#but i could've sworn something like this occured

[girlashfur]

i think a scene alot of ppl dont talk ab (iirc anyway) is how when scourge killed tigerstar in front of firestar, firestar had this momentary anger / envy almost, because he wanted to kill tigerstar. he wanted to be the one to put him to justice after everything he'd done to ruin firestars life. there was a short amount of time where, besides the initial shock, firestar felt bloodlust and i think that is so cool and should be utilized more

[dawndelion-winery]

How To Ask You Out

Scaramouche × GN! Reader

Scara would never doubt himself when it came to you. He might be uncertain about many things, but the burning passion he harboured for you was unquestionable. So much so that it had never really occurred to him that you did not necessarily feel his affection for you; surely, you must have caught on already?

It was difficult for him to accept that his habit of repressing his emotions had made all of his gestures and hints far too subtle for you to catch onto. How unfortunate it was, so many of his unspoken confessions fell unnoticed, like the leaves in autumn being shed one by one. He had tried numerous different ways, each method failing to hold your attention enough for you to notice it was more than a fleeting whim on his part.

Truly, how could you not feel the warmth in his hand when he reached for yours to lead you to something he wanted to show you? Could you not feel his excitement to share whatever it was he had stumbled upon in the way he tapped your shoulder or upper arm? There was no way you did not know how averse he was to physical contact with people, yet he touched you so easily, as if being close to you was as natural as breathing. Did that mean nothing to you? He adored how he could lay his head in your lap as you brushed his bangs out of his face with such a gentle caress he was certain you had to have felt the same way. In those moments, he bit his tongue, unable to form the words that would give him the clarity he sought. It was so simple, an easy fix, a straightforward solution to his dilemma, and yet the hardest thing he had ever had to do.

"I love you," he'd murmur every night once you'd fallen asleep. And perhaps that was the reason you could've sworn you dreamt of him confessing to you, sparking a spiral of thoughts about dating him. Slowly but surely, you developed feelings too.

However, your friend, as cold as he was, was equal parts dense, too busy wallowing in his pining to notice his affections were reciprocated. Each day, he ached for you, and had he not been cut loose of his puppet strings, he'd most certainly have handed the reins to you if only it would make you finally see the extent of his devotion that went beyond simple friendship.

Once more he found himself scowling as you introduced him as your dearest friend. He had to admit, there was some inkling of pride in being the dearest among your dear friends, but he'd always been inclined to greed, tempted to perpetually reach for more having been so accustomed to losing everything.

"Your hair's a mess," he commented, seemingly apathetically. You'd woken up late and hadn't had time to check yourself in any reflective surface as you threw on whatever was on top of your dresser and headed out. He thought it was cute, not that it seemed that way.

"I was in a rush," you huffed, averting your eyes as you mused a hand through your hair hoping it'd neaten somewhat.

"Here." How convenient his anemo vision was, for him to hover around you to get the perfect angles on your hair as he helped you tidy it. There was a gentle dexterity in his touch so unlike the gruffness in his words that you knew was far more reflective of who he was than the prickly persona he put up.

"Thanks," you said as your eyes met his. And for a second, you wondered what you could do if you'd had no fear. Would he catch you if you let yourself fall headfirst? You had no way of knowing, and yet the breeze around you blew your worries away. "You're act like you're my boyfriend sometimes."

He froze up at your words, some unknown expression dancing across his face. "Maybe I should be," he murmured. His azure eyes locked onto yours, voice as soft as his gentle caress, brushing a few stray strands out of your face. Except there wasn't anything on your face to brush away - nothing but his cool, slender fingers. His touch seemed to crackle with electricity, but you were certain it was nothing more than your imagination; his gentleness was more akin to the sweet spring gales that made the flowers dance to the songs of leaves.

"Yeah..." you responded, " maybe you should."

Scara's eyes lit up at your response, his excitement laced with wariness. There was an inkling of uncertainty as he scanned your face, as though anxiously seeking any subtle signs of deception.

"Maybe I will be, then," he said finally. And who would've thought? It seems asking you out was much easier than he'd gotten himself worked up over.

Taglist: @ryuryuryuyurboat @yinyinggie @mx-kamisato @chaosinanutshell @haliyamori @irethepotato @boundedbyfate @favonius-captain @aqui-soba @tiredsleep @sadlonelybagel @mastering-procrastinating

[basketballanonsblog]

Save the first dance (for me)

Nayeon x reader

A/n: so I finished writing this wayyy earlier than I thought. I don't celebrate Christmas, so this is all I can offer as a gift 🎁 my first Nayeon x reader. I started thinking about a certain movie from the 90s, which is the main inspiration for this. Twice also made a reference to this in one of their mv. Like most of my ideas, I conjured it whilst in the shower 🤷🏽‍♀️

There is mild angst, but not that much.

Synopsis: What else can you do but run to the woman who has been waiting so patiently for you?

-◇-

You scrambled around your room, making sure you had everything.

The flight was in an hour, and everything seemed to be going wrong.

From sleeping through the alarm to spending a good half an hour looking for the passport you could've sworn you put on the bedside table the night before.

Nevertheless, you made it. You were finally on your way back to Korea.

"Excuse me." Your poor seat mate nearly dropped their phone in shock. "Sorry didn't mean to startle you, can I just get past?"

She just stared wide eyed at you. It was unnerving.

"I'll take that as a no."

You didn't ask again, but waited until they fell asleep. Carefully, you climbed over her, but you didn't factor in the possibility of your foot getting stuck.

Which, of course, it did.

Surprisingly, no one was awoken by the commotion of you falling over.

Now, that would've been embarrassing.

What you hadn't realised was that the girl saw and had to hold in her laughter.

-◇-

You stood in front of her apartment building. You knew the code since you lived together, but you physically couldn't bring yourself to go in.

Later, you thought. She may not even be home.

You were wandering around when you saw her again. The woman from the plane.

"We meet again..." She looked around to see if there were other people there.

"Eun Jung."

"Y/n."

"Did you find your sweetheart?" You were surprised, you did mention your significant other but you thought Eun Jung wasn't listening since she didn't respond to any attempt of conversation.

"Not yet."

"I know a lot of people, maybe I know her."

"Considering she's Im Nayeon, I think a lot of people know her."

"You dated Im Nayeon?!"

"Yes."

Eun Jung was starting to piece together what happened and wanted to help.

Even if it was out of pity.

"Come on, I know where she is."

-◇-

Turns out, Twice has a performance outside today.

The two of you stayed far behind the crowd and seeing her again made you feel many things.

She was smiling, but she wasn't entirely happy. You noticed the ring on her left hand.

A year later, she still wore it.

It was time to face the truth.

"She- " you glanced at your hands, hands you didn't want to admit were translucent. "She can't see me can she?"

"No. No one can."

"Except you." She hummed in confirmation.

"Don't ask why because I don't know."

"I guess that explains why you don't respond when others are around."

You continued watching the group when an idea occurred.

"Let me borrow your body." The poor woman almost choked on her water.

Okay, maybe you shouldn't have been so abrupt.

"Eh?!"

"She might be able to see me if I'm in a person's body."

"I don't think it's a good idea. What if you get stuck? A lot of things can go wrong."

She was right, but it didn't help in making you feel any less dejected.

Eun Jung began to feel guilty for shooting your idea down, when she turned to apologise, you were gone.

-◇-

It didn't take long to find you again since you ended up near the Han River.

You two took in the view of the sunset.

"She's - was my fiancée. We were supposed to marry last summer, but a month before the wedding I had to go overseas for work. I tried hard to get out of it but couldn't. Thankfully, I managed to wrap things up a week early. I booked an earlier flight to surprise her, but obviously, I never made it back home."

"You're here now though, I think that means something. We need to see Nayeon."

"It's pointless if she can't see or hear me."

"Shush. I won't accept any negativity. Now hurry up."

I'll get you two closure, even if it's the last thing I do.

-◇-

Ghosts are useful in getting into places you shouldn't be. I'll remember that.  Eun Jung thought to herself as the both of you stood in front of Nayeon's apartment.

You were definitely trespassing but that was the least of your worries.

Nayeon answered the door, and all you wanted was to hold her.

"Hello ma'am. You're probably wondering who and why I'm bothering you at this hour. I knew y/n, I'd like to offer my condolences.

Her plan worked when Nayeon beckoned her inside.

The other members were there too, and she had to resist asking for an autograph. It was amusing to see your new friend starstruck.

At first, Nayeon was eager to talk about you, but something was off. There were too many inconsistencies. It made her suspicious about the stranger in her home.

As politely as she could, she tried to usher Eun Jung out, making her resort to plan b.

"Y/n is here! She's been here the whole time."

"Is that supposed to be funny, mocking her?"

"Please, you have to believe me. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn't trying to help y/n."

The other members stepped in, getting ready to call the police. Eun Jung was getting desperate. She tried to wrack her brain for a solution, but there was only one she could think of.

"Ugh, fine! You can do it." But she wasn't talking to them.

"What?" You asked.

"Your brilliant idea from earlier."

"Really?"

"Yes! Now hurry before I change my mind. They're starting to think I'm crazy because in their eyes, I'm talking to myself."

"Thank you. I owe you one."

"Yeah, you do."

Your spirit jumped into her, causing a glow. It almost felt weird to be back in a human body.

Nayeon felt her legs give out. Fortunately, the members supported her. They looked at you in disbelief.

"Nayeon."

"Y/n."

Cautiously, she approached you and with the gentleness she has missed terribly, you cupped her cheek.

The world faded away when you kissed. She kissed you softly, but the passion wasn't absent. You kissed through each other's tears, and you kissed over and over until your lungs were begging for air.

She hugged you tightly when you broke apart.

"I missed you so much."

"And I you, my love. I couldn't leave yet when I owe you a dance."

"Hold that thought."

She ran to the bedroom, re-emerging a few minutes later in her wedding dress.

"You never got to see me wearing this until now." You broke down at that. You were robbed of the chance to see her walk down the aisle.

Not a dry eye anywhere, as the members too teared up.

Music filled the apartment as you danced. It was the song that would've played for your first dance as wives.

In the blink of an eye, it was over. However, neither of you let go.

That is until you started shining. You've found closure, and now it was time for your soul to be fully put to rest.

"My love -"

"No. Don't go, please stay. I can't lose you a second time."

"I can't stay like this forever. That would be unfair to Eun Jung." You separated from your friend, leaving her slightly disorientated. Being a host body for a ghost was exhausting. She felt everything you did.

Your spirit emitted so much light. Everyone could see you now.

"It's okay, Nayeon. You don't have to feel guilty about moving on. Promise me you won't be afraid to find happiness."

"I promise." You couldn't wipe away her tears this time. "I love you."

"I love you too."

With one more look and smile at everyone, you faded away for the last time.

Nayeon drew strength from the ones who held and stood by her through this.

She would not break her final promise to you.

[ride-thedragon]

A lack of Nuance for Rhaenyra and Criston.

I don't know when this fandom came together for the group agreement that anything that occurred between these two should not be viewed past superficial lenses that draw to the worst possible conclusions for them both, but I didn't sign it.

This fallout is so emotional, bitter, and unfortunate that to only see it within the views of making these characters, the worst versions of themselves is a disservice to one of the better plots the writers wrote.

Their Society

Rhaenyra and Criston exist in the intersections of women and men and princess/heir and knight. The assumption that any necessary conclusion about their dynamic can happen outside of either one of these dynamics leads to really reductive takes. For example, everyone's favorite misinterpretation, their sex scene.

Rhaenyra is a woman. She is the property of her dad and then her husband. She doesn't escape that as heir to the realm. Had Rhaenyra married anyone who didn't care about her or put their explicit permission with her about her virtue, she would've been devalued in that relationship.

Screwing a princess, the heir, especially, is crazy. He put his life at risk doing that. Not to mention him being a Dornish King's Guard. Not only is he expected to be a sexual deviant, but he's sworn an oath to be celibate. So when they do sleep together, he's breaking a sacred oath with the underlying stereotype that he would.

Because he is a man, his consequence would lie solely on him breaking his vow, not with sleeping with Rhaenyra. In one of the craziest hypotheticals I've seen with y'all come up with, if Rhaenyra said Criston assaulted her, he's an oath breaker who deflied a princess and a rapist. She is still viewed as less of a prized bride without her virtue.

Like book Lancel, who says,

"A Frey girl, and not of my choosing, she is not even a maiden."

There is a stigma that virtue makes a girl more or less desirable.

The risk for each of them would never be equal for many reasons, but the risk is still there and does involve consequences. It holds as much risk for each character as it could given their positions.

Our Society

Power imbalance

He knew her at 14, and she chose him to be her protector at 15, and he's been that for her about 4/ 5 years when we see them consumate their relationship. He's older than her and more experienced.

Rhaenyra holds a lot of power as well. As a princess who appointed him to his position, there could have been a sense of obligation or coercing purely based on the what-if consequences if he had said no.

The back and forth in our world is the ability for either party to truly consent, a debate that, although it holds a lot of nuance, y'all can't seem to process past each other. These ideas co exist and make the dynamic interesting.

Emotion

These two are each other's closest companions at this time. Rhaenyra has been formal and frigid towards Alicent, and Criston is her constant company. She's also been on tour to find her husband, with him being her closest confidant.

The escalation of their relationship and denial or regret for either of them after sleeping together has them losing that relationship.

It's an extremely delicate boundary they both risk when they start to sleep together, one that is eventually lost.

The SA Part

I just wanna talk.

Coercing, as I understand it, is the most extreme thing you can say happened between them. You'd still be wrong.

The risk I mentioned earlier applies to both of them. If Criston had turned her away, which he could've done after she kissed him, she would've lost that same emotional dependence.

A breakdown of what happened:

She starts to open her top, he says stop, and she does.

She then starts to take off his glove cuff thing.

She looks at him, raises his head, and kisses him again, something to which he fully responds to and they start doing what they do.

At no point is there a lack of understanding that they could stop. Neither of them want to stop.

Then you say the helmet and door thing before so I'll allow it.

If he took up his helmet and walked out, she wouldn't restrain him. She'd be hurt and rejected, but she would not force him.

He literally takes his cloak from her, contemplates his movement, and lets it go to remove his shoulder pads. The visual language plays into him, choosing desire over honor, not him being forced into something he doesn't want to do.

At no point are the visual, audio, or character actions indicating assault or coercion.

Let it die here, please.

The Incel Accusations

I'm gonna be disrespectful before I'm serious again.

Fabien's mug? Involuntary Celibate? There is no correlation between those two questions.

Stop it. Let's be serious and say it, 5 minutes in a room with Criston, any 1 out of 3, would put an end to those accusations, and I'm tired of y'all acting like it wouldn't.

Words lose meaning all the time, but incel would mean he's a violent misogynist who takes his inability to have sex out on women.

He's might be homophobic (a joke) but he's not a woman abuser. His closest relationship in the show is Alicent, and it was a mutually beneficial decision they came to that to maintain his deeply respected position as a King's Guard, with which he returns to his vow of chosen celibacy.

The one time he uses a slur against a woman, he's trash-talking Rhaenyra with Alicent, saying it and immediately corrects himself with a pause in the conversation, saying it's beneath him.

They are both angry, but he corrects himself for going to a place beneath their conversation, showing that he respects her contribution and their discussions enough to be weary of vulgarity.

Criston, as a character.

Criston, as a character, is loyal, loving, and emotional. We see this with the way Alicent speaks to him, the way he speaks to Rhaenyra, even the conversation with him and Daemon. He's a reactive and emotional man.

We see the darkness in that with Ser Joffrey and Lord Beesburry. With the way we see him holding that grudge against Rhaenyra. We see it with the way he interacts with Rhaenyra's kids through Alicent’s.

Him wanting to run away with her isn't him desperately trying to seek comfort with his abuser.

It's him trying to come to terms with the fact that he's made a big, emotional sacrifice, and he can't justify it within himself.

His proposal doesn't align with her wants, and they fall apart. He's reactive and emotional and blames her. It's still his conflicting beliefs and actions.

He attacks Joffrey because of that. He tries to kill himself because of that. When Alicent finds him, she becomes a beacon in which he can earn forgiveness, away from Rhaenyra and can set the conflict to rest within himself. He chooses the King's Guard.

And he's loyal to that forgiveness to a fault, something Alicent knows, which is why she can vouch on, "with everything you feel for me,".

Is he wrong? Yes, on multiple occasions, but he's allowed to be. He's a flawed character in a flawed society.

Rhaenyra, as a character

I've never seen a character so consciously misrepresented by her fans and detractors. She's either Satan herself or the mother Mary reinvisioned. Let's go over this.

She is entitled. She uses that entitlement to her benefit. She is emotional but logical and plays to her strengths. She also has a dimension of naiveté all throughout her life. She's living to a fault.

Step by step for everything.

She sleeps with Daemon at his wife's funeral

She gains her father's favor in a fight against her maimed brother and disrespected son where she openly acknowledged it.

She let's Rhaenys think that she killed her son to marry Daemon and let him buy into the fire and blood sentiment because she knows him.

She leaves King's Landing for six years and expects her highly contested crown.

Her weakness is always the people she loves. From episode one to episode ten, it is her way. With Alicent, the best example, she always forgives her and always pushes past any ill intent to gain her favor back.

Their Interactions

So we have a spoiled naive princess who loves people entirely, and her companion, whose loyalty she comes to rely on, so much that she risks her reputation with him and who becomes her closest confidante.

She names him a King's Guard and her guard, and they get closer. He's attentive and caring to her, and she's loving and naive.

When they fall apart, he views her for reasons said above as a representation of his temptation and straying from his current path. She used him for her own gain and didn't want their relationship to progress past what he was deeply ashamed and conflicted over.

When they drift apart, he causes a highly dangerous event, killing her husband's lover, creating a bridge in their early marriage that she can't afford to mend with the expectations of her as heir. He abandons her and becomes close to her friend, who even though she reached out to her, still not trusting her. He then completely gave Alicent that loyalty, leaving Rhaenyra alone at a tumultuous and anticipated time in her life, isolated.

Love and Loss

They loved each other. Argue with your family members, and maybe they'll care about your rebuttal, but I don't. They love each other in very similar ways they go on to love the people they truly love.

It was young and emotional and naive, and when it was over, in its place, grows confusion and bitter resentment.

Rhaenyra has to move on for the sake of her kids and new life, but Criston can't because his life now is in opposition to who he used to be, which is symbolized by Rhaenyra.

A fair conclusion

They are characters. Stop being weirdos about them. They are both deeper than y'all, allowing them to be and had a really dynamic place in each other's lives. They are both greatly misrepresented by their sides and foes. And y'all would have a lot more fun if you didn't do that.

[youredreamingofroo]

📩 Simblr question of the day: Do you have a process for making your simblr posts?

answer in whatever way is most comfortable for you and feel free to share this SQOTD around, make sure to use the hashtag SQOTD and tag me in separate posts ~ 💛

This question was contributed by an anon !

oh brother everyone pull out the popcorn cuz im aboutta yap for a decade and a half

Here's Roos guide to making a youredreamingofroo post

Step 1, Be up at ungodly hours and have a sudden shock of inspiration for a render

Step 2, Write inspiration down for later

Step 3, Completely disregard "for later" and go boot up my laptop at aforementioned hours

Step 4, open up blender and throw in sim DAEs and start posing them

Step 4.5, use pinterest for pose inspo and/or spend 50 years trying to figure out how to do one thing that I wanna do but dont know how to do said thing (every explanation is explained like I should understand every inner machination of blender, which I obv dont understand) (optional)

Step 5, spend the entire time posing thinking of how I'm going to position the cameras and which chunk of dialogue will go where

Step 5.5, realize halfway through that the song I'm listening to actually fits the scene really well and so I end up listening to that song on repeat for however much longer I end up posing (Optional step)

Step 6, Set up the cameras, lighting and background, usually I don't have a scene in mind, so I just do my usual black background and colorful lighting

Step 7, have a crisis because it's 5 AM and I could've sworn it was 1 AM two seconds ago

Step 8, Render the finished products, which usually goes by fast cause I render in eevee but sometimes I do cycles (which takes fucking eons)

Step 8.5, get sick of the song I'm listening to on repeat (if step 5.5 occurred in the process)

Step 9, Throw them suckers into GIMP and edit them, by this point I'm usually tired and I'm not a huge edit-every-detail kinda guy, so editing is pretty easy, that being said, Clone tool+Heal tool are my best friends for renders cuz of hair clipping, general clipping and/or weird shadows, and I tend to edit everything to the very PIXEL (if you could see me edit, I actually do go pixel by pixel often), and then to top it off, sharpen that bad boy <:P

Step 10, Export them and go to tumblr and throw those pictures onto a post (For some reason, making the post save as a draft makes posting images a lot easier...) and wait for them to process (which takes eons cuz of my wifi), then go to patorjk for title coloring, add the title, and add whatever needs to be added under the cut (transcript, inspo, credits, etc)

Step 11, Schedule it for a few minutes later cuz why not (usually an even number like X:10 AM or X:30 AM etc etc lmao)

Step 12, Wait for it to post and schedule 3-4 TZRs (depending on when I post the renders is how I determine when to post a TZR, if I post something at 7, then I schedule TZRs for 12 PM, 6-7 PM and then 12 AM)

Step 13, profit 🤷‍♂️ (and by profit I mean profit in serotonin and pride)

[malevolantkitcheen]

Hello!! May i please request a matchup for Resident Evil?

Here are some of my characteristics:

I'm 5'2, I have a thick, wavy brown hair, medium eyebrows, hazel and lower sanpaku eyes, bulbous nose, medium lips and a midsize peach body

I don't talk a lot, but I love telling jokes and sharing knowledge.

I love sour candy, chocolate and the smell of, coffee, men's perfume and lemon leaves!

I am currently on college (biology) and have a technical degree in system development.

Also, I have a BIG soft spot for gentlemen!

Good Evening lovely!

Apologies for such a delay in responding to your request but I hope that you still see this!

Your request caught my eye as I would love to do some more Resident Evil requests! From this I think that you would match well with....

Luis Serra

Prior to being recruited by Saddler, you were acquaintances with Serra whilst studying for your degree in bio-medicine; even then he was certainly a...character. Luis was very persistent, especially when it came to proving himself right with whatever he was working on at the time in the lab. More often than not it was just another one of his outlandish theories. You could've sworn he only formulated these to rub you the wrong way. Typically, you would just keep your head down, focusing on your studies but there was just something lately that enticed you about Serra.

Snap out of it.

You didn't need any more distractions, this degree would mean that you could work alongside the best and even getting into establishments with that status was like gold dust. But would one or two exchanged glances really be so criminal?

Focus.

After graduating, you decided that it was probably for the best if you didn't stay in contact with your fellow scholars and instead, work on getting a placement in a lab with more...likeminded individuals. After some time, it felt as though it was going to be entirely impossible finding a decent placement and just when you thought things couldn't possibly get any worse, your ass of a landlord decided to increase your rent. Great. Your friends were tired of you giving the same old 'graduate stuck working as a barista' and honestly, so were you. Maybe it was finally time to get back in touch with some of your old peers and see what they had been getting up to. After aimlessly trawling through the internet you decided to get some rest and just draw up a plan of action in the morning.

Eight o clock.

Alarm blaring, next door already screaming and shouting, god were these walls really that paper thin? You found yourself asking the same thing every single morning. Is this really the best things get? You bury your head back into your pillow, letting out an exasperated sigh as you do so.

Just ten more minutes.

Ten more minutes of contemplating, ten more minutes of meticulously planning out your day in your head step by step, ten more minutes of hoping that this was some sort of re-occurring nightmare.

Your alarm sounds for the second time urging you to finally get out of bed. As you hesitantly open your eyes, taking your first glances of the day, you notice that your computer is still turned on. You were so exhausted last night that you must've forgotten to turn it off. Reluctantly, you roll out of bed and wander over to your desk. Upon taking a closer look you notice that you have a new email in your inbox. 'Must be spam', you thought to yourself. Despite this initial thought, it felt as though something was urging you to take a look. A gut feeling. Who could it be...

(I really enjoyed writing this one so if you'd like me to continue it let me know or send me over a dm ! )

[dumbdomb]

God.. knowing how bad you wanna be groped gets me hard. I'm definitely gonna get home tonight and cum multiple times to the videos and photos you've posted..

In a similar note.. sitting next to you in the theater, halfway through the movie, when it's already pitch black. You know that's not my seat cos you booked out multiple just so you didn't have to sit next to anyone. During an action scene, my hand reaches out and lands on your upper thigh. You tense, hoping it's just a mistake from an oblivious stranger, but as my fingers inch higher and higher, dragging up your stomach and slipping up the hem of your shirt, pulling it up with me. You squirm, but you really don't wanna make a scene, especially being found in such a compromising position as I also drag your bra up, letting your tits flop out.

It starts simple enough, just fondling them, making them bounce, with my eyes glued to the screen, almost using them as a toy to fidget with, but soon it gets a little crueller, soft pinches and pulls, as if I'm trying to milk you, moving to soft slaps as I amuse myself with your tits. I wish I could turn around and worship them with my mouth like they deserve but.. well we don't want anyone to notice anything, do we? Besides, I know If I do a good job, you'll meet me in the bathroom afterwards, where I can worship everything from your breasts, your armpits, thighs and stomach, just like a goddess deserves...

yes, i want to be groped so bad!!! i think about it every time i'm touching my tits. i hope you fantasize about molesting me when you cum.

you probably didn't realize i'd been aware of your existence at all. i was always so careful to look away whenever your gaze moved in my direction. i always thought you hadn't noticed me, with so many people frequently becoming regulars at this cinema. but the last time i was here, i could've sworn you were watching me... like, the way you looked at me- as if you weren't really here for the movies...

i decided to dress a little differently this time. i thought it'd be fun to see if you noticed me more, plus i was already a little aroused that day. i needed to watch something with lots of action, and maybe that'd get this horniness out of my system. it was bad enough that i was showing up wearing a flimsy bralette with no support under a boxy tee, a short skirt, and cute transparent mesh panties... like, who the heck is going to the theater dressed in something so easily accessible... at least i had the sense to wear my extra big, warm, comfy jacket so i wouldn't get too freezing cold in there!

when you sat down next to me, my heart was beating so fast. i thought you were going to say something, but maybe you were just shy... i thought we'd have a chance to talk after the movie. maybe we'd be really good friends!? i mean, we both obviously love movies, right? it never occurred to me how brazen you were feeling then. this was your chance: today.

i was startled when i felt something on my thigh, but i figured it was just a response to the film. i mean, who would put their hand on someone's body if they hadn't even officially met before?! obviously, it was a mistake. i turned my attention back to the movie and failed to realize you hadn't stopped... your hand was still there.

i didn't feel you carefully moving over my lacy skirt, i didn't even notice when you lifted my shirt enough to see the pathetic excuse for a "bra" i chose to wear. i had no idea until, among the loud explosions of the movie, i felt the band of my bra being pulled up above my chest. i looked down and was shocked to see my tits were out, and i was horrified to see your hand was responsible for it! you were molesting me!

i tried to speak, a whisper of a breath that would never be heard over the noise from the movie. it wouldn't matter anyway, bc as soon as i opened my mouth, you began to fondle my chest... i must've turned bright red on the spot! how could this be happening. i didn't even have time to think before you started playing with them. i just stared at the screen, not knowing how to respond. i stared at the movie and tried to ignore it, squirming in my seat whenever you rolled my nipples between your fingers. i wanted to get up and leave, mortified that i let this get so far, but i did nothing... (because i didn't really want to leave. i never wanted this moment to end. it felt so amazing. i wished for more...)

i guess that's why i pretended it was so normal when you moved the armrest up between us to sit closer to me. groping me more, placing an arm around me just to have better access to my tits. you never did anything rough, but i couldn't focus on anything else after that. it actually made me feel sad when you stopped and slowly pulled my bra and shirt down into place like nothing happened. as the lights came on and the credits began, i realized the film was over.

i couldn't even move. when you got up to leave, i reached for your wrist with a look of yearning washed upon my face. i was just thinking, how could i walk? i was so disoriented. i needed you to help me. you must've understood bc you got me up and supported me as we walked to the mostly empty restroom. there's usually no one around at this time, that's why i come. i never really cared for busy, crowded places. so once someone walked out and a few moments passed- you decided to sneak back inside.

it was just us. i sat on the chaise-like bench in front of the full-length mirrors. i was checking my hair and makeup when the last person was cleaning their hands. i never expected to look up and see you: to watch as you locked the door behind yourself... i was finally able to say something, "why are you doing this? what do you want from me?" i was scared, but i didn't feel like i was ever in any real danger.

you told me that you wanted to do everything you could to treat me the way a goddess deserves. you explained how you've noticed me ever since i first got a membership rewards card. i didn't know you'd been so interested in me from the very beginning... then, you started following me online, paying attention to what i liked. you were hoping i'd finally notice you, too.

all i could do was look down. you'd never think it, based on my outfit then, but i felt so shy and embarrassed. i set my hand next to me on the seat, quietly inviting you closer. how could i do such a thing... you had me then. immediately, you walked over and sat near me- looking up to see the full view of us together in the mirror.

you spoke so softly, with a kind and warm voice, encouraging me to watch as you lifted my shirt up again. groping my tits like you did earlier, wanting me to look as you let my tits flop out in the reflection. at that very moment, i felt like an actual slut. topless with some stranger in a public bathroom! what was i even thinking...

i tried to squirm away, and you held my arms back, caressing my tits as i not-so-convincingly wrestled to get free (to no avail). you just used the opportunity to push my legs apart, to show me the giant wet spot between my thighs... honestly, we were both surprised... you pressed your hand over it, and we could hear the audible squish as your fingers were covered in my slime. (to be fair, the meshy panties i had on were not the most practical in this situation. 🫣)

you could see the subtle change in my facial expression and dropped to your knees right away. you pulled my panties to the side and covered my little clit in your warm mouth before i could say anything else. i moaned, watching my tits being groped again as you sucked my cock. and you wouldn't let me get away from this feeling, teasing my nipples every time i looked away. i couldn't believe one of my public cnc fantasies was actually happening... 💕🩷

[creator-indy]

tell me somethign about. the chip revvington and the uhhh the uhhh the uhhhhhhhhhh i could've sworn you've drawn a toon with him oc x cannon style yeah tell me something about that wahoo

That would my toon midge jinxjinks

I might as well spill the lore I’ve had since I started playing this game

So midge met chip when she got the task to fight him she did not expect anything like the override to occur after winning and seeing how much this guy is going though she kinda felt bad for launching wrecking balls at him so to try and make it up to him she got him a can of oil as a gift (which she slipped through the roof) she got a thank you letter from him a little while after that then got the brilliant idea to visit him again chip who was certainly surprised to see her again and was certainly wondering why she came back even though the override TRIED TO KILL HER all she could say was…”I wanted to see ya again”

And like that she started to visit him regularly they got to know each other more and more with each visit when one day after work and midge was getting ready to leave…

She kissed chip right on his cheek(well blade)

and that’s all I got so far

I AM INSANE FOR THIS MAN

[desos-records]

Chapter 6: All The World

First | Prev / Next

Ghost possession doesn't happen often, but fatality rates are high. Even if an agent does survive, there are the aftereffects to worry about.

After surviving a possession, Lucy Carlyle struggles with recovery, delving ever deeper into the memories of Visitors and, in the process, stumbling into the world of blackmarket Sources.

Meanwhile, George Karim races to learn the truth behind ghost possession in order to protect Lucy and save future agents.

And Anthony Lockwood must face his own past with the London underworld if he wants to save his friends and himself.

-

Asset.

Lucy could hear the word ringing in her ear as she stormed down the dark street. Of course, that's why they kept her on. These boys had their little partnership and just needed a Listener around to balance out their Talents—just needed a girl around to look more legitimate. Hadn't the advert said preferably female?

Of course, it took their first few cases together, when he saw what she could do, for Lockwood to finally warm up to her and stop calling her Ms. Carlyle. He'd just been waiting until she'd proven her worth, hadn't he? George still didn't think much of her, obviously.

You wanted me to fire her last night—maybe you were right.

And to think she'd actually started to feel like she belonged somewhere. Like there might be people who cared about her that were just down the stairs instead of gone where she couldn't follow.

Or at least, where she shouldn't want to follow. Sometimes, after a rough case or the nightmares that haunted quiet nights, she couldn't help but wonder if Norrie and the others had it better.

Lucy shivered from a sudden surge of cold, making her look up, psychic Senses flaring. It struck her that she'd walked far outside Marylebone, somewhere full of angular, dark shapes forming buildings she didn't recognize. London streets remained stubbornly convoluted even after all these weeks tramping around them for cases. Her boots tapped loudly on the cobblestones as she walked.

She coasted to a stop. Annabel's ring, safe in its locket, stung like ice against her sternum. A run-down cinema loomed over her, grey and green from the dim ghost lamp down the street. Posters for plays hung in the windows and she couldn't tell if they were faded or if the windows were cloudy. But she could've sworn she'd seen the broken marquee before.

No. Annabel had seen it before.

The heavy wood doors opened before Lucy even realized her hands had touched them. She distantly wondered why the place wasn't locked, but the thought couldn't overrule her desire to find out why Annabel had led her here.

"What is it?" she muttered to herself. "What do you want to show me?"

Inside, the dusty seats and shabby stage were drenched in darkness, save for the ghost light standing centerstage—an old sickly green bulb in a wire cage fixed to the top of a pole, much weaker than the ghost lamps outside. Someone had taken a crowbar to some of the seats, wrenching them free of their bolts. They must've been caught in the act because one crowbar was still there, lying half in the aisle.

Lucy could hear music and someone singing faintly, like a badly tuned radio several rooms away. She didn't recognize it, but her chest ached with familiarity anyway.

do not believe his vows

She flinched, for a moment dead certain someone had spoken from the stage. Her vision flickered and the silhouette of a man appeared, then just as quickly vanished. 

A curl of fear wound through Lucy's stomach. It occurred to her that she didn't have her rapier, not a bit of salt or iron—save her iron earrings, a gift from Norrie. If something manifested, she had nothing to defend herself with.

"Come on, Annabel," she whispered. "I don't have all night."

Lucy stepped onto the stage, despite every instinct and ounce of training blaring alarm bells in her head. The necklace flared with another wave of cold and she winced. Someone screamed.

didn't do anything!

Rage rolled through her, the shaky, brittle kind that left her in tears. It didn't feel all that different from how she'd felt when she'd slammed the front door of Portland Row—God, that must've been hours ago now. Lucy's legs gave out and she crashed to the floor.

She tried to blink the tears out of her eyes and then she saw it. Wedged in the creaking slats of the stage, she found a single cufflink. It was nothing special, gold with something geometric carved into it. When she picked it up, the pattern clicked. They were letters.

J. W. F.

It had no psychic energy to it, but Annabel's memories seemed to push at the edges of Lucy's mind, threatening to break through. Only the silver-glass of the locket kept them back.

"This belonged to the man who killed you, didn't it?" Nothing responded, but she felt something inside herself settle.

She shoved the cufflink into her pocket and staggered to her feet, stumbling and nearly falling down the stairs off the stage. The railing, eaten through with rust, snapped in her hand. Halfway up the aisle, she heard something else. 

Two gunshots in quick succession. Lucy dropped, ducking low. Her breath turned to white smoke and a creeping dread snared itself through her ribcage. As it echoed through the room, she realized the sound came from something long gone and long dead. Whatever hold Annabel had over her shattered, replaced instantly with fear loud enough to shake her bones apart and searing anger at herself for being so stupid. She froze for too long, emotions warring with each other.

The gunshots fired again. Plasm shot over her head. A shape hovered in the doorway leading out of the theatre. Its arm extended, pointing straight at her.

Lucy's anger won out. It burned straight through her fear, clear to the other side where her better instincts waited for her to get a grip.

She glanced around, willing her eyes to dig something useful out of the darkness.

The crowbar. It sat there in the dust a few aisles ahead of her. The Spectre rippled, then rushed towards her. Lucy dove for the crowbar. Her fingers latched around the cold metal and she swung it like a bat, as hard as she could.

The iron bar cut neatly through the plasm—close enough that ice dusted the edges of her hair.

She didn't wait for it to reform. Muscles stiff and lungs burning, she forced herself upright, then dashed for the exit and crashed through the front doors into the familiar, watery light of ghost lamps.

Halfway down the street she remembered she still had no idea where she was.

[tavyliasin]

The very first chapter of my long fic, which I did not realise was going to become quite so extensive or unhinged. Of Living, Loving, and the Strangest of Bedfellows - A Tav's Guide to Fucking Across Faerun: Sordid Coast Edition (ATG) Chapter 1: Meat? Cute. In which a beginning occurs, and a sample taste of what is to follow. --- Sample ---

A mirthless smirk crossed his features. "Perhaps I am a murderer, and you a thief? For all I know you're just waiting to steal my coin purse the moment I'm asleep-"

"And perhaps you are just waiting for an opportunity to pierce my heart with your blade."

"That would be a waste."

Tav blinked silently, words escaping her entirely at the unexpected response..

"Well, anyway, it looks like we're just going to have to agree to a truce for now. As delightful as it has been to cross sharp wits, the dawn waits for none of us, and you look more exhausted than I feel. How about you agree not to cut my purse, and I agree not to cut your throat, hmm?"

"I suppose I can't say much fairer than that. Although… Look, the lack of trust isn't personal. It's just self preservation. I haven't lived this long by throwing my lot in with every handsome man who tries to stab me on first meeting." A little more truth slipped out than she had expected, though there was as much chance to shove the words back into her mouth unspoken as removing the damned tadpole with a well timed slap to the back of the head. Though she did consider the latter as an option.

She was rewarded by a smirk, a hint of teeth sparkling between his lips. "Handsome now, is it? Good to know."

Tav could've sworn that the man in front of her was a bard had she not already known better. Every motion like a dance, even the tilt of his head as he observed her reaction seemed to be uniquely designed to seduce her away from her better senses. No , she thought firmly, not yet. Safety comes first. We secure our lives, and only then can we indulge in what it means to live. --- This chapter starts slow, introducing this Tav (whose name I stole for my writing psuedonym) as well as the beginning of the story. Keeping close to the canon of the initial bite scene, I wanted to explore a little more in detail the feelings and what's going through the minds of both characters. I also know that I'm not writing Astarion's voice well here, too many contractions at the very least, I should go back and edit it at some point to fix that. But we're at least still establishing Tavylia, Rogue, Urchin, Wood Elf with very little left to lose but clinging on to everything she has. Her keen insight speaks volumes about the danger before her, but her curiosity drowns it out easily like a hundred foghorns sounding an unsated libido.

I hope you enjoy it, darlings, this was my toe in the water to get to something more spicy later. It's utterly wild to me how mild this is compared to later chapters~

[magicaemaxima]

Dionysia looked at the folder, assuming this was some level of crime she had been caught doing, or assumed to be doing. Upon taking it, opening it, and looking through these files, she was surprised to see that it was entirely related to her magic. It then occurred to her that he himself had used magic to make the file appear. She hadn't noticed at first, those arsenic laced martinis probably having something to do with it. She had a high tolerance, able to appear rather sober while this drunk, but she still wasn't at her most aware when so intoxicated.

"Huh. I could've sworn you were human. You smell like one." she muttered. She skimmed a few pages before dropping the folder back on her desk. So he caught her using her magic several times, it appeared. With him having magic himself, Dionysia wondered if he was here to simply to meet a fellow magic user, or to confront her.

"I see. And your point is?"

A brow raised nearly to Augustine's hairline at her mention of tax fraud. First impression: she was nearly as prickly as his file had lead him to believe. "No, my department doesn't work with taxes or finances. In fact, this has nothing to do with your business at all."

He glanced over his shoulder, double checking that the door her assistant had lead him through was closed and that the two of them were alone. Once he was convinced that they had privacy he turned his gaze back to Dionysia, the smile sliding off his face. It was exhausting keeping that up.

"I'm here to have a conversation because you've gotten sloppy." The sorcerer flicked his wrist and a rather thick file folder appeared in his hand. He dropped it on her desk and it landed with a thud.

[awlumii]

be still, my heart.

# — pairing: kazuha x gn!reader

# — characters: gender neutral reader, kazuha, lumine, aether

# — summary: you're not really cut out for this whole "matchmaker" deal.

# — warnings: n/a

# — tags: long fic (~9k words), 3+1 format, fluff, angst, misunderstandings, hurt/comfort, (failed) matchmaking, aether & lumine are your best friends

# — notes: finally, finally, finally! i finished a commission! thank you so, so much again to the commissioner; your support means so, so much to me, especially at a time like this. i had a lot of fun writing this :D reblogs and reactions are greatly appreciated, and i really hope you all enjoy! 🥰

wanna join the tag list?

i.

"hey! do you mind if i sit here?"

in hindsight, you should've known right away that that was a stupid question to ask. the café is far from crowded at this time of day. there's a smattering of people sitting at tables and all of them are alone, and there's still an empty table here and there. if you were going to be subtle about wanting to sit near this guy, you should have chosen, say, the empty seat behind him. but thank your lucky stars; the man is kind enough to smile back at you and gesture to the seat across from him.

alright. one foot in the door.

the guy in question is none other than kaedehara kazuha, the english major who's famous for his insightful poetry and exceptional grades. everyone loves this guy, even professors outside of his department. he's not the most social, but he's open to anyone and everyone who happens across him, and it would appear that you are a part of that as well. it's a good thing, too — if he'd secretly been an asshole, you'd have turned tail immediately. of course, that'd only make you look more suspicious than you already do, but that's besides the point.

when you say that everyone loves kazuha, you mean everyone — and that includes your best friend lumine. it just so happens that kazuha is also the object of many people's affections — the perks of being popular, you figure. it came as a real shock to you that lumine was interested in him of all people; you could've sworn she was head over heels for ayaka, the endearing political science and dance double major that she spends a lot of time with. but instead, lumine came to you out of the blue one evening gushing about kazuha.

"wait, wait, wait. are you telling me that you have a crush on him?" you closed your book to gape at lumine, who was sitting across from you with her chin propped in her hand.

lumine nodded. "yeah. what, is that weird or something?"

you raised an eyebrow. "very." you stood up and circled the table to eye her closely. lumine watched you the entire time, her eyes curious. "did you get hurt anywhere? hit your head or something?"

"oh my god, you're ridiculous." lumine pushed you away lightly. "i just think he's... dreamy..?"

"you don't sound too sure about that."

"fuck off, you know i'm not good with this sort of thing." lumine flipped you off. "but you know who is? kazuha." when you scoffed and sat back in your seat, she sighed. "would you stop being an asshole and help me out?"

you opened your book and skimmed the words. "what now? are you gonna tell me to set you up with him or something?" when lumine didn't answer for a few seconds, you froze. you looked up at her with mild horror. "ohh no. fuck no, i am not playing matchmaker. do it yourself."

lumine didn't answer you at that. you knew very well why she didn't do these things herself. you're aware of her reputation on campus; she's not exactly the most popular, but those who do know her know that she can appear rather callous at times. lumine's rough exterior made it difficult for her to branch out, which was probably why she was asking you to begin with. once it occurred to you, you groaned. "fine." you conceded. "but you're doing all the hard work."

lumine's face brightened into a smile you don't think you've ever seen her wear before. "you're the best." she reached across the table and tapped your hand. "seriously."

meanwhile, you'd already started dreading the first interaction you were supposed to have with kazuha. "yeah, yeah," you muttered. "whatever."

because at the end of the day, who are you to question lumine? she's been by your side through thick and thin ever since middle school. she's got your back and you've got hers (and her brother's). you'd do just about anything for her if she asked, no matter how ridiculous it seems. although, you think as you settle in your new seat, this is pretty fucking ridiculous. playing matchmaker is stupid, especially for a guy like kazuha, who has probably had this kind of thing happen to him before. you can only hope that that's not the case.

you pull out a notebook and a pen to start idly writing when you notice that in front of you, kazuha's closed his book. when you look up, you see that he's actually staring at you. what for? "is something wrong?" you ask. "i can move if you want me to; i didn't mean to disturb you."

kazuha shakes his head, his platinum bangs brushing over his forehead. he has a streak of crimson in his hair, you notice. it's kind of cute. in fact, now that you're really looking at him, you can really see why people are so drawn to him. he's very attractive with his kind eyes and almost serene expression. you see his lips moving then and realize that he must have been saying something for a while. shit, were you checking him out just now? did he notice? it's not until his lips stop moving that you realize that you have no idea what he just said. "i'm sorry, i, uh... really should've got some coffee before i sat down. can you say that again?" you give him an apologetic smile in hopes that it'll make him forget that you obviously weren't listening just now.

kazuha actually smiles then. it seems like he's always doing that, really. your ears start to burn; he probably thinks you're ridiculous. "that's alright." he tilts his head to the side slightly and says your name. when you raise your brows, his smile grows. "i figured my guess was correct. you're friends with lumine, aren't you?"

oh, right! duh! how did you already forget your goal? stupid pretty boy and his stupid face. "ah, yeah," you reply. "she's my roommate too, actually."

"i see." kazuha pushes his book to the side and you follow the movement. is he trying to start conversation? this wasn't exactly how you saw this playing out, but hey, that saves you the trouble of coming up with a topic. "how long have you two known each other?"

perfect. you've got him hook, line, and sinker. with lumine as the topic of conversation, you'll have him smitten with her in no time. "since middle school," you say with a smile. "she and aether moved into the house beside mine and my mother tasked me with befriending them. the rest is history, i suppose."

kazuha looks endeared. "the two of them must have been a handful, no?"

you don't miss the playfulness in his tone. yeah, you can really see why people like him. you weren't exactly supposed to get caught in his little web, but here you were, charmed by the guy anyway. at kazuha's request, you divulge a few stories about your history with lumine. you cherry pick stories that are centered around her and leave out the more embarrassing parts (which is difficult since you guys were some embarrassing kids); when this is over, she better love you for talking her up like this.

at some point, kazuha excuses himself for a moment. while you wait, you pull out your phone and text the group chat that you have with lumine and aether.

[ me ]: you owe me your soul after this, bitch

[ lulu☆]: oh my god, did you actually find and talk to him

[ lulu☆]: i didn't think you'd actually do it, help

[ me ]: you asked, didn't you? and i said i would, so

[ lulu☆]: that's not

[ lulu☆]: well..

[ lulu☆]: okay look what did you tell him

[ me ]: don't worry, i didn't embarrass you

[ me ]: ...yet

[ aefer☆]: did you tell him about the time she nearly shit herself because a cat fell out a tree on her head

[ aefer☆]: cause that's funny

[ me ]: shit u're right, i should've mentioned that

[ me ]: but no.. i had to talk her up to impress him

[ aefer☆]: i would've told him. just sayin

[ lulu☆]: i know where you live, bitch

[ aefer☆]: what a coincidence, so do i

[ me ]: okay he's coming back, later losers ♡

[ aefer☆]: make sure to tell him the story!!

you chuckle at your phone before you put it away. when you look up, kazuha is seated in front of you with two cups on the table; one looks to be coffee, while the other seems to be tea — green tea from the smell of it. you blink in surprise and open your mouth, but before you can ask, kazuha explains: "you said you needed coffee and it just so happens that i needed a pick-me-up as well." he gestures to the coffee and gently eases it towards you. "so i took the liberty of getting some for you."

you shake your head quickly. you weren't supposed to be indebted to him! "y-you really shouldn't have!"

kazuha's expression falls a little and you swear you feel your heart tug. "was that too forward of me? my apologies, i..."

fuck, you can't have him looking so downcast. you try to cover up your flustered state with a grateful smile. "no, no, i mean-- thank you, really, but you're too kind. how much was it? at least let me pay you back."

"there's no need," he says. "i got it because i wanted to. and what better need to celebrate a new friend than over a drink they enjoy?"

you blink twice. once because you're surprised he considers you a friend already, and twice because if you're not mistaken, kazuha looks... sheepish. you stare at him just a moment longer and this time it's him who breaks eye contact as he moves to sip from his tea. confused, you drink from the coffee he got for you. the second the flavor hits your tongue, you make a noise of surprise. "this is.." you mutter.

"ah." kazuha sets down his own drink. "i'm sorry, i forgot to explain. i wasn't quite sure how you took your coffee, so i guessed. it's not bad, is it?" he actually looks worried. "should i take it back for you?"

"no, no, it's not bad, it's..." it's perfect, you think. this is exactly how you order your coffee every time. how did he guess this well? your order isn't exactly standard; it would take some serious thinking to get it down to a T. "it's great," you finish your sentence. "thank you so much."

relief settles on kazuha's face. "that's good." he sets his tea aside and keeps his attention on you. "would it be too forward of me to ask if you have any more stories to share? they're quite interesting."

right. shit. you're here to play matchmaker. this is the second time you've forgotten your goal. you put your coffee to the side and launch into another story that you'd thankfully lined up in case he wanted to keep the conversation going. kazuha listens attentively; his eyes are on you the entire time and his usual smile grows wider each time you giggle when you remember something funny.

he's very easy to talk to, you think. you wouldn't mind doing this over and over. this is a win-win situation for you and lumine; she'll get a boyfriend, and you'll have a new friend.

(you won't realize it just yet, but the skip in your pulse each time kazuha laughs is far from platonic.)

ii.

it's nice to have a new addition to the group — really, it is — but does he really need to be invited everywhere?

lately, whenever you, aether, and lumine go out as a trio, kazuha ends up receiving an invite as well. sometimes he gets the invite from you, but every other time, it seems to be coming from lumine. it's a little irritating, honestly. not because kazuha is annoying, no — he's the furthest thing from it. if anything, he's the most soothing person you've ever known (amongst other things). no, what's annoying is that lumine seems to be taking charge of this whole matchmaking thing herself, which leaves you without an objective. because really, if she's gonna make sure he's around all the time, then what did she have you get involved for?

take now, for example. the four of you are in an arcade celebrating the end of midterm season, and when you entered, you decided that you'd be split into pairs — you with aether, and lumine with kazuha. you and aether complained when lumine suggested bringing kazuha along on the grounds that the two of you would be third wheeling. so she suggested splitting into groups.

for some reason, the initial pairing put you with kazuha. not like you're one to complain — you love the time you spend with him. but seeing as how you spend a couple hours every day chatting him up in that café, you think you can do without him for a few hours today. you said as much when the first pairs were decided on.

"aw, you'll hurt his feelings!" aether said with a chuckle. "don't you wanna be around your new friend for a while?"

before you spoke, you stole a peek at kazuha who looked... a little hurt. you thought you were imagining it since he was smiling along with the joke, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. regret started to claw at your throat and you tried to take it back, but kazuha spoke before you could.

"i'm more than happy to spend time with lumine," he said. "we don't spend much time together as it is."

your fingers slow to a stop on the game you're playing. do kazuha and lumine really not spend time together? that was the whole reason you spent time with him — to get him more motivated to speak to her in the first place. was he still too shy to speak to her? no, you think as you pick up the game. he wouldn't have jumped at the opportunity to be with her tonight if he was really shy. besides, shy just isn't kazuha's character; he has moments where he's a little hesitant, but he's certainly not the shy type.

then why weren't they together more often? you feel confused for a moment, but then it hits you — you've been taking up kazuha's time, not her.

there's no reason why you should be in that café for so long with kazuha. your mission was simple: get him interested in lumine, get them to hang out, and then watch the rest unfold. but instead, you've been hogging all his time, talking about topics that had nothing to do with this whole matchmaking situation to begin with.

you swear lowly when your character dies on screen. if anyone is to blame for the lack of progress being made, it's kazuha. he's the one who's always asking off-topic questions when you meet up. specifically, he would coax you into talking about yourself somehow. how he does that, you're not sure, but you hate it. he's making this difficult!

oh, your mind just can't stop running. kazuha's making everything so complicated! why did he look so dejected when he said you wanted to hang with someone else? why does he want to know so much about you? why does he smile so brightly when he sees you in passing? why isn't he sticking to lumine's side? is he even going to make a move? is that why he jumped at the chance to do so today? why didn't he do so earlier, and why in the fuck does your chest hurt right now?!

"if you hold the controls any harder, i think they're gonna break."

aether's voice suddenly appears to your left, startling you. you let go of the controls in your shock and soon after, a fluorescent red 'game over' appears on the screen. you glare at him and punch his arm. "you asshole, you made me lose the game." you hiss.

aether's lips curve into a cheeky smile. "actually, you were already losing. you kinda suck at this game."

"i don't, i just..." you sigh and look at the screen. "i was just thinking about something else."

"now are you making an excuse, or were you really distracted this whole time?" aether asks. when you struggle to come up with a response, he rests a hand on your shoulder. you don't look at him, though. you're too busy trying to figure out why your throat feels like it's closing. aether calls your name once, then twice. you still don't answer. just when you think he's given up, he drapes an arm over your shoulder and pulls you to him. "how about we go get something to drink?" he finally suggests. "it's been a while."

you look at him and for a split second notice how blurry he is. you blink a few times and it goes away. weird. you still can't really form words, so you nod and allow aether to whisk you away from your game.

once you're seated with your drink, you let your mind go off the rails. why does the thought of kazuha asking lumine out bother you so much? that's literally why you became friends with him in the first place, no? you're supposed to be relieved — once they start dating, you can wash your hands of this whole ordeal and be on your merry way. at least, that's the plan... right?

"we came out here to stop thinking," aether speaks up. "but you look like you're still studying. what're you thinking so hard about?"

you open your mouth to explain yourself but quickly shut it. you can't just tell lumine's brother that you're having second thoughts about getting her a boyfriend! best friends or not, his first priority is his sister's happiness; if you back out, you'll definitely have to face aether's wrath later. yet still, you want nothing more than to unload these confusing emotions onto aether's shoulders — you need to explain yourself or else you feel like you're going to pop.

you feel crazy. are you crazy? you think you're going crazy. and dammit, why does your throat still feel so tight?

after a few seconds pass, you decide to bite the bullet. you hate to toss aether in the middle like this, but who else are you going to tell this to? kazuha? yeah, fuck that. "it's... about kazuha." you rasp. you take a sip of your drink.

for some reason, aether sits up a bit straighter. you don't recognize the look he's giving you. maybe intrigued is the right word? "yeah?" he leans his chin in his hand. "what about him?"

"i think... i think i fucked up somewhere." you feel a little lighter now that you've gotten that out. that's the heart of the problem... you think.

"how? he's spending time with lumine, isn't he?"

"yeah, now he is. didn't you hear him earlier? he said that they didn't spend much time together."

"aaaand..?"

"what do you mean and? they're supposed to be together all the time!" you scoff. "i tell him about her like, every day, and yet they're still so stiff around each other whenever we all meet up!" a thought occurs to you, then. the four of you hung out all the time, but each time, you were in a group. "wait, do they never actually hang out outside of our outings?"

aether's frowning a little at you. surely he understands what you're talking about, right? "you think that that's weird?" he asks.

you throw your hands up in frustration. "yes, that's weird! god, why am i even doing this if he's just gonna hang out with me instead of--" you shut your mouth.

intrusive thoughts are funny little things. soft as they may be, they leave ripples in your mind. and those ripples grow bigger and bigger as they spread, reaching the far corners of your brain until they become all you can think about. yours are pretty out there: what if i tripped and fell right now? or what if i'm reading the stop signal wrong and i walk into traffic by accident? they make you reconsider your every move, make you see reality in a different light. these particular thoughts, however, send you spiraling.

what if kazuha likes me? becomes: what if i like kazuha? which eventually turns into: i do like kazuha.

"oh." you mumble. "shit."

"i feel like you just had a revelation without me, and i'm feeling very out of the loop right now." aether gestures between the two of you. "are we on the same page right now?"

"god, i hope not." you groan and push your face into your hands. this is the fucking worst. it's supposed to be the worst, anyway — for some reason, you feel the urge to smile. feelings are strange like that, huh? you realize that you have a big crush on the guy you're supposed to be setting your best friend up with and yet you want to smile — you want to take a breath of fresh air, like this is a good thing. "aether, i'm a horrible fucking person." you laugh derisively. "the fucking worst."

aether, who'd been sitting across from you this whole time, moves to sit next to you. when you finally look at him, you see that he's frowning, his face marred by confusion and worry. "as much as we like to joke about it, i can't read your mind. you need to tell me what's up."

"...promise you won't hate me?"

"why would i ever?" aether looks at you like you slapped him. dork.

you smile, but it doesn't last very long. "i just, uh... realized something."

"would you quit being suspenseful and get to the point?"

fine. you decide to let it all out. "i like kazuha, aether. there. i like him a fucking lot. he's really pretty and he's kind, he spends time with me every day, even when he's busy; he holds my hand sometimes when we talk and i swear, i feel like i can fucking fly whenever he does, and i..." you take a deep breath. "i'm a fucking moron because i'm letting down lumine. she's supposed to be with him, not me. i have to let this go."

aether's silent. you feel your throat tighten up again and immediately recognize the feeling — you want to fucking cry, dammit. you're a terrible fucking friend, and that's exactly what aether's about to say--

"you need to tell her," he says seriously. "and you need to do it now before things get worse."

that's... not the reaction you were expecting. "aren't you mad at me? i-i'm supposed to be helping out your sister but i'm--"

"falling in love." aether finishes for you. you try to deny it, but he's not hearing it. "trust me, it'll get to that point soon enough. you can't wait until then -- you have to say something. please," he implores you, "for your own good."

you want to say that you shouldn't do anything to benefit yourself, not when you've fucked up so majorly, but you hold your tongue. you really don't know what to do now. how are you supposed to look kazuha in the face after this? you were always enjoying yourself when you were around him, but now you understand that you enjoyed yourself far too much. he's supposed to be with lumine and he's--

a sudden call of your name has you snapping your head up. in front of you is none other than kazuha and lumine.

speak of the fucking devil and he will appear.

the two of them are wearing matching smiles and carrying four plushies from the prize counter. they look so... happy. all at once, you cram your raging emotions into a box and shove them into the furthest corner of your mind. that can wait -- what's important now is these two lovebirds and the rest of the evening. you ease away from aether and sit up straighter, plastering a friendly smile on your face. "did you two kids have fun?" you ask.

(beside you, aether's frown deepens.)

"i learned quite a few things while playing with lumine tonight." kazuha is the first to speak. he adjusts the two plushies in his arms and looks over to lumine. "the most important thing being that she's amazing at video games."

lumine sniffs proudly. "he's the one who didn't believe me when i said i would kick his ass at anything we tried. aether and i used to play games like these all the time when we were kids. but," she nudges kazuha's shoulder affectionately, "you put up a good fight. i respect the effort, but better luck next time."

"i'll keep that in mind." kazuha chuckles.

next time, he said. there's going to be a next time. they're going to go on a date. you giggle softly despite yourself. now's not the time. not when they look so happy. you feel aether pinch your arm, but you swat him away subtly. "that's good to hear." you say. "is there something else you guys wanna do tonight?" you hold your breath, hoping they say no.

fortunately (or unfortunately), aether cuts in. "actually, lumine, wait." he doesn't say anything else after that, but judging by lumine's expression, you wonder if they're doing that twin communication thing. you've always wondered what that's like, having another half. aether and lumine are always sharing information over everyone's heads -- sometimes, you wish they'd include you.

lumine nods after a second. they must have finished their psychic conversation. "actually, aether and i have to head back." she shrugs one shoulder. "something came up."

kazuha's brows knit with concern. "is everything alright?"

"yeah, aether has to take a shit or something. i don't know." lumine is suddenly hit in the face with a wadded up napkin while you poorly stifle a laugh. she doesn't retaliate the same way she normally would, but she does shoot aether a glare that could probably melt steel beams. "anyway," she smooths her expression over and looks straight at you. "are you two gonna be okay alone? because this is kind of urgent."

wait. shit. fuck, no, no, no! she can't leave you with kazuha! why is she trying to leave you with kazuha?!

words fail you in this moment; you open and close your mouth a few times as you struggle to find the right words. there's so much going on in your head; you could say yes and have some alone time with kazuha, but lumine is supposed to be the one having alone time with kazuha, not you! if you say no, then kazuha might look like a kicked puppy again, and you don't want to see him looking so sad, dammit! but then again, if you say yes, you could interrogate him and find out why he and lumine haven't hung out often, right? but--

"we should be fine." kazuha speaks before you can, leaving you floored. "i'll see them home when we're finished here."

well, there goes your internal conflict. it's too late to back out now. you put on a brave face and hope that neither lumine nor aether can see through it. "i'll see if i can keep that winning streak for you, lumine." you say.

kazuha chuckles quietly. "is that a challenge i hear?"

god... damn him. "it sure is." you play along and give him a grin.

all your years of friendship must have meant nothing, because lumine doesn't pick up on your silent distress signals. she and aether say quick goodbyes before turning and heading home, leaving you with kazuha. once the twins are gone, you hop to your feet. since there's no one here to save you, you may as well dive in head first. "so," you say with a sigh, "which game do you want to play first?"

rather than suggest a game, kazuha shakes his head. "we don't have to play a game if you don't want to." like always, he tilts his head to the side just a little. he's so endearing. "you don't seem like you want to play anymore. am i correct?"

"i..." you deflate a little. "yeah, you're right. i'm sorry. i don't want to bore you or anything, but i just don't have it in me anymore."

thankfully, kazuha doesn't pry. he pushes one of the plushies in your direction. you'd actually forgotten he was holding it. it's a little penguin with a frog hat on — absolutely adorable. the other penguin that he's holding has a dinosaur hat. were they a matching set?

you don't take the plushy right away, which prompts kazuha to speak. he shifts his stance a little bit and... maybe it's just the trick of the light — it is quite dark in here — but you think you can see his cheeks turning color. "this is for you," he says. in an uncharacteristic moment of shyness, he suddenly backtracks. "only if you want it, of course. i won't push it on you, but... i figured that you might like it."

you blink a few times. you kick yourself and reach out to take the penguin — it's soft to the touch and the perfect size for hugging. you hold the thing gingerly in your arms and stare at it for a moment. did he really get this for you? or did he get this for lumine? maybe she didn't want it and that's why he's giving it to you; yeah, that has to be it. but just to be sure, you look up at kazuha, hoping you're not smiling as widely as you think you are. "you really didn't have to. why're you so nice to me, huh?"

you foolishly asked that as a joke, but this time, you're absolutely sure kazuha's face starts to redden. it's hidden by the lights of the games around you, but even in this dim lighting, you know what you saw. he doesn't look too fazed by it, though. "must there be a reason?" he asks in return.

you know what? no. some things are better left unexplained. you shake your head and hug the penguin close. "thank you, kazuha." you think you're going to explode. "really. i love it."

"i'm glad," kazuha says. and boy, does he look the part. the relief on his face is palpable. for someone with such an even expression, he sure is easy to read when he's nervous. what he's nervous about, you have no idea. but he's also really fucking cute. he shifts on his feet and breaks eye contact after a beat of silence. "why don't we get you home?" he suggests. "it's probably late at night."

ah. well, there goes your excitement. he just wants to get rid of you now, huh? for someone who's not supposed to like him, you sure do have pretty intense mood swings when he's involved. you agree and the two of you head outside and start towards your home.

the walk home is slow and silent, and kazuha's walking close by your side. you'd think of something to say, but it's a very comfortable silence — with you hugging the plushie that he got for you in one arm, you don't see any reason to speak. it's not like this is abnormal, anyway; he's seen you home many times before. you hazard a glance at kazuha after a moment to find scarlet eyes already focused on you. you look away in a hurry, as does he. weird.

even weirder still, you feel kazuha's fingers knock against yours. are you two really walking that close together? you flinch away from his touch like he'd burned you. "i'm sorry." he apologizes right away.

"no, it's okay." you reassure him. to make him believe you, you put your hand back where it was. it's not until you do that you realize that that wasn't the first time your hands have touched. you soon find that that wasn't the last, either; once more, kazuha's fingers knock against yours. you don't move away this time, instead opting to knock back. you swear you can hear him chuckle when you do, but maybe you're just imagining things.

a few more seconds pass and you feel kazuha's fingers intertwining with yours, and for a second, your mind completely stops. tonight was moving so fast — first you realize that you're a goner for kazuha, then he gifts you a plushie, and then he's holding your hand? what is happening right now? and why aren't you pulling away?

you should pull away, you have to, but... you can't bring yourself to. your fingers lock with kazuha's one by one until eventually, you're completely holding his hand. he's so warm, you think. he always is. the walk home remains silent, and you and kazuha exchange playful squeezes every so often.

(to make yourself feel better, you tell yourself that this is just you training him for when he starts dating lumine. maybe that will ease your conscience.)

iii.

so you're in love with kazuha. big fucking surprise there.

you quickly realized that you were doomed from the moment you met. not that it was love at first sight, but he charmed you right away. he was the one who had you hook, line, and sinker from the very start. it doesn't help that he became a permanent addition to your friend group; you're forced to face him and your feelings just about every single day. you're reminded every day of how much of a weakling you are when it comes to him. you hold his hand, you share food with him, you sleep with the plushie he gave you, you borrow his sweaters... you're a fucking mess.

it's agonizing. you were supposed to be helping lumine and kazuha get together, but you grew too greedy and inserted yourself into a position that wasn't meant for you. you try every day to rationalize with yourself and aay that the two of you are just really close friends, but friends don't think about each other the way you think about him. even worse was that you couldn't tell lumine about it — the only person who knew of your feelings was aether, and he gave you shit about it whenever he could.

come clean, he says. stop lying to yourself, he says. to that, you have to laugh. if it were that easy to rid yourself of this situation, you would've done it months ago.

there's only one solution to this problem, and that's to avoid kazuha like the plague.

it makes sense, right? just ignore it until it goes away? because there's no other way for you to get over this. you're starting to dream about kazuha; about kissing him, about holding him in your arms, about being with him. so maybe if you see him less, the thoughts will go away.

it starts with you not going to the café anymore. when kazuha texted you and asked why you hadn't been showing up, you brushed it off with a lie, saying that you found a place with better coffee. he asked what the place was called, but you left him on read. (a very adult move.)

then, you stopped making eye contact whenever you passed by him. it was hard for a few days since you missed seeing his eyes light up whenever he saw you, but you had to be strong. you're better than this, dammit. don't think about how dejected he might look when he realizes that you're avoiding him — don't you do it!

after that, you stopped going out with the twins if kazuha was going. every time they suggest something, your first question is if he is going to be there. if the answer is yes, you make up an excuse to stay home. lumine was really fucking upset with you for bailing because of some petty argument that she thought you two had, but when she pieced it together that you weren't going to budge, she gave up trying. (man, you wish it was just some argument — disputes can be solved. not feelings.)

lastly, you straight up walked away from him if he approached you. you wouldn't just ignore his presence, of course — you're an asshole, not a monster — but if he tried to make conversation, you would cut it short and hightail it out of there.

"it's been a few weeks since we've talked." kazuha sounded so pleased when he managed to stop you one day. you didn't know why you let him catch up to you, but once he got to you, you couldn't just up and leave. so you decided to hear him out. "have you been well?"

no, you wanted to say. not in the fucking slightest. but you're grown — fake it 'till you make it, baby. you nodded and gave him your best smile. "yeah. better than usual, actually."

you watched kazuha's face fall ever so slightly. he was quick to fix his mistake; his usual smile returned to his face in an instant. if you were anyone else, you wouldn't have noticed. but you noticed. you'll always notice. "i see." he said. "that's good to hear."

because you didn't want to be subject to his quickly declining mood, you excused yourself. "i gotta run, but i'll see you some other time, okay?" you said. (like a liar.)

anyone could have seen the glimmer of hope that appeared in kazuha's eyes. "of course. be safe, please." he gave you a little wave as you took off.

after about three weeks of not seeing kazuha, you think yourself to be cured. huzzah, it worked! sure, you're still daydreaming about him, but it's not as vivid if you can't see him every day! he hasn't texted you or approached you outside in a couple days which, admittedly, stung like hell, but it's for the better. kazuha can focus on lumine without you in the way, and you can move on with your life.

you spend most of your time in the library these days. lumine's been super pissed at you lately — probably because of the whole kazuha thing, but you're not sure why she wants you to spend time with him so badly. to avoid potential conflict, you hole yourself up in here. being surrounded by books (reminds you of kazuha) makes you feel at peace; it's so quiet in here, which makes it easy to focus on work (which in turn helps you stop thinking about kazuha).

the library is empty today, save for a few people seated at the tables on the other side of the building. you're standing in front of a bookshelf skimming through a book when you suddenly hear a soft whisper of your name. thinking it's aether, you prepare a shitty excuse for why you're not home, but when you see who it is, your blood goes cold.

it's kazuha. you haven't seen him in three whole weeks.

you swallow back your apprehension as best you can. "hey, what's up?" you try to remain as casual as possible. "do you need one of the books behind me?"

kazuha's brows draw in a little. "are you asking that so you can make your escape?" his comment is a little pointed — so pointed, in fact, that you visibly wince and give yourself away. he sighs when you do. "i was hoping that i wouldn't be correct. have i done something wrong?"

that's just like him — straight to the point. you flounder for an answer. "of course not." you shake your head.

"then is it alright if i ask why you've been avoiding me?"

"what? why would i do that?" your eyes slowly drift to the side. you're not too fond of all the attention you're getting right now.

"you can never make eye contact when you're hiding something." kazuha walks closer to you, but you keep your eyes on something else. "you won't even look at me. i must have done something to cause this."

no, no, no, he's blaming himself! stop him! you force yourself to make eye contact with him, but wither under his stare. you look away again and your face starts to grow hot. "you didn't do anything, kazuha," you say honestly. "i promise. "i've just been busy, that's all."

kazuha doesn't back down. "i've heard from lumine that you've been spending time here instead of at your home. she's worried about you. she-- i'm worried about you."

"don't do that," you blurt. you're starting to breathe a little faster, you notice. "stop worrying about me. you shouldn't." kazuha starts to retort, but you cut him off with a shake of your head. you turn around and put the book back in it's place. "look, i need to go. please move."

you never wanted to be so forceful with him — so cold. but what else can you do when cornered like this? he's desperate and you can tell, but so are you. you don't want to confront your feelings anymore. you just can't. you're tired of feeling like a shitty person for being in love. this is the only way you can make it stop.

kazuha doesn't make it easy for you, though. when you try to move away, he steps closer, invading your space. "if there's something wrong, you would tell me, right?" his voice is so soft, so mellow. it's like a hug, which you could really use right about now. normally, you'd get that from kazuha, but well... you don't answer him, nor do you look at him. kazuha then takes your chin in his fingers and gently makes you face him. "would you please look at me?"

your eyes land on him and it's like the world's faded away. there's so much rolling off of him at once; unease, comfort, and suspicion all hit you at the same time, and it overwhelms you. you don't like how tender this moment feels. he's so close — too close. you can smell maple and cedar, and not because you're wearing his sweater (which you didn't realize until just now). autumnal eyes threaten to take you under and you feel your eyes start to sting. "kazuha, let go." your voice wavers and your heart throbs. "please."

you wish you could read his mind. his eyes search your face, though you're not sure what for. the seconds of silence that tick by are excruciating, but when they finally come to an end, kazuha lets you go. his hand falls to his side and he steps away with a bitter smile. "i'm sorry. i fear i may have made the problem worse."

that's putting it lightly. you step around him wordlessly, but before you can get too far, kazuha catches your hand in his, stopping you. you don't turn around. you can't.

"i miss you." kazuha speaks at a whisper, a volume so low that you shouldn't have been able to hear it. but you heard it. whenever he speaks, you listen with your entire being.

he lets you go after a few more seconds and you take the opportunity to grab what stuff you have and make a beeline for the exit. you fumble for the doorknob on the way out; your vision is too blurred by tears for you to make it out properly. you manage, and you set off towards home, where you're going to ignore lumine yet again and mope in your room.

(and as you cry to yourself that evening, you can only think of the way you saw kazuha's eyes fall to your lips as he held you in place. you think of how badly you wanted to confess everything to him and clear the air for good, but you also remember what you were tasked with. this is for the better, you tell yourself. this is for the better.)

iv.

kazuha should have never agreed to this.

honestly, what was he thinking? why did he allow lumine to play matchmaker? he has two legs and a functioning mouth; he could have walked up to you and started a conversation himself, no problem. things would have been so much easier if he had just swallowed his pride and spoken to you like a normal adult. but no, he just had to go along with this idea.

in retrospect, it seemed like a good idea. but perhaps he's been reading too many novels. meeting through a mutual friend is a lovely concept, but it would appear that it only works in fictional worlds. he'd hoped to just spend time with you through lumine, but somehow, you got the wrong idea and started trying to push him onto her, which made no sense. and not only did it not make sense, but it completely backfired — you're absolutely miserable now and so is he.

kazuha's not an idiot. he knows that you have feelings for him. and the only reason he knows is because you seemingly reciprocated when he approached you romantically. he thought he was being obvious — giving you a plushie, holding your hand, lending you his sweaters, resting his head on your shoulder during movie nights... you accepted it all. he wasn't being subtle at all, right?

so then how? how on earth did things end up like this? he asks lumine as much when they meet up a few mornings later.

"they've been ignoring me too," lumine grumbles, "you aren't special."

right, because that helps. kazuha buries his hand in his hair. "every time i try to talk to them, they manage to slip through my fingers."

lumine frowns at him. "are they actually slipping away, or are you letting them get away?" he must take too long to answer, because she tuts at him. "if this is because you don't want to overwhelm them, then you're being stupid. they're overwhelming themself with this whole... thing, okay?"

but he's too much for you, he wants to say. every time he comes around you, you look about ready to explode. you look so torn, and he hates it. he just wants you to smile at him again. "at the very least, i want to repair our friendship." he sighs. it hurts to even think about keeping you at a distance, but if that's what it takes for you to come back, then... "they cried on their way out of the library the other day."

lumine's expression falls. he's never seen her look so saddened before. "yeah, i heard."

"you heard?"

"our walls may be thick, but our doors aren't." she grimaces. "the sniffing told me all i needed to know."

there's a tense silence. neither of them know what to say because in the end, this is their fault. this whole misunderstanding and your pain? that's on them. if they want to solve this--

"you have to confess." lumine voices kazuha's thoughts out loud. "that's literally the only way this is gonna stop."

while kazuha acknowledges that she's correct, there's two ways that this could go. you would either: a) accept his confession, start dating him, get married someday, and live happily ever after, or b) turn him down and hate him for causing this whole misunderstanding, leaving the two of you to be miserable forever. either way, life as he knows it now is going to end — how it ends is purely up to you.

kazuha agrees to do so and asks lumine for your whereabouts. despite not being on talking terms for a while, she still knows where you are. (it's how we care for each other, she explains.) as he walks, he lets his head fill with thoughts of you.

unsurprisingly, you're all he's been thinking about. you're all he ever thinks about, really. he thinks about the way you tried to hide your joy when he gave you that plushie in the arcade that day; the way you flustered every time he "jokingly" kissed your hand; the way you seemed to melt into his clothes whenever you wore them; the way you seemed to read his mind whenever you couldn't help but stare at him, the way you would smile when he felt warm at having been caught staring back.

he huffs a laugh to himself. it's hilarious how after all that, you still thought that he liked lumine instead of you. honestly; you two have nearly kissed several times, and yet you think he liked someone else? your mind will never cease to amaze him, beautiful and strange as it is.

kazuha comes to a halt under a canopy of trees with bright red leaves. the change in seasons has turned the campus into a beautiful landscape; all of the usual resting spots were less inhabited by others, which made them the perfect escape for people like him. you're seated on a bench underneath those trees with your nose buried in a book and, if he squints, he thinks you're wearing his scarf. you're exactly where lumine said you would be. perfect.

deciding not to wait until his nerves get the best of him, kazuha approaches you and sits a little ways away from you on the bench. right away, he notices the way you go completely still, your shoulders visibly stiffening. he sighs internally. how should he speak in order to not scare you away? it's a miracle you haven't just up and walked off, actually.

"...why are you here, kazuha?" you ask flatly. you sound like you're holding something back. "what do you want?"

"you're not going to leave?" he asks in return.

you shake your head. "i don't see the point in running from you anymore."

so you finally admit that you were running. it'd be humorous if it didn't sting so bad. "you're going to listen to what i have to say?" he asks again for good measure. when you nod again, kazuha takes a steadying breath. he just needs to get it out there. he needs to let you know. it shouldn't be hard — it's not hard. he may as well have told you already with the way he treats you. just say it.

and say it he does. "i'm in love with you."

immediately, you rise to your feet. kazuha balls one hand into a fist as he fights the urge to pull you back down. if you want to leave, then so be it. he told you, and that's all he can do; whether or not you believe him is purely up to you. you stay standing for a while, and he can see you clenching and unclenching your fists over and over, but eventually, you sit back down. you rest your book to the side and put a hand over your eyes.

"are you alright?" kazuha dares to ask.

you laugh humorlessly. "of course not. you're not supposed to like me, kazuha. please don't do this." you start to bounce your leg rapidly. "take it back, or... or something. just don't get my hopes up."

he scoots closer to you cautiously. when you don't back away, he keeps moving until your shoulders are touching. he calls your name softly and you shake your head sharply. "stop saying my name like that. would you stop being so... so nice to me? i'm gonna get the wrong idea."

"you're not getting the wrong idea," kazuha keeps his voice low. "i'm telling you the truth. and the truth is that i'm in love with you." he rests his hand over your free hand on the bench. "is that wrong of me?"

"yes! i mean-- no? ugh, fuck you." you sniff and swipe your hand over your face. kazuha tries to get a good look at you, but you turn your head away, keeping him from doing so.

"i'm in the wrong." you finally say after a while. "i was supposed to-- you and lumine were supposed to be a thing, not-- not us. but i... fuck," you pause for a second to sniff. "i fell in love with you anyways, and i just feel like a terrible person, okay? i ignored you because i wanted to just... stop feeling like shit, i guess. i wanted to forget about you and this stupid deal that i made with lumine and--"

kazuha taps the underside of your chin twice. you take a moment to collect yourself and slowly turn to look at him. "what do you want?" you ask. it's spoken harshly, but there's no bite to your words.

"did you forget?" he asks.

"wh-- no. god, no. i could never." you give him a wry smile. "unfortunately, you're all i think about, so no. you didn't let me forget. thanks for that, by the way."

one more time, kazuha thinks. just one more. "i love you." he says.

your lashes flutter and your face warms. "i love you too, kazuha. but-- mmh--"

that's all kazuha needed to hear. he leans in and kisses you, silencing your thoughts. he hears you sigh into the kiss and you start to kiss back, but he pulls away slightly before you can. "can you say it again?" he murmurs against your lips. "one more time."

your breathing is shaky, but you speak anyways. "i love you."

kazuha kisses you again. "once more, petal. please."

"you're so greedy," you chuckle shakily. "i lov-- mmf--" kazuha kisses you again but you pull back with a laugh. "at least let me finish my sentence--"

"no." kazuha drinks in your laugh when he kisses you this time, his skin singing at the contact. he's wanted to this for so long -- wanted to kiss you silly and hear you laugh. you're all he's wanted this whole time, and he's not going to pass up this opportunity to let you know. each time you try to speak, kazuha kisses you to shut you up. and each time, it makes you smile wider. you kiss until you can't anymore — you're both smiling much too wide.

"do you still think you're not supposed to be with me?" he asks cheekily.

your face doesn't fall at his question. that spark that your eyes held a few weeks prior is back and brighter than before. you look renewed — you're glowing. while basking in your glow, kazuha wonders if he is, too. you lean in and kiss him quick, resting your forehead on his when you pull away. "don't ask stupid questions." you chuckle. "i said i loved you, didn't i?"

kazuha hums. "and i said the same. so what now?"

"i dunno." you sigh and lean away. "we tell lumine, i guess?"

he squeezes your hand. "about us?"

you nod. "about us."

(when you get home and tell her later, she yells: "fucking finally!" and pulls you in for a hug.)

✦ *bows* and that's what i call a job well done.

✦ seriously, i hope you guys liked it 🥰

[anantaru]

𝗬𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗜𝗗 & 𝗬𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗧𝗪𝗢 !

˖˚˳⊹ yandere loid and yor (separate) part two : spyxfamily x gn! reader

˖˚˳⊹ warnings: toxic relationship : yandere behavior (not detailed) : cursing : angst

˖˚˳⊹ 𝗟𝗢𝗜𝗗

Why were you holding onto this relationship so desperately? The once loving and affectionate feelings you grew for Loid were long gone, replaced with daily arguments, followed by empty promises that you both knew, would never be held.

"Loid." you sobbed, still, your voice clear and direct focused on him, "This isn't normal." was all you choked out for his expression to fade away into something different. Obviously, he wasn't enjoying this conversation at all. Loid pursed his lips as his eyebrows twitched in annoyance.

"Huh." he huffed, eyes sharply watching your every movement as you sat on the couch in front of him. Hugging your legs closely against your body, head resting on your knees. Small sobs stifled yet hearable, "You, you heard me." rubbing your eyes to get rid of the blur you took a gulp of air to steady yourself.

"This isn't working anymore." Nothing could explain the sadness you felt at that discovery. Body language announced that he was emotionally reacting – something his facial expression didn't betray.

Loid clicked his tongue, "How amusing." his body rippled with angry power that made you want to keep your distance. But, you were unable to do so, he stomped angrily towards your frame and placed both arms next to your head, making it unable for you to even move a single muscle nor withstand his intense glare.

"Please, (y/n), say that again." he rolled these very words off his tongue with such ease, one by one, making sure it would be engraved in your brain. He purses his lips to fight off an incoming smile. It's not like you didn't see it, but Loid found it amusing how whenever he acted this way, you would shut your little mouth so quickly, that he can't help himself but laugh on how much control he had over you.

˖˚˳⊹ 𝗬𝗢𝗥

"Yor." your voice sounded so serious and sad that the chirping of the birds outside were silenced at once. "We don't work anymore, I can't-" you locked gazes, her intense dark eyes boring right through you. Warmth and cold shot over your cheeks, a shiver running up your spine as Yor advanced towards you.

You, who were currently standing next to the doorframe, fingers fiddling of being so unbelievably anxious, lower lip in between your teeth. "What?" Struck with realization over your mistake, you drop your gaze to the ground in embarrassment, feeling the warmth invading your body.

"Hey now." Yor's calloused hands cupped your cheeks and her thumbs brushed lightly against them, caressing them and you could've sworn her touch was something else than bad. It was caring, loving but why, why couldn't she change for the greater good. "This is toxic, don't you realize that yourself, Yor?" You blink, your voice cutting through your clouded mind like a knife.

Your hands, reached out for her slender wrists and pulling them down, holding her hands with your shaking ones. Quite surprised to say the least, that Yor even let you do that. Never had you felt such an acute and thoroughly strong emotion. However, the silence that occurred in the air soon was cut short when Yor, and it was a sudden movement, took your fragile hands in hers again and pushed you closer to her warm chest.

You looked up, chin resting on her chest as she smiled down at you. You tried to move away so desperately but it was in vain because Yor already looped her arm around your waist, securing you and making sure you weren't able to leave her or get out of her hold.

"(Y/n)." She slowly lowered her head, and when her lips touched yours, they were warm and firm. For a moment you surrendered to her warm lips and secure embrace, clinging to her as your heart stepped up pace. "You're mine, there is no breaking up (y/n)." she replied while refraining from your face, a coy smile dancing on her lips.

do not! share, copy or repost my work. ✎ ©ANANTARU 2022

[innocent-artery]

Stain (Part Two)

4.5k words

Summary: You've fallen back into the routine of school, and with it comes a rise in heat between you and Sirius. Also, another potential romantic interest arises for you. Sirius has some thoughts.

Pairing: Bestfriend!Sirius Black x reader

For the sake of avoiding spoilers, extensive warnings will not be given. Reader discretion is advised.

While reading, I recommend you listen to marauders - a spotify playlist by me!

~

It didn't take long to fall back into the school year's routine. Waking up early and receiving mountains of work was always an adjustment from the summer, but after a few weeks it was mindless.

Your emotional and romantic state, however, was another matter completely.

Something had been odd about Sirius in the recent weeks. He was naturally friendly, naturally flirtatious, but you'd thought your mind was tricking you when it occurred that he behaved with you a way that was different than with his other friends.

You certainly weren't complaining when he leaned his head against your shoulder while waiting for you to finish your homework, or the occasional kiss to your temple as a greeting or farewell. You just didn't know how much importance to place on it.

Your confusion was validated at breakfast one morning when Sirius, late as usual, trotted towards Gryffindor table, pressing a chaste kiss to your hair before taking a beside you. While there wasn't necessarily assigned seating, he'd formed a routine in sitting beside you, quite closely at that.

"Hey, you never kiss me good morning." James complained, half-teasing. Sirius rolled his eyes and leaned over the table to press a peck to James' forehead. The latter fluttered his lashes in thanks.

You looked up from your plate, then at Remus, who'd folded his morning paper down to raise a brow at you. You glanced then at Sirius, who was filling his plate without a care in the world.

Weird, you thought. Eventually Sirius caught your eye, cheeks lifting in a bashful smile - a contrast from the devilish grin he always flashed.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," He winked, and you rolled your eyes.

Something was different about the way he talked to you, though. It was charming, but not in the seductive manner he wore so casually. He wore a smile, not a grin or a smolder. He'd even blushed. It was as precious.

You shook your head. It's probably nothing.

. . .

"You like him."

"Do not!"

The two of you were promptly hushed by the librarian, whose thin, arched brows were furrowed in snakelike disdain towards your table. You put your hands together as sign of apology and turned back to your friend.

"Do not," you hissed.

Remus shrugged, turning the page of the book in front of him. "Or you don't. I could be wrong. I just assumed the forehead kisses and mutual eye-fucking meant something."

Though Remus wasn't looking at you, he could still see your eyes blow wide, staring off into space as you mulled his words over in your mind.

"He's just joking." You concluded after a moment, though you didn't sound confident as you wanted.

"Alright, I believe you." Remus had a small smile on his face, as if he knew something you didn't. He was the most observant person you knew, so if he thought your new dynamic with Sirius meant something, it just might mean something.

Does it?

. . .

Though you'd rolled the question around in your head for days, you'd still yet to come up with a definite answer. The worst part of it was when the you'd been lounging in the boys' dormitory one lazy afternoon. James was occupied at Quidditch practice and Remus was in the library so that left you, Sirius, and Peter.

You couldn't recall wishing Peter to leave so badly.

"The hell is my Honeydukes bag? Could've sworn I had it..." Sirius was rummaging through his impossibly unorganized nightstand, searching for something in the top drawer. You lay on your stomach on Sirius' bed, pretending to read your book even though focusing was out of the question.

"Prongs finished off the last of it, mate." Peter said with an apologetic look.

Sirius gave a dramatic groan, slamming the drawer shut. "Going to wring his dumb neck."

"If you want something sweet I'm sure the house elves would fix something." You hummed.

Sirius fell back onto the bed, and your body almost lifted off the mattress from the sudden adjustment. "But that's so far."

Peter leapt to his feet. "I can get it for you!"

Sirius draped his arm over his eyes. "Thanks, Wormy."

Peter scurried out the door, leaving the two of you alone. He had become hyper-aware of your presence as of late. The two of you were the best of friends, and that would never change, but why did he feel giddy?

"What do you suppose he's so eager for?"

Sirius shrugged, kissing his teeth. "Probably guilty because he finished it off with James and doesn't wanna say it."

You chuckled, rolling over onto your back, book forgotten.

What you hadn't expected was for Sirius to roll over and prop his head on his hand. Strands of his hair fell from behind his ear, shading his face. His eyes gleamed with something you couldn't identify but wanted desperately to find out.

"Hey."

"Hi." You suddenly felt very seen. His eyes flitted over your face, and you wondered if there was something on them by the way his gaze always seemed to return to your lips.

"What time are you due at the library?"

"Four thirty," you replied, a little more breathless than usual.

"Ah, good. Get you all to myself for a bit." Sirius smiled, that same shy smile that made your stomach flutter. Your face felt warm.

"What are you thinking about, hm?"

"You." Your stomach swooped once you registered what you'd just said.

"Oh?" Sirius cocked a brow.

"Mhm. Trying to figure out what you're doing." Your eyes were stuck on his mouth. He had damn pretty lips, you'd learned over the past few days, and they were even prettier up close.

"And what am I doing, exactly?"

You weren't sure when your little banter had crossed the line of joking into flirting, but oh was it different when he was doing it to you. You'd seen him flirt with classmates before. But having his gaze trained on you, his voice low and expectant, his entire attention on you - it sent pinpricks of excitement shooting up your spine.

The question seemed to have gotten lost somewhere in the air as the two of you simply stared at each other, eyes going from eyes to pink cheeks to lips. You could have sworn he was leaning in, but you dared not to hope.

What was unmistakable was his hand shifting from the bed to your jawline. His touch was soft, tentative. It was surreal, like you'd stumbled into a dream. Somewhere along the line you learned you'd fallen asleep, and somewhere along the line you realized you liked this dream.

You liked it very much.

He was captivating. He was drawing you in, metaphorically and literally. He seemed timid, uncharacteristically so, but no less enthralled. All that you could feel was him. Everything in your periphery seemed to blur, leaving your senses to drink him in. The light on his skin, gentle fingers brushing the hair on the back of your neck.

The feeling of bated breath against your lips, only a hair apart.

"I've got it!"

Both of your heads snapped around to see Peter standing in the doorway with a plate of assorted sweet treats, which he almost dropped when he noticed what he was seeing.

"You- you two-" His jaw dropped, hand going to point at both of you in turn.

Sirius moved away from you cautiously, watching Peter and putting his hands up. "Wormtail, don't jump to conclusions - wait - WORMY NO!"

Peter had quickly set the plate down on the floor and made a run for the door. Sirius darted after him, hopping over the plate of goods in a fashion that would have been comical if your mind wasn't racing.

Was Sirius going to kiss you? Did that mean he liked you? Or was it just an in-the-moment thing? You sure as hell didn't know.

The sound of two sets of footsteps thumping descended the stairs, until one suddenly became silent, followed by Sirius cursing somewhere downstairs.

You glanced at the clock, noted that it was nearing four thirty, and quietly collected your things and headed down. The ruckus had quieted, and neither Sirius nor Peter were to be found in the common room.

Even though the commute to the library had calmed your heart beat, you were less sure of what happened now than you were when it happened. You recalled the entire story to Remus as soon as you arrived, who sat patiently and listened intently, a habit if his you appreciated deeply. When you were done, you breathed deeply, looking expectantly up at him.

"Still think it was nothing?" Remus' brow was arched, but not in judgment. He seemed pleased.

"Well now I don't think it's nothing." You threw your hands up incredulously.

"Fair. How do you feel about it?"

"I like it." The admission felt strange on your tongue.

"Then flirt back."

"But he's my friend, Moony, I can't. If I play it off as a joke he'll start taking it that way, and we can just stay friends."

"Is that what you want?"

You opened your mouth, then closed it again. You chewed your lip.

"Do you want my advice?"

You nodded.

"I'd advise you to test it out while it's still early. Go for it now before you get emotionally attached to him."

"I just said he's my friend," you rolled your eyes, "I'm already emotionally attached to him."

"I meant in a romantic way." He said evenly, undeterred by your attitude. "If I know Sirius, he knows how to act casual. He's your best friend, he's not going to up and out."

"How do you know?"

"Because I've seen how he goes about these things. He's a heartthrob, not a heartbreaker."

You sighed, slumping back in your chair.

What harm could it do?

. . .

A lot, apparently. You had underestimated long it would take Sirius to be satisfied with teasing you before actually making a move.

There he was in the common room. Sat on the couch in front of the fire, you under his arm, nobody else around, and he still hadn't made a move. His fingers were playing with your hair, while his free arm occupied itself with snacking.

"Alright, I ought to stop here before I fall down a rabbit hole that costs me my nights' sleep." You pulled the bookmark into the seam and closed your book, heaving yourself up onto weary feet.

"Aw, must you go?" Sirius pouted, standing with you.

"Yes, I must. I’m tired.” You smiled at him wearily, but he didn’t seem to be having it. He stood face to face with you, towering over you with that same closeness that had your breath hitching in your throat.

“Kiss goodnight?”

He wasn’t backing away. He was just staring at you with those goddamn eyes that taunted, frustrated, and intoxicated you all at once.

“Sure,” you finally said, though your heart could have tore through your ribcage. You hoped your tone was light enough to cover up the fact that you were nearly vibrating in excitement.

Sirius hooked a finger under your chin, thumb brushing lightly against your bottom lip. Blood was pounding in your ears.

Until he stopped suddenly, giving a soft chuckle before stepping away.

“Shame, then.” He smirked.

Oh, no he didn’t. Just as he was turning to leave you dumbfounded and breathless, you grabbed his tie and pulled him forward to kiss you before he had the chance. Teeth knocked and breath was punched out of lungs, but he responded quickly, hands moving to cup your face. It was oddly gentle, the way he held you. Your free hand found home in his hair. Thoughts escaped you in the moment, your focus locked on Sirius’ practiced mouth working on yours, his tongue slipping in your mouth with a sigh.

Sirius held you with a surprising softness, despite the heated nature of the kiss, almost as if he was at war with himself. His desire to feel you won every time, evident when his hands trailed from your cheeks to your shoulders, down to the waist.

Suddenly it hit you. You were making out with your best friend.

You liked it. So damn much.

But he was your best friend.

Your hands, once pulling him closer, pushed against his shoulders. Reluctantly, he pulled away. He looked heavenly. Cheeks stained rosy even in the dim light, lips red shiny with spit and breathing heavily. He watched you with hooded eyes, slight confusion bringing him down to Earth again.

"I can't." You whispered, feeling terribly guilty. He'd made the bed, but you'd pulled him into it, so to speak.

"Can't what?" His voice was softer than you expected. Tinged with lust, yes, but more than that, it seemed almost afraid. Like whatever you were about to say would determine the course of his future.

"Be with you. I can't jeopardize our friendship." Remus' words rang in your head, urging you to take the jump, but they were drowned out by another voice that said loving him like this wasn't worth losing him.

"Then don't. We don't have to date if you don't want to." He murmured, taking your hand. "We can still have fun with no strings attached. Or we can write this off as a one time thing."

You looked up at him. There was no urgency, no demand, no frustration. He was calm, eyes bearing into yours as if searching for a way to communicate with you telepathically.

You didn't want to write it off as a one time thing, perhaps against your better judgment. What had just happened, you wanted to happen again and again. You wanted to feel him against you, his mouth on yours, his fingers against your skin so much until you'd forget your own name.

He's a heartthrob, not a heartbreaker.

"Well, since you offered..." You began fiddling with his long since messed up tie, a small smirk creeping up your face and a ray of confidence warming your stomach.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I think that'll work out." You reached to give him a peck, then reached for your bag, left forgotten on the floor. "You're too pretty, how could I refuse?" You teased.

Sirius gave a soft chuckle and looked down, a habit unusual for someone so cocky and flirtatious as him. "Goodnight, sweet."

You winked at him before turning for the dormitory entrance, entering the room to find a gaggle of giggling girls all turn their heads to see you so fast you're surprised nobody snapped their neck.

"Can I help you?" You asked, cursing yourself for how dreamy that had sounded. You felt like you were under a microscope with the way they watched you.

Mary was the first to gasp. "You've been snogging!"

Here we go.

. . .

Sirius had thought that putting a label on your relationship with you would silence the merciless teasing, but oh how wrong he was. It never led to anything more than tongue punching in a broom closet or a few bruises on your neck, but Sirius was somehow even more drawn to you now that he had you. He couldn't deny that his heart had dropped when you'd said you wouldn't be with him, but he'd take what he could get. Even if this was all you could give him, he was overjoyed to have it.

Speaking of teasing, Sirius was doing a damn good job of it as his lips pressed against your neck, nibbling the flesh lightly. An alarm rang in your head when he began sucking the skin into his teeth.

"Lower." You tugged on his hair, urging him downwards.

"Desperate, are we?" You could feel him grin against your skin, laving tongue sending goosebumps prickling up the back of your neck.

"Not like that, idiot. Everyone will see it."

"That's precisely the point, sweet," he giggled before you pushed him off, rolling your eyes but not bothering to hide the stupid grin adorning your face.

"I've got to get to Astronomy." You told him, adjusting your shirt and robes before peeking through the crack of the closet.

"But that's so boring," Sirius groaned, "why don't you just hang out in here with me? It'd be way more fun."

"Ironic statement coming from someone named Sirius Orion," you snorted, opening the door when you deemed it safe. "I'll see you in the common room."

In the past few weeks your eye had been caught by another boy named Jack. He was a decent guy, polite and funny enough to hold your interest. James called him boring and Sirius called him an idiot. Remus didn't call him anything. In your opinion, if they didn't like him they didn't have to date him.

But ever since it had become clear to Sirius that you were entertaining another person, it had become his solemn duty to ravish you with red marks just so that you would have to go to extra lengths to cover them up.

And so you found yourself constantly adjusting the collar of your shirt and your hair so that Sirius' abuse to your neck wasn't visible to anyone that passed you by.

Unfortunately, Peter noticed immediately.

"Who was it?" was his constant query. The two of you were headed to your next class when he noticed, and he would not drop the subject for the life of him.

"I told you, Wormtail, it is none of your business." You deflected, searching the corridor for something to distract you or redirect the conversation.

Lucky you, Jack was headed in your direction. The boy noticed you immediately, a smile breaking on his face. His pace sped up, and as he got nearer you found his smile was contagious.

"Fancy seeing you here," you quipped, slowing to a stop.

"Fancy that. Hey, uh, were you planning on going to Hogsmeade this weekend?"

"I was thinking about it, why?"

Jack began rubbing the back of his neck, a shy smile overtaking his features. Another face flickered in your vision just like it, except this one was adorned with long black hair and bags under its eyes. "I was wondering if you'd like to get something at Three Broomsticks. Y'know, like a date?"

Your brows raised, and you were sure Peter's were raised higher. "Yeah, that sounds nice."

Jack's face lit up. "Great! I'll come to pick you up before we go?"

You nodded, and he smiled and bid you farewell before scurrying towards his next class. You cleared your throat, becoming annoyingly aware of Peter's baffled expression.

"Yes?" You asked flatly, not looking at him.

"You're going on a date? With him?"

You almost threw your hands in the air if not for the books weighing them down. "He's a good guy! Why does nobody like him?"

"Because he's boring." Peter rolled his eyes. "You can do way better than him."

"Thanks, Pete, but I think I'll be alright." You chuckled.

"But you shouldn't have to be just alright." He insisted, following you up the stairs. "For Merlin's sake, he's boring. And if you date him then we all date him and we don't all want to date him."

"First of all, Peter, nobody said anything about me dating him. I'm going on a date. I don't know if I want to be in a relationship with him yet, there's a difference. Second of all, you wouldn't have to all date him if the four of you weren't so invested in my love life."

Peter grabbed the door open for you, snorting. "You're the only one whose love life is interesting. Prongs is smitten with Evans, and that doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon. Moony is, well, Moony, and Pads has his groupies, and nobody can keep up with that."

Your heart sank a little at the bluntness with which Peter described Sirius' dating life. You knew logically that Sirius didn't actually have any (other) groupies, and that he was far from heartless. But in the back of your mind you felt dirty, and not the good kind.

"Fair point." You conceded, placing your books on the desk and taking your seat. "But if I'm your only source of romantic drama then don't complain about the content."

. . .

Peter did not, in fact, complain about the drama. He did spread it though, coming immediately to James in their dormitory as soon as he came back from Hogsmeade. The rest of the boys had stayed behind on account of studying, Quidditch practice, and general tomfoolery, so Peter went alone- mostly to stock up on sweets, but he did do his fair bit of snooping.

"Guess what I just witnessed," Peter huffed putting his hands on his knees and heaving a breath, having just run across the castle so as to share the news before your return.

He then went on to describe everything he witnessed regarding your date with Jack. James had sat up, appearing to be enthralled with the tale. While Sirius had averted his gaze, his ears were perked up and were bent on Peter's every word.

"Here I was trying to get an answer directly when all I had to do was send Wormtail out on a spy mission," James laughed, clapping his friend on the back. His face suddenly went serious, so quickly it was comical. "Hang on. Jack? Fuck's sake, him?"

Sirius snorted. "You said it, mate."

Remus chuckled, glancing his way but said nothing. Sirius cleared his throat, running a nervous hand through his hair as he rose to his feet, the room feeling very stuffy all of a sudden.

He felt sincerely odd hoping that the date had been lousy. He wanted nothing but the best for you. That had to have been it, right? He knew you well enough to know what you wanted in a romantic interest, and he also knew Jack well enough to know that it wouldn't be a good fit.

When he trod down the stairs into the common room, he was immediately met with the sight of you curled into an armchair, tugging the gloves from your fingers.

"So? How'd it go?" Sirius stuffed his hands in his pockets, coming to sit on the arm of the chair.

You shrugged. "It was alright."

"Just alright?" He pressed.

"He's nice, he can hold a conversation. Good sense of humor, and not too bad on the eyes."

"Those are all very moderate answers."

"So?"

"So? Are you sure you really like him?"

"I think so? I mean, he's nice. Theoretically he's perfect. Very easy to like and get along with." The certainty in your voice was dissipating the longer you went on.

"Then what's the problem?"

You sigh, leaning back in the chair. "I don't know. He's not exciting, he's mellow. He's easy and safe, which is a good thing, but I want something fun. I want romancing."

"Then ditch him." Sirius shrugged. "If he's not what you want then don't waste your time."

"But I do like him. He's comfortable." You countered, sighing.

"And that's enough?"

You chewed your lip, opening your mouth after a moment of thought. "Yeah. I think so."

Sirius' heart sank.

"That reminds me," you stood, clasping your gloves in both hands. "I think our little adventures might have to come to a stop. I'm going to give him a chance and it's not really fair if I'm running around with you."

He shrugged, giving you a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "That's fine."

Your heart swelled, relief lifting your shoulders. It was just like Remus had said. He didn't up and go. You were okay.

"Thanks. I'll see you in the morning." You smiled, patting his shoulder before you left to the comfort to your loving bed.

Sirius was left with his thoughts, falling into the chair that you'd previously occupied. It was still warm with your scent.

Why did he feel like garbage right now? It's not like the conversation had ended badly. It's not like the two of you were ever a definite item either, it was just a brief friends with benefits arrangement. It was doomed to end at one point or another anyways when one of you found someone to settle down with.

Maybe it was the way you described what you wanted in a relationship, the way it was awfully similar to what he wanted. Romancing.

Footsteps from the stairwell brought him back to Earth, descending from the boys' dormitory. Remus was padding down towards him, cup of tea in hand and a book in another.

"So, how'd it go?" Remus asked, sipping from his mug once he'd settled.

"It went well, apparently." Sirius replied, unable to completely hide his frown.

"You don't sound too happy."

"I am!" He insisted, albeit weakly. "I'm glad it went well."

"Even if it meant no more eating each other's faces in the broom closet?"

Sirius' jaw fell open.

"You knew?"

"It wasn't exactly subtle." Remus shrugged, turning the pages of his unusually large book with his free hand.

"So does that mean-"

"No, James and Peter haven't the faintest clue. Actually, they suspected Jack to be the reason for all the," Remus seemed to be searching for a term, eyes drawn to the ceiling, "giggling."

Sirius' heart sank, and he almost physically grasped it in his ribs to soothe the ache. This feeling, it was strange. He couldn't be jealous. What did he have to be jealous of? Jack? Absolutely not.

Or so he hoped. He sighed quietly. It didn't make him feel better.

Remus must have heard it anyways, offering, "do you want my advice?"

"Please," Sirius pleaded. Remus knows best, as his friends always said. He hated how desperate he was to understand the strange fuzzy feelings and roller coaster stomach dips he felt whenever he saw you.

"I think it's quite simple. You have feelings."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Thanks, mate. I knew that, that's why I need your help."

"You know what I mean. You've developed feelings. Romantic ones."

Something clicked in Sirius' brain, like his eyes were opening for the first time. He'd never considered that an option before, having always seen you as off limits due to the friendship dynamic. It made a million times more sense now that it had come from the all-knowing Moony.

"Hell. I think I do." Sirius murmured, maybe more to himself. He was spaced out, brain dizzy from the realization. he suddenly looked up at his friend. "What do I do?"

Remus sighed, crossing one leg over the other and placing his book aside to lean forward. "Well, I hate to say it, but you might have just missed your shot."

Sirius swallowed thickly, eyes cast to the floor.

Remus gave him a sympathetic smile, taking Sirius' cold hand in his. "I'm sorry mate. The best thing you can do right now is be a good friend."

Sirius hated to hear that, no matter how sound the advice might be. He cared about your happiness more than he cared about having you. Although he wasn't jumping for joy either.

He'd make it work, though. He was happy for you. He really was.

Kind of.

~

@sleepybookworm21 @jack1n @turvi @louleele

[midknightwritings]

Izumi with a Ghost!Reader who just wants to help !!

Synopsis : Izumi's been dealing with strange phenomenon that can't be explained for quite some time now, but the one who's been causing them doesn't seem all that bad…

How does Izumi react to a ghost!reader who just wants to help him out through small acts of service ??

Era : Basic !

Warning/s : Ghosts / the paranormal / hauntings [ non-malicious ]

Mentioned Character/s : G/N!Reader / Izumi [ Main POV ] / Arashi, Ritsu, Tsukasa, Leo & Natsume [ Supporting characters ]

A/N : My first ever post wooo !! I had a ton of fun writing this concept !! I couldn't find what Natsume calls Izumi on his wiki so I based it off of what he calls Chiaki and Kaoru since Izumi's also in their class...

I hope you enjoy regardless !!

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

This is ridiculous. Izumi could've sworn that he left his school bag on a chair in his study room. So why the hell is it hanging on the coat rack beside the front door?! This has been happening for months now and he doesn't know what the hell's going on. He knows that he isn't sleep deprived. After all, as a model he needs to make sure he gets enough rest in the first place, and Izumi knows for a fact that his parents always leaves the house before him, let alone never goes inside his room in the first place !! So Izumi's just racking his brain trying to figure out what's happening to him.

This isn't even about the bag anymore !! Strange things have been happening to him for a while now that just couldn't be explained. When he woke up, he noticed that his desk seemingly organized itself from the night before. Once, he found his shoes systematically placed in rows when he clearly remembered he discarded at least one pair beside the door. Another time, a cup of green tea randomly appeared on his bedside table when he came back home late from practice. Medicine [ measured to the precise amount ] and a cup of water appeared on his desk when he showed subtle signs of being sick… and that was just scratching the surface!

He complained to the other members of Knights about this during their break times, all the while fighting the urge to pull on Leo's ponytail at mere the prospect of him hinting at the fact that Izumi's being watched by aliens. He never believed in the supernatural. After all, there has to be a more logical explanation to the phenomenon he's experiencing.

"They don't exist, so it can't be supernatural."

was what Izumi thought, until the "hauntings" started to happen in school with everyone else noticing.

Izumi's lunch box randomly appeared in their studio when Tsukasa clearly remembered that it wasn't there before they searched for Leo together. Let alone the fact that he saw Izumi place it in his locker this morning, which was always locked !! His bag seemingly packed itself up when Arashi definitely saw his stationary and notebooks on his desk before they left for refreshments just outside the door. Izumi's knitting kit laid neatly on top of the kotatsu even though Ritsu absolutely saw him put his kit in his bag a second ago. Izumi's IPod was placed on the speaker system, all set up and ready for practice, even though Leo undeniably saw Izumi place it in his bag just moments before.

The more these strange moments occurred, the more everyone scratched their heads trying to figure out what was going on. Leo already accepted the fact that Izumi was most likely being experimented on by aliens but everyone kept shutting him down. That was until Natsume randomly passed by Knights' practice room. Their door was open, causing their small quarrel to slip out into the hallway and with a quick, curious glance inside, Natsume stopped dead in his tracks and, without hesitation, asked; "Do you find this whole thing enterTAINING; Being in whITE?"

Everyone immediately quieted down as they watched Natsume seemingly converse with something. Well… more like “someone.”

. . .

"You just wanted to hELP? Well thEN, why don't you try to clear things UP? It seems like they’re fighting because they didn't know it was yOU."

. . .

Izumi was about scold Natsume for seemingly “pretending” that there was a "ghost" just to spook them out and waste their time, but stopped himself when he heard what Natsume said next:

“You don’t want to scare them even more because you apparently did by moving Sena-senpai’s stuff arOUND? But you didn’t mean any haRM, NO?”

. . .

“ 'Maybe you went too far this tIME?' That’s understandABLE. Well… Since I made your presence knOWN, do you want me to relay anything to thEM?"

. . .

“They apologize for any confusion or trouble they may have caUSED, especially to Sena-senpai, and will stop if you wish for them to do SO.” Natsume explained, causing Leo to gasp and shout about the fact that he was right !! Well… Sort of?

“I told you, you were being watched Sena! The king is never wrong Wahaha~☆” causing Izumi to pull on his ponytail to get him to shut up, which worked !! [ Poor Leo... ]

While Izumi was trying to process what just happened and slowly come to terms that yes !! Ghosts apparently do exist !! He thought back to all the unexplainable things that happened to him. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that the actions themselves weren’t annoying… It was the fact that he couldn’t comprehend what was happening to begin with, that was annoying. This so-called “ghost” seemed polite enough though… Never gave him trouble necessarily… If there was better communication then maybe…

“Hm! I guess I can accept their apology, but to make up for all those times that they were so~annoying they could at least do things when asked. Do they realize how annoying it gets, not knowing where your stuff went, because someone else moved them without your permission!”

Natsume glanced at an empty space in the room and sighed; “They said that 'wouldn’t be an issue' and they 'promise to do that from now ON. So just call their name if you ever need sometHING.' Their name is [ Y/N ] by the wAY.” He took one more glance back at the empty space before adding, “They also said soRRY, agAIN…”

Ever since that incident, Izumi [ and by proxy, the rest of Knights ] continued getting small doses of help from this so called "[ Y/N ]." You followed through with your promise and helped around when asked but, during busy times when everyone was too caught up in their own work, Izumi noticed that things seemingly reverted back to the past.

New bottles of water appeared on an empty table in the studio, his bag was all packed up after a long practice session, his shoes laid neatly by the door after mindlessly discarding them the day before…

At least now, he finally knows who’s behind these small acts of kindness, and can finally bring himself to appreciate it.

[medicinal-doll]

Frostbitten.

Title: Frostbitten. (part one)

Vampire!Geralt rivia x reader

Words: 700

Summary: Your usual morning stroll goes wayward when a blizzard rolls in driving you into an unknown biome of the forest

Warnings:running,chasing,fear,drugging

A/N: This is part one to how the reader met her masters (Geralt,Bucky,Ari)

*Please don't repost without permission If you use my writing as inspiration please ask first and credit me

............

The weather was cold...unforgiving.And for someone who's not a local, it was fucking freezing.

That day you set out for your usual nature walk. And despite the fact you were new to the area. The weather seemed nice enough.

But oh how wrong your were.

The snowflakes cut at your skin as the piercing cold roared through whatever garment you have on.You clutch the hood of the feeble coat around you trying to shield yourself from the element's assault.

When the blizzard started you were sure you turned around heading back in the direction of your cabin.

But as you trudge aimlessly through the infinite forest, doubt starts to settle in your mind.

Then you see a clearing.

Dead grey trees seemingly drained of all life.And even the snow seems to be weary of trespassing this neck of the woods.

You wish you could say the same.

But the growing hypothermia in your blood has your thoughts open to suggestion.

You enter the gloomy abyss.Making sure to tread lightly but with haste.As to not alert the potentially dangerous residents in the area of your presence.

SPLASH!

You dart your head in the direction of the noise.

It happened in an instant and unless you're hallucinating which given your condition is a high probability right now.

You could've sworn you saw a giant spider tackling a man into the black lake.

You squint your eyes at the water but it remains still

I guess it really was your mind playing tricks on y-

A man arose from the lake clad in thick black leather his skin as pale as the snow itself.

He steadies himself, and when his eyes land on you, an internal shriek sounds from your throat.

His eyes are darkness itself, pupils spilling to the very edges of his corneas.dark purple veins coloring his eyebags.

And you swear you saw fangs threatening to peek through.

You grip your hood so tight that the fabric begins to unravel.

"Are you lost"

His eyes envelope your form like vines as he looks at you like tonight's dinner, not wasting a second to blink in fear he might lose sight of you.

Fuck. This.

You sprint in the other direction.

You can't go back through the snow even though you could easily lose him in there.

If he didn't get to you the cold would.

Your lungs work double time hauling your shivering frame through the thorny thicket of trees.

Eventually you stop, giving yourself a few minutes of down time.

You look around but there's nothing.the forest is still unlike your heartbeat.You rest a hand on your chest trying to calm yourself and steady your breathing.

But off in the distance you spot a looming figure, leaning against a tree looking directly at you.

Smiling at you.

And from this far you can see 2 sets of sharp canines.

"N-no.." you whisper but it feels more like you convincing yourself that this isn't happening.That you're not being hunted by A demonic apparition, In a strange thicket of woods that resembles the likes of an underworld.

You run again.

Farther than the last, body more exhausted than the first.

But there he is again.

Taunting you.

Teasing you.

Encouraging you to drain your stamina more just so he can rack up the deliciousness of your beating heart and heaving chest.

What is he doing... warming up your blood before his feast or something?

Why doesn't he just kill you.

Your legs are tattered in scraps and cuts.

Your appearance beyond disheveled.

With your lungs collapsed and your spirit broken. you slump to your knees willing to accept whatever fate the hollow stranger bestows upon you.

Your eyes are fixed on the ground too afraid to witness the horrific scene that's about to occur.

Certain A painful bloody death is what awaits you.

Huge leather black boots enter your view and a helpless shudder traverses your spine.

The man crouched to your level and unzipped a pocket emptying some purple herbs in his palm, easily crushing them by hand.

You dare not look into his obsidian eyes.

Gloved fingers grab a hold of the back of your neck pulling your face towards the crushed powder.

You try to resist.

But just from what you've witnessed, his strength is far greater than anything you could dream of.

He holds the herbs to your nose.And it's not long before your body cries out for oxygen.Your hands claw at the inevitable hold he has on your neck.As you reluctantly take in the potent aroma.

A somberness spreads through you.

"Go to sleep little bunny" His husk voice encourages you into the dark void.

And you let the warm drowsy feeling take A hold of you.As the light fades from your vision, and the snow becomes nothing but a hazy memory.