#behold! a writer tag for me

[the-stove-is-divorced]

oh my god, finally, gonna update my suf sooooon. hope y'all like cliffhangers hehehehehe

[souenkun]

I am today years old when I learned that some ao3 tags, whether it only gained 3 separate uses or has a ton of people using them, can't be filtered because the volunteers haven't wrangled them yet (made them filterable, or "canonize" the tags, according ao3's support and feedback page)... I'm kinda mind-blown by the whole process and how they still need humans to gather every tags before squeezing them into a single term, ngl :o

[von2dutch]

Sugar Baby | Jey Uso

Synopsis: Sex is not a big deal. ...You can have a no-strings-attached arrangement with someone you don’t care about.

Pairing: Jey uso X Black Fem reader | word count: 3.1k | warning: smut, toxic behavior , protected sex | 18+ ONLY

A/N This is my first time writing on here so bear with me I’m new to learning the app I hope you all enjoy it it’s also my first time writing a Jey uso fanfic so please go easy on me. A few writers inspired me to want to write about him I’m not sure if they want to be tagged I don’t want to seem disrespectful but if they do I’ll gladly @ them!

Series master list

Lastly , Enjoy

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Dakota groaned in discomfort, "Ugh, jeez, I'm so sore, I can barely stand..." Jasmine chuckled in agreement, "Haha, I know right? I didn't expect that workout to be so intense.

“Me neither, my whole body is killing me right now…girl remind me to never come to the gym with your ass!” Dakota Murmured in a low breathing trying to regain her breath, her hands kneeled down on her knees taking each breath one at a time. Before standing tall grabbing her water to follow jasmine lead to the front desk.

“girl please all that ass you got you should want to be in shape for your old man sugar daddy.”

Dakota stopped in her tracks staring a hole into her best friend of 6 years in the head, with a mug plastered over her face she spoke again “Omg for the last time that man isn’t that old and he ain’t my sugar daddy!”

Jasmine looked back pursuing her lips together looking at her best friend like she was dumb “whatever you say ms.like em’ old.”

“But ion blame you because last time you came to me with your wig completely fucked up after seeing him, fuck he got super dick?”

Dakota chuckled at her best friends antics seemingly use to it but without jasmine in her life she wouldn’t have any entertainment without her silly jokes.

“No he just knows how to work this thang!” Dakota laughed before sticking her tongue out as the two walked up to the front desk.

While Dakota was focused on making another week ahead for the gym next week, Jasmine eyes were stuck on whoever just walked into the gym.

Jasmine Nuged Dakota shoulder before she turned around with a mug irritated already by her bothering her with Dakota already being tired and trained from an intense workout the two just had “Ain’t that your boy or should I say ol’ man.”

Dakota knitted her eyebrows together in confusion and also curiosity as she turned her body and attention to wherever jasmine focused was and there he was.

Jey Uso

In the flesh there he was looking ever so good , his presence so commanding and charismatic that she couldn't help but admire him with his twin brother Jimmy and a little behind them was their younger brother solo, walking. As they approached a group of men, it looked as if they beckoned them over with friendly gestures.

As Dakota glanced over at Joshua, she couldn't help but take notice of his impressive attire. He was sporting a pair of blue Nike shorts that hugged his body in all the right places, along with black Nike socks that were neatly tucked into his white gym shoes. On his head, he wore a fitted black bloodline hat, which was turned backwards and allowed his mullet to peek through the back. The red tips of his hair added a touch of boldness to his overall look, which suited him perfectly. As he stood there with his bare chest on display, his chiseled abs were impossible to miss. Tribal tattoos adorned his arms and chest, with two more visible on his back. All in all, Joshua's appearance was a sight to behold.

She watched as he greeted the three men before grasping both hands onto a pull up bar his palms facing away from him lifting his entire body going up and down up and down as she watched closely.

She couldn’t help but to stare at his bare back moving ever so smoothly, he hung his body up back and forth downwards she got a flashback from their last meet up two months ago which made her bite her lip titling her head slightly watching as he kept going.

Flashback

“Move yo hand this what you wanted right?” Jey responded to Dakota as she pleaded for him to slow down she tried to push him back away from her as he dicked her down so deep she could Hardly breathe.

she burried her head into the white colored sheets of the hotel room she couldn’t help but cry tears of joy but also pain as his strokes got deeper and deeper from behind “Jeyyyy…b-baby slow down…ugh.”

“Nah you talked all that shit on the phone, I wanna see you take all this dick don’t run from it.”

“Ion even know why you like to play with me princess, you know I’ll fly yo’ ass out to fuck you up.” Joshua spoke with Venom in his voice as his chest heaved up and down, chest beaming with sweat. he pushed a hand down on her neck to pin her down further her ass purked up nicely in his view.

It all started with Dakota missing him which resulted in her being a bitch towards Jey, calling him out his name as far as a “bitch” because he hadn’t been paying her no attention at all the past few weeks. She knew he had a tight schedule as a professional wrestler which has his undefined attention at all times but she also wanted his attention as well even with her just being a sugar baby known as a woman he just used for sex and entertainment when he wanted it.

Now here she was ass up face down and burried into the white sheets of his hotel room as he fucked her viciously from behind pining her down to the bed so she couldn’t run with no where to go. He wanted her to feel all of him from anger slightly misplaced with lust.

“Nah baby use this dick and fuck me back , daddy ain’t going no where.”

Dakota did as told throwing her ass back on him but with much more force while she occupied her fingers underneath her playing with herself. She felt so much pressure and pain all in one her feet became hot with them curled up as he went deeper with each stroke he took.

Taking her breath away literally.

“Mhm you taking this dick like a good girl huh?” Jey rasped slamming into her making Dakota let out a loud moan.

She could feel her body become hot as she felt a knot in her stomach indicating she was about to cum.

“shit!” She cursed under her breath, Jey thrusting into her wet gushy insides.

Joshua watched his dick slide in and out Dakota’s hole, her white creams painting his beautiful Carmel dick, his balls slapping against her clit with every hard thrust he took.

Dakota let out beautiful whimpers, her ass and titties jiggling with the rhythm of Jey’s hard strokes.

Jey grabbed Dakota’s hair, wrapping it around his fist as he thrusted into her harder.

Josh pulled on her hair, forcing her head up as she looked at herself through a the mirror which was in the corner of the room. Her make up smeared with tears , hair all over the place she knew she would need a redo on her hair when she got back home to Atlanta. Her mouth agape as she let out loud moans which couldn’t be heard outside of the hotel room from how thick and sound proof the walls were.

“Uh huh, daddy deep in his pussy ain’t he?” he questioned panting, his tattooed chest heaving up and down.

when Dakota didn’t answer Jey yanked her hair making Dakota let out a loud moan.

“shit! Y-yes daddy it’s fucking deep!” she cried out as tears cascaded her pretty Carmel cheeks.

Jey smiled deviously at her through the mirror, sliver jeweled grills peaking through. feeling her walls clench around him he groaned. he sent a hard snack to Dakota’s ass, “you throwing that ass back like a big girl , baby? You gon’ keep taking this dick like one too.”

Dakota did as told, her taking control again as she bounced back and forth on his length, Joshua bit his lip watching his dick disappear into her whole every time.

The one thing he missed the most was her ass jiggling from behind as he buried his dick deep inside her, her smooth toned back arched ever so slight but at the moment her chest laid flat on the bed while he continued his torture.

“fuck!” Dakota moaned with her face planted in the bed, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as she continued rocking her body.

“Un huh, Baby take this dick.”

“you gotta cum, ma?” Jey questioned, grunting afterwards.

“yes!” Dakota whined reaching her hand underneath her and rubbing at her clit once more, her legs trembling outrageously.

Jey bit his lip harshly, blood drawing as he groaned at the metallic taste.

“gon head Dakota .” He rasped, on cue Dakota and Joshua reached their limits. Her white creams painted all over his dick, her juices squirted out of her and onto Jey’s lower stomach.

Flashback over

“Dakota!” Jasmine's voice echoed through Dakota’s empty ears as she called out to her best friend Dakota, who seemed lost in thought. "Dakota! Dakota, Dakota?!!" she repeated, her tone growing more urgent and annoyed with each call. She wondered what could be occupying Dakota's mind so much that she didn't even hear her friend's voice.

Then it hit her. Jey he was who had her so snapped out of it she watched her best friend bite her lip in daze a, watching him do repeated pull ups.

Finally After staring into the distance for a while, Dakota was brought back to reality when she heard someone calling her name. With a confused look on her face, she looked up and stuttered, "H-huh, what did you say, Jas?"

“I said there go ya’ boy and there he is right now making his way over.” Jasmine said as he indeed was making his way over to them while Dakota mouth hung low she tried her to best to maintain herself. She often felt nervous around Josh and she herself didn’t know why because she wasn’t a shy woman but with him? He had her shy like a school girl.

“Wassup jasmine.” Jey greeted Jasmine with a friendly head nod and a warm smile, before turning his attention to Dakota. With a mischievous grin and a wink “and hey pretty mama.”

With a mischievous grin, he knew exactly what to say to make her radiant smile light up the room. As he gazed at her, he couldn't help but notice the intricate details of her gym outfit, appreciating the way it hugged her curves and highlighted her strong physique.

She wore Black gymshark vital seamless neck sports bra with vital seamless black shorts that hugged her body waist down ever so gently which showed her ass out more flaw. Her breast glazed with sweat as it stucked together almost peeling out of the sports bra her nipples hard as ever from how cold the gym was. Accompanied with white socks and grey gym shoes.

She looked damn good.

“Hey Josh.” She smiled dimples ever so deep into her skin that her pearly white teeth showed all of her teeth from how big she smiled. Gushing with butterflies in her stomach if she was any lighter you could see how red her face was from blushing.

“Hey Josh.” Jasmine mumbled mimicking her with an eye roll immensely laughing at how shy her best friend was. In 27 years of knowing her she never saw her best friend so shy she was always a Fierce Woman, very outspoken. So to see her like this so gushed over this man was surprising and undoubtedly hilarious.

“Shut up.” Dakota mumbled gritting through her teeth while she tried to keep a smile on her face.

To break the awkward silence Josh spoke “Uhh so you leaving?”

“Oh yeah me and jasmine are finished for the day and go grab some food then head home and shower. I see you’re with your brother.”

“Yeah he wanted to come to the gym before the big night Monday.”

“Well it was nice seeing yo— nah we ain’t gon end it like that ma gimme me a hug uce.” Josh insisted opening his arms for a hug she embraced him her hands rubbing against his bare back.

His entire body felt so soft and warm along with his significant cologne he always wore that drove her crazy with how good he smelled.

Josh hands snaked down to her ass grabbing it gently with a soft smack before leaving a wet kiss on her neck before whispering. “You might wanna cover that up uce.” He chuckled at her eyes bucking at the embarrassment she felt when she realized he was referring to the hickey on her neck that her gave her last month.

Gasping she quickly covered it with her hand before grabbing Jasmines hand leading her out the door “Bye Josh!”

“Girllll that man got you whipped huh!” Jasmine joked laughing at how school girl he had Dakota before unlocking the doors to her Mercedes Benz truck both hopping in.

“Whatever.”

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• Instagram story

Dakota.Valentine • 25 secs ago

“Bye Josh.” Dakota chuckled at a TikTok he sent her via message, before hearting it smiling ear from ear. It was a TikTok of a man buying his girlfriend chicken wings when she asked for wings as in pads for her menstrual cycle but he got her wingstop with jey replying with a “Gon be me when you come back over my house, yeet!”

“Oh you in love.” Jasmine affirmed looking at her best friend blush at her phone something she did their whole lunch.

“I am not!”

“Is too!”

Dakota fixed her posture in her seat now facing jasmine directly placing her phone face down on the table giving her undefined attention “and what makes you possible think that?”

“Hmm well for starters the man bough you a mirror vanity with a Chanel purse and a basket of fruit all because you said you wanted to show yourself this year and do beauty content for social media.”

“Then he buys you roses every month even if he misses a few days he buys dozens for each day he missed along with a stack of money, he as well spoils you with gifts, paid for you to go to talum for your birthday, bought you a ring and also rented out a mall for the both of you so you could shop dedicating the whole day to you with a massage, paid for your hair , nails, AND makes sure you eat paying for every meal plus he took you on how many dates?”

“Shall I go on?”

Dakota sat there taking in everything her best friend was saying with nothing to deflect with, she was right Joshua did all those things without her having to asking for anything he just did it because whatever he saw that he thought would look good on her or what made her smile the biggest he got it.

“Then you cook for him everytime he’s in town for his Monday night raw and smack down shows in Atl kota.” Jasmine stated pursing her lips together while she waited for a response. Dakota sat there with a dumbfounded expression.

Thats when realization sat in she realized she was in love, he did so many things for her that she never had done before not even in past relationship. He was there for her in so many ways than just sex, he was there emotionally, physically , and mentally. He cared deeply for Dakota as much as she cared for him. They’ve Had deep conversations about life and marriage something neither ever done with anyone they connected on a deeper level than Just sex he was there for her when she lost her mother a few months back and ever since then he never left her side he was always there.

Despite his best efforts to hide it, Joshua was undeniably smitten with Dakota. Though he was a more mature and experienced man, he couldn't help but pour his heart out to her, showering her with a level of affection she had never before experienced in her life. His love for her was pure and genuine, and she could sense it in every little thing he did.

Despite her best efforts to be difficult and toxic, he always handled her with care and honesty. He was the type of man who never played games, especially when it came to business. He led with authority, yet he had a soft and gentle side. He was dominant without being aggressive but real smooth but you knew he ran shit. His charismatic and funny personality, his loving nature, and his hardworking aura made her focus on him completely. Whenever she was around him, she felt safe and comfortable, knowing that he would always be there to protect and support her.

In past relationships Dakota had never felt safe nor comfortable with men but with Josh it all felt so natural.

The two meet at a bar in Pensacola , Florida where Dakota was in town visiting a client of hers for styling. She was a celebrity stylist, she loved fashion and always dreamed of being a fashion designer or stylist. While she sat at the bar alone josh couldn’t help but stare at the young women, her soft brown legs shined with baby oil along with a black dress that hugged her body so tightly and well , a face a man would die for but he thought her face was better to nut on in his dirty mind.

He walked up to her with a few smooth and flirtatious words which pulled her in instantly jey was always smooth with the ladies. A ladies man of course. With that he prospered to her a deal that he spoiled her of course as well as have sex with her but no string attached as well kinda friends with benefits or a sugar daddy which he wouldn’t call it more so tricking with sex alongside.

Jey was 32 years old and Dakota was four years younger than him at 27. Despite the age difference, the two were still deeply attracted to each other. However, when Dakota was first presented with the proposal that she didn't quite understand or want to accept, she hesitated. The idea of doing something like that was foreign to her, but a little voice in her head, which she recognized as Jasmine's, urged her to "get that money, bitch!" Despite already having her own source of income, Dakota eventually agreed to the proposal.

Starting from the summer of July 2022, the two individuals became inseparable. Their bond grew stronger as they spent time together, and before they knew it, January 2023 had arrived, marking the beginning of a new year that they brought in together. Despite the initial plan to spend only three months together, Josh kept extending their time together, much to the surprise of his companion. She found it odd that he was reluctant to part ways and kept prolonging their time together, but she couldn't help but wonder why.

Was he also in love?

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All I really want to say my darling

Today is a special day we call our own

So take me in your arms and hold me

And tell me you love me

And I'll be there for you

The soft lyrics of Tony! Toni! Tone! Played throughout Dakotas high rise apartment while she finished up on the last touch’s of the cornbread. Dakota was cooking baked macaroni, yams, collard greens, fire chicken with a side of duffeled eggs.

A loud thud on the counter went off as her phone ding with a text message from Jey.

iMessage

Yeet master jey!❤️

I’m here come open the door lady uce!

After meticulously washing her hands, she swiftly dried them off to ensure there were no traces of germs left on her skin. As she reached the door, she saw Josh standing outside, holding a beautiful bouquet of roses in his left hand. A wide smile appeared on her face as she approached him, and he opened his arms, inviting her in for a warm embrace. "Jey, I missed you!" she exclaimed before jumping into his arms. He caught her effortlessly with just one arm, and the two of them burst into uncontrollable laughter, filled with joy and happiness as they held each other tightly.

“I missed you too ko.” Dakota heart warmed at the small nickname he gave her.

“Aww are these for me?” She smiled widely taking the rose from jey she walked towards the kitchen sitting them on the counter. “Of course gotta get my princess something.”

Cheesing to herself she inquired him with a question “Mmhm when were you going to tell me you was in town?”

“Well I was tryna surprise you but I saw you all at the gym looking gorgeous.” He stated wrapping his arms around Dakota from behind he moved her hair out her face leaving a few wet on her neck she responded with a low moan.

“Unt unt let me finish cooking Josh.” She chuckled at his antics of trying to seduce her but she had other plans in mind.

Stepping back with his hands in surrender he spoke “alright alright but how you been? You’ve been eating?” He caressed her cheek staring into her brown hazel nut eyes. “Yes jey I have.”

“You better.” He pecked her lips a few times before moving back looking over her admiring her body.

Dakota has fell into small depression she thought maybe she was too big and wanted to be slimmer so she stopped eating to lose weight and also in the gym but Jey put a stop to that immediately because she was perfect the way she was and she wouldn’t want her any other way.

“I missed you.” Jey spoke with their soft eyes looking directly At Dakota.

“I missed you more.” She responded softly turning her body to face him.

“Missed you so much girl.” He embraced her into a hug, hugging tight as he wrapped his legs around her like spider man hanging his feet in the cabinet while she laughed at his goofy self “It’s all you girl!”

“All you girl!”

“Omg Joshua what is wrong with you.” Dakota laughed once more her stomach hurting from much she laughed her cheeks sore a bit from how hard she smiled. She was in love.

Letting her go he left a few kisses all over her face till she laughed Again before asking her something “So umm…I got a show tomorrow and I want you come.” He asked shyly as if it was the first time he ever took her one of his shows to watch him to wrestle.

“Of course! I’d love to watch you beat some ass.” She smiled punching at his chest playfully.

“Good cause Jimmy been asking about you “where koko?”josh mimicked his twin brother Jonathan earring a small laugh from Dakota.

“Aww my good ol’ friend can’t wait to see him tomorrow.”

“Plus tomorrow is raw XXX tomorrow you know it’s gon be lit.” Smiles thinking about what was in store tomorrow for the fans which included the bloodline with Sami Zayn.

“Oh tell your little girlfriend stop messaging me I’ll hate to beat a bitch.” Dakota scolded Josh rolling her eyes.

Who?

“You know who”

As jey stood there in thought as if he was dumb he then realized who she was talking about “oh Chanel?” He said still acting clueless.

“Who the fuck else Joshua!” She raised her voice slightly removing his arms from around her.

Chanel was an old mistress of Jeys and he broke things off with her two months in but she couldn’t take him leaving her due to the contract ending so she stalked him and was a bitch to every new woman he used for sex and entertainment which was Dakota. It all started in September when Josh and Dakota where out at a restaurant having a few drinks and dinner when Chanel popped up on the two “Oh so this why you’ve been ignoring for this new bitch?!” Channel shouted in the restaurant cashing a scene.

Which escalated in her and Dakota having a back and forth because in all Dakota wasn’t fighting over no man especially not jey no matter how charming he was she wasn’t but the disrespect she took from Chanel wasn’t going to keep happening.

“Look I told you she ain’t my girl and plus ima handle it.” Jey reassured Dakota waving her off.

“You better because I’ll hate to gut a bitch eyes out. Keep fucking with m— What I say?” He cut her off glaring at her with dominance.

“Okay I heard you.” She pouted “but you better handle it cause I don’t have time.” She sighed wrapping her arms around her chest.

Pulling her into an embrace he wrapped his arms around her body rubbing up and down her sides soft and smoothly. “I said I got Dakota don’t worry okay?”

“Okay.”

For a while there was some silence the only thing that could be heard was the music being played from her speaker that was a till she broke the silence with a question “can I ask you something?”

“Yeah , go ahead.”

Dakota started to think back on what Jasmine said was she in love with Josh? Was he in love with her? The question lingered in her mind so much she needed to to know. Even with them not supposed to falling eachother because of the agreement of no strings attached she couldn’t help but fall for him.

“Do your ever….think maybe we could be a couple?” She questioned with pleading eyes but also wanting honesty with anything he threw at her.

Jey thought long and hard for a min before giving her an answer “Honestly no, I mean you’re a gorgeous and talented woman but Dakota we both know this isn’t what we agreed to no strings attached and after a divorce I went through a year ago I ain’t ready for another relationship.”

“You’re just another one of my clients.”

Everything hit her deep in the heart like someone stabbed after hearing those words everything shattered for her. What was she thinking? She didn’t know she even thought he would ever slow down things for her just because he had sex with her but she had hoped

Maybe she wasn’t in love.

To be continued.

I hope you all enjoyed this! More to come let me know if you want chapter two of this series? Also leave comments.

Opinions on jey, Dakota, jasmine , or even Chanel?

How we thinking about the relationship of Jey and Dakota will they fall for each other in the long run?

Lmk and again thank you for reading I hope you all enjoyed! Excuse any mistakes please till next!🎀

Also if you want to be added for a tag-list comment and I got you!

[runaeveena]

Your dashboard if you were in a d&d fantasy world still involved in fictional erotica discourse part 2

⛰️ berenicesblade Follow

now that the new Mountain Angel volume has come out can we please tag spoilers, some of us are still waiting for our pigeon mail

🦚 faeynadaughter Follow

you can access the volume in full on TomePlane!

🎭 bardcampistrash Follow

until TomePlane acknowledges that its interplanar storage is made possible by binding aboleths to the plane and killing them then we are going to continue not using that platform, thanks

🦚 faeynadaughter Follow

aboleths killed my cousin who was a royal cleric. ill never understand why theres a whole movement to protect abyssal creatures when theyve caused so much damage to our kingdoms. and disliking a pocket dimension which provides thousands of people access to books? your attitude reeks of anti literaturism and mal-aligned virtue signaling and im not sure which is worse

🫒 tenthday237 Follow

Aliizya gets pregnant on page 62

⛰️ berenicesblade Follow

banished

620 Notes

🏰 finchtruther Follow

okay but the way that faelor finch writes every song that perfectly fits pennbiel liiike its giving closet fangirl

🧭 waywardwarlock

seriouslyy!! like what else is "give me your unmarked hand / in the shadowfell we won't be a secret" supposed to be about if not pennipher and corabiel

16 Notes

🌫️ cloudgiant-snailboy Follow

yall please dont fill up the unseen servant tag with your super fucking weird smut posts im just looking for tips on how to find my unseen servant

🪡 scç-writer

the search function on tomeblr does need to be updated but we dont have to kinkshame :)

🌫️ cloudgiant-snailboy Follow

the site is being overrun by virgin degenerates

🍯 treebarkhookhandwagondoor

sounds like you need Wilam the Wizard with Wandering Hands to help you summon the unseen stick in your ass

290 Notes

🗝️ crypt-princess Follow

so whose going to be the first to commission a painting of that scene with Aliizya and the beholder 👀

🍎 bloodmaledickening Follow

i already asked my local artisan he said he's gotten two other commissions for the same scene lmao

🐁 softbarbarian

girl i commissioned a tapestry

45 Notes

🕯️ andersfirelight Follow

friendly reminder that devil deals are a real thing that a lot of people fall victim too and that demons are malicious and do destroy peoples lives if theyre not careful so please be careful when consuming works like Hellionfinity which romanticizes devil deals and fiendish soul contracts

🌾entangled-farmer Follow

imo any work of fiction that involves a romance between any type of fiend is not just problematic but harmful

🕯️ andersfirelight Follow

i used to be indifferent to books that had devil romance interests because like thats their whole thing theyre seducing people to get their souls and the mc overcomes it, but reading through the replies i see that Hellionfinity actually ends with the devil character as the main romantic lead which is super problematic in terms of power imbalance and the fact that he has a redemption arc is so out of touch especially since our military is finally recovering from the azgurian assault

🧚🏻‍♂️arms-of-faelor

helliofinity also has a scene where the main character uses a soul coin that an imprisoned mortal gave him and he uses it to bring the devil out of avernus so he doesnt fully die and no one in the book mentions it or talks about how messed up it is to use soul coins and we never see the now bound to hell prisoner ever again

🕯️ andersfirelight Follow

hellionfinity officially cancelled on my end!

88 Notes

☘️ celest-ial Follow

moment of silence for all the customers waiting on drink orders while the tavern wench gets her back blown out by a new guy every night ✊😔

🦁 king-killa Follow

the gods work hard but Girthy Gladys gets worked harder

57,022 Notes

🎲 beholdersbeholdingme

paladin and warlock romances are OUT! cleric and necromancer romances are IN!

🪭 royalcoinpurse Follow

the only thing a cleric should do to a necromancer is beat him to death so she can revive him and kill him again

🎲 beholdersbeholdingme

❇️ arch-dryad Follow

i think we need to analyze why we're so quick to place women in categories of devious seductress or healer in romance novels as if that hasnt been the pervasive trope that holds magic-touched women back in our actual society

🍯 treebarkhookhandwagondoor

why do you assume these fictional tropes are mf couples only? can a gay cleric not beat his gay necromancer boyfriend to death?

🎲 beholdersbeholdingme

and off! beat him off cmon guys

5,275 Notes

🧀 weremouse Follow

yall ever be talking or whatnot and feel like no one understands you

🪨 sebrenenogdon Follow

ᛄᚠ ᛡᚢ ᚳᚪᚾ ᚱᛁᛞ ᚦᛄᛋ ᛡᚢ ᚺᚪᚠ ᛏᚢ ᚱᛁᛒᛚᚪᚷ ᚦᛄᛋ

🧀 weremouse Follow

say that shit fr (<- looking around clueless)

🪨 sebrenenogdon Follow

ᛋᛁᚱᛁᚪᛋᛚᛁ

60 Notes

🌠 crownofstars

remember when that person made a call out post for the author of ilairepeler for using a ghost writer and it turned out the author was an actual ghost. writing. like a literal ghost writer. like.

🍄gnomestool Follow

arent you the dwarf that fucked a slaad

🌠 crownofstars

how would you like to become a ghost so you can write more witty comments like this for eternity

301 Notes

[notenoughdramaaa]

I love sharing opinions no one asked for, so here’s one that will absolutely get me on Tumblr’s naughty list: Jily shippers are insufferable, and they need to learn to leave the rest of us alone.

Now, before the pitchforks come out, let’s get one thing straight: I have nothing against Lily Evans and James Potter. Adorable couple. Tragic love story. The whole series literally exists because they got together, so congrats to them, I guess. The problem isn’t Jily. It’s a few of the the Jily shippers.

There is no compromising with these people. None. Zero. Nœud. It’s their way or highway. As someone who ships Jegulus, I’ve had the misfortune of sharing tags with them, and let me tell you: I hate every single thing I saw. It’s not just that they think Jegulus is ridiculous (which, fine, everyone’s entitled to an opinion), but they take it so much further. Some of them genuinely believe that certain fic ideas shouldn’t exist just because they conflict with Jily canon.

- Regulus raising Harry? Blasphemy! Apparently, that’s “erasing Lily” and therefore misogynistic. Because, clearly, we are never allowed to explore an AU where things turn out differently from cannon.

- Lily not being the perfect mother? How dare you? The mere suggestion that she might have had personal ambitions, struggled with motherhood, ( or heaven forbid) not wanted kids at all is a personal attack.

- Lily being a lesbian? Absolutely not! Because, obviously, that’s just an evil ploy to invalidate Jily and an offensive way to justify a MxM ship.

- James falling in love with literally anyone else? Impossible! James Potter was born with “Property of Lily Evans” stamped on his forehead. His heart has never, and will never, belong to anyone else. Ever.

Also some Jily shippers love invading other ship’s tags. Because it’s not enough for them to enjoy their ship. No! They need to make sure no one else enjoys anything they forbid. I go looking for Jegulus content, and what do I find? Jily fans writing entire essays on why my ship is invalid. Excuse me, who asked you? I’m over here minding my own business, respecting Jily like a decent fanfic writer, and they’re out here hijacking tags like it’s their divine mission.

And the irony? If we dared to do the same to them, they’d lose their minds. One time, I commented that in my opinion, James and Regulus make a great couple, and the post’s owner responded with somethin like, "How dare you bring this filthness into my Jily post?" As if Jily shippers don’t do the exact same thing to Jegulus posts ALL. THE. TIME.

The best part? I was actually being nice for once. Normally, I am a jerk, but this one time I was being nice AND polite. Somehow that was still unacceptable. The double standards are truly something to behold.

Here’s the thing: I don’t care what you write. If you want to make Lily an all-powerful warrior queen who single-handedly takes down Voldemort, raises Harry, and becomes Minister of Magic while also starting a bakery on the side and adopting 50 cats go for it! Have a blast! I’m not stopping you. So why can’t I have my fun too? Why can’t I imagine a world where James and Regulus fall in love, or where Lily makes different choices? Isn’t that the whole point of writing/reading fics? To explore possibilities?

You know what? I will be hijacking the Jily tag now just to let them know that I mind my business, so they should mind theirs.

[wonderfultheatre]

Fuck Racism anyway Here are some cool muns

@gctchell - Absolutely an amazing writer and an equally amazing friend and person!

@infernal-feminae - A wide variety of muses and ideas that are all unique and diverse and fun to catch a glimpse of on dash.

@arachnaemboss - Not unknown that Jack is one of my best friends and someone I care for dearly, a great writer who everyone embodies his character well!

@aracniss - Han is a talented writer and a funny person on top of that! I enjoy talking to this mun and enjoy them around!

@voxxcd - Briar is a great writer, and someone who I talk to frequently and enjoy writing with! He has tons of amazing ideas and I always am willing to participate.

@voxxisms - Lee is extremely easy to get to know and talk to! His vox breaks the mold but in a fun and endearing way!

@venisontransmission - Shelby is an amazing writer and incredibly chaotic person who has put time and effort into the Alastor she writes.

@angie-long-legs - We've only had a few interactions and I find them to be one of the funniest writers I've interacted with!

@poisonedspider - We have never actually got to rp and I was quite intimidated, but I have been shown a lot of kindness from this mun and honestly they're very cool for being patient with me.

@mothvalentino - ALSO intimidated me, they're an amazing artist and a very talented writer whose little crack posts make me giggle early in the morning.

@cervidae-demon - I've just recently got to write with this person, they're very fun to write with and honestly I wasn't expecting to get into such a funny back-and-forth with my Vox.

@the-smallest-star - Chaos gremlin constantly and someone I have had fun talking to when there is time for both of us! Amazing ocs and talent galore!

@the-delightful-temptation - Despite having talked to this mun MANY MANY times, I'm still a bit nervous and shy but they're very kind and sweet and welcoming all around!

@pomniegranate - Luci is a very sweet person who's a full-time mom spends her free time with us, and has so much love for her muses! She's a kind soul and someone to get to know!

@somnambulistsedge - Som has a loooot of side blogs but is a fun writer and a very funny person. Som is a long-time friend and someone I consider to be my best friend.

@cyberneticlagomorph - Si is a great writer and they're a talented artist to boot, i am slowly coaxing Siscar to para rp <3

@cxffeeshxp - One of the other black muns in the RPC who writes a large variety of characters and is a very chill person to get to know! Incredibly friendly and talented person!

@staticintone - While they've been inactive cause of life, introduced me to a fun AU called Randomly Accessed Memories and have been patient with me in the last few months and I this writer greatly!

@sssardonian-ssserpent - Blight is a good friend! I love blights writing and personality and someone I know I can chill with and throw and toss ideas at and be indulged even if the idea is incredibly silly!

@metaladam - A guy who should just cave and make a multimuse already!! Honestly, a great writer who enjoys writing a specific brand of character! He's a talented writer and his sense of humor shows through his muses!

@radioiaci - I've had the joy of being able to write with this mun on my Proto Vox blog and honestly a great experience and something I'm glad to do more of in the future! Pascall is a sweetie.

@hellhosted - GB is a sweet person and someone who often humors my 3am dms and yapping and the beholder of some of my favorite versions of muses!

@hclluvahctel - A friendly I LOVE and adore who I just want to continuously throw ideas at all the time! They're a great writer and someone easy to get to know!

@gethellbcnt - Gave me the rundown of Helluva Boss Episodes many many times and I know there will be many many more times, an extremely funny person and an equally great writer. Someone I enjoy and love talking to!

THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE, I think my blog will get flagged if I tag anymore LOL.

[cheer-nympho]

THE DUSTIN EXPERIMENT MOMENTS I THINK ARE CUTE OR NOTEWORTHY FOR YOUR FANDOM REFERENCE

Thread of moments from the official book, mainly Eddie info

Mainly Steve, Eddie and Robin or general character dynamics I think are interesting or cute, read this for fanfic help ig,

Copied from my thread on twitter- this book lays in the muddy zone canon wise BUT is officially licensed merch and signed off by the writers, enjoy!

QUICK HIGHLIGHTS: Eddie is canonically afraid of ducks, Eddie is not against Lucas being in basketball and is just worried about the kids driving each other away, Eddie jokingly flirts with male security guards

1. The jocks are SCARED of Eddie. They struggle to pick on him because they are afraid of him, and he can shut them up with ‘a look’

2. Steve picks Robin up from school to take her to her Family Video shifts so Dustin often tags along, and Stobin gossip the whole time

3. Robin is a BIG foreign films fan. She says art transcends language and Steve makes a joke that he struggles to care even when movies are in English. He took, and passed, French in high school

4. When teamed up and being serious, Steve and Robin give genuinely good advice out that is meaningful and ‘wise’. Theres a lot of fun banter with them in this second chapter, but they’re actually good at giving friendship advice to Dustin.

5. Patrick is genuinely nice, he welcomes Lucas in with open arms and a big wave- and its pissing me off having to hear all this “lucas was bad for leaving them for basketball” shit over again because he WASNT wrong and im annoyed the canon narrative tried to conclude that he was but anyway

6. Eddie makes a point of saying to not get the goths confused with the punks, and that youd learn that the hard way. He adresses his table as “ladies and gentlemen” even though there are no ladies… ‘as far as dustin can tell’

7. Unnamed freak is now apparently named Doug. Gareth is a thief, Jeff is a druid, ‘Doug’ is a barbarian. Mike is a D&D purist and thinks the expansions are pointless but lies to try and impress hellfire

8. FINALLY some outside canon acknowledgment that MIKE is the dm.

Eddie and Mike are described as having that DM gene that makes them captivating storytellers, Mike recounts a campaign to the hellfire table who listen on intently

9. Mike makes the pun “and he said ‘Beholder? I hardly Know’er!’” And the table of absolute dweebs laugh their heads off. Although Dustin is enjoying himself a lot, he thinks it would be better with Lucas

10. Eddies walkman is broken, and states he’d rather listen to Madonna that just silence when Gareth makes a joke.

Dustin offers to fix it and Eddie goes “no thats okay I got it” before repeatedly slamming it against the table.

11. Dustin and Eddie abusive dad bonding time. Dustin tells a story about how he took apart a radio piece by piece, and when Eddie comments that his dad would have ‘beat his ass’ Dustin states that his dad wanted to, but his Moms immediate reaction was to sign him up for science camp.

He states that, even though its not cool to say, he thinks his mom is awesome. A few months after the incident she divorced Dustins dad and moved them back to Hawkins, where she grew up.

12. Eddie made Dustin a metal mixtape to thank him for fixing his amp, with the note “Because man cannot live on Weird Al alone - Eddie”

13. Robin is trying to hit Steve in the head with a paper football while sarcastically scolding him for calling Eddie a ‘freak’

She then accuses him of being jealous of Eddie before hitting Steve square in the forehead with a rubber band

14. Steve and Robin immediately jump to Lucas’ defence, Steve calling “bullshit” on even the possibility of Lucas doing something wrong here.

He says Lucas is dealing with his own things, trying to figure himself out past popularity.

15. Eddie and Jeff are in a screaming match over who the better guitarist is: Tony Iommi or Glenn Tipton, and he’s effectively crawling across the table to yell in Jeff’s face,

Dustin immediately nopes out of that and goes to ask Robin for help, who is talking to ~Vickie~

16. Robin is the mediator in the boys friendship issues and has convinced them to try trust falling to make up again,and demonstrates it with Steve

Shes actually good at it, the boys have a bittersweet bonding moment where they realise theyre all just afraid of being left behind

17. Tension is alleviated when Steve reveals his greatest fear is the cartoon Turbo Teen

19. Eddie seems to have a secret, undiscussable fear of ducks. He says their eyes are enough to cause psychic damage and Dustin nites he looks serious.

So…Eddie has a dark past with a duck

20. More bad dad bonding. Eddie says the only good thing his dad left him was a sense of where the speed traps on highways are, and he notes that Dustin doesn’t mention his dad much.

He cheated on Dustins mom, and now Dustin has pretty much no contact with him.

21. While reassuring Dustin, Eddie admits he is afraid before every single performance. He says he isnt brave, isnt facing his fear- all he knows is that he just loves music more than he is afraid of everything else.

Which makes the master of puppets scene so much worse

22. The nerds at the science fair are also scared of how Eddie looks lmao, people move aside and almost create a path for him and Dustin while looking at Eddie sceptically-

The receptionist mistakes Eddie for Dustins dad also

23. Hes like, really afraid of ducks

24. Being left along for 5 minutes to babysit the duck Frodo, Eddie has amassed a crowd of nerds who he is telling scary stories to in his DM mode

A little girl asks “Mr. Eddie” if he’ll tell them more stories, and he says he will if she nails her presentation

25. Eddie, who was tasked with causing a distraction is dragged out of the hall by 2 guards while he says “Gentleman, if you wanted an excuse to feel my arms you could have just asked”

26. The kids (Lucas, Mike, Dustin) are surprisingly close to Robin! Dustin sees her as the best and most logical person to help them through their issues, and Lucas and Mike talk to her like any other member of the party,

Just some nice post s3 bonding stuff

27. When the party start fighting at the table about Lucas in basketball, Gareth tries to butt in and Eddie scolds him and tells him to keep out of it

Hes not against Lucas being in basketball, and tells Dustin to make up with him

DONE!! And heres some things I couldn’t manage to sum up in the same format, and some pages that I think are nice

[svmjaeyvn]

love maze, s.jy.

chapter nine pairing: jake x afab!reader word count: tbd (series)

masterlist

genre: college!au, mutual friends, fake dating, smut.

synopsis: an unfortunate encounter, drunken mistakes, and a sort of (definitely) stalker leads jake sim ‘dating’ his best friend’s childhood crush.

or, your life gets intertwined with a rich boy’s in attempt to not get sued by his crazy personal fangirl and like with all good cliches, sex overcomplicates things.

contents: smut, sort of strangers to fuck buddies to lovers pipeline, childhood best friend!jay, mentions of best friend! yunjin, curly haired & mixed reader, uni!au, rich nepo baby!jake, enha frat boys, lots of kissing, fake dating turning into fwb real quick, totally way too into it for it to be fake early on, big booty reader that’s jake’s obsessed with, partying and alcohol use, slight violence, he fell first and harder trope, stem bf & writer gf, (kinda overly) possessive jake, some angst to spice things up, daddy issues, hyper independent reader who struggles with her feelings, fluff and happy ending!!

a/n: hello~ i’ve never been a tumblr girly but i have went through my w*ttpad era back in 2018 so bare with me y’all. this will be a series but not that long (i hope) so pls look forward to it. warning tags will be placed before each “chapter” to specify what to expect. pls pls reblog and interact, i’d love to have feedback and see what your thoughts are. okay! yay, for now enjoy and thank you sm :D

MDNI, 18+

tap below to continue

CHAPTER NINE: JEALOUSY

previous masterlist next

word count: 4.1k

warnings: minjun is being a stalker, that’s sort of it??

a/n: IM SORRY IVE BEEN GONE FOR SO LONG. i’m working + doing an internship at the same time so im exhausted everyday since being an adult SUCKS so i’ve neglected writing (though i have a new idea for a smau lol) and this not that great but i wanted to provide something for you guys </3 jake is down horrendous and not even hiding it now it’s crazy

"PLEASE STOP STARING," Ni-ki whined, throwing an ice cube in Jake's direction who was perched at the counter with a giddy smile. You were on the other side of the store, in the midst of barring out drinks before turning to help your coworker with a unsatisfied customer.

It was different to see you in your element, of course to you it being a mere barista job but Jake couldn't deny how much a leadership position suited you. You were good at quite literally everything, barely paying him mind when he waltzed in 20 minutes ago due to the afternoon rush but seeming calm and collected as you handled the line of drinks that seemed never ending. You looked as pretty as ever in his eyes, your haired pulled up by the clip in your hair and bare skin that seemed to be glowing.

You were called in last minute by a fellow shift as they weren't able to come in due to an emergency. Knowing Ms. Cho would've been the one to cover, something you couldn't bare to make her do as she was meant to take the week off due to spraining her wrist, and not wanting to leave Ni-ki hanging you canceled on the previous study-date you had scheduled with Jake much to his disappointment.

Lo and behold though, said boy decided that he had all the time in the world to wait for you. After you called him on your break, excited that a coworker would be coming in to do the closing tasks, telling him you'd be off at 6:30 instead of 10, Jake stopped by an hour before your shift would end deeming that allowing him to treat you to dinner would make up for the raincheck.

"Bro honestly, I know she's your girlfriend but can't you go sit down at least," Ni-ki's voice breaks his thoughts once more. Jake merely rolled his eyes, waving off the boy who looked exasperated by his presence.

"Yah, whatever. You're just bitter 'cause you’re bitchless," Jake began to tease, watching as the younger boy rolled his eyes and discretely flipped him off without the other customers taking note.

There was a familiar jingle from the door, Ni-ki's eyes looking past him to greet whoever walked in but his face turned into one of visible disgust. Immediately making his way in your direction without a word, Jake curiously turned around with his brows frowned to see what caused such a reaction.

A small scoff left Jake's lips, watching Minjun b-line to where you were behind the bar with Ni-ki glued to your side and staring him down like a guard dog. A small smirk picks at his lips, Jake waiting patiently, watching from afar to see what he planned on saying as you'd be able to handle it yourself.

"___," Minjun spoke, attempting to gain your attention but you merely lifted your gaze for a second as you focused on the drinks you had sequenced. "Can we talk?"

"I'm busy," You said dryly, sending him a pointed look as you were on shift quite literally in the middle of working. "If you need something you can ask my other staff to help you,"

"Are you seriously going to ignore me?"

"Are you seriously showing up to my job when I told you to leave me alone?" You shot back, brow raising in disbelief. "It's harassment, do you want me to call the cops?"

Minjun bit his lip, seemingly collecting his thoughts to carefully piece what he intended to say next. "You're ignoring my texts, how else am I supposed to talk to you?"

"I blocked you," You answer with a small shrug. "I don't want to talk to you. We have no reason to either way, it was your idea to move on with our lives in the first place so I don't see what you need from me now,"

"It was a mistake," Minjun attempts but a loud scoff comes from your end at his words. Feeling yourself grow more and more annoyed, you take a second to collect your thoughts, having to silently remind yourself that there were a handful of other customers that you still needed to be portrayed to in a professional light.

Your eyes flickered to the left, feeling the familiar gaze boring into your side. You met Jake's look, his brows slightly pinched as he held an unreadable expression glancing over Minjun. His arms were crossed against his chest, leaned against the front counter while his head tilted in the smallest of ways meeting your eyes. Silently indicating whether of not you wanted him to intervene, you shook your head, turning over to Ni-ki who was still on gaurd just a step behind you.

"Can you take over for me?" You ask the younger boy, his eyes softening as he glanced down to you with a small nod. Telling Sooyun the same, you leave the two on the floor to handle the customer flow and walk away from Minjun without a word. He attempted to follow along the counter that kept you separated, only to stop short noting how you met Jake at the break that separated the workers and customer side.

"You okay?" Jake asks softly, his hand finding its place in your own as he traced his thumb over your palm in attempt to offer some ease to your mind.

"I don't know why he keeps trying," You mumble out, swallowing the lump in your throat while Jake pursed his lips. You had to admit, no matter how unaffected you attempted to seem, having Minjun back and weaseling his way into your life was slowly opening up old wounds that never fully healed. It felt exhausting seeing his face, much less feeling trapped in your own workplace since that seemed to be his resort to finding you no matter how many hints you've given to leave you be.

"You want me to call the guys and we can jump him out back?" Jake offers, the teasing in his voice caused you to laugh though the glint in his eyes made it hard for you to tell if he was entirely joking. "I could take him on my own but I'm sure Jay wants a few hits at him anyway,"

"So does Ni-ki," You snicker, glancing over to the boy who had his eyes trained on Minjun with a menacing glare. "I don't have the money to bail all seven of you out though so let's not do that,"

A cocky smile fell upon Jake's lips knowing well enough his next words would cause you to grimace. "It's okay baby, I'm rich remember?"

You roll your eyes but couldn't refrain from the small laugh that fell from your lips. "You're annoying," You huff, though the giggle that filtered through your words had Jake smiling from ear to ear. Leaning closer, he's quick to place a kiss to your lips, your eyes widening as you pulled away with a tsk. "I'm on the clock, stop making me look like a bad worker,"

"No one's looking," Jake reassures, not even sparing a glance around the room but he's sure of himself. His hands fell to your hips, pulling you in closer and technically he was right, the large pastry case and stack of boxes that you had yet to be able to put away had blocked a significant amount of view of where you two stood, someone would have had to come around the corner to see you two if they really wanted to.

A clear of someone's throat caused the two of you to pull away from the giddy bubble you were in. Your annoyance flooded back in a second while Jake lazily looked over his shoulder, his eyes lighting up taking note of Minjun who stood with a dark expression.

"What's up man?" Jake smiled, turning as he said so but still keeping one arm draped around your waist though you shifted slightly in your spot. His grip tightened feeling how you attempted to move, squeezing your hip as a silent way to tell you to stay in place at his side. "You need something?"

"Can you give us a minute?" Minjun's words were short and clipped, the visible annoyance dripping from his persona.

"Don't think so," He hummed with the click of his tongue. "M'names Jake," Holding out his hand with a cheeky smile, Jake waited for Minjun to introduce himself. You had to refrain from the laugh that wanted to spill from your lips, the obviously annoying but polite tactic one you wouldn't have guessed he'd play but it seemed to work better than being possessive or immediately hostile.

"Minjun," Was all he replied with, not bothering to complete the handshake Jake intended. Turning his gaze to you, he near pleaded in a softer tone. "Can we just talk?"

Jake let out a loud sigh, dropping his hand with the shake of his head. "You know, man, I wouldn't have held nothing against you but you're really making my girl uncomfortable," His previous bubbly expression was gone, now replaced with a bored one that shamelessly glanced over Minjun. "You know me personally, I don't go for girls I broke up with, especially after she told me to leave her alone and she has a new man. That's just me though,"

"No offense man, but I know you two just got together. Your new relationship doesn't compare to us," Minjun shrugs while you let out a laugh of disbelief. You and Jake were more comfortable together, by miles, in a short amount of time even if your relationship was based on a facade. After the first two months with Minjun, it felt as though you were walking on eggshells everyday to keep him around, a feeling you remember all too well and ridicule yourself for staying in for so long.

"I mean, you're the ex for a reason right? Our relationship s’not supposed to be like yours," Jake shrugs, a humorless laugh left his lips.

"You guys don't even make sense together!" Minjun was now speaking to you, gesturing between you both with an exasperated expression. "His life is completely different from yours and you know it, why waste time now when it won't even work out,"

You frowned yours brows, not knowing how much he had looked into Jake but either way, being so ambient on your differences seemed to rub you the wrong way. What exactly was he entailing? The fact that Jake was a party guy or he was rich? You grew up attached to the hip with Jay, sure you weren't directly apart of that life but you did know how to act with a cocktail dress and dinning etiquette when you needed to. You truly lacked nothing if the relationship was real and so far, Jake didn't either.

"It's cute to know you've been thinking about me," Before you were able to voice your thoughts, Jake beat you to it. His tone was teasing, though there was a slight edge to it indicating that the cat and mouse play going back and forth was something he began to grow tired of. His had squeezed your hip, somehow subconsciously knowing that your agitation grew as well, it a silent reminder that he was there for you.

Minjun scoffed, seemingly ready to retort but Jake shook his head. "You know, I don't really like being a dick and all," He starts, a small huff of air leaving his lips as if it pained him to continue. Jake's eyes flickered to you, he winked before the bored look was sent back toward Minjun. "But I do take advantage of the benefits that come from my family. Let's just make it easier on all of us since getting the lawyers involved is always so messy, yeah?"

Your eyes widened slightly, certainly not having any thought of any legal precedent but the threat should've been more than enough to get his point across. You felt a shiver run up your spine, thinking back to weeks ago when you got yourself into the situation you were now. She totally would've sued me.

There was a clear of the throat that broke the tension between you three. Ni-ki making his presence known as he sends Minjun a rather large, but most obviously fake, smile.

"I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave since I've had a few customer complaints from the situation that's occurring," He says in his peppy customer service voice, the faux sympathy in his tone adding salt to the wound. Looking around, you take note of the lie considering the lobby had cleared out significantly and not a single person in sight was paying any mind to what was occurring in the corner but you were certainly thankful for the deescalation.

Minjun doesn't say a word. His eyes lock with yours, the silent communication causing you to feel uneasy. For a split second, you almost felt bad for him seeing the look of pleading sincerity, for a second he seemed like the boy you once knew and you couldn't deny the slight tug in your heart that longed for the past. But as Jakes’ hand made its presences know on your back, you shook out of the temporary daze, you subtly moved behind him, using Jake as a shield of sorts and looking away.

You weren't naive enough to fall for that. And your thoughts proved right as Minjun's expression changed in an instant, the look of anger and annoyance familiar but he merely turned and made his way out of the shop without hesitation.

The bitter feeling caused your stomach to turn, picking at the skin of your fingers as you pulled out your phone to check the time.

"You okay noona?" Ni-ki carefully asked, His brows were pinched, a slight frown at his lips taking note of your visibly discomfort.

You nod, placing a smile on your features but it didn't quite reach your eyes. You looked behind him, seeing Sooyun working by herself. "I'm alright, I need to finish my pull before Hejin comes in so support where you can for now," You delegate, already heading toward the back room while footsteps followed soon after.

Jake sighed watching you walk away. He didn't know the full story, certainly didn't want to know the details of how in love you were, but he did know that Minjun was important enough to still bother you after some time apart. A small part of him was selfish, never wanting you to think of anyone like that but him, even though your relationship wasn't even real in the first place, but he knew that was his own jealousy.

The larger part of him felt upset for you though, the crestfallen expression you held more than enough for him to want to hold you and wash all your worries away. In a perfect world, Jake would make sure you'd never feel sad again. He vows to never be the one responsible for your tears, and if he were he'd kick himself and beg for the room in your heart to forgive him.

You stopped by the back freezer, facing the stainless steel doors and you could see Jake's reflection behind you. "I'm alright," You repeat, not having the confidence to turn around knowing your eyes were glossing over and the lump in your throat grew.

Jake hummed, watching you from afar. He watched as you began to count the frozen pastries, having to go over twice losing your train of thought and seemingly looking around aimlessly. You let out a sigh, leaning your head against the frozen rack as you shut your eyes, the cold air that wrapped around your body caused goosebumps to form along your arms, though it did well in stopping the tears that were built up to the brim.

"You know, you're technically not supposed to be back here," You mumble, a hint of amusement in your words though you were rather dejected.

Jake chuckled, shaking his head while you couldn't see it. The two of you stood in silence, not knowing what to say that would make it better. Heavy footsteps sounded as someone entered the back of the house, you peaking from behind the freezer door while Jake straightened up.

Hejin pointed a finger at you as she pulled her apron over her head. Your brows frowned, clicking on the tablet that was stuck to the door to see it only be 5:50. Her keys jangled in her pocket, the lollipop in her mouth muffling her words. "Go home,"

"What?" You let out a small laugh, amused by the loud groan she let out upon her apron getting stuck while pulling it down. "It's not 6:30,"

"I'm here now so go," Hejin huffs, pulling at her ponytail as she nods towards Jake, a silent acknowledgment to his presence but not bothering to ask why he was beside you. "I saw creeps-a-lot in the parking lot. The kid and Sooyun were blowing up my phone to get me here so I chased him away. Go home and relax, I'll make a incident report to let everyone and Mama Cho know to not talk about you and refuse him service from now on,"

Your lips pull into a frown, the tears once again welding up in your eyes. You covered your face out of embarrassment, Hejin clicking her tongue as she waved you off.

"Ay, don't cry," She tuts. "He's not worth it, new boyfriend hug her!" Hejin directs, gesturing between you and Jake causing you to let out a laugh. Jake tilted his head, his arms open as you reluctantly stepped into his embrace. You refused to look at him directly, hiding behind your hands though you could see the fondness in his expression as he stared down at you. "Good, now get out of here. Pretty girls should never cry over ugly men,"

With that, Hejin was out onto the floor. You stifled your laughter, heart pulling at the thought of your work family. She, in particular, was known to be rough around the edges, not one to show praise or direct affection but small acts like these were truly the most meaningful. You made a mental note to treat them in the future, thankful for the saving grace.

Jake pulled away from the hug slight, a small smile perking at his lips as he tilted his head. He gently pulled away your hands from your face, wiping away the few stray tears with the same fond look.

"You know, I don't know how to feel about you crying over another man," He teased causing you to roll your eyes. "Guess I have a lot of work to do to make you forgive him,"

"Forgive?" You echo, raising a brow not following his words.

Jake nods. "You know, for being an idiot but at least it allowed for me and you which is like, a million times better," He says in the most obvious voice causing you to snicker. "Forgive but not forget, or whatever it is that people say,"

"Have you been looking at pinterest quotes?" You laugh while Jake begins to nod wholeheartedly.

"You put me on, it's honestly so chill scrolling. I have like, five different boards I've made so far,"

"Rookie numbers," You tease causing him to mock offense.

"They all have certain aesthetics and are listed in order," He offers causing you to hum.

You nod in approval. "Better,"

Noting that your mood had seem to raise, Jake leans in, placing a small peck to the tip of your nose causing you to let out a small squeal. Your face scrunches up, pulling away from him while he lets out a laugh.

"C'mon, you owe me your time and I think I have the perfect idea to get your pretty little mind off everything,"

"YOU’RE JOKING?"

"What?"

You sent Jake a pointed look, smiling down at the excited animal that jumped into your arms, licking the skin of your cheek while your heart nearly bursted at the sight of her tail wagging so happily. "We've been faking it for over a month and you decided to just tell me you had a dog?"

"Her name's Layla," He laughs, crouching down to the level which you were sat on the floor. As soon as you walked into the door of the unfamiliar apartment, you were greeted by soft paws jumping at your leg along with excited barks for attention. "This is my brother's place, she's a family dog but he has her most of the time since my parents are always out of town. He's on a trip with his friends so he asked me to watch her for the week," Jake cooed as he pet Laylas fur, eyes full of affection and love as she leaned into his touch.

“I’ll watch her for the week,” You smile, gaining her attention once more as you scratched at the spot just behind Laylas’ ears. Her eyes shut as you did so, a small giggle leaving your lips as the dog visibly relaxed to your petting. “I’ll keep her company while you party or whatever you do in that frat house,”

Jake rolled his eyes, his view set on you but you were far too focused on Layla to care. “I haven’t gone to a party in weeks, and if I do you’re with me,” He says pointedly as you merely hum.

“Exactly, you can go do what you want. I’ll stay here with the cutest little puppy I’ve ever seen,” The latter half of your sentence was spoken in a high voice, cooing at Layla who seemed to be happily responsive to it.

Though he liked seeing how well you got along with his childhood pet, Jake tsked. Maybe it was a bad idea bringing you to see her, all of your attention would go to the little border collie instead of him which, admittedly, he couldn’t have.

“What I want,” Jake starts, leaning over to flood your view. “Is for you to not love my dog more than me,” He finished, dangerous close to your lips as you blinked, a small snort leaving your lips.

“Well for one, I barely tolerate you so Layla wins by a long shot,” You tease causing his lips to pout. Lightly pushing Jake away, he ends up sitting directly in front of you, Layla happily pouncing into his lap but still begging for you to provide her with scratches as she rolled over onto her back to expose her stomach. “And two, you can’t be jealous over your own dog. She’s just too cute,”

Jake sighed half heartedly. “You kicking me to the curb now for my dog?”

“Precisely,” You nod, a wide grin playing at your lips that you were unable to resist. It was still between the two of you for a moment, Jake taking the silence to gently place Layla down onto the ground beside you. You rose a brow, noting how he inched closer causing you to move back. “Hey~”

His arms were suddenly thrown around your body, one around your waist while the other was behind your head, blocking the impact of him suddenly tackling you to the hardwood floor. Your laughter filled the air, arms stuck under the weight of his chest and your faces inches apart.

“Too bad, you’re not allowed to get rid of me,” Jake huffs though there was an amused smile playing at his lips. “Say you like me more,”

You gaped in disbelief. “Are you serious?” The response to your question ended up with Jake’s fingers dancing along the skin of your waist, your shirt riding up and him knowing how ticklish you were as you began to squirm beneath him. “H-hey! Okay, s-stop—”

“Say it,” Jake taunts, his laughter mixing with yours.

“O-okay—”

Layla’s loud barks suddenly broke the air before the view of her jumping onto Jake’s head was seen. Your laughs were now from seeing how he yelped at the sudden help you received, rolling off of your body and with Layla still attacking his face with an abundance of kisses, you sat up. Now straddling Jake’s waist, you returned the favor of poking your fingers into his side, moving until you found a spot by his ribs that caused him to squirm around.

“Hey! You can’t team up against me,” Jake called out, unable to move either of you due to the way you sat and how Layla was now perched on his chest to get a better angle of sloppy kisses that he attempted to block. “She’s trying to lick my nose! Baby please—”

“What? I’m giving you attention like you wanted,”

my tags!! @slutforsjy @jaklvbub @whowantshota @addictedtohobi @coolwitu @simjyunnie @kgneptun @graythecoffeebean @143ikeu @zyvlxqht @tesywesy @nxzz-skz @aishisgrey @enczen @vanvity @dreamiestay @caitysdelusions @ikkeumyluv @v3lv3tsin

[hotchfiles]

i've been getting a lot of criminal minds and especially hotch writers followers and he's my love and number one obsession right now and i love reading how y'all write and talk about him so i decided to create an event to celebrate hotch and us!

DURATION: THE WHOLE MONTH OF MARCH

HOW WILL IT WORK?

it's a mix of questions and writing prompts, one for each day of the month! but surely, you all can participate whenever you want, i just feel that like this we get something from everyone everyday and we can interact and have a bit of hotch fun!

use tag #marchhotchness for your posts and if you feel like, tag me in it too!

REBLOG TO REACH MORE HOTCH GALS AND PALS!

QUESTIONS AND PROMPTS LIST UNDER THE CUT!

[QUESTION] Childhood. What are some headcanons you have of his childhood, how do you think he was at school, at home, stuff like that, anything you can think about or have thought about.

[PROMPT] The One That Got Away

[QUESTION] What's your favorite Hotch outfit? Any reason for it?

[PROMPT] Sympathy for the Devil

[QUESTION] What are some of your headcanons for his FBI career, do you have any?

[PROMPT] Perfectionism

[QUESTION] What's something you would change about him?

[PROMPT] Choices

[QUESTION] What pet names do you usually go for when writing him?

[PROMPT] Good Day's Work

[QUESTION] What's your favorite Hotch centered episode?

[PROMPT] Dinner Party Stories

[QUESTION] College & university headcanons! How was Hotch during those years?

[PROMPT] Eye of the Beholder

[QUESTION] What makes him so appealing to you?

[PROMPT] Summer Nights

[QUESTION] What's your favorite genre/trope to write him?

[PROMPT] Self-image

[QUESTION] What's an unpopular opinion you have about him?

[PROMPT] Beware of the ides of March

[QUESTION] What is something you never write him as even if fandom likes it?

[PROMPT] Swipe right

[QUESTION] What's something you would like to see more on his fics?

[PROMPT] To belong

[QUESTION] What's your favorite quote?

[PROMPT] End and begin

[PROMPT] Thanatology

[PROMPT] Secret box

[PROMPT] Jukebox

[PROMPT] Show and tell

[PROMPT] Out loud

[dilutedconfusion]

A Moth to a Flame

Eustass Kid x F!Reader (Part 6)

Heyyy so yeah…it’s me again. This is not an old post or a repost or anything like that. I am back like a year later still obsessed with Kid and still continuing this fanfic because it’s my baby and I love it (despite some of the old chapters making me cringe a little lol). So basically what happened was college and life REALLY got in the way, but lately I’ve had more time and finally THANK THE FUCKING LORD got out of my writers block. Like seriously I was so stuck on where to go with this fanfic I rewrote certain sections a bunch of times. But here I am and I plan to try to keep this up once again. Soooo expect more from me (specifically the last chapter of Lost Star if you even remember that fic that Im soooooo close to finishing).

For your reading pleasure and because its been forever Imma give a but more in depth summary of PREVIOUS chapters before talking about this one itself.

SO SPOILERS AHEAD PLEASE GO READ THE OTHER CHAPTERS BEFORE THIS RECAP!!! This is just for returning readers who may have forgotten.

RECAP: Okay so if we remember Y/N lives on an island in the New World. Her life is boring but she tries to make it fun by both drawing constantly and being reckless (I know what a fun combo). Kid literally just got his arm blasted off about a week ago. Little to say but he’s been a bit grouchy since then and because of that him and Killer have been on the rocks. Y/N out of curiosity decides to follow the pair once they take to land on her island for supplies. Kid and Y/N chat, she does something stupid like falling right into the damn ocean, he saves her. She wakes up on his ship and is NOT doing well mentally. Kid freaks out, basically publicly bullies her but lo and behold her Dad, who may not or may be someone special, shows up at the scene of the crime. All long with the entirety of Kids crew just standing there awkwardly.

Summary: Y/N finally has some semblance of dignity and stands up for herself. Kid doesn’t like that, but guess what? He actually sorta realizes what a little freak he was being. Kid and Killer finally talk about it instead dodging the issue for the millionth time which means some big emotional trouble for the lads. Y/N realizes she misplaced something, something rather important. Killer starts to scheme and may or may not totally ship it. But all the while Y/N’s worst nightmare is looming closer.

Warnings: Mentions of blood, Killer being freaky lol

Word Count: Like 10-11k I think, this shit huge

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Tags: @st4rfevrr @archangelshavethetardis @likeeliterallywtf-archived @tremendoushorsepatrolgoth @thesnailus @shamblespirate @gabi-moureira @ferretsqueen @karmadglory @dreamistsblog

(Also I realize again it’s been HELLA LONG since I last posted. But I still tagged the people who wanted to be tagged, but if you would not like to be tagged anymore no problem just ask! I get it lol)

Seeing you up on that boat was odd for him. Odd in the way one might find a chess piece in a checkers box. Or a tree on the world’s smallest island in the middle of the ocean. Not impossible, surely, but that thought didn’t stop him from remembering something he hadn’t thought about in years.

His saliva turned to acid and his throat the barrel of a gun. Throwing out scorching breaths that had him kneeled over in pain.

You were young. Short enough to get fully engulfed by the putrid man that was holding you. His mask was void of any emotion yet he could nearly see that sadistic smile. Your hair a mess of blood as you struggled against his large arms.

Your father caught a spare glance of you that night before everything changed. One reflective bright glare of fire in your eyes and tears so full of life and emotion. If that moment was a painting it would be praised. But his life wasn’t one he wanted to be documented. Not anymore. Not with this shame.

Because only a bastard like him could have a doomed child like you.

“Y/N tell me what’s going on.”

Before he could let himself sink into the past he needed to realize you weren’t pleading for your life. Not clawing or caked in blood. His eyes catched the shining gleam of sweat on your brow. The way your eye bags sunk a little lower and your hair seemed out of control. But it was the bandages on your hands that worried him the most. You weren’t standing up fully, as if hunkered over in shame. Face red with an emotion he couldn’t quite make out.

Is that…fear or embarrassment?

Before you could speak, your mouth already hanging open to reply, the redhead cut you off. “Dad?!” Kid leered between you and this supposed man that was your father. Looking down at your hand on his forearm in disgust before ripping it away and quickly walking up to the edge of the banister. Your cheeks flushed up an even brighter red, swallowing down the solid rock that was seemingly in your throat to follow after him. Kid stood there giving the man a speculative snarl as he spoke to you. “This man is your father? Did he come here to save his helpless little baby?”

You glared at him almost instantly. Smacking a hand into his right arm which nearly sent smoke to spew out of his ears. “Don’t talk to me like that!”

She…smacked him? Your father was trying to piece the scenario together. One that made sense with both your injuries, blushed face, and the fact that you hadn’t come home last night. He was expecting to see you screaming for his help if you were injured.

I mean clearly these men hurt her right?

Kid didn’t have a moment to retaliate against your slap because in an instant he heard rocketing steps in the air. His eyes met your fathers as he watched him skywalk up onto the deck. The crowd of Kid pirates below briskly put down their supplies and drew their weapons. The faint clang of guns getting loaded and swords being unsheathed causing him no alarm. As the slightly gray haired man landed you in front of you, you felt a wave of relief. With Killer promptly getting his blades out and ready, Kid stayed still. Sizing up the man with an unblinking glare as he turned towards him.

With all the weapons pointed at your father you couldn’t help but make haste. Stepping in between the space between your father and Kid. “Everyone chill out! I’m being serious, put down your weapons, everything is fine!”

Seeing you red and yelling like that sent a little smile to Kids lips. Eyes flickering to your palm now facing him as if that would do anything to stop him. “Don’t tell my crew what to do, brat.”

Your father took a bounding step forward. His heavy boot slamming against the deck authoritatively. “Don’t talk to my daughter like that! Y/N what happened here? Why are you injured and with these idiots?”

Before you could even speak, mouth hung open and head turned back towards your father you were cut off yet again. “Idiots? That’s big talk coming from a short man.”

Kids voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard to you as he spoke up. “Kid shut up! You’re making things worse.”

Kid didn’t like that. Well that was to be expected but he couldn’t handle anymore of this outright disobedience against him. You were a pest and he needed you to know that. “You’re telling me to shut up? Little miss I can’t fucking do anything for myself and need my daddy to come save me. Yeah right. Step aside. If this old geezer wants a fight he’s getting it.”

With Kids attitude the crew started to murmur from below. Some left standing clutching their weapons, others climbing up the side onto the deck. Pacing sideways to take up the space behind Kid and beside Killer. But what people didn’t notice, simply because they couldn’t with the man’s face covered in a mask, was Killer squinting his eyes at the old man in confusion.

It wasn’t like him to draw his weapon and not be completely enthralled in what was happening. That was required of him simply for the fact that him and the surrounding crew could die in a moment of hesitation like that. But here he was, ears almost ringing softly as the world around him became muffled. That girl and Kid just blurry visages yelling at each other back and forth like always. The crews murmuring and yells egging on the situation from beside him. The only thing perfectly set in his view was this old man, standing there silently, watching over the scene more confused than afraid.

Where do I know this guy from? I…swear I’ve seen him before.

Killer couldn’t quite put his thumb on it and Kid, along with everyone else, wasn’t paying enough attention.

They are watching their favorite soap opera, “Dad Meets His Daughter’s Angry Deranged Boy-toy.”

Without any hesitation seeing as Killer was so unfocused he giggled softly at that. Which of course made the whole crew go completely silent instantaneously.

“Did you just…laugh?” Kid, who in the middle of berating the old man, pivoted his anger towards his next victim. Craning his neck at a visibly painful angle to stare back at Killer.

Killer once again thanked himself for wearing a mask 24/7 cause without it they would’ve seen the blood red tinted all over his tanned cheeks. He left out a awkward little cough, glancing at you and your father who seemed to be giving each other confused looks and shoulder shrugs.

I don't whats weirder, them hearing my laugh or everyones reaction to it.

“No. Of course not.” He said, muscles tightening up once again so he looked a little more ready to fight. His arms at his sides as his blades tipped limply towards the floor.

“Are you making fun of me over there? Is this funny to you?” Kid asked clearly trying to find yet his third victim of unused testosterone and throw it head first at somebody.

I swear I need to buy him a stress toy. The ones where the little eyes pop out so he can get the full experience.

“I mean it’s a little funny, yeah. You yelled at a helpless girl for no reason and almost made her fall off the boat. And now you’re picking a fight with an old man whose main concern should be cataracts, not fighting.” Killer said matter of factly. The crew behind him both laughed a little at Killer’s blatant throw whilst others softly agreed with him.

“Yeah why in the hell are you fighting these people Kid? We don’t even know who the hell they are.” Jaguar, one of the taller crew members, rumbled out. The rest of the crew nodded their heads in response as they stared at Kid expectantly.

Hip, who had been the one to bandage you up late last night stood quietly. Considering the fact that Kid profusely asked her not to mention what had happened and he barely even told her anything, she was in no rush to explain anything to the crew. Keeping her arms folded and her lips tight.

Otherwise the rest of the crew had no idea how this girl had even managed to get on the boat in the first place or why she was wearing their spare clothes.

“Wait, isn’t that the girl from yesterday UK? The one that was on the docks.” Bubblegum piped up, softly elbowing the man next to him as he stared at you.

“Hmmmm…yeah I think so now that you mention it. She looks a little more ugly than before though.” He mumbled, but with ears like yours of course you heard. Your frown deepened as you looked back at him in shock.

“Says the guy who’s built like a fucking onion!” You stepped away from Kid and your Dad, pointing a finger at the man in the crowd.

“Hey don’t call me an onion with your mummy looking ass!” UK roared back, the rest of the crew clamoring with him as their weapons now pointed at you instead of the old man.

“Don’t you dare talk to my daughter like that!” The old man yelled, grabbing you by the shoulders forcing you to take a step behind him like always. You struggled a bit, smacking your fathers hand away but getting pushed back regardless. You tried to pay no mind to him, focusing your attention on the crew in front of you. Considering what just happened earlier with Kid you couldn’t take any more blows to your ego like that.

“Oh now you’re gonna shoot me because I called one guy an onion. What are you a bunch of babies? All of ya’ll like to pretend like you’re some big balled bastards but fucking start squawking like birds the second you meet someone who won’t let you shit on them!”

What once was an uproar became a full yelling contest, the once quiet peaceful boat of the early morning now splitting anyone’s ear who happened to be close by.

At this point, Kid was just standing there in shock. He was angry, sure, but now that it wasn’t all focused on him and his personal beef that made absolutely no sense, he was starting to see how things…may have gotten out of hand.

This isn’t my fault, she deserves this. This random old guy deserves this and I-

He looked back at Killer, who was now just standing there silent at the front of the angry mob, mask trained on the redhead.

Oh I know what he’s thinking. Probably a big fat I told you so and that I let this get out of hand and that I was being completely irrational and how I need to be resting in bed sucking on my thumb like a child.

Kid just grimaced more, the loud yells between you and his crew less ramping up his anger and more just making his head thump in pain. All that tiredness from this morning coming back and but of course his stupid stump throbbing.

He felt the veins on his forehead grow, beating rhythmically on his forehead before he finally couldn’t take it anymore. “EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP!”

And thankfully the ship went silent yet again. Everyone’s eyes snapping towards the red head, but of course the silence didn’t last long.

“Captain this damn broad and geezer need to learn a lesson!”

“Yeah her and that old geezer shouldn’t even be here! They need to pay for even stepping onto the Victoria!”

”I don’t wanna be here, your stupid Captain asked me to leave and then wouldn’t let me! I don’t know you if guys realize this but your Captain is a fucking hormonanlly imbalanced idiot!” You yelled back, looking at the crew once more. There was no way you were going to take the blame for what had happened. If it was up to you, you would’ve been gone already.

“What the fuck did you just call our Captain?” The crew somehow said in unison. If they were pissed before then they were ready to go to war now. Stomping closer to the girl as a herd and weaving around Killer who still stood silently in place staring at Kid.

Kids eyes fluttered around spastically. If he wasn’t suddenly tired he would’ve joined the fight with you calling him ‘hormonally imbalanced’ and all. But with Killers demanding stare on him and this strange sense of shame and even a bit of embarrassment in his gut for what he had done, he really just wanted this over with.

So instead he chose the most agreeable option since his crew would fight to the death for him and you seemed to finally have your balls back with all the yelling. He quickly without thinking too much stomped over to you, slipping behind the old man and grabbing you by the back of your shirt. You hadn’t even noticed him considering you were far to focused on the angry mob to be fair. But one moment you were standing, in the next you were being slid backwards, sending your feet out from under you. You managed to catch yourself from falling but you’re feet kept sliding across the deck with quick speed.

“Hey what the hell? Let go of me!” You tried to spin around and took strong steps on the ground to keep you planted. But you couldn’t move with his grip on your shirt keeping you in place. Eventually he came to a stop, pinning you against the banister with your back to him so he could let go of you. You tried to kick back into him, but he was using his knee and stabbing you right in the spine to keep you in place.

Oh not again. I’m not babying out this time.

“What is with you and pinning me against this stupid banister? I swear to god I'll turn your fucking nutsack into a coin purse you horrid man shaped piece of shit!”

Surprisingly that little comment made him snort. Biting back a laugh and smiling down at her as he craned her head to look at him. “Wow, look who got her bite back. You’d like that wouldn’t you?” He whispered demeaningly. But just when you were about to slip free you felt him slip something in your pocket which immediately sparked out these purple little lines of electricity. It made your skin tingle and before you knew it he let up, removing his knee and taking a step back from you.

“Fucking hell what did you-“

One moment you were standing on the deck and the next you were swung violently 20 feet in the air. In these kind of moments, when you had a crowd watching you really didn’t want to seem like such a wuss. But hanging loosely like a limp cat by your side pocket really did bring out the worse of you.

“OH MY SWEET FUCK PUT ME DOWN!” You tried to grab onto the item in your pocket but the second you tried you got flung violently towards the island at incredible speeds.

Kid, who’s one good hand was still sparkling purple, suddenly stopped. Looking over at the old man who was being held up by the angry crew with a grin on his face.

“Go fetch.”

__________

“How long until we get there?” A woman asked, her voice interested yet pointedly annoyed as if she was just asking the question to bother the stewardess beside her.

“By nightfall according to the captain madam.” The stewardess stood beside her with a straight back. Eyes lingering anywhere else but the woman beside her. The woman sat upon a red velvet chair carried in just for her. Gold tassel accents threaded in its edges that matched the dangling drips of finely threaded gold hanging from her glasses.

If the stewardess wasn’t pointedly uncomfortable she would’ve marveled at the delicate jewelry all along the aging woman. Noticing the fine lines in her face filled with makeup. Bright colors adorning her eyes in the attempt to make her look slightly more welcoming. ”Well they should make haste if they know what’s good for them. Keeping me cooped up in this…” the woman motioned her hands around the large room of the boat, “pigs den! I mean seriously, you’d think they’d provide something a bit more lavish.”

“Well with the short notice this was the closest available ship to make your request madam. I apologize for the lack of amenities.” The stewardess replied, keeping her tone even despite the obvious hatred towards her ship.

I didn’t become a marine to have my very own ship be compared to a pigs den.

“It doesn’t matter, I shouldn’t have had to wait for this disgusting ship to arrive in the first place. I’m on a over decade long mission that those supposed marines should be well informed on. But look! With the death of that horrid man we finally get a chance and yet suddenly all their efforts go to reforming those mindless countries.”

The stewardess stayed quiet. Watching over the woman as she sighed and leaned further back into her chair. A tilted frown on her painted lips. The tips of her sharp heels prodded into the side of her footrest ribs. The footrests face becoming more contorted in pain.

Always obedient. Always silent.

The stewardess thought, again trying to conceal her animosity as she made the effort to refill the woman’s drink once again despite it still being half full. Whatever she could do to stop her nagging she would. Not a single pillow out of place, nor lack of attentiveness showed.

__________

The meeting room, which was also called the observatory, was near the upper deck of the Victoria. The room was circular in shape and had big windows looking out towards the sea. Light blue walls made the room bright and airy. But they were mostly covered by all the hanging picture frames and memorabilia the crew had collected over the years. They kept their most precious items in this room along with maps, treasure chests, and rare artifacts. The room was the most well kept out of all of them though it still had that messy touch of scattered papers and left open books on almost every surface. At the center of the room was a light table surrounded by four lush dark blue chairs, the meeting place for Kids most trusted.

“What the hell was that?” Killer said, after hastily dragging Kid back inside the ship and into their observatory. The rest of the crew had thankfully gone back to work as Kid had ordered. There repetitive sounding footsteps as they hauled boxes from the dock to the lower hull close by. But of course once that girl and her father had disappeared Kid had tried to go grumbling off someplace else. Completely disregarding the confused faces among his crew.

“What do you mean what was that for? I did my job and got rid of her.” Kid stepped into the room, turning back around to stare at Killer as he closed the door. Knowing damn well he didn’t want anyone to hear what was going on.

Killer finally faced towards him, arms crossed over his chest as he stood there, just as demanding looking as he was back on the deck. “That’s not what I mean Kid I meant why did you get up on her like that? I told you I could handle it and you brushed me off like I wasn’t even there.”

“Well if you’d get the shit out of your ears you would’ve heard me say I didn’t need any help.” Kid rolled his eyes at him, almost unconsciously about to cross his arms before he realized he couldn’t. Which of course just made him even more pissed at having to deal with this.

“But we both agreed-”

“Agreed on what? That you think I couldn’t handle it.”

“Kid I need you to stop being a dick for just a minute and listen to me.” This was starting to get to Killer. Scratch that it had been getting to Killer for the past week. But right now it just felt like that cherry on top of an already steaming shit pie. He couldn’t let it go on any longer, he needed to talk about it now. There was no way he was letting something like that happen again.

“I don’t-”

“Kid.” Killer instantaneously cut him off. Quickly taking his hands and grabbing the back of his mask to slip it off. A big puff of his blonde hair and bangs swooped down over his face covering his eyes partly. But he brushed him down a bit to get rid of the hat hair. Holding his helmet at this side as he stared at Kid, his face so serious it could cut glass.

This quickly shut Kid up seeing his first mate like that. Along with the fact that he finally got to see the purple lines underneath the blondes eyes confirming just how tired he was.

“Okay, thank you.” Killer finally started, “What you did earlier was weird okay. You pushed her to the edge of the ship just because you wanted some kind of thank you? I thought you didn’t care about that and wanted her to leave first and foremost?”

“Well you saw the way she was acting. She was being ungrateful and practically about to pass out just from being near us. She was talking about my ship like it had her at gunpoint.” Kid knew he was complaining like a child, but he also knew he was right. She was acting weird the whole time and Killer saw that.

And yet she says I’m the hormonally imbalanced one.

“I don’t know what was wrong with her but you knew she was hurt. We both did. She literally just wanted answers and too leave yet you made a big deal out of it. I get it, she’s a bitch but we both know that wasn’t worth the trouble. Provoking her and her goddamn father like that.”

“You ask me to relax and the minute I find something fun to do you get angry at me.” Kid scoffed, still not willing to cough up the fact that he was starting to feel embarrassed by it too. Since in Kids mind he was just going to pretend like everything he did made sense, it was the easiest way out of this to him.

“What do you mean fun? I know you like proving asshole marines wrong and messing with them but that was just some girl.”

“Quit questioning me, it already happened and we’ll never see her or her father again so what does it matter?”

Classic Kid deflection. ‘It already happened so let’s not talk about it because talking about my feelings is not going to happen.’

Killer sighed, feeling a bout of rage start to bubble in him. “You brushed me off. God, everything you did out there was ridiculous. You went from wanting her gone to practically begging her to stay just so you could have something to yell at. The whole crew nearly started a fight on deck because you were being so unreasonable!”

Shit I didn’t mean to yell. Fuck. Killer knew not to raise his voice at Kid. But with how tired and just overall done with this he felt, there was no stopping it. Biting his tongue he watched how Kid’s face turned from annoyed at talking about it, to annoyed at him in particular. His dark rimmed eyes peering at him.

“Are you telling me I can’t pick fights when I want to? Seriously Killer? And the crew had every right to get angry. She was being a bitch, and her so-called father was just protecting her like the little baby she is. I didn’t instigate that, if anything you should’ve been the one to tell them to back off whilst I was dealing with them!” Kid took a step closer to Killer. Tilting his head slightly and throwing his hand up in the air. Killer of course couldn’t back down, not now after everything. Kid needed to be stopped.

“Well I thought you didn’t want my help. Why the hell would I try to fix your sloppy problems when you acted like I wasn’t even there. We’re a team Kid! We’ve always been a team and I’ve spent my whole life making sure you don’t blow a gasket over stupid shit. But for some reason this time my words aren’t enough? A random girl is the thing that makes you crack?!”

Kids eyes went wide when Killer yelled once again. He never did that. He always used that calm voice of his to settle Kid down. But here he was, just as broken as the man in front of him.

“It’s not like that! It’s not that I wasn’t listening to you, I just didn’t want you controlling me. You’ve been 10 feet up my ass all week, I need to be able to do what I want. I am the Captain aren’t I?!” He wanted Killer to say yes. To put down whatever this was and just let him be. There was no way he was going to stand here and let him talk to him like that. Even if subconsciously he knew he was getting a taste of his medicine.

“Well I’ve been 10 feet up your ass cause you lost your fucking arm Kid! Your literal fucking arm that was once attached your body on your left side if you can’t remember. Or are you so lost that I need to draw you a diagram as to what that means?” Killer flung his hand up in the air. Stepping closer to the red head as his eyes narrowed down on him in anger.

Why is he being like this? What the fuck? Kid almost didn’t know how to respond. Killer had teased him all his life but not like this. Not ever seriously. But here he was, zoned in dead on his face with a look that basically spelled out hatred. If Kid wasn’t so angry, he would’ve immediately been hurt.

“Yeah I for sure as hell need a diagram for the fucking lack of arm that I can feel throb every time you talk to me! Has it ever occurred to you that this isn’t helping? That you getting in the way for even the tiniest of things is a nuisance?!”

“Oh don’t you say that Kid. For all I’ve done for you, for the shit I went through last night and today. Or matter of fact when I saved you from bleeding to death when your arm got shot off.” Killer rubbed his eyes quickly, trying to hold himself back from saying something stupid. But it was on the tip of his tongue and no matter how much he swallowed it down, it dared him to yell it out. So he looked him dead in the eye, and took a step forward, breaching the space between them.

“I have to be like this Kid because if I wasn’t you and your incapable ass would be dead already!”

And that was the sentence that broke the camel’s back. That split the sea in half or caused Pompeii to rupture and kill thousands. But Kid wasn’t about to kill thousands, he didn’t even want to kill the one man in front of him. But it sure as hell took the strength of those thousands to keep him from punching Killer straight in the jaw.

“You did not just say that. Killer, do you seriously think everything I am and all my strength comes from you? That I’d be nothing without you huh? Do you really think that lowly of me? Huh?! DO YOU?!” Kid couldn’t handle it, pressing his pointer finger roughly into the other man’s chest. He was nearly screaming that last part, which meant if the crew hadn’t heard them arguing before, they definitely heard it now.

This immediately caused Killer to panic. He was angry, annoyed, and down right hostile but what he said was wrong. And even though he knew Kid would take it the wrong way, he still had said it. “That’s not what I meant Kid! You’re taking my words and twisting them. I know you can-"

“Shut the fuck up! Matter of fact, get out of here! Get the hell off my ship! If you don’t think that I can handle being by myself then fine. Let’s see how much I need some controlling, nagging, and useless asshole like you!”

The second those words slipped out of Kids mouth he felt the life drain from his whole body. As if somebody has slipped inside him and tore off a piece of soul. Dragging it away as Killer took a step back.

Kid’s mouth hung open to say something, anything, but his fear of looking stupid caused by his horrifically sized ego made him stop. There was no way he was going to back on what he just said. It would make him look like a fool and even more worrisome than that it would prove that he really was off his rocker. That he really was letting his emotions control him and the one person who was perfect at keeping Kid in check, was for some reason staying completely silent.

This silence grew heavy, as if the literal weight of a mountain hung on Kids shoulders. And that feeling only got worse. A crumbling rupture of an earthquake with each and every step Killer made, until eventually he had turned around and completely left the room. That’s when Kid really felt it crack, the fault line splitting completely. Swallowing up the land that held his heart and soul. Lava covered the ground with a searing splash across his cheeks. Fist clenched as it got pinned in place in the soil. There was no reaching for that door to chase after him. No movement at all. But that mountain shook and crumbled inside him. What once was one conjoined land became two separate solitary islands in just a few moments.

The space between them bigger than ever.

__________

After some point you couldn’t handle it anymore. Usually your room was comfortable. A nice place to relax and do whatever you wanted when you pleased. But right now it was a hiding place. Just another hole, box, or carved out corner in a wall for you to hide in. You stared up at the ceiling on your bed, body aches thankfully gone after you downed a gallon of water and some medicine. Along with your parents tag team nagging at you as you changed your bandages. There was no right way to explain to them what had happened so you said it in roundabout ways. Trying to avoid it all together despite how guilty you felt. Until of course your father gave you that look. That piercing look he had given you since you were a child that said tell me the truth as if lying would damn you straight to hell. So you did. You told them about the jetty, the drowning, how those pirates ‘saved’ you, and how you ended up arguing with those men on that ship.

Little to say they were mad, but more then that they were completely and utterly worried. “You can’t…you can’t keep doing things like this. I swear Y/N its like you want to get hurt.” Your mother pleaded out, arms folded across her chest as she stood there with a frown.

“I’m not trying to get hurt and I didn’t mean to fall into the water or whatever happened.”

“Well what did you think would happened when you go walking out there during a storm? You’re not an idiot. I know you’re not an idiot but you keep being so reckless.” Your father, who always had some semblance of faith in you if not regarding all the insistent worrying they both loved to throw up on you, seemed to be taking this slightly better than you imagined. Well frankly anytime the word ‘drowning’ was even uttered near your family it felt uncomfortable for a large sum of reasons the three of you never wanted to talk about ever again. And thats how these kinds of things went, you’d fuck up, say your sorry, they let it slide but little did they tell you that the leash around you was going to get a little bit tighter. You were older now, hopefully straying away from that leash but you knew it was always going to be there because you simply were put on this earth to be something to worry over.

Maybe Kid was right. I am just a baby.

“I know and I’m sorry, okay. I won’t go out there again. I’ll be careful.” You tried to look at both of them as you spoke but your eyes kept fluttering downwards. The floor a much safer place to look at then the disappointment surrounding you.

“Look…I know you’re taking his death hard. We all are. But for you to be acting out and making such horrible decisions like this is putting your life at risk. Who knows? Those men could have just taken you from us and you wouldn’t be here right now. You’d be on a ship of all things.” Your mother looked at you solemnly. She knew about your fear of being on boats. She knew how much you had loved him. Which only made you feel more and more ashamed of everything.

Fucking hell I am stupid. I’ve been trying to ride any high I can get and I just…keep falling back down. What’s wrong with me?

Which led you to where you are now. Your father going silent, your mother wishing you’d let her in. But you’d walked away, shut and locked the door to escape them. You didn’t need a constant reminder of how strange you were. You had already dealt with that your whole life yet here you were dealing with it again.

Your hands traced the bandage on your side. Felt your clothes thankfully changed into something not belonging to those idiots pressed softly against your skin. You were comfortable, yet miserable.

Sounds a lot like my life.

You chewed your lips, trying hard to remember what had happened last night. How you had even gotten there. How in the world those pirates ended up saving you.

I…remember the bar and talking to him. I remember leaving to go home I think. I must’ve ended up going to the beach but why in the hell did I fall in? I’ve never fallen in before, I’m always careful. Unless someone…pushed me in?

That thought made you brows furrow. Why in the world would they have pushed me in, just to save me? Actually why in the world were they over there? You can barely see the jetty from the docks. And it’s just forest around there so there’s no reason to head that way.

You rubbed your eyes, groaning softly in annoyance. Okay well maybe they were meeting someone up over there? But I know everyone who comes in and out of this island. You can’t not know that since the dock is right there. Maybe…there’s some pirate treasure hidden over there? No way in hell, I’ve lived here way too long to not have come across some stupid treasure. Well maybe…they followed me? But Kid was basically begging for me to leave him alone and…Killer seemed more interested in literally anything else but me. I mean I guess he stared at me when their ship first showed up but that’s about it. And why did Kid seem so annoyed when I asked him if he saved me? I mean seriously does he hate me that much that he can’t even take credit for it? Despite me being on his literal ship??

All of these thoughts were really starting to get to you. Jumbling around in your head as you smacked yourself across the forehead wishing you didn’t have seemingly a small case of amnesia. You sat up with a grunt, scooting your ass over to the end of the bed near its left post. Without even paying attention you reached out to grab you satchel, which you always left hanging there in the same exact spot. Except this time you didn’t feel it there. Feeling nothing but smooth cold wood instead of fabric. You did a double take, blinking your eyes as if you were hallucinating before in fact realizing it was there.

“What the-”

Then it hit you like a bag of bricks.

My bag. My stuff. My FUCKING SKETCHBOOK.

You knew you had lost your clothes, seeing as you came home not wearing them. But your bag had completely left your mind. You basically forgot the damn thing existed for the past 6 hours since you woke up. Which meant two things.

It’s either crying for help at the bottom of the sea bed or its….

The second part made your skin crawl.

Oh no. I can’t. I can’t go back there, they will actually try to kill me this time.

When you had first seen that beautiful boat it mesmerized you, but standing on it was a different story and the people on it were even worse.

Maybe if I ask nicely? Or like…pay them? Fucking hell I didn’t even look for it when I woke up.

But you weren’t about to just give that bag up. You needed that sketchbook. It was the damn thing that he had made for you when you were little. You’ve been binding more pages to it ever since because you thought it made your art better. It had everything in it.

Okay…let’s think rationally. I could try to dive for it and grab it. It’s in a waterproof bag so I should be fine. But then you remembered your wounds, which meant of course diving wasn’t an option. Second plan…get someone else to dive and look for it. Fucking who the hell would want to do that? It’s definitely not going to float to shore, that book weighs a ton and it probably got sucked in deeper.

You looked up at the ceiling, thinking heavily in the same way you always did. Okay then I guess if its going to be somewhere I can actually grab it myself…it’s going to be there. Which means I’m going to have to ask myself.

The thought of asking one of your parents to do it grazed across your mind but you halted that thought immediately. I’m the one who got myself into this mess, I’m going to be the one to clean it up.

You quickly shot up. Rushing over to your closet and throwing it open. You kept an extra wad of emergency cash hidden in a small box on the top shelf. Slipping down and coughing up the extra dust that came down with it you opened her up. Sitting on the floor to count bills and at least try to save some of it.

There’s no way I’m giving them all of this. Maybe just a little, like 50…no to low maybe 100? Fucking hell their pirates they are going to be greedy.

So unwillingly you split it into fours and took one fourth of the pile. Shoving it into your pocket and standing up to head out. But before you could reach the door you realized something.

There’s no way they are going to let me out. I’m injured so they don’t want that getting worse nor do they want me near that ship.

You stared at the door for a moment, feeling some guilt come over you. Well it won’t take me too long. I’ll just try and be back right away. Go to the ship, hand them the cash, and go straight home. No biggie. Not a problem.

You knew bad things could happen, like the whole crew still hating your guts and not accepting your money. But you were on your terms now. You didn’t have to get on the boat if you didn’t want to, nor did you have to come unprepared.

So knelt down by your bed, patting your hand around on the warm carpet before you felt the cold and hard metal fill up your hands. It was a pistol your Dad had given you for protection. And despite how unsafe and risky of a person you seemed, you were still a better shot than anyone else on this island.

So you shoved it into the back of your pants, keeping the safety on like always before slipping on a black jacket to cover it up. Then quietly you opened the latch on your window and slipped out into the evening air.

__________

Killer was well…Killer and that meant two things. The first being that he was a soldier of massacre as they called him. The name being right on the nose for exactly what he was capable of and willing to do. The second thing, or the more unlikely thing for people to realize, was he was a softy. He knew that everyone was, even Kid which he so often made fun of at the worst and best of times. But Kid hid it well and to the untrained eye would never notice it if it went unchecked. But Killer, well Killer had problems hiding it. He didn’t just wear this mask because it made him look cool or for the fact that he had some unscrupulous feelings about what he looked and sounded like. He also knew that in the face of danger, sometimes his face could give it away how he felt. That any time his Captain had been hurt or someone on the crew was out of his reach his face contorted into this horrifically sad frown. One that made him look weak despite being anything but. It made sense for him, as the calm more rational half of his Captain to be unreadable as to never give anything away.

But today he realized something strange, like as if the sky wasn’t blue or grass wasn’t green. He realized maybe Kid didn’t view him as much of a half as he did himself. That this connection they’ve had since childhood wasn’t as strong as it once was or maybe it was always like this and he’d never notice. Too lost in the battle, blood, and happiness his crew brought him.

These thoughts were strong as he walked but no one would have noticed. He wasn’t going to slump over or cry out in pity as he walked through the town. He was inconspicuously sad, showing exactly what he wanted to show at all times. So when he went to the bar for a drink, the same one he had been to the previous night, no one noticed. Even when the bartender questioned him about the absence of his friend, he simply said “He’s busy right now. Ya know…pirate stuff. Just here to relax is all,” and that was that.

He’d been drinking slowly and calmly as he watched the world go by outside the window. Sitting at the barstools at the front of the house since a booth would only make him feel more empty.

He hadn’t spent the whole day there. He had nowhere else to go for what seemed like forever so at first he took a walk to let off some steam. Punched a tree or two when no one was around and finally settled here for the past few hours. Reading through old newspapers and patiently waiting for the moment he could go back home. He supposed he looked suspicious at this point, seeing as he could feel the bartender’s eyes on him more often then he liked. But he hoped it wouldn’t take too long now, the sun slowly starting to go down and darkness unfurling like a blanket in front of him.

Maybe I’ll stay at a motel. Go back and talk to him in the morning. I’ll take it all back and amount what he said to me to just be some funny little accident. We’ll laugh about something stupid like this eventually, we always have.

He had said the same thing to himself all day. That this was just another rare hiccup in their relationship. Nothing to worry about, nothing to cry over. They’ve always been together from the start, something as simple as this wouldn’t change anything.

If only we never met that girl. It would’ve never gotten that bad. He could have relaxed, I wouldn’t have had to worry. Everything was just too much at the wrong time and he was making it worse.

He took a sip out of his drink through the bendy straw, swirling it in his mouth for a moment before swallowing hard. His fists reflexively clenched through the anger.

Why did some random woman just bring out the worst in him? He’s never been like that before. If anyone bothers him like those Strawhats or Heart pirates he swipes it off eventually. Not wanting to waste his time on people that just get in the way. But it’s almost like he wanted her to be in his way and getting angry at her for being there to begin with. Maybe…he just wanted someone to let his frustrations out on rather than me or the crew? But he saved her from drowning, the one thing that could kill him easily. God and the way he looked at her last night on that cot, I can’t remember the last time he looked at a woman like that-

He cut himself off mid thought, realizing something rather strange finally piece together.

Kid isn’t a man of words, he’s a man of action, so why talk to the woman you want gone when you can just get rid of her? Which means he wanted her there. He didn’t want her to leave but once everyone else got involved he couldn’t be selfish anymore.

He didn’t want me getting in the way in the first place which is why he brushed me off.

…

Oh my god he’s in love with a lunatic.

As if some otherworldly power had been listening in on his thoughts he saw you walk by the window. Not super close thankfully but he spotted you across the other side of the street, walking rather fast with your hood up. The streetlights had come on but the sun was still barely peeking through, providing him just enough light to see you instantly.

Not again.

He wanted to immediately panic. Maybe his subconscious was starting to correlate you and the worst possible things happening to him. But as he watched you walk he made the rational decision not to freak out.

She lives here, this is her town. Of course she can walk around it, which is not unusual.

But what was unusual was the speed at which you were going, before he knew it you were out of view of the large window in front of him and he could’ve sworn your face looked very…serious. As if something had happened he wasn’t aware of.

Or something was about to happen. This road leads right to the docks. She’s walking fast. She looks serious. Fucking hell its nighttime and she’s injured she should be resting.

Killer nearly smacked himself on the head for that last bit. Am I seriously telling yet another injured person they should be resting? Am I going insane or is my secret calling to be a nurse because I swear to fucking god its not.

Without even really thinking about it he slung out some cash, slapped it on the table and instantly headed out the door. The bartender tried to give him a friendly goodbye from behind the bar but before she could even manage that, the door had swung shut.

He spotted you immediately down the long winding road. Picking up the pace and using his long legs to try and catch up to you.

This looks creepy doesn’t it. A big man following some girl. And oh lord she’s going to freak out when she spots me.

He had no other way to make this seem evenly slightly normal. He didn’t even know if you’d want to talk to him. But this felt important, or moreover he needed some context about a lot of things and you were the only one who’d provide that currently.

Right when he was about to shout to grab your attention you turned around and looked at him from afar, slowing down to a stop but not saying anything until he proceeded a bit closer.

“So this is how you murder people huh? Walk up to them causally like you wanna talk about fresh baked pies and not murder.” You spoke out, eyes narrowing on the man as you craned your neck to look at him from behind you.

Killer, who was not at all expecting you to be so calm about this did his best to walk forward with a sense of purpose. His voice even and calm as he spoke. “I’m not here to murder you. I just want to talk.”

“You don’t seem like that talking type.” You mumbled, your hand almost itching to grab out your gun but you paused, staying still despite the bit of alarm he caused you.

Maybe this is a good thing. A slightly freaky thing considering he's walking up to me but a good thing. I can get him to grab my stuff and avoid the ship all together.

“Well sometimes I like to make exceptions. Keep em guessing.” Killer stepped up closer to your side, causing you to finally turn your body a bit more towards him. He didn't seem torn with anger nor did his body look tense. Which of course just meant he was leading you into a false sense of security.

I really need to stop being so paranoid.

“Well aren’t you funny. Fine. I’ll talk to you but you gotta help me with something. Deal?” You tilted your head at him, keeping your hands shoved in your pockets.

“What is this something you speak of?”

You rose an eyebrow at that, finding the way he was talking to be far too controlled then usual.

Well I guess I barely know the guy but if he's really apart of that crew then he clearly doesn't have the lingo down.

“I left some…of my stuff on your ship and since your Captain physically threw me off I have to go retrieve it.” It was almost physically painful to mention the whole him catapulting you into the air thing. Lips turning into a hard line of uncomfortableness.

If Killer did notice your obvious distress over the situation, he sure as hell didn't let that on. “Sounds fair enough. Lets walk and talk then shall we?” Killer causally motioned his hand down the road. Politely ready to walk with you in step as if thats what he wanted to do all along.

Does he want me to go back there?

“What do you even want to talk about?” You mentioned back, turning with him in stride as the two of you started to walk together. You kept your pace a little slower then before, trying to discern his motives before you walked into what could be a trap.

I mean what could this guy even ask me thats so concerning? He clearly knows nothing about me because if he did I would have a lot more problems then just some nosy guy.

“You and Kid.”

What the-

“Me and Kid? I barely like to be mentioned in the same sentence as him. Why in the world would I talk to you about that?" You truly hadn't a single clue why he would care about that. Even thinking about him made your skin burn red with some sort of embarrassment hatred hybrid.

Unless he thinks something happened. I mean Kid was acting like a madman but thats just how is always is I'm assuming. Unless...I'm wrong?

"Just let me ask some questions, you want your stuff back don't you?" The way Killer said that instantly ticked you off. Hard-balling him beside you with a huff knowing that he damn well loved having some leverage over you.

Well at least this means I don't gotta pay anyone anything.

"Goddamn it, fine. If you couldn't already tell he provided me with the most embarrassingly horrific event of my life. So if you’re wondering if I still care about the whole town pillaging thing anymore then guess what, I don’t. He can try to burn the whole place down if he wants. A kind of guy like him couldn’t even make a dent in a tin can.” You spat out, looking ahead at the road.

“You don’t think he’s strong?” Killer replied as if you were stupid or blind, maybe even a mix of both.

Theres no way she can actually thing that. Matter of fact I know thats a lie.

“Of course I know he's strong, I may have been having a panic attack but I was still completely lucid asshole." You cocked your head to the side to look at him. But by Killers continued silence you could tell he wanted a bit more explanation then that, so you huffed out and continued.

"But he’s an idiot. He gets angry at absolutely nothing and it gets in the way of everything. He even yelled at his crew to stop and they didn’t even listen earlier. I’ve been around long enough to know that means something.” You talked with your hands motioning in the air. Clearly more intertwined in your thoughts about Kid then you realized. Which didn't come as a surprise but what Killer pegged as strange was why you of all people would care about Kid’s own crew listening to him.

Does she expect something better of him then? Some sort of pre-perceived idea of what leading should look like?

“Well the only reason they didn’t listen is because you were bad mouthing him. They really love him as their captain. Not listening to his orders just to save his reputation.” He thought that would clear the air a little bit, but by the way you rolled your eyes at him it only seemed like he had made it sound worse.

"If you always follow your emotions instead of orders, people are bound to get killed. You can't just push rationality aside because someone pissed you off." Your voice came out clear and unbothered as if those very words were written on your hand so you'd remember. Reciting old doctrine or some sort of moral code that Killer had no idea why you of all people would care so much about.

She...cares about rational decisions? This girl made the most ludicrous decision not even 24 hours ago.

"But when it comes to you being rational, all sense of life perseverance goes out the window."

Those simple words hit you over the head like a frying pan. Corners of your mouth digging into your jaw as you frowned at the man.

"Oh shut up, you know that was a mistake. I've done dangerous stuff all my life so its not like I begged and pleaded to fall in."

At least I'm assuming, I don't actually remember-

"I'm talking about making the wrong decision because you want to do something, selfish or not. If you know you can't handle it or that it'll turn out horribly if you try, then why even do it? Its stupid and it puts more people then just you at risk." You knew you were 100% percent right on this and nothing was going to change that. What confused you though was how Killer had seemingly never thought about it like that before, or at least from what you could tell since you could barely get a read on the guy.

"This coming from experience?" Killer simple said, as if peering into your very being beside you. You had expected retaliation or some form of agreement yet this was just another weird shot at knowing something obscure and irrelevant about you. And just like last time, this also made you glow red.

"No of course not! I just...I'm not stupid okay? You can think whatever you want about me really, I truly do not care but I know what I'm talking about. Kid seems like the kinda guy who thinks he can do anything but he's just going to end up getting hurt. God...I bet thats why he lost that arm of his. Doing something without thinking it through and just-"

"You sure you hate the guy? You seem far to concerned about what has happened to him." Killer had watched your tone change slightly as you rambled on about how wrong he was about this being a personal experience.

Yeah right-

And how you seemingly...cared about Kid? Is that what that was?

Which made you blink twice, realizing how you sounded before you composed yourself once again. "Of course I do. Having rightful judgments isn't me being all goggly eyed, I just pick up on things. Like how back on the deck you didn't do or say anything when things got out of hand. Which means you either don't care about Kid and will let him feel the pain of his mistakes or you don't like fighting over things you find meaningless."

Ahh beautiful sweet deflection. Her and Kid should write a book on it together.

"Both are wrong. I do care and I didn't think it was entirely meaningless, at least not to Kid or the crew." Killer surprisingly didn't call out her deflection, considering being honest might make her trust him more and clearly the girl was permanently too paranoid to do that easily.

"But clearly if you didn't step in to help, then you wanted Kid to deal with it. Which makes you lazy or like I said before, you wanted him to fix his own mess. Make him deal with it because maybe you're getting tired of dealing with him." You pointed your finger up at the man next to you like a nerd. A weird little sadistic smile on your lips as you finally managed a good jab at his inner psyche. Which he didn't take to well, but again she couldn't tell.

"Yeah. Sure." Saying so little definitely looked guilty, but saying much more would've been far worse. So he landed on sarcasm, which perfectly titled your defense into the unsure pile.

"What? Did I hit the nail on the head with that one? Or are you the only one allowed to pick people apart in this conversation hmmm?" You did that weird little evil smile up at him again. Leaning closer to him as you walked.

Kids right, she is a brat.

Killer sighed slightly, knowing damn well he did not want to fight you on this, he had bigger fish to fry. "Yep, you guessed correctly. You've been enough of a headache for me so its my turn to pick you apart. What did Kid say to you at the bar last night?"

"This whole deflecting this is getting kinda funny ya know." You rasped, visibly deflating next to him slightly and loosing that smugness you held earlier.

Is she getting paid to be this expressive or is being extra just natural? Hell, at least I can read her well.

"And you know whats going to be even funnier?" He said back, which caught you short puppy eyed expression of curiosity back in an instant. "The sad look on your face when I don't go grab your stuff for you. A real knee slapper really."

While Killer tried held back a laugh at the instant regret on your face, you smacked his arm. It threw him off a little when you touched him but he couldn't help himself but actually chuckle this time. You genuinely went from curious to pissed in a matter of milliseconds.

She's a pain but at least she fun to mess with.

"I swear to god I should've known you'd be just as annoying as he was. Why do you want to know about that anyways? It was barely a 5 minute conversation and he basically just bragged the whole time." You said with that same huff of annoyance out for the six millionth time.

“About what exactly?” Killer of course already knew half of the story, but he needed to see how you felt about everything if this was going to work.

”You seriously wanna know? Isn't there more important highly invasive questions you could be asking? Like how big my boobs are and when I cried last.” You motion your hands towards your boobs as if to mock him, which of course was both strange and yet again very funny.

He smiled behind his mask for a moment before cooking up and throwing back something equally humiliating. “Is that what you wanted to talk about all along? Because I can guess both of those pretty easily if you wanted to know. Or should I go get Kid for the tit size testing since he clearly knows his way around your body?"

If Killer had ever seen you red before, well that was just an eighth of what was happening right now.

"HUH?" It almost took you a second to even process what was just said and when it did it only got worse. Your hands flailing in the air as you spoke like you were swatting away impure thoughts.

"Why in the hell would he know anything about me?! Let alone something like that. Jesus christ, clearly you two have explored each others bodies but leave me the fuck out it."

If Killer wasn't good at this whole hiding emotions things he would've busted out laughing at that. Feeling a soft snort come out of his nose before he started up again.

"Me and Kid? Now why in the world would you be thinking about that? Unless...you wanna join in of course." His words were silky smooth and seductive, leaning closer to you now just like you did to him earlier.

At this point you were a damn stop sign or a swatch of paint kind of red. The whole Kid thing was already bad enough but now it was just too much. The top of your head to bottom of your feet shuddering.

"Okay! I get it! Your a male prostitute and a pirate! What an eclectic resume you must have but I did not pay for these services so either step back or Imma start screaming." You put up your hands defensively and started to veer away from the man as you too walked. Keeping an awkward amount of space between the two of you.

"Hey don't be like that." He said, trying to sound sad but if anything being called a male prostitute was a new one that tickled his funny bone in the right places.

"Or what? Personally I think yelling about the whole male prostitute thing so the rest of the street hears it is a better idea." You motioned your hands around the street, which was mostly empty but houses and stores still lined the sides of both of them.

"Word of mouth is a good advertisement technique." Killer nodded his head and place his hand on his chin to agree with himself. Which made your jaw nearly snap in half and fall to the floor.

"I'm really starting to think your serious." You mumbled out, slowing down to a stop finally since the docks were getting rather close at this point. Killer stopped along with you, still keeping the distance.

"You wanna know what I think?"

You opened your mouth to saying something but he immediately cut you off.

"Never mind. I don't really care if you want to know or not. Because something has been scratching at me this whole time and it has something to do with you and Kid."

"First off, I don't want to know what you think. Secondly, the whole me and Kid thing was so early this morning. Stay with the trends buddy 'cause I'm all about getting my stuff back, which includes not interacting with that idiot if I can manage."

Killer eyed you curiously looking for any holes in your words or body language. You seemed decent about bouncing back from things like this Killer had noticed. Your emotions strong but after a bit you could guide the handle. But right now he was hoping you slip up if even for just a moment.

"So you don't want to see him at all? Or maybe even ask me some questions about him? Maybe how he lost his arm or why he was so angry with you?" He wanted to peak your curiosity and he could tell part of you was giving in. The way your eyes widened slightly and that same puppy eyed look came back.

"No of course not. Even if I did why would I trust you to tell me anything? Either your a freaky little sadistic asshole like Kid or you have some sort of personal gain."

Well I guess shes right about one of those things, to bad she'll never guess why.

“Well you don’t know the whole story so I have my reasons.” He crossed his arms and left her hanging with that little statement. Just forcing her to finally ask him a question and give into that oh so potent curious nature.

“And what would the whole story be huh?" You narrowed your eyes at him. Matching his body language and folding your arms just the same.

“Hmmm probably the part about him saving you by himself. By the way, don’t tell him I told you that.” He said that as if it was the lightest most innocent thing to just causally mention. Which left you doubling over the second you got your bearings.

“Why would I ever tell him anything-wait what? He saved me? He’s the one who did it?” You eyes had nearly widened to saucers and even if Killer was a blind man he could've seen the obvious excitement on your face. Taking a step closer to him like a bait to a fish.

“Yep. Came back to the ship completely soaked with you on his shoulder. Which is rather strange considering how the sea can kill him and all." This matter of factly air was perfect for you, saying just enough to drag you in deeper. An image of you laid upon one of his shoulders making you unconsciously blush.

“I know how Devil fruits work dumbass I’m not stupid. But why in the hell would he do that then? And again I talked to him like twice before that and both times were horrible.” You snapped back, feigning disinterest. Right now on the inside you didn't know exactly how to feel, which was making your stomach turn and your knees wobbly.

Probably just the injuries. I'm feeling weak and most likely have an concussion this is to be suspected.

“Maybe to you they were but not to him. He complained to me about you.” Killer tapped his foot on the ground for a moment, watching over you as you crept closer.

“He most certainly complains about everyone so don’t try to fool me blondie” You rolled your eyes at that, scoffing at the man. Killer tell you were right on the edge, about to fall into his little plan. He just needed you to stop doubting him for just a second.

I need to go deeper. Make her feel special.

“Well yeah you’re right but this was different. He said you looked at him like you understood him.” Though he didn't really understand what Kid himself meant by that, its not like he was lying. Just restating the truth in a way that left her up to speculation.

And speculate you did.

Like I understood him? Was that like...two second moment so special to him he just had to go tell his friend?

“And so what if I do? A girl can’t have some empathy once in a while?” You lied to your feelings out loud, feeling more and more like something else was going on that maybe you'd been overlooking.

“Not when it comes to the guy you supposedly hate.” Killer didn't want to come out right and say it. He knew you'd just get pissed and brush it off. So put a lot of weight on the word supposedly as he spoke. Though he almost knew for a fact now that he was right.

Supposedly huh? Something thats generally assumed but...not always right. But how could I be wrong about something I'm so...assured of? Your eyes flickered to something far less confident then before, but like always you rebounded. Pushing back harder trying to press him for real answers.

“Is this how men work? You’re nice to them for more then two seconds and suddenly I must just be begging to suck your dick. Cause if thats what you think then please politely stop talking next to me." You paused for only a second eyes going wide and a small fake gasp coming out of you.

"Oh wait that was too nice you might get the wrong idea. I meant step off fuck face or I’ll snap your jaw in half.” You nearly growled out, upper lip twitching into a snarl.

Killer quirked a smile at that. “Wow you really are meant for him. That’s just the kind of thing Kid would like.”

You raised an eyebrow, that same unsureness now swirling around in you like a tide pool. It was weird hearing this from the guys own best friend. And though you would scold yourself later for letting him affect you like this and getting curious, right now you couldn't help yourself but ask yet again.

“What thing?”

And right then Killer knew he had you by the hook. Just reeling you in slow and methodically.

“You being mean. Or listening to him. Either one.”

“You telling me he’s some kind of masochist?”

Killer again, nearly snorted at that.

“Well duh. I mean why else did he keep you on his boat for so long? Especially since it took him about two seconds to actually get rid of you.”

Fucking hell...that kind of a good point. No no no no no this can't be happening.

You swallowed hard, eyes flickering all over the place as you worked it out in your head. Trying to find just one reason why that wouldn't make sense, yet you were coming up short.

“You’re saying he wanted me there, fighting with him?” Those words just slipping past your tongue sounded wrong.

“I think so.”

You went silent for a moment. Which was rare for you because you never had any troubles keeping up the flow of conversation. You'd always say some joke or brush whatever it was off. You had learned that at a young age. Completely disregard every insult or badly chosen word as if it meant nothing. But here you were, settling in it with silence. Which only made you panic more and nearly fumble all over yourself.

“Your just g-getting weird ideas. I don’t care how long you’ve known the guy but telling me that is 100% just a ploy to fuck with me. So if that’s what you wanted out of this conversation you should’ve taken a better approach.” You tried to sound confident. Pointing a finger at the man across from you as if to blame this all on him.

But he's not talking about his own feelings or reasons. He's talking about how the other more horrible to deal with of the pair feels.

“Well Kids been going through a lot lately, hasn’t made him the best person and I think you’re partially to blame for that.” Killer mumbled, cocking his head at you. Which snapped you out of it ever so slightly because what in the fuck did he mean by that?

“How are his actions my fault?!” You placed a hand on your chest and cocked your head right back. Though Killer really couldn't blame you because even he didn't fully agree with what he had said.

“Because he likes you. And if I know anything about Kid he gets real strange when he likes someone.”

Again with his stupid matter of factly voice. I swear I'm going to rip is beard hairs out and feed them to him.

"I still don’t believe anything you’re saying! So you can drop that act wise guy. You don't know shit about anything so you know what? Goodbye. I can do this by myself." You turn abruptly and started heading back towards the dock with a quickened pace. The sounds of Killers heels clicking along right behind you.

“I just think that it would be better for the both of us if we went a little bit harder on the guy.” He said, trying to hide the almost pleading tone in his voice.

Fucking hell Im loosing her.

“Huh? How in the world would being meaner help? I get it he’s a masochist but I’m not trying to make the little freak spurt in his pants.” You spat back at him, trying to keep you brain on target instead of wandering off into whatever nightmare this man was trying to convince you of.

“No I’m just saying that if you push him harder I know he wouldn’t do anything that would actually hurt you. And if you think I’m wrong you should try it. It’ll prove my point.”Killer stayed looking over at you as you walked, though you had completely stopped looking at him. Brows furrowed and grimace as strong as ever.

“I’m not going to poke the bear. It’s way too much effort dealing with him.”

“Don’t lie to me, I know you love dealing with him or at least people like him. Which is why you followed us to that bar in the first place. You like being in the line of danger.”

You finally looked at him again which let Killer know he hit a soft spot with that one.

I mean she's gotta know herself pretty well. Theres no way she can runaway from that one when its true.

“Ughhh...fine, think whatever you wanna think. You can try to psychoanalyze me all you want but you don’t even know me. And how does this even benefit you anyways? You’re basically begging me to pester the guy for no real reasons."

“Cause I think he’ll be better off with you.”

Rather than me being the one to pester him.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“We’ll, aren’t you just turning into the nosy one now huh?”

You rolled your eyes and scoffed at that. Keeping your eyes ahead as you two walked closer and closer to the ship. The sun fully set at the moon hung about half way up in the sky.

Was Killer doing this for partially selfish reasons? Maybe…wait no scratch that, its a solid yes.

This isn’t manipulation...if I’m right anyways. And he would never actually hurt her. No. Never. Which is clearly the worst case scenario. I guess other than her hurting him.

He looked over at you for a moment beside him. Eyes gliding up and down before landing back down on your grouchy yet slightly red looking face.

There’s no way that could ever happen. Not in a million years. And if she did genuinely want to hurt him it wouldn’t be THAT bad. I mean look at her, she’s a little chaotic and snappy. Maybe a tad bit obsessive…and incident prone.

Oh what the hell am I thinking this is like sending two flaming rockets to slam right into each other.

Something bad is bound to happen even if it means I get Kid back and relying on me. He’ll be so beat up from the fall damage of whatever this crazy person next to me is thinking, that he’ll fall right back into the pattern of complaining to me like always. But I know its worth it even if I am a manipulative asshole. I mean what other choice do I have! I was planning on just talking to the guy but now I know neither of us are being reasonable with the way I reacted earlier.

He looked at you for a second again, not particularly liking you but still feeing guilty nonetheless. He could tell by the way your eyebrows stayed permanently furrowed that what he said had gotten to you. Which just meant it was only a matter of time before you and Kid crossed paths again on this dot of an island.

She’s the one that pulled us apart with that fight. Maybe she can be the one to put us back together.

Lost in his thoughts he didn’t even entirely notice you had stopped walking suddenly. Finding the spot next to him where you were now vacant.

“Y/N?” He called, turning around to see you a couple feet back frozen in place. Eyes wide as you stared out in front of you. It was almost a little eerie, your lips parted and your eyes seemingly unblinking. “Hey you good?”

“Marines.”

“Huh?” He hadn’t heard you the first time. Your voice coming out in a whisper. Stepping closer to you he slowly trailed to where your eyes were locked onto. Turning around and looking out at the ocean. At first he didn’t see it, thinking you were crazy for a moment. But the tip of something broke through the fog that had settled across the ocean. The tip of a rather large navy ship heading straight for the docks.

Oh no.

I wrote this low key worried ya’ll would forget all the correlations from the previous chapters but whateva. That’s my fault anyways lol. I feel like its becoming a lot more apparent whatever the hell is going on, but there’s going to be so much more. Actually I’ll even give ya’ll a hint, ya know that sketchbook Y/N freaks out about? THAT THING IS SUPER FUCKING IMPORTANT. Yes her dumb little book is extremely relevant who would’ve guessed? (Me. I would’ve). I feel like I need to get you guys excited again for this fanfic so hopefully this chapter was juicy enough. Lots and lots of mysteries and all that. Kisses and hugs cause I’ve missed ya’ll. Hope you’re doing good!!!!!

(P.S. Y/N canonically has a blicky now you should be so scared)

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

CONGRATULATIONS ON 1,000 FOLLOWERS! That's absolutely wonderful! You deserve it.

1.) T. "I see you. I know you're watching me." // 2.) 🕶 Mafia AU // 3.) Writer's choice! Go wherever the muse takes you. // 4.) 📚 Book

Thank you so much! ❤️ Hitman Eddie and mob baby Steve are rapidly taking over my brain, so here's some more of them!

Poisoned honey

Rated: M

Words: 995

Tags: Mafia AU; Hitman Eddie Munson; Mob boss Richard Harrington; Blood and violence; Obsessive behavior; stalking; flirting; sexual tension

Notes: Part 1 | Part 2

The boss is in one of his moods. 

Eddie endures the screaming with a stoic face - or as stoic as one can manage with a split lip and one eye swelling shut - and thinks to himself what a fucking joke it is. If anyone has a right to be mad, it's him. 

The intel he got on the job was all wrong. The target arrived with backup, turning what was supposed to be a quick, clean affair into a bloodbath. Eddie still finished the job, of course. But the goods he was supposed to secure got destroyed in the fight, losing the boss a ton of money. Hence the yelling. And the name-calling. And the throwing things. 

Eddie sidesteps the whisky tumbler that's hurled his way. It hits the wall, but he can feel the shards catch in his hair as it shatters into a million pieces. Jesus Christ. On days like this, he almost regrets getting into this. 

Almost. 

It's not easy, working his way into Richard Harrington’s inner circle. In the beginning, the asshole wasn't even aware Eddie existed. And even now that Eddie has his attention, he's still far from gaining his trust. 

Eddie gets it, though. You don't become a mob boss by blindly trusting anyone. 

And so Eddie has been biding his time, slowly weaseling his way into the group of Harrington's most loyal hitmen. The better part of a year passed before the boss even deemed him worthy of entering his office, but that’s okay. Every job brings him a little closer to his goal, and every time he sets foot into Harrington's villa is another occasion to catch a glimpse of the prize he's got his eyes on.

*

It's getting dark by the time he's dismissed. He should go home to lick his wounds, but the patio doors are open, and the rippling light and the scent of the hydrangea bushes lure him in. The night is warm, and with a bit of luck, his little nymph will be out by the water. 

He's in one of the lounge chairs, hair wet and tousled, body draped into a robe against the breeze. The underwater lights illuminate his features. He has a book in his lap, and his brow is furrowed in concentration. Eddie stays in his hiding spot for a long while, watching graceful fingers leaf through the pages, watching pink lips part around inaudible words, and gets lost in his favorite fantasies. 

Biting and sucking at those lips until they're plump and shiny, drawing the most beautiful pleas and moans from them. Maybe he'd leave those hands free, or maybe he'd tie them up, just to watch his little nymph struggle. Just to feel him squirm while Eddie covers that soft, tan skin in marks, leaving the traces of his ownership for everyone to behold. 

“I see you. I know you're watching me.” 

Eddie is so far gone in his own head, it takes him a moment to process that the words were directed at him. It takes even longer for him to realize who the voice belongs to. 

The boy has marked his page and is looking straight at his hiding spot, lips curled into a smile.

“Why don't you come out and introduce yourself? It would only be polite.” 

Soft hair falls into hazel eyes as the boy cocks his head. He looks so sweet, but Eddie knows that looks can be deceiving. He sees the coy glint in those eyes, sees the sharp edge to that smile. Knows that this is his last chance. He can turn away and save himself, or he can follow his little nymph's call and let himself be pulled into the depths. 

Those eyes sparkle with satisfaction as he steps out of his hiding spot. Not waiting for an invitation, Eddie sinks down into the empty deck chair beside the boy's, lighting a cigarette and taking a pull. 

“Eddie Munson,” he drawls and extends his right hand. “My pleasure.” 

The boy quirks an eyebrow before reaching out - only instead of accepting the handshake, he snatches the cigarette from Eddie’s lips. His fingers brush the cut and it burns like gasoline. 

“Steve. You know my last name, obviously.” Those perfect lips part to exhale a plume of smoke, hazel eyes assessing every inch of  Eddie’s appearance. “What happened to your face?” 

“Work accident,” Eddie shrugs. “Fell down some stairs.” 

Steve huffs a laugh, a curt and cruel thing. “Yeah, right. You think I'm stupid? I know you’re one of my father’s dogs.” 

Eddie feels his temper flare, snide reply already at the tip of his tongue. How he’s not a dog, doesn’t answer to any master. 

Except, that isn’t true, is it? 

He’d happily kill for this boy, would beg and crawl and debase himself. Has been doing exactly that, every day, for almost a year. 

Steve smiles, sweet like poisoned honey, and takes another lazy drag of the stolen cigarette. 

“You guys are all the same, huh? You think you’re so tough, so dangerous, but as soon as my dad tugs on your leash, you slink off with your tail between your legs. Pathetic.” 

Eddie is nothing if not fast. With one quick movement, he has snatched the boy's wrist and pulled the cigarette back to his own mouth. He takes a long drag, pressing his lips against the soft skin of those fingers. When he pulls away, he makes sure to graze his teeth over Steve’s knuckles. Those hazel eyes are huge, pupils deep and fuzzy, as they watch him stand. 

“You like leashes, little nymph? Good. Hold on to that thought.” 

Nothing has ever been harder than turning his back and walking away, but somehow he does it. Eddie prides himself in being good at his job, and much like his job, this is all about playing his cards right. 

He intends to win, in the end. 

He always does. 

Part 4

More celebration ficlets

[mellowquint]

Fanbinding Masters of Mayhem - a Ninjago and Lego Monkie kid crossover!!!

FINALLY after weeks of putting the project on the shelf i finally have the (motivation) free time to complete this amazing bookbind!!! Shoutout to my best friend who came to me and ask if i could bind it. So what better birthday gift than to bind her current favourite crossover story? At the time of this post i have not given the gift to her yet so fingers crossed that she likes this 🤞😖

Thank you FictionForLife_NZ for creating this absolute hilarious masterpiece!! I have been wanting to read an LMK crossover fic for the longest time and low and behold, the ao3 algorithm has answered my prayers lol. Me and best friend really love the character interaction that the Ninja’s have with the LMK crew 😂. Also the shipping!! Best friend absolutely LOVES dragonfruit but was sad that they didn’t have as much of a fandom dedication as opposed to spicynoodles. So imagine her suprised (and scream) that dragonfruit is the main pairing in the story and their many iconic moments together!! Also the climax truly had me at the edge of my seat!! And that ending?? Gosh couldn’t have asked it better myself Ninjago writers really should take notes ✍️!!! Anyways enough rambling here’s the fic if you would like to give a read, absolute 10/10

Flip through

Some close ups

also yes excuse me and my terrible phone and room lighting it did not do this book justice.

Unfortunately I couldn’t find any fanart that was related/tagged so there was no illustrations for the book. However thats when i had the idea of making the chapter title in the same font as the Ninjago font! To make it seem like every new chapter is an episode!

Also unfortunately couldn’t tag the author since i can’t find their tumblr. If any of you know if said author does have tumblr please let me know!

If you’re all curious on how i make this, i recommend going to the first bookbinding project that i did, its all the same process except with some new improvements that im gonna talk about under the cut

I definitely learned a lot from my mistakes from the last time that i did this, and of course gain new mistakes as well 🥲.

The edges aren’t trimmed

The cover isn’t aligned

The printing for the covers are garbage

Book would not lay flat, instead forever stuck at a weird 120 degree angle

Overall a lot of stuff

This was a given by the fact that i have no experience and was impatient. But since this is a gift for Best Friend ofc this has to actually look good, so here are the improvements that i made

Signature printing— i will admit it took some time and effort but after the old cannon printer finally died permanently jammed, managed to convince parents to buy a more advanced and better printer that can now do double sided printing!! No more wasted signatures from here on out 😮‍💨

Cover printing — not wanting a repeat of the last time that i did it i went to my local Officeworks to get it printed by them. Here i discovered the beauty that is known as ✨Poster Prints✨. Now all of my yellow lines and elements actually do show an pop against the darker background!! Unfortunately this does have a drawback because the prints are sensitive to any type of scratching. Not the scratch and all the colors come off way, more like the scratch it and lines will show up kind of way as you can really see in the front cover :') . Will work on improving this is future projects.

Trimming the edges — originally in book one i trimmed the edges using your typical box cutter and cut it myself. Bad BAD idea i was doomed at that moment. So imagine my surprise the Officeworks ALSO do CUTTING service!!! My jaw dropped and i immediately went back the next day with my text block and asked them if they could trim all edges. After some inspection they put it through the guillotine and all of my edges are perfectly trimmed. Saved me all the time, money, and storage.

Laying book flat — this was definitely the biggest pet peeve that I have with my first book. The way i do it now is i now put a one cm gap between the front cover, side cover and back cover. And also using the right paper (cardstock) to connect the text block with the covers. Now the book can actually fully open!!!

Cover alignment — I printed out the front and back in regular paper and use that as a template on where i wanna fold the prints to find the cover. Worked like a charm

once again shoutout to best friend for giving me the brilliant idea when making the covers!! had it not been for her to point out about clause's book of spells i would have never made the coolest cover page that I've made in my entire binding experience!! all in all im pretty dang proud of myself for being able to improve on my bookbinding skill.

[writing-for-life]

The Self-Love, Sex and Pursuit of the Helm Novels

Part 2: Bully for You—An Unhinged Interlude

Okay, I’ve spent the whole @sandman-rarepair-fest with tragic relationships, poetry and being serious.

And while this relationship is also… tragic, it’s neither poetic nor to be taken seriously, although a small group of us are fully committed to the cause: Behold, the crack ship! Morpheus x The Helm! For the Monsterfucker prompt.

(It’s highly advisable to read part one first, but they can sort of exist independently. Just not as well 🤣)

Bully For You: An Unhinged Interlude (2321 words) by Writing-for-Life Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Sandman (TV 2022), The Sandman (Comics) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Dream of the Endless, Desire of the Endless, The Helm (The Sandman) Additional Tags: I Blame Tumblr, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Or Is It?, Muhulhu, Drat! A HelmLord Story, Murphy and his Cool Hat, Breaking the Fourth Wall, Swearing, Masturbation, Anal Something, Because I have no clue what they are doing honestly, helm fucking, Monsterfucking of sorts, It's a Dream of a Thousand Cats Situation, At least a thousand fanfic writers were thinking of the same thing, but he actually enjoyed it, although he would never admit to it, Dream and the Helm finally get it on, About Time, tags what tags they make no sense, don't get your hopes up, this is not really smut, it has all the marks of being explicit, but somehow it's really not Series: Part 2 of The Self-Love, Sex and Pursuit of the Helm Novels: A Tragicomedy in Three Movements Summary:

Where we witness how the Lord of Dreams loses his bearings (no, not those ones), and even Desire needs a stiff drink…

If you always wanted to know what's so special about Dream's relationship with his Helm (capital H on occasion), this might provide some answers. Or raise more questions than you ever dared to ask...

Excerpt:

Desire had felt… things for a short while but shrugged the sensations off. Until they became impossible to ignore. Because he wanted something without their doing (although what comes first, or who, was sometimes hard to tell, but not to get lost in details at this point, dear reader). In lieu of ridiculous desires like “something beyond my function, blah blah”, it would usually be shaped like a woman. Since Desire had given him Killalla (and maybe, just maybe, taken her away again, which still made them chuckle), he had developed a bit of a kink for female-shaped mortals. Well, they hadn’t all been mortal, but the “female-shaped” still stood. And because of the mere fact that their brother was so painfully strait-laced (we suggest the spelling “straight-laced” here, dear reader), it came as a bit of a surprise to feel those decidedly different vibes. Dream wanted something. But it wasn’t a woman, or anything remotely female-shaped. It was…

What the heck was it?

Desire concentrated really hard.

It seemed to be something forged in the fever dream of a blacksmith who took his inspiration from a lobster and a nightmare. Something otherworldly, something with a spine like the tail of a crustacean. Truly, if a lobster decided to pursue a career in gothic architecture and at the same time became some sort of… headgear, it would probably look like this.

Desire first rolled their eyes but then felt their breath catching. “It’s his fucking helm,” they muttered. “Please give me a break. He wants to fuck his helm…”

Brother Dream, master of the subconscious, running his hand tenderly, with a slight shake, over the spine of that ludicrous thing. Desire laughed out loud, but the laugh was short-lived, because things began to unravel. Rapidly…

Read the rest here (otherwise I have to add a content label 🤣)

[autumnslance]

In reference to this post I reblogged earlier, but don't want to muck up UC's activity:

#i think it's more important to see that redemption is in the eye of the beholder #not everybody (characters or real people) will accept the same type or amount of repentance for the same sins #some people might not care at all if the person who wronged them feels sorry; only if they materially repaid their crimes #others can feel the opposite #and either way that's their prerogative #you can disagree with the characters or the fans or the writers about who “deserves” OR has “achieved” redemption and that's okay #because it's ultimately a complex philosophical issue #like i agree with OP!!! but there's media literacy in accepting that not everyone will

I'm going to disagree with many of these tags, especially it being "in the eye of the beholder" and would argue it's more media literate to recognize when a character has a workable redemption arc even if one disagrees they "should" get one. It took me a long time to learn this cuz of how we're usually taught redemption = forgiveness in Western (especially very Christianized, and especially if explicitly raised Christian) culture:

It doesn't rely on anyone but the person seeking redemption.

Yeah, it's the wronged party's prerogative to never forgive, to think the perpetrator's atonement (and/or punishment) is not enough and never will be. Anyone (characters and actual people) who sympathize, and who are on their side, can agree it's not ever enough and that character/person's sins are unforgivable.

And that still doesn't matter to their redemption.

We have an example of a workable redemption arc that not all accept in Final Fantasy XIV with Fordola's situation, through the Endwalker healer role quests. She was raised a collaborator of Ala Mhigo's imperial occupiers, and thought the best way to help her people was to soldier for the empire, becoming their Butcher.

In the Stormblood patches, Raganfrid says he will never forgive her; he thanks her for the aid she gave in the throne room that day, but that's all. And even in the EW healer role quests, their interactions are complicated. He still can't forgive the collaborators, even as he works to reintegrate them into Ala Mhigan society. He recognizes many thought they had no choice. He can't, won't, forget the pain of losing his own loved ones to them. This is stated multiple times.

And others, like M'rahz, Sarisha, and M'naago also struggle, also say they won't forgive...but reluctantly agree they can understand how for the sake of their families, the collaborators felt pushed against a wall, and what lengths have they themselves gone to for their own families? M'naago even scolds Fordola: she doesn't get to give up, she has to keep working--or she dies as exactly what everyone said she was.

Fordola starts out as the one punished for her sins. Through the story, she makes her choices to change and fight and work for her people as a free woman. There are still those who despise the Butcher, and always will. Redemption comes from Fordola's actions, Fordola's choices. Who forgives her and who doesn't can't change that she has changed, and continues to do so.

And in the interest of fairness, for the opposite of Fordola, we have Laurentius. In A Realm Reborn, he collaborated with the empire, selling out his nation. He came out of his punishment wanting a new chance, so joined the Crystal Braves...and immediately fell under Ilberd's sway. While others remained loyal and stuck to their morals (and paid for it with imprisonment or even death), Laurentius went along with all of Ilberd's plans. And in the end, the player gets an opinion in the punishment he and his comrade face, but it's clear from talking to Raubahn there isn't much hope. Laurentius had his chances, but he didn't make any effort to actually change--so faced the consequences.

For Reference for the Healer Role Quests: Garland Tools Healer quest text starting with "Far From Free", and my own saved text in Gdocs (raw, not very organized compared to my later saved/updated docs).

(Nero's the war criminal who...didn't even get a slap on the wrist, he just waltzed into a leadership meeting 15 mins late with Starbucks and has been helping us save the world since. Gaius is the war criminal that went through traumas, saw his privileged preconceptions torn apart, and is starting down that road in the wake of Werlyt to clean up his mistakes and not let his children's sacrifices be in vain. None of these characters "need" punishment to decide to change; some of it simply happens as part of their stories, but they make their own choices and actions toward atonement.)

(Also redemption is usually an ongoing process, which is why "Death Equals Redemption", like how Yotusyu's situation is framed, is so dicey and often unsatisfying; are they actually changed, or they just getting out of putting in that effort to? Nothing indicated Yotsuyu actually cared to change, as sympathetic as she was in the end! But she has her redemptive moment for her fans, and the people who hate/won't forgive her also "win"--the trope is a "have your cake and eat it too" writing cop-out IMO at this point.)

[m00nkissedlover]

*ೃ༄ a message from cafe staff 🎀

hi bubs, miko here! i just wanted to say thank you all so much for the love and support you've given my blog and the fics i write. honestly, i started this blog for fun, mainly writing fics for my favorite characters to self indulge.

i didn't think much of it and wasn't very strong with my writing skills since i hadn't written in years. but low and behold, you actually like my writing! i'm so thankful for all of the likes, reblogs, and comments left on my fics! it really gives me the motivation to keep writing.

i still write what i want, for the characters i want, and i hope to improve on my writing and interact with more of you in the new year. thank you to my few moots who support my writing! thank you to some writers on here that i take inspiration from! thank you to everyone that has liked or rebloged something i've written! i love you all!

TLDR: thank you for all the love and support! i'll continue to make fics that i love and hopefully, you do too! <3

happy new year and may 2025 be a better year for all of us!!💗

tags time! 🏷️: just a few moots/ ppl i admire on here🤍

@lovetaylorrussellgrr @hyunielover @crescenthistory @ixdoll @piillow @annoyingarcadeshark

[themonotonysyndrome]

Honey Sticks & Honey Lip Balms

Author's note: Boo! Did y'all miss me~? Actually, it really shouldn't have taken that long for me to write this new oneshot. I've becoming a slow ass writer 😭 So here ya go! I hope y'all enjoyed it~ Especially for a certain... someone, hehe.

Also, trying a new layout for the post. I salute every OP out there who took the time to personalised and beautify their work. Y'all are amazing because I get frustrated so easily sdjkfndksfdsf

A huge thank you and credit goes to @cafekitsune for the beautiful dividers!

Pairings: Wajid/VP (Listener)

Summary:

The most exquisite of honeys come in many shapes and forms. For the employees of Modas, it comes in the shape of sharp eyeliners and a dangerous smoulder that only the CEO could sample. 

(Or: 4 instances where the suspicious dynamic of Wajid and VP is observed through an Outsider’s POV) 

Tags: Accidental voyeurism and PWP (Porn with plot) in the second last scene.

“Where.”

Deft fingers that flew across the typewriter stilled. 

“Are.”

Someone abandoned his paperwork to duck underneath the table. 

“The.” 

More than one pair of shoulders hunched to blend in with the giant vases. 

“Honey sticks?” 

A woman took off her high heels to scurry away through the fire escape staircase. 

The tension that descended is as sharp as VP’s eyeliners. 

The entire fourth floor - Management & PR department - and its employees might as well be frozen in time due to the damning silence. No one dares to invite the ire of a woman who challenges their tyrant of a CEO before his first cup of coffee daily. Their rivalry is the stuff of gossip that happens during lunch break beside the water coolers, even at another company. 

And today, every employee of Modas might be an unwilling witness to a homicide. 

All because someone ate the last honey stick and most probably forgot to refill the jars and thus, dooming them all to the unspoken and unofficial rule: 

‘In case of a pissed off VP, make sure a honey stick is available.’ 

Lo and behold, the voice that carries from the pantry might as well be the Grim Reaper’s. Deadly yet clear for all to hear. More than one heart marches frantically to the beat of a familiar pair of stilettos. 

The Vice President of Modas emerges as if she knew that the fictitious spotlights would be on her. All sharp lines and soft curves radiating with displeasure. An intern hiding behind the water cooler sighs, a little lovesick, to which she received some incredulous stares from her friends. 

No one dares to make eye contact when the VP slowly scans the floor. Her judgmental eyes take in all. 

Ding! 

The elevator makes itself known. 

Now, let it be said that Wajid can’t play the part of a saviour instead of a tyrannical CEO from time to time because his presence is the only reason that saved them all. 

Or rather, served as a convenient target for that heated smoulder immediately locked onto him, and a pair of toned, muscular arms revealed by rolled-up sleeves. A senior executive from the client servicing team quickly diverted his gobsmacked expression because, for one crazy moment, he thought that VP looked like she was less likely to maul Wajid’s face off and more like she was seconds away from sitting on it. 

“I’m sorry, is it lunchtime already?” Wajid says, as apropos of nothing. His eyebrow cocked knowingly. Pretending to check his watch, he continued on unimpressed, “Why isn’t anyone working?” 

And just like that, time unfreezes. The phones ring to life once more. People scramble to finish up their briefs and manage calls with the suppliers and clients. Those heading out kept their head respectfully low when they passed Wajid. Saying it’s difficult to ignore Wajid and VP facing off in the middle of the floor is an understatement. Try borderline torture. Especially for the poor production manager who refuses to acknowledge the sweat dripping down his back or how Wajid’s gaze trails down from VP’s open blazer that teases the smooth plunge of her cleavage to the corset that’s unapologetically tight enough to cinch her waist. 

Man, those deadlines really needed to be sorted out in everyone’s calendar! 

With that thought, he scurried away. He took everything he needed with him to the studio below so he wouldn’t have to return. 

“It’s been 30 minutes. How long does it actually take to make coffee? And why aren’t you using the coffee machine in my office?”

“Where are the honey sticks?” 

And there it goes again - the silent tension. However, unlike before, it didn’t stay for long. 

“We have new clients coming in today and a brand to secure. You’re here for the last, I don’t know, an hour or so already pissed off because of what? Lack of sweets? VP. Be for real.” 

“I wouldn’t be this pissed off if you didn’t make me work overtime because of your lack of preparation. I told you that we would be struggling to manage this pitch and oversee fashion week at the Empire at the same time.”

A pair of Junior Designers who just got up with folders of sketches promptly make a U-turn to the elevator. 

When Wajid exhales loudly, headaches descend onto the group from the PR department. Wajid and VP’s intense dynamic is practically an open secret in Modas. It’s a Sisyphus trial keeping it from public knowledge, yet no one from that department is suicidal enough to get in between them. 

“I know we lack the manpower, but need I remind you that you have the second-highest authority in this building? You should’ve delegated most of the workload regarding the fashion week to the Head of Operations - it’s literally in their job description.”

“Are you choosing to go deaf regarding the manpower? Delegating isn’t the issue! With you, it’s always, “This year’s quarterly budget isn’t sufficient for new staff members, VP.” Or “The efficiency of the Servicing Department is fine as it is, VP.” Or, and I quote verbatim, “Stop complaining about your workload, VP, and give me the lion's share already. We’ll go through them together in my office.” Do you hear how broken you are as a record, Wajid?” 

Someone snorts. His complexion then took a deathlike pallor when Wajid and VP locked onto him. A pair consists of an executioner and a judge.  

Wajid treats every second as a dollar. He didn’t waste any on the merchandiser and continued to invest in VP. The poor sod collapse from overwhelming anxiety. The coworkers close to him scramble to drag him off the floor. 

“Alright, you know what? You win, VP. You win. Is that what you wanted to hear? Does that make you feel good? Well, guess what? You’re gonna have the honour of raising that particular concern to the board members at our next meeting. I’d say good luck, but that would imply I care. Now are you done? That was a rhetorical question, by the way - we’re going back to the conference room. We need a game plan for this pitch, and we needed it yesterday.” 

VP sneers, marches to the elevator with Wajid following closely - some would say too closely - behind. Their arguments resume as they’re being carried upwards. 

A collective sigh of relief bounces off the walls of the fourth floor. 

Lunchtime couldn’t come sooner. 

-

The fashion industry is a dog eat dog world where not even carcasses are left for the vultures to pick or maggots to festered in the rot. None are even for the rats. 

It’s a terrifying truth for models like Bianca. 

Long legs. Perfect portions. A million gold coin smiles. 

She has them in spades and more, but what does that matter? 

Modelling is a career dancing on a fine line, and it gets shorter the older you get. 

And once you’ve fallen off, well, the replacement will know to shine brighter than Bianca ever could. 

So Bianca of some no-name port town of the many islands surrounding Intacia walk down the runway separating controversy and revelry as if it was her last. Her smiles become more expensive for every flashing camera. She dons on clothes that leaves the world in a daze. 

She becomes the reigning face of Modas itself. 

“How are you feeling? Nervous?” The makeup artist makes idle inquiries as she does the final touch-up on Bianca’s face. The makeup department and models benefit from a symbiotic relationship - the artists pretty them up, set the mood before shooting, and in return, the models display their masterpieces to the world. Using the models as a medium to market themselves. 

“Is there any reason to?” Bianca muses, her confidence well earned. She closes her delicate lashes, enjoying the gentle brushes of the eyeshadow. 

“The fact that this is the first time Modas is collaborating with Enchanted Adelina, and the Madame specifically asked for you to model their latest product? I’d say the pressure’s all on you today. Even more so than usual.” 

Announcement trickled from the management floor that for the first time ever, Modas signed an indie skincare and makeup brand as their latest client. Given that the fashion house is known for its wealthy partners and clientele, journalists ate it up. All eyes would be not only on Bianca but also this new brand. 

When Wajid and VP called her into their offices - closely adjacent to one another - it was impressed heavily that her job isn’t enough to make the product look good. It must be irresistible to the point people are desperate to get their hands on it. Even if it’s not considered a luxury product. 

The bosses also mentioned a challenge. 

Bianca will face it with a smile. 

She hums after the makeup artist finishes off with a setting spray. “I’ve been using Enchanted Adelina even before I started modelling; their rosewater facial wash is good for sensitive skin. I think I mentioned it during an interview. That must be why they wanted me to model their newest lineup.” Speaking of which... “Will the Madame be here? This is the first shoot after all.” 

The makeup artist shrugs. That’s as far as the news goes, Bianca supposed. 

The journey from the dressing room to the studio is an organised chaos. The clothes on Bianca are triple checked, photographers rushed to set up their equipments and other employees at hand are handling the rest. She’s being left to her own devices for the most part; waiting for the gig to begin. Everyone is waiting for the signal from the CEO and the Vice President. 

Who, in an alarming jolt, are walking towards Bianca. The strange, familiar tension wound between them is ever present. The two of them shared a colour today - a red ribbon in VP’s hair and a red watch around Wajid’s wrist; Bianca absentmindedly wondered if it’s coincidental. Then again, the two often colour-coordinate so maybe it’s to show unity towards the employees despite their infamous rivalry. 

If so, then it fooled absolutely no one. 

“You’re ready. Good.” The Vice President comments. Her piercing eyes sweep over Bianca’s profile. She doesn’t squirm underneath her clinical assessment. Showing weaknesses within the fashion world is the quickest way for rivals to strip your flesh from its bones. There’s a flicker of satisfaction for Bianca’s steely spine, however, it shifts to displeasure when VP turns to Wajid. “I still think the safest route isn’t going to make Enchanted Adelina stand out amongst its competitors. For Goddess’ sake, Wajid, she could’ve launched her new honey lip balm in-house if you’re dead set on the nature aesthetic.” 

Now Bianca is very self-aware on where she stands within the attractive scale but it does put a dent on her ego for someone as handsome and powerful as Wajid to not even glance at her. 

Though to be fair, everyone knows - and is immensely relief - that the CEO of Modas direct his unyielding attention solely on the Vice President most of the time. 

“And I’ll remind you again that the colours needed to reflect the brand’s CI. Since lip balms are visually unappealing, emphasising the brand’s identity will put what we’re trying to market in the forefront of people’s minds.” Wajid counters in his usual no-nonsense tone. 

Soft rose is the heart of the brand. Ivory lace for the antiquity of pressed letters. Moonstone grey and black ink for the clarity within its typography. Sage whispers as a nod to the brand’s natural and overall plant-based skincare ingredients. Champagne gold for the embossed logo.

These colours give Enchanted Adelina a sense of luxury without the ‘loudness’ of most high-end brands - the studio and the clothes Bianca is wearing reflect that. 

VP pinched the bridge of her nose, as if to resist an oncoming headache. “You and I received that file from the Madame about her brand’s story. We know that Enchanted Adelina is a love letter to softness within beauty - the glow of a full moon during Spring and pressed flowers tucked between the pages of velvet-bound journals. We know our target customer - women who are daydreamers, romantics, and those who see magic in the mundane.” 

“So what’s your point?” 

“I’m getting to it! The honey lip balm isn’t supposed to make a statement; it’s about the presence of the wearer. Every product under the brand is a small enchantment that feels romantic. Ethereal. Whimsical. We need Bianca to convey that instead of blasting the colours in the customers’ faces.” 

“We can still go with your narrative, but we can’t take out the colours. The Madame - ”

“Didn’t insist on it. So I say we tone it down and have Bianca integrate the brand’s concept into everyday scenarios. The busier the better.” 

A heated discussion breaks out. Bianca takes one step backwards. Two. And then three. Most of the staff gave them a wide berth too. 

Wajid wants to use her to capture that old-world romanticism and slow, intimate moments with a clear product shot while VP has a different idea. She wants to bottled that Cottagecore Dream within the product as a means of escape for genteel women. 

Bianca does not doubt that the two will eventually come into a common ground - they always do - but for now, she’ll wait. She’ll observe. 

Amidst the warm and dreamy atmosphere of the studio, stillness in beauty, VP and Wajid exist in their own world. 

Untouchable to outsiders, and the loudest unspoken conversations that Bianca has ever seen. 

-

The office can be eerie, in a quiet sort of way that can only be achieved after hours. Lights dimmed and hummed. The whirring fan a familiar noise. 

It’s just as well. It’s way past midnight after all. 

Most of Abel’s - the capable, able Abel PR Overlord of Modas, yes, that running joke has passed its expiration date after working in the company for a decade - colleagues have long gone home. But here he is, still hunched over the typewriter. A lone desk lamp illuminates his corner. A half-empty cup of disgustingly cold sludge that used to be coffee beside it. 

But why is Abel staying so late in the office, you may ask? 

He has no grand ambition to see his face hang on the ‘Employee of the Month’ wall like any green employee. No. He’s not even trying to look like a hard worker. 

He’s just three deadlines, a press release from hell and one scandal thanks to an uppity model with an ego bigger than his dick away from a total meltdown. 

The twitching of his left eye is testament to that. 

So Abel leans back against his chair to stretch, rubs his tired eyes, and decides that a break is in order - the sixth draft of the press release of Enchanted Adelina x Modas isn’t anything better than the previous attempts. The sixth is more or less similar to the second, except he replaced ‘whimsical’ with ‘romantic’ in the tenth paragraph. He’s not getting anywhere with this. Years' worth of PR instincts are yelling at him to sprinkle some sensation into his writing or else no one would read it. 

Whenever you’re stuck in a rut, it’s always good to pull someone into an impromptu brainstorming session. 

And luckily for Abel, the CEO and VP are still around. No doubt finalising the feedback received from the Madame and according to the grapevine, the photoshoots were less-than-stellar when compared to the company’s benchmark. Yeah, he’s really not looking forward to brace whatever argument he’s willingly walking into. 

“Intacia sure is looking good this time of the year.” Abel muses after letting out a tired yawn. Shuffling down the hallway with a notebook and pen in one hand, he glances at the poster of one of the most popular tourist destinations at Intacia. Warm beaches and delicious food; Goddess, when was the last time he took himself to a well-deserved vacation? He makes a mental note to apply for some annual leave when stepping into the executive wing. 

Abel turned the corner. His entire being stilled. 

Something isn’t right. 

Why is the usually open door to the CEO’s office closed? Flicker of shadows indicate movement inside; the small cracks in between the blinds that cover the glass panel tells all. 

And then he heard it. 

A soft moan. A panting murmur. The unmistakable sound of wet lips against another. 

Exhaustion completely disappears as horror sinks into Abel’s bones. 

VP and Wajid; standing too closely. One of them pressed against the glass. 

His poor brain conjured the position before he wanted to:

Wajid, still in his impossibly immaculate suit, is looming over VP, who is equally as devastatingly dressed. Anger sizzles between them, but now he knows, against his consent, that there’s more. 

“Oh my Goddess…” 

The pair hadn’t noticed him yet. Thanked the Conqueror. 

He backed away in slow steps. Heart pounding in his chest. Eyes wide as he willed himself not to breathe too loudly or die on the spot. 

“ - it’s distracting and you know it - fuck, don’t pull away from me. Can’t wait to have your honeyed lips stretched around my cock.” 

“It’s just lip balm. You’re the one who can’t keep your eyes, or mouth, off it.” 

Papers rustled. A soft thud against the glass. 

“Then why are you letting me pin you against the window? Hmm? You taste like every bad idea I’m about to do.” 

VP lets out a sharp inhale, followed by a low growl from Wajid. The sound of a belt unbuckling has never been so mortifying to Abel. He prays that the carpet won’t squeak under his feet. 

“ - don’t think I’ve forgiven you for hiding that last honey stick in your drawer. You’re only fooling yourself, Wajid.” 

A delectable whine echoes by VP. It’s insane how Abel can somehow glimpse through the cracks that Wajid hoists her onto his desk. Heavy panting envelopes the office when Wajid begins rutting into VP’s spread legs. 

“Every time your mouth part to suck that damn tube - I want it. I want you. Spread across this table. Sticky. Sweet. Mine.”

“You’re… o-obsessed. Ah!” 

“You knew. You fucking knew and you let me starve. So I’m going to taste all of you. Starting from these lips.” 

The noises are utterly pornographic - the wet sound of VP’s pussy taking Wajid’s cock. Broken moans shared between sloppy kisses as they desperately peeled each other’s clothes off. The sway of the dimmed lights highlights the CEO’s figure as he tears himself from VP’s lips to duck down and take one of her nipples into his mouth. Sucking and biting it as he fucked her. Cries of pleasure grow louder as VP arched her back, not only pushing her chest closer to his hungry mouth but also letting his cock thrust deeper into her drooling cunt. Greedy and needy. 

A rhythm builds up, fast and shameless. Until - 

“Yes, yes - fuck! I’m going to cum! Wajid - ”

“You’re not leaving until I make sure my cum is dripping our of your panties. That’s it, habibti. Let go for me.” 

He must’ve emptied himself inside her, his cum stuffed fulled that it dripped onto the floor. What a sight the VP must be - naked body sprawled on Wajid’s table, legs and pussy spread wide with honeyed lips. 

Ragged breaths louder than screams of pleasure. 

It’s only when Abel’s out of the wing did he spins his heels and literally runs back to his own office. He slammed the door shut, collapsed into his chair with a wheeze. 

“Hell no. Hell fucking no. Nope. Nope. I didn’t see anything. I didn’t hear anything. That did not happen. I’m not even here.” Abel pressed his face into his hands. He hates how it all makes sense now. 

The bickering. The indecisions. The shoot. The whole dynamic. 

The problem wasn’t because the CEO and VP couldn’t agree on which art direction to go with for the new collaboration. Ethereal fairy core? Minimalist modern magic with a touch of pink? That’s not the issue. 

Dead-end meetings? A dozen concept decks? Creative teams ready to jump out of the windows? Ain’t them either. 

It’s all because Wajid and VP can’t decide whether to fuck or fight whenever they breathe in each other other’s direction! 

“I’m going need to draft at least five NDAs, a distraction campaign and a damn miracle if this ever gets out. I need aspirin. Or tequila. Fuck me - wait, no. No! Bad thoughts!” 

The press release on the typewriter is still incomplete. 

‘Romantic’, it glares. 

Abel glares back. 

It’s not a word that he’d use for the PR disaster in that office.

One thing was for sure: Abel knew he wasn’t going to go back home tonight. Not because of the press release, but because the damage control now needed to contain an affair worthy of an emotional clusterfuck of a telenovela. 

The only solace is the lack of noise carried from afar. 

-

Friday WIP meeting begins at 10:00 AM on the dot.  

Suspicion breaks out among the employees gathered in the conference room. 

Everyone knows these meetings are lead by the middle management so to have Wajid and VP taking the rein instead of their usual hands-off approach? Bets were quietly exchanged - either someone died or someone is about to be promoted. 

PR Director Abel is cradling a triple shot of espresso in the corner as if the cheap paper cup is a stressed baby. His eyebags are the heaviest that anyone has ever seen. A few of his teammates tried to coax answers for their concern inquiries only to received nonsensical mumbles in return. 

“What’s up with Abel?” 

“Heard from the janitor that he didn’t go back home.” 

“Deadlines again? The PR department sure is hell on Earth.” 

The creative teams and suits gossip like schoolchildren. Despite the gleeful tittering, they look tired. No one looked hopeful. 

Such is the norm of the fashion world. The grind stops for no one. 

Then, Wajid and VP walked in. 

Together. 

Calmly. 

United. 

A pair in honey gold and warm oak. Even VP’s red lipstick matches Wajid’s tie. 

A whimper escaped from the PR Director. “Conqueror, kill me. They dressed like a joint mood board...” 

“Morning, everyone. Let me kick off this meeting with an announcement first. By now, I’m sure everyone knows that we have a new client under our belt - “

The PR Director suddenly tipped his head back and downed his coffee like a shot. His teammates exchanged increasingly worried glances. Someone even gripped Abel’s shoulder to steady him. 

“ - and after the initial rounds of feedback regarding the latest photoshoot, VP and I had a breakthrough. Bee-witching; that’s the honey lip balm that Enchanted Adelina is launching next month. After an in-depth discussion - ”

A dying wheeze echoes from the PR group. 

“ - we’ve decided to merge our art directions for the next shoot. While the overall key visuals will continue to have golden tones and organic textures, what would make the product stand out is an element of subtle passion hidden underneath the magic. It’s a product about touch, after all.” 

“A product that was on a certain someone’s lips last night, alright.” Abel thought, trying not to shudder while everyone broke into polite applause. “I’m sure that had nothing to do with the decision-making. Fucking hell. Does Modas cover trauma therapy?” 

The meeting soon concluded. Everyone makes their exit except the PR Director, who was told to stay behind for a quick check-in. 

“How’s the press release looking?” VP asks and look at that, Abel noted, Wajid shuts the door behind him. Seems he knows what the doorknob is for. 

“It’ll be printed out concurrently with the launch. I’ll have the finalised version delivered to the Madame for her approval later.” 

“I want a copy of it on my desk after lunch. Having another pair of eyes - Abel? Are you alright?” 

“Mmhmm. Peachy, Wajid. Just breathe through the wrong pipe.” 

Wajid raises an eyebrow. Even VP looks up from the quarterly reports when the silence stretches on. 

Abel awkwardly clears his throat, wanting nothing more than to disappear, but alas, his career comes first. “If that’s all, Wajid. VP. Oh, right. One more thing: I’m applying for a 6-month vacation after this campaign.” 

VP is surprised. “You’ll use up all of the paid leaves that you’ve carried forward ever since you started working for Modas.” The “Are you sure?” is unspoken. 

But Abel is resolute. When the fallout inevitably breaks out, well, at least he’ll be lounging at a warm beach and reading about it from a newspaper. 

The thing some men would do for their honey.