#because they said they couldn't tell whether the character was inside or outside

[demonic-mnemonic]

Girl are you on tumblr dot com? Because your reading comprehension pisses on the poor

[dazaiandhislovelybandages]

Reborn {Levi}

A/n: okay so the thing is that I have way too many ideas when it comes to post war!Levi so get ready because most of them can be considered angsty

Pairing: Levi x Erwin's sister!reader

Warnings: age gap (Levi is in his early 40s and reader is in her early 20s) mentions of ptsd, mentions of character death, mentions of disability with Levi being on a wheelchair, having three fingers missing and a being partially blind, mentions of slight self hatred,

Three years after the war was over, countless upon countless of trips and visits to Paradis Island and the royal palace and Levi had finally settled in a small house close to the gates to the Underground.

Even though he knew he wanted it, it had taken a lot of persuassion from everyone in his life, mostly Gabi, Falco and Connie for some reason, in order to open that tea shop he had always been dreaming of.

The process had been extremely slow with him being stubborn and refusing any sort of help in the beginning. He would never be able to do some of the things he could easily do back when he wasn't in a wheelchair. Nonetheless, he was managing just fine and slowly started accepting everyone's help.

Three months later, the tea shop opened. His clients were always the same and even though he had at first been the talk of the town -a war veteran opening a tea shop was almost unheard of- his shop was never completely full but never empty either.

He didn't mind. He knew what his clients wanted and with the help of Gabi and Falco he kept them satisfied.

And the way he passed his days became a routine. He knew that whether he had slept well the night before or not -nightmares still occured pretty often- he would have to go and tend to his little tea shop. In the end of the day, he would return to his house and read or maybe do some chores.

That was his routine and he liked it.

Until Connie and Jean came one day to his shop, the look on their faces grim. Levi's heart immediately sunk. If those two idiots looked like that then the situation was far more serious than he could imagine and the last thing he wanted was to hear that another person dear to him had died.

Then they started speaking and he was... surprised? He couldn't tell. But the next thing he knew the old squad was walking down the long corridor that led to the small meeting room Historia wanted them to meet at.

"So... Captain had a sister?" Armin asked, almost confused.

"I should have told you sooner..." Historia tried to smile. "She has been working for me for years now..."

"And she wants to meet us?" Mikasa's voice was as soft as ever.

"More like... I want you to meet her." Historia stood up and walked over to the window.

And there you were. The meeting you were supposed to attend as one of her generals was over and the weather was too nice not to enjoy it.

Everyone followed Historia and looked outside -if you even turned your head towards the windows you would see the curious faces of everyone that survived of the old squad. Everyone but Levi.

He hadn't said a word since Historia told them the whole story. How you joined the Survey Corps besides your brother's will for a safe future. How even though during the Battle of Heaven and Earth you hadn't been in the front lines but you had stayed back, tearing the Jeagerists from the inside piece by piece. How after everything ended, Historia approached you and offered you a position in her Intelligence unit. She had made it pretty clear that not once had you used your brother's name to climb the ranks.

And it made sense because Levi hadn't heard a thing about you. Ever. And as far as he knew neither had Hange.

Sure Historia wanted them to meet you but at what cost? How would he be able to look at you without remembering the times he had spent by Hange's side who constantly pestered Erwin to tell them about his family. But that wasn't even the worst part. He had managed, slowly but steadily, to heal whatever wounds had been caused by Erwin's absence. The last thing he wanted was to be reminded of his best friend's corpse, his last words to him.

So Levi left when everyone was too busy stalking you from the window. He knew that he would spend the night thinking his entire existence and if there was even a slight chance that he could avoid remembering the past, he would take it.

A week later and he was back at the palace grounds, unable to live without knowing. What he wanted to know exactly, he wasn't sure.

Historia had been kind enough not to comment on his return. She had even told him where to find you.

Levi didn't knock on the library door. He hadn't expected to see you sitting on the first round table one could see upon entering the library. You seemed to be reading something, taking a few notes on a piece of paper next to the book.

He stayed there, one hand on the door knob and the other placed on the right wheel of his wheelchair, his remaining three fingers holding it in place.

Should he leave? Go back to his tea shop and never return?

Would he be able to take it?

"The tea will get cold, Captain." You spoke, not lifting your gaze from your book.

Levi only stared as you turned to look at him once you were done writing. He had expected to see Erwin's eyes but no. It was a relief; knowing that you were your own person and not a reminder of your late brother. He wouldn't be able to take it otherwise.

You stood up and walked towards him, reaching out your hand for him to shake. "My hands are covered in blood." He looked at you. A cold stare. A tired one.

But then you smiled at him. "Mine too."

He still doesn't know how it happened. Or why. He just found himself at your place one random afternoon, two days after your fateful meeting, longing to hear your voice. Then he started to become somewhat more like his old self again; the way he was when he was a Captain. He would act cold yet he made it painfully obvious that he cared.

He smiled more. He went out more, wanting to see you or wanting to be with you.

Not long after, he began feeling and noticing the change. He had become a whole new person even though he still acted the same.

A/n: this wasn't nearly as good as I had thought it would be

[simply-wlw-kpopstan]

28. How do you know

Minji was staring at Yujin, who was laying on the ground face down. "why does everyone keep telling me that I kissed yuna? I didn't! She kissed me and I pulled back right away. Doesn't that mean anything?" She grumbled.

" well she did get close enough to do it?" She shrugged and yujin sat up with a frown on her face.

"how was i supposed to know she was going to do that? She was apologizing and she asked if she could hug me!"

"and you let her?"

"I didn't think anything bad of it" she looked down as her phone pinged but it was just a study notification. Right, she had to stop those since you didn't want any sessions with her anymore.

"have you even talked to her after everything?"

"she said she didn't want to see me. I did text her that I'm not giving up on us. She still thinks I have that stupid crush on yuna but I don't!" She unknowingly raised her voice as she let go of all the frustration for the first time, " i liked yuna because I though she was nice and everyone just misunderstood her. Then she humiliated me multiple times and then y/n came in and made it all worth it. "

"have you told her?" minji fought back a smile as she knew yujin didn't just like you, she was in love with you.

"what? That I don't like her sister? Yes, multiple times."

"I meant that you're in love with her"

yujin looked at minji like she grew a second head. "why on earth would I be in love with yuna??"

Minji facepalmed herself with a loud groan, "Y/N! I MEANT Y/N! You're in love with y/n!"

"Oh" was the only thing that came out of yujin's mouth. Did she? She liked you, that she was sure of but in love? "how can you tell?"

"I've never seen you like this before. You've liked some people in the time that we've known each other but none of them affected you like this."

"I wasn't dating them."

"you weren't dating y/n either." minji sighed as she stood up from her desk chair, " Look I know you want to respect her and give her the space she wants but you should go to her. She knows that something is wrong with what happened, go talk and get her back." she turned once more to grab her keys before grabbing her shower stuff, "please if not for you then for me? I can't bare to hear you cry at night over this. Not if it could be fixed."

Yujin thought it over and minji was right. She had told you she wouldn't but you were too hurt to hear her out. Now that you know, there's a chance you'll believe her. Maybe even go back to the ways things were but she didn't set her hopes up too far. For now her goal was to get your forgiveness and back as a friend. After that, she'd do anything to show how much she cares about you.

"wait!" She called after minji who was about to leave, "how do you know? What makes you realize you're in love?"

Minji sighed as she thought it over, "it's different for everyone. I realized I loved hanni when she was being her dorky self. I was just watching her goof off and though man, I love her."she smiled as she thought back to the moment, " love isn't something you can describe, it's that feeling that you get when you look at them, they're always on your mind whether you realize it or not. It's... It's almost like you can feel it. Something inside your chest. I really don't know how to describe it. "

" you do, "yujin smiled," you just did"

"so?" She raised an eyebrow, " What's the verdict?"

"the first person I tell is her."

Minji nodded her head with a big smile, that answer said enough and they both knew it. Yujin quickly grabbed all her stuff and then she was off to your dorm, perhaps she was running but she couldn't help it. In all the movies the characters always end up running to the person they want, confessing how much they love them and then it gets followed up by the most romantic kiss ever.

As she arrived at your door it flew open and dani walked out, "Oh, hey?"

" Hey, is-"

"She's on a walk. I told her too since she didn't come out of bed outside of classes. If I had known you were coming over i wouldn't have told her to"

Yujin shakes her, "doesn't matter, do you know where she'd walk to?"

"I know she likes walking in the park near campus, she always goes there with Brian. It's pretty big though so maybe it's better if you wait here?"

"no, I'll find her. I'd go crazy if I had to wait in there."

" I think you could find her regular spots through the pictures she posts, usually by the water pond but again, it's a big park."

"I owe you one" she pointed out and jogged off to the park in search of you. Dani wasn't lying when she said it was big, when yujin entered there was a wooden panel with a map of the grounds and all the trashcans, benches, paths and other maps to help you orientate. Luckily for yujin there was one big pond so she wouldn't have to search the whole park and made her way over there. Most of the people were either jogging, walking their dog or were just sitting with some friends,yet no sign of you. Yujin started to doubt if you were actually here but she didn't give up. She stopped jogging to take a breath and that's when she saw you. You were sitting across the water on a rock, it was off the path and secluded so that's why she didn't find you.

With new found energy she ran to your side, trying to find the way to get to you. Finally she found a narrow opening in the bushes and saw you still sitting on the rock. She stood there as she thought it over. What would you think? You're sitting in your special spot and suddenly she shows up? Would you think it's creepy that she found you? She didn't have time to think as you stood up and turned around. You definitely saw her.

"yujin?" Shit. Is it too late to run away?

"uuh, hi" she waved and wanted to kill herself for being so awkward. Seriously yujin? A wave?

"what are you doing here?" you walked up to her and she took a couple of steps back.

"I was looking for you." she paused for a second but since you didn't show a reaction she thought she had to explain more, "I went to your dorm first, then dani said you went on a walk and probably were here. So I ran around the pond but didn't see you until I was standing over there" she pointed to the other side, "catching my breath and that's when I saw you sitting on that rock."

"why were you looking for me?"

"because - I, uhh." she took in a deep breath, still recovering from all that running. "I wanted to talk."

"and it's so important that you hunt me down?"

"Yeah-...i- it's just-"

"okay why don't you catch your breath first before we talk huh?" you walked past her, " come on, let's head back to my dorm. Dani probably left to haerin's for the weekend."

The walk back was silent but weirdly comfortable. Yujin was running different scenarios in her head about how this talk could go but every time she ruined it by thinking you wouldn' t forgive her for what happened. Minji's words echoed in her head 'you let her get close' in the end she should've just walked away. No hugs, no accepting apologies, just hear her out and then leave but she didn't. She wanted to trust yuna, to make amends with your sister for the sake of your relationship but in the end that's what ruined it all. Once inside your dorm you sat down on your bed as yujin kept standing a few meters away.

"so, ready to talk?" you asked as you took her in. Yujin was wearing a baggy t-shirt with black biker shorts, her hair was cut short and then you realized this was the first time seeing it, "the short hair looks good on you"

"thank you." she blushed and sat down on dani's bed, " I wanted to talk about what happened."

"with you and yuna?" She nods her head and you sigh, "yujin, I don't want to fight about this. I don't have the energy to keep doing this. My sister always wins, I should've thought it through but I didn't. This," you motioned between the two of you, " this won't work. She'll make sure of it."

"so you think she planned this?"

"I know she did."

"then why did you act like I cheated?"

"because it would be easier for you to accept that instead of me telling you I'm too scared to start a relationship with you." your voice cracked

"scared? Of yuna? What else can she do? She already crossed the line and we can move past it. Show her that she doesn't have any power over us."

You shook your head as you fought back tears, all of this got out of hand. "yujin, I can't. She'll get her way one way or another and I'm not sure I could handle that. It's better to stop here and let her think she's won."

"so in all those years she always got her way?" you nod your head yes and yujin stood up abruptly, "No, this is where that ends. I'm not going to bow down to her, she'll regret messing with me."

"yujin, she's been playing you for months now. You may think you were causious but in the end you played right in her hand. She's always one step ahead of everything and everyone."

"I don't care if she played me, I care that she has power over you!" She raised her voice slightly and she regrets it immediately, "i'm sorry. I'm not mad at you i-"

"I understand." you cut her off with a sad smile, "yujin," you took her hand in yours and pulled her towards you, "promise me you won't do anything?"

"I can't" she bit her lip as she looked down at you, "because I'd be lying and that's something I don't want to do." she pulled her hand out of yours and cupped your face lightly, her thumbs caressing your cheeks, " not to you." she brushes the tears that escaped your eyes away and kissed the top of your head. "i love you"

"yujin" your voice barely made it out and you couldn't fight back the tears any longer. With a sob you wrapped your arms around her waist, pulling her as close to you as you could and cried your heart out. Yujin just runs her hands through your hair as you let go of everything, frequently planting kisses on the top your head to let you know she's here. That she won't let go until you're ready.

"it's okay," she sat down next to you as she held you. You shifted your position so you'd be laying on top of her and cuddled into her while tears were still slowely rolling down your cheeks. "it's okay, I'm here."

"I-I'm sorry." you barely got it out.

"For what? You didn't do anything wrong." she ask as as she softly ran a hand through your hair. "you were just trying to protect me, now it's my turn. I'll take care of it, no more worrying about what could happen."

"but-"

"no," she quickly cut you off as she knew you were going to try to stop her. "You've had to deal with this for too long. Remember when you told me you got too tired of cleaning up after her?" you quietly nodded, " so let me take care of it. You can let everything out now, no more bottling it up."

You bit your lip as tears were welling up again," I don't want you to fight my sister. It get's ugly and I don't want you in the middle of that"

"I already was in the middle. From the day I asked her out, I got in the middle of you two. She knew you liked me and used it against you. We can show her that we're stronger then she thinks. Don't give up on us, not without giving it a chance."

"I want to," you sighed, "but I don't know if I can"

"what will it take?"

You sat up as you looked down at her, "what do you mean?"

" what will it take for you to think you can?" yujin sat up and moved to the edge of your bed, "you say you want me but don't want to take the chance? How am I supposed to believe you?"

"yujin, I do want you but yu-"

"no," she stood up abruptly, "this isn't about your sister anymore y/n. This is about you. Your sister isn't the best person but she's human. What could she possibly do that's so bad?"

"she has no limits." you exclaimed, "the last time I fought with her she hurt me!"

"she hit you?"

"no," your voice got quiet as the memory came back to you, " my mom had an event at our house and she hired a catering for food, My sister was horrible to them and I stepped in. She got so mad she pulled a knife on me and cut my arm, she said it was an accident but I knew it wasn't"

"so, that scar.." yujin's voice trailed off as realization hit, " Did your mom do anything?"

"she asked for an explanation but it was my word against yuna's. The catering people who saw stayed silent, I guess they were afraid? They still had to work the whole evening."

"so she got away with it?"

"Yeah, she always does."

"i'm sorry that happened to you" she squatted down in front of you, taking your hands in hers, " She's not getting away with it this time. I'm yours whether you like it or not."

You couldn't help but smile at the stubborn girl infront of you, "mine huh?"

"Yeah," she smiled, "all yours." she kissed your hands and you let out a chuckle.

"Fine, let's do it... Yujin, will you be my girlfriend?"

"I'd love too" she smiled brightly and hugged you, tackling you down on your bed once again and peppering your face with kisses, "I have to be honest with you, I didn't expect you to ask that right now."

"I can take it back"

"nope, no taking backsies. You're stuck with me as your girlfriend from now on"

masterlist | next

[writingsofafanboy]

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOO HIIII !!!!!!!!!!! can i request some general relationship hcs for crocodile with a masc reader ? thanks and have a great day !!!!!! 🧡🧡🧡

Of course you can anon! I'm currently at the Impel Down breakout, so these will be pre-time skip head cannons. Also, I'm really sorry how sad they get at the end, it just sorta happened and I couldn't stop ;-;

General Relationship hcs for Crocodile with a masc reader

First thing to realize with this man is that he is busy. So busy in fact that not seeing him for days at time isn't all that uncommon. That being said, Crocodile would want his s/o to be someone who's independent and capable of taking care of himself. This isn't to say he'd reject someone for being more needy if he truly cared about them, but being self-sufficient is huge plus in his eyes.

Someone who knows how to put their foot down is a must as well. Crocodile has plenty of people at his beck and call. Countless people he pays to do whatever he says. So, while he may not always want it, he does need someone who has his best interests at heart and isn't going to be afraid to speak their mind.

For better or worse, the most common occurrence of arguing between the two of you is probably going to be directed towards his work habits. Being driven and confident, but he doesn't always know his limits and will often overwork himself because of it. Don't be afraid to voice your concerns and tell him it's time for a break. He may grumble and argue that he's too busy to be bothered, but he appreciates your concern deep down. And waking up with his coat suddenly draped over him after having dozed off at his desk during a late night? He'll never admit it, but it makes him feel so warm and fuzzy inside.

Crocodile is someone that doesn't trust others easily and assumes most would betray him if it so suites them. It's how he treats others after all, so why assume they'd behave differently. He's strong and influential enough to not have to worry about it most of the time, but it's always in the back of his mind as well. So earning his trust enough to be in a romantic relationship in the first place is a a feat in and of itself. It's going to be slow going and you'll have to be patient, but just don't give up on him when he inevitably pushes you away or acts distant in the relationship. Showing that you'll stick around and truly want to be with him will go a long way.

I personally think Crocodile would try to keep his personal life outside of work. Having someone he cares about enough to worry over their safety is tough enough, he doesn't need them getting involved with the more seedy characters he works with. So, as far as you're aware, he's genuinely the hero of Alabasta and runs a casino. Ignorance is bliss and you couldn't be prouder of how much the man you love does for others.

If you met through his more illicit dealings though, it's a whole other story. You're the person he trusts most in the whole world and that already goes a long way. With an ability to not only defend yourself, but also kick ass and get shit done, you'll pretty much be guaranteed a While Baroque Works is still up an running, you're definitely the only person other than Robin who knows the true identity of Mr. Zero for the entirety of the operation.

Now, I can think of a few possible scenarios for what happens during the fallout of Alabasta. One is that you manage to escape without being captured. Another is you get captured and sent to Impel Down, whether you were involved in Crocodile's illicit affairs or not because the Marines and World Government just be like that. And the third is your captured but instead of throwing you in Impel Down, the World Government decides to keep you at Marine Headquarters for questioning and the ungodly amount of intel they'd assume you have. So we'll go through those one by one.

Assuming you manage to avoid being captured, relieved is the only way to describe how he feels. Especially if you were in the dark the entire time; you don't deserve to face punishment and being tortured for his actions. That being said, if you aren't someone who's used to having to defend yourself or has much of any combat experience, he's going to be incredibly worried the entire time you're separated. He may not outwardly show it, but the man is so anxious not knowing if you're okay or not. If you escaped and he knows you can fend for yourself he won't be nearly as worried, but you'll still be weighing on his heavily.

If you didn't escape and got sent to Impel Down with him and the other agents of Baroque Works, you can sure as hell bet you're getting broken out either through somehow ending up Luffy's party before they're confronted by Magellan or Crocodile also seeking you out when he grabs Daz. Either way, you're being with them is going to be a condition for him to help Luffy break out. Iva will absolutely tease him about having gone soft for someone because of it. But you don't mind too much, it's just affirmation of how much he truly cares about you.

And if you got captured and taken to Marineford to be questioned? All the more reason to go with Luffy. Saving Ace? Sure, whatever. His main priority the entire time will be locating you and woe be the fool who's idiotic enough to stand between him and the man he loves.

The big hurdle to overcome will be if you didn't know about everything before Luffy showed up. Because you sure do now and there's going to be a lot of betrayal and baggage attached to this discovery. Even if you're being held for questioning and he shows up to save you, do you even want to go with him at this point? Everything about your previous life was a lie and how do you know that won't just continue? How do you even know if the man you've known and loved these past years wasn't just a lie as well?

The hurt and distrust in your eyes when you come face to face for the first time after everything is enough to make him freeze on the spot. And the way you flinch away, as if your scared he may hurt you now that you know everything? Well that absolutely shatters his heart.

Whether you choose to stay with him or not, he'll still search you out or save you from where ever the marines are keeping you. Again, it's not your fault all of this happened and he feels he at least owes you the respect of an explanation and apology for all he's put you though.

[bobbiworks]

Beyond the Bell's Chimes | Part 1

riize ff: wonbin, eunseok, seunghan, sungchan, sohee, anton, shotaro, original characters genre: youth, romance, teen, fluff, angst, slice of life note: you can check my asianfanfics.com/jayxhobi for this story.

The soft melody of raindrops tapping against the cafe's windows and the hushed conversations of patrons in the background enveloped Jiwoo, making her feel right at home as she gazed at the slow twirl of a brown bubble on her coffee's surface. While some people frowned at the gloomy weather, the few inside the cafe found solace in the respite it provided from their bustling lives.

Jiwoo, like her fellow cafe-dwellers, took this moment to unwind from her daily grind by simply watching the busy street outside through the rain-splattered window. A steaming cup of coffee sat on the warm, mahogany table before her, as she indulged in an impromptu photo session with her subject of choice: the solitary coffee cup.

Content with her snapshots, Jiwoo felt the urge to capture herself seated on the gray cushioned couch. Tilting her phone at just the right angle to conceal any unflattering imperfections, she was pleasantly surprised by the striking image she beheld. Her sense of pride soared as she reviewed her photos, momentarily lost in her own world, until the music softly playing in the background snapped her back to reality.

That song brought back a flood of memories. It had been years since she'd last heard it, but as she read in a recent post, certain things had the power to unlock one's core memories – whether it be a scent, a taste, a sound, a sight, or a sensation. With this single song, Jiwoo found herself reliving her youthful emotions and pondering the 'what-ifs' and missed opportunities of her past, all while questioning whether she still had the chance to experience them.

2006

Jiwoo hopped off the motorcycle, her heart racing with anxiety, and bid her father farewell before entering the school gate. It was her first day of school, and she felt a mix of nerves. She couldn't decide if it was the textbooks in her bag weighing her down or the realization that everyone else seemed to know each other already.

She silently wished to spot a familiar face and, to her delight, she did: her best friend, Miri.

"I'm so thrilled to see you here," Miri greeted her with a blend of joy and wistfulness. Joyful because she found Jiwoo on the first day, but wistful because they weren't placed in the same class. Jiwoo had been assigned to Class 1-B because her academic rank was lower than Miri's.

"Will you be okay, Jiwoo?" Miri asked, concerned that her reserved friend might struggle in her new class.

"I'll be just fine," Jiwoo assured her, offering a bag of cookies her mom had baked for Miri. "Mom said to give these to you and your mom later," she added.

"Wow, that's so sweet of your mom. Thank you so much! I'll be sure to tell my mom... Oh, sorry, Jiwoo, I have to run now. Let's make sure we meet at lunch, okay?" Miri said as she hurried back to her classroom.

"Okay! Good luck, Hwang Miri!"

"Good luck, Shim Jiwoo!" Miri shouted, waving her hands wildly.

Jiwoo found her way to her classroom and took a seat near the door. No one seemed eager to sit in the front row, so she picked one of the empty seats and settled in. She longed to introduce herself to her classmates but felt too nervous and shy. Besides, it appeared that everyone else had already started forming connections on their first day. Even the latecomers had easily made friends.

Whenever Jiwoo felt like she had missed her chance, she remained seated, a silent observer of her surroundings. She didn't have much else to do, so she lingered there like a wallflower, until a gentle tap on her shoulder brought her back to reality. She turned to find a girl who was incredibly cute with her fair complexion, brown wavy hair tied in a ponytail, and big, pretty eyes. Jiwoo's heart skipped a beat.

"Hello! I'm Suyoung," she warmly greeted, extending her hand for a handshake. "And you are?"

Jiwoo was taken aback, struggling to process what she'd just heard. "Oh! Sorry," she stammered. "I'm Jiwoo... Shim Jiwoo."

"Nice to meet you, Jiwoo! Do you have Friendster?" Suyoung asked, and Jiwoo's face froze in surprise.

"Friendster?" Jiwoo replied.

Suyoung nodded and showed her phone, which only added to Jiwoo's astonishment. "It's like this. I was wondering if you have it so we can be friends here and stay connected," she explained, flashing a warm smile.

"Sorry, but I don't have a phone yet, and I... I don't know what Friendster is," Jiwoo admitted, feeling embarrassed.

Suyoung didn't seem bothered and chuckled. "That's okay! Maybe when you get one, we can be online friends too," she suggested with a grin.

"Thank you so much," Jiwoo said with a nod. Just as things began to feel a bit better, they took an unexpected turn.

As she turned back to her surroundings, her eyes landed on a face that seemed to slow down time. In that moment, she couldn't have cared less about anything else. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest.

Who was he?

That boy's face imprinted itself in her memory like a photograph. Jiwoo blushed, feeling the warmth flood her cheeks.

[dawnrider]

Canon: Kagome introduces (character of your choice) to Magic 8 Balls

So much for a "short drabble" @superpixie42 but it came out to be 1000 words exactly, so there's that.

There was an unexpected clunk in the bottom of the bag when she popped the first aid kit back in. Kagome frowned, pulling the neck of the bag wide so she could get a better look. She pushed her spare set of clothes aside, making a face when she saw what it was. "What's wrong?" Inuyasha grumbled, still shifting and rolling his shoulders to get used to the bandages she had wrapped around his ribs and upper back.

"Nothing. I just… don't know why this is in here."

That caught his attention more fully and he turned to peek over her shoulder. She was holding a round black object, shiny but scuffed. There was a white circle with a black symbol on top. "What the hell is it?" It gave off no discernible scent, no sounds he could hear. Kagome rolled her wrist, flipping it over, and he noticed the bottom was flat.

"It's a magic eight ball." Inuyasha squinted as a triangle appeared in the flat space, words he couldn't decipher at first in bright white.

"Should you be carrying around some magic thing with the jewel shards right there?" he asked, highly skeptical. He thought Kagome knew better than to pick up random – possibly dangerous – items by now.

To his frustration, Kagome started to giggle.

His scowl must have caught her attention, because she smothered it and coughed. She scooted closer to him, her side pressing against his arm. "It's not actually magic, Inuyasha. It's a toy." She explained that it had fluid inside and the triangle was actually a multi-sided block floating around. "The idea is that you ask it a yes or no question and it tells you the future."

"The future?"

Kagome shrugged. "Most of the answers are vague enough aside from yes or no that you can interpret it how you want, really." She showed him how it worked by flipping it right side up and asking if Miroku would ask a woman to bear his child in the village they were staying in. When she rolled it over You may rely on it appeared in the window. "Not really a fair question…"

Both their heads popped up when an indignant screech was followed by a resounding slap.

"Definitely not fair." Inuyasha peered at it more closely. "Try something else."

"Hmmm… Will I make it back in time for my English test next week?" Better not tell you now. "Not promising," Kagome sighed with a wry smile.

The sound of children squabbling rose outside the hut they were borrowing and Kagome rolled her eyes when they heard Shippou's voice ringing above the others. His tone was decidedly haughty and it was clear he was about to get himself into some trouble. The young miko groaned as she rolled to her feet, dropping the eight ball into Inuyasha's startled hands.

"Your turn!"

"Keh." Inuyasha watched her duck out of the doorway, calling for the runt as she went. He rolled the ball between his hands for a moment in thought. It was just a toy, she said, it didn't really predict anything. "Will I ever be a full youkai?" he finally whispered to it. He hesitated before flipping it over quickly. It took a moment for the block to settle in place. Reply hazy, try again. "This stupid thing." But he couldn't help repeating the question… and got the same answer. 

Which made him curious. Was this thing more than it appeared? 

He sniffed it again, turning it over and looking carefully for any sign of tampering. There was nothing. "Will we defeat Naraku?" Signs point to yes. Well! That was some good news! Inuyasha's chest puffed with pride until his ribs twinged and he was reminded of why he was sitting in a strange hut in a strange village, ribs and chest wrapped in gauze. "Keh."

Kagome took good care of him, whether he liked it or not. He shook his head with a smirk. She'd gotten much better at this first aid stuff too. Efficient. Which was sad in a way, because it meant she was doing it more often.

"Will Kagome always be safe?" he murmured to himself. The sphere in his hand felt heavier for a moment. My sources say no the little triangle read. His face fell. "Will Kagome… will she stay with me like she said?" Cannot predict now. Inuyasha fought the very strong urge to hurl the thing across the room. He had to ask one last thing, his curiosity too much to ignore. "D-Does she love me?" he barely breathed aloud.

So focused, he had missed the sound of Kagome's footsteps as she returned to the hut. She was steamed about Shippou's antics and his propensity for mischief. She froze when she realized he was staring at her. Seeing the eight ball still in his hand, her brow furrowed when he still said nothing. "What's wrong?" she asked, dropping to her knees in front of him. Her hands fluttered over his torso to check that he wasn't suddenly bleeding out or something. When there was nothing obviously dire, her gaze went to the ball. She lightly took his wrist and looked at the response still floating there. "It is decidedly so, huh? What did you ask?" Her scent and expression were a mix of curious and concerned. Inuyasha finally took a breath.

"J-Just if we had ramen for dinner. I'm starved." He quickly plopped the ball in her hand and stretched out on the futon. "You want me to rest or not, woman?" he snapped when she kept watching him carefully. Kagome only rolled her eyes at his blustering before getting up to put water on to boil. When her back was turned, humming under her breath as she worked, Inuyasha allowed himself a little smile.

It might be a toy, but it made him a little more hopeful for the future. Hope was something they could all use a bit more of these days. 

[toxinfrog]

Some thoughts on the secret bosses

I have some thoughts and theories/incoherent ramblings about Deltarune that have been rattling around in my head all day, and I've decided to share them, if only because I have to talk to somebody about them. Also, I've come up to this section because WOW this post is getting long, and I haven't even gotten to my main point yet, so, uh, fair warning: It's a long one.

So, first of all, Spamton and Kris are quite similar characters, and sort of "rhyme." I want to use the word "Foil", but I don't think that's quite right, so for now, I'm going to go with saying that the characters Rhyme. Spamton is a puppet under the control of another being, and so is Kris. This is quite well-trodden ground, so I don't want to linger here much longer than I have to, but I'm starting with this because it's where my train of thought began.

I then remembered how I leaned towards the idea that the thrown-away flowers could be the secret boss for Deltarune Chapter 3, as they would have some severe narrative importance for Kris as a discarded relic of their divorced father. Then, the thought occurred to me that I have no reason to assume that all of the secret bosses are going to be narratively significant to Kris, aside from the motif of seeking or having freedom: They may be the main character, but there's already counter evidence to this idea, and that evidence is Jevil.

As far as I can tell, Jevil does not have a lot to do with Kris. He has quite a few things in common with Spamton (Nihilism, thrown-away thing, ect.), but Jevil does not rhyme with Kris. That being said, you know who Jevil kind of does rhyme with? The Player. For starters, both Jevil and The Player see the world as a game and make the people of the world its participants. Sure, Jevil may have decided to go around killing people and we as players didn't (Or rather, couldn't in chapter 1, with the most one could do being frightening enemies away), but we both played a game with the people of this world, whether that was reducing their HP to zero or ACTing until they were unwilling to fight back. There's also something to be said about the perspective of imprisonment: Much like how Jevil saw those outside his cell as imprisoned despite the protests of the fun gang, we see the characters as trapped inside a computer screen, or a television, or a Nintendo Switch, or whatever else you're playing on that I'm not thinking of right now. Their world is very much limited to just the confines of hometown in our eyes: They probably believe that there's a whole world out there, but to us, it sure looks like a prison. Another thing, and one that I only just now thought of, is that Kris is known to imprison the player's soul, much like Jevil was imprisoned by the other darkners. One final note, and this one's a bit of a reach, but I did warn you about the incoherent rambling: Both Jevil and the player live in a spinning world.

One more angle that I just now thought of is the angle of Spamton embodying Kris's fears and the idea of Jevil embodying the player's fears. Kris is, of course, afraid that they can't live without being under the control of their puppetmaster, and Spamton embodies this fear by dropping to the ground the moment their strings are cut, and only coming to life again after being strung back up, implying that Kris is screwed if they manage to get what they want. That being said, what does the player fear that Jevil represents? Well, if you ask me, my greatest fear when trying to get into an RPG is that I'm not going to be able to get invested in the story and characters, and Jevil definitely seems uninvested in the well-being of the darkners: He's more interested in playing the game than he is in the people within it. In fact, his treatment of characters in the story as obstacles to be overcome and little else is what got him locked up in the first place. Jevil may very well be the living embodiment of becoming so disinterested in a story that you just start mashing A until you get to the fun gameplay, and for an RPG player, there's not a whole lot worse.

Something that comes to mind is the fact that the player is treated like a character in the story: Most main characters in video games don't interact with the player playing them, but Kris frequently puts the character in Time-Out to go do their own thing without the player's intervention. With that in mind, as well as the fact that both Kris and the Player rhyme with secret bosses, it may very well be possible that there could be a pattern of secret bosses rhyming with different major characters in the story. This could mean that instead of every secret boss connecting back to Kris, there's a secret boss meant to connect to Kris, the player, Susie, Ralsei, Noelle and whatever other major players come up in later chapters.

The main reason I think I assumed secret bosses were always Kris adjacent was because of the freedom motif throughout them, but who's to say that freedom isn't just a motif for the whole cast? For example, Noelle certainly seems pretty constrained on freedom between not being able to do anything about her ill father or missing sister and having a very strict mother. Continuing down the list, Susie is probably either homeless or neglected, and probably feels pretty powerless to change that, not to mention her pushing the whole "Your Choices don't Matter" Idea onto Kris when half of her bullying seems to be projection. Ralsei seems to be least in need of freedom at first, but considering how closely he holds the prophecy, it seems that a certain level of predetermination is core to his worldview. As for the player, well, you may get all sorts of choices, but the steam page DID say there was only one ending, and yeah, there was a question mark at the end, but it is definitely put into your head early that this game is not as free as Undertale.

So anyways, if the secret bosses are all related to characters, then maybe we can use the relations between characters and compare them to the relations between secret bosses and see if there's anything interesting there. Well, Kris is probably not very fond of the player: I mean, we ARE the ones controlling them, and I definitely feel some malice in the way they chuck our soul around. So, what are Spamton's opinions on Jevil? Well, he certainly doesn't seem fond of "THAT DAMN [Clown around town]" at all, honestly. One thing in particular he cites that stands out to me is his need to bust his ass working while Jevil only cares about games: This sounds a lot to me like how Kris has to do all of the physical labor that would be expected of such a grand adventure while we simply get to experience it as a game. I'll admit that that part is a reach, but I do think that the mirrored disdain is worth something, at least. I would love to examine the other side of this relationship in detail, but Jevil barely talks about the people he's interacted with, and never even mentions Spamton (which all certainly fits with my interpretation of Jevil, but I digress), so that's going to be difficult.

I wonder if Spamton mentions any other secret bosses? Well, the only two characters he mentions that we haven't met yet are Tenna and Mike, and by all accounts, Tenna is almost certainly the TV that is going to be the main antagonist of chapter 3, so that just leaves Mike. I don't know if Mike is going to be a secret boss or have some other significance. That being said, let's suppose that he is to be a secret boss, and try and extrapolate from there. What does Spamton think of Mike, and what do we know about the guy? Well, Spamton is fairly fond of Mike, and based on the warning he gives us regarding not believing "[Anything you see on TV]", it seems that Tenna is spreading negative rumors about Mike, and, considering this Tenna character is the ruler of a dark world in the same league as Queen or the King of Spades, it wouldn't be surprising if these rumors stuck. You know who Kris is quite fond of and finds themselves swarming with negative rumors? Susie. It seems like you can't talk about Susie with anyone without the rumors about her behavior coming up: Even Noelle seems shocked by the idea that Susie is a nice person, and Noelle is probably the most Pro-Susie biased person in existence. I guess what I'm trying to say is I think there's a possibility that Susie and Mike are going to rhyme in the same way that Kris and Spamton do.

At any rate, seeing some secret bosses get into other character's heads the same way that Spamton did with Kris in that way that only said character truly understands is a narratively fascinating topic, and I hope the idea gets explored.

Okay, I think that's everything.

[strangerays]

more excerpts! (week of 7/10/2023)

after I wrote a surprise scene (which revealed to me a lot that I didn't know about Ray) the words just started to flow out of me. so I said "why not? I'll roll with that!" And! I've managed to add about 4k words to my book this week! I wanted to share some of that here ^-^

These scenes follow Ray after she leaves a birthday party. She's having a bit of a breakdown because she's just made a discovery, which must be kept a secret in order to protect her best friend.

By the time I started to pull myself out of the water, it felt like hours had passed. Tangles of my hair clung to my face and dripped cold water over my shoulders, down my hips. Sand like mud swallowed my feet. No stars shone. Clouds hid the moon. I couldn’t tell whether I had been crying. When I rubbed my eyes, my fingers were red with cold. A riled breeze made me shiver, pushing me up, onto the sand.             A cry of laughter erupted further down the beach. Reaching for my clothes, I eyed the group of kids through the waves of cattails.             The girls stood in water that looked like it was glowing green in the moonlight. Their hair was wet because they had been swimming too. The boys stood on top of rocks slippery with sea-spit. They were all laughing at each other. I looked away. My eyes burned from the salt and the dark.             I pulled my shirt on backwards over my wet body. When I was dressed, I rode my bike far past them, listening to frogs and the slap of an animal slinking deep underneath the water.             Mothouse was already closed, and Kath had gone home. I sat down on the bench outside and pulled my shoes off. My socks were wet. Chewing hard on my lip, I threw them in the trash can beside the bench.             I didn’t know what I was doing – I just knew I didn’t want to go home. There was so much inside me, so much that I never wanted to bring it home. Bubbling. Boiling. Threatening to spill. I needed to find a place to put it.

“Ray?”             With a start, I whirled around. I hadn’t realized I was standing so near Butternut Brook until I saw her, then I realized the marshy smell all around me, and the chirrup of crickets.             Jude was standing at the edge of her driveway, looking at me as though I had crawled out of the brook. She was wearing a pair of Stranger Things pajama pants.             “Your clothes are wet,” she said. “Have you been swimming?”             I couldn’t tell if she was really there or not. Somehow, she always managed to be there when I needed her. Without asking for her. Her hair was wavy like she’d been bundled in a blanket for hours. Neither of us were wearing shoes or socks. It was a peculiar night. “Yeah.”             She left her driveway, stepping closer to me. Behind her shoulder, all the lights inside the one-story house were shut off. I wondered whether she was home alone, or she stayed up late, like Lonan and I. Boxes were piled on the doorstep.             “You’re shivering,” she said. Her voice sounded sleepy, like she hadn’t spoken a word for hours. “How long have you been out here? I thought you were going to a party.”             My lip trembled. “I wanted to go home.”             “But you’re all the way out here.”             My eyes filled with tears. Jude pressed her lips together into a nervous smile.             “You’re crying.”             My bike fell to the ground. Instead of catching it, Jude’s hands found my waist, pulling me into a tight embrace. She was shorter than me, so she buried her head in my shoulder, and I put my chin in her hair.             “I’m sorry,” I said. “I just… want to… stop.”             I was sobbing. Jude didn’t let me go until I stopped.

I also tried writing a chapter in Jude's perspective! Still not sure if I'm gonna keep it (I haven't finished it lmao) but since I have one from Lonan's perspective, I figured it couldn't hurt to try writing another character. I suck at making their voices different but that's totally ok in this draft right now!! I just wanted to get the idea down.

Ray was so eager to keep secrets. She gathered everything close to her and refused to let go, until they rotted. And, even when the things she loved had lost their luster, she protected them. It really annoyed me in a way, that some people were so fortunate to hold their lives in their hands like that. It made me want to stick around her, to help her protect those things she was so afraid of losing. It was late, and I didn’t have anything else to do. Even if I did, I was sure I would have chosen her the same.

That's all for now! I hope you enjoyed these snippets as much as I enjoyed writing them <3

[boldlyvoid]

Wheels Up

Characters: Spencer Reid, Reader (Y/N), Aaron Hotchner, David Rossi, Derek Morgan, Savannah Hayes, Emily Prentiss, Elle Greenaway, Tara Lewis, Jennifer Jareau, Matt Simmons, Luke Alvez

Summary: JJ goes on maternity leave, Spencer falls in love with her replacement that he's supposed to be mentoring, Emily Prentiss and Elle Greenaway work a case together that brings Simmons and Alvez in for help...

Warnings: Genius!Reader, mutual pining, idiots in love, drinking, star gazing, lots of fluff, mentions of past assault, grooming, drug addiction, spencer's trauma, Abductions, Rape, Murder (typical canon violence)

word count: 9.4K

a/n: this is for @starry-eyed-spence and @simmonsmilf CM fanfiction week, Day One: Favorite Character... only I couldn't pick just one.

To say Spencer fell in love at the least opportune time was a bit of an understatement. Everyone he’s ever come close to admitting his love to has either left him or died. Now he’s stuck with loving someone in secret, keeping it to himself and hoping that one day she’ll love him back.

He fell in love with a co-worker once again… which wasn’t the worst thing, office romances happen and it’s quite frankly all Rossi’s fault that they even had to worry about fraternization policies. The part that makes liking Y/N so difficult is that he’s supposed to be her mentor, he’s 5 years older than her, and if he was to ever make a move she would feel inclined to reciprocate in order to keep her job because that’s the unfortunate truth behind office relationships with significant differences in positions.

And worst of all… she doesn’t like him that way at all. She’s called him the brother she always needed, a best friend, the best mentor ever. She wasn’t interested in him in the slightest.

“And why would she be?” He’s said this to everyone who knew about his crush on her. “I’m old and boring and she’s so cool?”

But he didn’t get it. He didn’t understand that every time she asked him to hang back to help her file something, or when they would buddy up in hotel rooms to discuss cases all night and end up down some star trek rabbit hole instead, every time he talked to her she was falling in love with him right back.

It once again all circles back to Rossi, if it wasn’t for him, Spencer wouldn’t even know her. She wouldn’t have ever been introduced to the unit, he wouldn’t be attached to her at the hip and he probably wouldn’t be as happy as he is with her in his life. Even if she wasn’t his girlfriend.

He’ll never forget the day Rossi asked him to meet her, to help her settle in…

“Spencer, can I talk to you for a minute?” Rossi called him into his office.

He sighed, putting his book down and walking up the stairs to his office. He closed the door behind himself and smiled awkwardly, “what’s up?”

“Sit,” he gestures to the chairs in front of his desk, where Spencer pulls one out and proceeds to sit down, anxiously. “As you know, both Kate and JJ will be out of the field in the next few months to have their babies and we need to bring someone in to fill the void until they return, so I reached out to the academy to see if they have any up and coming Dr. Reid like agents that they could loan us.”

“Why?” Spencer laughs at the choice of words.

“Well, honestly, why get new 2 agents when we could have two Reid’s? JJ will be back after a month or 2, it’s better to have more brains than brawn.”

“So they found someone and you want me to be their chaperone?” Spencer clues in. “Who are they?”

“Y/N Y/L/N, she’s a wonderful agent, but she’s pretty quiet, I don’t know much about her personally.” Rossi prefaces. “She’s a genius, high IQ like yours and just a plethora of knowledge inside that mind of hers. You’ll like her.”

“Alright,” he nods. “When do they start?”

“When JJ’s water breaks, but I’d like you to meet them and maybe even have them shadow you for a day?” Rossi asks, “I’ve actually arranged for you both to get dinner at a friend's restaurant?”

“Is this an arranged date or purely business? Don’t send me in there blind,” he worries. “I need at least a week's prep before I go on a date again.”

“It’s not a date, kid,” Rossi laughs. “She's just a lot like you were when I met you, and I know from watching you all these years that it’s not easy to do it alone, so can you just walk them through it?”

“Of course.”

That first dinner Rossi set up for them was more exquisite than either of them prepared for.

They spent the whole night discussing dissertations and their independent journeys through becoming a genius. He understood perfectly why Rossi and the Academy would think she was a lot like him, she was a genius, but she was awkward. It took a while for her to break out of her shell and open up, but by the end of the night, he already knew they were going to be friends.

“So,” she smirks, “would you mind telling me honestly how hard this job is?”

“Why?”

She sighs, “I’ve heard a lot about Thee Doctor Reid and how you were the youngest hired to the BAU and all the shit you’ve been through.”

“What are the rumours these days?” He awkwardly smiles back, rolling his eyes slightly.

“That you were brain dead in a cemetery from an overdose and yet you’re so smart you came back from the dead to kill the unsub and escape…” she looks more and more disappointed in the rumour as she tells it.

His tongue hits the roof of his mouth as he opens it to speak, making a tsk noise as he shakes his head. “Well, I did OD but it was the unsubs main personality that resuscitated me.”

“Holy shit,” she whispers.

He nods, “what about you? I’m sure you have a reputation based on a rumour?”

She presses her lips together the way he always did, just as awkward. She sighs, huffing the air out of her nose and looking fed up. “I was groomed and assaulted by an older boy who then told kids I had a stalkerish crush on him so if I was to ever tell anyone what happened, then no one would believe me.”

“I’m so sorry,” Spencer knows the words don’t make up for what happened. “I’m guessing that’s why you wanted to get into profiling?”

She nods, “I got away with some PTSD and trust issues, most girls go through much worse… they deserve someone who gets it to look into their cases.”

Spencer nods. “That’s how I felt after my kidnapping too. It took a while for me to look at crime scene photos and not think about how they felt, and wonder why I lived when so many die?”

“I’ve never been a religious person,” she prefaces. “But I do believe we are here for a reason. Whether you choseto be here after your last life or this is some learning opportunity, or God is actually real? And you’re supposed to do good.”

“In narcotics anonymous, they reference god a lot, it’s helpful for the addicts, but I never get into it,” he opens up with her more than he’s ever opened up with any friend. “If my Devine purpose is to suffer in order to relate to those I’m supposed to help that’s a load of bullshit… honestly, I can get pretty angry thinking about why I’ve gone through what I’ve gone through doing this job, but it’s not as bad as what happened to me growing up, and it leads me to believe that I probably wouldn’t have had an easy time no matter how I live.”

She nods, “I know, I get that.”

“Sorry,” he snaps out of it. “I didn’t mean to trauma dump on you.”

“It’s exactly what I asked for actually,” she reminds him with a soft smile. “If you can still come to work every day, after all that, you must be incredibly strong— and if I’m anything like you the way people say I am, I guess I can do it too.”

He had no idea she would end up being his best friend.

She shadowed him just once in the office, picked up everything right off the bat and immediately made a name for herself in the unit. Derek tried multiple names on her before one stuck, and they knew it stuck when even Hotch called her Baby Genius.

She brought a different knowledge base to the team, similar to Spencers but visibly younger. She fit in with the crowds of kids they had to interview, she understood why kids reacted the way they did to trauma and abuse, and she was still a kid at heart. It was the reason Spencer fell for her.

She allowed him to feel free again. They went out together outside of work, going to events he always wanted to go to with a partner but never had a chance. She loved all the same things as him, and she takes him to places he’d never imagine enjoying before her.

Like laser tag… that was an afternoon he’ll never forget with her.

When JJ went into labour, that’s when Y/N started full time and Hotch hired Tara Lewis in the same week. The team barely had time to adjust to being undermanned before they were restocked.

Joining Spencer every morning for every case, she waited out front of her apartment for him to pick her up most mornings, sticking to his side throughout the long days and nights until he drove her home again. Even at work, they were partnered up for everything: heading to the M.E. together, bouncing facts back and forth at the precinct, playing good cop bad cop with perverts, and her personal favourite… Making the geoprofile.

And Spencer liked doing that part with her as well. Because it typically meant they were completely alone in a room, spreading out a map and leaning in close to each other as they placed every sticker and marker. Brushing hands, bumping shoulders, longing glances as they made connections… he also just liked to watch her hands move.

She was delicate and careful and precise… and he was falling in love with everything about her as the days went by.

Everyone on the team had noticed. It was really hard not to when they’ve all known Spencer for almost 11 years now. He was so different with her in his life, he was happy and giddy and dressing even better than before. His hair was perfect and he was glued to Y/N’s side. Or she was glued to his.

Even though they were mentally similar, physically they were polar opposites. Y/N wore all black and was a lot more outgoing than they expected. Rossi thought she’d be quiet… But she was constantly talking. To Spencer, to other officers, to witnesses, she never stopped talking and starting conversations, and thank god she did because she’s cracked 4 cases that way.

The biggest surprise the team learned about her happened on a case in Florida, a shooting in a local park in broad daylight with lots of witnesses meant the whole team was on the boardwalk asking questions. She went out to do her thing, talking to the local skaters, asking them if they knew anything but they didn’t want to cooperate.

They were too cool for the feds.

“Can I see your board?” She asks, “if I do some tricks will you answer some questions for me and Doctor Reid?”

“Knock yourself out,” one of the boys laughs as he hands her his board.

She hands Spencer her gun and shoots him a wink before taking off to do a few tricks. The whole team watches in awe then as Y/N showed off. Cruising along the halfpipe effortlessly like she was a professional.

“Okay Tony Hawk,” Morgan teases her, “where did that come from?”

“Skateboarding is easy, it’s just physics,” she shrugs. “I can figure skate too…”

“What do you want to know?” The boy takes his board back. “We always see some sketchy guys around here.”

Morgan pats Y/N on the back with a smile, applauding her ability to get anyone to open up before leaving her to take the statement.

“Agent?” One of the girls pulls her aside just before they are about to leave, “how did you do that kickflip? I’ve been trying to learn and the boys won't help me.”

“Sure thing,” she takes the girl's board and demonstrates a kickflip first.

“So, you see as I start the kickflip I bend my knees?” She shows her another kickflip all while explaining it. “Much like the with an ollie, I’m building pressure so I can apply it to the tail, making the board pop. The one thing that makes this trick different from the ollie is that instead of sliding my foot up, I just flick my toe out to the right of the board, by doing this, the board flips in a 360-degree motion.

She demonstrates again and it’s another flawless kickflip, and a huge smile on her face as Spencer watches her.

“How fast the board spins depends on how much force I put into it when I flick it out. As soon as the board flips in a full 360, your feet should connect and drive the board back to the ground.”

She hands the board back to the girl, “your turn.”

She takes a deep breath and shakes her nerves out before taking off on her board, looping around and carefully bending her knees, she follows every step and it’s a flawless kickflip.

“Flawless!!” Y/N claps. “Those boys better watch out, you’re a natural.”

“Thank you,” she wraps her arms around Y/N and gives her a hug, “it’s taken me so long to be able to do that, you’re so cool.”

“You’re welcome,” she smiles. “Good luck out there.”

She waves as she takes off on her board, leaving Y/N with a smile as she turns to Spencer. “I miss being that age and thinking everything is so cool.”

“You are really cool,” he agrees. Smiling softly as a blush fills his cheeks. “You’re always surprising me. Is there anything you can’t do?”

She laughs, “yeah the one thing I want to do the most.”

“Which is?”

She sighs, “maybe I’ll tell you someday.”

—

He’s sitting beside Penelope and Savannah, watching Derek and Y/N get drinks for what’s left of the group as the night drags on.

“When are you going to tell her?” Savannah asks.

“What?” Spencer pretends he doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

“You have a crush on the new girl…” she pokes his cheek as he blushes and gives it away. “Tell her, what’s the worst that can happen?”

“She could feel forced to say yes because I’m a supervisory special agent and she isn’t and she wants to keep her job so she feels like she needs to,” Spencer worries. “I want her to like me back because she fell for me and I want her to initiate it because then I’ll know it’s not just a power dynamic issue.”

“Have you tried asking her, genius?” Penelope teases. “Because if you asked her then you’d know she has a crush on you and she’s afraid you’ll turn her down because you’re an SSA and she isn’t.”

“When did you hear that?”

Penelope pretends to lock up her lips and throw away the key, making Savannah laugh loud enough to get Derek's attention at the bar. When he and Y/N return, that’s when the questions start.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” Spencer gets up and leaves the booth, walking out towards the smokers' exit at the back of the bar, getting a moment of semi-fresh air to think about what Penelope said.

“Spence?” She calls to him from the door, “are you okay? Can I come out here?”

“Yeah,” he nods. “Sorry, I needed some air, it’s nothing.”

“Do you need a hug? I read it helps the most when people are stressed out,” she plays it off with a shrug.

“So you do have a crush on me?”

“She told you?” Her face lights with fury, “what the fuck, Penelope?”

“She didn’t mean to,” he tries to cover it up. “It was only brought up because I have feelings for you as well.”

Her eyes widen, her brows raise and her mouth slowly opens as she freezes.

“Y/N?”

She blinks a few times and shakes her head, “impossible. There’s no way.”

He laughs, “I’ll take that hug now?”

She lunges for him and wraps her arms around him so tight. Breathing him in, her hands wander his back as she takes in every second if it and he does the same. He can’t believe she’s that close to him, her hair smells nice and she’s so soft in his arms.

It’s quiet outside, they can hear the music behind the door, the people in the ally talking and the crickets in the night. It’s just them outside, holding each other in the smoking section with smiles on their faces, amazed that it’s finally happening.

“Can we keep this between us?” She whispers into his ear. “Just for a bit? I don’t want to go through all the paperwork and have to separate in the field if it doesn’t work out?”

“Wait,” Spencer pulls back. “Are you asking me to be your boyfriend?”

She nods, “well yeah isn’t that what happens when two people have a mutual crush? They date?”

“Okay,” he smiles, staring at her lips and then flicking his gaze back to hers with a blush. “I have more than a crush on you, I really, really like you.”

“Prove it,” she teases, “let's go on a real date soon?”

“You know what, let’s get out of here. I have something I want to show you,” he takes her hand and waits for her to nod.

“Take my lead okay? You don’t feel good and you’re going to wait outside while I say goodbye,” she has a plan right away

“After you,” he holds the door open for her and lets her inside first.

—

“I’m taking Spencer home, he’s not doing well,” she’s a much better actress than Spencer expected, patting his back and watching him leave the bar before her like she asked him to do. “He’s really anxious?”

Penelope looks worried, “oh no, I fucked up. I told him you like him.”

She just shrugs, “if he didn’t know that already then I guess he’s not as smart as he pretends to be.”

“See,” Derek looks at Savannah. “I told you everyone else also thinks he’s faking being that smart.”

“Shut up,” she shoves him and turns her attention back to Y/N. “Go make him feel better, he’ll like your company.”

“I’ll see you guys at work on Monday,” she waves them goodbye, surprised they bought it as she rushes her way back outside to Spencer.

He’s already in his car, engine running and waiting for her with a smile. “Come on,” he hurries her inside and is taking off down the road before she even has her seatbelt on yet.

“What’s the rush, Spence? It’s only 1 in the morning I’m sure tones of places are open still?” She teases.

“You’re going to like this, I used to go here all the time when I started with the bureau,” he explains, leaving the main road to take a back root, and eventually they’re driving on gravel.

“If you’re taking me here to murder me this is a dumb way to do it because they all know I left with you,” she teases. “At least when you go to get rid of me, do yourself a favour and dig 6 one-foot holes instead of one 6 foot hole…”

He laughs, “would you really give your murderer tips?”

She nods, “my goal would be to piss him off so much he either lets me go or murders me quickly. I don’t want to go through all the pain.”

“It’s not fun, that’s for sure,” he shrugs it off but she knows it hits too hard.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, reaching her hand out for his to hold by the gear shift. “I think you’re like the strongest guy in the world, you know that, right?”

“Why?” He asks as if that's a preposterous thing to say.

“I think if I got kidnapped and tortured at 24 I wouldn’t still be working in the FBI,” she admits. “I barely made it through the academy, I know this job is intense but I don’t think I could handle being in that situation.”

“If it’s up to me,” Spencer squeezes her hand tighter and brings it to his lips for a kiss. “You’ll never experience anything like that.”

He’s so good at making her feel safe that she almost believes he has the power to do that. He would do anything and everything to move fate for her safety.

He turns down another back road then, around the edge of a lake and towards a clearing. He follows old tire tracks and parks by the dock. “I found this spot one night on a random drive to clear my head.”

“I thought you hated driving?” She quizzes him.

He shrugs, “I like to drive at night when no one else is on the road because then I don’t really have to worry about anyone else. I hate driving because I can’t always anticipate other drivers' movements. If I could read minds, then I’d drive more.”

“Valid,” she nods, “now why is this such a special spot that you needed to show me right away?”

“Well, I have a telescope and it’s been in my trunk for the last 13 years so that every time I come here, I can look up at the moon…”

“You brought me here to look at the moon with you?” She swoons, “that’s so cute.”

“You think?” He looks like his heart is doing the same swelling as hers.

She gets out of the car before she can lean over and kiss him the way she wants to. In his trunk, he does have a telescope, and a blanket, which they set out on the dock and sit upon.

The sound of the lake, the loons in the distance, frogs and crickets and music travelling from somewhere down the lake. The moon was big, the stars were amazing, and this was the closest she has ever seen them. It's amazing, and of course, it was Spencer showing her everything.

He was everything to her.

And it didn’t take long for him to become everything to her either.

Joining the BAU was a dream to many at the academy, but Y/N never thought that she would get the job, overjoyed that she did. They were a family unit; they got the job done, they protected each other, and it was a wonderful environment to be a part of. She obviously liked Spencer the most out of everyone. He took her in, he made her feel comfortable and safe and she opened up more with him than she has with anyone she’s labelled a “best friend” in the past.

She liked everything about him. The way he talked with his hands, how his sweater, vest, shirt and tie always match, his gun looks a little out of place on his belt, like it’s too big for him, but it’s cute. His hair’s been getting longer too, sometimes he wears glasses and sometimes if she’s lucky, he doesn’t shave every day.

She can’t take her eyes off him when he’s busy and won't notice, just to then move her focus away when he stared at her. She only wishes she could see the way he stares at her in awe, because if it’s anything like how she looks at him, he must love her.

She keeps her hand in his, trading the telescope back and forth in turns, her face was close to his every time they switched and she kept getting bolder with each exchange. Letting Spencer look, she kept her face close to his, kissing his cheek softly as soon as he was busy peering up at the moon.

He turned to her with a gasp, “what was that for?”

“You’re cute,” she shrugs. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for a while.”

“How long?” He teases, leaning in closer and kissing her nose to make her laugh.

“Since you dropped me off at my house after that first dinner…”

“So this is me,” she nods out the window, “thank you for the ride, I appreciate not having to be in an Uber all by myself.”

“Anytime you need a ride, you can give me a call?” He asks. “Seeing as we’ll be going to the same place anyway.”

She nods with a smile, “I’d love that, do you live close to here?”

“Just up the street,” he nods. “So we could carpool?”

“I can drive some days if you want?” She asks, “I know you mostly take the subway, and I know that because I’ve seen you reading on there before.”

He can’t help but smile, “so you never thought to say hello?”

“No,” she shakes her head, “you looked peaceful, and I’m sure you don’t get many moments like that in your line of work.”

He sighed, knowing she was right. “If it ever gets to be too much for you, please never feel like you have to pretend to be okay? None of us expect you to be stone cold, none of us are either. The job gets to us, just tell me if it gets to be too much?”

She looks from his lips back to his eyes and over again, “thanks, Spencer.”

He does the same to her, “anytime. Should I walk you to your door?”

She shakes her head, “that’s okay you’ve done enough for me tonight.”

“Fair enough,” he laughs. “Have a good night Y/N.”

“You too, Spencer,” she smiles before she exits his car, smiling at him from her porch before he drives away.

“So it’s been mutual this whole time?” He shakes his head at the absurdity. “I’ve been so lonely for so long and then I found you and you make me feel like I don’t need to be alone anymore.”

“You complete me too,” she makes one more comment before connecting their lips.

It’s like the world stops then. It’s silent and serene and everything she thought kissing Spencer Reid would be.

She pulls back with a smirk, “oh no.”

“What?” He worries.

“I’m going to want to kiss you all the time now…”

“Good,” he mumbles the words against her lips before reconnecting them.

—

At work on Monday, it’s very hard for them to look at each other without remembering that they’ve kissed. Spencer’s practically glowing with admiration for her that he gives it all away. He’s overly happy, offering to do things for others, standing way too close to her and bringing her coffee all morning.

“Okay, pretty boy,” Derek takes him by the scruff of the neck and redirects him into his office. “What’s going on with you today, I know you’re not this happy for JJ’s return?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you get laid or something?”

Spencer laughs, “no, you know I don’t get laid. You actually remind me of that fact quite often.”

“You’re so happy I’m worried you’ve moved to crack,” he says it. “Okay, you were acting weird on Friday, you missed brunch on Sunday and now you’re waaay too happy.”

“I’m not on drugs again,” Spencer assures him. “I’m just letting myself enjoy my time with Y/N, if she falls in love with me in the meantime that would also be nice.”

“Oh, so you’re doing this to get laid,” Derek teases him again. “That’s good, I’m sorry if I triggered you by asking, but I had to make sure you’re okay.”

“No, no,” he places his hands on Derek's shoulders, “thank you for caring.”

“Always—“

“Guys!” They hear Hotch yelling from the bullpen, cutting the tender moment short, saving Spencer from spilling the truth.

Rushing back, he sits beside Y/N at the briefing room table. “We have a bad one,” Emily Prentiss of all people walks in the door, followed by Elle Greenaway.

“We’ll have time to mingle in a minute, right now there is a woman who needs our help,” he announces.

Spencer quickly reads over the case files, recognizing Elles handwritten notes, she was a private investigator now. “With Penelope’s help, I’ve been able to set up alerts in College chatrooms in the area so that I can help to missing and assaulted women right away.”

“She’s alerted when someone reports a missing woman and she has advertisements for people to reach out to her for help,” Penelope explained.

“I’ve been working on these cases for the last 9 years,” Elle announces. “This morning Aasia Desai called me saying her sister Bahni never showed up for lunch and it’s not like her, we know she went clubbing last night and so far Penelope’s tracked her down an ally and then she’s gone.”

“Her parents are British diplomats so Interpol has asked me to join, luckily I was just in Ontario so it was a short trip over,” Emily adds. “JJ will be here in half an hour for her first day back, and we will celebrate when we can, but I see we have some new faces here?”

“Special Agent Y/N Y/L/N,” she waves, still glued to Spencer’s side. “I’ve heard a lot about you both from Doctor Reid.”

“Doctor Tara Lewis,” she stands and shakes Emily’s hand, and then Elles.

“So it says here that the first missing case was in 2006 just after you left the BAU?” Spencer changes the subject before anyone can pry into why he would be telling her about the women who worked there before her.

“I did,” Elle nods. “I was too late for her, by the time her parents realized she was missing and called me in the case was cold. I started this as a way to get ahead of it.”

“How long has she been missing?” Tara asks.

“She was last seen at 1:07 this morning,” Elle confirms. “We have 25 hours, maybe, to beat the odds.”

“Reid,” Hotch cuts in, “I would like you and Elle to go check out the street she was last seen on, find any private cameras or anyone who might have seen something.”

He turns to Y/N who just shrugs in silence; “it’s fine.”

“Tara and Derek, I’d like you to interview Aasia when she and JJ get here, Garcia can you do a deep dive into Bahni’s spending and academic records?”

“Sure thing,” she starts clicking away on her computer immediately.

“And Y/N,” Elle looks at her. “I need you to go over the footage of the man who followed her to the alley and get familiar with his face. We’re using you as the face of the investigation to hopefully draw the unsub out.”

“How would she be able to do that alone?” Spencer gets defensive, a way he used to with JJ when she was the media liaison.

“If she goes on the news and makes Bahni seem like a person while describing the unsub as someone who can help solve the case, it will draw him out,” Emily explains for Hotch, who is glaring at Spencer for second-guessing the plan already.

“And she’s college-age,” Elle adds. “If that’s who he’s been going after all this time he will want to come in and talk IF he can talk to her.”

She places her hand on his leg under the table, “it’s a good plan.”

“It is,” Hotch agrees.

“What do you not have a saying to replace wheels up when they stay in town?” Elle teases him.

“Wheels away?” Emily joins her, “that works?”

“just get to work,” Hotch tries not to smirk at them.

Spencer stands up to leave with Elle, “can I just talk to Spencer before he leaves?” She carefully asks Hotch.

“Make it quick,” he agrees reluctantly and lets her follow him down to his desk.

Spencer rests his hands on the back of his desk chair, holding it tightly in an attempt to calm himself down.

“I’m going to be fine,” she assures him. “I don’t think the guy on the tape took her, we’d see him leave if he did.”

“Unless he lives in the alley,” Spencer combats. “Can you ask Penelope to do a background check on all the cars coming in and out of the campus and that street between midnight at 2 am?”

She nods, placing her hand on his gently. “Good luck out there, okay?”

He nods, “it’s been 2 days they’re going to know by the end of the week.”

She laughs, “so be it.”

He says fuck it right then and there, wrapping her up in a hug and kissing the top of her head as the team watches in the briefing room. “I’ll see you later.”

“Yes you will,” she smacks his side as he lets her go. “If you’re going to make a scene at least give me a real kiss.”

“Hmm,” he teases. “No cause then I’d have to sign some paperwork and I’ve got to go…” he starts to back away.

“Coward,” she teases.

He just shrugs, meeting Elle by the door and heading towards the elevators in silence.

She doesn’t ask, not even when they get to the garage or inside the SUV. They’re driving down the road for maybe 2 minutes when Elle finally brings it up. “So—”

“What do you want to know?”

“It's that easy now? What happened to you?” She teases. “You’re so different from the baby Spence I left.”

“Well you missed my drug problem, my dad being a possible child molester, getting shot in the knee, getting shot in the neck, my girlfriend dying, and now my mom might have Alzheimer's so you know… I had to grow up a bit,” he lays it all out for her to ask any question she wants.

“Why don’t you ever call me? I would have been there for you through anything,” she reminds him.

“I know that,” he reaches over for her hand, “thank you. But I was a big fan of suffering in silence… and now I have Y/N and she makes me feel normal?”

“That’s good, you deserve some fraction of normal in your life and she’s really cute,” Elle smiles back at him before returning her focus to the road. “How old is she?”

“27,” he smiles. “She’s the best.”

“You love her,” Elle notices it.

He presses his lips together to fend off a smile as he nods, “I think I do.”

“Tell her, you deserve to hear that someone loves you back.”

—

She’s anxiously tapping her foot as she waits for the elevator to arrive with the suspect, Rossi standing just behind her. Only 15 minutes after being on the news, the man that was in the security footage contacted them. Making his way over for a voluntary interview.

He looks Y/N up and down with a smile, “I heard you were looking for me.”

“I sure was,” she plays along with it, smiling and making him think she’s interested as well. “I knew you’d get the message, we just need all the help we can get right now.”

“Of course,” he has his ego stroked so well that they can roll with it.

“Would you mind coming with me and Agent Rossi to talk about everything you saw?” She batts her lashes at him, really selling it.

“Sure,” he follows them down the hall.

Rossi opens the door and lets them in first, letting her get him settled and a glass of water. “So you can tell me everything from that night?”

“Sure,” he nods, explaining his taxi job, his run for the night and his alibi.

“So why did you step back into the doorway?” She asks as she sits in front of him. Straight-faced as she catches him off guard.

“Excuse me?”

“You stepped out of the way to let her pass and then followed her, she made no motion to say she wanted your services, so I’m just wondering why you would follow her before she disappeared?”

“Huh,” he suddenly feels played and his personality switches. “I thought this was just a chat?”

“I’m simply asking you questions? If you don’t have answers that makes you suspicious. An innocent person would have given me an answer,” she fights back.

“She’s right, you got very defensive very fast,” Rossi finally speaks up.

He shakes his head with a huff. “I was going to ask if she needed a ride, she looked pretty messed up. And then some guy came over and wrapped his arm around her and they walked off. They seemed to know one another. I thought she was safe in his hands.”

Only his tone doesn’t match the words. He sounds jealous— It’s not like she would have been a large tab, he wasn’t jealous because he lost a customer. No, he’s jealous like someone stepped in and prevented him from snatching an easy victim.

“Fair enough,” she pretends to believe him. “Thank you for your cooperation.”

“I can go now?” He changes right back to confused.

She nods, “I’ll escort you down if you’d like?”

“Thanks,” he stands and follows her to the door where Rossi stops her.

“Are you sure?”

She nods, “I’ll be back up shortly.”

She catches up with him by the elevators, “did you have to drive far to get here?” She makes small talk.

“Not really,” he shakes it off. “I like your necklace.”

She touches her necklace and her face drops, “thanks.”

“Necklaces are my favourite.”

“You don’t wear any?” She notices in the form of a question.

He shakes his head as the elevator opens at the ground level. “I think they’re nice gifts.”

She nods along, pretending that didn’t set off every ret alert and alarm in her mind, “well here you are. Thanks again for all the help.”

“No problem,” he goes to leave, turning to stop and block the doors from closing. “If you want, later tonight I can show you everything I saw at the alley?”

“Yeah, sure,” she agrees with no plan to go.

“8 pm? At Cafe Linda?”

“See you then,” she agrees and he steps back letting the door close and then she loses her cool.

Feverishly smashing the floor 6 button, and begging to make it back up to Hotch to tell him everything. But she also just wants to cry but she holds it in as she makes it to their floor matching past Rossi and right into the briefing room.

“He may not be our unsub but that man is a creep,” she announces. “He not only complimented my necklace but he asked me to come to the alley tonight so he can walk me through what he saw.”

“You’re not going,” Hotch announces.

“I didn’t plan to,” she snaps. “I think we need to look into him because he’s either giving little girls necklaces to keep them quiet or he’s taking necklaces after he kills women.”

“Kathy’s parents said she was in a necklace when she went missing,” Emily adds. “His connection to this case and being at NYU right before she went missing gives us enough probable cause for a search warrant.”

Hotch sighs, “fine. I’ll call a judge, you and Y/N can go and search his place.”

“So shouldn’t we arrest him before he leaves the building?” Morgan asks.

“He’s still in the garage, I’ve let the security know to stop him and arrest him at the gate,” Garcia adds, listening in and planning in advance.

“Thank you,” Hotch smiles at her, “you’re always reading my mind.”

Garcia smiles back at him, “always, sir.”

“Okay, let’s go,” she looks at Emily and waiting for her to turn to leave the room.

“Let’s,” she motions for Y/N to take the lead and follows.

The drive to his house is so weird… she doesn’t quite know how to talk to Emily, knowing only slightly about her and her knowing nothing about Y/N.

“So how long have you and Spencer been dating?” Her first question just gets right to the point.

She laughs awkwardly, “3 days…”

“Oh…”

She hums as she nods along, looking out the window and avoiding Emily’s eye contact. “It’s new, we’re both pretty infatuated with each other but we’re taking it slower than most people because I’m afraid to let my feelings change how I do the job.”

“Makes sense,” Emily replies. Her voice is so sweet, she has an aura of calm that follows her and lets Y/N feel safe. She gets why Spencer said she was his best friend on the team before her.

“The necklace comment… why did it make you so wary of this guy?”

“When I was in middle school a guy gave me a necklace while he was grooming me,” she whispers. Looking out the window and pretending it doesn’t bother her now. “It’s fine, I don’t have it anymore, but I knew this guy had that same vibe.”

Emily put her hand out, letting Y/N interlock their fingers and hold it. “I know I just met you, but you’re family now. I’m here if you’re ever suddenly not fine with it anymore…”

“Thanks,” she smiles. “Let’s get this fucker.”

—

By the time the warrant went through, Spencer and Elle had joined them to search the first suspect's house while Emily left to help the rest of the team with suspect two. Tracking all the license plates in the area like Spencer suggested lead them to a Chinese food delivery driver in the area.

That didn’t stop Y/N from destroying her suspect's house. They tore the house apart, searching every nook and cranny for any answer that would make sense. She was tempted to lift the floorboards up, call in SCSI to run ground-penetrating radar and search the fucking walls if they had to.

But then she found it.

A small metal box in the laundry room contained some tools and when she lifted up the fake bottom, she found 5 necklaces.

“Elle!!” She yelled through the house.

They both came running down the hall to her, “is this Kathy’s necklace?”

“Oh my god,” she whispered with a nod.

“I want to kill this guy,” she mumbles under her breath as she places the necklaces back in the box and closes it up.

“Spencer doesn’t need another girl he has a crush on to murder someone and get kicked out of the bureau,” Elle teases.

“What?” Y/N asks.

“Way to go,” Spencer nudges her.

Y/N stands up with the box and slides it into a large evidence bag before taping it up. “I guess he has a type then.”

“I don’t,” Spencer tries to cover up. “I mean, if I do then it’s people who are nice to me…”

She smiles at him, unable to even pretend to be jealous or mad. “It’s hard to be mean to you when you’re so cute.”

“Ew,” Elle announces her disgust as she leaves the room.

“Let’s get out of here before I end up kissing you in a murderer's laundry room,” Spencer teases, taking her hand and leading her out of the house as the rest of the forensics team takes over the bagging of evidence.

“Guys,” Elle rushes back to them with her phone pressed to her ear. “We have a bigger problem than we thought with Bahni.”

They rush into the SUV, putting the team on the speaker to hear the most unthinkable. “So I did what Y/N suggested and searched every single driver coming in and off-campus and the last street she was seen on,” Penelope explains back. “And I came across a man who was delivering Chinese food under the name Tom Larson… and it’s ironic his name is tom because he has a plethora of peeping offences and general creepiness alongside a metric shit-ton of abuse from his dad and dead mother.”

“Okay?” Elle follows.

“Tom Larson lives near Bahni,” Emily explains, “I was just at his house where I found him and his father had been murdered.”

“So we have not 1 but 3 creeps in this case, and none of them are who took Bahni?” Spencer rubs his eyes. “Please tell me we know who was in Tom’s car last night.”

“That’s where it gets tricky,” Penelope says with the doles tones of keys clicking behind her words. “We were just contacted by the fugitive Taskforce because they believe one of the murderers they’ve been tracking took Bahni… but he has ties to a much larger scale global sex trafficking ring.”

Elle flies through the streets with their lights on, pulling back into headquarters and right up to the security check. “So who is this guy?”

“Once you get back up here, Agent Simmons and Alvez will explain everything,” Hotch confirms. “I’m taking Derek to see Cruze, we need to tell him what’s going on.”

“Sounds good,” Elle hangs up and throws the SUV in park.

Y/N hesitates, staying put and taking a few breaths as Spencer watches. Elle’s left the car and is already on her way to the elevator. “What’s wrong?”

“Can I just have a hug real quick?”

“Yeah,” he wraps his arms around her and holds her close. “Are you okay?”

She nods against him, “yeah it’s just good to have at least 8 hugs a day.”

“Hug me whenever you need to,” he whispers against her hair, kissing the side of her head before she pulls back.

“Kisses are helpful too?”

He smiles, leaning in and pressing his lips to hers, mumbling against them, “how many?”

She hums, “10?”

He pecks her lips 10 times and counts each one, making her giggle, it takes so much effort to hold her smile back to keep kissing him but she feels much better.

“Thank you,” she beams and she can swear Spencer's eyes sparkle as he smiles back.

She pulls him into another hug, “I hate that we have to go catch a killer right now.”

“Come on then, as soon as we get him we can go on another date somewhere?”

She shakes her head, “after this case I think we should take a nap together… I’m exhausted and I don’t want to let you go.”

Spencer shakes his head in amazement, “you really like me?”

“Yeah, maybe I do,” she teases him. “You should get used to it because it’s only going to get more intense and I will smother you with love.”

He just shrugs, “it’s about time—“

They’re startled with a knock on the window, “we get it you’re in love, can we go now?”

“Sorry!” Y/N calls back with a giggle, pulling him in for one last kiss before getting out. Spencer follows with a deep blush that everyone will see when they get back upstairs, but it looks cute on him.

Luke Alvez has been trying to catch one criminal for the last 2 years. Simon Garrett has been a pain in the ass for the FBI, the CIA and DEA. He first showed up on their radar when his DNA was found on 14 women’s remains, all of who had been missing for at least 5 years.

His DNA was then traced to his son in the foster system, who’s been off the radar for the last 10 years. Everette Garrett.

“Now he’s interesting because I’ve been investigating his sex trafficking ring between Canada and the United States,” Matt adds. “All 14 women his father's DNA was found on were thought to be in his ring, which means when they get too old he hands them to his father to take care of.”

Y/N shakes her head as she listens, “so if you’ve been looking for them for this long what makes you think we can find them in time to save Bahni?”

“We’ve been tracking him for a while, we knew that he had a new girl on his radar and when we heard it was Bahni Desai we knew it was time to get you guys,” Matt explains.

“So far we know that she has to be taken to this warehouse in Alexandria before she goes any further, we’re going to intercept them before they make it to the warehouse and then use their car to gain access to take the whole thing down,” Luke rolls out a map of the facility then.

“We need to have the place surrounded for any runners, SWAT is getting prepped, we’re going tonight at 3 am,” Matt adds. “Morgan, Hotch, Prentiss, Alvez and Myself will be running a team at each of the 5 exits. Once inside, each team's swat unit will deploy gas to carefully knock everyone out, from there we need someone to cuff everyone at least until we know who is a victim and who is working there.”

“We’re taking everyone alive?” Spencer makes sure he hears them right.

“We need to know what the step after this warehouse is if we want to rescue more victims,” Luke’s voice is gentle yet stern as he explains. “I’ve seen this man take too many women from good homes and ruin their lives, I’m not letting him slip out of my fingers.”

“We’ve had this planned for months, we just needed to wait for the next confirmed drop-off.”

“Who’s driving?” Y/N asks, having a feeling it was her and Spencer.

“He’s Reids age,” Hotch announces from the door as he walks in with Cruze, “so we’ll replace Everette with Reid and Bahni with Y/L/N.”

“Rossi and Elle will be there to apprehend Everette, we’re setting up a fake traffic spot to irritate him and inhibit him from running. You two will be in a duplicate car arriving at the warehouse at the arranged time,” Emily confirms. “We just have to prep SWAT and then we can leave.”

“Alright, let’s get ready.”

—

Pretending to be kidnapped in the back of a car driven by her boyfriend was possibly the weirdest way to spend a Tuesday morning. Driving the exact make and model as their unsub, her heartbeat was loud enough to cover the sound of the engine and distract her from the long drive. She was overly anxious, and rightly so, it was her first sting.

And she was doing it all without coffee. Tired but full of adrenaline, she wanted to close her eyes and drift off but she knew she needed to be ready to apprehend the men at the gate with Spencer.

She feels the large bump, indicating they just went over a speed bump and she knows what that means. The car slows and she can hear the muffled talking before swat steps in, soon enough Spencer is cracking the trunk open and reaching in for her.

“Are you okay?” He helps her to her feet and makes sure her bulletproof vest is on right before handing her, her gun and watching her clip it on.

“Yeah, what happened?”

“The guards are down, Swat moved in as soon as we arrived, now we have to stand here and wait for them to clear the building,” Spencer explains as they walk to the front of her car.

She draws her gun and keeps it pointed low, guarded as they watch the front entrance for anyone to escape. “Do you know if Bahni is okay?” She whispers towards him.

He nods, “they radioed in that they got her, she’s being airlifted to the hospital with JJ right now.”

She nods with a deep breath, “okay good.”

“It’s going to be fine, we have enough SWAT here to take the government,” he tries to joke, getting a laugh from one of the officers… very strange to see someone laugh while holding an assault rifle.

One of the swat side steps towards Spencer, “I’m hearing on the line that they’ve cleared every room. They’re cuffing everyone, you’re free to enter.”

“Thanks,” Spencer replies.

The high-pitched screech rubber gripping asphalt in an attempt to stop draws their attention backwards. Elle and Rossi jumping out with their guns drawn, ready to join even though the exciting part is long over.

“No runners?” Elle asks, holstering her weapon. “Aw man, I was excited.”

“Not a one,” Y/N adds, watching the front entrance for the rest of the team to start funnelling out with the unsubs.

Luke exits first with a big smile on his face, Simon Garrett cuffed and barely stumbling out the door in front of him. He finally got him.

“well done,” Elle congratulates him. “Let me help you get him in SWAT van.”

“I think she has a thing for Luke,” Rossi leans into Y/N to gossip. “she wouldn’t stop asking about him on the drive…”

“Ooo,” Y/N teases, getting more and more tired as her adrenaline drops. Her eyes are heavy and Rossi can tell.

“Why don’t I bring you and the good doctor home, I don’t think they need all of us for the wrap-up,” Rossi pats her back. “You’ve had a long night, kid.”

“Thank you,” she smiles, holstering her gun and turning with him towards the SUV. “I’m so exhausted.”

“Well you’ve been on the job for almost 24 hours now, you’ve officially made it through your first overnight sting op,” Rossi congratulates her like he’s her grandpa.

She turns back when she doesn’t hear Spencer following her, “Spence? Are you coming?”

“Um,” he has something to ask as he follows then but he doesn’t say it. “Yeah, sorry.”

“It’s okay, come sit with me in the back?” She asks, sliding in beside him and resting her head on his shoulder as soon as their seatbelts are on.

“Did you still want to have a nap together?” He whispers, feeling her nod against his shoulder before she pulls back.

“Come here,” she tugs him in against her chest, snuggling in as best as she could in their sitting position. Holding him close and feeling him drift off in her arms. She has no problem following suit.

When she wakes, Rossi is parked outside of her apartment, “here you go, Y/N.”

She hums as she comes to, shaking Spencer awake too, “Spence, come on, let’s get to bed.”

“He’s going with you?”

She nods, “don’t tell Penelope. She’ll have a field day, I just want a nap.”

“You better get more than a nap,” Rossi orders. “You guys need to actually rest before you come back to work on Wednesday.”

“Thanks, Dad,” she teases him. “We will.”

“Bye Dave,” Spencer whispers as he gets out of the car. “Thank you for the ride.”

“Anytime kid,” Rossi waves them off, waiting for them to enter the building before driving away.

“Finally,” she sighs, dragging Spencer down the hall and towards her apartment. “I’m so fucking tired.”

“me too,” he barely says.

He follows her inside like a lost puppy, taking off his vest and shirt, slipping out of his pants until he’s in an undershirt, boxers and his mismatched socks. She’s amazed by how comfortable he is with her, but she has known him for 3 months, it’s enough time to fall in love with someone… right?

She’s loved him since she started working with him. When she realized he valued her opinions, he looked at her as a person and he genuinely loved her company. She felt a real connection with him, not just childish infatuation. He was everything to her.

She slides into bed beside him and snuggles in, wrapping an arm around his middle and resting her head on his chest.

“I guess I really can do everything,” she smirks.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

She pokes his chest and giggles away the awkwardness, “the thing I wanted to do most, the thing that I couldn’t do… that was to fall in love with you, but I did it anyway.”

“Well, then I guess I can do everything too.”

She pulls away to look at him, “I love you, Spencer. I don’t know if it’s too soon, but I’ve loved you for a while.”

He pulls her in for a kiss, shocking her as he breathes her in and holds her there. “I love you, more Y/N.”

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[non-binaryzombie]

𝔏𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔰𝔦𝔠𝔨

Summary: Jake is a little bit obsessed with you, he needs to know more about you, going beyond what you show on the internet, but his biggest problem now is making you understand that he owns you, and that no one is taking you away from him.

Characters: Jake x reader (a little bit of Darkness too cuz, you know that I love him)

Warnings: Yandere Jake, stalking, possessiveness, lovesick, obsession, not exactly a happy ending, angst, language, use of straw (sorry turtles)

Word count: 2672

A/N: Here it is! I hope you don't hate me for it, I changed the name to fit more with the story, but the context is the same :)

(Most of my pics/gifs come from Pinterest, if I use a photo that belongs to you and you don't like it, please contact me and we'll take care of it)

Fascinating, that's the word Jake would use to describe you if he had to, he could spend hours trying to decipher you, trying to understand how are you able to like him without even seeing his face, without even knowing who he really was? You just know what he allows you to, but you've never been nosy, if you ask something to him and he says that he can't tell you, you just put it aside, not wanting to bother; and that's one of the things he most admires in you, the fact that you're so curious and yet, when he doesn't want to tell you something, you just try to let it go, making a mental note about the things you shouldn't ask, at least not over the phone.

Ever since you helped Jake to find Hannah, he've been more and more interested in you, how did you manage to help him to find his half-sister, and at the same time made him fall in love with you? Something he never thought would happen, suddenly from a time to another, he saw himself in love with someone who he thought be just someone that would help him to find his sister, just a means to an end.

But now, here he is, watching you from the window of the café you're in, he knows that he shouldn't, what would you think if you found out that he've been following you? He is pretty sure that 'happiness' would not be the right feeling, but he had no choice, he wanted- no, he needed to know more about you, and this time the internet wouldn't help him, for some reason you're really reserved, unlikely the most people at your age, you have social medias, of course but you rarely post something about yourself at them, the most interesting thing that the hacker could find about you was your school records and not surprisingly your track record is perfect, you never got bad grades, you never got into trouble, you are simply flawless. It makes him question, it's impossible for someone to be so perfect, you're sweet, kind, innocent and you always want the best for everyone no matter how bad someone has done you; you always forgive them. But you have flaws, everyone has, and that's what he's trying to find out, what are you hiding from everyone? And how are you so good at hiding it?

His blue eyes getting darker when he sees you hugging a man, who is he? And why do you look so happy to see him? You two talk a little before sitting down in one of the tables close to the window, the waitress soon come and both of you place your orders. The black-hair boy on the outside quickly grab his phone, sending you a message, just a 'Hi Y/N :)' waiting to see if you're going to answer him, he sees you pick up the phone and look at it for a few seconds before putting it back in your your pocket, did you just ignore his message? Okay, now he has no other choice then go inside.

And there he goes, entering the place and thankfully he could seat somewhere that you couldn't see you, but he could listen to everything, pretending to be doing something important on the phone. He orders a black coffee, nothing more. Soon you and the tall man started to talk while he paid attention to every single word.

"I am glad that we were able to meet, Y/N" he says with a grin on his face

"Wow, you really talk like this even in person, I thought that it was just you way to text" a giggle escaped your lips

"What do you mean?" he tilted his head

"You just, talk like you are in a really important dinner with the queen" you say resting your cheek against your hand while looking at him

"I think I never stopped to notice the way I speak, is this a nuisance for you?" he asked and you quickly shacked your hands

"Oh, no! That's not what I meant, I happen to like it, actually" he looked relieved

"You are really observant aren't you?" you smiled

"You'd be surprised how many times I've heard this" the girl came back with your orders and you thanked her with a gentle smile

"So, I haven't seen you in the forum lately" he took a sip of his latte

"Of course you've noticed" you giggle playing with your milkshake straw "I should have predicted" he let out a light laugh through his nose

"Is there a especial reason for that?"

"Well if I am being honest, lately I have been too tired to even scroll through the forum" you looked down playing with your fingers on the table

"It’s okay, you don't have to talk if you don't want to" he said putting his hand next to yours

"No, it’s just-" a sight left your mouth "Do you ever feel that everything around you is slowly becoming tiresome? How if the slightest effort to follow your routine makes you tired?" he nodded, you are not sure if he really understands you, or if he is just trying to make you feel better, but you continue "But for a few seconds, something makes you step out of your comfort zone, makes you hope again, but then it ends and everything becomes monotonous and boring again" you didn't even realized that your fingers are now entwined with his, you feel your face turn red and quickly let go of his hand "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you" the hand that was holding his is now between your legs pressed against the soft upholstery of the seat you are on, and the other on the straw of your milkshake bringing it to your mouth.

"You don't have to apologize, Y/N, it’s okay you know that you can trust me" he said straightening his posture

"Yeah, I know, Dark, and I thank you for that, but I don't really want to bother you with this, we're here to have a good time" you smiled, and he nodded

"Let's chance the topic then. How about the guy you told me about? Are you two a couple?" you felt your face turn red again

"Jake? Well, not exactly, it's complicated" 'Not exactly? Of course, we are a couple' the hacker thought with himself

"Complicated?" Darkness asked encouraged you to continue

"Hum, none of us really made a official dating request, y'know?" Jake never thought about it that way, he really has to put a ring in your finger for you to know that you are his?

"But you like him, don't you?" he looked straight into your eyes, like he was trying to guess what was happening in your head

"Yeah, we haven't said 'I love you' yet, but, I really like him, and I think that he likes me too, it's just..." you paused lettings out a sigh "He is not really good at showing how he feels, he is not good at talking at all" you giggle

"Then why don't you take the first step?" he asked confused

"I'm afraid of being rejected." the man sitting in front of you looked surprised, so did the one sitting behind you

"Why would he reject you? You are amazing, anyone would be lucky to have you." a shy smile appears on your lips

"I just, don't think he has time for a relationship, he's constantly busy and moving, because of work" you completed

"Well, this is really a misfortune, but you know I'll always be here for you, don't you?" he said picking your hand

"Yes, I know, and I can say the same to you" he gave you a smirk "Why are your hands so big?" he laughed

"You really know how to change the subject very quickly don't you?" you smiled at him.

The man sitting in the table behind you got up putting the money on the table and got out of the café as fast as he entered, what made him bump into someone that he quickly ignored making his way back to the motel he was staying at, he was angry, how dare this random guy even touch you? Say that he's going to be there for you, you don't need anyone else, you have him, you may don't know it, but you are his, he always makes time to talk to you, and now you say that it’s not enough? You even dare to consider that he's going to reject you? What more he needs to do for you to be sure that he wants a relationship with you? When he finally arrived at his room, he slammed the door shut, sitting in front of the computer, trying to calm down, breathing heavy. He knows exactly what he must do for you to know that you belong to him.

You threw yourself on the bed, with a smile on your face, the day with Darkness was better than you expected, he is not all serious personally, or you just have the ability of making him less keyed up, your phone buzzed on your pocket and you grab it quickly not so surprising it was Jessy 'Hey, how was your little date?' you giggled after answering her 'Not a date Jessy, but it was really good to be honest' Jessy was incredibly supportive when you said you were going to meet your forum-friend 'I'll want to hear everything about it tomorrow' ' Don't worry, I'll tell you everything'. Soon you remembered that Jake texted you early and dialed his number wondering whether or not to call him, you bite your bottom lip before working up your courage, clicking the green button and bringing the cell phone to your ear, settling down on the bed, you start to wonder if this is a good idea right away thinking about just hanging up and pretending it was an accident, but as soon as the call is answered you feel your body tense up.

"Hum, hi" you say shyly "Sorry I haven't texted you earlier, I was kinda busy"

"It's okay" his deep voice make your whole-body shiver "How are you?" he asked

"I'm good, how about you?" why do you feel so awkward?

"Good" he says and keeps silent 'god, why is it so hard?' you thought while trying to think something to say

"I-" you are interrupted by his voice

"What were you doing?" he asked, and you frowned your eyebrows

"What?"

"You said you were busy, what with?" you blinked a few time before answering him

"I went out with a friend" you said and heard a 'hum' coming from him on the other side of the phone "Are you mad?" you asked apprehensively

"Why would I be?" his voice makes you feel butterflies in your stomach

"I don't know, we haven't talked the whole day, and you seem, rough" he sighed

"It wasn't my intention, I’m sorry"

"Don't worry" you heard someone knock at the door

“Oh, wait a minute there’s someone at the door” you said getting up, and walking towards the noise opening it, just to see a black hair boy standing there, with his phone on his ear

"okay" he said before giving you a little smile, your eyes widened and you felt your body freeze

"Jake?" you ask and he nods, that's all that he needs to do to see you quickly hug him tight, he looked a little surprised but then he just wrap his arms around you, feeling the good smell of your hair, you two stayed there for a while hugging in the doorway.

When you finally looked up at him your eyes were full of teas, happiness tears, but that didn't stop Jake of push the tears away

"What are you doing here? I thought you were with Lilly" you said pulling him inside and closing the door

"I've come to see you" he said looking at you

"You could have warned me, you know, I would have at least organized this a little bit" you say scratching the back of your neck shyly

"Then it wouldn't be a surprise" he says putting his backpack on the sofa "And it's not that messy at all" you two sat on the bed, your face is so red it looks like you're going to explode

"I have something for you" he says taking a little box of his pocket, opening it and revealing two rings your eyes widen and you quickly look up at him

"Are you serious?" you ask and he nods

"So, what do you say?" he smiles

"Jake, I-I don't know..." his smile disappeared and he looked at you confused

"What?" that's what you wanted a ring, an official request, wasn't it? Then why are you rejecting him?

"It's just- I like you, I really do!" you say as you see his reaction

"Then why don't you want to be with me?" he looks sad

"That's not what I said, I mean, you're wanted Jake, by FBI and by another hackers, I know that there's a lot of things that you don't tell me, I know that you're just trying to protect me but, I can't keep in the dark just trusting that you are doing the right thing" no, he's not sad, he's angry, he closed the box tightly, making you flinch

"Okay, look I don't need a fucking ring to prove that we are together, I just bought it because that's what you wanted, you are mine, and I don't care who the fuck is coming after me, I won't let anyone be on our way, you don't have to worry about it" you blinked a few times trying to process what he just said, he sighed putting his hand on your cheek "I love you, Y/N" he smiled again

"I'm not a pet, Jake, you don't own me" you took his hand off

"I think you should leave now" you said looking away

"I won't leave you" he said firmly

"Are you even listening to yourself?!" you said getting up "This is not love, Jake" he got up standing in front of you, the difference between your highs makes you feel intimidated

"I am lovesick, Y/N, can you blame me?" he says getting closer making you step back "I can't stop thinking about you everything that you say or do makes me love you more, I want you, I need you, why can't you understand that?" you now see yourself trapped between him and the wall behind you

"You're not lovesick, you're just sick, you are fucking obsessed! I would never be with someone who acts the way you're acting right now" instant regret

"If I can't have you, no one can, and I'll make sure of that, my love" he muttered taking his cell phone out of his pocket and showing it to you, your eyes widened

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! Let him go!" Darkness was tied to a chair with a cloth over his mouth, he didn't look hurt

"I'll let him go, when you accept to stay with me, otherwise, I'll kill him." you can feel the tears wetting your face

"You sick motherfucker" he pretended to be hurt

"You better choose your words better Y/N, I can kill him in just a snap" you looked at the picture again

"Fine, just let him go" he grinned as he put his cell phone away, he took the rings again and offered them to you, you looked at him before picking the ring and put it on your finger, he did the same

"You won't regret it, my love" he says pulling you closer and kissing you 'I already did' you thought with yourself.

[ac3id]

Plaything | 18+

plaything 0/ ?? | part 1

pairings: yandere! bully bakugou katsuki x fem! reader

warnings: [series] blackmail, bullying, dubcon/ noncon, filming w/o consent, yandere themes, no quirks au. ALL CHARACTERS ARE ABOVE 18 YEARS OF AGE.

↪ for chapter 0: dubcon, blackmail, humiliation.

summary: by luck, you get enrolled into u.a high the best school in your town. the only catch is that the school is filled with rich, spoilt, and powerful brats who just seem to hate you, and among them, a certain red-eyed blonde dreads you the most

↪ for chapter 0: you reject bakugou’s proposal to fuck in the dirty boys' washroom so he teaches you a lesson.

— navigation

wordcount. 2k+

a/n: hello !! so this is like a little introduction to my yandere! bully! bakugou series fic. there’s also going to a lot of other bnha character mentions but the main pairing will be w/ baku n reader. enjoy!

“bakugou, i don’t want to do this,” your voice is weak as you bite on your lower lip, trying to stop sinful moans from leaking out of your mouth. bakugo has you bent over the cold and wet sink counter, your chest pressed against the dirty marble while your skirt is flipped over your displaying your bare, perky round ass to his stalking eyes. “who are you calling bakugo?” he spanks your ass with force, making you lose your footing as your head bumps lightly against the mirror.

“sorry, master,” you answer barely above a whisper but it’s loud enough in the empty washroom for him to hear yet he makes you repeat yourself,

“what was that, brat? i couldn’t fucking hear you.” he spanks you again, his heavy hand coming in contact with your soft ass with ferocity sending you flying off your feet.

“i am sorry, master!” you exclaim a little loudly, hoping it would satisfy him. and it does. he scoffs crudely, ghosting his fingers over your pussy lips before dipping his large fingers between them and petting your dry hole. he plays with your cunt, stroking his fingers lovingly over your little pearl, gathering wetness as he slips one finger into your hole. pumping them in and out at a slow pace. he takes his time, building up your orgasm while laughing wickedly as you try to hold in your moans. his fingers inside your cunt increase their pace as your juices start dripping down to your thighs,

“you said you don’t want this?” while his right hand destroys your cunt, his other hand wraps around your small neck. grasping it lightly, making it harder for you to breathe. “why are you dripping everywhere like a slut? hm?”

he had pulled you aside from regular classes, declaring them boring as fuck and that he wanted to do something much better like; fucking you in the boys' washroom. you denied, you told him no. you wanted to attend the lesson and besides skipping with him wouldn’t be any good to you. he was not kind to you, he was a meanie. he still insisted; telling you it’s fine, he knows the material. he can just tutor you later. no harm done, see? see?

if there was anything you hated more than being stuck in the prestigious u.a. high where everyone seemed to be out for your blood was spending time with bakugo katsuki. and being with him alone was another nightmare. he hated you. you didn’t know why, he’d never say why. you just assumed it was because of that one time you accidentally spilled coffee on him or maybe it was just because you breathed. honestly, both seemed favorable in this situation.

after many failed attempts of convincing you to come with him, he gets fed up. he pulls out his phone and shoves it into your face. his screen displays pictures of you which he had taken before and the ones which you had sent him. they are all lewd shots. pictures of you sucking him off while looking into the camera with glassy eyes illuminated the screen and as you swiped right it changed to another with the same background, lighting, and angle but the only difference being that your face was now covered with his seed while you posed for the camera with an innocent smile.

a look deeper into his gallery and you find your nudes which bakugo had forced you to take. it was necessary for you to be naked with your tits and ass being visible, he also wanted to see your face and would never settle for anything else. he never settles for anything without your face in it, makes you take those shots again and again until he’s satisfied with the results. he saves them, all of them. even the ‘bad ones' have been screenshotted and saved onto his phone for his personal use. he never tells what he uses them for but you don’t need to hear it from him. you already know he’s jerking off to each one of them every night before he goes to sleep.

it’s funny, anyone could take a look at those pictures and find out they are not photos exchanged between lovers. your expressions- no matter how hard you try, you always end up looking like you want to cry. there’s fear in your eyes and it just doesn’t feel authentic. it looks forced. like someone had put a gun to your head while you sat and took them. and well, that’s not a far-fetched idea.

he promises these are for his eyes only, “no one else gets to you like this. you are mine.” his words exactly but when his friends also start staring at you with lust-ridden eyes, you can’t help but question his words.

he blackmails you into coming with him. threatening he’d leak those pictures all around the school if you didn’t come with him as if he hadn’t already. as if your compromising photos weren’t already saved in all of your classmates’ phones anyway. bakugo should give himself a pat on the back, he’s such a great actor!

“for someone who doesn’t want this,” his demeaning, rude voice pulls you back from the dreamland you were trying to escape to. he forces you nearer to your edge, tiny whimpers leave your lips accompanied with loud moans as his fingers brush deliciously against your sweet spot. your precious cunt greedily pulls him in deeper and deeper, inviting him graciously into your womb but unfortunately, his fingers aren’t that long. but you know what is?

“you sure are dripping like a whore.” with every whimper which leaves your supple lips, bakugo feels himself get harder. his pants tighten as a bulge starts straining against his expensive, pleated bottoms. the hand prettily choking your neck detaches itself leaving you inhaling puffs of air as he works his pants off his hips. as you hear the rattling of his belt coming undone, a loud cry enough to draw attention from others outside of the room leaves your throat.

it catches bakugo off guard but nonetheless helps him get even harder, he likes to make you cry and get off to it. “why are you crying, bitch? it’s not doing you any favors here.” his fingers rub against your swollen, little pearl while lining up his fat cock to your blinking hole. “please, bakugo, don’t. i will do anything, anything else. just not this, i’ve never done this before.” you sound pathetic. your voice breaking with every word you utter. big, fat tears rolling down your cheeks while you ugly cried. bakugo almost feels sorry.

but in all honesty, he really couldn't care less about you. all your whining and crying only incite him further as ruthless ideas to break you down flood his mind. the kindest so far being him taking you right here and now but, but a sudden flash of seeing you utterly broken and in misery flashed before his eyes and he couldn’t let go of it. he wanted to see you tremble much more than you were right now. he wanted to see you cry much more than you were crying right now. Maybe he did hate you, he always pushed you around like you were his little pet of some sort to prove a point- that he is better than you. he is superior, you must respect him. you should kiss the ground he walks on, you should let yourself be his little plaything. then maybe, he’ll let you loose? who knows, he might just get even more obsessed.

as he watches you cry beneath him, your pathetic whimpers reverberating off the marble walls, a wicked idea pops into his head. he pulls his dick away from your exposed hole instead, replacing it with his fingers like before. “fine, brat.” his voice is softer, it surprises you. was he not going to rape you after all? “just because you said anything.” there it is again, the edge in his voice that makes you regret what you said. now, you know he has something worse planned for you. but it’s too late, you can’t go against your word now. you said anything, get ready to do anything. “stop squirming, i’m trying to make you cum. god knows whether you can even do that for yourself.” you most definitely can.

"a bitch like you needs someone to do everything for her.” again, you are probably the most independent student in the whole school,

“am I right, princess?” you are so wrong. “yes, master.”

no matter how crude and humiliating his words were and how much you hated his voice, you still found yourself clenching around his fingers almost ripping them off. your cunt squeezed his digits tightly as the coil building in your stomach tightened. moans of his name echoed all over the room as you felt yourself come closer. bakugo was taking his time playing with you, drawing you out making your release painfully slow as a form of revenge. you begged for him to play with your little clit so you could achieve ecstasy but he was too petty. after minutes of agonizing you to the point, there were tears streaming down your face and drool escaping your lips, falling onto the wet counter. he finally decided to flick his finger against your hardened bud. rubbing tight circles, he played with it aimlessly until he felt the gush of wetness around his fingers and the high-pitched scream which left your mouth as you came. his other hand pumped his still-hard cock. he was still pissed that he wouldn’t be able to cum inside you but it was fine for now. he had something much brutal set up in his mind for his plaything, he was aware that what he was planning might completely destroy but he figured it was worth it. much better to have a mindless slave who lives to fulfill her master’s wishes anyway.

he lets go of you, backing away with his hard cock still out and aching for relief. the huge head blushed red and leaking with pre, too bad he won’t get to finish inside of you yet. you quickly walk away from him, bending forward to search for your discarded panties. bakugo grunts at the sight of your wet pussy presenting itself to him, riling him up even more than he already was. He wastes no time pumping his cock at the sight of your exposed bottom, gasp and groans of pleasure escaping his lips,

“oi, what the fuck are you doing?” he asks, catching you sliding your panties on your legs. you turn around to face him, face burning when you are met with him stroking his cock at your movements. your eyes almost can’t leave the sight of his leaking cock, hard and begging to be played with and as much as you to admit it; it lights a fire inside you.

“stop fucking staring, you’re making it worse,” he growls and you immediately turn your eyes to his face. he smirks, “what? do you want it now? too bad, it’s too late,” he taunts. his eyes trail your body, eyebrows furrowing when he looks down your legs. “who told you to wear them,” he points at your panties between your legs. you give him a confused look, “you’re not allowed to put them on. give them to me,” he commands and panic crosses your eyes. you hesitate for a moment, debating whether you should listen to him or not. his fists clench as he glares at you, sending shivers down your spine, “what are looking at! give!” he speaks louder this time in a demanding tone as if he was scolding a little child who had picked up something from his office. your fingers tremble as you reach out to give the pink fabric to him, “leave.” what? you look at him in confusion. your big, doe eyes racking fear and anxiety. you wait for him to laugh or make a sarcastic remark about how gullible you are but it never comes. instead, he wraps your cotton panties around his cock, right in front of you, and begins jerking himself off. you are disgusted and petrified by his shameless actions, “what are you standing here for? leave. remember you said anything?” yeah, so you did. and you regret it already.

your legs tremble as you walk towards the door, pushing it open and peaking your head to check for people in the hallway. once you find it empty you walk out to the outside before sparing one last glance inside the dirty washroom. you hope for bakugo to call out to you, call you back but all you see is him cumming thick ropes into your panties while his eyes are screwed shut in ecstasy. yeah, you weren’t getting those back.

with shame and defeat written all over your face, you make your back to your classroom. your face is heated with embarrassment and humiliation as you remember you are walking around practically naked just an accident away from flashing yourself to anyone who cares to see. for the better half of the day, you walk around tugging your skirt as low as it can get. you don’t see bakugo for the rest of the day as he leaves you alone but when you do catch his eyes for a second or two, the wicked grin stretching over his features is hard to miss. He knows exactly what he is doing.

just as the day is about to end, he walks behind you squeezing your bare ass from under your skirt managing a surprised shriek from you when you feel his warm palms caress your ass pervertedly, “cute.” he whispers in your ear before turning you around and pinning you the wall. his fingers slide up your thighs moving closer to your cunt. warm digits graze over your slit earning a gasp from you, “come over, I will tutor you on the subjects you missed.” he kisses your neck, “come just like this.” he spanks your ass lightly before he leaves you be. his words are absolute and you know better than to disobey him, all of this was happening because you disobeyed him. you gather your things and walk up to his dorm room dressed just as you were before: in your school shirt, blazer, skirt, and no panties just as he wants it. when you arrive in his room you are met with his entire friend group sitting there with their books and pencils out. kaminari, kirishima and sero are not as surprised to see you as you are to see them. they greet you with happy faces which you return with a light smile.

“hey,” bakugo says with a smirk, guiding you to sit between sero and kirishima. between them the two humongous men, you feel like a child. with kirishima being tall and muscular and Sero being tall, lean and surprisingly packing a few too, makes you feel like a dwarf. you feel small and tiny in their presence and they very much notice it, sending knowing looks to one another while bakugo tries to tutor you. you know something’s up.

not a lot of studying takes place as kirishima grows impatient and slides his hand under your skirt and settles it over your cunt, rubbing his fingers on your pussy lips, occasionally pressing them on your clit. sero flips your skirt displaying your naked cunt to peering eyes. kaminari whistles, “wow, she really wasn’t wearing anything the entire day,” he comments. with one hand, Kirishima captures your wrists behind your back and pushes you on his lap. sero holds your legs to prevent you from squirming around like a dead fish, trying to break free. “so who goes first?” kaminari asks, walking over to you and crouching at your level. kirishima holds tightly with him seated on bakugo’s bed, kaminari flashes you a charming smile before his fingers run to unbutton your t-shirt, pulling your tits out of your bra. he tugs on one of your nipples while kishima’s large digits tugs on another.

“obviously me, dumbass.” bakugo barks coming closer to you. tears prick at your eyes as you beg him to stop, you tell him you’re sorry and that you will never disobey him ever again but he’s too far gone. the other men in the room might feel a little shitty about what they were going to do but there is no remorse in bakugo’s eyes. he looks at you like a predator looks at his prey, stalking about to pounce at any given second, “shut up, whore. you asked for this.” tears break loose as kirishima starts spreading your legs on command. wandering fingers rubbing at your pussy, trying to get you ready are forced to stop as bakugo declares that it must hurt for you. he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“you know you should have never said no to me right? be grateful for what’s being given to you, you’re our little plaything. a cute, little slut. you don’t get to say no,” his rough fingers grab at your jaw, prying it open as he spits in your mouth. “now just shut up and take our cocks, okay?” you cry out yes but he’s not satisfied. His hand strikes against your face, your cheek stings with burning hot pain as more tears leak out of your eyes. grabbing your face harshly, he lifts it up so you’re facing him, “okay?” he repeats. you calm your breath before answering him, fear and anxiety fucking you up in dread for what’s to come.

“yes, master,” you say in the most submissive voice you make out.

[purposelynana]

What Did I Watch: #25

China we need male lead like this, not some morally good, full of bullshit like millions of male lead in the sea of Chinese dramas. We need bad guy to win. We need a lovable villain to win.

Didi never looked so good.

Cang Lan Jue is a 36-episode drama that has been aired on Iqiyi. The story itself is kinda your typical xianxia, except the fact that it has Dongfang Qingcang. Any other xianxia which doesn't have Dongfang Qingcang couldn't stand a chance. Dongfang Qingcang is everything that I could asked for from China. He's bad and he was proud of it. He didn't come as preachy as any other male lead character in a lot of xianxias. And it felt so great to finally, to finally, have some decent common sense on a fcking Chinese drama.

And Dylaaaaannnn is just awesome. After the horrendous Miss The Dragon, he deserved this role. I mean, I just know it from back then when he stared in Meteor Garden. He can act. Just give him a chance. Give him a good story. Give him a good director. He'll astonish you.

The ending. Oh god the ending is such a perfection. I could have asked more but then I don't wanna be consumed by greed. It's already as good as it is. I don't want to change anything. Hands down one of the best xianxia of all time.

I heard good things about The Eclipse and I started to watch it while making this post. After 3 episodes, I conclude that... okay this is my problem with GMMTV. They always know how to make an edgy story with high concept but the execution is just blah. I'm not talking about the script or the acting. Both First and Khao are such a good actors. The script is well it's early to tell whether it'll end up a garbage or gem.

For a story that contained theme within idealism, exerting rules, and acting as a mirror to our broken government, it was sound and look cheap as heck. I appreciate how the filmmakers tried to convey this message but certain scenes felt like a laughable. Especially the one scene where the students repeating (or chanting) their school rules. It was shot inside of a room with bunch of kids, medium close up Khaotung trying to make sense any of that. It felt constrained, limited and small. Okay it seemed cultish but the way it shot, it sent a message to me that the urgency of Khaotung's character to avenge his uncle is none. He didn't feel like he was alone or he himself against the world. I wish it was shot outside, using wide angle and adding a bunch of extras. For school that big, it was weird just to see not more than 20 kids hanging around school. And I know Bangkok is a small city but at least can you just figure it out a way to find a set which not used by 10 other BL dramas. God.

In addition, the post-production that they did seem hasty. Editing sometimes get a bit weird. Sound mixing definitely weirder than anything I've ever encountered. Lastly, whoever trying to kill me by putting background music in every scene. Don't you know, the art of silence? I felt like watching a music video instead of a series.

I want to love the series because well you know what they said, queer revolution is definitely happen at the very moment. Isn't that great to watch something that has been reflecting on our society? But it was full with metaphor in which there are so many explanatory post around Tumblr dedicated to discuss about this. It felt to me such an over-simplification to everything. There was no reason why the student revolution needs to happen on the first place. Except the fact that they hate to wear uniform. (Funny enough it's only 3 people protest). The bullying shown only after they protested. The movement shown only within those 3 people and obviously the main character, whoever Khaotung's character is. It felt like the movement wasn't touching any other characters. In some other time, it did resemble to a painting of French Revolution, Liberty Leading The People. You put it on the room, people may take a look at it, but I guess if you're not nationalist enough or need its content to be explained, you just stand there and do nothing about it. The Eclipse's s metaphors needs to be explained in order people to appreciate what it's trying to do. Well if you've got 1 hour and your audiences still didn't understand a shit, that's sucks.

It's not big enough. It's not bold enough. Unlike its predecessor Not Me, The Eclipse as this was written, has the potential but still not paying off. Maybe in later episodes, it will end up good. Because I want it to be the best version out there, not just half-heartedly series which design to be forgotten.

[zi-i-think]

Practicing

Pairing: Jade West x fem!reader

Rating: SFW

Word Count: 1800+

Warnings: mention of drugs

Request: no

AN: I know I’m still not done with requests, but I just really wanted to get in a Jade West oneshot. I don’t think Jade is out of character all that much, but I’d love feed back.

          Things sucked. Like. They royally sucked.

         When Beck and Jade broke up for the second time, it felt like a dark, ominous was looming over the group of talented teens. No one needed to be a genius to realize that both Jade and Beck with miserable. Not just because they were no longer together, but the breakup was emotionally draining.

         And despite it all, y/n couldn’t help but feel a little bit hopeful. She and Jade had been friends since middle school when Jade pushed a boy off his seat because he was bullying Y/n. They were pretty different. Actually very different personality-wise. Y/n was what Jade described as a hippie fairy. Which contrasted Jade’s vampire personality completely. 

         But there were just enough similarities to keep them together. Their hatred for the patriarchy. Interests in a feel-good green herb. They both started practicing Wicca together. And they were killer on the mic.

         It was a fine balance. 

         And over the years, Y/n couldn’t help but fall for the girl. Snarling personality and all. 

         She still recalls when Jade and Beck started dated. How at first she just thought she was annoyed at how Jade didn’t spend as much time with her but later realized that she was indeed feeling jealous.

         She knew it was terrible to be glad they’re no longer together, but she couldn’t help it.

         The first thing she saw when she approached her locker was the dark clothed girl waiting for her; standing cooly against the wall of lockers.

         “Morning.” Y/n greeted her with a smile. Jade hummed her greeting in response, waiting for her friend to get her things from the locker. “How you doing?” Jade sent her a glare, knowing that Y/n what trying to get her to talk about the breakup.Y/n mumbled a “nevermind” and closed the locker.

         “Do you have plans later?” Jade grumbled as the two started to walk to Sicowitz’s class.

         “Uh, yeah. I’m finishing up my script for my play.”

         “The one about the girl who turns into a dragon and then the prince who’s supposed to save her kills her on accident.”

         “That’s the one,” Y/n finger-gunner. “I’m trying to figure out how to make the finally really pull at the heartstrings.”

         “Make it gruesome,”

         “I’ll make a note of it.” 

         The class was already about to start by the time they entered and most people were engaged in their own conversations. Y/n saw Jade and Beck make eye contact. The same longing look on their faces. But stubbornness kept either of them from saying anything.

         “Hey, uh do you want to come over? Help me with the play?” Y/n asked, getting Jade’s attention again.

         “Sure. It’s not like I have any plans.” Jade shrugged before taking a seat upfront.

         Y/n smiled and took the seat next to her friend. A nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach grew as she already started to expect her friend’s arrival.

         “Good day, class!” The eccentric teacher barged into the room. “Your a pack or wolves engaged in a dance party!” He announced, prompting the teans to get up from their seats and act out the prompt.

         Knock Knock Knock

         The front door of Y/n’s house sounded. With a furrowed brow and her hair still wet, the girl opened the door revealing Jade with two coffees

         “You’re early,” Y/n stated the obvious.

         “Only cause I got bored. Now you want your coffee or not?” The dark haired girl outstretched her arm to hand her the tall cup.

         Y/n smiled appreciativly, taking the cup and stepping to the side.

         “Alright. So what does your play need?” Jade asked, already getting down to business. She walked straight to the living room and plopped herself on the blanketed couch.

         “Well, uh. It's mainly the last scene. Where the dragon turns back into a maiden and the prince realizes what he's done.” Y/n described, sitting next to Jade and grabbing the laptop from the coffee table.

         “Ah, so it’s angsty.” Jade smiles and leaned closer to Y/n to get a look at the document with the script.

         “Yeah.” Y/n’s voice cracked as she tried to compose herself over her friends close proximity. “So, I was thinking that once he realizes his mistake, he holds her close. I want him to have a monologue. Describing how he'd never get the chance to talk to her, see her, you know typical human relationship things.”

         “Alright so what's the problem?” Jade asked, not seeing why Y/n needed her there. Not that she was mad, she loved being around her. And truthfully, she missed hanging out and not having Beck in the back of her mind.

         “It just feels like it's missing something. You know.” Y/n said with a tinge of frustration in her voice. “Like. There's something that isn't making the plot complete enough for him to have that monologue. He loves her, but it doesn't feel like he does enough.”

         Without warning, Jade took the laptop from her lap.

         “I’ll read it.” she grumbled. “You go dry your hair or something.”

         “Good idea.” Y/n agreed, leaving the couch and beading back to her bathroom.

         “And order a pizza!” She heard Jade shout.

         It didn’t take long for Y/n to dry her hair and put the pizza order in. And by the time she got back into the living room, Jade was finished with reading over the script. Instead, she was now holding her new pair of scissors and examining the blades.

         “Figure anything out?” Y/n asked, getting the girl’s attention.

         “Yeah.” Jade put down the scissors and turned her body to face Y/n as she came in and sat down. “Your characters don’t kiss.”

         Y/n month dropped and she bit her bottom lip awkwardly.

         “Well, I was thinking about putting one in, but I thought it would be better if there weren’t one. Think about the symbolism behind it. Without the action, it’s expressing how the two never truly experienced being together.” She explained.

         Jade hummed and nodded as if she were understanding.

         “That’s stupid.” she said. Somehow both calmly and aggressively. Y/n furrowed her brow and tilted her head. Asking without words for Jade to go on. “Y/n the script is good, the storyline is paced well, blah blah blah. But the only thing that isn't good is the way you're presenting that they are in love. You want the audience to be heartbroken for the guy, show them that he loved her.”

         “Okay, so, where do you recommend it goes?” Y/n asked, grabbing the laptop and scrolling through.

         “Obvious. Scene 4, during the confession, I think after she falls from the tree.” Jade said. Y/n quickly went there and read it over, thinking about how to go about it.

         “You don't think it's a little fast?” Y/n asked, twisting her face as unsureness creeped into her mind.

         “Course not. You've already presented their infatuation for each other, and after that scene their relationship is already escalating more quickly. If anything it makes more sense.”

         She was right. Y/n knew it. But she couldn't shake the fact that having this discussion with Jade felt unreal. Perhaps because Y/n was crushing on her, but also because while Jade was very knowledgeable in entertainment, relationships were more of a ‘on the surface’ knowledge.

         Typing quickly the placement of the kiss, Y/n let out a heavy breath.

         “And it’s in.” She announced mainly for herself.

         “Good.” Jade nodded, now smirking at her friend. “You wanna see how it flows with the scene?”

         Y/n kept scrolling down the document to the ending, avoiding looking at the vampiresque girl.

         “Uh, ” She cleared her throat to avoid cracking her voice. “What do you mean?”

         “Well do the scene, me and you. As then you can make the final choice on whether you like it or not.” Jade explained casually.

         “Yeah, okay. We can do that.”

         Despite sounding calm and nonchalant on the outside, Y/n was screaming on the inside. Surely Jade wasn't actually intending on kissing her right? They’d work up to it and then stop, right? No kiss?

         “Cool, I'll be the guy and do you have it all memorized?” Jade started, grabbing the laptop and placing it on her lap.

         “Yep, it's all in my noggin.” Y/n knocked on her head awkwardly, receiving a disapproving look from Jade.

         “I’ll start at the beginning of the confession.” The dark haired girl announced, reading the lines. Then she looked up, right into Y/n’s eyes. “Tell me, Ayleth, do you feel what I feel.”

         “Why, I'm not quite sure what you mean, my prince.” Y/n continued, swallowing her nervousness.

         “When you look into my eyes, do you as well feel that fire? The one raging inside of your heart and coursing through you. Making you think illogically, wanting nothing more than to be consumed completely by you.”

         “One shouldn't think illogically. One must think about their duties, their-”

“That wasn't the question.” Jade acted, her usual roughness and anger dropped as she said her lines. “Do you love me?”

         “I suppose it would be unwise to try to divert the conversation.”

         “Most unwise. Especially to your prince.”

         “Well. Yes. I believe I do.”

         There was silence between the two. This was where the kiss was written. In the quiet, they both seemed to be questioning whether they would actually kiss or not. They both leaned in, slowly but surely. Y/n’s heart sped up and she wondered whether Jade was feeling the same. No, of course not. It's part of the scene. She's just acting, obviously.

         The inches between them soon turned to fractions of an inch. And their lips were so close to meeting.

         Knock knock knock.

         They were interrupted by the door. “Y/n pulled away immediately.

         “Pizza. I’ll get it.” She chuckled nervously and got up.

         “They can wait.” Jade said instead. She grabbed Y/n’s wrist and pulled her back down on the couch.

         Before Y/n knew it, Jade placed a firm kiss on Y/n’s lips. Though shocked, Y/n quickly reciprocated the kiss. Jade placed her hand on Y/n’s cheek, while the other girl’s hand went to Jade’s waist. By now, Y/n’s heartbeat was going a million miles per minute and both girls forgot about the person waiting at the door.

         Until they knocked again.

         “Give us a minute!” Jade shouted angrily before turning back to her, uh friend? Y/n was giggling at her rage over small things like that. Jade noticed not only that her dark blue lipstick had smudged onto Y/n’s face, but that she also had a deep red blush that covered her face almost completely.

         “Should we practice again?” Jade asked instead of bring it up. And when Y/n nodded, she didn’t waste another second to lean in again, kissing her with more depth than the one before.

[milfnearyou]

                𝐨𝐡 𝐬𝐞𝐡𝐮𝐧: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥.

 “𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭, 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮.”

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 2.4K | 𝐎𝐇 𝐒𝐄𝐇𝐔𝐍 𝐗 𝐅𝐄𝐌!𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: ANGST. CHEATING. BETRAYAL. SUGGESTIVE. THATS PRETTY MUCH IT THIS TIME AROUND. NGL THIS ISN’T MY BEST WORK AND IS A SHORT ONE SHOT, SORRY! CLICK HEADER FOR HIGHER RESOLUTION BC TUMBLR IS STUPID.

VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

“So you just woke up one day and decided you loved me?!” 

Your voice was painfully shrill, bouncing against the metal walls and echoing through the elevator shaft. If you hadn't been so furious, you would've cringed at the way you sounded. Considering your behaviour to be completely out of character and rather petty. But it was impossible to think straight. With all the sirens in your mind screaming 'Alert!' causing you to grow defensive. You saw everything as red, wrapped in a series of warning signs. Eager to protect yourself you grew aggressive, fury coursing through your veins and laced with disgust. 

The disbelief was evident in your tone, accompanied by the extremely annoyed look plastered on your face. Your eyebrows were contorted together, lightly creasing your forehead as you anxiously chewed on your bottom lip. Your hands were balled into tight fists trembling at your sides as you fought the urge to beat the living crap out of him. 

"Fucking answer me Sehun!" You exclaim, throwing your hands in the air. You didn't understand him, not taking any of his bullshit words seriously as a result. Had he been telling the truth, had he truly meant every word he said. Sehun wouldn't have just stood there in front of you with nothing to say. The silence he offered simply adding more fuel to the fire that raged inside of you. 

"So now you're silent? You weren't this fucking quiet back when you were professing your so-called love to me?! What's gotten into you now?"

Again, nothing but silence. The tall man simply stands there in front of you with his hands shoved into the pockets of his pants as the elevator continues to rise higher and higher. With every floor, the elevator cabinet passed, the angrier you got and it didn't help that you lived in a high rise apartment. If he continued to act this way you'd be fuming, steam emitting from your body by the time you'd reach your floor.

“Do you even know what it means to love someone? Or do you just throw yourself in any direction that proves beneficial to your selfish well being?” The questions flew past your lips one after another. You weren’t going to hold back either. Pushing yourself towards him, forcing him to explain himself. 

You didn't deserve the silence. You deserved proper answers, ones that were absent from the immature man in front of you. 

"Answer me right now or I swear to god I'm cutting you off forever," Warning him, you take a step forward to face him closer. Invading his personal space as you stare at him, craning your neck upwards with your arms crossed. 

Watching him like a hawk, you attentively wait. Noticing how he seems to take a slight step back, his broad chest heaving up and down slowly. He seems to be nervous or perhaps, flustered? It was hard for you to believe that with all the ways he could've handled the situation this was what he opted for.

Step by step, you get closer and closer towards Sehun until he's got his back pressed against the metal walls of the elevator. It was hard to believe that someone who looked dominant most of the time could be so cowardly. 

"I'm not asking again," You state, pressing your index finger roughly against his chest. Physically pushing him around until he's finally had enough. His large hands pressing against your shoulders as he shoves you back, regaining his confidence. Finally, he refutes, silence no longer being an option for him.

“Fuck off! Do you want an answer? Fine, but you don't have to act like such an invasive bitch about things!" 

Stunned your eyes widen. You can't tell if you should be offended or impressed with just how much you pushed him but you let him speak. Not saying anything even though he had just called you a bitch. 

"No, I didn’t just wake up one morning and decide that I’d fall in love with you! It took me countless days and nights, essentially adding up into months of thinking about nothing except you! Do you know how painful it felt for me? Do you not understand how guilty I felt?!” The tone in his voice is dangerously low as he narrows his eyes at you. It's his turn to match your attitude, fixing his posture and standing tall. 

"Oh really? So you only thought about how you felt and not how I would feel knowing about your feelings for me? Sehun, how selfish can you be? You aren't the only person on this godforsaken planet!" 

"You don't think I knew that? I know you wouldn't be happy with this but you have to understand that had I kept everything to myself and continued to hang out around you; it would've been both disrespectful to you but also incredibly torturous to me. It was worth gambling my feelings and confessing with the consequence of potentially losing a friend instead of hiding it."  

Taken aback, you feel yourself pause and you hate yourself for it. Sehun has a point, he's valid for being upfront about things but there was just one thing that didn't sit right with you. Despite wanting an answer and getting it you curse yourself for falling silent. The hypocrisy of your silence hitting you square in the face but you're not done. You still have one more thing to say.

"What about the fact that you're still dating my best friend? Did you think about how much this would hurt her? No, let me guess, I bet you haven't even mentioned anything to her," Bringing your best friend up seemed to be the major thing standing in between both of you.

Sehun stares at you like he's been frozen in time. His features completely poised and monotone as your eyes scan his face for any sign of emotion. It was still much too hard to accept his words, to trust them and understand that it came from the bottom of his heart. Your anger was now replaced with complete confusion, perhaps even denial as you scoff at him. He was crazy to think you'd ditch your best friend for a man like him.

Sehun only stood there with his shoulders pushed back, his posture relaxed. His orange tufts of hair making him look like a complete clown. His current demeanour was very different in comparison to how defensive he was earlier.

How could he be so hot and cold? None of it made sense with his face being completely unreadable, everything felt bland like a black and white movie. Sehun could scream as much as he wanted but his words would never get through, bouncing behind the screen, staying unheard from the crowd. All these things made it impossible to find the sincerity he had in his words represented in his body language. 

The elevator came to a stop with a rather loud ding notifying you that it had arrived on your floor. You take one last look at Sehun battling with yourself on whether or not someone as selfish as him was worth entangling yourself with. But no matter how you thought of it you couldn't accept him. With Sehun came consequences, ones that you weren't willing to risk getting into and that being losing your best friend. Someone who was there for you through thick and thin could never be replaced with a man you'd only known for roughly a year.

He didn't mean anything to you and he wasn't allowed to have any meaning in your life, it just wasn't okay. Betrayal had a greater impact than love, you would be foolish to accept the latter. 

Leaving him behind, you step outside of the elevator. Realizing just how much more breathable the air outside the shaft was in comparison to being back inside holed up with your worst nightmare. Your moment of freedom is cut short when you feel his lean arms wrap around your waist pulling you back inside.

He's clinging onto you like a child refusing to let go as he rests his head next to your shoulder. His hot breath brushing against your neck, making you uncomfortable for many reasons that were quite obvious. He just wasn't single nor available and you couldn't let yourself be the other girl. 

“Please just—take a chance. I'm willing to cross oceans for you, tear apart anything that stands in my way because I love you. I'll break up with her, she's nothing like you. Why can't you see that I love you?” He rambles, his voice falling soft. Sehun sounds like he's about to fall apart as he speaks into the crook of your neck. 

His voice vibrating against your skin, echoing through your mind. Despite his tone being no louder than a whisper, his message came loud and clear. Slowly his plump, soft lips make contact with your skin as you freeze in place watching as the elevator doors slam shut. Moving downwards again you feel like you're slowly descending to hell. 

His actions gave you goosebumps as he peppered kisses against your neck. Using one hand to grasp your waist, holding you close to him. While the other cupped your cheek, tilting your head slightly so he could gain better access to your body, his kisses moving down south and landing onto your shoulder. Pushing your shirt slightly aside before gently biting down on your skin causing you to gasp. 

Sehun's touch was electrifying and almost hypnotizing, you felt yourself growing dizzy and out of touch with your surrounding. As he continued using his lips to convey how much you meant to him against your screaming mind that yelled at you not to do this to your best friend. But like a fool, you melt into his touch. Lips falling apart, as your chest heaves up and down. The air feels intoxicating as he rotates your head towards him. His lips crashing against yours as you feel like you're about to pass out. 

You can't give in, you can't betray your best friend and yet, you feel yourself kissing him back. Your tongue tangling with his, exchanging dirty, secretive kisses. Turning around to face him better you fall into all the places you knew weren't right and that was right into the arms of Sehun's. Intertwining your fingers with his, holding onto him tightly as if the only chance you'd have with him would be taken away. 

Now you knew what it meant to be selfish and just how delicious it tasted. 

The elevator is filled with the lewd, smacking of the shared kisses between you both. His body grinding into yours as you feel yourself growing heavy. Developing a strong heartbeat where your filthy desires lay. You felt yourself growing wet, shifting your thighs uncomfortably together. Feeling his hand snake down towards the waistline of your skirt, tugging on them. 

"You just have to say the word and I'm dropping everything and everyone for you," He says in between kisses as you tilt your head back in pleasure when you feel his fingers slipping past your skirt. Hovering dangerously over your soaked heat. "Do you want to run away with me?" He asks. 

You want to say yes. Your body having a mind of its own would rather speak for you but you just can't bring yourself to go through with it. The image of your best friend is hung up in your mind and even though the damage has already been done, you still don't think it's too late to stop. 

“I can’t and you know I won’t,” You reply, wincing at how your voice cracks. You didn’t want to seem weak in front of him, you needed to show him you had control over how you felt. That you were sure you didn't want him but it was all a lie. A lie you told yourself and in return had the truth spoken out loud by the actions of your body. 

Sehun knew of this and yet, his peppered kisses come to a halt. The grip he's got around you loosening as his hand slips out of your skirt. You step out of his grasp feeling ashamed, not daring to look at him. Turning around and staring at the doors instead. Fixing your shirt you crane your neck from side to side trying your best to calm down. Bringing a shaky hand towards the elevator buttons and clicking for your floor. 

You can feel Sehun's gaze boring holes into the back of your head. 

"I don't understand. Why can't you just let me love you? It's not that hard to just give me a shot. I can give you the world, give you all the happiness and security you need in life."

"--Let me be the man that protects you, that cherishes you. I know it's hard because of her but...don't we deserve to be happy?" He pleads, his voice wavering. If you had turned around to face him you'd see his lips quivering. His dark, brown eyes are glossy with tears threatening to escape from the tiny apertures of his tear ducts. 

But currently, it's your turn to fall silent. All because you know that despite him falling at the seams, begging you to love him you know that he'll only go back to being the same once he's got you twirling around his dainty fingers. His norm being the same silent person as always, emotionally unavailable and confusing as always. Plus, who's to say he won't just ditch you like he's doing to your best friend? 

"It's your turn to answer me," He pleads but you ignore him. Thanking the timing of the elevator for opening right at the end of his sentence. 

Quickly stepping off you pray that he doesn't snake himself around you again because if he does, you don't know if you had the power inside to fight him off again and thankfully he doesn't. Sehun leaves you alone watching you get out of his view, the sound of your Chelsea boots clicking against the hallway floors until suddenly you're just gone. A wave of heartbreak washing over his feelings as he realizes that he just can't sit here and do nothing. 

He won't go back to your best friend, he doesn't love her and in fact, he never did. It wasn't his choice to hurt her like this but he couldn't help but fall in love with the wrong person. So he chases you, chases the love of his life eager to satisfy his selfishness and have you by his side. 

The consequence of dealing with your best friend could come later but first, he needed to convince you once and for all that he was the only good thing in his life. Your best friend was to be replaced. 

   𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐃: 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐅𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐘𝐎𝐔©︎

[foodieforthoughts]

Sand and Stars - Chapter Ten

Series Summary: After the water pump being blown up, the insurgents in Baqubah are taking a hold of the food supply to the village. Camp Warhorse is in dire need of reinforcements. It has been eight months of submitting countless requests when the High Command commissions Sergeant Olivia Ross to take her group of men and women and help Captain Syverson and his team to restore a semblance of normalcy. But with the war raging, does it get two hearts closer too?

Pairing: Captain Syverson x OFC x OMC

Word Count: 3.5k

Warnings: 18+, angst, mentions of war, military technicalities, character held fugitive

A/N: Heya everyone! The update to this series took too long. I had kind of lost my muse, but I'm back at it again. Third-last part to the series really. Lots of things happening in this chapter, you might even hate me a little. 👀

And as always, big thanks to @thelastsock for beta reading this series. I love you so so much babe 💖

**divider by @firefly-graphics

<Chapter Nine

Title: Chapter Ten

Liv looked from one captain to another, her hands behind her back as she was commanded to stand at ease. The tension in the room was palpable. Standing to her one side was Pepps, watching the cold exchange between his superiors with his hands resting on his vest. While on the other side, Liv’s and Alex’s second-in-command stood with a straight face.

“He cannot be trusted.” Alex banged the table with his hand, the cup of coffee placed on the metal surface shook with the impact.

Sy looked pissed. He was glaring at the maps and pictures strewn on the table, his face descending into a frown. His lips pressed together and his nostrils flaring the longer he stared. Liv knew something was wrong. She had seen Sy get angry before, but today he seemed like he was hanging by the last nerve.

“I say we grill him until he squeaks.” Alex stood up straight, looking at Liv for a split second before he averted his gaze. “You should have been more careful when you approved of the insider info.”

Alex’s words were laced with absolute venom, the caustic cut of his statement caused Liv to stare at her feet. His tight grip on her arms last night had left bruises on her skin which throbbed on hearing his words. She took a deep breath and looked up again, trying to avoid looking at Alex and concentrating on Sy’s face. Mahmoud was their friend, she was left perturbed by the intel blowing up, but she never second guessed Mahmoud's intentions about helping them.

She thought Sy would disagree with Alex. Sy knew how much effort she had poured into helping the Special Forces to combat the militia. There had been days when she had voiced her feelings to him about staying back at the camp. The sole purpose of her coming to Warhorse had already ended. They had been lagging behind on the food truck retrieval, with her chopper destroyed, her best friend dead, the only thing keeping her in Baqubah was Sy.

"No one touches a hair on that man." Sy's voice was authoritative. Looking at Alex with narrowed eyes glinting with ferocious vexation, Sy spoke again. "You want to stir unrest amongst the people who decide to help us. I am not going to allow that."

"It was you who asked for assistance. Wasn't it because you knew you failed?"

The air in the room vibrated with challenged machismo from both Captains when Alex questioned Sy's ability to handle his job. Liv could see Sy was suppressing his fury, letting his hands hang to the side. She had to ask herself in that moment, was she the reason why they were in disagreement or was it her guilty conscience?

"What do you suggest?" Sy asked with gritted teeth.

"We go to the leader's holding and attack. Cut them at their roots."

Like her lips couldn't stop themselves, she stepped forward and blurted out, "We shouldn't do that."

Two sets of fiery eyes looked at her in that instant. She gulped as she glanced from one man to another. Sy averted his gaze to look to the side with a scowl that pierced her heart. It affected her deeply, confused her even, but she had an important issue at hand.

"Sir, we don't know whether the locals would help us or not. And ambushing the militants, with their last known residence in the city, I don't think we should endanger-"

Her sentence was cut short when Alex covered the distance between them and stood over her. She took a step back, heavily reminded of how small she felt, how she cowered away from him last night.

"You do not speak out of turn, Sergeant. Have you forgotten how this works?"

"Alex…" She whispered, feeling weaker than ever under his piercing stare. Liv met Sy's cold stare over Alex's shoulder and felt dispirited with the lack of support in the room.

"You're dismissed, Sergeant." Alex spat out the words, glaring at her with his sea green orbs.

She spared a glance to her second-in-command and nodded her head, trying to avoid the creeping sensation of inferiority rearing it's head. Her eyes quickly flicked between Alex and Sy before she walked out the door, resisting the urge to look back.

***

Liv grabbed her gun and slung it across her shoulder. Picking up her helmet from the table, she strapped it to her chin, securing it tightly to sit on her head.

"Go ahead. Mount up the ammo, I'll be out in a moment." She told her men who ran out with the boxes of ammunition to load up the Humvee. On her way to Sy's office, she came across soldiers from other units, walking in hurried steps as they were about to roll out.

After she was asked to leave, Sy and Alex had come to the decision to ambush the militant leader. She had been ordered to ready her unit as they were to attack the enemy with full force. She had her doubts but after how Alex treated her, she knew her opinions meant nothing. She had gone off to find Mahmoud's whereabouts and was informed that a team had been sent to bring him to the camp.

Liv reached Sy's office and stared at the door for a long minute. She had to talk to him, ask him if he was okay. She had to see him before they left for the desert which was about to turn into a warzone. Knocking at the door, Liv entered the small office and found Sy putting on his combat vest with a sulk on his face. He looked up the instant she crossed the threshold to the room, staring at her for a moment before going back to his task.

"Sy," Liv closed the door behind her, covering the distance between them and latching onto his back for a hug. She breathed in his scent, feeling warmth at the contact, only then realizing she had missed him tremendously. "Is everything okay?" She whispered, trying to keep the calm of their shelter intact, away from the chaos outside.

Sy did not respond, detaching himself from her embrace to grab his holster from the table. Liv watched him with confusion, feeling the coldness that was emitting from him.

"Sy-" She began but he spoke before she could finish her sentence.

"It is Alex, isn't it? The friend who you screwed up with?" His voice was sharp like the edge of the sword, cutting into her heart with each syllable. "Is that what you do, fuck your Captain where you go?"

Liv's heart sank, his words burned like hot metal on her skin. She stared at the back of his head, going over his words over and over again in her mind. Sy turned around to look at her, eyebrows scrunched, and an infuriating gaze accusingly boring into her.

"What?" She could only ask, left stunned and hurt.

"I saw you both last night, up on the roof. Is that what you wanted me to see? Let me know subtly that you didn't love me?"

"No." She asserted. Taking a step forward, she reached out her hand to hold his but he pulled back the instant her fingertip grazed his skin.

"You take me for a fool? You think you can string me along like that?"

This time Sy stepped forward, walking until her back hit the opposite wall. Liv could feel the sting of tears in her eyes. She could see the hurt, anger, scepticism in Sy's flaming blue orbs and she wanted nothing but to tell him what the truth was. But he caged her in with his arms on either side of her face, leaning so close to her face that his breath washed over her skin.

"I told you I love you, I asked you so many times if there was anyone else in your life. I gave you my everything." Sy closed his eyes taking in heavy breaths for a moment. "And this is how you reward me. Seeing you in his arms…"

Liv was rendered speechless. Her tears had overflowed, trickling down her cheeks in a hot trail. She brought her hand to grab onto his shirt when, shaking her head to deny his accusations when he pulled back.

"When we are done today, you leave for Baghdad, Sergeant." Sy grabbed his gun and his pistol from the table and walked out the door, slamming it behind him and tearing Liv's spirit to shreds.

***

“Sergeant?” Liv heard the gruff voice of her private speaking from above her. She opened her eyes, clutching her head in her hands as a buzzing noise reverberated in her ears. The hot desert sun blinded her eyes as she took in her surroundings. Looking at her arms she noticed her skin was matted with a thick black concoction of sweat, dirt and blood.

“Let me help you.” The private said, putting his hand on her back and gently pushing her to sit up. Liv shook her head when she sat erect, blinking her eyes several times until everything came to focus.

The compound was abuzz with people, soldiers in a hurry to mount the cars with ammo. She saw a few of the men sitting on the ground with injuries visible on their skin. Some were being given water and helped to stand up, while others were just lying on the ground, groaning in pain and agony.

Liv ached in several places with her head fuzzy from the hit she had taken to the side of her face. But even in that incoherent haze, she could figure out which vehicle had not made it back to the compound. She refused to believe he was dead. But her blood ran cold when she thought it was a possibility.

The last Liv remembered was running towards Sy’s unit with her men flanking her sides. The RPG had barely missed Sy’s truck but was close enough to overturn it on impact with the ground. Their envoy had stopped to cover fire Liv and her unit, while they made their way towards the upturned car lying on its side. Everything was only a few feet away when the militants had ambushed them from the side, forcing them to take shelter behind the remains of blown-up vehicles.

Gunfire had raged everywhere. Bullets were hitting the rusted metal parts of the car’s frame, missing Liv's body by inches. Liv had advised over the comms to cover her as she saw movement behind the smoky remnants of Sy’s truck. She could hear Alex’s commands over the other voices; he was sending the rest of them back to the camp, saying how his unit was only a few clicks away from her location and they would be there to assist her team. She could hear them trying to get anyone from Sy’s unit to respond but all they got in return was deafening static.

Liv could feel her heart beating in her ears with the fear of losing Sy and with the probability of dying herself. She had run behind a boulder, taken cover and waited for her troops to join her. She had looked up from behind the stony mass when all of a sudden, the back of a rifle had come from the side and hit her temple, knocking her out cold.

Groaning at the memory, Liv’s hand instinctively went up to the place of impact on her forehead. She felt the crusted ruddy line dripping down the side of her face, winching when her fingers touched the sore spot. Bracing her weight on the outstretched hand of her private, Liv stood up from the ground on shaky legs. She thanked the private for his help, dismissing him to look after others needing assistance. She watched him jog away when her eyes spotted Alex with his Lieutenant.

She had no idea what brought on the rage inside her, but her insides boiled when she looked at him. She stormed towards Alex, throwing her helmet to the side. She briefly took note of her men staring at her wide eyed, halting their activities to watch her figure cross the length of the compound with furious eyes and heavy steps.

Pulling at his Kevlar vest, Liv turned Alex around to face her, ignoring the shock on his Lieutenant's face at her disdainful behavior. Feeling lost, scared and angry at the one person who had fucked up the sanctuary she had built with the one she loved, Liv wanted to ask him only one question.

"Did you leave him on purpose? Did you leave Sy to die?"

“Sergeant! You better watch your words.” Came the Lieutenant’s order, coming to stand in front of her face. But Liv did not pay him any heed, she looked into Alex’s eyes, searching for her answer.

Alex clenched his jaw; his lips were pressed tightly in a thin line. Liv waited for him to answer, listening to Alex’s heavy breaths and keeping her eyes fixed on his. He scrunched his face, the lines near his nose deepening, until he moved to come closer to her. Liv had to crane her neck to look him in the eye, but she held her ground.

“Sergeant Ross, you do realize you are talking to your Captain?”

The anger in her was dissolving and was getting overcome by fear; fear of losing Sy. She felt her hands tremble as she balled them into fists with her eyes beginning to sting with the forming tears.

“We have to go back to get him, Alex.” She spoke in a raggedly calm manner. “We don’t leave our men behind.”

Liv hated him for many reasons, but right now all she needed was a friend. She spared a glance to the Lieutenant and then at the others standing behind them. Alex let out a heavy breath and momentarily closed his eyes before tapping her on the shoulder.

“Get to the medic, you’re bleeding.” He bluntly instructed, before turning to talk to the Lieutenant and walking towards the building which housed the office. Like on command, a trickle of blood trailed down Liv’s eyebrows, hanging onto her eyelashes before she swiped her hand over her forehead.

Fresh crimson liquid on her hand glistened under the sun, the metallic scent of blood lingering in the dusty winds. She felt her eyes blur for a second, her footing became unsteady until a set of strong hands came to hold onto her arms.

“It’s okay, Sarge, I got you.” She had no idea who it was, only that it wasn’t her friend or her lover.

***

No one could stay calm after returning from the warzone. No one could rest.

Liv had passed out again on the makeshift medical center’s bed. The docs said it was because of the blow to her head and the bleeding coupled with heat, but Liv wanted to add a few more things to the list. Topping everything else was the fact that it was almost night time and they were yet to find out if Sy was dead or alive.

She watched the rusty old blades of the ceiling fan whirr with metallic creaks. She looked to her side and noticed the groaning man beside her. He had his arm bandaged and his eye looked swollen shut. She recognized him to be from Alex’s unit, one of his privates maybe, someone who was out in the warzone for the first time.

Taking a deep, shaky breath and willing herself to sit up, Liv slung her legs from the edge of the bed. She touched the bandage on her forehead, dabbing at the bump of the material on her skin. She grabbed her shirt hanging from the metal railing of the bed and started putting it on over her t-shirt.

“You okay, man?” She placed a gentle hand over the private’s shoulder, nodding her head at him when he replied with a weak ‘yes’. She was about to ask him if he needed anything when the ruckus from outside the window pulled her attention.

Liv was staring wide-eyed at the commotion through the infirmary's window. Someone was being dragged by the collar of their shirt into the centre of the compound to where Alex and his men stood. Without wasting any time, Liv buttoned her shirt and ran out the infirmary, ignoring the protests of the doctor present in the room. She rushed down the stairs towards the exit, out into the yard to find Mahmoud pushed to stand in front of the men.

“Mahmoud! What is happening?” She ran to stand next to her friend, holding onto his arm as he stumbled forward. He had scrapes on his face and his nose was bleeding. His camo shirt was disheveled, the buttons on the front straining against their holes.

Disregarding her question, the man from Alex’s unit turned his scowling face towards the Captain. “We found him making his way to the camp. He refused to come with us as a fugitive and when he resisted-”

“You hit him?” Liv looked towards the poor man who had been nothing but helpful all this time. Sy always counted on him, he always told her how Mahmoud was like the beacon of hope for restoring some sort of peace to this place. “Sir, Mahmoud has been helping us all along. He has been important for everything that we have accomplished here.”

Alex crossed his arms over his chest while regarding Liv with contempt. “This man and his intel have led to my men getting injured. He was the one who set you up with the insider who betrayed you and now, your Captain’s missing. And yet you trust this guy?” He nearly spat out the last words to her, anger flaming in his eyes as he stared at Mahmoud’s form.

“Believe me Sergeant, I did not know about the boy. I did not know he would betray you.” Mahmoud held onto Liv’s arm, quivering in his place as he spoke. “I am not lying. I saw him myself. Captain and his men are alive and they’ve taken them captive.”

“How do you expect us to believe you?!” The man from before bellowed, grabbing Mahmoud’s collar again and yanking him backwards. Liv was quick to react, holding onto the soldier’s arm, grasping it tightly and pulling it away from Mahmoud’s shirt.

“Stop it! That is not how we treat them!” Liv turned to look at Mahmoud, ignoring the wild thumping in her heart. Her hands were beginning to tremble again, but she was also filled with the warmth of relief in finding out that her Sy was alive. “Mahmoud, please do not lie. You know Sy trusted you, more than he trusted anyone from around here.” She took his hands in hers, looking the man in the eyes with a pleading gaze. “Is Sy alive?”

“Yes, Sergeant. But-

“But what?” The beating of her heart was so loud in her ears, she was certain everybody could hear it. She had a sinking feeling in her gut, that whatever Mahmoud was going to say next would move the ground beneath her feet.

“They-the leader, he plans on executing the Captain and his men… make an example of them. To show what happens to anyone who helps the Americans.”

Blood drained from Liv’s body the moment those words left Mahmoud’s mouth. He went on to describe things he saw, but everything was a blur after that. Liv took a few staggered steps away, looking at the ground under her feet and feeling dread seeping into every fiber of her being. She had to pull in trembling breaths through her thoughts to finally calm her nerves.

Sy was hurt, they had beaten him. They were going to execute him.

Liv just wanted to crumple to the floor, lose all semblance of sanity, her mind fixated on how they had ended things. But she closed her eyes and willed herself to focus on her training. She had to save him or die trying. She loved the man and now that she knew he was alive, she had to give her everything to bring him back.

“Sir,” She said with a renewed fervor. Alex and his men looked at her at the same time. She could be reading wrong, but it seemed like Alex’s eyes had softened, the fury in his eyes was replaced with concern. “If you could hear me out sir, I have a plan.”

🌟 Series Masterlist 🌟

Chapter Eleven>

[your-brilliant-lady-m]

Part 2 - Basic Concepts of Miraculous Ladybug: Kwami

Kwamis are a fun concept and one of the main draws of the series. They make sense story-wise because, firstly, our characters need some support system. And since a lot of conflicts are centred around secret identities, characters should be able to discuss their double life with someone. As magical beings they could also be used to expand the lore, introduce new concepts and drive forward both the plot and character development. It doesn't always happen but Kwamis are a good idea. Some people who write AU's think that Kwamis are redundant, but I have to disagree.

Origins and nature

Where do Kwamis come from? What are they? It's never explained. Oh wait, it was explained in a comic people can accidentally find. You decide to explain the origins and nature of magical beings who are one of the key elements in your magic system and worldbuilding IN A SIDE COMIC, which has zero effect on your main story. Sounds legit.

Here it is.

So, Kwamis are abstract creatures. They can become tangible and interact with the world because of the miraculous jewels. Essentially, each Miraculous acts as an anchor to the material world for Kwami. They existed since the beginning of time and were invisible observers of the universe. Until they settled on Earth and observed how humanity came to be. This is where things get interesting.

Kwamis are the embodiment of abstract concepts. But, some abstract concepts were created by people (like everything mentioned in the comic: beauty, math, love, etc).

Kwamis wanted to help humans. And then, a human, who couldn't see, hear or touch a Kwami creates miraculous jewels. And now these beings can interact with the world, use their powers and grant them to humans. Yet, they are completely under control of their holder. I'll discuss it later, but why did Kwamis accept this deal? They are practically enslaved. At the same time they care about people and generally love humanity.

According to the wiki Kwamis grant powers because of "the privilege of having the ability to be perceived by mortals". What? Did I read that right? Kwamis agreed to be enslaved and used as a power source, because they wanted to interact with material world. That's it, guys, end of the story.

We also know these things about nature and abilities of Kwamis from the show:

1) need food, but only to provide the power for the holder;

2) can't phase through precious metals (Chloe's bracelet in "Rogercop"), their own miraculous and humans;

3) they can control if they phase through things or not – meaning that if they want to, they can (this way Tikki can stay in Marinette’s purse without much trouble and Plagg sleeps on Adrien’s pillow);

4) they can perform magic without a holder but they don’t control it very well, there are certain types of things that they can’t do without a holder;

5) they are immortal but can get sick for some reason, a non-magical reason mind you;

6) technology can't detect them in any way, you can't film, photograph or record their voices (writers establish this many times, but promptly forget all about their own rules in "Optigami", where Marinette talks with Kwamis over the phone without any problems).

If I missed something important, then let me know.

Look, the questions related to origins and motivations of Kwamis might not be very prominent in your story right now, but you must answer them in case you might need to involve these facts in the plot down the line. It's important to avoid contradictions in the serialised story with liquid plot, that can't be set in stone. It's a made up world for the sake of everything sacred! You can make up explanations and rules, of course as long as they don't contradict common sense.

Plausible ideas for origins and nature of Kwamis:

1) Kwamis are immortal spirits, whom humans accidentally summoned and bound with spells to Miraculous stones. They remember their existence before this. This version doesn't really explain their desire to serve people and love for humanity, however. It would be more logical for Kwamis to resent people for enslaving them. It doesn't explain how humans could create those spells and Miraculous stones either.

2) Kwamis are physical manifestations of abstract concepts who existed simply as fragments of matter for a very long time without sentience, until they were accidentally summoned through the Miraculous stones and bound by humans to serve them. Kwamis do not remember their existence before Miraculous. In this version Kwamis serve humans and love them because they have never known a different kind of existence. Unfortunately, it doesn't provide any explanation on the creation of Miraculous and spells.

3) Kwamis are gods, who created the universe with all its elements and concepts including humanity (similar to Valar and Maiar in Tolkien's Legendarium). They wanted to help their creations but discovered that their power was too wild and unpredictable for that. So, Kwamis decided to give up their free will and magical independence to help humanity. Together they created Miraculous stones for humans to use and sealed themselves inside. Kwamis as gods were abstract concepts, who didn't have a body. The act of sealing their power in the Miraculous gave them an opportunity to interact with outside world (an anchor) and each Kwami chose an small animal form (because humans easily formed bonds with animals, had animal companions (pets), small animals look non-threatening and familiar). Kwamis intentionally choose certain animal forms to suit the human symbolism. Humans later used magic that Kwamis discovered for them to place spells upon small gods (spells related to identity protection and so on). This version answers most questions, but if Kwamis are gods then powers they grant to people seem to be rather small.

Feel free to add more. I would be interested to hear your ideas.

Identity Protection

In "Origins" we learn that Wayzz can sense the aura of Butterfly Miraculous, a negative aura of activated Butterfly Miraculous, to be more precise. And yet, Tikki and Plagg are genuinely surprised to discover the identities of their holders in "Dark Owl". There are several things wrong with that.

Can Kwamis sense each other's presence? They shouldn't be able to do this to protect the identities of their holders. On the other hand, they are ancient spirits. So, their inability to sense each other seems weird. Unless it's the same situation as with the spell that does not allow them to speak the name of their holder aloud.

But if they can sense each other like Wayzz did, then it means that Plagg and Nooroo were living in the same house for over a year and nothing happened. I mean, Plagg could have just come upstairs, take off the brooch from Gabriel, while he is asleep and return it back to Fu.

This question lies right here, on the surface. And that's only one massive and very obvious plothole. How to fix it? Establish that Kwami can't sense each other for identity protection. In "Origins" Fu meditates on his balcony and Wayzz sees a charged Akuma flying by. That's how they discover that Butterfly is in Paris and the Miraculous is in the wrong hands. Perhaps, Gabriel akumatizes someone for the first time to survey the surroundings and general public is not aware of this. This works better in the narrative, giving Fu time to select holders for Ladybug and Black Cat. It also establishes whether Hawkmoth can remove the Akuma from someone without Ladybug and discharge it. Maybe it depends on the circumstances (sometimes he can, but if this person was akumatized many times or their emotions are too strong and their mind doesn't want to let Akuma go then Hawkmoth can't pull the butterfly out with his magic). This scenario allows for Volpina to happen on "Heroes' Day". Silly recurring Akumas like Gigantitan and Mr. Pigeon could still happen. In this case Gabriel didn't want to akumatize the guy more than 70 times on purpose. It just keeps happening against his better judgement because evil butterflies are automatically attracted to Mr. Ramier. This way repeated attacks of Mr. Pigeon annoy Hawkmoth just as much as they do the heroic duo of Paris (I did not sign up for this Nathalie!).

Let's come back to the spell mentioned earlier for a moment. Kwamis can't say the name of their current holder out loud, but apparently, they can exploit a loophole in the spell by confirming the identity of their holder in another way. The spell doesn't work with other holders. Kwami can say the names of other holders if they know their identity. That being said, can the holder order the Kwami to tell them the identities of other heroes if they know them?

Kwamis know how each Miraculous looks with or without camouflage. Can the holder order the Kwami to tell them how each Miraculous looks in disguise (I liked that Grimoire doesn't have pictures of camouflage for identity protection)? Guardians can recognise Miraculous in any mode (Su Han). Did Fu teach Marinette this? Does she know how each Miraculous looks like unactivated?

Oh! Since we are discussing camouflage, let's take a moment to appreciate the Mother Of All Plotholes. Plagg didn't recognise Peacock because of the plot.

Relationship with Holder

I absolutely loved the idea that Kwamis must obey their holder introduced in "Sandboy". This concept opens tons of plot opportunities. It's such a great idea that makes sense, has potential, can create conflict. Why, oh, why didn't writers develop it more?

Like, it was so good. It can be a great push for character development. This concept resolves so many existing inconsistencies within the plot. It's mind-blowing.

Why can't Nooroo simply leave Gabriel, so that he wouldn't be able to transform? Because Gabriel bound him with Miraculous to always stay near.

In "Sandboy" Tikki asks Marinette's permission before going to the meeting. Plagg lies to Adrien instead. This implies that usually Plagg's holders weren't kind to him or feared his power (Su Han's remark in "Furious Fu"). Perhaps, his holders were taught to keep the Kwami of destruction under constant control. So, Plagg in turn has learned not to ask, because if he doesn't ask permission then his holder can't deny him freedom with magic.

Can Kwami lie to their holder? Maybe they can't lie to their holder about their nature, origins and powers and other Miraculous (but Kwamis can't reveal the location of Miracle Box, Guardian's identity and can't confirm identities of other holders known to them in any way). Kwami would be forced to speak even if they don't want to. That's why Nooroo told Gabriel everything about the abilities of the Butterfly Miraculous and the wish secret of Ladybug and Black Cat.

But Kwamis can lie to their holder according to Plagg in "Sandboy". If Kwamis can lie about everything (including powers) then Nooroo didn't have any reason to be honest with Gabriel way back in "Origins".

Speaking of Gabriel and Nooroo. Can Kwamis harm their holder? Maybe doing so would harm the Kwami as well. Can they do it only when the holder is not wearing the Miraculous? Can Kwami take their Miraculous from their holder? Will they disappear if they try to do so? It seems like Kwami disappears only when the holder takes off the Miraculous with the intention of renouncing power, the words "I renounce you" are not necessary.

Other Kwamis can take the Miraculous from people if it's not their own (Wayzz in "Feast"). But what if it wasn't possible. Imagine what could happen if it's not possible to take the Miraculous by force from the transformed or untransformed hero. Just like Lady WiFi couldn't remove Ladybug's mask. A person has to willingly give up the Miraculous. Only in this case, it's possible to take it. For example, somewhere around the middle of season 3 Hawkmoth could have trapped Ladybug and Chat Noir and cut off any escape routes. His Akuma tries to take both Miraculous, but they don't budge. Then afterwards, every Akuma tries to manipulate the heroes using hostages, illusions or mind control. It's hard to say whether this version will be better than canon, but it's a fascinating theory.

You can use the idea of obedience to create more situations contrasting the relationship of Plagg and Adrien, Gabriel and Nooroo. I liked how canon created a storyline about Plagg learning to control his powers without a holder and Adrien helping him. However, why would you stop here? Give us some flashbacks about Plagg's previous holders, tell us what kind of people they were. Expand the lore and add some character development for Plagg and Adrien. The same thing goes for Marinette. What kind of battles did they have in the past? What kind of people past holders were? Did Ladybug and Black Cat heroes always get along well? Were they allies or enemies? Were they always lovers?

Give us more information about Butterfly and Peacock holders. Perhaps Nooroo has dreams about his past holders who were good people. Show us what kind of things a Butterfly holder with good intentions can do. Tell us more about Duusu and her past holders, sprinkle in a few bits of info about Emilie and Duusu's relationship, just a few vague hints to preserve the mystery. You have a lot of screentime each season and instead of doing filler episodes dedicated to love drama, you can use them for developing minor characters, relationships between them and lore.