#and when i remembered...it was a game of catch up

[chuulyssa]

──── ★ DRUGS SUCK IT UP LIKE VANILLA ICYS the recruiter x reader ────

starring the recruiter x detective!reader count 1.3k genre 18+ dark themes, yandere, stalking, kidnapping, gunplay, mentions of smut, overall there’s not much smut here but i’ll probably post a part 2 which will have smut tho

notes wanted to write smth non horny but gong yoo just had to deepthroat that gun 🙂‍↔️ wrote this at 2am and i have my practicals tmr so errrrr if this does well yall will be spoilt with part 2 soon

You had no idea when you had lost track of him. One minute, you had been following his step through the bustling train station, and the next, your vision had blurred, and a sharp pain had shot at the base of your skull.

You didn’t know how long it had been since then. You opened your eyes, immediately shutting them back due to the sudden appearance of light to them. The scent of cigarette smoke filled your nostrils, and your tongue tasted blood.

You wriggled, trying to move your arms, but your hands had been tied behind your back, ankles tied to the legs of the chair you had been made to sit on. You opened your eyes once more. The room was dim with a single light bulb flickering on and off again and again.

“Detective,” a voice cooed at you from behind you.

You snapped your neck up to see his face smiling gleefully, staring down at you with a predatory glint in his eyes.

“Imagine my surprise,” he continued, moving away to stand in front of you, “when I realized the pretty lady that had been following me all this while,” he leaned against what you could make out to be a wooden table, “was you.”

His smirk was maddening. You remembered it from all those years ago. The handsome man in a suit, way too overdressed to meet you where he had. The man who had approached you when you were hopelessly drunk in a children’s park, crying about an unsolved case. He had wiped your tears back then, kissed your fears away. You still recall his words.

“Since we’re in a children’s park, how about a children’s game?”

Thank god for the polite refusal of yours, or you would’ve been in the same position as your current client. Seong Gihun. For whom you had been trailing this man for weeks now. The Recruiter.

“Hello? Earth to you, miss?” He snapped his fingers in front of your dazed face, making you jump at the sudden sound. He laughed at you. Then, flicking ash from his cigarette onto the floor, he mocked you. “I had such high hopes for you back then, sweetheart. But you said no,” he pouted, then cackled maniacally at your expression. “I got a kiss though!”

“Shut up,” you hissed.

He chuckled darkly, the sound echoing throughout the small room. Your eyes darted around to check for windows or exits, but you couldn’t find any in the pale lighting. “Aw, you want me to let you go? After you’ve been my little shadow for the past month?”

You looked away, and he only smirked, walking towards you. He grabbed a fistful of your hair and yanked it upwards to catch your attention. “You look at me while we’re speaking. Don’t you have manners, love?”

“Don’t call me that,” you scoffed.

“Oh, you don’t want me to call you that? Is that right, love?” He jeered. When you scowled at him, he dropped his smirk. “Oh, come on now. We both know you’re not going anywhere. Come, let’s have a chat, shall we?”

He sat on the floor, his toes lifting him off the ground by themselves. The soles of his shoes clinked, tilting up so that he was mostly leaning onto you.

“It’s so flattering,” he began, “that you spent so much time trying to follow me all this time later. Am I that captivating, Miss Detective?”

“No.”

“Ah, but you are, certainly,” he nuzzled his face into your lap, making you squirm. You tried to close your thighs, but the restraints didn’t allow you to. “I’ve been dreaming of you ever since I saw you that night.”

He hummed, his knees going down to support his stance. He moved his hands to caress the front of your waist softly. “I cried because you were crying. So don’t cry over anything other than me, hm? It makes me so upset.”

He unbuttoned your pants swiftly, and you flinched. He looked up, amused at your reaction. You glared at him, refusing to speak, but the look in your face, the desire in your eyes, even the wetness he could practically smell betrayed you. He tilted his head.

“Still so stubborn,” he murmured, reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair from your face. You jerked your head away, but the restraint made it futile.

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You’re in my world now, detective. And in my world, we play games.”

He pulled out a revolver from under his suit. The metallic click of the very much real weapon cocking made your breath hitch.

Where did he get that from?

He always managed to surprise you.

“Russian roulette,” he announced dramatically, spinning the cylinder. “You know this, yes? A game of chance. Just like life.”

“You’re fucking insane,” you spat, trying to keep your voice steady, but you could feel it quaking in fear. You were scared now.

“Maybe,” he agreed, stepping behind you and pressing the cold barrel of the gun to your temple. “But aren’t you curious, detective? I am. I’m so so curious. You make me feel it. To crave it. Don’t you see it?”

You closed your eyes. The pressure of the gun against your skin seemed unbearable now. It was as if the nuzzle could pierce through your brain with how he was holding it against you.

“I want to see,” he kissed the top of your head, “just how far you’re willing to go to solve this case.”

I’ll do anything, you thought.

“I’ll make you a deal,” he whispered, his breath hot against your ear. “Beg me to stop, but there’ll be consequences then. Or take the risk.”

His voice was a low purr. The gun shifted slightly, trailing down your temple to rest just below your jaw.

“Say the word, and I’ll put it all to an end. No more games. No more questions.” His other hand came up, ghosting over your chest. “But then you’ll have to give me something else in return.”

You swallowed hard, forcing yourself to steady your breathing as he groped your breast through the fabric of your shirt. The room felt too small, the air too thin.

“What’s it going to be, darling?” he teased, the nickname twisting in your gut like a knife. His fingers found your hardened nipple through the fabric, and his lips your neck.

“I...” you started, but your voice cracked. His soft chuckle rumbled against your pulse, sending an unwanted shiver down your spine.

“No shame in fear,” he said, almost kindly. The gun tilted up, tilting your chin with it, forcing you to meet his dark, hungry gaze in the reflection of the mirror in front of you. “Little Miss Detective, found dead in a basement room. Your parents wouldn’t like to hear that now, would they?”

Your eyes widened. He knew. He knew from the start you had been tailing him. He had kept tabs on you, more than you had on him.

“Stop,” you whispered. “Please.”

“Ah, is that the best you can do?” He cooed at you, and your hands clenched into fists.

“Please let me go,” you said, almost angrily, and he threw his head back to laugh.

“That’s not how you say it, dolly.”

You took a deep breath in, feeling your pride crush and fall down around you in bits and pieces. “Please, I’ll do anything.”

“Anything?” He repeated in a child-like voice. “Like what?”

“Anything you like.”

His smile grew. “Will you be willing to play a game with me, then?” His hand reached under your shirt to caress your nipple, and you could feel yourself gushing at the touch.

“What game?”

[sloaneispunk]

“the first games”

player!in-ho x you

before in-ho became the frontman, he was a player. the frontman during his game was you, and you had your eyes out for poor helpless, powerless in-ho, proposing a new role for him

──── ୨୧ ────

in-ho jerked awake from the loud classical music blaring from the speakers.

what was this place?

around him were at least hundreds of people on the exact same bed he was on, all seemingly scared and confused.

soon, everyone was huddled up in the centre of the room. still, no one had any idea on how they got there or what they were doing there.

then, the pair of large metal doors in the middle of the room flew open, a group of masked men entering.

in-ho watched carefully, each masked men had the same symbol on their masks, a triangle. except one of them who he guessed was their leader.

‘welcome, ladies and gentlemen… i know you must all be very confused, but i would like to thank each and everyone of you for volunteering to join our games’ the leader announced, breaking the thick air of silence.

“you practically kidnapped us and you call that volunteering?’ a woman asked as the crowd agreed.

‘you may not remember, but you came to us, wanting a second chance.’

then, a video appeared on a large screen above, showing different people in the crowd as they played ddakji with the familiar recruiter that in-ho had remembered.

but in-ho was not interested. he walked back to his bed, taking in his surroundings, when he spotted a camera right above. he smiled, looking directly into it, and waved.

──── ୨୧ ────

up in the controlroom, you cocked your head to the side.

“he can’t see us right?” you asked, the man in the mask shaking his head.

“interesting.”

you walked back to your headquarters, pulling up files as you searched for in-ho’s.

what a peculiar player.

most would be scared out of their minds, but him? he was calm and collected. intelligent, almost.

then you saw it.

player 456, hwang in-ho. age, 45.

“huh.” you mumbled to yourself as you flipped through the pages.

you pulled out a walkie from your back pocket, bringing it up to your face. “keep an eye out for player 456. he could be a problem.”

──── ୨୧ ────

‘the first game will commence momentarily, please walk in an orderly fashion to the game room.’

in-ho followed far behind as the other players scurried to stick together. when he made his way down the colorful, windy, staircase, he saw what you were making them do.

each player stepped up, one after another, facing a camera as they had their picture taken.

when it was his turn, he simply stared coldly into the camera. barely flinching at the white flash that followed after.

you watched as in-ho’s picture appeared on the screen. you shifted uncomfortably as his eyes stared right into your soul, there was no sign of weakness that you could see and that made him dangerous.

‘the first game you will be playing is ‘red light, green light. you can move when the doll has turned and announced ‘green light’ but any movement afterwards, and the player will be eliminated.’ a woman’s voice came through the speakers as all players entered the game room.

“what is that? i-is that a giant doll?” a man asked aloud as everyone was stricken with confusion.

‘you have five minutes to cross over to the other side. the game starts now!’ the same cheerful voice said once more.

‘green light’

nobody moved.

‘red light… green light.’

in-ho took the first step, taking a few steps to the front of the line.

‘red light’

he stopped.

it was easy for him to catch on. he noticed the holes in the wall when he first entered, he knew that this was no ordinary game. and he was all in.

‘green light’

he took more steps, the sea of players gradually following behind.

‘red light’

‘pang!’

a middle aged woman fell to the ground with a loud thud.

‘player 150 eliminated.’

then, an ear-piercing scream echoed through the room. chaos struck. players were scrambling, running towards the entrance but to no avail, the door was now locked.

in-ho watched from the corner of his peripheral vision as people fell to the floor like flies dropping, a smile growing on his face.

──── ୨୧ ────

you kicked your legs up onto the glass table, whiskey in hand.

‘how was he so calm?’ you thought.

by now, most players would have bitten the dust, either getting killed by the soldiers, or getting trampled to death.

as the frontwoman of these games, you learnt to always be fair, never being biased to players no matter how desperate they were. but there was something about in-ho. you’d never admit it but you were rooting for him, he was different from any other player you had seen before. you had your eye on him.

──── ୨୧ ────

as it got down to the last minute, more than half of the players had already been eliminated. in-ho stood proudly at the finish line, leaning on the hard wall as he watched players fighting for their lives.

in in-ho’s mind, this was not what he expected when he joined the games, but he sure as hell wasn’t disappointed.

when the timer hit 0, only barely above a quater of the initial players had cleared the games. he felt a sense of pride.

on the way back to the main room, he spotted another camera. waving again, he felt powerful. he loved knowing that he was so much more than any player. in fact, he could almost garuntee that he had your attention, and he fed off of it.

on the other side of the camera, you felt your face growing flush. hwang in-ho, the man you were.

a few minutes later, guards had entered the hall carrying small metal boxes of food, one for each player.

‘please line up in order from smallest number to biggest.’ the guard ordered.

with in-ho at the back, you knew it was a chance for you to catch his attention like how he did yours.

knowing he’d be last, you slipped a small piece of paper into his box, garunteeing that no one would suspect a thing.

back on his bed, in-ho opened his box.

rice, egg, kimchi, chicken and… a note?

bingo!

he smiled to himself, shaking his head in disbelief as he opened the note.

‘ask to go to the bathroom when the lights go out’ it said. but that wasn’t the strangest thing about the whole situation. the strangest thing was how the note was signed off with a red lipstick stain at the bottom.

in-ho had imagined the frontman of the games to be a man. some cold-hearted, lonely man that had no family or life outside the games. but to his surprise, it was a woman.

that not only fueled his ego, but his excitement too.

──── ୨୧ ────

‘9:59’ read the clock.

‘lights out in one minute. please get a good nights rest in preparation for tomorrow’s game.’

that was his queue.

in-ho pulled away his blanket, waiting patiently for the clock to hit 10.

‘five, four, three, two, one’ he counted silently as a smile never leaving his face.

then, everything went black. it was time.

he headed down to the exit, coming face to face with a square-masked guard.

“i need to use the bathroom please.” he simply said, the guard nodding as the door opened for him.

when the door closed behind him, a young man ran up to it.

“i need to pee too!” he said to the guard, but was met with a deny. “what?! he got to go! let me pee!”

in-ho chuckled as the man fought the guard. he walked towards the bathroom down the hall, pushing the door open.

he stood in front of the mirror, rearranging his hair.

then, the door slowly creaked open.

“you can just come in you know? you don’t have to be shy.” he commented, eyes never leaving the mirror.

you gulped, suddenly, your breath was caught in your throat.

to his dismay, he was met with a black masked person, dressed in all black.

“what? you can’t show your face?” he taunted.

that was when you spring at him, pulling out a knife as you backed him towards the wall. in-ho’s eyes grew wide. he was not expecting that.

“whoa, whoa, okay. buy me a drink first.” he said, winking at you even with a knife held up against his throat. “take off the mask.” he beckoned, voice getting softer as he spoke.

god, you knew you shouldn’t. but there was something so inviting about him, you wanted to resist his charm but with him standing centremeters away from you, it was impossible.

you slowly reached up, pulling down the mask.

in-ho watched intentively, eyes brightening as he was met with your sweet face.

“hwang in-ho.” you said, pulling away from him, stepping back.

“wow, i must say,i was not expecting such a pretty face under the mask.” he commented as he followed after you as you paced around.

“what are you doing?” you suddenly halted, turning around to face him, knife still in hand.

“what do you mean, pretty lady?” he asked, faking innocence as he practically batted his eyelashes at you.

“you’re not scared, you’re not anxious, you’re confident, proud, prideful! who are you?!” you snapped.

“i’m just a player…” in-ho smiled, taking your hand in his as he brought it up to his lips.

“in-ho, you are messing with the game-”

“with the game or you?” he cut you off.

“i-”

“don’t worry, i won’t bite. i’m not the one in charge.”

you stared blankly, what were you supposed to say?

“i must say i’m awfully flattered that i get a visit from the frontwoman herself… a beautiful one in fact.”

“in-ho, i don’t know what you’re trying to do. but you have to stop.” you told him, pulling your hand away from him, making him shake his head.

“you’re the one feeding off watching people suffer and die in these games.” he replied. “don’t worry, i won’t share our little secret with anyone. to be fair, i don’t think i’d like anyone else seeing your pretty face under the mask either.”

now you were flushing a bright red.

before you could open your mouth to reply, he took a step forward. in-ho bent down, tilting his head before leaning in, placing a gentle and soft kiss on your lips.

in the heat of the moment, you didn’t pull away, instead pulling him closer, making him smile into the kiss.

but before you could go any further, he pulled away.

“since you know my name, it’s only right for me to know yours.” he said.

“y/n.” you breathed out, catching your breath as he nodded.

“i’ll see you again, y/n. you know where to find me.”

with that, he left the bathroom, leaving you standing alone.

“fuck!” you cursed as you punched the mirror.

in-ho slept that night like a baby, knowing he had the games very own frontwoman wrapped around his finger.

[woso-dreamzzz]

Copy III

Alessia Russo x Teen!Reader

Summary: Your first England match

"A long ball up the pitch by Williamson...And...Struck by...Russo!"

Alessia freezes.

"Oh, an England debut to remember for number twenty-three y/n Russo!"

Your sister watches as you go sprinting towards your best friend on the pitch, crashing together as the rest of the team hurry to catch up.

Your arms are spread out like an airplane as you finally get to Bean, holding her and, most likely, thanking her for that wonderful assist.

It's Bean's first England match too and a few rows down in the box, the Williamson family celebrate her assist too.

But all Alessia can focus on is you.

Your face is grinning on the big screen and, at only sixteen years old, this season has been a busy one for you.

You'd secured a place in Arsenal's senior team (along with Bean of course) and been called up for England's senior team a few times as well.

But this is your first game and that's special.

Made even more special by the fact that you've scored on debut.

You're red and sweaty when the match is over and Alessia can finally see you close up again.

You're smiling.

Beaming is probably the better word for it.

Your face is split open in a smile as you and Bean stand next to each other talking to the media rep.

"They work good together," Leah says, standing next to her old teammate as they both wait for you to be done.

"We know that. At Arsenal-"

"We both know it's different with the Lionesses," Leah interrupts gently, watching as you and your sister tease each other," The pressure...everything, it's different."

"But they've certainly risen to it."

Leah laughs. "Yeah, they did. God, Bean's going to be insufferable tonight."

Alessia laughs too. "I think today you'll have to let her. She's earnt it."

"But still," Leah grouses good naturedly," She's going to get a big head."

"Who is?"

"You!" Leah grabs her sister into a headlock, rubbing her knuckles against Bean's head and dragging her away.

You stand in front of your sister, rocking back and forth on the balls of your feet for a moment.

"Hey," You say, uncharacteristically nervous all of a sudden.

"Hey, yourself," Alessia laughs," That was a good goal."

You brighten up at the praise. "Yeah? You think so. I wasn't really thinking. It could have gone anywhere. I mean-"

Alessia's hands rest on your arms, effectively silencing you.

"It was a very good goal. It went in. That's all that matters really."

"Yeah?"

"Yes," Alessia laughs, pulling you closer.

You shot up when you hit puberty, nothing like the little kid you once were. You shot up and kept growing. You're probably still growing because you haven't quite reached Alessia's height yet but she knows from her parents that you're still outgrowing all of your clothes.

But you're not quite as tall as Alessia so she's can still comfortably kiss you on the forehead and tuck you under her chin, just about.

"You did so good. Very impressive. England's future."

You rest your head on Alessia's shoulder. "I did your goal celebration too."

"What celebration? I don't have a celebration."

It's your turn to laugh now, shaking your head fondly at your sister.

"The airplane arms? You used to do them a lot."

"No I didn't!"

You grin. "Yeah you did. All the time. I can't believe you never realised you were doing it."

"Because I didn't!"

She's not that much taller than you. Nothing that you won't catch up to in a year or so but you kind of like how you are now. It just reminds you of her when you were younger and much smaller, looking up at your big sister after matches where she's scored so many goals.

But now you're the one in her shirt and you're the one with the ball at your feet.

You're the one doing airplane arms when the ball slams into the net.

[plaidcowboy]

!cosy and rafe keeping themselves entertained when the power goes out

“bruce s’gonna be fine” rafe deadpanned as you gripped the bat jellycat’s wing. your eyebrows remained furrowed. “it’s crazy out there, he’s vulnerable to intense injury” you reasoned. the storm was getting worse by the minute. it spread quickly that another storm was hitting but that it was nothing to worry about. some may have a little power outage for a bit and possible strong enough winds to knock some things over. so.. yeah you were being dramatic. the storm was nothing.

rafe rolled his eyes. “i know you know it isn’t bad, so if this is to pull a reaction from me, i’m walking away now” he headed in the direction where some candles were stored. you huffed, letting go of the plushy bat wing. “fine.. but you’re fixing a broken bat wing if it happens”

“doubt it” he responded with the most uninterested tone.

you shrugged, going over to your phone to check on kie and sarah and see how they’re handling the storm. no internet. course.

your fluffy socked feet padded over to a cupboard. pulling the doors open, your eyes roamed over so many board games. seeing scramble, your eyes widened, hand already reaching out to pull the game from the shelf when it was suddenly pitch black. “who’s playing with the lights” you attempted to joke to the darkness. no laugh from rafe. course. he didn’t get it sometimes.

a candle appeared over your shoulder, startling you. “no one, we’re currently experiencing a storm that just took out the power. did you seriously think i was messing with the lights?”

you met rafe’s curious eyes over the flickering flame. he was serious.

“nevermind. i found scramble” you reached back inside the cupboard, spotting the game again with the help of the natural light. that was when you noticed it sat a little higher than what you thought, having barely seen it before the light went out.

rafe’s front pushed against your back, a veined arm angling across your vision to grab the game. what perks of having a tall boyfriend.

you shook with excitement, going to clap your hands, but thinking better of it when remembering you were holding a candle.

he handed the game to you from above. “why thank you, gentleman” you quickly scurried from the hand reaching to grab your waist. no time for lovey dovey. game time.

you plopped down cross legged on the floor, only about to settle the candle down when rafe’s deep voice spoke from above you. “up”

you looked back to see him holding a blanket. “oh”

you scurried back up, letting rafe place the blanket down for you two to sit yourselves and the game on. settling down, rafe placed his own candle beside himself, gaining you two more light.

you opened the lid of the game, dumping out the letters. mixing them around with your hands, rafe watched in amusement, quietly chuckling. you were passionate about scramble. when you two played, you usually formed the most words. would rafe avoid spelling out big words that required more letters so you could use them? ..yeah. did you need to know? neh.

“okay, go” you immediately began flipping over letters, forming little words and adding to them at different points of said words. rafe looked deep in thought like he always did when you two played. you of course didn’t know he was thinking of words that didn’t have too many letters that he could also get away with without you catching on that he was easing the game for you. not that you needed it. he just enjoyed the smile that bloomed on your face upon seeing your amount of words compared to his.

once the letters ran low and there were no more words to attach, you both looked at you two’s work.

huh. rafe had one more word than you. you slightly pouted. “you won” your pout quickly morphed to a smile, enjoying rafe’s win like it was your own.

rafe quickly looked down at his words. oh. there was one more word. he got ahead of himself. scanning the words, he picked a random one and pulled a letter out. “this one isn’t even a word”

he tossed the letter carelessly to his side.

you titled your head, assessing the gaping word. “rafe.. that spells simultaneously without the e. i can tell”

you looked up to see him scratching at his jaw with a furrowed brow, looking at the words as well. “ah.. no.. i think i made something up. you won that round” rafe nodded determinedly. like the word wasn’t staring at you.

you scrambled over to his side, looking at the word from his view. “yeah no.. that says simultaneously. it’s okay, you wo.. oof”

rafe knocked you down in a bear hug before you could let out the last word. shielding your head with his hand beneath your head, he looked down at you. you stared back up at him with wide eyes. “i have no clue what you’re trying to say. what should we play next?”

[leighsartworks216]

I Heart You

Sylus x gn!Reader

I was struggling so hard against the abyss that is writer's block yesterday and then this suddenly came out of me

Warnings: fluff, domestic fluff, children, parenthood, silly, kissing, references to Sylus's Mountain Journey and myth

Word Count: 1,152

Main Masterlist

First Love and Deepspace Masterlist

Second Love and Deepspace Masterlist

AO3

Tag List Form

Something touches Sylus's face, undeniably the felt tip of a marker. It tickles his cheek. Stifled giggles tell him exactly who is behind it.

The marker clicks shut and he strikes, grabbing the culprit and hugging them close to his chest while they squeal with surprise. "What mischief have you gotten into now?" he asks, leveling a narrowed stare at his daughter.

She laughs freely now, with a smile so bright it lights up the entire N109 Zone. "None!"

"Oh, really? Then what's that in your hand?"

"Nothing!" she giggles out. She tries to throw the marker away, but his Evol catches it midair and brings it right back to him. "That's cheating!"

He chuckles. "You're sneaking around to attack a poor, defenseless man while he sleeps, but I'm cheating when I catch you red-handed?" He pokes the capped end of the marker to her cheek. "What did you draw on my face?"

She sits up, slipping down to sit in his lap. Maybe it's his fault for thinking it was safe to drift off in the living room chair, open and exposed for his devilish child to have free rein in messing with him. Tiny hands reach up to hold his face.

"You have to guess!"

"Do I? Well..." He pretends to think about it for a moment. Truth be told, he recognized the shape immediately, from a time years before his baby dragon was born. A time before she was even a concept. "Is it Mephisto?"

She giggles again and shakes her head.

"No? How about... a self-portrait?"

"What's that?"

"A drawing of you."

She shakes her head. "Uh-uh, not me."

"Is it a drawing of me, then?"

"Nope!"

He sighs, as though this game is simply far too difficult for him. "I need a hint. Can you trace it for me?"

Sylus gets almost giddy at the feeling of her little finger as it follows the drawn shape on his cheek. It's overwhelming, sometimes, the love he has for his little girl. An ache forms in his chest every time he remembers he gets to watch her grow up. He has to swallow it down even now to focus solely on their little game.

"I know what it is," he says once she's traced it twice. He smiles. "It's a heart."

Her eyes light up as she nods enthusiastically. "Yeah! Missus Staf- Stef-"

"Stefano."

"Stef-ano said that it means 'love' and that we should give the people we love a heart to show we love them!" She pokes his cheek, right in the center of the heart. "Cuz I love you!"

Sylus chuckles softly, heart overflowing. He hugs her to him again and kisses her chubby little cheek. "I love you too, sweetie. Do you want me to give you a heart?"

She looks up at him like the thought never occurred to her that she could get a heart in return. She nods. "Yeah!"

"Okay, but we shouldn't draw on people's faces. Give me your hand."

He uncaps the marker with one hand. With his other, her little hand rests in his palm, dwarfed by the sheer size of it. In two quick lines, a heart is drawn on the back of her hand. She turns her hand every which way to see it. She looks at it like it's worth a billion dollars.

The door to the room clicks open. "Sweetie, I told you to leave daddy alone while he's napping."

She doesn't process that she's being scolded at all as she climbs out of his lap and runs to the door where you stand, hand outstretched. "Look, look! Daddy gave me a heart! Cuz Missus Stef-an- Stef-"

"Stefano," you supply.

"Cuz Missus Stef-an-o said to give a heart to the people we love!"

You smile. "That's very sweet, baby! It's beautiful."

"I had to return the favor," Sylus says, showing you her own crudely drawn heart on his cheek. There's a knowing gleam in his eye. "You need one, too, beloved."

Your daughter is immediately taken with the idea. She grabs your hand and bounces on her feet as she drags you over. "Yeah, yeah! We should all have one!"

You sit on one of Sylus's legs as she crawls up into the other. He passes the marker back to her. "Not on the face," he gently reminds her.

"Right!" She grabs your hand to hold it in place (rather clumsily) so she can draw the heart. She tries to be more careful with it this time, to make it extra pretty. The lines end up wobbly and the heart is larger on one side than the other, but she beams at her masterpiece when she's finished. "Now we all have hearts!"

"Did you give uncle Luke and uncle Kieran hearts, too?" Sylus asks.

She gasps. "Oh no! They need hearts!" She scrambles off his leg, nearly falling to the floor in her haste. In no time at all, she's out the door and on a mission.

In the quiet left in her wake, Sylus picks up your hand and interlaces your fingers. He places little kisses to your knuckles. You readjust in his lap to rest your head on his shoulder, taking in the rare peaceful moment.

"Too bad she took the marker with her." You poke his bare cheek with your free hand. "I could've given you a heart from me."

He looks down at you with a smile. "It's still there, from our little roadtrip."

"I'm surprised you remember that."

"Of course I remember it," he scoffs. "We still need to go back there, after all."

You smile wistfully. "The tree..."

He nods with a hum, leaning down to kiss your forehead. "It's almost been a decade. We can bring her along, tell her the story about it."

Memories flood through you. Back then, you were both holding back, truth be told. Real affection hidden under teasing and banter. It was safer to hide under that layer of protection. You're glad you don't have to hide anymore.

You trace your fingers along his jaw to guide his mouth to yours. A kiss so sweet and simple, soft and slow. He lets out a noise of contentment against your lips. When he pulls away, he nuzzles his nose against yours, grinning triumphantly when you giggle at the ticklish touch.

"You can get back to your nap now," you tell him, voice just a whisper.

He shakes his head before you can get off him. "It's almost dinnertime. I'll help you cook." His arms wrap around your back and under your knees, lifting you effortlessly as he stands and carries you out of the lounge.

You wrap your arms around his neck and kiss his cheek once more. "I heart you, Sy," you say teasingly.

He chuckles and rubs his cheek against your head until your laugh fills the air. "I heart you, too, sweetie."

---

Tag List:

@the-golden-jhope @huen1ngk41 @armycaratlover @sylusfluffymeow @cheesemachine44 @nyx2021 @angel-jupiter @thelittlebutton @pikachuzhc @pomegranatepip @cordidy @an-ever-angry-bi @thejysemongko @deusfoundry

[kkai-zen]

hihi ^^ can u pls write ab the bllk boys with a rlly tall reader! remember to drink water and take care of yourself ( ^ω^ )

hiii! love your request, and here’s my take on some of the bllk boys with a tall reader! thank you for being so so sweet, take care of yourself too! ♡ ‧₊˚

⤷ blue lock boys with a tall s/o!

⋆˙⟡ itoshi sae...

I feel like Sae would not care in the slightest if his s/o is tall. What he values in a partner has nothing to do with physical appearance, and much more to do with strength of character.

But regardless, he still loves admiring the length of your legs and arms, and finds your stature so elegant and picturesque. Sae’s masculinity isn’t fragile enough to be insulted by having a tall s/o, anyways.

You guys definitely make a badass couple, with your stature and Sae's countenance, and the paparazzi always has an absolute field day when they catch the two of you together.

⋆˙⟡ itoshi rin...

Rin realizes that he’s grown an appreciation for tallness after meeting you. He dislikes looking down at people when needing to talk, standing at 6’1”, so when you stand next to him for the first time without him needing to bend down, he realizes how nice it is.

In a way, it also makes Rin see you as an equal. Your height combined with your natural intellect, charm, and beauty captivates him, and he ends up falling head-over-heels for you.

You’re not ‘lukewarm’ like all the others, is what he thinks. You have a strong presence that comes from a perfect combination of strength, grace, and intelligence. You’re his equal, which makes you his perfect, ideal partner. 

⋆˙⟡ nagi seishiro...

I think Nagi would really enjoy having a tall s/o! At 6’3", he’s a giant, and he finds that constantly craning his neck downwards just to talk to someone is bothersome. Having a tall s/o makes it much easier for him to have conversations with you (and makes it easier for him to admire your pretty face).

For Nagi, it’s just naturally easier for him (the notorious sloth of a man) to interact with you because of your height, which sets the foundation for the rest of your relationship.

He also loves how his clothes fit on you! You don’t drown in them, but still manage to look cute. To him, your height only adds to your attractiveness.

⋆˙⟡ mikage reo...

Reo, canonically being into older, more mature women, is naturally drawn to your height. He sees you breeze by, absolutely stunning with your long, graceful limbs, while he’s sitting in a cafe one day, and immediately knows that he wants you to be his.

He's utterly enchanted by your confident elegance, and finds himself replaying the moment he watched you walk by over and over in his head.

He loves watching you do damn near anything, finding your height so attractive, and sometimes he’ll buy a small fortune’s worth of clothes for you to try on just to admire you. 

⋆˙⟡ michael kaiser...

Kaiser is a master at appreciating beauty and after meeting you, he’s instantly charmed. He spends the next couple hours asking his manager to track down your information, intrigued by your captivating looks that come from your statuesque figure.

He loves how easily he can spot you in tight crowds or in the stands at one of his games, and the fact that you (both physically and metaphorically) stick out to him makes him all the more drawn to you.

Kaiser sees your height as a facet of your beauty, making you that much more unique. He’s not looking for some run-of-the-mill partner, after all—just like his trademark blue rose, he finds a special beauty in you that he just can’t find anywhere else. 

[lostinlovingrevery]

Beauty (18+)

Worst! Wolverine X Plus sized! Reader

Plot: You're a curvy girl, and a passing comment said to Logan pisses him off, leading him to show you just how beautiful he thought you were, as well as make sure you believe it too.

A/N: Don't look at me.

Warnings: Smut, a lot of smut, this whole thing is almost smut. PiV, unprotected sex, creampie, Reader is curvy/plus sized and described with stretch marks and large breasts and a belly, Logan is a a total dom but he's sweet about it, and sometimes a lil mean. Oral, (f! recieving), body worship and praise, logan gets a lil feral in the end, MDNI. I wrote this with Worst! Wolverine in mind, but honestly you could probably imagine any Logan. NOT proofread. I can't reread this filth.

Word Count: 3972

You and Logan were snuggling on the couch of your apartment. You were wearing one of his shirts, which was just a tad too big on your curvy body and you loved that. You both were spooning in a sitting position, with Logan behind you, his strong arms wrapped around you, as you both were focused on the tv, watching some old Clint Eastwood western flick that Logan seemed to enjoy.

You were enjoying the quiet time you were spending together, even if you really couldn’t find yourself to get into the old movie. Logan's arms moved around you, and you felt his hands move to your belly, lifting up your (his) shirt up, where he then grabbed at the folds of your stomach, kneading and squishing at them. It was something Logan had done before, and you never truly minded before, but for some reason it was annoying today.

“Lo, knock it off, It’s not funny.” You muttered, grabbing his hands to pull them off you. Alas, he was stronger than you, and he refused to allow his hands to be removed from something he considered his. 

“Funny?” He whispers slowly in your ear, “Who said anything about being funny?” 

You frowned, looking down at where his hands gripped at the plush of your belly. You were a bigger girl, you always have been most of your life. ‘Plus-sized’, ‘curvy’, whatever title you want to put on it, it's just how your body type was. You had large breasts, a soft round belly with faint stretch marks stretched across your skin, accompanied by love handles on your hips, your thighs, big and strong- enough to crush a man's head if you so desired. Not that you ever called it that, but your slightly insane, undiagnosed ADHD, loud, obnoxious, best friend, and neighbor Wade Wilson, who was the very person to introduce you to Logan, had described your thighs that way during a drunken game of UNO. You guys hadn’t even been on the topic of your body; much less anybody's body. Wade just blurted it out. You have come a long way in growing your confidence and loving yourself for who you are, not just your body, but your whole person. It didn’t mean you didn’t have your bad days though. Days where you can’t look at yourself in the mirror and cover yourself with large clothing to hide any trace of fat you carry. 

“You just don’t need to be squeezing everything and making it obvious.” You muttered, dropping your hands from his wrists in annoyance. You didn’t know why you were being so moody over it. 

Normally you enjoyed Logan touching you. Ever since you guys got together, Logan was always all over you, you don’t remember a moment where he didn’t have an arm around your shoulder, holding your hand, his hand resting on your thigh- and during the more private moments where you two were alone, he always was feeling you up, groping your breasts or ass, coming up behind you to hug you- and to rub his clothed dick against you so you could feel just how hard you make him. For some people, Logan’s constant need for physical touch may be annoying, but rarely have you ever found yourself pushing him away. It made you feel desired, especially when you had spent most of your life not feeling said desire. 

“I’m just touching what I love, baby.” He purred, leaning down and kissing along your shoulder, catching your grumpy tone. It should warm your heart, the way he expresses his love for you, but it only makes you feel moodier. 

“What is there to love?” You muttered under your breath, frowning. Logan's hands stopped his attack on your belly, and it suddenly hit you that you may have made a mistake saying that outloud. 

When you met Logan, to say you were immediately captivated by him is an understatement. Wade had introduced you, a “brother from another timeline” he described him as. Another one of Wade's adventures that you’ve learned to tune out because you always ended up more confused by the end of his tales. You immediately liked Logan, not just for his handsome face and hard muscles- though it certainly helped; but because of his way he seemed to be trying so hard to make things better for himself, to make positive changes and be a good man. He was always extra gentle when he talked to you, he made you feel seen and you with him as well. The crush you had on him developed quickly and you honestly never thought a man like him would give you a second glance. He was a superhero, he had a complicated life, thought battles you could never imagine. Guys like him don’t date girls like you, they date…other superheros. Women who were powerful, who sported thin and toned bodies. You were merely a humble lady, living your day to day life.

To your surprise though, Logan did like you. Now you’ve been together for a few months and you couldn’t be happier, save for the occasional struggles you both endure, you’ve found a way to overcome them together, and you could always appreciate how Logan, still being true to himself- still always tries. 

“Excuse me?” Logan's voice rose, as he moved to sit up and stare down at you, hard. You felt yourself cower under his stare, now unsure of what to say. 

“Well…” You tried to speak, swallowing a bit of air as you looked away. His hand came up, grabbing your jaw and forcing you to look at him- the display of dominance immediately made you feel that warm wetness coat the area between your legs. 

“Are you doubting me, princess?” He says. “You think there ain’t nothing to love about you?” His eyes looked dark, and you saw that familiar lustful look flash in them. 

“I…I didn’t say that.” You say nervously. His fingers pressed into the skin of your jaw, gripping you tight as his eyes trailed over your face.

“I think you did.” He says. “Maybe it’s time to teach you a lesson about what I love about you-” he leaned, his lips brushing against your ear. “-and you’re going to fucking learn and take it like a good girl.” 

You gasped, when he let go of your jaw, shoving you down onto the couch, manipulating your body so you were on your back, as he placed himself between your thighs. He pressed himself against your clothed groin, and you could feel his length through his sweats- long and hard. 

“Should give you an idea of what you do to me.” He mutters as he grinds against you, making you squirm as you reach to grab his biceps. “Uh-uh-” He grabbed your wrists with both his hands, roughly pulling them above your head. “No touching until I tell you. You’re gonna sit, and pay attention.”

“Logan-” 

He grabbed your face with his large hand, his fingers and his thumb pressing into your squishy cheeks, making your lips pucker up as he squeezed, not hard enough to hurt. He leaned in, lips brushing over yours. “No. No arguments. You've pissed me off with that bullshit coming out of your mouth. I’m gonna take care of you, and make sure you ain’t never fucking doubt yourself- or me again, got it?” 

You swallowed, before nodding as you stared up at him with wide eyes. Your nerves were alight, and you could feel your clit practically throbbing- begging for attention as Logan pressed himself against your legs. He kept hold of your wrists in one hand, while his other moved to your (his) shirt, roughly pulling it up, exposing your breasts and belly. 

“Fuck.” He groaned as his eyes took in your curvy figure. He didn’t know what or why you didn’t like it about yourself, why that when you looked in a mirror on your bad days, you pulled and squeezed the fat of your skin as if it was a bad thing. It could be farther from the truth. Logan looked at you and saw a fucking goddess. He loved the way your tits jiggled with every movement, round and soft, hypnotizing him and making him look like he was the biggest pervert when he couldn’t help but stare at them, whether you were alone or in public, but it’s not his fault, they’re just so loveable. He loved how your body curved, from your waist to your hips, with that plush belly of yours- that he’d rest his head on when you guys snuggled, making him feel like he was in the safest place on Earth, feeling the rise and fall of your breathing. Kneading at your belly was a comfort to him, it grounded him to where you both were in that moment, feeling you underneath him, living and breathing, soft and warm. You don’t know the countless nights he’d spent alone for years, craving for any ounce of love, and it would break your heart if he told you that. 

He bit his lip, as he brought one hand to your tit, slowly groping and squeezing it, giving it a little shake, before softly smacking at it- making you whimper. He grinned devilishly, as his hand took in the softness of it, the way it filled his large hand perfectly. He leaned down, sticking his tongue out and slowly running circles against your nipple, quickly making it hard, before he nipped at it.. You squirm underneath him, desperate for more, but he was taking his time, savoring every inch of your breasts, giving each the same amount of attention as he fondled them. “Love these fucking things. Love that you let me play with them whenever I want.” He groaned as he licked a nipple, making you arch your back into him. 

Your face was burning hot, your cheeks flushed pink, and you felt breathless already by the worship he committed to your tits. By the time he was finished with them, they were covered in bite marks, hickeys, and spit slicked. You had a burning between your thighs desperate for him to touch, but he wasn’t there yet. He looked up at you, your eyes pleading with him to get on with it, but he grinned, something borderline evil and perverted. Letting go of your wrists, he grabbed both your hands, placing them over your breasts.

 “Go on baby, play with me. See how fun it is.” He purred. You swallowed a gasp, becoming embarrassed by his words and how he was making you touch yourself. His large hands over yours led you, making you grip your breasts, moving them in slow circles, until he used his fingers, interlocked with yours, making you rub circles onto your nipples, further pushing them into overstimulation as you gasped and whined, wanting to stop, but the longer he made you go on- the better it felt. “See princess? See why I like them so much?”

You swallowed hard and nodded, he hummed, leaning down to peck your lips before sitting back up. He let go of your hands, “keep playing with em baby.” He coos, as his hands begin sliding up and down your sides, as he squeezed and pinched your chub. You nodded, following his orders and continued fondling your tits. He clicked his tongue. “I don’t get how you couldn’t like this.” He says, shaking his head. “Drives me insane, ‘specially when you wear those tight ass shirts, I can see all your beautiful curves.” he purred. His large hands moved over your belly, squeezing the skin together to make rolls, “So fucking soft bub..” He leaned down, pressing kisses all over your belly while he kneaded at them, like a cat on a warm blanket. His lips pressed against each of your belly, from your midsection, down to your pelvis. He took his time, making sure you felt each flutter of his lips against your skin, before he switched to biting you, taking you between his teeth and sucking your skin against his tongue. You yelped the first time he did it- surprised after he had committed such gentle touches to your skin. His hands slide over your sides, to your back and down to your ass, where he began squeezing at the large flesh there. 

Logan hadn’t even made you cum yet, but you felt like you were on cloud 9. Each touch, squeeze, pinch, the press of his lips, the sting of his teeth, made you feel otherworldly, alongside with his sweet words of worship, making every bad thought you had of your body fly out of your mind. How could you when the man was making you feel so much pleasure in your skin, even when he hadn’t fucked you yet? 

“Cmon, cop a feel.” He urges, motioning to your belly. You swallowed, sliding your hands off your breasts, and over your belly. Embarrassment began to creep in as you felt his eyes watching you, knowing if you didn’t do what he wanted you most certainly were going to pay for it. You knew what he wanted you to do, as you began to press and slide your hands all over yourself, softly and sensually- touching yourself- feeling yourself, and you began to see just what Logan was talking about. You were soft, there was a comfort in feeling your skin underneath your hands, something grounding you in this moment. 

Logan smiled warmly down at you, before he lowered himself down farther, his hands still cupping your ass, he pressed his nose against your cloth mound, taking a deep inhale to make you gasp. “Goddamn, you smell so fucking good. You’re soaked too.” He mutters, his tongue coming out to lick your soaked panties. He let out a hard and deep groan that sent shivers at your spin. Turning his head, he began licking and nipping at your inner thighs, his hands sensually rubbing over your thighs and ass. He pressed his cheek against your inner thigh, closing his eyes as he continued to take deep inhales of your scent. His scruffy beard scratched at your skin, but it only added to the pleasure of his touch. You so badly wanted to reach out, curl your fingers into his hair, to tug at them and push him against your pussy, where you so desperately needed him. Nonetheless, you waited, knowing he’ll give you what you want soon. 

He moved from your thigh, making eye contact with you as he moved forward up to bite the hem of your panties, he slowly pulled them down your legs, pushing your legs up with him as he sat up to fully tear off your panties, not breaking eye contact once. The whole action made you giggle, as sensual as it was. He grinned, dropping that dominant demeanor for a moment,

“You liked that baby?” He asks and you laugh again, unsure of how to answer it. It only told him that yes, yes you did. He hums, he grabs your hand again, bringing it down to your now bare cunt. “Good. Now I want you to feel how good this pretty pussy is.”

Your breath hitched. The mouth on this man was unbelievable. 

“Go on princess.” He says, watching as you slowly dip your fingers into your wet folds, sliding them through, giving you much needed relief as your head tipped back onto the couch. “That's it.” He growled slowly, his eyes watching how you move your hands, and you could hear the need in his voice. You looked up and could see the desire on his face, how much he was holding back. It was a look that always came across his face when you guys were together. You still remember the first time, he was like an animal and fucked you within an inch of your life, learning afterwards that it had been quite a long time for him, and you apparently drove him insane anyway. 

He grabbed your hand once you got your fingers soaked to his desire, and brought it to his mouth, sucking on your fingers with a groan, before leaning down over you and kissing you with tongue. “Taste how good you are?” He murmured against your lips. You let out a small whimper,

“Lo- please-” You muttered, raising your hips to grind against his crotch. He grinned. His arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you into his lap, before he fell down onto his back now, and his hands urged you upwards. “Lo-?”

“Cmon,” He smacked your ass, making you yelp. “Get up here.” 

“What- No-” You stammered, realizing what he wanted. 

“I don’t recall asking sweetheart.” He says gruffly, “Get the fuck on my face, now.”

Anyone else, you would’ve smacked them for talking to you like that. Logan though, you’d gladly listen. And you did.

You moved on top of his face, anxiety swelling you over your weight on him. 

“Lo, what if I suffocate you?”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way- fuck, she’s just drooling for me, ain’t she?” He groans, eyes trailing over your wet pussy. “Plus, I can’t die. Now get down here.” 

“I-”

His hands grabbed your hips, and shoved you down onto his face, his tongue swiping between your folds. It elicited a squeal of surprise from you, and you could feel him chuckling as he practically drank in your essence. His hands encouraged you to move your hips, and you obliged, riding his face. You could feel his beard scratching your thighs, his nose would rub against your clit as his tongue fit inside your pulsing hole, sending waves of ecstasy through you.

“Getting close bub?” You heard him say, and you felt his fingers tease the entrance of your cunt, and you nodded, your hands gripping the arm of the couch and you kept riding against his face. “Tell me you’re beautiful.” He says, teasing your entrance, while he licked a long stripe across your folds to your clit.

“Baby-” You whined. 

“Do it,” he growled. “Or I'm not gonna let you cum.”

“Logan!” You moaned in reply, desperate to reach your peak. 

“I didn’t tell you to say my name darling, as pretty as it sounds coming out of your mouth.” 

You gasped as you felt one finger going inside, as he curled it, before taking your swollen bud in his mouth and sucking. Your nails dug into the arm of the couch, as you will yourself to do what he says. He brought another finger inside you, stretching you out, before thrusting in and out at a fast pace- leaving your thighs shaking. 

“I- I-” You stammered. “I’m beautiful- oh!” 

He continued his relentless pace, as you could feel him becoming more and more desperate for your release. 

“I’m beautiful-” You say again, and the tight feeling finally snaps, as your release floods his face, waves of tight pleasure overran your body, causing you to completely freeze, before you go slack, trying to push yourself off his face- but his hands instead kept you there, as he licked the mess from between your legs, pushing you to the edge of overstimulation. “Lo- I can’t-” Your hand went to his head, in an attempt to push him off but instead you heard a growl, and before you knew it you were on your back again, Logan still in between your legs. 

“I'll tell you when you’re done.” He says roughly. He sat up on his knees, “You looked beautiful like that sugar, but honestly I don’t think you meant it when you said you were beautiful.” 

You were panting, trembling underneath him, and honestly you weren’t sure if you could take more. 

“Cmon baby.” He muttered. He pulled you down towards him, as he slipped down his sweats. Your eyes trailed from his hair, to that thick vein traveling down to his hard length. It didn’t matter how often you saw Logan naked, full erect- it still shocked you by just how delicious his cock looked every time. You felt your mouth water. He took his member in hand, the red swollen and covered in pre-cum, as he moved down to rub between your folds, bumping against your clit and making you moan. 

“Lo please-” You reached out for him, and he allowed you to press your hands on his chest. Every slick thrust in your folds made your body jump, overstimulating you as you felt your pleasure build once more. 

“I want you to tell me every beautiful part of yourself, body and soul. Then I’ll give you what you want.”

You felt heat rushing on your face. “I…I don’t know what to say-”

“Sure you do baby.” He groans. “Cmon, tell me. I’m fucking hurting over here.” 

You gasped, as you searched your foggy mind. 

“My...Stretch marks.” You manage. He grinned, 

“Keep going.” He pushes, still thrusting his length through your folds, eliciting wet and slick noises through the room. 

“My thighs.” 

“Fuck yeah.” 

You continued listing several more things about your body that you truly did like about yourself. It was then, he finally graced with the pleasure, slowly pushing his swollen tip into your hole- making you cry out. 

“You were a good princess.” He muttered. “Sit back and enjoy, I’ll take care of you.” 

He thrusted, bottoming out inside you, before leaning over you, hands on either side of your head. His whole body practically enveloped you, as he began thrusting in and out, a slow pace at first, allowing you to adjust to his cock, before he picked up speed, grunting with each thrust. 

Your legs and arms wrapped around his large body, as you felt the muscles of his back tighten and ripple under you. You remember the first time you saw him shirtless and ashamedly gawked at him. You’d never seen a man so magnificently sculptured the way he was, perhaps that what led you to be so self conscious of your body- not because of him making you feel that way, but your thoughts led you to believe someone like you could never deserve him. Logan, of course, proves you wrong every day. 

“You’re so fucking tight, I can feel you squeezing around me doll.” He groaned as he continued his endless thrusts, sending you careening as you arch your back into him. He moved to capture your lips in a messy kiss, biting your bottom lip almost hard enough to bleed, before dragging his tongue across it to soothe the sting. 

“Oh- don’t stop!” You whimpered. Your hips began to pick up his relentless pace, and he kept going until he grabbed your hips, pinning them to the couch, and fucked into you hard and fast. It felt like you were being used as a sex toy for his pleasure, as he tipped his head back, growling and grunting- almost animalistic. His hair was a mess, his teeth bared and his face scrunched in concentration. 

The tight rope in your belly snapped, and waves of pleasure ran over you- almost painfully, as you squeezed around his length tight, making him grunt, now just rutting into you, his hips grinding against yours, and fucking you through your orgasm. His hips snapped back one more time, before thrusting up into you and spilling his warm release inside, you could feel him twitching inside you, as he grinded against you, spurting out every last bit of his release inside you, before carefully pulling out. His face collapsed into your chest, as you both painted, attempting to catch your breath, your skin sweaty and flushed. 

He looked up at you, mouth slightly open, and eyes full of devotion and you smiled, bringing your hands up to cup his face. 

“You’re so beautiful.”

[yamumsyadadd]

the forgotten girl (11)

originally posted on my old account. Re uploading twice weekly :)

The days resumed as normal. Leah stayed for a few days, making sure I was okay. Keira was there everyday, Claudia and Patri would come for a few hours too, but the one person that I wanted to have there, stopped talking to me. After a week, I was fed up.

It was on a Tuesday, after coffee with Alba, that I truly lost it. Almost 10 days had passed and no matter how many times I rang or texted, Alexia wouldn’t answer. 

“Why is your sister such a pain in my ass?” I huffed as I sat down. 

“Well good morning to you gorgeous. Here’s your coffee.” She slid over a steaming cup, “what did she do this time?” 

“More like what she didn’t do.” 

“Okay I’ll bite. Continue.” 

“I told her I loved her too, she stayed the night and then we had a moment at the beach. I thought something was going to happen, and now she won’t even talk to me. At training, in the locker room, hell even at the game she barely spoke to me or came near me. I just don’t know what to do anymore.” 

“Hold on! You love her?” Alba was shocked. 

“Yes Alba. Catch up please.” 

“Jesus Christ. Okay, I’m supposed to go over for dinner tonight. You will go instead.”

“That’s a horrible plan.” 

“What’s the worse she’s going to do? Close the door in your face? She’s not that rude.” 

Begrudgingly I agreed. The only other plan I had was to corner her in the locker room, or hide in her car. Both seemed a little excessive. All I had to do is get through the next 5 hours of training with her. 

It was painful and seemed to drag on and on. My usual options for partners already partnered up with someone else. Claudia with Patri, Keira with Aitana, Lucy with Ona. I even asked the young girls who all gave me sympathetic smiles. There was one person left, the one person who has been working hard to ignore me. 

Alexia and I didn’t talk. Just did the drills as told. The tension was palpable, I just wanted to scream at her, to make her talk to me. Is this how she has felt for all those years? 

“What’s up with you and capi?” Claudia pulled me aside right as training finished. 

“Nothing Clau.” She gave me a look to say ‘I know you’re lying’, “okay I don’t know? I told her I loved her back and things have been weird since.” 

“You should talk to her.” 

“Wow thanks Claudia! I never thought of that.” It came out a lot harsher than I anticipated. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be a bitch.” 

“It’s fine. Whatever you need, I got your back. Always.” With a quick hug she was gone. 

By the time I was home, showered and quickly tidied up it was time to go. I had a stop to make before going to Alexias, as I hated turning up empty handed. Alba was waiting outside when I arrived. 

“Stand over there so she can’t see you on the intercom. Once she buzzes in, go into the elevator, to the 16th floor. It’s apartment 1604, just knock on the door and force your way in.”

“Sounds like a horrible idea. Why did I agree to this.” 

“Just do what I said and it’ll all work out.” Alba sighed. Her plan worked. Alexia buzzed her up straight away. 

Alba left, leaving me to do this alone. The elevator seemed to take forever, trying to remember Albas directions but also trying not to freak out and be angry at Alexia. The elevator stopping at the 16th floor ripped me out of my thoughts. 

1604.

All I had to do was knock. Not that hard. First I needed to calm myself down, slowly walking up and down the hallway taking deep breathes. Before i realised what I was doing, I had knocked. 

“Amelia? What are you doing here?” 

“We need to talk.” I pushed my way in. “Here I got you this.”

“You got me a bottle of water?” She was confused

“Yes. I couldn’t come here empty handed and you don’t drink during the season, and you don’t drink soft drink or juice or anything so water was the best option.” 

She made herself comfortable on her couch, looking up at me expectantly. I was Pacing around her living room, lost in my own head. 

“You’re going to put a hole in my floor Amelia.”

“Why have you been ignoring me?” 

“I haven’t. I’ve been giving you the space you need.” 

“No Alexia! You told me to stop running from you, you begged me to stop and I did. Is this you paying me back for running from you? For breaking your heart? Is that what this is?” 

“What? No!” 

“Then what! Because I told you I loved you for fuck sake. I want to try even though I don’t know how! So tell me Alexia!” Angry tears fell from my eyes, hastily wiping them away. 

“Keira and Leah said I need to give you time and space. To wait for you to come to me. I was just trying to help.” 

“Why didn’t you say anything to me? I thought that day on the beach meant something? I tried to come to you but you wouldn’t let me! For fuck sake.” I turned away from her, deciding it was time to leave but before I could get grabbed my arm, pulling me into her. 

“It did mean something - it does mean something. You’re not leaving. I made dinner for me and Alba but you’re going to sit, we are going to eat, talk, whatever. Then I will drive you home but you’re not leaving Amelia. I will not let you leave.” 

Our bodies were so close, I could feel her heart beat, the warm of her skin, I could see every little freckle on her face, every single thing she would say was imperfect. Her tongue poked out of her mouth, slightly wetting her lips. Her very perfect, kissable lips. 

Without overthinking it, I moved forward, my hands cupping her face, her hands holding my waist. We both leaned in it at the same time. Our lips meeting and fitting like a puzzle piece. It was messy, hot and desperate. She pulled me in closer, trying to get more. We both pulled away from a lack of oxygen. 

“Not the talk I had in mind.” Her forehead resting on mine, a light chuckle came out of my lips. We stayed like that for a moment, afraid of what would happen when we pulled away. It was disrupted by the sound of my stomach. 

“Come. Sit. I made paella.” Alexia ushered me to the dining table. The paella was good, not as good as Eli’s but still good. One of Alexias secret talents was that she could cook, and she’s was good at it. Not many people got to see that side of her, or really any side of her. After we had finished, I took the plates and started to clean, it was the least I could do. 

“Mil, stop. Please. I can deal with them later.”

“It’s fine ale. Just let me do this for you, please.” She didn’t argue after that, just grabbed a tea towel and started drying then packing away the clean dishes. It only took 10 minutes with the both us of until the kitchen was spotless, which would easy some of Alexia’s stress. 

She led me to the lounge room, making me sit on the couch, while she sat on the coffee table, her large hands wrapped around mine. 

“Let’s talk, yes?” She was anxious, but firm. Wanting to get this over and done with. 

“I love you. Really really love you Ale. And I have for as long as I have known you, but it never worked out. When-when I met Emily, she was different to you. She didn’t care what people thought about her, she was free. It felt like a breath of fresh air, and I’m not saying that you need to change or anything because I don’t want that. I just want you to understand.”

“Sí, continúa.” I could practically hear her brain working in over drive. 

“When you and Jenni broke up, Jenni texted me. Telling me that she should’ve ended things with you a long time ago because it was clear you were in love with me and not her. Then you told me you loved me in a romantic way. I freaked out. I drove to fucking Manchester, I basically broke into Keira and Lucy’s house, walking in on them having sex. That was horrific.” I took a deep breath. 

“I thought that I could love Emily as much as I loved you, I had already started falling in love with her, and I knew she loved me. When she proposed I said yes. I wish I didn’t but I did. Then we got married and I didn’t want to invite you. Had you told me not to marry her, I wouldn’t have. I would’ve left with you. Emily realised this. She wrote a letter, the day before she died. She was leaving me because I love you. I had been feeling so shitty about marrying her, making her love me with her whole heart when I couldn’t love her with my whole heart.” Tears started rolling down my face, Ale giving my hand a squeeze. 

“It’s okay. Take your time.” 

“When I got home, she was already hurt. Tied to the chair in front of the TV. I remember the feeling of them grabbing me, the blood running down my face. I remember the screams she let out when they cut my clothes off me or when they, they entered me. She wouldn’t stop screaming and trying to get someone to help so they killed her. But someone heard because I remember hearing sirens after they sliced my back. Then they were gone and she was just sitting there, blood all over her and I couldn’t move. I remember everything, everything that was said at the house, the way some of the police officers vomited outside, the way the ambulance smelt and how fast it went. I remember Keira and Leah screaming outside the hospital room, or Jill holding my hand and talking to me. 

I thought that I would be okay. I was focused on my rehab, the thought of returning to the pitch, to be better, play better for her. Then the funeral happened and the trial. Your mums softness is what broke me. The way she would constantly call me every morning when she was having her coffee, knowing I’d just woken up and was getting ready to go to rehab, or the way she’d find a way to send me paella every Sunday. I don’t know if she told you but I visited her a lot. She made me feel like I was getting better, that things would get better. Then when I saw you at the champions league game, I remembered how much I loved you. How soft but tough your hands were, how fiercely protective you were, everything. And I thought I could try with you.” 

I needed to stop. To compose myself and let it sink in. I could tell Alexia needed a moment too. Her thumb never stopped rubbing over the back of my hand, it was comforting, she was comforting. 

“When we had sex, I wanted to be in control of it and you let me. I didn’t know it would cause me to break but it did. I wasn’t ready for it. Watching you lay there, asleep, cuddled up into me broke my heart because I realised I couldn’t give you more. You deserved more. So I left. The plan was to just go for a few weeks and then come back and talk to you. But those few weeks turned into months, then into years. I would search you on instagram and it seemed like you were doing great without me, so I didn’t come back. I watched your games. All of them. I watched you lose the champions league, watched you win it, watched Spain lose the euros, then win the World Cup. I wanted to reach out when you did your ACL but I couldn’t. You deserved peace during that time. Then I saw you and the girls, and you were dating Olga, who is lovely by the way. She was very sweet. I wasn’t planning on coming back. I was content with the way I was living. Then I saw the open training and decided to come for a bit, not really sure why, but I did. After that I craved to be back on the pitch. To play. Not necessarily for Barcelona or Chelsea. I would’ve been happy to play in a friendly league honestly, but Eloise rang me and told me Jona wanted me to come, even just to train so I did. Everything was suddenly feeling better, but I wanted more. I wanted you. I couldn’t have you though so I was going to settle to just be an outsider, atleast then I could see you, and see what was happening in your life without invading it. But then-“

“Olga and I broke up and I told you I loved you?” She was staring straight at me. Pure admiration all over her face, no pity or anger, just love. 

“Yeah. And here we are. I, uh, I haven’t told anyone all that. The finer details. It would’ve destroyed Keira and Leah. Lucy would’ve lost her shit.” 

“Thank you for telling me Mil.” She stood up, pulling me into a hug. The tightest hug she could, as if she was trying to put all the pieces back together. 

“If you want to try this, us, we can. We will go as slow as you want, there is no pressure. It’ll be on your timeline, and I will understand if you need to stop but you need to tell me okay.” 

She cupped my face with her hands, “no more running away from me. Or anyone.” 

“I promise Ale.” I smiled at her, she was willing to take her time, she was in it for the long haul. 

“Let me take you home?” 

“No it’s okay, I drove here. I’ll see you at training?” 

“Wait! Do you want to get coffee before? No pressure?” The shy Alexia was coming out, not wanting to push her luck. 

“Alexia Putellas, are you asking me on a date?” 

“No? Yes? Whatever you want it to be.” 

“If it’s a date, then yes. I would love to get coffee with you tomorrow.” 

She released a breath, “it’s a date then.” 

After a final hug goodbye, a promise to text her when I got home, I was out the door. A weird feeling settled inside of me. Grateful to be able to share what I did, but also anxious. Anxious about starting this with her, about her knowing what happened, even if it’s not in the greatest detail. The next step was to tell Leah, then keira. Keira had to be last because it would break her, maybe Lucy could be there too. 

[preiyers]

dad!luigi comforting his daughter after she gets pouty when her parents reveal she’s having a sibling as she wants to be the center of their attention </3

♱ NEW ADDITION — DAD!LUIGI MANGIONE X READER

WARNINGS: reader is an older sister in this one! kind of bratty daughter

it has almost been a month since you found out you were pregnant with your second child.

your morning sickness has started and every time your daughter catches you in the bathroom, her curious mind makes her ask you questions throughout the whole day.

you told luigi about it and he thought it was probably time to tell your daughter about the new addition to the family.

the two of you planned on bribing her, no scratch that. you planned on taking her out, letting her choose where to eat for dinner, and to seal the deal, get her the dessert she wanted then drop the bomb on her.

your daughter frequently got jealous the spotlight wasn’t on her. luigi just spoiled her so much that she got used to that treatment wherever she went and it’s slowly becoming a problem. the worst incident was on the 1st birthday of your sister-in-law's son. she started throwing tantrums and even pushed the little boy while they were getting a photo taken by the grandparents.

so, you were hoping for the best for the second baby.

you and luigi took her to an arcade and let her play a few games, even winning a prize in some!

“dada i’m hungwy,” she whined to him.

the plan goes smoothly as she chose the restaurant (an italian one cus she wanted pizza but the truth is) and then picks out dessert for later.

you and luigi were sat across from her as the three of you ate and then came the dessert which would be the perfect time to tell your daughter about the news.

“sunny, mama and papa have to talk to you about something.” luigi started, holding your hand in his as your daughter took a big bite of her ice cream sundae, getting chocolate fudge on the side of her lips.

you smiled at the image before you spoke. “so, remember when i would tell you about how nice it would be for you to have a playmate so when mama and papa gets tired, someone will still play with you?"

the curly-haired toddler nodded as she licked the spoon.

"what if we told you that you'd be having a playmate now..." your daughter's head tilted, eyes blinking at the two of you, not knowing what it meant.

you turned to luigi and he steps in the conversation.

"what mama is trying to say is that you're.. going to be a big sister!"

her spoon drops on the table, lips twitching from a smile to a pout the two of you knew all too well what it meant.

she didn't speak to the both of you the rest of the night, even when your husband would tease her — there was nothing. she didn't budge and kept the pout visible on her face. she'd also stomp when she walked.

when the three of you got home, she kicked off her shoes and went straight to her room.

you sighed, feeling helpless. luigi pecks your temple then reassures you he'll talk to her. "go rest amore, i'll talk to her okay?"

he goes to her room and gently knocks on her door before peeking in, her figure facing back from the door.

"hey sunny bunny," he takes a seat on the edge of her bed as he watches her fix her toys with a pout on her face. "you okay?" she just scoffs in response, scooting away from her bed a bit.

"you know, having a little sibling won't be that bad," luigi started, eyes still on his upset daughter.

"mama and i grew up with siblings and it was the best part of our childhoods," he smiled as he thought about his sisters and playing around their home in maryland. "i was lucky enough to have two big sisters who got to guide and support me with everything."

your daughter, slowly turned to face him, not wanting to let her pride down.

"but y'know, your mama was a big sister, and you're going to be just like her," he smiles at her. she gets up from the floor and luigi opens his arms for her to crash in but instead, the girl climbs up on his lap and sits on it.

"mama and i are so excited for you to have a sibling because the two of you will be best friends for life." he rubbed her back as she looked up at her father.

you walk to your daughter's room, curious about what the two are talking about. you leaned close to the door and listened to them talk.

"will you—will you still love me even when baby comes?" her voice soft and the pout remains on her face as she talks.

your mouth gaped open as you heard what your daughter had just asked. luigi's gaze softens at her and the pout she had, reflects on him like a mirror.

"of course sunny, you will still be our number one baby but we will give the same love to your little sibling as well."

you smiled to yourself as you heard the conversation going well which gave you the reassurance that your daughter was going to be alright when the baby comes.

the pair spoke more after you left to go to your bedroom. luigi told her stories about his childhood with his sisters, pulling pranks on them, building sand castles together, surprising his parents on their wedding anniversary and the likes.

TAGLIST !

@fuckitiloveyouu @meikoismartha @strawbxrryaxolotyl @ilovetoomanymen @onlyangelicc @for-lovers-always @freeluigihesbae

comment to be added

[tanpl-if]

In the summer of 1984 you get a letter informing you of your mother's death.

The first and only letter you get in ten years since you left your hometown.

You stand in the middle of the old, tiny room that you can barely afford to rent and read it over and over again until the buzz at the back of your head quiets down. Until your hands stop shaking.

You think of what it means for you.

I hope you arrive soon. You know Marrowbone will always have a place for you.

The words spin in your head and you think of Marrowbone then—a secret, lonely place, standing at the edge of everything, surrounded by forests and fields, barely acknowledged on the maps.

But it is home.

And whether you like it or not, you are coming back.

There are no people left is an 18+ horror inerractive fiction game for language, themes and potential explicit content

• choose between 3 preset personalities for MC that will open different paths in the story

• reconnect with your old friends and make new connections

• explore your hometown

• remember why you left

DEMO: TBA

Olya - Aside from working the bar left to her care by her parents, she isn't up to much of anything, the days passing by her seamlessly. You watch her work - pale fingers gripping the glass she is cleaning a bit too tight, lips pressed into a frown - and think how much she has changed since you last saw her.

She looks older. More tired too, but more than anything angry. With life perhaps. With you - for sure. The tension hangs between you, threads through every conversation, follows with every touch.

A decade of silence will do that, you think, almost guilty. You wonder if there was ever a chance of putting the fragile pieces back into place.

You wonder if the only thing left for you is to mourn.

Timur - Head held low, he keeps to himself most of the time. You remember him a sickly thing - his parents never letting him out to play, hiding him away in fear for his poor health. You remember sneaking into his room - muted laughter and hushed whispers, when you kept him company.

The memories taste bitter now, after all those years.

He seems more shut off now, and as much as you expected him to forget you, you're even more surprised when he gives you the same smile that reminds you of a sweet little boy that used to be your neighbor.

In the midst of half-forgotten faces and unwelcome memories, he still feels the same as when you were kids.

You're not sure if it brings you comfort or not.

The Doctor - He does his work well, and thats what matters, the doctor says, not in the most friendly fashion.

His face is lined with age, gray temples vivid among the black, as he runs his fingers through his hair, looking at another report with pursed lips and tired eyes.

You don't remember seeing him before, a hard thing to achieve for one of the few doctors of Marrowbone - a surprise and a revelation at the same time.

You know he is local, and your mind burns with questions. You can't imagine anyone in their right mind coming back here if they ever managed to leave - not by choice anyway - but you hold your tongue. It's not your place to intrude.

And it's definitely not your place to judge.

The Gravekeeper - As frail as she appears to be, she manages to be just as cheerful.

The keeper's granddaughter spends her days taking care of the dead - keeping them company, she says - the hem of her dress brushing against gray stone, as she moves around, steps light.

She is all sweet smiles when she talks to you, dimples catching your eye. And though you never saw her before, there is Marrowbone etched into her in a way you can't explain - dark eyes and a knowing pull of her lips - there is no doubt she has always been a part of this town.

The Widow - There is a rumor about her, almost a tale, nurtured by years of boredom from the residents of small town - not much to do in Marrowbone aside from gossiping about your neighbors - about a woman on the hill, lonesome in her manor, a number of husbands lying dead in the small graveyard in front of her home. About a woman always wearing black, forever in mourning. Some believe her cursed, though a more cynical crowd would call her much meaner names - a golddigger with an exceptional streak of luck.

A witch.

You see her there, standing at the top of the hill - her dress swaying in the wind, black veil covering her face. And though you can't make out a single detail behind it, somehow you know - her eyes are on you.

Sonya - Your mother. You don't know what happened to her.

asks are welcome and and appreciated <3

tags: @interact-if

[chipika]

I Want To KI$$ you

PART 1. | PART 2.

It was another rainy night.

You were dressed in a black suit, holding a black umbrella, completely enveloped in darkness. The raindrops pattered urgently on the taut umbrella, creating a rapid and intense sound. The street lamps swayed in the rain, casting blurry shadows in the dim yellow light. You raised the umbrella slightly, observing the scene in front of you: a grey apartment building looming in the misty night. This was the salesman's residence.

Recalling everything you had experienced in the "Squid Game," your chest involuntarily tightened. You were just an ordinary assassin, accustomed to bloodshed, but the "Squid Game" was entirely different. Forced to engage in mutual combat with strangers, it was far more brutal than the simple tasks you were used to; your hands, which could never be cleansed, were now stained with more blood.

Ironically, it was precisely because of your experience as a killer and your cruelty that you survived these terrifyingly uneven challenges—where you understood better than those harmless people the importance of "striking first," and knew how to deliver the killing blow at the most crucial moments. And because of this, after going through countless brushes with death, you became the sole survivor and claimed the hefty prize money.

However, you were not satisfied, nor could you find peace. The fundamental reason that led you into this bloody battle was the man who had challenged you on the subway—the man with a smile that varied in intensity, who had revealed his true nature in defeat. He handed you a card, which was like opening the gates to hell for you; you did not consider yourself a good person, but he also had to pay the price, and you had some questions for him.

It took you several months, mobilizing all the information networks and contacts you could access, even at the cost of a hefty sum of money, to finally locate his whereabouts. So tonight, carrying the flames of revenge, you took the elevator to the fourth floor and finally arrived at his doorstep. Under the umbrella, you took a deep breath, focusing your gaze on the doorbell.

"Ding-dong—"

Before you could release the button, a mechanical echo sounded from inside the door in the vast night. No one answered. Annoyed, you pressed it again.

"Ding-dong—Ding-dong—"

This time, you heard faint footsteps coming from inside the door.

After a moment, a crackling noise came from beside the doorbell: "Who is it...?"

The voice was deep and male, tinged with caution, with a hint of playfulness detectable upon closer listening.

"It's me," you smiled slightly, "Thanks to you, I really hit the jackpot later on, and my debts are paid off… I thought we should catch up."

There was silence on the other side of the door. Perhaps he wouldn't easily open it, but you had made up your mind: even if he didn't open it tonight, you would find a way to get in and settle this old score.

Finally, with a click, the door slowly opened.

As the door opened, you caught a whiff of a dry woody scent, a stark contrast to the damp rainy night outside. The man appeared behind the door, wearing a casual shirt with rolled-up sleeves, revealing the veins on his forearms. You saw that face, equally repulsive as you remembered it—standard smile, with a professional mask, just like when you were drawing caricatures at the subway station.

"I never expected you to find this place," he said. You heard the calmness in his voice, devoid of any fear, as if everything was under his control. You couldn't help but clench your fist.

"Surprised?" you asked lightly, as if casually, but your gaze pierced into his eyes, carrying a cold murderous intent.

"Not really," he chuckled.

"Let me in," you said firmly, without unnecessary words.

He raised an eyebrow, quietly studying you for a moment with his inscrutable gaze, as if trying to discern your intentions. But in the end, he took a step back and made a gesture to enter.

His walls were adorned with a few abstract paintings, the wooden floor immaculately clean, the decor not luxurious but tastefully arranged, showing a sense of balanced taste even in simplicity.

"What would you like to drink? Coffee or tea?" he asked casually, closing the door, as if you were just an old friend dropping by.

"No need," you responded coldly, your gaze fixed on him. "I'm not here for coffee."

"Of course," he smiled, walking over to the sofa and gesturing for you to sit down. "So, tell me, why have you come to find me?"

You didn't sit down but remained standing, "You know why."

He tilted his head, a near-challenging curve appearing at the corner of his mouth. "You mean... the Squid Game?"

As those four words left his mouth, light and casual, it seemed like an insignificant matter. But this nonchalant attitude only fueled the fire of anger within you.

"You lured me into that game," you stared directly at him, your tone low but carrying restrained anger. "You knew what it was, that it was a dead end, yet you pushed me into it."

"Yes," he didn't deny, nodding almost casually, as if admitting to something trivial. "But you won, didn't you? 456 billion won, a reward sufficient to make one forget those unpleasant memories."

"If I knew that game would cost lives, I would never have participated," you said. "But you didn't tell me anything. Do you think that's fair?"

This time, he was speechless.

"But it doesn't matter now," you slowly drew out "Evanescent" from the back.

"Oh?" he leaned back on the sofa, tapping his knee lightly with his fingers, his tone teasing. "Are you planning to use that to kill me?"

"You’re pretty smart, aren’t you?" your voice was icy, the tip of the blade pointing in his direction, exuding a deadly pressure.

Yet he remained unmoved, devoid of any panic or surprise, just a faint smile, as if savoring a carefully orchestrated performance.

"Is that so?" he chuckled softly, a hint of challenge in his voice. "But to me, you seem more like you're testing me right now."

"Testing?" you coldly chuckled, your icy gaze locked onto his eyes. "I'm just giving you a chance to explain why you pushed me into that hell."

"That's true," he stood up, stepping towards you with measured paces, light as a hunter ready to pounce. "I did deliberately conceal the risks of the game from you."

"Wondering why I came to you?" he stopped a step away from the blade, looking down at you, a smile in his eyes carrying an indiscernible meaning.

"Because you're scum," he said softly, his tone low and slow, like a needle pricking into your nerves bit by bit. "If people like you, who kill for money disappear, no one gives a damn. So I found you to lure you into the Squid Game."

You lowered your gaze, seemingly pensive, making it impossible for him to read your expression. After a moment, you lifted your head, locking eyes with him again, a slightly enigmatic smile playing on your lips.

"I don't deny being scum; however, in the game, I encountered players who were raising money for their family's medical bills or to repay debts. Are they scum too?" you asked.

The salesman's smile stayed unchanged as he heard your words, but a slight twitch at the corner of his eye.

"But, aren't the real scum the ones at the top who exploit the lower class?" you continued, "Sure. No one forced these people to spend hard-earned money on gambling or investing in stocks. Their failures are blamed on their own stupidity, laziness, or greed, but who leads them to such predicaments? Whether they work hard or dream big, neither is a good way to escape poverty. However, regardless of the method chosen, failure is judged as not trying hard enough by those who have long climbed to the top. And you, like those at the pinnacle, casually pass judgments on others' lives, thinking you're doing good for the people?"

You sneered, your tone filled with disdain, exuding a challenging air. "That's hypocrisy."

"Are you here to lecture me?" his voice almost whispered, a hint of challenge in his tone. "But your victory indirectly killed those players who were raising money for their families' medical expenses, didn't it? Isn't that contradictory to your own statement?"

"You're right. Even though I didn't directly kill them, my participation in the game made me an accomplice to the system. However, unlike you, I don't shirk responsibility."

He laughed, a mocking gaze flickering over your face. "You've won, got the money, cleared your debts. Why not leave? Weren't you planning to go to Alaska?"

You furrowed your brow. "How do you know that?"

"When we were looking for participants, we conducted background checks on them," he explained. "You started looking up information on immigrating to the U.S. and Alaska half a year before going bankrupt, right?"

"...You people are disgusting," you said. "Who allows you to do these things? Exploiting people in dire straits, deceiving them to play ddakji. You've mastered that game before you have match with them, haven't you? There's no fairness in it. I really want to meet the upper class, ask them what they were thinking."

"Just tell me, and I'll pass on your message," he maintained that insincere smile on his face.

"You really think you can make it through tonight?" you tilted your head slightly. "As you spoke, you slowly raised the sword tip, pointing it directly at his throat.

He didn't step back but instead lowered his head slightly, watching as the sword tip hovered just a few millimeters from his throat, then he raised his head again.

"Well, go ahead," a smile crept onto his lips, a cunning grin resembling that of a fox. "Even if you kill me, what then?"

You locked eyes with him for a few seconds, chuckled softly, and said, "It won't change anything. I want to kill you out of personal vendetta, it’s not that deep."

The salesman's smile vanished completely before you finished speaking. His gaze quickly turned cold, like a dead pool in winter, revealing depths that were impossible to fathom. You sensed a shift in his demeanor, no longer the frivolous banter but an uncontrollable intent to harm, like a coiled beast ready to pounce.

You knew he wasn't an ordinary man; though he appeared harmless and refined, judging by the force of the slap he had delivered to you at the subway station, his skills were undoubtedly on par with yours.

Sure enough, he lunged forward suddenly, attempting to grab your wrist. You smirked, swiftly maneuvering your body to the side, the samurai sword slicing through the air, aimed straight at his shoulder. He reacted swiftly, tilting his body to avoid the blade, but in doing so lost his balance, stumbling slightly.

"Is that all you've got?" you sneered, taking advantage of his momentary stability to strike with the sword again.

His eyes narrowed, and he swiftly turned, evading your attack, then lunged forward, grabbing the hilt of the samurai sword with both hands. You felt his strength as your arms tensed instantly, struggling to pull the sword back from his grip. The two of you stood in a tense standoff, his expression stern, the veins in his forehead protruding.

"You have a sword, and I'm unarmed—doesn't seem fair, miss?" He managed a strained smile, a peculiar sight with his face contorted in pain.

"Oh? So you do know what fair means." you retorted.

Suddenly, he dashed to the side table, grabbing a metal tray to block your assault. The clash of metal rang out crisply.

"You’re pretty good," he remarked, blocking your strikes. "No wonder you're a professional assassin."

The situation began to shift. His strength gradually gained the upper hand, each collision causing your arms to numb. You realized you couldn't continue like this.

In a fierce clash, he finally found an opening, delivering a heavy blow that sent the sword flying. The blade spun and clattered as it landed on the ground, emitting a sharp sound.

Swiftly retrieving the sword, he subdued you before you could react, pressing the blade against your eyes, mere millimeters from your eyeballs.

"It's over," he flashed a victorious smile.

Yet, you smiled strangely. "Indeed, it's over."

He glanced down, only to find a dagger pressed against his heart. Unnoticed, you had drawn a concealed weapon from your suit jacket.

You stared at each other silently, as if thinking about something, yet also as if thinking about nothing at all, both pairs of eyes revealing none of their owners' thoughts. At that moment, a voice that belonged to neither of you suddenly rang out—

"Both of you, stop this meaningless fight."

The salesman looked up in astonishment, slowly raising the sword. Seizing the opportunity as the blade moved away from his eyes, you raised your chin, following the direction of the sound, only to see a masked figure standing at the doorway.

A/n:

I didn't really think much when I started writing this fic; I just thought Gong Yoo was hot as fuck when he swallowed that gun (can someone draw a yaoi about Gi-hun and him?). I have a vision in my head, but when I really start writing it, it looks like a big pile of messy shit.

[richarlotte]

Do you have any Instagram tips for on campus?

Instagram is the main form of social media used on my campus and on the campuses surrounding me. Snapchat, VSCO, Discord, YikYak, and a few smaller social media apps are popular on my campus, but Insta is the king of kings, and I find it to be the most useful when it comes to creating connections, getting to know people, and actually getting asked out to things.

I’d recommend starting fresh; either delete your old account or get to removing followers. Not everyone in the world needs to follow you; you don’t need to open your world to prying eyes, and it looks better to start small and slowly build instead of following and being followed by thousands of people. If you’re going to buy followers, don’t start with 20,000 or anything close to it; slowly buy followers and increase your following naturally and make sure that your following-to-followed-by ratio looks natural. 

Along with that, turn off your likes and comments if you’re going to make a habit of buying likes. I don’t think it looks weird, and if you have 6,500 likes on a picture, no comments, and no sign of real (not bot) interaction, people will know. I have a friend who is very popular on campus, has tons of engagement, and keeps her likes/comments off because of an eating disorder, and no one thinks of it. If you’re building your world up artificially, don’t be afraid to look for inspiration on other accounts (don’t copy and cover your tracks), keep your head on straight, and start now so that you have time. 

You don’t need to post a million selfies, and I’d recommend against it. There’s been a push to make Instagram more casual again, and so the attractiveness of your profile is very important. You can also go with the bit and have a funny IG, but no matter what you do, be sure to post pics of your surroundings, the things you notice, and slowly build your profile up. I personally have only a few photos of myself/my body, plenty from my travels, highlights of food/friends/events/everyday life, and plenty of casual snaps. You do not need to post frequently if you’re not interested in growing a following. 

Your bio can be whatever you want it to be; you don’t have to add your snap to it (and I’d honestly recommend against it). Follow campus organizations and make an effort to follow the people who you meet and want to follow you, and use Instagram as a tool to stay in the know. When I first moved out of my home and started making it on my own, Instagram was my lifeline and my way to get to know people, and it continued to be just that when I moved to school. 

Remember that you can remove people from your following and do so frequently. I had a bunch of club promoters following me and offering to get me in free; I took them off my list, removed the minor influencers, and kept it moving. I’d also like to stress the importance of using Instagram as a way to connect with people, not just as a social media app. I have no shame in saying that most of my professional sports connections and so many of my lasting friendships happened because I was willing to slide into the DMs and start conversations. 

This is all over the place, but most of my points are there, and you can come into my messages if you have any questions or want examples. I can also post my tips for introducing yourself in the DMs and meeting people, what to post if you want to catch someone’s eye, and how to move if you want to get into events or be invited out. It’s not a hard game to learn, but you have to be willing to learn and play it so that you win. 

[seas-of-silver]

For the ask game: "Stop with these ridiculous lies Dupain-Cheng, I saw you detransform!"

‘Stop with these ridiculous lies, Dupain-Cheng, I saw you detransform!’

Chloé smirked when the girl finally stopped avoiding her.

‘I saw your kwami and I know you’re Ladybug, and there’s nothing-’

Her heart jumped to her throat when Dupain-Cheng whirled around and pinned her to the wall with a hand covering her mouth, no doubt smudging her designer lipstick. She would’ve complained about the outrageous offence if it wasn’t for the intense glare that struck her like lightning.

‘Can you just stop yelling that for one second?’ Dupain-Cheng hissed quietly, her voice filled with a ferocity Chloé couldn’t help but comply with. The baker girl scanned the space around her before saying, ‘Come with me.’

Chloé scoffed. ‘As if. You-’

‘Now.’

The order sent a zing up Chloé’s spine. The person in front of her wasn’t some inferior unimportant insect of a school girl, but a general, a fearless leader born by trials of fire and hardened by fighting on the frontline of countless battlefields. Chloé followed silently.

They walked out of the school and into a secluded alley where Dupain-Cheng became Ladybug before her very eyes, wrapped an arm around her and zipped her way across the city. They landed somewhere entirely unfamiliar to Chloé, some weird disgusting abandoned warehouse or something, and Chloé only had enough time to register Ladybug sending some sort of message on her Bug Phone before her back slammed into something metal.

‘Ow! What the hell, Dupain-Cheng?’ Chloe cried out, feeling the magical yo-yo wrapping around her, securing her to a metal post.

‘Do not call me that when I’m suited up, you know the rules, Chloé,’ Ladybug commanded, catching the end of her yo-yo in her free hand. Her glare hardened. ‘Though, you don’t really care for the rules, do you?’

Chloé seethed at the slight.

‘How dare you! I did care!’ Chloé bit back, pulling at the unrelenting restraints. ‘When I found Pollen, I kept her safe and tried to learn from her so I could help you! And when Hawk Moth came after me, I fought back!’

‘You sold out our entire team to Hawk Moth!’ Ladybug retorted.

‘YOU ABANDONED ME!’ Chloé screamed, hot tears streaming down her face. ‘You knew Hawk Moth was targeting me relentlessly! Day and night for weeks on end! I couldn’t let my guard down for even one second, otherwise I would be under his spell! It was like he knew me, Ladybug - like actually knew me! He targeted every weak spot he could find; it was only a matter of time before I would break! I’m only human, Ladybug!’

‘Oh? And what about after Miracle Queen?’ Ladybug asked evenly, not much more than a red blob through her tears. ‘You weren’t being attacked then.’

‘I was hurt. I was angry. How could I not be?’ Her voice warbled as she sobbed. ‘I followed you, believed in you, and you left me high and dry. I had akumas tracking my every move and attempting to possess me - I even had one latch onto me, but instead of submitting, I threw it off!’

Chloé could’ve sworn Ladybug looked shocked at that. She hoped she was.

‘I thought that after everything I did for you, that I would have proved myself worthy to you, that you could believe in me too,’ she continued, ‘but no. You dismissed me at every turn and kept telling me I would never be Queen Bee again. The least you could do was tell me why! But you didn’t! My own parents were akumatised, and you wouldn’t even let me save them! How could I be loyal to you any longer when you couldn’t even let me do that much?’

‘M’lady! I got your emergency message- uh… why is Chloé tied up and why are you both crying?’

Chloé tried to blink her tears away, to see if the newly-arrived Chat Noir was telling the truth.

‘I’m fine,’ Ladybug obviously lied, her face suspiciously wet, ‘but we have a problem. Chloé knows who I am now.’

‘What?’ Chat Noir asked, shocked. ‘How?’

‘Remember when I had to go recharge mid-fight earlier today?’ Ladybug asked and Chat Noir nodded. ‘Chloé, for some godforsaken reason-’

‘Oi!’

‘-had decided to hide in the very alley I was recharging in,’ Ladybug continued, as if she hadn’t heard Chloé. ‘I thought the alley was clear, but apparently not. Once the battle was over, Chloé hounded me about knowing my identity, and when I denied it or ignored her, she got louder to try and draw my attention, and I was concerned she was going to grab other people’s attention too, so I brought her here.’

‘Okay, but why the yo-yo?’ Chat Noir asked, and Ladybug scoffed.

‘Have you forgotten that she betrayed us and our team to Hawk Moth?’ she asked hotly. ‘Or that she’s been behind many of the recent akumatisations and attacks recently?’

‘No, I just thought it was a bit of overkill,’ that stupid cat said placatingly, which only riled Ladybug up further.

‘Overkill?’ she echoed venomously. ‘Our biggest betrayer now knows my identity! I’m compromised and she’s a massive liability! She’s been my own personal tormentor for years, and now she holds the key to our demise if she hands that information over to the magical terrorist she’s now buddy-buddies with!’

‘She bullied you too?’ Chat Noir asked, surprised, before shaking his head at Chloé with disapproval. ‘Oh, Chloé.’

Chloé hated how Chat Noir said that, especially because of how his disappointment hit her. Somehow, it felt almost as effective as Adrien talking to her like that.

‘As I said, I would never have joined Hawk Moth if you had just trusted me,’ Chloé retorted angrily.

‘Trusted you? Trusted you?’ Ladybug’s eyes were flaming with fury, her voice and posture ablaze with rage - Chloé would’ve taken cover if she could’ve. ‘Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to trust you? You, who had tormented me for years. You, who has orchestrated the traumas that have and will haunt me for the rest of my life. You, who has blatantly, unashamedly and relentlessly targeted me, my friends and my family just for your own personal satisfaction. Hell! I can’t even ask out the guy I like because of what you did to me with the last guy I liked! And you wanted me to trust you more than I already did?’

Well, when she worded it like that, Chloé found it hard to find a rebuttal.

‘You should be grateful that I even gave you the chance to be Queen Bee,’ Ladybug spat, ‘let alone trusted you enough for you to hold that title more than once. Did you know your biggest champions were Chat Noir and Adrien?’

Chat Noir looked a little abashed at the sudden mention of him, and confused by the mention of Adrien.

‘Whenever my belief that you were changing for the better was starting to wane, those two held strong in their belief in you, and helped me believe in you, too,’ Ladybug continued. ‘I even convinced the Guardian before me that you deserved another chance. It was near impossible for me to trust you, but I was getting there, slowly but surely. I’ll admit I made mistakes, some cost me and the team dearly, but even when I fail, I will continue to fight because it’s the right thing to do, and I would rather die than let Shadow Moth win.’

Chat Noir nodded solemnly in agreement, which made Chloé wonder if she was missing some understanding about the gravity of this magical war, or if these two were just wayyyy too intense about being superheroes.

‘Surely it’s not that dire, seriou-‘

‘Chlo, Shadow Moth winning means he could wipe out our current reality and rewrite it entirely,’ Chat Noir said, no trace of his trademark humour to be found (effectively cutting off her objection to him using Adrien’s nickname for her). ‘Life as we know it could cease to exist - we could cease to exist…permanently.’

Chloé gulped nervously. Were the stakes always that high?

‘This is not a game, it never has been,’ Ladybug said darkly. ‘So the question is: now that you know who I am, what do we do with you?’

[mrsfrecklesmarauders]

When Remus took out a pack of cigarettes and put one between his lips, Sirius was surprised.

Actually he felt something jumping inside his chest.

"You smoke?"

Remus was caught up by the question. Like a little kid being caught doing something wrong.

"Yeah sorry" Remus answered, the cigarette still on his mouth. But immediately took it out "I won't do it if it bothers you"

Sirius was fascinated. He remembered Rosie as an adorable kid still. It had been Sirius the bad influence. Well, Rosie had a brilliant mind for pranking. But she was innocent overall. With her soft curls on a ponytail and wearing her father's sweaters and trousers underneath her school skirt because she found it uncomfortable. Rosie talking nerdily about the book she was currently reading.

Remus still had the same aura. Although Remus being a boy wasn't the only thing that surprised Sirius.

He had changed with the years. In a good way, though.

"I don't mind" Sirius replied "I mean I smoke as well sometimes... My Uncle Alphard taught me last summer"

It was true. He smoked to impress Alphard and his friend George. Although when he got back to Hogwarts, James disapproved. And nobody had cigarettes around that pretentious school, so he stopped.

Remus was smiling at him amused. Sirius liked the way he was impressed.

"Want one?" he asked offering him the pack.

Sirius smirked before taking one. He hadn't had a cigarette in ages. He just hoped he didn't cough like the first time.

Remus had a lighter as well. Of course. So he lit up Sirius’s before doing it to his.

Sirius remembered he had been this fascinated only for one person, George. So handsome, easy going. With that vibe of a bad boy. Sirius had bought a leather jacket after meeting him.

He was feeling the same admiration for Remus.

Sirius observed Remus smoking in silence thinking who was this boy and also excited to meet this new version of him.

"What?" Remus asked after a while. He was smiling "I know that smoking is bad, I've been told"

Sirius looked away "Oh yeah, I know" he shrugged and continued smoking. Luckily he didn't cough and pretended to be an expert at it "I'm just surprised"

"Why?"

"What happened to my sweet Moony, eh?"

Remus's cheeks went pink. It was adorable. Sirius realized that Remus's vibe perhaps was different. But he was the same sweet kid Sirius used to know.

"Moony.... I haven't heard that in a while"

It had been the nickname Sirius had given his friend. All because of Hope's Moon wishes. Captain Moonshine from their pirate games. Silly precious things they used to do as kids.

"It probably sounds stupid now"

But they were teenagers now.

"I like it" Remus was quick to reply "I liked it before and I like it now. It's our thing, isn't it?"

Sirius liked to have things together again. He smiled.

"Should I call you Starman?" Remus teased.

Well, that sounded stupid. Not adorable like Moony.

"My friends call me Padfoot now"

"Padfoot?"

Sirius grinned "It's a long story" bloody James and his idea of nicknames.

Remus giggled "Okay, Padfoot"

Sirius liked the way it sounded from Remus's mouth.

"I guess we have a lot of things to catch up, eh?"

Sirius figured. Between learning to smoke, growing up, adquiring new nicknames and becoming teens, it was a lot. Probably missed first times: drinking, smoking, first dates and kisses (Sirius was most curious about that). Five years had passed without each other. Sirius wondered how did he managed without Remus. His Moony.

"Yeah, Moons" he grinned "We have a lot to catch up"

And Sirius hoped he didn't have to be apart from Remus ever again.

[kazmura]

He ran away one day without a word, leaving you heartbroken. Now with everything on the line, he's back promising to protect you and maybe, just maybe, win your heart again.

› lee myung-gi x reader, exes to lovers, 0.9k

The guard's voices bark orders, the harsh clang of the metal gates opening echoes through the massive room. My number, 455, is stamped on my chest in bold black ink. I tug at the hem of the jumpsuit, trying to ground myself, but my fingers tremble. The room is a sea of faces, all shadows of desperation and fear. My stomach churns as I scan the crowd, but then-

Him.

Player 333.

He’s standing across the room, his head bowed as if he’s trying to disappear into the crowd. But I’d recognize him anywhere. The sharp line of his jaw, the unruly mop of hair, the way he stands like he’s ready to bolt at any second. My breath catches, and my vision blurs with the sting of unshed tears.

What the hell is he doing here?

He lifts his head, and our eyes meet. For a moment, the noise around me fades into nothingness. The world narrows to just the two of us, the weight of our shared history crashing over me like a giant wave. His eyes widen in recognition, then dart away, but not before I see it. The guilt. The shame.

The cowardice.

I grit my teeth and force myself to look away. My chest feels like it’s been cracked open, raw and exposed. I thought I was done with him. Done with the lies, the betrayal, the sleepless nights wondering what I did wrong.

Apparently not.

The first game is a blur. My hands are clammy, my heart pounding so loud I can barely hear the instructions. I move on autopilot, every step fueled by sheer survival instinct. When the round ends, I’m still standing, though my knees threaten to buckle beneath me. The room is filled with the sounds of sobs and screams, but all I can think about is him.

And then he’s there.

"Wait-"

Before I can react, he’s running toward me, his arms wrapping around me in a bone-crushing hug. I freeze, every muscle in my body locking up. His scent familiar and infuriating fills my senses, and I hate that a part of me wants to sink into the embrace.

"What are you doing?" I hiss, shoving at his chest, but he doesn’t let go.

"I’ll protect you," he says, his voice cracking. "You can’t die. I won’t let you."

I shove harder, and he finally releases me, but his hands linger on my shoulders. I step back, glaring up at him. "Protect me? You don’t get to say that. Not after what you did."

His face crumples, and for a second, I see the boy I fell in love with. The one who made me laugh until my sides hurt, who promised me the world. But then I remember how he broke every single one of those promises.

"I didn’t run out on you," he says, his voice low, desperate. "I had to go. They were after me those people I scammed. If I stayed they would’ve come for you too."

"So you left me to deal with your fallout?" I snap, my voice shaking. "Do you have any idea what that did to me? I thought you were dead! Or worse, I thought you didn’t care."

"I care," he says, his hands fisting at his sides. "I’ve always cared baby. I still love you, okay? I never stopped. And if you die here, then- then there’s nothing left for me."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I want to stay angry, to hold onto the hurt, but his eyes are so full of anguish that it’s like looking into a mirror. I know that pain. I’ve lived it.

"You don’t get to say that," I whisper, but my voice lacks any conviction.

"I mean it," he says, stepping closer. "I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Even if you hate me. Even if you never forgive me. Just- just let me do this."

I should push him away. I should tell him to go to hell. But instead, I let out a shaky breath and nod.

"Fine," I say, my voice barely audible. "But don’t think this means I forgive you."

A ghost of a smile crosses his lips, and for a moment, it’s like we’re back in the past, before everything went wrong.

"I don’t expect you to," he says. "But I’ll prove it to you."

And as much as I hate to admit it, a part of me wants to believe him.

Before I can say anything else, he steps closer, his hands trembling as they reach up to cup my face. My breath catches, and for a moment, time seems to stop. His eyes search mine, silently asking for permission. I don’t know why, but I don’t pull away. Instead, I close the distance between us, my lips meeting his in a kiss that’s desperate, aching, and filled with all the things we never said.

When we finally pull apart, his forehead rests against mine, and I can feel the unspoken promises hanging in the air between us. For the first time in a long time, I let myself hope.

i lowk like writing in first person better idk 😣 pulling this out the drafts after a loong while pls enjoy!!

© kazmura, all rights reserved‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎ ‎‎

[revryebread]

INCONGRUOUS

Last night we were shooting the shit and asked: Does the infinity Train have a Reaper's Game? If so, who's the game-master? Who is there?

What if Shoka died and saw Alphonse in the Reaper's Game but he had clearly made his way to being a Reaper?

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

If she was a betting woman, Shoka Sakurane would have bet that she was immortal while on the Infinity Train.

It's stupid to say, but she had already died before she came on in the first place- what was it going to do? Kill her again? She's double dead? At the very least, she wouldn't end up in the UG a second time. She'd probably just vanish into nothing, Erasure immediately.

It's what she deserved, probably.

But the fact she was having these thoughts at all, this feeling of incredulousness- it meant she wasn't erased. Something decided she should have another chance, AGAIN. As if she hadn't squandered enough already. She thought back to her friend back in Shinjuku- so long ago she can't remember her name. She never got a second chance, she barely got her first.

Regardless. Her eyes shoot open on the floor of the Platformer Car, and she can feel the phantom pain of her death- a misplaced jump, an offbrand thwomp. She sits up and tries to walk herself through the process she's seen so many kids go through- an annoying side effect of the job is playing therapist. She focused herself in on the advice she would give them: whatever got you can't hurt you anymore, but more hurt is coming if you don’t get your shit together.

Her phone vibrates with a familiar giggle, and she reflexively goes to her pocket to pull it out, and as she does, catches her hand and arm in her peripheral vision-

Her green number was gone. The mark she had gained after killing Al that wrapped up her hand, arm, all the way to her neck- it was gone. There was part of her that wishes she felt relief, but it's a hollow victory. Scott free again for Shoka Sakurane. The girl who never faces consequences, just stays ahead of them.

She pushes the new, fun way of self loathing out of her head and locks back in on her phone to be greeted with a familiar UI, and a familiar notification.

Welcome to orientation. Task: Clear two cars and check in. Time limit: Two Days. Cost for failure: Erasure

A good song never dies- she was back in the Reaper’s Game, on the train's personal UG. Part of it should make her laugh- Trish was always whining about how the train was a stand, and turns out it was Shoka’s world that was real. Hilarious. 

She forced herself up to her feet, wiped off her jacket, and pulled out her pins - two cars would be child's play for her. Whoever this game-master was, they were playing with Kids gloves.

---------

Come the end of the first night, and Shoka had smashed through two cars with an Apex like fervor. There were no denizens or other passengers, so the jury was still out on how they would interact with her in her new not-alive state, but some jumping puzzles and the simon says car made for easy progress. 

When she opens the door at the end of her second car, she's happy atleast to finally see someone, and a morbid sense of familiarity comes with it when she sees the wings and hoodie. 

“Heya, newbie.” It's some tall dipshit that reminds her of Beat. Great. “Welcome to da toughest game of all, da Reaper’s Game! I'm sure yous got questions about where or what ya are, but your pal Joey here-”

“Awh, this is so cute- is it your first week being a Reaper?” Shoka doesn't have time for a petty Reaper to be giving her orders- she flashes her Shibuya Reaper pin. “I've got a couple of years on you sweaty, save it for some other idiot.”

The boy stammers, knocked out of his opening number- “Oh, I- but they said yous was a player?” He starts to flip through his phone, presumably reading some kind of orientation guide, his stupid face twisting as it tried to grind into motion. “And dat pin doesn't look too familiar to me, are you one of ours or da last guys?”

Hmm- so this game has recently had a leadership turnover too. Whatever political issues this UG was having was already more interesting than dicking around on the normal train. 

“Think of me as a transfer, dummy. Or- don’t try to think of me at all. I’m worried it might make your little brain sputter out.” The boy frowned, but was unable to come up with a comeback as Shoka had COMPLETELY taken control of the conversation. “Some simple questions for you, did I ante anything up this time? Is this a team sport? How longs the game?”

The boy began to sweat, it clearly was his first week. How did he ever win a game in the first place? She had half a thought to just erase this idiot and take his Reaper pin and find her way to the top, but she heard someone warp in behind the two of them-

“Joey, are you having-” 

You're going to carry this with you

 “Is that you?”

She span on her heels, hoping to see anyone else, but she recognized his fucking voice, and his stupid fucking stance. Alphonse Elric, but with a black sweater vest and black noise wings. The two of them locked eyes for a second, and she tried to open her mouth but just made the stupid sounds that Joey had been making moments earlier.

”What finally got you?”

Al was the first one to talk, and unfortunately was much better at keeping a poker face then Shoka. He spoke in a very practiced cool tone- she didn’t know if that meant he had gotten over it or was seething. Which only made her MORE mad.

Luckily, though, it gave her an off ramp that wasn’t ‘confront the guy you killed and now is in charge of you in the afterlife.’ “Still no good with girls, huh Alphie?” She put on a fake smile that she hoped wasn’t obvious and half turned to give him a very visible cold shoulder. “You can’t just ask people that, it’s rude. Read a book.” She could see Joey’s confused face, and she was certain that the only thing he’d ever read was a Sports Illustrated. “Do you twos know each other or somethin?” 

She shot a glance back at Al, and she could see his cool expression had dropped to an expression barely cloaked anger. Guilt hit her in the chest, especially after the events of Poker, this might be the only person she knows here. So she should play nice and not jump on that weakness he’s showing. “I’m the reason he’s here, so yes, you could say we know each other pretty well.” 

“That’s not-” Al started to argue, but Shoka turned back to Joey again to cut him off. “But it’s not important. I just wanna know what the game format is. Can you give that to me, Joey? Or is it too many syllables back to back for you to remember?”

Joey was blushing and struggling even more now, and Shoka felt a hand on her shoulder. She tensed up hard and went to jerk away, but Al’s hand gripped there for a second- the one she had shot off.

“I’ve got this one, Joey. She’ll be my charge.” Al sounded resolute and pissed. She glared up at him and pushed his hand off, spinning on her heel again. “What the fuck do you mean, Charge? Is this a fucking mentorship program?”

“Game format. Each Reaper is paired with at least one player. Welcome back Shoka, we’re partners.”

“This is a fucking nightmare.” She shattered another glass on a wall near his head, and Al lifted his head back up into the place where it was sitting, head in his hands. She had been throwing a fit, (Al’s words), for the past hour. Wrecking this Sur La table Car in a way that was, unfortunately, only reflected in the UG. 

This game was apparently a partner/ward situation. Which meant that while she was supposed to be paired with dipshit, Alphonse had taken it over and was now her direct handler. Which was bullshit. A conflict of interest. A stab in the fucking back. An affront to the reapers game as a whole. But Al was, unfortunately, uninterested in hearing her complaints, and while he definitely seemed smug about his decision, it was pyrrhic at best.

“Deal with it or be erased, Shoka. I don’t-” Al started and was cut off by another plate shattering into the wall and sighed loudly. “Oh you get to throw out threats now? Big man with the big threats? Was it not enough that I killed you once? That I felt guilty? Now I have to be haunted by the actual fucking idiot. And he has my old job?” She let out a guttural yell and collapses to the ground, miserable. Al waits for a second on his seat to see if she actually has worn herself out or not. “Your not even going to give me a chance, are you? Your gonna pull me along just to see me erased.”

Al quietly gets up from the far side of the room and walks over to her, glass crunching under his feet. She can imagine this scene from the third person and feels humiliated. Al stands over her for a moment with his hands in his pockets, quiet. She waits for him to say something, and he doesn’t. After a few attempts to rearrange the glass on the floor into a shape, he finally sighs and breaks the silence.

“I don’t want you to be erased, Shoka, and I’m not doing this to try and ruin your chances at winning the game.” Shoka sneers up at him, “Oh, high and mighty now then. Better-than-me Alphonse helping the down and out killer he-”

“You didn’t kill me, Shoka.” That stops her dead in her tracks, and again, she begins to sound like Joey stumbling over her words. “You’re a fucking liar. I shot you.” 

“That’s not what got me. I got out of there, got patched up in the colosseum car, and got in a fight with someone else. You hurt me really bad, and I don’t forgive you for that, but you didn’t kill me.”

Shoka had been sitting and stewing in the guilt of what she had done to Al for months. Every single thought she had since the Caboose was tinged with guilt and anger and righteousness from killing Alphonse Elric- and she fucking didn’t. It was all for nothing. What had she been mad for? What had she been tearing herself up and twisting herself into knots about?

She stood up suddenly enough that Al stepped back, but she closed the distance and pointed in a finger in his chest.. “Say you’re lying.” She didn’t even know what she was saying, she was all id at the moment. “Admit that you’re fucking lying.”

“Shoka- it’s not a lie, it’s true. You didn’t kill me.” He regained some sort of stubborn confidence and stopped backing up- “Would it be easier for you if you did?”

She wants to hit him again. She wants him to swing at her even- any sort of fight or violence to avoid talking this out with her words. She doesn’t have them, they’ve left with all her misplaced aggressions she’s carried around for weeks. She opens her mouth to hurl another insult, or demand another confession. Nothing comes out, and her hands curl into fists. 

She screams, and collapses on the ground again-

“Are you- Shoka-” It’s Al’s turn to struggle for words now, because she’s fallen and has just begun to sob. There comes a tipping point with emotion, and she’s hit it.

---

He leaves her alone to regain her composure, because neither of them are emotionally solid enough to manuever through the “so you thought you killed me, and wanted to, and you carried the guilt with you for months before finding out that actually you didn't” and so they both decide to pretend it didn’t happen and push past it. A problem solving method that has never failed anyone ever. 

Days in the UG are weird- they close and end suddenly, and don’t have the connective tissue of Waking Up and Falling Asleep. The days games end and you appear in the next one. It’s an odd feeling, but the familiarity of it makes Shoka Nostalgic, and she is able to kick back in to the next day with full vigor.

Her first thought of the day is the recognition that she’s walking up to him on a street corner, which again, feels right for a Reaper’s Game. There were skyscrapers, but it wasn’t Shibuya, or any city she recognized for that matter.

“Morning Alphie.” It lacks the blood that her usual sneers have, because she can’t find the bitterness in her right now. Al seems to be understanding, and nods at her, holding out a little aluminum wrap.

“I got you one.” He mutters, biting into a breakfast burrito of his own and looking around the car. She stares at it for a second and takes it, leaving a silence that she hopes is as good as a Thanks. He looks at her for long enough to confirm that it isn’t, and sighs. “So-”

The giggle from her texts stops him from prying, and she snaps it open instead of allowing him to finish whatever nightmare he was about to lead them down-

Welcome to Orientation. Day two. Task: Clear two cars and check in. Time limit: Two Days. Cost for failure: Erasure If you’ve already finished- congratulations. Take the day off.

She frowns. What she needed was a distraction, not a day off. She looks up to Al, who has a look on his face that says he already knows the assignment. He shrugs. “Do you want me to leave you alone today?”

She starts to formulate a new insult her head to drive him away, and it jumps out at her- he’s got both of his hands. She hadn’t seen him with one arm for long, but the image had been burnt into her mind for so long that it still throws her off guard. They just have a clean slate with each other. In a way. A vague way.

“You’d leave a girl alone in an unfamiliar city?” Fuck, wait- That’s asking him to stay, isn’t it? She tries to backtrack but is flustered enough that she fumbles it. “Yeah. Get out of here, I’ll walk around or whatever.” Al sighs again, pinching his nose. “Shoka…”

“Ugh! Fine! Stick Around! I don’t care, I’m walking away, follow if you want!” She shouts like any of what she said in the last minute is congruous with each other, turns on her heel, and walks the fuck away. Al takes a beat and follows.