#and they get a package addressed to the and the music starts getting a little louder

[thestarstho]

I need Teenagers by MCR in the Percy Jackson series I need it I need it

[long-live-astronerd-ghost-king]

DPXDC prompt: Dead on main. No trick only treat.

~~Сhildhood friends and deals~~

The Justice League has to summon a ghost from another dimension to address the threat. They don’t know what price the Ghost King will take but there’s little time to bargain. Another spirit threatening them has already seized all the computers on their base. John doesn’t know what else to offer. A summoned ghost starts to look bored. Gold, jewelry? A favor from a member of the League? Like the Ruler of All Dead needs it. No one dares to make another offer, and the King is in no hurry to set out his demands. Maybe try to pull off a soul sale scam?

Suddenly, Red Hood breaks into the hall, walks up to Phantom and shakes his shoulder vigorously. Red Hood: You, get Technus out of here right now. I need access to the files and fast. Phantom: That’s rude, dude. Where did you grow up? in the cave? No "hello, no how are you, Danny", really? Red Hood: I’ll pay the usual price. Phantom: Deal.

What is the price? John sees Batman and gets in his way. The usual price, his guy said. Means Jay was already out of the deal alive and well. This hyperprotective bat would only piss off the ruler if he interfered.

The King quickly deals with his subordinate using a thermos and remains to watch working Hood. Red Hood: What do you want? I’m busy. Danny: You and I have a contract~ Red Hood: All right, all right. Jay throws M&Ms right in the face of the ghost. But king doesn’t look angry. He opens the package and starts sorting the candies by color. Phantom quickly eats up all the green ones and passes the red ones to Hood. Jason takes them without any questions.

Strange. John has never seen a summoned creature share its reward with a human. And the son of a bat looks too comfortable with it. Wait, since when do super-powered beings think that candy is a decent wage?John makes one of the most likely deductions using his experience. Constantine: Batsy, how long has your son been sleeping with the King of Ghosts? Batman: He…what?!

~~~~~~~

Dick *knocking at the door*: Little Wing, you hate ectoplasm and everything what is neon green, so why? He’s dangerous! Jason who turned on the music to not listen to his crazy family: ~He’s poison but tasty~

Dick: NoOOoo

~~~~~~

Jason: And now everyone thinks that I sold my virginity to you for a bargain or something, because interdimensional creatures like you aren’t supposed to help for nothing. Like you’re playing favorites. I’m gonna fucking kill John. Danny: Well, I wouldn’t say no to that. Jason: What? Danny: I mean, to k-kill John, yeah. How dare he.. Jason: Omg, you’re still so terrible liar, Fenton.

Danny: Sorry :(

Jason: No. Say it again.

~~~~Twelve years ago~~~~ Maddie wasn’t thrilled to learn that Danny was trying to make friends with Todd’s son. Their neighbor was terrible. And his son was definitely a street rat and probably a juvenile delinquent. Maddie: Danny, honey, there’s got to be a reason this boy is talking to you. Even kids from the crime alley are always looking for a bargain they can make or a fool they can fool. Danny: But Jason is so cool! He knows so much about books and alleys and.. Maddie: But you don’t want to be a fool, do you? Danny: Okay, Mom, I get it.

So, if Danny wants a cool friend, he’s got to offer a bargain.

He didn’t have a lot of pocket money for every month but Jason needed it more anyway. And his lunch that Jack was picking for him was big enough for two and only bitten on Tuesdays. Nice. Jason: Do I understand correctly? You will pay me and give me food, and I, what? Protect you from bullies? Danny: No! I’m not weak, I don’t need to be protected. Just..maybe we could sit together at lunch and walk each other home sometimes? Jason: Nay Danny: But why? You want something else? Jason: Money’s fine but your homemade food is…strange. Danny: I can bring sweets if you want. Jason: Deal. 3 pop tarts for a joint lunch, a party size bag of M&Ms if you waste my time out of school.

~~~~

Sometimes they share sweets when they hang out but more often Jayson takes them home to save in case his parents have money problems. Sweets have a long shelf life stored and he may not be afraid to poison himself. Over time, candy becomes their currency and a secret language for all occasions. Need help without unnecessary questions? M&Ms. Problems with learning? Skittles. The question is about family? Snickers. There will be a serious conversation? Pop Tarts.

Jason: One snickers and a pack of gum. Danny: Yeah, Jason? What do you want? Jason: My mom wants to meet my friend. Come to lunch on Sunday. Danny: Okay, you managed to pay for my expensive services. Jason:…and you just lost the gum from the deal.

~~~~~~

Jason threw a package at Danny: Three pop tarts. We need to talk. Danny: All right? Jason: Why are you avoiding me all week?! Danny: Well, it’s just..you’re Wayne now. Jason. Still Todd. And what about that? Danny: You can hang out with the cooler guys now, I didn’t want to embarrass you. Jason: Bullshit! I’m still the street rat, and you’re trying to avoid our contract. me. And I don’t even need money from you anymore. What the hell? I thought you are my friend. Danny: And I am!

~~~~~~

Robin: What’s a schoolboy doing in an alley at night? Danny: Um, I…nothing? Don’t tell my parents, Mr. Robin sir. Robin: It will cost you so many Chunky Bars, you have no idea. Danny:...Jason? Jason: N-no. Danny: Damn yes. What are you doing in green shorts on the street at night?! Jason: Cosplay. Danny: Oh yeah? Then I’m just your hallucination. Don’t hesitate to ghost me. I’m going home, Disgrace In Pixie Boots, bye. Jason: fu%&c$#u

[certifiedcodbabygirl]

clearly the only solution to the penpal au is you’re supposed to write to ghost but the entire task force hijacks the letters every once in a while. /hj /lh

Price also ends up doing that too once he realizes why the entire team becomes obsessed with writing letters

DUDE YES *smooches your brain*

Simon starts writing to you through a military penpal program Price had all of them in. Ofc, like the rat bastard he is, he drags his fuckin feet on it. Eventually, you manage to get him a little more willing to write back and it seems like he even looks forward to it. He's the first one to grab his letter from the container when they come. He claims it's to get it over with, but the other guys know better.

You'd think the other guys would be the ones more open to their penpals but NO. They managed to be paired with some of, who they call, the most boring people they could have met. Hell, even Price began to drag his feet after the 2nd letter back.

Simon seems to be the only one actually enjoying his exchanges, even if he tries to hide it. Johnny's the first one to get curious, wanting to know what the LT's got that's good enough to loosen the stick in his ass.

While Simon's out of the room, Johnny reads through the first couple letters Simon received. Your sweet words, stupid jokes, and genuine care are a stark contrast from the uninterested and short words he received from his penpal.

He stops writing to his penpal, not that they noticed/ cared, and grew the balls to write you one. He claimed his penpal dropped out, so they had to make do, not that you minded. And God, when you started to write back, he swore it was like he was a schoolboy all over again. Getting excited for the letters, heart racing as he reads your carefully written words, counting down the days till he gets another.

He gets ballsy one night and opens up to Gaz about what he did, not showing a single crumb of remorse. Tells him all about how sweet you are, how you show genuine care for his safety, even giving the idea of sending a care package. He could see that same thought process going through Kyle's mind, contemplating switching to you. He gave Kyle your address and told him to just come up with an excuse.

Now Kyle's a little smarter than Johnny, knowing that if Ghost finds out he's probably fucked. However, at the end of the day, he's a lonely man. He had this sweet thing like you just within reach and he's supposed to not take it? Yeah right.

He gave the same excuse Johnny did, claiming his penpal's schedule became too busy to write back, and just like that you had 3 soldiers wrapped around your finger. He sweet talked you, gave little puns here and there, really became like a lap cat. He wasn't as forward as Johnny and not as refrained as Simon. He gave you music recommendations when you say you like a certain genre, he gave you book recommendations, even sent you photos of him in front of a helicopter (you begged for it when he told you about him falling out).

Now, Simon isn't stupid. He isn't clueless. He noticed that the first couple letters went missing. Then he noticed Johnny being more eager to write. Same with Kyle. He noticed how they seemed to pull away from him when the topic was brought up. He's not a stupid man.

He might even be considered generous (don't say it to his face though, he'll take it as sarcasm). He knows the boys are talking to his penpal, but he'll be kind enough to share. His sweet lil thing. If you can keep up, that is. Your letters seem to boost morale and bring a small light that wasn't there before. They're all hard-working men, risking their lives to keep the world clean. They deserve this, don't they?

Even Price finds himself wanting in on it. If you can manage to bring Simon happiness (again, he won't admit it) and keep the other boys happy, surely you can take on one more. He sends you a letter, as their captain, and thanks you for what you've done. You're such a kind soul for giving these men some hope in their lives (laying it on thick, gotta keep em interested) and how much you've helped their performances.

They all write to you, their unofficial 141 penpal, and it works surprisingly well. The lines begin to blur a bit on being platonic and something else, but it'll be sorted out eventually. For now you're just theirs (Simon came around to it once he realized you had plenty of love to go around). You're the 141's, even if you don't fully understand what that means.

The first picture they send to you, around Christmas^ (I can't find the artist, please tag them if you know who it is)

[aphrogeneias]

kickstart my heart — one-shot

pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader

summary: the first time eddie sees your bare chest isn't the way he imagined it would be, and he'd imagined plenty of times.

word count: 1.6k

warnings: smut (+18), dirty thoughts, suggestive dialogue, for the purpose of this story, eddie is a boobs man (but we all know he enjoys the whole package), allusions to sex but no graphic descriptions. jeff is implied to be gay because in my heart all of cc are somewhere in the alphabet mafia.

author's note: elaborating on this. i want to remind you that this is a silly piece and i hope you take It as such <3 also i am incredibly rusty when it comes to writing, i'm sorry if this isn't great.

There were thousands of people around him, including the band on the stage in front of them, but Eddie couldn't look anywhere else but at you, eyes wide with a weird mix of emotions.

As cold sweat made his previously hot skin shiver, all he could think was "this wasn't how I thought it would go". Believe him, he'd thought about it a million times. When he needed to stay awake in class, when you wore low cut tops and tight shirts, in the blessed days you decided to opt out of a bra, late at night with his hand gripping his hard length, leaking all over his mattress. He thought about it an embarrassing amount.

In his daydreams, though, the first time he saw them was very much different. He had visions of you sprawled out on his bed, him undressing you slowing, showing your bare chest little by little until it was revealed in the low light of his bedroom, or dragging you to the ever dirty man's bathroom at The Hideout and ripping your clothes off your body in a rush to worship it.

No matter how much he thought about it, nothing prepared him for the fact that the first time he saw your tits was at a Mötley Crüe concert, in the middle of a crowd of thousands of other people.

Eddie hadn't even wanted to go in the first place — he's not very fond of metal of the glam persuasion, but you and Gareth had convinced him and the other boys to go. Jeff and Grant never passed on an opportunity to watch a good concert, and Eddie just wanted to be near you, any excuse was good enough.

He had spent the night happy, hands tucked in the pockets of his leather jacket, enjoying the feeling of the music coursing through his body, running through his veins like an adrenaline high. The bass and drums beating in sync with his heartbeat, feeling it deep within his ribcage. It felt good, like it always had. It also felt good watching you in your element, hair a mess after headbanging all night, skin glowing from sweat and the glitter in your makeup, dancing without a care in the world. The way he thinks you always should be.

It was funny at first. When the band made a pause and the members started addressing the audience, he was about to turn to you when the drummer made some particular lewd comments about the "beautiful ladies" in the crowd, expecting you to laugh with him. The whole rockstar shtick doesn't work on you, he knew that much — whenever he tried pulling something like that you'd just roll your eyes, which only spurred him on because he loved watching your beautiful eyes roll up, though he'd like to do that in other ways. What he saw instead was you whispering in Jeff's ear, the pair of you cackling at each other, too conspiratorially for Eddie's taste. 

With his brows joined together in confusion, he watched you lift yourself on Jeff's shoulders, and after that everything happened in slow motion. The drummer had gone and asked to see some tits from the girls in the crowd, and as ridiculous as that sounded, a lot of girls obliged. You included, for his shock.

Gareth blushed and looked down, Grant closed his hands over his eyes, Jeff was laughing — the bastard was the only one unaffected when you lifted your top up to your head for no more than a second, but it was enough to torture him for the rest of the night. He watches you get down to stand on the ground once again, still laughing, and Eddie could tell you were a little flustered, but mostly you looked like you were having a good time.

He couldn't blame you, wouldn't blame you. He had no right to tell you what to do or not to show your body, you could do whatever you wanted. But, as the band proceeded with their setlist, and your eyes met with his, a playful look and a tentative smile on your face, Eddie couldn't reciprocate. He felt jealous, jealous of everyone who got to see you like that too, and frustrated for being able to look but probably never being able to touch the way he wants to, he felt protective over you, afraid that some other guy would feel entitled to look at you or touch you disrespectfully after that. His mind started reeling, and he could barely distinguish the music anymore.

In his brooding, his fists clenching where they still rested in his pockets, he missed the way you looked down, eyes turning sad, unsure about what your best friend's strange expression meant.

"Are you mad at me?"

Your question caught him by surprise, because you'd barely talked during the whole trip back home. The guys were rowdy as usual, sitting in the backseat of his van, talking about the highlights of their night, making fun of you for your little groupie moment, which had you brushing them off with a laugh and smile that didn't quite reach your eyes.

Eddie felt guilty. He didn't mean to make you feel like that, but he couldn't stop his mind from wandering back to that moment, and he couldn't stop the blood from flowing downwards, his pants uncomfortably tight at that point. If you noticed his erection, he was ready to throw himself out of the car in shame.

It didn't help that you were right there beside him, thighs looking delectable sitting in his passenger seat, his hand itching to take place on your knee like it always did whenever he drove you places. He could feel the faint smell of your perfume, and see the way you crossed your arms in front of your chest, not helping with his problem at all.

You had only approached him when he'd stopped the van in front of your house, after he had dropped all the others at theirs. 

"What? No, I'm not…"

You interrupted when he was about to start stammering. "Because if you are, I really don't understand why, and if it's about what I did earlier, you have no right to. You're not my dad, you're not my boyfriend…"

A bitter laugh escaped him before he could help it. "I'm well aware, sweetheart."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Still frustrated, he pinches his nose between his fingers. "I'm not mad at you, I'm not judging you", he looks at you then, pointing a ringed finger in your general direction, "I'll have you know I'm a feminist, 'kay?"

You snort. "Okay, Mr. Feminist. What is it, then?"

"I just…", he sighs, "It wasn't supposed to be like that."

Maybe it was the couple of joints you all shared on the way home that had his lips loose like that. Maybe he was tired of holding it all in, his feelings spilling out of him like a dam breaking. Either way, it was out there.

"What wasn't supposed to be like that?" You asked slowly, testing the waters after feeling a shift in the conversation.

"I wasn't supposed to see you like that, I thought the first time I'd see you naked would be different."

Eddie couldn't meet your eyes. He could tell you thought it was funny, with the way you looked like you were holding back a smile. He was never bashful around you, that was the first time you saw him like that.

A lot of firsts for one night, it seemed.

"You think about seeing me naked?" You raised your brow, spurring him on. 

"Yes." He says, simply. Swallowing loudly, the tension grows inside the van. "And I never planned to tell you that, but now is as good a time as ever, I guess."

You scoot a little closer, putting an arm on the back of his seat. "Can I tell you a secret too, just to make us even?"

Eddie just nods, unconsciously getting closer to you as well. You can feel the heat of each other's bodies, an electric current running between you. You draw your mouth near his ear, and whisper "I think about you too."

"Yeah?" Eddie feels his confidence slowly return, his dream coming true right before his eyes. His pretty best friend reciprocating what he thought was his most perverted secret? Couldn't be real — but it was. "We should do something about that, shouldn't we? Gotta give you something other than your imagination to work with."

He wasn't able to resist tucking a fallen piece of your hair back behind your ear. You shifted on your seat, rubbing your thighs together. Eddie took that as encouragement, drawing even closer, hand finally moving to touch the soft skin of your thigh.

"Gonna do you one better, Ed." Your voice lowered, filled with promise. "You can look, and you can touch. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like we've waited long enough."

Later that night, after you were done riding him in the backseat of his van and he'd fucked you on the floor of your bedroom as you desperately tried not to wake the other people in your house, after his hands and mouth explored your body and mapped every inch of your chest, leaving his mark all over it, you'd joked, with a soft giggle at the memory, that you would do the same thing you did that night at the next gig he'd have at local bar.

The only answer you had was an unnecessarily long drag of his cigarette as he laid beside you on the purple comforter of your bed. "If you want me to not last through the set without dragging you out of there early, go ahead."

You'd just kept laughing.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Bittersweet 2

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc. 

Part of the Sweet and Spicy AU 

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk. 

18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you. 

Summary: Your startup business catches the eye of a powerful rival.

Character: Loki Laufeyson

Please comment and reblog if it’s not too much. I always love getting to chat about these stories and hearing all your ideas! You all are wonderful and loved.

It’s baking day. Your kitchen is stolid with the heat of the oven and the treats cooling on the counter. Your apartment has been converted into a pseudo chocolate factory; though you wouldn’t claim Wonka’s glory. You are certain to keep to food-safe standards however and so your morning began with sanitization, another two hours on top of a long day. 

It’s a few weeks out to the next show; a local festival that hosts all sorts of local shops, though the biggest attraction are the musical acts. Even so, you’re hustling as best as you can. You spent a portion of the baking show profit to get a kiosk in the mall for the holiday weekend. It’s a big deal, you expect a crowd and now you have an idea of how much you’ll need to bring. 

You sigh as you tally up what you have so far. You’ll be in the kitchen all week at this rate and you don’t think even then you’ll meet your set quota. You’ll still do well but you can’t help the echo of that man’s words. You’re hitting a wall on your own. 

And you’re running low on red cacao. You frown at the slack canvas bag. That’s another trip to the bulk seller down by the freeway but that’s so far out, it’ll eat at least an hour and a half off your day.  

He’s right. That pompous snakish man is right. You can’t keep up with the demand.  

No, you can. You’ll bake into the night if you have to. It’ll be cooler then, anyhow. You inventory your cupboards as the oven radiate with heat. You have a list. Tomorrow you can get to that but for now, you’ll start packaging the chocolates in the fridge. 

You count out the truffles and fudge squares precisely. Each one in a sleeve or a box. You’ll add all the little details later; a ribbon, a bow, a seal. You yawn at the repetition but aren’t bored by it. Having your own business isn’t exactly dull, if anything it’s tantalizingly stressful. 

Your tablet dings as the baking show you keep on stream quiets for the notification. The woman’s voice returns to full volume as you approach to check the icon in the margin. It’s from your online shop front. Between the physical work, you can’t forget about the healthy tide of orders coming in virtually. 

It adds to the weight on your shoulders. You slump and drag down the notification bar. It’s large order and before you can skim each item, another notification sweeps in. You tap the inquiry so that the message opens.  

The inquiry is labeled with the same order number that just came up. You squint. ‘...requires in-person to order address...’ You don’t do that. It isn’t an option but the customer’s tone comes of insistent even over text. They promise a gratuity and underline that they did pay for the expedited option. 

That’s the first position you’re hiring when you can make the space. A customer service representative because you hate this. You go back to review the full order. It’s a lot; a lot of baking and a lot of money. 

You’ll have to make it work yet there’s this needling voice in the back of your head, slithering and sharp, you can’t keep this up forever. 

🍫

Surely, it’s the wrong address.

You idle in your large SUV, the nearly two-decade old model puttering between the sleek modern cars the fill the spaces outside the luxurious storefront. You gulp as you peer up at the moniker. You recognise the brand and the logo. 

Black Snake. It’s some sort of trick. You should have been suspicious.

The chocolatier isn’t unknown to you beyond your encounter with its owner. While the headquarters are nestled right at the heart of your city, there are locations across the country and even a few international. The local start-up boomed onto the front page and you can’t say it had nothing to do with your own come up. You offer a more affordable option with the same premium taste. 

You suppose he doesn’t like the competition. You wouldn’t either but you put yourself out there against the Black Snake monopoly knowing you would be trudging uphill. You get out and try not to think too much. 

You unlock the hatch and take out the large box stamped with your business name; Sweet Nothings. You approach the front door, trying to see through the tinted windows that form the front wall, and it opens before you can reach it. Shoot, he’s expecting you. 

“Ah, right on time,” Loki greets as he checks his watch. “I see you’ve no branding on your vehicle.” 

You try not to cringe. He has an eye for detail. You bite down on your smile. 

“Hello again,” you try to act like his foreboding hasn’t haunted you for a week, “I have everything in here--” 

“I didn’t see a reselling clause on your terms of service,” he proclaims smugly, “these should be popular.” 

“Ah,” you hesitate as he steps out of the door to hold it open for you, “you’ve paid so I guess I can’t stop you.” 

“Mm, and how is business then? You are quick to respond. Can’t be very hectic, then.” 

You take the jab like a weathered boxer. You don’t flinch, you just keep going. You stride inside and look around. You carry the box to the empty space the counter. 

“As promised, I will transfer a fee for your trouble,” he follows quickly. 

“Thanks, uh, I should--” you face him as he blocks your path. 

“You’ve a pop-up. This coming weekend.” 

The advert is at the top of your online shop. Of course, he would know. His diligence is starting to eke you out. 

“I do,” you confirm, “so I should be off.” 

“Yes, you have much work to do. Tell me, how many ovens do you have going?” 

Your expression falls, “you spent all this money to mock me?” 

“No, I’m simply discussing business. Seeing as I am experienced, I thought I might offer some sage advice,” he flutters his long fingers. 

“I appreciate that, really, but I am running a business, same as you, so if you would like to discuss that, you are more than welcome to make a proper appointment with me. Like a business person.” 

He snickers at the slant in your voice, the tone that insists you’re legitimate like him. 

“I didn’t see that option on the store front,” he counters. 

“You have my card,” you sniff and step around him. “Feel free to let me know if you have any concerns about your order.” 

“Wait--” He calls after but you’re already halfway through the door. 

[miss-tc-nova]

With Reckless Choices - Leona Kingscholar x Reader Pt 4

I like this chapter. It's cute imo. But it's kind of text heavy and I regret it, lol. Anyone with a screen reader let me know if it's problematic.

Premise: It's Leona's birthday

Words: 2,462

Music Inspiration: Misbehavin' - Pentatonix

~~~Maybe a Little~~~

               “Are you certain it’s sound to have such liberal amounts of eglantine around so many guests? Those from outside Briar Valley may not have the wherewithal to avoid being pricked.”

               Her Majesty simply stares, blinks, then returns her attention to the gardener. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that my concerns go unheeded. Even the prince himself pays me no mind as if I hadn’t spoken at all. Defeated, my gaze averts. Quite frankly, my presence at this meeting is pointless. I’m not here for my input; I’m here for the presentation.

               “I leave this matter to you,” the queen says, to which the man bows and speaks his obedience. “Then this meeting is over.”

               He bows again, making a hasty retreat.

               Then Her Majesty addresses us. “You two are also dismissed.”

               With that, the future king stands. My head bows as he walks behind me before I rise myself. Watching his back retreat without so much as a glance towards me fosters seething disdain in my chest.

               Letting the hatred boil, I make my way out into the courtyard to share my secrets with only the roses and stars.

               Still somewhat inexperienced, fingers tap awkwardly at the screen.

               Dropping the device in my lap, a deep breath fills my lungs, letting loose the stress. An inhale of surprise comes back when the phone buzzes. I hadn’t expected a response so soon.

               There’s no denying the smile that pulls at my lips.

               That twists at my insides.

               What started in my stomach is creeping up into my ribcage.

               Those cold coils have begun to corner my heart.

               Being honest with myself, I am. Even so, I’m not so fond of his game.

               I can practically hear him laughing at me now, that baritone voice setting a fire under my skin.

               Irritation conflicts with my desire. He almost gets no response but even if I wanted to, he’s well out of my reach.

               I did receive a package just a few weeks ago, but received no explanation as to what the contents were for.

               I’m not going to be getting any more answers from the frustrating feline. Still, it would be a lie if I said I didn’t want to see him—especially on his birthday. Though I’ve no idea what this “theory” of his is.

               Whatever tasks I may have needed to attend are hastily finished or set aside for a less favorable time. The guards and attendants bid me goodnight as I “retire” early. In reality, to my own face I lie, telling myself that I’m not putting in the extra effort for any reason other than it’s Leona’s birthday. Yet the intrusive thoughts keep surfacing, imagining him mingling and laughing with someone else—eyeing them up. I reexamine my outfit choices.

               Sooner than later, however, the hour declared draws near. From the dresser I draw the crystal I now understand the use of though not the purpose. Nevertheless, I hold the artifact close, willing it to reveal the memory contained.

               Sunlight rains down on my skin, the sound of traffic filling my ears. Before me sits an ornate golden fountain, surrounded by animal sculptures honoring a young, future king. The greenery of the park is vibrant and not entirely ­something I would expect to find within city limits, but the Sunset Savana is famed for living alongside its wildlife.

               A tinge of disdain pricks at my boredom at hearing the voice of a child calling out to me. As he approaches, tugging on my arm, his mouth runs faster than any cheetah.

               Still, my gaze roams, looking to different areas of the park I’m dragged through, taking in as much as I can.

               Blinking away the magic, my mind returns to the present, back in my own room in Castle Blackscale. The immediate purpose of the memory doesn’t strike me and I wonder what Leona expects me to do with such a mundane thought. Despite his annoyance at his chatty nephew, he’d taken great care to take in the details of the park. I can still see it in my mind almost as if I were there.

               That clever kitty.

               Closing my eyes again, I hold fast to the borrowed remembrance. The peaceful, tranquil park backed by the bustling civilization sticks in my mind as I try to fully convince myself that I was there. Reaching out, my magic searches for the connection that will grant me passage to a place I’ve only been vicariously.

               To my greatest surprise, black sparks come to life at my fingertips. My jaw drops as I trace the door that opens wide to the park I’ve never visited before. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that lion’s crazy theory worked.

               The only difference from my second-hand memory and the one I now stand in is the light. The sun has long since set, leaving the area blissfully deserted. Yet I take it all in, purely excited at the events that brought me here and the events to come.

               From my pocket the phone is drawn as I tap away at the screen.

               Alarms ring in my head.

               It takes me a moment to track down the entrance gate. I carefully secure the hat guarding my identity as I take a few timid steps beyond the iron fence. There aren’t too many cars around, however, there’s a peculiar, gleaming black car far more expensive than any other. Leaning against it is a young man I’ve only seen pictures of—he was one of Leona’s schoolmates.

               When he catches me staring, I press my glasses higher.

               “You here for Leona?”

               Nervous, I nod.

               “Cool.” The hyena opens the back door for me. “The drive to the palace won’t take too long, but make yourself comfortable. You got all the controls back here.”

               My head dips in appreciation as I slide into the back seat. He seems not at all disturbed at my lack of response, but Leona must’ve told him as much. Thankfully, I quickly discover the privacy screen and separate the front seats from the back before pulling out my phone again.

               Occasionally, the driver makes a remark, more to himself than me. It’s mostly about the traffic or the radio, I think just to fill the silence. Aside from that, it’s a fairly peaceful ride, watching the sleepy city drift beneath the glittering sky.

               As promised, the driver takes me to the palace. Booming music can be heard well before we breach the castle grounds. Leona wasn’t kidding when he said his family had gone all out, but I wasn’t expecting this. Lights make up for the lack of sun, the music shaking the car even as we pass. The yard is filled with people, both guest and performer alike and I find myself thankful for the tinted glass between us.

               Onto a ramp the driver pulls, taking us to an underground garage. Parked among several other expensive vehicles, the man slips from the driver’s seat and comes around to open my door. A hand waves towards the stairs.

               “I’ll take you up to Leona’s room where you can relax until he gets there.”

               Again, I nod in appreciation and follow. As we pass through the first floor, I can hear the celebration but we go without being spotted. Up on a higher floor, he wanders down a couple halls until he pauses in front of a door and opens it for me.

               “Here you go. He said make yourself at home. There’s a bathroom in the door on the left and I’ll go let him know you’re waiting.”

               Ambling inside, I awe at the room, jumping a bit when the door closes behind me.

               Leona’s room feels familiar despite having never been here; I could’ve immediately guessed who it belongs to. It’s relatively neat, though there are obvious signs of his laziness such as clothes on the floor, open drawers, and a bit of rubbish around the bin. To the right is an open wall leading out onto a balcony overlooking the city. It’s a beautiful sight.

               A seat on the bed holds me for maybe ten minutes before the doorknob turns. My head immediately drops, not entirely certain who’s going to walk through that door.

               “I knew you were jealous.”

               With heat winding along my spine, I drop the hat and glasses. “I told you, I’m not jealous.”

               The lock turns behind him.

               To my surprise, Leona is dressed for the occasion. He’s got a black button-up shirt with a long, sleeveless overcoat in a royal shade of violet embroidered with gold. Black slacks end at his neatly polished purple shoes while his golden necklace adorns his neck. He looks quite dashing, the only hint of his inebriation being the crooked paper crown upon his head.

               Mischief lies behind that smile. “Still lyin’ to yourself, I see.”

               “You asked me to come,” I retort, strolling closer. “It would be rude to refuse you on your birthday.”

               “Sure sure.” Leona steps around me, circling like the big cat he is. “You tellin’ me you didn’t wanna come over, get me away from Sanaa and Zawadi, and have me all to yourself?” He pauses in front of me, standing so close I can smell the alcohol on his breath. “‘Cause I can always go back downstairs and enjoy the party. I’m sure Zawadi’s lookin’ for me with another drink. No doubt with another hint about coming upstairs.”

               How this man knows exactly what to say to get under my skin is beyond me.

               With a final ‘hmph’ of triumph, the lion turns back towards the door. I’ll be giving him the checkmate, but my heart gives me no choice as I snag his sleeve. Defeat meets that all-knowing smirk.

               “That’s what I thought.”

               Leona steps into me, hands at my hips and lips honing in on my neck. Instantly, I melt into him, plunging in over my head into my own desire. Warm hands roam, a thrilling tingle left in their wake with each move. Yet in all this adoration, I can only cling to his coat and bask in the euphoria of his lust.

               Until that twinge of guilt pulls taut in my heart. A gentle nuzzle gets the birthday boy to retreat only long enough for him to switch sides.

               “Wha’s wrong?”

               “Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer to enjoy the party?”

               He leans back. Smoldering eyes leer at me—only me. “Why would I wanna endure those loudmouths that talk behind my back when I have you right here?” Our foreheads meet as his voice lowers. “My helpless…hopeless…jealous prey. Honestly, I don’t know what you were worried about.”

               In my pouting, I look away. That’s when Leona begins his nuzzling.

               “A’int no one out there as gorgeous as you. You think I could even consider anyone else after tasting you?”

               Embarrassment surges into my ears. Surely that’s not something he’d say with a clear head.

               “This is the only thing I’ve wanted all day.” His head bumps against mine. “So make it worth my while, yeah?”

               Thankful he’s too preoccupied with my skin to see my self-consciousness, so I put on my best act.

               “Oh? And how do you propose I do that?”

               He’d be purring if he could. “You can start by letting me have another taste.”

               If I know Leona, that make out is going to quickly devolve to clingy cuddles and sleep shortly after. He never had any intention of attending his own party. I sigh; I really was worried over nothing.

               Poking at his paper crown, I tease, “As you wish, my king.”

               That’s when I see the purest, happiest smile I think anyone has ever given me. And in this moment, I would do anything for him.

               “Damn right.”

               My eyes roll, but there’s no denying the smile infecting my lips.

               “Happy birthday, Leo.”

~~~~~

Part 5

Nova’s Twisted Wonderland Masterlist

[trtlebuns]

OH YOU BETTER WORK!!

Synopsis: You “accidentally” send your clothes to your boyfriends address and demand a fashion show

Inspired by this video: 💋

Tags: Fluff, wholesome, comedy, and Soap

Johnny (Soap) MacTavish

“babe” you hear Johnny say through the FaceTime call

“Hm?” You replied not looking at the phone while you paint your nails

“What is it” you ask again now looking at your phone since you didn’t hear Johnny reply

“I think you sent something to my address” Johnny said while showing the package in the camera

“Ooohh!!! I was wondering where that went, I thought they forgot to send it and was going to request a refund” You said while looking at the logo on the package

“Do you want me to drive over and give it to you?” Johnny put the package down and looked around for his keys

An idea popped into your head

“no no no” you frantically say as he pauses and waits for you to continue your sentence

“Try them on for me” you say

There was a pregnant pause

“I think those polish fumes are getting to your head darling” Johnny chuckled

“I’m deadass” you said as you put on your most serious face as you stare into the camera as Johnny stares back at you

“Babe I-“ Johnny was about to start before cut off by a

“AHHHH PLEASE PLEASE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP!! YOU WONT HAVE TO BUY ME LUNCH FOR THE WHOLE WEEK PLEASE I PROMISE I PROMISE JUST THIS ONE THING UGHHH” you screamed into the phone

Johnny knew you were lying about the lunch because he knows how you get when you’re hungry

Johnny rolled his eyes and told you to hush and you did

“Fine WOMAN! I will put the clothes on mkay” he said with a tight lip

You smiled “prop the camera up so I can get a full body image, it’ll help me image it on myself”

Johnny does what you ask and opens up the package

“Dear God woman, where and why did you even buy these clothes??” Johnny said confused and scared as he picked up a few articles of clothing

“I was just browsing and seeing what I might like to see myself in. Now enough questions, get on with the get down okay?” You said as you put yourself in cross cross apple sauce position and watched Johnny changed

As Johnny was about to lift his shirt he caught a glimpse of you looking like a mad woman in the camera

Eyes wide , staring deep into the camera, and breathing deeply

“Back up, damn. Creeping me the fuck out” Johnny said while letting go of his shirt and about to cover his camera

“ ILL CLOSE MY EYES” you said as you saw his hand

Johnny rolled his eyes

“You better” he said and went back to changing

“No promises tho…” you shut your eyes peeking a bit

“Huh???” Johnny said

“They’re closed” you said irritatedly, but nevertheless closed your eyes fully

In the midst of you eyes being closed and rocking your self side to side

You hear a bunch of “my gods” “would this even fit?” “my body would swallow this” “trashy” “ooo a wig” “why is my nipple on display?” “THONG?!”

“Hurry up” you said impatiently as you hear him grumble his complaints

“I’m almost done, hush! You can’t rush art” you hear him smack his lips

“Okay andddddddd done” you hear Johnny say out of breath

You open your eyes

“Good God” You say aloud and cover your mouth to stop the giggles from erupting from your body

“Speechless? I know babe” Johnny said as he bit his lips and rubbed his hands together

Visual: Johnny is wearing a pink crop top with some short shorts , with a white fur coat and a purple bob wig to match

As tears begin to fall down your eyes and the laughter managed to escape your mouth

Johnny gave you a full blown show

I’m talking twirling, strutting towards the camera, twerking a little bit

You even put on beez in the trap by Nicki Minaj to give him the all experience bad bitch vibe

“BITCHES AINT SHIT AND THEY AINT SAYING NOTHIN!!” You yelled out while you got up and starting dancing

“YOU BETTER EAT JOHNNY!! YOU BETTER WORK!!!” You yelled in the camera as Johnny started dancing along with the lyrics

As the music came to an end, you hear the door open from the Johnnys side of the phone

Immediately Johnny is frozen in his spot

“Could you pleas-“ you hear a familiar voice and automatically align it with Simon (Johnnys roommate)

There was a pause in his sentence, as he continues

“Playing a little bit of dress up?”

“Yeah…” Johnny replied

“good, good, It’s good to pretend” you hear Simon say

You cough awkwardly

“You look beautiful” Simon chuckles out

“Oh fuck off and get out” Johnny yelled out and went to close his door and lock it

“Please keep it down Princess” you heard Simon yell behind the door

You’re having a giggling fit as Johnny picked up his phone and looked at you

“Never again” Johnny says

“Okay okay, I promise” you replied with a smile

[takaraphoenix]

Sun-in-Law

Tags: m/m, established relationship, family fluff

Main Pairing: Apollo/Percy

@polympians-event Prompt: family focus.

Summary: Apollo had lost so many over the span of his life, but for the first time, he had a real family to come home to, and he was grateful for it.

This story on FFNet | This story on AO3

--

Sun-in-Law

Apollo loved getting mail. Letters and packages addressed to him. It was a silly thing to find joy in, he was aware – he was the god of the sun, music, prophecies, medicine, he'd seen and caused so much that was magical, inspiring, ever-lasting, impactful, yet here he was, giddily staring down at their electricity bill. Mister Apollo Jackson. Followed by their address. That was, his and his husband's address. Because he was Mister Apollo Jackson now, husband to one Percy Jackson.

He'd had so many fake last names over the years, to pose as a mortal when falling in love, to try and be a normal man and not a god, but none of them had been real. This was the first time he had a real last name. His husband's last name. He'd taken it when they had exchanged their vows.

For the first time in forever, Apollo had a life. A normal life. A husband, a house, bills, neighbors, even a job (technically, he was Doctor Apollo Jackson, but oh well). He did things the way every normal mortal being did. Neighborhood barbecues, Sunday family dinners with his in-laws, meeting his husband for lunch whenever possible, preparing lunch bags for their daughter.

"Are you staring at your name with a stupid smile again, sunshine?"

Apollo jumped ever so slightly at his husband's voice. A blush lit up the Sun God's cheek. Sometimes, it felt like Percy had prophetic abilities of his own. How could he possibly know?

"I'm just getting the mail, sea star," Apollo called back, quickly getting the rest out too.

When he entered the kitchen, he found his beautiful, amazing husband in the middle of preparing dinner. Percy Jackson was stunning. Even as a retired hero, still athletic, well-trained, his eyes the ever-sparkling endless depth of the sea, his very, very kissable lips pulled into a teasing grin.

Percy was the greatest hero their world had seen in so many centuries, he'd been wooed and beloved by countless demigods and gods alike. Yet Apollo was the one who could count himself so lucky to be loved by the demigod. And for the first time, Apollo was allowed to love. Percy didn't get turned into a plant, or a constellation, or die otherwise. No, he was so strong, he could hold his own against any god – or titan, or giant, as proven in the wars.

"Papa! Papa, look!"

Apollo's attention was drawn away from his captivating husband and down to their daughter. Well, in all technicality, she was Apollo's granddaughter – a daughter of his son Asclepius, the god of medicine, her mortal mother having died when she was still very little. Too little to be at a Summer Camp, too alone to be abandoned. Percy had fallen in love with her so fast and so hard, it had been his idea for them to adopt her, and it had warmed Apollo's heart. Now she was theirs. Little Ariana Jackson, her fathers' pride and joy. Smiling at her, Apollo knelt down next to her.

"Oh, that's a pretty picture, sweetheart," Apollo smiled as he looked at the crayon drawing.

He smoothed down her wild, dark-brown hair and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, making her giggle. They had made a beautiful home together, him and Percy. A normal home. The kind Apollo had only ever gotten to dream of. Yes, he still had his duties on Olympus, but especially after his father's unjust punishment, Apollo had few qualms not being as diligent. If he king of gods thought they could do without him, then who was he to argue.

What had started out as a punishment had in the end been what drew Apollo and Percy close and even after Apollo regained his godhood, they remained friends. Apollo kept dropping by, visiting Percy at college, annoying Percy, hanging out with Percy, falling in love with Percy. It was a bit ironic, perhaps, that what had put them together in the first place had been Apollo fighting to get his place on Olympus back, only for him in the end to more or less give it up willingly. What mattered here was the choice. This was his choice. His choice to be with the one he loved.

Yes, he would like to take Percy to Olympus. Make him a god, know him immortal and protected. Not as long as Paul and Sally were alive though. Percy refused to leave the mortal world as long as his parents were still on it. So they compromised, and Apollo had come to live here, live a normal, mortal life with the man he loved, until Percy was ready to accept godhood and move on.

It had started out as a compromise, Apollo could have never anticipated how much he would come to love it. Love this life with all its facets, fall in love with all the small, mundane things.

"If you don't mind, how about setting the table before everyone gets here?"

"Ri—ight," Apollo got up again and walked back to the kitchen. "Sorry, our adorable daughter is very, very distracting. Setting the table now, my love."

There was a particular, little smile he always got when calling Percy 'my love'. Leaning in, Apollo kissed his husband's cheek before he went to set the table out in the backyard for eight. Their house had a beautiful, large garden with a pool – Apollo did not marry a son of Poseidon to then not spoil him with a sea-water pool; he may lead a mortal life right now for the sake of his husband, but he was still a god and he was going to spoil his consort! The garden though, admittedly, was mainly pretty thanks to Apollo's half-sister Persephone. One of his favorite half-siblings, the two were close. The beautiful garden had been her wedding present to them.

"Ba—abe, doorbell," was screamed at him about twenty minutes later. "I would, but chicken."

Apollo huffed out a small laugh at that and hurried back in, after one last glance at the table. Cutlery, plates, napkins, he'd also prepped and served the salad already. Looking good. Pleased, he went to open the door for their guests, offering a bright, sunny smile.

"Mom, dad! So good to see you."

Paul Blofis winced at that. "I told you not to call me that. It's just… weird."

Next to him, his wife laughed and elbowed him. "Fairly sure that's exactly why he's doing it. Hello, Apollo, it is good to see you too. How are you boys?"

Sally pulled him into a warm, loving hug. She had a gift for those. And for making people feel like family. Coming from an awkwardly broken home himself – an affair of Zeus', which of course meant his parents didn't raise him together, and which also implied the anger and disdain from his dear stepmother – he had been very overwhelmed by how warmly he was welcomed into the Jackson family after he had started dating Percy.

"Hi, Polly, where's my brother?" Laura asked, already pushing past Apollo. "And my niece!"

The young Jackson deeply admired and loved her older half-brother. She liked Apollo too, but only after she got her Percy hugs in. Grinning amused at her, Apollo pointed toward the kitchen and she zoomed right off to attach herself to Percy's waist like a clingy octopus. It should be more awkward, that Percy's sister and Percy's daughter were only a few years apart, but Laura had been absolutely psyched to be the older one for a change, and she took being 'best auntie' very seriously. As soon as she had enough Percy hugs, she turned her attention to little Ariana.

"Brother!" Tyson greeted him loudly and enthusiastically.

Apollo grunted as the cyclops hugged him hard and lifted him off the ground by a couple inches. Percy's brother had fully accepted Apollo into the family and was very happy about how happy Apollo made Percy. Apollo gasped for breath once he was put down again. Cyclops hugs were tight. Next to Tyson, Tyson's fiance simply smiled at him and waved. Ella was a good one. She worked closely with Rachel a lot, and Apollo in return still worked with his chosen oracle, so on occasion, he also spent time with Ella, outside of Jackson family events.

"Okay, that's everybody. Let's move this party to the backyard, I already set the table."

On their way to the backyard, they of course paused in the kitchen so everybody could properly greet Percy and also Ariana. The little girl giggled delighted as her uncle Tyson lifted her up onto his shoulders, her tiny fingers reaching out for Ella to pet her feathers.

"Hey, mom," Percy's voice was muffled by his mother's shoulder. "How are things?"

"Exhausting," Sally's eyes landed on Laura. "Half the time, it feels like I am too old to go through all of this again. I should be in my grandma era."

"You are rocking the grandma and the mom gig," Percy grinned at her. "And you know, whenever you and Paul need a break, me and my hubby are more than happy to babysit my awesome sister."

The hubby in question also grinned and offered a thumbs-up to Sally. He indeed was always willing to babysit Laura and help out in any way he could – he always had, at first in an attempt to endear himself to Paul and Sally, but by now, simply because he loved them. Because they were his family.

"Dinner smells delicious, Perce," Paul offered a smile, patting Percy on the shoulder.

"Ye—es, and I am starving," Tyson pushed past them so he could help carry something out.

Percy laughed at his brother and motioned at everything that was ready to go. Everyone picked something up, so they could finally get to dinner. Sunday family dinners were so important to them all. Once a week, they made the time to eat together. Sally and Paul alternately hosted these dinners with Percy and Apollo. Apollo took his seat at one side of the table, next to his husband, with Sally and Paul opposite them, Tyson and Ella on one side and Ariana and Laura on the other.

"How is school, Laura?" Apollo asked his sister-in-law.

She wiggled her nose at him and frowned. "I do not care for math."

Percy choked on his food, laughing hard. Concerned, Apollo reached over to pat him on the back. Sea-green eyes looked at him, sparkling with love and amusement. Once he was calmed down again, Percy leaned in to kiss Apollo on the cheek, ever so softly. Apollo knew why. Because Percy loved how much Apollo cared about their family, that Apollo didn't just love Percy, his consort, but the whole package deal of Jacksons (and Apollo really thought that Paul should have done as he did and taken the Jackson name when him and Sally had gotten married. Tyson went by Jackson too).

"I'm afraid you will need math to finish school, princess," Paul chuckled, patting her head.

"But I don't wanna finish school," Laura's frown deepened. "I've decided that I will work at the forges with Ty! And Ty never-ever went to school at all!"

Apollo laughed at that and leaned back, letting the mortals at the table take this one, because things were different for him, as a god, and for Tyson, as a cyclops too. Tyson was working at Poseidon's forges. Ella was working as a librarian in New Rome. And Percy, well, Apollo's amazing husband had followed Paul and Chiron's steps and become a teacher. Apollo loved that, loved seeing Percy with the kids. His hand reached out to link fingers with Percy, while the Jacksons tried to convince Laura that school was important, actually (a tough point to argue with two teachers). A soft smile spread over Apollo's lips as he watched the family he loved so dearly. His family.

~*~ The End ~*~

[onyxrosess]

Pain is My Hometown

vergil x reader [multi-chapter series]

Chapter III: Only Fools Follow Their Heart

Chapter I | Chapter II | Chapter III [you're here!] | Chapter IV | Table of Contents

・warnings/tags: some mature topics.

( cross-posted on ao3 )

A few days have passed since going out with Dante and the girls, after your conversation with Nero— well it was an argument. You apologized to him the morning after, still feeling a little guilty for your delivery of your concern. Nero of course did not hold a grudge, just brushed it off and resumed life as normal. Later that day Kyrie shouted at you, someone was calling asking for you. Secretly, not really a secret at all, you hoped it was Kane. It had been radio silence since two nights prior. 

And as luck was in your favor, Kane’s voice spoke through the landline. It was different hearing his voice so clearly instead of being suppressed by blaring music and shouting. The conversation went well, giving him Devil May Cry’s number. Since the city had far more job opportunities than Fortuna, you had already started looking at job listings passively, not having to rely on Kyrie’s endless support would be nice for a change. Relying on Dante felt more morally correct, two negatives make a positive right?

Currently, you sorted through a package Kyrie received as a gift for her help in the orphanage. Most of it was household items, as Kyrie never accepted money, she barely even let you help around the house. Selfless woman, but it’s admirable to give without guarantee of something in return. Making a pile of unopened letters addressed to Kyrie for her to read, some of the return addresses had names you recognized, there were a few kids in Fortuna who came to Kyrie for help after a small hell gate had opened. Luckily it had happened when Nero and Nico were in town. It was nowhere near the scale of the artificial hell gates that had opened in Fortuna when The Order was around. But enough to leave kids without parents, or parents to grieve their children’s lives. 

Ringing filled the room as the landline was the clear source. You walked over and held it to your ear as your other hand still had an envelope in it. “Hello?” “Hey party animal.” You rolled your eyes, you had one drunken night in the past 6 months and now you’re the party animal. “Shut it, what did you call for?” “You said you were looking for jobs right?” Your interest was now piqued, instead of just being playfully annoyed with Dante. “Yeah, I am.” “Well, your dearest friend has an offer for you.” Why does this sound like it’s not gonna end well? Back to being annoyed with him. You reluctantly hummed a response. “How about you come help with some of the shop's legal papers. I’ll pay ya.” “I thought you were short on work, where the hell are you gonna get money to pay me?” “I have my ways.” Last time you checked this man was far deeper into debt than you could even imagine. “It won’t be all the time, the stack of papers does end eventually. Plus Trish and Lady will be there sometimes. I’m not a very strict boss.” A sigh left your lips, it wasn’t a bad deal. Filing papers and calling companies didn’t seem that bad. “Fine.” “You’re amazing, I’ll see you tomorrow.” “Yeah yeah, whatever old man.” Dante shouted at you through the phone but just as quickly as that started you hung the phone back up with a satisfying click and a smile on your face.

The sun peaked above the horizon, filling your bedroom with a warm glow, unfortunately waking you up from your slumber. Stretching your muscles in an attempt to also wake them up. Very uncoordinated this morning you swing your legs over the edge of your bed, bashing your ankle into the metal box spring. A prolonged curse left your gritted teeth, at this point, you needed a padded room. You’d probably still manage to nick yourself. 

Putting on something simple, but still comfortable— it’s not like your job for Dante was anywhere near professional, he’s the opposite of professional. Walking down the hallway, passing Nero and Kyrie's bedroom, Nero’s snores seeped through the walls. Into the living room, Kyrie was already up, her hands wrapped around a coffee mug. She was always a morning person. She sat on the couch, the kids must still be asleep too. “Morning, Kyrie.” You addressed her, she turned around somewhat surprised, “What are you doing up so early?”  Admittedly, it was pretty abnormal for you to be up at the ass crack of dawn.  “Dante offered me to work for him. Just temporarily I think anyway.”  Kyrie smiled, “Well, I won’t keep you then.”  “It’s not a worry, he didn’t give me a time to be there.”

Getting a quick bite to eat and snagging some of Kyrie’s coffee, you asked about the kids with Kyrie, and she talked about some returning faces. Chatting back and forth you bid her farewell, leaving into the garage. Pulling your arms through your jacket, you zipped it up before putting your helmet on. It wasn’t too early that your motorcycle would wake everyone up, it wasn’t that loud—or maybe you just are losing your hearing.

The drive over to Red Grave was peaceful, besides the few drivers who you questioned how the hell they got their license. Driving through the gravel alley, you kicked your stand up, like many times before. Turning the backdoor handle, you stepped into the shop, your eyes on the ground while you took off your helmet. As your eyes scanned for life, they landed on Dante. With a towel around his waist and another making a feudal attempt to dry his hair. A little surprised, you hopped up on the bar stool.  “You know Dante, this is your business office too, not just your house.”  “You’re the one who decided to show up at 7 in the morning.” Dante’s voice was still groggy, but that never stopped him from bickering. Rolling your eyes, accepting your defeat, this time. You set your jacket and helmet down on the counter making your way to Dante’s desk, trying not to trip over random objects and trash that littered the floor. How does he live like this? You sigh as you pick up the piles of paper that were not so neatly set on the ground. Dante better pay you well for having to put up with this level of disorganization. 

The first couple hours of your day consisted of organizing which papers were what. You’d assume they would end up sent to collections, after all, the charges were just sitting here for god knows how long. Then again, that never stopped Dante. A pair of footsteps descended the stairs. Almost in perfect timing, Lady barged in the door.  “Why didn’t you tell me (Name) was gonna be here?” Lady took great offense, after all, you maybe saw her once a week or every other week. Dante shrugged, “Dunno, forgot I guess.” “Jerk.” Lady leaned against the desk, looking over at all the papers you had scattered about on the wooden surface. Her head tilted trying to read the papers, the text was upside down to her.  “You got her to do your paperwork? Did he blackmail you?” Lady leaned over to observe you, no amount of money could get her to do his paperwork either. But you aren’t like her, not nearly as badass.  “No, I willingly accepted this offer. I need to start looking for jobs anyway.” A sigh left your mouth, it became a habit whenever you admitted you were broke as shit. Lady stood back up with a hand on her hip. Still skeptical, her eyes scanned your face. As if Dante stuck a device to you that controlled your every move, like in the cheesy sci-fi movies.  “I’m not forcing her, though blackmail’s not a bad idea.” Dante scratched his scruff on his face, a smile lightly tugged on his lips.  “Dante.” You warned him, staring at him, solidifying your warning. “You know I wouldn’t do that.” Dante crossed his arms over his chest. “Let's go, Dante, I gotta make our score even.” Lady tugged her weapon’s leather strap over her shoulder. A smile spread across her face, you suppose they always had the competition. Hearing about young Dante was always interesting when Lady graced you with stories.  “Bye!” Lady waved at you, running out of the door before Dante, as he quickly followed suit. Not without a nod and a smile in your direction. A silent goodbye.

Another few hours drag by. Going through a section of papers, looking at the clock in between. What felt like 45 minutes in reality was only 10 minutes. Now was when you took your unpaid break. You walked over to the white fridge, the jukebox adjacent to it lightly illuminated the surrounding area. The fridge was surprisingly clean, maybe just because there was barely anything in it. A pizza box of course was put into the fridge, classic Dante. There was a carton of milk and a few random take-out boxes. Before completely abandoning ship, you moved things around a little to find a box of strawberries. Picking it up, you eyed it suspiciously, checking for mold. At first glance, they seemed okay. Washing them in the sink, you were still cautious of them, after all, they were in Dante’s fridge. 

Back at the desk, you snagged a recent newspaper, unfolding it in your lap, you took a bite of a strawberry. Better start looking for job ads. Idly eating the strawberries that luckily were still edible, you bounced your leg. Most of the job listings seemed pretty boring, or simply too much work for what they were likely offering to pay. Plus it’s far too late in your life to pick up devil hunting like Lady, so a boring salary job it is. Flipping the yellowing paper, you scanned the other side. The shop was quiet, besides the muffled sounds of people walking by outside or an especially loud car. You filled the silence by humming the rhythm of a song.

“Dante did not tell me he hired someone.” A voice from around the corner spoke, nearly making you jump out of your seat. You had completely assumed you were there alone when Dante and Lady left. You looked over your shoulder to see Vergil standing there. Vergil. The conversation you had with Nero did not leave your mind so easily, you are sure your expression had turned a bit sour. 

“Apparently not.” You turned back around in the chair, resuming what you were doing. You would rather not discuss your utter hatred for him and what he did to Nero. You try not to completely despise him, it is difficult not to, having the experiences you do. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw him sit on the red couch against the wall, pulling out a book. Your eyes returned to your paper.  A few silent minutes passed, no longer feeling like you were allowed to make a peep in his presence. What was it? You suppose Dante was quite strange like that when you first met him. Though oppositely, brimming with strength but rather using it to make himself look flashy. This was more of a suppressive strength. Anyone in his presence should think lower of themselves just to lift him higher.

The rotary phone on the desk rang as it lightly vibrated the desk. You picked up the phone, putting it to your ear.  “Devil May Cry.” You tried to imitate Dante’s voice when he said it. Your words did not come out as effortlessly as his does. “Hey, office girl,” Kane spoke through the phone. A smile tugged at your lips, a little giddy from the compliment. “Not for long.” Letting out a small laugh through an exhale.  “Oh really?”  “It’s just temporary, I’m looking for other jobs right now.” You glanced at the newspaper, your pen marks littered the paper. “Maybe I’ll still get to call you office girl. Maybe a secretary.” You could hear his smile through the phone, silly man. You chuckled at his comment, “Whatever your sick fantasies desire.”  “I was calling to formally ask you out on a date, I would’ve called sooner but you know how life gets.”  Your finger twirled around the phone wire while you listened to him. “So you are a gentleman after all.”  Kane’s laughter seeped through the phone, as you couldn’t help but smile a little. “What about tonight then? When do you get off?” Kane asked, and you thought, when the hell do I get off? “I’m not sure actually, probably 5 at the latest.”  “What about 6 then, it’s not formal, so don’t worry about that.” Kane soothed your worries before it even crossed your mind.  “That works for me, I’ll give you the shop's address.” 

The conversation ended after you handed over the information. Now you sat at Dante’s desk with a giddy smile. But, you have to get back to work, or… you could slack a little. A sharp snap of a book being closed pulled your attention to where Vergil sat. He stood, still with the thin book in his grasp. He is such an odd man, but you still see his blackened heart through his exterior. His steps were almost eerily silent as he made his way to the front door, his head turned to look at you from the corner of his eye.  “Do not trust that man.” His words were sharp, but what confused you more was… why? And before you could even defend Kane or yourself that you’re a grown woman and you can make your own decisions, he left. The bad taste that the encounter left in your mouth refused to go away for the rest of your shift. 

The roads were lit with a warm glow of the streetlights, the architecture of Red Grave was always so beautiful. Not nearly as impressive as Fortuna, especially the building the Order once resided in was a sight to be seen. The faded white lines on the pavement passed by you with each dash mark. You hadn’t spoken a word to Kane since you both got into the car. The silence was not suffocating, it was pleasant. It’s been a while since you’ve been able to relax, the radio played quietly, some music you didn’t know but it coaxed you into closing your eyes. Your date with Kane went very well, thinking about it made you smile. His easygoing personality was nice, though unfortunately, Vergil’s warning made you think about what details you shared with Kane. You have no history with Vergil, and you have no idea if his judgment is sound, but it still affected you. And that irked you more. However you started to get lost in your thoughts, and eventually, you did fall asleep, hand holding up your cheek as your elbow rested on the car door.

“Hey, we're here.” Your body jolted awake as you surveyed your surroundings, you were still in Kane’s car. You turned to look at him, and he looked a bit surprised that you were woken so easily. Your body once tense, relaxed. You leaned back against the leather seats of his car, whispering an apology under your breath. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to take you back to Fortuna, but even then I didn’t know where you were staying so-” “It’s okay, thank you.” You interrupted his rambling, and a slight red color rose to his cheeks. His dark blue shirt matched his tan skin, his collarbone peaked out of the neckline. A few strands of his dark hair fell out of the bun he had put it in. You silently wondered what his hair would look like down, the thought made your body pull itself closer to him. His breath fanned over your face as he remained motionless, his eyes were half-lidded, analyzing the curves of your face. You caught yourself doing the same. Leaning over the center console of his car, which was an awkward position for your body, it was all worth it when his lips clashed with yours. It was slow, your hand held onto his forearm as your other played with the baby hairs on the back of his neck. You slowly opened your eyes to take a peek at his face, you wondered if his eyes were squeezed shut or if he had color on his cheeks once again. Instead, you were met by brown eyes looking at your own, his eyelashes cast a shadow over his irises, though this close you could see a ring of orange within the deep brown. Trying to summon your ‘nothing phases me’ facade, was a miserable failure. Your cheeks heat up like a pouring lighter fluid on a raging bonfire, you break away from his lips, trying to hide your face but you are only met with a laugh from Kane. “Shut it.” Once again your tough guy act was not very convincing as you tried to look at him with a stern face but he was met with a different expression. Trying to fight a war with your smile that you didn’t actually want to win, though you would appreciate it if your entire face didn’t feel like it was gonna explode. This only caused Kane to laugh more.

And you were left with no other option but to tug on the collar of his shirt, clashing your lips together in an embarrassing attempt to free yourself from your current position. And your solution did work, as his hands managed to find purchase on your back. The kiss was not as soft as earlier, but you did not dare open your eyes. Instead, through your closed eyelids, the dark lighting inside his car was lit up like the sun suddenly appeared right next to you. Both you and Kane froze, as you struggled to look out the windshield. As your eyes adjusted, you recognized the front of the vehicle that rudely interrupted your activities with Kane. But then annoyance morphed into horror as you realized who was in the driver's seat of that van, Nico. And who was next to her in the passenger seat? Nero. And once again, you fear your face showed your embarrassment. Kane's hands still clung to you as you slowly slipped out of his grip. And even worse, a figure stood outside of the van, Dante. This embarrassment has you praying to whatever god exists. Kane only recognized Dante, he was not so sure why you were so embarrassed, but he relaxed back into his seat as he watched Nico unfold into laughter, which could be heard through the closed windows of Kane’s car. 

You quickly got out of Kane's car, almost stomping over to Nico’s van door. You opened the door with such vigor you could care less if it flew off the hinges. “You shut up!” You pointed a finger at her, through laughs she could barely even speak. “You two love birds!” Then she kept hysterically laughing, but behind her in the passenger seat, Nero just awkwardly smiled. God, this was awful. Kane snuck up behind you as he tapped your waist with his hand, and he looked like he was about to burst out laughing too when he looked at your reddened face.  “You gonna have to apologize to Nero for traumatizing him like that-” “He’s 26!” Yes, Nero was very close to a younger brother to you, but he was an adult! He had a girlfriend and practically kids too, but it just made you boil with unbridled embarrassment. Kane stood next to you, he pulled you close by your forearm. Which surprised you but Nico got out of her car, fanning her face like she was the one who had just been making out with a guy, with an unexpected audience. 

You threatened Nico about 20 more times within the span of a couple of minutes, Nero had since joined the four of you on the sidewalk. Kane had to hold you in place or else you’d run away and hibernate for years. Finally, Nico stopped laughing like a hyena, you were able to ask her what they were doing out here. “We have an overnight job,” Nero answered. You nodded, Kane had since abandoned you to talk to Dante. You pray Dante isn’t sharing embarrassing stories about you, but you immediately knew he probably did just by looking at the stupid smirk that was plastered on his face. Silence came over the two of you before Nero spoke up again, “Is that the guy from the other night?” His words came out awkwardly, being able to stomach conversation about Kane you replied, “Yeah, his name is Kane.” “Right right.” Nero just fiddled with the hem of his worn-out shirt. “I’ll be careful Nero.” You told him, but you knew in that moment Vergil was somewhat right, you need to be careful. As much as you want to believe that Kane is a good guy, morally at least, he’s showed no signs of being anyone crazy. But, neither did you expect your previous boyfriends to be utterly insane. 

Nero seemed less tense after that, but the mood suddenly shifted when Vergil appeared from around the corner, you were the first to notice him. You couldn’t stand to look at him, especially with Nero right next to you. Kane had departed from the conversation with Dante and stood next to you, which you leaned on the side of the DMC van. Nico reappeared from the inside of the van, with somehow more grease on her, yet it had only been 10 minutes. And now it was a standstill, Vergil stood a few feet away from Nero, who was standing on the sidewalk. The air was thick, or at least just seeing Vergil next to Nero made you want to punch Vergil. Maybe it was because you couldn’t deny that Vergil was his father anymore when you looked at the two of them side by side and how similar they looked. Dante exchanged words with Vergil, which you didn’t catch as your focus was swayed to Kane. He squeezed your hand,  “I’m gonna go, you have somewhere to stay here right? I don’t want you driving to Fortuna this late.” You smiled, how sweet of him. “No, I’m okay.” You softly spoke as you could hear the conversation behind you between Dante and Vergil.  Kane hummed as he quickly kissed your cheek, which just reminded you of your embarrassment from less than 15 minutes ago, but not nearly as bad. His hand gave your hand one last squeeze before getting in his car. 

Luckily after you watched Kane drive off into the horizon till his car became a little blip in your vision, it wasn’t silent. You had enough of awkward encounters today, and probably for the next year too.  “We’re gonna leave, (Name),” Nero mentioned as he was about to climb back into the van, you nodded, giving him a quick hug, and you spoke over his shoulder. “Don’t do anything stupid, okay?” Nero only nodded before Nico stuck her head out the driver’s window,  “Him? Stupid? That's all he knows.” Nico spoke while chewing a stick of gum, Nero glared at her, which spurred her on even more. You only let out a breathy laugh, watching Nero get into the van. Dante and Vergil stood closer to the shop, Vergil’s body was straight, and well thought out like his doctor told him he needed to watch his posture. Though you presume he doesn’t even have a doctor– do half-devils have a doctor…? You pushed your curiosity aside, maybe after a shot, you’ll ask Dante sometime.   “Practice caution, Nero.” Vergil’s voice had less of a demanding tone, though his words were similar to the warning he gave you earlier today. Nero nodded, you stared at Nero for a little too long trying to analyze his expression, searching for a reason to smack Vergil. For good measure of course.

Waving off Nico and Nero as she drove maybe a little too fast for that beat-up van. You turned back around to Dante and Vergil, which Vergil quickly retired to inside the doors below the ‘Devil May Cry’ neon sign. You stood in front of Dante, whose shadow covered you.  “Soooo, that was entertaining wasn’t it?”  Dante’s stupid smile, again. “Oh please, I already heard it from Nico.” You turned away from him, trying not to relive the sheer amount of embarrassment that memory would likely hold for a while. Dante chuckled as he put his hands on his hips, so sassy.  “Can I stay the night or are you gonna kick me to the curb to go drive an hour back to Fortuna.”  Dante let out a dramatic sigh, scratching his white stubble with one gloved hand.  “Kicking you to the curb would add to tonight’s entertainment.” You only smacked his shoulder before walking towards the front door. Dante stopped you, pulling your arm as you stumbled closer to him.  “Vergil didn’t say anything weird to you, right? Before me and Lady left.” You bit your tongue, debating if you tell him or not, and you began questioning why you were holding back. To save Vergil from a lecture? You turned your head,  “He just overheard me talking to Kane on the phone and said something like, ‘Be careful’. It wasn’t anything.” You tried to play it off the best you could, because frankly, you didn’t want to start doubting Kane, you would not listen or even consider Vergil’s words. Only your own, and you’ve had plenty enough experiences to guide you to the right decision. You had a hard time looking at Dante right now, his face was oddly serious, his skin lit up by the neon sign.  “Just… Let me know if anything happens.”  “I will.”

You vowed as you both walked in the door in silence. Your piles of organized paper still sat on top of Dante’s desk, the lamp illuminated the otherwise dark room. You sat down on the couch, stretching your arms over your head, letting out a silent yawn. Dante sat down in his chair, moving papers so he could put his feet up on his desk. Thankfully he did not disturb your organization too much. “You can take my room,” Dante spoke as he found another magazine to flip through, how does he not get tired of those?  “You sure? I’m scared I’ll get devil coodies if I sleep up there.” You stood up from the couch. “I can still kick you to the curb, you know.” Dante looked up from his magazine, you knew he was joking, thankfully. “Fine, you don’t have devil coodies.” Dante let out a chuckle, his eyes quickly going back to the contents of the paper in front of him. “Goodnight.” You spoke as you went up the stairs, which creaked under your weight. “Night.” 

As always, thank you for reading! -onyxroses

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[bullet-prooflove]

Valentine's Day Bingo: Stillwater - Stuart Scola x Reader

Tagging: @trublu2u @greenies-green @burningpeachpuppy @upsteadlogic @malindacath @yezzyyae @noxytopy @district447 @soultrysworld

Prequel to Unruly (NSFW) - You get a little territoral when it comes Stuart.

Hitting the Secret Admirer Bingo Square

When the bottle of Stillwater whisky is delivered to the house on Valentine’s Day, Stuart assumes that it’s from you. You’re away in Europe, teaching explosives training to the police force in Budapest. You’ve been testing the waters, exploring more options outside of the field since the pregnancy scare a couple of months ago. It had brought up the topic of kids and whilst you weren’t ready yet, you’d started to think about it. Stuart thought at some point in the next few years the two of you may be starting your own little family.

You blew the budget, he texts you before sending a picture of himself holding up the gift.

This bottle alone costs almost five hundred dollars and he’s touched. You refuse to dip into the joint account, you’re far too independent to spend the cash he earned at Goldman Sachs despite the fact he’s told you it’s there for the both of you.

It isn’t until the late afternoon he gets the message back from you.

That isn’t from me. Maybe a wrong delivery?

He knows that can’t be true. He’d had to sign for that package, it was his name and address on the paperwork.

Yea maybe, he texts back because he doesn’t want to worry you.

You respond with a picture of yourself in City Park giving him a thumbs up. He can see agents Kellett and Vo in the background, holding takeaway cups of coffee. He finds himself smiling because you look so vibrant in that moment, so happy and relaxed. Travelling suits you he thinks, the two of you haven’t done enough of it. He makes a mental note to book a trip when you get back, maybe Barcelona or Madrid, somewhere warm to balance out the harshness of the New York winter.

It’s when he steps out of the shower that the doorbell goes, he throws on his sweats and a t-shirt. The fabric clinging to his damp skin as he pads towards the door in bare feet. He’s surprised to find  Armando, the delivery driver from his favourite restaurant Villa Valencia outside, a brown paper bag of food clasped in his hand.

 “I didn’t order anything.” Stuart tells Armando as the other man hands the bag to him.

“Your girl did, she called it in about an hour ago” Armando informs him, already halfway down the steps. “She said someone should be taking care of you on Valentine’s Day.”

There’s an apprehension in his chest as he sets the bag down on the kitchen table, he picks up the delivery receipt and it’s a list of all his favourite food. Nowhere on the bill does it mention the name of the person who called in the order. He checks the time on his phone, it’s two am in Budapest, there’s no way that was you who bought his food. He dumps the takeaway bag straight in the trash.

The whiskey and now this…

It makes him uneasy. He double checks the doors and windows before he goes to bed, making sure they’re locked.

When he wakes up the next morning it’s to the scent of freshly brewed coffee. The aroma assails him and he reaches for his gun on the nightstand because he knows there isn’t a chance in hell that it’s you. You aren’t due home for over a week. Even if you’d decided to surprise him, a flight from Budapest is almost twelve hours direct, you wouldn’t be here in time for his alarm to go off.

When he steps into hall, he can hear music playing in the kitchen. Something soothing and soulful. It reminds him of the music in the coffeeshop the two of you used to frequent, the one down the block. There’s someone singing along to the song, the voice is too low for him to recognise.

He uses his palm to slowly push open the door, his gun raised. He’s surprised to find a woman standing with her back to him, she’s wearing one of his shirts and very little else. There’s a breakfast tray he doesn’t recognise in front of her. He sees the cappuccino with coffee art heart set into the foam, the toast on the side, the dainty little flower she’s placed in one of his glasses. There is no doubt in his mind, she’d intended to surprise him in bed this morning.

When she turns about to face him, he recognises her immediately and he knows exactly why this is happening.

There’s a reason you’d both stopped visiting that coffeeshop. You’d left him last year after the Mad Bomber had been released, disappeared for a few months. You’d both fucked other people in that time, falling back into old habits.

One of them had been the perky barista from the coffeeshop. She’d always paid him a little extra attention even when he came in with you. You had joked about it once upon a time, how she always left little hearts in his coffee but never in yours. She’d noticed when you stopped coming in, that he was hungover most mornings. Bad break up he’d told her. He’d bumped into her in a bar a couple of days later, gone back to her place. He’d slipped out of the sheets in the early hours of the morning the same way he did with everyone woman before and after you. He’d been upfront with her at the time.

I’m not looking to replace her, he’d said talking about you. This is just a one night thing.

He’d seen her around since then, the grocery store, one of the bars down the block, at the subway. It had stopped when you’d come back onto the scene. He’d told you about the girls he’d fucked, and you’d shared your own stories. There were a couple of overlaps, for him the barista, for you Nestor Vertiz.  You’d steered well clear of them both since, neither of you wanted your past indiscretions rubbed in the other’s face.

The worst part is he can’t even remember her name.

“Scola, you still there?” Tiffany’s voice is in his ear, as he grips the phone in one hand and his gun in the other.

He’d dialled his partner before he’d left the bedroom. She’d already been seated at her desk in 26 Fed, getting a head start on some paperwork when he’d called her.

“Yea Tiff.” He says quietly, his eyes still trained on the barista. “I need you to get a unit over here, there’s a woman in my house.”

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[kobedivision]

Nighttime hit the city of Kobe as well as, the darkness masking over the once bright skies of the secluded little forest that housed the cabin belonging to Max Soukoku.

Waiting just outside his canon, strangely enough, was a large package. Plastered to the side of the package was a letter addressed to the birthday boy, written in pristine, neat handwriting.

“I heard it’s gonna be a bit colder this year. I also heard you’re not so keen on weather changes. You remind me of someone I know in that aspect, so take care of yourself, kiddo! Hope you like ‘em!

— The Black Cat of Minato”

Inside was a grey faux fur blanket, along with two polyester throw pillows, decorated with a scene of a wolf howling at the moon.

"Hey Max, quick question, how the fuck does Reiaki know you?" Kaiji questioned as Max wrapped the blanket around himself and held the pillows, squishing them a little before giving them to Akihisa to place on the couch. The green-eyed boy looked at Kaiji and shrugged, his attention turning to the wolf cub playing with the ends of the blanket. "I don't...know her personally...I met her through...Ren..."

"Ah, that's right, Max was there during my "Bloody Masquerade" music video, Reiaki was in charge of my makeup and I introduced the two of them, though that was pretty much a one time thing, I'm surprised she remembered you much less knew it was your birthday and gave you a gift, it was pretty nice of her though." Ren smiled and Max nodded, now swaddling the cub in the blanket and heading off somewhere in the cabin.

Kaiji looked at the brunette and shook his head with a smile. "Man, he's really starting to come out of his shell huh? Already making friends on his own, before we know it, we're probably gonna see him get married."

The crossdresser laughed but was cut short when he looked at Ren who looked slightly distressed. "Oh god, you're right! Our baby brother is growing up so fast!"

"Why the hell are you saying that like it's a bad thing?!"

Thank you for the gift!

[denjivhs]

match-up for @thecurrator

Your match from Blue Lock is . . Nagi Seishiro!

❂ i think you and nagi would make such a cute couple. very "dating me is like peeing your pants. everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth."

❂ how did you meet?

you both happened to be at the dentist on the same day. nagi certainly didn't want to be there but he had an aching tooth and reo would simply not leave him alone about it. ("we have a match next week! you cant let this pain distract you!!" blah blah blah.)

he had been so close to dozing off there when his lanky ass caught sight of one of his favorite artists playing on the phone of the person sitting beside him.

"pathetic."

"sorry?"

"i love his songs."

"oh!-"

nagi rarely ever initiated conversations, or rather, rarely ever put in the effort to do anything, but meeting someone who listened to same sort of music as him irl somehow sparked a hint of enthusiasm in him. he chatted with you quite amicably while you two waited for your turns, mostly about music, then some random talk here and there. you ended up finding out that you live in the same neighborhood.

nagi would not be bothered by your rbf at all (unbothered nonchalant king, you will never catch him being chalant) so breaking the initial ice will not be an issue for him. i imagine you'd develop a friendship by bonding over similar interests and likes, especially in music, anime and movies. also congratulations, you have acquired a new friend— reo mikage! (they come as a package deal, you do not have a way out)

casual hangouts around the neighborhood and in each other's rooms, late night walks to go grab some ice cream while sharing earphones, lazing around in the sun during winters and such activities would be a frequent.

nagi hates earphones, but for you, he never opposed using them, just so that he could listen to music with you.

it would kind of be a slowburn for you guys since it'd take the poor guy forever to figure out that feeling all warm and tingly and zoning out while daydreaming about you was not platonic. hell, if it hadn't been for reo helping him, it would've taken even longer.

❂ nagi would primarily express his affection for you through small gestures. he may seem like a complete airhead but when he wants to, he can be extremely perceptive. way before he had even figured out that he was whipped for you, he had started noticing little details about you. your quirks, your habits, what you like, dislike, what caused that heartstoppingly beautiful, warm smile of yours to bloom— everything.

he never considered himself to be a 'possessive' person or whatever, but the first time he accidentally made you blush? dear god he wanted to just hold you tight and hide you away from everyone else because that unbelievably adorable sight should only be reserved for his eyes.

he's also pretty blunt in general, so he'd tell you whatever he's thinking, including all the out of pocket, shockingly romantic things you'd never expect to hear from someone like him. what can one say though, you've got him good.

❂ miscellaneous: he loves to nap while resting on you. he does it especially when youre crocheting or something. will make up an excuse like "oh let me help you, ill keep the wool disentangled-" pure bs, he is going to fall asleep on your lap in 0.2 seconds.

also, he addresses your plushies in a most proper manner and treats them like your children. also i think has a really imaginative thinking, so he'd definitely join you whenever you'd analyse and break something down with inputs of his own. would be interested in hearing your perspective on the most random things.

❂ songs that would give off your dynamic's vibes: dirty dancer by orion sun, pretty boy by the neighborhood, stop the world i wanna get off with you by arctic monkeys, some by steve lacy.

Your match from JJK is . . . Gojo Satoru!

❂ another white-haired character . . 🤭 i know they're both kinda really different but hear me out!!

❂ how did you meet?

au where you start working part-time at this really cute bakery. you usually helped with serving and some other tasks, but one day your colleague happened to fall sick, so you filled in for her at the counter.

and who would walk in but gojo satoru and his hopeless sweet tooth ass.

ever the flirt, he'd definitely try to rizz you up with his natural charm and smooth comments. would ask you what your personal favorite item from the menu is and buy two of them to give you one no matter how much you'd politely deny. def would say something like "cute cupcake for a cute girl."

since the cafe was on his way back home, you found out that he was a regular.

over time a sense of familiarity was established between you two (it was mostly him being an absolute little shit because.. i mean, it's gojo. cmon.) and although he'd never give you a straight answer, he definitely started trying to come to the cafe when he was likelier to run into you.

he'd sometimes catch you daydreaming and make a point to tease you however he could, whether it be over this or your cute judgemental cat bag.

one day mr-gojo-canonically-lightweight-satoru was on his way back home, still rather tipsy from a little get-together he'd gone to that evening when he decided to stop by the cafe, and it just so happened that you were working late that day. oh, the way his eyes absolutely lit up from under his signature shades was beyond endearing.

he couldnt stop rambling about how cute and sweet you are, especially with that 'resting grumpy cat face' and whatnot. even got a little bold and leaned forward to cup your face in his hands in the middle of his adorable drunken rant. infact, if you'd let him, he'd kiss you all over your face and bite your cheeks because he was convinced you'd be sweeter than his favorite mochi.

in all honesty, he had never expected himself to ever feel this way about someone, but meeting you changed everything, and he was gonna go all in because yolo.

❂ miscellaneous: im Sorry but youve just gotten yourself a lifetime subscription to Loud and Annoying! bro is loud. bro is a yapper. bro is sometimes way too tactless and blunt.

but!! bro will make you feel loved and cherished in his own way.

whenever he fucked up, he usually bought you your favorite snacks as an indirect apology. he definitely struggles with being able to say sorry, so you're going to have to be patient with him. it'll take you some time to figure him out, but hey, you got yourself your very own case study, have fun studying him lol.

❂ once he found out that you have a sweet tooth as well, he took you to all the cutest cafes and bakeries around. also tried to bake with you but literally couldn't stop eating the frosting, the batter, even the sugar???? you probably had to beat him up to get him to stop.

satoru would send you videos of black and orange cats together saying 'us.' would also come up with obnoxious nicknames, you're just gonna have to cope with that.

❂ songs that give off your dynamic's vibes: sweet/i thought you wanted to dance by tyler the creator, right here by chase atlantic, redbone by childish gambino, meet me in the pale moonlight by lana del rey, killshot by magdalena bay

[donnerpartyofone]

Yesterday morning I woke up early to go to the Corpus Christi event in the park where several local parishes were converging for an outdoor mass. The point of the celebration was to affirm the literality of transubstantiation, since communion has started slipping into the realm of symbolism in a lot of people's minds and the Vatican doesn't like that. I really enjoy the pageantry of Catholicism and I will do anything for a look at the monstrance, the extremely fascinating luxury container for the holy wafer. It looks like something out of DAGON and in fact I wouldn't be surprised if that story were meant to refer to Catholicism in some way, I'm sure Lovecraft hated Catholics as much as he hated everybody else.

At one point the homilist addressed the accusation that eucharistic adoration is a form of idolatry, an impression he corrected by reminding everyone that the eucharist is not a fetish object but the literal body of Christ: "We don't worship a piece of bread!" (congregation laughs appreciatively) But I thought, why not? Even though I'm an outsider who can't take communion, I find it easy to think about its meaning in a general way; like if you believe that there is some sort of generative superlayer to reality, which I'm learning that I kind of do, and if you think everything natural manifests from that, then it's not so hard to think that food is divine. And I mean food is divine, it's what perpetuates life. We SHOULD be treating food with reverence and respect, whether you believe in a spiritual lifeforce or only a chemical one. I'm often surprised that Christians are not hardcore ecologists by nature, if you believe that everything comes from God for humanity to steward, you should have a powerful feeling for your environment--but for whatever reason this is not a standard part of the package. After the park part we processed down the street, which had been closed off for the occasion, to St. Mary Star of the Sea (even more Dagonesque!), and this part was totally amazing. The church was packed to the gills with people from all different parishes and the organist was playing some absolutely demonic music that I had never heard the likes of. When the people sang, the whole place vibrated powerfully, and in a moment of silence an old italian lady started praying at the top of her lungs, startling everyone. It was an exciting thing to get caught up in.

After that my husband and I went to a bar around the corner to stalk the building owner, who is renting a couple of apartments on the upper floors. Unfortunately he wasn't around but we got sucked into a conversation with a local who didn't look like he would want anything to do with the likes of us, a gruff older Brooklynite who engaged us about our weird shared neighborhood for much longer than I meant to stay. I tried to take it as a good sign, like maybe we could put our "vibes" on the place by integrating with the regulars, at the same time that our associates have been recommending us to the owner as good future tenants. It would be amazing if we got in there, we could move almost our whole apartment by hand.

Then it was time to go to the film festival. The screenings I saw the day before were in a theater that is hip but not particularly luxe, which made me feel pretty relaxed about what I was going to have to do--but these screenings were in a VERY nice theater, the lines were huge and everyone was dressed to the nines, and I started to freak out a little bit. The staff rushed me through my instructions with such intensity, I was just praying I actually understood it all. One of the actors on my panel is this cult film goddess who is a terrific person in addition to being shockingly beautiful, and she showed up in this like fairy tale dress that accentuated her otherworldliness to absolutely ridiculous heights. She introduced herself to me and I just started blathering; I'm not attracted to women but she's so beautiful it's insane, it almost qualifies as a deformity. Looking into her face is just confusing. Many other people there were startlingly beautiful. The director of the movie I was there for is someone I had seen on screen many times, and I always perceived him to be kind of an ordinary nerd, but in person he was enormously charismatic and sharply dressed and groomed and he had fully transformed into fucking George Clooney or something, I almost wasn't sure I had the right guy.

I also saw two other actresses-of-a-certain-age who looked so much better standing in front of me than they did in the movies I'd just seen them in, I honestly felt like I was tripping on acid. One of them was Alicia Silverstone, who sat in front of me at a different screening; she wore a highly reflective plastic tube dress and stiletto heels that were almost entirely transparent, and she had to be helped around by her entourage. The aforementioned actress I would be interviewing was also having a lot of trouble locomoting in her amazing Glenda the Good Witch getup, she too needed to be attended by aides. It occurred to me that maybe when your career is (in part) being extremely glamorous, you have to do these things that cripple you, you have to be strapped into these hobbling appliances and carried around to formal appearances. There is something fascinatingly morbid about this.

My panel was really great. I knew I was killing it. All my jokes landed with the audience and I got the film cast and crew in a really good place right away. It was late on the Sunday, the last screening of the festival, and everyone on and off the stage was exhausted until I wound them all up, which I consider a significant personal achievement. Everyone thanked me in this moving way and some stranger on the street told me I did a good job. I was aware that this was my introduction to quite a number of people, including several recognizably established folks who have certainly been vaguely aware of who I am and what I do, but now they've all seen me at full power and I could tell they'll remember it.

When photos of the event started turning up, that was NOT so thrilling. I was a complete mess and I didn't even know it until it was too late. It's probably GOOD that I didn't realize it earlier, when I couldn't have done anything about it. I found myself looking in the mirror at home, where things seem not so bad somehow, and trying to match what I saw there to the person that everyone's camera saw. It was pretty shocking, but I have to say that it wasn't a complete downer. I had the feeling that I can see what I need to do, and that is positive in and of itself. I might not have even realized the degree to which I need to take better care of myself if this hadn't happened, at least not for a while. Right now everything needs to change. My house needs to change, my state of employment needs to change, my body needs to change. If I can treat these things like hobbies, like projects I am authoring, rather than like obligations or fuckups I need to fix, then my chances of success are strong.

[veebs-hates-video-games]

I think once I do Ys 8 I'm basically caught up, but first Dragon Quest 11 for a bit.

I played the demo on my computer a couple years ago and was really impressed. I spent at least a dozen hours on just the demo and still didn't run out of stuff to do, and I was enjoying the retro vibe in a more modern and polished package.

Then I decided to wait for it to go on sale at an arbitrary price I decided I was ok with. And then I kept waiting for multiple years because it just keeps never hitting that point on Steam.

I ended up actually paying slightly more than that for a used physical copy for the Switch instead, so good job Squenix, you got $0 out of that instead of like 10% less than what you would've if you'd dropped the price slightly more over time.

The problem with that is that now I have to redo all the stuff I did in the demo, and the beginning of the game is slooow. Painfully so. And on top of that the game is just painfully slow in general. It would be instantly improved by speeding up literally everything by 20%, even without redoing anything to fit the slightly faster pace.

The default camera speed takes a full five seconds to do a 360, and even at the max speed it takes at least like three. This is a recurring problem for me in a lot of Japanese games, and less often in games from other places (who tend to screw up their cameras in different ways). If the maximum speed isn't too fast for me to comfortably use your range of speed settings is too narrow.

Unsurprisingly to go along with that the walking speed is also really slow compared to what I'm used to. It has separate speeds for indoors and outdoors, and really the outdoor speed is how fast the indoor one should be while the indoor one should be reserved for stealth/sneaking sections (and those should stay in games I don't play because they're just not fun for me). It's especially painful coming directly from Ys 8, where the slowest walking speed is faster than the fastest one in DQ11, plus it has a run button to go faster, plus you can equip an accessory to turn it into a run even faster button.

There's a setting to change the combat speed, but really that wouldn't address most of my problems, and also it makes the animations look weird, which is a shame because there's a lot of excellent animation work in the game, like every different enemy has their own set of animations, and they're all extremely expressive and charming.

Unfortunately it tends to make you wait through the entire animation every time, including the full transition to their idle animation, when normally most games would move the camera or start accepting input again somewhere in the middle of that process. Also if there's a musical jingle that plays for any reason (e.g. winning a battle, leveling up, a new party member joining, saving your game) you have to let the whole thing finish playing before you can do anything (and anything includes mashing buttons to skip through stuff you've already seen dozens of times), which is also an extremely long delay compared to what most games do.

I swear if the camera and run speed were more reasonable and all the little things that make you wait around extra time doing nothing were tweaked a bit the game would instantly go from 100 hours to 60-70 and feel much better too.

Also while we're at it can we get some menus that suck less, especially the terrible inventory? I know a lot of the weird quirks in the game are things that were inherited from the older ones, but sometimes you just need to change them to make them actually functional, and you can reference the old ones with visual design or something.

It's a great game in a lot of ways, but it sure does manage to suck in others at the same time. I wish I'd just paid the extra five bucks and finished the game in 2021, because redoing all this stuff at the beginning is painful.

[o0-iris-0o]

Luminous | Xiao x [F] Reader

Description: After months of isolation and endless work, your friend insists on taking you out for a night of music and escape. But a stranger at the bar has an offer that might take your life in an unexpected direction.

Warnings: Dark Themes | NSFW | 18+

Chapter: 11/29

V AO3 Tags Below V

Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Major Character Death | Dead Dove: Do Not Eat | Dark Fiction | Horror Themes | Depression | Anxiety | Angst | Emotional | Crying | Involuntary Medical Procedures | Blood | Needles | Injections | Vomiting | Captivity | Yandere Themes | Physical Altercations | Drugs | Drug Use | Alcohol | Intoxication | Gangs | Guns | Combat | Action | Romance | Enemies to Lovers | Cuddling and Snuggling | Fluff | Smut | Plot with Porn | Vaginal Fingering | Vaginal Sex | Oral Sex | Cunnilingus | Blow Jobs | Sex on Drugs | Bloodplay | Knifeplay | Hair Pulling | Rough Sex | Gentle Sex | Dom Xiao | Alatus (Genshin Impact) | Aftercare | Reader-Insert | Reader is Not Traveler | POV First person | Alternate Universe - Future | Diluc Cameo

< CH. 10 | CH. 12 >

Chapter 11

Our departure from the inn was swift, with all of us packing into Shenhe’s car as usual. Yanfei, brimming with enthusiasm, tried to give directions to the restaurant she had in mind for lunch, claiming it was a brand-new, up-and-coming hotspot that we absolutely needed to try. However, Shenhe growing increasingly annoyed with Yanfei’s convoluted directions, demanded she provide the address instead. 

We’d been delayed a little, but eventually, we made it to the restaurant of Yanfei’s choosing. It was, in fact, just as good as she had boasted, and while we were there, the alcohol flowed freely, with Ganyu now joining in on the drinks. After our meal, Ganyu requested that we stop by a bakery she liked for some dessert. Yanfei, ever thoughtful, decided to buy two adorable, personal-sized cakes as part of her gift for the party. 

From there, Yanfei worked on the second half of her gift, securing a good deal on a bundle of luxury candles and high-end home fragrances, all beautifully packaged. Seeing that it was getting late, with the sun starting to set, we began making our way to the soiree. The drive was lengthy, taking us to the northeast outskirts of the city. Now we’re arriving at nine p.m., just in time.

While Shenhe carefully navigates the crowded parking lot, I watch through the dark-tinted windows as people in luxurious outfits exit their cars, engage in conversations, or make their way into the venue. The search for parking is taking longer than expected, and unfortunately, the spot we find is one of the furthest from the entrance.

“Ah, finally! It was getting so cramped in here—w-woah!” Yanfei exclaims, bursting out of the car right after me. Her movements are too quick for her current state, and she loses her balance. Reacting quickly, despite my own intoxication, I manage to grab her arm just before she teeters over. 

“Y-Yanfei!” I stutter, struggling to hold her as she regains her balance. “Are you alright?” 

With an apologetic smile, she assures me, “Sorry… I’m fine! I’ll try to be more careful.” Then, letting out a drunken giggle, she takes my hand. “There, now we can look out for each other!”

I can’t help but to respond with a touch of sarcasm, “Yeah, that makes a lot of sense…” 

“Oh!” Yanfei turns to point into the car, “I almost forgot—can you grab that bag for me?”

“Sure.” I move to retrieve the bag of gifts resting on the empty passenger seat. With a thud, the car door slams shut, and the confirming beep of the locked doors rings through the air. Yanfei and I quickly maneuver around the car, rejoining Shenhe and Ganyu.

As our group navigates through the parking lot, Yanfei keeps a tight grip on my hand. At least she’s sticking close, it makes it easier to keep an eye on her. I never realized how energetic she really is until now, and it’s been worrying me for the past few hours. It’s almost as if each drink she consumes gives her more energy. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get her to settle down once we’re inside.

Approaching the venue, we walk past groups of conversing people under glistening golden outdoor lights, steering around them to reach the front doors. Inside, the venue reveals itself as a spacious hall with striking golden accents, certainly big enough for the crowd. 

Straightaway, Shenhe takes control over the situation. With a briefcase in hand, she swiftly finds a staff member to take us to the hosts of the party—or rather, our clients. The four of us are promptly guided through the hall. Along the way, we pass tables covered with plates of food and drinks that catch both mine and Yanfei’s eyes. It’s been so long since we last ate, and with so many drinks in between, I can hardly wait for this deal to be over. I’ll definitely be coming back to these tables later.

We’re guided to a smaller, private room hidden off to the side. The staff knock on the door, then open it, kindly gesturing for us to enter. Shenhe and Ganyu step into the room first, followed by Yanfei and me.

“Oh, good evening. Punctual as usual,” a woman’s voice greets us, though she’s momentarily obscured until the others move further into the room. Shenhe and Ganyu both give their greetings as they go to take their seats on a lavish sofa. I then see the warmly lit lounge area and the two assumed hosts seated on one of the sofas.

One is a woman of fair complexion with exceptionally long, white-beige hair, partially tied into an elegant bun resembling a bow, secured meticulously by a hairpin. She wears a stunning golden dress and gives us a subtle smile as we take our seats. The other woman, seated beside her, wears a lovely burgundy dress that matches well with her darker-colored hair. She gives the group a wide grin as Shenhe places the case onto the center table, clicking it open to display its contents. 

Just then, I notice Yanfei’s outstretched hand, gesturing for the bag I still have. Quickly, I hand it over so she can place it on the table alongside the case.

“Good evening, Ningguang, Beidou,” Shenhe starts. “It’s nice to see you again. I hope you’re doing well.” 

“Indeed, we’re quite well, and yourselves?”

“Things have been going more smoothly recently, and business is good as usual. We’ve taken on a new member since we last met, as you could probably tell already. This is Y/N, a fellow adeptus. She joined only a few months ago.” I didn’t expect to be put on the spot in this conversation, but as Shenhe gestures in my direction, all heads turn toward me.

“Oh, an adeptus? How very interesting,” Ningguang remarks, raising an eyebrow.

“Um—yes, my name is Y/N. It’s nice to meet you.” 

“Likewise. I do hope the inn is to your liking, yes? If there are any issues, don’t hesitate to voice your concerns.” 

It takes me a moment to process, but then I understand her meaning. “O-Oh, you’re the owner of the inn?”

Ningguang sighs, though it's more in happiness than frustration. “Wangshu Inn. The name hardly fits the script, wouldn’t you say? I own many properties, the towering inn at the heart of the bustling city being among them, yes. Though I must admit, it sees much favoritism. We’re always looking for ways to improve our guests' visits and our residents’ foreseeable stays.” 

“I see. So far, I’ve enjoyed the inn very much and haven’t had any issues. I can’t say I’ve lived or visited anywhere more extravagant; it’s a beautiful property.” I add, noticing her pride in her establishment. 

My praise earns a genuine smile from Ningguang. “Thank you; your honest feedback is greatly appreciated. Um, Beidou—” She turns to her companion, but her words abruptly stop when she sees Beidou holding one of the rainbow syringes in her hands. “Hey, what did I tell you?” Ningguang scolds, snatching the immunity serum from the open case. “Take this one first.” “Yeah, yeah—I was just about to take it!” Beidou retorts.

With an eye-roll, Ningguang replies, “I’m sure you were. Now, would you please hand over the check so these ladies can get to enjoying themselves.” 

With her free hand, Beidou produces a folded piece of paper from beneath the collar of her dress and hands it to Ningguang, who quickly takes it.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” she comments, examining the paper. “Here you are. As always, all lease fees have been accounted for,” she informs Shenhe, handing her the check.

With a nod, Shenhe accepts it. “Thank you very much.”

“Now go, enjoy yourselves at the soiree, and thank you again for coming. We’ll be out shortly.” Both hosts give us warm smiles, and with that, we leave the private room and rejoin the crowd outside in the hall.

As our group merges back into the sea of people, I hear Yanfei grumble, “Ugh, I’m absolutely starving… Y/N! Let’s go find those tables with the food we saw earlier!” 

“Oh, okay.” I nod along. I can’t deny I’m just as hungry, and I agree. But just then, Yanfei grabs my hand again and bolts off in the opposite direction of Shenhe and Ganyu, hardly giving them time to notice. Confusion sets in as Yanfei streamlines us through the crowd, but my dazed mind snaps to attention when I realize Yanfei really shouldn’t be running right now—for her own health as much as to avoid knocking others over. “W-Wait, Yanfei!”

“Huh, come on! We’re almost there. I can already see the tables.” She brushes off my attempts to slow her down. But before I know it, we’re already standing in front of the large assortment of entrees and drinks. Yanfei releases me to grab a plate, while I take a moment to catch my breath. 

Exhaling heavily, I join her, grabbing a plate. “How about we don’t run like that again, yeah?” 

“Come on, I brought us to the food, didn’t I? Hehe. Oh, here, have a drink,” she says, holding a champagne glass she plucked from the array of drinks. 

Narrowing my eyes at her, I say, “I’ll only take it if you promise not to run off like that again.” “Alright, alright, no more running, I swear.”

Taking her word for it, the glass of alcohol transfers into my hand, and we both load our plates with as much food as we can. 

—

The night was in full swing when Ningguang and Beidou finally made their entrance, the room quieting momentarily as they took the stage. Ningguang’s voice, smooth and authoritative, echoed through the hall. “Good evening, everyone. Thank you all for coming tonight. It’s an honor to host such a distinguished gathering…”

Her words were met with a round of polite applause, and the crowd's chatter quickly resumed its lively hum. As the evening went on, I found myself trailing behind Yanfei, who was in her element. She bounced from group to group, effortlessly starting conversations with strangers, her charisma drawing them in like moths to a flame. Meanwhile, Shenhe and Ganyu remained out of sight, never emerging from the waves of guests. 

I try to keep up, to feign interest in the endless small talk, but as time passes and drinks pile up, my focus drifts. The champagne and wine coursing through my veins dulls my senses. By the sixth or seventh group Yanfei engages with, I’m barely present, my gaze locked on the intricate patterns of the floor tiles. My head spins, the alcohol making me unsteady on my feet even in my motionless stance, when suddenly, an urgent need cuts through my haze. 

I have to find a bathroom, and fast. Seizing the opportunity to extricate Yanfei from yet another group of strangers, I blurt out, abruptly cutting into the conversation, “Yanfei, I need to use the bathroom!” 

“Oh, right!” she responds quickly, turning to our bemused company. “Sorry, we’ll have to excuse ourselves.” Yanfei begins to say her goodbyes, and I instantly turn on my heels. Scanning the room, I spot a restroom sign on the far wall and I take off in its direction.

“H-Hey! Wait up!” I hear Yanfei’s voice call from behind, but desperation drives me forward.

Bursting through the door, I’m hit by a strong floral scent. Upon first glance, the restroom appears empty. Thank goodness. Hastily, I pick a stall and slam the door shut behind me, collapsing onto the toilet with a soft grunt, muttering a depleted “fuck…”

As I sit, feet dangling above the ground due to my strewn drunken position, the room spins around me, a sense of relief washing over my sore limbs. I’m completely out of it. Here I am, at a glamorous party, but I feel anything but elegant right now. I close my eyes, trying to steady myself, to find a moment of peace as Yanfei now shuffles around outside the stalls. I guess it was fun to pretend for a day, but now I just want to go home. 

Suddenly, as I’m lost in my thoughts, a wet splat against my knee startles me. I open my eyes, adjusting my leg to see a black substance blotted across my skin.

My expression sours, and with my disoriented vision, I inspect the stall, only to find it in pristine condition. What the hell… where did it come from, then?

There’s another splat against my knee. This time, my eyes trace the falling substance up to the ceiling, where I spot a dark patch of liquid seeping through the panel above. It drips again, my eyes distinctly following its path, but when my gaze falls to my knee, the stain has vanished.

What the—

Instantly, my focus snaps back up to the ceiling, but there’s nothing there, not even a stain. 

Dropping my face into the palms of my hands, I squeeze my eyes shut. “Ah, shit…” “Everything okay in there?” Yanfei’s voice echoes throughout the room.

With a flush, I fling the stall door open. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I reply, moving over to the sinks. “I think I had too much to drink, though…” Yanfei nods, fixing her hair in the mirror. “It’s alright, we’re going to be leaving soon anyway. Shenhe’s probably been looking for us, but I haven’t checked my messages yet. She hates being at these events for so long.”

Finishing up in the bathroom, we start to make our exit, a chill rolling over me as I’m approaching the door. My hand grazes its surface, the weight of my arm then cracking the bathroom door open, allowing me to glance out into the hall where I immediately freeze up. Am I… seeing things right now? My vision blurs, and I try to fight against it, but I’m unable to focus my sight before Yanfei’s voice distracts me.

“Y/N? What’s wrong? What are you looking at?” her tone is hinted with concern, but I’m unable to offer a response. The figure turns around, and a cold dread washes over me. Without thinking, I stumble back, away from the door.

“Y/N, you’re scaring me… what’s going on?” Yanfei confesses, but I’m already set on looking for an escape route, or at least somewhere to hide. The thought of shoving Yanfei into one of the stalls crosses my mind, but before I can react, the bathroom door swings open. 

A chuckle resonates off the tiled walls, emitted from the blonde woman now standing in the doorway. She gives us a chillingly familiar smile as she takes a step forward, the door swinging shut behind her. “Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise?”

Yanfei and I are left speechless, neither of us confident enough to speak up, and an uneasy silence fills the room. Lumine’s eyes flick between us, her smile never faltering. “Something the matter? Come now, there’s no reason to be so tense, we’re all good, old friends here, right?”

Her words feel like a taunt, and my mind races. Why now? Why here? Just when we were about to go home too… if a fight breaks out here there’s no doubt that it’ll end horribly, especially with all these people.

“You don’t have to be so frightened; the two of you look as though you’ve just seen a ghost.” She prods, then suddenly bursts into laughter as if she’d told some hysterical joke, earning uncomfortable glares from both of us. “Although, I think I’m the only one seeing ghosts right now, am I right, Y/N?”

Huh?

“Lumine!” Yanfei shouts unexpectedly, startling me.

Lumine’s expression turns to one of amusement upon hearing Yanfei’s reaction, her gaze sharpening. “Ah, I see…” she says, her focus now locking onto me. “Y/N, I don’t think you should trust these people.”

“Lumine, stop!” Yanfei’s voice holds a desperate edge, but Lumine silences her with a single gesture of her hand. Suddenly, Yanfei stands frozen, struggling to speak but unable to make a sound, as if something’s holding her mouth shut.

“Stop!” I finally speak up, seeing that whatever’s happening to Yanfei is beyond her control. “Please don’t hurt her—”

“Just hear me out.” Lumine continues calmly, a hand positioned out in front of her, presumably keeping Yanfei secured. “There are things that your friends are hiding from you, important things. Things you should know, things… that you deserve to know.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” I stammer, trying to find a way out of this conversation. It’s quickly starting to sound like a bunch of nonsense. 

“Of course you don’t,” Lumine chuckles. “It’s such ‘confidential’ information, after all. But I know. Yanfei knows, Ganyu, even Xiao. Especially Xiao. He’s probably the one who ordered everyone to keep their mouths shut.” 

“Lumine, please… Just tell me what you mean,” I plead.

She pouts her lip. “Well, I’m certainly in no position to lay it all out for you. All I can really do is advise you. A word of advice: demand answers, and seek the truth. The rest is up to you.” Once she finishes speaking, Lumine releases her hold on Yanfei, who gasps for air.

“Now go on, you have an objective to complete,” Lumine adds, stepping aside. Instantly, I grab hold of Yanfei’s hand, and we bolt from the bathroom.

Speeding through the hall, we search desperately for our other two companions. 

“Shenhe, Ganyu!” we call out, trying to get their attention as we zoom over.

Hearing our calls, Shenhe looks up from her phone. “There you are. Remind me never to let you out of my sight again—”

“We have to go!” Yanfei interrupts.

“Yeah, you’re right. I wanted to leave hours ago,” Shenhe answers, missing the urgency. 

“Ugh, whatever. Come on, let's get out of here!” Yanfei instists, pulling on Shenhe’s arm.

Without much objection, we make a swift escape from the soiree.

—

Stepping off the elevator, I let out a sigh of relief. Home, finally…

Scanning the empty living area, I doubt Xiao is sleeping right now. I drag my feet against the floor, opening the door to the dimly lit lab to find Xiao seated at his computer, absorbed in his work as expected. 

“I’m back,” I announce, closing the door behind me. 

“I know,” Xiao answers, turning to face me. “How was the event?” “It was nice, very fancy,” I answer, my mind replaying the night as I come to stand by one of the tables.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less of Ningguang.” Xiao’s expression softens, “Are you… alright? You look bothered.”

I hesitate, Lumine's words echoing in my mind before I scatter them. “I’m fine, just tired. Did you find anything in my test results?”

Xiao lightly shakes his head, “Not yet. Everything looks normal so far, but I’ll have more answers by morning,” he assures me. 

“Alright then. Thanks, Xiao.” I sigh, exhaustion settling in. “I’m going to get some rest.” 

< CH. 10 | CH. 12 >

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One of the major pain points for many artists, especially those just starting, is the cost of distributing music. Hidden fees and complicated payment structures on some platforms can drain an artist’s resources, leaving little room for growth. Deliver My Tune addresses this issue by offering transparent and affordable pricing plans.

The platform provides clear and upfront pricing, so artists know exactly what they are paying for without any surprise costs down the road. For instance, Deliver My Tune offers annual plans that include both music and video distribution, making it cost-effective for artists to release their work across multiple channels. Additionally, the platform’s pricing is accessible to artists at different stages of their careers, from emerging talent to more established acts.

Unlike other services that charge on a per-release basis or take a cut of royalties, Deliver My Tune ensures that the artist retains the majority of their earnings. This transparency and affordability are central to its artist-first philosophy, allowing musicians to focus on their craft without worrying about complicated financial arrangements.

AI-Powered Mastering: A Technological Edge

Deliver My Tune takes innovation to the next level with its AI-powered mastering tool. Mastering is a crucial step in the music production process, ensuring that a track sounds polished and professional across different playback systems. However, traditional mastering can be expensive, especially for independent artists with limited budgets. Deliver My Tune’s AI-driven solution offers an affordable alternative without sacrificing quality.

The AI mastering tool allows artists to enhance the sound quality of their music in a fraction of the time and cost it would take with traditional studio mastering. This feature is particularly beneficial for independent artists who might not have access to high-end studios or professional mastering engineers. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, Deliver My Tune ensures that every artist, regardless of budget, can release music that meets professional standards.

Artist Management and Social Media Integration

In today’s digital age, an artist’s success is often tied to their social media presence. Deliver My Tune understands this and offers robust social media management tools as part of its platform. Artists can integrate their music distribution with their social media channels, creating seamless promotional campaigns that engage audiences and drive streams.

For example, the platform offers tools to schedule and manage posts across platforms like Instagram and YouTube, ensuring that artists maintain an active and consistent online presence. This is crucial for independent artists looking to grow their fanbase and connect with listeners on a personal level. By providing tools that streamline social media management, Deliver My Tune helps artists focus on what they do best — creating music — while still promoting their work effectively.

Additionally, Deliver My Tune offers artist portfolio services that help musicians build a professional image online. With customizable portfolios that feature integrated videos, music, event updates, and photos, artists can present a polished and cohesive brand to the world.

Personalized Support and Guidance

Another feature that sets Deliver My Tune apart from other platforms is its dedication to personalized support. While many larger platforms offer minimal interaction with their users, Deliver My Tune takes a hands-on approach to assisting artists at every stage of their journey. Whether it’s guidance on how to optimize distribution, improve social media engagement, or fine-tune a promotional campaign, the Deliver My Tune team is available to provide expert advice.

This level of personalized attention can make a huge difference, especially for artists who are navigating the complexities of the music industry for the first time. By offering personalized support, Deliver My Tune ensures that artists never feel like they’re going through the process alone.

Conclusion: Deliver My Tune as a Game-Changer in Music Distribution

Deliver My Tune is more than just a music distribution platform; it’s a revolutionary tool that empowers artists to take control of their careers. With its transparent pricing, comprehensive suite of services, AI-powered mastering, and personalized support, Deliver My Tune is changing the game for independent musicians. By putting the artist first and offering innovative solutions that address the challenges of modern music distribution, Deliver My Tune is helping to create a more artist-centric music industry.

For musicians looking to grow their careers while maintaining creative control, Deliver My Tune offers an unparalleled opportunity to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.