#apparently this isn’t normal cuz i pulled it out in front of my friends and they just stared at me like i was insane

[yandere-ac]

I noticed in the recent update that there was a net to keep the MC from swimming too far *cough escaping cough*. It got me thinking about what if the MC- in guise of trying to find more creatures- finds an opening big enough for them to squeeze through and almost escapes. I'm not really sure which villager/character would fit best in this situation though.

Okay so like anon, not to be like that but I would dIE FOR YOU! THIS IDEA IS SO GOOD!!! YOUR MIND! ITS TO POWERFUL ANON! But yeah this was really fun to write and I choose my two favorite bitter ex boys both wanted the same poor representative. You guessed it, it’s out boys!

Yandere Tom Nook X Reader X Yandere Redd

Hole

Sneaking. You were sneaking. It was a beautiful summer day, kids were outside playing, some were out fishing or catching bugs. But where were you? You were sneaking like a teenager trying to get past their overprotective parents. You didn’t want to sneak but you had no choice. Ever since Redd first showed up on the island Tom had been more protective than ever. He didn’t want you to wander off without him, he wouldn’t let you go outside without his permission and sometimes he would want you to sleep in his house. You used to love Tom but nowadays he was just too overbearing for your comfort. You and Tom never really said out loud that you loved each other and you never did any couple-stuff. But both of you knew, you both were in love. Or, that’s how it used to be at least. Any and all feelings for Tom that you had gone right out the door once you lost control of your life.

“Y/N? Where are you going, dear?” Shit. He had found you, he had heard you. And now he was gonna stop you. “I-umm...I was just gonna go outside and search for some sea creatures for blathers” you said, trying and failing to mask the fear and worry in your voice. “Oh? Is that right...hmm...well do you need to do that? I mean, what if you drowned? What if you got attacked by a shark or octopus? Or worse! What if Redd showed up!? You remember what happened last time right? Do you want that to happen again?!” Tom asked you, you knew very much what had occurred between you and Redd, in fact just thinking of it sent shivers down your spine and formed a pit in your stomach. But at the same time, you didn’t want to stay with Tom, you’d be lying if you said that he didn’t scare you at times. Sometimes at night, you’d hear him mumbling things in his sleep, things that made every part of your brain scream to run away and never return, yet your body refused to listen. You worried about his well-being and especially now since he seemed almost obsessed with you. “Tom, listen...I haven’t been out of the house without you for some time now and I was just hoping to have some privacy. You know I’d never wander too far off” you grabbed one of his hands, taking your other hand to gently stroke his cheek. You felt him lean into your touch as he closed his eyes. These were the moments you missed, the tender, loving gestures that you and he would exchange. But now, these moments were just a way of getting you out of his intoxicatingly strong grasp. You didn’t want to stay with Tom, not in the slightest, that Tom whom you once loved died when he started limiting your freedom.

“Mmm...oh well...I guess if you know what you’re doing. Then sure, you can go out for a while yes, yes?” He said, this brought an actual smile to your face as you gave him a hug to which he giggled in reply. “Alright! I’ll see you later Tom!” “Be careful!”

And so, you were off. You ran straight to the shop to buy a wet suit, and then you ran straight to the water to do a cannonball. You laid in the water for about twenty minutes before rising up and swimming around. You didn’t bother trying to climb over the net, you knew it was useless as any major disturbance on the net sent a notification to Tom and inform him of your apparent escape. You learned that the hard way. So instead you just tried to relax for now. Later you might visit some of your residents and maybe go talk to sable, it has been a while since the two of you talked. But for now, you were trying to find sea creatures to give to Blathers. That was until you saw something that made your eyes squint before going completely wide once you realized what it was. It was a hole! A big hole in the net! Big enough for you to fit through without alerting Tom! You could escape! You could finally leave this hell!...but...what would happen to Tom if you left, you worried what he might do to himself or the others if you leave...no...you can’t think like that! The reason Tom is unwell is because of you. The only way he can heal is if you stayed away from him, if you didn’t, his obsession would only get worse.

You swim closer to the edge of the net and Closer to the hole. Looking at it you could indeed conclude that It was big enough for you to fit through. Hastily yet carefully you went through it. Making sure not to touch anything on the way out. If you did, it would be game over. Tom would see that something, you, were trying to get through and he would lose it. That’s what made you afraid. But you just couldn’t care right now, you were done sacrificing your life for other's happiness! It’s your time to be a little selfish. To look out for yourself! Carefully navigating your legs out of the hole your whole body was now out, you were out. You could barely believe it! But you wouldn’t stick around to see if Tom saw it or not. You had a plan. There was an island a bit away from yours, which would normally take about five minutes with a plane so it would maybe take about twenty minutes to swim. If you could hold out and keep out of dangerous water, you could make it. You would either make it or drown. Either way, there was no turning back now.

As you were swimming briskly, you started to rethink your decision a little. I mean, abandoning all your friends? And what would happen with Tom? Would he become unfit to take care of Timmy and Tommy? You didn’t want to consider that scenario, you wanted to believe that he would get help. But it was hard when you had experienced how deep his possession over you had gotten. After about halfway there you realized how far away the other island truly was, your arms got very tired and you had swallowed what felt like a ton of seawater accidentally as you had swum. You’re honestly starting to give up hope of reaching the island in time. You were gonna drown. You were gonna drown. You were never gonna see your friends again, never gonna find a significant other, never get married, settle down, get a pet fish with said significant other. Never gonna- Wait...is that a...boat? A little boat, sailing off in the distance caught your attention. Maybe there was still hope! Maybe there was a chance of survival! You had to do something, anything, you had to get its attention.

“HELLO!!! IM HERE!!! PLEASE HELP ME!!!” You shouted at the boat. And as if on cue, it turned around and went over to you. Yes! You had done it! You were gonna survive- Wait a minute...you recognized that boat...was that...oh god, it was! That was no other than Jolly Redd's boat. He was even worse than Tom! You had no time to think before the boat arrived in front of you. “Well well well...if it isn’t my favorite human! What are you doing all the way out here cousin?” He asked you, his voice full of glee, knowing you would need his help. “Get away from me Redd!” You said you didn’t want anything got to do with him. “Oh really? What was 'please help me' about then? I just wanna help Y/N, I don’t know why you’re getting so defensive about this. Now tell me, why are you all the way out here in the middle of the Ocean?” He asked you. Tilting his head while resting his chin above his hand, huge grin present on his face. “...ᴵ ʷᵃˢ ᵗʳʸᶦⁿᵍ ᵗᵒ ᵉˢᶜᵃᵖᵉ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᵀᵒᵐ” “huh? A little louder cuz, I couldn’t hear ya?” “I WAS TRYING TO ESCAPE FROM TOM OKAY!!! HE PRETTY MUCH LOCKED ME INSIDE OF HIS HOUSE BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU DID!” Everything became deathly quiet as you said this. Out of all the answers, Redd had NOT expected that one. After quickly regaining his normal posture, he mustered up another smile on his lips. “Well, do ya need a ride, or would you like to swim for another forty minutes, hm?” Forty minutes? You had grossly underestimated the time that it would take for you to swim. “Get away from me Redd, I don’t want your help after what you did...” you told him, refusing to look at the smug bastard. “Oh Y/N. I don’t think you’ve comprehended this situation...you can either come with me or drown. Now I’d understand if you’d want to drown yourself, I would if I had to spend so much time with Nookie. But ask yourself, is this really the way you’d want to go out? By drowning? That’s lame!” He was right, god damn it! You hated that he was right. You were completely and utterly helpless right now and the only way to get out of this would be to accept his help.

You swallowed all of your pride and looked at him. He still had that shit-eating grin plastered across his face. “Alright, you win. I’ll come up on the ship...but as soon as we get to the island, that’ll be all okay!” As you said this, Redd's grin only got wider. He walked away for a few seconds before throwing a ladder down on the side of his boat closest to you. You could practically feel his joy as you climbed up the ladder. Once you were up, Redd immediately came up to you. Holding his hands together as he looked at you like a giddy kid to open up their presents. “Ohohohooo~ trust me Y/N, you won’t regret this!” He giggled as his movements got more jittery, almost as if he’s restraining himself. “Yeah yeah, whatever Redd,” you told him sternly. You didn’t want to be in his presence for any longer than you had to. Stepping in front of you, the fox pulled the curtain to the entrance open for you. You let out a loud sigh as you saw his dumb gesture. “God, shut up Redd,” you said as you walked inside, you knew he was joking. But jokes were supposed to be funny. And you hated him. “Ah come on Y/N you know I’m just yanking your chain here! I know you can fend for yourself! I’m not like good old nookie-“ “stop!” “Stop what?” Redd looked at you in confusion. “Stop trying to make yourself look better by comparing yourself to Tom! You have no right considering you’re the reason he’s like that! I know what your doing Redd! I’m never gonna join you! So quit trying, let’s just get a move on” you said aggressively, only to be met by the deep chuckles of the fox behind you. Blocking the exit. “What are you laughing at!?” You fidgeted with your hands as you backed up slightly. But it was no use since Redd blocked your exit. “Oh, cousin...you haven’t seemed to have gotten what’s happening right now...I don’t CARE If you want to come with me! You’re coming with whether you like it or not! We’re not stopping at some island. You have nowhere else to go, besides into my arms! So why don’t you make this easy for the both of us and just comply would ya?” Oh...oh no...oh god! He was being serious! “Wha...i...”

As soon as he approached you, you bolted off onto the deck. You knew you couldn't get away but you would rather drown than let yourself become some toy to this maniac. But before you could jump off the boat, Redd ran up behind you and hastily scooped you up by your arms. You thrashed and struggled but it was no use. He was so much stronger than you. “Ah Ah ahhh~ you wouldn’t want to do any myths rational now, would you cousin?” He said in a teasing manner. It made you even more irritated than you were scared. And so, you elbowed him right in his face. He instinctively dropped you as you did this but he quickly grabbed your leg and threw you back onto the deck before Anything could happen. There you laid, on the floor with a rage full fox above you. He was still mumbling curse words under his breath as his face still hurt. But he didn’t care, he just grabbed you roughly by the hand as he dragged you inside. You were being pulled to the furniture part of his boat, all while trying to punch, scratch or halt Redd. But nothing worked. Soon it dawned on you where exactly he was taking you. He was taking you to the big iron door at the back of his boat. The one looming door that had a giant padlock on it. “I wanted to do this the easy way Y/N! Trust me, I did! But if you’re gonna act like this then I’ll simply have to do it the hard way!” He yelled as he threw you up against the wall. The impact made you fall down and lose part of your consciousness for a few seconds. While you were trying to regain yourself, Redd opened the padlock with a key. As he turned around he saw what you were trying to do, you were trying to crawl away. You were failing, of course, the meek attempt made him chortle as he now calmed down a little. “Oh Y/N...” he said softly as he picked you up, looking right into your eyes as he continued. “You can’t escape, and no one is coming for you. Better make yourself comfortable because the ride home is long” while he told you this, he walked in the room. It looked like a bedroom. In the middle of it was a mattress, did...did he plan to do this? How long had he planned to kidnap you!? He placed you on the bed and kissed you on your forehead. You tried to protest but only weak movements and a small groan came out. Redd walked to the door but just before he closed it he turned to you, eyes gentle and seemed very genuine. “Sleep well...”

That was a couple of hours ago. Redd was now steering the boat and was whistling to himself in glee. He got you, he finally got you! And he didn’t even have to do anything, you were just served to him on a silver platter. But before he could think of anything else he felt a powerful wave hit the entire ship. It sent him falling down to his knees. Some madman had crashed into them! Walking outside with violent steps Redd was getting ready to curse out whoever had driven into them. “HEY! WHAT'S WRONG WITH-“ he quickly shut up once he saw who was in the boat. In the boat that had driven into his side sat a very angry tanooki. It was Tom, as he looked at Redd the glare he gave sent shivers down Redd's spine. Let’s just say, if looks could kill, Redd would be dead where he stood.

“Redd! Where is Y/N!” Tom asked, well it was more of a demand. “How did...how did you find me” Redd was completely and utterly baffled. He was out in the middle of the ocean, yet Tom had managed to get to him. “Where is Y/N. I know they’re here so quit acting stupid and tell me where they are!” Tom was raising his voice more and more as he got madder and madder. Redd has taken everything from him once, he wasn’t gonna let him take it again. “No chance nookie! Don’t you think there’s a reason they’re out here? Maybe it’s because they hate you! Maybe it’s because they hate that you act like a restrictive psycho! Have you ever thought of that Tom! Huh? Huh?!” Redd was now leaning over the railing of his boat. He was almost face to face with his bitter rival. “SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP REDD! I HATE YOU! I-“ Tom grabbed ahold of Redd's shoulders and pulled him down, into the water. “HATE YOU!!!!”

You were peacefully sleeping as the now slightly wet tanooki walked up to your tranquil form. He kneeled down and stroked your cheek, as he smiled to himself. Poor Y/N. Such a sweet individual didn’t deserve to be touched by someone as sleazy and dishonest as Redd. Thus he picked you up and walked over to his motorboat. You were going home.

“Helloooo....wakey wakey...Y/N dear? Can you open your eyes?” You could hear a distant voice say but it was very blurry. Lifting your eyelids open felt like lifting iron weights, but as soon as you caught a glimpse of who was next to you your eyes went wide open with fear. “TOM!?” You threw your body away from him. Backing up until your back was up against the wall. “Ah your awake now, good...you’ve been sleeping for quite some time now. I’ll be honest, for a minute there I thought you were dead” he laughed a little to himself as he said this, a laugh which at one point you thought was adorable but now struck terror right into your chest. “Silly me...oh! Now that you’re awake, are the chains too tight? Do you want Me to loosen them for you?” He asked you. What? You had been so preoccupied with the fear that you hadn’t realized that you did indeed have chains and chuckles attached to your wrists. They were very long so you weren’t exactly chained up to the wall, but they were just short enough so you wouldn’t be able to move around too much. This is when you started hyperventilating. Why were you here? Where was Redd? How did Tom find you?!

“Oh! No no shhh, don’t worry, I’m here, I’m here...Redd won’t ever get you...I made sure of that...” what the hell did he mean by that!? “H-how did you find me?” You asked him, voice quivering just like you were. “Oh Y/N, did you think that the net notifications were the only way for me to see if you escaped?” He said as he petted your head. He hadn’t been so certain whether it was necessary to implant that chip in you, he thought that he could trust you enough but it would seem that he really couldn’t. “By the way, thanks for bringing that up. I’m sure by now you’ve figured out your punishment for trying to leave me. Don’t think just because I’m happy I got you back that I’m not angry, that I’m not sad, that I’m not heartbroken that you would ever think to escape from me! I just want you to be safe and this is how you repay me!” His tone got a little angrier towards the end but he quickly gathered himself in front of you. He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “You hurt me Y/N...but I’m happy you’re alright...and your safety is the only thing that matters right now,” he said as he snuggled up to you. The tanooki was madly in love with you. He wanted you to be with him for the rest of his life. He had tried to do it with you being free. But it had seemed like he couldn’t trust you with that freedom. So, he would have to lock you in, cage you up, keep you with him. Whether you liked it or not. He was gonna be with you. By this point tears had started to well up in your eyes, your whimpers getting stronger once Tom started cooing you, stroking your hair.

“Don’t cry Y/N....I...I love you...”

He said it. He had said it. The three words that you had dreaded him saying. Up until now. You could have just pretended that Tom was just a very protective friend. But now...now? He had admitted to loving you. You couldn’t back out now. You couldn’t keep that level of comfort in that Tom wouldn’t do anything to engage a relationship, but now it was only a question of when he would actually start proposing ideas of dates and stuff. You were doomed. Doomed forever with this possessive, lovesick man. You couldn’t handle it.

You started sobbing. Tears that had threatened to spill started pouring out. The only thing you could do was bury your head in Toms's neck, closing your eyes and hoping this was all just a nightmare. That you would wake up and all of this would’ve just been a dream. But it wouldn’t, this was your life now. And you wished you would have just chosen to drown instead of joining Redd.

[yuthoe]

Day 22: Reunion (MONSTA X: Yoo Kihyun)

TODAY'S LATE PROMPT FOR MTM IS:

Day 22: Fake Dating

ah yes, one of the favorite tropes in fanfic and i did not do it justice at all lmao. truthfully i was really excited about this, but the fic took a left somewhere and grew its own mind or smth. i think the poor writing is a combination of burnout and getting really distracted lmao.

tried to make kihyun the savage guy that he is, but still polite and considerate and i think i did that???? question mark???? please tell me what you thought about this lmao, i've never been to a high school reunion (except for my grandma's) and will never go to one anytime soon.

PAIRING: Yoo Kihyun x reader. GENRE: fic, fluff, mild angst. WARNINGS: mentions of alcohol, swearing. WORD COUNT: 1,769.

---

“Act natural,” you say as you smooth down the lapels of your friend’s coat, dust some lint off the shoulders. “Like, just act like normal. We just have to say hi to a few people and then go after an hour or something.”

Kihyun is looking you over as well, straightening out the sleeves of your shirt and making sure your hair is nice and styled and perfect. “I’m taking that as a go signal to tease you in front of everyone then, gotcha.”

You roll your eyes and take his hand, tugging him towards the glass door of the events hall. “Very funny, but you know what? These people might buy it even more, so go ahead.”

He intertwines your fingers as he pushes the door open for you. There’s a smirk on his face that says you’re going to regret what you just said. “If you say so," he says, as you pull him along with you.

Everything is decorated like a senior prom from the early 2000s--balloons everywhere, streamers hung up on the walls, a disco ball suspended in the middle of the room. There's a stage set up at the far wall, and popular tracks from your high school days play softly on the sound system. People are already mingling, table hopping when they see a familiar face.

You go to the small registration booth off to the side, Kihyun in tow, and sign on the space next to your name, walking away quickly to find a table. It's easy to weave through the thin crowd to your spot, and thankfully no one goes up to talk to you as you settle in.

A relieved sigh escapes your lips as you deflate against the seat; Kihyun chuckles at the sight.

"Why are you so nervous? You were so confident when you asked me out,” he says, smirking at your flustered state.

“Hey,” you counter, sitting up straight and pointing at him. There’s a smile of embarrassment threatening to crawl up your face, but you force it down. “This isn’t a date. I didn’t ask you out—I respectfully asked if you could come with me to my high school reunion and pretend we’re dating. There’s a difference.”

He tilts his head and laughs. “Okay, fine, this isn’t a date. But you’re shaking like a hamster, dude. What’s got you so jittery?”

Before you can open your mouth to say something smart, a yell of your name behind you makes you stop. Suddenly a flurry of pink silk ruffles envelops you, cold metal bracelets press against your face and neck, and a tinnitus-inducing squeal is blasted in your ear.

“OMG, I can’t believe you made it!” The offending classmate plops down the seat beside you and… you can’t say you remember her. You know you have a questionable memory, but you can’t recall anyone with a scarily-toothy smile and long acrylic nails. “I was wondering if you were gonna show today, I missed you!”

You smile warily. “Yeah, I thought I’d stop by, just for a bi—,”

“And who is this with you?” she interrupts, gaze fixed on your friend now.

Kihyun still has a polite smile on, eyebrow raised and patiently waiting for you to introduce him. You meet his eyes and take a steadying breath.

“This is, uh. Kihyun. My boyfriend.”

Your batchmate immediately extends a hand out to him. “Hi there! I’m Danhee. It’s very nice to meet you.”

Kihyun grasps her hand and shakes it firmly. “Likewise.”

Danhee (apparently, that’s her name. Still doesn’t ring a bell.) turns back to you, props an elbow on the table and rests her chin on her hand. “So what have you been up to lately?”

“Oh, you know, nothing much,” you say, twiddling your thumbs under the table. “Work’s keeping me busy, mostly. It’s pretty—,”

“Great! How’d you two meet?” Her eyes are sparkling, in that menacing way you’re familiar with when someone is hunting for gossip. “Probably work, right? I know Y/N isn’t that outgoing so I doubt—,”

“You know what, I’m gonna go get a drink.” You turn to Kihyun, desperate to get away. “You want a drink, Kihyun? Cool, I’ll get you something.” The chair screeches as you push away from the table and make a beeline for the buffet.

The air conditioning helps cool down your flaming face as you leave to get some reprieve from the suffocating air of the table. No matter how much you wrack your brain you can’t seem to remember anyone named Danhee; maybe she was in another class and part of the popular clique, a group you tended to stay away from.

You take a deep breath, surveying the array of finger food and wonder briefly what the main dishes are. The arrangement is no different from the ones you’ve seen at company parties—save maybe for the small picket signs that have slang from your high school days speared into some of the food. Despite looking delicious, you feel nauseous at the thought of taking a bite.

The drinks corner offers coffee, the kind that tries to pass off as Americano but ends up tasting more like candy because people keep putting too much sugar in it. It’s what you and Kihyun call “conference coffee” and shit on for the entirety of the conference you’re attending, even as you keep drinking it because there’s usually no other choice. Water is an option, as well as a fruit punch of some kind. If you’re being honest, you’d really like a beer right now, but you know the alcohol won’t come out until later.

In addition to the mound of paperwork you forced yourself to finish earlier, this week has just been plain exhausting. You’d hoped that coming to the reunion would help you relax, but apparently not.

Ice cubes clink as they go down the tall glasses. The coffee, however sugary it turns out to be, still smells heavenly and wakes you up some. You water both servings down a bit, if only to tamp down the syrupy sweetness.

“Hey,” a familiar voice says, hand coming down to rest on your shoulder. Kihyun moves into your line of vision, brows slightly scrunched. “You okay there?”

You don’t answer, thinking of words to say that won’t make you look pathetic in front of your work partner. You’re usually great at explaining and justifying your actions to your superiors, but words fail you this time.

So you just shrug and hand him his drink. “Can’t say for sure.” You take a sip and cringe; your mouth feels like it’s coated in a thick layer of sugar. Kihyun watches you and decides wisely to put his drink down, but pours two glasses of water.

“Do you know her?” he asks, concentrating on the drinks.

“Danhee? Nah. I mostly avoided her type back then. Being around them made me uncomfy.”

“‘Cuz she looks like a part of the Plastics from Mean Girls?”

You scoff. “No,” you say, but smile all the same as you walk back to your table. “Because I was a loner and operated on the mindset of ‘I’m not like other girls’ throughout high school.”

Kihyun laughs loud. “God, I didn’t think you were the type.”

“Unfortunately, yeah.” You sigh as you sit back down. “Thankfully outgrew that in college, though. Turns out being surrounded with a lot of open-minded people does something to your personality, and,” you open your arms, presenting yourself to Kihyun’s amused smile. “Now you have me, your beloved hardworking partner that throws snark at you everyday.”

If anything, his grin gets wider. Kihyun raises his glass of water, and you toast. “I’m proud of you for becoming so mature.” He takes a drink, making faces like he’s downing whiskey instead of regular water. “Although, apparently not mature enough to just ask me out plain and simple.”

You want to strangle him, you really do.

He’s right, though. Part of the reason why you invited him as your plus one is for moral support and to show people that the wallflower can also nab a man as great as Kihyun. But the other reason is that you’ve wanted to ask Kihyun on a date, but just didn’t know how to without embarrassing yourself.

You sigh and take a swig of your water. “Yeah, well, can you blame me, though? We always keep professional at work and I barely see you outside the building, so I haven’t really gotten a chance to ask.” You’re not lying—Kihyun being here is only possible because you left the building at the same time last week and asked him then before you chickened out.

He tilts his head in assent and takes another sip before crossing his arms on the table to whisper at you. “How about we make this a date, then?”

You raise an eyebrow, smiling like you can’t believe he suggested such a ridiculous thing. “What—here? My high school reunion that I only invited you to because I didn’t want to be alone?”

And maybe it’s the trick of the light, but you think you see his eyes go soft. “Well, yeah. I mean, it’s not ideal, but we’re here anyway. There’s free food, shitty coffee, and some entertainment.” He tilts his head to the stage, and you follow his gaze to where a couple of your batchmates are discussing something, mics in their hands. “Whether it’s the good kind of entertainment or the cringy kind though, we’ll find out soon,” you hear him whisper.

In theory, you have nothing to lose. Nothing really to hide. Perhaps the worst part of the night passed when you had that panicked moment with Danhee earlier, and all that’s left is to enjoy the night. You can still leave in an hour or two like you planned, but now with a higher chance of getting a few drinks afterwards, too.

So you make your decision and look back at him. “All right, Yoo Kihyun,” you say. “You’ve got yourself a date.”

His smile morphs into a smirk, the trademark confident grin making a small shudder run down your spine. You try to keep your composure as he slides a hand to your thigh. “Perfect. Wanna bet you’ll last an hour before you want to leave?” His fingers are massaging your knee, soft hands gentle on the meat of your thigh.

You scoff, grabbing at his hand to make him stop. “Deal. I’ll bet you an hour and a half.”

And before you turn your attention back to the stage, you see his smirk again, excited for the challenge.

[vodkassassin]

Hellooooo I heard that you are taking prompts!! May I propose crossdressing SQH? For the sect's mission or sth like that =))) and he pulls a very convincing disguise, with his knowledge as an author. Bonus if he can dance/sing/play instruments cuz I know he has it in him, being an overachiever he is (sorry for the rambling I just. Rly love him)

Don’t apologize! I love SQH too, so feel free to ramble away. My inbox is always open, even if you just want to gush about Shang Qinghua!

—

“Everything is set up correctly?” Yue Qingyuan frets.

And it really is fretting, the way that the man hovers over the group of peak lords that have gathered around the meeting table, almost like a hungry hummingbird scoping out its next meal. The man is normally much more composed than this, a bastion of calm amidst any crisis, and it’s making everyone else high strung as well, now that he’s slipped.

“For the last time, Sect Leader,” Shen Qingqiu grouses tiredly from where he sits, as slouched as he’ll ever get, fan open and so close to his face that it’s pressed against his cheek and causing his words to slur slightly. “We have gone over every possible contingency. Shang-shidi will be as safe as if he is still within our very own sect.”

“Yes, I know,” Yue Qingyuan murmurs, still gazing concernedly down at the multiple shafts of papers that they’ve got spread out across the entirety of the table. There’s a crease in between his brows, and Shen Qingqiu doesn’t really blame the man for being so worried, not really.

It’s a big operation, what they’ve got going on here. Complex, precarious, and it’s so incredibly important that they get every minute detail correct in their handling of the situation, or all of Shang Qinghua’s hard work, years worth of it, will go down the drain faster than someone can snap their fingers.

Despite carrying himself with the calm distance of an immortal master, leader of one of the greatest sects in all of China, Yue Qingyuan is the most ardent Big Brother Type that Shen Yuan has ever met in either of his lives. The man obviously cares about each and every one of his martial siblings, and it’s very apparent in the way that he gets anxious like this whenever one of them is put into a dangerous situation.

Given what the situation entails — and what exactly they’re dealing with here — Shen Qingqiu definitely doesn’t blame him for his hovering.

But, by the heavens, he’s ready to grab him by the shoulders and force him into a chair. He is fully prepared to sit on the man himself just to get Yue Qingyuan to be still for five seconds.

“Shang Qinghua is not new to work like this,” Mu Qingfang says soothingly. His calming demeanor is only broken by the way the doctor reaches out a second later to redundantly adjust the placement of one of the papers that litter the table. A nervous tick. “Out of us all, it’s him who has the highest chance of success. That’s why we chose him.”

“I know,” Yue Qingyuan says again, more firmly this time. He folds his hands behind his back and stands straight, gazing down at the table between them all. “However, given the matter at hand, your shixiong believes it prudent to ensure that every possible avenue of failure be closely examined.”

“More than we already have?” Ju Qingsong complains. He’s slumped entirely over the table, and has been for the last two hours. “Zhangmen-shixiong, this lord thinks that you’re really being a mother hen, here. Shang-shixiong’s done this sort of thing before. He’ll be fine!”

“It’s Shang-shijie now, Qingsong,” Qi Qingqi slyly announces, pulling the door to the meeting room open with a flourish. “And look, our martial sister! She’s so pretty, isn’t she?”

“I still don’t see why it couldn’t have been you doing this,” Shang Qinghua grouches as he troops into the room behind her. “You’ve done stuff like this before, as much as I have, and you’re actually a girl.”

Shen Qingqiu turns away from the table, a word of good-nature’s ribbing ready at the top of his tongue, but he finds that he can’t deploy it. Not when his bro is standing right there and looking like a real, dainty and dignified young maiden of a noble, xianxia family.

The robes are what’s most shocking, at first, like a full frontal assault to what Shen Qingqiu has become used to in regards to his friend. Shang Qinghua prefers dark blues, indigos, and blacks, all in a durable and solid weave — so, to see him decked out in flowing silks of soft pastels and light trims and embroidery, is certainly a shock to the senses.

His hair is next on the list of differences, usually pinned up entirely in braids and a bun held together with sharp silver needles. Today, half of it falls down his back in a gentle wave, while the top half of it is carefully twisted up into a delicate looking hair ornament that sparkles subtly in the light of the night pearls that decorate the meeting hall’s ceiling.

All of this, paired with the tasteful arrangement of jewelry — earrings that accentuate his jaw in a way that makes it appear a softer line than it actually is, artful golden clasps around the crown of his head, with gemmed beads that hang on carefully positioned wires to frame the fall of his hair and make it look like a tumbling waterfall of golden waters — Shang Qinghua makes for a beautiful young mistress.

“Damn, bro,” he says, unable to stop himself.

Shang Qinghua turns and raises an eyebrow at him, and all Shen Qingqiu finds himself able to do is shoot his friend a thumbs up.

“Damn is right,” Ju Qingsong gives a low whistle, pushing himself up from the table. Both of his eyebrows have risen up to meet his hairline, and a large grin adorns his face. “Shang-shijie! You’re breathtaking! Isn’t she gorgeous, Qingsheng?”

Rong Qingsheng doesn’t answer the man. He’s too busy staring at Shang Qinghua with silent and intense eyes. Knowing what he does of the lord of the agricultural peak, Shen Qingqiu figures he’s busy cataloguing every minute detail of their martial brother’s — er, sister’s — new look.

Honestly, he doesn’t blame him at all. Shang Qinghua makes for a show-stopping beauty.

Seriously, what the hell?

“Didn’t I do such a good job?” Qi Qingqi preens. She reaches over and, with careful fingers, tucks a stray strand of hair behind Shang Qinghua’s ear.

The man ducks his head, slowly in mindfulness of his intricate up-do, but Shen Qingqiu is too busy having heart palpitations to make fun of him for it. From the way that his fellow martial brothers’ eyes have all widened imperceptibly, they’re having similar struggles.

Liu Qingge stands up from the table rather abruptly.

“Qi-shijie needs to go instead,” he demands, a scowl curving his brows downward.

Shang Qinghua lets out an exasperated puff of air and tilts his head back, chin rising up almost stubbornly, and it’s likely because he’s still not used to the added weight of the hair ornaments. What it does, though, is expose the curve of his neck, and Shen Qingqiu turns away from the sight of his bro entirely just to shoot their sect leader a look of trepidation. The man himself seems like his earlier anxieties have doubled.

“That’s what I said earlier!” Shang Qinghua complains, crossing his arms over his chest. He’s pouting, and oh god it makes the picture of him look all the more delicate. Has Airplane even seen himself in a mirror yet?! He needs to stop with the cute actions!

“I said ‘Qi-shimei is actually a girl! Like, we have an actual female peak lord, who doesn’t have to crossdress in order to sneak into the human trafficking ring to find their financial books!’” Shang Qinghua re-enacts, pout becoming even more pronounced. Shen Qingqiu is pretty sure that Liu Qingge’s grip on the table has just cracked the wood. “And you all were like, ‘But Shang Qinghua! You have more undercover experience!’ And I was like, ‘That’s bullshit!’ because you all know that Qi Qingqi’s peak actually specializes in espionage! Like, why is it always me that has to go undercover?! I’m An Ding! I deal with information networks, not field work!”

“Except, you do deal in fieldwork,” Mu Qingfang points out, gently. He sounds like someone has punched him in the gut. “Very often, in fact…. Zhangmen-shixiong, I-I don’t think—”

“That’s because you guys always make me go!” Shang Qinghua interrupts him, clearly needing to complain a bit more. “I mean, there are plenty of times I do it myself, sure, but that’s just because I know the job will be done right that way! But all the other times! Like now! Seriously, you guys, Qi Qingi is right there!”

“And we definitely should have listened to you, you’re right,” Shen Qingqiu says weakly, waving his fam in front of his face in the hopes that it’ll help with the faint flush he can feel assaulting his cheeks.

“It’s too late for second guessing,” Qi Qingqi says flippantly, shaking her loose hair behind her shoulders. “If we change things up now, the entire operation will have to be reworked from the ground up, and that’s just not possible with the time frame we have. If we want to take advantage of the opening we’ve been given to take down this trafficking ring, then we must proceed as planned.”

“I hate that I have to agree with you,” Shang Qinghua grumbles.

He takes a step forward, toward the table, and then stops, staring at his own chair with a complicated expression on his face. After a few moments, he sighs and looks up.

“All these layers are even more complicated than my peak lord formal attire,” he says, forlorn. “I… I have no idea how to sit down in them…. Shijie, help.”

Qi Qingqi cackles, loudly, before going forward and pulling the man’s chair out for him. She waves her hand at the seat and instructs Shang Qinghua on how to adjust his robes as he sits, and then goes on to comment that they will have to practice so that Shang Qinghua will be able to make the motions look flawless and befitting of the young noble lady that he will be impersonating.

None of the other peak lords move. They’re too busy looking anywhere but at the two shijie currently chatting away on the other side of the table. Well, Rong Qingsheng is studying them rather carefully, but that’s a given. Ju Qingsong is watching his friend with an amused (if wistful) expression, himself.

Shen Qingqiu shuts his fan with a flick of his wrist and lays his head down on the table, pillowing his eyes into his crossed forearms.

He supposes that he will have to resign himself to the unfortunate fate of actually worrying about his best friend while the other is gone, for the entirety of the mission. Airplane is just too pretty for his own good! It’s Shen Yuan’s job, as his bro, to be absolutely and wholeheartedly concerned about what might happen to him out there, especially in the situation he will be descending into.

Man, he really relates to Yue Qingyuan, now. Had the sect leader known just how pretty Shang Qinghua would be? Is that why he’d been so visibly apprehensive even from the beginning?

Shen Qingqiu thinks he might need a drink. He glances across the table, at Shui Qingyu, and finds that the brewery peak lord appears to be thinking the same. Their eyes meet, their expressions of dread nearly identical, and they share a nod.

Later tonight, they’re going to get drunk.

[waynedunlaptheorgandonor]

10.16: a certain doom

spoilers (both general and caryl) under the cut:

the episode iiiiiissss not super worth the six month wait (like in general, not vis a vis caryl) 

it’s marginally more exciting than the penultimate episode

marginally

i think the problem is they utilized time poorly, so the attack on hilltop was Amazing, but then they accidentally forgot to make the end of the war suspenseful or interesting lol

that being said, it had its moments, so let’s break it down, shall we?

first off, caryl have a brief scene in the beginning in the stairwell where daryl is telling carol that michonne left, and he’s like “everybody leaves and then i never see them again :( “ and carol is like “...i haven’t left” and daryl goes “-sure jan-” and leaves carol looking like a hurt puppy bc she thinks he still hasn’t forgiven her/never really will, more on that later

lydia and carol have a scene where lydia is like:

and carol was like “that’s cuz you should hate me and shouldn’t try and look to me for advice, go find your own way in life” and lydia says “k i’m not asking you to be my mom, i’m asking if we can be bros, but w/e, i’m sure this conversation isn’t foreshadowing to an event that will happen later” 

more on that later

princess & crew broke their bikes so they were running late to the rendezvous, and eugene was about to give up, but zeke gave an empowering speech about Never Giving Up (which is kinda weird coming from a dude with cancer whose wife left him and whose son got murdered, but w/e, you get on with your optimistic self, zeke) and convinced him to carry on, more on that later

(here’s an exclusive sneak peek at the scene tho:)

there’s a two hour long scene of our main peeps walking through the giant horde covered in guts, which would be more interesting if they didn’t do that all the time

beatrice got eaten which would have been more of a bummer if i remembered who beatrice was

it did get lydia involved in the fight tho, so that’s something

side note: negan gave lydia alpha’s mask as if it was supposed to be symbolic or something, instead of incredibly traumatizing to this little girl whose abusive mother just got her head chopped off, like couldn’t she have just put guts on like the other people? ok, my dude, way to be a surrogate father figure ig

while carol is still stuck in the horde daryl asks where carol is, which has been the majority of his lines this season

they try to lead the horde away by blasting talking heads, which is a little on the nose but entertaining nonetheless, but then carol had to go and say “protect the horses,” which is a guarantee that the horses will get eaten, bc it’s twd, so whomp whomp, they lose their apparently only plan for leading the horde away

(how have they not learned better by now?)

(better question: how are there any horses left??)

daryl has an unintentionally funny line where he’s like, “k so this is a super shitty idea, and i am aware of that, but let’s just go fucking kill all of the whisperers”

lydia then volunteers to go throw herself off a cliff to get rid of the horde, and daryl brushes her off, more on that later

anyway they go and just. kill all the whisperers ig? including beta? whose death took like two seconds and involved a brief flashback montage and was incredibly anticlimactic for how fucking badass he was (negan draws him away, daryl stabs him the eyes, which was kinda cool, and then he goes and stands in the middle of the horde and smiles wistfully while he’s eaten alive, like a normal person would do)

up at headquarters gabriel is about to get murdered by whisperers, but then maggie and her masked friend somehow make it past the entire horde and up the stairs in time to save him

sure

cut to lydia leading the entire horde to the cliff, but then carol jumps in and tells her to go and that she’ll do it, and is about to go for a fun tumble, BUT THEN lydia pulls her away and they have a brief argument about it

their whole plotline this episode is very:

anyway

what follows is what’s meant to be a heartwarming scene between the two of them where they put aside all their baggage and hug each other and realize they’re stronger together than at odds, and objectively it’s a good scene, but i couldn’t stop laughing bc they kept showing the walkers falling off the cliff and it looked SO STUPID, it was hilarious

they just. literally kept just stepping off the cliff and falling like bricks askdfljs

and then lydia went and threw alpha’s mask off the cliff and that Did Not make it less funny

idk, i’m probably just a bad person, but it was super fucking funny, anyway

maggie reunited with judith, which was actually very sweet, esp when you remember that she delivered her (in the most traumatic way possible)

the caryl scene was nice. i had to watch it a couple times before i decided how nice, bc like everything else in the episode it felt kind of rushed, but essentially carol and lydia return, and daryl is standing in the exact position he was standing in “no sanctuary”, bc apparently that’s how he leans on trees, and carol approaches him super warily, and they both stare at each other, and carol asks him if he’s good, and he is visibly trying not to cry when he goes “yeah. it’s over. right?” and she says yes, and he asks her if she got what she wanted, and she says no, and he tells her she still has him, and she’s like “yeah?” while crying, bc, per earlier interaction, she was p sure she was never gonna get him back entirely, and he says yeah, and then they hug, and carol makes a little sob noise, and daryl buries his face in her shoulder and is teary, too, and then daryl brings up new mexico, and carol says “maybe someday” and daryl deffo looks disappointed but agrees, and then carol has her “we still have things to do, i’m clearly saying this as a set up for dramatic scenes that are about to follow” line

cue dramatic things following

connie is alive (we been knew), but is banged tf up, and runs into virgil. or more like collapses on the ground and virgil finds her and they stare blankly at each other until connie passes out

and then we jump back to princess & crew, who are sitting there bummed out bc stephanie isn’t there, and eugene is like, “bc of zeke’s wise words, i am Not Giving Up, we set out to find and recruit people (did they? i literally don’t remember) and so that’s what we’ll do!” 

and it’s a Big Moment of Solidarity and Strength

for all of five seconds, bc they are then accosted by stormtroopers, who presumably work for commonwealth. whether or not commonwealth is building a death star is unclear at this time, but i suppose we’ll find out soon

cue end credits!

so overall: the episode occurred. it wasn’t like, devastatingly disappointing, in that the penultimate episode didn’t really set me up for any sort of big anticipation, and also i had spoilers ahead of time. i wish there had been more time for things like beta’s death to be played out properly, but i wonder also if they were limited on what they could do bc of pandemic shit and trying to get it edited as quickly as possible

as it stands, even tho the whisperers are my favorite twd villains, i’m glad they didn’t do what they did with the saviors and have it drag on for ten million years for no reason

the bottle episodes should be interesting, and prob will lead us into commonwealth, which, again, not sure on the status of the death star, but i’m excited to see what happens regardless

on the caryl front i’m about where i was before, which is fully anticipating canon coming, and my guess is the season will really heavily set up their departure, which means we will have many more scenes to come

the end

as usual, stay hype, stan kang, and get daryl to call carol sweetheart 2k20 (i still have three months left, i’m not giving up yet, zeke wouldn’t want me to),

-diz

[eerythingisshaka]

PTA III

[Trevante Rhodes x Reader]

Word Count: 2.2K

Summer had come and gone in the blink of an eye yet felt as long as finals week when you were earning your teaching degree.  School ended last quarter with a clumsy splat seeing as the first wave of virus knocked everything out of order very quick. You stressed out running lessons to the school for kids to pick up and working with families with limited to no internet access pulled your patience to its thinnest layer.

So when all had officially finished, you had to take the time to yourself as best as you could.  In a normal summer, you would plan a getaway to just about anywhere you hadn’t seen before and the more solo the better.  Sipping something alcoholic in a warm climate with the Sun toasting your skin to its peak melanated beauty was all you would need to pack you full of endorphins that could last you into the next year.

But that wasn’t the plan now.  Travel restrictions keep you from going out of town and you can’t even get a decent dinner anymore seeing as most restaurants are dine out only.  The only silver lining you can muster is the mask mandates allowing you to keep from smiling at strangers in awkward politeness when they get in your way.  It is a layer of protection for your sanity and solitude.  

However that wasn’t the only silver lining you have from the summer.  Mr. Rhodes, or Trevante as he has to still remind you, became very generous with his time with you outside of the classroom.  As much as you try to keep things professional for your jobs sake, he won’t let you be for any little thing.  Your email has message after message from him asking about simple math for everyday things that apparently Nemour needed refreshing on, followed by a ‘so how you been doing?’

Email 1

“Dear Ms. (Y/N), I am contacting you in regards to my son, Nemour.  While in the grocery today, we came across a sale for oranges, 3lb. for $5.  But then this other store has 5 lb. for $6.  Now he is itching to know what price would be the better one to go for?”

Your response:

“Dear Mr. Rhodes,  Although my primary concentration is History, you can tell Nemour that he should go for the second deal with 5lb.”

“Perfect, that’s why you’re the teacher!  So...how’ve you been?”

Sometimes you reply, and sometimes you leave him on read, it depends on how conversational you feel.  But as time progressed, you got excited to see his emails asking to remind him what the 3 branches of government are or what amendment means what?  He even got you on video chat to discuss.

“What?!  So slavery isn’t really abolished on that bullshit?”  Trevante exclaims in awe.

You throw your hands up, aghast as if you just learned it yourself.  “That’s the thing about American government.  They will throw a loophole where you least expect it and throw a parade like the shit ain’t bout to pop out.”

“Damn!  That’s like some Trojan horse shit honestly,”  he shakes his head, taking a swig of his beer.

You snap your finger, “Exactly, my man, exactly!  That’s why nobody can agree on anything worth a damn.  There’s gonna be a clause somewhere that adds some shit that makes the whole thing rotten. But you didn’t hear it from me, so don’t let Nemour know I’m saying this kind of stuff.”

He twists his face in confusion.  “Why wouldn’t I?  My son got a right to know about what this country is founded on.  Everyone does.”

“Yeah I know.  Just...when topics like these pop up it’s difficult to keep it all…” your voice trails off as you search your bedroom for the words you are looking for.

“Politically Incorrect?”  he offers.

You nod a little.  “Kinda, yeah.”

He sets down his beer, sitting a little closer to the screen.  “You shouldn’t have to worry about that.  History is literally set in stone.  If we didn’t have it, we wouldn’t know what to do with ourselves now.”

“Do we know what to do now though?”  you ask in a higher pitch, squinting like you stepped in hot coals.

Trevante took a minute looking at you before dipping his head down to chuckle.  You could hear the pounding baritone in his chest from your speakers.

“What?  What’s that about?”  you ask.

He sits up again, stroking his beard, “It’s cute when you make your face like that.  That’s all.”

You roll your eyes, pulling your scarf further down your forehead to make up for slipping.  

Trevante tuts at you.  “I need a bucket or something to catch these compliments you keep throwing away that I toss at you.  You don’t believe me or what?”

You give a very dignified look, “I believe I am beautiful.  I just don’t believe in entertaining a parent, is all.”

Trevante sighs.  “Summer don’t count (y/n).  You’re not his teacher now so what’s the issue?”

You look off to the side and back at him.  The crisp white t shirt he has on is obstructing more of the view of his body then you care for but the tightness at the sleeve around his bicep makes up for what you know is already there.

“Hello?”  he says.

You blink a few times, crossing your arms.  “Hm?”

“You go off into space a lot too.  What’s on your mind when you do that?”

His arms around your waist that tightly bind you to his body as you inhale his sweet cologne that is perfectly distributed from his neck to chest.

You scratch your neck, and tell a half lie.  “Oh, just this new school year.”

“See this is a perk of having a teacher friend.  Fill me in, what’s up?”

“Well, all I have right now is that we are doing hybrid learning, so some classes at the school and some at home.  Now the district just need to provide the materials for the kids to be able to do that.  The internet, the laptop/tablets, and make sure we can all connect and no one is behind on lessons.  And since I am on the front line, I have to get creative with the lesson plans and keep people on task and on time.”

Trevante nods.  “Well me and Nemour are excited to see what you have for us next year, whatever it is.”

You smirk at the encouragement.  “Thank you Tre, but I can’t guarantee we will be together for the next school year.  That’s decided at random.  Plus the grade he is in next year is the last one I teach.”

“Nah, we gonna be in there.  If I have to sign a petition or boycott like these hot breathed whites out here not wearing masks, we will be in your class this fall.”

You bust out laughing at his determination.  “Dang, Tre!  Don’t go starting a ruckus up there cuz of me!  He will still be taught well, whoever he has a teacher.”

He makes a cut it motion across his neck.  “Nah, we only rock with the best and that’s you up there.  I will make all the, what you call it?  Ruckus?  That shit!  So I will be seeing you first day in the fall, ok?”

You feel heat spread over your skin from shyness.  His brash attitude comes out and makes you feel like a superstar.  “Ok, I’ll hold you to it.  How’s Nemour doing anyway?”

Trevante nods, picking up his laptop as he changes rooms.  “He is doing well, being a regular kid.  Playing and doing his chores.”

You nod.  “Great!”

He closes a door behind him as he lays the laptop down, you can tell he is laying across his bed on his stomach as he speaks.

“He has been asking me a lot more questions about police and like, if they stop me or him, what’s gonna happen and what do we do?  Should we run away?  Can we not live by cops, stuff like that.”

You heart breaks hearing this. “Wow, and this is coming from a child?”

He nods, resting his chin on his forearm.  “It’s part my fault.  I’m always looking at the news and if he sitting at the table eating breakfast or whatever, he’s gonna see it.  I cut it off when they show bodycam footage though cuz that is nothing but toxic.”

“I can’t count how many times I had to see them replay that man dying in the street.  And in front of people watching, they don’t care who is watching cuz what can you do?  You can’t interfere or that’s a charge on you but he could’ve lived.”

Trevante looks spaced out for a second hearing this.  “I know, and that’s why it’s hard explaining to Nemour what everything is about.  I give him the basics though:  Do what the officer says, don’t argue, and don’t get into shit that’s gonna get the cops called  on you either.  But it sounds played out to even say.  What did everybody else do that’s dead now?”

“Nothing.  Sleep in their bed, going to the store, jogging.  Not a damn thing that warranted a bullet.”

Trevante gives a small shrug, looking sad like he is staring at his reflection in a pond.  “Yeah, so he been grappling with that and that’s a lot for a kid his age.  That’s why I want him to be your student still too cuz you’re one of the only Black teachers there and I honestly think he is uncomfortable with white people right now.  We went to the store the other day and he calls himself protecting me saying if the man getting bread bothers me, he put on his little Timbs so he can stomp him for me.”

You gasp at the thought, giving a weak smile.  “I mean, that would go viral for some child to curb stomp a big old white dude.”

Tre smiled some too.  “I think Nemour was this close to saying ‘Don’t worry bout it sweetheart.’  I can’t let him look at no internet again.”

You put your foot up and say, “He finna give him that SPLAHH!”

Trevante laughs heartily, wiping his eyes, “You more hip than I thought too.”

“I had some wine earlier, so that might’ve helped.”  You put a finger to your mouth and pull up the glass from the nightstand.  

“Oh shit!  So this is Turnt Teacher!  Go head then, don’t let me stop you”

You wave him off.  “You aren’t stopping anything.  If nothing else, you keeping me going.  All this house shit is working my last nerve, it’s nice to see a familiar face every once in a while.”

“I think so too.  You’ve been a great addition to some weeknights this summer.”

You put a thumbs up as you sip your wine.  “Are we still doing a movie tonight?  I think it’s my turn to pick.”

Trevante curls up a lip.  “Nah, I don’t think so.”

Your heart sank a little, already having queued up a selection to watch.  “That’s ok, it is late.”

“Yeah, but really I wanna see you in person.”

Your body tensed at the invitation.  Thinking over the last few months of chatting, he has warmed up to you as an individual, but you aren’t sure if that feeling can translate outside of a screen.  Behind the camera it’s safe, you can be cute and mysterious but vulnerable and clumsy and it all comes up roses for him.  In person, cute and mysterious can seem pretentious and vulnerable and clumsy could just be a weirdo geek to him.

“Well,” you start, “I would but...you know this...pandemic is just…”

“I know,” he says.

“...awful, right?  So I just don’t think I can comfortably do that...now?”

Trevante thinks for a second.  “We can stay within the parameters of the guidelines though right?  Six feet, masks, no crowded space.  If you want, we can do that.  I just…” he sighs heavily, looking tired as he rubs his eyes, “...I have been getting stir crazy and you are the main one I have been keeping contact with outside of family, yet I only spent time in person on Valentine’s Day that one meeting we had.  And you had a date later!”

You laugh at him, remembering their first meeting that could’ve been an email no doubt.

“Yeah, you’re right.” 

“Do you wanna go out with me?  Be honest!”

“Tre, I told you-”

“See?  You even call me Tre now.  We familiar right?  I don’t usually have to beg like this but ma’am, you almost got me on bended knee!”

“Uh…”  you start to feel bad but your mouth stops working under pressure.

“Six feet,” he reminds you.  If nothing else, that makes you less inclined to want to go because what can you do?  No kissing that’s for sure.

“I don’t want to confuse Nemour,”  you rebuttal.

“He will be watched by a guardian, trust me.  He won’t be cramping out grown folks business.”

You feel a flutter in your stomach that fuels your excitement.  A plan to go out, with a man no less!  This could turn the summer around or be a disaster on the horizon.

“Don’t overthink it.  You’re a smart woman, but I don’t want you to overcalculate this.  You wanna see me, I wanna see you.  We’ll play it safe, and finally see each other in some natural light.”

You nod slowly, a smile creeps across your face as his argument finally sways you.  “Ok, I’m in.  Pick the time and place.”

Tag you!

@chaneajoyyy​

[magniloquent-raven]

so, uh, this fic is inspired by this post. cuz @bambixxblue tagged it as billy/steve and the idea lodged itself in my brain. so here y’all go, pls enjoy

----

Valentine’s Day was a month ago. Steve had, on a whim, bought a box of chocolates. The heart-shaped box kind. It was a deep shade of red, and, because he wasn’t drunk when he bought it, the least frilly one he could find. 

It was a completely normal thing to do in early February. Especially for a guy like Steve. He might have been dethroned and dumped for the school creep but he was still rich and good-looking, people expected him to be putting himself out there. It had been months since he and Nancy broke up, enough time for him to have moved on. 

And he had. Moved on. Hence the Valentine’s Day gift. 

He was sweaty and anxious the whole time he was in the store, worried that someone might look at him and just know. Know who the chocolates were for. 

No one did, because it was a dumb thing to worry about, but he still left with his heart in his throat and his palms sweating through his gloves. 

He drove home a little faster than normal that day, and his hands shook as he unlocked the front door. 

Once Steve got inside he stared at the bag in his hand. Stared at it, and...god, this was such a stupid idea. This was the kind of shit he did for girls he liked, back before Nancy. He could just walk up to them in the cafeteria and their friends would giggle and blush and it was all so easy, but this...

He couldn’t do that with Billy. Nothing about this situation was easy. 

The chocolates ended up shoved in Steve’s sock drawer, and he spent the next month trying to forget the whole thing. 

Which is hard because he and Billy are friends now. At first it was a silent truce. A shared cig here and there while they were waiting for the kids. Then there was Billy’s muttered apology, and Steve’s tentative forgiveness. 

Then suddenly Billy was everywhere, and Steve...well, Steve apparently hadn’t learned much from getting his heart broken before because he fell hard. Again. 

So now they’re hanging out in Steve’s back yard sharing a blunt and he’s trying really hard not to think about how his mouth is touching something that Billy’s mouth also touched because he’s apparently been transformed into a twelve-year-old who’s never been kissed and gets worked up about shit like that. 

It’s, frankly, very embarrassing. 

“—and I told her, it wasn’t happening, but—” Billy’s rambling about something, smoke trailing from his lips, and Steve isn’t hearing a single word. “—Harrington?” Steve blinks a couple times. Refocuses. “You with me, man?”

“Um.”

Billy snorts, “Yeah, didn’t think so.” He’s grinning though, slow and lazy. He only smiles like that when he’s high, like he’s shed a couple layers of whatever keeps him wound so tight when he’s sober. “S’cool.”

“So, uh, what were you...?” Steve rubs the back of his neck, sheepish, and looks away. It’s easier to listen to Billy when he isn’t looking at him. His face is...distracting. His everything is distracting, actually.

“Ugh, fuckin’ Amy. Chick won’t leave me alone. It’s annoying.”

Right. Billy’s endless line of suitors. Steve’s favourite thing to talk about. He shrugs in a way he hopes is noncommittal. “She’s cute though.” He glances at Billy, who’s wrinkling his nose. 

“Why don’t you date her then,” he grumbles. 

“I did. Sort of. Sophomore year I bought her flowers for Valentine’s Day and then we hooked up a couple times.” He immediately regrets bringing it up. It reminds him of the aborted Valentine’s Day gesture stuffed in his dresser. Thinking about it ever is awkward, but doubly so when Billy’s sitting right next to him.

“Right, forgot you used to do that stuff.”

“What stuff?”

“Girls.”

Steve chokes on his spit. “You’re an asshole,” he coughs, while Billy cackles at him and pats his shoulder. 

“Yeah,” Billy hums. His expression settles into something more pensive. “You didn’t do anything this year though. You’re not still hung up on Wheeler are you?”

“No!” he says it too quickly, too vehemently. Billy raises his eyebrows. “I mean—I—I’m not. I was gonna do something but—” Steve’s whole face feels like it’s on fire and he bites his tongue. Literally. He clenches his jaw to keep any more words from coming out. Billy’s hand is still on his shoulder and it feels like a lead weight. 

“Oh yeah?” His voice is light but Steve can feel Billy’s fingers tighten on his sleeve, clutching at his shoulder. Steve’s brain goes a little fuzzy. “Why didn’t you?”

He cannot have this conversation. He can’t. It shouldn’t happen. He repeats it, in his head, panicking and anxious, guts in a knot, but the words slip out anyway. “No point. It...wouldn’t have gone over well.”

“Come on, King Steve’s afraid of a little rejection now?” 

Yes. Terrified. 

Maybe it’s the weed making him stupid. Or maybe he just wasn’t that bright to begin with. Or maybe monster hunting has made him reckless even in the face of fear, because he stands then, tells Billy to wait and walks into the house.

His body feels numb. There’s nothing but the roar of his heartbeat and a sick, anxious twist in his stomach.

The box is a little squashed. There’s a crease in the cardboard lid, a jagged line across the length of it. 

It feels like he’s barely had time to blink before he’s in his back yard again, looking down at Billy. He’s sitting on one of the lounge chairs, blinking at Steve. His button-up is askew, hanging off to one side and half unbuttoned, his eyes are a little bloodshot, his hair is tangled from the breeze, and Steve’s never seen anyone more beautiful. 

He drops the box in Billy’s lap.

“There’s no note or anything. I...didn’t think I’d actually...It’s been sitting in my sock drawer for a month because I was too chickenshit to tell you that I—anyway, that’s for you. It’s for you, ok? And that’s why I didn’t do anything for Valentine’s Day, because I’ve liked you for months and I knew it was stupid to do anything about it, but, well, no one’s ever accused me of being smart.” Steve lets out shaky breath that’s half sigh, half self-deprecating laugh. He feels like he’s about to shake apart, he’s trembling so hard. 

Billy hasn’t said anything. He’s staring at the box in his lap, putting his hands around it real careful like he’s afraid to break it. Or afraid it’s going to explode. Honestly, Steve can’t read how he’s feeling about the whole thing but he’s bracing himself for the worst when Billy finally looks at him, wide-eyed. “You...I...” he trails off, then shakes his head, laughing. 

And...it’s not the worst thing that could have happened. But it still hurts. Steve’s getting ready to bail so he can cry himself to sleep when Billy stands up, a weird look in his eye. “Wait here,” he says, and walks off. Which. What.

Forty-five excruciatingly long seconds later Steve—who hasn’t moved, can’t, he’s panicked and frozen—feels a hand on his shoulder.

Billy’s back, and...

He shoves something crumpled and pink into Steve’s hands. 

“That’s been in the glove box of my car for a month.” It shows. The edges are bent and there’s a split up one side of the lid. There’s a bow on it, squished beyond saving, with a little card hanging off it that says pretty boy in smudged ink. “Couldn’t keep in in the house ‘cause I got drunk and fuckin’ wrote on it, like an idiot,” Billy’s fidgeting with his hands, not looking at Steve.

He looks nervous, even though Steve was the one who brought this shit up in the first place, even though Billy already knows Steve has feelings for him. Even though Billy Hargrove never gets nervous. 

Steve’s heart is so full it hurts. “I kind of love you,” he blurts, too loud and extremely unsmooth. He can’t feel embarrassed about it though, because Billy finally looks at him and the look on his face takes Steve’s breath away. 

He’s got this tiny little smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes are wide and wet and hopeful, and who gave him the right to have eyes that blue, and his freckles—

Billy’s standing a lot closer than he was before, and Steve’s pretty sure he’s forgotten how to breathe entirely by this point. Which is fine, because he can feel Billy’s hand sliding across the back of his neck, threading through his hair, and if this is how he dies then so be it. 

And then Billy presses a kiss to Steve’s cheek, to his nose, his forehead, so softly, cradling his face like it’s something precious and Steve is so happy he could cry. 

“Oh,” he breathes, quiet, afraid to break the moment. 

Steve can feel Billy’s smile again his cheek, “Yeah,” he says, breath hot in Steve’s ear.

He doesn’t say anything else. Doesn’t need to. Steve pulls him close and kisses him soundly and he knows he’s loved too.

[ancano]

YoI Fanfic Recs

Okay so I just wanna share some love and show y’all some amazing fanfics that I have personally read and absolutely adored!! You’ll likely see repeated authors, either cuz I follow them on tumblr or cuz I’ll raid their uploads once I find one I really like. Also apparently I read a lot of A/B/O so if that isn’t your thing sorry hhhhhh

No particular order for these, just going down my bookmarks and history lists on ao3

Glitter & Gold by plisetskytrash and victurius (I just caught up with this one and oh my god I love it.) Summary - In a world where drugs, sex, and violence rule, Viktor Nikiforov is the king. As the Pakhan of the Russian Mafia (the Bratva) he is responsible for murder and mayhem across multiple continents and that’s just the way he likes it. The only problem is that a new leader has risen to power in America – known only as ‘JJ’ – and he starts to intrude on Viktor’s territory.Not only is that rude, it’s damn right unacceptable.So, Viktor sets out to find out as much about JJ as he can, including infiltrating the businesses he owns, such as The Kiss and Cry, a sleazy club that works as a front for an exclusive exotic omega strip club that only the richest and most powerful men can access. Naturally, Viktor has no trouble getting inside. Once he’s there, however, his plans are thrown out of the window when he spots a beautiful, young Japanese omega with chocolate-brown eyes and an ass to die for. There’s only one problem: Viktor swore he’d never mate an omega.Will Viktor manage to stay focused on his mission? Or will this omega break Viktor’s most important rule?

Eros and Agape by ImaTastyPorkCutletBowl and Spunky0ne (you’ll see a couple works from these guys in this list because they are *chef’s kiss* amazing) Summary - For as long as Victor can remember, Yakov and Lilia have protected him from being discovered to be an Omega by helping him to project as an Alpha. But at the Grand Prix Final banquet, he comes face to face with the man destined to be his husband.

NEXT LEVEL: Nights After Dreams by RipVanGabriel (this is a LONG one, I haven’t even gotten very far in it, but trust me it’s worth it) Summary -  The silver medal was hard fought and won, but now the stakes are higher than ever. Five gold medals loom on the horizon, but more importantly, the "life and love" within the gold rings. Yuri and Viktor's relationship grows as they get back on the competition road, and new complications rise with them. (Proper follow-up to the TV series; not AU, no crack ships, no weird shit.)

Wait! But, I’m not Yakuza! by ImaTastyPorkCutletBowl, SesshomaruFreak, and Spunky0ne (like I said, these guys, *chef’s kiss* I refuse to admit how many times I’ve reread the 2 chapters that are currently posted. I’m also the only person commenting on it last i checked which is a fucking shame, so y’all go comment on this amazing fic pls) Summary - The Katsuki family, except for the Hasetsu Katsukis, are the largest and most powerful Yakuza family in Japan, so it’s not surprising that poor Yuuri keeps getting mistaken for one of his distant relatives. On a trip to Russia with his father, Yuuri stumbles into a bar to avoid a group of rough looking punks, and he comes face to face with a beautiful, silver-haired exotic dancer. Things get crazy when Yuuri sees the lovely dancer being abused and steps in, only to get himself beaten into unconsciousness. He wakes in his hotel room and finds a note next to his bed…”Thank you for your kindness. I’m sorry those ruffians hurt you. It’s better you stay away. I don’t want anything else bad to happen to you. Vitya” He should go home. He should just forget the man, but Yuuri can’t help himself…Victuuri, intersex Victor, intersex pregnancy, lots of flustered Yuuri!

Love’s Requiem by Kashoku (gonna be honest, I don’t even ship Yuuri/Yuri, but I enjoy this fic) Summary -  If you had asked Yuuri in Barcelona if there was anything that could ever bring him down from the high of being with Viktor Nikiforov, he would have laughed. But when the living legend suffers a career ending injury, it brings new struggles to their relationship. Viktor begins to drown his sorrows, and Yuuri finds himself being pulled beneath the surface in a way he’s not sure he can survive.

you’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be by roserelease (this shit right here is my fucking bread and butter y’all. I can’t even express how much happiness and love this fic gives me) Summary - More than anything, Yuuri wants to impress his cosplay role model Viktor Nikiforov. But after a horrible start to a convention weekend, he panics and backs out at the last second to meet his idol. Normally this would be fine, except Yuuri discovers too late that there's a little Viktor related secret inside the con vlog his best friend filmed over the course of the weekend for him...It's fine, he thinks. Embarrassing, but not the end of the world. And it's not like Viktor himself will ever see the con vlog, so why worry?(Except then Viktor does.)

Paying For Poison by SaerenDPity (another one of my absolute faves that sadly only updates once every other blue moon but when it does update I feel overwhelmingly Blessed) Summary - "Skater Katsuki?" Yuuri's eyes widened as he nodded, and suddenly Viktor Nikiforov was clutching at his coat. He barely registered that his childhood hero knew his name, he couldn't think on that when Viktor's voice was on the edge of breaking. Desperation lined his every movement."Yes th-that's me. Um… Mr. Nikiforov… Do… do you need help?"Viktor shook his head violently and shoved his hand into Yuuri's pocket. Yuuri only had time to squeak before Viktor was backing away, breathing heavily. "Please… please buy me."…Years after Viktor Nikiforov suddenly disappeared from the public eye, he resurfaces at the Rostelecom Cup, desperate for help. And Yuuri simply cannot abandon the man who inspired almost every aspect of his life, and so, he makes the decision to do just as Viktor asks - buy his services as an omega for one night.

Drowning In Your Love by MysticLipstick (another rarely updated fic that I’m head over heels for. please feed me, I need MORE) Summary -  Victor Nikiforov has always gotten away with being a whore in college. Being the top athlete swimmer has gained him tons of attention, championships and girls. However, a cosmic encounter with Yuuri Katsuki has him questioning everything—including his sexuality. Yuuri’s shy nature and blatant disregard for Victor’s fame has Victor chasing him—something he’s never done, but Yuuri shuts him down. Completely.

November’s Secret by LanaBerry (I’ve reread this one about 5 times already tbh) Summary - Overwhelmed with anxiety and his fear of failing, Yuuri faces the issue of if he should continue skating. His best friend, Yuko, proposes a solution - if no one knows it's you, then it's less embarrassing, right? Yuuri begins to create a completely new disguise and persona.But it works a little too well.Before he knows it, Yuuri has become the biggest mystery of the skating world and everyone wants to know who he is. Especially Viktor Nikiforov, the idol he's been loosely basing his new persona on for years.

The ‘Until My Feet Bleed and My Heart Aches’ series by Reiya (recently finished rereading this one, always so fucking good) Summary - ‘…Of all the rivalries in the world of sports over the years, perhaps none has become so legendary as that of Russian figure skater Viktor Nikiforov and his rival, Japanese Yuuri Katsuki…’ A single event changes the course of Yuuri’s life, throwing him into a bitter rivalry with Viktor Nikiforov that spans across his entire skating career. But as the years go on, rivalry and hatred begin to develop into something very different and Yuuri doesn’t seem to be able to stay away, no matter how hard he tries.Hatred and love are two sides of the same coin and even though everything changes, some things are still meant to be.

With What We Once Had by MagicalMirai (this one is just too cute tbh) Summary -  They called it quits, over a year and a half ago. But even though he should have been expecting it, Yuuri can’t help but feel suffocated when he bumps into Victor at the Grand Prix final, whilst holding his son. The son... he never told Victor about.

Nerve Endings by Phyona (this one is next on the “to reread” list) Summary -  When Yuuri moves in with Victor in St. Petersburg, they have to work through Yuuri's anxiety and Victor's secrets to find their balance.

Puppy Love by Phyona (another phyona fic and it’s just way too fucking cute tbh) Summary - When Yuuri gets turned into a dog, the last place he expects to end up is Victor Nikiforov's apartment. He learns quickly that the only thing worse than being his idol's pet, is watching him pine for someone else.Warning: Makkachin has recently passed away at the start of this story.

The Stars on his Cheeks by QueenWinterofLuna (this one was actually written for a prompt I personally requested and I absolutely adore it, even still) Summary -  A short drabble based on this Tumblr request from @napsushi: Can you write a fic where Yuuri discovers Victor has freckles and is just over the moon about it? This fandom needs more freckled Vitya.

This is all I can find and think of for now but if I remember more I’ll be sure to update it!!

[demonwifey]

I was wondering if you could write a fic where the reader has a think for beetlejuice’s voice. Like a voice kink.

I struggled with it a little bit  because I’ve barely written full on smut before so I hope you guys enjoy. I decided to do a different take and do a succubus reader instead of a human reader.

But still got through it and @paxenera actually got an ask like this as well so go check hers out too!💚💜🖤

Warnings: NSFW +18, succubus!reader 

Word Count: 3,453

After a full 2 weeks in the human world Y/N was finally home. Back to the grim darkness that filled the sky. Back to the eerie sounds of wails and moans on the air. Back to a never ending sight of the dead walking around freely. The Netherworld. Home, sweet home. 

****

And it wasn’t easy being one of the Netherworld’s most infamous succubi. Y/N took the position after having met an early death when she was only 27. She practically lived a boring life when so why not find something a little more exciting and fulfilling in her after life. That’s when her case worker assigned her to work at the hottest Netherworld brothel, Dante’s Inferno. After spending what seemed like 3 months, actually 2 years in human time, she worked her way up to a full fledged succubus. 

Of course, being a succubus came with it’s ups and downs. The upside was that Y/N felt more alive than ever. She had sexual power over desperate men. They made her feel in control in every single way. But that was also the downside. Her victims were only in it for their pleasure. They wanted her to take control as they filled their fantasies of being dominated by a sexy seductress demoness. But sometimes she wanted…less. Maybe Y/N wanted someone else to take control. Maybe she wanted to give the power to someone else.And there was only one man that gave Y/N exactly what she wanted. And his name was Beetlejuice. 

The demon man came into her life just a year after fully becoming a succubus. The two ran into each other at Dante’s Inferno. Y/N was back to visit her old brothel friends and Beetlejuice was there for a good time. He spotted Y/N as soon as he walked in the door and knew he had to talk to her. The other succubi warned her not to mess around with Beetlejuice but Y/N was way too intrigued. After a night of endless flirting, she pulled the demon man into what used to be her old room. And the two were hooked on each other since 

The pair were like ‘friends with benefits’. But friends that had deep mutual underlying feelings for each other that they would never admit. Whenever Y/N was home she would invite Beetlejuice over. While sex was one of their main bonds, they still just enjoyed each other’s company. Y/N loved Beetlejuice’s sweet talk and the ability to make her laugh. Beetlejuice loved her dominant personality and the fact that she always listened to him talk about anything. 

Although Y/N genuinely liked listening to Beetlejuice’s wild stories, she also had her own selfish reasons for being so engaged; she loved listening to man’s voice. Most people in the Netherworld thought of Beetlejuice’s voice as literal nails on a chalkboard. But whenever she heard his deep scratchy voice scream out “Babes!” when he walked in the door, it drove her wild. Don’t even get her started on when they have sex. Hearing Beetlejuice’s voice moan and grunt over her was like she’d been sent to heaven. 

Y/N wasn’t actually sure if Beetlejuice actually knew about her secret fixation or not; spoiler alert, he did. And she always took note at how he’d get more vulgar when telling certain stories. His yelling and swearing louder at the peak of a story made Y/N more aroused than she’d like to tell. And, of course, he’d never complained when she stopped him mid-sentence to attack his lips in a fever-ish kiss.      

****  

Y/N walked out of her bathroom finally feeling refreshed from a steaming shower. Although she loved her succubus title, she hated the stench that would linger after spending a night with a human man. The smell of desperation and sex was perfect in the moment but she wanted it off of her once the high came down. Although many Netherworld occupants didn’t feel the need to follow basic hygiene since they were dead, Y/N did. 

She sat down on her bed and pulled her long coily black hair into a low ponytail. After every feeding, the purple tips in Y/N’s hair would go back to their beaming tint. It symbolized that her demon needs were met. But yet again, her personal needs weren’t met. 

While she was gone, Beetlejuice was also gone. Out trying to find unsuspecting humans to say his name three times. Another one of his far fetched plans that Y/N listened to but never took too seriously. And although both demons were in the human world, they never found time to see each other. Y/N was handling her own responsibilities so she never had time to stop and entertain the green haired demon. 

As Y/N walked into her living room, she looked around for something to do. She was dressed in only her silk black robe and a pair of lace black panties with her breast remaining free. She plopped herself down on the couch and let her brain think. One of the many sources she had of entertainment was Beetlejuice. But he was gone so she had to find something else to keep her busy. Maybe she could just rest and rela-

*RIIIING*

Y/N rolled her eyes and groaned loudly. It was finally her day off and some random person had to interrupt that. Y/N got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen. Everything in the Netherworld was vintage and antique. Which made the 20 year old in her excited when she first moved in and saw an old landline phone hanging on the kitchen wall. This had better not be those dead football players again, she thought. Y/N grabbed the phone after the 4th ring. 

“Hello~?” Y/N said in her now normal seductive tone. One of the things her mentors taught her was to always answer the phone like she was a sex operator. ‘It adds character’, they always said.   

“Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to answer their phone.” The all too familiar voice of Beetlejuice echoed through the phone. Y/N felt a faint shiver run down her spine. She was caught up in her own thoughts for a second before clearing her voice and speaking again. 

“H-hey, Beetlejuice. Long time no see, or hear, I guess.” She stammered a bit. Dammit, she was supposed to be one of the fiercest succubi in all of the Netherworld. Yet here she was losing that whole persona over a demon who wears stripes for a living. 

“And whose fault is that, babes? I’ve called you like 100 times and you’ve never answered.” Beetlejuice claimed with a mock snarky attitude. Y/N scoffed.  

“Okay, I’ve been in the human world working. Not all of us get to be free ghosts that come and go as we please.” She shot back, playfulness all in her voice. She then leaned her body against the wall next to the phone. 

“You were in the human world? Why didn’t you tell me, babycakes? I could’ve made arrangements to see you!” Beetlejuice practically screamed through the phone.

“I did tell you, Beetlejuice. You just have very selective hearing when your hands are on my ass.” Y/N explained and the phone grew silent for a moment.  

“…As true as that may be, we are going to disregard that.” Y/N laughed at the demon’s comment. That’s when he proceeded to tell Y/N about the new couple he was watching, the Maitlands. An average, middle class, white suburban couple. Apparently it was almost their time to die and Beetlejuice was going to use them to haunt their house. While listening to Beetlejuice mouth off about the couple, she moved back into the living room. Sitting herself back on the house while twirling the phone’s spiral cord between her fingers. 

“Is that why you called, BJ? To tell me your new master plan? And how are you calling me from their anyway?”

“Oh, the Maitlands have an old rotary phone in their attic. Apparently the husband, Adam, likes to collect antiques. And I called cuz’ I wanted to check on you, duh. Gotta make sure my babes is okay.” Beetlejuice attempted to mumble the last part but the demoness still heard him. Pulling her finger out of the phone cord, Y/N placed her hand over her heart.

“Aw, isn’t that sweet? Mr. ‘Ghost with the Most’ does have a beating heart after all.” She mocked. This time Beetlejuice scoffed.

“Don’t go spreading it around, kitten. It only beats for you.” Y/N would’ve dived more into that last part had she not been too distracted by the pet name he used. Hearing his scratchy voice call her ‘kitten’ aroused her more than she’d like to admit. She squirmed in her spot on the couch, rubbing her exposed thighs together.  

“Mmm, Beej you know how much I love it when you call me kitten~” Y/N purred out. She began moving the hand on her chest down the front of her body. His gritty voice mixed with the silk of her robe against her body was making her more and more aroused by the second. 

“Getting a little worked up, are we, babycakes? You missed me that much?” Y/N could almost hear him smirk though the phone. 

“Don’t get cocky, Beej. You already know which parts of me missed you.” Y/N’s hand grazed its way down to her thigh, not quite ready to touch herself completely. 

“Hmm, let me guess. That pretty little pussy already wet for me?” And that was it. As his gruff tone echoed through Y/N’s phone, it was just enough to make her go further. She undid the band that closed the robe around her before pushing the silk fabric away and slipping her hand into her lace panties. Y/N slowly grazed her middle finger over the tip of her clit. Chills covered her body as she felt her pussy entirely soaked. She was too wrapped up in her own world to realize that she didn’t even answer Beetlejuice. And he didn’t like that one bit. 

“I asked you a question, babes.” He practically growled through the phone. This caused Y/N’s succubus senses to heighten as her body was beginning to be overtaken by pleasure. Every instance of arousal she’d feel would be boosted by ten.     

“Aaah~ Yes, baby. It’s so wet for you, Beej. Only you.” Y/N moaned as she began to circle her finger around the sensitive skin.   

“God, kitten. You’ve got my dick rock hard right now.” Beetlejuice groaned out. The huskiness in his voice made her get even more wet, if that was even possible. And Y/N wasn’t oblivious. She knew Beetlejuice was touching himself as well. And, God, if that didn’t turn her just as much.

“Ahh, oh Beej~ I need you here. Please, I need you right now.” Y/N begged as the room was filled with nothing but her moans and sighs. She was never ashamed of begging for Beetlejuice, especially when she knew that’s what he wanted. His groans got longer and lower with each word she sighed out.

“Oh, babycakes, you trust and believe I’d be there right now if I could.” Beetlejuice moaned out. He wanted her, of course. He wanted to feel every inch of Y/N with his own hands. But right now, this is as close as he could get and he was going to make it worth her while. “Your fingers are in you, aren’t they?” 

Y/N’s eyes fluttered shut, feeling more pleasure rise to her pussy as she went to slip her index and middle fingers into her wet opening, pumping them in and out slowly. “Mmm, yes. Ah, Beej, baby. And I’m so close.” 

“Good. Now stop.” Beetlejuice commanded. Y/N’s eyes shot back open. He couldn’t be serious. Not when Y/N was getting so close to her desperate orgasm. One she’d been rightfully needing after two weeks.

“No, Beej, please. I’m so clo-” Y/N whined and protested but continued to rub herself. Beetlejuice knew this and wasn’t having any of it. When he told Y/N to do something, he meant it. 

“I said stop, kitten. I wasn’t asking. ” His voice then got seriously stern, making Y/N feel all too timid. The man was how far away but she still felt the need to follow his commands. Although she let out a quiet whine, she moved her fingers away. The lack of contact made her upset but she still did as told. Beetlejuice knew Y/N all too well and he knew when she’d follow his demands.

“That’s a good girl. Now, stick your fingers in that pretty mouth of yours.” The green haired demon spoke. Y/N couldn’t do anything but oblige. She slowly moved her hand from her throbbing pussy upwards. She lifted her fingers to her lips and placed them slowly into her mouth. Y/N let out a long, drawn out,  breathily moan as she tasted herself. Beetlejuice’s groan mirrored hers.   

“Mm, fuck yeah, babes. You taste yourself? You taste how desperate you are for this dick?” Y/N continued to moan at his words as she moved her fingers around in her mouth. “Get your fingers all wet for me, kitten.” 

Demoness just followed suit. She moved her tongue along her fingers to wet them excessively. Y/N let her imagination wander, thinking of them as Beeteljuice’s fingers. Thinking of how he would wet his fingers with her mouth and then slide them smoothly into her aching pussy, while whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

“Mmmph, Beetlejuice~” Y/N mumbled behind her fingers. She was getting restless. Fantasies could only take her so far before she wanted the real thing again.

On the other end of the phone, Beetlejuice was getting close to finishing himself. He stood in the Maitland’s attic, phone in one hand and leaking dick in the other. He stroked himself roughly, wishing it was Y/N’s mouth around his hardened erection instead. Taking a guess at how she looked in that moment made the man helpless. She was probably sprawled out on whatever surface with her legs propped open widely as an open invitation for him. He listened to her muffled moans through the phone’s receiver intently. God, the people he’d kill to see Y/N in such a helpless position again. Stuck in his own pleasure, Beetlejuice decided he couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Okay, babes. Are they nice and wet now?” Beetlejuice asked, ready to give Y/N everything she needed. 

Y/N pulled the fingers from her mouth and a small trail of saliva followed behind them. God, she thought, this was about to be too great. “Yes, baby.” She sighed out. The groan Beetlejuice let out was almost enough to make her come right at that moment. 

“Mmm, perfect. Now put them inside you, kitten.” The demon man spoke though his own moans. 

Y/N didn’t need to be told twice. Her body was hot and aching from her paused orgasm. She quickly moved her hand back into her panties before pushing them into her throbbing pussy entirely. Y/N practically screamed out at the missed contact. Beetlejuice growled louder at her scream and that only made it worse for her. She got back into the previous motion of fingering herself, this time more feverishly and without a slow pace. As she curled her finger against her g-spot as she spoke again. 

“Beej, please. I want to come. Please let me come, baby. Oh god, I wanna come just for you, baby.” Y/N begged without hesitation. Her voice was getting higher as she was right on the edge of her orgasm. 

“Come for me, kitten. Make that pretty pussy come for me.” Beetlejuice growled through his husky voice one last time as he was right on the edge with her.

Y/N’s moan could’ve reached all of the Netherworld as she finally got the release she so desperately craved. She arched her back against the couch as her pussy clenched and spasmed against her fingers several times. She grinded her hips up and down on her fingers as she rode out the sensation to its end. Beetlejuice wasn’t far behind as he pumped his dick just a few more times before his cum spilled all on the floor in front of him. Even though neither beings needed to breathe, the both gasped and panted like the wind had been knocked out of them. The only thing heard through the phone were harsh breaths back and forth. Finally, Beetlejuice was the first to speak. 

“Hot damn, babes. We have got to do that more often.” Beetlejuice sighed out heavily. Y/N sighed along with him in agreement. Her body started to relax as she came down from her high. 

“Mmm, believe or not Beetlejuice, I’d actually prefer the real thing.” She spoke while still rubbing below her. On the other end, Beetlejuice tucked himself back into his pants. Y/N also made an effort to get herself together. She removed her hand from her panties before pulling some on the robe back over her. Y/N didn’t even realize how tightly she was gripping the phone in her hand. She loosened her tight hold on the phone and then heard Beetlejuice chuckle on the other end at her comment.

“You and me both, kitten.” Y/N simply smiled at the man’s voice as Beetlejuice grinned on the other end. 

“Honestly, you should just send one of your clones next time. That might make things a little easier.” Y/N joked. That’s when Beetlejuice let out a loud cackle and Y/N giggled with him. “No chance, Y/N. As if I’d let the boys enjoy you without me there.” He joked back. Y/N rolled her eyes playfully. She finally fixed her position on the couch back to how she laid before.

“Don’t you think that’s a little selfish, Beej?” She asked while grinning, already knowing what his answer would be. 

“I can be selfish all I want, babes. It’s part of my character.” Beetlejuice said matter of factly and it was Y/N’s turn to let out a loud laugh. Once she stopped the line grew silent between the two for a moment. Y/N turned on her side, clutching the phone closer to her ear. 

“Beej, how long are you gonna be gone for? I really do miss you.” The demoness spoke fondly. Again, the fiercest succubus in the Netherworld, but she would only let her shy and timid side show for Beetlejuice. Once the demon man heard those words, his dead heart ached longingly. 

“Oh, babycakes. I don’t really know. But I promise, as soon as I’m done with these dopes here, you’ll be the first person I come to see.” He reassured sweetly. Y/N felt a small blush creep its way to her cheeks. 

“You promise?” She asked flirtatiously. Beetlejuice let a wide smirk fill up his face. 

“Yeah, kitten, I promise.” He spoke lowly and Y/N felt like she was melting. Before Y/N could say anything else, “Well, I gotta run, Y/N.” 

Y/N sighed with disappointment. “Alright, have fun watching the Maitlands.” She said as she sat up on the couch. 

“I’ll do what I can, babycakes.” The man spoke. 

“Bye, Beej.” Y/N stopped but she wanted to say more. Yeah, she wanted to talk more but she wanted to add something to her goodbye. Something long lasting. Something like an ‘I love you’. But she didn’t. 

She ended with, “You’d better keep your promise.” Before she heard Beetlejuice laugh one last time.

“I will, I’ll see you sooner than later, kitten. Bye.” And with that, the dial tone rang through her phone receiver. 

Y/N sighed and let her body hang loose on the couch. Her hand fell to the side off the couch as the phone hung loosely in her finger. Y/N placed the back of her other hand on top of her forehead before getting lost in thought. She had it bad for Beetlejuice. And one day she was going to have to admit her feelings. Maybe when he came to see her after he was done with the Maitlands. She’d come straight and say ‘I love you, Beetlejuice’. One day she would have the courage to let the words out. Even though the demon man was already gone, all she could say was,  

“Sooner than later, Beej.” 

Thanks for reading💜🖤💚

[artificialqueens]

Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, 5 (Branjie) (and background everyone) - Ortega

a/n: HOORAY last of the strictly rewrites!!! thank u sm for ur patience if ur still waiting on chapter 6, i promise i’ll make it soon! lots of lo-ove, by-ee!!

fic summary: Strictly Come Dancing enters its 18th series and its producers, after being goaded by a rival dance show on its inclusivity, commission it to be an all-female cast. Unlike Akeria who’s just here to bone her potential dance partner, dancer Vanessa is ready to act like a professional.

And then TV presenter Brooke Lynn walks into the rehearsal room.

***

“And…one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three-”

“Goddamnit shit cunt bitch fuck piss in my mouth,” Brooke exhales frustratedly all at once, and Vanessa holds back an involuntary chuckle. It would be funny if it didn’t hit so close to home. It’s only twelve o’clock and it’s day three of rehearsals but already Brooke’s entire body language is defeated, like a burst balloon, and Vanessa is worried.

It’s all her fault, really. The scores from Saturday night still burn her brain if she thinks about them too much, hot coals on a grate. Twenty one out of forty. If it were a grade in a test it’d barely be a pass, and Vanessa can practically see her eyes turn green in the studio mirrors if she thinks about the fact they were sixth on the leaderboard behind Jan and Jackie, Crystal and Gigi, Monique and Monet, Akeria and Asia and Jaida and Yvie. Vanessa does not do sixth. Vanessa does not do anything other than top three, and the fact that she ended last week in the middle of the leaderboard enrages her. Okay, she knows this isn’t her journey- it’s Brooke’s, but Vanessa has a reputation to uphold; it’s her first year and she cannot be seen as a dud pro. So on Sunday she’d channeled her fighting spirit into an appropriate dance, and this week they’re doing a Paso Doble. Well. They’re meant to be doing a Paso Doble, but it’s fast and it’s frenetic and Brooke isn’t managing to get her head around this one particular section. Vanessa feels like packing it in, to tell the producers they’re doing something else, but really what kind of person would she be if she pulled that stunt? So instead she’s been watching Brooke become increasingly irritated at herself since 8 this morning and tried to come up with a way she can teach it that’ll work.

“This is my fault,” Vanessa verbalises what she’s thinking and bites her lip. “I’ve made this too hard.”

Brooke suddenly freezes and glares at her. “Are you saying I’m shit?”

PANIC. “No, fuck no! That’s not it at all, I just-”

Vanessa suddenly relaxes as Brooke splutters a held-in laugh, thumping her on the arm. “Shut the fuck up, bitch! I was nervous.”

“Not as nervous as I am about this fucking dance,” Brooke sighs, running her hands down her face slowly. Vanessa looks at the clock and makes a decision.

“You hungry?”

Brooke shrugs. “I am quite, now you mention it.”

“Good. Get your jacket. We’re gonna get lunch.”

Brooke winces. “But I still haven’t got-”

“We have got all damn day to learn this motherfuckin’ dance, now will you put your jacket on and let’s go?” Vanessa says firmly, Brooke giving a little laugh, shaking her head in resignation before crossing the room to grab her things. Vanessa’s pleased, and there’s small fireworks going off in her heart. She’s just asked Brooke to lunch and she’s said yes, not that Vanessa gave her much of a choice admittedly. As Brooke holds the door of the studio open for her, Vanessa starts wondering about where they could go to eat. She’s distracted by the way they’re walking down the corridor side-by-side, the way that Brooke stays close to her despite the fact there’s plenty room for them to have their own space. Vanessa feels like putting an arm around her waist, then decides against it. That kind of contact is special, reserved for a Saturday night after their dance is over and they’re standing together in front of the judges.

They walk out into the chilly October air, and Vanessa’s regretting only taking her hoodie out with her. The weather is quintessentially British- it had been raining that morning but now it has subsided, so the paving slabs glisten with puddles and the cars that go by roll smoothly through the rain-sheened roads and the grey clouds still hang heavy and ominous in the sky. Normally weather like this makes Vanessa yearn for her trips back to Puerto Rico, where the October temperatures are what the UK could only dream of in Summer, but standing outside in the cold and damp doesn’t seem so bad with Brooke looking at her expectantly.

“Where d’you wanna go?” she asks her. Brooke shrugs.

“Starbucks? Take it back and we can eat while we practise?”

Vanessa lets out a laugh and rolls her eyes, both irritated and impressed by Brooke’s dedication. She has a think and then remembers that place a few streets along from the studios where she, Akeria and Monique had grabbed brunch one time before a pro dance rehearsal. The thought of poached eggs with golden yolks on avocado toast makes her stomach rumble and she jerks her head in its direction. “C’mon.”

The walk and the fresh, icy air works a treat at clearing Vanessa’s head and by the time she and Brooke grab a wobbly wooden table by the steamed-up window in the cafe she’s feeling loads better about their Paso even though technically it’s still a mess. She picks up the menu despite knowing exactly what she wants and gives it a scan before Brooke plucks it unceremoniously out of her hands.

“Hey!”

“What?” Brooke smirks knowingly. Vanessa doesn’t complain further, instead indulging in the way Brooke’s eyes dart about as she scans the dishes on the menu, the way her brow furrows and the way she bites her bottom lip as she thinks. When Brooke looks at her again, Vanessa rushes to pretend she hadn’t had her eyes on her first.

“They have some really nice stuff here.”

Vanessa nudges the fork on the table a little to the left. “Me, Kiki an’ Monique went here a couple weeks back. They both had pancakes and they were really good apparently, so…”

She tails off, and Brooke nods. “You’re close with them, huh?”

“Well, we’re all kind of like sisters. All the dancers. In, like…the most literal way possible. We bicker and bitch and steal each others’ makeup and clothes but we love each other underneath it all. But yeah, those two are my girls,” Vanessa smiles involuntarily as she thinks about her friends. She thinks before adding, “They helped me through all the shit last year.”

Brooke smiles sympathetically and nods. “That’s cute that you’re all, like, a family.”

“It’s real nice. ‘Specially since all I really have here is my Mom, and I don’t get to see her all that often.”

Brooke leans her chin on her hands, listening intently. Vanessa realises she’s left her last sentence a little cryptic, so she elaborates. “We came over from San Juan when I was two. Fuck knows why my Mom wanted to leave, but we did. The rest of my family’s still over there- my Abuela, my Tia and Tio, all my lil’ cousins.”

“Do you get to visit much?” Brooke asks. Vanessa nods a yes.

“Way more nowadays than I ever got to when I was little. Obviously when we first came here we didn’t have a huge amount of money but my Mom always made sure to save enough to fly back every Summer for the school holidays an’ stuff.”

Vanessa pauses and looks out of the window. Her stomach feels tight with guilt. “But obviously it got harder when I started wanting to dance, cuz hell, if this country don’t like giving out free school meals then they sure as hell hate subsidisin’ your dance classes.”

Brooke laughs humourlessly in agreement. Vanessa picks at her cuticles as she keeps talking, stares at the table to avoid Brooke’s eyes. “So there were sometimes Summers when we couldn’t afford to go back over because of me. That was hard. My Mom was always really good about it and encouraged me and said it was fine but I still remember her on the phone to my family and how much she cried afterwards…damn. I felt like shit. Guess I still do.”

Brooke pulls a sympathetic face. “But I mean, you’ve been able to go back since then, right? So what do you have to be guilty for?”

“I don’t know,” Vanessa shrugs sharply, frowns a little. “I guess it was just selfish of me. Lookin’ back I should’ve thought about my Mom more.”

“Yeah, but it all worked out for the best. You’re now able to fly her out way more frequently because of the career you’re in, because of the sacrifices you both made back then. Right?”

Vanessa feels something bloom in her ribcage as she smiles at Brooke. Her eyes are kind and she’s talking like a therapist and listening to all of Vanessa’s pent-up guilt and regret even though she has absolutely no responsibility or obligation to do so. “Yeah. Sorry. I just kinda dumped all that on you.”

Brooke shakes her head. “Don’t be silly. This is nice.”

Nice. It is nice. It’s nice to sit in a busy, cosy cafe with Brooke while outside is cold and damp and talk about her life and be listened to. Vanessa feels content and peaceful for the first time perhaps since this competition started. Her mind hasn’t been this clear in a while.

“What about your family?” Vanessa asks. Brooke smiles involuntarily as she gazes at the ceiling. It’s cute.

“Aw, I miss them so much. My Mommy, my total queen and my rock. I love her,” she says happily. Vanessa can’t help but smile at her words. She knows what it’s like to cling to her Mom as growing up they only really had each other. Brooke folds her arms as she continues. “And then I’ve got my older brother and two older sisters who I love to death as well. But I don’t miss my sisters. Well, I don’t miss the way they borrow half my fucking outfits.”

Vanessa snorts a laugh as Brooke shakes her head long-sufferingly. “So you’re the baby of the family then?”

Brooke shrugs. “An overgrown baby at thirty years old, but yeah. All my siblings are either in relationships or married so you can imagine how fun that is whenever I go back to Canada, getting questioned by the fucking relationship Gestapo.”

The sentence makes Vanessa’s heart start climbing the stairs of hope, and she’s not even attempting to stop it. She fidgets with a corner of her paper napkin as she speaks again. “Oh, so you ain’t…you’re not seeing anyone at the moment, then?”

“Why, who’s asking?” Brooke cocks an eyebrow. Vanessa instantly feels her cheeks flood scarlet, and Brooke lets out a howl of a laugh. “Kidding, kidding! No, I’m not seeing anyone.”

“Right, right,” Vanessa nods as nonchalantly as she can. She thinks about testing deeper conversational waters, considers killing two birds of curiosity with one stone. They’re on the topic of relationships, and who knows when they’ll get onto it again, so she decides to dive in. “Just thought you might, y’know…have a boyfriend. Or somethin’.”

“No, no boyfriend,” Brooke says simply. She leans her head on the fist she’s made and raises her eyebrows a little, giving Vanessa a quick once-over. “Or girlfriend.”

It’s the answer she’s been hoping for, confirming her suspicions that Brooke’s into girls, but the flirting panics her and so Vanessa reaches for the discarded menu to fidget with as she lightly shrugs, moving the conversation along with all the tact and delicacy of a steamroller. “So you live on your own then?”

“Yeah. Just me.”

“Me too. You like it?”

Brooke pulls a face, looks down in thought for a second. “Sometimes. Part of me likes the feeling of being completely on my own, because I can do literally whatever the hell I want, take things at my own pace. There’s nobody to nag me or tell me what to do. I realise that makes me sound literally half my age, but it’s true. I can sing as loud as I want.”

“You sing?” Vanessa asks, intrigued. Brooke laughs.

“I didn’t say I sing well!” she snorts, and Vanessa lets out a giggle too. Brooke continues, her gaze focused on the world outside the window as she speaks. “It’s nice though, that feeling of freedom. On the other hand I just miss, like…coexisting with someone? I don’t know. Like when I came to uni over here and I had flatmates and there was that feeling of comfort to know that there was always someone in the next room to talk to, or make dinner with, or just watch TV with. Just someone to do normal shit with. You know?” Brooke narrows her eyes as she finishes her sentence, appealing to Vanessa.

“Yeah, I get it,” Vanessa replies, letting out a little sigh as she lets a few memories in and then slams that particular door firmly shut. “I miss that too, sometimes.”

The silence lingers between the two of them for a second before Brooke speaks again, her tone upbeat and cheerful. “But I mean, for the most part, my flat’s great. It’s part of this new-build, hi-tech apartment complex that only got done building last year. We’ve got a gym, there’s a shop at the bottom, there’s meeting rooms we can book…”

“Yeah, I think you told me about the gym once,” Vanessa nods in recognition, and Brooke’s smile widens as she has an idea.

“You should come round some time. You’d love it.”

Vanessa tries to stop the blush that threatens to hit her face. The invitation is personal and not rehearsal or show related, and that fact shouldn’t make her as happy as it does. She fixes Brooke with a smile and nods shyly. “Yeah. That’d be cool.”

Still visibly buoyed, Brooke reaches across the table and rests her hand on top of Vanessa’s, patting it gently. There’s a little spark of static when they touch, a metaphor come to life. When Brooke smiles at her, Vanessa feels comfortable.

“This was a good idea. Thanks for dragging me out.”

Vanessa shrugs, doesn’t move her hand. She smiles lazily at her dance partner. “It’s okay. We both needed a break.”

As the waiter comes to take their order Brooke’s hand flies out from its position on top of hers, but Vanessa doesn’t mind. There’s a connection that’s been forged that isn’t physical, and she knows it’s still there even if Brooke’s hand isn’t.

Rehearsal ends up going smoother the rest of that day. Okay- it’s not perfect, but Brooke starts picking it up and Vanessa’s mind is less cloudy. Thursday brings more rain and full runs of the dance that don’t go smoothly but Vanessa is relieved because at least they’ve fucking learned it. By Friday they’re exhausted and worn out and Vanessa hates this dance, hates this fucking dance, but it’s one step closer to being over for good. She’s disappointed when it occurs to her that they’re not going to get particularly favourable scores- their run is still riddled with mistakes, but at least Brooke’s worked hard on what she was critiqued for last week. Her core is stronger due to the planks Vanessa’s been making them both do at the start of every rehearsal and her elbow hasn’t drooped once- not that there’s much chance for it to during a Paso, but at least the judges will be able to see that she’s taking their comments on board. Vanessa’s proud of her. She tells Brooke so before they go home on Friday night, when it’s quiet outside and different shades of dark. She thinks Brooke might be blushing as she thanks her and says goodbye, but she can’t be sure.

Saturday happens in a frighteningly fast blur- there’s excitement but it’s nervous instead of anticipative, as everybody knows that tonight one couple will be eliminated. Vanessa’s not really worried about that though- the bottom of the leaderboard last week was comprised of Courtney and Blair, Plastique and Scarlet, Willam and Phi Phi and Aja and Farrah, so in comparison she supposes sixth isn’t too bad. Her aim for tonight’s dance had been to climb up the leaderboard a bit, but knowing how their Paso’s been going Vanessa will call it a success if they both stay where they are.

It turns out they drop down to seventh behind Shea and Peppermint, after their American Smooth has the judges on their feet. Brooke and Vanessa’s Paso goes…well, it goes. It’s not the best they’ve done it but it’s done, thank God, and they never have to do it again.

Unless of course they’re in the dance off. But Vanessa doesn’t permit herself to think about that. Instead, she thinks about the warmth of Brooke’s hand in hers as they walk through the corridor together after their judge’s critiques and their interview. Neither of them address the fact their hands are entwined, and that’s okay. Vanessa likes it like that.

“You okay?” she asks Brooke, halfway down the hallway, as their character shoes squeak quietly against the laminate flooring and they cast fleeting shadows against the manila walls.

Brooke sighs a little, gives a half-hearted shrug. “Yeah.”

“No you’re not. C’mere,” Vanessa frowns, using the hand she’s holding to pull Brooke into a hug. It’s gentle and tight all at once, the way Brooke’s strong arms are holding her close contrasting with the way her hands are light against her back. Brooke smells of a Saturday night: tan in a bottle and hairspray and Jimmy Choo Flash perfume. It’s not like her usual scent of freshly-washed hair and her fabric softener (Lenor Gold Orchid- Vanessa had smelt them all rather self-indulgently on her last trip to Tesco to work out which was Brooke’s).

“I don’t want to let you down,” Brooke whispers above her, and Vanessa can tell she’s got tears in her eyes without even having to look into them. She takes a deep breath and shakes her head against her chest.

“You could go out there, forget the entire dance and do the fucking Macarena for all I care. You always make me proud.”

Vanessa feels Brooke press a kiss to the top of her head and it sets off a blush she can feel spreading down her face onto her neck and across her chest. Brooke had kissed her again after their dance had finished, quick and emphatic against her temple, and it had set off butterflies in her stomach that threatened to fly up into the rigging of the lights. Vanessa wants to get caught up in the moment, wants even to hold her gaze and see how she’d react if she asked to kiss her properly, but instead she pulls herself out of the hug. She keeps their hands connected though and as she meets Brooke’s eyes and finds that she’s smiling at her, Vanessa concludes it was the right decision to make.

“Fuck the scores,” she says, remembering each paddle (4, 5, 5, 5) with a sting as if she’s been smacked with them. “The Paso wasn’t for us and it’s over now. On to the next one.”

“Unless we’re in the dance off.”

“Brooke Lynn, Bianca gave Blair a two. I think we’ll be fine.”

Vanessa isn’t wrong, and it turns out their position looks better compared to some of the other dances they see once they’ve been through makeup to get neatened up again. Poor Scarlet tries her best to get through her Jive with Plastique but her feet just aren’t doing the things Vanessa knows Scarlet wants them to, and the judges give them a combined score of fifteen. Scarlet looks deflated as she leaves the dancefloor and the moment their interview is over Vanessa watches as Yvie pulls her into a hug (Vanessa knows that type of hug because she’s just given Brooke the exact same one). Aja and Farrah’s Samba wasn’t great either and they earn themselves a mark of seventeen. Despite this, though, by the time the show finishes and they have to assemble to film the results (which are pre-recorded and then broadcast on a Sunday), they’re both a bag of nerves. She and Brooke are placed on the stairs with a spotlight burning down onto them, ants under a magnifying glass. The mood between the couples is decidedly tense, and as Vanessa looks down at the girls on the dancefloor she sees Monet squeeze Monique’s waist as Monique sighs and rests her head against the other girl’s shoulder. Vanessa wants to scoff at the fact they both seem nervous. The waltz they did almost brought the house down and they even got a nine from Laganja, so unless the only votes they got were ones they gave themselves, they’re very likely to be safe.

Michelle does her intro and, as the lights go down, Vanessa feels as if her heart is going to break her ribcage it’s beating so heavily.

“I can now reveal that the first couple safe and through to next week is…”

Long pause. The beat of a drum and Brooke’s pulse that Vanessa can feel through the hand she’s holding. Vanessa is so nervous that she casts her eyes up to the heavens. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee…

“Jan and Jackie!”

Jan screams and Jackie falls gratefully into her arms as she yells a “thank you!” at the camera that’s barely heard over the applause.

“The second couple safe is…”

Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Vanessa gives a minute bow of her head like her Mom taught her to do at mass when she was little. Is it sacreligious to pray if you’re lapsed? Some priests probably think so. Vanessa hopes it’s working in their favour anyway.

“Heidi and Vixen!”

Vanessa can’t see their reaction as they’re positioned above them at the very top of the stairs, and she doesn’t want to turn around in case…it’s bad luck? She doesn’t know. At this point she’s not risking anything, not even looking up to see Brooke’s face.

“The next couple safe and through to next week is…”

Holy Mary, Mother of God…you take away the sins of the world? Nah, that’s the wrong one. Fuck.

“Gigi and Crystal!”

Vanessa wants to roll her eyes, much as she’s happy for her friend. Of course they’re safe. They were second on the leaderboard last week and first tonight after a scarily in-sync Charleston. It comes as no surprise to her.

“The first couple in tonight’s dance-off will be…”

Vanessa feels truly nauseous. It wouldn’t be impossible for it to be them, stranger things have happened on the show. What the fuck is that next line? Holy Mary, Mother of God…

“Blair and Courtney.”

Vanessa’s heart feels as if it’s been shocked by jumpleads. She feels Brooke give an involuntary squeeze of her hand, and Vanessa strokes her thumb against hers in return. They just need to not be the other couple in the dance off. It’s doable.

“The next couple safe and through to next week is…”

…pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death-

“Brooke and Vanessa!”

Vanessa doesn’t screech or scream. Instead she finally turns to Brooke, who’s meeting her smile with a matching one plastered across her own face. She falls into her outstretched arms in relief, and mumbles a “thank you” to the camera while Brooke holds her tight. They’ve made it. They live to fight another week.

Amen.

Of course, one couple isn’t so lucky and, after a tense dance-off between Scarlet and Plastique and Blair and Courtney, it turns out Blair is the first celebrity to leave the competition. The girls get upset- the celebrities have all become a part of their big, crazy family now, and it’s sad that Vanessa will no longer hear Blair laugh at something Vixen has said, or compliment her on her makeup, or ask to get selfies with everyone in the dressing room. It’s Vixen, though, who is affected the most by Blair’s departure. Vanessa knows they’re good friends but she wonders if perhaps they’ll ever become something more as she watches Vixen cling to Yvie and sob and sob. The moment they’re all allowed, the pros and celebrities flood the dancefloor as Blair and Courtney dance their last dance. Vixen makes a beeline for Blair and Courtney graciously steps out of her way so the pair of them can hug and cry in tandem.

“Shit, this is rough,” Vanessa mutters to nobody in particular. Monique, who’s materialised beside her, shrugs.

“Yep, well. I don’t plan on havin’ to go through it, so it’s not a problem for me.”

Vanessa snorts at her friend’s cockiness, then pulls a sympathetic face as Blair approaches the pair of them, all streaming mascara and sniffles.

“C’mere, baby. You did so well, be proud of yourself,” Vanessa offers to her, and Blair smiles gently before her face crumples again.

“Just…look after my girl, okay?” she asks them hopefully. Monique smiles, rubs her forearm gently.

“Oh, sweetie, Courtney will be fine, she’s a big girl.”

“Courtney?” Blair asks, confused. Then she appears to realise something and she smiles back at Monique, a little embarrassed. “Oh no, um…I meant Toni. Can you both look out for her? Make sure she’s okay after I’m gone? I mean I know her and Heidi are going to go far, but…y’know.”

Vanessa wants to cock an eyebrow at Monique in recognition, but she doesn’t. Instead she gives Blair a reassuring look, takes her hand and squeezes it gently. “Sure we will.”

Appeased, Blair thanks them and gives them both a hug before moving on to say goodbye to some of the other girls. As she walks away, Vanessa hears Monique give a big sigh beside her. She tilts her head at her friend inquisitively. “You ‘kay?”

“Yeah, uh…” Monique sighs, rubs her eyes a little. “Could we do lunch at some point this week? Me, you, Kiki. I just need my girls’ advice.”

“About what?” Vanessa asks her. Then, as she follows Monique’s gaze over to where Monet is standing talking to Shea and Aja, the penny drops. “Oh. OH. Okay. Yeah, we’ll do lunch, bitch.”

Monique smiles gratefully at her, then gives her a hug and a goodnight as she’s starting choreography early tomorrow. The coming week’s theme is movies, which is always fun, and Vanessa already has a number in mind. It’s ridiculous, and so quintessentially Strictly. She can’t wait to show it to Brooke.

As Vanessa thinks of Brooke, she finds her eyes scanning the group of girls to see where she is. She’s smiling as she’s talking to Plastique and Scarlet, her smile bright and dazzling and her eyes kind. The lights are hitting her highlight and making it look as if she’s glowing, and her hair catches the light too in its smooth and glossy bun.

Vanessa feels her heart yearn, and she considers the possibility that perhaps it won’t just be Monique talking about the feelings she has for her partner when they both go to lunch with Akeria.

[angryhausfrau-writes]

You Can‘t Cross the Same River Twice - Chapter 20

“Boy, there's enough red, white, and blue around here to make even old Ferret Face happy.” Trapper's looking around the park with an expression somewhere between awe and contempt. “Don't remember it being quite so...” He gestures vaguely at the flag bunting and the kids waving sparklers and tiny flags.

“What, it wasn't like this last Fourth of July?” Hawkeye finds it hard to believe that America would have been less patriotic during the death throws of the Korean war.

“I didn't go anywhere near any of this shit last year – got stuck with a twenty-four hour shift in the ER.” Trapper sighs. “Between the noise from the fireworks and all the kids coming in with powder burns, I coulda been back at the front.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

The clinic has seen its fair share of kids with burnt fingers – though fortunately nothing worse. And Hawkeye hasn't had the most restful week of his life, either. The constant barrage of fireworks brings back memories of artillery shells and he keeps dreaming about Korea. Just hazy impressions of blood and khaki, but unsettling enough to make him toss and turn half the night.

Trapper nudges Hawkeye out of those thoughts with a brief press of his shoulder. “Course, you were actually over there last year, so I tried not to wallow in self pity too much. I'm sure the coffee you were drinking was way worse than the shit in the ER staff room.”

Hawkeye laughs despite himself. Feels himself relax, despite the crowds, despite the dozens of screaming children – shrieks of laughter so, so close to shrieks of terror and agony. Despite what day it is.

He isn't in Korea. No one is going to die today.

Trapper knocks gently into Hawkeye's shoulder again, clearly reading his change in mood. “It gets to be too much and you wanna go home, just lemme know. Ok?”

Hawkeye smiles, small but genuine. “Thanks, Trapper. But I'm ok, really. And Cathy would never let me live it down if I missed her softball game – I'd lose my standing as favorite uncle.”

“That's true enough, Cathy's absolutely ruthless when crossed.” Trapper grins. “She pretty much single handedly whupped St. John's Episcopal in the interfaith league cuz they wouldn't let a girl play softball.”

“She an adorable little terror. You must be so proud.” And now Hawkeye's grinning too.

By this point, they've managed to fight their way through the crowd to the metal bleachers of the baseball diamond. It's crowded here too – apparently the Fourth of July little league games are a longstanding tradition – but it's a more orderly chaos. The hordes of children are being at least somewhat corralled by their impatient parents.

Except for Becky - who comes barreling out of the ballpark and right into Trapper, managing to knock him backwards a few steps with the force of her momentum. While Trapper's still getting his wind back, she flings herself at Hawkeye in an exuberant hug. He hugs her back, a little bemused – she's not normally so affectionate.

“Thank Christ you're here!” she exclaims when she finally lets go of Hawkeye.

“Don't cuss, Becky,” Trapper admonishes her. Though he's pulled her into another, less violent hug – and it's not like he has much room to complain about bad language.

“Sorry, dad,” Becky says, not looking very sorry. “But we've been here for hours! And all mom and Rob want to do is gossip about boring stuff like who's having babies or what some lady wore to church. At least you two talk about interesting things.”

“Speaking of your ma, she know you're running around loose?”

Becky looks guiltily at the ground and Trapper sighs.

“You better lead us to 'em before Louise sends out a search party. Don't want her to think you've run off to join the circus – though your human cannon ball act is pretty good, just about bowled me over.”

“Sorry dad, Uncle Hawkeye.” This time Becky does look contrite. But she brightens up when Hawkeye and Trapper each hold out a hand for her to take. And then she's tearing off towards wherever Louise and Robert are sitting – the two of them trailing in her wake.

They come up on Louise and Robert a little ways away – though the crowds are thick enough, it takes longer than it should to reach them. Leaving plenty of time for Trapper to watch them as he approaches.

It's still kinda strange for Trapper to see Louise out on the town – especially with a guy who ain't him. But they're friendly enough with one another, if mostly focused on the girls whenever they talk. And Robert ain't a bad guy, even if Trapper finds him unbearably boring. He cares about the girls a whole hell of a lot, and that's worth sitting through him talking about bird watching or the stock market or whatever the hell it is he's talking about now. Proper barbecue technique, by the sound of it.

No wonder Becky ran off.

Even Louise looks glad to see them, her smile a little fixed as she goes to kiss first his cheek and then Hawkeye's. And she's very quick to pull Hawkeye into a conversation about her latest knitting project – apparently Cathy's interest had sparked her own and they all trade knitting patterns now. Trapper smiles as he listens to Becky describe the plot of her latest Nancy Drew novel.

It's funny that it took divorcing his wife for them to find some kinda equilibrium with each other.

And Trapper ain't glad it happened, by any means. Mostly cuz Louise deserved better from him than being a distant shadow of the man she married – and a cheater who'd bedded anyone who'd have him over in Korea. A man in love with his best friend, even if it took him a while to realize.

But he don't mourn the man he used to be. Or see much point in regretting his mistakes. What's done is done – all that matters is the here and now. And this here and this now – a clear summer day, his one daughter sitting next to him and the other waving frantically from the dugout, Hawkeye happy and laughing and here with him – is pretty damn good.

--

Cathy wins her softball game and they all go out for ice cream after. They still woulda gone if she hadn't'a won, of course, but there's a special air of celebration about it on account of the victory.

After they all mob the ice cream cart – along with about a hundred other families - they cram onto a couple of park benches. The girls are talking all in and around and over each other in their excitement. And Louise is attempting to get them to take turns talking – a lost cause in Trapper's opinion. Even Robert is smiling and cracking some pretty terrible jokes. They're loud enough, some of the people walking past are giving them the evil eye.

But Hawkeye is just sitting there. Silent. With ice cream dripping down his arm.

Covered by the loud chatter of the rest of the family, Trapper leans in and says quietly, “You ok, Hawkeye? You wanna cut this short and head home?”

“Nah, I'm fine. Just thinking.” And then Hawkeye laughs quietly. “You know something funny, Trapper? That first week back home I went out and bought knitting supplies and a gossip magazine and an ice cream cone – strawberry, like I'm eating now.”

Hawkeye pauses to lick ice cream off his wrist and Trapper has to look away.

“It felt like – like this forbidden thing, you know? To go out and buy ice cream. Ice cream! It's not like I was breaking the law or anything – I wasn't even buying booze or a nudie mag or anything questionable – but it felt like I was going to get arrested by the cops for being out without a pass, you know? For daring to buy an ice cream cone without orders.”

Trapper nods.

For all that the army was s'posed to bring freedom to Korea, it was pretty damn thin on the ground – for soldiers and civilians. It had taken him a while to get used to the lack of military restrictions when he got back home, too. A while to get used to feeling like a real person again, able to make decisions for himself, able to set his own schedule.

“I had to remind myself that I was a grown adult,” Hawkeye continues, “capable of running errands on my own – going where I wanted when I wanted, without written permission or a curfew.”

Trapper nods again. “It's funny what a guy can get used to, I guess. What starts to feel normal.” He grins wryly. “Not that you've ever given two shits about being normal.”

Hawkeye laughs. “True enough.” And then he bites into his ice cream cone.

--

They get invited over to Louise and Robert's house in the suburbs for a Fourth of July barbecue. And the girls are so excited to show their dad and Uncle Hawkeye their rooms and toys and neighborhood haunts that they can't really refuse. So Hawkeye finds himself standing on Robert's meticulously manicured lawn, chatting with a slew of pastel-clad, pearl-wearing housewives while their husbands congregate around the grill to talk about cars and vacations to the Grand Canyon and other boring things. Trapper, meanwhile, has practically disappeared in a pile of roughhousing kids – occasionally breaking free, only to be pulled back under by the teaming mass. And Louise flutters at the edge of Hawkeye's little entourage – pouring drinks and setting out side dishes.

Hawkeye had offered to help – he and Trapper both had – but she'd said they were guests and ought to take it easy. Hawkeye doesn't know that he feels easy, exactly, in this world of matching bungalows and matching skirt sets but he does his best to relax.

It had helped when the women had gathered around him and started gossiping. All he'd had to do was listen and ask leading questions and he could be almost totally silent without looking bored or inattentive – a trick he'd learned on the boat home, back when he didn't really talk all that much. Back when he felt like he didn't have anything to say that was really him talking.

He doesn't feel that way anymore, but it's still a relief when they all sit down to eat and he can rejoin Trapper. Talk about something other than church functions, PTA meetings, and children's play dates. Even if they're sitting at the kiddie table and his time is mostly spent trying to keep the kids from putting potato salad in each others' hair.

It helps settle something in him to be able to see the kids alive and happy and alive. Helps drive home that he isn't in Korea and today isn't going to end like it did last year. And it helps that Trapper is sitting next to him, pressed against him, real and solid and here.

Trapper presses closer to Hawkeye under the pretense of the table being crowded. And there are a whole lotta kids crammed onto one picnic bench. But more than that, Trapper needs the comfort and familiarity of Hawkeye next to him.

Cuz it's strange, being here at Louise's house. Seeing her and the kids having a life here. Seeing them have a life here with Robert and without him.

Don't get him wrong, it's not any kinda life Trapper'd want to live. He ain't jealous or nothing. But it's strange, being here with the people he used to be so close to - but as an outsider to their lives.

At least Louise seems happy here - with her nice big house and her nice boring husband and her nice gossipy neighbors. Trapper's glad Louise is living the kinda life she wants – the kinda life she'd grown up with, grown up wanting. Glad she can have the kinda life he hadn't been able to have with her.

But he's really fucking glad when the night is over and he can go back home to his own life with Hawkeye.

[blueplanettrash]

Alternate Realities

This is a story for @abigailthemystic-vld who was the first to complete the puzzle based on my stories. They requested a story about the team going into some of the alternate realities in my stories! I hope you enjoy! 💙

Also, I’m just realizing that apparently line breaks aren’t available to use anymore so I’m gonna be using this little moon for line breaks. I hope most people can see it...

☽

Lance threw himself to the ground, rolling behind a log the steps thundered closer. He glanced up just as a giant wolf leapt over the log.

God, why couldn’t they have just left those Altean artifacts alone? It wasn’t his fault that they looked so cool. At least they can’t blame it all on him, Pidge and Hunk were the ones that handled them first, he was just you know…giving into peer pressure.

The ground shook as the beast landed in front of him, knocking him from his thoughts. Letting out a harsh breath as it stood tall. It stuck it’s nose in the area, sniffing loudly as it slowly turned toward him. Lance held his breath in fear as it came to face him. He froze, barely taking a breath as it stalked closer to him.

He turned away, unable to watch as the beast attacked him.

Instead, it grabbed the hood of his jacket and lifted him off the ground. He shrieked as it bolted, his feet just barely dragging the dirt beneath them. He couldn’t think through his terror, he didn’t know if it was bringing him back to his den or just trying to make his final minutes a living hell. He didn’t even realize that he was screaming until he ran out of air and started to hyperventilate. He couldn’t help but be grateful when he passed out and everything went dark.

☽

Meanwhile, his teammates were having slightly better luck. Instead of being transported outside in a weird forest they didn’t know, they fell right into their counterpart’s laps.

They leapt apart from each other in a panic, frantically yelling and pointing their weapons and each other before they got a good look at who they were facing.

“What did you do?” The other Shiro asked, somehow knowing that they did something they shouldn’t have done. Their Keith and Shiro looked back at Hunk and Pidge and they rightfully looked ashamed.

“Uh, we might have touched some stuff in the Castle when we probably shouldn’t have?” Pidge said sheepishly while Hunk nodded along.

“What do you mean? What did you touch?” Allura asked.

“You sent us to get training modules and there were these things. They kind of looked like gems, kind of like your tiara. We’re sorry, we didn’t mean to!” Hunk explained tearfully.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she replied after a moment. “Coran?”

“I’m afraid I can’t shed any light on the subject either,”

“Well whatever happened, it’s obvious that we’re in some sort of an alternate reality,” Shiro stated.

“It could be time travel,” Pidge piped up brightly.

“But we’d remember something like that happening,” the other Pidge pointed out. “Whether we go into the past or present, at least one version of us would remember it happening,”

“But if it’s an alternate reality, why doesn’t it look like anything is different?” Keith asked. He looked around for a second before letting out a sigh. “Except for the fact that Lance isn’t here,”

“Coran, you got eyes on him?” The other Shiro asked, turning towards the man.

“Give me a moment,” he said, turning around to type on the system. “Ahh yes, it appears that he just boarded the Castle again. Perhaps he can help us with our search for the other one,”

They didn’t have time to question why Lance was spending time away from the team before the doors to the bridge hissed open and a massive wolf trotted in, the unconscious form of their team in his jaws. He carefully laid the boy down and over to Shiro who draped a sheet over it. Within a few seconds, it looked to be changing. The team watched transfixed as the creature writhed under the blanket.

“What the hell is going on?”

Lance’s head popped out from under the blanket and he wrapped the material around his shoulders; his stare was focused on the team that came from the portal.

“And who are you?” He continued, stepping closer to them.

“Wha?” Pidge drawled out, staring at him in disbelief. Lance cocked his head, partly in worry but mostly confusion.

“What? Is there something on my face?” He asked, pausing in his steps to wipe at his cheeks. He waited for a reply but nothing was forthcoming. He turned instead to his own team. “Shiro?”

“Nope. I don’t know what up with them either,” he replied. He looked down at the unconscious Lance on the ground and grinning fondly. “Maybe we should take care of this first though,” he commented, kneeling down to pick him up. The rest of the team followed after him dutifully while the other was still frozen trying to understand what they’d just seen.

“Um… are you coming?” Hunk called from the door.

“Uh, yeah. Let’s go team,” Shiro said, shaking his head.

☽

They laid him on the bed and Coran got to work looking over his vitals. Thankfully, everything looked pretty normal and he concluded that it was the shock from warping that caused him to pass out. For now, they’d have to wait for him to regain consciousness.

They didn’t have to wait long before Lance gasped and shot up from the table. He folded over his knees and panted. He belatedly realized that someone was rubbing his back and telling him to breathe.

“Oh, Coran. W-what happened?” He asked, grasping his arm.

“We believe you fainted my boy. Whatever brought you here must have given you quite a fright,” he explained cheerfully, not pausing in his ministrations.

“Brought me here?” He trailed off in confusion before it all rushed back to him and he jolted. “No! What scared me was the giant fucking wolf that snatched me!” He cried out. “How did I even get here? I thought that thing was gonna tear me open!”

“Wait… you’re not…” he looked over, seeing Pidge. He must his head or something because was actually seeing two Pidges.

“How bad did I hit my head? Cuz, I’m seeing double,” he asked, looking back at Coran.

“You didn’t hit your head, there are two Pidges right now!” Coran happily explained. “Now back to the matter at hand, you don’t know that wolf?”

“What? No, I don’t know that wolf. Why would I know a wolf? How do you even know what a wolf is?” Lance spouted out, his thoughts blending together.

“We know because our Lance can transform into one,” Allura swiftly stepped in.

“Wha- your Lance?” Everything was becoming too much, he pressed his face into his hands. “Wait! He can transform into what!?”

“A wolf,” he turned to the side and saw his own face peering back at him. Everyone watched in apprehension as he processed. His team certainly still hadn’t recovered from the revelation.

“That is so… COOL!” He yelled with a wide grin.

“It is?”

“Are you kidding me!? That’s awesome!” He crowed, leaping off the bed. “Can you transform whenever you want? Or like, with the moon? Wait, are you a werewolf?” He asked, pushing into his double’s space.

“I can transform whenever I want but I forcibly transform whenever there's a full moon, so yeah I am a werewolf,” he said.

“Werewolves are real!” Yelled from behind him. “Wait does this mean that werewolves are real in our reality or is that the difference?”

“Or we could be in a reality that cryptids are real and Lance just isn’t a werewolf,” Keith theorized. “Are other cryptids real here?” He asked Lance, who couldn’t help but laugh at the serious expressions on their faces.

“Yeah, most of the ones that I’ve heard you talk about are real and I’ve met them,” he told them.

“Does that mean-” Keith started, his eyes lighting up.

“Yes, Mothman is real,” he interrupted with a smirk.

“I KNEW IT!” Keith screamed, jumping into the air. He spun around and jabbed a finger in Shiro’s chest. “SUCK IT SHIRO!”

“At least in this reality,” he continued, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“Doesn’t matter, as long as he’s confirmed real somewhere,” he waved, still smirking victoriously at Shiro who was pouting and rubbing his chest.

“Anyway…” Allura drawled, pulling the attention to her. “There isn’t much we can do about it right now. We’ll have to look into the records and see if we have any information on these crystals that you told us about. For now, perhaps we could eat and relax for a little bit? I can imagine that your bodies must be going through quite a shock right now,”

“That would be great Princess, thank you,” Shiro said gratefully. They walked away from the infirmary and into the kitchen. The two Hunks immediately went into cooking mode and starting pulling stuff from the cupboards and fridge.

“At least our organizing habits stayed the same,” he commented. They danced around each other, expertly putting dishes together for their friends, barely having to talk to each other.

“Alright guys, soups on!” Hunk said, setting the plates on the table. Their stomachs grumbled in hungry and Lance reached out to serve himself a portion.

One moment, they were together making merry and having fun and the next they were gone in a flash of light.

☽

This time, it didn’t look like they warped near their counterparts. They were simply spat from whatever vortex they’ve been travelling through and rolling across marble flooring. It took a second for them to get their bearings and attempt to get up.

“Are we back yet?” Pidge asked, rubbing her head. Hunk cracked his eyes open and stared up at the stained glass ceiling, which was definitely not part of the Castle.

“Nope,” he sighed, closing his eyes again. The rest of them groaned in disappointment. It was cool at first to see where they would end up, but at this point, they just wanted to get home.

“Man, I really wanted some of that food. It smelled so good,” Lance whined.

“Um, are you okay?” A familiar voice asked them. Familiar but one that they hadn’t heard in quite a while. Pidge launched up.

“Matt?”

“Yeah…wait, what happened to your wings?” He asked, eyeing her up and down. “And your guy’s ears and tails?”

“Oh god, are we furries in this reality?” Lance breathed out with a wince. The rest of them gasped and looked to Matt with desperation.

“Please no,” Shiro said his eyes wide.

“Uhh, I mean, you guys are a little furry?” Matt answered in confusion. “Well me and Pidge have feathers but Lance, Keith, and Hunk are furry?”

“Wait about me?” Shiro asked, pointing to himself.

“Um, you’re human. You’re an exorcist,” he explained. “Wait, who are you guys?” He finally asked.

“We’re from a different reality. We were looking for training modules and ended up touching some magic gemstones or whatever and starting hopping realities,” Keith explained quickly.

“Wow, that’s crazy!” Matt exclaimed, his eyes shining in wonder.

“That didn’t take much convincing,” Pidge commented with a snort of amusement.

“We live in a world where people summon demons to fight for them, it’s not that hard to believe,” he said. “Except the part where there aren’t any familiars, I guess,” he hummed. He thought for a moment before he shook his head. “There aren’t familiars where you’re from right?”

“Not that I’ve heard of, in our reality a lot of people don’t even believe that demons exist,” Lance said, finally getting up from the floor.

“You don’t say. Anyway, I’m guessing that you want to meet yourselves?” Matt asked, looking down at his watch. “They went out on a mission earlier but they should be back soon,”

“Ooh, what kind of missions do we do?” Pidge asked curiously, walking beside her brother.

“This city is a hot spot for ghouls and it’s constantly under attack, whenever that happens you guys and your exorcists are sent out to take care of the threat,” Matt explained.

“Whoa! That’s so cool!” Lance cheered as Matt lead them into a high ceilinged room, filled with equipment.

“What is this place?” Lance asked, looking around the training room. It kind of reminded him of the training room from Kung Fu Panda. Did they have Kung Fu Panda here? Would that be degrading for familiars? Maybe they replaced the animals with familiars? That’d be pretty coo-

“They come here after missions to cool off before they head home. To make sure that they get all their energy out,” he explained. “You don’t want a hyped up familiar in a contained room if you can help it,”

“Can they be that reckless?” Shiro asked.

“I wouldn’t call it reckless. It’s like if you give too much sugar to a child, they don’t know what to do with all of their energy,”

They looked over when they heard the doors opening again and Hunk, Pidge, Keith, Lance, Shay, and Coran walked in. They looked exhausted, but as soon as they saw the other group, they were immediately on guard. The other Keith let out a chilling growl, stepping forward protectively in front of his team.

“Calm down Keith, it’s all good,” Matt said teasingly.

“Who are they?” Keith retorted, his ears perked straight up in alert.

“I’m getting tired of someone having to explain our situation. We’re from an alternate reality,” Lance groaned, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. At the sound of Lance’s voice, the fox seemed to calm slightly.

“I for one, am too tired to care about this right now,” The other Lance said, stepping away from his own group and walking over to stand in front of their Lance. “Aww, I’m missing all the things that stand out,” he pouted after a moment.

“Hey! I stand out plenty!” Lance declared, stomping his foot. The cat let out a happy laugh and took his hand.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you,” he said, inspecting Lance’s hand. “Wow, you don’t even have claws,”

“It’s fine and of course I don’t have claws! I’m human,” Lance said, letting himself be handled.

“That’s so weird, I couldn’t imagine myself without all this,” he said, gesturing to his marks and feline traits.

“Yeah, we just came from a reality where I was a werewolf. How’s that for weird?” He said with a snort.

“What! That’s crazy!” He said, his ears at attention.

“What’s crazy?” The fox Keith asked coming to join the two of them.

“What the fuck?” Lance choked out as the fox Keith wrapped an arm around his double’s waist. He thought that he’d hiss and smack it away but instead he leaned into his side with a purr. He heard a choke from beside him and glanced over at Keith. His eyes were wide and his mouth gaped open, he imagined that he didn’t look that much different.

Pidge on the other hand, wheezed loudly and kept glancing between the two pairs.

“HAHAHA HOLY SHIT!” She bent over, struggling to contain her mirth. Looking at the other members of his team, he saw that they were in a similar state and while they were containing it better than Pidge, even Shiro was struggling to keep face.

“Uh, is something wrong?” Shay asked, concern written on her face. At that, a new round of laughs erupted from their group. Meanwhile, Lance’s face kept getting redder and redder.

“Yes! What is going on with that?” He demanded, gesturing to the two familiars.

“Lance and Keith?” She asked in confusion.

“YES!” The two of them yelled, glaring at each other after.

“Um, they are married. Is that not the same for you two?” Their eyes widened in shock.

“WHAT!?” They yelled, again in sync. Apparently, the revelation of their relationship was enough to keep them from each other’s throats for the moment. Meanwhile, behind them, everyone lost all sense of composure and were laughing alongside Pidge.

“I think I’m gonna rupture something,” she rasped, clutching at her stomach.

“STOP! IT’S NOT FUNNY!” Lance roared, his face was alarming red at that point and Keith’s hair was covering his eyes.

“Shiro!” Lance shouted suddenly interrupting the moment. He jumped away from Keith’s hold and jumped onto the gym equipment, vaulting over the other side toward the exorcists that walked in. Apparently, the two of them were used to this and weren’t fazed in the least when Lance jumped at them. Shiro even caught him with a smile, still caught up in his conversation with Allura.

“Good job out there today Lance,” Shiro said happily as Lance curled his arms around his neck and nuzzled his cheek against the crown of Shiro’s head.

“Thanks, Shiro,” he beamed. The two of them walked over to the group, surprisingly unsurprised with the others being there.

“This is so fucking weird,” Lance whispered to himself. First, he was married to Keith, now he was all cuddly with Shiro. This was a culture shock if he’d ever felt one.

“We heard about your presence from the head priest,” Allura told the group. “He sent us with this,” she pulled the bag hanging over her shoulder off and opened it carefully.

“Hey! Those look like the gemstones from the Castle,” Hunk commented.

“He just said to handle them and they should take you back to where you belong,” Shiro said helpfully from what was basically a chokehold his familiar had on him.

“Oh thank god,” Lance said, eagerly sticking his hand into the bag. Unlike before, he felt a whirlwind pick him up before he was blinded by a bright flash of light and like nothing even happened they were back in the storage room, scattered through the room. They groaned in relief, relaxing onto the floor.

“Alright kids, what did we learn from this experience?” Shiro asked, his arms covering his face.

“Mothman is real,”

“Keith, no,”

“Keith, yes,”

[chimchimsauce]

Hit or Miss (3)

In a desperate attempt to rebuke the advances of her overly energetic coworker, YN asks her quiet roommate Jungkook to pretend to be her boyfriend until Taehyung lays off. But YN comes to realize that there’s more to the quiet man than she could have ever imagined.

I guess they never miss, huh?

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Chapter Two

Chapter Three - Just One Day

The Sociology professor's words are slow and boring, the middle-aged man having the inflection of a robot. Regardless, YN tries her best to pay attention, scribbling down anything that might be useful for the upcoming final.

The rest of her classmates don't seem to share her intense desire to do well in his course. Half of them are blatantly knocked out, one guy a few rows ahead of her even snoring loudly. One girl is dazed all the way out, chewing loudly on a piece of bubble gum and blowing a large pink bubble every so often.

But the most distracting people to YN's concentration have to be the three girls right behind her who are not so subtly whispering. At first, YN wasn't paying them any attention but she perked up a bit when she caught Jungkook's name coming off of one of their lips. Normally, she wouldn't really care, but now that she's apparently dating him, she can't help but be curious.

YN still doesn't know much about Jungkook at all so gossip could give her a bit of an idea of how he usually carries himself around people.

Still taking notes but now half paying attention to the lesson, Yn ever so slightly leans back a bit and moves her hair out of the way, listening in as best she can.

"Really? He's really dating now?" One girl asks.

Her hair is pulled tightly into a sleek ponytail that must have taken half a can of hairspray to achieve. She looks like she's just stepped out of the hottest new beauty guru's glam makeup tutorial. A bit much for just a day in class, but who is YN to judge?

"Yeah, the whole music department's been talking about it ever since someone saw Jungkook and his band with this girl last week," girl number two says.

She almost looks like a clone of the first girl. Their faces are identical but that has more to do with contouring than with relation.

"But I thought Jungkook didn't date. He doesn't even hook up at parties and stuff," girl three says.

She's dressed a lot more like YN who wears a simple shorts and t-shirt combo. It is beginning to get hot.

"You think that they're just friends?"

"No, Jungkook doesn't have friends. Well, none that aren't part of his band,"

"Damn, I wish that were me. Jungkook could honestly step on me and I'd apologize for messing up his shoes," Ponytail says.

"Oof, true. Have you seen his body? That boy is so fine," Clone says, fanning herself.

"He could come up to me right now and get me to do anything, honestly," T-shirt says.

"That's cuz you're a hoe,"

"Where's the lie, though?"

"I wonder what made him choose her of all people. JK has girls throwing themselves at him everywhere he goes,"

"I don't know. From what I've heard, she isn't all that pretty. Not ugly, but definitely not on his level. He could do so much better," Ponytail says with her nose up in the air.

YN feels a quick flash of hurt, not having expected to be insulted.

"Oh, like you?" T-shirt retorts.

"Obviously,"

"Well, apparently he isn't interested since he turned you down at the last frat party,"

Ponytail huffs and YN decides not to listen to them anymore, not wanting to hear anything else these girls have to say.

She's distracted the rest of class, thoughts drifting off to Ponytail's comment. YN knew Jungkook was on another level but did she really look so out of place next to him that people felt the need to comment on it?

YN is startled when everyone stands as class is dismissed, the girl too lost in her thoughts to notice that it was winding down. She packs up wordlessly and leaves, walking home by instinct.

YN hasn't seen much of Jungkook since she hung out with him and his friends in their practice room. His schedule clashed with hers entirely, meaning she only interacted with him right before she leaves in the morning as he's just getting back home.

So nothing's really changed since they've made their agreement expect that Taehyung doesn't bother her anymore. As a matter of fact, he hardly speaks to her at all, only giving her a courtesy smile whenever they pass each other between the shelves. Even though YN's glad to be free of his annoying babbling, she is a bit concerned by the complete one-eighty his personality has taken.

Maybe she and Jungkook can already "break up". Even though he insisted that he genuinely likes her, YN doesn't really believe him. She doesn't think that he's lying, per se, but she doesn't think he's being truthful either. How can you like someone without really knowing them? Even if you count the time they spent together last week, that certainly isn't enough time to develop true romantic feelings.

YN sighs. All this thinking and over thinking is beginning to make her head hurt. She'll take some aspirin and lay down for a nap before tackling homework and getting up for her shirt at the library.

The air conditioning is welcome against her slightly sticky skin. YN plops her bag on the floor haphazardly, not caring enough to place it in her bedroom. A quick trip to the bathroom and YN finds the bottle she's looking for, shaking out two white pills. She'd take them in the bathroom but she detests tap water, instead traveling back into the small kitchen and rifling through the fridge for something cold and refreshing. She's confused when she sees a bottle with a bright green sticky note attached to it.

Pulling it out, YN is pleasantly surprised to realize it's her favorite drink. She'd run out of them a few weeks ago and hadn't had the chance to go pick more up from the grocery store.

Make sure to stay hydrated - JK

YN can't help but smile. She takes her medicine and sits on the couch, intending on finishing it before she heads to bed. She's almost done, maybe one or two more swallows left, when the front door beeps, Jungkook stepping inside.

"Hey,"

"Hey," she replies, watching as she brushes his hair out of his eyes and adjusts his backpack on his shoulder.

"You're home early,"

"Yeah, the professor canceled class,"

"Oh," YN says, suddenly feeling kind of awkward.

She's not sure how to act around him and his confession did nothing to help.

"Have you eaten yet?"

"No, not yet. I was planning to grab something before my shift started,"

"That's hours from now, though. Let's get something together,"

"Okay," YN says, not seeing any real reason to deny him.

Now that she thinks about it, she is kind of hungry.

"Just give me a minute to put this away and then we can go," he says, flicking his head at his bag.

"Yeah, sure. Me too," YN says, picking up her backpack and awkwardly smiling at him before retreating into her room to put it away.

Jungkook's constant cleanliness had never motivated her to keep her own things tidy before, but now YN finds herself wanting to make a good impression on him even though they've technically known each other way past the good impressions phase.

Jungkook chuckles, still in the living room, before shaking his head and going to his own room.

"Cute,"

Not even three minutes later, the couple leaves their apartment, walking down the sunny sidewalk.

"Any clue where you wanna eat?" Jungkook asks her standing so close that their arms bush as they walk.

"Not really. I'm good with anything, really," she says.

"Burgers?"

"Yeah, that'd be good!" YN says.

It's been a while since she's had a really good burger.

The two of them take the city bus downtown where there are more restaurant options available. The somewhat stinky bus is mostly empty, only a little old lady and someone just getting off the graveyard shift the only other people inside. YN and Jungkook sit in comfortable silence, watching the buildings go by. YN gets the feeling that Jungkook isn't much of a talker, that he's more the type to simply enjoy another person's company without feeling the need to fill the space between them with chatter.

It makes it easy to relax around him.

Before long, the bus pulls up to their stop, YN and Jungkook exiting to the busy streets.

"Where are we headed?"

"You've never been here before?" Jungkook asks, surprise evident.

"I haven't been most places," YN says, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Well, it's just a cluster of shops and places to eat. A lot of students come here on the weekends or after class,"

YN nods her head, stepping closer to Jungkook due to the large number of people going by. The last thing she needs is to get lost in a place she's never been at before. After nearly being separated after a man rams straight into her, Jungkook takes YN's hand, squeezing it in reassurance. Thankfully, Five Guys isn't as packed as the rest of the shopping center, the couple is able to find a table without a problem.

Once food is ordered, they fill their soda cups and sit on the hard bench. Jungkook props his head on his hands, watching her silently as she sips her soda.

"I've missed you," he says.

"I haven't gone anywhere,"

"Still. I've missed you. I hadn't realized how little I actually see you,"

YN's heart flutters slightly and she feels herself begin to blush. She clears her throat.

"Well, we'll be on break soon, so I guess we'll see each other more often," YN says, voice quieter than she'd like it to.

Jungkook's smile is instantaneous and bright.

"Yeah, I guess we will,"

"So, uh, how have your classes been going?" YN asks him.

"Fine. I'm just waiting for them to be over,"

"Yeah, me too. This semester has really been exhausting. I'm ready for the sweet, sweet, release of summer break,"

"Mm. I'm excited to be done with school but I'm not too sure that I'm really ready to be out in the adult world,"

Before YN can ask him to elaborate, their order is called, two beautifully silver foiled burgers and a cup of hand-cut fries shoved in a brown paper bag. Jungkook stands up and retrieves the food and they both dig in, occasionally brushing fingers as they eat their shared fries. For a moment, YN just watches him, watching the way he seems so natural here, less like that untouchable stranger he was only weeks ago.

It's not that he's any less gorgeous or unknown to her, but this is one of the first times that he seems normal, like he really might be just another young man instead of the sexy enigma she's always believed him to be.

"Do I have something on my face?" Jungkook asks.

"What?" YN says, slightly startled, "No, there's not. I just . . . got distracted,"

Jungkook smiles slightly.

"So when are you going to prove it?" YN asks in a sudden bout of unexplainable courage.

He lifts an eyebrow before smirking slightly and taking her hand.

"Just you wait," he says, winking at her.

Somehow they both know that he's already begun.

[forkanna]

[AO3] [WATTPAD] [QUOTEV]

WARNING: NSFW. Includes petplay.

It took until the end of their dinner and leaving to head back to Chie's house before they were calmed down enough to discuss what had just happened. Chie was highly embarrassed, but before she could even begin to fully dig into the reasons, Yukiko had something else prepared to say.

"I'm very sorry, Chie-chan."

"Ye-what?" she said, switching gears mid-word because she was taken aback and unprepared. "For what?"

"I believe you weren't really ready for me to do what I did just now. And yes, I know you insisted that you could handle it, but… I have a feeling that Ebihara-san coming up to talk to us changed your feelings. But you didn't stop me, so I made an assumption, and now… I think… it was the wrong one."

A long sigh of relief burst from Chie. "Okay, thank you. Whew! I was gonna say that I was a little freaked out, but um, I didn't want you to feel bad. Especially 'cuz I did something so gross."

"Huh?" Head tilting adorably in confusion, almost making Chie want to sweep her into a fresh kiss, she asked, "What did you do?"

"What do you mean? I kissed that bitch!"

"Ohhh. Well, I just assumed that was part of the playacting." Though her eyes did lose a little of their light as they resumed walking.

"Yeah. I mean, it kinda was, but like… I dunno, I was trying not to moan when I came and that was the easiest way to cover my mouth. And she is cute. Even if I wish I was kissing you instead."

That made a brief smile flash across her lips. "Oh, I see."

"Sorry."

"Well… it's my fault for continuing to play with you while she was leaning so close. I could see as plainly as you that she was making a 'kiss me' face."

"A 'kiss me' face?" Yukiko recreated said expression, and Chie had already started to lean in before she shook the spell off. "D-damn, that's… that is super effective!"

The Yasogami beauty queen giggled as she slipped her arm through Chie's and pulled her up the walk to her house. "I've seen the other staff at the inn do it to get tips. Not all of them, of course. Perhaps they watch the same TV shows as Ai-san? Those Korean dramas…"

"Ugh, I can't stand those. I mean, they're good right up until they hit some scene that's just so super dramatic that I can't take it seriously anymore."

"Really? I love them; you're not wrong, they are exaggerated, but I look at it as… that's the art form. It's how they display the full spectrum of the human emotional state by shining a brighter light on them."

Chie blinked a few times, then stuttered, "W-well, yeah, that's true. Sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry. I always knew you didn't like them as much as me."

"Oh." As she fished out her keys and opened the door, she said, "Well… isn't that bad, though? Like, if we're dating…"

"So what? You and I don't have to like all the same things. I never much cared for that Super Sentai show of yours, but I don't hate it, and I like watching it with you because you just get so into it." As they stepped out of their shoes in the entryway, she asked, "Isn't that what relationships are all about? Compromise?"

"Huh, well yeah. I mean, I wanna argue, but that makes total sense. You're sure you don't mind sitting through my stuff?"

"Not if you don't mind sitting through mine," she answered with such a sweet smile that Chie felt her pulse racing. "I think that's settled. We will continue to share our shows."

"Deal," she chuckled lightly as they lingered near the bottom of the stairs. "Hey, you can go on up and start on your homework while I get a couple chores done. Won't be that long."

"You sure you don't want some help?" Yukiko asked with very genuine concern in her tone.

"No, no! I got this. Plus once you figure out the assignment you can help my dumb ass."

Pouting, she slapped her arm and hissed, "Stop that! You are not dumb. Just not an academic." And still they lingered. Yukiko slid her hands up to perch on Chie's shoulders. "You're my Prince."

What was she supposed to do besides kiss her? Whatever it was, it wasn't going to happen, because she was already leaning in to gently take her soft lips, pressing her back against the wall by the bottom step. Yukiko barely squeaked before relaxing into the contact, lips sliding over her girlfriend's as they enjoyed their sweet moment together.

"CHIE! IS THAT YOU?"

Moment over. Hastily stepping away from her friend, she called out, "YEAH, MOM! BE THERE IN A SEC!" Then she hissed, "Go on, I'll catch up!"

"Okay," she chuckled before whispering, "I'll try not to think too hard about how sexy you looked in Aiya. Squirming everywhere from my-"

"SHHH! God, you're going to drive me crazy, I gotta go talk to my mom!" But they were both grinning as they parted ways.

                                           ~ o ~

The chores didn't take too long. Her mother wanted her to clean up the kitchen, take out the trash, and to go outside and feed Muku. She rumpled the big, lovable Saint Bernard's fur after his bowl was full, smiling and doting on him for a little while. He would need a walk in an hour or two.

"Awww, your poor collar," she sighed as he licked her all over the face. "STOP! Haha! Sorry, I got you a new one but it's too small, I gotta take it back. This weekend, I promise."

Muku barked as she played with his jowls, still sadly glancing at the old, threadbare leather around his neck. Privately, she was glad she had the wrong size; it was red and she thought maybe a black collar would suit him better. Serendipitous. Then he pounced on her and she laughed and shoved him away.

"Okay, OKAY! I gotta go, but I'll be back in a few, boy. Be good!"

He barked his approval. She shook her head and rolled around with him again. Chie had always liked dogs, but there was an even more special bond she shared with him. Yukiko had loved him the minute she found him, but her parents knew a busy inn was no place for a puppy that would grow into such a large, exuberant dog. That had been how Chie met her for the first time: sobbing on the sidewalk and clinging to his neck, lamenting that she couldn't keep the creature that had wormed its way into her heart so quickly. So Chie's agreement to take in Muku had cemented their freshly-created bond — an early indicator of how close they would eventually become.

Almost like he was their child or something.

Chie quickly washed up and used the toilet before heading into her room to check on her friend. "Hey, so I was gonna grab us some chips but Mom says we shouldn't spoil our dinner, so I guess… we have to…"

"Oh, that's fine," Yukiko said with a sweet smile from where she sat on the floor in front of Chie's bed, copying down notes from the textbook open next to her. Then she noticed she had frozen just inside the door. "Um, Chie? Is something the matter?"

"What… is that…?"

After a few seconds of trying to figure out what she meant, she saw the finger pointing at her. "What is me?" But when her hand moved up to touch her chest, she breathed, "O-oh. I forgot."

Apparently, Yukiko had forgotten she was wearing Muku's would-be replacement collar. The bright red of the leather was rather flattering against her pale skin, and the shiny metal studs caught the light just right. It was a little loose around her neck but not terribly so — though she had it cinched to the tightest setting.

"How? I m-mean… how could you forget you were wearing it? Isn't it uncomfortable?"

"No, not really. But now I feel silly…" She smiled shyly as Chie closed the door and walked over to sit on the bed. "I just saw it lying on your dresser and thought I might try it on, because of how happy it made my shadow. But I completely forgot I did that when I got focused on homework."

"Well, um, it's totally cool. Just really wasn't expecting it, but I guess…" She shrugged awkwardly, hands clenching on the edge of the bed.

And then Yukiko turned slightly and looked up at her, eyes wide with curiosity and concern. It made for a very specific type of display that Chie could not ignore: fists pressing down into the rug, back arched. Almost on her hands and knees. And that striking red collar dangling around her neck while she looked at her with such a compassionate expression…

Compassionate… or loyal. Obedient.

"You guess?"

"I guess… it does kinda… look good." That was not quite what she had intended to say. Really, she had completely forgotten what she was going to say before now. Wait — now she remembered. "You're sure it's not scratchy or something? Because if you like it, hey, feel free."

Cheeks turning a little rosy, she smiled and said, "I don't mind it. Really! Does… it make you uncomfortable?"

"What? I'm not the one wearing it!" But when Yukiko raised an eyebrow, she scratched the side of her face and looked away. "W-well, like… it's weird, because… people don't normally… but you kinda make it work, a-and you look so natural sitting down there… with it on your neck…"

"Sitting down here?" Unfortunately for both of them, she figured it out before Chie herself did. "Ohhhh. Because it's a dog collar, right?"

"Huh?"

Yukiko walked in a small circle on her hands and knees, a sort of bemused smile on her lips. "Am I a pretty puppy?"

Full blush. Chie felt like someone could make okonomiyaki on her face, it was burning so hot as she gazed down at her best friend, who was literally behaving like a dog. For her. If not for seeing Other-Yukiko do the same thing, she would be laughing her ass off right now, thinking it was a mere joke. But that shadow had made it distinctly…

Sexual.

"Yeah," she breathed. When Yukiko actually waggled her hips from side to side, she reached down and caressed her hand over her hair. "Pretty girl."

"Mmm," she sighed, closing her eyes and leaning into the touch. "My Prince…" The eyes slit open and she smirked. "My Master?"

God, why did that instantly stir butterflies in her stomach? Not only that… but it made her want to further explore the dynamic between them. "Does, um… does my cute little Yukiko want a treat?" Then she muttered, "That does not sound right, even a little."

Yukiko chuckled. "You're right, Yukiko isn't a very good dog name."

"How about…" It came pretty easy to her while she was petting over her hair again. "Yuka?"

"Oh? You think I'm a gentle flower?" Belatedly, the meaning began to catch up to her and her cheeks turned rosy. "Chie…"

"You knew that, though," she hedged as her own face flushed. "Everybody in Inaba knows… especially after you've been on the news. You're the fairest in the land, and you would never hurt a fly. Japan's sweetheart."

Biting her lip to keep from giggling, she finally managed to whisper bashfully, "Stop. I'm n-not that pretty."

"God, you so are. But I know… you don't see it. Like, even before your shadow pretty solidly confirmed that. But I swear… I'm gonna spend my whole life trying to convince you."

Now tears were blossoming at the corners of Yukiko's eyes. She trembled a little, swallowed hard. Clearly her thoughts were racing, butting up against the wall of emotion trying to overtake her. Then rubbed her cheek against Chie's leg. "Master makes Yuka so happy. Yuka is hers forever."

Now her heart really was hammering in her chest, and her pulse was pounding somewhere downstairs — an area she would always associate with Yukiko for the rest of her life. Because she was the only one for her. Hers. How lucky could she get?

"Good girl, Yuka. Good girl."

"Chie? Are you… crying? Is everything-"

"All good," she cut her off, wiping at her eyes hastily. "Noooo problem here! Just, um… just all… a-anyway, it looks like you're really happy about the collar, so it's yours. All for Yuka, okay?"

"All for Yuka!" she piped up with a big grin and a little bounce. Of course, Chie could see she was a little bit bemused that she liked having her best friend as a dog, but… it wasn't all that. She also found their little impromptu roleplay to be fulfilling somehow. Both of them did.

"Okay, up, Yuka!" She obeyed, climbing into her lap. "Such a good girl — so pretty, so sweet."

Clearly a little nervous about it, Yukiko let out a quiet little bark. It didn't sound much like an actual dog but it wasn't bad for a first try. Not sure what else to do, Chie decided to kiss all over her face like she would with Muku.

"AH!" she yelped out before giggling, "Stooop, that's so much!"

"Well I have to show my doggy how much I love her," she laughed back — before her breath caught in her throat. It had been so easy to say. Was this too big a step too soon, when they had only just barely begun to realize they had such feelings for each other?

But before she could dwell on it too deeply, Yukiko was already pressing a very light kiss to her lips. "Yuka loves you too, Master. Very much."

"R-really? Are we just playing, or…?" When Yukiko shook her head, biting her bottom lip to keep from grinning too wide, Chie found she felt light-headed. "Oh. Wow, I'm- okay then. I guess that answers that question."

"Guess it does. Is that alright?"

"Absolutely. I mean… I already knew I loved you the most, so I guess… since we're together now, that means…"

"We're in love," Yukiko breathed for the two of them. Her arms tightened around Chie's body as she pressed her face into her neck, adding in a muffled voice, "I… this is crazy, and I'm shocked, but I've never been happier. Do you think this is normal?"

The Prince couldn't help laughing nervously as she pushed her hands into her best friend's back through the layers of her school uniform. "How the heck should I know? I've never been in love before! Geez, I've never even put a note in a boy's locker before!"

"Well, it probably isn't normal that I'm wearing a collar. But otherwise, it feels… nice. Letting you keep me. I belong to you forever."

"Yeah. Crazy, but yeah, I… I'm never letting you go. Bet on that."

The next kiss lasted for a long minute, hands caressing, lips entwining as their hot breath commingled in the space between their bodies. Before she knew it, Chie was undressing her as they rolled over on the sheets, hands seeming to know exactly where to go.

"You want me right now?" Yukiko asked in scarcely a whisper, pupils dilated fully as she gazed up at her best friend.

"Damn right. Do you… not want to? We could-"

"I just want to be close to you," she cut her off. "What we do isn't nearly as important."

Chie kissed along her neck, feeling her pulse and listening to her shaky breaths. That light scent that only belonged to Yukiko filled her lungs as she finally got her skirt down her legs, then began to peel her black tights off.

"Oh…"

"What?" Chie asked urgently, stopping with them bunched around her friend's knees. "Did I screw up?"

"N-no, you're fine! I was just wondering if you had... a thing… but I suppose I don't know why I thought about that."

Completely lost, she prompted, "Thing? What thing?"

"For stockings. For some reason, when you started taking them off my thought was that clearly you don't have a thing for stockings if you're getting rid of them."

Glancing at the tights, she finally connected the dots and let out a long "Ohhhhhh" as her head bobbed up and down. "R-right! Well… I've always thought you look great in tights, but I definitely never thought about it that way! Did you… want me to be into them like that?"

"NO! I mean…" Now her legs were fidgeting, so Chie continued to pull the stockings off to let her have the freedom to move. "You were into stepping on my face, and… I kind of was too… I was mostly just curious."

"Oh. Like, if I'm into feet and stuff?" She wasn't, but could definitely see how Yukiko got that impression. "Nah. But don't get me wrong, yours are cuter than Ebihara's, that's for sure."

That made her smirk. At first she couldn't figure out why, but then Yukiko muttered, "You were checking hers out, huh?"

"What?! No way! I m-mean, she really didn't leave us much choice, did she? Slamming her leg up on the table like that! She's crazy!"

"She's vain," Yukiko giggled as she ran her toes up and down her girlfriend's leg. "But thank you, for your reassurance. I wasn't trying to fish for compliments but I like it when you give them."

"No problem. Easy when I think you're the hottest girl on the planet." She picked up the playful foot and began to massage.

"Mmmhh…"

Chie felt a new flutter in the pit of her stomach. Yukiko was into this? No… it was a lot more likely she was enjoying a foot massage like a normal person. Well that was fine. Smiling in the knowledge that she could do something for her favourite person, she started digging in harder with her thumbs.

"O-oh goodness!" she gasped out, squirming and clutching at the sheets as her pale pink sole was assaulted. "Chie! W-wait!"

So she paused in her motions. "Yeah?"

"Shouldn't… I be doing this for you, Master?"

"Well… I mean, um…" Flustered by the return of that term of address, she shrugged and looked away. "I've… never seen any dog give a foot massage, so I think you're in the clear. Thanks, though."

"But isn't that an obvious benefit of having a dog with opposable thumbs?" They both laughed at that one, and Yukiko took the opportunity to crawl up into her lap. "I also assume you would rather have human-kisses than dog-kisses."

"Hell yeah, I would. C'mere, Yuka."

Another few minutes became lost to time. Eventually, they were both in their underwear and tangled up in the sheets, enjoying the closeness and warmth that provided. Paradise. Chie really wouldn't have minded if time froze in that ephemeral moment: she couldn't imagine a better one coming in the future.

Although the collar was still on. Was she really that comfortable in it? Curious, she slipped a finger in past the band of leather and gave it a gentle tug.

"Nhhh," she breathed into Chie's lips. That sounded favourable. So she tried it again a bit harder, and this time their kiss broke so she could moan out, "A-ah… Master?"

"Is my Yuka okay?" she asked cautiously. She only wanted to keep going if it wasn't a problem.

"Uh-huh. I mean, um, yes. Yuka is fine." She maneuvered two sets of legs until they were able to press their sexes up against each other, thin layers of panties notwithstanding. "Mmhh… does Master want to train me now?"

Luckily, Yukiko had tapped the hand tugging at her collar with a single finger; otherwise she wouldn't have been able to catch on. "Oh? So… you like this training?"

"Yes!" she gasped out, barely a strain in her voice from the restricted airflow. "M-makes me feel… like Master will take care of me!"

Maybe eventually, they would be practiced enough that they wouldn't have to reassure each other so often. But even with that slowing things down… this was still so much hotter than when she had been trampling Yukiko or spanking her. It felt a lot more right – which was both worrying and reassuring at the same time. Why did she like bossing her around? She knew Yukiko wanted someone to take care of her, but was that all it was for Chie? That she wanted to be her caretaker, and it got a little twisted due to petty jealousy?

"A-ah!" Yukiko gasped out a little weaker, face flushed from the effort to breathe.

"Good girl," Chie purred down at her as she rolled her hips a little harder. What she wouldn't give to suddenly sprout a thick cock with which to slam into her… or vice versa, really, but she figured being the owner meant she was supposed to have it. Maybe they could look into buying one at least. "Master's so happy you… like your training! I'm gonna train you real good!"

Hotter and hotter, their passions burned as they writhed together. Eventually, Chie awkwardly yanked down her own panties, and Yukiko took advantage of the break to drag air into her lungs and divest herself of all remaining garments, as well. Then they resumed their positions, this time with one of Yukiko's legs up over her shoulder.

"MMhhh! My Prince! Or… I mean, Master?"

Chuckling breathlessly, she told her, "It's fine, whatever! Do you… like one more than the other?"

"Well…" Laughing herself now, if a bit more shyly, she licked her lips before answering, "I like Prince more, but… Master is… it m-makes more- NNH! Makes more sense when you have me in a collar!"

"Yeah? I mean… this was your idea," she snorted as she tugged on the leather.

"Was it? I think it was yours! In the TV!"

That brought a full blush back to Chie's cheeks — though it wasn't a far leap, since she was already glowing red from the exertion. "Y-yeah? I guess… you have a point, b-but…"

"I know! You didn't really… think of me… it's okay! Just keep going!"

"R-right!"

So keep going they did. Chie made sure to exert more pressure on the collar, on Yukiko's throat as their hips ground against each other. GOD, that direct contact really made a difference! It still wasn't as incredible as using fingers or mouths, but the knowledge that her most intimate area was pressing right against that of her best friend in the whole world more than made up for the awkwardness and lessened sensation. Her heat was building so fast that she knew it wouldn't take more than another minute.

"M-Master!" Yukiko gasped out weakly. "M-my head… is spinny…"

"Oh shit!" She let go immediately. "Are you okay?! Yukiko!"

After a couple of breaths, she smiled up at Chie. "Y-yeah! Thank you. But you didn't have to stop…"

When her calf muscle bounced off Chie's shoulder, she knew what she meant and smiled as she returned to her blistering pace, grinding their bodies against one another. She still slipped a thumb under her collar to exert pressure, but it was barely anything now — just a little added interest.

"MASTER! I'm- I am close! I think! A-are you?!"

"Ohhhhh YEAH! GOD! I'm so close, Yuk- Yuka! Be a good little doggie and cum for me!"

Instantly, she could see the blush was so much brighter in Yukiko's cheeks. Either from the pet name, being called a doggie, or how vulgar the request was. Maybe all of them — maybe it didn't matter. But all she panted out that was intelligible was the word "YES!" before she was rolling her hips just as hard, meeting her partner on her level.

They both climaxed mere moments later. Chie was both elated and disturbed to feel the wetness growing between them, and couldn't even be sure if most of that was coming from herself or the pet writhing and squealing on her bed. But in the end she decided there was really nothing wrong; she just was used to feeling wet things as being "gross". This was the feeling of being with her lover, and she would cherish it.

"Ohhhhhh," Yukiko groaned as their bodies finally came to a stop and the pressure on her collar was released. "Wow… that… is it… supposed to get better… every time?"

Laughing weakly, Chie slowly moved her leg from off of her shoulder and laid it down before she flopped onto her side next to her best friend. "Maybe? I… agree though, that… was super hot!"

"Yeah," she giggled as she easily rolled to face her, eyes dancing with light and joy. "I can't believe… we can do this, and it feels that good! Without a boy! I thought it was supposed to…"

When she didn't answer right away, Chie prompted, "Supposed to?"

"Oh, sorry. I just meant, I thought boys and girls had bodies that fit together. So that was how sex would be the most pleasurable."

"Well, I guess I sorta thought the same," she admitted with a half-smile as she pet up and down Yukiko's side. And Yukiko's eyes closed in bliss, so clearly it was the right move. "But like, whatever, right? I love you and I'm glad you were into it, since I was, too. Kinda works out like that."

Yukiko nodded fervently. "I agree — very much. And I'm devoted to you, so I don't really feel any need to find out the differences."

"You sure? Like, I would totally get it if you wanna bang some guy and figure out if like, the lesbian life is really what you want."

"Very sure," she reassured her with a little peck on the cheek. "The more I get used to you being my lover, the more I know… it was always going to be this way. You and I were destined to be together."

Tears began to form at the corners of Chie's eyes. They snuck up on her, and she had already sniffled by the time she regained control — which meant it was too late. Her Yukiko was already kissing the tears away, embracing her tighter.

"It's okay, my Prince."

"I just l-love you s-so much!" she blubbered as she clung tightly to her girlfriend. She could hear a tightness in Yukiko's voice when she reassured her that everything was going to be fine, but she didn't break down; she had to be strong while the other was weak. She knew they would be taking turns like this for a long, long time.

"Ohh, it's okay! Shhh, Chie, I love you, too!" The delicate hand petting over her hair both helped and made it worse. "Yuka loves Master!"

That made the next sob turn into a chuckle. "God… we're pretty messed up!"

"No, I don't think so. Just different." She pushed her head back enough to kiss her lips, gazing up into her eyes — and revealing her own were slightly wet. "But you and I are forever. Even if we're weird, we can be weird together, okay?"

"Uh-huh," she managed to blubber, sucking in a deep, hard breath to steady her nerves. "Okay… God, we have homework to do and stuff, and I'm… I mean, we just banged, and it was incredible, and I don't know why I'm sad about being so happy?"

Yukiko giggled and kissed both her cheeks again. "I've heard that people cry when they experience extreme emotions. I know I do. Doesn't only have to be bad emotions, you know."

"Well, I think it sucks! Get me outta this mess!" They both laughed as they relaxed on the bed, more or less nude and basking in the afterglow of a good lay… and the acceptance of their connection to each other. "Ah man… Yuki-chan, I'm so happy."

"Me, too," she whispered as she curled around her body and nestled in again. "Your puppy really loves you."

"Y-you don't have to say the puppy thing, y'know. I was just messing around."

"You were not. And neither am I." As Chie tried to fight off the hot shame trying to fill her, her new pet kissed her gently and whispered, "I can be your secret puppy whenever one of us needs it. I do not mind at all, because I know you take good care of Muku, so… why wouldn't you take good care of me?"

"It's demeaning…" When Yukiko frowned hard, she sighed. "Okay, okay, we both know I'm gonna treat you great for a dog, but I should be okay treating you like a person, right? So… maybe just a sexy thing, once in a while… that's not so bad."

Her girlfriend pet up and down her stomach. "Whatever makes you comfortable. But if it would help… I'll start wearing this collar all the time to help you get used to it."

"WHAT?! N-no, don't- I mean, somebody's gonna ask, and what the hell would you tell them?!"

"That I belong to Master." When Chie paled, she giggled hard a few times before saying, "I'm kidding! I would tell them I'm trying out a new fashion statement or something. I think it looks nice."

Swallowing hard, she looked down at her nude best friend, clad only in that collar. "Damn, it looks really nice… but I don't want anybody else seeing you like that."

"You don't? Oh…" Her cheeks turning rosy, she bit her lip and looked away shyly. Adorable. "Yuka is all yours, you know. Nobody else will see me this way. But… w-well…"

"What?" she prompted.

"I'm only yours. And this collar will tell people that, even if I don't confirm it. Maybe subconsciously, it will stop guys from hitting on me, because they will equate seeing a collar with ownership. You don't own me like a slave," she cut Chie off when she saw her opening her mouth to protest. "But we can play like you're my pet-owner. And the rest of the time, think of it like an engagement ring."

Well, if Chie didn't already feel like she was about to faint, she definitely did now. "ENGAGEMENT! Y-you wanna marry me?!"

"Obviously."

"NO! No, not obvious — I'm losing my… you would really…"

"Shhhh," she soothed her as the tears came back for both of them, even if moreso for the kung fu master. "Chie, have you heard of a promise ring?" A little nod, so she continued, "Let's say that instead of an engagement ring, then. Just a promise that we are exclusive, not that we're planning to get married. Is… that less… troubling?"

At first, Chie just nodded, and earned herself a few more kisses in the process. When she found her voice again, she whispered, "Not 'troubling'. God, I'm sorry, it's just… freaking me out that I get to be this close to you! That you wanna make it a steady thing! Like, so do I, but you're a literal dream girl and you're picking me over anybody in the whole country, and I just… can't… even!"

"Just a puppy who loves her Master," she whispered into her lips. "Yuka is all for you. Forever."

She had to step up. Say something less freaky-outy. "And Master is never, ever letting you go." Then she let her urgent need to kiss her sweep over them both.

Their homework remained neglected for some time.

                                          To Be Concluded…

[coquelicoq]

well i pulled a muscle in my back today and couldn’t do anything for several hours except sit very still in a chair (with my feet flat on the floor like a normal person, god it was so boring), so i finally got past my cql block and am finally back in the present day storyline! hallelujah!!

31

bummed that lwj didn’t deliver the baby party invitation in person. i was really looking forward to that interaction! but at least this way wwx gets some mail, which is always nice. not to project or anything, but if i were a fugitive living on a cursed mountain i would for sure treasure a handwritten note from an old friend.

i wonder why wq is so worried when she reads it. maybe she thinks that wwx might leave them for good? or is she worried about wwx's state of mind when he sees that the invitation is from lwj, since the last time they talked about lwj was when wwx was crying into his cups about the one who got away?

wwx all “new phone who dis” at jin zixun lmao. take that, LOSER

this fight is so funny like wwx couldn't have just gone to stand behind the rock, noooo wen ning had to pick it up and move it a couple feet so that it's in front of him lol

wen ning just stabbed jin zixuan! what the fuck!!!

i was 100% not expecting this to happen right now!

i take it back. this fight is decidedly not funny

i have such bad instincts for what kind of injuries are serious in this universe. i kept expecting jin zixuan to be just fine, because cultivators are constantly sustaining what i would expect to be mortal wounds and then they just heal. wwx recovered from a stab wound (which he appeared to refuse medical treatment for) even after he lost his core. madam yu was coughing up blood for like half a day and only finally bought it when she impaled herself in the heart. apparently stabbing is no big deal except when it is totally a big deal

aw nuts wwx makes ah-yuan cry again. hey yiling laozu, do you take constructive criticism?

i had a hell of a time getting through the back half of this episode because jzx’s death really fucked me up, but i’m glad i did eventually so i could see the scene of wq saying goodbye to wwx. otherwise i probably would have been very confused about how wq and wn came to turn themselves in, why wq didn’t protect wn, why wwx didn’t stop them, etc.

that said, why did all the wens turn themselves in? i thought only wq and wn had to? where's ah-yuan?? WHERE THE FUCK IS AH-YUAN?????

32

also wasn’t sure i was going to watch this one cuz i didn’t want to see shijie die but i’m glad i watched everything up to her death because otherwise i would have missed out on:

wwx finally getting to defend himself verbally in front of all the sect leaders & call out their hypocrisy and incredibly nonsensical evidentiary standards. burden of proof whomst??

wwx keeping his spirit army from attacking his brother & the jiang sect!!

lwj hardcore protecting wwx when wwx comes down to look for shijie even though wwx had been the one to start fighting him when he had just been chilling on the rooftop trying to play some mellow tunes

also had i skipped 32 i would not have known anything about the second flute player. somehow i have not noticed anything about this in any fic or gifsets, my primary sources of disjointed intel about this creative property

isn't it clear that wwx isn't the one doing this? there’s flute music even when he’s not playing. i guess it’s too hectic and nobody notices?

does this mean that shijie’s death isn’t actually directly his fault??

33

just gonna skip right on past jiang yanli’s tragic death on a battlefield in front of both her brothers, thanks again to the friends who gave me timestamps so i could do that <3

wwx throws the yin tiger seal in the air and it explodes. he cry-laughs as he watches everyone fight over the pieces, and then he throws himself off a cliff. it has been a bad day for this guy

and then the two people most important to him in the world show up and they all do very intense & heartbreaking things with their faces that i canNOT get into right now

time jump!!! awesome cuz i am SO ready for present-day shenanigans again. i hope it doesn’t matter that i didn’t understand and now have forgotten anything that was happening in episodes 1 & 2 lol

wow so much romantic shit happens in 33!

wwx waking up to lwj playing their song & asking if lwj would believe that he doesn’t know where he was for the past 16 years, and lwj being all “dude if you told me two plus two equals three i would find a way to make it happen”

(sidenote: did wwx not ever actually die in this story (as opposed to in the novel)? cuz they never found his corpse and he's still in his own body, so idk what that is supposed to mean about what happened to him)

wwx walks around cloud recesses and has lots of bittersweet flashbacks of happier times playing with his siblings and harassing lwj. ngl guys, the sadness and affection in his eyes as he watches his younger self causing mischief and being carefree...that got to me

oh fuck this is when he sees lwj in the cold springs and gets an eyeful of his scars. omg the camera ZOOMS IN on the wen clan brand! jesus fuck even when i know something’s coming they still manage to surprise me with how effin romantic it is!! (good news @ctl-yuejie i’m still hopelessly underestimating the level of romance)

i'm so confused by what happened to ah-yuan. and where is the part where wwx keeps telling lwj to get lost? is that only in the novel? so if that part doesn’t exist in the show, why does wwx not know what lwj did to get lashed? (it's just nightless city, which wwx was present for, right?) is it his bad memory? but don’t tell me cuz probably it will all become clear later

wwx logic: i'm gonna play my flute so badly that lan qiren will pass out from how much my music sucks. then once he’s out, i can play normally and he won't know it's me!

wow if this worked in the real world i could be dropping people like flies constantly

so there were five pieces of yin metal. three were destroyed (allegedly; i still think that’s a suspicious claim), the murder turtle sword was one, and xue yang had the fifth one. wwx turned the murder turtle sword into the yin tiger seal? he destroyed the yin tiger seal, but since xue yang had another piece of yin metal, he was able to take some pieces of the yin tiger seal and make it into another malevolent sword, which he (or somebody) then left at mo manor? that’s what i’m getting from this infodump but only time will tell i suppose

poor wwx. he gets to qinghe and is immediately confronted with a bunch of ugly caricatures that some guy is trying to sell as his likeness. what a blow to his ego.

and then jin ling shows up and just yeets the guy into a market stall!! you can tell this kid was raised by jiang cheng, he really knows how to make an entrance...

[pandemicthestory]

8: masked

YOUTUBE SEARCH// how to make a pandemic mask with a bandana (to save a brain dead sister)

After hanging up with Madison, Emma pulls up a YouTube video on how to make a DIY mask out of a bandana and two rubber bands.

She hasn't been outside for almost three months now, except now and then stepping onto her front porch so she can remind herself what air smells like. Now, it's time to brave the storm--or rather, the toxic virus that has suffocated thousands.

"Where do you think you're going?" calls mom.

"And what the hell is that thing on your face? Looks like a diaper." her dad loves to make jokes at her expense to entertain her mother. Normally, she might tell him to piss off and maybe comment on his lack of a career or any good qualities in general. That would normally land her "quarantined" (ha) to her bedroom. They see it as punishment, but for Emma, solitude away from those assholes has always been a delight.

Sure, these sentiments come across as harsh. But Emma's anger towards her parents didn't come out of nowhere. If it was up to her, she'd have a wonderful relationship with them--hell, they might all be sitting on the couch together right now, watching The Sopranos and sharing a bowl of popcorn. But that's an alternate universe that she'll never live in.

Some parents don't have favorites. Emma's parents are not those parents.

Once upon a time, back when she and Isabel were the best of friends, the four members of their family felt close. A cohesive unit. It was so long ago now that Emma hardly remembers it...but the memories of taking bike rides through the park trails that ended with a picnic, and of ice skating in the winter before the reward of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows, those memories are still there. They loved to be outdoors together. It seems like they became trapped indoors long ago, long before this pandemic began.

If Emma could let go of those memories, she would. Maybe it's because they're so deeply ingrained in her mind, like shrapnel in a war wound, that the pain of her current reality is sharper than it has to be. Every time she feels her mom's disapproving stare or her dad's condescending laughter, in the back of her mind, she remembers the ice rink. It's the comparison between then and now that she can't seem to let go of.

When she and Isabel got a bit older, their dad got a better job. Well, one that paid him more money, but not one that made him happier. Still, everyone called it "better." They moved to a bigger house in a more relevant suburb and their mom started wearing fancier clothing. There were no bike trails nearby.

As Emma's dad was around less, Emma's mom had more anxiety. And she had nothing to do with it--at first. At some point, she started to compare and contrast her two daughters. Emma: older, more introverted, creative, distant. Isabel: outgoing, popular, bubbly, positive. Emma's mom always felt that she was responsible for Emma's trouble connecting with others, and in some ways, she was. It was a cycle. Emma's distance led her mom to fear her, which made her more distant.

Emma was very young when her mom decided that she had already slipped away. Her mom made up her mind that she wouldn't let the same happen to Isabel. She felt immense guilt for letting go of Emma, but their strained relationship was a constant reminder of her own inadequacies. With Isabel, it would be different. 

Emma was old enough and smart enough to understand the difference between the way her mom treated her and her little sister. It wasn't Isabel's fault, but Emma resented her nonetheless. So when Emma moved out of the butterfly room into her own space, she shut the door behind her. And thus, over time, the two sisters grew apart. 

With each lonely glass of wine, their mother grew apart from reality. Her mission to "save" Isabel was noble, but she didn't have the energy to fully commit. And Emma's father was in and out of the picture to the extent that she decided to let him go, to shut herself off from the disappointment and scorn, a coping mechanism that she had unintentionally learned from her mom.

Ultimately, money had not solved the problems of the Bradford family. However, that didn't mean that Emma wasn't going to stockpile a shitload of it. And run away from them forever.

"I'm just going for a walk around the block." Emma says through her DIY bandana mask.

"Well, stay 6 feet apart from anyone you might see out there. It's easy to catch this thing even from just breathing." Emma's mom commands. Showing authority is the one of the last ways she knows how to connect with her oldest daughter.

"Yeah, no shit." Emma says under her breath, leaving before they can chastise her.

Emma's mom watches her daughter leave. Her dad shakes his head.

"When this is all over, we'll have to do something about her. She's not well." His concern is questionably genuine. He's not a bad person, though his loyalty has wavered over the years. It's more so that he fell out of touch a long time ago and never returned.

Emma's mom continues to stare. She doesn't like that her daughter speaks to her like that. But what she likes even less is the feeling that overall, in her life, she's losing control.

"I don't know about waiting until this is all over. We might have to do something sooner than that."

Emma steps outside. April in the midwest is nasty. Apparently, before global warming gave the planet a death sentence, this month used to be spring. There were flowers, and grass, and other green stuff. So she'd been told. But now, everything is grey and wet. Just as well, since the outdoors are not so relevant anymore.

She sees a navy blue Toyota Prius rounding the corner onto her street. She grins, she can always count on Madison.

Emma runs down the street so that her parents won't see Emma's car in front of their house. If they make this quick, they can be back before her mom and dad question what could have happened. They'll believe she had only been on a walk.

As Emma gets into Mad's car, the feeling of closeness is overwhelming. The two friends fight the strong urge to hug.

"Oh my god, this is so weird. I can't believe you're here. That I'm seeing you. Oh god it's trippy." Madison rambles.

"I can't believe it. Not hugging you really sucks."

Madison jokingly backs away from her.

"I dunno if I wanna hug you with that mask...looks like a diaper on your face."

"Yeah and where's your mask? You're just jealous cuz you're gonna die, like an idiot." Emma buckles her seatbelt and turns up the radio. David Bowie is really setting the rebellious tone.

"Ok can you please tell me where we're going? Kinda need to know if I'm gonna drive us there." asks Madison.

"Ok get ready for it: we're going to Best Buy."

Madison looks at Emma like, "you pulled me out of my house in a fucking pandemic for this? I hate you."

"What the hell are you talking about, Em? First of all, WHAT. And second of all it's closed!! Duh!!"

"And we're gonna go anyway. Just trust me, ok?"

Madison rolls her eyes and turns the car around. This is not the heist she was expecting, but it will have to do.

Driving through town is freaky, to say the least. Everything is closed, there are no cars, and the fact that it's grey just really makes it the most depressing place one could be on a Friday.

"Everything's really closed, isn't it?" Emma asks, staring out the window at the ghost town. Madison shakes her head.

"And you think Best Buy is gonna be any different?"

Seemingly, it isn't. They pull up to Best Buy and the store is aggressively closed, its darkened windows matching every other depressing business in the strip mall. The expansive parking lot is empty...except for just one car.

"Huh, who do you think that is?" Madison asks, peering while pulling into a parking space. Emma holds her breath, really hoping Madison won't be pissed, but knowing she will be.

"Yeah, um, I know who that is. Because I asked him to come."

"God Emma, what did you do?"

It's then that a young man steps out of his car. Short, athletic build, cropped auburn hair...it's Gabriel. Zoe's senior boyfriend. What. The. Hell.

"Ummm, care to explain why GABE is here?" Madison hisses through clenched teeth, as they get out of the car.

"If I had told you beforehand, you wouldn't have driven me."

They approach Gabriel, who leans against his car, slightly confused. Emma attempts a handshake, as if this is a business conference. She immediately hates herself for her awkwardness. What is the appropriate greeting in a heist?

"Nice mask." He smirks.

"It's a diaper." Madison retorts. He laughs.

"So Emma, I didn't tell Zoe...but if I'm gonna lie to my girlfriend, you gotta give me a good explanation. I mean, you don't even like me."

"True." Madison says, as Emma nudges her in the ribs. Emma takes a deep breath.

"Thanks for meeting us Gabe. Like I said on the phone, I wouldn't have asked if it wasn't important, and I'm pretty sure this might be life or death. That sounds stupid but yeah. This is all very weird, and I can't really explain the full story because there's this thing with my sister, and there's a game that she played, and this guy online might be responsible for why she's currently a vegetable, although I'm pretty sure that's temporary, at least I fucking hope it is. Anyway does that make any sense at all?"

Madison and Gabriel stare at her looking completely lost. Emma regains her nerve. Get to the point.

"Gabe, I know you worked here two summers ago. Right?"

He nods.

"Do they have...an employee entrance of some kind? Like a door in the back? Any kind of warehouse opening?"

"There's an employee entrance in the back of the store." he says, cautiously. Again, Emma takes a breath.

"Well then, what I'm hoping...is that you still have a key, or a card, or whatever it takes to get inside."

Both Gabriel and Emma look shocked. Gabe speaks first.

"I um...I keep all my key cards. You never know what could happen." Now that he's catching on, his tone has grown more serious.

"That's what I was hoping you'd say. We need to get inside, Gabe. I need a certain piece of equipment."

Gabe nearly laughs.

"So what you're saying is you want to steal electronics from the warehouse? Do you know what would happen if we got caught?"

"Well yes, well, no...um, my uh...little sister..."

Emma's face is red now. She's now realizing that this was an incredibly stupid idea...how could she have thought of something so reckless, and actually suggested it out loud. She'd fully love to be anywhere but here, even squeezed between mom and pop on the couch.

Oddly, it's Julian's voice she hears echoing in her head--scorning her for letting these other people into a situation so personal. 

They don't know her. No one knows the real her, except him. He's yelling at her for jeopardizing their opportunity to run away together. For putting herself first. 

She gulps back tears. Is it Julian's voice, or her mom's? 

Madison's voice snaps her out of it.

"I say let's fuckin do it." she says.

Emma exhales. Gabriel looks at her intently.

"You sure?" he asks.

Emma looks at the dark, looming building in front of them. She learned at a very young age how to be brave.

"We gotta be quick."