integrity, if you were telling the truth about being from a different dimension. And to see if you have an alternate in this dimension that we need to be concerned about you running into.”
“I don’t really care -well, yes I do, breach of privacy, and consent, and-” Danny took a deep breath. “That is not my main concern at the moment. You were safe when handling my blood, right? You used gloves and it didn’t get on you or anything? I don’t know where we are and what you people are like, but just tell me you were safe around my blood.”
The real concern and fear in Danny was starting to get everyone else.
“Don’t worry, we are very safe here. We all have training and we know and use lab and medical safety procedures.” Damian spoke softly, aiming to calm.
“What is wrong with your blood, Danny?” Hood’s concern for him came out in underling Ghost Speak, and between him and Damian, Danny was able to calm some.
“It may be… not radioactive. Not contagious either.” Danny’s voice trailed to muttering for a moment as he figured out how to word what he said next. “My blood has a contaminant in it. Just don’t let it touch you, and definitely don’t let it get inside you somehow. It can also be dangerous if you have prolonged exposure, so make sure to get rid of any samples as soon as possible after the test and keep it away from other samples. And for the love of everything that is holy, try to keep it away from anything that will ever be ingested. Keep it away from food!”
“It can contaminate other samples?”
“It can contaminate anything given enough time, technology included. But it spreads way more easily when it’s cold for some reason, so really anything put in a fridge with it should be tossed immediately.”
“You said it’s not contagious?” There was concern in even Red’s voice now.
“You’re not ill are you?” Damian eyes Danny warily.
“I’m fine, It’s part of me being what I am. Just,” Danny sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before cupping the back of his neck with both hands and looking towards the ceiling. “Think of it like a transforming agent. I’ve already been exposed, my DNA is altered, the harm is already done. My body actually needs that substance to survive now. Hood and… I’m sorry I don’t know what to call you.” Danny swung his hands back down to his sides as he glanced at Robin.
“Robin.” Damian stated bluntly.
Danny nodded and continued. “Hood and Robin have already been exposed so they’re fine for low to medium amounts of exposure. You two,” Danny pointed a finger at Red and then Batman, “Have not been exposed and therefore should avoid it as much as possible. Even a little bit can cause lifelong effects.”
#dpxdc#dcxdp#danny phantom#batman#red hood#jason todd#fanfiction#my writing#red robin#robin#liminal!jason#liminal!Damian#red robin is ready to attend the Ghost lecture#his thirst for knowledge has been activated#bruce is concerned and confused
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A word from Rella concerning AI, binding and selling fics, and Book 3 of Rávamë's Bane
Hey folks,
I’m treating this post as a bit of a blanket PSA for all those who read my work and follow me here, but I’ll also be copying the message over to AO3 once Book 3 of Rávamë's Bane goes up. Before anyone gets spooked, all is well, I am well, and I’m still happily working on the first 5 chapters of Amabilis Insania. However there are a few glaring subjects that have sprung up in the fandom space that I can’t really ignore. The fanfic community as a whole has changed a lot in the past decade I've been part of it, and given some of the unpleasant stuff I’ve seen going on in just the past year, I wanted to cover some housekeeping points ahead of posting the next RB book.
1.) Please don’t ever bind and sell fanfics. Profiting from fanfiction in any way is completely illegal, and puts the entire community at risk. I’m lucky enough that I’m a relatively small fish in the fanfic pond, so no one has sold bound copies of my story specifically (that I know of). However, I know several folks who have had their work bound and sold without their knowledge, and have had to take their fics down completely to stop it happening (which royally sucks). If you see any fanfics being sold on sites like Etsy, please do report them — they are absolutely not supposed to be there. And if you want a bound copy of a fic for personal use, I'd really encourage you to learn to bind them yourself. There's a tonne of tutorials out there, it’s pretty fun and easy to learn (I picked it up in a couple of weeks) and it doesn’t take as many materials as you’d imagine. Side note: I have made typesets of LM and CM for myself and friends, but honestly, I’m reluctant to share them publicly now given all the above. That said, if you really want a copy of LM or CM for personal use only, you can message me directly on Tumblr and I can maybe look into making a watermarked version to share on request.
2.) In light of the recent news that AO3 was scraped to create a generative AI dataset, I’ve decided I’ll only be posting the final RB book to AO3 from now on. On top of that, all my fics will be restricted to users with AO3 accounts only. I really don’t want to do this as it cuts off guest users from enjoying the story too, but for now it’s the only way to protect my work from being scrapped again. I don’t believe this will be a one-time occurrence given how carelessly AI is being used right now, and I feel very strongly that no one’s work should be used in model training without their consent.
The vast majority of you in my comments, asks and kudos are genuinely wonderful, and I’m so damned grateful that you aren’t a part of the issues above. However, with all that in mind, let me be absolutely clear just for the public record…
!!TRLD: This Is The Important Bit!! You do not, and will never have my consent to: - use any of my writing in generative AI (this includes making AI-generated fanworks, or scraping my fics for training AI models) - bind and sell any of my fanfics (profiting from fanfiction is completely illegal, and puts it at risk for us all) - profit in any way from any of my work that I have publicly shared online (this includes putting my fics on recommendation lists behind paywalls, or selling my fics in the form of typesets or bound copies)
If you do any variation of the above despite knowing the risk it poses to the entire fanfic community, I respectfully hope you spend the rest of your life in clothes that smell damp no matter how much you run them through the dryer.
To the rest of you; a genuine thank you for making the community what it is. And thank you for making the RB comments section specifically such a joyful place to be.
I promise my next post/update will be less grim.
Until then,
Rella x
#rella loves her readers#mine#fanfic#ai#selling fanfics#i really wish I didn't have to post this#ravame's bane trilogy#ravamë's bane#lapsus memoriae#compos mentis#amabilis insania
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I've been in a mood recently :)



last one was inspired by an idea that @chaospears and I have been throwing at each other all day, in which sonic takes arrow out to vandalize stuff :D
#foserdoodles#sonic the hedgehog#sonic au#shadow the hedgehog#sonic the hedgehog au#the gem twins#charoite the darkhog#variscite the hedgehog#sonadow fankid#sonadow fanchild#sonadow au#sonadow#the parents are bonding with their kids :)#arrow has some problems but sonic is there to deal with it#hes fine#aries got her dada's glare :>#sometimes i just want to draw fluff#and some other times i like to draw some cool stuff#and i all the time want to ignore the important stuff#like dinner#anyway#the next post is literally what took up my day ahkadasjk
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#I needed to get this silly little guy out there#I feel like so many people lately have been worried about numbers#or content engagement#and it's not any fault of theirs but it's due to how social media has conditioned us to think#that our worth is based on how many likes/follows/comments/views we get#and i know we all work hard on the things we create#and we just want someone to show appreciation for our stuff#BUT AT THE SAME TIME#we need to remember what's really important#which is that we are HAVING FUN#and MAKING SILLY THINGS LIKE THIS#sometimes I take a break from creating my serious stuff#and just make stupid creations like this#because it makes me laugh and it reminds me of why i have so much fun creating#and if that doesn't work#then that's a reminder that we need to step back and take a break#i took a walk today and it was lovely#gave my brain a good reset#so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE#don't beat yourself up over numbers and engagement#sorry for rambling in the tags ignore me#anomalyaly yaps#hogwarts legacy#hogwarts legacy screenshots#anomalyaly screenshots#sebastian sallow#sebastian sallow screenshots
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Genuinely so curious who Mike thinks is gonna be buying The Cage or the new DCTL GN bc with the way he tweets as far as he's concerned, it's not gonna be:
The queer people he has actively admitted he will never show any representation of in the games.

2. The POC he has actively fought against representing in his franchise. [Who he also mocked for thinking they would be represented in his franchise]
3. The Bendy fandom which has always been concerned with topics of diversity esp in the sense of queer people since its creation. Who he has responded to really poorly esp in regards to the GN.
4. The fans who critique him. [He blocked me for doing so lol]
5. His fans in general who he tweets about like this currently. [He's being vague about why people were mad at him or sent him 'nasty messages' because if you actually looked into why you'd see he was in the wrong. Either way, a very hateful way to speak abt ur own fanbase.]
Reminder while Mike is trash talking his fans he has always treated them rather poorly. The fans who won the fanart contest for Chapter 5 never got their posters actually in game due to it being rushed. Not only was chapter 5 a big slap to the face story wise, but it was literally so rushed he couldn't be bothered to add in the art his fans gave him for his game FOR FREE. [Meatly blames this on a crazy timeline, reminder him and Mike are the literal ceos of this company. The proposal of future updates here is also pretty cruel considering Mike nowadays happily admits he corrupted Chapter 5's source code and therefore literally can't update it At All currently. Because he is a moron]
At least they got to be in Boris and the dark survival, and by that I mean that was the Only game they got to be in so far, isn't that just treating your fans like you love them? Shoving their hard work into a spin off game almost nobody has played or addresses much. [Hell, who knows if with the Lone Wolf rebrand they'll even stay there. In which case they'll be in None of the games, only in the credits of BATIM]
6. The Bendy fans who just generally disagree with him on stuff. Like the new ink demon design where there is literally a public poll showing people generally prefer the old one.
7. The Bendy fans who can see he is actively lying to them. To their fucking faces.
He says this has always been the case, but screenshots and links to tweets regarding the books being canon prove it was not. Does he really think bendy fans are stupid or something? [Unless he's admitting here he lied to Kress when he told her the books were canon which sounds worse!]
8. Anyone who doesn't like the idea of giving money to a guy who laid off tons of employees then afterwards thought it was a great idea to express his anti-union views! Also brag about how good of an employer he was, according to his employees, he was not!
So in summary; Mike is an awful person who has not learned anything from the awful things he did. I will not be purchasing The Cage because, combined with this and his absolute refusal to take any kind of critique or see any differing interpretation of his franchise, I have no reason to think my problems with the franchise will ever be addressed or fixed. I probably will pirate The Cage along with any future Bendy Products [Including the movie] and will do my best to avoid giving it any kind of monetary support. Unless this changes any time soon, I can't see myself making anymore positive Bendy posts soon.
Mike has just managed to make it so hard to speak positively or optimistically of this franchise when he's so willing to broadcast how little he cares about it or its fans. I'm at the point where I refuse to pull any of my punches with my problems with it. What's the point of trying to play nice with my critique when either way the people creating it don't care?
So with this post, I want to invite anyone who feels similarly about the franchise to tell me, make a post or send an ask talking about how all of this makes you feel. It may not change how things are, but genuinely seeing other people share my feelings of anger makes me feel better. It feels nice to see when other people share our same concerns and worries. I'd also love to know if anyone else thinks they'll be avoiding purchasing Bendy products over this.
I'm not forcing anyone to participate in it nor trying to say anyone who doesn't supports mike but genuinely maybe if we can collectively decide to boycott things like the movie, graphic novel and The Cage... It might at least make the bendy devs acknowledge how much they have destroyed their own fandom's faith and trust in them.
The way Mike tweets about his actions like he had no control over why people were mad at him at least proves to me he takes NONE of it back nor regrets it. If you didn't know about his actions and only went off his tweets, you would be led to believe Mike has been needlessly picked apart by fans over things he couldn't control [or in his own words, had his words twisted and taken out of context]. That is not how you speak about your actions if you have actually learned better from them.
anyway, that has been my bendy dev callout post. This is an open invitation to anyone feeling similarly upset about the way the franchise is going to talk about it. It's genuinely nice to see how people feel about this and the more we talk about the more it's likely the bendy devs are forced to address our concerns. I don't think they will but hey, that's why I'm not gonna support them with my money anymore nor am I gonna be nice to them in any content I make critiquing Bendy. I mean I'm also basically making this post just in case anyone asks me Why I feel this way towards to bendy devs/as a way to respond to anyone who thinks I am too harsh in my critique in the future.
As always, it seems the best part of Bendy isn't actually anything about canon but about what the fan's are creating with the ideas Bendy failed to do anything interesting with.
Also the books, the books slap.
#batim#batdr#bendy and the ink machine#bendy and the dark revival#ramblez#bendy and the silent city#bendy the cage#for the record another reason Im making this post is bc some of the only good resources to learn abt why the bendy devs suck are some old#very longer videos and this is a very long post but I thought it was important to document the recent shit theyve been doing alongside some#of the worst past things theyve done bc Mike has been trying to misinform people on what happened but those videos are still great resource#if you want more info n such#long post#mike D#for anyone who doesnt wanna hear abt him since he doesnt go by mood anymore#sorry if this is rambley or emotional Im just so sick of these guys fr dskjhgskdfjghskdjhgkjhsd#I miss when I didnt spend my days stressed about the awful shit mike is gonna say next and how I would have to disprove it in a post later#or explain why its bad to have a cast of nothing but cishet white guys n constantly fight back against any push for diversity in said cast#genuinely its just tiring esp when u see other bendy fans give ignorant or very silly defenses/takes on those things#n then u lose a lot of respect for them bc they are speaking on stuff they dont know much abt so confidently and therefore misinforming#people or even encouraging very bad views on stuff like diversity n its importance#Im not saying people like that are bad people but it is stressful n upsetting when u see someone u thought knew better do that sort of thin#it makes it hard to trust them again on other issues bc u now dont trust they know what they r talking abt!!#like please think twice before telling young artists making norman white was a tough and complicated decision it was fucking not the bendy#devs just think all their humans are white by default and dont wanna change that its been proven time n time again thats all it is#and defending them just bc u like a franchise they made is very very bad!! They are not ur friends!! they suck and we seriously need to#stop pretending they dont!! toxic positivity is only gonna make the fandom an absolute nightmare its not gonna make ANYTHING better#it just means people will be forced to PRETEND they never have negative thoughts abt the franchise n therefore make them burned out#just look at other similar fandoms please lets not make those same mistakes!!#sorry can u tell Ive been having just. A time recently#anyways back to making my queer ass bendy fan game full of so much diversity mike will prolly shit when he sees it DKFJGHKSDJHGKJHSD
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im known for being THE bec light fan of the fandom, so i feel like im in the right place to say this: YOU DO NOT OWN FANDOM CHARACTERS AND CANNOT PREVENT OTHER PEOPLE FROM LIKING THEM JUST AS MUCH AS YOU DO, and if that makes you uncomfortable (which is fine, and for any reason), THE THING TO DO IS BLOCK NOT HARASS THEM!!!!!!! ive seen too many ppl in this fandom disrespect others over DARING to say, even as a joke, that they're the number one fan of X character. If someone having the same favorite group of pixels as you genuinely angers you, to the point of feeling the need to insult them and having concerning thoughts about them, then maybe it is time to log off
#not referring to anything recent#as i THANKFULLY havent seen it happen in a lil bit!!!#however it has happenned many times in the past and in those moments i was so thankful to have my fav be a rando no one is attached to LMAO#everyday im mortified at the thought that there COULD be other bec fans outthere that are scared of exclaiming their love for the character#-publically out of fear i'd attack or get mad at them for trying to “steal” my fav or some bs like that. this will NOT HAPPEN PLS GIVE BEC#-THE LOVE THEY DESERVE the more bec enjoyers we are the better :(#btw; this is NOT about non-sharing yumeshippers!! (important)#this is about people (most often not yumes at all smhow!) thatll go out of their way to ATTACK other members of a fandom for sharing a fav#“this is MY favorite character so it cant be anyone else's and if you claim it is i will insult you and humiliate you in front of others”we#-learned to share unimportant stuff in preschool? you're not even a yume so its even LESS justified to react like that over a char#even more stupid when its a main characters 99% of the fandom likes like. what do you think will happen browsing fandom spaces.#if you feel the need to throw all of eve's bitch-ionary at someone over having the same taste please get some offline rest and remember#THE BLOCK BUTTON EXISTS FOR THIS REASON???#if its harmless and you dont like it! block! block block block! throwing a fit like a 7yo reincarnation of eric cartman in the candy aisle-#-won't make you more legitimate in the title of the “biggest fan of X guy”. i promise you blocking people that make you personally-#-uncomfortable(without necessarily doing anything wrong)without insulting their bloodline is absolutely amazing. you should try it.#not bec light#ouhh me speaks#this sure is a lot of words#ik the fandom is full of mentally unstable ppl that rely on their favs for moral support; this however doesn't grant you the right to lack#respect towards strangers. I love bec and finn with all my heart and unless youre some kind of h*tler 2.0 i could not care less about if#they also bring you comfort! and if one day for any reason it starts bothering me; i would just start blocking/muting the people who post#about them! as simple as that. :( your fav/yume would NOT want you to be rude to the people who like them; so just IGNORE#it makes me sad for people who have a certain character as their fav/ F/O cuz ive seen them disputed a lot n theyre not even a main5 HELPPP#; as comma#OK IM DONE YAPPING i have school tomorrow hashtag goonight
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Do you ever watch s3 and s4 and realise you're not enjoying it that much
#im kinda in two minds#cause there ARE so many insane details and subtext and all that#and i love reading your guys analyses#but at the same time#actually watching through the eps in s3/4?#they're often tedious#no i dont wanna hear another monologue from the most irritating character in the universe murray bauman#why'd you introduce russians in a massive underground bunker for gods sakes#i thought this was a small intimate story about normal ppl faced with the unknown of the supernatural#not the eye of the cold war storm#any dangerous scene? literally any time they put a character in danger?#idc im not invested praying they'll make it through#cause they always always make it through#even when it seems like they literally died#and what is with the quipiness in the later season?#like all those like marvel lines and interactions and witty one liners and moments where they finish each others sentences would make me#roll my eyes in any other show that i already wasnt invested in#even byler#i love byler with all my heart and i dont doubt they're endgame#but for me even that sweet knowledge is soured by the fact it seems they're trying to cater to every demographic in their massive audience#they turned hopper in this super macho muscle gun man who appeals to people who want a tom cruise show#they're trying to keep both jancy and stancy fans satisfied simultaneously#i dont doubt byler will happen but i just think its going to be very small importance-wise screen-time wise in the midst of everything else#i've sort of had cognitive dissonance cause ive been in this space where everybody praises the shit out of it (i mean duh its a fandom)#and they point out impressive details and links and say stuff like 'the duffers had everything planned from the beginning!'#so i was refusing to acknowledge that i wasnt enjoying actually watching the show as it strayed further from what it had been in s1#sorry guys gotta agree with friendly soace ninja on this one (kinda stupid to put on tags where most ppl do genuinely love the show and pls#ignore these depressing thoughts and continue happily on with your hyperfixation if you do)#stranger things#byler
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The righteousness leaving Rikis body the minute he starts getting dicked down by a morally bad to morally gray entity
#God!au#<- THATS IMPORTANT FOR THIS POST FHGFHSGSH#being stubborn about his beliefs is a consistent second trait however this is the most iffy in god!au i think#They do alter each others beliefs a lot here but it affects rikis morals for the worse unfortunately#bcz like u can try to fix the maneating powerful creature that has different morals from u all you want#But if he decides he's gonna kill an entire fleet of ppl for one reason or another what can u really do. Nothing really.#(<- has been listening to ruthlessness and imagining godau eileil as poseidon whos pissed off that whybie got blinded)#Thats the power imbalance aspect. I think it doesn't happen often but when it gets reallyyyy pissed theres not much he can do abt it#But try to ignore it or forget about it because ohhh it only happened this time 😁 stuff like this happens it doesnt mean we're bad#i can totally keep dating an entity who will never have enough regard for mortal life to control himself in all situations and be good stil#<- GUY WHO IS IN DENIAL AND WRONG#POWER AND ENTITLEMENT AS A COMBO MAKES YOU A FREAKY WEIRDO. WE ALL KNOW THIS#Ugh i love god!au it makes no fucking sense at all. And so i dont like it. But i do love it#i love ranting about shit no one knows or cares about djhdsksksklaafbx
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okok i’m doing prep for d&d later and they’re arriving in a new town so i’m working on that community and ohhhhhh my god i think this is my favourite npc i’ve ever created i hope they dont ignore her or kill her bcus i want 2 be her more than once pleaase
#if they do ignore her or kill her then. well. that’s their choice and i will accept it. but i will be sad about it.#and if that happens then maybe one day i’ll pull her out as a player character when i’m not GMing#BUTTT i really like her AS an npc so 🤞#my starting point with her was. enthusiastic local historian/journalist/record keeper who really WANTS to know everything there is to know#about her town and community#BUT (because of other worldbuilding stuff) there is very very little info about the actual history of the place#so she is piecing together what she can but the details are so hard to pin down that all her info is really only…. half-right#I want the party to like. go to ask her for info because she’s the person you’d expect to know what’s going on.#and she presents them with facts but some of those facts aren’t true and some are kinda just assumptions she’s made based on dodgy info#so the players can use it as a guide/starting point but can’t ever truuuuully take it word-for-word. it’s not the gospel truth it’s like….#missing a lot of important pieces.#like she can probably tell you WHERE something is pretty accurately. But she could not prepare you properly for what that thing IS.#and she’s come to some conclusions that are just plain wrong because she doesn’t have all the facts#and CRUCIALLY!!!! she is perfectly happy to be proven wrong. if the players find out any of this extra info/context that changes things#she will happily take that new detail on board and change her perspective#she WANTS all the info she just doesn’t have it#i like the idea that the party might start working for her a bit#probably not formally but just like…#if they uncover some local secrets they’d pass that on to her#and over time if they do that enough she probably WILL be able to put some important clues together#and help them figure out big-picture stuff that is important to the campaign#their reward for helping her build up her archives will be their own personal mystery solver who can tie all the threads of plot together#WHICH!!! is why i like her more as an npc than as an actual player character#she’s MEANT to be like… a collector of information who can eventually be a really useful resource for the party to turn to for information#but they have to work to get her there
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In before I start seeing people bitching about rainbow capitalism MY favorite rainbow capitalism story is about Subaru. Yes the Japanese car company.
In the nineties, they were struggling. They were competing with a dozen other companies targeting the main demographic at the time: white men ages 18-35, especially after a failed luxury car launch with a new ad agency. “What we need is to focus on niche demographics,” they decided, and then focused on people who enjoyed the outdoors. The Subaru was excellent at driving on dirt roads that many other vehicles couldn’t at the time, so it was perfect for all those off-road campers; they started making all-wheel drive standard in all their cars to help with that. And the people who wanted cars to go do outdoor stuff? Lesbians.
Okay. Of course it wasn’t only lesbians buying Subarus. They’re on the list with educators, health-care professionals, and IT people. But the point is, this Japanese car company interviewed this strange demographic (single, female head of household) and realized one important factor: They were lesbians. They liked to be able to use the cars to go do outdoorsy stuff, and they liked that they could use the cars to haul stuff rather than a big truck or van. Subaru had a choice to make then. They had four other demographics they could market to, after all--the educators, the health-care professionals, IT professionals, and straight outdoorsy couples. Their company didn’t hinge on this one “problematic” demographic.
And they decided “fuck it,” and marketed to lesbians anyway. This included offering benefits to American gay and lesbian employees for their domestic partners, so it didn’t look like a cash grab. (This was not a problem. They already offered those in Canada.)
Yes, there was some backlash. They got letters from a grassroots group accusing them of promoting homosexuality, and every letter said they’d no longer be buying from Subaru. “You didn’t buy from us before, either,” Subaru realized, and ignored them. It helped that the team really cared about the plan, and that they had many straight allies to back them up. There was also some initial backlash when Subaru hired women to play a lesbian couple in the commercial, but they quickly found that lesbians preferred more subtlety; “XENA LVR” on a license plate, or bumper stickers with the names of popular LGBTQ+ destinations, or taglines of “Get out. Stay out.” that could be used for the outdoors--or the closet.
Subaru said “We see you. We support you.” They sponsored Pride parades and partnered with Rainbow Card and hired Martina Navratilova as spokeswoman. They put their money where their mouth is and went into it whole hog. In a time where companies did not want to take our money, Subaru said, “Why not? They’re people who drive.” And that was groundbreaking.
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Don't Give Up On Me
Pairing: Harry Castillo x f!reader (materialists)
Summary: Should you give up on the man you love when he disappoints you, or do you give him another chance?
Warnings: language, tons of angst, smut (18+ MDNI), unprotected piv sex, hurt/comfort, making men beg and cry
WC: idk I wrote it on my phone - maybe 2K?
A/N: sorry if this is premature. I can't help it. If we got his name wrong I'll just go back and fix it later okay byeeee
Tears that have been burning the backs of your eyes for the last two hours finally threaten to spill down your cheeks now that you're in the privacy of his town car.
Harry sits next to you, still talking on his phone like he has been all night while his driver takes you back to his penthouse. It's nestled in the heart of the city with a breathtaking view, but it's the very last place you want to be right now because you know what you'll have to do once you get there.
You're going to end things, once and for all.
It's been on your mind for a while, but you always talk yourself out of it. You make excuses for him, cover for him, and lie to him when you say it doesn't matter, but it does. It really fucking does.
You know he's a busy man. You've always known this. But foolishly, some part of you believed he would change. That after countless fights, he would eventually understand what's important to you, and it wasn't his money or his things — it was him.
All you ever want is for him to just be there when it counts, and he almost always lets you down. But tonight? Tonight was special. He knew it, too. You told him for weeks how excited you were to receive this award for all the hard work at your firm.
When it came time to accept it and give your speech in front of three hundred people, you excitedly climbed to the stage to take your prize. Your eyes swept around the room, searching for the only person you wanted to see, and your heart sunk when you realized he had stepped out of the room to take a work call.
Again.
It was in that moment you decided you wouldn't put up with it again.
The car stops in the usual spot outside his building. The driver opens your door and you slip out with a tight smile. Harry's right behind you, wrapping up his call, but you ignore him. You charge into the lobby and stab at the call button for the elevator. If he notices your anger, he doesn't let on. He laughs to whoever is on the other end while you adjust the strap of your dress with a huff.
Once the elevator arrives, he finally hangs up. You step inside and he presses in the code for the penthouse on the keypad, then the car smoothly lifts. You stare at the screen above the door while Harry scrolls on his phone, still completely unaware when he asks, "What's your boss's name again?"
You clench your jaw and fight back tears before you answer him. He grunts.
"Thought so. Went to Yale with him. Never liked the guy."
Your award feels so much heavier in your hand now. Like it's trying to pull you back down to the lobby and stop you from doing what you need to do. But you adjust it and lift your chin a little higher — you need to do this.
The doors slide open to Harry's massive, extravagant living room. You step out and walk right past it all — past the ornate kitchen, the priceless art, the expensive marble — through the long, perfectly decorated hallway to his bedroom.
You go right to the closet and grab an empty gym bag, tossing your award inside. You hear him somewhere in the room removing his watch, cufflinks and ring while you stuff your bag with whatever clothes you can think of. It's only when you exit the closet and storm into the bathroom that he notices something is wrong.
"What are you doing?"
You sniffle and sweep your toiletries off the counter, tossing them directly into your bag.
"I'm leaving."
Your voice is a little shaky but it sounds better than you expect. He watches you from the doorway as you move erratically around the room collecting your belongings.
"Wh— why?" he finally asks. You're grabbing your things from the shower when you hear it. He sounds sad, and maybe if it were any other day, you would have felt bad. But that day? That day, it just pisses you off.
You whirl back around and drop your bag on the floor to pin him with a glare. He's in the doorway still wearing the clothes from tonight: pressed black pants and a crisp white shirt, although now the collar is undone and his tie is abandoned somewhere in his bedroom.
"Why?" you repeat. Your tone is so icy, you hardly recognize it. "You — weren't — fucking — there!"
On the last word, you step forward and shove him. He stumbles backwards a bit, but only from shock.
"Baby—"
You shake your head and lean down grab your bag.
"Don't," is all you say when you brush past him. You throw the bag on your bed, half the contents spilling out, but you don't care. You're shaking like a leaf when you round the bed to your side and begin to grab your things from the nightstand.
"I'm sorry," he says softly from the other side of the room. You ignore him and keep working. "It was important. I told you—"
"And this was important to me!"
You snap your head up to yell at him with tears streaming down your face. His expression falls and he reaches out, but you take a step back.
"You're right. I'm — I'm sorry. I'll do better, I prom—"
"No! I'm done! I'm tired of having the same fights with you. I was so fucking stupid to think you'd ever choose me over... over all this."
You gesture broadly around his room but you mean his penthouse in general. He gets it. It's not the first time you've fought over this.
He watches you quietly while you continue to pack with shaky hands. When you're nearly done, he speaks again.
"I do want you," he says, "more than all this. I just — I want to make sure we're comfortable. I want to make sure we have enough so you never have to work again—"
"But I like working! I love what I do! I've never wanted to quit, I've never wanted anything from you... not your money or your cars or your clothes. I just..."
You sigh and pinch the bridge of your nose.
"I only ever wanted you," you mumble.
You bury your face in your hands as he crosses the room. You feel him standing in front of you and you know deep down, you're done for.
But still, you try.
"You have me," he says. His hands gently slide up and down your arms, but you keep your face hidden in your palms. "It won't always be like this. It's the busy season, that's all. It's... it's temporary. And then we can do whatever you want. We can go to Paris or Italy or Bora Bora... anywhere. It's up to you."
He takes another step closer and carefully plants a kiss to the top of your head. And you fucking let him.
"I'm so sorry, baby," he breathes. Your hands drop to your sides. "I should've been there, you're absolutely right. I'll never do something like that again, you have my word."
You sigh and finally tip your chin up to look him in the eye. It's kind of not fair how handsome he is on top of everything else: a thick head of wavy dark hair, gorgeous brown eyes, a greying beard he's self-conscious about but you find absolutely endearing. If there was one man on the planet who had it all, it's Harry Castillo.
He gives you a small smile and pinches your chin between his fingers when he sees your resolve crumbling.
"Can I make it up to you?" he asks.
You take a deep breath and try to scrape together what dignity you have left.
"No," you reply. His smile falters but otherwise he doesn't move. You take a step back but it's not far enough.
"I told you. I'm done."
Right when you go to turn and pick up your bag, he drops to his knees and wraps his arms around your waist.
"Please," he begs, gazing up at you from the floor. Your eyes widen with shock at this man who is quite literally worth billions falling to his knees, pleading with you to stay. "Don't go. I'll do anything. Please, I-I can't — I won't be —"
"Harry—"
"Please," he says again, urgently. You see his throat bob and his eyes fill with tears. "I'll do whatever you want. I-I just— I don't think I can do this—"
He swallows and presses his face against your stomach. His eyes slide closed and he breathes in deep while you're still struggling to catch up.
"I'll do anything," he whispers, but this time, his hands tighten around your waist. His jaw falls open and he mouths at your middle while a tear sneaks down his cheek.
It shouldn't affect you. You should push him away, take your bag, and go. Instead, you find yourself leaning forward into his hold.
"Harry..."
Your voice holds no conviction. His hands begin to move. They slide down your legs and push up the hem of your dress. He leaves feverish open mouthed kisses across your clothed stomach and over your hips. Your eyes fall shut and you gasp when his palms slide up your bare legs, pushing up the fabric of your dress until his fingers grab hold of your ass and he gives you a rough squeeze.
"Please," he's murmuring, over and over. Your jaw is slack and you give in. You just fucking give in when he pulls down on your panties until they drop to the floor. With shaky legs, you step out of them and crack open an eye when he tosses the lace over his shoulder.
You're weak. You know that. But you really thought this time was the last straw. Instead, he somehow has you underneath him once again. Your dress is in a sad little pile on the floor, along with his pants. His tongue is dancing hungrily with yours as you push his shirt over his shoulders.
You know you should have stood your ground, but you also know he's hurt. He's so broken and you want to fix him. You want to be the one who shows him what it's like — what it could be like. You want to prove that love can heal old wounds and can be beautiful, if you let it.
He groans when he first enters you. It's low and deep and it makes you gasp. His teeth graze your jaw and he whispers everything you want to hear: that he loves you, that he would do anything for you, that he's sorry. You let those words fill you up and mend the wounds he caused, just like all the other times before.
"Never again, okay?"
You nod and wrap your arms tightly around his shoulders. You say his name with a breathy moan and his hips flex faster, deeper.
"I can be good for you. I— I — fuck—"
He pushes your knees to your chest and you cry out. The angle is so much more intense. It has you clawing at the sheets and mumbling unintelligible curses under your breath as he splits you open, reminding you just how good it can be.
"I won't hurt you ever again," he babbles. Your chest aches. Your eyes water. He keeps fucking you so deep that it has you making noises you never heard yourself make before.
"I don't think — don't think I can d-do this without — you," he groans into your neck. Your nails scrape down his back. You throw your head backwards into the sheets and let him do what he does best: make you feel good and forget all the pain.
His mouth finds your jaw, then your cheek, and finally your lips. You moan and his tongue slips inside, licking past your teeth. He's so close. Your bodies practically melt together as one with each steady rock of his hips.
"Feels good, right?" he groans into your mouth. You nod and gasp when the muscles in your stomach begin to pull.
"Yes," you whine, all earlier anger forgotten.
"Yeah, I know," he coos. His hips snap faster, cock plunging deeper until the room is filled with your helpless moans and the sounds of your soaked pussy gushing all around him. He makes a pleased noise in the back of his throat when you clench tightly around his thick cock.
"Gonna come for me?" he asks. You whimper, cheeks blazing hot and body slick with sweat. He chuckles breathlessly and continues to drive himself into you, over and over. "Yeah, c'mon, it's alright. I wanna feel it — I need to feel it. C'mon, baby, just—"
Before he can finish his sentence, your muscles spasm and you scream out his name. A litany of curses falls from your lips as you pulse around his painfully hard length. He grinds his teeth and keeps fucking you through it until your body goes limp and you melt into the silk sheets.
His arms circle around you and he really begins to fuck you — hard. Each thrust is paired with a deep grunt until his cock swells and he comes inside you with a loud, strangled groan.
He collapses on top of you in relief. He occasionally jolts forward, giving you more of his release with each weak roll of his hips until he's spent. His head falls to your chest and he closes his eyes to catch his breath. Your fingers come up to gently rake through his hair and you lay just like that, silent and panting for air while his cock softens inside of you.
"I mean it," he rasps. You peel your eyes open and stare at the ceiling. He presses a soft kiss in the spot between your breasts when he says, "I'll be better. I won't fuck up again. Please, just — just don't give up on me."
Your arms coil around his neck and you hold him close as tears fill your eyes, now for an entirely different reason. You know he's been hurt before. Know what he went through and how badly she broke his heart.
But to his credit, he didn't give up. He kept searching for love, despite it all.
Nobody's perfect. You're far from it. But you know Harry has a good heart. He just needs a little extra care to heal it.
"Okay," you whisper.
You feel his grateful, hot tears pool silently against your chest and you hold him a little tighter.
Everyone makes mistakes, you think. Even the ones who love you the most.
It'll take time. It might hurt. But you'll keep trying. Because what happened wasn't his fault, and you both deserve to have a happy ending.
Some people just have to work a little harder for it.
#materialists#materialists fanfic#materialists fanfiction#Harry Castillo#Harry Castillo x reader#Harry Castillo x you#pedro pascal characters fanfiction#pedro pascal character fanfiction#pedro pascal fandom
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When Rafe Realizes...
He’s Falling for You
-> Rafe x F!Reader
-> Pt. 2: Your Favorite Dates with R.C.



The sun was dipping below the horizon, casting golden light over the backyard as Rafe leaned back in his chair, the legs precariously balanced on the uneven patio bricks.
You were sitting beside him, scrolling on your phone, the occasional sound of your laughter breaking through the hum of cicadas.
He wasn’t sure when it started, but lately, he found himself watching you more than he should...at least more than someone who was supposedly "just friends" should.
He told himself it was harmless. You were easy to look at, after all, with your beautiful hair catching the light and your lips quirking into tiny smirks when you read something funny.
"Rafe," you said, your voice cutting through his daydream. You barely look up, your attention still on your screen. "Your hair is doing that weird thing again."
"My hair doesn’t do a weird thing," he shot back defensively, running a hand through it out of instinct.
You snorted, finally glancing up at him. "It absolutely does. Hold still."
Before he could protest, you leaned in, your fingers brushing against his forehead as you flattened a rogue piece that had sprung up, defying gravity. The touch was brief, just the lightest pressure of your hand smoothing over his hair, but Rafe felt his entire body tense like he’d just been electrocuted.
"There," you said, sitting back with a satisfied nod. "Now you look less like a mad scientist."
"I didn’t look like a mad scientist," he muttered, trying to ignore the warmth creeping up his neck.
"You kinda did," you teased, your focus already back on your phone.
Rafe leaned back again, a smug retort dying on his tongue as he felt the ghost of your touch still lingering. It wasn’t like you’d done anything grand. Just fixed his hair.
People did that kind of stuff all the time, right?
Except… no one else did it to him. And certainly not like that. There was something so natural about the way you’d reached over, like it was second nature, like it was the most normal thing in the world for you to touch him.
And now he was stuck, hyperaware of how the air still smelled faintly of your sunscreen from when you’d leaned in.
How the air between you had felt charged, even though you’d gone back to scrolling like it was nothing.
He shifted in his seat, trying to push the thought away, but it clung stubbornly to the edges of his mind. How could something so insignificant make him feel like the air had been knocked out of his lungs?
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched you laugh softly at something on your phone, oblivious to his internal crisis. He swallowed hard, his chair tipping back a little further as he tried to refocus.
How does something so insignificant feel so important?
"Careful," you warned without looking up. "Fall off that chair and I’m not driving you to the ER."
The corner of his mouth twitched.
You had no idea, did you?
No idea that one absent-minded touch had just tipped his entire world off balance.
"Thanks for your concern," he said dryly, finally steadying himself.
You gave him a fleeting smile, one he tried to memorize. Because somewhere in the chaos of his overthinking, Rafe Cameron was beginning to realize something terrifying and wonderful all at once.
He was falling for you, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
Rafe leaned against the counter of the grocery store, pretending to scroll on his phone while you wandered the aisles. He hadn’t even wanted to stop here, but you’d insisted on grabbing snacks before heading to the beach.
"What’s the big deal? It’s just food," he’d grumbled earlier, but you’d only rolled your eyes and dragged him along anyway.
Now he was waiting impatiently, glancing at his watch every few seconds. “You done yet?” he called out.
“Almost!” you yelled back. “I’m looking for something specific.”
He sighed dramatically. “We’re going to miss the sunset at this rate.”
When you finally rounded the corner, a triumphant grin on your face, you were holding a bag of… lemon pepper sunflower seeds?
“What’s that for?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
You blinked at him, clearly unimpressed. “For you, obviously.”
Rafe stared at the bag, then back at you. “What?”
“You told me a few weeks ago you used to eat these all the time when you were a kid. Remember? You said your dad used to bring them home after his fishing trips.”
For a moment, he was silent, caught completely off guard.
He had mentioned that, hadn’t he?
Some random memory he’d thrown out one evening, barely thinking about it. It wasn’t even important. Just some passing detail about his childhood.
But here you were, holding a bag of sunflower seeds like it was the most normal thing in the world to remember something so small.
“I didn’t think you’d…” he trailed off, scratching the back of his neck.
“Didn’t think I’d what? Listen to you?” you teased, tossing the bag into the basket.
“Well… yeah,” he admitted, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips.
You rolled your eyes playfully. “I always listen, Rafe. You just don’t talk enough for me to prove it.”
There was a lightness to your tone, but the words hit him harder than he expected. You listened to him. Actually listened. To the stuff no one else cared about, the random memories he’d barely even registered himself.
“Sheesh,” you said, breaking him out of his thoughts. “If I’d known this would blow your mind, I would’ve grabbed these for you weeks ago.”
“Shut up,” he muttered, but he was smiling now, following you toward the register.
As you paid, chatting casually with the cashier, Rafe kept glancing at the bag of sunflower seeds in your basket. Something so simple, but it made him feel… seen. Like you actually cared about the parts of him that most people ignored.
Walking out of the store, he finally nudged your shoulder. “Thanks. For, uh, remembering that.”
“Of course,” you said, flashing him a grin. “Just don’t eat them all at once. I’m not buying more if you get another craving later.”
He laughed, shoving his hands in his pockets as he fell into step beside you. Inside, though, his chest felt warm in a way he wasn’t used to.
She actually listens to me, he thought, stealing a glance at you as you debated what playlist to put on in the car. How is she so thoughtful?
And just like that, another piece of the puzzle slid into place. He was falling for you, headfirst and helplessly, and he wasn’t even mad about it.
The rain was relentless, pounding against the pavement like a drumline gone rogue. Your car sat lifeless on the shoulder of a backroad, hazards blinking uselessly in the downpour.
You’d tried everything.
Turning the key again and again, Googling quick fixes, even giving the steering wheel a good, frustrated whack.
Nothing worked.
Which is how you ended up sitting in the driver's seat, soaked from your earlier attempt to check under the hood, dialing a number you swore you wouldn’t use unless it was an absolute emergency.
“Rafe?” you said when he picked up, voice sheepish.
He immediately picked up on the edge in your tone. “Y/N? What’s wrong?”
“It’s probably nothing,” you rushed to say, cringing at how pathetic you sounded. “My car broke down, and it’s pouring, and I’m kind of stuck on the side of the road. I just… I didn’t know who else to call or...or what to do...”
For a second, there was nothing but the sound of the rain hammering against your windshield and the faint noise of his car’s radio in the background.
“Where are you?” he said, tone clipped and serious.
You gave him the location, muttering something about how you didn’t want to bother him if he was busy, but he cut you off.
“Stay put. Lock your doors. I’ll be there in ten.”
True to his word, Rafe’s truck pulled up exactly ten minutes later, tires skidding slightly as he parked in front of your car. You barely had time to roll down your window before he was at your door, an umbrella in one hand and an intense look in his eyes.
“You okay?” he asked, leaning down to peer inside.
“Yeah, just a little damp,” you joked, gesturing to your soggy clothes.
He didn’t laugh. Instead, he opened your door and handed you the umbrella before crouching to look under your hood himself.
“You didn’t have to come all the way out here,” you said, feeling a little guilty as you watched him fiddle with something. “I could’ve called a tow truck.”
“Yeah, and waited an hour for them to show up while sitting out here alone?” he shot back, not even looking up. “Not a chance.”
You blinked at him, surprised by the sharpness in his tone.
“Rafe, I’m fine—”
“You’re not fine,” he interrupted, standing up straight and wiping his hands on his jeans. “Your car’s dead, you’re soaking wet, and it’s pitch black out here. What if someone stopped by who wasn’t me, huh?”
The thought made your stomach flip, but you tried to shake it off. “I had my doors locked.”
“That’s not the point,” he muttered, running a hand through his damp hair.
You stared at him, taken aback by his uncharacteristic panic. “Why are you so worked up?”
“Because I care about you!” he snapped before freezing, like he hadn’t meant to say it out loud.
Your eyebrows shot up. “You… care about me?”
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, I care, okay? I don’t like the thought of you being stuck out here alone in the middle of nowhere. It freaks me out.”
For a moment, you didn’t know what to say. The Rafe you knew was cocky and confident, never flustered or vulnerable like this. Seeing him so visibly shaken made your chest ache in a way you couldn’t quite explain.
“Well,” you said softly, “thanks for coming to my rescue.”
He finally looked at you, his usual smirk nowhere in sight. “Always.”
You smiled, holding the umbrella a little higher to shield him from the rain. “Guess you’re not as heartless as you pretend to be.”
He rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide the faint grin tugging at his lips. “Don’t let that get around.”
As he helped you into his truck, soaking wet and dripping water all over his leather seats, he couldn’t help but glance at you out of the corner of his eye.
You shivered, hugging your arms to your chest in a futile attempt to ward off the cold.
Rafe’s eyes softened for a split second before he quickly reached for the spare jacket in the back seat, tossing it to you. “Here,” he muttered. “Put this on before you freeze to death.”
You gave him a grateful, but shaky, smile, slipping the jacket on. “Thanks, Rafe.”
He didn’t respond, but you caught the way he kept his eyes on you, making sure you were okay. The warmth of his jacket, the concern in his eyes, it was enough to make the cold rain outside feel like nothing.
She called me. Out of everyone, she called me.
And that’s when it hit him, hard and fast like a tidal wave. He wasn’t just smitten. He was utterly and completely gone for you.
Rafe sat back in his chair, his gaze lazily sweeping over the busy café. He had his usual coffee in front of him: black, no sugar, no cream.
Just the way he liked it.
It was a Saturday morning, and the place was a bit quieter than usual, with only a handful of people scattered at tables around him. His fingers tapped the rim of his cup as his mind wandered.
He was halfway through a text to a friend when he noticed something that made him stop mid-typing.
You had slid to sit across from him, sipping on your own cup of coffee. When you lowered it, you caught his eye and gave a small smile.
"Coffee’s perfect today," you commented, stirring it absentmindedly.
Rafe blinked, then stared at your cup for a second. It was identical to his: black, no sugar, no cream.
"You—" he started, his voice trailing off in confusion. You hadn’t ordered the same thing, had you? No, you always chose the caramel latte, but you had started transitioning to more bitter coffee...
His eyebrows furrowed, watching you take another sip.
"What?" you asked, noticing his stare.
"Why’d you..." Rafe caught himself. "Never mind."
He shook his head, chuckling under his breath. You’d been unconsciously drinking your coffee just the way he did. Had you even noticed?
His eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned back, his gaze not leaving you. You’d also been humming that same song he had been listening to on repeat all week. An old track by some band he'd introduced you to, one that had been stuck in his head for days.
When you softly hummed the chorus as you fidgeted with your phone, he couldn’t help but grin.
"You always hum that?" he asked casually, raising an eyebrow.
You stopped and blinked, then shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. I didn’t realize it was the same one we were playing the other day, though."
He sat forward slightly, his eyes searching your face for a moment, trying to figure out if you were joking, but there was something in the way you said it that made it clear: you weren’t aware of the little things.
How, over the past few weeks, your habits had begun to align with his.
And in that moment, Rafe felt a quiet thrill spread through him. You were becoming his person without even trying. Without even realizing it.
He leaned back, smiling to himself, then took a sip of his coffee. “Guess we’ve got the same taste,” he said with a half smirk, watching you carefully for your reaction.
You looked at him and shrugged again, clearly clueless about what had just happened.
"Guess so," you said, a playful glint in your eyes.
Rafe’s heart gave a small, almost imperceptible flutter.
You weren’t his yet. Not officially, at least. But in this small, unspoken moment, he was already beginning to feel like you were.
You had spent hours upon hours, which felt like minutes, talking, joking around, and watching ridiculous movies with stupid plots, chowing down on various snacks.
The door had clicked shut behind you with the usual soft thud, and now that you were gone, he couldn’t help but feel that sharp pang of longing in his chest. It was like someone had tugged at something deep inside him, pulling a part of himself along with you as you left.
Rafe’s lips pressed together, and his gaze drifted to the spot on the couch where you had just been sitting.
When did she start taking up so much space in my life?
He ran a hand through his hair, trying to shake the thought. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized how true it was. Every time you were around, everything felt just a little more... right.
Even the way the silence between the two of you felt more like a conversation than an awkward pause.
With a groan, he grabbed his phone, half-wishing he could text you to come back, but he knew that was ridiculous. You’d left, and it was just the way things were.
Still, as he sat there in the quiet, he couldn’t help but wonder how he’d gotten so used to your presence in his life.
And how much he already missed it.
Pt 2: Your Favorite Dates with R.C.
#rafe cameron#rafe cameron fluff#rafe cameron imagine#rafe cameron x reader#rafe cameron x y/n#rafe cameron x you#rafe x reader#rafe cameron fanfiction
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1st Anniversary





what would they do for your first anniversary together?
gn!reader
characters: luffy, zoro, sanji, law, ace
words count: around 0.5k - 0.7k each
masterlist || ko-fi
── .✦ Monkey D. Luffy:
The sun rises over the Thousand Sunny, casting golden light across the deck. You stretch and yawn, rubbing the sleep from your eyes when a sudden weight crashes into you.
"Y/N!" Luffy yells, tackling you with his usual enthusiasm.
You groan but laugh as he wraps his arms around you "Luffy, it's too early for this—"
"IT'S OUR ANNIVERSARY!" he shouts, grinning ear to ear.
You blink. Oh. Right. Your first anniversary together.
Luffy’s never been the best at remembering dates, so you didn’t expect him to bring it up at all. But here he is, vibrating with excitement like a kid who just found a pile of meat.
"You remembered?" you ask, surprised.
Luffy nods eagerly "Of course! I mean… Sanji wrote it down for me… and Nami yelled at me to not forget… and Robin told me what an anniversary even is—but still!"
You chuckle, shaking your head "So, do you have something planned?"
Luffy puffs out his chest proudly "Yup! Captain’s orders: today is Luffy and y/n Day! No crewmates allowed!"
From across the deck, you hear Usopp yell "THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!"
Luffy ignores him.
"But," he continues, "I, uh, don’t actually know what people do on anniversaries, so I just made some rules!"
Your curiosity piques "Rules?"
Luffy grins, grabbing a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolding it dramatically "Yup! First rule: We gotta eat as much meat as possible!"
You snort "Of course."
"Second rule: No pirate stuff today. Just fun stuff!"
"That’s… actually kind of sweet" you admit.
"And the last rule…" He suddenly scratches his head, cheeks turning a little pink "Well… um…"
You tilt your head "What is it?"
Luffy huffs, clearly frustrated "It's a secret rule! I’ll tell you later!"
You laugh but decide not to push it "Alright, Captain. What’s first on the itinerary?"
It starts with a massive breakfast, courtesy of Sanji (who glares at Luffy the whole time for stealing food off your plate). After stuffing yourselves, Luffy drags you across the Sunny for various "Luffy-approved" activities.
First, there’s an intense game of tag—where Luffy cheats by using his rubber powers. Then, he insists on fishing, though he gets distracted halfway through and jumps in after the fish himself. After drying off (and avoiding Nami’s wrath for getting seawater everywhere), he decides you both need a nap—because "eating and playing is tiring!"
You wake up with Luffy curled around you like a koala, snoring into your hair.
"You really are like a cat" you mumble, gently brushing his bangs aside.
Luffy stirs, blinking up at you sleepily "Hmmm?"
"Nothing" you whisper, smiling.
As the sun starts setting, you and Luffy sit on the deck, watching the waves. The usual chaos of the crew is still happening in the background, but for once, it’s peaceful.
Luffy suddenly perks up "Oh! The secret rule!"
You sit up straighter "Finally. What is it?"
He fidgets, uncharacteristically nervous "Well… I heard anniversaries are for saying important stuff, right?"
You nod "I guess, yeah."
Luffy rubs the back of his neck, looking out at the sea "So… my last rule is… that I gotta tell you something important today. Something really important."
Your heart skips a beat. Luffy isn't usually serious—when he is, it means something big "Okay," you say softly "I'm listening."
He takes a deep breath, then grins, his usual carefree self again "I love you!"
You freeze.
He’s said he likes you before, in his own way—"You're my favorite!" or "I like having you around!"—but he’s never actually said that.
He tilts his head "Was that good? I was practicing in my head all day."
Your eyes soften "You practiced?"
"Yeah!" He laughs "I mean, I already knew I love you, but I wanted to say it today ‘cause, y’know, it’s our thing. Our anniversary thing!"
You shake your head fondly, grabbing his hat and plopping it onto your own head "You’re such an idiot."
Luffy pouts "Hey—"
Before he can complain, you cup his face and kiss him. He makes a surprised noise but quickly melts into it, smiling against your lips.
"Best anniversary ever" he mumbles.
You laugh "You say that now, but wait ‘til next year. You’ll have to top it."
Luffy grins "Easy! Next year, I’ll make a million rules!"
You sigh, shaking your head "What have I gotten myself into?"
Luffy just laughs, pulling you closer as the sun dips below the horizon. The crew groans in the background, but you don’t care. Because as chaotic and ridiculous as he is, Luffy’s way of loving you is perfect.
And that’s all you could ever ask for.
── .✦ Roronoa Zoro:
The sun hangs low over the Thousand Sunny, painting the sky in warm hues of orange and pink. The crew is scattered across the deck, each lost in their own evening routine, but your attention is on one person alone—Zoro.
The swordsman leans against the railing, arms crossed, eyes closed. To anyone else, it looks like he’s resting, but you know better. He’s thinking.
You step closer, hands behind your back “Oi, Zoro.”
His eye cracks open slightly before he turns his head toward you “Hm?”
You smile, rocking on your heels “Happy anniversary.”
For a second, he looks at you blankly, and your heart sinks a little. Did he forget?
Then, with a small smirk, he straightens up “Tch. You really think I’d forget?”
You cross your arms “Honestly? Yes.”
He scoffs “Give me some credit.”
Your curiosity piques “So… you actually planned something?”
Zoro rolls his shoulders, looking away for a brief moment before nodding “Something like that.”
You raise an eyebrow “Wait. Seriously?”
Before you can press further, he jerks his head toward the deck “C’mon.”
He leads you to a quieter part of the ship, where the sounds of the crew fade into the background. A small blanket is laid out on the deck, two cups and a bottle of sake sitting neatly in the center. The sea stretches endlessly before you, the breeze carrying the scent of salt and adventure.
You blink in surprise “Did… you do this?”
Zoro sits down, grabbing the bottle “Sanji might’ve helped. But don’t tell him I said that.”
You chuckle, sitting beside him “Didn’t take you for the romantic type.”
“I’m not.” He pours a bit of sake into your cup, then his own “But I figured… a year with you is worth drinking to.”
Your chest warms at his words. Zoro isn’t one for big, flashy gestures—but when he cares, he shows it in ways that truly matter.
You clink your cup against his “I’ll drink to that.”
As the two of you sip in comfortable silence, you glance at him “So, what was the first thing you thought when we got together?”
Zoro exhales, setting his cup down “That you’re stubborn.”
You laugh “Me?”
“Yeah.” He leans back on his elbows, looking at you “You wouldn’t back down, even when I tried pushing you away.”
You tilt your head “Did you want to push me away?”
Zoro’s gaze softens “…I didn’t want you to be a distraction, you know”
You stare at him, heart squeezing “And now?”
He lets out a slow breath “Now, I know you’re not.”
You smile “Good answer.”
After a few more drinks, the night fully settles in and Zoro turns to you, expression unreadable.
“…I have something for you.”
Your eyes widen, surprised “You got me a gift?”
He reaches into his haramaki and pulls out a small object. He places it in your hand—it’s a charm. It's like a small version of his earrings turned into a pendant and attached to a thin string.
Your breath catches “Zoro…?”
He rubs the back of his neck, looking away “It’s stupid, but… I had it made a while ago. For you.”
You run your fingers over the smooth surface, heart pounding sooooo hard “It’s not stupid. It’s perfect.”
Zoro smirks “You’re stuck with me.”
You laugh, tightening your grip on the pendant and leaving a kiss on his cheek.
── .✦ Vinsmoke Sanji:
The kitchen of the Thousand Sunny is filled with the warm, mouthwatering aroma of freshly cooked food. The scent of caramelized spices and grilled seafood lingers in the air, a sure sign that Sanji is in his element.
You lean against the doorway, watching him work his magic. He moves with effortless grace, flipping a pan, the flames from the stove reflecting in his blue eyes. He hums softly to himself, a tune you recognize as the one he whistles when he’s happy.
You smirk “Cooking me a feast, Chef?”
Sanji turns at the sound of your voice, and immediately, his expression melts “Ah, ma chérie, you’re early.”
You cross your arms, pouting “So I’m not supposed to be here?”
Sanji chuckles, wiping his hands on a towel before stepping closer “I wanted to surprise you...” He reaches out, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear “But I suppose I don’t mind if you ruin the surprise—after all, you’re the guest of honor!”
Your heart flutters at his words. Sanji has always been charming, but there’s something different about the way he speaks to you, softer, more genuine, as if you’re the only person in the world.
You glance past him at the beautifully arranged table, complete with candles, fine plates, and a bouquet of flowers “You really went all out, huh?”
He grins, taking your hand and spinning you playfully “Only the best for my love.”
Sanji pulls out a chair for you, as the great gentleman he is “Sit and relax. Let me take care of everything.”
You obey, watching as he presents dish after dish, each one plated to perfection “Alright, Chef, walk me through the menu.”
Sanji gestures dramatically “For the appetizer, we have a delicate seafood bisque, infused with saffron and a touch of white wine. For the main course..." He lifts a silver lid, revealing your favorite dish "...a meal crafted specifically for my one and only.”
You gasp, touched “You remembered my favorite?”
Sanji scoffs as if offended “Do you take me for an amateur? Of course I remember.”
You laugh and take a bite, instantly melting at the burst of flavors “Oh my god. I think I just fell in love all over again.”
Sanji chuckles, resting his chin in his palm as he watches you “Then I must be doing it right.”
After finishing the meal and complimenting him so much that he nearly combusts with joy, Sanji disappears into the kitchen. When he returns, he’s holding a small plate with a single dessert on it, a beautifully crafted heart-shaped pastry.
“Happy anniversary, my love” he murmurs, setting it in front of you.
Your eyes soften “You made this just for me?”
Sanji kneels beside you, taking your hand in his “Everything I make is for you, mon amour. But this… this one is special.”
You pick up the dessert, admiring the delicate details. As you take a bite, your taste buds explode with sweetness and spice, just like him.
“It’s perfect” you whisper.
Sanji smiles, but there’s something more in his expression tonight—something deeper “I’m glad,” he murmurs “Because you are, too.”
Your breath catches as he lifts your hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to your knuckles.
“Sanji…”
He exhales, resting his forehead against yours “Loving you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done”
Your heart swells, and for once, he’s the one left breathless when you lean in and kiss him.
The chef who’s always served everyone finally gets a taste of something just for himself... a love that’s his to keep.
── .✦ Portgas D. Ace:
The Moby Dick is quiet tonight, the usual noise replaced by something softer (Ace had made sure of it).
You step onto the deck, your brows furrowing as you notice the absence of drunken laughter and boisterous yelling. Instead, a familiar warmth spreads through the air, not just from the ship’s lanterns, but from the flickering flames dancing lazily around a certain freckled man's fingertips.
He’s waiting for you.
“Hey, you’re finally here” Ace calls, grinning as he waves you over “Took you long enough.”
You raise an eyebrow, crossing your arms “You were the one who told me to wait in my room. What exactly are you up to?”
Ace scratches the back of his head, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips “Well… it’s our anniversary, right? So I wanted to do something special.”
Your heart skips a beat. He remembered.
You step closer, noticing that he’s set up a "date night" on the deck. There’s a blanket spread out beneath the stars, a small box of food beside it (probably stolen from the kitchen), and a few lanterns hanging. But the real highlight is Ace himself, his flames glow softly around him, casting warm hues against his skin.
“Ace…” You blink, touched “Did you do all this?”
He grins, patting the spot next to him “Well, I had some help from Thatch—mostly because I kept burning the food.”
You laugh as you sit beside him “That sounds about right”
Ace chuckles, handing you a small bowl of your favorite food “I figured I should at least try to do this properly.”
You take a bite, humming in approval “It’s actually pretty good.”
“Damn right it is! I didn’t burn this”
You shake your head, smiling “You’re impossible.”
Ace leans back on his hands, watching you with a lazy grin “Yeah, but you love me anyway.”
Your cheeks warm. He’s not wrong.
After finishing your meal, the two of you lay side by side on the blanket, staring up at the endless sky. The sea is calm, the ship gently rocking beneath you, and Ace's warmth seeps into your skin where his arm brushes yours.
He turns his head, watching you “Y’know… I never really thought I’d make it this far.”
You glance at him “What do you mean?”
Ace hesitates, then exhales “I used to think I wasn’t meant to have stuff like this. Someone who sticks around, someone who actually...” He pauses, then looks at you with a rare softness “...someone who loves me just for being me.”
Your heart aches at his words. You reach for his hand, intertwining your fingers with his “You deserve this, Ace. You deserve love, and happiness, and everything good in the world.”
Ace stares at you for a moment as he swallows hard.
Then, without a word, he pulls you into a tight embrace, burying his face in your shoulder. His body is warmer than usual but you don’t mind. You hold him just as tightly.
“…Thanks,” he mumbles “for staying.”
You pull back slightly, cupping his face “I’ll always stay.”
Ace lets out a shaky breath, then suddenly grins “Good. ‘Cause I don’t plan on letting you go either.”
Before you can respond, he kisses you, slow and deep.
As he stops you narrow your eyes at him “Alright, spill it. How did you get everyone to be this quiet?”
Ace blinks, then smirks “What, you think I can’t get them to behave when I want to?”
You cross your arms “No, I know you can’t.”
Ace laughs, rubbing his nose “Fine, fine. I might’ve… bribed them.”
You raise an eyebrow “With what?”
He looks away, mumbling under his breath.
“What was that?” You lean in.
“…I promised to do chore duty for a whole week.”
You gasp, eyes wide “You WHAT?”
Ace groans, throwing his head back “I know! But it was the only way! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get this crew to shut up for more than five minutes?”
You burst into laughter, clutching your sides “Oh, this is priceless. You, of all people, voluntarily doing chores?”
Ace grumbles “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I hope you appreciate the sacrifice I made for this romantic evening.”
You wipe a tear from your eye, still giggling “Oh, I definitely do. I'll make it worth for you, don't worry” you wink at him.
Ace huffs but smiles, pulling you back into his arms “It's already worth it”
You hum, resting your head against his chest.
── .✦ Trafalgar D. Law:
The Polar Tang hums quietly beneath your feet as you make your way toward Law’s quarters, your heart pounding just a little faster than usual. Today marks your first anniversary with him, and while you know Law isn’t the type for grand, sweeping gestures, a small part of you wonders if he even remembers.
You wouldn’t be upset if he forgot, he’s busy, after all. But still… a year together means something.
You take a deep breath and knock.
“Come in.”
Pushing open the door, you step inside and immediately stop in your tracks.
The usually cluttered room is different. His desk is cleared, save for a single candle flickering softly beside a small plate of food, your favorite. A delicate piece of folded paper rests next to it, and on the bed, a neatly wrapped package.
Law stands nearby, arms crossed, watching your reaction with an unreadable expression “Took you long enough” he mutters.
You blink at him, then at the setup “You… did this?”
“Tch. Who else?” He glances away, scratching the back of his neck “It’s not a big deal.”
Your heart swells at the effort. It is a big deal, because Law doesn’t do things like this unless they truly matter to him.
Smiling, you walk over to the table and pick up the folded paper “What’s this?”
He doesn’t answer, just watches as you carefully unfold it.
Your breath catches the moment you realize what it is.
It’s a hand-drawn sketch. Of you.
Your fingers tremble as you take in the intricate details, the way your hair falls around your face, the softness in your eyes, the careful shading that brings it to life. He’s captured you perfectly, every detail very precise. But what gets you the most is the expression he’s given you, serene, happy, loved.
“Law…” Your voice is barely above a whisper “You drew this?”
He shifts uncomfortably “Yeah.” His gaze flickers to the side “I… started it a while ago. Just never had a reason to finish it until now.”
Tears sting the back of your eyes, and you clutch the drawing to your chest, overwhelmed. You knew Law was skilled in many things, but this? This is beyond anything you could have expected.
He clears his throat “There’s more.”
You glance toward the package on the bed, wiping your eyes before carefully unwrapping it. Inside is a book... an old, well-kept copy of one you once mentioned loving but never found again.
You stare at it, stunned “How did you—?”
“You talk in your sleep sometimes.” He smirks, finally meeting your eyes “You kept mumbling about it a few months ago, so I figured I’d find it.”
You let out a small, watery laugh “You found this for me?”
Law shrugs, but there’s a flicker of pride in his expression “It’s not a big deal.”
You set the book and drawing aside before closing the distance between you, your hands resting on his chest “It is a big deal,” you murmur, looking up at him “Thank you, Law. Really.”
He exhales softly, his fingers ghosting over your waist before settling there, pulling you a little closer “Didn’t want you thinking I forgot” he mutters.
You smile, reaching up to cup his face “I wouldn’t have minded, you know. Just being with you is enough.”
His golden eyes search yours, something unspoken passing between you before he finally gives in. His lips find yours in a slow, deliberate kiss, one that speaks of everything he doesn’t say out loud.
He tastes like mint and tea, his hands firm yet gentle as they slide up your back, pressing you against him. The kiss deepens, his fingers threading through your hair as he tilts your head to deepen the connection. Your breath hitches when he nips at your bottom lip before soothing it with another lingering kiss.
When you finally part, your foreheads rest together, both of you breathing a little heavier.
“Happy anniversary” you whisper.
His smirk returns, softer this time “Yeah. Happy anniversary.”
You grin “Think we’ll make it another year?”
Law scoffs, tilting your chin up so he can steal another kiss “I know we will.”
And in that moment, with his arms around you and the warmth of his lips lingering on yours, you have no doubt he’s right.
#one piece#one piece x y/n#one piece x you#one piece x reader#one piece fanfiction#one piece fanfic#trafalgar law#law x reader#law x you#law x y/n#one piece fluff#one piece headcanons#one piece fic#one piece scenarios#one piece x yn#law scenarios#law x yn#trafalgar law fluff#portgas ace x reader#ace x reader#luffy x reader#sanji x reader#zoro x reader#luffy fanfic#zoro fanfic#ace fanfic#law fanfic#sanji fanfic#luffy x you#luffy fluff
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Home is Where Our Heart Is (Yandere Twisted Wonderland X Reader)
Summary: There's a rumor going around that Crowley found a way to send you back to your original world, and, well, the boys aren't taking the news well.
AN: First time writing yandere stuff. I originally wanted to have this out near Halloween to keep with scary stuff, but as long as it gets done eventually, right?
Cros-posted on my AO3 TheGhostInTheKitchen
Warnings: Can be read as romantic or platonic, possessive and obsessive behavior, spying, conspiring to poison, fighting - physical and verbal, AFAB reader with she/her pronouns.
“There’s something important I want to tell you guys,” (Y/N) said.
Ace and Deuce lifted their heads to look at her. The four of them, (Y/N), Grim, Ace, and Deuce, were all huddled together on the floor of the alchemy classroom, heads bent low as they worked on untangling long threads of manticore mane hair, the most recent punishment from Professor Crewel for some misdemeanor they probably deserved but still complained about.
“What’s up?” Ace asked. He grinned wickedly. “Did you fall through another rotten part of the floor at Ramshackle and need saving again?”
(Y/N) scowled as she swatted him with the back of her hand, without any real malice behind it. “No, and shut up. Maybe I won’t tell you.”
“Ignore him,” Deuce said, picking at a particularly stubborn knot. “What’s up?”
(Y/N) hesitated. “Actually, now might not be the best time.”
“Is it that thing you were talking to Crowley about?” Grim asked, gnawing at the hair. “Pah! Gross.”
“Keep that out of your mouth, you don’t know where it’s been. And yeah, that. Now that I’m thinking about it, though, it might just be easier to tell everyone all at once.”
Ace and Deuce looked at each other. “Everything okay?” Deuce asked slowly.
(Y/N) shook her head. “Oh, yeah, fine. Just kind of important, I think. And I’d rather do it all at once. Sorry, I shouldn’t have mentioned anything. Actually, I think I’m going to have a big dinner this weekend, invite everyone over. Ease the blow, maybe.” She chuckled mirthlessly at a joke only she knew.
Ace and Deuce looked at each other again, jaws tense and rising panic building behind their eyes. Their minds raced in tandem, putting together the puzzle pieces of the piecemeal information (Y/N) had told them. Something important involving Crowley, something she would want to keep on the down low until she was able to confront everyone at the same time. The Headmage himself didn’t really seem to carry especially important information. Considering all the work and responsibilities he dumped on (Y/N), they often wondered what exactly he even did at Night Raven College. But there was one thing he had supposedly been focused on since the beginning of the school year: finding a way to send (Y/N) back to her original world. But that couldn’t be it, right? There was no way the bird brain had actually mastered interdimensional magical travel, right? And, even if he had, there was no way (Y/N) was actually just going to up and leave, right?
Right?
The room was quiet for just a beat too long as the two Heartsabyul first years communicated silently. (Y/N) looked back up, her eyebrows scrunched together in worry. She opened her mouth to say something, but Ace cut her off with his signature troublemaker smirk and said, “Ooh, so mysterious. You sure you don’t need saving again? You have that bad habit of throwing yourself in danger every chance you get.”
With that, the tension was broken. (Y/N) swatted at Ace again, laughing. They chatted aimlessly as they continued their tedious work. But, the moment (Y/N) lowered her head to pull tangled hair from Grim’s claws, Ace and Deuce looked at each other again, faces set and serious. An agreement passed between them. They were going to need help.
~~~
“But did she say she was leaving?” Jack asked, voice tight but trying to remain calm.
Ace, Deuce, Jack, Epel, Ortho, and Sebek were in the quad near the wishing well. Other students milled around, going to clubs or studying, their voices drifting meaninglessly around the small group. Epel was pacing, fists balled at his sides, gnawing at his lower lip. Ortho stared, unmoving in that way that reminded people that he was in fact made of metal and wires and not flesh and blood. Sebek was standing soldier straight with his chin up. His mouth was pulled down in a frown, but that was so often his standard expression that only someone who knew him well would be able to see the actual distress on his face. Jack’s foot tapped restlessly, hands clasped together so tight his knuckles were turning bloodless.
“No,” Deuce said. “Not specifically. But what else would she be talking about, you know? We don’t keep secrets from each other.”
“But we don’t know anything for certain,” Jack said. “Maybe we-”
“This is bullshit!” Epel shouted. Several students walking by startled, hurrying away with their heads down. His accent came out strong. “She’s just gonna up and leave? After everything? Everything we’ve done and been through? Did none of it matter? Does she not even care about us?”
Deuce winced. “I mean, I guess she misses home-”
“We’re her home!” Ace hissed. “Epel’s right. She doesn't belong back there, whatever that place is.” Jack sighed, running a hand through his hair and tugging. “Well, what are we supposed to do? Keep her here?”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Sebek said. The others turned to him. He was looking off in the distance, eyes unfocused. When he felt their gaze, he turned back to them, blinking twice and clearing his throat. “Ahem, I only mean that Lord Malleus has grown rather fond of (Y/N) these past few months, for whatever reason. As his retainer, I couldn’t bear his distress if such a close friend were to vanish with no way of contacting them.”
“Lord Malleus,” Ace said. “Sure.”
“I would anticipate that the Prefect's absence would cause a rise of at least 75% in stress levels at Night Raven College. Accompanying this would also be an increased chance of Overblot by a minimum of 35%.” Ortho put a hand to his temple as his eyes flashed with calculations. “40%. 43%. 50%. 60%.”
“Right, right, we get it,” Epel said.
“Alright, we just need to think this through for a second,” Deuce said, standing and holding up his hands. “We can just explain, right? (Y/N)’s a good person, she’ll hear us out. We’ll just explain why we’re worried and, and…”
“And what?” Epel said. “You think we can somehow convince her to stay here?”
“Prefect (Y/N) technically doesn't exist in this world,” Ortho said. “She has no records outside of Night Raven College, no citizenship or birth certificate. Outside of the Night Raven College campus, she’s not even a ghost.”
“So,” Sebek said, eyes going glazed over again. “It would be simple for her to disappear from the rest of the world.”
A heavy silence fell over them. Immediately, everyone’s mind went to the same place, formulating a plan with the same end goal. Their hearts began racing as they started conjuring up ideas and methods of execution, solutions for technical problems that might arise. (Y/N)’s reaction to these plans didn’t particularly matter at the moment. After all, it would all be worth it in the end, right?
“Okay, wait, hang on,” Jack said, trying to quiet his racing thoughts and the dark places they were going. “We - we need to think this through. It’s not like we can just kidnap her or anything.” “You’re right,” Deuce said. “We’ll need help. If we want to pull this off we need resources.”
“We’ll need people to back us up,” Ace agreed. “Getting her somewhere in the first place is the easy part, but we wouldn’t want to scare her for too long, you know? If we can convince her we know best it’d be easier in the long run, right?”
“Lord Malleus has access to many fine manors in the Briar Valley,” Sebek said.
“All the way to the Briar Valley?” Epel said. “Isn’t that place still hostile against humans? We can go to Harveston, it’s in the middle of the mountains. My uncle has a hunting lodge out there, it’d be perfect.”
“The Isle of Woe is also an isolated location,” Ortho said. “And it would be much easier to keep (Y/N) under surveillance.”
“Wait!” The others went silent, watching Jack.
“Jack,” Ace said. “We’re either all in this together or not at all. Come on, how many times have we needed to save (Y/N)? How many times has she had to save us?” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Would you really be okay with never seeing her again?”
Jack rubbed the back of his neck, eyes shut tight. They waited with bated breath for him to speak. Finally, he sighed. “Leona has resources. He has people, power, money. And I know he would want to know about this too. We’ll need other people to help with this. If she just suddenly vanished without warning I can think of several people who would look into it. And if they find out we planned something without them it would just make things more difficult.”
The others smiled, relieved that one of the hardest people to convince was unequivocally on board.
“Okay, so,” Ace said, clapping his hands. “We need a plan. Anyone have a good idea?”
The others were quiet, the holes in their initial imagination growing bigger and bigger.
“Well, no,” Deuce said. “But I know someone who might.”
~~~
The atmosphere in Octavinelle always walked the tightrope between cool and calming and cutthroat and calculating, but maybe that had more to do with the first year's previous experience than the actual building.
“Well, well, well,” Azul said smugly, leaning back in the plush chair in his office. “I didn’t expect to see you both back here so soon.”
Ace and Deuce squirmed in their seats, trying, and failing, to look nonplussed by the looming Jade and Floyd.
“Of course,” Azul continued. “I’m more than happy to assist any poor, unfortunate soul who should need my help. For the right price, of course. But, well, we’ve been through so much together, I’ll even give you a discount! What can the Monstro Lounge do for you today, boys?”
Ace cleared his throat, warily eyeing Floyd’s wide grin. “Actually, there’s something we could do for you.”
Azul raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Oh? Do tell.”
“We think (Y/N) is going back to her world,” Deuce spit out, cracking under pressure. “We have a plan, well, kind of a plan, we’re coming up with ideas, but we know she’d be better here, happier here, we just need time to convince her, you know? So we, Ace and me and the other first years, we’re wanting to keep her here, maybe not at NRC but somewhere, until we can convince her, make her see reason. And we thought, we know you guys like her too so we thought you would want to help or-”
“Shrimpy’s leaving?” Floyd said. His face was scrunched in confusion. Even Jade looked surprised, wide eyes and hand curled in front of his mouth. Azul had visibly paled, so much so that they worried he might faint.
“I-” Azul’s voice cracked.
“That’s quite the rumor,” Jade said, covering for Azul. “I could see it being very damaging if it was spread around in malice.”
“It’s not a rumor,” Ace said. “She basically told us yesterday.”
“Shrimpy’s leaving?” Floyd repeated. His face flashed from confusion to hurt to anger. Without a word, he snapped up, stalking to the door. He threw it open so hard it cracked against the wall leaving an indent from the knob in the plaster.
“Floyd!” Jade called after him.
“No!” The other twin snapped. He barreled through the Mostro Lounge, patrons and waiters jumping out of his way with wide and appropriately afraid eyes.
“Floyd, wait!”
“No!”
The others caught up with Floyd halfway to the mirror portal to the main campus. Jade caught Floyd by the elbow, ducking in a practiced way when Floyd’s other elbow swung back.
“No!” Floyd shouted again. “She’s not leaving! You’re lying!”
“See?” Ace said, waving his hand in Floyd’s direction. “You don’t want her to leave either! But no one’s going to like it if you just go up there and start freaking her out!”
“We’re telling everyone,” Deuce continued. “Well, not everyone, but the people important, you know? We’re planning a meeting to figure this out. We can’t let (Y/N) leave. We can’t.”
Floyd had calmed down enough that there wasn’t an immediate danger of a fight, but he was still seething. Jade still kept a tight grip on his brother’s arm, but it was more to anchor himself than keep Floyd from sprinting away again.
“A plan,” Azul said. “You need a plan. Or, perhaps, a certain magical way to prevent (Y/N) from doing something… inadvisable.”
“Yes, exactly,” Deuce said.
“We know it might be hard to get (Y/N) to sign one of your contracts given what’s happened before,” Ace said, giving Azul the side eye.
“But we need every resource we can pull together,” Deuce finished. “We’re setting up a meeting tomorrow. We can count on you guys being there, right?”
The three merpeople looked at each other. Unspoken conversation passed between them, the benefit of having known each other for the majority of their lives.
“I’ll start drafting a contract immediately,” Azul said, golden light flourishing around his hand as he kicked up his signature spell.
“I do believe there are certain species of mushroom in the nearby forest that could induce temporary paralysis,” Jade said, smiling slyly. “It might be worth it to have the Mountain Lovers Club take an unplanned execution.”
“Hey, if nothing else,” Floyd said. “I’d love to give Shrimpy a big squeeze.”
~~~
A pair of Pomefiore students were walking down the hall of their dorm, mindlessly chatting. They both froze as they heard a scream, followed by a loud crash. They crept to one of the sitting rooms, nudging the door open just enough to peek inside.
Vil, their fearless, elegant, always poised house warden screamed again. He picked up a vase, at least one hundred years old and filled with beautiful hard to cultivate lilies, and threw it against the wall, shattering into a thousand pieces. Reclining in one of the plush purple velvet chairs was the vice house warden Rook. His posture didn’t betray any concern or stress at Vil’s outburst, but the smile stretched across his face caused shivers to run down the spines of the two observers. Rook was tightly holding an arrow, his quiver at his side, tapping the sharper than usual point. Epel stood off to one side. He was hunched over, something that usually would have earned a scolding from Vil. He was carving an apple with single-minded determination, stabbing the soft flesh and discarding pieces with a flick of the wrist. Somehow, the stillness from the rambunctious farm boy who would jump at any chance to throw down was even more intimidating than if he was coming at them fists swinging.
The two students looked at each other before quietly closing the door behind them and rushing from the scene. Knowing the penchant for chaos NRC students had, whatever was going on was way beyond their pay grade.
Vil roared again, unending a long coffee table. It flipped twice before landing upside down, the papers and decorations on top fluttering in disarray. Vil took heaving breaths, facing a vanity on one side of the room, tightly gripping its sides as his nails carved tiny divots into the soft wood. He took one last deep breath, straightening and smoothing out his hair. He turned around, only a slight red flush any indication he was in distress.
“Alright,” He said. “Rook, my book.”
Rook jumped up, retrieving an intricately decorated purple and gold tome from where it had fallen. He handed it to Vil like a supplicant offering a sacrifice to a vengeful god, head slightly bowed and hands outstretched.
“What are you looking for?” Epel asked.
“I’ll know when I see it,” Vil said, not looking up. He flipped through the vellum pages. “A sleeping potion would be a temporary solution, at least as an easy way to secure her to another place. An Iron Stake spell is a possibility, but that would only secure her to one specific place and cause illness if she left the designated area, so that would be too restrictive. A potion to induce Hanahaki. If we can convince her she has a magical based illness, then she would need to stay somewhere she could receive magical treatment.”
“We were wanting to gather everyone in one place,” Epel said. “To come up with ideas.”
Vil scoffed. “As if half of those fools can even look farther than their own nose. I don’t trust anyone else to treat this issue with the delicate hand it needs.”
“Perhaps,” Rook said smoothly. “But we must consider that our dear Trickster has made a place in the hearts of many others. And while your methods would obviously be far superior and much more beautiful, we can’t discount the interference of well meaning interlopers.” Rook gave Epel a wink as he skillfully directed Vil into cooperation.
“Hmm,” Vil hummed, snapping the book shut. “Unfortunately, you have a point. Very well. Epel, we will attend this conclave. If nothing else than to emphasize that we know what’s best for (Y/N), despite what those uncultured miscreants might think.”
Epel set his apple down, stabbing his knife upright. He grinned wickedly. “Absolutely, House Warden.”
~~~
Jamil was cooking. Which, in itself, wasn’t that unusual. Jamil cooked all the time. Special meals for Kalim to ensure nothing was tampered with, feasts for the almost weekly Scarabia parties, just to have something other than the repetitive cafeteria fair. But whatever Jamil was doing now caused the gathered Scarabia students to stay out of the kitchen, watching in concern from their hiding places around the door.
Jamil was staring straight ahead, not paying attention to the incredibly sharp knife in his hand. He methodically chopped fruits and vegetables, not paying any attention that they were already in minuscule cubes, juices dripping down the counter to pool at his feet. A pot on the stove was close to boiling over. Even the fridge had been left open, cold air escaping into the warm room.
“Hey, what’s up?” Kalim asked, seeing his dorm mates crowded around the kitchen entrance. He sniffed the air and smiled. “Ooh, Jamil is cooking something good! Are you all waiting for it to be ready?”
“Uh, House Warden?” One of the students said tentatively. “I think you should check on Vice House Warden Jamil. He seems…”
“Stressed?” Someone offered.
“Distracted,” Another said.
“About to Overblot again,” A third muttered under their breath. The boys around him shushed him.
“Don’t worry, I’ll see what’s up!” Kalim said cheerfully. He waved them away, coming into the kitchen with the same happy-go-lucky free spirit he did everything with, not noticing the warry looks the departing students gave him. “Jamil!” He greeted, slapping Jamil’s shoulder. “What’s up?”
Jamil barely flinched, still looking at something in the far distance only he could see. “(Y/N) is leaving.”
“Hmm? Do we have a vacation coming up?”
“No, she’s leaving.”
Kalim’s smile started to falter. “Is she transferring or something? Like to Nobel Bell College?”
“No.” Jamil slammed the knife down, lodging in the cutting board. “She’s leaving. Leaving Night Raven College, leaving Sage’s Island, leaving Twisted Wonderland, leaving m-” He cut himself off. With a sharp pull, he yanked the knife out of the board, sliding over a sweet potato to dice. “She’s going back to her world. Crowley must have found a way. Ace and Floyd told me at basketball practice today. They’re organizing some sort of meeting with the others to talk about it. Whatever good that will do.”
“Oh.” Kalim blinked, thinking. “That… would be bad.”
Jamil laughed dourly. “That’s an understatement.”
Kamil smiled again. “Well, that’s fine. You can fix that easy, right?” Jamil stopped, turning to Kalim with a quizzical look. Kalim tapped his temple next to his eye. “You know, with your unique magic! You can just tell her not to leave, like you did with me.” He didn’t say it with any malice, not blaming Jamil for their past misadventure.
“I…”
“Oh, come on,” Kalim said, jumping up and coming over to Jamil, leaning against the counter and plucking at the desiccated food. “Don’t tell me you didn’t think of it. I know Snake Whisper doesn't last for too long, but if we bring her to one of the Asim chateaus, you know, maybe in the middle of the Scalding Sands desert, you can just recast it whenever, right? Oh, unless that wears you out too much. I bet we can find another way to keep her around while you recover though!” Kalim popped a date in his mouth nonchalantly, as if he hadn’t just suggested kidnapping and hypnotizing their friend for an undetermined period of time.
“You…” Jamil started, trailing off. He laughed, shaking his head. He turned down the stove on the boiling pot, scrapping the chopped vegetables into a bowl, and kicked the fridge door closed. “Well, if I have your permission, then who am I to argue?”
Kalim just smiled, eating another date.
~~~
Idia was typing so fast his hands were practically a blur. On his multi-monitor computer setup, footage from the multiple hidden cameras around campus zoomed by as he searched for specific information. He gnawed on his thumb nail.
“And you’re sure she said that?” He asked Ortho, resting in his charging station. “The Bird Brain found a way for her to go back-” He almost said ‘home,’ but that word didn’t feel right when talking about you. This was your home now, right? It was. It had to be. “Back to her original world?”
“Prefect (Y/N) was speaking to Ace Trapolla and Deuce Spade, so I didn’t hear her exact wording or was able to monitor her vitals for evidence of deception,” Ortho said. “But she had invited us and the others involved in the various Overblot incidents to dinner this Saturday, which aligns with the announcement they said she wanted to make.”
Idia kept clicking, following (Y/N)’s movements the day before she dropped a bombshell on Ace and Deuce. The world sped by at 10x speed on the screen. Idia’s hair sparked with red and orange as his concern, rage, and betrayal simmered underneath the surface.
He slowed the replay speed down as (Y/N) approached the Headmage’s office, meeting Crowley outside the door. There wasn’t any audio, Idia cursed himself for not installing that feature ahead of time. (Y/N) indicated the office and Crowley held the doors open for her with a flourish. He cursed again that he hadn’t managed to sneak any cameras in the office.
Idia sped up the footage again, scrambling when (Y/N) and Crowley left the office only a few minutes later. He would have thought a conversation about her possible return would have taken a lot longer. Crowley dramatically mimed wiping a tear from his masked eye, shaking her hand with both of his. As they were speaking, Professor Trein and Professor Crewel both walked up. Crowley waved them over, animatedly speaking to them, waving at (Y/N). Crewel patted her head while Trein gave her a warm smile and nod. Idia could just read Crewel’s lips as he said, “Good luck, pup.”
‘Good luck’? Why would she need good luck? She had all the luck she needed if she stayed here. How else would you explain all of the incidents that had happened all year while still escaping unscathed? You would only lose that luck if you went somewhere else, somewhere far, too far, away.
Idia bashed his hands against his keyboard, his fire-like hair engulfed in red, hitting the keys to pause the video. The video had stopped on a shot of her face, smiling, eyes crinkled at the corners, hand up in a silent goodbye.
No, not goodbye. Not if he could help it.
“Ortho,” Idia said. “Send a message to Mom and Dad. We’ll need a guest room set up.”
~~~
“And you told Azul before me?!” Riddle raged.
Ace and Deuce cringed back, subconsciously guarding their throats in case Riddle unleashed his unique magic.
The two first years had corralled Riddle, Trey, and Cater in one of the tea rooms at the Heatslabyul dorm. While Riddle had already started the impromptu meeting annoyed, there were rules for setting an assembly, priorities quickly shifted.
“Riddle,” Trey said, trying to keep his voice even and calm. “Would you want (Y/N) to see you like this?”
Riddle flinched back at Trey’s statement. He forced his shoulders to relax, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. “One, two, three,” He began counting. “What’s he doing?” Deuce whispered.
“Counting,” Riddle said, voice still steely. “To try and calm my nerves so I don’t do something you’ll regret!”
“Don’t you mean ‘something I’ll regret’?” Ace asked. Deuce glared at him.
Riddle smiled coldly. “Yes, you will regret it.”
“Cater?” Deuce asked. The ginger-haired boy was humming tunelessly, tapping on his phone what a vacant look on his face. “Are you okay?”
“Of course,” Cater said. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because (Y/N) might be leaving and we’ll never see or hear from her ever again?”
Cater only stared at him, blinking, eyes lost in a thousand yard stare. He suddenly perked up. “Oh! That reminds me. (Y/N) and I were going to go to the Glass Slipper Gala this summer! It’s pretty much impossible to get tickets to the actual event, obvi, but there are all these side parties where people dress up for the theme that year. Totally Magicamable and sups adorbs.” He lifted his phone and took a selfie, retreating back into his own world as he kept tapping on the screen.
“I… think he might be in denial,” Trey sighed. “It is a big change, I suppose.”
“That’s what I’m saying,” Ace said, spreading his hands. “It doesn't have to be! When we meet up with everyone tomorrow night-”
“Everyone?” Trey asked. “The more people involved in this, the more likely it is to get out of control. Especially with the, uh, strong personalities we have here.”
“So,” Ace said. “That’s why we’re telling you guys now. We’re obviously the best people to handle this. Sure, we let the other dorms think they’re in control, but that’s only the first part of the plan. You got to appeal to their egos, you know? And after that…”
“We swoop in with Heatslabuyl style and save the day!” Deuce finished.
“We all know she likes us best, anyway,” Ace said, leaning back with a confident grin. “And if we ‘save’ her from whatever those guys have planned, say we need to lay low for a while…”
“Then she not only depends on us,” Trey said, picking up the thread. “But she’ll also feel indebted to us.”
“And if anyone else tries to swoop in and make a nuisance of themselves,” Riddle continued. “She’ll be hesitant to trust anyone from the outside.”
“What’s that saying?” Deuce asked. “A gilded cage is still gilded?”
“Not exactly,” Trey said. “But, I’ll admit, it has the making of a good plan.”
Riddle humphed, hands on his hips. “Well, then, we don’t have very long. We need a strategy going into this meeting. Here,” He arranged parts of the tea set around the table, assigning each of them to one of their cabal. “We can use this to start visualizing a scenario.”
“Maybe we can wear matching outfits,” Cater said dreamily, still off in his own world.
~~~
Leona leaned back against the tree, crossing his arms behind his head, eyes closed. “So?” He said. His tail twitched restlessly beside him, the only sign of agitation.
Jack frowned. “So? So (Y/N) might be leaving and never coming back. We have to do something about this.”
“So, if she wants to go and throw away everything she has here, everyone who cares about her, everything she’s built, fine, go ahead. No skin off my nose.”
Ruggie’s ears were flat back against his head. “You’re such a liar.”
Leona cracked one eye open, glaring. “What was that?”
Ruggie jumped to his feet, gnashing his teeth. “Don’t just sit there and pretend you don’t care! Don’t act like this isn’t your fault! You act so laissez-faire all the time, like you don’t care about anyone or anything. You just push people away, you’ve pushed her away! And now we’re all paying for your inferiority complex!”
Leona lunged at Ruggie so fast Jack’s eyes couldn’t even track it. One second they were a yard apart, Leona pouting with not a care in the world, Ruggie standing, fists clenched tightly at his side. The next they were tumbling over each other, Ruggie snapping his teeth at Leona’s obviously superior strength as the House Warden held him down. Jack watched in shock, torn between wanting to pull them apart and respect for his seniors.
Leona pushed Ruggie face first into the dirt. Ruggie still snarled, letting out short breathed barks like an angry cackle. Leona hefted him up by the back of his shirt, biting down hard on the scruff of Ruggie’s neck. Ruggie immediately went limp, like a rag doll in the hands of a petulant child. Leona dropped him, standing over his still body and huffing hard.
“You,” He hissed. “Don’t get to challenge me. You don’t get to tell me how I’m meant to react. You have no idea how I feel, about her or anything else.”
Ruggie looked over his shoulder, glaring daggers, but said nothing.
“I-” Jack started. His voice caught in his throat in a lump at the withering look Leona gave him. “I told the others you would be able to help. No one is doubting you’re a good leader,” His eyes cut to Ruggie on the floor, who scowled but said nothing. “We all know it. We also all know you care a lot more than you pretend to. You’re clever, an amazing strategist, and you have abilities and resources none of us could dream of. Be honest with yourself. After everything that’s happened, after your Overblot, would you really be fine with (Y/N) disappearing?”
“And do you really want Malleus scooping her up? You know he will.” Ruggie mumbled.
Leona stalked around the glade, ears back and tail thrashing. He ground his teeth, fangs cutting into his lower lip. He roared, hand striking out, claws raking across a tree to leave deep gashes. He huffed, straightening and turning around. With little effort, he picked Ruggie up by the back of his vest and set him on his feet.
He looked at the two of them, face set in determination. “Alright. (Y/N)’s not going anywhere.”
~~~
The sky around the Diasomnia dorm cracked with green lightning. Students ran for cover, dodging torrents of hail, sleet, and needle-like rain. Dark clouds swirled around the spiky towers of the dorm, threatening to turn into tornados.
Silver, Sebek, and Lilia trailed behind Malleus, futilely trying to catch up with his long strides. Lilia hopped up and quickly flew in front of the dragon prince.
“Now, just a moment, Malleus,” Lilia pleaded, hands up.
Malleus evaporated in a cascade of green sparks, reappearing several feet behind Lilia, continuing his determined march without a pause in his step. Lilia sighed and rolled his eyes, catching back up with the two knights in training.
“We don’t know for sure if she’s leaving,” Silver said, trying to act as a voice of reason.
“What other conclusions would you draw from that?” Sebek snapped. “His majesty deserves to have every piece of available information to make the best decision for all involved.”
“Which is why we need to slow down and think things through.”
“Are you doubting Lord Malleus’s desition making skills in the time of crisis?”
“She shall be kept in the highest room in the tallest tower deep in the heart of Briar Valley,” Malleus said, almost to himself. “I’ll lock her in shackles of gold, give her a collar of diamonds and pearls, line her cage with velvet. No one shall take my child of man from my side, be it herself or any one else.”
They looked at each other, quickening their step.
Just as Malleus was reaching for the front door, ready to burst through to the mirror room, Lilia jumped in front of him, arms splayed wide. “Hold it!” He shouted. “Hold everything!” Malleus frowned, crossing his arms and glaring. Lilia put a hand to his chest, trying to catch his breath. “Honestly, I can’t keep up with you young ones anymore.”
“I suggest you think carefully about what you say next, old man,” Malleus said coldly.
“And I suggest you think carefully about the consequences of your actions, not to mention those around you. Really, do you think any of us want to see (Y/N) leave? Of course not. That’s why Sebek came to tell you in the first place. He trusts you enough to know you would be able to deftly handle the situation. And if you would stop to think for a moment, you would realize marching up to Ramshackle, spells blazing, would only create a rift between you and our dear Prefect, yes?” Malleus pressed his lips together, obviously still annoyed at the interruption, but understanding Lilia’s perspective. “As the future ruler of the Briar Valley, you need to learn how to handle matters with finesse as well as brutality. You don’t want to show (Y/N) a darker side of yourself, right? She already thinks the world of you, we all know that, don’t we, boys?” Lilia motioned Silver and Sebek, who nodded. “Simply telling her what you want and expecting no resistance might, well, damage her option of you, however misguided she might be.”
“She is misguided,” Malleus said. “And a wayward subject needs a firm hand to direct them.”
“But (Y/N) isn’t a subject,” Silver interjected. He had to stop himself from physically taking a step back at the sudden heat of Malleus’s gaze. “At least, not yet. It’s like… Frogs. Remember, Father?”
“Frogs? Oh, yes! How clever, Silver!” Lilia said, clapping his hands. “If you put a frog in a pot of water and slowly turn up the heat underneath it, the frog won’t realize the water is boiling until it’s too late.”
“So, acclimation?” Malleus said.
“Exactly!” Sebek said. “That was our original plan! We keep her here just long enough to convince her this is the best place to be. And, of course, who wouldn’t want to stay in your glorious presents, Lord Malleus?”
Lightning continued to crackle across the sky, but the deluge had reduced to a mild thunderstorm.
“I will not lose her.”
“Of course not! None of us want to, we would never dream of it!” Lilia said.
Malleus closed his eyes in thought for a moment before turning to Silver and Sebek. He called their names and they stood at attention. “I have a list of ingredients I need before this… meeting. I trust you will be able to procure them for me quickly.” He manifested paper and a quill pen from the air, the list writing itself midair before tearing in half and splitting between the two knights. They left with a salute.
As they went to search, Lilia hummed, floating next to Malleus. “That is quite the potion you want to brew.”
“Reassurance and reinforcement,” Malleus said. “In case someone wants to try and make things difficult for us. After all, dragons are naturally jealous creatures.”
~~~
They congregated in the House Warden’s meeting room under cover of night. It was all cloak and dagger, literally in some cases. Tensions were high, the atmosphere in the room could have been cut with a knife. The House Warden’s took their seats around the round table, the others standing dutifully behind them.
Everyone looked at each other with suspicion. Why should they have any say with what happened to (Y/N)? They weren’t as close to her, didn’t deserve her as much as the other party. They would only hurt her in the end. ‘No, our plan is the best,’ Each group thought. Although they had originally arranged to create one master plan with every dorm involved, the meeting quickly descended into shouting voices, a cacophony of accusations, declarations, and split tensions.
The din only subsided briefly when the door to the meeting room was opened. Sebek and Silver both held one door open for Malleus to stride through, looking for all the world like the crown prince he was. Lilia floated behind him, giving a small wave as they entered.
“Oh, dear,” Lilia said. “I hope we’re not too late.”
“Not at all,” Riddle said through clenched teeth. “We were just discussing what we should do at the dinner tomorrow when (Y/M) makes her announcement.”
“There is no discussion,” Azul said. “We need to make a move before that! I’ve drafted a contract that would-”
“Again with your contracts,” Jamil interrupted. “And how exactly are you planning on getting her to sign it? She’s not as easy to trick as some more gullible people.”
“Hey!” Ace shouted. “Don’t act so high and mighty! Everyone on campus knows that we’re her best friends!” “That’s right!” Deuce said. “We only brought you all in as a courtesy. We should be the ones who decide what happens next!”
Arguments broke out again, everyone talking over each other, spells aching to be slung.
Malleus took his seat and watched the growing chaos. He swept his eyes over the tables, taking in the faces of all involved. For a moment, he was touched. You had truly ingrained yourself in the lives of everyone present in such a short amount of time. They were all willing to do so much for you, risk everything, all for your benefit. And you didn’t even realize it.
But, of course, his love was the purest of them all.
Cooly, Malleus plucked a vial from his front pocket, setting it on the table without a word. He leaned back in his chair, waiting for their reactions. As the participants took note of the new object, talk dwindled to silence. The air went still as every eye focused on the small bottle Malleus set on the table. It was no bigger than three inches tall, frosted glass, with a ball shaped stopper. A light pink liquid sloshing around inside, seeming to swirl completely independent of any outside influence. It glowed slightly, casting their astonished faces in a sickly sweet light.
“A love potion?” Vil said breathlessly.
“That is… highly illegal,” Riddle said.
“I’m sorry,” Malleus said. “I thought we were looking for solutions.”
“And besides,” Lilia added cooly. “Isn’t everything we’re discussing now highly illegal?”
“Can you even call it illegal for a person who doesn't legally exist?” Jade thought out loud.
“Hang on,” Leona said, standing. “A love potion would only work on the first person she sees after she drinks it. What are you trying to plan here, lizard?”
Malleus looked down at Leona. “It would be best if she were to be with the one who is able to take the best care of her. Unless you’re suggesting you could do better?”
“I think,” Vil interjected before Leona had a chance to start another fight. “What Leona is saying is that we all care deeply about (Y/N). That’s why we’re all here, isn’t it? And if she were to be, let’s say, connected to only one person, it might defeat the whole purpose of us coming together to find a solution to our mutual problem.”
“If it’s the first person she sees,” Kalim said. “Well, we’ll all be together for dinner anyway, right? Is there a way we can have her see us all at the same time?”
“If Prefect (Y/N) is standing at the head of the table,” Ortho said, holding his hands out to visualize the situation. “Then it is possible to have multiple people in her field of vision at the same time.”
“Hang on,” Trey said. “I know we’re talking about essentially kidnapping here, but isn’t a love potion a little extreme?”
“Maybe we could consider that a last resort?” Idia said. “Especially since we’re already planning on trying to convince her to stay in other ways.”
Malleus plucked up the vial and tucked it back into his pocket. “If that is the general consensus, I’ll agree for now.”
“For now,” Leona echoes with a glare. Malleus smiled pleasantly at him.
The introduction of the ultimate ultimatum seemed to cool tensions in the group. Eventually, a tentative agreement was reached. Of course, whether or not everyone would actually follow that agreement day of was up for debate. The factions retreated to their dorms, waiting for the next day with both trepidation and anxiety-riddled anticipation.
~~~
(Y/N) felt like something was off. On the surface, everything was normal. Well, as normal as it could be for this particular group of magic students. Everyone seemed to be chatting pleasantly enough, sitting around a long table (Y/N) and Grim had pulled into the Ramshackle guestroom. But, the more she paid attention, the more stiff everyone came across. She felt like everyone was watching her, that there would be a group pause whenever she spoke. It made goosebumps spring up on her arms.
She supposed it might have been a general reaction to her sudden invitation and the announcement she had said she wanted to make. She thought she should have found out a better way to tell everyone at once, maybe something that would have caused less stress. She had hoped that having good food and good company would make this less stressful, for her and them. But, possibly aside from Ruggie and Grim both scarfing down whatever they would get their hands on, almost everyone else seemed to be picking at their food.
‘Well,’ She thought. ‘No time like the present.’ She stood, shivering a little when everyone’s head snapped in her direction. Even if she already had their attention, she still cleared her throat to prepare for her announcement. “Hello! First, I want to thank you all for coming! I know everyone values their day off, so I appreciate you all taking the time to come see me.I also wanted to say how much you all mean to me. I came here with nothing, no idea how I got here, no magic, obviously. And I’ll admit there have been some really intense and scary moments, but I’ve been able to get through everything thanks to all of you. And I wouldn’t want to be stuck here with anybody else. I’m so happy I got to meet you all.” At this, her voice cracked a little, eyes going misty. Grim jumped into her arms and she pulled him close in a tight hug. “Right, anyway, sorry, I’m getting sentimental. So, as I’m sure you all know, Crowley has been looking for a way for me to go back to my world since I came here. And the other day, well, I told him to stop. I’ve decided I’m going to stay here, in Twisted Wonderland. I know it will be hard, and to be honest, I’m not really sure how a lot of it will work out. But there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
All was silent, a spring coiled ready to snap. Then, Cater burst into tears.
“Cater?” (Y/N) asked, worried. She rushed over to him and he slung his arms around her, pulling her in for a hug.
“I-I thought-thought that you-” Cater tried to say through sobs. “I’m so happy!”
And with that, the room relaxed. A collective breath was released as everyone finally seemed to come back to themselves.
With the tension finally broken, (Y/N) felt her shoulders relax. She wasn’t totally sure what reaction she was going to get, it definitely wasn’t what she was expecting from Cater. For the past few days she felt a heavy miasma building over her, a sense of dread that kept building but she couldn’t find a source for. As she watched her friends chat, passing plates between each other, clinking glasses, she smiled. She should have known there wasn’t anything to worry about. After all, she had everyone here with her. She knew she could always trust them to have her back.
After the party meandered to a close, (Y/N) made the rounds of saying goodnight to everyone as they got ready to leave. Although, as they might say in her world, it definitely felt like a ‘Minnesota long goodbye.’ Everyone was lingering, coming up with just one more thing to talk about, putting on coats only to take them off again, wondering out loud if she was really sure she didn’t need help cleaning up, and it was already dark out, would it maybe be easier if they just stayed the night? People seemed to linger tonight, an extra touch on her shoulder, a hug just a second longer than usual, a turn on phrase that hid something (Y/N) couldn’t see. But, considering the tense atmosphere at the beginning of their dinner, she tallied it up to whatever strange mood had taken her friends.
(Y/N) puffed out a breath as Ace unexpectedly crashed into her back, throwing his arms around her to pull into a backward hug. “Geeze, (Y/N)” He whined without any real heat. “You sure know how to make something dramatic, huh? Got us worried something bad was happening for a while.”
“Don’t be mean,” Deuce said. He smiled. “Seriously, we’re really glad you’re deciding to stay, though. You’ll let me know if you need any help, yeah?”
“You’ll let us know,” Ace clarified. (Y/N) missed the glare that passed between them. “Speaking of, next time you - Ack!” Ace was cut off with a heart-shaped collar suddenly appearing around his neck, Deuce sporting a matching one, his eyes downcast and lip wobbling.
“You’ll have to excuse us, (Y/N),” Riddle said, tugging at Ace’s collar. “These two are late for a lecture on causing unnecessary panic.” With Trey comforting a still misty-eyed Cater and Riddle dragging away the other two first years who waved goodbye with resigned compliance, they departed into the night.
“Thanks for having us,” Jack said. Ruggie’s arms were piled high with plenty of Tupperware loaded with leftovers. Leona stood behind, trying to look disinterested, but keeping a sharp eye on anyone who tried to get too close to their conversation.
“Of course! I’m glad you guys could come. I was just thinking - Oh, Ruggie!” (Y/N) gasped, reaching out for the red circular mark on the back of Ruggie’s neck. “Are you okay?”
Ruggie’s hand shot up, covering what suspiciously looked like a bite mark. From over her shoulder, Leona shot him a glare that could turn a man to stone.
“Oh, yeah, fine!” Ruggie said quickly. “Yeah, just-”
“Just doing something stupid,” Leona cut in. “That won’t be a problem in the future, right?”
Ruggie’s ears went flat as he narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, you got it, House Warden.”
(Y/N) opened her mouth to ask if everything was alright between them when Jack cut her off. “We’ll see you tomorrow, (Y/N). If you have any trouble now that you’ve decided to stay, you can always come to Savannahclaw first.”
(Y/N) blinked at the sudden stoniness of Jack’s voice. “I’ll… Keep that in mind. Thanks, Jack.”
As she waved them off she felt a familiar prickle at the back of her neck. With half a second to spare, she quickly sidestepped, dodging Floyd’s incoming hug. He stumbled a little bit, turning to glare, but the effect was ruined by the wide cheerful smile on his face.
“Shrimpy~” He said in a singsong voice. “You’re not trying to escape me again, are you?”
“Again?” She said. “What-”
“What my brother means to say,” Jade said. “Is that we’re very happy we’ll continue to be blessed with your presents.”
“Sure,” (Y/N) said. “I’m happy, too.”
“And of course,” Azul continued smoothly. “If you happen to have any difficulties settling in, we would be more than happy to assist you. Why, I’d even be so inclined to offer our services at a discount! For old times sake.”
“Or,” Jade said, slinging his arm around her shoulder. “You could just move to the bottom of the sea with us.”
“You would get used to the cold,” Floyd said, wrapping his arm around her other shoulder. “We could just squeeze you real tight to keep you warm.”
“Thanks for the offer, guys,” She said, shrugging out of their constricting embrace.
“If you want to stay somewhere warm,” Kalim interrupted, grasping her arm and pulling her into him. “Why won’t you come to Silk City? I bet my family would love to meet you! Right, Jamil?”
Jamil had an unfocused, faraway look in his eye, only snapping back when Kalim said his name. He moved to put himself between them and the Octavinelle trio. “Right,” He said. He tilted his head down, hair falling in a curtain to separate them from the rest of the room, Kalim’s hug tightened as his smile sharpened. Jamil met (Y/N)’s eyes. “(Y/N), look at me for a second. I-”
“(Y/N)!” She was yanked out of Kalim’s tightening constrictor hug into an equally smothering embrace, heady with the scent of lilac and apples. “There you are! I’m so happy to see you!” Epel continued. He was using that formal voice, pitched higher to emphasize his naturally cute appearance that Vil had been training him in.
“Oui, mon trickster! We couldn’t bear to leave without complimenting what a wonderful party you put together!” Rook continued, snatching her out of Epel’s arms into his own. (Y/N) was starting to get dizzy from being thrown in between people so much. As Rook took her full attention, Epel sneered at the Scarabia duo, sticking out his tongue before melting back into the perfect picture of polite sweetness.
Vil interrupted (Y/N) getting smothered with a gentle but definitive touch on her shoulder. “I can’t tell you how pleased your decision makes me, (Y/N),” He said. (Y/N) sometimes forgot that outside of NRC, Vil was ranked as one of the most beautiful people in the world, a five-star actor and model. At this moment, with him looking down at her with every ounce of that carefully cultivated deminor, it took her breath away. She would have done almost anything he asked of her at that moment. Which was exactly what he was banking on.
“I’d love for you to consider spending the summer in the Shaftlands with me. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to be all alone here on campus, and I could use an assistant during filming.”
“Or,” Epel said sharply. “You can come with me to Harveston! We could always use a couple extra hands in the orchards. And you know my grandma would love to see you again. You liked it there the last time, right? She’d be so disappointed if she didn’t get to see you.”
“The Hunt family always love visitors!” Rook added.
“Thanks, guys,” (Y/N) said, twisting out of their grasp. They snatched at the air where she was, fixing their faces back to pleasant smiles when she turned to face them. “I appreciate it. I’m not really sure what it’s going to be like when the school year is over, but I’ll let you know!”
“If you’re talking about traveling,” Ortho said, taking her hand and pulling her over to Idia who was stabbing at his tablet, eyes darting as she came over. “You can come with us! The Isle of Woe is unlike anywhere in the world! And we’ve got a ton of cool tech that Idia’s been working on, right, Idia?”
Idia stuttered to life, pressing the tablet to his chest to hide the screen (Were those images of the rooms around Ramshackle?). “What? Oh, yeah, sure! It’ll be better than the last time, probably. I could probably convince Mom and Dad to get you an internship.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think I’m half as smart enough to know anything about all that stuff you guys work with. It’s all sci-fi as far as I can tell. But I wouldn’t mind visiting, if that’s okay! I’d love to be able to explore everything when we’re not worrying about Overblot Phantoms. Uh, sorry.”
“You shouldn’t have to apologize for something that’s true,” Sebek said, stepping up, shoulders back, hands clasped tightly behind him. He and Idia exchanged knife-sharp looks, Idia’s hair sparking red at the edges. Ortho quickly swooped in, giving their goodbyes and pushing Idia away.
Sebek’s eyes trailed them with military precision as Lilia swept in to distract (Y/N). “Oh, I can’t tell you how happy you’ve made me!” Lilia said, exaggeratedly sniffing and whipping an invisible tear from his eye.
“We know it might be hard to adjust,” Silver said. “But we want you to know that we all care about you and we’re more than willing to help.”
“And we do mean anything,” Lilia said. “You should definitely come to us first, okay? No need to waste time on anyone else.”
“‘Waste time’?” (Y/N) asked.
“What Father means is,” Silver interjected. “We want you to know you can rely on us. With making sure a big change, there’s bound to be some uneven footing. You’ve proved you’re more than capable over and over again, but still…” His hand drifted out, trailing along her sleeve, before catching himself and snatching it back, gripping the hilt of his magical baton tightly.
“We should go,” Sebek said. He looked sternly at (Y/N). “Don’t do anything stupid, human.”
“I try every day.”
~~~
The night air was warm as (Y/N) stood on the front steps of the old house, waving goodbye as her guests departed for the night. As much as she loved to see them, she admitted to herself that it was kind of nice to finally have Ramshackle to herself for the night. Well, herself plus Grim and the ghosts, but whatever. Malleus stepped out next to her. He nodded at his dorm mates, giving them a look that (Y/N) missed.
(Y/N) stepped back inside, starting to pick up plates and leftovers. Malleus stood in the doorway, horns brushing the top of the doorframe, unmoving except for his eyes which tracked her.
“I’m glad you came,” She said, stacking plates. “I mean, I knew you would, but I’m still happy.”
“Of course,” Malleus said, fully stepping into the room. “I would come whenever you call.”
“Sap,” (Y/N) teased. She paused, plates clinking against each other. “I’m glad I’m staying. And I’m glad everyone is so willing to help. I mean, I know we’ve all been through a lot together here, but this is a lot all at once. It’s kind of scary, you know? There’s so much basic information about this world that I still don’t know. I mean, I’ve been pretty lucky that I’ve been able to visit so many places like going to everyone’s hometown and everything. But it feels like everyday I learn something totally new that rearranges my whole perception of the world, and everyone else just treats it like normal. I…” She trailed off. “You know Rollo and I have kept in touch? He asked if I would come visit during spring break. Fluer City is supposed to be beautiful that time of year, but I think it’s probably beautiful any time of year. He’s tried to convince me to transfer to Nobel Bell College a couple of times, but I told him I like it here too much. But Professor Crewel said he might be able to get me an internship at a fashion house there, did you know he used to be a designer? Anyway, it’s something that doesn't need magic, so it could be a good fit. And now everyone is offering me a place to stay after graduation. Hey, maybe I’ll do a full Twisted Wonderland tour! I’ll have to start figuring out where I’ll be after school anyway, right? A degree from Night Raven College might be prestigious, but not having any magic can only get me so far, you know? I’ll need to take whatever opportunity I can get.”
Malleus froze, turning her words over in his head. He stepped forward. “You work so hard, dear Child of Man,” He said. He placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. “Please, sit, you deserve a moment of respite. Here, drink this.” A mug of some steaming and sweet smelling drink appeared in Malleus’s hands. He pressed it into hers, insistent.
“Oh, thanks, Hornton,” She said, taking a long sip, not noticing the slight pink sheen of the steaming liquid.
#twisted wonderland#wafflefriesfic#fanfic#twst#malleus draconia#riddle rosehearts#cater diamond#floyd leech#jade leech#jamil viper#ace trappola#deuce spade#trey clover#ruggie bucchi#leona kingscholar#jack howl#azul ashengrotto#kalim al asim#vil schoenheit#epel felmier#rook hunt#idia shroud#ortho shroud#lilia vanrouge#silver#sebek zigvolt#twisted wonderland x reader#twst x reader#yandere#yandere x reader
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Dr. Dreamy | Na Jaemin - Part 2
pairing: doctor!na jaemin x fem reader genre: smut wc: 5.1k summary: you’re the best valentine’s day gift jaemin’s ever had the pleasure of unwrapping. content warning: explicit sexual content, some bdsm-ish stuff (bondage), temperature play, breast play, usage of sex toys, multiple orgasms, edging, fingering, oral sex (m. receiving), mating press, lmk if i missed any! a/n: couldn’t wait for valentine’s day to post this sooo here it is (granted, over a month late) but i hope it makes up for the wait and satisfies all those who were craving a part two <3 thank you so much for reading and loving the first part. ps: read part 1 for the plot, this one is purely smut. oh and it feels important to add that juno by sabrina carpenter was on repeat while writing this. “have you tried this one?” picture jaemin saying that lol
part 1
Valentine’s Day had been exhausting for Jaemin. He barely had the energy to even think. The hospital was a madhouse. He’d never expected that so many injuries would come from couples trying something new with their partners. By the time he clocked out, it was already 11 PM, and he couldn’t shake the guilt gnawing at him for missing your first Valentine’s Day together.
But as soon as he stepped through the door, his thoughts of guilt disappeared. There you were, lounging on the couch, eating strawberries. You were wearing nothing but the skimpiest piece of lingerie he’d ever seen before.
His breath caught in his throat as your gaze fell on him, a slow smile curling on your lips. “Long day?” you asked, your voice dripping with sweetness.
Jaemin’s throat tightened, but he managed to choke out a response. “Yeah… you could say that.” His voice cracked slightly as his eyes scanned over your body. “You look....”
“Good, I hope?” You giggled softly when he couldn’t finish his sentence.
“Absolutely,” he said, swallowing hard. “…Are you trying to kill me?”
You smiled and stood up slowly, giving him a full view of your curves. His gaze followed your every movement as you sauntered toward him. You stopped just inches from him, his body stiffening in anticipation. His hands ached to touch you.
“What’s the matter?” you teased, pressing your body against his lightly. “You look like you want something.”
Jaemin bit back a smirk, trying to hold on to his composure. He leaned in, brushing your hair back from your neck, his lips grazing your skin. “And you look like you're offering something.”
You laughed, the sound of it making him feel lighter, but he couldn’t ignore the way his heart pounded in his chest, or the tightness between his legs that was only growing. You seemed to notice it too, your hand slipping down his chest. “I think you might be right,” you said with a wink.
Jaemin tried to maintain some semblance of self-control, but his hands betrayed him by wandering to your waist on their own. You flinched slightly from the coldness and he smiled at that.
"You know," he said, with a half-smirk, "I'm not that easy." There was a playful challenge in his eyes. "You have to try harder than this."
“Oh, really?” you grinned, your voice dripping with mock innocence. "Well, I think I can manage."
He felt the heat in his body surge just thinking about what you had planned for him. When you turned and began leading him to your room, he couldn’t help but let his eyes trace every curve of your body, lingering on the flimsy string of fabric between your cheeks—just a bow for him to undo.
Jaemin followed you into the bedroom, his mouth going agape at the sight. Candles flickered softly on the bedside tables, and rose petals were scattered across the floor and on the bed. The whole scene looked straight out of a movie, but it was real, and it was for him.
“Wow,” he murmured, genuinely impressed. “Princess, this is amazing. I should’ve done this for you…” His voice dropped, a slight frown forming as he looked at you.
“You can do it next year,” you replied, and the fact that you were already planning another Valentine’s Day with him made his heart swell. You closed the space between you, pulling him down by his neck and kissing along his jaw.
“You must be tired,” you whispered against his skin.
Jaemin's hands roamed over your back, cupping your ass making you gasp at the sudden touch. When your lips parted, he took the opportunity to kiss you. He slipped his tongue into your mouth, tasting the strawberries you’d been eating.
“Not anymore,” he whispered, lifting you up by your hips, your legs locked around his waist. He carried you to the bed, never breaking the kiss, his lips moving against yours with need.
You pulled away, and for a moment he thought you would kiss him again. Instead, you gently pushed him down onto the bed and guided him to lie back. His chest rose and fell with anticipation, lips parted as you climbed over him and settled on top. He stayed still, pretending to be unaffected, but you noticed the way his muscles tensed as he fought to hold back.
"I want to try something new," you said, your voice laced with playful daring.
Jaemin raised an eyebrow, a teasing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Oh? Do I get a say in this?”
You paused for a moment before tugging his shirt up and over his head, letting your fingers graze his skin as you did. Your gaze roamed over him slowly, as if committing every inch to memory. His broad shoulders, abs that tensed whenever he took a breath, the faint happy trail he’d stopped shaving just because you said you liked it, the love bites still lingering on his chest from the other night.
Reaching for his hand, you guided it to the delicate bow at the center of your bra, your lips curling into a teasing smile. “Go on,” you murmured, “unwrap your present.”
Jaemin raised an eyebrow, smirking. He tugged on the bow and the bra fell open, exposing your breasts. He couldn’t help the soft, reverent exhale that escaped him. “Fuck…” he groaned, his hands reaching to touch you, but you stopped him with a soft but firm hand on his shoulder.
“Ah, ah,” you tutted, leaning in to kiss the frown from his face. “Let me take care of you first.”
Jaemin opened his mouth to protest, but then you were gone. He saw you searching in the drawer, and when you returned to the bed, you had something hidden behind your back. You leaned in close, whispering in his ear.
“Do you trust me, Jaem?”
He nodded, his voice barely a whisper. “Of course.”
Then, you pulled out a blindfold, and he froze, anticipation and excitement flooding his system in equal parts “What are you planning, love?” he asked, his tone soft but amused.
“Something you’ll really like,” you whispered, placing a kiss below his ear.
Jaemin chuckled nervously, shivering slightly. “Should I be worried?”
You only smiled, slipping the blindfold over his eyes. He swallowed hard, his heart pounding as his world went dark. His other senses immediately heightened and he tensed when he felt you reach for his wrists.
The soft touch of silk against his skin made him flinch. “Wait—what are you—” His breath hitched as you wrapped the restraints carefully around him.
His fingers twitched, an instinctive urge to move, but the fabric held him firm. He gave a small, experimental tug, testing the hold, and a shiver ran through him when he realized he couldn’t easily free himself. There was something almost dizzying about being kept like this, unable to touch you, forced to wait. The helplessness only made his excitement burn hotter.
“Wow,” he mused, voice light but strained, “Are we into bondage now?”
Despite his attempt at humor, you didn’t miss the way his chest rose and fell a little faster when you gave the restraints a small tug.
You leaned in, letting your lips ghost against his ear. “I want to see if you can last…” you whispered, your breath sending another shiver down his spine.
Jaemin swallowed, his smirk faltering just slightly. “What do you mean…” he asked, careful now, as if realizing he’d just walked into a trap.
You didn’t answer right away, and the silence only deepened the anticipation clawing at him. He tried to keep his breathing steady, to act unaffected, but the combination of the blindfold, the restraints, and the sheer uncertainty of what you’d do next made it impossible to be calm.
And then…cold.
A sharp gasp tore from his lips as the ice cube slid across his chest, its sudden chill stealing the breath from his lungs. His entire body stiffened, muscles flexing against the cold shock.
“God—fuck…” he cursed breathlessly. He yanked at the restraints, desperate to get away from the bite of the ice but craving more of your touch at the same time. “You really like torturing me, huh?”
You laughed softly, a wicked note in your voice. “Torture? No…” you murmured, trailing the ice lower, just skimming the waistband of his pants. “I just want to see how far you’ll let me go to make sure you feel really good.”
Jaemin let out a strained breath, his fingers flexing against the restraints. He was still trying to hold onto some shred of composure, but his body was betraying him. He felt himself grow harder in his pants and he wanted to beg for you to release him but he didn’t want to give you the satisfaction of seeing him break down so easily.
“Tell me, Jaem… have you ever touched yourself on a particularly chilly night?” you asked, your voice smooth and teasing.
“What—…” His breath hitched when you slid the ice cube lower, past his hip bones. “I… I don’t know… I suppose so,” he said, his voice cracking slightly.
“Did your cold fingers feel nice?” you continued, drawing the ice in slow circles on his skin. “Did you like it?”
Jaemin was trying to focus on your words, but the heightened sensation of the cold against his burning skin was making it impossible to think. The contrast was overwhelming, making his hips jerk involuntarily.
“I—fuck… I guess so,” he breathed.
Without warning, you pulled his pants down along with his boxers. His cock sprang free, slapping against his lower abdomen and startling both of you.
“You seem excited,” you said, letting your finger graze the side of his shaft. His breath stuttered as he tensed, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
The next thing he felt was cold sliding over his tip.
“Shit—” he gasped, his whole body jerking as he tried to sit up, hunching over in a desperate attempt to regain some control. His bound wrists strained against the silk restraints, but they gave him no leeway. And then you did it again, this time, dragging the ice along the side of his cock, the sensation both shocking and exquisite.
“Fuck… th-that feels weird…” he shivered slightly.
His lips were red and wet from how he kept biting them, trying not to moan too loudly.
You leaned in, kitten-licking the tip while still holding the ice against him.
“Wait—” he moaned, his hips bucking up instinctively.
With one last teasing kiss to his tip, you pulled back, watching the way he twitched, the way his body practically vibrated with pent-up need.
“Looks like you’re ready to play.”
Jaemin exhaled shakily. The way you were handling him was so different to what he was used to. He was always the one setting the pace, pulling pleasure from you at his leisure. But now, you had him completely at your mercy. And the craziest part was how much he was enjoying it.
He heard more movement, some shuffling and the quiet creak of the mattress as you settled back in front of him. His muscles tensed in anticipation, his whole body straining against the restraints. He wanted to reach for you, to pull you down and take what he needed but all he could do was wait.
“Jaem, do you know what a cock ring is?” you asked, your voice so soft and innocent that for a second, he thought he must’ve misheard you.
“Hm?” His brain was lagging, too focused on the lingering cold of the ice cube melting against him. Then your words sank in. “Yeah,” he swallowed.
“Good,” you hummed, and before he could react, he felt your warm hand wrap around him, pumping once, just enough to make his hips twitch, to make a moan escape his throat before he could swallow it down.
And then something hard pressed against his dick.
“Fuck—” he hissed, his body tensing as you carefully slid the cock ring into place. His sensitivity was already heightened, and the combination of your touch and the unfamiliar tightness made him shudder.
“I want you to hold on as much as you can,” you murmured, trailing your fingers up his stomach, nails lightly scratching at his skin. “Can you do that for me?”
Jaemin groaned, tugging at the restraints in frustration. “You’re so fucking unfair.”
You giggled, pressing a kiss to his hip bone. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Jaemin’s breath came in sharp, uneven pants as you pulled away, leaving him aching for more. His head tilted back, exposing the long line of his throat as he swallowed hard, trying to remain as calm as possible.
“Fuck,” he exhaled, his voice shaky. His fingers clenched and unclenched where they were bound, his knuckles turning white from how hard he was gripping nothing. “You’re really trying to kill me…”
You only smiled, still running your nails lightly down his torso, making his abs twitch. “You’re being so dramatic, Jaem.”
His head snapped up at that, eyes still blindfolded, but his frustration was written all over his face. “Dramatic?” He let out a humorless laugh. “Princess, I’m so fucking hard it hurts, and you’re just—” He groaned, pulling against the restraints again. “God, you’re such a fucking tease.”
You hummed as if considering his words, then leaned in, pressing a slow, open-mouthed kiss just below his navel. “But it looks like you’re enjoying it.”
Jaemin’s hips twitched, but he still managed a weak scoff. “I’d enjoy it more if you actually fucking did something.” His voice was strained, cracking at the edges.
You let your hand drift lower again, wrapping around him with a slowness that had him sucking in a sharp breath. “Is this what you want?” you murmured, your fingers squeezing just enough to make him twitch in your grasp.
“Fuck—yes, that’s what I fucking want—”
You gave a single stroke, dragging your hand up his length at an agonizing pace.
Jaemin let out a throaty whimper, and the sound only intensified the heat pooling in your lower belly.
His chest heaved as his thighs trembled. His whole body jerked, but the cock ring kept him from reaching the release he desperately chased.
“Oh my god,” he choked out, his voice practically a whine. “Princess, please, I need—”
You tightened your grip slightly, cutting him off with another slow, teasing stroke. His hips bucked into your hand, but it wasn’t enough, it wasn’t fucking enough, and the frustration in his voice was turning into something dangerously close to begging.
“Please what, Jaemin?” you asked, tilting your head.
His lip was pulled between his teeth so hard it was turning red, his whole body trembling from restraint. “Please, just—fuck, I don’t even know—just something, please, princess, I can’t—”
His voice cracked again, revealing his desperation in every syllable. He was completely wrecked, yet still nowhere near getting what he wanted.
And that was exactly how you wanted him.
When your mouth dropped down on his dick again, you took in more than just the tip this time. You sucked and licked him just the way you knew he liked.
“God… oh god,” he groaned, his hips jerking up instinctively, but you kept him firmly in place, pressing down on his thighs.
“Be good,” you murmured against his swollen tip, lips brushing the heat of him. “Or I’ll stop.”
Jaemin let out a shaky breath, his fingers twitching at his sides, unable to do anything but take what you were giving him. “Fuck… you’re so—” His voice broke into a strangled gasp as you sank back down, taking him deeper, your tongue swirling along his length.
He was losing control. His thighs trembled under your touch, ragged gasps escaping his lips. His body was already screaming for release, but the cock ring kept him stuck on that unbearable edge, holding him in a storm of pure, agonizing pleasure.
“I can’t… anymore… please.” His voice was strained, broken apart by breathless moans. “Please, take it off.”
You pulled back just enough to let your breath fan over his tip. “Take what off, Jaem?”
“Everything,” he choked out. “Let me touch you… let me see you… let me fuck you…please.”
The little laugh you let out made his stomach tighten painfully. If he wasn’t so desperate, he would’ve held out longer just to make you work for it. But he was past the point of caring about winning right now.
“Well…” You let your hands caress down his thighs, feeling the way his muscles clenched under your touch. “I think you’ve been patient enough.”
The first thing to come off was the blindfold. Jaemin blinked rapidly as his eyes adjusted, the dim light in the room almost blinding after what felt like hours in the dark. His gaze flickered over your form, hovering over him like a lioness about to pounce. Fuck, he forgot you were braless. His hands twitched against the restraints, desperate to touch you.
Then his eyes dropped lower. His dick was painfully swollen, red at the tip, the cock ring still keeping him from the relief he needed. His breath caught as you reached down, fingers brushing his base before you finally removed it. The rush of sensation that followed had his whole body tensing, his abs clenching as he gasped through the sudden overwhelming relief. He was seconds away from—
You moved to undo the silk restraints, and the moment his wrists were free, he lunged.
You let out a sharp squeal as he grabbed your arm and yanked you down, pressing your body flush against his chest. In one quick movement, he flipped you onto your back, looming over you with a wicked, predatory grin.
“Shouldn’t have fucking released me, princess,” he growled, voice still rough from moaning. He licked his lips, eyes raking down your body like he was deciding where to ruin you first. “You’re gonna take everything I give you now.”
There was no fear in your gaze—only pure, smoldering desire.
Jaemin’s lips crashed against yours, devouring you, tongue sliding past your lips as his hands finally claimed your body. His fingers found your breasts, squeezing, teasing, all while his hips rolled against your barely clothed core.
Then, he flipped you onto your stomach. You gasped, feeling his body press against your back, his lips tracing a heated path from your shoulder to the nape of your neck.
“Wanted to do this since I walked through that door,” he muttered, voice thick with lust. He hooked his fingers into the delicate lace of your underwear, undoing the tiny bow with a slow pull. His eyes went dark with greed and desire when he saw it fall apart and expose your bare backside to him.
He kissed along your spine, then rocked his hips against your ass with a shuddering sigh before flipping you over again.
You were already breathless, your mind hazy, and he still hadn’t even touched you where you needed him most.
But then, just when you thought he was going to finally take you—he suddenly grabbed your ankles and yanked you down the bed, shifting you so you were face-to-face with his abs.
Your brows furrowed in confusion, until you felt his dick sliding between your breasts.
“Gonna let me fuck your tits, princess?” he murmured, voice husky.
Heat pooled in your stomach at his words, and without hesitation, you pressed your hands against the sides of your chest, squeezing your breasts together, trapping him between them.
Jaemin groaned, the sound deep and raw, before spitting onto your chest to lubricate the area.
You gasped softly, the sheer filth of it making your thighs squeeze together, but Jaemin was also too far gone to tease you about it. He let out a low, guttural fuck as he thrust, slow at first, watching himself slide between the plushness of your breasts.
“Shit…” His breathing was heavy, his fringe damp with sweat, his jaw slack as he fucked into the tight heat of your chest. “Letting me fuck your perfect tits—fuck.”
The sounds filling the room were obscene. The wet slide of his dick against your skin, the breathy moans slipping from his lips, the quiet, desperate whimpers coming from you.
Your legs clenched again, seeking friction, your own arousal dripping down your thighs.
Jaemin’s rhythm faltered. His thrusts grew uneven, more desperate. “I’m—fuck, I’m close—”
Suddenly, his hand was on your jaw, tilting your head up.
“Open for me, princess.”
You parted your lips instinctively, watching through hazy, lidded eyes as he pumped himself, working himself closer and closer—until the first warm spurts landed across your chest and tongue. His thumb swiped through the mess on your chest, and before you could even react, he brought it to your lips.
“Taste.” His voice was hoarse.
Your tongue flicked out to catch it. His breath stuttered as he watched you.
“Fuck,” he exhaled, his fingers pressing against your tongue just a second longer before pulling away. His cock twitched against your stomach, already getting hard again.
You let out a small whimper, rubbing your thighs together, the ache between your legs only growing sharper.
Jaemin caught the movement immediately.
“Oh?” He smirked, eyes flicking down to where you were shamelessly pressing your legs together for any friction. “You want more?”
You whined, squirming.
He hummed, as if amused. “Poor thing.”
“Jaem…” Your voice came out as a whimper, breathless, desperate.
His smirk deepened. He loved seeing you this way—helpless, needy, falling apart before he even touched you properly.
But he wasn’t going to make it easy.
“What’s wrong, princess?” His hand ghosted over your stomach before slipping between your legs, fingertips grazing your soaked folds. “You need help?”
You bucked your hips, but he barely applied any pressure, making you whimper in protest.
You let out a frustrated sob, moving to take over yourself, but his hand shot out and gripped your wrist, pinning it to the mattress.
“Ah, ah! We can’t have that,” he tsked, eyes flashing dark.
The next thing you know, your hand is being replaced with his own, two fingers sliding through your folds. Your entire body jolted at the contact.
Jaemin groaned, pressing his forehead against yours. “Shit, you’re so wet, princess,” he murmured, dragging his fingers through your slick before pressing them against your swollen clit. “You like having my cock between those pretty tits that much?”
You barely managed a nod, too lost in the feeling of his fingers teasing you.
“Such a messy little thing,” he teased, rubbing slow, agonizing circles over your clit, just enough to make you desperate, but not enough to give you what you needed. “I should make you wait. Make you beg for it.”
“Jaemin—”
His fingers pushed in, stretching you, filling you just enough to make you gasp.
“Holy fuck,” Jaemin groaned, his head dropping to your shoulder. His cock was already leaking against your thigh, his body trembling as he tried to hold himself back. “You’re so tight. You’re gonna fucking choke my fingers.”
He pumped his fingers in and out, slow but deep, so deep you were writhing beneath him.
“Jaem, please—” Your walls clenched, thighs trembling.
“Hm?” He purred. “Tell me exactly what you want.”
Your eyes were glassy, your body begging for it. “Please, just fuck me.”
Jaemin let out a sharp exhale, visibly shaking as he tried to hold himself back.
“You—” His voice broke. He looked down, seeing how you were practically dripping down his fingers, and groaned, cursing under his breath. “Jesus Christ.”
His fingers slipped out with a wet, filthy sound. Before you could even whine, he grabbed your thighs, spreading you wide and pressing the head of his cock against your entrance.
Your breath caught.
But he didn’t push in.
He just teased, rubbing himself between your folds, coating himself in your slick. He watched with dark, hooded eyes as you twitched beneath him, whimpering at every brush of his cock against your swollen clit.
“You want it?” His voice dripped with sin.
“Jaem—”
“Beg for it.”
The jerk was using your own tricks against you.
Now, you were regretting edging him earlier, because this… this felt like hell.
You whined, your nails digging into his arms. “Please, Jaem. Please. I need you. I need your cock inside me, I—fuck—I can’t—”
That was enough for him. With a wrecked groan, he slammed inside you in one stroke, bottoming out so deep you saw white.
A choked cry left your lips, your entire body arching off the mattress.
“Oh my fucking god—” Jaemin’s voice broke, his hands gripping your thighs so hard you were sure it would bruise.
He was shaking, breathing ragged, his cock twitching inside you as he tried not to cum right then and there. You were so tight, so wet, so warm. He felt like he was going insane.
“You—” His voice was strained, wrecked. “You feel so fucking good, princess.”
His thrusts punched the breath out of you, slamming into you so deep you felt it in your stomach, your walls clenching around him like a vice.
“Holy shit—fuck—” Jaemin groaned, his hips snapping against yours in a brutal rhythm. “You’re so tight—I can feel you fucking squeezing me—”
You couldn’t even form words, just moaned and whimpered, nails raking down his back.
Jaemin growled, grabbing the backs of your knees, pushing them up and folding you beneath him.
The angle —oh god—the angle had his cock hitting so deep it left you shaking, your mouth falling open in a silent scream.
“There we go,” Jaemin groaned, watching you writhe under him. “That’s the spot, isn’t it?”
“Jae—Jaemin—”
“Shhh,” he cooed, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “You’re taking me so well, princess. So, so well.”
His fingers found your clit, rubbing fast. The pleasure crashing over you all at once.
“Cum for me, baby,” Jaemin rasped, barely holding himself together. “Make a fucking mess on my cock.”
Your orgasm tore through you, so intense your vision blurred, your entire body shaking under him as you cried out his name.
Jaemin groaned, feeling you clench around him. His hips stuttered as he buried himself deep, moaning against your throat as he came again, filling you completely.
For a moment, neither of you moved. Just heavy breathing and shaking limbs.
Jaemin finally lifted his head, sweat-damp hair clinging to his forehead, eyes dark.
He smirked a cat-like smile.
“I hope you don't think we’re done.”
He was still inside you, his cock twitching, throbbing, still semi-hard despite just coming deep inside you. He could feel you clenching weakly around him.
You didn’t want it to be done.
You felt empty, even with his cock still buried inside you. You needed more, needed all of him, needed him to ruin you completely.
And he could tell.
Jaemin tilted his head as his fingers dug into your thighs, keeping them spread wide for him. His thumbs traced slow circles into your skin both soothing and possessive, a silent reminder that you weren’t going anywhere.
“Think you can handle more?” The low rumble of his voice had you feeling dizzy.
You nodded, too fucked out to form anything coherent.
He hummed, pretending to consider. “Now that I think about it… you were pretty mean to me earlier.” His hands slid lower, gripping your ass and giving it a sharp squeeze that made you jolt. “Do you even deserve it?”
“Yes—yes, please, Jaem—”
He laughed, a breathy chuckle that broke apart into something rougher, needier.
“Insatiable little thing.”
And then he was pulling out achingly slow, dragging every inch of himself through your trembling walls. The friction sent a helpless whimper tumbling from your lips.
Jaemin nearly lost his mind at the sound.
He stared down at you, his ruined, pretty girl. Face flushed, hair sticking to your damp skin, lips swollen and parted, body still twitching from the aftershocks of your orgasm.
He growled, gripping your waist and flipping you onto your stomach in one swift movement.
You gasped, heart pounding as Jaemin manhandled you effortlessly, positioning you exactly how he wanted with your chest pressed to the mattress and ass high in the air.
He moaned, running his hands down your spine, over the curve of your hips, before gripping your ass and spreading you open for him.
“Look at you,” he breathed, watching the way your slick dripped down your thighs, his own cum still leaking from your core.
His cock throbbed painfully at the sight.
“Fuck, baby, I made such a mess of you.”
You whimpered, pushing your hips back toward him, trying to tempt him. But Jaemin only smirked, rubbing the tip of his cock against your entrance, teasing you, making you squirm.
“What do you want, princess?” His voice was low, smug.
You whined, pressing your face into the pillow, trying to grind back against him.
“Jaem—please—”
He tutted, gripping your hips to hold you still. “You’re so cute when you beg.”
Then, he slid inside you again, slowly making you feel every inch. You cried out, hands gripping the sheets desperately.
Jaemin groaned, rolling his hips slow but deep. His cock pressing against a spot that made black spots appear in your vision.
“Oh, my god—”
“That’s it,” he praised, gripping your waist tighter. Watching the way your back arched, how you clenched around him so perfectly.
He was so deep like this, hitting angles that had you completely unraveling beneath him.
“God, you’re perfect for me,” he groaned, his hips snapping forward just a little harder, making you choke on your breath.
His hands traveled down, reaching for your arms, and before you could even react, he pulled you up, pressing your back against his chest. One hand snaking around your waist, the other gripping your throat lightly.
Your moan was sinful, body trembling as Jaemin fucked up into you, the new position letting him bury himself impossibly deep.
“Shit—” Jaemin choked out, pressing his lips to your sweaty temple.
His free hand slid down your stomach, two fingers finding your clit, rubbing torturous circles in time with his thrusts.
You gasped sharply, hands grabbing at his wrists.
“Too much?” He teased, his voice taunting, but the way he was shaking against you, the way his thrusts were growing sloppier, told you he was just as close as you were.
You could only moan, pleasure overwhelming you, his cock dragging against that perfect spot over and over, his fingers pushing you closer—
“Cum for me again, princess.” He said, lips pressed to your jaw, groaning with every thrust. “I want to feel you squeeze me.”
And just like that another orgasm crashed over you, your walls clamping down on him so tight he nearly screamed.
Jaemin cursed, feeling you pulsing around him, dragging him straight into his own orgasm.
“Fuck—fuck—fuck—” His body convulsed, hips stuttering as he filled you up once more, letting go with a strangled moan against your throat.
Jaemin finally collapsed, pulling you down with him. He wrapped himself around you, pressing lazy kisses to your bare shoulder.
His arms tightened, as if he never wanted to let you go.
“God,” Jaemin exhaled, still breathless, lips brushing against your ear.
“I think I might have broken you, princess.”
divider creds toastray
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#jaemin fanfic#jaemin fic#nct x reader#nct dream x reader#nct smut#nct dream fic#nct dream smut#nct imagines#jaemin smut#jaemin x reader#jaemin x y/n#nct fanfic
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Re: the last reblog. I don't want to diminish the value of sharing and publishing resources on how to deal with ICE raids at all. I think it's useful and important information.
But at the same time, I do find it telling that liberal outlets and liberal activists have been so eager to publish and share this kind of information during both Trump administrations, whereas under both Obama and Biden the deportations and raids continued at much the same pace, but the liberal media was silent or would even condemn more progressive activists for criticizing liberal politicians.
It's so obvious that the "progressive" political sphere in the US only cares about this kind of stuff when it's their political opponents who can be blamed for them. Actually pro-immigrant activists were calling Obama "deporter in chief" for years due to the increase in immigration raids under his administration and yet liberals want us to believe his only controversy was wearing a brown suit. Kamala Harris ran on an explicitly anti-immigration platform and now all the liberals who ignored or excused that are back to pretending like they give a shit just because they can blame it all on Trump again.
This kind of liberal hypocrisy needs to be called out so more people can see how much of a dead end liberalism is and break free of the stranglehold the Democratic Party has on progressive discourse in this country.
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