#because it just wasn't sharp enough to get the tiny details on the face

[sporco-filth]

I was thinking up ideas today for the superhero-becomes-slob story but didn't really feel like writing so instead I drew a picture of Jupiter/Justin post-slobbification

[simplyraeblue]

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Professional (Shouta Aizawa x reader)

!afabreader x aizawa as a teacher, reprimanding wasn't uncommon for you to practice. you being reprimanded? only allowed by Shouta Aizawa. WARNINGS/TAGS: swearing, NSFW, MDNI, p in v, creampie (don't be silly wrap your willy!), somewhat public sex, sex on a desk, going commando (couldn't be me), no pronouns used, use of sweetheart, light bondage (gagged by a tie), punishment kink A/N: art above by ficel_art on instagram! I saw it on pinterest first but immediately deep dove onto their account. dadzawa was just too hot in this art to not immediately write something for him ( ´ཀ` ) word count: 1,930

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you loved being a teacher at U.A. – but some days, it felt like the little future heroes were actually little devils. it was about the third time that little… twat waffle… named Katsuki Bakugo had interrupted your class just today to bully Izuku Midorya. while your mental nickname for him wasn’t very teacherly, the best you could do was to speak to his homeroom teacher.

after lunch had started, you marched your exhausted ass to Shouta’s classroom. someone needed to knock some sense into that kid, and you were very sure it wasn’t going to be you doing the job. if you tried… well, you’d probably lose your job with the words you’d use. and Bakugo could be even worse in return, you were certain of that.

you didn’t bother to knock at the door as you shoved it open to find Shouta sitting at the desk grading a stack of papers. he glanced up at your loud intrusion, an eyebrow arching up when he saw the look on your face, already knowing that you were ready to unload.

“who was it today?” Shouta hummed as he merely returned his focus to the homework in front of him without missing a beat. you slammed your hands on his desk, earning his full attention on you.

“I’m going to try very hard to speak in a professional manner, so listen up because I’m not repeating myself.” you warned him with a glare sharp enough to cut through steel. Shouta raised an eyebrow, hands up in a silent gesture to proceed. “I know you love your students – and don’t try to lie – but you need to reprimand Bakugo more often. he’s disrupted my class every day this week, and I’m seriously considering putting him on probation from participating in the sports festival.”

Shouta slowly stood, moving around the desk as he processed your words, nodding along. “so, you think he should be punished?” he asked, his voice even.

you nodded firmly. “and I’m asking you to help.”

he gave a small, knowing shrug. “and you’re trying to be professional about it?”

“well, I like to think of myself as a professional most of the time.” you chuckled dryly as you shook your head. in the back of your mind, you couldn’t help but wonder if you were getting close to the point where you might use your quirk on the brat a few times… but that would only happen if you were specifically asked to for training purposes.  

Shouta had made his way to your side by now, standing a few inches from you as he smirked. when you noticed his expression you raised an eyebrow at him. “I don’t know that I’d call you the most professional of teachers.” he told you as he looked down into your eyes.

“what’s that supposed to mean, Shouta?” you dared to ask, still confused as to where he was going with this. “are you going to give me an exhaustive list of the reasons I’m not professional, because it wouldn’t be the first time you have.”

“no, not an exhaustive list today.” he snickered before his hand drifted to grasp at your hips. you jumped slightly at the contact, sucking in a breath when he ruched the hem of your skirt in his fingers.

he’d been watching you since this morning, the black pencil skirt you wore showing off the plush of your ass as you walked down the hallway to attend to the students. his eyes followed you like magnets wherever you went – and he hadn’t been ignorant enough to miss the tiny little detail he was about to bring to your attention.

before he spoke again, he swiftly lifted you to sit on the edge of his desk, causing you to gasp. when he leaned in, his lips brushing against the shell of your ear, he whispered, “for now, let’s start with the fact that you’re not wearing any panties.”

immediately, a smirk crossed your lips. “ah, so you finally noticed?” you murmured, cheeks heating with his breath on your ear.

“I noticed long ago. I’m assuming this was for me?” he asked as his nose nuzzled your neck, making you groan. “you just couldn’t wait until we were home could you, sweetheart?”

“you’re always so tired when you get home, I just wanted you to know what you had to look forward to.” as you explained, you thought back to getting dressed this morning – you’d quickly thrown on your outfit, neglecting your panties while your husband was in the bathroom. Shouta had been none the wiser when he’d come out, simply giving you a morning kiss before the two of you left for work.

“I don’t know, I kind of want it right now.” you pulled back to study his face, seeing them dark with desire as his hands palmed your ass through your skirt. “we have some time while the students are at lunch, what do you say?”

you were reminded every day of how hot your husband was, and now was no exception. “lock the door.” you instructed him, to which he pushed off of you and secured the door. when he returned, he wasted no time in crashing his lips into yours.

“we should still be quick, sweetheart. don’t want any of the students roaming the hallway to hear us.” Shouta whispered between your lips, taking your lower one into his mouth and sucking harshly on it.

“then you’d better be quiet.” you teased, something that you always learned your lesson for doing later. you felt him smirk into the next kiss he gave you as he pushed your skirt up to your waist, cold air hitting your wetting pussy.

he knew how to be fast, and quiet. it was something Shouta learned very quickly within his line of work – but you’d figured out how to make that increasingly more difficult for him to put into practice. your hands all but ripped his belt off before shoving his pants and boxers down, revealing his cock standing at attention.

god, he’d thought about using his lunch time to find a secluded place and jerk off to the thought of you. after noticing your lack of underwear this morning, it was all he could think about, repeatedly having to clear his mind while working. but this was even better, he thought.

you watched in awe as Shouta pulled his tie off, and just as you wondered if he would throw it to the side, he instead pushed the fabric between your teeth and swiftly tied it behind your head. “now, you have to be the one to be quiet.” Shouta taunted as he placed a light kiss on your gagged mouth.

while he lined his tip with your seeping hole, you whimpered against the fabric muffling your words. Shouta was painstakingly slow in pushing inside of you, your walls stretching to accommodate his immense girth as you moaned at the feeling of his veiny cock molding your walls.

when he finally bottomed out, he let out a low groan of pleasure before placing a hand on your chest and pushing you back to lay flat on the desk. “I’m beginning to think your lack of professional is what needs to be punished.” Shouta teased as he leisurely rolled his hips into yours causing your eyes to roll back. “but I guess I’ll have to save your true penalty for tonight, since we need to be quick.”

 you nodded fervently as he began to slam into you, the desk creaking beneath you with every bullying thrust. “please.” your beg came out muffled, but enough for him to understand.

Shouta’s lips covered yours to add an extra layer of quieting your noises, his dick now repeatedly slamming into your walls with a fierce pace. he pulled away for a moment to spit onto your clit before his fingers began to work the sensitive nub. “don’t worry, sweetheart. tonight, you’re going to get a good punishment that I think you and I both will enjoy.” you whimpered at the thought, already knowing your ass would be bruised and sore come tomorrow morning.

“fuck I’ll never – mph – get sick of – hah – this pussy.” Shouta bit out with each smack of his hips into your ass, the noises the two of you were creating become filthier every second. as he brutally circled your clit, pinching it between his fingers, you moaned into the now wet fabric between your teeth. he always had been an expert at getting you close with almost no effort, and you could already feel the knot coiling in your stomach. “so perfect for me sweetheart. such a perfect wife.”

he was a little sad that he needed to be fast, wanting to savor every bit of you, but after looking at the clock Shouta realized that time was almost up. “gonna need you to – hmph – come on my cock now, sweetheart. need you to come before I fill you up.”

with his demand, he slapped a hand down onto your clit harshly, making your back arch off the desk in response. “Shouta!” your husband’s name barely passed your lips before he smacked your clit again, caressing it between each contact until you were coming undone beneath him. “m’ coming!”

Shouta swore under his breath as he watched your body convulse below, your pretty eyes rolling back just as your slick walls clenched around his cock. if he had more time, he’d keep going until you couldn’t walk for a week – but he’d just have to save it for tonight. for now, he allowed his release to barrel over him alongside yours.

his head fell down between your covered tits, the fabric of your shirt doing nothing to hide them as he muffled his own whines of pleasure before he was shooting ropes of cum inside you. he’d buried himself to the hilt to make sure you got every last drop, praying it was deep enough to ensure it stayed trapped inside of you for the rest of the day.

with perfect timing, he started to come down from the high just as the bell rang, echoing in your now almost deaf ears. Shouta slowly pulled out, hissing at the loss of warmth against his cock, before quickly pulling his tie from your lips. he used it to clean himself up before kneeling down to wipe away any mess he’d left between your thighs.

“maybe I should’ve brought a backup pair of panties.” you groaned as you slowly sat up. “now I’m going to have to worry that our unborn children are going to leak down my thighs the rest of the day.”

“you wicked woman, that foul mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble one day.” Shouta smirked as he kissed you softly. you watched as he walked back around his desk and opened a drawer, before he pulled out a pair of your panties. “it’s a good thing I noticed before we left the house and brought these just in case.”

your jaw dropped out as you snatched them from him. “you knew! and you let me think I’d seduced you.” a pout formed on your lips before you slipped the underwear on, praying it was enough to prevent any embarrassment.

Shouta only caressed your head, his lips meeting yours again. “you seduce me without even trying, sweetheart.” you grinned at the words until his hand gently wrapped around your throat. “but don’t forget, you’re still getting reprimanded later.”

you’d never been so excited to get punished.

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Link to Kirishima x reader here (word count: 902)

Link to Shoto x reader pt. 1 here (word count: 1,800)

Link to Kaminari x reader pt.1 here (word count: 2,680)

Link to Bakugo x reader here (word count: 2,328)

Link to Hawks x reader here (word count: 1,903)

[theflyingfeeling]

hello I come to you with some more nsfw Olli/Allu inspired by a couple of headcanons I've been playing with recently, yes it's smutty but because I don't really know how to write just smut, I had to throw a bit of pining and longing in there too, hope you don't mind 🤍

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Aleksi has a headache and Olli comforts him (...in his own special way)

~~~

Olli loved the stable, soft hums by his ear. He loved the warmth that was pressed against his side, with a thigh resting on his hip bone and a hand clutching his waist. There was a nose tip nuzzling Olli's cheek, and Olli loved it too, especially when it would suddenly retreat with a quiet, sharp exhale but return a moment later, right back where it had been (where it belonged).

Love in fractions: that was all Olli could allow himself to feel. Of course he loved the whole too – the man dozing by his side on a hotel bed – but admitting that to himself was a whole different kind of scary Olli wasn't sure if he was ready to face yet. Right now, he'd rather focus on things like the tip of a nose or a squeeze of a hand or strands of dark hair falling on his closed eyelids and other tiny details that overwhelmed Olli only a little bit (instead of devastating him with the crushing realisation that he had fallen for someone he shouldn't).

(There were nights when they did crush him like that. Those nights he could hardly breathe.)

The atmosphere in their dark room was too tranquil to let Olli be swallowed into the pitch-blackness of his deepest fears, too soft and warm and nice with Aleksi's soft and warm body glued to his in the aftermath of the poor man's sudden post-breakfast headache. He had offered to go and fetch him something from the corner pharmacy, but only after they had already settled on the bed with Aleksi's head on Olli's pillow and Olli's fingers stroking Aleksi's temple, so even if Aleksi had asked him to, it would have taken everything from Olli to let go of the man once he had him in his arms.

He would have, though. If Aleksi had asked him to travel to the moon and back for some ibuprofen, he would have.

(Oh, god, he would have.)

"Feeling any better?" Olli asked when that shy nose tip booped his cheekbone again. Aleksi breathed in, then held his breath for a second and let it out in a low grunt (and Olli melted).

"Maybe. I don't know."

More soft grunts right into Olli's ear. The hand by his waist kneading his skin. The thigh on his hip sliding down, in between Olli's own.

Lips on his jawline.

"Mmmmmmh." The vibrations of Aleksi's murmur were enough to make Olli almost lose it. He was brave, though, as brave as to nudge his cheek against Aleksi's nose, which earned him another contented mmmmmmh and an even tighter grip on his waist. Aleksi was being brave as well; Olli could tell by the way he didn't flinch away anymore, and by how his lips still grazed Olli's jaw.

Let's be brave together, Olli said to Aleksi in his mind. Let me find your lips and open them with mine, and you'd grab me by my waist and turn me over and I'd let you, and you'd sneak your thigh in between my legs and let me rub against you and I'd let you rub against me and I'd make you feel so good.

"So are you ready to get up?" Olli's chest sank as he forced the words out of his mouth, but he feared for what would happen if he didn't: nothing, which was likely (although not any less heartbreaking), or something, which (depending on what the something was) he might be able to live with, because at least he had tried to stop it.

"No," Aleksi simply replied, then added (possibly half-asleep, with Olli's luck), "you smell too nice."

For a second, Olli forgot how to breathe.

"Oh?" He wasn't sure where he should place this confession-of-sorts in The Olli and Aleksi Scale of Secret Love Confessions. It felt as tender and comforting as the night they had shared together in that rental house in LA, when the others had gone out for Thanksgiving dinner and Aleksi had stayed in with Olli because Olli had been feeling too poorly and tired to even get out of bed; at the same time, those words seemed to hold almost as much suppressed affection as all the silent conversations they shared in the dark, especially as of late when they had little time or energy for actual conversations and instead let their wandering hands do all the speaking for them. On second thought, perhaps this you smell too nice should go somewhere in between the slurred your hands are so soft (which Olli had blurted out that time in LA when he had drank himself under the table and Aleksi had helped him to bed) and the secret little kiss Aleksi had placed right above Olli's ear just this morning when Olli had pretended to still be asleep, just to not scare Aleksi off.

Next to him, Aleksi held his breath too, as if the realisation of what he had said only hit him with Olli's follow-up oh?, but he didn't keep Olli in suspense for too long this time.

"Yeah," Aleksi whispered with his voice still so sleepy and his lips still so sweetly soft against Olli's jaw.

"So you wanna stay in for a little longer?" Olli's own lips were but touching Aleksi's forehead, right where he assumed the headache was stabbing Aleksi's skull the worst.

"Yeah." By then, Aleksi was clinging on to him so tightly that Olli thought Aleksi was trying to get through him.

"Want me to help you feel good?" Olli's mouth was dry when he spoke the words, their secret little code for wanting to get even closer to the other than they already were.

Aleksi seemed to think for a while (almost a little too long) until at last he put Olli out of his misery.

"Yeah."

Relief tugged at the corners of Olli's lips. Olli needed no more assurement as he rolled to his side and, in doing so, gently pushed Aleksi to lie on his back in turn. The man let out a small whine of complaint when their bodies were no longer pressed tightly against one another, so Olli wasted no time in placing his knees on either side of Aleksi's hips and starting to leave faint (but loving (such loving)) kisses up and down his neck.

"This okay?" Olli asked, never stopping the string of kisses from Aleksi's jawline down to collarbone.

"Yeah," Aleksi sighed in response, so Olli kept going, stopping only for the second it took to pull Aleksi's hoodie over his head.

"This okay?" The shirt gone, Olli's mouth was now finding its way further down Aleksi's chest, barely lifting his lips off Aleksi's skin before leaving another kiss, and another, and another.

Past Aleksi's belly button, Olli curled his fingers under the waistband of Aleksi's sweatpants.

"This ok–"

"Yeah." Aleksi's response was much hurried now, much more breathless, with impatience oozing through. Such hunger turned Olli on like nothing else (then again, pretty much everything about Aleksi did), and he resisted the urge to grind his crotch against the mattress for some blissful friction.

A temptation he could not resist, however, was that of teasing Aleksi whenever he had the chance, which made Olli abandon his plans to take Aleksi out of his pants just yet and instead he brushed his nose against the outline of Aleksi's half-hard cock. It twitched and grew under his touch, just as Aleksi's sighs and whimpers grew louder and more desperate and so lovely that Olli contemplated taking Aleksi in his mouth all at once when he finally undressed Aleksi. Lust and hunger washed through Olli at the sight of Aleksi's throbbing member, but he pushed his own needs aside for the sake of Aleksi's; his only need in that moment was that of making Aleksi feel so euphoric that he'd forget his own name.

Ignoring Aleksi's clear indications that he, too, would rather Olli wrapped his lips around his hard-on with no time wasted (the thrust of Aleksi's hips, the desperate groan that echoed in the room, the hands that groped for Olli's hair), Olli resumed his task of worshipping Aleksi's body and let his trail of kisses continue past Aleksi's lower stomach to his hips and groins. There, just above the rose tattoo decorating Aleksi's thigh, Olli found his favourite place to kiss: simultaneously close enough and too far away to drive Aleksi absolutely crazy, if Olli was to judge by the sound of his whines.

As these whines became more desperate and began to mix up with breathless swear words, it was time for Olli to reward Aleksi for his patience. Olli then curled a few of his fingers around the base of Aleksi's cock, rubbing them up and down while listening to Aleksi's whimpers turn into heavy, much calmer sighs of pleasure. When Aleksi was fully hard in Olli's hand, Olli pulled down his foreskin and let his lips hover near the pink head he had just revealed.

"This okay?" He demonstrated 'this' by placing gentle kisses along Aleksi's length, giving special attention to the sensitive head as he knew it was where Aleksi wanted his lips most.

"Just...fucking..." Aleksi gasped in between kisses to his cock. “Fuck you, Matela."

It was another example of their secret code language, reserved for when they couldn't use the actual words to phrase their desires out loud. Fuck you, Matela, Aleksi would say when Olli wouldn't get his hand down Aleksi's boxers fasts enough for his liking in a backstage bathroom; fuck you, Mattson, Olli would say when he'd feel Aleksi's lips at the back of his neck and Aleksi's hard cock grinding against the back of his pyjama shorts in the tourbus bunk.

They both knew what it meant; they both knew they could never speak aloud the words they replaced.

It was not the time and place for Olli to dwell on that now, not with Aleksi's throbbing cock in between his lips. There were much more urgent matters at hand, such as the little drop of precum that threatened to run down Aleksi's length if Olli wouldn't lick it off. He savoured the salty taste of Aleksi on this tongue for a while and then, finally, took Aleksi's head in between his lips.

Immediately Aleksi let out a soft cry that turned into a moan the more of him Olli took in his mouth. The earlier frustration from his tone was gone, now given way to bliss and pure lust as Olli began working a slow but steady rhythm, bobbing up and down Aleksi's erection. He kept one hand on Aleksi's hip, to let the man know he was done teasing him so he could lie down and let Olli do all the work, while his other hand was at the base of Aleksi's cock, stroking and twisting and squeezing to lure out more sweet sounds out of Aleksi's mouth. After a while, Olli felt Aleksi tense under his touch, which usually meant he was close to finishing, and maybe on some other morning Olli would have let it be swift and simple like that. This morning was different, though, with Aleksi's headache and the miserable look in his eyes that Olli had wanted to brush away more than anything ever, so instead of keeping on sucking until Aleksi would reach his climax, Olli let Aleksi’s cock slip out of his mouth as a better idea popped into his head.

Any objections Aleksi was about to voice were silenced by two of Olli’s fingers placed on Aleksi’s bottom lip, his mouth already hanging open. Knowing exactly what he was expected to do, Aleksi took the fingers in his mouth with no resistance and began sucking on them with such vigour that did not pale in comparison to Olli sucking on his cock a moment ago. All the while Aleksi kept looking up at Olli with such brightness in his eyes that blinded Olli even in the darkness of the hotel room, even with lust and longing hazing Olli's eyesight.

He knew he shouldn't, because it was the one rule they had, but Olli simply couldn't resist kissing Aleksi on his wet lips when Olli took his saliva-coated fingers off Aleksi's mouth. At least it was only the briefest touch of their lips, gone in a second, leaving Olli's entire soul yearning and begging for more, so maybe it didn't count.

(Just like none of their other kisses did.)

Aleksi was already spreading his legs when Olli begun making his way back down, still with no rush whatsoever, stopping to sink his teeth on Aleksi's pectoral muscles and licking off some more salty precum that had flowed on Aleksi's stomach in the meantime. Then Olli took Aleksi back in his mouth, swallowing as much of Aleksi's length as he could, while his lubed-up fingers found Aleksi's rim. Rubbing it for a while, Olli first slid in one finger, soon followed by the other, and before he knew it, Aleksi was squirming and whimpering on the bed in front of him.

Olli tried to prolong Aleksi's pleasure as long as he could, taking his time massaging Aleksi's prostate and kissing the head of his cock gently before sucking it in his mouth again, but he knew Aleksi was already on the brink of his relief. Although he would have loved to feel the weight of Aleksi's member on his tongue and the heat of Aleksi's body around his fingers for just a little longer, Olli saw it was time for him to help Aleksi over the edge, and so he curled his fingers inside Aleksi once more. Just about a second or two later, his Olli's mouth was flooding with hot semen and his ears almost ringing with Aleksi's loud cries; cries that started to resemble sobs after a while, yet Aleksi kept riding down on Olli's fingers – as if to chase something that was too far out of his reach.

When the steady flow of cum filling Olli's mouth dried out, Aleksi seemed to give up chasing whatever alternate ending he had been after and lied breathless and spent in front of Olli. Not able to help himself, Olli peppered Aleksi's naked body with some more small kisses (everywhere except that one part of him Olli wasn't allowed to kiss (although he still did)), after which he settled down next to him. Their roles had reversed then, so now it was Aleksi lying on his back with his eyes closed, and Olli curled up on his side, face buried in his neck. Olli couldn't stop the kisses falling out of his mouth, as if there were too much of them in that corner of his soul where he tried to keep his love for Aleksi somehow in control and hidden and now it was overflowing with no other place to go except any vacant spot of Aleksi's skin he could reach.

Maybe some of them landed even on Aleksi's lips, despite it all. And maybe Aleksi responded to them, in spite of... everything.

(No one would have to know.)

(Olli did, of course, but he had grown used to repressing so many of his feelings lately.)

"Headache gone?" Olli asked when they had lied in silence for too long.

"Almost," Aleksi shook his head, then turned his face to touch the tip of his nose to Olli's. "Thanks."

Olli felt his own erection pulsating inside his trousers and adjusted himself to lie by Aleksi's side a little more comfortably, as he had no plans to let go of Aleksi just yet.

"Ummm. Want me to help you with that or...?" Aleksi rolled his hips enough to rub against Olli's bulge, but Olli declined the offer. He could jack himself off in the shower later (thinking of Aleksi, imagining it was his hand instead of his own), but right now, Aleksi's comfort was far more important to him than his own.

Love in fractions, in moments like this: that was all Olli would ever have. Still, it was better than nothing at all. 

[idfendyr]

Jealous?

Sartaq is well loved by all women in khaganate, when hasar asks aren't you jealous to nesryn , she replies " why? afterall he's married to me"

@lysandra-emerald

She would never fail to feel out of place. 

At least before, Nesryn had felt somewhat at ease. The reality had yet to sink in, the war having provided a blessed distraction. 

And since returning to the Khaganate, she had had time to let herself adjust, to let herself feel a sense of familiarity here of some kind. She thought she had, but she had apparently just been living in ignorant bliss for the most part. Likely because she either spent most of her time with the Rukhin or her family in the city. 

But now, surrounded by nobles in the palace, dressed in finery, maybe she may have relaxed.

If it weren't for the fact that they all addressed her as ‘Your Highness.’

Nesryn cringed internally every time she heard it. She had a hard time resisting the urge to not respond to the title.

Ever since she the day got married, the title came with her. Which admittedly was a few months ago, but she couldnt shake her….feeling of the title away.

Sartaq, her husband, had assured her she would get used to it, and she believed him but it still bothered her for the time being.

Likely forever, a voice at the back of her head said, but she promptly ignored it, taking a sip of her wine as she half listened to one of the viziers talk while looking around the room. It wasn't often that balls were held in the Khaganate, probably because then one would be held every few weeks. Even less maybe. But when the occasion called for it.

When the occasion called for it she was also made to wear more of the traditional attire, the robes and dresses and heavy embroidery. 

She didn’t hate it as much, she thought as she remembered earlier as she had looked herself in the mirror, looking herself over. The amethyst-coloured robes with the embroidery made of the finest material as she could only imagine and she hadn’t dared ask. But..

She did like it. The way it fit perfectly at the bodice, the flow of the robes, the billowing sleeves.

Liked it even more when Nesryn heard a sharp intake of breath, making her turn to find Sartaq standing there, wide-eyed, his eyes taking in every detail, as she did the same.

The sight of him always did something to her, but there was something about seeing him in all dressed up, muscles bunching beneath the fabric, the open collar of the attire revealing just a peak of the tanned chest that had her sucking in a breath-

She swallowed, took a shaky breath and met his gaze just as he did hers, and gave her the deviously charming grin that never failed to make her knees buckle as he strode for her, hair swaying where he had left it open, a small braid tucked behind his ear.

He reached out, wrapping an arm around her, pulling her into his embrace as his other hand cupped her jaw, thumb lightly grazing her cheek as he tilted her head back and kissed her, her cheeks, peppering tiny fleeting kisses until she was laughing in his arms.

He pulled back enough to grin. Touching his forehead to hers,

‘My wife, it seems, loves to torment me,’ he murmured, another kiss. 

She smiled, closing her eyes as she sighed. ‘Maybe. Sometimes.’

‘Sometimes? My heart, you torment me every day.’ She grinned. ‘But right now, I’m finding it hard to let you walk out that door.’ He pulled back to gaze at her once more, lightly brushing his thumb along her jaw. She leaned into it. ‘You look…’

She looked down at her attire, ‘Its certainly not something I would have chosen. But I like it.’

‘You look beautiful, Nesryn.’ She looked back at him and the look on his handsome face had words failing her. ‘If I’m to be inclined to say, which I am, you might be the most gorgeous person in the room tonight-’

She gave a playful slap to his chest, laughing, ‘ Stop. I am certainly not.’

‘Oh, you are.’ He kissed the tip of her nose, ‘If not to anyone else love, then to me, you will forever be.’ That devilish smirk told her what he was going to say before he even said, ‘I might just pull you out of the room as soon as we-’

She wasn’t going to win this. So she just shut him up by pressing her lips to his. He was all to happy to respond, holding her closer.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him ever so closer to her as if they could. As if they could join together.

Nesryn was sure he would have taken her there, appearances and responsibilities be damned when the knock sounded on the door. 

He grunted, making her laugh as he glared at the door. Then turned to her, heated look in his eyes, ‘Later then, my love.’

Perhaps that was part of the reason she was not as uncomfortable here as she would have been. Usually, Sartaq and her were so busy with their duties that they could hardly see each other most days. So oddly enough, having a moment with him beforehand seemed to have comforted her. He always did. 

‘There, thought you finally went into hiding.’ She turned in time to see Hasar walk up to her, Renia hand in hand, and wave the vizier off. 

‘You’d think I would have done so from the beginning,’ she said. Hasar, she had learned, loves to be entertained, be it by others or of her own making. She’s been particularly wreathing to see Nesryn have a breakdown, or at least she thought so.

‘I suppose so. But it’s-’

‘Hasar,’ Renia warned silently. All she got was a smile. 

‘Bored, sister,’ Kashin said as he came up to them. Nesryn immediately noticed eyes upon them.

Or rather the prince. Mainly from young women. But he paid them no heed. 

‘Awfully,’ Hasar grumbled, ‘No one seems to want to have fun around here.’

Nesryn and Kashin shared a look. Then he asked her, ‘Where’s Sartaq?’

She waved a hand, ��� Whisked away the same way I assume those ladies want to do to you.’

Kashin glanced at a group of them, turned back and shook his head, smiling. ‘They can want all they like then.’

‘Oh,’ Hasar questioned, ‘No interest brother? That's a first.’

‘Not for the time being, much to your displeasure it seems.’

Her gaze landed on Sartaq then as the two continued. He was talking to people she didn't even bother to identify. How could she when all she could see was him. 

She felt Hasar move closer to her and said. ‘Jealous?’

‘Of what,’ she asked, confused.

‘You can not tell me all those females flocking him don’t spark up a reaction.’

She hadn’t even noticed. Nor did she care and she said as much. ‘ Why would I be? He’s married to me.’

Dare she say she looked disappointed yet surprised and a flash of approval. ‘Not even a little?’

‘There’s no reason for it now is there.’

She felt arms around her waist then, knew exactly who it was as she looked over her shoulder and smiled at Sartaq, who merely smiled and asked, ‘No reason for what?’ 

Hasar shook her head and walked away. Nesryn only shook her head and chuckled, turning to him.

‘They must have been dying to talk to you, your highness.’

Indeed, the speed at which the nobles had hounded him may have been concerning were it not normal. She had merely hidden her amusement at the sight. 

‘So my title makes an appearance again,’ he sighs. ‘If its going to be that way, would you, dear wife atleast do me the honour of a dance.’ He raised a brow and said, leaning in to whisper, ‘Or would you rather we leave.’

Her toes curled at the promise in his voice, knowing exactly what he would do and how much she would enjoy it.

But for now, she supposed she could torment him a little more, as he had put it. ‘A dance, prince.’

He only grinned.

[hmshermitcraft]

Mother Spore currently has my brain in a chokehold and hiveminds shot me an idea with the theme.

*As Mother Spore, Grian uses she/they. When not, Grian uses He/Him

The City was in lockdown. The rumors had finally come to the King's ears. A unknown plague had hit a multitude of villages, leaving odd plant life where it touched. Few reports mentioned a small obscured figure, hidden under a vail of pale roots, heading the invasion. Everything was rationed to prepare for the siege that would inevitably come.

Scar and Cub ran the only bookshop, in charge of holding the books with them and keeping notes on the rest. Cub kept up with that front, leaving Scar doing research on both known plants and strategy to combat it.

With everyone so caught up in it all, there was little time to relax. Late one afternoon, Cub was sorting out the books for the day when the door opened someone walked in. He turned to see a small blonde man, with a worn red sweater and the matching wings on his back - the tell-tale sign of an avian.

An avian? But they usually lived in the woods, not the hills. Has the plague forced them to flee as well? Why was he alone and not with a flock? How did he get past the guards?

His internal questioning got cut short when the stranger cleared his throat and asked if he was one who held the books.

"yes - me and Scar. You need something?"

"well, I found this." He opened his hand, and held out an innocent looking mushroom, tiny in his hand. Cub heard the frantic steps as Scar poked his head out, eyes tired yet wide.

"I found it near the wall. I thought that you would have anything on them."

"yeah we have some on-"

"Scar, the siege." Cub reminded him before facing the Avian again, "we can't give out books at the moment, I'm afraid: King's orders. But Scar can look into it, if that's alright with you?"

"Sure!" He gave the little fungi to Scar, "I'll come back tomorrow"

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

The weeks that followed left Cub suspicious.

Every afternoon, the Avian, Grian, came back for any updates, and for a chat. They got to know him more, "Oh I live on the Eastern parts near the wall, it's great shelter against the sun!" and what he was storing, "just some chickens."

As he spoke more about where he came from, more and more details didn't add up. There was only a few little gardens left growing potatoes for the whole city, so holding any single animal, much less multiple,was near impossible without outside help. Plus why near the wall? Wouldn't he want as much space as possible to spread his wings?

He got along well with Scar, and Cub often overhead their conversations about whatever. This was something else that worried Cub, because recently he seemed... not like himself.

At first he wasn't buried into the books as much, which at first was great since he really needed a break, but Cub was surprised to learn that he had stopped after a near month of laser focusing on it. He looked more lost in thought, leading to bumps when he got distracted, and finally: he left one night for something, and hadn't return in two days - and took the mushroom with him.

Cub has decided enough was enough: There was a link between Scar's vanishing and Grian's little gift and was going to find out what. He set out to the Eastern parts, which led to a discovery of mushrooms had grown in the cracks where weeds were. Following them led to a shocking sight: a crack within the wall, hidden by shade and growing fungi, pale in the night

Dread started to build up as Cub went through. within the darkness, he could feel the stone above him suddenly disappear and widen out. Feeling the walls led to the wet sensation of the fungi and scrapped stone, and a horrific truth slamming into his brain: it was hollow! It had eaten through! Looking up he saw little holes where the moon shone though, revealing that pale fungi and pockets of odd ground.

Suddenly, a sharp hand grabbed his shoulder and viciously spun him around into the light - he was face to face with her. The pale roots draped over their face, leading down to what was a graceful article of clothing, but was so covered in mushrooms and moss that it was hard to tell what exactly. A crude caricature of wings, made by the roots and veins, hung limply behind them. But the way she held themself, the blonde hair...

"G-Grian?!" Cub asked in pure shock. Grian; mastermind of the plague?!

"oh thank the stars, it's you." The hand loosened its grip on him, "We were wondering when you'll hear the call too"

"The call? 'We'? Wha-" bewilderment came then left his face as he remembered why he came here, "Scar- Where's Scar?! What did you do to him?!" anger started to flare up, but the hand came to shush him.

"He's fine Cub, don't worry. He bound to the mycelium quite well. It's been getting lonely with just me; now it can be me and you two!" Small shoots sprouted out from their shoulders as she clapped with excitement at the proposal.

"Whatno! Why would I join your- your Hivemind?!" He backed away.

Cub was surprised to see her reaction as one of sadness rather than anger at his refusal, "Cub, I like you. Plus you make Scar happy, which makes me happy too." She held out a small mushroom, much like the one she gave Scar all those weeks ago.

"Join us Cub. We're friends, right?"

~🪶

Cub hates to call himself a coward. He's been steadfast in his research, determined to find a solution before this can hurt anyone else. Before it could hurt Scar.

And yet.

"Friends don't lie to each other," Cub replies. Because that's what hurts the most. He and Scar cared about Grian, whoever he was. They cared about the funny avian who liked spending time with them. Who seemed to take the situation seriously, who they'd both opened up to on some level. Cub had watched him listen to Scar ramble about all the things he'd learnt with a fond smile. Cub had smiled at the sight too.

Just like she smiled at him. Now, her hand draws away, that hurt still in her eyes.

"It was necessary!" She cries. "I didn't want to scare you."

"Funny way of doing that, funny way." There's so many things in Cub's head that he wants to say. The sharp spike of betrayal, the grief for a lost friend and for Scar. "I'm going to stop you. I'm going to stop this."

"Scar is happy, you'll be happy-" She steps forward, arms outstretched in what should be a welcoming gesture. It feels like a snare.

"We fell in love with you, you know?" Cub states. "Don't come to the library again." He turns, kicking at the mushrooms growing around his feet.

"I'll be everywhere, eventually," she calls after him.

Cub doesn't turn around. "I'll be waiting."

[imdonnalynn]

In This Moment (1/?)

Summary: During an evaluation with Bourne, Nicky becomes privy to a new behavior.

Pairing: Jason Bourne/Nicky Parsons

Rating: R

Word Count: 810

Warnings: Language, violence, stalking, possessiveness, mental abuse (on the operatives). Warnings can and will change with any updates. (If you wish for more detail then message me for more details at your discretion)

A/N: I started this right after The Bourne Ultimatum came out in theaters in 2007. The relationship between Bourne and Nicky is a confusing one. From the first film to the last you get no clues as to what they were before his amnesia. You get a tiny glimpse of a possibility of something in the cafe scene in Ultimatum but that is it.

Disclaimer: The characters of the Bourne franchise do not belong to me. So do not sue me.

"...have you developed any compulsive behavior?" Nicky asked conversationally as she always did with each of the operatives check in evaluations. All operatives were compulsive and obsessive to a degree. They wouldn't be good at their jobs if they weren't. But some of the questions she even found odd, but she didn't dare question them. To Treadstone she was sure they had their purpose. It was then she realized he hadn't answered which was odd for him because he was sharp, never hesitated. She glanced up from her report and saw the conflicted look upon his face. "Bourne?" she asked carefully, tentatively. 

He was leaned forward, elbows on his knees. He licked his dry lips and tilted his head toward her but continued to stare at the floor. "I've..." he started but his voice trailed off. "...I've taken to, watching you...following you..." 

Nicky froze and stared at him. Did she just hear him right? Did he just say he followed her? Watched her? Was he stalking her like some psychopath? Alarms went off in her head to end the session, call Langley and inform Conklin that his number one had fell off his rocker. But at the same time, she should've seen this coming. 

Three months back the safe house had been compromised and an active target of Treadstone had come for her. He didn't come to kill her but question her. Nonetheless his methods weren't going to be nice. Luckily, Bourne showed up at just the right time and killed the assailant in hand-to-hand combat. It was the first and only time she'd seen an operative in action. It was the first time she'd seen someone killed before her eyes. She'll never forget that night as long as she lived.

"Why have you been following me?" she asked quietly. 

His shoulders went taunt then relaxed and he rubbed his hands together. "It wasn't all the time...at first." He risked a quick glance at her then quickly looked back to his hands. "But then, I found myself coming back more and more. Then it turned into an everyday thing. Now...even when I'm on a mission I can't focus..." 

Not good...

Nicky was stunned beyond words. It wasn't everyday you find out that a thirty million dollar killing machine had a compulsion to stalk you. "How long?" she found herself asking before she realized. 

"Seven months." He briefly closed his eyes as if fighting off a headache. 

He's stressed. "Headache?" she asked.

He merely nodded as he reached up to rub his temple.

"Are they getting worse?" 

There was a long moment of silence before he finally spoke. "They're like a jackhammer in my head but it kind of goes away when..." he didn't finish as he sat up in his chair as if it had gone completely away. 

"When what?" she prodded carefully. 

He examined his hands more as he started to speak. "...when I'm focused it doesn't bother me as much it just...falls to the background."

Is that why he followed her, watched her? To keep from having the headaches? In a way she should be thankful it's not some innocent bystander he's taken to stalking. 

"I know I shouldn't..." she was ripped from her thoughts as he spoke. "...but you're not protected enough," he looked at her then with a penetrating stare. "You watch over us, but no one watches over you. You don't even arm yourself."

She shifted defensively, "I keep a firearm close by."

He shook his head, "A loaded 9mm in a lockbox isn't going to do you any good when you're caught by surprise. Neither is the alarm button under your desk."

She shook her head as if to say shut up, but he must have known she was about to rebuff. 

"Don't tell me it's not an issue," he insisted impatiently. "You've been found before you can be found again."

A look of realization crossed her features. "Is that how you were there? Were you watching me that night?" she demanded quietly. 

"Yes," he said it without hesitation. 

Nicky had to control her breathing to keep the panic at bay. 

"Nicky," he spoke lowly as if he could smell her fear. 

She felt like the walls were closing in on her and stood from her desk. He stood with her, watched her to make sure she wasn't going to pass out on him.

"I don't mean to scare you that's not my intention..."

"...you're not scaring me Bourne it's just..." she closed her eyes and ran her hands through her hair with a sigh. It felt like she might throw up any second, then pass out. "I don't feel so good..." She felt hot and cold, light headed, and before she knew it she felt a set of strong arms envelope her. The feeling of weightlessness took her and everything faded to black.

2nd A/N: If anyone would like me to continue then let me know! Thank you! But I have this listed on my masterlist as a one shot for the moment.

[purplekoop]

So. This was supposed to be a 2023 games recap, but I remembered that one of my favorite games of all time got an incredible expanded remake at the start of the year. I then talked about it for. a while. So I pivoted it into...

Things I Love #3: Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe

Yeah it's not Ninja Turtles yet, sorry. I'm only on episode 2 of that rewatch, but even without playing this game for the better part of a year, I can still definitely rattle off my thoughts on it.

As usual, this is a spoiler-free rundown on the game, since the point of this post series (I think) is to explain why I love a thing in hopes of getting other people to check it out for themselves, which I do in fact recommend this game. That said, let's get to it!

The original version of this was the game that started the "Modern Kirby" formula that was inherited by the 3DS games and Star Allies, and while at least the 3DS games have always been pretty highly regarded, RtDl was kind of given the New Super Mario Bros effect of being shrugged off because it started a trend of similar-looking games. That's a massive undervaluing of this game though, since in my opinion it's still the best iteration of the standard 2D Kirby formula yet. It's hard to articulate exactly why, but for me Return to Dreamland just has that magic to it. Maybe I'm biased since it was also my first normal Kirby game, but this game's level design is just so pleasant and satisfying. Each level has its own subtle personality, to the point where after enough playthroughs (including challenge runs) I can remember the order of levels and even the minor details of each one pretty well. The puzzles are a personal high point, making use of the game's great roster of abilities exceptionally well, while also giving plenty of room for cheese and alternate solutions. And it's a personal favorite for multiplayer, once again I think being Kirby's best multiplayer outing. The game feels built to accommodate 4 players while holding up flawlessly as a single player adventure. It doesn't feel too arbitrary like Forgotten Land or as centralizing as Star Allies, it's just the right balance. Wrap it all up in a series standard pleasant visual presentation with a banger soundtrack, and you have one of my top 3, if not top 2 games of all time, both in general and for the Wii specifically.

And those praises apply to both versions, but it gets better. Of all the "Deluxe" games in the Switch's lineup, this is one of the best in terms of new stuff and improvements. Saving the new modes for a minute, the biggest change is the art style. It's different enough to where I can see some people not being a fan, but personally I think this game is gorgeous, especially if you just recently saw the Wii version. The sharp outlines and bright colors just make this game look even better than it does in my rose-tinted view of the original. The only truly major visual difference is Dedede's new design, based on his striking Forgotten Land appearance but with his normal outfit. Personally not my favorite Dededesign (that'd be Smash 4/Ultimate), but I gotta appreciate Mr. Clump Penguin, especially with some of his expressions. It also feels better when I remember he wasn't exactly a looker in the Wii version with his big head and tiny body, so I don't mind it much at all.

The main gameplay has some functional changes too. On the subtler side, some moves from newer games have been added to certain abilities, like the skyward strike from the 3DS games in Sword's moveset. The most notable examples are the 3 non-Kirby characters having their extra moves added in one of Star Allies's later updates, such as Meta Knight having a unique counter attack and Dedede having his iconic jump-and-slam and face plant moves. There's also other things of less substantial note added for gameplay, like the ability to dodge while guarding being added ala the 2D games between the original and DX versions, but those are largely minor. I do wish some of the original's somewhat limited abilities, like Needle and Hi-Jump, got maybe a new move or two, but that's such a niche complaint even by my standards.

The most notable new additions to the main mode are two brand new abilities: Mecha and Sand. The enemies and ability pedestals that grant these abilities have been retroactively added to existing levels, never replacing anything but if you're paying attention their placement is a little tacky. The Sand enemies are always placed on a newly added star block and I have no clue why but it bothers me irrationally. The abilities are also introduced as the same time as other new abilities were in the original, which does mildly hinder the otherwise fantastic pacing this game has when it comes to introducing new abilities, but again, that's such a petty gripe that's only coming from someone who knows this game far too intimately. As for the abilities themselves, they're both a delight to use. Admittedly Sand surprised me, it was the second of the two to be revealed and it was much less flashy and thematically exciting than Mecha, but it turned out to be just as fun. It fits right in with the other elemental abilities like Water, and has a set of utility and movement options that make it fun to keep around, but it's just a bit boring in combat. Mecha is the much more obviously exciting option, with an arsenal of very silly attacks that feel more like a Dream Friend than a normal ability, though with less damage output and utility than you might expect. It's also lacking in movement attacks for something that looks so much like Jet, but its midair controls feel so nice I don't mind too much. My main gripe with it is that unlike Sand, the game introduces it in a level much less suited to its talents, and right before the water levels where you can't even use it. The new ability challenge is fun, but otherwise there's not a great time to get a feel for how useful it is compared to the existing abilities and even Sand. Again, a nitpick, as just having the big unga bunga laser and cool flying and even just looking like that is enough to make this ability's inclusion appreciated.

Festival, the single-use screen nuke ability from Star Allies is also here. For some reason. Frankly I'm just mad they only added Festival as the one existing ability retroactively added to this game, something like Beetle would've been nice, but I can see why they went with basically the least obtrusive extra addition possible.

On the note of additions though, this deluxe package comes with not one, but two major new modes.

The first is Merry Magoland, a non-canon(?) side mode, unlocked after beating the second level of the main game, where Kirby and friends go to a theme park to play minigames new and old. And this minigame lineup is super neat, as there's a minigame representing just about one for every single game in the series to have them, with the exceptions of the 3DS games and Star Allies, which... yeah fair enough, those would be a little redundant in the context of the Switch's library. This leads to an interesting selection of minigames, as basic as one featured in Adventure all the way to one from Squeak Squad that's like that one weird Smash 3DS mode. It's a super interesting lens to see the history of the series, with each minigame being a super faithful 3D HD recreation of the original minigames, down to each minigame having an appropriate results screen, and menu music rearranged to match the respective game. There's also two entirely original minigames: Tome Trackers and Booming Blasters. Tome Trackers is a simple "find the thing quickly" minigame, but is unique in using the same movement controls as the main game, just with no attacking. It's okay I guess. Booming Blasters meanwhile is my favorite of the whole set of 10, being a top-down shooter deathmatch and the most mechanically complex of the set. It gets decently intense, and you can end up landing some oddly satisfying trick shots. Now, the glaring flaw of Merry Magoland and the game as a whole is one fatal sin: there's no Scope Shot. Only the significantly less cool Ninja Dojo minigame returns from the original, while my favorite of the two Wii version minigames is the only notable piece of content left behind. There's traces of it throughout the game, and admittedly I realize why it's not the best fit as a co-op style of game in the otherwise competitive party game mode, and the selection of other minigames covers the gap it leaves behind, but it just sucks that it keeps this otherwise massive improvement over the original from being truly perfect

Merry Magoland has a bit more to it, namely in terms of progression. It's not just a minigame compilation, as it has its own sort of completion metrics. First off, there's the Stamp Rally, a weird sort of self-contained... battle pass? You play minigames, and based on your time played and performance, you get more stamps filled in your card, and every page of the stamp card you get storable items usable in the main game, or dress up masks you can wear in either mode. It's honestly just a nice bonus that happens passively while playing the minigames. The bonus items are neat but by no means a necessity (if you're a normal person anyways), but the masks are a bit more interesting, letting you "dress up" as a wide array of characters from the history of the series. There's some cool deep cuts in this lineup too, but admittedly many of them look more goofy or creepy than cute or cool. Still, it's a fun way to add some extra personality and customization to your playthrough.

Meanwhile, the real completion metric of Merry Magoland is the damn challenges. Basically an achievement list, which ranges from "play this minigame with a mask of a character from the same game :D" to "KILL ALL FOES FLAWLESSLY TWICE IN A ROW." I do appreciate the incentive to play these minigames more thoroughly than just beating every difficulty, but these challenges get mean. That example was barely a joke, you seriously have to do that for a couple minigames' final achievements. The part that makes it a slog is that it's just so random compared to all the other 100% completion requirements, and yes, this mode is required to clear entirely for 100% completion. It's just a grind with some of these minigames, especially when they're not all gonna be everyone's favorite. I personally dread Samurai Kirby and Egg Catcher, but I had to master them in order to complete the mode. But the variable CPU performance means that sometimes you can cheese a challenge, or sometimes you don't. Most modes are forced to have 4 players, human or computer, which is annoying for multiplayer with 2 or 3 players but also makes challenge clearing more annoying. You can cheese some challenges by having 2 unmanned controllers taking the player 2 and 3 slots and just making it a 1v1 between you and the machine, but that's not exactly fun and still doesn't guarantee victory. Again, cool concept to have achievements, but it's so random and so grindy of an overall process for 100% completion, which is otherwise one of my favorite parts of a Kirby game. Aside from like. Keychain/Sticker/Puzzle Piece/Gacha grinding in the other recent games, but at least those are just grindy and don't take effort.

One last complaint: no online multiplayer, for the main game or Magoland. This is a bummer as someone with online friends halfway and all the way across the country, but thankfully I do at least still live with my sibling who's as much of a Kirby fan as I am, if not arguably more in some areas. There is one online minigame: Samurai Kirby 100. This being the very basic timing-based minigame, but instead of facing off against 1-3 other players or a single CPU, your reaction time is tested against that of 99 other players. My uh... least favorite minigame. Great. Also because the Kirbys you face are based on other players, including their masks, you can get spoiled on the 100% completion reward mask. Very cool. A kind of lame addition, but it's an addition so who cares that much.

Overall Magoland is a fun side mode with some issues. The minigame selection isn't gonna be for everyone, the challenges required for 100% are tedious, there's no online play, and most glaringly: no Scope Shot. But those are mostly petty gripes from an overly dedicated series fan, and the impact the mode has on the game overall is a net positive. I'm interested to see how this mode serves as a possible pit stop in a family game night or other party game scenario, so I might have to see if I can convince some folks to play it soon.

Now onto the other new mode: Magolor Epilogue, the postgame adventure advertised on the back of the boss that also spoils a 10 year old game's plot twist. Oops.

In all seriousness, the mode is great. You play as Magolor, who's now a pathetic soggy webkinz cat incarnate, starting with an extremely limited moveset based on his playable debut as a Dream Friend in Star Allies. He starts with only a basic energy ball attack, but over time unlocks an expansive suite of moves, once again largely (but not entirely) based on Star Allies. Most moves are unlocked via story progress, but others are unlocked by using the points you earn during levels to enhance Magolor's abilities in a special menu. These upgrades are pretty significant, turning what'd otherwise be pretty piddly attacks into playstyle-defining staples. It's not a skill tree per say, you just upgrade specific attacks or other attributes of your character, but there's a similar feel to it. And while upgrades aren't mandatory... they help a lot. I've seen a playthrough of the game without them, and it looks kinda miserable. Thankfully it's not super obtuse to use the upgrade menu, and I don't think the game lets you make any super regrettable choices with your investment since it gates upgrade tiers behind story progress.

As for the levels themselves, they're generally shorter and simpler than the main story levels, as to be expected. A key distinction though: there are no major collectibles required for completion. The only pickups are the energy points used for your upgrades, gained either from grabbing them like coins or from beating enemies. You get extra points for combos (for some reason), and getting a high combo and overall point total is the requisite for this mode's main optional completion metric. You get up to a platinum medal based on your score for a level, with combo being the greatest metric to help with that goal. You need only a gold medal on each level to unlock the final bonus level, and I believe simply beating that is the requisite for save file completion. While this is a struggle at first, it's no trouble at all simply going back and blazing through early levels with an endgame set of upgrades. There are also extra side levels, ala the treasure roads from Forgotten Land or the Break Time levels from Super Mario Wonder, dedicated to testing specific moves and other skills. These iirc don't have medals, and just require clearing at all for the sake of completion, but they do have pretty decent point payout, so they're worth doing. Plus these types of levels are just fun, I'm glad they're a new standard in platformers nowadays.

There are also the bosses, which are Mean. This mode overall shares a lot in common with Star Allies's DLC mode, Heroes in Another Dimension, mostly in terms of location and being an extra extra postgame mode taking place in Another Dimension where you get to play as Magolor for a nonzero amount of time, but while the puzzles are simpler, the bosses are nasty in a manner very reminiscent of that mode. These are some of the toughest bosses the series has to offer, with even the first one giving me a rough time initially. Even as your skillset increases, the bosses ramp up proportionally, with the finale being especially devious. I'll say no more besides the final boss being one of the series highlights, somehow standing up in wow factor even now that the series has finally hit full 3D.

Speaking of bosses, the music for those is predictably great, as is that for the rest of the mode. Most tracks are remixes of main game tracks, but rearranged to be far more eerie and alien-sounding. It's a super unnerving vibe, especially in tandem with the mode's overall tone. The soundtrack becomes more triumphant as you progress, as you build up your confidence along with Magolor's power, building up to an extremely satisfying conclusion. It's really good stuff, as to be expected, and this game's especially strong use of motifs is worth special praise. On another note of presentation, the mode takes place in the interdimensional void from Heroes in Another Dimension, but with extra environmental details to make it feel less like a bunch of boring space blocks, as was the issue with the prior mode. It works here honestly, though admittedly levels within the same area blend together a bit, at least not being nearly as distinct as the main game levels.

I think the sole "complaint" worth mentioning with this mode is that it requires beating the main story to play. It's something I've heard at least one person bring up as a deterrent from buying the game, saying "just let me play the new thing right away", but like... oh no, you have to play Kirby's Return to Dreamland in order to play the new content, what a travesty. To me this complaint is moot and insane in the same way as "dang, I wish I could just eat my favorite dessert ever without having to eat my favorite meal first", but I'm obviously much easier than other people to convince to play through the base game repeatedly. Even then, the base game isn't that long if you blitz through it just to get to the shiny new mode, which to note itself isn't super long. You can beat Magolor Epilogue in one sitting if you want, maybe two if you wanna pace yourself a bit. Either way, it's not a super long endeavor, but it's a great one for sure, and adds a great postgame mode to an already great game, on par with others of its ilk like the Meta Knightmares, Dededetour, and Heroes in Another Dimension itself, arguably being the best of the lot.

...Which is more than can be said for the existing postgame mode, Extra Mode. Returning near verbatim from the Wii version, this is simply a second playthrough of the main adventure, but with halved player health, rarer food items, some bigger and smaller enemies, and harder bosses. You also can't use the optional baby mode added into the base game, which doubles your health, and lets Magolor bring you healing items and save you from pits. It's unlocked at the same time as Magolor Epilogue, which... I mean. On the one hand, I appreciate that it's not removing "content" from the original besides Scope Shot, but on the other hand even I can admit it's a bit lame having to play the game again but only marginally harder, especially alongside the much more exciting postgame campaign. I could maybe argue they should've made Extra Mode more exciting, maybe shake up the levels more, but I think I much prefer that they put their effort into the entirely new mode, then left the original modes relatively untouched. The one sucky part is, once again, beating and 100% completing Extra Mode is required for true 100% on your save file. You can't just blitz through it even though the collectibles are nearly identical to obtain. Which again, sucks, but oh well, not a dealbreaker to anyone I imagine.

On the last note of modes, the series staple boss rush mode, The Arena also unlocks upon beating the main story. However, unlike the original, The True Arena requires completing both Extra Mode (like before) and Magolor Epilogue. This means the game's final main mode requires beating both of the postgames in order to unlock, and it's a massive gauntlet of both the harder Extra Mode bosses and the new Magolor Epilogue bosses. It's a hell of a challenge I only managed to clear using a certain cheesy ability I won't mention, but appreciated giving a climactic spotlight to an ability that normally doesn't get much praise.

Now with all modes new and old mentioned in riveting detail, that covers most of what I wanted to talk about with this game, barring anything that's a direct spoiler. So verdict?

In my heart, this game is the rare instance of improving perfection. It's already one of my longtime favorite games ever, from a series I only appreciate more and more each day for how purely it sparks joy. This is a game I never get tired of, one I've adored since childhood and have only loved more the more I've picked it apart with challenge runs and other repeat playthroughs. There's not much more I could've wanted from it, and yet, it was blessed with the best port out of a library stocked with plenty ranging from great to middling. It looks gorgeous, sounds and plays great as ever, and just has even more to do and play with. Even if not every addition is perfect, the entire package has such a fullness to it, and the game I've loved all along is there almost untouched. It feels like such a complete and delightful game that my nitpicks I've mentioned feel and should be read as a bit silly. Again, this is an undoubtedly biased review, if this game doesn't cure depression and save the world for you then don't blame me, but this is my post series of gushing for what I love.

This is my game of the year for 2023, and I don't say that too lightly, even if it is cheating a little since it's largely a remake. If you have the means, play it. It's a great introduction to a very fun beginner-friendly series that's also got plenty of harder challenges stored. It's a great solo time, but the entire game allows for multiplayer aside from the main game's challenge levels (Magolor Epilogue included, forgot to mention that detail, you just all play as different colored Magolors), and it's fun throughout, so I recommend it even more strongly if you get that chance. I seriously can't recommend this game enough, and I'm not sorry about it.

Anyways, possibly expect some (hopefully) less in-depth reviews of some other games I've played this past year coming in another post within the coming days. Next TIL might be TMNT 2012 but that's gonna be about 120 episodes before we get to that point, so I may end up finding something else to talk about faster. I may also be doing the seasonal recap/personal history format in the meantime, in part because it means I get to go more in-depth where I otherwise wouldn't. I like this post series for spoiler-free overviews, so I'd enjoy the chance to talk about spoilers for once while giving the proper warning. Expect that slightly sooner then. Until then though!

[thebestofoneshots]

☆ star

hello! first of all, congratulations for 400 followers (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ *:･ﾟ✧

personality: i would say i am pretty quiet and introverted for the most part, but i can get pretty loud and outgoing if i am around the right people or of i am comfortable enough. i am somewhat of a people pleaser, but recently gotten tired of people lowkey stepping all over me so i get described as 'cold' sometimes. i am open-minded, and am willing to try anything as long as it is in my realm of comfort. i can be pretty annoying at times with my sarcasm and dark humor- i am also the type of person to talk things out when i notice something off. gift giving is also something i am known for, whether it be handwritten letters or buying flowers, i love spoiling people. i can also come off as blunt sometimes, and am fairly resourceful and ambitious. once i set my mind on something, nothing can stop me until i do it. my mbti is intp-t, if that helps with anything. as well as being a libra, my rising sign is cancer, and my moon is scorpio.

appearance: a pathetic stature of 5'4, but i always always wear either heels or chunky platforms 😭 i am pretty lanky(curse you asian genetics). my original hair color is black, but i dyed it a bambi brown, planning on going blonde soon because i hate how black hair looks on my complexion. i have really dark brown eyes and have somewhat sharp features.

hobbies + things about me: i am a psychology student. i love reading, but if i am not reading i am doing anything that has to do with art in a way. i write occasionally, only letters to friends and loved ones, and wrote few love letters here and there. i am also a cosplayer. i pretty much live in thrift stores at this point. i am currently learning sewing and hair cutting(?) because of cosplay stuff(it's an expensive hobby, okay? 😭). i also paint alot, mostly with watercolours and as gifts to friends and crushes. my aesthetic is basically the rockstar gf aesthetic, i live, breathe, eat in black clothes and eyeliner. i also do makeup alot, both on myself and other people. i do my family members' makeup for events and such, and my classmates literally line up so i can do makeup on them during lunch break. that also applies to hair. i love love love flowers, i would own a garden if i wasn't broke and lazy. i love making tiny trinkets out of paper or clay. currently learning how to play the guitar. lastly, i am a polyamorous pansexual demigirl.

once again, congratulations for 400 followers! and i am looking forward to reading more of your works. hope you have a lovely day/night. (ง ˙˘˙ )ว

If you want to participate in "TBOS' 400 Followers Celebration" too, you can look at this post for all the options of prompts you can choose from <3

I'm not gonna lie, this was hard. I just... I wanted to ship you with so many people; it was a bit of a struggle. (For real, even as I’m writing it, I'm second-guessing myself whether my choice was right.) But I ship you with Sirius, Remus, and James.

Sirius was the first one to fall for you. It all started at a Halloween party. You decided to go all out for your costume and really worked on all of the details to make it perfect. Sirius was completely hypnotized as he saw you prepare every single piece to a tee, and he wanted his costume to be as good as yours, so he asked you for help.

He even wanted you to do his makeup for the party. You sort of agreed. Secretly, having been dying to put makeup on the boy for a while – he just had such a pretty face. As you were doing his makeup and leaning so close to him, he started noticing you a bit more. When he saw you with a leather jacket, he was done for. You were just... perfect.

Sirius didn't tell anyone about his crush at first. It wasn’t until Moony realized something was off that he spilled the beans. By then, Remus had become pretty close to you. One, because Sirius was around you all the time, and two, because he thought you were very funny. There was something about your dark humor –always making fun of misery, including your own– that just made him laugh, and laugh and laugh, over and over. He thought you were absolutely hilarious, and for that, a total pleasure to be around. But he also liked how the two of you could hang out together without talking, just quietly reading a book side by side in the common room.

“I think we both have a crush on the same girl,” he told his friend in a serious tone. “What are we gonna do about it?”

“Let’s just both date her, at the same time,” Sirius said as a joke.

But Remus actually thought about it. “Hold up! It’s not such a terrible idea, if she wants to, of course…”

Lo and behold, the next day, you had two boys confessing their love for you, at the same time, and proposing something you had only considered in dreams, and in some interesting books you’d stolen from the restricted section of the library. You didn’t even think twice; you told them you’d try.

Since you were spending so much time with the boys, either chilling or making out in their room, you just naturally grew closer to their friends. One day, when you went to visit the boys, you found James in their room, playing the guitar. You were absolutely enthralled by it and asked him if he could teach you. James, being James, said yes, and you started your lessons together. Every Tuesday and Thursday, you’d meet in their room, and you’d go through the chords. At first, it was a little hard, but eventually, with James’ patience and Remus' encouragement, it became a lot easier. Even if Sirius was always demanding your attention after the classes, he claimed you spent way too much time with James.

And that’s how you started to feel guilty because even when you had the most perfect boyfriends, you felt like you were being greedy by falling in love with their friend. Remus was the one to notice something was wrong – Remus always notices. He realized when you prepared your Christmas present, a watercolor piece for each of your friends. But you had spent so much time on James’ piece, so much more than you’d spent on Lily’s or Marlene’s. In fact, you’d spent almost as much time as you’d spent on his and Sirius’. And then there were the letters. Both Sirius and he got 5-page letters, while most of your friends had gotten shorter ones, around 2 or 3 pages long. James’ was 7 pages long.

“You like him, don’t you?” He asked you one day as you were cuddling, he was playing with your hands.

“Sorry?”

“James. You like James.”

You sat up abruptly. “I– I know I’m the worst.” You said as you hid your face in your legs.

Remus, ever so understanding, sat up beside you and started to rub circles on your back, “Does that mean you stopped liking us?” he asked, amost choking on the words.

“I would never!” You said with a gasp, turning to him.

Remus nodded. “Then what’s happening to you is the exact same thing that happened to me. I liked Sirius, you know? Long before liking you.”

You nodded; he’d told you about it before. “I’m so greedy.”

Remus chuckled. “I don’t think you’re greedy,” he said reassuringly. “Why don’t you talk to him?”

“No way in hell.”

“I’m pretty sure he likes you back too.”

“Impossible.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You do know James is one of my best friends, right?” You nodded. “Then trust me.”

And you did. You talked to James after the Christmas break – well, you talked to Sirius first, and he had only smiled at you and said, “The more, the merrier.” Sirius was such a flirt.

James had actually been happy to hear that he hadn’t just been delusional, making up the connection in his head. And you somehow, he joined your chaotic but functional relationship with the boys.

Remus would bring you flowers once a week, leaving them on your desk, on top of a book, or even on the spot you always took in the library. James would take you on morning flights every now and then, and Sirius? He just loved cuddling with you. He liked it best when you played with his hair, tested funny hairstyles, or when you offered to do his makeup or paint his nails. He’d sometimes complain about you using him as a test doll, but he secretly loved how spoiled you made him feel all the time.

Other people I considered for you: Marlene Mckinnon and Lily Evans.

A/N: Hope you like this lil thing I made for you darling, and omg, this may come out super forward, but I’ve got a friend crush on you? Like, girl! I’m also into cosplay  (I freakin' love dressing up) and painting, both on canvas and my face; and obviously, very clearly, I really like the marauders. And we’re even the same MBTI? What?! If you’ve seen Anne with an E, or read the books, you might be familiar with the term kindred spirits, but like, in other words... I feel like we’re in the same wavelength? Either way, if you actually do want to be my friend, send me DM! I’d be the one to send you one, but you’re anon so, I kind of can’t hehe (ᴗ_ ᴗ。)

Sending you great vibes, Lily xxx

MASTERLIST

[latte-fairytaekwoon]

Morning Routine (Jung Wooyoung) Rated

Part Two

Pairing: Jung Wooyoung × Reader (Female)

Genre: Smut, Fluff.

Summary: Seeing an advertisement online in need of a camera handler, Wooyoung jumps at the opportunity, not knowing his employer is a renowned camgirl.

Word Count: 4.3+K

Warnings: Exhibitionism, voyeurism, nude taping, masturbating in shower, breast play, a rather tamed smut

Taglist: @seacottons @multidreams-and-desires @galaxteez @deja-vux @yunhofingers @little-precious-baby @brie02 @couchpotatoaniki @daniblogs164 @a-soft-hornytiny @yunsangoveryonder @minhyukmyluv @nanamarkie @mingismoon @ateezbabysitters

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"Wanted: Experienced photographer/Camera Operator for personal/private filming. If interested, please contact number below for more information or details. Students majoring in said field are welcomed to apply. 19+ only."

Seeing the advertisement, Wooyoung's eyes popped up. Usually most jobs wouldn't even allow people without a degree or years of experience. And it would be perfect practice that didn't include boring or basic projects his professor would often assign, not to mention a little extra money would come in handy.

Not thinking twice about it, he quickly dialed the phone number listed and waited patiently as it rang. It took a while, but eventually someone on the other side picked up.

"Hello?" He discerned that it was a young female's tone.

"Hi! I was calling about the advertisement for a camera man?" He inquired.

"Are you 19 or over?" She immediately asked for his age, which slightly confused him. But thinking about it, he kinda understood why she might want someone older. After all, teenagers weren't exactly reliable or responsible when it came to taking on a job. She probably wanted to avoid them dipping out on her randomly.

"I'm 21 and very serious in my work." He assured her, already making it clear his intentions to be committed to the job she was offering.

"Hmm...I take it you probably haven't had a lot of experience outside of college right?"

Wooyoung slightly gulped as she discerned correctly. But she did say students were welcomed to apply and he was fairly confident in his skills.

"N-no but I can assure you that I'll work hard and meet your expectations."

There was a deep and defeaning silence that had Wooyoung worrying. He could already feel her hesitation to hire him or give him a chance. He was so worked up on being rejected once more that the slight giggle that ensued after that pause momentarily confused him.

"I like your attitude and drive already. What did you say your name was?" She asked.

"Jung Wooyoung." He answered right away.

"Well Wooyoung, how soon can you start?"

His mood lightened up quite significantly at hearing her say those words.

"If you'd like, I can come over to the location you wish after I get done with my classes tomorrow." He offered.

"All right, just one thing....... do you think you'd be able to stay over at my place for a few nights?"

Although he thought it was a rather unusual request, he didn't put too much thought, especially since someone was offering him a chance to actually have some work.

"Um.. of course."

Unbeknownst to him, the woman on the other side had her lips curling up into a smirk.

"Wonderful. I look forward to seeing you real soon Wooyoung."

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Checking the direction that was sent to him, Wooyoung looked at the corresponding number on the front door to make sure it was indeed where he needed to be. Adjusting the bag that was hanging by his shoulders, he slowly walked up to the vintage style house and rang the doorbell. Hearing the soft patter of footsteps coming from inside, Wooyoung mentally prepared himself to see a middle aged lady carrying a Siamese cat as soon as the door opened. But he was not prepared by the sight awaiting him. Indeed there was a cat in the arms of the figure in front of him, although it was a Persian cat and not a Siamese, but that wasn't the most surprising factor. What shocked him was to see a very young woman near his age be the one holding the cat in her arms, her face illuminated by the warm smile she was donning.

"You must be Wooyoung. I'm Y/N." She extended her hand out towards him, prompting the feline in her grasp to shuffle around and climb part of its body on her shoulder. Judging by the slight crinkle of her nose, Wooyoung guessed the cat probably clung its claws into their master's skin.

"Yes I am. It's a pleasure to meet you. I promise you won't regret hiring me." Taking hold of her hand, he gave it a firm shake while his face radiated the most reassuring smile he could make.

"Oh trust me, I don't think I'm going to." Her lips formed a rather curious smirk that slightly baffled him.

She gestured for him to step inside, which he immediately did as he tried to ignore the slight hissing the Persian cat gave him when his shoulder barely made contact against its swaying tail.

"Baby stop. He's going to be around for a while so be on your best behavior." She chastised her cat as she closed the door.

Y/N let out a soft 'hmph' when the cat suddenly jumped out of her arms and ran over to where Wooyoung was standing. He got stiff and held his breath when the cat pressed her nose on his leg and began sniffing him. Pulling back, she licked her lips and then scurried off somewhere in the other part of the house.

"Well we know for sure she doesn't dislike you." Y/N chuckled slightly.

"But I take it she doesn't like me?" Wooyoung raised an eyebrow.

"She's a cat, it'll take time for her to get used to you, that's all."

Shrugging softly, Y/N walked over to the kitchen and started taking out a few cups and saucers from the cupboard.

"I was brewing tea before you got here, would you like to share a cup with me?" Removing it from the stove top, she held up the elegant teapot to him after she finished her question.

"Oh, thank you." He gladly accepted her gesture.

Noticing him standing there awkwardly, Y/N pointed to one of the chairs surrounding the kitchen island.

"Wooyoung don't be too tense and just make yourself comfortable. After all, you're going to be staying with me for a few days."

Her words reminded him about that particular part of the job, that still felt odd to him and he was very curious to find out why she needed him to stay over with her.

"So.... can I ask what exactly is this project you're hiring me for that requires me to stay here?" He asked as he pulled a chair forward so he could sit on it.

"Oh yes, I thought you'd probably ask me about that since it is rather unusual."

She paused briefly so she could properly pour the tea into the cups, the rich aroma filling the atmosphere with its notes of chamomile and lemon. After sliding a cup over to him, she turned behind her to grab a tray that contained sugar cubes, honey, steamed milk and a few lemon wedges, all in different saucers or dishes that matched the tea set that they were currently drinking in. The cute floral design amused Wooyoung slightly. He could tell Y/N seemed to have a thing for classy and vintage style aesthetic, her house and the things inside was a major clue to it.

Pouring a tiny teaspoon of honey and some milk in her tea, Y/N carefully stirred them in the cup before finally answering the question Wooyoung had been pondering over.

"Well to make a long story short, I wish to film an everyday vlog for my....channel." Lifting the cup to her face, she gently blew on it before taking small sips out of it.

"Channel? Like for YouTube or like that?" Wooyoung himself started drinking his own cup of tea, preferring not to add anything to it since he liked straight tea as it was.

"Yeah something like that. But basically, I wanted to show my viewers how I live and what not. Show them what I do inside my home that they hadn't seen before. For example, I wanted you to stay over because I wanted to film my morning routine. I want to capture every move I make from the moment I wake up to when I get ready to start my day. Am I making sense?" She worried she was probably confusing Wooyoung even further, but he was actually not. It had become a popular trend this day to document a person's morning routine for people to see.

"Yes you are, no worries. Now I understand why you needed me to stay over." The smile he had was half covered by the cup that was brought back over to his lips.

"I mean if you're uncomfortable by it or would rather not, I completely understand."

Wooyoung quickly dismissed her worries, shaking his head as he cleared his throat.

"Trust me, I'm not uncomfortable and I'd love to help you in your project. It'll help me out as well, you know, gain experience and have someone to put as a reference if I ever want to get another job."

Y/N giggled softly at that and nodded.

"Ahh yes. I guess if you look at it from that angle, of course you would accept."

They spent a few minutes in a serene and tranquil silence, the only noises heard was the sipping of their lips against the rim of their cups. Wooyoung tried not to notice the way Y/N would occasionally stare intently to him, a slightly curious grin on her face at times. It wasn't that it made him uncomfortable, but it certainly made him self conscious, especially since he put a lot of effort into looking as presentable as possible. Did she perhaps thought it was too much? Or not enough? Or was it because she thought he looked funny? Whatever it was he got no chance to ask about it since he only opened his mouth to let out a sharp yell when he felt a certain feline's claws tangled themselves on his thigh, the sharpness of her claws even sinking into his skin.

"Baby!" Y/N got up from her seat and quickly removed the paws of her cat off her guest. She looked extremely embarrased as she apologized profusely before shooing the cat off to another room.

"I'm sorry. She tends to get a bit aggressive when trying to play. She didn't hurt you too much right?"

Dropping down on her knees in front of him, Y/N gently examined the damage done: a slight tear in his jeans but no visible signs of a deep scratch or anything.

"N-no it's fine, I'm fine." Wooyoung uttered.

He tried so hard not to blush at the position she was currently in. On her knees, between his legs as one of her hands caressed the attacked spot in an effort to soothe the pain. Wooyoung wanted to smack himself right then and there for the dirty picture his brain had imagined about the semi stranger in front of him, and his cheeks started to produce a pink hue when his body involuntarily started making a visible effect of his reaction to her stance by him in between his legs. He gulped as he realized she would be able to see the bulge that was starting to show.

"If you want, I could mend your pants for you-"

"No that's fine don't worry!" Wooyoung stood up from his seat and inconspicuously hid his tiny problem by pulling his sweatshirt further down as he moved away from Y/N.

"I mean, these pants were old. I was going to throw them out anyway." He tried as much as he could to seem as normal as possible, but judging from the look on her face he was probably not doing a good job. Luckily she seemed to not question his behavior and instead decided to start cleaning up the dishes that they used.

"Here let me help you with that." Wooyoung offered, trying to take some of the china off her hands but Y/N pulled her hands back so he wouldn't touch them.

"It's ok, don't worry about it. You're my guest and I'm very particular about the way to clean my silverware and dining sets. Nothing against you, I'm just.... slightly obsessive compulsive." She remarked in the most cheerful tone one could have while giving him a shy smile.

"Umm ok..." Wooyoung scratched the back of his head.

"If you want, why don't you bring the rest of your stuff so I can show you where you're staying?" Y/N suggested.

"Yeah. Sure."

Wasting no time and thinking keeping his mind occupied could help cool him down, Wooyoung picked up his keys and nearly sprinted out the door. Y/N hummed a soft tune to herself as she ran the cups under the lukewarm water. Her eyes were staring out her window, watching as her guest was head deep in the back of his car's trunk. She giggled softly as she remembered the flustered look on his face just a few minutes ago, tongue poking out at the image of his crotch outlined in those tight jeans of his. She looked down when she felt a soft face nuzzling itself against her ankle, soft purring coming out of her cat's throat before letting out a meowing noise. Bending down, Y/N gently scratched under Baby's chin as she liked.

"Yes I think he is absolutely adorable as well Baby.."

Picking her up, Y/N kissed the top of her head and smirked.

"And I'm going to have lots of fun with him."

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"Ok you ready?"

Looking over at the girl still in her bed, Wooyoung got a thumbs up to let him know she was indeed ready. Turning on his camera, he held up his hand and started putting one finger down at a time to count down the starting time. Hearing the slight beep of the camera go off, Y/N immediately plastered on a commercial worthy smile.

"Hello my darlings. As I promised you guys, I'm going to take you guys through my morning routine step by step. I hope you all enjoy it." She finished off her words with a wink before tearing off the blanket off her body.

Wooyoung had to give it to her, she definitely didn't seem to be camera shy nor awkward in front of the lens. He liked that she had confidence. Then he remembered that she had a channel of some sorts and that was probably the reason why. He stepped back a few steps to fully capture her as she neatly tucked her covers under her mattress, impressively folding the corners of her bed like they did in 5 star hotels. Smoothing out the top before patting it down, she looked at the camera once more.

"As you already know, I like to make sure everything looks absolutely pretty for you guys." Her voice dropped slightly in tone as she said those words.

Getting up from the floor, she pointed over to her still sleeping cat that was perched on its bed by her window. Wooyoung made sure to angle the camera towards her, zooming in slightly.

"She won't wake up for another hour or so....perfect amount of time to get all clean and dolled up."

Beckoning him over, Wooyoung carefully followed her inside her adjoined bathroom, keeping a steady hand as he made sure to capture everything inside. From the long vanity with its mirror to the walk in shower with its clear glass lining, all of it looking spotless and shiny. Clapping her hands together, Y/N beamed with enthusiasm.

"And of course, the first thing I do each morning is wash up."

When he heard that, Wooyoung thought she meant like her skincare routine as he had noticed her cleansers and toners perfectly lined up next to the faucet sink. But he was not prepared to suddenly be hit with the image of her bare chest in front of him when she suddenly pulled her black satin tank top off and let it drop to the floor, his own jaw going slightly agape. As if he couldn't get anymore flustered, he nearly wheezed when she turned around and bent over to slide her matching pajama shorts down her smooth legs, her ass staring him right in the face. It took everything in Wooyoung's strength not to drop the camera when Y/N stood back up and turned around so that her completely nude body would be in the frame. She giggled as she took notice of Wooyoung's beet red face, further teasing him as she kicked her discarded lace panties by his feet, the poor boy swallowing hard as one of his hands shook nervously.

"Eyes up here baby." He immediately looked up from the ground when he heard her sweet and sultry voice.

Walking over to him, Y/N snaked one of her hands to grab at one of his belt loops so he could follow her. Opening the large glass door to the shower, Y/N released his belt loop and made a sign for him to stay there and keep the camera towards her. Stepping inside the enclosed space, she twisted the knob on the tile wall enough so that the shower head above her would start pouring out the refreshing and cool water onto her body. She released a soft moan when she felt it splash onto her, hands gliding down her torso and thighs as her eyes closed and reveled in the tingling and cooling feeling of the water dripping down on her.

Wooyoung stood there completely speechless and flabbergasted, his eyes unable to blink the longer he stared at the scene before him. It felt completely wrong to be there, to watch and film as this girl he just met the day before stand naked in front of him and continue her shower routine as if he wasn't even there. He just couldn't believe it, couldn't believe what he had gotten himself in to when he called and accepted to work for her. But he still accepted and he had a job to complete so he tried his best to look as composed as possible as he kept the camera pointed at her.

And yet more often than not he found himself biting down on his lip hard, trying to suppress the groans threatening to spill out as he continued to watch her as she did the most normal things a person often did while they took a shower. The camera captured every minute starting from when she lathered her head with her shampoo, its scent of coconut and hibiscus filling the entire room with fragrance that further made the tight feeling in Wooyoung's pants ache even more. His eyes were exclusively locked on her body, watching as the water cascaded down her soft skin, focusing especially on her breasts. He licked his lips as he took in the way her nipples peaked out due to the temperature of the water, wanting nothing more than to take one of them in his mouth and suck on it. The fact that Y/N would purposefully bring her hands up at times to cup or rub against her fleshy mounds wasn't helping his case, it only made him more sad that it wasn't his own hands touching and caressing her breasts. He was willing to bet they were probably the most soft and squishy pillow like tits to exist.

Wooyoung was really aching when she poured some of the pomegranate scented body wash into her sponge and began to distribute it around her body, starting from her arms and working them down her legs and between her thighs. He didn't mean to but he couldn't help himself as he fantasized about being him the one who was lathering her body, imagining all the things he'd do if he could. Like perhaps teasing her by grazing his fingers across her wet folds or even pressing his thumb down on her sensitive clit. Either way, he knew he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off her if he got the chance, but he doubted that would ever happen. So he decided to take what he could of the moment and perhaps use it for fap material when he was alone.

As if knowing exactly what he was thinking about, Y/N turned her body to fully face him and smirked. Sliding her hands up her torso, she took hold of her breasts and gave them a tight squeeze before releasing them. Wooyoung could not help the audible whine that spilled out from his tongue as he saw her repeat the same action a couple more times. Pressing her boobs together, her thumbs played with the hardened nipples, tweaking at them and even giving them slight pinches every now and then. Wooyoung knew she was doing it on purpose, trying to arouse him even further....and it was working perfectly.

With one hand kept on one of her breasts, the other one snaked its way in between her luscious thighs. Dipping one finger inside her entrance, her lips parted and began spilling out breathy moans as she started to slide her finger in and out of her body.

"Oh fuck..." Wooyoung muttered, not caring about if his words got recorded or not. He became too invested in watching as Y/N continued fingering herself in front of him. She looked absolutely exquisite, body drenched in the rippling water as she continued to stuff her pussy with another one of her fingers. Her eyes shut tightly and her head tilted back as she let out even louder whimpers when she began scissoring inside her fleshy core. Her hand that was on her breasts pulled away to twist the showerhead knob so the pressure of the water could be at its lowest setting. Without the intense sound of the splashing water, her strangled noises became more audible as well as the slopping and squealching sounds her dripping pussy was making due to the intensity of her rapid finger movements. Wooyoung could clearly see and hear that the sounds were definition not due to the shower she was taking. Y/N was definitely horny and the slick her heat collected was clear evidence of it.

Having someone as hot as Wooyoung not only watching but helping her film something that thousands of other people would see, and more likely than not jerk off to, made her weak. She loved having people watch her do naughty things as she was doing now, it thrilled her and riled her up even more. And she loved seeing the effects it had on others, like the obvious bulge in between Wooyoung's thick thighs. She could practically make out just how big he was given how painfully hard his erection seemed, and that image served to help push her over the edge. With high pitched whines and cries, she shuddered as she felt herself cum all over her hand, her fingers slowing their movements down to help prolong her orgasm without making her become overly sensitive. She panted heavily as she took out her fingers and brought them up to her lips so she could lick off the secretion left from her climax.

Wooyoung's tongue poked out as he witnessed the pornographic image of Y/N drinking up her juices as if it was a delicious and sweet dessert.

"It probably is and it only makes me crave to have her smother my face with her pussy even more." He mused inwardly to himself.

He was so lost in his fantasy that he didn't notice Y/N had completely turned off the water and finished until her breasts were displayed right in front of the camera lens. He let out a soft stutter when her hand came up and pressed the pause button, being careful not to drop any water onto the camera.

"I'm going to finish drying myself off in my room so you can have some .....alone time." She snorted softly as she passed by him, her hand brushing against his crotch which made Wooyoung hiss softly.

Grabbing the towel that was hanging on the wall, Y/N wrapped it around her body, tucking it in so it wouldn't fall down. Stooping over, she picked up her lace panties and looked back at Wooyoung.

"Here, in case you need a little help." She flung it over to him, which he catches in his free hand.

Wooyoung stared at the underwear and then at Y/N with a dumbfounded expression.

"So I take it this is why you specifically wanted 19 plus people?" He quirked an eyebrow up, one corner of his lips pulling up into a knowing smile.

"Yes. I might as well mention now that I'm a camgirl with a porn channel." She explained.

"Yeah, I kinda figured that out when you flashed your boobs at me."

They both bursted out laughing at his little joke.

"Ok but seriously, are you sure you're comfortable with all this?" Y/N asked.

Wooyoung looked down at her before looking back down at the panties in his hand.

"I'm definitely going to be hard most of the time, but I think I'll be fine." He assured her with a mischievous smile as he set down his camera on the vanity dresser. With a sly smirk, he began unzipping his pants, not missing any of the facial reactions she was making as he began to pull his cock out of its confinement.

"I mean, I got up close fap material with an actual pornstar. What guy wouldn't want my job?" Cocking his head to the side, he rubbed the tip of his dick with his thumb, spreading some of the precum down the shaft. Although she had said she would give him alone time, Y/N couldn't move her feet out the door as she stared intently at the way Wooyoung hugged his length.

"Wanna watch me jerk off with your panties to your image?"

Stepping forward, Wooyoung reached up and pulled the towel off Y/N's body, causing her to inhale sharply at his bold move. Sucking in a breath, Wooyoung shamelessly looked down at her body as he placed the hand that had Y/N's panties around the base of his cock.

"Just stay there and don't move beautiful...."

[blkchainsaws]

the way life goes 🦋

I know you're sad and tired You've got nothing left to give You'll find another life to live I know that you'll get over it

THE WAY LIFE GOES - LIL UZI VERT

after a tough breakup and a fight that left you scarred, you reflect on some things.

pairing: bakugo x black!fem!reader warnings: bakugo, cussing, fighting/arguments, mentions of scars and hospitals, characters are 3rd years word count: 1.4k author note: really needed to practice angst! excuse any mistakes. i dont really like this since i feel like it's rushed pls enjoy tho <3

you laid in your bed, staring at the ceiling. the sun was peeking through, slowly making it's way into your bedroom. another sleepless night. you were thinking about him again. you were still in disbelief, you didn't want to believe it, but it happened.

he left you when you needed him the most.

you took in a deep breath. every time you thought about it, it always came to that conclusion. you would retrace your steps to see where you went wrong, how this could've been avoided but no, he truly left you when you needed him most.

you shook your head, tears slowly starting to pour out your eyes. you couldn't face reality. you were still stuck in your fantasy world. where everything was peachy and so sweet you could get cavities.

where did you go wrong? all you wanted to do was protect him.

you closed your eyes. trying to escape deeper into your world of sweet lies. you didn't want to think about it anymore but no matter how much you dug into your mind to slip back into your happy place, you kept hitting that steel wall.

it towered over you, a list of your insecurities and flaws plastered all over it. it was engraved in perfect writing. even the blind could read what was written in that wall.

you shook your head again. trying to loosen the steel wall, but all that did was cause the steel wall to tilt over and crush you. you felt the weight, you felt the cold steel pressed against your scars that covered your once smooth skin. you felt your tears pouring out at an alarming rate.

you were completely crushed. no one was there to help you escape this wall. you didn't want to see anyone. you couldn't bare to face his friends.

"he cares...he just has a way of showing it."

you squeezed your eyes shut. "then why leave me alone..." you choked out, your voice was so weak and tiny compared to the usual upbeat tone. you sounded like a broken record.

"why...why...why"

you brought your hands to your face, only to stop when you saw the remains of what was once so beautiful.

your hands were everything to him. they were soft and delicate, he loved to hold them, kiss them, and press them against his face. you could still feel his surprisingly soft skin against your hands. it was almost as if that was the ONLY thing you could feel now.

your hands were now scarred and battered, as if someone held them and balled them up into pathetic little balls of flesh. a hideous pattern of scars was layered on top of your hands. each scar was ugly and asymmetrical. nothing was pleasing. it didn't make you look cool or confident, it made you look and feel like a an abomination.

you threw your hands away from your sight...but you knew that wasn't enough.

you knew exactly how you ended up here. you were reckless.

everyone was fighting trying to protect each other. that's when you saw him, he was cornered, he told you to stay back and never interfere with his battles but you didn't listen.

you saw his eyes, they were clouded with fear and worry. your reflexes kicked in, you were so stupid.

you shouted out for him, bringing attention to yourself. something you were told multiple times to never do.

you heard multiple voices call out to you, before a flash of light and sudden darkness.

you remember waking up in the hospital. everyone, including him, was hovering over you. you couldn't remember their faces, it was all a blur, all you remember was his. he looked so disappointed and worried. you were not used to seeing that look in his face, he looked as if he didn't sleep in days, his hair was a mess, his eyes were droopy and had terrible bags under them.

the way his eyes lit up when you made eye contact. there was a brief moment of happiness between you both. until his facial features morphed into that angry expression you loved.

but there was no love behind his eyes this time. there was only venom and hatred. if looks could kill, you would've been dead.

it soon became a screaming match between you both, with everyone in the room.

you remember every phrase and every insult he threw your way.

"I TOLD YOU TO FUCKIN STAY BACK!"

"WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE?"

you relived this moment multiple times at this point. those blurry faces from before slowly started to come back, each detail in everyone's face becoming clear. you started to remember how everyone had to hold him back at one point due to how heated he was getting.

"YOU'RE JUST SO..." he trailed off. he looked away from you, a few tears dripped down his face onto his shoes. he wiped them quickly.

the room was silent and tense. his maroon colored eyes met with your (e/c) eyes.

"i can't do this anymore. you're a burden to me."

a sharp ping went throughout your chest.

"you couldn't listen to me just this once. now you're battered and useless. you may as well be quirkless at this point."

you felt your heart beat faster. your sobs were getting louder by the moment.

"you wasted your potential all because you didn't want to listen to me. you're just so stubborn and it almost cost you, your life." his eyes were so stern and...mean.

"i just can't put up with you anymore. goodbye." he turned and walked away after that and he never came back.

you waited days and days for him to visit. everyone reassured you he would be back, but you all knew, he wouldn't come anywhere near you.

you weren't the same to him anymore.

your beautiful face was now marked with a large scar that went from your chin up to your left eye, as if you were todoroki's twin. you lost so much hair you were practically balding at this point. your arms were mangled and a dull shade of your once perfect skin. your legs were still healing, thank god nothing too horrible happened to them. they were the only thing keeping you positive during this time.

it was your body that was making everything worst. you couldn't get into the details. just various stitches and scars that look as if a kid took a marker and went crazy on you.

flawless, perfect, smooth, radiant brown skin ruined. hair that took you YEARS to grow out and care for ruined. your relationship...ruined.

you were soon excused from U.A. you were too battered and useless.

the sun was still creeping up your window. you would've been up at this hour, getting ready for a day at school. you would've taken a few photos to show off your beauty.

you would've been on the phone with mina, planning out your day.

you would've been there earlier than everyone else, you lived so far away and it was the only way to make sure you never get a tardy. bakugo hated when you were late.

you would've met up with bakugo as well, and planned out your 3rd year anniversary. he would get flustered and tell you to quiet down

you would've sat with him at lunch trying to sneak a piece of his food. his cooking was so good, you loved when he brought you a bento. the spices he used, the ingredients everything was just so perfect.

you would've been training with the girls gossiping about uraraka's obvious crush on deku. seeing her pale face turn the brightest shade of red was the funniest thing.

at the end of the day, you would've walked up to bakugo a huge smile on your face as you both walked to the dorms. you would've told him all about your training, and how you were finally coming up with a hero name.

bakugo would only listen, a very small smile on his face.

you would've sat in the common area, braiding mina's hair and talking to everyone about their day and plans for tomorrow.

at the end of the night, you would've walked over to your boyfriend, wrap your arms around his neck and give him a kiss, feeling his much larger hands wrap around your waist.

you would say "I love you."

and he would say "I love you too."

you stared at the torn hero suit that hang in your closet.

you would've.

taglist: nobody yet!

[lespritdekin]

gone with the wind.

heeseung wasn't the creator of the universe, but he was your entire world, and you were willing to turn a blind eye to his disloyalty if it meant that he'd stay with you.

pairingㅡ heeseung x fem!reader (ft. jay).

genreㅡ angst, fluff.

warningsㅡ heeseung is an asshole, and a fuckboy.

word countㅡ 2.6k

disclaimerㅡ I am not knowledgeable within the business world, and i certainly am not a witness of how employers promote their employees.

The shadows that followed your form like a Pied Piper produced a wary rhythm that scattered across every corridor of your veins, the nightly breeze that stung your face held your heart in its grasp, squeezing, extracting your sense of pugnacity, forcing you on your knees, calling, whispering in your ears,

Why do you desire what you cannot acquire?

Why do you long for someone's touch? Someone that only desires himself?

It wasn't your first encounter with Ethan's straying eyes. Beautiful orbs as dark as ebony, gaze as sharp as tungsten, behind the curtains that dangle from his sinful truth, there lies a hunger that can never reach satisfaction, yearning for the taste of one more kiss for the night, one more body to hold in his sheets.

The number of opportunities the world gave you in order to keep your head straight, keep your chin held high, mind persistent on your own necessities, like your career that recently had been at the top of the pedestal, your home that had become a penthouse suite a week ago because of your intelligent hardwork.

At the back of your mind, you chose to discard these thoughts. Everyday, you could achieve another line of recognition in your work, the field you were most passionate about. The royal blue mermaid gown didn't entice Ethan enough to form a song with solely the thought of you. No lingering lips from another woman, no repeated amounts of second chances, just you and your sweet melodies. None of that occured.

That apex of the night, you shone brighter than the stars, glowed stronger than the moon.

You were dazzling.

Your skin could rival the smoothest gold, the details of your dress twinkling under the large chandeliers that hung atop your silky, beautiful hair. The Sapphire jewelry set you had just bought with full paper the day before brought out the alluring beauty of your eyes, the most tantalizing part of you, according to Ethan.

But, not even your most desirable features could bring the source of your pain on his knees. The dysphoria that etched itself onto your face magnetized his eyes for a split second.

Was it that difficult to properly look you in the eye?

You were beautiful, of course. Albeit, the most beautiful goddess that Ethan ever held. The confidence that ambushed your throat vanished as Ethan's arm snuck around the woman's waist, his lips that was once kissing your ear last night were now on the woman stuck to his form, well aware of your eyes on him, well aware of the hurt that formed in your chest, well aware that the tears you have been holding back the entire event would come crashing down any minute soon.

"I love you, [Name]." He used to say after spending the night in your bed. You were too naive to care, too timid to dig deeper into the honesty of his words. To you, he was flawed, but never in your favor. He was the ice cream that encircled around your tongue whenever you felt conflicted, the peaceful serenity that embraced your ears when your world was close to collapsing. That was your biggest mistake.

Ethan was a jerk. A bastard that continued to disregard your feelings, a monster that claws at your emotions until you fall into an abyss of darkness, shrouding over you until you suffocate.

You closed the door to your penthouse, your tall shoes thumping across the polished marble floor, tears now cascading down your pretty pink cheeks. Maybe, just maybe, Jake was right. You were a fool for wanting Ethan. You were a fool for allowing another fool to brush you off his shoulder. He was a puzzle you were never meant to fix, a maze you were never destined to enter. You were now nearing the end, your tiny feet scrambling to leave this labyrinth you've been caging yourself in.

Ethan wasn't the only man on Earth.

And, you bet he wasn't the only man you'll ever love.

"How was the ball, cupcake?" The man within your pallet had asked, voice deep and raspy, but still curious and soulful. He was rubbing his eyes, ripped muscles and evident veins littering his skin, eyebrows scrunched up as he forces himself awake. You wiped your tears away, taking your heels off as you allowed the coat to slip past your shoulders.

You sat in front of your looking glass, gentle fingertips removing your earrings. Two large, calloused hands slipped around your shoulders, kissing the exposed skin before disassembling the lock in your necklace.

"It was, hmm, how do I say this... Quite eventful?" You chuckled softly, fingers coming up to rub the hand resting on your shoulder. He bent down to kiss your cheeks, mumbling about how courageous and strong you were for facing the most afflictive quandary in your life. All alone, you've watched Ethan kiss another girl, make love to another girl, all alone in your little daydream of pursuing yourself that Ethan was a man that has been damaged, a man that needed another person's warmth.

Fully aware that you were deteriorating slowly, fully aware that you chose to ignore it, so long as Ethan still came home to you.

"Thank you, Jongseong." You sighed, the kisses that were scattered on your neck lulling you into sleep.

"Princess, don't sleep on me. We still need to take your makeup off, and take a bath." He warned you gently, applying micellar water on your face with a cotton pad. You smiled, your heart swelling from the undivided attention, something Ethan couldn't give you. After he had finished wiping off the last bit of your lipstick, he pulled you up and unzipped your dress, allowing you to step out of it. He gawked at you, eyes ogling up and down your figure.

You were marvelous.

The faint dimples on the small of your back, the little lovehandles you had, the cellulite that cluttered on your thighs, the little stretchmarks that had formed on the sides of your tummy. They were all so gorgeous, so, so breathtaking in the eyes of the man before you, eyes twinkling with unrealistic amounts of love. "All for me?" He asked cheekily, causing you to slap his chest lightly. You sweet laugh grazed his earlobes, kissing him, shrouding him.

"You're so beautiful. I hope you know that." He spoke, hands rubbing up and down your arms. You looked up and smiled at him, your cheeks heating up from the confession. "I know, you remind me everyday."

The morning came and greeted the both of you like a happy little kid, it reminded you of Sunoo. Bright, innocent, and hard-working. He was the sweetest little angel, so pure that you were almost fooled he was your long lost little brother. "Good morning, beautiful." A groggy, raspy, deep voice resounded from behind you, muscular arms wrapping tighter around your chest, nose shoved at the nape of your neck, inhaling your sweet, mature scent.

"Good morning to you, too, handsome." He sighed exasperatedly, nuzzling the tip of his nose into your scalp. "I adore the aroma of your shampoo."

You pushed his shoulder away, opting to turn around and face him. You gave his nose a kiss, your thumb rubbing smooth lines across his cheekbone. "Let's get up, big boy, work starts in an hour and a half."

After finishing your breakfast, which was done by the both of you (of course, your pancakes were with maple syrup and his with an entire jar of honeyㅡ) got dressed, but not after a quick occurrence of love making in the bathroom. For the first time in your entire being, someone brought you to work. Jongseong himself let himself in despite the rivalry between your companies, greeting the workers and staff as they pass by.

He brought you to your office, kissing you tenderly before leaving shortly, engaging in a little warfare of who could declare their love the deepest.

Of course, your competitive boyfriend won.

You could still feel the delicious warmth of his lips on your as he says "I love you more than Heroes of Storm." You could still feel his hands on your waist as he sits you down your desk, his tongue prying.

Lost in your little daydream, your secretary knocked on the door, informing you that the Chief Executive Officer longed for your presence in the conference and room. You arrived shortly, all eyes on your gorgeous figure and miniscule, flawless face as your PA closed the door in your tow. Expectedly, the man of your nightmares was equally as daunting in the presence of the room, the gentle humming of the air-conditioner reminding you that you were in a place of professionalism, not your personal escapade.

You sat in the only seat available, parallel to the CEO, right next to the left of Ethan. Your PA stood behind you, fiddling with the folders and papers in her hand. You tugged at the ends of your maroon blazer, your skirt the same color. Your pencil skirt and tall heels were black, pearl earrings a bright contrast to the black onyx of your designer shoes. Your cheeks were pink, lips adorning the same color, eyes sparkling with casual confidence, causing Ethan's eyebrows to furrow.

Weren't you just on the brim of crying your eyes out yesterday?

Why the fuck were you glowing?

"Good morning, ladies. Good morning, gentlemen." A series of polite responses welcomed the ears of the chairman, standing up with his hands clasped together. "The following six months were quite the effort, weren't they? The panel and I have discussed the possibility of a President, soon to replace the retiring Mrs. Min."

Murmurs of who they wanted to lead them hollered around the crisp air of the alcove. Your name came in the picture of gossiping workers, but the smile on your face soon turned sour after hearing Ethan's name in the air. Your smile could have faltered if it weren't for your newfound strength to face challenges head on, to face the fresh antagonism between you and Ethan.

A sly smirk graced Ethan's unbelievably handsome face. You've missed the cheeky quirk of his eyebrow, the serrated glint in his eyes, the burning touch of his fingertips, and his gorgeous face. You've craved for them more than anything in the world these past few days, but not even Ethan's remorseless persistence could govern Jay's latency in your life. Ethan was a pest, Jay was a miracle that was given to you.

The exemplification was enough.

The Jay Park, the CEO and President of Park Enterprises was the one that held your heart.

Not even your past with Ethan could compare to that.

"We have come to a conclusion. It was quite the handful to decide, but our verdict was unanimous." The chairman concluded, causing everyone's blood to stiffen, curious, biting, curiously waiting, demanding for the designated name to be called in their seats, eyes boring into the man in front of them. "We have decided, that, from this day on, Ms. [Name] Yang will be your latest luminary."

The crowd squealed in delight, inappropriate within the occasion, but appreciated, nevertheless. You stood up to bow to the chairman, your new position in the company greatly satisfying, justifying your hardwork. The image of vengeance never crossed your mind, but with Ethan, dumbfounded and in disbelief of your success, being here, on the time of your prosperity, was breathtaking, to say the least.

The gentle monikers you've given him proved worthless as you bowed in front of him, the red that clouded his vision powerful enough to physically manhandle you, force you into submission, force you below him. His hands itched to paint your skin red, stain your mind with him and his rough palms, make you feel the anger and dissatisfaction you've caused him. His head was in a swirl, the radiance of your skin and your smile pushing him off a cliff, your elegance draping him with your beauty.

But, why?

Why was he feeling this way? You were just another whore that fell in his mousetrap.

Why were you suddenly the only prize he wanted to win?

As soon as you informed Jongseong through the phone at lunch time, he swore he could make love to you then and there. He was more than gleeful for you and the steadfast dedication you had in your field. All the nights you spent at the office in your home, all the coffee lattes that you would open the door to, all the fast-food meals you would consume just to finish your line of work finally paid off. To celebrate, Jay booked a dinner reservation in one of the 7-star hotels him and his father owned.

That night, Ethan's very own eyes discovered Jay Park's form, leaning against his black Mercedes, seemingly waiting for someone. His speculation that it was you soon pummeled him in the face as your little arms wrapped around Park Ent's CEO, shoving your tongue down his throat out in the open. The moment you entered Jongseong's car, he slammed his beer glass on his desk and rolled the sleeves of his dress shirt past his elbows, the veins and muscles that flourish his arms more enticing under the moonlight.

Ethan's plan was meant to be successful. You were his opponent. Opponents of that of Lee Heeseung deserved to be humiliated, emotionally distraught. His loving past with his object of rivalry is all but impractical. The voice that called him in that dark night, your voice that felt like an early summer sunshine was valueless. The love that you so willingly gave dripped down his face. He licensed them to fall. Everything you shared with him, all of them were mere acts of kindness.

So, why were the veins in his temples protruding from under his skin?

Why did his eyes burn when your lips kissed Jay's?

Why did something in his guts wreathe when he reminded himself that you weren't his anymore?

Why were you such a bitch in the first place?

Of all the queries, the interrogations, the questions, and all the answers, responses, replies, all of the truth Ethan indulged in, it was always you that burglarized his mind. The most horrifying part was, he was in pain. His hands itched to be on yours, entangle your fingertips, kiss your palms, he wanted your lips on his fingertips, like you used to do when he was in distress.

He felt like he was granted to finally grasp the moonlight in his arms, cradle it until his retinas burn with luminescence, listen to your soft, breathy voice, telling him, urging him, singing him lullabies, moaning for him, whining, whimpering, shuddering, trembling for him.

Classical music devoured his sour ambience, the bitter taste of your dispossession of him made Ethan's chest tighten, lungs burning, limbs numbing. His mind was in a whirlpool of your graceful exorcism, your deportation like a gun against his head. His palms met the glass wall where he witnessed your happy smiles and soft giggles, the ones you used to make whenever you were with him.

The classical music that you used to listen to kissed his ears, and for once in his life, he cried and longed for someone. He would soar through the stormy clouds if it meant to have one more minute with you in an apocalypse of pandemonium.

That was Ethan's mistake. The long yesterday was the last time he could ever feel your skin on his. Your kisses would be nothing but a dream, your words nothing but a song he used to sing, your laugh nothing but a faint melody, your love nothing but whispers in the air.

Ethan was the one who left, but he wasn't the one who disappeared. He was left high and dry.

And you?

You were simply gone with the wind.

[philcoulsonismyhero]

#broo this looks so good!#how many hours did it take?#it's all pencil linework#must have taken patience beyond my understanding

Thank you!!

You have activated my trap card: talking about drawing

I wasn't keeping track, tbh, since I've been poking at it on and off over a couple of days. Some number of hours greater than two, but I genuinely have no idea. Believe it or not, this is actually what counts as relatively loose and sketchy by my standards! Pencil lineart is what I fall back on when I don't have the energy for proper inking, since it's a lot more forgiving. (Plus, I've got this excellent propelling eraser that lets me clean up really tiny details, so I was able to get rid of the construction lines without losing the details around/on top of them and that helps it to look neater.) Usually I'd get really particular when inking the lines, but this time I just quickly went over some of them with a really sharp pencil for definition, or a blunter one for weight, and let things stay a bit fuzzy in places.

The whole thing was pretty haphazard and improvised, actually. I started redrawing a screencap, but then I changed the expression, moved the limbs around, messed up his hair and clothes... It was pretty much an experiment in being a bit looser and not so reliant on references, so it's interesting that it looks like it took patience! It felt like the total opposite when I was drawing, I was just throwing things at the page and seeing what stuck by the metric of what I found the most entertaining. It does help that I've drawn Ironwood a truly ludicrous number of times by now, so I've got even his more complicated prosthetic hand pretty down, and I could probably draw his face and hair in my sleep.

While I'm rambling about the drawing process (I meant it about the trap card!), I put far too much thought into the damage and the blood (and my usual habit of making sure the lines of his metal arm are vaguely realistically visible through his sleeve, because I always thought the show animation was lazy about that). Obsessive levels of detail is always the fun part, I get into the zone and forget how long I've spent on things. The vague context I had in mind is that this is the result of the big James-vs-everyone fight in the better version of vol8 that exists in my head. (I did vaguely consider making this the aftermath of the Watts fight, but I chickened out of the level of gory involved in drawing his burns.) His aura has been knocked out, he took a glancing bullet to the shoulder, something nicked his face or maybe it's a laceration from a blow, and the big one is that he's over-exerted himself far too soon after getting his arm replaced and he's bleeding from the amputation site. Figuring out where the blood would have soaked through his jacket sleeve while running down his arm as it hung limp was fun. I would have drawn blood on the knuckles of his left hand as well, but metal hands don't bleed and I was less keen on the implication that it was someone else's blood, so I just went with damage to his glove. Can you tell I've been watching a lot of forensic pathology crime dramas lately. Oh yeah, and it's less clear in pencil than it would be in colour, but I had to include the heavy dark circles under his eyes that I always draw him with as one of the few bits of shading. Man has Not been getting enough sleep.

I do love drawing this disaster, it's been way too long.

Vent art? Stress relief art? One of those things, feat. this disaster because he's good for that

[aeempress]

Apritello Express Evidences, part 1

Greetings, Apritello enthusiasts and attention! Here comes a loong post is written by totally nerd. You've been warned. Here we go.

The thing is that Apritello is a double-edged sword. The series shows us established friendship of these two, give us a lot of content with them. We can see development of relationship through interaction between the characters, their reaction about the situations they are put in. We can sense their synergy and bound through the show.

Donnie and April have incredible chemistry, and both options, brotp and otp seems fine to me.

But let me tell you why I ship them.

Apritello is the kind of pairings, which consists of small details, hints, that's hidden, but if you're sharp and attentive one, you will notice that. Apritello has a strong foundation: the best friends trope.

And from the very beginning, it works as planned.

When I start watching show, I could say that April and Donnie are best friends. It is worth noting that April is like an older sister to the other brothers, more of a sisterly figure than a friend, but with Donnie she behaves somewhat differently, namely, as best friend. Obviously, she sets him apart from his brothers, although girl tries to pay attention to all of them equally. And Donnie behaves as well.

Dee's battle shell designs for April needs as well as his. His shell transform into comfy spot for taking ride for April. Special and only for her. Because his bros are not supposed to use it (at least, he carries no one on his back), Donnie carries them by his techno-bó or his limbs.

This tiny detail shows his special treatment to her. April is a very, very special occasion to D. Don does care about her comfort, he accept the way she is. Donatello does not try to prevent her from participating in their affairs because he respects her decisions and is pleased that April can be shoulder to shoulder with him.

D is glad to be at her service.

Yeah, Dee's still playing cool, he has image to perform as tough and coolheaded guy. So Don doesn't show his intentions, interest and feeling to other people (he's tryin', but fails). Because his actions matter. They are always small, hidden, but meaningful.

April, in return, trusts Dee and depends on his tech, even knowing what his inventions are the opposite of success (usually).

Go on. Look at Donnie's facial expressions and body language when April is near.

Donnie seems more relaxed when she's around, happier. His emotional response is always different from his brothers ones.

Oh, and look, he wanted to be first to give her a high three.

They worry about each other. Look at Don. He does worry about her way more than his brothers. Yeah, they all want to protect her, but Donnie is more expressive.

Mayham has no particular sympathy for the brothers: he is afraid of Raph and behaves aggressively, he is indifferent to Leo and Mikey. Mayham immediately takes a liking to April. And then the details come back: he let Donnie touch his neck. The most vulnerable place for any living creation, for a second. Let him to study an important vial without any hesitation. Mayham depends on April trust for Donnie. When everything goes wrong for Don, the little doggie comes to his rescue, just as April would have done. Is the hint transparent enough?

We can see links with "A mystic library", wherе Donnie begins to look for solutions to save April's pet. Yes, this may seem like his next leap, "sit down, I'm smart, and now I'll solve all the problems, watch and learn," but Don says one phrase that opens up the veil of the second plan, what happens behind the scenes. "My illiteral colleagues and I was conducting a mustic research, with a life of the beloved pet, hanging in a bounce".

Strange wording, Donatello. Beloved pet? Not yours, as we can see. I can say, that everything in this sentence is true, but Donnie and Mayham has something more.

Continue. Next episode "Origami tsunami". Interactions are kept to a minimum, as April herself appears for a maximum of 5 minutes in the series itself. But devil is always in the details, dear friends.

When April was attacked and hung up, the only one who excitedly called out to her was Donny. Raph is furious that the thieves have escaped, Leo is frustrated that their plan has failed, and Mikey is worried about the salami.

Yeah, we didn't see his worries about her when she fell, because Donnie is on the mission and must be coolheaded turtle, and second, he's calm because now April life is safe and sound, out of the danger.

Dear passangers, Apritello Express arrives to the next station - episode "War and Pizza".

Bare facts:

1. April has Donnie's number on an emergency call.

2. "Anything for you"

3. Donnie is the reason why Alberto knows April's name.

No one calles April by her name (except for Donnie, while phone call, but Alberto wasn't nearby) it was "Captain O'Neil" by her chief, her badge seems blank. And yeah, you can say, that's just economy of budget, but I assure you: in the first episode we were shown the name of the delivery guy. The animators were not lazy bones and wrore "Stewart" on his badge. So if something isn't there, then it either shouldn't be there, or it really isn't, that's how this show works.

So, the reason explained in the episode. When Al has short circuit, parts of its new code flashed through its mind.

Info about April was in its memory, in its code. Alberto was a lame animatronic, and it seems somewhat outdated. I do really doubt about Alberto is being something smartass machine with complicated AI like Freddy's Pizza's ones. Quite questionable. Donatello fix Al's brain and wrote code, synchronize with his remote control. He put information about Cap O'Neil into animatronic's head. All this pictures are kind of massage: "You was created for birthday celebrations. You are machine, and there concepts of "life" and "birth". Do great party for this birthday kid and April won't be like this". Or, something like that.

So Alberto did - do a memorable party. And he do what his creator programmed him to do, but in his way.

4. In other words, Alberto was a tool to impress April. Don flaunts himself in front of her, stating how he did the upgrade while doing the upgrade, even though April is fully aware of his tech wizard. And his abilities supposed to help Cap O'Neil to finish the birthday party, so she will stay at her job, not fired. All thanks to Donnie and his upgrade Alberto. (Or not)

By the way, Donnie was the last to leave April in ruined "Alberto's". And it's not an isolated case, it is a pattern.

5. They understand each other without words.

First, Donny came at her at the speed of light. Second, she hadn't even finished speaking before Dee was taking Al apart. Third, their chaotic, well-coordinated work? Donnie was a distraction (although he wanted to just take a break from the battle or let Alberto's guard down, while April just knocked him out). Donnie and April are great team, and sometimes the DonniexApril team is much more precise, coordinated, and interdependent than the DonniexBrothers one.

D&A feel each other and anticipate each other's actions, their skills complement each other, creating an incredible synergy of their interaction. They act as a whole, while it's not always possible with his brothers, even though they're family and know each other the way more Donnie know April. And Dee hasn't trained with cap O'Neil.

Donatello didn't show his crush for April. No puppy, loving eyes, no lovey-dovey speeches, no planning schemes (at least, the audience don't see one) . He just want her attention, but stays cool and hidden. D is already her BFF, but still.

The same thing is claimed in 5B episode - Mascot Melee. Donnie has no problems with interaction with idol of his childhood - Atomic Lass. She'd put Leo in a stupor, but Donnie? He playfully challenges her to a dance duel. Yes, he adores this character, who may have become his measure of the attractiveness of others to Donatello, determined his type. But still, he's playing all cool and confident guy, he's really smooth with girls, so you will never see a puppy loving eyes from him. Only two things can betray him at this point: his voice and his body language. Remember, how's soft his voice became for Atomic Lass? Now I want you to remember the scene before, in turtle tank, when April sent guys a meme.

D is the first to respond to the message, despite the fact that Mikey is sitting closest to the screen. And the responding is a little too emotional for this situation, don't you think?

And this face of his. And he comments it. He likes her sense of humour.

The only difference between April and Atomic Lass is that the first one is a real girl who is a friend of their family, practically a member of it; and the other one is just a fictional character. It is easier to say about love for a fictional character, because it brings less problems for a teenager, especially when he is living with three brothers and a father who likes to tease as well. Donatello needs to be careful and outline the area of emotions he could show, so that he does not get hurt.

Now, dear passangers, we are returning to the previous episode, shall we?

Donnie presents to his brothers his precious Turtle tank, but she's gone, and it's really necessary to find out, who has taken her. And the first person to suspect is April.

Something is odd, don't you think? Yeah, Raphael has taken tyre for their "Midnight special", Leo claimed that Donnie's stuff is common, but they are D's beothers. It's natural for family to borrow(stole) stuff of each other. But this trend was not observed in April. She would never steal anything from Donnie, much less steal anything from him.

Actually, there is a good, logical and solid explanation here. April was number 1 in Donatello' suspect list, because he simply told her about Turtle tank. His brothers didn't know he were working at Moon buggy, except Mikey (Orange helps Dee get the vehicle from Repomantis), but they didn't know what exactly Donnie was working for. They didn't know he build the Turtle tank, he kept it a secret, to surprise his brothers. But April knew.

- Alright you! Where's our turtle tank?

- Hi, DONNIE. You have 9 seconds to say, why are you just broke my door.

- Someone's stole Donnie's turtle tank.

- Haha-ow, I see. As your best friend, you naturally suspect me.

- She gets it!

- Oh-ho, don't give me that! You're the only one could taken it!

The only one, because she knew about it.

As Splints said in this episode - "April is not a snitch"

Donatello does trust April and share with her both, sorrows and joys. But we are not shown this directly. We do not see the action itself, we do not see their calls and conversations on the phone late at night, we only see the consequence. We have no choice and take it as a given.

And the way she cooled him down? Fast, efficient, and Donnie seems to used to it. Moreover, she slapped everyone, but still, she throw Don out of window the last. However, why such a large time delay between him, being slapped and him, was throwing out of the window?

And my favourite scene. It was obvious that Donnie had taken the hardest hit (judging by his scream and the way he was putting his knuckles back in place). Don then claims that their inner circle is secure, Mikey tries to make amends for everyone, and April agrees, blowing them a kiss and closing the window. Cute and mean, isn't it? (You're cute! but mean! why do I always go for your type?! - ep. War and Pizza)

Nota bene: Donnie wouldn't apologize to April. Tough, not caring badass boy image, remember? Even to best friends. It's hard to him to express his feelings by using words, he cannot do it in proper way. But he has Mikey, who is so alike inner him. Michelangelo apologizes not only for himself, but for D mostly, because D starts suspected April.

Let's continue: the episode 8B: Hypno Part Deux

• Donnie put "Donnie's blocker" at April's phone to protect her.

It's common thing that your friend install some programs or apps on your device. But you will always ask your friend to do such a favour, and you will always know about what, when and where were installed on your phone.

And April didn't know Donnie had done something with her phone. It was a real surprise for her, to see blocker with "Donnie says no-no-no".

And you know, the interface of his app. The way he tell this current phrase. Donnie could put a huge banner "THE APP YOU WANT DOWNLOAD TO IS A REAL PIECE OF GARBAGE", as usual antiviruses do. But no, voice interface. It makes the app more personal and thoughtful. Because when Don made gifts for his brother, the program was voiced by a computer-generated female voice. Yes, the tank's interface is voiced by Donatello himself, but his voice sounds more like Google than the real Don. And, we talking about HIS BABEY, for a second. Bit still, the point remains.

• Also, Dale.

Dale is nerdy boy in purple, wow, how convenient for making a parallel with certain purple turtle.

But thing is, April doesn't like Dale. He's clingy, remora guy, who has a little obsession with April, even he's not harmful, still, such behaviour freaks girls (and not them only) out. Her classmate is usually tell her what April O'Neil is "his favourite person" and he loves her. There is little that is attractive about this behavior.

So, there is nothing new and unpredictable here that Dale was rejected. Because April didn't, doesn't and won't like him because of his lame personality and strange behaviour. Our girl in yellow do right thing: she clearly sets personal boundaries and does not allow any dubious personalities to invade them. So that's the reason she refuses to go on a date with him at the end. He's weird, obsessed, and she doesn't like him.

Donatello, as far as I concerned from different versions of TMNT, was always a little obsessive with some things. And, you know, putting a blocker inside your best friend's phone seems a little weird, because it's, in simple words, violation of privacy and personal space. And there are people who may regard this as stalking or sorta.

Yeah, for the most part, he gets away with it, not only because April's focus is in a different area, but also because their bond is stronger than April's with anyone else at school.

She has known him for years. Donnie is her best friend. I can't say that it's fine to her when Dee violates her personal space - her phone, but April can accept Donatello's personality in general.

And he does really have good intentions. Donnie installed this blocker, developed by himself only for one reason: to protect personal space April from fishy apps from nowhere, from being hacked and etc. Don knew her too well, how much she depends on stupid apps that will distract her. He also knew well, that he can't be with her 24/7 to fix problems with April's phone, so Dee put a part of himself to prevent any harm in the future.

And again, "Donnie's gifts"'s vibes. Donatello genuinely cared about April, because he wrote, coded, developed, designed, and dubbed it, turned on the database, and installed it all on April's phone. 'cause, you know, writing programs in general is a bit of a hassle, but writing an antivirus is much more difficult, because viruses are changing, and questionable applications are finding ways to bypass. Do you feel how much effort Dee put in for her?

But Donatello didn't mean to fix April, as he tried to do with his brothers. Purple turtle accepts this girl the way she is, and tries his best to play smoothly with April, by adjusting, not being passive aggressive jerk. It's his outstanding way to show his caring nature, soft side.

Remember, small but meaningful actions.

Maybe, Donnie also can foresee that April may be forced to download some suspicious program, but still, it work: he managed to prevent April being hypnotized, even if couldn't be physically with April at the this moment - Dee was working for Repo Mantis, building dog's paradise for Todd. That's why, by the way, Leo and Raph were dragged into this whole situation. Mayham would teleported literally anyone to help his hostess. Donnie just wasn't at the Lair at the moment.

And on this note, we'll take a break for now. Stay tuned, expect parsing of the series, there's a lot to discuss.

Part 2

Part 3

[alondradina]

AUgust day 2!

Prompt: Artist's muse

Fandom: Dragon Age

Pairing: Solavallen, Lavellan/Solas

Rating: G

Modern day AU

https://archiveofourown.org/works/40756011

-

It was a beautiful day in the park. Sunny skies, fluffy clouds, and a breeze just strong enough to bring the lower 80's temps down to a comfortable level.

Unfortunately, that meant Ellana's lighting was unreliable and the pages in her sketchbook kept fluttering around. She'd drawn in worse conditions, of course, but it was just that little bit extra irritation on top of an already irritating day.

Tilting her head back in frustration, she was considering just calling the day a loss when he finally showed up. She didn't know his name, she only saw him at a carefully maintained distance, but the handsome elf was the reason she even came to this particular park.

His unusual features made him a treat to draw, and her art instructor gave Ellana a lot better feedback when she drew this guy rather than some random kid at the park.

He was tall for an elf, broad-shouldered, with a strong jawline and a pouty lower lip. She'd never gotten close enough to see any specific detail on eye color aside from "light," but it was easy to draw attention away from that by emphasizing his sharp, beaky nose and the prominent scar over his left eyebrow.

When Ellana had first sketched him, she had thought drawing a bald head like his would be easier than hair. That was a lie. Getting the exact contours and soft wrinkles took a lot of work to make realistic, and not like she'd been lazy and plopped a bald cap on him.

Today he was conveniently setting up underneath a tree directly across from her. Spreading a dull gray blanket over the lumpy ground, he pulled a book out of his bag and lay down on his stomach facing her. He left his legs up in the air, ankles crossed, and she found it strangely adorable.

Some time passed before Ellana realized that she was being watched. Glancing up from her sketchbook, she made eye contact with him. He was staring directly at her. Smiling pleasantly, he resumed reading. She didn't trust it, though.

Taking tiny peeks up from the drawing she was no longer working on, Ellana caught him looking at her more than his book. He wasn't even turning the pages anymore. She had definitely been caught.

There was no way she could draw the stranger with him aware of her like this. Sighing, she finally gave up on the day and started packing her things up. A charcoal pencil rolled out of her bag while she was stuffing the sketchbook in. By the time she had finished wrangling that and finally looked for the pencil, it was being held out to her.

The elf smiled, dove gray eyes crinkling at the corners. "Hello. I believe this is yours."

"Hi, and thanks," she mumbled, accepting the pencil and carelessly tossing it into her bag instead of putting it into its pouch. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she smiled tightly. "Have a nice day."

"Pardon me," he said, stepping in her way, with his hands raised in a placating manner, "My name is Solas. I recently started coming to this park, and noticed that you are also always on your own."

"Yeah?"

He ran a hand down the back of his head abruptly and moved back out of her way. "If you should ever want company, I would enjoy getting to know you."

"I- uh-" Ellana could feel her face flushing, and was gratified to see the tinge of pink across his cheeks as well.

"If, of course, you are here alone because that's how you prefer to be, then feel free to ignore my invitation. I will not be offended. I just thought you might, perhaps, be interested, since you always set up near wherever I sit."

"Oh. You, uh- noticed that, huh?"

"Yes." Solas grinned, eyes sparkling with hints of purple in the sudden direct sunlight. "You would not make a very good spy, though I doubt that was your intention."

"Uh, no. Not at all the intention," she said, feeling like a complete idiot. "I've gotta get home now, but I'll keep your offer in mind."

"Fair enough. Though…"

"Though what?"

"What are my chances of seeing what you have been drawing?"

"Slim," Ellana muttered, pushing past. She stopped a few feet away, though, and smiled back at him. "Though not non-existent."

Solas chuckled. "Another day then?"

"Sure," she said, sharing a smile with him before heading for the bus stop. Peeking over her shoulder, Ellana was amused to find him still standing there; watching her go. Maybe getting to sketch him up close would be worth letting him watch her work? He had freckles. She hadn't really drawn freckles before.

[your-daily-biaswrecking]

Serva me, Servabo te

save me and I will save you

pairing: photographer!Taehyung x f.reader

genre: angst, smut, slight enemies to lovers

word count: 8.5k | reading time: 45 min

chapter summary: Taehyung and you can't stop bickering, even after what happened. But something brings you closer.

warnings: Dom!Tae, sub!reader, protected vaginal sex, super tiny blowjob ig, slight chocking, dirty talk,

All chapters  |   Masterlist  |  Read on AO3

Chapter 6: Behind closed doors

Sometimes, you're having such an amazing dream that you don't want to wake up. Not even when you can feel the wakeful consciousness prying the images from your brain with force, when things start to make less and less sense, and events are repeated in an attempt to keep dreaming. And you have started to be aware of the sounds around the room, the position your body is in, the way your eyelids are heavily closed, and you're not sure if you simply don't want to move, or if you are unable to.

But just as you're wishing to remember the dream and all of its details, the moment you open your eyes, you have already forgotten it.

You were confused for a second as to why you were in your room. Or perhaps the confusion came from why you were in your room, alone- having already gotten used to some company. Then the memories from the previous night presented themselves; the way you had almost fallen asleep in Taehyung's arms and he had helped you walk upstairs and tucked you under the covers. You think the dream that you were failing to recall now might have been what your subconscious guessed -or hoped- could have happened next. If he hadn't left you alone.

But he wasn't there with you; perhaps his presence could have distracted you enough not to think about the consequences of your actions. But you were all alone and free to overthink, regret, agonize. It all felt like the worst hangover, and you weren't even drunk. Like Taehyung was some type of drug you got hooked on from the very first night; you craved him and would do anything to have him at the moment, then could only pull yourself together after it was all over. And you feared leaving now would result in you experiencing withdrawal.

Your phone buzzed -it was plugged in to charge even though you know it wasn't you who did that- and you realized it was that same sound that had slowly woken you up. You found the strength to roll over and grab it. A couple of missed calls; a couple of texts. Yoonji, obviously. You sighed, thinking about how you weren't ready to face reality yet and especially not to deal with your roommate, but when you read the most recent text you jumped off the bed.

"WE NEED TO TALK ! !"

Oh, no. Not all caps. Not two exclamation points, with spaces, too. There was no more time to dwell on anything, you were out the door before you could even blink. And you ran downstairs, looking around all the empty rooms.

"Taehyung!" you shouted but got no reply. He was nowhere, yet again. You dashed back upstairs to look into his room, that one empty, too, but heard noises when you passed by the bathroom door. "Taehyung?" You called again, and after a moment of silence, he answered.

"Yeah?" His voice was coming from inside, and you almost acted out from instinct to open the door. Luckily you stopped yourself, exhaled heavily through your nose while shaking your head and biting your cheek.

"Did you tell Jimin what happened?" you snarled.

"What?" he called, sounding confused.

"Did you- oh, jeez!" You quickly averted your gaze when the bathroom door swung open and a naked Taehyung was standing behind it.

"What are you talking about?" he simply asked, very casual. So casual it made your eyes follow his voice, ever so briefly, and out of the corner, you noticed he wasn't actually completely naked. You hesitantly turned your head back forward, still avoiding looking at him directly because of the way it made your face catch on fire.

Taehyung was standing by the door with a towel wrapped around his lower half. His dark hair appeared even darker due to the water dripping from his locks, down his shoulders. And everything else was exposed; his sharp collarbones, his soft tummy, the small trail of hair in the middle of his chest and right before the towel began. You lost your train of thought altogether. Flustered and awkward, mumbling your words but saying nothing.

Taehyung enjoyed your blushing state for a moment, rubbing his chest with a palm, mostly to draw your attention on him again, before he decided to help you out. "Tell Jimin what?"

Oh, right. "Uh- what... happened." He kept looking at you as if he didn't know what you were talking about. "Last night," you continued, but he still just raised his eyebrows at you, as if he wanted you to say it out loud. You rolled your eyes and took a breath to find the courage. "Did you tell Jimin that we made out last night?"

He chuckled, clearly amused by the way you had described it; like you hadn't done much more than that. "No," he finally humored you and you sighed in relief. "Why did you think I did?"

You shrugged. "Yoonji was all dramatic about wanting to tell me something and I just thought..."

"Hm, well, you thought wrong," he said matter-of-factly. And he looked at you with such a stare, you suddenly didn't know what to do with yourself. You felt bad for the possibility even crossing your mind.

Your eyes down on the floor, you pushed a strand of hair behind your ear and cleared your throat. "And... you're not going to tell him, right?"

"Do you want me to?" You shook your head at his question and he raised an eyebrow fleetingly. "Then I won't." He agreed, but you still felt like he was judging you. You felt like you were doing something so, so wrong and you couldn't even wrap your head around what it was. What could be worse than what you had already done?

"Alright, then..." you murmured, biting your lip and avoiding his direct eye contact once again. "Can we both make a promise? What happens in this Manor, stays in this Manor."

You noticed the corner of his mouth lift up, and he leaned in closer. "Sure. Everything that happened, and everything that will happen the next few days, it's all forgotten the moment we step out of the door," he whispered with a smirk. Then turned his head to force you to look into his eyes. "Is that what you want?"

You could see the satisfaction in having gotten you flustered again written all over his face. The implication alone of his -and your- words had your skin running cold. And perhaps you wanted to scoff at him, put him in his place; tell him nothing else would be happening. But it was more likely you'd be lying. It was more likely you didn't want to make such a promise.

So you avoided responding completely. "I'm going to go take a shower," you announced, turning away.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" he called after you before you had managed to disappear from his sight.

You paused and glanced at him through your shoulder. "No."

"I'll make something, then."

You offered him a quick nod and got in your room. And finally, you could breathe. It was the awkwardness of your first day there all over again, but so different, and so much worse. At least at the beginning, he was pretending not to remember anything; now there was no such comforting thought anymore. Not only did he know, he probably knew more than you; as in he could read your thoughts better than you could interpret them yourself. When you didn't even want to admit how much you liked his lips on yours, he definitely could tell.

And now what? You couldn't understand from your brief interaction what was supposed to happen next. Would you continue your days normally like nothing happened, or would it only get worse from now on? You had a hunch he would go for the second choice. But you didn't know what you wished for.

Your phone had no signal again; you couldn't even see what your drama queen of a roommate wanted to talk about. With the reassurance that it was (probably) nothing that you had done, however, you could go take that shower you had promised. Well, your mind was still being tortured with unneeded worries and scenarios, but at least Yoonji was one thing less to worry about. It's not like you would ever be truly free from Taehyung, anyway. Especially not after the image you had seen earlier.

Damn, he looked like a whole snack. No matter how much of an ass he was, you could never lie about that.

Your bed was made when you got back in that room, sheets smelling fresh. This time you thought about the housekeepers, not the man. Even though you had still never seen anyone else in that house, and it was eerie, to say the least, how they managed to avoid you so perfectly every time, but you just had to believe there was someone there. You had to, otherwise, you didn't know what you'd believe.

You could smell the fried bacon even when you were still upstairs. Taehyung really didn't have to go so hard every time he did anything; you would be fine with just something light, for a change. But no, he had to make a whole meal every day, didn't he? What was he trying to prove? It wouldn't change your mind about him. Or maybe it did, a little bit, when you decided to wear again the cleaned dress he had complimented you on. Like you craved his approval.

"What's all of this?" you said once you walked into the kitchen and the table was full. Two eggs, sunny side up, on each plate with a couple of bacon stripes next to them, fried white cheese, and sliced tomatoes. Just on the plates. Then there was what looked like oatmeal on an extra bowl topped with nuts and fruit, slices of bread accompanied by honey and butter, freshly squeezed orange juice, and filter coffee. "This is a whole hotel buffet!" It definitely overshadowed your pudding.

Taehyung flashed you a grin before pushing his still wet hair back and setting the final touch, the cutlery, on the table. "I thought you'd be hungry." He didn't finish the sentence, which would clearly go something like "after I made you pass out last night."

You chewed on your lip, hating that he was so obviously right, you couldn't even try to hide it. But you still kept your head high as you sat down. "You know, I often skip breakfast, anyway. All of this is really unnecessary."

He pointed at you with a scowl. "Unacceptable! You should never, ever skip breakfast." Then he sat down diagonally from you.

You rolled your eyes at him. "Whatever. This isn't breakfast, this is what I eat in a day."

He cocked his head to the side, a smile being suppressed on his lips, as he picked his fork up to dig in first. "I can't say I didn't warn you about my cooking skills and the effort I put in the next day."

Gosh, he made you so mad. You were this close to telling him to go back to pretending he didn't even know you; so much better than having to listen to him brag about you like you were just another conquest. And the worse part is that you willingly let that happen. And that you're still not in your car, driving back home. Maybe you're just all talk and no action. You keep saying how much you hate him, but really, why don't you act like it?

"You don't have to try so hard to make me fall for you, though," you answered eventually, starting to eat one of the eggs.

"Is that because you have already fallen for me?"

You shot him a glare. "I thought I already made it pretty clear how I feel about you."

Taehyung snorted loudly with his eyes wide. "Right, crystal clear. Absolutely no mixed signals at all!"

You let your hand drop on the table with a thud. "You're insufferable."

He took another bite and smiled at you smugly. "If I am so, you could always leave."

Your mouth dropped right as a deep frown settled on your features. You had definitely thought about doing exactly that, many, many times already. But there was no way you'd do it now that he had said it. No way you would give him the satisfaction. Although, for the moment, you did get up since you didn't want to stay there with him another second. You got up, with a pout, ready to storm out, but...

"I said," Taehyung growled, giving you a stern look through his lashes. "You should never skip breakfast."

You had never seen him so serious. Sure, you wanted to go against him, but it felt almost impossible. Maybe it was just how hungry you were and even you didn't really want to leave with an empty stomach. Your body, as if it was on auto-pilot, obeyed his words and you sat back down. You held your fork and knife in a bruising grip, glaring at him, while you contemplated whether you should pick the plate up and leave, or if that would be kind of crossing the line. Even for you. But before you could escape, the photographer dragged his chair until it was right next to yours. He picked up a bit of bacon from your food with his own fork and brought it to your mouth.

"You don't need to feed me!" you complained, immediately turning your head to the side.

But Taehyung held you from the chin until you faced him again. "I clearly do, since you're being a baby," he said, his expression still very serious. It almost felt like you were being punished. "Now, open up."

"I'm not a baby!"

"I'll believe it when you stop being so immature. Open."

His hand still on your jaw and his tough gaze now on your lips, you finally obliged him and let him feed you. What the hell was Taehyung fascination with feeding people? You had seen it happen more times than what one would consider normal. He fed you two more bites before you finally managed to pull away, convincing him you wouldn't just bolt. You wouldn't disobey. But he still didn't go back to his old spot, simply brought his own plate right next to yours and started eating with you. So close, your elbows were bumping with every move.

"I'm not immature," you spat out at some point, his words still bothering you.

He argued the opposite without even pausing or looking at you. "Says the girl who can't even kiss another adult without worrying so much about people finding out."

Well, the two of you had clearly moved from the phase where everything was secret and mysterious and implicit, to the phase where he could just say everything that crossed his mind out loud, no shame about it. And you -to no one's surprise- hated it.

"I wouldn't call having standards immature," you replied with a rise of your eyebrows and the last sip of your juice. The exact moment you lowered that glass, however, your vision was blocked and your lips were occupied again before you could even grasp what was happening. Taehyung gave you one quick peck and then was gone just as fast. You just widened your eyes to the maximum as you turned to look at him in an attempt to understand what he had done, and why. Where that kiss had come from. If looks could talk, you were sure his would be saying: "yes, I did that; what are you going to do about it?" He was mocking you. Because you didn't want your friends to know you liked kissing him, he was doing it even more. He had the audacity to do whatever he wanted now, absolutely no reservation. And he decided to taunt and punish you.

"Standards..." he scoffed, getting back to his food.

If you had any of those you would have stopped him already. Is that what he was trying to say? You were fuming. Got up once and for all -the food was over anyway- while you pushed the chair back so aggressively it almost fell to the ground. You didn't need to sit here and take this- this- humiliation. But as you turned to leave, you were stopped by a hand wrapped around your wrist.

"I see you're wearing that pretty, fairy dress of yours again," Taehyung mumbled, his eyes raking up and down your form. "I hope you're not planning on going out- it's going to rain."

You tugged your hand away. Now he was telling you what you could and what you couldn't do, too? "Since when did you become my dad?" you spat. Well, that was obviously supposed to be a bash at his controlling and authoritative manners, but it certainly didn't come out as such. And you were wondering why he was calling you immature?

"Well..." he chuckled, giving you another scan with a smirk on his lips, and you knew exactly what he was thinking about.

You groaned. "No! Stop that! Don't even say it. You're disgusting," you quickly accused him with a pointed finger and left the room.

Of course, your first thought was to go out. Just because he had said no. But even you could tell there was a storm coming from the looks of the sky, and getting caught in it while in the woods was the last thing you needed right now. So your next thought was to try and call Yoonji again, vent about how much you hated the famous photographer to someone who actually believed it; someone who hadn't seen you beg for him last night and could clearly deduce you were lying. But your phone was mysteriously gone. You knew, for a fact, that you had left it on the nightstand where it had been charging. But no matter how much you looked over and under and around it, your phone wasn't there. You tried to think about the possibility of you taking it somewhere else, but since you had no signal you knew it was minimal. No, someone must have gone into the room and moved it. Perhaps the housekeepers.

There was some light tapping on the window and you almost thought the crazy man was throwing rocks at you again before you realized it was too much and too fast. You saw the rain droplets hitting the glass and sliding down in a rhythm in front of the grey background. And so it had begun.

You managed to slip into the sitting room while Taehyung was still busy in the kitchen. You would need the warmth of the lit fireplace if the rain was going to only get worse from then on. So you had to infiltrate the room before he had the chance. And you waited for him to appear, maybe even wanted him to, but he didn't. As if he knew you wished to be alone, as if he knew where you were without even checking, he stayed clear of the sitting room. And it was lonely.

Perhaps there was no reason you weren't with him right now. You had already proved that you still liked each other, maybe not in the way you would expect, but definitely at least carnally. And you had also established that whatever happened there, would stay there. That could have easily been the excuse you needed to spend the rest of your days there enjoying it as much as you could, without any shame and without looking back. But Taehyung still managed to get on your nerves. And you were pretty sure you did the exact same to him.

It may be that you were simply never meant to stop annoying each other. You wanted to go find him in whatever room of the many in this Manor he was in, tell him to just shut up and kiss him, but the idea that he would get the satisfaction of winning this stupid, made-up competition in your head made you upset. Even though just last night you were chanting his name like a prayer, by daylight you were still too proud to admit you liked it. Who knows, perhaps you won't have the same hesitations in the evening.

The rain kept getting louder, loud enough to distract you as you watched out the window to observe the scenery and how it reacted to the natural phenomenon. There was music somewhere in the background and you assumed Taehyung must have figured out how to get that old record player in the hallway to sing. The book abandoned open on the couch didn't keep you as much company anymore. All you could do was think about what the boy was up to, think about what would happen next. And you realized things could either keep going up and down, or they could go smoothly. And you also realized you hated the idea of being with the boy you've spent so long dishing, but you hated staying in that room alone more.

You may not want him as your boyfriend or your friend normally, but perhaps the days in this Manor could not count.

You found your way back into that kitchen, pretending you needed some water when you knew you'd find him there preparing lunch. You expected a clever remark, a teasing tone, a sarcastic joke from him. Something that would remind you why you had stormed out in the first place; but were met with a small smile. He seemed happy to see you there like he wasn't expecting it. And he stayed quiet, the way you do when you don't want to scare a wild animal away. So you let your shoulders drop and allowed yourself to get closer, peeping at the pieces of meat he was sauteing. He snaked an arm around your waist as he pulled you to the other side and handed you a knife and the vegetables he clearly needed you to cut. And with another small smile and a stroke of your cheek, you ended up side by side cooking together in almost absolute silence, save for the rain, the music, the sizzling of the food, and the occasional instruction given in the form of a whisper. And you liked it.

The food, as always, was amazing. And Taehyung pushed you until you confessed just that, although he then claimed it was because of your help. The disc that had been playing had reached its end and was doing quiet circles around itself until the photographer finished his last bite and went outside to stop it. When he came back into the kitchen, however, he was looking somewhat perplexed.

"Do you hear those noises, Amy?" he asked you.

You got off the table to face him, too. All you could hear at first was the sound of the rainfall, but once you moved closer to the hallway, you realized what he was referring to. Noises coming from upstairs.

You walked right in front of him, grabbing his arm. "See, Tae? That's what I was talking about. That can't be just the pipes."

Taehyung nodded as the thumping got louder. "And the housekeepers?"

You frowned. "You're saying there are people here right now?"

Clearly, you were alone. He glanced down the corridor and back at you, holding your arm as well. "Then? Is there someone else here?"

Oh, you didn't like that question. You were supposed to be asking the absurd questions and he was supposed to be calming you down. What was he doing, being the crazy one now? "Like... Who? What?"

It seemed like he remembered to be cool, and he shook his head with a chuckle. "No. There can't be anyone here," he said, releasing his grip on you and looking back down the hallway. "It must be something else."

"Okay," you sighed. "Then, will you go and look?"

"Me?"

"Well, yeah."

"Why do I have to go?" he mumbled even though he was still trying not to look scared.

You saw the opportunity and took it; crossing your arms over your chest. "I can't go, you know, since I'm an immature baby. You have to be the man and go check."

Taehyung growled at you through his teeth but shook his head like he was amused. "You're such a princess."

The thumping got worse. You both looked up at the same time, even though neither could see anything through the ceiling and then looked at each other in the eyes. You immediately knew you had the same thought.

"Together?" you offered.

"Yeah, let's go together."

Your hand slipped into his. or perhaps he was the one who sought it, as you slowly walked toward the staircase. Taehyung was one step ahead, checking the way as you followed, and you kept looking back, checking the way you left behind you. Your hands always linked.

"It's probably just the wind," Taehyung murmured when you had reached the first floor, but the rooms didn't look out of the ordinary. Then, a sharp bang came from right over your head.

"The attic!" you exclaimed. You saw Taehyung looking at the extra set of stairs leading further up and sigh, clearly not having the slightest desire to go up there. You couldn't blame him.

"Hello?" Taehyung shouted at the stairs, and you're not sure if it would be worse to get a response or not. It was the latter.

"I told you there's no one here," you murmured to his ear as he slowly started walking up the steps, still having this need to be right. Even in times like these.

The further up you got, the colder it got, a chill running down your spine like a breeze had passed right through you. And your hold on the man got tighter, the force reciprocated right away. The sound of the rain got worse, too, as it was hitting the roof that was right above you. And it was almost deafening. The atmosphere was stranger than ever, and for a moment you thought you'd rather never find out what the noises were; you held onto Taehyung's green sweater and pulled him slightly back, ready to tell him to abort. To just take both him and yo back to safety; if the downstairs era could be classified as such. Save him, so he can save you; the dynamic that seemed to be most prominent in your relationship.

"Hold on," he then mumbled, his free hand holding the one that was pulling him back. "I think there is a window open."

"Tae," you whined, but he slipped between your fingers.

You didn't take another step, keeping one foot still on the staircase, while you watched the boy walk carefully down the small corridor and looking inside the empty rooms. Another bang, that was now easier to locate, came from one of the closed rooms around the middle, and Taehyung pointed at it, before opening the door.

"Ah," you heard him exhale and he walked in without a second thought. You just kept looking at the empty spot he had left down the hall with worry, still not knowing what was going on. "Amy, see, I told you," his voice came a little muffled from inside.

You finally moved closer, until you were able to look inside. Taehyung was closing up a window in a very similar way that he had done in your room the first night. Although this time the strong windstorm was drenching him. He only struggled a tiny bit until he had the lock secured and the current was cut off. He sighed once more, taking a look around the room.

"How did that open?" you asked, fidgeting.

Taehyung shrugged. "Probably same way yours did," he said as he bent down and picked up a lamp that was laying on the floor; probably the culprit of one of the loud bangs that had brought you two up here, along with the doors that must have been slamming and the window casements smacking the walls due to the wind.

"I still don't know why mine had opened like that," you said. It was true, the way it had been so stuck earlier, it all just seemed too suspicious to you. Although you had nothing to base your suspicions on. Taehyung chuckled and walked back to you, placing his palm on your back to guide you gently back.

"I'll tell you how. Old house means weak windows. And weak windows means it's easy for a strong wind to blow them open."

You glanced one last time over your shoulder as you started going down the stairs, just to make sure everything else seemed in order; and yes, the attic was still the same kind of creepy as always, but at least it was quiet. "That, or there are ghosts getting in and out through those windows," you grumbled. Big stretch, you knew that. You didn't actually believe that, or maybe you did a little bit. IT just was had crossed your mind at the moment, and just the fact that you were comfortable enough to blurt it out in front of Taehyung without fearing being judged spoke volumes.

He chuckled and rubbed your back. "Now, why would ghosts need to use the windows? Can they not just pass through the walls."

You threw your arms up in the air. "Oh, right! Great. If there are any ghosts here we won't even be able to tell."

The photographer stopped you then, outside your room, and he turned you to face him. "Hey, hey," he whispered in a reassuring manner, holding your face in both hands and looking in your eyes. "How about we made a nice, warm cup of tea and go sit by the fireplace, huh? Nothing can hurt us there, okay?"

You basked in the feeling of his eyes on yours in such a sweet and comforting way, in a protective character, even if there was no real danger or need. Perhaps that's what made his stance even better; he didn't tease you or mock you. Even if that would be exactly what you would expect from him. Maybe Taehyung wasn't all that you imagined he was. Maybe when he was acting like that, it was exactly that: acting. Because he, too, was tired of your accusations and was giving you the role you had painted for him. Tired or hurt. But in this more genuine and sincere moment where both of you had undeniably let your walls down and gotten close, he was behaving more subconsciously and unpretentiously.

"Okay," you said while giving him a tiny smile.

He leaned in and placed his velvety lips on your forehead. Then his thumb caressed over your cheekbone and he let you go, quickly taking your hand in his, however. "Okay, let's go."

If there was one thing certain about this house, it was that you were indeed safe in that sitting room. Or at least it felt that way. When you were sitting by the warm fire, listening to the heavy rain on the windows and the ticks of the grandfather clock, sipping that delicious mountain tea with honey and lemon, it felt like nothing else existed in this world but you, Taehyung, and that room. This time you weren’t sitting very far; had chosen to be as close as possible, perhaps for a sense of protection. You were both on the thick carpet with all the cushions in front of the fireplace, at first with just your feet touching, then eventually with your whole body pressed upon his and his fingers playing with your hair any time he took a break from working. Until you were both too tired to continue and decided to play some rounds of Beavers.

The rain had turned into a storm. It was completely dark outside save for the frequent flashes of lightning. Taehyung was beating you on the game yet again and the time that you were supposed to go back to your separate rooms was nearing. But every time you looked toward the exit, neither of you wanted to leave. Be it the fear of what lay behind that door, or simply your need of an excuse to stay close, it didn’t matter.

The lights went out suddenly to a crack of thunder. The fire was the only thing illuminating your faces as you looked at the man with wide eyes.

“Tae!” you cried out, messing up your card game in favor of jumping into his arms.

“It’s okay, Amy, it’s just the storm.” He kept saying that, but was it really? “I’ll go look for some candles to light.”

But you held him tighter as he tried to get up. “No! Don’t leave me.”

He looked down at you. “Baby, don’t be scared.”

You just pouted at him, your arms snaking around his torso more. “Please, just stay here with me.”

He must have noticed the way you were slightly trembling because he gave up on trying to get away and held you. He stroked your back and your head as if you were some kind of puppy, only for a minute or two, before the lights were back on.

“Ah, see?” he exclaimed with relief in his voice that betrayed he wasn’t particularly fond of the darkness either. You peeked your head over his shoulder to see the room in its normal state. “It was nothing. It passed.”

“It may happen again, though,” you murmured, your hands pulling at his shirt still.

Taehyung chuckled. “So what are we going to do? Stay here all night?”

You bit your lip. You didn’t want to reply, or at least not truthfully, but for some reason, you didn’t find it in you to be distant anymore. “Is that a bad thing?” you said, your voice no louder than a whisper, and you would be fine whether he heard it or not.

You felt his chest rumble before his chuckle even reached your ears. “No, it’s not,” he managed to say between his laughs.

“Then why are you laughing at me?” you said sulking.

“It’s just funny how you go from wanting to be as far from me as possible, to not wanting to let me out of your sight go so fast.”

Of course. It wouldn’t be Kim Taehyung if he wasn’t boasting his charm and teasing you about it. You scoffed at him. “Just because being with you right now sounds like the better option, doesn’t mean that is always the case.”

“Uh-hm…” he mumbled and his smirk was obvious in his voice. His lowered until it was hidden in the crook of your neck, and his breath came hot from his mouth onto your skin. “And what do I have to do to know if you’ll have me or not each time?” he rasped. His voice against your neck caused goosebumps to form all over your body.

“Well-” you said and your voice cracked, “-I suppose I won’t be mad if you hang around while we’re here. You know, better chances of survival.”

You felt his smile grow as he pressed even closer to you. “That doesn’t go against your standards?”

You had to roll your eyes. Was he trying to get you to be with him, or remind you to stay away? No, he was probably just taunting you. He really loved doing that, didn’t he?

“We already said that whatever happens in this Manor doesn’t count, so…” you finally said, not thinking too much about your words, until Taehyung pulled away to look into your eyes.

“It doesn’t count, huh?” he repeated like he was trying to make sure he got that right. “Then you might as well go all out; do anything you want to do with no repercussions. Right?”

Your whole face caught on fire as he said those words. “Tae…” you began, and he waited patiently. “What do you mean?” You knew exactly what he meant. You were just asking that to buy yourself some time in order to figure out how you felt about it.

“Look,“ he whispered, licking his lips. “All I really want to know is… If I kissed you right now. Would you feel bad and regret it later? Or would you enjoy the moment like it won’t count once we go back to our everyday lives?” You gulped, and he was quick to add something before you had the chance to speak. “And by kissing you right now, I mean tonight and tomorrow and the day after, too. All while we’re trying to survive our stay in this Manor, instead of doing what would be easier and just leaving.”

You could see in his eyes the anticipation and wonder, perhaps even a little worry, as he searched yours awaiting for an answer. You bit your lip. At the moment you weren’t exactly suitable to think something like that through, but you didn’t have to, already having subconsciously decided the answer long ago.

“I didn’t regret kissing you last night,” you decided to admit instead of giving him a direct response.

But Taehyung knew exactly what that meant. The corner of his lips twitched before his hands held your face gently and he pulled you in for a kiss. It wasn’t sloppy and urgent like your previous ones. Instead, his lips fit in between yours slowly, and you got to feel just how soft and inviting they were. He deepened the kiss in a natural rhythm, yet still didn’t pick up the pace; solely let his hands wander further down, caressing your body over your clothes until they reached your hips. He pulled you closer and your lips broke apart just for a moment so that you could straddle him.

You could feel him harden beneath you as you were grinding on him to the tempo of your tongues. Your fingers through his hair, you enjoyed pulling them just slightly in order to listen to the moans he released from the back of his throat. The room seemed to be too hot all of a sudden, and you could barely tell if it was the fireplace or the photographer that was causing your skin to burn. It was so hot you needed to get out of that dress.

You pulled away and saw Taehyung pout, leaning in to go right back to tasting you, but you grabbed the hem of your dress, pulled it over your head, and threw it away. With just one motion like that, you found yourself in just your underwear, sitting on Taehyung’s lap. Lucky you had chosen the pretty ones today. The boy gulped as he paused to look at you up and down, his eyes eating you up with no shame.

“Your turn,” you told him, pulling at his sweater. He obeyed with no hesitation, the garment disposed on top of your own in mere seconds, revealing underneath the same view you had witnessed that morning. And so you had that skin-on-skin contact you craved. And you knew immediately it was him that was burning you up after all.

This time his mouth attacked your neck, sucking and biting, making you moan while his hands blindly made work of your bra. It took him a few tries to open it, which kind of surprised you but was rather endearing. And when that, too, was finally dropped on top of the pile of clothes, his mouth attacked your breasts. Your hands kept roaming down his pants- you needed to feel him as well. But he wouldn’t allow you any room to work; just kept kissing your body like he had forgotten you were there.

“Tae, please,” you chocked out at some point when he bit down your nipple a little too hard. “I need you.”

He finally pulled away, his eyes struggling to focus on your face like he was dizzy. He took a couple of deep breaths to stabilize himself. “Are you sure?”

You nodded. And then ground down on his fully hard member. The fabric of your panties was so thin it felt like you were naked against his jeans, able to feel just how big he must be. You heard a hiss leaving through his teeth before he pulled you slightly back in order to dip a hand between your bodies.

“Let me prep you,” he asked of you, but you shook your head.

“No, please, Tae,” you whined. “I want you. Now.”

It’s not that you hadn’t absolutely loved the way he had finger fucked you and eaten you out last night and you wouldn’t love to have more of that. It was the fact that he had still not even let you see his dick and the curiosity had been killing you for three years now. You could enjoy the rest of his qualities another time; right now you just needed his dick. Whether that was in your hands, in your mouth, or inside you, you didn’t even care.

As if Taehyung could read the desperation in your eyes, he mumbled an “okay, wait,” and got you off him to work on his pants better. But before he unbuttoned them, he slipped a hand in his pocket and pulled out what you soon realized was a couple of condoms, and gave them to you. “Hold these,” he said, instantly looking back down to undo his pants.

You blinked at the protection in your hands. You didn’t know what you expected but it wasn’t exactly that. “You just had these on you?” you questioned with an unamused tone.

Taehyung looked at you after he let his pants fall on the floor and stepped out of them. He had a smirk on that told you he knew exactly why you were vexed. Because he was carrying those around like he knew you would give in that easily. “Do you blame me?” he asked, challengingly.

“Stop!” you immediately whined, falling back on your heels. “You’re literally making me have second thoughts right now.”

“No, no!” Taehyung called out with a laugh, hurrying to grab your body before you fell completely down. “No seconds thoughts, there’re no good,” he tried telling you but you whined again, hiding your face away. He couldn’t help but chuckle at your distraught state while he tried to hug you and warm you up again. “I meant do you blame me when I am living in this house with a hottie like you! That’s what I meant. I would have fucked you anywhere and anytime you asked, so I had to be prepared, baby.”

You scoffed at him but were intrigued enough to look at him out of the corner of your eyes. “Yeah, right.”

“No, really,” he told you with a more serious face. “I’ve been carrying those around since the moment I realized we’d be staying here together.”

You frowned slightly, taken aback by his words. “What? Why?” You finally turned back to him, letting your back lie on the carpet completely and Taehyung hover over your body as he still held your arms tightly like he was afraid you’d try to escape.

You saw him gulp and shrug his shoulders. “I mean… I don’t know if you noticed, but I really liked you that night. And I won’t lie, I have been wanting to finish what we started.”

His words alone made your pussy clench around nothing. Finish what you started… You definitely could get behind that.

You wrapped your arms around his neck to pull him in for a kiss. “Well, go on then,” you whispered against his lips. “Do what you’ve been wanting to do to me.”

Taehyung growled. He kissed you again, more aggressively, while he grabbed your panties to discard them. He noticed just how wet you had gotten for him, but didn’t comment on it, instead taking one condom from you and ripping it with his teeth. Like everything that was going slow up until now suddenly needed to speed up. Like he had been able to wait for you for as long as you need all this time, but suddenly he couldn’t wait another second.

“Let me put it on you,” you offered. In reality, you just wanted the chance to look at him more closely, hold him in your hands, a chance you probably wouldn’t get considering how desperate Taehyung was looking.

He didn’t question or argue, simply pulled back, and finally dropped his briefs down. His dick sprung free, standing up tall and hitting his lower belly. You cursed under your breath. That dick was almost as pretty as that man’s face! How was that even possible; that everything about him was so perfect? It was long enough that it could cover both of your hands when you held it and thick enough for your fingers to just be able to wrap around it. Your mouth watered just at the sight.

But you weren’t about to say any of that out loud; Taehyung didn’t need that kind of boost of confidence from you right now. So you casually put the condom between your lips and lowered your mouth on his tip, pushing down until you had it at least halfway through on him. The rest you did with your hands.

He moaned when he felt your mouth around him. “Where did you learn that, princess?” he asked, not having expected that from you. You just replied with a guilty smile while you looked up at him from down there. Taehyung groaned once more, then pressed a hand on your neck as he pushed you to lie back down. “Hm, look at you,” he purred as he poised himself between your legs. “You keep talking like you’re so much better, but deep down you’re just a slut, aren’t you?” His words made you squirm, your legs almost pressing together if he hadn’t stopped them. With his one hand still on your neck and the other traveling down your chest, your stomach, and your crotch, he pressed two fingers on your to find your entrance. “Aren’t you?” he repeated while licking his lips. “Isn’t that why you’re naked right now, beneath me? Isn’t that why you are about to let me fuck you right now?”

A whimper was caught at the back of your throat when you felt the tip of his dick nudging at you. But Taehyung’s grip on your neck tightened, not too much to cut your airflow or hurt you, but enough to make your mouth drop.

“Answer me,” he demanded in a deep voice. You just nodded, not even sure you remembered what he had asked you. “You’re going to let me fuck this pussy right? Like I’ve always wanted to?” he asked and you nodded again, frantically. But that wasn’t enough for him. “Speak.”

“Yes.”

He smirked. “And who are you letting do this, princess? Say my name.”

“Taehyung. Taehyung, please…” your voice came out tiny and fragile. And he seemed to finally be appeased.

He released your neck in order to grab your hips with both hands as he guided himself inside you. He hadn’t even gotten halfway in and you were already fuller than you had ever been in your life. You scratched on his back as you let his name fall from your lips again and again, like a habit you had picked up last night. He made you wrapped your legs around his waist before pushing all in. His head was already hitting your cervix and he had barely even moved yet.

“Too- big-” you choked out before you could stop yourself.

Taehyung chuckled. “But you can take it, right baby? Do you need a moment?”

You shook your head, closing your eyes tight. “Move.”

And he did just that; thrusting in and out at a slow but hard pace at first, but quickly picking it up when it started feeling good and he couldn’t help himself. “Shit,” he moaned when he started found your g-spot; he could tell by the way your eyes rolled to the back of your head and you screamed suddenly.

“Right there,” you let him know. “Tae, right there. That feels so good.”

“Yeah?” he breathed in a low pitch. “How good?”

You growled in between your teeth. Even now he craved the satisfaction of you admitting how good he was at everything he did. “So good I hate it,” you answered truthfully.

Taehyung grunted, clearly happy with your answer by the way his hips faltered for a moment. He was thrusting in hard, trying to get the loudest moans he could out of you. And the sounds you were making, the way your face contorted in pleasure, your nails dug in his back and your legs caged him deep inside you- it was all driving him positively crazy. He dropped his head on your shoulder, thinking he could control himself better if he didn't see how hot you looked right then, and all because of him. But you took the opportunity to drive your teeth right on the soft skin of his neck.

“Oh, shit,” he panted while you were dining on his body like you were actively trying to mark him. Like you knew it was his absolute weakness. “I don’t know how long I will last, this is too good.” He regretted having to say that, always proud of how he normally could go for hours. But he meant it when he said it was too good; his chest was trembling from pleasure already and he could only hold back so much.

You moved your mouth higher, biting his earlobe and then kissing it softly, earning a loud groan from him. “Make me cum, please?” you whispered.

Taehyung stammered again but quickly regained his rhythm. “Aw, look at you,” he murmured, pulling back to watch your face again. “Such a good girl, asking politely and everything.” You almost turned away in embarrassment before he leaned down to kiss you leisurely, in contrast to his unceasing hits. “You want to come on my cock, baby?” he rumbled in your mouth. You nodded lazily. “Alright. But only if you remember to say thank you afterward.”

He kissed you again before he moved lower and wrapped his lips around one of your nipples. A hand sneaked down until he found your clit and he started rubbing circles on it. Your back immediately arched towards his body, being already topo sensitive for his touch. And he kept pressing hard on you, the way he had found out last night that you like the most, while he sucked your nipple for the double stimulation. You couldn’t see anything in front of you, and he kept going. You were screaming his name and punching his shoulders because the feeling was too much, and he still kept going. Until you released everything you were holding back and coated him with as much of your juices as your body could produce.

Taehyung didn’t slow down. He brought his face back in front of yours to kiss you, while you slowly felt your consciousness leave your body. Your limbs were exhausted and you couldn’t even hold onto him anymore, but he still kept fucking you, faster and stronger, chasing his own release.

“Thank you,” you remembered to whisper against his lips when you got down from the initial shock of your orgasm. And all of a sudden Taehyung was grunting and thrusting deep inside you, without coming out. You felt his cum even through the condom as his dick was pressed upon your cervix. It was those two words that had undone him.

He collapsed on top of you, puffing and huffing on your neck. And you thought how easy it would be for you to fall asleep just like that; with Taehyung’s naked body as a weighted blanket, by the dying fire, under the heavy storm, in a Mansion that you were starting to believe increasingly could be more than it appeared. How nice it felt, how there weren’t any negative emotions in your heart at all. You weren’t scared, you weren’t disappointed, you weren’t sorry or ashamed. You would do this again right now. Right now as in tonight, and tomorrow, and the day after that.

Next chapter

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS I CHAPTER 24

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TWs/Summary: The party, finally. Nerds be nerds. They're all dorks tbh. Booze and partying. Clint is a disaster. Natasha is a queen. I beg for comments from y'all cuz I'm short on serotonin 🥺🥺🥺💚✨

This is a Spotify playlist I made for the first half of the party. Sets the mood 😌

The party was booming, the room was flooded with a large amount of people dressed in various extravagant outfits. It was enough to sweep my eyes over the crowd only once to take notice of the thought and money people had put into their outfits. I hardly noticed any cheesy "angel/devil" or "sexy cat" ensembles, my eyes caught on gemstones and feathers and floor-length gowns instead.

First Avenger to catch my eye was Thor - only because the people surrounding him barely held back from drooling. Hell, I did a spit-take: the usually graceless giant stood casually posted at one of the snack tables, wearing silver robes embroidered with tiny sparkling gemstones; a sleek, angular crown rested atop his head, his blonde hair was longer, lighter and straight. One look at his ears and the realisation struck me: Thor was Thranduil, the Elven king. It made sense since Peter had the thunderer hooked on the Lord of the Rings movies a couple of weeks ago...

Both Loki and Wanda cleaned up no less nicely. The Witch was wearing a midi dress, airy and soft, in pastel tones that brought out the natural rosiness of her cheeks and the scarlet undertones glimmering in the strands of her hair. Unlike me, she chose to wear a sparkling tiara, which Loki had created after a short debate - it was an intricate material illusion meant to last for at least ten hours.

Loki himself was a work of art: dark and macabre fantasy painting. I could barely tear my eyes away from the pale, tall man clad in dark green silks and brocade. The candlelight threw shadows on his angular face and his sharp cheekbones stood out more than ever: twenty minutes I spent on convincing him to let me put make-up on his face paid off spectacularly. Flickering lights toyed with the emeralds and forest greens of the shiny silk of his vest, giving Loki an ethereal glow. His eyes shone crimson red, making nearby people throw equally startled and appreciative looks.

As for myself, the stares I got were no more and no less than I expected. The dress I'd been aching to wear fit me perfectly, earthen tones, hand-embroidered blossoms and delicate golden threading. The layers of my skirt were just voluminous enough to give me the extra airy, floating walk, the medium-height platforms of my shoes lightening my step. The ropes securing them to my legs were decorated with flowers so delicate they looked real.

The peak of my outfit took an arm and a leg in bribery of the resident sorcerer-turned-vampire, but in the end, even Loki himself could hardly look away from his creation. An hour of research and some serious magic voodoo shit was what it took for the fluttering fairy wings to sit between my shoulder blades. I felt them as an extension of my own body, and whilst flying was definitely out of the question, I could flicker them and felt the delicate brush of Wanda's fingers as she admired the translucent, blue-green, marble-patterned sheen of pure, concentrated magic.

In hindsight, I should have simply bought a set of pre-made wings and asked Loki to enchant them to move on their own. Hindsight... I wasn't good at that. So, in this moment, with the wings syncing up with my jittery nerves, the shiny traitors shook with the force of stares directed at our little trio. There was an absurd amount of gorgeous people and breathtaking costumes, yet even then, we stood out like Mona Lisa in an indie art gallery. Muted 'woah's and 'oh-my-gods' traveled across the room, turning even more heads towards us.

"And you wanted to wear Walmart," I weakly chuckled in Wanda's direction, seeing her wide eyes and Loki's arm rapidly wrapping around her waist, catching her a brief moment before she stumbled. The trickster looked unimpressed and bored for all the world to see, but to me, the slight twitching of his eyebrow told me he wasn't feeling that much different from us girls either.

"Brother!" Thor gestured us over with a drink in each hand, parting the crowd of people easily.

Noah, et tu? I had no choice but to swallow my unease, hoping my concealer and highlighter did their job and my face hadn't lost the sublime glow I was aiming for. For a girl like me, the Fae aesthetic wasn't easily achieved: naturally, I wasn't innocent, I wasn't playful... However, I was mischievous. Plenty of that.

Spotting a semi-familiar face in the crowd of partygoers, I gave the man a lopsided grin and a wink without actually taking note of who he was. Tonight, I would be a fairy. I would play.

"King," Wanda mock-bowed with a laugh, carefully embracing Thor. Even Loki did a brief, composite left-handed tilt with a slight smirk.

"Where's the rest of the gang?" I giggled, immediately making grabby hands for the nearest brightly coloured, fruity concoction that fell into my eyesight. Being sober at a party was not something I had planned to be: first drink went down like water as Thor explained the whereabouts of our various friends.

"Steven and James are with Lady Natasha, there is a knife-throwing contest outside on the patio," As soon as those words left his mouth, Loki immediately perked up, not-so-subtly turning his torso towards the large open area.

"Go," I ushered him. "Win us something, good sir," With a chuckle of my own, I grabbed Wanda by the hand for both of us to give a chaste good luck kiss to each of Loki's cheeks. He smiled as I threw a tiny amount of sparkles at him, shouting "GOOD LUCK!" to his retreating back.

"Princess?" I heard a curious voice pipe up behind me, an arm carefully wrapping itself under my wings. Said arm jerked as the sensitive matter of my wings fluttered away from the touch, shivers running down my spine and making me shuffle in place awkwardly.

"Tickles," I breathed out, voice pitched.

Tony's utterly perplexed face came into view as he gave me an open-mouthed once-over. "Darling..." He cleared his throat. I had managed to rob Tony Stark of his words! "You look... Exquisite." His eyes critically surveyed the amount of make-up and glitter on my face before he lifted the inside of my wrist, touching his lips to the pulse point for two long seconds, stealing my breath away with the simple, intimate gesture. It was by far more powerful than having to get glitter out of his beard if he'd kissed me on the lips, or even on the cheek.

"Congratulations, you've caught a Fae," I grinned mischievously, my own eyes widening at the amount of tiny little details on Tony's costume. Delicate, moving clockwork gears and metals interwoven with dark brown, harsh leather; he wore a tophat decorated with a pair of glasses and both his arms and harnesses had moving details of polished, dull-grey chrome. It was unreal, like Tony had stepped out of a Steampunk graphic novel, like he'd just got done filming the Wild West movie. "Nerd," I affectionately brushed my fingers - glitter-free hand - along the handlebar mustache he'd grown out.

Tony spoke over Thor's laughter, pressing himself closer to me, this time careful around my wings. "Do I get to make a wish?"

"Don't be rude, Tony. The Fair Folk should be treated with politeness and respect," Bruce's amused voice signaled his arrival before I even saw him. His costume and Tony's complimented each other: whereas Tony the wngiy obviously was some sort of inventor, Bruce was a doctor, or perhaps, a chemist. Instead of moving gears, he had an array of brightly coloured vials attached to a gold-and-green embroidered belt, and a single monocle replaced his usual rectangular glasses. The scientist gallantly raised my palm to his lips, fighting a smile of his own. Utter nerds! "You're the most beautiful thing in this room, Princess. Everyone can't take their eyes off you," With that, a brief, bright flash of green blinked in his eyes and then I knew, Bruce and Hulk would be on my back, watching out for me wherever I would decide to go.

The knots in my back, in my stomach, slowly began to unwind, the feeling accelerated by the warmth of alcohol sitting low in my belly. I was happily sandwiched between my two men, chatting with Wanda and Thor, nibbling on the spooky treats that Tony's catering services had provided. They were delicious.

Sam appeared, dragging a flushed Clint in tow. The archer had evidently gotten well into his drinks, seeing as he was holding a horn in one hand whilst the other still barely held onto his head. Despite the costume fail, he seemed to be having the time of his life.

"We need glue," Sam announced, smiling in our direction. "Well, hello, ladies," Briefly, abandoning his bird bro, Sam kissed a giggling Wanda on the cheek and wrestled one of my hands from Tony to peck it, too. "My, my eyes have been so blessed!"

"What are you?" Wanda asked the man curiously, pointing at his... a sort of toga, brown leather shoes that looked more like hooves and a crown of... grapevine?

"Dionysus," Sam mock-bowed, "And this is my Pan. Who happens to be a lightweight and enjoys annoying witches that can throw knives with scary precision!" The man announced, annoyed, whilst Clint just drunkenly giggled as he was helped by Thor - the Asgardian-Elf was doing something to the archer's headdress and putting the wonky horn back in its place, hands steady despite Clint's swaying and squirming.

"Classy," I toasted Sam. "Who's the knife-throwing witch?"

"Natasha," He grabbed a drink of his own. "She went as Yennefer, both fossils are Witchers and Pietro is Jaskier. He looks like a proper court jester in that purple... Thing," The dark man was giggling, too, somewhat tipsy.

"The Ass of America could fit his sizeable rear end in leather pants? How much KY jelly did they use?" Tony snorted mockingly as all of us laughed. I remembered seeing an interview with Henry Cavill and his troubles regarding the leather pants - Tony's question was valid and you can fuckin' quote me on that.

"Man, don't ask me. I've already seen more than enough of him and Barnes in the supply closet," Sam winced, downing the remainder of his drink in one go.

"And what were you doing in the supply closet, Wilson?" Natasha was absolutely breathtaking in the black mesh dress. Pietro next to her looked like a masquerade attendee - in a good way. He had gone with the video game version of Jaskiers outfit and was a bright addition to or our mostly black and pastel coloured party.

Sam grumbled something unintelligible, striking a conversation with Pietro and Clint, pulling the rest of us into it one by one. People came by and went, saying their hellos and asking to take pictures - the party was attended by mostly SI and trusted SHIELD employees with the exception of a few B-level celebrities Tony knew personally, no press was allowed beyond their designated area so all of us could afford some degree of frivolity.

Steve and Bucky - oh my God their costumes were tight - shared kisses and heated glances over the tops of our heads. Bruce's hand snuck under the highest part of my skirt, caressing my legs and Tony's soft pecks on the top of my head filled me with the warmest sense of adoration. Loki, being the gentleman he was, had won both me and Wanda each a stuffed spider which we gracefully accepted, thanking the trickster with a dance.

Or three. Wanda went first, eyes sparkling and smile ten miles wide as she soaked up the admiration, the envious stares of the people in the room. The witch looked simply stunning, she was glowing, and Loki next to her shared the sentiment wholeheartedly - a small grin decorated his face, eyes kindest I'd ever seen them. In that moment, Wanda truly was a princess.

Three and a half drinks in, I swayed gently to the music, unbothered by the smile creeping on my face as I watched the two magical people dance and mingle. "You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey..." Singing along was a pesky habit of mine that manifested itself after a certain amount of liquor circulated through my system. It wasn't like I was a bad singer - my parents had made me take music classes until I was sixteen - but it was generally an embarrassing moment nonetheless. In that moment, I didn't give a damn. "You're as sweet as strawberry wine..." Trust Tony to pick the kind of music I actually knew and liked.

A flash of purple and my glass was snatched out of my hand and promptly downed. Shamelessly grinning, Pietro gave me a look with that cocky tilt of his lips, blonde hair in utter disarray. "That your work?" He nodded towards the dancing couple, giving the empty glass to Bruce who was now watching my swaying with a careful eye.

"My and Loki's," I replied dryly."Thank you," Pietro replied sincerely. "Wanda needed this," Briefly looking me over (fuckin' glitter! I was missing out on so many hugs!), the blonde settled on squeezing my hand between his own. "May I steal your lady for a dance?" He addressed Bruce, seeing as Tony was immersed in a conversation with some dude dressed as Marty from Back to The Future. IT department, maybe?

"You may, but no funny business," Bruce looked godly in his outfit with the stern expression: eyebrows drawn together, lips pursed and irises having just a tinge of green. Hulk watching me added an unexpected sort of spice to our interactions. It made me feel...

"Let's go, Printsesa," Pietro unceremoniously dragged me to the dancefloor, all but stomping over other people's feet, shoes, tails and various other accessories. Boys will be boys... And we danced, and we laughed - until Loki and Wanda floated over to us, promptly swapping partners with fluidity I didn't expect from either of the twins. I watched Pietro spin Wanda with a smile as the Witch shrieked and cursed at her overenthusiastic brother.

"How's it going, Lokes?" I addressed the resident vampire, placing an arm on his shoulders. Tall ass bastard.

"Better than I expected," He admitted. "Although I cannot say I appreciate intoxicated Midgardian males."

"Nobody likes drunk dudes," I rolled my eyes. "I've lost count how many faces I've punched and balls busted at parties. They just don't learn."

"Oh, indeed, you're a fighter, little one. How could have I forgotten?" Loki teased me, doing an elaborate twirl to narrowly avoid the slap I was aiming at his chest. Tall, cheeky bastard.

I definitely should have put salt in his tea sugar.

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