#but is forgetting kappa's feelings on the matter

[moss-sprout]

Just realized Siren's biggest sacrifice for Kappa wouldn't be to die for Kappa, but to live for him.

Siren would die for anyone if he felt he had to - he's just that much of a hero. But to live for Kappa would be to wish and accept being loved by him, which is what Kappa wants of Siren

[writeonwhiskey]

the skz house: ch 5 (18+)

a/n: happy tuesday. hope you all had a great christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate. here is my gift to you!

Summary: Welcome to Sigma Kappa Zeta, the most popular fraternity on campus. When you, down on your luck and looking for a place to live, see their ad for ‘IN-HOUSE STAY’. You're one of the four girls chosen and find that your duties for the rest of the school year will be cooking, cleaning, and pleasing your assigned house members: Hyunjin & Bang Chan.

[ read chapter four here ]

Chapter Five: Of Mirrors and Lessons

The entire ride back home, Chan keeps his hand on your thigh, sometimes resting, sometimes gently squeezing. You couldn’t possibly forget the fact that you’re sitting in a car with him, but his touch serves as a constant reminder that he’s there without feeling overbearing. It actually soothes you, which should be concerning. However, since it doesn’t seem like you’ll get any outright form of compassion from him, maybe you have to learn to appreciate these subtle gestures.

Back at the house you and Charlotte clean up the basement while the other girls work on dinner. You gather up the empty pizza boxes and paper cups into a large trash bag as she works on wiping down all the surfaces. You hadn’t gotten a chance to speak to her much prior to this, but you can tell she’s the quiet, introvert type. 

When you ask, she tells you things with Han and Jeongin are going well. You hold in your surprise when she says Han hasn’t tried anything with her yet, but she and Jeongin had made out a few times—one of which you saw last night. 

Her words make you curious what everyone else has been up to. You’ve only had one night with Hyunjin where all you did was kiss, but your two nights with Chan had been filled with far more intimate acts and barely any kissing. Were the others taking things just as slow? 

You finish cleaning and hoist the trash bags up the stairs. Felix and Changbin spring up from their seats at the table when you two emerge from the basement. They take the bags from you and put them outside.

Hyunjin is the only one missing when it’s time to eat—he has an evening class tonight. Chan eats in the living room, watching a baseball game with Seungmin. You eat in the dining room next to Felix and even after you’ve cleared your plates, you continue talking to him. He shares information with you freely and it’s a bit of a relief. His minor is in Game Design and Development, his dad and Chan’s dad are extremely close, so they grew up together before venturing to the states. You’re invested in what he’s saying—you really are, but you keep catching yourself being distracted by the dusting of freckles across the bridge of his nose and cheeks. They give him such a boyish charm, especially when he smiles, that’s directly contradicted by the amount of bass in his voice. 

Your phone buzzes and you check it, seeing a text from Chan. A wave of nerves flow throw your body as you open it. 

Chan

waiting for you

You put your phone face down on the table. You know what’s coming next. He told you this afternoon. You don’t know what to expect. You do at least know that you shouldn’t expect rose petals and candles for your first time with him. If there are candles, he would probably be using them to drip wax over you. You panic at the thought. You don’t know what he’s in to, but you’re learning. It’s not difficult to believe he may like some kinky stuff, though. For now, all you know for sure is that he likes to exercise his control over you. 

You hate to keep thinking of your ex in uncertain moments like this, yet you can’t help it. You simply can’t imagine him speaking to you or treating you the way Chan does sexually and you just allowing it to happen. Chan has a specific presence or aura, if you will, that asserts dominance and you’re growing more and more attracted to it. No matter how much you want to resist. 

You’re startled at the feel of a hand on your shoulder. You turn to look at Felix, his chestnut brown eyes pouring out concern.

“You alright?” He asks in his low voice. 

“Yeah,” you reply with a light chuckle, not wanting to worry him. “I’m gonna head upstairs now.”

He squeezes your shoulder a few times and nods.

The walk upstairs feels like a death march. You’re moving slowly, trying to mentally prepare yourself for whatever is to come. 

Chan is sitting on the edge of his bed, facing you. You’re leaned against his dresser, naked after he asked you to remove your clothing. He still has his clothes on, which you can’t even think is unfair because what’s the point? Fairness doesn’t exist with him. You can’t even bring your arms up to cover yourself. So you stand there, watching him watch you, neither of you speaking. 

You wonder what’s going through his head right now, because all you can think of is how much you want him to touch you, to cover your bare body with his. You don’t know if it’s right to yearn for him after how he’s treated you—or is that the very reason you do?

After what feels like slow, painstaking hours, he stands from the bed and walks to you. He places his hands on either side of you on the dresser, caging you in. 

“Do you want me, y/n?” He finally breaks the silence, lowering his head to look you in the eyes. 

What kind of question is that? You do, don’t you? You know he doesn’t mean in the way he’s had you the last couple of days, he means actually fucking you this time. But will he be rough? Will it be painful? Will you like it? Your sexual experience is rather vanilla, so the thought is just as thrilling as it is frightening. What if it’s bad? What if it’s good? 

You lick your lips and slowly nod your head. 

He smiles down at you before moving forward to capture your lips with his. It’s a slow and passionate kiss. You tell yourself all his unspoken words are bottled up in it—that he doesn’t mean to make you feel awful, that he chose you for a reason. 

“Take my shirt off,” he says when he pulls away from you. 

Your grab the bottom of his shirt and lift it up and over his head. You drop it on top of your pile of clothes, never taking your eyes off him. 

He takes each of your hands in his at the wrist and places your palms on his chest. He slowly guides them down his pectorals, his abs, all the way down the ‘V’ shape of his lower abdomen that leads into his loose fitting sweatpants. His skin is soft and the muscles beneath it feel solid against your fingertips. 

He moves one hand lower than the other, to the waistband. You curl your fingers around it and he pulls your wrist back. He now pushes your other hand lower and you slip it into the sweats. All you feel is skin—he’s not wearing any boxers. He releases your wrists and puts his hands back on the dresser, swooping down to kiss you again as your fingers wrap around his already hard cock. 

It feels good to have him back in your grasp. You stroke him as he deepens the kiss, his tongue snaking inside your mouth. You bring your other hand up to cup the back of his neck, pulling him harder against you. You can’t kid yourself—you want to give yourself to him. You want to know what it feels like to have him inside of you. 

As if reading your thoughts, he breaks the kiss. 

“Turn around,” he says.

You waste no time in doing as he bids. 

You’re now facing the mirror attached to his dresser. His arms are still around either side of you, flexed and deliciously toned. He’s looking at you through the reflection. It’s the first time you’e seen yourself next to him. Your first instinct is to feel inferior, but with him this close, and you enclosed in his arms, you can convince yourself it feels and looks right. 

He stands up straight and places his hands on your hips, squeezing them. His hands slide up and down your side in a way that tickles, causing you to move away from his touch. His lip quirks up at you through the mirror. 

His hands cup your breasts and you watch your reflection. It almost feels as if you’re removed from the scene—watching for a separate type of pleasure. His gaze is fixed on your body as he plays with your nipples. You can’t help but move your hips back against him. 

He pushes your breasts together with one hand as the other slips down to your pussy. You immediately move your feet a little further apart to which he chuckles. 

“Chan,” you breathe as his hand finds its home between your thighs. “Be good to me tonight.” 

Your words come out as a soft plea. 

He responds by kissing you on the cheek as his fingers slowly slide back and forth across your pussy. You don’t know what to make of that response. He’s proven himself to be good at being a sour patch kid—sour then sweet. Or sweet then sour in his case, actually. 

He pushes down his sweatpants and slowly lowers you down so your chest is pressed against the dresser. He takes a moment to admire his handy work from the night before, rubbing and squeezing your ass. You keep your eyes locked on his reflection, your breath fogging up the mirror now that you’re so close to it. His hand leaves your ass and moves to his cock, gripping it at the base as he slides it up and down your slit. 

When he’s settled at your opening, his left hand grabs your hip, holding you in place. Your eyes are locked on each others as he slowly slides himself in. You want to squeeze your eyes shut, steal a moment for yourself to revel in the feel of him inside you. But you also want to remember how he looks right now. The way his lip is caught between his teeth, eyes filled with some kind of lust. 

You watch his face intently. He averts his gaze and sucks in a breath as he watches his dick move in and out of you. One hand is still at your hip as the other uses your shoulder for leverage. You prop yourself up on your elbows and push your hips back to meet his thrusts. The side of his mouth quirks up at your movements.

You moan as he starts moving faster, dropping your head to the desk and squeezing your eyes shut.

He doesn’t like that.

You feel his hand move from your shoulder to the back of your head. He tangles his fingers in your hair and yanks your head up. Your eyes snap open just in time to see him leaning down towards you.

“Watch,” he whispers in your ear, “I want you to see how good you look when I fuck you.”

You moan again at his words, looking at yourself in the mirror, watching as your tits bounce up and down with each thrust. He lets go of your hair and uses both hands on your hips to bring you back and forth against him, harder, faster. 

He keeps fucking you, panting and grunting while you watch. As his movement quickens and he grits his teeth, he abruptly pulls out of you, taking a step back. He takes a deep breath and slaps your ass. You don’t squeal, you don’t scream. You moan and look back at him with soft eyes. You want more. 

“On the bed,” he says. 

You step from around him and walk to the bed, turning around to face him when you’re near it. He steps out of his sweatpants and kicks them to the side.

“How do you want me?” You ask. 

“Now you’re being a good girl.” He nods his head with a crooked grin. He places one hand on his cock as he walks towards you, stroking it. “On your back.” 

You sit on the bed and scoot back on it before laying down. He puts his knees on the bed, still stroking himself as he looks down at you. 

“Fuck, y/n,” he groans. 

The way he says it, the way he’s looking at you makes you squirm. You want him back inside of you. He pushes your thighs apart one at a time with his knees and lowers himself on top of you. 

“Hands above your head.”

You put your hands up so they’re resting on the pillows and he holds them together with one hand. With the other he guides himself back into you. Once inside, he moves his hips ever so slowly, in and out. 

He presses his thumb to your clit, rubbing it in teasing circles. You wrap your legs around his waist, locking your ankles together behind his back. You start to move your hips against him, wanting him to go faster. 

He looks up to you and gives the tiniest head shake. You stop your movements with a soft whine. 

He picks up the pace, watching your face contort with pleasure. Whenever you let out a moan and move your hips against his, he slows back down. He repeats the process, squeezing your wrists together as you try to free them. You want to at least touch him, but he’s too content playing with you. 

He brings himself closer to you, first kissing you, then moving down to your breasts. He takes each nipple into his mouth, in turn, licking, nipping, pulling at it with his teeth while he looks up at you. All the while still rubbing your clit with his other hand each time he pulls his hips back and has access to you. The sight of him ravaging your body is one you hope to never forget. 

The stop and go of all his combined stimulation starts to peak. You tighten your grip around his waist. 

“Fuck me, please. I’m gonna—“ You let out a moan, as he bites down hard on your nipple.

“Ah-Ah,” he shakes his head again, looking up at you with your nipple still between his teeth. He sits up and releases your hands, resorting back to his torturous, slow hip movements, hands resting on your knees. “Remember lesson number two?”

You blink up at him, trying to focus on what he means. It’s hard to think of anything else when he has you this close to release. Lesson two? You think back to your second night and it dawns you.

 “Chan,” you say his name slowly, moving your hands up to his chest. “May I? Will you please make me come?”

He grips your thighs and readjusts them so your legs are on one side of his neck. He lifts you upwards at an angle and wraps his arm around your thighs as he starts pounding in to you with fervor. His other hand continues playing with your breasts. Groping them, slapping them.

“Fuck,” he says as you dig your nails into his arms now that your hands are finally free. 

You watch, enraptured by the sight of him above you. His abs contracting with each movement. His hair disheveled, some of his bangs sticking to his forehead. His skin glistening with a thin layer of sweat. You’ve never seen him look better.

“You wanna come?” He asks.

“Please,” you beg, nodding your head.

“Who do you belong to?” He growls, slapping a hand to your breast and squeezing it.

“You,” you reply without hesitation, flinching at the pain.

“What does that make you?”

“Yours,” you breathe, as you continue to hold yourself back from release.

“Say it again,” he pinches your nipple between his fingers.

“I’m yours,” you whimper, wrapping your hand around the opposite side of his neck from your legs. “I’m yours, Chan.”

“Good,” he says, eyes on yours as he smirks and fucks you. “Come for me, y/n.”

Your back arches as your toes curl. You use all the strength in you to pull him down to you, stealing a kiss as your orgasm courses through you. He doesn’t resist. He doesn’t get upset. You’ve quite literally never been so bent as you are in this position, but you don’t care. Having him kiss you wildly as you come around his cock is absolutely worth it. 

As you’re still coming down from your wave of euphoria, he sits up and pulls your legs apart. He grips one thigh in each hand and continues thrusting into you. You’re moaning—it feels so goddamn good, you could cry. 

He throws his head back, grunting and tightening his grip on your thighs as he finishes. 

His movements start to slow, his breathing turning into soft pants. He lets go of your thighs and lowers himself to you again. He brushes your damp hair back from your face as he looks you deeply in the eyes.

“That was lesson three,” he winks. 

An unexpected laugh falls from your lips and he chuckles, pressing his forehead against yours for a moment. You feel like your heart could soar right now. A genuine laugh shared. 

“Grab on to me,” he says. 

You wrap your arms around his neck and lock your legs around his waist again. He scoots you down on the bed then picks you up, carrying you into the bathroom. You bury your face in his neck, smiling—sex drunk. Happy. Delirious. 

He holds on to your waist as he turns on the shower, keeping you in his arms while the water heats up. There’s no light on in the bathroom, but his shower head flickers from blue, to green, then settles on red. His hands tangle in your hair again, gently tugging on it to pull your head up from his neck. His eyes search yours for a moment and you have no idea what they’re trying to convey. He pushes your head towards him and kisses you slowly. The kiss is tame and unassuming—it’s not leading up to anything further. It’s just two people temporarily caught in the haze of their connection.

He takes you into the shower with him and leans you against the wall as he continues kissing you, letting the water drip between you. You don’t know how long this high will last, he could go right back to being an asshole in the next minute, so you want to enjoy this version of him as long as you can.

[ read chapter six here ]

a/n: share your thoughts <3

tag list: @iflmho /@skzstaykatsy / @blackhairandbangs / @ayoitschannie / @idunnomanmynamewastaken / @charmer-c / @ihatemen55 / @channiesprincess / @channniesslefttt / @jiwoos-babygirl / @kayleefriedchicken / @krayzieestay

[nevernonline]

✧.* he's all that; lsm mini series

✧.*synopsis: every year the kappa sorority hosted a 'hot or not' greek life pageant show. you've luckily escaped having to bring your own "nottie" to give a makeover to and train in hopes of winning a big prize for the rest of your crew. but, just when you thought your lucky streak was going strong your name get's chosen as a representative and your sisters had just the guy for you to make over.

part of my seventeen movie series. 

paring: seokmin x reader (y/n uses she/her pronouns.) 

genre/s: fluff, strangers2lvrs, neighbors2lvrs or whatever.  

warning/s: alcohol mentions, swearing, cigarette mentions, swearing, some pg-13 jokes. no funny business iykyk. lots of mean girls (rip)

word count: 4.2k

note: im notorious atp for not editing, pls. this edition of nmm is inspired by a true classic she's all that (w/ a bit of greek the tv show/sydney white energy if any of u have ever seen ALSO classics, this was supposed to be one part, BUT! I feel myself getting so carried away so … three parts.) i was going to post my gwag update today but im gonna wait till either tomorrow or Tuesday <3.

beginning ▸ middle ▸ end.

Y/n was dreading the meeting she walked through the front doors of the sorority for this afternoon, the pageant. Kappa and all the other sororities on Greek row participated in what they call ‘Hot or Not’ every year since supposedly the 1980’s something her now head sister Heather claims was started by the legacy that was her mother. Which maybe was true, but y/n could never figure out why it mattered? And while it was fun it was a little bit old school.

“Hey, girls. Everyone settled in? We have a very exciting tradition here at Kappa as you may know.”

The cheers rang through the sitting room, with its white walls, pale pink carpets, and sherpa couches, the cheers and claps of girls hoping Heather draws their name from the glass bowl with her perfectly manicured finger tips.

“Yes. It’s so exciting, we have a few new faces so since you haven’t been a part of this week in past years we left you out of the bowl, but we will have many things for you to participate in this week. Like dine and dash, our famous Good as Gold party, and of course judging the competition at the end of the week. Before we get to the drawing, I wanted to congratulate our last year's winner, Suni. Give it up for her.”

Smiling, y/n clapped along with the other girls, giving Suni her flowers. About to step out behind the two french doors to grab a water or something to drink, when you hear Heather call your name loudly. All of your other sisters and friends spinning around watching her looking like she was attempting to escape the reality of her name being the one chosen after three years of getting out of it.

“y/n! Finally, Come back here, girly.”

Walking through the clapping crown y/n took her place next to the blonde and pretended to smile with excitement as her gut was telling her it was absolutely the worst day of her life.

The only reason y/n was in this sorority was to get extra college credits, that and Heather and her mother met here and have been friends since that very day. Heather was obsessed with being a legacy and clawing her way to the top of the food chain at the university. Y/n was just there for the ride.

“Everyone, you all obviously know my very good friend and our smartest sister, y/n. I personally have been waiting for the day she got chosen out of this bowl. It’s something our moms, co-vp’s of their 1980’s class of Kappas have been talking about for years. So I’m just as excited as I’m sure y/n is to be our guiding light to another victory this year. Anything to say, y/n?”

“Uh, not really, you said it all.”

Another big fake smile appeared on her face. Laughing and giggling at all the congratulations coming her way.

“Girls, before we enjoy our lunch. Don’t forget tonight is dine and dash, please find your dates and bring them to Carol’s Diner at 8pm. See you there.”

Checking the time on your phone you had roughly 45 minutes before your lecture and enough time to take off the gaudy Kappa logo’d sweater you had to put on for what Heather calls “official business.”

“Y/n what are you checking the time for? We have a lot to do today.”

“I have a class in 40 minutes, I have to go back and change.”

“I don’t get why you won't just move back in here with us?”

“I told you, Heather. I can't. I have to focus on getting into Med School and no offense to you or the other girls, but this isn’t exactly the best place for me to focus when I have to study.”

“Med School can wait just one day right? We have to set up the table at Carol’s and set up for the party later. Would you mind going with the new girl Sam to grab the alcohol? And then you can meet me back here and we will go to the diner together. I’m going to have the girls go out and look for some Nottie’s for you today before that whale from Delta picks them all up. “

“No, but-”

“Thank you! Love you!”

“Also her name is not Sam, It’s Soyeon.”

“Okay got it, toodleoo.”

Searching the house for the person and so called new girl, Sam you stumbled upon her sitting out on the back patio writing in her journal.

“Soyeon?”

“Oh, hey y/n.

“Hey, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No, you didn’t. I’m just so used to everyone calling me Sam I forget people know that it’s actually not.”

“Yeah, it took Heather a whole year to not call Suni, Sunny and everyone just kind of follows her suit.”

“I thought you had class? I didn’t know you were still here.”

“I do. It’s just a lecture on the importance of mammograms and breast cancer research so, I guess it’s okay. I can just find it somewhere online.”

“Ready to head out?”

“Would you hate me if we stopped at my dorm? I cannot wear this fucking sweater for more than an hour or I may spontaneously combust.”

“Yeah, I don’t want to be seen with you in public while you’re wearing that.”

“I appreciate your honesty.”

“You should.”

Y/n and Soyeon escaped the general excitement of the rest of the girls by escaping out the outdoor gate and walked viciously together to change the heinous sweater on y/n’s back.

Turning the corner to finally reach the hall her single dorm room lived at the end of, she ran into a tall boy who’s books scattered all across the floor, a boy she had never once run into literally and physically.

“I'm so sorry.”

“No, no I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“You’re y/n right?”

“Yes? Why?”

“Oh, no. Nothing like that. I live across the hall from you. I see your name tag on your door all the time and all the photos of you from all your friends. Which now that I’m talking makes me sound like even more of a weirdo? I’m sorry. I’m Seokmin, my friends call me DK or Dokyeom , whatever. And now I’m rambling, please stop me.”

“No, you’re okay. Can we at least just get off the floor now?”

“Yes.”

Seokmin or Dokyeom whatever his real name actually is, crawled off the floor and stuck his hand out to you for assistance pulling your pink colored body off the floor.

“This is my friend, Soyeon.”

“Sorority sisters?”

“Wait. How’d you know? Oh, fuck the sweater. Don’t tell anyone you saw me wearing this, I know where you live.”

“Don’t worry, I never will. But, sorry to uh, cut this meeting short I have to get to class. I’ll see you again, I’m sure. Bye, nice meeting you y/n. And you too, Soyeon.”

“Bye.”

In unison you and Soyeon watched the tall boy walk towards the elevators. Both of you have differing expressions of looks on your face, one of pure enjoyment watching the awkward interaction and one of pure dumbfoundedness.

“He’s cute.”

Soyeon brought you out of staring at the boy walking away and stepping into the elevator, throwing his fingers up waving goodbye while clutching his mounds of books in his hands.

“What?”

“I said he’s cute and he’s your neighbor. Lucky girl.”

“Oh. Yeah, I can’t believe I’ve never met him before.”

“Why don’t you ask him out?”

“We just met. Plus, I’m busy with school and now this stupid pageant. I don’t have time for cute boys.”

“I’m sure you can make it work.”

Unlocking your door and letting Soyeon in before you so you can sneak a peek at his front door in front of yours. Plain, just a few funny messages and cute stickers of tangerines and tigers pasted on his whiteboard. Maybe he already has a girlfriend? But a boy like that with that many books is probably much like you and had no time for dating.

“Wait. Y/N your room is so nice? Maybe I should move out of the house. It’s loud as fuck anyway.”

“Why are you in the sorority? I’m not judging because I was basically dragged into it too. I’m just curious?”

“My mom always wanted me to join. She said it’s a good way to find friends, I always had a hard time making them. So I figured why not?”

“Got it. Makes sense.”

“What about you? You also don’t serve sorority girl to me.”

“Because my mom also got me to join, that’s actually how I know Heather. Our moms were co-captains of the sorority at some point in the 80’s.”

“Oh, so you’ve known her your whole life?”

“Mhm.”

“No offense or anything, but she’s… kind of a bitch.”

“Kind of? It’s only gotten worse since she’s been in charge. She was okay when we were younger, but you know.”

Slipping out of your jeans and sweater, you threw on a black pair of pleated pants and a loose white button down.

“Also you have tattoos and a sick body, stop dressing like an old woman.”

“I could never pull off what you wear? You’re so cool and confident.”

“Promise me. One party this year you’ll let me pick out something to wear?”

“Okay.”

“You’re very trusting.”

“What? You’re going to make me wear a hot pink dress and try to dye my hair blonde too?”

“Hell no.”

“Exactly.”

Hours passed on as you were getting to know Soyeon more, a part of you realized what you had been missing meeting girls outside of your own circle at school.

People who share your interests and enjoy talking about things other than clothes, shoes, and boys.

It was actually the least stressed you’ve been around someone at the sorority in a long time. Almost like a breath of fresh air.

Getting out of the Uber you took filled to the brim with alcohol and snacks, you were back at the big White House at the end of the street. Not a flaw in sight. Almost like it wasn’t a real reality.

“Should we ditch the diner? We could always go see my friend play at the bar across campus instead?”

“I would love nothing more, but Heather will have my head shaved or something.”

“Okay, well when we ditch later we can head there.”

“It’s a date.”

“Ew, you’re so corny. Save it for your new lover boy across the hall.”

“Shut up.”

Soyeon and you laughed, dragging the last box up the stairs into the foyer of the house. Met with the blonde at the bottom of the stairs.

“There you guys are! I was going to send a search and rescue team to come for you if you didn’t show up soon.”

“We got a little distracted. Sorry.”

“No problem. You’re here now, Sam go up and get ready, I’ll help y/n from here.”

“Okay.”

Soyeon or Sam, picked her poison and shoved down Heather still calling her by the wrong name and walked up to her room to change and get ready for the rest of her night. While you were stuck unpacking the boxes.

“Y/n. Don’t forget to look out for the boys everyone brings tonight. We can pick one from the litter for your Nottie.”

“Look, Heather-“

“I know what you’re going to say and don’t even think about asking me if you can drop out of the pageant, okay?”

“I just don’t think it’s worth it or fair anymore, why don’t we just get the other frat guys to do it? Like Mingyu or Wonwoo, Johnny? I don’t know. I don’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable.”

“You raise a good point. And it gives me an idea.”

“Which is?”

“We have the other frats competing too, we’ll get more payout and the three uglies will be more profitable than ever for us. You’re so smart.”

“That’s not wha-“

“Ah! I’m so lucky to have you. I’ll let everyone know.”

Heather bounced off into the other room, texting rapidly with her manicured hands on her cell phone, making the fire bigger.

With your head spinning around and around you don’t even remember walking your way to the diner waiting for the freshman girls to bring their guys along to the large table set for someone’s embarrassment.

Taking a seat near the end of the table next to Soyeon and Heather on your other side, you sat and sipped at the Diet Coke in front of you, feeling your mix of anxiety and angel swirling in your stomach and begging for something a little stronger.

“Are you feeling okay?”

Soyeon leaned over and whispered into your ear, seeing the look on your face and noticing your obvious quietness.

“I’ll tell you after.”

“Okay, if you want to go early, let me know.”

“I will”

Heather had her vulture eyes on, waiting to see which she would inevitably have embarrassed by the groups around you with no remorse.

She looked into your eyes and signaled to a cute shy boy across the table, sitting and picking at his nails, making it clear she had made her mark.

“Let me use the bathroom first okay?”

“Yeah, of course. You wouldn’t want to miss it.”

“Right.”

Walking briskly into the old blue stalls in the bathroom, which you didn't even really have to use, but just needed an excuse to go somewhere and release your anxiety.

“Y/n? Hey. Y/n?”

Seeing Soyeon’s platform heels under the bottom of the stall door you jumped up and swung your head out of the blue metal.

“What?”

“Remember that guy you met today?”

“Yes, of course why?”

“He’s here.”

“Someone brought him?”

“No. He’s here with his two friends and Heather invited them to the table. One of them is that dude that’s friends with Mingyu with the that acts like a tiger, the hot nerdy one, and the other one is just some hot short buff guy, never seen him before. Anyway, We either have to get out of here right now or stay and hide in here until they're gone.” L

“Why don’t we just go-“

“No. I don’t want him to think you’re a bitch? Are you crazy? You can’t go dunking on nerds in front of three hot dudes?”

“Okay let’s go.”

As the two of you tried to make your exit from the ladies room you heard commotion outside in the dining room, so you both slipped back quickly into the bathroom, locking the door for some reason as you head the chairs scooting and the bell ringing meaning people were slipping out on one of the boys at the table.

“You think they're gone?”

“Yeah. I hear the sink running in the men’s room, come on.”

As you walked out of the bathroom in front of you Seokmin was sitting at the table covered in a turkey club sandwich looking at the long tab Heather left for him.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

“Your ‘sisters’ dumped a sandwich on me and left the tab? Do you guys do this a lot?”

“It’s just some stupid shit Heather came up with when she became president. Me and y/n were hiding in the bathroom so we could come and pay the tab. But, you got to it first.”

“Right.”

Not saying anything and standing in your tracks cold, you watched as Soyeon took the check from his hands and waved you on to help him as she went up to pay.

“She dumped her food on you?”

“Yeah, my friends and I were just coming for takeout. I saw Soyeon so I went to say hi and she wanted to come get you. But the blonde girl,”

“Heather.”

“Yeah, Heather. She told me to sit down for a second and my friends went back to their dorm so they could keep studying and deliver food to some other guys. She was okay at first, but once Soyeon left she dumped her soda and sandwich on me and when I came back they were all gone.”

“I’m so sorry? Let me get you dry cleaning money or something.”

“No, don’t worry about it. I can handle it. I’m glad you two were here though, I don’t have my wallet on me. Are you okay though? Have you been crying?”

“I’m fine, just had a moment.”

The small black haired girl popped back over, tucking her card back into her wallet and smiling at the two of you sitting and talking with Seokmin covered in an orange beverage, a little bit of lettuce stuck in his hair.

“Want to come to a party?”

“If it’s at the sorority then sorry, no thanks.”

“No. It’s just some of my friends from the music department. They’re playing a show at O’Malley’s.”

“I don’t think orange soda is really a good look for a party.”

“That’s okay, y/n has to go change too. You guys just meet me there? I’m going to head out and get us a table.”

“Well I do owe you guys both a drink. So, sure.”

“Oh, and Seokmin?”

“Yeah?”

“Make sure y/n actually comes back out, she’s hard to get her hands on.”

“Of course.”

Walking back to your somewhat shared dorm, you and Seokmin walked in silence past greek row, watching all the girls running around to get ready for a greeting ceremony to the frat houses as escorts to their party.

The boy looked at you up and down, imagining you inside one of those grand houses gossiping and dishing on sister life just trying to figure out why you joined in the first place, your friend included.

Reaching your destination with only smiles and small giggles shared between the two of you on the walk over, you both slid into your dorm rooms and found clothes that were far more suitable for a night out.

You noticed the black tank top Soyeon had pointed out before and slid it on, matching it with a pair of dark ripped jeans and your go-to loafers, sliding back into the hallway, finding Seokmin on the other side of the door waiting for you.

He was somehow on your wavelength wearing an oversized black t-shirt and jeans.

“I figured I should try to match Soyeon's aesthetic somehow.”

“Me too. You look nice, I like your shoes.”

“Thank you.”

“Shall we?”

“Yes. I definitely need a drink.”

“So, y/n what is your drink of choice.”

“Anything strong and not sweet.”

“Oh, so not me then.”

“Shut up.”

Seokmin made you laugh, there was no way a boy like him was not taken or at least could be interested in you.

“Have you and Soyeon been friends for long? You guys seem close.”

“Actually, not really. We hung out for the first time today. I mean, I’ve seen her at parties and stuff, but she’s sort of been like a breath of fresh air for me.”

“Really? I’m surprised by that. Why are you in the sorority anyway? You don’t exactly have the same.. Vibe? Or whatever as the other girls. Especially the ones I met today.”

“My mom. The girl. Heather. Soda spiller, her mom and mine were friends when we were kids, they're legacy members. So I just thought it would be fun, but now.. I don’t feel that way.”

“Can’t you just quit?”

“I guess.”

“Why don’t you want to?”

“I guess I just want to be someone who sees things through. I also can’t offer Heather the satisfaction of knowing I left.”

“She really is that bad huh?”

“Worse. It’s a long story. Can we table it?”

“Of course.”

Reaching the door of the bar, you caught a glimpse of Soyeon’s shoulder tattoo near the stage, through the large crowd of people mingling.

“Go. I’ll order us drinks and meet you there?”

“You sure?”

“You said you needed it right?”

“What about your wallet?”

“Apple pay, y/n. Duh.”

“Your ID?”

“My friend is the bartender, just go.”

“So sassy.”

Walking your way through the crowd by pushing yourself through other bodies you finally reach the girl on the other side and wrap your arm around her waist as a hello.

“What the- Oh my god, you actually came? You look so hot. I’m proud.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s fine. Where’s the puppy?”

“At the bar grabbing drinks.”

“On the leash already? You’re good.”

“No. He’s just nice.”

“True. But, he also likes you.”

“I don’t think it’s like that, but maybe someday you’ll tell me I told you so.”

“I look forward to it. I saved you guys a table.”

“My girl.”

Soyeon gestured her long manicured fingers behind you, noticing the boy making his way with two glasses in his hands and another tall figure following behind him holding a tray with various things on top.

“Hi, Soyeon.”

“Hi, Keom. Thank you for joining us. Who’s the glasses?”

“My friend Wonwoo, he works here, well he just got off. Is it cool if he joins us?”

“Of course.”

“Nice to meet you, Wonwoo. I’m y/n.”

“Hey.”

“So. Since I didn’t get to ask Soyeon what she wanted and I wasn’t entirely sure what you liked. We brought over options. But, we have to finish them all because Wonwoo was nice enough to gift them to us and it’s unfair to not accept gifts.”

“Very charming.”

You made your second flirty comment of the night to Seokmin, even though your sober self normally isn’t entirely as bold as you find yourself being with him now. But, in all fairness you were just trying to catch his vibe. He didn’t respond verbally, but just scrunched his nose in your direction almost as if he was letting you know that he’s interested.

“First, a simple vodka soda, little lemon, then just a couple of beer options, this is a sour, this is just a simple light beer, and an ipa, which ew, but I think Wonwoo likes, some tequila shots and some lemon drop shots, also a whiskey soda and a jack and coke, and then a uh, gin and tonic i think? Right, Woo?”

“Yeah, maybe you should be the bartender, Seokmin.”

“I have other talents.”

All eight of your hands reach every which way around the table and end up with different drinks sat in front of them, you beelined for the vodka and the sour beer, Soyeon went for the whiskey soda and the tequila, Seokmin for the gin and tonic and light beer, and Wonwoo for the jack and coke and the ipa.

“Who wants what shot?”

Soyeon dipped her arm back to the middle of the table covering her eyes with her opposite hand, grabbing a hold of the small glasses very carefully and placing them around the small group.

“There. Decided for you, me and Wonwoo get tequila and you and Seokmin get lemon.”

Smiling widely at your friend next to you, you grabbed a hold of the shot glass and held it up signaling everyone to cheers. Which they all happily obliged.

Soon after the alcohol was going through your bloodstream the band started playing their music that hit you right in the chest, songs about living your life to the fullest and choosing your own path, much to your surprise Soyeon was the one who wrote the music that spoke to your soul.

After the set ended, Wonwoo and Soyeon wanted to stay back and have a few more drinks to congratulate their friends, and enjoy their night, but you were beat thinking about all the work you still had to do over the weekend and dreading the choice of man Heather would embarrass. So you decided to leave with Seokmin walking you back safely to your dorm.

“What are you studying again?”

“Me? Oh, I’m studying to be a veterinarian.”

“Wow really? That’s cool, I didn’t know. You must be busy as hell.”

“I’m sure you’re just as busy, being a doctor for actual humans is way more complicated considering a lot of them are assholes.”

“That’s unfortunately true. But, I love it to be honest. I can understand why people are afraid of the hospital and surgery I guess.”

“That’s good, maybe we should study together sometime? I know it’s not the same exact thing or whatever, but it’s nice to have company?”

“I would love that, tomorrow? I mean if you’re free. We can go to the coffee shop or library or anything really?”

“Yeah, just knock around 10?”

“Okay. Cool. I’ll see you tomorrow??”

“Yes, absolutely. Have a good night, y/n”

“You too, Seok.”

Trying to get comfortable in your bed, some pesky person kept lighting up your phone screen, reaching over to turn on do not disturb you and realized it was Heather. She was asking a bunch of interrogating questions about your new friend Seokmin, begging you to bring him over tomorrow.

Unfortunately for you, you knew her interest in him was about to make your new relationship a very complicated one.

[starry-eyed-wild-child]

🌾 kappa x reader headcanons 🌾

. yikes, first off this man right here - I need him in my VEINS

. but swiftly moving on

. i'm not gonna sugarcoat anything, this relationship is probably toxic af - like you're both AWFUL for each other, it's like an obsessed kinda love that's probably really unhealthy

. but it's okay, we move

. probably met when he broke into your house or smth - but he'd probably been stalking you for weeks before, I don't make the rules we know it's true. but he'd 100% deny it to your face if you asked

. yes he would probably live in a VW samba. stereotypical? sure. but you can't tell me he doesn't - look me in the eyes and try I beg

. will get high with you every single night, if that's your vibe - and if it's not, he's still getting high with you every night cause he's such a gentleman

. kappa will swear on his life he hates animals, but the day you bring a cat home, bro is smitten

. will convince you to join the cult, let's not kid ourselves at all - whether you do so willingly is up to you, but either way, you're sleeping in that commune, babes

. would NEVER admit it aloud but he secretly wants small braids in his hair - tiny, tiny ones that go around. but you couldn't torture this information out of him

. try it, he'd probably get off on it

. i have said this before, and i stand by it - kappa listens to the zombies, it's a guilty pleasure that he'd rather die than admit

. y'know that red pendant he always wears? put it on for him, i beg. man will be on his knees

. is actually surprisingly a really good cook (i personally headcanon kappa as a veggie but that's just me, don't come at me pls)

. tries to be this heavy dominant man, but then probably smells like fucking fire and patchouli or some waffle

. putting the nsfw under the cut cause i don't wanna get scolded

. we, as a fandom, have collectively agreed that kappa is absolutely packing it down there

. he's a solid nine inches, and definitely has a few piercings - nipple bars are the ones that come to mind when I think of kappa, but probably had them in more intimate places 🤭

. is the kinkiest motherfucker you'll ever meet in your life - everything you knew? forget it, babes, kappa knows best

. if it's not messy and sloppy, kappa doesn't want it - you will be covered in scratches, bite marks, cum, blood, spit and sweat by the time this man is done with you

. he's so mean, man, oh my god

'c'mon, sugar, you can take it, you've fucking done it before'

'stop fucking crying or I'll give you something to cry about'

. aftercare? what's that? kappa will clean you up and maybe, maybe, if you're really, really good, he'll hold you

. loves, loves, loves fucking you outdoors - in 'mother nature' 🌿🍄

. hot take but kappa actually LOVES mutual masturbation (he's so gross, he just likes watching you touch yourself)

. his ego will be heightened when you can't finish by yourself

'awe, what's the matter, sugar? can't even cum without me anymore?'

. he's so fucking mean, I want him bad, man

. BREEDING KINK ( look me in the eyes and tell me no, i dare you)

. pushes his cum so deep inside you that it doesn't even drip out

'gotta make sure it stays nice and put, sugar, gonna fuck a baby into you, hm?'

. will praise you but in a really derogatory way? idk how to describe it

. when i tell you, you will never want another man again - kappa will make you feel things you didn't even know you could, man

. very, very good at what he does - kappa is very cocky, he knows he's good, and he loves when you tell him how good he is

. let this man eat you out, bro - you'll be in heaven. he's so disgusting with it - he's messy, sloppy and you can guarantee he will lap, lick, drool and dribble absolutely everywhere

. you have to beg this man to get away from between your legs - and even when you do, he still doesn't

. realistically, he's probably like a -2/10 BUT I'm gonna give him a solid 9/10 cause he's my man, and i'm delusional

. 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩

[harriswalz4usabybr]

Thursday, August 15, 2024 - Kamala Harris & Tim Walz

The Vice President and Governor Walz joined forces together today on the campaign trail. They were making their way through the state of North Carolina. The Governor of the state, Roy Cooper joined them on the campaign trail today. Today was a busy day with 4 campaign stops.

Event #1 (Raleigh, NC) Event Location: Steps of the North Carolina State Capitol Event Type: Call for Policy Change and Activism Event Time: 9:00 - 10:00 ET

Event #2 (Raleigh, NC) Event Location: North Carolina State University Event Type: Get Out the Vote Event Time: 11:00 - 13:00 ET

Event #3 (Greensboro, NC) Event Location: NC Agricultural & Technical State University Event Type: Interview moderated by a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc, Alpha Phi Chapter Event Time: 15:00 - 17:00 ET

Event #4 (Charlotte, NC) Event Location: Bank of America Stadium Event Type: Campaign Rally Event Time: 19:00 - 22:00 ET

Raleigh, NC Full-text of speech from event #1 to be released shortly. The event on NCSU's campus was well received and numerous student clubs were present for the kick-off of the event.

Greensboro, NC Here are 2 questions that garnered a very positive response from the audience: Q: "In today's environment of racial and identity politics, do you feel that you were forced to pick a white man as your running mate?" A: "No, unequivocally. My decision to choose Coach Walz as my running mate was not influenced by racial or identity politics. It was about finding someone who shares my vision, my values, who has a proven track record of bringing people together to get things done, and can be a little fun while doing it. Tim is an experienced leader, a former educator, and a person who has dedicated his life to public service. I considered many exceptional individuals for this role, including leaders like Governor Whitmer, clearly if I considered a second woman identity politics weren't at play. What mattered most in my decision was finding the right person to help lead this country, someone who understands the challenges we face and who can help unify our nation during these divided times.Moving forward, I hope we can reach a point where questions like this are no longer necessary because our focus should be on qualifications, character, and the ability to lead, not just the identity of the individuals. Tim is the right choice!" Q: "Is HBCU funding for schools like NC A&T a priority for your administration, given your personal background?" A: "Well, let me just say, I think it’s pretty clear where my priorities lie, considering I attended an HBCU myself! I'm thankful for my Howard experience every day. And let’s not forget, my running mate, Governor Walz, is a former educator. So yes, HBCU funding is not just a priority—it’s a personal commitment. HBCUs have played a crucial role in shaping leaders, innovators, and changemakers in our country for generations. They provide not just education but also a sense of community, pride, and identity. Our administration is committed to ensuring that HBCUs have the resources they need to continue their legacy of excellence."

Charlotte, NC Below are one quote from Governor Cooper, one from Governor Walz, and two from Vice President Harris that are from the remarks made at today's rally. "North Carolina is not just a battleground state; it’s the proving ground for our democracy. We’ve been underestimated before, but we know that when we stand together, nothing can stop us. We’re going to fight for every vote, every voice, because the future of our country depends on it. Now let me welcome to the stage the next Vice President of the United States of America, Tim Walz!" - Governor Roy Cooper "We are the underdogs in this race, but we’ve got something far more powerful than any poll or pundit’s prediction: the will of the people. We’re not going back to the days of division and chaos. Together, we’re building a future that unites us, and we’re not backing down from the fight because every American deserves a better tomorrow." - Governor Tim Walz

"Donald Trump is a threat to everything we hold dear—our values, our democracy, our future. But let me tell you this: we are stronger than fear, stronger than hate, and we’re going to prove that in every corner of North Carolina and across this great nation." - Vice President Kamala Harris "We’re not here to make America go back to some imagined ‘great’ past. We’re here to build a future that’s better for everyone. We’re not MAGA, we’re moving forward, and we’re not going to stop until every North Carolinian has a voice in that future. We’re not going back!"- Vice President Kamala Harris

~BR~

[cinematicsoph]

you don't go to parties [chapter one]

You Don't Go To Parties - Chapter One

Rating: PG-13 ish

Warning: swearing, mentions of drinking

Word Count: 1,234 words

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   "Dude get your ass out of bed! It's already noon!" The sound of Ashton's roommate woke him out of what was the best sleep he's had in probably months. "We have to go get stuff for the party tonight!"

   Right. The party. There's always a party. Going to a party school and being in the biggest frat house, Ashton Irwin knew a lot about parties. He and his roommate (and best friend), Michael Clifford, would throw parties pretty much every Friday and Saturday. It’s the beginning of the school year meaning there are freshman and new pledges all over. The best way to get them to join this frat? Buy them alcohol of course. Every college freshman is eager to join the best fraternities and sororities. Kappa Tau Gamma holds the spot as the number one fraternity at Cyprus-Rhodes University, and Ashton intends to keep it that way.

   "Right. I'm up, I'm up." Ashton sits up and groans from the pounding in his head. No matter how many hangovers he experiences, he never gets used to them. The man is a child. “Has Luke dropped off the money yet?”

   “Luke? Luke Hemmings? Up before 2pm on a Saturday? After a party? You’re too optimistic. It’s adorable.” Mikey laughs and pics up his shirt. He sniffs it, shrugs, and puts it on.

   “You’re disgusting and I am not too optimistic. I just have faith in our friend…okay maybe I am too optimistic. But I thought for sure for alcohol Luke would do anything.” Ash gets out of bed and looks at all the empty beer cans laying around his room. Hosting parties always seemed like a good idea, until he woke up the next day. No amount of Tylenol and Liquid IV could cure the endless hangovers he feels every weekend. Now look, he is easily to blame. He is the one hosting them. But he can’t help it. Not since she started coming to his parties.

   It all started a couple weeks ago. Rush week. Also known as: the first parties of the school season. College freshman were going to any and as many parties as possible, bouncing from frat house to frat house. Sorority girls coming, looking to get laid, stoned, and/or drunk. And no matter how many places they go to, they always end at Kappa Tau. And the boys would provide them with whatever, or whoever, they were looking for. Ash never though much about the sorority girls who would show up to their parties. They were usually freshman after all. But then he saw her. He didn’t know her name, didn’t know anything about her other than she was probably the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen in his life. Now look, he knows it’s pathetic that he’s down this bad because of a girl he had spoken to twice (she asked him what time it was and if he could get her a drink, he swears his heart DIDN’T skip a beat but Michael calls bullshit).

   She must be a freshman. She has to be. He’s never seen her before. And there’s no way in hell he’d ever forget someone that stunning. He noticed her as soon as she walked into the frat house. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was wearing a red dress that fit her body perfectly. And Ashton was positive he had never seen anyone in the world look that good in red. He was determined to figure out who she was, and since she was a freshman they likely didn’t have many classes together. Especially if she’s a different major than him. Now Ashton was stupid but he wasn’t quite “change his major from musicology to whatever the hell major this random girl was just to get close to her”. He worked hard to get to his major, and honestly that seemed a bit too stalker-ish for his liking. His only solution is to continue throwing a shit ton of parties and pray to all of the gods that she continues showing up. And to his dumb luck, she did. But he never got the courage to actually approach her. But he will. He’s determined to approach her…eventually. Maybe even today.

   Ashton and Michael had met Luke and his friend Calum Hood during rush week. They had both been looking to join Kappa Tau and whether that was for the place or booze was never fully figured out. Ashton and Michael liked them a lot. They reminded Mikey and Ash of them when they had joined Kappa Tau, even though Ash was older than Mikey. Since they had clicked immediately, there was no hesitation in Ashton and Michael becoming Luke and Calum’s big brothers respectively.

   Look, if Ashton was smart, he’d piece together that Cal and Luke were freshman just like mystery girl and ask them if they knew who she was. But sadly, he is not. He instead just decided to build up his courage and ask her himself.

   “Ashton! Good to see you, big brother.” Luke said as he walked down the stairs to the main entry way. Ashton was setting up all the alcohol and music for the party and insisted that he didn’t need any help.

   “Hey, Luke. How’s the hangover, man?” Luke was only 19 so he hadn’t built up a tolerance to the pounding headaches yet. Ashton felt bad for the kid, he remembers being that age and drinking all the time. They never pressured the freshman into doing anything they didn’t want to do. But often the freshman did everything anyway, enjoying the freedom of finally being in college. 

   “It’s getting better. Michael left out some Tylenol and water for me, that seemed to help. I’m ready to experience it all again tomorrow though. How’s the decorating coming?”

   “Pretty good, I think. We’re all set.” Ashton sets up the last of the alcohol and starts getting the music playing. “People should be arriving sometime soon. This is just the calm before the storm.”

   Ashton was right. That really was the calm before the storm. This might have been the biggest party Kappa Tau has seen since rush week. People from all years, all houses, possibly even other colleges were here. But Ashton didn’t care. All that he was thinking about was finding his mystery girl. The only person he wanted to see there, and there’s no sign of her anywhere.

   “HEY MAN THIS IS A KICK ASS PARTY!” Calum yells over the loud music playing in the living room.

   “Thanks! But you don’t have to yell, I’m right here!!” Ashton chuckles and looks over Calum’s shoulder quickly. What a mistake. Because at that moment, she walks in. Ashton can  tell that Calum is talking, but he has absolutely no idea what he is saying. He refuses to take his eyes off her, afraid that if he does she’ll disappear proving that someone that perfect can only be created in his mind. “Hey man, I’ll be right back. I-I got to go…” Ashton trails off and starts walking to the door, leaving a drunk and confused Calum behind him.

   He walks as fast as his semi drunkness will allow him to, pushing through and sneaking past every person in his way. It felt slightly ridiculous, and he’d possibly regret it in the morning. But he just had to get to his mystery girl before she disappeared.

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fanfic masterlist

main masterlist

[jujumin-translates]

Event | Literary Impasse | Chapter 8

*Contains spoilers for Act 12 - eternal moment*

*Keyboard typing*

Tsuzuru: …

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

“I can no longer see the sights and sounds around me, all I can think about is the stories that exist in my head. Nothing else matters.”

“When I have a clear idea of what I want to write, I suddenly feel nervous and restless. I don’t want to forget a single word that comes to mind. My hands are stuck tapping on the keyboard.”

*Keyboard typing*

“This story exists within the world of my mind now. It only exists there. If I die now, this story and its lines will decay without anyone to tell them.”

“I’m always anxious until the very last moment, wondering whether I’ll be able to finish writing.”

*Keyboard typing*

“I wonder if I’ll be able to give it proper shape, and even if I do, will that shape be conveyed to someone other than myself? The whole thing could be overturned and ruined by an irretrievable failure that I’m not even aware of yet.”

“But I can’t stop now. I always find myself unable to stop being the storyteller that I am, so much so that it blows away all my anxiety. My spirits are lifted so high that I feel like I can do anything.” (1)

“I’m sure I’ll face these stories over and over again, just to be able to savor this moment.”

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Tsuzuru: …

Tsuzuru: (I’m focused now. I’m sure I’ll be able to finish this to the end.)

Kappa: “...?”

Kappa: “Kappa?”

Tsuzuru: Aah, yeah. This is the continuation of your story. I’ll make sure you meet Taro.”

Kappa: “Kappa!”

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

*Alarm beeps*

Masumi: Okay, that’s your time limit--.

Tsuzuru: …It’s done.

Tsuzuru: I finished it, Masumi.

Masumi: …Really? I’m glad.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Syu: …

Tsuzuru: …

Syu: …Hm.

Syu: Is this really what you wanted to write?

Tsuzuru: It is.

Syu: What’s with this handsome kappa? The role is assigned to me, but why a kappa in the first place?

Tsuzuru: Actually, the first script I ever wrote featured a kappa… That first script was my starting point, it’s a really important memory.

Tsuzuru: This kappa character is also really important to me.

Tsuzuru: I felt an irresistible urge to write a story about this kind of growth and reunion with Taro, who was my best friend at the time.

Tsuzuru: Besides, I thought it’d be really interesting to see the kappa grow up to be as cool as you, Otomiya-san…

Syu: Well then, you mean to tell me this is a spin-off of the first work that the Great Mister Minagi wrote in elementary school?

Tsuzuru: Aah, well, yeah.

Tsuzuru: (This is an especially personal work… There’s no way that it’s a new piece for Otomiya-san’s troupe…)

Syu: Hah, you’re hired. Get the script done by the deadline.

Tsuzuru: Eh…?

Syu: What’s with that face?

Tsuzuru: You really mean it? Why…

Syu: I told you to write what you wanted to. That was my order.

Tsuzuru: That’s true, but… this seems too personal…

Syu: Writers need that kind of ego, don’t you know?

Syu: I didn’t like the previous plot, which was supposed to be to my taste, and I didn’t like the fact that there was a glimpse of Hakkaku-san’s consciousness.

Syu: Did you really think you could remake such a masterpiece? Do you know how many years I followed Hakkaku-san’s scripts?

Tsuzuru: Sorry…

Syu: I’ve told you before. You have something that Hakkaku-san didn’t, so be proud of it.

Syu: I’m pretty sure Hakkaku-san would’ve never chosen a kappa as the leading role. This is undeniably a story by you.

Tsuzuru: Thank you so much.

Tsuzuru: By facing your request this time, I feel like I’ve once again realized something important, even though I lost sight of it in so many ways.

Syu: If you’re gonna do this professionally, you’re gonna continue having many times where you’ll waver as a writer.

Syu: Sometimes you’ll even doubt the confidence you have now.

Syu: But every time you do, remember this. Cherish the things that only you can write, cherish the things that are unique to you.

Tsuzuru: I will.

Syu: By the way, you’re not allowed to pull all-nighters when you’re writing scripts for the main show either.

Tsuzuru: --Understood.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

*Keyboard typing*

Tsuzuru: …

Tsuzuru: …And “Done”.

Tsuzuru: (Alright, I’ll work on it again tomorrow morning and send the first draft to Otomiya-san.)

Tsuzuru: …Fuuh. It’s still too early to go to bed, so maybe I’ll get some fresh air.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Tsuzuru: …

Tsuzuru: (Next up is the script for Spring Troupe’s Ninth Performance.)

Tsuzuru: (Maybe the Director is going to tell me I can write about any subject I want.)

Tsuzuru: (When Otomiya-san told me that, I felt lost and pressured, but now…)

Director: Tsuzuru-kun?

Director: I was just on the way to bring you some tea in your room. But here you are.

Tsuzuru: Sorry for the trouble.

Director: That refreshing look on your face, could it be…?

Tsuzuru: I finished writing it without any problems.

Director: Congrats! Well then, while I’m here, here’s your cup of tea.

Tsuzuru: Thanks.

Tsuzuru: I was just thinking about the script for Spring Troupe’s Ninth Performance and…

Director: You’ve already written one script, I guess there’s no rest for the weary.

Director: If I said I wanted you to be the lead on top of writing… Would that be too much trouble now?

Tsuzuru: No, I’m okay now. I’d like to write the script like an essay.

Tsuzuru: I want to remember this experience as a writer in my work.

Director: I see.

Tsuzuru: …

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

???: “Fufu.”

Mad Hatter: “Even the times you tell a story make a story of their own. I, who observes to tell it, am a story myself. Everything in this world is its own story.”

Tsuzuru: …Is that so?

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Director: …Tsuzuru-kun? Is something wrong?

Tsuzuru: No, it’s nothing. Just a little occupational disease…

Director: ?

[ ⇠ Previous Part ] • [ Next Part ⇢ ]

• • •

T/N:

(1) I changed this bit up very slightly from the original. It originally says “I find myself unable to stop writing my stories” but it uses “綴る” there as the kanji for write, rather than “書く” like it had been using previously. The kanji in “綴る” is also the one in Tsuzuru’s name and translating it directly didn’t give the same nod to that like the original text did, so I changed it to include “the storyteller” as a reference to Tsuzuru’s 2nd solo to hopefully give the same kind of nod.

[chamomileharry]

It’s in the Contract (2.3k) // by Anonymous

“I can’t make rent this month,” Harry says.

“Awesome,” says Mitch. Mitch is the house leader. e’s the one leading the house meeting. “Free your schedule on Friday, Phi Sigma Kappa are coming over for game night anyway.

Harry swallows, nodding. “Alright,” he says.

Harris puts a hand on his thigh. “Hey,” he whispers into Harry’s ear. “I’d pay at least thirty for you.”

Harry snorts. “Thanks,” he says. “Good to know I’m an expensive bitch.”

All That You Need (2.7k) // by haztobegood

Pre-heat was always one of Harry’s favorite times to spend with Louis. It was a time to rest up and indulge in extra cuddles, like basking in a ray of sunshine before having to dive off the deep end. Louis lavishes him with tender touches and soft kisses. Harry wants to savor this time as long as possible. The unquenchable need will come later, but for now, his desires are simple. He just needed to be closer to his alpha. As close as possible.

Successful Breeding (2.8k) // by Anonymous

Harry decides he doesn’t want kids yet. Louis is impatient, so he takes matters into his own hands — however it may be.

Lunch Break (3.2k) // by purpleeyesstelllies

Harry decides to bring his alpha lunch at work and surprise him with a visit from him and their baby daughter. Louis gets more than one surprise.

Drop (3.7k) // by littlehazandlou

He pours himself back into bed, sobbing as the smell of Louis envelopes him and burying his face into the alphas pillow.

He hates that no matter how angry he gets at the older man, his omega will always find comfort in him. Because he's his person.

He just can't stand the fact that he might not be Louis' any more.

Or, the one where Louis' ignoring Harry, and he really can't handle it.

Plenty of Time (4.1k) // by juliusschmidt

Harry gets into Louis' Uber. He's not in heat. Not fully. Not yet.

Just Wanna Taste It (5.1k) // by rosemarianthyme

“It gets you hot, doesn’t it Darling?” Louis asked and Harry whimpered softly. “You like imagining that I’m your alpha?” “Yeah,” Harry nodded, feeling as if he could cry. “You wanna be my omega, Baby?” Harry nodded again. His eyes were prickling with overwhelmed tears. “Want it,” he said, voice thick.

Harry loved being Louis’ baby, his good boy, but sometimes he wanted more. He wanted to be his omega.

A prequel to When The Wolves Come Out

Turn the Sky Black Into a Sky Blue (5.5k) // by orphan_account

Harry forgets that noses exist. Louis is a badass motherfucker. They bang.

“I’ve been in love with you since I dropped my books in the hallway and you made fun of me when you picked up my John Green novel off the ground.”

Omega Resort (5.6k) // by Annonymous

It was something that every young omega in respectable society was expected to do. Around the age of presentation, part of summer break was spent at one of the many omega resorts around the world. As a type of finishing school camp, these retreats teach young omegas about their bodies and how to modify their behaviour to be an acceptable part of high society. Being a trophy omega was rarely a walk in the park and learning how to behave in social and professional settings for their high profile alphas were important life skills for privileged omegas.

Harry finds himself as the only male omega at the resort and he is separated from the female omegas for one on one lessons with one of the resort's mentors. He'd never heard anything about hands on training before but Mr. Tomlinson seems to know what he's doing.

I Hear Them Calling for You (5.8k) // by jaerie

Harry was just a young pup when he met a rogue alpha after he'd wandered off alone in the woods. Before leaving, that alpha left him with a mark and a promise, one that Harry wouldn't think about until years later when the rogue comes back to stake his claim. It changes everything.

Baby Dear (5.9k) // by mpregharryqueen

Louis desperately wants to be a progressive, enlightened alpha but he also wants Harry to wean their two-year-old daughter from breastfeeding.

Or, Harry and Louis argue about when is the proper time to wean a child.

Counterculture (6k)// by SadaVeniren

It all culminated to this: Harry in the middle of a crowded basement, music blasting from the live show on the far side, shirtless amongst alphas and omegas who all weren’t covering their scents. He took a deep breath of the heavy air and he felt alive.

No One Like to be Alone (6k) // by lululawrence

Harry was a full-on fucking failure.

Letting out a whimper, Harry pressed his hands to his face as he finally allowed himself to cry. After a few sobs, he realized that something soft was pressed to his face, catching his tears instead of his hands. Harry pulled it away to see what it was and saw it was one of his sister’s shirts.

Shaking his head, he turned and placed it very specifically right where he usually tucked himself up against the wall. As he carefully shifted the shirt so he could see the faded image of Britney Spears looking out at him, Harry was overcome with a need he had only ever felt once before.

He needed to nest.

Definition of Beauty (6.1k)// by zanni_scaramouche

“Your book is upside down.” Harry nods at Louis’ book, his history text now that he sees it too.

“I’d rather study you.”

They both blink, startled by the slip.

“With you. Study with you,” Louis rushes to say. “Liam says I’m shite at history, can you help?”

Louis’ caught off guard by an omega he nearly takes out with an errant footie ball. It’s not that Louis’ never seen Harry before, it’s that he can’t stop looking, and he’s desperate to figure him out.

That Don’t Define Who You Are (7.2k) // by lululawrence

“Shit,” Harry muttered, rushing towards the man. “Are you alright?”

The man clearly tried to muffle his scream. “No, I’m really not. I’m afraid you’ll need to call 999.”

When Harry reached the man, he saw the man’s leg had gotten caught by pieces of the bike that had come apart beneath him. Without thinking, Harry leaned down and lapped where the blood was flowing quickly until it slowed.

“I’m so sorry, I just didn’t want you to pass out whilst I was on the phone.”

“God, no, don’t apologise,” the man said. “My mum’s a licking omega, see. Quite soothing.”

Harry blushed. “Yeah. Let me see about an ambulance for you.”

Or the one where Harry is a licking omega with a broken bond who helps heal a fairly hapless beta with a folding bicycle. When Harry also meets the beta's alpha, things start to get... interesting.

The Risen (11.2k)// by Anonymous

In search of the next breaking story, Harry goes off to do something no one else has been able to do: get the scoop on Louis Tomlinson and his devoted group of followers.

Come in and Change My Life (12k) // by lightswoodmagic

He’d had the same neighbours since he’d moved into the building, a lovely, wealthy couple in their late sixties who had always invited him around for tea on Sundays. Martha had dropped off homemade biscuits the day he’d moved in, so Harry figured he may as well repeat the sentiment. He could hear someone getting closer to the door just as a flush ran through his body; oh fuck. His heat was close, too close to be knocking on a potentially unknown alpha’s door, but it was too late. The door swung open, and Harry’s mouth dropped. He’d never been overly interested in football, couldn’t find the fascination in watching men run around after a ball for hours aside from their uniforms, but he knew who this was. Louis Tomlinson, alpha, captain of Manchester United, star in a number of Harry’s heat addled fantasies, was his new next-door neighbour.

Or, Harry and Louis become friends when Harry looks after Louis' cat during away games, until one night at a party changes everything between them. It's just a shame Louis' going to be away for the FIFA World Cup for three months.

Come on over, we’ve got something to share (12.6k) // by jaerie

Even as an unbonded omega with a four year old, Harry had everything he needed. His beautiful son, a nice apartment, money to pay the bills -- oh, and an alpha next door always willing to knot his brains out.

Only Guilt of Loving You (22.1k) // by sweetrevenge

After Harry gets set up with his co-worker's alpha friend Louis, he's expecting some pleasant conversation, free dinner, and maybe a new friend. What he doesn't expect, however, is that Louis' arrival in his life begins a life of crime Harry never knew he had in him.

A You've Got Mail!AU with a twist.

In His Assistance (28.8k) // by siler30

Harry Styles knew that it was wrong. Wrong to let himself fall for his Boss, wrong to fall for his mate, the mate who had rejected him, wrong to let Him in, everything was wrong. Even though it was obvious that he would end up hurt.

Louis Tomlinson was arrogant, haughty and demanding. After all he was the Alpha of the pack. Not adding that he was also the CEO of one of the most influential companies. Everyone feared him, looked up to him and worshiped him. Everyone except Harry, the mate he rejected, the pathetic omega. Now Harry is back, defying him against all odds.

But they say love can happen anytime.

Rooms on Fire (34.1k) // by softfonds

Ten years ago, Louis helping Harry through a heat was the start of a romance that ended in heartbreak. Now, Harry's marriage is over thanks to his husband's very public infidelity, and Louis is fresh off a Golden Globe win. The last thing they both expect is to be cast in the same movie.

I’ve Kissed Honey Lips (Felt the Healing in the Fingertips) (36.1k)// by loveroflou

Carefully, Zayn starts, “You do know Niall wasn’t joking about him being unstable, right?” Louis opens his mouth to cut him off, but Zayn continues, “He might not have done anything yet, but that doesn’t mean he can’t, or won’t.”

“You don’t know him,” Louis tries, because it’s true. The only problem is that Louis doesn’t really know Harry, either.

or, the raisin cookie fic

No Love Like Your love (43.3k) by Rearviewdreamer

When it comes to saving the world from itself and convincing rich CEOs of environmentally harmful companies to go green, there's nobody better than Harry Styles. That is, until Louis Tomlinson, his ex and former Alpha, is involved.

I’ll Be Here Waiting on Forever (46.6k) // by sweaterpawstyles

Harry made Louis feel like he was walking on air. He was beautiful in every way and it constantly amazed Louis. His eyes could melt Louis' heart at a single glance, his soft hands made Louis' heart race with a simple touch, and the words from his cherry red lips were so captivating that Louis held onto everything he said. There was a constant buzz in Louis' veins when Harry gave him that look, the look that spoke more than words ever could. It was a soft fond that Louis fell in love with so easily. Too easily.

Louis was in love with the boy he could never have and show off to the world. Or A Romeo and Juliet AU where Louis is an alpha prince who falls in love with Harry, an omega prince from the neighboring kingdom

Glitter in the Sky, Glitter in our Eyes (59.2k) // by softfonds

What happens when a Duke who will only marry for love and a courtesan who only sells it create a public ruse? Well, nothing boring for sure. An Edwardian AU.

Si Pudiera Volar (69.3k) // by softfonds

When Harry’s fiancé leaves him for his cousin, he looks the other way for the sake of his happiness. He’ll do anything to forget about him, including joining a monastery. It isn’t until his cousin’s former lover, a pirate, appears that he realizes everything is not as it appears, and an honest pirate might be the only person worthy of his heart.

Or, a fic loosely based on Corazón Salvaje.

Pretty Please (With Sugar on Top (113.6k) // by angelichl

Harry is a sugar baby omega who cons rich alphas for a living. Louis is a rich alpha with too much self-control.

Please read the tags and remember to leave kudos and a nice comment for the author! Enjoy (:

[magictheblathering]

Neon Dynasty and the Curse of Slipshod Determinism - Part 1

I thought about doing something a little lighter as my first real foray onto this blog. I thought about maybe picking an older set, or a fun old idea, and talking about it a little. Talk up what I liked and didn't like, end with some jokes. Something fun.

But no. That's not going to happen, because honestly there's no better time than now to really get into this.

Lets talk about Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty.

It's the future, and that means trees are on stilts!

But first, we have to establish exactly what about the original Kamigawa Block was so important, so that we can see where the problem actually is. So to really break it down, let me talk about a few cards that capture a kind of quintessential "Kamigawa Feel". Or more accurately, let me talk about the Honden of Infinite Rage.

If there is a card in Kamigawa that better represents to me the general feel of Old Kamigawa... well it's probably Kami of the Honored Dead but we'll talk about that in a minute. What I'm getting to here is that the art for Honden of Infinite Rage is an excellent example of what makes Old Kamigawa so unique. When you look at this art, you see something that is visually close to Japan, without being exactly Japan, similar to a Torii gate but at the same time wholly distinct.

True to its origins, Kamigawa is not a "Japanese Mythology Plane", but instead a "Japanese Mythology Inspired Plane", utilizing a fantastic blending of cultural, historical, and mythical touchstones with wholly unique and original concepts that in turn makes it feel not like a reference-filled set Kaldheim (We'll get there, eventually, I promise), but it's own unique thing. This kind of similar-yet-distinct theming is absolutely everywhere in the original Kamigawa block, and in ways that range from simple and effective, to subtle and brilliant. For example, the Akki being visually similar to, and themed around the Kappa, but not being just straight up Kappa. The armor of the Eganjo samurai being clearly based on, and designed around real samurai armor, but with lots of bizarre, fantastical, uniquely Kamigawa additions and variants.

What do Nagao's back antler streamers do? I have no idea! But they're super cool!

This kind of stylistic idea of meshing the known and recognizable with the completely unknown and bizarre especially comes into the play with the Kami, which are perhaps the most unique thing within Kamigawa's design as a whole: The idea that these spirits, spirits of everyday things and potent concepts, spirits that represent everything in the world and then some... are weird.

What the fuck am I even looking at?

However, these Kami are a brilliant piece of visual design for three core reasons: The first is that even with every single kami having wildly different forms and compositions, they have a series of core visual cues that always tell you that they are in fact Kami (The presence of small orbiting sub-spirits, the bizarre and symbolic nature, the general motif of floating or otherwise weightless stance and pose) even when done by artists with totally different styles and ideas. For as strange as the Kami are, the original Kamigawa block made sure that no matter what you're looking at, you can tell if it's a Kami or not.

The second reason as to the Kami's brilliance is that same bizarre strangeness that makes them so heavily visually divorced from the mundane. This is an environment in which you could open a pack and get Izuka the Ruthless, a man who is so much of a normal samurai that I actively forget he exists any time I'm not looking directly at him, and right next to him get Burning-Eye Zubera, a fucked up nightmare of limbs, molten rock, and visually fascinating strangeness. This juxtaposition of familiar and unfamiliar, mundane and strange, gives Kamigawa an immediate visual flair that Magic the Gathering as a whole only seldom can capture.

Behold, a normal ass historical man, and the Silent Hill enemy bent on his destruction!

Lastly, the third leg in the Kami's brilliant thematic design is the combination of their visual diversity with their singular creature typing. Every Kami was a Spirit, whether it was a flower with a screaming human face vomiting flower petals, a beautiful inhuman woman commanding the freezing cold, or a bizarre conglomeration of chimeric pieces in the shape of some kind great lizard/dinosaur/bull/statue. No matter what they were, they were all understood to be the same kind of creature, which then meant that whatever they were supposed to represent became more of the focus than their origin: People know Hana Kami not because its a spirit, but because of it's flowers, people remember Terashi, the Sky Asunder not because he's a spirit, but instead because he's related to the sky and anti-flying effects. People don't care that the Wandering Ones are spirits, they care that the Wandering Ones are bizarre fucked up blue people with hats.

The more you look at them, the weirder their anatomy gets.

Which brings us to my other favorite piece to illustrate my point. The art that I think, besides that Honden, best represents Kamigawa at it's finest.

Kami of the Honored Dead.

Look at this. This such a brilliant confluence of factors that make it the Most Kamigawa anything has ever been. The realistic Eganjo castle in the background, something totally and irrevocably normal. The weird fucked up radish fetus body, vaguely reminiscent of some kind of depiction of a ghost, but also something unsettlingly more visceral, like a kidney. The floating sorrowful face effigies, like the Honored Dead are agonized by the world around it. The withering effect along the edges, as if the Kami is somehow rotting at the ends of its wings. The lovely addition of a totally mundane sword and tassels, further exemplifying just how surreal the design concepts of each of the Kami are. It's beautiful. It exemplifies the core design concept behind Kamigawa: That it is in itself a unique setting, something themed after Japanese myth without being beholden to it. That it is Kamigawa first, and anything else second.

This, sadly, isn't present in Neon Dynasty, and for one particular reason: Deterministic Design.

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty was a set that was created in response to stimulus, this is something we can all agree on. The general reputation of Kamigawa as a low-selling set with difficult to penetrate lore and low-powered, parasitically designed cards is something that's widespread and not without it's merit, so a general direct re-visit to Kamigawa was off the table. However, in 2018, trash fire de jour Cyberpunk 2077 released its first trailer in years and got the hype train speeding without brakes directly into a hovercar intersection. Suddenly Cyberpunk was cool again, from it's bizarrely racist fixation on a 1980s view of Japanese culture to its obsession with drugs, vice, and crime to its chillingly too-close-to-home unintentional moments of accidental commentary. The populace at large was ready to burn chrome, crash snow, and overdrive some mona lisas.

So, naturally, Wizards of the Coast wanted in on that shit.

Which, in fairness, is a fine thing. That's basically how they operate: Something big happening in pop culture? See if we can make a set or something that'll dovetail nicely with it. Even better with one like this, which wouldn't be out for a couple years, meaning that they'd probably be able to sync up the set with Cyberpunk's release and rake in that sweet association-based clout and money.

So, they started work on a Cyberpunk set, but then this is where you get the question: Where do you set it?

Effectively, they had three options:

Option one, set it in a cyberpunk version of an existing plane, like an alternate universe, i.e. Cyber Innistrad or Cyber Ravnica. This has several problems in regards to like, canonicity and seriousness, and would be tricky to do anyway. Pass.

Option two, create a whole new plane for it. This is a lot of work, but has the upside of making a place entirely suited for Cyberpunk. Still iffy however, as it means that they don't have stuff they can really do referential callbacks to (and oh boy does modern MtG loooooove it's references.)

Option three, set it in an existing plane that has become Cyberpunk.

The last option there is the most interesting one to them for a lot of reasons. It gives you ample space for references, callbacks, and nostalgia from older players. It gives a whole library for reference material for mechanics, flavor, and setting. It gives an opportunity to play with what "cyberpunk" means, in relation to Magic. All in all a pretty nice choice, right?

Toshiro was right, but somehow I don't think he anticipated the motorcycles.

Little did we know, there's a second choice on this option, one that's unforeseen, and hidden from the people working on it: The choice of direction. How do you get from point a) The original plane to point b) the cyberpunk plane?

Effectively, they had another choice to make. Do they design this set organically, trying to extrapolate out a logical future based on the previous set? Or do they design deterministically, creating an "end goal" that they want to reach and trying to guide that set into that mold?

They went with the latter, and frankly speaking, it was a mistake.

Why, you ask? Well, because of the very same thing that started this whole mess. Cyberpunk 2077.

You see, the problem with making a set to parallel with Cyberpunk 2077 is that you're not making a set that is part of the general Cyberpunk genre. You're making one that is instead leaning into the classic Cyberpunk genre. Cyberpunk 2077 is in essence as old school in that whole field as you can get before you start hitting Neuromancer (And Myojins above, what I wouldn't have given for that to get a video game instead) and that means you have to lean into all the tropes. The hyperfixation on Japan and a fictitious, almost pseudo-fetishized idea of what 1980s economic miracle Japan would be like in the near future as the dominant power in the world. You need the huge emphasis on crime and the lack of morality, the fixation on big skyscrapers, bigger vehicles, and even bigger guns. You need hacking, you need coding, you need cyber-warfare of the 21st century. And then on top of that, as this is a modern Magic the Gathering set, you need your Pop Culture Resonance auto-includes. Your direct references to anime, to mecha, to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and what have you. There's a lot that you need to force Kamigawa into in order for it to fit all these concepts.

And the thing is, you might have been able to pull it off too. Except for the fact that Kamigawa was never a Japanese Mythology plane. It was, from the start, a Japanese Mythology inspired plane. It didn't have those same easy touchstones, those same places where it would slot neatly into becoming an expy for pop culture cyberpunk Japan. In trying to make Kamigawa fit this huge list of tropes and easy to understand, pop culture relevant resonance points (as has been the goal with a huge amount of MtG since Innistrad, mind you), you end up stripping away a lot of Kamigawa's actual identity.

But that's not all, oh no. The real casualty of this deterministic design wasn't Kamigawa. There was a very real way that they could have pulled this off, and the most that it would have done would probably have sent the few Kamigawa-stans like myself grumbling but ultimately accepting of the changes. There's a way they could have pulled off creating a far-future Kamigawa that would have really kept that essence of Kamigawa itself, and reveled in it.

No, the real casualty, was something much closer to home, and much more dangerous for magic going forward. It was their plot.

Interestingly, this art has a lot of similarities to the Unspeakable combo's cards, specifically Peer Through The Depths. It's quite a pity that it's almost certainly unintentional.

We'll be continuing this in part 2 however, as I've just learned that I can only have 10 images per post, and I've got a lot more to be posting about. We'll talk about the changes in design and what they mean for the actual setting, the decisions to ignore or paint over some of the original parts of Kamigawa that were so inherently weird (because god forbid that MtG have weird stuff, it's not like we don't have a giant portion of the fanbase that salivates over every Phyrexian they see— and oh, don't worry, we'll get to that too) and of course, a bit about our plot, and the giant, moon-rabbit shaped hole at the end of it.

Until then, welcome to first real blather here on Magic the Blathering. I hope you had fun. I'd say I did, but we both know I'd be lying.

[liibrii]

Chapter 1 of Stillness || yokai hunter!Suna x fem!kitsune!reader || wc: 3.3k || 🦊

Synopsis: Arrival of an unexpected visitor promises your coming days to be interesting...

Genre: supernatural!au, enemies to lovers, angst & fluff, eventual smut

Warnings: reader is a nuisance, fire, mentions of blood

a/n: I'm no expert on Japanese mythology. I did my research but also took creative liberties so please keep in mind the information on yokai in this fic is lacking. Here are some links with basic info on yokai appearing in this series. 

as always feedback is greatly appreciated and if you want to be tagged let me know!

A streak of the new highway is planned to cut through your favourite part of the forest, the one you walk through when heading east to the river kappas inhabit. First trees have already fallen. You caress the bark of the mighty maple that once touched the sky and now lays at your feet, cut and bleeding from the wounds humans inflicted. You still remember when it was a sprout pushing roots into earth and hungrily reaching for the sun rays. Half a century later you fell asleep under its shade and hid in his branches from those chasing you. Why is this how you say goodbye?

Forest spirits peek out of their hiding places, their terrified chimes fill the air. They cling to you, your clothes, your tails. Some you have to convince to leave the branches of the fallen trees, the hollows in their barks that have offered them sanctuary for so many long years. They cry in pain.

And pain has a way of turning into anger.

It's searing and all consuming, spreading through your body as bright blue flames shoot from your hands. They burn all standing in their path. Equipment of workers, their machines and their boxes of metal go up in flames. Truck standing by the fence catches on fire. You transform back into your fox form, running away as it explodes with a bang echoing through the night.

It's a lonely existence, being a kitsune. With years most of your kind have hidden in the forest, many have moved to cities living together with humans, pretending to be them. As if they could ever be. You hold a bit of pity for them but mostly you just don't understand. Why do they go where humans live? Why do they want to live as humans live? Humans are interesting and fun to observe, that much you never denied, but they are also cruel and blind and they drove so many of your kind away. Empty lairs is all they leave behind.

You water the flowers around the temple as you do every morning before heading to bed. From your pocket a forest spirit you've rescued from one of the fallen trees peeks out. Morning sun makes it blink and rattle in confusion. None of your words reassure it so you leave the matter be. It needs time. Time to breathe and time to heal. As you pull out some weeds from between the cobble stones it watches and chimes, sorrowfully.

“I can't say.“ Weeds in your hands catch aflame and whither. You lay them down on the black soil. “We will find you a nicer home. There is a beautiful cherry blossom tree growing by the entrance. Would you like that?“ It gives a soft chime. “We can have a look at it later, alright? Careful!“ you catch it on your outstretched palm. “Stay with me, I'm almost finished with my duties. Do you have a name? Ah I see,“ you nod when it chimes. “How about I call you Koda? Would you like that? Now make sure not to fall off again, alright?“ You help it climb on your shoulder.

Koda turns it's head in all directions taking in the sight. It's probably its first time seeing anything but endless sky and branches. Not that the temple is anything special. It's small, with only two wooden buildings in need of repair and pond you hold particularly dear. No ducks live near it. You brought a pair once in hopes they'd have ducklings to keep you company but sadly before a month passed they became dinner to passing yokai. Ever since the only ducks at the temple are the ones on the edges of the roof.

Surrounding trees grow closely together, casting long shadows over the roofs and the small yard. In their shade a steep staircase leads towards the entrance of the temple. Every morning and every evening you sweep the leaves from the stairs, picking up and keeping the ones you find particularly beautiful. The golden, the deep crimson, and bright green, ones sprouting first when spring arrives, are your favourite. Moss has overgrown most of the steps. Koda chimes for you to put it on it and it sits on the soft green blanket seeming calm for the first time. Its home was taken but what said it couldn't make a new one here, with you? The temple has been your home for as long as you can remember and you doubt you'll ever know any other.

Your new friend still watches in amazement (At least you think it's amazement. Even you find spirits' expressions hard to read) and when you return to check on offerings you consider waking Chochin to help you reassure it. After a short consideration you decide against the idea. The stillness of the early morning is your favourite part of the day after all and you'll hear from your possessed lantern before noon rolls around anyway. Besides Chochin would only scare already rattled Koda. You'd like to spare the spirit further shocks, at least for a while. Luckily most days the temple grounds stand deserted. With each passing year less and less humans come to pay their respect to Inari. Less and less fields are to be found in the area so it's no wonder they forget how much depends on good harvest. They take it for granted and they forget. If centuries have thought you anything is that humans are incredibly good at forgetting.

You're just about to sweep the two fox statues by the entrance when you catch the sound of approaching steps. One person. Must be an early riser. You make your tails disappear and straighten the sleeves of your hoodie before instructing Koda to hide.

A young man steps through the tori gate. He's tall and lanky, a beanpole with dark hair. Most people pant and heave for air when reaching the top. He looks like he just took a pleasant stroll in the park. He takes in his surroundings then walks over to you. “Good morning,“ he greets with a polite smile that doesn't quite reach his slanted eyes.

There's an aura surrounding him. You can tell he's the kind of man people take a second glance at when passing him by. If you asked them why they'd give you a confused look. “I, I have no idea,“ they'd answer, “There was... something.“ If you asked them an hour later they'd be even more confused because they have already forgotten about him. But he is the kind of a man who wants to be forgotten. How else would he hunt yokai in peace?

“Morning,“ you return the pleasantries. Koda in your pockets shivers.

“I'd like to pay my respects. Can I offer alone or-?“ If he's embarrassed by being unsure of how to proceed you can't tell it from his face. You show him to the temple and excuse yourself, aware of how his eyes follow you as you walk across the small courtyard. You don't want him here. But you can't deny him entry.

He doesn't scare you. He's as green as sprouting grass, too young to have any real experience. He probably only recently accepted yokai are real and not just a folktale used to scare children. You might be the first he'd ever meet. At least one that isn't harmless. Still there is something about his calm voice and bored expression that keeps you alerted.

Koda peeks out of your pocket and chimes, worriedly. “We'll see,“ you murmur in response and head over to the pond. It's so empty. Should you get some koi fish? Or would they all too soon become dinner too? Many of those yokai who remain are growing hungrier. Wilder. Hearing approaching footsteps you wonder if that is what brought Mr Witch to your humble abode.

“I've heard there's a kitsune living around here.“

You straighten and turn to face the unwelcome visitor. Was someone else in your shoes they'd act smart and deny their nature. But you can tell he isn't asking. He's just confirming what he already knows. “There is.“

Visibly taken aback he hesitates. “Is it you?“

“I am.“ You don't like his eyes. They are too fox-like.

He bows politely. “I'm Suna Rintarou.“

“Good for you.“

He ignores the poison in your voice. “News of someone destroying the construction site has reached Inarizaki Clan.“ Ah, that explains the lack of fear. If he's here with the backing of a clan naturally he'd feel secure enough to directly challenge you. “I was sent to let the ones responsible know their efforts are meaningless. The road will be built no matter what you- What they do.“

“Ask? Your kind doesn't ask.“

“This might be the one for history books then.“ His face irks you. There's no fear, no nerves showing, no twitch of his mouth or fingers to betray what he's thinking. Humans are as easy to read as open books but the young man in front of you is a blank sheet of paper.

“Leave,“ is all you answer.

To your surprise he bows and obeys. Watching him leave you think he should straighten up.

As the sun rises higher you head to bed, newcomer so heavy on your mind he haunts your dreams. The sole presence of a yokai hunter is something to be worried about. First one comes, then a second, next your kind is being chased away. The only reason you're still here is because the humans can't seem to figure out a way to chase you away for good. Not that they haven't tried. If only they knew worst things live deep in the woods.

When evening falls you sweep the stairs and leave still rattled Koda besides Chochin who disapprovingly rolls it's one eye at you.

The town is only a short run away. It's small, at least you think so since there aren't many you've visited in your relatively short life. You know every nook and cranny, you know which tombstones are nekomata's favourite, you know which of the old street cats will soon join them. They can be a handful but they're the closest thing to friends you have. You pass the old house where teenagers like to gather. Its cellar has been home to keukegen for years now. You catch a glimpse of a few leaving. No doubt the fault of that damn visitor.

The place he's staying at is easy to find. How careless of him. All you have to do is follow the magic of protective charms scattered across the town back to its source. They're sloppy. Almost as if a child made them. But some of them are particularly well made. Work of another clan member perhaps?

You hide in the bushes of the garden surrounding a small house. Mr Witch left the sliding door open. Even in the garden you smell herbs meant to ward away evil spirits. He's sitting on the floor and watching a curious looking thin screen similar to ones you've seen down at the train station. He seems disinterested. When he stands up and leaves the room you silently creep closer to peek inside. The smell of herbs is stronger here. You don't find it unpleasant though many of your yokai friends would disagree.

On the screen you see a map of the town. More maps lay on the low table. Some have scribbles you can't quite read, arrows, and question marks. You hear him returning and scurry back in the safe embrace of darkness and bushes. He sits back down to continue his work, not noticing you were in his home. You lean your head on your paws and watch.

Following Suna around becomes a daily routine. You sweep the stairs in the morning and water the flowers then run the fastest your legs can carry you to the town. Luckily for you he likes sleeping in. His days are uneventful. Boring to be honest. He eats breakfast. Goes to town. Looks at historical monuments downtown. Sits on the only bench in the park and eats ice cream. Heads to library. From time to time he visits the construction site to inquire if there have been any more incidents. There were a few but none of them were your doing. Mr Witch doesn't actually think you're the only one enraged by the new road, does he? Honestly as much as you detest it you're also a little relieved humans haven't decided to build over the northern part of the forest. That would be a lot more troublesome.

You follow on a safe distance as he inspects the surrounding trees, no doubt to chase away the remaining forest spirits. For a very long time he inspects some footprints. You carefully step closer trying to see what caught his attention. Suddenly he stands up and continues on his way. As you follow you glance at the ground. Ah, of course.

He heads back to town after that, returns home and you return to your spot in the bushes. Sun hasn't set yet,  the day is still warm so he brings a low table out on the porch and pours two glasses of dark bubbly liquid.

“Are you going to keep hiding or will you join me for a drink? I have some tofu I can fry if you want. Kitsune like it, right?“ he asks without looking in your direction.

Crap. Well, no point in trying to be sneaky anymore. You step out, head raised high and your tails gracefully swaying with each step. A silver gem radiating light balances on the middle one. Once you reach porch you shapeshift to a human and hide the gem from Suna's eyes. You don't bother hiding the tails though and you take a sit across from him, carefully eyeing and sniffing the contents of the glass.

“Only three tails?“

“Are you judging my age?“

“Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude.“ That's not what his face says. “Thank you for leaving the construction site be,“ he chats on seemingly unbothered by your icy glare. “You must've noticed those footprints too, right? Have any idea where I might find the owner?“

“That sounds like your job Mr Witch.“

“It's Suna actually.“ He keeps talking like you're old acquaintances and it's making your blood boil. “Can I ask for your name? Don't want to call you Miss Kitsune.“

“Why are you here?“

Suna gulps down half of his drink before answering. “To make sure construction continues without any accidents. You seem to think yourself some kind of a yokai protector. Then I'm a protector of humans.“

You bark a laugh. “As if your kind needs protecting.“

“All the people getting sick from those keukegen would disagree.“

“Sounds like it's their fault for not staying away from infested places,“ you retort.

“Then one easy fix would be getting rid of those infested places.“

“An undertaking you have no doubt already started.“

“I'm just doing my job.“

“You can't chase them away for long you know. Your kind has tried before. They always come back.“

You've hoped your words would elicit a response from him. Anything. A trace of frustration, an arrogant grin. Suna pours himself another glass. “Do you want some ice?“

“What I would very much like is for you to leave.“

A grin flashes over his face. “Get used to my presence because I won't go away for a very long time.“

So this is how he wants to play. He isn't the tiniest bit alerted when you abruptly stand up. “We'll see.“

Your daily routine continues. The only difference is you no longer care to hide. Wherever Suna goes you're not far behind. He wants to stay, play the protector of humans, does he? Pathetic. He doesn't seem to be bothered by you following him around. Just slightly unimpressed. It makes you want to set his pants on fire. Just to get a reaction. Just to see his expression change.

“How long do you plan on following me?“

“Who says I'm following you? World doesn't revolve around you Mr Witch. Maybe I just wanted to buy myself some mochi. Have you considered that?“ You pretend to be interested in melons on the shelf. “Aren't these kind of expensive?“

Suna ignores your question. “I'm grocery shopping. There are no yokai here. And I haven't even harmed anyone.“

“Yet. Such a short word. Yet. Somebody has to keep an eye on your nasty tricks.“ You peek into his shopping cart. “Instant ramen and crab chips? Even I know humans need some you know,“ you wave your hand trying to remember what it's called but the word is buried too deep in your memory, “healthy food!“ you say instead and place the most expensive melon in the cart. “Like fruit for example.“

“Put it back.“

“It's healthy.“

“It's expensive.“

“I got money.“ You pull a bundle of bank notes from your pocket.

He puts the melon back on the shelf and grabs the cart with more force than necessary. You hum contently before putting the money in your pocket where it changes back to leaves you picked up last autumn.

The sheer number of different products on the shelves amazes you. And also makes you a little sad. All the offering humans bring to the temple are just rice and tofu and sometimes curry. Not that you don't like rice and tofu but why can't they bring one of all these colourful sweets? Or the chips Suna just put in the cart. Would he notice if one of the bags disappeared?

Walking past the vegetable stand you grab three cucumber packages and plop them down in his cart. You notice he added a bag of brown rice to it.

“Really? Three packages?“ he asks.

“They're a gift for kappas up the stream,“ you smile, innocently.

“Buy them yourself. You got money, don't you?”

“Why, would you like some? What's the matter Mr Witch, job doesn't pay well? Maybe you should consider a career that doesn't rely on destroying our lives.“

“Maybe you should live a life that doesn't harm others.“

You grin, satisfied. And so facade begins to crumble. A loud cough distracts you from throwing back another insult. An older man gives the two of you a disapproving look before returning to reading labels.

Suna grabs the cart and continues his way to the next item on the crumpled shopping list. You trail behind looking like a lost puppy peeking from behind him to see what the next item on the list is, adding new items to the cart Suna immediately puts back in their place. Even by the register you add one more package of chewing gum to the pile.

“At least take one with a fruity flavour,“ says Suna so you grab two more packages with watermelon on them. You think you see his eye twitch though it might be just your imagination. While he puts the groceries in a bag you snatch a chocolate bar from the nearest shelf, then follow him outside to take the cucumbers from the bag he's holding.

“You've been quite busy yesterday,“ you remark as you walk down the street.

“Since you followed me around the entire time I take it you weren't.“ He outstretches his hand. “Your stuff was 700 yen. Pay up.“

You give him a crumbled wrapper.

“Any particular reason you're interested in the old Nishikawa house?“ you ask, continuing to smile innocently when Suna glares at you and puts the wrapper in his pocket.

“I thought you were the local expert on all things paranormal in this town. I'll let you guess twice.“ He peels the sticker off the bananas and sticks it on your forehead. “See you around Miss Kitsune.“

Ch. 2: Red beneath the moon

tag list: @blurring-stars

[sabraeal]

Get Up Eight, Chapter 8

[Read on AO3]

Obiyukiweek 2021, Day 1: The Fool Upright: Beginnings, Innocence, Fearlessness Reversed: Recklessness, Folly, Risk 

Pine presses around the road to Oiso, jostling with the hackberry like meddling neighbors, eager to see misfortune. Their branches chatter in the breeze, gossiping behind needled hands, and oh, what misfortune Obi has for them to gnaw their toothy mouths upon, traveling with this sorry lot.

This stretch of road is meant to be the shortest; less than the length between bells, but each minute sweats to an hour, the natural flow of time no longer a given but a whim. Maybe they met with some accident, doomed to wander the same stretch of barren road over and over until some monk came to exorcise them-- or else all the priests are wrong, and the road to Meido is no mountainous path, but a road that winds around one barely deserving of the name. And with them but a day into their journey--

No. Not even he can believe such a story. For no matter how red his hands or black his spirit, he could not have earned such miserable oni on his chuuin as the monkey and his merry band. Besides, there is too much light here. Even the virtuous must navigate the dark with but a candle’s light to guide them, lit by the ones they left in life, and he, well--

He wouldn’t even have that.

Ojou-san hobbles in front of him, pretending her mincing steps have to do with the wrap of her kimono rather than the bindings on her feet. A creditable trick, in the right hands-- too bad his mistress was no actress. A man would have to be worse than a fool to believe it.

With every limping step, she jingles; her pack clanking against the swell of her hip. A wounded deer, gingerly testing each spindly leg to see if it would bear her yet another breath further. The monkey’s men circle her like crows waiting for carrion, though the scent they follow is not death but gold.

Idiots, every last one of them. They are too busy salivating over the meal in her pack to notice she does not tremble as she walks, that even if each step is a labor, she does not shy from taking it. Lame deer she may be, but Obi is not fooled-- more than once he has stopped at the shine at Nara, and found his netsuke noticeably lighter. His mistress is like that; so tame and docile at first glance that no one watches where those small hands go, nor notices the lies that tip from her lips.

Because they do; not with the ease of a practiced liar, but the earnest determination of a survivor. Cousin there may be in Kyoto, but Obi would bet what remains of his ryo that he didn’t know about the books in her pack. A good little ojou-san might know some remedies-- a salve to stave off infection or a powder to quell a fever, the kind a mother would use to treat her child-- but they certainly didn’t read about rampo in the original Dutch.

No, if Obi had his guess, this cousin-dono knew nothing about the sweet visitor that traveled toward him. They’d arrive at his doorstep in Kyoto, and he’d have the same view he has now, standing three respectful steps behind her as she faces the future with a strong back, and standing on two--

Ojou-san stumbles. One moment she is upright, and the next he’s surged forward, hand clasped around an elbow to steady her. It’s just like her wrist; narrow and delicate, like it might break under his grasp. His breath catches, his eyes meeting her wide ones--

“Careful, ‘Nee-san.”

Obi blinks, and there it is-- the monkey’s mocking grin, one paw wrapped around her other arm. “It’d be easy to turn an ankle on these old roads.”

Every word cants with careful concern, but the glint in his eye is three hairs away from anything more than hunger. This ronin can pretend to be samurai all he likes, but desperation drips from him like water in a kappa’s dish, and it’s Obi’s job to see his ojou-san does not get soaked.

With a firm tug, Obi settles her on her feet-- and out of the monkey’s reach. “Don’t worry, we’ll reach Oiso-juku soon, Ojou-san.”

She sends one of her thoughtful looks down the road, brow furrowed and lip jutting in a pout. “They really aren’t all that far apart at all, are they? If we hadn’t been slowed by--” my blistered feet, she doesn’t say, jaw taking an even more determined set-- “circumstance, we would be there by now.”

Obi nods, watching as she takes a single, mincing step. “Shortest leg of the journey.”

“I wonder why that is.” In any other mouth, those words would be idle, a way to fill the air. But not in his ojou-san’s; oh no, her gaze has already sharpened, scouring the shrubbery as if it might hold answers.

“Hard to say.” Keeping pace with her is a trial; he’s used to long strides, using every last inch of his leg to put ri between him and what he left behind, but between her blisters and her curiosity, Ojou-san moves as slow as a snail’s crawl. “If I had a guess, it would be the mountain?”

“Mountain?” Ojou-san should be hiding those eye of hers with a convincing demure, but instead she turns them to him, wide and wondrous. Not that he’d be caught complaining, not when all her attention is bent on him, as if he’s her next puzzle to solve.

The monkey scoffs, insinuating himself a branch too close for comfort. “Mount Koma? It’s barely more than a hill, and we’re walking around it, not up.”

Obi’s lips peel back from his teeth, a wolf’s grin. “I never said we were. But if you look down the road from Hiratsuka, what would you see?”

“A mountain,” Ojou-san murmurs, sending a speculative glance toward where Koma rose beside them. “And if you do not often travel the road, it would be easy to mistake this for running through it.”

“Well said, Ojou-san. Hakone is nearby, too.” Obi lets his lips soften from animal to man. “And its reputation marks it as the hardest climb. Even a thinking man might take this stretch as much the same.”

“Absurd.” The monkey scowls, hands hooking over his hips. “That might explain the shukuba at Oiso, but on the other side they would know the road’s ease.”

“That’s the funny thing about roads.” He casts the monkey a cagey smile, enjoying the way his fur stands on end. “They run both ways.”

The pines thin as they walk, the air taking on its first taste of salt, so thick and stinging that a man doesn’t even need to be Ojou-san’s kind of polite to think so. Oiso is close then; its bay must be the scent of the sea on the breeze. Good. He’ll be glad of the chance to shuck himself of their escort and his easy manners.

A bridge crests ahead of them, little more than some boards patched over the sluggish stream that runs beneath. Nothing like the great wooden arcs in Edo, made for palanquins to pass, great processions crawling over both sides like ships passing in the night. So it’s no surprise Ojou-san falters at its edge, blinking down at the lazy waters below. A deer again, hesitant and shy.

A warmth kindles where his kimono gaps too much to cover, a tightness that he cannot swallow away. Obi raises a hand to scratch, coughs to clear it, but stubbornly it stays, lodged right in his breast. An inconvenience, one that should be smothered as a seed rather than allowed to grow like kudzu on the shore. Ojou-san paid for his skill and what loyalty gold could buy, not...this. She is his duty, not a pleasure.

Even if he sees that bead dripping down her back when he closes his eyes still. Obi grips at his shoulder and stifles a groan. Twenty days. Three weeks until he is six ryo richer, and this girl is in the hands of her cousin instead of dancing out of the grip of his.

He steps up, hand outstretched. It’s his job to see her over, safe and sound, and it would be just like her to bend over a hair too far and let herself be swept away by the current, small as it is. But his hand clasps around air instead of elbow, and when he looks--

The monkey has her, guiding her along at a leisurely stroll. She stumbles to keep up even still, only getting her feet beneath her when he stops, staring up at the maples swaying overhead.

“Known to me who had denied joy and sorrow of this world,” he intones, every syllable rolling with the cultured tones of Edo. “Is the autumn scene of the rivulet where sandpipers walk at dusk.”

Obi lifts a brow, peering down at the water’s edge. Salt might be on the air, but there’s not a sandpiper to be seen this far from the shore.

Ojou-san is too kind, as always, nearly turning those wide doe eyes to him before remembering herself. They skitter downwards instead, to where leaves skim the stream’s surface. “What is that?”

The monkey’s heavenly gaze drops to her, smiling within unearned satisfaction. “I’m surprised you don’t know, onee-san. I thought you well read.”

Ojou-san stiffens, hands curling over the rough-hewn rail. “Well enough. Though I must admit, I never spent much time on poets.”

His eyes blink wide. “Not even Saigyo?”

“No.” She ducks her chin, the very picture of a demure young lady, but Obi knows-- her rosy cheeks are not from a docile temper. “But he was...a monk, was he not?”

His mouth curls wide, the self-satisfied smile of a master with a well-taught pupil. Obi’s hands itch watching it unfurl, tempted to give monkey-sensei a lesson he won’t soon forget.

“Yes,” he hums, chin lifted with a lord’s poise. “Of the Heian era. The story goes that he used to be one of the Emperor’s personal guards, but one day he shed himself of his worldly desires to dedicate himself to the temple.”

Obi stifles a snort. He’s had clients that made him feel the same more than once.

“He lived here, after, in a little hut just upstream, hidden away from the world, writing waka, meditating on the loneliness of change.” The monkey stares down the length of the stream. “A haikai dojo stands there now, built hundred of years later in his honor. Even Basho was inspired by his writings...”

Obi peers over the bridge’s edge, letting the monkey’s babble roll over him like a ceaseless river. The stream does much the same below, curving gently into the distance, disappearing into a cloud of summer green maple. Even with his sharp eyes, he cannot see this dojo, nor any hut where a monk might sit and spend his life thinking in verse.

Probably because Shigitatsu-an sits on another rivulet entirely, further toward the sea. Something this monkey might know, if he traveled this road; the stone in the middle of town proclaims it, bright as day. Still, Obi holds his tongue. A dagger to the chest might miss, but given enough rope, an idiot always hangs himself.

“For all his shedding of worldly trappings,” Obi hums, sauntering up to where the pair of them stand, “looks like this Saigyo was fond of them.”

Sweet as his words were, the monkey’s mouth turns sour fast enough. “He lived his life in quiet contemplation of nature, dwelling upon the sadness of seasons passing--”

Obi lifts an infuriating eyebrow. “Which he couldn’t do at a temple?”

The monkey’s mouth opens, then closes. “Some people,” he sniff haughtily, “do not understand the artistic process.”

Thatched roofs peek above the shukuba’s gates as they round the bend, hazy in the distance, like close-clinging clouds above Sagami Bay. Salt coats Obi’s mouth as they tread closer, stinging his nose, but today the taste savors of relief-- only mere moments now until Ojou-san can take her rest, and he can shuck these unwanted pests.

The monkey strolls beside Ojou-san, his voice smugly pitched for all to hear: “It’s too bad it isn’t raining.”

Oh, the hour cannot come soon enough. “Really?” Obi slides an easy grin onto his face. “I didn’t think monkeys liked to get their feet wet.”

“M-monkey?!” If looks could smell, the one this Mihaya levels at him would reek; growing even more rank with every giggle Ojou-san stifles. “Funny words coming from a stray cat!”

Obi shrugs, a production of shoulder and head worthy of the stage. “It was not my lips that begged the kami for rains.”

“Not mine either!” The monkey turns to Ojou-san with his mild, scholar stare. “I only meant it would be fitting. Hiroshige drew rains when he made his print of Oiso, falling on the travelers as they entered the shukuba. A light drizzle, of course, nothing to get--” he cuts a pointed glare over his shoulder-- “any paws wet.”

“Ah!” Ojou-san brightens, fingers fluttering joyfully before her. “I have seen that. Ojii-san...”

It’s as if the name were a spell; invoked, it steals the words from her lips, leaving only air to part them. They round again, forming the shape of ojii-san, before pressing tight once more. Obi has only known her mere days, but her grandfather’s legacy seems only to be the knuckles that blanch around her bag’s strap at the barest mention of his name.

A subtlety lost on the monkey prancing next to her. “He called it Tora’s Rain, after the lover of Soga no Juro. Do you know that story, onee-san?”

Obi restrains a roll of his eyes; it’s more of an effort than any of the monkey’s men bother to make. There’s not a child alive who isn’t raised upon the Soga Monogatari, even if the details blend in the telling, each domain vying to put their stamp upon a piece of history.

“Ah...” Ojou-san blinks, her spell disappearing in the bat of an eye. “Oiso no Tora, you mean? The courtesan?”

Again, the monkey-sensei puffs with a teacher’s pride. “The very same. She was raised here, it’s said, after her father prayed to Benzaiten for a child, and she gave to him a stone--”

“He asked for a child and she gave him a stone?” Obi smothers a smile to a twitch. “Seems he got the better end of the bargain.”

“--And she gave to him a stone as a sign the child would be born,” the monkey continues, voice pitched above his. “As O-Tora grew, so did the stone. When the Soga brothers sheltered at her home, it shielded them from--”

“Is this before or after they ambushed a man in his sleep?” Obi asks, deadpan.

That is, it seems, the final straw. The idiot rounds on him, voice dropping into a growl as common as the gutter he grew up in. “A tyrant, for revenge. Kuto-sama murdered their father and took his lands. No honorable man-- no, no bushi-- could let such an insult stand.” Something dark moves beneath the eyes of monkey-dono when he adds, “even if it took years.”

With only a breath, his face smooths back into the scholar’s, the samurai’s learned son. “That rock is still here, should you want to see it.”

Ojou-san smiles, eyes soft with understanding. “You must like this story quite a bit, Mihaya-dono, if you want to see O-Tora’s stone.”

“Me?” His brows raise, two neat little arches. They’re meant to be surprised, but it’s almost as if the angle of them is wrong, a degree off from being sincere. “I meant for you, onee-san. It’s a talisman for fertility.”

Her eyes round. “Oh--!”

“After all, you are now on the way to your husband.” There is a razor’s edge to his smile when he says, “Surely he is looking forward to being so blessed.”

Not unless her cousin has plans for her that he hasn’t seen fit to inform her of. Not an unlikely, knowing the way men think of their women-- though the idea has never occurred to Ojou-san, by the way she gapes.

“Ah!” She glances back at him, helpless. “N-no. That definitely won’t be...necessary.”

Another shadow passes over the monkey’s face, leaving behind a grin that glints as cold as coin. “You don’t say, onee-san...”

Ojou-san tucks into his side as they pass through the sekisho, her head and heart bowed demurely while the doshin glance at her papers. It’s cursory; this is no Hakone to demand papers so spotless they gleam. Still, she shivers when Kino’s permissions leave his hands, and doesn’t stop until they’re tucked back into his sleeves.

The monkey casts her a speculative look when he strolls through, the kind he’s been giving her more and more of as the day wears on. That’s fine enough; he can ponder Ojou-san’s mystery while he and his men wander down the rest of the route, alone.

That brings a smile to Obi’s lips. “Well, we’ll be leaving first.”

The wide eyes monkey-dono turn to him are only rivaled by the ones his ojou-san does. “Obi-dono, what do you mean?”

“We’re stopping here for the night.” He jerks his chin toward a particularly clean looking hatago. “How about that one, Ojou-san? Does it meet your expectations?”

“Yes, b-but...” Her mouth works, searching for the shape of the words that rattle between her teeth. “But why?”

“Ojou-san...” His gaze drops to where her tabi peek out from beneath her kimono’s hem, pink with her blood even through the bandages. “You’re in no condition to continue. Our best course is to rest. But I’m sure--” he can’t help the smug sneer he turns the monkey’s way-- “these men are eager to make good time. It’s a long journey to the capital, and time is money.”

The monkey’s mouth purses, trapped. Unless he wants to admit that he has no business besides following Ojou-san and her purse, making a lie of his casual coincidence-- well, there is no way to graciously decline.

Lucky for him, Ojou-san spares him the footwork. “We’ve barely walked an hour since Hiratsuka.” Her shoulders set like a shogun bent on battle. “You said you wanted to reach Odawara tonight.”

He inhales sharply, annoyed. “That was before--” we collected men better left in the gutter.

True as it is, it will not please his ojou-san. Not when she is so determined to see samurai in every ronin she meets. A different tack is needed if he wants to convince her.

“Ojou-san,” he soothes. “There is no shame in stopping. You should take care of yourself, or else we will have to spend more time waiting for you to recover later.”

The set of her jaw informed him this is not it.

“I can make it,” she insists, because of course she would, this young woman of quality who carried her heaviest pack on her back. “I won’t be the one to slow us down.”

“Plenty of travelers stop at every station.” He gestures to the crowd around them, to their leisurely pace. “Perhaps we should consider it, if--”

“And spend fifty-three days to get to Kyoto?” She arches a brow, a reflection of his own. “I’m not paying you near enough for that, Obi-dono.”

His jaw clenches. He only needs to convince her of one night extra, enough to be rid of these knives at their throat, but... “Ojou-san...”

“I don’t mean to pry,” the monkey says, insinuating himself between them. “But there is plenty of daylight left. If jou-chan wants to move on we should. There are better places to rest, if she needs it.” His teeth flash as he suggests, “Hakone, for one. It’s said that their hot springs are healing indeed.”

“Ah, see?” Ojou-san brightens, a quelling hand laid on his sleeve. “Hot springs! That seems like a fine place to take an extra day.”

Obi glares as the monkey hops around behind her, too elated for him to trust. “I don’t think--”

“And it’s better to travel in groups,” the monkey offers, pressing his advantage. “Six people is certainly safer than two.”

Obi frowns. “That depends on who the other four are.”

“It’s decided then,” Ojou-san says brightly, hands clapping together. “We’ll push on to Odawara. And when we reach Hakone, we can rest as long as you like.”

Obi takes in a deep breath, boiling as the monkey grins at him, triumphant. “If that’s what you want, Ojou-san.”

“You heard jou-chan,” the monkey mutters as he prances past, victorious. “It is.”

[rpmemesbyarat]

RP meme from Scream Queens Ep 9 "Ghost Stories"

Damn straight I'm out in public.

I'm the master of disguise, baby.

Like, "are you not entertained?"

Yeah, no, no, everyone thinks I'm Joaquin Phoenix.

I just tell them it's part of my performance art piece.

I'm Joaquin Phoenix.

I'm sort of gay now, too.

Why are you dressed like that?

Sacagawea taught the pilgrims how to make cranberry sauce and then, like, sang "Blue Corn Moon" or something.

You know how you've been talking about taking our relationship to the next level?

Yeah, like, you know, like, the furniture just starts screaming, or, like, you'll crack open a Mountain Dew and you'll start to drink it and then it'll just turn to blood.

We're gonna have, like, the dopest time.

So let's all raise a glass to me.

I am about to be, like, super rich.

You can't spend Thanksgiving alone.

Oh, I am so glad neither of us have been killed.

I don't understand why you're making us bubble wrap each item of clothing.

When something costs $63,000, you wrap it in bubble wrap.

I think because I'm not allowed to carry a firearm, I like to pop the little bubbles, and then pretend like my finger is a gun.

I am personally being haunted by a ghost.

Wait, you-you-you seriously saw a ghost?

Put down the bubble wrap down.

Them Japanese got all manner of weird-ass ghost stories. And the one about the kappa is the creepiest of all. They live in the sewer. And they just waiting for you to sit your ass on the toilet, so they can reach up and grab your ass, snatch you by the vagina and drown your crushed body in raw sewage.

Why another story about a bathroom?

No more ghost stories!

I really have to pee. But there is no way I'm going anywhere near a toilet. So if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go look for a salad bowl to squat over under the stairwell.

Does somebody need another ghost story to scare away the heebie-jeebies?

You have come back to haunt us.

Ghosts walk among you every day; you would never know it.

Did you forget you're super gay?

Haven't you ever heard the phrase, "once you go black, you never go back"?

If I don't hear another ghost story right now, I might just have a stroke!

Then the killer could come in and chop off your head!

Let's all sit by the fireplace.

The killer could still be out there!

I need my lotions, my silk robe, my sensual massage oils, a bottle of champagne, and chocolate-covered strawberries.

I was a pretty amazing person when I was alive.

Maybe we can even date for a little while.

You faked your death.

Wait. This all makes sense-- of course you would fake your own death so no one would suspect you.

We both know how you got his birthmark on your hand! From when I stabbed you in your evil lair!

I am not staying in this house for a moment longer.

Call the cops. There's someone in the back seat of your car.

Okay, well, I'm really sorry about that, but you have to admit that what you were doing was super confusing.

I could have swore I saw someone. Granted I am pretty high on Adderall and I've been on the road for 35 hours straight.

I feel like you farted.

Your breath, it always smells like you just ate a cheeseburger.

It's like making out with the Hamburglar.

You, my friend, have a poo belly.

I only caught this kiss so I could throw it away.

That story is neither scary nor amazing.

Honestly, if you're going to get attacked, please attempt to get attacked in a fresh, exciting way.

We have to concentrate-- the pieces of this puzzle are coming together.

The police aren't going to help us.

You can't stop a ghost.

And guess what, bitch, I'm pregnant!

Packing matters to me. That's why I chose to minor in luggage sciences with an emphasis in packing theory.

I really screwed up.

I mean, most of the time we porked in a way that could not result in pregnancy, if you know what I mean. But I always knew I had a sackful of strong swimmers.

We make our beds and we lie in them.

You could still be my piece on the side.

I want you to pay.

You might even just pay the ultimate price.

Did you just threaten to kill me?

Am I just supposed to ignore the obvious fact that you hate me and love nothing more than playing super-humiliating pranks on me?

Why do you always have to make everything about you?

Like, remember that one time when you hacked into my mom's e-mail and wrote me this really long letter explaining how I was adopted and born with fetal alcohol syndrome and therefore, had an IQ in the low 60s?

I'm sorry, but that was hilarious. I stand by that prank.

[NAME], you cannot just run around murdering people.

I beg of you, do not have sex with him.

His blood is on your hands!

The only benefit of meeting you is that I now know I clearly have a type, and that type is a moron.

I'm gonna make sure that everyone you know knows that when we had sex, you asked me in baby talk if you could nurse from me.

Oh, I never say I'm sorry.

I see that you're enjoying the good life.

Are you about to break into song?

Are you about to break into song? Because all I'm hearing out of your mouth is, ♪ me, me, me, me, me. ♪

My mother would have understood.

It's a special champagne with triple the alcohol and a nicotine-y mouth feel, because it's infused with tobacco.

You're trapped in a web of lies, whore.

You're not leaving this room until you've peed on every single one of these pregnancy tests.

Fine, you got me. I'm not pregnant.

It's just that ever since you walked through those doors, I knew you were gonna be the one to take it all away from me.

You killed her!

[jbbarnesnnoble]

Hello lovely humans!

I’ve recently hit the 500 follower milestone and want to celebrate with another challenge! This time, dark fics are welcome! 

I have a lot of prompts here and what doesn’t get used will probably be put aside for a future challenge. I like to make sure there is a wide array of prompts to be chosen from and tend to go overboard. Whoops. 

The Rules: 

1. Use the hashtag #JBBNN500 

2. Dark fics are welcome - Just be sure to utilize trigger warnings and indicate that it is a dark fic. 

3. Even if you aren’t writing a dark fic, use trigger warnings if the content warrants it. If you write something that has heavier themes, like those that delve into mental health topics, be sure to label it appropriately. 

4. Selecting Prompts: Just let me know which one you want to do! 2 people per prompt! Tell me which subheading and the number of the prompt so I can mark it down! If it’s a lyric prompt, please give me the song and the number! 

5. You don’t have to be following to participate! 

6. Deadline: January 11, 2021

Yes, I’m giving about 3 months for this. January 11 also happens to be my birthday, so I figured that would be a good date to choose. 

The subheadings are: dialogue prompts, sentence prompts, quotes from popular media, and song lyrics!

Find the prompts under the cut! 

Dialogue Prompts

“Life is made up of maybes and regrets. I don’t want this to be one of them.”

“You can’t do this. It’s my choice to make, and mine alone. If you don’t agree with it, the door is there. Feel free to use it.”

“I used to be afraid of the dark, you know. Until I learned that the real monsters thrive in the light.” 

“So, what you’re saying is if I gave you a nickel, you’d do it.”

“No, I don’t know how the cheese got there, and honestly, I don’t think I want to know.” 

“You’re sounding more like a cult leader every time you open your mouth. Don’t think I’ll be accepting any Flavor Aid from you anytime soon.” 

“How did you...you know what, I’m going to forget I saw a thing, and go read a book. Or bathe in Holy Water. Or both. Both is good.” 

“If you say one more word I swear--” “One more word” “I hate you” 

“You can’t come in here singing my favorite song and expect forgiveness, that’s not how this works!”

“No. You mean nothing to me. You never did. You never will.” 

“But if it did, it would work and you can’t convince me otherwise.” 

“You are simultaneously the smartest and least intelligent person I have ever meant. Truly, an amazing accomplishment.” @bonkywobble​

��Next thing you’re going to say is that ghosts are real...please tell me that’s a joke” 

“All I’m saying is, I could do that blindfolded.” 

“But why was there pizza on the ceiling?” 

“If you write me a four thousand word essay on why you think that’s a good idea, then sure.” 

“I didn’t think you were serious. Do you know how illegal this is?!” 

Sentence Prompts

Feel free to change the pronouns used to suit your needs, even if they aren’t bracketed! You can also change the tense if you need to! 

The January rain fell, feeling like razors against [your/her/their] skin as [you/she/they] stared out over the horizon.

This was it, the moment where life as [you/she/they] knew it ended.

 [His/her/their] gaze fell on [her/you], like a lion circling its prey. 

You never thought that it would come to this, come to being the one to end it all. 

You took a moment to calculate [his/her/their] next move, figuring out the perfect counter. 

Hanging by your ankles from a tree was most definitely not how you planned on spending your Saturday. 

Glancing around the room at the decor, one thing was obvious: it was [his/her/their] doing. 

Hurt was the only thing you felt, the only thing you could cling to in this abyss.

Lies, it had all been lies and they were crumbling around you. 

The screech of tires on the pavement sent a shiver down your spine.

He/She used to love this time of year, the beauty of it all. 

It was like climbing Everest: ambitious, dangerous, and maybe a little insane. 

Forgiveness was not something you were willing to offer so freely, not this time. 

Chaos may as well have been the code name of this mission. @nekoannie-chan​

Silence was your new best friend, one that never seemed to leave you alone.

That smile, that smile was something you could get used to waking up to every day. 

Your face twisted in disgust as you realized what you had fallen into.

You were beginning to wish you had taken [him/her/them] up on that trip to Madrid. 

Quotes from Popular Media:

With these prompts specifically, you can use the full thing, paraphrase, etc, since some of them are quite long, or just write something based off an idea it sparks. 

“There are so many stories where some brave hero decides to give their life to save the day, and because of their sacrifice, the good guys win, the survivors all cheer, and everybody lives happily ever after. But the hero... never gets to see that ending. They'll never know if their sacrifice actually made a difference. They'll never know if the day was really saved. In the end, they just have to have faith. Ain't that a bitch.” -Epsilon, Season 13, Red vs Blue 

“We're so arrogant, aren't we? So afraid of age, we do everything we can to prevent it. We don't realize what a privilege it is to grow old with someone. Someone who doesn't drive you to commit murder or doesn't humiliate you beyond repair.” - Daniel, P.S I Love You 

“After centuries of men looking at my tits instead of my eyes and pinching my ass instead of shaking my hand, I now have the divine right to stare at a man's backside with vulgar, cheap appreciation if I want to!” - Denise, P.S. I Love You

“Life isn't just death. Don't ignore the living.” - Vada Sultenfuss, My Girl

“Life's full of barbaric customs. But I hope they all end with a kiss like that.” - Vada Sultenfuss, My Girl 

"You're a little scary sometimes, you know that? Brilliant ... but scary." - Ron Weasley, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 

"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends." - Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 

"I’ll be in my bedroom, making no noise and pretending I’m not there." - Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 

“Sweetie, this is one of those times when I know what's right and everybody else is confused.” - Angela Montenegro, Bones, Season 3 

“Oh, God. I'm in the middle of something, aren't I? Oh, look! Dead guy!” - Cam Saroyan, Bones, Season 5

“Don’t make it sound trivial when you know it isn’t. You keep talking about how we just need a little more time, but you’re not the one having to struggle.” -Nora, RWBY, Volume 7

“It's called survival. But I forgot, you two at best are functional morons.” - Crowley, Supernatural, Season 5, Episode 10

“I once had to judge a tighty-whitey contest for Lambda Kappa Pi. Trust me, I can handle anything.” - Elle Woods, Legally Blonde 

“How were we supposed to know? It's not like we run background checks on all her boyfriends.” - Kathryn Kennish, Switched at Birth

“Don’t try to get on my good side. I no longer have a good one” - Ouiser, Steel Magnolias 

“I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.” - Shelby, Steel Magnolias 

“You have the handwriting of a serial killer” - Clairee, Steel Magnolias 

“I didn’t know if you would hire someone who might be married to someone who may or may not be a criminal” - Annelle, Steel Magnolias 

Lyric Prompts

What Do You Think Of - Lauren Alaina ft. Lukas Graham

What do you think of when you think of me?

When you look back on us what do you see? Is it the good times, is it the bad times, is it somewhere in between? 

I can’t even drive down 8th Avenue because the whole damn town reminds me of you

Hurts to Know - 1551

But you stayed when I made another promise to keep

And you waited and waited for the life you saw in your dreams 

You walk in and begin to try to heal me again, but each night is a fight that’s getting harder to win.

Sick - 1551

Everyone I meet feels like another target

I’m feeling sick, I’m feeling twisted, I wasn’t home before this feeling existed 

I never knew that wrong could feel so right

seven - Taylor Swift

Sweet tea in the summer, cross your heart won’t tell no other, and though I can’t recall your face, I still got love for you

Passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long

I think your house is haunted, your dad is always mad and that must be why 

We’ll hide in the closet, and just like a folk song, our love will be passed on 

the last great american dynasty - Taylor Swift

How did a middle class divorcee do it? 

The wedding was charming, if a little gauche 

And they said “There goes the last great American dynasty. Who knows if she never showed up what could have been.” 

epiphany - Taylor Swift 

With you I serve, with you I fall down 

Something med school did not cover

And some things you just can’t speak about 

Chapters - Brett Young

Chapter one, I was raised on the Dodgers 

There’s no perfect life, you can’t hold back time

Everybody expecting perfection 

Things change in the blink of an eyelid, guess my body knew way more than I did

The Daughters - Little Big Town

Girl, know your place, be willing and able 

Girl, watch your mouth and watch your weight

Pose like a trophy on a shelf, and dream for everyone but not yourself

I wash the dishes, feed the kids, and clean up all this mess, do my best, forgive myself, and look good in this dress

It Won’t Always Be Like This - Carly Pearce 

I remember how I couldn’t wait to get out of my hometown, now I’m looking for every excuse to go back on the weekend

I remember hearing the door slam, twenty-two, didn't have a clue who I was, who I could trust, and who were my real friends

The heart won’t ache forever, no matter how hard it gets, it won’t always be like this

Next Girl - Carly Pearce 

You overlook a lot when he looks like that

He’ll charm your mama with that smile, hide the red flags for a while 

He’ll make you think it’s love, but I promise you it’s not 

Bar Back - Lauren Alaina 

You can have that coffee shop we went on our first date

I’ll give you back that sweatshirt, that one you know I love

I’m taking back that little hole in the wall, the red door sign saying “come on in y’all”

If I Was a Beer - Lauren Alaina

Honey you’re in luck, ‘cause I’m a fine, fine, wine. I’m a slow sweet pour, I can be a little bitter, but I ain’t a hard hitter, like a 30 from the grocery store

Waiting for Superman - Daughtry

She says “he’s still coming, just a little bit late” 

She’s talking to angels, counting the stars, making a wish on a passing car

If life was a movie, then it wouldn’t end like this 

Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi

When you hurt under the surface, like troubled water running could, well time can heal but this won’t

Before you go, was there something I could have said to make your heart beat better?

Our every moment, I start to replay, but all I can think about is seeing that look on your face  @arrowsandmixtapes​ 

Hard to Forget - Sam Hunt

It's kinda funny how I can't seem to get away from you, it's almost like you don't want me to

You’ve got a cold heart and the cold hard truth

Told me to leave all your things out on the porch on the swing

Oh you’re breaking my heart, baby you’re playing hard to forget 

This is It - Scotty McCreery

You can open your eyes

Can’t you see forever 

On top of the world here together

If there ever was a time for a perfect kiss, this is it 

Wish You’d Miss Me - Chase Wright

I was good for you, you were bad for me 

I was solid ground, you were broken wings 

I gave you love you gave me pain

You gave me hell, I gave you grace 

I knew all along that you were gonna leave 

What a Man Gotta Do - Jonas Brothers

I’m not trying to be your part time lover, sign me up for that full time @unnuevosoltransformalarealidad​

This Feeling - Chainsmokers ft. Kelsea Ballerini 

I lay out all my reasons you say that I need help

They tell me think with my head, not that thing in my chest

They got their hands at my neck this time 

I tell you all my secrets and you tell all your friends 

Hold onto your opinions and stand by what you say 

What Are You Gonna Tell Her - Mickey Guyton 

She thinks life is fair 

But what are you gonna tell her when she’s wrong?

What are you gonna tell her when she figures out that all this time you built her up just so the world could let her down? 

Do you tell her not to fight? 

Can you look her in the face and promise her that things will change? 

[danetobelieve]

Don’t Drop Dead || Athena and Winston

When: 22/06/2020 Who: @athenaquinn & @danetobelieve. Where: The carnival . Summary: Athena and Winston try the drop ride with varied success. Warnings: None

Winston shifted their glasses and shuffled their feet. The ice cream they’d bought from one of the stands as they waited for Athena to arrive was good. Really good. It was days like this when Winston really enjoyed the summers of Maine. The weather was amazing, the sun shining, the sky a deep sapphire and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. There was a cool breeze rolling in from the ocean and sure there was the weird creepy carnival music but Winston could forget that. They were determined to have a normal, cool, absolutely okay time. No weird supernatural shenanigans. Spotting Athena, they waved and made their way over. “Hey, you get here okay?”

When she’d first heard about the carnival, Athena had been intrigued. If nothing else, it gave her something else to occupy her mind after everything that had happened recently. Winston was a good person to spend time with, and she found herself feeling oddly relieved that they wanted to spend time with her. Something new, but not something she was used to feeling, but she did consider them a friend and there was a small pang somewhere in her whenever they said they didn’t want to spend time together. But you didn’t invite people you hated to the carnival - or at least good people like Winston didn’t. It was a nice day - just warm enough and perfect weather to finally break out her shorts and one of her Kappa Iota Lambda rush shirts. Casual, but she knew that she still looked good. Summertime did make hiding the knives a bit more difficult, but she still had one pressed against her hip bones, covered by her shirt. No matter how possibly normal this carnival might be, it was always important to be safe. She arrived and began to make her way over, pausing as they began walking too. “I did. Nice to do normal small town things.” Athena grinned at them. “So, what would you like to do first?” She shook her head for a moment, her gaze flicking over to their neck. “Actually, no, nevermind, what on earth happened to you?”

Honestly, Winston was amazed that the wound on their neck had healed as much as it had. They shared it now. With Luce and Nell. They each had a third of the same scar that Bea did. Where she had lost her head … quite literally. Fortunately however, they had been able to reattach it and now things were looking better for all of them. But Winston kind of sucked at lying. So they did their best not to. “Oh, this?” they knew that although it was mostly healed and just a few days away from becoming a fully healed scar, “I had a run in with some undead …” it wasn’t technically a lie, “and I got cut and it’s still healing. Don’t worry, it’s fine. I was with a bunch of other spell casters and a hunter came and helped us too so we were fine in the end.” Again, none of that was a lie. But they had been very careful to not explain that something was undead because of them. They knew the taboo around necromancy. They weren’t going to risk anything happening to the Vural’s because of this. They didn’t deserve that. “You want to go on one of the rides or something?” Winston tried to ignore Athena’s legs. But they were toned, the brief glance had told them that. It was infuriating that she was so hot. It was also infuriating that she was apparently so oblivious … to everything. “I heard that they’ve got some pretty good stuff this time round but I never really came here before so i don’t have a comparison point.” 

At their mention of a run in with some undead Athena felt her body tense up. That vampire back months ago? Something else? But they mentioned that there was at least another hunter there and she breathed a sigh of relief. “At least someone else was there to help you. I hope everything got taken care of.” Even though part of her felt a small pang that they hadn’t thought to call her. Maybe it had been a slayer who’d come by, who’d sensed what was wrong and had helped out because of that. She’d focus on that rather than the fact that maybe they didn’t want to call on her. They’d agreed to go to the carnival with her and that was something. Maybe they were starting to understand her perspective more - or maybe, based on the fact that she caught them looking at her out of the corner of her eye - it was just that she was pretty. She’d take either. Perhaps the shorts had been a good choice outside of sheer practicality.  “Sure, we can go on a ride!” She grinned. “Which one did you have in mind? I can’t recall if I’ve been to this carnival before, but it’ll be fun to go on some anyhow, I think.” She placed her hands on her hips and looked over to them. “What sounds best to you?”

“Oh, yeah, we solved the problem and having help is definitely great.” Bea was no longer dead, but August had instead taken her place. Winston didn’t regret their decision, they just weren’t sure that their conscience felt the same. It didn’t matter, they were going to have to learn to live with it because there was no going back now. Glancing around they spotted a drop ride and raised an eyebrow at it, the lurching pit in their stomach was already there. It had been there since they’d brought Bea back. It felt like they were boiling under their skin at moments and then at others it was just a pit. So what was a drop ride compared to that right? Eager to find something that they could do together, “We could try that?” Winston asked tentatively, “I don’t know what the ride is called but I guess it looks cool?” Winston wasn’t really the type to go to carnivals and fun fairs, theme parks were even kind of a step to far. But here they were anyway, trying their best to enjoy a more normal summer. 

“I’m glad. Not that I’d ever doubt your skill in problem solving.” Athena gave a small nod. “You do know how to think fast and on your feet.” She watched them carefully as they took a look around the carnival. Truthfully, she did not care what the two of them did. While she loved the feeling of how busy the carnival was, she knew that she still had to keep an eye out. “Yeah, sure - if you’d like.” She bit her lip for a moment. “I don’t know what it’s called either, but it looks like quite something.” She could hear the sound of screams as the ride cycled back up again to start. It’s just a ride, not somewhere to save people. Probably. “Let’s do it.” She grabbed their hand for a moment and pulled them over to where the ride was, before dropping it and walking up to the operator. “We’d like to go next, please.” She flashed them a small smile. Always best to make a good first impression, if possible. The operator gave the two of them a once over with a small grin and motioned to stand in line, just behind a couple other people. 

“You’ve lived in White Crest long enough to realise that sometimes you don’t have any choice other then thinking on your feet.” Winston almost protested when Athena grabbed their hand, before gratefully realising that they’d not grabbed the hand with the eye in it. That might’ve hurt. They weren’t really sure, no one had grabbed it yet. “Cool, yeah, sure, cool.” Winston smiled as best they could, honestly they were still recovering from the ritual. It was hot as shit. They weren’t sure that a drop ride was really the best idea but suddenly they were being ushered into the line. Winston watched the ride wind up, lifting the members of the public strapped into their seats high into the air before bringing them down before stopping just mere feet away from the ground. There were screams of delight, terror and horror. Winston’s stomach turned and they swallowed their fear the best they could. It was a ride. These were definitely safe. The silence got the better of them and Winston couldn’t help but break it. “Having a good summer?” Winston asked as they were harnessed into their seats. 

“I mean, yes. I do in fact think on my feet a lot. I like to think it’s a good skill, though the ways that I have to do so aren’t always easily discussed with the wider world.” Athena raised an eyebrow. It was nice to be able to admit that, even though Winston didn’t know the full extent of what she did. Not that she cared, nor did she think whatever she did was wrong, but there was a small part of her that wanted to keep them out of at least part of it. Even though they hadn’t seemed to have any issue with her being a hunter she knew that it was not something she was supposed to talk about in most company. It was much nicer, anyhow, to just enjoy their company. Maybe she should have talked them out of this ride, she wondered, as she noticed their face as the two of them got towards the front of the line. One of the people working on the ride glanced at Winston with a broad smile on their face and Athena flashed them a glare. Not that she was even close to being nice all the time, but there was something about the smile that unnerved her just slightly. Before she could take time to process it, they were ushered onto the ride and Winston was asking her questions. “Huh? Yeah! I am!” She grinned. “Soccer camp starts in a bit over a week, and I’m super excited to help coach that. How about you? You graduated, right? What’s it like out in the big wide world?” They’d still have a minute or two while everyone else was buckling in. “Sorry I didn’t get you anything. I’ll have to do that soon.”

Everything always circled back to the fact that they weren’t normal and they weren’t in a normal place and it wasn’t a normal time. Winston didn’t mind. It wasn’t their fault. But even now they knew that there was this constant reminder that something was different. “If you couldn’t think on your feet then I would have legitimate concerns about your survival in this place.” As they were strapped into their seat, Winston listened carefully to what Athena had planned. “Oh, nice cool, soccer camp sounds like a good way to keep busy plus you get to enjoy all of this great weather.” There was the familiar click of a buckle sliding into place and then suddenly the attendants were stepping back. “Oh, yeah, I graduate-” Winston’s words were quite literally left behind them as they were shot up into the air. From the ground it hadn’t looked quite so violent. But in that second Winston was dragged through the air, the g-force causing any loose skin to ripple from the momentum of the ride. Winston’s mouth was open and screaming some obscenity but they were convinced that any sound they’d made had been left behind. As they were dragged through the air they were just as quickly falling and as the ground came flying towards them Winston was gripped with terrror and then as quickly as it all started it stopped. Gasping in breaths of air, Winston sat in silence for a moment before turning and looking at Athena. “I don’t remember what we were talking about…”

“I’ve been thinking on my feet and been darn good at it since I was tiny.” Athena raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t afraid to admit that. Orion would have said that she thought on her feet more than with her brain sometimes, but it got the both of them out of trouble so who was he to complain about her process? “Yeah, and it’s a good way to stay active, too.” Winston was about to comment when all of a sudden the ride started and it was not the sort of rush that she liked. Not one that she got from doing her duty, nor one she felt after a good game or run. Then, suddenly they were back on the ground she unclenched her hands from the fists that had formed, nails digging into the palms of her hands. “What?” She looked over to them. “I - I don’t either. I also worry I might be sick.” She looked over at them. “I’d like to be done with this ride though. Maybe go get a slush or something? It’s hot out.” She tugged at the collar of her shirt. One of the operators was walking over towards them, glancing over at Athena - they brushed against her shoulder and when she met their gaze, about to ask them if they could please be let off of the ride all she could see was her brother, dead on the floor, body cold. “No!” She screamed, pushing against the man. “I mean,” she caught her breath, looking around. Orion was nowhere to be seen. Her hands felt clammy and she looked over to Winston, before back to the man, “I see there - there’s others waiting to go. Can you let us off?” She wasn't afraid. She didn’t get afraid. That wasn’t her job. 

“Some of us are clearly just born lucky,” Winston couldn’t help the sarcasm, of course they were joking. They hoped Athena didn’t take offense to it, they just hadn’t been a natural at any of this. They weren’t sure that they were even good at it now. They felt like they were often just doing enough to keep their head above the surface and that was it. “Exactly, staying active is very important.” Yet Winston really made little to no effort to stay fit, they hadn’t returned to the gym after happening to meet Athena there. Though that might’ve been more because of how busy they had been rather then anything more. “Yeah let’s definitely not do that again,” a drink sounded like a good idea, except Athena suddenly looked pale. Winston knew she wanted to get them off and this wasn’t that difficult tech. Reaching out with their mind they focussed on the locking mechanism and sending the relevant electrical charges to the right place. Except, of course they overdid it. They hadn’t anticipated the amount of power that was going to come surging out of them and the locks exploded open with quite a lot of force. The restraints snapping open and Winston couldn’t help but blush as people yelped in surprise. “That was weird…”

“I mean, I do have an advantage in the genetics department as far as that goes.” She raised an eyebrow. Athena didn’t speak for a moment after they’d stopped and the man had come over. Rio was okay, he was alive, everything was fine. Then why did she feel a sense of unease? Why did the man look like he was about to reach out again? All of a sudden there was a sound almost like an explosion and the locks opened with far greater force than normal. She caught Winston’s blush and nodded. “Really weird.” She felt herself practically fall out of the ride, though at least her natural abilities were always there for her, and so she caught herself, readjusting her position. She stood up and began walking away from the ride, hoping Winston would follow her. “I’m sorry. I just - well, never mind. We should go do something else.” She turned around and flashed a glare at the man. At least she’d thrown him off, at least she’d had the sense to do that. “I need something to eat. We should find that slush.” The coolness of the iron against her hip felt all too appealing, but this was a public space and she couldn’t do anything right now.

As Athena stumbled out of the ride, Winston was quick to follow suit. They’d decided the longer that they spent at this carnival the more certain they were that they didn’t want to come back if it was going to be like this every time. “I am glad that was over, I don’t think that will be a ride that I ever go on again.” They were worried about Athena. It was clear that whatever had happened to her on the ride had rattled her and Winston hadn’t ever seen her like that before. “Are you okay … did something happen other then the rides nearly exploding?” Winston felt guilty about that but from the way that Athena had reacted they had tried to get her out of the situation that made her uncomfortable as soon as they could. “Defo, let’s get some food.” Winston wanted a corndog, where better place to get one at a carnival?

“I don’t think I’ll go on one of those ever again, either.” Athena half-whispered. Then Winston was asking how she was and she shook her head. “I just saw something back there. Something that there’s no way was real. I don’t - I’m not seeing things, though.” She bit her lip. “Like, I don’t know, a vision - something that I’ve only seen in the worst parts of my imagination, of what-ifs.” She forced a smile onto her lips and bumped her hip against one of theirs. Trying to at least attempt to make light of it. “Good. Maybe I just haven’t eaten enough.” She knew of some creatures - not as much detail as she should have - that could cause horrifying visions, but the idea of them running a ride made her feel ill. “I’ll buy. I should probably get myself something that isn’t just sugar. Maybe I’ll go all out and get fries or something.” She grinned. “What about you?”

Frowning gently at Athena’s description of what had happened to her, Winston sighed and nodded. “That is weird,” they didn’t know what the hell could’ve caused that sort of thing for Athena and they were pretty sure that she wasn’t the type to get hysterical or freak out and make things up, no they believed her, “let’s make sure that we keep some distance between them, it just sounds like they got to you a bit maybe?” Winston wasn’t really sure honestly what the hell they’d done to Athena but they didn’t want to repeat the performance for her. “It’s pretty hot too, we can chill out for a bit and try and calm down….” Winston honestly couldn’t have felt more useless if they had tried. “Uh, maybe a corndog or something…” they shrugged, “we could see what they’ve got?” 

“Really weird. I - I’ll ask when I go home.” She shrugged off the would-be mention of her parents. Clearly they were hunters, if she was, but she also didn’t want to go down that route. Not right now, right now she’d focus on Winston. They were there. They were a solid, real person for Athena to focus on. “I guess, it’s whatever.” She shrugged. “It is hot, and I think I’m just about done with rides. We can just eat and walk around or whatever?” She looked over at them and smiled. “Hey, it’s okay! Maybe I didn’t sleep well enough, or something? I’d love to go and see what they’ve got.” She took a few steps forward and turned back to look at them. “I appreciate what you did back there, both for the sheer wow factor and for helping me out. Goodness knows I didn’t want them getting us out of that ride.”

Raising an eyebrow, Winston blushed a little bit. They had been hoping that their little incident on the ride hadn’t been noticed but of course it had been. Athena was as observant as ever, which made sense. “Yeah, well, you looked like you needed an out and I wanted to do my best to give us one without drawing too much attention.” Which they hadn’t exactly succeeded in, maybe that wasn’t that important though. No one had realised it was them aside from Athena and she knew about their magic. Had for a while. “That’s a good idea,” Winston agreed as they headed towards the stalls of food, it was your standard affair. Nothing really out of place. Nothing that you wouldn’t expect to be there. “You have something that you want specifically?” 

“Well, I’ve saved you, you’ve saved me, I think I like how this is all balancing itself out, don’t you?” Athena winked at them. “Besides, you know this town, they’ll just say it was some hardware malfunction or something else and everyone will forget about it.” She offered them a soft smile. “If anything, maybe they’ll pause that ride for a while and that can only benefit everyone.” She pulled a scrunchie off of her wrist and tied her hair up into a ponytail before focusing back on Winston. “I think I could do with some fries first, at least - which you’re welcome to share, if you want. Maybe we’ll find a booth with both those and the corndog you’re looking for?” 

“I don’t know if that is necessarily comparable to fighting off a bunch of vampires, but I’ll take it anyway.” Winston returned her wink with a smile. Despite everything they still enjoyed Athena’s company and she was Rio’s sister. They wanted to make Rios family work for him, but somehow they couldn’t help but think about the fact that Rio’s parents had definitely been the worst parents there were. Was Athena really entirely to blame for the way she’d turned out? “I was hoping that it would just be clocked to a malfunction or something because people wouldn’t know for sure what had happened, I think I’m safe. Besides, if anyone normal asks they’re not going to believe in magic. “Uh, we can definitely look,” it didn’t take long for Winston to locate a food truck that had both. “Do you want a slushie too?” 

“Well, I think it’s plenty impressive. Besides, I don’t always fight vampires,” her tone was hushed, now. Even if other people didn’t believe in the supernatural, Athena didn’t want them overhearing, “that’s not my specialty.” She gave a half-hearted shrug. “I bet they will. I mean, magic?” Her voice was still quiet, only audible to Winston. “As if! You know these sorts of cheap rides, they’re always breaking down.” She followed their gaze to the food truck. “Oh, wonderful. I’m paying, and sure, I’ll get a slush. When in Rome, right?”

[softyoongiionly]

Fear and Dumplings: Chapter Nine

Confronting your fears for a final grade sounds unappealing but, with Yoongi as your partner, things might not be so bad.

Summary: You’re in your final semester at University when your Abnormal Psychology professor assigns you a partnered project surrounding your greatest fears. Lucky for you, your partner just so happens to be a cute boy named Min Yoongi.

Pairing: Min Yoongi x Reader

Genre: Underground Rapper! Yoongi, Soft!!! Yoongi, Fluff!!!, some moderate angst (later), smut (later later), slow-ish? burn.

Word Count: 8.3k (holy moly)

A/N: Thank you all for waiting! Don’t forget to check out my post to weigh in on my upcoming fics :)

Warnings for this Chapter: language aka the bros are wild as usual, smut, also if you’re afraid of spiders, they are mention in (gross) detail later in the chapter.

Warnings for the Fic: mentions characters confronting their fears, characters in uncomfortable situations, emotional moments between characters, mentions of bad parenting, explicit language throughout the fic, moderate angst, and very explicit smut later in the story.

Chapter 9: Spiders and Scary Movies

“So…like…was it big or?” Jimin’s mischievous voice twinkles though the speaker causing Tae to chuckle. Jungkook wrinkles his nose, vigorously shaking his head.

“I don’t know why that matters, when all they did was hold hands…right Y/N?” Jungkook chimes in over Jimin’s voice, giving you a pointed look.

You giggle, shaking your head before leaning back against the arm of your couch. As promised, you had FaceTimed your friends after your study group to inform them that, no, you did not in fact sleep with a man named August.

“Right, that’s it, just a lot of hand holding and absolutely nothing else.” You agree, your lips pursed in attempt to hold in your laughter.

Jungkook looks pleased with your response, his face relaxing momentarily but, its short lived when Taehyung pipes up to give his two cents.

“That’s funny…” He begins smirking, nodding to you. “I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a hickey from holding someone’s hand before.”

Jungkook’s brows raise up in horror as his face snaps up toward you, wide eyes frantically searching your face and neck. With a furrowed brow you look into the screen, trying to locate the cause of the commotion. Your teeth tuck into your lip as you finally spot the aggravated bit of violet skin near the base of your neck. You hadn’t even noticed it when you were rushing to get ready earlier in the day and, the realization that your friends at your study group had definitely seen it, quickly washes over you

“Must have held his hands too tight…” You concede, smirking to yourself

“Y/N…” Jimin whines, he flops his head back onto his bed, looking mildly impatient. “Tell us what happened…I’ve been waiting all day. Kookie just cover your ears if you don’t want to hear about it.”

“I’m not giving you his measurements Minnie…” You insist, giggling at his antics.

“If you guys keep talking about the details of his dick, I’m hanging up.” Jungkook grumbles, his lips pouted and, you can’t help but notice how much he looks like his younger self: pouting because Jimin and Tae forgot his banana milk on their convenience store run.  

You recount the story to your best friends, detailing the events over the last 24 hours however, you are careful to avoid any details that involve Yoongi’s behavior during sex. To be honest, it was something you were still mulling over in your own head and, so much had happened so fast, you still hadn’t had much time to process it. Besides, you liked Yoongi and, you didn’t feel right exposing a part of him that he likely wanted to keep private.

“Wait…you like…like him like him…” Taehyung observes ever so eloquently as you wrap up your story, his face slightly surprised.

You bite your lip in thought, giggling at his jovial conclusion before nodding.

“Yeah…I think I do.” Your voice wavers slightly but, you smile up at the faces on your screen, confident in your response.

“Awwwww my baby has a crush.” Jimin coos, his eyes swimming with fondness as he beams, his puffy lips making kissy faces at the screen. “…and she got some good dick, I’m so proud of you.” Jimin finishes, pretending to cry as he wipes invisible tears from his cheeks.  

“So, since he’s a rapper does he say “Skrrrt!” when he cums?” Jungkook finally pipes up after a long period of silence, his initial apprehension clearly wearing off.

His comment causes the three of you to burst out in a fit of laughter, Jungkook joining in soon after as he sees that his ridiculous joke was successful.

Eyes rolling, you reply through the chorus of giggling, “You’re so dumb, stop!”

Jungkook snickers, clearly proud of himself as he adjusts the collar of his sweater, he looks over at Taehyung for a moment, mumbling something to him, before Tae nods in response, smirking.

“Yah! Secrets don’t make friends! What are you two mumbling about?” Jimin protests, one of his hands running through his pink locks, his eyebrows raised in offense.

They both chuckle shaking their heads at him before Tae nods to the screen.

“What are you two doing next weekend?”  

“Probably studying for finals…and crying…definitely crying.” You conclude, accepting your fate as finals were only three weeks away and, you had so much left to do.

“I’m in rehearsal most of the weekend but, I have Friday night off so, I can rest.” Jimin explains and a soft smile graces your features momentarily as you hear that Jimin scheduled a rest day; proud that he had taken your advice.

“Well…Kook and I are gonna be at Kappa Sigma’s senior party so, you guys should keep Friday night open…for some entertainment” Taehyung casually drops the bit of news, still smirking towards Jungkook who is now looking toward his floor. A flash of different emotions play on your face as you look between the two men. Jimin obviously responds first, failing to address the confusing aspect of their announcement, his excitement bubbling over.

“Yay! Really? Wait does that mean you’re coming two weekends in a row then? Cause my showcase is the weekend after that…”Jimin’s voice fades at the end of his sentence, his eyes holding a bit of concern before, Jungkook quickly reassures him.

“Yes, Jimin-ssi…we would never miss the nation’s sweetheart, brutalize his competition for the fourth year in a row…”

Jimin’s face blooms with a beaming smile, clearly satisfied with Jungkook’s response, his body shifting happily in his seat.

You smile fondly at the two of them before nodding to Taehyung, the charm emitting from the exchange wearing off as you still have no clue why Jungkook and Tae would be at another fraternity’s party 300 miles from their own.

“Wait, why are you guys gonna be at Kappa’s party? Doesn’t your frat normally do something for seniors?” You smirk as Jungkook seems to shrink away with uneasiness, Tae chuckling at his side.

“Well, our Jungkookie here thought it would be a good idea to shit-talk the president of Kappa Sigma while they were playing games on live and, made a bet with him that he could…” Tae trails off as he shoots a taunting glance towards Jungkook, mischief in his eyes, “What were your exact words Kookie?”  

“…crush his high score, wasted, with one hand tied behind my back…” Jungkook mumbles in response, a cheesy smile on his face as he avoids eye contact with the screen. You burst out in a fit of giggles, Jimin joining you soon after.

“Oh my god Kookie’s such a light weight he’ll be wasted after one drink!” Jimin wheezes through his giggling, the corner of his eyes wrinkled in absolute delight. “You know who Kappa’s president is right? Were you drunk when you made the bet?”  

The president of Kappa Sigma is none other than Kim Seokjin; resident ladies man, beer pong champion and, e-sports legend. Seokjin, or Jin, as you called him, was a good friend of yours and, aside from his incredibly large ego, is a pretty great person. The two of you had met your freshman year during your human sexuality class and, spent most of the time trying not to laugh every time your professor said phrases like “low hanging balls” or, “orgasmic euphoria” or, your favorite, “cursed clitoris.” The two of you never had much time to hang out but, Jin never failed to let you know that he was there if you needed anything. Back in your first years of university, partying was something you did more frequently, you used to frequent the Kappa Sigma house a lot and, Jin taught you most of what you know about drinking games, hangover cures, and cooking.  He used to FaceTime you when he was preparing food for Kappa Sigma’s party and, showed you probably 50 different ways to make ramen and, at least 14 or so, different chip dips. In essence, Jin was the fucking best and, you missed him a lot.

“Hyung, he talks so much shit! I want show him who the champion is so we can squash this beef once and for all and, I can play Mario Kart in peace!” Jungkook gripes, passion in his elevated voice as Jimin’s eyes widen before, falling back into his previous giggle fit. Your eyes widen with him as Jungkook mentions that he would be battling Jin in a game of Mario Kart aka the game Jin was an expert in.

“What? Why are you guys laughing at me, have a little faith, I’m Jeon Jungkook! I always win.” He insists, puffing his chest out and slapping it lightly.

“Kook, Jin has won the national,” You emphasize the word, trying to let your giggling subside so as to reason with your overly confident best friend “competition for Mario Kart for the last 6 years and, you bet him that, not only could you beat him, but, you could beat him wasted, with one hand tied behind your back, at his best game. We love you but, are you insane?”

Jungkook rolls his eyes, waving you off as Taehyung and Jimin continue to snicker occasionally at him.

“The only reason Seokjin has won for the last 6 years is because, I’ve never entered his stupid little competitions.”

At this, Taehyung scoffs, “The one’s you watch every year?” He accuses, with his brows raised and Jungkook shoves him playfully, the two of them snickering.  

The conversation ends with a mutual agreement that the four of you would see each other next Friday and, that would all be wearing “Team Jungkook” shirts to the party. You made a mental note to text Jin and explain that, you still love him even though, for one night only, you would be actively rooting against him

You lean over to the other end of the couch in an attempt to coax a curious Marzipan into your lap. She reluctantly follows the movement of your hand and plops down onto your lap as a satisfied smile makes its way onto your face. You can feel the heaviness in your lids take over and, you decide that it was time to start your #nighttimeroutine that consisted of you, turning on Netflix, falling asleep on your couch with your mouth open and, waking up at 3am to drag yourself into your bedroom. Subscribe!  

Anyways...

The TV lights up with the trusty red logo, you know all too well and, you begin searching through your “Continue Watching” section because, let’s be honest, you’re not going to be watching anything new tonight. As you make it to the section, you feel a little flutter in your stomach as you spot the dragon documentary you and Yoongi had started (but definitely not finished) earlier in the day. The thought to text him plays on your mind for a moment before, you squash it, remembering that he was working on his project tonight and, deciding that you didn’t want to disturb him.  

You did however, find yourself replaying the events from the last 24 hours in your head, again. Thoughts of Yoongi had been looping in your head the entire day despite your best efforts. Yoongi wasn’t exactly an open book so, it’s not like you knew all of his deepest secrets but, you had to admit that his behavior during sex was surprising. Hell, your behavior was surprising, there wasn’t a single sexual experience that you’ve had that could replicate the energy you felt when you were with Yoongi. You had never really thought of yourself as a dominate person in the bedroom but, there was something about Yoongi that made you want to fuck him so good that he couldn’t remember his name. A smirk plays on your lips as you log that idea away for another time. There was a small amount of anxiety around being with Yoongi as you had never really been in a real relationship before. You hooked up with a few people and, saw a guy briefly during your sopohmore year but, no one had ever made you feel the way Yoongi did. Quite frankly, he had you feeling all kinds of soft and mushy.

Gross.

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

Sunday had passed with minimal excitement. You spent the day cleaning up your apartment and, tackling the mountain of laundry that had formed in the corner of your bedroom. There was an attempt to work on your final paper but, you only managed to get out a page or so before, getting distracted by more important things i.e., using a laser pointer to play with Marzipan because, lord knows, she needs the exercise.

Monday moved agonizingly slow but, you made it to all of your classes without being overtaken by senioritis. Although, you did attempt to talk yourself out of going to your 8am class but, thankfully (?), the logical side of you prevailed. The rest of Monday evening consisted of spicy  Ramen (Jin’s recipe of course) and, more coursework that you definitely did NOT fall asleep on.

Tuesday had mercifully arrived and, you were now currently seated in your Psych class, eagerly looking towards the door, waiting for a certain platinum headed boy to trudge through into the room. Morning lectures were the worst but, getting to spend them with a sleepy, pouty, fluffy haired Yoongi made them a little bit better. Professor James strolled through the door moments later, smiling softly at everyone, waving a hand to the lecture hall. He busied himself at the front of the room as began getting things ready for class whilst the students who were filing in started pairing up with their partners and, pulling out their research journals. As the classroom fills more and more you feel a bit of disappointment brewing in your stomach. It wouldn’t be unusual for Yoongi to miss class as, he was absent quite frequently but, you had been looking forward to seeing him.

The hope of Yoongi showing up to class slowly dissolves as the last of the students trickle in and, Professor James turns on the projector.

“Morning everyone, I hope you all had a good weekend.” He begins, his voice echoing throughout the lecture hall.

There’s a chorus of unenthusiastic murmurs responding to his greeting causing him to chuckle, his brows going up in mock offense.

“Wow, chill, the energy in this room is off the charts.” He jests, and scattered laughter is heard throughout the room as he continues. “Alright so, most of you are nearing the end of your projects and, from what I’ve seen so far, everyone seems to be doing a great job.”  

You glance down at your research journal, your fingers flipping through the pages as you nod to yourself. Time had been flying by and, until Professor James said something, you hadn’t even realized that you only had two fears left to tackle.

“I only have a couple things I want to mention before letting you guys pair up with your partners. First_” Professor James stops abruptly as the door to the hall swings open.

You bite your lip to stifle the incredibly huge smile that is threatening to overtake your face as, Yoongi walks in, dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and some ripped gray jeans. His bag is slung over his shoulder as usual but, his hands are clutching a drink carrier. You squint your eyes slightly to catch a glimpse of what he’s brought but, your question is answered as he stops momentarily at Professor James’s podium, his hands extending slightly toward him.

“Mr. Min you are a life saver, thank you so much, 50,000 extra credit points to you…” Your professor bellows, hands outstretched to take the tall paper cup currently nestled into Yoongi’s drink carrier. As Yoongi nods to him, he turns around and you catch him smirking at your professor’s comment. Wow, he has no business looking this good at 8 in the fucking morning. Looking into his carrier, you notice he’s still wielding two more drinks and, as he makes his way towards your desk, his eyes find yours. The smirk dissolves into a softer smile, his feet picking up slightly before finally making it to the desk you had saved for him. You smile back at him, looking curiously at the drink carrier before; Yoongi pulls one of the cups out and places it on your desk.

“I hope they made it right, the lady behind the counter was new…” He whispers to you and, you just about melt into a helpless pile of mush. “Also, this still doesn’t count as one of the times I’m paying so, don’t get any ideas.”

You giggle at his comment, his small gesture touching you more than you cared for him to know.

“You are the best person in the observable universe…” You whisper back to him, eyeing the drink eagerly.

“It’s just coffee, don’t be ridiculous.” He grumbles but, the playful glint in his eyes makes it obvious that he’s kidding.

“Did Professor James ask you to get him coffee? I’m so confused.” The question passes your lips as you move to take a sip of your coffee. It was perfect and, there’s another annoying flutter in your stomach as you realize that Yoongi remembered your order despite only ever hearing it one time.  

Yoongi takes a sip of his own drink, an iced Americano, his dark eyes normally puffy from the lack of sleep, lighting up slightly as the caffeine hits him. He nods, chuckling, the two of you keeping your voices down as Professor James continues speaking.  

“James is actually a good friend of my roommate so; he’s at the house all the time. He texted me this morning and, said he forgot his coffee and, asked if I could pick something up for him.” Yoongi explains, his morning voice crackling in the space between you. “Luckily for him, I was already at the coffee place.”  

“Really? How does your roommate know him?” You can feel your energy elevating more and more as the caffeine and Yoongi’s presence work wonders on your previously sleepy self.

“I think they met in their undergrad?” Yoongi’s eyes are squinted in thought before he nods to himself. “Yeah, I think that’s what Namjoon said. They go way back.”

You cock your head, confusion painting your features. Undergrad? You had assumed Yoongi’s roommates were still in their undergrad.

“Is Namjoon in grad school?” You ask to sate your curiosity, taking another sip of coffee.

Yoongi smirks, his eyes flitting over to you as he shakes his head.

“No, he’s in his third year of medical school. Namjoon got his bachelors 4 years ago.” He explains and, your confusion doesn’t wane. This must have been obvious as Yoongi just chuckles before speaking up again.

“Yeah, he’s kind of a genius. He graduated high school two years early and, started college while he was still in his junior year. He got his bachelors at 18 and, then started medical school. Him and James roomed together during their freshman and sophomore year. That’s how they know each other.”  

Your eyes are wide with amazement, shaking your head, impressed with Yoongi’s explanation.

“Damn…that’s insane. I just assumed he was in our year, did you guys not meet on campus then?”

Yoongi shakes his head, “Namjoon and I have been friends since we were kids. We went to school together when we were little until he moved away but, we always kept in touch. When I was looking for a place to stay after I moved out of my dorm, Joon offered his place to me. Hoseok and I moved in at the same time.”  

“…and I’m guessing Hoseok is Jay right?” You clarify, only remembering Yoongi mentioning two roommates.

Yoongi rolls his eyes, chuckling as he nods, his hand coming up to scratch the back of his neck.

“Yeah, that’s what he goes by on campus but, in my house he’s Hoseok or, Hobi. That’s what I usually call him, Jay just feels weird.” He explains as he scribbles down something on his notebook. Professor James had left a few reminders up on the projector after he finished wrapping up his introduction. You followed suit, a fond smile still on your lips as you listen to Yoongi talk about his friends.

“They seem like good people, it’s good that you ended up living with your best friends instead of ending up with a college roommate horror story.” You point out

“Yeah, yeah they’re alright.” Yoongi waves you off but, the fond smirk doesn’t really leave his face. “I’m sure you’ll meet them someday, you guys would get along well.”

Yoongi’s comment sends another flutter to your stomach but, you attempt to keep the conversation going without melting for the millionth time.

“I’d love to meet them.” You murmur, smiling softly. “My friends know Jay pretty well actually.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Yoongi chuckles airily, his dark eyes regarding yours. Yoongi is definitely one for subtly and, although he doesn’t do anything obvious, you can tell he is much more comfortable around you than he ever has been. “How do your friends know him?”

“He was in a few dance classes with my best friend Jimin and, he was in my other two best friend’s fraternity before he transferred to our campus.” You explain and Yoongi nods in understanding, taking another big gulp of his Americano.

“Hobi knows everyone, no matter where we go; he’s always running into someone. It gets kind of annoying actually because, then he spends way too much time talking their ear off before we can move on with our day.” Yoongi laments, his expression shifting to one of mild annoyance.  

“What, you don’t love standing by awkwardly and doing that polite little wave when you’re friend finally introduces you? That is peak social interaction.” You lean back in shock, earning another eye roll from Yoongi as he chuckles, shaking his head.  

“Fuck no.” He states bluntly, the two of you laughing together as class begins to wrap up.

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

The two of you had decided to combine your fears once again and, agreed to meet at your apartment later on that night. After the remainder of your classes you headed back to your place to get everything ready for the night ahead. You and Yoongi had decided you would watch a horror movie that contained spiders in it thus, tackling his fear of scary movies and, your fear of spiders. 

Joy.

Yes, you were spending time with Yoongi and, that was a well and good but, you were not (!!!) excited to spend two hours watching a movie about the creepy crawly creatures that had plagued you since childhood. You shuddered at the thought of it before attempting to busy yourself with preparing the living room for your morbid movie night. Yoongi had, of course, insisted on bringing the food and, as promise, you had allowed it with no resistance. You were thankful that you had spent Sunday cleaning your apartment because, normally, you would be cleaning Marzipan’s litter box and, frantically shoving a pizza box into the garbage chute before Yoongi arrived. However, today you decided to put in a little extra effort since you had the time.

After about an hour of work, you had transformed your living room into a sleepover scene that Pintrest users everywhere, would envy. Your couch was pulled out into a bed that you had lined with your fluffiest pillows and covered in the large fluffy white duvet that normally resided on your bed. You had your end tables positioned on other side of the bed, for optimal snacking, both of which held your homemade caramel corn and, snack sized bags of chips. Your fairy lights framed the walls surrounding your living room ,illuminating the space with a soft glow.

If you were going to spend two hours staring into the (eight) eyes of evil, goddamnit, you were going to do it in style.  

The final step was for you to change into something more comfortable so, you opted for one of your biggest black hoodies and, your favorite pair of PJ shorts. You pulled your hair out of your face and, decided that reapplying a little bit of concealer was a good idea but, decided not to fuss with too much considering that any makeup you apply may fall victim to your tears. Because, you know, spiders. Whilst strolling out of your bathroom, your phone vibrates with a text from Yoongi.

Yoongi: I’m here; can you open the door when I come up? Hands are full.

You feel your mouth water at the thought of food before quickly sending your reply and, heading towards your front door.

You: yeah, no worries

A minute or so later, a knock emits from your door and, after fluffing the pillows a final time, you walk (run) to the door to let Yoongi in. As you open the door, you see him standing there, dressed in a pair of gray jogging bottoms and a black hoodie that’s easily four times his size. His hands are clutched tightly around two pizza boxes and, you move quickly to open the door wider so we can enter.

“You read my mind; I’ve been craving pizza all week.” You groan, hungrily eyeing the boxes he was carrying.

Yoongi’s brows rise, placing the boxes on your countertop, “It’s only Tuesday.” He points out, chuckling at you, his eyes holding a bit of fondness.

“Well, it’s a good thing you took care of my craving today, who knows what could have happened.”  

Yoongi snorts, his eyes rolling as he braces his hands against the counter, he opens his mouth to respond but, stops himself as he catches a glimpse of the living room. You notice his eyes soften for a moment, his lips pursed as nods toward your finished project.

“Did you do all this for tonight?” He inquires, his voice less snarky than before, dark eyes scanning the room.

Your teeth nibble on your bottom lip as you follow his eyes to the living room. For some reason, his soft gaze is making you nervous but, you play it cool as you nod.

“I’m hoping the snacks and mood lighting will distract us from the awful, awful things we are about to witness.”

A soft smile graces Yoongi’s pout lips momentarily as he snickers, nodding along to your response.

“It looks great.” He concludes, the softness never really leaving his features.

The two of you decide its best not to start the movie while you’re still eating and, you’re grateful for this because, you really don’t want to watch a movie about one of your least favorite things whilst eating one of your favorite things. Roughly 7 slices of cheesy pizza are demolished before; you grab the remote, your thumb hovering over the play button.

“Are you ready?”  

Yoongi had himself propped up against the mountain of pillows, wearing an uneasy expression. He finishes wiping his hands on his napkin before nodding to the spot beside him, brows raised expectantly.

“Well you’re over there…when you should be over here so… no.” Yoongi’s crisp voice is dripping with sarcasm, his eyes playful during his comment but, you can tell he’s nervous.

A giggle bubbles over your lips and, you shake your head, eyeing the spot beside him before situating yourself against his side. His arm wraps around you, his hand loosely draped over your shoulder as he pulls you closer to him. A smile touches your mouth momentarily as you lay your arm over his stomach and, although you don’t see it, Yoongi smiles softly down at you.

“Are you ready now?” You inquire playfully, looking up at him.

He pretends to think for a moment, eyes squinted in thought before nodding thoughtfully.

“I think so.”  

You laugh at his antics before, your thumb presses the play button on your remote. The opening credits for the movie start playing and, you feel yourself growing slightly uncomfortable at what was to come. The movie was called Under My Skin and, it was about a town afflicted with a horrible disease that caused spiders (!!!!!!!) to grow underneath a person's skin. Like, seriously, who the fuck comes up with these things??? You tried to focus on how unrealistic the premise of the movie was but, all your brain kept going back to how horrifying that reality would be.

“I think we’ll be okay; this movie seems too stupid to be scary.” Yoongi assures the both of you, confidence in his voice.

“I agree, it doesn’t make any sense. How does a disease just make spiders grow under your skin? It’s so dumb.” You agree, eyes trained on the screen as the main character is introduced.  

The two of you zone out, focusing on the movie as it starts progressing more and more. As usual, the silence that settles in is natural and pleasant. You tuck your fingers underneath Yoongi’s hoodie, your nails lightly brushing the bare skin over his hip. Yoongi feels himself warming up at your touch and, it frustrates him slightly that he’s so affected over such a small gesture.  

“Oh god why is it so big???” You groan, your legs subconsciously curling up to make yourself smaller.  

Yoongi snickers beside you, his hand patting your shoulder, lazily attempting to comfort you.

“Cause the guy forgot to take his medicine and, remember, the scientist said they would grow bigger if they didn’t take it.” He explains matter of factly as a giant hairy spider pops onto the screen.

Both of you jump at that, Yoongi’s grip tightening on you slightly, a grimace on his face.

“fucking jump scares.” Yoongi grumbles to himself and, you bite your lip to keep from giggling, choosing instead to press a kiss to his side. “This movie is horrible.”

You nod as you look up at a slightly scared, disgruntled Yoongi: Brows furrowed, lips pouted, his voice a slight whine as he stares at the screen. You’re about to agree with him right as a giant spider bursts out of the main characters skin, followed by hundreds of other spiders running all over his body. Your eyes widen as you cringe harder than you’ve ever cringed in your entire life.

“EW! Oh my god, what the fuck, what the fuck???? I hate it....I hate it....” You exclaim, voice elevated slightly as you practically pounce onto Yoongi causing him to erupt in his rickety laughter, his hands coming up to steady you. “Yoongiiiiiiii” you whine, brows furrowed in disgust, your skin crawling.

Yoongi’s laughter doesn’t cease and, if you weren’t so grossed out, you would take time to appreciate it. Groaning, you stuff your face into his chest, taking solace in his scent.  

“We could have just watched a video on tarantulas...” Yoongi points out, eyes damp with tears, no doubt from his fit of laughter. “Why did you pick out such a disgusting movie?”  

“Cause I was trying to challenge myself...” You grumble, voice muffled by the material of Yoongi’s sweatshirt.  

He chuckles, his hand coming up to rub the back of yours gently, his fingertips lightly brushing your scalp.  

“I think you went a little overboard...” He’s smirking now, looking down at you fondly as you pull your face from his chest.  

“Hindsight is 20/20.”

Pieces of hair have fallen in your face, from your previous outburst and blowing air from your lips doesn’t help you but, it does cause Yoongi to laugh again (a beautiful sound).   He lifts a hand, gently brushing the hair from your face, a faint smirk still on his lips as he shakes his head at you.

“Do you want to turn the movie off?” He suggests, brows raised, his teeth chewing on the inside of his lip as he nods to the TV.

At his suggestion you perk up, quickly moving off of him as you turn around to grab the remote. You press stop right as another spider tries to make its way onto the screen. The main menu of Netflix pops up and you grimace as you see that “Under My Skin” is now suggested on your ‘continue watching.’  

“They can’t hurt us anymore...” You vow, drama coating your voice as you nod solemnly towards the TV.

Yoongi rolls eyes, his expression incredulous as he snorts, “You’re ridiculous.”  

Your head whips around in his direction, eyes widened in mock offense. “I’m not ridiculous, I just saved our lives. You’re welcome.”

Yoongi bites his lip, stifling his laughter as he nods thoughtfully, his hands raised.

“Thank you, your bravery will not go unnoticed.”

Your eyes slit momentarily before pouncing on him, your legs making their way around his waist. Yoongi eyes widen, his hands coming up to catch your hips, his face blown out with shock.

“Why are you always such a punk huh?” You tease, hands worming their way in the crook of his neck, tickling at the skin there.  

Yoongi squirms, laughter bubbling over his lips as his face scrunches up at the sensation.

“Yah! Why are you always so theatrical?” He cries out through his laughter as one of his hands makes its way to pinch at your side.  

A squeal leaves your lips, eyes widening as you loose your balance, falling backwards onto Yoongi’s legs.

“You know what??? I’m not theatrical, I’m just expressive unlike some people I know!” You retort, eyes pointed in his direction.

Yoongi scoffs, acting quickly as he moves on top of you, nimble fingers pressing into your sides, causing rather unattractive giggles to leave your lips as you try to wiggle out of his grip.  

“What was that Y/N? I can’t hear you.” Yoongi tilts his head in a mock attempt to listen to you, all while his hands tickle over every surface of your body he can reach.

“You’re an ass oh my god!” You giggle, hands desperately trying to tickle him back but, he manages to pin your arms above your head in the process, leaving you helpless.

“Oh I’m an ass am I? Well that’s just rude.” He admonishes, eyes a light with amusement as he moves to tickle over your ribs.

Your feet frantically kick behind you, stomach clenched as you giggle harder, thrashing beneath him before, an idea pops into your head. Yoongi’s lips move closer to yours, and you take advantage of the moment, pushing your lips against his. At your gesture, Yoongi’s hand stalls, the hand that’s holding your wrist softening as he leans into your mouth.  

You tuck your lips between his, nibbling on his bottom lip as he sighs out through his nose. A twinge of satisfaction stirs in your stomach; you were amazed at how fast you could get him to react. He kisses you back with gentle but firm lips, his hands braced on either side of your head as the kiss deepens.  

“You’re cheating...” He mumbles against your mouth, words slightly muffled by your lips.  

“I wanted to kiss you.” You smirk, your voice reduced to a shallow whisper as you lean up into his mouth. Yoongi’s lips were made for kissing, everything about them made you want to suck and bite and kiss into them until they were wet and swollen from your movements.

Yoongi pulls back momentarily, breathing slightly ragged as he looks down at you. His hair fell into his eyes that were dark and deep with want, his cheeks flushed as he returns your smirk. Your own eyes travel over his body before zeroing in on the seam of his joggers that were inflated with his hardening dick.  

“It’s not polite to stare...” Yoongi whispers, tongue licking over his lips as he regards you with mischievous eyes.

Your brows raise at his comment, head cocked slightly as you return his stare before pushing yourself up on your elbows.

“You’re being awfully bold today Yoongi...I think you’re forgetting your place.” You whisper and, your smirk grows as you see him visibly inhale at your comment, his dick twitching in his pants.

However, he doesn’t back down and, instead tries his luck once more, “Oh my place huh? What place is that?” The questions leave his lips with a scoff and, his attitude ignites something inside of you. You push off your elbows, hands coming up to press against his chest, pushing him back against the bed. The motion makes him gasp slightly, his brown eyes wide as they stare up at you, some of his attitude wiped from his expression.  

You giggle lightly, head tilting to the side, lips moving slowly to hover over his as you respond to his question,

“Beneath me...” You whisper and, at your response, Yoongi’s dick seems to swell from underneath you, the breath he held escaping shakily through his lips.  

“You want to do all the work again huh? Please, be my guest...” He smirks, eyes scanning over your body he does, his attitude quickly returning as you kiss his lips again. Your lips start moving along his jawline, paying careful attention to sensitive spots. Yoongi sighs, a slight groan catching on the end of it as he tilts his head back for you.  

“You talk a lot of shit for someone who’s going to be whimpering in a few minutes.” You say simply, feeling your panties dampen as you start to kiss over his collarbones. You may have a slight fixation with them. Teeth nibble and suck over the sensitive skin as Yoongi opens his mouth to respond. His response is quickly cut off when you press your hips to his dick, words caught in his throat as he groans slightly.  

“Talking shit is my kink...” He whispers, smirking, his eyes lulled with lust, teeth biting into his bottom lip as he pushes his hips back against you.  

You giggle at his comment, lips pressed against his skin as you do. Your careful to ensure that the seam of your leggings lines up with the seam of his joggers so, that you can feel his swollen dick press against your clit. The sensation sends a shiver down your spine and, you hate that you’re already so eager to have him inside of you again. Your hands slip underneath his hoodie, pushing it up further and further, exposing Yoongi’s chest. He takes the hint, hands quickly coming up to remove the article of clothing, revealing his body to you. His nipples are hard, his smooth stomach clenched slightly in anticipation as he looks down at you. You bite your lip at the sight of him, lips returning to his collar bones, kissing and sucking over the skin there.

“Is that why you’re so hard?” You quip, Yoongi’s hands coming up to push at your own hoodie, encouraging its removal with furrowed brows. He gets his way as you briefly pull away from his neck to take off your sweater before, returning back to kissing your way down his chest.

Yoongi’s soft laughter can be felt against your lips, his hips pressing up into you again before he responds, “No.”  

“No? Then what’s making you so hard?” You pull back, sitting on him, putting your lace covered chest on full display.  

With eager eyes, Yoongi scans over your body, taking in the sight before him, sucking on his bottom lip.

“You’re so hot...” He mumbles, mostly to himself, his hands coming up to squeeze at your hips.

 “That doesn’t answer my question...” You retort, voice soft and raspy with lust as you smirk down at him.

His nimble fingers find the clasp at your back, undoing your bra in no time, pulling back to look at your breasts, licking his lips as he does. Yoongi’s gazes shifts to meet your own before returning your smirk, sitting up slightly to wrap his arms around you fully.

“Yeah...” He presses his lips to yours “it does.”

He’s leaning you back slightly, your legs wrapping firmly around his torso as he kisses at your lips, a gummy smile flashing when he pulls away. Another laugh leaves your lips as you come up to place your fingertips on either sides of his cheeks. The energy between the two of you is so pure and refreshing, you felt so comfortable and elated and turned on all at the same time and, by the way Yoongi was peering into your eyes, lips still playfully attacking your own, you could tell he felt the same way.  

Yoongi leans forward a bit more, laying you down on the opposite end of the bed, hands eagerly tucking into the band of your leggings and pulling them off in one quick motion. You squeal slightly as he does, feet landing on either side of his knees, as you stare up at him.

“Your turn...” You nudge his hip with your foot, toeing the hem of his joggers. Yoongi snorts, batting your foot away before pulling his joggers and boxers off at the same time. His dick was so hard it stood prominently away from his hips, veins pushing against the smooth skin, as the tip of him shined slightly with precum.  

“You left my panties on.” You point out, eyes swimming with desire as you pry your eyes away from Yoongi’s cock. The black lacey panties you chose to wear for the evening we’re drenched and, you wondered whether or not Yoongi could tell.  

Yoongi’s heavy eyes meet yours, the corner of his mouth pulling up in a half smile as his hands come up to rest on your knees, parting your legs.  

“I know...” He whispers, licking over his lips as he slots himself between your thighs.  

The smirk returns to your mouth as you pull him closer to you, your breasts pressed to his bare chest as you place a searing kiss against his bitten lips. He smiles into the kiss, hips aligning with your own as he does, his swollen dick agonizingly close to where you want it the most.

“Is that another one of your kinks? Fucking me with my panties on?” You mumble into his lips as he braces his hands on either side of your head.

Yoongi smile waxes again, his teeth biting into your bottom lip as he nods, his brown eyes wide and falsely innocent as they look into yours.

“Can I?” He murmurs, fingers tracing patterns on your inner thighs, only adding to the wetness in your panties.

You nod eagerly, looking down at where the two of you are connected, your fingers moving to tuck themselves into the side of your panties, pulling them over to expose your bare pussy to Yoongi’s gaze.

His eyes close momentarily as he lets out shaky breath through his nose. They open seconds later, a renewed amount of darkness in them as he looks up at you, his hand wrapping around his dick. As he strokes himself a few times and lines himself up at your entrance, his eyes never leave yours even when he pushes himself into you. The moment you feel him enter you, your pussy tightens around him, contracting and pulling him closer to you. A drunk smile graces Yoongi’s features as he lulls his head back towards you, his shallow breath catches in his throat as he starts to move in and out of you, grazing that spongey spot inside of you as he does.

“Good?” You whisper shakily, giggling at the blissful smile on his face.

Yoongi stares down at you, chuckling darkly, his words slurred slightly as he responds, “So good.”

You start to meet the motion of Yoongi’s narrow hips, your feet planted on either side of him for leverage. Yoongi leans down, kissing into your neck and across your chest as his hips start to subtly pick up the pace. You can feel your clit swell at his motions, the increased speed nudging that spot inside of you more consistently. Everything about him felt so fucking good, his hips, his lips, his dick, even his breath. If you had it your way, it would last forever but, things with him were so good that you found yourself wanting to cum way too early.  

Yoongi sucks on a particular part of your neck that makes your eyes roll back and, you tense at the pleasure, your hands coming up to grab at Yoongi’s back. He picks up the pace of his hips slightly as he feels you on his back, soft grunts leaving his pouted lips as he does.

“You always make me feel like I could...cum so fast...” Yoongi’s gravelly voice is muffled by the skin of your neck, the tone almost pained as he grinds slower momentarily before picking up the pace again. “It’s not fair.” The last bit of his sentence sounded very much like a whine and, you giggle softly, feeling very drunk yourself as you meet the motions of hips with your own.

You feel your nails press into the skin of his back, digging in roughly and, you realize you must be doing something right because, you literally feel Yoongi throb inside of you.  

“You like my nails?” You whisper in his ear, nibbling on the curve of it, sending a shiver down Yoongi’s spine as he still continues kissing over your chest and neck.

He nods, not fully attentive as his lips wrap around one of your nibbles, soft tongue coming out to rub against it. Your back arches into his mouth, eyes closing at the feeling, hips moving faster and slightly harder as you run your nails all over his back. There is a familiar tightness in your stomach that’s weaving its way into your pussy, your clit jumping in response as Yoongi hits your spot with more force.  

You moan softly, as Yoongi kisses his way up your neck, settling on your lips. His eyes are wild and blown out as he looks into yours, his lips lacking all sense of technique as he kisses at you.

“Jagi...” He whimpers into your mouth and, the sudden change in his tone makes you almost loose it right then and there. You suck on his bottom lip in response your hands rubbing on his shoulders as the two of you fuck into eachother harder and harder.  

“Are you close?” You whisper, a moan catching on the end of your question as Yoongi delivers a harder thrust, your orgasm rapidly approaching as he nods, his teeth knocking against yours slightly.

“Want your nails...” He mumbles again, lips kissing on your lips.

You flex your fingers over the skin of his back, hoping to find the motion that makes his dick throb, trying to keep focus through the hazy fog of your impending orgasm.  

“You want me to scratch you baby?” At your question, Yoongi snaps his hips against yours, the movement causing you to almost loose it.

Yoongi pulls back from your lips, flitting his eyes toward yours, his gaze intense and, swimming with pure desire as he forces out a raspy, broken response.

“If you scratch me, you’re gonna make me cum.” He warns, hips grinding upwards to focus on your g-spot and, your thankful for his warning because, you were not in a position to last any longer either.

“That’s ok, I’ll cum with you, I’ll cum too.” You assure him, hand coming up to brush the sweaty hair from his eyes, his lips turning to kiss against your palm before he nods.

“Do it...I’m so close jagi, please.” He pleads with you and you oblige, digging your nails into his back, scratching against his skin as he starts to fuck you so hard, it forces air from the back of your throat.  

“fuck...” Yoongi whimpers, his voice almost small as you feel his hips tense against yours, his first rope of cum hitting the walls of your pussy. Yoongi’s eyes find yours and the desperate, fucked out expression he sports, is enough to send you over the edge. The tension in your hips breaks as warmth and euphoria spread throughout your body. Yoongi’s hips are unrelenting as he fucks through his orgasm, a deep shaky moan leaving his lips.  

“Yoongi...” You moan softly, still scratching at his back and, at the sound of his name, Yoongi crumbles, his eyes rolling back as his orgasm continuing to shatter him as he collapses onto your chest, his lips sucking on the skin there.  

The two of you start to come down as Yoongi slows the motion of his hips, his body covered in a sheen of sweat and goosebumps. The nails on his back soften as you ride out the rest of your orgasm, your fingers brushing against the battered skin of his back gently. There’s quite a few moments of silence before he pulls out of you and, if your panties weren’t wet before, they were completely soaked now. Yoongi cuddles up into the crook of your arm, his sweaty blonde head, resting on your chest as he does. You smile softly, still breathless as your hand comes up to comb your fingers through his hair.  

“Do you want to stay the night?” You whisper finally, breaking the few moments of silence.

His eyes are shut, a blissful smile on his face as he cuddles into you further, his heart still pounding when he nods.

“Yes please.”

Skkkkrrrrt.

[natashasbanner]

Crushing on the Whitelighter

Maggie is far more perceptive than everyone gives her credit for. You didn't need powers like hers to see that there were sparks flying between her oldest sister and their resident Whitelighter.  

A/N: I'm rewatching the first season, much slower than my first watch through and noticed the way Maggie looks between Macy and Harry in the first few episodes. Maggie has known what's up since season one and I live by that. 

Also on AO3

X

“So what’s going on with you and Harry?” 

Macy froze, her mug of tea halfway to her lips. She and Maggie were sat at opposite ends of the couch, sharing a blanket between them. Mel was out for the evening, so it was just the two of them. They’d been talking about Maggie’s mishaps with the Kappas and Macy embarrassing herself at work to tend to their magical duties. How the topic of their Whitelighter came up, Macy wasn’t sure.

“What are you talking about?” Macy stuttered out, setting her mug back down on the coffee table. 

Maggie rolled her eyes and laughed, shaking her head. “Oh come on, Mace. Anyone with eyes can see you two have the hots for each other.” 

Macy leaned forward and dramatically pressed her hand to her sister’s forehead to check her temperature. 

“Are you feeling okay?” she asked, laughing as Maggie batted her hand away. “Maybe you should go lay down.

“You know my powers work both ways right?” Maggie asked, grinning cheekily at Macy. 

Macy felt her cheeks burn under her sister’s gaze. “What did you hear?” 

“You’ve got a little crush on our Whitelighter,” Maggie giggled. “What’s wrong with it?” 

Macy scoffed and shook her head, reaching for her tea again. “Aside from the fact that it’s completely forbidden, it’s not exactly appropriate considering he’s our magical advisor.” 

“I think it’s sweet,” Maggie stated, stubbornly crossing her arms. 

Macy took a long drink of her tea, eyeing Maggie over the rim of her mug. The warmth from it filled her up and helped to soothe her nerves. When she spoke again, her voice was much more even. 

“Try and see it from my perspective,” she urged her sister. “It’s like you having a crush on one of your professors.” 

Maggie’s only response was to roll her eyes with an annoyed little huff. 

“What?” 

“That’s totally not the same thing and you know it,” she said matter of factly. “Harry’s like family.” 

“Which is exactly why we should just forget about this crush,” Macy pointed out. “Or whatever it is.” 

“You’re no fun,” Maggie pouted. 

Macy shook her head. “I just think that our lives are crazy enough without entertaining something as juvenile as a school girl crush. It wouldn’t be very productive.” 

“When are you going to stop looking at everything so clinically? You need to live a little Mace.”

Macy looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. Maggie wasn’t wrong. She held her emotions close to the vest, she always had. Letting go meant giving others the power to hurt her. If she didn’t open up, then she couldn’t get hurt and that’s how she lived her life. Opening up to Maggie and Mel was still uncharted territory and sometimes she felt like she was walking on uneven ground around them. Allowing anyone else in was just too much to ask. 

“Hey,” Maggie said, reaching out to rest a soft hand on her knee. “I didn’t mean it like that.” 

Macy resisted the urge to pull away, afraid of what Maggie might hear, but appreciated the comforting gesture. 

“I know,” Macy said, covering Maggie’s hand with her own. “I’m really trying, but this is all new for me.” 

Maggie smiled and pulled her hand away. “Well pestering little sister is my specialty and you’re stuck with me. I don’t let up easily.” 

Macy laughed at that, a genuine laugh that warmed her more than any tea could. 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

Maggie grinned, her nose crinkling. “And if it’s any consolation, I think Harry likes you too.” 

Macy reached behind her and tossed the throw pillow at Maggie who just giggled and clutched it close to her chest. 

“I’m just saying,” she defended. “I think you guys would be happy together.” 

Shaking her head, Macy couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. Despite the turn their conversation had taken, she’d really enjoyed just sitting and talking with Maggie. At the pace their lives were going with the constant threat of demon attacks, they barely had time to actually be sisters. It was nice and made Macy feel like she was needed for more than just completing the power of three. 

“Maybe if circumstances were different,” Macy conceded, earning a giddy little wiggle from Maggie. “Do you think you could keep this between us?”  

“My lips are sealed,” Maggie promised. 

“Thank you.” 

“But when you two get married, I want to be the maid of honor.” 

“Oh my god,” Macy groaned and pushed herself up from the couch. “It’s time for me to go to bed.” 

“Goodnight Macy,” Maggie called out. 

Macy stopped in the archway that separated the living room from the foyer and glanced over her shoulder at Maggie who’d already pulled her phone out of her pocket and was absorbed in the screen. 

“Goodnight, Mags.” Macy said softly and headed up to her room.