#and there may be a lead position opening up soon which everyone seems to be pushing me towards which would be a title change

[andromeda3116]

i know that the "adulting sucks" thing has been overdone to the point of obnoxious, but seriously

seriously

adulting fucking sucks

[moonstruck-poet]

Survive

Pairing - Carlos Sainz x wife!reader

Summary - Because of your job as a crime officer, a particularly dangerous mission has both you and your husband on the edge.

Warnings- none!

"Is everybody absolutely clear with the plan? No questions? Any doubts at all?" Your leader asked again, scanning the faces of each of his members.

"None sir," they replied in a chorus. Though their stance was full of confidence, nobody could miss the apprehension that was layered on their faces. The incessant thumping of their heart as it seemed to grow steadily louder.

"You have everything prepared?" Stephen asked you, his eyes focused on yours.

"Yes sir," you nodded firmly. "Everything is in order and we're just waiting for tomorrow". The other members murmured in agreement, their faces tensed yet strong.

"I haven't arranged and brought together my best crew for nothing," he smiled slightly. "Though I want this mission to be 100% successful, it is also equally important that all of you pay attention to yourselves too. No rash decisions, nothing that can impact your or your teammate's life".

"And also, thank you," he chuckled a little at their confused faces. "Don't look at me like that, I'm not a sadist," he replied and everyone laughed. "It's not easy and I'm glad to have all of you with me. Now all I want is for everybody to go home and spend the rest of your time with your families yeah?"

"We'll be alright," you spoke, not a quiver in your voice. "Everyone will be back here tomorrow, safe and sound. I promise you".

"Exactly why I chose you to lead the operation," Stephen muttered, pride filling his eyes as he looked back on just how much you had grown the past years. From rigorous training to complicated practicals, you had given your all to achieve this position and he couldn't think of anyone who had so much dedication for their job.

"We'll be okay," Jess, your software genius reassured with a grin and brought jer hand forward, palm up.

"Absolutely," the two boys, Chris and Elijah chorused with smirks and placed their hands on hers.

"No worries then, eh?" Stephan said good naturedly, loving the enthusiasm of the youngsters. "See you tomorrow then, all geared up and ready".

"Definitely," you nodded, finally placing your palm on the top, a fierce fire blazing in your eyes that was soon reflected in the others too.

====================================

The drive home was made in silence. No music playing on the radio, which was a testimony to the fact that your mind was unsettled.

And why wouldn't it be. You had a huge responsibility on your shoulders. Not only were you responsible for the success of the mission and bringing the abducted children home safely, but you also had to see to it that no casualties would occur.

And on the other hand there was the matter of discussing this with your husband, Carlos. He obviously wouldn't deny you from going, but his sensitive and loving side would be hurting.

You had to tell him very gently.

And you sighed, parking your black Aston Martin and making your way home. Your mind flicking through every possible outcome that may happen tomorrow and torturing you in the process.

You opened the door and were greeted by him sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone and the sight looked so cozy that you couldn't help the smile from adorning your lips.

"Hola amor," he greeted you immediately, sitting up and excitedly walking closer to pull you in his arms. You laughed, keeping your bag down and threading your fingers through his hair while breathing in his comforting scent.

"Hey," you whispered back, resting your head on his shoulder and squeezing him tighter, not wanting to pull away in the least.

"I see someone has missed me," he smiled lovingly and the two of you swayed, almost stumbling down and yet you made no effort to break the hug.

"I did," you finally lifted your head up with a grin and pressed your lips against his, catching him by surprise as your arms went around his neck. His palms instantly held onto your waist, fingers softly digging in the skin and he kissed you back, a small smile forming on his face.

"I missed you too, love," his hand cupped your cheek, gazing intently into your eyes. "Should we have dinner now? I'm starving".

Dinner was a quite chaotic chaotic affair as Carlos told you about the latest gossip roaming around in the F1 world making your eyes widen as he shared the most unexpected details. Without even knowing, your husband had managed to empty your mind of all the negative thoughts and the only thing running through your brain was when will Daniel reveal that he's been married to Max since ages.

"You want some ice cream? I got your favorite flavour too".

"Oh no thank you," you shook your head, your gaze trained on some random point as you zoned out.

"What's wrong, cariño?" Carlos, ever the observant picked up on your changed attitude quickly. He furrowed his eyebrows as he watched you sigh deeply and fiddle with your fingers.

"There's um- I want to talk to you," you stuttered slightly, not sure on how exactly to start this conversation while he nodded, sitting beside you and giving you his full attention.

When you didn't say anything he shifted closer, your knees brushing and he held your hand, rubbing soothing circles to steady your erratic breathing. "I'm right here".

"We have a mission tomorrow," you then got straight to the point. "It's about those children that I had told you about".

"Yeah I remember. So you'll be going tomorrow?"

"Yes, I have to lead it. It's- It's only a one day operation so I'll be back by night at the latest. But-"

"But?" He cut you off, his face shifting from relaxed to a tense expression. His heart started to take up its pace as he felt the quick rush of blood.

"It's dangerous," you broke it down gently, moving closer to him and enveloping his hand in yours.

"What do you mean dangerous?" He asked urgently, his eyes searching yours, mind racing with all types of conclusions that this mission might end on.

"Let's say it's a little risky," you answered, rubbing your thumb on the back of his hand. "And there is a small possibility of- of casualties," you frowned, not wanting to say it but he deserved to know the truth.

"Casualties," he repeated, staring ahead now and you could see the various scenarios being conjured. "You have to go?" He asked, voice beginning to shake as he grasped your hand tightly

"I'm leading it, amor," you addressed him softly watching as he buried his face in his hands, contemplating the entire thing as you bit your lip for his reaction.

"Nothing I say is gonna change your mind, right?"

You opted to not say anything, giving him an apologetic and downcast look making him mumble incomprehensibly as he grabbed you by the shoulder, pulling you against his chest. His arms completely enveloping you while he tried to swallow the lump hurting his throat.

"I can't- I don't want you to-" he broke off, inhaling sharply and trying to control himself.

"I'll be okay," you tried, burying your face deeper into his neck as a wave of emotions flooded in.

"You don't know that," he insisted, not wanting to be pessimistic but he couldn't help it. "You don't know what's going to happen there tomorrow".

"But I can hope for the best right?" You reasoned with a small smile and felt him nod a little. "I should have faith that everything will be okay".

"I'm worried for you," he said quietly, lips brushing against your ear and your heart ached on hearing the tremble in his voice.

"Oh baby," you simply tightened your hold around his torso, wanting to be as close as possible. "Honestly? I'm worried too. I'm so scared that something might go wrong, or that someone else will have to face the consequences of my decision".

Carlos pulled back on hearing that, his hands finding your cheeks as he wiped a lone tear that had escaped your stubborn hold. "You are the strongest and the bravest person I know, hermosa. Not everybody can say their wife captures criminals on weekends for fun".

You laughed at that, your heart feeling considerably lighter as you looked at his smiling face. You really lucked out didn't you? To have a husband like him? You had no idea of what you had done to even deserve having a person like him in your life, much less being married to him.

"What did I do to deserve you?" You questioned no one in particular and stared at him in adoration.

"Oh I have no idea but you must have done something incredible to have me as your best friend," he said seriously and you burst out laughing, enjoying his faux annoyance.

"Gracias," you mumbled after quietening, leaning your side sideways on his shoulder and he pulled you closer by one arm.

"Siempre cariño," his hand rubbed your arm, resting his head on yours and merely holding you close. Understanding that all you wanted was his company, to feel him against you, to know that he wasn't going anywhere that he was right there beside you.

====================================

Despite your best intentions, the alarm rang, signalling 6 am and the start of a new day, one that you had tried to avoid.

Unwillingly your eyes fluttered open, staring at the dark ceiling for a moment before turning to your right and internally laughing at the mere centimetres of distance between yours and his face. His nose brushed against your neck as he scrunched it and you shifted slightly to properly look at him.

Couldn't help yourself from raising a gentle hand to rest on his cheek, watching him pout a little as he slept peacefully. His eyelashes shining white in the dark, catching the light of the moon outside. On your own, your lips leaned forward to kiss his forehead. You closed your own eyes, wanting to imprint this memory for the whole day.

And surprisingly enough you were quite calm, no trouble plaguing your mind as you watched your husband. A smile on your face as you realised he was probably the reason for your serenity.

Carlos wasn't too much of a heavy sleeper and you were trying really hard to resist but your control slipped as you gently began placing soft kisses on his face, scanning his every feature while doing so.

Taking a last, fond look, you got up from the bed and hurried off to take a shower and gear up.

You donned on a simple light blue shirt tucked into black pants and an easy braid to not feel any headaches throughout the day. You had just pulled on a black leather jacket when you heard your husband call for you.

"Cariño?" He mumbled, rubbing his eyes and squinting them as he tried to locate you, still drowsy from the early hours.

"Morning sleepyhead," you replied, smiling when he blindly extended an arm which was beckoning frantically for you to come closer. And as soon as you sat near him, he pulled you by the waist and laid his head on your lap.

"Morning," he grinned mischievously, eyes still closed as he snuggled up to you.

"Are you planning to trap me here, Mr Sainz?" You asked, trying to have an authoritative tone as your fingers combed through his wild hair.

"Yes I am. But I doubt it would be considered a trap if I'm just holding my wife, Mrs Sainz," he retorted cheekily and you laughed at his antics. You understanding that he was simply trying to lighten up your mood.

A calm silence settled over the couple and Carlos finally opened his eyes, turning his face to face you while still laying on your lap. "When do you have to leave?" He played with the ends of your braid.

"I've still got time," you answered and he nodded, grunting before getting up and stretching his arms. Your eyes darting down from his shoulders to his abdomen muscles that contracted with every move.

He saw you staring and smirked making you turn red immediately as you got up from the bed, possibly underestimating your husband's agility because that man was up in less than a second, grabbing your arm and twisting you around so you fell perfectly against his chest.

"Todos estos años y todavía puedo hacerte sonrojar?" He whispered, his voice teasing which obviously didn't help in calming your insides.

"Te has visto?" You raised an eyebrow, placing a hand on his bare chest as you brushed your lips against his, biting back a smile on hearing him inhale sharply.

And he merely gave you a look full of utter passion before kissing you deeply, one of his hands holding your hip firmly while the other being behind your head, holding you close. You both pulled away slightly breathless, cheeks flushed as you stared at each other before laughing at the pair of you being complete simps.

"I'll make you some coffee," he didn't take no for an answer and set to work, while you smiled appreciatively at him and picked up the newspaper.

Neither of you spoke until both of you had drained your mugs, the caffeine giving you a much needed boost as you felt your focus improve.

Your phone rang and it was Elijah, "Hey 'Lijah. Yes I'm all ready. Okay," you nodded as he shared some details with you. "Yeah I'll leave in 10. Alright see you soon. Yes thank you".

You started at the screen before releasing a deep breath and glancing at your husband whose eyes were fixed on the mug as he played around.

"Carlos," was all you managed to say before you were tackled in a warm hug.

"Oh god hermosa, I was trying to be normal but I can't stop the worry," he groaned, beating himself internally and you were quick to shake it off.

"Hey no," your arms held him tightly. "I'll be back before you know it, querido".

He nodded, regulating his senses and trying to focus on you, your scent, letting it be his anchor. "Por favor- por favor ten cuidado, mi amor".

"Sí.. Siempre".

You stayed like that, basking in his presence and enjoying him as he was.

"My phone will be on silent," you informed softly. "So don't worry if I don't reply. I'll text you when we're done".

He nodded looking down for a second before meeting your eyes, you saw those big brown eyes that you loved to death starting to water. But he quickly wiped them off, not wanting to add to your list of worries.

"Te quiero mucho, cariño," he whispered shakily, pressing his lips together and failing as a few tears escaped his hold.

And as expected you didn't waste a second before wiping them off, placing your hands on his cheeks and offering him a gorgeous smile, "Yo también te quiero, mi corazón".

====================================

Thank you so much for reading!

Part 2

[kpopsexstories]

Master List: Gay K-pop Smut

There's gay smut on this blog! 😄

This blog has primarily been about straight sex: male k-pop idols with either fictional female characters, or with you as the (female) reader. For a year that's all I wrote!

But due to popular demand I've expanded my horizon and opened up to writing gay smut too. In this post you will find an overview of my gay series and links to individual stories.

My Gay Series

I now run several gay series on the blog. The links lead to their respective pages on Story Finder, my external website where you can browse the archives.

Gay K-pop One-shots – Plot-driven smut stories with fluff. Member-on-member or idol x male reader.

Quick Fix Gay – Very short stories that focus more on the sex. Member-on-member or idol x male reader.

Dating Ban Series – The boys of a given group can't date girls. As their gay friend you help them out with their sexual frustrations. All stories are idol x male reader.

➕ Stories are published continuously without a schedule.

➕ Requests are open!

Identifiers

To make it easier for you to find stories you like I include identifiers at the start of each post/story:

🧑🏻‍🤝‍🧑🏻 MEMBERS: The k-pop idol(s) the story is about. I'll also specify if it's member-on-member, member-on-reader, and who is the top/vers/bottom in the scenario.

📦 CONTENT: Key words describing the sex, like Missionary (position), Riding (position), Cumshot, Jerking off, Blowjob, Outdoors, etc.

🍆 TYPE: Refers to the sex and can be:

VANILLA: Sweet, innocent or inexperienced sex

MEDIUM: Regular good sex

WILD: Usually rougher and more explicit

STEAMY: Sensual and passionate involving all senses

UNCONVENTIONAL: Any of the above but with a twist, for example an unusual kink

Posting Schedule

My gay stories generally don't have a fixed schedule. They can appear at any time, though I limit myself to max once per week to mix with my straight content.

I may sometimes announce schedules in advance. For example, I tend to release Quick Fix stories in "seasons" with a story per week for several weeks. I've also done "Gay Thursdays" where every Thursday for several weeks I publish a pre-announced gay story.

You can check the Up-coming Stories page on Story Finder (external website) to see if there are any new gay stories coming soon!

Stories

Below is my master list of individual gay stories. The stories are listed per series and alphabetically per group and member.

Gay K-pop One-shots

MX WONHO & HYUNGWON picks you up at a bar *R*

Quick Fix Gay

NCT JENO fucks you missionary style *R*

Dating Ban Series

Jisung Pt. 1 – Your best friend Jisung reveals his sexual needs when you come for a visit.

Jisung Pt. 2 – You satisfy Jisung's needs.

Haechan – Haechan wants in on the action and takes advantage of you when the others are out.

Mark – Mark sneaks into the bathroom when you're about to take a shower, which leads to hot sex while the others are right outside.

Renjun Pt. 1 – Renjun comes out to you and gives you a blow job in the swimming pool of the NCT Dream apartment complex.

Renjun Pt. 2 – Renjun bottoms for you in the swimming pool locker room.

Jeno Pt. 1 – There seems to be no boundaries left when Jeno comes to Jisung's room to fuck you. He doesn't even close the door!

Jeno Pt. 2 – Chenle and Jaemin listen in while Jeno fucks you hard.

Chenle – Needy Chenle bluntly wakes you from a nap. He's horny and frustrated that you've had sex with seemingly everyone but him.

Jaemin – Your week-long visit is coming to an end. A nostalgic and emotional moment with Jaemin leads to unexpected sex outdoors.

All 7 Members – The stigma is completely gone and the members of NCT Dream are sad to see you leave. They're about to lose their pocket pussy and of course they want to take full advantage.

Straight Master List & Story Finder

Check out the Master List post for my straight k-pop smut stories. I'm always open to requests, gay or straight.

Or, visit my external website Story Finder where you can browse all stories by content, idol, word count, popularity, requests, and more!

Support My Writing

Click here to buy me a coffee ❤️

[vitaminseetarot]

Quick General Advice for Your Situation (PAC)

One thing I want to mention is that all three piles had earthy palette cards with something spicy on the back of each pile's deck. This could have been the influence of Moon in Taurus as the lunar nodes are beginning to switch over to Aries. I'm sending frustration with all three piles but also a lot of passion and motivation.

Pick which earthy palette color you prefer for some quick guidance.

(piles 1, 2, 3 - images from pexels.com)

Spring Grass: XV Devil, Page of Swords, III Empress (Back: 3 of Wands)

The energy you're building up is leading you to seek out or attract new opportunities to travel to places you haven't experienced before. I'm sensing a strong draw towards what's new at this time, so it could be literal travel or you're seeking out a new experience overall. This could be a radical change from what you're used to. If you feel you're not in any position to travel soon, this may still be your pile, so hang on! Don't feel stuck! I'm letting you know now that plans can change quickly and spawn out of nowhere just as quickly. Your advice is to be in a state of expansion and open mindedness. Although 3 of wands is Aries energy, you're being asked to step into more Sagittarian energy of enthusiasm for adventure and optimism for brighter times. There might be a long period of time where this traveling doesn't happen even when you finally get itchy for it. That's because you need to sit down and do some planning. Make an itinerary, even for a fake trip. Look up photos, have conversations with people about it. Get in the mindset for it. Yes, it's possible to experience the impossible. But you have to be in a state of preparedness for it. Get your basic needs in working order so that when the opportunity does arrive, you'll be more than ready for it, inside and out.

Pink Quartz: Hermit, XIII Death, XVIII Moon (Back: 5 of Wands)

Even though you feel motivated enough to move forward, there's still tiny threads trying to pull you back into overthinking things. It can feel like you're busy when in reality your plans go nowhere because they're dead on arrival. It's one thing to be sparked by an idea, it's another to put it to print without losing what made you want to do it to begin with. I'm seeing an image of somebody sitting hunched over at their bench, writing down one sentence on a sheet of paper before crumpling it and starting again. This isn't a healthy mentality as you're not giving you and your imagination a chance. Your advice to be kinder to yourself by giving your inner vision more space to breathe. Being in stillness and sitting back with a blank canvas is part of the creation process and is in the end more productive than deleting the first page of your book over and over again. You have all three cards as major arcana, so learning this lesson will prove to be monumental to your life's overall progress.

Stone Brown: IV Emperor, III Empress, 7 of Swords (Back: 7 of Wands)

I think this pile is definitely experienced when it comes to making big plans and carrying them through. It seems the one thing that motivates you most is the feeling of "this has to be done, whether or not I like it." You put on a strict poker face only to fall apart as soon as no one's looking. Please let me tell you, pile 3, that you do not always have to be strong for everyone else. It's beautiful for you to see yourself as an important part of what makes life work, that your skills and patience are needed and appreciated. But all the praise in the world won't make up for that hollow feeling of coming home and realizing that you have to be strong for yourself, too. Your advice is similar to pile 2. You need to greatly soften your approach. Allow other people to pick up the pace and help you every now and then. Especially if there are many moving parts and you get into "octopus mode" of needing to be involved in all the cogs of the wheel. It shouldn't always be equal work, going out and dealing with people, then dealing with yourself. When you need time for yourself, take the chance. Ground yourself through nurturing and soothing habits at home, something that lets you take off the "big boss" mask for a while.

[hpowellsmith]

How easily do the ROs get jealous over their partner? And how do they act when they're jealous? (I'm asking about HB and RA but feel free to just answer any you feel are most fun!!)

These are assuming something like someone being flirty with the MC in front of them, rather than the MC actually cheating on them or something. I've done ones for Royal Affairs and Honor Bound - you can tell I'm in the middle of writing Honor Bound and leading up to these kinds of conversations because I've basically written essays about all those characters, haha!

Royal Affairs:

Asher: really tries not to be, because they see it as a character flaw, and may end up being a bit passive/bottling it up before saying something

Beaumont: would say something in the moment, probably fairly quietly and briskly

Dominique: not particularly jealous, unless they were being excluded or people were being careless about Dominique's feelings, in which case they might sulk

Hyacinthe: would be very bright, polite, and cheerful in the moment but would worry about it afterwards even if it was not something either party considered serious

Javi: would be quite irritable and snippy, and would want to have reassurance after the fact but not want to ask for it

Trevelyan: might be pointedly off-putting to someone who they thought was being over-familiar

Honor Bound:

Honor Bound's setting is one where polyamory is much more of a social norm, but of course that doesn't mean jealousy vanishes...

Denario: really depends on who the person is - he'll be less jealous if it's someone he gets along with and will be genuinely chill about it, but if it's not he'll be prickly and angry towards the other person. Denario isn't someone who has a lot of serious romantic relationships but if he does, he wants everyone to be on the same page.

Fiore: gets preoccupied, overthinks it (were they imagining it? was it meant seriously? is it ok for them to dislike it if it wasn't meant seriously?), may not therefore communicate super clearly and their anxiety may manifest in other ways (can you tell this is something they may have been through before?). If it's Savarel pre-triad-romance, they have mixed feelings because they like the MC and they're liking starting to get to know Savarel too, but are in a bit of a "I don't know who I'm jealous of" overthinking-spiral.

Korzha: briskly cuts off the moment and would ask the MC what's up pretty soon afterwards. They have a lot more tolerance for it if it's someone they like (and if it's Matia pre-triad-romance, they're intrigued and don't really get why - "they enjoy seeing Matia and the MC having a nice time together! that's the only thing going on!") but if it's someone they don't, they will be clear that they don't find it a nice thing to be around and may be a bit disdainful about the other person.

Matia: genuinely doesn't really feel too fussed about jealous feelings. If they were getting repeatedly excluded, they'd say something, but they quite enjoy seeing a partner enjoy themselves flirting or dancing with someone as long as everyone's having fun. They will say something if they think someone's liable to get hurt, though, or if it seems to be going into more serious/emotional territory, and they like to be straightforward about this kind of thing. In a Korzha pre-triad-romance, they can't help but feel a bit jealous that Korzha is opening up to someone else so quickly, but they're determined to keep the relationship positive between the three of them.

Raffi: doesn't feel particularly jealous about flirting or physical stuff - while it feels delightful and special to be doing it, there isn't an emotional weight to it for them (they're very happy to be either monogamous or polyamorous, it's just that they don't feel worried by a partner doing that). But they don't really know how to deal with feeling romantic jealousy because they tend to kind of... assume it's a fling unless told otherwise and are quite used to not being someone's primary partner. They're quite accustomed to being chill about this stuff and aren't quite sure how to assert themselves.

Savarel: they aren't impressed if something that makes them feel jealous happens with someone whom they don't like; they're more relaxed about it if it's someone they like more. If it's Fiore pre-triad-romance, they don't know what to do with those feelings at all because they are in a state where they struggle with wanting things for themselves. If it's someone else, they may be be more snippy about it (if it's someone they don't like) or more on the curious side, wanting to figure out where their partner is at.

[yuurei20]

Jamil Info Compilation part 18: Kalim(pt7)

Jamil often reflects on how Kalim ignores his input, does not listen and will literally sneak away to do things of which Jamil does not approve.

We see them argue over Kalim’s management of a parade, with Jamil saying he will do it while Kalim insists on helping, telling Jamil that he is a “worrywart” and that he will bring in well-trained animals until Jamil reluctantly relents (“…it seems you refuse to listen to me.”)

When Scarabia becomes cold at the start of Fairy Gala Kalim ignores Jamil to go off on his own, only to return immediately due to the temperature.

At Kalim’s request Jamil makes a warm soup for the members of the dorm, but Kalim insists on helping despite Jamil telling him that he needs to be monitoring the students as housewarden. Kalim follows Jamil to the kitchen despite his protests.

During Phantom Bride Jamil refuses outright to help any of the captured students, knowing that his participation would result in Kalim following him, and “There would be consequences for my entire family if (Kalim) were exposed to any danger.”

After the conclusion of the event Kalim ignores Jamil’s protests and runs to a storeroom to get an albert chain for Lilia to pose with. Jamil ends up running after him, leading to Jamil stressing over Lilia’s treatment of the antique accessory.

While preparing for the opening ceremonies Kalim suddenly becomes dissatisfied with the design of the ceremonial robes and decides to ask the headmage to make them a brighter color two hours before orientation is to start.

He runs off to find Crowley despite Jamil’s protests, and when Jamil catches up to him Kalim responds, “We can’t afford to waste time talking. We could be late for orientation!”

Jamil tries to get him to return to the dorm and finish preparations, unsuccessfully.

In a vignette we see Sebek follow students to Scarabia dorm on accident, leading to Jamil suspecting him of being an assassin who may be targeting Kalim. Jamil advises caution and Kalim ignores him to say hello.

Jamil reminds him not to trust new people so easily and Kalim calls him a worrywart.

After no one in Scarabia volunteers to take Sebek back to Diasomnia, Kalim tells Jamil to walk him back instead, saying, “If you won’t go, I will.” As the welcome party cannot proceed without Kalim, Jamil escorts Sebek against his better judgement.

It is soon revealed that Kalim followed them regardless, and the two get into an argument about Jamil wearing his hood, with Kalim repeatedly telling him to pull it down and Jamil repeatedly telling him to back off (Jamil may have been flustered by a compliment).

In a different vignette, after eating both his and Jamil’s lunches for the day, Kalim tries to apologize to Jamil by waiting in line for both of them in the school cafeteria.

He then brings stew for Jamil after Jamil requested pasta (possibly another example of Kalim's poor memory).

At the end of Book 6 (after several long conversations with Leona about his own abilities, his arrogance and his position vs. his potential) Jamil finally acquiesces to Kalim, allowing him to prepare forks and plates so that everyone can share a tart together.

[forevertrueblue]

I need to finally accept the answers I'm looking for aren't coming, at least not anytime soon. There's a chance they may someday, years from now, but I can't get my hopes up for that. I can't cling as tightly onto the possibility that I might someday be gifted the closure I'm looking for as I have been leading up to this.

None of the people involved in this have been able to help me like they have in the past. Some are hurting themsevles, and it's been so difficult seeing certain people who are usually so positive and bright lights being so sad and having so much difficulty with this. I want to help them but the hopes I previously gave them turned out to be false and idk what I can do now besides point them to accurate information and debunk incorrect stuff when needed. I want to be there for them, but the more time I spend on their content right now the more upset I get again.

Others simply can't relate and don't understand my more complicated emotions. No point in talking to them.

Then there are the ones with some...creative control in all this. They've been so nice to me, but now they've gone quiet. Or at least quieter...I know they're there, that they see what I've said. They've even engaged with some of my stuff. But they haven't even tried responding to The Big Questions. Maybe they know that whatever they say wouldn't do anything to make me feel better. It probably wouldn't, but it'd be nice to hear back. Being able to discuss this stuff with them was like my main solace when the finale came out when comparing back to Endgame when it was all I wanted from the writers and directors and now it seems more like close but no cigar. I don't wanna seem desperate; I work hard for respectability and it seems that's how I've made these connections. But I wonder if I've hurt anyone's feelings.

I did my wrap-up articles this week; this one in particular seems to have resonated with people, from what I've been told. And then my more positive-leaning Mobius one, of course. I also wanted to do one about Sylvie and how she and the other women were handled this season but decided not to until/unless more insight comes out on that (which is what I told EM). Maybe for a Marvel and feminism in 2023 retrospective at the end of the year. But it might not be wise to open my old wounds of this and Maria Hill's fridging again.

I was hoping those articles would help me, but they didn't. At least not enough. The hard truth I probably have to now face is that being part of fandom taints things for me. Because surprisingly, I've actually been able to enjoy Loki content this week...whenever it hasn't been connected to some sort of commentary. Doesn't matter if that commentary was from fans, journalists, interviews...I like this show best when everyone just lets it be what it is and then each individual holds what it means to them close. No coincidence that I've enjoyed DWTS and StarKid content a lot more now that I don't have particularly strong attachment to their respective fandoms. I used to cling to both of those communities to a toxic level...never got what I wanted out of them, and only found closure through my own doing.

I desperately want to connect with people over media, but find I best enjoy people and media separately...and that no one can give me the answers and closure I'm looking for.

[rattlyglitch]

Into the Temple They Go

As the group entered Aether did agree that the temple was rather creepy. Even though torches had been lit for the group it still seemed as if it held something sinister. "Traveler I'm not sure about this. Are you sure we should really be in this place?"

Paimon asked. Aether looked around the tunnel while responding. "I'm positive we should Paimon. This place could have something that could not only reveal who this temple belongs to but where my sister may be. If you would like to you could sit on my shoulder. To be even more safe." Paimon didn't contemplate what Aether said for long before sitting on his shoulder.

"Paimon definitely feels safer this way. Now let's continue the journey!" Aether smiled and patted Paimon's head softly. "I'm happy you feel safer here and thank you for being so brave." Paimon grinned cheekily. "Of course, Paimon is always brave. She just wants to make sure that Traveler stays safe is all." Aether couldn't help but feel his heart melt at Paimon's words even though he knew that wasn't the reason.

"Thank you then Paimon. For making sure I stay safe." As the group began to look around the temple it seemed as if the tunnel only went deeper into it and had no end. Eventually, though three different pathways were seen at the end."Tone Deaf Bard do you think you could use your wind powers to navigate through the tunnels?" Venti nodded but looked at the paths questioningly. "I believe I can see if any of them get to a large opening point but I won't be able to tell if that path has traps or not."

Zhongli looked down at Venti. "Me and Ei can handle the traps. You just help us navigate." Venti seemed unsure if the plan would be the best but decided finding the correct pathway was better than nothing. "Make sure you all stay quiet please so I can listen." When Venti said that Nahida and Paimon puffed out their cheeks as if they had caught a bubble to stay quiet. Venti stayed still and tried to listen to the wind.Every path seemed to speak out as if trying to say "I'm the correct one" or

"Trust and follow this way." He did his best to determine which ones were lies and found that the deepest-sounding one most likely led to where he wished to go. "The left path is the one we take," Venti told the group. After he had spoken Paimon and Nahida both exhaled. "Lead the way then Venti" Ei spoke. Venti walked down the left path and the others followed. After they took ten steps they started to fall to their knees. First Venti fell then Zhongli and soon everyone but Paimon who had suddenly fallen off of Aether's shoulder with a small thud was on their knees looking as if something had drained them. "What's wrong? You all look like you just ran through Mondstadt two times."Lisa seemed confused as to how Paimon was still standing but quickly thought over it. "We all have visions. I believe since they are connected to us that somehow losing some of the power from them weakened us some" she replied. Paimon looked panicked immediately. "Does Paimon have to drag you out? Here I'll start with Nahida and then we can find a rope to get the rest of you out." Ei shook her head no starting to stand up on shaky legs. "We can manage Paimon. We'll probably be able to get our bearings together in a few minutes." Paimon was still worried about the group but resorted to helping Nahida stand up. The group began to slowly make their way through the tunnel and soon did manage to get used to the situation. Paimon watched over them still and made sure that no one fell behind."Do you by chance know why your powers weakened?" Paimon asked Lisa wondering if she by chance had solved the puzzle yet. "I believe that there are ancient spells in this temple that have the power to do so. As we've passed by I have seen several strange symbols that have never been in any of Mondstadt's books before. I've been able to make quick sketches of some of them but not all." Lisa showed the book of sketches that looked like snowflakes with different symbols in the middle. "These symbols resemble ones from several fairy tales that have been described as 'swirl shaped with strange patterns like snowflakes.' Which means these are spells lost to time and thought to have been made up."

(these are the symbols Lisa has seen)

Paimon gasped in amazement at what Lisa had told her. "Maybe you could read some of those stories to me and Nahida?" Paimon asked with begging eyes. Nahida nodded hastily in agreement. "I agree with Paimon once we leave here it would be awesome if you told us some stories." Lisa acted as if she was deep in thought.

"I guess I could but you two would have to come by the library with the others. I think it would be nice to have some people around." Paimon and Nahida held out their hands to Lisa and said in unison "Deal!" The group continued to walk through the tunnel as if Nahida and Paimon hadn't just sold a day away to hear fairy tales.

It was quiet and the only noises heard were the sounds of their footsteps and the torches they had. That silence was interrupted though when Venti suddenly stepped forward and a stone moving followed by a click was heard and everyone went still. "You just set off a trap didn't you?"

Paimon asked not daring to move in the slightest. "That is possible. But maybe if we don't move the trap won't trigger?" Several clicks were heard hundreds if not thousands. "Everyone needs to run," Aether said. The sounds of springs recoiling were next heard. "Now!" he yelled and quickly began running with the group. Nahida was quickly lifted into Venti's arms as the group began to run and Aether was holding Paimon's hand while she floated beside them.

Arrows began to launch throughout trailing behind them some normal and some seeming as if they had different vision magic attached to them. The group could feel some arrows just barely graze their skin as they ran as fast as they could. Soon though they emerged at the end of the tunnel.

It was a room that almost looked like the inside of a pyramid. There was gold, gems, different types of clothes, and perfumes littered around the room. In the middle though was a glass-looking coffin. The sides of the coffin were made of wood and displayed pictures of a woman with white hair holding a sword and a shield in different scenarios mostly helping others but the top of the coffin was glass the colors of pastel pink and blue.

Paimon looked like she was about to scream when she saw the coffin. "This isn't a temple it's a grave. Paimon wants to leave. They could be skeletons or zombies or worse." Nahida shook her head no. "We can't and besides there's nobody in here," Nahida said standing close to the coffin and looking in. "It's just a lot of gems along with a shield and a sword."

The others approached the coffin while Paimon stayed back hesitantly. "Paimon's still going to stand back here." No one seemed to take mind in what Paimon had said instead looking inside the coffin. "Are we sure this isn't a shrine some love-sick person made for a God of Venti to someday find and hopefully be brought back because of all the good things they showed they had done?"

Ei asked looking at the pictures on the side of the coffin. "I am certain of it. In all my time in Mondstadt, I have never seen a girl that looked like this. Not even have I read a tale about someone like her. Not only that but the wid through this tunnel is familiar. Almost as if I knew this person from somewhere else." Zhongli still looked at the coffin questioningly. "Then who could this girl have been?" The sound of a giggle was heard and so was Paimon's scream suddenly.

[samanthamarkle92]

Hey everyone! Some background before the story starts. I am most definitely NOT a gamer, but I had looked at some video game fan art, fics, and trivia videos for characters in my post-apocalyptic story that features a military character. The Last Of Us, Resident Evil, and Call Of Duty were the top ones. It was a major story arc in Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, that got the writer in me. Hope I make the fans happy! Here's the gist; fan-favorite Simon “Ghost” Riley survives getting shot by General Shepard. Stranded in Afghanistan, he is rescued by a local woman and her younger brother. Hope you guys like it! I plan on posting this on Wattpad if I get it finished. Until then, I’ll be putting them here! Much love to @nsharks and @loonyundead ❤️ @cheezbites @ladyelissarose

The heavy odor of gasoline and burning flesh was what brought him back to consciousness. The pain in his chest felt like it was going to rip open from the inside. Then there were his arms, they were covered in blood, the sticky liquid soaking through his clothes. It all came flooding back, the smell, the gunfire, the screaming.

‘Oh, God…’

He tried to move, but pain radiated from his chest. The knit fabric of his mask stuck to his skin from the dried blood. He could feel the heat of flames, and realized he was lying in a puddle of gasoline. His gun still lay beside him. With difficulty he lifted himself up into an upright position. He manage to crawl onto the dry dust. A smoldering charred body lay nearby.

Roach.

Ghost gagged on bile.

‘Sorry, mate.’

Ghost rested his back against a rusted-out truck, trying to get his bearings. He saw the bullet hole in his fatigues. The bullet had tore through his tactical vest, lodging in his shoulder. He felt around his wound. There was no exit wound. Just a jagged, bloody tear through the fabric. If he hadn’t been wearing his vest underneath, then he’d probably be dead. As hurt as he was, he couldn't stay where he was. He saw the path out of the boneyard, leading towards the road beyond. He took one last look at Roach, his face distorted and unrecognizable as anything more than a smear of burned flesh. And then Ghost left the carnage. His legs felt weak, and when he put too much weight on them, a wave of dizziness washed over him. He kept moving forward, slowly. He knew he couldn't trust anyone now; an American leader had betrayed them. Who else was in danger? He thought hard....he was a British SAS soldier....could there be a UK unit out there? He could maybe make it to one of their camps, but if he got there, would there be any protection? He had to be careful not to draw attention to himself.

There must have been soldiers in that area. He just hoped he could find them before his leg gave out. He wasn’t sure how long he traveled through the desert. The pain was worse than the hunger and thirst.

He almost rubbed his eyes to make sure what he was seeing was real; a house. It sat away from the main village, which was further down the valley. It was cement block, with a wall where the yard was. A garden grew outside, sparse and patchy, but it looked relatively healthy. It was dark though. A well! He was too thirsty to think of anything else. The house itself seemed untouched, although it may have been abandoned during the war.

He moved closer to investigate. Maybe some fresh water and food. He didn't notice the young boy kicking the battered soccer ball until he was almost to the well. The boy froze as soon as he spotted Ghost.

‘Fuck. Should have taken my mask off.’ he thought. He lifted the bottom part up so the kid could see his chin, that he’d know it was just a mask and not a blood soaked monster that had walked out of nowhere. Did the kid even know English?

Ghost didn't speak Farsi either, but he guessed it wouldn’t make much difference.

“Hey. I mean you no harm.”he offered with a smile. The boy stared at him for several moments and then slowly nodded, still staring.

“You’re alone here?” he asked. He was starting to feel dizzy, but tried to stay on his feet. That little movement was enough to knock all the remaining energy out of him. He slumped to the ground, feeling the earth shake under him. What was happening? Was this the end? Was that why everything had happened? Because he was losing his shit in front of this kid? The door to the wall opened, and Ghost saw a swirl of bright blue. A woman, covered from head to toe in a burqa, entered. She approached Ghost. His heart stopped. This was it! He was about to die! She’d hand him over to some terrorist group. But then she kneeled next to him, placed her hand gently on his forehead. She spoke softly to him, in English. For the first time ever, he heard someone speak English!

Ghost was exhausted and confused. Had he really died? It was one word, but it was the last thing he heard before he passed out.

“Safe.”

[1800titleloans-blog]

Auto title loans

How Auto Title Loans Can Impact Your Credit Score and Financial Health

Have you ever found yourself in a financial bind and turned to an auto title loan for help? If so, you're not alone. Auto title loans can seem like a quick and easy solution to short-term cash flow problems. while they may provide temporary relief, they can also have long-lasting impacts on your credit score and overall financial health.

We'll explore the potential effects of auto title loans on your credit score and financial well-being. We'll also provide tips on how to improve your credit score after defaulting on an auto title loan and offer advice on creating a financial plan to avoid the need for them in the future. So sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and let's dive into the world of auto title loans.

How to Improve Your Credit Score After Defaulting on an Auto Title Loan

Defaulting on an auto title loan can have serious repercussions for your credit score and financial health. with careful planning and diligent effort, it is possible to improve your credit score even after defaulting on an auto title loan.

The first step in improving your credit score is to pay off any outstanding debts related to the auto title loan as soon as po Assible. You may need to negotiate a payment plan or settlement agreement with the lender, but paying off the debt in full will show future lenders that you are responsible and able to meet your financial obligations.

Focus on rebuilding positive credit history by making all future payments on time and in full. Consider opening a secured credit card account or taking out a small personal loan that you can repay consistently over time. These actions will help demonstrate your ability to manage debt responsibly and improve your overall creditworthiness.

The Negative Effects of Defaulting on an Auto Title Loan

Defaulting on an auto title loan can have significant negative effects on your credit score and overall financial health. When you fail to make timely payments, the lender may repossess your vehicle, which can lead to a decline in your credit score. The repossession will be listed on your credit report and can stay there for up to seven years.

Defaulting on an auto title loan can result in legal action against you by the lender. This means that they may pursue collections efforts and take legal action to recover their losses.

Creating a Financial Plan to Avoid the Need for Auto Title Loans

Not everyone has the luxury of avoiding auto title loans, but it is always better to have a financial plan in place to avoid needing them. One way to do this is by creating a budget. List out all your expenses and income for the month, and see where you can cut down on unnecessary expenses.

Another way to avoid auto title loans is by building an emergency fund. Start by setting aside a small amount every month and gradually increase it over time. This will help you cover unexpected expenses without having to resort to borrowing money from lenders who charge high interest rates.

By implementing these financial strategies, individuals can create a solid foundation that allows them to manage their finances wisely without needing auto title loans.

[simmos-blog]

Winter returns

Friday 12th May

Breakfast at The Park Manor hotel was good and the service quick, perhaps because it was so quiet.

I was heading down through Peasholm park by 8.45am and it was chilly. I thought I would warm up as I got going but the wind on the prom was stronger and it felt colder.

I passed two tents flapping in the wind. Some youngsters had camped on a small area of grass adjacent to Scarborough skate park and a young lad waved to me as he emerged from the tent to join his friends who were already clattering their boards around the park.

There weren’t many people about but everyone was hurrying to keep warm.

I met Dave, Sally and Milo near the Spa and we were quickly heading off to Filey. It’s quite a long way to get out of Scarborough but we were soon climbing the steep slope that leads to South Cliff Golf Course. Just about everyone we met had a dog, some two and one lady four. I was learning a lot about doggy etiquette. It’s polite (and often essential) to ensure your dog is on the lead. The dogs will then either 1. ignore each other 2. Sniff each other and then move on 3. Sniff each other and then get more involved either playing which only works if both dogs are on board or maybe a bit of a growl or angry bark when the owners will respond by yanking them apart. The owners also ask polite questions like “how old is he”. It’s all generally very social, quite nice and if you were local a good way to meet new friends (human or dog).

It can be quite time consuming especially if your dog is the social type but we weren’t in any rush so I enjoyed the new learning experience. Milo is quite social and fairly easy going and he tended to ignore the small dogs, as if they didn’t quite qualify as a real dog, (a bit like a motorcyclist will acknowledge another bike with a curt brief nod but will ignore anyone on a moped or scooter as they are considered not worthy) so most passings didn’t result in a stop. He was however determined to enjoy his walk and insisted on smelling anything he found interesting, eating a bit of grass when it took his fancy and then taking up point position and quickening our pace when he felt it necessary.

We made pretty good progress and we’re soon past the golfers and we then dropped down to a wooded area by the sea. I always like this bit of the walk though it does involve a steep climb in and out.

We were heading for Lucy’s snack shack and the good news was that it was open. The even better news was that the toilets had been refurbished and they were open. No Tea Loaf though. Apparently it was a Lucy specialty but she has now sold the business to the two ladies on duty today and they didn’t know how to make it. We satisfied ourselves with coffee and cake whilst Milo had his water and slightly interacted with the owners dogs who were hopefully sniffing around for food.

We then headed up onto Cayton Bay cliffs which were exposed so cold. There has been a lot of erosion in recent years and the path went fairly close to the edge in places (too close in Sallys view) but with Milo firmly on his lead and all of us head down into the wind we made pretty good progress. Once or twice Milo seemed to question the logic of walking all this way in windy cold conditions and he sat down firmly and was reluctant to move. Gentle coaching with water and food generally resolved the issue. Dave was convinced he wasn’t tired just confused as to the point of this unusually long walk.

The views from the cliffs are great but we weren’t stopping a lot because of the cool wind and we cruised passed the enormous Blue Dolphin caravan park and soon after Filey rolled into view. Some quick, not very good photos at the finishing post and we walked into Filey for a warming coffee. It was then onto our separate buses with Dave Sally and Milo heading to Scarborough and me to Brid.

A fairly short walk today at 11.7 miles but it wasn’t easy in the conditions and at times it felt more like February than May. Another enjoyable day for me and I think Dave and Sally enjoyed it. For Milo it was at least a new experience, I just hope he doesn’t demand such long walks every day in the future.

Thanks to Dave and Sally (and Milo) for joining me today, it would have been a tough one on my own.

I will post a final summary of the walk in the next couple of days.

[hobisfavoritespritecan]

Atonement

SEO MOON-JO X READER

When the world falls apart, you have him by your side, loving and caring for you every step of the way. Accidentally stumbling upon his most sinful line of work, you wonder how much you really know about the dentist you fell in love with.

The cold and dreary night sky looked overhead and the moon cast a shimmery glow onto the pavement in front of Eden Residence. The flowerbeds that seemed to be teeming with life at one point in time were now filled with weeds and miscellaneous cans and bottles. The sidewalk was perfect on the way up to the residence, however as soon as you stepped foot in the vicinity of your new boyfriend's place, you noticed how broken and jagged the cement was. Overall, you had expected a bit more from the dentist, but you weren't going to be the one to judge. Moon-jo wasn't close to anyone really, so when he'd offered to take you on a date the first couple of times, you were excited and surprised to say the least. You knew he had secrets (everyone does), but little did you know the secret he kept from the world.

Smiling, you see the familiar figure standing outside the entryway, smoking a cigarette. Moon-jo was wearing a black turtleneck and grey dress pants with a black leather jacket on top. His hair had been gelled down previously to his arrival but was now strewn about his face and ears; it was disheveled in the "I may have just got out of bed but I'm still sexy" type look. He had a piercing in one ear that was just barely visible from his curly black locks of hair and upon seeing your face, his expression changed from daunting to pleasant. Even his demeanor changed as he stood up just a bit straighter and positioned his hands behind his back, a stance that you were familiar with when he welcomed you to the clinic.

"Why hello there." You said with a knowing glance, making it obvious that you were checking him out. He didn't seem to mind though, in fact, he looked expectant of it. His eyes shifted downwards from yours to your lips and then to your outfit, never staying in one place for too long. How he was so good at undressing you with his eyes, you didn't know. All you knew was that you wanted him to do it again and again.

"Hello." He said in his soft deep voice. He smelled of Dolce and Gabbana or something similar in exquisiteness, with a faint familiar touch of... bleach?

"You look sexy as hell." You said, just itching to voice what was on your mind. It wasn't fair for him to be so taunting with his angled features and impeccable style.

"Wow. I thought I would've had to put in a bit more effort before you offered to sleep with me." He laughed and snaked an arm around your waist, leading you up the stairs. You smiled up at him and wondered how you found such a godlike person. From the way he walked to the way he acted, everything seemed so meticulous and beautiful, almost as if he was never truly from this realm. You were in awe of Moon-jo in every way, and you scared yourself with the thoughts of what you would let him do to you...

Up at the landing, he removed his arm from your body and pushed open the door to reveal the apartments on the floor which he resided. It was dark and dreary and had the faintest smell of mold and cleaning chemicals; you wondered if that's where you picked up the bleach smell from. The walls were a dark green which made it even darker and the walls were so close together that it felt suffocating trying to navigate your way around the building. There was not a decoration in sight, not a plant, not any of the other tenets. The silence was so deafening that your ears started to ring.

Opening up the door to his room, Moon-jo looked on the shelf above him for the car keys he needed to take the two of you on a proper date. He had offered to give you a ride to the new restaurant that had just opened, and you agreed even when he said you two would need to stop at his place for the keys.

"Where are they.....?" He asked himself as he shuffled about the shelves, looking for the familiar shape of the keys. You started to feel somewhat sick the longer you stayed in the building, the walls and the lighting started to take a toll on you. It was disorienting and uncomfortable and for a moment you thought back to the possibility of parallel universe liminal spaces, since the place reminded you of it so much. Clutching your purse closer to your body, you hold the cool chain around your neck to get some feeling back into your nerves.

"Hey, baby are you okay?" You hear him ask on the opposite end of the room.

"Yeah, yeah. I just need some air." You lied, trying to look at the floor to appease your stomach. Your shoes even felt tight.

"You can go wait for me in the kitchen, if you'd like. It's a bit more open in there. Down the hall to the left." He said, shrugging his shoulders and continuing to look through the cabinets. How he lost something in such a small place, you had no idea. But, you took him up on the offer of leaving the room and you made your way to the brightest but dreariest kitchen you've ever seen in your life. The wallpaper was ripping off the walls and dishes were piled into the sink as if their intended use were to sit and collect dust. Sitting down on one of the dining chairs, you place your head in your hands and take deep breaths as you try to steady yourself. What was wrong with you? Why did you feel so sick all of a sudden?

"I think I might've left them on the fourth floor." You heard the familiar voice resounding from behind you. Moon-jo knelt down beside you, placing his hands onto yours and removing them from your face. His expression was one of genuine worry and you felt bad for him for having to deal with you when you were like this. He offered you a slight smile as he tried to read your expression; his fingers brushing away at the hair that had fallen into your face. "Are you alright?"

"I guess I'm just claustrophobic or something. I'm sorry, I'm not usually like this it's just that this place-"

"-Feels like a cage." He said, completing your sentence. His gaze turned into a dark one but you had no idea why he was so bothered by the thought. It was reassuring to hear that he felt the same way about Eden Residence that you did.

"Yeah," you said, "something like that."

...

Walking up towards the fourth floor, you were relieved to catch your breath and to breathe in the night sky. The ascent to the floor above meant climbing one flight of stairs and trying not to step on any broken glass. This place that Moon-jo lived in made you nervous for him as it didn't seem all that safe. You wondered if the rest of the tenets were a bit strange.

The big heavy door to the women's area of the building looked even older than everything else. There were charred marks on the door (you didn't know what from) and the way it was tucked neatly into the corner all by itself shrouded it in an eerie darkness. The sign was chipping away and soon enough any evidence of there ever being any humanity living behind the door would be gone forever, like dust in the wind.

"Why were you on the women's floor?" You asked, slightly accusatory. You and Moon-jo had only been together for two weeks, but you still felt hurt to know that he could be around other people that sparked his interest.

"I was working." He said, revealing a hallway even darker than the one from downstairs. "I have a side hustle of..... sorts."

Walking into the room, the sensation of being trapped filled your senses once again. The walls had the same charred marks as the doorway and the floor was scuffed and dirty. "What happened in here?" You asked, noticing how it looked as though someone had set the place aflame.

"It burned down shortly after Eden Residence was built," Moon-jo held your hand, walking towards the end of the hallway slowly, "Everyone died except for the old lady's cat. Sometimes you can still hear it up here, moving about and scratching the walls."

The hallway ended and the two of you were in a room so isolated from the rest of the building that you felt a knot in your stomach. This was the type of nerve-wracking that people on Criminal Minds talk about before they're brutally murdered, and you finally understood now why Moon-jo had insisted that you stop at the Residence to grab his car keys. He was trying to get you alone and vulnerable and you didn't think it was for sexual related reasons.

You slowly stepped back from the middle of the room as Moon-jo grabbed something off one of the wooden planks on the floor. "Here they are. Would you look at that?" He said, turning to you with a wicked malicious grin. In his hands were the keys, pristine and clean as he liked the rest of his belongings. That's what drew him into you, the fact that you seemed so pure and innocent. Something he could make an absolute mess of. Dirty hands on a white towel. Satan holding a sacred dove. You were his most precious belonging.

"Moon-jo? I think I'm going to call it a night. I'm still not feeling all that well." You let out a slight whimper, trying to feel around for the door you just came through. Instead, your back hit the wall and you were met with Moon-jo's face just inches from your own. He wrapped his arms around you and forced you into his embrace, not caring whether or not you wanted to be touched at the moment. The truth was going to come out tonight and he knew you would take it well. You would have to take it well. And if you didn't, he would make sure you felt too threatened to leave him either way.

"You're not going anywhere, love." He pushed his nose into the crook of your neck and allowed for his face to rest there, listening to the rapid pace of your heartbeat and taking in the scent of your perfume. It was intoxicating to him knowing that your life belonged to him and he could end it at any moment. He could, but he wouldn't. He wouldn't ever lay a finger on you in the way he killed so many others. You were different. You spoke to his soul and made him feel something after years of searching for something to fill the empty space within his chest.

Your entire body froze as Moon-jo held you there, calmly breathing into your skin. You wanted to run away but you had no idea how you would be able to leave without him following you. He knew where you lived and you worked within the same office. Rejecting Moon-jo would be impossible.

Finally, he turned to look at you as he continued to hold you close to his chest. "I'm a killer, (Y/N). You were going to be my next target but I think I accidentally fell in love with you."

Your heart plummeted to your stomach. There's no way he was telling you the truth. This had to have been a lie, the antisocial doctor whom you had gotten to know was quiet and poised. A killer wasn't even an option in your mind as to what he could've occupied himself with outside of his work. And that's when it hit you: the dead bodies that had been found all over Gyeonggi-do with missing teeth.

To confirm your suspicion, you noticed a dentist's chair in the corner of the room, the white upholstery now stained with colors you did not want to familiarize yourself with. Next to it laid a table with various tools, all clean and polished.

"I kill them. And then I eat them after I take their teeth."

That's when you fainted.

...

Waking up in Moon-jo's room, you look up at the ceiling overhead. It was cracked and crumbling and visibly painted over layers and layers of ruin. The window closest to the top of the room let in just enough light that you were able to barely make out your surroundings...and the person who shared the bed with you.

Moon-jo looked so innocent while he slept. His head was resting on the bed (he had given you his pillow) and his hair was a mess as he nuzzled deeper into the sheets. His arms were around you still and you noticed how hard it was for you to move in his intense grasp. His face was completely calm and his skin glowed in the soft light above. You didn't know when you had passed out or how you had gotten into his bed, but you assumed he had taken you here after your vision went blurry. In other circumstances, you would have found him to be cute in the position he was in, but instead your stomach was filled with worry. What did he mean by killing? Why was he sparing you? What did he mean by loving you?

Even with the nervousness bubbling up inside of you, you still found yourself glued to your spot, not even because Moon-jo was holding onto you so tightly. You knew that you wouldn't have left even if he allowed it, so instead you nuzzled up closer to his chest which awoke him softly.

"You're awake?" He asked in a deep soft voice, holding you even tighter in case you decided to make a run for it. He seemed confused as to why you were still okay with being near him and why you hadn't tried to escape while he was vulnerable.

"Yeah." You said after a moment of silence.

Moon-jo noticed your slight distress and watched you conflict in your head the possibilities of loving him and leaving him. He watched your eyes and saw behind them that you were trying to keep your morals, noticing it became harder and harder as you leaned into his touch, giving into him completely.

"(Y/N), because I love you, I'm letting you leave if you decide not to be here anymore." He felt his chest tighten as the words left his mouth, knowing that he was being entirely honest with you and dishonest with himself. He didn't want you to leave his arms.

"Moon-jo, I'm not going to leave you." You said, looking up at him from the pillow. He looked beautiful in the soft light.

"Why not?" He asked, certain that you were going to make a run for it.

"Because I think I love you too much to do that."

[bush-viper-cutie]

New Student, New Friend

Pairing: Young Snape x french!reader

Word Count: 2,751

Request: #1 “Hi! Can I request a young!Snape x french!reader where the reader's transferred from beauxbatons and isn't fluent in english/has a thick accent? Love your work!!”

#2 “Hi hi! Love your work! Can I request Young Snape x French reader? Sorry if I dont speak well, english is not my first language <3”

Warnings: none

A/N: Hello everyone again! :D I combined both requests because they are pretty similar so enjoy!

Posted: 9/10/21

Masterlist

---

~*~*~ = time skip

(Y/n) = first name

(L/n) = last name

~*~*~

~*~*~ = POV change

---

~*~*~*~*~ *~

There was a strange static in the air this morning, one Severus couldn't quite place. He brushed his long hair back behind his ear and listened in to the hushed whispers of passing classmates.

"...Beauxbaton, can you believe it?"

"Nice to not know someone for a change - "

Beauxbaton? Severus gathered they were talking about a new teacher perhaps? Although it wasn't that odd to get new professors in the middle of the school year. Just last year the Dark Arts professor was promptly replaced when he went mad after a spell backfired on him; In fact, every year there was a new one.

It was strange that the new teacher should be a transfer from another school such as Beauxbaton... Maybe they were fired and no one else wanted them, must be down on their luck. And if that is the case, how very fitting for Hogwarts, home of inadequacy.

Severus, still deep in his bitter thoughts, almost tripped over the shoe that had extended out in front of him. He caught himself and whirled around angrily. "Watch it!" he growled, straightening.

James Potter smirked. "Oh, Snivellus. Didn't see you there.” His Gryffindor friends snickered behind him, bolstering his ego. "I'd get along to class if I were you. Wouldn't want to be late on your first day back."

Severus grit his teeth and did everything he could to not growl his displeasure of being in so close proximity to the pinnacle of mediocrity that was Potter. It had been a week after winter holidays had ended but after another nearly fatal encounter with Black, he’d been forced to stay in the Hospital Wing un-zippering his mouth and a couple of fingers before being allowed back.

The memory of the experience made his knees weak, making keeping his riled demeanor that much harder. He was lucky he'd had the foresight to cover his nose before Black unleashed his hex. It wasn’t a quick run from the lake to the nurse, and he certainly wouldn't have made it with his nostrils zippered together as well.

"Mind your own business, Potter." Severus spat out his name like rotten apples, furrowing his brows in an attempt to seem more threatening however he could not help but notice the hallways getting emptier by the second. He knew better than to get caught alone with Potter.

He laughed and turned to catch up with his friends. Severus watched him go, only relaxing his shoulders after Potter had rounded the corner and disappeared out of sight. The hall was empty.

He turned and continued down the corridor when his hearing perked at the scuff of loud footsteps. He whirled around, hand plunging into his robes, but it was too late.

"Levipeds!"

Severus' head snapped back as his feet whipped out from under him. He hung limp in the air, watching his wand roll away on the stone floor. His hair nearly touched the dirty ground.

James laughed. "Welcome back, Snivellus!"

He closed his eyes as his boiling blood rushed to his head. He was hanging upside down in the air, alone in the empty corridor. He couldn't scream for help, he'd just get yelled at for disturbing lessons, and he couldn't reach his wand - as long as his limbs might be, his wand might as well have rolled down into the dungeons. He'd have to hang there until classes were over or one of the portraits decided to help him out for once.

"Eh... Excuse moi?" A quiet voice wrapped in a thick French accent broke the silence.

His eyes flew open and stared straight into the face of a beautiful but completely unfamiliar student. She bent down low to meet his eyes. She must be the mystery person from Beauxbaton, the new student as it turned out.

This was worse, so much worse than being caught by anyone else in the school - except for a very select few. Severus looked around in search of anything that might make this all less embarrassing.

"You need help, no?" Her voice was more confident this time, laced with a hint of friendly amusement.

"Uhh..." He met her eyes and hoped this new student would excuse his red face to be due to all his blood rushing down.

She straightened and pointed behind him. "This is your wand? I'll give to you?" His wand was in his hand with one quick flick of her own.

His eyebrows automatically shot up at her use of nonverbal spells. "Thanks," he tried swallowing but ended up coughing. He covered his mouth and performed the counter-hex, dropping to the floor with a grunt.

She rushed forward, looping her arm through his and helping him up to his feet. She laughed and dusted the dirt off his back while he stood paralyzed.

"Better, no?" she smiled, facing him a foot from his stiff figure. "I'm new seventh-year transfer... And you?"

For a moment his mouth opened but no words flew out, and then all at once words poured out as fast as if under a curse. "I'm - oh - yes you're from Beauxbaton, right? Yeah - er - yes, seventh-year as well."

Her hands flew up and she waved them in front of herself with a laugh. "Slow please!" she laughed again. "One more time?"

Severus gave an awkward laugh that matched hers and nodded. "I'm also a seventh-year."

"Oh!" she held out a paper and pointed down to the class he was late for. "I am so lost! You help me now? Oui?"

She smiled up at him and his heart nearly leaped out of his mouth. He nodded quickly, "Yes - er - oui, I'll help you... Actually, that's my class too..."

"Oh!" Her smile widened, "I need partner for the class! You have one?"

For once Severus thanked his unlucky past self. His time in the hospital wing all week meant everyone would be already partnered up. "No, I don't..." his face flushed red again and he cleared his throat, looking away. "We could be partners?"

"Bon! Lead the way, partner," she motioned for him to lead, keeping a very close pace next to him as they walked. "I am lucky to find you, did not know anyone yet. You are only third person met!"

He gave her a small smile as they walked together, but he knew it wouldn't take long for her to find out his status at the school. Being a new student, he was sure she’d make all the friends she could ever want by the end of the day. Then she'd reconsider her luck after everyone tells her all about her lab partner, 'Snivellus'.

~*~*~

They made it to class late. The professor looked up and frowned, ready to tell them off when Severus' new ‘friend’ spoke up.

"Excuse us, Professor, I am new and got lost."

The professor sighed and waved his hand, giving her a pass. "And I see you're back Mr. Snape. Get to your seats, you'll both be working together - get moving."

The two back seats were empty and Severus was glad to be away from the front for once. His new partner set down her things, and as she bent to pick up her books Severus caught a glimpse of Sirius Black glaring at him from the front, a seat behind where Severus had been sitting the last term. Black had anticipated his return and was obviously annoyed with the change in seating.

"What may I call you, Mr. Snape?" The new student whispered, giving him her full attention despite the lesson continuing.

"S-Severus." He looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to him. He'd die of embarrassment if they started teasing him in front of her for daring to open his mouth. "And you?"

She smiled. "Severus Snape? That's a beautiful name." She looked back up to make sure their conversation was still private and turned back. She reached up and gripped his tie, pulling him towards her. She leaned and held a hand to his ear, moving her lips inches from his ear. "(Y/n) (L/n)."

Severus’ heart beat faster than it ever had before. The immense drumming in his ears almost made it impossible to hear her whispers. When she released him, he turned to look at her, feeling his face heat up either from proximity or from her warm breath flowing over his face. "(Y/n)... Good to know." He swallowed and realized he had not moved since she had pulled him towards her. He would have felt like an idiot if she wasn’t looking at him so playfully.

"You gonna kiss her, Snivellus?"

Severus pulled back quickly and clenched his jaw at Black.

The professor smacked Sirius' head with a roll of parchment. "Mr. Black, disturb my class again and I'll assign you an essay for every night this week." Severus smirked. "And you, Mr. Snape," the Professor smacked the board, creating a puff of chalk, "- will hand me your notes tomorrow before class - legible notes, might I add."

Severus nodded as the class snickered and turned away from (Y/n). The rest of the lesson went by agonizingly slow. Severus counted the seconds until he could run away to the library, away from taunting eyes. He hated himself for turning so red, but he hated Black even more for making him the fool.

~*~*~

~*~*~

You could tell the boy, 'Mr. Black', had embarrassed Severus greatly. He was hunched over his parchment, focused completely on the professor's words, and never once looking back up at you.

You read the words on the board but soon your eyes ventured down to look at the tall lanky boy currently trying to visibly shrink in his seat. The moment shared between you both still played on your mind. He had beautiful long lashes and deep dark eyes to match. It had been fun to see him so flustered over you, but the guilt of what you'd caused sat heavily on your chest. That boy had noted Severus had been in the perfect position to kiss her, which... did she kind of wish he had?... Just to see - for just a curious taste.

You didn't know what specifically was so alluring about Severus, but you could imagine yourself wrapped in his arms, pulling on his long hair, biting his lips, and hearing that deep voice of his purring for more. Something about him - or maybe everything about him - made you wonder how gentle those hands of his could be.

The bells rang in the distance, marking the end of the lesson. You packed your things and sat waiting for Severus to do the same. He was slow at first and then after a quick flick of his eyes up to you hurried along.

You stood at the same time and motioned for the door, scrambling to translate your thoughts into English. "Lunch now? We can sit together?"

People filed out of the class, which Severus watched closely before turning back to her and answering. "Look, this isn't the only time… I'm not someone to hang out with unless you like hexes and spells to be thrown in your direction."

You could see the hurt in his eyes, the way his brows furrowed, and his down-turned eyes filled with tears that wouldn't fall. Before you could bring yourself to respond, he sighed shakily, giving you pause.

"It's not your fault... I'll show you down and then I suggest you forget about being friends." He pulled open the door and held it open for you without meeting your eyes.

What could you say to him? You stepped out into the corridor, contemplating how to phrase what you were thinking when laughter pulled your focus.

"I see you've met our Snivellus." The stupid boy, Black, came forward talking to you but keeping his attention on Severus. He had long curly hair nearly as long as Severus' and was taller, with proud shoulders held in a loose demeanor that still made him seem important in some way. His eyes shifted to you, "Hope he didn't drip any snot on you while he tried for a kiss."

You scoffed, “You do not understand what you saw. Please leave us alone.”

“Love, maybe you’re not understanding me. For your own safety I insist YOU leave this sniffling slime alone.” Black took a step closer.

Severus pulled out his wand but held it low, at the ready in an instant. "I’m done with your games. Unlike you, you nitwitted tower troll, I have places to be." He finally glanced your way, "Excuse me," and made to leave.

Black blocked his way, laughing at the now pointed wand in Severus’ hand. "Go ahead, I’ll be glad if you finally get expelled for using wands in the corridors. Mine's not even on me."

You eyed the smirk on his face and the tiny shift of his hand towards his trousers pocket. Was that a lie then? Whatever the case, you had enough of this game too. "My friend, Severus, is showing me to lunch. We are going now." You stepped between Severus and Black, giving the taller boy an annoyed look.

"I’m telling you, be careful," Black chuckled. "He might try to kiss you again if you’re too nice."

You paused and stepped back, looking up at Severus, whose eyes were fixed on Black, staring daggers into him. You bit your lip and chuckled the same way Black had, finding a different kind of amusement than him in this situation. "I hope he will."

Severus' head snapped to you, his cheeks slowly going a light shade of pink all over.

Black made a disgusted sound and a show of his fake nausea. “Darling, I don’t think I understood you correctly. Check your dictionary and if that’s not the problem maybe your eyes.”

This boy was really getting on your nerves now. If you’d been back at Beauxbaton you’d’ve already hexed him into a soggy pile of starter yeast, baked him into the perfect Pain au Levain, and chucked him out the tallest tower window. “Move it,” you made sure your French accent coated the word heavily.

Severus’ hand wrapped around your arm, pulling you back. He kept his wand and eyes trained on Black but spoke to you. “Go down to lunch. I’ll stay here to have the chat Black so desperately wants to have with me.” He looked up again, “Let her leave.”

Black smiled, “That’s fine. Been meaning to ask how your winter holiday was after I last saw you.”

You turned to Severus, ready to protest when the door to the classroom opened, cutting Black off. You all stood very still and awkward, hoping to hide the atmospheric hostility that had been created.

The Professor locked the door with a flick of his wand and looked at everyone with concern. "Off to lunch, no need wandering the corridors. Now." He ushered everyone down the stairs, walking close behind in equal silence.

You reached the floor second to last, after Black and then Severus, and pulled on Severus' arm the second your Professor had turned towards the staff room. You kept your hand on him to make sure he didn’t decide to leave before you could talk to him. Before Black could step towards you to continue the ‘conversation’, other Gryffindor students pulled him towards a small crowd gathering across the floor. Whatever it was seemed to be of higher interest and he left with only single backwards glance.

You both watched him go dissolve into the rowdy group and suddenly the air around you shifted. Severus turned instantly, searching your eyes with an intensity you could almost feel. You blushed and slid your hand down his sleeve and lingered on his bare hand. Neither of you said a word but the electricity connecting your eyes and the comfortable silence that enveloped you both spoke volumes. "We could eat together, no?"

His eyes settled on your hand still on his until you let go. "Oui," he whispered with a smile pulling at his lips. “Lunch then.”

As you both walked on, he slowly crept closer with every step, making your shoulders brush against his arm. His pinky tickled the skin on your wrist, making you cough to hide a giggle as you entered the Great Hall. Your eyes flickered up at his and you smiled, seeing a gentle blush and an even gentler smile on his face.

~*~*~*~*~ *~

Masterlist

—-

General taglist:

@setsuna-meiou31

@severuslovebot

@bionic-otp

—–

[rocorambles]

Surprise Interview

Pairing: Kenma x Reader

Genre/Warnings: NSFW, Yandere, Pseudo-Cest, Dub-Con/Non-Con, Verbal Humiliation, Manipulation

Summary: Kenma sees if you have what it takes to be Bouncing Ball’s newest employee.

A/N: This is for @sugawara-sweetheart ‘s Decadence Collab. So excited to be a part of this collab and to be able to indulge in such a delicious prompt and theme. Be sure to check out everyone else’s works! As always, thanks for beta-ing @sawamooora ~

There’s a familiar peace and a new nervousness about coming back home for the holidays. Mostly because home isn’t quite the same home it used to be. You can feel warmth blooming in your chest at the thought of seeing your mom, telling her about everything and everyone (as if your daily phone calls aren’t enough), and just lounging around while she fills you up with her cooking. But you can also feel a certain shyness as you approach the house, a building that still feels brand new and strange to you.

Your mother had gotten remarried during your earlier college years after your father’s passing and you were elated for her. If anyone deserves all the happiness in the world, it’s her. You had met Mr. Kozume quite a few times and you have no qualms with the man. He treats your mother like a queen and even though you playfully gag as they sweet talk and kiss in front of you, you wholeheartedly approve of their relationship.

However, what you aren’t quite as prepared for is having a new step-sibling.

You don’t know much about Kenma Kozume. Well, not much more than the rest of the world does.

Professional gamer. Successful stock trader. Popular YouTuber. Founder of his own corporation.

You know exactly who your new brother is, but other than seeing him a few times in person at family gatherings and exchanging polite greetings, there’s no real connection. Which is why your heart races as you nervously ring his doorbell, anxiety already making your leg twitch as you wait for the door to open.

Your mother and step-father are on a couple’s vacation and won’t be returning for a few days.

(“We just want some romantic time together before we have a full house again for the holidays. Plus this is a great chance to get to know your older brother better!” You hadn’t even been able to get a word of protest in before she had laughed and hung up on you, leaving you speechless and on your own as you hesitantly texted Kenma, letting him know what day to expect you.)

Kenma is quiet as ever as he nods in greeting, silently leading you to your guest room before quietly telling you to make yourself at home and leaving to do his own thing. You let out a huge sigh of relief as the door closes behind him.

There’s nothing wrong with Kenma. He’s smart and successful. Maybe a bit on the quiet side, but that only adds to his down to earth charm. You know your mother and step-father adore him and you can’t blame them. Yet, you can’t help but feel scrutinized, seen so clearly in a way that terrifies you when his feline eyes gaze at you. It takes everything in you not to immediately scurry away whenever you’re in viewing distance of him, desperate to hide all the flaws you imagine he’s noticing and calculating. Your step-father had mentioned how Kenma used to be the strategist of his high school volleyball team, and has always been able to evaluate and accurately break down situations and people. And you believe it.

You’re just grateful the house is large enough to avoid each other and that Kenma tends to reside mostly in his home office and bedroom.

But even the founder of a company needs a break from time to time. Kenma shuffles towards the gaming room, only to blink in surprise when he sees you already inside of it, happily smiling as Animal Crossing visuals and sounds fill the space.

He had known you owned a Nintendo Switch, a piece of information your mom had shared to break the ice a bit. And it’s really no surprise that this is your go-to game. But knowing and seeing are two different things and he can’t help but let his own lips twitch upwards at how calm and relaxed you are tending to your garden, decorating your home, choosing your outfit.

Kenma’s never been good with people, has never been the one to initiate a friendship. He knows he should have made more of an effort to be friendly and welcoming to you as your new older brother. There’s a slight pang of regret in his chest when he sees how at ease you are while you’re unaware of his presence. His eyes are as sharp as ever and he locks in on the way your body slightly stiffens, fingers nervously fidgeting when you finally notice his figure in the doorway, words already stuttering an apology for using his game room without explicitly asking.

You look like a scared mouse about to flee from the claws of a cat. And it pisses him off.

He hasn’t made the best efforts to bridge the gap between you, but for you to fear him? That seems a tad unnecessary, and more than a tad insulting. It’s more than enough to make the sadistic streak in him want to give you something to be scared about.

But he’s never been impulsive and he just quietly sits beside you on the floor, reassuring you it’s fine to play, smirking when you sneak little side glances his way as you continue collecting fruits.

“Kozume, do you want to play-”

“Just call me Kenma.”

Entranced eyes watch as you grow flustered at his words, mouth silently testing the weight of his given name in your mouth. For once, Kenma could care less about playing video games when a shaky timid “Kenma” slips past your soft lips.

“Kenma, do you want to play something together?”

You have no idea how badly he really does want to play together, but it’s a game you’re not ready for. So he calls upon any restraint he has to pluck your device from your hands and change the game to Mario Kart.

It’s amusing how easily you soften besides him, brow furrowing in concentration, eyes intently and eagerly following the screen, any anxiousness quickly forgotten as you get into the game. He greedily watches as you pout when you make a mistake, as your eyes light up every time you pass someone.

If he had known how easy it would be to make you warm up to him, he’d have done this sooner and he genuinely laughs when you whine and fake glare at him as he wins yet another round.

He asks about school. You ask about work. He tells you about his childhood. You share your own stories.

It’s a comfortable rhythmic back and forth and he’s afraid of ruining it, but a certain question nags at his mind, a question he knows may ruin the entire flow of the conversation.

“You’ll be graduating soon. Have you decided what you want to do after college?”

“Kenma not you too!!!”

His shoulders relax at how well you react to the question, smiling at the way you flop onto your back and groan about how mom and dad are already on your case about future plans.

“I’ve been applying to places, but who knows. Maybe I’ll just work for you at Bouncing Ball.”

There’s a playful lilt in your voice when you say it, a giggle and teasing smile accompanying the words. But there’s nothing funny about it to Kenma and your smile falters a bit when you see how tightly Kenma’s gripping his controller, the way his eyes pin you down.

“Kenma? It’s just a joke. I would never take advantage of-”

You try to get up from your reclined position, only to whimper in confusion when Kenma’s hand on your shoulder forces you back down. And suddenly you’re pinned down by more than just his stare as he moves to straddle you, knees on either side of your body, hands next to your head, his whole body caging yours.

It’s a lighthearted joke in the family that if all else fails, you could always work at Bouncing Ball. A joke your step-father and mother always dish out when the arguments get too tense as the three of you talk about your future. But it’s become less in jest for Kenma, especially after Kuroo sent him a scandalous picture of his newest secretary kneeling between his long legs, lips wrapped around his cock.

It wasn’t the first picture, nor was it the last incriminating photo the older businessman had sent him. Kenma merely rolled his eyes before deleting the image from his phone, wondering when Kuroo would grow bored and find a new toy to play with. But he freezes when he sees the following text message from his long-time friend.

“You’re the CEO of a company, Kenma. Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone convenient around? A pretty warm body? I bet that cute new step sister of yours would look really good under your desk. Doesn’t she graduate from college soon? If you don’t make a move, maybe I’ll snatch her up right from under your nose. I’m due for a change of secretary soon.”

There’s absolutely no reason for the hot anger that lances through him at Kuroo’s taunting words and he grimaces at playing right into his ex-captain’s hands, already hearing Kuroo’s braying laughter in his head if the older man saw just how much his words affected him.

But initial irritation aside, he lets himself really think, really imagine what a life with you at his beck and call would be like. And he likes what he sees. He doesn’t delete Kuroo’s photos as quickly as he used to, replacing the female faces with yours in his imagination as his hands slip under the hem of his boxers.

He knows it’s a longshot, knows there’s a high chance you’ll continue your lives as is, never destined to exchange more than a few polite greetings at family outings. But now...now hearing you voice the idea out loud yourself, hearing the way his first name sounds from your lips…

Maybe it’s not the silly pipe dream he had believed it to be.

“I’m in need of an assistant if you really do want to work at Bouncing Ball, but you’d need to prove why it would be worth hiring you.”

He almost laughs at how you perk up despite the precarious position you’re in, almost ready to launch into an elevator pitch of your qualifications flat on your back underneath him. You’re quite the multitasker already and he groans at the thought of having you cockwarm him while he tests out a new video game, making you answer all his calls stuffed full of him and desperately trying to hide the lustful tremble in your voice.

But he’s not here to listen to your carefully crafted speech. (Guess you really were practicing for job interviews like you said you were. What a good girl.) And he firmly presses his lips against yours to silence you, taking his time to immerse himself in the way your mouths mold against each other.

Your taste, your smell, your warmth. It’s all intoxicating and he slips his tongue inside your parted lips, subtly rutting his groin against your body. He can feel your body jostle as you lift your arms and he waits for the weight of your arms to lovingly wrap around his neck, only to be shocked when you weakly press against his shoulders until he finally relents and pulls back just enough to look down at you in irritated confusion.

“We- we shouldn’t be doing this.”

It’s not the words that have him clenching his fists, not even the way your palms still timidly press against him in a laughably weak show of defense.

It’s the fear in your eyes, the way you look at him like he’s some monster. It's the way he can almost palpably feel and hear your desire to be anywhere other than here, with anyone other than him, wishing to put as much space between the two of you as possible.

It’s your rejection.

It hurts to know that he isn’t enough just as he is, that he needs to resort to less...savory and straightforward ways to entrap you. But he’s not Hinata or Kuroo. He doesn’t have an electrifying personality or roguishly handsome features and charm to woo you. He only has his cunning and sharp tongue.

And he fully intends on maximizing his gifts.

“Of course, you don’t have to. You can just keep on applying and getting rejected by every company you speak to, if they even bother meeting with you after seeing your pathetic resume. Average college. Average grades. Average major. Tell me, how many interviews have you actually been reached out to for?”

He’s going out on a bit of a limb, but his suspicions are right and he cruelly smirks at the way tears bubble in your eyes at his words, no comeback or denial rolling off the tip of your tongue. He had a feeling you were struggling from the bits and pieces he’s picked up as your parents quietly talk and fret over you actually being able to find a job after graduation.

“Our parents are too nice to say anything about it, but you know they’re disappointed in you, right? Have you noticed how they always avoid talking about how school is going or asking you about how job hunting is going? How they only ask me how work is going? It’s because they know you’re just a loser whose life is going to amount to nothing.”

“That’s not true! They love me-”

“I’m not saying they don’t love you, but doesn’t that make it even worse? Making your loving and caring parents worry and stress over you when they should be preparing for retirement, an easy life? Instead of letting them finally enjoy a carefree life, you’ll be their freeloader daughter who uses up all their remaining funds. Is that what you want?”

You really are too easy and his lips curl in satisfaction at the way you frantically shake your head side to side, fat wet drops streaming down your face, adorable sniffles filling the air.

“If you become my assistant, I’ll compensate you well. You can live here with me, have your own room, a roof over your head, all the food and clothing you need and want. Think about how relieved and happy our parents will be seeing you provided for, seeing us getting along. Isn’t that what you want? For them to be happy?”

He knows how close you are to your mom, how important this idea of a perfect family is to you. He knows how insecurity and doubt about your own capabilities torment you. And he knows you’re hooked on his claws when your hands that are still pressed against his shoulders drop limply besides you, not even a hint of resistance left in you when he leans down once more to rest his forehead on yours, one hand cupping the side of your face.

“This is all you’re good for anyway. Working underneath me.”

If you notice his pun, you don’t acknowledge it, too busy wincing and squirming as he harshly nips and bites a trail from your lips to your neck as he pushes up the hem of your shirt until your chest is on full display for him. There’s something experimental, cold, meticulous about the way he gropes and fondles your breasts.Your face heats in humiliation at how he treats you like one of the many game consoles he’s reviewed for his audience.

But you don’t do anything about it, telling yourself that this is just his version of an interview as he pinches and prods at you, meanly twisting your nipples and chuckling at your yelp of pain. You obediently let him spread your legs apart, only letting out an agonized cry as he tests your flexibility, staring at him with a trembling lower lip as he sharply tells you to shut up while scrutinizing your panty-covered sex.

“You really are made for this, aren’t you?”

You whimper as he nudges the small wet spot on the thin fabric, clenching your eyes shut in denial at how hot and wound up your body feels from his touch, unable to hide your gasp as he pulls the layer aside and rubs your aroused clit.

There’s something so different about the way his fingers slowly sink into your wet pussy, almost lazily curling against your soft walls, his thumb never stopping its careful massage on the bundle of nerves at the apex of your thighs. So different from your own fingers desperately thrusting in and out of you. So different from the drunk partners you’ve hooked up with at college and their sloppy, rapid, frantic movements.

You can feel something large, something intimidating slowly rising from deep inside of you, a volcano about to erupt compared to the bright and fast to fade shooting stars you’re used to. You’re scared. Scared of the intoxicating feeling, of how easy it is to grow accustomed to Kenma’s presence, of how his cat-like eyes are all you can see and think of.

How can something feel so wrong and so right at the same time?

That’s the last coherent thought you have before your world goes blank, pleasure rocking through you as you soak the carpet and your step-brother’s hand with your juices. You’re moaning as Kenma continues to rock his fingers in and out of you, fingertips insistently massaging your clit and g-spot as you ride out your orgasm, body trembling and convulsing.

But even when the tremors slow, when pleasure becomes something sharper, more overwhelming, he doesn’t stop. You wail, begging him to stop, to let you rest, slumping in relief when he finally drags his hands away from you, carelessly wiping the mess you’ve made of his hand on your skin, covering you in your own essence.

Your heavy eyelids threaten to flutter shut as you let exhaustion wash over you, already dreading having to get up and wash yourself. But you’re shocked back to reality as something hard begins to nudge at your still fluttering entrance.

“Kenma! No! Too much-”

You break off into a sob as surprisingly strong hands dig into your hips, holding you still as he pushes and pushes until he’s fully settled inside of you, balls resting against your ass.

You’re still so tight, your quivering walls clamping around the intrusion, and he groans at the thought of being able to sink into this hole every day, multiple times, whenever he wants. His cock is already aching from holding off for so long, from watching your body and face contorted in pleasure. Kenma can feel his end quickly approaching as you scream and wail underneath him, eyes rolling back in your head, drool trickling from the corner of your mouth. You look absolutely obscene and he doesn’t think he’ll ever get enough of this side of you.

But despite the way his balls are tightening, despite the stutter in his hips, he’s determined to watch you fall apart once more, to see you shatter to pieces yet again. He grits his teeth, fingers reaching down to furiously rub at your already oversensitized clit, reveling in how your back arches, thighs shaking in overstimulation, and then you snap.

He wonders what his parents would think of their dear dumb daughter now, looking nothing like their silly angel, looking like a wanton used whore, incoherent garbled noises slipping past your lips as you twitch uncontrollably, your pussy milking him dry as he cums inside of you.

There’s only silence mixed with your pitiful whimpers as he slides out of you, grimacing at the sticky mess you’ve made of yourself and him. But that’s what your other hole is for and he orders you to suck him clean, admiring what a quick learner you are, eager to please as you noisily slurp and lick him clean, moaning at the taste of your combined fluids...

Maybe too eager and he shoves you off of him when you become too enthusiastic, his cock beginning to twitch in interest once more.

You look so lost, still sprawled out on the ground, staring up at him with wide imploring eyes as he pulls up his pants. So vulnerable and in need of guidance.

Good thing you have such a great boss to manage you.

“Not bad. Consider these next few days your internship and if all goes well, I’ll be more than happy to hire you as Bouncing Ball’s newest employee this summer. Now clean up this room and show me that my future assistant can do more than just be a slut.”

[emptymasks]

Cameron Mackintosh, The West End, and Transphobia in Musical Theatre

So I cannot be a trans person who talks about musicals without addressing this. I haven’t seen anyone else talking about this, and they may well have I just haven’t seen, and this interview is a few weeks old now.

For those unaware of who Cameron Mackintosh is, he perhaps the most famous musical theatre producer and is the producer behind the original productions of: Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Kinky Boots, Cats, Mary Poppins, Oliver, Little Shop of Horrors. And the West End versions of: Anything Goes, Follies, Carousel (1993), Oklahoma (1980), My Fair Lady )1970s and 2001), Godspell, Avenue Q (2006), Hair (2010), Sweeney Todd (2015) and most recently the West End production of Hamilton (2017-present), as well as many other musicals. He was knighted in 2017, as of 2019 he has an estimated fortune of £1.28 billion and has been called "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York Times.

Let’s take this point by point shall we?

"Classic West End musicals should not be rewritten to make leading roles transgender”. They wouldn’t have to be. If a trans man was cast as Raoul in Phantom of the Opera, nothing would be changed, nothing would be rewritten, it would just happened to be a trans man playing the part instead. Because trans men are men, trans women are women, they are not ‘other’. Nothing, absolutely nothing would have to be rewritten. For all the audience would know, that could be a cis actor playing the part.

You know how I know casting an LGBT+ person as a character who is cis or het makes no difference? There are multiple gay actors who have played Erik/The Phantom in Phantom of the Opera and the role never had to be ‘rewritten’ for them.

If what he means is the music would have to be rewritten, I don't accept that either. I doubt a trans person is going in for a part they do not have the range for. Some trans people may not be able to sing way out of their assigned-birth-gender vocal range, but some can. I doubt this man has ever sat through an audition of a bass Christine Daaé or a soprano Phantom. There are cis men singing high notes in Jesus Christ Superstar, of course plenty of trans woman can sing high notes. Vocal range is not static to your birth gender.

“You can’t implant something that is not inherently there in the story of character.” People make headcannons about characters being trans because there is no proof that they aren’t. Nowhere in any of these musicals that Mackintosh producers do any of the characters ever call themselves cis. For all we know Munkustrap or Mary Poppins or Enjolras could be trans, and some trans people find comfort in that. Show me somewhere in the original libretto where it says any of these characters are “cisgenered”. You can’t. No of course the original writers never thought about that, I’m some of them are transphobic and would hate the idea, but it is not implanting anything that goes against anything mentioned in the text. And again, like in the point above, would not change anything to the story.

Ah, there it is. Suddenly we’ve gone from trying to hide the transphobia behind ‘no, it’s just that it wouldn’t fit in the story’ to ‘trans people are unnatural and putting trans people in things is just forcing people to see them’. As if this needs to be said, but there is nothing unnatural about trans people. Casting trans people is not ‘forcing wokeness’ it’s just employing anyone who is talented enough for the part. For a community that prides itself on being inclusive and lgbt+ positive, that really does only seem to apply to cis gay men a lot, doesn’t it.

Already addressed above why it isn’t “inherently there in the story”, but also no, being trans isn’t a ‘gimmick’, casting a trans character in a role is not a ‘gimmick’ done to try and bring in lgbt+ viewers (at least it never should be). Actors are not just a silly part of your show, they are a key part of your show and they have their own experiences that they bring too the table and make each character their own, and that includes trans people.

That’s very interesting. Wrong, but let’s see what he means. There’s a new musical opening up soon on the West End where the lead character is a trans woman. It’s an adaptation of the book Breakfast On Pluto, which was also adapted into a movie in 2005 staring Cillian Murphy. Now, I do adore the film because as a teen who was starting to question their gender it spoke to me a lot, but it did make the mistake of casting a cis man as the lead trans woman. But it’s 2021 now, and Mackintosh said new musicals with transgender characters could cast trans people in those roles. So that’s what Breakfast On Pluto did right?

That’s what they did, right?

Oh...

Yes a new musical with a lead trans woman character has cast a cis man to play this character. All the while turning down all the trans woman who auditioned, as if auditions should have ever allowed anyone other than trans women to apply, and casting a trans woman to play one of the other side cis characters.

The team behind the musical doubled-down after the backlash and were quick to point out that they have other trans people on the crew so that’s good enough right? Wrong.

Violence against trans women goes up when cis men are continually cast as trans women. It perpetuates this idea that trans women are actually men when audiences see the actor outside of the character and the actor is a man. Cis men are terrified of being perceived as gay for liking a trans woman and when the trans woman characters in films, tv and theatre are all played by men (most noticeably and recently Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl) it only seeks to push that belief further.

Cameron Mackintosh doesn’t believe trans people have any business playing characters that were not 100% explicitly written as being trans and we should essentially ‘stick to our own stories’. But then when a new musical comes to the West End with a lead trans character, a cis man is cast.

I implore everyone to watch this short clip from the documentary Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen:

And just because cis women do not abuse and attack trans men to the same scale that cis men do to trans women, it still means seeing a female actor play a trans man contributes to transphobia in the audience as all they see is a woman 'pretending to be a man', a 'man in a skirt', someone who off-screen is not that gender.

Tdlr: Trans people can play cis characters and it doesn't require the role to be re-written, or the whole script to be re-written. Trans characters should be played by trans people.

[reidingmelodies]

Finders Keepers

A/N:  It’s been ages since I’ve written anything, so I figured it was about time I got back into it!  Hope you enjoy, any feedback is appreciated :) Warnings: None Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader Word Count: 2.7K

“What’s wrong with you, Pretty Boy?” Morgan questioned as Spencer rushed into the BAU Tuesday morning, fingers threading through his curls and a look of pure agitation gracing his features.  As if he didn’t hear the question directed towards him, Spencer continued to storm through the room, nearly stumbling into Morgan in his quest to reach his desk.

Pupils dilating, Morgan looked towards JJ who had taken stock of the scene from her chair, brows already furrowed and legs moving to stand and head towards her fellow colleague.

Taking the lead, JJ swiftly headed to Spencer’s side, moving to place a hand on his shoulder before thinking better of it and placing both hands on the edge of his desk instead, Mama Bear instincts dialed all the way up.  “Everything okay, Spence?  You seem annoyed.”  

Morgan scoffed before thinking better of it, “I’d say he’s a bit more than annoyed, JJ”.  No sooner than the words had left his mouth he was given a swift elbow in his side from JJ and an eye roll from Spencer and all that was left for Morgan to do was raise his hands in defeat.

Sighing, Spencer turned back to his desk before mumbling a response back to them, “I’m fine, guys.  I think I lost my copy of War and Peace on the Metro this morning.  It was in my bag when I left my place, it must have fallen out when I was trying to grab my umbrella.  I thought maybe I just forgot and left it here, but apparently not”.

“You and I both know you don’t forget anything, Pretty Boy,” Morgan chimed in, visibly less tense now that he knew there wasn’t any immediate danger.

“Actually Morgan that’s not entirely true.  I have an eidetic memory which means-”

“There’s the Reid we all know and love,” JJ chuckled, heading back to her desk to get ready for the day ahead of them.  Morgan followed, leaving the bullpen in search of Garcia and Spencer sighed, trying to move past the fact that one of his favorite books was no longer in his possession.  Logically, he knew he could buy a replacement copy after work, but deep down he knew it wasn’t the same.

The words dancing across the page would be the same ones that brought him entertainment and the comfort found in familiarity throughout his life, but the book within his hands wouldn’t hold the same nostalgic memories.  He wouldn’t look down at the tattered cover and reminisce on his first jet ride with the BAU, thinking back on how he brushed his fingers against the book’s familiar spine while trying to calm his stomach filled with nervous jitters at the prospect of working with unfamiliar people.  He wouldn’t look at the dog-eared pages and remember how the words on those exact pages brought him comfort on nights he would escape to his bedroom and try to leave memories of aggressive classmates and whispering peers behind.  

Any thought of potentially buying a new copy of the book after the workday was dispelled though as Garcia called everyone into the conference room to discuss a pending case in Phoenix, no sooner followed by a “wheels up in thirty” announcement from Hotch.  Grabbing his go-bag and leaving the bullpen, Spencer filled his head with thoughts of the case, half of his brain racing ahead to connect victimology and significant locations while the other half was stuck repeating a never-ending mantra of “it’s just a book” in the back of his mind.

***

As Spencer was boarding a jet to head 468 miles north, Y/N was playing with a loose thread on her sweater, thinking about the long day of work ahead of her.  Breaking her trance, she looked up and instead glanced up at the now empty row of seats in front of her.  Her brows furrowed as she saw a book stuck in the crack between the far left seat cushion and the back of the chair, and before she knew it her curiosity overtook her.  Y/N found herself standing from the seat, travel mug and bag in tow, before reaching for the dictionary-like book that was calling to her.  The title War and Peace glared back at her, and a quick turn of the cover revealed faded words written in blue ink proclaiming that the book was the “Property of Spencer Reid”.   With the announcement of her stop blaring over the loudspeaker and the weight of someone else’s book in their hand, Y/N made a split second decision to stuff the book into her bag, leaving the Metro with not only thoughts of the upcoming workday but visions of whom the mysterious Spencer Reid could be.

The workday passed by slowly, each passing second filled with the overwhelming desire to search for Spencer Reid on Google.  By the time Y/N was on the Metro ride home, any and all motivation to search for the book’s rightful owner went out the door as her irritation grew with the rising heat of the increasingly packed subway car.  Needing a distraction, her hand reached into her bag, initially moving for her cell phone but making a last second switch as her hand brushed the spine of the book.  May as well spend my time doing something productive, she thought as she gently pulled the book out of it’s temporary home.  With a final sigh, she turned to the first page and began to read.

As Y/N was tearing through the pages of War and Peace at an alarmingly quicker rate than she anticipated that night, Spencer was filling out a WMTA lost and found form in the hopes that someone had the decency to return his book.  Knowing his luck, he assumed it was long gone and in the trash somewhere, but he figured it wouldn’t hurt to make one last ditch effort at finding it.  Groaning, Spencer called it a night and went to bed, silently vowing to find his book the second he stepped foot off the BAU jet again.        

***

Six days later the BAU team landed in Quantico, making plans to head to a bar for a drink before a well deserved day off.  As designated drivers were assigned and phone calls home were made Spencer gathered his things, making a beeline to the door in the hopes of reaching the WMTA’s designated lost and found area before it closed for the night.  He was a foot away from the door before a soft hand grasped his wrist, immediately stopping him in his tracks.

“Skipping out on the bar tonight, Reid?” Emily questioned, head tilted as she noticed how frazzled her friend was.

“I’m just gonna go home and watch a bit of Dr.Who” Spencer began, desperately trying to think of something that would let him out the door without further questions.  “Speaking of Dr. Who, did you know that it was originally created to be an educational show for kids?  It’s actually really interesting-”

“Say no more, Dr. Reid,” Emily laughed, letting go of his wrist and heading back towards the others, “enjoy your night”.  Spencer tightly smiled, leaving the bullpen and making his way to downtown DC in search of his book.  An hour later and he wasn’t any closer to finding his book, ultimately giving up and heading to the bookstore to buy himself another copy.

It was at that same time JJ and Derek found themselves hysterically laughing at a corner booth in the bar, thinking about how Spencer probably missed out on meeting the love of his life that night- a woman sitting in the booth directly across from them, War and Peace open on the table in front of her and a pen and highlighter busy at work marking up post its that were being meticulously placed on the book’s pages.

***

A month and a half went by and Spencer had officially given up hope on finding his lost book.  In the six weeks since he had last seen it he refrained from reading his new copy, not willing to give up the small amount of hope he had that he would be reunited with his original book.  That evening though, as the Metro had yet another delay and the subway car continued to get hotter and hotter, he figured there was no better time than the present and pulled out his new copy of War and Peace.  A few pages in, a sudden jolt of the car made him glance up and almost immediately he locked eyes with the woman across from him.  In the span of ten seconds, his thoughts ranged from she’s beautiful to hold on- she’s holding my book and before his legs fully alerted his brain what was happening he found himself on his feet and sitting in the empty seat directly next to her.

As Spencer’s brain began to register just how bad of an idea it was to sit next to a stranger as abruptly as he just did, the woman next to him gripped her bag slightly tighter, tilting her head to the side as she peaked a look at the man next to her.

Her mouth opened to speak, but before she could do so Spencer interrupted her, desperately trying to save himself from any embarrassment her words could bring.

“That’s my book,” he bluntly stated, mentally hitting himself as he watched her adorably confused features morph into a look of defense.

“No.. that’s your book,” she pointed down to his lap, where his new copy of War and Peace was resting between his palms.

“No it’s not- well, it is but it isn’t really?” Spencer tried to explain, his face growing more and more red with each word that left his mouth.

“So it’s your book, but not your book?” She questioned, lips curling up into a slight smile as she witnessed the sweet agitation of the man in front of her.

“Yes!  I lost my book on the metro almost two months ago.  This is just my replacement copy, and I don’t know how I know, but I’m positive the book in your hands right now is the one that I lost.”  Spencer finished his spiel, watching as the woman’s eyes widened in realization and her mouth formed an “o” shape.

“You’re Spencer Reid?” she asked, and now it was his turn to play the part of the confused companion.

“I- yes? But, how do you know my name?” As soon as the question left his mouth the image of the title page of his book filled his head and all too soon he was practically yelling with joy in the poor woman’s face.  “Wait, that is my book then!  Does it say Property of Spencer Reid on the cover page?”

The woman laughed, and Spencer watched as any traces of tension left her body.  “I’m so sorry!  I found it on the Metro on my way to work, and I meant to look you up- not in a creepy way,” she continued, growing more flustered with each passing second.  “I was gonna try and find you to return it but then I started reading it and I liked it more than I thought I would and I just,” She stooped, taking a breath and giving him the most adorable set of puppy dog eyes he’s ever seen.  “I’m just really sorry, I shouldn’t have held onto it as long as I did”.  She finished, and held the book up, holding it out towards Spencer’s hands.  “I think this belongs to you”.

“It’s not a problem at all, I promise,” Spencer reassured her with a warm smile on his face, “thanks for keeping it safe”.  Something about her filled his stomach with joy, and as he looked at her he saw a similar smile mirrored back at him.  It was at that moment he knew he would do anything to keep that look of happiness on her face, stranger or not.  “You know what,” he continued, “you should keep it- finders keepers and all that”.

Y/N laughed in disbelief, immediately shaking her head and pushing the book closer to its rightful owner.  “It’s bad enough I’ve had it this long,” she admitted.  “It belongs with you”.

“At least take this one then?”  Spencer’s brain continued to be a few steps ahead of him, and before he knew it he was taking the book in the stranger’s outstretched hands and placing his new copy in her grasp.  “It looks like you still have a hundred pages or so left and I wouldn’t want to keep you from finishing it.  Besides, I definitely don’t need two copies”.

The woman smiled and gave him an enthusiastic nod, and Spencer couldn’t help but think he just made the best decision of his life.  The speaker above them announced the next stop, and with a sudden jump she left her seat, discarding the new book into her bag and turning towards Spencer on her way to the door.  “Thanks, Spencer!” she exclaimed, “maybe I’ll see you around sometime”.  Another smile was sent his way, and before he earned up the nerve to ask for her name she was gone, disappearing into a growing crowd of commuters desperate to get back to the comfort of their homes and begin the weekend ahead.

***

The following morning, Spencer found himself in his living room with a mug of coffee in his hand, completely lost in his thoughts.  He was trying to calculate the chances of seeing the mystery woman again, considering it took six weeks after losing his book to see her for the first time at all.  

He groaned, inwardly cursing himself for his lack of courage the day before and wishing he at least had a name to match to the face that wouldn’t leave his mind.  As the coffee cooled, he found his gaze wandering to the coffee table where he had laid the book and his satchel the previous night.  With a sigh, Spencer picked up the book only to notice a bright orange post-it sticking out of one of the pages.

“The strongest of all warriors are these two- time and patience” was written in loopy writing, highlighted in yellow with exactly twelve exclamation points in red ink under it.  He was a man of science, but he couldn’t help but feel as though finding one of his favorite quotes from the novel staring up at him was a sign.

As he continued to skim the pages, he found note after note filled with quotes, reactions, and doodles and he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of admiration for the stranger who put them all there.  It was a book that held countless memories for Spencer, but already he could tell that this was going to be his ultimate favorite.  

Backtracking to the front page, Spencer saw his familiar scrawl had been slightly covered by a light blue post it note.  “If this book gets lost a second time I don’t want to make the same mistake as the first guy… please call Y/N at-” Spencer laughed, immediately grabbing his phone to dial the number before he has time to talk himself out of it.

As the phone began to ring, he thought about how he couldn’t picture her name being anything else.  It was as beautiful as she was, and he longed to properly meet the woman who managed to get his heart racing with just a few post-it notes.

“Hello?” the voice on the other end of his phone answered, and Spencer could immediately tell it was the same woman from the subway.

“Hi, is this Y/N?” he began, fingers nervously twiddling together.  At her hum of acknowledgement he continues, “This is Spencer, the guy who’s book you had?  I was just looking through the post-its you left behind and I love the perspective you have on the book.  Plus, it was so nice of you to even hold onto it in the first place so I was wondering if you’d wanna get coffee, maybe?  So I can say thank you for everything and talk about the book with you?”

The opposite end of the phone was silent and Spencer’s face grew red, his hands moving to his hair because how could he possibly think she wanted to meet him, she didn’t even know him and-

“I was hoping you’d find that post-it note,” she giggled, and with the sound all of Spencer’s worries completely washed away.  “Absolutely”.

***

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